My Day

And my day was like this...

• 11:05 Getting a late start on my planner. Should I add completed items so I can check 'em off? Why not? 
  
• 13:47 Had a good time with God in the Word and just woke up from a nice nap. Time for lunch! 
  
• 14:46 Sorting trip pictures to post on Flicker if I can figure out how to do that.
  
• 23:05 Just got home from Giveback. I always learn and grow when I am there.
  

Wonderful Wednesday

After I got home from Bible Class, we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios, ate ice cream, played tourist and generally had a great time, then it was just a 10 minute boat ride over to Epcot where we walked in the rain, soaked up the atmosphere, celebrated with a great meal in Germany's Bier Garten Buffet where they had a loud and audacious show with lots of accordion and polka music. Next, there was a concert honoring the musical group Abba and a boat ride back to Hollywood Studios where we bundled into our comfy car for the pleasant drive home.

What a wonderful Wednesday!

How very blessed we are to live such an idyllic life! God has greatly favored us in every way.

Fullness

The day was full in many ways as am I right now.

My planner was fairly full, yet nearly every item has been done and the house shines like an almost new penny.

I am spiritually full because I spent a good, long time with the Lord in prayer and exploring Isaiah in my new Holeman Bible.

My heart is full because I spent the day with my Honey, and the afternoon and evening with Norman who is here in his truck, Athena and Brian and Norman's trainee driver. Also, because Sarah - who was so sweet and understanding - and I worked out a great new system to help prevent me from spacing out my Promise Land cleaning duties.

My tummy is full because Athena prepared and served a luscious steak dinner with all the trimmings and topped it off with birthday treats for dessert... celebrating Richard's birthday.

In addition to all that, we had a nice, soaking rain!!

My cup indeed runneth over.

I am so very blessed!

Flyaway

I took yesterday off. That means I didn't do any cleaning here or at the church. Actually, I never gave the church a thought yesterday and it wasn't until this morning when they talked about VBS coming up that I realized I had goofed again and not done my job... a job I volunteered for and almost demanded.

Flyaway thoughts and memories are part of everyday life with a leaky brain like mine, but I am usually able to work on specific problem areas as they come up by using strategies learned at Giveback, filling out and working on Error Analysis forms, making plans, setting triggers in place, etc. But again, I have made a big blunder and let people down. I need to find a way to prevent it or I need to resign my post. An unreliable worker is worse than no worker at all. There's no sense beating myself up about this, but I'll be praying about it and talking to Sarah in the morning.

So where was the breakdown? I went on vacation and have not managed to slip into my routine? Richard lost his cell phone and couldn't call to remind me like he usually does? He is my insurance, but without a phone, he can't help. My old systems didn't work. I'm praying about new ones.

I drove off again this morning with my Bible on the car roof. Of course, by the time I got to church, it had become a flyaway Bible somewhere along the route. I had about 15 months worth of study notes in that Bible, plus it was a "New Inductive Study Bible" from Harvest House. It was rich in charts and other extras, some of which I have found nowhere else. The last flyaway Bible I lost was just like it, except this was NAS and that was NIV. Both were out of print when I bought them, so I had little hope of finding another in any version.

I prayed about my Bible as I redrove my route to church searching for it, asking that I find it or that someone else find it and keep it and read it and be led to Christ. None of my other flyaway Bibles have ever returned, and I really had little expectation of seeing this one again, so I went to the new Books-A-Million near our house and, miracle of miracles, they had a copy. One, lone, and yes indeed, out of print copy! Ha! God is SO good! You know I grabbed that Bible right up!

I also browsed through a Holeman Christian Standard Bible emphasizing Apologetics. I have most versions but not this one. Originally projected by the Southern Baptist Convention, and adhering to sound translating and interpreting practice, there is much to admire about this version as it is neither a word-for-word nor thought-for-thought equivalency but rather somewhat of a hybrid but with extensive side and foot notes making it a desirable study addition to my Biblical library. I am thrilled with it.

As I readied to go to a church missions fundraiser, a man came to the door bearing my flyaway Bible! He remembered my car with the JESUS plate on the front and had seen God's Word take flight as I headed off to morning worship. We visited a few minutes and I praised God for the loss and return of my familiar Bible. I would not have bought the new Bibles had I not lost this one, but am so glad I did. Now I will keep a spare New Inductive, untouched in my bookshelf with all those glorious full color charts and art work. I will also have a fine old time with the Holemans. Cool!

Now it's time for me to flyaway to bed... or maybe flyaway to fantasy and play a video game or two...

Day Off

The house is basically clean and I am not in the middle of any projects, though I have a dozen I should start... but not today. Today, I did no real work except cook, which isn't really work to me, and clean up after myself. So, I gave me the day off and spent it reading a novel and my Bible. A great day off.

David called this afternoon. He has started with a new company, Cal-Ark. He is in the reefer division and his runs will be coast to coast. He was pretty happy with everything and, having completed his orientation, is awaiting his first load. I was saddened to learn that his cat got out of the truck and he was unable to find her. She had been with him most of his driving career.

Had a good visit with Kim yesterday, I think, and am looking forward to seeing her here in July. She will bring the baby. Yay!

Well, this is my day off, so I'm going to play computer games and go to bed early. I'm still tired from the trip... or maybe just lazy. I feel a bit dragged out. I gained weight on the trip so that may be part of it. I should have gone to Curves today, but, like I said, this was my day off, off of everything.

And my day was like this...

• 12:15 Lost in a book. I'm taking the day off. 
  
• 14:37 Half way through my book and an egg sandwich, leaving all cares in the wind. 
  
• 16:24 Spending time with Jesus. 
  
