There is one hurtle to jump in growing Rosemary here. Other than that, I have found our ‘Madeline Hill’ hardy Rosemary an easy-to-care-for herb. No pruning needed, or fertilizing, or watering even in drought, and no disease or insect problems. Harvest is easy, and as a seasoning, a little goes a long way. It even dries quickly for preservation and has a lot more flavor than the who-knows-how-old stuff from the store.

Winter protection is the mysterious hurtle. Protection from constant dampness may be more important than insulation from the cold and wind, at least to a degree. The tag that came with our Madeline Hill plant said it would survive –15 F, and I have seen it survive –3 F without protection. Plant it on the south side of a wall or foundation – and if the eves protect it from too much moisture, that is all the better.

If you feel you will need to insulate it, just watch the forecast for dangerous temperatures… and when they have arrived, put a support over the plant and drape something over it like several layers of burlap or blankets. I would recommend a final waterproof layer. It is nice to uncover it in warmer sunnier weather, and it is not too much work to cover it up again once or twice during the winter if needed. I would insulate any rosemary plant in its first winter if the temperature goes below +15 degrees F.

I hope you give it a try!

Yes, our original ‘Madeline Hill’ plant is still thriving, and we have a 2nd one now. If you are interested, here are some details on winter protection  and survival experiences since the last update…

In 2008 I layered three stems to create three additional plants, and as of April 2009 they had all survived their first winter (with burlap insulation). The coldest temperature was –9 F. All three remained connected to the parent plant underground even though they had developed their own roots. They were severed in April 2009 and grew well through the summer. Two of them were transplanted to new locations.

In the winter of 2009-2010 was a very wet year, which may be one of the reasons that one of the new plants died, despite being insulated from the cold. It appeared fine all winter until March, at which time it just dried up. In 2010 all three remaining rosemary plants did great.

In the winter of 2010-2011, I insulated the old established plant a little differently. It was so big that I didn’t have a way to cover it completely, so I packed burlap in and around it, leaving some of the shoot tips exposed. Interestingly, the leaves and young shoots in the center of the plant “protected” by the burlap died, while the exposed shoot tips survived! The coldest temperature that winter was –3 F. My hunch is that dampness is as bad for rosemary as cold. The burlap packed around the plant became wet from melting snow and stayed wet (and probably frozen) most of the winter. It was an odd-looking plant come spring with tufts of living shoots at the tips and a big empty middle! The shoots that survived best were those closest to the brick wall. The thicker woody branches in the center remained healthy but never sprouted new growth to fill in the center of the plant. The plant only grew at the ends where the younger shoots survived. Unfortunately, a second one of the newer plants died that winter, leaving us with the old established plant and one “new” plant. The one that died was the one that was not transplanted; it was crowded by the parent plant, hugging the ground, too wet through the winter, not enough light and air I suspect. In 2011 both surviving plants grew well.

This winter (2011-2012) has been unusually warm. I covered the younger plant once so far and have not covered the older plant at all, and they seem to be doing great, even though the weather has been very wet. We have had frequent warm days and it has not been below 10 F yet!

The Court’s Ruling

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” (Article 1 of the Bill of Rights)

“[For the government to] pick and choose who can be a minister, the court ruled, is not only to prevent the free exercise of religion, it inevitably involves the government in the establishment of religion.” (Full article)

“…the first time the high court has acknowledged a ‘ministerial exception’ to anti-discrimination laws… Notre Dame law professor Rick Garnett called the ruling "one of the court’s most important church-state decisions in decades." It "protects religious liberty by forbidding governments from second-guessing religious communities’ decisions about who should be their teachers, leaders and ministers," he said. (Full article)

“Roberts… unified the court around history, principle and the Constitution’s text to remind the nation of the special constitutional status afforded religion.” (Full article)

So, are ministers in danger of discrimination from church authorities because the federal government cannot intervene to protect them? The apostle Paul states clearly in 1 Corinthians 6 that there should never be any need for anyone in the Church to take such a case to the civil government. If any organization should know how to use freedom rightly, it should be the Church.

Another question comes to mind: To what extent did the founders of our country intend to allow the free exercise of religion? For instance, if Islam qualifies as a constitutional religion, and if Islam calls for the death penalty of a teacher who converts to another religion, is the government prohibited from interfering to protect the life of that citizen? The Bill of Rights does guarantee due process of law to all persons before they can be deprived of life, liberty, or property. (Article 5)

“Nothing about Rick Santorum’s rise to date has been expected or predictable”

“But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:7

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Jeremiah 17:7

‘Twas the night before Christmas and down in the holler,
The pond was froze over, the crick soon to foller.
The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule,
And the kids were all home on vacation from school,
Sprawled out in the big room just a-watchin’ TV,
And they thought it was fine as vacation could be.

Then suddenly, some time around eight o’clock,
There came a surprise that gave them a shock!
The power went off, the TV went dead!
When Grandpa came in from out in the shed,
With an armload of wood, the house was all dark;
“Just what I expected,” they heard him remark.
“Them power line wires must be down from the snow;
Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago.”

“I’ll hunt up some candles,” said Mom, “With their light,
And the fireplace, I reckon we’ll make out all right.”
The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom,
Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,
Uncased his old fiddle & started to play
That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.
Mom started to sing, and first thing they knew
Both Pop and the kids were all singing it, too!

They sang Christmas carols, they sang “Holy Night,”
Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.
They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,
And Pop read a passage from God’s Book of Truth.
They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,
The youngsters agreed ’twas a fine Christmas Eve!

Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;
And when the kids wakened, the power was on!
“Them power folks sure got the line repaired quick,”
Said Grandpa – and no one suspected his trick.
Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,
He had pulled the main switch – the old Son-of-a-Gun!

Enjoy Ronald Reagan’s Christmas address below!

Listen to this short word by expert Michael Cannon, the Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute.

http://www.cato.org/multimedia/daily-podcast/how-states-can-shut-down-obamacare

Here is a thorough article on the unconstitutionality of Obamacare, the constitutionality of Virginia’s Health Care Freedom Act, and the related court cases

http://www.calldrmatt.com/Health_Care_Law_Unconstitutional.htm

http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

The only thing wrong with the site is that it places some statements under “civil rights” which actually belong under “principles and values” or “crime” or at least a separate “marriage” section.

From The Governor’s Desk: A weekly column by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin
“Each Thanksgiving, families travel from places near and far to share a meal and spend time together as a symbol of gratitude. The Thanksgiving table is often set using the best china and other favorite pieces with their own special meaning. Hours are devoted to the preparation of food, which seems to overflow the table and there is always room for lots of good conversation. Unfortunately, this picturesque celebration, with the abundance of company and delicious fare on Thanksgiving Day, is not experienced by all West Virginians.

“This holiday season I call upon all those who are able to share their blessings with others. Whether you donate non-perishable goods to a local soup kitchen, participate in a church-based collection, or volunteer to help serve a holiday meal at one of the many community Thanksgiving dinners, your efforts will make a difference.

“…The donations need not be grand gestures. Keep in mind that the small things can and often do make a world of difference. A simple can of beans, soup, or vegetables is always appreciated. When we all work together, we can make positive things happen.

“Every meal tastes better when you share it with good company. As you gather with friends and family, please consider adding to your traditions by creating a new one. Perhaps, you could visit a nursing home and enjoy some time with our most treasured citizens, our seniors. Maybe volunteer to help distribute holiday meals at your local food bank, or simply extend an invitation to a neighbor who may be alone this season. All family traditions must start somewhere. I cannot think of a better tradition than extending the joy of the season to those in your community.

“When we open our hearts, what we stand to gain is so much more than what we give. West Virginians are known for helping their neighbors in times of need. We share with a generous spirit. These are attributes of which we can all be proud and I ask you to let them shine, especially during this holiday season.”

I had read that ‘Issai’ was slightly less hardy than the typical “hardy kiwi” and sure enough, those two vines failed to survive the winter. However the fruiting vine and its pollinator have never had any trouble with winter survival. In a few years the vigorous vine had spread out over the trellis quite nicely and now the two ‘Issai’ kiwi vines have been replaced with two other cultivars. We hope to report on them in the future.

2011 was a special year! Although hardy kiwi can easily survive our mountain winters, they are ready to break dormancy in the spring as soon as they sense warm weather. As a result, our “Anna” vine would always leaf out in early April, get hit by frost, and have to start over again. Even a light frost would blacken the leaves and shoot tips. In past years, whenever the vine bloomed, the flowers were always misshapen or partly black. But in 2011, the vines narrowly escaped all threatening frosts. Apparently the vines were elevated sufficiently on the hill to allow frosty air to drain away from them just enough that they were not affected by the light frosts that occurred occasionally throughout the rest of April and May! The bloom, which began around May 25 was thick and full and fragrant!

One more problem. Due to a setback the pollinator vine had almost no flowers on it this year. I could see no way for the fruiting vine to be pollinated well enough to produce a good crop. I did not expect any fruit at all. But as time progressed through the spring and early summer it became obvious that there was going to be a harvest! How was this possible? Could this vine have been self-pollinating? On August 22 I found the fruits full of little black seeds, just like fuzzy kiwi. They were still very hard and far too tart to be edible.

Finally came the day of September 12 when I made a quick check of the kiwi vines and noticed that one of the berries was wrinkled like an empty sack. “Must be rotten” I thought. I picked it and some green liquid oozed out. “I wonder what rotten kiwi tastes like.” I touched my tongue to it. Then I licked it. “Wow” I exclaimed, “that’s not kiwi! That’s lime candy!!!” I just about did cartwheels all the way back to the house. I could not wait for everyone else to taste them. When they did, they were amazed at the level of sweetness and flavor “like a mix of grape and kiwi” they said. The skins were a bit leathery with a reddish blush, matching the description of the ‘Anna’ cultivar perfectly.

With the help of Donald, Jonathan, and David, most of the fruit was harvested on September 28. At that time most of the fruits were still hard, but became sweet as they softened at room temperature. Squishier usually meant sweeter. Refrigeration seemed to slow the ripening process so that we were able enjoy them over a long period of time. October 10 was the date of the last harvest, when most of the fruits remaining on the vine had become soft.

Kiwifruit is an astounding source of nutrition (more links here and here) and we praise the LORD for making kiwifruit a possibility for our climate… “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” – Psalm 103:5

Are you reveling in the joy of having peace with God; of freedom from the world and its pride and its lusts? Are you resting in the promise that He will come again and receive you to himself? Are you receiving the grace and the power that he gives to enable us to do His will? “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath Day.” Deuteronomy 5:15 Your deliverance from spiritual Egypt is what I mean by spring, for “he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12.