It's Alive!

We live on a hillside on the southeastern edge of the Hill Country in Texas. One word sums up our one acre yard…rocks. The dirt is shallow, porous and pretty good at growing native vegetation. No grass in my yard but if you’re looking for that sticky weed that sticks to shoelaces and socks, we’ve got ya covered! Our landscaping efforts do okay as long as we stick to the native plants and succulents. I happen to like them, so it is not all bad.

There is an area on the steeper downhill corner of our home where fill materials were boxed in with a retaining wall. It’s between 4 ½ - 5 feet deep. This would be an awesome place to grow something pretty if it had real dirt in it instead of the rocky hard packed mess it is. Thankfully, it is not readily visible. It has been the proverbial thorn in this gardener’s side!

I am determined that, one day; I will have usable dirt in which to plant something lovely in that corner. It became my mission. Can’t dig it out and start over because it is vital to the foundation of our home. No wisdom there. So, it must stay in place. Till then, it might as well be useful. I decided to make that my compost spot.

I cook with a lot fresh veggies, so I am contributing to the compost pile daily. It’s amazing to me the number of things you can compost, turning trash and waste into something good. It’s been a few years now of depositing veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and various other materials. It’s handy, out of sight and working toward a better end; all good things.

The other day I was out on the hillside deck enjoying a cup of coffee and our awesome view. I meandered to the side that looks over on the compost pile about 4 feet below. For a moment my eyes could not make sense of what they were seeing. It was as if the compost bed was alive! Movement, tiny slight movement everywhere created an optical illusion. Then my brain sorted it out and I realized the entire bed was covered in butterflies! They were making a meal stop on the smorgasbord that was my compost pile! It was beautiful. Such a God thing!

The Master Gardener takes the hard hearts of people and turns them into useful, good soil in which He can grow beauty, kindness and love. He takes the trash and gunk from our lives and works it all together for His greater purposes. I’ve witnessed that in my own life! Others benefit from this miraculous change and the cycle of seed time and harvest continues to produce in the lives of His people.

The butterflies certainly looked as if they were delighted about the food source they found. My family has reaped rewards as well. We were shocked and excited to find an abundance of cherry tomatoes vines cascading down the side of the retaining wall a couple of years ago. Not only were they beautiful but loaded with delicious tomatoes. At this moment in time, late October, we have at least six tomato plants thriving and a vine, possibly squash or cantaloupe springing up. It’s too early to tell what it is but the testimony of the fact it even exists is remarkable. We’ll just keep doing our part and see what God has in store for us.

Fall in Love with Autumn

Fall or autumn, call it what you like, is my favorite time of year. I guess I should qualify that; LATE Fall is more accurate. In most of Texas, we rarely get to see seasonal changes that a lot of the country takes for granted. I have a mental seasonal change in autumn.

Fall brings a barrage of scents, colors and textures that stir emotions deep inside me. I have not found the key to why that happens but I don’t care. I just love that it happens. I love that I can actually spend time outdoors for more than a few minutes at a time. The sun is not my best friend but autumn allows me more freedom and time to soak up nature. Nothing is more comforting and basic to me than walking in the woods this time of year. Even later when all the leaves that have fallen are crunchy underfoot, these walks renew and invigorate me.

Chilly air brings out my inner child. The girl that ran and played peeks outside my grandmotherly face and tugs at memories long tucked away. Memories such as walking along side my grandfather; he made up songs about anything he saw to make me laugh. They never made much sense but we enjoyed them.

The smell of chicken and dumplings simmering on the stove can warm you to your toes though the wind howls and swirls beyond the steamy windows. A mug of apple cider with a cinnamon stick can not be resisted. A favorite fuzzy robe makes snuggling on the couch more relaxing. Pumpkin pie scented candles warm a room with just their tiny flame.

Autumn also brings my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I’ve written before about Friday being my dedicated day to look back at all the Lord has done in my life that week and give thanks for each thing. Daily prayers should begin with words of thanksgiving. So, for me, Thanksgiving Day is the ultimate holiday because people all over are giving thanks and I see in my spirit’s eye a tender vision of how the Lord might look hearing prayers of thanks from people He might not hear from on a regular basis. A harvest of souls praying for the harvests in their lives! A spontaneous chorus of thanks ringing out when families gather and bow heads together! Oh, my! Gives me goose bumps!! Yes, Thanksgiving is most certainly my favorite holiday and it comes in my favorite time of year.

What’s not to love and be thankful for about this special time of year?