Dear Friends in Christ,

As I was pulling up tomato vines that had sprawled all over the place, I came eye to eye with a praying mantis.  She looked at me, waved her antenna and then went back to eating insects.  I felt blessed that she and I were working together to feed ourselves from my backyard garden.  

Chickens, birds, bees, butterflies and moths as well as any number of Grandma’s Garden children have found food and a haven in this small back garden where others have gardened before me, and others will garden after I am gone.

All of us are blessed by the deep fertile soil that is the product of thousands of years of erosion and is improved every time we add compost and other detritus that comes our way.

As the harvest slows down, I make plans for the coming year:

·      Do I really want to plant so many cherry tomatoes?

·      Maybe more onions?

·      Maybe corn?

·      Shall I expand the strawberry patch?

·      Make a larger raised bed where the squash and cucumbers are currently growing in grow bags?

·      This wasn’t a great year for potatoes.  Do I want to try again?

·      What will delight my visitors, whether they be insects or birds or children?

Faithfully yours,

Rebecca

Beginning September 15, I will be on vacation for three weeks.  First, Jim, Matthew and I will be glamping up at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.  Then Ellie, Eric and I will be camping at Big Sur.

Pastor Barry will be filling in at Zion

Reverend Lyn and Father Christian will be filling in at St Anne’s.

Thank you to all three of you for stepping into the breach.