Happy Birthday to my Ms. Kate. The love of my life turned 74 today. That is an amazing blessing because we have come close to losing her twice in her life. In 1993 she had two heart attacks and a double by-pass surgery. In 2006 (I think) she had a stroke and we could have lost her. But. God is the giver of all good things and has kept her with me. I can’t imagine what the last 28 years of my life would have been like had we lost her. Would I have had the career drive that I have had? Would I be a pastor today? How would my kids life be different? These are all unknowns and maybe not worth the wonder, butI do think about it because I need to constantly give thanks to God for the path we are getting travel together. My lady is a daily blessing. 

Today is Christmas Eve and it is 56 degrees outside. Tomorrow we could be topping 71 degrees. How weird is that?? It certainly isn’t normal. A year ago today it was 17 degrees for a high. The year before, it was 68. Who knows what to count on any more. I ‘m just hoping that it isn’t snowing at the end of January/ first week of February so we can make our vacation safely. 

Tonight we will do two Christmas Eve services; a 7:00 pm at St. Paul’s with the children’s program, Holy Communion, and Candle light. Then at 9:00 pm we do it all over again at St. Lucas, minus the children’s service. I expect a large crowd which will be wonderful. Sunday will be the first Sunday after Christmas and you cam bet the crowds will be significantly reduced. That’s just the way it is in “church-land”. 

So, now, we are waiting on Jim to arrive, Ms. Kate is going to be starting dinner before too long. The fresh rolls are already rising, The corn is thawing from the freezer and the ham will go into the oven probably about the time that Jim gets here. I don’t know how long that needs to cook. We plan to eat around 1630 because we have the services this evening. 

That’s it for this Christmas Eve. HJave a blessed Christmas. Peace. 

 Good morning on this December 23rd. We’re having a great start to our day. As I write this, I have installers here to put in our new double ovens. We ordered these things back on October 11th and it has taken this long for the dealer to get them in. They are just a piece of the supply chain back up that is occurring all over the nation. The really great part is that our installer could get to us this quick after they arrived. I really appreciate that. The oven that we are replacing “still worked”. We had to always make adjustments on how to really set the temperatures because the thermostats were off and each oven had it own measure of “off”. Plus the automatic cleaning feature didn’t work so that was a pain in the rear. So, after 20 years of dealing with that —- it was time to “just do it”. And, I’ll probably do the first baking in it because I want to make Ms. Kate a birthday cake tomorrow. It will be an angel food of course because that is the simplest. We are neither one big cake eaters but we do like angel food. 

I goto notification this morning from another parishioner wanting me to do a funeral/memorial service for a loved one next week. That makes two funerals next week. That’s why I always try to work ahead with my sermon writing and services. One never knows what may pop up at the last minute. People certainly can’t plan when they are going to die, and I always try to make myself available if possible when my folks have a crisis in their lives. Both of my funerals next week will be private affairs so there isn’t a lot of involvement from other people. 

Julie and the pups are coming over today yet after she gets off of work. Jim has to work tomorrow so he will come over after he gets out of work then. They will both head back home on Sunday I think. I am so glad that Julie and Jim decided to move to our “local area” several years ago. Having them “local”, i.e. only and hour plus away is wonderful. For so many years they were more than a day and a half drive from us. 

I got the feeders all filled yesterday. The wrens were tweeting nd chirping about it as I filled them and the squirrels were up chittering about me being in their space and would I please hurry up. A lot of my guests are really rude. LOL

Well, the ovens are in and the installers are gone. They are a good crew; quick, efficient, and very reasonably priced. The ovens look fantastic. 

Have a great day. Peace. 

 December 22 and the first full day of winter. It’s 40 degrees out there but sunny and breezy. I had to go out and go to the grocery store this morning. We did on-line shopping yesterday at Meijer and they didn’t have some of the stuff we wanted. One of the hardest things to find has been Domino Confectionary sugar in a one pound box. Everybody has 2 lb bags but that isn’t what the boss wants. Nor did they have and heavy whipping cream. So they were standing between me and a pumpkin pie and Springerlie cookies. That could not stand. So, I went to Rulers; — nothing. I went across the street to the IGA and viola’ there it was. The sky opened up and the angels sang. I celebrated by going to Dunkin Donuts and getting us a couple of Bavarian Creme donuts. 

