"Mom and dad doing their thing." from Nancy today as we had our family job of butchering our broilers. It goes quite fast with the many hands we have. Nancy with her kids came to help, too!
The many jobs and chicken plucker makes our life so much easier!
2 year old George watching mom pull feathers and cut feet. "I never saw you do that mommy."
Chickens are swimming in the blue pool with a little boy in a blue shirt uncertain about what is going on today on the farm.
8 year old Bernadette is at the beginning of the process...putting the chickens headless into the tiles and holding them until they stop moving. She is a brave and hard worker.
Grandpa has an audience for the first gut removal.
Pat guts and I take off the neck skin... teamwork in more ways than one for us.
Now Berna helping her Aunt Ruth put them in bags for the freezer. We have 2 in for our farm supper tonight for 4 families! From the chicken coop to the table with a few steps in between. It feels good to have this family job done.
7 year old Luke is in charge of getting them into numerous freezers quickly. Thanks, Luke!
Pat and I quick cleaned up to join in praying for rain as we are in dire need of rain for our thousands of acres of corn and beans, and our pastures with our 150 cows and calves - for the grass to grow and the creeks to run with drinking water!
Many people on their knees for RAIN!
The first reading today is so much about sowing and reaping - bountifully! How we need to pray bountifully for RAIN! Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God. 2Cor:9
Paul home with the baler and shortly after Simon and grandma are on the job of getting them picked up and put away - Paul loading and Pat unloading.
The men that are working this summer - Simon is working as a farm hand.
Perfect bale
Of course in the scheme of our lives the harvest of our righteousness is what is foremost importance for our making it down the narrow path to heaven forever. Yet, when we have so many acres needing
Framed by a bale in the blazing sun... Lord, please give us some rain!
Simon with a load of beautiful grass bales...
I am so grateful to have this 16 year old farm boy driving the tractor for bale pickup. This old city girl turned farmwife gets very nervous when I am driving the tractor. Simon is making my summer so much more relaxed and less nervous!
Waving for grandma and her camera - phone! Thanks again Simon!
Such a cute sight - David's ducks in a parade through the busy farm yard. The pool is too high for them to get into, but they have the little kiddie pool. The pool is now full of the chicken crew on this hot sunny day on the farm!
Ruth is to soon have a blueberry patch by her garden. She amazes me!
Simon giving grandma a pre wave... I like when they spoil me!
George loves to be by his grandpa!
Today in both the first reading and the Gospel we are told to be cheerful in our work for our Lord and our coming to him in prayer and worship!
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Matthew 6
Sweet smiles of these two!
Jesus, how we are blessed by our family farm. Thank you for how you love and bless us and give us so many graces. May we die to self so that we may become your hands and feet and voice in sharing your Truth! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah!
We have 240 lids coming our way and I just have to share this most amazing story! I was talking to Pat's sister yesterday out in Seattle and she was shocked to hear that we cannot find canning lids for 2 seasons now. "I was going shopping, so I will look out here." She found a display where they were on sale and had 12 boxes of both large and small mouth in her cart. Every store she called had none and wouldn't have any coming that they knew of. This display was kind of miraculous when we know how they have been impossible to find even on line!
So we now have 240 lids coming in the mail for our canning this summer! RaTerra said ; "Let's give the credit to grandma!!!! She's smiling on you." Pat's mother, Anna, taught me all I know about being a farmwife and canning is huge with her and thanks to her! I love to know that she is interceding for us! Bless-bless, Barbara
So powerful today - how we have been deprived of this communion with our brothers and sisters - The Eucharist! It is so amazing to be returning to Jesus in The Eucharist and those around us!
"It's not enough to know Christ,
we must bring Him to everyone!" - St John Paul II
"Amen, amen, amen.
I believe, I believe, I believe
and confess to the last breath
that this is the Life-giving Flesh,
that of the Only-begotten Son,
Our Lord and our God,
our Savior Jesus Christ."
Ancient Egyptian Eucharistic Prayer
From Fire of God's Love
120 Reflections on the Eucharist
Mike Aquilina
Love this from Brother Victor and dad today - gardening is his main job along with praying and writing and cooking as his first 2 books were cook books! The last line is a hymn to our Lord and creator of heaven and earth!
Garden - "...this holy ground where the Lord left his footsteps as an imprint of his creation."
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