life at the lake

Here is our new BEACH BIRD quietly guarding the bright pink cone flowers, the yard and the lake!! It was a gift from DAD at a family birthday party this summer. (Thanks Dad and for the family history this week!)

The Pink Coneflowers in the summer photo are a favorite and remind me of Nye and Garnett in Lincoln too ....... and Nye's upcoming birthday being "in the nineties" age bracket this week!

They have tons of Pink Coneflowers in their great backyard sunroom and retreat garden in Lincoln, NE. I send them both my love, best wishes and good karma for a good birthday this week and celebrating one more year on the planet! And for making the planet a better place for everyone too as they do! Their lives are like the pink sunny Coneflowers that bring joy and peace to many of us as they have become role models and friends for many of us showing their pink blossoms of creativity in drama, puppets, laughter, sharing stories, writing and honest living -- and their strong faith and peace through their growing garden of flowers, faith, justice and friends.

And it is very hot at the lake with high humidity and warm days in Nebraska (i keep wondering if it is cooler up in North Dakota where I began my life and places like Lake Metigoshe way up north or in lakes in Northern Minnesota or Canada like Whiteshell Lake.

My flowers are requiring more watering and attention....... my garden is still evolving with the tomatoes stretching and growing along with happy peppers. The many little bunnies are enjoying eating some of my bushes and plants. I prefer them to pets that one has in your house; as they enjoy the outdoors and scurry around.

The ducks are having babies at the lake...... my neighbor has a mother duck sitting on ten eggs under her front busy for many days..... guessing they are gone now from under the bush and enjoying swimming about the lake -- and August days are here with temps predicted in the high nineties and 100 Sunday.

It is time for some watering of plants -- after two days in lovely LINCOLN with friends regrouping, visiting favorite places, people and finding new music at HOMERS -- and enjoying lively, honest conversations that encouraging healing of my mind and renewing of my spirit. Going with my son is always fun as he visits UNL and East Campus libraries for research and his friends as well from UNL days.

Now it is time for some resting, some reading and some sweet corn from the farmer's market in town or St Libory nearby. It is time to calm down from a busy summer and swim along quietly like the ducks who are enjoying the lake with their new young families -- and time to look for a swimming pool myself or wade in the lake water!

We have family here a few more days and what a good thing our families are as they remind us of who we really are and they help us to slow life down with their visits.

Happy August everyone and I hope the TUMC Talent show goes well sunday at church..... it is our first one that we have organized so anything could happen but very informal. We hope it is fun for everyone, allows folks to share talents without judges like the TV American Idol shows....... and we hope it builds "community" and allows for some laughter on a hot* summer day!! *it is 100 degrees now on our thermometer in Grand Island!

We hope that the new Beach Bird enjoys its new spot after leaving Sundance Seed and Feed (by the label marking it and a fav store in town locally owned which is sadly going out of business ---too many big box stores in GI in my opinion --- and a good reason to support locally owned stores in our towns) ........to find a new place to live at the lake by the PINK CONEFLOWERS!