The weeding on the hill is done – for the third time this season! Yea! Trying to keep it weeded so the ground cover can take hold and fill in. When that happens it will be so much easier! I watered it twice as the threatened rain never happened. I was finally able to get a haircut and I’m very relieved. Other than that it was a pretty normal Monday – laundry, watching mom for a few hours, working outside.

I will share Bram’s message from First Baptist. He shared a few tips on how to be a better parent, based on the scripture : Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. But how do you train them? What IS that ‘way’? First, set an example. Pray for and with your children. Read and teach the Bible, live up to the prayers and readings and live out your personal faith. Children may not inherit a parent’s talents but will absorb their values. Love the Lord first of all, and do so in a happy and joyful manner. There are incredible challenges and pain in raising a child, but also incredible joy!

On this date in 1969 Judy garland died at age 47; Fred Astaire died at age 88 in 1987. In 1965 Actress Lana Turner married for the SEVENTH time! Who would DO that? Today is National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Onion Rings Day, National Kissing Day (missed out on THAT one!), and National Take your Cat to Work Day – wonder if anyone actually did that??? Have a great day – God bless…

This day has been one for the books — And no a book I want to re-read. I did get a walk in early this morning. It was warmer than I thought and was over dressed but refreshing. I made a double batch of scones and put them in the freezer for Kelly – hopefully next weekend we can connect up and she’ll have a nice supply. I pulled a few weeds and trimmed some plants, made lunch, and that’s about the extent of my day so far.

I listened to Paul’s message from River Hill, a Father’s day message on ‘A Father’s Influence can be Positive or Negative.’ He listed 3 traits to make a successful father, who can create a safe and happy place.

1. If you want your home to succeed, focus on your family as a priority. 2) Walk with God, before God, in His ways, and in His laws. Take the time for Bible study, prayers; attend Sunday School and Church, and have fellowship with other Christians. Be an example! 3) Fear the Lord to receive a blessing. Fear?? It does actually mean fear, not respect or devotion. He loves us and protects us – and promises that we will lack nothing. Remember this: If we fear God we will fear nothing else; if we don’t fear God we will fear everything else. Wise words. If you are connected with JEsus you will be connected with God.

ON this date in 1834 Cyrus McCormick patented thee reaping machine; in 2003 JK Rowling released her 5th Harry Potter book. In 1631 John Smith (In charge of the Virginia colony – Jamestown) died at age 51. Birthdays – 1982 Prince William! Also my childhood friend – we have know each other since before we started school! – Sandy Nelson Brinker – and my cousin John’s wife Judy’s daughter Jaclyn Leona are both celebrating today! Happy birthday. Today is National Skateboarding Day, National Selfie Day, Daylight Appreciation Day, and Turkey Lover’s Day. Also HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO THE WONDERFUL FATHER’s WHO HAVE MADE SUCH AN AMAZING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY!

And since I didn’t post yesterday, on THAT day in 1840 Samuel Morse patented the telegraph and in 1893 Lizze Borden was Acquitted – REALLY???!!! in 1867 the Alaska Purchase was announced. Brian Wilson of the Beloved Beach Boys fame was born in 1942, and Nicole Kidman in 1967. Yesterday was National American Eagle Day, Seashell Day, Longest Day of the Year, and Vanilla Milkshake Day. Also, Ugly Dog Day – sorry – I didn’t make it up!!! God bless….

In the midst of distress, uncertainty, concern, love and prayer, the Word of the Lord stands firm.

I have to admit, I had to look this up! This year it has received more attention than in previous years. No one should be a slave – to anything except good works and kindness.

I took a shorter walk this morning as I slept in – 7:15am. I’m always awake by 6am or so and drift in and out of sleep for about 45 minutes. I must have been exhausted. Mom and I drove to Pinnacle Greensburg so I could drop off my new chair. I think Joe or Ken is going to put it together for me. I decided one of my projects for today was to sort through my huge box of greeting cards that I have saved over the years. Mom and I sat on the deck and I went through all the cards. Some brought happy memories and some, not so much. Some I didn’t even remember who sent them. So that is all done. We had potatoes and spam and green beans for lunch and a cookie for dessert.

I had lots of emails to answer and send out so that’s what I did in the later afternoon. The sky darkened and thunder grumbled, but no rain and no storm. I was ready…. Lots of churches are meeting in their buildings again; ours plans to do that Sunday. It’s a big decision to go or not. It’s a good thing to gather together – also a good thing to be cautious and considerate.

