After reading about invasive species in New Jersey, I now have a name for that green stuff taking over my yard: Japanese stiltgrass. It’s an invasive plant, choking out just about everything in its path. At first I saw just a few plants and pulled them up since they were crowding out the periwinkle. It’s easy to pull it out – well, until the ground was so dry that I needed to use a garden fork.
I don’t use pesticides so it’s moving about on my knees on a pad so I still have knees left. At first I thought the deer that frequent my yard would eat it, but, oh no! It has little value for the deer –they prefer the hostas. Evidently, goats, who eat anything, including poison ivy, don’t like it either.
Looking at it, I realized where I had seen it before. The taller wispier strands were in those beautiful Japanese scrolls at the Freer Museum in Washington, D.C. But I figured a solution for moving about on my knees. I’m going to get one of those wonder core slide fit contraptions I see at the gym. It’s on wheels and will move me faster to pull out even more of those blasted weeds – and I’ll have good ab exercise to boot!
Prayer for the Day
Lifting up our hearts to you, O God, we give you thanks and praise
For you created the world bringing forth life in all its forms;
Extolling your many mercies, O Lord, we sing your praises.
For you have engraved our hearts with grace and love.
May we always be thankful for the wonders we have from you,
Even those we sometimes do not appreciate.
In the name of the One who offers us your grace,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
In a time of destruction, create something.”
- Maxine Hong Kingston, novelist
A blank piece of paper is God's way of telling us how hard it is to be God.”
- Sidney Sheldon, American writer, director, producer (1917-2007)
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
Beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals, she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.
O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it:
Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right.
Proverbs 8: 1-7