Saturday, December 26, 2009
New Year Plans?
Hey, fam--does anyone have great ideas for New Years? Any fun resolutions? Anything we should all work on together? How about a resolution to always check this blog . . .
Friday, December 11, 2009
Fascinating Article
Here's a really interesting article about the symbolism of the gifts of the wise men: http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/091210nativity.html Check it out!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Christmas Presents
Hey, I think it is too late to pick names for Christmas (someone in this family has already gotten something for everyone...ps--it isn't me) so, are we all just giving to each other this year? anybody doing the calendar?
ALSO-- what are some things people are dying to get for Christmas? I need some ideas!
ALSO-- what are some things people are dying to get for Christmas? I need some ideas!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Holiday Plans and Other Plans
Great idea, Beebs, to post our plans. We are 99% sure that Meredith's adoption will be complete within the next 2 weeks, so we're planning to have her sealed to us on the 14th at the Twin Falls Temple (where Scott's dad is a sealer, so he'll be performing the ordinance). We'll then spend all day Sunday in Sugar City and have a nice family dinner. It's not a lot of time to spend with family, but it's all the time we've got.
Mom and Dad are coming for Thanksgiving, as well as maybe Kyle and Linzi (are you?) Scott will be taking Ethan off into the wild for the vacation, and I am so looking forward to a relaxing time with Omi and Opa, lots of board games, crafts, and good food. And of course Noah and Meredith can't wait to be adored by their loving grandparents :)
We're not sure of our Christmas plans yet, maybe DC (but we were so bummed to hear that we'll miss Kim and Val, who will be in Sugar City!) We'd try to get to Idaho, but the flights are so tricky at that time of year, and add in the bad weather, well it's a good chance we'd get stuck. We'll see.
I'd love to hear what everyone else is planning!
Mom and Dad are coming for Thanksgiving, as well as maybe Kyle and Linzi (are you?) Scott will be taking Ethan off into the wild for the vacation, and I am so looking forward to a relaxing time with Omi and Opa, lots of board games, crafts, and good food. And of course Noah and Meredith can't wait to be adored by their loving grandparents :)
We're not sure of our Christmas plans yet, maybe DC (but we were so bummed to hear that we'll miss Kim and Val, who will be in Sugar City!) We'd try to get to Idaho, but the flights are so tricky at that time of year, and add in the bad weather, well it's a good chance we'd get stuck. We'll see.
I'd love to hear what everyone else is planning!
Holiday plans
Anybody want to post their holiday plans so we are all on the same page?
For your info: We have invited Hilary and the Barkers for Thanksgiving. For Christmas we will be here in Utah, but hope to have the KandV Browns to stay for awhile.
For your info: We have invited Hilary and the Barkers for Thanksgiving. For Christmas we will be here in Utah, but hope to have the KandV Browns to stay for awhile.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Birthday Omi
We love you! Hope you had a wonderful day. Thanks for spending so many of your birthdays making costumes for us all...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
MEMORIZATIONS
Dad and I were talking on our way back from Salt Lake and came up with an idea you may be interested in. We propose that everyone in the family over about 6 could participate in memorizing some valuable quotations and poetry. An example would be the Preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the I Have a Dream speech, the Declaration of Independence, I Will Fight No More Forever, Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address, the 10 Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Charity scripture, Washington's Farewell address, etc. Would you be in favor of making it a sort of contest (not one where only one person wins, but where everyone who can recite it gets a certificate) with a different memorization monthly? What do you think? Are there other quotes you would like to include? Maybe one scripture and one secular quote per month? Let us know your ideas!
BRASS SWITCHPLATE
Dear family--
Remember the heart-shaped brass light switch two hole plate with a kind of oriental look that was at the bottom of the stairs? Aunt Janet gave it to us, if you recall. The Barkers have replaced it with one that matches their decor and don't want the brass one. Does any of you want it?Please let us know.
Love and blessings, Omi
Friday, July 31, 2009
Happy, happy birthday, Ali dear . . .
Happy days will come to you, I hear--
If I had one wish then it would be
A happy, happy birthday to you from me! (And everyone else.)
If I had one wish then it would be
A happy, happy birthday to you from me! (And everyone else.)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Ridiculous Study
The following article was in the Chicago Tribune this morning:
A mother's love? It may depend
Most of us rest comfortably on the idea that even if no one else loves us, our mothers still will. but a new study suggests women may be biologically programmed to love children who are healthy and most likely to live.
Researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., showed 13 healthy men and 14 healthy women pictures of 80 infants, 30 of whom had abnormal facial features, such as cleft palate, skin disorders or Down syndrome. The participants could choose to extend or shorten the viewing time and were asked to rate the attractiveness of each infant.
The study found that women were more likely than men to reject the unattractive babies. The attractiveness ratings the men gave to normal-appearing babies were also significantly lower than those given by the women. The women made a greater effort to avoid looking at the abnormal babies.
It could be that women have an evolutionary need to pay more attention to normal-looking infants. In a time of limited resources, mothers might have diverted their attention from sick children to healthy ones more likely to live, the researchers said. "Women may be more sensitized to aesthetic defects and may be more prone to reject unattractive kids," the first author of the paper, Rinah Yamamoto, said in a news release.
My response, in a letter to the editor:
I was disappointed that the Tribune would highlight such obvious junk science as the study that "found that women were more likely than men to reject the unattractive babies" (A mother's love? It may depend, June 26). First of all the study only involved 27 people, an absurdly low number. They assumed looking for a shorter period of time at pictures of babies with facial differences, such as Down syndrome or a cleft lip, means that women are biologically programmed to reject them. Ridiculous! The researchers failed to take in to consideration several factors. Women might be more in tune with the social ideal of not staring at those who may have facial (or other) differences. A compassionate woman might find it difficult to look for an extended period of time at a child with a disability because they're aware of the challenges that child might face. And men who watch violent movies might be more desensitized to disturbing images. I also object to the characterization of those with facial differences as unattractive. My son has Down syndrome, I think he's beautiful, and I loved him from the moment I laid eyes on him.
