A Vacation in Winter ~ Our Trip to Florida Part II

Perhaps nothing will bring out the differences in people than traveling together.  I happen to strongly believe that you truly never know a person until you take a trip together.  Before my husband and I married, we took a road trip during December to Utah together.  I wasn't sure we would get married after that trip. Our differences always show up when we travel.  After over twenty years of marriage, we now travel together quite well because we have learned to include those parts of travel that we both enjoy into the trips we take.

Jim is the planner when it comes to travel.  He wants a plan.  He likes to follow the plan.

I'd just soon show up in a place that looks interesting and explore.

I like to camp.

Jim loves to stay in fancy hotels.

Ok, he was right all along on this.  Fancy hotels are nice.

Jim is a destination traveler.  He wants to take the fastest route with his GPS leading the way.

I like to explore by reading maps to lead me off the beaten track.

Jim loves staying in big cities.

I want to visit the country.

You get the idea.  We are different.  That is a good thing.  We try to do together what both of us enjoy individually.  When we went to Florida, Jim only scheduled the first two days.  He left the rest up to me.  I didn't get my homework completely done.  I did go to AAA and picked tour books and maps (gotta have maps) and sat down with Jim to make a list of things we might like to do while in the Orlando area.  We forgot to bring the tour books, the list, the maps.  How did I go on vacation and forget to take a map?

So, here is what we did on the three days that I was in charge of a plan:

Jim doesn't especially care for beaches.

I love beaches.

Clearwater Beach

I specified that we visit at least one beach.  I had hoped to visit both sides of the peninsula that is Florida.  I didn't care which side we visited first, but I was thrilled when it was suggested by my husband that we visit the Gulf of Mexico side of state.  Jim's daughter has spent a lot of time in Clearwater, Florida because of her triathlon experiences.  She highly recommended we visit the beach at Clearwater.  

Using the GPS, because we had no map, we headed towards our destination in our rental car on our third day in Florida.  I must say that I was a bit of nervous wreak on the highways of Florida.  Jim did an excellent job of getting us where we were going, and I tried not to backseat drive because honestly, I was just grateful not to be driving.  He drove us right to the place that was recommended for lunch.  The local favorite, grouper, is wasted on me.  I'm just not a fan of it, but at least we had the experience.  After lunch, we headed to the beach.  On our way, I stopped into the local chamber of commerce for a map.  They had no maps of Florida.  What?

The beach was awesome!  I'll be honest with you, dear readers, when I think of Florida, I just think of beach life.  That is why I wanted to go to Florida.  I wanted some beach time.

When I had my head injury in 2011, the physiatrist I went to told me I just needed to go find a beach somewhere and dig my toes in the sand for about six weeks.  He said, "Nothing would be better for you than digging your toes in the sand and keeping them there until your injury heals."  Of course few of us have the luxury of extended toe in the sand time, so when I get a bit of it, I make the most of it.

Walking barefootin the sand is the perfect exfoliator for winter weary, dry heels, and and it also soothed my aching instep.  I love walking on the seashore.  The water was cold, but oh so refreshing.

Even if the weather is a bit cool, you just can beat lounging on the beach.

Mount Dora

On our fourth day in Florida, it was really quite cool, and we didn't really know what to do.  (We'd forgotten that list and the tourist guide.)  We remembered that we might like to go to Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.  Jim kept calling it Ebola Park.  We made our way downtown on those terrible highways that I hated, parked the car by the park, and wondered what to do next.  Jim suggested we go to botanical garden that he thought was close by.  I love botanical gardens, so we thought we'd check out the exact location on our iPhones while we warmed up at a coffee shop.  A Starbucks was just a block away, so off we went.  Jim found us a table where a couple was sitting.  They asked us to join them.  Soon Jim was telling them stories of being a principal and about working at the Apple Store.  We had a great conversation with the young man.  He is a realtor in Orlando, and talked to us about the real estate market in Florida.  Just as the couple was leaving, the woman told us we should really visit Mount Dora.  She said it was not that far away, and she said we would love it.

We took her up on her suggestion and off we went to see Mount Dora.  All we knew was that it was a "quaint little town with lots of antique shops."  The drive to our destination was great.  We saw orange groves, and wonderful country homes along our route. When we drove into town, I was somewhat reminded of Baker City, Oregon, because it seemed like we were going back in time.  The homes, the streets, the shops, were all reminiscent of the 1950's or 1960's.  We explored many of the shops and walked down to Lake Dora which is just a few blocks form the shopping area.  We got to Lake Dora too late to schedule a boat ride around the lake during the day.  We could have taken a sunset tour, but we wanted to eat and get back to Orlando before it got too late in the evening.

After shopping and walking around town,  it was suddenly late afternoon.   We decided we'd better find a place to eat.  As we wondered around checking out restaurants, I saw an intriguing spot at the end of the street.  A beautiful historic inn painted with bright yellow paint didn't need the double "Welcome" signs in front to convince me that this was a spot I wanted to know more about.

We passed a smaller yellow building that was a gift shop as we headed towards the larger building featuring a large veranda.  I saw the sign in front, The Lakeside Inn, and knew I had found a treasure. Listed on National Register of Historic Places, this inn opened in 1883.  Jim and I walked up the front steps and into the main lobby of the inn.

By the time we got here, we were running out of options for an early dinner.  It was Friday night of Valentine's Day Weekend.  Places that weren't booked did not appeal to us.  "Do you think we can possibly get a reservation for dinner here tonight," I ask Jim.  "I doubt it," he says.  "It's my treat.  I'm buying you an early Valentine's dinner here tonight," I said as I walked towards the tavern that I could see off to my left.  I basically begged that we could have a reservation for 5:00.  It was 4:30.  The young man knew that they would be busy that night because there was a large group staying in the inn.  So far most of the group was still having drinks on the veranda.  They hadn't thought about dinner yet.  I got us a table for two for 5:00.  

Jim settled himself into a rocker on the veranda to wait for dinner while I went off to take some photos.

As I said, there was a large group staying at the inn.  They belonged to an old cars club.  Their arrival only added to ambiance.

Don't you just love this place?

When 5:00 arrived, we went into Tremain's Tavern, located inside the inn, for our dinner.  We both had their blackened red snapper.  The dinner was absolutely fabulous.  We enjoyed the food and the experience so much.  I wished we were not tied to our room in Orlando so we could have stayed here at least one night.  Sadly, all good things must come to an end, so we left our idyllic Florida inn and headed back to the resort where we were staying.  

Jim asked if I would like to watch the sunset from shores of lake before we left the area.  It was Valentine's Day Weekend after all.  We found the perfect spot.  Armed with my camera, I was excited to practice taking sunset shots.

I love the light just before the sun sets.  This scene is so peaceful.

 We found our perfect romantic spot to end the day.

Flocks of birds set out for the horizon at setting of the sun.  This one seems alone on his journey.

Walking back to the car, the light fading, I observed these birds still on their perches.  They also seem to wish to linger in this spot just a bit longer.    

