Kiwano Horned Melon

 

As part of our ongoing culinary experiments, I couldn't resist when I saw a Kiwano Horned Melon at our local grocery store. At over $5 for a single piece of fruit many would consider it prohibitively expensive by western standards, but I'm sure an exotic piece fruit from New Zealand during their winter would be prove difficult to get to South-central Texas ripe and ready to eat.

Of course, “ready to eat” may prove to be a stretch for some folks. There's no getting around it: the inside of the horned melon looks and feels like plant boogers. Bravely, I scooped a full spoonful and ate it. My brain told me that it was fruit, but my mouth told me that I definitely must have coughed up something. Although it tastes mildly like cucumber, I had to “chew” on it for a surprisingly long time before I could convince my throat that it was time to swallow. The only texture I could find in the fruit was from the seeds, and when I looked it up online after eating, many sites I visited said most folks recommend trying not eating them. I thought this made about as much sense as washing your hands with soap and trying not to make bubbles- its not going to happen.

I did, however, find that a large chunk of horned melon is a great way to get people to to avoid you. I saw a few faces poking around the edge of the corner, but as soon as I offered to share they'd all quickly disappear once again.

In the end, I don't think I can really recommend the Kiwano Horned Melon. Although I managed to eat a large portion of it, I eventually succumbed to the texture as well, and that's saying something! For the price, its just too weird to physically eat and there are many other exotic fruits that are just as weird but much, much more palatable. Cheers!

3-in-1 Angel Trumpet

Its getting to that time of year where everything is starting to show its true colors. The roses are blooming profusely, the hibiscus and lilies would like to take over, our various crape myrtles are all blooming, and the pomegranate tree has even decided to flower for a 2^nd time this year. Of all the flowers in our garden, one of the flowers I'm keeping an eye on the most is our 3-in-1 Angel Trumpet. It has grown vigorously all spring and is even starting to produce its own flowers like the one shown above. However, I've noticed that its leaves have been yellowing and dropping, and the bottom half or so of the plant is now mostly stem. Researching suggests that it could be too much water, or too little. It could be too much fertilizer or it could be not enough fertilizer. It could be insects and disease or it could be the solution used to treat insects and disease. It could be that it's too cold at night or it could be that its too hot during the day. According to the experts, just about everything will damage an Angel Trumpet- even tobacco! I've decided that with my recent success nursing the Midnight Marvel Hibiscus bank from the brink, I am going to spend extra time and attention nursing this plant to full health. Various online sources also suggested that they make better indoor plants than outdoor, and I am going to take a stab at proving them wrong.

Updated album and the triumphant return of an old friend

If you have been following the blog for any amount of time, you may remember the post I made about trying to save our Midnight Marvel Hibiscus. The picture above is one we took this morning- what you can't see is that behind the giant red flower are almost a dozen more waiting to open. The leaves are a crimson purple color and the flowers are easily 7-8" wide. If you'd like to see more of our gardens, click on this link. We just added more pictures.

The Feeling of Inadequacy

I work for a law enforcement agency, and one night I had a call from one of the patrol officers. “Can you look and see where I’m scheduled tomorrow?” he asked. I checked, and it showed he was the corporal the following day. For those not aware, a corporal generally will assume leadership duties when a sergeant or higher are not available. “Yep,” he continued once I told him, “the sergeants all have to be in class. Guess it’s a good thing I decided not to take a sergeant position.” He went on for several minutes about how clever he is and how the sergeants probably all wish they were him right about then. Even though I was already well aware, it was pretty evident that he wanted to make sure I knew how just how important he was.

While this sounds a bit extreme, we’ve all found ourselves seeking approval and trying to impress others. Feelings of inadequacy can and do affect people from all walks of life, and it is important to not only realize the warning signs and symptoms, but what to do when you find yourself feeling like you’re inadequate or don’t measure up.

Some people try to hide when their feeling inadequate by boasting and having an exaggerated self- image. Just like officer mentioned before, I have a family member who somehow always seems to be the expert in whatever we may be having a conversation about and it’s difficult for them to admit they don’t know something. They try to hide their insecurity with a false sense of confidence.

Some people may do the opposite and avoid showing others what they're truly capable of. In these people’s minds, if others don’t know what their best really is, then their best can never be not good enough. I personally know someone who could do much more than they are, but their feelings of inadequacy and insecurity limit them to doing just enough so they never make waves.

