Praying, Scraping, Painting

Our story continues. We've been here in the Biloxi, MS, area since Sunday. Home Depot is our best friend, along with Walmart and a little Lowe's thrown in for good measure.

You see, a mission team's supplies are never complete! Our team of eight has divided into two. Four are putting in a new floor at one home.

I am a part of the praying, scraping and painting team. We are working outside on a home. We spent Monday and Tuesday doing prep and today finally starting painting. We met the homeowner who is a widow working three jobs. She is looking forward to moving into her home and retirement.

It was such an honor to meet her. She thanked us, but she has it backwards. The honor is ours to be able to help. We prayed with her. It was a great day.

God bless.

In This Box . . .

There is a multitude of stories wrapped up inside the shoe boxes we saw today on the altar. The "we" is a group of eight of us who were headed to D'iberville, Mississippi for a week-long mission trip (we arrived this evening).

That is part of our story, my story.

 The shoe boxes on the altar were at the Friendship United Methodist Church in Athens, Alabama where we spent the night on our trip down here. Each box was packed with gifts specific for a child of a certain age.

The stories started with the parishioners who selected the gifts and lovingly wrapped them in the shoebox. The boxes will be shipped overseas to Russia to children in need. Prayers are that each box will be matched to the right child. Most important, the Friendship UMC congregation prays the story doesn't end there.

Their prayer is that each child who receives a box will come to know Christ . . . Just as His love filled each box when they were packed. It was a pretty powerful story to hear this morning as we began our team's mission in Mississippi.

There is still work to be done six years after Hurricane Katrina. God is using our team in His story. This also is part of my story.

What is your story?

 God is good.

Head, Heart, Hands, Health



My stepdaughter, Amber, was
a great pig and sheep showman
during her 10-year 4-H tenure.

 It's county fair time again in our county.

Hundreds of 4-Hers have worked to the wire to finish projects. Many got up before sunlight yesterday morning to get livestock trailers packed. Our kids always wanted to get the pigs over to the fairgrounds as early as possible before the heat of the morning.

All the hours of walking pigs in the lots behinds barns, or in yards. Working with lambs, cattle, goats, horses, will pay off as they move their prized animals to the fair, put on their show clothes, say a prayer, and walk into that show arena.


My stepson, Adam, with my mom

at his last county fair. He loved

his 10 years in 4-H.



4-H is one of the best leadership development programs a child can ever experience. Whether its a photography, cake decorating, sewing, or livestock project, youth learn to research and complete a project. They gain pride and respect in themselves. They gain life skills.

Congratulations to all of our 4-Hers. You are the best.
 

4-H Pledge

I pledge my Head to clearer thinking,
my Heart to greater loyalty,
my Hands to larger service and
my Health to better living, for my club, my community,
my country, and my world.

God is good! 


Showing livestock is a long

tradition at Sigler Farms!

 
 

 


Some of the 4-H trophies

are still proudly displayed!

Wordless Wednesday . . . tractor town

Nothing like celebrating Independance Day with a red Farmall!

Or a red International.



And for everyone who doesn't think I like green tractors,
it's simply not true. Olivers are great tractors!





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Blue skies, red flowers, white clouds

The yellow-orange
coneflowers.

It's a glorious Fourth of July on the farm

There are beautiful blue skies, bright red flowers and puffs of white clouds to celebrate this holiday.



I just discovered red coneflowers! Their color is brilliant.



The farm is a fireworks of color. I've added red, a bright yellow-orange and a dwarf coneflower to the landscape. I didn't know (you've guessed I'm not a Master Gardener) coneflowers came in such incredible colors and sizes.

The phlox have exploded into brilliant pinks and purple. My hibiscus is a soft lilac. The Shasta Daisies are a bright white.

I'm thankful to be on the farm, with lots of space to plant lots of flowers. Mostly, this Independence Day, I'm thankful for this country, and the opportunity to enjoy such simple pleasures.

The dwarf coneflowers.

God is good. America is beautiful.

It's Wordless Wednesday on the Farm



The corn doesn't look too bad for such a late start!





Great grandpa with our youngest, Miss Hadley.



The crew is off for a ride in Sigler Woods. You can't see
the 1950 Farmall Super A pulling them.

God is Good!

Miss Ava on the 560 . . . a good ride!

How does my garden grow?

Remember the old English nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells ... ?"

My garden here at the farm is a flower garden. It flourishs with lots of love, a dash of luck, warm sunshine, and the necessary rain. My favorite flowers are ones that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, so I've filled the landscape with perennials to meet that goal.

My favorites are the traditional pink coneflower, although I've recently discovered a beautiful geranium red and bright yellow-orange variety that I must find room for somewhere. . . hummmm . . . .

I also love Coreopsis . . . It is a beautiful bright yellow flower. The petals look more like a Shasta Daisy, but it also reminds me of a coneflower. I just planted this one last year.

Mary Quite Contrary had silver bells. I have a silver-colored bucket from the Red Hill General Store that I use to store my hand tools in. It is the 2-quart galvanized bucket, a good size for my three favorite tools . . . hand clippers, a garden claw, and weeder.

My Red Hill bucket has become a good friend. You see, I was always looking for these garden tools before . . . tearing the garage apart every time I needed one or the other. The bucket has captured them quite nicely. Why didn't I think of that before?

I painted my favorite coneflower on it and keep in the kitchen with the tools inside.

The Real Farmwives of America & Friends are having a give-a-way on their website.  >> Click here to win a galvanized embossed tub from the Red Hill General Store.

Can you garden without a painted bucket? Sure. But, I have a lot more fun now because I have a smile on my face when I look at my decorative, yet practical bucket sitting on my kitchen counter, ready to go outside with me!

Life on the farm is always good!

While Red Hill General Store did provide me with a bucket to blog about for this post, the pictures, ideas and opinions shared here are my own!

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