Usually I think of August as hot and dry and most likely a bit humid. The opposite is true today. The sun is shining, the wind is calm, the skies are blue with lots of fluffy white clouds, the temperature is ideal. It's a perfect afternoon or early evening!
I went to the 10:30 service today and heard a sermon on Jesus being the bread of life. We can think of our Christian life as a walk of faith -- not one of feelings. Where do we go for help when needed? The world or God? Remember the trail of bread that Hansel and Gretel left so they could find their way out of the forest? Jesus is the bread of life that helps as we wander through the deep forest of life. His bread consists of the Word, the Lord's Supper, daily devotions and preaching.
After the service, the youth of the congregation served a spaghetti dinner as a prelude to a PowerPoint presentation of a member who had visited Israel with her daughter last June. She had lots of photos, maps and some artifacts and had a very interesting presentation.
The next stop before heading for home was the JoAnn Fabric store. The store was busy since this was a coupon weekend, but we didn't have to wait in line exceptionally long. The store is moving departments around and I would never have found the purple felt I was looking for without the assistance of an employee who asked if we needed help.
The TV is tuned to the Little League World Series so we can watch a team from New Castle, IN playing their second game. They won against Oregon on Friday but are behind a Texas team and just lost. It's a double elimination tournament so they'll get to play at least one more game. These kids had one day of school and then left for Pennsylvania.
Later tonight we'll watch the second pre-season game of the Colts as they play Pittsburgh. This is their only Sunday evening game this season. Last week, they looked very impressive against the St. Louis Rams but tonight they'll play a more powerful team.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Back in the Garden
Since August 5 we have recorded about 7 inches of rain (nearly two inches overnight). Remarkable! The lawn is green with some brown spots scattered throughout. For the first time since sometime in May, Ray is mowing the entire lawn this weekend.
Late in the spring I started some asparagus seeds. Since it was hot and dry I kept the seedlings indoors hoping that eventually I would be able to transplant them directly into the garden. Ray worked up the old strawberry bed so on Tuesday & Wednesday I finally transplanted the thin seedlings to a temporary site. In about a year I'll have to transplant them one more time into a permanent location.
The soil is moist so I looked through my stash of seeds and decided to plant some turnips (first time for these), kohlrabi and two kinds of lettuce. If the beautiful weather holds we hope to harvest some produce before the growing season is over.
Late in the spring I started some asparagus seeds. Since it was hot and dry I kept the seedlings indoors hoping that eventually I would be able to transplant them directly into the garden. Ray worked up the old strawberry bed so on Tuesday & Wednesday I finally transplanted the thin seedlings to a temporary site. In about a year I'll have to transplant them one more time into a permanent location.
The soil is moist so I looked through my stash of seeds and decided to plant some turnips (first time for these), kohlrabi and two kinds of lettuce. If the beautiful weather holds we hope to harvest some produce before the growing season is over.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Working again
Quite a few weeks ago, Ray had a mishap with the sickle bar mower. It was partly submerged in the lake, but we were able to pull it out. I don't recall the exact nature of the repairs needed, but they were made and he tried using the mower again. However, it just didn't seem to have power and would stall out and be hard to start. Someone suggested adding some STP in the fuel line and it worked better. Then we had the long, hot and dry spell. With a lower level around the water's edge, Ray decided it was time to get busy again with the mower and take advantage of the opportunity to cut down some of the taller weeds.
He was very frustrated when the engine stopped running after using it only for a short time. He tried adding some more STP but that didn't work either. He finally decided to have someone look at it to determine the problem. Ray mentioned that the engine had been partly submerged earlier this year and the mechanic suggested that the engine could have cracked. Not what he wanted to hear.
This noon the mechanic phoned saying the mower was repaired and running good. He said he found a mouse nest next to the coil! Maybe it wasn't exactly a nest, but there was plenty of debris to cause the engine to misfire. Now, he wishes he had opened the cover to the engine and maybe he could have fixed it himself, but he was afraid he wouldn't have had the expertise to repair it. The total bill was $52 and the sickle bar mower has lived to see another day.
An update on Nancy: She was released from the hospital yesterday morning and is resting at home hoping to return to work on Monday. She'll begin a once-a-week, 6 week-long therapy called BCG at the end of this month.
I had a check-up yesterday afternoon and was given a second dose of the pneumonia vaccine. The doctor indicated that the medical gurus now think two doses are needed when they first thought only one shot would last a lifetime. Tomorrow morning I'm headed to the lab for some routine blood work. I expect to have a good report, but until I receive it I'll be wondering if everything is OK.
Expecting a 90 degree day tomorrow and then a real cool down over the weekend.
