Raising Fishermen

GARDEN REPORT - Garden #2 is Ready!

2012-02-14T08:42:00.002-05:00

by Robin

I thought I had been keeping the blog up-to-date on my progress but I guess I did that over at Facebook instead. So, here is a quick glance, mostly with pictures, at what's been going on the past couple weeks. I had planned on taking the whole month of February to prepare ground & install the drip irrigation but spring looks like it will be very early for us and so I'd like to take advantage of that time and get seeds in the ground sooner.

Andrew and I installed the irrigation lines one afternoon that he finished up school quickly. Another day, we disassembled an old chicken coop that was sitting for the past 3 yrs. The wire was still tied together but we freed up the posts quickly and drove them down.

You can see the flow of water going through the lines. You can believe that after a couple hard days of bending over, pulling, getting cut up by chicken wire and hammering, I needed some rest. By the way, the reason why I have double lines on that bottom row is because those lines were pre-drilled with 18" distance between the drip spouts. For spinach, I wanted to grow that closer at 9", so doubled it. As it turned out, I ended up drilling some holes in the other lines because I wanted my snap peas closer too.

Before I leave the above picture, let me mention that this picture was taken before I could get to the hardward store and pick up more miscellaneous parts, like those little figure 8, end-of-the-hose clamps. So, you get to see Jack's green clamps in the above picture.

This weekend, it took 2 days to pull apart all that chicken wire and see what I had to work with. One piece (on the right) was fully intact and it hung up there perfectly. Jack thought we may need a center post for support when the plants got heavy. I think he's right, so that was added.

The 2nd trellis (on left) was a combination of 2 pieces from the coop. It also had a hole in it from where the chicken door was, but that will be covered up by green growth in no time. Looks like I need a few more posts to put in another trellis.

We decided to try certain plants that did well with verticle growth to make the most of our space. The right trellis has Sugar Snap Peas. The trellis on the left will eventually have cucumbers & squash. I haven't decided if I'm going to make 1 solid row of those two or a single row of each.

Above, you can see what has been planted so far. (used an old pic of the full garden but just know the trellis are there now)

And then I have this oddball picture that I wanted to share. Last fall, the kids were being grounded from electronics and so I had them do all my "seeding" on the corner of the porch. We pulled tons of seed off of old dead plants and saved them for future plantings. Funny thing is, they must have dropped a bunch of cilantro seed and some of it fell in the cracks. Now, I have some awesome cilantro growing in the most unusual place! I have even taken cuttings from it. It also makes a nice bug repellant for when we're sitting in those chairs.

In the blue bowl on the left, it a pineapple that needs planting. I'm up to 5 pineapple plants now.
In the white bowl, water run-off caught from the bottom of the staghorn plant. I try to recycle rainwater whenever possible. It's so much easier than grabbing the hose to water the couple of potted plants on the porch. My biggest worry with that is making sure mosquitos don't begin to grow there.

Tomorrow, we go off to hydroponics class #2. I will have to blog up pictures of that class. We are planting seeds! Lettuce, to be exact.

God bless & Happy Gardening.
Robin

SEEDS

2012-02-07T11:29:00.003-05:00

by Robin

I ordered seeds from Burpee!!

Normally, I go to the local fix-it store or WalMart to get my seeds & seedlings, but I had such an awful past couple experiences with Jalapenos being mealy, non-producers (last year) and my bell peppers seedlings fizzled before they barely got going. The years before, I had great production from seed, so I wanted to stay away from the Bonnie products. I also wanted to explore the idea of high-producers, heirlooms and exclusive varieties.

I didn't bother to cut/paste Burpee's pictures but here is a list of what I bought, in no particular order.

* Kale, Red Russian (heirloom). Starts green and turns purple in cold weather, which won't be happening here. Good flavor.

* Cucumbers, Sweet Burpless Hybrid. High yields!!

* Spinach - Dark green & upright. (Going to try this now that I have the new garden, different soil & more irrigation than previous years.

* Squash, Summer sunray Hybrid. Beautiful straightneck with buttery color.

* Sugar Snap peas. All-American winner.

* Jalapenos, med-hot peppers. Thick-walled, 3" long, 1" wide. Should make great poppers! My goal was to find the least hot.

* Porterhouse Tomato Hybrid - Greatest x-lrg tomato they breed. 1-2 lbs!!!

* Black Krim Tomato - Heirloom, med-size, bred for rich flavor.

* Big Mama Tomato Hybrid - Enormous Roma, great flavor, made for making sauces & pastes.

* Sweet Bell Peppers - Carnival mix. Used this before and loved it.

Of course, I still will have my regular characters in the main garden. My hurricane cherry tomatos, the Big Ugly, ? Walmart big tomato - the will all be producing well in no time.

I will be planting more sunflowers too. I'm going on my 4th year of this in order to attract bees to my area. Sunflowers are great companion plants to the cucumbers & squash because they bring the bees into the area for pollination.

When I first moved here and began gardening, I couldn't pursuade a bee to visit my veggies. I had to hand pollinate with a q-tip. It will be very interesting to see if I have made progress with luring the honey bees in. It also seems that my purple heather & thai basil bushes are keeping the bees happy through the winter.

God bless & Happy Gardening!

HARVEST

2012-02-02T19:10:00.004-05:00

by Robin

Had a good harvest today in the garden.

We are eating broccoli weekly and even when I think I've picked it all, it grows right back like a weed. We were fortunate to have our first cauliflower come due today. The pictures does not do it justice. I have another small one that is developing, too.

My overall cauliflower production will be poor because I had some problems with those worms that eat the roots. (root maggots?) I may have only 4 or 5 left. Next year.... we'll kick butt.

My big tomato plant died for no good reason. Oh wait,... I know, it wasn't on the drip irrigation line and we've had no rain in what seems like months. These were ripening and so we'll enjoy them. However, I do have new big tomato plants that are growing in pots, under the drip irrigation. I think I saw buds developing on them. I want so badly to put them in the ground but am unsure if we're done with freezes or not. This weather is so beautiful. The plants are very confused.

My cherry tomato plants are producing like crazy. I have several ripe every day. This is just not normal for February. BUT, I will not complain. I prayed for God to spare my tomatoes this winter so I could have a HUGE production in the spring. I think my prayers have been answered.

I hope to install the 2nd irrigation system (fully) tomorrow afternoon. I have been "baking" nematodes for 2 wks and so it is ready any time now for tilling, irrigation and then seeds. I'm beyond excited at what this year will bring! I want to have plenty to put up in jars.

On a separate note (pun intended), I had my 2nd violin lesson this week. We had our Fiddler's Guild today. On Saturday, the kids go to a Historic village to play & work for tips. Two of them have upcoming ministry trips. Must. Earn. Cash!

All else is well on the home front. Schooling is booking along (I'm just filled with puns today!) Before long, it will be time for Spring Break, testing and then the last days of school. Yeah. Spring just flies by.

God bless,

Robin

FLYBYs

2012-01-27T16:07:00.002-05:00

by Robin

We encountered so many flybys on Thursday. I thought I'd make a post about them.

First, we flew by the sunrise as we drove down to the first beach. I could have kicked myself for not being on the beach and catching this one coming up over the ocean. Could have made a million bucks in copyright sales!

I didn't take ANY pictures at the first beach we surf fished at. Didn't even take a single picture of my whiting. But, by the time friends arrived, they played, we had lunch and moved to a 2nd, flatter beach, I thought to pick up my camera.

We had numerous skim-bys or flybys on boards. I think I make them nervous. Every time I put the camera away, they'd have these fantastic long stretches of beach covered in a single opportunities. Camera back out; lots of falls & short runs. Oh well. Some things are not meant to be.

But then, we couldn't help but notice that we were getting buzzed by the Air Force. Whatever these are, they were doing flyby exercises, AKA touch-n-go's.

I thought about tricking strangers to my blog and claiming this was a tragic accident in the making.

Afterall, it looks like some of those disaster videoes where airliners don't make the runways and ditch in the ocean.

It makes even the locals stop & take notice. It is literally "beach, 2-lane road, base & runway, river" all in a very small strip of land. I would think that a pilot would really be nervous the first dozen tries at this, but then, it would become such a great memory too.

And then for out last flyby, we had a jelly "touchdown" on Simon Peter's foot. My kids were barely in the water. It just goes to show you that nobody is immune to jellyfish stings, even in January. We've had our share of jellyfish this year on our beaches. We manage to dodge them all year, until now.

Well, if you're going to live by the ocean, these are the things that you have to get used to flying by. Sunrises, kids, planes & jellyfish. They don't seem like likely bedfellows, but on Thursday, they were.

God bless & don't forget to get out to vote on Tuesday my fellow Floridians.

Robin
Robin

SKIMBOARDING in JANUARY

2012-01-27T13:11:00.002-05:00

by Robin

Yes, that's right! Not snowboarding, but skimboarding. We have had a string of gorgous days in the low 80's. So, we planned over the weekend, to double-school on Wednesday and then take Thursday off. Friday, it was suppose to turn rainy, windy & cooler.

That's what we did!

Another family joined us in our plans. Sometimes we Moms need to get out of the house too and enjoy some surf fishing. I have found my fishing-homeschooling mom-music counterpart!! Even though we hardly catch a thing, we enjoy each other's company and the kids get along so well.

Oh, and I'm so thankful that pre-dawn trips to the beach, handling bait and getting wind-blown hair are all OK with her.

I would show you more pics of our day, but I don't have permission to put her kids up here publically.

God bless!
Robin

GARDENS & DRIP IRRIGATION

2012-01-22T19:27:00.002-05:00

by Robin

My sons and I put another few layers of manure on the new garden. Yeah!! Then, today, I treated myself to 150 ft of new drip irrigation lines. I took apart our former chicken coop on Saturday and will use that wire & posts to make into climbing fences for the beans, cucumbers & squash.

We're in for sunny, 79 deg days all week. This will be an awesome side project kinda week.

God bless!

SURF FISHING

2012-01-15T07:07:00.000-05:00

by Robin

I forgot to blog that over a week ago, we went surf fishing with friends of ours. We do the Fiddler's Guild with them. We were saying earlier about how the kids needed to have time to hang out together. We did many performances in December and many of the kids received instruments as holiday gifts. So, they were obviously all wanting to talk instead of play their instruments.

Then, I mentioned something about getting home early to prepare for surf fishing the next day. Little did I know, but one of the other moms is a HUGE fan of surf fishing. Well, it took about all of 2 seconds to commit & form a plan. By 6:10 a.m., my friend and I were on the phone with a more definite location. (That's a true friend who will get up at 6 am to hang out with you!)

