2002-07-02 - 2:30 p.m.

'Nother maxim

Mideast proverb--'Don't let old age be the winter of your life. Let it be the harvest.'

That sounded pretty good when I first read it, but as I pondered it before getting down here to record it, I realized winter is not negative to everyone. 2d lives in anticipation for the first frosty days and watches the mountain for snow so she can do what she loves-ski!! The approach of spring is the negative for her. Harvest sounds pretty good, too, but I must admit that at my age, I am not harvesting much. I planted some seeds long ago and even did some watering, but most of my harvesting has passed, and I am watching the harvest of others.

That has its own rewards when the harvest is sweet, but when the harvest is bitter, I look back to see where I might have made a difference. My own personal harvests are a varied lot. Some produced bountifully, good and bad. Some were crop failures. A real crop failure was grandchildren, but the few I have are treasures. One would think that having 5 children would result in many, many grands. Nope, crop failure in that area. When I married into 800's family, there were 5 married children and 30+ grands already. Must have been in the 40's by the time everyone finished and I have never even counted the greats.

Numbers of children and grands are not important to count. One by one is how they enter the heart, and one by one is how they come to mind with all their individual quirks and blessings.

On another subject--thank You for strength these past days. Lots and lots of yard work done! I didn't realize how much I had neglected in the years when my knee was bad. Even now, I cannot do what I used to. The flexibility is more than anticipated, but injuries never recover to the original point, and getting older adds a few more ingredients to the mix. 2d used her new hedge trimmer Saturday and it was great. Should have invested in one years ago, but elbow grease was in greater supply than cash.

Ate 2 Early Girl tomatoes out of the wheelbarrow today--they were high in acid but I enjoyed them. More are turning light green. I'll share them!

My roses are the prettiest they have ever been. I bought some Miracle-Gro and added it to the water as I sprinkled. The new leaves grew big and shiny and the bushes are covered with buds. The lavender one 2s bought me years ago is magnificent, and smells as beautifully as it looks. It is very frilly with tightly blended petals. The two behind it as one goes up the deck stairs are both floribunda types, one creamy white and one deep salmon orange. Then around the L is the tree candystripe rose that reverted back to a gorgeous deep red climber, a little warm red miniature rose 2s also gave me, and the newest rose that 2d gave me 2 years ago, colored much like a peace rose but tinted with more reds.

A new little apricot tree only 3 or 4 inches high is hiding behind the last rose. 800 always throws his fruit pits down there off the deck in hopes something will spring up. The one he was nurturing these last 2 years was taken back to Oregon by little sis. 800 didn't remember giving it away at bro's funeral last year, but they did! He was sorry to see it go so I am glad another has sprung up for him.

EE's devotional

newAutumn Leaves

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