60°F SSW@3mph SR0610(0510) SS2002(1902)

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful, nice cooling breeze

Birthday greetings to Donna C.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal‘s left represents a commitment to marriage, family, and love of God. Beloved God, move me to embrace the way you select for me to serve you.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 330, The Sacrament of Baptism
We are drawn towards Heaven by a golden chain of grace. The most precious links in this chain of benefits are the Sacrament, which Jesus Christ instituted as sensible and efficacious signs of divine grace. At birth we are tainted by original sin and therefore deprived of supernatural grace, the Sacrament of baptism purifies and regenerates us through this sacrament. It allows us to become the adopted sons of God and heirs to the kingdom of Heaven. When we are still children, we come to the use of reason and begin to experience our first temptations to evil. If left to our frail human nature we are powerless to resist but we are now fortified by another sacrament called Confirmation which makes us soldiers of Christ and provides us with spiritual weapons to combat the enemies of our soul. Unfortunately, we continue to fall into sin from time to time, but the Sacrament of Penance is there to save us from ruin. Moreover, Christ has given us the Blessed Eucharist to keep us close to Him and to prevent us from falling more seriously. Ask yourself, “Am I utilizing the sacraments God has given me?”

Scripture Reading for Day 18 of Never Alone
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows^* in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.^p
John 15:1-2 ^* “I am the true vine,^* and my Father is the vine grower.^a 2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes^* so that it bears more fruit.

Off for another early day. Hopefully it will end early as well.

Know you are prayed for.

57⁰F. NNW@3mph. SR0609(0509). SS2004(1904)

Morning Offering given

Early morning runs… Hillsboro, Boscobel, Wilton

New baby on the ridge, mom doing fine as is little boy Mosie @7#

New Keens to break in.  Baby formula to deliver. Parts to pick up.

All plastic and framing removed from the front porch.  Front porch tidied.

Know you are prayed for.

71⁰F

Adoration

Mass

Family gathering

66°F E@5mph SR0606(0506) SS2007(1907)

Morning Offering given
Jesus take me as I am
Summon out what I should be
Set your seal upon my heart
Holy Spirit dwell in me

Village peaceful, rain coming

Coffee: Berres Brothers Jamaican Me Nuts pod

Today we remember: Mary Bernard, may she rest in peace.
Birthday greetings to Debbie Swartz have an awesome day!

St Tarcisius patron of 1st Communicants reminds us of the primacy of this sacrament. Jesus, every time I receive the Holy Eucharist may it be with the same awe and gratitude I felt at my first Holy Communion.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 326, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The just die in the love of God and martyrs died for the love of God but Mary died consumed by the love of God. It was not a disease which brought an end to her life, but love. Her love for Jesus was more ardent and more perfect than that of any other creature. Her love for him grew from day to day until it entirely consumed hehr and her immaculate heart could no longer contain it. Humility is the mother of ll the virtues even as pride is the source of all the vices. If we wish to share in Mary’s triumph, we must first of all share in her humility. (Lk 14:11, Js 4:6)

Scripture Reading for Day 15 of Never Alone
Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains fall away and the hills be shaken, My love shall never fall away from you nor my covenant of peace^* be shaken, says the LORD, who has mercy on you.^e
Psalm 147:3 Healing the brokenhearted, and binding up their wounds.^c

I’m in Letter to the Editor mode.
—-
RE: Verkada Cameras in the Village

Has anyone ever seen the TV Series “Persons of Interest”?  As the street is panned, markers appear above or alongside of each person walking/driving/riding in public.  This is what the Village of Cashton has voted to do.

The reasoning given; 1) Safety. 2) Making law enforcement investigations easier.3) Protection from liability.

Questions:

1. Was due diligence done regarding the company you are dealing with previous to the informational/ decision making meeting? 

If so, I wonder why you would choose a company that has been in trouble at least 2 times for misuse of data gathered?

2. Why would the board feel they had to make such an immediate decision? 

I am quite certain the cost of these cameras would not have changed dramatically after a waiting period.

3. Are you aware these cameras are coming under scrutiny for violating civil rights?
4. What is so pressing/wrong in the village office that our trusted city workers need to be watched all the time?
5. Wouldn’t a flashing red light at the corner of 33 & Front or a fireman in the street directing traffic be a better warning than a camera on a pole as far as accident issues?
6. The police force is so busy they cannot do an investigation?  

NOTHING can replace hands-on investigations and noticeable law enforcement presence. What it looks like (as seen on camera) may not tell the real story.

