Join me for my morning ritual....

Good morning! Time to start the day! My new "domestic" morning ritual is my morning walk around the yard and gardens, coffee in hand, to check out the progress, pull a few weeds here and there, and water as needed. It is a wonderful way to start the day. I'd love to have you come along!

It all starts with a good cup of joe. My joe of choice for the last few years is a blend of coffee and chicory. Having found it in New Orleans on our first trip, I was instantly hooked. Much stronger flavor, a slight bitterness, it's actually hard for me to drink regular coffee now. So first thing, I brew my pot of chicory and grab a mug. This is my favorite mug, a gift from a dear friend, it reminds me of a beautiful paper crafting design. I don't always use creamer, but it is a treat once in awhile. So grab a fresh cup, it's time to get started!

Let's head out the front door, where most of my containers are that need watering. I love having time to watch each of the plants progress through the spring. I've been taking a ton of pictures, so that I can see the garden at all stages, and determine this fall what to add. This is the front as it is right now, the end of May, 2012. This brick/pea gravel border is only a couple of years old, and the plants are just starting to really become substantial.

I fill my gardens and borders with things that I love. Many received from friends, some from thrift sales, and others just junk I've gotten here and there, but I love it all. When something turns into something I don't love, it gets removed. My favorite thing to do - in my garden as in my house - is fill it with things (in this case plants) that remind me of my childhood. Plants from either my mother's home, or my grandmother's. I don't spend a lot of money on my gardens, but have through the years found so many of them! I hope that you enjoy the tour as much as I do.....

the Clematis, a gift for mother's day years ago...

the double planter, the last birthday gift from my mother

found this adorable cement feeder at a thrift sale.. don't use it as a feeder

 (too low, dangerous for the birds), but LOVE what it adds to the steps.

my newest addition, a columbine, a gift from a dear friend

she had no idea that my grandmother had columbine by HER door

so now I have it by mine

this pink lupine was a gift from another friend

it has since reseeded several times, and I now enjoy them in multiple borders

my mother had lots of peonies in front of our home, so they are very dear to me

this particular peony was a gift from a dear dear friend, and the first to open this year

isn't it beautiful?

Well, these are just a few of my favorites, but I hope you enjoyed the walk. Too many to put all of my beautiful things on here. But maybe we'll take another walk, on another day. Thanks for coming along! Go grab another cup of coffee!  

We salute you...

Today is one of those days set aside for all of our veterans, both past and present. I sincerely hope that most people don't only remember them on those few days a year set aside specifically for them. Because without them, we would not be the country we are today. And those of us who haven't served cannot fully understand what that means.

The sacrifice. The calling. The devotion. The unselfishness.

The men and women who have and do serve this country give us so many freedoms and choices, in the process giving up some of their own. They live their lives to protect the innocent.

I am so honored to have many veterans both past and present in my life.

• My father
• Several uncles
• Two brothers-in-law
• One nephew
• Several good friends
• One friend's son

And there are many, many veterans that I don't know by name that give up their free time now at the VA home in King, where my dad now resides, and they continue to give back to other veterans as they are able. The unselfishness never ends.

As important are all of the families standing behind these soldiers. They sacrifice so much as well.

I have been Blessed to see the various war memorials in Washington D.C. Moved by the number of people that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Even closer to home, we have the Highground Memorial  with tributes to all of the various conflicts. There are opportunities to experience what the veterans have given for our freedoms. It is SO important not to forget...

So today, but not only today, thank the veterans. Thank them when you see them. You don't have to know them. It only takes a "thanks" to let them know that we HAVEN'T forgotten.

God Bless to all of the veterans, and all of the families!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Cheers!

CHEERS!

This was the last word of today's sermon.

Gotcha, didn't I?

But it was.

Today's sermon was awesome. Actually, all of our Pastor's are, but today's was just AWESOME.
The drink...is on Jesus! The drink, being the living water. The water that begins to flow in our lives at our baptism, fills our lives so that we never thirst, and never ends.

