Rain, Weeds, and A Little Garden Tour

Tomato plant growing amidst the weeds. I pulled out gobs of weeds and popped about
7 tomato plants in where weeds had lived only moments before. Go plant go!

I have TOMATO plants! Tomato plants bring me joy. I love that a girl can spend $5 at the store in May find herself getting back many more times that amount in July and August and September. We have also had a fair bit of rain. This too is a joy for me. At one point it rained for a straight 24 hours. The other day it got dark and cloudy, to our surprise it did not rain instead the sun came out and low and behold, the skies opened up in the midst of the sun and a full on 15 minute downpour ensued. 

Some days I forget about those tomato plants (as I'm preoccupied with finding a place for my crazy stash of yarn and fabric or figuring out where 3 girls in a 11 x 12 room should store their socks or snapping pictures of our new home or battling the pesky ants that think my bathroom is their new home too)  and as a mild panic attack starts to set in on a day I remember that they (the tomato plants) require water I'll also remember that it rained yesterday afternoon or the day before and I go check on those plants and they are smiling and happy and taller than I remember. And so here you see why the rain brings me joy--no dead, sad tomato plants!  

And this brings me to a little gardening trick I love, (aren't you glad you clicked the link for this update?--so many happy things I have for you) many of you know this too: Water plants (in the ground) for a  L O N G time (10 minutes) every other day or so and they don't need you so much. I think they grow bigger roots hunting for water. I only end up out there with the hose about once a week with the rain and all. It reminds me of my kids. If you are slow to get to them when they are hurt, give them a quick squeeze and kiss the boo boo and tell them they should probably go lie down for awhile they spring right back up and seem to be miraculously healed. Go figure. My youngest kidsky, Mabel, likes to lay across the back of my couch which is in the middle of the room. She slithers and turns up there like a nimble boa constrictor. The other day she was up there, I was sitting on the couch and a tremendous THONK came from behind the couch and startled me. Mabel was gone. I (slowly) got up to check on her--normally she quips, "I OKAY!" from where ever she lands but all was silent now. I find her laying prostrate and she looks up and musters a sad, "I okay." I went to pick her up but she's gotten so big we both fell down.

I also have gobs and gobs of my very favorite plant in the whole wide world: HYDRANGEAS. *sigh* 

God saw fit to provide us with a comfortable home here for our family. It has presumably beautiful landscaping all around it. I say presumably because after sitting empty for almost 2 years it has weeds. LOTS of weeds and those weeds have weeds. Even a beautiful flower (Stella de Oro daylily)  has turned naughty with the lack of supervision and sprung up in the gravelly part of the landscaping. I love flowers and I enjoy gardening but those weeds have been competing with the boxes calling my name indoors. I'm torn: pull weeds or hang those pictures on the wall? Spray weed killer on the cracks or visit with friends who drop by? Organize a garage sale or dismantle the dinosaur of a satellite dish portraying itself as a plant next to the clematis. Respray the pesky weeds in the crack or update my silly little blog. The answer to some of those questions is a no brainer but at times I'm torn on which way to run.

Love the Hydrangeas. I have about 200 more just like it... well maybe more like 12.

The church, Amazing Grace, is feeling more and more like family. We are all learning to know each other more and leaning on our Lord and Savior as we adjust and become part of the family. We are encouraged by the attendance and the joy we experience at opening the scriptures together and digging into the Word at Bible study. Last week we were blessed to look at Luke 17 and considered that we should keep eternity our focus as we interact with others and the circumstances we encounter throughout the week.

I have more I'd like to share but again, I'm torn: Should I feed my kids or blog more? Run to the store to find an appliance replacement light bulb so I can see what I'm cooking for dinner or post some photos of our home and community? Organize the entry way closet or do Mabel's hair? What I really want to do is sit on the couch and crochet. Maybe after the sun goes down and the kids are in bed when I won't want to make a bunch of noise I'll pull out my yarn and crochet hook but then I'll probably remember I'm supposed to send a note to a friend so we'll just have to see which one wins out--you'll know next week when you get a note from me--or not.  :) 

Backyard oasis wannabe currently occupied by weeds.

Tomatoes aren't the only thing I've planted.

See this tall leggy weed trying to blend in with the Day Lilies and Trumpet Vine?

The weeding is underway in this garden. No, that is not a silver plant but an old satellite dish trying to blend in. Of course removing the ivy and trumpet vines from it made that job a little harder-what was I thinking? That thing's gotta G-O.

Our new front door. Those flowers were not meticulously placed there but rather landed in that
spot by someone who unloaded the moving truck. They make me smile so I just leave them.

I'll leave you at the front door. Maybe I'll remember to take you inside for a tour next time. Have a great day. Go water some plants…or not (it's raining here.)