today is the first day of the rest of your life. I’ve decided to keep a blog…what does this mean or look like? I’m not sure. I don’t even really know what I want to accomplish, but I know that Brian gets tired of me posting everything in our life on Facebook, so this will give me an avenue to share my thoughts, dreams, goals, visions…you name it! My creative outlet. ha!!
Last year, I took on many new hobbies; my garden, my chickens, trying to be a ‘clean eater/cooker’, if I document all that I have learned over the last year, then maybe it will all make sense. Let me start at the beginning.
In January of 2009, while facing my husband’s unemployment, I had this crazy revelation from God. I’ve never really had God speak to me so clearly, and I really don’t understand His reasonings, but He told me…
Mendy, you have a few acres in the back not being used, it’s gone to weeds. Plant a garden, use it to glorify ME. okay, so maybe it wasn’t audible, and maybe it came across a little different, but those where the words I took from the message. God was telling me that although my husband was losing his job, He has blessed us tremendously. We are fortunate enough to be living in my childhood home, on 8 acres, we should use it and not let it go to waste. I have tried gardens in the past, small ones that start off with the best of intentions, only to turn to towering weeds by the end of summer. You can imagine Brian’s reluctance for me to start another one! Much less the one of the magnitude I was imagining- 40’x40′!! Brian told me right off that this was my project and he wasn’t helping! He knew that I’ve failed at every one I’ve tried in the past and what’s going to make this one any different?
So I research, and research, and research!! My specialty, you see, that’s what I’m good at…follow through, not so much! But as Brian is gone away for training for his new job (fortunately he was only out of work for 3 weeks) I hire an out of work friend to install a fence. We have lots of deer. I begin to get things ready for planting. I’m not going to get into all of the detail of planning, but the garden was a success! I realize that I spent a ton of money to get it started, and didn’t sell much of my harvest nor can it for that matter. The knowledge I gleaned about myself, I couldn’t have found anywhere else! I actually finished a project!! I’m usually an all or nothing kind of person, and I didn’t give up when things weren’t perfect. Yes I had weeds, yes I let a lot of my stuff go to waste, yes I actually had to buy produce from the farmer’s market to “put up” but I told myself that’s okay!! Things will be better next year! I’m learning!!
At Easter time, as my boys and I were in Tractor Supply looking for garden stuff, we noticed they were having their “chick days”. The boys asked if they could each have a chick for Easter. Why not? My good friend Jane had been trying to talk me into getting chickens. After I bought 2, I called Brian to see if he would build me a chicken coop. He was reluctant to say the least. He wanted me to tackle only one project at a time, the garden was enough. But I pursuaded him to do it. Keep in mind, I already purchased 2 chicks!! But I then ordered 26 more! On June 8th (our anniversary) I got the call from the post office that my chicks had come in! They sent me a bonus chick, so that brought my total to 29. My nieces then talked me into finding cochins, the kind with the furry feet. I got 5 more- total 34 chicks! As it turns out, 3 cochins are roosters.
Okay, this post is getting very long…I’ll wrap it up. I can’t get all of 2009’s lessons into one post. But I look forward to 2010, my new hobbies, and the lessons God has in store for me. I have a sense that the direction our country is heading, it’s going to be a good thing that I am learning to provide for my family. I have found a sense of peace from working with the blessings God has given me. I may hate to pick weeds from my flower beds, but working with my hands in the garden is somehow different. I find it exciting to think that I can feed my family on what I have grown! I’m working toward self sustainability! I know I will never be completely there, but working towards that goal is fun!! I’ve found a peace and joy that I’ve never experienced. Hopefully this blog will record the journey…the first day of the rest of my life!!
Mendy's musings 