Sodus Point

It was hot and muggy. James decided we should go for a drive before supper, so we piled into the van and headed off to Sodus Point. Ben and James walked out on the pier as Hannah and her friend tried out the swings. I, with my camera in hand, found a bench from whence to take in the scenery.

The lake and sky almost blended into one on the horizon and a great mist settled over the water. The sky was dark but not necessarily threatening, and thunder rumbled in the distance. The gulls glanced furtively at me hoping for a dry crust of bread or a stale potato chip, but I had nothing to offer. When I turned my head to look down the beach, two gulls sneaked quietly up the guard rail toward me.
I was glad to have my camera along as heavy storm clouds and sandy shore created an aura of mystery, almost romantic. I snapped five photos before hearing the disappointing chime that signals my batteries are dead.

I decided to stay on my bench and watch the birds and people. The seagulls continued to watch me. Ben and James tried to sneak up behind but I knew they were there. We watched a large van pull into the parking lot. Several children jumped out and ran for the sandy playground. The parents made a fire in the barbecue grill as the storm continued toward the beach. We left just as the first sprinkles of rain began to fall leaving to my imagination the two little families huddled under the shelter of the picnic pavilion as torrents of rain poured down.

Suddenly Summer

Last night thunder rumbled and lightening flashed. Rain poured down filling the air with a thick, sticky blanket of humidity. It is suddenly summer and I am suddenly exhausted. That is what this kind of heat produces, a desire to find a hammock in the shade and take a snooze. It is 81 degrees but with a humidity level of 76% it feels more like 89. It is too hot to pick blueberries.

I made my way down to the berry patch much too late in the morning. The birds were already having lunch. They appear thrilled by the summer sun and find feasting in my berry bushes a wonderful past time. On the other hand, the patch is not quite so alluring for me this week. I did pick a bucketful before making my way back to the house, but I am neither eager nor anxious to return any time soon.

A New Project

Last summer had me working on several projects. I made jam, baked pies, read books, and visited the lake. I made a Bucket List. Granted I needed help finishing both the sidewalk and the rocking chair, and the fence is not yet installed, but they were projects to work toward and gave me a sense of accomplishment.

Now I am ready for a new project and it involves a few small chairs that have been hiding out in our barn for several years. It also involves some help from my dear husband who I hope will assist me with yet another project. I need him to build a child-sized table and teach me how to use a can of spray paint. (I've already picked the colors.) I have little girls coming to play in a few short weeks and we're going to need a cute and comfy place to have our tea parties! I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Weariness

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:28

I'm so glad that God doesn't get tired. He never grows grumpy or indifferent. He's never too distracted to hear my prayer or a cry for help. He loves me whether I stand or fall, forgives me repeatedly, and washes me clean each day. Yes, I know that I am eternally forgiven, because God lives outside of time, but I am still within and need His mercies new each morning. Tonight I rest in His promise and pray for the sleep my weary body and soul so desperately need.

Family Friday

Family... What does that mean anyway? Typically we think of family as those related to us by either blood or marriage (parents, children, brothers and sisters...), but with God we have another family, our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't been there and experienced it, but this is more than just your average friendship.

My daughter spent 10 days in El Salvador with these wonderful women. Rut (or Ruth) was the translator/ interpreter for the group and she and Bethany really got to know each other on the trip. It is a bond that has carried over here at home. I can't help but smile when I look at this photo and see the "family resemblance".

Blackened Blueberry Pie

Someone mentioned "just desserts" and I think I really got mine this time. I'm sure somebody out there will be amused. (see today's original post below...)

Tastes Like Feet

No, not the pie...
Ben and Hannah have been helping out with VBS at a local church this week. It is a church where my own children have attended Vacation Bible School through the years and has always been one of Hannah's favorites. She is more than happy to spend her mornings there helping out.

Around noon I went to pick them up and chatted with a few other moms. I was talking to my friend, Becky, when three of the teachers, all sisters, came down the sidewalk on the way to their car. One was carrying a fishing pole and a net, obviously props for today's Bible lesson. "Going fishing? Did you catch anything? Becky asked them. They smiled and one said they had caught a lot of little paper fish. My mind flashed back to Bible stories. "Did you catch any men?" I asked. "No..." replied the one with the net and pole. Here my friend, Becky, piped in again. "They get asked those kinds of questions all the time," she said.

