Sunday's Hymn: Spring

Kindly Spring Again Is Here

Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless lays
Warble their Creator’s praise.

Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.

Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by Thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.

—John Newton, Olney Hymns 

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• The Sunday after Ascension Day at Magic Statistics
• The Soul Cheering Promise at The Happy Wonderer
• Stand Up and Bless the Lord at Hiraeth
  
• Blessed Assurance at Seasoning of the Heart
• What Various Hindrances We Meet at Whatever Things…
• Lord, My Weak Thought at Field Stone Cottage
• Lord’s Day 18, 2008 at The Thirsty Theologian
• O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go at JoythruChrist
• Allelujia! Sing to Jesus! at Conjubilant With Song
• Alas and Did My Savior Bleed? at Writing and Living
  

Have you posted a hymn today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.

My Desktop Photo 5: Little Pasque Flower

Photo by Andrew Stark 

The crocuses aren’t out yet, at least not around my house, but it’ll be soon.

Gas Up: May 1

Here’s what a litre of gas costs at my neighborhood station this week. That’d work out to be $5.14 per U.S. gallon.

Youngest son worked at this gas station last summer. He was following in both his parents footsteps, because my first job was at a Fas Gas station, too, and that’s where I met my husband, who was my co-worker. I’m almost certain they are completely unrelated companies, even though the Fas Gas company I worked for had a similar green and white logo.

The price in 1973 when I pumped gas? A whopping 39.9¢ per gallon. And it was full service; I washed your windows and checked your oil. But it was the summer of the gas shortage, and 39.9¢ was a shockingly high price. It was also the summer of the big grain export to Russia, and there was a constant stream of grain trucks fueling up as they travelled from North Dakota to the port of Duluth.

What are you paying for gas this week? You can let us know in the comments of this post or, if you prefer, you can post the info on your own blog and send me the link.

Update on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 3:56PM by rebecca

• Ellen B paid $3.77 per gallon yesterday at Costco in Oxnard, California, but that’s 10¢ cheaper than it is at most other stations.
• Alan paid 1.39 per gallon, but you’ll have to read his comment to see how he finaggled that.
  

Update on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 9:47AM by rebecca

• And here’s what Dorothy paid for gas in Crystal Lake, IL.
  

Update on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 7:18PM by rebecca

• From Karen: I just paid $3.41 a gallon for regular this morning to fill up in Texarkana, Texas - prices range from $3.41 for regular up to $4.13 for plus.
  
• Mummymac in Northern Ireland tells us,

  I’ve just been for a fill and our prices are unbelievable at the moment - everyone is complaining especially as about 2/3 is tax.
  
  

  We run on Diesel (sorry to be so different). I’ve just done all the conversions litres to gallons and pounds to US Dollars and we’re working out at $8.84 per gallon for diesel. For unleaded it would be roughly $8.10 per gallon!!!!”

  Wow!
• Missmellifluous, our Australian lass, is waiting before she fills her tank.

  Fuel was $1.50/ litre here this week. I did not fill up. I wait for it to go down to $1.45 - usually on Tuesdays which seems to be the cheapest day to fill up - and get $20 worth. This is the most expensive it’s been in ages.

Update on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 10:16AM by rebecca

This is the last follow-up to this post. All future comments will go on the next Gas Up post.

• Jaunita is paying $1.239/litre for gas in Alberta.  
  
• Jenn gives us a report from middle Tennesee, including a link to a site that helps you locate the cheapest gas in your zipcode.