Author: margieclyde

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The February Full Moon

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Tonight’s full moon is known as the snow moon,

or snow-blinding moon.

or the boney moon,

or the little famine moon,

or the hunger moon

or the trapper’s moon.

February usually has the heaviest snow fall of  the year…but do not despair!

This is the month that the temperatures are gradually rising, and they will keep rising until they peak in July.

And the days are getting noticeably longer.

There will still be snow, ice and cold to deal with, but Spring really is on the way.

 

Psalm 40:3

“And He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.”

 

Faith · Garden · My Town

In Praise of Snow

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Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Dancing through the air you go.

Falling so gently, softly and light

From th’ clouds above to the earth below.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Th’ crowning beauty of winter cold;

Falling both by day and by night,

Falling on mountain-top and wold.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Falling gently on vale and dell;

Cov’ring the cottage of the poor,

And the mansion of the rich as well.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Falling on things both high and low,

Hiding the fallen leaves out of sight,

While o’er the brown tree you thickly blow.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Oh, how I love to see you fall.

Oh, I am certain, yes, I am sure,

Nothing’s as pretty as snow at all.

 

Lord! make my heart as pure and white

As the snow when it falls from above.

Fill me with Thy truth and light

And sweet beautiful faith and love. 

Effie Waller Smith

 

A poor photo, I know, due to the angle of the sun, but icicles on the roof of the house.  My roses are just below and they are entombed in ice also.  Hopefully, they make it through this winter.

There are benefits of snow for the garden.

  • Snow acts as an excellent insulator.  Shovel the snow onto your growing bed to give them a nice blanket of protection.
  • Snow protects from harsh, drying winds that can damage plants.
  • Snow can protect from the heaving up of plants due to the freezing and thawing cycle.  It is best to have the ground stay frozen until spring.
  • Snow provides moisture to perennial plants and bulbs as they are waking up for the spring.
  • Snow, as it melts, provides nitrogen that is essential to plant growth.
  • If you have designed a garden for winter interest, snow provides beauty as it covers everything.

As we are ending the month of January, we are leaving the season of Deep Winter.  As we enter the month of February, we are entering the season of Late Winter, and the seasonal temperatures should be steadily rising all across the nation, which they will continue to do till mid July.  There will still be snow and ice and cold to contend with, but-

Winter brings the

the cold of February,

But remember,

It is only temporary.

I do love a good snow fall!

Following are some photos of my town after the last storm.

 

And a photo of the Redbank Creek with the resident geese and ducks.

And lastly, a big shout out to the state and local snow crews that work so hard to keep our roads clear.

They had quite the big clean-up job after this last snow storm.  And another one is on the way….

Thanks guys!

You Lord, are forgiving and good,

abounding in love to all

who call to you.  

Psalm 86:5

Garden

The Winter Garden

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Yes, January is the time for dreaming about this years garden.  With the cold and snow of my mid-Atlantic growing area, there is not much that can be done outside.  But there are things you can be doing to get ready for the dream garden in your head.

 

raised beds in snow
My garden in winter

Now is the time to begin planning for this years garden.  

If you have kept a garden journal or took photos of your last years garden, you can refer to them when planning for this year.  Now is the time to evaluate what worked and what didn’t; things you would like to do different, or something to change, or to try new.  You can evaluate the design and structure of the garden.  The location of the garden, the walkways and structures, anything that needs worked on or changed.  

This is a wonderful time of slowness when you can peruse magazines, garden books, and the internet for garden ideas for this year.  It is still a little early to begin starting seeds for our area, but that time will be here soon enough.

 

(A job waiting for me as soon as workable, that didn’t get completed last fall!)

Some photos of the big snow storm of recent…..one of the biggest snowfalls that I can remember in a number of years.

It has snowed most every day for over a week now.

Temperature have been below 0 many nights.  Too cold for me!

It took us a couple of days to dig out and clear the walkways and drive.

Things to do in January

  • Plan this years garden
  • Peruse seed catalogs
  • Start this years garden journal, noting things that you would like to try new or change
  • Inventory your old seeds
  • Decide what and how much you would like to plant this year
  • Gather items needed for seed starting and get things set up
  • Prune as needed
  • Learn new things
  • Start seeds of slow germinating plants and some cool season plants
  • Shovel snow on to your growing beds
  • Get ideas from books and the computer
  • Keep up with houseplant care and overwintered plants
  • Keep wildlife animal feeding and watering stations filled
  • Clean and organize your garden shed or storage area
  • Clean and sharpen your garden tools

Are you getting anxious to get back to gardening again?

