This week we attended a special event with our grandchildren. Their school had what was called "Colonial Day." There were 10 stations where the student learned various things about Colonial times.
Making paper
Printing on paper
Etiquette
Use of Wompom
Apple cider
Apple butter
Butter making
Popcorn hulling
Hand sewing
Candle making

All of October we hardly had a drop of rain. Come this event we had rain all night before and all that day, three inches in all. Fortunately all the activities were under a tent, except for the apple butter making. Also it was good that the temperature was not too cold.

Even with the weather not cooperating, it was a very interesting and fun day. We had lunch together and at the end we had some fun singing and a lively square dance.

It was good to see how our grandchildren interact with their school friends. It was also good to be with the other grandparents. The teachers and others who put this on really did a good job and put a lot of effort into making this a wonderful time for all.

Some were even dressed according to that time. The children were also encouraged to come dressed in Colonial garb. They had plenty of chairs for sitting so us old people could rest. And each child had a basket they could fill with all the creative activities that went on during the day.

The tent was not equipped with lights so you had some feel for those olden days when electricity had not been invented yet. Of course none of the activities require electric.

It is good to be involved in our grandchildren's lives.

What a beautiful fall day! If there only was some way to catch it and deposit the day into a "Day" account, then withdraw it when the cold dreary weather of winter sets in.

This fall has been almost exceptional in that the weather has been mild and the nights are cool to mild. We have had no real cold yet and although there has been some frost around the area, we have had no killing frost here. So the flowers are mostly still blooming nicely, save for a few. If the frost would come, then we could work at winterizing the flower gardens.

Today to our delight, along with two of our grandchildren, we visited a local state-owned woods that has a nice walkway made from recycled plastic. The walkway is several inches above the ground which makes it a nice path even if the ground is wet. On occasion, we will see deer through the trees but no such luck today.

When we returned to our vehicle there had been a four car accident right at the entrance to the woods/parking lot. We happened to have parked at just the right spot and we were able to leave, even though there were a number of rescue vehicles along with the state patrol at the scene. There did not appear to be any serious injuries, mostly bent fender, tires and bumpers.

After living and seeing the beauty of the day and worshiping with other believers, we need to stop and count God's blessings more often.

Recently we have developed a taste for folk art. This is a simple, almost one dimensional, primitive artwork, that usually depicts rural settings. We enjoy searching for this type of art. So far we have limited our collection to prints. But these are somewhat difficult to find, at least within our budget. We like to shop thrift stores. That is the best place to find a bargain. Also, as was the case in the above piece, we like to find bargains at rummage sales. Usually these rummage sales serve two purposes. We find a bargain and the sale benefits a worthy cause. It is surprising that we don't come across more of this folk art. We are puzzled by it's scarcity. Perhaps it is an acquired taste. Whatever the reason for the rarity, we find this form of art very peaceful and pleasing. Just wanted to share our pleasure with you.

We want to report on our transitional meeting that was held by our congregation on Sunday evening. Our transitional pastor gave his report. There were not too many surprises, as we had already surmised most of the issues. What was surprising was his take on what our congregation should consider to stem the tide of loosing our members. He insists that if we don't do something our congregation will die within the next few generations. What is his answer you ask? He thinks we ought to consider the megachurches and perhaps fashion our congregation to compete to keep our members. Up to this point we were with him in his evaluations. We are wondering if our small congregation has the resources, will power or the desire to compete. We feel that our congregation should be an alternative to these mega churches. We have some doubt also to his conclusion that we are a dying church. We feel that our Christian education emphasis will sustain us through the lean years. That is, if we keep this thrust. Our congregation also has a track record of service that is above normal for our size. That could be another continued vision that will sustain us. Some of our hope for a good outcome during this transition period has be dashed. Perhaps as we work through our issues this hope will be restored. We will see.

Here it is Sunday evening already. The weekend was spent with family members celebrating a retirement. Several thoughts came out of our time together. Our discussion touched on having a loved one in a nursing home.

Since the one retiring was a care giver in this type of setting, her suggestions are as follows. We have also included some additional thoughts and ideas gathered from our own life's experience.

1) Always attend the "Patient Care Meetings". These are regular scheduled meetings to go over with a staff person on how the loved one is doing. This can include discussions of, but is not limited to, medication changes and the expected results of these changes, as well as eating, sleeping, activities, physical changes such as weight gain or loss etc. Be sure to express any and all concerns you may have about the care your loved one is receiving. Document the questions and answers.

2) Make notes at these meetings to see later on if the staff follows through on decisions reached and agreed upon.

3) Be a "squeaky wheel" so to speak. As sad as this is, the truth of the matter is that sometimes to get the care you feel is the best, you need to be letting the staff know in a nice way that your loved one should be getting a higher level of attention.

4) Document! Document! Document! Write down observations of neglect including date and time, take pictures if necessary. Do surprise visits at odd times. Use your nose as an aid to help detect if your loved one's hygiene is being neglected. The facility itself should also have a non-offensive smell.

5) Don't neglect your responsibilities too. Visit as often as you can, bringing cheer and a smile. Bring snacks and treats for the staff. Be sure to celebrate mile stones your loved one reaches such as birthdays and celebrating holidays together whenever possible. You don't need to have a reason to bring a gift. Gifts can be fun anytime.

It is always difficult when circumstances make it impossible to care for those we love and a nursing facility is necessary. These thoughts and tips are shared with you to make that difficult time for you a little easier. Hope this helps.

Today we took a walk in a nearby state nature preserve. When our state was first settled about 90% of the land was forested. The woods we hiked in today is one of the largest and least-disturbed old-growth forest known to remain in our state. A 1.5 mile recycled-plastic lumber boardwalk allows visitors to enjoy the preserve without destroying the integrity of the old-growth forest.

We observed some wildlife today, like squirrels, chipmunks and even some deer. The weather was just perfect. A comfortable 75 degrees in the shade. A softly blowing breeze made our trek incredible. The deer siting made it very special. Fortunately, not many people took advantage of the lovely day, so the trails were mostly left to us. The stillness and the natural element had a calming effect.

The above photo is not from today's adventure. It is from a woods adjacent to a public garden not far from us. But it sends the same message of stillness and quietude that we experienced on our walk today.

To share or not to share

As promised, we want to give you a report on our first transitional meeting held last evening by our congregation. The meeting lasted the full 2 hours set aside for it, with no conclusion or decision as of yet.

The time was mostly spent airing opinions and brainstorming for solutions. Some strong feelings were expressed on both sides of the issue. Some new ideas emerged, as well. So, since our time was up, we tabled this until November's meeting.

Our next transitional meeting, held in October, will be a summary of our transitional pastor's report on the issues within our congregation. He has conducted interviews to comprise this report. He is calling this meeting a "watershed" event for our congregation. We are looking forward to this meeting.

We were amazed at how much fun our first meeting actually was for us. It is good to sit down together and discuss church with other members. Perhaps because the issue for this meeting was not a hot topic, the meeting was more enjoyable. We are sure that as this process moves forward into more sticky situations the meetings may be of a more serious nature.