Still here.....

Well, I have not posted any blogs in several days. Robin gave me the where-to-for about it to. My intentions, however, are good.
Let’s start with the weather – that’s always a good ice breaker. It’s hot! This morning seems to be cooler than normal, but it is overcast so that helps. Remember to always wear sunscreen, skin cancer is #1 ranked, so be wise please.
All things green – the tomatoes Robin and Bryan planted started out okay, but they are struggling at this point. We have picked 3 so far, but I don’t know how much longer the plants can hang on. The citrus fruit trees are, for the most part, looking good. They all have fruit except for one tree. The fig trees are all doing well. They are the easiest fruit tree to grow in my mind. My father-in-law had someone come and do some dirt work for him. While here, he spread the piles which were along the back of the property. This was the left over top soil and sod from when we had leveled our back yard last year. Since the soil was loose, I spread some corn and okra seed just to see what will happen.
Factoid: Did you know that okra is native to northeast Africa? Okra’s English name is derived from ‘nkruma’, the Ashanti word for the vegetable. The first seeds were brought over to the Americas in the 1660’s by slaves. The classic okra recipe, gumbo, gets its name from the Bantu word ngombo. In Africa, okra grows to 12 feet tall, with a trunk 4 inches thick. It grows year round. I grew up eating okra out of my parent’s garden in N.O. all during my childhood. We had it fried, stewed, etc. Now I’ve got myself wanting to make another gumbo!
The practices and games are almost everyday now. The kids cannot say they are bored, that is for sure. I don’t make every game, only the ones that are cool. Me and the heat do not get along too well at this point and time.
Medical stuff: I had to get some more of the shots following last weeks chemo - one for the red blood cell count and three for the white cell count. Thankfully, my platelets are holding up so far. The cramping and associated symptoms are daily. I really do not look forward to waking up knowing the routine, but you just have to make it through it, because I have yet to find a way to get around it. God is faithfully with me through all of this as is my family. Casting Crowns has a new CD with the song ‘Praise You in this storm’ that is awesome. It speaks to many situations, including mine. If you get a chance, listen to it, it will bless you. I have to go and run an errand with my honey before it gets too hot outside. I will post some more. I promise. George.