The song, "Listen to the Rythmn of the falling Rain" is running through my head this morning as I sit out here. We are getting a blessed soaking rain which we really needed. It has been six weeks since our last measureable rain. So I'm going to sit here for awhile and just enjoy the sound. We are forecasted to get around 1.75 inches. We can use every bit of it.

Being glad about the rain for today is good. I don't, however, want rain tomorrow. I'm supposed to load the truck with furniture tomorrow morning to take to Julie's new home. So, I'm  hoping the forecast continues to be right and all of this will be out of here by tonight. We are just so excited for her and Jim. We are taking over a four piece bedroom set that had belonged to my mother. It isn't a great set but will serve them well in their guest bedroom no more often than they will have overnight company. It was the only set my parents ever owned, I guess, which means they must have bought it around 1940 or so. We are also taking over a curio cabinet that I gave to Ms. Kate back around 1985 or so. The tradition of living with "Early Relative" furniture continues on for the Heumann family. When Ms. Kate and I got married, we owned not much and what we did have was 90% destroyed in a car accident on our way to our first base. We initially rented a furnished apartment. Then we rented a partially furnished house. We even used orange crates for chairs in our little kitchen for some time, and had borrowed furniture from friends we made out in Yreka, CA. When my parents came to visit, we borrowed a couple of beds from the little Air Force Detachment where I was stationed.  They were not amused nor were they particularly fond of sharing in our "adventure". I guess one's vision is limited when you are only "looking down your nose" at people and situations.

Ms. Kate and I got all of the potted plants cleaned up, trimmed up, and brought into the sunporch yesterday. It's good that we did since it is raining today and we not only would have had to do it in the rain, the pots would have been heavy as the dickens to carry. I suspect the only one of my critter that will mind is the wrens who love to get down among the leaves of the plants and root around for something. But, it does change my view until next spring when the last frost should be over.

Thursday, we'll wait at Julie's until Josh arrives from Massachussettes, hug his neck, and then hit the road for our vacation. We need to make Asheville, NC by Thursday evening. Then, by Friday afternoon we'll be in Goldsboro, NC for a weekend visit with Lisa and her family; more neck hugging time.

A few birds have ventured out now that the rain has temporarily subsided. Even a squirrel came out despite the rain. Food is food I reckon. We have a lot of last minute stuff to get done, not the least of which is packing our suitcases and loading up the car. We have several things that we will be dropping off to Lisa so the car is going to be full between here and North Carolina.

I'm sending up prayers this morning for all my loved ones and friends. And, I'm selfish enough to save prayer or two asking for safe passage for Ms. Kate and I as we travel these next two weeks. My blogging will be sporadic for the next couple of weeks but check in with me. You never know what kind of adventures we may have along the way. In the mean time; may God bless each of you and pour His love upon you. Have a blessed day.

It's a very quiet morning out here this morning. The sky is overcast and it is 63* at the moment; no wind, no squirrels, and no birds. All I hear is the cricket somewhere outside the door. Maybe last night's celestial event  has something to do with that. We had a "Super Moon" along with what is called a Blood Moon, and a full lunar eclipse. The last time those thing combined was in 1982 and the bext time will be 2033. Assuming I'm still alive, I'll be 88 years old and most likely just won't care.

I was up at 0630 for "the morning trip" and decided to come on out here and start my morning cup of coffee. Yellow cat came through  but didn't stay which is good. I've started trying to run it off using the hose to get it wet. It was doing fine here until it started trying to snatch birds off of the bird bath. I'm afraid it will end up breaking a fairly expensive glass bird bath. So, it violated the rules and I'm voting it off of the island.

I think we might bring in some of the potted plants today or tomorrow at the latest. We are going to be gone for two weeks and could end up having first frost while we are gone. Mid to late October is generally the time for that. It will be interesting to see what the winter will bring this year; and believe it or not, we are only 90 days from Christmas. Hmmmm; at this late date how do I convince Santa that I've been good this year?? This could be a problem.

It was a "thin day" at the church services yesterday. Between the corn harvest, the bean harvet, and the annual Susan G. Komen "Race For a Cure" we had a lot of pur folks out. However, I didn't mind because the farmers were doing God's work bringing in the harvest that God provided and the folks attending the race were doing their part for cancer research and theere-by doing something for others. And the race has a worship service offered to start the day out. So it's all good. Speaking of all good; --- our annual Operaton Christmas Child drive is really going well. We have collected three large boxes of stuff already and have half filled a couple more. We will fill our OCC Shoeboxes come mid November and turn them in. In the past we have filled as many as 77 shoeboxes from the combined parish. What a great thing that is and it is a wonderful misson project. This project fills millions of shoeboxes every year to give to children around the world.

As I close this morning, I'm sending prayers that Byron has a good day and that he and Sheila can have a good quality of life together for the time they have left. So, I ask for God's strength and comfort for them. We also have several other people on our prayer list with cancer and I lift them up with prayers for comfort and peace too. That's why yesterday's Race for the Cure was such an important event. I also lift you up and pray you will have a most wonderful day. Peace!

A cloudy, cool, and windy Saturday morning greets me today. We have a very slight chance of getting a small amout of rain but not enough to talk about or measure. We could certainly use some rain but I suspect our farmers are jumping for joy because they are having perfect harvest weather. We are seeing some bringing in corn while other are already bringing in soybeans. Knowing there is no threat of rain should keep them from working at a desparate pace and working more hours a day than are safe.

Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Kate and I were sitting out here in the sunporch watching the birds etc and yellow cat came around to visit. It lay down out on the patio and watched the birds. We suspected it was in the area because all of a sudden the bluejay was raising a ruckus. Well, yellow cat was sitting there and along came a hummingbird and it flew right up in the cat's face and made it jump back. It was funny to watch. That cat never did try to bother that hummimgbird or anything else. I walked out there for a few minutes and cat came over and laid between my legs and tried to chew on my pants legs and shoe. It is very obvious that it is a family pet, but, I'll bet that family has some bite marks or scratches on their arms because it is a fiesty little thing.

Not much is going on out in the back yard today. We have maybe four cardinals out there  and an occasional finch or sparrow. My most frequent visitor this morning has been the wrens. There have been a couple of them flitting and hopping around here in and out of the potted plants. I don't know what they get out of the soil in those pots but they do seem to spend a lot of time digging around in the soil in them. Wrens have been known to build nests in our potted plants before and have even layed their eggs in there. They also tend to use the bird houses we have around here, especially out front. They seeem to like to eat from the feed cylinders the most. We have a few goldfinches here still but they are losing their color quickly which is yet one more indication that fall is here for sure.

