Musings of an Unfinished Woman

New Year and New Blessings

It’s been nine weeks since I last posted and in nine more weeks it will be April...where does the time go? I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Am I living my life to the fullest? What have I accomplished in that time? Have I made any changes in my life or made a difference in someone else’s life?

2010 was an incredibly difficult year for me personally. I was unemployed for the entire year. Between Shanna and me, we had 72 medical appointments (chiropractor and doctor) as we both struggled with health issues. I wanted so much to be a different me and make some changes, but didn’t have the courage and strength (physical and mental) to make them. I struggled with some relationship issues and finding boundaries for friendships that were too one-sided and unhealthy. For the first time in years, I only scrapbooked 24 pages, which is so not like me. Getting Shanna graduated and employed was a challenge but she’s on a good path now and I’m finally feeling like I’m coming back into the light. If I’m honest, I would say I was depressed for most of the year. The one relationship that really thrived was with my husband as we discovered the joy of photography through Karen Russell’s class and started dating again. We celebrated 28 years together in November and if not for Russell, I’m not sure I would have made it through the year. So what did I learn and what am I doing different?

I need to be creative. I’ve been scrapping for almost 19 years and I totally lost all my creativity, last year. I stopped scrapping and writing. Russell and I share a craft room (he model railroads and I scrapbook, make cards, etc.) and we both realized how much we need to get back into our hobbies. I am taking Ali Edwards “Yesterday and Today” class through BPC and I my creative juices are flowing again. Russell and I spent this past weekend in the craft room and I did my first digital page and have tons of page ideas to start working on.

I stopped moving and kept eating and now am starting over with my “Move More, Eat Less” (in the words of Cathy Zielske). Unfortunately, I let the fibromyalgia take over my life so it’s a battle to find what will work (as far as physical exercise that won’t create flare-ups and more pain). For now, I’m walking several days a week again and am following the PT exercises I’m supposed to do. I didn’t want to rely on prescription medication but have to admit that it’s helping to control the symptoms and pain while I work to find ways to deal with this disease in a more organic and healthy way. I’m so very thankful for a wonderful doctor and fabulous healthcare.

We have gotten to know the Marshes, a military family we met. Mentoring and getting to know a young couple is always a blessing and we have had the added bonus of standing in as “surrogate” grandparents to their three daughters - twins, age 8 and the youngest, age 4. Having these three girls in our lives has been so fun (and exhausting!). What a privilege to be a part of this family’s life and to have little ones in our home again. The girls love all things pink and glittery - so different from our baby girl who is now 18 and is the “big sister” to these little girls. Cuddles and hugs, giggles and crayons, toys and Disney movies are once again a part of our life.

I need women in my life...to laugh with, to talk and share with and to keep me accountable. Three women in particular have made a huge difference in my life: Sue, who has come over several times for lunch and scrapping therapy. Granted, I haven’t gotten much scrapping done, but the therapy has been invaluable as I’ve been able to be completely authentic with her as we’ve both shared and commiserated. Cindy has made dinner dates a wonderful thing and she too has a listening heart and a generous giving spirit and I can feel her support and prayers. Surprisingly, the third woman is someone I’ve “known” for years but only from a distance. When I went back to Colorado for my aunt’s funeral in December, I stayed with Brigette, my cousin’s daughter. She lives in a tiny adorable little house and she welcomed me into her home. For four days and nights, she was my chauffer as we went to the memorial (it was my Mom’s sister and Brigette’s Grandma). I reconnected with relatives I hadn’t seen in years. Something wonderful happened during those four days...despite our differences, Brigette and I connected in a way that was magical. We talked for hours about life, love, hopes, dreams, disappointments and I came home renewed in spirit and ready to make some life changes.

I discovered the library again. When I was little, I went to the library three times a week from first grade until I graduated. The library was a magical world of books. Somehow, through the years, I forgot about the library and found Borders and Amazon. I’m a voracious reader and read at least two to three books a week...even going to used bookstores that can get expensive so a friend suggested I try the library. Wow...it’s changed. You can now reserve books online and then pick them up when they are ready. What a fabulous discovery this has been. I’m having a blast reading books on a variety of subjects and...they’re FREE!!

Being in love and loved is such an incredible (rare) blessing. I really believe I have the best husband in the entire world. Through all of last year, Russell was my knight in shining armor and we fell in love again (corny as that sounds). He loves me just the way I am, which makes me want to be a better me for him.

