ArchiveSeptember 2008 Shared Life
of Old First Presbyterian Church ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Terry Stumpf Preaches August 31
Our guest preacher on Sunday, August 31, will be Terry Stumpf, Director of the Center for Whole
Health at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Terry is a member of Old First and a graduate of McCormick
Theological Seminary. He is a member of San Francisco Presbytery and an inquirer in the ordination process
under care of Old First. (See Terry’s letter on page 8.)
Church Town Hall Meeting August 31
After worship on Sunday, August 31, there will be a Church Town Hall Meeting to hear more and ask
questions about the “Bricks and Sound” campaign (see article on page 6) to finance structural work on the building and a new sound system.
San Francisco Presbytery Meets at Old First September 9
If you’ve never been to a Presbytery meeting, this is your chance to see our polity in action. Any Presbyterian who is a member of the San Francisco Presbytery is eligible to attend as a visitor.
In this case, please consider attending as a volunteer. There are lots of tasks necessary to
put on a meeting of 150-200 commissioners and visitors especially since the meeting includes dinner and a worship service. See Marne Krozek at Coffee Hour for volunteer opportunities.
The meeting will start around noon and go until about 9:30 pm. Registration time
will include snacks, the afternoon will feature all manner of reports, and dinner is scheduled for 6:00
pm. The worship service at 7:30 pm will last about an hour, followed by the business portion of the
meeting.
September 21 Southern Lunch to Celebrate Maggi’s First Year
“Bless Your Heart, Miz Maggilu” is the theme of an after-worship lunch on Sunday, September
21. To celebrate Maggi Henderson’s first year as our pastor, we will throw her an authentic Southern lunch and maybe ease her culture shock in this chilly city. It will probably turn out to be the same kind of shameless
wallow in down-home food and fun as the various Old South Dinners we’ve had over the years; when our contingent of unreconstructed Southerners reverts to their roots, anything can happen.
Look for the signup table at Coffee Hour. If you don’t cook Southern, just take something good
and put sugar or grease in it. If you don’t cook at all, you can chip in $6.00 for the barbecued ribs.
Sept 24 Appointments Available for Church Directory Photos
The September 4 and 18 appointments to be photographed for our new church directory are all
booked up, but there are still some openings on Wednesday, September 24, between 2:00 and 8:20 pm. Each appointment will be about 10 minutes for the actual photography, then another 20 or so to choose the shot you prefer and, if you wish, to order prints for your own use. To sign up, look for Jim Wilson at Coffee Hour or
e-mail rosemarybledsoe@comcast.net.
Dear Congregation,
As I write this letter I realize I am coming up on my one year anniversary of being your pastor. I am still so thankful that God has called us together in ministry. In some ways it seems like time has passed so quickly and in others ways it seems like I have been here longer than 364 days! There is a bit of peace about having a year behind me and being able to plan ahead using that experience. For example, in the last few days Old First members have gotten together to plan for Advent and have begun working on this year’s annual stewardship season.
It seems that July-September is the season of weddings at OFPC. I could not have imagined a year ago that many of those marriages would celebrate the unions of same-sex couples. As I expect you may know by now, the Session, after a two month period of discussion, prayer and reflection, decided that “The Session authorizes Pastor Maggi Henderson to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies, and will consider requests for use of the sanctuary for these ceremonies, under the California Supreme Court ruling of May 15, 2008. These services will include pastoral and congregational celebrations and blessings following guidelines in the July 3, 2008 letter from Stephen Taber, Esq.” (A copy of the letter can be obtained through the church office or from the Clerk of Session Jeanne Kirkwood.)
My joy is that I get I get to provide pastoral care in being the minister in marriage ceremonies for all our members. I have been reflecting on what makes a wedding, a wedding. What is the difference between a ceremony at city hall or a park and a service in church, in a sanctuary?
Marriage means that you have found someone that you will plan to live with, grow with, love till the end your days. It is an awesome and maybe a bit of a crazy act. The 1986 Presbyterian Wedding Service vows are “I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful partner (2008 translation), in plenty and want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.” To say such words, to believe such words, to live into such words, I truly believe is impossible without the witness, strength, and help of God. At a marriage ceremony we ask for the help and strength of God and that our church community, family, and friends to support the marriage.
