Monday, May 5, 2008

Spring is Here!

You all know that when I start reverting to weekly blogs that things are looking better -- and they are! We begin our fourth cycle of Velcade chemotherapy today after dialysis. Sabine has felt pretty good since the last cycle and her "numbers" look good and no additional cancer problems. For this we are deeply thankful.

This weekend we got a lot of yard work done -- the apple trees have been pruned (even though Charlotte thinks I did too much -- she calls them the bonsai trees!). With all the rain we have had our hillside is awash with three new springs. We have never in over 25 years seen these new outpourings nor have we experienced a constant flow of water from what we used to call our "run-off" creek which comes down from the hills west of us.

Next to my office I can look out the window and see one of our geese. She has built a nest near our fence and is dutifully sitting -- our "goose in-waiting."

Our son, Josh, has come out and is helping split firewood for us that our neighbor, Sam, recently downed and gratefully off-loaded, near our wood pile.

A couple of weeks ago, St Andrew's Church in Monroe called me and booked three Sundays (one a month) to come and be their celebrant and preacher. We were there yesterday and enjoyed their small, but faithful congregation. I think St Andrew's is the smallest congregation in the diocese and has their eyes set on growing.

One thing nice about supplying as a priest is that all the pre-work is done -- like bulletins and lining up readers and acolytes. I just get to come in and lead the worship (something I have greatly missed since my retirement).

So that's the weekly report from New Journey Farm and our on-going fight with this cancer. Stay tuned. Be good and be thankful!