Musings From the Last Two Weeks

    Last weekend I attended the Indiana District Women's Retreat. Usually, there are several hundred who come to the retreats held in odd-numbered years. This year was different. I wasn't sure I wanted to go but finally decided when another friend from my church planned to go. This year there were only 50 women at the retreat. When we arrived, we had Subway sandwiches or wraps for our evening meal. After eating, we heard opening remarks and spent time singing and participating in ice breaker activities. Following the opening, we returned to our cabin, where the 12 of us sat in the common area and had time to chat and get to know each other. There were only two bunk beds in my room, and my roommate and I each had a bottom bunk. Some of the other rooms housed more.

    The retreat's theme was "I Am Making a Way." How many different ways is the word "way" used in our world? We compiled quite a list, including: "Way to go," "Up, up and away," "Do you know the way to San Jose," etc. There were many others too. 

My watercolor painting.
I only had to fill in the design.

    On Saturday, we were divided into three groups and attended three breakout sessions. One session focused on how to love the unlovable. Another session was painting with watercolors. Each person came home with a 12-inch square watercolor painting. The final breakout group was titled "Spiritual EKG." I came home a bit sleep-deprived, ready to reflect on what I had learned.

    Last Wednesday, April 21, we woke up to about 2" of snow on bushes, trees, and lawns. Even though the snow was wet and heavy, all the streets and sidewalks were clear. The snowfall broke the record for most single-day snow this late in April. This snowfall was the only time in April, this late in the year, that the city received more than a trace of snowfall. Another record was set around 2:40 a.m. when we had a temperature of 26 degrees. The good news was that most of the snow had melted before noon. Driving to the gym that morning was beautiful, seeing snow clinging to trees and shrubs. It was like a fairyland!

 Looking out at our neighbor's backyard

The next morning

  When I heard about the "Rock the Block" run, I thought it might be fun to do a 5K, especially since the event was only about 2 miles away. The weatherman mentioned Saturday would be rainy all day, and I discarded the idea. On Saturday morning, the weather picture was much better, and I decided at the last minute to do the race. For a course with some hills, I was happy with a time just shy of 38 minutes.  

Proof that I participated!

        I think it's time to end this post before you fall asleep. I hope you are enjoying the beautiful spring weather. 

April Showers

     Two weeks ago, on Palm Sunday evening, Ray and I watched several NCAA basketball games. We were getting ready for bed and were still talking about the UCLA win over #2 seed Alabama when the phone rang. My first thought was that my brother-in-law, Ross, was excited about the win since he lives in California. However, the call was to inform me that my sister, Gloria, was in emergency surgery for a tear in her aortic artery. She was undergoing open-heart surgery at Stanford Hospital. Ross kept us informed of her progress and eventual transfer to a room with a view after spending three days in ICU. She was released on Saturday and spent Easter Sunday in her home, an answer to many prayers. I'll be joining both of my sisters at a planned Zoom get-together later this week for a first-hand account of Gloria's recovery progress.

    As March came to an end, Ray's lower back pain caused him to stay home on two different days. Last week he was able to play pickleball again. We usually play three mornings each week. 

    My iMac has been sluggish for some time. I found a repair shop that offered free diagnostics and made arrangements to replace the hard drive. After dropping it off on my way to the Maundy Thursday service, it was ready for pick-up the next day, and I was able to load all my old files from a backup drive. Spending $250+ was worth the expense as I feel like it's a new computer without having to purchase a brand new one.

    On Saturday morning, we volunteered at the Carmel Marathon, providing water and Gatorade for the runners. The weather was cold and windy, but we dressed in layers, and the five of us earned $150 for a mission in Bosnia.

    Joe and Nancy invited us for Easter dinner. Granddaughter Kylie planned the meal and asked me to make an overnight salad and a quiche. We also had a traditional egg hunt with thirteen-year-old Jayden and 9-year-old Alexis running around the yard collecting eggs, and a next-door toddler enjoying the excitement too. 

Jayden & Alexis hunting for Easter eggs

Dustin models Jayden's new pet

    The basketball games that occupied us for two weeks are now a distant memory. I'm sure our relatives that attended Baylor are enjoying their first national championship. 

    We are watching two new shows on NPR. One is a 3-part documentary about Ernest Hemingway. The second is Atlantic Crossing, an 8-part series about the relationship of President Franklin Roosevelt and Norwegian Crown Princess Martha.

    I've titled this post "April Showers" since we've had rain yesterday and today. Many flowering trees are blooming now, adding to the beauty of the season. 

    Dear reader, I hope you have sunshine and beautiful flowers wherever you are.