Heads up!

I've often read in the OT the phrase, "lifter of my head."  Just now I was in Psalms 3:3 where David announced that.  John Gill says it is when God lifts my head, pulls my chin up maybe, when I am depressed or troubled abut something.  I might walk along with my head down...grumble, grumble, grumble...and then I remember, "Ah, but my God is bigger than my trouble...".  My spirit is lifted, the light is brighter when I look up, not down.  To look down, my head is down, facing the ground.
Gill also mentions 'lifter' when I put on the helmet of salvation or when a soldier puts on his.  I can't place the helmet on when my head is bending low...it would fall off, wouldn't it?
Lastly, he mentions how my head is lifted, held high at judgement.  I can face my Lord with head held high for I have been cleared of any wrongdoing at the cross.

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.   Ps. 3:3

 

Don't wave back!

The "Perfect Storm" of 1991 measured waves of over 100 feet; another storm off the coast of Norway in 1995 measured  an 84 foot wall of water that hit an oil platform. Another off Portugal in 2011 measured 90 feet tall.
Hurricane Sandy: New York Harbor's surf reached a record level when a buoy measured a 32.5-foot wave. That wave was 6.5 feet taller than a 25-foot wave churned up by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
The former two hit out in the ocean; this storm struck a highly populated area...er,er country.  The power of it sloshed around in Lake Michigan also.  The death and destruction is unfathomable to me.

I thank God everyday that our home and family escaped it.  We are safe and warm and dry.  There's not a doubt in my mind that He created the oceans and is Master of the waters...He knew about the storm since time began...we didn't learn of it until October of 2012.  Our God is powerful and awesome!

"...even the winds and the sea obey Him."   Matt. 8:27

Throw Down

It's been many years since I dealt with or thought about our Laundry Chute.  We had one in the two-story home where we raised our kids.  It was in the floor, as I recall, and the size of a smallish heat register like we have now.  As the kids stuffed the dirty garments in, they traveled down through 2 floors to the basement.  Occasionally they would put a playful item down...the cat (just kiddding), hair brush, a shoe...then run down and retrieve it. 
Hadn't thought of it until just now overhearing my daughter ask her son if she should "throw down his dirty uniform".  We don't even have one in this house.  Mostly, the throw down I heard recently was in referring to Bobby Flay on the Cooking Channel.

 

          

How many words left in my Word Bank?

One speaks only a certain amount of words during their lifetime and then they're done.  When the 'breath of life' has left, they're done speaking.  Right? 
I've lived alot of years; too many to waste any that's left...or my words, either.  I will spend some words writing in this blog.
It's raining and dark as I write in mid-morning on Sunday.  While listening to Alistair Begg's message (really good on gospel), I thought of this illustration on Redemption and Reconciliation:
Years ago, before charging items on a credit card and immediate possession, we would put the item on 'lay-away'.  Put down a small amount, take home a payment book, pay regular payments until the price is paid.  On the day I paid the last bit, handed in the book and received the item I had hoped for, waited anxiously to use or wear.  That day the item was paid in full: REDEEMED !  I finally owed no more...it was mine.
(Almost 50 years ago, I dealt with Jesus concerning my sinful life and pledged a lifetime allegiance to Him: I was redeemed, purchased by His payment).
Let's imagine my item was my mixer or  toaster oven.  I would hug that long waited for box, take it home, rip off the box and enjoy getting to know how to use it.  It was mine!  It had been redeemed and I could wear it out if I so chose.  Getting to know all it could do, becoming 'friends' with it, showing it to others or using it to share with them...that's the reconciled part. 
Just so, Jesus has become my 'friend'...and He calls me His friend, also.  This is a pretty simple illustration of redeemed and reconciled, but I'm hoping it might be helpful to someone reading this.
Oh...my mixer isn't my best friend, just my kitchen friend.  Jesus is my very best friend.

Please email or comment if this isn't clear or you have questions.

Sleeping through the storm

I've had this short story in my Bible pocket for 10 years or so.  It makes me smile every time I take it out to read.  Can't credit it as I cut it out of a book or magazine.  Hope it encourages you.

