What's Growing? 8/30/20

8/30/20

After not having rain where we live from mid June until the start of August, we've now had rain nearly every day for a month. The grass is thriving, strawberries regrowing, greens continuing on....but a little white moth has attacked our arborvitaes and the stress of the heat for so long has taken a toll. 

Aside from the grass being the main focus this year, we have a new hedge project underway that is being babied. 

Look at this amazing Luna Moth caterpillar!

Spirea are reblooming

Oregano is back in full force and I'm really glad. I used to have some out back but with the dog, this sort of thing has to be out front!

                                                                                

                                                          Parsley and petunias continue on

                                           Thyme                                                          Basil

                     

                    Moved a barberry from blocking the figs to the terrace in front of the maple.

The new Steed's Hollies (Japanese Hollies) and beyond them are Needlepoint Hollies

Lamb's Ear, Borage, and a Tropical Plant a neighbor gave me. All resurged with the rain.

First time this hosta has bloomed!

Bunny area Rose of Sharon

A new little Dogwood by the Cherry Tree                

                   

                     Our 2nd batch of tadpoles is developing well. Some are bigger than this one!

This is millet growing under the bird feeder. I hope to harvest it to use to refill!

                                                                   

                                                                     A new sunflower

This is not fully capturing the damage these girls have endured. Hoping for some recovery this spring, but not super optimistic. 

That said, the grass is my joy. Just reseeded again today with a high traffic blend. SO HAPPY!

Thanks to the Scott's book on how to grow grass...a big dog is really the enemy, but praise the Lord, we're having some success!

July photos

What's Blooming 6/14/20?

A Salady Thursday

I love Thursday's. It is always a sleepy morning because of church on Wednesday, but it is a day without necessary running, so quite nice.

Dinner was CAVA at home. It consists of a variety of greens, a lentil mixture of some sort (this one was onion, mushroom, bell pepper, wild rice and seasoning), roasted vegetables, pickled onions, sauteed vegetables, feta, hummus, sauces/dressings. I generally make a lemon herb tahini. Sometimes I will pickle cucumbers or have tomatoes diced with seasoned cucumbers. Here are a few of our plates. 

A Celebrated Wednesday

Today began early as a nightmare awoke me, but a loved one was having surgery so I was glad to stay up. It gave me the chance to pray and send her a note. God has really blessed us with the way the surgery went. I'm so grateful. Words fall short.

The day was in full swing by 7:30 and I made baked eggs to accompany the sausage, potatoes and toast for the kid's breakfast. More cleaning and scheduling took place as well as exercise, then it was time to leave.

During co-op I had time to run to a few stores for some homeopathic medicine. When one of the people entrusted to my care is sick, it is possible I'm known to provide a multiplicity of treatments. With school just starting and any cold symptom being frowned upon, this illness and its treatment were destined to be legendary. And they have been. I need a job now...m

My goal to make new Nutritarian recipes this week has been going swell. Tonight was a stir fry that I added shrimp to, for the kids ;). It was very yummy and easy.

Furhman doesn't have bean noodles (glass) or the store bought egg rolls, but you get the idea! Another heavy veggie night for the kids. By the way, I don't plan to buy those noodles again.

A Satisfying Tuesday

Today was full of the things I love doing: fine detail cleaning, repairing a door, editing a couple of essays, grocery shopping for some specific items, executing a new recipe for dinner, and time with family and the dog. I even got nice time in with the neighbor's cat!

For lunch, yesterday's soup was redesigned to include bacon, potatoes and corn. The kids appreciated this greatly. 

Then we had arugula and spinach stuffed pitas with watercress pesto for dinner. Sides were spiced apples (sauteed in water), and black eyed peas. The pesto consists of walnuts, cashews, roasted garlic, watercress, and non-dairy unsweetened milk. It was a quick item to whip up in the Vitamix. The longest part was 15 min to roast the garlic. :) I threw the kids a bone and made them some chicken tenderloins to put in their pitas. Otherwise this is a fast vegan dinner full of nutrition and flavor.

A Successful Monday

Working out on Monday has been my routine, or goal routine, for the better part of a year. Today it happened, which felt nice since it was the first day of 'full school'.  Last week, Monday was the only day I got my workout in due to landscape amelioration. Somehow getting all my workouts in on vacation was easier!

