Our neighbor Art usually gets up around 4:30, same as Mike. He has agreed to come help Mike while I'm gone. He has 2 dogs, too, Paden and Sophie. Paden drank some cleaning solution this weekend and almost died, but the vet was able to save him. He was back to normal this morning. I just hope Mike and Gus and Jay-Jay don't expect me to be getting up before 7 when I return. They did get me up at 6:05 this morning. Gus let me know with a very urgent sounding whine that he needed to go out.

I'm packed and ready to go, just have laundry to do today and a couple of other little chores, then Mike will be set for the week, too. I'm leaving a couple of my unwashed tee shirts for the dogs so they will have my scent to snuggle with. That always helps when I board them. There are no thunderstorms predicted for the next 10 days, so they should be fine.

Mother has a doctor's appointment this morning that I need to cancel. Since she can't get in my car and the nursing home will not take her, she will not be seeing the surgeon for her follow-up visit unless he comes to her. Dr. Krooss makes regular rounds at the nursing home and can make sure her wound is healing ok. I also need to let them know to call Paul while I'm out of town, in case of another emergency.

Pat and I are meeting at the airport tomorrow afternoon around 2:00. I still have not talked to her on the phone, but email works so much better for me. I don't have to try to remember what was said, just re-read the messages.

I was reminded by one of my Bible readings this morning of a discussion I had recently with a friend about a mutual friend of ours. Matthew 7:16-20 says

16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Our friend's fruit was consistently good and plentiful, we, therefore, have no reason to believe he would produce evil fruit. No one is perfect, that's true, but look at the fruit, how much there was of it, and how very good it was. I'm sorry I ever considered ill of him. Judge the tree by the fruit, Cathy, I have to remember this.