Dickens and Dairy Queen

 

No one is more surprised than me that food is actually growing in my care. It's pretty darn exciting! I'm sure my neighbors are getting annoyed with me as I keep bringing food that I have to tell everyone is from my garden. "These appetizers are made with the blackberries and basil that is fresh from my garden." At least I don't claim to have made the mozzarella balls that shared the space on the appetizer skewers. I mean, sheesh, I'm not that extreme! 

I am sad to say that my beets really didn't do anything. And my squash is rotting before it can grow properly. But what REALLY chaps my hide is that the birds are getting the blueberries this year! I should put netting out there like I did for the blackberries but it was such a pain to work around that I was a little worried there for awhile that I would get myself wrapped up in it and not be able to get out. I mean, that netting quickly becomes a tangled mess! Regardless, it's not the birds I most concerned about. How about the baby copperhead that was wrapped around the inside of the blackberry bush? I was out there picking my berries and minding my business when I spotted a pattern. That was it. A pattern. I stepped back and screamed my girly head off! Wayne called down to inquire and when he heard me say "snake", he ran inside to get his gun. 

Men.

He ran down with the .22 and shot it twice which made it drop from the bush and then it was real mad.  That's what I hear anyway because Rachel was long gone. 

Then he bashed it over the head with a shovel and all was right again in the world. 

Any tree huggers out there can keep your judgements to yourself because it was either him or me and there's lots more where he came from. There's only one me. 

This summer has gone by so fast! We've been able to go to a few pastoral installations which is always fun. In May we went to Mountain Home, Arkansas where a fellow Albertan had been assigned to after seminary graduation. Wayne preached for this one. I even got to see one of my childhood pastor's again.  Pastor Laymen not only taught me about Jesus but once tried to teach me how to change a tire. Thankfully I've never had to because I'm pretty sure it didn't stick.  The tire, that is. Not Jesus. 

Before heading home we spent an extra night in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I had a vague memory from my Ozark days growing up that this was a place to explore. I was right:) It was quirky, fun, and very unique. We stayed downtown in an old hotel where we didn't have easy access to our car once we parked it at another location. We walked everywhere and took a tour of the the downtown to get the gist of the layout and the history, which I always find fascinating. 

Our little Arkansas getaway was fun! I love the Ozarks! 

The other installation was closer and for the church Wayne's brother and family attend in the DFW area. 

Our girl is home! We picked her up the end of May from school. She had an awesome first year of high school and we're so proud of her! We got to watch the end of year concert.

From there we headed up farther north and stayed with my mom and dad for a few days. We were able to attend the burial of my grandparents. It was very bittersweet, their matching white caskets sitting side by side. It was a gorgeous day with bright blue skies. 

My folks hosted a little gathering afterwards for the small group that attended. Grandpa's little sister made the trip. I thought it was so cute when Zanna and my cousin, Zoe, sat by her and peppered her with questions about her growing up years and what it was like. I'm thinking she liked all the attention!!

After getting back home to Texas, it was time for the annual Camp Grandma! The neighbor ladies outdid themselves this year planning a weekend of fun for their grandkids complete with a big blow up slide, a Marine obstacle course, plenty of crafts and food, tubing on the lake, pool time, and treasure hunt ( I probably forgot some things!).  They were so kind to invite Zanna again and we didn't see her all weekend! 

Then about a week later began two weeks of Camp Shiloh. She participated in Teen Camp and was a junior counselor for Youth Camp. Will was also home with us for a couple weeks. He brought his friend, Eric, to join him in volunteering at Camp Shiloh for the Daylight program at MLC. It was fun to get to know one of his friends going back to high school and who also is currently studying for the ministry. 

Will wasn't able to spend the whole summer with us but at least he could stay through my birthday. And leave it to Will to get what has been on my Amazon list forever - 

He got me Dickens! Notice the Dairy Queen cake slice too - Dickens and Dairy Queen. Doesn't get much better! 

He is spending the rest of the summer in Ft Leonard Wood, MO for AIT training. We are looking forward to actually being able to attend his graduation next month. Following that he will be starting his Senior Year at MLC. 

Next came Canada Day. We celebrated by eating poutine at the Maple Leaf Diner in Dallas which happens to be close to our dentist where we had to go for our cleaning. Convenient, eh? (see what I did there?) 

The rest of their menu confuses me as to how exactly it's considered Canadian. Except for the butter tarts and Nanaimo bars .. and maybe the Labatts ... it's a stretch. That's OK - it's about as close as we're going to get to Canada for now so it'll have to do!

Following that is, of course, the 4th of July. We had so much fun! Our neighbors put on one heck of a fireworks show over the lake. It was extremely impressive to watch the 45 minute display from the top level of another one of our neighbor's boathouse. We had front row seats to the show while our hostess played patriotic songs over the boathouse speakers and the flag proudly flew from the balcony! 

The 4th is also our wedding anniversary. While 23 is quite an odd number, any number of years married deserves to be celebrated! We had a romantic stay at the Four Seasons in Irving.

Any occasion worth celebrating has to have steak - according to Wayne. We were so surprised to find a Keg restaurant nearby which is a Canadian chain that we really enjoyed back in Ottawa. Sure enough it was the same plus some "Texas" additions to the menu that was to die for! 

We left Zanna home alone for the night with the dog. One of the ways she kept herself busy was to bake a blackberry pie with homemade pie crust.

That's my little dual citizen!! It tasted as good as it looks too! 

Zanna and I also joined a new orchestra this summer. Her former violin teacher has been trying to get an orchestra in our nearby town off the ground for years. It's a variety of ages and abilities and has been fun to do together (more for me than for her but whatever). Our practicing will culminate in a performance right before we have to head up north so that worked out well. 