If you find yourself feeling inadequate, insecure or down on yourself, it is important to pinpoint that thinking and take control over it. Feelings that you do not deal with will deal with you. Remember that we are people and we all have our own problems in life. You should never compare yourself with someone else. As someone once said, “You’re comparing someone else’s highlight reel with your behind-the-scenes footage.” You don’t know what personal trials those people had to overcome or are still challenged by.  We should also never fail to be thankful for what we have. I know personally that God has blessed me abundantly more than I ever deserved, and there have been many times in my life when God has made a way for me when I couldn’t see one. As I’ve learned to lean on and trust in Him, I’ve been able to take the responsibility for my future off of my own shoulders and begin to hand it over to Him.  It is a liberating feeling to know that God’s got your back if you’ll only let Him. Finally, don’t forget that God is still working on you. If you're condemning yourself for past mistakes or feel like you’re not good enough because of something that’s happened in your life, it’s important to remember how important you are to Him. You were born with a purpose, and God believes that you are the best and only person for the job.

Once you start to get a hold of how important you already are, you’ll find that you won’t need the approval of others. When you begin to develop a real sense of confidence based on your identity, and you’ll find the right people will be drawn to you.

Astrology in the Bible?

I've always been a bit of a science geek. I'll nerd out on physics, computers, biology- you name it. Out of all the sciences, the one I've always enjoyed most is astronomy, which is the branch of science that examines celestial space and the entirety of the physical universe. Imagine my interest then, when … READ MORE

Tropical Storm Cindy

Anyone from this area already knows that tropical storm Cindy will make it ashore some time this evening. While it looks like our area will be sparred from the worst of the rain, parts of Galveston Island are already flooding and high winds (in excess of 40mph) are likely for the next day or so. Please take extra caution over the next 24 to 36 hours. Click the link below for the latest:

Latest from weather.com

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Surprise Guests

We noticed a bird decided to build a nest near the top of our pergola on the back porch where the jasmine is growing. The constant chirping and squeaking from the nest is a dead giveaway to the fact that its eggs have recently hatched. Upon investigation, it turns out that the  mamma hatched two baby chicks. We researched what type of bird it is, and it turns out we have a family of Northern Mockingbirds living by our back door- which happens to be the state bird of Texas. It has been a very cool and intimate experience watching the baby chicks grow from day to day. We even notice differences in their personalities. As long as we don't disturb them, the mother doesn't seem to mind us coming or going.

New Facebook Profile

We've decided to start a new Facebook profile as a companion to this Blogger page. We've been trying to avoid Facebook, but I know its easier for some folks to keep up with other people there; especially if they already have a profile and they're simply scrolling through their newsfeed. You can click on the link below and add us, or simply keep visiting this page.

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Subjugation of Women

I’ve noticed that as the years go by I am exposed to more and more people who, for one reason
or another, seem to cling to the idea that it is correct to subjugate women. One area that this is especially evident is the idea that women are less than and are somehow unable to do or are unfit for certain roles and responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. I first encountered this type of mindset talking with a coworker one day. “My daughter needs to leave her church!” they told me. Intrigued, I asked, “Why?” “Because,” they told me, “they’re letting a woman speak during service! Next thing you know, they’ll take her good Christian church and throw it on its head!” Colorful metaphors aside, I’ve heard several people voice a similar opinion... read more.

New Plants In The Yard

Recently, we a big enough break in the rainy weather to finish adding plants to our backyard. After I finally finished cutting down the stump from the free we removed, it was time to spruce the area up. We added a Purple Magic Crape Myrtle (shown top), a Foxtail Palm (shown above) and two different colors of Oleanders. We also moved a variety of smaller plants. Although there's always more to do, it looks fantastic and everything is happy and growing in the locations we have picked out for them. The Pomegranate tree even decided it needed to make more fruit and is producing a 2nd round of flowers- the first time its ever done so.

The Hateful Letter

I was talking with somebody, and they asked that I post the hateful letter from my dad again.  Here is the link: the hateful letter.

I Glimpse Into My Heart

After putting my girls to bed, I thought of my love for them and how thankful I am for them. As I began to brush my hair before bed, I thought of the little freckle on Alexi's little face, and Alissa's small feet that she proudly likes me to kiss and how they make me smile. Looking at myself in the mirror, I wished I would have had someone to love me with that same kind of love when I was a child.

Easy Does It?