What do you think?
A mother's love? It may depend
Most of us rest comfortably on the idea that even if no one else loves us, our mothers still will. but a new study suggests women may be biologically programmed to love children who are healthy and most likely to live.
Researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., showed 13 healthy men and 14 healthy women pictures of 80 infants, 30 of whom had abnormal facial features, such as cleft palate, skin disorders or Down syndrome. The participants could choose to extend or shorten the viewing time and were asked to rate the attractiveness of each infant.
The study found that women were more likely than men to reject the unattractive babies. The attractiveness ratings the men gave to normal-appearing babies were also significantly lower than those given by the women. The women made a greater effort to avoid looking at the abnormal babies.
It could be that women have an evolutionary need to pay more attention to normal-looking infants. In a time of limited resources, mothers might have diverted their attention from sick children to healthy ones more likely to live, the researchers said. "Women may be more sensitized to aesthetic defects and may be more prone to reject unattractive kids," the first author of the paper, Rinah Yamamoto, said in a news release.
My response, in a letter to the editor:
I was disappointed that the Tribune would highlight such obvious junk science as the study that "found that women were more likely than men to reject the unattractive babies" (A mother's love? It may depend, June 26). First of all the study only involved 27 people, an absurdly low number. They assumed looking for a shorter period of time at pictures of babies with facial differences, such as Down syndrome or a cleft lip, means that women are biologically programmed to reject them. Ridiculous! The researchers failed to take in to consideration several factors. Women might be more in tune with the social ideal of not staring at those who may have facial (or other) differences. A compassionate woman might find it difficult to look for an extended period of time at a child with a disability because they're aware of the challenges that child might face. And men who watch violent movies might be more desensitized to disturbing images. I also object to the characterization of those with facial differences as unattractive. My son has Down syndrome, I think he's beautiful, and I loved him from the moment I laid eyes on him.
What do you think?
Gardening
The following great informative article was from Meridian Magazine this morning. Lots of good info!
Grow a Great Garden Anywhere! Just Control the 6 Laws of Plant Growth By Jim Kennard
Why grow a vegetable garden? Because the Prophet told us to!
But he hasn’t told us HOW to do it, and therein lies the challenge. Most of us never learned the gardening lessons our grandparents took for granted, and our children often think produce “grows” in the grocery store.
Let’s cut right to the chase and learn what it takes to grow a healthy, sustainable and highly productive garden. If you will learn to harness the laws of plant growth I discuss below you can have a great garden in any soil – or in no soil – in almost any climate, and without any soil amendments. You’ll discover that soil and climate differences are NOT major problems.The method of gardening that we teach is sometimes called “The Poor Man’s Hydroponic Method” – and for good reason. Hydroponic growers are able to consistently control all elements of the growing process, and therefore get maximum yields – the best produce as much as 330 TONS per acre!
However, in order to do that hydroponic growers must invest about $1,000,000 per acre in buildings and equipment, and in addition they have very high labor costs.
Your garden yields can approach the hydroponic growers with an investment that is a tiny fraction of the typical hydroponic grower’s.
That’s why the label “The Poor Man’s Hydroponic Method” fits – anyone can do it with very little cost. And some call this method “The best of organic” also! You’ll learn why as we go along.
You’ll learn to control the 6 basic physical conditions necessary for healthy plant growth. By borrowing hydroponic growers’ principles and procedures, and adapting them to the small family gardener, we increase both the quantity and the quality of our garden yields MANY times as compared to traditional methods.
I. The most important factor to control is LIGHT – for reasons that should be obvious. Light is life! And nowhere is it more obvious than in the world of plants, where 95% of the structure is the result of that marvelous miracle called photosynthesis.
Using just the three basic elements carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen they get from the air, plants create CARB-O-HYDRATES.
Number one in importance is providing maximum sunlight – for as long as possible. In the far North plants grow like crazy in the summer with 18 to 20 hours of sunlight!
Therefore you must AVOID planting where there is shade – from trees, houses, walls, shrubs, etc. Even tall vegetable plants will shade others, unless you plant tall varieties to the North or East of short ones.
Any fruit-bearing plant must have direct sunlight for at least 6 hours per day, and 10 hours is much better. A plant can even shade itself more than is healthy! Therefore remove sucker stems from climbing plants, and prune excess leaves, to allow light everywhere and increase crop yields.
II. The second element to control is TEMPERATURE. Plants thrive in a rather narrow temperature range, and this is especially true when they first germinate. Sustained temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit are essential for fast germination and high germination rates. Even 10 degrees colder will greatly increase the germination time and reduce the number of plants.
If your garden is too small to justify or accommodate a greenhouse, start your plants on a heating pad in your house. Somewhere warm is essential. No light is needed until after germination.
Even after germination young plants need favorable temperatures to thrive. In early spring this may require some protection – and sometimes even a little supplemental heat – whether in the greenhouse or in the garden.
Covering your plants with plastic helps warm the soil and eliminate cold winds, and on cold nights even the heat from a couple of light bulbs can be enough to prevent freezing. In this way – by covering your plants and protecting from frost – you can extend your growing season by up to 4 weeks in both Spring and Fall.
