Week 2, Day 14. Hydroponics

 So it’s been 2 weeks since my last picture.  I originally wanted to do weekly pictures to see updates, but I missed last weekend due to some family sickness.  I was asked to come to the kitchen today due to the garden alerting me for attention.  The garden will alert when it needs water, or plant food.  That’s a perfect time to update my progress.  

This is 2 weeks, to the day of the start of the garden.  Everything at this point has sprouted.  The Thai Basil has the most growth.  I’ve also discovered that my cat can remove the pods from their base.  I have made a make-shift ‘greenhouse’ with some Glade Press N’ Seal.  It keeps the cats out, and the base is enclosed in it’s own little ‘house.’

It makes it nice that this whole set up is fairly low maintenance because like this, I can just cover it and let it do it’s thing. 

Luigi's Mansion 3

 With all the Mario games available, I don't think Luigi gets enough love.  I knew I wanted to play this game, and I've seen the others on the DS, which I may purchase at some point.  I received a gift card for my birthday a while back and for the black Friday deals, this was on sale with all the DLC.

It's a very enjoyable game.  I enjoy having to complete puzzles and challenges, rather than just a straight-up tank and spank all that there is.  This has a little of both of them.  Now, again, I'm not all that familiar with the previous versions, knowing there would be the "same" thing - but for the Switch, I take it for what it is.

Currently about 3.5 hours into the game, I have completed 5 floors.  (I think?)  It's either 4-5, but I'm pretty sure it's 5.  

Hydroponics

So this week the Christmas gifts started flooding in.  My mother alerted me that our gifts would be arriving this weekend.  Not knowing what in the world she would be sending - perishable or not - I was going to open them anyway just to be prepared.  What actually happened was the package wasn't in any other box but the manufacturing one it came in.  So from the packaging alone, I could see what it was:  AeroGarden!  Ta Da!

I've known about hydroponics for a while.  What this is, this is a tank with a filter in the main base of the unit.  On top, there are holes for the seed pods to sit in.  In AeroGarden official pods, like the ones I have in the base, will be labeled on which plants they are.  I believe I have: Mint, Thai Parsley, Parsley, Thyme, Basil, and Dill.

You put the plant food in the water, the base has a fill-water line and you place the pods in the wholes.  Simply place the lids on top of the pods, creating mini greenhouses for each sproutling.  The lights at the bottom will indicate what is needed.  Blinking red for either food, water, or (in my case), auto-timing the full-spectrum lights on a 16-hour timer.  The lights automatically come on at 6am, and for me, shutting off again around 10pm. 

The only thing I need to do is just watch the indicators and tend to them as needed.  According to everything I've been seeing online, people have been able to harvest from the plants.  I plan to take weekly pictures, documenting the growth.  This was taken shortly after set up.

Unfortunately, my cats can lift the pods out of their holes.  So, what I've done is wrapped the unit in a cling wrap, in essence making a whole greenhouse!

Hopefully, I will update with growth as time goes on!

 

Silence.

   Over the course of the last few years of my life, I would like to think my faith has grown stronger than ever.  In fact, I know it has.  I've pretty much had a strong faith from the beginning, just with growth, I've become more assured in what I know I need to do as a Christian.  I may not know the Bible by heart, but I study it until I understand what it is I'm meant to know.  I may not know 100% of the things 100% of the time, but I'm willing to adjust, learn and keep my mind and heart focused on all that is Godly.

  We, as a family, have found a home in a small, local, church that is within our community.  The people are like family we grew to become welcome within this Church.  Soon with Covid and everything that is the pandemic things vital that were the pandemic, the Church changed.  Not so much so fast at the beginning but the Pastor and his family sought to move on to another chapter in their life.  We welcomed the new Pastor and his family within the congregation with open arms.  Soon then, things changed again too, but that was to be expected.  With new leadership.

  Fast-forward over the years and the Pastor and his family have built a strong family that is mine within the faith itself.  There were some things, at the start of new leadership I did notice but decided to overlook being these were new people and maybe I just didn't know them very well.  Things began to get progressively more ... noticeable but in a 'joking' ha-ha sort of way.  Again, was that just them?  Just a joke?  Ok, whatever.

