Harvest Time

Things continue to be extremely busy here in the Fowler home...therefore, my sporadic postings on the blog. And, it doesn't look like it's going to be much better in the near future. What with the summer months getting underway and farmers advertising their local produce, we are beginning to take advantage of the harvest and starting to store up produce for the winter months. Friday morning my mother and I, along with the five children in tow, drove to a farm about 30 minutes away and picked up 12 dozen ears of corn. My mom took 6 and I took six. We spent the rest of the day, shucking the corn...as you can see this large black trash bag full of corn!

Here is our little Julia trying to shuck her first ear of corn! Most of the silks and husks managed to get on the floor!

Once that was done, it was time to look the corn over, cut off any bad parts...oh and we can't forget squashing all the worms we found along the way! (The kids really liked that one!) Then it was a time consuming job of getting as many silks out of the ears as possible. Once that was done, each ear was washed.

Then placed in the two pots going non-stop to blanch them. Once they were blanched, I cut them off the ears with a knife and then ran the knife down the cob to get as much of the juice as possible. Last step, put them in a ziplock freezer bag and into the freezer to enjoy in winter. This next week we have field peas to pick, shell and freeze and we are also headed to the blueberry farm for picking fun.

So, if my posts are sporadic for a while...you will understand why! I did want to tell you all that today marks week number 11 for dh and Daddy being gone. It doesn't get any easier as time goes on...I am just learning more and more to rest in Him who is my only consolation.

I want to leave you all with a wonderful prayer. It is entitled, "The Valley of Vision," taken from a book by that title of some of the great Puritan prayers. It reminds me that even in this valley of separation...He is and will always be our vision.

"Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley."