Weekly Update: 7.12.26
Of summer squash and sickness
The week dawned sunny and full of promise. I planned to finally get the garden under control. I hoped to start assembling and spraying our shelving. I had lots of bookwork and computer tasks I needed to complete. I also told myself I was going to be disciplined about scheduling time for more rest, writing, and quality time with loved ones. After another difficult week, I’m thankful I’ve learned to hold plans loosely.
We spent several mornings in our garden, getting the last of our seedlings planted. As I stated last week, our young cucurbits are struggling under the July sun. The delayed planting strategy was worth the try to reduce our squash bug population. Unfortunately, the squash bugs found us immediately. We’ve already been pulling bugs and removing eggs from the bottom of the leaves. Still, I’m thankful the plants are finally in and we can focus more on keeping the weeds under control. They very much need it.
Our brother Levi has been enjoying using the new mower we ordered last week. For the last few years, we’ve been keeping the grass at bay with an Ryobi electric weed trimmer. We had always planned to mainly use our brush hog, but we’ve struggled to keep the tractor running. Even though it’s finally working, we realize there are still areas we don’t want to take our tractor. We finally invested in a Ryobi electric mower. At first, we were skeptical, as the batteries didn’t last nearly as long as they were supposed to. After a chat with Ryobi, though, they sent us a couple additional batteries. Now, we are loving what our new tool can do.
Midweek, we got some unsettling news. Our dad discovered an unknown cardio health issue which will hopefully be resolved in the next couple weeks. We are trusting God, but it’s difficult not to worry.
To top things off, on Friday, I got sick. The whole family has been dealing with severe allergies, so I’m wondering if my “germ” is just a secondary issue. It’s not so bad, but it slowed me down just when I wanted to be doing more to make life less hectic around here.
I write this post fatigued and tired. I know many family members are feeling similarly, after a rough couple of months. Nothing in life is so terrible right now. There are worries of course, but we know God is good. I’m hoping a restful and restorative weekend will put our minds to rights.