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast.   He constantly advertised for hired hands.  Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic.  They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.
As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age approached the farmer.  "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.  Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.
The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.  Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.  Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.  He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up!  A storm is coming!  Tie things down before they blow away!"  The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir.  I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.  Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.  To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps.  The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred.  The shutters were tightly secured.  Everything was tied down.  Nothing could blow away.  The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.  When we are prepared, we have nothing to fear.  We can secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in God's Word and God's love.

First Presidential Debate Tonight

I'll be praying for God's man of choice...it's entirely up to Him.

Here’s what I think:  it’s better NOT to have internet…TV coverage is enough to warn and turn you about B. O.  I pull up so many daily news servers each day…the awful acts of this president continues to shock me…today is the worst yet.  It occurs to me:  did David or Saul have ‘watchers’ who reported to the people?  Or did the people rely ONLY upon God to place their king and protect them??

I try to rein in my fears and disgust by remembering:

God is my Rock, my deliverer, my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18

Do Women hate snakes more than Men do?

I think so.  At least, they seem more vulnerable to them.  Maybe that's why 'the snake' in the garden approached Eve...not Adam.
One of the first things I do each morning is check-in at:
http://www.challies.com/  My absolutely favorite blog to watch!
His mother recently began her own blog and it's becoming one of my favorites also.  http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/

A few days ago, she wrote about "the snakes are still in the basement".
That brought back a vivid memory I have of the time I was about 13 and I saw a big Rat Snake in our basement at home.  They're not colorful; long and almost black in color.  We had mice in the house, critters out around it...this one was curled around a pipe through a window from the basement to outdoors.  Just thinking about it makes me feel queasy. (short for Yuk-uneasy).  The window was open...guess he was looking for his dinner.  Sometimes they would lay on the sunny shore at the lake near our house...some had large lumps...maybe frogs hoping to get out?
Her blog entry is how we have sins (snakes) in our life but ignor or hide them (basement)--"many of the snakes are not put to death, but they can be so ‘neglected’ by us that they are rendered ineffective".
http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/snakes-and-sanctification/

God is the great Eliminator and Defender...in this life, I'll never be completely free of 'the snakes...sin', but I can run to Him and ask Him to take care of them, eliminate them or chase them away.
"I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock,, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."  Psalm 18

"If at the cross every sin was covered, Satan's mouth is shut. He has no weapon. He can gum you but his fangs are gone." - John Piper

Here's a mystery I hope to solve:  what kind of bush is this??

I found it yesterday while walking in our neighborhood...very striking!  It's about 4' high and across...must call County Extension, I guess..


I was reminded twice today, in God's Word:
He has placed me where I am, what I am in life...that gives me hope.  I didn't land at this station in life because of MY decisions, but because He has specifically chosen this life for me.  So, I will do my best to live and act pleasing to Him, performing the work He has ordered tailor-made just for me.  The following speaks to me:
"Enjoy life with the (husband) you love, all the days of your (brief) life that He has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your (work)...."  Ecclesiastes 9:9

Adding to our family.

OK,take a breath!  The wedding is over, most of the guests have left.
One of the granddaughters married one week ago today, 9/1, here in Raleigh.  She added another member to our growing family...Yay!  I love big families.  Today, I'm recalling weddings of other children of mine.

After 4 daughters, I had 1 son.  I began my life in Christ during my eldest children's childhood.  I didn't know, or think, of praying for Godly husbands for them.  But with the last 2, I surely did!  And God has answered that prayer...I began to pray for Godly mates for their children.  Pure grace:  He's answering that prayer, also.
Hurricane Isaac barely missed us.  We had a lovely, sunny event next to a small lake:

                                   Farmer's Mkt. Flowers for the event.

No cake, but lots of cupcakes!

(My husband thought this was his table.)

                                        Handsome DJ...(disk jockey)

"I DO!"

