Tomorrow is Sunday!

That we have schools in the Harrisburg District within the Sioux Falls city limits is one of the results of the growth of the city. School district boundaries and city limits seldom coincide.  School districts receive the bulk of their operating funds from property taxes in South Dakota. The result of the city growth is that the districts surrounding Sioux Falls are doing quite well. As new developments are being built, they are generally (not always) involving larger houses on larger lots and in many cases are more costly. Hence, the tax base rises. Harrisburg is the fastest growing school district in the state and that is because Sioux Falls is the fastest growing city in the state. Sioux Falls can annex property but they can’t change the school district boundaries. So it happens that there are seven different school districts within the city limits of Sioux Falls.

 I think I’ve mentioned before that my Sunday’s have become a marathon of how many church services I can attend and how many sermons I can critique in one day. There is a kind of limit my mind has and it goes into shut-down mode after so many. I do think it’s wonderful that so many churches are streaming their services. Not only can one usually find their “home” church and tune in to stay in touch. We can also go to far off places and experience how others worship. Rather than being “quarantined” we have a whole new world opened up for us. Yes, we miss our own community and the sight and touch of the people there but our world has opened up to us so much more. So there is good and there is bad all in the same pandemic.

Beautiful morning sky

The week has gone well.  The antibiotic that was prescribed has done its job and the skin around the port is no longer inflamed.  Hopefully it will stay that way and can be used again in a week’s time. 

Friend Marty came over to weed on Monday while I was out and when I returned I got to announce triumphantly that I had done battle with Aflac and prevailed!  That victory was affirmed today by the arrival of a check!  I send in quite a pile of papers every few months so I can be reimbursed through my cancer insurance. I know it’s a lot to go through so I check carefully to make sure nothing was missed. I did find that I was reimbursed for one infusion in May but not the other four. I resubmitted that bill and received a notice that my appeal was denied because Aflac had already paid. So, papers in hand, I went to the Aflac office here and spoke with a real, live person. She agreed with me, called some main office and assured me I would receive a check and I did!

The amaryllis have faded and are just lonely stalks with drooping, dry, brown flower petals atop.  It’s sad to see them go.  They are here so briefly but bring such beauty for the short time they are in bloom. Their coming and going is like so many of our relatives, friends, acquaintances that are no longer here. Many brought such beauty into our lives it would have been lovely if they could have stayed forever. Alas, it is not to be.

The “visiting the parks” project has gone well.  I am now up to 71 out of 80. That means I visited 15 parks in the last week.  Some I’ve known about forever. Some are totally new to me.  One park visited today was Platinum Valley Park. I had no clue whatsoever that we had a Platinum Valley in Sioux Falls, but we do and I now know where it is. The park is rather nice with some extensive walking paths all lit artificially.  I do believe there are more lights on that path than there are street lights in three square blocks in my neighborhood. The park is adjacent to one of the elementary schools in the Harrisburg District. They have already started school. The Sioux Falls District will begin next week. There have been COVID cases already reported which involve members of football teams already practicing. I pray that the children and teachers will be safe, somehow.

"If I recline under the glass-topped 
table, I can rest while my beauty is
being admired."

Aside from victory over Aflac the rest of the week has been mostly uneventful. I’ve been busy but I’m not at all sure what the busyness was all about. The days have been warm, some really hot, but the evenings have cooled off. It is such a pleasure to be able to sleep with the windows open. It is a pleasure, that is, until the train passes through!

Thank you for reading, for your thoughts and prayers and good wishes and for being. Without you none of us is complete.