SO Much to do and SO little time!

   Normally I love this time of year. 

   The rush to get things tied up for the school year, Spring cleaning, the rush to get the garden in. Getting my daughter's year-end testing set up knowing she is going to do amazing, as always, and reconfirm why we chose homeschooling as an option for education. Putting away all the winter clothes and getting to run around in tank tops and shorts without freezing my tail off in MN. All the planning and scheming, and concentrated perusing of seed catalogs pays off in one glorious swoop this month as I place my carefully grown choice seedlings into the ground.

   But this year, it seems there are more things on my plate than normal and that joy is not quite there like always. I think we accomplish something, but it just takes a number off of a list that seems to stretch a mile long.

   Have you ever felt like that?

   We bought our new home in October, at the tail end of the season, and moved in after six grueling weeks of remodeling that would be better termed as "demolition and recovery". Due to the weather and having to go back to real life, many things were left unfinished, and now that the weather is good, we are trying to tackle everything.

   However, there is such satisfaction in working on your own home, isn't there? For someone who has rented for nine years, it is such a blessing to slap paint on the wall without calling and asking for someone's permission on the color, or break ground for a garden without passing off detailed specs for it.

   We put on a new deck out the back door today, and while it still needs railings, it is LOVELY to be able to open that door and step out like a Queen surveying her kingdom. Before the stairs were falling apart, leaning precariously to the side in a tilt, and we would not even allow the kids to go over there. Now in a few days we may actually have a place they can sit and play on, or eat a picnic lunch on.

Blessings upon blessings.

So why am I not brimming over with joy?

 Maybe because I feel like over it there is a hint of dark cloud on the horizon? 

Not really a silver lining to a dark cloud... 

but more like the sparrow must feel when a storm is coming, 

and it knows all it has for protection is the scanty cover of a tree's leaves and branches, 

or its own two feet to hold on, or perish.

   I have prayerfully taken it to the Lord, and my devotions have been Spirit-led, but the passages don't do anything but confirm we must stand fast, hold to the faith, do what we can, etc. That God rewards the work of our hands, but is our mainstay in times of trouble. 

So I just keep plugging away.

   We also got the ground broken and ready for a long asparagus bed next to the garden we finished a couple days ago. I have not planted it yet because I just didn't have any more oomph.......until I walked in the house and realized with two days spent outside the house looks like a bomb went off. :) So the dishwasher (aptly named Helga) and my HE front loader (named Gertie) are humming away as I write, multiplying ME into three people at once so I can write on here and give you an update on the activity happening here at the Welcoming House.
   I was blessed to see that some new friends (and old) have taken me seriously on starting a garden and saving seeds. I am serious, folks, I just think we are backpaddling above the rapids leading to the waterfall, with a spring surge coming right behind us. I pray for those that would read this, looking for some help and answers.

   When I can get my camera working I am going to be doing a short series on homemade cleaners, and possibly even some sewing things I have learned over the years. Anyone have anything they are interested in? Where are you at in the gardening possibilities? Anyone harvesting anything yet? Or how many of you have decided it is time to start canning? I guess even the Food Network has caught wind of the surge in canning as the "new trend". Who knows what reason they will come up with for explaining it? However, it does mean that jars are going to be in more people's houses, so I would encourage you to get yours now before the craze hits. LOL! :)

    Anyhow, to all of you, many many blessings to you and yours.

Heather