These words this morning were so......

healing

filling

joyful

I've blogged about being filled with the light. And people noticing the light coming from me. And here is another beautiful way to understand what happens when a person is filled with Faith, filled with living water, that comes from Christ Jesus.

When we are thirsty, all we need to do is drink! He will never leave us. He is always there, offering us a drink of that life-giving water.

https://www.facebook.com/verseinspire

So drink up!

CHEERS!

I want to give full credit to Pastor Tom Hahn, whom I admire very much. We are Blessed to have him leading our congregation, and I thank him for inspiring me every week with his amazing words.

stage four

Those two words evoke so many emotions. And I'm sure that everyone reading this right now understands. Either through their own personal journey, or family, or a friend.

Someone loosely in my life, a shirt tail relation, heard those two words this week. Just wasn't feeling well, went to the doctor, and was told just that. Stage Four. Hodgkins Lymphoma.

I cannot even imagine how someone's life changes after hearing those words. All of a sudden your life is full of appointments, chemotherapy, side-effects, and percentages. In one doctor's conversation, your entire life changes. And there is no going back.

I am not close enough to this person to be affected directly, but my family is. And I will worry about them, as they begin to deal with what their brother and uncle is going through. I will pray for them all. That they all learn to adjust to this new reality that has changed their lives.

Percentages are still on his side. a 60% chance of recovery by some reports, which is amazing for any cancer in stage four. But the fight will be hard, and long. I pray for his strength, and for the strength of his family.

Gardening update 5/24/14

I have been feverishly planting garden these last two days - fitting in laundry on the line too! I absolutely love the weather. Windy, warm, sunny. God is shining down on us!

Today I've been planting seeds. Snap peas, lettuce, chard, kohlrabi (plants), mini pumpkin, summer squash, and zucchini all in, and before 10:30 am! Still need to plant beans, radishes, and some misc flower planters. But should be done by noon. VERY excited. Loving the time to do the garden well, fitting as much in my limited space as possible.

The plants we planted last weekend are doing SO well. Most of the peppers and tomatoes made it into a plot that was plowed, tilled for the very first time, and they are LOVING it. Cannot believe the growth already. I'm on the hunt for the easiest way to keep them all upright, rather than having to cage each individual plant....

The cucumber trellis is in and planted! The plants I had started inside did not fare that well. I think two of the four will be ok, but I replanted seed hills anyway. It's definitely not too late by any means, and they will be great. I'm also thinking I have room in the front of the boxes to add more lettuces. YEAH.

I will post some pix, once the storms come. Stormy weather is good for computer work and paperwork. Right now, I just need to get back outside and enjoy this sunshine!

the answer

How many times in a day I am looking for an answer. So many questions... so many answers. Sometimes the answer you are looking for, sometimes the answer you actually need, but don't realize.

I am still sick. Still coughing, though not as bad, but still sick. I ask God every day why this happened to me. Why I lost these two months. Why I had the accident. I haven't received the answer, and most likely never will know what it is.

But the answer, you see, doesn't matter. It's not important. What IS important is knowing that He is in control, and that everything happens for a reason. The answer, you see, is

FAITH.

People often say things about my attitude. I'm "too optimistic". I'm "happy all the time". I think sometimes that people perceive it as fake. An act.

What people need to know is that I am this way because I know that my God is in control. That He loves me, and protects me, and is guiding my life as He needs. Because we live for Him. We live BECAUSE of Him.  I've had some pretty big bumps in my life. Some disfunction in my childhood. Lost my mom at age 36. But I know that those bumps are there, to slow me down, to put me where I need to be at the right time, to teach me, to help me grow.

I realized it this morning during church. I radiate a positive light. People tell me that I inspire them. It isn't ME that inspires, or radiates. It is my Faith in Jesus Christ that is shining through, that is inspiring.


