Moon Planting

Not to be confused with "Moon Dance."

Planting by the moon is an old tradition that comes from the realization that the moon plays an important role in nature. Early cultures developed most of the their natural life around the moon signs to ensure success and with the awareness that certain phases were more conducive to certain activities than other. How many of us have heard that more babies are born on the full moon? Or, that nursing homes have more confused clients during the full moon? Well, planting by the moon signs is yet another aspect of the natural world and how it is all integrated.

To plant by the moon signs, one must study: 1) the phase of the moon; 2) astrological signs (which simply indicate our orbit in the solar system and are not, for my intent anyhow, mystical for any other reason); and, 3) the season. It is believed that root crops grow best when the moon is pointing down (waning) and above ground crops do best when the moon is pointing up (waxing). And, there are some crops that do better when the moon is full.

We plan our crops around the moon signs as best we can. We have found that things actually do grow better or that weeds don't grow (which is even better!) on certain moon days. For a chart of moon signs, take a look at the Farmer's Almanac online here.

Happy planting!

It's Countdown Time!

Two weeks, my dears, two weeks and I am a free woman for three months. Well, sort of. I still teach two online classes. But that is no big deal. What are 50 students compared with the usual 165 or more? I'll take it!

Shelly and I have laid our plans for our planting. We are using the moon signs for success. Shelly is the master at this so I am thrilled to have her guidance. First into the dirt are potatoes, peas, onions, and cabbage. Then, we will slowly begin to add other cole crops. We won't do any tender plants until mid-to-late May. Our last "official" freeze date is May 16, I believe, but I don't trust anything tender in the ground until the 20th at the earliest. One year I planted tomatoes five times. I am a slow learner or very optimistic. The jury is still out!

Many bars of soap are made and ready for the farmer's market. I am experimenting with different blends and textures. I have made some farmer's soap and something delicious that I am calling "Jamica Me Crazy." What fun I am having! Don picked up a beeswax book while at the State Beekeeper's Annual Meeting. We have so much scrap beeswax that I'd love to do something with it. Candles... maybe?? Furniture polish... perhaps?

I'd like to knit some little things for the market as well. Shelly is working on some lovely washcloths and I feel that I should follow suit. They knit up quickly and are so very nice to use! Have you ever used a knitted dish cloth? Fantastic! When my Sissie's boys were quite small they hated having their faces washed....until Aunt Cissie knit them both a "special, magic wash cloth" that wouldn't hurt! Sold! They bought into it and never fought again! And let's not forget I have my Santa Train to catch up! Where does time go??

My loom is standing at ready for weaving some tea towels as well. I am passionately in love with huck lace and think this will be the next project on the Dorothy loom. My Nilus is going to be busy with a runner for the floors. We have these lovely chestnut floors that I am perishing to weave some rag rugs for. My office needs something new, too. So, it seems that I have plenty of weaving to do, don't you think?

Here is what is on the mid-size loom. We call it "Roanoke" because that is where it was bought:

When it grows up, it will be a full-size tea towel in a pattern called, fittingly enough, honeycomb. I love it!

Right now we have the most delicious, gentle rain falling. Thank you, God, for the rain. It is clearing out the pollen and settling the dust in the road and gardens.

What are you doing this summer?

Spring-y Monday at Lazy Bee

When I was six, I wrote a spring poem:

Spring
Spring, spring,
I like to sing.
Birds that hatch
Try their wings.

Poetic, ain't I?

So, you can see that I love love love spring and all the wonder that comes with it. Would you like to take a short stroll and see some hightlights today?



Hives are ready for new occupants. We have 20 nukes coming in mid-May. Our goal is to have 50. Since we lost 22 last year, we are kind of back to nearly 0. However, such as it is to be a farmer.




Off the corner of the back porch is this flowering quince. I had a cunning plan when I took a start from Mother's house 15 years ago -- to keep the children from running off the edge of the porch right there and making a mud hole. It worked. And, my treat is that it is full of bees all day long whilst it blooms. The birds hide in it whilst flitting to and from the feeder that is at the kitchen window. And, sadly, a black snake makes its home there in the summer. While I do not care for snakes (have I told you about shooting one while Don was gone?), I console myself that she does keep the mice away. Mostly.

I am so in love with snowdrops! These are on the left side of my back step, which is one of the many fireplace stones that we took from the house when we cleared out the fallen chimneys. The snowdrops came from the back stoop, which is why it is at mine, of an old house we bought to tear down in order to put up a new spec house. Imagine our surprise when we removed the siding and found a one-room, two-story log house in the center! The best we can date it is about 1850. Needless to say, that was moved to the farm-below-the-mountain and is in very early renovation.

