Planting, while the soil is wet

9/8/10 Wednesday
There’s a 20% chance of rain today. We already got a wonderful amount of rain yesterday so it doesn’t matter, but we’ll take all we can get. Regardless I’m out the door early this morning to plant seeds. I’ll plant in the patch I just spent several days creating with all the manure and underground irrigation. Don’t have the parts needed to finish hooking up the irrigation yet but that doesn’t matter because the ground is wet with rain water, and rain water is preferable to well water. Once the corn, which is what I’m planting there, sprouts the well water is sufficient to keep it growing. I’ll be rolling the dice regarding freezes with the corn as it won’t be ready to harvest till late November. But that’s how it is anyway. For spring corn I talked to the local farmer we know from the new church and he said it should be planted in February, so even that will be gambling with late freezes.

I planted a bunch of Bermuda grass seed on this area yesterday, rushing to get it in before the sun set. Had the camera with me and took pictures as I rolled the seed in. It was a wonderful sunset with all the rain clouds. Hoped for an equally great sunrise but there were too many clouds this morning for that. This morning I’ll once again plant Bermuda grass seed on our front lawn. This will make the third time I’ve done that but I have learned some lessons on how to do this better. I’ll set up soaker hoses criss crossing the area to keep it moist.

This afternoon Cherie and I will go back to the VA rep I met with yesterday to fill out paperwork in our continuing fight with them to clear up the contention that we owe them money. It’s important to do that because I learned that when it comes to dealing with the USDA they won’t approve agricultural loans or grants if it shows I owe any money to any other Federal agencies. So their screw up will hold back any help getting this farm rolling.

Too much to do to write. I’ll have time when I come in to rest and let the pain subside. Usually have to do that several times on the busy physical days. I also need to update the Kairos Prison Ministry blog. We had a guidance committee meeting yesterday. I think it was called a guidance committee but basically it was most of the active members who had leadership roles. We are gearing up for the training and scheduling for the Kairos week event that is coming up in October.
=========================================================================

10:45 – Just came in to take a pain pill and a short break. No time to really lay down and let the pain subside so I’ll tough it out. It’s going to be a short work day due to us having to go to Midland and see the VA guy, plus we have church tonight. I usually work till it’s dark but if we are going to church won’t because otherwise I’ll be all stinky and sweaty. Don’t have a shower to just hop in, clean up, and hop out of.

Been thinking a lot about what I’ll call liberation theology. What I read recently rings bells regarding the words that came out of someone we knows’ mouth. So I mean to investigate this further, to know more about it so I can speak from knowledge, not conjecture. I’ve struggled to understand what this person believes and he has not at all been forthcoming about it. It’s always important to understand what a person’s beliefs are as that reveals the truth behind their actions. What’s hard is so many people say “I believe this and that” but their lives show otherwise. The truth of what you believe is revealed in your actions, not you words. So many people believe a lie as well, and there are many lies out there.

Deception is the devil’s forte. I remember talking to the Shiite Muslim that lived in the apartment across the hall from ours in Toledo. Scary, real scary, for he definitely believed many lies and believed them vehemently. I would talk to him seeking to understand his Islamic beliefs. He told me what he had been fed regarding Jesus and Christianity. At one point I asked him “Do you think it’s possible that you have believed a lie?” That’s the only time he was set back. He got real quiet and I could tell he pondered that question deeply. You can read about that in the earlier parts of this blog, back in 2005 or so. If you go back there you can read about some really fascinating (at least to me) descriptions of the condition I was in during those earlier years after the traumatic brain injury. I’ve come a long way. I am blessed to be alive and blessed to have the half a mind I have today.
=======================================================================

I just got a call from Suzie up in Toledo. It’s seldom good news when she calls. I had tried to get them to move here, knowing there are jobs and that it would get them away from the evils that surround them on the East side of town, but couldn’t. Samantha, her 12 year old daughter, beat her up recently so was put in jail. Despite being only 12 she is no stranger to jail. So Samantha is mad and decided the way to get even is to tell the police she was being molested and that her parents were doing drugs. That opens up a big can of worms so now all the different government agencies are involved. Calvin, Suzie’s husband, has been told he can’t live in his house so is on the streets now. It’s sad and hard to hear. Even if I was up there it’s doubtful I could do anything to help. Suzie’s son, who’s had his share of troubles with the law, now lives on his own, a good thing, but got his girlfriend pregnant.

We are glad we live here.