Finally I leave you with a before and after of what has been in our sightline since we moved here - a coal factory that has shut down and was recently blown up. It was quite the show and the lake was full of boats ready to see the spectacle along with those of us on the shoreline making a party out of it with donuts (southerners have a thing for donuts) and folding chairs. 

We like to blow things up down here!!

Mastering My Garden - One Sprout at a Time

 Being responsible for an acre and a half of property when you come from a postage stamp sized suburban plot is not for the faint of heart. Add to that a much longer growing season which we can either embrace or fight every step of the way.  This is me attempting to embrace while killing things and growing things along the way. 

I try not to take it personally if something dies. I've made my piece with it. If it lives I try not to take too much credit for it.  There's so much out of my hands that it would drive nuts stressing out about the weather (too much rain or not enough), pests and insects, soil management, and in our case - deer. Stupid deer. 

My roses have had a banner spring!!! From what I hear from others they are saying the same thing. At first I thought it was because they were responding to the special fertilizer I gave them along with the fresh dump of soil and tilling I did around the base. I started patting myself on the back until others were saying the same thing only they've been completely ignoring their roses. I soon realized that the roses must have responded well to the freeze we had in February. They were looking pretty bare to begin with but man, they started filling in and were laden with flowers. 

Elsewhere around the house has been some stunning purple clematis (just like we had in our backyard in Ottawa) and the cheeriest of yellow flowers by the door.

 Earlier in the year we invested in some raised beds built within the fenced in area of the berry patch. If you recall, the previous owner was a Master Gardener (hence my problem) and she had planted blueberries and blackberries within a chain link fence with a cute arbor covered in roses. There was a lot of open area in it though and I tried growing some tomatoes two years ago with OK success. But I learned that in these parts anyway, raised beds are the way to go! 

The idea is to finish it off with rocks but I haven't gotten that far yet.

I'm happy to report: It's looking like a banner crop of berries this year! Last year a blueberry plant died on me and so I replaced it and even that is producing some berries already. 

In my raised beds I have one area with herbs and tomato plants. I was just down there and I already see some tomatoes growing! 

Another raised bed has zucchini that has blossoms last I checked. There are also beets, cucumbers, and arugula which I've been eating like potato chips. 

In the raised bed along the fence I have planted garlic, peas, jalapeños, and beans. Last time I was down there I spotted my first bean!! So that's pretty exciting. 

It's definitely a learn as I go pursuit and a mix between consulting a good friend who's a Master Gardener, investing in a few good books specifically on gardening in Texas, and simply time to get to know the different plants and how they respond to different conditions. Right now it's too much and I'm looking for someone to help me move some plants around, dig down, and lay down rock to help alleviate some of the weed maintenance. Some plants die before I can figure out what they need and then I need to decide if I want to replace them or find something else. And keeping the deer away and finding deer resistant plants are one of many crap shoots. 

I don't grow strawberries but they do well around here too so I bought some local ones the other day. I had fun making some freezer jam out of them. I'm the only one that eats it though so I guess I won't have to share:) 

I refuse to let plants get the better of me! My goal is to learn something new, overcome my lifelong belief that I didn't inherit Grandma's green thumb, and enjoy the homegrown flowers and produce that manage to thrive while I cheer them on. 

Grandpa

 

Me and Grandpa

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in 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." Psalm 23

I slowly read those words to my Grandpa over a phone that was on speaker and held up to his ears by the sweet lady in the assisted living home. She had been tasked with taking care of him over the last few months since Grandma became sick and passed away in January. 

Grandpa, Coffee, and Sweets - a love triangle! 

Mom had texted first thing Monday morning that she had received a call from the home and that it seemed as if that day would be his last. Mom wanted to give us a heads up and an opportunity to call if we wanted to. I was grateful for the opportunity but truth be told I dragged my heels because what do you say at the end of it all? 

Good Shepherd Sunday was this last Sunday and it was fresh on my mind. Mom had mentioned that she had used this theme in their devotion, songs, and art she had brought for their last time together, too. By this time I was told he wouldn't respond but he could hear me, and so I put on my big girl pants and called my Grandpa for the last time on this side of eternity.

Grandpa and my Mom

Saying goodbye to the man we named our own son after was bittersweet. Getting to tell him what really mattered at the end of it all was overwhelming and a well needed reminder to my own perspective. 

Big Will and Little Will

Teaching his great grandson to drive a boat

I got to thank him for being such a great grandpa.  When we were kids he outfitted a riding lawn mower to be the grandkids' wheels to cruise around the property on. We spent hours in the woods surrounding their home taking turns driving and pretending to be a bus picking each other up. Or all the times he would pick me up from Prep in a borrowed airplane to bring me home for the weekend. Then there was all the videos he'd take of seemingly mundane moments of our lives he would treat as an all important moment in time that we could never get back but worth documenting. The countless trips they'd take to visit family no matter where any of us lived in the country (or out, as the case was for us), showed such a high priority for the family they loved and their adventurous spirit in exploring different places outside their mid-western home. But it wasn't any of the above memories that truly made him the great grandpa he was. He was a redeemed child of God who Jesus dearly loved and because of that he told his kids who told their kids who now tells their kids about how Jesus loves them too. That's what makes him such a great grandpa and that is what I thanked him for. 

Will and Will

Grandpa passed away Monday morning - shortly after my call with him. 

I'll miss my Hand and Foot partner. Together we called our team "The Young and the Restless" (I'm not sure who was what sometimes). And I have this overwhelming urge to take up the banjo and go to Branson, Missouri to enjoy some music shows. For now I'll listen to my favorite Johnny Cash album and think of what a great Grandpa God gave me.