SunflowerHill

Thoughts

Like all of you the last few weeks have been busy ones.  I want to share with you a blessing given to us this year.  We have a miracle potato patch.  Last year we had a potato patch about 20 feet by 20 feet.  When dh harvested them he was, he thought, very through in getting all of the potatos dug up.  We were going to plant in a different location this year, but due to health issues dh didn't get out to it.  When we got home and went out to plant a late spring garden we saw potato plants pushing up through the soil in the old patch.  And I don't mean one here and there.  The rows looked like they had been planted.  A full patch has grown and we have been digging some and eating them for the last few weeks, and they are BIG.  We know that it was a miracle planned just for us.  The Lord knows our needs and takes care of them.  I give Him Praise and Thanks. 

The potatos are in the back on the right.  We planted everything in the same spot this year as we did last year.  As you can see I use old carpets to control weeds.  At my age I can use all the help I can get.

Next week I have to have surgery, and of course my peaches are ready.  It is time to call in the troops  ie daughters.

Sisterhood Award

I want to thank Abby at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/yarnstrewnpath/

for giving me the Sisterhood award.  I appreciated her kind remarks.  I have tried for two days to put the logo on my blog, but I am so blog illiterate..............I will keep trying.  I am getting ready for another wedding.  As most of you know I have 10 birth children, 3 children by marriage and 5 children gifted to me.  14 girls and 4 boys.  ds 4 is getting married Sept 17. That will leave two dd who have yet to find mister right.

"When we seek to serve others, we are motivated not by selfishness but by charity. This is the way Jesus Christ lived His life....The Savior did not care for the honors of men; Satan offered Him all the kingdoms and glory of the world, and Jesus rejected the offer immediately and completely (see Matthew 4:8–10). Throughout His life, the Savior must have often felt tired and pressed upon, with scarcely a moment to Himself; yet He always made time for the sick, the sorrowful, and the overlooked."
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Canning

The canning season has begun for me.  I've made jams from my fruit, but because of late frosts we didn't get much this year.  But the garden is coming along andI have been canning my stew/soup started vegies, green beans and summer squashes. I will be making more of my "Tomato soup to die for".  I didn't make enough last year and I am almost out of it.  I use it for many other things beside just soup.

We have been having very hot--100--weather for the last few days.  It is good for the tomatoes and melons.

Our cherry trees have been infested with pear slugs again this year and I have been out there trying to hose them off with water.  I hate to use insecticide even though the cherries have all been picked.  But if I don't do anything I will loose my 12 trees.  These slugs do a lot of damage. 

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."
~Joseph B. Wirthlin

"We each do the best we can. My best may not be as good as your best, but it's my best. The fact is that we know when we are doing our best and when we are not. If we are not doing our best, it leaves us with a gnawing hunger and frustration. But when we do our level best, we experience a peace."
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley "

I was thinking about the virtue of being frugal (and my definetion of frugal is doing the best that you can with what you have and even sacrificing self for the best of the family), which turned my thoughts to my mother.  She was truly one who was frugal before the word was ever used.  That saying, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" was her unconscious motto. When I was about 5 (1949) we lived on 11th west.  And once a month my mom would walk those 11 blocks to pay her bills.  Yes, in those days people paid their bills, in cash, to the companies they owed.  When I was older I remember her telling me that in the hot summer months she would get so thirsty during her bill paying excursion.  She would have to pass by the local drug store.  The door were always open during the summer, and she could see people sitting at the sada fountain drinking cool drinks.  But she never entered and never ordered a 5 cent coke.  She couldn't affored it!!!  She knew where every penny needed to go for her growing family and she would not even spend a nickle for a cold drink.  She taught me so much without even trying, just by her cheerful example.  Frugality in a noble virtue. Bless all of you frugal sisters out there.

We are told in the scriptures the we should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and help people spiritually and temporally.  I know that over the years I have sometimes felt overwhelmed as I have tried to live "by every word the proceedeth out of the mouth of God".  I have felt, "how can I do it all" and be a wife and mother too.  Well, then I learned a valuable lesson.  I do feed the hungry, my family.  I do clothe the naked, laundry, sewing, shopping wisely. I visit the sick, my chldren and my husband who has a debilitating disease.  I help my family learn from the scriptures, hold family home evening and take care of the needs of my family.  I love the saying "to bloom where you are planted". and "there is a season for everything".  I am now at another season of my life now that I only have one child and my husband at home.  Everything I do I still do for my family, but now I have a little more time to reach out to others.  I love to make quilts and crocheted mittens and hats which I give to various charities.  I can visit a neighbor who has just got home from the hospital with a meal.  Come to think of it I have done these things all of my life, its just that now I can do more.  And another thought....What an example we can set for our children when we let them help do these things and them teach them that we are living what the Lord teaches us to do.  Oh, I would love to start over with having my family.  But I have great rewards in that I have wonderful grandchildren.  So I can start at another level to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and help spiritually, and temporally.  I praise my Savior.

"It's been said we all must travel through Gethsemane. We all do things that humble us and put the weight of sin and regret upon our backs. The problem is that some of us stay in Gethsemane for far too long. We let it bring us lower than the dust (which is actually a good thing if it humbles us to call upon God). But there are dangers in Gethsemane. For some the darkness is so overwhelming that they lose themselves -- they lose the vision of their divine potential as children of God. They let Satan convince them that they are worthless and can never be of use to God (or perhaps to anyone else). It takes faith to believe that even God can help us rise from the depths of Gethsemane.