I see a bit of blue sky breaking through so I expect our chances of rain are deteriorating rapidly. That will warm the day up as the clouds roll away. So, I reckon I better get on with my day. This is Saturday and that means tomorrow is a day of rest and worship. I hope you will take the opportunity to do both. Have a blessed weekend.

Sunny, sunny Friday has gotten here and the leaves continue to fall from the poplar trees. It looks as though I may have to run the lawn mower over the back yard again. Happy second day of Fall. I might as well get the rake out and pull the leaves out of the flower beds back her too. The south fenceline flowerbed is full and it is a beautiful day to work outside.

Yellow cat was here this morning first thing. It just kind of sat around watching the birds come and go at the feeders and the bird baths. Once in a while it would get up and get into a crouched position to stalk a bird, but then it would sit back down bored. As I've said, as long as it doesn't snatch a bird, it is welcome, other wise it will feel the ejection end of my BB gun.

I need to check the hummingbird feeder to see if there is anything left in it. Ms. Kate has some door decoration on a couple of the doors out here that are made of rubberized/jelled type of material that enables them to stick to the glass. They are translucent and the sun shines nicely through them. One of my buzzwings was just here examining them because they look like blooming flowers. So, I need to make sure those guys have food. I don't want them to break a beak trying to eat from something that isn't real.

I have an old Black and Decker leaf blower/sidewalk sweeper that I bought at a B&D outlet store down in Fayetteville, NC back in 1989. I think I may have paid as little as ten or maybe even twenty dollars for it at the time. It is called "The Broom" and has been out of production for years., but it has served me well for many years.  The 3.6v batteries were dead in it this year, and it took me some searching to find any at any store. I bought two, took them home and put them in the blower and it didn't work. I thought perhaps the batteries need charging before use.  Then, I couldn't find my charger for that kind of 3.6v battery and I ordered one off of Amazon, promptly got it and charged up the batteries. However when I put the batteries in --- it didn't work. I used the word "crap" over that situation a few times. Afterall, I had spent $50 on two new batteries and another $20 for a new charger and had nothing to show for it. So, last night I took the thing apart and fiddled around with the inner workings and low an behold --- I got it working again. I felt like a genius because I have zero mechanical skills and I have no idea at what point, I actually "fixed it". But it is working again and that is all I need to know. It is just proof that even a blind squirrel can find an acorn once in a while!

It is well time for me to get busy. I hope you have a very blessed day and are surrounded by friends and the love of God. Peace!

Thursday afternoon and naptime. So --- why so late you might ask. Well, this morning I was too busy pampering myself I reckon. We had early morning appointments for pedicures today. And, I will tell you, it feels rather indulgent to be sitting in a spa chair with the automatic back rub machine going up and down your spine and back while drinking your coffee and the young lady trims your toenails and massages your calves and feet and ankles. It is the absolute height of decadence in my world. It also keeps me from having to bend over my belly to do it myself. That's not fun at all.

We went to our local boat casino for lunch today and ate at Max and Erma's. We like their brat burgers and they have a new sandwich which is basically a cheeseburger or hamburger topped with a sunny-side -up egg. Ms. Kate orderd that and I had the bratburger and we split them and shared. Good stuff all around.

A phone call interrupted my blog writing so I took care of my birds before beginning again. I just filled the bird feeders and the bird baths. The bird bath they seem to gravitate to was next to dry either from the splashing or the drinking. About all that was left was some wet leaves in it. and yet the sparrows would go to that one instead of the pne that was half full. I think it might be an angle of the bowl and rim issue for them. The less used one is more decorative but deeper. I've been back in the house less than three minutes and there are birds everywhere coming for their evening feeding time which generally occurs from 1630 until 1730. I think I counted eleven cardinals bu it is hard to tell because they flit around from feeder to feeder so much.

Julie and Jim are now home owners for the first time in their life. They should be moving stuff in next Tuesday evening or Wednesday. Josh is coming in to help them on the 1st of Oct. (a week from today) and will spend the weekend helping Jim get the big stuff moved. I have a storage unit here with a bedroom set that belonged to my parents in it. We're debating when and how to get that over to them. It would have been so much better had the previous owners been in a bigger hurry to move out. I could have taken that load of stuff to them today or this weekend.

I had my annual physical yesterday and I'm glad to report that I'm good to go. If I was any healthier, --- you'd want to be me.  Of course, I could stand to lose some weight and I keep promising myself that I will. But, I also forgive myself for daily breaking that promose and telling that lie too..

Time for me to sit and watch my critters. The sun is going to reach that point in the sky where it smacks me right in the eye as I sit in  my recliner in about twenty-five minutes. So, I better enjoy the view while I can. Have a blessed evening.

Another happy Wednesday has arrived. I was up way too early today for no known reason other than maybe my brain just needed a coffee injection. The world is peaceful this morning with the exception of the clickity, clickity of the birds walking around on the sunporch roof. It sounds like an old time telegraph session going on up there.

It is 54* this morning and the sun has yet to crest my roof. Give it thirty more minutes and my yard will be engulfed in bright sunlight. I saw a picture on Facebook from my cousin Debbie of the sun breaking across their pasture and pond through the fog this morning over in southern Illinois. She has a great view to look at as she sits and has her coffee this morning too. Good morning Debbie!

We have several things on the agenda today. I have my physical this morning around noon. Then this afternoon we'll head to the church and do our bulletins and then stick around for choir practice this evening. The most exciting thing happening today though is that Julie and Jim are to close on their house first thing this morning. So, we are waiting to see how all of that went for them and whether or not the current owners have moved out yet or not.

It is interesting to sit here and watch the sun slowly devour the shadows that cover my yard. It reminds me of one of Stephen King's novels. "The Langoliers". In that story a group of airline passengers were caught in a dimension of some sort and everything was disappearing behind them. The rift they were caught in was the "passing of time" and as time passed, everything simply became dead and gone. So these passengers were in a constant panic to stay ahead of the point where they were consumed along with everything else. Watching the sunlight creep down my fence and across my yard is like that. OK, it's a little weird I know, but the book was good and I've only had one cup of coffee so far.

I'm glad to have my IPad keyboard working again. Yesterday as I was typing my blog something happened and I could no longer use it. It did nothing. So, I finished the blog using the IPad's internal keyboard. I thought perhaps the battery had died so I plugged it in to recharge it for several hours. However, that did nothing to improve the situation. But, if all else fails, read the directions, which I did and found out that it was a simple connectivity problem because somehow I had turned off the Bluetooth switch on the IPad. I love this external keyboard. It keeps me from having to hunt and peck with a stylus on the IPad.