I have to fill my bird feeders today again. I think most everything is empty. It is surprising because I haven’t seen many birds out there. Maybe it is because it is still “warm” for the season. No snow, very few mornings have we even had a heavy frost. Sure doesn’t seem much like winter just yet. Weatherman says “no-way” to snow for Christmas. In fact, it is supposed to get up to almost 63 degrees with maybe a small rain shower or two. 

I got notification of a death with in the Faith Family this morning. The lady is not a member of our church  but is related to half of the congregation and has been on our prayer list for quite some time. Unfortunately, her husband is on the prayer list too. She will be buried in our cemetery on Tuesday and I’ll do a brief graveside service for the family. It is such a terrible thing to lose someone at Christmas but she had cancer and had been suffering for quite a long time. So, I give God praise that she no longer suffers. 

That’s about it for today. I hope you have a great day. Peace. 

 Good morning on this Monday of Christmas week. I don’t know how it is where you are but it is a sunny and bright 38 degrees here. The good news, for me at least is that it is supposed to be nice weather all week. Not being a fan of snow, that is great. On the other hand, I know this is because of global warming and that isn’t a good thing. We are supposed to have maybe 63 degrees on Christmas Day and that just isn’t normal. So,, while it is comfortable and pleasant, —- it is also scary to think about what is happening to our planet. 

We had a great weekend. Julie and Jim came over and Chris came by on his way back to Oklahoma. We visited and then went to Turoni’s for pizza. It was nice to see all of them. Chris left after dinner and Julie and Jim stayed the night. They will be back this week. Jules will come over on Thursday and Jim will come over on Christmas Eve.. They will head home on Sunday. Then all settles down for awhile. 

We had good services yesterday and they were very well attended. Of course the fact that we had a children’s program at St. Lucas brought in more than usual. We will have the children’s program at St. Paul’s on Christmas Eve. But that service is always packed. We will do a 7:00 pm service at St. Paul’s and then a 9:00 pm service at St. Lucas. Both services will be candlelight and Holy Communion services. Those are so very special to me. After the services yesterday we went to the cemeteries and laid wreaths on the graves of the veteran’s in our family, six in all.

We have two birthdays in the family this week. Tomorrow our youngest daughter, Lisa turns 50. That seems incredible to believe. Then on Christmas Eve Ms. Kate celebrates her 74th trip around the sun. I was thinking about that this morning and realized that out of the last 47 years, I have been on call, at work, or on duty all but five of those Christmas Eve/birthdays. She hasn’t had a lot of celebrations. Bless her heart. It’s a wonder she hasn’t kicked me to the curb by now. 

This Thursday we finally get our double ovens installed. We ordered those things on October 11th and they just came in on Friday. I’m glad to get them installed prior to Christmas. We ordered aa refrigerator the same day and don’t expect it until maybe January 16th. 

Okay, I got to get my day started, I hope your day will be blessed. Peace. 

 One week until Christmas Day. And minus snow, it kind of feels like Christmas weather out there for southern Indiana. Instead of snow we have rain and 47 degrees. I thought I would just take a moment and wish you all a happy weekend. 

I’m actually sitting here  at 1415 waiting on Julie and Jim to arrive. They are about 35 miles out yet. Then at around 1730, Chris will be arriving. He’s. On his way from Chicago back home to Oklahoma City. But his rout had to take him through Cincinnati so he will be stopping by here to see all of us, have a meal and conversation and then head out again for home. The benefit is that we also get an extra visit from Julie and Jim. Although he will have gone actually past their house this will save him the extra stop and save him time. 

Okay, here they are. Have a good one. 

 Friday morning already. It’s going to be a wet and soggy one, or so it appears. It hasn’t started raining just yet, but the radar shows a lot of dark green just below us. Accuweather tells me it will start at 1000. 