This day we had begun our journey with no real destination in mind.  This day could not have been more perfectly planned if we had tried to do so.  It was a serendipitous kind of day.  We met strangers who told us where Starbucks was.  There we met strangers who led us to Mount Dora.  There, we happened on this wonderful inn where we ate a fabulous meal on a night when reservations were hard to come by.  

As a couple, we have too few days that end with us watching the sun set in western sky.  But this day, we took the time to end the day with a romantic stroll along the shore of a lovely lake.  Who could have planned a better Valentine's Day Weekend experience?  

Cast in a golden glow, this day ended perfectly.  

A Vacation in Winter ~ Our Trip to Florida

My husband and I have never taken an extended winter vacation before.  Since we retired, we usually travel in the fall.  Actually, we had not been on a long vacation since 2011, so it was time for us to get away from the demands of life and go someplace totally different than we had previously visited.

When this year's trip planning began late last fall, we decided to go to Florida.  We weren't sure when we would go.  Finally, we selected the second week of February.  Our thinking ran along these lines: February + Colorado = wintery weather of snow, cold, and grey skies.  We planned to celebrate Valentine's Day in Florida, and the trip was also to serve as an early birthday celebration for my milestone birthday that happens next week.

The first part of February in Colorado was very warm.  Most days the temperatures were mostly in the 60s or the high 50s.  I was wearing a sweater whenever I went outside.  So, I packed my summer clothes and off we went to Florida to bask in what we thought would be even warmer and sunnier days.  As it turned out, it was warmer in Colorado while we were gone than it was in Florida while we were there.  The cooler temps in Florida didn't impact us much.

It was pouring down rain when we arrived in Florida.  Thankfully, I had packed our two small travel umbrellas.  I had not packed the kind of clothes I needed.  My summer tops I took with me were never unpacked.  I wore the same cotton lightweight blue sweater almost every day over whatever else I was wearing.  I was grateful I had thrown in my old black fleece jacket just before we left. I lived in it.   I wished I had not taken my long pants and a long sleeved t-shirt out of the suitcase just before we left home.  I also wondered why I brought summer dresses.  Not only that, I never once put on a swimming suit in Florida, and I brought two.  I always overpack, but this trip, I generally made poor choices when it came to taking the right kind of clothes.   Thankfully, I did take tennis shoes and did not rely on wearing my walking sandals during the trip.  I never even wore the sandals that I took.  Do you ever pack all wrong for a trip?  I need packing help!

As I write this, the snow is piling up in outside my window at home.  It is very cold, so this seems like the perfect time to reminisce about out time in the Florida sun, even if it was not as warm as we had expected.  It's hard to believe that a week ago, I was basking in the sun on a sunny beach.

We tried to have a variety of experience on our trip.  Today, I will tell you about:

 The Disney Experience

Neither Jim nor I had ever been to Florida before.  He has always expressed how much he wanted to go to Disney World.  He especially wanted to go to the Epcot Center.  Quite early in the morning on our first full vacation day in Florida,  off we went to the Epcot Center.  Before we left for our destination of Epcot,  Jim had used his iPhone to schedule fast passes for the rides he had in mind.  Armed with his "milk route" plans downloaded to his phone,  Jim was very excited to explore the place he had long wished to visit when he finally made it to this spot.

First stop was Soarin.  My wimpy side came out when we got to the ride.  I was just not sure how I would hand the heights, so I sat out the ride.  My husband was very disappointed that I didn't go with him, but he was understanding.  The next ride, Mission: Space, was one I for sure was not going to ride.  After checking out the vaious rides, we decided to explore the World Showcase part of the park.  Jim wanted to visit Mexico first, so off we went.

Epcot's World Showcase is certainly interesting, and we enjoyed walking around and seeing all of the various aspects of each country represented there.  While I greatly enjoyed the World Showcase experience at Epcot, after hearing about it from others for years, my overall impression of the experience was one of disappointment.  I think I had it pictured in my mind to be more like going to a World's Fair.  I remembered all of the wonderful pavilions from the various countries at the Spokane World's Fair of 1974.  I know it is not fair to compare a World's Fair to Disneyland, but I did, and Disneyland lost in comparison.  

Jim and I had a wonderful lunch at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in the Norwegian area.  Norway was a popular place because of the new Frozen attraction.  I ventured into the gift shop to see how much those Anna and Elsa costumes that I saw all the young girls wearing cost.  They start at $49 and go up from there.  I saw some toddlers dressed in the dress, shoes, the tiara, and carrying Elsa's wand.  Some families had more than one child all decked out in the Frozen costumes.  Parents must have a lot more money these days than I had when my children were younger!  God help these parents when these same darling little toddlers go prom dress shopping.  They will expect a very expensive gown.  

We saw so many kids at Disney World that we were actually very shocked.  We kept asking, "Why aren't these kids in school?"  We are after all retired educators.  I speculated that some might be on break from year round schools.  We wondered if some were "home schooled."  We just did not expect to see so many children out of school in the middle of the day in the middle of February.  

We spent most of the day exploring the various countries in the World Showcase.  By 5:30 we were ready for the dinner Jim planned.  He had made arrangements for us to eat at France's Chefs de France.  We both thought our meal was excellent.  I had thought we would be going to a very fancy place and perhaps I should put on a dress for dinner.  Of course, one doesn't change to a dress for dinner at Epcot, and of course there was no need to dress-up.  The restaurant atmosphere was relaxed and informal, which seemed a bit odd given the price of the meal.  I enjoyed eating at Chefs de France and would recommend it to others.  

After dinner, we were tired, so we decided to head out of Epcot and make our way to our hotel.  Realizing how far we were from the entrance, we wondered if we would make it to the gate given how worn out we felt.  On the way back to the entrance, we stopped to ride Spaceship Earth.  That was fun experience.

We had to laugh when we saw the funnel cake stand just before we left Epcot.  The funnel cake stand is the last stop we used to make at the Colorado State Fair every year.  Still very full from dinner, Jim jokingly acted like he was going to buy some funnel cake for the road.    

At the end of the day, Jim checked his pedometer.  We had taken 19,658 steps!  No wonder we were tired.  That equals nearly nine miles of walking.  We were quite proud of ourselves.

The next day, we didn't get up quite so early.  We also decided not to eat breakfast before we left for our day of adventure.  We had seen so many places to eat at Epcot, we thought we'd just eat at Magic Kingdom.  That was a very bad idea.  By the time we drove to our destination and took the ferry over to the entrance we both were starving.  Jim was beyond hungry when we finally got inside.  Because of our late start and late arrival, no place was still serving breakfast.  It was nearly noon.  The sight of others eating hamburgers and such made us both nauseous.  Finally, we were able to get coffee and breakfast fare at Main Street Bakery, which was really Starbucks.  We then had to find a place to sit down and eat.  Once we were fed, the day was off to a better start.

We really did enjoy Magic Kingdom.  We explored most of it and took in many of the attractions.  Jim again had scheduled the rides he wanted to take on his iPhone so we could have the fast pass and not stand in line.  First on the schedule was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Jim didn't think I would want to go on the ride, but he was as excited as a little kid when he got to it.  I said I was up for the ride.  We took a selfie before we boarded for Thunder Mountain.  

