What a great last few days. The weather has ben perfect, we’e gotten lots done, andwe’ve had wonderful family time. As I told you, our daughter heather did come home for just one night. But it was a wonderful visit and we had time for good conversation. She came Thursday morning and we sat around and visited and then on Thursday evening we went out to eat at the Log Inn and invited Karen along. Karen is Heather’s Godmother. Friday at noon, Heather headed back to Louisville to catch an evening flight back to California. She made it just fine which is great The airlines got totally screwed up this weekend what with bad weather and all kinds of problems. So we are thankful she didn’t run in to that. 

Friday evening Julie came over. She came alone, sans pups and husband. Jim stayed home to do his yard work so he kept the pups with him. We had a wonderful visit with Julie. We spent Saturday visiting and then yesterday morning we all went to church. Came home and had a great Father’s Day meal, took a nap, and then she headed back home. 

My Father’s Day was perfect. Not only did I get to visit in person with two of my girls but Ms. Kate baked  a lemon angel food cake for me and fixed seafood pasta for me for lunch yesterday. I do love my some pasta, especially seafood pasta. You know, it’s a wonder I don’t weigh a lot more than I do. Ms. Kate is the best cook I know. 

Yesterday we had an infant baptism at church. I always tell folks that infant baptisms are my favorite part of being a pastor. It just seems so very special. I love doing them because I get to be part of the priests of parents bringing their children for dedication to God. It’s a special privilege to me. 

Today I’m going to go go do visitation of my parishioners. I have three different facilities in three different cities to go to, so it will take up much of the day. Visitation becomes a “timing issue” as much as anything. Sometimes they are in therapy, or having lunch, or napping so I always need to watch when I can go. But, today it is supposed not get too hot and no rain, so it is a good day to go. 

Having said that, I need to hit the shower and get the day started. Have a blessed week. Peace. 

 Well, we be excited around this house. We always get excited when one of our daughters come home for a visit. But today, our California kid is coming and should be here in about an hour. Granted, she only gets to spend the night but what a treat. Thankfully her conference was held in Louisville this time and that’s only a few minutes from her sister, Julie and about 90 minutes from us. I’m not sure when we saw Heather last; but I think it might have been almost a year. She will drive back to Louisville around noon tomorrow and catch her plane back to CA. 

But, she and Julie will probably pass one another in transit tomorrow (yes, she has had a couple of visits with her this week) as Julie heads this way for the weekend. She’s coming to spend Father’s Day with us. I’m so glad they made the move to southern Indiana. It has been a blessing having her here close. She come to see us whenever she can. We don’t go there very often because the girl is always working and going to school or something.

Then July 1st, youngest daughter, Lisa and her hubby Gary are coming up and they are bringing our grandson Matt and his fiancé with them. They will be here until the 5th and then head back to North Carolina. We’ll see them again on October when Ms. Kate and I go down there to perform Matt & Hannah’s wedding ceremony. 

The heat is oppressive again today. It is currently only  89 degrees but it is going to keep rising and the humidity and heat combined gives us a 103 heat index. It’s no time to be outside pushing a lawnmower for sure. In fact with the ozone, we shouldn’t even be running a lawn mower. There are certainly the “dog days of summer”. It is supposed to maybe cool off a little if some storms come through and then be “nice” for the weekend. Then Monday it starts all over again. Yuk. 

Ms. Kate is preparing a peach torte for our dessert today. That’s going to be scrumptious for sure. I think we’ll have a nice salad for lunch today and then tonight we are going to take Heather to the Log Inn for dinner and will meet Kate’s sister Karen there. Karen is Heather’s Godmother. 

I better get busy and help Ms. Kate around here before Heather arrives. She’s got a list of “Homey-do’s” for me to do right quick. So, you have a great day. Peace. 

Have you melted down into your shoes yet? Can you believe this heat and humidity? It is horrible. I feel so very, very sorry for all of the people that have to work outside in this. I know life must go on and we can’t just not go do our jobs, but it is dangerously hot out there. And —- I actually saw one of my neighbors out there jogging it the 99 degree heat yesterday. It made no sense to me. 

But, Ms. Kate and I are going to go out and challenge it too. But, we’re just going to the grocery store. So, in the car, park and walk in the store, and then we’re back in the A/C. That’s not too bad. We have put off going for two days now but we are up against a time line now to purchase some things that we need. We did go out yesterday for a bit. I had to do some banking and we went to Target so we could pick up a new hand vacuum. Our old one just was picking up stuff any more. I guess like anything, they wear out after a while. Anyway, we picked up a “Shark” handheld and it is very light and easy to handle. Let’s hope it lasts for awhile. We have one of those really heavy vacuums (I think it is a Kirby), but that thing weighs a tone. I remember we paid a fortune for the dang thing. (Got caught up in the “sales hype and wonderful deal”.) It’s awkward, hard to move around stuff, is corded and just a pain in the rump to use. So, it sits in its closet, taking up space. It’s too heavy for Kate to manage so I’ll get it out once in awhile and use it. 