Also listened to Rod at Martin’s Ferry. Still in Daniel, it was Stand Firm. As the story begins, King Darius chooses 3 key people to be administrators, and an 80-year-old Daniel is one – but the others are jealous at the choice. They plot against Daniel; and since they found no fault they created one: No one was to pray to anyone but the king for 30 days. Daniel, of course did not do that. As was his custom, he prayed morning, noon, and evening by his open window. When the other administrators reported this to Kind Darius, he was distraught. He loved Daniel. But the law was firm. Daniel was to be thrown in the lion’s den. We all know the story. God sent Angels to close the lions’ mouths and Daniel was safe. Rod’s message was 3 truths to help you stand firm. 1) When God raises you up, expect people to tear you down. Be Strong! 2) Daniel stuck to the training he received as a young persons in Jerusalem. He never forgot, and vowed not to defile himself and to always seek God. 3) When you do right you can always trust God with the results. Remember that we do not know the end of the story when we’re in the middle of the story. Daniel stood firm; we, too, can stand firm.

On this day in 1865 the end of slavery was celebrated across the US as ‘Juneteenth’. In 1952 “I’ve got a Secret” debuted on CBS. I remember watching that show and trying to guess the secret! Birthdays today are Blaise Pascal in 1623, Wallis Simpson in 1896, and Lou Gehrig in 1903 – And my friend Lisa Jones is celebrating a birthday today. Happy birthday Lisa! Nathaniel Greene (for whom Greensburg was named!) died in 1786 at age 43. In 1942 Marily Monroe married her first husband, James Dougherty, a policeman. Today is National Garfield the Cat Day, Wear Blue Day, and Flip Flop Day. I wore my red/white/blue flip flops and didn’t even know! Have a great weekend . God bless…..

It turned out to be a lovely day! The rain held off, although it was cloudy on and off. I took an early morning walk, worked until about 1pm, picked up my new office chair at Staples, came home and ate breakfast for lunch (egg on English Muffin), weed whacked, cut the grass, dusted, and swept inside. Nate and Jen popped over with fun gifts – and I am so excited with my black ’76 medallion with the stars cut out (it’s about a foot in diameter) and my wooden Snoopy calendar! I have ALWAYS wanted one! I got to talk to my daughter for almost an hour, sitting out on the deck and watching the baby bunny nibble on the grass. I had a piece of fish for supper and plan on having a birthday brownie when I finish this post! I know I had about 70 birthday posts on facebook, several txt messages, emails, phone calls, and actual cards (via USPS). Feeling loved and blessed!

I listened to Mike’s message from Hempfield – Life by the Spirit (fruits). We must walk by the spirit – it’s a gift – and we need that spirit within us. The flesh is weak. Our spirit and flesh are in constant conflict. We argue with ourself about doing what we want – but when we do, we live with the results of our choices. Sin is a choice – we are in a constant mental battle! We know what’s right and choose not to do it, or we know what isn’t right and do it anyway. The spirit of God within us changes us. So we need to live by the fruits of the spirit: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control. These fruits will lead us to walk in the spirit and not follow the desires of the flesh.

On this day in 1682 William Penn founded Philadelphia; the battle of Waterloo was in 1815. In 1873 Susan B Anthony was fined $100 for voting for the US president – we’ve come a long way!!! In 1940 Winston Churchill gave his ‘This was their finest hour’ speech. Paul McCartney shares my birthday (1942, though), and in 1953 Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott. Today is National Go Fishing Day – which I did not do!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. I do feel blessed to have you all in my life!

Today was like the ‘free space’ on a Bingo card. A day to myself that I didn’t expect. Thank you, dear Sister (or Aunt Cordelia to your favorite niece and nephew). After my morning walk and scones, I cleaned both bathrooms and my kitchen and washed a load of towels. I had a follow up appointment with Forefront Dermatology – all was well. I popped into Hanna’s Town and bought a little cutting board that I had my eye on (clearance table), and talked to the gift shop volunteer. Her son lives in Boston and we had about 20 minutes of a nice chat! I grabbed a fruit salad for lunch then hit the hill. Really got a lot of weeding done. Looks so nice! My next project is in front by the sidewalk. There’s a baby bunny that lives under my deck and he spent the day munching on the clover by the patio. I just took my time and enjoyed a slower pace – but very productive!

When I got to the bottom section of the hill, I started pulling the vines from around the orange azalea bush. Buried underneath was a little fairy – she brought a smile to my face, and I think she was trying to tell me it was a good day!

