We're back!

Yes, we're back from the valley of the sun, and I'm back after what seems like quite a while. The last week has been quite "interesting," for lack of a better term I guess. Our time since coming home has been filled with some unexpected events.

After arriving home last week I experienced an "episode" that landed me in the hospital for a five day stay. After undergoing a plethora of tests no major problems were discovered. Medications needed to be altered, but will soon be back to where they were. One thing's for sure - I know where I don't have things wrong. There will be one more test sometime soon, but other than that I can get back to being at home and enjoying the beautiful world of nature around us.

I made a tour of the arboretum again this morning and just thanked the Lord for the beauty of His creation. A pair of Canadian geese and their two goslings were in my path at one point and they just moved enough for me to get by. What beautiful birds! They're also messy, leaving their droplets on the sidewalk for people to watch out for. And the flowering shrubs, roses, and blooming flowers all make this place quite special this time of year.

We enjoyed our time with our daughter and family very much. There was much activity, graduation reception, graduation party, visiting with friends, learning to know new people, etc. The graduation itself was lengthy of course, but not boring. Our granddaughter, Joanna, graduated from ASU honors college with a summa cum laud, and a number of outstanding awards. It was truly a special time for us, and of course for them.

Another significant family event last week was the birth of our third great grandson in Missouri. Tristan Daniel was born to our oldest daughter's daughter. They now have two sons, and are very happy parents. The grandparents also are quite happy with the latest addition to the family.

One final note on family. Our oldest, Carol, had her fifth surgery on her hip, and was recovered enough to be able to be with her newest grandchild. We're grateful for her continued healing and are expecting that she will soon be able to be about her life with some degree of normal activity.

I'm adding one final thing yet. We're expecting my niece from Oregon and her husband to stop and see us this weekend. I'm very happy about that, as I don't get to see my brother's family very much. It means a lot to me to know she wants to take time in their trip to come by for a brief visit.

Now I'm done for this time. I'm still traveling on, and remain

Pilgrim on the way

We're off!

Today we're off to the Land of the Sun, off to see family, off to be present for a granddaughter's graduation. We're anticipating having a great time and perhaps seeing sights like this one. We're off to a place where it's sunny and warm.

Of course we're taking to the airways since driving that far presents some problems it didn't used to present, not to even think about the cost, which would be more than traveling by plane. I don't relish going through the security check points but that's part of the game now, so we just do it and try not to complain. It's too bad that because of a few "kooks" out there we need to take such precautions as to how we package our personal things, etc., but again, that's the way it is so we just need to adjust schedules, etc. to do it.

It has become more difficult in our older age to leave the comforts of our "nest" here and sleep in someone else's bed, eat their food, follow their schedules, etc. but it's always worth it. I'm personally looking forward to getting a little natural vitamin D as I sit out by the pool in clothes that I don't wear around home. These will need to be brief times as my thin skin would rather burn than tan. Perhaps I'll be able to get enough color to hid just a bit the spots, etc. of an aging body.

Our granddaughter is graduating from ASU's honors college with very high honors. We're proud of all of our grandchildren, but the achievements of each one are always special when they are honored and recognized. College graduates these days are often times confused at graduation as they face the reality of making it out there in a very competitive and often cruel world of the work place. I have personally known of several who, upon graduating from college, didn't know what to do with their degree or didn't care to pursue employment in their chosen field of study. My prayers are with these people as they make many important, and often life changing, decisions.

I'm thankful for a wonderful day weather wise today, especially when I think about how it has been the last few days, and also in looking at the forcast for the next few days. Perhaps when we return in a week spring here will finally have sprung. Until then I remain -

Pilgrim on the way

In the dark

I see it's been awhile since I have posted on this blog. Oh well, I guess that means that not a whole lot has been happening here that's worth blogging about.

About the biggest thing this past week was a problem with our electrical service. Without any real evidence to prove this, it seems that we have about the poorest electrical service here in Hesston that we've had any place we have lived. Anyway it appears to me that our electricity goes off more here than I can remember anyplace else.

This past Thursday was an especially bad day for that. I was "working" in the wood shop when suddenly the lights went out. Now being in a place with no windows and the only door shut, it suddenly became very, very dark. Even though this was for only a second or two, it seemed like much longer than that. In the Villa the generator starts up as soon as there's a break in the electric service, so it soon was light again.

But this event occurred over and over again throughout the day. I know it was windy but after all, THIS IS KANSAS for pete sake! Aren't we prepared for such days as this? After assuming incorrectly that the problem had been solved, by mid afternoon, I rebooted the computer and reset all the electric clocks (we seem to have a clock on all appliances, plus telephone, etc. I hadn't any more than finished that until, guess what, it went off again. So be it, I thought. Let it go! Then a few hours went by and so again I thought I was safe in redoing all the clocks, etc.

However, you guessed it, it went off again, and this time I somehow surmised that it was going to be off for awhile. It was almost dark now and I was in the middle of watching a very important baseball game between the Cubs and Cardinals. After grumbling around a bit I noticed a utility truck in the street behind us, so I went out to see what the main problem was. I was told that something was wrong near by but that a repair crew (these guys looked like repairmen to me) was on the way, but they were in Sedgwick at this point. Oh "boy" (not my word here), that means that it will be awhile, right? That was about 8:30 or so, and finally by 10:05 our lights miraculously came back on.

While sitting in the almost dark, with just a few candles burning, one is made to think again of just how dependent we are on such a normal thing in our lives. There's nothing to do when one is in the dark! Just sit, and talk. That part was o.k. But here in our house we always have time for that. So we just wait, albeit quite impatiently at times. But finally since there's nothing else to do, one can learn to be patient in spite of the circumstances and wait for someone else to make it light again.

I guess that's the lesson to be learned here, for me at least. Patience is something I'm usually short on, so maybe in the end I can profit from such an episode in the dark.

Pilgrim on the way (walking in the Light)