The Joys of Camping: With a Horse, o' Course! (Part 1)

Part One of Two

Groaning at the loud, domestic arguments of the Stellar Jays in the trees above us, I woke to the scent of bacon on a brisk summer morning. Deciding the brave the cold, I stumbled out of the tangle of my sleeping bag atop a canvas cot, one of five lined up in a row beneath the magnificent oak tree in Campsite #16 of Los Caballos Horse Camp. Pulling on shoes without socks and then a jacket over my pajamas, I made my way to the tent to dress in warm clothing on this 40-degree morning. 

After hiking to the one bathroom for the sixteen campsites with my sister, we returned to toss flakes of hay to Brownie and Sweetpea whose metal-pipe stalls were within the half-circle driveway of our campsite. We filled their water buckets, and once the horses were munching away on their breakfast, we could enjoy ours. We folded our legs and slipped sideways to sit at the sturdy wooden picnic table that was the centerpiece of the site which was backed to a dry creek bed, making it more private than the other campsites. Mom placed plates filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and fried potatoes and onions before us, and we dug in, still shivering, while Dad tossed kindling and logs into the cement ring a few feet away, rebuilding the fire from the still-glowing coals of last night’s blaze.

After breakfast, my brother and I helped with washing the dishes, filling the huge aluminum pot from the nearest faucet, then carrying it back carefully between us, each of us holding a handle. Mom took the heavy pot from us and set it on the battered Coleman stove to heat the water for washing the dishes while my sister and Dad saddled Brownie, our ancient bay mustang gelding with a greying nose, and Sweetpea, our buckskin quarter horse mare, a former barrel-racer. Both were excellent, if somewhat plodding, trail horses, and getting an early start was vital before the temperatures soared into the nineties later in the day.

The three of us started washing the dishes as Dad and Tracey moseyed out of the site and crossed the paved asphalt road, picking up the trail around the perimeter of Lake Cuyamaca. Mom, Tom, and I planned to hike over later to meet them with a picnic lunch on Fletcher Island in the center of the lake. Meanwhile, the three of us might hike down to Paso Picacho, a large non-equine campground a couple of miles southwest of Los Caballos, or we might settle into beach chairs around the fire with books or play another game of Yahtzee! or Gin Rummy at the picnic table. 

I miss camping. My husband is not a camper despite his many camping trips as a child. We also grew up camping every summer, often trailering our horses up to the local mountains a mere forty miles from home to a splendid and quiet horse camp in the Cuyamaca Mountains northeast of our hometown of El Cajon, California. It was always a challenge to drive those forty miles, which felt like a hundred given our excitement and our concerns that our ancient International Travel-All, christened “Tizzie,” which pulled our equally-ancient double-horse trailer (both painted a cheap Earl Scheib chocolate-brown to match), might overheat on the journey during which we climbed nearly 4,000 feet in elevation. 

Dad drove Tizzie, which, with two of the three bench seats removed, sported two bales of hay and a huge bucket of oats plus empty water buckets for the horses in the back, while Mom drove her sporty 1971 green Plymouth Duster which hauled the small aluminum-lidded trailer that contained all camping our gear, food, and clothing. We three kids were distributed among the vehicles: two in the back seat of the Duster, a pile of pillows between us, and one in the front seat of the Travel-All beside Dad, all of us keeping our eyes peeled for potential steam coming from either vehicle despite our early departure. 

We tent-camped, but the tent was mostly used for changing and storing our clothes; we slept outside at night since the only rainstorms that attempted to drench us occurred in the afternoons. And if we camped in mid-July, as we usually did, we'd miss even those storms. Camping in August, however, was a different and much wetter story.

Part Two...Next Week! 

Awash in memories,

Summer Book Reviews

Goodness, this summer just flew by! I taught a Shakespeare class and a Fan Fiction class online at Brave Writer, plus readied our youngest to attend college out-of-state (Yikes!!). The day after I returned from getting him settled, we had our eldest son's friend from Kentucky arrive to stay for a week (with trips to the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland) while spending most of our time at my parents' beach house before our son flew back to stay with the friend for another week. I'm back to teaching Playing with Poetry: Discovery at Brave Writer this fall, but somehow had no time to post my book reviews. So here are a few:


The Trouble to Check Her: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Maria Grace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book on Maria Grace's blog and on the Austen Variations site, and I loved it!! It's the second book in the Queen of Rosings Park series...although, in this volume, there is neither hide nor hair of the "Queen of Rosings Park," Lady Catherine. Mr. Darcy has given Lydia the opportunity to attend a "finishing school" of sorts--Mrs. Drummond's School for Girls, an institution for young ladies like Lydia who have lost their reputations to men who refused to marry them. Darcy has agreed to pay Lydia's tuition, but if she is expelled, she is completely on her own and will likely have to work as a servant.

Lydia enters the school in typical Lydia-style, immediately finding and befriending the rebels of the school and disdaining the young ladies who are trying to make amends for serious mistakes in their lives. Lydia is upset that she cannot room with Amelia and Joan, the aforementioned rebels, but instead must share a room with Juliana, a girl who is hugely pregnant and too sweet and naive for Lydia's tastes. Lydia detests the lessons, especially the new music teacher, Mr. Amberson, who chides her for her lack of practice on the pianoforte. And to be expected to clean her own room...like a maid-of-all-work?? No thank you!!

Will Lydia end up out on the streets so many miles from home, or will she begin to find her worth as she learns to work, study, and even play the pianoforte?

A wonderful story--with some romance from a very unusual direction!! I very much enjoyed reading it as a weekly serial and also now in e-book form!!



To Save and Protect: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Paisley James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To Save and Protect is the first of three books in a three-part series of outstanding variations of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. After receiving the letter from Mr. Darcy on the morning after her rejection of his unfortunate proposal, Elizabeth wanders the grounds of Rosings, thinking over all that Darcy's letter has revealed about her sister, about Wickham, and mostly, about Elizabeth herself.

When news comes to Darcy at Rosings that there is a dangerous fugitive on the loose in the neighborhood, he searches for Elizabeth and at last finds her. They aren't terribly polite to each other, but Darcy is compelled by his "inner gentleman" to ensure her safety.

Together, Darcy and Elizabeth uncover a heinous plot involving murder, attempted murder, near-death, a near-attack, and blackmail...while Darcy's only wish is To Save and Protect the woman he loves...as she begins to return his feelings.

This novel is full of surprises; the plot is wonderfully twisty-turny, and the development of Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy is quite believable as his actions, more than his awkward words, demonstrate the quality of gentleman she rejected so rudely. The plot unfolds beautifully and with perfect timing, and the whole thing sucked me in completely.

This book is marvelously written, perfectly paced, and extremely compelling. I've read it at least four times--it's incredible, as are the next two books in the series.

Brava, Paisley James!!



Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery series for ages and ages--I think I started reading them when only about eight books were in the series; there are now 27.