I am humbled to think that I've made an impact on other people's lives. I am humbled to be used by God to do great things on this earth. I am humbled to be a witness to what living with Faith is like. Living with Faith means, when something bad happens, we know that He is still there with us. We are never alone. Living with Faith means that we don't ever give up hope. Living with Faith means  eternal life.

So to all those pessimists who think my attitude is an act, I hope this helps you understand me better. And to all of you out there living in Faith, you get it. You understand. Life IS good. Love IS good. God IS good. No, God is GREAT. And that's what I hope my light and life represent to people.

Gardening update!

I am so torn with this blog. Should I break off my gardening to a gardening blog? And other on cooking? And another on being green? But then I realized that this is titled Missy's Journey for a reason - it's about my journey through this thing called life, and ALL of those fit into that journey. For now, I am keeping everything here. But I'd love to hear your input!

So I tried to start plants from seed this year. I've tried it before, but more aggressively this year, as I have more time. Here is how that little experiment went:

• Planted 24 impatiens seeds, only got 5 plants. Not sure if it was the seed quality, or how I handled them. So today I planted those five little plants in a container. Next year, I will try more. The ones that took root actually grew very well inside.
• Planted a dozen sweet pea (confused at what the plant was) to find that it's a climbing plant. Not the best kind to start inside. They were long, crawling vines. Today I planted them in a planter with a metal rack behind to climb on. Hoping they will start to grab hold.
• Started lots of marigolds to put in my garden, as I've been told they will keep the bunnies out. Last year was the first year I had any problems with bunnies, but there are a few running around in the yard now and then. The marigolds seem quite easy to grow, but I should have started them a little early. They're kind of small yet, but healthy. Will definitely do them again.
• Started four pots of cucumbers and they grew VERY well. So much, that if my husband doesn't get the climbing structure built soon, I will be harvesting cucumbers in the house... Could have started them a little later... but they are very healthy plants.
• Started eggplant inside, could have started them earlier, they're a little small, but went outside today.
• Started kholrabi, not sure how they are going to work out. Still too small to tell.
• For fun, I planted some flowering kale (decorative) to add to my perennial border, to add some interest. I've not added annuals to my borders in the past, and they get a little blah during the summer months.
• I didn't plant nearly enough flowers for my containers, as I'd hoped. I wanted to save money on flowers (hard to justify), but I was way off. I will have to plan better next year!
• Need to figure out why some of my plants are so spindly.. RESEARCH!

The garden is changed up this year too. We added a big "country" garden this year, in addition to my round decorative garden.

• Planted two long rows of red potatoes (new to me), a gift from a friend.
• 30 tomatoes - 12 plants for eating (two varieties - have to go ck the names), and 18 roma for sauces and salsas.
• 24 peppers - 6 jalapeno, 6 red bell, and 12 mixed green bell

The round decorative garden, planted in honor of my mother, surrounds a flowering crab, and includes four peonies, and spring tulips and Sweet Williams. The rest is filled with vegetables.

• 6 cauliflower
• 6 broccoli
• 8 eggplant
• one row of onion sets
• Still to plant: kohlrabi, peas, beans, lettuce, chard, and spinach
• I'm hoping to have one quadrant left that will house a zucchini and a summer squash.

We don't have enough space for "crawlers" as I like to call them - i.e. pumpkins, cucumbers, etc. So this year my husband is building me an A-frame trellis to grow cucumbers on for pickles. I am VERY excited to be growing cukes and making pickles! I wish, wish, wish I had space for multiple squash - I love spaghetti squash, acorn, and buttercup, but I have to have SOMETHING to buy from the farmer's market, right?

I am looking at this garden as my "job" for the summer. My pay being a freezer and pantry full going into fall. I am hoping to be on top of it all summer - weeding, harvesting, etc. We will see. There will be ups and downs. I am such a gardening novice. But I am young. There is time to learn.