Weekend Update

It's been a fine summer weekend--good food, good friends, (pretty) good weather, and some unique experiences.
Friday night wasn't unique. Evelyn and I mowed grass; she did more than half before I got here after 5:45. I finished the yard and then edged and blew grass off the sidewalks. After a quick shower (it's hot these days, and so humid), we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Raja India, for supper, before stopping at the grocery to pick up a couple of things on our way back home. We relaxed with Cold Justice and the evening news before heading to bed.
Saturday I was up early. The morning was pleasant, although humid, and I sat on the deck and read this week's chapter from The Story with my first cup of coffee. The rest of the morning was breakfast, our walk through the Park (I walk two miles; Evelyn walks three), Saturday Wall Street Journal, and a couple of hours of this-and-that in the yard. It's satisfying to have the time to tend to little details: chopping some branches off bushes and trees, watering and feeding the plants in pots, killing weeds, checking the gutters, doing a little grass trimming.
After lunch we went to Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser's for Dave's 60th birthday party. Mary had prepared a wonderful spread of food, and we really enjoyed visiting with friends from church as well as Dave and Mary. It rained some on our way to their house, but it cleared up in plenty of time for us to tour the beautiful flower beds he's planted all around his house. Dave, the master gardener, is an inspiration.
I came home and did some work for Christian Standard for a little while and then went to the grocery store. Evelyn and I had eaten so much at Lautzenheisers that we didn't really need supper. So Evelyn popped a huge bowl of popcorn that we enjoyed while we watched an old movie that I had picked up at Redbox while I was at the grocery store. The Sum of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, had a plot with a few lapses in logic, but it was well-acted and engaging. I'm glad we saw it.
Sunday we were up early and on our walk before we got ready for church. (Believe it or not, we weren't the only ones out walking at 6:45 in the morning!)

Today was the first Sunday in the New Testament portion of The Story, and the church had planned "Christmas in June" to mark our study of the birth of Jesus. It was a creative service, full of blessings, especially the excellent sermon by Brad Wilson. The biggest takeaway for me: Think of all the incidents of obedience that made the Christmas story happen: Mary and Joseph, of course, in a succession of good decisions; but also the shepherds and the Magi.
We met Terry and Shirley Wuske at first service and adjourned to the Frisch's in Liberty Township where we left the Wuskes' car and embarked on Ponderama, an annual tour of homes that have installed inspiring water features created by one firm here in greater Cincinnati. We went to three homes, and the first two were truly magnificent.
The home on Crest Road in Colerain Township sits adjacent to two home lots the homeowners purchased and turned into a park of flower beds and water features plus a gazebo. I've really never seen anything quite like it in a private home.
The pictures below were taken in only one section of their landscaped back and side yards, and they only begin to convey what this place was like.

Evelyn really liked these bushes with the
feathery leaves (at the 2nd home we
visited), but the homeowner didn't know
their name.

Then we drove back to Liberty Township and visited two homes off of Kyles Station Road. The first is down a long, private lane in a secluded setting that is truly remarkable.
We decided the best way to end our "tour" was with a stop at The Cone. We sat and visited before taking the Wuskes back to their car before 2:00.
I did some emailing and other work for Christian Standard when we got home. We ran out for supper to El Rancho Grande (love those Val-Pak coupons) and stopped into Krogers to return the Redbox movie and pick up a couple items still needed after yesterday's grocery run.

Garden Gallop

Took a day of vacation today to join Dave Lautzenheiser and a bunch of other (mostly) seniors from Christ's Church at Mason for the annual Garden Gallop. Dave and Sarah Ferris organize this each year about this time; it's a trip to 3 or 5 nurseries/garden centers to shop for plants for spring planting and summer gardening.
This is at least the third time I've joined the group. I go for the fellowship, to keep Dave company (sometimes he and I are the only males), and to ooo and ahhh over all the annuals, perennials, vines, bushes, planters, hanging baskets, and garden doodads one can find at these garden centers. And every year he takes us to some places I've never been before.
This year we visited three garden centers on Ohio Pike/Route 125 east of town. I bought at least something at each of them; two offered us a group discount, and all gave new ideas.
I always have a container garden on the deck, and I decided this year to try something different: all foilage. I was able to find several unusual plants you just don't find at Home Depot and Lowe's. (But I saw some that I HAD seen at the big boxes, at much lower prices, so my shopping isn't over.)