I guess Jim didn't know how much I love roller coasters!  I haven't ridden one for years because of my heart arrhythmia problems, but I decided that since I'd had the old ticker fixed with the ablation last summer, that I'd be able to handle the ride.  Sure enough I handled it.  I had a blast.  Mostly, I just loved listening to my husband laugh down each steep hill, and around every sharp turn.  His laughter literally thrilled my heart.  Here I am making my exit from Thunder Mountain.  (The hardest part was climbing out of those little cars.  I'm not as young as I used to be.)

It was quite chilly the day we were at Magic Mountain.  In the photo above, I actually have on two sweaters, a cardigan and a pull over.  At times, I also layered on a fleece hoodie and the green windbreaker that I am holding.  

When Jim headed towards Splash Mountain, I wasn't sure if I wanted to get wet.  Also, I like roller coasters better than I like rides like Splash Mountain, but I got in line for the ride.  Wouldn't you know it?  We ended up being placed in the first seat!  From the look on our faces, you might not think we were having fun, but we were!  Yes, we were absolutely soaked, but that was ok.  We made a great memory.  

We decided to buy the photo of us on the ride.  Jim used his iPhone Apple Pay to pay for the photo.  The young clerk in the gift shop said he had never had anyone pay with Apple Pay before.  Jim was the first to use it.  The clerk was quite impressed with my soaking wet, 70ish, techie husband.  I guess we didn't look like or act like most of the grandmas and grandpas he had seen buying souvenirs for the grandkids.  

We had a terrible lunch/dinner at Columbia Harbour House, but that was really the only bad experience we had at Magic Mountain.  What's not to love about a place where I can ride roller coasters and a carousel?  

We only devoted two days of our week long vacation to Disney.  My favorite day was at Magic Kingdom, but I did really enjoy seeing and exploring Epcot also.  It was great fun being with my best guy exploring a place designed for kids of all ages.  We are still young at heart.  

More on the trip to follow...

Thinking of My Son on His Birthday

Blogging moms probably really annoy their children when they write blog posts about them,

but,

today is my son Jonathan's birthday so he gets to be featured on a blog post.

This photo was taken by my son's wife a few years ago.

She perfectly captured a facet of my son's personality that has endeared him to so many.

Recently, I found a card that Jon and his sister Julie made for me for my birthday when they were teenagers.

The backstory:

The initials JAC were shared by Jon and Julie.

That is why one, non-gender specific person on the front of the card represents them both.

At the time the card was written, Sally Jessy Raphael's talk show was very popular.

They used to call me Sally Jessy.

The card was a bit of a satire aimed at those Sally Jessy might interview on her talk show.

Sometimes, when I blog, I fear my children still might think of me as Sally Jessy Raphael.

My fears are grounded in what Julie and Jon wrote inside the card:

Julie And Jonathan 

always hated when

Mrs. Wessely

did the talk-show circuit.

For that reason, I try to not bring too much attention to my children in my blogs,

but

today

is Jon's birthday,

so he gets some attention.

I can not even imagine how small and limited my life would be without Jon in it.

He has so many facets to his personality that he has enriched my life beyond anything I could have imagined before he was born.

His intelligence stuns me.

Just try having a debate with him.

He will keep you on your toes.

We've had many debates, all of them heated, mostly friendly, but always passionate about our own beliefs over the years.

The topic of religion is an ongoing debate topic we've had running for a very long time.

He is 

smart,

funny,

creative,

daring,

adventurous,

non-traditional and very traditional all in one

good at conversation,

a thinker,

a writer,

a poet,

an artist,

a reader,

a college professor,

student,

activist,

hard worker,

slacker,

passionate about his beliefs,

the pied piper,

a husband and father,

a good son,

a much loved brother,

and always interesting.

As many of you know, Jon has been walking through a great adventure that has unknown outcomes since September when he injured his right brachial plexus in an accident.

The brachial plexus is the area that conducts signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand.

On February 6, Jon is scheduled to have surgery to repair damage done by the injury.

The surgery will be take place in Pennsylvania and will be done by a surgeon specializing in injuries of this type.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

In the meantime,

Happy birthday, son!

I miss you.

I love you.

XO

MOM

To My Beautiful Daughter

Reflections:  To My Oldest Daughter on the Eve of Her Birthday

Sunday's Child

Full of Grace

Forty-five years ago tonight, on a cold and foggy Saturday night, your very pregnant mother and your father, tired from having served all day at his second job as an Army reservist, made our way with your brother Ryan to your aunt and uncle's new home located out in the country.  We were looking forward to eating homemade chili, playing cards, and visiting for the evening.  

Along the way, on a very dark country road, surrounded by fog so thick we could barely see feet ahead of us, your father realized we had a flat tire.  Somehow, while changing the tire, his head was cut.  Did the car slip and graze his forehead?  I no longer remember.  I only know that he was cut badly enough that we had to make our way back to town to the hospital.  Of course the medical staff thought I was the one needing assistance until they saw the bloody handkerchief on your father's forehead.  Young, and full of more energy that I now have, I think we went back to your uncle's to eat chili and play cards late into the night.

The next morning, a Sunday, your father left for Army reserve duty again, and I began to type the paper that your father had due the next day.  At noon, your father came home to check to see how things were coming along.  Never expecting to hear that I was making more progress towards giving birth than towards getting his paper typed, he thought perhaps I was just tired and should just lie down for a bit.  That was not the case.  My pains were two minutes apart.

You know the story.  I had gone to the hospital at 3:00 p.m.  I only had three hard labor pains before you were born on on that Sunday evening,  January 25, 1970, at 6:00 p.m. You arrived a day before your due date.  Your birth was a great predictor of some of your greatest character traits:  You were early, efficient, and easy to handle.  

From your earliest days, you were a girly girl.  You loved dresses with lots of fluffles.  You insisted on wearing dresses most of the time.  You've always had the most amazing wardrobe, and you wear everything well.  Actually, you do everything well.  You can cook and sew with the best of them.  You are creative in crafts and handwork and in photography and in home decorating and in gardening.  You are a voracious reader and a wonderful writer.  You are organized.  You can put on a party for several hundred without even blinking an eye.  I've never known where you got all of these amazing characteristics.  I know that you must have been seriously frustrated finding yourself being raised by a terribly disorganized mother.  You are your father's daughter when it comes to being organized.

As a child, you loved to read.  You also played office or bank because your father would bring home old bookkeeping ledgers from school where he taught business subjects for you kids to draw on.  No wonder you started working at the credit union where you are still employed when you were only seventeen.

Keicha & Me

Keicha in her little white cap and fluffy coat with Grandma French

I love that you are a reader.  Some of my great memories have centered around talking about the books we both have read with you.  I remember when you were only in junior high when you came home with a book for me to read.  It was Katherine Marshal's To Live Again.  You had found it in the library and you thought it might help me go through the break-up of my marriage to your father.  It did help.  I'll never forget that you wanted me to read the book.  You wanted to give me hope.

