In the warmth of the sun but the cool of the wind, I was cleaning my flower bed. Crouched down near the freshly emerging plants, I swept corn husks from every corner and from under every plant. I peeked under the mulch where I knew hostas had been, excited to see their tiny green spears about to thrust into the light. I watched the bleeding hearts bob and dance in the wind, cheerful to just be there. As I meandered through the flowers, pulling grass I found my Jacob’s Ladder blooming and softly said, well hello there!
I realize it’s not March, but I love this quote. It’s so true of Minnesota spring.
I realized there in the garden that I’ve turned into my mom. Putzing in the garden, talking to the plants, enjoying every moment.
Taking time to slow down is not in my nature. I’m all German…we walk fast, work fast, push others to move fast. It can be really helpful in many ways. But I’m learning (slowly) to slow down. To just be in the moment and enjoy it.
The kids and I “finished” school about 10 days ago. I decided, we’ve done enough for the season and it’s time for a new season. There have been many years where I’ve attempted to push through more bookwork while at the same time starting the garden and doing all the outside projects spring brings. But this year I’ve felt so overwhelmed so frequently that I knew I needed to do something different.
The beauty of homeschooling is that we can slow down, we can set aside books for other things. We get to choose how we teach our kids. School is honestly never really finished in our home. We just teach in different ways in different seasons. My kids learn more from gardening than from their books. They can identify plants, bugs, soil needs. They know when produce is ripe and how to pick it. They know how to prepare it for a delicious meal too!
Choosing to slow down and not do so much allows all of us time to process and think. It allows what we’ve learned to be mulled over and moved to long term memory. And it gives us time to breathe and see God in the midst of our days.
I’m not good at slowing down. I often feel rushed even when I’m sitting, reading a book. But I’m trying hard to push past that and slow. If you don’t have a garden, plant one! Everyone needs to put their hands in the dirt and watch things grow. Everyone should tarry over the flowers and sit in awe at things growing. A friend recently told me, “plants just want to grow; they were created to grow and they want to.” It’s so simple and yet so profound.
So, since spring is here, set aside the books and get outside. Show your kids the flowers, breathe the fresh air, watch the leaves emerge from the trees. And thank God for growth, spring, beauty, warmth, and that He created things to grow! Including us!
Spring fever has hit! I’ve been reading gardening magazines and flower books. As the sun shines more brightly through the windows, I see the dust and grime that has accumulated over winter and I want to scrub everything. The snow is melting just a bit and the chickens are venturing outside.
Now, I know there will be more cold days and probably more snow, but for these few warm days I’ll pretend spring has sprung.
Today I tackled my cold cellar.
It needed a serious reset. While we did get some produce to store over winter, I think I was kind of scarred from the growing season and I just left it. And, well, you know what happens when you leave produce. It tends to rot.
Judge all you want, it is what it is. And so I needed to do a good deep clean. And the chickens scored big time!
My kids did a great job scooping out old carrots and throwing squash to the chickens.
Then I scrubbed shelves and reorganized! Just like that, it’s ready for another growing and canning season!
Prayerfully, this next gardening season will be more fruitful than the last! And for now, I’ll just remember it’s ok to fail, it’s ok when things don’t go the way we hoped or plan. God is always faithful, and he promises to always bring about the seasons.
Genesis 8:22 ESV While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
I haven’t said much this summer. It’s been a weird season, where God has asked me to be quiet and listen. And I honestly haven’t heard much from Him yet, but I can trust He’s working.
We were so excited this spring when it warmed up early and the ground was ready to plant in April. That hasn’t happened since we moved here! We were eager to get our crops in and get to growing and serving.
We spent hours and hours hoeing, planting and marking our rows. Everything looked pretty good.
Then it started to rain. And rain. And rain.
From the beginning of May to now, mid July, we’ve had over 53 inches of rain. That’s almost four and a half feet of rain! It came in torrents. Three inches in an hour. Seven inches in an evening. Five inches in a weekend.
Early June
It’s hard to watch your garden sit underwater, all your time and effort literally being washed away. After every flooding, we’d replant, sure this time it would grow. It couldn’t possibly keep raining, could it?
Yes it could. And it has.
Last week we finally made the difficult decision to shut down our CSA for the summer. We just have nothing to give out. Even the lettuce that was looking good quit growing and just started wilting away. The leaves on all the plants are turning yellow. Tomato and pepper plants are still the same height as when we planted them.
