The LORD's Day...

                            Have a wonderful LORD's Day!

Canned...

This Friday has been a day of lots of small jobs.  It is way too hot to do any gardening, do I got busy inside.  :)

I only have one more load of laundry to do and I will be done for the week.  YIPEE!!  I shouldn't mind laundry because this gives me a great opportunity to pray for my husband, my son and myself...but...I do get tired of doing the folding!  This is the worst part of the whole job as far as I am concerned.  There are some days that I will not even start another load of laundry until the last load is hung or folded.  Today is one of those days...but only one more load. \o/

I had some tomatoes that had to be canned, so I did....

I think they are so pretty with the basil floating in the jar.

Spiced Pickled Pineapples came next.

The Pineapples are really yummy and I got that from my husband.  He loved the few that didn't make it in the jars.

During all this, my husband was teaching my son how to use an electric sander.  My laundry room shelves are now\sanded and ready to paint.  Now, I need to pray for the other shelves to get built, so I can expand my storage for both the laundry room and my kitchen.  These will also give me more room for canning goods.  Well, shall see.

Next on the agenda is to clean up my kitchen mess and then hook up the converter box so my husband can watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  I am sorry that I really don't care for the olympics anymore.  I loved them when I was a kid. 

Anyway, I am off to get busy.

Sharon

A refreshing day...

This has been a refreshing day thanks to my friend, Marianne.  Just to get out of the house and then to be treated to lunch on top of that was magical.  Thank you, again, my friend.

I rested and chilled out for awhile then my husband came home with the news that the car did not want to start.  It started, but it supposedly didn't want to do so.  I just sat quietly and prayed.  "Well, tomorrow I need to be off and take the car to Newport News to get fixed.  We need our car."  Thank you, Father for convincing him of this.  If there is something else wrong...maybe we didn't need to buy a new battery...oh well.  It is what it is.

I am not going to allow this to bring me down today.  I had a wonderful day and that is what it is.  :)

Sharon

P.S.  As a I was naming this entry...It occurred to me that to refresh a page on the net...you Right click on the mouse and then choose "refresh".  It is done almost instantly.  Are we so techy now that we think we can "refresh" ourselves in an instant?  There is a great deal of sorrow and suffering in everyone's daily lives.   It takes time to "refresh".  It is NOT just a click away....sigh....

                               

~Psalms 23:1-6~

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Amen

Maybe I need to dwell in this Psalm for awhile...no clicking here.....

 

Discouraged, but still His...

Monday....yes it is. 

When I woke up this morning I was totally discouraged.  Yep!  I was discouraged.  I said a short prayer and put a load of laundry in the washer.  Oh...that's not what you do when you are discouraged...hmmmm...well, that's exactly what I did.  The light colored load to be exact.  Maybe getting something clean will help me feel less discouraged.  Cleaning something usually does....but not today.

I did some sorting through and straightening up the house when I heard the bing! of the washing machine.  Light colored clothes....I wish I had a clothesline, I do not like my things and some of my husband's shirts in the dryer. Well, I will put them on hangers--then go outside and hang them under my picnic table umbrella.  It should not take them long to dry.

Cucumbers.  My friend, Julie, wanted 7 pounds of cucumbers...let me look...yep!  The vines are loaded, so I picked.  It must have been a God thing...almost 7 pounds!  I think she will have enough. 

As I was sitting there at my old gray friend staring at this huge limb that needs to be removed...tears started to fall.  No boo hooing was done...just silent tears welled up and fell down my face on to my work tee shirt.  For a little while I thought about the goodness of God and why was it not here at the Beale Bungalow.  An occasional sob escaped, but I was able to stay in control. 

Control....what a ridiculous word!  What an unattainable concept!  Is God truly sovereign?  This week's Sunday School lesson came rushing back into my thoughts.  I believe He is, so I just need to buck up, put my big girl pants on and move ahead.  The tears are now streaming down my face...

Today was the first time in a very long time that I wished my parents were still alive.  Even with all their faults, sins and abuse. I just needed them to hold my hand and know that everything will be alright.  I do not have this in my life and I haven't had this for such a long time.

I, personally, just need to hold someone's hand that is strong... for me...not me for him.  This sounds childish maybe, but I am tired of being the strong one...the one with all the answers...I want to hold someone's hand...that I can trust... 