So what is the difference in same-sex marriages and traditional marriages? Well, now I get say the word “partner” and not simply “husband and wife”. In the sanctuary I will first perform the civil marriage which the State of California has given me the authority do, and then I will bless the union that the state has given me the right to perform.
But in so many ways it is the same: a marriage is a time of celebration, a time of thanksgiving, a time of saying “how can I do this and with God’s help I will!” It is a radical act which affirms the presence of our loving God here in our lives now and trusting in this God all the days of our lives.
Amen and Amen.
Pastor Maggi
June 28, 2008
To Presbyterian Church (USA) Congregations
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The 218th General Assembly adjourned just a few short hours ago. Even now, 973 commissioners and
advisory delegates are making their way back home from San Jose, CA, where they worshipped daily, dis-
cussed and debated overtures, and celebrated the countless ways Presbyterians are engaged in ministry near
and very far away — all with a focus on discerning the mind of Christ for the Presbyterian Church (USA) and seeking ways to live out this assembly’s theme, “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God”.
Beginning today and continuing over the next two years, elected commissioners will be about the task
of interpreting the actions they took at this assembly. Already, their decisions have been broadcast across
the church and, in this Internet world — with information received in real time, live blogs, and more — many
people have already weighed in on the assembly’s actions, sharing their thoughts and feelings about the
implications of those decisions on our life together in the PC(USA).
The assembly dealt with well over 400 business items. Some items had undivided agreement,
including a covenant to join together to carry out mission together and a churchwide commitment to “Grow
God’s Church Deep and Wide.” There was an action to continue to study a revised Form of Government,
and one committee devoted its time entirely to youth issues. In addition, we continued our longstanding work
toward peace in the Middle East. More information on these and other actions will be coming soon.
A few of the many assembly actions will make, or already have made, headlines across the country.
Most likely, you will read about the actions from a number of sources over the next many days and weeks, but
we want you to hear about this important gathering directly from the General Assembly. That is why we are
writing this letter to you.
Perhaps the subject that will make the most headlines has to do with the ordination standards of our church. It is a subject with which Presbyterians are familiar and one that tends to evoke great debates and deep emotions. With that in mind, we want you to know what the assembly did — in the actual wording — in regard
to ordination standards, and what will happen next.
• By a 54% to 46% margin, the assembly voted to propose an amendment to our Book of Order to
change one of our current ordination standards. The change is to replace the current language that says
officers of the church must live by “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman
or chastity in singleness.” (G-6.0106b) to this new language: Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge them-
selves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through
the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to
adhere to these standards.
• By a 53% to 47% vote, the assembly adopted a new Authoritative Interpretation (AI) on G-6.0106b:
Interpretative statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190th General
Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and the 119th General
Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and all subsequent affirmations thereof,
have no further force or effect.
• By a 54% to 46% vote, the assembly adopted a new AI on G.60108 which restores the intent of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity an d Purity of the Church report (2006) to allow someone who is being considered for ordination or installation as a deacon, elder or minister to register a conscientious objection to the standards or beliefs of the church and ask the ordaining body to enter into a conversation with them to determine the seriousness of the departure.
• The assembly left unchanged the definition of marriage found in the Directory of Worship
(W-4.9000) — “a civil contract between a woman and a man.”
By its actions, the assembly has initiated a new opportunity to focus ordination on primary allegiance and obedience to Jesus Christ, as well as to Scripture and the church’s confessions. The assembly places the responsibility onto sessions and presbyteries for discerning a candidate’s fitness for ordination.
In all of this, it is important to note that the assembly has not removed the church’s standard of
“fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness.” For the proposed change — making obedience to Christ the ordination standard — to become part of the Book of Order, a majority of presbyteries will need to ratify it
over the next year.
We know the assembly actions may do little to ease the anxiety that seems to permeate our life together as a denomination. The debate isn’t new and the future holds difficult challenges. As the Rev. Dan Holloway, moderator of the committee that took up the ordination standards, said, “As we move forward, it is essential that we have conversations that are gracious and loving and welcoming, since we are not all of one mind.” Our hope is that none of us will act or react immediately to the decisions, choosing instead to pray and talk with one another about these issues.
During the question-and-answer time for the Stated Clerk election on Friday morning, now Stated Clerk-elect Gradye Parsons spoke of the story of Jesus being in the boat with his disciples in the middle of the lake when a storm arose (Luke 8). If fear could have capsized their boat, the disciples would have found themselves working hard to tread water in the midst of the wind and waves. Yet, Jesus calmed the storm and proceeded to question them about their faith.
