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Monthly Archives: April 2015
April 12 Day 36 Sunday Sabbath
Several Months ago my friend Lisa, with whom I am currently staying, told me of her church and the excellent spiritual teaching from her Pastors. I have been listening to the Senior Pastor, Bob Botsford, on my I phone for several months and have really enjoyed his teaching. Lisa and her husband attend the church where he is Pastor. The church, Horizon Christian Fellowship North County is about 1/2 hour from their home in San Diego area. It is a large church with an amazing campus and building. Before leaving home I had hoped that when I visited Horizon church I would be able to meet Pastor Bob Botsford. Lisa didn’t know if that would be possible as he was not usually available before or between service. Well we walked into the courtyard at the church’s entrance and there he was just standing there with a couple of other people. Lisa walked up to him and introduced me to him. It was my pleasure to meet him.
It seems as if everywhere I go I meet the nicest people. Today at Horizon Fellowship I met a lady named Kim. It is always delightful to meet and talk with somebody and hear a bit of their story. We first spoke in the ladies room and continued out into the foyer. Thank you Kim for your conversation and being so kind to me. When I am on the road there are times when I don’t talk to people for hours. I know that seems impossible coming from me.
Bill, Lisa, and I enjoyed a delicious lunch out and an entertaining afternoon looking at new homes in the area. This entire area is built on little mountains or maybe I should say on big hills. I don’t know which. All I know is I’ve never experience so many winding, climbing roads. It is so lovely to look out over the mountains and see the valley below. Right now you might say that I am on the mountain top of life. I love the views. Tomorrow I leave for Orange County which is less than two hours away (for most people). Let’s see if I can get there without getting lost.
What I haven’t told you about this trip is the fact that rarely is there a trip I take that I don’t get lost, turned around, or doubtful as to my correct destination at some time or another during the drive. God has bailed me out a few times and just so you know He is the best GPS ever. I actually have a mapquest direction sheet, a GPS, an Iphone google maps, state maps and God. I’ve turned the GPS off as she interrupts too often, I don’t use the Iphone because it is too small and too dangerous to operate while driving, the map is too cumbersome and doesn’t not cooperate. So…being a woman I just stop and ask. So far I’ve always made it.
We watched another movie tonight, “God is Not Dead” . If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it. It was about putting God on Trial. I thought the movie was well done.
Very sleepy again, must go before I nod off.
Good night
April 11 Day 36 San Diego County
75 degrees, clear weather, blue skies, traffic jammed roads, and wall to wall people. But…I enjoyed every moment of it. Today Bill and Lisa took me to Old Town Temecula. Temecula is know for it’s wineries, old classic cars which is called the Temecula Rod Run, and Old Town Temecula. Lots of tourists, lots of restaurants, lots of places to buy things. I had a wonderful car tour of the area, viewed beautiful homes that Bill and Lisa designed and Bill built. Amazing structures of art and beauty, fully landscaped with exotic plants and palms and lots of flowering vegetation. My brain is still thinking about snow in Wisconsin. I know 5 weeks has probably made a big difference in the landscape there but in my mind it will perpetually be winter there until I return. I have been in a perpetual spring the last five weeks. It seems that every place I’ve been spring was just beginning and now in San Diego county it seems that summer is in full bloom. Fence rows of bougainvillea in crimson pinks and white and reds, Lily of the Nile, geraniums, nasturtiums, roses and bird of paradise. Up close and person I could see orange trees full of oranges, grapefruits hanging on trees the size of melons, lemon trees loaded with bright yellow fruit and avocado trees in the thousands, each laden full of avocados. Our main staple for breakfast lunch and dinner is fresh avocados. Literally!
Just thought I’d let you know that I was applauded today. Lisa and I were walking across a side street at Old Town Temecula and a biker was stopped at the cross walk with loud pulsing music blaring from his Harley. Lisa and I started putting a little rhythm in our step in time to the music as we walked across the street. When we got across the street one of the cars full of young men inching its way down main street right beside us whistled, hooted at us, and applauded. Well actually I think it was me they were clapping for! I was doing most of the dancing. Maybe it was my big yellow glasses that caught their eye.
