Fall is well and truly progressing. Canadian Thanksgiving is no longer on the “upcoming events” in the calendar (even though we haven’t had a Thanksgiving dinner yet – no worries, it’s in the works). The mornings definitely reveal the shift as days begin around 5-6˚C (40-43˚F) even though they may still land in the low-mid 20s (low 70s) by afternoon.
The blog has been quiet, but life continues… let me try to catch you up!
Honey Harvest
During the first week of October, I was able to pull about 20L (60 lbs) of multi-floral honey out of my hives. Typically, honey is harvested in August or early September but things were just too busy. The early October warm spell meant I could open up the hives without chilling the residents.
I was quite happy with the haul since the summer had been so incredibly dry (flowers produce less nectar when there is less water available to them). It was darker than last year’s honey, likely due to the proximity of several fields of buckwheat, but the overall flavour will remain that of an all-flower honey as I pressed it together with Spring frames containing fruit tree & Spring flower honey.
Prayer Walking
Back in January, I mentioned that we’d given ourselves a challenge, as a church body, to spend time praying in all of the communities in our department (state / province). In total there are 226, of which we’ve reached 38, or just shy of 17%.
We took a couple of Sunday mornings through the summer and continue to incorporate the practice into our daily travels… when we’re running errands or traveling to/from work.
We’ve seen something that I remember Pastor E.E. Goddard saying, when he was still in Saint John. They’d bus Sunday School kids in from one neighbourhood, and would be contacted from someone in another neighbourhood… looking for a Bible Study or to come to church. Similarly, we’ve had several visitors over the past couple of months and the same principle is at play. We’re planting seeds through prayer, and God is opening doors with people from (or we’re seeing visitors come from) elsewhere.
Sights & Back Roads
Whether it’s been for trips to & from work, or for prayer walks (sometimes we combine the two), I’ve seen some beautiful sights.
- A very old climbing rose, trained on a cross-crowned, cast-iron trellis in the courtyard of a small, country church.
- A dirt road, running as far as the eye could see, between parallel rows of well established poplars and the Dive River.
- An elegant art-nouveau styled house, perched atop a suspended garden overlooking the Gartempe River.
I’m someone who takes great comfort in finding the beauty of simply things. In an all too busy life… they give me a bit of breathing room.
From Liz’s Kitchen & the Blessed Hearth
We have a friend back in Canada, an absolute goldmine of info on all things domestic, Faye Henry. She’s blogs at The Blessed Hearth where she shares tips on pickling, canning, preserving, harvesting and generally speaking, how to make the most of all God gives us through nature… cultivated or wild.
In an October 2022 post, she shares a recipe for mock raspberry jam, where chopped green tomatoes make up the bulk of the “fruit” and raspberry jello gives it the flavour. Since our neighbours are still supplying us with bounty from their gardens, and green tomatoes were this week’s catch, Liz gave it a try.
I. Couldn’t. Believe. It. Wasn’t. Real. Raspberry. Jam.
To thank our neighbour for the tomatoes, Liz gifted him a jar of jam and he was astounded… even he would never have guessed that his green tomatoes had come back to him thus transformed.
Faye, generously shares her vast knowledge as a way to teach young moms, in the measure that they choose to, to be keepers of the home as referenced in Titus chapter 2. Moms play an invaluable (and often undervalued) role in society and in the family. If you would like to benefit from her vast experience you can find her on her blog:
This Weekend
Today we are headed to Bordeaux for the weekend where Rev. Kevin & Crystal Wallace (fellow New Brunswickers) are doing a couples seminar this afternoon and will be ministering in service tomorrow. We love the Wallaces.
Signing off…
I’ll sign off for this week with a photo of cyclamen hederifolium, currently blooming under the linden tree at church.
Fall blossoms push through a blanket of dead leaves. After the flowers fade, its leaves pop up & spend the winter photosynthesizing light that’s not available in summer, due to the heavy shade.
What a wise little flower… coming to life just as all else goes dormant. Likewise… what a good God to give us this example: it IS possible to thrive in difficult seasons.
Thank you for stopping by today.
As always, your prayers give us strength.
God bless you today!
AIM Long 