Jen Hatmaker

When I retired from teaching school two years ago, I started this little blog.  I think I inherently understood that after spending eight hours a day teaching and interacting with people that there was no way I would be able to go without that daily interaction.  

When I call this a "little blog" I am not exaggerating!  My most loyal reader is my Aunt Ruth, who is in her nineties. (Aunt Ruth you are probably the only ninety year old who knows what a blog is and can find one consistently on your computer- I'm totally impressed!) There are other family members and friends who are kind enough to follow the simple goings on here at Turkey Creek Gardens, a place that is so special to me and James, but this is not a big, fancy operation.

When I started blogging I read that it was good to list other blogs you follow.  Well, I didn't follow any. So I called my youngest sister, as I often do when I want to sound "current" and "hip" and am so obviously not, and asked her what other blogger I should follow.  She immediately recommended Jen Hatmaker.

http://jenhatmaker.com/about.htm

I listed Jen's blog on my home page, but other than reading a few random blog post of hers, I more or less forgot about her.  Then this summer her new book, For The Love, came out and I decided it was time to read some of her work.

I didn't start with For The Love, instead I started with 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess . I had just finished a pretty massive closet clean-out and reorganization effort (see "Tidying Up" 9/10/15) and was feeling weighed down by the excess stuff we have in this house.  The complete title of  7 grabbed my attention. Here is a description of the book from Jen's website:

www.jenhatmaker.com

SEVEN

American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in 

hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home.

 She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an 

undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.

7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months,

 identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day 

diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.

I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Jen is easy to read; honestly and humorously sharing her thoughts and experiences. I came away from this book convinced that I must, can, and want do better with the excess in my life.

I enjoyed 7 so much that I followed it up with For The Love and have rarely laughed so much while reading a book! But as you're laughing, you are being convicted by Jen's simple take on God's requirements of us, and comforted by His promises to us.

www.jenhatmaker.com

FOR THE LOVE

The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first 

with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, 

go to church with, don’t like, don’t understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, 

and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.

Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace,

 truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, For the Love 

leads our generation to reimagine Jesus’ grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny 

yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows 

readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a 

hurting, polarized world.

Here's a favorite quote from each book:

     "As Jesus explained, the right things have to die so the right things can live - we die to

 selfishness, greed, power, accumulation, prestige, and self-preservation giving life to 

community, generosity, compassion, mercy, brotherhood, kindness, and love"  (7)

    

     "The best I offer the world is the truth - my highest gift.  What the world does with it is not 

up to me. I am not in charge of outcomes, opinions, assessments.  I am not in the business of 

damage control." (For the Love) 

I highly recommend both books, but more importantly, my sister, Jamie, does and she's

young, "hip", and "with it"!! :)

Love ya'll,

Shelli 

"Don't try to win over the haters; you're not the jackass whisperer."

Jen Hatmaker 

Sunday Schoolism #22: Never A Time

                                                                                                 

There is never a time when God abandons us, even when we willfully turn away.

                                                                                                    Bill J. Carter

                                                                                                    Adult Bible Studies

                                                                                                    Uniform Series   

No Dig Pallet Fence Update

Well, the no dig pallet fence is finished!

The gate is hung, although in my stubbornness I built a gate that was very heavy.  I was inspired by one we saw at the Dallas Arboretum.

My dad and the Arboretum's gate.

My version

The gate was so heavy that we decided it needed posts to hold it up and help it swing properly, but it is free standing and not attached to the rest of the fence.  I think that a lightweight gate could have been supported by the fence, thus creating a totally post hole free structure.

Next is was time for paint and stain.  I didn't want another white picket fence and my mom suggested white posts with stained pickets. The white posts tie it in with our white house, while the stained pickets give it a fall/winter rustic feel.  Hanging bird houses on the utility pole in the center created a focal point.

James and the dogs helped get soil into the raised beds and fall crops were planted: kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, arugula, cilantro, and Brussels sprouts. Yum!!

DONE and DONE!!!

Love ya'll,

Shelli

It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought. 
~James Douglas

LifeHouse Community Garden

Just past the library, across the street on the right is a sweet little house.  

http://www.lifehouseministriesinc.com/index.php

This house is home to LifeHouse Ministries, directed by Rev. Cathy Brewton.  In its brochure, LifeHouse describes itself as...

