The last couple of weeks have been positively psychedelic around here cuz I have been trippin! No, I’ve not branched out into the dark side but my head is positively spinning with some recent developments I will share soon! In order to reduce the RPMs I’m taking a few minutes to quiet myself and share some tidbits from the burb-stead.
A quick dash outside revealed ripe green beans and a leaning tower of Malabar spinach! This is my first year growing Malabar spinach; I don’t like it as much as regular spinach but it will do since the weather here is too hot to grow other spinach during the summer. The plant itself is beautiful with red vines and large, shiny green leaves which put out purplish seed pods. I just cut off the leaves needed. It gets along famously with the strawberries who have taken the multiplication hint by sending shoots out everywhere. 
Although the recent rains have been a welcome addition to the garden the hordes of mercenary mosquitoes they released are not. So, before attempting to harvest the aforementioned green beans I dotted on some Peppermint Essential Oil from Young Living to affirm it’s efficacy against the invading hordes.
I took my basket and bravely went forth.
Not only did my basket fill with tender green beans 
I reaped no bites and found some ripe grapes as a bonus!
Young Living Essential Oils score again! (click here for more info)
Earlier in the week, I was dealing with some ugly wine bottle issues. I needed an appropriate dark glass container for my homemade vanilla.
I tried multiple times to get all the gunk off (no, I did not want to go buy some goo gone) till I was frustrated enough to toss it in recycle bin!
Instead, I remembered some old burlap left from another project and started wrapping the ugly part. Kind of like sweeping dirt under a rug, not that I do that of course..
Very simply I laid out a strip of burlap and rolled with it.
The sticky gunk became my friend as the burlap clung to the bottle.
I folded down the final edge and applied a smidge of glue, then wrapped it with a ribbon.
Ta-da!
I thought it was kind of cute myself – even got some fringe action on the bottom!
Now that my vanilla has a new dress and I’ve gotten my hands a little dirty my soul is soothed as I let go of the busyness and cast my cares upon the One whose shoulders are big enough to carry them all.
Burb-steading and Jesus, it doesn’t get any better then this!
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ~ 1Peter 5:6-8
This post shared at Homestead Barn Hop #179, Homemade Mondays,You’re Going to Love It, Making a Home, LouLou Girls and Maple Hill Hop and
