IN-FORMATIO BLOG

The year began a week ago, but this is the first full week in the office, with the regular patterns that do not include holidays, year-end deadlines, etc. I am now getting a chance to catch my breath a bit as we begin this New Year.  The Christmas decorations are down in the parsonage, and they are slowly being taken down at the church, so by next Sunday, we will back to a normal look in the sanctuary. There is something special about turning that calendar page and marking a New Year in our lives.  There is something of a fresh start ahead.  The mistakes we made in 2018 are behind us now.  (Now we have a whole new year for mistakes and missed opportunities, right?) Many of us have made resolutions for 2019 for things like better health, stopping bad habits, finding that new job, doing something special for friends and family.  Anybody make any resolutions? (Anybody already give up on those resolutions?) Here are some suggestions for those who have made...

When I was younger, Labor Day was a turning point in the year. Some places that I lived, school started the Tuesday immediately following Labor Day. I guess, because I liked school, it was a pretty good time. In other places, we had already been in school a couple of weeks, so the holiday weekend reminded us that there would not be another holiday for a long time (usually Thanksgiving).  Ouch! I seem to remember among the proper women of the Deep South, Labor Day was when they stopped wearing white shoes and dresses.  (I am not sure if that is even a thing anymore.) For some of my friends, Labor Day Weekend was the last opportunity to go to the beach before fall.  Now that I am older, I never schedule a beach trip until the fall to avoid the crowds. I, personally, don't like the traffic or the waits to get a table in a restaurant. On this Labor Day, I am not working, though I did pop into the office to take care of a few things. Sometimes I am asked about my s...