Last, but certainly not least, are my new girls. Are they not the dearest little things you have seen? All 54 of 'em were snuggled under the heat lamp this morning crying, "it'scoldit'scoldit'scoldit'scoldit'scoldit'scold!" They are quite happy this afternoon as the barn is much warmer.

Thanks for coming by today! Won't you drop in again?

First Day Musings and an Update

Update first: Amy is slowing be allowed to wake. She is in pain, but is doing well considering her challenges. She doesn't know how extensive her surgery was and she is not being told yet. The thinking is that she had mersa. A lab study will confirm this later this week. The baby is doing well and we are grateful for the small miracles. Many thanks for your prayers. Sara was quite touched to know prayers were going up for her sister. Thank you!

At 9:45 this morning the phone rang. I was still in jammies and having my third (oh my!) cuppa and finishing my Spanish omelet, homemade applesauce, and crescents with apricot jam. It was the Postmaster in Hickory. My diddles (chicks) were in and would I like to pick them up??

Of course! Ten minutes later, I was dressed and heading south, eager to get the little girls home.

We are at about 3500 feet elevation and so going down the mountain in the spring is a treat. While we still have nearly nekked trees, below the mountains spring is bursting out everywhere. From Roaring Gap, I could see puffs and explosions of red buds, apple trees, and stunning yellow dots which became daffodils as I got closer. This began to run through my head:

Daffodils

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

---- William Wordsworth

And this was playing on the radio:

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

--- Thomas O. Chisholm


What more can I write? God is good, ya'll.

Have a great week!

Prayer Warriors Needed

Sara's sister Amy is 35 years old. She has struggled with infertility and finally was blessed with a pregnancy. Very long story short, she has dealt with nearly every pregnancy problem we can face and ended up having the baby taken early. The baby, while having some bilirubin issues, is doing well.

Amy is another matter.

She has had her second surgery in about as many days. Her first surgery revealed that she had gangerene and a lot of tissue removed in an effort to start her healing process. Today she had her second surgery resulting in a hysterectomy. She is in a drug-induced coma and is not, as we say, doing well.

Three requests, please:

1) Pray for her healing, spiritually and physically.

2) Pray for her family.

3) Pray for all who are working so hard to save her life.

I will keep you updated. Thank you, friends.

Literary Thoughts -- "Will the World End in 2012?"

Did you see the movie "2012"? If so, you can recall all the horrible things that happened in rapid succession suggesting that the world was ending -- self-destructing, so to speak, and leaving humankind in the rubble -- unless you had enough money to board the Ark.

Raymund C. Hundley's fascinating book "Will the World End in 2012?" addresses the pop culture fear that humankind is in it's last days. While this is touted as a "Christian Guide to the question everyone's asking" the book actually is a level, easy-to-read, well organized approach to the many theories about 2012. It is neither dogmatic or over-reactionary, a welcome relief from so many so-called end of days books.

Hundley chose to organize his book by theories; he introduces each and then provides the most current information in response to the supposed "world ending" event. Each chapter opens with a scenario to set up the theory. Then, Hundley gives clear, unbiased information about the theory, provides a scientific response, and then offers a formal conclusion at the end of each chapter. Starting with the Mayan factor (if their calendar ends in 2012, doesn't this mean that time ends?) and working through solar storms, Nostradamus, planet collisions, and super volcanos, to mention a few, Hundley addresses nearly a dozen theories.

As a caveat, there is a study guide as well as works cited which could provide more reading for the truly curious. Each chapter is heavily endnoted thus providing even more information for the reader. The book concludes with two very brief chapters, one for non-Christians and one for Christians. In each, Hundley suggests that regardless of the theories, we each do face a kind of end-of-the-world experience with our death. This, he suggests, should lead us to a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He shares a brief guide to salvation for non-Christians while, for Christians, he encourages them to get back to their Bible and make sure they are aligned with God's plan for their life.

The book is a quick read, but is dense with information. It receives five out of five bees.

Feet on the Ground

Back from TX and recovering from the 3300 miles I drove.

Let's be honest. I have to get over this whole fear of flying thing. I cannot make that kind of drive again. And, since I get car sick, well, there are little other options except for me to either do all the driving or to take drugs. And drugs are not an option, so we are back to number one. Get over the fear of flying.

John is probably going to be based in Italy in 30 weeks. Folks, I am open to any therapy. Driving ain't an option!

Missed you! Glad to be back and hope to catch up visiting soon!