Here’s to a wonderful, bountiful garden of your dreams!

 

 

 

 


Faith

March For Life 2022

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March for Life

2022

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the March for Life that takes place in Washington, DC. every year.  This is the date that commemorates the disastrous Supreme Court decision of Roe Vs Wade that made abortion legal in our land.  An estimated 50,000 people are expected to take part in the march today to protest this decision, just as they have done for all these years.

We are praying that this will be the last March for Life and are looking for Roe vs Wade to be overturned with the Supreme Court that President Trump so wonderfully provided.  There have already been many court decisions that protect the unborn, for which we are thankful. 

Our church has been an annual participant in the March for Life for many years.  A charter bus is rented and has always been full.

Below is an article, written by Maria Lawrence, about last years march that was published in the church periodical-January 2021 issue of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist.  It gives you an idea of what is involved in going to the march from here.  The photo in the upper left hand is a photo of the banner that her and I made many years ago to carry.  Hopefully, you can enlarge the photo and read the article.

I have not been able to attend the march for the last number of years due to health issues, so my poor hubby has to go without me….enjoying his pancakes alone at the breakfast stop along the way.

Abortion accounts for 42% of all of the deaths worldwide-62 million babies have been killed so far.

The theme of this years march is “Equality Begins in the Womb”  A good group to follow for up to date news on the right to life fight is Live Action.org.

The first issue for anyone that I vote for is the pro-life issue.

“First and foremost I vote for life.

Without the right to life any other liberties are meaningless.”

Elizabeth Worden Bixby.

 

Praying for a swift end to the atrocity of abortion.

 

 

Faith · Uncategorized

A New Year

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This Year Is Yours

God built and launched this year for you,

     Upon the bridge you stand,

It is your ship, aye, your own ship,

     And you are in command.

Just what the twelve-month trip will do

     Rest wholly solely, friend, with you.

 

Your log-book, kept from day to day-

     My friend, what will it show?

Have you on your appointed way

     Made progress-yes or no?

The log will tell you, like guiding star,

     The sort of captain that you are.

 

For weal or woe, this year is yours,

     Your ship is on life’s sea,

Your acts as captain, must decide

     Whichever it shall be;

So now in starting on your trip,

          Ask God to help you sail your ship.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

As we start into a new year, I am looking forward to good things, knowing that if I let God help me it will all be good.  Each day, month, and year hold unknown things that we all have to go through, but with God as our guide we can rest in Him.

Are you making any New Year’s resolutions?

Psalm 27:1

 

Praying for a blessed year to you!

Love,

Margie

 

Garden

March Garden Chores-The First Week of March

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raised beds in snow
My garden in winter

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot

and the wind blows cold:

When it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens

Ahhh, March…such a mercurial month, but in reality, it is the true beginning of the gardening year.

The warm days tease me to take a walk-about around the gardens to see what is happening, if anything.  And, yes! things are happening already in the garden-tulips and hyacinths popping their heads up, the sedums showing green, unfurling from amongst the leaf mulch, and the fall planted garlic showing in their row.  Others, such as the asparagus and rhubarb, are still asleep, though I look hard for some visible life.  Soon, soon….

We are ,(in my 5-6 gardening zone) 11 to 12 weeks before the average last frost.  

There are things to be done in preparation for the new gardening year, soon to begin in earnest.  While it is still too early to do much outside in the garden, there is much to be done indoors to be well prepared for the soon coming Spring.

The cold winter months are wonderful for perusing the seed catalogs that arrive just after Christmas.  Oh, the dreams of beautiful, weed free gardens….