And enter Charlotte and Thomas' son, Daniel, a young (25-year-old) lawyer getting his start in 1910, thanks to a recommendation from his father, now Sir Thomas Pitt, who remains head of Special Branch. It's strange for me to read about Daniel since I feel as if I've watched him grow up--in a way, I have, as far as characters go.

Daniel is involved in his first real cases--both of which involve possible death penalty outcomes. The novel starts in the middle of the first case which then leads into the second case of a man accused of murdering his wife and burning her face so that she was unrecognizable. The man is decidedly unlikeable, but Daniel knows that he must do his best to prove this man innocent. Instead, a guilty verdict is handed down, and Daniel has twenty-one days before the man's hanging to find mitigating proof of his innocence.

In his quest for proof, Daniel comes across a damning manuscript written by the condemned man regarding Victor Narraway, his father's former boss at Special Branch, and Narraway's wife, Lady Vespasia, an elderly but powerful woman in London society and politics who was also related to the Pitts by marriage and assisted Thomas on many of his cases. With both Narraway and Vespasia dead, the fault for much of the implied wrong would fall on Sir Thomas Pitt, Daniel's own father. What is Daniel to do? And is there a leak at Special Branch?

I found this book as captivating as the entire Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series--in some ways, almost more so. Daniel is young and knows that he will inevitably make mistakes, but he has his mother's crusading spirit and his father's logical mind to fall back on, as well as the elderly head of the law firm who is an old friend of Daniel's father and sees the beginnings of a brilliant lawyer in young Daniel. Other new characters step in and out of the story, brilliant characters who attract our attention (and our hearts) and are instantly believable.

Anne Perry has always drawn amazing characters--memorable and lovable characters with weaknesses amid their strengths--who surprise us and involve us in their very thoughts. Perry is a masterful writer of the mystery genre, and this book may be among her very best yet. I rarely give "5" scores to books that are not classics, but this book definitely deserves this designation--the first of what I hope will be a long series of mysteries involving Daniel Pitt.


Mischief by Amanda Quick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have seen Amanda Quick's novels often on our library's shelves, and when I had nothing to read, I snatched this one.

I enjoyed the Regency setting and the idea of Matthias' archaeological trips which resulted in the discovery of the lost island of Zamar and all the details of this "lost culture." I enjoyed Matthias as a character: his seeming coldness (nicknamed "Cold-blooded Colchester") is quickly warmed by Imogen. I appreciated the various mysteries they solved together, including the death of Imogen's friend and the murder of Lord Vanneck whom Imogen believes was the murderer of her friend, his wife.

However, I didn't care for Imogen's stupidity. She's an obviously intelligent woman, given her research into ancient Zamarian culture and her ability to read Zamarian script (only she and Matthias are true scholars of Zamar although as a woman, she could not join the archaeological explorations), but she is at the same time unbelievably naive about people and society to the point of absolute stupidity. I found her obtuseness quite annoying. And the intimate scenes between Imogen and Matthias were just...weird. I don't care for such scenes anyway, enough so that I doubt I'll pick up another book by this author.

I enjoyed the various mysteries as they unfolded, and I really enjoyed Matthias' character opening himself up to Imogen despite (or perhaps because of) her reputation as "Immodest Imogen, but her consistent belief that she was always right despite being dead wrong most of the time was annoying. She saw what she wanted to see and believed only what she wanted to believe despite the truth of the matter being right smack-dab under her nose. I also didn't care for Matthias' half-sister Patricia who appears partway through the story and flip-flops in her dislike for both Matthias and Imogen so often that I couldn't keep up with her.

So it was the various mysteries that drove this novel forward for me and kept me reading despite my annoyance at most of the female characters.



Netherfield: Rogue Dragon: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Maria Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to proofread this and the second Jane Austen's Dragons book by Maria Grace, and I have to say that I ADORE this series. Out of the 600+ Austen variation novels I've read over the past five years or so, this series is my absolute #1 favorite of all time!!!!!!

Seriously.

No exceptions.

It's a brilliant world Maria Grace has dreamed up and researched meticulously. Each type of dragon in this series of three books thus far (and a fourth coming out soon--a prequel to this trilogy) has been based on dragon lore of Britain, Scotland, Ireland, and northern Europe. And the Blue Order--the association of dragons in Britain and the dragon-hearers--those who see, hear, and care for the hundreds, perhaps thousands of dragons in England--is simply brilliant.

In this third book of the trilogy based on Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth have been declared engaged by the Blue Order Council in order for both of them to care for young Pemberley, the baby firedrake who hatched in mysterious circumstances in Book One. But a rogue dragon--one not subject to the Pendragon Treaty to which all dragon and human members of the Blue Order agree--may be living at Netherfield Park, just outside of Laird Longbourn's territory. Elizabeth is charged by the Blue Order to discover this rogue dragon and to bring it into the Blue Order while Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam travel throughout Britain, quieting dragonkind who are upset at the idea of a possible rogue dragon and searching for clues about its provenance. Lydia, who apparently just started to hear dragons (which can occur later in life) is missing from Netherfield which she was caring for while Jane and Bingley (both dragon-deaf) are honeymooning.

In addition, Elizabeth has been banished from Longbourn's territory for refusing to marry Mr. Collins and for leaving Longbourn to care for baby Pemberley at Rosings Park where she was pining for "her" (Elizabeth). Mary, the other Bennet daughter who can hear dragons, is installed as Junior Keeper under Mr. Bennet, Historian of the Blue Order. Mary and her father are charged with the education of Mr. Collins, now affianced to Mary, as the Longbourn Estate (and its dragon) are entailed to him.

So with the very future of the Blue Order and the Pendragon Accords in jeopardy, Elizabeth and Darcy and the dragons assisting them, seek to keep peace between humanity and dragonkind within England...while trying to pursue their own future as co-Keepers of young Pemberley who will become a very powerful dragon in the Blue Order due to her rank within dragonkind.

And I'll leave my description here now that the background is clear (I hope). Just read the whole series; it's absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!

* * * * *

Thanks for reading my reviews...which are a teensy more eclectic than the norm with two books NOT Austen variations although two are by Maria Grace. 

I'll be posting and also writing more reviews coming up. I had quite the list for the Summer Reading Program at our county library branch and managed to win our daughter a Kindle Fire 7 for her business. Last time I won something from the Summer Reading Program, I won a toaster oven which we just installed a month or two ago when the previous one decided to catch fire for some reason... Thus, I can tell my husband that reading really DOES PAY!! :D 

Warmly,

Weekend Away....

It's been a crazy-busy week with driving into the city Tuesday-Saturday, even twice on Thursday. So this weekend, I'll take E down into El Cajon for her SATs. While she tries to gain the extra 50 points she needs for the $4000/yr academic scholarship at PLNU, I will park myself in the nearest Starbucks with my fountain pen and a stack of MLA essays to grade, all due on Thursday plus student semester grades which are cumulative since September. I definitely have my work cut out for me.