We must remember that there was only one person who survived Gethsemane, and even He had an angel to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43). The Son of God traversed the darkness of each of our Gethsemanes and came out with a clear and empathetic understanding of our insecurities and trials -- "for surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4). The Son of God is the only one who could carry the weight of sin for all mankind, bleed at every pore, and come out the other side triumphant (Luke 22:44).

If we are to survive our own personal Gethsemanes we can not expect to do it alone. We must let Him lift us. He is the only way to the other side. He knows the murky terrain, for He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Call upon Him and let Him lift you up! " Marnie Pherson

I missed several photos yesterday. Thought I would add them.

More grandchildren and children.

Dd 5 and her sweet ones

More grandchildren

Dd's 1 and 2.

 Dd 6 and hubby.

My life is like a stream that flows swiftly through each day.  Sometimes the rains of adversity fall heavily upon me and I overflow my banks,, but Christ brings me back to my guided stream bed.  Sometimes drought shrinks me to a trickle, but again Christ fills me up.  These last few weeks have found my stream flowing swiftly full to capicity.  The Son shining down upon me and warming me. 

Sowing, reaping, necessary work for income, cleaning, nursing dh, family reunion, preserving, on and on flows my stream.  Oh, how grateful  I am for the life I have been blessed with.  I eagerly look forward to each new day.

Welcome to my back yard.  This wooden walk way was constructed by my son when he was 14....15 years ago. It leads to my back door and of course everyone comes this way.

I love hens and chicks.

Garden is growing.

Even at a family reunion I have my crocheting in hand

My 3 oldest granddaughters

We took a cave tour.  8 of my natural daughters and my one natural son were at the reunion, 1 daughter could not make it.  All of the adopted and step brothers and sisters were invited but none could make it.

Daughters 1 top, 5 left,8 right

Dd 7.  She had to do an audit for the property management company she manages.  I sure missed seeing my 4 grandchildren.

A few of the kids having fun.

My one natural son.  He's a small guy 6'2''.

This was where it all began. We were only married 26 years when he passed away.  We celebrated his birthday by having our first family ruenion. There are 53 three in my first family, 11 in my adopted family and 11 in my step family.  I love them all.  Next year I will take lots of pictures.  I should have gotten each family together and taken a picture of them.  Well next year.

I had a busy traveling day today.  Dear daughter no. 14 had a doctor appointement.  100 miles away.  She has been on her "own" for about 4 months now.  We had to leave early to get there on time.  Of course there was a 40 minute wait for the doctor.  Dd was called in and about 3 minutes later she returned...........She didn't bring with her the papers her doctor here had given her.  They called her doctor but the office was closed today.  So there will be another trip in two weeks.  Life is so interesting.  We have been having overcast grey clouds promising some rain.........but nothing yet.  Most of the garden is in and growing nicely.  My dear husband is still struggling with his health issues.  I admire his unfailing faith and trust in the Lord.  I have been widowed once with a large family to raise alone.  I learned to trust in my Lord.  I still place my trust in Him.  Dh has been a breath away from death Twice in the  1 5 years that we have been married.  Each comeback was a miracle.  My children, his children and our adopted children are now raised and out on their own, except for our mentally hadicapped son.  He will always be our baby.  We both know that dh will be here as long as the Lord decides.  We accept His will.  We are truely blessed.  Happy Gardening.

I have been enjoying spring and gardening so much that the computer has been gathering dust.  Dd number 12 just had her 2nd baby, an 8lb. 2oz boy.  She has a 4 year old daughter. Grandchild number 35.

I am so thankful for my family.  I am also thankful for my tall raised beds.  No bending over, very little weeding. O I love it.  I thought I would share some of last years photo's with you again. I am getting older and these tall beds are such a blessing to me.  Also I don't have to grow as much as when I had the whole tribe at home.  And of course they were in the garden with me.  I remember when my Mary (child no. 18)was three years old and she was out in the garden with me.  I was planting cabbage and broccoli plants.  I finally finished the long, long row.  I turned around and Mary was right behind me pulling up each and every plant. I laughed so hard I almost cried.

This year I have Masna (small french) green beans in the first tall bed and sugar snap peas in the 2nd one.  After the peas are through I will plant another crop, maybe carrots this year. I put peppers in the smaler two planters again this year.  I also have another raised bed that is not grown up yet LOL.  I had carrots in it last year, this year it is full of onions.

This was early before all of the carrots came up. I had to plant a couple of times.  I also had some beets at the end.  I delight and and rejoice in being able to grow our food and put it by for the winter.

Tomorrow I am going to plant some more flowers.  Happy Gardening

Thought for today.

"I delight in the examples of those in the scriptures who walk by faith on their earthly jou.rney. Each time I walk with Abraham and Isaac on the road to Mount Moriah, I weep, knowing that Abraham does not know that there will be an angel and a ram in the thicket at the end of that jour.ney. We are each in the middle of our earthly path, and we don't know the rest of our own stories. But we, as Abraham, are blessed with miracles."
~Susan W. Tanner

My blanket of faith

The thread of my faith

is made up of many strands.

one strand is prayer

one strand is compassion

one strand is service

one strand is virtue

one strand is patience

one strand is kindness

one strand is charity

one strand is good works

one strand is humility

one strand is knowledge

one strand is hope

one strand is choice

one strand is gratitude.

As I go through life

I weave my threads into a blanket,

This blanket covers me, protects me.

It is my strength...the threads of my

Faith in Christ.

We woke up to 8" of snow.  It was beautiful.  I am so glad that I planted a lot in the garden yeaterday.  Most of the snow is melted now and tomorrow is supposed to be a sunny day.  Life is so wonderful.  I am so grateful  to my Savior for the daily love that I feel from Him.