#reality

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.”

What’s Happening At the Vicarage This Week 6-26-24

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

Today is my sabbath. I started the morning by drinking mint tea from my garden in the outdoor prayer chapel during Prime.

I have a pretty long to do list that I have compiled over the last week. I will probably get some of it done today, but it is Sabbath so a relaxed rhythm is in order.

Join me in my walk around the Vicarage gardens.

The day lilies are in full bloom now.

So is the giant hosta.

I love the delicate flowers of the lady’s mantle.

The fleabane is also in full bloom. These tiny white flowers on 3 foot stocks attract lots of pollinators to the garden. So many people pull these out of their gardens considering them weeds, but I love how they fill out space around the yard and bring in the bees.

The whole yard is filled with the scent of honeysuckle. It is really strong this year. I can smell it no matter where I am on the property.

This year the forest garden is attracting a large number of birds.

I have to pick up more suet for the feeders today. We have five or six hungry woodpeckers that are hanging around.

I have also set up an extra hummingbird feeder. I have a larger than average population of hummingbirds and they are constantly warring over the one feeder I usually put up. The second feeder seems to have solved the problem.

My Sabbath day is going to be filled with prayer and gardening and cleaning.

How are you going to spend your day?