"...the LORD God said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."    Gen. 2:18

(That was really meant for Adam and Eve, but I like to think of it for our kids.)

more pests

well, a pest to me, anyway.  I realize there may be readers that love all things of nature, and that's fine for you.  But, anything that's moving on 4 legs or more, furry, covered with stripes...creatures without manners, that I wouldn't invite to my dinner table...nope!  Not for me.
We have these crawly, striped creatures of nature that have absolutely DEVOURED the parsley plants on the deck...look:

He and his hungry friends have eaten ALL our parsley down to stubs!

We were told, "Oh, wonderful!  You're raising MONARCH butterflies".  Um, no...we're not!  And anyway, these are Black Swallowtail butterflies.
Here's the cycle...they eat our parsley, and birds eat them...so many don't ever get to the stage of making their cocoon.  But, for those that do, here's a photo from the web:

So, if you see one of these soon, it might just be escaping our deck!

Curious things in nature

We have this 'pesky' vine that takes over a corner of the yard every summer:
Passion Fruit Vine.  Beautiful leaves on a lonnnnnnnnnnng vine and the most unusual blossoms I've ever seen.

I feel disrespectful to say God has a sense of humor, but I can say that of me, cuz' this flower is humerous to me.  We'll soon see bright green fruit the size of a lime hanging where this blossom is now.
Another humerous sight is the flowering vine growing out of the fork of a tree I encountered on my morning walk.

How did the seed get in there?  Did the breeze blow enough dirt into the crack, two feet up from the ground?  And then did a bird drop a seed onto the fertile North Carolina soil? 
I've been memorizing Psalm 1 (for about 2 years...slow at memorizing).  One line says the wicked are like the chaff the wind blows away.  That tells me our Creator uses many agents to create wonders like this for me to watch.
He tickles my curiosity often.

Upcoming Wedding

One of my grandaughters is planning for her wedding on Sept. 1.  Her aunt (my 3rd daughter) hosted the wedding shower last Saturday.  Shower gifts have changed over the many years since I've attended, though the activities were similar:  games, food, gift opening.
Another mother and I were comparing present day showers with those of our own, our daughter's and now our grandaughter's.  Most of the young wives I know are working at two or three part-time jobs, involved in sports, aren't ready to decorate a home they own, etc.
She said they often just continue their 'dorm' way of life:
-sit on the floor or sofa in front of the TV to eat
-eat more carry-out or fast food right from the bag
-eat only when hungry (famished?) rather than at regular, set mealtimes

We shared how not many know how to cook when they leave home, so have no need for cooking utensils or kitchen gadgets.  I don't say all this to criticize, but just to say it's really changed since I was a young bride.
Here's some of the photos I took:

Garden update

Remember I said you could watch my garden progress (or lack thereof)?
I got the urge to make pickles for the first time...I love to eat pickles, but not to pay the high price...well, let me tell you:  making them is NOT cheap!
Here is the lovely green vine today:

Now, remember, I planted this in May...had blossoms and bees, but NO cucumbers!  What the heck is wrong?? 
Well, today I actually found ONE.  See how it looks? 

Since I was determined to make pickles, I went to the Farmer's Mkt. yesterday, bought cucumbers (and lots of other expensive ingredients) and made these:

Let's see...the cukes were $5, the vinegar and sugar was over $1, the special BREAD AND BUTTER pickle spice mix was $2.  I had the jars and onion.

So, it looks like it was about $4 per quart...but wait a minute!  They shrunk up and are floating.  The slices filled the jar yesterday, but today they're floating like a dead fish!  (So, it really turned out to be only 1 quart total). I snuck a taste today and they're pretty good.  Spice mix pkg. says to wait 3 weeks...um,m,m...I don't think they'll last.

Here's the pkg. I used; says it will make 2 quarts.