I had an interview today...out of 108 candidates, I am in the top five. Every week, I faithfully apply for jobs while I receive unemployment (thank you Lord). I know that God has just the right job out there for me and in the right time and place, it will happen. In the meantime, I am thankful for a new year and the opportunity to try again. My word for the year is THRIVE. I want to thrive in body, mind and spirit. The word Thrive means: to be well, grow strongly, flourish, and be successful. So here’s to 2011 and being more mindful of the everyday miracle of life...to find joy in the little things. I also hope to post more...

 

Giving thanks and keeping warm

Russell and I got married 28 years ago on November 20...we were 23 years old and both working at McDonalds (which is where we met). We chose that date because it would give us four days off of work. One of the decisions we made when we got married was to always celebrate our anniversary...more than just a card and dinner...but really celebrate us...our marriage and love.Our first anniversary, we sold Russell’s beat-up old Malibu (it was a blight on the neighborhood, painted 5 different colors and held together with duct tape and bailing wire). He got $100 for it at the junkyard...enough to pay for a nice dinner and a room at the Marriott. We’ve spent several of our anniversaries at Disneyland or World, a couple at the beach, Las Vegas and even a couple at home. Shanna has spent more Thanksgivings with relatives than with us. However, since Russell became a UPS driver four years ago, he no longer gets the week of Thanksgiving off so we’ve had to adjust. We took our anniversary trip to Disney World in October but will still go out to dinner on Saturday our wedding day. What a difference 28 years make...we look somewhat the same, but aged (not necessarily like fine wine). We have an exceptional marriage, something neither of us ever takes for granted...there’s no doubt that we are still crazy in love with each other and still would rather spend time with each other than anyone else.My heart still leaps when he calls me, and when he looks at me with that special look, my insides melt. We often say the same thing at the same time, manage to dress in the same colors without planning it, understand each others strong points and weaknesses and have worked hard to compensate for each other. We laugh together at the silliest things, hold hands and cuddle together and make time for dates.  

 

Anyway, this year we will be home for Thanksgiving and for the first time in many years, we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Russell’s Mom and Dad will be joining us and we are thrilled to welcome a Marine family that we have gotten to know. One of the recruiting Staff Sergeants’, his wife and three beautiful daughters (who absolutely adore Shanna) will be joining us. They are originally from Texas so she will be bringing a few “southern dishes” that seem to be a tradition for black families in the south. Each of our brothers are spending Thanksgiving with their own extended family and friends and while I mourn the loss of traditions that extend back several generations, I recognize that family isn’t just about blood and marriage ties, but also about the people that we share our hearts and our time with. So this year, we will be joined by a military family who is far from their own families...we’ll eat together, laugh, share stories, watch movies, play games and create precious memories that will hopefully be remembered fondly in years to come.

 I like to entertain...have people over for dinner. Perhaps it’s because I’m good at the logistics of organizing and planning, getting everything ready and creating a welcoming atmosphere. I learned that gift from my Mom who often invited friends to join us for a meal. I tend to plan my entertaining in advance and am not as spontaneous as my Mom, but I realize how much I enjoy gathering friends and family together...to eat, catch up on life, to laugh and just let go of the outside world for an hour or two. We don’t have a fancy home...our kitchen is the original from 1974 as is the bathroom...our carpet needs to be replaced, but somehow we’ve created a warm, welcoming haven so I’m excited to welcome new friends and family for this holiday where we give thanks for our blessings.

We’re not really turkey people and I will admit it here...I’ve never cooked a turkey (is that un-American?!). We will be serving ham, potatoes, corn, pies, yams, etc. and our guests have offered to bring the turkey along with a few of their favorite holiday dishes.

This weekend we are “weatherizing” our home. Our garage door was hit from the inside (yes, it was me and was the ONLY time I haven’t opened the garage door before getting in the car). As a result of that little accident, the garage door is warped and let’s in too much air, dirt, and warm or cold weather depending on the season. We have aluminum windows, so we will be covering them to protect us from the frigid east gorge wind. We’ll be cleaning out the flowerbeds, bringing the deck furniture in for the winter. We’ve already got a forecast for snow, so I’m thinking it could be a long cold winter, so I want to make sure our home is ready for inclement weather. So wherever you are...stay warm and dry. Happy Friday.