Bill, Lisa, and I had a wonderful afternoon of reminiscing, looking at old pictures of ourselves when we were young, eating a delicious dinner of wild Alaskan salmon, and watching the movie “What If”. Enjoyed the movie as I rarely watch any TV or movies. We just had a good old fashioned time of visiting, an art that is almost lost. It is midnight now and my hosts are finally turning in. I’ll finish writing this short blog and then turn in. My blow up bed is all blown up ready for me to jump into. I’m glad. Visiting takes a lot of energy. I think I could get used to being retired.
Tomorrow I will be attending the Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego North County. I like listening to this minister on my IPhone when I exercise so it will be fun to be able to hear him in person. I really enjoy the way He teaches the Bible.
Today was a fun day: lazy, slow paced, interesting,enjoyable and best of all another day to spend with my precious Lisa. There was quite awhile that I did not know if I would ever see Lisa again on earth. She has beat some serious odds against her survival of this awful cancer. Her story of the past 3 years is incredible. Please continue to pray for Lisa’s complete healing.
Good night. I pray you will have a wonderful Sabbath Sunday.
April 10 Day 35 California here I come, right back where I started from
In the desert this morning and according to my hosts, tonight I am in the best micro climate in the world! Ten miles from the ocean and the Pacific breeze sends it cooling chill across my knees as I sit here typing my evening blog. I left Mesa Arizona this morning and am now in Fallbrook CA. And, oh my, how beautiful it is. I took a few pictures outside when I arrived. Check out the uncategorized pics and you’ll see for yourself how beautiful it is. The more I travel, the more amazing this great big country of ours becomes. Perhaps I am just destined to see everything through eyes that sees everything beautiful. I took one farewell photo in Mesa New Mexico on my last walk this morning. Just posted it too. Notice the remarkable difference between my morning and my evening. It took about 8 hours for me to drive here because of all the stops I made.
One stop was strictly because the gas station advertised a FOSTER FREEZE. Does anyone out there remember the Foster Freeze from the late 50’s or 60’s? Nothing quite as delicious as the vanilla soft serve. Well, I wanted to test out the memory. And you know what? It was worth the experiment. I ate the whole thing. It was so nostalgically delicious! If I find another one, I just might need to experiment again.
Other than map quest taking me the longest most tedious way possible my trip was absolutely wonderful. Great roads, beautiful changing scenery, not much traffic. The driving hours of my trip is one of my favorite times of my trip. I love the solitude, the scenery, the peace in my heart, my conversations with the Lord, and the beautiful music on my CD player. Oh yes, and also on Sirius. I have heard Sirius (satellite radio) when they offer free trials to entice new customers. However, being frugal I refused to subscribe to it. Well, after a couple of days on the road I accidentally bumped the Sirius button on the console and there was Sirius playing beautiful soothing music. I had told Dave that I would have loved to have had it but would not pay for it. And there it was, as if God was giving me the desire of my heart AGAIN! I don’t know how long it will be on but I am enjoying it for part of each day as I drive. The other times I am listening to my favorite composer, David Hollandsworth, or the preacher Creplow Dollar, or just quiet solitude. But what a nice blessing to have Sirius for whatever time is allowed.
I arrived in Southern California about 5:30 p.m. I am at the home of dear friends that Dave and I have known since we married. They have been instrumental in our lives in so many ways. They love the Lord and are such a joy to be around. They are the ones who influenced us to buy our first home. We had a lot of good times together years ago as we were both newlywed couples. Lisa was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer also known as neuroendocrine, an extremely rare kind of cancer. She is doing better during this time but must still limit some of her social engagements. I am so honored that she felt comfortable enough to host me for a few days. She and my friend Lana were the two people that inspired me to begin this trip. Both fighting cancer and I so longed to see them. And the Lord granted me the desire of my heart AGAIN! Please continue to pray for Lana and pray for Lisa as well. This cancer is considered a terminal cancer but we know our God is greater than any cancer. Seeing my friends is the greatest gift this trip holds for me. I thank God for this chance to see everyone that have already seen and those yet to be visited.
As I write this bog Bill and Lisa are wtatching the book of Acts at the part where Jesus is crucified. It is interesting to listen to as it is the very same thing that my friends Lana and Tim watched while I did my blog in the kitchen of their home. It has been a quiet day; a peaceful day. I thank God for this day.
