After a run of upper 80/low 90F heat, it cooled a bit and is supposed to stay in the 70’s for the week and even cooler the following week with rain likely.
No complaints here!
So far, we are enjoying the weekend with some outside time, some inside time, some chores and some relaxing.
At Home
A local (to me) person was killed in an accidental confrontation with a bear. Detailed information has NOT been determined or released.
The headlines: “Biker killed by Grizzly” are media hype. Tests are currently being run on the victim and information gathered.
I am so very much dismayed that this has turned into a global media circus headlined by “Grizzly kills mountain biker”.
A local man died. A bear may soon be euthanized. It is a tragic situation being aggrandized by the media and people’s fear.
It will likely be weeks before truth is determined.
Not July fans at the house Summers. The best thing about July is after July is August – birthday month!! And by my birthday mid-August, the heaviest tourist traffic is over, the nights are getting longer and September is just around the corner.
However, not to say we wish the time away – that would be a waste of each gift of a day together. And having something so innocuous to complain about is better than being really angry at other things in the world. Plus, it is a great excuse for us to hunker down inside with fans and A/C going, good books, a movie here and there and refreshing summer nibbles.
Meanwhile, we DO enjoy the cool mornings very much. After cleaning bird poop off the chairs for the third morning in the row and actually seeing the darn robin that is responsible, I told Auggie that he really needed to stand guard. He is supposed to leave birds alone and stick to rodents as prey, but I told him robins are the exception … GO FOR THE ROBIN! I tell you, there is an obnoxious one and it seems like the same one every year.
“We can’t believe you talked about poop … we haven’t even had breakfast yet!!”
Ok, I’ll talk about an Apple, then. Yep, I have an iPhone and I love it. It has only been two weeks and I’m still learning about it, plus it is my backup phone so not used primarily during the day.
As we come up on the Windows 10 anniversary, I have some thoughts for a different post. I still love Windows 10. I still love my Windows 8.1 phone. I’m also thrilled with the iPhone and that it works with my Windows 10 and 8.1 devices and software.
More on this later, but below my first iPhone video. Not great – I hope to spend some time this weekend – I’m taking this afternoon and Tuesday off so a nice looonnngg weekend – to play with the camera, video and editing functions.
Meanwhile, our morning walk on Wednesday (6/29):
Yet another horrifying week. Prayers for all of the loss.
A recent work of fiction in a mystery series I read contained the question something along the line of “What would it take to stop this?” That question has come to my mind often these past weeks.
I’ve lately been reading a number of books about the World War I and II era – from the Great Britain and French perspective. I cannot help but see the parallels and it is pretty awful. At the time – especially pre-WWII/post WWI (the Great War) there was no idea what a Hitler/Mussolini world might be like. And there was a huge feeling of “let us not have another great war”. I have to wonder if we are in yet another time of naiveté.
And so, how do we go on? How do we live in our place in the world?
For me and mine, the choice is to look at each day as a gift.
A day with growing things.
A day with sunshine through the trees.
The first sweet cherries of the year!
A roll in the grass – dear Bear.
A peaceful Sunday: every day is a gift.
This first week of June 2016 was kind of awful. Maybe more accurately, as my Mama said in a supportive email to me, “senseless” as in there is no making sense of what happened – re the UCLA shooting.
I have not been on campus for fifteen years, but I have consulted for a department of UCLA since 1991 … nearly 25 years and for several years occupied a cubicle on campus. I know many and although not of the academic population, some from the department I work with were at Engineering IV on June 1 and the building housing the department I work with is on campus and so part of the lockdown.
I was glued to the online news about two hours in. Although I was relieved that things were not worse … still: A good man lost: a father/husband/son/brother/uncle – a young woman left to raise a son and daughter without their father. It is beyond heartbreaking.
And the additional fallout of fear, insecurity, young lives disrupted: the students … especially those in Engineering, but also all of the others who dealt with the unknown on that day.
What to do, how to move forward? If it seems challenging to me, removed by 1500 miles, what must it be like for those closer. And for that young family of the professor.
I’ve written blog posts in my head about this week, but this morning I thought about Phillipians 4:13 and the surrounding verses. And knowing that I’ve include those in previous challenging times, I went searching my posts. And I found a post which said everything I wanted to say. It is repeated below but with different photos.
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The sorrows of our earthly world have been receiving an enormous amount of “press”. I, and I imagine every one of you reading this post also have some private sorrow, hurt or worry that feels overwhelming.
And, not that there is not a time for sadness or grief, but I believe that we are also called, by our Creator, to live with Joy and thankfulness, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Father Tim, a character in Jan Karon’s Mitford series, often said to himself or to one of his parishioners: “Phillipians 4:13 for pete’s sake!”
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”
And earlier in Chapter 4:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Verses 5-7
Powerful stuff. When I feel like it is impossible to not be anxious, I hear Father Tim’s voice in my head: “Phillipians 4:13 for pete’s sake!”
And then a verse right smack dab in the middle of those above…
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. […] And the God of peace will be with you.“ Verse 9
I don’t need to look very far to find things that meet those conditions:
My choice on what to think on is these things and to lift all who have suffered loss and those who fear – in prayer to Him – who governs all.
Phillipian’s 4:13 for pete’s sake!
We had a splendid three day weekend – a few chores, a lot of walks, some rain, some sun, naps – it was wonderful.
And it was cool. We enjoyed the cool … I kept telling myself to take in the cool. It is forecast to dry out and warm up for a week ending in the upper 80’s and perhaps a 90F.
Yikes.
But, this morning, this last morning in May – it was cool at 42F and perfect moisture from the bits of rain over the weekend.
The fuschia are happy.
The herbies are happy … Mr. Coleus is not doing that well and needs all good thoughts!
Yes, that says 54F INSIDE – I’m holding onto cool as long as possible.
Last morning in May.