Like the disciples, we, the PC(USA), are in the boat together, sometimes not altogether sure where we are headed. We see the storm approaching and our fears rise with the waves. Yet, as he was with the dsciples, so, too, is Christ in our midst — calming the wind, settling the waves — being present and guiding us as we proceed ahead.
Gradye offered the following mantra as a summary of the Luke story: “Get into the boat. Go
across the lake. There will be a storm. You will not die.”
As we move forward from this assembly, we know that storms may come, but we put our confidence and trust in the one who both calms the storms and leads us into God’s future with hope.
(signed)
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly
Elder Linda Bryant Valentine, Executive Director, General Assembly Council
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
September 7 – Name Tag Sunday
Be sure to wear your name tag -- and note the names of people you haven’t seen all summer.
Celebration Sunday – September 7
September 7 kicks off the new Sunday School fall quarter, beginning at 9:30 am with Children’s Choir
with Britt LaGatta in the Fellowship Hall. Parents are invited to gather for coffee in Room B while children are
in choir and the 10:30 am class in the Children’s Room.
The worship service will begin at 11:00 with the children’s procession, and students and teachers will be
commissioned during the service. The youngsters will be back downstairs around 11:25 am for craft activities
and snacks.
For more information about church school plans through the Christmas season, contact Nancy Holve,
nancy@oldfirst.org.
Keep Celebrating with a Sundae – September 7
Right after worship, the Deacons will have one of their famous Ice Cream Socials in the Fellowship Hall. Inflation has not touched our “dessert before lunch” tradition -- $3.00 still covers all-you–can-eat ice cream toppings
and baked goodies. The Deacons will gratefully accept any and all cookies, cakes and/or toppings, and all proceeds
will be donated to a youth-oriented charity.
Clerk’s Corner – Report on July 22, 2008 Session meeting
Jeanne Kirkwood, Clerk of Session
Usually Session omits one meeting during the summer; however, due to important and time-sensitive issues,
we agreed to meet both in July and August. The two action items for July were:
1) Discussion of the schedule of physical building maintenance and repair items which must be dealt with. Operations Committee presented the following motion:
RESOLVED, that a minor capital campaign be initiated to raise funds for a new sanctuary sound system
and for the repair of bricks and rusted steel columns on the East side of the building, with a goal of raising
$100,000. The campaign will commence on August 3 and be completed by October 1 with payments to be made by March 31, 2009.
2) Discussion of recent California Supreme Court decision declaring prohibition of same-sex
marriages to be unconstitutional. Steve Taber presented a lengthy and technically researched opinion as to the
viability of incorporating same-sex marriages into our repertoire of celebrations. Both the Associate Stated Clerk of
the General Assembly and the Stated Clerk of San Francisco Presbytery have found his conclusions valid. Pastor
Maggi stated that this is a way for us to show love and support for members who are making a serious commitment,
and all her usual pre-marital procedures would remain in place – counseling, etc. We thoroughly discussed this
concept and then Pam Byers presented the following motion:
The Session authorizes Pastor Maggi Henderson to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies, and will consider requests for use of the sanctuary for these ceremonies, under the California Supreme Court ruling of May 15, 2008. These services will include pastoral and congregational celebrations and blessings following guidelines in the July 3, 2008 letter from Stephen Taber, Esq.
Bricks and Sound
Repairing Our Church to Advance Our Mission
Old First Presbyterian Church is a busy place! We worship together. We study together. We have parties. We help others in our neighborhood through the Welcome Ministry and the Doris Krauss Senior Center. Our Old First Concerts program presents more than 60 concerts a year. Most of these activities take place in our church building constructed in 1912. Nearing its 100th birthday, the building’s steel frame is showing signs of rust and is in need of repair.
The Operations Committee noted cracks in the bricks near the Sacramento Street East door. On further investigation it was found that a 54-foot-long vertical crack has developed in the bricks which cover the outside of a 60-foot vertical steel column. The cause of this crack is a 1/8 inch thick surface of rust all along the outer side of the column, pushing out on the bricks. This rust is caused by moisture slowly getting through the bricks and reacting with the steel, causing rust to develop on just the outside of this column. Inspections all around the building, both inside and outside, have found no other indication of rust on the steel frame, except for a short section of a column on the southeast corner. We could caulk and waterproof the cracks and brick, but the rust would continue, eventually compromising the strength of the columns. The long-term solution is to remove the brick in front of this column (several layers), grind off all the rust, paint the column with rust inhibitor and replace bricks with extra waterproofing. This solution will last another 100 years.
