Andrews Blog - October 2007

Sunday, October 7, 2007 -- Today is a very depressing day .... Last night as I was getting ready for work, Dara attacked me with a shovel. I can't believe this has happened .... I'm certain that Dara is doing drugs. His behavior fits the pattern of someone using downers. I had to make a police report, and will file charges in the morning.
God, have mercy on us ... Restore our family, somehow ..... Sometimes it's very difficult to understand why things like this happen ....
Tuesday, October 16, 2007-- Here are several pictures I took today of my cactus and succulent garden. One of my succulents just flowered for the first time yesterday, with two beautiful flowers! Actually, there was one other flower, making three, but that one has died out already. Two are still left. This small container is usually in the shade most of the day, and only gets about one hour of direct sunlight. The past 10 days or so have been cloudy quite a bit, with three or four days of rain. Today is still cloudy, with intermitant sunshine.

Here is another view of the flowering succulents ....

Here is my collection of cactus and succulents that are in small pots. I have two large pots with a variety of succulents, and several hanging pots with more succulents. Also, I have more cactus inside, and five large pots inside with jades. I've moved all of my jades inside, because I lost most of my large jade plants last winter, which was very extreme for our area, with temperatures in the teens. My largest jade completely died, and several of the other large ones were severely damaged. I managed to nurse some of the surviving stalks back to health though. I'll add pictures of my jades and inside cactus collection later ......

Daily Devotions: Our Daily Bread, October, 25 -- When trouble comes into our lives, we sometimes feel as if we've been hit broadside. We feel desperation and then we wonder, why is this happening to me? God uses painful experience to get our attention. [When we submit to God, and humbly allow the Holy Spirit to chastise us, we will experience new growth in the Lord].

Here are some links for reading on the subject of "Suffering" -- What About Suffering?, by Dr. Richard J. Krejcir -- God Helps with Your Troubles: Bible Solutions for Problems, Suffering, and Hardship -- Dealing With Suffering --

Bible Tools -- Discipleship Tools --

Scripture for today: Hebrews 12:11 , "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Psalm 119:71 , "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."
James 1:2-4 , "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perveverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Romans 5:3-5 , "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

Here are some more pictures of my cool weather garden:

Above: garlic on the left, planted from garlic bulbs I bought at the grocery store; on the right are green onions I planted from fresh green onions I bought at the grocery store. I tried planting ginger root, but it hasn't come up yet. These plants were planted about five or six weeks ago, around the beginning to middle of September

Left: cherry tomatoes and hot peppers -- Right: pumpkin (the fruit in this picture is at the end of a very long vine, about 15 feet long! This plant was planted around the middle of July. I got the above plants for free from a nursery (the plants were not doing very well, dried, shriveled, spindly). I just picked more cherry and pear tomatoes this morning, Saturday, October 27th, 2007. Even thought the nights are quite cool, down to the low 40s some nights, the days are quite warm, in the mid-to-high 70s, and even low-to-mid 80s, with plenty of sun still .... I expect to have lots of tomatoes well into November, and possibly still a few in early December!! Peppers are still growing flowers, and have lots of fruit, but still small ..... Not sure if the pumpkins will grow very big. They got started a bit late ....

My first fall planting, around middle of September -- turnips, beets, coriander, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, and kale

This is the same plot as above, taken a little to the right -- spinach and swiss chard

Here are some pictures of my cactus and succlent collection:

Above: The big cactus I grew from a very small plant, which I've had for about two or three years now. The smaller ones I started from pieces that broke off from a different cactus variety (the mother plant died, but left a few small shoots, which you can see are now growing nicely)

These are new additions to my cactus collection. The cactus on the left and far right I just added to my collection several months ago. The plant in the middle I bought about one year ago, with only three stalks. Four new shoots have grown in the past three or four months, and have been growing quite rapidly .... Must be that Miracle Grow!!

This is a new addition to my cactus and succulent collection, within the past two or three months. I haven't had very many cactus or succlents with flowers, so this is somewhat of an unusual event. Looks like there will be at least three flowers (first started blooming about October 24th, 2007).

