IN Carmel

So today I'm thinking seasons of the Garden.  There's not a spring summer fall and winter season.  So here are my seasons of the garden year.  There is the beginning to think of what the garden will look like.  That starts any month of the year.  There is the season of discovering what got through the winter and ready to push up to discover spring.  There is the oops,,, didn't make it season and then filling in those spaces.  There is the season of identifying what annuals to plant knowing they should be the all summer and fall bloomers.  There is the season of all things are going well but wondering where the rain is.  The weeding season is ongoing.  Then there is the season coming right now I call standing on one's head season.  It's clipping where it's needed and starting the big season of at least a month or more of cleaning up the garden.  I promised a picture of a huge vase of flowers.  Here it is.  And then the...

 It's beginning to feel like summer is almost gone.  Kids are back in school.  The Garden is showing signs of quitting and this morning I filled a big blue garbage can with stuff that didn't belong in the garden anymore.  It was all the tired plants that said I did my best and now I'm done.  When this time of the year comes I try to fill two big blue cans at the road for the garbage truck each week..  That's the goal which will clear the garden eventually leading to the end of this year with space ready for next year.  Slow and steady just as the turtle gets the clean-up job finished.   So sad but it's just another passing the torch to another year.  This fall brings something different.  We had bad hail damage with one of the summer storms.  That means that a new roof is coming along with new siding which was damaged and new spouting and shutters.   So what that means is that all of the blooming perennials that are a...

 The first day of the week, a great place to start.  Today I decided that it would be a Sunday go-to meetin' day.  So I did.  Doug elected to stay home still recuperating.    Our time at church is usually at least two hours long with choir practice added to the morning's activities.  For years we arrived at church even earlier around 7 am using that time preparing hospitality pastries and coffee.    But today.was something different arriving at church at 10:50 with a  short walk to my favorite pew on the south side of the church.  The music was wonderful.  I just can't live without music.  The preaching continued with another biblical character the focus for the morning.  The afternoon was spent watching powerful Ida hurrican stories.  Eric stopped in with an ice cream container of butter pecan sugar-free treat ordered by my Novi Mi. friend Marcia.  What a  girl!   Noah was part of the deliver...

 I hope this is the last hot Saturday.  That's my biggest hope and all the others are not that important today.  Now maybe that will change but not today.  I started the day with a trip to church.  Yes.  It's Bread and Bowl day and our Sat. crew is alive and well and strong in numbers.  So there was lots of talk among other things.  We had a strong number of folks stop by and the food was gone by 11:30.  I think we need to figure out how to provide more carry-out boxes.  The rest of the day included making a meatloaf and freezing it to eat later in the coming week.  I still must admit that eating is still a problem.  Food is not very appetizing although ice cream is not in that food group.  Yes did you know there is a large food group called bad tasting.  What makes me laugh is thinking about feeding our babies their first cereal when more came back out than went in.  Eventually, they got it and that should be my...

 Another week is almost over.  It seems they come faster and faster. So this morning it was about 2 hrs on the patio with coffee watching many many birds flying through the garden.  It would appear that they liked the cooler morning just as much as I did.  And the morning was filled with my I IPhone watching Christian Li playing his violin and hear the Four Seasons among other selections as the morning because alive.  I just felt like I couldn't get enough music to start the day so I just took it all in for a couple of hours.  I guess one could say it was my meditation hours of the day.    I did move out to the garden with my trusty shovel and little rake and clippers.  I managed to clean up dying or dead plants making the garden look a little more tended with all the dead gone.  The plan is to plant lettuce seeds soon.  That is if the rain comes again.  The ground is so hard that digging more than two inches deep was nye impos...

