God took Byron home yesterday. His struggles are over with that stupid cancer and all of the stuff that accompanies being treated for it. Sheila is going to the funeral home this morning to handle the arrangements. They live up around Springfield, IL and have for many, many years; but their cemetery plots are down here so that complicates the amount of things she'll have to do. Our prayers are certainly with her and the family. These few days will be a whirlwind of things to do and then the void will set in when everyone has gone home, the last casserole has been eaten or tossed out, the last of the flowers have wilted, and his chair is empty. I think that is when we need prayers of support the most. I watched my sister-in-law Karen go through the same thing several years ago when Kenny died. Then come the "firsts"; first Thanksgiving, first birthday, first Christmas without the loved one sitting there beside you. And the hard part is looking up and seeing everyone else going about their "normal life". Every one of us knows that for the living, death is a hard thing to survive sometimes. I've found that faith and prayer are the best remedies and the most comforting medicine. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who give me help." I totally believe that.

Our work day today is weather dependent. Yesterday we worked out in the flowerbeds and even got the new one scraped and outlined with bricks. I want to take a couple of wheelbarrow loads of my compost and spread on it and then take the tiller to it and get all of that worked up. I'll also put some Preen on it to kill any weeds that might be left. Although --- Ms. Kate did an excellent job with her sprayer in killing off the grass. She is the Round-Up queen. Then we have several new peonies to plant as well as a bunch of iris to transplant into the new bed. After that I'll get a couple of large bags of mulch and put down. This new bed has been planned all summer and now the weather is right to do it.

My poplar trees are about at the 50% point in their leaf dropping. Today's wind and moisture will help that cause too. The gusts have been doing a jood job of clearing off my roof. Thank you God for  making it so I don't have to get up there. That will come soon enough when it is time to put up the Christmas lights.  I do need to rake some leaves out of the back flower beds, finish trimmimg off the peonies, and mow/mulch up the fallen leaves.The fall clean up is a lot more work than sitting and watching things grow in the springtime.

So, I guess it is time for me to get busy. First though I must stop and give glory to God above for the blessings in my life. I look around at the changing seasons and realize that they are a constant that have been effect since God set it all in motion. God's creation is perfect; it is only spoiled by what we humans do to it. If I have had a part in destroying any of it --- I ask for God's forgiveness. I pray you will have a most blessed day. Take time and do something for someone today. It will improve your life.