Thunderstorms

One thing I have always liked is a good thunderstorm. Yeah, I remember being a kid and being terrified of loud, loud thunder in the night. Who wouldn't be? It makes the house shake and it's so sudden and atartling, who can't be forgiven for thinking the house is coming down around thier ears? One of my favorite memories of childhood is sitting in the carport, which faced south, and watching storms roll in from the southwest. We'd be safe and dry, watching long, arcing lightning bolts and feeling the loud rumble of thunder. What was your family's story about thunder? Ours was that God was bowling, and had lost a bowling ball, so the angels were out with flashlights, looking for it.

Well, as spring continues into summer, we're sure to get a number of really nasty thunder-boomers. Actually, we had one last night, I'm told. I slept right through it, but this morning, the evidence was there. Fallen branches, sometimes even fallen trees, lying across roads and in ditches. Our road is closed about a mile north of us; there's a ComEd truck helping to block it, so we can only assume (because we can't drive up there!) that the road is closed due to a downed wire. We had between an inch and an inch and a quarter, if my rain gauge can be rusted; not too shabby. It does make planting my seedlings problematic, though. I have some nice lettuces and cole crops ready to go into the ground, and the ground is all ready for them, too. But I am concerned about putting them in before this band of storms passes; I don't need my lettuces smashed into the ground before I can chop them into a salad bowl!

It should be done passing through sometime tomorrow night, I'm told, so I'll get them out on Thursday. I did get some planting done today, though; rosemary, pansies and a patio tomato all went into pots on the deck. Now we have the fun of hauling in the tomato and rosemary at night, because they don't do well until it's a little warmer; they're the real pansies!

Bwahahahahaha!

Easter Monday

A regrouping day. A day for rest after the Celebration.

There are those who disagree with me, who say Christmas is the greatest holiday. I suppose I have to agree that the miraculous coming of the King of Heaven into humanity was a great deed. There are those who tell me, no, Pentecost is the best. And I would have to say that the gift of the Holy Spirit to the faithful, and the simultaneous Birth of the Church is a good, good thing.

But, for me, the highlight of the Church year is Easter, when Jesus's dying on the cross was simultaneously tragic and painful and, yet, a smack right in the eye of Satan. He came down off of that cross and marched right to the gates of Hell, bringing them down with His shout, "It is finished!" How cool is that? And if that wasn't cool enough, three days later, He just gets up, rolls away the big, honkin' stone, and goes for a walk in the garden. Not a march into Jerusalem to say, Ahnold-style, "Listen, you leaders, I'm back" No, just a walk in the garden, as if what He had just done wasn't much.


Even better, He then explained to His disciples that what had just happened could now happen for every person ever on the planet; we will all die, but all will be resurrected. And that's not just for the people who know about Him; that's also for those who don't, who lived before He did and after He did and so on until He comes back, which is pretty soon. Sadly, not everybody believes this way, and those who don't are in for a world of hurt. Some of them belong to my very own family, and it makes for some melancholy on Easter, and whenever I think of it.


So, for me, yesterday was the Best Day Ever. It was 2,000 years ago, and it will be until Jesus comes back. You may have another Favorite Day. If you want to share about it, go ahead. I'll listen. But today I am resting up from my big Celebration, so I hope you'll forgive me if I just read and ruminate.

Now The Green Blade Rises

A hymn I seldom hear, but is so appropriate both for today, and for those of us who lay seeds in the ground and wait...and watch.



May we also remember, at those times when we lay those we love into the ground, the Lord watches over them as we wait and watch for His return. They, and we, will "springeth green."

Pro-Life Corner

You are valuable to God because He made you and He loved what He made so much that He was conceived in a womb, born in a stable, suffered on a cross, buried in a tomb. Then He rose again to say, "Yes" to it all, to say, "Yes" to you, to give you His victory over death and the grave. That's love!

Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb

Saturday Farm Report

Cold rain today. The horses are in, and none too happy about it. But that's their problem.

I got potatoes, beets and carrots planted yesterday. Mary seeded another pasture. If the grackles didn't get too much seed this morning, the rain should do it all good. I just checked the garden and saw....our first weeds of the season are up! Woo hoo! Gotta love gardening.

We already hit Menard's and Farm and Fleet, casing out prices for some projects to be done later this spring. Rainy mornings are good for that. Now we're home, waiting on little people to come and color eggs. It should be a good evening; colorful eggs, colorful kids, pizza for supper, and the chocolate will flow. Grandma Peterman sent a HUGE box of goodies for Easter and I bought some myself, so we should be fat and happy tonight.

Seems like an odd way, though, to observe the death and resurrection of the Lord. Well, He DID say, "I came that they might have life, and have it to the full," and He DID create chocolate, after all. Who are we to question the workings of His divine mind?

You're Kidding Me, Right?

I'm serious. This has to be a joke, right? People can't seriously even consider this a possibility.

Thanks, Glenda!

Friday Fun

Yeah, missed blogging yesterday, and you missed out on a good recipe. I made Beef Stroganoff from a recipe from Cooks Illustrated Magazine. I just discovered this about a month ago, and was planning to order a subscription tout de suite. BUT I discovered their other magazine, Cooks' Country, and can't decide between the two. May have to do both...

Yesterday I got the second round of transplants started, including BEANS. I have never started those from transplants, having been taught young that they don't transplant well. But I hate waiting for those fresh beans, and I've been seeing them in the garden stores over the past few years. Now, I suppose that's a nice way for them to make a few more bucks, but I decided to start them in peat pots. Maybe that will work, maybe not; call it an experiment.

Today, potatoes will finally go in the ground. I am planting Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Red Pontiac. I need to get some Russets, too, but not yet. I'm worried about the Yukon Gold doing well, because they came from the store and who knows if they've been treated to prevent sprouting. the produce lady told me she didn't think so, and they've sprouted from this distributor before, so, again, another experiment! I picked them up at the store because I couldn't find any in the local garden stores, and they were just too doggone expensive from my usual potato place. I actually haven't ordered from them in a couple of years, because of the expense. But they have varieties I haven't seen anywhere else, so I keep getting their catalogs.

Mary is off at the vet clinic, John and Mom are having bacon and eggs, and the horses need hay. I should get off my...computer, and head out to feed them. In my hustle and bustle I will stop today and remember that this is Good Friday. I've been asked why it's "Good." If Jesus died, why is that "Good"? Because His Death and Resurrection opened the way to Heaven for you and me, gave us the hope of eternal life, and redeemed all of creation from Adam's Fall. I would call that..Good.