Then yesterday, as if to confirm our decision, our property got hit with hail and over 3″ of rain. Any plant that was desperately struggling to survive, was shredded AND flooded.
Dying, wilting plants early July
I don’t know if I’ve ever asked God more often “What are you doing?” than I have this summer. I still have no idea.
I’ve stood in the garden and cried. I’ve stood there and yelled at God. I’ve walked out there in silence just wondering.
The Lord has told me this week repeatedly to be obedient to Him. He keeps reminding me, I don’t need to know the end result, I just need to know He is good. He loves me. He knows the result He is working out. He is still on His throne.
This morning in church we learned about the parable of the sower and the four soils. One thing the pastor pointed out was that while this parable is about four different people, it’s also about the different seasons our heart can be in. When Jesus explains the seed that falls on rocky soil he says, “and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
The pastor had us all say, “when, not if”. When, not it. Tribulation and persecution will happen. The Bible tells us that numerous times.
Our response is what matters and is our responsibility. I can’t control all the rain. I can’t stop the flooding.
But I can control my response.
What should our response be in times of trouble, devastation, and sadness?
July 14th, 7th time flooding, with hail
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;[a] we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100
We are to be thankful. Say thank you to our good good God, who loves us more than we could ask or imagine.
It might seem contrary to our nature. And it is. But we have to learn to fight against our nature everyday because it’s sinful. We’d rather complain and groan and say, but God, give me the answer now.
We can still say thank you for all God has done for us, for who he is, for his steadfast love and faithfulness.
So, though I have no idea what He’s doing or why, I will still say…
Thank you, God, for loving me well, for refining me in this trial, for walking beside me and guiding me, for cleansing my heart of selfishness, and for turning my eyes to you. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me, thank you for dying on the cross for me, and defeating death to give me a place in heaven. Thank you for providing for my every need, even in the midst of flooding and devastation.
Sometimes, try as you might, you just can’t control things. I don’t know about you, but I like control over situations in my life. I like to fix what’s not right, repair the broken.
Lately God has been reminding me that no matter how much I want to be in control and no matter how much I think I’m in control, I’m really not at all. I’m just telling myself a big lie!
We had the most beautiful winter and early spring. Usually in Minnesota winter is harsh with below zero temps, blustery blizzards, and slick ice. But this past year was mild, at least in comparison. And spring came early which made me eager to get gardening. Our seedlings were doing well, I had the plots all laid out, and the ground was ready.
We spent hours planting, weeding, and tending. And then…
Then it started to rain. From the beginning of May until now, June 21st, we’ve had 40″ of rain! That’s almost 3 1/2 feet of rain! And it’s come in 3 and 4 and 7 inches at a time. Just this morning we had 3 more inches in 4 hours.
Needless to say, I’ve just stood and watched my garden go under. Every downpour it floods. Every rain storm more plants die. Only lettuce is thriving.
I want to fix it. I want to pump the water away somehow. I want to wish the rain away when I see it in the forecast.
As I feel panic rising with every new rainfall, I have to remind myself to breathe deeply and pray.
The first few floods, all I heard was raindrops splashing off every surface, thunder crashing, and running water trickling everywhere.
I don’t even know how many times our garden has been underwater now. Five, six, more?
Now in the midst of those devastating noises, I hear something else. Something better.
That still small voice that brings peace that surpasses understanding.
It’s often hard to hear in the rush of life when there are demands and noises all around us. Kids need something, another item is broken, people are causing chaos around us, the schedule is demanding we keep up, and on and on.
Do you ever stop to hear that still small voice? Do you hear Him calling you? I know I don’t listen for it at first. I have to be reminded somehow.
In the midst of this spring, He’s telling me to let go control, something I never had anyway.
Psalm 55:22 ESV Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
He’s asking me to let Him carry my anxiety because He loves me so much, He’s willing to do that.
1 Peter 5:7 ESV casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
He is speaking to me about how good, faithful and trustworthy He is, no matter what is happening around me.
Isaiah 26:4 ESV Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 46:1 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Jeremiah 16:19 ESV O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble
Psalm 91:1-2 ESV He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
As I watch the garden go under, I hear Him remind me I can still trust Him. He is still on His throne, unmoved by man or weather or disaster.
