It was -30.2 degrees (actual air temperature!) this morning. With the recent wind chills of -50 to -60 degrees it is just too cold to do much of anything. Isn't it wonderful to live in America at this time in history when we have central heating, indoor plumbing and a host of other life-easing helps?
I love America! If you think you might like to try living, say, in Afghanistan, be sure to read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written by an Afghani-American, it is one of the most bittersweet novels I have ever read and its effect hasn't left my spirit yet! Are all cultures equal? I think not.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
It was -30.2 degrees this morning. With the recent wind chills of -50 to -60 degrees it is just too cold to do much of anything. Isn't it wonderful to live in America at this time in history when we have central heating, indoor plumbing and a host of other life-easing helps?
I love America! If you think you might like to try living, say, in Afghanistan, be sure to read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written by an Afghani-American, it is one of the most bittersweet novels I have ever read and its effect hasn't lift my spirit yet! Are all cultures equal? I think not.
I love America! If you think you might like to try living, say, in Afghanistan, be sure to read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written by an Afghani-American, it is one of the most bittersweet novels I have ever read and its effect hasn't lift my spirit yet! Are all cultures equal? I think not.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Well, it's a balmy day (near 25 degrees) today. After church we went over to the Big House (we live in the Little House) and had a delicious lentil-split pea soup with cornbread, jello and pie for dessert. Mmmmm, it was good.
There are advantages to living in the country and many, many to living next door to kith and kin. We live near our daughter and son-in-love and their six children. Of course, living in the country also requires having cats...we have 11 of them...and absolutely no mice! Three dogs make up the remainder of the inhabitants of the Blessed Life Ranch.
One of my favorite sites is to see Alex (my 15-year-old grandson) head out to do the chores in the morning with 11 cats following him to the barn for breakfast. It's like the pied piper of Hamlin.
I got my first shipment of garden seeds this past week. We plan to put in about 12,000 sq. ft. of garden. The last two years we have had very bountiful harvests despite some early spring flooding. I love gardening. I don't think anyone else here on the ranch has the same fervency about it, but it doesn't matter, because I'm going to plant and plant BIG as long as I am able. Last two years we have canned hundreds of jars of pickles, carrots, corn, green beans, peaches, cherries, and made enough jelly from the plum trees in the shelter belts to last the whole year. I love it! This year we hope to have enough peas to freeze. Last fall I found a shrewd way to use our bountiful crop of buttercup squash. Instead of hoping the squash won't spoil before we get it all eaten, I nuked them slightly to make them easy to clean then scooped out the luscious orange yum yums and froze it. What a great idea...we can have squash anytime we want without having to cut and cook etc. And it tastes like it just came out of the garden.
I plan to post during the entire gardening extravaganza so if you have an interest be sure to check back. I will be starting my green peppers by the middle of March and the tomatoes by the first of April.
There are advantages to living in the country and many, many to living next door to kith and kin. We live near our daughter and son-in-love and their six children. Of course, living in the country also requires having cats...we have 11 of them...and absolutely no mice! Three dogs make up the remainder of the inhabitants of the Blessed Life Ranch.
One of my favorite sites is to see Alex (my 15-year-old grandson) head out to do the chores in the morning with 11 cats following him to the barn for breakfast. It's like the pied piper of Hamlin.
I got my first shipment of garden seeds this past week. We plan to put in about 12,000 sq. ft. of garden. The last two years we have had very bountiful harvests despite some early spring flooding. I love gardening. I don't think anyone else here on the ranch has the same fervency about it, but it doesn't matter, because I'm going to plant and plant BIG as long as I am able. Last two years we have canned hundreds of jars of pickles, carrots, corn, green beans, peaches, cherries, and made enough jelly from the plum trees in the shelter belts to last the whole year. I love it! This year we hope to have enough peas to freeze. Last fall I found a shrewd way to use our bountiful crop of buttercup squash. Instead of hoping the squash won't spoil before we get it all eaten, I nuked them slightly to make them easy to clean then scooped out the luscious orange yum yums and froze it. What a great idea...we can have squash anytime we want without having to cut and cook etc. And it tastes like it just came out of the garden.
I plan to post during the entire gardening extravaganza so if you have an interest be sure to check back. I will be starting my green peppers by the middle of March and the tomatoes by the first of April.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Life is so much better and less anxious when we learn that God is sovereign. It is greatly releasing when one discovers that though God loves you, He doesn't need you to complete His plans. He is never surprised when we fail to live up to His holy standard and wonder of wonder...His mercies are new every morning. Think about that!
I've never been much of a morning person although as the decades have passed I have become one. I have grown to love the quiet, peace and solitude of the early morning on a summer day. In the Valley you can see the sun come up and set every single clear day. And I have now seen thousands of sunsets in my life yet I can still be heard to say "Isn't that beautiful?!" I hope I never lose that child-like awe about God's glorious creation.
I've never been much of a morning person although as the decades have passed I have become one. I have grown to love the quiet, peace and solitude of the early morning on a summer day. In the Valley you can see the sun come up and set every single clear day. And I have now seen thousands of sunsets in my life yet I can still be heard to say "Isn't that beautiful?!" I hope I never lose that child-like awe about God's glorious creation.
I don't pretend to know much about blogging, but our daughter has such a wonderful blog that has proven very enjoyable for friends and relatives that I thought I would give it a whirl.
I have lots of thoughts that I sometimes think I ought to write down, but then never really get to it. Maybe this will improve my chances.
I live on the flat, and I mean flat, upper great plains in the fertile Red River Valley of the North. The soil can grow almost anything that can produce in a growing season between the middle of May and the middle of August.
We enjoy living right next door to our only child and her husband and their six children. It is such a blessing to see them work, play and love together and we are immeasurably grateful to God for allowing us this opportunity.
I have lots of thoughts that I sometimes think I ought to write down, but then never really get to it. Maybe this will improve my chances.
I live on the flat, and I mean flat, upper great plains in the fertile Red River Valley of the North. The soil can grow almost anything that can produce in a growing season between the middle of May and the middle of August.
We enjoy living right next door to our only child and her husband and their six children. It is such a blessing to see them work, play and love together and we are immeasurably grateful to God for allowing us this opportunity.
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