Okay, I will call my only sibling.  Just to hear his voice will encourage me and let me know that I have a connection on this planet from my original family....No answer.  Figures. As I sat at my old friend wiping away my tears with the still damp bottom of my hanging old purple Walmart shirt...I truly felt alone...and I was scared.  I cried silently out to God and tried to listen for His voice.  

My phone rang...It was my brother.  "Hey, sis, did you call?"    "Yeah, I just called to tell you that I love you and to hear your voice."  "Perfect timing!"  "What's wrong, Ronnie?"  Knowing that this question would not allow me lean on him, and of course I was right.  He poured his troubled heart out to me and I tried to encourage him with sisterly love and affection.  We hung up, him feeling better, me feeling even more oppressed.  "LORD, I cannot fix him.  Nor can I meet his needs.  That only You can do...Just love my little brother, LORD.  Show him the way to You."

Gathering up the cucumbers, I slowly headed to the house.  I need to bless someone...I will call my friend.  I wanted to fix her and her family a meal because her husband was having surgery.  It was good to hear a friendly voice.  Okay, meal plans set.  Breathe, Sharon, just breathe.  God is good.

Oh, call Julie!  "Yes, I have your cucumbers.  Good, just give me a call before you come and I will have them ready for you."  (While I was thinking about my sweet pickles still soaking in their syrup...need to can them this afternoon.)

Feeling a little better...God must be here somewhere.  Oh, time for another laundry load shift.  Folding, hanging, putting away, all part of my day.  Whites this time around. 

I have Bible study tomorrow.  Chapters 7 and 8 need to be read.  Okay, LORD, show me something today in my reading....great.  Paul in jail, singing songs and Your praises.  Okay, deep breath...I am sorry Lord...Please forgive me for doubting You.

Lunch done, reading done, laundry continuing--dark clothes this time around. " My son..do your chores.  I told you that this was going to be a work day for us...thank you, I appreciate your obedience.  What?  No, Honey, Momma's okay.  Let's just get our work done."  Breathing is becoming somewhat easier now.

As my son was doing his chores I began mine.  Vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, mopping the floors, getting the jars ready for canning pickles....time was slowly moving along.  I noticed an occassional smile on my face.

Canning time.  The Beale Bungalow had the acidic aroma of sweetened vinegar wafting though each room.  Seven quarts done.  No more sweet pickles needed this year.  I am all stocked.  This was definitely a positive accomplishment. 

Julie is here...why is my young neighbor, Rachel mowing my front yard?  Returning a favor? A short sweet visit.  It was nice.  Sigh...my heart feels lighter..."Are you sure you want to do this...It is really hot and I have a son that can and does do this.  You don't have to pay us back...that was not our intent.  So you enjoy mowing the lawn, sweating and turning red as my canned tomato sauce?  Thank you, Rachel...you are really sweet."

Supper...it is too hot to really cook.  I have been over the stove with the hot jars, hot water, hot pickles, hot syrup, hot soapy water....BLT's tonight. Simple...not too terribly hot.  Sandwhiches...I was raised on them... comfort food?

Now, supper is done, laundry will be finished in the morning.  The jeans can wait until then.

 

God, You got me through this day....How are You with torn two story tree limbs.

Sharon


  

The sky continues to fall....

I went to put an empty creamer container in the recycle bin and look what I saw!!

I am sure glad that we bought a chain saw with the last limb that just got picked up by the bulk trash man this Friday.  Oh well, I knew that the limb's days were numbered, but I was hoping for a few weeks so I could save up the money to have a company come in and take it out properly.  Sigh...

There is one blessing in this...

The limb and it's debris barely missed my butterbean raised bed.  No damage to my garden at all!!  Thank you, Abba.

I think I am going to spend some time in the book of Job today, and try to listen to God's still small voice. 

It sure would be nice if we had a wood chipper!  Gee, I could pile it up in the back of the yard and in a few years have some wonderful compost!!

God is still good!

Sharon

Saturday is gone and Sunday is here...

This is the LORD's Day, and I should be resting, but instead I have cucumbers that needed to be put in lime water...done.
Laundry that needs to be done...not done.  A house in definite need of cleaning...not done.  Hmmm...

I will be canning some tomatoes this afternoon though.  I think they may be 1 mm past ready, but canned tomatoes don't care about such details. I also, finally, have my pineapples so I can make some pickled spiced pineapples.  I think I will do this tomorrow, along with the pickles.

My fermenting pickles are doing well....I think.

