The Pastor’s Blog

Notes, news, information, lessons, and updates from the Pastor’s desk and others.

In The Garden 2

Posted on Mar 24, 2015 in News and Events |

I was wrong about the Brussels sprouts, they bolted and have been replaced (pics above).
For anyone interested the blue wall of water season extender is protecting a 1 year old asparagus crown that hitched a ride with something I transplanted last year. The peas are coming along, and progress made toward being ready for the new season. I tried some of the rainbow chard and find it a bit stronger and coarser than the green but good. I forced some of the green on Jesse, so he would know what it was already about, but found that Terry and Dawn had already introduced him to the veggie. Well, he'll have to cook what I gave him.
It was a wet week and the soil is too wet to work but transplanting is easy.

– Nate Swift

In The Garden

Posted on Mar 9, 2015 in News and Events |

"Garden" is such a great word. It is really a picture of nurturing, whether it is about a vegetable garden where nurturing plants contributes to the nurture of the planter, or in a flower garden where the nurturing is mostly spiritual. I have often thought that Jesus missed a good bet by not saying, "I will make you gardeners of men," but I guess you work with the material at hand.

Nate is hard at work!

MFC Community garden has two aspects, 1. shared gardening where the three rows of beds nearest the street are for anyone to plant, water, weed and/or harvest, along with any other beds designated "MFC Share." and 2. personal beds where members of the community can raise crops for their own purposes. These will be marked with the initials of the gardener and "Personal."

So far we have 4'x10' and 4'x4' raised beds as well as 10'x10' ground level beds for use. I would like to offer raise beds for wheelchair access in the future, and if anyone has a line on good materials for the purpose, let me know. I can use the railroad ties Jack Hamilton donated for corner posts.

An automatic watering system is installed and during the appropriate season will provide minimal watering in case gardeners have to leave their space for a few days, but watering should be done by the gardener with the hose, a 10" wand with spaced holes that will go on the hose or by attaching the hose to the automatic system for the bed (making sure to turn off the valve to keep backflow from watering the rest of the garden.)

So far in the garden you will see garlic growing that was put in last Fall (as well as some recently transplanted), holdover Brussels sprouts that I think will produce again, chard that has wintered over (as well as one lonely kale), and celery. Planted this year are snap peas (sharing a front bed with a volunteer asparagus crown), which are coming along nicely, and I just planted carrots, a few leftover parsnips, spinach and radishes. Chuck Taylor tells me I should also have planted turnips and beets, so those will be in posthaste.

I'm getting done what should have been done last Fall and I hope to be ready for May before the ends of June this year.

In His Love,

Nate

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Posted on Mar 4, 2015 in News and Events |

Tonight we will be going through Matthew 20:1-16! Come and join us in the Fellowship Hall at 7 pm.

Posted on Feb 26, 2015 in News and Events |

Daylight Savings Time Begins – Sunday, March 8^th

Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night, before going to bed. It’s also a good time to check the batteries in your home smoke detectors!

Wednesday Night Bible Study at MFC

We meet each Wednesday night at 7p.m. Join us in studying the book of Matthew.

The New Sunday School Class on “Friends” Begins March 8^th and runs through March 29^th. Jesse Davis will be leading this class and encourages anyone interested in learning about Friends or wanting to become a member of the church to attend. Topics include: Friends History, Friends Theology, Friends Practices and Covenant.

St. Patrick’s All Church Potluck – Sunday, March 15, 2015

Please join us for a fun time of fellowship and food! Wear your best greens that day and be creative in making your main dishes, side dishes and desserts “GREEN”! Be sure to plan to stay for some Irish Trivia games!

Friends Women Missionary Fellowship Meeting

All ladies are welcome to join us, we will meet at 10 a.m. at the home of Lena Anderson on Thursday, March 19^th. A buffet luncheon follows the meeting.

Mark your calendar for the Friends Women’s Annual Spring Rally at Talent Friends on Saturday, April 25th, at 10 a.m. This year’s theme is “Journey with Jesus” Psalms 121. Guest speakers, Lana Thurston and Cheryl Engel are from Boise, ID. We are delighted to have them share about their trip abroad under the Yearly Meeting Friends Traveling in Service Program to Palestine. There they spent 3 months visiting and assisting Elizabeth Todd at the Ramallah Friends School. All ladies are welcome and encouraged to bring a friend. There will be a lunch at noon.

March Mission some of the congregation are putting together a work party to go to the Hoopa Reservation out of Eureka, possibly as early as the last week in March. If you are interested please circle “R” on the response sheet and turn it in the offering. If you have questions see Nate Swift.

Spring is Approaching…It’s not too soon to be thinking about joining in the Medford Friends Community Garden! If you are at all interested there is space available. For more information please see Nate Swift or email him at nateswift@clearwire.net.