Brighter Sides, New Leaves, and Other News Fresh From the Farm

Inside: Looking at the brighter sides, turning over new leaves, and words fitly spoken. Catch up on all the latest, fresh from the farm.

Looking at the Brighter Sides

It’s been a lackluster year for the sunflower field. The rains haven’t come, at least nothing substantial, and that’s on top of last year’s dry fall and winter. The ground is parched, though I’ve seen worse. We’ve had two rains in July, for which I am very grateful. No sound is more beautiful than the sound of rain pounding a tin roof in a dry year–believe me. I stood under the barn roof happily listening to the loud-beautiful noise one Sunday as we received water from heaven.

But we need more. And I’ve been asking.

So what exactly is the bright side–or, rather, brighter sides? A few things, actually. The weeds have been easier to keep up with, and we haven’t had to mow as often. (Poor Hubs. He’s had to mow a little more often than everyone around us because my sprinkler hits parts of the yard.)

The corn is still high as corn is likely to be in July. We’ve gotten one cutting of hay. Our well supplies bountiful amounts of cool, clean water to keep our vegetables growing and our flowers flourishing. And while my yellow horizon field of sunflowers from last year was more dazzling than this summer’s, we weren’t without our nodding beauties. Just not as tall or long-lasting.

And one unexpected gift. Walking over to Mom’s one day I noticed the patch the stud horse used to occupy had grown up in a meadow of little blue flowers–chicory. Chicory thrives just fine in dry conditions, and, in fact, the absence of the rain has allowed the plant to take over and grow because other weeds have been stunted. It’s a lovely sight, this pasture grown up in chicory.

So in a year of little rain, I’ve found another field worth celebrating–my blue pasture.

Turning Over New Leaves

In keeping with my positive attitude, I’ve witnessed another mini miracle of nature. In the wake of the Japanese Beetles departure, the grapevines trailing up my Chinese Elm took a beating, the leaves turning into brown lace from the beetle banquet. The vine looked pretty pitiful for a few weeks, brown leaf skeletons covering it. Then, little by little, tiny green shoots emerged, growing and taking back the vine. Same with the apple trees. Healthy green leaves replacing the brown ones.

It’s amazing to see nature heal itself. And it nearly always does. Or, rather, the Healer has a plan to mend things, whether they be plants or people.

And it’s a wonder to witness.

Words Fitly Spoken

July is gone, and with it visiting family members. It was great catching up and reconnecting with everybody. In particular, spending time with nieces and nephews is something I always enjoy. This year included a trip to the craft store and pizza restaurant with Cora, a game of Battleship and putting together a puzzle with Judah, and avoiding getting splashed by the kiddie pool. And several trips to feed the chickens and play in the hay barn.

Another blessing this time around has been listening to my nephew Elijah. When you do something for him, whether it’s fixing him a snack or helping him with his water color paints, he says in a low voice, “Perrrfect!” He’s a little boy with a lot to say these days. . .

But it wasn’t always that way.

Two summers ago I remember us taking him and his brother to the empty silo so they could lean in the bottom door and hear their voices echo. Elijah wasn’t saying much then. He pointed a lot and had a dozen or so words he spoke. We hoped that bringing them up to the silo might coax him into practicing words. And he did say a few.

It’s a credit to the wisdom of his parents that he’s a boy with a lot of words to say now. His mom and dad worked with him these last two years and prayed for him. I did, too. The Lord gave me a prayer from Proverbs 25:11–that Elijah’s words would be fitly spoken. And they are.

His mom wrote me this the other day: “When we were driving to Texas, we passed through a storm in Arkansas. As we approached it, Elijah said, ‘I saw the sky crack!’ (He’d seen lightning.) Then he was telling a story and said, ‘Judah hit the water with a loud smack!’ I thought his word choices were unusually vivid for a 4-year-old, so I started paying closer attention. He was talking like a writer–showing, not telling. Could he be the next generation of writer in the family? Just wondering, but wouldn’t that be cool?”

I think it’d be just perrrfect.

 

What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Tell us about it in the comments.

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