 Yes, today was just a bit different.  I decided to work at Bread and Bowl, our North Church outreach to the community.  For many years the Thursday crew and I worked alongside but a need came for a move to Sat.  So I was back among friends getting carry-out sacks ready for the 11 to 12 o'clock time under the portico.    So arriving at 9 and staying until 12 filled the morning. Our 48 sacks of carryout were well received.  Then it was home for a bit with a trip to I U North again with Doug for his six-month's visit with Dr. Greenspan including his monthly B 12 shot.  Now my hope is that there are no more doctor visits in between the one posted for 3 weeks.  That one is with Dr. Moore who did my surgery that led to a cancer-free head.  A Pet scan is included for that morning of work which should say that the cancer is truly gone.  I feel that is the case now but the scan can confirm that as well.   Doug always carries ...

 There was rain this morning.  I measured 1/2 inch.  I'll still say not enough but some for sure.  The bed by the downspout got a bit more and this afternoon I worked in that bed.  It is filled with lantana, my favorite southern flower that doesn't mind a little absence of rain.  But in that bed also are ornamental strawberries that have beautiful pink flowers in the spring.  Humm...not a great plant to have when weeds are invading and they have.  So the assignment this afternoon was to get rid of the weeds meaning also strawberries.  It's just too complicated to eliminate one and not the other.   The plan is to add a whole bunch of crocus to the group that is already there.  It's such a treat to see those little treasures in the spring.  That's the plan and the place is ready for planting later in the fall.   The other bulb I am ordering is daffodils.  They are a favorite and the deer will leave them alone....

 Thinking about rain.  It sure looked promising at noon but it's a no chance now.  So the dahlias got watered this morning and that was it.  It's been one of those hot August days again.  Carmel 95  Midland, Mi with rain at 88 and wind,  Conyers, Ga 90 and Richardson, Tx.  97  Time is 6:51 pm.  I guess it's hot everywhere.  These temperatures are posted where family members live.   It would seem the rest of the week is the same. ugh!!   I love the early morning when the house is quiet and I'm on the patio with a coffee listening to the birds and watching all the animals that are coming alive for the day.  Peter continues to show himself.  And then I add Martin, a former North organist now in Oregan has attached music to Face Book and I can hear him play as only Martin can.  It makes coffee wonderful and at times brings tears to my eyes remembering all the wonderful pieces that he played for us Sund...

 Well, of course, there is only one Monday in the week.  That's a good thing in this case.  The need to make a trip to Penske Honda was evident when almost all the lights in the van came on saying there was a problem with everything..  And indeed there was a problem discovered after I appeared at the Honda shop at 7:30.  The experience wasn't good and after reading a sign in the waiting room that said to share those experiences with the management, I did.  I don't think I've ever done that before.  And the repair that I was told would be done on Sept 6 was taken care of immediately.  And now the van is back being whole again.  You have the skeleton of the experience.  I'll spare you the details.  And to show my gratitude to  Jenny, who took care of the problem a big bunch of flowers from the garden was gifted to her when I  retrieve the van.  She gave me hope.   This afternoon I did a bit of deadheading for ...

 A necessary marker in the week.  Today has seen a few church services come to us through streaming.  It started with Sec. Presbyterian service at 9:30.  Christ Harvey is someone not to be missed with a powerful message every Sunday.  Yes Presbyterian, my brother's church.  Then it was on to North Un. Methodist at 11:00 and just completed another service at North, this time a memorial service honoring the life of Dick Hamilton, our minister for many, many years.  Several of our associate ministers through the years spoke along with David , Dick, and Anna Lee's oldest son.   A message concluded the service.  The Cathedral Singers were the music makers along with Anna Brisco who came all the way from Louisiana.  It was a wonderful reminder of Dicks ministry that was so lovingly executed for almost 30 years.  Dee asked about butterflies.  Well, a symbol of the resurrection.  So fitting for today's entry.  And I have...

 It's about time there is a day of simplicity.  Just hanging out with a great guy.  He continues to move along in recovery.  Slept late.  Ate breakfast late, snacked this afternoon, and is quietly doing his thing in the family room better known as his room.  Talked with my Michigan friend Dennis.  Did some texting, listened to birds, Did some messing with the apt Merlin which is all about birds, recording their song to determine what bird was singing to me inn the garden.   Finally, the sunflowers are blooming.  I think I planted them to close together for their own good although I did put a wire cage around them to protect them from the deer.  Yum, Yum seeds so the deer say.  They love those flowers.  There have been years when the sunflowers really have taken a hit by the deer with the discovery that all the flowers are gone, completely gone.  So far so good.   The white flower to the right is just a beaut...

