half a pail of apples is it!

 The only tree that has any apples to speak of is my eating tree and they are not really ready yet.  While I was mowing I saw that there were a few apples that I needed to use.

 I brought out my 6foot 4inch apple picker, and we got a half a pail of apples with thunder overhead and the beginnings of rain drops on us.

 One dishpan of applesauce is all from my trees this year.  I hope we can find more somewhere.  Any ideas?  Last year we had more than we could use, and this year the opposite.

It looks like about 8 quarts is all.  We would love to have a big canning of applesauce.  This is so important in our family.  It just feels nice to have some for 2015 from our trees.  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

from Maria's blog today- all of us at the ocean just days ago... kind of nuts to see us there now!

"Stay awake!(stomp/clap) Be ready!(stomp/clap)" John singing

 John helping with tomato soup - the biggest canning ever! 

This morning after sharing morning prayer and the readings on this Feast of St Monica with John at breakfast... John broke into a cute song including the words of the Gospel today.  It made me smile and laugh through my tears - as we were doing our intentions for some reason (probably joining with St Monica's tears) I wept through all my prayers.  "Stay awake!  Be ready!  We don't know when the Lord is coming!  Stay awake!  Be ready!  The Lord is coming soon!"  "We would sing this at Holy Redeemer all the time at mass and we would pound on the pews and stomp the floor between the phrases!  I haven't sung it since 8th grade!" 

 I just had a great conversation with my mom and she admitted that she missed the boat by not having us help her in the kitchen.  She sees that it is a wonderful thing how we all work together on these big projects in the kitchen and even making meals with helpers - I now have grandkids here a lot and they love to help make meals or mix cakes or breads.  These are cherished "Family times" in our farm life!

The Gospel for today... Jesus said to the Disciples:  "Stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.  Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.  So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."  Matthew 24 

 These big family canning days are very joyful and filled with visiting and covering a lot of things we are wanting to share with each other, but with the busyness of life we don't get a chance.  I  could share about our whirlwind week away with Maria and her 4...  There are many big days we do on the farm from putting up food to caring for the animals.  Canning days are much more relaxed as you aren't dealing with thousand pound animals and all the frustrations that come with that, so they are the fun family time days.  And now that my kids are grown... it certainly is a gift and delight to have some of them and their kids now here to help with all the work.  It seems to get more and more, but we are now making food for 6 families including our Community of the Lamb!

Ruth's kitchen is our canning central as she has lots of play places and toys and the kids that play with them.  When Nancy is here with her 3 little ones this really makes it more doable!

Emotions are running high today, and it is so special to have St Monica right there with me!  One part of her ministry of bringing her family to Christ that really struck me this morning was how she "kept peace" in her family by facing "rages with meekness and kindness."  She won her husband and his family to The Church in this way, and then her son, Augustine, with earnest "tears, prayers, plaints, and laments."  I can say that we are well matched in the tears and the prayers department, but I definitely need to do better with the meekness and the kindness! 

 Our first tomato soup day with Nancy a few weeks back...Once again having two of my girls and their kids to share the work and the enjoyment of working shoulder to shoulder!

In a wonderful long sharing with my mom on the phone... she shared about the homily at mass on Sunday in Stillwater - St Michael's Catholic Church.  It was on the reading - Ephesians 5:21-32 on wives beings submissive to their husbands.  This is so special as this reading was to have been read at Nancy and Bill's wedding and tomorrow is their 5th anniversary!  Part of it was accidentally left out by the person reading it, but my dad was unaware with his poor hearing and preached on it anyways!  Too great and a funny special memory of the day!  Mom shared that the young newly ordained priest made mom want to shout "Hallelujah!" as he shared that these difficult readings and teachings of The Church - "You need to come to Jesus and have him show you The Truth!" 

 Feeding many young and old during our big days of work!  I had a lot of joy last night feeding Ruth and Paul's 5 kids while they were teaching Faith Formation... Many hungry kids cleaning their plates and my husband commenting over and over what a great meal it was... it doesn't get much better than that, does it?

