It's been a strange week in Brownwood (wanted to say Lake Woebegone!). 28 for a low this morning with a projected high of 74. Continuing to be dry, dry, dry.

My neighbors daffodils are in full bloom, the Japonicas are blooming, our Lady Banks Rose is filling out with new growth, and the St. Augustine grass is beginning to grow. As I walked around this morning I kept thinking, "Too soon, too soon!"

All this growth makes me want to do things out of season (with my garden). I hope that I can keep saying, "Too soon, too soon!" My potato trenches are dug and partially filled with compost and fertilizer (did them about three weeks ago). I would love to get some potatoes in the ground, but I keep thinking, "Too soon, too soon!"

In the greenhouse, in flats, the English peas are breaking though and pushing up on the plastic wrap. Do I ever want to get more stuff in the ground. But, you know what I'm thinking...

By-the-way, Texas A&M University has a wonderful ag-site with a Spring planting guide for the state of Texas. I try and follow their recommendations for a synthesis of Zones 2 & 3. Just type in Spring planting guide Texas in your browser to locate this document.

Have a great Week in the Lord!

All that we have belongs to the Lord. All of our possessions and all of our children. The Lord was gracious today concerning my children. A drunk ran a stop sign and smashed into our van. Our oldest (age 21) was driving and all four of my other children were with him. They were on their way to pick up two or three others to play Ultimate Frisbee, which is why they were in the van. Praise the Lord, none of them were injured. The only thing we have to deal with is the inconvenience of having our van fixed.

I really don't know how tightly I am holding on to my children and my possessions. Really! Thank the Lord I didn't have to find out today.

I was sitting here this evening actually marveling in the things that I now take for granted. I was reading a free download of The Apology of Socrates by Plato that I got from the Internet and printed at work. At the same time I was (and still am) listening to classical music from Great Britian (on BBC3 Radio). Earlier in the evening I was listening to a podcast of Bluegrass music from West Virginia (The Bluegrass Preservation Society). At some point my oldest son (age 21) asked if he could borrow my cell-phone charger because his was lost.

I was reading The Apology because my two youngest children (11 and nearly 13), whom we homeschool, are taking a couple of classes from an online school (Classical Free). They can study for their classes online and then take and have tests graded online. By-the-way, I highly recommend this school, www.classicalfree.org, for anyone who desires to follow the Trivium approach to education.

In one of the classes I teach at school this semester, I have my students email me their homework on EXCEL, because I can look at their "formulas", grade the work, and email them back their grades. These classes use technology, including software, that makes it simple to do things that I did by hand when I was in college. Of course, I had them initially solve equations by hand and then introduced them to the software so they could "understand" and interpret what they were seeing on the computer printouts (we did simple regression analysis, multiple regression analyis, simple and weighted moving averages, and exponential smoothing -- all for forecasting models).

Much of this has indeed made life easier and has made the world a much smaller place. Neither our local bookstore nor library (didn't check at the college) had The Apology available. No big deal...just a 20 page download and print. We don't have a local bluegrass station (or a station that plays bluegrass) nor a local classical station. I don't think we have any place that regularly plays live music since my favorite place closed down a few years ago (Gatherings). The bastion for culture is our local small college which has outstanding music and drama departments.

I want to enjoy the blessings that technology has given without being overwhemed or consumed by it. Maybe I can find an online quiz somewhere to see if I am doing ok. :)

We finally had a significant rain last night. Don't know how much we got...my rain guage broke last year and I haven't replaced it yet. We haven't had any real rain since November. Praise the Lord who both withholds and sends the rain. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork."

The brocolli, cabbage, and lettuce are sprouting in the greenhouse. I use an excellent method I read about to germinate the seedlings--you cover your growing medium with plastic wrap, which acts as a mini-greenhouse, holding in the moisture, until the seedlings begin to push against the plastic. I wish I knew who to thank for that method. Used it for years and it has never failed.

In the garden, the onions and garlic are already giving it a good go. I never (and I mean NEVER) have produced large onions. Started earlier this year and have hope for a crop of bigger ones. We always produce a good bit of them, just never those big round ones others grow.

Also, I am trying some red clover for a cover crop prior to Spring planting of warm-season vegetables. Checked this morning after the rain and it is sprouting prolifically.

Reading (actually re-reading) a good book by Peter Leithart, against Christianity. Doing a study of it with two (of my five) of my sons and three young men from our assembly. Dr. Leithart argues against the modern, gnostic (and agnostic) form of Christianity that has turned it into a weak, useless force. He describes the Church as a new reality, one that is in opposition to worldly forms of polity. An excellent read for thoughtful consideration. Frankly, it simultaneously gives me both hope and despair. Don't get me wrong, I am full of idealism and have been for years; but, the road to a biblical reality of community life seems (nearly) impossible.

For pleasurable listen (my older sons disagree :) ) tune into the Bluegrass Preservation Society with Ewell Ferguson and Buster (his cat). Mr. Ferguson records and disseminates area bluegrass from West Virginia. We were discussing last night how though you might try and emulate their sound, you certainly could not duplicate it (unless you were raised in it).

Pray that the Lord will bless the weekend with His blessings.