Homestead Happenings

 Spring is always a fun time of year, I think. So much new life and so much fun work to do. Here are a few glimpses of the last couple weeks around our homestead...

New Baby Chicks. We bought 20 more layers and when they get big enough we will butcher our current layers for stew meat.

 The bees seem pretty healthy and happy and the crab apple tree next to them does as well.

 Ken tilled my garden for me a week and a half ago.

 My peonies are doing great this year and I am very excited about their upcoming blooming!

 Megan and I cleaned out the garden shed and then she decided to paint it as well. We were getting a place ready in it for our cat that is going to have kittens any time. Megan made a very cute maternity ward. Hopefully she uses it. Funny story on the Cat. We were told it was a male and named it Mr. Belo but have since figured out it was a girl and not just a girl but a pregnant one. He name is now Muriel Hubbard aka Mother Hubbard.

 I love Forget-me-nots!

 We have enjoyed harvesting rhubarb and making a delicious rhubarb custard cheesecake type of dessert. The whole family loved it.

 This chicken and it's mates are on their 3 or 4th summer now.

 I bought and planted 3 new apple trees which is rather exciting.

 This year has been the best one yet for having lots of perennials come back. It is so fun to see my herbs and flower gardens look beautiful. The picture above shows my Wormwood plant and a marchmallow.

Ken has been working to finish our sprinkler system which will use river water. It will work on the yard as well as the garden. He also is making a hydrant to use up by the animals and garden. It will be exciting to get it done.

Learning to Listen More - something needed in this world right now

  My heart is aching so bad as I see the grief, anger, loss and frustration in our country right now. I know that there is nothing that I alone can do to fix it but I do know Someone who can. If each of us would just work each day to be a little more like Jesus, love a little more like He did, and encourage others to do that too our world would be a better place for everyone.

   As a "white" person I have naturally cannot really understand what life is like for a person of color. I can go off of what I see but since I am not with them day in and day out that would not be the whole picture. So, I was reminded that one of the best things to do is simply to listen. Hear their story and try to understand. It is something I have tried to do but it is something that I want to still get much better at.

   One way that we can listen is to read books. As a teen I read the book "Black Like Me" which though written by a "White" man, he made himself "Black" for a while and then learned from experience what it was like to walk around as a black man. I found it quite moving and eye-opening. 

 I would also suggest reading aloud some books on this subject with your kids and discussing them, or encourage them to read them.

 One book that Megan and I each read this year is "Warriors Don't Cry" a very moving true story about school integration in Little Rock. I would not encourage this one for small children. 

The book series that I am currently reading aloud to the kids (interestingly we had started it before all of the current explosive events) is one by Mildren D. Taylor and the books are titled: "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry", "Let the Circle Be Unbroken" and "The Road to Memphis". These books are historical fiction.

All of those books are based on history that was in the mid 1900's. So I had always hoped that things were far different now - and in some ways and places they truly are. But after hearing from friends in Colored families currently I realize that there is still a lot more of the hard stuff going on then we would like to think.

 Another book that I recommend for reading is "Same Kind of Different As Me". It has also been made into a movie but I haven't seen it. This one is more current and still quite disturbing but also wonderful as you see how God can change lives.

   

Something that I plan to continue to do is to befriend any that come across my path - no matter their color - but I do also want to listen a little better, ask a few more questions and try to better understand what life is like for others. And truly this listening should not just be reserved for people that look differently from me. Everybody has a story. Everybody has been through hard things that affect their current life. All need God's love.

So now, I think I had better be quiet and do some listening...

But quickly,  since we were on the topic of people of different colors, I couldn't resist sharing some pictures we recently took when we were able to see my sister Anna's family...

Aren't these two adorable in pink!?

You should see this guy (who is not yet 3!) ride a bike. He is fast and can ride for miles.

   May God Bless You All!