En Garde!

Gayle has been getting up just after 5 AM lately to do some power walking before school. It's dark yet, so she's been walking on the sidewalks lit by the street lights in our neighborhood. And yes, she's careful. I'm still abed, catching my last few winks until the alarm goes off again and I get up just before 6 AM. Gayle picks up the paper from the driveway as she comes back in the house and quietly begins her breakfast. A couple of days ago Gayle came back after her walk; the kitchen was still rather dark -- she was being kind to her sleeping husband. And...spotted a roach on the kitchen table. The only weapon at hand was in her hand, so she whacked it mightily with the morning paper. When Gayle turned up the lights in the kitchen, she saw that she had killed a raisin. I had grabbed a handful of raisins as a late night snack and had dropped one on the table. So Gayle beat the snot out of an already dead grape, and didn't even get a drop of juice for the effort. But she was able to pick it up and put it in the garbage.

Growth

This past Saturday Gayle and I trimmed the hibiscus and bougainvillea next to the back of the house in between the rain showers. That got me thinking about the way things looked just a year ago when we re-worked the backyard triangle between the house and the waterway. Just look at the difference a year makes! Gotta love that Florida growing season...all 12 months!
In related news, we had our particularization service for Conway Community Presbyterian Church last night. After more than three years as a mission of the Central Florida Presbytery, we have become a bona fide church in the PCA. We have about 50 charter members - those who have gone through the new member classes - and about 18 baptized children. We also have around 40 regular attenders, so that makes for a good fellowship on Sundays. We had a number of guests from other area PCA churches at Sunday evening's service. There were three pastors and four ruling elders present who constituted the commission for particularization. In addition to the regular service, we had a vote by the charter members to call Don Bailey as our teaching elder, and a vote to accept another man and me as the initial ruling elders. Don and I were installed (I am already a RE in the PCA from a term in Ft. Myers) and Brian, my fellow RE, was ordained. A charge was given to Don, Brian, and me for our work with the members, and the charge was also given to the congregation. We had a fellowship time after the service. It was a thoroughly delightful time!
I'm going to my first Presbytery meeting with Don next Monday; I'm taking a personal day from school. There are about 35 churches in the Central Florida Presbytery, from Dunellon, Ocala, and Lecanto in the west to Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and Vero Beach on the east...and many points in between. We're meeting in Longwood, about 15 miles north of Conway, so that should be an easy ride. We will have our organizational Session meeting next week also. And then the work really begins...

Good Times

We had supper with Tim & Pat Tuesday evening. They were here in Orlando enjoying the largesse of Tim's employer's house in Keene's Point Golden Bear Club south of Windermere. It was good to see and visit with them again. Apparently Tim was overwhelmed to see us...
Saturday we took friend Meg Givens from church to Sarasota -- she had never been there before, and we wanted to let her see some possibilities for her yard. We left at 7 AM and got to Tropiflora around 9:15. Tropiflora had their annual plant sale and we spent two wonderful hours perusing the plants and enjoying the festivities. I had a large gift certificate from last year's 5th graders, and I was able to put a good dent in it by the end of the morning. GB got a neoregelia and a wonderful little pitcher plant for her desk at school. We also found a Tiger Boston Fern; it has a variegated leaf pattern that is marvelous! I found a couple of aechmeas, two cryptanthus, and a little billbergia that were new to our house.
After lunch we drove a few minutes to Marie Selby Gardens. The orchids were as marvelous as ever, and the gardens were magnificent. We came back to Orlando by way of Longboat Key. I don't think there is a more beautiful body of water than Sarasota Bay. I love the green color. We got home around supper time, grateful for safe travel and fun times.

On the left is theobroma, my favorite food group...a cacao tree loaded with blossoms & a seed pod.

Some of the banyan trees were really aggressive!

Quiz of the day: Do you recognize the fruit of the bush on the left? A preparation of the fruit is a favorite of the couple on the right!