Monday morning...

Some of the kids have been fighting a minor bug the last few days, so Sunday morning I decided I would let them sleep in a bit (Mass is at 11:30) and do their 'animal' chores: feed and water the dogs, chickens, rabbits, and gather eggs. I very seldom if ever do any of these chores. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

A flock of geese circled over our house and the neighboring cornfield several times before landing next to the cornfield. A hen escaped the coop while I was feeding them and I chased her down. I carefully picked through eggs, (the hens are setting on some eggs which we marked, but the others keep laying in the same bin), for the unmarked eggs.

All in all, it was a peaceful and relaxing 30-40 minutes. I enjoy this work - yet I hardly ever do it. I sit in my office and see Mrs. Curley and kids working our garden, raising the animals - and it was I who wanted to be the farmer. Ah .............

Saturday morning wasn't so peaceful. I woke up with the alarm that only 1 of our dogs (of 4) was in the pen-(a goat pen we inherited with the property keeps the dogs). The back gate was wide open and the dogs gone. Who knows how long they had been missing. My greatest concern was that Challenger (see here) would get himself shot by one of the neighbors who keep poultry. Mrs. Curley was convinced they were gone forever. They older boys were walking around sorrowfully - sometimes you could catch one on his knees praying for canine return. Myself - I was confident (unless shot) that they would return. But, as much as I like our dogs, I also realize that 4 dogs are 2 or 3 too many. Unfortunately my favorites had taken off. Well... they did return; wet, exhausted and (it looked) penitent. But half of Saturday had been shot looking for them and trying to determine how they had opened the back gate.

We heard from our oldest daughter, who, as you know, is here . She is doing well - when not burning brownies in the convent kitchen or getting the schedule mixed up. It was good to hear her voice and know she is happy.

From Bethany, the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!