AUGUST 2006
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(PLEASE SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM, AND THEN UP, TO FIND AUGUST 1 THRU AUGUST 6, THANK-YOU)
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Monday, August 28 to
Thursday, August 31, 2006.
Bob and Kathy
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Monday, Bob in the garden, fondling melons.
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Kathy in the kitchen with bountiful basil, making mucho pesto, plus a bit of salad.
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Our third refrigerator is chilling many (and I do mean, MANY,) melons.
:-)
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And its freezer will have pesto added tonight to the green beans and tomatoes, already frozen there.
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Kathy has nearly 30 exuberant basil plants.
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A quiet day.
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Shared with the sounds of birds, cats, and horses.
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Tuesday, we took Bob's mom to the Health Clinic for an exam, test, and an additional prescription.
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Kathy stayed with her while Bob did some errands and shopping
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After taking mom home, we spontaneously decided to drive to Baraboo and bargain shop at a couple of stores there.
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Returning, we visited the drive-in popcorn stand in Portage and then ambled through nine miles of countryside on our way home, Kathy munching on buttered popcorn most of the way. :-)
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it is always a nice feeling to be home before dark.
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Shortly after sunset, we took a walk down the BumpityRoad.
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The coolness in the early evening air, reminded us, that autumn is officially, only a few weeks away.
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The pumpkins know that already.
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Most of them are orange already.
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Several wagon loads of guests (mostly children), have already been out in the pumpkin patch, picking large Connecticut Field Pumpkins and Charleston Grey Watermelons, to take home.
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Yours are still here, waiting for you!   :-)
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Wednesday, the gardens were our focal point, with Kathy caressing some of the leaves off her 27 basil plants, and then moving on to 24 cherry tomato plants.
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Bob was checking the cantaloupes, musk melon, and honeydew melon, to see what the wild turkeys had left for us.
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Then on to the big tomatoes, and then lots and lots of green pole beans and green bush beans.
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Candle light supper with steamed beets, red potatoes, carrots, yellow onion, and greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen beans!
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This was a very yummy steamed vegetable dish, that was extremely tasty and enjoyable.
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The green steamed beans are so yummy that we are eating them nearly every day.
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Kathy also eats them raw, fresh from the garden, (and sometimes, in the garden while picking them). :-)
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Thursday we made a trip to a local potato grower and got 50 pounds of Norland Red potatoes, and another 50 of Yukon Golds.
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It is still to warm for us to adequately cool that many, but we wlll return for larger purchases, late in the fall.
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On the way home, we stopped and did some card-slinging with Bob's mom, playing three-handed, 500 Rummy.
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Then home to dine on Norland Reds, that were so indescribably tasty, we agreed to do a second batch, for dessert. :-)
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Bob moved furniture from room to room while Kathy cleaned from room to room.
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We do have a few chairs.
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And, a few rooms. :-)
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Monday, August 21 to
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Bob and Kathy
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Like Monday's hummingbirds, we hovered around housework, flitting here and there, tasting this task and that.
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Then, off to the gardens.
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Kathy seeking out the little pole bean, cherry tomatoes, and basil voices, that were whispering, "Pick me, pick me, I am ready, to grace your table."
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Bob, as usual, was meandering around the melon patches, fondling the honeydew, caressing the cantaloupes, mooning over the muskmelons, and wandering peacefully from one variety of watermelon to another, returning, beamingly, with five big buckets of melons on the back of the big tractor.
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A Tuesday highlight was visiting two Master Gardeners' homes..
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Vickie and Bill shared the results of 28 years of effort around their beautifully landscaped Arlington home, as several dozen of us later meandered around in small groups, clustering, and sharing information. It was a great experience because of seeing old friends again, and making some new ones.
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Later, Mike and Patty hosted us while we toured their water ponds, and flower and vegetable gardens, near Poynette.
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A variety of snacks and beverages (including garlic wine?) were contributed by members to make a kaleidoscope of tasty, attractive, and awesome, desserts.
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Lots of small group conversations continued around the very large patio until after dark.