The yard is getting brighter and the sun is adding to the brilliance of the red on the cardinals that are sitting at the feeders. It also shows me that most of the feeders are empty again as are the bird baths. Most of all though, it shows me that God has again presented us with a most beautiful day. There isn't a cloud in the sky and we are to warm up to 80* or so. As the sunlight floods the back yard; so my soul and my life is flooded with another day of God's blessings. It is great to be alive. I hope you have a most glorious day. Hug someone you love today. God put them them in your life for a reason.

Goldfinches, bluejays, and cardinals; I love the color variety of the birds that grace my back yard and feeders. Then there are the woodpeckers; three varieties, that come in routinely, all with drastically different markings and colors. On a normal partly cloudy day they all look great. But, when the sun pops over the roof on a bright day and highlights them, it is a beautiful sight indeed.

The hummingbirds are doing the dance again this morning. They buzz aroud each other, swaying this way and that, each in an attempt to get to the feeder themself while keeping the other one away. I can't imagine the energy it takes to be a hummingbird. Eventually, they will relent and seemingly take turns at the feeder and then it is right back at it. When I was out there the other day trimming out the last of the phlox, they were buzzing me. When they rest, they seem to find the tiniest if twig branches to sit on up in the trees.

I got much of my writing done yesterday but still have a few pages to finish. Unlike many of my fellow pastors, I can't just operate from a set of notes and do my sermon. I write my sermons out and read them. It isn't a great technique I know. But, my parishioners have been kind enough to not complain for the past eleven and a half years. I know a fifteen minute sermon takes at least four full pages of writing and I try to hold my sermons to fifteen minutes. It would seem that it would take a lot lesss than fifteen minutes to read four pages of dialogue, but it is all in the delivery, --- and the fact  is that I do add stuff as I'm delivering. I use the same sermon for both churches, but I guarantee you that on any given Sunday, they haven't heard the same sermon.

I've been surprised that my yard has not filled up with leaves again since I cleared it the other day. The wind has been much calmer these past couple of days. The yard has really gotten to a bland state as far as color is concened. Being a person who has a "green deficiency" with my color vision, most of what I see these days is just brown. A few red roses remain on the knockout rose and the geraniums still have a few nice pink blooms but that is about it. However --- I'll take the brown over the solid white alternative that we know will be coming soon enough.

The battery on my IPad keyboard has died so I guess that is my hint to abandon my recliner and get busy. I hope you have a wonderful day. If you happen to pass a rose bush today, stop and smell the roses on it. Take advantage of what God has done for you today and then reach out and lift someone else up. You will feel better for it.

Coffee, coffee, coffee! I do love my morning cups of coffee. Actually, I like my coffee most anytime of the day although my coffee consumption has dropped off dramatically since I retired from the military. There was a day when I'd drink as much as thirty six cups of coffee a day. Now, I'm down to my morning two and then if we go out to eat, I almost always have coffee. Of course if my coffee drinking buddy, Julie, comes here, then multiple pots are a brewing. Ms. Kate drinks coffee too now. It only took me a quarter of a century to get her started on it, and now I share the pot with her every morning.  Howz all of that for too much information about nothing?

It's another beautiful morning. It's 66* which is up from the 46* earlier this morning. The sun is shining brightly and the starlings are here for their mornng bath. I'll have to go out and fill the bird bath again later today. I've been amazed at the number of cardinals that we have coming in again. They were gone for awhile but hopefully they have now returned for the fall and winter. As long as I keep the feeders filled, I reckon they will be here to eat from them. My nimber of squirrels have dropped off for some reason which is great. Yellow cat has not been around for over a week and Mr. Longears, the rabbit hasn't been seen for at least that long either.

This will be an exciting week for Julie and Jim. They will close on their house on Wednesday. The big question now is whether the current owner has moved out yet or not. Accordning to the purchase deal, they have seven days after closing to be out of the house, which seems really strange to me but I'm told is not unusual. We always got keys on closing but then we only bought homes that were empty. Hopefully, they are out and moved so the kids can start moving stuff in right away.

Ms. Kate got bit by something two days ago. She has a spot on the nape of her next that red and swollem to about the size of a quarter, (which is much smaller than it was) and is an obvious bite, probably a spider. Keeping a cold compress has helped keep the swelling and itching down. She is highly allergic to things like bee stings and such so what ever got her, did a number on her. She couldn't go to church yesterday because of it.

It is timee for me to get busy. I have another week's sermon to write before we take off for vacation and I have other stuff tto get done to day. I hope you have a great day. If you are having as good of weather as we are, I hope you have time to get outside and breathe it in and give God praise for it. And don't forget --- do something nice for someone today.

Saturday afternoon! --- What the heck is going on? --- It has been a busy couple of days; that's what is going on. But right now, I just finished a quick "cat-nap" here in the sunporch and Ms. Kate is still deeply involved in having one in her recliner next to me.

Yesterday morning we had to get ready to go to a funeral over in Mt. Carmel, IL first thing in the morning. That is about forty five miles from our house The deceased was an elderly relative of some of my parishioners and we thought right that we go.

After the funeral we decided to call Julie and see if she was working or home or what. We really wanted a chance to go by and see the house that she is going to buy. Well, she was tied up and still bushed from a night of work at the morgue haunted house and planned to take a nap before she headed back to the morgue haunted house over in Louisville. But she said we could meet around 1600 her time (EST), go drive by the house, and then she would take us through the haunted house with the lights on so we could see waht she does there and then she could get ready for another night of  haunting. So, by now it was getting to be full-on lunch time so I asked Ms. Kate if she wanted to head out to Louisville now, (a two and a half hour drive) have lunch at her favorite restuarant, PF Chang's, and then go meet Julie. That is what we did. It was a nice drive, Julie's house looks great from the street. The owners are still in it though, so it was a quick drive by. Then we went to her haunted house, which is actually documented as a haunted morgue, and we walked though that. In fact, one of the players got bumped twice and pushed once last night while he was in a room all by himself.  He had been laying on a guerney that had been in use while the morgue was in actual use.

We got home late in th evening last night.  Today, I mowed and mulched up the leaves in the back yard again and trimmed out the rest of the phlox here in the flowerbed. We were supposed to get rain today but didn't, and now that the cold front has moved in, we aren't expecting any rain for at least a week.

The sad news to report is that my brother-in-law Byron is now under Hospice care at home. He saw his oncologist on Friday and was told he has a few weeks to maybe a few months left to live. Cancer has won yet again and it was not unexpected. But God has given him a few extra months of quality time with his family and grandchildren through the use of some experimental medicine. So, we give God praise for blessings and we pray that his remaining time will be relatively pain free and his passing will be peaceful. That is about all any of us can ask for. Our immortality is defined by the memories others have of us and Byron has left his family and loved ones with a lot of good memories.

The wind has kicked up again and by morning we won't be able to tell I cleaned up the leaves at all. I think I'll go out and run the John Deere over the front yard one more time this season. I hope our weekend is a pleasant one.

A breeze blows again this morning taking the leaves on a spiraling journey to the ground. A cardinal sits here on the bird bath, looking around cautiously, then dipping its head in for a drink and then back up again to make sure it is safe. Two houses up, the neighbor's dog is barking because the meter reader has tramped through its yard. Such is my morning as I sit here in my recliner reading all the exciting news that Facebook has to post. I like Facebook and use it all the time especially to keep in contact with old friends and stay current on what is going on in their lives; but I really do get tired of all of the hateful opinions people put on there. I find it interesting that people have no shame when it comes to their lack of the social graces and the use of social media. I admit that I too am a culprit sometimes. We butt in to conversations that weren't meant for us. We give opinions when none were asked for. People put stuff out that they wouldn't show their mama but lay it out there for the world to see.

What phlox we have left in the yard has now dwindled to only two stalks having any bloom at all on them and they are looking pretty bedraggled. I'm sure there is nothing left for the hummingbird to get out of them but it keeps trying, as do the butterflies. Ms. Kate has just refilled the hummingbird feeder so now Ms. Buzzwing will be happy. The knockout roses are still blooming pretty well and our geraniums are too, but that is about the extent of it. It is going to be time to bring the potted plants in before long. Ms. Kate and I were discussing that over our coffee yesterday. It will take a bit of rearranging here in the sunporch for that to happen. This year we are going to pare-down some of the things we bring in and maybe consolidate a couple of the pots. We have a couple of pots of geraniums out there though that will be the first to come in for sure. We have had them now for maybe ten years and they bloom constantly. We set them out in the late spring and bring them in before any danger of frost.

I need to go back up to the churches today and finish running the bulletins. We got part way through them yesterday but then had to head off and conduct a memorial service for the mother of a parishioner. From the length of the line at the visitation, it was obvious that she was well liked and she and her family had a lot of friends. It was a memorial service because she ha donated her body to science which shows the unselfishness of her character. We don't always have to be alive to benefit mankind. I suspect God might even like it that way.

I guess it is time I wrapped this up and got started on my day. As I do, I wish you a happy Thursday full of God's grace and peace. Think thought full of kindness and pass your blesssings along. They were freely given to you to share. Never forget; you can have all the toys in the world, but if there is no one to play with, they totally lose their value quickly. Share your blessings; watch them multiply.

It is another bright and breezy morning with a crisp temperature to start off the day. The squirrels have been running ruckus over my sunporch roof and now a single squirrel is sitting in the pussy willow tree trying to figure out how to get to eat out of the feeders I have hanging there. I can't believe I have stumped them this long. The new baffels I put on the poles and the new wire mesh feeders just do not allow them the opportunity to even dig the food out. It was well worth the money. I did go buy another 100# of sunflower seed and 10# of shelled peanuts yesterday. The peanuts go quickly. Every kind of bird seems to love them. So, this morning, all the feeders are full and the flight path has been busy going from feeder to feeder. We noticed that the hmmingbird feeder is about empty so we need to fill that maybe one more time before they wil have flown away for the winter.

We had a busy day yesterday. I finished up the memorial service I was working on and wrote my sermon for the next week. Ms. Kate spent much of the day making her greeting cards. Then we went out and did some shopping for some stuff we needed. I also got my back yard leaves mulched up for the first time. There will be a lot more opportunities to do that before the first snow flakes fly. I imagine that by the time I get back from vacation, there will be a lot of leaves on the ground. I have a stack of branches laying over by the south fence that needs to be broken down and hauled off but I think I will leave them there for the winter. They make a great shelter and snow break for the birds, especially the cardinals during the winter. Come spring, I'll clear it all out. I already see the birds going there for protection when they feel threatened; and I want to provide every opportunity for the birds to stay here during the winter. I'll bet even Mr. Long ears, the bunny will use it, although I haven't see it for a few days or maybe even a week. Nor has yellow cat been back in the past couple of days that I have seen.

Today is Wednesday which of course means bulletin day at the churrch. I reckon we will wait until late afternoon to do them and then go to Princeton for the memorial service at 1800 hrs. That gives me most of the day to create the worship service and write the message I need to do for the Sunday I get back from vacation. Then I can go off and stick my toes in the sand in Florida and not have to worry about anything while I'm gone nor will I have to scramble when I get back.

The news report that the wildfires in California are still going strong with very little containment. I certainly pray for all of those hundreds of people who have lost their homes and everything else. The fire has now claimed one victim, a 68 year old woman with MS who had no way to get out. I lift her up in prayer as well as her family. I pray God will send rain to help the hundreds and hundreds of firefighters out there on that line. I also pray for their safety; by now they are totally exhausted.

Today is a good day to do something for someone else. Pick a persson at random and do something nice for them. It doesn't have to be a big thing --- just enough to warrant a smile because you have brightened up their day. Then, --- give God praise for using you to brightened up someone else's day. That's how it works out here in God's kindom; people doing good for one another just because we know God wants it that way. Never forget that God's Kingdom isn't some far off place that we aspire to after we die. God's kingdom is here and now, and the door is through your heart. Have a blessed day.

Good morning to you! I hope your day is as bright as mine is. It is a crisp cool morning outside and the sun is slowly climbing across my roof to brighten the back yard. It is interesting to note how much more sunshine I am getting in my back yard now that the leaves are falling from the poplar trees. Of course by the time I am getting full sun -- it will be too cold for anything to be growing out there anyway. Some time today or tomorrow I need to get out there and run the mower over the leaves. There are about a bi-zillion still hanging up there in the trees and of course the neighbor's trees will also come to my yard because that is just what happens. The only tree I don't really like around here is the cyprus tree over in Ms. Margaret's yard. The stuff that falls off of that is more dense and doesn't mulch up well.