Our gallopers posed for a group shot at one of the nurseries where we visited. We dodged raindrops
all morning. But the heaviest rains were on the way to the first stop and on the way home
after the afternoon was over.

We ate lunch at Quaker Steak and Lube. Great onion rings! They're giving away a Harley later this year, but I didn't enter the contest. Think of it as Cracker Barrel with motor cycles and auto paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling and decorating the walls instead of antiques, washboards, and pictures of somebody's grandmother.
After lunch (a LONG lunch, but it didn't matter; we enjoyed the visiting), we drove back to Natorp's in Mason. It was the first time I'd been there this year: acres of BEAUTIFUL, healthy plants under one roof. Every kind of annual, vegetable, herb, and perennial you can imagine.
I have a gift certificate from there I want to spend, but I didn't have it with me today. (Didn't know we were going to go there.) So I looked at everything and made mental notes. I'm going back to Natorp's!
I began the day by running into the office and visiting with Matt Lockhart for about an hour regarding a proposal we're making to sign-on with a company that creates digital versions of magazines. We're seeking approval tomorrow, along with another significant request at the same meeting. I'm praying about this (and I don't say that flippantly). At home this evening I revised the P&L statement I had created in preparation for that meeting.

Discovering Joy

Pictures of the Day:
They let us leave work at 4:00 today because of the steady snow that had started much earlier, probably by noon. That was good, because I needed to get home, pick up Evelyn, and then get back to pick up Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser, our traditional Valentine's Day dinner partners. (Is this the third or fourth time we've celebrated Valentine's Day with them?) The snow was coming down steadily, but most of the roads were still clear as I made my way home late this afternoon. The trees, bearing a coating from the heavy, wet snow, were more beautiful than I could capture with my iPhone.

The snow continued throughout our trip to pick up Dave and Mary and throughout our dinner at

Mimi's. Service was slow, and our conversations were rich, and we lingered at our table for almost two hours. The trip home was a bit more challenging. Some of the roads were covered, as if they had never been touched. But we got home without incident, in time to put our things together for our trip to Indy tomorrow, with time left over to watch some Olympics before going to bed.

Quotes of the Day:
The American church often shares the surrounding culture's obsession with glory and power. One of the reasons our ministries are so ineffective is because we don't make room for God's power, since we are so enamored with our own. We don't make room for weakness—everything in our churches has to be dynamic and excellent. So we schedule things by the minute, rehearse our transitions and prayers, seek out the next killer series or curriculum or program. And all the while Jesus has moved on to people who have nothing other than him.

The American Dream is to live in our strength; God's dream is that we live in our weakness. 
—Mike Erre, "The Way of Weakness" at leadershipjournal.net


Along with hearts and flowers this Valentine’s Day, successful Christian marriages will celebrate the self-sacrifice and kind deeds that may express love better than any greeting card. And so they can realize what my preacher encouraged and our Lord taught: The way to discover joy for yourself is to provide it for someone else.
—"Real Love, Real Joy," the column I wrote a year ago for christianstandard.com

This is Our Story

Picture of the Day:
Our church is joining the large number of congregations across the country that have used Zondervan's The Story as the basis for worship and Bible study for a 32-week period. Today was the introductory sermon, and today I received my copy of the book, plus material to help me lead sessions for the men's "tribe" I meet with on Thursday mornings.
I'm looking forward to it. It will be good for me personally, providing a doable plan to add structure to my desire to connect with God. It will be good for our group, because it will lend insight into his Word and his will for all of us. It will be good for our church, just as it evidently has been good for so many others.
I'm eager to get started.

Quote of the Day:
"There are some things about Jesus that can't be negotiated. If you don't believe he rose again, your religion is not Christianity. . . . This is our story. God looked forward and he saw Abraham; Abraham looked forward and he saw Jesus; Jesus looked forward and he saw us!"
—Trevor DeVage in this morning's sermon, the first in this series.

Meals of the Day:
Lunch with Dave Lautzenheiser at First Watch. We treated, with a gift certificate Evelyn received for leading a D-group at CCU. Dave was batching it, because Mary went to Tennessee to see the grandson this weekend.
Dinner will be Evelyn's pasta bean soup. It's perfect weather for soup, and this is a wonderful recipe. I know the whole world will be watching the Grammy awards tonight, but we'll be in front of 60 Minutes and Downton Abbey.