7. What is the crime rate in Cashton, and what is happening on the street that 10 cameras would be needed?
8. When was the last accident at the corner of 33 & Front?  When was the accident previous to the last?  Did any of them involve the fire department?
9. Actually, how many accidents, burglaries, robberies, break-ins, thefts, fights, muggings have there been inside the village confines in the last 10 yrs?

It would seem to me our tax dollars could be spent better in other ways: repaired streets, better sewer lines, good sidewalks  and better transparency before the decision is a done deal based on what the board and law enforcement are doing.  

I’ve heard several times from board members that it could have been handled differently.  The question is, when are you going to handle it differently?
——–

Now let’s ponder what has been happening in the Catholic Church

•https://www.charis.international/en/
https://ewtn.co.uk/article-the-synod-on-synodality-what-every-catholic-should-know/
https://ewtn.co.uk/article-latin-mass-supporters-react-with-dismay-to-popes-severe-new-restrictions/

•Church Closings:
Midwest & Great Lakes

• Iowa (Archdiocese of Dubuque) – 76 churches ended weekend Mass in July 2026; 160 parishes planned to be consolidated into 24 pastorates by 2040
• Illinois (Diocese of Joliet) – 22 sites (20 parishes + 2 worship sites) closed/merged as of July 1, 2025, including St. Mary’s in Park Forest and St. Boniface in Monee
• Michigan (Archdiocese of Detroit) – At least 58 churches in the Detroit area could stop weekend Mass and be consolidated; up to 90 may be affected
• Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island – Dioceses consolidating or closing churches due to low attendance and unfunded building needs
• Wisconsin
• Diocese of Madison has been implementing its Into the Deep pastoral planning process since July 1, 2023, under Bishop Donald Hying. This includes consolidating parishes into “parish families” and closing some smaller congregations. Specific parish names are not fully listed in the provided data, but the process has reduced the number of parishes in the diocese The Catholic Project.
• Diocese of Green Bay The Vatican has approved the closure of the historic St. Mary’s Parish in Manitowoc, WI, as part of the diocese’s restructuring EWTN News.
• Diocese of Milwaukee The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has published a map and list of parishes that have closed or merged in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. These closures are part of the archdiocese’s ongoing parish reorganization, which has merged several small parishes into larger ones Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Diocese of Superior  (from official list) Diocese of Superior:

Northeast

• New York (Diocese of Buffalo) – Vatican overturned several closures; Bishop Michael Fisher had proposed merging ~34% of parishes.
• New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts – Dioceses reviewing closures and consolidations.
• New York (Diocese of Providence) – Declining Catholics, fewer priests, and deteriorating buildings prompting closures.

South & Southwest

Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas – Dioceses consolidating or closing facilities.
Why?

•The Catholic Church strictly forbids Catholics form joining Freemasonry. The ban began in 1738 and continues today. The Vatican teaches that Masonic ideas oppose Catholic faith specifically regarding religious truth and the nature of God. Catholics who join the Masons are in a state of grave sin and cannot receive Holy Communion.
Masonry teaches all religions are equal paths to truth which conflicts with Catholic belief that Jesus is the sole revelation of truth. Masonic philosophy relies on human reason alone to find life’s purpose, downplaying divine grace and church doctrine. The secretive nature and oath bound structure of Masonic lodges historically raised concerns in the Vatican about plotting against the Church. From 1738- 1983 joining the Masons meant automatic excommunication. The 1983 Code of Canon Law removed the word automatic for general membership, but the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith repeatedly reaffirmed that membership remains a grave sin that bars individuals from the sacraments. So the question is why would Pope Leo appoint a freemason (Umberto Longo) to the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences?

Way too much to think about.

Know you are prayed for.

65°F ENE@4mph SR0605(0505) SS2008(1908)

Morning Offering given
+
Morning Offering given
Jesus let me live for you
Jesus let me die for you
Jesus I am thine
in life and in death.
+

Village peaceful
I’m grateful to be living in an area that is generally quiet and peaceful
We have our moments on occasion but for the most part it is quiet, peaceful, and safe

Birthday greetings to Mike Hogan

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe reminds us that Jesus gave His life for every person. Comforter of the Afflicted, help me to free those who are imprisoned in heart, mind, and soul.

Coffee… self-filled K-pod

Meditations for Each Day, pg.324, Christian Joy
This joy is something quite distinct from sensible pleasure. It is the spiritual happiness which accompanies an innocent life, sorrow for sin, or suffering bravely borne for the love of God. Any other form of earthly happiness can never be more than a partial and transitory pleasure, incapable of satisfying the human heart completely. There is only one kind of merriment which Christianity cannot countenance, and that is the inordinate pleasure which leads to sin or is the result of sin. This kind of pleasure has no kinship with spiritual joy. It is a momentary exaltation which soon disappears and leaves behind disillusionment and remorse. It leads inevitable to sorrow; this is a chastisement from God which can only become meritorious if it is offered up in expiation.

