"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 (NIV 1984)

  I subscribe to a daily devotional that provides gentle reminders to think about what really matters in this life and the next.  This particular passage showed up a few days ago.
  Sometimes when I look out the window and see pictures like this surrounding our farm, I wonder what God had in mind for me.  What am I learning, what essential part of my person is he trying to improve? What need is he meeting?
  With day after day after day of rain, I'm thinking it might be along the lines of ceding control.  In the spring I meticulously map out the garden including time tables of what gets started when and then when it's supposed to be transplanted outside.  Of course, I've been gardening long enough to know those are targets and many variables will slightly change my plans.
  This year my plans are kaput.  The high tunnel has flooded twice. The outside garden has gullies in it; and for those of you who know how flat our land is, that's really saying something about the volume of water that has moved over our ground.  The chickens were getting soaked daily and using up their energy to stay warm instead of gain weight, so they had to move in with the laying hens.
  I'm doing everything I can within my power to care for the plants and animals we have; the rest, I just have to let go.  Worry and stress never helped a plant grow or a chicken get fatter.  Perhaps I can focus on lessons in how late I can get my garden to grow this fall. 
  The devotional author closed with this prayer:
  Dear Lord, help me to realize and remember the secret to being content in all circumstances is You. Help me to be aware of Your presence in my life at all times. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
  And Amen to that.

  Our family continues to work on improving our eating habits.  With so much fresh produce and home-raised meats, you would think we would never go astray.  But, of course, we're subject to the same natural food cravings:  sugar, salt, fat that all people experience.
  Bee Bags are designed to help people eat better through quick preparation of fresh ingredients.  Menu ideas come from various magazines subscriptions.  We test them as a family; some are winners, some are, well, not so good.  Only the winners make it on the final list.
  This week's new offering is Burgers & Fries.  What I love about this menu is its flexibility and flavors.  Burgers in a slider size are quick to cook and can accommodate different appetites.  My daughter (age 7) and I are satisfied with one burger, and my husband can enjoy three without busting the calorie budget.  It's also great to have something familiar on the list.  Burgers are a summertime favorite, and with a few flavor punches (and baking the fries), you can really enjoy this classic without feeling guilty about excess calories and fat.
  Check out the complete line-up of Bee Bag choices at http://www.myorganicneighborhood.com/menu-selections.html!

  Three days without rain; that's all it took.  While we are thankful the drought has been relieved, we've been watching the skies waiting for a break in the rain.  Friday, Saturday, then Sunday - then it was off to the races!
  Tilling, marking rows, planting seeds.  It was a whirlwind two days.  While I'd like to say I got it all in, I didn't; but I did make a huge dent.
  It's raining again today.  Not too hard, though.  I may slip out and finish up that row of Blue Lake and Royal Burgundy beans.

  The spring lambs arrived a couple of weeks ago and are still getting used to their new quarters.  They've successfully transitioned over to our organic feed and have been tasting the grass as well.  We'll move them out to the pasture this week.
  It's been a busy time so we haven't had time to name them yet; I would love your suggestions!  We have a mix of boys and girls, so have at it.  We'll post the winning names here.

  Seafood makes it easy to put dinner on the table in a hurry.  And mussels are a fun way to make that happen. They may seem intimidating at first, but there are two simple rules to remember when cooking with them.
  1.  If they don't close up when tapped gently before cooking, throw them out.
  2.  If they don't open up after cooking, throw them out.
  My daughter loves mussels and will bypass everything else on the plate to have them, even stalking our plates for more.  She uses her dad's favorite ploy, "What that over there," she says as she sneaks another one off his plate.

12+ inches of snow, school canceled...looks like we're staying inside a little while longer, my poor little transplants.

  Turn me loose in a fabric store, and you'll find me staggering out two hours later with supplies for at least three new projects, none of which will actually become a reality.
  When I needed new tables for the upcoming Market season, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have some new tablecloths to go with them?"  I happily traipsed into JoAnn Fabric in Austin and dreamily wandered the aisles for matching accessories.  "Oh wait, what if I made matching aprons?!"  "Look at this cute fabric over here!" (or something like that).
  Reality struck the next day.  I needed help.  "Hello, Mom?  Are you busy?"

  Thankfully, she was game for a day of sewing and we completed two tablecloths, four napkins from the scraps and mapped out an apron pattern from some on-line instructions.  Now it's up to me to finish those aprons.  Hmmm.
  It was a very enjoyable day, and the new pieces look great on the tables with the new (gently used) baskets.  Hurray for Mothers!  And a big 'thank you!' especially to mine!

  I love, love, love peanut butter.  Usually I reserve it for my 10:30 toast break in the mornings, or on saltines as a late-night snack. 
  But this dish is a perfect example of how peanut butter can make it as a star at dinner.  Check it out at www.MyOrganicNeighborhood.com!

It's like Christmas in the spring!  The seeds have arrived and it's time to get started!