BUMC Boston Butt Bonanza...Slim Pickens

There's still time to order, but don't wait too long...it may be Slim Pickens.

Slim Pickens - American Actor

 

Once again, we are having our semi-annual Boston Butt Bonanza (bigger and better) and this is a wonderful time to let someone else do the cookin'.

In fact, these wonderful cuts of pork, smoked and prepared by Award Winning Smokers -  DOKO Smoke BBQ - will be available just in time for Easter.

The Easter Bunny is so thankful not to be a part of your holiday plans and doesn't mind you pigging out otherwise.

For our spring fundraiser, we usually make pick-up available on Good Friday, butt for reasons outside of our control, we are doing so a week earlier. You don't need to freeze your butt for Easter - just toss it in the fridge.

Get creative! You can freeze your butt off (in the freezer) and feed your family and friends later, host a party or have some bona fide pulled pork for your next picnic.

No ifs, ands; just butts - one of the best butts you'll ever get your hands on.

The Butt: A cooked-weight of approximately seven (7) pounds of shapely deliciousness, packaged in tin foil...Only $40.00.

If you run out of ideas (silly thought) for what to do with your Boston Butt, you can always leave a few pounds for making Chalupas.

If you are not a fan of Boston Butt or still have some hanging out in your freezer, you can always designate your purchase to go to Epworth Children's Home. They are nothing, butt fans.

Proceeds go to church and community projects including funding for Family Promise (hosting homeless families once per quarter), sponsoring and volunteering for the National Prayer Line the first Saturday of each month and funding for Sheriff Leon Lott's Elder Watch Program.

Tickets are now on sale through April 4 at the Bethel United Methodist Church office Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The church is located at 4600 Daniel Drive in Forest Acres.

OR, you can use the purchase feature below and select as many butts as you can handle.

Please enter Epworth if purchase is for Epworth Children's Home.

Pick-up for the Boston Butts will be between 4PM to 7PM Friday, April 11 - in time for Easter. Pick-up will be in the rear parking lot, off Willingham Drive.

Linebacker Distylium: A Wonderful Screen Shrub

Linebacker Distylium

I love Distyliums as they are such a versatile, low-maintenance and attractive shrub.

I have planted and/or pruned all the most common Distyliums; yet, I only recently became familiar with this one, the Linebacker.

Many property owners find the need for a screen between themselves and neighbors, traffic, a commercial property, an eyesore or simply for some privacy.

The linebacker offers the solution with little mess and maintenance.

And, he is a tough one - no known pest or disease issues and virtually drought tolerant once established.

This a wonderful alternative to Cherry Laurel, Arborvitae, and definitely Red Tips and Leyland Cypress, among many other troublesome screening plants.

Its new foliage transitions from red to deep green while it also produces tiny red flowers during late winter or early spring.

If you need a little defense from your adjacent surroundings, the Linebacker may be your perfect player in the right position.

Yes, we can design a layout and install these for you. So please call me, Doug, at 803-553-5757, if need be.

God, You and Me

God’s breath, he breathed in thee.

 

The trees swayed

 

The birds sang

 

God’s son, he lived and died for thee.

 

The sun shone

 

The streams, they flowed.

 

God’s child, you and me.

 

The flowers bloomed

 

In soil turned by you and me.

 

God grows it all with grace and glory

 

As, with you and me.

 

Thus, let it be.

 

Amen.

Bethel United Methodist Church Boston Butt Bonanza

The title is a mouthful, butt not as delicious as our Boston Butts.

 

Once again, we are having our semi-annual Boston Butt Bonanza (bigger and better) and this is a wonderful time to let someone else do the cookin'.

In fact, these wonderful cuts of pork, smoked and prepared by Award Winning Smokers -  DOKO Smoke BBQ - will be available just in time for Easter.

The Easter Bunny is so thankful not to be a part of your holiday plans and doesn't mind you pigging out otherwise.

For our spring fundraiser, we usually make pick-up available on Good Friday, butt for reasons outside of our control, we are doing so a week earlier. You don't need to freeze your butt for Easter - just toss it in the fridge.

Get creative! You can freeze your butt off (in the freezer) and feed your family and friends later, host a party or have some bona fide pulled pork for your next picnic.

No ifs, ands; just butts - one of the best butts you'll ever get your hands on.

The Butt: A cooked-weight of approximately seven (7) pounds of shapely deliciousness, packaged in tin foil...Only $40.00.

If you run out of ideas (silly thought) for what to do with your Boston Butt, you can always leave a few pounds for making Chalupas.

If you are not a fan of Boston Butt or still have some hanging out in your freezer, you can always designate your purchase to go to Epworth Children's Home. They are nothing, butt fans.

Proceeds go to church and community projects including funding for Family Promise (hosting homeless families once per quarter), sponsoring and volunteering for the National Prayer Line the first Saturday of each month and funding for Sheriff Leon Lott's Elder Watch Program.

Tickets are now on sale through April 4 at the Bethel United Methodist Church office Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The church is located at 4600 Daniel Drive in Forest Acres.

OR, you can use the purchase feature below and select as many butts as you can handle.

Please enter Epworth if purchase is for Epworth Children's Home.

Pick-up for the Boston Butts will be between 4PM to 7PM Friday, April 11 - in time for Easter. Pick-up will be in the rear parking lot, off Willingham Drive.

