By Kylee Baumle

This past week, I was interviewed by a major herb and vegetable plant company for a series of videos they’re doing and one of the questions they asked me was, “What is the one piece of advice you would give to a beginning gardener?”

In many ways, I’m still a beginning gardener myself, but because they asked me this question at this particular time of year, it was easy for me to give an answer: Don’t get in a hurry.

When I started taking an active interest in planting the vegetable garden, after years of my husband being in charge of it, I’d get in a hurry. The long winter had me chomping at the bit to get those seeds in the ground and growing. But to everything there is a season, you know.

By Nancy Whitaker

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF?

When I was little I was scared to death of the “big bad wolf.” That imaginary wolf frightened me because I knew he had consumed Little Red Riding Hood as well as the Three Little Pigs. In fact, I used to have nightmares about the wolf knocking at our door and coming after me.

I was so frightened of him that I would hide every little book with his picture in it.

By Jim Langham

Looking for a miracle? It’s been a tough week in some people’s lives that I know; in fact, unfortunately in the world that we live in, somebody is always having a variety of moods happen somewhere in the world around us.

All you have to do is walk through a 4-H fair and you realize that. Kids are jumping and embracing because they just received a grand championship trophy. But not far away, someone who worked equally as hard all year didn’t receive the recognition for their efforts as others did, so while some jump and rejoice, others hide near a quiet corner and cry their hearts out.

In hospitals, every feeling in the cycle of emotions is expressed in a short time. Someone receives tough news and sorrows in shock; someone else receives much better news than expected and is pouring forth with tears of joy. Some are coming, some are going, but all are experiencing the emotions of life that rotate in a day’s time.

By Mary Beth Weisenburger

An unremarkable brain

“Well, I’m happy to report that we received the results of your MRI brain scan and the radiologist concluded that it is ‘unremarkable.’ Congratulations.”

Those were the words of my family physician not long ago, when she and I were on a quest to determine the source of my mysterious headaches. As a patient, my first response to this finding was an unequivocal “Whew!” I was relieved that nothing serious showed up.

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

Have men ever really understood women or know what they like? A lot of men say they have never understood us and probably never will. I know there are things I like a man to do and generally speaking some guys may not have a clue what I am talking about.

Now, some women may find a guy who really understands them and knows their needs, so this column is in no way meant for them. To those I say, “Great and thank you in your quest to understand the female.”

By Bill Sherry

Get out of jail free

During a heated game of Monopoly is the only place someone should be granted a get out of jail free card. Would you agree? But pay careful attention because that is just what is happening in part of northwest Ohio. Check out the headlines and partial story from Indiana’s News Center 33 written by Maureen Mespell and broadcast Aug. 14, 2012:

Northwest Ohio corrections center fighting overcrowding

“(Indiana's NewsCenter) – The Correction Center of Northwest Ohio is bursting at the seams and is asking judges in Williams, Defiance, Henry and Fulton counties to help reduce its prison population. None of those four counties have jails of their own and have turned to the correction center to house inmates.”

By Kylee Baumle

I’ve talked about the monarch butterflies a few other times in this column, so regular readers know that I’m one of their biggest fans. It won’t be long before we’ll be seeing them in our gardens again. The hummingbirds have returned from their wintering grounds and the monarchs aren’t far behind, having been sighted as far north as Kentucky.

Our recent cold weather may slow them down a bit, because they can’t fly at temperatures below 50°F, but an even bigger factor is the presence of milkweed. The caterpillars of the monarch butterfly feed exclusively on plants in the Asclepias genus.

The thought of growing milkweed in your gardens might not appeal to you, but the monarchs are in trouble and they depend on milkweed for their survival. Their habitat is dwindling due to spraying and while I understand why farmers don’t want it in their fields, roadside mowing, among other factors, is also contributing to the lack of food sources.

By Kylee Baumle

The long-awaited truly spring weather arrived last week and with it a venue for releasing some of our pent-up energy. The garden began waking up long before we could detect it, even though it seemed like overnight it turned green and burst into bloom.

The problem, of course, is that we try to expend that energy all at once and weary bodies and sore muscles are the consequences of our winter inactivity.

Last year’s drought, among other things, prevented us from doing some intended major redesigning of the main gardens here at Our Little Acre. So this spring has us scrambling to get most of it done before a garden club visits at the beginning of June.

By Jim Langham

As recently as this weekend, I visited a friend from our congregation in a local hospital. During the course of our visit and subsequent prayer, a nurse came into the room, at first was going to dismiss herself until our visit was over, but stayed and shared in the conversation by our invitation.

During her visit, he was gently questioned about his pain level, administered the meds that he needed and was given the opportunity to express any other needs at the time. But, what really impressed me was the friendly effort she made to connect with his concerns and interests and how effectively she was able to do that.

This week is suggested by area hospitals as, “National Nurses Week.” The thought of that immediately gripped my heart as I thought of all of the “compassionate nurse moments” I have witnessed over the years.

By Nancy Whitaker

WHAT’S IN MY SOUP?

Eating is supposed to be one of the nice, pleasant things in life. We all like to partake of food that tastes and looks good. There is nothing better than sitting down to a home cooked meal and enjoying it with your family or loved one.

Dining out is also a special experience as a lot of events are celebrated in a restaurant with a good meal.

Naturally, when you prepare food or eat out, you want your food to look, smell and taste good. But, strange things can happen if you eat at home or dine out.