This year I'm assisting in a science class while my youngest attends a different science class at our co-op, and there are things for me to learn. My kids took high school science at co-op or through dual enrollment, and I've not been involved except during the leaf project....so it isn't an option to pull from what I recall from teaching them. Suddenly I wish I had been needed more!! After making the kids breakfast and hitting the post office, it was nearly time to leave for said co-op.

We were home by 2:45, and I had some housework. Then it wasn't long before dinner prep started. My husband and I eat nutrient dense foods mostly, and the blended salad style smoothies we have for lunch mean dinner is at five! Tonight we were having a green soup with whole wheat pitas....The kids got croissants to help it go down better. It is the worst looking and smelling soup I've ever made, but it was rather tasty and had vegetables I grew in it. Two bowl minimum :).

It was DARK green. And it smelled dark green. We joked that it's best feature was how it sounded! We were rather surprised at the depth of flavor though. Everyone ate it and they weren't miserable.

It had onions, mushrooms, celery, squash, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, tomatoes, carrots, banana peppers, garlic, turmeric, ginger, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, no salt vegetable broth, pepper and a tiny bit of salt added. Oh, I threw in a can of beans in at the end. It was an easy soup since after I sauteed some of the vegetables, I tossed everything but the chard, kale and beans in the Vitamix. Then it all went to the stovetop to boil, and then after a quick sauteed on the chard and kale in cast iron, everything was together in the soup pot. 

As you can imagine, a snack was in order later. These are Nutritarian Balls but they really are sweet so not truly Furhman style in my opinion. The line up: 5 c. Rolled oats, 2 c. currants, 2 c. Wow Butter, 1 c. Date syrup and honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, tiny salt. Simple but delish. 

Hope Tuesday is great!!

Christ is the Head of the Church, Not Caesar

What does the Bible teach about the necessity of the church?

Caesar is Not the Head of the Church

Do what you feel is necessary regarding COVID-19, but realize the Church is essential, and believers must worship together.

Surrendering to Motherhood

I am thankful the Bible teaches us that it is men who are called to lead the family and to the ministry of preaching the gospel. When men are given a help meet, that woman is not then called to co-lead, if she is a pastor's wife, she is not then called to preach. A woman married to a man has a completely different role to fulfill than he does, though in some situations they may work together. She doesn't start going to work with him generally, doing all the things he does. She is not called into ministry in the same way as her husband. It is the husband who is called to provide for his family, and it is a husband who is called to full time ministry, and wives are called to serve their own husbands. If children come, the wife is then called to motherhood, and ideally she will approach it with the same full time attitude her husband approaches the work he has been called to. 

As his help meet, there may be things she does to help her husband in his work, but her primary job is to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is concerning when women, who say they are not liberal, act like they have work to do that is more important than raising their children. Likewise, the husband needs to not pull her into his work too much. They are not co-leaders with the same tasks. The wife needs to embrace the role God has given her and not use outside activity, even church activity, as a way to regularly get away from her duties as a mom. Just as children benefit immensely from seeing their parents put one another first when dad comes home from work, so does society and the church benefit when they see a mother put her family first. The sacrifice of a mother is often unseen by other people, but it is seen by God. The results of a committed mother are most certainly seen by society.

In the church setting, I was able to see this dynamic of a wife serving differently, but importantly, in the church where I was saved. Our pastor led, counseled, taught Bible study and was always at church when ministry was going on. His wife was not down in their basement with us kids and her husband doing the Tuesday night college Bible study. She was upstairs with their six children preparing food for the college students. She was being a help to her husband's work, but doing it in the behind the scenes way suitable for the season of life she was in. She didn't leave her kids upstairs unattended or leave them with babysitters to go serve the Lord. She was the primary educator and caretaker of her own children. As a rule, where Rose was, her children were.  

Sometimes I think conservative women can feel they are being full-time mothers and homemakers in the traditional sense if they simply don't get paid for what they are doing, yet their lifestyle says something else. Going to the gym for hours each day, having the kids in sports or dance each day, even serving at church often...it can end up having mom's focus off her family for many many hours. Is mom really raising her children, or is she avoiding them with other activities? How is volunteering, where a woman leaves her young children regularly, different from working outside the home? Volunteering, socializing frequently, or serving in the church can take a lot of a mother's time if she doesn't have clear priorities and her role as a mother firmly instilled. For the record, Grandparents can be a help, but they are not given the responsibility of raising children.

As conservatives, let's be consistent with upholding the importance of a full time mother in the home and in the church. Surrendering to motherhood is a bit of a process, but with a willing woman and the leadership of a godly husband, it can happen beautifully. 

