new trees

this week we fulfilled a long-brewing hope by planting four fruit trees in our backyard.  slowly, over the last five years of owning this place, we've pushed out the garden boundaries and imagined the most from a small urban space.  the most precious tree we introduced to the garden came from our friends Dragana and Navenka.  it is a well-developed, 10 foot purple plum, a variety from Bosnia. 

 

the other three (so far) are another plum, an asian pear (hosui), and a sour cherry (montmorency).  in terms of sustainability and fidelity to place, it is a big and loving step toward long-term stewardship for this part of God's earth. 

stand up for your love

loving the new u2 album at our house.  this song is a great shot of rock...and the lyrics aren't half bad.  i'm listening to this track with an ear to it being a wake-up call to the people of God.

Stand up, this is comedy
The DNA lotto may have left you smart
But can you stand up to beauty
Dictator of the heart
I can stand up for hope, faith, love
But while I’m getting over certainty
Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady
Oh, oh
Out from under your beds 
C’mon, ye people
Stand up for your love
Love love love love love
Love love love love love

my dad reminded me the other day of a C.S. Lewis quote that suggested that God/'the good news' is like a lion...does not need to be defended, just let out of it's cage.

cup overflowing

so much good going on all around us.  see this post for some things we have had the privilege of being a part of in recent days.

here's sherry talking about the community garden with some neighbors at the isaac murphy event.

here's isaac maddock hamming it up with laura and ryan at the same event.

here's sherry (far left) on earth day sitting next to jeff barrie, director of the fantastic documentary, "killowatt ours."

easter pic

here we are sunday morning after our household chocolate egg hunt and before we headed out to celebrate easter with the community.  it is not often we are all dressed up so we snapped this picture (thank you tripod) to capture the moment.

isaac speaks

yesterday was a long day for Isaac.  he was in his Montessori class from 8 till 11.30..then he had lunch and spent several hours in the extended day program.  at 3pm he went to an art class he is taking for the next few weeks.  when i picked him up at 4pm he was a little foggy with tired.

when we came home he had a snack and i asked him about the day.  here's the dialogue that followed:

isaac:  (long pause)

geoff:  are you okay, buddy?

isaac:  (concerned expression on his face) do you know why i look angry and sad at the same time?

geoff:  no.

isaac:  because i just spent 7 hours at school and there was so much talking i have a head ache.

(long pause - geoff trying not to laugh)

...and there were 6000 or more people talking to me today.  it's too much.

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he recovered later in the afternoon and was excited to be back into the fray this morning as i took him to school.

here's a picture of him in his Easter Sunday best.

garden update

we have been eager to get into the garden and as you can see from this photo we are trying to maximize food production from our modest urban plot.  our four raised beds are only half way there (the two on the right still need the sod and winter cover crop turned over - each bed it 14ft long by 5 ft wide) but to the far right and bottom of the photo you can see where we tore up the concrete in front of the garage to make more beds.  we are just a short way in to a long term project...our hope is to lay brick paths between the beds (we saved the bricks from our crumbling chimneys) and plant fruit trees along the fence to the left of the photo.  we already have 3 rain barrels around the house and can't wait to plant nut and berry producing hedges to act as windbreaks.  a real urban homestead in the making.  we are grateful our nearby friends have the room for chickens and others are even planning for rabbits and fish ponds for meat.

so we have seeds in the ground and some lovely seedlings coming up behind the garage...and then april sends us a blast of winter cold.  all day we have had sporadic sunshine and snow as well as hail showers.  last night dipped below freezing and we are expecting the same for tonight.

this photo (below) shows our peas growing nicely but surrounded by hail pellets and that cloth is our row-cover...an attempt at saving the spinach, beet, lettuce, and radish seedlings that have sprung up.

and here is a nice collection of hail on one of the rhubarb leaves.

the tulips were open basking in the sun yesterday....

today they were closed against the snow.