The #1 Tip for Keeping Your Marriage Marvelous

Dear Lissy,
You rose early with me this morning to watch the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.  Your girlish heart -- and mine! -- delighted in all the beautiful hats and the exquisite lace gown worn by the bride. We enjoyed a four course British breakfast (Orange Juice & Tea, Porridge, "Fry-Up", and Toast & Jam) as the pomp and circumstance played out before us.  It seemed like we waited an hour for the iconic "Balcony Kiss", and you wriggled in excitement the entire time.

When the time for your own wedding comes you will have several weeks of counseling with your pastor or a trusted friend to prepare your heart and mind for your biblical role as a wife.  It's vitally important to build your marriage according to God's Word on the foundation of your faith in Christ.  But there are also some simple, practical truths that help a marriage function well.  Today's letter is going to focus on the single most important advice we ever received:

4 Garden Helpers

Dear Lissy,
I had a proud mommy moment yesterday while we were planting all of our spring crops. It was very warm, and you requested lemonade. Instead of just making yourself a cup,  you made an entire pitcher and brought out cups for all of us. Way to go, girlie!
I have two simple garden hints today that make a big difference in the amount of work and money I spend in my garden.

Take a worm census.
Worms are good indicators not just of soil health but also pH.  If you have a good worm population, the soil will be suitable for growing vegetables as well.
On a warm spring day when the soil has reached 60 degrees but isn't over 65, dig up a one foot by one foot by seven inch deep square of your garden and place it on a tarp or board.  Count the number of worms (size doesn't matter).  You should have at least 10 and it's not uncommon to have 50 or more.  The soil needs to be very moist to get an accurate count.  If it hasn't rained in the last 24 hours, use a sprinkler over the area before taking your census.  Worms head down into their burrows with very little provocation.  Walk lightly and dig quickly!

Use solar power to remove weeds.
If you have a garden bed that was especially weedy or you're expanding your plot, cover it with heavy mil black plastic for at least two weeks before planting.  You will need several days of direct, hot sun to kill all of the weed seeds in the soil.  The plastic is available at most hardware stores and home centers at a fraction of the cost of landscaping fabric.  You can plant through "x" shaped holes cut into black plastic, but it makes watering tricky.  I prefer to use the plastic just long enough to bake the weeds and then remove it.

Use a board to sprout carrots.
Carrots need constantly moist soil to sprout. After you plant the seeds and (gently) water the plot, cover the rows with 1 x 2's or other scrap lumber.  Check under the boards occasionally and remove them as soon as you see sprouts.

Straw makes an ideal lightweight mulch.

Veggies prefer their feet cool and moist.  Place a 4-6" layer of straw around the base of plants to provide optimum growing conditions and suppress weeds.  Be careful not to purchase hay which has thousands of seeds.  Learned that lesson the hard way....

Lovin' you!
Momma

These pictures are all from the gardens of those who love to share their growing tips and tricks.  

What are YOUR magic numbers?

Dear Lissy,
You have had a fascination with all things Chinese since you were an itty-bitty.  We've had Chinese themed birthday parties twice, the most memorable when your birthday fell on Chinese New Year's. You almost always choose the Chinese restaurant for dates with Daddy.  We've checked books out of the library so you could learn Mandarin, and your dress up trunk as a little girl held all manner of Chinese clothes and embroidered silk "flats".  Your dreams right now involve nursing school in China, too.
Fortune cookies, although not technically from China, are a particular favorite.  You read your "fortune" in a mysterious voice and wiggle your eyebrows in pleasure.  The slim strip is then flipped over and you slowly read your lucky numbers.  You are well aware that neither side holds any real significance, but you still thrill every time you crack open the crisp lemon-scented cookie.
My "magic numbers" are far more mundane.

6 Outstanding Resources for Committed Parenting

Dear Lissy,
April showers....and not much else!  All of you are stir crazy enough to be spending time outdoors in the rain.  The neighbor donated several tons of dirt from his yard project yesterday, and you and Matt played "Battleship" on it all afternoon.  I'm almost sad we have to level it.  The rest of our spring veggies will be going in this week with hoop houses up to keep them protected.  We've let the coal stove burn out, too.  Cross my fingers, I think spring has finally arrived.
I won't be writing a great deal about our child rearing philosophy or practices in these letters because the vast majority is contained in our library, and I'd prefer to leave you an annotated bibliography.

An Eric Guiomar creation.