I finally got out to Blueberry Hill on a cooler day. The berries are larger this year; or where I picked them they were. A young man from Martinsville helped me pick some. Thanks, Mason! I was so sorry to hear of the death of Jim Shelor, a well-known banker and musician, and a great worker in the Gideons ministry. I went to school with Jim’s sister. Once, he drove the tractor and a bunch of us went on a hay ride. My love and heartfelt sympathy are extended to the family. The True Life Travelers sang at Providence United Methodist Church on fifth Sunday night. It was great. I’ve always loved to hear them. My heart is saddened by the death of our friend Olivia Harris. We enjoyed seeing her at church almost every Wednesday night for five years. My love and heartfelt sympathy go to the family. Thanks to Steve Young for the beautiful picture he painted for me of an angel and flowers and a Bible verse. He knows I like angels and flowers. Thanks Steve. God bless. Thanks to Mary Ann for supper at Elizabeth’s Pizza. It was nice to have a girls’ night out at one of my favorite places. I’m surely eating well these days with all the fresh veggies from friends—the Roberts and Curtis McBride. Plus, I grow some of my own. It was great to see my brother-in-law, Pastor Calvin Reynolds. Thank you so much for a wonderful blessing. I guess that FloydFest was a big success with an attendance of around 18,000. That’s a lot of people coming into Patrick County. It surely was nice to see Starr Cockram again. I just love her. It was good to have some downtime with Tony of Elizabeth’s Pizza. He is always so busy most of the time. They are on my favorite people list. Household hint: crusts for fruit pies: Bake crust for about three minutes in a hot oven before putting in the fruit and adding the top crust. TROPICAL FRUIT CAKE 1 package yellow cake mix 1 (17 oz.) can fruit cocktail, not drained 3 eggs 1 c coconut 1 9x13 pan Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, fruit and eggs until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at highest speed. Pour into a greased and floured pan. Sprinkle coconut over the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serves 12. Food for thought Something for all of us to consider: What am I personally doing to protect unity in my church family right now? [caption id="attachment_4513" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="http://www.mountainmedianews.com/enterprise/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/mountain-top-party-line-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-4513"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4513" src="http://www.mountainmedianews.com/enterprise/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/mountain-top-party-line-1-300x203.jpg" alt="Pictured here are wildflowers in Texas. Thanks to Pastor Jim Churchwell for this photo. His daughter Julie went to go see them on a good day. Sadly, Julie passed away later but Pastor Jim treasures that day." width="300" height="203" /></a> Pictured here are wildflowers in Texas. Thanks to Pastor Jim Churchwell for this photo. His daughter Julie went to go see them on a good day. Sadly, Julie passed away later but Pastor Jim treasures that day.[/caption]