As I've written about before, we are removing a large tree from our backyard. What I haven't written is how big of a project it is turning out to be. Despite my somewhat undersized chainsaw, I finally got the last of the trunk cut up and drug out to the curbside to be picked up. This morning, I turned my attention to the stump. What makes this stump particularly difficult is that whenever our fence was built it was done so right over top of where the tree was growing. As a result, there's not much wiggle room to move a chainsaw around without taking a section of fence with it. I had to carefully carve out around the fence with a reciprocating saw. As I fought the stump into sections, I could definitely tell the intense Texas sun was shining today. The calendar says its another 3 weeks or so until the start of summer, but I'd have to disagree! As I finished up for the morning (with parts of the stump still intact, might I add) I began to feel a little dizzy. After I came inside and cleaned up and began making lunch, I started seeing spots. By the end of the meal, I had a headache, pains and a sensitivity to light. I slid off to bed, and that's where I stayed- I even called in sick to work. I'm always getting on to Atarah to drink more water when she's working out in the yard. After all, I tell her, dehydration is a serious matter. I know I was pushing it and tried to get done without taking a break; and I paid for it. Whatever you are outside this summer, don't repeat my mistake- make sure you and the ones your with have adequate shade, water and resources to be out in the sun.

Work Shoes

If someone asked me what my work shoes looked like, I doubt they'd expect my answer. Out of all the intensive work I've ever gotten done, the vast majority of it was in what seems to be my favorite work shoes: flip-flops. Don't get me wrong; I have a perfectly good pair of sneakers and work boots. I think my departure from normal work shoes stems from the spare of the moment way an idea will strike. We could be in the yard or store or anywhere for that matter, minding our own business and just like that inspiration will strike. I've textured a ceiling, dug countless holes, climbed trees and now even cut a tree down, all with the help of my trusty work shoe flip-flops. Its funny how some things work out, even if they don't seem like they would on the surface.

The Palm Tree That Isn't

As part of our ongoing project in the backyard, we decided to plant several palm trees. Palm trees grow vertically and require very little care once established, not to mention they provide an inviting and tropical look to almost any area. Not all palm trees are created equal, however, and we were surprised just how different some are. While digging around online, I saw a website that said something along the lines of, “Watch out for fake palm trees!” and had a picture of, among other plants, a Sago palm much like the one we have out front. Confused, I investigated further- after all, palm is right in the plant's name! As it turns out, a Sago palm is indeed not a palm. A Sago palm tree is part of the Cycas plant species, and although visually quite similar, the only thing a palm tree and a cycas plant have in common is that they both come from seeds. Even though I was at first a little disappointed, it turns out that growing a cycas tree is like growing a little part of history- fossil records show the Sago palm dating back to the early Permian period, 280 million years ago, while some species go back all the way to the late Carboniferous period; that's roughly 325 million years old and is much older than dinosaurs! In addition, each plant can take 100 years to reach full size and some individual specimens are well over 1,00 years old. So, while our Sago palm tree really isn't, it is a very cool look at what trees used to be many millennia ago.

Learning Hebrew

Learning Hebrew with Atarah Shalom, Published June 2016 is available online.

Blue Java banana tree

We made the decision to finally buy a banana tree and although there are many types available, we didn't want some monster tree taking over the yard nor did we want a run-of-the-mill Cavendish (which is the type of banana that you can buy literally everywhere). We researched and researched and set out to find one of the few varieties we deemed appropriate. Braving the wind and the rain, we finally found what we were looking for. We settled on a Blue Java banana tree, more commonly know as the “Ice Cream” banana tree. The blue part of the name refers to the silvery-blue color of the bananas as they ripen, and the ice cream part refers to the white flesh of the fruit and the vanilla ice cream like taste and texture of the ripe banana. The plant grows quickly to a full grown size of 8-10' and produces lots and lots of fruit. We are excited to see what happens with this strange and interesting banana tree!

Midnight Marvel Hibiscus

This is a picture of our Midnight Marvel Hibiscus. If you are one of the few who were able to purchase one of these when they were available, you may be interested to know what's happened with ours. Earlier this spring, we noticed the plant was having some difficulty growing, which is highly unusual for Hibiscus in this area (we have 12 of them, after all). After doing some digging online, we discovered that this species of Hibiscus has only been propagated since 2012 and is extremely rare and hard to come by. The leaves are supposed to be a deep purple color, but if you notice in this picture they are green tinged- this means the plant was not receiving enough UV from the sun. We just moved it to a much sunnier area, and although the plant has dramatically reduced in size, it also seems substantially happier and I'm happy to say is growing rather quickly.

What Does It Mean To Honor?

My dad recently said to me that I don't honor him. This made me wonder and ask myself, “What is honor?” “What does it mean to honor?”. It is also written that we are to “honor the Lord”. In Hebrew, “honor” is the word “כָּבַד / kavad” which means “to carry weight, to weigh in”. This denotes value and a place of priority.

As parents we should be people who are worthy of this honor. We should be respectable, God fearing parents that reflect God and His Words. If we are not doing this, there is no reason for our words to carry weight in our child’s life, especially once they are grown.