cometsgirl

nh time

The Spring grandkids tour continues. I flew from Des Moines where I had attended the Revival, to Denver. Nathan attends Colorado State University in Fort Collins, about an hour north of Denver.

Greeted by the Sunset over the Rockies upon arrival in Denver

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of spending several hours riding through the Colorado Rockies with Nathan.

Nathan picked The Yampa Sandwich Shop for lunch. Located in Old Town Fort Collins, it’s designed for diners to decide how their sandwich is to be built. Our sandwiches were delicious!

Then we were on our way.

We boarded the Swagon, his 1996 Volvo Stationwagon, for a drive up and alongside the Cache la Poudre River.

The day was perfect, a real show-off day.

Along the way we talked. And kept talking.

It’s delightful to chat with him. He has a unique perspective on many things. He’s fun to listen to. He’s smart.

From talking about his classes, to the fairness to others around public protests, I found his perspectives well thought out.

We had lots of laughs.

We talked a lot about a lot.

We began to notice the presence of snow in the area.

We had a destination in mind. We almost made it. Almost.

The road to the campground he and a friend enjoy, was closed. Covered in snow and ice.

Nathan had wanted me to see the campground. It has all the attributes he deems necessary to be a suitable spot for grilling and camping overnight.

We turned around and kept talking all along the way back.

We ended up briefly driving along a nearby reservoir. This will be for nother time while having another conversation.

It was a glorious day!

revival

I’m headed to Des Moines, Iowa this morning.

Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor, is preaching! Not just any preaching, it’s revival-style preaching.

My traveling friend and I signed up for the revival as soon as the dates were announced.

January 30 was the first stop on Bolz-Weber’s “Red State Revival” tour. She said “she felt led to do after the 2024 presidential election, to remind people of the importance of humility, curiosity, forgiveness, mercy and hope when they are faced with divisiveness, suffering and rising Christian nationalism.” Besides Oklahoma, other states on the revival tour include Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and Georgia. Over a dozen additional dates have recently been added.

“In a roughly 90-minute message punctuated by her razor-sharp wit and bouts of congregational singing of familiar hymns, Bolz-Weber, gently reminded those gathered that their best way forward amid heightened political division and ugly rhetoric, was to lean on their shared Christian values and faith in Christ.”

**Throngs of seekers ready for take-off.**

“Bolz-Webber said little about political party affiliations, but kept her message focused on the transient nature of power and religious institutions. She used Scripture that chronicles the story of Jesus predicting the destruction of the temple as an analogy for contemporary anxieties about Christian nationalism and societal changes.”

She said true hope is not in nationalism or ideology but in the enduring gospel of Jesus Christ.”The only way I know to combat Christian nationalism is by believing in the thing that will outlast it, and that is the Gospel.”

Before they adjourned, she reminded members of the crowd that they are part of God’s story.

**Seen outside the window at 34,000 feet.**

“I’m sorry I don’t have anything sexier than Jesus and prayer and the Bible to offer you, but those are the only load bearing structures we have,” Bolz-Weber said. She said Scripture is helpful in times of anxiety “because being a people with a sacred text is about knowing that we are a very small part of a very big story.”

“And, having that big and that old of a story gives us an important perspective, because when all we can see and feel and think about is the personal and political crap that’s happening right now, it’s good to remember that we are people of an old, old story, one that starts actually at the beginning of time and brushes the skin of the present and reaches into a promised future … and, the promise that God is not done and we will not be left alone still holds in the promise that hope is not naïve.”

Excerpts above from The Oklahoman.

I arrived in Des Moines several hours ahead of my friend. I hung out at Starbucks while writing this blog. I believe the image presented in my Cortado says it all.

Traveling mercies.

hope

Look who came to live with us today.

We met her at Paws for Life.

We lost Glory last November, and recently it began to feel like it was time to find a kitty who needed a home.

She’s ten months old; she weighs six pounds.

She’s soft. Super soft.

She’s a good eater.

I sat with her this afternoon. She looks at me, almost saying thank you.

I look at her and say, thank you.

She has one eye that may or may not heal. The shady eye resulted from a viral infection acquired when she lived in a packed shelter without adequate cleanliness.

Tonight, she is tucked in, and fast asleep.

While I don’t know what her name will be, I do know she brought hope this day.

family time in the desert

My Arizona travels came to a “speedy” end when I flew home late last night.

Speedy, because the severe storms around us caused our plane to land the opposite direction of a normal landing. Instead of into the wind, the high winds blew us from the rear as we descended, then high speed down the runway, with the winds roaring behind us. Yee gads!

