Why You Don’t Advance in Prayer Consistency, Sacrifice, and Beating Distractions ~ Fr Ripperger (video title)

Dill, rhubarb, and peas... gardening update

The garden has been coming into production.

After only three weeks since the last picking!
All this is from one rhubarb plant.

The rhubarb started in late May already, once the flowering waned. I learned that the flowers have to be pulled out by the base or they hinder stalk production. The plant I kept after pulling out two others a couple of years ago is like a weed, and, unfortunately, the aphids and grasshoppers love it when I don't thin it often enough. Every three weeks is too long between pickings for this thing. I'm the only one in the house that likes rhubarb treats, so one is enough. Even with this plant, I'm often sharing with people I know who like it. I hate to waste too much and already toss out many thin stalks just to thin this monstrous plant.

The peas are slowing production, nearing the end of their cycle. I've picked and shelled over 20 cups worth that have been packed and frozen in single-serve snack bags (since I'm the only one in our house that likes peas). Never mind what I've eaten over the past week. I'm pea'd out. You can get sick of fresh-from-the-garden peas.

Never mind the dill. As long as I keep the bindweed off that, it flourishes. I picked and cut two stalks this morning and, from those alone, have way more dill for a friend than she could possibly use. There's still more than we need for pickles growing. And the dill is starting to seed, so that'll reseed for spring.

Green onions I had planted last summer in the raised bed from seeds never grew sufficiently then but came back this year as full onions and have also gone to seed, so I've been collecting those seeds for next year. It would seem green onions (and probably all onions) require two years for full development from seeds, but I could be wrong. That's just my experience with onions.

Hubby's pepper plants are starting to produce. A couple plants started early, but the rest are blooming now also.

Cucumbers have started producing. Only one plant came up this year, so I don't know if we'll have enough to give away like we usually do.

And the corn is tassled out. The ears should be ready for picking by early September. We'll cook and freeze like we usually do, after enjoying some corn on the cob.

I can't leave out the grapes! We'll have more grapes this year than we could possibly eat. It's unfortunate that they're so small and the seeds take up so much of the fruit. Otherwise, I'd probably have enough to make jelly/jam (need to learn how). We just have to watch for the sphinx moth larva--big ugly things that would destroy the plants.

I'm updating all this because this morning, before the heat wave of the day sets in, I came home from mass (church) and went right to the garden to pick dill, rhubarb, and peas. The rhubarb is cleaned and drying before I cut and freeze it all; and the peas picked this morning are next, to be shelled and frozen with the rest. It's only been a week since I picked the first peas, and the plants are already slowing production.

It's already been a productive year for our garden, but our pumpkin plant appears to not want to grow this year. Not much we can do about it now. We'll be all right, though. We still have pureed pumpkin from last year in the freezer.

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Last of all, Book 24 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds has just the few short scenes left outside the main characters, about one chapter's worth of writing. I will finish in the next week and then start editing Book 22. 

God bless!

Father Ripperger - A Demon Told This Exorcist: "It's How I Took Your Government Out" | SRS #324 (video title)

E.L.F. Founder on Giving Up Fortune to Become a Priest (Fr. Scott-Vincent Borba) | Ep. 588 (video title)

Forgotten Worlds book 24 update

Nearly there!

Book 24 is past the climax, if you can call it that. The whole book is like a build up to Book 25, so the climax in this feels small by comparison to what I have planned for 25, a bit like they need to be taken together as one book split into two but each does have their respective arcs.

All that said, book 24 is over 45K words and I have just a couple short scenes and the end of the current scene to finish. I should be within 3,000 words of the end, but I won't know until it's done done. One way or another, I intend to keep this first draft under 50K words.

Whatever comes, the main story is done and I'm in the denouement and stinger lead into book 25 (as if this whole series hasn't been that, but when the time comes, you'll understand... it's a doozy!)

It will be done by the end of July and I can finally start editing Book 22 for a planned early September release (barring any interruptions).

I can't believe I'm so close to the end.

Stay tuned and keep reading!

Jesus Revealed to St. Bridget Why He Allows Evil People to Prosper (video title)

The Papacy, Mary, and MORE with Keith Nester (video title)

Getting closer

It would seem that I had been overly optimistic about finishing Forgotten Worlds Book 24 by the end of June. However, It will be finished by the end of this month.

The first draft is at 42K words right now with just a handful of short scenes left. This whole book is a series of short scenes, but it has a lot going on. The pacing isn't what it was in the previous book, but it's setting up for the final book. This book is a little bit of the calm before the storm.

It has conflict, but not in the same way as the other books in the series.

I could say it's different, but each book in this series is unique in its own way. There is no formula to these except that they're each different, because I hate series books all following a formula.

I estimate only about 4-5K left for word count on this, or about two regular-length chapters, although it could be less.

We're halfway through July. If everything stays steady, I will definitely finish by the end of this month. That means Book 22 editing would take place during August, possibly into September, with a September publishing date likely. After that, it would be time to write the final book.

I can't believe it's nearly complete.

I hope you're enjoying it. The best is yet to come!

Thanks for reading!

Answering More Criticisms of St. Faustina & Divine Mercy: Explaining the Faith with Fr. Chris Alar (video title)

A new book platform... only for "based" books

I consider my books based, because I don't support the modern ideologies and will not pander to them in my art. It's why I've been participating in the Based Book Sales.

My books are written for people who just want to enjoy what they're reading "without unwanted surprises", as the new book platform states. I can't even watch TV or movies anymore because of the nuisance ideologies shoved into them. I want entertainment that at least doesn't offend our Lord. That's hard to find.

Now, there's a book platform that curates the books to keep out the riff-raff.

You can find it on the links in the sidebar of my blog.

But if you're reading a feed of this, the link is spotlightonindie.com. Check it out today!

ps--the BBS Substack is not affiliated with spotlightonindie.com, except that both serve the same readers and authors.