I used to admire those verdant, lush grapevines, defiantly creeping over fences and barns, growing gigantic from years of neglect. Artistic and free, one has to marvel at their natural beauty; but when I began to focus on fruit production I learned to view all that greenery as a thief to the ultimate goal, sweet … More How to Grow a Sweetheart
After a lifetime in Alaska enduring REAL winters, I’m surprised to find myself suffering an intense case of spring fever while living in the south. It didn’t even get “cold” until December, snow is rare (and it melts within a few days), and it’s warm enough to work outside year round. Yet, the trees are … More Winter
Last month, my closet pyromaniac husband gleefully eliminated a long standing task on our farm to-do list: burn the brush piles. These weren’t your average “let’s have a bonfire” brush piles; the previous owner stock piled wood and brush from job sites over a period of years, building the larger one to over eight feet … More Refining Fire
Recently a young woman whom I greatly respect wrote to me in frustration saying, “I would love to respond in obedience to God’s call on my life- if only I had any idea what the heck it was!” I understand her angst, as I also spent too many years struggling with this sidetrack. Don’t misunderstand … More What is God’s Will?
Our Creator cleverly set the universe in motion incorporating natural laws that mirror spiritual truths. This fuels my fascination with gardening. My heart comprehends the necessity of painful pruning in my life after I’ve seriously stressed over chopping off perfectly healthy branches and then witnessed the increased fruit a few months later. I never appreciated … More Embrace
