Leave it to fox news

I was curious to see if the American Media took notice of the Foiled terrorrist plot right here in the GTA. Sure enough Fox is right on the story and have a special video taken outside the Brampton courthouse as the proceedings were about to begin on Tuesday June 6, 2006. First they kept showing pictures of broken glass and not giving the explanation that it was a possible retaliation attack on a Muslim Mosque. The clincher comes near the end of the footage as they are supposely taking footage of Muslims going to their mosque, but in reality they are taking footage of Siks going to their Siks temple. I couldn't resist and had to write Fox News an email:

"I just finished watching your video shot outside of the Brampton courthouse regarding the foiled terrorrist plot. Your footage shows what are supposed to be Muslims walking to their car and towards a temple. The people are not Muslims but rather sikhs from India and the temple is also a Sikh temple. I happen to live in the area and believe me your camera people need a lesson on their religions".

Worms and their offsprings

This one is specially posted for Madison Sim(9 year old) who is all excited to visit Ontario so Mrs. Dunsmore can teach her all there is to know about vermicomposting so she can start her own bin back home in Edmonton. I can't wait Madi, maybe Anisten will start getting really excited too!. On the right you can see their cocoons at various stages, some fresh in light colour and the darker ones ready to birth worms and some coming outThis is them making babies! On the left.

What have you heard?

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might.Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure, these thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man."Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough." And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My child, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinew and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock.

But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock".

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes... Romans 1:16

Worms.......

I spent time today harvesting one of my worm bins. Yes you have heard correctly I have worms, many worms, thousands of worms. For those of you that have never heard of vermicomposting it is a way to process kitchen scraps.
I first learned about vermicomposting many years ago while watching a daytime soap(who says there is nothing educational on Soap operas?) I decided to start my own worm bin over 2 years ago. Composting red worms cost $40 per pound Canadian, I was able to buy at a great discount from an American company that was going out of business.
No the bins don't stink! if they do then there is a problem. A proper working system will smell just like it does after a good rainshower in the spring; earthy, crisp and clean.
For some reason my worms are really therapeaudic to me. I guess I can't help but be amazed at how God thought of everything when creating the Earth and worms are our natural waste digesters. Worm castings(their poop) is many times more efficient and enriching than compost or manure, And any gardener will tell you how important they are.
Worms will turn any decaying organic material and make it a usable, necessary and potent aid to healthy plant growth. Worms also aerate the soil causing water and air to infiltrate the soil to where plant roots can readibly utilize it. Show me a soil full of worms and I will show you how it will also support much plant life.
While going through treatment for Breast cancer I struggled deeply with depression and Bill would find me many a times just looking or messing with the worm bin. It usually would only take a short time and I would feel like I had a chance in this world and also had Very Dirty Hands!
I do relate with the worm in that seemingly insignificant, God in his wisdom created it with such a humble necessary position, how much more then will he do through me?

Hazy, sticky,smog ridden days.

Well we are already on the second smog day here in the Greater Toronto area and it feels like 41 with the humidity. For those of you who live in Alberta or other non Humid areas this type of heat is the kind that hiding under a shade does nothing! ziltch, nada! Inside our place is partialy below ground and since we have kept everything closed off since the start of the hot weather we were fine without the air conditioner until tonight then on it went. Anistens pool is up and running and no doubt will see much action this summer. I forgot to take a picture of Anisten and her friends playing in the pool, will have to remember tomorrow. The forecast for Tuesday is for slightly cooler weather, if you can call 30 cool + the humidex if we are lucky maybe it wont go over 35.

Census 2006

I have just started a 7 week Enumerator job with Statistics Canada following up on those who have not submited their complete census form. Anyone living in Canada must fill out a form by mail/intenet/phone by May 16, 2006 so if you haven't here is your reminder filing late is better than not at all. The penalty for not filing your information is $500 and/or 3 months in jail!

Carolyn Lisak

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Carolyn Lisak passed away on Friday May 26, 2006 at at the age of 21 from the ravages of cancer. My heart is heavy, but it cannot even come anywhere close to what her parents and 2 brothers must feel and others who were close to her. The Heaven to come for us, is Carolyns glorious reality today. She no longer hurts or wonders about her future but rather she is basking in our dear Saviours arms and enjoying all the benefits in the ultimate future.

Have a Blast Carolyn!

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Update: Rose situation

Well I think I was dreaming last night of the rose and delphinium and today I decided that if there was no change I would lift up and just see what was happening underneath, since the problem started after much rain. Sure enough it was a bog beneath so I lifted and added dry peat moss with extra compost and replanted much higher up. The moisture doesn't seem to affect the other plants, figure that! I also moved the rose closer to the front in able to allow it more sun and upon removing the Lamium and cutting back the Dianthus it left me some room for this years annuals which will add the colour. I added drawf Darwin Dahlias so far and I will fill out the other spot soon maybe with a pink Lavatera.

Dying Rose and Delphinium

I am really concerned about the Hunter(?) Rugosa rose and the Delphinium as they are turning yellow. As you can see everything in the surrounding area is thriving but in the past days these 2 plants that have looked amazing have began to deteriorate. The spot where the Rugosa is in the middle previously had a young Magnolia tree and the same occured. I did water in some high Nitrogen and Iron in yesteday. Any suggestions would be so welcome, sooner than later please!!!!!

