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Mr. Perkins is in love with that red flower! He found her next door to the sweet Petunia Sisters under the shade of a lovely pink Azalea. The flowers are a little wind-blown, but still so nice to see such pretty spring colors. My oldest granddaughter, Lillie, helped me plant the petunias, and she wanted to make sure each one had a close neighbor so they could talk. Miss Lanie, my youngest granddaughter, liked to go around and pick the blossoms! We had to convince her that they were just babies and had to grow some before we pick them.
A lovely Bridal Wreath
Mrs. Henrietta, mother hen that she is, took it upon herself to guard the garlic. She's training the little girls to to the same.
Can't forget my husband's baby tomatoes!
Give it up, Mr. Perkins!
Although the Azaleas didn't put on the show that they have in years past, the ones that did bloom brought a soothing balm to winter-weary eyes, refreshed my spirit, and filled me with anticipation of the freshness and renewal that spring always brings. The Lord truly blesses us with beauty in every season.
There are more lovely Cottage Garden Parties going on over at Etsy Cottage Style. Wait til you see Char's tangelos! Talk about a feast for the eyes (and mouth), and I can already smell the delicate fragrance of that Meyer Lemon Tree! Just click on the Cottage Garden Style Badge and enjoy!
Whew........what a month! I can't believe it's been over a month since I've been here! Many things have happened and many things didn't happen. First, my husband had knee surgery, which was good, but painful, and has kept him out of commission all month. Second, planting the 'taters didn't happen in January, nor did it happen in February.
Third, a truck backed into my car at a red light and smashed the bumper and buckled the hood. The insurance company deemed my car totaled, which I don't understand because I'm still driving it! We found out that though the insurance company would not pay to have my "totaled" car fixed, they accessed the value of my "old, well-traveled" car, and offered us a very small payoff to buy our car and junk it. This meant we would have to purchase another car and have car payments.
What did happen in the past month was my Etsy shop picked up. I've been so busy making buttons and digital collage sheets that I haven't had time to be in here, which actually is a good thing that happened. Another good thing that happened was that thanks to our son and daughter, their dad had the help he needed while I was at work, and the 'taters did get planted the first of March. Finally, we found out (after several phone calls) that the insurance company would purchase our damaged car, then turn around and "sell" it back to us. They would charge us the amount that they would have gotten at the salvage yard, subtract that amount from the amount they originally offered us, and send us the balance (which will end up being more costly for the insurance company than if they had just fixed it in the first place). Now all we have to do is reapply for our own title and with the remaining money, have our "totaled" car fixed locally, which will actually leave us a small bonus! And we wonder why insurance costs have risen.
Now, as the azaleas are beginning to burst into bloom, the grass is greening up, the potatoes are snug in their growing beds, and my husband is on the mend, we can breathe a little easier, give thanks to God for our many blessings, and begin to focus on the rest of the gardens and the coming of spring. We have already been blessed with warmer, sunnier days, bringing an anticipation of outside activities, growing vegetables, running barefoot on the beach, and swimming. Okay, I' stretching it. Still a while before we dive in, but nice to look forward to.
As I dream and plan for the warmer activities, we still have spurts of cold weather, wind, and rain, reminding me that life doesn't always go along with my plans. With that said, I am reminded of what Paul said in Philippians 4:8:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
So as I think about the past month and all the things that did not go as I had planned, I am reminded of all the good things and the blessings that God did put into our lives. My husband came through the surgery without major problems. The Lord gave him the strength to endure the pain, even when the medication was not enough, and he is now on the road to recovery with a new knee and renewed strength. Our children stepped up to help when needed in every way, bringing our family closer together. And my car will be fixed with a nice piece of change left over.
As I read through Philippians, I was also reminded of another truth that helps us when things don't go quite as planned. In Philippians 4:12, Paul teaches us the secret of contentment:
"I know what is it to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
So in whatever state we find ourselves, we can remember to look for the blessings and know God will give us the strength we need. All we need do is lean on God and carry on....sounds like a button in the making...
In the middle of the cold, rainy days of January here at Cottonfieldfarm, I always begin to think about gardening and warmer weather. Yes, it's true, that here in "sunny" Florida, the winters are nothing like the Northeast is experiencing; but when the temperatures drop to the 20's at night and mid 40's by day, I start shivering and wishing harder for some of that warm, Florida sunshine (after all, that IS why I live here). It has been a colder winter this year, and we have had more cold snaps than normal, which will be great for the peach trees, but not so much for me. But the nice warm-ups into the 60's and 70's always get me through the rough spots and remind me that it will be warm and hot again soon.
It was a hot day in the cotton fields of Oklahoma in the 1920's. As Albert E. Brumley struggled on picking cotton, he began to sing
a popular song of the day, "If I Had the Wings of an Angel." As he sang, he begin to think how much he would like to "fly away" from that cotton field. Suddenly, the inspiration hit him, and he composed the song, "I'll Fly Away" right out there in the cotton field with the hot sun shining down on him! The song was published a few years later in 1932 and became a hit. It's amazing how God works through us to turn not so pleasant circumstances into something so beautiful and inspiring. What started out as a desire to escape a hot afternoon in a cotton field ended up an inspiring hymn about flying away, "to a land on God's celestial shore, " "where joys shall never end."
This story comes from Robert J. Morgan's book, Then Sings My Soul, Special Edition. I have written a full review of his book for BookSneeze. To see the full review, click here.