The first, second and third day.  The cloudiness is the yeast forming to keep down the bacteria that cause spoilage.  I will put them in the refrigerator this evening or tomorrow depending upon taste.  I have had one yesterday and it was delicious, so today may be the cold storage day. 

Yesterday was a grocery shopping day.  I managed to save some money on a few sales, but all in all....I need a food budget raise!  Good grief!  The prices are ridiculous!  Now, if I bought all the processed premade boxed stuff...I would probably save money with all the coupons, but I don't buy that stuff. Sigh...I need a raise, that is all I can say.

Change of subject...what are my plans for the week.  Well, Lord willing....can pickles and pineapples, finish cleaning my room and have it ready to paint by Thursday and hopefully painted during the weekend.  If I am truly blessed...I can have it painted BY the weekend.  This is almost laughable because of all that seems to occur with the Beale family. Oh well...I can only plan and hope and pray.

I am planning on going to church today and enjoying the corperate worship of the Son.

Sharon

Frustrating Friday.... :(

Let me see...I cannot even remember the beginning of the week....oh yeah...Nothing much happened at the beginning of the week.  It was calm and sort of normal.  Tuesday..I was just tired.  Wednesday, took my son out to lunch and let him spend some hard earned money that was burning a hole in his pocket.  Thursday, the limb fell and punched a hole in our shed roof and Friday, my car battery died at Azar's in Norfolk off of Colley Avenue.  Yes, the week ended without a bang...it didn't even turn over!!

My friend Marianne came to my rescue and my son ended up having a learning field trip...He learned how to jump a car battery!!  Thank you once again, Marianne.  My husband ended up coming home and  buying a new battery.  He was told that we will need a new alternator before winter sets in.  So, I get to start a new envelope!  Sigh....

Anyway, when I got home I felt as though the wind was taken out of my sales.  I just vegged at the computer for a bit.  I don't mean to complain, but a great deal has happened in 2012!  I keep thinking each year will get better, but alas, it (so far) is not to be.  I am learning there are many ways to suffer....Sighing once again.

Oh well, God is good all the time and all the time God is good! 

At least my garden is producing and I am able to pickle to my heart's content.

I have even more tomatoes on my other countertop.  Anywho, the bowl is full of dill seed which I used today.

I am trying my hand at Fermented Dill Pickles.  I love Kimchi, which is a fermented cabbage dish from Korea, it just makes sense for me to try this, too!  We will see how it goes.

I am not going to can these because the canning process would kill all the good bacteria, so I will just be leaving this out on my counter top for about three days then refrigerating them. They are suppose to be good for a few months once they are cold.  I really to like the benefits from the lacto-fermentation process!  Good for the bowel!!

There seems to be an oppressive feeling about the Beale Bungalow this evening.  I do not think I will ever celebrate the coming in of a new year ever again. I will not lose the sleep, because this has been a tough one.  Sheesh....  I think I am going to go in my room and pray this oppressiveness away and get my guys out of the house for awhile.  29 is sadly, not a haven of rest at the moment.  This will change after some time in prayer and God's Word.  His Word is so true...."Unless the LORD build the house, they that labor, labor in vain."  Psalm 127:1 

Today, I found a quote by Corrie Ten Boom and I posted it on facebook.  It was-

                            “When I try, I fail. 
                                 When I trust,
                                 He succeeds.”

I think I will write this one down and post it anywhere and everywhere my poor husband can see it!  He needs a good ol' pick me up pat on the back!  Who better to give it than Corrie Ten Boom!  We certainly aren't going through what she went through!  I also think I will couple that with some John 15 verses.  My husband should relate now that we have two grape vines growing out back. 

Oh well, talk is cheap...let me go and get on my knees....

Sharon

The sky did fall....

I feel that this summer is getting away from me.  I had so many plans and only a fraction of them have been accomplished.  Frustrating to no end! It isn't that I am not trying--things just seem to happen that get in the way. 

Yesterday, for example, I was going to finish deep cleaning my room.  I was at the computer when I heard a muffled thudding.  I felt the floor shake.  I thought...gee, could my son have fallen out of bed?  I checked....no...  Could there have been a fender bender out front? I checked...no...  So, bewildered as I was, I returned to the computer room... let me just check out back....and HELLO!!

One of the largest limbs of an old tree in our backyard decided it had enough and fell to the ground...that, of course, was the thud I heard and felt.  It was about 35 to 40 feet long with an 8 inch diameter.  Not much damage though.  Praise God!  Just a broken plastic chair, a slightly damaged "free" picnic table and a puncture hole, about the size of a softball in the roof of our shed.

