To our friend scattered to and fro

Hello from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley where March was May and April was March 😅

We’ve enjoyed the cold and the wind and battled the drear as best we could.

The rye came off at our home place and we are thankful.

Our replacement help made their first appearance on the crew. They didn’t last very long, but at least they’ve showed up. 😉

My friend Ben arrived just as we finished chopping and proceeded to empty our pit. This injector rig is something different for our farm.

Doesn’t it look good? We’re excited to see what yield increases we get from injecting all the nutrients directly in the ground. Now we are ready to plant corn if it ever warms up.

I enjoyed a small get together with several of my cousins at my little cabin. A tiny group in a tiny house with a couch full of tiny people, haha. Family is such a blessing.

We also had a tailgate party with the Bible Reading Accountability Group I’m a part of. We are reading thru the Bible in a year and using the Bible Recap. I’m loving it. Each day after the Scripture reading there’s a 6-8 minute podcast where Tara Leigh Cobble explains different things about the daily reading. She has a way of clarifying the Old Testament and pointing out different truths and explaining Jewish traditions and describing geographical regions. Each day she points us to a truth of God’s character and reminds us that “ He’s where the Joy is.” It’s been a real source of encouragement to me. And knowing my friends are gonna check in with me keeps my feet to the fire.

Basically the cold has slowed down the farming, and the quarantine has slowed down my traveling. (Who are we kidding- my traveling habit has been killed dead as a doornail.) So I’m spending my days housecleaning and checking in on my cute little nephews.

Today on the way to our tailgate party, I laughed at how excited I was to see people. I think that’s one of the gifts that Quarantine will leave me with- a deep appreciation for the opportunity to spend time with friends. I hope I don’t forget that soon.

I’m on a quest to see what all positive things this Quarantine time is gifting me. May you discover gifts from Q too. No matter how long this lasts- just remember “He’s where the joy is.”

Praise Him,

Kendra

Joel 1:3 Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.

Every now and then I see this post show up in my Facebook feed:

“Just so I NEVER forget….. April 13, 2020: Gas price a mile from home was $1.70
School cancelled – yes cancelled
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events – cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings – cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or less.
Don’t socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children’s outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside. This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020. Why, you ask, do I write this status? One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other – love one another – support everyone.”

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We enjoyed a very nontraditional Easter Celebration this year. Our little town had a drive in church service, where the preacher walked around with a dust mask on ahead of the service waving at all of us as we sat in our cars. It rained and he dug out his umbrella and preached courageously from the back of a pickup.

His message was so perfect: God can bring good from hard times.

What a mighty God we serve. It was really special to celebrate His triumph over death as we each grapple with the uncertainty of today. He is able.

And so, I hope this isn’t an Easter I soon forget. The bizarre things we are seeing currently isn’t anything like the trauma of the suffering and death of my Savior, but it is a good time for me to stop, and rest in the fact that He will provide for his children.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Kendra

Bonus pics:

Spring work has started so that gives me reason to get out a little. Even though I nearly froze to death in the process. It legit snowed on us one day last week. Those of us who were running the open station tractors soldiered on. But atleast Father took us out for ice cream afterwards “to warm up” lol

Ben took me on a Sunday afternoon ramble. The redbuds are extra beautiful this year

And the apple orchards 😍 I’ve had this yen to see them in bloom for years… and it happened. I had no idea they smelled so sweet!

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of Spring?” Neltje Blancan

I’ve honestly had cabin fever for a year now. Well actually longer than that, but a year ago, I got down to business and started to order my little cabin for our pond from a cousin who works at a local Storage Building Shop.

My dad and Uncle put the pad in exactly a year ago and I was on Cloud 9.

I was so excited the day it arrived all folded down like a little box for easy transport. I thought that it wouldn’t be long until I was sitting on the front porch watching the world go by. Ha

My original idea included my ingenious, hardworking sisters and an occasional accommodating brother-in-law… BUT everyone got busy with their own projects and what I thought I had lined up fell thru… and my little project sat in its forlorn little shell for days and weeks. Eventually I hired a few men and slowly the face of my project changed.

And finally- at long last, Lowe’s delivered the fridge today, wrapping up the last of my major purchases.

Even though this didn’t end up being a project completely conquered by our fam- everywhere I look I see details that my sweet patient family (and boyfriend😉) helped me bring into reality.

So Quarantining isn’t looking very bleak these days. Eventually I’m excited to host parties here, but for now- you just find a few of us keeping our distance and enjoying God’s beautiful creation and our little cabin getaway.

Ben- who’s learning all about KH and her constant projects (🙈) asked me recently: “sooooo what’s your next project after your cabin is finished?”

I honestly don’t know- this one ended up being way more extensive/expensive than what I’d expected. I learned a pile during the process. But I think I need a break from my education.

I’m definitely going for that glass of iced tea on the front porch.

Have a peaceful Sunday,

Kendra

Bonus:

Just in case you missed my dad’s poem about COVID-19 you can watch it here.