   "a nonprofit organization that is centrally located in our Ruston community.  Our focus is on the Spiritual Formation and growth of all people through prayer classes, individual spiritual direction, horticultural therapy, contemplative worship, community meals, spiritual movement classes, and more."

Behind the house is the community garden. The garden was established through a grant from the Lincoln Health Foundation.  

Produce from the garden has been used for community meals that are held the first and third Saturdays of the month.  These meals are offered in partnership with Rosemary's Kitchen, a favorite Ruston  lunch spot.  The meals are held at LifeHouse and are free to the public. 

The Community Garden also provides fresh produce for families in need through a voucher system in conjunction with Christian Community Action. 

God gave us a simple directive; "Love God, Love your neighbor". The Community Garden is just one of the ways LifeHouse Ministries is fulfilling that mission.

Love ya'll,

Shelli

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. 

~Mother Teresa


Never worry about numbers.

 Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.

 ~Mother Teresa

To fold the hands in prayer is well, to open them in charity is better.

 ~French Proverb

Sunday Schoolism #21: The Call to Christian Living

 The real call to Christian living must begin with the premise that love is the basis of all things in Christ and that the most elementary expression of love is taking care of one another.  It is not always about wealth and poverty.  Sometimes it is about the most personal of all possessions: peace of mind.  To help someone through the passages of life by leading them to the love of Christ is the aim of the Christian way.

                                                                                          Bill J. Carter

                                                                                                    Adult Bible Studies

                                                                                                    Uniform Series   

What's A Dog To Do?

What's a dog to do

When he's hanging around with you

And sees there's a leak in your hose

That is sprinkling on his nose?

What's a dog to do

When the sprinkle becomes a puddle

All shiny, wet, and big

That calls out to him.... dig, dig, DIG?!!

What's a dog to do

Now the puddle's turned into a hole

Filled with muddy water sublime

But to lie down and rest for a time.....

Love ya'll,

Shelli

Labradors [are] lousy watchdogs. They usually bark when there is a stranger about, but it is an expression of unmitigated joy at the chance to meet somebody new, not a warning. ~Norman Strung

Spring Is In The Air

Gardening keeps you close to nature.  Gardeners become partners with Mother Nature as she steadfastly moves through the seasons of the year.  Working with her on these cool September mornings, you can’t help but detect the subtle shift in the slant of the sunlight, the slow departure of summer’s haze from the sky, and the gradual drain of green from leaves that will soon display dazzling fall colors.

W.E. Johns says, “One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.” Anticipating the crisp frosts of the fall garden full of spinach, cabbage, and collards leads to thoughts of the winter garden sleeping under the crunch of ice and snow which flows into the anticipation of spring bulbs pushing through the soil to herald in the return of glorious spring! But every gardener knows that if you want delightful spring bulbs to pull you from the winter doldrums, you must order and plant them in the fall!! That’s what we’re going to talk about today…

Daffodils are a favorite spring bulb.  Their sunny blooms come in a variety of colors and shapes.  Once planted, daffodils should return each year and multiply in number, but only if you plant the varieties suited for the southern garden.   Ice Follies, Fortune, Carlton, and Gigantic Star are good big-flowered varieties.  Small –flowered varieties Trevithian, Peeping Tom, and Professor Einstein are also good choices.  Daffodils are also deer resistant. Order your daffodils now for planting in October and November.

Tulips and hyacinths are bulbs that must be refrigerated for at least 6 – 8 weeks before planting.  Store these bulbs in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator by the end of October and they will be ready to plant in late December or early January. 

Daffodils and tulips are considered major bulbs, but there are many minor bulbs that can add color and variety to your spring and summer garden.  Carolyn Sutton gave an informative presentation to the North Central Louisiana Master Gardeners on these less known gems of the gardening world.  She recommended the following:

Blue star/Spring star (Ipheion uniflorum) - grass like foliage with blue flowers; can

                                 be planted in grassy areas because it can be mowed through the

                                 summer

Spanish bluebells (Hyancithoides hispanica) - another blue for the garden; tolerates shade

Anemones – excellent cut flower, Mr. Fokker (blue), Bride (white) recommended

Byzantine gladioli (gladiolus byzantinus) – stunning magenta color

Ranunculus – variety of warm colors; orange, yellow, red

Magic Lily (Lycoris squamigeria) – pale pink, blooms in July; aka naked lady or resurrection lily

Snowflake (Leucojuna vernum) – little white bells on dark green foliage, likes wet soil

Allium (Allium ampeloprasum) – same family as garlic and onions, big purple balls on top of tall stems, deer resistant

There are many good online sources for ordering bulbs such as:

               Brent and Becky's Bulbs www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com

               McClure and Zimmerman  www.mzbulb.com

               Old House Garden www.oldhousegardens.com

               Southern Bulb Company  www.southernbulbs.com

               Terra Ceia Farms www.terraceirafarms.com

                

            

Most bulbs require a sunny location with well drained soil.  Bulbs make a great showing when planted in pots, too.  A rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth that is three times the width of the bulb.