You have been the one with whom I have most been able to share the depths of my grief over the loss of our dear Julie.  We all grieve in different ways and at different time, yet somehow, you and I seemed to be much in sync in our grief journey.  We seemed to be at much the same places at the same time.  I wish we never would have had to walk this path together, but my precious Keicha, I am so thankful that we have been able to be there for each other.

Keicha with the Easy Does It The rose I bought her to plant in her garden in memory of Julie

You are a wonderful granddaughter, daughter, sister, mother, and friend.  You are strong and able to do what must be done even when it would easy to not step out in courage.  You serve your community in so many ways through the Junior League, the Boys and Girls Club, the Ogden City Schools Foundation, and in so many other ways.  I am extremely proud of you.  

Keicha modeling the coat I wore when she was a young child

Dressed to party

My beautiful girl dressed in red

I wish the brightest of days for you in the future.  I hope that this coming year will bring you many wonderful experiences with your daughter.  I hope that you will find loving and supportive companions for your journey through life.  I am grateful you are again able to walk, and run, and exercise without pain.  I am very excited to see what the coming year will bring your way.

I was greatly blessed the day you were born.  Happy Birthday.  I love you deeply.  XO

*I hope that you don't mind that I borrowed a few photos from your Facebook page.  You know I need to organize my photos.  ;)

A Saturday in Winter

Hibernation

The sky is blue.

The snow is melting.

The paper whites are fading.

Winter.

Is is over?

Colorado,

you confuse me at times.

The view from my window says come outside and play in the sun.

Are brumal days and nights over?

Is Mama Bear being tempted on this fine Saturday morning to emerge from her hibernaculum?

Her secret winter home,

 dug within the hillside

covered with majestic Ponderosa pines

that I see outside my window,

may also be heating up in this weather.

Will she be out today?

Or will she, 

like I,

prefer to stay tucked inside a cozy den 

where one does not have to deal with the vicissitudes of weather and life?

* Inspiration for this bit of prose comes from:

• A post on Facebook by Patricia Polocco where she said, "Make today count...not in a "get more work done" way....but use this day to heal your mind from all the garbage you have dealt with all week, that can't be helped."
• A challenge by Allpoetry.com to write a poem about surviving winter.
• Dictionary.com.  This site listed some great words about winter. I don't generally use the words hibernaculum or brumal, but aren't they wonderful words?
• The view from the windows in my upstairs study/guest room.

Most Inspirational Person for 2014 ~ Kara Tippetts

Kara Tippetts has inspired me all through 2014.  She is the author of the book, The Hardest Peace.  Her blog, Mundane Faithfulness, has grown in readership as she has chronicled her battle with cancer and her faith in God.  

In the midst of living, 

in the midst of seeking to live life well,

in the midst of seeking the grace to live a life that has purpose,

for many, 

circumstances and events come into life that threaten to be one's undoing.

Or, perhaps, when life seemed rather mundane,

when we might have even questioned if our lives even have a purpose,

we search for inspiration in books or inspirational speakers.

There is a reason that Rick Warren's book, A Purpose Driven Life has sold over fifty million copies.

Most of us want to believe that 

our stories, 

our lives, 

have purpose and meaning for ourselves, our children, our loved ones, our community. 

I can't speak for KaraTippetts, I can only tell you what I know about her.

At some point in time in the recent past, she began writing a blog called Mundane Faithfulness.

I really don't know when or why she started writing her blog, but I'm sure when she selected the title of her blog, she had no idea that readers of her blog would come to see her

 faithfulness as anything but mundane.

A Short Backstory

Kara and her family live a short distance from my home in Colorado Springs.  They came here when her husband Jason was called to be the pastor for a new church being planted in the area by my church, Village Seven Presbyterian, and the Presbyterian Church of America.  Not long after moving to Colorado Springs, Kara discovered she had breast cancer.  She made this discovery just shortly after she and her family had not only made a move to a new community, but also just after they had been evacuated from their new home by the Waldo Canyon Fire.  Thankfully, their home did not burn.  

I don't have access to her early blog writings about this time.  I think of how challenging those days must have been for her and for her family.  In her book, The Hardest Peace, she writes about this time by saying that she thought they would come to town with a plan of strength that would help them "build a small band of believers who would share Jesus with this community."  Instead, they found themselves broken by circumstances they never could have foreseen.  

I will not retell her entire story here.  I do encourage you to buy her book and read it.  You will read how she has not only won The Hardest Peace, but you will also learn how she truly has lived, as her book subtitle states, expecting grace in the midst of life's hard.  (Her book is available on Amazon.)

How I Became Acquainted with Kara

I started reading Kara's blog much as I would any other bloggers blog early in 2013.  My niece attends Kara's church, so she started sharing Kara's blog on Facebook.  I read with interest about a young mother's struggle with cancer.  My heart went out to her.  I began to think of her as a member of my church community.  In fact, I had considered attending the church her husband pastored before I started reading Kara's blog because it was closer to my home and a sister congregation to my own church.  

In May of 2013, hospitalized over Mother's Day with pancreatitis, I was visited by the pastoral care pastor from my church.  He is Kara's "dear Karl."  He has faithfully visited her as she has received chemotherapy and when she has had other medical procedures.  He has been by her side through much of her "hard."  He came up to see me after visiting with her.  Feeling quite sorry for myself, I had a change of heart as I talked with him and began to think about a mom with four "littles" going through chemotherapy to fight for her life, to have more time to be a mom, while I was just going through a bout with a non-life threatening illness.  Suddenly, her battle became more real to me.  I began to read her blog and to pray for her.

Immediately, I discovered that Kara was a great writer.   I began to relate to her even as I could not relate to her experience of cancer.  My experience was not unique.  Her voice has made her the best friend, the sister, or the daughter to readers all over the country.  She is loved, deeply loved by her readers.  She is prayed for thousands.  Her journey has been one many have traveled with her.

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago,  when on a Sunday morning in late fall 2014,  as I got out of my car to walk into church, I realized that the Tippetts family was walking just in front of me through the church parking lot.  When church services were over, I went up to speak with her and introduce myself as a faithful reader and aunt of one of her dear friends.  She was just as charming, intelligent, and lovely in person as I knew to be from reading her blog.  I thanked her for sharing her story.  I thanked her for building my faith.  She said, "I know you've had your "hard" also."  She seemed to know my story, and connected me with it.  Tears filled my eyes as she spoke these words.  I mentioned that I knew she would be shaving her head in just a very few days.  Wanting to speak words of comfort and supports, I said, "I guess I was surprised to learn that losing your hair is so hard for you," I said.  Immediately, it seemed so trivial to even say such a thing to her, one who was facing the loss of life with such grace, with such beauty, with such peace.  I wanted to take back my words as soon as I said them, but she assured me that being bald is not an easy thing to deal with. In an attempt to tell her that I understood what losing hair feels like, I quickly shared my journey of losing my own hair over the past few years.  She understood my pain.  Her words comforted me when I wanted to comfort her.  Instead, I found myself saying, "but I don't have cancer, I just have hair loss."  She did not minimize my experience with loss of hair.  Oh how I wished I had never said anything about losing my hair, but she has a disarming way of looking at you with her big blue eyes brimming over with life and empathy that caused me to spurt out a deep pain that I speak about with few.  

