gardening in April part 2

This week my daughter came to visit for a couple of days, and continued work on the flower gardens in the front yard--started a couple of months ago.  She went to the garden shop and brought home 3 azaleas, 1 japonica, 1 lilac tree, and some marigolds and allysum (spelling??  aka "snow-on-the-mountain")--and a clematis. She also got lots of topsoil.  So the two of us spent a very pleasant afternoon digging and planting.  Actually, she did most of that (consulting with me about where I wanted things, but even then I think she made most of the final decisions), and I weeded another section of the garden that we'll plant in a month or two when she comes back to Vancouver.

gardening in April part 1

I've actually done some gardening!  That little plot in the community garden now has some cucumbers, spinach & carrots planted.  Still lots of room for more stuff.  It's raining today, so I don't feel the need to get out there and plant more just yet.  Still don't have a photo to post.  Maybe when there's actually something to see.

Community Garden Day 1

Today I spent about an hour in my garden plot next door.  I've been looking out the window at it for few weeks now, wondering what I should do with it, and when I should start.  I see that some people have tidied theirs of winter debris, so that's what I did.  I weeded and raked, and now it looks quite tidy. 
I've bought the seeds.  I know there will be some topsoil coming one of these days.  So, the question is: should I plant something now or wait a while.  I see that some people have already got lettuce growing.  I could do that. We'll see what tomorrow brings. 
St. Francis was once complimented on a garden that grew around the place where he was staying.  He said that it was the result of prayer.  The visitor was surprised and asked if God had just placed the garden there as an answer to the saint's prayers.  Francis replied, "Yes." Then he explained,  "I pray with my hoe." 
So, I'll be praying with my hoe, along with my saint.
I'll try to remember to take pictures and post them here.

more on the new blog

I guess I should figure out how to add my new blog link to this page.  Meanwhile, this will have to do: DCB Jones Psalms.  Let's hope this works. :)

new blog

A few days ago, I started a new blog.  It's to help me track my study of the psalms.  I don't expect it to be very scholarly, but maybe there will be some insights.  No promises.

St. David's Day

Yesterday was St. David's Day.  To celebrate the day dedicated to the patron saint of Wales, we went to a party at the Cambrian Hall.  As new members of the Welsh Society, we have been taking Welsh language lessons and have made a number of new friends. 

February 14, 2013

It's a rough week:  Six months ago today Ken died.  Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, we interred his ashes along with his brother's--at least the urn that we had, which is only part of his remains. 
The thing about interring the ashes on Ash Wednesday--an appropriate day, we thought, is the impact it had on me when at church that evening the priest marked my forehead with ashes saying, "Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you will return."  It was more meaningful than ever before.  We had just been there and done that.  Our children were dust and have now returned to dust.  Just like the rest of us, eventually.
Furthermore: February 8th, Ken would have turned 54, February 16th would have been his brother, Frank's, 56th birthday, and on the 17th their dad, my husband will turn 80.  And, today, Valentine's Day (something we've never celebrated) was my husband's mother's birthday.  And the list goes on.  All the memories, happy and so very sad, all piled up in the shortest month of the year.  My dad's birthday on the 20th, and so on.  Just name it "Roller-Coaster Month".  But not a lot of fun.