Good night
April 9 Day 35 Mesa Arizona sec
I am in love all over again. With the desert. Of course it is only April and I have not lived through a 110 degree summer day. Oh my goodness, is it ever beautiful! I logged a few pictures on the blog, probably all in the uncategorized section. I still do not have the hang of this blogging stuff but I am slogging my way through it. I love doing it. Time is what I run out of.
Back to the desert. Please look at the few pics I logged today. One is along side the street where I was doing my morning walk. That is what yards look like here as well as the wild areas. It is illegal to cut down the tall cacti that you see in these pictures. If you see any huge piles of rocks in the pics they are all natural occurrences and cannot be moved even to build a house. You must build next to them and incorporate them into your yard as they stand. They look so dangerous and unsteady to me. Unless a plant is native to this region it cannot be planted in the landscape. In Phoenix I noticed a lot of palm trees and suggested to my host they would be pretty in her yard. The city of Mesa does not allow them to be planted because they are not native to this region. I behold this rugged landscape as serene and beautiful. It is spring here and some plants have already bloomed and other native plants are blooming. Unfortunately most of those pics are on my camera and not my cell phone. I only know how to transfer pics from my cell phone at present because they are all still in RAW in the camera.
What a beautiful community this is. My friend JoAnn and her husband Brent who live in Madison part of the year are currently here at their winter home. This area might be worth looking into if you are searching for a place to retire and don’t mind the summer heat. Mesa, which is in the Phoenix area is surrounded by mountain ranges. The first and largest is the mountain range I traveled through yesterday, the Tonto National Forest on the north and east sides of the Phoenix area. The South Mountain Range is, by coincidence, South of Phoenix. To the West of Phoenix is the White Tank MountainRange. I am very well acquainted with the Tonto Mountain Range as I spent several hours yesterday maneuvering curve after curve. It seems as if they go on forever.
Brent drove us up to the top of South Mountain today. The winding road, was perilously narrow with steep cliff drop offs. Brent was extremely adept at driving the roads and I did not once become concerned. Perhaps, because the road was so curvy that the speed was very slow. We SLOWLY made it to the top. And guess what I found at the top besides a splendid view? A photo op of course. There was a man standing on the window ledge of an old stone structure looking out over Phoenix. I asked if I could take his picture and he said yes. So I did. Actually, I took several silhouette photos of him as he stood there. It was awesome! I climbed onto a ledge at the back of the structure so I was almost level with him. I had the opportunity for some wonderful shots. I talked with him and he said I could post him on the blog. His name is Michael. And yes, he really was as muscular as his silhouette indicates. The last time I sent my husband a picture of a body builder at the gym in Arkansas he responded with “I THINK IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO GO TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION”. He hasn’t yet responded to this one. Perhaps because he knows that as a photographer I really do see the body as a work of art.
The view was awesome as you can see in the background behind Michael. It was rather hazy and I do not have my zoom lens on my camera or on my IPhone. Look closely and perhaps you can see some of the mountains in the background. For some reason the camera just cannot capture enough to explain the true vastness of these mountains. I would like to relive everything in slow motion.
Lunch was at “Oregano’s”, an awesome Italian restaurant in downtown Phoenix. The downtown part of Phoenix is actually rather small compared to other cities of comparable size. Phoenix area has approximately 4,200,000 people. JoAnn and I orderd the special oregano salad, split it and took home over 1/3 of it. It was delicious. We finished eating about 3:30 and drove over to a resale shop. It closed in 15 minutes so we didn’t have much time to shop. I could have spent the day there. I’m still waiting to get hungry and it is almost 8:00 p.m. That salad was just too big.
It is days like today that are so awesome. Beautiful scenery, wonderful company, excellent food, and when we came home we just lounged under the lanai by the pool and listened to the waterfall spill over the “vanishing edge of the pool”. I enjoy each and every moment and live only in the present. Only in the present, in the presence of God.
I just had a call from my beloved and his words to me: “THAT BETTER BE A STATUE” relating to the silhouette photo of Michael that I sent him earlier. I said, “no, he was very alive”. Then Dave responds, “Oh, so now we know Michael really didn’t row the boat ashore, he carried it”.
A driving day tomorrow as I head out to California. “CALIFORNIA HERE I COME, RIGHT BACK WHERE I STARTED FROM”. Please remember to pray for driving protection for me. I thank you.
Good Night
Visions of Poetry 