Summer progress and fall outlook

House and horse and church activities and friends and writing and reading and watching TV programs and DVDS - these are all part of my life right now.

Abra is always a priority. I look forward to the fall when it will be cooler and so does she. I always ride early in the morning and sometimes it is cooler then.

In the house I have had some regular maintenance done. I am changing my fireplace to gas so I had various things to organize about this. The actual change will not happen for a few months but that is alright because I do not need it before then.

I want to do a bit of painting of some old wooden furniture - but that will wait until it is cooler.

Altar Guild duties go on all the time and there are so few of us at the moment - only 6 people. I am trying to help out as much as I can with different special events - like what is needed for weddings and changing of liturgical colours. The head of the Altar Guild has some major health challenges in her immediate family and that is just starting.

Flowers and candles need ongoing attention.

Committees will start again in September - Worship Committee and Parish Council. I go again to the Diocesan Synod in October.

I did get into the church library - I have not done much in the last year or so. I have disposed of some unwanted books and I am getting ready to reorganize what is there.

I have on my calendar a weekend at the convent in Toronto. It will be a retreat on Henri Nouwen. I hope to take a friend with me.

I have signed up for a day long workshop at St. John’s also on Henri Nouwen and his images of death. I think I have written more than once on this blog about friends dying. There were another young man - a church acquaintance - who died of a stroke. He was 43.

I am preparing for a workshop presentation to the parish Women’s Renewal Weekend in mid September. It is on journaling. I am having fun getting ready for this. It is a 1 ½ hour workshop and it is taking some planning.

I will be around home at Thanksgiving. At some time my sister will come for a visit from Vancouver.

It makes me tired just reading all of this!! How did I find time to work?