Another weekend of storms across America. We were spared and damage at our house but other parts of the tri-state were not so lucky. I haven’t listened to the news yet today but I know there were tornadoes south of us in Kentucky. We had a lot of thunder and lightning but the wind was minimal. So, I give thanks to the Lord this morning. 

The wether outlook for the week though is for beautiful the entire week. We can certainly use a break. People need time to clan up. I told you the other day about the saga of ours getting our settlement. It still has not been resolved, but I’m hoping this week. I’m so tired of all of the “rigamaro” of all of this. I detest having to deal with anything that has to do with money and that kind of stuff. This has been a nightmare. 

Saturday we gathered together some flowers and went out to the cemeteries to put flowers on graves as needed. The ones on my parents graves were still winter flowers and looked pretty bad. So we put new flowers on both and a flag on dad’s. We also went a put a flag on the grave of a long time friend that was killed in Vietnam. 

Once I get off of my rear end today, I’m going out and “deadhead” iris and peonies. I have been telling myself that for several days and it still hasn’t gotten done. I also need to tie up my tomato plants some more. They are really getting tall and I have a lot of tomatoes on that need he support. 

That’s it for today. Have a great week. Speak a word of gratitude today for the sacrifice of so many Americans that we have lost in the defense of our nation of the decades. Peace. 

 Another week has gone by and I’m wondering where it went. But —- here it is Wednesday and the week is half over. 

I started out my week with the most unpleasant of activities; —- prepping for my colonoscopy. That procedure happened Monday afternoon, so needless to say, I was not in a “writing mood” on Monday morning. I’m glad to report that the exam went very well and I’m good to go until my next lube and oil change in 3-5 years, should I live that long. 

Yesterday, was a busy day and Ms. Kate had an appointment so our day got wrapped around that, and I spent the morning dealing with the insurance company and mortgage company via phone. Pardon my language but: &^%%$#@@@!!!!  There, I feel better. Here’s my long story: On April 22nd, we got our insurance company’s settlement check for the storm damage repair. It was a good settlement. However, — and I may have already told you this saga, the check they sent me was made out to me, Ms. Kate, and the mortgage company, because they are still owners of the home until the mortgage is paid off. On May first I called the mortgage company and ask for the process to get their endorsement on the check so I could bank it and pay my contractor that did the repairs. They told me what all they needed, —- I promptly put the package together and sent it to the mortgage company. Allegedly the process should have taken no more than 10 days from the time I sent it to them until I received my money back from them. After waiting 15 days, I called them only to find out that they had not established a file on me, and had no record of having received my check and paperwork. Fortunately, I was talking to someone to was willing to work the issue. She immediately established a file on me and it instantly showed receipt of the check and my paperwork. She said that they will review it and send me my money with 3-6 business days. 

Monday evening I got an email from the mortgage company saying they had enclosed the letters that I had requested. Needless to say that being fresh off of the colonoscopy table, I was in no mood to deal with that, but yesterday morning I called them. The initial person that I talked to said they had no record of having received an anything from me. I bit my lip and asked for a different person. That agent said that they had reviewed the package but they had a question about it and that I needed to send them more information. He had no explanation for the email that I had received. By now, I was extremely frustrated so I called my USAA insurance folks (wonderful people to deal with, by the way) explained the situation and a very lovely lady said she would grab hold of the problem for me, would fax would them the entire file so I could get my money. So ——- now I will wait another week and see what happens. In the meantime, I will ask for forgiveness for all my evil thoughts about certain people and their bureaucratic practices. 

That catches you up to today. I hope you have a wonderful day! Peace. 

 There are good days and then there are better days. But today — was a day of a long awaited blessing. We had our appointment with Kate’s surgeon this morning and her doctor said she doesn’t have to come back to see him anymore. Needless to say we are thrilled. We still have to do some minor dressing but she is doing great. God is so good!!. This was the culmination of 15 months of pain and doctors and hospital stays and surgeries. We thank all of you that have included her in your prayers and are so grateful for your love and friendship. 

Peace. 

 A new week hs arrived. I hope you had a good weekend, and if you are a mother, I hope you were well acknowledged and appreciated.  Julie and the pups came over from New Albany on Saturday and spent the night with us. She fixed us supper of Naan bred pizza’s and then ordered Cold Stone delivered. Heather ordered and sent Kate some beautiful roses and lilies, and Lisa sent a box of candy & special popcorn treats. I fixed lunch yesterday after I got home from church. I broke out my Blackstone griddle and fixed Pork-steak and veggies on the griddle. Also heated up a Bob Evans mashed potato package. Lunch was good. 

I have my first tomato on my plants. I am very excited. As you know, I raised these babies from a seed. So, to see them actually fruit, is a great thing. The plants have a lot of blooms on them so I’m expecting a good crop. We have one special plant that is called a Holy Land tomato that our cleaning lady brought us from up in Amish Country. It has really grown too and I just had to tie it up because it need some support. It’s gonna be a good tomato year. LOL.

Good news about Ms. Kate. The open wound that we have been treating for three months is really finally closing up. I have been packing it some times twice a day and now I’m not sure the opening is big enough to get the head of the q-tip through without forcing it, and I won’t do that. And we celebrated yesterday that we actually went through a week with out having to go to the hospital. All praise to God, I think we are coming to a closure on this horrible chapter. 

Tat’s it for the start of the week. I pray you will have a week full of blessings. Peace. 