These sisters are all beautiful young women in or close to their thirties. None of them are married. As I rolled my tongue across my toes I realized what they had thought I meant. I tried to get my foot out of my mouth, after all my question had nothing at all to do with their singleness or them catching themselves a husband. "I was talking about Jesus making us fishers of men," I said. It's one of those Bible stories commonly taught to children. I had been pretty sure that was their story today. One of the girls was blushing, maybe I was too, I'm not sure. I tried to assure them I had no intention of saying they needed to be married, I don't even pressure my own children that way. I hope they believed me. One of them was laughing as they walked away...

PS. I won't tell you, but I had pie for breakfast.

Blueberry Pie

I know that by now everyone is sick and tired of hearing about blueberries, so today I will not tell you about them or what I did with them this afternoon, nor will I tell you how I almost dropped the pie while putting it into the oven. You probably don't want to know how the pie crust is sunken on the edge because of how it landed on the oven door or how good it smelled baking. You won't want to know how good blueberry pie tastes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hot cup of coffee, so I just won't tell you.

Objects In My Mind

Have you ever spent so much time doing one thing that when you close your eyes the shapes and colors remain and the objects still move in your mind? Last week when I closed my eyes at Ladies' Prayer I saw bunches of little circles. My first thought was "what computer game have I been playing?" and then I realized that those round objects we not balls or pegs in a game, but blueberries. How funny! I was relieved to know that this time it was not incessant game playing that left these shapes imprinted in my subconscious but hours spent picking and sorting berries.

Last night I packed berries into quart and pint boxes and this morning I hauled them off to church to give away. I have bags and bags of them waiting in my freezer and really don't need to hoard them all. This afternoon another church friend came over and helped me pick. It was nice to have some company and nice to see the bags go home with someone who loves blueberries and will enjoy them. Tomorrow I will let the patch rest and spend some time with my little grandson whose mommy and daddy are taking the jr. high church group camping for a couple of days and maybe I'll find the time to cook up something yummy too, maybe a pie...

Blue By You (I am grasping at straws here...)

I know that is not how to spell bayou, but then my berry bushes aren't growing in Louisiana. Right at this moment I am happy to be living in New York state where clouds are abundant and the weather has been mild and cool. It makes standing out in the berry patch for hours rather peaceful and bearable besides, or is that "berry-able"? Either way I have determined to enjoy the time of gathering.

The bushes had a rest from my grabby hands all day Saturday and most of Sunday, but last night we went out and filled a bucket, and today I have filled several more. I rewarded myself with a blueberry milkshake when I came inside. Mmmmm!

It was a busy weekend of parties and picnics with plenty of sunshine and one mighty downpour. Bethany's friend, Carissa, got married on Saturday evening. The ceremony took place outside after the "reception", when the sky grew dark and romantic. We even witnessed a huge shooting star behind the platform. The wedding was unique and very nice. Yesterday afternoon was the church picnic. I opted to leave my camera home this time and just enjoy the day. During the baptism there was a terrific rainstorm with monster raindrops. James and I were safe and dry inside our van during the rain. Everyone else looked like they had been baptized unless they were wise enough to bring an umbrella.

Blueberries and Butterflies

The picking is still good but is slowing down. I can't believe the berries I have picked this summer. I have a freezer full and have given away a bunch too. We will be enjoying blueberries for many days to come.

Jasmine came home to visit yesterday afternoon and spent the night. She is a wandering dog these days and seldom stays home for more than a day or two at a time, but yesterday evening she hung around and kept me company out in the patch while I picked berries. She ate a few bird-pecked ones, relaxed a bit, and went along with me when I returned to the house. Tonight she is gone again.

It has been nice to have a little bit of summer these past two weeks, to feel the sunshine and gather up some pink on my arms and face. Yesterday I saw this wounded butterfly flitting about my Gooseneck blossoms. It appears to be missing the tails from the lower part of it's wings but flew about as if nothing was amiss. I have yet to see any Monarchs on my milkweed but I haven't been paying especially close attention.

The busy weekend has just begun. Tonight we attended a 30th birthday celebration for my friend Sherri. The tables set up in her backyard were just beautiful. Tomorrow afternoon is another birthday party, this one for a friend of Hannah and then a wedding in the evening. (Bethany's friend is getting married.) To top it off is the church baptism picnic on Sunday afternoon. I'll be tired come Monday!