So spring really is “in the air” when you anticipate the enjoyment of spring bulbs planted in the fall!

For pictures of the bulbs mentioned in this article go to www.growingbranchesq.blogspot.com or visit North Central Louisiana Master Gardeners on Facebook.

   

Minor Bulbs

     Fall is right around the corner and that means it is time to plant bulbs that will bring you out of your winter doldrums next year. You know what I mean.... in February when you have had all the cold, wet, dreary days you can handle and you are about to lose your mind, but suddenly you look out the window and see the green foliage of daffodils and tulips sticking out of the ground and your spirit soars because spring is coming and all will be well with the world!!!!

But every gardener knows that if you want delightful spring bulbs to pull you from the winter doldrums, you must order and plant them in the fall!! 

Daffodils are a favorite spring bulb.  Their sunny blooms come in a variety of colors and shapes.  Once planted, daffodils should return each year and multiply in number, but only if you plant the varieties suited for the southern garden.   Ice Follies, Fortune, Carlton, and Gigantic Star are good big-flowered varieties.  Small –flowered varieties Trevithian, Peeping Tom, and Professor Einstein are also good choices.  Daffodils are also deer resistant. Order your daffodils now for planting in October and November.

Tulips and hyacinths are bulbs that must be refrigerated for at least 6 – 8 weeks before planting.  Store these bulbs in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator by the end of October and they will be ready to plant in late December or early January.  

 Minor bulbs are any bulb that is not a tulip or a trumpet daffodil. I had no idea there were so many for a Louisiana gardener to choose from! Here are my notes from an informative Master Gardener presentation on minor bulbs given by Carolyn Sutton:


* Ipheion uniflorum - grass like foliage with blue flowers (aka blue star or spring star) can
                                 be planted in grassy areas because it can be mowed through the
                                 summer

www.highcountrygardens.com

* Byzantine gladioli - magenta color; get top heavy 

www.99roots.com

* Spanish bluebells - another blue for the garden; tolerate shade

www.opalexplorenature.org

* anemone - need good drainage; finicky;  Mr. Fokker (blue), Bride (white)


excepdeli.blogspot.com

* ranunculus - not as finicky as anemone; yellows

www.flowerbulbsinc.co.uk

*lycoris squamigeria - aka magic lily, naked lady, resurrection lily (blooms in July)

en.wikipedia.org

* snowflakes (Leucojuna vernum) - little white bells, good multiplier, likes wet soil

www.bloomingbulbs.com

*allium - round ball blooms on tall spikes, from the onion and garlic family deer resistant

www.brecks.com

Recommended books:

Perennial Garden Color by William Welch

Garden Bulbs of the South by Scott Ogden

Recommended Bulb Catalogs:

Southern Bulb Company    www.southernbulbs.com 

Old House Garden     www.oldhousegardens.com

Brent and Becky's Bulbs   www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com

Love ya'll, Shelli

Sunday Schoolism #20: Interpersonal Relationships

Giving to support the physical needs of others is not a political statement here.  Instead, it was the practice of human kindness, an aspect of love, at the heart of the Christian faith.  Jesus recommended it as the proper way to conduct interpersonal relationships.

                                                                                                    Bill J. Carter

                                                                                                    Adult Bible Studies

                                                                                                    Uniform Series     

Tidying Up

When James and I moved to Turkey Creek six years ago, there was no garden.  There was just a thirty-five year old, out dated house and one and a half acres.  I was trying to fulfill the idea put forth in this 1666 quote by Abraham Cowley, "I never had any other desire so strong, and so like to covetousness, as that one which I have had always, that I might be master at last of a small house and a large Garden."