Covering large mature crops with arched PVC frames can allow you to grow plants clear into December in temperate climates. Building and using T-Frames is a great way to do this and to multiply your yields in a small space. Email jim@growfood.com for a simple set of instructions.
III. The third element to control is AIR. Remember that plants receive carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen from the air. However, they access those things mainly through their roots.
Therefore, good drainage is necessary. Why? Because roots get oxygen, etc. from the air, not the water, and soil that is soaked with or covered with water drives out the soil air, so a plant left standing with its roots under water can drown in a fairly short time.
So, to insure your plant roots receive the soil-air they must have, never plant in a low spot with poor drainage. We solve the drainage problem by RAISING the planting area of our soil-beds slightly higher than the surrounding aisles.
IV. The fourth element to control is WATER. It obviously should be clean, and it MUST be non-toxic. Any concentration of harmful elements, such as chemicals from a nearby industrial plant, can quickly kill your plants.
How much and how often do you need to water? Understand that a plant is a continuous water pipe, from the tip of the smallest root to the top of the highest leaf. And a plant is over 80% water!
Water should therefore always be available to the plant roots. The soil should be moist but not completely wet. One inch daily is sufficient.
In addition to being slightly raised – your soil-beds should be level. This avoids the loss of water, plus your seeds, small plants, and fertilizers are not washed out and lost.
Do not plant until your beds are level. Much grief is avoided by following the procedures accurately.Level beds also ensure uniform distribution of water and natural mineral nutrients to all plants’ roots.
Even when watering almost every day you will conserve water, using about half that of traditional methods. This is because you will only water the root-zone of the plants, which is only about 17% of the garden area. This way no water is lost to run-off, nor wasted in the aisles.
Never water your garden by sprinkling – for at east 3 reasons: 1. Sprinkling encourages weed growth in the aisles and on the ridges. 2. It wastes a great deal of water through evaporation as well. 3. It promotes diseases, which thrive in a moist environment.
On a hot day evaporation wastes up to ½ of the water when sprinkling is used. And even more than that is wasted on the aisles and ridges. Sprinklers may be needed for lawns, but they have no place in the vegetable garden!
Surrounding your planting area with four-inch-high ridges accomplishes several things: 1. It defines the bed aesthetically,2. affords some protection to small seedling plants, 3. and keeps the water and fertilizers in the root zone of the plants.
Automating your watering will greatly increase the pleasure you receive from your garden. It also makes watering easier, faster, and more efficient! Many beds can be watered at the same time. One hundred 30’-long beds at my garden near Utah’s Hogle Zoo are watered in less than 60 minutes.
Simple illustrated plans for automating your watering system are available free online at http://foodforeveryone.org. The main water pipe should be as large as your water source. Use threaded connections – not glued! And use 200 PSI pipe rather than schedule 40 for watering.
V. The fifth element to control in your garden is your plants’ FOOD. Besides the 3 elements plants receive free from the air there are 13 other elements that plants must have for food.
Most people know about the 3 MAJOR nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or N, P, & K. However, 3 SECONDARY elements are used almost as much by plants as phosphorus, and these are calcium, sulfur, and magnesium.
In addition there are MICRO-nutrients, also called trace elements because plants use only small amounts of them. They include zinc, boron, manganese, iron, copper, chloride, and molybdenum.
Plants require feeding in two ways, with two separate natural mineral nutrient mixes. They are called the Pre-Plant Mix and the Weekly Feed Mix, indicating how they are used.
People in the Mountain West can get these complete balanced plant foods pre-mixed as Mittleider Magic. But wherever you live simply get micro-nutrients from the website at www.growfood.com and mix with NPK and Epsom Salt according to instructions to have the complete balanced nutrients.
Unless materials are water-soluble plants can’t get or use them. They receive their nourishment as water-soluble minerals through their roots.
WATER SOLUBLE is the key! Dirt often has most or all the minerals in it, but they are usually NOT water soluble – therefore they are not available to your plants.
How are the methods I’m describing “The Best of Organic”? The nutritional value of manure and compost are unknown. We know what plants need and we supply exactly that – in balanced amounts using USDA-approved natural minerals that come from ground-up rocks.
And we supply small amounts weekly throughout the growing season – just as they are needed. THAT is how we’re “the best of organic.”
VI. The sixth and final element you must control is COMPETITION. Competition from weeds, bugs, and animals is usually fierce and constant. And diseases are very difficult to control, and sometimes almost impossible to eliminate after they get established.
One of the first requirements of a good garden is to eliminate all weeds! Success STARTS with a weed-free garden! Don’t expect a great finish if your beginning is sloppy. You must remove both annual and perennial weeds, including the roots, rhizomes, and runners. And after planting you must KEEP UP the weeding! People often ask what the secret is to our weed-free gardens. It’s E & O Weeding – early and often! Get those weeds out as soon as they show up!
How do you eliminate bugs from your garden? Cultural practices that greatly reduce your risk again include weeding. Maintaining a weed-free DRY perimeter, aisles, weed-free beds, and keeping the garden free of mulch or other ground coverings will go a long way toward eliminating bugs.Rather than providing bug hotels throughout your garden, make them walk the Sahara Desert to get to lunch or dinner. Most won’t make it! Because of the above cultural practices, and growing healthy, fast-growing plants, we rarely have to resort to pesticides or herbicides. You must take positive and sometimes aggressive steps to control and eliminate animal pests. Those steps may include fencing, traps, baits, and/or netting.
Disease is the last thing you need to control, but not the least. It’s recently been discovered that healthy plants naturally resist disease. In addition to minimizing bugs, a dry periphery and aisles are inhospitable environments for diseases. Disease thrives in moist conditions. Therefore keep everything possible dry. The best disease control is PREVENTION.