Scripture Readings for Day 14 in Never Alone
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.
Isaiah 54:7-9 For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back. 8In an outburst of wrath, for a moment I hid my face from you; But with enduring love I take pity on you, says the LORD, your redeemer. 9 This is for me like the days of Noah: As I swore then that the waters of Noah should never again flood the earth, So I have sworn now not to be angry with you, or to rebuke you.^d

Hoping for a relatively easy day, reflexology, Chiro, office. There is a need to sort papers and get a letter written. Yesterday I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Cashton Record.

—
Re: Trust (8/6/2026), Stupidity-Alive & Well (7/9/26), Fear (6/18/26)
I’ve read all these letters in the Record and am wondering exactly what it is I am supposed to take away from these writings.  Thus far I’ve seen “I hate Trump and all that he does regardless of outcome.”  

Is Trump my favorite President? No, but he ranks higher on the scale than Obama or Biden.  Did I vote for him? Yes, because change needed to come. Does he fabricate? I believe so, but not any more than any other President.  The difference being he is loud and unwavering about it.  I can deal with that. I don’t have to wonder what is really going on.  Am I concerned about his sexual exploits? Not any more than I am about the other 18 presidents who did the same thing that no one talks about.
But let’s really be honest here.
•The Rose Garden was not destroyed.  It is absolutely beautiful.  This is not the first time things have been replaced.  It is, however, the first time Trump (who cannot ever do anything correctly) did it.
•The Reflecting Pool could have been handled differently.  However, my guess is NO ONE would have cooperated because Trump (who can never do anything correctly) wanted it done.
•The East Wing is a much-needed renovation.  Could it have been accomplished differently? Yes, except that it wouldn’t have come about because Trump can never do anything correctly. And those who truly believe this line of thought would have made something out of nothing.
•Job Creation: it did slow but is now stable.
•The Money: all Presidents throw money around like it is NOTHING.  But this President is the only one who actually uses his own money for many things.
•The Airplane was needed.  Had already been tagged for replacement.  Yes, take it, remodel it, and still come out ahead of the cost of a new one.
•The Iran War: perhaps he should have waited until another tower/s were taken down and more lives on US soil were taken.  There is more to this story than you will ever (or need) to know. I wouldn’t trust Obama’s plan on anything.  He’s the one who perpetrated much of the mess we are in today, along with Biden, who was too sick to serve to begin with, but was the easiest to control by Obama.

What I do know is
• 2.5 million illegal aliens have been deported.
•146,000 lost illegal children have been found
•300,000 sex trafficked children have been rescued
•$229.9 billion in fraud was uncovered
•$56.4 billion in fraud was stopped
•$55.5 billion in indictments and settlements
THIS IS HUGE, yet no one wants to admit Trump did something correct.

Am I concerned about inflation? Yes; however, my main concern is the direction our young people are headed.  Progressives, socialists, communists… that should scare everyone who wants to remain free.
—-

Know you are prayed for.

65°F SE@2mph SR0604(0504) SS2010(1910)

Morning Offering given

Village waking and quiet

Today we remember Gary Packer (car accident), and Linda & Matt Doyle (boating accident) may they rest in peace.

St. John Berchmans patron of Altar Servers motivates us to encourage our young people to serve God from their earliest days. Father of all, I pray you keep your church strong through the commitment of its youth.

Ponder from Pope Benedict… I have a mustard seed and I’m not afraid to use it.

Be sure to read “The Great Transshipment Scam” from the Office of Trade & Manufacturing. You can find it at The White House website. Think about all those little things you purchase that take forever to arrive that have long shipping dates. While you are at it check out the countries and their tariffs.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 323, Work & Worry
Faith & Charity must be accompanied by action, which should always be inspired by the interior life. But our external activity should never be allowed to quench the flame of the divine life within us. If this should happen, our labour would grow sterile and would receive no blessing from God. we should work hard but should always act as if death might come at any moment. In other words, we should not become completely absorbed in our work, but should keep before our minds the ideals of the glory of God, our own sanctification, and the salvation of our neighbour.

Curious about Flock and other cameras? DeFlock Maps | ALPR Camera Map & Privacy Routes quite an interesting thing. You might also find this interesting. Have I Been Flocked? – Search Flock ALPR Audit Logs or you can file a FOIA/public records request with the police departments and sheriff’s offices in your area asking for Flock audit logs.

