A QUIET NIGHT IN THE MIDWEST

It's a quiet night here in the Midwest, at least my part of the Midwest.  The temperature is about 72 and its about 2100 hours. That 9:00PM for those of you in Loma Linda. I'm sitting on the patio!  Even though it's that late with my Citronella candle Gretchen made I can fight off the mosquitoes and type by laptop light.  I have about 95 percent cloud cover but the moon just shined/shone (?) through a break in the clouds.  I never quite understood that whole moon, sun, axis, rotation, revolving thing.  Then it's not up to me to figure it out.  It's up to me to just accept what God has created.

Out here in the hinter lands, as I like to call it you can actually see the stars at night.  You can see the field mouse that just ran across the patio to get to the rabbit hutch so he could chow down on some spilled rabbit food.  Those boys are so sloppy.  Stormin' Norman and Dirty Joe I mean.  I guess they can afford to give a little to the field mice population as they both are fat and need to get some exercise, like me.
There is a main highway a mile from here and I can hear the cars going up and down the road.  Where they are going I don't care.  To me it doesn't really matter.  So long as they get there safely. That's what country living is all about.  Peace and quiet, field mice, gardens, and good neighbors.  I have one.

We've had a little rain in this neck of the woods lately and I am a little behind in my gardening.  In fact I have the raise beds planted but the regular garden wasn't tilled until Thursday night.  My neighbor, I'll call him Cliff, 'cause that's his name saw me working in the raise beds.  He and Kody, the 140 lb Lab strolled over and in the course of conversation asked if he could till my garden for me.  I begged off a little and he said go mark it off.  I marked off the space I was going to till later this week and by the time I did that Cliff was back with his big tractor.  About 15 minutes, 6 or 8 trips up and back and the garden was tilled.  No charge.  Now that's what I call right neighborly.  I will go down to the barn and get his diesel gas can and fill it up for him next week but what a small price to pay. 
 
OUCH,  mosquito got me! Gonna have to talk with Gretchen about  a little more Citonella in those candles when I see her the next time.

Now as I was saying.  What a small price to pay.  This is the way it was when I was a kid and this is the way it still should be.  I know I am not the only one with a good neighbor but I have to think.  Have I been a good neighbor?  Have I gone the extra mile for someone lately? Am I doing what I was put on this Earth for? I tell you folks I think I have.  Having said that I wonder. Yes, I know I am preaching and it's not even Sunday.  It is however, the Sabbath for a lot of folks.  Now I am really wondering.  Could this be my Grandma Smyers or Great Grandma Stienbrook giving me a little Hebrew guidance lesson tonight.  Now I am really wondering.

Wow, a big break in the clouds and it appears we have a slightly over a half of a moon tonight and a lot of stars.  Now that in its self is not exciting however,  I love that word.  It means I can go on and on and on, and I believe I will.  Quick story about my son, Jacob.

Now you may not believe this but Jacob was not always a good child.  There was a time in his life and mine when I wonder if the phone call would be him needing a doctor or an attorney.  He/we did have our moments as he was maturing.  Well to the meat of this story.  We were sitting out here on this very same patio one night just like tonight.  We were solving all the world's problems and a few of our own.  It was a good evening for me and I believe for him.  We just sat here looking at the moon and stars and he ask me, "Pops, you know what I always wondered about?"  l replied, with a somewhat anxious answer, "No, what?"  "What do you think is on the other side of the farthest  star out there?  Not the farthest one we can see but the farthest one, the very last one."  Needless to say I didn't have an answer.  We talked some more and then went into the house.  I have thought about it from time to time and come to this conclusion.  What's on the other side of the farthest star out there is not really important to me.  What was/is important is and I do believe that was the night Jacob came to the conclusion God is real and we just have to accept certain things as part of the plan.  It wasn't shortly after that evening he enlisted in the ARMY.  I believe I  now know why.


It's been a good week for me as my granddaughter, Tauri Rebecca turned 6 and her daddy, Aaron, the elder, turned 39.  It's hard to believe he has had that many birthdays.  He must be getting old!  Tauri is one of grandpa's girls.  I have two others not counting Sarah, my daughter.  Lacy and Eden are 3 and 5.  None of them, I might add are spoiled. Heh  Heh.

Memorial Day is next weekend so how about a Thank you this week to every veteran and military person you see.

Shalom and G-d Bless!
Pops