Pruning plants reduces moist conditions diseases love, and provides light and air to ripen tasty fruit. Remove leaves touching the ground, and prune those that are touching adjacent plants.Follow this recipe accurately and consistently and you’ll have a great garden in any soil, in any climate.
Grow a Great Garden Anywhere! Just Control the 6 Laws of Plant Growth By Jim Kennard
Why grow a vegetable garden? Because the Prophet told us to!
But he hasn’t told us HOW to do it, and therein lies the challenge. Most of us never learned the gardening lessons our grandparents took for granted, and our children often think produce “grows” in the grocery store.
Let’s cut right to the chase and learn what it takes to grow a healthy, sustainable and highly productive garden. If you will learn to harness the laws of plant growth I discuss below you can have a great garden in any soil – or in no soil – in almost any climate, and without any soil amendments. You’ll discover that soil and climate differences are NOT major problems.The method of gardening that we teach is sometimes called “The Poor Man’s Hydroponic Method” – and for good reason. Hydroponic growers are able to consistently control all elements of the growing process, and therefore get maximum yields – the best produce as much as 330 TONS per acre!
However, in order to do that hydroponic growers must invest about $1,000,000 per acre in buildings and equipment, and in addition they have very high labor costs.
Your garden yields can approach the hydroponic growers with an investment that is a tiny fraction of the typical hydroponic grower’s.
That’s why the label “The Poor Man’s Hydroponic Method” fits – anyone can do it with very little cost. And some call this method “The best of organic” also! You’ll learn why as we go along.
You’ll learn to control the 6 basic physical conditions necessary for healthy plant growth. By borrowing hydroponic growers’ principles and procedures, and adapting them to the small family gardener, we increase both the quantity and the quality of our garden yields MANY times as compared to traditional methods.
I. The most important factor to control is LIGHT – for reasons that should be obvious. Light is life! And nowhere is it more obvious than in the world of plants, where 95% of the structure is the result of that marvelous miracle called photosynthesis.
Using just the three basic elements carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen they get from the air, plants create CARB-O-HYDRATES.
Number one in importance is providing maximum sunlight – for as long as possible. In the far North plants grow like crazy in the summer with 18 to 20 hours of sunlight!
Therefore you must AVOID planting where there is shade – from trees, houses, walls, shrubs, etc. Even tall vegetable plants will shade others, unless you plant tall varieties to the North or East of short ones.
Any fruit-bearing plant must have direct sunlight for at least 6 hours per day, and 10 hours is much better. A plant can even shade itself more than is healthy! Therefore remove sucker stems from climbing plants, and prune excess leaves, to allow light everywhere and increase crop yields.
II. The second element to control is TEMPERATURE. Plants thrive in a rather narrow temperature range, and this is especially true when they first germinate. Sustained temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit are essential for fast germination and high germination rates. Even 10 degrees colder will greatly increase the germination time and reduce the number of plants.
If your garden is too small to justify or accommodate a greenhouse, start your plants on a heating pad in your house. Somewhere warm is essential. No light is needed until after germination.
Even after germination young plants need favorable temperatures to thrive. In early spring this may require some protection – and sometimes even a little supplemental heat – whether in the greenhouse or in the garden.
Covering your plants with plastic helps warm the soil and eliminate cold winds, and on cold nights even the heat from a couple of light bulbs can be enough to prevent freezing. In this way – by covering your plants and protecting from frost – you can extend your growing season by up to 4 weeks in both Spring and Fall.
Covering large mature crops with arched PVC frames can allow you to grow plants clear into December in temperate climates. Building and using T-Frames is a great way to do this and to multiply your yields in a small space. Email jim@growfood.com for a simple set of instructions.
III. The third element to control is AIR. Remember that plants receive carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen from the air. However, they access those things mainly through their roots.
Therefore, good drainage is necessary. Why? Because roots get oxygen, etc. from the air, not the water, and soil that is soaked with or covered with water drives out the soil air, so a plant left standing with its roots under water can drown in a fairly short time.
So, to insure your plant roots receive the soil-air they must have, never plant in a low spot with poor drainage. We solve the drainage problem by RAISING the planting area of our soil-beds slightly higher than the surrounding aisles.
IV. The fourth element to control is WATER. It obviously should be clean, and it MUST be non-toxic. Any concentration of harmful elements, such as chemicals from a nearby industrial plant, can quickly kill your plants.
How much and how often do you need to water? Understand that a plant is a continuous water pipe, from the tip of the smallest root to the top of the highest leaf. And a plant is over 80% water!
Water should therefore always be available to the plant roots. The soil should be moist but not completely wet. One inch daily is sufficient.
In addition to being slightly raised – your soil-beds should be level. This avoids the loss of water, plus your seeds, small plants, and fertilizers are not washed out and lost.
Do not plant until your beds are level. Much grief is avoided by following the procedures accurately.Level beds also ensure uniform distribution of water and natural mineral nutrients to all plants’ roots.
Even when watering almost every day you will conserve water, using about half that of traditional methods. This is because you will only water the root-zone of the plants, which is only about 17% of the garden area. This way no water is lost to run-off, nor wasted in the aisles.
Never water your garden by sprinkling – for at east 3 reasons: 1. Sprinkling encourages weed growth in the aisles and on the ridges. 2. It wastes a great deal of water through evaporation as well. 3. It promotes diseases, which thrive in a moist environment.
On a hot day evaporation wastes up to ½ of the water when sprinkling is used. And even more than that is wasted on the aisles and ridges. Sprinklers may be needed for lawns, but they have no place in the vegetable garden!