• 18:15 Had a long phone visit with David. Richard is home.
  

6,000 Miles

We hit the road Monday, June 9, beginning an almost 6,000 mile trek which included special places and people all along the way. Our daughter Athena ventured forth with us helping defray the costs and doing some of the driving. It was wonderful to share this time with her.

Part of our trip had been planned long in advance, but some of it was pure ad lib. We altered our proposed route to include Gulfport, MS, where we visited my brother Donnie who, as soon as he knew we were coming, rented us a room. He treated us to dinner in Biloxi that night and gave me $100 bill to take to Vegas.

We were up early the next morning, heading for the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, but opted for a side trip to New Orleans where we spent several hours exploring the French Quarter and enjoying some great local food and color. Richard and Athena think I got flim-flammed by a guy collecting money for a homeless mission, but I happily gave $20 anyway. We made it to the small Arkansas town of Magnolia that night and began our quest for diamonds Wednesday morning. We left after a few hours in the mud, bearing diamonds, the same ones I wore in, my wedding set.

Our next stop was the Oklahoma City Memorial which was more than moving. It is amazingly touching, heartbreaking, yet inspiring. We were there just before dusk and the lighting was gorgeous. We drove on from there to Amarillo, Texas.

Thursday was a long day of driving, but we made it to Monticello, Utah, not far from our family reunion site in Moab. We were both tired and starving, but there was no time to rest if we wanted to find an open cafe. In fact, we discovered we were too late for all but a steak house. Sadly, the chef was at a meeting and his fill in did not have the culinary talent we had hoped for. But when you are hungry enough, an overcooked steak or less than perfect veggies will do. Too bad, this fare still bore chef-prepared prices.

Moab, Utah Friday morning. Yay! But where is everyone? Too bad, the bulk of our family did not show up at all. Norman and most of his clan arrived later in the day. We had a wonderful two and a half days visiting and playing and eating with everyone. It was so good to see them all! Norman and most the others went 4-wheeling Saturday. They had quite an adventuresome time while Taunya, Candy, Alejandra and I stayed at the cabins, talked, napped and looked at pictures.

The 4-wheeling bunch hit the trail again Sunday before we all had to go our separate ways. They tried to conquer "Potato Salad Hill" with such passion that Louis actually twisted the drive line of his dad's Bronco. I have never seen anything like it, at least a one and a half circuit turn!

Next, it was on to Las Vegas where we spent three luxurious nights in a suite at the Venetian, on the house, no less! Quite a welcome change from the cramped and primitive cabin we crowded into at Moab. I loved it. Yes, I lost my brother's $100 bill and some of my own money as well, but had a great time, nonetheless. Athena rode the roller coaster at New York, New York and did some exploring on her own while we stayed on the ground and in mostly familiar territory. Richard's brother Jim and his wife June came to Vegas Monday and we visited with them as we checked out the downtown areas.

Off again early Tuesday morning, we arrived at Williams, Arizona in time for a buffet breakfast and our scheduled train ride to the Grand Canyon where we spent the day exploring and being awed by God's splendorous handiwork. Then, hot and tired, we were ready for the ride back. Our car had a delightful attendant, Sam. She was friendly and entertaining even if a bit less polished that her fellow employees who may have had more seniority. We experienced singing cowboys, a train robbery, a crusty, old sheriff and a splendid ride in an old Pullman coach.

Our room and a buffet dinner were also part of our package. The buffet was cold, but would have otherwise been good. I was exhausted, so the room was perfect, I slept like a rock!

Again, we left early, driving hard to reach Buena Vista, Colorado to meet up with Julia and Wyatt at the Topaz Lodge. We made time for stops at Dolores and Ridgeway to visit train museums and see the Galloping Goose. We saw a replica of Goose #1, the soon to be restored Goose #4 and the mostly restored Goose #5. Richard and his family rode the Galloping Goose when his mother worked at the Alta mines in the 1940's.

We stopped to visit Richard's folks' grave site in Montrose, Colorado, then drove through Gunnison. On the way, Athena recalled a special pizza place she loved when going to college there, so, using the Garmin and her new Blackberry phone, we called ahead and ordered the world's best cheese-garlic bread and a large pizza. We chowed down on these wondrous specialties behind the Western State College Student Union. By far, the best pizza and garlic bread I ever ate!

It was late by the time we met up with Julia and Wyatt. We were all tired, but Wyatt was a ball of energy. Buena Vista was full of bikers and bicyclists participating in various Ride the Rockies events. They partied all night and we had trouble sleeping even as tired as we were.

Friday morning, we were able to see Scott. Wyatt went with us and was very well behaved throughout the visit. When we first arrived they had no idea we were coming due to a miscommunication, but God worked it all out and we ended up with a longer visit than expected. Scott looked healthier than last visit. He has put on some weight and has a tan. He was quietly upbeat and I am thankful for that.

After the visit, we bid Julia and Wyatt farewell and headed east intending to stop for two short nights along the way home. we were all ready to be home so kept on driving and drove in shifts until we arrived in Orlando Saturday night. Brian met us there and picked up Athena and we drove on home. There's no place like home...

It was such a blessing to be able to leave and know all was taken care of here. Danny watched our house and pets and we were at complete peace about that. Everything was taken care of beautifully.

Going, Gone

We leave in just a few hours on our two week vacation filled with three weeks worth of activities. I'll post along the way if internet service is available. I know part of the time it won't be because we are going to be out in the boonies. I am thrilled Athena is going along with us. She will liven the trip.

And my day was like this...

• 09:00 Overslept. Too late for church. God will arrange a good day for me anyway. Will call Danny after church. 
  
• 12:38 Have more to do than I can ever get done. Time to get the Lord involved.