In Numbers 11:5, Moses tells us the Hebrews also liked cucumbers; this almost sounds like a recipe for some mighty fine pickles.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

the country is an oven

Went for my walk at 8 a.m.!~~already 80*, 82% humidity...going for feel temp of 109* today.  And it's been that way for a month (have you noticed?)
Here in Raleigh, it's green with lovely blossoms, but I'm praying for the Midwest.  High hopes during planting, but all is burned up now.  And the whole country will pay for it in the coming months.
from NYT today:
"... jet became stuck in asphalt that had softened in 100-degree temperatures, and a subway train derailed after the heat stretched the track so far that it kinked — inserting a sharp angle into a stretch that was supposed to be straight."
 "In the Chicago area, a twin-unit nuclear plant had to get special permission to keep operating this month because the pond it uses for cooling water rose to 102 degrees; its license to operate allows it to go only to 100. According to the Midwest Independent System Operator, the grid operator for the region, a different power plant had had to shut because the body of water from which it draws its cooling water had dropped so low that the intake pipe became high and dry; another had to cut back generation because cooling water was too warm."
I'm so thankful for RETIREMENT and a family that keeps our home cool and comfortable.  God is so good!

I don't say I'm 'a creature of habit', but I do have a morning routine that I follow almost each morning.
coffee--email--headlines--CHALLIES.COM.
Tim Challies is a young pastor I've followed daily for two or three years.  This quote struck me today, the second day of an interview with R.C. Sproul:
"...though I plan to live forever, I plan to change my address at some point and not be here."
Yup!  it's my plan also.  Well said, R.C.

see the entire interview at: http://www.challies.com/interviews/an-interview-with-rc-sproul-part-2#more

I'm so thankful for air conditioning in our home.  The temps are 'outta control' the last month.  I easily remember when most cars didn't even have a/c and most people were cooled by fans...home, church, workplace, school, department stores.  Today I luxuriate in cool air everywhere. 
Thank You, Lord!

Here's my 'rabbit trail' for today:
I was reading my daily devotion from Ann Spangler in my email.  She quoted Gen. 21:33, "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba...".  Then I went to John Gill to read his comments, "thinks it may be the tree in Arabic they call ethel and is like a tamarisk in general, any large tree."
Then, that reminded me of the 'old-timey' names from my childhood.
My grandmother had a sister named ETHEL and her own name was MYRTLE, another type of tree.  I thought, also, of other family/friend names from nature.  Aunt Rose, cousin Pearl, a lady named Goldie...my sister, Sharon~~~we have a yard full of Rose of Sharon....and on it goes.
You don't hear those old names much anymore, unless the owner of the name is old too.  Or recalls the old names...as I am doing.
Do a TREE search sometime and see the thousands of trees God has blessed us with on earth.  I came to the SYCAMORE...it is a type of fig tree,  often has a height of 50 ft., with an enormous trunk.  The timber is of fair quality and was much valued in ancient times (1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27; Isaiah 9:10). Mummy cases and many of the best preserved wooden utensils of ancient Egyptian life are made of it.
Well, I could go on, but I'll let you do your own investigation.  Saving more for another day.

Uh, oh...I'm off on another 'rabbit trail'.  Saw some verses today about taking the tithes into the STOREHOUSE.  In Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, etc., and I got to thinking about what was tithed...well, it was a tenth of whatever was their main crop.  Whether grain, dried fruit, honey, donkeys, whatever... Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse..."
I always thought the word storehouse meant the temple, but today I did some searching and found there were storehouses all over the land.  Much like guarded warehouses.  That makes sense to me; how could the temple keepers accept thousands of goats or donkeys, barrels of honey, kegs of wine.  And who would care for all this?
An old book on Bible Manners and Customs by James Freeman says there were cisterns and buildings for holding all this.  Sometimes two or three hundred of these together, the smallest holding four hundred bushels.  David also had a "storehouse in the field"; some granaries were also barns.
And it required hundreds of guards to keep watch.  One account I read said that where there were huge piles of grain, they were covered with thorny branches to discourage animals and thieves.
That's all I have to share with you today.  Stay cool...it got to 101* here today.  How about where you live??