After we do our grocery shopping this morning, I think I will go do some pastoral visitation to a couple of fellows over on the east side of town. It had been a week and a half since I’ve seen them. I’ve considered waiting until next Monday but the forecast says that our heat will be returning again next Monday after a somewhat pleasant weekend. I can’t go tomorrow because we have company coming tomorrow and more company coming on Friday. It’s Father’s Day weekend, and Julie will be coming for the weekend, but Heather is coming for an overnight tomorrow. She in a conference in Louisville this week and it ends on the morning, so she is going to drive over here for the night and then fly back home on Friday. It’s way too short of a visit but we will take what we can get. She hasn’t been to our house in years. Then, on July 1st, Lisa and family are driving up from North Carolina and spending a couple of days with us. How wonderful is that??? I get to see all three of my girls within the next two weeks. 

Ms. Kate is ready to go so I’m out of here. Stay safe, stay cool my friends. Peace. 

 I gues I better write a few words before the battery on my IPad dies. I’m down to 20%. 

Good morning on this already hot, hot, hot morning. The feels like temperature is already at 96 degrees and it is just 0930, It is going to be a miserable day and a day to stay off of a lawn mower or our of the garden. But, I do have out door stuff to do so I reckon it is time to just suck it up, but take it easy doing my stuff. The weather lady last night said the feels like temperature is supposed to go to 115 today and for the next couple of days. We are in record breaking territory with those temps. The last time we had temperatures like this was five years ago, 

We had a good weekend. We did go to Springfield , IL area for my nephew’s going away party. He actually leaves for boot camp this coming Sunday which is also Father’s Day. I suspect his Dad will be shedding a tear or two. The young man has sighted up for Airborne Infantry. I wish him good luck and a safe tour of duty. 

We stayed in a Holiday Inn over in Effingham, IL on Friday night. The had an “in-hotel” restuarant so we had supper there. They had deep-fried alligator on the menu so I thought I would try it since I’ve never eaten alligator before. At best, —- it was “okay”. I certainly won’t say “it tastes like chicken” because it isn’t even close to chicken. I found it to be a little bit greasy and a bit too chewy for me. But, I can now say I have tried it and when I watch “Swamp People” on the TV, I can identify with their product. Obviously a lot of people liked it; it just isn’t for me. Maybe if I had it cooked some other way —- it might be better. The waitress said it was their best selling Friday night item, but I think that is just because it is “different”. 

We had about 65 in church yesterday and that is great. We were in the “old church” and I love it when we get a crowd and they start singing because the ceiling is high and the sound reverberates off of it. It sounds beautiful. I’m liking these combined services that we do during the summer months, and folks from both churches stay around and fellowship a lot more. I wish they would come together and become one, but there are just too many obstacles in the way for that, too much attachment to each church, two cemeteries, and frankly the two churches have two different personalities. Each church has two sets of “founding families”, and merger would be tough. St. Paul’s has the Block Family and Michel family; and St. Lucas has the Graper family and Kruse family. Yes, there are some other sprinkled in there but that composes the majority of the members in one way or another. Rural church are by and large, family churches. 

I have to do visitation this week and we have Heather coming in from California for just one night and then Julie coming in for part of the weekend, for Father’s Day. And we have a bunch of other things that we need to take care of. So it is going to be a week of running around. 

Time to quit. Battery is down to 14% and I gotta get cleaned up and start my week. Have a blessed week, please take care of yourself in this oppressive heat. Peace. 

 I think I can hear it raining but I’m not sure. It it is, it is only a light sprinkle. I don’t see anything on the sidewalk. But, if I stare through the air I can barely se it coming down, and I can hear the faint sound of rain drops on the roof of the sun porch. My Accuweather app shows it to be raining right now and to continue for another hour. If it is no heavier than this, it will barely wet the garden. 

We did do our running around that we planned yesterday plus made a stop at the funeral home for visitation. Kate had a cousin that passed away. There was hardly anyone there that we knew and he had already been cremated. We knew very little about him or his family. They didn’t get together much and from what I can tell, there was a lot of drama between the family members. But we stopped by and paid our respects to his wife. 

We still have not heard from Kate’s doctor reference her echocardiogram test that she took two days ago. I’m assuming that means that either everything is okay or the doctor has not seen it yet. But it gets frustrating waiting to hear results. Actually the test was ordered by the PA and I don’t know that the results didn’t go to her and I don’t know if she works at the doctor’s office every day. But, I would have thought that the results would have been put on her My Chart account by now. I reckon it is time for a call to the doctor’s office. 