I finisheed up writing the funeral/memorial service that I am doing tomorow evening. Now I'm working on the sermon for the last Sunday in September. Then I need to start on the sermon for the 18th of October. We are taking two weeks vacation in between that and I always try to work ahead enough that I don't have to scramble at the last moment when I return. But, it really front-loads my work and by the time I actually get to my vacation -- I'm ready for it. This vacation will take us to North Carolina to visit with youngest daughter Lisa and her family; then to Florida to sit on the Atlantic beach for a few days, and then over to New Orleans for some Beignets and dixieland music and oysters on the half shell. By the time we do all of that, this homebody will be itching to get home.

I still haven't had the time to get to the bird feed store and by now all of the sunflower feeders are empty. I still have enough peanuts to keep those feeders filled and I still have bark butter paste to put in those feeders. Beyond that --- I better go spend some money. Perhaps this afternoon I'll take a break from writing and go get some stuff to keep my critters all happy. It will give me a chance to clear my head and start fresh again. I also need to pick up a couple of batteries for my leaf blowers. The two I have just won't take a charge anymore. The Black and Decker 18v battery is notorious for that. I probably should have bought a different brand of blower but I was being cheap at the time and now it costs me more in the long run.

I'm lifting up the folks in California this morning who are watching their homes go up in flames as the forset fires ravages the Napa Valley. Just as extreme though are the flash floods that ran through Utah yesterday and swept people, cars, and homes away. So, I pray for God's comfort and peace for those folks. I also lift up Byon and Sheila as they continue to deals with Byon's cancer. He is at home now and is so glad to be riding his own recliner. I just ask God for good days for him.

I give God thanks this morning for the blessing I have and see as I look out over the back yard at the few remaining flowers, turning colors on the leaves, and the cool crisp morning. God is a constant in my life and I am so blessed for it. I pray you will have a most wonderful day, full of the love of Jesus Christ. Peace!

It is Monday and we begin all over again. So, happy start to your work week. I hope it will be a good one.

We had a fairly busy weekend. Saturday morning Ms. Kate and I got up at 0400 and got dressed and headed out to church to fix the Harvest breakfast for our wonderful farmers and families. It started at 0730  but we had a lot of work to do to get things ready; the least of which was to make sure the coffee was ready when they got there. Ms. Kate fixed biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, apple bran muffins, steel-cut oats, and jello jigglers for the kids, We also had coffee, orange juice, and milk. I had asked one of the guys to do the devotions and he did a good job of that. All-in-all it was a very successful event and we had about thirty five folks show up. Thankfully, after it was over, several of the ladies jumped in and helped get everything cleaned up. We've done this enough years now that folks seem to look forward to it, and we really like doing it. In our "former lives", as an Air Force commander and commander's wife, Ms. Kate used to host large parties at our house routinely; but that just doesn't seem to happen out here in the civilian world. I've been retired for fourteen years and only once have we been invited to a party at anybody's house, and there were only eight of us there.

Yesterday I did the two services and then in the afternoon we went and did my visitations. I'm so grateful that I was able to do that because one of those parishioners passed away last night. So today, I need to put together a funeral service for her. Bless her heart, she was a sweet lady and "lived to give" of herself, her time and her talents.

In between things yesterday, we met Julie half way, (okay, we had the "short half") and dropped off some goodies for her. It was great to hug her neck.

So this morning, my back yard critters will have to function on their own. I had my first cup of coffee out there and the birds were everywhere eating at every feeder. These cool mornings seem to make them a bit hungrier. I guess it takes more energy for them when the temperature drops. But, now I must get busy at the computer.

This morning, I offer prayers of comfort for the families that lost their mother last night. I thank God that the lady no longer has to suffer and her passing was made much easier through the mercy and grace of God. I also offer prayers lifting up my brother-in-law and all those other folks on my prayer list who are dealing with that life destroying disease we call cancer. I seem to know far to many people who are suffering from that. Surely, if we can send robotic vehicles and satellites to Mars and the moon, we can come up with a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, and I say this too often I guess; but there is no profit in a cure. There is a lot of profit in research "to find a cure."

Now that I have you "down" (sorry about that) I'll wish you a blessed day and a blessed week. Give God thanks this week, this day, or this moment.

Happy Friday morning. It is a cloudy morning and rain is expected on and off today and I think also tomorrow; but, fall weather is here for a couple of days anyway. The wind is filling the air and my back yard with leaves.

It has been a busy morning and interesting. I had to be up by 0400 to take neighbor Dan and his wife to the airport as they head off for a month of family vacation visiting. I decided to sleep out here in the sunporch until time to get up so my alarm and moving around didn't wake up Ms. Kate. I dropped them off and came back home and went to bed; and got up at my regular time.

I was sitting here and heard the biggest commotion going on up on my roof. I figured the squirrels were at it again. But, the bluejays were also raising sand like crazy. Then I heard some sliding up there and running and here came yellow cat down the pussy willow tree as fast as it could with bluejays on its rear end. It ran off out of my yard and wasn't carrying a bird; so I have know idea what was going on up there except I think the yellow cat learned a lesson. Now I'm hearing the squirrels chittering a bunch so yellow cat may be about to be unwelcome somewhere else in the neighbor's yard.

The buzzwing duo are back again this morning and have been keeping one another away from the hummingbird feeder. Then one will fly off and the other will drink; then the aerials begin all over again. So, in reality, it would seem they aren't really fighting, --- just postulating. Maybe it is all a courtship dance and they will fly off happily to New Mexico for their honeymoon. What do I know?

Today is September 11th, the fourteenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York City that cost the lives of so many innocent people and so many brave people who rushed in to try and save lives. I was standing in my family room, just fifteen feet from where I am sitting now when I saw the planes hit those two towers. It was simply unbelieveable and inconceivable that that could be happening. So many lives were lost that day and so many more lives around the world have been lost since that day from the wars that the event started. And --- no onewill ever know the real reason that attack happened because all the perpetrators died in the explosions too. But that is what pure hate really looks like. It is a terribly sad state of affairs for all of humanity.

So this morning I lift up all of God's children and pray that some way and some how --- God will cause peace to happen in this world.  Have a blessed day.

Already again it is Thursday! The weeks just fly by, especally when we start off with a holiday on Monday.

It is a most beautiful morning out my doors and windows. The temp has risen to 72* in the time I have been out here in the sunporch. The sun has krept over the roof top and is resting on what few blossoms there are left in the yard. We had only minimal rain yesterday, just really enough to water the plants a little and settle the dust. West of us, over in Illinois they got as much as four inches in some places. We need rain, but not that much at one time.

