This was a day of hard work! I decided to get up and start in accomplishing things in a disciplined manner. I have been a little lax in what were very stringent disciplines for years. It seems I have been too busy to get my walks in as often lately. I never missed a regular exercising schedule for years; now suddenly it's a discipline that has almost slipped away from me.
So I decided to start off with Bible reading, then a walk, and then on to work. I had in mind to scrub the baby crib that I picked up for free so that it will be ready to paint. I found an old laundry basket in the garage that somehow got left out there. I decided to scrub it up and have one more basket to use. (I'm trying to get rid of excess stuff or put it to use--one or the other!) So with the leftover washing water I scrubbed the basket--like new! I also used the water to wash the garage windows. They really needed it. I admit I didn't do the greatest job. Now that the afternoon sun shines through I can see all the spots I missed. This is a little handy homemaking tip that has worked well for me: I learned a few years ago that hot, soapy dishwater makes a good window cleaner! I fill a bucket with hot water and a few squirts of dish soap and take a cloth and wash the window glass with this solution. Then just wipe dry with a paper towel--no rinsing! I'm amazed at the outcome and it's a very inexpensive way to clean. If I had been a bit more diligent and taken the job a little slower, the garage windows would look better, but even my feeble attempt netted a huge difference.
I then made up a new bucket of water and set to work on the parlor and dining room windows. I took the lace curtains down and washed them while I worked on the windows and screens. I thought if I hurried I could get the curtains to dry on the line before any rain came. We've been hearing storms are in the forecast and I wanted to have all my washing and drying work done in case of a power outage again. Well, I didn't need to give that a second thought. By the time I had the curtains washed the sun was shining! After I hung the curtains out I decided to spread the 6 bags of mulch my mom bought me for the English garden. That pretty much covered all the bare pathway areas. I have used 24bags of mulch this year. I know, I know; I should have had a truckload brought in! This is only for the pathways, not the areas between flower clumps. I did much of that area with cocoa mulch. Maybe the garden is out of control!
I disciplined myself to work on my sequel today since I have a goal of publishing the next two books within the year or early next year. I got some typing done and the accomplishment felt good. I think I was more disciplined today with alot of things because I was so frustrated yesterday with things that were out of my control. It seemed really nice to just dig in and have something to point to at the end of the day that was "finished."
It was really hot out in the garden today as I was spreading mulch. I had to weed the pathways before I could complete the job. Even though there is black plastic in them, the weeds and some aggressive plants seem to find their way through. As well as sneaking up through the plastic, I have noticed that the accumulated years of mulch have broken down into a really good planting medium--a nice, fine stuff that resembles the best potting soil! That means that all that has to happen is a few seeds drop from the surrounding beds and they have a lovely environment in which to grow right in the middle of the paths! Maybe in another few years I should rake all the old mulch from pathways up into the beds and start completely over with fresh mulch. Sounds like an expensive endeavor. Hmmm....I'll have to think that one over.
While I was out there I noticed that the deadheading really needs to be done and it will take some time. I kind of enjoy that job to a point, but then it becomes overwhelming. If you want to do a really good job of it, you need to be careful and get only the ones that are dead. It's so easy to whack off some good flowers after you get a little tired and want the job done in a hurry. I also noticed today that I finally got really ruthless with many of the little flowers that had sprouted in the pathways. I was tolerant of them for the first few months of the season, but now they are bugging me as they crowd my paths. I was thinking about how this can be likened to our Christian lives. There are things in every person's life that need to go--they just need to be dealt with and ruthlessly weeded out. We as humans have a tendency to mess around and allow the weeds of our lives to stay in place too long because it's too hard to deal with them. Even the good things (like flowers that are done blooming) must sometimes be eliminated to make room for growth of a different kind. It is imperative to move on to the next level. I tend to hang on to things more than is necessary and I have become conscious of this in the last few years. I do not want to hold so tightly to things that I never have room for the new blessings and levels that God wants to give me or take me to. It is possible to cling so tightly to things--houses, stuff, habits, etc., that you fail to move on to the deeper things the Lord has in store for you.
The writer of Hebrews (it is disputed as to who the writer of this book is!) says as instruction to the church, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food." (Hebrews 5:12) How sad that Christians would stay on "milk" when they could have graduated to "steak." We would be appalled at a ten year old child who still cried for his bottle and never ate solid food, but we don't think a thing of being a Christian for that long and showing very little growth. It is like deadheading flowers--sometimes we have to get rid of the old stuff and move on to the new. There comes a time to get off that bottle and start eating. And then it naturally follows that you will even begin to feed yourself at some point. After all, we expect that a child will do that after some time, don't we? If we never move on we become like my garden is right now--shaggy and tired looking with new flowers trying their hardest to compete for sunlight. Challenging thoughts with which to check ourselves.
Newly blooming items: Kniphofia or "torch lilies," they attract hummingbirds, foxgloves in white and lavender, and daylilies. I noticed that with the advent of the brightly colored flowers, the butterfiles are once again frequenting my garden!
I have talked with some of you and know you are anxious to see pictures of the garden. I will try my best to get them on here. We have certain factors that make it difficult for me to get that done, but it is my intention, really! Thanks for your interest. Blessings, LORI
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