We’re heading out of town this afternoon. We’re headed to Springfield for a party that is tomorrow. Certainly we could have made the drive up and back in one day but who wants to do a 10 hour drive and attend a party for an hour all in one day, —- not this couple of old farts. We’ll break the trip up and take our time. The route is all “back-roads” and two lane roads anyway. We could go interstate but the distance is a little farther. These days with the high gas prices we’ll take the shorter but slower route. Thank goodness I have a car that gets 52 mpg. A friend of mine just took a trip pulling his camper and was getting less than 10 mpg. I can’t imagine that. Another friend just went to California to se his son’s family and said the gas is $6.00 a gallon and that they gas station owners are having to re-fit their pumps to handle four digit gas prices. It’s pathetic what is happening to not only our American economy but the global economy. You cannot convince me that all of this isn’t a plan by some very, very wealthy people foro economic dominance. This country was energy independent before the current political administration assumed the presidency and immediately shut down our American pipeline “in the interest of ecology”, and now we are buying foreign oil and that has effected everything globally. But —- I’m not going to start a political rant here. I just will pray that cooler heads may prevail and that our election process will make a difference in all of this come November election. 

I think it is time to have a bowl of cereal and get on with my day. I pray you will have a wonderful weekend. Stay in touch with God. Peace. 

 Yes, the week is over half gone and I’ve let two days escape without a word. I make no apologies, I did tell you this was gong to be a busy week, and it has been. So, I have very little news or much excitement to think or talk about. Just “grindstone material. 

Yesterday Ms. Kate had to go for her echocardiogram at Deaconess Mid-Town. We had to be there at 0940 although I don’t know why. Her cardiologist didn’t start the procedure until about 1100. But I guess it takes awhile to get everything set up before he gets ready. She said that when we got her there her blood pressure was high, (understandable) so they had to wait to bring that back down. Then they had to inject her with whatever the medicine they give you to make your velodrome pressure rise. Sounds kind of silly doesn’t it ? That medicine makes your heart race and it makes Kate a little woozy. But, they got it all done and we were out of there by noon. We stopped at McDonalds and picked up something to eat. Kate is the absolute queen of the drive-thru. If we are out and want to grab something to eat, she always want something from a drive-thru. I don’t like drive thru pick up and prefer to go inside for my dining. It isn’t that she even likes drive-thru food, she just doesn’t want to be bothered going in some place. “My hair is a mess.” “I’m not dressed to go in.”  “I don’t have any make-up on.” “I just want to pick up something and eat it at home.” Yeh, —- that’s the reasons I hear. So, we go through McDonald’s, or Taco Hell, or Wendy’s usually and take it home. Although, I admit that when we go to the churches to run bulletins, we sometimes stop and grab some drive-thru and then go sit in the car under a shade tree at the church and enjoy looking at the fields and having our picnic. We’ve done that for years, even before I retired. When I was in the Air Force, sometimes she would fix a picnic lunch and we’d go to the local park on the base and have lunch. 

Tomorrow we are going to head out for an over-night trip up to Springfield, IL. Saturday is the graduation party for a young nephew and he is getting ready to head out for Army basic training. We’ll stop in Effingham, IL tomorrow night and then head out on Saturday. We’ll stay at the party for about an hour and head back home because I have Sunday services to do. 

Todaay though, is a relaxing day and a run around day to do a little shopping. Ms. Kate wants to go to a specific store to get a specific nail polish remover. (Could have just gone to Dollar General, but I guess not.) We need to go to the bank and pick up some cash and we need to go look for a graduation gift. So, I don’t know how much running around we will do or how long we will be out and about. But — I want to take advantage of a beautiful weather day and mow my yard. It should be dry enough from the rains by then. 

That’s it. I’m all caught up. Maybe I’ll get time tomorrow morning to jot a note. If not, I’ll see you Monday. Have a blessed weekend. Peace.

 Good morning, Happy brand new week. So far the morning looks pretty good. It is 75 degrees and i see the leaves of the plants outside my kitchen window are waving in a slight breeze. The prediction is for rain later in the day, but we shall see what is going to happen in reality I guess. 

Did you have a good weekend. We did, Julie and Jim and the pups came over. Jim had a bowling tournament on Sunday at Franklin Lanes. I used to bowl there once in a while many, many years ago. I hadn’t thought about the place even being open any more. He didn’t do very well compared to the competition. Says he struggled getting a 230, 180, and 180. I’ve never had a series that good in my life but —- he is a good bowler. But others were having a better day. He said the second game they rolled, four different people had perfect 300 scores. That is amazing. I’ve never seen a person roll a 300. Jim has done it once and that was this year. 

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday and we began our combined service summer schedule. I was disappointed in our turnout, there should have been more. But, other things often take priority over church attendance. I know that one of the main families were all at a wedding a couple of cities away. We broadcast out service on You Tube so if they want to watch it, they can catch it later. 

We have a busy week this week. This morning we have a lady coming to be interviewed to be a house cleaner. There hare just things that Ms. Kate and I can’t get down and do any more to keep the house clean so I want to hire someone to come in once or twice a month. We’ll see how that pans out. Then Wednesday Kate has a stress cardio gram test to be done. Then on Friday we are heading north toward Springfield , Illinois. I have a nephew that graduated high school and has joined the Army and his party id Saturday. We’ll drive half way,, spend the night and then drive up the rest of the way on Saturday, attend the event for an hour and then drive back home on Saturday.

Well, time to quit. Peace.