A New Day

Yesterday was one of those emotional weepy days that we women sometimes have. I had a doctor appointment with a rheumatologist, my first visit with this doctor. To be honest with you, I was looking forward to the appointment, hoping that I would get some answers about why I’ve been feeling so crappy. It was definitely not my best doctor appointment ever. I absolutely love my primary care doctor, my nephrologist and my gastroenterologist (who knew I would have so many ologist’s in my life!). She was critical of my current treatments with my regular doctors, kept asking if my left eye was “bulging” out, which is an indication of Graves Disease, etc. I love Kaiser and have received excellent care, so was a bit taken aback by her bedside manner. My veins aren’t that great so it took three tries before they could find a big enough vein to fill eight vials of blood. In the last three weeks, I’ve had more than 20 vials of blood work done!

 
By the time I left Kaiser, I was upset and didn’t feel I had any answers at all. Last year, Russell took me to a lovely park in an area of town I’m not familiar with...it is Peninsula Park and Rose Garden. It is one of Portland’s older parks and features original lantern-style streetlights, stone pillars, beautiful brick walkways and walls and a 100 year old fountain in the center of a rose garden. Not just any rose garden but a 2 acre garden with almost 9000 rose bushes. Since taking Karen Russell’s photography class, I have been taking my camera with me. Even though it was cloudy with a chance of rain, I decided to stop at the park and “smell the roses” with my camera. One of the unexpected things I have discovered through the weeks of Karen’s class is that photography has the power to take me to a place of peace and tranquility. I spent over an hour wandering through the gardens, taking photos, enjoying the sight and smell of so many beautiful flowers and I was able to relax and let go...for awhile at least.

When I got home, I made the mistake of reading the literature that the doctor had given me on “possible diagnoses”. I was feeling so bruised and upset and couldn’t talk to Russell since he was driving the truck with a supervisor. You know how one thing can just make everything seem worse than it is...that’s how my afternoon went. Finally pulled myself together and tried to scrapbook, but when Russell was able to call it was to tell me he would be late getting home, which put me over the edge again, so I was rude to him. We rarely fight so having been rude and snippy to the one person who loves me unconditionally made me feel like a shrew. I’m thankful to have such a wonderful husband, who loves me in spite of my faults.

One of the photos I took yesterday was a piece of graffiti written on a brick wall...it says: "Try 2 Stop Me" and so that's my motto for today. I am choosing to stay positive and happy. In the words of Anne Shirley “today is a new day with no mistakes in it”. I don’t like being negative and weepy...it’s so exhausting. Being happy and positive is much easier, so I threw away the literature from the doctor and will wait until test results come back to face whatever diagnosis there is.

 

So...happy Friday! A few more photos from my walk in the garden. Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

The Miracle of Love

Russell and I went to a dahlia farm on Saturday with my brother, Curtis, and his wife Jennifer. We had an unseasonably cool/wet spring and summer was late coming to Oregon so the dahlia’s (actually anything that’s growing here) is several weeks behind. The dahlias aren’t quite in full-bloom, but we managed to get some great photos. We were only in the full sun for about an hour but it was enough to give me a sun burn. I’ve posted some of our photos on my new photo blog, but here’s a couple to share.

 
I was up all night Sunday night with stomach issues and finally got to sleep at 4:45 in my red recliner in the living room, only to be woken up by Russell at 5:30 asking if I was alright. He’s such a sweetheart. This post (Me & Josh Downs) written by Karen Russell struck a chord with me. There’s a scene from an Everybody Loves Raymond episode titled “Misery Loves Company” that I really love. Robert and Amy are celebrating three months of marriage with a dinner party, and they’re so happy that they feel compelled to give marriage advice. I love Marie’s response to their advice. "We've been married 46 years. We've seen the lows and we've seen the highs. In a real marriage there’s going to be yelling and anger. Don’t fight it…accept it. Keep your head down and you plow through. Marriage is real…we’re okay with each other and you want to know why…we’ve been through it all and we’ve endured.”