Last night I listened to Greg’s message from Vanderbilt Church. “What does God really, really want?” He referenced the be-attitudes and the ten commandments. He started by saying that he looks at the world through the lens of scripture, being grounded in the word. First – we are to Ask – and it will be given; seek and we’ll find it; knock and it will be opened. Then, Do unto others – golden rule. Micah 6:8 states that we should walk humbly, act justly and be loving. We need Jesus Sometimes we get complacent and let our boat drift away from the dock, and let the current take us away. We need to take a stand, and be part of the solution. The solution is JESUS – trying to solve the world’s problems without sharing Jesus is like rearranging furniture in a burning house. Don’t just SAY things – DO them -Once we’ve established a relationship, then we can be salt and light to the world around us.

On this day in 1885 the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship ISERE.

The first kidney transplant was performed in Chicago in 1950. Newt Gingrich and Barry Manilow were born in 1943; Robert and Ethel Kennedy were married in 1950. Today is National Garbage Man Day, National Eat your Vegetables Day, Apply Strudel Day, and Cherry Tart Day. I did NOT have either of those three today! But I did put the garbage out! And Snoopy says:

Wow today was a very long day. Lots to do in both stores. Fires to put out, puzzles to solve, deals and titles everywhere!

But they are a blessing in my life so I am happy to be there, and to work for them. Joe promised me a new office chair (mine sinks slowly to the floor unannounced…) so I stopped at Staples and bought a new one. I can get it Thursday. Yea! I had just walked in the door when I got a call that I needed to do a title transfer for my cousin. So back in I went! I came home, changed, and pulled weeds on the hill. Never ending job!

This morning I listened to Micah from Old Mahoning. He talked about what we were created for: 1) redemption 2) responsibility 3) reward. 1- God wants ALL to come to repentance; it was the plan from the beginning. Jesus secures our relationship with God. The redemption has already been paid; we just have to accept it. 2 – Responsibility is good works; not because we are saved by our works, but because we want to do them to show God our love and devotion. Just do it! The Holy Spirit was given to us to guide us . Also through praise. We are all equipped with a gift to serve; it’s a choice we can make, as God gave us free will. Why wouldn’t we want to serve a God who loves us? 3- God notices what we do, and he provides ample opportunity for us to serve. He wants us to have abundance of life; we don’t labor in vain. We are the clay in the Potter’s hands, and can be a beautiful vessel if we yield to his plan.

On this day in 1858 Abraham Lincoln said: A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe that is still true today. I cannot imagine what is around the corner for this country if we don’t draw together and turn back to God. Geronimo, the Apache leader, was born in 1829, and it’s also my friend Nikki Saldi’s birthday. Nikki, her husband Greg and her daughter Ophelia are missionaries to France. So it’s a long way to send a birthday greeting. Happy birthday Nikki! And today is National Fudge Day. I’m for THAT!

And today would have been Ron Buschek’s birthday. Ron was the first youth minister at the Hempfield Church, when I was in Jr/Sr high school (age 14). I had SUCH a huge crush on him! He had an infectious laugh, a great smile, bright eyes, and was very kind to a young girl who idolized him! I still think about him often, and have a great respect for his ministries, his family, and his witness. I’m sure he’s having Bible Bowl quizzes with the saints! Makes me smile….

Now – I’m hungry. Time to grab supper. God bless.

Today was a much calmer day so far!  We had breakfast about 7:30am, did some laps inside around the house, exploring.  Mom settled in the chair, and I watched a video about Ft. Ticonderoga.  That’s a place I really didn’t have much information about.  It was a cooler day, and I took a little time later in the afternoon to dig out some of my abundance of perennials to take over to Joanna at the Historical Society. 

I’m always glad to share.  The irises, however, are extremely difficult to dig out.  If I decide to share more, I will have to have help with the digging!  The earth was so dry and hard-packed that I figured I should water the gardens.  I had to hurry as it started to sprinkle and I wanted to finish before it rained.  Wait.  What?  Alas, it didn’t rain… I baked brownies for Jen for her Ninth Life Rescue volunteer picnic as a surprise – but I kept one for dessert later.  Yum with ice cream!

