Field of Dreams Friday

I planted these sunflowers because they are supposed
to be black. The package said that Hopi Indians made
dye out of the seeds and used it to do the designs on
their baskets. That intrigued me. I have always
been interested in using natural things to make dye.
I like the idea of boiling roots and leaves and coming
up with dyes that never wash out or change color.

This is still one of my favorite pictures because I was
able to catch this little orchard bee with it's little pockets
full of pollen. The orchard bee is very shy. I have spent so much
time out in my sunflowers trying to get a picture like this.
When I got this I was so happy. Then it let me keep
getting pictures. But none of them were as close as this one.

I am glad it is Friday. I can't believe how fast the weeks
seem to pass by. I am hoping that this weekend, I might
get to pick up my sewing again. I haven't picked up
a needle and thread is almost two weeks. I am always
so afraid that my hands will forget how to hold a needle and
that my hands will be used to nothing but work.

Try and stay cool,
Happy Friday!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)

Thankful Thursday

Here I am again at Thankful Thursday. I was going
through my mind thinking about what am I thankful
for today. Today I am thankful for summer. Even
the heat because my garden likes it so much.

It makes me so happy to be able to pick food from my garden.
It makes me happy to know that I can give it away.
It makes me even happier hearing what my
lovely girls make with it and then knowing that
my grand babies like it too.
The thing I love about gardening is that it means I must
depend on the weather and the magic of taking a dry seed
putting it in the dirt, and watering it and then seeing what
comes up from that seed, then the best part collecting the
fruit or in this case vegetables. One of the things that
I stand and stare at is the difference in seeds. All different,
still seeds, but each one carries within a surprise.

I have always loved fairy tales. I love the magic that is
in the story. I think what I love is good triumphs. For me
out in the garden, I can believe easier in fairy-tales.
I can believe that hiding in my flowers are fairy's that
that are watching and hiding and waiting for me to leave.
In the garden, I can dream of impossibility and in the garden,
those dreams become realities.
But, like the seed, the soil and the rain and the sun, My dreams
become realities all because the biggest fairy tale of all became true,
2000 years ago, God became man, He showed us how we are to live,
and then to save us from death and to give us hope, He died, then
He did the impossible, He rose again from the dead.
I have stood at the side of too may caskets and begged God to do one
more miracle, and He has always said " No, will you trust me?" I always
turn and walk away, believing that God will change even this into a
good gift. So today, I am thankful for hope that gives me the gift to see
past the circumstances into life. Of course, to see the magic too.
Have a great Thursday!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)

Odds and Ends of Wednesday

I think I am in a blogging rut. Maybe it is the heat,
maybe it is that I have worked hours and hours
and my mind just refuses to work.
I know I am being a complaining baby, we
have had hardly any heat to speak of this year,
but it is supposed to be up to 108 by Friday, and
I am dreading it, not so much for me but for my
chickens.

We have this fan that is in my husbands
work shed, I have thought about taking it out to
the hens. I go out and make sure they have water
and food, they are gaining weight because I
keep feeding them because they look so miserable.

I only got two eggs today which was weird. Then I
have one of my oldest hens, who has decided she wants
to stay in the nest box. She isn't sitting nor is she broody.
It is too hot so I am afraid she wants to die. I keep going
out and booting her off the nest box but she just keeps going
back.

My new little hens haven't started laying yet, but I think it
will be pretty soon, because they keep doing that mourning
cry that they do, I wonder if they get scared like a woman does
before she has her first baby? No matter how many classes,
or books or anything else you just never know what to expect
the first time. So I always wish I knew hen so I could explain to
them what was happening.

My four roosters are driving me nuts. I need to get rid of 3 of them
but I still like them all and they all have cute personalities, but I know
that I don't need 4 roosters. I tried to separate them into different pens
with the older hens I had and I just couldn't stand the looks on the roosters
faces. The big hens just beat them up so bad. So they are all back together.
The roosters are much happier, the little hens aren't though.

See what I mean, a rut, a whole post about nothing but chickens.

Have a great Wednesday!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)

Tuesday Thoughts

Today as I was cleaning house, I was thinking about
hearing God's voice. It struck me that I always hear
Him when I am on my knees scrubbing the toilet or
mopping floors, as I pondered this it came to me,
that no one really comes around when I am doing that,
and my mind is very quiet when I am scrubbing.
There are really not any distractions. I think too that
it is when I am at that point serving in a way no one
ever notices but me and God. I am so glad He notices.

I was thinking about this quote, " Put each difficult thing in your
hands and offer it up to Jesus. You might be amazed
at how God can transform that thing that is so painful
to you into good for somebody else. "
I am a great believer in offering up those things that could
make me bitter, angry, discontent and having God transform
them into something for His glory. I have learned through life
that those times when I just didn't understand or even see,
why God would allow something like He does. Why if I can
be mature about it and say, Not my will Father but thine.
When I can bow my knees at His throne and give it all back
to Him and accept what He has done, then and only then
can I experience peace.

I was listening to some teachers today as I was cleaning and
one teacher talked about that Jesus is the God of second chances.
He is the only one who can say to everyone, you are not who you
are but what I am making you into, a new creation. He then went
on to say that when Jesus told the disciples to come, he said,
and tell Peter. It got to me, I have read that passage so many times
but today, how many times have I closed the door on someone that
God wanted me to say, " And bring Peter," I have decided that
God must be finished with them, when no one is ever beyond
repair. No one is ever a lost cause. If God chose to make Adam as
His greatest creation, knowing what was going to happen. God still
gave a second chance to us all through Jesus. How can I ever say,
that it is too late.
I kept thinking to myself, that my God is too small and I have too little
faith. What if I just let God be God and kept my mouth shut.
As James says, A man who can control his tongue, can control a small city."

These were just thoughts that were going on in my head as I cleaned.
I hope your Tuesday is nice.
Mine will be, now onto my flowerbeds. :)

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)