Can't Complain for the Carrots

The waiting was hard...
but, the carrots came up nicely


they have turned out sweet and juicy...

and I can't complain

munching on a freshly picked carrot can't be beat


May your day or night be sweet by God's grace.

King Belshazzar...

Do you know who King Belshazzar was?

He was the successor son of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the Old Testament times

when we want to learn history on past times...
we often go to man-written history books


how often do we go to the Bible for some really interesting and true history
the man-written history books can often have fallible or mistaken recordings of the past

but, not so the Bible...
it is the book written by and of God by His inspiration through the hand of man in times past...
and it has endured for centuries while man-written history has often been changed

the Bible holds so much fascinating history that can be read as fact
God does not make mistakes

but, let's go on to King Belshazzar


As King of Babylon....
he was given a message in writing by the hand of God...
the writing on the wall during one of his grand feasts that glorified he and his lords

it frightened him...he knew it meant something important...
and he called all his "wise" men to interpret this writing that gave him so much discomfort
but, these "wise" men could not interpret this writing on the wall
so, the queen told him of Daniel, (the Daniel of the lions' den)...
and he was called to interpret this troubling message


God gave Daniel the wisdom and understanding to interpret this message to King Belshazzar from the Lord...
a warning, with a promise

Daniel explained that while King Belshazzar was worshiping the gods of gold and silver...
of brass and wood and stone...
that could not hear, nor see, nor know...
the true God Almighty who rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over it whomsoever He wills...
was forgotten and neglected

while King Belshazzar knew of his father's, Nebuchadnezzar, deposing from his kingdom by God...
until he would know that God is the mighty and everlasting King over all...
King Belshazzar neglected to give due worship and acknowledgment to the heavenly King  


and because King Belshazzar refused to acknowledge the Lord...
God sent him this message written on the wall...

"MENE, MENE, TEKEL,UPHARSIN"
This is the interpretation of the thing:
MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
Daniel 5

if you have read the story, you know what happened 
there is so much more to this history
and
I recommend the reading of it...please do read it...you'll find it interesting
a fascinating book, Daniel is, with true history and stories of real people who lived long ago


May the Lord give grace to you, this day or night.

Lime Squash...

What some would call limeade somewhere else...
is called lime squash in parts of the Caribbean

on our island...
we like to add a stick of sugar cane for an edible garnish


our lime trees on Pilgrim's Farm are producing lots of limes...


just in time for the real heat of the season


a cold glass of limeade is a freshener for warm weather

my lime squash calls for a little extra...
several limes
enough water to make a pitcher of limeade
one cup of raw sugar cane juice (or whatever sweetener you have, adjusting sweetness to your taste)
1 tablespoon of dark, unsulphered molasses


squeeze the lime juice into the pitcher and add the water
add the sweetener and molasses
the molasses just adds something I like to the lime squash

I often throw in a cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves for a spicy drink...
and let it sit in the fridge for a day to give the flavors a chance to mellow together


the molasses will make the lime squash a bit dark...
but, it sure takes the boredom out of plain 'ole limeade

if you're feeling the heat of a warm day...
add plenty ice cubes

here's to you...


May your day, or night find sweet grace in the Lord.

Today...

The new cocoa trees will be planted shortly

it takes about 4 to 5 years for these to mature enough for cocoa pods


the bacano leaves are hung to dry...
they will be used for medicinal tea


the anise hyssop plant is flowering again


I do so love the licorice taste of this herbal plant

this one needs a good cutting back and I'll start more plants with the cuttings


I use both the leaves and flowers to make the tea

good for respiratory problems and digestion
the bees love making honey with the flower nectar


this tiny wren has a most beautiful song that so wonderfully serenades us around the cottage 


the "pride of barbados" tree (aka "peacock" tree) is in full bloom, again


this morning...for a few minutes...my heart was caught on a thin string...

( I didn't add that string on the heart, it is part of a spider's web )

when our dog, Shadow, made an escape from the cottage compound in pursuit of another male dog...
that came charging up to the fence to harass him...
they scuffled while I ran out the gate for Shadow
I am happy to say, Shadow heeded my call and left off the pursuit to come back to me

yeah, Shadow...
you, good boy, you


I couldn't help thanking the Lord

For this God is our God for ever and ever:
He will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 48:14

May your day, or night be filled with God's grace.

why I love my chickens


The Lord has graciously given us chickens for our homestead...
and we love having them

I never tire of watching them...
they are so entertaining

this is a little photo video of my chickens...
just for fun

I set the video to a song from the 1920s called, "You're The Cream In My Coffee"...
sung by Max Raabe with the Palast Orchestra...
ITune carries this song from where I got it

so, if you are inclined...
I hope you get a kick out of seeing my chickens "do their things"



May your day, or night be delightful in God's grace.

Epsom Salts...

Epsom salts first originated from a spring in Epsom, England

now, it is processed from springs in other places as well


touted as a health and beauty aid...
it is a mineral salt very high in magnesium...
a mineral sorely lacking in the typical modern diet due to industrial farming

the repercussions of industrial farming has brought about a drop by half...
the amount of magnesium needed in the human body for proper nutrition 

the American diet in particular speeds up depletion of magnesium in the body...
and most people who take calcium supplements don't know that magnesium is needed...
 for proper absorption of the calcium

magnesium deficiency can cause health problems, such as...
heart disease, strokes, osteoporosis, arthritis/joint pain, digestive maladies, chronic fatigue...
and is a nutrient sorely lacking in cases of autism

for more information on the health benefits of epsom salts, click on...
and

epsom salt is a great, natural fertilizer for the gardner
I use it in my potted plants as well

for potted plants, use 2 tablespoons of epsom salt in 1 gallon of water
for garden plants, sprinkle 2 teaspoons about 4 inches away from the plant...
circling the plant with the sprinkles 
to learn more on how to use it for your plants, click on...

May your day, or night be liberally sprinkled with God's grace.


Walking for Cow Pies...

We get free manure...


all the cows, including ours, around the forests and fields where we live...
drop all those preciously nutritious "feed" for our crops on the farm


all we have to do is take a walk for cow pies

down the hill, my husband carries his bucket and shovel


I must say, it's a pretty nice walk, too

birds' nests, here and there


I look at all the pretty things...
and my husband does the dirty thing of shoveling up those "pies"


the scenery is not bad


even the part surrounding those muddy discs


while the morning sun slips it's rays through the trees


I do believe our crops will get some good food


and, in spite of it's non-yummy looks...
good for us in the long run, when we go to eat our crops

yep, I'd say those cows are certainly worth their weight in gold...
or rather, manure


and, how about a last photo to "clean the palate"


He (Jesus) spake also this parable;
A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard,
Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree,
and find none:
cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
And he answering said unto him,
Lord, let it alone this year also,
till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
And if it bear fruit, well:
and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
Luke 13:6-9

this is spiritually speaking, of course
Jesus spoke this parable as a warning that,
except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish
Luke 13:5

food for the soul to those who hear

May your day, or night be blessed in God's grace and mercy.

For You...

A garden rose from Pilgrim's Cottage

thank you for visiting, commenting, following


you are appreciated

and for those who fancy some colors other than pink...
how about some greens and yellows from Pilgrim's Cottage garden


May your day, or night be beautiful in the grace of God.

The Cottage and The Ivy...

Our wood cottage sits on columns at about 9 feet high from the ground...
a little like living in a tree house


at 30 feet wide by 28 feet deep, including the 10 foot deep veranda...
it is not too big and not too small...
just right for my husband and I

below our main quarters on the ground floor...
 are an extra bedroom with full bath and a laundry/sewing/tool room...
each at 12 feet deep by 15 feet wide...
giving us room under the cottage for working space and hanging laundry

before we moved in, Don planted a tiny ivy plant at the base of a column
I didn't even notice it until he showed me
he said it would grow and cover the columns and probably grow over some of the cottage

I looked at this tiny plant and thought, "that will be a few years"

in 2 months after we moved into the cottage...
it had grown to what you see here in the photo below
yikes...a bit faster than I expected


I wasn't the only one who noticed
if you look carefully in the above photo, see if you can find the bird nest
it is on the right hand side inside the ivy, a tad above half-way up

and there she is...
a cute tiny finch who waited patiently while her mate built that nest for their brood


they seem to have no qualms about our being so close by...
and it was a wonderful opportunity to watch all their sweet little doings


they had two...
who opened their little mouths wide whenever I came by to peek in and see how they were coming along
it wasn't long before they fledged and left the nest for good


birds aside...
this is about The Ivy

the cottage looked like this while the ivy was small


in just a few months...
it had crept up along the veranda rail and along the screen


and more quickly made it's way along the walls and windows on the road side of the cottage 


it was time...
time to trim The Ivy before it got out of hand

I am not able to reach up that high even on a ladder...
so I put the ladder against the cottage...


and set the shears on the ladder step

and since my husband was planning on this chore, anyway...


he took the hint...
and trimmed The Ivy from off the windows and veranda


it really didn't take long, and now...
the breeze blows in a little better through the shutters...
and I can see outside so much easier


yes, much better


it looks cleaner and tidier from the top of my rock garden


and so much sweeter from under the hibiscus bushes


and now when people walk by and see it from the bamboo fence...
the cottage doesn't look neglected


My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord:
my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found a nest for herself, 
where she may lay her young, 
even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house:
they will be still praising Thee. Selah
For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 84:2-4, 10

May the Lord bless your day, or night with His grace.