2:10 p.m. Today's project was driving with Steve over to my 82 year old dad's house in Redlands to trim his trees. We had loaded up my Liberty with a huge pole saw and stepladder, agreeing that since Daddy's Olds Alero wouldn't hold big tools, I would drop Steve off and pick him up after a few hours.
I had the best time, loitering in Berean Christian store in a massive, really nice shopping center out there. I selected Christmas gifts for my two daughters, got a book or two for myself, picked up this year's Christmas cards, and skimmed through a book on marriage. What a Husband Needs from His Wife was not only convicting, but oddly comforting as it offered encouragement as well as correction!
My Heidi needed a special gift for today, because she is having a hard time putting things in order for the afternoon remedial reading program she is teaching. (Too many conflicting opinions and demands coming her way from that grade level's teachers). Glad she plans to take my counsel and have a sitdown today with the principal to review expectations!
After a delightful conversation about God's calling with the checkout clerk--we agreed she needs to obey His leading and join her church's music ministry-- next stop was the Starbucks across the street, where I won their "Via" challenge to identify the new instant coffee! No prize was awarded, sad to say. I then had a bittersweet time finishing the last Galatians study at a sunny table out by the water fountain, glancing up every now and then to watch some toddlers and their moms at play. Nearby, a dad in scrubs joined his young family for lunch, and a mom smiled almost giddily at her newborn. Lone laptop users, girlfriends on an outing, and business conversations occupied other tables. I thought, "Lord, please reach these people with the news of your son, and cause believers here to be a good witness!"
Time to go pick up Steve! When I got to the University offramp in Redlands, I called to see if he was finished. "We're on Alessandro right now, almost at our house," he answered. Looks like my dad changed his mind about taking both Steve and the tools to our house! Sigh...it's not like I had used up any more gas, but I suppose I could have been back in Riverside all this time, if I'd known Steve was getting a ride home, as well as lunch at McDonald's! It's been 28 years of marriage for us--does communication improve in year 30? So I picked up a part for our RV at Camping World, and headed on home. Life, huh?
At 2:20, after eating my Chinese chicken salad lunch, in walked The Honeymooners! What fun to see Kriss and Marisela, all bright and chipper. They had driven down from Solvang with a cool souvenir for us, a Space needle coffee mug, very artsy and gorgeous!
The two were bubbling over, recounting their adventures, from staying at the San Francisco Hilton on an upgrade, to living like the homeless in their car in Seattle. They enjoyed staying in Portland with Steve's cousins Chuck and Sandra, who took them out to dinner in the floating restaurant Steve and I once visited. I feel I'm getting wanderlust again, and Portland seems to be on my mind. I've got to try the wildly popular Zombie Donuts, where you can get a maple bar sprinkled with real bacon, a Cap'n Crunch donut, and other weird but delicious sounding treats! But wait! I'm allergic to wheat! Maybe I could order "toppings only!"
God is so good, bringing my son and new daughter back safely to start out their "real" new life together! Young marriages tend to freshen up our more experienced ones, and give us the incentive to thank our Father for the years we have had, the privilege of participating in God's best design for mankind, where "the two shall become one."
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