Sunday Afternoon Tea

I just love this picture of my "girly" china along with the cinnamon chip scones I made earlier in the year. They are unlike any other scone I've tasted (made with room temperature butter) but quite yummy. How lovely they are with my favorite cinnamon tea... very autumn like in their taste.

A couple nights ago I hurried to the garden... basket in hand... hoping to bring in garden vegetables before the sun set below the horizon. There was plenty to harvest. The abundance of the garden continues to amaze me as we didn't plant all that much... getting such a late start building the raised beds and fence.

I picked the zucchini, thankful it hadn't grown too large with all the rain. How beautiful it was to see lots and lots of red cherry tomatoes and green beans. The lemon balm and basil are both growing by leaps and bounds now that the sunshine can reach them without filtering through the squash plant. Sunshine is good that way.

I tied the garden "gate" behind me and walked to the other side of our property to view the unexpected "fruit" of the land. For in the place where our compost pile used to be, where the rhubarb grew strong and the tomatoes all died... most likely due to the black walnuts having been placed there at one time... there was a vine which I did not plant. Well, not intentionally.

I saw the vine growing onto the fence about five or six weeks ago and when my husband cleared the weeds and tomato plants, I asked him not to get rid of all the vine. I was curious as to what seeds from below the soil had grown. Seeds I had no idea had taken root from last year's trip to the compost pile.

Now I know they are tiny gourds and little pumpkins. Many have been picked and brought in the kitchen with others are in various stages of growth on the fence. Grown from seeds of last year's centerpiece!

I was thinking as I walked back to the house about different kinds of sowing and reaping. I thought of characteristics in my own life which suddenly seem to sprout out of nowhere just like those composted gourds.

Some were good seed as the fruit of the spirit shines through to those who need encouragement. Other sprouts are deeply rooted weeds which need to be pulled... seeds perhaps planted long ago by one who spoke unkind or fear filled words. Now, all these years later, that which I did not know was planted has grown into the fruit of anger, fear, and depression... where did that come from... when were those seeds planted?

Isn't it interesting that the same soil can be both rich in nutrients for one plant and poison to another. I've been perusing through the Book of James for awhile. It talks about the tongue and how it can speak both blessing and curse... good seed and bad seed. Hmmm...

Lessons learned from a Book and a garden. :)