80 new miles

Last Thursday we went to Colorado for a long weekend.  And we took about 80 miles of new road.  

Allen had to work that morning and I was glad as I didn't want to miss my older ladies' Bible study.  We are studying "Heaven" by Jennifer Rothschild.  On the way to church, I saw a bird on the wires.  I actually had to turn around so I could get a photo.  What bird is it?  Someone suggested a rock dove?  A pigeon?  Hmmm.

At Bible study, Jo provided the morning refreshments.  One of the things she brought was her grandmother's peppernuts.  She brought a picture of her grandmother and also a copy of the recipe for us!  Yum!  There are so many different variations!  Hers does not contain anise, which many do.  My son-in-law is not a fan of anise, but I like it.

A few notes from study:

"Eternity is but a breath away."

"Satan is certainly preying on us unceasingly, so we must pray unceasingly."

"We would not long for heaven if earth held only joy."

"The devil is pleased if all I am obsessed with is this life and not with eternity life."

"Eternity is in the hearts of men."

"It's really a blessing that life is shortened."

I left study a little early so I could finish packing.  Al came home and we ate up a few leftovers and took off.  Al wanted to go on Highway 50 west.

We passed Pleasantview.  And the Dutch Kitchen, an Amish inspired restaurant.  The best food!  Which is closed until further notice after 5 decades!  I guess until someone chooses to buy it.  Sadness.

We stopped at several historical markers, and I took photos, but somehow my photos got lost.  It was interesting to read about Kansas history.  

Here's a piece of history.  Our son-in-law lived in Cimarron for his senior year of high school. I texted him to ask what his address was and we had to drive by, of course!  It would be hard to move your senior year.  My brother did that too, having been at CAJ in Tokyo and then moving to Pretty Prairie, KS.

This land is cattle country.  Feed lots everywhere and the "perfume" was in the air!

Just over the Colorado border at Granada, we turned north on 385, a road we had never been on.  The road is the one pictured at the start of this post.  We took it to Highway 40 and then west - 80 miles of new road.  I got out my yellow highlighter and colored the roads in our atlas.

Very few cars.  Neighbors are miles and miles apart.  At one spot, Al had to drive on the shoulder as a semi passed another semi and was in our lane!!  God has ordained our days and I guess this was not it.  Like I said, "Eternity is but a breath away!"

Psalm 139:16  "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."

One place we went where I had taken photos (that are in photo heaven somewhere) was at this place at Cheyenne Wells.  Very interesting! 

 https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=77898

In Hugo, CO. there was an unmanned gas station.  Very clean bathrooms and a vending machine.

Tenley had Facetimed us because she was sad she had to go to bed before we were going to get to their home.  We said our goodnights and blew kisses.  You can guess that the girls would be up bright and early and pitter-patting down those steps to our bedroom in the basement!

Medicine Man at Green Lake

 

Jill had told us that the junior high and high schoolers from the school she teaches were going on an overnight retreat.  She asked if we would want to go along.  They needed someone to handle the meds for the kids and since Al is qualified to do so, we decided to make the drive and help!

Before leaving the school, they went over all the med information.  It was so organized!

The bus was full so we were able to ride in a vehicle with Jill and another teacher.  Isn't that too bad we couldn't fit on the bus?  (cough, cough) 

After we arrived at the campgrounds, we unloaded the sleeping bags and all the suitcases.  There was a session soon after.  Our granddaughter Claire led worship time.  That was so special to see how God is using her!

The speaker's talk was "Run to Win"

The 4 sessions were:

Run Unashamed

Run with Grace

Run with Hope

Run to Finish

One of my favorite lessons:  He asked a girl and guy to leave the room.  While they were out, he told everyone that they were to give instructions to the kids on how they should run and what course they should take.  "Go right. Stop.  Jump up and down, etc."  All different instructions, all yelled at the same time.  When the kids came back in, he told them that they would be running on a certain course around the room and they were to listen to the instructions.  Well, it was chaotic and mayhem.  Confusing for them.  Then the speaker had them all stop and he alone gave the kids instructions, which they were able to easily follow.  Likewise, the voices in this world are noisy.  Social media, news, various religious leaders, friends...so many different voices to listen to!  But if we listen to Christ, He will instruct us and guide us in the way we should go.  Listen to Him.  