I also listened to Paul’s

message at River Hill Church – Jesus Christ is Alive – Do we have a sweet spirit like Jesus?  WE are the fragrance of Christ to God.  We note that all kinds of people were attracted to Jesus and felt comfortable in his presence.  Not just the lovable and righteous.  No one felt condemned and unloved.  The Church has to have a sweet spirit, and it can do that by being devoted to kindness and doing good.  Sometimes we feel that things aren’t fair, or  life is just wrong; GOD makes things right.  To be the sweet fragrance, we must respect authority (which creates order in the world) – and this authority is demonstrated within the home, in church, and in government.  We are to do what is good; be peacemakers, be kind!  We can be sweet spirits in these ways – not of our own power, but because of God’s Grace!

On this day in 1775 the US Army was first formed as the Continental Army to fight the Revolutionary War.  In 1847 Robert Bunsen invented the Bunsen burner, and in 1922 President Warren G Harding was the first president to use the radio – he dedicated the Francis Scott Key memorial in Baltimore.  The

Steve Allen show premiered on CBS-TV in 1967.  In 1801 Benedict Arnold died at age 60.  Harriet Beacher Stowe was born in 1811; Burl Ives in 1909, and our 45^th President of the United States, our current Commander in Chief Donald Trump, was born in 1946 – Happy Birthday, Mr. President!  Also my friend Gail DelSordo is celebrating today.  Happy birthday, Gail!   Today is National Army birthday, Children’s Day, and of course Flag Day.  I put my banner out this morning. (Picture is from Betsy Ross’s House in Philly) God bless America.

Early morning start – 4:45am.  Mom and I had eggs and toast for breakfast, then changed my bedsheets.  I threw them in the laundry and sat down – mom on the recliner and me on the couch.  She promptly fell asleep until almost 10am!  I took the opportunity to let Autmn sleep, and turned on a youtube video about the life of Thomas Jefferson.  Then as mom was still sleeping, I clicked on one about Sally Hemings.  It was totally interesting.  She was an amazing woman.  Nate stopped by and chatted for a bit before lunch, then I was able to mow the grass and pull some weeds once Autmn was up.  We took a drive in the afternoon, and now Autmn is watching her series The Good Doctor.  I don’t expect to do anything else this evening except to get supper.  As I ran out of preachers to listen to, I just looked at a few scriptures and remembered a few lessons from before.  Lucy shared her insight today – the Proverbs 31 woman.  We should all strive to be as praise-worthy. 

And laughter is very good for the soul!

On this day in 1777 Marquis de Lafayette landed in US

In 1920 the US Post Office says children cannot be sent by parcel post!   Yikes@

The film Grease opens in 1978.  Tim Allen was born in 1953.  Ashley & Mary Kate Olsen in1986.  Chuck Noll died at age 82 in 2014..  And my mother’s sweet cousin Carolyn McMahen is celebrating a birthday today!  Happy birthday Carolyn!!!

Today is National weed your garden day (which I did.  Yea!!) and National sewing machine day (which I did NOT do!) 

I’m hoping that we all get a good night’s sleep and wake up happy and rested – and I am praying that God gives us peace and grace and comfort and the assurance that He is there all the time. God bless….

I didn’t walk this morning, even though it was a beautiful, cool, sunny day. I had things I needed to do to keep on schedule. Mom and Autmn are staying with me for the weekend and I wanted to be totally ready. I have no agenda all weekend except to cut the grass, and Autmn can assist in that. Tonight Mom’s friend Diane (From the Heart Caregivers) is coming for a few hours so Autmn and I will do some quick errands. Kathy and Paul are spending the weekend hosting their Tennessee granddaughters,

so we are providing the flexibility for them to do so!

Last night I listened to Greg

from Vanderbilt church.  He began by saying that he wasn’t going to preach; he was going to share scriptures and  present nine things to be thankful for.  It was a celebration of Praise.  I will recap.  1) Protection  2) Peace  3) Guidance  4) Friendship  5) Grace  6) Mercy  7) Unfailing Love  8) Forgiveness  9) Our Savior.  Anything you can possibly consider important to your life is in one of these categories.  He closed by saying that God is the giver:  Not the government, not parents – God.  Our lives should be focused on Him.  And as this is quickly becoming a very tense and trying year for me, I really appreciated his comments and insight, and the sincerity with which he shared this praise.  I’m thankful for Greg! 

On this day in 1942 Anne Frank was given her diary as a birthday present. 

Obviously – it’s her birthday today!  In 1965 Sonny & Cher made their first TV appearance on American Bandstand.  George H W Bush, our 41^st President, was born in 1924.  Today is National Red Rose Day,

and National Peanut Butter Cookie day! Signing off – have a great weekend! God bless. . .