~ My Floating Garden ~

Good morning friends near and far across this great creation!

Many of you know of my passion for growing a lot of my veggies, herbs and flowers in raised beds and I used an old, non-seaworthy canoe, and created what I affectionately called my 'Floating Garden' (top photo) to plant my sweet potato slips into the spring of that year. 

With much patience, love and care by August 24th the plants were in beautiful bloom (see photo below); their way of saying 'thanks for the love'!

On this day, October 9, 2017, while still an Ontario resident, I harvested the first of my very own home-grown, sweet potatoes. So delicious - I have yet to taste one as wonderful as they did!!!

Well those beautiful blooms and foliage on top promised growth below and I wasn't disappointed; what a sweet and bountiful harvest I had that year!!! 💖

The tape measure shows the largest at 9 inches! :-)

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance." Psalm 65:11

October 9 is also the day my dear Mom went Home to be with her Lord. I like to remember my sweet Mom and the harvest of my sweet potatoes from my floating garden and give thanks with a very grateful heart for so many blessings my God has given me!!!

"Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Take good care, keep growing, and keep singing! 💞🙏🎶☘🌹

Rose Naomi

"I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 104:33b

Originally posted October 9, 2021

~ Lettuce Follow Proven Ways to
Withstand the Heat and NOT Bolt ~

'Red Rosie' Romaine Lettuce ... that is what this rather attractive light red romaine has for a name. I must admit I am quite partial to it! ;-)

I found 5 plants stuck in amongst some end-of-season annuals and herbs yesterday at Home Hardware. I leveraged them out and handed over $1.50 then headed home quite happy with my purchase.

See the pictures of them as they looked when I got them home, not too bad ... 

I think they liked being transplanted into their own lovely planter ... 

A little googling once I sat down in my office told me that Red Rosie has strong, upright leaves with a nice romaine texture and sweetness. She is a fast-growing variety that maintains a narrow leaf. Her leaves are red more than halfway down and then fade to green, creating a unique "half and half" look. The final point I read was that Red Rosie has a high resistance to downy mildew.

That all sounded very encouraging, but you and I know lettuces like to bolt, go to seed and become bitter in higher temperatures. We have those higher temperatures now as it is July 12th and the mercury is very comfortable with 30 Celsius and higher of late. A need for shade from the hot sun sent me googling once more to get help to stop them from bolting. The information I gleaned worked wonders because when I applied it they grew on very nicely and I had several good servings from the harvests!!!

2 weeks after transplanting - July 27

Now, as you know, I always try to include a Bible connection in my Joy Journal Jottings, 'lettuce' (pardon the play on words) turn to Hebrews 10:21-25. This portion of scripture holds God's powerful 'lettuce/let us' responses and ways which can help us to NOT 'shrink back' from the heat of the world.

These three ways often referred to as 'The Three Lettuces', will surely strengthen and encourage us in the ways we are to love Him, our neighbour, and ourselves ( Mark 12:30-31 ).  

1. In Fellowship - "Let us draw near...with a true heart honest to God....in full assurance of faith...having a clear conscience and a body dedicated to God."  Hebrews 10:22

2. Be Faith-filled - "Let us hold fast....without wavering steady and strong...to our confession of faith in Christ...to God’s promise of eternal life." Hebrews 10:23

3. Be Forward-thinkers - "Let us stir up one another to love and good deeds... build up one another with lots of encouragement...help each other to see the day approaching —the Lord’s day." Hebrews 10:24-25 

As I say goodbye, for now, I invite you to listen and sing along to a wonderful worship song, "Come Let Us Worship" as sung by Chris Tomlin: https://youtu.be/BBX3OJ3swIU 

"Let us pray, let us pray,
Everywhere in every way.
Every moment of the day, it is the right time.
For the Father above,
He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray."
( Excerpted from another song by Steven Curtis Chapman )

Blessings in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour,

Take good care, keep growing, and keep singing! 
Rose Naomi

"I will sing praise to ADONAI, my God, as long as I live." Psalm 104:33a

~ This Is My Father’s World ~

He shines in all that’s fair,

in the rustling grass

I hear Him pass

He speaks to me everywhere.

This Is My Father's World!

"Intimacy with God is an island of sanity in a sea of confusion. It is a quiet place, and it is ours. Whenever we look up into the face of our Father…whenever we reach for His hand…whenever we quiet our spirit to hear His voice…we have found a place of refuge and intimacy that nothing in this crazy world can take away." Quote, Joni Eareckson Tada

Friends, I pray that as you step through this day you will be fully conscious of the Power of God through the Holy Spirit which is within you. Ths Power was sent by our Brother, Savior and Friend, Christ Jesus and will surely guide us each step in our Father's world all the way Home!

"His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light onto our path!"

Psalm 119:105

Praise, People, Plants, Possibilities ...

Rose Naomi