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Kathy had the opportunity to meet and reunite with several of her fellow students, again, who finished last year's Master Gardeners' Columbia County Training Program with her last fall.
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An interesting, informational, and inspirational afternoon and evening, viewing what others had accomplished, and sharing ideas, with seveal dozen warm and helpful gardeners.
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Wednesday's highlight was a visit from Annika (our Swedish connection)
:-).
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She brought her two teenage stepdaughters, Amber and Manu (from Emmanuel), both of whom were delightfully articulate, especially when sharing about their unusual cat, Sinbad.
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Bob hooked up the ancient hay wagon to the 20 horses of the yellow Allis Chalmers Tractor, covered it with 6 large sofa cushions, and away we went!
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Dashing oe'r the fields
in a 20 horse open "sleigh"
around th gardens we bounced
laughing all the way.
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We stopped for pumpkins here,
and for watermelons there,
watching them was dear
as they selected each with care.
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Then off we set for home
carrying all their "loot,"
bouncing here and there
along our happy route. :-)
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Thursday we attended Bob's cancelled high school class picnic at the Osner Park and zoo in Baraboo.
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We were the only ones there.
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It had been a heavily rainy day and we found the cancellation notice posted on the park shelter.
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So we went shopping at three of our favorite stores: St. Vinnie's, Dollar Tree, and Dent and Bent.
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Then suppered at Pizza Hut on Lasagna and PIzza.
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Arriving home, we decided to plug in our third refrigerator, which Kathy then filled with many varieties of melons and veggies which we had harvested during the past two days.
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And more are awaiting us!
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Friday, we loaded the trunk with 4 large watermelons (up to 26 pounds each), left over from yesterday's non-existent high school class picnic reunion, plus Kathy's tomato and basil salad, and a green pole bean salad.
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And off we went to Lake Delton to picnic under a shelter for Annika's farewell party. .
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It was great to see and chat with Dan and Cece, Pam, Rebecca, Annika, Manu and Amber, and their father, Rob.
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We had planned on leaving early, but were the very last to leave the picnic shelter.
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We then picked up Aunt Eva for a three way, cutthroat, cardslinging shootout, at Mom's O.K. Corral.
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Arriving home by dark was great!
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Time to leisurely supper, check e-mail, wash dishes and read in Gary Renard's new book.
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Saturday was a day of harvesting lots of green beans (ten gallons), tomatoes, cukes, summer squash, lots of canteloupes and musk melons, watermelons and even a few beets.
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Bob put everything in the 300 gallon tank of rain water.
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When Kathy asked him why he had done that, Bob replied, "I thought we might light a fire under it and make 300 gallons of vegetarian vegetable soup!"
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After rinsing and drying everything, a jillion beans had their stems removed, were washed repeatedly, blanched in boiling water, packed into quart and gallon containers, and then frozen.
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That takes care of the beans.
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For about 3 days!
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Our neighbor Donovan and his guests came by on about 7 horses and we offered them 4 watermelons, which they picked up later, gifting us with 4 helpings of home-made vegan lasagna from Laurie.
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I am now convinced.
Meat is not necessary for lasagna. :-)
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Bob's nightcap was finishing reading Gary Renard's new book: Your Immortal Reality, also taking quite a few written notes to reread and think about.
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Sunday Service with Mary and Phil, was followed by chatting about gardening, officiating at weddings, and the move to their new home farther north.
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Charlotte and John stopped by to chat about gardening, current events in our lives, and the book discussion group at the Portage Library next month (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), to be facilitated by John.
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John and Bob did a garden tour, while Charlotte and Kathy beamed at each other in the Sunrise Room. :-)
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John returned later with a bag of home grown pears for us.
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Tomatoes are washed and rewashed, Bob picking more, and Kathy blanching and packing them into plastic quart and gallon pails for freezing.
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In addition to bird watching, usually several times every day, we enjoy the neighbors' horses in an adjacent field, including the whinnying and snuffling sounds they make, and the thunder of their hoofbeats, during the day or night.
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The behaviour of our female cats has much in common with a pride of lions.
