Cathartic Writing
If I were the worrying kind, I would be on high alert at the moment, or slogging through the mire. Cathartic writing, coming right up.
It's two weeks after the average frost free date, and we're under a frost advisory tonight. We have tomatoes and okra--many dozens of very frost sensitive plants--patiently awaiting their fate in the garden. Thankfully, we're behind schedule, and don't have any peppers, eggplant, or vine crops out. We've upended gallon-sized nursery pots over some of the tomatoes, and the rest are inside plastic-wrapped cages. Some of them have plywood lids, and we've stuffed sheets of newspapers in the gaping maw of the others. Hiromi is setting up a sprinkler to turn on over the okra rows.
The northeast wind is to diminish to nothing and the skies have cleared after a mostly cloudy day. This is a classic frosty-night setup.
We're still desperate for rain. We're about five inches short for this time of year. Spring-seeded crops have had trouble germinating, and over-wintered wheat and alfalfa are struggling to grow. Our front lawn is showing dry patches. We often have dry times in mid-summer, but this is the time of year when we usually have abundant rain.
**********************
My daughter-in-law's mother, Esther K. has had a recurrence of cancer, after five years of good health. This time the masses are in her lungs and on her spine. They await a conference with an oncologist tomorrow to learn more. The malignancies were confirmed by a biopsy last week.
**********************
Josh and Misty's unborn miracle baby is in need of another miracle. Misty is on complete bed rest, and the outlook is tenuous, apart from Divine intervention. That's what we're praying for.
**********************
My older sister travels this week to a New England state at taxpayer expense, in response to a summons to appear before a grand jury for questioning about a ticket she issued as part of her job as a travel agent. She is a witness called by the prosecution in a case involving charges against an individual who was involved in the purchase of a ticket issued through the agency she works for. I apologize for being vague, but that's the safest way, it seems.
**********************
My aunt, Judy, was in the hospital most of last week. She's home now, but not able to leave home without a lot of difficulty, partly because of the equipment she needs.
*********************
In this morning's communion service, several members who suffer from dementia had a lot of trouble figuring out what was happening. It took cooperation from ministers and lay members to help these people participate in the service. Dementia is a small inconvenience in a church service, but it's a very difficult dynamic in a home and family. Thinking about what it means for loved ones makes me sad.
*********************
My mother's "shingles" seem to be something else--severe muscle pain. Her doctor says he doesn't know the cause, but she has not been able to leave home much because of it. She did go next door to Linda's house today, however, for a family dinner.
*********************
My cousin's wife, Dorcas, has suffered from poor health for a number of years. They have a family of seven children, and a recent diagnosis has put them on a treatment trail that is both hopeful and frightening. The earlier Lyme Disease diagnosis is in question now, and what her doctor believes she has is an unfamiliar condition with some links to multiple sclerosis. A risky surgery is sometimes suggested for this condition.
********************
Several young families who make a wonderful contribution here are considering moving to other states and countries. While I see how a move might fit in with Kingdom purposes, I'm sorry to think of them leaving.
********************
Our local public school district is beginning a series of deliberations on closing certain attendance centers within the district. First on the slate are discussions about Haven Grade and Elreka-Partridge. Later meetings will focus on Mount Hope and Yoder Charter school. Incredibly, the only school with very little local patronage, Pleasantview Academy (formerly Elreka), is not on the chopping block list, probably because that school draws from a non-district population, and each student brings with them state funds that would not come to the district otherwise. Also, because they are a charter and a virtual school, they can operate with comparatively few teachers per student. Mount Hope and Partridge have nearly new buildings, and shuttering them would seem like a tremendous waste, besides being a huge blow to the small towns in which they're located. No final decisions have been made so far, and certainly not all the grade school attendance centers will be closed.
Programs and personnel are not likely to be completely spared either in this cost-cutting climate.
********************
I'm thinking some positive thoughts too--like the fact that we have only one week of school left, the typing students already reached their typing speed increase goal which earns them a party, Shane's hopes for being able to market hormone and antibiotic-free, forage-fed beef and pork seem to be coming together, the Trail West house improvements are in progress, Hiromi got his kiln temp to 1750 degrees--the highest yet, Grant and Clare have set an August 20 wedding date, Hiromi and I are in good health, my job is intact for next year . . . . Remembering these things helps give me hope for the long list of things I could be worrying about. I intend to pray again about each of these things, and then enjoy a good night of rest.
