Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

  September 5th was the anniversary of my mother's death - or as she would have said her entry into larger life, on the brighter side of death. She died in 2020, just a few weeks shy of her 98th birthday. A long-time choir director, she knew The Hymnal 1940  backwards and forwards and had an excellent grasp as well of The Hymnal 1982 . And so, this morning, when the radio program With Heart and Voice  played this hymn, I immediately thought of her, because when she was quite old and often feeling weak, she told me that its third verse was a comfort and encouragement! The hymn is #541 in The Hymnal 1982 , but in case you don't have that book at hand, here are the words, written by Jane Borthwick (1813-1897): Come, labor on. Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain, while all around us waves the golden grain? And to each servant does the Master say, "Go work today." Come, labor on. The enemy is watching night and day, to sow the tares, to snatch the seed away; while we...

No doubt, when people mention Fall colors they are usually thinking of yellow, red, orange, and even brown. But here on the Eastern shore we might also think white! Sweet Autumn Clematis often takes over everything. Non-native and invasive, it grows everywhere - yes, it is beautiful . . . and you can spend hours cutting and pulling it down (I do that every Autumn) only to have it return the following Spring. It has totally taken over in my wildflower area, so we'll probably mow that area next year. In the meantime, as I said, it is beautiful!  

And this cat is Fergus! He is very feral but knows when he shows up that I'll feed him. He sometimes stays under the building next door and at other times disappears for days or even weeks at a time. I named him Fergus because it means the strong one and also because in my Ancestry searches, I am trying to find information on one of my third great-grandfathers. I know for sure that he existed (I'm here!) and he's named in family history books, but there is little other proof. He was born in/about 1785 in Pennsylvania . . . no good birth records there. And I believe he died in 1812 - no good records there either and no grave.  To those who love puns, yes, I realize that Furgus might be a better spelling for a cat name, but for now I'm sticking with Fergus!  

Janie Blue and I visited the vet today for her updated blood work. She really likes Dr. Spofford and waited eagerly for him to come back into the room.  She is still heartworm positive, but all of her other blood tests were normal. Because of her age (9 or 10 years old), the vet will spay her tomorrow. If you're into praying for dogs and their doctors, please remember Janie Blue and Dr. Spofford tomorrow! Thanks. 💙  

 The first Sulphur Cosmos bloom! The weather here is still warm and humid, but now we know for sure that Autumn is just around the corner. Hope you are having a beautiful Sunday!

Sadly, my good friend and fellow rescuer, Patty, will be having some extended medical treatment, so we agreed to help by taking her five parakeets. They arrived yesterday and are making a good adjustment to their new home.  The dogs supervised their arrival with much interest and barking but have since seemed to ignore them completely! When the dogs bark, the parakeets chirp - when the dogs are quiet, everyone is quiet. But never a dull moment . . .!