I started my day off with a joy this morning. I had a parishioner going in for some surgery this morning at 0800 so I went out and sat with the family and waited and then said a prayer with them as they were getting ready to take him back. This is a repeat of a surgery that he had before so we pray it will go well this time for him. I talked to his wife a few minutes ago and the surgery went fairly routine but it is too early to determine success or not.  But, meeting with parishioners and saying a prayer with them is a good way to start any day.

Ms. Kate still isn’t doing well and we have an appointment to see the doctor again at 1315 today. Her cough is lighter most of the time but is still persistent as heck. She is really sore by now through her ribs and back from all of the strain. We were able to get her an appointment again this afternoon and the Nurse Practiioner gave her an antibiotic injection. Hopefully this will do the trick.

It is a beautiful day again. It’s 1500 hours and the temperature is seventy two degrees and the wind is still. Very pleasant indeed. We have been blessed with a nice weekend too and I got a lot accomplished. Saturday afternoon, young Nick came over and we spread another twenty bags of mulch. Then I went and bought yet another twenty bags that is sitting in the truck bed at the moment. Hopefully one of these afternoons he won’t be covered up with homework and we can get this spread too. The kid is a really good worker.

My afternoon round of buffet guests are here. Wrens, cardinals, woodpeckers, finches, sparrows and titmouse are all coming and going with regularity. My experiment with the peanut butter seems to be working. They don’t eat it quite as fast as they did the barkbutter but they are eating it. I wonder, maybe they might like it better if I mixed in a little corn meal or some ground corn. It’s a thought.

Well, it is after 1500 hours, I’m in my recliner and I think I see a nap rapidly approaching. I think I’ll just close my eyes and watch it come by. Have a blessed day.

We’ll call it a sunny Saturday. We have a carbon copy of yesterday in the works and I intend to make use of it. Yesterday was a highly productive day. I got my haircut. I went to Lowes and picked up twenty bags of mulch and four bags of potting soil. I got some weed eating done, I put together four patio flower pot arrangements and planted two new butterfly bushes, a tree peony and  another peony and a lily in the flowerbed. In a few minutes young ick from next door is coming over and we are going to spread the mulch that I bought yesterday. Depending on how that goes, I may go to Lowes and pick up another twenty bags of mulch if we still need it.

Ms. Kate had a really bad night last night. Yesterday morning she was doing well with the new antibiotic and cough suppressant pills but then got steadily worse as the day wore on. Neither of us got much sleep last night; her because of having to cough and me because of hearing her cough. I know I could have gone into another room and slept but that would have been like deserting her in her hour of need; although, there was nothing I could do for her. She is resting on the couch at the moment and seems to be actually getting some rest.

Julie and the pups will be here before too long. I don’t know what she is bringing over but she says she is bringing over our Mother’s Day and Father’s Day present and that we are not to make any plans for Tuesday. I suspect it must be tickets for something but I would have no idea what.

I need to fill feeders again today. It seems like that is an every day job but I guess it isn’t quite that frequent. I also think I can start taking out some of my planters that are here in the sunporch. Maybe when Nick comes over I’ll have hime hel;p me do that. They are heavy planters and he’s in a lot better shape than I am.

Time to quit and get ready for Nock to come over. I need to line up my tools. I hope you have an excellent weekend and I hope your plans include a stop at your local house of worship. God has provided us all aweek of blessings and we should at least take an hour out of our week and spend time in worship. Peace.

Happy sunny Friday morning! It is fifty six degrees on its way to seventy with a nice breeze that will make  it feel just a bit cooler. There is just enough breeze for me to hear the constant song of the Corinthian chimes.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing that God doesn’t put a quota on the amount of blessings that one can receive in a day. It isn’t even 0900 and I’m already having a fully blessed day. Just look at this:
I woke up which means God gave me another day of life.
I was got out of bed; (I have a comfortable bed, in a warm home, and I’m totally mobile.)
Ms. Kate’s cold is vastly improved; (the medicine she got yesterday is working.)
It’s a bright sunny day; (God’s beauty is surrounding me everywhere I look)
Via Facebook, I know all of my girls are up and starting their day; (God has protected them and their families through the night)
I have a wife who loves me and a marriage that has lasted 52 years and shows no signs of weakening.
I’m serving as pastor of a church and being allowed to preach Christ’s gospel.
I have peace in my soul, I have love my heart, and I know I am loved.
I have a hot cup of coffee beside me and a Backyard Buffet full of guests.
I know my relationship with God is strong and I know that I am saved by the grace of God and the salvation that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All of this and like I said —- it isn’t even 9:00 in the morning yet. No wonder I love my life.

My stubborn love of my life did actually go to the doctor yesterday and was prescribed some good medicine. At bed time she was still feeling awful and decided to sleep in the recliner just so she wouldn’t keep me awake with her coughing. But at some point during the night she came to bed and. Actually slept pretty good. I heard her get up two or three times butin between those times, she seemed to rest well. She is much better this morning. Of course, had she gone to the doctor a few days ago, ———. But, I won’t say “I told you so.”

I mowed the yards yesterday and they look good. Today I have several things I need to do. I still haven’t had time to get to Lowes for my mulch and will do that today. They have it on sale again this weekend so now it the time to do it. I still have a bit of prep work to do before I spread some of it. I also will pick up the potting soil while I’m there. Maybe I can get the plants put in their proper pots today. Beyond that, I need to go to the grocery store and I need to get a haircut but the haircut could wait until tomorrow or even next week if need be.

So, with all of that to do, I best get busy. I would ask for you to offer prayers for our girl Steph and her family. They have a beloved family pet that is dying and the grief is as real as if it were a human family member. So I’m offering prayers of comfort for them.  Keep the faith my friends. never forget that God loves you and is always walking with you. Shalomn.

I think it may have rained again last night. When I finally went to bed, my Accuweather app said that rain woud be starting in 61 minutes. I never heard it if it did. When I goto bed I’m usually sleeping within about three to five minutes. But, it was cloudy when I walked out here with my coffee cup this morning and the sidewalk appear to be recently dried, if you know what I mean. I’m waiting fo thr sun to pop through the clouds and brighten up this day. It is supposed to go to sixty-six today which while not overly warm, will be comfortable enough if I decide to do some yard work today.

