Giving Away Books and Roses

Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant is apparently
the only book of its kind,
comparing three major confessions of faith.

I drove to headquarters to have a meeting with the supervisor of the area I teach - very basic English. I brought along - for show and tell - one volume of The Sermons of Martin Luther. This very kind lady is Roman Catholic, which set off a discussion about Luther versus the Church of Rome. However, the discussion changed when I mentioned how I wrote Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant - primarily so married couples who were Catholic/Lutheran would understand each other's background.

Once again, I repeated my observation that I did not know what priests and pastors were saying to accomplish this, but - "Catholics cannot wait to marry Lutherans and vice versa." She laughed and said, "Like my uncle."

Then she said, "That book. That is the book I want." So I am sending two copies. Maybe three. Books last and they get shared, too.

That is how all my publishing efforts work. I give away books and everything else written, by blogging and Ustreaming. When people want a quantity of books, I sell them at the author's cost. My supervisor could not believe a huge book like The Sermons of Martin Luther could be printed for such a low cost. Yes, publishers think they are minting money, which is why they want new hymnals all the time.

 Veterans Honor is the perfect red rose -
if only the stems were stronger.

Free Roses
Everyone is delighted with roses. I have taken bunches various places, only to see the staff divide them up and take individual ones for their own desks. That prompted two doctors to talk about God's Creation. As one said to me, "And I mean six-day Creation, too." I said, "But of course. Creation by the Word of God. John 1:3." He went to seminary, so he knew what I was saying.

My class last night requested a bunch for the fragrance of the petals. One is planning roses for her engagement and marriage, and she was saving dried petals for the lingering perfume. I began growing roses at the time growers were being challenged to focus more on fragrance. Now there are few with little or no fragrance, many with enough to fill the room.

One student wanted to pay me for roses, and I said "No, I give them away, no matter how many." That works out well. Nothing else promotes a feeling of well being so efficaciously and quickly. One of the four Esses brought over two of my vases. "Mom finally took out the last rose." Our grizzled veteran takes roses to his mother's grave, so he often gets them as well. When he calls my yard a jungle, I ask him how many roses he has.

 Easy Does It turns into various orange colors,
more productive than any other rose I have grown.

Roses start conversations in the neighborhood. Every single person is astonished that roses thrive without toxic chemicals. "I just follow the principles of Creation."

Rose season for 2018 has just begun. I will finish installing the collars around them for winter protection. I am already pacing off positions for the most productive new roses. My list includes -

• Easy Does It
• Mr. Lincoln
• A strong, white rose - one that is good in a vase.

 The white John Paul II is photogenic
and looks great initially when cut,
but does not last in the vase.