Gardening Tips

        While growing up my parents always had a vegetable garden.  For many years they had to travel to reach their plot. That was difficult but it saved them money when money was tight.  But when they moved to Lititz they had a plot right on their property.  Later when we bought our house they also planted things in the farmland behind out house.  Growing up during the depression they learned the value of growing vegetables and canning them.  And they regularly did that.

          After we moved into our first house we also planted a garden behind our place.  Then at our second place we really didn't have room for one.  But after moving to our present location we had plenty of land behind us and we annually had big gardens – often larger than we could even take care of.

          But over the years our vegetable gardens shrank until all that we planted were tomatos.  But a couple of years ago we even gave up on that because we could buy better ones at local markets.  We did buy corn most years at the Corn Wagon and we would freeze it.  But this year with Dianne's heart surgery even that was too much for us.

         We' ve also tried to maintain our flower gardens but that too is getting more difficult for us to do.

          But while we can't do the physical gardening anymore, there is the garden of our life that we can still care for.  Recently I found the following instructions for properly caring for that garden.

GARDENING FOR GOOD RESULTS

Plant three rows of peas:

  Peace of mind

  Peace of heart

  peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:

  Squash gossip

  Squash indifference

  Squash grumbling

  Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:

  Lettuce be faithful

  Lettuce be kind

  Lettuce be patient

  Lettuce really love one another

Plant three rows of turnips:

  Turnip for meetings

  Turnip for service

  Turnip to help one another

Water freely with patience

  Cultivate with love

  There is much fruit in your garden

  Because you reap what you sow.

To conclude our garden...we must have thyme

  Thyme for each other

  Thyme for family

  Thyme for friends and especially

  Thyme for GOD

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;

And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare

Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light

Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.

Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;

And find, for life's long battle day, all needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,

May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!

O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,

I'll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.

Coming Through (LB)

LOOKING BACK - Repeating and editing a blog that I first published on November 14, 2009.

        I am told that there are loads of "Murphy's Laws". If there are, one of them must go something like this. The probability of a person arriving late for an event, such as a game or concert, is related to how close that person's seat is to the middle of the row. 

         Most likely you've experienced this, hopefully as an end seat holder and not as a middle seat holder. Let me illustrate this fact. At Penn State many rows contain 30 or more seats. The seats are very, very narrow and the rows give you just enough room, at best, for your feet. Your knees usually press into the back of the person in front of you. I guess it must be that way to squeeze in more than 104,000 spectators. 

          Now guess who will almost always show up to be seated, five minutes after the opening kickoff - the ones with the middle seats. They will make everyone stand up and lean back while they try to squeeze through with their blankets and cold weather gear. They also block everyone's view of the game usually during a big or crucial play. 

         Now also guess who will need to get out to go the bathroom late in the first quarter. You're right, the ones with the middle seats. Now that is probably because they were out in the parking lot finishing their beverages when the game began. Now guess who will return early in the second quarter from the bathroom, and then, of course, leave again for the refreshment stand late in the second quarter to avoid the halftime rush. You've got it again - the ones with the middle seats. 

        And, of course, who will come back midway in the third quarter carrying their food which will pass right by your nose if it isn't spilled on you? That's right - the folks with the middle seats. I often wonder why many even come to the game. Obviously not to see the game. Probably they come to help those who have the end seats get their daily exercise. Stand up, inhale, lean back, move ... as they squeeze through ... again and again. 

        Now a final question, guess who leaves with a few minutes left in the game. Wrong! Not the ones in the middle seats, but us, the occupants of end seats! We leave to beat the crowd out of the parking lot ... and maybe also to avoid those in the middle seats who will soon want out once again. It probably isn't one of Murphy's Laws, but it should be. Expect it and accept it and maybe help yourself to some of their food as they squeeze by - now that's an idea ... maybe next year.