I can honestly say I am truly sad right now. It’s so hard to watch something you’ve worked so hard for get destroyed. But I can also say I have a good, good God who loves me and knows exactly what I need.
Seek Him, read His Word, hide it in your heart, and ask Him to show to He is faithful. Life will bring trials and hardships. But God won’t change. He’ll always be there with you, walking you through, and showing you how much He loves you.
We can still grieve. We can mourn and shed tears. It’s ok to feel the hard. It’s just not ok to sit there forever. Feel it and then remind yourself of God’s truth and let that fill those places that are filled with the hard.
Spring is sprung, The grass is riz, I wonder where The flowers is
That little poem is on a beautiful handmade mug a dear friend gave me. My kids have memorized it and say it often with a smile.
Spring has in fact sprung. And so have the projects around the farm. There is a never ending list of things to be repaired, changed, built, painted, planted, and on and on.
Someone told us once that we wouldn’t feel settled for at least five years. Well, it’s been 8 and we are still drowning in things to do. But we love it.
I started wondering recently while painting our chicken coop, why do we make lists of things on our property to fix up or change or make better. The answer came to me as I’ve been studying Genesis and Revelation.
Siding the coop last summer.
Where did God put Adam and Eve? In a beautiful, perfect garden, of course. We all know that answer. Think about it though. They were in the most perfect setting where God dwelt with them. Everything they looked at, every tree, every flower, every animal was beautiful and breath-taking. There was perfection all around them. And when they sinned and were forced to leave that beauty, they spent the rest of their lives striving to make their new home as beautiful and perfect as Eden.
And ever since then, we’ve all toiled and striven to return the earth to its former glory. There is, deep within each of us, a longing for beauty.
I think that’s part of why so many have turned to homesteading, gardening, having animals, and working on their land. We all want to be in that beautiful, perfect garden again. And someday, we will be. Revelation tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. We don’t know exactly what it all will look like. John tells us about the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and there is a tree that bears 12 fruits, one for each month. I’m sure there will be amazing gardens with unbelievable plants and animals. The new Jerusalem sounds awesome, like nothing any of us could create. There will once again be beauty all around us.
For now, God has given us this little patch of dirt on a windy prairie to make beautiful. He tells us in Luke 19 to occupy until his return. We should be good stewards with what he’s given us, using our money, time, land, and resources wisely and to his glory. I thought while I was painting, does it really matter that the chicken coop had tan siding? It was free but high quality siding so we put it to good use. But, I really enjoy looking at things that are beautiful and that coordinate. So, yes, it does matter. The chicken coop and the shed on our property are now white with blue siding, opposite of our house. And it truly looks lovely when you come in the driveway and see it all together.
Proverbs 21:25 states, “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.”
We are not called to be idle or lazy.
So, we are called to work. And we have an innate desire to make things beautiful and lovely.
And so, we make the to-do lists and we schedule the projects for sunny and rainy days. We prioritize what needs to get done and we switch gears and repair what’s broken. And, we’ll do it until the Lord calls us home or creates that new earth for us.
We spent a beautiful February day pruning our fruit trees. Usually in February we’re huddled inside by the fire watching the winter wind whip the icy snow in swirls and drifts around our property. This winter has been vastly different from most I remember. The temperatures have been mostly above freezing when they usually rare get even up to 32 degrees. And many of the February days have felt like spring. So, we took advantage of them and started pruning.
When we first moved here, the orchard was in tough shape. There were plum trees that were so overgrown you couldn’t see through them or walk between them. They bore teeny plums that were mostly pits. They didn’t last long. We attempted pruning but they were too far gone and we ended up cutting them down.
The apple and pear trees weren’t much better and needed desperate pruning and chopping. Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing when I started. I watched a lot of YouTube videos from actual pruners, read myriad articles, and asked others. I still went really conservative when I first pruned.
There were five types of branches to prune. Those that are diseased or dead, those that grow inward, those that grow straight upward, those that grow straight downward, and those that crisscross.
I’d say the first couple years I pruned a few branches, leaving a vast majority for fear I would harm the tree. As the years have gone though and I’ve learned more about pruning, I’m much less conservative and far more generous in my chopping. The pile of branches after we’re done is impressive and takes numerous trips to the burn pile from the orchard.
One thing that has struck me is that 4 out of 5 of the branches to prune are healthy. They aren’t diseased or dead. If left, they would bud and bear leaves.