 My hope is that the big whoop is the homecoming and the rest of the day will be not much of anything to report.  That's my HOPE!  Whoever has a guarantee on that please raise your hand. Yes, there is a homecoming but it took a few hours to knock us loose from hospital life.  I have learned an unbelievable amount of patience when it comes to hospitals.  We are not the only ones living under that roof and I would leave it up to others to determine who goes first and second and more.  So while we waited for release papers Doug slept and I watched TV.  No big whoop on our part.  But at 1:30 it was our turn.  We took it.  Many visits with many folks during the morning, checking on just about anything that needed checking and sometimes going over the same thing more than once.  I U is a teaching hospital, one I feel is needed so patients become part of the teaching team.  That was us.  Doug has moved from liquids to soft food s...

 The day started for me at 5:15   For Doug, the night got started but ended after not more than 2 hrs of sleep.  Way to much on his mind I guess.  But off to I U North we went arriving at 6.  Such great help at our hospitals.  I just can't say enough good things about their care of us.  So all the pre-stuff got finished and Doug disappeared at 8 as scheduled.  The surgery was about 3 hrs with another almost 2 in recovery so got to his room just minutes after he did.  Two nurses took great care of him and he is settled in till sometime tomorrow at this point.  He's feeling fairly good with some discomfort but all tolerable.  So here he is as of this afternoon.   I think that great grin is a testament to knowing that the problem he  had for so long is now not a problem.  I am so happy for him knowing that his prolonged wait was because priorities changed.  I think the biggest challenge now is for Doug to ...

 Yes...today was an absolutely nothing day.  Just nothing so doing a picture of absolutely nothing is sort of impossible.  I had breakfast on the patio and just sat and watched the yard and played solitaire for a long time.  I call that nothing.  Had lunch, then another afternoon nap, and then I did make jello as I usually do every day.  The weekly purchased cantaloupe was cut up and ready to eat at a moment's notice.    I suppose I could have taken a picture of that but I think everyone knows how to do that so it's wouldn't be anything new. I had a great phone call visit with Patty.  I texted my Detroit friend Marcia and called her husband Dennis who recently had a heart valve replaced. .  Need to keep up with my camping friends.  Supper was the usual thing.  I did set the alarm for an early rise tomorrow at 5:15 leading to a trip to I U North hospital.  Yes.  tomorrow Doug finally will have his hiatal hernia fix....

 I've heard about those events planned by parents for their children.  Today I told Doug that I have a play date with my friend Kathy.  He thought that was funny.  But that did happen and we didn't do much playing but just talked for about 3 hours none stop.  We did visit her flower garden and the pictures today will show you just how her garden grows.  It's a beauty and one she has worked on for years.   Yes, Kathy is the Dahlia lady.  And she has many, many dahlias.  There are also vegetables in the garden.  I was gifted one huge cucumber that should last for many days of salad fixings.   So that was the first half of the day.  Then of course time for a snooze and then on to see the new school my Carmel grandsons are attending.  That being the new Options school located in Westfield.  It's a very nice facility and our tour guide answered many questions that I asked.  Not surprising that a retired teac...

 Yes...I'm good for about a half of a day of work so it would seem.  Today that first half was really full of some really good outcomes.  As we know church life is a bit different these days.  And visual arts at North has been really different but that is beginning to change.  Today my friend Heidi and I worked all morning making decisions, putting things away, and getting things out to use in the coming months.  It meant making trash contributions, deciding on Goodwill drop-off items, and just getting things back where they belong. .  We haven't done that for a long time  Somehow things seem to pile up at church just as they do at home.  So we worked all morning hanging banners and bringing additional interest to many places in the church. along with what already has been mentioned.  Two very important memorial services are being held this coming weekend with many attending so the church needs a clean-up,  preparing for lots of com...

