God Provides ....

One of the problems with having to do all e-mail checking and blogging at the local library is that you don't have the proper time to mull over and critique your posts before publishing. Finally last evening a computer technician came out to install the new network card which had been UPS'd last week. It was something I certainly could have myself, but if I had done the installation, the warranty would have been voided. As it turned out, I couldn't have done it myself because the part sent wasn't a network card. They had sent a internal modem. Fortunately for me the computer technician had a brand new network card in his bag of tricks and installed it. Now we are up and running again.

Since I don't get the newspaper much, we don't watch TV, and radio stations with actual news on them are few out here, I really have been cut off for the past week. I did make sure nothing cataclysmic had happened by scanning the headlines of the newspapers whenever I stopped for gas. But it will take me a few days to catch up with all of st. blogs and the news - especially as things are busy here.

I appreciate the concerns expressed below (Alicia and William Luse) and elsewhere (Hallowed Ground) on our well-being. My comment on "taking stock" maybe was not well thought out. It is true that after a year at a new enterprise you should sit down and see where you are going. And it is certainly true that Catholic publishing is not a "get rich quick" business. It takes a long time to get established. One Catholic publisher I had consulted before starting our endeavor told me that my enterprise was "an act of madness" - and he is probably correct. However, we are having fun! Certainly, all prayers are welcome. And certainly the next few months will be critical. I have promised to blog about the "important book" which we are releasing at the end of May. I will say quite a bit about it in the next few weeks - but later. The success of this book and two more which should appear before the end of summer will be crucial to Requiem Press remaining viable. I am not worried - God will provide one way or the other. So pray, yes - I will never refuse prayers; be concerned no. God has blessed us abundantly. The clouds I mentioned in the post below are real - in that hard work, sacrifice, prayer, faith, and patience will be needed over the next months - but these are all things to embrace as gifts.

I mentioned some time ago that we were reading the story of the Trapp Family Singers out loud every night. (We have missed a week or so and must get back on track). Once, early in their singing career in the States, the Von Trapps had four months between concert series and only $50 to their name. They had seen some craft fairs in the area and decided to join in with some Austrian crafts and gifts. They made enough $$ to survive the four months without further debt. In this same spirit, the Curley's have decided to try a little crafting of our own. I, with the help of the boys, am going to make some toy wooden pistols and rifles (don't tell Amy Welborn - see her comments on the subject of toy weapons and boys here) . Mrs. Curley is going to make some "Roy Rogers" bandanas. We have made these as presents for our own kids in the past. In a couple weeks there is a craft show at the Camden Revolutionary War Park some 20 miles from here. It should be interesting, fun, and hard work for the whole family - both in the making and in the selling. [If we have surplus at the end of the day, I will post some pictures and offer them to y'all at a discount. ]

Finally, before signing off, chicken production (eggs) is not quite back to normal, but about 80% there. We haven't eaten any chickens in a while. But I have feeling this will change this weekend. A couple friends will be coming over to our place for a May Crowning of our Blessed Mother. I think we will kill the "fatted chickens" for the occasion.

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!