Happy Thursday morning. I hope the weather at your place is as good as it is at mine. I have blue skies and sunshine and a slight breeze with temp in the low seventies. It is so nice that I am going to finish my cup of coffee and my blog and then spray myself with some DEET mosquito spray and go work in the yard. How about them apples? I have a bunch of sticks to pick up and break up and put in my garbage can and I have a garden full of weeds I I need to take a hoe to. I need it to dry out just a bit first though.

Tomorrow the heat and humidity is supposed to return and maybe even some showers. We have an outdoor wedding rehearsal tomorrow evening so I hope it isn’t raining for that or for the wedding on Saturday. The wedding on Saturday is at 1400 hrs which will be the hottest part of the day. I’m hoping there will be plenty of shade and maybe even some breeze out there in the Woodland chapel. It is such a beautiful place to do a wedding. But, when the air is still and the sun is bright, it comes right through the canopy.

The bike riding is still going strong. I made my one hour goal yesterday and rode eight miles. But, I have to admit I suffered a bit because of it. By bed time last night, I could barely move because my back hurt, my knees hurt, and my leg hurt. So, rather than go down stairs and watch TV, decided to take some ibuprofen and go to bed. I did get a good nights sleep though.

Ms. Kate and I had a date night again last night. We went to see the new Lion King movie. The first release of that movie was 21 years ago and I think it is the one she always called “me movie” because she wanted it to play constantly. The updated version uses really animals or —- it is the best CGI I have ever seen. The story is the same and the music is the same but the difference between watching the two is phenomenal. I glad we went to see it. I always love a date night with my sweetie whether it is a concert, a nice meal out or free popcorn at the movie. We’re still “an item” even after 57 years of dates.

Time to spray myself and go pick up sticks, fill bird feeders, and pull some weeds. I hope your day is blessed. Peace.

Good morning Wednesday! What a bright and beautiful day you are, unlike your sister Tuesday who came around here yesterday dumping three inches of rain on us. I expect good things from you today Wednesday.

I have to go for office hours in a few minutes. Actually it will just be for a staff meeting but Pastor Art and I have some things to talk about so that will take a while. We have a wedding to do on Saturday and we need to go over how we intend to do that. I’ve written the ceremony but we may need to tweak some parts of it. Saturday evening will be the rehearsal, and then we are all going out for pizza afterwards. The wedding will be a small one and is a second marriage for both of them.

When I get home today, I think I’ll try to do a little work outside. It depends on the heat and humidity.  Yesterday’s heat index got up to 103. I don’t work out there when it get like that. It just plain isn’t healthy. There was a time decades ago that it would not have bothered me but those days are long gone and I’ve gotten old and soft.

But — my bike riding has done well. I did seven miles Monday evening. I’ll try for an hour today and see how far that gets me. I just put on my headphones and my IPad tuned to Gaither Gospel videos and listen to the music and peddle my way to no where. I kind of enjoy it and I never thought I would say anything like that!

Time to go.  I pray you’ll have a great day. If life gets too serious, talk to God. God is always there to give you the strength you need. Peace

Monday morning and I'm at the office. So far the excitement has consisted of watching the copy machine guy come in and work on the machine. Now that he is gone, I'll have to settle for watching count and log in the offering from yesterday. I'll tell ya', I do live an exciting life. Tonight I get to come back to the church and sit through a church council meeting. We'll talk about the status of the work that is being done to the parsonage and to the class rooms. We'll talk about the up coming Cruise-in For Christ fund-raiser. We'll talk about the new Sunday school class that Pastor Art wants to start and the Financial Peace class that he also want to be conducted here to help people with their money management, (and maintaining their tithing). The one thing they won't talk about though is finding the new called pastor. So far, I don't think they have replaced the committee chairperson that quit, nor as far as I know, do they have any propective candidates. It is not a good thing. The thing is, if we were a more "liberal" church, we could have had a new pasteor maybe three years ago. But, we are a church that fails to follows the new definitions of society and accept same sex marriage as proper. Our denomination has no problem with re-defining marriage and relationships and in fact promotes it even in the seminaries. But, it does make it hard to find a pastor that will be supported by the local association or the denomination if they don't "toe-the-line" so to speak. My former parish is in the same fix as Zoar. Their pastor is retiring as of December 31st and their search committee is getting no recommendations either.