After the SATs, we'll run a couple of errands before heading down to my parents' place at the beach. They're arriving home from their eight weeks in Hawaii and after my dad's double bypass surgery last month, they have no desire to come home to a house messy with construction dirt and the dusty footprints of the many workers (including Keith) who have been installing their elevator--which is being installed to help my mom climb the two flights of stairs in the house but now will also be used by my dad as he continues to recover from his surgery. So my parents have hired E to clean their home in preparation for their homecoming this week. Keith and the boys will be there as well as he finishes the few details of the installation--applying trim, etc. while she vacuums, dusts, cleans bathrooms and kitchen....

And me? I hope to finish grading essays but also stroll the half-block to the beach, dig my toes into the sand, and read the new Mary Higgins Clark novel I picked up from the library this week: The Shadow of Your Smile. It looks intriguing; she's one of the few contemporary mystery writers whose whole canon of work I've read and continue to read as each new book is released--including Anne Perry, Victoria Thompson, Lilian Jackson Braun-- although I started reading Mary Higgins Clark's books from the very beginning of her career with Where Are the Children? and A Cry in the Night under my desk in my high school Algebra II class.

So my plans for this weekend include sitting in the sun, slathered in organic sunscreen, the sea breezes fluttering my hair, and toes digging deep past hot surface sands into the deep, sea-cooled dampness that clings darkly to toenails. My laptop will remain chastely at home, gathering dust and able to also rest--for once.

So I shall see you all on Monday when I return to "real life"--our last week of homeschooling for the year, and my last week of officially homeschooling all four children. Ever. But I'm not going to think about that--at least not until E's graduation a week from tonight....

NaPoWriMo #8: More Tanka

I've recently been teaching my 4th-6th grade poetry class at our homeschool group's Class Days about writing haiku and tanka poems.

Being a rather verbose writer with a weak self-editing streak, I tend to prefer the tanka as I have two more lines (and 14 more syllables) to work with in the tanka versus the haiku. Plus tanka are about relationships (supposedly)--about the subjective--while haiku are stubbornly objective.

I prefer subjective.

So here's another tanka--also because I couldn't wrap my head around ReadWritePoem's new prompt and have been working with my literary analysis class's assessment of Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" at Brave Writer all day, so I haven't much working brain left.

But I can count syllables.

I think.

And focus on the tea towel pinned to my pantry door, glimpsing there a love-affair of sorts:

home I've never seen
nestling green in Irish Sea,
an amoeba-shape
undulating southward--a
distant affair: Isle of Man.

Original version before reading RWP prompt again:

home I've never seen
nestling green in Irish Sea,
an amoeba-shape
undulating southward--
an ancient berth: Isle of Man

Serving God by Serving People

(Image from pbs.org)

In 2006 our church of sixteen years, Lake Murray Community Church in La Mesa, California, (San Diego County, in case you're not a local) sent a team of 21 adults and young people to Seneg*al, West Africa. I already have a homeschooling e-friend living in that country who has been part of several online communities and Yahoo Groups (currently a prayer group) serving as a missionary with her family in that country, so I possessed some familiarity with Seneg*al. Our team helped missionaries in the country and also went out to the villages to serve.

Why Seneg*al? One of the leaders of the 2006 Seneg*al group from our church grew up in the country as the child of missionaries and now is seeking to return there as a missionary himself with his wife and two sons. As they finish raising the requisite support and then attend foreign language training, our church desires a closer relationship with the Seneg*alese, especially those in villages outside the big cities.

Our church has the idea of supporting a single village over (at least) the next five years, helping them with needs for clean water, for education, for medical care, for nutritious food, etc., sending smaller teams to Africa every 12-18 months, with the first trip planned for March 2010. We will build relationships with these people and help supply some of their physical needs as well as their spiritual need for Christ.

I'm really excited about this opportunity. Our church already supports another missionary family in North Africa who came from Lake Murray and are good friends of our family. In addition, over ten years ago, our church adopted the Turkm*en people group, and our former pastor is still quite active in serving the Turkm*en people in the several countries in which they live. Several of our church's young people have served in East Asia, with one just returning to continue to serve in a predominantly Musl*im area.

Our church also supports missionaries serving here in the the States -- a family in Idaho/Wyoming who minister to migrant farm workers, another family who trains missionaries in Wisconsin, plus two local families in which the husbands serve as Kaiser hospital chaplains (unpaid positions). Each month a group from Lake Murray fires up the grill to serve dinner to the homeless in downtown San Diego, with everyone from the pastors to small children helping make the venture a success on the first Friday of every month.

I love seeing God use His people to help others in need. We all need a hug from "Jesus with skin on," as we sometimes call our Christian friends. We are knit together, heart and soul, by the One who created us and who is glorified as we serve in His Name. I am looking forward greatly to seeing how His Will shall unfold in the days and weeks, the months and years to come.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (The Gloria Patri)

Disneyland

Each March my parents give all of us a huge birthday gift: a family trip to either Disneyland/California Adventure or to Knotts Berry Farm, alternating years. This year it's Disney time, so we'll be heading up to the Magic Kingdom early tomorrow (Sunday) morning and will meet my parents and my brother and his two kids at the Holiday Inn closest to Disneyland. If one of our rooms is ready, we'll unload our stuff, but if not, we'll lock up our cars in the lot and hop on the shuttle bus that will take us right to the gates of Disneyland. Dad has already purchased tickets for us, and the least expensive deal for three days in the parks was a limited annual pass, so we'll be able to go to the parks again as long as it's not on a holiday or weekend. (J is already pushing for a Disneyland birthday trip in June.)

Keith won't be going as he needs to work on Monday and Tuesday, plus the rides make him rather dizzy and his back hurts after walking on hard surfaces for such a long time. It just isn't fun for him anymore, but I love it -- everything except the 2.5 to 3-hour drive. But we have multiple iPods synced with U2's new CD and the Mamma Mia! soundtrack, plus Harry Potter books on tape which Keith doesn't like to listen to, but we'll enjoy them very much. We'll miss having him along, but he'll love having a quiet house for three days, all to his highly-introverted self.

The cool thing about this trip is that Keith's aunt gave me her battery-powered scooter for navigating Disneyland. Keith got the long-unused battery charged, and the boys have been running it down all week to see how long it will last. It seems to be running quite well and should last each day (and recharge overnight) just fine. I'll bring my wheelchair as a back-up measure, but the freedom of being to navigate myself around rather than being pushed by increasingly-tired family members will be such a relief! My mom may need my wheelchair anyway as her back has been bothering her a great deal lately. At least it's red and black and looks rather cool ... for a wheelchair, that is.

