The Makings of a Garden

It is a lovely day. WRAL says there are to be thunderstorms later, but there is not a hint of them now - it is sunny and bright with a perfect breeze winding its way around the trees and pastures. The Steward is out with the tiller making rows in the garden. As soon as he is done, we're to trot over to feed store to get seeds and seedlings to fill our summer garden. The early garden is half-grown - although I could pick the greens now. I'm just waiting for those green peas! Here's how it looks now (yes, that's my manly man!)

Later, same day.

Woohoo! Seeds are in the ground! Husband and I planted them as soon as we got home, anticipating the promised thunderstorms - which ended up splitting to the north and south of us, and we got a spitting on and that is all. Husband will set up hoses for an overnight watering. Contents of the rows (if I remember all alright) are as follows:

4 butterbean

1 cucumber

1 cantaloupe

1 watermelon (Crimson Sweet)

1/2 zucchini 1/2 yellow squash

1 sunflower (mix of Autumn Beauty and Giant Grey Stripe) - Wife likes this row for looks, Husband, for the purpose of attracting doves, come dove season. ;)

4 corn (Silver Queen)

8 beans (4 Brown Crowder, 4 Pink Eye Purple Hull)

1 zinnia (mix of Persian Carpet, Violet Queen Purple, California Giant)

and

6 bell pepper plants

4 jalapeño plants

6 tomato plants

What a productive afternoon it has been! Especially with me having been quite sick for the past two days. I slept soundly last night, and didn't push myself all day - but still, looking through all that has been done, I think I have had a very busy day! For after the garden was planted, I was hot and thirsty, and thus partook of a can of ice-cold Dr. Pepper. Well, then I cleaned the dishes while Husband worked on finances and other office work. Once I finished, I thought it might be nice to have more than just a clean sink, but a clean kitchen, too, so I kept on wiping and tidying. But then the floor was crying out for a vacuum and mopping, so I did that also. And the living room. And the bedroom and the office- vacuuming out the corners, ceilings, and baseboards. Husband joined me in the by now full-blown housecleaning, and cleaned the master bathroom with bleach, reveling in the discovery that his chemical of choice kills ants instantaneously upon contact:

"Wife, look at this!" Wife leaves off vacuuming underneath her dresser to watch Husband wipe up an ant with bleach/soap soaked washrag.

"Hmm, this one seems very resilient. The other one died when I touched him." Husband lets the the Resilient One crawl on the washrag as he gathers a few drops from the sink full of bleach water and then releases them on the Unsuspecting One. Exclamations of exultation.

"Hah! See, dead."

Yes, I think many men have a little boy in them somewhere, that still loves the sunlight, a magnifying glass, and a steady stream of busy ants.

To bring us to the present, Husband is out on the mower, trimming all that is green (that ought to be of shorter stature,) and I am writing this. Soon I shall need to pull together a supper of all the odds and ends that have accumulated this week - sausage and turkey quiche, pimento cheese, and random sliced vegetables are just a few. There are two browning bananas that need attention - and there are two expedient ways to get rid of such a delicacy: banana bread or banana pudding!

Either way, I am very grateful for today. It has been beautiful! And though there is no rain, there is a good well that can easily water the garden. My Husband is happily working on his land, taking care of his wife and child, and I am content to be Husband's helpmeet, be it cooking, cleaning, gardening, or simply being me. Lord, you have blessed us abundantly. Thank You.