I called my husband and he came home from work.  Our deductible is $500 on our home owner's insurance policy, so we opted to buy a $200 chain saw and fix everything ourselves.

                        Job well done by the Beale Boys!! 

My son would have rather played with his new air soft pellet hand gun than work with his dad in 100 degree heat.  After a little reasoning--he was very cooperative.  I think he had some fun, too!

Looking out at the yard this morning...you cannot even tell that anything happened yesterday.  We do have to repair the hole in the roof of our shed, but my husband is thinking of just putting a vent there...good idea, I think.

Canning also has prevented the deep cleaning from getting done. It takes a lot of time preparing the food for canning.  So, I guess things will get done when they get done.  Sigh....

I have been pondering many things, too.  Schooling options, marriage, suffering, detachment, canning, unfinished projects...My brain sometimes hurt. 

I also have read a couple of cute books.  The Fiddler, by Beverly Lewis, and The Half Stitched Quilting Club, by Wanda Brunstetter.  Cute...

I am working through a Bible Study book...that I cannot even remember it's name.  It is on the book of Philippians.  It is convicting, especially with the inner turmoil that seems to be brewing within me this summer.  Though I must say, I really do not like summers, but this one is not as bad as the others.  Chuckle, chuckle....

Well, I have a dental appointment today and I have laundry to finish...

Sharon

Have car today...will travel...

I've got the car and my son and I are going to go and have a day out of the house!  We are ready to be away from number 29.  We're somewhat bored and need a change, so off we will go.  Where?  Hmmm....if I know my son, and I do, we will end up somewhere where he can buy a new BB gun. 

Last evening he and my husband went to a gun safety class at our church.  This has sparked his interest about having a new gun.  His has been broke for a long while, so I know that Dick's or Bass Pro Shop will be on the agenda....sigh...  A mother's gotta do what a mother's gotta do. :)

I will probably just let him pick the places, but I am sure that he will be a gentleman and let me go to some places I enjoy, too.  Although it cannot be but so much fun for him to go to JoAnn Fabrics, Trader Joes, Michael's, farmer markets and such...so I am really not going to press it this time.  He has no one to play with this week, so mom has to step up to the plate.  That is what mom's do...of course, none of this will happen if his chores are not completed. Training comes first.

Yesterday, he helped me in the kitchen.

I had enough tomatoes to finally can some tomato sauce, so he helped stir while I did some other chores.  He looks thrilled, don't ya think?  Teehee... I believe it is important for him to know how to can and preserve food, so I have to train him in some of these "domestic arts"...at least that is my goal.  I think the results of this domestic art lesson turned out quite lovely.

My son has more responsibilities than usual this summer, but this is a good thing. He helps watch children at my biweekly Ladies Bible Study and he is taking our neighbor's English Bulldog puppy outside a couple times a day.  Both of these are paid positions.  Now, I need to train him that just because you have some money...does not mean you have to spend it all!!!  How can two misers give birth to a spender?  Amazing!

Well, that is it for now...

Sharon

Rainy Monday....

We are having a lovely rain storm here in Hampton Roads!  It comes complete with rolling thunder and an occasional "light up your life" flash or two or three...  I don't even mind that it came after I watered my garden using city water that I must pay dearly for...sigh...

My spirit or mood has been as gray as the sky has been.  There seems to be no energy in any of my cells.  A great weight of unknown origin or of multiple origins has perched itself upon my very soul.  I have even felt it's talons tighten to the point of despair, but then I hum Jesus and the talons seem to loosen.  I think I will continue to hum and pray for the rest of the day.  I do not like oppressive spirits and it has to flee...

Anyway, nothing much is getting done today.  I have already talked with my husband so he doesn't expect to much when he comes home.  I will eventually get involved in something, but for now I will hum.

The rain is slowing down and the sky is getting lighter.  This was a fast moving storm.  Maybe it will take my melancholy with it.  That would be nice.

Sharon

A peachy keen day....

Good morning all!  I hope everyone is braced for another hot day!  To me, this is end of August weather...my second least favorite month of the year.  (February is my least "est" favorite month of the year.)

I am asthma coughing up a storm this morning, but I had to water my garden and sit outside for a bit.  It wasn't that bad this morning, but it is going to be 100 degrees with a heat index of 110 degrees.  Yikes!!  Water everything well.