Surrounding your planting area with four-inch-high ridges accomplishes several things: 1. It defines the bed aesthetically,2. affords some protection to small seedling plants, 3. and keeps the water and fertilizers in the root zone of the plants.
Automating your watering will greatly increase the pleasure you receive from your garden. It also makes watering easier, faster, and more efficient! Many beds can be watered at the same time. One hundred 30’-long beds at my garden near Utah’s Hogle Zoo are watered in less than 60 minutes.
Simple illustrated plans for automating your watering system are available free online at http://foodforeveryone.org. The main water pipe should be as large as your water source. Use threaded connections – not glued! And use 200 PSI pipe rather than schedule 40 for watering.
V. The fifth element to control in your garden is your plants’ FOOD. Besides the 3 elements plants receive free from the air there are 13 other elements that plants must have for food.
Most people know about the 3 MAJOR nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or N, P, & K. However, 3 SECONDARY elements are used almost as much by plants as phosphorus, and these are calcium, sulfur, and magnesium.
In addition there are MICRO-nutrients, also called trace elements because plants use only small amounts of them. They include zinc, boron, manganese, iron, copper, chloride, and molybdenum.
Plants require feeding in two ways, with two separate natural mineral nutrient mixes. They are called the Pre-Plant Mix and the Weekly Feed Mix, indicating how they are used.
People in the Mountain West can get these complete balanced plant foods pre-mixed as Mittleider Magic. But wherever you live simply get micro-nutrients from the website at www.growfood.com and mix with NPK and Epsom Salt according to instructions to have the complete balanced nutrients.
Unless materials are water-soluble plants can’t get or use them. They receive their nourishment as water-soluble minerals through their roots.
WATER SOLUBLE is the key! Dirt often has most or all the minerals in it, but they are usually NOT water soluble – therefore they are not available to your plants.
How are the methods I’m describing “The Best of Organic”? The nutritional value of manure and compost are unknown. We know what plants need and we supply exactly that – in balanced amounts using USDA-approved natural minerals that come from ground-up rocks.
And we supply small amounts weekly throughout the growing season – just as they are needed. THAT is how we’re “the best of organic.”
VI. The sixth and final element you must control is COMPETITION. Competition from weeds, bugs, and animals is usually fierce and constant. And diseases are very difficult to control, and sometimes almost impossible to eliminate after they get established.
One of the first requirements of a good garden is to eliminate all weeds! Success STARTS with a weed-free garden! Don’t expect a great finish if your beginning is sloppy. You must remove both annual and perennial weeds, including the roots, rhizomes, and runners. And after planting you must KEEP UP the weeding! People often ask what the secret is to our weed-free gardens. It’s E & O Weeding – early and often! Get those weeds out as soon as they show up!
How do you eliminate bugs from your garden? Cultural practices that greatly reduce your risk again include weeding. Maintaining a weed-free DRY perimeter, aisles, weed-free beds, and keeping the garden free of mulch or other ground coverings will go a long way toward eliminating bugs.Rather than providing bug hotels throughout your garden, make them walk the Sahara Desert to get to lunch or dinner. Most won’t make it! Because of the above cultural practices, and growing healthy, fast-growing plants, we rarely have to resort to pesticides or herbicides. You must take positive and sometimes aggressive steps to control and eliminate animal pests. Those steps may include fencing, traps, baits, and/or netting.
Disease is the last thing you need to control, but not the least. It’s recently been discovered that healthy plants naturally resist disease. In addition to minimizing bugs, a dry periphery and aisles are inhospitable environments for diseases. Disease thrives in moist conditions. Therefore keep everything possible dry. The best disease control is PREVENTION.
Pruning plants reduces moist conditions diseases love, and provides light and air to ripen tasty fruit. Remove leaves touching the ground, and prune those that are touching adjacent plants.Follow this recipe accurately and consistently and you’ll have a great garden in any soil, in any climate.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
A very happy father's day to all you dads and sons! We are all blessed to have been born of goodly parents and to have been raised in homes that honor the priesthood. Thank you, dads!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lineage
Just FYI:
Samuel Smith gave a Book of Mormon to Reverend John P. Greene
who was married to Rhoda Young (Brigham Young's sister).
They had a child, Evan Molbourne Greene who had a wife, Susan Kent.
They had a child, Evan Flavious Greene (born in 1838 in Kirtland) who had a child,
Mary Elizabeth Greene. She married Frank Pierce Ellis.
They had a lovely daughter, Virginia May Ellis. She married Albert James Newman
and together they had our mother, Virginia Elizabeth Newman--
she married Jesse Sale Brown, and they had all of us! Pretty cool, eh?
I can find on FamilySearch.org the names of all these people, but I cannot find the "connection" with Evan Greene and Mary E. Greene. We need to somehow get all of this information updated on that website.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Moral Relativism
Here's a link to an awesome article, a speech given by a rabbi from Meridian. What do you think? www.ldsmag.com/ideas/090520Prayer.html
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mothers Day
Mom, you are great! Thanks so much for all you have done for all of us! You are so kind... so generous and thoughtful. We are all so glad you are our dear mother. Love you!!!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Ensign
April's Ensign has a lot of great articles--President Eyring's is a kicker, wow! I had to read several paragraphs over and over to understand them... But, I think we all need to read "The Obligation of the Church" by Elder John A. Widtsoe. I think it is really interesting that it was written 1946!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Scripture of the Day
I came across this scripture in my reading today and felt it really applies to life today.
1 Nephi 19:7
"For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet"
1 Nephi 19:7
"For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet"
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Fantastic Article on Meridian
I thought this was a really compelling article--how many times do we need to "swim for shore"?
http://www.ldsmag.com/familyconnections/090326swim.html
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Book of Month
My brother-in-law, Cameron, wants to start a book club where people read more "political" type books. He thought ya'll might like to be a part of it. He is still setting things up, but if you are interested in getting started, the book for April is "Democracy in America" by Toquerville. Let me know if you would like more information!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Here is another good article on Meridian. Link is http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/090310sacred.html
The Man (or Woman) of Roth
Well, there is a funny book by a German author in which the woman refers to her husband as "The Man of Wrath." But this post is about Roth--Roth IRAs and 401(k) accounts. I, personally, know nothing about such things--but I read an article on Meridian (Build Your Own Economic Stimulus Package For The Future By Thomas K. Hall) that expalined the difference and gave some compelling reasons to switch over if you have traditional IRAs or 401(k) accounts. So--consult with your tax advisor (or call Scott Garner) and see if the move is right for you. I would have posted the entire article here, but it is pretty long.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Do Not Call
Omi
Are you sick of getting annoying telemarketer calls? Me, too. Here’s a place to register three numbers at a time online. It also says it will be permanent rather than expire in 5 years.
https://www.donotcall.gov/
Good luck!
Are you sick of getting annoying telemarketer calls? Me, too. Here’s a place to register three numbers at a time online. It also says it will be permanent rather than expire in 5 years.
https://www.donotcall.gov/
Good luck!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Sweet and Sour
I make a fun Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken that ya'll might like to try sometime.
Place chopped carrots, green pepper, and onion on bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca. Add chicken (cut in bit sizes, but I just put 5-6 tenderloins in).
In separate bowl, mix together: 8 oz can of pineapple chunks with juice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp instant chicken bouillion, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 fresh ginger), 1 tsp salt. Pour that over chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve with rice. It really turns out delicious!
Place chopped carrots, green pepper, and onion on bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca. Add chicken (cut in bit sizes, but I just put 5-6 tenderloins in).
In separate bowl, mix together: 8 oz can of pineapple chunks with juice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp instant chicken bouillion, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 fresh ginger), 1 tsp salt. Pour that over chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve with rice. It really turns out delicious!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Do you know?
I can't remember, so I am hoping ya'll could remind me: Which show did the song "I am a neighborhood Super Spy... super spy. I should be working for the FBIiiii... fbi" come from? First correct answer gets a big sloppy kiss from me! (I sure hope Scott knows the answer...)
A modest proposition
The proposition for Findelmeyer for today is that we all contribute good ideas for preparedness. My preparedness suggestion concerns water storage. For those of you that use 2 liter pop, the empty bottles are ideal for water storage. We wash them thoroughly, then put about 1/2 teaspoon of chlorox in the bottle with a cup or two of water. Put on the lid and shake it vigorously. Then rinse out and fill with tap water. Write the date on the outside and store away from light and extreme temperatures. This tip was on the BYU channel on their preparedness program. Water is a good thing to have on hand.
Another thing we discovered that we didn't have enough of is sugar. We hear that it is a good item for barter if worse comes to worst.
What are some of your good ideas? How much food storage do you have?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Sacrament
Dear Family,
The following is an outline for a talk I (Dad) gave on the sacrament. I went through the prayer phrase-by-phrase--something I had never done before. You might find it interesting. It was certainly enlightening as I prepared it.
A sacrament is a spiritual covenant usually associated with a physical act. If the person making the covenant has his heart in it then the act strengthens the commitment.
Sacramental prayer is an intercessory prayer. Priest is asking something for the congregation. He is not their voice (1st or 2nd person) as in the invocation in a meeting, but 3rd person: “the souls . . .they may. . . they are . . . they may. . .”
Oh God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy son, Jesus Christ, We are reminded of whom we are addressing and of the nature of the Godhead.,
…to bless and sanctify, to become sacred—clean pure and spotless.
…this bread (or wine or water) Common foods with which we are all familiar with no special significance unless they have been sanctified.
Bread— Replaces the Law of Sacrifice in remembrance of the offering of Jesus Christ. Physical pain. Adam’s transgression (death). Physical resurrection.
Wine/water—Blood of life. A connective tissue that cleans and nourishes. Forgiveness for our personal sins. 3N20:8 Nourishes the soul.
…to the souls God’s children.
…of all those who partake of it, (or drink of it) Partake is more than just eat; we take a part of or share the qualities or attributes of the sanctified bread and water. When we partake, we are becoming sanctified ourselves—pure, clean, spotless.
…that they may eat [or drink] To consume gradually. Implies some thoughtfulness as we do these simple and common acts.
…in remembrance Act of recalling to mind; a greeting or gift recalling or expressing friendship or affection. The word remembrance is something deeper than just casually thinking about.
…of the body of thy Son. Broken and bruised for us—the physical pain He suffered for us. We all know and are familiar with physical pain, we know bruising, we know the tearing of the flesh. We are reminded that through Christ’s physical suffering He has paid for Adam’s transgression that we may all be physically resurrected.
[…of the blood of thy Son which was shed for them]. We know what it is like to bleed. Symbolic of Christ’s mental and spiritual anguish in the garden as He accepted the burden of the sins of the world and carried them to the cross.
We do not know. We cannot tell
What pains He had to bear.
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.
…and witness This is a covenant, to testify to, to attest. But it is more. Pres. McKay: . . . “do we always stop to think on that sacred Sabbath day when we meet together to partake of the sacrament, that we witness, promise, obligate ourselves in the presence of one another, and in the presence of God, that we will do certain things?”
…unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, Another reminder of the Being to whom the priests are praying and with whom we will be making these covenants.