When I was a kid, and the weather was this hot, people used to say, "So hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk!"  We never had an egg to waste but I remember that often when it's this hot.  Besides, who'd want to clean up the mess?
I remembered recently how we had only one window air conditioner when the youngest of our 5 was a baby.  Quite often, on really hot evenings, my husband would round us all up and drive to the theatre nearby.  We lived in a north Minneapolis suburb; nobody in our neighborhood had central air back then.  A couple of hours would cool us off in the theatre and it was bedtime when we got home...cooler after dark.
The theatre was pretty new, had a balcony (most theatres didn't), and also had a 'crying room' up there.  It was a pretty large room with a wall of glass that allowed us to view the movie screen.  It had sound installed and plenty of room for a few families. 
Our car didn't have a/c either; we relied on a dip in a lake or turning the hose on the kiddies out in the yard.  As I recall this antiquated lifestyle, I see only smiling, laughing youngsters!  Happy memories.

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
  Deut. 32:2

God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;..."  I'm trying to fill the earth with my garden, but not doing the best job of subduing it.  Everyday I learn more about the craft of gardening, mostly from YOUTUBE.  And, I enjoy it all.
Today, I was thinking about Eve in her garden.  I guess God planted the first crops...and I bet His rows were perfectly straight.  In Genesis, chapter 1:11, God just spoke, actually commanded, and the earth in obedience produced a perfect garden.  Then the account says the plants of nature produced their own seeds, just like it is today, I guess.  Those must have been the seeds Adam used when planting for the first time.  Eve must have been thrilled to help in the garden, the orchards, and the vinyards.  Of course, they wouldn't know how to do it the first time, so I suppose God gave them lessons and demos.
I imagine the soil was so fertile that it produced abundantly.  What fun!  No need for MIRACLE GROW or pesticides.  Truly organic.
I'm already buying seeds for next year and hope to increase our garden size.

Can you have GARDEN FEVER?

or GARDEN OBSESSION??
well, I've got it...garden is only a month old and I'm making an order for the next seeds I want to plant.
But, mostly I post today to share my 'wild life catch' with you:

Two views of ONE unfortunate MOLE...but, the irony is, if I live to be 100, I'll never be able to trap all of them in our yard.  It looks like, not just a village of them, but a whole country with lots of cities.  Too many hills and tunnels to count.
Did I save the trap to use again?  Nope!!  threw whole thing out.

A little light on the subject...

I've bought about the cheapest light bulbs for years...I mean, what can be so different, whether expensive or not...a light bulb by any other name....
I like a lot of light, so though my bathroom fixture warns "Do not use stronger than 60 watt...", I've always used a 75 watt.  It seems lately they only last about a month or so, then burn out.  Only a few days after replacing the last one, it suddenly exploded...very loud 'pop', little smoke...but not to worry.  The bulb stayed lit.
I removed the opaque cover, the light was still burning, so left it off.  The bulb is no longer covered, but working fine.  So, I just don't have the fancy cover...OK.  Lowe's no longer sell the incandescent bulbs stronger than 60 watt.  I found them at Target, but much more expensive than they used to be:  4/$7.15.  (used to pay 4/$2 or so).  All this is to segue to this article I found today:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-old-neon-20120526,0,7105298.story

"A long-forgotten neon lamp that was switched on during the Great Depression and left burning for about 77 years has been discovered hidden behind a dusty partition at ...(shop in L.A.)  The find was made amid an extensive renovation of the downtown eatery, according to the building's owner...
The neon fixture is believed to have been installed in 1935 ..."

Now, that's a light bulb!  "Neon lamps can last 20 to 40 years before the glass deteriorates or transformers go out,"  "That this one has survived, lit, for as long as it has is incredible."
They estimate that the neon tube has racked up more than $17,000 in electrical bills.
Light bulb free, electricity...not so much, er...er cheap.

Garden update

If you scroll down to May 2, you can see our garden one week after we planted.  Here it is again, not even one month later:

We're pleased and surprised at our initial success.  Also, I'm spending much more time chasing moles, voles, striped gophers and slugs round and round in our "Garden of Eden".  I don't think Eve had to do that in her early days of gardening...it was after she was tempted by the certain produce that she had to find ways to 'outsmart' the critters.
You can read about her garden in Genesis, chapter 3.  Hers was organic...I need expensive sprays and products (mothballs for moles, slug poison, etc.)to care for mine.

