1st week of July is gone!!

     Well, Independence Day has passed us in a week of rain.  We should be well above our annual rainfall amounts thanks to this first 1/2 of the year!  We watched fireworks after an early night of Youth activities, through a mist of rain.  It was kinda cool to see the lights glowing in the clouds.  Aaron was not too pleased about it though :(  At least we got to watch it with our friends!  Cindy, Luke and the kids were there with us. We got to sit in Aaron's big blue beast and be comfy while we waited for it to get dark.  :)

     Aaron is back on the road, until my birthday!  He's checking into having a relief driver run his truck so he can spend the week at home!  That makes me very HAPPY :)  I have plenty to do to keep me busy.

     The garden is just amazing!  I try to get out there at least once a day and pull grass and weeds.

  The pigs have figured it out and stand opposite of me in their pen waiting for me to toss the green stuff over! It's been less than a month since we got the last of it planted.  The corn is now up to my thighs :D  I picked 4 tomatoes this morning so I could have fried green tomatoes today.

  We have gotten over 3 pounds of summer squash.  I had to pull out 2 of my 3 plants and throw them over to the pigs...squash boring bugs ate my vines.  I have 6 more seedlings that have already sprouted, to plant them as replacements.  I just need to figure out what we are going to do with them once they are ready to harvest.  Kay is making a double batch of bread with the ones we already have.  <3 I'm seriously thinking about grilling some ;)

     Pulling weeds and grass is a great activity to do when your brain needs to roam.  I find myself thinking very clearly while I am bent over pulling vegetation with sweat dripping.  While tending these magnificent plants I think about how healthy they are and what good they do for our bodies.  This causes what I refer to as a "chain thought".  I think about how unhealthy our country is.  It comes to mind that in history the unhealthiest people were often the wealthiest people.  The farmers were often active and ate only what they grew.  These people did not have the "luxury" of sweets on a regular basis.  The wealthy people ate extras just for show and because it was a status symbol.

     Now we have generations of families that are unhealthy.  It is far too easy to pull through a drive-thru, than tend even a small garden.  It's too easy to pick up a "box" dinner in the grocery store than to get a recipe and ingredients.  People are of the mind set that if it takes longer than 30 mins from beginning to end to make it, well just buy a "box".  Processed foods and easy access to sugar and sodium rich foods are what will be the demise of this country.  People are more worried about what type of gun they are ALLOWED to purchase, and show no care for the type of foods they being fed.  Really will how many bullets in a single magazine of a semi-automatic be of ANY importance when you are suffering a heart attack at 39, 42, or 51??  Will it be important when you are trying to come up with the money you need to buy insulin for your type 2 diabetes at 23, 34. or 46??  Ok, enough of my ranting for this piece.  :)

     Mackenzie is over at the Fossum's helping to get some projects done on their property.  Zackary got our yard cut, while I was finally able to hang out my sheets...on my makeshift clothesline.  We tied 550 paracord to the tree and then to the back of my trailer.  It's works GREAT!!  One load less for my dryer to deal with today!

     The girls have another "Scripture Sleepover" at Cindy's tomorrow.  They are going to see Monsters University first, then work on their Youth Conference costumes while catching up on their scriptures.  I have the Sister missionaries over for dinner tomorrow night as well.  Then Wed. I have to be in Greensboro to pay for the citation I got for Alley being on a jet ski. :(  $99.50 is what that costs me.  Live and learn!!