So often, I have wished I could have ministered to her as she has to me.  Once, deeply moved by one of her posts, I sent her a scripture verse that had become one that I would cling to after my daughter's death. "God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."  I Peter 5:10  Even as I sent this verse to her via comments on her blog, I didn't see all that is in this verse.  God has kept her strong, firm and steadfast in her faith.  Not only that, He will restore her when she is in His presence.

Kara is in the care of hospice now.  Her fight with cancer is now done.  She is living the life she has left by continuing to give thanksgiving to God for all of His rich mercy and grace in her life.  Read her latest post here: "Sacrifice of Thanksgiving."  You will understand after reading her words why I have selected her as my most inspirational person for 2014.  You will see her beautiful smile, her beautiful spirit, and her beautiful family, and you will know why she is so loved.

On the last Sunday in December, in our small group at church, we were told that Kara would enter hospice care the next day.  As I prepared dinner that day,  I wondered when was the last time Kara had been able to cook for her family.  I gave thanks that I was healthy and able to cook a meal.  I gave thanks for a young woman named Kara because she had continually reminded me to live life more fully while I still have it.  

What have I learned from Kara?  

Why is she an inspiration?

I've learned to expect grace to show up even during the hardest seasons of life.

I knew this.

I've experienced this.

Kara has reinforced this belief. 

 

I've witnessed the beautiful sanctification of a soul.

This has taken place as a young woman's body has walked through unimaginable pain and suffering.

I've learned to accept more fully that God is the true author of our story.

I've learned that trusting the outcome of that story to Him would be impossible without 

His mercy and grace.

I've seen the truth of this quote that she used in her book lived out in her life:

Give me the courage to stand the pain to get the grace.

~Flannery O'Connor A Prayer Journel

I've learned that fear is the opposite of trust.

I know she has felt fear.

I also know that she has exchanged the fear for trust.

I have been inspired by the vibrancy of her faith and her life.

Just this week, weakened and dying, she had a photo shoot with her family so she could have their last days captured forever on film.

I was again struck by her beauty, her smile, her blue intelligent, and full of life eyes.

I thought to myself, even the camera loves Kara.

I will be heartbroken when Kara leaves us to go home to Jesus.

I will also rejoice that she will be with Him, the lover of her soul.

On January 1, I read the morning devotional in Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening.

His words reminded me of Kara's journey.

He spoke of the Israel's wandering in the wilderness and how they longed to be in the land which flowed with milk and honey.

He spoke of crossing over the Jordan which causes the unbeliever to shudder.

He then spoke of what this is like for the believer.

To be with Jesus in the rest which remains for the people of God is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is double bliss.

...let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us.

Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be "forever with the Lord."

Truly, I have witnessed the ills that many have suffered in this life.

I have witnessed how Kara has met these ills with faith and trust.

She did not set out to be followed by thousands on her blog.

She did not set out to write a book.

She set out to be faithful in the mundane parts of life as she raised her beautiful children and loved her wonderful, kind, and loving Jason.

She did not set out to inspire and be loved by throngs.

She did not try to put into practice ways of living a purpose driven life.

She simply believed a Sovereign God and took Him at His Word.

She sought His grace knowing full well that she could not earn His grace;

knowing full well that He alone is the giver of His grace.

Then, she shared her story, one of God working out His grace in her life.

I love you Kara.

Thank you for sharing your life with us.

You will remain in my prayers until you go home.

Your children and your Jason will always remain in my prayers.

God speed.

Home for the Holidays

Reflections on the Holiday Season

Decorating the Christmas tree brings back so many memories of years gone by.
My festive Spanish bell purchased in Mexico so many years ago triggers memories of times with dear people whom were so much a part of my life in the 80's.
Humming,

Feliz Navidad,
I remember Christmas season trips to New Mexico.
I think of all the wonderful Spanish speaking students whom I taught over the years.
I think of the rich cultural traditions that others have during this time of year.

Some years a few new decorations are added to tree.

This year, dried wheat bunches from the Thanksgiving flower arrangement were gathered together and tied with Christmas ribbon to create a new decoration.

It will be a reminder of the wonderful Thanksgiving we shared with my son and his wife and son

and with 

my daughter and her son and daughter earlier this year.

My tree always is dotted with bells, lots of bells.
Somehow, many years ago, I started collecting so many bells that I decided that my Christmas tree would have a bell theme.
And so, to this day, bells hang on my tree.
The bells of Christmas.

Each bell has a story behind it.  

Each bell carries a special memory.

I love the bells of Christmas.

The angels.

The lambs.

The red berries.

The pine cones.

The red and silver balls.

The lights.

I love the beauty of Christmas.

Christmas decorations remain on display at my house until New Year's Day.

It seems we are so busy before Christmas that I rarely have time to sit and reflect about the true meaning of Christmas until it is all over.

Julie's tree,
the tree that holds only her special ornaments,
gives me great comfort,
but it also sometimes sends fresh shock waves through my mind
when I see her things in my house as a reminder that she is not here to put them up in her own place.

I'm never quite prepared for
 the scent of Julie
 that overpowers my emotions when I open the hat box that contains her Christmas ornaments. 
Yes, the tissue paper that she placed around each ornament still smells like her. 
It got to me again this year. 
I miss you, Jules.
 I love you. 
XO

***********

The holidays really began for me when my high school girlfriends all gathered for our holiday party on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

(That's me, surrounded by my girlfriends, 

smiling broadly,  dressed in orange, and sitting midway on the stairs.)

Oh how I love these girls!

As a group, and individually, my life is much richer 

because I met these awesome ladies over fifty years ago.

We giggle like school girls while we open our gag gift exchange.

You don't even want to know what we give each other!

We laugh so hard we can barely breathe throughout the day when we have our get togethers.

This year, Dove could not be with us, so she sent a bottle of real maple syrup from Vermont, where she lives, for each one of us.

We cry and give thanks as

we share our list of gratitudes for the year with each other.

Each of us feels loved and blessed because
we belong to something that is rare and precious:

a sisterhood of
of girlfriends
 with deep roots that began in the golden days of youth
 and has lasted until our hair has turned to silver.
We are there for each other no matter what.

As we get older, the "no matter whats" become harder to bear,
but we don't bear our trials alone.

Our friend with Alzheimer's called during our lunch.

Her husband placed the call so we could talk to her.

Three of the girls drove to Kansas this summer to bring her love and gifts from the group and to take her out for the day.

That's what I'm talking about.

These girls are true, forever friends.

**********

Soon, the next holiday was upon us.

Thanksgiving was so special this year.

Ryan and Sheridan brought oldest grandson with them as they flew in for a short visit for 

Thanksgiving.

We have plenty of chairs, but these kids like togetherness.

Firstborn grandson Parker is in his first year of college.

What a treat it was to have him with us during his short break!

Daughter Amy and her children were here with us too.

The siblings took over the kitchen for mom.

That is a good thing since I can't seem to put it all together like I used to do.

After a run through the neighborhood, they whipped up dinner.