Ms. Kate and I went to the horse races yesterday. It was the first time we had been in several years. Our doctor has half interest in a horse and we went and bet a small wager on it. The best part of the day was the $1.00 hotdogs and the $2.00 beer. The horse might be at the finish line by now. I'm glad our bet was minimal.

We are supposed to go grocery shopping today after I leave here unless it is raining. Wel, at the moment, it is thundering and lightening, and raining and I'm leaving here in about thirty minutes. So, I reckon we won't be shopping for groceries today. Instead, I'll go home and climb on my recumbant bicycle and take a trip to nowhere. I probably will do another six miles today. That seems to be about the point where I am ready to get off of it.

We have a brand new week starting today so let's all decide to make the most of it and do something this week to help someone else. There is always someone out there that we may know or may not know that can use a helping hand. Be the reason someone smiles this week. Peace.

It amazes me how often I don’t get around to blogging these days. My last blog was on Tuesday and here it is Saturday morning already. But the days have been busy and we have had places to go.

This morning already I have been out to the barber shop to “get my ears lowered” as my dad used to say. The hair was tickling my ears and that always bothers me. When I was a kid my dad was always my barber. He would give me my haircuts and he did aa pretty good job of it. He had an old Manuel set of clippers, a comb, and a pair of scissors, and I set on a kitchen stool with a towel around me while he did his thing. After I got married, Ms. Kate cut my hair most of the time. Since I was in the Air Force, she kept it cut because it saved us money. But, in the last decade or so, I’ve gone to the barbershop. My barber knows how I like it and he’s not a talker like so many of them are. If fact he and I seldom say anything while he is cutting my hair.

Ms. Kate and I have been sticking to our bike riding routine. She does either two or two and a half miles and I’m doing six and a half. Some times we ride every day and sometimes we ride every other day. Six and a half takes me forty five minutes or so and I’m working my way up to an hour of riding. That should put me at about eight miles. My goal is to go ten miles. I think that is long enough and far enough.

But, now, I think I’ll drop off and jump on the John Deere and mow some yards. It is going to get up to about 90 degrees today and I thin I want to get it done now. Later we are going to the orchard for some peaches.

It is Saturday so don’t forget that God will be expecting you in worship tomorrow. Go and join your friends in praise and worship. If you don’t have a church, go find one and walk on in. If they aren’t friendly to you, try another next week. Regardless though, take time to stop and give thanks for the blessings you have been given this week. Peace.

Tuesday, August 6th. I’ve been anticipating this day for awhile. Today was my final physical therapy evaluation and I have now “graduated”. Today was also my follow-up with my orthopedic surgeon and I don’t have to go see him again for three months. So, I’m feeling pretty good about my self today. If fact I’m feeling so good that Ms. Kate asked if we could go over to her favorite jewelry store because they were having a sale and she had a 15% off coupon on top of that. She found  necklace that she really liked and asked if I would buy it for her “for her birthday” that is four months away. Well; she got a very nice birthday present.

After that we went to Olive Garden for lunch and then to the orthotic shop so I could have the orthotist put some more padding in my orthotic. It has been rubbing my heel. He put a nice foam pad in there and it fits great now.

So now we are home, sitting in our sun porch recliners and about to take off for nap-land.  I-don’t need to ride my bike today because I had physical therapy this morning. I’m going to read for a little bit. A parishioner loaned me a book and I want to finish it this week and get it back to her. I’m not sure how I feel about the points that the author is trying to make. Actually, I’m not sure what his point s that he is trying to make.  Some of it is more than a little far-fetched. But I’ll read it and she will want to know whaat I think of it. She may not agree with or like my answer. I think he is pretty radical right in his theology.

