Simple Home Living: 3/29/09

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

4 Kinds of Soil

Jesus lived His life among the poor, the rich, the religious, the wounded, and the wild. He walked from town to town bringing the Good News of the Kingdom into the hearts of hearing people. To him who has an ear . . . let him hear. .

Those Jesus stories are some of my favorites and I especially love the ones where I read him interact with women. I learn and gain an understanding about was important to him – teaching people about the Kingdom of God and how to enter into it. How to love others and do life here on earth - his way - not mine.

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells His disciples eight parables about the Kingdom of God. The first story in this chapter is about a farmer who walks about sowing seed into the soil. Jesus explains to His disciples that the seed is the Good News of the Kingdom. Jesus continues to explain that the seed is sown into four kinds of soil – each representing a kind of heart response.

The first soil represents people who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and just don’t understand it. They don’t “get it.” Nothing.

The second soil represents people who receive the Good News with joy but persecution or problems cause their little bitsy plants to wilt.

The third soil represents people who hear and accept the Good News, but the cares of life and the lure of wealth crowd out the message, so no crop is produced.

The fourth soil represents people whose heart are open and they accept God’s message of hope, abundant life, and they want to know how to follow Jesus by denying themselves and picking up their cross and doing life and relationships His way – not their. The people represented here produce a huge harvest. They have much fruit in their lives. They are disciple-making disciples.

Jesus tells seven more stories in this chapter which all illustrate what the Kingdom of God is about. What soil are you?

Related Posts
1. Tomato Plant
2. Uprooting
3. Seeds

Worm Bins & Fruit Flies

Worms and fruit flies are on my list of "I hate these kinds of things." I'd never in a million years think I'd have a worm compost bin let alone one in my house. It truly gives me the heeby jeebies to think of the crawlers and fliers.

Since gardening, I know how important the soil is - soil is everything (Jesus thought a lot about soil too - He even told His followers a parable about four different soils). Without good soil there can't be much produced (kind of like our lives too).

Everything I've read about gardening point to the need to do some composting and worms are the ticket. I hate worms. Now I love worms (sorta) because of the good they do.

Anyway, these new little critters called fruit flies decided to join the party of worms in the compost bin. Immediately, I cried out for help - posting in my local Phoenix Permaculture Guild. Today, I received this advice from Lisa (an expert worm woman). So, just in case you have fruit flies in your worm bin ( :-) ) try this - it should help.

Here's my fix for fruit flies in an indoor worm bin - so far, I've been able to keep my worms virtually fly-free. I try to control them on all fronts. First - don't let any more get in there. Try to seal off the bin completely, so there are not spaces where new flies can get in.

Ventilation is obviously very important, but you can cover all of the ventilation holes with mesh. As an extra precaution for keeping critters out, I also drape a piece if fabric over the top of my bin, and then put the cover on top of that (since my cover doesn't fit tightly).

So no more flies can get in now. Next you have to deal with the flies that are still in there. They want to lay eggs, so if you cover up all of the food surfaces, they have nothing to lay eggs on. A thin (1") layer of dirt over everything will do it.

I would also wrap up new food with newspaper before you put it in there, so the flies can't get to it. so you've prevented them from laying eggs, but you also probably want them to go away, and not swarm out every time you open the bin.

I'd throw a few sticky traps in there, and that will take care of them pretty fast. (They have sticky traps at ACE that don't have any noxious chemicals in them... just sticky). You will still have the problem of fly larvae that are already in there emerging into adults - so for a while it will seem like the problem has not gone away.... but be patient. The life cycle of a fruit fly is less than 2 weeks, so if you are persistent and do all of the above, they should mostly be gone in about 2 weeks.

Oh, and last thing, make sure that the food that you are putting in there do not have flies on it - so don't leave it out on the counter for a day, or flies will lay eggs on it (stick it in the fridge if you need to store it). Hope this helps! I usually keep my bin the kitchen, and using these methods, flies haven't been a problem...

Let me know how this helps you!

Related Posts
1. Garden Boy Teaches
2. Books for the Organic Heart
3. Fall Garden 08 Update

Tomato Plant

My nice tomato plant.

Suckers growing.
Surprised by them.
Pinch them off.
They drain the life from the fruit.
Like - us.
We get suckers.
They surprise us.
They drain the life from our fruit.
They rob us of good life.
They rob us of reward.
Yes - that's my dirty finger :-)

Monday, April 06, 2009

Squandering Resources

My dad's talked about being green before green was ever really talked about. For years he's subscribed to Mother Earth News and gathered information and plans to fulfill his dream of building a home that was totally self - sustained and seriously energy efficient - one that would be run solely off solar, renewable energy, solar heat collectors and other natural resources.

From Mother Earth News

I remember a few years ago, he'd tell me that we all needed to start living differently and that we (Americans) were consumers with a spirit of entitlement and that we were squandering the natural resources that God gave us to steward. While sitting here in my living room Dad said that there'd come a time when those resources might not be available.

Like never before are those words resonating in my head. Like never before have I been concerned about the reality that those resources might dry up quickly. Like never before, as I look at the world around me and the threats of EMP warfare (which are so very real) and the possible energy tax bill in Congress now am I aware that I must do more in evaluating my own consumerism and sense of entitlement and radically change how I "do life" out of my home front.

One of my radical shifts is cutting way back on electric use through my sun oven. Another radical shift is developing my year long pantry. Another delightful shift is working the garden and learning to find, prepare and eat foods that I can grow from my garden and that which is in it's season. Adding and caring for laying hens to my urban - yard is another shift.

How are you shifting? How do you think you've squandered precious natural resources? What changes are you making?

Related Posts
1. Where Can I Buy a Solar Oven
2. Developing a Year Long Pantry
3. Preparation for Bad Days Ahead

Uprooting

I have two tensions in my love of gardening.

One tension is that when the season changes and I need to uproot or trim back all the plants that are no longer useful or that have turned bitter because this isn't their season - I just don't want to do it. (I wonder if God feels that tension with His people.)

I don't want to pull them out because they look so beautiful. (I wonder if God thinks that same way.)

As beautiful as they look, they're no longer edible - they've become bitter.

For days, I've stared at this lovely Arugula. It's so beautiful and I just didn't want to uproot it's beauty. I also LOVE Arugula for a great salad with goat cheese, pine nuts and slivers of apples.

So, a few weeks ago, while I sat in my garden chair looking at the Arugula, I decided it was time to act.

And, act I did. Stay tuned for my Victory Garden Updates. It's so lovely! Post your garden exploits and come back here to tell about it.

I can't wait to show you more....of my Victory Garden.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Family Song for Mom

Related Posts
1. Celebrating 80 Years
2. Moms 6
3. Michael Ledner Music
4. Bob Ledner Music

Family

The Michael Ledner troupes (MIA- the Griffins)

Sons

Bob , Michael and Art Ledner

Related Posts
1. Celebrating 80 Years
2. Moms 6
3. Michael Ledner Music
4. Bob Ledner Music
5. Family Song for Mom

Moms 6

The lovely lady in the center is the proud Mom of 6. Happy 80th Mom!

Bob Ledner, Michael Ledner, Patty Long, Dorothy Ledner,
Nancy Costanza, Jodi Bunting, Art Ledner

Related Posts
1. Sons
2. Michael Ledner Music
3. Bob Ledner Music
4. One of God's Best

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Tea

Taken while in France last July.

One of God's Best

It's so good to honor good people and today, we're honoring a woman who I'd say is surely one of God's very best. She is my mother -in - law and we're celebrating her 80th birthday. Dorothy Ledner is a tiny, tireless saint who gives and serves and gives and serves. She models a a pretty simple and selfless life and if you need something she has then it becomes yours.

If there were a Mother Theresa Trophy to be won, she'd win it. One of the things I love about her is that she never fails in remembering a birthday or an anniversary of the 50 gazillion kids that are part of legacy she's got following her.

Quoted from the Ben Bell award:
"Even as she approaches 80, she shows no sign of slowing down," Bunting wrote in her nomination. "She has demonstrated the saying 'It is in giving we receive' in a way that I have not seen anywhere else."

Ledner, who will turn 80 next month, said she's always tried to be compassionate and caring, and credits a pivotal time in her life for helping her do so.

She was 34, raising six children age 10 and younger on Long Island, when her husband left. The moment could have broken many people, but Ledner looked around and realized how blessed she was to have such wonderful children — and she knew God would provide for her.

Happy Birthday Mom - Today I honor you and am proud I'm one of your daughters.