Although we'll be back late Tuesday night, don't expect a blog post from me until probably Saturday as I'll be coming back to a busy, busy week. I'll have one day to prepare for Class Day (teaching two writing classes) and finish grading essays (which I'll start later today and work on tonight) for Thursday. Plus we have dinner guests (our doctor and his wife, the ones who ordered the Tiffany-style stained glass window) coming on Friday night. I have an odd premonition that Friday may very well be a "home ec" day in our home school with everyone pitching in to clean the house and tidy the yard before dinner that night. Keith will be serving his fabulous Tortilla Soup (with grilled chicken and freshly-fried tortilla strips) and his mother's amazing cornbread (baked in an iron skillet for a crispy crust), and probably Keith's dark chocolate mousse for dessert. And Dr. Adema and Marcia are bringing a green salad. They are really into wine, so I'll have to find a good match for Mexican food. Any ideas?

So this is "goodbye" for about a week. I'll come back with what I hope will be some decent photos and the kids will have such a wonderful time, especially the boys who are eagerly doing yard work for Judith and myself today in order to earn a little spending money for the trip. So, we'll be off to the "Happiest Place on Earth" at approximately 7:00 AM tomorrow, after losing an hour's sleep as the clocks "spring" ahead. See you all later, and I'll go on "It's a Small World" just for YOU.

Fifth Day of Christmas and Saint Thomas Beckett

(Image from "Just a Slice" Flickr page, located through Google Images)

In addition to today being the Fifth Day of Christmas (I'd take five golden rings right now, thankyouverymuch), today is also the Feast Day of St. Thomas Beckett. The candle above in Canterbury Cathedral marks the place where St. Thomas was murdered by henchman of King Henry II, who apparently mistook his frustration at Thomas to be an order for the Archbishop's murder.

Here is the Saint of the Day from AmericanCatholic.org:

St. Thomas Becket (1118-1170)
A strong man who wavered for a moment, but then learned one cannot come to terms with evil and so became a strong churchman, a martyr and a saint—that was Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, murdered in his cathedral on December 29, 1170.
His career had been a stormy one. While archdeacon of Canterbury, he was made chancellor of England at the age of 36 by his friend King Henry II. When Henry felt it advantageous to make his chancellor the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas gave him fair warning: he might not accept all of Henry’s intrusions into Church affairs. Nevertheless, he was made archbishop (1162), resigned his chancellorship and reformed his whole way of life!

Troubles began. Henry insisted upon usurping Church rights. At one time, supposing some conciliatory action possible, Thomas came close to compromise. He momentarily approved the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have denied the clergy the right of trial by a Church court and prevented them from making direct appeal to Rome. But Thomas rejected the Constitutions, fled to France for safety and remained in exile for seven years. When he returned to England, he suspected it would mean certain death. Because Thomas refused to remit censures he had placed upon bishops favored by the king, Henry cried out in a rage, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest!” Four knights, taking his words as his wish, slew Thomas in the Canterbury cathedral.

Thomas Becket remains a hero-saint down to our own times.

Comment:
No one becomes a saint without struggle, especially with himself. Thomas knew he must stand firm in defense of truth and right, even at the cost of his life. We also must take a stand in the face of pressures—against dishonesty, deceit, destruction of life—at the cost of popularity, convenience, promotion and even greater goods.

Quote:
In T.S. Eliot's drama, Murder in the Cathedral, Becket faces a final temptation to seek martyrdom for earthly glory and revenge. With real insight into his life situation, Thomas responds:

"The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

Although I found the above image via Google, Keith took an almost identical photo when we were in England in 1988. I loved Canterbury: the gigantic cathedral visible from everywhere in the town, the school kids in their plaid uniforms streaming out of their schools, the quiet of the cathedral and the hollows in the stone steps where perhaps millions of pigrims over the centuries crawled on their knees to the shrine of St. Thomas. And being the medieval scholar (a nice word for "fanatic") that I am, it was the place that Chaucer's famous cast of characters were heading to "on pilgrimage" and they told their (sometimes) notorious "tales" to while away the time on their trip from London to Canterbury. Some of the Canterbury Tales seem so modern that it's difficult to believe that Chaucer died in the year 1400.

As I spent a little time yesterday, reveling in research time now that my laptop is again Internet-worthy, I checked out some doctoral programs. Two caught my attention, but only one is a low-residency program. Living in England for a year (or a few) has always been one of my Big Hairy Audacious Goals (B-HAGs). The doctoral programme in English at the University of Kent in Canterbury is a dream programme, enabling doctoral candidates access to the historical and literary documents of the cathedral; however, it requires full residency for three years (full time). A dream, but such a lovely one! The doctoral programme in English at the University of Wales, Lampeter, can be accomplished almost totally from home as it requires just one short residency of two weeks at the beginning of the programme and then the rest can be done via electronic means. Doctoral candidates choose an area of research that matches with a research area of the professors (and Old and Middle English is one of them!), and a research PhD mostly from home is indeed possible. This university, established in 1822, seems to be the "real deal" and may be a possibility in five to ten years if I decide to pursue doctoral studies.


Back to Canterbury: the cathedral awed me, and, even in photos, still awes me. Its sheer size is daunting enough from the outside, but inside it's even more spectacular, especially considering its age. The surrounding roofs barely visible in the above image are all five to six stories tall, and the cathedral looms over them all, a beneficent giant guarding the town.

So today I think of St. Thomas, willing to stand up for what was right even when he knew the truth tolled his death knell, and of Christ whom we celebrate on this fifth day of Christmas.

Cultivating Joy at Retreat

"For You, Oh Lord, have made me glad by what You have done; I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands." -- Psalm 92:4

"Cultivating Joy" marked the 14th (I think) Lake Murray women's retreat I have attended, and as always, the weekend passed by all too quickly with building friendships, quiet time with God, hearing Him speak through several women, making crafts, eating wonderful food (that we didn't have to cook!), studying the Scriptures, and singing His praises. As much as I adore my husband and kids, I treasure this time away from common activities to focus on God and His women.

We started off the weekend with a lovely dinner in our meeting place, Windfield Hall. After checking in and receiving our retreat packet, name tag, and goodie bag (including the very necessary items of pen, notepad, gum, and chocolate), we settled our things in our dorms and then joined the group in the hall to chat over sandwiches and salad. Below are my two friends from our town, Sheri and Teri -- Sheris' third year attending and Teri's first, catching up over dinner:


But before dinner was served, I crept into my dorm and left a little "joke" for my pal, Diana. She had asked me to save her a bottom bunk because her nightly need for the facilities was a priority, and she didn't want to wake the dorm mates by clambering down the ladder several times each night. So I left her a path to the toity, marked with encouraging notes on heart-shaped stickies (I hope she felt loved!):


The camp was lovely in the late-afternoon light. As the nearly fifty women arrived over the course of the late afternoon and early evening, I wandered in back of our dorms and snapped a few photos of the trees and fields in the early evening light:


The retreat committee did a lovely job of decorating Windfield for us. The subtitle for the retreat "Cultivating Joy" was "Living in a Cracked-Pot World," and the gardening decor around the room made the retreat all the more special, including the number of cracked, dented, broken, and even shattered pots that were displayed on the main table amidst the lush blooms and gorgeous arrangments of flowers:


We were also joined by a few young men whose company was very welcome:


Following dinner, we started off with an ice breaker: we were put into smaller groups of eight or so and were each given a small bag of M&Ms, and we had to tell something of ourselves related to the number of each color we had in our bag. We of course had to EAT the M&Ms along the way. Starting a retreat off with chocolate always bodes well. After a few issues with the sound system that our seasoned worship team managed to make the best of, we enjoyed Laurie Wortman as our first speaker on Friday evening as she spoke on God doing a work in each of us, despite all of us being "cracked pots." She stressed our effect on the rest of the "garden" -- the way our sharing of our brokenness and growth can encourage and help others. Our worship team got the sound system up and running for the most part, and we all worshiped the Lord through song. Free time was spent talking, snacking, and either playing or watching the game of Mexican Train Dominos.

