Transparent Christian Magazine

“At dawn the wind came that took Freddie from his branch. It didn’t hurt at all. He felt himself float quietly, gently and softly downward. As he fell, he saw the whole tree for the first time. How strong and firm it was! He was sure that it would live for a long time and he knew that he had been part of it’s life and it made him proud.” ~from “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf”, by Leo Buscaglia~

With today’s economic outlook, I’ve been researching ways to save money. One of my biggest expenses is feeding my two athletic, teenaged boys. So I’m going to get rid of my above ground swimming pool (first contact can come get it) and replace it with a small garden.

Although I’m a country girl, raised on a farm, it’s been years since I dabbled in the actual planning and preparation of a vegetable garden, so I decided to do a little research and what I learned amazed me. I’d like to share it with you here.

How to make dirt:
Create a bin or pile area: The typical minimum space, should be 1 cubic meter (3 feet wide, deep
and long). It should be large and deep enough, that the center is well insulated.

Ingredients:
A: Browns = Dried, dead materials, such as leaves and fallen branches, that will help create
pockets of air.
B: Greens = Fresh cut grass clippings, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and fresh
manure (if accessible). This will provide moisture and protein for aerobic microbes (good
microbes) to live and make your scraps into compost and then rich dirt.
C: Air = Your compost pile needs air, to cut down on the anaerobic microbes (bad microbes) that
will slow the decomposition rate and cause it to smell like rotting garbage. Turn or mix your pile
often, to fluff it and keep it from compacting.
D: Water = Your compost should be moist, like a wrung-out sponge. If it’s too wet, it will mat
or compact down and push out all the necessary air. If it’s too dry, it will slow down or even
stop the decomposition

Temperature:
Compost will fall dormant when the temperature falls below 50 degrees, but don’t worry, as soon as spring comes your pile will reactivate itself.

When is my dirt ready to use?:
There is no single point when your compost is finished becoming dirt. However, it’s at its richest when it’s dark with nutrients, smells like “earth” and the ingredients are not discernible.

How can I use my dirt?:
A: Soil Amendment = Incorporate your rich dirt into existing soil, to improve the quality.
B: Mulch = Scatter your rich dirt around garden plants and landscaping. It will protect the
existing soil from erosion and conserve water. It will also shield the soil from the drying
affects of the wind and sun.
C: Tea = By combining equal parts of your rich dirt and water, and then allowing it to sit for a
while, you’ll create a “quick boost” tea for ailing plants. Any mucky dreg left in your tea
container can be reintroduced to your dirt pile or used as mulch.

I had done several weeks of “research” and was making a list of vegetables and other preparations for my spring garden and remembered that I had this really awesome project book in the trunk of my car. So while digging through all the crap one strange mom would keep in the trunk of her car, I found a book, “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf”, by Leo Buscaglia. I stood, staring at it in tears. I slowly reached in and retrieved the book and the events of the summer of 2005 came back to me in a flash.

This book was handed to me, with a sheet of typing paper sticking out of the top, at my father’s memorial service. I had been successful at holding up a front of indifference to all the people in attendance, but when my sister asked me if I would mind reading her chosen excerpt, at an appointed time during the service, my knees became unsteady and I found it difficult to breathe. I nodded my head yes and slowly sank into a seat, where I stared at the book until I could breathe again… I knew I needed to read the excerpt before I stood before the masses, but I was scared to death.

Everything makes me cry, but I refused to let my father win this battle… I would not cry for that man. I calmed myself and quietly slipped into the bathroom and locked the door. I figured if I only read her chosen words, maybe I could stave off the tears… boy was I wrong and I read the entire book, sitting there on the closed toilet. No one knocked on the door, no one asked where I had vanished to…

I was left to experience and deal with this alone. Nearly an hour later, I stood at the podium, in front of my father’s friends, family and acquaintances, my body shaking so violently I had to grasp it firmly to keep from collapsing behind it. I began to read, I had to stop several times to clear my vision or control my sobs… I didn’t dare try to make eye contact with a single soul.

I closed my trunk, forgetting why I had been digging around in there in the first place, opened the passenger door and locked myself inside… For the second time, I sat, alone and read this sweet little book. I realized that making dirt was a lot like living life.

How to BE dirt:
You are the bin: Keep your heart open. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that if you close your eyes, it will all go away.

Ingredients:
A: Browns = Learn from your past, cherish it, share it.
B: Greens = Get out, seek the unknown, live and gain a better understanding of who you are and
what God has to offer.
C: Air = Turn all your worries over to God and breath. It will be o.k.
D: Water = Be an example outside of your Christian family. It’s the non-believing co-worker that
needs to see how faithful and God-like you are, not your Sunday school teacher.

Temperature:
Keep an open mind, warm heart and welcoming attitude; you never know
when God will call upon you to give more than you think you have. If you
ever walk away from God, He will not walk away from you, He’ll be there,
with open arms, when you remember His name.

When will I be dirt:
Even before you were aware of yourself, you were influencing someone’s life.
Long after God extends his hand to guide you home, you’ll be influencing
someone’s life. You will never know all there is to know about life, but with
all the key elements, you will be rich in this one and beyond.

I’m dirt, now what?:
A: Soil Amendment = Mingle with the non-believers, volunteer with a non-
profit organization, such as Big Brothers/Sisters, get involved with your
church youth group, feed the homeless, be a witness, be yourself and enrich
the lives of others.
B: Mulch = The bible and the word of God are a sword and shield, read it,
study it, go there when you’re feeling week.
C: Tea = With patience, wisdom, and prayer, give of yourself… a shoulder,
a meal, a resting place, maybe even your last dollar to those in need.
Share God and his gift of dirt with all you meet.

“Freddie landed on a clump of snow. It somehow felt soft and even warm. In this new position he was more comfortable than he had ever been. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. He did not know that spring would follow winter and that the snow would melt into water. He did not know that what appeared to be his useless dried self would join with the water and serve to make the tree stronger. Most of all, he did not know that there, asleep in the tree and the ground, were already plans for new leaves in the spring.” ~from “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf”, by Leo Buscaglia~

I pray that long after I’m gone, the dirt of me still lingers and enriches the soil and the seedlings of spring prosper and become rich in their own dirt.

~Sheila Rippy