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The 4 resident outdoor females groom each other, sometimes hunt for each other, and sometimes nurse each others kittens. The older ones have now survived about 8 to 10 winters outside.
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Inasmuch as they are feral cats, they spend a lot of time hunting, both day and night.
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We supplement their diet to also encourage them to hang the around the house some, and keep the mouse population down, which they have done very, very well, for years now.
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Baby kittens, born here, usually disappear with the lioness mother, when the kittens can easily follow her.
This has happened for years now with Tuxedo, our most prolific lioness.
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Thus, we have never seen kittens near the house for years now.
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This summer is different.
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Perhaps Bob and KAThy have contributed to the change by talking frequently to the cats, and showering them with praise about how gorgeous they are?
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They are such beautiful mirrors of love, innocence, and BEing in the experience of NOW.
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At the present time, there are kittens from three different litters, two litters of four each, with their eyes just opened, hidden against, or in the high grass near the house, and two older ones, playing, and stalking each other around the house.
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The lionesses may, in the future, remove them all to wilder places, but I notice that the two older ones have found the food dishes and are now supplenting their natural diet with salmon flavored dry catfood.
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If nothing else, we get a chance to enjoy them, before they seek out their own territories.
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But our four resident lionesses: Joseph (coat of many colors), Raggedy Anne (We thought Raggedy Andy, but now that she is nursing.........), J.J., or Joseph Junior (the feistiest lioness, the wildest one, who is gone the most, during the day), and Cutie Pie (because she really is a cutie pie). these four can probably be counted on to remain in the area as this has been their territory for years now.
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Females, named Joseph, and Joseph Junior?
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That's Bob and his "blurred gender vision." :-)
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Monday, August 14, 2006 to
Sunday, August 20, 2006.
Bob and Kathy.
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Monday morning was a long leisurely breakfast with lots of food choices for all nine angels.
Monday, Monday!
Melons, melons!
Monday melons!
And that is what Monday was about.
From breakfast onward, melons, melons, and more melons.
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We loaded up the haywagon with cushions, hooked it to a tractor, and away we went!
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Dashing through the fields,
in a "20 horse open sleigh"
around the gardens we go
picking pumpkins along the way!
and stopped for several melons
that were looking for a ride
we made room for only the sweetest ones
and took them home, with pride!
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The 300 gallon cattle tank had been warming up for two days. The four littlest angels began a series of experiments to see if tomatoes would float (no), bell pepper (yes), cucumbers (yes), 4 large orange pumpkins (yes), and 4 large watermelons (yes), and 4 angels (yes).
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Kathy joined them in the water and they had quite a hilarious time, bobbing for pumpkins, watermelons, etc.
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Great Grandma Helen joined us for supper and card playing, and after taking her home, we roasted marshmallows around the garden campfire.
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Grandpa had also taken granddaughter Kaitlin for a practice driving session, Kaitlin's third time behind the wheel. Grandpa guided her on a 16 mile backroad adventure, that took us to the farm that Grandpa Bob was born on (where we delivered watermelon to friends who now live there), and then went past the farm house site where Kaitlin's, Great Grandma Helen Thompson was born (in a log cabin).
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The angels found many activities to have fun. We finished the evening helping Kierstin with a large Cinderella puzzle. After everyone had gone to bed, Kathy and Bob continued working on Cinderella until she and the Prince had all been put back together again.
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It was a very quiet, almost meditative, jigsaw puzzle experience, with very little said.
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And after the last piece had been fitted to the puzzle, the two resident owls finally flapped off to their roost.   :-)
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Tuesday was another lazy breakfast, after which the seven angels packed up for a trip to a Wisconsin Dells water park.
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We worked on a second and third draft of a September Wedding at Christmas Mountain, and sent a copy off to the young couple for their possible editing.
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Kathy made a trip to the Amish General Store and the Help Yourself But Don't Forget To Leave Some Money! Farmers Market Stand.
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Bob picked a large honeydew melon, and watered the 16 patio tomato plants (several times), from the 300 gallons of recently blessed "angel water."