The next morning several women came up for the day, joining us for a delicious breakfast in the dining hall where we sat according to placecards so that we had the opportunity to sit with different women at each meal. We clmibed back up the hill to Windfield to brush teeth and fill coffee cups before signing in worship. After worship and prayer, we listened to Leslie Dilbeck share on "Joy in Times of Desperation." Her main question was, "Is joy an emotion or an attitude?" She taught mostly through Psalm 63, reminding us that God is there for us in our aloneness; He is our help and He will indeed raise us up if we focus on Him and rejoice, no matter what our cirumstances may be. Her talk was followed by an extended Quiet Time, with many options available, including a list of suggestions on how to do a Quiet Time in the retreat folder with a Scriptural meditation on joy also available. Many devotional titles were also provided on the book table for reading during this time. Many women wrote in journals, studied, or prayed as we spread out across the camp, enjoying the beauty of God's Creation as we spent time at His feet in various ways. After a delicious lunch in the dining hall, afternoon free time ensued. Some women hiked around "the meadow" -- a five-mile trek around the town; others decided to hang around Windfield Hall or Altitude, the camp's coffee shop, while others shopped the small gift shop on the camp grounds. Plus, Rosanna was in charge of the ping-pong tournament:


And still other women gathered under the trees, chatting about this and that, enjoying each others' company:


Nine women came over to my house to see the stained glass window that Keith is working on, and another three stopped by on the hike to also see it. The group that I took over got one look at the treehouse and five of them were up the ladders and hanging over the balcony, enjoying the view of the meadow and all of us snapping photos of them:


I gave them a tour of the house and then we squeezed into Keith's shop while he explained the process of making a stained glass window and showed them the various pieces of glass, the copper foil, the soldering iron, and what he has completed thus far (about 25% of the possible 2000 pieces).

We retired back to the camp for dinner at 5 PM and met again at Windfield Hall for our evening program:


Earlier in the day we had also taken a group photo -- a few people are missing, but 46 of us (by my count) gathered on the front steps of the camp office building -- so here we are, the Lake Murray Women's Retreat 2008:


Once again we enjoyed singing hymns and praise sings with the worship team before hearing Doris Peacock, mother of Laurie, speak on "How God Taught Me to Abide in His Joy." She spoke about the difference between happiness and joyfulness -- happiness is to be pleased, free or worry and care, while joyfulness reveals strength, deep satisfaction, and abiding pleasure. Then we all became "crafty" as Camille Hyatt walked us through the creation of beautiful notecards and adorable gift bags:


Following the craft, we all decended upon the snack table as our free time began, involving chatting, snacking, and board games. Years ago we used to be up until 1:00 to 2:00 AM; now we're heading to bed between 10:00 to 11:00 PM -- I think we're getting OLD.

After our final meal in the dining hall for breakfast on Sunday morning, we settled down, coffee or tea in hand, to enjoy Julie Hogan "share" on "Growing in Grace Through the Knowledge of God's Word." She passed along the "yardstick analogy" that one of her disciplers had shared with her: when we start out in our Christian walk, we take up most of the yardstick while Christ gets 2-3 inches or so. But as we grow in our faith, we should believe along with John the Baptist in John 3:30, "He must become greater; I must become less." So He will slowly take up more and more inches on the yardstick as He fills our life with His Holy Spirit, and less and less of our life is untouched by His grace:


After Julie spoke, we gathered again to worship through song in preparation for Communion. The worship team was wonderful to sing with:


And we all worshiped the Lord with one voice:


The Communion time was wonderful -- each of us quietly took the elements from a side table back to our seat and partook after silent prayer together. We didn't have much time for sharing as the retreat closed, but before we knew it, we were packing up our bedding, taking down tables, chairs, and decorations, and preparing to go back to the real life of common days once again. As Oswald Chambers wrote in his classic My Utmost for His Highest, "The height of the mountain top is measured by the drab drudgery of the valley; but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mount, but we never live for His glory there." So it's down from the mountain top experience and back to our busy everyday lives, where we truly live for the glory of God.

Spring Break

We're still on spring break -- our last day of school was Wednesday, March 12, and we won't be back to a regular school schedule until Thursday, April 4. We are officially starting school this Monday, March 31, but our school is having its standardized testing on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so we won't actually be back at the table together until Thursday of next week.

It's been a busy but fun vacation, despite some sad events. We spent two days at Knott's Berry Farm with my family and an additional day at the Discovery Science Center, so I'm counting those as two school days all together. Knott's works as a "school day" because of the activities we did in addition to riding roller coasters: panning for gold, exploring an 1880's one-room schoolhouse, touring a full-sized replica of Independence Hall, going on rides that explain the logging and mining industries in early California, etc.

Then I was very busy during Holy Week, attending a Seder meal plus the Triduum services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday Vigil, plus two Stations of the Cross. I caught up on some work around the house and some studies I had gotten behind in doing, as well as at least an hour in prayer each day.

This week we also have two school days to add to our total in that we went on field trips to the art museum and the zoo on Tuesday, and today was Class Day, so the kids took all of their usual courses: E studied biology lab and self-defense; T was sick today so did not attend art, basketball, or chess; J experienced art, P.E., and cooking, and B went to art, science, and P.E. and I taught my two high school writing classes. My advanced class (honors) is learning to write persuasive essays in the five-praragraph format, and my intermediate class (college prep) is starting their MLA research papers. I also wrote a grammar tutorial this week on clauses for my friend Carmen's community college composition course.

Tomorrow I'll be going down to Alpine (halfway down the mountain) for chapel with the Anglicans, and then back up home to do a little gardening, work on finances, and read The Picture of Dorian Gray for our church's literary group, Logos, which will meet on Sunday after church. On Friday night and Staurday morning, we'll be heading into the city to Lake Murray to attend a "Bible Alive!" seminar; Keith, E and I will attend, and the boys will watch movies in the downstairs children's area. The seminar is supposed to really bring the Old Testament alive for 21st century Christians, so I'm really looking forward to it. The speaker gave a little promo talk a few weeks ago, and he seems like an interesting speaker -- interesting enough to keep us awake for more than six hours, anyway.