He was very frustrated when the engine stopped running after using it only for a short time. He tried adding some more STP but that didn't work either. He finally decided to have someone look at it to determine the problem. Ray mentioned that the engine had been partly submerged earlier this year and the mechanic suggested that the engine could have cracked. Not what he wanted to hear.
This noon the mechanic phoned saying the mower was repaired and running good. He said he found a mouse nest next to the coil! Maybe it wasn't exactly a nest, but there was plenty of debris to cause the engine to misfire. Now, he wishes he had opened the cover to the engine and maybe he could have fixed it himself, but he was afraid he wouldn't have had the expertise to repair it. The total bill was $52 and the sickle bar mower has lived to see another day.
An update on Nancy: She was released from the hospital yesterday morning and is resting at home hoping to return to work on Monday. She'll begin a once-a-week, 6 week-long therapy called BCG at the end of this month.
I had a check-up yesterday afternoon and was given a second dose of the pneumonia vaccine. The doctor indicated that the medical gurus now think two doses are needed when they first thought only one shot would last a lifetime. Tomorrow morning I'm headed to the lab for some routine blood work. I expect to have a good report, but until I receive it I'll be wondering if everything is OK.
Expecting a 90 degree day tomorrow and then a real cool down over the weekend.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Weekend
Yesterday, Sunday, was a full day and I didn't find the time to write anything. I went to church, arriving just a minute or two late, but in time for the first hymn. The sermon answered the question "Is Jesus our Bread of Life?" In his day, the people didn't believe in him. We complain to God about our problems just like the people in Jesus' day. However, we may be the problem instead. God's love for us does not change. In return, we will want to lead a god-pleasing life. He gives us spiritual food to sustain us through the problems and difficulties we face.
After the service we stopped to visit Nancy in the hospital. It was our second visit as we also went to the hospital after she was admitted on Saturday because of bleeding. The doctor ordered an IV to flush her bladder. The conjecture was that some of the scabbing from the surgical procedure of a week before had come loose and was the reason for the bleeding. Late afternoon the saline solution was changed to an alum solution and that seemed to help control the bleeding. But she had lost enough blood that she was given a transfusion this morning. They'll be checking her blood levels in the morning and I assume if they are in a better range than yesterday, she'll be allowed to go home. It's pretty boring for her I'm sure.
Our routine has changed a little this week. The Rec Center is closed this week as it does annually each August for cleaning and maintenance. I did get out of bed a little later than usual this morning and ran on our street through a very light mist or drizzle. Later, I spent some time in the garden cleaning out the old strawberry bed. The plants were showing some signs of life after our recent rains, but last June I had already decided that the bed needed some work, but because of the heat and dry spell nothing had been done. Later Ray tilled the area and it is ready for some asparagus plants that I started from seeds quite a while back. I may wait to see if we will get more rain before planting.
After the service we stopped to visit Nancy in the hospital. It was our second visit as we also went to the hospital after she was admitted on Saturday because of bleeding. The doctor ordered an IV to flush her bladder. The conjecture was that some of the scabbing from the surgical procedure of a week before had come loose and was the reason for the bleeding. Late afternoon the saline solution was changed to an alum solution and that seemed to help control the bleeding. But she had lost enough blood that she was given a transfusion this morning. They'll be checking her blood levels in the morning and I assume if they are in a better range than yesterday, she'll be allowed to go home. It's pretty boring for her I'm sure.
Our routine has changed a little this week. The Rec Center is closed this week as it does annually each August for cleaning and maintenance. I did get out of bed a little later than usual this morning and ran on our street through a very light mist or drizzle. Later, I spent some time in the garden cleaning out the old strawberry bed. The plants were showing some signs of life after our recent rains, but last June I had already decided that the bed needed some work, but because of the heat and dry spell nothing had been done. Later Ray tilled the area and it is ready for some asparagus plants that I started from seeds quite a while back. I may wait to see if we will get more rain before planting.
Friday, August 10, 2012
A day in the country
Shortly after I shut down my computer last night after posting to this blog, I heard thunder. What? A second shower in less than 24 hours? Measured this morning, we had 2.25 inches of rain overnight making a total of 6+ inches in less than a week. It's nice to get this much rain so we can begin catching up but I'm afraid it might be too late for many shrubs, lawns and some trees and, of course, many acres of corn.
After my run this morning followed by breakfast, we got ready to meet the Walkers at the Traders Point Charity Horse show. Today was free admission for seniors! Gotta like that! This show is well known across the nation with about 800 horses expected on the 250 acre site. None of us had ever been to a horse show though we have seen jumpers on TV or in the Olympics.
