06.02.2023

62⁰F overcast SE@5mph SR@0523 SS@2038

Morning Offering given

Village silent

Coffee good

Nice little rain last evening. Hoping for more. Perked things up.

Produce auction today. There will be 🍓 and 🍅

Car in for general maintenance today.

Knee still giving me fits. Guess I should think about having it checked out. Or maybe I’ll just put a knee sleeve on it.

Hosta by front gate needs spilting. What is removed can be split in two and can be planted on either side of the front steps. It’ll look good there.

Bell tie-up needs to be moved to the back by the shed.

Flagpole needed.

The man must just shake his head each morning as he reads the additions to the to-do list.

Others must wonder why such drivel is blogged about. I blog here because FB and other social media is disgusting. This way, I don’t subject people to that stuff. They click on my blog, read it, comment, or like if they wish or can get this in an email and never have to come to the site. Fast easy uncluttered. No wasted time.

Jesus, let’s talk Jesus. I’m not going to grab your hand and ask you to pray with me. I will let you know that having a personal relationship makes all the difference in the world. I will pray for you. But know that each prayer will come with, if it be God’s will or if it brings glory to God. I won’t be asking for things that only profit you. Finding a close parking spot, winning the lotto, etc, are things you and Jesus can discuss during your time together.

Have an awesome day.

Find a good book.

Know you are prayed for.

Patio sitting

This afternoon shade on the patio is wonderful with a nice breeze.

The man is edging the beds.

Birds are scolding. Mama Robin is trying to teach Jr. to fly, and the man is in the flight path.

Mr Pig found a home and is waiting for a new family to move in.

Bridle wreaths in bloom.

Fountain ready to plug in.

This yard is our happy place. We’ve spent 12 yrs getting it to where it is now. Each shrub, rosebush, tree, and flower has a story. As does the fountain, garden gate, pond, and statues.

Each year, as winter grows long and cold, we vow it to be our last one here in the wilds. Spring arrives, and what looked cold and dead springs to life with vivid color. The sun has warmth in it again.

The hard labor intensive work brings winter aches and pains out of the body, toning the old and broken down back to good health.

Purpose has once again revived us. Gives direction and opens up unnoticed pathways.

Spring is new life

Summer is the growing, stretching, learning stage

Fall brings it all together

Winter allows restoration and contemplation on lessons learned

Just as the earth cycles thru its seasons, so does humankind

God has a plan

We are part of it

05.23.2023

48°F clear SSW@7mph SR@0530 SS@2030

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

Coffee good

the man sleeps

Happy Birthday Kathy D hope it’s an awesome day.

Remembering Dick M today may he rest in peace

Mulching is happening in the yard. I’m liking the way it looks. Bridal wreath shrubs have started flowering. They are so beautiful in full bloom. The pond, the porch, and the fountain need cleaning. It is a never-ending battle. I peruse the todo list knowing it is so long and we are so slow.

Sort of like repenting, we know our list of faults, sins, etc grows long, and we look at it and think oooh that will take too long, that one will be too painful, I want that one gone but I don’t want to do what I know God is going to want me to do. Jesus asked in the garden to let the cup pass Matt:26:39 And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. He then shouldered his duty and continued with God’s will. We wimp out. Today I pray to do what I know I must do without complaint or wimping out.

Know you are prayed for.

04.22.2023

49⁰F clear SR@0530 SSW@7mph SS2028

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

The man sleeps

Headed south this morning,a few are going to see relatives and a couple of other drops along with a couple stops at the girls.

Need to be back before noon as I have a 1 o’clock.

Excellent weekend. A couple of unexpected things came up. All worked themselves out or will as time moves on.

Got to thinking about the choices we make in life. I don’t know about you, but I always seem to be a bit daring with little thought of “what could go wrong?”

I find, at times, little consideration is given to the long-range ramifications of my bold, hasty, emotion filled choices.

Which brings me to what is really on my mind… critical thinking. Does anyone teach that these days?

Know you are prayed for.

05.21.2023

47°F clear SR@0531 WSW@3mph SS@2028

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

No coffee

The man sleeps

Greg & Kayla, the weather was outstanding, the homily very thought-provoking, fabulous food, great conversation. Pray for this couple as they begin their new life together.

