The Mennobrarian

Rain, Finally

05:24, Monday, August 11, 2008 .. Posted in Homemaking .. 4 comments .. Link

This entire summer, the sky would sometimes darken as if to threaten rain, but it never did. Or maybe it might for five minutes or so, but not enough to do anything useful like water the garden. It was frustrating when, more than once, I was only an hour away from home and watched a tremendous down pour start...only to return home to dirt that was still bone dry. It would rain an hour away from our house but not at our house.

Over the weekend I was repotting some small plants and pulling weeds, and I had so much energy because it was not oppressively hot like it had been, but gentle and cool. Then, the skies darkened.
"Not another false alarm," I sighed.
And the thunder sounded.
"Still meaningless."
And then finally, the sky opened up and a steady flow of large rain drops splattered.
Hurriedly, I put away my gardening tools and picked up the bouquet I had picked for my kitchen counter vase (really, just an old, chipped quart jar) and gave thanks for the rain. Inside, my husband was busy working on a presentation he was giving on Monday to some children in 4H on the topic of beekeeping. We don't keep bees currently, but my husband used to and it is likely we will again. With my outdoor activities suddenly and surprisingly limited for the first time since Spring, I was displaced to working indoors, which resulted in finishing all of the laundry and ironing in a single evening. That hasn't happened since Winter! It was a blessing that I was able to accomplish that, considering our neighbor lost power until the next morning, but we didn't.

On the Table: I made the meaty pasta casserole that's on the cover of the new Taste of Home magazine. Meaty, indeed. If you're missing any livestock it might be in this casserole. I actually omitted the pepperoni, and still, this dish was too meaty for me. I also made a batch of whoopie pies for dessert.
As a little girl I used to ask, "Why are they called whoopie pies?"
"Because all the kids say "Whoopie!" when they get them in their lunch box," some deeply intelligent adult would say. But that answer never satisfied me, and it still doesn't.

Remember those round lemon cukes? I made icebox pickles with them and they turned out well. Not as firm as a regular cucumber, but crunchy and full of taste.

On the Nightstand: The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. Awe-inspiring and thought provoking. You can read this for free online, but don't bother. Read it when you won't be distracted.

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10:33, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 .. Posted by Kitty
I was wondering what happened to my chickens!!! LOL I'm with you on the too much meat thing, somedays I think of becoming a veggies only person.
And as for the rain, we get it EVERYDAY, you can sure have some of ours................Kitty

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04:21, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous
I have always wanted to keep bees! I even bought a book on beekeeping. The lack of pollinators in my yard this year just might spur me into getting some.
I'm with you on the meat thing. I usually put in less than the meat called for in a recipe.
Christine

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12:35, Wednesday, August 13, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous
I am so glad you got rain. We are still waiting on it in here in our part of Virginia. We started bee keeping this year and have found it extremely interesting!

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06:26, Monday, August 18, 2008 .. Posted by peacefulplainness
I really enjoy your blog, hearing about how you work in the garden and cook delicious meals. Brother Lawrence's book has been a real blessing to me too.

Amy