Beautiful Day

      What makes a beautiful day? There are a couple of songs that I really like right now and they are both titled "Beautiful Day." So what is the true definition of a beautiful day? I have been thinking and for me the most beautiful days are the ones that are filled with peace. Sun or rain, work or play, the day is beautiful when I have surrendered my white knuckle grip on control to the One who made the day.
      And now for some gardening goodness. Yesterday some of our nephews and one of our nieces came over to help us get our garden spot ready. Luke tilled and we shoveled a tailor load of goat manure.

Shoveling the good stuff

 A chance to wear my fabulous new mud boots.

I didn't get everything planted yesterday so I finished up today in the gentle rain. Beans, peas, cucumbers, onions, zucchini, peppers, radishes and soon there will be tomatoes. 

Crooked rows and all! It is going to be good. Happy Monday

"Life is like a mirror, it'll smile at you if you smile at it." ~Unknown

And here is one of my favorite songs. 

Introducing Norbert the Turtle

     Today Luke and I went for a drive and we found a baby painted turtle crossing the road. We decided to keep him, at least for the weekend, and I want to take him to school next week. He is pretty cute. I named him Norbert.

Also, we bought a couple lemons and I'm going to try my hand at growing a lemon tree. We shall see how it turns out.

Happy Saturday

"Try to be like the turtle--At ease in your own shell." ~Bill Copeland 

Life's Adventures.

      As Spring moves forward I've been noticing the wonderful music that God makes. The frogs in the swamp across the road are always harmonizing, The birds sing the melody, and I think there is some sort of bug that likes to add his chirping to the mix. I love it all and it is a sound that really fills me with peace when I stop, close my eyes, and just listen to it. I especially like leaving the window open at night to hear the sweet song as I fall asleep. God is so good.
     Last night, my Love and I decided to meet some friends in town for ice cream and then we went for a walk by the lake. It was lovely. Sharing ice cream with a sweet baby, smelling the lilacs as we walked the trail by the lake, and just enjoying the evening with good friends.

A bouquet from our little adventure. 

Then there is this,

way back towards the beginning of the new year, I planted an avocado pit. We had tried a couple of times, unsuccessfully, to get one started by suspending it in water. I decided to try again by just planting it in dirt. So, I had a lovely jar of dirt sitting on my windowsill for months. I finally gave up on it and stuck it in the laundry room to be dealt with later.  When I eventually got around to dealing with it I started to dig down in the dirt and realized that the seed had in fact split, and so I put it back on the windowsill. Awhile later, I still saw nothing so I was going to give up on it again but decided to check it first. I carefully dug down and low and behold there was a sprout. So I let it be. I'm glad I did because once it finally showed itself, it has gone to town in the growing department.
     Today may you realize that The One who conducts the choir and designed the growing process loves you so very much.


“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.” ~Andy Rooney

Gardening

      Last night we left the window open. I woke up early this morning hearing birds singing. Then a little later in the morning I heard the sweet sound of rain. This afternoon, while I was out gardening, I heard a wonderful frog choir rehearsing in the swamp across the road, it was lovely.
       Awhile back our wonderful friends gave us a housewarming gift of gardening supplies. Well I figured it was probably safe to finally plant things outside, so today I played in the dirt.

     Right now it doesn't look that exciting, but if everything I planted comes up it will be absolutely lovely! That's a flowering almond bush and I planted sunflowers, hollyhocks, sweet peas, evening primrose, poppies, zinnias, and sweet williams.

The Lovely Keren Ruth gave me this happy plant. Gerbera daisies are one of my favorite flowers.

We have a few strawberry plants coming up.

And Luke did a bit of home maintenance.

Happy Sunday.

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul." ~Alfred Austin

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Teaching

       I'm a teacher and I absolutely love my job.  The funny thing is that all growing up I adamantly said that I was NOT ever going to be a teacher. That was what my sister wanted to be and I didn't think I was cut out for it. I believe I even said I would rather be tortured than ever become a teacher.  
       My mindset started to change when I was 19. I had decided to go on a 5 month mission trip to Namibia, Africa through Africa Inland Mission. I was told that I would be living in a small town and working at the preschool in the poorest district. And so I went.  I'm pretty sure I didn't really accomplish much as far as teaching those kids, but I think that God was teaching me something because my mind was starting to change. I started to think that maybe I might actually want to teach. When I got back to the States I was still thinking that way. I figured it was probably direction from God since it was such a drastic, 180 degree, change from what I had always thought. So, I decided to pursue it.
      Now, Spring is here and I am finishing up my second year of teaching. I readily respond to the name "Mrs. Williams," I put together bulletin boards, referee arguments, give pep talks about getting through math and read lots of books. I love it and I get excited about it. God is good. Happy Friday.

"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure." ~William Feather

Flowers

       So My Love and I moved to our lovely home at the end of October. Fall was in full swing and then winter hit. Well, Spring is here at last and it is exciting to scope out the flower beds and yard and discover all the flowering plants and trees.

At first I thought all the greenery by the front door was hostas. Then my sister Lydia pointed out that they were actually Lilly of the Valley. I personally think that is a much better surprise than hostas.

I wasn't too sure about these plants, but then I checked them yesterday and realized that they are full of buds. I think they might be peonies, but I'm not sure.

There are lilacs.

And a couple different varieties of crab apples.

Then there is this. The Lovely Keren Ruth thought they looked like Yoda. So it's the Yoda Bush

Then of course there are the violets and dandelions.

I also know that there are wild rose bushes out there. Happy Thursday.

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry, and be sure to smell the flowers along the way." ~Walter Hagen

God's Will Part 2

     So, awhile back I wrote about God's Will and wondering what it was. I shared some verses that talked about what God wants to see in our lives. Here is the continuation.

 1 John 5:2-3
  "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." 

God's Will: Love God. Then it says to obey His commands which you find in His Word. My favorite part is this, "And His commandments are not burdensome."!!! 

2 Peter 1:5-10
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.  Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall."

God's Will: Virtue, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, and affection and love for others.  

Zechariah 7:9-10
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,  do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

God's Will: Honesty, Kindness, Mercy.  

 

Adventures

       Yesterday was a wonderful, sunshiny, and adventurous Saturday. My love had to work, but I got to go up North(just about to Canada) for a wedding. I rode up with the lovely Keren Ruth and Benjamin. It was fun. After the wedding we stopped at Lake of the Woods. The beach was beautiful.

You couldn't see across the lake it was so big. 

Keren and Benjamin

"Nothing soothes the soul like a walk on the beach." ~Unknown

May

Happy First Saturday in May! I found dandelions and violets enjoying the sunshine this morning.

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul." ~Luther Burbank