  Move to the most recent turn of events that have led me and my family to see things in a new light.  I want to stress that I made myself physically sick over this.  I wanted to be without doubt and 100% certain this was biblical and not evil thinking.  I mean, I've chalked most of my thoughts previously to 'gossip' and 'evil thoughts.'  But every time I prayed on this, I got no answer.  I didn't understand it.  There was silence.  Silence from God, silence from what it was I needed to study, and silence from anything leading me to anything providing me any shred of doubt to my thoughts.  And, with each passing day, things progressively got worse as the receiving end to this situation.  I am choosing not to use names, or specific events here out of respect.  If our thoughts are correct, things will be revealed in due time.  The truth always comes to light.  And it wasn't like they ever 'changed' who they were.  I think it was more they tried really hard to hide it from everyone and now... because of how close my family has become- they slipped up.

  Let me be clear, I don't think any laws have been broken here.  There is no danger there.  I'm not 100% knowledgeable in the ladder that is the command within a Church.  I know our Church has an overseeing "team."  But what I don't know is if any of this blatant lack of ... desire to... To quote Paul, in 1 Timothy: 5 You must teach people to have genuine love, as well as a good conscience and true faith. 6 There are some who have given up these for nothing but empty talk. (CEV) And, when I think about it... I can't remember a sermon that has been fitting for me, biblically.  Usually, there would be at least SOMETHING over the few months that I would get full body chills, cry, SOMETHING.  Nothing.  I mean, they were good messages.  But like Timothy said, they're just ... Empty.  Does that mean what they teach on Sundays is the problem?  No, that's not the event.  But in revelation I have concluded in addition to the light revealed, this too is something I noticed.  There'd be Sunday's my husband or myself couldn't talk enough about the service.  That hasn't happened in a VERY.  Long.  Time.  

   This morning I was again reflecting on my headspace and the drama that had unfolded.  "God, you gave tools to those who needed them.  Albeit odd, even a trumpet worked at one point.  You came to some as an object, letting them know what it is you wanted.  WHAT DO I HAVE?"  and then he told me.  I have my husband.  My husband whom, we came too close to losing at one point.  My husband, whom God made perfect for His need.  He has said what needed to be said, at the exact moment that needed to be said to initiate such drama.  And he could do it because he doesn't give any shit to what you think if it is true.  At that moment my headspace cleared and I was at peace.  God was near and He was letting me know I found the answer I needed.  It wasn't ill thought or 'gossip.'  And I finally was at peace.

   Because of the turn of events that have unfurled due to some actions... I have advised my husband not to continue to speak with them.  I will be Christianly if the need calls for it.  And if any discussion is absolutely without a doubt is needed, then a 3rd party must be present due to things that have been said to him.  They have shown us some ugly things to which I will not be allowed to use against us.  I already know, there will be a negative space to that which was our presence.  But if I know what to be true, it won't last long.

  There are wolves out there in sheep's clothing who may not know they're wolves and believe themselves to be sheep.  Or want you to believe they are sheep.  And they will retaliate and act just like any wild animal that's been cornered by the truth.  The only thing you can do is know your Bible, Know God and lead with a loving, biblical heart.  Anything else is false teaching.  

if it comes to light that I am dead wrong.  I'll eat my words and apologize, but the information that has been thus shared so far is not looking good for them.

Covid 2.0?

 So these past few weeks I’ve been plagued with something I immediately thought to be an upper respiratory infection.  It acts and feels like one.  In my 40 something years of living, I would like to think I know what an infection is.  But it seems like everyone around me is getting covid (again).  Could it be, just undiagnosed?  I was never fevered.  There were only a handful of days in my nonstop coughing fits, did I feel like I ‘couldn’t breathe.’  Even so, my Blood O2 levels were only 95-94 on the ox-meter.  So, I would argue, other than this lasting now 2.5 weeks, this is a laryngitis/bronchitis infection.  Maybe now, post covid, post pandemic, this is what life is?  Constantly monitoring health, “Just to make sure.”  Constantly monitoring, to avoid contamination.  Constantly monitoring, to just survive. 

