Gardening 101: Conquering the Fear of Failure

See it?

Way down there to the right?

The orange square?

That's my attempt at a garden.

I've attempted gardens before.

Twice there were gardens in the upper left...

up there by the fence.

Fail...and fail.

So...it was with quite a bit of doubt and not much confidence that I accepted the gift of this square foot garden from a good friend of mine this spring.  

She and her kids built it for me.
Her husband delivered it to our home.

(Thank you Gourley family!)

Doubt and lack of confidence.

You would think that I would
be able to plant and tend a garden.
That I wouldn't be afraid.

My dad was a farmer...from a long line of farmers.

My mom and grandma had a HUGE garden every single summer that I was growing up.

You would think.

My friend's enthusiasm was pretty contagious. 

She told me all about square foot gardening.

And since I had already been introduced to raised gardens after admiring my neighbor's amazing beds last summer, I decided to give it a try.

I even went to a gardening class offered by a very gifted gardener in our church.

Paul and William painted my garden frame orange, and after trying out three differed locations in the yard, I decided on the perfect spot...in full sun and close enough to drag the water hose out to it.

William even made a post for my rain gauge
and put it in the corner of the garden.

And then there she sat.

Last week, the woman from my church who offered the gardening class asked me if I had planted my garden yet.

(Insert cricket noises.)

Why not?

I haven't gone to get the dirt yet.

I don't know what I want to plant.

School.

Too busy.
I don't know what I'm doing!

Aaaahhhhhhhh!

Excuses.

Every one of them.

The real reason?

Total fear of failure.

That's the reason I haven't planted my zinnia seeds
and my hollyhock seeds yet.

Big sigh.
Failure.

This morning I am thankful for
that gardening friend of mine.
I am thankful that she asked me about my garden, because it gave me the gumption to get moving.
I have to tell myself daily that I am learning as I go...
and that it won't be perfect.
And that there will be bunnies.
Hundreds of them all of a sudden.

The bonus part of all of this is that Paul and the kids have totally jumped on board with it!
Paul tilled up a spot for pumpkins.
Carrie prepared a garden spot
down by the little pink house.
William built an awesome big raised bed
for more garden space.
Josh loves to do the watering.
Matthew?
 He likes to run around the yard and pretend like he is going to run right through the middle of the garden.
And run through spray of water as it comes out the hose.

And did I mention the pole bean teepee?
Just wait till you see that!

So...time will tell.
Failures have become learning opportunities...
something that I tell my kids all the time but have just started really believing for myself.

Enjoying becoming a gardener,

Wordless Wednesday..."Warm Weather Fun"

Enjoying the warmth of spring,

Pure Joy

This is one of those posts that I wish I had in video 

rather than in words.

I don't think that my words will be enough.

Josh has been asking Paul for a pocket knife.

"How old do I have to be to get a pocket knife?"

"When did William get his first pocket knife?"

"Do you think I can have a pocket knife for my birthday?"

Paul talked to Josh about responsibility.

He talked to him about how to keep a pocket knife...

and how to lose it.

He told Josh that before he got a pocket knife, he would have to be sure that he was ready.

Monday afternoon, Paul pulled the cutest little 

Swiss Army Knife out of his pocket.

"Do you think he's ready?"

Paul smiled.

That evening, Josh was sitting in the family room.

Paul walked up beside him and turned on the lamp next to the chair where Josh was.

Josh squinted his eyes and covered them 

with his hand and said,

"Oohhhh!  Please turn off the light!"

Paul said, "Look."

Paul was holding the knife in his closed fist.

Josh looked at Paul's fist, confused, 

and then fist-bumped it. 

Paul said, "Open your hand."

Josh, still confused, held out his fist.

Paul said, "Turn it over."

Josh turned his hand over, and Paul placed the pocket knife in his hand.

Silence.

Josh just sat there looking in his hand.

(I get all teary just writing this!)

Then he looked up at Paul.

Just sat there looking up at Paul.

Then Josh started crying!

He said, "Really?"

"Yeah.  Really."

Then Josh stood up and hugged Paul saying, 

"Oh thank you, Daddy!  Thank you!"

Paul looked over at me 

with this surprised look on his face.

I just sat there crying.

I had no idea that this little Swiss Army Pocket Knife would be such an important rite of passage.

I had no idea that it would be so 

important and meaningful to Josh.

I had no idea.

Josh has learned some of the rules that go along with having a pocket knife.

We started with five.

*Always hold your knife by the handle and pointed away from your body...and no running!

*If a friend wants to handle your knife, then their mom or dad needs to be there with them.

*Know who is standing around you and how close they are when you open your knife.

*No showing off.

*Take your pocket knife out of your pocket every night and put it in its special place.

 Then there's the obvious but worth reminding him of...

always tell us when you are planning on using your knife and what you will be using it for.

He knows that as he gets older and shows responsibility in these areas, he will get a little more freedom.

He won't always have to run in 

and ask before carving a stick.

The adage is that every man should have a pocket knife.

Enjoying my little man,

Here Come the Brides

 This weekend our church had its annual Ladies Banquet.

The theme of this year's program was 

"The Beauty of His Bride."

This was So. Much. Fun!

Several women from the church included 

their wedding gowns in a 

"Wedding Gowns Through the Decades" fashion show.

Below are dresses that represent the 

1950's, 1970's and 2000's.

Aren't they beautiful hanging there together?

This is a dress from the 1960's...

and the 1980's...

Carrie was asked to model the dress from the 1950's.

Barbara, the bride, celebrated her birthday just one day before Carrie celebrated hers each January.

From the day that Carrie was born, Barbara claimed Carrie as her special baby in the church nursery.

Barbara died two Aprils ago.

Carrie was so happy to be able to model this 

very special woman's dress.

And this model was just a little girl when I started going to church here.

Now she has a baby girl of her own.

I love that she was modeling the gown from the 1970's...her mom's gown.

Such a sweet girl sitting next to her mom's princess gown from the 2000's...

And here are our very talented sound guys.

I've known both of them since they were itty bitty babies.

The one in red is mine.  

:)

 1950's gown modeled by Carrie, good friend of the bride.

1960's gown modeled by the bride's granddaughter.

1970's gown modeled by the bride's daughter.

1980's gown modeled by the bride's daughter-in-law.

1990's gown modeled by the bride's daughter.

2000's gown modeled by the bride's friend.

2010's gown modeled by the bride's friend.

Carrie is holding the little white Bible that the bride carried on the day she was married.

 This is our super-amazing music director!

Talk about talent!!

Out march the brides!

Downstairs were a displays of wedding gowns, photos, and photo albums.

Did I already mention that this was So. Much. Fun?!

Our table...Carrie at the far left and GG at the far right.

Time to get a little sentimental.

This is a wedding portrait of my 

paternal grandma and grandpa...

And my maternal grandpa and grandma...

Aaaahhhh weddings!
So.  Much.  Fun!

Enjoying memories,