Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Church Changes


Since we have moved here to the Ozarks we have seen a dramatic shift in attendance not only our church but other faith churches as well. A movement away from "going to church". The older ones either die or move closer to their children away from here. Their children ages 30-50's do not go to church on any regular schedule if at all. Grand children are shuffled off to sports events, school activities or the ex- spouses. And our priests are from other countries and do not last long in the isolation and culture shock of the area. The elderly experienced patrons of the church never made any preparation for the next generation taking over after them. No one was groomed nor practiced in the church procedures/traditions. So when the old ones die, who is left to carry on with the church? Who changes the flowers, the linens, the books,the candles or the banners? Who sews the vestments and gets the mass ready? We have no head usher, no full time secretary and no cleaning service. We run only on all volunteers. Our new priests are not skilled to do anything but know theology. They can't clean, barley cook, can't fix anything. (Note: I was raised around Jesuit priests who could plant a garden, do the taxes, change a tire, play sports and shoot a gun all before breakfast and mass.)

We will be getting our next new priest at the end of June. He is the 3rd one in less than 6 months. We will try to help get him situated and taken care of, but in the end -the loneliness and lack of people and things to do is what sends them running away. We do have a handful of people keeping the candle lit and the church running. But it is very expensive to keep two buildings open with no income. I think if we installed some gas pumps out in the parking lot, we might fair better down the line.  The photo of Mary is from the May crowing. There is one lady who has make these flower crowns for the last 20 years. She sees no reason why she needs to train someone else to do this. Her house is for sale and she is moving away to live with her adult children.

May makes Green

The potting shed, flower bed and veggie garden

Constant companion, heavy rain


Our ducks love the rain and bugs. 


Clematis scaling the deck post

The trees have never been so happy.

Poppy leading me around the farm.


Inspecting his domain.

Zilla eating a cow leg, her favorite treat from the abattoirs. She loves when I come home with a five gallon bucket of bits. This gives her something to do when the rains come and the poultry goes in the coop early.









May Showers Makes What?

It has been the rainy season here in the Ozarks. So much rain that my garden has been flooded out several times a day. Hard to grow stuff that can't swim. The good news is that hay season should be great this year. Our pastures are green tall and lush for the horses. Our ducks are loving this wetness and bugs. 


9pm at night and this is a thunderhead moving in with lightening bolts and bugs.