BE memories

Coming a bit late to this post...Alas, I forgot my camera, but my memories will last.
*Joyfully meeting up with the DFW-area crew at the airport, where they kindly waited for me to eat lunch, and sympathized when I dropped tomato soup on my white sweater. (It came out.)
*Our shuttle driver, who seemed to be enjoying his passengers, but wasn't quite sure what to think about a van full of lady preachers.
*Sitting in the sun with old friends and new, amid beautiful healthy roses, watched over by a seven-foot statue of St. Francis.
*The joy of seeing RevDrKate so in love.
*The icons in our beautiful worship space, and the joy of worshiping God together there.
*Roaming around Old Town Scottsdale, following RevHoney and the Vicar on the trail of a geocache, then introducing Sue to fresh guacamole at a place called the Salty Senorita!
*Saturday morning with Mid-Life Rookie, walking the trails behind the retreat center, then sitting and gazing out over the desert as we talked. So different from gazing out over the beach at Cozumel, but just as relaxing.
*She thanked me for not mentioning the tarantula I saw, until after it was gone!
*Delving into the "begats" of I Chronicles and rejoicing to discover Sheerah, builder of cities (I Chron. 7:24).
*Singing with Sophia, Mary Beth, and Dogblogger. My longing to sing with the RevGals was satisfied by this, and by the singing we did at our final worship together.
*Hanging out around the bonfire together, then later singing and praying together some more, surrounded by the sounds of the desert night.
*Wil's gorgeous golden vestments, Mary Beth's reading, Mompriest's breaking of the bread: a few mental snapshots from our Sunday worship under the clear morning sky.
And many more...

Arizona bound!

Tomorrow, that is!
And because a few (very few) inquiring minds want to know: the pedi is OPI's Pompeii Purple.

My toes are ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille!
Be back next week!

ETA: That picture has been up more than long enough.
Back from Arizona! Happy and tired! Good night.

It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer.

Prayer request

I've been asked to consider serving on the session again. I haven't been on session in years, always using my Presbytery activities as an excuse. But I'm not doing anything with Presbytery right now, and PNC is over. Please pray with me as I pray for discernment. Thanks.

Of course she did!

Yesterday the Scientist sent me a link about bravehearted Sophie Tucker, a stalwart and remarkable canine who fell from a boat in rough water off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Her grieving humans could not find her, and gave her up for dead. Meanwhile, Sophie swam five nautical miles to a nearly-uninhabited island, where she survived by hunting wild goats until she was rescued and returned to her humans, four months later! She has readjusted to suburban life and is doing fine.

Good girl, Sophie! You could only be an AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG!!

One reason why I live here

Road trip and retreat

Here's where we spent the weekend: in a luxurious cabin at a dog-friendly B & B that's fifteen miles from downtown Hip City, but a world away. Phones, TV, and wi-fi were all turned off.

We roamed acres of woods that opened onto a bright meadow where even old cattle dogs (and their people) can run free.

We sat in the swing on our screened porch watching birds that we seldom see in our area of the state, waded in the creek (well, Amie did), drove through miles of rolling hills and bluebonnets to visit dog-friendly wineries, ate sumptuous breakfasts prepared with local eggs and meats, and in the evening we grilled squash with locally pastured pork chops, right behind our cabin.
Everybody slept well.
We had to stop at a sporting goods store to buy a second cooler for all of the meat and wine we brought home! Now I'm already planning our return....