For our meals, we needed to go to the dining hall.  We had quite a distance down hill to get there.  Three times a day.  Down there and back up.  My arthritic hips were acting up so I walked pretty slow.  The kids passed us up all the time.

The food was great at this camp!  Some of the kids were pocketing some of the food.  They were kind of scolded about that.  

Al, or Papa, as the kids called him, handed out meds as needed.  I called him the Medicine Man.

Walking back up.

This was where we stayed and had sessions.

The kids got bunk rooms, but Jill, Claire and us got an "apartment".

We realized that we'd have to wait to get coffee in the morning until we went down for breakfast, so we brought along our mini-Keurig so we could have coffee first thing.  (pretty pitiful, huh?)

Besides the sessions, the kids were grouped into their "house groups" and they strategized how they would be doing relays and competing against eachother.  There was a trophy and also ribbons that were handed out at the end of retreat.

Medicine Man and I relaxed by the waters.

What is that down by the water's edge?

That's just a little creepy.  Especially after hearing those coyotes the other night at home!  A rubber wolf with wooly fabric tail?  It was chained down so no one would take it.  I don't know who would.

                            We took a walk.

There was a bonfire in the evening.  Unfortunately, the one leader who thought he knew where the bonfire was, took us on a path down the hill, and realizing that it was not there, proceeded to take us back up the hill (my legs and hips were groaning!) where we found the campfire close to our dormitory!

We got home the next day and relaxed on the deck.

Boy, we were exhausted.  I guess the Medicine Man wasn't. He looks happy.  That's a decent smile on him.  Usually, he doesn't smile for photos so we always get on him about that.  We said, "let's look pooped out" - and he smiles.  Ha!

What an enjoyable time with Claire, Jill and Adam!

On the way home, there was this pump in Dubuque.  Service for those who need it!

I still recall the days when it was standard for them to do it for you.

Tripping up to Wisconsin for a retreat

We took a quick trip to Wisconsin this past week.  We left early in the morning, just as the sun was rising.

This cloud reminded me of a dragon.  Or maybe a wolf or coyotes?  There was a pack of coyotes behind our house the evening before that were howling.  They are so frightening to me.

By the time we were half-way through Iowa, we were getting low on gas.  Al checked how many miles to empty and thought we could get to the other side of Des Moines (where on-line it said gas was considerably cheaper).  When he filled the car up in Bondurant, he was able to put in 18 1/2 gallons.  Our car supposedly holds 18, so miraculously we didn't end up on the side of the road!!  

(Once my mom and I went to Wichita and we ran out of gas just a few feet from the pumps!  I had my mom get behind the wheel and the kids and I pushed the car to fill her up!)

We stopped for lunch in Marshalltown, Iowa at Maid-Rite, where the menu is sloppy joes.  That's it.  You can order a shake or a pie with that.  We stopped there last time and really liked it!

As we were getting ready to leave, a guy by us ordered his "wet".  I looked at him and inquired "What does that mean?"  "Greasy!" he replied.

We made it to our daughter, Jill's home in 12 hours, even with the 1/2 hour stop at Maid-Rite!

Their hydrangeas are so beautiful!

We gave Kobi some lovin'.  He always wants lovin'!

Sunday morning, we attended church.  Once a month they feature a missionary.  It so happened that this couple was in the States for awhile so they spoke about their ministry.  God is at work in people's lives!

At the luncheon afterwards, we visited with this couple. When they heard I grew up as a missionary kid, they asked me if I knew this guy who was an MK in Japan.  I did!  He was in my brother's dorm and his sister and I were room-mates one semester!  I love making connections like that!

Every year, the church has 2nd graders come up to the stage and they present them with a Bible of their own.  It has tabs for each book so they're easy to find.  They also teach them how to read the Bible for themselves.  I love that idea!  So many people are Bible illiterate these days.  Years ago, even those who weren't followers of Christ knew some Bible.

I enjoy our son-in-law's teaching so much!

Guess what we did the rest of the day, besides take a nap?

We watched the Packers and the Brewers!  Both teams won.

Jill and Claire also packed their bags and we loaded the car up so we wouldn't have much to do in the morning for our trip to Green Lake.

To be continued: