TIDE POOL MUSINGS (March 13-April 5, 2021)

Edisto Island is known for her amazing sunrises and sunsets.  It's laid back, timeless, vibe makes it the perfect place to host family and friends.  Ken and Linda Moore (friends from Ohio), Don and Val Pate (family from Virginia), our son in law and oldest granddaughter from Indiana, all visited during our first three weeks here.

Our two bedroom condo in WYNDHAM OCEAN RIDGE was filled with memories of days gone by and a mixture of laughs and groans as we played games. (which by the way were, as usual, won primarily by Sherry)

Walks on the beach, meals at Waterfront (all you can eat boiled shrimp), Whaleys, and Sea Cow, along with outings to Botnay Bay, were enjoyed by all.

This slow paced, beautiful island  continues to call us back and we've accepted that call since 1984.

                                            REFLECTIONS

Ever feel trapped and at a dead end with no outlet?  It's not a fun place to be!

This year there is a new tidal pool on the beach just below our deck.  When the tide comes in, it is filled to the brim.  When the tide goes out, it's level drops but it never empties.  Schools of small fish thinking, at high tide, that it's the ocean swim in and are stranded when the tide goes fully out.  For them, it literally becomes a "dead" end with no exit. 

The egrets and seagulls now have a seafood smorgasbord for their culinary pleasure.  When tide goes out...they come in.  Good for them, not so much for the panicked fish.

Sometimes we, too, follow the "school" into dangerous waters.  At first, all looks normal and good but before we know it we find that we are trapped in a place we never intended to be.  Simply put, choices have consequences.  Be careful who you follow and, if you make a poor choice, get out before it's too late.  

 

SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT THE CLOUDS (February 14 - March 12, 2021)

 

The second half  of our stay in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was spent primarily by ourselves.   

A lot of "down" time and a lot of rest (think: afternoon nap).  While trying to recover after having Covid 19, it was beneficial to experience a period of solitude.

Wyndham Ocean Blvd. proved to, once again, be a gracious host.  The weather was a little cooler than expected but the Ocean sunrises were amazing.  Wes and Marcia Bittenbender stopped in for a couple of days on their way from Michigan to Florida.

Now, it's off to Wyndham Ocean Ridge on Edisto Island, South Carolina, until early May.

REFLECTIONS

Did I mention the spectacular sunrises?  My internal alarm wakes me up every morning around 6 a.m. no matter what time I go to bed. Watching the sky lighten, the horizon turn orange, and, finally, the golden orb as it peaks over the distant edge of the ocean, has been a daily routine.

Early on I discovered that taking an interesting sunrise or sunset picture required "context".  If you just captured the sun, the horizon, and the sky, every one looked pretty much the same. But if you throw in  a bird, some sea oats, or a palm tree in the foreground, "voila" it changes from boring to beautiful.  Even the presence of clouds enhances the image......"context".

It's why American Idol and The voice provide back stories on their contestants.  Otherwise they'd just all be singers.  It is the context that makes them unique and interesting.

Thus, it is with life.  The cloudy times make our lives "frame worthy".  They bring into focus our "sunrise moments".  They give texture to the portrait of who we are.

Clouds on your horizon are not necessarily a bad thing.  Use them to develop a photograph of your life that will cause people to say; "That's absolutely beautiful !"

PELICAN PONDERINGS (January 23 -February 13, 2021)

 

We flew from San Antonio, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,

and arrived at WYNDHAM OCEAN BLVD. on schedule.  Our 14th floor, ocean front, room welcomed us at 11 p m. and we tucked in for the night. 

We were greeted in the morning by an awesome Atlantic sunrise but temperatures in the 30s.  It has remained cold and bundled up beach walks are the norm.  Two popular places have become the chair in front of the windows and the firepit.

Not exactly what we were hoping for but nice none the less.  Oh, there have been a couple of sunny days, but most have been chilly, overcast, foggy, and rainy.

In spite of the less than "perfect" weather, we have enjoyed the past 21 days and are looking forward to the next 28 days here.

