Hard Labor at the Haney Place

Well, it has been an eventful week here.  It started off with Big Steve being involved in a pretty bad car wreck on Wednesday morning.  It left him out of commission, and thanks to all of you who have already been sending your prayers and well wishes.

I should have know that when I looked in my back yard on Wednesday morning, and saw a gold finch (my first ever) that some sort of change was in the air.  It should have been completely evident when a few hours later, I spotted an indigo bunding in that same feeder, again my first ever, and quite unusual around these parts.  I felt truly blessed!

So when Big Steve finally called me to tell me he was in the hospital, it just sort of seemed like another unusual thing in my life that day.

This was a big weekend here.  It was the first weekend (kind of late) to till our garden and "put it in".  Last year our garden had been in for three weeks already, but the extended winter this year meant a late "putting in".  I'm not sure what other folks call it.

Already bone tired, and with a great deal of discouragement, I set out this morning to take care of OUR business.  I overheard someone say this weekend that farming is NOT glamorous.  Well, that is absolutely correct.  Not only is it not glamorous, it's filthy, back breaking work.  Especially when you've already got a condition that causes you to be exhausted and in pain most of the time.

So...I'm thanking God tonight to post what was accomplished here this weekend, in no certain order:

• Entire lawn was mowed (the trimming can wait!)
• Entire garden was tilled (Thank God for Steve's conscientiousness last fall in putting the garden to bed properly!)
• Planted 13 various tomato plants
• Planted 6 brussels sprouts
• Planted 6 cabbages
• Planted 6 broccoli
• Planted 6 heads of romaine.

(Big Steve took the picture for me, bless his heart).  Now it's supposed to rain for several days, and the stuff from seeds will get done during the week, in the rain.

Lots of folks told me to forget it, not to kill myself, to wait for help, you name it.  My favorite one is "you don't do this for a living".  Well, in a large way we do.  I'm keeping a careful tally this year of what I've invested and what I get out of it.  I'm sure we'll all be surprised at the output from our little piece of land.  We really do earn a living by it.  For the thousands of dollars we don't have to spend for food, cornstalks, etc., we don't have to work at day jobs to pay for.  I say, get thee behind me Satan.  I never did take kindly to negatives words of discouragement, and I grow more stubborn by the day.  Big Steve is sitting behind me declaring Amen Sister!

The most important thing to keep in mind is that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.  And I already know that He has forgiven the strings of profanities that (oops) slipped through my lips this weekend.  I know because I asked him to forgive me, and he is perfectly faithful. 

Now, I am going to the kitchen to bake a cake for a dear sister, all the while nursing blisters, scratches, and oh, my aching back!, and from here on, it's on with LIFE!