Diaries and letters...

I'm not a consistent writer in my diaries, but I have boxes of them going back almost 50 years. I surely write many letters.  More by email, but still many by post.  I love writing them more than I do receiving them.  (don't let that discourage you from sending the one you're composing to me just now).
Often I read the synopsis of a book listed in Amazon...while reading this today in TRUMAN by David McCullough I learned:
Harry wrote at least 1,302 letters to the love of his life, wife Bess, during 49 years.  Also, thousands more to his mother, sister, cousins, old Army friends, fellow politicians and editors.  As well as many diaries. 
We could know him well by the wealth of material he composed.
Letter writing is a dying art.  For 20 years I've enjoyed creating colorful and unique envelopes for my words of greetings and information.  Through sharing these with others, I've made friends with some met through internet groups who also are fond of this pastime.
Reading about Harry was a connection with another who enjoyed the same.

Sharing with YOU

Oh Boy!  I find these super-interesting articles and photos and just HAVE to share them...
so, today, you're my recipient.
I took some 'rabbit trails' yesterday while studying the Bible, and ended up at a spot by writer Gene Edwards, retired pastor.

  He says there were 20 apostles...not just the 12.  Here's how it goes:
The 12 righteous men (all Jews, I think) trained by Jesus;
after He left, Paul trained another 8.
These men were all Gentiles and worked to build the church, for which we believers are a part of and thankful for today.
Titus, Timothy, Gaius, Aristarchus, Secundus, Sopater, Tychicus, and Trophemus.  Later the eight were joined by Epaphroditus.
These were very young men, maybe just 'seekers' at the point they began with Paul.  He mentored them, trained them to
travel into towns and cities and begin churches.  All of them without formal education in a seminary, going as 'tentmakers', I suppose. 
What must their parents and families have thought?  They bucked the Roman, Jewish and Pharisaical authorities to establish European and Asian churches. 
I'm grateful they persevered.  Interesting book by Gene Edwards:

working the soil

The account of Cain in Genesis 3-4 takes on meaning while working on our garden.  As usual, I have tons more questions than answers.  It's my way of processing information, I guess.

Abel was a shepherd...Cain was a farmer.
verse 3: In the course of time, they each brought offerings of their occupation to God.
verse 8: Cain spoke to his brother.
Was it a sharp retort? A long argument over hours or days?
It led to anger, violence, murder.

 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
 (Genesis 4:8-12 ESV)


Cain's punishment was linked to his crime.  He will no longer be able to cultivate the soil because his brother's blood cries out to God from the ground.
How old were these guys when this happened?

Was their silence in the field immediately after?  did the blood in the ground begin to scream immediately?
Could Cain hear the haunting sound?  Could he ever push a plow again without invading memories?
Did he have to change jobs?  Did he ever find satisfaction in his work again?
Did he re-live that fateful day for the rest of his life?
How could one ever be free of that one awful hour?

Is my thumb green or ?????

Well, we tried lawn care company, mowing, seeding, fertilizing, procastinating, dreaming.  Our back yard just wouldn't cooperate.  We don't even care if we ever have GRASS, for Pete's sake!  Just orderly weeds and rocks would be acceptable.  Nope...none of the above.  This is what we dreamed of:

But, since we don't know much about the craft of gardening, this is what we started with last week:

this is how it looks today:

and here:

Also, I've learned to LOVE lavender...and dreamed of this yard:

Well, I'm working on it:

Really, I'm not joking!  But, I'm not giving up either.  On the other hand, I also LOVE MINT...any kind...and that's doing well:

Be sure to check back in a month or two to see if my green thumb is working....or if the bugs, slugs, rabbits and squirrels are winning.

Wonder how Eve managed her big garden?  Oh, yeah, that's right...it's God that gives the increase.  Praise Him.