Four years ago a dog show was added to the activities on the grounds of the horse show and we spent a good hour or so watching mostly pre-teens (and a few adults) show their pets. The show included a costume parade, obedience, look-alike and conformation sections.
We saw some jumping too. And some misses.
Today the temperatures were in the 70s and breezy. One minute it was overcast, then later the sun was shining brightly. Lots of people were wearing jackets. After weeks of 90 degree days, this was a day to remember.
We met a lady who told us that on Sunday, the last day of the show, all spectators will be dressed in suits and hats. It's a tradition much like the Kentucky Derby. The riders are dressed in wool jackets even when the temperature is in the 90s. Fortunately, this year the Sunday event should be much cooler.
This newspaper clipping explains the origin and growth of the event.
After my run this morning followed by breakfast, we got ready to meet the Walkers at the Traders Point Charity Horse show. Today was free admission for seniors! Gotta like that! This show is well known across the nation with about 800 horses expected on the 250 acre site. None of us had ever been to a horse show though we have seen jumpers on TV or in the Olympics.
Four years ago a dog show was added to the activities on the grounds of the horse show and we spent a good hour or so watching mostly pre-teens (and a few adults) show their pets. The show included a costume parade, obedience, look-alike and conformation sections.
We saw some jumping too. And some misses.
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| Horses jumping on grass |
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| Sand surface in this ring |
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| Tents and show rings in the distance |
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Thursday, August 9, 2012
Rain & Olympics
For the first time this summer I wasn't able to run early in the morning because it was raining! The second rain shower we have had in less than a week. I believe it amounted to about one inch. I was only scheduled to run two miles so I didn't mind and slept in. Tomorrow morning is my long run in preparation for the upcoming Women's Half Marathon on September 1. We're expecting cool temperatures tomorrow -- relief from the heat.
We've watched many hours of Olympic coverage over the past two weeks. Our TV is tuned almost exclusively to NBC since the games began. I knew that many events are broadcast on a cable station, but we don't receive that so today I decided to see if we could view streaming video of the U.S. women's soccer gold medal game. I discovered that our laptop has the capability so we watched most of the game, but missed the actual moment when the three goals were scored. The video was excellent and we also had audio. We could hear the sounds of the fans in the stands but there was no play-by-play announcer. Wondering if I could have made an error in tuning in.
Later, we replayed the Gold Medal game in Handball between the women of Norway and South Korea. The game was easy to follow but again there was no play-by-play. Ray was happy to see the Norwegians win. Neither of us had ever seen a game of Handball before and soon discovered there is plenty of action and quite a bit of scoring.
We've watched many hours of Olympic coverage over the past two weeks. Our TV is tuned almost exclusively to NBC since the games began. I knew that many events are broadcast on a cable station, but we don't receive that so today I decided to see if we could view streaming video of the U.S. women's soccer gold medal game. I discovered that our laptop has the capability so we watched most of the game, but missed the actual moment when the three goals were scored. The video was excellent and we also had audio. We could hear the sounds of the fans in the stands but there was no play-by-play announcer. Wondering if I could have made an error in tuning in.
Later, we replayed the Gold Medal game in Handball between the women of Norway and South Korea. The game was easy to follow but again there was no play-by-play. Ray was happy to see the Norwegians win. Neither of us had ever seen a game of Handball before and soon discovered there is plenty of action and quite a bit of scoring.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Jury Duty
Probably about a year ago I filled out a form and learned soon after that I was in a pool to serve on a Morgan County jury. Potential jurors are picked from anyone who has a valid driver's license. I had almost forgot about the possibility until about two weeks ago when I received a call informing me to report on Monday, August 6, 7:30 a.m.
We waited around and finally were lined up according to our assigned number (mine was #39) and escorted into a large jury room. I'm not sure how many were in line, but I believe it was close to 70. After both the prosecutor and defendant's attorney questioned the first 12 jurors, only four were selected. After our lunch break the next 12 people were questioned and it seemed to go a little faster. Of this group, six were chosen.
I was #3 in the next group sitting in the jury box. Only two more jurors and two alternates were needed to complete the selection process from this group of 12. At 3:30 all that were not selected were released and I was on my way home. As we were walking out of the jury room, the judge was swearing in the jury and the trial was underway. We were told the trial would probably last until Friday and possibly even have a Saturday session if needed. The defendant is a 27-year-old man charged with several counts of attempted murder.
I think it would have been interesting to listen to all the evidence and see the justice system working, but I'm wondering if I could have managed five days of sitting in a jury box. Tonight I'm tired and my mind was foggy from all that I had heard and seen today. I did enjoy talking to juror #38 who was chosen for the jury. We had lunch together and, since we were sitting next to each other, had several opportunities to talk and get acquainted. After today I'll be on the alert for any news about the trial and the outcome.
