For those of you that live in the Woodstock, GA area and that enjoy gardening you may want to check out Ladyslipper’s Saturday morning class schedule. Bethany and I attended our first class last weekend. It was all about composting and creating/maintaining living soil. It was educational but also surprisingly interesting! The presenter was Greg Parrish, the general manager of Farmers Organic. He explained different aspects of soil, composts, and fertilizers and answered everyone’s questions related to those topics (and gardening in general). Continue reading Ladyslipper Saturday Morning Class – Farmers Organic
Ladyslipper Saturday Morning Class – Container Gardening
This post is meant to help those interested in container gardening to know how best to place their plants in the pot. The examples shared in this post for plant layouts were shared during a Saturday morning class at Ladyslipper in Woodstock, GA. For those of you that live in the area and that enjoy gardening you may want to check out Ladyslipper’s Saturday morning class schedule. Regardless of where you live, hopefully this post will be helpful.
I attended the class with my oldest daughter, Mannah, and my mom, who we call Oma. When we arrived, Casey, the owner of the nursery, taught a short lesson on Container Gardening, covering things like soil selection, plant selection, container selection, fertilizing, and other interesting things about finding success with container gardening. Continue reading Ladyslipper Saturday Morning Class – Container Gardening
Ladyslipper Rare Plant Nursery
Today was an awesome day of sunshine and gardening! I have been looking forward to the last frost so I can get busy with our garden. I checked the weather this morning and the 10 day forecast looks promising so we decided to get started today. As many of you know, Mannah has taken an interest in gardening and asked if her birthday present could be to have one of the square foot garden raised beds for flowers this year. I love vegetable gardening but I’ve never really gotten into flowers. I’m hoping our growing knowledge of plants will rub off on each other and I will pick up some flower skills. Continue reading Ladyslipper Rare Plant Nursery
Gluten Free Carrot Muffins
These gluten free carrot muffins are a quick, healthy substitute for carrot cake. They use cholesterol-fighting oats instead of wheat. The coconut oil is also a pleasant wholesome addition. These muffins also have an entire pound of carrots – a very nice way to get your beta carotene! The texture is especially soft and scrumptious … your friends won’t believe that they contain no wheat at all. The next time you get a craving for fat-laden carrot cake, reach for this yummy alternative instead. Your taste buds and waistline will thank you! Continue reading Gluten Free Carrot Muffins
Lesson 009 – From Cain and Abel to the Flood – 4000 to 2500 BC
Today’s lesson covered a lot of material and a huge span of time – from Cain and Abel to the Flood, spanning from roughly 4000 BC to 2500 BC. We began the lesson by reading Genesis chapters 4 through 10 and then we discussed the questions below. This portion of the Bible is difficult for many people to accept as history so throughout the discussion time I shared with the kids the various perspectives on the flood, the Nephilim, and the longevity of pre-flood humans, ranging from myth to historically accurate perspectives. We also continued to focus on how all the stories of the Bible lead up to and point to Jesus. Here are today’s verses for easy reference (using the World English Bible version): Continue reading Lesson 009 – From Cain and Abel to the Flood – 4000 to 2500 BC
Lesson 008 – The Garden of Eden and The Fall – Before 4000 BC
I have decided to start a series of lessons with my kids that will cover the entire history of the Bible. I will be using the World English Bible (WEB). I prefer the New International Version but it is copyright protected, whereas the WEB is public domain.
I covered the creation story in a previous Life Lesson with Dad so I’m jumping right in with Genesis 2 & 3 and the story of Adam, Eve, The Garden of Eden and The Fall. Continue reading Lesson 008 – The Garden of Eden and The Fall – Before 4000 BC
Ana White 4×4 Farmhouse Truss Beam Table
I never thought I would be writing a post about a woodworking project but I am so excited to be enjoying this new hobby! I have always had a desire to learn woodworking but it seemed too hard and I had no foundation of experiences to build from. I built a dog house years ago but it was pretty simple and turned out sloppy.
I am also extremely busy with my growing family and a demanding career so I assumed if I ever got around to woodworking it would be during my retirement years.
So what changed? Well, for my birthday my wife gave me a Kreg Jig. I didn’t even know what it was and when Bethany explained what she wanted me to do with it I felt intimidated and under qualified. She showed me a table on Ana White’s website and explained that if I could build that table we could save thousands of dollars compared to a similar table she was considering purchasing at Restoration Hardware. That got my interest. Continue reading Ana White 4×4 Farmhouse Truss Beam Table
Designing Kitchen and Cabinet Layouts
When we first set out to design a custom home we knew the kitchen would be a focal point of the whole design and that the layout and design of the kitchen would receive our highest attention to detail. One of Bethany’s favorite things to do is prepare meals for our family and experiment with new recipes in the kitchen. For our family the kitchen has become one of the primary hangouts to talk, play games, and work on school. We wanted a design that would provide the storage space, convenience, and amenities of a 5-star kitchen but we also wanted the kitchen to be open, spacious, and an extension of the family and dining areas. Continue reading Designing Kitchen and Cabinet Layouts
Be Rich: Volunteering at North Fulton Community Charities
Every year our church does a fundraising campaign called “Be Rich“. The term “Be Rich” comes from 1 Timothy 6:18 – “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Its one of my favorite things our church does each year. Continue reading Be Rich: Volunteering at North Fulton Community Charities
Test Pits and Soil Tests
My wife and I are capturing the steps involved in building a custom home. Test pits and soil tests are not the most glamorous or interesting steps to write about but they are both important steps in reducing risks by understanding the reality of the build site.
During the purchase of the land we performed a level 3 soil study and validated that the property could support a septic system for a six bedroom home. The soil tests showed that we may require a more expensive septic system (one with an aerobic treatment unit) if more suitable soil could not be located on the property. We probably should have dug test pits at that time but we liked the property so much that we knew we would proceed with the purchase regardless of any potential test pit results . The perc test passed and we were willing to give up a basement if required so we concluded the due diligence process and proceeded with the land purchase. We decided to postpone test pits until we were closer to the actual build. Continue reading Test Pits and Soil Tests