A brand new week greets me this morning and it is a cloudy day with showers predicted off and on for the day. Last week's funeral is over and this week Ms. Kate and I need to finish the job of clearing out mother's apartment. Much of the work has been done through the efforts of my family and my sister and her family. But they have all gone back home and back to their jobs, so, Ms. Kate and I will have to figure out what to do with the rest of this stuff. Anybody need a couch?  Actually, I think we have a plan but this rain will delay moving stuff, and we need to be out of there by the end of the month.

This past week has been an emotional week all around and my thoughts and emotions ran the entire spectrum from thoughts and words of anger to the warmth and hugs and words of support and love. I'm not proud of some things and I'm happy with others. Being human --- is exhausting. The one constant that has leveled the week has been prayer. God has heard a lot of those this week from both me and Ms. Kate. It was prayer that brought light to my dark heart when needed, and it was the prayers of our faith family that provided comfort as we numbed our way through the details that always accompany loss. I have said for years that the worst part of death is what it does to those who are still living.

Today God's demonstration of glory and love comes in the form of the beautiful azaelias blooming in our yard. I think we have around thirty with colors that range from pink to red, towhite. The great thing is that they don't all bloom at once. Most of our plants are well establshed and large and they have a massive bloom count. Right now it is the pink ones that are in full bloom and contrasted with the brilliant white bloom of the dogwood trees makes for a beautiful view out of the sunporch.

I think the season's weather has finally reached the point where I can set all of the potted plants out of the sunporch and back on the patio. This would probably be a good day because it isn't a bright sunny day and they can get acclimated to the outside again and not get sunburned. I'll bet I also have a bunch of asparagus out there needing cutting. Ms. Kate fixes a dish of pasta, usually spaghetti noodles, with fresh asparagus and shrimp that will make your tongue fall right out of your mouth. It is marvelous. Last evening, neighbor Dan brought over a pan of freshly made spring rolls that his wife Minh had made. They thought we might want a snack! She makes the best spring rolls we've ever had. Those folks are just another example of the blessings God has put in my life.

It is time to give my thanks to God once again. I saw a quote the other day that said; "If the only prayer you say today is 'Thank you, that is sufficient". I like that. Have a blessed day.