I have been doing quite a bit of work in the garden. I have peas that have needed to be picked and beans that have also needed my attention. I've realized that has been a great blessing. I love being out in the garden with the birds chirping and all the world around is quiet. It has been nice having something that needed my attention and a place to focus my energies. I canned 18 pints of beans yesterday and Joseph shells peas every evening when he gets home from work. Benjamin has been great he rides his tractor all around the yard while I pick.
A year ago I gave a talk in church that included some lessons learned from my garden. What a blessing a garden has been for me. Here are some things I've learned from my garden:
~If you want good things to grow in your garden and in your life you have to plant them there. Tomatoes will not float out of the sky and plant themselves in rows in your garden. Good things take effort.
~You can’t rush a seed.
~It's important to select the right mix for optimal growth. Some plants tend to do better when surrounded by other certain types of plants. Some plant varieties are good are warding off insects (such as marigolds). Surrounding ourselves with good people is critical to our ability to make good decisions. (I am thankful for so many good friends that have been praying for us. I have felt those prayers and am so thankful for those who honestly care about our little family.)
~Weeds will come out of nowhere. Life in a garden is a constant war on weeds. Pres. Eyring said: "Because you are so valuable, some of your trials may be severe. You need never be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you exercise faith."
~All you have to do to loose your garden is to do nothing.
At the risk of sounding bitter I am going to post something that has made me so mad about this whole failed adoption thing. Attorneys. We paid for Kimberly's attorney (as is the custom in private adoptions.) We got a statement of professional services today in the mail and it made me mad all over again. Kim's attorney spent 1 1/2 hours preparing consents and supplemental orders (the real work) for the adoption and 10 hours making or receiving calls or emails and 7 1/2 hours traveling and charged us $3760.19. I take that back; we paid upfront $4500 and they refunded $1,000 so that actual charge was only $3500. There is something sick and wrong with the system. There was a hand written note on our statement asking us to please remember that the adoption tax credit is applicable for failed adoptions. What they don't know is that it takes years to recoup and in our situation if we have the chance to adopt again that we will be well above the governmental limit. I'm disgusted that they would charge us that much for doing so little. LDS family services did so much and they only got our original $1000 home-study fee. I feel better. That was a great rant.
Now back to feeling grateful for my garden.....