Ms. Kate still is not doing any better. She coughed most of the night. I know she is miserable and the over the counter medicines she is using seems to be doing her no good. But, I have bugged her and bugged her about calling her doctor and she doesn’t do it so I’ll just let her decide how much longer she wants to be miserable; danged stubborn little German. She’s just like her mom and her sister.

My azealia bushes on my west fence are blooming beautifully now. I walked around the yard yesterday and saw that the peonies are all getting buds on them too. I’m also looking at my two neighbors Maple trees and I can see that the “helicopters” are going to start flying really soon and they are loaded with them. It’s just somethng else to add to the list of things to clean up out of the yard or they will take root. I don’t need a million maple trees taking root in my yard and flowerbeds. I’m still fighting the occasional Black Gum tree that sprouts up in the flowerbed. My neighbor and I got rid of our Gum tres years ago, but those gum balls still show up once in a while. I think ,ost everyone in he neighborhood has gotten rid of their Gum trees because they are a mess to fool with. I have a Tulip Poplar that sprouted up in a flowerbed maybe four years ago and I transplanted it out in my front yard to provide some future sun shade in the morning. It is doing really well. We call it “Harley” because Julie buried her dog Harley’s ashes at the base of the tree.

It is Thursday and I think I’m going to go to Lowes or Home Depot and get mulch today and a couple of bags of potting soil. Maybe I can get some of the flowers planted in their respective pots today. Tat sounds like a good chore for the day. I also need to mow my back yard. I’ll set my blade at it’s highest setting. I just need to trim off the tops of the grass that is showing up through the straw. It is really looking shaggy out there.

So, that is my plans for the day. Some will get done and others will wait for tomorrow. All of this of course will wait until after coffee and meditation time. I hope you have good things planned for your day too. Peace.

It’s a new day and a new color! Today’s color is “Bright”. Bright sunshine. Bright blue, and bright colors on my cardinals and goldfinches. What a pleasant way to start my day. I haven’t checked the temperature yet this morning but I’m guessing it to be around forty five out there, perhaps even fifty.

I’m up early this morning because I wanted to write before I head out to the office. It is Wednesday so that means staff meeting. Pastor Art is back from Alabama. He was attending a memorial service for his brother-in-law. Our meeting only takes about an hour at the most. Then I’ll drop by a nursing home and do a visitation with Don Sander for a few minutes. Next week I want to do a full round of visitations and take communion to some folks. Those are generally pretty good experiences.

Ms. Kate says she is feeling better and she seems to be resting better from her cold. It just takes her longer to get over stuff than it does me. She can’t penicillin or penicillin related drugs so that slows down recovery. When I get a bad one, I can go to the doctor and he gives me a shot and I’m back to normal in a day. Unfortunately Ms. Kate does not have that luxury.

I filled my bird feeders again yesterday afternoon. I hadn’t even finished and the cardinals were on the feeders. This morning I have several cardinals again and of course a starling or two. So far the squirrels haven’t come down to eat. They will be here by 0830 though. With the rain we have had, I don’t have to fill the bird baths. I wish you could see the red on this red-headed woodpecker as it glistens in the sun. It is beautiful. I have a new Facebook friend who is a “bird photographer” and she put some award winning pictures of birds on the web every day. She is a cousin to Pastor Art and he hooked us up because he knows how I like my birds. Yesterday she had some pictures of Tanagers and some Indigo Buntings that she took. They were spectacular. She is a professional “birder” giving the Latin names for them and everything. I’m just a guy who likes to sit in my recliner and watch them and am willing to pay the cost of the food to get them here. I never sit out here in the sunporch without thinking about my mother-in-law. She loved her birds like I do and she would have loved to have been able to sit out here and watch them. In fact, it is thanks to her that I have this sun porch. We used the money that we received from her estate to build it on to the house, and built it with her in mind.

Myexperiment of putting out peanut butter on the Bark butter paste feeders had kind of worked. The birds have cleaned out some of those feeders but they aren’t crazy about it. The bad part is that I really can’t continue to do it if the temperature gets too warm because it will just melt out and drip off. So, I’m still looking for solutions.

Time to shower and shave and get serious about going to the office. I pray your day will be bright and sunny and full of love and laughter. Look around you today and find something to laugh about. It is great for the soul and it is great for your mental health. Far too many people are walking around today looking for somethng to fight about and grump about. Think pleasant thoughts and count your blessings. Give thanks for friends, and love, and know that I have said a prayer for you today. Shalomn.

The color of the day has not changed from yesterday. It has rained again on and off for most of the night and most of this morning. It hasn’t been a hard rain so maybe we have gotten an inch or an inch and a half over the last thirty six hours. But, it is now 12:30 pm and the sky appears to clearing jusst a bit. It has been “perfect rain” for my potted plants that I set outside to get watered. Although I did have to move a couple of them because it wasn’t raining hard enough to reach them.

I have a lot of cardinal here at the moment, maybe a dozen, and they are having a good lunch, as is the red-headed woodpecker that is on the suet feeder. With the exception of a starling and a robin, that is about it for now. There will be a lot more varieties coming in shortly; the noon to one timeframe is when they come in. Then it will thin out until around 1600 hours and they will all start coming in for supper.

I just checked the garden and the lettuce is really coming up now. I don’t see any beets coming up yet. I’m not sure what their germination period is. Here inside the sun porch the Biltmore Ballgown tree has at least five new blooms on it. That thing has bloomed constantly since last fall when we brought it in the house. And my geraniums are still blooming. I’ve never seen geraniums bloom constantly year around, but these have bloomed that way now for years. I think in another month it will be time to move all of these pots back outside for the summer. It’s a cycle I know, but it makes Ms. Kate happy.

Speaking of which, she has been suffering with a terrible cough and congestion “thing” now for almost four days. She treating it with OTC stuff and I’m trying to get her to go to see DoctorJackson; but so I far —- she’s going to do it her little German stubborn way. It may be a spring cold or sinus spring crud but I worry about her. We have been very fortunate this winter not have come down with anything like this. So, say a prayer for her. I know she feels like she has to go to the doctor for so many things that she doesn’t want to go in for something else. And, I have to admit, that I avoid doctor’s as long as I can too.