Laugh A Little

        One of the real challenges of aging is to remain pleasant and friendly and retain a good sense of humor, even as physical disabilities and loss of freedoms invade your life.  So many senior adults grow bitter and complaining and are discouraging to be around.  I pray daily that this won't happen to me, but at times it is hard to avoid.

          Many months ago a good friend, Nell Ruch, sent me a copy of an article, "Why Your Sense of Humor Fades the Older You Get."  It was published in 2012 but I don't know the name of the author.  I decided to share it for two reasons.  First, we seniors need to understand what happens to us.  Second, you young readers need to understand the challenges of aging and how to try and deal with us.  So here is the article.

          Along with aging come an array of health concerns and research from the University of Glamorgan shows that our sense of humor may decline as we age too. There are many benefits to having a sense of humor and laughing once in a while. Research has shown that laughing can reduce pain, achieve greater happiness and increase your immune system response among other health benefits. All of these benefits will help with all of the struggles that aging can present. If you want to feel younger, trying to maintain your sense of humor may be the best anti-aging remedy.

     Aging Leads to a Poor Temperament?

          The researchers from the University of Glamorgan discovered some pretty bleak findings related to aging and laughter. The carefree lifestyle of babies may be the reason that they laugh on average 300 times per day, but this positive attitude doesn't last for as long as you would expect. Teenagers, on the other hand, are more likely to laugh at someone else's misfortune but only laugh six times per day. People in their twenties laugh even less at four times per day. People in their thirties laugh five times per day which the researchers attribute to having children which may help to restore their sense of humor and make them feel younger. 

          Once an individual hits the age of 50, they laugh only three times per day and it gets worse once you get to 60, laughing only two and a half times per day. The researchers also found that joke telling also decreases as we age with 600 of the 2000 participants not being able to recall telling a joke in the previous year. The study also found that people over the age of 50 were also more likely to complain and spend time worrying. The findings from this study suggest that aging makes us take life a little too seriously. If you want to feel younger, perhaps laughing a few more times throughout the day would help.

     Laugh a Little for Anti-Aging Benefits

          There are many anti-aging and health benefits of laughter including: boosting immunity, decreasing stress hormones, decreasing pain, relaxing muscles and preventing heart disease. Additionally, laughter can provide you with mental health benefits including: improving mood, decreasing stress and anxiety, and increasing happiness. Laughter can also help with your social life by improving teamwork, strengthening relationships, enhancing teamwork and helping to resolve conflict. All of these benefits can help you to feel younger and be healthier.

     How to Feel Younger as you Age

          If you want to keep laughing during the aging process, here are some suggestions to help you along the way ….

1.   See a movie – a comedy of course!

2.   Connect and laugh with friends – life is busy, but maintaining social connections is an important anti-aging tip to help you feel younger. Going to a comedy club or going to see a movie with some friends is a great way to experience the anti-aging benefits of laughter.

3.   Laugh at yourself – instead of getting embarrassed or frustrated, try to skip ahead to the future and see how funny the moment actually is.

4.   Smile, even if you don't want to – studies have shown that you get the same health benefits whether your smile and laugh are genuine or fake. So, even if you don't feel like smiling, just do it.

5.   Pay attention to children – aging can shift our way of thinking, kids know how to enjoy life, laughing along the way. Watching them may be a gentle reminder to enjoy life.

          Aging can come with unwanted worries and stress, but laughter may be the best anti-aging medicine. Tell a joke to a friend, share a laugh with a loved one and try to maintain your sense of humor with life. It will help you to feel younger and it will provide you with many health benefits that will help you live a longer, happier life.

I’m so happy

And here’s the reason why

Jesus took my burdens all away;

Now I’m singing

As the days go by

Jesus took my burdens all away.

Once my heart was heavy with a load of sin.

Jesus took my burden gave me (wonderful) peace within,

Now I’m singing

As the days go by

Jesus took my burden all away.

Good Old Days??

        The older one becomes, the easier it becomes to yearn for "the good old days".  But the old days weren't always as glamorous as we seem to remember.  Of course our better health then makes them seem better because we could do more.  And we had special experiences with friends and relatives who are no longer with us.