A Wonderful Weekend

Friday was my birthday, but we decided to cut grass instead of going out for a big dinner! Afterwards we went to the Raja India restaurant in West Chester and had a wonderful meal.
Saturday morning I was up early to get the oil changed. Then I met Dave Lautzenheiser for breakfast (he treated--at First Watch) before driving to the new Natorp's Garden Center on Snider Road. They have 3-1/2 acres under roof, resplendent with perennials, rose bushes, blooming annuals, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and herbs and more, much more. We spent at least 90 minutes there oooing and ahhhing over the beautiful, bountiful displays. Checked out some bushes and trees outside too. I didn't buy anything Saturday, but I will be back!
Evelyn and I rode to Indianapolis about 2:30  to join a family-and-friends celebration of Peggy Sweeney's 60th birthday. Peggy is our daughter-in-law's mom; she and her husband, Ed, have been friends almost since the time Geoff and Lisa started dating. We've been with them on family vacations at least twice, and they hosted us at their time share in Hawaii once; and we've been with them unnumbered other times for family gatherings: recitals, weddings, and other times.

Shannon and Lisa ALMOST got
through their sweet tribute to their
mom without crying!

Lisa and her sister, Shannon, and Ed planned a surprise birthday party for Peggy and invited us and the Webers, who have become mutual friends, and Shannon's in-laws, and two dear friends of the Sweeneys from Taylor University.
We were waiting for them at a private room at the Meridian Restaurant in Indy when Geoff and Lisa ushered Ed and Peggy upstairs. I think Peggy really was surprised, which was the first delight of a wonderful evening.
 The food was remarkable. The laughter and fellowship was special. The testimonies offered by Lisa and Shannon and Ed were tender as well as funny. And all of us around the table offered tributes to Peggy. (I even wrote new words to an old tune: "P is for how pleased we are to know you; E is for your energy--you glow! G is for the giggles we've shared with you. Gee, we've had such fun together on the road. Y is for the youthful way you've lived dear: hiking, biking, boating--you have done it all. Put them all together, they spell Peg-gy. Happy birthday, we think you're a doll!")

After dinner we adjourned to Shannon and Craig's house for more visiting, coffee, and a mini birthday cake for me! (Yesterday was the third anniversary of MY 60th birthday!)

Shannon and Craig Lewis's house was the perfect place for picture-taking!

Evelyn, Peggy, and Verna catch up

Lisa, Geoff, and Bill stopped to pose in the middle of a serious conversation.

Larry and Betsy Lewis, Shannon and Craig Lewis . . . and Binkley!

The Sweeney girls, with their handsome husbands and wonderful parents.

We stayed overnight with Bill and Verna, and then the Webers and we and almost the whole party from the night before met at the church where Shannon is events coordinator: College Park Church on the north side of Indy. It was an inspiring worship service, wonderful in every way.

Shannon gave us a tour of the large building, and then the Sweeneys, Shannon and Craig, Geoff and Lisa, and we drove to Taylor Creamery for a superb brunch. The restaurant is tucked into one corner of a huge, working farm. The food is organic and fresh. The time together was as special as the whole weekend had been. Lisa showed me some tricks for using my new camera. 

Two fine and fine-looking people!

We stopped by the little dairy store that's a part of the complex, and then stood in the parking lot and visited for another 30 minutes probably. We were on our way home by 2:00 and arrived here by about 4:00. Just the right amount of time to rest a bit, gear up for the week ahead, and have a nice, long phone visit with Jennifer. We ate popcorn and split my mini birthday cake while we watched an On Demand episode of "Elementary."

Worship Vision Night

Last night was Worship Vision night at the church for all those who help in any way lead worship in what we have called our Blended or Contemporary services. It was a nice evening with wonderful cheesecake (provided by Mark Senseman--I had the Dutch apple--yum!).
After about 30 minutes of coffee and cheesecake, we enjoyed a wonderful set of worship songs, led by Micah Steele with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. (I'd like to see us do that for an all-church worship service. We could hear each other sing, and the guitar accompaniment was beautiful and varied, strong when it needed to be, but always gentle.)
Speaking of gentle, that's Benji Maurer; "gentle" is the best way to describe his demeanor and his approach. There's nothing of the "hot dog" about him, and I appreciate that. He led the rest of our evening together.
After sharing some thoughts from his experience and the Bible about worship, he walked us through upcoming changes that will take place with his use of worship teams starting April 7. Most of the information had already been shared in an email he sent inviting us to this meeting. But it was good of him to make sure we all heard it from him at one time, and his offer to speak with any of us individually was sincere and welcome.
He distributed sheets of paper each person could use to indicate whether he or she wants to keep serving or take a break from serving.
I said, "I'm in," but I doubt I can do all the things I have at least sometimes done in the past, especially with the new configuration of the worship services. So I'm going to write a note to Benji, Dave Lautzenheiser, and Brad Wilson and ask them to decide which jobs they want me to keep doing.
We finished by 9:00, and I had nice visits with a couple of folks before heading home.