Aug 21 Grace Community Church Update

 The First Amendment doesn't cease to exist because of a new virus.

Grace Community Church Can Meet Indoors

Children Are Almost Immune to COVID--Have you seen this?

In Virginia there have been 2500 deaths from COVID-19, and do you know how many of those were in persons under 40 years old? 

Take a guess........

25.

Twenty five deaths in people under 40 over the course of 6 months has led to the insanity we're dealing with. 

The Federalist has this interesting article about the survival rate for children with COVID and it is great. 

https://thefederalist.com/2020/08/21/yes-children-are-almost-immune-to-the-worst-of-covid-19/

Vaccine Freedom

This isn't a debate post on vaccines, but it is a post about parental rights, which I support. Delegate Mark Cole (Fredericksburg, VA) has introduced HB 5016, which provides and exemption for parents opposed to vaccines on religious grounds. During an emergency, such as a pandemic, this bill will prove critical if parents do not want their child vaccinated. 

Parents should make the decisions for their children regarding education, health, religion, and general upbringing, not the government. Vaccines need to be properly vetted, so yes, I'm concerned as a parent with any fast tracked vaccine that could be forced upon my family. My job is to protect my kids from potential threats, in whatever form, and it is my God-given right. 

Please read this update from HEAV and then follow this link to contact your state Delegate. I also contacted my State Senator to let him know I want him to support this effort by Delegate Mark Cole since they are both Republicans. 

---------------------------------------HEAV Update---------------------------------------------------------------

Governor Northam has called a Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly to address virtual and in-person educational changes, budget adjustments related to COVID-19, and criminal justice reforms. Within these parameters, we have found legislation that could impact your homeschool family. The 2020 Special Session, convened on August 18, is unusual. Legislators are meeting off-site at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Science Museum of Virginia with live streaming and electronic transfer of information—no paper bills. Members of the public are not allowed to observe the legislative proceedings in person or speak with their legislators one-on-one. This includes lobbyists. The only way to communicate with your elected officials is by email or a phone call to their home office. This is why I’m contacting you. It’s important that you make your views known. HEAV’s legislative team has been at work reading bills as they are published. We are watching for those that may impact your homeschool in a positive or negative way. During our bill search, we found legislation related to vaccines that may be of interest to you. See the details below.

Regards, Yvonne Bunn Director of Government Affairs

VACCINATION LEGISLATION Delegate Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg) has introduced HB 5016, a bill that will provide an exemption to those who are opposed to vaccinations for religious reasons. The present law, § 32.1-48. Powers of Commissioner in Epidemic, gives the Commissioner of Health the authority to “require immediate immunization of all persons in case of an epidemic of any disease in which a vaccine exists.” There is a good possibility this will include COVID vaccines that are now in development. During an epidemic, the current law provides only an exemption from a doctor.  Delegate Cole’s proposal will add an exemption based on religious beliefs, that says, “…or a person who objects to administration of such vaccination on religious grounds."

PARENTS' RIGHTS HEAV has always supported—and will continue to support—the rights of parents to make decisions concerning their children. HEAV does not take a position on vaccines. However, HEAV does believe it is parents who should make vaccine decisions for their family, not the government. Although the primary focus of our organization is on home education, we also have a responsibility to inform parents about law changes that could undermine and weaken OR strengthen and protect parental rights. It is up to all individuals to respond in a way that is consistent with their beliefs.

ACTION If you have a position regarding parental rights and vaccinations, make your views known AS A PARENT, not a homeschooler, by calling or emailing your state legislators. Because they will be in session for only a few weeks, contact them immediately!

"WE'RE HAVING CHURCH!" | Grace Community Church

Grace Community Church Continues to Obey the Lord

In defiance of unreasonable requests from the state of California, Pastor John MacArthur has continued to stand for truth and obedience to the Lord by having church services. The church was willing to follow reasonable guidelines but there were those who clearly just didn't want the church to be able to operate. God will honor those who honor Him. It may not be in this life, but the hereafter matters greatly. 

Grace Community Church Opens Despite Court Order

'Stuffed' Shrimp

 

The wonderful people who fed me this meal can cook like nobody's business! I was treated like royalty!! It was a terrific trip that was over too fast.♥

Dewey--A Funny Cat

 

July Photos

Some early and mid July pictures...vacation and the new vegetables. The garden has been simple this year, but has kept me from needing to buy greens for months!

These little critters really enhanced our vacation. I wouldn't normally want them walking through my hard, but for this trip, it is always welcome!