Well this rain isn't going to do anything to make all of my farmer friends happy! And the forecaster says it is set in for most of the week. The good news to me though is that it will disolve all of the fertilizers and anti-bug and grub stuff that I have spread and get it into the soil. And, -- it will help the lettuce and radishes grow that we planted on Saturday.

So Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Ours was mundane and just as exciting as we wanted it to be. We stayed home and did some work around the house and yard.  We went to church yesterday morning at St. Peter's United Church of Christ just five minutes from the house. It was an "OK" service with a mostly a traditional venue. Not the most dynamic service we've been to nor were the folks all that friendly. That's twice I've visited there and the experience was the same each time. We probably won't go back.

I have to write a short memorial today for a lady from St. Lucas church who passed away this weekend. He daughter asked me if I would speak at the funeral and I'm honored to do so. She was a nice lady and I enjoyed knowing her when I was her pastor. She was just shy of her 97th birthday when she passed and her best friend passed away a year ago at 102. Several years ago (maybe five) when they were both still living in their own homes, these two would call one another and talk for an hour or more every night while they each rode their exercise stationary bikes. I'll bet that would have been a hoot to watch and hear.

The Redbud tree back here is really blooming out now and Ms. Margaret's Flowering Crabapple tree gets prettier each day. We are under a threat of severe storms today and I hope all of the blooms on that tree don't get blown off. One year, (I think it was 2000) we went to Washington DC to see the infamous cherry blooms and they were absolutely overwhelming to see. That night we stayed in Fredericksburg and was going to go back and see them again the next day. But during the night we had a terrible storm and almost all of the cherry blossoms got blown off. What a shame.

The rain has let off for a little bit now and the cardinals are flying in for a quick meal between showers. And of course, the starling thugs also came swooping in. They are a bunch of bullies. But they usually don't stay too long. They act like a bunch of robbers in a bank heist; hit and go. And --- they fight with one another as much if not more than they do the other birds. Good entertainment.

God's spring season is turning out to be a good one. Most of my daffodils are about done but my hyacinths are blooming and the tulips are still coming. When God paints a picture, all we should do is just sit back and enjoy it. It is amazing to me how just being out here enjoying what goes on in my back yard can just remove any stress that I might be feeling and put me at peace. I hope you have a place like that in your life.

Welcome to a whole new week. Make the best of it. Peace.