Medical week

Most of you who read this know that I HATE going to the Dr. I have to be just about dying (my kids, too) before I'll set foot in the clinic. So I put off all that well-person check-up stuff. During the school year I say that I don't want to miss any sub days. When summer comes around, my excuses run out. Besides, whenever one starts going, there is always a string of new appointments that they'll make one do. I have a nodule on my thyroid that hasn't been checked on for awhile, and since it's big enough for me to see when I look in the mirror, I thought that was enough to get me in there. So I scheduled the usual woman stuff and then gave the Dr. the list of things that I'd been storing up for the last two+ years!!! Of course, I got the string of appts. Lab work(cholesterol, TSH, kidney, liver), the big C. one does after 50, then the big M., and an ultrasound on the thyroid have all kept me running (ha, ha if you've had the big C. you'll know what I mean) this week.

Now all that is behind me. I'm in perfect health (still need to see the dermatologist for spots on my face and the ENT for the nodule....) and I'm having a pool party this afternoon. We're calling it "Club M". This is our second "meeting" of the club, last week everyone was too busy. So I've stocked up on popsicles and iced coffee or espresso slushies, filled the new air mattresses with air (using the air compressor this time!) and vacuumed the pool. Now if we'd only get some sunshine!

Sunday Supper

We've had lovely Sunday evenings this summer. Last night we were invited to the, what Dennis calls, the love nest! Our newlywed friends invited us out for supper. His parents and another couple were there. It was so fun to see their house, them in their house and enjoy their hospitality. They are so blessed to have each other, and we are so happy for them! We look forward to the years ahead watching their family grow! :) We had great food, good conversation and a fun game of "Apples to Apples". Perry won.
Oh, the drive out to their house (in western Iowa) is absolutely stupendous right now. The rolling fields of emerald corn could not look more fantastic! Nearly makes one breathless, at least it does for this Iowa girl!! I kept wanting Den to stop the car and let me take a picture, but all I got was this one. Guess I'm just going to have to drive out there myself and take some more.

Progress!

Here is another installment on the progress of "the wall". It looks like some kind of altar! And it will have "burnt offerings" on it sometime!!! Den thought of putting very large rocks along the slope by the fence. It gradually flattens out, so he has some bigger ones down at the bottom of the slope and not-so-big ones coming up. He said those very large ones were too heavy to move around. He also unloaded 1000 pounds of river rock along the top. I raked out the piles! It's beginning to look a little more finished, and hopefully if we get another gully washer this week all the dirt will not end up at the bottom!! Once those lilac bushes fill out, that side along the fence will look nice. We also plan to move that wood pile and finish that back fence line off with some other plants....I think they need to be taller than bushes to be seen over the wall, but not so tall to block the view!

Buona sera!

Another beautiful Nebraska sunset!

Roland has it right

I'm a big fan of Roland Martin on CNN. Today he has an article about vouchers. The current candidates split along the traditional party line view. Republicans think it will solve all problems while Democrats think it will destroy public education. (So?) Roland says neither is true. However, students that are locked into a failing school don't have the TIME for the system to get fixed. It's been broken for decades, and we keep pumping more and more money into it, hoping that will make a difference. It never does. R. also goes on to say that the one system isn't the best solution for everyone. I've experienced public school, home school and Christian school for each of my children and even at different times in their lives. More parents need to have that opportunity. It seems very racist in a way to say that those inner city children, who are predominately minorities, should not even have a chance at a good education simply because of where they live and the neighborhood school. Granted, we need to get good teachers there, get parents involved and committed to their children's education, but there is no time to waste! These kids are floundering NOW. Let's hope the Democratic Party, and their African-American candidate, listen to African-Americans who are for vouchers. Obama certainly doesn't need the money or the endorsement of the NEA!!!

Personally, I'm not sure I'm for vouchers, but I am for CHOICE! Why is it "choice" when you can kill your unborn child, but "bankrupting the system" if you want to be able to choose a better school for that child???

Morning Praise

Most every morning I wake up with some song in my head. I love doing worship team music because then for the rest of the week I have those songs going over and over in my head. And if I get to practice on Wednesday evening, the songs for that week start in my head early! I had one of those songs in my head this morning, but I'm not going to share that song right now. This song came during my praise/prayer time. Songs we learn in childhood stay with us the rest of our lives. This one was one our mom taught us probably 45 years ago!!! We sang it as a family just last December. I'm going to write it out as prose because sometimes the poetry lines can distract from its meaning. May you praise the Saviour today, too!

Praise the Saviour, ye who know him, who can tell how much we owe him? Gladly let us render to him all we are and have. "Jesus" is the name that charms us. He for conflict fits and arms us. Nothing moves and nothing harms us while we trust in him. Trust in him, ye saints, forever. He is faithful, changing never. Neither force nor guile can sever those he loves from him. Keep us, Lord, oh keep us cleaving to thyself and still believing till the hour of our receiving promised joys with thee. Then we shall be where we would be, then we shall be what we should be; things that are not now, nor could be, soon shall be our own.