Better Than A Baptist Love Fest

The Mallard Loop Church of Universal Harmony met at the lake August 10-12. Folks came from at least three states for this annual gathering. There were 40-45 people who sat down together at the groaning tables to celebrate life in general and each other in particular. David gave the blessing, and Robert gave the instruction..."children eat first." This basic tenet assures the long term future of this group. They give the best they have to nourish those who need it most. Amen.

Tony cooked all the meat for the feast. Dennis and Mary maintained the hospitality area.....we all ate and visited mostly at their site. Alecia did the planning and kept everyone up to date with her computer expertise. An event like this could not have happened without many hands pitching in to bring it all off so successfully.

Belated birthdays were celebrated. Chris got her wish for a pecan pie.lPaula dressed up with a little help from her friends.

Dennis, our resident clown--"McDuff," appears to be taking the event quite seriously.

Jim's boys, Reese and Carsten, found no shortage of things to do. There were lots of other kids to play with.

Ready for whatever the day may have in store for us.

Justin, at six plus months, was the youngest camper. Aunt Ginger, at 85, was our oldest. Grandpa and "Mr. Congeniality" greeted the early risers.

Some of us camped at the lake and some were day campers.

The emerald "holy" water of the Illinois now holds not only our children..... but their children also.

The ORIGINAL COUSINS of the Cousins Float

Lathyrus Odorata---------2007

This has been "The Year of the Sweet Pea." They have grown vigorously and continue producing way past their expected--gone with the heat usual habit. They have traveled to friends, neighbors, BD's, weddings, picnics, and even scrabble games. These heirlooms have elegant beauty and superb fragrance. They seem to give all who receive them the same delight they fill me with.

So powerful are these flowers, they can come back as a song after seven or maybe even eight decades. DJ favored us with what she could remember of a song from her childhood

The spot I planted the sweet peas had pole beans last year, and was given lots of rock phosphate. It has shade during parts of the day.....a blessing in our numersous 90 degree plus days.

Some time back the plants started to set seed......they continue to do so now with more enthusiasm. Some seed pods are appearing almost just as the top blossom on a stem opens. I have assiduously been removing the seed pods. Quite a difficult choice, as saving my own seeds would make it not necessary to buy seeds next year. Frugality gets jetisoned when it comes to sweet peas! Hard to hold to my acceptance of "to everything there is a season" when it comes to sweet peas.

The seed package said the vines would grow to 13 feet!!!! No way.....well, now I am adding another string to the support and reaching as high as I can to pick them. Keeping their "feet" cool with alfalfa hay mulch has helped them as has the fact that I fertilize them once a week now. Their stems have shrunk from the 10 inch wonders they were early in the summer to just enough to hold in your hand. The aphids have taken a stand in the patch....not enough to bother anything really. The fragrance of these late season flowers is just as intense as the first ones that bloomed.

These are the hands that Nora says have----"wrought the sweat pea miracle."