Hello there,
I was just rereading the letter I sent you last month and am amazed how in one months time so much can happen. I find that without being intentional my life has a tendency to just quickly roll by. Do you ever think so too? This month I have made it my goal to repeat this verse from Psalm 90 daily as a prayer to God. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” I pray that by God’s grace He would fill both your heart and mine with His wisdom which is Christ Jesus.
A few weeks back as we returned from the strawberry patch I was all excited about canning some fresh strawberry jam when one of the children called to me from outside. “Mom, come quick!” Realizing the urgency without explanation; out I ran to see what the commotion could possibly be. My son quickly informed me that our golden retriever Maple had begun to give birth in the middle of the yard.
With backyard chickens, cats and another dog this simply wasn’t the place to give birth. Thankfully my husband Brad arrived home and we each took one end and gently laid Maple down into her whelping box just in time to see the first puppy be born. Generally speaking I am not a dog person, but I do have to admit that these are some cute puppies. By the end of that day eight puppies were born and thanks to my older children I was still able to get my canning done. A production day on the homestead I would say!
The puppies have provided daily entertainment for the kids but apparently not enough, for one week later five kittens were also born. Our home has become the buzzing place for visitors and I expect it will only get busier from here.
Our kitchen cabinets also arrived this past month so we’re out of the basement and onto the main floor again. The pantry is already filling up with jams and the productivity of summer months has begun.
The other day I harvested the garlic bulbs and they are laying out to dry. If you have any pointers whatsoever on how to grow large bulbs please do let me know. My plan was to have a years worth of bulbs and then some extra to replant for next year. Alas, I’ll be heading out to purchase more bulbs again this fall.
Since we’re speaking of garden fails let’s talk beans. I have never in the past 15 years of gardening had a problem with beans, but for some reason this year the bulk of them died. I have replanted twice and hope to get at least some beans this season. Things like this make me reflect on how difficult it must have been for pioneering families to depend on summer production only to have it wiped out by insects or drought.
But where there are garden fails there are also wins. The no dig garden beds that I set up this spring are working wonderfully. The zucchinis are covered with flowers and I just harvested the first four pickling cucumbers yesterday. I look forward to more days in the garden and plan to soak up as much vitamin D while I can before the fall.
I hope this letter finds you well, until next month;
Meagan
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