I have just finished reading Exodus today with the Bible Book Club, and we start on Leviticus tomorrow. I've also written out a new "Rule of Life" in the spirit of my Lenten Rule, and have hung it on the wall in front of my desk. One of my "Rules" is to be in bed by 11PM, and right now it's 11:15, so I have a way to go to make this rule work. Aaah, well, I'll get to bed earlier than my 1 AM average lately. I'm trying to get up earlier to have more time with the Lord before my day starts and to have more time to write, read, etc. So, "with the help of Christ my Saviour, I hope to keep this Rule of Life."

The weather has been gorgeous lately, so I've been enjoying walking to the post office and sitting on the front porch, enjoying our brief season of green from the winter rains. Green isn't our normal vegetation color here in the mountains of Southern California; brown is. But I do like the green for the short time it remains. Time for a little more gardening, I think, even though the daffodils are fading fast and the irises are beginning to form their large buds; I found a fuschia tulip coming up in the corner of my front flower bed as well. Gardening is so relaxing and wonderful!

So what's going on with you? Are you still on spring break, or are you back in the grind of life? Are you enjoying spring or are you still in the grip of winter?

We're Home ... and a Surprise!

At oh-dark-thirty on Thursday morning, the kids and I got up, ate a quick breakfast, packed the van, and got on the road to Orange County to meet my parents and my brother and his kids in Buena Park. As I drove, the kids and I listened to Jim Dale's excellent reading of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. By 9:45 we were pulling into the Holiday Inn Parking lot ten minutes after my parents and ten minutes before my brother. As our rooms were not ready, we locked the vehicles and hopped on a shuttle to Knott's Berry Farm, loading my wheelchair as we boarded. Once inside the park, we made a beeline for the log ride, a longtime favorite ride with a good-sized drop at the end with a splash to boot. The kids also rode their favorite coaster, The Silver Bullet, and we enjoyed the Wild West Stunt Show photographed below:



We ate hamburgers in the Ghost Town area, and strolled through the rest of the park, allowing kids to board ride after ride, coaster after coaster. Okay, I did do the bumper cars with the kids as well as the Calico Mine Ride. We were wearing down by our 4:40 shuttle pick up time and went back to the hotel where we unloaded the cars and found our rooms, all beside each other with sliding doors opening onto little patios fenced in with black rod iron gates. We took the kids swimming in the very warm pool while Mom and I kicked back in the jacuzzi. After dinner in the hotel restaurant -- which was very good! -- we headed to bed with T sleeping with my brother and his kids, E sleeping with my parents in their room, and the two younger boys with me in our room.

On our second day we ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant and headed back to Knott's for a second day of coasters, shopping, and rides. We enjoyed lunch at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and also went through several of the shops in the Ghost Town and other spots. By the 3:40 shuttle pick-up, we were exhausted and gladly went back to the hotel where I took a two-hour nap while my brother took the kids swimming again. After a light dinner in the hotel restaurant, we all crashed, absolutely drained.

After breakfast in the hotel restaurant Saturday morning, we packed up, checked out, and drove over to the replica of Independence Hall directly across the street from the Knott's entrance. We enjoyed the chicken and gardens as we approached the replica (shown below):



We explored the Liberty Bell replica inside the Hall as well as the replica of the room in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. The gift shop contained amazing items for sale, including replicas of the Declaration, the Constitution, Colonial and Confederate monies, etc., as well as historical displays in the corners.

After getting back to our cars, we followed my parents to the Discovery Science Center about ten miles south on I-5 in Santa Ana to spend the rest of the day. We had considered going to Universal Studios, but the cost of $50 per person was prohibitive, and we had always wanted to check out this "big black cube" hanging over the freeway that we passed on our trips to Disneyland and Knott's each year. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience (less than $100 for all ten of us for admission), blowing huge bubbles, climbing rock walls, making smoke rings and smoke tornados, playing a laser harp, creating their own animation films, climbing on dinosaur fossil replicas, testing their reflexes, playing on computers, building sand dams, etc. Below you can see Cousin M and T climbing sideways along the wall without touching the ground:



Mom and Dad left after lunch, and my brother Tom and I left with the kids about an hour and a half later. I took a short detour to drive past the gorgeous Mission at San Juan Capistrano even though I didn't have time to stop (or a place to park). My mom grew up in San Juan and has talked so much about the town and the mission and the swallows that come back each year on the same day that the place holds a special attraction to me. I know my dad's home town of San Clemente much better as my grandparents lived there while I was growing up and I often went there for summer visits or holidays. But I know little about San Juan and would like to explore it far more. Some day....

We drove into our town in a shower of light hail and pulled into the driveway ay 6:15 PM, absolutely worn out. I crumpled onto the sofa after unpacking a little and watched the NCIS marathon. Around 8:30 I looked out and saw ... snow! Yes, snow in mid-March in Southern California. Here are a few photos I took this morning just before church:




So we had a lovely trip. It's always tiring but always fun to watch the kids have so much fun. Keith stayed home as he sprained his back recently and wouldn't have been able to ride any of the coasters and would have been uncomfortable walking around so much. Tom's wife also didn't come except for a quick stop over on Friday night as she was quite ill with some kind of abdominal infection; she left Saturday morning to check herself into the ER. My sister and her family couldn't make it out to CA from Montana where they moved a couple of years ago, so we were a small group of ten rather than the usual horde of 16. But it was still a great time, a wonderful birthday present to the entire family from my parents.

If you'd like to see more photos of our Orange County Trip and of our surprise snow, you can click here to go to my 365 photo blog. (You may need to scroll down a little to find them; as there are multiple entries I'm sending you to the general 365 blog instead of to a specific page, plus they are in backwards chronological order.)

Short Vay-Kay

The kids and I are heading up north at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow morning ... well, 7 AM anyway, for a short vacation. We'll be joining my parents and my brother and his family up at Knotts for a couple days and a third day of doing something else that we haven't completely decided on yet ... perhaps the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.

Anyway, Keith is gonna "hold down the fort" and take care of the animals... or the dog at least (I think the rat and the fish will only need occasional food). He will work on the stained glass window and work on a couple of smaller jobs as well. Since he sprained his back a week or so ago roller coasters are definitely a no-no, so he wouldn't have been able to have much fun, anyway. And he will totally enjoy a silent house -- for a few days, anyway.

So the kids and I'll get back after dinner on Saturday night, and I'll have to get the Stations of the Cross ready to hang at Lake Murray after second service Palm Sunday. (I'm praying that we'll have real palms in church on Sunday!) And then my favorite week of the entire year starts ... Holy Week!

See ya all on the flip side!

"Rock Hounding" Trip to McCain Valley

"School Mineshaft" -- McCain Valley


T on the mountain finding garnets -- McCain Valley


T with Hank and the Rock Hounders, showing the gem-quality garnet he'd discovered -- McCain Valley


Way too early this Saturday morning, T and I set out to meet the Rock Hounders in front of the town library in order to caravan out to McCain Valley, north of Boulevard (about 30 minutes east of our town). After a wrong turning that took all ten vehicles into off-roading conditions (I was driving a minivan, so this was NOT fun!) and several miles on rather rough abnd rocky dirt roads, we arrived at the site Hank, our fearless octogenarian leader, had known as a younger man. Years and years ago he had discovered huge garnets on the side of one mountain (the one above), clear quartz crystals behind the small mineshaft, and long shafts of deeply-hued tourmaline in several locations. As T went off with Hank and other people in thr group, I settled into a beach chair and did some Bible study. Two hours later he returned, his pockets and canvas bag filled with moonstone, feldspar, mica, one gem-quality garnet almost 1/4 inch in diameter, a nearly-crystallized quartz, one good-sized tourmaline, and a few other beauties.

T has always been a rock hound; I have quite a collection of his precious "finds" on the shelf above my desk. He has discovered and identified all kinds of interesting rocks in our yard and in the meadow behind our home. On our road trip in late 2006, T was thrilled when we spent an afternoon digging trylobites (fossilized beetle-like animals) in the middle of Utah. So today my near-teenager was in his element, tapping open dull rocks and finding treasures inside, tailing Hank, the resident expert as they discovered quartz and feldspar, eating lunch with the gang while discussing different rocks, and hearing Hank's tale of his school building the mineshaft 80-some years ago. I enjoyed sitting in my chair and reading with the breeze blowing and the early-spring green of the usually brown mountains surrounding me, content to sit and wait while T enjoyed soaking in rock lore and identifications as well as adding a few new specimens to his collection.

After three hours on the site, we all drove half a mile further down the dirt road -- rather rough and rocky in places -- to the lookout over the old San Diego-Yuma railway with its tunnels through the rocky cliffs, and the Salton Sea glimmering far in the distance. Soon we were on the way home, back along the rough dirt road ill-suited for a minivan; I definitely breathed a sign of relief when we reached paved roads again! T and I drove back to our little valley, taking the scenic route of Old Highway 80 rather than jumping on the freeway. We meandered through Boulevard, Live Oak Springs, Posita (I think), and other worn and wispy settlements that feel distinctly ghost-townish since the big freeway came through and these small towns were no longer directly on the most southern route to the California-Arizona border.

It was wonderful to spend alone-time with my eldest son, to hear him chatter away and share his thoughts. He'll be thirteen later this month, and he's fewer than three inches shorter than I am. He's swiftly growing into a young man, so making a memory today was well-worth the loss of my usual habit of sleeping late on a Saturday morning.

Totally Unfair!

Rachel, Carol, Carrie, myself, and Becky

A certain SOMEBODY who also attended our first Internet retreat at Julie's home in Ohio e-mailed this "blast from the past" right after the Topsail retreat.

With the exception of having met Julie previously, this retreat was my first time to actually MEET all these women I knew so well online. With Nikki's help, I dragged an 18-month-old B across the country as he was still nursing five times a day. In Columbus, we met up with Becky at the airport, rented a car, and drove from the capital of Ohio nearly to Cinci where we met up with other women whom we knew at a heart-level, mind-level, and soul-level, but had never seen "in real life."

When we all were assembled in Julie's cheery kitchen, humuus in hand, there was this strange silence, as if we were disconcerted by finally meeting these women in the realm of physicality rather than in the typed word and expressive emoticon.

Well, there wasn't an ax-murderer in the bunch, and we spent the weekend joyfully "hoofing it" in Julie's backyard as Becky taught us Victorian dances, talking, reading poetry together, sketching, talking, watching Les Mis and U2 videos, talking, drinking wine, consuming chocolate, talking, and staying up most of the nights ... talking.

So thanks to Karen, for sending us this "blast from the past" and noting that our eyeware has definitely changed for the better over the past six years....

Group Photos from Topsail

By their Lamp Post signatures: Carol Ann, claire, Dancingirl, halvolady, Rachel, mukhorty, Katrina, Eclecticarrie, 2nd Opinion, Susanne, Lauraliz, Lawgirl, 7of9, dali



12 states were represented at the Topsail retreat (in no particular order): Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, Oregon, and California.

The Topsail Retreat.... (very long)

I set off at 6:30 AM PST in San Diego and landed in Raleigh/Durham at 6:30 EST. As I was wheeled off the plane, Carrie was right there waiting for me. It was so lovely to see her smiling face and get hugged, Southern-style. She drove me to her lovely home only 15 minutes from the airport where I reintroduced myself to her great kids and later, her wonderful husband. So after an evening of much great conversation, Carrie and I drove to the airport and met a smiling and joyous Carol. When we got back to Carrie's, Carol and I immediately went to bed in the girls' room, where we talked into the night until almost 3 AM.

The next morning, we were in Carrie's van and starting the three-hour drive to Topsail Island by 9:15. We were talking so much that we missed a shortcut and got a bit confused by the Google map. But Carol navigated us well, and despite waiting for the drawbridge over to the island for 15 minutes, we found our way to Paula's GORGEOUS three-story beach house by 12:15 PM, just in time for lunch. There we met up with the other eleven ladies who had arrived the day before: Paula our hostess, Becky, dali, 7of9, Donna/Lawgirl, Karen/2nd Opinion, Rachel, Jess, Katrina, claire, and Laura. Claire and I roomed together on the first floor due to our health issues so we wouldn't have to tackle the stairs.

The talk was instantaneous. The view was so lovely; the beach visible from the bay window, and the weather was gorgeous. 7 and I discussed how much we missed Vera while dali worked on a lovely pastel of the beach. Cameras popped out at every moment as ladies snapped photos for 365 blogs. Several went for long walks down the beach, and others sat chatting in the sun. Much chocolate and a nice amount of wine was consumed, as usual. The ones not here were sorely missed, but we enjoyed those who were present. 7 made us a lovely dinner of grilled chicken, rice, and green beans. Later we did a personality quiz from a 1927 book called I Got Your Number with Paula calling out the questions. The wording was hilariously frank as 7 read the perceptive but caustic results. Much laughter ensued as Rachel couldn’t find a description that fit her and Karen found that she was “savage.” I was found to be “timid” and “loyal” in both of my closest matches. After the personality quiz, we proceeded to the white elephant books. Everyone had brought a wrapped book (I brought [u]Middlemarch[/u], which I call “Middlecrawl.”) At one point, I had an early Anne Lamott book in my hands, and then later a selection of books on the British Isles, but I ended up with a 1930s biography of the Brontes. Now that I have three biographies of that family, I suppose I ought to read one sometime. Much laughter ensued as books were opened, snatched, and stolen. Then Karen presented a film version of a staged production of Sondheim’s [u]Into the Woods[/u] which presented fairy tales musically and with interesting moral twists. A few of us stayed up talking until after 2 AM.