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Newly fledged House Finches, just out of their nests, were at the bird feeder, begging from their parents. So new to the birdfeeder experience that they stood on food while they were begging.
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Our fledglings have also left.
Seven of them in this "hatching."
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But they can all fly.
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And feed themselves.
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So we are enjoying a "happy, empty nest, syndrome."   :-)
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Wednesday has been cancelled because of lack of interest.
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Naw!
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Just kidding!
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After loading 5 pails of veggies, we visited Don and Mary in Middleton, Deb and Autumn in Madison, and then went to the Veteran's Hospital in Madison for Bob's hearing exam.
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Then, over to Catherine's in Shorewood, followed by a visit to Perkins Restaurant, and then on to the Market Square Theater to meet Carol for The Davinci Code.
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We also saw a late evening movie, The Lost City, with Sally and Ken.
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All the veggies found homes.
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The empty pails are ready for refills, and all those smiling veggie faces are out their waiting for our plucking little fingers! :-)
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Arriving home by 2 a.m., this was one of our latest arrival times ever, but well worth for the sharing of warm experiences with so many loved ones in the Madison area.
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Thursday was a harvesting day (every two or three days is a harvesting day), of tomatoes, cucumbers, zuchinni, yellow crook neck, canteloupe, honey dew melon, watermelons, pole beans, bush beans, sweet basil, and lemon basil, and lettuce.
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Friday, Kathy fixed a wonderful supper of pasta, rice, stir fries, salad, and sweet corn. Honey Dew melon or desert.
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Bettina and Joel joined us for supper and the Dream Interpretation Group.
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Wonderfully inspiring sharings, with warm, thoughtful souls.
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Breaking bread, and communing with Mighty Companions!
Saturday morning, while writing on the weekly Ministers' Healing Journal. but had an insight into a repetitive dream about being a teacher and not knowing which classroom to go to.
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While writing about it this morning, Saturday, Bob remembered an inicident in high school where he was assaulted at noon, during a lunch break football game, and afterwards wandered the high school halls, wondering, and not knowing, which classroom to go to.
This resulted in a series of unfoldings which will begin appearing under the Ministers' Healing Journal, next week Sunday (on the 27th of August), on the Pathwaysoflight.org website.
Bob played cards with his mom, Aunt Eva, and sister Rose, and was able to get home by midafternoon.
Kathy has been working on the vegetables and talking with her dad, and her aunt in Tennessee.
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When Kathy's aunt (Monta Jean) and dad (Randy) called, with the answer of the phone, a sweet voiced lady, with a southern accent said:
"Hello, is this Kathy?"
Kathy responded by saying: "Yes."
The woman said: "Do you know who this is?"
I said: "Is this Monta Jean?"
She said: "Yes, how are you?"
We shared, and had a great reuniting of the heart and soul. We hadn't talked for a while. She has always been a sweet inspiration, of innocence for Kathy.
I am very grateful, for this opportunity to JOYn' with her.
Thank you God.
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Le Roi arrived for Kathy's Eggplant Parmesan, inspired by an eggplant the size of a football, growing in Kathy's herb garden.
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Le Roi, a very dedicated melon eater, sampled honeydew, canteloupe, and watermelon, all with home-grown, just picked flavors.
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Le Roi was immediately transported to Melon Nirvana.
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Le Roi's enthusiasm in volunteering to eat leftovers (for dessert?), suggests that he also regressed into an herbal Eggplant Nirvana.
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We were up around dawn, to chat with Le Roi and wish him "bon voyage," on his trip to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
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Le Roi left with a trunkful of melons, tomatoes, and fresh green beans and cucumbers to snack on while driving, etc.
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Felipe y Maria came over for our Sunday Service, which was followed by great sharings.
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Then, we all sidled into the kitchen and feasted on leftovers, corn on the cob, stir fries and rice or pasta, bean, onion, and tomato salad, great gobs of Great Garlic Bread (browned in a big fry pan by Bob), cherry tomatoes (just picked by Phil), and honeydew and watermelon.
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Sister Ruth and Terry brought mom out for a visit, and we had a very enjoyable three hour chat about anything that came up on mom's mind.
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After taking mom home, we went shopping for "essentials."
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A highlight of our shopping was running into our friend Merry Kay who works at Customer Service at Walmart.
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Merry Kay wears Angel Pins all over her work vest, so we refer to her as the angel lady, which she truly is.
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Not only to us, but to others, who also remember her as The Angel Lady.
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Our friend, Marcine, recently had an Angel Experience with Merry Kay, and when she described the angel, we knew immediately who the angel was.
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We shared this with the angel today, which brought a big smile to her face.
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Then she said she would like to have us over for home made lasagna some evening.
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Which brought big smiles to our faces!
:-) :-)
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Monday, August 7, 2006 to
Sunday, August 13, 2006.
Bob and Kathy Thompson
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On Monday we drove our friend Mel (Carmella), to Madison to pick up a U-HAUL truck, for Mel to drive her belongings to Oklahoma.
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Later we borrowed her truck to bring her donations of furniture, etc., here, to BumpityRoad.
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When we arrived here with the truck, Marcine and Mike were already here from Chicago, so Mike helped Bob unload the truck of tables and chairs, beds and bricks, etc., and then we returned the empty truck to Mel for her to fill it the next day and then leave for her new home near family in Oklahoma.
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We returned home for a stir-fry supper with home-grown honeydew melons for dessert, and then, quite tired, conked out shortly after dark.
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Tuesday was the beginning of deciding which rooms, and where, the new furniture, etcetera, additions were going.
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Bob and Kathy are both tinker-toying with relocating the contents of the Sunrise Room
:-)
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Marcie rode down with us, and we met Paul and Deb, and Deb's two youngest daughters in Madison for the SouthTowne Theater's All Day Tuesday, Dollar Movies.
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Carol S. joined us to see Over The Hedge, which made 8 of us, sitting together.
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We also saw Ken and Rafe, who had seen The Davinci Code.
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We three had time to chat with the seven Madisonians, before and after the movie, and arrived home shortly after dark.
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And before sleeping?
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A nightcap of (honey do), honeydew melon. :-)
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Marcie spent Wednesday at the lovely Silver Lake Beach in Portage. Kathy and Bob reorganized the furniture in the Sunrise Room and kitchen, to include Mel's gifts.
Mike and Bob hauled two haywagon loads of woodchips to very heavily mulch Kathy's herb garden.
If it did not rain for two months, her herbs and egg plants would thrive because the moisture now in the ground, would not evaporate.
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Bob picked large tomatoes, bell peppers, summer squash, turnip, etc.
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A sampler of melons included two large Charleston Grays (pale green, white bottom, large footballish shape), which we began eating at the picnic table.
The remains of both of them are in the refrigerator, awaiting nirvana tomorrow.
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The deer are continuing to eat green winter squashes and watermelons.
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Wild turkeys are pecking into melons and tomatoes.
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The spring overplantings (initially, over 1230 squash and melon plants), pre-plans many wildlife dinners, and allows for several tithes for the wild ones.
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Marcie is playing with Ribbit, a tiny, tiny toad that joined her on the patio of the Sunset Room.
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She was also graced with the presence of a tiny tree frog.
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Thursday was Bob willingly getting roped into another shoot-out at Mom's Card-Playing Corral with mom Helen, Aunt Eva, and sister Rose Marie.
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Eva (a.k.a. Mother Superior), dominated the shoot-out, as she had "bigger bullets" in the higher cards dealt to her.
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Cuzzin' Jerry and his faithful companion, Grumble (a peaceful black dog, with a white tip on the end of his tail), stopped by for a visit.
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Jerry is the pinch hitter for the Humane Society, and had just picked up a live bat from a house call.
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Jerry had an intreresting recent experience with Pit Bull dogs (where the Pit Bulls, were afraid of Jerry).
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Bob made venison burgers (thank-you, Roger), etc., for supper, with garden fresh Charleston Grey Waterrmelon for dessert, some of which went home with Jerry.
