Couple More Pictures

A couple more pictures from the North Shore of Minnesota and from Minneapolis . . .

We hiked to some waterfalls in Gooseberry Creek State Park.

If you look between heads, you'll notice a furry guy relaxing in the tree . . .

This "sloth"-ful guy! 

Lake Superior

 

Score!

Yesterday we flew to Minneapolis (even though our stewardess kept calling it Minnie-annapolis! Maybe she was originally from Maryland?). Anyway, first took an very early morning flight from DC to Chicago, and then we were to fly to Minneapolis. However, when we got to Chicago, they had switched airplanes on us and the new one had fewer seats - so they were now overbooked by 9. So they asked for 9 volunteers to give up their seats for a $500 voucher. A couple did so. I inquired, but the next available flight out was 2:30 in the afternoon - about a 6 hour wait for us. We had plans to visit a state park after getting to Minnesota, so no, not yet. A few more persons inquired, but no other takers. Still needed 7 more.

They asked a couple more times - no takers. They said: come up and we'll let you know how much the voucher will be. Still no takers. It was now getting very close to boarding time, so they were getting desperate. They announced $1,000 vouchers, then $1,050. We decided that was worth the wait. So we went up and gave up our seats. By the end of it all, we got $1,200 each for our seats which only cost us $200 to begin with! (Plus they rebooked us on the later flight.) So while waiting around wasn't the greatest, in the end we had 3,600 good reasons to do so! :-) Yee-haw! Thanks American Airlines!

A Senior Picture

My youngest is a High School senior this year. Soon she will be off to college. For the past few years she has been a member of The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra, a select, audition-only, group of High School students from all about the DC area. Here is the picture they took of all the seniors after their last concert. (Not their final concert! That's coming up in May. :-)

Quite a good looking group, yes? (Though I may be biased . . .)

Update

I know, I know. On Easter I said I would post more "tomorrow." Well, you know how that goes!

After Easter I took two days off for some R&R. On Monday my wife worked, so my daughter and I went to a delightful breakfast with another family in our church and then headed off to our favorite used book store. I got a couple of books and a couple of books for gifts later this year. I have quite the pile to read already, so tried to control myself! One book I found is a novel about Lincoln surviving his assassination attempt and what reconstruction might have looked like had he survived. Could be interesting. 

Then on Tuesday my daughter had to return to school, so my wife and I went to our favorite thrift store and bought probably too much! We got a bunch of puzzles (some for us and some for gifts) and I found a pair of jeans and a couple of spring/summer blazers - they were greatly needed! 

Then on Wednesday, it was back to work for me . . .

The Lenten season was good, but this was a tough one for me. Maybe I'm just getting old! I did well on my primary Lenten discipline, not so good on my secondary one. But that's okay. I was also trying to get our Mission Plant in Purcellville to a new location and working out those details and lease agreement, which added to things. We met at our new location for the first time this past Sunday - an adjustment, but I think it will be good. I also had a big lift with my Board for International Mission assignment - getting a report and a presentation ready for the two mission boards meeting in April and May, along with a survey being sent out. It all gets done, but sometimes causes other things to pile up and back up.

Now starts the travel season . . . stay home in Lent, go on the road after Easter! So I've got stuff happening in DC, Minnesota/Iowa, St, Louis, Wilkes-Barre, and then three separate trips to Milwaukee! Homeschool chapel also starts back up this week, and with all those trips, I'll have to pre-record some of them. 

Our Good Shepherd seminar is also coming up, so have to get ready for that. And then with Spring there is all the yard work that now needs to be done (when the weather cooperates!). I got our vegetable garden plot turned, weeded, and mulched. The front gardens have been cleaned out but not yet mulched or weeded. I got the first mowing of the year done . . .

Always lots going on, but I think that's a good thing . . . I think! :-)

And, a couple Easter pictures for you . . .

Family . . . minus one :-(

Easter confirmands

Blessed Easter!

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I'll post more tomorrow . . . a recap of this Lenten season . . . 

But for today rejoice and rest in the glory of our Saviour!

Did Jacob Ever Find Out?

We've been reading through the narrative of Joseph in Egypt in Morning Prayer and today we heard when Jacob finds out Joseph is still alive. He and all his family will now go to Egypt and live there under Joseph's care.

So I was thinking today, and wondering . . . did Jacob ever find out exactly what happened to Joseph? Did Joseph's brothers finally confess what they had done to their father? Did Joseph throw his brothers under the bus? Jacob must have asked Joseph what happened! How did he get to Egypt? How had he escaped from the beast that bloodied his coat of many colors? What did Joseph say? Throwing his brothers under the bus doesn't seem in character with Joseph, and covering their sin would be in keeping with his Christ-likeness. We're not told if Jacob ever found out. But I'd sure like to know how that conversation went . . .