Does the weekend begin on Friday? I was up early Friday morning bidding farewell to Judy, Tom, Katherine and Ethan Fowler and since I wasn't particularly sleepy I didn't go back to bed and found that I had accomplished quite a lot before noon. Towards evening I picked green beans and Ray always helps prepare them for blanching so I can freeze them.
I was up early again on Saturday and spent most of the day at Our Shepherd in Avon for the district LWML Treatshop. One could call this a mini-retreat, I suppose. I attended two different workshops--one in the morning and a different one in the afternoon and was home by 4 p.m.
Ray was busy also while I was gone. He went shopping at Lowe's and purchased a new extension ladder. The fireplace chimney has been riddled by woodpeckers and needs lots of work. Unfortunately, the height of the chimney at the back of the house is much greater than it would be at the front of the house since our lot slopes from front to back. He's determined to do the work himself. Our house is covered with Dryvit, a stucco-like product and when woodpeckers see an insect they begin drilling and soon have a hole in the surface. Eight years ago Ray filled in some holes but on that occasion we rented a ladder. Now that we have a proper ladder, he won't wait as long to fill in new holes once the current ones are repaired. My only concern with the ladder is taking it down and putting it up. It's really heavy and unwieldy and definitely takes two to handle it. I guess that's one reason why we are heading back to the Rec Center tomorrow morning now that it's open again after closing for five days for annual maintenance.
That brings me to today. The pastor began his sermon reminding us of the phrase we often hear "United we stand. Divided we fall." The truth is that in 2013 we are often divided on many subjects. When faith in Christ collides with unbelief, sparks will fly. We can take a stand--either for or against Jesus. We aren't finishing growing in faith no matter our age so we should be patient with others who are in the same situation. By faith we are united as a congregation and as a family of believers.
After coming home, I quickly changed to running gear and drove to the trails in Plainfield for a very long run. Fortunately, this summer the weather has been cooler than usual and mid-day runs are doable. I don't think I would have attempted that last summer when we had many days in the 90s and even some 100s. During the week I usually am on the trail by 8 a.m.
When I returned home, Ray had a large bucket of tomatoes picked ready to begin processing for our first batch of sauce of the season. I spent the next several hours simmering the tomatoes and getting them ready for the freezer.
We turned on the Colt's second preseason game against the NY Giants. It's now the 2nd half and the Colts are leading by 11 and after last Sunday's loss against the Bills, they look a lot better.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Spending time with family
As I begin writing this post, it's been less than 90 minutes since our house guests left. Last Sunday my sister Judy phoned wondering if we'd be home later in the week. It wasn't an unexpected call since several weeks earlier she had mentioned the possibility of coming our way.
In late July Judy and Tom celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family gathering of their children and grandchildren in Michigan. They stayed on in Grand Rapids to care for two of their grandchildren while their son Andrew and spouse Dora were in Hawaii on a combined business/pleasure trip. Andrew had suggested to his parents the possibility of driving to Indiana with Katherine and Ethan to spend a day with their great Aunt and Uncle.
We were delighted to have the opportunity to have them come this way. The weather was beautiful--maybe even chilly. Our guests arrived Wednesday afternoon. Ethan is 10 and entering 5th grade in a few weeks. Katherine is 12 and beginning 7th grade this fall.
We played outdoor games (Corn Hole and Ladders) and several different card games and just had lots of time to get to know our great niece and nephew much better and to enjoy conversation with Tom and Judy. They left very early this morning so Katherine would be home in time for a birthday party of one of her school friends. I'll be thinking of them throughout the day and the rest of the week and envisioning the reunion with their parents as they are expected home today. I'm sure there will be many hugs all around as the family is united once again.
In late July Judy and Tom celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family gathering of their children and grandchildren in Michigan. They stayed on in Grand Rapids to care for two of their grandchildren while their son Andrew and spouse Dora were in Hawaii on a combined business/pleasure trip. Andrew had suggested to his parents the possibility of driving to Indiana with Katherine and Ethan to spend a day with their great Aunt and Uncle.
We were delighted to have the opportunity to have them come this way. The weather was beautiful--maybe even chilly. Our guests arrived Wednesday afternoon. Ethan is 10 and entering 5th grade in a few weeks. Katherine is 12 and beginning 7th grade this fall.