My back sidewalk is covered with leaves and I need to get out there with the blower and then mow over them to mulch them up. It is only a micro-beginning of what is going to fall from these two huge tulip poplar trees. My yard is a 12,000 sq. ft patch totally surrounded by maples, poplar, dogwood, cyprus, and dogwood trees. And, unfortunately, my yard seems to be the place for all of those trees to deposit their leaves. It is little wonder that I constantly fight having sapplings in my flowerbeds.

The bird bath is a busy place this morning. There is a constant influx of sparrows and starlings, and blackbirds, and blue jays in and out of them this morning Water has been splashing everywhere. Even the cardinals have been in there taking baths.

We had a fairly good choir practice last evening although we were a smaller than usual group. We pulled some music from the file cabinet that the choirs did years ago. At one time, St. Lucas had a children's choir, a youth choir, and an adult choir. Today, I consider it a blesssing that we have as many as twelve for single choir. So many churches no longer have a choir at all simply because the generation or two below my age no longer have the time to participate. What a shame.

Today is going to be shopping day for groceries. Ms. Kate is cooking the Harvest Breakfast on Saturday morning for about thirty people at the church. This will be the seventh year in a row we have done this. We just think it is an important way to get our farmers and families together to give God praise for the harvest and to pray for a safe harvest. I usually do a short devotional to start the breakfast off, but this time I have asked one of our Elders to do that for us. I told him he could do whatever he wants but to just remember we don't want the gravy and biscuits to get cold. But, it is now time for me to get cleaned up and for us to head out to the stores. I never thought of going to the grocery store as doing God's work, but I guess in this case; --- maybe it is. I do know that by the time that Ms. Kate turns whatever we buy into breakfast --- it will taste heavenly.

As I look out my porch and see the changing of the seasons, --- it just reminds me of the eternalness (if that is a word) of God. That same sun has been rising over this patch of ground that is now my yard since the God created the earth. And, it will continue to do so until God says diffrently, whether that is today or some infinite number of eons from now. That is the omnipresence of our almighty and eternal God. Ponder that for awhile today and then take stock of the blessings package God dropped off in your life yet again today and give God praise for it. Have a great Thurday!

Good things come to those who wait, or so it is said. Happy Wednesday morning. The sky is getting darker as much needed rain is heading this way. We've been twenty days without rain which is our longest period for several years. Of course, by California standards, they would scoff at it only having been twenty days. But it will break the string of 90 degree plus days that we have had and that will be good too.

I missed writing yesterday but for good reason. I was up early so I could get to the hospital to be with a parishioner who was having hip replacement surgery. I'm happy to report that her surgery went perfect and she reported on Facebook last evening that she was already feeling better. We pray her therapy goes well. Bless her heart, she has now had both knees and both hips replaced. And --- while I was there, I also went to visit a second parishioner that was only three floors up.

Great news on the house hunting front for Julie. The roof fiasco that caused them to lose the house last week has been settled; a new roof is going on the house and they will buy it and close in a couple of weeks. The entire family is doing "happy dances" for her and Jim. Jim is too tired to do a happy dance because he is doing the majority of the packing. But, by the end of September, they should own a home for the first time in their life. Many prayers have been answered. Thank you Lord God.

I did get up early enough yesterday to at least have one cup of coffee here in the sunporch. The joy of that was that I got to watch a couple of hummingbirds doing their aerial acrobatics. We've generally had only one hummingbird here for most of the summer, but yesterday we had two. As you know, they are terribly territorial and so the buzzing arounnd each other was amazing to watch. It was so synchronized and they got so close to each other and yet never actually touched one another. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels could learn a thing or two from watching them. Finally one yielded and flew off and the other sat on the feeder and drank. I had to fill up the peanut feeders and the bark butter feeders this morning first thing. I also need to get to the store and pick up another 100# of sunflower seed.

Today is of course "bulletin day" and this evening, we start choir practice once again. It will be nice to be back with the choir. This evening we will need to decide whether or not we are going to do a Christmas Cantata. They are really a lot of work and when we do cantatas, we work on little else. So there is good and bad to that plan.

So I'm lifting up my family and friends who are ill this morning. I'm waiting on an answer from my sister as to how their weekend went and whether or not Byron got to come home for it. I'm lifting up prayers of joy for Julie and Jim and for my parishioners who have been and are still in the hospital but are doing well. God is a busy God. But isn't it extremely comforting to know God cares about each of us individually as though we were his only child. We, as humans, can never be grateful enough to compensate for that. Have a blessed day.

Happy Labor Day. It is the last major holiday until Thanksgiving, unless less you are from my family and must insist that Halloween is of mega-importance. For many years, ours was the house to visit on Halloween, with all of my props and costumes etc. But that was when the kids were still at home or we still lived on an Air Force Base. I am not ashamed to say that many a kid has left my yard minus the candy they came seeking because they were too afraid to get it. And often, --- it was the parents that were ready to leave the yard first. Now, I have passed that tradition to my oldest daughter who has taken it way beyond my wildest expectations as she costumes herself up and goes to play a character in a haunted (yes, actually haunted) house at a local former morgue in Louisville, KY. She and I and her friend and Jim also went to do a four hour, after mid-night tour of the Waiverly Sanitorium, in Louisville, which is famous for the haunting that occurs in that place. Fun is wheere you look for it.

Julie and the pups came over yesterday afternoon after she and Jim went to an open house. The place they looked at turned out to be a non-contender. There is still the possibility that they could get the house they were looking at and planning to buy. It turns out that the insurance adjustor that was supposed to determine if they would pay for a new roof on the house was on vacation and the job didn't get done. That doesn't excuse the fact that nobody informed Julie and Jim or her realtor of the fact; but, allegedly, they will get an answer tomorrow.  If it doesn't work out, they have other houses lined up to see.

We have lots of birds out theere this morning although we are shy one bird or youg squirrel or something. A big hawk flew into the yard and snatched up something off of the ground and flew back out. It was enough behind the flowers that I couldn't see what was in its talons; --- but it was larger than a sparrow or finch. But, the danger has passed now because the birds and squirrels are back again. Julie's pups don't seem to even notice the squirrels anymore unless one of us says; "Squirrel!" Then one of them will run excitedly to the door, go out and chase around the tree and come back. And, if Auggie happens to have a bone treat at the time, he'll make sure he carries it with him as he goes to chase the squirrel, and loses it or leaves it for later. They are a trip for sure.

