Pix 'n Prose: Vacay-ing

My room mate is all congested. Much sniffing and groaning and mouth breathing.
She is confident in the power of Oil of Oregano so apparently this is very temporary.

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Last night, just before I fell asleep at 3 am, I asked Sandra, who was still up (!) doing work on a report, if she would, before she left for her conference at 8 am, lay out a towel and put some magazines on one of the three lounge chairs at the pool for me.

She did.
So when I got to the pool area at 11 am, there it was. The only lounge chair with a towel on it. Haha.
No one else wanted a lounge chair.
No one else even wanted a regular chair.
No one else wanted to be in the 100 degree heat, I guess.
Chickens.

It was awesome.
I spent the day at the pool alone.
All. By.Myself.
I did not hear another human voice til 6:30 pm.
I didn't use my voice til after that.

Such a relaxing day.

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I just gave Sandra a breathe-right strip. She won't take a decongestant. Here's hoping she'll be able to sleep tonight. :)

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I've read two books so far:

Did you know what an orphan train is? Did you know that from 1854 til 1930, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND orphaned children were put on trains and sent west, stopping along the way at pre-arranged stations so that folks needing farm hands or house keeping help or a child to love could come to the station and pick one up?

From Wikipedia:
Prior to departure, they were bathed, given new clothes, a coat, often a Bible, and reminded of good manners.The trains transported children from lodging houses, orphanages, private homes or the street, bringing them to towns where local organizers had created interest in the program. Notices were posted around town and in newspapers, informing locals when the children would arrive and of the viewing location. At towns along the route, the children assembled at the train station or were brought to opera houses, schools, or town halls for the community to meet and interview.

And I read this one, (above) written by my friend, Jenn.
MY NAME IS IN THIS BOOK.
At the back. In the Acknowledgements section.

But that's not why you should read it. Haha.

If you read the first Hollie Porter book:

Then you absolutely must read this one because love (!) and marriage (!) and wedding mishaps and plans gone awry and otters and hockey players and its set in BC and have I mentioned that my friend Jenn wrote it?

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Backtracking...

On Tuesday we hung out in Sedona.

First, at the crack of noon, we went for a hike, because there's nothing like elevation and temperatures nearing 100 degrees to make a person want to climb a mountain. Sandra did far better than I. Not that we were competing or anything. But I quit when, in order to continue, one needed to be on all fours. I can only do threes, as my right hand holds a camera. That and I'm way too out of shape. So I sat there, halfway up and enjoyed the view while chatting with God.

It was here that I stopped.

And instead of looking up, I turned around and looked back:
That black vehicle in the parking lot (upper left corner) is how far we'd gone.

I was totally OK with that.
I found a rock to sit on and a sliver of shade to rest under while I watched other hikers trudge up or skip down the path.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Oh my goodness, this patch of earth? Is overcome with joy. SO MUCH BEAUTY. So much silent shouting. The rocks are praising Him.

Worship the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful songs. Yup. Yup. Yup. Thankyouthankyouthankyou, God, for everything. Especially this thing. This mountain. This place. This vacation. This red earth. These green trees. This blue sky. How great is our God?

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who has made us, and we are His...

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Thank you for opportunities to see You in other places. Thank you for making all this. Especially these pastures, for Your people.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise -give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good and His loves endures forever, His faithfulness through all generations.

That whole generation bit - thank you. Thank you for being faithful through all generations. For those that came before me, and sigh, especially for those that are coming behind me. Thank you thank you thank you.