Springing into Summer!

"It takes judgement to plant seeds at the right time, in the right place, and hard digging to make them grow, whether in the vegetable garden or in the garden of our lives."
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Just when we thought the spring rains would never stop, the sun has come out and we see why the Lord sent the rain.  If it had not been for the rain our flowers and trees would not be in full bloom right now.  In my front yard I've had some 300 Daffodils, another 300 Iris, and now Lillis are popping up as well.  In my back yard Homeysuckle is in bloom, wafting its beautiful fragrance throughout the property.

 

I got really ambitious this year and have planted a vegetable garden.  After having a farm for a few years and giving it up to move to Mansfield, I feel like I'm farming again (on a very smalll scale!). My raised garden bed is only 4 ft. by 8 ft., but I have put in spinach, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, and eggplant.  I also placed a few bunching onions in containers on the rear deck.  It didn't take me long to get the bed together, once the rains abated.  Of course the harvest isn't here yet and there's lots of weeding that will have to take place before that comes.  I trust that the Lord will bless my efforts and provide all that the plants need to grow and bear their fruit.  But, in the end, the whole effort should be worth it.

So it is with the approach of the Memorial Holiday; which moves us right into our tourist season.  We now have the promise of lower gasoline prices to help out our tourist season.  What most people don't know about Mansfield is that we always have some of the lowest gas prices in the nation!  That makes for a nice surprise when people come to visit the Wilder Home & Museum.

If we look for blessings we will find them.  I have designed Laura's "Sweet Memories" to be a blessing to visitors.  I try to give people what they want and at a price that they can afford.  It's always surprising to me to find that so many of my brochures have been taken from the display at the Wilder Museum, but the people don't show up at my shop.  When I'm out as a tourist I always look for unique shops.  I think that is a big part of being a tourist.  And I like to pick up things to bring back for my friends and family.  So getting the word out about my shop to those who would visit the Wilder Museum is of utmost importance.  This is something that I feel I'm doing the best that I can.  But, I need people like you to spread the word too.  To me, it would be a shame for anyone to visit the Wilder Museum and not complete their visit by coming by my shop.  My shop could be a blessing, if it isn't overlooked.

There is order to the universe and we realize that, when we see planting season, harvest season will come as well.  Tough times may come, but there is always hope for better times.  Rain comes before sunshine.  Without rain we wouldn't have the abundant blessings that follow.  And, as someone has pointed out - if we didn't have bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good times.  Being a pessimist is a waste of time!  Let me encourage you to see, with optimistic eyes, the beauty that is all around us.  Plant seeds of love, cultivate kindness and reap a harvest of friendship.  Come for a visit!

"Oh, for a little time to enjoy the beauties around me! Just a little while to be free of the tyranny of things that must be done!" 

Laura Ingalls Wilder