(We also had a bit a lot of help from Whole Foods.)

I was one blessed and happy mom on Thanksgiving Day.
Nothing makes me happier than being surrounded by my children and grandchildren.
Nothing.

The trip to my house was a quick one for the newlyweds.

I'm grateful they were able to come at all.

The day after Thanksgiving was Black Friday.

The next day was Small Business Saturday.

Sheridan, as a small business owner, took time to be with us, her family,

 before she was off for the Christmas rush at Hip and Humble in Salt Lake City.

*************

The day after Thanksgiving, Jim was also off to work at the Apple Store.

With me also working, this was a crazy, busy Christmas season for us.

Somehow, we managed to decorate the house,
shop for presents,
write and mail a Christmas letter,
and attend other holiday get togethers with friends and family.

My new best friends became the folks that own the nearby
PostalAnnex in the University Center in Colorado Springs.
I literally dropped gifts on the counter and asked, "Can you wrap and mail these for me?"
They did just that!
I didn't have to go to the post office or FedEx or UPS one time during the Christmas season.
Check them out for all your mailing needs.

A special event each year is hosted by my cousin and her husband:  The Cousin Christmas Party.
Thanks, Diana and Steve for again being such gracious hosts.
We shared great food and deep belly laughs throughout the evening.

*********
On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with Jim's daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren at daughter Thia's new home.
What a fun time we all had.

Christmas Day was a very quiet day for the two of us.
Jim said, "Don't get me anything for Christmas.  I don't need a thing."
I thought of a few things he needed.
First,
he needed new gloves that would keep his hands warm while he walks the dog
and navigates around his iPhone.
He needed technology friendly gloves.
"You can text while wearing these gloves," I said.
"No kidding?" he replied.
Then he happily tried them out and was quite excited about the new gloves.

He also needed another winter hat, one that he could wear to work.
He loved his new brown wool cap.

I also surprised him with new "tennis shoes" that he likes to wear to work.

Jim finds great comfort in honoring and remembering his heritage when we light the menorah.
On Christmas morning, my dear, dear Jewish friend in California sent me greetings via a text.
She then sent me a photo of her daughter and her husband, home for the holidays, seated in front of a lighted menorah.
I sent her this photo of Jim.

Jim spoiled me to death with many wonderful gifts.
He didn't listen to me either when I told him that I needed nothing for Christmas.

Cooking a large Christmas dinner has never been high on my list of things to do on Christmas.
Instead, I've traditionally made Christmas brunch.
This year, just the two of us enjoyed a brunch of chili relleno casserole, hash browns, a spinach salad, a fruit salad, and stollen. (We forgot we had also planned to have bacon.)
As we leisurely enjoyed our morning and early afternoon, I realized that we had not spent an entire day together without any obligations or work since mid-September.

Christmas Day the air was cool and crisp, but the sky was a brilliant blue.
We decided to walk in the Garden of the Gods.
We'd not been there in months.
Boston could hardly contain himself with joyful anticipation as we approached one of his favorite walking places.
We thought it would be the perfect day to enjoy the great outdoors now that all the summer tourists have gone home.
We were wrong.
Throngs of people had the same idea we did.
I don't know when I've seen this beautiful place so crowded.

Despite the crowds,
and Boston's over-enthusiastic reaction of being in a favorite place filled with lots of great smells,
 and lots of other people,
we enjoyed a crisp Christmas afternoon walk.

**********
Home for the holidays is an ideal I have carried in my head for a long time.
I envisioned that this meant all of our offspring would gather around the table with us to eat a Christmas meal, or open presents around the tree.

Divorce,
death,
and
distance,
the three D's of Christmas,
 have robbed me of much happiness at Christmas over the years.

This year,
acceptance of those things over which I have no control
allowed me to
celebrate,
with peace and joy,
a quiet
Christmas at home.

Christmas Letter to Friends and Family - 2014

The Big News of the Year:

The Wedding of Ryan and Sheridan 

Our family was greatly blessed this year when Ryan and Sheridan were married in June.  It was the greatest, most fun family wedding ever.  Siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas, and family friends spent a weekend hiking, fishing, making and eating smores, laughing and talking around the campfire in Boulder City, Utah when we gathered to watch two families become one during this very special occasion.  Welcome to the family Sheridan, Max, and Henry.  We love you!

Henry, Sheridan, & Max

Parker, Ryan, Bridger, Regan

Other Family Milestones:

This year was a momentous year that meant many trips to Utah for weddings and graduations.  Jim’s oldest grandson Caleb married Rachel in Logan, Utah, in May.  My oldest grandson Parker graduated from high school in Utah this year.  He is attending Utah State.  Jim’s oldest granddaughter Daphne graduated from high school in Colorado and is attending BYU.   We were back in Utah in June for Ryan & Sheridan’s big day.  

The Year in Review:  

I must begin by saying that I scarcely know where the year went.  We celebrated last Christmas in Utah with Ryan and family and with Keicha and Gillian.  Then, we were kept very busy with family events throughout the spring and summer.  

Sally’s year has been dotted with health issues.  She is doing much, much better after gall bladder surgery in April and a heart ablation in July.  In fact, she is doing so much better that she ended the year by teaching English to international student at UCCS.

Jim also has big news this year.  He began a new career selling apples.  More correctly, he is working for the Apple store.  He loves his job.  It has been the best adventure for him.  A great fan of all things Mac, on a whim, he applied for a job with Apple and was hired in June.  It has been a challenge for Sally to get used to a husband working retail.  He only works part-time, but hours during the Christmas season have been a bit more plentiful.  His patience and teaching skills are a bonus when it comes to helping others with questions about Apple products.

Retirement is not on hold for us.  I will re-retire when the semester is over in a few days.  Jim is still retired on his days off.  He also stays busy with his position on several boards.  He greatly enjoys his daily walks with his best buddy Boston.  Sally will be happy to return to having time to do more writing and blogging.  She also greatly enjoys her Bible study groups and other fellowship opportunities at her church.  We are planning a trip to Florida in February.  

Family Photos from 2014

Daughters Keicha & Amy

Granddaughters Hannah, Regan, Gillian

Daughter & Son Amy & Jon

Grandson Atticus with Boston our dog

Grandsons with Grandpa Jim Bridger, Parker, and Mason

Many no longer send out Christmas cards or Christmas letters, but it has become a tradition for me that I enjoy doing.  With a family the size of ours, it is difficult to distill the family happenings into a small newsletter.  Jim’s daughters all live close by, so it is nice to spend more time with them.  The highlight of the year for the Wessely family was the wedding of Caleb and Rachel in Logan, Utah.  We also had great fun when we all went to Moab for a marathon that Thia, Brad, and Trinette ran in April.  We will all celebrate Christmas Eve together soon.  It will be good to see the newlyweds and Daphne.  These three have been away at college.  

Grandson Caleb's Wedding Sally, Jim, Caleb, Rachel, and Grandfather W

The year has certainly brought our family great trials, and challenges, but Sally has witnessed the continued faithfulness of God in her life and in lives of those she loves.  Along with the trials have come much to celebrate.  