Cinemagic Sunday

Dave Lautzenheiser put
this program together . . .

. . . and I snapped some
pictures of him putting
the cast through
their paces today.

About 16 friends from Christ's Church at Mason have been working for months on a musical revue they'll perform at this month's Evergreen dinner this Tuesday evening.

Tonight is Oscar night, and in keeping with that season, the revue is called "Cinemagic." I get to tag along three days before the performance and join them as the narrator. This is the same program, with faster tempos and LOTS of choreography added, that I was narrator for when the Ambassadors Choir at Mason Christian Village performed it last year.

I was at church today from 3:00 till after 5:30. First they did a vocal run-through. Then we blocked my little entrances and exits, and then we ran the show with mikes. 

I mostly remembered my words. One speech is too slow, and another is too fast, so I'll work on that before and driving to and from work tomorrow. And tomorrow night we'll go through the show twice before performing it for the seniors Tuesday.

It's fun--but frankly, I can't imagine all the work these folks have put it to get this 30 minutes ready. 

Majestic, for Me

In addition to their worship medley, the choir began
the service with a call to worship based on the text of Psalm 98.

It's funny the things you remember.
I was sitting in the chapel at church this morning, listening to our choir rehearse their anthems they were to sing in the 11:00 Classic service. They sang, "Majesty, worship His majesty. Unto Jesus be all glory, honor, and praise. . . ."
I remembered trying to memorize the words to that worship chorus on a Saturday before Easter; it might have been 20 years ago. I forget if I was leading worship or just singing on the worship team, but we were going to lead the chorus from memory, without music or words in front of us. I was going over the song in the kitchen while I was helping Evelyn get food ready for whomever we were hosting for Easter dinner the next day.
I remember another time we sang the song. I was leading worship, with a worship team from the church, for a special worship service we had planned to kick off our annual Publishing Committee meeting. We met at Mason Church of Christ, in our old building. The whole Standard Publishing crowd was there, along with a smattering of guests, and I had assembled the musicians to lead the singing. The occasion was the transition of Gene Wigginton from publisher to president of Standard Publishing, and my transition to his office overseeing all the editorial department.
Our choir sang the worship chorus this morning as part of a worship medley. I was hosting at that service, and so I stopped by the chapel at 9:00 a.m. to touch base with Dave Lautzenheiser about the service. When I heard the choir's words of "Holy, Holy, Holy" followed by "Majesty," the memories flooded over me.
So much has happened since I was first learning the words to that chorus, and it surprised me that I could sing them from memory quietly at my seat while they rehearsed. Dave got the brainstorm that I should lead the congregation in singing along with the choir's anthem, while he led the choir. And so this morning I was facing the congregation as the voices of the choir soared behind me and as the congregation sang along.
One little white-haired lady--I see her every Sunday, but I don't know her name--raised her hand in praise, quickly, involuntarily as the song's volume peaked. "So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. Magnify, come glorify the King of all kings." She quickly pulled her hand back to her lap, but her earnest expression and spontaneous gesture of praise touched me deeply, and I could only mouth the words as the chorus finished.
I thought about the great, innumerable choir of saints that one day will "throw down their golden crowns around the glassy sea," and I could picture so many of the folks around me this morning as a part of that grand assembly.

Trevor introduced his beautiful family as a
part of his sermons this morning.

We had another wonderful sermon this morning. It challenged and touched me in ways the minister probably couldn't have imagined or intended. But the greatest inspiration to me was simply being with the saints at Mason this morning and hearing and seeing them offer their praise.

The Day Before Christmas

We decided to spiff up to go to dinner and read
Scripture at the Christmas Eve services.