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Kathy began writing an initial draft of the wedding ceremony for Autumn Lee and Paul, which we will both be officiating at, at Christmas Mountain in Wisconsin Dells in September.
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These are melon days.
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Melon in the morning.
Melon through the day.
Melon before we go to bed.
Just melon all the way!
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Friday was a bean picking morning for Marcie.
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Kathy picked cherry tomatoes.
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Bob watered the patio tomatoes and herbs by hand.
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Mom and sister Rose Marie stopped by for a visit and did a bit of card slinging.
They had been out for a drive to the Amish Bakery and left us with several just made, glazed donuts.
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Marcie and Kathy went off in the afternoon to the Amish General Store, etc.
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Mike is reading in the library because it is at least 10 degrees cooler in there because of all the insulation.
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Bob continues French Pruning the 15 patio tomato plants by removing all stems and leaves that touch, or come close to touching the ground.
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Bob was sitting by a small campfire in the cherry tomato garden, when Marcie and Kathy returned after dark.
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Mike came out to play guitar and sing and the BobKats roasted marshmallows.
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Bob roasted eight marshmallows at one time and found it an interesting experience trying to eat them with his recently grown beard and mustache.
Marshmallow on his glasses, beard, in his nose (did he try to inhale a marshmallow?), etc.
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The nearly full moon rose bright enough to see, and, a chorus of tree frogs serenaded us throughout the evening.
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Bob put out the fire just before midnight and the "four campfire owls" all fluttered off to their nests.
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Saturday was a harvesting, something that has to be done at least every three days!
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Marcie was singing to the beans she was picking in the garden, and then moved on to the tomatos, peppers, etc.
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Melon is our mainstay.
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We are consistently eating melon, several times, every day.
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Life is good! :-)
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Saturday was full of chatting with Marcie about choices in life, personal freedom, personal responsibility, and being at peace.
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Marcie's warmth, openness, and ongoing sense of humor, always make her a delight to chat with about anything.
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Sunday morning, Marcine took Mike to The Miracle Healing Center and then called us later, from Le Roi's.
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Even later, as she was passing Rockford Illinois, we chatted again on our cell phones, again having, yet another, "laugh-in."
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Five little angels arrived after dark with their parents (son Gary, and wife Edna), from Libertyville, Illinois.
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They had spent several hours at great-grandma Helen's, massaging her back and hands, prior to arriving at Bumpity Road.
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Bob had a small campfire going in the patio tomato garden, which was still burning when they arrived.
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We sang them a happy welcoming home song and then nibbled and chatted until near midnight.
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Four of the littlest angels (Blake, Lucas, Kierstin, and Sophia), chose the BunkBed Room to sleep in, Kaitlin chose the SunSet Room, and dad and mom chose The Family Bedroom.
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Kathy and Bob retired to the second floor to enjoy the evening breezes and continual serenade of night sounds.
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What a great feeling it is to sleep in a place that is filled with angels!
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That proves it.
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This must be Heaven!
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Tuesday, August 1, 2006 to
Sunday, August 6, 2006
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Bob and Kathy
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More harvesting of vegetables,
Lots and lots of house finches at the feeders, including many fledglings, still begging from any bird near them!
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Another card-slinging shoot-out at Mom's O.K. Corral, with Mom, Auntie Mother Superior, sister Rose, and Bob.
Bob brought pails of veggies, and dessert, (honeydew melons).
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KAThy stayed home, to share with one of the people that she's facilitating courses with, which are made available by Pathways of Light. Laurie and Kathy really enJOYed their session, and talked openly, laughed, and embraced Holy Spirit, in this powerful experience.
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After taking Aunt Eva to her home in the country, Bob arrived home for dinner with Kathy.
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Wednesday was a cultivating and planting day for Bob. A fourth planting of zuchinnis and crooknecks, for harvesting in September. Also iceberg lettuce in a 70 foot row.
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Then off to visit Mel, near Wyocena, and make selections of furniture and useable materials for Bumpity Road before Mel leaves to live near family in Oklahoma.
