In Mr. MacGregor's Garden ;)

Today was a gardening day...true gardening. For the past month or two we have been cultivating little plants from seed to sprout, babying them and coaxing them to grow. I happen to have very little patience for such things. I much prefer the real gardening with hearty plants.
So this afternoon we got out in the garden and pulled weeds amongst the onions and thinned radishes, and then we got the task of planting new peas among the carnage of the few that sprouted after all our rain. Tell me, how do peas wash up two inches through soil that has been packed on top of them?!? Amazing. Truly. Though I do begrudge them their talent.

But this day was the best that dear, capricious March has to offer. Balmy breezes without a hint of cold in them, birdsong, moist earth and green things a'growing in every corner. I found myself singing "Will ye go, lassie, go?" and "Leezie Lindsay" almost without knowing it. For some reason when I'm happiest Scottish songs spring to mind...I must have highland blood in me somewhere! ;)
I am continually blessed that the Lord led us out to the country. The changing of seasons was barely perceptible in the city, but here in the beautiful Virginia countryside everything is beautiful! :)
Down the road Miss Virginia's redbud had burst forth in its full glory surrounded by the ever cheerful forsythia. Here's a picture of redbud for those of you who aren't sure what it is. Once you see the brilliant magenta blossoms you'd never forget it!

The sight so coaxed me towards it that I had the gumption to go pick some at 6:00 after our work was finally done! I recently found out that redbud is edible, and our salad with dinner simply screamed for some blossoms to finish out the teensy radish tops we had thinned! I braved the rough road barefooted (because my feet insist on wearing no shoes!) and went to Miss Virginia's yard, entirely intent upon gathering the blossoms for dinner.
But I was not the only person who wished to have some redbud with their supper. There was a myriad of busy little men in yellow and black striped suits who hummed angrily over my presence and pushed me aside rudely. They were not gentlemanly in the slightest, and simply would not allow me to get within ten feet of their beautiful supper!

So I had to go home without the blossoms. :(

But I didn't mind too terribly, and I picked dozens of Quaker Ladies on the way home to press.

That wasn't such a bad exchange, was it? :) ~Rachel

Springtime at Our Country Estate! (And a short discourse on freckles)

Hello! For those of you who live nearish us, isn't the weather glorious? The past few days have been hot and humid, but this morning, it seems as if all Heaven broke loose and beauty was showered down upon us! :) There is a rougish breeze that wrecks havoc in your hair but makes you smile just the same, the woods and field over the way is painted in wonderous shades of green, the air is laden with the smells of sweet-grass and jessamine, and the countryside in general has a "Kentish" appearance, complete with blossoming trees. I am once again revelling in flowers to my hearts content (I only feel half-alive without flowers somewhere about) and wearing them nearly everyday. Dad always laughs at me because I always end up wearing pollen all over my nose, from smelling all the blossoms I pick! :) The mimosa grove is carpeted with white violets, and I am just glad to be alive today! I hope to take a very long walk with Matthew today, if he consents! I wish I had a camera that could do the beauty justice, but I don't so you shall have to be content with a word picture! :) Now, least I bore you to death with my raptures... ;)
Sarah will on here soon, posting about her misadventures with the goats. I am about to go out and help Mama plant our garden. I feel like being out o' doors today, and so I must fly! No time to be stooping over a keyboard on the computer! :) I will go outside, hang up a great big basketfull of laundry, and then go barefoot. By the end of the day I'll probably be enveloped in the fresh outside smell, the roses will be bright in my cheeks, and I'll be freckled as a leopard. I only get freckles on my nose, and they blotch. :( Maybe I should try lemon juice? ;) I'm not worried about it though. Who can care about freckles when there is a world of God's brilliant creation to rejoice with? Woe is my complexion, but happy am I! :)
-Rachel

"The Ship's Cook" and a large Tussy Mussy

Hey guys! Last night we had so much fun! Matthew, Sarah, Anna, Emily, Leah, Aunt Christy, Daniel, and I all learned "The Town Square" and "The Ship's Cook" from the 2009 Emma! We just watched it on Youtube, and then I taught it to everyone else from there! It would have worked better if we had more couples, but it was a ton of fun! I love dancing! Yesterday, while at choir, I went on a walk with one of the King's Daughter's sisters. We took a nice stroll along the very picturesque pond near their home, and absolutely filled our arms with flowers! Gracie came with us and looked so sweet in her little lavender dress with her chubby hands full of half-wilted daffodils! I do not want a picture enough, to go upstairs, take a picture of my flowers, load them onto the computer, and then attatch it here, so you shall just have to imagine what a beauty it must have been- a whole quart canning jar bursting with peach blossoms, flowering quince, forsythia, daffodils, narcissus, white and purple violets, and the ever amazingly fragrant meadowseet. Well! Leah, my much-enduring sister, :) has gone up for me to take a picture so here it is! I was thinking once again how wonderful my Lord is to give me such flowers. I have always dreamed of the day when my husband will pick me a bouquet, but isn't it amazing that God actually created flowers just for my enjoyment? That is something an earthly husband will never quite be able to do! :)

Aren't they purty?

I see that Sarah's post raked in alot of comments! Some radio stations have pledge-drives in the spring- I think this blog needs a comment-drive! :) We should just have a post that says, "Leave a comment" and see where it gets us! (I'm half-way kidding!) Or maybe I just need to learn to love iTunes? Anyway, all you picture-people, enjoy Leah's heroic attempt to take a picture with an evil-minded camera! :) -Rachel