Ta-daaaaaa! We picked our first three tomatoes yesterday. Okay, so you have tomatoes already from your garden --- but that first tomatoe is just the best. As Martha Stewart would say; "Its a good thing."

The storms rolled through last evening. We were still up when they first began; I sat here in the sunporch and watched them and listened to them. I don't know yet how much rain we got from that round. I went to bed and never heard another rumble. I do sleep the sleep of the dead so it was probably hard for Ms. Kate to tell the difference between thunder and my snoring. Right now it is 72 degrees and a little overcast. This afternoon the cold front is to roll through and bring some much bigger storms. Hopefully they won't be as bad as predicted.

Ms. Kate and I went to the churches yesterday and did our office work. First we went to do our visitation at the nursing homes. I think I'm actually caught up with everything I need to do before we go on vacation. We came home to find neighbor Dan had come over and mowed my yard. He thought  we might be on vacation, bless his heart. I had planned to do the mowing today but I woud have been on the John Deere; he has a walk-behind. Of course, I have to use a walk-behind in my back yard because my John Deere won't fit through the gate. I felt for Dan though because the heat index was about 102 and he should not have been out there doing that.

I need to fill feeders again this morning.The birds and the squirrels have fairly well depleted the sunflower seed feeders. Right now every feeder has either several birds or a squirrel on it. I guess they feel the storms comiing in too. At the moment most of my birds are finches and sparrows and a couple of nuthatches; although they mainly stick to running up and down the trees and eating whatever it is they look for there. I'm about forty minutes early for the cardinals to come in. Perhaps I should actuaally let them finish emptying the feeders and then fill them tomorrw after the storms are done. That way I don't have seed getting wet and sprouting on in the feeders.

So, --- it is Friday, my day off; mywork is caught up; --- what to do today. I might just pull out my new Stephen King novel and read some of that. Or, I might sit and play my keyboard for awhile. I always find that relaxing to do. I could do some sermon work to get ahead; but as I said --- it is Friday and my day off. Ms. Kate says I am a work-a-holic and I guess I am or I wouldn't be thinking about what to write in my next sermon  which isn't until July 19th. Max Lucado wrote yesterrday that God created the world in six days and then God took a break --- and the world didn't fall apart because He did. His point was that you and I, not only can, but need to take a break too. As Ms. Kate says; I tend to let work consume me and I need to quit doing that. That is why may last attempt at retirement "failed".

Julie made it back from her conference safely and I offer up praise to God this morning for that. I also offer up thanks that more people weren't hurt during the violent storms that rolled through the upper mid-west this week. Homes were blown apart but people were fine.

I think, I will go pour another cup of coffee and watch my birds yet for awhile and watch the squirrels chase one another all over the yard. Have a great Friday and a relaxing weekend. God loves you and so do I.