I do agree that covid is likely here to stay.  And I also know that the strong will survive.  Our bodies will develop antibodies to make covid seem like the common cold.  It won’t happen over night.   But it will happen.  Then in 100 or so years, another super bug will come along and stupidity will grow overnight worse than the contamination of the bug itself.  Gotta love society.

Game Completion Update

 Over the last few months, I’ve gamed and completed quite a few games.  Let me list them below.  And by “Completed,” as always it’s usually entails the main storyline - credits.  Games that have casual play like Animal Crossing or Disney’s new Dreamlight Valley, have hours and hours of available game play but the story is long since completed.

1. Stray - One of my very first games played on a PS5.  Loved it, loved being able to accurately portray a feline and loved the post apocalyptic storyline.
2. Horizon Forbidden West.  - I’d be lying if I said I bought a PS5 for anything else.  I love this story and love this game.  I even got hubby to play the first game.  The 2nd one was intense.  Love the updated graphics.  Love the story and how it almost picked up right where it left off.  Also love, which I wasn’t expecting (spoilers to some?) a 3rd installment!
3. God of War - This is considered a freebie.  I wasn’t anticipating this game to play or otherwise, but it was on the PS monthly thing so why not.  Plus Ragnorok is coming in November.  The overall story was great!  Loved the alternative origins to Loki.
4. Disney Dreamlight Valley - This isn’t 100% beaten but it might as well be.  It’s an Animal Crossing like game where you play an important role in a kingdom that has long forgot why or what it was doing.  Through the help of some famous friends you regain memories and figure out what has happened.  The whole game isn’t out yet… so the overall ending - or beating the game - isn’t available.  My character is level 26/40 and has currently unlocked all the available areas for the moment to unlock.
5. Last of Us, Part 1. - Still playing through this one.  Though I pretty much already know the story from watching my son play the original game from PS3.  I’m just taking my time on this one, as games for this console are pretty expensive and I’d like to savor every cent I put in.

Games I will be completing or playing:

1. World of Warcraft - Dragonflight.  I just was invited to beta test the game.  So far without spoiling too much even for myself it’s enjoyable.
2. God of War, Ragnorok 
3. Legend of Zelda, Skyward Sword
4. Return to Monkey Island
5. And I’m sure there are others I’m not thinking about right now.  

I don’t exactly feel the greatest.  Ragweed is high and my head is pounding.  So for now, this is it and I’ll update or add to later.

Finally!

 I'll be completing my gaming post - I just successfully, finally ordered a PS5.  There are SO.  Many. Games I've wanted to play on it but haven't been able to as we've never had a newer PlayStation.  Thankfully through work, I was alerted to an opportunity to get one and jumped on it when given the chance.  It will be coming with 2 controllers AND Horizon Forbidden West (the second installment to a game I finally got to play on my computer and I absolutely love and beat.)  I also looked at the different options for PS Plus and I could gain some additional games all for a low monthly price.  (Again, games I've been wanting to play.)

I'm currently playing Breath of the Wild and having a fun time with that.  I'm not done with the game, but I'd say minus the DLC, I'm about 75-80% done.  I do have the DLC too, to complete.  My goal now will be to complete that before starting a new game.  I would also like to get Skyward Sword for the switch - but not really necessary as I do have it on the Wii.  I will say, I'm pretty set up on games until the end of the year.  

• Zelda - Breath of the Wild
• Zelda - Skyward Sword*
• Horizon - Forbidden West
• God of War
• Sackboy
• Stray
• Xenoblade 3* 
• Pokemon Violet
• This should be taking me to the end of the year which will end with World of Warcraft - Dragonflight.

* Denotes possible games to be obtained.

So yea, I now feel that my gaming setup is near completion, as I now have all the consoles and a nice gaming pc.  I should have no problem playing any game that I want to play.  Now if only I could retire now and spend the rest of my life gaming.  My husband would agree and would like to join me!