I got a start on my Mother’s Day stuff last night. I have the worship service prepared but have yet to decide what to do my sermon on. It isn’t that I don’t think there are good things to say about motherhood and it’s relationship to God; it is just that I think it has all been said a million times and I don’t want to bore people or say somethiing that is just blah! The words will come —- it just takes time.

That is all I have for you today. Nothing inspirational or witty comes to mind. Maybe it is because I’m sitting here with a full and satisfied tummy and I can feel the drowsies moving in. So, I’ll just wish you a pleasant afternoon and a good evening. Keep the faith and stay in touch with God. Peace.

Grey is the color of the day as we start another week. It has rained a light rain most of the night and I think it is supposed to rain on and off most of the night. I woke up around 0130 for a necessary run and went out to the sun porch. There in the pussy willow tree was Randy Raccoon having a nocturnal snack at my expense. I opened the door and explained that the restaurant was closed and that he should probably move on. So, --- it went waddling away, looking back over its shoulders to make sure I was still there and was serious. Of course, it probably waited in the bushes until I left and came back and finished his meal.

We had a great Saturday and the Sunday wasn't bad either for weather. Now we are looking at another week of below normal temperatures and rain chances every day this week except Thursday. I would think that if we keep having these cool days, the definition of "normal temperatures" is going to change. The good thing though is that it seems like just maybe we are getting past the chance of hard freeze. I moved the potted plants that we have bought out to the patio. This light rain will be perfect for them and it will also be perfect for my newly planted grass. I think the new grass may be coming up but I'm not sure. I know what little grass was left in my yard is certainly coming through the straw.

Ms. Kate and I went to yet another nursery on Saturday and she bought some more plants. I just need to get a couple of bags of potting soil so we can fill some of the large pots that I have and make living bouquets for the patio. I know they are going to look really nice. I think I could also go ahead and plant some of the things in the ground by now because the ground should be warm enough. One of the plants is a "tree peony". Hopefully this time it will live. I bought one once before and it died. I don't know but maybe I didn't do something right in the planting. She also bought some petunias which I love. The first year we lived in this house we planted some "wave petunias" and they were fabulous. They spread all over the flower bed and we had a lot of compliments on them. But since then we have not had a great amount of luck with them. But --- as soon as the rain appears to be over I guess we'll get out and do some more yard and flowerbed work. Got to keep the place looking good.

We had a great attendance at church yesterday, (75). Our attendance has steadily gone up by twos and threes. That is always great to see. And we are picking up new members every now and then. So, we press on doing God's work and sharing God's word, and let God give the push that they me need to become active members. I'm just blessed to be a small part of any of it.

I hope your day is going to be brighter than the weather outside my window. If it is cloudy outside, take time and give thanks to the Lord for your blessings. That should brighten up your life on the inside. Peace.

It is Coffee and Cardinals time once again at the Back yard Buffet. The wind is picking up right now and the Corinthian chimes are doing their job quite well. My feeders are full and the birds have been enjoying them for the last hour. But now, I see the squirrels are heading this way through the tree branches. It won’t be long before the leaves will be thick enough that I won’t be able to see them over in the neighbor’s trees. The trees are all leafing out quite well now. That will work really well for the cardinals. They like to habitat where there is easy cover fro them to hide in. My Fire Bushes provide just the right stuff for them.

I’m trying something new with my birds. I’ve told you the saga of not being able to get my Barkl Butter with paying an exorbitant price for it through the internet. Yesterday I used the very last of it. So I had two feeders left with nothing in them and I bought some JIF extra crunchy peanut butter and have put that in the holes of these feeders. I’m hoping it will work. The main ingredient for the bark butter was peanut butter so let’s see what happens. he worst that can happen is that they don’t eat it and I’ll have a mess to clean up from those feeders. It is worth the try. And, if they really like it —- it is a lot cheaper than what I was using.

Yesterday afternoon my young neighbor came over to to do the job I had for him of raking up all of the leaves and stuff on the air south side of the back yard. I have a really hard time getting that area because of low branches etc. He did in an hour what it would have taken me most of the afternoon to do. He’s an eager kid and so very polite. I’m hoping he stays interested because I have several projects he could help me with. It was nice to see that area all cleaned up this morning.

We have a new lawn center opening up this morning and I need to go see what they are going to be carrying. It would be great if they are going to carry mulch. I need at least two cubic yards yet. So, I’m going to drop over there this morning. The neat thing is that it is only about five miles from here.

Time to go take advantage of this beautiful day. I pray your day will be blessed and full of God’s goodness. Don’t forget to share it when you receive it. Peace.

It is TGIF day. But then I think I have a TGI for every day. But welcome to Cardinals and Coffee time once again here I the sim porch. Bright sunshine this morning and about 45 degrees greets me along with a few guests. The cardinals are in fact here as are the woodpeckers, goldfinches, house finches, robins and I think I saw a red breasted grosbeak.The grosbeak migrate through twic a year and only stay for a few days. Their song is almost like the mewing of a kitten. There is a red headed woodpecker  out on one of the feeders that is sitting there warning off a mockingbird. Some times we have some real battles between “the sharp beaks” as I call them. That would be the larger woodpeckers, the starlings, and the mockingbirds.

Did you ever have a lazy day dedicated only to yourself? I did absolutely nothing yesterday. It was cold and blustery outside so I didn’t go out at all other than to get the mail. That of course means I did’t even fill my feeders, and yet they still seem to have food this morning. But I spent my day either playing computer games or watching television, or napping or reading. I didn’t even get out of my sweats for the day. All of this laziness though just means that I need to get my butt busy today. Oh, and I did get my vehicles license plates renewed, — but that was done on-line too. So today I have to feed my birds, go to Lowes, and go to Spectrum and sign up for HBO. We don’t normally take any premium channels but there is a special series that I like on HBO that is coming back again called Westworld. So, I go and sign up for it for the duration of the series and then I cancel HBO again. Westworld was a movie that was put out back I think in the late seventies. It is hard to follow if you aren’t into science fiction but I like it.