Spring East GTA plant swap

Wow what a great Swap! It is fabulous to get together and swap our extra plant divisions and seedlings. We must of had about 20 give or take and the pictures show "The winners circle" that is where the unclaimed(not pre arranged trades) go and its where everyone eventually ends up and we all find things we didn't know we needed but walk away with such a sence of accomplishment. Thank you Wanda for coming with me. Looking at my 50 plus things I brought to the swap I knew that I wouldn't come home with that much and I needed some one to share in the spoils with. Wanda is hooked and thought this was such an amazing "Community" event.

The pictures by the car are of Wanda with the "spoils" of the swap sure to bring us much enjoyment during the growing time and also leave us salivating for the next swap. Oh Wanda. I forgot to mention that there is a Fall Swap as well.

Da Vinci Code

Bill and I went to see the Da Vinci Code and we both came to the same conclusion, that it was kind of boring in spots and lacked the thrill the book provides.

Now regarding the content it is purely FICTIONAL and in no way do I ascribe to the falacies of the book. There are more historical proofs for the Bible and Jesus Christ than any other ancient event or literature, more than are even required to proove anything as truth so Dan Brown was successful at making a good fictional piece. 

Why having two is better than one!

Having 2 cats is a much better position than having just one. Why you ask? For years we had Dufus (as soon as I get a scanner I will post on Dufus) and at the time he felt he needed to wake up is the time that he wanted you to be awake and made his request known! Big cat, big sound! Well having 2 eliminates that because they have each other to bug and not you. So if you are lucky and are in deep sleep you don't hear the ripping and roaring that occurs as they fight and play, usually at 3 to 4 a.m. Also have you ever seen 2 cats love each other such as the picture shows and how they groom each other, it is so adorable... I guess we have come to the conclusion that since God made us to be together so our feline friends enjoy each other(unless you are Dufus) 

Winter sowing!

Again for all you gardeners or wannabees. Here is the images of some of my wintersown seeds. Wintersowing is where you sow your seeds outside as the title says in winter and cover it over with plastic. The next step is just wait, when temperatures warm up then make sure the soil stays moist and the seeds will sprout when they know it is time for them to do so.

I kill every thing that I have ever started indoors so this is a foolproof method. No more damping off and the seedlings are much more hardier with no need to introducing them to the outdoors as you naturally do this as the plastic cover is gradually pulled back.

As you notice the seedlings are really close together as this was my first year and I wasn't sure it was going to work so I sowed heavy and they did too well. Not every seed of everytype germinated and some of the empty spaces in the crates are of the seedlings I have already planted out.

I had germinate this year,
-Stachys, Lambs ears (purple and yellow flowered)
-Livingston Daisy, Ice Plant must be 100% germination
-Painted Daisy
-Rudbekia Hirta, yellow coneflower
-Echinacia, purple coneflower
-Purple Mallow
-Amaranthus purple
-Calendula
-Zinnias
-California Poppies
-Raspberry Spinach
-Birds foot trefoil?
-Portulaca, Moss rose
-Marigolds
-White Nicotania
-Helychrism, Strawflower
-Dahlia
-Yucca

Since the weather was crazy around January/February, I did notice that the ones planted out in Feb/March did better than the ones planted in January.

The crates were free from a local garden center that sells grapes for wine. So once they press the grapes the crates are no longer needed. I lined the bottom with plastic with holes cut for drainage. The plastic was kept in place with thumtacs(just press into the wood with thumb).

Nursing a weed?

So for you gardeners out there. Am I nursing a weed or is this an actual wildflower?

What is Love?

Is Love a fuzzy feeling or is it devotion that leads one to love when no love is returned? Its so easy to love the loveable, but is not true love to love that which is unloveable, the one who rejects and pulls away the one who hates back instead of Loving?

As a teen I used to have a saying which was "I am above all women!" pretty bold and stupid as I don't have the right to assume anything above anyone else. As I grow older I am faced with many challenges that put these questions in my mind.

This past week Cecilia Yungs killer was sentenced and through the hurt and betrayal of their only child abducted and killed the parents have previously expressed forgiveness. Wow I consider things that have happened to me in the past and have seen how at times it ate at my very being at the anger of the injustice, and that in no way compared to the pain and hidious actions of this senseless murder.

What about women or men who undergo betrayal in the marriage? Is it not the Love spoken off in the marriage vows that allows such a spouse to forgive and trust that the marriage is worth saving. I have heard many women state that there is no way they could stay in a marriage if adultery had occured, is this not just one of the situations spoken off when we say "for better or worse"?

In the bible book of Hosea, God called him to marry a prostitute to help the prophets life signify what we ourselves do to our Maker. God in all his wisdom sent his only Son to die for our sins so we may attain eternal life and right standing with the Father. Though this gift must be received, God did not imply conditions on how big or little of a sinner you could be inable to accept, but rather all could.

As Jesus lay on the cross he looked up to heaven and stated "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" Luke 23: 34 as they rolled the dice to see who would get his clothes as he lay dying on the cross.
Now, that is real Love!