This year, I’d say 99% of the branches we cut off were healthy, live branches. So why remove them? If they aren’t dead, why bother?
Well, if left, while they would bear leaves, they wouldn’t bear fruit. And, in fact, they would choke out the tree and not allow other branches to bear fruit either. It would actually be detrimental to the fruit tree and not allow it to have full life.
Taking away a branch that doesn’t bear fruit is easy. It’s easy to see a diseased or dead branch and it doesn’t feel all that painful to cut that away. But it’s hard to cut away those branches that look healthy and strong. It’s difficult to bring the clippers to the base of those branches that are still green and supple.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1
The orchard at sunrise! Look at those pruned trees!
It’s the same in our lives, isn’t it? It’s not usually that difficult to find the dead and diseased parts of our lives and allow the Lord to prune those away. Although, let’s be honest, it is sometimes hard to let go of some of our stubborn sins.
But, isn’t it even harder and more painful to allow the Lord to prune those things that seem healthy and good? What about those activities or schedule fillers that we can justify as good and helpful? What about those people that make us laugh and send us funny memes? What about that Caribou coffee every morning? What about those kids’ sports that keep us running every day of the week but seem good for the kids? What about that podcast you listen to in the morning instead of tuning into God’s Word?
I’ve heard it said that Satan doesn’t have to tell us God isn’t real or unimportant, he just has to keep us busy enough to not think about God. Is that where we are? Is that where you are?
Are you willing to let the Lord prune that which looks healthy?
The Lord has called each of us to a purpose. To know Him, His Word, and to glorify Him with our lives. If we want to actually fulfill this purpose, then we have to allow him to cut away that which causes us to fail. And it might just be a bit painful.
God may ask you to stop spending time with certain people because, while they make you laugh and desire to spend time with you, they aren’t encouraging you toward His kingdom but actually away from it.
God may ask you to set aside that good book or funny podcast because, while they entertain, they may not encourage godly thoughts and pondering of His Word.
God may prune away all those extracurricular activities because, while they may be fulfilling to one child, they are dividing your family and preventing family time.
God might just be telling you to quit buying those extras because, while they boost you up in the moment, they aren’t giving true contentment and satisfaction.
Why does God want to prune these things and probably more away?
“…that it may bear more fruit”
That YOU may bear more fruit. More of your days being faithful to His call, more of your heart and mind focused on His goodness, mercy, and grace, more of your time discipling your children to know and love God, more of your good works serving your husband and children and church. That YOU may bear more fruit.
When I truly started believing my fruit trees would bear more fruit if I was relentless and harsh in my pruning and I put that belief into action, I truly saw better health and harvests from my orchard. It’s painful to do and I sometimes question if I’m doing it right, and even Andrew will say, are you sure you want to cut that much away? But my faithfulness each year in generously pruning has paid off.
Allowing God to generously prune your life will pay off far more than my orchard ever will. He loves you and wants the best for you. He will only prune anything that would destroy you or harm you, even if it seems the opposite at the time. You can trust Him. He knows better than you or I what we need in our lives.
Let Him prune and watch the harvest that will come!
Crispy, crunchy carrots. One of our favorite treats right out of the garden. My kids asked all summer long if they could dig a carrot while we worked and I always told them yes! Why not enjoy it fresh and teach them a love of healthy foods. They learned how to carefully dig them up and rinse them. Then you could hear them crunching and chomping all over the garden. Next year we need to at least double our carrots!
Eventually they all come out of the garden and then what? We all want to keep enjoying those carrots.
Well, some get eaten fresh, obviously. I’ve canned and frozen them which is fine. But what happens when in January you get that hankering for a crisp, crunchy carrot? Don’t tell me to go to Aldi and grab some baby carrots. It’s just not the same! Even the organic carrots don’t taste even remotely like the fresh ones from our own land.
Purple Dragon carrots…they have a beautiful purple exterior and bright orange interior.
I’ve discovered over the years that you can preserve them just as they are! I get an inexpensive plastic tote and some inexpensive tube sand and start layering. Sand, carrots, sand, carrots, all the way to the top! Other than digging them straight out of the garden, my kid’s favorite thing to do is dig in the tub of sand and pull out a fresh carrot! Just rinse them off and they’re perfect.
My helper! He loved layering the carrots and was so careful!
Eventually, come February or March they start to get a little soft. Then I pull them all out and freeze or can them to throw them in soups and hot dishes for the rest of winter. Nothing goes to waste!
