Dad Pasted this story on to me, Now I am to you!

The story of Grace!

David A. Baker Sr.

  A Fathers Son was brutally murdered by one of the must vicious and sadistic persons in the world. 

(Here are 5 endings to the story you pick)!

1) The Father goes and gets a gun and shots the murderer dead in the streets. (That's Revenge) 

2) The Father helps the authorities track down, convict and sentence the murderer to death by electrocution. (That's Justice)

3) The Father helps the authorities track down and convict but before the judge passes down the verdict, the Father asks the judge to lighten the sentence to life in prison, with no parole, so he does. (That's Mercy)

 4)The Father helps the authorities track down the murderer but before the trial the Father asks to talk with the judge privately. The Father tells the judge he wants to forgive the murderer, and drop ALL charges on the murderer and let him walk free. The judge allows the murderer to walk free!   (That's Forgiveness)

5) The Father helps the authorities track down the murderer but before the trial the Father asks to talk with the judge privately. The Father tells the judge he wants to forgive the murderer, drop ALL charges on the murderer, have the murderer move into His house, take care of the murderer and live in His custody the rest of the murders life.  The judge agrees!  (That's Grace)

 

  Which would you do if you were in the Fathers shoes?

   If you are saved and reading this, you were NO different from the vicious and sadistic murderer before

God provided you with His grace through His Son Christ Jesus!

   This Story my dad passed alone to me and know I am going to pass it on to you. Continue to pass if you wish!

Happy Father's Day!

Sun & Shade Quick Growing Veggie Tip

A simple little growing tip from me to you! I found this little picture to describe it the best!

"The object of saving faith is not a creed, not a church, not a pastor, not a set of rituals or ceremonies. Jesus is the object of saving faith." ~ John MacArthur

How To Freeze Broccoli

  How To Freeze Broccoli, its very simple! So fare this season I have harvested 16 heads of broccoli and I have frozen 8 heads, which made up 16 quart bags for later use. Yummy!!

  Supplies you will need: Large Pot, knife, couple bags of ice, quart or gallon size freezer bags, Sharpie, Large Strainer Ladle,

The Redeemed Gardener

Step 1: Wash it in a sink full of water, I mix a hand full of Sea Salts in with it. It helps with bugs!
Step 2: Cut broccoli up to sizes that are gonna be easy to eat.
Step 3: Bring a Large pot of water to boil.
Step 4: Put cut up broccoli in boiling water, for 4 to 5 minutes. Note: do amounts that are easy to handle.

While this is boiling, fill up sink half way with water and dump a half bag of ice in.

Step 5: After 4 to 5 minutes ladle the broccoli into the ice water, this will stop it from cooking. Let it set in the for about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Ladle the broccoli out of the ice water and allow water to drain off. I laid mine out on a clean dis towel, you could just use a big strainer. Whatever you choose will be finr.
Step 7: Put broccoli in Freezer bags, label with sharpie. try to get air out of bad. But you don't have to get it all out.
Step 8: Place in freezer til you are ready to cook. Its that easy!!

  If I can do it, anyone of you can do it. And by the way Jesus Loves You!

The Redeemed Gardener

Staring to Harvest in 2013

  Just a few pictures of what is going on and coming out of the garden!

Broccoli

Carrots

Potatoes

Turnips and Radishes

Before Starting My First Bee Hive

   Well its not really my first "Bee Rodeo" but it will be my first urban bee experience! See, my dad and brother had kept bees years before dad passed away. So now I'm gonna carry on the tradition in the urban setting. There are a few things that a person should do long before they get started keeping honeybees. See, I have started this spring getting everything together but I won't get the bees until next April or May, that's the best time to get a new swarm of bees, so that they can get all the honey they need to make it through the following winter.
  So what are things you should be doing to get ready for your new adventure of bee keeping?

The Redeemed Gardener

1. Read lots of books and articles about bee keeping (my favorite book, "The Backyard Beekeeper"). Get to know everything from the anatomy of the bee and hive to tricks that more experienced bee keepers have learned. Learn about pest and other things that could interrupt or even kill of your hive.
2. Find and join your local bee keeping club. Each county in West Virginia has a club, which meets often and you learn loads of stuff. Most libraries hold classes and clinics as well!
3. Find a neighbor or local that has kept bees for a while and talk with them about what they know.
4. Contact your local and county government to see if you have any laws or regulations to follow.
5. Blogs are a great source, just make sure the information is correct before using. Here is one I found in my research  "Early American Gardens".
6. Try to find a reputable bee supply company to pre-buy your hive body and supplies from. We have a local supplier through our club and the mail order one I use is Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.  
   
     Many thing should be do before you even think about buying your first swarm of bees. Even though I helped them a lot, I have still learned a lot during the preparation period. But most of all have fun!
   
   

    Proverbs 24:13 "My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;"

"Berdine's" America's Oldest Five and Dime Store

  I know this has nothing to do with gardening but I have to tell you about a place that is in the town that I grew up close to and visited this store weekly! It has been in many national magazines and the next time your are in this area., you need to step back in time and visit this Old five and dime! We take our kids there from time to time to share the experience and that's exactly what it is an experience! It opened in 1908 and today it's like stepping back in time to go shopping!
 Her is the link to Berdine's Five and Dime; and its located in Harrisville, West Virginia, just a few miles from North Bend State Park (my grandpa was the Master Carpenter that help build their lodge and my mom and brother used to work here)! Here are a few pictures I took on our last visit!

The Redeemed Gardener

The Redeemed Gardener

The Redeemed Gardener

  Well I hope you get to stop in and enjoy!

More Articles on Berdine's:

 WVLiving

"History is a story written by the finger of God." ~ C.S. Lewis

Bolting Spinach

  Well you know what it means when spinach starts to "Bolt"? It means its time to harvest it all!
But what is bolting? In a little 2'x2' patch, I harvested close to 10 gallons of spinach in all! Bolting is when agricultural and horticultural crops prematurely produce a flowering stem (or stems) before the crop is harvested, in a natural attempt to produce seeds to reproduce.
What causes Spinach to bolt?   Spinach bolts quickly to seed during the long days in late spring or summer. Warm temperatures accelerate this development. Varieties that are "long standing" or slow to bolt are best adapted for spring planting.

Spinach Bolting

 The variety I planted was: Winter Bloomsdale (45 days, tolerant to cucumber mosaic virus, slow to bolt, cold tolerant, good for over-wintering)
 I trust these helps and really growing Spinach is very easy and you can grow it in spring and fall!