reality blog

WHAT’S BLOOMING AT THE VICARAGE 7-10-24

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

It has been quite a week for the Lillies of the Vicarage. And I mean that for both the human Lillies and the flower lilies.

We have three new varieties of lilies blooming on the property.

Plenty of rain And lots of heat are keeping these flowers blooming and growing.

We humans have also had plenty of rain and heat in the metaphorical sense. One daughter had gallbladder surgery this week. My other daughter lost her beloved pet Picasso four days before she started radiation treatments. My sister discovered that her work in the Netherlands is going to be double taxed. She will have to pay taxes to the US and to the Dutch government on all income. Like I said, lots of rain and heat.

In the midst of all these things, we are standing on verses from the Bible, like the one below

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.1.6-7.NLT

My daughter Amanda’s word for the year is “bloom”. we are learning that blooming takes rain and heat. We are facing many trials but we know God will carry us through somehow.

Morning Glory

“I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.30.1-12.NLT

WELL, THAT DIDN’T GO TO PLAN!

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

Last time I wrote, I said that I planned for my Fourth of July to be filled with grilling and gardening. We at the Vicarage were about as far from that idyllic form of celebration as we could be on the Fourth of July holiday.

It all started with a call from my daughter at 6:30 A.M. Melanie was having a gall bladder attack and was heading to the emergency room. She asked if I could watch Daniella and Abigail for the day.

The girls arrived around 7 A.M. and Melanie and James headed off into the uncertain wait that is our American medical system today. That’s not a criticism of the doctors and nurses who work so diligently in our hospitals, just a commentary about the state of our system. You never know what is going to happen when you head out to the hospital these days. It turns out this time around they would keep Melanie over until surgery could be scheduled. The girls would be at The Vicarage for the day.

At this point, I still thought we could rescue the holiday from the ashes of the fire pit. My nephew , Tyler, was still coming over. James was planning to pop by and check in on the girls if Melanie was in a place where she could be left for a bit. Kristine was willing to bake the cookies and make the Jello salad that Melanie was going to bring originally. I got the meats marinating and the barbecue started.

It was all going according to plan B and then our family cat, Picasso, had a stroke while my daughter Amanda was holding him. A few hours later, my daughter’s dear little companion for the last 13 years would pass.

It was not lost on any of us that this is the second family celebration in less than a month that has been effectively cancelled by illness and trauma. A week ago my daughter, Melanie, had sent me a word she felt was from God for our family. It read, “The garrison attacks are a distraction from the true objective of the enemy.”

Well we can now see what the garrison attacks are. What, I wonder is the true objective of our enemy, the Devil.”

LORD DO NOT LET ME BE DISTRACTED. LET MY EYES SEE AND MY HEART PERCEIVE THE TRUTH THAT IS BEING HIDDEN BEHIND THE HORRIFIC DISTRACTIONS.

WHAT’S BLOOMING AT THE VICARAGE 7-2-24

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

I went today to pick up Joe and his family from Logan airport. They are just returning from vacation in South Carolina at Joe’s mother’s house.

It has been a week and a half of working on the gardens and while everything is growing well, I feel like I have hardly pushed back the walls of the forest at all.

I did manage to mow a few paths through the bushes and I widened this path to the brook. I was hoping for more, but I suppose that was not realistic.

As July 4 approaches, there are lots of things blooming at the Vicarage

The second wave of lilies is beginning, even as the first wave has almost gone by. I have enough varieties now to get me through most of the summer.

The second variety of hosta is also beginning to flower.

I also have two stands of Queen Anne’s Lace putting in an appearance.

I have some baby tomatoes on the vine

And the eggplant is flowering.

I have been picking black raspberries for the last three days.

And the forest is filled with sumac berries

I will be spending July 4 in the garden when I am not grilling. What are you doing this weekend?

Say It Loud

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

Recently our family has had several confrontations with our own mortality. We have been reminded again and again that none of us are promised tomorrow. This is no time to be waiting on saying or doing the important truly important things…. Like saying “I love you.”