…that they are willing This implies the future, not the past. It isn’t what we have done but what we want to do or are willing to do. We are warned that we must not partake of the sacrament unworthily. But, what is unworthy? Brigham Young: “It is essential that we renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament. When we do this with a sincere heart, with real intent, forsaking our sins, and renewing our commitment to God, the Lord provides a way whereby sins can be forgiven from week to week . . . To those who have unresolved major transgressions, who profane God and His Holy Son, who trample His words, who are godless, who reject Him, who do not sustain His servants or have no desire to repent, the Lord has said “Whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eatheth and drinketh damnation to his soul.” 3N18:29. Elder Mickelsen: “There are two reasons for not partaking of the sacrament: 1. Your priesthood leader has asked you not to partake. Or, 2. You are unwilling to repent. But, if you want to repent of transgressions of the past week, then the sacrament is so important to help you to repent. It can give you strength to repent. If you want to change or repent, if you are feeling guilty about your actions of the past week, then take the sacrament. Take advantage of this wonderful source of strength and power.” But, when we partake of the sacrament We repent with full purpose of heart (3N10:6).” And we “. . .have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mos5:2) like we should have felt when we were baptized, then we are partaking of the sacrament worthily.
OUR PART OF THE COVENANT
“…willing…to take upon them the name of thy son,…” Represent Christ. When I wear a shirt that says BYU-Idaho, I feel like I am representing BYU-Idaho and should conduct myself accordingly. When you have taken the name of Christ upon yourself, you represent Him. If you don’t represent Him well, you are taking His name in vain.
“…and always remember Him,…” This phrase is in both the blessing of the bread and the water. Elder Holland: “ The principal word here seems to be remember. . . His premortal life, His birth, His miracles and teachings, His loving beautiful life. . . On some days we will have cause to remember the unkind treatment He received, the rejection He experienced, and the injustice—oh, the injustice—He endured. When we, too, then face some of that in life, we can remember that Christ was also troubled on every side, dut not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. To those who stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and to strengthen us. In the end He is there to save us, and for all this He gave His life. However dim our day may seem they have been darker for the Savior of the world.” Alma 5:6 “Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and longsuffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?”
“…and keep His commandments which He has given them;…” Another reminder to repent and follow Him. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” E.T.Benson: “When obedience ceases to become and irritant and becomes our quest, in that day, God will endow us with power.”
“…that they may have his Spirit to be with them, Amen” What a wonderful promise. If we will do our part, we will have His Spirit to be with us. We can then be lead, strengthened, inspired, helped, assisted, and sanctified by the spirit. If you are trying to repent, here is the key: The Lord’s Spirit. We all need it. Do nothing to offend it.
Jesus instituted the sacrament among the Nephites (3N18:1-11)
Pres. McKay: “The greatest comfort in this life is the assurance of having a close relationship with God. . . . The sacrament period should be a factor in awakening this sense of relationship. (See 1Cor11:23-28). No more sacred ordinance is administered in the Church of Christ than the administration of the sacrament.”
Why do we partake of the Sacrament so frequently? Do we not run the risk of it becoming too familiar? Would it be of greater meaning if we did it only once a year, or monthly? We need the spiritual nourishment at least once a week.God knows that we will go out from sacrament meeting into a wicked and hostile world and that we, in spite of our resolve and repentance, will sin and suffer the sorrow associated with sin. But, we learn from these earth experiences and accumulate a burden of sin. He doesn’t want us to go around in a constant state of woe and misery. So He has given us the opportunity to make a course correction through partaking of the sacrament every week. “Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me.”
The following is an outline for a talk I (Dad) gave on the sacrament. I went through the prayer phrase-by-phrase--something I had never done before. You might find it interesting. It was certainly enlightening as I prepared it.
A sacrament is a spiritual covenant usually associated with a physical act. If the person making the covenant has his heart in it then the act strengthens the commitment.
Sacramental prayer is an intercessory prayer. Priest is asking something for the congregation. He is not their voice (1st or 2nd person) as in the invocation in a meeting, but 3rd person: “the souls . . .they may. . . they are . . . they may. . .”
Oh God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy son, Jesus Christ, We are reminded of whom we are addressing and of the nature of the Godhead.,
…to bless and sanctify, to become sacred—clean pure and spotless.
…this bread (or wine or water) Common foods with which we are all familiar with no special significance unless they have been sanctified.
Bread— Replaces the Law of Sacrifice in remembrance of the offering of Jesus Christ. Physical pain. Adam’s transgression (death). Physical resurrection.
Wine/water—Blood of life. A connective tissue that cleans and nourishes. Forgiveness for our personal sins. 3N20:8 Nourishes the soul.
…to the souls God’s children.
…of all those who partake of it, (or drink of it) Partake is more than just eat; we take a part of or share the qualities or attributes of the sanctified bread and water. When we partake, we are becoming sanctified ourselves—pure, clean, spotless.
…that they may eat [or drink] To consume gradually. Implies some thoughtfulness as we do these simple and common acts.
…in remembrance Act of recalling to mind; a greeting or gift recalling or expressing friendship or affection. The word remembrance is something deeper than just casually thinking about.
…of the body of thy Son. Broken and bruised for us—the physical pain He suffered for us. We all know and are familiar with physical pain, we know bruising, we know the tearing of the flesh. We are reminded that through Christ’s physical suffering He has paid for Adam’s transgression that we may all be physically resurrected.
[…of the blood of thy Son which was shed for them]. We know what it is like to bleed. Symbolic of Christ’s mental and spiritual anguish in the garden as He accepted the burden of the sins of the world and carried them to the cross.
We do not know. We cannot tell
What pains He had to bear.
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.
