Putting on Some Peace Paint

Spring cleaning and a bit of paint.

Older members of the congregation might remember using the phrase "she's putting on her war paint" to describe their wife's make-up preparation for a social outing. This week we've been putting on some "peace paint" and otherwise cleaning up the entrance to the church.

Please excuse the mess--which is short lived--and use the back entrance to the church until further notice.

Baby Monarch Butterfly. Really.

Mr. Magoo was in the Little Sprouts garden this morning building something when he happened upon a whole gaggle of disgusting creatures eating a plant. They were really eating it: nothing was left but the stalk.

Mr. Magoo, who as you know is deaf, blind but sadly not dumb--dumb is an old word for describing someone who can't talk--killed six of the wormy yucks by squeezing their tiny little heads between the grippers on a pair of pliers. He was so happy!

"Oh, no!" shouted two Little Sprouts. "Those are baby Monarch Butterflies!"

Mr. Magoo, who is deaf and blind but can still talk, denied that the ugly worms were baby butterflies. But they were! Isn't it terrible that Mr. Magoo can talk?

The moral of the story is: Mr. Magoo should only build things! He does not know ANYTHING about butterflies! Don't listen to him!

Wedding Open House 9-12 PM Saturday

The First Christian Church Berryville--on Church Ave across from Nelson's Funeral Home--is having an Open House this Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12 PM for prospective brides and families planning a wedding this summer or fall. Stop by the Open House and talk with our wedding planners about holding your wedding at our historic and elegant small church.

Community Garden Update

Garlic, planted in March, begins to develop sturdy shoulders.

One hundred percent (100%) of the Community Garden is now planted and, despite the rain, we're hopeful that everything will go forward and do what they are supposed to do: be fruitful and multiply.

Our potatoes and onions are in good shape and the blueberry bushes, after a very rocky 2010 when they were planted, have perked up a bit and may survive this year: we are not yet convinced that they will thrive, sad to say. Our tomatoes are in the ground--a bit wet but green and inching upward, and cucumbers, bush beans, and snow peas are behaving as expected. All the lettuce, spinach, and salad greens--which we had in such abundance last year--washed out this spring and so, and alas, no salad until we plant again in the fall.

Blackberry cane

One of the beds on the east side of the garden gets too much shade to grow much so we're experimenting with blackberries. So far, 9 of ten canes have popped out of the ground and are looking okay (just). We hope planting these space intensive fruits pays off because we LOVE blackberries.

Squash was planted just north and adjacent to the Little Sprout's Garden. They got beat up during planting (Mr. Magoo dragged a hose over them), but four of the eight hills look like they'll make it--and we'll replant the others pretty quick.

If you have time, stop by the garden. It will put you in mind of God's goodness to us. And: THANK YOU for making the garden possible.