Scripture Reading for Day 13 of Never Alone
Isaiah 33:2 LORD, be gracious to us; for you we wait. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble!^b
Isaiah 54;5-6 For your husband is your Maker; the LORD of hosts is his name, Your redeemer,^* the Holy One of Israel, called God of all the earth. 6 The LORD calls you back, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, A wife married in youth and then cast off, says your God.^c

Know you are prayed for.

68°F E@3mph SR0603(0503) SS2011(1911)

Morning Offering given

Village wakiing

Coffee… pod

Birthday:
Lukus R
Jeff D
Anniversary:
Vic & Shell
Executive Orders Signed:
•The overhaul of childhood vaccine schedule… the WHO is protesting

St. Euplius died rather than reject the Gospels, reminding us of how easily we may access God’s word today. God of all knowledge, teach me to seek Your wisdom in the Gospels in all situations.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 321, Christian Optimism
Two kinds
•Optimism of worldlings who expect nothing but pleasure from life. Running away from anything which smakcks of sacrifice or self-control, and as a result virtue is completely outside their grasp This kind of optimism is an inversion of true human values. It is the result of the domination which man’s lower instincts can sometimes acquire over his reason. But because our natural longing for what is good can never be completely stifled, this pleasant epicurean approach always leaves in its wake a sense of disillusionment. Sooner or later this optimism is converted into pessimism. Human pleasure must always turn to sorrow, and at this stage, unless some miracle of divine grace intervenes, the spirit rebels and falls prey to despair. It is true that most of us will have avoided the worst excesses of the epicurean outlook, but we may have developed a distortedly comfortable and selfish approach to life. If this is so, we should remember that our lives are in conflict with Christian principles.
•Christian optimism for Christianity is essentially optimistic. The Jansenist conception of Christianity as a gloomy and fearfully exacting creed is quite erroneous. Jesus has told us that his yoke is easy and his burden light and St Paul speaks of the arrival of the goodness and kindness of God our Savior. Christianity is not opposed to the principles of natural goodness; it does not frown upon the blessings of life, on normal human affections, and on the love of beauty. Christian teaching does not hold that our natural inclinations are evil, for they are forces which can be channeled to lead us towards holiness. Sin alone is essentially evil because it offends God and separates us from him. Even sin is only an evil in so far as it is a deliberate act in which we find pleasure and continues satisfaction. But if washed away by tears of repentance and by sacramental confession even sin becomes a source of goodness, for it leads us back to God. Only in Christianity can the human heart find satisfaction and peace. Christian optimism abhors the malice of sin, lightens our suffering, and moderates our pleasures. It helps us to see God’s image in all creatures, gives us joy in life, and hope in the hour of death.

Scripture Reading, Day 12 of Never Alone
Isaiah 54:3-4 For you shall spread abroad to the right and left; your descendants shall dispossess the nations and shall people the deserted cities.^* 4^*  Do not fear, you shall not be put to shame; do not be discouraged, you shall not be disgraced. For the shame of your youth you shall forget, the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 For though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine, Though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God.

Know you are prayed for.

69°F E@3mph SR0602(0502) SS2016(1913)

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Birthday greetings to Henry C who turned 10 today

St Clare founder of the Poor clares. we learn through her selfless dedication to Christ. Eucharistic God, strengthen our faith by devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Woke unrested with headache and the beginning of leg cramps. You know the vicelike ones that indicate you are low on something and need to drink lots of water. The use of the compression machine on Sunday was successful. I used it again last evening before bed. Hopefully daily use will get a better handle on this swelling.

The SUV is still not right. Not sure what to do next. Perhaps this is a sign to stop driving.

Know you are prayed for.

68⁰ NW@1MPH SR 0601(0501) SS1814 (1714)

Up early

Gone early

Barbara G and David Yoder announced. Wedding on 25

Know you are prayed for.

65⁰F SE@6mph SR0600(0500) SS2016(1916)

Morning Offering given

Village filled with thunder, lightning, and rain.

Woke with a pounding headache. Legs are puffy with fluid, and feet feeling like little fat sausages. The man went to adoration & Mass alone.  I won’t be going anywhere but the bathroom & recliner.  Leg compression sleeves have completed the first session.  Will be doing this all day until the excess fluid is under control. Feet slathered in castor oil, & compression booties are on. Will need to wander out to the office area and spend some time in the vibration plate at least twice today.

Perhaps time on the front porch writing letters or reading will come into play as well.

Know you are prayed for.