Our Garden

Our garden is progressing.
We have planted: corn, zucchini, squash, beans, watermelon, cantaloupe, and two kinds of tomatoes.

We dug out a large plot for the garden, but didn't use all the space. The other day we saw two quail happily settling into the soft earth to rest or lay a nest. We quickly opened the window and yelled at them. I felt bad and I hope they didn't wander to far, but didn't think we would co-exist well when it was time to water the garden.

Olivia helped me plant some of my seeds. She didn't love the muddy feet, but was willing to tolerate it, unlike her sister.

These pictures are old because now the garden is actually growing. A little bit of everything has popped out, but it looks like the corn is what has taken off the most.

Practice the Sabbath

J. Matthew Sleeth, MD is the author of "Serve God Save the Planet."

He was here in town a month or so ago. I missed most of his discussion but heard the question and answer time. So, when I heard someone ask, "So, what is the most important thing we should do to protect the planet?" I was pleasantly surprised by his answer. I was expecting any one of the hundreds of different pieces of advice we hear on the news, on the internet or in magazines. But it wasn't any of those. It was even better. Can you guess what his advice was?

Keep the Sabbath. Take a day of rest. Do you remember back when almost everything closed on Sundays? I'm old enough to remember. Only 7-11's were open. People didn't go shopping Sunday afternoon. People didn't go out to eat (ok, that's before my time). Families and friends hung out and above all RESTED. We don't know how to rest well these days and it seems like there is always something better we have to go do or buy.

If you go back to the original commandment it is really fun to look at. It is rooted in God's justice and love for ALL people and creation. Everything gets to rest. From the most important to the least important: the kings, their servants, the foreigners, the animals-they all had to rest. Everything and Everyone got a day to BE and not take advantage or be taken advantage of.

Today we still have servants and aliens. They're the ones with the minimum wage jobs. If I have to shop or eat out and decide to forgo my Sabbath, then they MUST forgo theirs. Obviously, if I choose to rest one day then a lot of energy is being saved. My car rests, I spend less money, I consume less food, and I think those things are good for my body and soul. But, for God, I also think it's about justice, and that is very good for my soul.

Genetics

I found out an interesting thing a few weeks ago. I went to San Diego with my mom and the girls for a great aunt's funeral. She was in WWII as a nurse in England. It was a military funeral, they played the taps (sorry if that's not the right way to say it) and presented one of her children with a flag. It was really an inspirational ceremony.

While I was there I learned more about my family on my mom's side. One of her cousins told me what she remembered of my grandma. (I never knew her well because she was not healthy prior to her death.) So, my mom's cousin said she remembered that my grandma always looked like she stepped off the cover of a Vogue magazine. She made all of her own dresses, hats, gloves and shoes to match.

So, now it all makes sense. What, you may ask. Well, now it makes sense to me that my oldest daughter will ONLY wear dresses. It makes sense that they have to be FANCY. And it makes sense when she cries for an hour and refuses to get dressed because of all the options she has NONE of the dresses are so "foofy" that they prevent her from going through the door. OH YES, we battled one day because she wanted a dress that was full and wide, so wide that she wouldn't be able to go through the door.

I've always wondered about her preferences. I consider myself easy-going and I know that many times I lack fashion sense or honestly just don't care. I don't feel like I created my girls to be as picky as they are about their clothing.

But now I'm definitely wondering if it's just in her genes!