Ms. Kate made me an apple pie last evening. I am a pie loving guy; —- but her apple pies and or peach pies are to die for. They are thick, and sweet and she puts about fifty years of love in between those two crusts. Can you guess what I’ll be having for my breakfast? No, it doesn’t help with my desire to lose a few pounds but ya’ know what? —- I’m seventy three, almost seventy four, and I’m never again going to be the slim young buck I was at one point in my life. I’ve got a lot less years to go than what I have lived so I’ll just keep on having my piece of pie if I want to.

I wish you could see this cardinal sitting out here on the bird bath. The sun is hitting it just right and it is a brilliant red. It is my morning blessing from the great God above that today is once again going to be full of blessings. I think it is time I got busy enjoying it. Have a blessed day yourself. Peace.

Hello on this Thursday morning. It is a crisp and breezy thirty-eight degree morning. Actually it is more than breezy, it is down-right windy and has been now for a couple of days. We have a frost advisory in effect until 0900 this morning, and we have another frost advisory in effect for tonight. At least it isn’t snowing here like it is up in Wisconsin. They are expecting another eight inches. This winter just will not quit.

But, yesterday was an absolutely perfect day weather-wise. And —- I took advantage of it which is why you didn’t hear from me. It got to almost eighty degrees yesterday. I had office hours yesterday morning of course but then Ms. Kate and I went out to lunch and to the grocery store. Then yesterday afternoon my young neighbor came over and helped me get the twenty-one bags of mulch spread on the front flower beds. Now I need to go to Lowes and see how much they are selling their mulch for. I can easily use another 21 bags and maybe even more than that. I’m hoping they still have it on sale. The kid is a good helper and I have already given him another job that I want him to do. I told him he can work independently on it and keep track of his hours and I’ll pay him. I want him to rake all of the leaves out from an area that I have trouble getting into. He knows to take it over and put the leaves into my compost pile. We’ll see how that works out. By my calculations, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours for him to do that job.

I see I have a feeder down this morning. I don’t know if it was the wind or they raccoons or birds. I also have some small limbs down so it could have been the wind. Regardless, the feeder is empty which means I have feeders to fill again today. Since it is supposed to get up into the lower fifties today, that job can wait until a little later this morning. I also have to carry all of the plants that we bought out on the patio and water them. I don’t want water all over my sunporch floor. I’ll let them drain and then I guess I’ll bring them back in so they don’t get frost bit tonight.

The daffodils are done blooming now and the tulips are looking beautiful. That new bed of tulips that I planted really came out nicely. Ms. Kate has ordered some more that will be delivered this fall in time for planting. Now the azealias are staring to bloom too. I love these transition periods in the spring. However, another job on my list is to get the knockout roses trimmed back and the other roses too. There is never a lack of things to do it seems.

Speaking of things to do it is time to wrap this up and get on to doing other things. It’s been nice talking to you this morning. I hope your day will be wonderful and filled with the love that comes from God. Until next time; — peace.

Thirty six degrees this morning as I sit here for Cardinals and Coffee time at the Backyard Buffet. But it is a far cry from yesterday’s snow and stuff. It is a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the sky is a clear brilliant blue with no clouds to be seen. And if the forecast is correct, it will be going up to almost sixty today. That would be nice.

This morning my guests include woodpeckers, cardinals, goldfinches, robins, mockingbirds, starlings, a dove or two and a couple of squirrels. My feeders are all full so everybody has plenty to eat. I’m just about out of the very last of the product they call bark butter paste. I still haven’t found a good substitute and I refuse to pay the price they want to buy it on line. Four tubs of it with shipping would be $75.00. I was at Pet Food Center last week and asked them about it and they said they are trying to add it to their product line but it is from a different supplier than they normally use. They have had a lot of calls for it since Wild Birds closed down here in town. There are Wild Birds Unlimited stores over in St. Louis, Nashville, and Indianapolis; but I don’t know that it is economical to drive three hundred miles for bird food. So, if I want this product, maybe on line will be the way I end up going. It’s a quandary because so many of my birds really like it. Somebody needs to step up and buy this local franchise just to make me happy. LOL

I finished my sermon for this Sunday. My next Sunday to preach will be Mother’s Day. So, — I have a couple of weeks to think about what I might want to write. Certainly it will need to be homage to mothers everywhere but it needs to be Biblical too. Perhaps I need to read a little Catholic theology since they put much more emphasis on the mother of  Jesus than we Protestants do. I’d like to get beyond the “Honor thy father and Mother” commandment. I guess I’ll just have to first see what the liturgical calendar calls for for that Sunday.

What to do with myself on this non-event day is the question. I have a Board of Christian Education meeting this evening but the rest of my day is free. It is still too wet to be working in the flower beds and yard. And frankly, it is still too chilly  out there too. Maybe I’ll open up one of the Stephen King books that have been sitting here partially read for about four months and do a little reading. That would be a change of pace and thinking for a while. Or, I’ll waste some time playing bingo and Criminal Case on the computer. A person needs a non-brain  engaged day once in a while. I don’t do enough of those. Within clergy circles those are called “personal health” days.

First though, as I look at all of my backyard buffet guests and the joy and beauty they bring me, I must stop and give thanks. I’m a fully blessed person and I’m extremely grateful to God for that. I hope and pray you have a wonderful day. Keep your heart close to God. Peace.

Okay!!! What is up with this snow? Who authorized snow on April 16th? This is really getting old and people are really getting grumpy. I'm even at the point where I frowned this morning. But my backyard buffet guests just go blithely on as if it were a sunny day. The difference being that they were all puffed up once again as a defense against the thirty-two degree temperature and the wind. The wind is sharp this morning making the "feels like" temperature down in the twenties.

I have office hours this morning until noon. Then this afternoon I need to do some touch up on my sermon for this Sunday. I wasn't supposed to preach this coming Sunday but Art has a family funeral to attend and asked me if I'd fill in for him. Of course it isn't a problem. I had most of my sermon for the following week already written so I'll just do it a week earlier.

I had hoped to be able to spread my mulch on Saturday but the rain prevented that. While it didn't rain all day, the ground was too muddy to be walking around in. My young kid next door called me yesterday afternoon to see if I wanted to do it then but I told him it was still too wet. So, we'll hope for some dryer and sunnier days this week and maybe some afternoon he can help me if he isn't covered up with homework.