A Pocketful of Stones

they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"
John 8:4-5

Circumstances have left me thinking again... Do I love like Jesus or do I have a pocketful of stones? And even if my pockets are void of stones, what am I to do when faced with difficult circumstances? How should I respond? What would Jesus do?

And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." John 8:11

I find it interesting that even though Jesus did not condemn the woman in the story, His command was that she "sin no more". He didn't condone her wrongdoing, but He was willing to forgive her. A beautiful story worthy of much more contemplation...

Baby Cakes

He's getting to be a lot of fun. He loves my necklace and hates when we walk away. And he's so stinkin' cute besides!

The Mission Field

I had a heart to heart talk with my lovely daughter yesterday afternoon. We talked a little bit about the trip to El Salvador and her heart for missions. It is evident from the glow about her in the photographs that she loves this type of ministry. If she was able she would live on the the mission field, but right now she has a different job to do. She has a husband and a little boy who need her love and care. I assured her that if she can not go away to the mission field, that God would provide her a mission field right here at home, she only needs to ask.

"Sometimes God takes you to the mission filed and sometimes He brings the mission field to you." That's what I told her and today I found it to come true in my own life.

Last night I got an email from a mom looking for a babysitter for her 3 year old daughter starting September. I told her my first inclination was to say yes but I needed to pray first, so I did. When I returned home this afternoon from my day of errands I had a message on my answering machine. It was from a mom looking for a babysitter for her 3 year old daughter starting in September; a different mom who had no idea I had just been asked by the first mom. Funny thing is these two little girls are best friends and have gone to the same babysitter since they were babies. I think maybe my prayers are not the only ones God is answering.

Blue In the Face

Blueberries. Blueberries. Blueberries. I spent more time in the blueberry patch today than I spent in the house. When I walked out this morning around 7 am I knew that had just a few hours to pick before Josh arrived. By 10:30 I had picked three bucketfuls, or was it four? It was four. I went back out in the afternoon and picked until my husband decided I needed a break and sent me off to the grocery store with my daughter. Of course, I had to finish the job and so went back out to pick the last few bushes after my return. I am satisfied that I picked ninety percent of what was there and have packed and frozen several bags, a few for my sister and a few for me. Tomorrow James' friend will pick up a few bags for his wife and, yes, Judi, I have also sold a few out by the side of the road. I'm looking forward to Wednesday when Rachel is planning to come over to pick a few too. Oh, and I sent a nice big bag home with Bethany this afternoon. Can't forget my Bethany!

The Missionaries Return

Bethany returned from her missions trip to El Salvador this past Wednesday. I have waited several days for her to post and am still waiting. While we wait I thought I'd post a picture or two. I hope she doesn't think I'm spoiling her fun. Ask questions and we'll see if she answers.

This is the group. They're all from our church with the exception of one; he's on Bethany's right hand side wearing shorts. I hear he fit in well with the others and they all had a wonderful time. Rut, (she's third from the right), was the group interpreter/translator as she hails from the Dominican Republic and is fluent in Spanish.

I think I ought to start saving and maybe, if the group returns next summer, I'll go along.

Twilight's Last Gleaning

It's blueberry season and that means it's time to pick blueberries. It is a race between the birds, the bugs, the slugs, and myself. So far, I think I'm winning...

I spent Wednesday morning at church for VBS. I didn't really have a job, but I had to take my kids, who did have jobs, and so I stayed. After an afternoon visit to the grocery store, we returned home. The blueberry patch was calling my name, so before supper I went out and picked a bucketful. After supper James took the kids to church. I stayed home and, while Jasmine and Oreo kept me company, I picked three more bucketfuls. I came in the house when it got too dark to see what I was picking.

Each day I spend a couple of hours out picking berries. I'm never quite sure how long they will last or how much the patch will produce. Thankfully, this year is looking better than last year. I will at least have enough to share with my family. Everyone wants a big bag of berries to enjoy and maybe one or two to put in the freezer for later. Once the picking slows down maybe I'll have some time for baking.