And next summer, carrot seeds are going into the ground much earlier so hopefully we can enjoy them earlier too!
Someone asked me recently, did you grow up gardening and canning and preserving? Nope. I’ve just decided that each year I’m going to learn something new when it comes to homesteading and becoming self-sufficient. And God has been faithful to put very knowledgeable people, who I can learn, from in my path.
When we moved to this property, one of my top priorities was to give my kids a place to run and be free to be themselves. I still love and cherish that priority. But the Lord laid a new one on my heart since we’ve moved here: to be self sufficient in healthy ways. With as tumultuous as this world is, with food chains being sabotaged, with prices increasing across the board, with unrest, the Lord is still good. And He’s given us this haven that we so desired and has blessed it beyond our wildest dreams. As I lay up food for the winter I can’t help but think of Ma Ingalls and smile. The first settlers did it! And their lives were much more rough without plumbing, electricity, and heat! God is providing for us each and every day in multiple ways, one of which is crispy, crunchy carrots!
I’m out in the garden today, working hard at keeping plants thriving. What does that look like? Well, for the potatoes it means checking every other day for potato bugs. I squat or kneel next to each plant and carefully check the leaves for bugs, picking them off and dropping them in soapy water when I find them. Then I check the underside of the leaves for eggs and pick those leaves off. Is this fun? Do I love doing it so much and that’s why I’m out there every other day?
Absolutely not! For one, I despise bugs, be they friend or foe. They’re just gross to me. And potato bugs are exceptionally gross to me. They come in all sizes from teeny tiny to downright disturbing. And they’re ugly and squishy. Believe me, gloves are necessary.
So, then, why do it?
If I don’t, I know what the consequences will be. I can’t possibly catch all the bugs and eggs in one shot! The complete loss of all my potatoes. Maybe you’re saying, who cares, just buy some potatoes at the store!
If you’ve ever had fresh garden potatoes, you know. Store potatoes honestly taste awful in comparison.
Being diligent in the garden reaps great rewards. There’s no way I could just go pick potato bugs once and expect a great return on my efforts. There’s no way I could just choose to turn a blind eye and expect a harvest that will last all winter. I’d get nothing. And the potato bugs would get everything.
It’s the same when it comes to our children.
We can’t correct our children once and expect a great return. If we wait until the behavior is annoying us and react, we’re not going to see good results and if we turn a blind eye we certainly won’t reap a great harvest. Being diligent with correction and training takes daily effort and time. It takes going into the garden of our child’s heart and lovingly and repeatedly picking out the bugs of sin. If we pick it out once and think we’re done, we’re bound to miss some and allow our child’s heart to be overrun by sin.
Turning a blind eye can look like a couple of things. It can be that we make excuses for our child’s behavior and sin. “Oh, he’s just tired today, that’s why he’s acting this way.” “My kid is really a good kid, this isn’t the way he normally acts.” “She does a lot of good things and is usually a great kid so I don’t have to worry.” It can be that we compare and look at how other kids act and think, well my kid isn’t that bad at least. And it can be that we just don’t see the behavior as sin that’s rooted in their heart.
So, how do we overcome this? Diligence.
I have to choose to enter that garden daily. I have to make time for my kids and believe that they are my priority. My house, my garden, our activities, church, all those things have to take a back seat to my children. They are my most important work each day. It means I have to set my phone down too and pay attention. It means I have to be present with my kids. And it means I have to take responsibility everyday for their hearts and minds.
I can’t just do it once. I can’t just do it once a week. It needs to be repeated and consistent.
I need to be diligent.
Not only do I need to be diligent, I need to be in prayer. But that’s a story for another day.
The last month has been one of the most taxing and one of the most rewarding all at the same time. I’ve pushed myself harder physically, emotionally, and mentally than I have in a long time. And it feels good! It also hurts…a lot!
Our pasture, before
Last summer, God gave Andrew a vision to start a CSA garden on our property. When he came home and told me about it, I was skeptical to say the least. He was so excited and all I could think was, I didn’t hear that from the Lord! But over the next three weeks God clearly confirmed it to me and I caught the excitement.
Over the years of our marriage we’ve learned the hard way that if God speaks and we don’t listen there are consequences. Sometimes those consequences are really hard to take and make for very difficult times in our lives, sometimes it’s simply a removal of blessing. Either way, we’ve come to discover that it’s a whole lot better when we obey. It may not be an easy road, but there are abundant blessings on it!