The next morning (Saturday), we were treated to a real Southern breakfast, and I had my first experience with grits which I liked very much. So grits, biscuits and sausage gravy, eggs, and sausage patties, made by Paula and Becky, started off our morning. Then dali, Paula, and 7 got out the earring-making beads, pins, and hooks. Dali, 7, Jess, and I were the main earring factory, with Carol laptopping a spiritual gifts survey with dali while we worked. Others (Becky, Rachel, Donna, etc.) stopped by the bead table and made a few pairs. I ended up making wooden earrings for Karen and black-and-whites for someone else (I forget for whom). I created two pairs for me and several pairs for others not present. I think I made about eight pairs all together, as did 7, Jess, and Dali as we chatted away the time. We earring stalwarts even stayed home from a restaurant scallops lunch in order to keep working. I called Vera partway through, and 7 had a chance to chat with her, too. At one point, Katrina and I took a short walk down the beach with our cameras, snapping photos of shells, the beach house, etc.

Later, we all piled into three vehicles and drove to a local hangout called The Green Turtle. I was in the front seat of Carrie’s van, and as we drove around, trying to find the restaurant (with a bit of backtracking), she regaled us with a Southern-mountain accent and monologue that had me laughing so hard that I was gasping for breath and begging her to stop, please! We also passed a couple signs that claimed that everyone should visit “Dr. Rootbeer’s Hall of Foam.” (I was amused, never having heard of a “Hall of Foam”!) We found The Green Turtle at last, and the proprietor insisted on shaking all of our hands as we entered. Immediately after ordering a lot of shrimp baskets and other seafood, Carol, 7, dali, and I walked outside the restaurant and around to the deck, where we took some great shots of both the scenery and of each other snapping photos. Dinner was very good, and it was amusing that the introverts had somehow managed to take the middle of the long table while the extroverts took over the ends. So we introverts listened to great conversations on either side and took part as we felt comfortable.

We then exchanged our white-elephant gifts, going in order from eldest to youngest. Much laughter, of course, especially as Carrie told the story about her phallic-shaped salt and pepper shakers she received as a wedding gift. Laura kept my British tea towel, and I got Carrie’s bookplates. Again, much stealing, swapping, deal-making, and laughter. Later, a contingent of women got into the jacuzzi and talked while others sat inside and chatted. Some were filling out Meyers-Briggs questionnaires, and I went outside with dali to chat with Rachel at the spa. Rachel was talking about how it is to be a “P” on the scale and very seriously stated something about how everyone seems to view your “P-ness,” which of course sent dali and I off in gales of laughter at Rachel’s “faux pas,” the second phallic reference of the night. Again, I stayed up past 2 AM, trying not to wake claire as I sneaked into bed.

After a quick breakfast, Katrina and I took another walk down the beach with 7, snapping photos again while Laura, Karen, and Carol braved the very cold ocean. (I have a great photo of Carol in the ocean, but she begged me not to take it, so I won’t publish it, even though she looks lovely in her swimsuit.) By noon, several of our number had to depart: Becky, Paula, Jess, dali, and Donna. Later, claire, Carol, Katrina, Carrie, Karen, and I (with my lame voice hidden behind their lovely voices) sang acapella hymns, including “A Mighty Fortress,” and my favorite, “Be Thou My Vision.” Later on, claire, Katrina, Karen, and I were sunning ourselves on the back deck while singing John Denver tunes and some classic songs, including my recent favorite, “Bridge over Troubled Waters.” Carol, Karen, claire, and I tried the jacuzzi, but it was a bit too cold and we didn’t last long. After a wonderful dinner of chicken chili made by Carrie, we settled down to watch [u]Elizabethtown[/u], after much debate as to movie choice; after all, we had over a dozen to choose from! I headed to bed at the early hour of midnight, and claire and I had a chat before bed about our health issues.

I felt horrid when I woke up the next morning, nauseous and dizzy and weak. Part of the problem was jumping out of bed waaaay too fast and blacking out for a minute or two. Another part was consuming a lot of foods my body wasn’t accustomed to over the weekend, especially sugar. Claire fed me and someone (don’t remember who) helped me to the van, and off Carol, Carrie, and I went, leaving Topsail at 8 AM in order to get Carol to the airport in time for her 12:30 flight. Carrie and Carol chatted the whole way while I listened and rested. After hugging the stuffing out of Carol at the curb and saying our goodbyes, Carrie introduced me to the wonders of Chick-Fil-A for lunch. We went back to her home, and I had the opportunity to chat with her kids and with her. She is such a warm and lovely woman, and I just admire her mind and her heart. Back to the airport we went three hours later, and Carrie hugged me as we said goodbye. It was hard to leave; I really wanted to get back in her van and go right back home with her!

It was a lovely, healing, time spent at Topsail with the very lovely ladies of the Lamp Post. I only wish that the entire group could have attended – it was the only thing that could have improved this beautiful weekend.

Still Recovering...

I'm still very tired and very busy after the retreat in NC. It was a lovely time of creativity, nature, good conversation, and tons of chocolate.

This week I have stuff on every day: chiropractic appointments, Bible study, creative arts council board meeting, doctor's appointment, and homeschooling, lots of homeschooling. I should have gone in for chelation this week also, but will have to go next week.

My time has been taken up with my photo blogs lately, so check out both of them (see sidebar on left; the 365 blog will lead you to the 365 Extras which contains the majority of retreat photos).

I'll be back soon to discuss some of the many ideas roaming around my mind presently....

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

Well, my bags aren't packed yet, but I'm ready to go....

I'm off to North Carolina for a few days to stay at a beach house with thirteen lovely ladies of the Lamp Post (see sidebar for link), the Internet community where I "hang out." Some of these women I've met; others I haven't, but it should be a nice little vacation for us.

Carol and I are flying to Raleigh/Durham where Carrie will pick us up and put us up for the night. Friday we'll drive with her to Topsail Beach on the NC coast and stay in a beautiful beach house. Check out the link below if you want to see the house we're staying at:

http://www.treasurerealty.com/rentals/3940id/3940id.htm

Today I bought the essentials: a novel by Anne Bronte, (to bring along with the spiritual autobiography that Carmen sent me -- thanks again, Carmen!), ink with a screw top that I can take along with my special dip pen for journal writing, new brown sandals, and a new clor of nail polish with cute little stickers to glue on. :) And I'm almost, almost done with my last Slingshot subscription of the year; May's topic is always Shakespeare, so I'm writing about Twelfth Night and Sonnet 33. Just have to write a wee bit more about the sonnet and proofread the final copy(something I'm NOT good at with my own writing, as this blog will attest!), and then send it off via cyber-space.

I already have the school planning done, the menus and grocery lists written out, and everything bought that I need. I just need to do laundry and pack on Wednesday (and do school with the kids, and do my nails, and update my i-Pod, etc.), and I'll be ready to go!

So I'll be back in the middle of next week. Have a wonderful few days, and I'll bring back a report from NC (and lots of great 365 blog photos)!