We waited around and finally were lined up according to our assigned number (mine was #39) and escorted into a large jury room. I'm not sure how many were in line, but I believe it was close to 70. After both the prosecutor and defendant's attorney questioned the first 12 jurors, only four were selected. After our lunch break the next 12 people were questioned and it seemed to go a little faster. Of this group, six were chosen.
I was #3 in the next group sitting in the jury box. Only two more jurors and two alternates were needed to complete the selection process from this group of 12. At 3:30 all that were not selected were released and I was on my way home. As we were walking out of the jury room, the judge was swearing in the jury and the trial was underway. We were told the trial would probably last until Friday and possibly even have a Saturday session if needed. The defendant is a 27-year-old man charged with several counts of attempted murder.
I think it would have been interesting to listen to all the evidence and see the justice system working, but I'm wondering if I could have managed five days of sitting in a jury box. Tonight I'm tired and my mind was foggy from all that I had heard and seen today. I did enjoy talking to juror #38 who was chosen for the jury. We had lunch together and, since we were sitting next to each other, had several opportunities to talk and get acquainted. After today I'll be on the alert for any news about the trial and the outcome.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Rain spells Relief
About 5:30 or so this morning I was awakened by thunder and the sound of rain. The sound was heavenly and loud. Lots of lightening, too. We haven't had a real storm in about three months. Later, when Ray measured the depth of a small pot on our patio we learned we had 3.1 inches of rain!!! Another bucket on the other side of the house confirmed the measurement. Most people claimed they had about an inch of rain so we feel fortunate. Pulled a few weeds in the garden this evening. What a pleasure.
I attended the second service today as a pitch-in lunch was planned at noon to welcome our Director of Christian Education Intern who will be with our congregation for one year. The pastor's sermon focused on church workers saying that church workers are a gift from God and we thank God for them. Church workers are called to be servants to the servants (us). The church worker isn't called to do the work of the church but to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
We enjoyed a delicious pitch-in lunch after the service with delicious salads, relishes and the fixings for making a sandwich. Of course, a nice selection of desserts, too. Several welcome gifts were presented to the DCE Intern. She was overcome with emotion and found it difficult to speak. I didn't have an opportunity to meet her today; but I'm sure there will be an opportunity in the coming months. She will be busy learning names and faces for sure.
I haven't posted in over a week and haven't written about our daughter Nancy's medical scare. Several weeks ago she called and informed us that tumors had been found in her bladder and she was scheduled for out-patient surgery to remove them. We spent time in the waiting area on July 11 and had time to visit before and after the procedure. The tumors were malignant as the doctor expected. He then ordered a dye test to see if the cells had spread and, fortunately, the urethra and kidneys were not affected. This last Friday she underwent a similar procedure as the first one -- revisiting the site of the tumors in an attempt to get as many cells as possible removed. When the lab results are known, he will schedule a once a week, 6-week series of infusions into the bladder to trick any remaining cancer cells into thinking it's time to give it up and die. Nancy has a positive attitude and continues to work. Our prayer is that the surgical procedures and infusions will do the trick and save her bladder.
I attended the second service today as a pitch-in lunch was planned at noon to welcome our Director of Christian Education Intern who will be with our congregation for one year. The pastor's sermon focused on church workers saying that church workers are a gift from God and we thank God for them. Church workers are called to be servants to the servants (us). The church worker isn't called to do the work of the church but to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
We enjoyed a delicious pitch-in lunch after the service with delicious salads, relishes and the fixings for making a sandwich. Of course, a nice selection of desserts, too. Several welcome gifts were presented to the DCE Intern. She was overcome with emotion and found it difficult to speak. I didn't have an opportunity to meet her today; but I'm sure there will be an opportunity in the coming months. She will be busy learning names and faces for sure.
I haven't posted in over a week and haven't written about our daughter Nancy's medical scare. Several weeks ago she called and informed us that tumors had been found in her bladder and she was scheduled for out-patient surgery to remove them. We spent time in the waiting area on July 11 and had time to visit before and after the procedure. The tumors were malignant as the doctor expected. He then ordered a dye test to see if the cells had spread and, fortunately, the urethra and kidneys were not affected. This last Friday she underwent a similar procedure as the first one -- revisiting the site of the tumors in an attempt to get as many cells as possible removed. When the lab results are known, he will schedule a once a week, 6-week series of infusions into the bladder to trick any remaining cancer cells into thinking it's time to give it up and die. Nancy has a positive attitude and continues to work. Our prayer is that the surgical procedures and infusions will do the trick and save her bladder.
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