Help of the helpless

by chuckofish

Truly, the last rose of summer

I read recently that one of our local scions, in his later years, did a three-minute plank exercise each morning, propping himself up on his elbows and toes while singing “Abide With Me,” reciting the Lord’s Prayer and praying for loved ones. I think this is just a great exercise plan and I have started doing it. So far, I am unable to maintain the plank for the full time, so I shift into a yoga pose taught to me by one of my daughters.

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

That “help of the helpless” seems particularly appropriate for an exercise descriptive.

Anyway, I am taking today off–no Zoom meetings, so it is possible–and I’m getting some ‘stuff’ done. I am going for my flu shot and I am having my hair cut. Woohoo!

In other news, I am forcing myself to continue reading Jack by Marilynne Robinson. Sad to say, Jack, as the NYT reviewer put it, is “the dullest bad boy in the history of bad boys.”  And he is not, in the long run, very likable. Worst of all, the book is kind of boring. If it were written by anybody else, I would not finish it. Sigh.

I enjoyed this article about scrubbing away one’s anxiety. “This is why I am so glad that my church’s lectionary is taking us through the book of Exodus right now. I’m reminded that we are not the first group of people to be led through hard times. We are not the first people to grumble and whine and not trust that God will provide. We aren’t even the first ones to do dumb things to distract ourselves from the problems that weigh us down.”

I confess that I have contemplated buying a power-washer.

Have you started your Christmas shopping? You know this year it’s going to creep up on us. It may feel like it’s still May, but it is not! It is mid-October. I mean, I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Christmas is, indeed, 77 days away.

This made me laugh:

So get out this weekend and enjoy the fine fall weather! Do some Christmas shopping! Shop local! And remember: