All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

Uganda 2009

A good friend and ole singing buddy of mine, Fr John Wallace took a group of Florida State students and others to Uganda. They just got back. Check out the video. Look into the eyes and see. Be Blessed and feel.

'The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun'

If you have been over at Roger's The Oxford Inklings, you will know there was a group before the Inklings. Before the Inklings, before the Hobbit, Tolkien led a group on Northern Mythology where they spoke Old Norse and read the old myths to each other. Late into the night around their coal fire they walked in the cold expanse of the north. Lewis when he came to Oxford, learned of this group and was thrilled to finally find kindred souls.

How did this slip by the real Tolkienites. We had read about this for years, and now here it is. Enjoy, be inspired, be enriched!

The site address is in the list: Through the Shire Gate.

Top 4 Organic Sprays

Use of organic sprays are more friendly to the environment. They are comprised of common organic materials, soaps and occasionally other environmentally friendly materials. They are often home brewed recipes that you can make and save money along the way. Or, if you are not inclined to make up a batch of your own, they are readily available at most garden supply stores.

If you have a "recipe" for home made insecticides or fungicides, please email us so we can share it with others and do our part for the environment!

1. Insecticide Garlic Spray

Ingredients:
1 Garlic Bulb
2 Cups Water
1 Gallon Water

Instructions:
1. Take an entire garlic bulb and two cups of water and blend in blender.
2. Mix at high speed for 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour into a container and set aside for up to one day.
4. Strain liquid through a cheese cloth.
5. Mix liquid with one gallon of water.
6. Apply liberally on top and bottom of leaves.

2. Insecticide Soap Spray

Ingredients: Liquid Dish Detergent

Instructions:
1. Put one tablespoon of dish detergent per gallon into a sprayer.
2. Apply liberally on top and bottom of leaves.
3. Re-apply after rain or one to two weeks.

3. Hot Pepper Spray

This can be used to repel, deer, rabbits and other pests from your flowers and some vegetables. Note, use caution with vegetables as a peppery taste may remain on the fruit.

Ingredients:
6 Hot Peppers, the hotter the better
2 Cups Water
1 quart Water

Instructions:
1. Put hot peppers and two cups of water into a blender.
2. Mix at high speed for 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour into a container and set aside for up to one day.
4. Strain liquid through a cheese cloth.
5. Add liquid into a one quart container. Fill container to top with water.
6. Apply liberally to plants. Re-apply every week to two weeks or after a rain.

4. Fungicide Powdery Mildew Spray

Ingredients:
1Gallon Water
3 Tablespoons Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Bleach
1 Teaspoon Dishwashing Liquid

Instructions:
1. Snip and remove leaves that are worst affected.
2. Mix ingredients with water.
3. Spray remaining leaves top and undersides.
4. Apply a heavier dose on leaves that have signs of infection and only lightly on unaffected leaves as bleach can actually harm and discolor the leaves.

Extremely important:
Do not use too much bleach! Use no more than 1 part bleach to 10 parts
water. We hesitate to recommend using bleach as it can harm your plants if too much is applied. Use it at your own risk and try to avoid spraying it on healthy leaves.

Got Milk?
Some scientists believe milk has germicidal properties, and is effective against Powdery Mildew?
Hard to believe? Try it out.

Others

Marigolds and Nasturtiums are commonly grown as companion plants as they keep pests away. Try putting some of the leaves and stems in your blender. Let it soak for a day, drain, add water to dilute and apply liberally.

If you are in to experimenting, look up other companion plants and give them a try. You just might invent a new recipe to share with us!

The Gospel According To Tolkien

I just read one of the finest, clearest and simplest views on Tolkien's world view and his work.

Just click on the Title above to go to the post and enjoy! It will blow you away.

Whitly Hall at Three Oaks

I hope you guys enjoyed The Tea Cup. I love old "fairy tales" that pack a good story with a deeper meaning.

Here's some gardening shots again, in fact I'm thinking of starting a gardening blog and moving this to word press. What do you think? Any Preferences?

Thank you to the Harvest Garden Group that came over and tilled up around my bird bath. Ah, now to design a wagon wheel style bed. I'm still thinking it thru.

Mia is our Wonder Dog, Siberian Husky, enjoying the deep warm sun.

The third shot is of a yellow variegated pink pampas grass (Cortidaria Rosa) It's one a kind and hasn't bloomed yet. It will this fall. It's about 3ft. high and looks beautiful. This is a terrible shot.

The Tea Cup

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both
liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding
anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup.They said, "May we see that?
We've never seen one quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it
said. "I haven't always been a teacup.

There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and
patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet."
"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun
around and around and around.Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master
only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn
me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I
could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.'

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,'
I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I
would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot
and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I
could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.'

Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But
the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he
handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that
couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'

'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I
had left you alone, you'd have dried up.

I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would
have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't
put you there, you would have cracked.

I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done
that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life.
And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven,you wouldn't survive for very long
because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are
what I had in mind when I first began with you.


God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will
mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His
good, pleasing, and perfect will.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not tempt you beyond what you can bear; but with the temptation also make a way
to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
(Author Unknown)