REFLECTIONS

I looked down on a group of Pelicans flying below our 14th floor balcony.  As they made their way effortlessly through the rainy sky I thought about how the inclement weather had put a damper on our time at the beach.  Yet here they were providing me with a special moment.

They reminded me that even in the midst of my most miserable times, if I will keep my eyes open, there are unexpected beautiful moments just a glance away.  Their appearance just off my balcony did not change the fact that it was still a foggy, drizzly, overcast day but it did, for a brief moment, give me a flash of excitement and the sense that things weren't as bad as I thought.  

Remember that you will glide by many who just need a moment of hope and remember, in the trying times of your lives, to keep an eye out for the beauty in your fog.

IN A RUT? (January 2 -22, 2021)

 

San Antonio, Texas, greeted us with an amazing display of holiday lights, warm temperatures, and

Lone Star hospitality.  The Wyndham Riverside Suites Resort was the perfect place to just kick back for three weeks and continue our bounce back from our run in with Covid 19.

Our time in this wonderful southwestern city was spent relaxing on the edge of the meandering river walk.  Short walks on it's paved, garden like trek, helped return strength and energy to a tired body.

This has become one of our favorite winter time stops.  Now it's off in the morning to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with her nearly empty beaches.

                                                  REFLECTIONS

They glided by every evening, these magical horse drawn carriages, as they carried their passengers through old San Antonio.  I watched them, from my condo balcony, as they circled their routes time and time again.  The indentation cut in the pavement by the hooves served as testimony to the sameness of their daily journeys.

It sounds a little like life.  Life is journey.  Round and round it goes.  Day melts into day; a 24 hour circle.  For the most part it is a journey of sameness.  We end up in a rut.  It is a rut of our own making.  

It can be a destructive rut or a constructive rut.  We go round and round carrying several passengers behind us.  They are primarily people we love.  They travel with us or observe us from a distance.  The question may be..... "If they follow the ruts of our life, where will it lead them?"

There is a song that implores "May those who come behind you find you faithful."  So keep on moving, knowing that our routine lives can, like horse drawn carriages, bring joy and happiness to those who join us for the ride.

   

"HE WILL DIE" (October 2 - January 1, 2021)

 

This has been a difficult blog to write because I didn't know how to begin or where to end.  Also, the in

between stuff isn't too pleasant.

We left WYNDHAM SMOKY MOUNTAINS and headed to visit family in Missouri and Indiana (Marching Band and Volleyball).  Thirty days passed quickly and we found ourselves headed to WYNDHAM MOUNTAIN VISTA in Branson for a family Thanksgiving.  

However, after arriving at my son's in the Springfield, Missouri, I found myself completely worn out with a nagging knot in my stomach (November 4).  I lost all desire to eat and began a weight plunge that would ultimately reach 29 pounds.  A trip to a clinic (November10) indicated that I most likely had diverticulitis and I was given a

prescription.  They also did a Covid test.   That test came back positive (November 15).  My condition rapidly deteriorated and two days later (November 17) I was taken to the hospital. 

For the next four days they fought for my life.  I don't remember much about the next two days but what I do remember is chilling.....literally!

I remember being moved to another room where, through my brain fog, I heard this conversation.

Lab Tech: "I have to finish this blood draw."

Dr. "If I don't get his temperature down immediately, no one will care about your blood work because he will be dead!"  (it was approaching 106 I have been told)

The next thing I remember was waking up in a cooling (under statement) blanket.  It felt like I had been frozen into an ice burg.  The next few hours were not pleasant.

The diagnosis was Covid with double pneumonia.

On November 24th I was discharged and Sherry was admitted. Her case was not as severe and she was out in four days.  We both had the remdesiver treatment.

The good news is, so far, we are recovering nicely and hope to be able to keep our date at WYNDHAM RIVERSIDE SUITES in San Antonio on January 2, 2021.

RREFLECTIONS

So there you have it.  There were times in the hospital when my will to live faltered.  I know my eternal destination, so death dosen't scare me.  But I vividly remember the moment, in that darkened hospital room, when I cried out, several times; "I want to live!"  There was no one else to hear the proclamation but I felt strongly that it must be verbalized. 

