Retreat Update

Wow! I survived, the women survived and it all went together like it should have! I finished a little early, but no one complained. The strangest thing for me? Having women taking notes as I spoke! That is a first I believe! I stayed home on Sunday and slept, and slept and slept! My cold is almost gone which is a relief! Looks like I will be the speaker next year, too! I'd better get busy! How about "friendship" for a topic?

Speaking Engagement

I am very excited to be able to speak at our little Women's Retreat this coming week-end. Now my sinuses just need to cooperate! Not funny to wake up with post nasal drip sore throat and less than stellar voice! Yikes!! I am slated to speak on Spiritual Gifts and am looking forward to it SO much! We have a small group signed up and we will be at church, so that is just about right for a first time retreat speaker!

Important Day

I will never forget. The phone rang just after the clock radio went off. I heard something about a plane and the World Trade Center. Thought - where is that again? Then the phone rang and it was our daughter in law on the east coast. TURN ON THE T.V.!! We were glued to the set for most of the time we were home that fateful day. I called Bill at school when the other planes went down. It was terrifying! What else was going to happen? It just so happens that this is our wedding anniversary. We had planned to go out to dinner somewhere nice, but ended up just going somewhere quick and easy so we could get back to the TV! It was weird not having planes flying. We are close to an Air Force base as well as an Army post and there is always air traffic. Nothing. Except for an AWAX (I'm not sure I got those letters right - sorry!) plane overhead as we left for dinner. I turned on the TV every morning first thing for a long time after that - what new horror awaited us?

We will never forget that horrific act of evil, or the brave men and women who did all they could to save people and render aid. Bravery was in full force. We are thankful for all those who serve in the military, putting themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. Mostly we are thankful for a God who is in control of every situation even when life makes no sense.

We have celebrated our anniversary in various ways since then. Those first years were difficult and we celebrated mid year or random days! We don't ever want to forget that day, but we don't want to forget the joy of that day for us either! This year we are going to the ocean with three other couples to a car show. Not terribly romantic, but after 38 years, we have found that romance comes in unexpected places and unexpected ways sometimes! And that makes it all the sweeter!

A momentous day indeed!

Discouragement

Blech! The asthma flare up didn't respond as well to Prednisone as it should have and I ended up with a sinus infection. Bummer. I thought I was doing so well and getting over it and BAM! Now I'm not feeling 100% well, but not sick enough to be sick, if you know what I mean! Perhaps it is just taking longer to go away. I forget that I am not 20 anymore sometimes and I probably worked too much when I should have been resting. OK, so I get the hint! I am resting, resting, resting and in fact, I think a trip to the recliner with my book and a hot cup of tea is in order. Perhaps I'll even doze off. ZZZZZZzzzzzz...zzz....zz.............z

North Carolina Vacation 09

Cora, Me, Dorn, MaryDorn

Mary

Reed Gold Mine

Cora & Dorn have some gold!

Panning for gold - Cora, cousin Griffon, Mary, Aubreanna

Discovery Place pirate display

Discovery Place

Poolside!

It is a little bright out here!

Overdue Updates!

I have let way too much time slip by! The main event of late was the trip to North Carolina to see three of the grandkids. Aubreanna (14) went with me and we flew out of SEA on August 5. We stayed ten days and had a great time! We spent time at the pool - a lot of time at the pool! We also went into downtown Charlotte to Discovery Place. It is an educational fun place for kids (and grown up kids!) where they can explore and learn and just have fun! They had fulcrums and pulleys and a pendulum among other things. A big area with blocks was a big hit! Then the highlight for me, anyway, was the Reed Mine. We took a picnic lunch. Gold panning was only $2 a pan and a few found some flecks of gold! Carla and her husband, Joby were great hosts and Aubreanna stayed with them. They have a brand new baby named Henry. He is 3 months old. A very busy household! I stayed with Carla's mom and it was great to have a place to escape to! I learned how to use GPS and loved it! All in all, it was a very enjoyable vacation!

I came home with my asthma in a flare up - humidity got to me. My right elbow also decided it didn't like me. It was a little sore before we left, so I took one of those little bands you can put on below to see if it would help. I think it helped me remember to be careful is all! The Monday after we got back I went in to get checked out. A week of prednisone for the asthma and Naproxen for 2 weeks for the elbow, plus ice 2X a day and rest. HA! If it is not completely better by Monday, I have to go back in, probably for a cortisone shot and/or physical therapy! Not fun! Vacations can be hazardous to your health!

Perhaps next year they will make the trek out here. We would love to introduce Joby to the Pacific Northwest! What a contrast!

We're havin' a heat wave, a tropical heat wave...

Can you say 103 in Seattle, Washington? We nearly can't! Wednesday, July 29 the mercury bubbled its way up to 104 in Tacoma and 106 in Bonney Lake where our kids live. Unbelievable! And since we seldom climb above 85 around here, hardly anyone has air conditioning in their homes! Thankfully the kids do, because we decided their house was our own personal "cooling station". I spent the night there Tuesday and we both stayed Wednesday night. We needed some sleep! Not funny! It is still warm, but 90 something feels better than the low 100's any day! I promised myself I would not complain about heat this summer - back in the spring when we had buckets of rain and gloom! Little did we know this was coming, which is probably a good thing!

More water, please! With plenty of ice!

Oh, and of course the refrigerator has taken this opportunity to die a slow death! I thought things didn't feel cold enough! So, the new one comes Tuesday. This one was in the house when we moved in and the freezer has a label inside that says "also available in avacado, harvest, coppertone, and white. Ours is white which helps disguise its age! It has to be almost 40 years old, so I think it has earned its final rest in the big appliance home in the sky! (The new one is very pretty - stainless steel with black doors - very cool! (Pun intended!)