We played outdoor games (Corn Hole and Ladders) and several different card games and just had lots of time to get to know our great niece and nephew much better and to enjoy conversation with Tom and Judy. They left very early this morning so Katherine would be home in time for a birthday party of one of her school friends. I'll be thinking of them throughout the day and the rest of the week and envisioning the reunion with their parents as they are expected home today. I'm sure there will be many hugs all around as the family is united once again.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Plumbing 101
Ray and I went to school today and successfully completed a plumbing project. We aren't always successful in this area of DIY projects. We have two sinks in the master bedroom and for the past several weeks mine has been stopped up and hardly draining. I knew it was time to do something. Last evening we looked at the problem but decided that we'd tackle the repair today.
After consulting a plumbing manual that had lots of drawings we were able to dismantle the drain and learned that we'd have to replace some of the pieces. Ray took the old parts with him to Lowe's to make sure he would get the correct replacement parts and late this afternoon we had the project finished. There were a few points when it seemed like we might not be successful but in the end patience paid off. I was mostly an encourager but helped in small ways whenever I could. I feel like I have a brand new sink! Well, it does have a new stopper that's all shiny without a scratch!
Last Sunday the pastor's theme was about worry. That's something we all contend with sooner or later. He asked "What do you do when the stress of life causes you to worry?" The answer is to turn to the Lord. Worry distracts and we forget to focus on God. Worry causes to to focus on our fears instead of faith. An antidote to worry is prayer. "Let go and let God." Another way to dismiss worry is to start thinking about someone else; we'll have less time to worry if we begin caring for someone else.
We're used to getting up early and heading to the Rec Center, but it is closed from Monday through Friday this week for annual maintenance. Guess what? We're not getting up early, but sleeping rather late. After turning our AC on again a week or ten days ago, we turned it off this afternoon and opened the windows. The predicted low for tomorrow morning is 52. I may even have to close a window or pull out another light blanket. It's August and hard to believe. This is summer weather I like!
After consulting a plumbing manual that had lots of drawings we were able to dismantle the drain and learned that we'd have to replace some of the pieces. Ray took the old parts with him to Lowe's to make sure he would get the correct replacement parts and late this afternoon we had the project finished. There were a few points when it seemed like we might not be successful but in the end patience paid off. I was mostly an encourager but helped in small ways whenever I could. I feel like I have a brand new sink! Well, it does have a new stopper that's all shiny without a scratch!
Last Sunday the pastor's theme was about worry. That's something we all contend with sooner or later. He asked "What do you do when the stress of life causes you to worry?" The answer is to turn to the Lord. Worry distracts and we forget to focus on God. Worry causes to to focus on our fears instead of faith. An antidote to worry is prayer. "Let go and let God." Another way to dismiss worry is to start thinking about someone else; we'll have less time to worry if we begin caring for someone else.
We're used to getting up early and heading to the Rec Center, but it is closed from Monday through Friday this week for annual maintenance. Guess what? We're not getting up early, but sleeping rather late. After turning our AC on again a week or ten days ago, we turned it off this afternoon and opened the windows. The predicted low for tomorrow morning is 52. I may even have to close a window or pull out another light blanket. It's August and hard to believe. This is summer weather I like!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Two Nights Out!
Before I explain the "Two Nights Out" which was Sunday and Monday night, I'll begin with Sunday morning's church service. The sermon was based on the parable of the rich man who wanted to build bigger and better barns to store his grain and goods (Luke 12:13-21). We were asked to reflect on the question "Are you rich in things but have an empty heart?" If we have no belief in life after death, we will try to accumulate wealth, but believers will share. Without a doubt we often feel a need for some of the finer things in life, but we can repent and be forgiven. Instead of investing in materials things the best investment is in the kingdom of Christ. We are called to share our wealth.
After church and before lunch I went to my favorite running area and put in some long mileage. One section of the trail was very shady so I took advantage and ran back and forth several times to escape from the sun.