It has been such a joy this year to witness a new family come together with the marriage of Sheridan and Ryan.  They live in Bountiful, Utah.  They are very busy keeping up with their children while they also manage Sheridan’s business Hip and Humble.  Visit any of her three locations when you are in the Salt Lake area. 

Keicha and daughter Gillian live in Ogden, Utah.  She just had back surgery and will end the year recuperating.  She has been employed by the credit union where she works for over 25 years.  She continues with all of her community work.

Amy is loving her new job in HR with a company located in downtown Denver.  She and her children, Mason and Hannah,  live in Erie, Colorado.  

Jon is in Scranton, PA with his family where he teaches at Marywood University.  Sally spent two weeks in Scranton with Jon this fall after Jon suffered a terrible accident that nearly took his life.  He continues to recover from his injury.

My mother is going strong at age 98.  She remains an amazing woman who lives in her own home.    

Jim and I end the year healthy and happy.  We rejoice over all of our rich blessings.  We look forward to the coming year.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Blogging friends, this post is a copy of the Christmas letter I sent out this year. I look forward to the coming year when I will be reading all your news, insights, thoughts, and reflections on your blogs.  

Merry Christmas!

I've Been Busy...

Wait, I better not say "read my blog" if you want to catch up with what I've been doing.  I haven't been blogging.  I have been busy.  I suspect we all have been busy, but somehow, blogging has been placed on the back burner of my life lately.

A few words that describe me during the last few months of my life are:

• foggy
• unfocused
• distracted
• busy
• going in too many directions

As my husband and I drove towards home today, I observed the route I take daily as I travel to and from my home and wherever else I am going with unbelieving eyes.  Surely I had not completely missed the passing of summer to fall and from fall to winter, I mused.  Yet, in my heart of hearts, I had to admit that in many ways I had missed much of the glories that come with the changing of the seasons.  I simply have been too distracted to drink it all in.

When I last wrote, I had just returned from spending time with my son in Pennsylvania after he had been injured.  As an update, he seems to be coming along in the healing department as well as can be expected.  He still has not recovered the use of his right arm and hand, but we remain hopeful as his injury heals.

Mid-October, I had planned on going to Vashon Island in Washington to again meet with my dear blogging friends.  (Read about our previous weekends here:  A Weekend To Remember and Time With Dear Friends I'd Never Met.)  I was so excited to spend time with DJan, Jann, Linda, Deb, Sandi. My tickets were all purchased, and I'd sent my deposit for the weekend.  I needed a weekend away.  I needed laughter and talks with my dear friends.  What I didn't need was the rash that appeared on my upper body about ten day prior to my departure for Vashon Island.  I used ointments and creams and self-remedies.  I saw my dermatologist.  No better after all of this, I saw my allergist.  My body had experienced an allergic reaction to some unknown trigger and the hives and rash that was making me miserable was just not getting any better.  My allergist told me she really did not want me to travel in my condition.  I considered my options, thought about the reality of having an even worse reaction to something that might require me using my dreaded EpiPen.  It really would not have been wise for me to travel in the condition I found myself, so I missed that special event and stayed home.  In the meantime, my allergy medications were increased and I spent my time trying to relax.  Finally, thankfully, the rash went away, and I stopped itching.  I could again tolerate clothes rubbing on my skin.  I decreased the allergy medications, and so far, I have been fine again.

October 22 is my dear husband's birthday.  I always look forward to his birthday because it comes at such a beautiful time of year.  This year, a few days before my hubby's birthday, on a day when he did not have to work, I asked if he would mind celebrating his birthday by visiting the Denver Botanical Gardens.  It had been several years since I had been to one of my favorite places.  Even though my hubby really doesn't get as excited over gardens as I do, he agreed to celebrate his birthday by doing something that I really wanted to do.  What a glorious day we had.  The gardens were even more spectacular because of the beautiful artwork of Dale Chihuly which is now on display throughout the garden.  

Since my outfit matched the sculpture at the entrance to the gardens, Jim took my photo.  

If you live in Colorado, and if you have not yet gone to the Denver Botanical Gardens to see this display, you must go.  The Chihuly Exhibit is there through November 30.  We were very surprised how popular the exhibit was on the day we were there.  We literally took the last parking place in the parking garage.  There was a line to buy tickets.  The garden was full of people.  Despite all the crowds, we really enjoyed our time.  The trees in the garden were still colorful and some perennials and roses were still blooming.    Here are some of the highlights:

Flowers of glass against a fountain

A beautiful rose 

"Easy Does It"  Rose 

The rose that I planted at our home in Pueblo in memory of Julie was especially beautiful.  Seeing it in bloom brought great joy to my heart.  

I loved the oranges, red, and yellows in this display.

Lots of color and shapes to delight the eye

The pairing of "Easy Does It" with orbs of orange and yellow brought thoughts of Julie to my mind.

One more shot of my favorite rose.

Another sculpture…

The same sculpture up close…

These sculptures reminded me of the glaciers we saw in Alaska.  I thought they were especially interesting.

Fall in all its glory is punctuated by these red spires.

More red spires…

These looked as if they were growing out of the ground.

The day at the gardens was a special outing for us.  Thankfully, we had a day together in sun drinking in the waning days of fall.

**********

On October 22, Jim's actual birthday, we both had to work. Yes, I have taken a job.  That is why I am so busy.   I was unsure whether or not I would take the job after it was offered to me.  I had not officially applied for it.  A teacher quit and there was a need for another teacher to replace her.  I was called.  I visited the class prior to accepting the position.  Stepping on campus, I realized I was a goner. Who could resist this view everyday?  This campus is absolutely beautiful.  

I actually began my new job on October 22.  I am teaching international students English at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS).  Yes, I am indeed back in the saddle again.  Perhaps, this is why I have felt overwhelmed, foggy, distracted, and as if I were going in too many directions.  I also have been quite happy when I am actually in the classroom teaching.  I've told friends that the best way to actually cure the fantasy of going back to work is to actually go back to work.

I love teaching again.  It is good for me to be on campus with young people.  I love the campus atmosphere.  I have missed it so much.  It is also great to be working with international students again.  I love doing that.  Also, it is good for me to be involved with others in an atmosphere where I am constantly challenged to think, create, and teach. 

 It has been a greater challenge than I anticipated to teach this time around.  I gave away or threw away nearly all of my professional resources when we moved.  Everyday, I feel as if I am reinventing the wheel as I try to bring in interesting activities to enrich the lessons I am teaching to my students learning English.  Thankfully, my class only meets two and a half hours a day, four days a week.  This means that I have a schedule that does not tax me physically; however, I find that I spend every morning in lesson preparation before my 2:00 p.m. class. 

This opportunity to teach came along without me really seeking it.  I am grateful for it.  It has expanded my horizons yet again.  I will only be teaching until mid December.  By then, I'm sure I will happily reclaim my title of Retired English Teacher.  If I don't get around to visit, please forgive me.  I miss reading your blogs, but I am a bit bogged down right now.  I hope to be back among you all soon...

Shifting Currents of life.