Mr. McGregor's Change of Heart

"Now, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor." (from The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter)

Did I mention that my father and his garden remind me of Mr. McGregor and Peter Rabbit? It's just a little garden, tucked between the next door fence and the side of Dad's house. The side toward the road is enclosed by a four foot stockade fence. On the backyard side is a wire fence and a wooden gate. Scattered along the wire fence are moth pellets, to keep the rabbits out. Hmm... not working.

The other day Dad went out to look at his garden and whom should he meet but Peter Rabbit! He was nibbling on some beet greens. "Scram!" shouted Mr. McGreg... I mean Dad.

Peter took off running but evidentally had forgotten the way back to the gate. He ran straight for the fence, probably because there was no tool shed to hide in. He was quite certain he was home free until he discovered that although his front end fit through the wire fence rather easily, his back end was stuck fast. His fat little hopping legs and hips were entirely too wide.

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by Dad. (Mr. McGregor's wife had put Peter's father into a pie, and I'm pretty sure Peter thought Dad had the same idea.) The poor little bunny was much too frightened to back out of the fence the way he had gone in (this part of the story reminds me a bit of Pooh Bear) and it was impossible for him to pass through going forward.

In Dad's younger days he had been a hunter. He's hunted down and eaten all kinds of critters; frogs, turtle, squirrels, rabbit... I wonder if it ever crossed his mind that he could have a free meal? Evidently he has become rather fond of the little creatures that visit and live in his yard, because rather than fetch himself a meal, he headed to the garage for a pair of wire cutters.

Peter screamed and hollered when Dad touched him, but took of like a shot as soon as his back legs were free. Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to wherever it is he lives. I don't suppose he had bread and milk and blackberries for supper! Probably a dose of camomile tea instead.

After watching Peter run across the yard, Dad turned back to look at his garden and there sat Peter's cousin, Little Benjamin Bunny. "Scram!" shouted Dad, and Little Benjamin took off like a shot. Lucky for him he was smaller than Peter!

Salsify, a Funny Flower

I left the house early this morning but on my way out I noticed a familiar ball of fuzz in my garden and took my camera around for a closer look. I was surprised to find not only the seed ball and a closed bloom but also a blossom. Very unusual...

Also known as Goat's Beard or Oyster Plant, the purple variety is native to Europe and Asia and its root is actually edible. They are said to taste something like oysters. The yellow variety, also known as Western Salsify and native to southern Europe, apparently has also spread across North America but is not generally regarded as edible. (Too bad, no sandwiches for me.)

I posted a photo of this plant once before but had never seen the blossom until this morning. By the time I returned this afternoon the blossom was closed up tight. I don't suppose they will ever grace a bouquet, but it was kind of fun and different to find it blooming in my garden today.

The Berry Blues

Blueberries usually ripen right around Hannah's birthday so yesterday afternoon I wandered down to the blueberry patch with several berry boxes in hand. I must have stood out there for a couple of hours plucking them off the branches and dropping them into my containers. A few have been bird-pecked but overall they looked pretty good.

I picked about seven quarts of the slightly sweet but somewhat sour fruits. I'm not quite sure whether to put the boxes out front to sell, call my friends to come pick, or pop the now bagged fruits into the freezer for tossing into pies and muffins later on. They are best eaten fresh, and since the patch is looking a bit happier this year, I should probably share.

This morning I am feeling a bit "out of it". I'm never entirely sure what my body is rebelling against but I feel like an allergic cloud has descended upon me; achy, slight headache, and generally tired. I suppose the thing to do is to is to take my antihistamines and an ibuprofen and go on with my day. There are tasks to be accomplished, a little boy who needs attention, and... more berries to pick.

Sleep Centers, CPAP's and a Fireman's Parade

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANNAH!!!

Today is Hannah's 14th birthday. We haven't had her home for a birthday in two years as she celebrated the last two at camp. Grandma and Grandpa came over for supper and we had a quiet evening together. We'll have a bigger family gathering when Bethany get back home, maybe next Sunday.