Wondering? Do you consider your life as a witness to your commitment to Christ? I ask because the apostles and disciples did. Jesus told them in Acts 1:8 But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. It was the last thing he said to them before he was taken up into heaven.

Have an awesome day. Go see Jesus.

Know you are prayed for.

05.20.2023

39°F clear SR@0532 NNW@9mph SS@2027

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee good

Happy Birthday greetings to Cecile G 1954

Happy Anniversary greetings to Austin & Mary M 2017

RIP Joanita H who passed this day 2017

From the Margin…To be ashamed is a virtue of men and women who are humble. It’s a virtue that helps prepare us for God’s forgiveness. Pope Francis

Our “mistakes”/or “shortcomings’ don’t define us, keep us from God’s love, or disqualify us from sharing the gospel. Stay open, hopeful, and positive when someone offers advice on how we can improve. Respond graciously, receive their advice, and take it to prayer. It could change your life. Accept your imperfections, embrace spiritual growth, and expect the Holy Spirit to continue to change you.

Alan & Anna M have a new son, Jonathan, 9# 10oz, I was very fortunate to bring them home yesterday.

Rehearsal dinner was a fun time. Seeing faces I hadn’t seen in ages and meeting people I’d never seen before. I’m looking forward to the day.

On another note, how’s it going? We’ve been so busy around here that we haven’t seen or spoken with many for some time. I’ve found the only thing I miss about FB is knowing what friends/family are doing. I could remedy that by dropping a line, however, in many instances I no longer have a snail mail address. Perhaps one day I will send a text asking for email and snail mail addresses updating my contact book. You could save me some time (if you are reading this) by sending your contact information to me so that I can update it.

Book...”The Catholic Family in the Modern World” by John A Hardon S.J. I purchased this book in 1991 when it came out. I’d been married for 17 years. Several years previous to the purchase I had the privilege of hearing Fr. Hardon speak in a Catholic Church in Iowa City, IA. This man’s talk changed my life. I began searching for more. When the book came out I had to have it. It changed the way I viewed marriage and children. It changed the way I view Mother Mary. In simple language, his talk and the book saved me from certain hell. The introduction sucked me in. I’ve read this book so many times the cover had to be taped on. Excerpts…(Introduction) “the survival of whole nations is at stake as we see family life disintegrating.” (p.9) “When we speak of the fall of man, we must remember this means not only the fall of man as an individual but the fall of man as a social being.” (p.36) “We can be only as much at peace with others as we are at peace within ourselves. We cannot give what we do hot have.” You can find this book in the Marian Catechist Bookstore at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI 54601, pbx# 608/782-0011. The last time I purchased it, the cost was around $4. If you purchase it online from a used book store you will pay triple that.

05.19.2023

52°F clear SR@0533 NW@13mph SS@2026

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

the man readying for drive to Chicago

Coffee strong, too strong this morning

wood chips unloaded, some spread, the rest will happen in time. I’m liking the looks of things and hope it deters some weeding

rehearsal dinner tonight looking forward to it

Birthday greetings to Joe 1981

From the margin...” walking in darkness means being overly pleased with ourselves and believing we don’t need salvation”

Sometimes our lives seem routine/mundane even a bit boring or uneventful; times like these are filled with opportunities to share our faith. These quieter times allow us to spend more time in prayer giving opportunity to study, learn and pray. Where ever you find yourself today quiet, busy, turbulent, thank God for where he has placed you. Trust Him to help you live your calling right here, right now.

My Godson/nephew marries tomorrow. Please pray for him and his wife-to-be. Ask our Lord and Savior to touch each of them in a special way during the marriage ceremony. Give them strength and fortitude to live their new life as one committed to God. May the sacrament of marriage bind their souls together with the Holy Spirit as they move forward together in this life.

05.17.2023

46°F clear SR@0535 ESE@8mph SS@2024

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

Coffee strong

the man sleeps

Today I remember my baptism in May 1955 at Nelsonville Lutheran Church. My grandparents Clair & Lorraine P were my Godparents. May they rest in peace.

Birthday greetings to John S husband of my dear friend Kathy, may she rest in peace.

Current news…Leaked Pentagon Report Forensically Dismantled Fauci-Led Natural Origin Study. You can read about this in the Epoch Times. You can also read about how Adam Schiff still insists Trump Conspired with Russia even after the Durham Report further discredits the FBI Probe. Sigh…how long will we have to put up with corruption in the US Government? Monkeypox is on the rise again…that vaxx doesn’t work either.

