Welcome to the new week, welcome to the new month. August: Can you believe it? I find it hard to believe. I don’t what month “it seems” like it is but to be in the eighth month of the year is ridiculous. And —- for many kids across this country, today is the first day of school. I’m seeing “back to school” pictures all over Facebook. What happened to the days when school started the first day after Labor Day? Why are we robbing kids of that extra month off? It sure isn’t like I see any evidence that they are getting any smarter by starting earlier and they still are going up into June. But, —- and here’s my rant; all of the after-school activities will start immediately and parents will either insist or allow that their kids be involved in everything, so it will be pick kids up from school and run them to this and that and maybe they will get home in time for supper and then do homework and finally crash for the night. Parents and kids are forcing themselves into exhaustion. I guess if everybody stays busy all the time, they don’t have to suffer through that awful quiet time of actually talking to one another and being involved in one another’s life. Just grab your Phone and text one another. Yes, — I know. That was snarky of me and hopefully not as true as it seems. 

I need to take Ms. Kate to the doctor’s office first thing this morning for some blood work and then maybe we’ll go to breakfast. After that I need to go to the hospital for a visitation. I have a parishioner that seems to be at End of Life. He’s in the hospital with pneumonia and several other serious health issues. He’s a really great guy and a very good friend. But, EOL is a reality for all of us at some point and I truly hate to see him like this. But —- I could be wrong, God does miracles all the time and that is what it would take for him at this point. In the meantime, I pray for his comfort and for comfort for his family. None of us want to lose a loved one but quality of life is also important and when we get to the point that we don’t do more than draw in air to our body, God’s final gift of peace is \the most desirable  in the realm of options.

Hot and muggy are the words for today. Right on schedule with the month of August. I’m momentarily caught  up with my writing so I have time to maybe get outside and do some flower-bed work. I really wish I knew where to find someone to clean these flower beds up but I guess I’ll try to do it all myself. Slow and steady has to be the watchword. 

Time to shower and get ready to start the day. Have a blessed week, have a blessed new month. Make the most of it and do something good for somebody. Peace.