I understand that for the Christ follower the best is yet to come, that death is not a period but a comma, but I still have much to see and do.  Be safe, wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, and get vaccinated.  Enjoy each day as a gift.

(photo taken last week)

MEMORIES IN THE MOUNTAINS (September 27 - October 1, 2020)

 

WYNDHAM SMOKY MOUNTAIN RESORT served as the site of our 4th annual "Friends Gathering".  Eight couples enjoyed the spacious rooms and accommodating staff.  The area provided plenty of opportunities to explore both the Smoky Mountains National Park and the many varied shopping venues.  Dining out, a Chili Cookoff, shopping outings in Gatlinburg, Golf, hiking, jig saw puzzles, and group games kept us busy.  Yet, again, the best times seemed to be those times we just gathered to remember and recall those days we spent together in the late 1960s! 

REFLECTIONS

As I looked around the room I was reminded of the blessings of longtime friends.  It just didn't happen.  It took some effort to stay connected all these years.  But here we were together once more.

Covid 19 made it somewhat more of a challenge, but eight of the nine couples who attended last year's Gathering chose to come.  Ten days have passed since we left Tennessee and all continue to be in good health.  Next year's plan calls for us to head to WYNDHAM NASHVILLE. 

As my gaze circled the room, I remembered something I once heard.

"Your choice of friends throughout your life will greatly affect the person that you will become."

If that warning speaks truth, then I must, at least be on the right track because they are men and women of great character.  They are men and women who, through their journeys in life, have loved God and have given their best to their fellow man.

Like our hike in the mountains, it was seldom easy.  Yet we determined to keep on hiking until we reached our destination.  At the end of our trek it was worth it all.

So that's my plan as I near the end of my life's trail.  I plan to keep on hiking, one step at a time, while enjoying the vistas along the way.

To all my friends....."Happy trails to you until we meet again".

ON SERVING VOLLEYBALLS AND COOKIES (August 23 - September 26, 2020)

 

We left Williamsburg, Virginia, and winged our way back to Indiana.  The six week stay at the WYNDHAM KINGSGATE RESORT proved to be a wonderful experience after having been locked down in the Hoosier state since April 1st. Once back in the welcoming hills of southern Indiana, we settled into what has been a September ritual of bird watching and volleyball watching!  This year our oldest granddaughter, Abigail, is the only sophomore on a very good Avon High School team and Adelyn plays "all around" for the undefeated Avon South 8th grade team.  This fall, however, found us also heading to Minnesota for a few days. I had been asked to speak in special services hosted by the Backus Church of the Nazarene.

We really enjoyed our time in the "10,000 Lakes" state.  The scenery was beautiful with Autumn painting the landscape and those colors being reflected by the deep clear lakes.  The church kindly housed us in a lakeside cabin.  The people we met were gracious and kind.  Their many hospitable acts will never be forgotten.  We hope to return in the spring for some Walleye fishing.

Now it's off to WYNDHAM SMOKY MT. RESORT for a reunion of college friends (1960s). Seven couples, hundreds of memories, and five days to once again be together.  

REFLECTIONS

As I grow older, I am discovering that I am becoming more of a watcher than a doer.  As a matter of fact , I have really come to enjoy watching others work!  I haven't hunted in nearly two decades and I haven't played golf in over a year (unless you count ("WI GOLF").  I could go on...but you get the idea. Photography, preaching, and this blog are about it. Everything else is just the rhythm of life; the daily, routine meanderings that become more and difficult to navigate.  I don't mind getting old but my body has a hard time with it.

But just when I start thinking that I am at that point of surrendering to Father Time, I run into someone like Miss Sadie in Minnesota. Lovingly known as the "cookie lady", she bakes dozens of cookies and loaves of bread each week! She lives to share these blessings with others.  The chocolate chip cookies  and Pineapple/Coconut bread she gifted us were beyond delicious!  Oh yes, she's 93 years young!

So I guess I can manage to keep on preaching, keep on blogging, and keep on taking pictures for awhile.  Perhaps that can be my gift and blessing to others as I continue to proclaim that the best is yet to come.