Saturday's Scribbles

Good morning!  Today is our last day of nice weather before heading into a week with excessive heat advisories and temperatures forecast to reach 100 degrees with high dew points to make it interesting.....and miserable!  We will be giving thanks for the A/C I am sure!

This was an eventful week.  A friend of ours died last Friday evening and Joel was to be one of three pastors officiating, so we headed for northern Minnesota Monday morning.  We stayed with family, and were able to visit Joel's brothers, cousins and his one aunt who is 101.  She is young compared to his other aunt who is 106.  Aunt H. is pretty agile, still marching around with her special cane.  Sharp and totally clear minded.  I had not been able to travel to see Joel's family in over 10 years so I enjoyed it very much.  Unfortunately we did not get to see everyone.  It was nice to see the home farm and church which was only 1/4 mile from where Joel was raised.  This is the country church where Joel was baptised, confirmed and ordained.  Many of Joel's family is buried there too.  We attended that church when we were first married and lived in the area.  The funeral was Tuesday, and we headed home Thursday.  The weather was good with just one hot day.  I think we were tired from long hours of traveling and visiting and fewer hours of sleep~  Thursday night Joel slept 10 hours and I slept 9!

I managed a few walks this week , although shorter distances while in Minnesota.  It is amazing how much harder it is to walk on gravel roads!  Speaking of that, it seems the seal on our van back door leaks.  It was quite dusty inside by the time we got home. Guess that is just part of country living.  The gravel roads may be a pain, but there is nothing like sitting on a porch in the quiet watching the sun rise.  It draws you in and calms the soul.

School started here this past week.  In Minnesota it starts after Labor Day which makes more sense to me.  August is such a hot month and the lazy hazy days of summer should be just that, although I am not so sure families understand that concept of time off from so much activity.  It is a go go go nation we live in now.  Sad, really.  As a kid I remember heading over to the lake in a neighboring town, taking picnic lunches, our suits and suntan lotion.  Coming home gritty with sand, windblown, suntan  and relaxed.  Rested.  In our home it seemed we would always have a crate of peaches in the kitchen or a watermelon to quench our thirst and fill our tummies at the same time.  No air conditioning in our home either, so many a hot muggy night we kids slept on sheets on our living room carpet with the doors and windows open to bring in the outside breezes.  The TV, iPhone or iPad did not hold all our attention.  People did.  Relationships and communication on a face to face level were important.  They still are.

Speaking of technology, I traveled without the iPad or laptop, turned the Knee Team over to Linny for a few days, and only went on Facebook once during the four days we were gone.  I did not see any TV for 4 days either.  No news at all.  And.......I survived.  In fact, I really liked having the break and am thinking this would be a good idea here at home too.

Speaking of home, Joel and I revisit where to move periodically.  It is unsettling not to know where you want to spend the next season of your life, but I do think eventually it will all come together.  We know that going somewhere new or staying somewhere Joel (and I to some degree) is well known has both positives and negatives.  A fresh start is appealing, so is the familiar.  We are no closer to a decision, but are being enlightened along the way while sorting it out.

No books were read this week, but Joel and I watched the move Argo last night.  It was very tense, but since this Iranian hostage crisis took place in 1980-81 we remember it well, and were  interested in seeing it.  Good movie and pretty factual, although from what I have read it was "Americanized" to some degree.

Until next time..............