Yesterday’s eye exam went well as did the hearing aide visit. Yes the Golden Years are wonderful…the eyes go, right along with the ears. No wonder things are so wonderful you can’t hear or see the things that are going wrong. Add this to the crepe skin, numb feet, thinning hair, and skin apron you are set.

How’s the garden coming? Did you get it in? I put mine in containers this year. Asperagus is ready for picking. So is the ruhbarb. The plum tree has bloomed along with the tulips and daffodills. The rose of sharon shrubs and the lilac trees make the garden smell wonderful with their blooms. Nature has a way with taking someone out of the doldrums of the winter browns. Spring is the time God set aside to get your spirit working again after the rest time of winter. There used to be a time when winter meant rest, take life easy, relax, regroup, regenerate. Then, when spring arrived, you were rested enough to enjoy the new emergence of energy and life. Our modern world has forgotten it. For whatever reason, the expectations of today are to be busy all the time, leaving minisule downtime. This is an error in our thought process. One does not have to be busy all the time. Our children do not have to have something to do all the time. It is good for them to be bored. It allows them to have time to explore their minds looking at the world through a child or young adult eyes. We don’t see the world the same you know. Let your children experience downtime/boredom so that they can exercise their minds. Children are wash and wear. They do not have to be clean all the time. It is good to sweat, exercise, and get dirty. It is good to play.

Ascension is tomorrow; but in many churches will be celebrated on Sunday. (Do I dare say it used to be celebrated on the day it landed and in some churches still is. You might ask why it isn’t today in all churches, well that’s because no one wanted to be inconvienced or bold enough to tell their employers they were going to church and would be in afterwards. We lost some of our constitutional rights when we agreed to that. But that discussion is for another day.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

Have an awesome day.

Know you are prayed for.

05.15.2023

38°F overcast N@5mph SR@0537 SS@2021 Watch for fog

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

Coffee strong

The man up and moving

DD#5’s St Day… St Caesarea (virgin, recluse, Oranto, Italy) as well at St Isidore (Patron of Farmers) Let us give thanks and be grateful for God’s bounty and those who nurture and harvest it.

Let’s talk about Lydia (a gentile businesswoman) who came to believe in the God of Israel. She was a spiritual woman which is what drew her to the river where she met St Paul (you know the soldier Saul who persecuted/killed/hunted down Christians until the Lord confronted him) She listened to Paul and thru his speaking accepted the gospel which filled her with joy, passion, and energy. She asked for baptism, not just for herself but for her entire household. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and eventually, her home became the base of operation for St Paul’s ministry to the people of Philippi.

Make a note today about the way God has changed your life. I’m not talking just about the huge things, I’m talking the minute, things that dawned on you as you went thru your day. The blooming of flowers, the rise of the sun, the mourning dove call, that note from a friend that touched your heart, the out-of-the-blue phone call or drop-in visitor that changed how things were going for you. The compliment, that pat on the back, the little favor a child did for you. Take note of the way God has changed your life today.

Know that you are prayed for.

05.12.2023

61°F cloudy E@11mph SR@0541 SS@2018

Morning Offering given

Village quiet

Coffee needed and good

The rest of the house sleeps

It’s been nice having the girl home for a few days. Without her, this garage sale would be a dismal failure.

Very nice conversation last evening around the bonfire. The man and I need to rest and relax around it more often.

The man has overdone it in the work department this week. We can use some down days on of these days.

John 15: 16 You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

When was the last time you checked the fruit you’ve been cultivating in your life? We’ve been promised “Fruit of the Spirit” have you been planting, cultivating, and harvesting yours with the help of the Holy Spirit? St Paul tells us about the Fruit of the Holy Spirit and the lust of the flesh, reminding us to not only walk in the Spirit but to live in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. 18 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, 20 Idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, 21 Envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, 23 Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Just a bit of a reminder… do not make yourself so busy you fail to have time for prayer. When you hear the angelus bells three times a day stop and say a prayer. This will help redirect your steps onto the right path should you have gotten off the path and if the perfect nudge to reflect on how your day is going thus far.

From the sounds of things, we are to receive some rain today. We can use the moisture here.

How are things going in your neck of the woods” Inquiring minds want to know.

Have an awesome day and know you are prayed for.