Today will be laundry day for Ms. Kate while I'm at the office. With just the two of us, it only takes a couple of loads. But I'll have to swap it from the washer to the dryer when I get home because she is too short to reach it without using a pair of tongs. I'd make fun of her for it except that it is almost too deep for me to reach the bottom of the washing machine without stretching a little. I may go by the nursing home and do a little visitation on the way home today after I finish at the office. We have a couple of folks that can't get out at all. One lady has alzheimers and won't recognize me at al but her husband certainly will and part of the reason for going is to give a a sense of peace to the family members.

My time is up and I need to get busy. I pray your day is better than the weather and will instead be full of warmth of spirit and sunshine in your soul.

No rat-a-tat-tat this morning; no sunshine this morning or gentle breezes. It is sixty four degrees and that will be our high as this cold front with the rain cools everything down. But —- the rain is a gentle rain it still looks very “spring-like” out there. It appears though that with all of the work that I got done yesterday, I forgot to fill bird feeders, Many are low or empty. And we put the hummingbird feeder out yesterday. I don’t expect any hummingbirds any time soon but one never knows. My cousin Debbie said she had her first one yesterday and she is just 150 miles west of us. So I know they have migrated this far north by now. 

I’m very thankful for the rain this morning. We got the back yard seeded and totally covered in straw. The straw will keep not only the birds from eating the seed, but my back yard has a slope to it and the straw will keep the seed from being washed away by the rain. We also got the garden re-worked and the lettuce and beets are planted. So, thank you very much God for the needed rain. What I didn’t get done was putting down my mulch. I got it unloaded from the truck and stacked it up in front of the garage door. I’m hoping that it is sheltered enough to keep it from getting totally soaked. They are only 2cu ft bags but they do get heavy when wet. The young fellow next door is going to help me spread it. I told him I would pay him $10.00 an hour. I also have some other work I’d like him to do. I think he is sixteen and he’s big enough to handle the jobs that I might have for him. And, he’s a good kid. I know I sound like an “old geezer” but in the seventeen years I’ve lived here, not once have I ever had a young kid or teenager come to the door looking for something to do to make a little money. We don’t have an abundance of kids in the neighborhood, bj there are some that ride by on their bikes and skateboards etc. Of course, one of the reasons is tha their parents are too busy taking them to their other activities like baseball, tennis, soccer, dance classes, and football. They don’t put chores on kids because they are too busy running the kids to outside activities. I had my first job and bought my first car at sixteen. Ms. Kate was doing babysitting and she and her sister made money working hard mowing grass and cleaning house for an aunt. I’m cynical I know, but, it seems the only thing kids do these days is walk around with their head down and text on their phones. 

The warmer weather we’ve had these last couple of days has really made the leaves start popping out every where. Ms. Margaret’s flowering crabapple trees is really starting to bloom nicely. We love seeing that tree. It blooms so beautifully. And I’m glad she has it and we don’t. They are a mess of a tree what with the falling soft twigs and branches and the dropping crabapples, no thanks. 

It is “schrooms and beer” day with Bob and Brenda at noon. So I guess I better get busy doing something besides sitting here loving life. Have a wonderful weekend. Count your blessings. I’m sitting here with warm spring like weather this morning and I have friends tha are sitting through blizzard condition yet again two morning up in the Dakotas. Yep, I’m counting my blessings. Peace. 

Rat-a-tat tat. The neighborhood wakes to the sound of hammers going this morning. Someone is having a roof replaced today. I think it is on the ridge on Old State Road. I saw a truck delivering roofing over there yesterday. From the sound of the hammering it sounds like they are using actual hammers instead of nail guns. I’ve done roofing before and enjoyed it. Many years ago my buddy asked me to help him roof a couple of houses. I didn’t think my thumb would ever heal from all of the times I hit it. While it might look easy, and roofing is hard work, —- it is also an art to be learned if you want to not have a flat and bleeding thumb. It is also a business that as a consumer one should check out the contractors before hiring them to do your job. In our area, I’m told by a knowledgeable source, many of the contractors will just hire “day laborers” and they usually find them through parole officers. Therefore, many of the guys working around and on your house are fresh out of jail. Our former next door neighbor to the north of us hired a crew to do his roof and the language coming off of that roof was embarrassing and not what one would want their children hearing. And, that roof has since had to be re-done. The crew that did our roof was a super crew.

This morning is a copy of yesterday morning. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. It is supposed to get to seventy-seven today before rain sets in tonight. I have a lot of work to do today. I finished getting the yard raked yesterday. Then I went to Lowes and picked up three bags of Scott’s lawn repair mixture. It has grass seed, fertilizer, and soil conditioner to strengthen the roots. It is supposed to work well in shade so we will see. I also picked up two bales of straw to put down on  top of it so it doesn't wash away. I also picked up a yard and a half of mulch to put down. I hope to get it all done but we will see. I might wear out before that. With yards and flower beds, there is always work to be done.

It is Friday the 13th! Does that make you nervous? Are you superstitious? The only thing it means to me is that tomorrow is the 14th. And —- tomorrow is “schrooms and beer” day with Bob and Brenda.  It is Bob’s birthday and we need to celebrate. I think he is turning eighty six. He just became a great-great grandpa the other day. If my grandchildren don’t start getting married soon, we’ll never be great grandparents, let alone double greats.

Time to get busy. Take advantage of the weekend but don’t forget to attend a worship service. We all owe God time set aside for worship and gratitude for the wealth of blessings that we are given every day. Peace.

Well, —- this Thursday morning gets a rating of “G” for glorious. It is sunny, and sixty one degrees, not a cloud in the sky. We do however have a weather alert for wind gusts up to forty miles an hour. But that is going to dry the soil out and the yards too. I anticipate getting a lot of work done today out in the yard. Tomorrow is supposed to be a carbon copy of today. The farmers will be out testing soil for sure and will be working ground. These days you don’t see a lot of farmers turning the soil over with a plow like they did when I was a kid. They basically disc and harrow the soil and then just drill the seed in. But days like this will warm the soil too so life will get better for them. For that, I say a prayer of thanks.