Russell and I will celebrate our 28^th anniversary on November 20 (look at us...so young and clueless!). Marriage really is about enduring…it’s about surviving crappy jobs, finances stretched to the limit, too much work and too little sleep, illness, unreliable cars, exhaustion, fighting for time together in between work, home and childrearing, believing in God and miracles when your world is crashing around you and life is a daily challenge. But through it all, we made a pact that we would never tear each other down in front of other people, that we would make our marriage a priority, and that we would always be “the one” for each other. Russell and I have a fabulous marriage, which isn’t to say that we’ve have a perfect marriage…I tend to be the dominant personality in this duo (I bet that surprises you all!), and while I’m a “jump in with both feet but may not finish something” kind of a person, Russell is a slow-starter, but has the patience and endurance to get us to the finish line. He is without a doubt the most patient, gentle, kind man I have ever met and he has NEVER raised his voice to me (and there have been plenty of times in our marriage when he probably should have). I’m a yeller (not as much as I used to be) and he’s the quiet, patient one.

Neither of us were looking for love when we met…I was a widow at the age of 21 and he was a geeky guy working two jobs and trying to pay off bills. We met at McDonald's (he trained me on how to cook a hamburger). We were friends who fell in love. We agreed that we would always make a big deal of our anniversary and we have…sometimes it was a cheap “we’re at home but everyone thinks we’re gone” getaway, but always, we have celebrated our anniversary. I would rather spend time with Russell than with anyone else…we both cherish our time together and even now, my heart leaps when the phone rings between 11 and noon every day. We have shared a craft room together for a number of years (he model railroads and I scrapbook). With my enrollment in Karen Russell’s photography class, we discovered it’s a hobby/passion we both enjoy so we are having a blast together with the photography thing.

Every marriage has the ups and downs of closeness and intimacy…which are often sacrificed in the everyday insanity of life…work, home, bills, family, children, church, sleep, etc. And then…something miraculous happens and you have that special spark back. We’re riding that high again and while it’s embarrassing to our 18 year old; we’re crazy in love and having such a good time. I’ll be 51 in one month…I’m overweight, out of work, having health issues again (still) and yet, my husband looks at me with the look that melts my insides and I thank God once again for this wonderful man and the miracle of love. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have this kind of marriage and trust me, we don’t take it for granted.

One of the secrets I'll share is this...for many years, when Russell was working two jobs and there were some days we only saw each other for a few minutes, we started writing notes to each other in a journal. I have insomnia issues and Russell often goes to bed earlier than I do, so we're still writing notes, usually once or twice a week. We have filled several journals and I love going back through them...they are the every day details of our lives...reminders, complaints and praises of our family life. But they are also a love note and they never, ever get old. Write your sweetie a note - in a journal or on a post-it note and put it in his lunch box...it never fails to thrill me when I see he's written me a note in the journal or when I see that he's still carrying one in his lunch box that I wrote to him months ago...romance and the wooing of each other, never grows old.

 

 

Grateful...

I woke up this morning cranky and out of sorts after a bad night of not much sleep and tried very hard not to let my crabbiness overflow onto Russell. Have had major back issues the last couple of weeks so as I lay on my ice packs and stretched, I prayed...for forgiveness and for freedom. Each of us struggle with problems, challenges and issues in our lives...with family members, health, money, relationships, our own personal issues.

So many things to tie up our lives and add to our stress. And yet, as I read the paper this morning, which included an article about a young man who served his country and ultimately died for us, and the step mom who tried to hire a contract killer for her husband, I reflected that we are so blessed. I thought about a woman who recently died after battling cancer for so many years and fought for her life...she's no longer here to continue her battle, but she also won't have the opportunity to see her children grow up or to experience a beautiful sunset or hold hands with her sweetheart. We have to take the good with the bad, but sometimes, all we can see is the bad. Our lives are messy and sometimes painful (literally and emotionally) but...we're alive and we have a God who loves us. It's easy to forget that sometimes when we wake up and we're crabby and or we're in the middle of an argument with our spouse or child. I found a quote this morning that I wanted to share with you:

    "The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time."  Thomas Jefferson

So today, I I am thankful for friendship, freedom, prayers, and my wonderful husband who always loves me, even when I wake up crabby. Have an awesome day...in the middle of the messiness, find something to be thankful for.

