Last Sunday morning there was a knock on our door. My husband went to see who was there and returned saying it was my sister. As I walked out on the deck I realized that she had stopped by to bring me the geranium that she had talked about giving me.
She had two large geraniums that she had brought inside and nurtured over the winter. They were both thriving and she had asked if I would like one. I have decided this one will adorn our deck for the summer and perhaps I too will be able to keep it alive through next winter.
This link offers three ways to preserve geraniums over the winter so you don’t have to buy new plants each year.
Thanks J.B. (and thanks K.C. for sending me the first photo in this post). ❤❤
1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY
2: an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS
3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS
Integrity is probably my favorite character trait. I have great respect and admiration for those who demonstrate this attribute. I personally think of integrity as “doing the right thing just because it is the right thingto do,” but I also like the term Incorruptibility used in the definition above. Nowadays integrity seems to be something that is severely lacking in our society. The news, no matter what your source, is filled with stories of crime and corruption at every level; we are continually being warned about scams and we are being told how we must protect our identity from unknown predators looking to gain access to our personal information. I’ve find it sad that there is such a lack of integrity in society.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized that perhaps integrity is not as rare as it may seem. You see integrity is not news worthy. It does not evoke the emotions of fear, frustration, disgust, anger or rage that keep us coming back to hear more. It does not get us riled up.
Integrity is humble it doesn’t scream “look at me – here I am”.
Integrity is confident and stands on it’s own principles. It often stands alone in the crowd. It does not require recognition or commendation, but is self satisfying and rewarding. It brings peace of mind to those who have it. They can sleep well at night.
Integrity can’t be bought but to know a person with integrity is a priceless gift.
My daughter recently encountered a person with integrity when she lost her debit card while on vacation. Three days after loosing her card she was contacted by a woman through social media. The woman thought she had found my daughters card. I won’t go into all the details but this woman went above and beyond to make sure Lindell’s debit card was returned to her. Lindell was most grateful but the woman would not accept anything in return. That’s integrity!
Do you have a story about integrity that you would like to share?
1: serving to preserve remembrance : COMMEMORATIVE
2: of or relating to memory
Monday is a national holiday here in the U.S.A.. It is Memorial Day – the day dedicated to remembrance of those who have died fighting in our nation’s wars. This link offers a history of how this holiday came to be. In recent years memorial day celebrations have encompassed the weekend prior to as well as the last Monday of May, making it a three day weekend. It has become know as the unofficial start of summer and many celebrations include recreational activities such as picnics, boating and camping. However you choose to celebrate I do think it’s important to at least pause and reflect on why we are able to enjoy such activities.
“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”
– Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Note: My sister sent me the photos she took this Memorial Day morning. She tagged them “Beautiful morning. Grateful hearts.” They were a perfect addition to this post. Thanks! J.B.
We got some light rain yesterday and there is more in the forecast for tomorrow. Boy is that a good thing. Our garden is planted but we haven’t had much rain so we’ve been watering plants to keep them alive.
On Saturday, May 15 my husband put the pump in the pond so we could begin filling the tanks that we use for irrigation.
It may or may not have been my turn to put the pump in the pond but here’s how that works each year.
My Husband: “It’s your turn to put the pump in the pond.”
Me: “Ok as soon as we have a couple of consecutive days of 80 degree F (26.6 C) weather for the water to warm up I’ll do it.”
My Husband: Puts the pump in the pond when temperatures are still in the 60’s or 70’s F.
OR some Years it goes like this
My Husband: “It’s your turn to put the pump in the pond.”
Me: No honey. Last year was my turn. I know you did it but it’s still your turn this year.
My Husband: Puts the pump in the pond.
I didn’t get any pictures of the planting or the garden as of yet but I’ll tell you what we have planted. Potatoes, onions and cabbage were plated first and are all doing well at this point. Tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplant, melon, cucumbers and basil were planted as seedlings or young plants. Beets, carrots, Swiss chard, green beans, three types of squash, dill, sweet corn, pumpkins, sunflowers, and broom corn were planted as seed. ** My husband brought home a package of okra seed yesterday and we are going to plant some. We have never grown okra before and I have only eaten it a few times but we decided to give it a try.
While it feels good to have the garden planted we realize the work has only just begun.
Now for other farm happenings:
Puppy Playground
This spring we doubled the area that we have fenced in the back field. It’s an area where we have apple trees, our blueberry patch and our strawberry patch. It is now known as the puppy playground. It’s over 52,000 square feet where Ranger can safely run off-leash and sniff ’til his heart’s content.
Prayer Garden
As always the prayer garden is a work in progress.
We decided this year to add mulch to dress it up and for weed control. I started by weeding then edging.
Then we began adding the mulch.
It’s nearly done and I hope to have it finished by this weekend.
Salvia and Thyme
Mean while we have watched the transition from mostly yellow blossoms to lots of purple and some pink blossoms.
IrisesDianthus
Chives
Lilac
Chicken Coop Construction
We are in the process of building a new home for the chickens. It’s a slow process because it gets worked on in between other things that need to be done. I don’t have any photos yet but as we get further along I’ll share some of the process. Hopefully by the end of June our chickens will be in their new home.
Bees
Our bees arrived as scheduled on May 13. It was a lovely day for hiving bees and my husband had the two new hives set up before noon.
My husband and I agree – it’s nice to have bees on the farm again.
Mowing
It seems like I’ve spent a lot of time mowing grass this spring. According to the mower it’s been over 18 hours. The task has been made easier by this new mower we purchased last month.
Outdoor Décor
When the local greenhouses opened in the beginning of May we stopped by a new one just down the road to purchase flowers for our hanging baskets and porch pots. Their prices were a little higher than the one we usually shop at but we wanted to support this new local business.
They did have a nice selection.
Thanks to my husband’s diligence in taking them inside on the frosty nights and making sure they have enough water each day they are all thriving.
The one above has a volunteer sunflower growing in it. Not sure how it got there but I see it as a gift.
Play Time
It’s not been all work though.
We’ve been blessed to have a couple visits from the grandkids (and their parents).
And we’re looking forward to many more of these.
Thanks for visiting. Do you have a garden planted?
Our word of the week was inspired by a quote that my sister K.C. shared with me.
The word is saunter and it is defined by Merriam Webster as:
to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner : STROLL
and here is the quote that inspired this post
While I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Muir’s premise I would like to amend it slightly by stating that we don’t need to be in the mountains to reap benefits from sauntering. I often saunter around our farm and allow the natural environment to fill my senses. I see various flowers in bloom, seeds sprouting up through the soil, a bird’s nest in a tree or a hawk flying high over head. I might hear the rustling leaves, frogs singing, bees buzzing, or the call of a male pheasant somewhere in the field. I might smell fresh cut grass, lilacs or autumn olives in bloom, or mulch that is being added to the prayer garden. I often smile as I feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, or the grass under my bare feet. Perhaps I even enjoy the savory taste of a chive that I’ve pull from the bunch, the sweetness of a ripe strawberry, or the freshness of a mint leaf I’ve plucked off the stem. All these things I would have missed if I’d been in a hurry.
You see sauntering allows us the time to enjoy some of life’s most simple pleasures.
Don't Eat It! Soap and Skin Care 