Several weeks ago, our LWML group planned a Ladies Night Out so I drove to Greenwood again to join about 16 or so other members from Concordia at McCallister's Deli. We had a large group and the private room was not reserved for some other group so we were seated there. I had not been to McCallister's before and when I noticed a New Orleans Muffaletta on the menu, I ordered it and thought it was very good. I would order it again. I didn't get to visit with everyone as we were seated at a long table, but it was fun to converse and catch up with several who were seated around me.
Last evening we had tickets to the Indianapolis Indians baseball game compliments of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' local chapter. Our group was seated on the third base side of Victory Field located in downtown Indianapolis. The Indians were playing the final home game of a 3-game series with the Louisville Bats. The Indians are part of the Pittsburgh Pirate's organization.
When we left the game after the 6th inning the Indians were losing 4-1. This morning we learned the Louisville Bats swept the three game series with the final score 6-4. We missed a home run! But we were home by 10 p.m. I don't think there could have been a nicer night at the ball park. We were surprised at the number of babies in arms at the game and families with small children.
After church and before lunch I went to my favorite running area and put in some long mileage. One section of the trail was very shady so I took advantage and ran back and forth several times to escape from the sun.
Several weeks ago, our LWML group planned a Ladies Night Out so I drove to Greenwood again to join about 16 or so other members from Concordia at McCallister's Deli. We had a large group and the private room was not reserved for some other group so we were seated there. I had not been to McCallister's before and when I noticed a New Orleans Muffaletta on the menu, I ordered it and thought it was very good. I would order it again. I didn't get to visit with everyone as we were seated at a long table, but it was fun to converse and catch up with several who were seated around me.
Last evening we had tickets to the Indianapolis Indians baseball game compliments of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' local chapter. Our group was seated on the third base side of Victory Field located in downtown Indianapolis. The Indians were playing the final home game of a 3-game series with the Louisville Bats. The Indians are part of the Pittsburgh Pirate's organization.
 |
| Left field with the beautiful J W Marriott in the background |
 |
| Posing for the iPad at the ballgame |
 |
| The Indian pitcher, Jameson Taillon, on the mound had just been called up to Triple A. He was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2010. |
When we left the game after the 6th inning the Indians were losing 4-1. This morning we learned the Louisville Bats swept the three game series with the final score 6-4. We missed a home run! But we were home by 10 p.m. I don't think there could have been a nicer night at the ball park. We were surprised at the number of babies in arms at the game and families with small children.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
A Visit from Gene Stratton Porter
A casual reading of today's "Local Living" insert in the Indy Star had me interested when I read about a program at the Plainfield Public Library this evening. Stratton-Porter's 150th birthday is this month, August 17 to be exact. As we learned, the library is planning a two week celebration beginning with the performance tonight by Glory-June Greiff, a professional narrator and performer. On August 17 another program is planned at the Avon library including birthday cake.
As a teen or young adult I read several of Stratton-Porter's books (Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost). The performance tonight was entertaining and educational. The narrator was dressed in costume and spoke in the first person about her [Stratton-Porter's] childhood and some of her pursuits as a writer and photographer.
Stratton-Porter was born in Lagro in Wabash County in 1863. She was an American author, amateur naturalist and wildlife photographer. Two of her Indiana residences are now designated Indiana State Historic Sites.
As we heard this evening, as a young child Geneva (aka Gene) wandered freely around her farm home. She was the 12th and youngest child in the family. She learned a lot from her father about nature but was unhappy when her father and older brothers were shooting birds in the cherry trees. She bargained with her father that if they would no longer shoot the birds she would not eat cherries giving what would be her share to the birds.
As a teen or young adult I read several of Stratton-Porter's books (Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost). The performance tonight was entertaining and educational. The narrator was dressed in costume and spoke in the first person about her [Stratton-Porter's] childhood and some of her pursuits as a writer and photographer.
Stratton-Porter was born in Lagro in Wabash County in 1863. She was an American author, amateur naturalist and wildlife photographer. Two of her Indiana residences are now designated Indiana State Historic Sites.
As we heard this evening, as a young child Geneva (aka Gene) wandered freely around her farm home. She was the 12th and youngest child in the family. She learned a lot from her father about nature but was unhappy when her father and older brothers were shooting birds in the cherry trees. She bargained with her father that if they would no longer shoot the birds she would not eat cherries giving what would be her share to the birds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)