No excuses, no reasons, life is interesting and full and all choices are not the wisest ones. So far this year, I've been with all of my beloved family at least once. We are scattered but try to be together as we can in the parts and places that work. Several highlights of the summer were being with David and then his family again later before/after he was deployed to Iraq. He is still there and will be for a while. Such a joy and privilege to be the mother of this dear man, husband and father. His oldest son has begun college at Auburn U. which keeps him fairly close to his home and mother/siblings (8). Also Phil, our oldest son, spent almost three weeks in and out as he was in KY for several other reasons than visiting Cantinho do Ceu, our place. His two sweet girls were with us and Kristen, though super busy, was here as well. We picked mulberries, early blackberries and played. Saw our youngest Diana and her family several times - always a joy. Diana will be with me in the annual visit to KS the last of Sept. for the Stoughton reunion - the 98th annual?. We drove to Tulsa, OK to see lil John, the second son of our Tom and Liz, in the NSBAWorld Championship Show in a competition in which John took gold, world champion in western pleasure -riders with handicaps - and then silver, reserve champion in trail ride. Phil and the girls were able to get over for part of that as well. A full and wonderful weekend. Our cool and wet summer included lots of garden produce to eat, put up, and share. Zucchini relish, tomato marmalade, blackberry jam and soon crabapple jelly are the main results. Put up some banana peppers also. My true delight in being outside, working in the garden and my flower beds which require a lot of work is always overshadowed by the treasure times of the day when I read and study the Word. Again this year, I've been following a schedule set up by Robert M. McCheney which involves reading chunks - 4 readings a day, two a.m., two p.m. - usually one chapter each but at times more if short - I read through the Word each year - now the 7th one - once in OT and twice in NT and Psalms. I've added things like Proverbs each month at times, and enjoy those extras but reading the Word through - getting the big picture of the one Story is excellent. This year the added thing is to read an extra book along with some of the books as I go along. I'v read one on Judges, now am doing a I Corinthians one as well as dipping into a Psalms. At times it is much, but this I do for the Lord and myself, and He already knows all this stuff, so He doesn't mind if I have to set something aside to get to later. In fact, I am always rewarded in some very particular fashiion when I do pick up a book put aside - the one on Psalms is the Hope diamond discovered this time - picked it up since the SS quarter is on the book of Psalms. Perhaps that is what the Lord will use to spur me to blog more. I still don't give much value to my own words but His Word is beyond measure of comparison and His Final Word, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior is Perfection.