Ms. Kate and I went to the nursery yesterday afternoon and I now have a trunk load of plants that I will need to eventually get in the ground. She bought some nice stuff although I’m not sure where it is going to go. part of my plan for today is to get the lettuce planted and the beets. I’ve never raised beets before, so this will be an experiment. Ms. Kate also bought a small package of okra seed. I’ve not raised okra from seed before. We usually buy three or four plants and raise it that way. It will be another experiment. If I end up with a dozen okra plants and it grows like it has the last couple of years — I will have an okra forest out there We also bought a tree peony. We bought one two or three years ago and it did nothing but die. So, we will try it again. They are really pretty when they turn out right.

I need to get my propane tanks filled this morning. It would be nice to throw something on the grill today or tomorrow. I had pne tank run out some months ago and never re-filled it and then on Easter Sunday, the backup tank went empty in the middle of cooking the brats. Just another job on the list for today.

My buffet guests are telling me that I have to refill feeders again today. Although as I lok at them, they are “low” but far from empty. That job will be low on the list.

So, it is time to get dressed and get out and enjoy this God given beautiful day to the fullest. I hope you have time to do the same. Days like this are great reminders of what a magnificent God we have and how majestic His world can be. I pray your day is blessed. Peace.

Happy Wednesday on this semi-bright, and somewhat warmish morning. How’s that for starting off with definites? This may be short as I only have about twenty minutes to write before I run out the door to the office. Wednesday morning is staff  meeting morning for the three of us as we sit and coordinate our calendars and work out what plans we may be making for the church. We only take about an hour to an hour and a half.

After the staff meeting this morning, we are heading out to a nursery down on the southwest side of Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Ms. Kate has it in her mind that she wants to get some more plants, specifically at least one tree peony. Of course then we’ll end up walking through the entire place, filling up the cart and guess who will be doing the planting. I’m not sure where she thinks we are going to put anything more. I have no intention of creating yet another flowerbed. I barely get the ones we have taken care of. But —— we’ll see what ends up in the car.

I did get out and do some raking yesterday. I got the sunflower seed residue raked up from under the pussy willow tree area. The robins lovd it because it exposed fresh bare ground and they had a buffet of their own right outside my back door. I have four more places to rake up and then I need to go to Lowes and get some Scott’s Yard turf builder and spread on this back yard. I hope to fill in all of these dead and bare spots back here. The leaves will be coming on the trees soon and the entire area will be in shade again. It makes it tough to get grass to grow. But I do what I can.

I also got the snow blade off of the John Deere and the mower deck put on yesterday. I guess spring better make it’s mind up to get here and stay for awhile. This week looks so promising though for good weather which is most likely why Ms. Kate wants to go to the nursery today. It’s a vicious circle isn’t it?

Okay, it is time for me to go. I offer prayers that your day will be a blessed one and that good things will happen to you today. Share your love and blessings with someone today. Peace.

Wow! I actually saw a squirrel take on the starlings this morning over feeders possession. That is the first time I have ever seen the squirrels actually jump at a bird to get them off of a feeder. So, it has been a busy morning here at the buffet. I filled a bunch of the sunflower feeders yesterday afternoon. Today I need to fill the barkbutter paste feeders and suet feeders as well as the thistle seed feeders. We actually have some really good weather on tap for a couple of days so it will be good to get out side and spend some leisure time filling feeders instead of bundling up and shivering while I do it. The ground is fairly dry to walk around on for the first time in I don’t know how long. I’m gong to spend some time raking up bird seed chaff from under the feeders today. I’ve been waiting for it to get dry enough to do that.

I did parishioner visitation yesterday after my office hours. The family I went to see is my fellow with the new knee. He is doing really well. His actual physical therapy begins tomorrow I think., but he is doing what he needs to do at home so he will mend quickly.

Last night we had the church council meeting. There is nothing exciting to report from that. Our council works very hard. What I find amazing is that we have so many committees at this church. I know we aren’t supposed to compare churches but at my last parish, one church only had a congregational meeting twice a year and I never in twelve years saw a “council meeting” as such. The other church had a five person church council that met once a month and that was it besides the two congregational meeting a year. At this church I think there are eight council members and maybe eleven standing committees and the churches are very similar in size. It is interesting, not better or worse, just interesting.

I think the cold snap a couple of nights ago did a number on my daffodils. They aren’t near as bright and pretty as they were. Of course it could be that they are simply getting “past bloom”. I have a really nice bunch of yellow tulips out by the west fence that are blooming now. My new tulip beds out front are growing well but have yet to bud or bloom. I guess they are a later variety. I’m anxious to see what they are going to do.

I have two cats out here on patrol this morning. Both are black. I’ve not seen them together before so that is a new something. The squirrels are going nuts fussing at them so that is a happy thing. LOL Other than that, I’m out of news with the exception that I need to tell you once again that God loves you very much. If you haven’t taken time to talk to God yet today, why not stop right now and do so. That’s what I’m going to do. Peace.

It's a fresh new morning, it's a fresh new day, and it's a fresh new week that God has provided for us to find ways to be of benefit both to God's world and God's people. I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was to check out the window to see if we had actually gotten any snow last night. As I was closing up the sun porch last night my weather forecast was predicting rain and snow starting any minute. But, it appears we stayed dry. We can use a little dry weather now for a week or maybe even two.

Saturday Ms. Kate and I went to St. Lucas church in Ft. Branch to help the folks with their chicken pie making day. We made over two hundred pies. My job was to stir the pots as we make the filling for the pies. We were making large kettles to make it, and I think I made seven kettles of it.. Three of us were assigned to do that job and we each had a kettle going most of the time. We catch a break while we were waiting for the broth and water to come to a boil before adding the chicken. Then you stirred again until it came back to a boil, the it was time to add the thickening which was flour and water. It took about seven cups of thickening per kettle so one lady was busy doing that all morning. Once the kettle of filling was thick enough for the wooden spoon to stand up straight by itself, it was ready to hand off to the guys that were filling the pans with a bottom crust in them. From there, they went to the ladies that I call the "Crusty Crimpers" who put a top crust on them and crimped that down. Ms. Kate was a Crusty Crimper again this year. That has been her task every year. The event is such a great social fellowship event  and everybody works hard but at the same time has a really good time. They broke for lunch around noon and that is when Ms. Kate and I took off.