My day has been a mix of swirling emotions.  It is mid-afternoon as I sit in my chair wrapped in a shawl sipping a cup of red rooibus tea.  Outside my window, the beauty of my neighbor's red maple tree continues to cheer my heart as the clouds roll over the mountains at the end of my valley.  A thick layer of snow covers Pikes Peak while we in the valley below experience intermittent rain.

Since we've moved to Colorado Springs, I've always loved the rhythm of our Sundays:  leisurely afternoons filled with walks and reading were preceded by church attendance and breakfast or brunch out.  All of this has been disrupted by Jim's new work schedule.  Sometimes, he has to work on Sundays now.  Today, he went to work at 2:00.  I hated to send him out in the cold rain.  Soon after his departure, he sent me a text, "Glad I'm here.  Busy store. Lots of energy. (thumbs up sign, smilely face sign, big eyes sign)."  I love his cheery text.  I'm thankful he loves his job that has given him so many benefits.  His blood pressure is lower since he started working.  He has more bounce in his step.  He has new friends and new experiences.  Sometimes, we just do better working a bit after retirement.  Still, I miss, our quiet rhythm we had on Sundays, but we have other days and moments to share on other days.  

********

I came home from Pennsylvania on Wednesday of this past week.  I'd been there for two weeks. As I left Pennsylvania, I thought about how I had come to also love the rhythm of the days that I spent with my son.  I adapted to his living space and town after a few days of getting used to a new place.  Acclimating to changes in the time zone from Mountain Time to Eastern Time took a few days.  Mostly, I noticed it at meal time.  

Scranton had been a mysterious place to me before I finally went out to Pennsylvania to see my son.  He had described it, but I needed to experience its uniqueness myself to begin to appreciate its charms.  I'd always wanted to visit Pennsylvania ever since I learned about the meaning of the word Pennsylvania in Latin class.  I asked my son and grandson if they knew where the word Pennsylvania came from.  They did not.  So I told them that sylvania meant woodland.  I told them it meant Penn's woodland.  

The hills of Pennsylvania are so different from the mountains of Colorado.  I found them beautiful, but while returning home from the airport in Denver, I marveled anew at the blue skies of home that are so easily seen above the wide expanse of prairie lands that spread to the mountains in the distance.  I am Colorado girl.  I love the vistas of the West.  I don't think I could live without seeing the wide expanses of my home state.  

While in Pennsylvania, I did so enjoy looking at the beautiful old homes near Marywood University where my son is teaching.  I also enjoyed driving through the ethnic neighborhoods and seeing the diverse population that makes up the city of Scranton.  Much of the city is old, but it is interesting.  Again, the cities in the West are new by comparison to those in the East.  

I didn't venture out of my comfort zone much.  I would take Jon to work on some days and then take care of household duties.  I tried to cook him healthy vegetarian meals as much as possible.  I actually lost weight while I was there because I was living the vegetarian lifestyle he has followed for so many years.  I must admit I departed from this dietary routine when I was by myself.

One day, I was invited to lunch by Jon's good friend.  She took me to a great place called Canteen 900 in Wilkes Barre.  We met her mother for lunch and had a great visit.  I ate a great big juicy hamburger for lunch that day.  Jon's friend is a vegetarian.  She ate a yummy looking menu item that fit her diet plan.  We had a fun time at lunch.

It was great to have some time out with new friends and to get to know Jon's friend's mom.  They are both terrific women.

After lunch, I was treated to a massage at FK's house.  Yep, she is a massage therapist, and she promised me a massage.  Heaven only knows how much I needed one. F's house was fabulous.  I loved it.  She bought it several years ago and has painstakingly painted it, decorated it, furnished it, and make it her very special place of comfort.  I could have moved in.  I loved it!

Another day, I was by myself while Jon spent the day with his friend.  I remembered the shops that FK had pointed out to me. Guess where I spent that day?  Guess what I had to eat?  Steak.  I went to a steakhouse and ordered me a wonderful steak dinner.

I also spent a lot of time at the laundromat, a place I hadn't been to since the birth of my firstborn.  Jon and I found a very clean and pleasant place to do laundry.  I tried to keep towels and bedding and work clothes laundered while I was there so that Jon would not have to worry about that.

I also found a grocery store I liked that Jon had never visited.  I liked its convenience, friendliness, and the quality of its produce.  I loved that it was fewer than five minutes from the house.  I think I went there everyday after I found it.  I'd always think of something we were out of.

While in Scranton, I was reminded daily of a tragedy that had happened just before I arrived in Pennsylvania.   Bryon Dickson, a Pennsylvania State Police officer,  had been killed by a survivalist targeting police officers.  Officer Dickson's home was along the route I followed when I took Jon to school, or when I returned to pick him up from school.  A police car occupied by an officer was always parked in front of the house when I drove by.  At times, I would see one of the children of the fallen officer talking to the officer in the car.  Another time, I saw his widow.  The sight of this surveillance duty was always sobering and caused me to pray for the pain this family must be suffering.

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Being alone on this rainy Sunday afternoon has given me time to reflect on how the rhythms of our lives are so easily disrupted.  Three weeks ago today, I got the call that Jon had been injured. Thankfully, I had the health and resources to go to his side for a few weeks.  During our time together, it was easy for me to shift back into the role of mom.  In my heart and mind, I've never stepped out of that role.  As the mother of adult children, I try not to interfere or help too much in their adult lives.  Notice the use of the words TRY  NOT TO INTERFERE.  Having said that, I hope they know I am here always, only a phone call away.  It is a fine line parents to adult children are asked to walk.  We are here to extend help and advice when it is asked for.  We are here to garner all that we have at our disposal to aid in the time of crisis.  We also must let them live their own lives and find their way during times of change and turbulence.

In the past four years, our family has been tossed about by more winds of change than any of us thought possible.  Our lives have been upended and tossed about as it seemed we were walking "against the wind." I couldn't help but relate to this Mama Duck in this video I saw on YouTube. I love how the ducklings came to each others' sides as one or another was tossed about.  I also liked how the Mama's main priority seemed to be getting herself back on her feet.  She then proceeded to lead the ducklings down the path of life with just a quick glance back to make sure they all were still there under her care and watchful guidance.

While I was in Pennsylvania, I spoke with my oldest daughter one day.  She was home from work that day suffering badly from asthma.  I could tell her breathing was labored.  She has suffered from such terrible asthma since childhood.  That day, she was across the country from me.  I know she's fought this disease by herself for years.  I know she knows how to care for herself while she is sick with it better than I would know how to do. Still, I worry about her.  As we hung up, I said, "Please take care of yourself.  Go get your medicine.  I don't like you being there by yourself.  I worry about you."  Her response was, "Yes, I know you do, Mom.  That's your job."  

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Today during our church service, we sang one of my favorite hymns, Rock of Ages.  How grateful I am that I have the anchor of my hope in a Rock that higher than I to hold me during these times when the currents of life rush around me.  In the midst of change, and of turmoil, and of injuries, and illness, and loss, I have always found that I am held by my God and by those who love me and my children.

Thank you dear friends  for your words of concern and comfort during this time.