Yesterday was a run around day again. We started off the morning with a doctor’s appointment for Ms. Kate. It was a follow-up from a Doppler test that she had done a few weeks ago. The good news is that her blood is flowing properly with no dangerous blockages. Of course she has to stay on her cumaden \but that’s not a problem. From that doctor’s office, we had to go to another doctor’s office across town and have her routine blood work done. This was for her Protime test that she has to do every 4-6 weeks. I don’t know what that actually shows. But her doctor looks at the results and tells her it’s all ok or to increase or decrease one of her med’s for a day or two. next, we headed back across town and went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Ms. Kate at Walgreens. It’s a good thing my little Prius gets 55 mpg. 

With all of the doctor stuff out of the way, we headed up to the churches to run the church bulletins, but stopped at Zack’s restaurant in Ft. Branch for lunch. By the time we finished lunch, and bulletins making and stuffing, it was time to head home because the sun position in the sky said it was almost nap time and we didn’t want to be too late for that to happen. As it was, we were already thirty minutes late by the time we drove home. But we pressed on and persevered, and got our nap in. LOL, Ya’ just got to be dedicated to the mission.

Today, Ms. Kate has a bunch of stuff on her list to get done and I have got to get next weeks sermon finished. I’m 3/4 finished and it is just sitting there waiting on me to come down to the office and finish it. Time and events are starting to crowd us. Tomorrow morning I start the day off with a Wreaths Across America ceremony at St. Lucas, and then I have a half dozen wreaths to take and lay on our family veterans. Julie and Jim are coming over with the pups for the night and Chris, Steph’s hubby, is dropping by for a visit and dinner. So we have a bunch of stuff to get done. Jim is planning to drop the mower deck off of the big John Deere and put the snow blade on. Who knows, we may not need it all winter, but I want to be ready. He gets that thing on there pretty quickly and I can barely get down on the floor to help him. 

That’s it for today my friends. A week from today is Christmas Eve. Are you ready to welcome the Christ Child and celebrate the day of His birth?  Peace. 

 It’s not as bright, not as sunny. It the temperature  out there is 43 degrees so that isn’t bad. We are expecting some light showers on and of today. I have to go to the grocery store and the post office at some point today so I should do that this morning, and if I don’t do it soon, there will be no more morning. I can’t believe I have already fooled around for two and a half hours on this silly IPad and still haven’t written my blog not have I played my Criminal Case game. I’ve spent most of the time. In texting conversation with my buddy Art Christmas. He and I get to talking and we are worse than a couple of old ladies at the wash line. (You have to be old enough to understand that picture.) Actually we’re more like a couple of old dudes sitting in porch rockers. 

Yesterday, we dedicated the day to “nothingness”. Ms. Kate and I made a concerted effort to do absolutely nothing productive all day. My big accomplishment was to go to Schnuck’s and pick up a couple of needed groceries and then run by Wendy’s and pick us up some lunch. But, as I said, today I need to go to the grocery store because my list is getting long. And I have a small package to take to the post office. We went last week and dropped off our packages and I was the only one in there when I walked through the door. But by the time I walked out, —- there was a long line forming. Timing is everything I reckon and I hit it just right. 

We have several events on our schedule for the rest of the week. I have the bulletin to run at some point this week but I may wait until Saturday to do that. On Saturday we are going to do a ‘Wreaths Across America” ceremony at one of the churches and I have to be up there for that to read a citation. This program is for families to lay a Christmas Wreath on the grave of any family members that are veteran’s of the military service. I told Ms. Kate that as a retired Colonel, I have an obligation to participate in ceremonies like this. The service is at 0900 so I will have plenty of time after the short service to run my bulletins. Some day this week, Ms. Kate has a doctor’s appointment, I think that may be on Thursday, but maybe it is Friday. And we may or may not have company coming this week. Steph’s husband, Chris, is making a business trip through the area and may stop by since he will be in the area. BUt it’s up in the air so we don’t know whether to plan for a meal with a guest or not. 

This coming Sunday the kids will be doing their Christmas program during the worship service at St. Lucas. Then on Christmas’s Eve, the kids at St. Paul’s will do their program. I am so thrilled that this is happening, between COVID and a lack of kids, it has been a few years since this has happened. 

Time to shower and start the real day. Y’all have a most blessed day. Peace.