The Rest of Summer

Concerts in our small-town forest park, concerts in a well-populated city park, sleeping alone in the guest room because the mattress is firm and doesn't hurt my back, scavenger hunts, a heat wave, watering the plants and then watering some more, charting samplers, working out bass lines, visiting the duck pond with Grandpa and Grandma, front yard picnics, apples in the orchard, the kids and I soaking in as much of our Summer break as one can while being an invalid.

It was a beautiful season, no matter the circumstances. We are continually talking about being thankful in all times, no matter what. When things look bad, we start to count our blessings. It sounds a bit trite, I know, but through my Adrenal Fatigue a few years back, and now the pain of a herniated disc, piriformis syndrome and sciatica, I really have relied on the discipline of thankfulness to keep me positive and yes, even content.

By the grace of God,

"all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." -Julian of Norwich

My apologies for the following, if you're not a fan of needles... I wanted to include this picture for my own memory, plus its pretty fun that my needle ankle tattoo has needles around it.

It would seem that we have been adopted by another black cat. This handsome fella has been hanging around for a few months now, growling and yowling at our permanent felines, Freaky and Strange, but the two elderly fellows have decided to tolerate this new youngster, if at a distance. Socks, as he has been named by the youngest Twist, sneaks meals from the open and always full cat food dish, drinks from the freshly circulated water in the fish pond, and hangs out every evening below the bird feeder. We've been trying to lure him closer with quiet gentle words and have worked up to him not bolting every time we open the door. He regards us with suspicion and won't let us get within six yards, but he lets us talk.