I returned home after spending time with six precious members of my family.

Brother, sister, sister-in-law. Not pictured cousin, nephew, niece-in-law

It was SHARING time.

Shared coffees.

Shared meals.

Shared walks.

Shared sunrises and sunsets.

Shared educational experience.

JRM-1 Philippine Mars

Built in 1944 by the Martin Company, it is one of 7 built between 1942 and 1947 as a long-range ocean patrol flying boat.

After World War II, the Philippine Mars, along with three others, were converted to fire bombers to battle forest fires.

The Philippine Mars will be disassembled at Lake Pleasant, then transported to her new home at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ

Shared celestial moment.

My sister and I drove off at 2am Friday for a viewing to see the red moon. A rare event, missed because I was still on Eastern Daylight Time, while the moon was on Mountain Standard Time.

Shared stories, Shared laughter. Shared time.

Shared joy.

Shared promises to be together next year.

Traveling mercies.

6:30am rendezvous

Last night my brother and I agreed to meet this morning at 6:30am. I’m in Prescott,AZ – the “high country” of Arizona, for a couple of days.

Yesterday, along with my sister and sister-in-law, we drove from Chandler to Prescott. It was a delightful drive as we all caught up on each others lives.

We drove through Granite Dells. The Dells consist of exposed bedrock and large boulders of granite that have eroded into an unusual lumpy, rippled appearance.

Our lodging at the Hassayampa Inn.

Hassayampa is a beautifully restored 1927 hotel set in the heart of the Prescott downtown historic district.

First thing this morning, I met my brother at 6:30 am. We were off to have a grand adventure.

We drove to nearby Watson Lake, hoping to find a spectacular sunrise. Instead, we found a spectacular morning.

After breakfast, now with my sister and sister-in-law along, we returned to Watson Lake. We also visited Lynx and Goldwater Lakes

Farm Provisions salads for lunch…

Limoncello pizza for dinner.

It was a most excellent day.

sibling time

Today I’m headed to Arizona for my annual visit with my sister and brother.

We three, along with my sister-in-law, will drive north to Prescott for a couple of nights.

“Nestled at an elevation of 5,200′ feet above sea level amongst the largest stand of ponderosa pine forests in the U.S., breathtaking landscapes complete with granite mountains, lakes, streams, and rolling meadows.”

We’re expecting cool weather; temps will range from upper 20’s at night to mid 40’s during the days. I’m ready to be exhilarated.

Tomorrow we will be on our way.

Come along. Traveling mercies.

bookends

I recently returned from my travel to Houston.

While the purpose of my travel was to visit my granddaughter, my time with her was bookended with time with my best friend.

Beautiful lodging.

Morning coffee.

Dining in…

and out.

Worship.

Movies from the couch.

Shopping.

Conversation. Laughter. Joy. I’m so grateful for these bookends.

Traveling mercies.

vh time

Seven hours, four Uber rides, one meal, one basketball game.

More smile time than you can imagine.

I Ubered to Rice U to visit my granddaughter Valerie’s Rice space. She invited me to see her apartment where she is living during her Junior year. She’s created a charming space.

Larry the snail, from
Blackrock State Park

We Ubered to have lunch at emahtx restaurant for delightful and delicious lunch and conversation.

Next we Ubered to

for the basketball game between

Oh what a game it was. Behind early, and through the third quarter, they gradually pulled to one point behind, with .9 second to go, Rice inbound at their end of the court, the coach called the play: quick inbound throw to player who would turn and shoot a quick basket. Oh my it was tense. All went as planned with the ball at the rim…and then bounced away. Oh. No. Game over.

Still, it was a game well played with lots of action and cheering.

We hung around after the game to see the five seniors be honored.

Then it was time to Uber one last time to drop Valerie off and then drive me to my lodging at my best friend’s home.

On the ride I thought about when I signed the Apple Pay screen for lunch. I signed it V H. Valerie commented, that’s how I sign – V H. How precious! I’m thinking about my next tattoo.

Seven hours, colored in shared shades of joy, delight, conversation, hope, celebration, and initials.

on tour

The Spring grandkids tour begins today!

It’s not actually spring – by month or by weather. Nonetheless, the Spring tour is underway.

I’m headed to Houston today, where the low temps are in the 20’s. What?

My granddaughter, Valerie, and I are going to a Rice Owls basketball game this weekend. This will be the 3rd year for us, during which the team has become better and better. Even transitioning from Division 2 to Division 1.