We have a bid to do this work for a total price not to exceed $48,000. The work would be done mid- September to mid-October (before the rainy season), during which time there would be a scaffold along the northeast corner. Delaying the work would increase the price and increase the rust.
The crack on the southeast corner would probably be repaired from ladders on the lower roof. Less rust was found on the surface there. The bid for fixing this corner is $22,000. There is also rust visible on the steel support above the elevator. We have a bid of $4,500. This could most effectively be done at the same time as the larger project.
You may have noticed that our sound system is in need of repair. Microphones that do not work, static from the speakers and muffled sound often cause disruption in our worship service. We have a bid for a new sound system of $21,740. This is for new speakers, new wireless microphones, and the related amplifier. It also includes ten hearing aid stations.
The total for all work is $96,240. The Session has decided to go forward with a mini-Capital campaign, “Bricks and Sound,” to make these urgent repairs. In order to complete the work before the end of October, we need pledges/gifts by October 1sst with payment by March 31, 2009. Contributions/pledges should be sent to the church with Attention to the Treasurer. Extra pledge cards are available in the church office; contact cheryl@oldfirst.org.
If you have questions about the scope of the work, contact Steve Taber or Chuck Olson – or attend the Church Town Hall meeting after worship on Sunday, August 31.
Adult Education – Sundays, 9:30 am – Munro Room
September 7: What are the questions that you've always wanted to ask, but never dared to ask? Now's your chance to put it out there and explore what answers we might discern over the next few weeks.
September 14: What is Ramadan? Let's find out more about this time of fasting in which our Islamic
brothers and sisters participate.
September 21: Exploring a question that we now dare to ask.
September 28: What is Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot? What do these ancient Jewish traditions have to do with us?
In October, we will hear more about the Peacemaking Conference, answer more questions, study a "little book" of the Bible and begin exploring why some people choose not to vote.
To Feed the Hungers of Those Around Us
From Firstlight – by Sue Monk Kidd
From the window I notice a small brown wren huddled on the grass beneath the bird feeder, struggling to
fly. The frigid wind bends the branches of the crab apple tree. Fifteen minutes pass. He cannot seem to find the strength. Is he sick? Too young? Too weak? It seems sad. But I suppose there is little I can do for him.
Suddenly my attention is drawn to another wren that flies to the feeder. I am astonished as she begins to
toss seed with her beak from the ledge of the feeder down to the grass below. The kernels fall upon the little bird
and he pecks at them, satisfying his hunger. The next time I pass the window he’s gone.
All day I watch the wrens at the feeder, thinking how we are put here not only to partake, but to feed the hungers of those around us. Drop seed. Drop seed.
July Food Drive
Many thanks to everyone who brought canned and packaged food items for the Food Bank barrels in July. We collected 387 pounds of food!
General Assembly Asks Presbyterians to Skip a Meal
An amendment to the resolution on homelessness adopted by the 218th General Assembly asks members in the PC(USA) to forego one meal a week “as an act of worship and humility.” The amendment requests that the value of the skipped meal be pledged to feed those in need in a manner of the diner’s choice.
Youth Advisory Delegate Clara Sanders from the Indian Nations Presbytery challenged the Assembly, pointing out that they had eaten well all week, to this simple act of concern.
With 2.3 million members in the denomination and an approximate cost of $10 a meal once a week, over the two years until the next General Assembly this one effort could provide $2.39 billion to feed those in need.
2008 CROP Hunger Walk – October 19
Sunday, October 19 marks the date of the annual San Francisco CROP Walk. See (www.cropwalkonline.org) where details will be available on location, etc. We’ll start sign-ups soon.
Can You Give Someone a Ride to Church?
The Board of Deacons has identified some members and friends of Old First who would attend Sunday
worship services if they could occasionally receive a ride rather than take the bus or a cab to come to church.