 These two girls so enjoy growing up together and sharing our family times on the farm!

Jesus, I am so filled with wonderful joyful thankfulness for all the ways that we are allowed to share our Faith one with the other.  The Catholic School for all of our kids and now grandkids and the seeds that are planted there and nurtured by sharing our Faith in our home... we share morning prayer most days, the readings of the Day and Find Christ in His Word and Gospel guiding and directing us towards heaven.  We share the Saints for each day and today St Monica is helping me to see that I need to be more meek and kind and bring about more moments of Faith and Truth with sugar rather than with vinegar!  Tomorrow we honor St Augustine her son, who came to Faith through her tears and prayers.  I am encouraged by this knowledge and continue to carry both forth into my LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  There is so much to fill each of our days through Jesus Christ, His Mother, Mary the Mother of God, and The Church!  Jesus, we trust in you.   Amen and Hallelujah!!!!!

 These are the pictures I cherish as they tell the story of Faith/Family/Farm!  Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

This is what makes the work all worth it!

This speaks to my heart filled with much this day!

A mother's tears and prayers brought this blessing to us! 

End this now!

Shared by a friend today... so true!

Newsboys - We believe

God's not dead - Narnia by the Newsboys

Perfect weather.... OOOing and AAAHing about the day today!

 The kittens went outside for the first time today.  We put a blanket in the shade with the kids and the kittens and the green grass in the sunlight dappled through the trees. 

One of those special SOFT pictures that Rose and a pile of kittens make.  Love the light behind her on this gloriously perfect day with no humidity and mildly warm weather to perfection.

 Another soft look on a picture perfect day!  All day long we would comment over and over what a perfect day it was.  I think the kittens are ready to get out and get more fresh air with supervision, of course.  The dogs really did not bother them, but we were watching over them while they were outside.

Momma kitten taking care of her 7!  Time to get them on food and milk and give mom a break.  Bless-bless, Barb

 Sweet smiles...

Luke gives them a stir.

Alive and lively!... "insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory."

 Ruth's 2 youngest are here to bring zest and fun and activity into our day... along with a basket of 7 kittens.  It's alive and lively around here!

 Rose chose a cream colored one out of the basket....

One of those days in which prayer, work and family ebbs and flows!  Like waves of LIFE all around you.  John and Pat are working in the shop, so the kids are out there enjoying their bikes while they watch grandpa change the oil on the tractor.  Grandpa is in love with his new shop and the large area the kids can play and be involved in farm activity.

 Ripe bananas become banana bread with the help of kids! 

Today in I Thessalonians St Paul speaks about how a father treats his children - as yesterday he talked about a nursing mother's role in giving LIFE to her child!  You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved towards you believers.  As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.  I Thess 2:9-13

 Do you think St Paul saw the value of both a faith-filled mother and Faith-filled father in a family unit?   Yes!  He could come up with no better example of loving kind raising of new followers in The Church!  We know as parents we have much more patience with missteps, and can forgive all that our children do.  May we be more loving and forgiving with all those that are infants of Faith or even pre-birth in the Faith life - they know nothing of Jesus and His Bride, The Church.  We are called to be missionary-disciples and to first of all instruct others that Jesus loves us unconditionally!

 The kittens go outside for the first time!  It is so wonderful outside today, and they seemed to love it.  We had to protect them from the dogs, but they seemed to know that they should leave them alone. 

Jesus, we love you and long to share your Truth with those that don't know you!  May we see you and not the storm!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

the crazy amazing continues!

Our vacation visiting Maria and family was made so much better with the knowledge that we had gotten 3 inches of rain at home in August!!!!  The vines in my garden spread out into the grass and these two blossoms greeted me today.  The grass and the blossoms will be mowed tomorrow, but they were a special sight today.... crazy amazing!