IMPORTANT! If you use the on-line purchase feature above, please print and bring your receipt when picking up as this will serve as your ticket. Another receipt will come from dingbretsen@gmail.com, so please check your e-mail spam or junk folder if you don't shortly find this in your in-box.

Please contact Doug at 803-553-5757 if you have any questions or difficulty ordering.

Thank you, very much!

K N O W I N G,  L O V I N G,  S E R V I N G

Plant of Interest - Distylium

 

Blue Cascade Distylium

Winter is an opportune time, as a homeowner, to consider new or different plants to install on your property in the coming season.

The following, in a series of articles, is to introduce you to a few plants of interest, perhaps ones for which you are unfamiliar.

The Distylium is an evergreen, low-maintenance, more open-format shrub which serves as a wonderful alternative or replacement for boxwoods, laurels, hollies, indian hawthorns, just to name a few.

Depending on species, a Distylium can be used as a foundation bed plant, a screen, a specimen plant, in an island plant bed, around a mailbox, or elsewhere. They possess varying mature heights and widths so you have great flexibility for placement.

Typically, the name of a Distylium lends itself to a tint of color the foliage will have as it develops new leaves or perhaps longer. All have very small reddish-maroon flowers which usually appear in late winter to early spring.

The rarely need pruning except to perhaps reduce height or prevent encroaching upon another plant or structure. Or, you can install a mass planting and simply allow them to grow into one another.

These need to be hand pruned properly. DO NOT take hedgers or trimmers to them to cut them back, reduce their size or shape them. The resulting mess will not resemble the original beautiful plant. I have rehabbed many whereas the homeowner or their lawn service decided to make little round shapes out of them. If anything, leave them alone.

I am providing a link which provides more detail on several Distyliums, but there are a few more which will suit most any application.

In recent years I have installed Cinnamon Girl, Blue Cascade, Vintage Jade and Emerald Heights Distyliums with great success.

You can learn more at https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/distyliums/.

If you are considering creating a new plant bed, restoring an existing one or simply placing a few new plants on your property, please contact me, Doug, at 803-553-5757. 

We can begin planning and/or establishing new plant beds now to get a jump on the Spring rush.

Flourish

I stumbled upon this gorgeous plant the other day.

Doing so was not so unusual; yet, something was amiss.

The location, the dense clay soil, the lack of true sunlight and near-drought conditions bode not well for this beautiful creation of nature.

She was surrounded by struggling grasses of yellowing and brown blades.

Yet, she was thriving, beautiful, flourishing.

Taken aback, I considered her unyielding environ, the struggle to survive. Perhaps she endured all the consequences, the adversity and still chose to flourish, regardless - her fortitude.

For then, I began to remember and cherish all the family, friends and acquaintances whom have occupied my life.

Those who have endured, overcome and flourished among harsh conditions - the unsettled foundations, lack of love or care, droughts of praise and confidence. Me included, along with many, many others.

Many were astray spiritually and emotionally by evaluation and admittance, their own, not mine, nor anyone else's. Often such circumstances beget the fortitude to flourish.

Fortitude can be a taught, learned or experienced leverage of positive living often shared by those who once lacked the same along their way.

While fortitude usually deals with overcoming adversity, with hope and visualization, we may begin to flourish.

Share.

The preceding was inspired by a church men's club meeting I attended this morning, at which a member recounted his experiences and feelings from a retreat he attended recently whereas other men were brought together to discuss their experiences, emotions and so many other thoughts regarding the abuse they received as children.

We all deeply thanked the member, who is a wonderful person and dedicated member of our church, for sharing this experience. He has, or is, overcoming so much.

Fortitude is not a gift. I wish it were. 

Plant of Interest - Lady Banks Rose

 

Lady Banks Rose - Rehabbed

Winter is an opportune time, as a homeowner, to consider new or different plants to install on your property in the coming season.

The following, in a series of articles, is to introduce you to a few plants of interest, perhaps ones for which you are unfamiliar.

The Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea') is a vigorous, thornless, climbing rose plant with deep green foliage on slender branches.

Its miniature yellow double blooms have a slight fragrance offered through spring, summer and perhaps early fall here in the Midlands of South Carolina, where it also tends to be an evergreen.

I have installed, pruned and even rehabbed many Lady Banks Roses. Examples are provided below.

Parameters:

Sunlight: 6+ Hours

Size: 15 to 20  feet tall; width will vary based on support and training (see below) and pruning

Growth Rate: Fast

The Lady Banks will require support such as a trellis, an arbor or other structure.

Applications: Screen, specimen plant, espalier, exterior wall cover.

If you are considering creating a new plant bed, restoring an existing one or simply placing a few new plants on your property, please contact me, Doug, at 803-553-5757. 

We can begin planning and/or establishing new plant beds now to get a jump on the Spring rush.

Lady Banks Rose - Rehabbed

The following images, as well as the one above, are of Lady Banks Roses, at my church, whereas the philosophy (not mine) was to flat-top most every shrub, regardless of species, to a certain height. One will not recognize a Lady Banks Rose, of any maturity, at three feet tall.

I demanded no further trimming of the Lady Banks Roses and installed trellises to train them to.

You may notice the dense lower growth as this is what they were subjected to for many years. In a few seasons, along with my pruning, they will be more gorgeous (more natural) than they are right now.

A properly trained and pruned Lady Banks Rose should possess a vase shape with cascading branches of many wonderfully yellow petite flowers.

Lady Banks Rose - Rehabbed

Lady Banks Rose - Rehabbed