The day before Christmas was a wonderful day for us!
For starters, we spent the whole day, till evening, at home--not one errand, not one trip to a store or a grocery. We just listened to Christmas music while we took care of other tasks around the house. And I read in a book a little and took a 10-minute nap in the afternoon.
We ate leftovers from our dinner the previous evening for lunch and saved up so we'd be hungry for what we anticipated would be a wonderful dinner.
It was! Due to the generosity of some friends who lavished much more appreciation on me than I deserved, we had a gift certificate at Eddie Merlot's, a fine restaurant on the northeast side of town that I'd always thought about going to someday. Since we were alone, we decided it would be the perfect spot for our Christmas Eve dinner.
It was! Homemade crab cakes for appetizer. A remarkable chopped salad (with artichokes) to share. Evelyn had cedar planked salmon with spinach and fingerling potatoes and I had the 6-ounce filet and a side order of mushrooms. All of it was delectable. Our reservation was at 7:00, and we had promised to be at the church by 9:00. It was a leisurely dinner, and we decided we'd better not take time for dessert. They gave us a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing to take with us, and we ate it before bed after attending two Christmas Eve services at the church.

Kim blessed us with a remarkable
rendition of "O Holy Night"

Dave Lautzenheiser had asked us to read Scriptures for the two Christmas Eve services (9:30 and 11:00), and we enjoyed doing it. Kim Rodarmel sang "O Holy Night," and Greg Henderson accompanied "Silent Night" on the bells --he soloed on about two octaves of them, first playing the melody and then playing chord and descant accompaniments. Mark Sullivan and Brad Wilson spoke--I've never heard them do better. We sat with Dan and Cindi Cooper at the first service and then left after our readings at the second service. It was all very nice.
We took a long way home and looked at Christmas lights on the way, and Evelyn made her applesauce Jello before we went to bed. Three generations of Webers are coming to eat with us at 2:30 today.
We had nice phone visits with Jennifer and then with Geoff late in the afternoon before getting ready to go to dinner.
The day before Christmas was a very good day!

Here Was My Saturday

Here was my Saturday:
Up before 7:30, which for me is sleeping in.
Sorted mail. Paid bills. Skimmed Facebook. Read the headlines (the front page was full of details about the mass shooting at an Aurora theater Thursday night/Friday morning). Decided about supper with Evelyn, and she made a grocery list.
Went to the grocery and stopped at the bank to a) get some cash for the trip next week and b) inform them that I might be using my debit card at an ATM in Brazil.
Went to get my haircut.
Got a phone call from Marshall Hayden on my way to the Cincinnati Bell store and sat in their parking lot for several minutes talking with him about some Publishing Committee business and the cruise we're hosting with him next summer.
Talked to the helpful fella at the Cincinnati Bell store about how to use my cell phone while we're in Brazil (not a bad deal: $1.99/minute for international calling; 100 texts for $9.99).
Picked up some shirts at the dry cleaners.
Home for lunch (Evelyn made egg salad).
Talked with Geoff on the phone.
By then it was 2:00 p.m. and HOT outside (but not nearly as hot as is HAS been). But I still proceeded with checking the next item off my list: cut the grass. About half of the yard is yellow, but there are significant green spots, in the shade and where we've watered the trees. Evelyn came out to finish the job after I was a little more than half done and I moved on to watering plants and chopping down some overgrown perennials. Then I cleaned out the downspouts on the front of the house.
Dashed inside to get my shower and then stretched out on the recliner for a 10-minute nap before helping to get supper ready.
We fixed chicken and vegetables on the grill for Dave Lautzenheiser for supper. We had invited him when we learned he was spending the weekend alone (because Mary was visiting Laura and her husband in Tennessee).
I got the vegetables ready while Evelyn cleaned the chicken and made potato salad.
Dave arrived a little after 6:00 while I was cooking on the grill, and we had a great time visiting with him and enjoying a great dinner. He left around 9:00 after we talked garden and I gave him some plants from our wedding center pieces that I hadn't been able to find a home for in our yard.
As we loaded his car, the air was pleasant, and the sunset was beautiful. It had been a good and productive day.

Evelyn cleaned up the kitchen, and we retreated to the family room to watch a show she had recorded: "30 Top NBC Olympic Moments."

Grilled Vegetables Might be the Best Vegetables!

