Car conversation

The sign in front of Barber's apartments always inspires unique conversations. One day we were running errands, when we passed the aforementioned sign. It said something like, "Give us back our rotary phones, so we don't have to dial 1 for English." We chuckled, and discussed rotary phones for the next few minutes. Daddy pointed out that a rotary phone would drive a modern-day person crazy because of the waiting time between each number dialed. Jacob's response was, "Yeah, it would take forever to send a text message on one of those."

That sent us all into fits of laughter (especially me ;). What a witty brother I have.

-Tricia Ann

Gearing Up for Fall

One evening last week, I thought I'd go out to the garden and pull up the spent sunflowers really quick. I donned my gloves, grabbed a dead-looking plant and pulled. Nothing happened. I tried tugging with both hands. It wouldn't budge. I finally grabbed the stalk as close to the ground as I could, leaned backwards and pulled with all my might (not much, I know...but I was trying anyway ;). It broke, and I staggered backwards, trying not to fall. That darn root was STILL in the ground! Needless to say the job was not "really quick", but thankfully, some of the flowers were easier to pull up than that first one.

Another day, the whole family helped me pull up all the cornstalks to make room for our cool-weather transplants. We cut off the roots, tied them in bundles, and stacked them in the barn to dry. We plan on selling them at the farmer's market in a few weeks.

-Tricia Ann

For Grammie...

Mom found this little guy on an okra plant, and I took a picture of him.

-Tricia Ann

Colossal, Gigantic, Enormous New...

Refrigerator!!!

Last week my parents celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary. We went out to eat in Franklin to celebrate. Daddy bought Mom a bigger fridge and he and Jacob installed it in the camper. They cleverly modified the fridge space so it would fit. The old one was tiny, so the new one seems really big! It will hold 3 or 4 gallons of milk! You couldn't fit one gallon in the old one. Yipee! Yep. We get excited easily around here. ;)

-Tricia Ann

Dinky old fridge

Voila!

Picture of the Day...

"Kodak Moment"

We were on our way home from somewhere (I don't remember where), and Daddy decided to take the scenic route. The sunset was so beautiful over our neighbors pond, I asked if we could stop so I could take a picture. Daddy was kind enough to pull over, and I ended up taking four or five. I am always disappointed with sunset pictures because they're never as pretty as the sunset really was, but this one turned out okay.

-Tricia Ann

Farmer's Market

Last Saturday, we went to the Franklin Farmer's Market for the first time. We intended to arrive at 7 a.m., but it was 7:30 before we actually got there. We rushed around, trying to get our canopy assembled. It took a long time, even though we had done a trial set-up the night before. We had gotten it about halfway up, when it started to rain. Pretty much everything got wet to some degree. We finally got the canopy situated and set up the rest of our booth without too much trouble.

We met lots of nice people and a few very interesting ones. There was a homeschooling family in the booth next door. Lots of people stopped by to try samples of the shortbread I made. I had baked a lot of shortbread and cranberry walnut scones, thinking we would sell it. However, the market administrator informed us that we must have a "domestic kitchen certification" to sell baked goods. Bummer. He told us that we could give them away as samples, so that's what we did. I received a very nice compliment from a British photographer, who said my scones were really good. I thought it was somethin' to please a real British critic.

Here are some pictures Daddy and I took. The pretty booth set-up can be attributed to the creativity of my parents. They did a great job.

-Tricia Ann

What Jacob does...

...at this family's house, before they get home.

He borrows my camera and...

takes strange pictures of himself

takes bad pictures of me

takes pictures of his shoes (he insisted that I turn the picture black and white before I posted it)

and takes pictures of a sideways chicken with goofy sunglasses on ;)

Nettles Used to Be...

...such a nice-sounding word

the kind of word you read in a Beatrix Potter story

a proper English-sounding word

a word that's fun to say because of the way

your tongue gets to flop around in your mouth when you say it

"Nettles! Nettles! Nettles!"

Yes, I used to like the word nettles.

That is, until I moved to this farm and learned what nettles really are.

Now

Nettles are evil.

Nettles are hideous.

Nettles are lurking, waiting to attack.

Nettles are EVERYWHERE!

Nettles are sin incarnate!

If you want a good picture of how bad sin is, observe the nettle.

Nettles have thorny little stickers coming at you from all angles.

I've done quite a lot of thinking on my sin lately because I've pulled a lot of nettles.

Every envious thought I've had is a nettle.

Every time I've put my own desires above the Lord's desires is a nettle.

Every grumbling, complaining attitude is a nettle.

Every faithless worry is a nettle.

In short, my garden is full of nettles!

But, thankfully, "where sin abounds, grace much more abounds."

The Lord is my gardener, and He's about the business of tending His garden.

Nettles, like sin, have deep roots.

They can't be impatiently snatched or they'll just break off and grow right back.

You have to get to the root of the matter.

That requires pulling with a firm grip and slow, steady pressure.

Sins are the same-deeply rooted.

And only the slow, patient, steady hand of our Heavenly Father can rid us of them.

I'm thankful for my Heavenly Gardener, and I'm thankful for the nettles He created.

~Trish

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air; and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
(Job 12:7-10)

(Stinging Nettles: Flowers in Close Up by David Boaq
Photo from allposters.com)