 Thursday, May 9th. Good morning and happy “no storms” morning. We have certainly had our share of storms and rain. We have been through four rounds since yesterday morning. Fortunately, wee were spared any damage and in fact for all that was happening across this part of the country, —— we were incredibly blessed. Other parts of the country have been devastated by all of the storms and tornadoes. And —- I’m glad to say that we have just about completely gotten all of the damage cleaned up and repairs made from the storms we had on April 1st. I’m still waiting on the fellow to come and replace the gutter and gutter guard and the chimney cap. And of course, it’s great to know that the new roof is obviously doing what it is supposed to do.  

We have a couple of days with nothing on the calendar. That’s hard to believe; no doctor’s appointments, no visiting home nurse visitations, —- nothing! What will we do with ourselves? The question didn’t take long to find an answer to; make it a laundry day. It’s just one load so that won’t take too long. Frankly “laundry day” isn’t a big deal at our age. Gosh, I remember the days of my youth when laundry day was a big deal. Mom had a “wringer-washer” down in the basement, with a set of “dual tubs for rinsing. We had a set of four-line clotheslines outside that dad had made. So mom would get the wash done downstairs then carry it up stairs and outside to hang it up when the wether was nice. On bad days and in really cold weather, we had clotheslines strung from all of the ceiling joists in the basement. The basement was always damp anyway and that didn’t help alleviate the moisture at all. Thank goodness we are long past those days; although there is a lady cross the way that always hangs her laundry outside. Interesting. 

So, the other thing I have to do today is make my grocery list and go to Hellmart. Yuck!  Knowing that, I better get started. Bad news doesn’t get any better with age. 

Peace my friends. 

 Good Monday morning and happy brand new week. It’s a cloudy one with a bit of humidity and currently 70 degrees. Accuweather app says we’ll have showers starting in about twenty minutes and maybe lasting for a half an hour. We had showers last night at some point but I didn’t hear them. 

I was up at 0600 today for no reason other than I couldn’t decide if I wanted my cover on or off of me. I had the ceiling fan on and probably should have just got up and turned it off but instead I got up, turned the coffee pot on, poured myself a cup of coffee and went to the sunporch to watch and listen to the morning birds. It was sprinkling a little and the rain on the sun porch roof s enough to shed me to a very nice sleep in my recliner. 

The Backyard Buffet has been a very busy place all morning. We have young bunnies running around, young squirrels chasing one another all over the yard and up and down the trees. I also have a batch of new wrens that are obviously not too long out of the nest. It has been wonderful to sit there and watch all of the activity; —- Very entertaining. 

Today Kate has the Home Health nurse coming again. I’m sure she is going to want to check the open wound we have been treating and will want to do a Coumadin level check. I think the wound is getting better but I really don’t know. As I told Kate, I’m just the guy with the bandages doing the best that I can. 

Since it is going to be a bad weather day, or I should say “week”, I will get my sermon for the 19th of May written. As is often the case, I “know what I want to say”, now I just have to put it down in writing. Speaking of sermons, I read yesterday that my former parish is set to have a trial sermon by a prospective permanent pastor on the 23rd of June. I am very happy for them. I pray the candidate is right for them. 

So that’s about it for Monday. I hope you have a blessed week, full of God’s blessings. And —- I hope you take time to give thanks for all of the God-given blessings. Peace. 

 Welcome to a rainy and cloudy Friday morning. I think it is supposed to rain on and off for most of the day and maybe even into tomorrow. It’s a light rain, more like a drizzle and the temperature is in the sixties so all in all, it’s a great day to sit back and enjoy a day of nothing. 

Yesterday was busy. The roofing crew were up on the roof at 0630 and they had the old roofing stripped off and the new roof on by maybe 2:30 pm. They are a really good crew. My contractor still owes me some gutter work, but I’m very pleased with what he has gotten done so far. And the good thing is that it was all done before the rain; —- and no leaks! LOL

After the crew left, I got busy and finished fixing the missing panel of my backyard fence. It was pretty difficult to do it by myself, but I’m all I got so I have to figure out how to accomplish the task in the easiest way possible. I know it sounds like I’m “whining”, but I help folks all the time, but very seldom is there anyone around or available when I need help. But, that’s the way it is. I managed to get the job done and that’s was the only requirement. 

So, it’s Friday and tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby. The protesters are already to show up and beret the crowds about the cruelty of horse racing, but I doubt that fifty protestors handing out leaflets are going to deter 150,000 people who have come there to watch a 150 year old tradition and bet on their hoped for winner. But, bless them for trying. But people have been racing horses since man learned to domesticate them. 

That’s it. Have a blessed weekend. Take time out to give God praise and worship. Peace. 

 Hello Thursday! You certainly started early today. We have a roofing crew replacing our roof today as a result of the storm damage from a couple of weeks ago. The company is a great company and they are the folks that put our new roof on just 18 months ago. They were here and up on the roof this morning at 0630. It is a beautiful morning and a perfect day for doing roofing. It is supposed to get hot by this afternoon and then rain tonight. So —- it’s a perfect time to get it done. 

I’m trying to get the missing panel of my fence fixed. It went out and bought lumber to do that Sunday afternoon. I got the two 8 foot horizontal pieces all painted and went out to put them up and they were too short. As it turned out, they were not eight foot long, they were seven foot nine inches long !!! Sigh!! So yesterday after Kate’s doctor’s appointment I went back to Lowes and bought more material. This time I made sure they fit. It is a common saying that every “do it your selfer” has to make a minimum of three trip to the hardware store for a project. I’ve now done two. I wonder what I have forgotten. Again —— “Sigh”!! Anyway, I got all of the pieces painted with their first coat of primer yesterday evening. Right we are trapped in the house while the roofing crew is busy but I hope by this afternoon to be able to got some work done on the fence. 

I now have hummingbirds and Grossbeaks at the Buffet. That’s exciting. 

That’s it for today. Peace.