If you are interested in occasionally providing a ride to someone who may live near you, please contact
either Heather Losee, at heatherlosee@hotmmail.com or Dianne Middleton at diannemiddleton@sbcglobal.net.
This could be a very rewarding opportunity to help someone to worship the Lord.
“…..heal the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Greetings,
In 1991 I joined Old First Presbyterian Church, and later I was ordained and served as a Deacon. In the late 1990’s I served as a voluntary Parish Nurse in the Old First Senior Center under the direction of Beth Hart-Andersen, providing a health and wellness drop-in service on Mondays as a part of faculty practice with the Division of Nursing, Northern Region Graduate Program, California State University Dominguez Hills. I wrote a monthly column for Shared Life and became the first PCUSA churchwide Health Educator paid contract position with the San Francisco Presbytery. My foundation, passion, and calling in health, healing, and wholeness was grounded here at Old First and gave rise to what has transpired since that time.
After many deep conversations with Pastor Tim Hart-Andersen, I moved to Chicago in 1999 to attend McCormick Theological Seminary and graduated from the MDiv program in 2003. I found a position in December 1999 as Director of the Center for Health Ministry at Fourth Presbyterian Church. The position is now known as the Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health (CWH), a community outreach program of Fourth Presbyterian Church.
Chicago Lights is a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization of Fourth Church. The mission is centered on changing lives one at a time by offering hope and opportunity to individuals and families who face the challenges of aging, poverty, and access to education and healthcare. The CWH annually makes more than 2,000 contacts with people from all walks of life who seek health and wellness in body-mind-spirit. The Center promotes and supports whole health through its educational seminars, counseling, screenings, and immunizations. Since 1997, the Center has served as a resource through teaching, counseling, and caregiving and focuses outreach on healthy aging, mental health, the joy and responsibilities of care giving, and heart health. The Center works in concert with other Chicago Lights programs as well as with a broad group of community healthcare and social service partners to address the growing need for whole health services and practices.
One of our new and growing programs is our Healthy Heart Project for Women, funded by a grant from the National Recreation Foundation, and serves as a health and wellness program for African-American women who live at Sanctuary Place or Deborah’s Place (both permanent housing for previously homeless women) and the moms of the kids at Jenner Academy of the Arts in Cabrini-Green public housing development. A women’s health advanced practice nurse in partnership with Rush University College of Nursing Faculty Practice staffs this program with individual health and wellness assessments, counseling, group teaching and support groups.
Our longest program began in 1987 with a gerontologist advanced practice nurse with the Center for Life and Learning (older adults) which is located at Fourth Church. This program provides individual health assessments and counseling in addition to a weekly Pathways to Wellness discussion group..
I will be in the Bay Area over Labor Day week for several reasons. I’ve been in contact with Pastor Maggie Henderson, Pam Byers, and Jean Olson as part of getting back on track with the ordination process with the San Francisco Presbytery.
In addition, on Sunday, August 31st I’ll be participating in worship leadership and preaching at Old First. I’m looking forward to this time. Be well and at Peace.
In the healing Christ,
Terrill L. Stumpf
Lectionary
Sept 7 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Exod 12:1-14; Ps 149; Rom 13:8-14; Matt 18:15-2
Sept 14 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Exod 14:19-31; Ps 114 or Exod. 15:1b-11, 20-21;
Rom 14:1-12; Matt 18:21-35
Sept 21 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Exod 16:2-15; Ps 105:1-6, 37-45; Phil. 1:21-30; Matt 20:1-16
Sept 28 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Exod 17:1-7; Ps 78:1-4, 12-16; Phil 2:1-13; Matt 21:23-32
Oct 5 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Exod 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Ps 19; Phil. 4:1-9; Matt 22:1-14
Jazz Vespers – (Usually) First Sundays, 5:00 pm
** Please note changed date - September 14 – Dave Rocha Quartet
October 5 – Don Pender Quintet
November 2 – Herman Hayte Quartet
December 14 – Dmitri Metheny Quartet
January 4 – John Callaway
February 1 – Clairdee & Ken French Trio
March 1 – Mad and Eddie Duran
2009 Stewardship Campaign
Greg Free
This year’s Stewardship theme is from Luke 1:68: “Blessed be the Lord God.” To quote the PCUSA website, “These words are from the song of Zechariah celebrating the birth of John the Baptist and announcing the birth of the Christ. It is a song of celebration, gratitude, vision and hope.”
