The Dye Is Cast

I was tired of blond and didn't want to be grey so I went brunette instead. Light Golden Brown says the box, although everything on my hair is always several shades lighter so it's still a dark blond but much darker than I'm used to. I'd post a picture but I prefer to remain mostly incognito on the Net. Thanks to all who weighed in on this most weighty subject.

On another subject--I just finished reading two short books by Philip Gulley that I recommend to anyone who is feeling discouraged about humanity. The author is a Quaker minister who has written several novels about the fictional, small Midwestern town of Harmony and the congregation and minister of the Harmony Friends Meeting. Especially for those of you who are familiar with congregational life, this book will make you laugh as you recognize the ways ministering to others is easily sidetracked by personalities. Each chapter is almost a mini-sermon on the need for compassion in human affairs and it's a lesson I continually need to relearn.

The two books I read are Home to Harmony, which is the first one in the series. The second is, Just Shy of Harmony. The books put me in mind of Jan Karon's Mitford series about an Episcopalian priest and his flock. Some readers might call both series sentimental but I like them a lot for their emphasis on the typical struggles of ordinary people and how grace can find us in even the most difficult times of our lives.

I'm returning the first two back to the library tomorrow (Tuesday) so you'll have to wait until then to check them out. Enjoy!