We had good attendance at the churches yesterday despite it being a holiday weekend. I think most people have their vacations out of the way and now that school has started, folks are settleing back into routine. And --- the corn harvest has started so there will be no getting away now until corn and soy beans are all brought in which could go as late as Thanksgiving depending on the weather. This coming Saturday, Ms. Kate and I will host our annual Harvest Breakfast at the church as we kick off harvest season with a time of prayer for a safe and successful harvest.

I hope your day is a safe one and that youo have the opportunity to be with loved ones to celebrate the holiday. Don't forget to take time to give God praise for the bounty and blessings you have in your life. Have a great day!

Unfortunately there is no good news out of New Albany from Julie this morning. Her house sale did not go through. The house they wanted needed either a new roof or some roof work done and the sellers had until midnight last night to let Julie and Jim know if they were going to fix it or what. But, they didn't even have the courtesy to come back with an answer. So, Jules, (and allof us) sat around until midnight eastern time waiting on a phone call that never came. I mean, --- how rude was that of the sellers??? So, Julie and Jim are back to square one in their search for a home. The good news of course is that they have all the loan pre approved, they just need a home to apply it to. But it will put moving into a home at least another month down the road. Our hearts hurt for them, but obviously there is something better waiting in the wings for this drama to play out. We walk by faith; not by sight.

It is already 80* this morning and the sun is shining brightly. I've never seen cardinals in the bird bath before, but they certainly are this morning. I just filled it last evening and the birds have already splashed out half of the water. I filled all of the feeders again last evening and I have a lot of takers this morning. The blue jays have let everyone know that the feeders are full with all of their squawking and yammering. I swapped out the peanuts for bark butter bit this morning just to mix it up. Somehow, the starlings got the word because they were here in force this morning for awhile. They are also responsible for the depletion of the water in the bird baths. There were six of them in it awhile ago and water was going everywhere. It is comical to watch. The squirrels have now arrived and are busy playing case before they settle down to a feeder.

I did cut back some of the phlox yesterday but it was just too oppressive for me to breathe out there for very long. And then, --- yesterday afternoon, Ms. Buzzwing, the hummingbird was back at the phlox, so I guess I will leave it for a few more days. I had not seen the hummingbird for a few days so I thought it was possible they had started on their migration to Arizona. Other missing creatures most of the week have been the rabbit and yellow cat. I kind of miss both of them, although the neigbor needs to keep their cat at home. Nor, have I seen the raccoon back. That was money well spent for those baffles. I need to go get another 100# of sunflower seed. My can is almost empty. I can maybe get one more round of filling out of it before it is totally empty.

So, we are waiting to see if Julie is going to get to look at more houses this weekend or if she is coming over here. As much as we would love to hug her neck, I hope her realtor has some places available for them to look at. But, being a holiday weekend, that might not happen.

Time to wrap it up for today. Have a blessed weekend. Saty safe and give God praise.

I'm not sure which is more noisy this morning; the garbage truck with his shaking and banging of the garbage cans as he drives along; or the two squirrels that just came across my roof like they were late for a Black-Friday sale at Walmart that was giving away televisions. Sheesh! Y'all are disturbing my peace and quiet.

It is going to be another scorcher today and for most of the weekend. This is Labor Day weekend. It will be a day that many folks will not have their minds on the job they are supposed to be doing because they are going to be thinking about their weekend plans. This is the one last "hoorah" for the summer. The highways will be crowded with people heading to the beach or the lake or all kinds of outdoor activities. We're hoping Julie and the pups get to come over tomorrow morning. Thinking back to my years as a unit commander in the Air Force, ---- this is the day I would have a Commander's Call and give the Commander's safety briefing. The cold facts of the briefing were two fold of course. First of all, I cared for my people and I didn't want any of them to get hurt or killed. Secondly though, --- the briefing served to cover the butt of the commander and the Air Force chain of Command if some one did end up getting seriously hurt or killed. They had been briefed to be careful, not drink and drive and or any other stupid activity that might cause them harm. This weekend would mark the end of the 100 days of summer that began with Memorial Day.

The bluejays are here this morning and they are a bunch of fuss-a-lots. I have four of them out there squawking. Since I started putting peanuts out there, my bluejay population has grown. They will eat a peanut or two and then they go to the bird bath and get a drink. Then they go back to the feeders. The lady at the Wild Birds and Things store told me that often the bluejays will take a peanut and hide it, but the chick-a-dees watch them and will go steal the peanut. I don't know if that is true or not, but it is an interesting story.

We went to the butcher shop yesterday and picked up a nice pork roast for the weekend as well some pork burgers for the grill. We really like our butcher shop. We know the folks that own it and run it and they keep it immaculately clean and their products are wonderful. They have won many national awards for their products. But, I'll be doing some grilling this weekend. It Is the manly thing to do on Labor Day weekend.

My prayers for this morning include all of those folks who will be traveling this weekend. I pray for safe passage for them. I also lift up Byron this morning and hope he is able to be home from the rehab facility for the weekend and that it goes well for all of them. I think if he could just set out in the workshop and smell some sawdust, it would be perfect medicine for his soul and spirit. And perhaps if his soul and spirit feel better, so will his body. It would also do the family good to see him home too.

And, of course, my prayers must be prayers of gratitude again this morning. I've had a good week. I got lots done and more importantly, Ms. Kate had a safe trip home and we are together again. So the God of Abundance has once again filled my cup to overflowing with blessings. I pray that you will have a great weekend. Don't let the weekend conclude without having taken the time to visit your house of worship and join others in fellowship and worship. Have a blessed day.

Aaah Thursday; and my world is right-side-up again. Ms. Kate got home from vacation last night at 2200 hrs. I drove up to Karen's place and picked her up. Karen lives on the other side of town and actually in the next little town so it would be pointless for her to drive past her house for fifteen miles drop Ms. Kate off and then drive the fifteen miles back home. I think both ladies were ready to come home. They neither one had much luck at the slots and Karen was suffering from a sore jaw or something.  I've found that as much as I like to go to Vegas, a week out there is too much, especially when the temperature is 105* every day and you can't get out and really do any sight-seeing. So, unless you want to spend a lot of money going to very expensive shows, then sitting at a slot machine is your next best option and that gets boring and expensive too really fast. Of course, there is always the buffets to go to but they aren't the "cheap meal" that people used to talk about. The Rio Hotel and Casino has a seafood buffet that we used to go to when we lived in Vegas. Back then it was $15.00 a person, then went to $20 or $25.00 person. Now it is right at $50.00 per person and at our last visit , the food quality had really deteriorated. We haven't gone back to it in several years now.

