2008-07-31

After Morning Offering I spent the morning writing a nice, long letter to Mom DeWitt, who is now living in Shelbyville, where her daughter and granddaughter live. I used to visit her fairly regularly, but in the last couple of years, I have found it a punishing trip, because of the length of time I must spend walking and sitting in uncomfortable chairs. So she is one of the very few people whom I still sit down and write, from time to time – probably twice a year, during Great Office Clean-ups such as this one. I was married to her son from 1964 to 1968. I got custody of Mom! Truly, she is the most motherly and loving Mom I have ever had.

In the afternoon, I started slogging through the reading Talitha left for me last June. She, being an M.D., wanted me to take a good look at the prescriptions I take, their side effects and potential problems. It is good work and good information, but as I worked, I could see why I kept putting this task off. I know how I got each of these medicines prescribed and remember well the symptoms they are designed to quash. They do that job. But yow! Looking at the side effects makes me wish that I needed no symptoms alleviated! Once I get this list completed, I will have a good basis for talking to my family doctor about finding alternative medicines with fewer side effects.

It rained hard overnight and this morning, so Gary and Mick ganged up on Jim’s Lawn Service’s customers in the afternoon. They were successful in getting all his customers mowed. Jim was elated! He spent his morning doing maintenance and never lost a minute of time, getting weekend jobs done while he outwaited the rain. I was supposed to go up to Avalon today to keep watch while Mel works on the steepest parts of the access road with the big tractor, but that also was a rain-out. I will try again tomorrow.

After our bath, Mick and I had a lovely frolic in the fields of the Lord and then I slept for a while before Mick woke me to come downstairs and have some dinner. When I came through the downstairs office I noticed that Gary had managed to get to the task of photocopying Maria R’s children’s hymns for me. I know she’ll be glad to get them. Mick offered the prayer at the close of the Gaia Meditation tonight.