 

Things to do This Week in the Garden

  • Plan the garden.  Sketch out what will be planted where.  Refer to last years garden journal.
  • Start this years garden journal.
  • Survey your yard-are there any areas that need an update or to be changed?  Make plans now to do this. 
  • Visit a local Spring flower and garden show…..you will be inspired!
  • Check for any garden structures that need attention or replacing.  It is so much easier to replace a trellis now, rather than when it is full of vines!
  • Inventory your past years seeds.
  • Peruse the seed catalogs, and place your seed orders.
  • Plan out your planting schedule for your climate zone.  
  • Purchase and/or prepare the seed starting supplies.
  • Set up a seed starting area.
  • Test your soil if you choose.  (I do not.)
  • Clean out bird nest boxes.  Do it sooner rather than later, as birds do not like to be disturbed once they start nesting.  The birds are already chirping!
  • Clear away the mulch in the beds of early blooming flowers.
  • Do not rush the removal of mulch and cleaning up just yet.
  • Cut back grasses.
  • Finish up the late winter pruning of roses, grapevines, fruit trees, brambles and late summer flowering shrubs.
  • Many pruned branches can be brought indoors and forced for early indoor bloom.
  • As the daylight is getting longer, houseplants will begin putting out new growth.  Give them a ‘shower’, trim back foliage as needed and begin fertilizing.
  • Check on winter stored plants and vegetables.  Care for as needed.
  • Clean the garden tools.
  • Seeds of cool season crops can be started indoors now-celery, leeks, lettuce, onions.
  • If you have a cold frame, you can plant cold hardy seeds, such as radish and spinach and peas.

March-the month of Promise.

Happy gardening!

A joyful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

Faith · Family

What Is A Mother?

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mother and daughter quilting, John Sloan

artist-John Sloan

*

It takes a mother’s LOVE to make a house a home,

A place to be remembered, no matter where we roam-

It takes a mother’s PATIENCE to bring a child up right,

And her COURAGE and her CHEERFULNESS to make a dark day bright-

It takes a mother’s THOUGHTFULNESS to mend the heart’s deep ‘hurts’,

And her SKILL and her ENDURANCE to mend little socks and shirts-

It takes a mother’s KINDNESS to forgive us when we err,

To sympathize in trouble and bow her head in prayer-

It takes a mother’s WISDOM to recognize our needs

And to give us reassurance by her loving words and deeds-

It takes a mother’s ENDLESS FAITH, her CONFIDENCE and TRUST

To guide us through the pitfalls of selfishness and lust-

And that is why in all this world there could not be another

Who could fulfill God’s purpose as completely as a MOTHER!

Helen Steiner Rice

*

Wishing all mothers, of every hue and kind,

a wonderful, blessed Mother’s Day!

*

Proverbs 31:28

Her children arise up, and call her blessed…

 

 

 

Garden

Fridays Flower-Primrose

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Primrose

 

Primrose Stirs, Lifts Up Her Head
Stands Up Tall, On Softened Bed
Resurrected, As Winter Dreams
Primrose Smiles, Or So It Seems

 

Blooming primroses are such a bright, cheery sight in the spring.  They do make my heart smile when I look at them!

Primroses are a perennial plant, coming back every year, making an ever bigger clump.  They grow from fibrous roots.
Primroses bloom in the early spring, sometimes blooming sporadically through the summer.
Do you grow primroses?
*
Matthew 6:20,21
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven….
for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
*
I will be digging and dividing my primroses this late spring/early summer.  The colors that I have are the ones in the photos above-true yellow, and a dark pink with a yellow eye. If anyone would be liking a start of them, just let me know in the comments and I will get it to you!

 

Faith

Easter

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Good Lord’s Day to you!

I wanted to post this song for Easter morning, but as life has a tendency to do, it gets in the way.

Study and testing for my insurance license, remodeling, wallpapering, painting etc, babysitting grandkids…

But I still wanted to post this song.  The message is so good and..

I love the bagpipes in it!  And the Scottish brogue is delightful!

Enjoy.

 

 

Psalm 16:11

In Thy presence is fullness of joy;

in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.

 

Faith

Behold

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Behold

by Joseph L. Smith

Behold the man!

These are the words

That Pilate calmly said

As soldiers placed a crown of thorns

Upon the Savior’s head.

See Him as He stands alone

Among the sons of men

With no defense, without a friend,

No fault they found in Him.

Behold the Lamb!

God’s chosen Lamb

Who came to set us free.

He bore our sins upon the cross.

He died for you and me.

My name is written on His hands,

My sins, upon His soul.

He suffered all the pangs of death

To make the wounded whole.

Behold the King!

His throne, a tree

Outlined against the sky,

As all creation quakes in fear

And angels wonder why.

But, then in might and majesty,

He robs death of it’s sting.

He takes his throne in Heav’n on high,

The Lord of everything!

*

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…