I saw that the birds and the critters have emptied most of the feeders again by this morning. I'll wait until I get back from my office hours this morning to refill all of them. I had to laugh this morning at he neighbor's black cat. It was hiding down among the daffodils waiting on an unwary bird or squirrel. I could see what looked like a black spot sitting just where I couldn't really tell what it was. I opened the back door and bent down and could just see it's eyes looking out. As soon as I did that, it shot out of there and headed home. As the cartoon character used to say; --- "Curses, foiled again!"

While I'm out today I plan to go see my parishioner that had his knee replaced last week. Frankly I was surprised that he didn't show up in church yesterday and his daughter said that they didn't know until the last minute that he had finely decided that maybe he should stay home.

That is about it today. I must get to the office. I hope your weekend was wonderful and I pray your brand new week will be filled with nothing but good things. However, if you do get to feeling that the week is "going south" on ya', just never forget that you are never alone. Stop and ask God for some help and guidance. And, --- if your week is going well, -- stop and give God thanks for that. Peace.

I'm running late today and just stopping in to say "Hello" and "Happy Beautiful Morning". I went out to the mail box around 0730 and it was already forty five degrees and felt even warmer than that.  I texted my neighbor, Dan, and told him he was invited over for "Coffee & Cardinals" this morning. Ms. Kate had agreed that if he was going to come over, she would make us some breakfast rolls to go with our coffee. It took him about only five minutes to be at the sun porch door. We sat and solved all of the world's problems, had a pot of coffee and watched all of the guests at the backyard buffet. Finally, his wife texted him and told him that if he wanted lunch, he better be heading back across the street. So off he went. About three minutes later here he was at the front door holding two plates of fried rice that his wife had made, one for me and one for Ms. Kate. It is so great to have great neighbors and better than that, to have someone that I would call "my best friend". Beyond Ms. Kate, I've never had that. Oh, I've had a lot of close friends that come and go and have known for years. But Dan and I have become fast friends since the day we moved in to this neighborhood seventeen years ago.

I filled the feeders yesterday and went and bought a re-supply of stuff. The only thing I can't seem to find is the stuff called "Bark Butter. I've seen some "like products" so we'll have to see how it goes for trying it out.

We were under a winter weather advisory and watch for tonight but all of that has been dialed way back now. We might get a dusting to half an inch but it will all be gone by tomorrow afternoon. Everybody is so ready for spring to get here and stay here. Even the people that like winter and snow are ready for this weather to change. 

Okay, I need to get on with doing my work. I have a sermon to finish and a worship service to prepare. I probably should have done it this morning but I dedicated this morning to just relaxing and visiting with my buddy. Don't worry, I'll get it all done. I may not write tomorrow because Ms. Kate and I are going up to St. Lucas church in Ft. Branch, (my former parish) and help those folks with their chicken pie making. So, oif I don't get to you tomorrow, I pray you will have a most blessed weekend full of God's blessings and love. Peace.

It is April 5th and I’m looking at an Accuweather forecast for a winter storm. What is up with that???My daffodils are already drooping from the frost last night and we are supposed to have a gard freeze tonight. I have the robins of spring and the junkos of winter both hopping around my back yard. Even the birds are confused. My bird baths have an ice glaze over them yet the trees are leafing out. Unless we get some warm and windy days pretty soon, the farmers won’t be out working the fields until the end of April because the ground is too wet and cold.

I still haven’t filled any of the feeders and by now thee squirrels are going through all kinds of gyrations to claw and grab and hang in all sorts of positions to grab the last vestiges of food that is in them. I will get things filled up today because we are supposed to have snow either tonight or tomorrow night. Then I need to go looking for some of my foods that go in other feeders. I haven’t tried Menards yet and I think they maybe have a good assortment of bird foods. At least they advertise that they have bird food and I hadn’t thought of going there before. Some of what I need is simply things like thistle seed. Rural King has thistle seed in bulk but the problem with that is that if it sits out in the open, the oil in it dries out and the birds won’t eat it. Then it just sits there in the feeder and molds.

I’m glad to report thaat my parishioner made it through his knee replacement quite well yesterday. The family was all there for the surgery and we prayed together I had to laugh though because his daughter posted a picture of him laying in bed working on a piece of equipment that the nurse was having a problem with. But that is just the kind of guy he is. If ya’ need help he will help you regardless of what condition he might be in. He is always doing things around the church that need doing and never expects or wants any recognition for it.

So, I stopped writing my blog and went out and filled ten of my feeders. I wasn’t quite back in the house before I had guests arriving. Now I have happy squirrels and cardinals and finches and starlings all out there. I have another nine to fill but this will get them through their “starvation” because obviously they can’t find anything else in the whole world to eat. I do have some very spoiled critters and guests at my buffet. BUt that is why I get to enjoy them. They know this is the place to come to always find food. I Istill have the eighty pounds of sunflower seed in the trunk of the car that I need to take to the shed and put in the can. Then I can fill the rest of the feeders.

It is time to refill the coffee cup so I’m out of here. It is sun shiny out there and the temp wasn’t all that uncomfortable while I was filling feeders; so if you can, get out and enjoy a little fresh air on your face and enjoy this world that God has created. Let the sun shine on you and let the Son shine in you today. Peace.

The temperature figures are reversed today. Yesterday it was 63 and today it is 36. There is also a stiff breeze blowing this morning which is a continuation or residual from the weather pattern from yesterday. But, we lucked out with the storms. They kind of fell apart as they hit the Evansville metro area. Others over to the west in Illinois were not so lucky. There were pictures of the little town of Galatia where several homes were hit hit by a tornado and destroyed. My prayers go out for the people that lived in them. Fortunately, I have not heard of any injuries or deaths from the storms though. Again I give praise to God for that.

I’m up earlier this morning. I wanted to get my blog written and my silly computer games of Bingo & Criminal Case played before I head out to the hospital to sit with a family from church. A parishioner is having a knee replacement done this morning so I’ll be there with them for prayer. It is a part of the job as pastor that I enjoy. The one on one time with families always gives me a chance to learn more about the families and I can watch the interaction between the family members. The picture one sees in church is sometimes much different than one sees when a family is under stress. People let their guard down and true relationships come through.  When I’m doing marriage or relationship counselling I often will arrange the chairs a certain way and then watch to see how the couple react to the chair placement. It is also interesting to see who sits next to who at the hospital. I may not always interpret it correctly but, there is a lot of information that can be gathered about family relationships just by watching them with one another.

