This and That

I know, I know - I didn't blog last Thursday (although I'm sure many of you didn't miss that :))

Been struggling with a cold, craziness, and just me.

Wanted to catch up with you on a few things though.  Observances that I have had.  First of all, remember that great place by the river that is just a couple of blocks from my house?  Well I was relaxing there one afternoon waiting for Phil to get off of work, enjoying the peace and beauty of the area when all of a sudden I hear this high pitched whining sound - much like that of a high pitch chain saw.  When I looked over from where it was coming from I saw something I have never seen before - remote controlled hydroplanes!  Yup - there they were racing in circles on the river when there were others there trying to enjoy the peace as well and catch a few fish for supper.

On a side note, they do hold hydro plane races on the Columbia river every year the last weekend in July.  Looking forward to seeing the full sized ones next year.

Well we did get everything moved in to our new home from the storage shed.  And as usual, some was a surprise (I forgot I had this) to (Why did we bring this) to (there is no way we need this).  Yes one car full of things went to be donated already and I'm sure there will be more.  I really thought we had gotten rid of a ton before we moved.  And then when we were moving things in we had a good laugh .....

First of all we had way more chairs than we needed or could use.  Guess I was still planning for those Sunday lunches I had in Iowa.  We also had more dishes than what I was going to need.  Was good for a laugh.

The Tri Cities is know as the Windy city.  When I first heard this I thought - no way, that's Chicago.  Well Chicago is know for that for the hot air the politicians blew years ago (or maybe not so long ago.)  And then I thought, no way - its always so nice here and calm and beautiful.  Well, it is - except when the wind decides to blow - it blows big time.  And along with the wind comes dust storms due to the make up of our "Desert Oasis" and not a good time to cross a bridge.  I can't explain it, something to do with the way the weather travels through the Columbia River Basin.  I'm sure many of you understand it better than I, I just know make sure things are tied down when it does blow.

And another observation I have had is the great diversity there is in cultures here.  Yes, you can see this in the variety of restaurants - Asian, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Italian.  But the one thing that really caught my eye was seeing a East Africa Food Mart.  Phil asked if I wanted to go in, I said I would have no idea what to look for.  :)  Looking forward though to the day we can put it in our budget to check some of these out.

Looking forward - the church that we are calling home right now, Hillspring, provides the experience of a live nativity each year for several performances.  They use live horses, donkeys, sheep and camels - and the characters are even live.  (haha)  I am volunteering to be a guide and looking forward to meeting more people and seeing this production.  

No matter where you live, no matter what it is that God has you doing - we can find things we would rather do with out.  Whether it is the wind, the noise of someone's hobby, the clutter of things - we can always wish for better.  But let's flip that over and see the amazing things God has blessed us with.  I have amazing friends and family.  I am overjoyed with the support, the notes, texts, and connections that come my way.  And I do miss everyone back in Iowa tremendously - but what a gift to live in an age that I have internet and smart phones to keep in touch.  

When I was taking a walk by the river the other day, I saw a Loon.  I love Loons, their beauty, their calls, their commitment as a pair to make the nest and incubate the eggs, their long underwater swims when they dive.  I don't see them often, so I'm always fascinated when I do. So, naturally when I saw one the other day - it made my day.  It also felt like God was reminding me that He is here, no matter where I am or what He has me doing.  Remember for earlier blogs?  He's got this.  I have to keep telling myself that.