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We just selected, today. Nothing will be moved here till Monday. The high heat and high humidity do slow us down, considerably. But.........we are UNSTOPPABLE!
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We got home again, for Bob to plant, cultivate, and bless the gardens.
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Kathy embraced more Pathways of Light with Sylvia and Lisa, which were profound blessings, in which to BE JOYful.
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Wednesday, working inside on letters, websites, ACIM phone lessons, and stir fries.
Just waitin' for that sun to settle a little lower on the horizon, before we amble out to embrace the heat.
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A fourth planting of cucumbers and peas, (for harvesting in September), with metal posts and fencing in place to encourage them to climb, climb, climb.
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Harvesting done before dark.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, lots of big leaf basil, pole beans, zuchinnis, yellow crook necks, honeydew melons, and four of the largest bell peppers, we have ever seen!
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And......a very, very heavy watering of the 30+ herb and cherry tomato plants around the entryway patio.
(Thanks to a recent 1/2 inch of rain, that drained off the roof, filling our RubberMaid cattle tank with 200 gallons of fresh rainwater).
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More stir fries for supper, with lettuces, green onions, and, home-grown honeydew for dessert.
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Thursday was a prep day for the Pathways Of Light Saturday Ordination, including an editing and/or rewriting of parts of our (Kathy and Bob's) presentation, just prior to the new minister anointings.
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That prep work also included picking several pails of veggies for donation to friends and Pathways.
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Friday we packed the car and left to keep Kahy's appointment with Linda
L. for an ear cleaning (bees wax candeling). Linda was impressed with the size of our bell peppers. So are we. Absolutely the largest I have seen! And Linda was eating raw green pole beans before we left.!
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Bob delivered veggies to Pathways and the ordination candidates.
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Then we visited Jerry and Marilyn and a wonderful and interesting multi-topic sharings, plus a facinating demonstration on a stretching machine that Bob tried, and was held upside down by his ankles, while his body weight (recently down 20 pounds to 204), while gravity and his weight, stretched his vertabrae. It really made an immediate difference!
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Jerry is also one of the most interesting, dedicated, scientific, natural, and experimental gardeners, that I know. His garden produce is probably the healthiest I havw ever seen, because of all the natural nutrients and constant moisture (verrrrrrrrrrrry heavy mulching).
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Home made muffins were so tasty that Bob had a tendency to hyperventilate with each bite.
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Bob shamelessly begged a doggy bag of muffins to go.
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Then we spent a wonderful evening as guests of travel club members Mack and Becky in their country home near Chilton.
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They are new members and we were their first guests, so lots of sharing was done.
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They invited us to a wonderful dinner of
grilled shishkebab with tasty trimmings, which was followed by stimulating, interesting, and humorous sharings.
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Our accomodations, meals, and hosts, were all superb.
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An early breakfast with our hosts enabled us to be at Pathways, near Kiel, Wi., to atttend an ACIM sharing, followed by Pathways Of LIght Advisory Council attendance, where many interesting, exciting, and inspiring informations were presented and discussed with the Advisory Council and attendees (like us).
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We also participated in the ordination ceremony of the four candidates (from Milwaukee, Chicago, Iowa, and London, England), which was quite moving.
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After chatting in the receiving line with the new ministers, we caravanned 13 vehicles to a celebration dinner, at a restaurant, selected by the four newly anointed.
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We arrived home by dark, feeling as though we had "been on vacation," and were glad to get back home and "get back to work and rest up." :-)
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We also unloaded a treasure of various home-made breads, gifted to us by David W., who, when it comes to baking, is an artist.
And some of Jerry's muffins, that are the tastiest and most nutritional, of any that I have ever eaten.
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Gifts, gifts, gifts!
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Gifts that are sacraments, for consumption, and consumed, gratefully.
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Sunday was a Quaker type service with just the two of us.
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As always this "quiet" service was meaningful, inspirational, and full of the "unexpected."
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As this weekend ended, we truly felt rich in our friendships, and in our ongoing "giving and receiving."
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We are unspeakably grateful.
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