 Another early riser day for me with church online.  It was a 9:30 service at Second Presbyterian Church with Christopher Harvey.  A young man of seemingly many preacher talents leading the largest of many  Presbyterian Churches in Indy, his on the north side of Indianapolis.  Then an 11:00 service at North UMC.  That's the church history for today.  The rest of the day was pretty quiet with a few buckets of water given once again to the Dalhia Sisters.  My 9-year-old neighbor appeared in the garden once again looking for bugs of any kind.  What a girl.  This time she had a toad with her looking for bug food.  Watched the Colts win their preseason game.  Yeah!!!   And that was just about it for the day.   These are the four hibiscuses blooming in the garden right now.  So beautiful.  Also, there is a Rose of Sharon bush blooming that I think is also in the same family of flowers.  Great late s...

 Busy and it feels so good.  Today was the second Saturday of the month and it's my time to work at our church soup kitchen.  There were 4 of us and we were busy all morning long gathering things to make a meal or two for our community folks who stop by the church between and 11 and 12.  There has been no soup for a long time and today was no different.  At one time we did make soup and that name still sticks with me.  Second Helpings brings us 4 large pans of something for our main dish.  We never know what will arrive but it's always good.  The meal for today was macaroni salad, a piece of pie, some peaches, some toast along with a bottle of water.  The morning was busy particularly busy and when there are 4 or fewer workers we try not to waste a minute.  .  It felt so good to be with friends working together to get a job completed.   This afternoon was fun in the garden with some neighbors visiting for a while.  We...

 Today I felt like doing something.  And I did meaning that I explored what was in my favorite shopping store.  Goodwill.  And I didn't find a thing that would work for me.  There are times when I find something that I can use as a visual at church.  One example is a wonderful big earthenware pitcher about 18 inches high that I found on a whim.   Today I was looking for something big that might support the 4 areas of ministry.  Didn't find a thing.  But I looked.    Looking has been on my bucket list for a while and just checking that off now is a feeling of accomplishment.  I finished one more basket that will support the Mission and Outreach Sunday with vegetables connecting with our Farmer's Market experience for the neighborhood.  This is all fake foods much to my dismay but when I loaded the basket with the real thing it was to heavy for the biggest guy at church to carry from the back of the sanctuary to the alt...

 Today was a different much appreciated day that came my way.  I was on my way to church around 9:30 to meet with a few folks, one of them being the creative preacher!!!  His assignment to me was a visual one to create baskets or find objects that would represent the four ministries of the church.  My meeting was to make sure that we are on the same page.  And we are.  So my brain is ticking with ideas that can work.  So the picture tonight is one that will be used when worship if the focus highlighting music.   Now it's going to look something like this.  The book might be gone and something else in its place like rolls of music etc.  Who knows...I can think about this till the second Sun. in Sept.  It's wonderful to have this on my mind instead of some other things.  Upward and forward.  The other areas are Care and Nurture, Discipleship, and Missions. So there is time to think and decisions will be made. ...

 That's the best I can do.  Everything outside trying to stay alive is saying that when I visit.  It's stinking HOT.  I also think that we have waited in line long enough for some rain.  Michigan got a soaker, Ohio got a soaker.  Wisconson and Ill got a soaker.  What's wrong with Indiana?  The storms disappear at the border to the state.  Yes, I'm grumpy and would like to say that there is a little variety in our weather.  Not so for a long time.  So what to do?  WAIT  Today was another inside day and my goodness, how much I can sleep during the day really impresses me.  It's so interesting to think that is what is necessary now knowing that more healing must be happening.  So I just let it happen and sleep.  I made a few phone calls today.  Preacher Darren has given me a job to work on so I'm thinking and planning and tomorrow I'll visit with him.  Got to be on the same train with him going in the...

 Today I'm sending all of you flowers.  So watch out.  Two Cleome are doing their best.  The other two pictures add a lot of interest to the garden.   This was the morning's entertainment.  The day has been extremely warm with more on tap tomorrow.  It's summer in Indiana.  Much thanksgiving in that we don't live in Phenix.  Rain still evades us, Vertigo is not completely gone.  I'm giving some thought that perhaps heavy radiation of the right ear where the tumor was might have something to do with the tissue involved holding the crystals.  I so remember the radiation oncologist saying that we are all different and I. would add that there have been surprises along the way. I have a different body now.  .  Living with surprises continues.  Life is good.  

 I had my doubts yesterday.  Such a @#$%^$% Day.  I was getting a bit scared with not being able to eat at all but today...little by little I'm functioning again.  Thanks be to God for a better body. I'll take it.  Something I'm really good at but still surprised is sleeping during the day.  Perhaps the body is still healing.  Sounds like a great excuse and I'll use it.  That doesn't mean I did much but it was a great day.  I visited with neighbor Judy and heard that our yard bunny has found her patio. And the beautiful yellow butterfly is also visiting her.  We had a huge teaser of a rainstorm.  No storm and very little rain.  Maybe more tomorrow.  The Dalia Ladies got another drink this morning from the watering can along with some potted flowers.  The zinnias are looking great even though they haven't seen much moisture for three weeks.  The purple flower is called butterfly bush which the butterflies love to ...

 You guessed it...another morning with vertigo.  It's a mystery.  By noon I was functioning somewhat.  The huge disappointment of the morning was that church was a no, no and it was my privilege to read scripture for each service.  What a disappointment.  It's such a blessing to read words that were written so long ago and so true for us today from so many great writers. It should have been Timothy for me to read.   I'm sure there will be other times but hard to miss even one.  So I slept for most of the morning again and feel better again tonight as I did last night not having a clue we would have another go around this morning when getting out of bed.  Tonight I'll try the recliner for insurance.  My good old friend, the recliner.  While sitting on the patio today, it seems that the Downy's are back at the feeder.  I've missed them since we returned.  And the flowers are bringing in the swallowtails. This is ju...

 This entry will be short, one reason, not much happened that is much to talk about.  The one thing that did happen was another attack of vertigo.  How I hate that but it becomes front and center right away.  So I did what I needed to do to get those crystals back where they belong in my ear and then the rest of the day I slept.  Not napped, slept.  I don't know what happened during the sleep so not too much to write about.   We received a bunch of old pictures from a friend and I'm posting one of those.  My best guess is that it was taken at least 40 or more years ago and it's a camping trip, once again in the UP of Michigan.  What a memory that says we've been camping there for a long time.  Happy to know that I am beginning to function again and that the worst of the day is over.  Thanks be to God.  The sleep time was a gift.  

This morning was a take charge of the garden assignment..  Dead Dill came down, Dead cucumber vines came down.  Dead squash got pulled.  Dead or nearly dead daylilies got cut down and will come back with a few rain sessions looking almost like new again.  The one blue garbage bin is full ready for next Wednesday's trash pickup.  It was a good morning to see brown gone so that the green can shine through again.   The garden has it's best foot forward.  After the busy morning, I spent time on the chair with a nap or two.  Kat and the two grandsons gifted me with a visit.  I love talking to those boys to see what their interests are.  It was a good day.  Jared called in the evening adding an exclamation point to end the day.  Life is good and I am grateful.  I don't owe the Lord a Morning Song...I owe the Lord a morning noon and night time song.  

 Today seemed to be a start and stop day with doing this and then that.  Deadheading, Pre Operation visit, deadheading, gathering vegetables, library visit, drugstore visit, hearing aid visit, watering, and more.  Just short little this and that jobs.  I guess after being gone from home for two weeks one needs to do this and that to catch up.  Much to my dismay, this kind of day took my energy level from a lot to not so much.  So I needed to include naps in the late afternoon.  That was really the surprise of the day.  I spent some time with a squash preparing it for a meal of two or three.  I'm still trying to find food that has an acceptable taste after radiation.  The pounds keep dropping and my hope is to slow that process.  That is a problem I never thought would be a part of my life.  Trying to consume enough calories to stay even is the goal.   A view of the garden from the kitchen.  Could be Thanksgiving....