Preparations by Susan L.

  I am so excited about having my grandchildren come camping at my place this weekend! It'll be nice to see their mom and dad too! I've weeded, primped and pruned the flower beds. The patio is trimmed of its intrusive growth and swept clean. The outside chairs have been scrubbed. The vacuuming and dusting is done. Except for some last minute tidying and getting groceries in, I am all ready.
  It had sort of gotten away from me. Feeling so overwhelmed for so long and then hurting my back meant the gardens were rather weed infested. We've had a perfect amount of rain so they've thrived. So have the flowers. Gardens planted five years ago have matured and are nicely filled in. I may even have to do some dividing in the spring.
  My favorite, Black-Eyed Susans, are about to erupt in bloom. The purple Bee Balm has and attracts humming birds which are always a treat to see.
  A frog has moved in to the pond. Something that has become a bit of a summer tradition. It has me wondering if it's the same one year after year. It's pretty big. How long does a frog live anyways?
  My folks are coming up on Sunday as well. They haven't seen their great-grandchildren for a while. Or me for that matter. The plan is, pray the weather is good, to have a barbeque, bonfire and a good time. I've got plenty of scrap wood and branches to burn. I might even burn some weeds in the daytime simply to keep the mosquitoes away with smoke. We need a heat wave to get rid of the suckers. That simply hasn't happened yet which is rather unusual.
  As an observation, I can tell my meds are working. A short while ago, just the thought of having company would have had me extremely anxious. Never mind all the prep. I'm not. Is it ever nice! Thank You Lord, for creating the people who created these helpful treatments.
  "Oh, give thanks to the God of Heaven! For His mercy endures forever." Ps 136:26