Anyhow, the sunrise was gorgeous, as always in Florida! Temps were cool in the morning, but it took no time for the temps to rise.

The boys looked for sandfleas.

The seagulls were having their first cup of coffee.

"D" and I were set up & ready to go!

She caught the first and ONLY fish of the day. This is a bluefish. I felt so awful for her because the fish bit her and she bled profusely over it. I don't know why I didn't use my brain and help her get the fish off. It's not that she isn't competent. I call it, "Early-Morning Brain fog." She was on meds that made it harder for her blog to clot and so it was unfortunate that the whole thing happened.

It is highly unlikely to get skunked like that on an early morning surf. I can only blame that (possibly) fish like the incoming tide and ours was an outgoing tide the entire morning.

Well, there is nothing like a beautiful day on the beach, enjoying the company of good friends.

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~Henry David Thoreau

GARDEN REPORT - New Garden!!

2012-01-14T14:35:00.002-05:00

... some assembly required.

by Robin

You'll have to forgive me if I have strange typos or dangling participals in this blog. My fingers are numb, my arms are like jello and my brain is exhausted. You see, for two weekends now, we've been working on a new garden.

We were so very excited to be eating our homegrown broccoli on a weekly basis.

It's not a beautiful garden, but it did manage to survive the first round of freezing temps. My okra stopped producing, so they are gone. The beans are long gone too. But the broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, herbs and tomato plants are still there. I brought some inside for the freeze and others were covered with a plastic tarp.

We women have to be very careful how we approach our husband when requesting to tear up our yard. We had a garden in this spot before and Jack had requested that we let the gravesite (as he loves to call it) to grow over with grass. I complied. However, with inflation beginning to take it's toll on our grocery bill, it gave us more reason to reconsider our plot of grass.

What is so important about grass? It's attractive, yes. But, there is so much upkeep over grass. Watering. Fertilizing. Mowing. I do think it is a bit overrated. (Especially in 90+ deg heat)

So, I presented my idea to Jack to go all-out in that sunny corner of the yard with a new garden. I didn't even have to bat an eyelash and he was game for it. As soon as we came home from church, we put on work clothes. He smoked a turkey while we all took turns with the tiller & then many times of raking out the dead grass to see where we still needed to till.

I have to say, we were mighty pleased with our progress. Me and Simon Peter (yes, yes... I know, my grammar stinks here) took off to the local home improvement store and we bought 10 bags of topsoil. As you can see, it didn't go very far. Looks slightly darker, but honestly, didn't put a dent in what I wanted to accomplish.

A week later, I was networking with the local Urban Hillbilly and she tells me that her raised beds are 100% horse manure. What? Well, that sounds so very easy compared to months & months & months of composting. I had already put a bunch of fish bodies in holes in the garden, but that was going to be labor intensive for minimal fertilizer. So.... I decided to head out to the local horse farms.

On my first (& only stop since I was so blessed) stop, I was able to score a number to the owner and she was readily agreeable to letting me have some of their manure. Thank you Ms. Horse lady!!!

Bright & early this morning (about 10 am), I loaded up the boys (i.e. free labor) and we headed off with 2 big tubs, 2 recycle bins and 2 shovels. We made friends with the horses, the barn kitty and went to work.

We put four SUV loads (of 4 bins each time) into the new Garden (#2). As you can see, we barely made a dent in this hill. It didn't smell bad either (IMO), although my youngest may find that debatable.

And went back for a 5th load of manure for the original garden (#1). I dumped the recycle bins into it right away and am holding onto the other 2 tubs, full of poo, for the spring planting. Garden #2 is now a few inches deep of pure horse manure (straw & some dirt). It is getting a slight raised-up look.

I do hope that in a month, when my fingers & arms have recovered, I can go back and get another couple/few loads right before I plant. I'm interested in seeing if I can get spinach & lettuce to grow in the better soil. Heaven knows that it doesn't like the sandy soil that God gave us here in Florida. Plus, we will be installing another drip irrigation system for this garden. I hope to have amazing results this year.

Thanks for following me through this super-poopy post. Hope it didn't stink (LOL).

God bless America!
Robin

19 YEARS!

2012-01-02T20:25:00.001-05:00

by Robin

Today is our anniversary. Quiet day but nothing matters except that I am with him.

Jack, you're my everything.

Love you.
Me.

CRANBERRY JAM

2011-12-28T15:27:00.002-05:00

by Robin

I want to thank my friend, Megan, who trusted me with her family recipe. (She used to be our babysitter many years ago and now, has gone on to be a mom of 3.) I absolutely salivated when I heard that she was making Cranberry jam in November. I had to give it a try, myself.

Bring to a boil AGAIN. Then, stir in your Sure-Jell liquid and stir for 1 minute at a rapid boil. Then, remove from heat.

Pour into your sterile jars & seal. This is where I took a different turn than her recipe. She didn't say anything about the boiling method. I think they made enough to let sit, cool and eat in a short time frame or keep in the frig. For me, I wanted my jam to be up on the shelves for several months, so I used my regular canning method for preserving it.

This batch, I boiled for 12-15 minutes, fully, under water. All 8 seem to make a good vacuum seal. Yeah!

I'll probably be making strawberry jam next month.

Oh, before I forget to mention it, this huge pot (above) is a family heirloom. My parents brought it down to me at Thanksgiving time. It was my Great-grandmother's pot. I also inherited her pressure-cooker canner (for low-acid canning). I can't wait to use it for next year's veggies.

God bless!
Happy New Year,
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Christmas Morning

2011-12-28T15:21:00.002-05:00

by Robin

In no particular order.....

I love that we had a "no batteries" type of Christmas.

God bless & Merry Christmas everyone.
Robin

GARDEN REPORT - Pre-Christmas

2011-12-15T09:24:00.002-05:00

by Robin

So far, it has been a very good winter for the garden. Temps have stayed mild, the drip irrigation system works wonders, and I've had very little disease or bug invasion.

We've eaten 3 heads of Broccoli. I did lose 3 plants to root maggots, but seemed to have stopped the damage with a lot of ashes dumped on the plants & ground, then watered it in. I don't know the exact science behind it, but I think it has to do with suffocating the oxygen or empty space to crawl for the maggot. You can also do this by stomping the ground around the plant, but I did not do that.

Here are 2 of the heads.

We eaten lots of okra, jalapenos, beans & herbs. I've made some nice veggie soup recently. Here are my string beans on the vine. They are doing very well. I had trouble back in early fall with getting many of them to seedling stage. I did 2 plantings and only a handful or so took. I think I have a mole or something eating the seeds from below. When I tilled up the ground, the seeds weren't even there. Oh well.

I did plant many tomatoes and some came up on their own. I have a nice couple of big tomato plants, approx 1 ft high, that I propagated from seed saved from the original tomatoes. Ugly Ripe does well around here and so does this one particular, no-name, variety from WalMart. So, they probably won't produce this winter, but if I can get them to survive the winter, I should have a pretty bunch of tomatoes. I do have one large tomato plant, leftover from spring/summer and it has 3 tomatoes growing on it. Maybe they will be ready in a couple more weeks.

(Cherry plants below)

I also have many cherry tomato plants. A few of them have babies growing. Many of my seedlings are doing well in pots, so those will come in for the freezes. I'm hoping and praying to have a mild winter in order to have an awesome spring of tomatoes. I've got my canning supplies all ready so I can put up a lot of food.

Thyme & chocolate peppermint are fading, but flat-leaf parsley, sweet basil, lemon basil, oregano, & rosemary are doing very well. My biggest problem is that I need more ground. My garden never seems big enough. It supplements our meals, but isn't enough to feed us. One day.... One day....

God bless!
Robin

UMMM? Are feathers healthy?

2011-12-14T19:54:00.002-05:00

by Robin

Simon Peter found a feather on his chicken wing.

In case this one doesn't go through, I'm going to post up another picture of my string beans. These were picked last week. Love that they're so long & taste good. The purple ones were good too, but I think I like the green ones better.

God bless!

BARBERVILLE

2011-11-09T12:38:00.003-05:00

by Robin

Here is our group, the Fiddlin' Krickets!!!!!!!

(Another Mom took these first 2 pics, but I played w/ them on Picnik editing.)

I am very grateful to this lady who runs the Guild with the patience of Job.

Ms. Kricket

The Fedora crowd

The boys played a duet for the 3rd piece.

It is amazing to me because many of these kids play 2 or 3 instruments.

We have awesome fiddlers. Here is one of them. I captured a silhouette of him in the Barn venue. I hope his mom frames this.

Here is our 3 advance players. AWESOME!! TALENTED!!! The 2 on the right are a brother/sister team. Did I mention how awesome they were? I have video of the 3 of them flying on their fiddles. They packed the barn and then brought down the house!! They were on fire! And I have to add that this group of kids has a big heart for Jesus. Ms Kricket prays with them, for them and for unity in the group. I think it shows when they perform.

God bless!
Robin

PS: We're off to Legoland soon!

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

2011-10-27T12:12:00.002-04:00

by Robin

Each year, KSC has an appreciation day for those of us who live in the county. The boys and I love to attend this. Some years, we get to have friends join us, but this year, it was just us.

This year, our focus was taking the bus tour out to the observation tower and the Apollo/Saturn V center. That takes approximately 3 hrs if you attend many of the movies, presentations and read some of the placards.

Here we are at the Launch Complex 39 Observation gantry, the first stop on the tour.

Launch Pad B is totally gone. So sad. At least we still have A.

There is an amazing 360 deg view of the entire area, including launch pads, crawlerway, Vehicle Assemble Building and the National Wildlife Refuge.

On the way down the steps, I made sure I got a picture of me with my engineer wanna-be son. I hope that one day, this hangs in his fancy corner office. (I have no idea why I'm sporting a Hunchback of Notre Dame look. It's Jack's coat.)

From there, we went to our 2nd stop, the Apollo/ Saturn V Center. This is also where the VIP viewing area is. It sits approx 3 miles from Launch Pad 39A & B.

Don't miss this. You will want to see the 363 ft moon rocket and how it is broken down into sections. Can you believe, I had to wait in line to get this photo!! It's definitely a photo hot spot.

Here is the Firing Room Theater, which recreates the Apollo launch!! These are the actual desks, chairs, screens that were used in back in 1968.

When the rocket launches, the whole room shakes and the windows behind you glow and rattle. It's like they're going to break!

It is definitely Andrew's favorite part of the tour.

Then, the final movie to catch is in the Lunar Theater, which depicts the first moon landing. Lots of original footage, which is great for history buffs. I have to say, I shed a tear. Call me sentimental.

I took a couple pictures but you will have to experience it for yourself.

Wait.... what?? How did those ghosts get in there?

