God Watered for me Last Night-Garden Update

I spend most mornings on my back porch enjoying the coolness of the day. The neighborhood dogs haven’t been put out yet to bark incessantly at me, the squirrels or anything else they deem bark-worthy. All is quiet, save the birds singing in the new day. I talk to God, watch the kittens attack bugs and peer out at my garden.

This morning, I awoke to a spectacular sight.

While I was sleeping, God watered the garden for me.

Everything was touched with a bit of dew and when the sunlight hit it, the leaves sparkled. The hues were deeper, the green of the garden appeared healthy and vibrant.

I did nothing to make this little guy struggle from beneath the earth, other than plant the seed. But, here he is reaching up for his morning drink.

It’s weird to say, but I felt a bit of homesickness for heaven. This was how it was intended to be, I think. In a small way, I was experiencing my Garden of Eden.

I think that’s why I like gardening-it’s so biblical. I plant the seed, offer water when needed, protect it from naughty bunny enemies and then…I hope.

I hope that all of my efforts will bring the harvest. I hope there’s enough to freeze, can, dehydrate and share.

But other than my hope in God’s growing system, there’s nothing more that I can do. I could wish for it, demand it, curse about it when something dies or turns brown, but in the end, it’s up to God to make each plant grow and produce.

And he does it for me and my tiny little garden every single time. Even though I don’t deserve it, he still blesses me with a harvest.

It’s a reminder that if I put in the work in my garden or in people’s lives, he’ll take care of the harvest.
What a relief. God’s much better at it by far than I am.

A Tale of Two Cats and a Hawk

Once upon a time, there were two leashed white cats innocently hanging out in the backyard, with their owner nearby. A Red Tailed Hawk entered the scene, swooped down and alighted on the chain link fence that separated the neighbor’s yards.

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For a moment the world stood still.

The Red Tailed Hawk was impressive-with an intimidating wingspan of 4-5 feet, razor sharp claws and a scary, pointy beak that can poke kittens eyes out.

At a whopping 13 pounds of pure muscle, this “kitten” would be almost impossible for the aforementioned Red Hawk to lift off the ground.

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However, this bird of prey wouldn’t realize this until after sinking its sharp and pointy talons into a muscle-bound Maxwell. Max’s instincts took over and he peeled out in the grass, aiming for the open back door. His race for safety caused the attached leash to knock over the fire pit and the two bikes on our back porch.

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The Red Hawk took off, disturbed both by me and by the insanity created by Maxwell. The “kitten” ducked inside, his tail had exploding to three times larger than normal and the hair mohawk on his back standing on end. The poor little guy’s body shook all over and his breathing accelerated to a “Rebekah-on-a-roller-coaster-scared” status.

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After further research, I realized there was nothing I could do to keep this bird of prey away. It’s even protected by the government-sorry, Biceps.

I think my only option is to add weighted vests to the kittens halters. If only they came in extra-extra small cat sizes….

No Calorie Sweet Green Tea

During the summer, there’s nothing better than a cold glass of sweet tea. I enjoy the beverage but wanted a low calorie option that was also healthy for you. There are numerous antioxidants, along with Vitamins C and E found in Green Tea. (*See a report by Harvard Health Publications at the end of this post on the benefits of drinking green tea.)

This simple No Calorie Sweet Green Tea is good for you, easy to make and tastes wonderful.

Here’s all that is needed to make your very own No Calorie Sweet Green Tea:
Tea Kettle
Glass Tea Jar
10 Green Tea Bags (I use 5 Caffeinated and 5 Decaffeinated Tea Bags)
6 + 4 Cups of Water
1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia

Using a clothespin, use the tab at the end of the string to corral your tea bags.

Clip the tea bags to the side of your glass tea jar. Boil 6 cups of water in your tea kettle.

After the water in the tea kettle whistles, pour the boiling water into the glass tea jar. Aim for the tea bags as you pour.

Steep for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, pull the tea bags from the liquid but still inside of the tea jar. Slowly squeeze out any remaining water from the tea bags using a wooden spoon.

Add the 1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia.

Add 4 Cups of cold water to the tea jar.

Stir the tea a few times to mix the stevia in.

Let the tea cool in the fridge for several hours. Once it’s cool, pour yourself a glass and enjoy!

[*Tea’s health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.
Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.

Source: Harvard Health Publications]

Linking up here, along with other parties:

PW’s Action Sets-Biceps Style

I can spend numerous hours clicking away at layers, color options, exposure settings and Action Sets inside of Photoshop CS5. I have fallen in love with the Pioneer Woman’s Action Sets. With the click of a button, Action Sets provide a basic foundation for a photo that can then be adjusted to your heart’s content.

I will be using my handsome hubby, Biceps, as my subject matter while I show off PW’s Action Sets. (He’s easy on the eyes and bites a lot less than the kittens…)

This is the RAW image straight from my camera. No adjusting has happened to this sweet face, yet.

Wanted for Handsomeness: Biceps
Reward: Icecream

I know, I’m a dork in love. At any rate, this is the Vintage Action Set in all its glory. I did lighten the photo a little, because Biceps was getting lost in the dark.

I used the Fresh and Colorful Action Set on this photo and adjusted the light layer to “vivid light”.

This is the Old West Action Set. It’s not the favorite choice for this photo, but I think it would come in handy for horse/barn/state fair applications. Cowboy hats, turkey legs and roller coasters need this action set.

I’m so partial to vintage photos, this might be my favorite. This Seventies Action Set is a bit of an unsung hero, washing out photos and not immediately catching the eye. But, I think this set brings a nostalgic feeling to most photos without overdoing it.

Thanks, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, for creating Action Sets that we can all use for free. I give a tip of the hat to you and a simultaneous bowing curtsy-which is rather hard to do if you think about it.