I am back! After 5 years I have finally found my way back to my blog! A lot has happened since then so I will quickly give an update.  Hubby and I have seen both of our kids marry and we have 4 grandsons, 3 that are born and 1 awaiting to be born! I started another blog because my computer crashed and I did not have my log in information for this blog. I know! So now I try to write down every password down in my address book. My other blog is where I peddle the soap that I started making after my kids married and moved out.  www.kathrynsgarden.com go check it out it is really good soap! O.K. commercial over now. :)
    Hubby and I are nearing the end of our Foster Care classes through Life Line and I am very anxious to see what the Lord may do! Fostering is something that has been on my heart for as long as I can remember. I wish that the church would be the means to care for orphaned children but instead it is the state. DHR or CPS needs to be closely regulated with laws in place that state that a child can only be separated from their family if a crime has been committed against them or if the parents of the children abandon them to the state or church. Not because some bureaucrat or social worker was in a bad mood that day or because they have quotas that they have to fill. I think that all of us should be constantly writing our lawmakers and request that laws be put in place to strengthen parental rights. That being said, there are however thousands of children who do in fact need safe fostering family's to care for them and I would be thankful to be able to minister to them. 
    Well that is it for now, two of my grandsons are calling my name... literally. They are standing in their backyard and calling for me because they can see that my front door is open to let in fresh air.
Until next time! Many Blessings, Kathy

FLU FIGHTING PURPLE CONE FLOWER

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Flu season is almost upon us and with it brings misery. You can get your fill of the government trying to convince everyone to get

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flu shots that actually give you the flu! , and even then they don't protect against all types of flu. The very best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to take Echinacea root. Echinacea is the scientific name for Purple Coneflower. You can find echinacea in pill form at any healthfood store or pharmacy, however it is only the arial parts and they are not effective in preventing and curing your flu. To seriously treat the flu and or to prevent it all together you need to drink echinacea root tea. Yes, you still need to wash your hands frequently and try to minimize virus germs in your home, and eat an immune boosting diet rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
Both E. angustifolia and E. purpurea contain the alkamides that are proven effective against the rhinovirus(cold and flu virus). Echinacea is also anti-inflammatory ,antibiotic, detoxifying, and antiallergenic as well as being helpful in healing wounds and increasing sweating.
Only harvest two year old plants in the fall, wash thoroughly, chop and dry. You can store your dried root in an air tight container that prevents light from penetrating inside . Honestly , we just harvest our echinacea when someone comes down with the flu which usually happens in the fall. You can make tea with it imediatly after harvesting and dry the rest, if you have any left. One whole root clump is suffecient for a qaurt size jar full of tea which will treat four people for about 4 days. After you drink a cup of hot tea, refrigerate the rest in a quart jar only heating it before you serve it in a tea cup. Add honey or sugar to help with the taste. It is really not too bad. My husband however always "doctors" our tea by adding cayenne pepper, garlic , lemon balm and yarrow. The cayenne pepper serves as a catalyst for the echinacea, it along with the garlic helps deliver the medicine faster and thoroughly thru your blood stream.
If you are not fortunate enough to raise this beautiful garden perenial then you can buy organic dried echinacea root from several herb retailers.

The Loss of Mr. and Mrs. Byrd Billings

The world has lost two selfless people who took the gifts that God has given them and poured there love onto the children who needed it the most. At a time in their lives where their own children were practically grown most couples would be thinking of their own comfort, their own freedom, their own tomorrow's. The Billing's however only thought of caring and sharing their wealth and love with orphaned children who they committed their lives to by adopting. What a great loss! We need more Billing's in this world!
May the state of Florida exact biblical justice onto the killers! The death penalty would serve the state of Florida and this nation well. These killers are beast who roam the earth devouring the most vulnerable of its citizens.

Dealing with sin is like pulling weeds.

Sin and weeds are a lot alike. There is no such thing as a small sin and once allowed to grow the roots become deep and thus much harder to pull out!

Everywhere you look there is free mulch!

Let's face it, pulling or hoeing weeds is down right hard work. So why not be smarter than what you are working with and prevent them in the first place? You do not have to go to garden centers and shell out hard earned money for bags and bags of expensive chopped wood chip mulch. You already have access to more free mulch than you will ever use." Where?" you may say. Well I'm glad you asked. First of all every fall the Lord provides us with plenty of fallen leaves. It astounds me to drive by someone burning leaves in there yards! Pine straw is another great free mulch. I am fortunate enough to have a friend in which her abundant supply of pine straw annoys the fire out of her! All I have to do is faithfully remove it from her yard! Is that not great or what?
There is also an abundance of used news papers out there. I am sure that you know of at least two or three people out there that subscribe to local newspapers. Just ask around and you can collect all the old newspaper your heart desires.
Okay, now how to apply them, first you soak the newspaper in a bucket or plastic tub of water this makes them too heavy to be blown around by the slightest wind . Wetting the paper also creates a moist environment around your plants. When you lay the newspapers out be generous! Lay them out thick , about 6 to 8 sheets thick, and overlap them so that no ground shows. Then proceed with covering them with leaves or pine straw or both.
By mulching in this way you are accomplishing several things. You are saving a ton of money. You are saving yourself a lot of future hard work from weeding and hoeing. You are placing nitrogen back into the soil from the composted paper and leaves. You are attracting earth worms to your garden and thus free fertilizer. And lastly you are creating a habitat for bugs which in turn attract birds who will also eat harmful insects out of your garden. And who doesn't love to watch birds?
The best time to gather your loot of free mulch would be in the cool fall , winter,and early spring(when a lot of pine trees drop there needles). This way you can mulch everything in the spring before it gets too hot. Now you can sit back and enjoy a weed free, healthy, and beautiful garden!

White Clover Tea

White clover is very under appreciated. Sure you remember making cute little flower necklaces and head wreaths as a little girl. Most of us are fond of sweet clover honey but have you ever considered a hot cup of tea made from clover flower heads and leaves? It is the most wonderful, flavorful tea I have ever enjoyed, add a little sugar or honey and indeed you will never look at this cute little flower the same again!
White clover also has several health benefits as well! According to the "Peterson Field Guide of Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs" American Indians adopted leaf tea for colds, coughs , fevers and leukorrhea. In European folk medicine, flower tea is used for rheumatism and gout. Like Red Clover, and probably most clovers, White Clover contains the estrogenic isoflavone genistein, with a multitude of activities, including cancer-preventative and antioxidant activity.
To make tea: 1. Pick fresh flowers and leaves.
2.Rinse
3. Place in tea kettle or tea posy or small pot with water.
4. Heat to almost boiling.
5. Strain into tea cup add sugar or honey if desired and enjoy!