We are supposed to be expecting a severe thunderstorm yet today. We could use a little rain, but don’t need any storms. It is getting more cloudy certainly than it was earlier today. That’s it. Have a blessed day.

It’s a Monday afternoon, it is hot and muggy and most likely in three o four months, we will all be wishing for a hot and muggy month; but not today. Today, sitting here in the sun porch with the ceiling fan on is just fine.

We had a good weekend. We didn’t do a lot though. Saturday night we went to the Victory Theater for a concert by one of Ms. Kate’s favorite groups. They are called “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” and are a band that does 1940’s “speakeasy” type jazz.

Of course yesterday was Sunday and that means church to start out the day. It seems there were a lot of people missing from church but we did have 67 people there so that isn’t too bad. I know of several families that were traveling and others were out camping. I think the school year begins this week so people were out taking that last day or last weekend off before the grind starts again. I really glad that those days are all long gone for Ms. Kate and me. Although, —- having all of my girls at home again for even a while, does sound ideal.

I started my day off at the church for awhile. The I had a 10:00 appointment with a parishioner for visitation and communion. I always like doing that visit with her. She is 90 years old and was one of my Sunday school teachers when I was a youngster. She and her husband were a great couple. I conducted her husband’s funeral maybe five years ago. She always seems to really appreciate it when I come by and bring communion. I talked to another member of the church yesterday that I had been taking communion to. I didn’t know if I could physically get in their house to bring tem communion because their outside steps are steep and they have no hand rail. She attends church most every Sunday but he doesn’t. He has a colostomy bag and doesn’t want to be in church with it. He has had cancer for several years. I think they are close to their 90’s too. But, we determined yesterday that I could walk through their garage and get in their house. They only have one step for me to have to do. Maybe Thursday I can take communion to them.

Ms. Kate and I have been keeping up with our bike riding. Today she passed the three mile mark. I’m really proud of her for keeping up with it. It is so good for her and it is also good for me too. I did 6.5 miles today in 45 minutes. Now, I’m laid back in my recliner while I write this. The bike sure beats walking out in the 90 degree weather. I call it my bike to nowhere. But the scenery and entertainment is great as I watch my friends at the Backyard Buffet.

That’s enough for today. I pray you will have a fantastic week. Shalomn.

Saturday morning and it is a hot and muggy one already. I just got of my recumbent bicycle; I rode 6.1 miles this morning in 40 minutes. I’m a tad winded but not too bad. I did work up a bit of a sweat though and that is a good thing because I’m going to be having a bowl of fresh cantaloupe and a slice of peach pie along with my coffee this morning. Gotta put back those calories.

I’ve caught two raccoons this week at the Backyard Buffet. I had another one in the trap yesterday morning. Animal Control came and picked it up. It was a nasty one too. It was not happy at all about being in that trap. It hissed and snapped at the animal control guy several time. I thought that it bit him but he said no, he had gotten his hand out of the way in time. Last night I set out two traps but nothing came along and “took the bait”. I had thought that just maybe I would catch the possum too. I’m going to leave the traps set up and just see if they took a night off from their rounds. The problem is that if you catch one on Saturday night, there is no animal control pick up on Sunday. So, I may have to re-think that. I don’t want to have them dying of thirst in the hot sun.

I got the yards mowed yesterday; mine, Dan’s and Theresa’s. I am so very glad that I am back on the John Deere again. It is so relaxing to be able to just ride around out there mowing and enjoying myself. Of course the fact that doing dan and Theresa’s yard is strictly voluntary makes a difference. If I was contracted to do it or it was a job, I wouldn’t enjoy it near as much.

Tomorrow is Sunday and it is first Sunday of the month which means we’ll have communion. I always enjoy having communion. I feel much closer to God on communion Sundays. Having said that, I hope you are planning to take time to worship tomorrow. God provides so generously for us, and I feel that taking some tie to go and worship God is the very least we can do. have a great day.