A few weeks ago Hannah and I stayed overnight at the Sleep Center in Rochester. They wired her up and monitored her as she slept. This past Thursday we returned to the center for the results of the study. She has been diagnosed with a "moderate" sleep apnea, possibly under diagnosed because of the length of the study. (It took her quite a while to go to sleep and they woke us very early in the morning.) Treatment options are to see an ENT and see if surgery would be helpful, try a CPAP machine, or a combination of both. We have opted to try the machine and schedule an appointment with the otolaryngologist. I pray she will soon be able to sleep a full night with no breathing incidents and need no naps during the day.
After our afternoon outing to the Sleep Center we returned home to find Josh (and his other grandma) waiting for us. Hannah and I thought it would be fun to take him to the Webster Fireman's Parade. He found the firetrucks and horses interesting, thought the miniature cars were great, and stuffed himself with tiny Tootsie Rolls tossed by participants in the parade. (Shhh! Don't tell Bethany!)

Family Friday

There is no doubt these two little girls are related, in fact, if I didn't already know better, I might think it was the same child in each picture. One of these small girls came from a family of wealth, the other from a home where money wasn't near as easy to come by. You can tell by the clothes they wear and the not so fancy photo background.

The little girl in the first photo is my grandmother, an only child and the daughter of a man who worked for an oil company. The second is her own daughter, my Aunt Jeanne. Jeannie doesn't have the fancy clothes or pretty necklace that her own mother had at such a tender age, but I think if one had dressed her up in her mother's clothes, no one would have known the difference. Their faces are almost identical.

Giving My Life

Take My Life and Let It Be
Frances R. Havergal, 1874

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Take my voice and let me sing, Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee;
Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my intellect and use Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.


I have been struggling again. Struggling to hold on; and struggling to let go. It is difficult sometimes to believe I will ever make it to the point where I no longer fight to have my own way in life. Letting go of myself and letting God take over... Why do I find that so difficult?

Last night, as I went upstairs to get ready for bed, I told my husband I didn't want to be stretched. Though not entirely true in the big picture, it was how I felt at the time. I didn't want any more exercises in faith; I didn't want to let go of anything old for something new; I didn't want to leave my comfort zone, I just wanted to take my ease and do things my way. I want a house that stays clean, a garden with no weeds, and leisurely strolls on warm summer evenings. I felt tears well up inside. "Why did I want to cry?"

I looked into the mirror and it hit me; the realization that I had once more become a hostage to my own raging hormones. They almost always take me by surprise, these unpredictable emotions, tossing me about and making me feel like a total basket case, but I am on to them now. I am armed and ready to do battle. (I hope.) Deep inside I really do want to let go. I really do want to lay everything down, to pour my life out at the feet of my Saviour, but alone I just don't have the strength. I need His help.

So, this morning I am starting over again. I am taking His hand knowing that wherever He takes me will be a good place to go. It doesn't mean I will never be afraid. It does mean that He will be there. He will help me over rough terrain, carry me when I can't go on, and see me through safely to the other side.

"Welcome to Moe's!"

No small children today. The sun is shining and although the temperatures are still cool, I'm feeling much brighter than yesterday or the couple of days previous. The fog of the past few days has lifted. I am actually not feeling like I need to take a nap, although I do need a sweatshirt...


After prayer and Bible study this morning Hannah and I went out for lunch. It was a rare treat. I thought we might go to Panera Bread, but when I mentioned the possibility of a burrito, her eyes lit up. We decided to go to Moe's, buy two drinks, and split one of their giant burritos. We ate outside on the sidewalk where I could take in some sunshine.

After a quick stop at Wegman's for some cheese and coffee filters, we returned home. Coffee,... oh yes, I spilled my coffee all over the front passenger side of my van this morning when I stepped on the brake to avoid hitting a squirrel. I had set the mug on the floor because it is too fat to fit in the cup holder. I hadn't even taken a sip and the cup was completely drained. My rug was covered with sticky vanilla scented coffee. What a mess! God is so good. I was blessed by some carpet cleaners who were cleaning the carpets at church. One of them overheard me tell Nathan about my morning spill and offered to clean it up for me. It was totally unexpected and I am so thankful. The carpet looks great in the front. Now I just have to finish the rest of the van.

Oswego Tea

It still doesn't feel like summer but my flower gardens are slowly waking up and smiling into the sunshine, what little there has been. Last summer Apple gave me some Oswego tea and I am enjoying the bright red blooms this week. They really are very pretty and I think the hummingbirds rather like them too. I heard one humming about out that direction this morning. I also have pink and purple bee balm (another name for Oswego tea) but they aren't quite ready to bloom.