We used the grill for the first time this year. I'm a little surprised we're getting started so late, but I needed someone to help me lift it onto the deck from it's winter storage in the garage, and I didn't get anyone asked till Matt was here this week moving Jennifer's leftover furniture into our place. While he was in lifting mode, I asked him to help me move the deck.
"Didn't I help you lift this off the deck?" he asked. And I remembered, yes, he did--when he and Jen visited us in October. Maybe the week before the wedding I can actually COOK someone for him on the thing, since he's been so good to help me haul it around.
I grilled chicken and vegetables for supper. Terry and Shirley Wuske joined us, and we enjoyed catching up with them; it's been too long! They're working hard on the house they bought and they're redoing from front to back. I hope their evening here was a little respite for them.
I grilled asparagus, an onion, a yellow pepper, cremini mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes to go with the chicken. A recipe on the Food Network website suggested a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, and garlic to pour over the vegetables after they're grilled. We used Evelyn's family recipe for a hot marinade (vinegar, butter, and a few other ingredients) for the chicken. It always makes it good. Uncle Ben's rice and sourdough bread from Ferrari's Little Italy and Bakery (last night's dinner) rounded out the meal, with a peach pie from Shirley for dessert.
Today, the 9th of June, I FINALLY got all my winter stuff out of the closet and all the summer stuff out of storage. The almost-90-degree day was a clue that I wouldn't be wearing sweaters again for awhile! Also arranged books on the bookshelves we inherited from Jennifer and went to the grocery store.
Tomorrow I lead the song service in the Classic Praise service, subbing for Dave Lautzenheiser who will be on vacation. And Jim and Norma Pierson are planning to spend the night with us, on their way from Chicago where they're visiting this week back home to Knoxville.

A Good Saturday

A good Saturday: Paid bills and brought the checkbook up-to-date for the first time in a couple of weeks. Was happy to verify that we're still solvent. Was also happy to discover why we had stopped getting our Time magazine: our subscription expired several weeks ago, and I hadn't paid the bill!

Skyped with Wendy this morning, and she's looking much better than the last time we talked with her. She's been off the typhoid meds for about a week, but it has been a very busy week for her, and she's exhausted. She doesn't feel fully recovered, but she's hoping some rest and healing of her system and a few more days with the strong drugs out of her system will combine to have her feeling fine.
She leaves for her month away next Saturday. First a break for a couple of days in England with a friend. And then on to our place June 15 where she'll stay till the wedding.
The wedding is four weeks from today. This time that Saturday maybe I'll have a wedding picture to post.

I was running errands today and stopped in at Home Depot to pick up a couple more bags of mulch (actually, it was four bags, and I decided after spreading it today that I need two more--maybe the final two, we'll see!). As soon as I arrived I saw they had a selection of beautiful 4-inch annuals on sale @ $2.50 each. I grabbed 16 of 'em; if I can keep 'em alive for four weeks, they'll be part of the centerpieces at Jen's reception. I'll report here close to the date.

Also had a nice visit with Geoff on the phone this afternoon and nailed down plans for the post-wedding family get-togther at our place he and Lisa are hosting. They chose a yummy, easy (catered-in) approach, and we're really looking forward to it. He's plodding away on research for his doctoral dissertation. I'm proud of him. I don't believe I've ever had that kind of drive or discipline.

Tonight was the final performance of "Cinemagic" with the Ambassadors Choir at Mason Christian Village. Evelyn and I grabbed dinner with Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser on the way to MCV and had a fun time. Evelyn and Mary sat in the back and took it in. The "village people" did well, and the whole experience ended happily.

Daily Faithfulness

As I've been participating with the Ambassadors Choir in their program at Mason Christian Village this week, I've been thinking about longevity and faithfulness. Loren Swedburg, (above, left) is 93 years old. He's been serving the Lord his whole life; he retired to Mason Christian Village after the death of his wife. The two of them taught with distinction at Nebraska Christian College. His son Tom (above, right) and Tom's wife, Bonnell, were two of the first people we met when we went to serve First Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, in 1976, and they've continued to serve in a variety of roles through one or the other of the Christian churches there every year since then. They were in town this week to visit Loren, and I got them to pose for this picture.
As I stood in the back and listened to the chorus sing, I thought about Loren's faithfulness, and that of so many others on the platform who have lived for Christ for many decades. I thought of all the concerts, programs, worship services, solos, quartets, recording sessions, camp choirs, and more that my friend Dave Lautzenheiser has led year after year, and this program is just a part of the ministry he's performing in Mason this year.  Joanne Hopton who served with unfailing energy for years as the publisher's secretary at Standard Publishing, and for a short while as mine, was on the platform. I wish I could have interviewed all the three dozen or so members to learn more about classes taught, choir rehearsals attended, funeral dinners cooked, money given, and on and on represented in the lives of this chorus.
Much that's accomplished in this world happens because folks get up, get out, and get on with it--faithfully day after day. We can't all do something great or newsworthy every day, maybe not every year, maybe not ever. Very few get their name in lights. But people like some I've been enjoying this week are examples to all of us just to keep at the tasks at hand, because the sum total of daily faithfulness can make a big difference.

