Been away from writing for a while.  Life is good here at our house.

We have been spending a lot of time outside on our 4 acres, pulling saplings, cutting down and burning brush and weed trees.  We planted seven blueberry bushes this year and a peach tree last year.  Because God is good, life is good.

It isn't without its hitches and glitches, though.  Pulling things out of woods means poison ivy, and a hugely strong inflammatory response required a couple of courses of steroids to remedy.  An experience of that kind creates hesitation when going into woods again.  My plans for paths and serene stopping points along those paths will not be thwarted by one evil little three-leaved plant.  Precautions, precautions.

My garden is a cantankerous thing.  Seems the only things it will really grow well are sweet corn and green beans.  We have foregone the chemical fertilizers and pesticides as so many others have.  We don't till the ground anymore, to let the incredibly complex system do its thing.  I put TONS of straw down every spring for mulch.  Ten years in a row a truckload of cow contributions were dumped (giggle) on the ground, and my chickens add very rich nitrogen.  I put up mesh netting around the whole lot to keep out invaders.  AND I get corn and green beans.

I would like cukes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, radishes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, squash.  I planted these things.  I get corn and green beans.

If that sounds like bellyaching, sorry.  Along with corn and green beans there was a bountiful harvest of unseen inedible things, as important to health and wholeness as food.  Fresh air.  Sunshine.  Water. Soil.  Sweat.  Sweat.  Sweat.  Tiredness. Blessed sleep.  Anticipation.  Looking forward.  Thinking about other than self.  Feeling close to the Creator. Dirty feet.  Beauty. Peace.  Cool breezes. Thankfulness.

This is not new news.  Part of this beauty is knowing it will happen year after year.  Care for the system promises a repeat performance every year.   Is that not mind-boggling?  A miracle?  a great blessing?  Undeserved favor?

And in case I haven't said it, I love corn and green beans.