It has been busy around the Beale Bungalow these past few days.  We had a great Fourth of July at the Nansemond Swim Club.  Swimming (in bathtub temperature water), hotdogs, hamburgers, fried chicken, baked beans, pasta salads along with an array of liquid beverages were to be had by all.  The conversations were wonderful, too.  It was nice to be out of the house and doing something different for a change.  I really enjoyed myself, as did everyone else, I am sure.

The fireworks show was spectacular!!!  Better than Norfolk's!  Every time I thought I was watching the finale- it would start up again.  I do believe there were at least 4 possible grand finales in this show.  Not bad for a little place called Eclipse!!  

The next day, a friend asked if I wanted to go to an organic fruit and veggie place at the beach.  I said yes and off we went.  I bought nice clean peaches and some non-gmo corn.  This was a very nice outting and I thank you, my friend.

Friday, since there was no coffeehouse, was committed to canning peaches.

Canning peaches is as easy as pie. 

As many peaches as you want to can....halved, skinned and pitted...
Make a syrup.  I usually make a light syrup for everything.  This would be 4 cups of water to 2 cups of sugar.  I add a tablespoon of lemon juice to mine to help peaches keep their lovely reddish orange color.

Heat the syrup.  Pack peach halves-pitted side down in clean mason jars.  Pour in syrup up to 1/2 inch headspace.  Wash mason jar lip off, place heated seal and ring on.  Process in a water bath for about 20 minutes.  (I use cling free peaches and quart jars, by the way.)

I then went on and made some Peach Jam.  Another easy one!

10 cups of chopped, skinned and pitted fresh peaches
4 cups of sugar (The original recipe called for 5 cups of sugar, but I used 4 cups of organic sugar from BJ's and they were plenty sweet.)
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Place them in a pot and mash them up with a potato masher.  If you want chunkless jam--you might want to run them through a food processor or a Vita-Mix.  We like chunky!  Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook it until it slaps ya!  About 25 to 30 minutes.  Stirring constantly when it thickens.  P.S.--I put a little ground cinnamon in mine this time.

Now, you should already have your jars cleaned and in the canner boiling.  Fill the hot jars with the jam.

Place on the seals and rings after wiping the lip of the jar to free it from anything that would hinder a good seal.  Place the filled jars back into the water bath and process for 10 minutes.

The results are not only beautiful colors of summer freshness, but tasty, too!

I still was able to do a load or two of laundry, vacuum and mop the floors....so Friday was Productive!  With a capital P!  Needless to say, I slept very well last night. 

So, what is the agenda for today...to make chicken salad, bake bread and freeze up some corn...maybe even do a little shopping this evening.  It is going to be tooooo....hoooottt to be outside for much...Hmm...is their any indoor project I want to work on?  :)

Sharon

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Two Hour Tuesday...

Today is a Two Hour Tuesday.  I haven't had one in a while.  This is when I see my husband for about two hours.  He goes to his men's prayer group on Tuesdays and my son and I are alone. 

So, what are we doing on this once in a while Two Hour Tuesday.  Well, my son is over a friend's house playing and he is 1 hour and 15 minutes late checking in.  The Child Training Bible will be used when he arrives home.

This is a wonderful!  First, I will pray for kindness before talking with him.  Then I will go to the "Disobedience" tab or the "Not Listening" tab...read all the scriptures that have been highlighted.  I always do a little explaining along with the reading.  Next, Jesus examples...questioning his understanding and then pray.....  This usually leaves my son in such a repentent state that I just let the Holy Spirit take over.  This is a fantastic --train the heart of your child--tool.

Anyway, the rest of the day was chopping, laundry, vacuuming and making supper. 

I made my Sweet Pickle Recipe.  Here is how I did it...

INGREDIENTS: Part 1
4 cups of finely chopped cucumbers
3 cups of finely chopped celery
1 cup of finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup of finely chopped red bell pepper

So, I chopped and chopped and chopped...

Next, I placed all the chopped veggies into a large bowl, covered it all with cold water and 1/4 cup of salt.  This will set for 4 hours.

After 4 hours...I drain all the veggies.  Do not rinse off the salt, but press all the liquid out.

By now, I have my mason jars washed in soapy water with a small amount of clorox, rinsed well and boiling in my canner.

IINGREDIENTS: Part 2
In a separate pan...I use my jelly pot...add:
2 cups of white distilled vinegar
3 1/2 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of celery seed
1 Tablespoon of mustard seed 
(I usually add a little extra)
Bring this mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.