Old First certainly does have much to celebrate and much to be grateful for, and we are full of new hope and freshly supplied with vision for the future. We are also well-supplied with exciting challenges, as we address pressing building needs and determine how to replace funding sources no longer available in order to continue to fund ongoing operations and discover new ways to fulfill our mission at Old First.
This year’s Stewardship campaign will kick off officially on Sunday, October 12. You will have received materials in the mail before then, which include an explanation of our goals for 2009 as well as interpretive information to assist you in making a decision about your giving commitment for 2009. Pledge cards will be brought forward during worship on Sunday, November 9, so be sure to mark your calendars for this special Sunday. Meantime, it’s OK to start celebrating now.
Widen Your Prayer Concerns
You may have noticed that the Prayers of the People list of prayer partners has grown a bit longer. Each
week we will pray for one of the local mission projects we support. Also, we will pray for Presbyterians and our work in the USA and international projects as well as our mission co-workers. These prayer concerns come from the PC(USA) Mission Year Book, which can be ordered on line. You can go on the PC(USA) web site (pcusa.org) and find out more about their work. It can be a way to deepen your prayer life and your awareness of the work that goes on in our connectional Body of Christ.
Marriages
George Becker & Christo Bresnahan, July 2
Randy Smith & Andrea Segura, August 16
Bryan Nichols & Robin Currier, August 23
Who’s buying coffee in September?
Actually – nobody. We have no sponsors for Coffee Hour for the month of September. Take a look at the signup sheet on the bulletin board by the Munro Room and see if there’s a Sunday that interests you.
Elizabeth Pride Turns 100 on September 8
Elizabeth Pride will celebrate her 100th birthday on September 8 at her home in Orange, Texas. If you
weren’t at church August 24 to be part of the video greeting from the congregation, you can send her a card at
1200 Smith, Orange, Texas, 77630.
The video is being carried to Texas by Mary Alice Reinmuller, who will be there for a small party with
friends on September 8 and a luncheon with ice cream and cake the next day. (By the way, this will happen shortly after she gets home from a seven-day Alaska cruise.)
After more than 60 years as an Old First member, Elizabeth moved to Texas several years ago to live with
good friends, Margaret Smith and Glenn Light, who had built a new home with a special place for her. They all
endured a month’s exile in a motel after Hurricane Rita, then came home to find only minor damage. Elizabeth later
had a bad fall and amazed her doctors by walking again in spite of their dire predictions.
Elizabeth loves their three cats and enjoys the two litters of raccoons who have found a home on the property. Her active mind and zest for life and beauty are evidenced by this letter she wrote to Mary Lou Geppinger in May:
It is raining right now, so it seems like a good time to write letters. There are so many beautiful and
interesting things to see here that it is hard to do work. With three beautiful cats and our own bayou, we are busy
all the time. Yesterday, Margaret assembled two handsome chairs and a table for use outdoors. We celebrated with champagne followed by ice cream and strawberries.
Our blue bonnets have gone to seed, but the swamp iris continue to bloom. You should see the gorgeous
flowers that our neighbor Don brought me yesterday: a magnolia blossom and a huge hibiscus. Summer is on its
way. The oleanders are in full bloom and the mimosas are starting to flower.
I am continuing to work with my personal trainer and can get around with my walker much better. We also
have a golf cart (“Old 48”) which we use to roam around the acres. It’s a tough life, but somebody has to live it.
Past Issues
April 2008, January 2008
December 2006, October 2006, June 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2006
November 2005, October 2005, September 2005, July/August 2005, June 2005, May 2005, April 2005, March 2005, February 2005, January 2005,
December 2004, November 2004, October 2004, September 2004, July/August 2004, June 2004, May 2004, April 2004, March 2004, February 2004, January 2004,
December 2003, November 2003, October 2003, September 2003, July/August 2003, June 2003, May 2003, April 2003, March 2003, February 2003, January 2003
December 2002, November 2002, October 2002, September 2002, July/August 2002, June 2002, May 2002, April 2002, March 2002, February 2002, January 2002
December 2001, Nov 2001, October 2001, September 2001, July/August 2001, June 2001, May 2001, April 2001, March 2001,
February 2001, January 2001
December 2000, November 2000,October 2000, September 2000, July/August 2000, May/June 2000,April 2000, March 2000, February 2000