The cactus on the left, Joseph's Coat, was bought around June, 2007, so I've had it for about four months, and it has more than doubled in size!! Must be the Miracle Grow!! I've been watering all of my plants with Miracle Grow about every two weeks. Now that the weather is cooling off a bit, I might use the Miracle Grow only once each month ... The fern of the right I've had for about 12 years!! I've already divided it at least once, so I could give away some of the plant to an eldery lady, otherwise the plant would have been probably at least three times this size. I would like to find out what species this plant is. A neighbor gave me this fern in early 1995, when it was a very small plant. I didn't think the fern would survive. I've transplanted this fern about three or four times, and have kept it outside all the time, through the hottest weather, up to 118 degrees farenheit, and down to around 20 degrees F. I soak the fern with lots of water, but wait about two weeks before I water it again, except in the very hot weather, I water at least every week. Does good even in the hot burning sun, but does better in the shade, with just a little light. Don't have a shady spot for this plant where we live, so it will have to suffer ..... Now that the weather is cooling off, and the sun is moving to the south a bit, there will be some shade, so the plant will only get about four hours of sun each day, until the sun moves to the north again, where the fern will get direct sun all day long. If you think you know what species this fern is, please contact me. Thanks.

Above: Chain plant, bought about six months ago, when very small. This plant has more than tripled in size! And seems to be very happy .... Time to repot again .... That Miracle Grow really works wonders!!!

Sunday, October 21, 2007-- I watched the Orionid meteor shower ..... I saw my first meteor at 1:41, to the left of Orion, towards Mars. Saw another meteor about 2:35, while talking with Jovita. Saw three more meteors at 3:20, 3:28, and 3:29. It was very cold .... Joined another forum -- IceInSpace -- Posted several messages regarding the Orionid meteor shower. Called Benny and we watched the meteor shower together while talking on the phone. Saw three more meteors between 4:37 and 4:47. Saw nine more meteors from 5:08 until 5:28. We both saw two very bright meteors, one left a trail that lasted about 5-10 seconds, and another appeared to be greenish and flashed very brightly!! One meteor I saw was only about half the length of Orion's belt, and another was very long, about the length of Orion from top to bottom. Saw five or six more meteors, from about 6:05 until about 6:15, one very bright that left a bright green trail for a couple secondes. Saw a sattalite, while talking with Benny. Jovita came outside with Benny and saw the sattelite too. She got to see one meteor.
Monday, October 22, 2007-- Studied more on depression. Saw the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, which is found easily by drawing a straight line downward (towards the horizon) from Orion's belt. Saw four more meteors, at 1:44, 1:53, 2:13 and 2:15. The last one, at 2:15, was very low to the horizon, way below Orion, and was slow and bright! The first one, at 1:44, was very bright, and left a bright trail for one or two secons. Saw four more meteors, 3:30, 3:34, 3:36, and 3:51. Three of the meteors were close to the horizon, far to the right (west) of Orion. Two of them were bright. At 5:04 saw another meteor, near the horizon, below Orion.
Thursday, October 25, 2007-- My second planting of vegetables came up (swiss chard and spinach). The first planting came up around the 18th. This second planting started popping up from the ground after only four days! The first plating took probably five or six days for the plants to show. I need to make a third planting soon .....
Friday, October 26, 2007-- Took grandpa and one of Ben's friends to Celebrate Recovery. Grandpa really enjoyed the metting and the music!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007-- Last entry for October .... Benjamin went to the Harvest Celebration at church with Rick, Julie and Jacob. Benny had a great time! I got a last-minute call for work, so had to stay home and sleep. Watered my garden before went to bed. Plants are all coming along pretty good. Still have lots of tomatoes ripening ... Some of the pepper plants are still hanging in there .... Grandpa stayed home and gave out candy to the trick-or-treaters.
I've been watching the comet Holmes for the past three nights. First saw comet Holmes Monday night, around 8:00, just before the earthquake. Yes, we had an earthquake, here in Modesto, California!!! I was sitting at the dining room table, talking with my uncle, and the floor starting moving, like it was rolling, and my chair was rocking-swaying. My dad felt the earthquake while sitting in his wheelchair too! Benny was sitting in the living room eating and watching tv, and felt the earthquake too. The earthquake hit us around 8:10 p.m. It was centered around San Jose, Oakland and Modesto.

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