Because I had so much fun, I entered the juried art show again this year. Like last year, I submitted two landscape, astrophotography shots—new compositions from this summer and fall. This year I opted for traditional printing and framing, but with a slight twist.

Fast forward to today. I was out and about visiting shut-ins when a notification from the VA suddenly popped up on my phone: “Prescription package shipped.” Not only that, it was already out for delivery. Next thing I know, my phone buzzes with a FedEx notification showing a picture of a box sitting on my doorstep. I genuinely had no clue what it was.

Anywho… I’m incredibly grateful for today's little forced break. That, and a whole bunch of other things: square hamburger patties for tonight’s supper, getting cuddles from the mutts, hitting the 80s in October, the gal on the phone today from the Minneapolis VA who actually knows where Comfrey is (how?! I have no idea), and the ladies at church keeping in the Word by window-light, and so, so much more.

Anyways, IMHO, they all deserve gold stars, a raise, or both. Because truly, their service and level of care today was exceptional. And if I have to be honest, that’s consistently been my experience with the regional VA clinics. The big hospital centers? I dunno. But these smaller, outlier clinics out in the rural parts: these folks are flat-out getting the job done.

To Him, I give thanks. He is the ultimate source of in-spiration (literally, breathing life into us) for me, for you, and for us all. When we read the Word, He speaks to us, often in that “still small voice.” He is the One who breathed life into Adam, and I believe, into us all. And daily, He works within us to sanctify us and make us righteous in the likeness of Christ. How can we not give thanks to the Holy Spirit of God?

So that’s what I did. And you know what? There’s actually something nice about just making do with the gear you already own instead of trying to buy your way out of a minor inconvenience.

Looks like there’s gonna be a roundtrip vacation next summer to Cincinnati and the Tidewater Area to spoil three little kiddos, and perhaps their parents, too.

All in all, I’m incredibly thankful for those views. It means people are watching—including, as I recently learned, some folks who don’t even hold to the Christian faith but are curious enough to see what God’s final Word has to say.

Thanks for indulging me and my odd, de-evolved sense of humor. As you mathed it, today we hit Milestone #3. At least, I think it’s the third milestone. I don’t know how many I’ve chosen. Anyway, I think day number 300 is worth celebrating, don’t you?

Sure enough, she dug around in our new cryogenic chest and found the smoky goodness, resolidified back to an unnatural state. Ugh, I thought to myself. Neither of us wanted to go out: I’d just eaten out for lunch, and we'd treated ourselves the other day, too. “Frozen pizza?” she asked.

Some foods are just meant to be eaten with your fingers. Can I get a big ol’ gospel Amen? Tonight, the main star of our supper was designed by our ancestors to be strictly hand-held—neither forked nor knifed. But…

While today is still technically summer, it’s feeling a whole lot like autumn: cool, damp, rainy… kinda like England or Seattle in the winter, hehehe. Despite it still being summer and all, we didn’t care. As far as this house was concerned, today marked the start of… SOUP SEASON, y’all.

Honestly, I’d given up on ever finding it. I assumed it had been sacrificed to the dryer gods. But for some inexplicable reason, I never tossed its mate. Chalk it up to laziness, delusion, or sheer stubbornness. But hey—tonight, they ride together again.

Anyway, I think it’s nice not to be in the know about all the stuff happening in our world. Now, honestly, I wouldn’t mind a few minutes' heads-up from heaven before Jesus returns. LOL. But you and I both know from Scripture that won’t happen.

Anywho, back to town 90 minutes later, I resumed thumping my noggin against that Revelation commentary until I couldn’t takes it no more. By 4 PM, my brain was absolute mush, and I called it quits for the day. My sweetie and I made some supper, and now here I sit, tapping this out and watching a comedy on the tube.

As silly as it might sound, those beautiful azure hues with the iridescent backlighting absolutely made my day, and from there on out, things just got better. At chapel, my aging audience sat right up at attention and sang their hearts out, kinda like it was their last service ever. (Let’s hope not.)

The forecasters are calling for rain all week. I hope and pray so, for our farmers’ sake, for the livestock and wildlife, and just for the water table, period. Perhaps God has heard everyone’s silent prayers.

As fall inches nearer and the days shortening, the temps should continue to cool enough to keep the windows open for a while. Let it be, I say. There ain’t nothing quite like the a crisp morning breeze flowing in the windows to kick off one’s day.

This is the lesson I should’ve remembered (and heeded) last night. Solomon wrote, “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” “Pity the fool,” right? Pity the fool.

Soon-to-be LCDR Almas is the kind of officer I always hoped to serve under. When a large fire broke out onboard her ship, she didn’t abdicate responsibility or bark an order. Instead, she jumped in line, grabbed the firehose, and fought the fire with her crew. Then, when the danger subsided, she helped bail the water and clean the mess. When told by a senior enlisted: “You’re an officer, you don’t need to do that,” she replied: “Yes I do! This is my ship too.”