Teenagers, Dates and Driving

If you are a parent, particularly a parent of a 16 year old (girl), then you know that most of the time the world revolves around them (just ask them) and we, as parents, are placed on this earth to provide food, shelter, clothing, money and rides...this isn't my favorite phase of life (when I was 16 and now, living with a 16 year old). Let me say though, that despite the "at home" attitude, Shanna is an awesome kid - we are told this by anyone who doesn't live with us...teachers, the parents of her friends, the youth leaders, other kids, etc. She is really tuned into other people (just not us) and sticking up for the "underdog"...that's always been one of her very best qualities...she's always had a tender heart...so with these reports, I know we've done a good job of raising her. With that said, it doesn't seem like she's very "tuned in" to us...until we are ready to have some couple time and go on a date.

I just signed her up for drivers education, although with her 32 hours behind the wheel, she's convinced that she is ready to get her drivers license and knows everything there is to know about driving...I think not. The only drivers course available for a reasonable price within a reasonable driving distance is on Saturday mornings from 9 to noon. Let me tell you, signing her up for that time slot just about killed me. Saturday mornings are sleep-in days for all three of us and we're rarely out of bed before 9:30 or 10...but for the next ten weeks it's up early on Saturdays...yuck. We go to church on Sundays so can't sleep in that day...I'm already crabby just thinking about it...anyway...I digress. Russell and I are thinking that might be a good time for a date...but really, where does one go on a date on a Saturday morning at 9 am...especially since it will be rainy here again soon!

We hardly ever go out on a week night date...Russell rarely gets home from work before 7 and with "peak" coming up soon (that's UPS talk for 12 hour days), it will be later...by the time Friday night rolls around, we are both so exhausted we are usually couch potatoes catching up on our TV shows. Ever since my year of Hep C Treatment, I don't have the endurance or stamina that I used to have...so our dates are usually on Saturdays. We're in a rut of going to the same place all the time...so I'm looking for ideas and fun things to do on a date.

Any thoughts...what are some of the fun things you've done with your sweetie? Nothing that would cost a ton of money...we just paid for drivers education!

Back on the Net...Dreaming of the Beach

I'm back on the World Wide Internet (as Monk would say). We had an "outage" last Thursday and I've been without my internet since then (we had an internet connection at the beach house we rented last weekend, which is why I was able to update my blog). Other than Diet Coke and scrapbooking, the internet is my "must-have". It's not that I'm on it for hours at a time...I like to get on every couple of hours and check email, catch up on my favorite blogs and now that I have a blog...update it daily!

Our weekend at the beach was fabulous. You know those rare occasions when everything turns out exactly like you wanted it to (thank you Lord)...that's how it was on Friday when we left town. My husband is a UPS driver and rarely gets home before 7. He put in an eight-hour request but they don't always honor those...so I took him to work on Friday morning at 6 am (so I could just pick him up after work and we'd be on our way). By some fluke, the loader for his truck didn't show up so they asked if he wanted to start early and load his own truck...so he started almost two hours early. After work, I got the car loaded, dropped Shanna off at school (she's in the band and had to play at the football game) and picked Russell up at...5:05 pm. We were at the beach by 7:30...with a dinner stop included. I took the picture above through the front windshield while we were driving.

Time alone as a couple is so precious. Pastor George just preached about this last week. I know several couples who never take time together...never go on dates...the kids always come first. It's easy to get so wrapped up in our kids lives and all their activities that we lose ourselves in the process. There is so much pressure on kids now to not just excel in school, but to be involved in sports, extra-curricular activities, service projects, church activities, etc., but when does it become too much? When we adopted Shanna, we made the decision to be a couple first and then parents, not easy to do in this fast-food, drive through, work over-time, cell phones on all the time, stay connected, fill up your calendar world that we live in...so it was wonderful to just be a couple for a weekend.

Oceanside, Oregon is fairly remote, so we didn't have cell phone service, so no interruptions from our daughter (Natalie, a wonderful young woman from our church stayed with Shanna for the weekend). Russell and I have been married almost 26 years...I am so blessed to love and be loved by such a wonderful man...we have so much fun together...he really does complete me (he doesn't look like he's almost 50 years old does he!?).

If you've never been to the ocean, there's no way to describe how incredible it is...so calming, invigorating, beautiful, healing...I don't have enough adjectives to adequately describe the ocean - it truly is one of God's most beautiful creations (in my opinion). This weekend confirmed for both of us that we have a dream to live at the beach and to own a beach retreat home...so we're giving that dream to God. We would love to offer a comfortable, intimate setting...not just for scrapbookers and crafters...but a retreat home for couples, women's and men's groups, pastoral staff retreats, etc. I asked in an earlier blog post what you would want in a beach retreat home - and would still love to hear your thoughts on what you have loved or hated about a vacation home.

