Ark Valley News - The View from Sunflower Gardens

The View from Sunflower Gardens
By Marilyn Bentley
Last Updated: August 13, 2015

Four things bother us in summer

There are four things to bother us in summer: bugs, bills, burn from campfires, and sunburn.  Here at "Sunflower", we stay happy with air-conditioned apartments, but we still pay our bills.

Verse of the week: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105.

The heat of summer is needed to make crops grow and grass for Kansas cattle. Soon it will be back-to-school for our grandkids.

We like our Monday morning coffee chats, Tuesday Bible studies, weeknight games, and exercise days, potluck dinners, parties, doing jigsaw puzzles and walks down our halls.  The library here is in daily use.  We note the change of months on calendars.  We see weather change and world news on TV.

Welcome, welcome all new residents!

As we enjoy our Friday sing-a-longs, we note the words in the hymns.  Many of our old hymns came from Europe.  In Shakespeare's time, he wrote sonnets along with Milton and Wordsworth.  Sonnets are 14 line (poetry) songs.  They praise God and celebrate beauty of the earth and happy times with friends.

We like our Sunday night Mennonite concerts, Nancy's piano concerts on Thursdays, and Friday hymn sing-a-longs.

There are 150 psalms in our Bible.  We studied these in our Bible study.  Some songs have rhymes, but all have rhythm!  We use everyday words of common experiences in our hymns.

"Agenda Earth" has a new meaning to us at "Sunflower" as we note harvest time in Kansas.  In the Wichita area we see new road building as well as road repair.  We note new construction of houses and businesses in the county of Sedgwick.  Soon we will all enjoy both Main Street and Meridian with relief as roads are of new surface and new streetlights at corners and new guidelines. "Getting to the church on time" will be easier.

Our environment here is still healthy.

Thank you to all who keep plants watered in our puzzle rooms.

Remember: "A lot of good could be accomplished in this world if nobody cared who got the credit." – Anon

Remember to keep all our troops in prayer and their families.

Remember: "Maturity of years cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or "book-learned". – Jane Masters.

Remember when help is needed: "to get up, turn up, and show up." – Anon

Lord Byron (1815) England: "On with the dance – Let joy be unconfined, to sleep til morn – when youth and pleasure meet – to chase the glowing hours with flying feet."  A great sonnet!

Life is a dance – with slow times and fast times – it's a happy movement – with family and friends!  Remember: "Be kind anyway!" – Mother Teresa.