Home At Last

(downtown in our hometown)

My sweetheart and I arrived home last evening – tired but happy to be here at last!  The day was long but we didn’t mind.  We were headed home.  The time had come to return.  When we arrived in town we went straight to my dear, little mother’s home.  She didn’t expect to see us – she thought we would call and say we were home.  The smile on her face and the hugs she gave were priceless.  She seems a bit frail but is an amazing lady.  The peace that surrounds her is beyond understanding!  She is able to do some basic things to keep life going at home but she will need help with many things.  We will need wisdom to make the best decisions.

Thank you for your prayers and words of love and support.  It means so much to us.  Times like this remind us how many people really do care and the world of blog is no different. Soon I will share more about our trip – it was wonderful.  Just what we needed. 

It was time with folks dear to our hearts.
It was time in the beauty of God’s creation.
It was time together.
It was time to relax.

‘There’s nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.’
Margaret Sangster

Homeward Bound

They say that all good things must come to an end.  Perhaps it’s true – perhaps not.  Our vacation is coming to an end a bit sooner than planned.  My dear little mother suffered a mild heart attack a couple of days ago and we are headed home.  She is resting at her home and she is being watched over by our two adult children who are there to help her.  She has a very deep sense of peace and is in good spirits.  Her faith is strong  - that will never change.  This is her third heart attack.  We are thankful she is still here with us.  She didn’t want us to change our plans – we ignored her wishes and will be home soon. 

We would appreciate prayer for my dear mother and for us as we travel for many hours to get home.  We will make it – our home and our own bed wait at the end of the journey!

Back Again

(a sneak peek)

After several days without internet – and, at times, cell phone service – I am back online again.  At the home of a dear blog friend.  We’re visiting Mary of Mary’s Meanderings - and her hubby - in southeast Colorado for a couple of days.  I’ll share more soon.  If you read her blog you know her home is as wonderful.  It's even better than in her photos!  I’ll share more soon.

In Good Hands

My sweet little dog, Joey, is in good hands.  He’s staying with our daughter while we are away.  I had no doubt about leaving him with her because I know how much they love him.  You may remember that they gave him to me for my birthday nearly three years ago.  He has been very special to them from the moment they first saw him.  I’m afraid he won’t want to come home when we return!  Our youngest granddaughter is taking special care of him!  Little Dr. H. will be sure he's fine!

Our daughter sent a picture late yesterday so reassure me.  Don’t let the look in his eyes fool you – he’s enjoying every minute of her attention!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!  He sent me a text Monday night – our first night away. He wanted to tell me goodnight!  What a smart sweet doggie!

The Land Of The Western Cowboy

We’re in Cheyenne, Wyoming tonight.  The land of the western cowboy – home of the largest outdoor rodeo.  They say it’s the ‘Daddy of them all’!  It’s a beautiful town filled with history.  And cowboy boots!Big cowboy boots.  Eight of them - but we only saw three.  'These Boots were Made for Talkin' was a fundraiser project for the Cheyenne Depot Museum endowment fund to help ensure future success of the museum. The boots were painted by local artists and originally sponsored by local businesses and then auctioned off.  This one is decorated with Wyoming license plates.  The top has painted vintage plates and the top of the foot and the toe are inlaid with pieces of real Wyoming license plates.Cheyenne is the Capitol of Wyoming.  The capitol building is at the end of a main street in the historic downtown area.  It was pretty impressive with the sun shining on the golden dome this evening.We left Twin Falls early this morning – just as the sun was rising above the canyon walls.  We made one last stop before heading south.  I just had to take a photo!And the view behind me was spectacular, too, with the peaceful canyon floor below and the sun shining on the top of the rim.Tomorrow morning we will leave early again and drive to the home of my sweetheart’s cousin.  His sister will arrive there tomorrow, too, and we will have a good visit before we drive south a ways for the ‘big’ reunion later in the week.  I don’t know what kind of online access I’ll have so I may be silent for a while – or I may be back to share more soon.  Whenever I do, you can be sure there will be a lot to share.

Off To Find Dorothy and Toto

Very early this morning my sweetheart and I left for a road trip that has been planned for a long time. At times we weren’t sure if it would really happen. At times it seemed like a dream – now it’s reality!  We’re heading to Kansas.  To find Dorothy and Toto!  Well, maybe not – we’re heading there for my sweetheart’s family reunion.  Tonight we are in Twin Falls, Idaho – a beautiful place along the rim of the Snake River Canyon.  We drove for many hours, just happy to be together and away on an adventure we will never forget.  Driving alongside the Mighty Columbia River through Oregon always brings joy to my heart.  Then through the beauty of Eastern Oregon and mountains that, at times, appeared to be so close it seemed we could reach out and touch them.

So often I wished we could slow down, stop awhile and take photos of everything we saw.  I wanted to share it all with you.  Once in awhile I ventured a photo through the car window. It was exciting to cross the border into Idaho.  As we left Oregon, a sign bid us farewell and hoped we would return soon.  My sweetheart said, ‘We will!’  Then we were in Idaho.

Somewhere between the border and our destination for the night we saw a sign that said:

Miracle Hot Springs
Three miles
Caution:  Alligators

Alligators in Idaho?  Really?  Why would anyone want to pay to bathe in the hot springs?

After dinner this evening we walked part of the Rim Trail along the top of the Snake River Canyon.  To get to Twin Falls from the freeway we had to cross this bridge from the other side of the canyon.  It's just a couple of miles from where we are staying.

We spent awhile on the rim of the canyon, walking, talking, taking photos.  And more photos!  Then we drove down a long, steep road to the bottom of the canyon where we found a beautiful park along the banks of the river.  The bridge captured my attention again.

Then a short drive east and we found Shoshone Falls – a site I had hoped to visit.  A sign at the park entrance told us that the water level was low today.  Hydro-electric dams along the Snake River control the water levels.  I'd love to see this beauty when the water is high!The sun was beginning to set above the western end of the canyon and it was hard to capture the beauty of this spot.  Soon it was time to go – but there was another site I simply had to try to capture.  Just one more!A brief stop before dark to see ‘Twin Falls’, where the city gets it’s name.  Then back to our motel to rest before another long day on the road again tomorrow.  There is so much more I’d like to share but that will have to wait for another day.  It’s an hour later here than at home – we are tired but happy to be here.  Bright and early tomorrow morning we will point our ‘wagon’ eastward once again, put the ‘horses’ in motion and keep going until we get to our next destination.  Next stop is a town that some think consider to be a ‘western’ town. Strange - we have to keep going east to get to The West?   More soon.  From somewhere east of here.  In ‘Western’ America.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day from my heart to yours!

Today I will celebrate with my dear, little mother and my children will come by to spend a bit of time with me.  I am blessed!

Early tomorrow morning my sweetheart and I will embark on a journey that has been planned for a long time.  Time to be with family far away.  Time to walk in the places where his sweet mother spent her childhood days.  She will be in our thoughts and in our hearts as we walk in those places that were a strong influence in her life.  They were part of who she was – who she became – and who my sweetheart is today.

Both of us have been blessed beyond measure – blessed with the love of wonderful mothers.  Our mothers worked hard, loved much and prayed often.  What more could we ask?

I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.Abraham Lincoln