Do you have a favorite place that you escape to...somewhere that gives you the same sense of peace and renewal that the beach does for me? Happy Wednesday...it's good to be back on the net...

Transformation Retreat...

As part of my transformation process over the next year (I’ll be 50 next year), I am working on making some changes in my life (see posts about my transformation notebook). I asked for a retreat weekend for my birthday and that’s where we…my wonderful husband Russell and I are now. We are spending three days at the Oregon Coast…relaxing, being a couple (which can be a challenge given our schedules and a busy teenage daughter) and spending time talking, praying and setting some goals for our lives. I found a retreat book (from this website A Womans Way) and some of the questions or exercises included the following:

I am most proud of (list of 10-20 things in your life).

How do I see myself?

How do my friends and co-workers see me (not sure if I’m supposed to ask them).

Ten events- people and/or situations that have made me who I am.

I am most grateful for…

20 things I dream of having, doing or manifesting in my life.

Letter to myself written at the age of 80 for the me now

What is my perfect life…now, in five years and ten years

 

Because I have a husband who loves me and wants to make me happy and improve our marriage (which is already absolutely awesome), he did the exercises/questions too. It’s been interesting, emotional and affirming to find out that we are striving for and wanting the same things. We’ve spent several hours yesterday and today walking on the beach and talking…you remember those talks you had when you were dating and getting to know each other and you could spend hours sharing your heart…that’s what it’s been like. I think talks from the heart are best done in the car (with no kids or distractions) or walking…and we’ve done both. It’s been such an awesome experience for both of us and let me tell you, when you’re sharing your hearts desires, fears and thoughts, the physical intimacy increases dramatically…which is a happy thing, especially without our teenage monitor (Shanna calls us “little nasties” when we kiss or are in any way affectionate in front of her and I’m not talking about anything even slightly inappropriate in front of a child)…she’s appalled...like most teenagers...that her parents have a physical relationship “at our age”…and any reference to sex just gets her going…she recites flower names and closes her eyes!).

Last night when we shared our answers to the above questions, my answers to How do I see myself? were in fact, quite close to Russell’s answers…mine were: organized, efficient, stoic, obsessive, neat, bossy, reliable, responsible, loyal, hard-working, punctual, positive, happy, conscientious, a self-starter but not always a finisher, hospitable, sometimes critical and judgmental of myself and others. After I read my list to Russell, I said I sound like one of those St. Bernard rescue dogs…I guess there’s worse things to be but I want to have more fun in there. 

 

I love fresh flowers and candles, so I brought both...my favorite candles are from Illuminations (thanks Sandra for introducing me to these). Our favorite scent is Cranberry-Orange...what a delicious smell. We stopped at the grocery store on the way to the beach house and got a few treats and these beautiful fall flowers. We agreed that for this weekend, we wouldn't bring any movies or watch any TV...we have a number of favorite TV shows but are coming to the realization that TV can suck your life away so we're making a conscious choice to only watch a few favorites this fall, so we've been talking, reading, listening to music on the Ipod (if you don't have an Ipod, you're missing out)...where else can you have all your favorite music from your entire lifetime (and before) in one place, along with sitting on the deck or in front of the windows enjoying the sights and sounds of the Oregon coast.

 

If you're ever in Tillamook, Oregon, there are a few "must-see" places to stop including the Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. It's actually a working farm...we were treated to a rooster in full cock-a-doodle-doo crowing mode, the antics of an amorous mule trying to get it on with his less than cooperative female companion (he got a few kicks for his efforts after he pulled on her tail and chased her around the barnyard), a collection of old vehicles dating back to the early 1920s, and inside samples of cheeses and dips and an eclectic collection of kitchen doodads, signs, figurines and other things to spend your money on.

 

A short drive up Highway 101 to Garibaldi where Russell got to see an old steam engine train (have I mentioned how much he loves trains and model railroading?) and ironically, across the street, a Dairy Queen (we love buying a quart of the vanilla and taking it home for a late night treat). It's been a truly fantastic day and a half and we've still got the rest of today and all day tomorrow. Mini-vacations are a wonderful thing...hope you're enjoying your weekend...more later. I'm off to take a nap...all this thinking is wearing me out.