This is the way it should look.  It is sweet!  When the unrinsed veggie mixture is added...the sweet and salty seem to just balance out.

Add the veggies and simmer for 10 minutes.  Then pack into clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  (I always wipe the lip of the jar with the rag I washed them with.  This has just a small amount of clorox for disinfecting and making sure nothing will hinder my seal.) 

Then place seals and rings on the cleaned filled mason jars and place them back into the canner.

Finally, lower the rack back down into the hot water and bring back to a boil.  Once the boil is achieved..process for 10 minutes. 

 Carefully remove the jars from the water bath and let cool on a towel covered surface.  Listen for the "POP!" of the lids.  This means they have sealed.  Sometimes, I don't hear a seal, but the lids do not give when pressed...this is another sign they are sealed.

I doubled this recipe, so I got 6 pints and a quart of syrup for the next batch.  Yummy!! 

Well, that was pretty much my day other than watering the garden--having a small meeting with a friend about food for an upcoming youth fundraiser--cleaning the bathroom and folding clothes.  A simple day, really.

Oh! and I learned a few things about "community", but that is for another time.

Sharon

My weekend...

Friday evening, a tremendous thunderstorm rolled through our area.  It seemed to stop right above our home to unleash it's high winds, pounding rain and bright lightening displays.  I enjoy most rain storms; I do believe I am so fond of them because my daddy loved them.  He would be outside, if possible, just sitting under something watching as the storms passed.  Friday's storm was a wonderful show from the Almighty.

I didn't sleep well though....I coughed and coughed all night!  So when morning came I just wanted to be left alone to enjoy my coffee.  After some time to myself, I ventured outside to sit with my husband and enjoy morning as it played out at the Beale Bungalow.

We had our usual morning visitors...squirrels and birds, but they were in rare form this a.m. 

The squirrels were all over the place.  I counted 7 between the bowl for them and the bird feeders.

The birds came in multiples, as well as, one at a time.  It really was fun to watch God's feathered creatures trying to get at the birdseed.  There are two birdfeeders, but all seemed to prefer the wire one for their breakfast.

The squirrels on the other hand preferred the second feeder!

I had an agenda of chores that I wanted to accomplish on Saturday, but my husband had his own set agenda.  DEFROST MY FREEZER!!!  Now, this was going to be no small task.  Remember...I have been in a depression for a few years...routine chores did not get done.

Need I say more?  Defrosting the freezer that lives out in the shed definitely was not on the priority list.  Well, Saturday it was!  And it took all day to defrost.  My guys moved it outside where the heat could defrost it without our help.

We finally took my hair dryer and finished it off! 

It has been defrosted, washed inside and out and returned to its swept place in the shed.  Ahhh...I am so glad my husband wanted this job done!!!

I worked in my garden this weekend.  Weeding, hoeing and harvesting.  With the rain we have been having and all my composting I do believe my gardens are going to be just fine.

I love my "covered wagon" trellis!  I do believe that I am going to make more for next year's garden.  I totally butchered my oregano plant, but it seems to be okay.  Does anyone need oregano?

This morning my stomach has been in knotts, but I am beginning to feel better.  God is good and He is not only in control, but the ONLY answer...I only just my daughter and her husband would realize this. 

So, as usual, out to the garden I go.  This morning I tied up my tomatoes. I use cut up old panty hose for my ties.  I came up with a way to not have anything in my hands while I weeded and tied.

All I have to do is pull the cut hose stips from the slip knot loop that my wrist goes through and tie!  My hands are free to do whatever needs to be done!  "Making the most of what God gives me" stikes again!!  :)

Lots of good food was found!  I am going to be doing some real time canning soon.  My lima beans are coming in and I saw (and ate) my first green bean this morning!  I am glad that my tomatoes are coming in...I plan on canning as many as possible...tomato sauce, diced basil tomatoes, whole Italian tomatoes, etc.  So, Sharon, Sharon, quite contrary...How does your garden grow? Fairly well, thank you Abba!

Today, I will be doing the usual routine...laundry, vacuuming and dusting.  I am also planning on making some more Sweet Pickle Relish, hopefully I can go ahead and make a double batch.  Then I can move on to the Green Tomato Mincemeat recipe that I would like to try.  All in good time.  I am still deep cleaning and dejunking my bedroom, so that is also on my agenda for today.

Well, I had better go fold some towels and continue with the work that God has given me to do today.

Sharon