I see I have some feeders to fill this afternoon. I bought eighty pounds of sunflower seed on Saturday but it is still in the car. I guess I’ll put on my yard boots and traipse through the muck to carry that around to the shed and then fill my feeders. It is going to be cold temperatures yet for a few more days and we are told that we might even get more snow before the week is over. Winter will just not go away this year. Perhaps it is no different than any other year but by this time folks are so looking forward to a week or two of just nice warm spring days. I’m already hearing grumbling about planting season being late etc, etc,. I certainly can’t get any spring vegetables in the ground because the ground is so wet. I’m one of the few thaat actually got garden ground worked up. But, God will provide and by July I’ll probably be griping about the lack of rain.

Enjoy your day whether it is rainy or dry, cold or warm. Remember that God will provide for your needs and God’s love is always around you. Give thanks for the wonderful Good News of the gospel that Jesus is raised from the dead and therefore we will be too for eternity in the peace that come from God. Shalomn.

Deceptively beautiful is what I would call this morning. The sun is shining beautifully, It is sixty three degrees, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming; — it all looks great. However, off to the west there are dark clouds approaching and the wind gusts are getting a little stronger as the morning goes on. The weather dude says that severe storms are on the way and looking at the radar it looks like he is right. The entire midwest from Dallas to Michigan is in for an afternoon and evening of it. Rain, storms, lightening, tornadoes, and fifty mile an hour wind gusts are all in the play book for this one. My prayer this morning then is that there are no injuries or deaths from it.

Ms. Kate and I had a great day yesterday. We did go to Louisville as I told you yesterday in my blog. I took her to PF Chang’s for a late lunch/early dinner. The food was excellent as always and not only that, Julies surprised us with an e-card gift certificate which cover3d the cost of the meal. We went over to retake her something that she needed for her business trip this weekend so she bought us the certificate. And it worked out for too because our order was huge and we had enough left over to take her dinner too; — triple win all around.

I have a real squirrel battle going on in the back yard this morning. I have seen squirrels chase one another around this yard forever but this morning they were making actual physical contact viciously fighting, rolling around on the ground clawing and biting. And these two have chased one another around the trees and the yards and back and forth all morning. I don’t know what it is all about but it is interesting to watch. Of course, I don’t really know one from the other so I won’t know who won. But the chase continues as I write. The other squirrels are paying no attention to them so it must not be a family issue. I have seen groups of them gang up and chase another squirrel out of the yard.

This evening I have a Music and worship committee meeting at the church, assuming we don’t get blown away by the storms. This will be the first one of these that I have been too. We didn’t have a committee like that at my last parish so it will be interesting to see what they do. I know they have had this committee for as long as I can remember but I was never involved with it.

Tomorrow I may be doing my blog from the hospital waiting room. We have a parishioner having a knee replaced tomorrow and I’ll be sitting with the family. I’m so glad he is finally able to have it done because he can hardly stand, let alone walk. So, I would ask you to offer a prayer fro him. You don’t need to now his name, God already does. You know, I marvel at the skills that God has allowed man to learn and do to keep us humans going. Hearts replacements are a routine matter any more. I remember the first one being done. Ms. Kate has had w double by-pass surgery, and a knee replaced. How marvelous is that. I just give all praise to God because while it is human hands that perform these miracle surgeries, it is God that guides those hands and permits the healing. There is no way, in my opinion, that man could have the knowledge to do these things with out the intervention of God.

That’s it for today. I think I will fix myself a bagel and cream cheese breakfast and then head downstairs t my office. I pray you will have a good day and will not be affected by the storms; and if you are —- I pray you will be safe. Peace.

A brand new month! Welcome to April and all that this fourth month of the year shall bring us. The old saying is that April showers bring May flowers. Well, most of my May flowers are already blooming and we are seven and a half inches of rain fall above the yearly average to date. And --- it appears we are going to have another week of on and off rain which will bring the totals even higher.

Easter Sunday and Holy week have come and gone. We had ninety one for the late service yesterday and thirty two for the sunrise service. Those are acceptable numbers. Of course some of those were the "Creasters" as we call them; the people that only come on Christmas and Easter. And of course there were relatives of members that came to church too. Next Sunday we will be back to the normal attendance. But, the services were really good and the church looked beautiful with all of the lilies in the chancel area forming a large cross. The bell choir played a nice song and the Chancel Choir sang the Alleluia Chorus. I think I have told you that we only have a twelve person choir but they sang that Alleluia Chorus as beautiful as any choir I have heard.

Julie and Jim and the pups came over on Saturday afternoon and stayed through lunch yesterday. Julie had to go to Indianapolis first to do a blood draw. She came on down after she finished with that. Jim and the pups came a little earlier. We didn't have a fancy traditional lunch but what we did have has become tradition with us. Easter Sunday we do brats and potatoes and another vegetable or two. We started doing that about six years ago and it satisfies the need without Ms. Kate having to go to great lengths to fix some meal that will leave us having leftovers for two weeks. Yesterday Ms. Kate also fixed Bock wurst sausage with sauerkraut. Bock wurst is known as an Easter sausage for some reason and it is usually fixed with kraut.

I have office hours this morning at the church and then Ms. Kate and I are heading to Louisville, KY. We need to drop off a couple of things that Julies left here yesterday and needs for her upcoming business trip to Florida his weekend. And, I'm taking Ms. Kate to her favorite restaurant, PF Chang's, for a late lunch / early dinner. She deserves a reward for all of the extra work she had to do during the Lenten season and Easter. I figure since we had to go to New Albany, we might as well drive the extra mile to go go to he other side of Louisville. Hopefully we will beat the rain and cruddy weather that is coming our way yet tonight.

That is about it for today. Time to go to work and get this day going, although --- boy could I crawl back in the sack for another hour or so. Have a blessed day. Don't forget the message of Easter still needs to be spread today and tomorrow and every day. Easter isn't a one shot and done. God's message is always out there to be delivered and God relies on you and me to continually be disciples of His Word. Peace be with you.