StaddonFamily.com

posted by Michael on 12/7/11

This link is an excellent resource for finding out where the candidates stand on all the issues.

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.

1 Comment » | posted in Politics

posted by Michael on 11/28/11

Thank you, Governor Tomblin, for reminding us to love our neighbors as ourselves in this joyful season. Truly it is more blessed to give than to receive, and no one cares for neighbors better than neighbors! It is a blessing and a joy to live in a Christian community.

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.”

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posted by Michael on 10/29/11

Experimenting with hardy kiwi in the mountains of north central West Virginia has been an interesting experience. Also called “kiwi berries”, Actinidia arguta is a species of kiwifruit that grows a smaller, smooth skinned version of the big fuzzy ones we are familiar with in the grocery stores. As its name implies, it is much more winter hardy and that is why we decided to give them a try. It was in 2006 when, with the help of our good friend and expert welder Neil McHenry, we erected the sturdy trellises on a sunny south facing slope and planted the four kiwi vines under them. We had purchased a fruiting vine, a pollinating vine, and two self-pollinating ‘Issai’ cultivars. There was no way I could find out exactly which cultivar the fruiting vine was, but since the nursery did not advertise specific cultivars, I assumed it was the common ‘Ananasnaya’ – or ‘Anna’ for short.

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

7 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land

posted by Michael on 10/17/11

Most of you know that I enjoy the fall season. It is the middle of autumn now and we have experienced the joys of reaping what was sown, and drying, canning, pickling… and being pickled (in our own sweat!) And of coarse we are looking forward to Thanksgiving, when “the frost is on the pumpkin” and we celebrate the completion of the year. But it is never a bad time to remember back to that time when all things were made new. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

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.

7 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land, Tidbits

posted by Michael on 09/5/11

Meal time is a time to enjoy the good food that God has given us. It is not necessarily a time to analyze and study the various phytochemicals and antioxidants and minerals and vitamins and fibers and sugars and complex carbohydrates that make the food so beneficial to us. It is not a time to discover new things or to delve deeper into the scientific aspects of how the substances in the food interact with each other and with our system to go where they need to go and do what they need to do. Meal time is simply and beautifully a time to taste and savor what I know God has made for me – not what man has made – and thereby trust that it is just what I need. Furthermore I can simply trust that as I internalize it, all the billions of wonderful things that need to be done in me will be done because God made living things to work that way. To a dead person, food means nothing. But because I am alive, it means a lot to me. I can taste it. It sustains me. Granted, it is useful and important to pay attention to how different foods help me, and to even document it and share it with others, but that is not the only reason I eat. If it is, then the success of the meal is evaluated by the wrong criteria and could actually appear to be an unprofitable endeavor, resulting in discouragement and frustration and even doubts about the nutrition content of the food.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” Psalm 34:8-9 “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not.” – see John 6. I had been thinking of my time in meditation on God’s Word to be a time to discover truths and find answers to questions and “get insights” while forgetting what came first: how good it is to simply enjoy the LORD, because he is good! Because I had begun to merely look for exciting new information, I was evaluating my time with the LORD by the wrong criteria and the time actually began to seem unprofitable. When the LORD showed me the above analogy between physical food and spiritual food, I saw my mistake. It is the Person; the name; the character; the presence of the Lord revealed to me that makes meditation most meaningful! There is no match for the Lord! Yet this has not always been possible; I needed spiritual life to taste spiritual things. “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.” – Psalm 27:4

4 Comments » | posted in Tidbits