Thought for today (and tomorrow) . . .

It has been said that . . .

"A squirrel is actually a mouse
with an excellent PR person."

(I said it was a thought - I didn't say it would be profound :)

My 'Bucket List' - Feed a Giraffe

I have decided to start a 'Bucket List'.

This is my approach to my list. Because I am a blue personality (susceptible to guilt trips), can be random at times and enjoy spontaneity, I will do something that is 'Bucket worthy' and then I will add it to my 'Bucket List' so that I can cross it off.

That way, at the end of my days, I will have crossed off everything on my list! A perfectly guilt-free approach to my 'Bucket List'!


No. 1 - Feed a giraffe. I need to mention how incredibly difficult it is to hold a camera, hold a giraffe cracker, keep the giraffe from eating the cracker before you take the picture while you make sure that the giraffe eats the cracker and not your fingers.

All in all, I think this is a great picture. I might note that when I shared my accomplishment with my brother and sister-in-law, they did not share my enthusiasm and asked if I had washed my hands (and wondered why on earth I went to the zoo instead of the spa - the spa isn't on my list, yet!).

Oh well, every one's 'Bucket List' is different.


*Random fact - I asked the giraffe keeper which one of the giraffes was the 'fat duck' - you know, the duck that is bossy and overbearing and eats all of the bread crumbs. I didn't want to feed that giraffe. He pointed out a giraffe ambling over to me and mentioned that she's pregnant. How can you not feed the pregnant giraffe? So I ended up feeding the pregnant giraffe and two baby giraffes.

A Blue, White & Red Letter Day!

Our hearts are true BLUE!
GO COUGARS!

Lessons from My Garden (2008)

This spring we planted a garden. After buying some left over 'turkey dirt' from our neighbor (that's a whole other post!), tilling it in to our clay/rock soil, picking out bed springs, twine and other assorted 'stuff' (like I said, that's a whole other post!), we were ready to plant!

I discussed the idea of grow boxes and 'square foot gardening' with my attorney, Mr. W. I really wanted to give this 'new-fangled' gardening a try. Mr. W was raised on a fruit farm (like me) and still thinks in terms of furrows and rows. We ended up planting rows (I haven't given up on my Garden Squared - next year).

We carefully hoed our rows, planted our seeds, tucked in our tomato plants, put cages around the tender plants and gave the garden a big drink. We were off to a great start.

At the beginning of the summer, I tried to weed the garden at least once a week and tried to water it before it dried out (I'm working on Mr. W to adopt the soaker hose approach - in the meantime, we are watering by hand). We saw seeds sprout, vegetables start to form and all in all things were looking promising for some fresh produce throughout the summer.


Well, life got busy (busier) and the watering became a little more erratic. We meant well but we just didn't do it consistently. As the tomatoes started to ripen, I noticed that about half of them had a weird brown 'bottom' to them. Suspecting bugs, I consulted my garden expert, Bonnie. I was shocked when she told me that it wasn't a bug that had caused my garden failure, it was my inconsistent watering. My tomatoes had a case of Blossom Rot! No amount of 'catch-up' watering could repair my earlier neglect. All I could do was recommit to consistent watering, throw away the bad tomatoes and wait to harvest healthy ones.

Having grown up on a fruit farm, the lessons and parables in the scriptures that related to planting, sowing, thinning, harvesting and pruning all made perfect sense to me. Every year I witnessed the 'Law of the Harvest' as the literal fruits of the orchard were gathered in.

But this year my little garden reminded me once more -
You can't fake obedience!

No amount of regret or 'double-duty' watering could alter the condition of the tomatoes already formed. I had today and the next day and the remainder of the summer to do better but the fruits of my inconsistency hung rotten on the vines.

The power that comes from daily obedience is real.
It gives us faith not fear, hope not helplessness.
That is what my little garden taught me this year.