…and witness This is a covenant, to testify to, to attest. But it is more. Pres. McKay: . . . “do we always stop to think on that sacred Sabbath day when we meet together to partake of the sacrament, that we witness, promise, obligate ourselves in the presence of one another, and in the presence of God, that we will do certain things?”
…unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, Another reminder of the Being to whom the priests are praying and with whom we will be making these covenants.
…that they are willing This implies the future, not the past. It isn’t what we have done but what we want to do or are willing to do. We are warned that we must not partake of the sacrament unworthily. But, what is unworthy? Brigham Young: “It is essential that we renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament. When we do this with a sincere heart, with real intent, forsaking our sins, and renewing our commitment to God, the Lord provides a way whereby sins can be forgiven from week to week . . . To those who have unresolved major transgressions, who profane God and His Holy Son, who trample His words, who are godless, who reject Him, who do not sustain His servants or have no desire to repent, the Lord has said “Whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eatheth and drinketh damnation to his soul.” 3N18:29. Elder Mickelsen: “There are two reasons for not partaking of the sacrament: 1. Your priesthood leader has asked you not to partake. Or, 2. You are unwilling to repent. But, if you want to repent of transgressions of the past week, then the sacrament is so important to help you to repent. It can give you strength to repent. If you want to change or repent, if you are feeling guilty about your actions of the past week, then take the sacrament. Take advantage of this wonderful source of strength and power.” But, when we partake of the sacrament We repent with full purpose of heart (3N10:6).” And we “. . .have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mos5:2) like we should have felt when we were baptized, then we are partaking of the sacrament worthily.
OUR PART OF THE COVENANT
“…willing…to take upon them the name of thy son,…” Represent Christ. When I wear a shirt that says BYU-Idaho, I feel like I am representing BYU-Idaho and should conduct myself accordingly. When you have taken the name of Christ upon yourself, you represent Him. If you don’t represent Him well, you are taking His name in vain.
“…and always remember Him,…” This phrase is in both the blessing of the bread and the water. Elder Holland: “ The principal word here seems to be remember. . . His premortal life, His birth, His miracles and teachings, His loving beautiful life. . . On some days we will have cause to remember the unkind treatment He received, the rejection He experienced, and the injustice—oh, the injustice—He endured. When we, too, then face some of that in life, we can remember that Christ was also troubled on every side, dut not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. To those who stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and to strengthen us. In the end He is there to save us, and for all this He gave His life. However dim our day may seem they have been darker for the Savior of the world.” Alma 5:6 “Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and longsuffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?”
“…and keep His commandments which He has given them;…” Another reminder to repent and follow Him. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” E.T.Benson: “When obedience ceases to become and irritant and becomes our quest, in that day, God will endow us with power.”
“…that they may have his Spirit to be with them, Amen” What a wonderful promise. If we will do our part, we will have His Spirit to be with us. We can then be lead, strengthened, inspired, helped, assisted, and sanctified by the spirit. If you are trying to repent, here is the key: The Lord’s Spirit. We all need it. Do nothing to offend it.
Jesus instituted the sacrament among the Nephites (3N18:1-11)
Pres. McKay: “The greatest comfort in this life is the assurance of having a close relationship with God. . . . The sacrament period should be a factor in awakening this sense of relationship. (See 1Cor11:23-28). No more sacred ordinance is administered in the Church of Christ than the administration of the sacrament.”
Why do we partake of the Sacrament so frequently? Do we not run the risk of it becoming too familiar? Would it be of greater meaning if we did it only once a year, or monthly? We need the spiritual nourishment at least once a week.God knows that we will go out from sacrament meeting into a wicked and hostile world and that we, in spite of our resolve and repentance, will sin and suffer the sorrow associated with sin. But, we learn from these earth experiences and accumulate a burden of sin. He doesn’t want us to go around in a constant state of woe and misery. So He has given us the opportunity to make a course correction through partaking of the sacrament every week. “Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Meeting Linzi and her family
Jess, Hilary and I had a wonderful trip to Salt Lake to meet Kyle's fianceé, Linzi, little Evy, and Linzi's family, Willy and Linda Gerlach. We stayed at the Daws' house and they hosted a dinner on Sunday for the combined families. Such fun. We also were invited to a get-together at the home of one of Linzi's cousins, so we met even more of that wonderful family. Another highlight of the trip was attending the Draper Temple open house. These are some of the pictures that Hilary, the official Brown Family Photog, took.
Evy, hiding under the table.Evy, playing with Kyle's incredible, stretchable face.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Interjecting Doctrinal Commentary
I've just finished reading the first volume of "Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Volume I." Scott's parents gave us the set for Christmas last year. The books contain the complete text of the Book of Mormon, along with comments, references, quotes, etc. about almost each verse. Wonderful reading, I highly recommend it. One comment in particular caught my eye: 2 Nephi 28:20 says "For behold, at that day [the last days] shall he [Satan] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good." The authors then said, "The vile one is extremely versatile. His approaches vary according to the conditions of the time and the specific weaknesses of individuals or groups. Some persons are moved upon by Satan to become rash or angry or violent. Others are tempted to be quiet and passive and indifferent. Some feel compelled to organize riots, lead marches, and promote legislation against those things which are decent and pure." Interesting, isn't it. These books were written in 1988, by the way.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thanks Mom!
I just got the huge family letter/cousin's chronicles yesterday. Wow! We have really missed it. It was wonderful to see all the cute pictures. Hooray for Mom, thanks for all her hard work. The family letter albums (3 now!) are one of my greatest treasure, and I love looking at them and showing them to the kids. I hereby resolve to get my family letters out (or get blogging). We love you Mom!!!
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