They're Magic!

This is a snapshot of the Ambassadors Choir, a musical group made up mostly of residents at Mason Christian Village, at the end of their rehearsal today. Their big spring program is this week, and Dave Lautzenheiser asked me to be the narrator. It's called "Cinemagic." I've been memorizing like a madman since last week--there are really only a few little spots for narration. although Dave has a way of throwing things in at the last minute. But, typical for me, I just couldn't get to it ahead of time.
I was surprised, frankly, at how good the choir is. I enjoyed hearing them sing, and it will be fun to do the little bit of schtick that's a part of the narration.
We have dress rehearsal tomorrow afternoon and then "performances" Thursday afternoon and evening and Saturday evening.
The trips to MCV three afternoons this week are making a very full work week even fuller. It will be fun--if I remember all my lines!
Evelyn and I mowed this evening, and I chopped down all the suckers around the crabapple tree in the backyard. We had a nice shower this morning, so nothing needed to be watered.

Our Holiday with Friends

We picked a great way to enjoy a 95-degree holiday. We went to see an Imax film called To the Arctic at the Cincinnati Museum Center. It was the first leg of a late-afternoon/early evening outing with Dan and Cindi Cooper and Dave and Mary Lautzenheiser. The film is beautiful, with narration by Meryl Streep and music by Paul McCartney. The photography of a mother polar bear and her cubs is wonderful.

After the flick, we drove to Hyde Park and enjoyed an early dinner at Indigo Cafe. We had a great time catching up with each other and having a wonderful meal. After dinner we window shopped through Hyde Park Square and ended up at Graeter's, where I treated for ice cream. Then we drove to Ault Park and enjoyed the overlook down to Lunken Airport before walking up to see the marble pavilion that dominates this lush, landscaped park. Then Evelyn and Dave and I walked around the massive lawn at the foot of the pavilion and saw the lovely volunteer-tended gardens around an adjacent lawn.

Sweating in the 90-degree evening, we had forgotten the glaciers we saw in the Arctic movie. But we really enjoyed our outing.

I had worked outside again, this time from about 8 a.m. till noon. Got my tomatoes and zucchini planted by the side of the house and fertilized the lawn. Cleaned my fountain on the deck and got both fountains hooked up to the extension cords so we can enjoy them. 

There's still stuff to do outside, but the major planting etc. is done, and hopefully it will be cooler to finish it up next weekend.

Garden Gallop

Garden Gallop. That's what our seniors minister, Dave Lautzenheiser, calls the annual event I enjoyed with about 14 others today. It's simple. The church provides two vans and drivers and hauls seniors from the church to various garden centers in the area. The backs of the vans hold all the plants and other garden goodies the seniors buy. They get to see several places, some of which they might not have been to before. They don't have to drive. And they have fellowship along the way.
We visited at least 5 different spots today, maybe more. Stopped for lunch at a wonderful restaurant, Parker's Blue Ash Grill and Tavern, and ended the day at Graeter's in Mason.
I've gone with the group before because
a) I love to go to garden centers in the spring,
b) Dave's a buddy, and it's fun to go with him (and he likes me to come along in a largely female crowd), and
c) after all, I AM a senior citizen!  :-)
Usually, though, I look and look and don't do much buying. But I'm feeling the pressure of time this year, with some May travel and a June wedding in the future (accompanied by a LOT of company around that time), so I decided to buy as much as I could today. I came home with many plants. Interestingly, I stopped by Meijer on the way home to pick up something we needed, and I couldn't resist their garden center. I found several things to augment what I'd already bought--they had the same quality and much lower prices than several places we had visited.

Here's everything I bought, huddled on the back of the deck, ready to be planted in the next several days.

And here's the empty pots on my deck that will hold SOME of this blooming bounty. I'll certainly be showing this scene again, once the deck garden is complete.

While I was at it, I couldn't resist taking this picture of my lettuce garden, sprouting in a planter on the deck. Evelyn laughs at me every year when I try this. It's not like this will ever make a meal. But it IS fun to grow something we can eat!