My dear friends and family. It is hard to rejoice in the face of the rising Mississippi, tornados in Alabama, and general spring havoc that Mother Nature is dumping on the United States… … but rejoice we must with the knowledge that we learned from our mothers who sang to us, "Jesus loves me this I know.. for the Bible tells me so." Do you remember that song from when you were little? I was discussing this today with someone… We just have to rejoice for we are blessed to be loved by God, to be Americans, to be protected by Navy Seals… and you fill in what else we have to be thankful for. Chuck and I are on Big Pine Key for the week. We have to keep "the big house" clean in case a prospective buyer wants to look at it, and we are working on Aunt Trudy’s house to make it our own. Today, we donated a great deal of Aunt Trudy’s furniture to a wonderful family who needs help in an empty home. They helped Trudy a lot in life, and we are returning the gift. Actually, they came today and carried out a lot of very heavy stuff (we’re on the second floor of a raised home) and they will also take the kitchen cupboards and some other heavy stuff that we were going to have to dispose of as we will be renovating and bringing Trudy’s home into the 21st century. I am responsible for keeping Loretta’s driveway clear of weeds (this is the big house that is for sale), I’m supposed to be painting the railings a bright clean white and painting some spots inside the big house.  I am also clearing Trudy’s area along the water so we can build a dock. It is a lot of work in very hot weather. We have hired a team of men to fix the crumbling tie beam that holds up Trudy’s house (in the Keys… concrete used to be mixed with salt water which eventually rusted the rebar and swelled the concrete – hense the crumbling). When the house is strengthened, we will renovate the upstairs. I enjoy being here in the keys; I go to daily Mass at St Peters and today I was a lector. It was the very important reading in Acts of the Apostles where Saul is headed to Damascus all full of evil to kill some Christians. Jesus knocks him off his (high) horse and asks him "Why are you persecuting me?" I was reading and here comes Father Tony’s dog with the morning newspaper. The dog (named Scratch) walked up to the visiting priest and looked at him and then took off to find someone in the pews whom he knew. I meanwhile am reading and trying not to be distracted, and not to laugh. This is a big yellow lab named "Scratch" (as in golf) marching up in the middle of the epistle reading with a newspaper … So I said later to the visiting priest…  "Scratch brought the good news."  Have to laugh.   I know I haven’t mentioned Chuck too much… He’s still tired a lot but his mind is good while mine seems to be going to the farm. He sleeps very well, but gets up at 6:30am disturbing me something fierce as who in heaven’s name gets up at 6:30am?? Life is interesting… and I invite you to come to Big Pine, go for a walk with Chuck, and enjoy the constant sunshine and the amazing life we have here. God bless you. Sue
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