So we chose to obey. We’ve been at work all winter researching and learning. We chose a no till, no dig gardening method to transform our pasture into a workable plot. The reason we chose that is because the grass is so think in the pasture that we knew we’d be fighting a losing battle all summer if we didn’t do something at the outset to combat the grass. And we definitely didn’t want to spray harsh chemicals.
One thing we’ve learned over the last few months is there is so much we can’t control. We can’t make spring come faster, no matter how much we want it to, we can’t make the rain hold off until we’re done setting all our plots, we can’t make the sun stay up longer, we can’t force our bodies beyond a certain point, we don’t even have control over when the seeds sprout.
Grow little plants!
I don’t think we could have imagined how difficult this process was going to be! And I’m thankful God didn’t reveal that part to us! He has been so faithful to give us strength and stamina for the day and has helped us to not worry about tomorrow.
He also provided in a big and unexpected way, like He’s so good to do! A month ago, a good friend called and asked if she could move in with us for a couple months. “You’ve got a bedroom free, I hear.”
Our bonus adult, Steph. We love you!
We’ve lovingly dubbed her our “bonus adult” and I’m telling you, if you have a large family and God gives you a big vision, you just plain and simply need a bonus adult. God is doing a big work in her life this year and I hope and pray we can support and encourage her while she’s with us. And I’m so thankful she’s willing to jump in on our crazy adventures.
Our pasture, in progress 2 lines of rows done, 50 planting rows
I knew this was going to be hard, especially on my out of shape body! But I had no idea how difficult it would be spiritually. There are so many things you can’t control when it comes to gardening! And I’m seeing how little trust I have in God. I’ve had to come face to face with my lack of trust, repent and all the Lord’s help over and over. I’ve had to walk myself through past experiences where the Lord has proven faithful and remind my heart and mind that He is still faithful. He has been growing my faith so much in the midst of this!
I’ve also been surprised at who is for us and who is against us. We’ve had so many amazing people support us and pray for us and walk with us. We’ve had people come and spend a day here working with us to help us accomplish this vision. And we’ve had those who tell us to quit and that is never going to work. Even in that we just have to keep going back to God and confirming that He wants us on this path. And He’s so good to do that every time!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
I’ve been just itching to get in the garden for about a month. I know, I know, I shouldn’t live in Minnesota if I want to garden that early! But here we are anyway. I’m wishing and hoping and watching snow fall and rain pour, and tornadoes whiz by.
Today was the first nice day in a long time and I decided that even though I can’t garden yet, there’s plenty to do outside! I never did get to my orchard in March when I wanted to, so I started pruning today. Boy, am I out of shape! Somebody please be my work out buddy next winter so I don’t hurt so bad in the spring!!
They aren’t finished yet, because, well, I’m out of shape. But it’s a good start! Do I know how to prune? Hmm, no idea. I’ve watched videos and read articles and watched more videos. Then I just started trying things out. So far my trees haven’t died on me so I think I’m doing ok!
If I’m honest, I remind myself of my Opa. He’s was my mom’s dad and lived in Germany. He’s been gone for 14 years now, but right up until he died he was learning. If he was interested in something he got books about it and tried it out. He was a prisoner of war in Texas during WWII and became fascinated with learning to speak English and America. His whole life after that he was reading books in English, listening to American news, and visiting the US. He loved to learn. I’ve discovered that love in myself since homeschooling my kids. I probably love it more than they do!
Someone else discovered a new love! Dottie found a puddle and hesitating tested it with a foot, found it splashed, and ended up sitting in it splashing and laughing. Needless to say, she needed a bath!
I decided to try something new today too. Last summer my beloved tart cherry tree tumbled in a storm. It grew new shoots and I kept one out there hoping it will grow and be a cherry tree. I took some cutting and am attempting to root them with rooting compound. We’ll see what happens, but why not try! If I end up with THREE cherry trees I’ll be thrilled. My kids may leave me though as they have to pit all those tiny cherries!
Tomorrow looks rainy and windy again so I’ll be inside wishing I could be in the garden again! I told Andrew today I think Minnesota forgot to take her Prozac! It’ll come, it always does, but it always feels like it takes forever to get here! Come on, true spring!!
Desired Haven Farm 