We are in another day of air quallity alert. This high pressure ridge that is sitting over us has made the air oppressive. I don't think we will get out today.

It is time to start trimming back some of the flowers. The phlox and some of the peonies have developed mildew, which occurs every year at the end of the season. That is my clue that they are done for the year and it is time to cut them back. Once I get that done, I think I will pick up another truck load of mulch and spred that around where we need it. That will bed down the flowers for the fall and winter. I never did get my new flower bed put in. I'm still hoping to yet this fall when it get a little cooler, and I can then transplant a bunch of the iris so they will be ready for next spring. There will be a good twenty or thirty hours worth of work involved in that project.

I don't know what is on the schedule for today. I know Ms. Kate will need to unpack her suitcase and probably get her laundry done from the trip. I'll most likely just head to the office downstairs and do some writing. We aren't sure if Julie and Jim are coming this weekend or not. It is Labor Day weekend but they are currently sitting on pins and needles with there new home purchase. The home inspection showed that the house needed eother some roof work done or a new roof. They are waiting to see what the current owners are going to do about it and those people have until tomorrow midnight to decide. So, they are waiting to see if it will get fixed or if they will have to walk away and start all over again. We are keeping our fingers crossed for them.

I thik that is it for this beautiful but hot Thursday morning. The caardinals came out in force this morning and so have the blue jays, which makes for a colorful combination out there. But, breakfast is obviously over because right now the feeders have no visitors.

I hope your Thursday is a great one. I pray you will take he time to acknowlege God, ou Father and give God praise and thanksgiving for the belssings that are going to come your way. If you can thik of nothingn else to do for ssomeone today --- give them a smile. That's sharing a part of you and it might just be exactly what someone needs today.

Ozone alert today means that I won't be working outside at all. It's only 76* this morning but it sure feels hotter than that and is going to 91 or so. I'm heading to the churches this morning after I finish my blog. Its Wednesday and we know what I do on Wednesdays; run bulletins.

The flowers and pots are looking a bit bedraggled (I wonder if that really is a word?) this morning. And the birds have splashed most of the water out of the bird bath. So I need to go out and water the pots and refill the bird baths. I'm not getting a lot of birds these days. There is so much seed in the wild this time of year that they are feeding elsewhere. And, my new baffles have greatly slowed down the squirrel run through my yard. My stuff is lasting longer now. I also haven't had my raccoon buddy back for a couple of nights. They like easy targets and I've made it too much work for them.
But, yellow cat comes around everyday and lays outside my door. It watches my feeders and will get up on its haunches if one get within striking distance but so far, they just fly away and cat flops back down. I went out the other day and fussed at it; and it just wrapped itself around my leg, layed down and tried to play with my pantsleg. For certain, it is somebody's loved pet. It may be in for a surprise this weekend if Julie and the pupperonis come over. There will be a new game afoot for all concerned.

I'm glad to report that our lady that had her hip replaced yesterday had a successful operation yesterday and posted so on Facebook. Other good news is that the parishioner I had in the local hospital is going home today. I went to see him last evening and he was doing well and anxious to go home. So, this morning I lift up glory to God for the blessings he has bestowed on those folks. Our next concern is yet another lady who is having a hip replacement next Tuesday. I pray her operation will be entirely successful too. Of course, I daily lift up Byron for strength and patience. Sheila sent a picture of him yesterday from his trial run of coming home. He has lost so much weight, (as can be expected) but for his condition, he looked good. Probably just being home put some color back in his face. They plan to bring him home again this weekend and I pray it all goes well.

Ms. Kate gets home from her vacation this evening and my life will be whole again. Even though we talk several times a day either by phone or text, I miss her old wazoo being here. I'm lifting her and Karen up in my prayers for safe travel today.

Time for me to put down my coffee cup and get busy. I hope today you will feel the touch of the loving arms of Jesus Christ around your shoulders. God is walking beside you today with every step you take. Take a moment and give thanks for that. Then share that love with a stranger or someone you know. The world certainly needs more love and only we can make that happen. Have a blessed day.

Late to bed and early to rise; --- gives a fellow droopy eyes. So much for my early morning poetry. Actually, I didn't go to bed much later than usual, which is normally midnight or 12:30 am, but I woke up an hour and a half earlier tthis morning which will accomplish nothing because I'll sit here in a stupor with a numb brain. Not even the birds are up yet and the squirrels won't be out for another hour or so. So, if a bunch of zzzzzzzzzzzzzz start coming across the page, you'll know I dozed off.

It is a nice morning though. The temperature has already climbed into the mid seventies and heading up to ninety one today. The humidity will raise the feels like temp above that. We are in our first "dry spell" since April having now gone twelve days without rain. This seeems more like the days of summer I remember as a kid.

More writing to ddo today. I'm working on my sermon for next week and have reached that point of trying to keep it a message and not a rant. The scripture comes from the Epistle of James and is on "Controlling your Tongue". So that is what I need to do to accomplish writing my message. The problem is that all of my examples that come to mind are examples of people not controlling their tongue which is leading to so much of the division in our society today. So --- today will be a tailoring session and a prayer or two!

My baffles are still doing what I had hoped they would do. I filled all of the feeders yesterday afternoon and it is amazing how much food is still in them (the sunflower feeders) since the squirrels can't get on them. I have no doubt that the little fuzzy tailed rats will figure something out eventually, but for now, Yay for the home team.

I got a long email from my sister yesterday telling me that Byron is doing better and they have begun doing trial runs of bringing him home. They did that this past weekend and it went well and lifted his spirits immensely. So, with this being Labor Day weekend, they are going to try it again. He really wants to get home; ride his own recliner, maybe get out to his shop and smell sawdust again. They have nixed the idea of him going to Lori and Rogers for now at least. He just wants to be in his own home. It is amazing how God works and answers our prayers. Byron's room mate for the past couple of weeks has been a Lutheran Minister and they have had ample time to discuss and pray about life and death, and all those things that God works on through us. I am thrilled this happened. I hope the two of them remain in contact when Byron leaves the rehabilitation home. God sends help when we are ready to accept it.

I'm lifting up Ms. Linda this morning as she goes in for a new titanium hip. She is the daughter of a parishioner and in fact lives witin a few miles of where Byron is having his rehab. It is feasible they could be doing rehab in the same facility.

Time for me to get busy and leave the back yard to whatever may come today. My computer down in the office is calling my name and that sermon won't write itself, (darn it). Have a most blessed day.