It's two weeks after the average frost free date, and we're under a frost advisory tonight. We have tomatoes and okra--many dozens of very frost sensitive plants--patiently awaiting their fate in the garden. Thankfully, we're behind schedule, and don't have any peppers, eggplant, or vine crops out. We've upended gallon-sized nursery pots over some of the tomatoes, and the rest are inside plastic-wrapped cages. Some of them have plywood lids, and we've stuffed sheets of newspapers in the gaping maw of the others. Hiromi is setting up a sprinkler to turn on over the okra rows.
The northeast wind is to diminish to nothing and the skies have cleared after a mostly cloudy day. This is a classic frosty-night setup.
We're still desperate for rain. We're about five inches short for this time of year. Spring-seeded crops have had trouble germinating, and over-wintered wheat and alfalfa are struggling to grow. Our front lawn is showing dry patches. We often have dry times in mid-summer, but this is the time of year when we usually have abundant rain.
**********************
My daughter-in-law's mother, Esther K. has had a recurrence of cancer, after five years of good health. This time the masses are in her lungs and on her spine. They await a conference with an oncologist tomorrow to learn more. The malignancies were confirmed by a biopsy last week.
**********************
Josh and Misty's unborn miracle baby is in need of another miracle. Misty is on complete bed rest, and the outlook is tenuous, apart from Divine intervention. That's what we're praying for.
**********************
My older sister travels this week to a New England state at taxpayer expense, in response to a summons to appear before a grand jury for questioning about a ticket she issued as part of her job as a travel agent. She is a witness called by the prosecution in a case involving charges against an individual who was involved in the purchase of a ticket issued through the agency she works for. I apologize for being vague, but that's the safest way, it seems.
**********************
My aunt, Judy, was in the hospital most of last week. She's home now, but not able to leave home without a lot of difficulty, partly because of the equipment she needs.
*********************
In this morning's communion service, several members who suffer from dementia had a lot of trouble figuring out what was happening. It took cooperation from ministers and lay members to help these people participate in the service. Dementia is a small inconvenience in a church service, but it's a very difficult dynamic in a home and family. Thinking about what it means for loved ones makes me sad.
*********************
My mother's "shingles" seem to be something else--severe muscle pain. Her doctor says he doesn't know the cause, but she has not been able to leave home much because of it. She did go next door to Linda's house today, however, for a family dinner.
*********************
My cousin's wife, Dorcas, has suffered from poor health for a number of years. They have a family of seven children, and a recent diagnosis has put them on a treatment trail that is both hopeful and frightening. The earlier Lyme Disease diagnosis is in question now, and what her doctor believes she has is an unfamiliar condition with some links to multiple sclerosis. A risky surgery is sometimes suggested for this condition.
********************
Several young families who make a wonderful contribution here are considering moving to other states and countries. While I see how a move might fit in with Kingdom purposes, I'm sorry to think of them leaving.
********************
Our local public school district is beginning a series of deliberations on closing certain attendance centers within the district. First on the slate are discussions about Haven Grade and Elreka-Partridge. Later meetings will focus on Mount Hope and Yoder Charter school. Incredibly, the only school with very little local patronage, Pleasantview Academy (formerly Elreka), is not on the chopping block list, probably because that school draws from a non-district population, and each student brings with them state funds that would not come to the district otherwise. Also, because they are a charter and a virtual school, they can operate with comparatively few teachers per student. Mount Hope and Partridge have nearly new buildings, and shuttering them would seem like a tremendous waste, besides being a huge blow to the small towns in which they're located. No final decisions have been made so far, and certainly not all the grade school attendance centers will be closed.
Programs and personnel are not likely to be completely spared either in this cost-cutting climate.
********************
I'm thinking some positive thoughts too--like the fact that we have only one week of school left, the typing students already reached their typing speed increase goal which earns them a party, Shane's hopes for being able to market hormone and antibiotic-free, forage-fed beef and pork seem to be coming together, the Trail West house improvements are in progress, Hiromi got his kiln temp to 1750 degrees--the highest yet, Grant and Clare have set an August 20 wedding date, Hiromi and I are in good health, my job is intact for next year . . . . Remembering these things helps give me hope for the long list of things I could be worrying about. I intend to pray again about each of these things, and then enjoy a good night of rest.
posted by Mrs. I at
6:01 PM
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