 All the plants love the rain and the wonderful growing season this summer has blessed us with.  If I could predict from my humble garden... the crops will be very wonderful this year!  I planted some large pumpkins for the first time this year and they are taking over!

 A bee likes the pollen of this squash/pumpkin blossom.  It is safely in the garden and will not be mowed tomorrow.  We will see if there is enough growing time for it to become a pumpkin or a squash in time.  The miracles of creation is pretty crazy amazing!

 A morning in town... what crosses my mind foremost?  Today is Adoration!  Such a gift to say hi to Jesus in the tabernacle after an hour with him in the Adoration chapel!  Crazy amazing - LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/Jesus is always with me!   So much peace and joy floods me!

 I always look over at the 10th station of the cross and remember Hallel/Susan sitting there in the dark before daily mass each morning when she was discerning her call.  "Are you there because it is the humility station/Jesus is stripped of his garments?"  "No, I am there because it is the last row with kneelers and I don't want others to see me cry."  Why?  Waiting for the Lord to call her and her answer was "yes" I will be a Little Sister of the Lamb/your bride my Jesus!

Jesus, I am overwhelmed by your unconditional love and forgiveness for me...  May I return it to all those around me- most especially those in my domestic Church/family.  Jesus, I trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

Crazy.... amazing!

Looking back at the last week of our travels to spend some time with our daughter and her kids... it was a real crazy thing that we did with 3 grandkids in the back, but it also was crazy amazing!   I thought this picture of the 6 oldest was a good one to illustrate "crazy... amazing!"  The 4 days on the road were as good as it gets with such great travelers to share it with.  They were great!  We are so close to our farm grandkids, and feel comfortable caring for them and instructing them and they with us.  It was very rewarding to watch them mix and play and get along so well with their cousins.  Amazing!

I really enjoyed getting to spoil and know my youngest grandchild- Romeo!  Our first red head and that makes him unique, but really he is just a sweet loving boy, who loves to have some attention from his grandma... that old lady that fed him ice cream and oatmeal!

The two Patricks hanging out over some hamburgers at our splurge at McDonalds!

We arrived home to immediately head to school for the 3 grandkids and Ruth and I spent to a day canning 93 jars of tomato soup.  So we are still reeling after our huge push!  I am very excited to see that we will be focusing on I Thessalonians now for our first reading at mass!  It does not disappoint today... St Paul writes these words of beauty to them and us...we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.  With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.  I Thes 2:1-8 

After having the bonding loving joy of nursing my 5 and now with 12 grandchildren in 10 years - watching my girls nurse all of them... this is such a powerful picture of nurturing and giving of ourselves to our children.  To sit down and feed them from our bodies and give them that time as only the nursing mother can...  Selfless giving/bond of love!  St Paul understands this beautiful way of LIFE giving parent to child.  May we in turn share gently our Truth with those around us... most especially those in our domestic Church/family.  We are the first teachers of our children/grandchildren!

Jesus, Life is crazy amazing and all the ways we are given to cherish that LIFE and protect it from conception to natural death.  When they are first here in this world we mothers can have that closeness and feed our little ones from our own bodies... holding them close to our hearts and our breasts.  May we in turn share with gentle kindness and love your Truth humbly and without judgment.  Sharing with those that don't know you that first of all you LOVE and forgive unconditionally and want all to lay their burdens at your feet in the confessional and leave there clean and walking and leaping and praising God!  May we carry Jesus in His Gospel always in our hearts, minds and souls... fed at the table by his Body and Blood!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Bless-bless, Barb

It was a whirlwind of LOVE/LIFE/LIGHT and I feel sad to be once again far apart!
 

 

Danielle Rose- The Saint that is just me

John helped us with the biggest tomato soup canning ever in our history... he became very proficient at making tomato soup - 93 quarts- from 6 1/2 pails of tomatoes that were growing on the vine that morning!  He was a good help to us, on a day that his dad didn't need much help on the farm.  Canning with 2 of my 5 kids makes it fun!