Building the garden was easy (Thank you, James!!), and getting the house shaped up wasn't too hard. But no home has enough storage, and ours was no exception. At least that's what I thought until I read The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. 

Katherine loaned me her copy and it totally changed the way I had this house and all our junk organized!  

For instance, there are three luxurious, long shelves in a nice cabinet over the potty in our guest bathroom.  They offer tons of space, but they had been empty since we moved in six years ago!!  Well, not totally empty; I kept three or four rolls of toilet tissue in them.  But in this sweet little book, subtitled the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing, Marie explained that it is not what room the storage space is in that determines what is stored there (Chapter 4: Storing Your Things to Make Your Life Shine); it is only the category of materials that matter (Chapter 3: Tidying By Category works Like Magic).  

So I crawled under my bed and pulled out the ridiculously heavy storage bin that contained all of my art supplies, culled dried up brushes and paint (Chapter. 2: Finish Discarding First) and neatly stored it all above the potty.  The paint is now arranged by color, the brushes by size, and the pallet knives are all together for the first time. Woo-hoo!!!

In the cabinet beneath the guest towels, now resides my sewing machine with thread, scissors, and other sewing sundries neatly organized in bins. Again this space had been empty for six years because I didn't think sewing machines in the bathroom made sense, so I kept it in an overcrowed hall closet with candles, flower vases, photo albums, silk flowers, seasonal knick knacks, etc. - as if that big conglomeration made any more sense.  Now my hall closet isn't crowded and neither is my psyche!

No wonder this little gem of a book has been on the New York Times Best Seller List and has sold over 2 million copies. 

Thank you, Katherine!!

Love ya'll,

Shelli

Do other people, I wonder, find the same keen pleasure that I do

 in periodically undertaking a pilgrimage all over the house to wage a war of extermination upon its accumulations of rubbish?

 ~Chiffon

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance. 

~Erma Bombeck

Four Special Days

In the 365.25 days that it takes our planet to revolve once around the sun, there are four special days that stand out.  These days are unique due to the fact that Earth is tilted on its axis 23.5 degrees.  This tilt causes the sun's light to hit our planet differently at different times of the year creating these four special days.

The Autumnal Equinox is one of two days during the year when the number of daylight hours approximately equals the number of nighttime hours.  The name "equinox" comes from the Latin word aequus which means equal. This special day occurs this year on September 23 and is also known as the first day of fall.  On the Autumnal Equinox the sun's arc reaches its highest point in the sky, but from this point forward its arc will begin to shift to the South. The sun will rise later in the morning and set earlier in the evening. Fewer hours of sunlight and its less direct trajectory, coupled with strengthening of the jet streams will begin to bring cooler weather to our little spot on Earth.  Yay!!

The Vernal Equinox is the only other day during the year on which the daylight and nighttime hours are approximately equal. The Latin term vernalis means "of the spring" causing this special day to also be called the Spring Equinox or the first day of spring.  Again, the sun's arc will reach its highest zenith in the sky.  This, in turn, will cause the sun to rise and set at its truest east and west locations.  This is a good time to locate true east at west in your yard.  From the Vernal Equinox forward, the sun's arc will begin to lean to the north.  The sun will rise earlier and set later creating longer hours of sunlight that, coupled with weaker jet streams, will bring summer weather into our area.  The Vernal Equinox will occur on March 20 in 2016.

Between the Autumnal Equinox and the Vernal Equinox comes the Winter Solstice.  The term solstice comes from two Latin words, sol meaning "sun" and sistere meaning "to stand still".  This is the day when the arc of the sun stops its march toward the south (stands still), and begins to move back to center.  This is also the day with the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night of the year.  Because we are receiving so few hours of sunlight, it gets cold and we call this season winter.  The Winter Solstice will occur on December 22.

The final special day is the Summer Solstice.  Occurring next year on June 20th, the Summer Solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year.  It also marks the day the sun's arc quits marching north and turns back toward center.  Receiving many hours of sunlight during this season really heats things up and we call this season summer.

Of course, since our planet is spherical, the southern hemisphere's seasonal changes are opposite ours and the exact date of these four special days varies according to time zone.

The ever changing, yet unchanging, seasons of the year create anticipation of what's to come while  comforting us with the reliable rhythm of life.  Let's be thankful for each day.

Love ya'll,

Shelli

The seasons are what a symphony ought to be:

 four perfect movements in harmony with each other.

 ~Arthur Rubinstein