What?? a comet? How did that happen?

Goodness gracious!! Is that the light at the end of the tunnel or the Hallmark angel appearing....

I guess it was the Hallmark angel. It decided to decorate the moon for Thanksgiving. Whew! At least the ghosts are gone.

Hope you enjoyed my little series of pictures. I am so blessed to be near so many smart people who have blessed our country. They inspire me. And I think they have inspired my kids to reach for the stars.

God bless America!
Robin

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-10-22T16:50:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I'm not sure there is any theme in these pictures, except to say that life is full, busy and ever-changing.

I started off the week with getting a mammogram. It seemed like everywhere I turned there were little pink ribbons everywhere. They were even on my eggs, so I took a picture of them. I am so blessed to say that I am free from any suspicious cells & masses. Yeah.

We had been practicing hard for our bluegrass band. First, our main practice was cancelled. So, we were suppose to have an informal practice with 2 friends who were still in town. Sadly, their home was broken into that morning. I can't imagine how their world turned upside-down in a matter of hours.

By Friday, it was Brevard Co resident's "Appreciation Day" at Kennedy Space Center. Donating canned goods and showing a resident driver's license will get you in the door. We try to take advantage of this every year. The past couple years, I purposely don't even bring a wallet. (It prevents begging.) We head out in the morning after a big breakfast and go until our stomachs can't last any longer.

This year, we opted to do the 3 hr bus tour. LOVE IT! I learn something new every time I'm there.

My boys have truly gotten into reading all the placards. I will have more pictures next week, but for now, here are some teasers.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that tears came to my eyes a couple times as I'd watch the old video feed about the shuttle. I am still sad about the whole program closing down. And a touch of my sadness is the losing of many friends that I have known & loved for many years. I found out that another home school family (friends) are moving to AZ. We had just gotten together a couple months ago and I thought they were safe from the pink slips. It just goes to show you how nobody was safe from the proverbial axe.

Have a blessed weekend.
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - OCT garden

2011-10-19T15:08:00.002-04:00

by Robin

BEAUTIFUL SUNSET

2011-10-17T20:32:00.002-04:00

by Robin

Last night, Jack was look at some leak on my car and I came out to join him. In seconds, the sky seemed to glow orange. I looked up and WOW.... magnificient!!! I jumped out of my chair to run into the house & grab my camera.

This is what I captured on film ....er....digital memory.

This first one has no touch-ups on it AT ALL!!! Simply downsized & framed.

This one had a small adjustment because the orange glow between the trees gave my computer a fit. It really had no idea how to translate all that orange-pink-yellow.

I hope to see a million more like this when I'm in heaven.

Blessings,
Robin

GRIMALDI'S CANDIES TOUR

2011-10-15T11:01:00.003-04:00

by Robin

Our homeschool group has been organizing small field trips to the candy shop. I absolutely loved it the minute I walked in the door and smelled sugar in the air. First thing, we all had to wear hats. With my wild & crazy hair, I figured it was best to braid it all and tuck it into a ball cap. I do not want anybody getting a chocolate with 2 ft+ of hair in it. LOL.

Here are the warming vats.

The product they were making today were the chocolate-covered citrus rinds. We were explained the process, which I found fascinating. Nothing goes to waste. Unused parts of the fruit go to the local zoo for the animals to eat.

Who wouldn't want an industrial-size kitchen with large mixers? Renee, I thought of your family when in here. WOW, it was super organized.

These are the big bins filled with the ingredients they were using that day/week. I don't know why this makes me happy. Maybe I'm a baker at heart.

Instead of measuring things out in cups, it is measured in pounds. I love this old Toledo scale.

Here was another favorite - HUGE copper kettle. It catches your eye first amongst everything else in the room.

I'm trying to figure out how in the world I could put something like this in my non-industrial size kitchen. Very clever.

After the tour, there is the gift shop where you can buy all sorts of goodies. Who wouldn't want a chocolate shuttle?

Yum!!

This is their biggest seller.... and don't think one of them didn't come home with me!

Here is what I loved most of ALL the things I heard there. 100% of the profits go to Viera Water Network, which is a missionary project to 'bring clean water for life and living water for eternal life.' I did not know that when we got there, but it welled up my eyes to see the greater vision. VWN is in several countries right now. Coincidentally, they partner with another missions group that I have partnered with in Zambia. What a small world!!!!

If you're interested in supporting http://www.vierawaternetwork.com/ , please feel free to use this link.

If you're interested in ordering Grimaldi Candies, http://www.grimaldicandies.com/, for yourself or as a gift for the holidays, please use this other link. They ship anywhere. Their chocolate is very, very smooth - not waxy at all.

Happy Weekend everyone!! Enjoy a piece of chocolate.
Robin

DRIP IRRIGATION

2011-10-13T12:57:00.003-04:00

by Robin

Today, the boys and I started installing the new drip irrigation system. I can already tell you, "I LOVE IT!!"

I knew I would before I found a kit at my local superstore. A friend of mine has been working on drip irrigation systems to take over to Mali (Africa). Mali is one of the poorest countries around the world and they get very little rainfall there. It was the Rayner's brainstorm that lead me down this path. Please feel free to watch Andy's video on drip irrigation in Mali & Canada. While you're at it, if God leads your heart this way, feel free to donate to his project. They are headed back to Mali at the end of the month.

They've been teasing me with pictures through the months on how their beans were growing faster, healthier and producing more beans with less water (40L drip irrigation vs 450L traditional watering). Here are some statistics on Andy's garden: 90% less water, 30% boost in production, 300% boost in the growing year AND less weeding!! I am hoping to do the same with my garden.

While Florida gets a lot of rain in the summer, we get very dry in the spring months until those rains hit. This is going to be such a blessing to me and my seedlings. I will keep you updated as the months pass.

Happy Gardening!
Robin

Going Steady

2011-10-13T08:04:00.000-04:00

by Robin

Jack and I have been together for over 19 years. Our anniversary is coming up soon. We fell hard and fast for each other and couldn't wait to be married. However, one thing we wished we always had was a chance to meet in our youth. It's not that we aren't thankful that God's will put us together when we did meet. I guess it is more of a longing to have been with each other from the very beginning. We would have loved to skip the heartache of divorce and/or broken relationships.

However, God is the God of second chances. We did meet, albeit later. We did fall in love. We did struggle to make marriage work for better or worse, in health and sickness and so forth. We had beautiful babies together. We came all this way and God is still blessing.

The other night, Jack's Mom came to dinner and on her finger was Jack's graduation ring. At some point, he gave it to her. I imagine that it was when he went into the Army and couldn't keep certain momentos with him. Jack thought it had been lost over the years. He always talked fondly of how he struggled to purchase this ring and how much it meant to him. NOW, it was back in his possession.

He no sooner took it off his Mom's finger and then he put it on my finger. He asked me to go "Steady" and I said, "Yes!" How sweet. No other girl ever got to wear his ring. Just me. I cannot express how much that meant to Jack, and me. I know that seems silly but it did mean a lot.

Thank you LORD for such a blessing in a simple, yet mysterious way.

God bless,
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Halloween style

2011-10-12T11:53:00.000-04:00

by Robin

WHEN YOU CAN'T FISH.....

2011-10-09T19:44:00.002-04:00

.....smoke something!!!!

by Robin

We walked through 1" deep water, gale-force winds, and driving rain to get into the church house this morning. Good thing we were prepared with sandals instead of heels (me, not the boys). Great message on God's grace being sufficient for you (2 Cor 12:9)!

Then, we hurried home between rain clouds, changed clothes and fired up the coals.

When it is all perfectly hot, throw on the mesquite chips and watch that smoke stack billow.

Then, throw on all that meat (or tofu) to smoke.

(By the way, the coconut meat was delicious smoked!!)

Nancy and John joined us, bringing the side dishes.

I wish I could say the Tofu tasted as great as it looked. It had good flavor; however, I cannot get past tofu texture in my mouth. I feel like I'm eating something crossbred between a sponge and cheese. (This tofu was first deep-fried to remove moisture, then marinated overnight w/ teryatki sauce, then smoked for a couple hours.)

We topped everything off with a homemade apple pie. Can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it!!

Good time was had by all and nobody went home hungry. Infact, most of us needed a nap afterwards.

Have a blessed Sunday.
Robin

RIP Baby Squirrel

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Robin

Sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes baby squirrels fall out of trees when they're playing chase. I wanted so badly to rehab this little guy but he was already shutting down & in such pain from his injuries when Jack picked him up.

I cried and cried. I can only hope that he's in Squirrel Canaan - the land of nuts & honey.

Robin

MAMA N and J

2011-10-07T12:15:00.002-04:00

by Robin

It was a welcomed surprise to find out months & months ago that Jack's Mom and J were moving here to Florida. It seemed like the day would never get here. BUT, they did finally arrive on Tuesday evening.

The first thing we did was hug their necks. The 2nd thing we did was have a fish fry with all that fresh porgy meat in the frig. Yum!!

The second night, we took them over a picnic dinner (pork tenderloin) so we could check on their new digs. I just love the area and even better, the dock and view off the main property.

I thought you may like to see the family. You'll probably be seeing a lot more of them in our pictures from here on out. Can't wait to take them offshore fishing.

Plus, the boat comes home on Sunday afternoon. We will not be able to fish this weekend due to the Nor'easterly winds & bad weather.

Have a blessed weekend.
Robin

DISTURB US, LORD.

2011-10-06T07:32:00.000-04:00

by Sir Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

Francis Drake,an adventurer and essentially a legal pirate (What else is a second son supposed to do to make a living?), wrote this prayer as he departed Portsmouth on the Golden Hind to raid Spanish gold on the west coast of South America. He ventured at least as far north as the non-Spanish parts of California, claiming it as "New Albion" - New England- and returned to his Queen (the long way - via circumnavigation) with loot worth over a half million pounds sterling, and received his Knighthood for it.

Mim's Mullet Festival

2011-10-05T13:42:00.002-04:00

by Robin

Be sure to check out my Robin's Report for the pictures at the festival. Click here

I took video of my boys playing bluegrass with their friends at the festival.

I thought you may enjoy listening to it. Simon Peter is on the left with the guitar and Andrew is sitting down banging on a blue case for a percussion rhythm.

Happy Jiggin'
Robin

GARDEN - WINTER veggies

2011-09-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

by Robin

Here is the start of a new garden for the winter. Of course, my onions, herbs & peppers are already established from the spring.

I put up my fencing again to deter the squirrels. I also have out snail/slug bait because they will eat several tenderlings over night.

I am also trying something new in the way of fertilizing this winter. Liquid Seaweed. It came recommended to me by the Master Gardeners at the 4H office. It will provide some of those missing micronutrients not found in other fertilizers.

Happy Gardening.
Robin

SEPTEMBER & HORSES

2011-09-24T11:42:00.003-04:00

by Robin

I'm not even sure where to start with where our month went. Hours were spent schooling. I have one in high school. He's taking such a full load that I can barely keep up with all the grading, teaching, testing and organizing everything in the books. It's like a full-time job in itself.

Then, I have my not-so little man, who is fairly independant in his day, except for math (new concepts), Lang Arts and Greek/Latin roots. I spend a lot of my free time reading his readers to keep up with what is going into his brain.

At night, it is either yard work, chores, xbox or decent tv. I relish those hours of stillness, although they certainly aren't quiet or still for the boys. The boys are busy with chatting to Dad or amongst themselves. They wrestle, taunt, tease, joke, prank, you name it!! Boys never seem to stop moving until they're sleeping in the bed. Even while brushing & flossing, they seem to have constant physical contact. I have warned them every night for the past dozen years to quit horsing around while brushing teeth.

Speaking of horses, a few mornings of the week, we like to bike for exercise. I totally enjoy our time together. My youngest is not a morning person, but his reward is seeing horses. And then, all of us, get very happy. Here are some pictures I captured last week.

After the carrots & pets are done, we bike another 2 miles home. It seems to go much quicker.

I have to say, it is the best way to start our day.
God bless,
Robin
PS: Garden pictures are coming soon!!

TWELVE

2011-08-31T11:53:00.003-04:00

by Robin

We took this in the morning, the day after his birthday. We were out running errands for his manhunt party.

I like to get a picture with my boys, each year, for their birthdays. I'm not loving this pic of me, but it was all I had to work with.

Playing XBox until the heat subsides.

We also had pizzas which were so easy to make & clean-up after.

It was like the kids had never seen a popcorn machine before. Great fun.

Military cake to go with the military-manhunt theme. Marble cake w/ cookies & cream ice cream.

Daytime nerf gun fight turns to a game of hide-n-seek (AKA Manhunt) after dark.

I lit up the yard with 7 tiki torches and a couple bedroom lights left on in appropriate places to keep kids from tripping.

That was so much fun. I think we will have to host another Manhunt game in the fall when the kids won't sweat so much in their camo gear.

Blessings,
Robin

IRENE

2011-08-26T15:13:00.004-04:00

by Robin

Be sure to check out my photos from this morning on Robin's Reports.

Robin's Reports - Irene

I took the fishermen over to see the waves.

Our prayers go out to those of you who will meet Irene head-on. She's very big & powerful.
Blessings,

Robin

SHADOWS

2011-08-06T13:51:00.002-04:00

by Robin

The other day, I needed to clear my mind. I couldn't think of a better way to do it than walk for miles on the beach. For whatever reason, all the blood flow leaves my brain, heading to my muscles and it leaves space for God to get in my mind. (or something like that) I have great revelations when I exercise.

Anyhow, as I was happening along, step-by-step, I noticed all the beautiful footprints and tracks made in the sand. So many lives, people and purposes. God creates each one unique.

Then, I noticed my shadow. I am a very short person. I barely reach over 5' at the doctor's office. However, the sun was setting and my shadow probably 20' long. Wow, wouldn't it be nice to have a few of those extra inches to help me stand taller.

It hit me as I kept my pace, pondering shadows, earlier in my Bible study on Zechariah, in the commentary, was how God sees us verses how the world sees us. We have to keep in mind that we are who God sees us to be. We also have to be careful not to fall victim into how other's see us.

For example, I am 5' 1" and that's the exact number God sees, but depending on how I walk with Christ (the Sun-Son), other people can see me smaller, with only a 1 foot shadow, or bigger, with a 20 ft. shadow. Either way, it is a distortion of the Truth of who I am in Christ.

I think it is important to get to know people's hearts and develop good relationships with them rather than judging them for the shadows they cast.

Don't be a shadow! Be who Christ made you to be.

OLIVE TREES

2011-08-04T13:27:00.004-04:00

by Robin

Today, I was doing my daily study in the Bible. I'm on my 5th book of the year and it is a hard one. ZECHARIAH!!!!! Zechariah was a minor prophet and he had visions!! Complicated ones!!

I was doing my best to understand the vision of the lampstands & olive trees inspite of a headache. I'm so thankful for http://www.biblegateway.com/ for all the blessed links to resources (commentary & dictionaries). I looked up the symbolism for each of the items in the chapter. I found this wonderful definition for olive trees in the Easton Bible Dictionary.

(Also, olives remind me of a friend of mine who absolutely loves black olives.)

Olive-tree is frequently mentioned in Scripture. The dove from the ark brought an olive-branch to Noah (Gen. 8:11). It is mentioned among the most notable trees of Palestine, where it was cultivated long before the time of the Hebrews (Deut. 6:11; 8:8). It is mentioned in the first Old Testament parable, that of Jotham (Judg. 9:9), and is named among the blessings of the "good land," and is at the present day the one characteristic tree of Palestine. The oldest olive-trees in the country are those which are enclosed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is referred to as an emblem of prosperity and beauty and religious privilege (Ps. 52:8; Jer. 11:16; Hos. 14:6). The two "witnesses" mentioned in Rev. 11:4 are spoken of as "two olive trees standing before the God of the earth." (Comp. Zech. 4:3, 11-14.)

The "olive-tree, wild by nature" (Rom. 11:24), is the shoot or cutting of the good olive-tree which, left ungrafted, grows up to be a "wild olive." In Rom. 11:17 Paul refers to the practice of grafting shoots of the wild olive into a "good" olive which has become unfruitful. By such a process the sap of the good olive, by pervading the branch which is "graffed in," makes it a good branch, bearing good olives. Thus the Gentiles, being a "wild olive," but now "graffed in," yield fruit, but only through the sap of the tree into which they have been graffed. This is a process "contrary to nature" (11:24).

How important it is to be grafted into the family of God, bearing good fruit in one's life.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - BIRTHDAY PICTURES

2011-08-03T07:21:00.000-04:00

by Robin

From Monday...........I am so proud to be his Mom.

RING POPS for READING

2011-08-02T19:08:00.003-04:00

by Robin

With some inspiration from my awesome friend, Renee and a slight family twist on it, we came up with our own specialize reading program. Book IT is wonderful and I highly recommend it. However, it stops at a certain grade level and sometimes those little pizzas aren't enough incentive for a growing young man.

So, you ask me...... what is incentive?? RING POPS!!! This child grew up with the ability to sniff out sugar in a room while he was still in diapers. He picked his own reward and I bought a case of them.

Below is a picture of his first book report of the year with his first Ring Pop. We followed our IEW (Institute of Excellence in Writing) rules and he gave me a paragraph filled with creative adverbs, strong verbs and quality adjectives.

How are you encouraging your student to read this year? I'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Robin

SHARK WEEK & 15 yrs old!!

2011-08-01T15:20:00.004-04:00

by Robin

I thought I'd honor both occasions by combing them in 1 picture. Seven years ago, my birthday boy was holding a baby bonnet-hammerhead. My, how he has grown into a fine young (fisher)man.

Don't forget to watch Shark Week on Discovery!!

Birthday pictures forthcoming!!
Robin

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

2011-07-29T14:03:00.000-04:00

by Robin

So hard to decide........

BEACH DAY

2011-07-29T14:01:00.001-04:00

by Robin

Vintage Simon Peter

(Not really. I took it yesterday.)

Raising Snipers......er...Fishermen

2011-07-27T09:59:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I'm not sure how we went from waterguns to Red Ryders and machine gun nerfs, but here we are.

This is my mission field. Boys on forts with play guns.

Somehow I have to tame their passion into something useful and teachable for life. It also gives me challenges for learning my new photo editing program. I like the above photo with the added brick background for a more modern warfare look.

Then, my Simon Peter asks me if I can do snow. I don't know??? So, we rummage through some new buttons and low-n-behold.... we have snow!!! This photo was taken in 90 degree heat.

I guess I know the future of my photography projects will now be taking pictures of my boys in camo & nerf gear. LOL

Have a blessed day!
Robin

Aunts, not Ants

2011-07-23T14:37:00.003-04:00

by Robin

My sister, Christine & her girls, came to our house the 2nd weekend of July and then Jack's sister came the 3rd weekend. It was a lot of fun with everyone. I didn't have time to play with all the pictures, but at least I have posted something up so you know why my month flew by without me blogging much.

Aunt Christine - my older sister. Don't believe her if she tries to claim being younger than me.

Cousins

1st Day - we went bowling.

This may become my Halloween profile pic on Facebook. ha ha We laughed our heads off at the bowling alley. Literally.

Simon Peter & my eldest niece are 60 hrs apart in age. The younger two are 6 months apart.

Day 2 - They went over to Universal Studios, but came back for more torture on Day 3. My fishermen challenged my niece to a hot sauce face-off on smoked oysters.

Don't feel too bad for her. She was greatly rewarded with S'Mores. Actually, we all were. Yum!

Parting shots as they continue on their journey through the great state of Florida.

The next generation of "Lemon Sister". That was our (me, my 2 sister & 1 cousin) nickname when we were young girls.

A few days later, Aunt Sandi flew in to town and we took her the next morning to go fishing. She's gonna kill me for posting up her smallest fish of the day. LOL. She did catch nice keeper fish, but that will have to be over on the fishing blog. Truth is, we all caught little ones like this (but there is no proof).

Day 3, we took her to church with us, then to the movies and then has dinner out at Rusty's. They have wonderful waterside seating. I snapped this pic outside the restaurant. Jack loves his sister.

Day 4 - We ate too good. Here is lunch. Yes, that is slaw under the fish. It was delicious!! I found an excellent dairy-free slaw recipe and I'm sticking with that.

Goofy people!!! I don't know them.

Quickly followed by dinner a few hours later.

Day 5 - We couldn't hardly eat. LOL. It was time to put Aunt Sandi back on a plane. I'm sure her own family missed her terribly. Captain made sure he let her know how much he loved her.

Aunt Sandi liked to read at night and Captain liked staying by her side. They bonded so well, I thought maybe he was going to fly out with her.

At least Tiki is still faithful to me. ha ha.

So, this is what I have been doing this month. Today, is Jack's birthday so we will celebrate it with him.

God bless & have a wonderful weekend.
Robin

BLESSED

2011-07-14T13:33:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I blogged once that we had put in new roses into my front gardens to replace the dead bushes killed in the freeze. Well, they are putting out some gorgeous blooms. So pretty, I just had to post them up once again.

While I played around with the background and added a sweet quote from Camille, the actual color on the rose is the true color. It is coral pink on this bush and they're GORGEOUS!!! This bush was the last of all of them to put out roses because it stayed in shock for so long.

I am so blessed to have seen the beauty that was to come once the roots began to grow.

I think it is a reminder to all of us that we are blessed if we are patient with the things & people around us. The world tells us to throw away the less than perfect people & things in our lives. God shows us how blessed we are to have them. God doesn't make junk. He has a purpose in everything.

God bless,
Robin

WHAT DO FISHERMEN DRINK??

2011-07-13T11:41:00.001-04:00

by Robin

Have a blessed day!
Robin

PS: Two more days until Jack's sister arrives.

30 YEARS OF SPACE SHUTTLES

2011-07-12T11:48:00.003-04:00

by Robin

And some of the best minds ever compiled into an amazing project. Well done!!

I can't believe it is over.

Thank you & God bless everyone in the shuttle family.
Robin

SHUTTLE DINNER

2011-07-09T07:56:00.002-04:00

by Robin

This is what we fishermen ate for dinner last night. It's a family recipe that I varied a little bit to make dairy-free (no parmesian for me).

God bless,
Robin

SHUTTLE REPORT

2011-07-09T07:50:00.002-04:00

by Robin

Shuttle pictures here

Please don't forget to catch the photos & report of the last shuttle, Atlantis, going up.

Have a wonderful weekend.

HAPPY 4th of JULY

2011-07-04T18:17:00.003-04:00

We went out fishing last night, as a family. The sunset gave me such awesome pictures for the upcoming blogs. We stopped off for a little take-out dinner (dock-side) at Grills. While I was there, I snapped these photos as the sun set behind the charter boats.

My niece did a little overlay because I was so sad that I couldn't capture the fireworks we saw in a distance about 30 minutes later. She helped me combine the two memories into one stunning photo.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Gone to Camp

2011-06-29T13:19:00.000-04:00

I miss my booger.

WHAT FISHERMEN EAT

2011-06-28T15:14:00.002-04:00

Be Sure to check out my Wahoo Steak from last night. Yummy!

Robin's Reports on Wahoo Steaks

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2011-06-22T04:33:00.000-04:00

by Robin

MY WINDOW SILL

2011-06-21T14:54:00.001-04:00

by Robin

SUMMER!!

2011-06-18T19:05:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I'm not sure where the time has flow as I've been away from blogging. We finished out the school year with awesome grades and test scores.

I've gone to multiple homeschool book sales. This one was in Orlando at Circle Christian. It's like a massive Black Friday sale for homeschool moms. I found many good deals here.

Mom and Dad visited us last week. I was so glad that Jack had taken an extra day off of work so he could see them more too. We ate very, very well and I'll have to blog more about the food another day.

The garden is ever growing, needing weeding and harvesting of vegetables before the critters get in there to eat my food.

Today, the boys and I pulled & stored seeds from coriander (cilantro), parsley, sunflowers, sweet basil and boxwood basil. I also grabbed a few jalapenos, sweet bell pepper, tomatos, 2 onions and there a handful of banana peppers ready for pulling when I get the hankerin'.

A raccoon made his home in my back yard a couple nights in a row. Thank goodness I have chihuahuas that chased him away. The squirrels did their best to eat all the tops of my sunflowers for the seeds. That's another reason why I pulled them, dried them for a week and stored the seed. I'm thinking I may create a fall crop of sunflowers for the table.

We've done some swimming, but not as much as I'd like. The beaches had jellyfish on them, but I believe they're finally gone. Our street seems to be filled with boys and they travel from one house to another throughout the day. It seems odd to be home without them.

Dad and Jack fished one week and caught only a small mahi and barracuda. A week later, we went trolling and came home with 3 mahi and 1 wahoo, which all went into the freezer.

In a week, I have my youngest going off to camp for a week. This is going to be so hard on ME (not him). He's never been away from home without us. He's looking forward to it. I'm going to spend my time painting his bedroom. I've been saying I was going to do it now for 4 years. We took inventory of what was useable out in the shed (i.e. brushes, wall paper remover & primer).

In July, we have two more sets of company coming (yeah) and the LAST shuttle (Atlantis) will lift off. So sad.

I am going to do my best to find the time to bring you updates from time to time. I thought once summer hit I would have all this free time, but I don't. Of course, it may possibly be because I'm sleeping in longer. ha ha.

Blessings,
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY on THURSDAY

2011-05-19T12:41:00.000-04:00

by Robin

Ok, I'm weird like that.

ENDEAVOUR'S LAUNCH!!!!

2011-05-16T20:16:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I'm so excited because it all worked out so beautifully this morning. If you've never been to a shuttle launch before, you need to get here in July for the last one - EVER!!!! It is amazing, patriotic, an engineering marvel and bittersweet, since it is all ending.

Like I was saying before though, I couldn't hardly sleep all night for all the excitement of getting up this morning (6am). We were blessed to be out the door quickly and didn't fight traffic like I feared. People were beginning to line the streets of US 1 and the Bee-line, but it didn't slow us down.

We arrived at the Marina at 7 sharp and was the first boat (not a crowd though) of boaters to be dunked in the water.

We headed under the bridge that takes tourists to the big cruise ships and then waited our turn going through the locks. In short order, we could see all the boats lined up, anchored and waiting for the launch time.

I entertained myself with photography of all the law enforcement. At least I didn't see any machine guns on these boats.

These "naughty" kayakers were escorted over to the crowds. I'm assuming they launched north of the "viewing line" and were greeted by blue lights.

I had momentarily thought about financial gain for taking viewers on our boat for the viewing, but these people actually did it. LOL

We looked at all the love bugs that died on our boat (& still continued to swarm around it).

We took family pics to record this historic day.

And then finally, we were off of the long hold and down to the T-Minus 9 minutes.

We all stood and waited for the count down.

And then Endeavour went up and everybody cheered!!!

And three seconds later, it went into the clouds and everybody collectively sighed, "Ohhh" from their boats.

Then, the rumble and sound hit us. That was FUN! Seconds later, people were pulling anchor and we filed down the channel back to the locks and our perspective 'homes'. All that preparation and positioning for 3 seconds of viewing. I'm not complaining though. I saw more than many folks who couldn't see it at all. It is always an honor to see a launch.

When we got back to the marina, there was a little excitement.

I saw lots of smiles so I was relieved that somebody wasn't injured. It was rumored that something electrical shorted in a person's car, starting a minor fire and the heat from that broke out the windshield. Poor person.

So, I hope you enjoyed our pictures and hearing about our day. My youngest didn't want to wake up early today but I'm sure than when he looks back on his childhood, he'll be very blessed to have these memories.

Take care!
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Scents & Strategy

2011-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

by Robin

MOTHER'S DAY PHOTO

2011-05-10T12:09:00.003-04:00

by Robin

Jack was sweet enough to take this one of me & the boys while we were waiting for the locks to open. I have been very blessed to be their mother and watch over them, teach them about God, love them and be loved by them.

Prov 6:20-23
The Message

Good friend, follow your father's good advice;
don't wander off from your mother's teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they'll guide you;
whenever you rest, they'll guard you;
when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.

PEACE VS WAR

2011-05-09T22:02:00.003-04:00

by Robin

Last week, I decided that I needed to make peace with my body. I've rarely liked my weight my entire life, find various ways to work out and lived on diets to control everything I eat. I'm a professional at it.

But, I really needed to make peace with the fact that I'm mid-40's and my metabolism is no longer what it once was. My muscles weaken faster than I can build them. I try to keep my mind on heavenly things and not worldly things like cellulite, muffin tops and thunder thighs.

Unfortunately, a week later, I've declared war on my body again. The battle of the bulge. My firepower will be Romaine, tomatoes, fruit and veggie straws (of course, dipped in Sabra Hummus).

I need an accountability partner.
Blessings,
Robin

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2011-05-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Mother,
You've given me two things.
One is roots
The other is wings.

(Author anonymous, photo by Robin)

GARDEN REPORT - May Flowers!! & Vegetables

2011-05-07T13:47:00.002-04:00

by Robin

It's amazing to me how we went from this in April....

to this in May!!!

The beans did remarkable well. Yielded many from each bush and we're going for a 2nd round now.

Cilantro is turning into Coriander seeds.

Parsley is going to seed and attracting all the Love Bugs.

Sunflowers sprouted another 2 feet and put out their blooms.

Below is a picture of green heirloom tomatoes. Notice how the ones on the left are much lighter than the ones on the right? The ones on the left became yellow and the ones on the right were "Black Prince" type, which is more like a crimson on the inside, when ripe.

Today, I picked 4 Roma tomatoes and 1 yellow 'ball' heirloom. I can see that my sweet bell peppers are developing nicely and in another couple weeks, mild jalapenos should be overrunning the garden. I did get my first regular red tomato this week, too. Those are just beginning for those and the cherry tomatoes. We had a late start (for us) on those.

I am still waiting on onions & garlic to finish growing. They look wonderful and I can wait to harvest as needed. We're also eating herbs as fast as I can find ways to throw them into dishes.

I'll try to have some recipes with those in the upcoming weeks. Summer is finally here for us and so I will have much more free time for the next couple months.

Happy Weekend!!

Happy Easter/Resurrection Day

2011-04-23T13:47:00.003-04:00

by Robin

I didn't want the weekend to go by without writing on the blog. My eldest went to a Youth Group lock-in with our church. He had an absolute blast and didn't sleep the entire night. So, all day, he's sleeping. LOL I thought since he's sleeping & Jack is working, I'd do all my cooking for the holiday.

What do you feed hungry fishermen who don't love turkey or ham? We're eating some of the best dishes from around the Caribbean Islands.

Here they are:

Bahamian - Trinidad Coconut Conch Chowder http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Coconut-Conch-Chowder/Detail.aspx

(add a 2nd can of coconut milk to substitute for the half-n-half)

Coconut Shrimp http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Coconut-Shrimp-I/Detail.aspx

Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Shoulder) http://www.food.com/recipe/pernil-puerto-rican-pork-shoulder-115565

Rum Cake (this wasn't my exact recipe but very close to it) http://www.food.com/recipe/rum-cake-100873
Also, I chose to burn off the alcohol before making the glaze and to omit some recipes that used fruit & nuts in the glaze. We used Venezuelan rum.

Cuban Black beans (liberally use bay leaves, minimal vinegar, black pepper, salt, garlic to flavor)

Cilantro & Lime White rice (not sure if this is Cuban or Puerto Rican)

Lots of fresh bread, extra shrimp to either Scampi or Cook & Cook for Shrimp Cocktail. Yum. Oh and crab cakes..... because they were on-hand.

We will attend church services in the morning, eat like kings, and lay poolside.

God bless you!
Robin

It's HOLY WEEK

2011-04-19T10:35:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I thought that you may like to see this video by Third Day about the thief who died alongside Christ at Calvary. Very powerful lyrics.

AND THE WINNER IS........

2011-04-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Robin

Today is my birthday!! I am such a blessed woman to be surrounded by so much love from family and friends. Thank you Jesus! Anyhow, Andrew won a couple of heats at the AWANA Grand Prix the other day. It's hard not to be happy because all your friends win and you're happy for them too.

After the races were over, they announced winners for Design and Andrew took 1st. That was so special to him. He beamed the whole drive home. It was his idea to make a Hummer, have it cut out and pick the colors.

Congrats Sweetie!! You're a winner in my book and in God's Book of Life!

MORE BIOLOGY EXPERIMENTS

2011-04-14T09:00:00.003-04:00

by Robin

A few weeks ago, we did our last of the dissections. The kids had a great time digging into their specimens.

Crayfish - looks similar to dinner.

Then, they did a perch next - also looks like dinner or bait.

Last, they dissection their frogs. It was very cool because you can figure out the organs a bit easier because they seem to be more similar to the human body than compared to an earthworm or crayfish.

Nearly 2 weeks ago, we got back together for more experiments. We did a lot of slide/ microscope work first. Then, plant ID. But, the funnest part was the pH experiment where we boiled up red cabbage into a certain amount of water.

Cabbage water on left, windex in center (suppose to be clear but the blue did work) and white vinegar on right.

As we poured in Windex in, the pH changed!!

VIDEO REMOVED because it refuses to wait to be played when asked.

Then, we could pour vinegar back into it and revert it back to it's original color.

Very fun for all of us. Before we knew it, a few hours had passed and class was over. On Friday, we meet together one more time for more plant - flower labs. I'm trying to decide if we want to continue into Chemistry or Physics for next year. Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2011-04-13T12:29:00.001-04:00

by Robin

Check out Robin's Reports if you haven't seen the recent fishing trip.

AWANA GRAND PRIX

2011-04-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

by Robin

It totally slipped my mind that I forgot to post up pictures & news that our AWANA team took 2nd place at the Games last weekend. Yeah!!

This weekend, our church is hosting a derby car race called the AWANA Grand Prix. Usually, we do 2 cars - one for each son. However, we're down to one this year.

Meet the 4-STAR GENERAL!!!!

Normally, it is Andrew's design cut into the car. This year it is a Hummer (Humvee ?). Then, Jack does his best to get the wheels on and put some weight onto it. My job is to paint it to Andrew's specifications.

Well, this year, Jack has been recovering from near-pneumonia and still having to work. I took over duties of adding the weight. I did a bang-up job, even if I do have to pat myself on the back. I made sure we went to a shipping depot and maxed out the weight. HA! Then, it was a combined job with spray painting the base and I did the details for Andrew. Overall, we're pretty happy with it.

I will have to let you know how we do at the races Sunday afternoon.

God bless,
Robin

BLACK WIDOWS

2011-04-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

by Robin

I have killed 6 of these in less than 3 weeks.

I may have to hire myself out as a Black Widow exterminator. I know exactly where to look, how their webs look and their egg sacs. Fortunately for us, it's early in the year and we killed all the females before they laid their eggs sac. I did kill one male.

Three of them were found on our boat!! Oh, the joys of living next to a vacant lot with a big oak tree.

"I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN"

2011-04-07T15:35:00.004-04:00

by Robin

Do you remember that song?? It's old, old, old, even for my generation. Anyhow, it's true he didn't promise me one, but he gave me one a couple months ago. After careful tending to, they began to produce new life; and, this week seems to be the week for blooms opening up. Five of my six roses are all purdy today.

We bought some of them without tags or blooms on them, so we knew we were taking a chance but God has DELIVERED!!!

There is this beautiful tie-dye type of rose. It will remind me of the blood Jesus shed for my sins and how it turned me white as snow.

This one reminds me of a rose climber I used to have called a Joseph's Coat. I was hoping to buy one of them this year, but didn't see one. So, God gave me a tea hybrid variety that looks very similar. It has a coat of many colors. I took this picture in the morning and it has already gone full peach by evening. Just gorgeous.

Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to stop and smell your roses. Robin

AWANA GAMES

2011-04-01T18:22:00.002-04:00

by Robin

Andrew (and the family) is headed over to Oviedo with our church's AWANA team. We would covet any of your prayers for safety, fun and good sportsmanship.

AWANA stands for Approved Workmen are Not Ashamed (of the Gospel of Jesus Christ). These awesome kids had to qualify for their teams not by running a race quickly but by memorizing God's Word in their hearts. I'm so very proud of all of them!

Last year, our church won for their region, so I guess you could say they're defending their championship. LOL.

I found this video on U-Tube that shows you the type of games the kids will be playing. I do not know the maker of this video or the kids in it, but though it neat to share with you.

DISSECTING LIFE

2011-04-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

by Robin I love homeschooling my boys. It has been mostly a joy to me for the past 10 years of our lives. I am very thankful to have a husband that supports the decision and sees it as the best way for our family. I don't take this lightly because I have seen many families fractured or fighting over homeschooling woes. God has willed it for our boys to learn at home. He has given me a heart for being at home, which wasn't easy for me at first. I dealt with a lot of guilt of not earning an income. I had a lot of guilt of not using my 4 year degree, although that is debatable some days. I just felt guilty for having a job that seems like fun. But then, Jack reminds me that it isn't always easy. There are days of frustration, which are quickly washed away as soon as he gets home. Sometimes we liken it to child birth. There are good days & bad days, but once the baby is born, all those bad days fade in your memory. For years, Galatians 6:9 was my best friend. It has to be read in the King James version, for me. There is just something very applicable to homeschooling in this version. "And let us not be wearing in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not." I'm seeing the fruition of those words with Simon Peter. He's a great teenager. He makes me look like a better parent than I am. He's cheerful and loves to learn. I threw him into various co-ops this year and he has turned out to be the sole male survivor in Algebra and Biology. We had a pretty good laugh at this a couple days ago. He has learned that working and studying hard has put him in the midst of *ladies*. Granted, he has no urge to date any of these young ladies, at least not yet, but it hasn't gone unnoticed that he's in the presence of them. Possibly God is teaching him how to handle himself around ladies, which is something that I could not teach him with giving him a single brother. I am not certain. However, I noticed that every time I left our Biology dissection group, that there were plenty of giggles. I returned and everybody was serious again. I'd leave and there were giggles. It was so cute & innocent. I am so thankful to be raising such a good young man that young ladies feel safe to be around. I guess I'm also very thankful that we're not at that stage where he's going on dates yet, either. I may be holding tight to Gal 6:9 again. God bless & have a wonderful weekend!

OLD SHRIMP BOAT

2011-03-31T10:11:00.000-04:00

by Robin

I look for this boat every time we go through the port. There's just something I love about it.

FROZEN RODENTS

2011-03-30T21:33:00.000-04:00

by Robin So, I'm minding my business first thing in the morning and letting the dogs out for potty. I look over at the pool, which had been calling my name for it's spring cleaning and I spot a floating rodent. Squirrel. Nothing worse than waking up to floating squirrel in your pool. Poor little guy. My next thought was.... what do I do with it? Do I tell the kids? OF COURSE, I *HAVE* to tell the kids. They live for gross stuff like this. Afterall, Jack tells me to raise them like men and not like daughters. This is a perfect life situation for them to encounter and learn how to handle. So, I called them outside and they were eager to see what was in the pool. We've seen frogs, tadpoles, lizards, various bugs & beetles. But, I don't think they were expecting a squirrel. Their eyes got as big as dinner plates. And then, that scrunched up set of eyebrows looked at me. Thank you Lord for giving me instant wisdom. "Get the yellow bucket," I said. From there, they skimmed the hardened corpse out of the water and into the bucket. They were very concerned that Mama opted to carry it through the house to get to the garage. Their plan was to dump it over the fence into the vacant lot next door. I had to remind them how bad dead fish smells in a couple days and so they agreed to go with my plan. Afterall, Mom has plenty of experience dealing with dead things. (Long job-related history, I will spare you.) Squirrely went out later that week with the garbage. He never did smell. We never did talk about him again after we told Daddy about it that night. I guess even squirrels have Darwin Awards for those that do ridiculous stunts that get themselves killed, including skinny-dipping in a frigid pool with no exit plan. Today, I heard what sounded like a squeaker toy behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see some frolicking squirrels which reminded me that life goes on. In another couple months, there will be another crop of nut-eating rodents in my yard, oblivious to the perils of their own actions. Here is one that stayed frozen in fear on our window for over an hour. After we got him down, he fell asleep on the side of the house for a couple hours before leaving the area. Sigh. Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Garden growth

2011-03-29T21:21:00.002-04:00

by Robin Mar 19, 2011 Mar 29, 2011 Sage & blooms Sage blooms Lemon Heirlooms Purple Heirloom Toms

WEEK in REVIEW via Photos

2011-03-22T09:04:00.002-04:00

by Robin

I mentioned earlier in the year that I am doing Project 365 where I take a photo a day. It hasn't been easy to remember on the boring days, but it certainly is rewarding when we look back. Time flies so fast so this is a fun way to slow it down.

Here is a week in review.

Mar 13th - Orange Blossoms in my yard - it smells fabulous here!

Mar 14th - Cobia hunting - being harassed by another boater while casting to a ray holding fish on her back.

Mar 15th - Andrew is my juicer!

Mar 16th - Rose

Mar 17th - Pi & St. Patrick's day combined

Mar 18th - Dissection for Biology

Mar 19th - woke up to this dead in my pool. YUCK!

Marh 20th - Boys had fevers so I decided to deep clean, declutter, and dust my school room. It needs it, doesn't it?

Mar 21st - Boys are better, so they get yard work. We all did! My arms are so sore!

Hope you enjoyed this. Life is never dull around here.

Couch to 5K Challenge

2011-03-18T20:40:00.003-04:00

by Robin

This fall, I took the Couch to 5K Challenge when I saw some friends who were commenting on Facebook about running and one used this program to build up her stamina. I decided to join them. It was hard work, but fun since I love to exercise and this was a good way to keep my joints working on cold days. Running definitely warmed up my body & kept me fluid. Before I knew it, I was hitting a little over 2 miles by Christmas and I finished the 9 wk program. Less than a month later, I was making 3.1 miles regularly to run a 5K race I had planned on doing with those girlfriends in March. My times were even getting better with each run (not at all to brag that I'm fast, because I am NOT).

As life would have it, my fibromyalgia ruined all my plans and I hurt my plantar fasciitis muscle on the arch of my foot. I could run through the pain but I paid dearly for days afterwards. I rested. I iced. I bought orthotic inserts. I used compression. I elevated. Nothing stopped the pain and I threw in the towel. It was definitely a pity-party moment for myself. I cried and cried. I have never been able to run far and so it meant everything to me to run those three miles.

I made such a big deal on Facebook about each time I completed a run or put another week under my belt (er... feet). And now, I had to stop my status updates. I felt I had built up a community of C25K running friends. One time, I counted up to 7 people were running because I had either inspired or motivated them. Yet, I sulked.

The race came and went. My friends did excellent in their races. For me, my muscles weakened in 2 wks. My metabolism slowed back down. My jeans got tight again and let's not even talk about my stomach pouch. I had thought the only good news was that I lost those 2 lbs on the scale since I lost all the muscle. But then, I got a note today.

A person I barely know, let me know that he had been inspired by my C25K status updates and began running. Today, he ran 3 miles in 30 minutes. I was so elated for him. And then the Holy Spirit spoke to me. I can barely type it out because of how it affected me and tears are welling up in my eyes.

God said to my heart that this is why we, Christians, are to live our lives out loud! Part of me had been ashamed to have put all that on display at Facebook and then show my weaknesses, too. But God said to think of all the times I put Him on display on Facebook. The running was symbolic to show me how much people notice my (your) life. They notice your heart. They notice your joy. They notice your relationship to Christ. Your relationship with your family. It becomes contagious. If one little pitifully slow runner could affect 8 people's (that I know of) lives for a running program, think of how many lives are affected by my love for Christ. That is the bigger picture that I should be focused on.

Today, my foot gave me some slight aches from being on it too long. But, do you know what? Those aches won't get me down any more. I will remember "How beautiful are the feet of those that preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom 10:15) If my feet can preach about the C25K program, then I will continue living out loud on Facebook about how great my Jesus is!!

If you'd like to know more about my relationship with Jesus Christ, please leave me a comment.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml (the link I used to begin my running program)

http://www.buriedtalentsband.com/C25K/ (The Christian music I used to run with. It's great because it tells you when to start/ stop.)

Have a blessed weekend.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Garden update

2011-03-02T00:14:00.003-05:00

(Pardon, our oak leaves are falling)

Cilantro

Onions (3 rows), 1 garlic row, parsley in the background

Beans

Jalapenos, sweet peppers, beans

Jalapeno bloom

Heirloom tomatoes

Black (purplish) tomato

Sunflowers

Proverbs 6:20

2011-02-26T17:23:00.003-05:00

"My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching."

Sometimes you just have to obey your mother, even when you know it is a school day and you've got math due and worksheets left undone.

When your mother says, "Beach day!", you have to obey her.

You have to respect her.

Honor her decisions, even when it doesn't make sense.

Find art in unique places instead of on white paper.

Be creative getting your Physical Education.

Discover the world of physics under your own feet.

Overall, be obedient, heeding your parent's directions. Come immediately when called upon.

"Now then, my sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways." Prov 8:32

"Don't complain. Just smile one more time for the blog," I said.

"Good boys!"

"Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right." Prov 20:11

Four American Missionaries are killed by pirates

2011-02-22T11:19:00.002-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/piracy

My heart sunk down in sadness as I saw today's headlines. Why? These people had been sailing, passing out Bibles to small remote countries since 2004. They were not rich nor harming anybody. 19 cowards overtook a yacht & 4 people. Took their lives. For what?? Unrighteous living?

May God have mercy on their souls.

PRESIDENT'S DAY

2011-02-20T20:40:00.002-05:00

by Robin

"My dear brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, never think some people are more important than others." - James 2:1

Presidents are people too. They have ups & downs. They good and bad qualities. They all need prayer. But we should never make one person more important than another. James is trying to tell us that all people are important. What good is it for a leader to wear nice clothes and a special ring when he doesn't take care of the people he leads.

I guess then, that leads to other problems like the one we had recently in Egypt...

And Bahrain...

...where their people are crying out for democracy and freedom from the abuses of power.

Paul writes to the city of Galatia in Gal 5:13-15.

"You, my brother were called to be free.

But do not use your freedom to indulge in sinful nature;

serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "LOVE your NEIGHBOR as YOURSELF."

If you keep biting and devouring each other,

watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." Gal 5:13-15

Dear friend, pray for our leaders. Pray for our President. Pray for what is going on around our world lately. I am very afraid by what I've been seeing lately.

Remember, there is only one way to true freedom and that is through the cross that Jesus carried to Mount Calvary. Why don't you put your trust in Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and not leave it to the hands of any one man.

Blessings,
Robin

(Almost) WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Garden Report

2011-02-16T10:44:00.002-05:00

by Robin

I have pretty rows because eventually there will be a drip irrigation system put in.

Parsley

Thai Basil

I also planted rare Lime Basil seeds. :o)

Happy Valentine's Day to my Guys!!

2011-02-15T21:06:00.003-05:00

by Robin

I absolutely love my fishermen!! I couldn't wait to get up and make them a special breakfast to start our day.

"Affection is responsible for 9/10ths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." C.S. Lewis

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you." - A. A. Milne

"For God so love the World that He gave his only Begotten son that whosoever shall believe in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life." - God, John 3:16

TUESDAY'S EXERCISE

2011-02-03T08:01:00.001-05:00

by Robin

Bike a couple of miles to the library.

Wait for the boys to get what they want to see (I'm contagious w/ germs.)

Head east a hundred yards or so and get ice cream.

Bike back home a couple miles. (We thought it was funny that we took up a parking spot.)

Beautiful weather we're having in Florida, compared to the Snowpocalypse in the North.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2011-02-02T09:54:00.002-05:00

by Robin

PROJECT 365 - end January

2011-01-29T20:05:00.003-05:00

by Robin

I'll probably never post up all 365 of my pictures but here are another handful of them for your viewing pleasure.

Jan 16 - Tiki - the not-so-lap-dog

Jan 18 - Thyme for Sale

Jan 19 - Red potato & Artichoke side dish. Delish!

Jan 21 - Ingredients to make Jam

Jan 23 - Honing the cylinders for the boat engine

Jan 24 - New poop & herbs

Jan 25 - Men at Work

Jan 25 - evening Tornado Warnings!

Jan 26 - London Broil w/ a charcoal/ dry rub twist

Jan 27 - Fever

Jan 28 - Robin Migration / Invasion (7 of them in this picture)

Jan 29 - Tiki in my hands

Jan 29 Alternate - Captain at my feet

Have a blessed weekend. Looking forward to church in the morning and then putting in a Rose Garden in the afternoon.

SQUIRREL DETERRANT

2011-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

by Robin

Recently, I put some sunflower seeds into my garden to attract bees in the spring. It worked wonderfully last year.

I save hundred and hundreds of seeds. Ok, so they're in the ground. The next day or two later, I see a squirrel out there. He's eating everything I laid down. I promise you, it is a perfect line of little holes he dug!!

I laid down more seed. He's eating those too. I put more seed down and laid some tomato cages on their sides over the seeds to discourage the little guy. Grrr. The squirrel found some more seeds.

What I have found to be my BEST squirrel deterrant is Tiki. He hates squirrels with a passion.
He keeps a sharp eye out for them.

He will literally sit in the garden to wait for Mr. Squirrel. He can track their scent and knows when one has been in the garden recently.

Sometimes they come from the other direction, behind the shed. You really can't fool Tiki. He *knows* squirrels and their noises. He will even follow them down the fence. He looks up in the trees for them.

He even has a white flagging tail for when he is all excited looking for squirrels. He's dove under the shed after them before. I don't know what happened but I heard dog screams. Then, more barking.

Either way, when I'm at my kitchen window and I see the squirrel eating my sunflower seeds, I say "Squirrel". Tiki comes barking and running to the back door. He's fast as lightening to get to the garden.

I do hope I have some seeds left in the ground to have plants this year.

Edited to add: I found a couple seedlings popped up this morning. Yeah!!!!!

THINKING

2011-01-24T18:27:00.003-05:00

by Robin

I have nothing earth shattering to write about except for a thought I had last week as I sat in the afternoon sun. It's January and everybody in the north is either in snow drifts or below freezing temps. It's not hot here but sunny enough to feel the warmth through my jeans & sweatshirt.

I was in one of those moods where I absolutely needed to feel the sun on my bones. When my joints hurt, there is no better remedy than to warm up. I don't think that makes me a reptilian, though that sounds funny just thinking it.

So, imagine this. I sitting there. The picture above is my view. Sun's out... I'm almost dozing off. Then, a cloud would come and it felt like the 60's again. Grrrr. Then, the sun would shine through and my world would warm up to 70 again. Ahhh.... back to a perfect-type of peace and relaxation. A few minutes later, another cloud would come and disturb my Utopian world of radiation exposure. Grrrr.

This cycle went on several times before it hit me that it felt very similar to my morning routine when I am rudely awakened by an alarm clock. Grrrrr. Then, I hit snooze and there is 9 minutes of bliss. Then, another rude awakening of repetitious beeping follow by a comatose walk across the room, hitting the snooze button and heading back to the warmth of the bed. Another 9 minutes of warmth and a semi-consciousness state of peace.

I guess this is why I live in FL. There are more days of total sun than clouds with sun. I love sun, the heat and humidity. I never complain about it because I LOVE it!! (unless the AC goes out for long periods of time)

Ok, I told you it wasn't deep. But, that was my revelation for the week. Over my shoulder, there was the garden. I took a picture of it since I had recently tilled over all the dead stuff. This is what is left after the 7 freezes this year. Herbs, onions, broccoli and a couple potted plants.

Have a blessed week!

BROCCOLI blooms

2011-01-15T15:24:00.002-05:00

by Robin

From my garden

I changed the tint a little bit here. I think I like this better than the tint above.

TRIALS and TEMPTATIONS!!

2011-01-07T15:29:00.003-05:00

by Robin

Has the economy gotten you down? Unemployed? Foreclosed? Bankrupt? Facing a possibly terminal illness? Grieving over a lost one? No money? Like many of you, our family has gone through many of these trials, as well, at one time or another. I think this is common yet there is nothing common, or familiar, about the way it feels when you're living through it.

When times like these come around, we Christians hold many Scriptures dear to our hurting hearts, like "This too shall pass" or Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But, what we, I, have not done well is embraced my trial as being a gift from God. That seems rather unnatural in our human thinking.