           While life was probably simpler years ago, we experienced World War 2 and the Korean War.  We did not have the medical advances we now have and we lived with diseases such as polio.  Many had to work and drop out of school.  Travel and communications were often limited.  Sometimes we forget these things about "the good old days".

          However, in those days we never really thought about growing old and how that would one day limit us.  Then suddenly these changes happened and almost overnight things we took for granted were done.  And we began to wonder how this happened to us so fast.

          Now there are things that I do miss.  For example I miss being able to walk very far, even with help such as a cane.  I used to walk every day, not only for my health, but because there was so much to see.  I now realize that I will never be able to do that again, but I have good memories.

          Music was always an important part of my life.  I enjoyed leading worship, hymn sings and Senior Saints at Pinebrook. I enjoyed singing in groups like the Gospel Four. Those opportunities to minister were highlights of my life.  But my voice is gone, my breathing is limited and those opportunities are now history.  But the Lord has given me good sources to listen to good music all day.  And He has given me the opportunity to minister to folks all over the world through my Hymn Blog.  Over 320,000 visits have been made to my blog and literally they have come from all over the world.  Recent visits have been made from folks in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Philippines, India, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and Jamaica, just to name a few.  Even though my voice is gone, the Lord has provided a much greater field of ministry.

       I miss my mother's great macaroni salad.  It was so special but its secret died upon her death.  A number of family members have tried to recreate it, but with little real success.  And of course, I still miss my parents.  So often I wish that I could  visit them, take them out to eat once again or even just call them.  But I know the time is coming quickly when I will be with them once again, this time for ever.

         I miss the opportunities to travel.  Over the years during my decades as district math coordinator, I was able to travel to about 30 major cities to participate and speak at national math conventions.  We also spent a summer in Florida as I attended FSU and of course we had a few family trips to Disney.  And I thought that after I retired, like many of our friends, there would be many more chances to travel.  But for a variety of reasons that hasn't happened and probably won't and at times that has been disappointing.   However, we have had many great experiences that have provided us with many special  memories.  

         I also miss my longtime family doctor, Dr. Fuchs, who retired two years ago.  He was so intelligent, so kind and so helpful.  He would do anything to help us, at any time.  Doctors and family practices like that apparently no longer exist.  Now I see eight specialists.  They are good but they only handle their specialty and they are hard to schedule.

         I miss attending Penn State football games.  For at least two decades we were able to attend almost every home game.  But now it is almost impossible physically to go and it has also become too expensive now that we are retired.  But almost every game is now on television and we can watch them in HD in a comfortable chair.  We just miss the tailgating and all the activity not shown on television.  But we don't miss the traffic.

          And I do miss so many of my old friends - Norman, Gary, Ralph and my brother Terry.  But like my parents, I will soon see them again.  And He has provided me with good sons, daughter-in-laws and grandchildren.  And that is a real blessing which I would not trade for anything.  What more could I want.

          There are many other things that I miss but God has provided replacements. I really have no regrets. God has been so good to me - all of my life.   And I am reminded that He is the author of my life and my story.  How could I complain about that.

(1) My Father is rich in houses and lands,

He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!

Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

I'm a child of the King,

A child of the King:

With Jesus my Savior,

I'm a child of the King.

(2) My Father's own Son, the Savior of men,

Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;

But now He is pleading our pardon on high,

That we may be His when He comes by and by.

I'm a child of the King,

A child of the King:

With Jesus my Savior,

I'm a child of the King.

(3) I once was an outcast stranger on earth,

A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,

But I've been adopted, my name's written down,

An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

I'm a child of the King,

A child of the King:

With Jesus my Savior,

I'm a child of the King.

(4) A tent or a cottage, why should I care?

They're building a palace for me over there;

Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:

All glory to God, I'm a child of the King.

I'm a child of the King,

A child of the King:

With Jesus my Savior,

I'm a child of the King.