Only a Weed

Greetings of love to you in the name of Jesus! I hope this finds you very well and having a great day. I'm very excited due to the beautiful cloudless sky and swift breeze overlooking my spot in Missouri. God was so good in all that He created!

The Weed's Philosophy

Nay, but tell me, am I not unlucky indeed,

To arise from the earth and be only a weed?

Ever since I came out of my dark little seed,

I have tried to live rightly, but still am a--weed!

To be torn by the roots and destroyed, this is my meed,

And despised by the gardener, for being--a weed.

Ah! but why was I born, when man longs to be freed

Of a thing so obnoxious and bad as a--weed?

Now, the cause of myself and my brothers I plead,

Say, can any good come of my being a--weed?

If a purpose divine is in all things decreed,

then there must be some benefit from me, a--weed!

If of evil and suffering, the world still has need

In its path of development, then I, a weed,

Must form part of that plan which in nature I read,

though I live but to die, just for being a--weed!

-Martha Martin

Just yesterday Daddy bought me some very interesting little booklets by George Washington Carver; you know, the peanut man? The booklets are packed full of amazing bits of information. Did you know weeds and other vegetation could be eaten and deliciously so?
Chicory: This beautiful leafy plant can according to Carver's booklet be "prepared the same as wild lettuce, before it begins to stem. The roots are very often peeled, dried and roasted a coffee brown. Some prefer it to real coffee; others mix it various proportions to suit their tastes." Imagine . . . Just visit this site or this for the proof.

Chicory. Visit here to discover this picture's origin and other helpful information.

Wild Lettuce: This creature, of which I have seen throughout my life, has a lot of useful purposes. Writes Carver, "These several interesting plants are all members of the lettuce family, have milky juice and when young and tender taste very much like our cultivated lettuce to which it bears some slight resemblance in appearance;" The booklet also goes on to read, "Its medicinal virtues are similar to cultivated lettuce and the dandelion. It is excellent when prepared as spinach."
Black Mustard: Our sited author writes, 'originally cultivated, but now in many sections of the United States has become weedy. It is highly prized for its seed and also as a vegetable, eaten raw, or cooked with other greens it is most highly prized."

Black Mustard. Stop by this link for picture credit.

Red or White Clover: the plant which I have loved seeing and running through now has a special use--eating! Mr. Carver states, "The flower heads of these two varieties have held first place in delicate and fancy salads for years. Serve in mixed salads or separately as fancy dictates. They lend themselves admirably to any type of mild dressing."
 Truly, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork."
May the LORD bless your day!

Frannie

Welcome to our Home

Hello friends! I finally have pictures of our new home! God is so good; we have been blessed far beyond want we could even imagine in getting this house (I think!) and I hope to glorify Christ as we settle into this house and make it a home. *Before you begin, know that I have put many photos . . . maybe too many for you to enjoy at one sitting. :)  Also, thank you for patiently waiting for me!

Moving Day!

We we so blessed to have four men come and help us move. God was so good in meeting our needs far more abundantly than we expected!

My family after our first moving day! Tired and dirty but happy! :)

Welcome to our home!

A long picture of our dining room, kitchen, and living room (from left to right).

To the right of the kitchen you walk into the hallway which has a side door (the door we will use most often). To the left of the hallway is the laundry room/pantry, bathroom, and a bedroom. To the right is a coat closet and the master bedroom. One of our good (and talented!) friends made the arch; isn't it beautiful?

Bathroom

Laundry room/pantry

Bedroom

Welcome to Allie's garden! :o)

A walk o'er the estate. :o)

A peep across the pond. I've named it Olive Lake. Olive because it is often an olive green color and Lake because it seems so big to me! :o)

An old cup from the past owners burn area. I thought it was pretty!

And here I am trying to take a photo of myself! :o)

Thank you all for sticking in there and viewing the photos! :o) I loved going outside and seeing God's creation. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Also, I have a innate love for home names. Remember the March family from Little Women?  Their lovely home was called the Orchard House. After seeing a little of what our home looks like maybe you have a suggestion for our new homestead? I would love to hear your suggestions!

Thank you again for reading! With love,

A Lovely Wintry Trip

Hello friends! I hope this finds you all very well. As you may recall from my last post, I just spent a few days camping. As I prepared for the trip, I imagined cold winter nights, swampy camp coffee, and, well . . . frigidity. :o) While some of those things were true, I must say that the trip was quite lovely. Here are a few of the details:

WHO: Myself, Allie, and Tom (Allie’s boyfriend). While my official title and purpose was chaperone, that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying myself!

WHY: For two dear-hearts to visit without having to traverse many miles of U.S. highways. :)

WHERE: Jean Petit State Park

What We Saw:

Beautiful sandstone rocks.

Lovely winter shrubbery.

20th century graffiti. :) Mr. Hamilton carved his name in 1916.

Bear Cave and unique rock structures. While walking about this area, I was amazed at the evident power and creativity of God.

Genuine Native American artwork.

Amazing trees and great heights.

Monkeys? :)

And so much more!

“Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” Psalms 104:1-4

The Outcome:

If armed with good company, plenty of blankets, an electric heater, a fine fire pit, panty-hose stuffed with coffee, helpful hands, indoor plumbing, and good humor . . .

winter camping can be a lovely time! :)

May you all have a blessed week!

With love,

Frannie

Au revoir!

Dear friends! Greetings! I hope you all are well both physically and spiritually. Perhaps you are enjoying sunny fall weather? :) I am well (actually, I’m excited!). As my titled suggests, I am leaving the blogging world for a little bit of time. I will soon be leaving for Pennsylvania for a week-long youth Bible School. While this is not an official school, I can guarantee that I will be tried, tested, and challenged in my walk with Jesus.  I have been blessed to attend this biblically sound and encouraging school before, and I know God has big things in store. Hopefully, I will be able to share how it went when I return! Until then, I would like to share a few *ahem, several* photos with you.

A Mural of Fall

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:2,3

 

Some dew drops on a chilly morning.

“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“This is what God the LORD says--he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:” Isaiah 42:5

A lovely bench with a bit o’ moss.

Dear Kimo, our lovable dog.

Momma and I love to find things with ladies covering their heads. Momma found this dear coffee mug for me! (And I love it!)  :)

A Hint of Winter

The first actual frost I’ve seen this year. I had to scrap my window shield with a Barnes and Noble card! :)

A rose sprinkled with frost.

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. . .”

Bundling up! :)

May you have a blessed week, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! If you are able, keep me in your prayers that I may have a hearing and obedient heart to all the Lord teaches me this coming week! Also, for traveling mercies!

With much love,

Frannie