"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:29 The Gospel today!

Our huge pan we got at an auction at the Catholic School years ago and probably held food made for my husband and his siblings... it holds 40 quarts full and today it was about 2/3 full of wonderful salsa!  Our first tomato canning of the year!  50 pints and so good!  4 1/2 month old Joy and her 11 year old sister, Mary, sporting the canning ring bracelets that are a tradition for my girls while we canned as a family and now for Ruth's!


Listening to the wonderful rain is a gift from heaven after 39 years of living on the farm... we long for rain for the crops and lots of years July and August are hot and we face drought.  This year we have gotten better rains, yet we had a May 22 hail storm that took out a lot of our crops, and we had to replant all of our beans.  Each year holds it's own ups and downs, and there is no way of controlling nature.  There have been masses and prayers at church for critical rains, and what I have called million dollar rains just coming in time to help the crop for that year.  This is a wonderful drenching of the furrows rain! 

Joy and Grandpa outside looking in on the kids taking the skin off of the tomatoes... we can for 6 families so it is wonderful to have lots of willing helpers!


The words from the Gospel today struck a beautiful chord in my heart today at the Truth of it!  "Where two or three( or 23or 300)are gathered in my name , there am I in the midst of them."  It was pretty special to sit with my husband last evening and listen to our daughter, Nancy, speak so sweetly and powerfully about the wisdom of St JPII/Theology of the Body!  To be naked with each other in totally giving our all and total openness and honesty with our sharing really struck a chord, and is most hard to practice.  Nancy asked me to be the leader of a group of women married 20 plus years and I think we have about 23, and the sharing is powerful and truly Christ and His Bride, The Church, is in our midst!  The overall women enrolled in The Catholic Wife Academy is close to 300!  Talk about Jesus/The Holy Spirit at work!

Rose mixing in the black beans and the fresh cut sweet corn! 


I was so happy to see that Nancy made it crystal clear that there would be no fault finding with the doctrine of the Church.  We are to embrace the entire truth we are given... knowing that The Church is there in it's wisdom to help us on our way to heaven forever with Jesus and Mary and all the wonderful Saints!  Did I say that I love, love , love The Church and I am a total Saint nut? 

Joy came over last night and grandma got to dress her up and take some pictures... how I love to play with my live dollies!

Both smiling and in green... 4 1/2 month old Joy and older sister, Rose, who is 5 and will start kindergarten in a few weeks!

Farmer Pat with his baby Joy while he waits for a feed truck, and while the kids are on the inside helping make salsa at the sink!

Family life on big canning days are some of my favorite, and I would say that the kids and grandkids agree.  Ruth built a canning kitchen when she remodeled the farm house before they moved in.  And I know that the families far away miss these days and loved to be part of the big craziness we call making food for 6 families!




Jesus you also remind us today of the importance of reconciliation as we stagger down the narrow path carrying/dragging our Most Cherished Cross..."Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  He has given Peter and all the priests, who represent Christ the Holy Spirit speaking through them in the confessional... allowing us to find forgiveness and a fresh start to begin again and go forward changed and transformed!


I do feel a real need to get to reconciliation soon and more often!  I can really begin to work on some sins and areas that I struggle with, and be a better servant in my domestic Church/family and a better wife to be Most Cherished Cross/husband - when I embrace him I am blessed with LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

she loves her two fingers, and is such a wonderful baby #6 for Ruth!

Always have rosary beads with me and babies are so interested by them!  Joy, these beads are such a gift to me each day... how I love to have Mary the Mother of God with me with every beat of my heart and with every breath that I take!


Jesus, we love you with our all!  May we give without counting the cost!  May we die to self so that you will live and breath your Holy Spirit within us!  May we become your hands and feet and share the Mercy we have been given with those the closest to us in our domestic church/family!  Jesus, we trust in you.  Amen and Hallelujah

Grandpa's big arms put Joy to sleep when he was in for some lunch... he always has to hold the babies!  He loves babies and that makes my heart melt for him every time!  "I still have the touch."  he commented about sweet baby Joy asleep in his big loving arms.   Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Yes, we can with 2 canners around here!  Both full = total of 52 pints of salsa!  This was a small job.  Last year Ruth and I did 90 quarts of tomato soup one day and 200 quarts of applesauce!  We are pros, and Pat loves to share it with family - 6 of them including Hallel's Little Sisters in KC and my parents, dad is 92 and mom is 88!  Family is the best!

Lastly a BIG smile and I did take many pictures!!!

Peter Mayer - Holy Now

Hills and Valleys

Danielle Rose - the Saint that is just me