Snoring?

How dare they! .... My daughter and son-in-law said I was snoring! It is Sunday night. I worked all day yesterday on their house extensions. Last night I had to make up the time and work on Sunday morning preparation. This morning before church all hell broke loose in the office. The organist was sick and one of the readers was also ill. The photocopier kept jamming, then decided it was out of toner. People kept coming in asking questions and all the while I was doing the finishing touches to power points for the service. I calmly walked on to the platform at 10 a.m. and survived another adequate service.(At least I thought it was OK?) We had a bread roll lunch sitting outside at my daughter's house extensions, then changed into working clothes and built a little entrance deck to the back door. It turned out pretty good... I had thought it all out.... its so good when things go as planned! I packed up in time to move a big TV and have a cup of tea with my running friend. (We are not running, my friend's sports injury has stopped us... that's my story any way) I came home, had tea and promptly fell asleep, like some old man, in front of the TV... and was, according to my offspring, snoring like an old man!

I have had a full on week. Next week will be just as busy and the pace will only increase as we get toward Christmas. We are to run our 20th Christmas Day dinner for poor or lonely people in Dunedin. My wife spent $520 on buying 25 legs of hogget (Year old sheep) to be cooked for the Christmas dinner. We have an increasing number of people ringing up to book in. I emailed the man who cooks the meat for us (a pie factory in town) but he has not replied. I discovered that his son has taken over the business.... I hope he's as nice as his dad... 25 legs needs a lot of ovens! I have a heap of letters and publicity to send out this week for this venture. I have a Habitat working bee next Saturday to plan for. ....etc. etc.

Anyway I digress... I WAS SNORING like an old man in front of the TV. Am I getting old? Can I hack the pace? I have a friend 6 years older than me who tells me earnestly to "Slow down! You're not young anymore!" I have contemporaries who are looking to work 3 days a week! One told me he wants to play golf! (I could not think of anything more boring!!) I confidently say "I would rather burn out than rust out!" and that's true. ... but I was snoring... so tired I could not watch a documentary I was interested in? May be you do slow down? I am sitting here with a nice cool beer, and looking forward to a day off tomorrow... well there's a few things I have to do. My daughter says "beer makes you snore." Well too bad! People keep telling me I am an old man now and old men are allowed to snore!! There has to be some advantages to getting older!
Let me die, working.
Still tackling plans unfinished, tasks undone!
Clean to its end, swift may my race be run.
No laggard steps, no faltering, no shirking;
Let me die, working!

Let me die, thinking.
Let me fare forth still with an open mind,
Fresh secrets to unfold, new truths to find,
My soul undimmed, alert, no question
blinking;
Let me die, thinking!

Let me die, laughing.
No sighing o'er past sins; they are forgiven.
Spilled on this earth are all the joys of Heaven;
The wine of life, the cup of mirth quaffing.
Let me die, laughing!
(S. Hall Young, 1847-1927)