However, let's take a look at Abraham and Isaac in Gen 22: 1-2. "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

Many times I will assume that Satan is up to no good with giving me a good spiritual attack, but the truth is that God is giving me a test, much like the ones He gave others in the Bible. Abraham passed the testing to sacrifice his only son as a living sacrifice to God even though his own thoughts were probably calculating other promises, like "a nation will be made from his seed" and so forth. How did Abraham get past that point of *knowing* God promised him a son and then still surrendering to get up that morning and accepting the command to offer his son? How did Abraham get mentally past the reaction to be on the defensive with Satan and surrender EVERYTHING, all his problems, worries and concerns, to God?

How do we find that peace? acceptance? ability to let go? that faith that expands into a mighty oak tree?

Hebrews 12 answers all those questions. Take your Bibles out and read over the passage.

First, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Our angels are here to help.
Secondly, lay aside every weight, sin that ensnares you, and run with endurance the race set before you. Pray it out to your Father in Heaven and let HIM do the battling for you.
Third, look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy. No matter what your circumstances are, knowing Jesus died for your sins should make you feel hopeful about your future.
God knew you'd be weary and discouraged in your trials but don't despise them. God loves you even through the trials, as He is your biggest fan, wanting you to pass those tests.

v11 in Hebrews 12 sums it all up for me on how Abraham (and I) should be able to see the trials and temptations of this life. "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those those who have been trained by it."

God promises to yield good things after your trials, believer! Many years ago, a missionary to China faced trials while the communists took over the country. They hated that he preached about Jesus and so they threw him in jail. Even in jail, the jailors got saved. Prisioners got saved. He continued to write and translate the gospels and other Christian writings to the people by sneaking everything out of the jail. He refused to let his trials to slow him down. Finally, the authorities brought him out in the town square, in front of everyone, and chopped off both of his arms from the elbow down so he could no longer write. He lifted up his stumps and shouted to heaven, "Thank you God for the marks of the cross!!"

Dear friend, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, please don't allow yourself to be discouraged by your trials. God corrects all his children so that we may be refined more like Him and be examples of His holiness.

Friend, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior of your life, please feel free to email me and ask me more about how you can have a relationship with Him. Yes, you will still have trials, but like Abraham, God will provide a way out much like He provided that ram for the sacrifice instead of killing Isaac.

God bless,
Robin

PROJECT 365

2011-01-06T16:55:00.002-05:00

by Robin

My cousin inspired me to do a little project for the year. It is Project 365 where you post up a picture a day that you have taken. I'm actually keeping my album on Facebook, but I thought I'd post up some random pictures here to show you what it would look like.

I want to encourage you all to create one too if you enjoy photography. I have been told that if this is cumbersome to do a picture a day, you can take it down to Project 52 (52 weeks, 1 a week).

Either way, I plan on having fun with it.

Jan 1 - Tiki

Jan 2 - Squirrel

Jan 3 - Homemade Pasta

Jan 4 - Swingin' Upside-down

God bless,
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2010-12-01T12:57:00.002-05:00

AKA - Clearing out the camera!!

Green Bean Casserole is in your future!! :o)

Herbs

Antiques & Warbirds

2010-11-19T21:41:00.002-05:00

by Robin

My youngest, Andrew, and I had a wonderful time last weekend with visiting the TICO Warbird Museum in Titusville. We are so blessed to have "free" days to Brevard County residents. We go every 6 months to see what is new.

We were blessed to see Lt. Col Hiram Mann for the 2nd time. If you get a chance to meet him, pull up a chair and let him tell you some wonderful stories of his days as a Tuskeegee Airman. We happened to be reading a short story about the Tuskeegee Airman the same week, so it made the story that much more real to Andrew.

I saw these great treasures in the museum.

I love patriotic prints.

They had bi-plane rides for $75. I wish I had had $150 to blow on a ride for the two of us. Of course, I would have been petrified the whole time with the open cockpit.

And we saw some pitiful antique mannequins with various ailments...

Missing hand

Painted over mustache

Missing eye. He needs a patch like the guys above.

And here are a bunch of antiques, including me. LOL.

I hope you enjoyed sharing in our day together.
Blessings,
Robin

CHILEAN MINER'S SHIRTS

2010-10-14T12:19:00.001-04:00

.... give Thanks to God!!!

1 SAMUEL 30:12

2010-10-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

"And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights."

My friend, Tanya, is very, very sick for 6 weeks now. It is affecting her whole body even though the infection is in the kidneys and bladder. So, we decided to ( http://www.takethemameal.com/ ) take her a meal.

I have several bags of blueberries frozen back from May, so I thought we'd send her a pie as well.

Here is a 2nd pie for our family, vented in the shape of a palm tree.

I was so happy with how pretty the pie turned out. (Not only pretty, but it was delicious!)

We're still praying for Tanya to feel well enough to come back to church.

EXODUS 34:6

2010-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. "

We were so blessed the other day when Jack's coworker brought us 2 lobster tails from his diving from several weeks ago. While it wasn't a burnt or peace offering, it certainly was a generous gift.

Jack did a wonderful job grilling it.

Andrew taking his first bite of lobster. Jack grew up eating Florida lobster and I had Maine lobster on our summer vacations. This is one of the best ways to raise kids. Train them up to eat fish & shellfish and then they won't depart from it. LOL

Oh and yes, afterwards, he did rise up and go play.

GENESIS 3:13b, 14

2010-10-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.

Our Captain, giant chihuahua extraordinaire, and his brother Tiki found a snake in the yard. Captain would grab it, shake and fling it a few feet. It was obviously hurt by the time I got out there and took this picture.

The boys shot it so it would not suffer further and were going to dispose of it into the woods, but Captain decided it was his kill and it was his. This dog is so loving and yet, so extremely protective of us. We had a hard time convincing him it was dead and to let go.

Captain was not going to let the 'Deceiver' free. You know, we should treat Satan the same way. He is a beast to be slain, not a pet to be tamed.

GENESIS 2:2

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. "

This is what Tiki does when he rests.

My other guys obviously wish God would have made a second day of rest during the school week. (Literature is so exciting, right guys??)

GENESIS 1:20-23 - DAY 5

2010-10-05T16:19:00.002-04:00

"And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.... And there was evening, and there was morning - the fifth day."

Andrew is studying birds in his Abeka Science book, Chapter 4. I'm glad that he took art last year, too. Look how nicely he is drawing his birds.

Thank you God for the beautiful creatures you have put on the earth. They're all so beautiful and each is unique.

Proverbs 15:13

2010-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

"A happy heart makes a face cheerful."

by Robin

(My boys going down the Lazy River with my cousin, Courtney.)

Two Thursdays ago, a few of my relatives from New York came down to vacation, inviting another set of Aunt & Uncles on the trip. It has been a few years since I've seen some of them.

God has blessed us to be near, but not in Themepark land. It is a pleasant trip over to see friends & family and yet, I don't have to house everyone nor feel the occasional burden of entertaining guests.

Here are most of us after getting out of the Lazy River at the Resort. What a relaxing way to catch-up and share stories. I absolutely love and miss all my extended family. It has taken me a long time adjusting to the lack of constant family get-togethers and kissing 50 people hello and good-bye every time we meet. Of course, church is a great substitute for that.

(Below is my Aunt & Uncle from NY and 2 adult cousins - their daughters.)

Here is my Aunt & Uncle from Georgia (below). They're transplants from New York, as well. I was born up there. Aunt Jean gets the credit for teaching me piano for many years.

They're looking at my boys who are really making me proud at this point. (They're sick of the camera. Can you tell?)

Next month, I get to see my s-daughter, at heart. It has also been years since we've seen her in person, but I pray it will feel like no time has passed thanks to social-networking and computer technology.

Be blessed!

ECCLESIASTES 3:11

2010-10-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

"God has made everything beautiful in its time."

by Robin

Tis the season for braces for Simon Peter. He is a delightful child to parent. Very obedient. Very honest. Trust-worthy. Diligent if not distracted. Hard-working. It's only fitting that we give him a beautiful smile to go with all that charm.

We've already been cranking his appliance for a month on his upper mouth. His poor tongue has suffered much abuse from playing with that bar. Last week, he was allowed to get his upper braces. I *think* the plan is for him to get a retainer in October to hold the upper teeth in place until healing takes place in the upper palate. Then, we should be in upper braces before winter.

It's a mess between crowding, cross-overs and mal-alignments BUT, God will make it beautiful in its time. That's a promise we can count on.

Matthew 13:23

2010-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

"The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it."

Jesus explains in this Scripture that not everybody who hears the gospel will understand it and follow him, but I am thankful that the Holy Spirit prepared my heart to be good soil for when I heard His Word, I was able to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. I do not take credit for this. It is the great and mighty work of the Holy Spirit.

I only merely opened the door and let Him into my life. I have not ever regretted my walk with Jesus inspite of the attacks from evil in this world. Much like my sweet bell pepper in my garden, it is very happy in the soil that it has dug roots into. However, the snails try their best every day to attack the fruit on its branches. The start at the stem. If they can't break that off, they will gnaw at the skin until there is a blemish there. If I have done my job of protecting them with Seven dust, the snails are kept away and the fruit is able to grow.

Child of God, if you have received God's Word and are growing fruit, don't forget to put on your spiritual protection of prayer, studying the Bible, taking time to Worship Him and sometimes fasting.

2 Chronicles 25:2

2010-09-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

"And he did that which is right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart."

A friend gave me a clipping last year of a bleeding heart plant. For a long time I waited and waited for it to bud. I was amazed at how it looked like a bud being held out by its petals. In other words, the heart is in sight. Only God knows our heart even when our deeds may look righteous on the outside. I think this relates to why we do not enter the Kingdom of God by works alone. The heart is deceitful. It is impure. But it is made righteous by the atonement and sanctification of Jesus Christ being invited into our lives. Only He can make all things beautiful.

Dear friend, please stop and take a moment to acknowledge that there is nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. Jesus is the sinless lamb that died for our sins. Only He can be the perfect substitution for us to be allowed in heaven, for the wages of sin would be death.

Repent of your wrong-doings, acknowledge Him as LORD and invite Him to be a part of your life.

Proverbs 22:7

2010-09-29T14:24:00.003-04:00

"The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."

by Robin

Wow, I've sadly neglected my blog so I will try to remedy that now that made a little bit of room on the plate called my life.

Jack and I are still following Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University for 8 months now and we're down several thousands of dollars in debt. Our goal is to have another debt paid off in a couple/few more months. I'm so thankful that we took this class through our church because this economy is crazy.

Anyhow, it's been beans & rice, rice & beans for us. One of our family's favorite is 15 bean soup. Yummy!! My pressure cooker has reinvented the bean for me.

Pressure Cooking Beans & Grains

In the garden, my fall sunflowers have bloomed. I wish it felt like fall outside.