My little friend, Josh, was here today. He showed up bright and early, wearing his pajamas, at 7:15 am. He watched his daddy pull out of the driveway and as the van went up the hill and away from the house he said, "Bye, Dad." His mommy has gone away for a few days, off on a missions trip to an orphanage in El Salvador, the same one Nate went to last year. She was just a little bit nervous when they stopped by here on Saturday evening, but I think she will be blessed and come home with lots of stories to tell. Tomorrow Josh will stay with his other grandma. We're taking turns.

Oh, and Priscilla came to visit me today. I don't get too many visitors these days so it was a real treat. I made brownies for the kids and Sara came to visit too, in fact she's still here! She missed us so she rode her bike over to spend some time with Hannah and the girls and then ended up staying for supper.

Cotton Candy Clouds

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 1:7

The Campers Return

So yesterday afternoon I hitched a ride to Oswego to find my van keys and bring my campers home. I found some handsome young men...

and some lovely ladies. (Caleb, with Ben, and his sister, Kara, in the pink, have been friends with my kids since they were born. They enjoy spending a week at camp together and I am more than grateful to their parents who gave me a ride home on Sunday and back again last night.)

I found that sad little cabin that was once my home for a week of camp... and I found my keys, safely stowed away in the camp store. My van windows were rolled up and everything inside was nice and dry. On the way out of Oswego we stopped at McDonald's for a cone. This was when Ben discovered he had left his camera charger plugged into the wall of his cabin. Needless to say, we turned around and headed back to get it. I once upon a time made several trips to Oswego each summer dropping off and retrieving kids for all three weeks of camp, but this year I am only making the trip once.

What comes next?

Family Friday

With all the meme's floating around I thought I'd throw out this possibility.

I find family resemblances interesting. Whether it is an uncanny interest in the same hobbies or a nearly identical facial expression. Sometimes family members look very much alike and sometimes one would never know there was a relation at all.

Both Nathan and my cousin's son, Harim, have an interest in playing the guitar. They are less than a year apart in age and look somewhat similar; tall, blond, similar builds and facial features. Funny thing is they are seldom together, meeting up mostly at family gatherings, usually a July 4th picnic in Penn Yan.

Feeling Slightly Lost

I am feeling more and more lost as the week wears on. Being out in the country, mostly alone and without a vehicle, is somewhat perplexing. I'm even more thankful now for the time Josiah spent here with me on Tuesday. Lucas is here with me today but he is not happy camper. I'm not sure if he doesn't feel good, is tired, or just generally unhappy. He doesn't want to be put down. Neither the swing, the stroller, or his play seat make him happy. Right now he is upstairs in bed, but crying. If he doesn't go to sleep soon I will have to retrieve him.

At this point in my life I am really beginning to wonder which direction to go and what to do. I'm really not sure and to top it off James and I are thinking about selling the house. It is so much to keep up with and selling would help get us out of the debt we have accumulated. It would also make us more fluid and able to do some things that the responsibilities of home ownership keep us from. I guess this adds a little bit to my indecision about what to do. Also being without my van is making me restless.

Wherefore Art Thou Summer?

The calendar tells me this is July. The temperatures tell me it might be May or possibly even September. No need for a new bathing suit or window fan this year. As long as my sweatshirt is within reach I'll be all set.

I decided, for fun, to see what was happening on this date in years past and found that last July 8 I met Gudl for the very first time. We shared some dessert at her house and then headed down to the beach at Canandaigua lake for some fun in the water. It was a lovely summer day! On July 8, 2007 I was snapping pictures of Monarch caterpillars and fighting off Japanese beetles. I haven't seen either one yet this year. Finally, on the 7th of July 2006 I was making Hollyhock dolls and enjoying the sunshiney weather. There won't be many hollyhock belles this summer as we just pulled out some rather weedy looking hollyhock plants from in front of James' barn. They just weren't looking pretty this time around.

Josiah fired up the wood splitter yesterday afternoon and while he split wood, I stacked it in a pile. It was good weather for working outside. Warm enough to be out but not so hot that one wanted to collapse. We've also been pulling weeds, trimming bushes, and trying to keep up with our ever-growing lawn. The sun is shining today but I was in for most of it, tending to Lucas. He'll be back again tomorrow and then we're to Friday already. On Friday night I get my van back! I can't wait.