BOSTON, MASSACHUSETT

I arrived in Boston last Friday. The weather was beautiful. I had heard there had been a lot of rain and that the summer had been brutely hot. Friday and Saturday were beautiful, but it is hot again and will probably stay for the week. I leave on Friday and can't wait to get back to Oak Harbor and St. Stephen's.

Friday, my youngest son Bryan and I went to a meeting a Sherrill House where my husband Gus is a resident. The first floor, Alzheimer's unit had a BBQ for the families and residents. It was really nicely done. I had time to sit with Gus. My sister=in-law and brother-in-law also came with us. At first Gus didn't really know who I was. The longer we sat together and I talked quietly to him, there seemed to be a recognition of me. I said "It's your sweetie" and he said, "Yes". We walked around the patio and looked over the edge at a beautiful garden below. As we stood there with our arms around each other, he laid his head on my shoulder and I laid my head on his. We stood there for quite a while, and when we looked up, he reached down and kissed me. There are moments of grace in all situations. God is good. All during Gus' illness, there have been those moments when he seems to be aware of me and reaches out to me. I treasure those moments and know that it is God's gift to us.

As we were leaving the patio, the Monkey's song "Day Dream Believer" came on the radio. That was one of our favorite songs, and Gus started to move his hands and feet as though he was dancing, so did I. It was lovely - again our moment of grace. There are so many of those if only I can realize that they don't have to large, over the top - but moments of grace are personal, intimate, and truly a blessing of little gifts.

We had a meeting afterwards with his team of Social Worker, Doctor, Nurse, Psychiatrist. They are concerned that he has been displaying much different personality actions. He has always been nonaggressive, easily managed, but he now seems to be agitated, walking quickly up and downt he corridors, pushing at doors, trying to open outside doors, and setting off alarms. They say he seems angry. I said, "I bet he is, I would be too." Of course, because this is unusual, they are concerned that something else, besides the dementia is going on. I told them, previous doctors had clinically ruled out all other types of dementia, Picks' Disease, Frontal Temporal Lobe, etc. They were concerned there might be a brain tumor. They want to have him see a Neurologist and get a Cat Scan. Then if nothing else is wrong, they will change his seizure medication and that might calm him down. Please keep him in your prayers.

We had lovely news yesterday from my son's girlfriend. They are on a vacation to Russia, Sweden and Paris. My oldest son Will, while on this trip was going to ask her to marry him. She emailed that she had said "Yes", and sent a picture of the lovely diamond ring he had bought her. We are all really happy because she is a lovely young woman and they are great together. Well I'll sign off for today.

Don't forget Wilma Patrick's 91st Birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Wilma!

I THINK I'LL FLY - BY PLANE

My youngest son Brian, has been sky diving but I think I'll take a larger conveyance for my journey to Boston! I leave tomorrow. After driving 14 hours, 10 hours one day and 6 the next, I arrived back in Oak Harbor. As I drove over the Deception Pass Bridge, I shouted a loud YEAH, I'M HOME! Oak Harbor really does feel like home. It was nice to sleep in my own bed, make a cup of tea and just relax quietly. Charlie did really well on the trip. He's a great companion, I just wished he'd say something, or at least laugh at my jokes - oh well maybe in the next life.

Charlie is staying home this trip. He's going out to George and Vickie's north 40 with Brandy - George's dog. They get along well so I think Charlie will enjoy the vacation. He'll be able to run free, play with a friend, and get spoiled by George and Vickie - I hope he behaves himself.

I'm looking forward to Boston. I'll see Gus, and Bryan. Will is in Russia. Christie, Will's girlfriend has always wanted to go to Russia. He bought an engagement ring and, while they are in Russia, he is going to ask her to marry him. The younger generation certainly does things in a big way. Gus asked me to marry him in the Dedham Mall, in Dedham, Massachusetts, as we passed a jewelry store. Looks like we'll have a wedding in the future. I won't get to see Kathryn because she's in Philadelphia and I don't think I'll have time to go down there. She is moving out here to Eugene, Oregon in November, which is only 6 hours away from Whidbey Island.

Travel is exciting, exhilarating and tiring. I'm going to make sure on this leg of the journey that I spend one day sitting at a beach, reading. See you soon!

I DIDN'T LEAVE MY HEART IN SAN FRAN BUT ON OAK HARBOR

I'm here in Palo Alto, California just south of San Francisco. The weather is about the same as Whidbey Island so I feel right at home, overcast in the morning, sunny with a slight breeze in the afternoon, and cool at night. My kind of weather!

I had a great trip down. It was longer then I realized, 14 hours, but an easy ride. I went down most of the way on I-5. If your traveling down that road, there is a lot of construction so expect delays. The scenery was tremendous. Each part of the journey was very different. When you get into Oregon, your in the mountains with tall spruce and pines. Lovely lakes each turn of the road. California has the rolling, yellow gold grass hills for miles and miles, and then you come into a low valley with cattle and sheep farms, and fields of vegetables, and fruit trees. I stopped at a stand and bought peaches, pears and plums, plus "Washington Cherries". Had to come 800 miles for what I could get at home, oh well!

It is wonderful to see my cousin Barbara. She has been very ill this year and is recovering. She is an amazing person. She is a very special person, loving, giving, and has tremendous strength of character. She has been through a lot but doesn't give up. We have been close since we both were children. Her brother Chuck was my best friend growing up, and we all spent time together. Family is so important. I don't have anyone left in mine except for my cousins, and I cherish Barbara as my family. God gave us our families to help us to be truly who we are meant to be and to some times challenge us to be humble and forgiving. These are two attributes, I think, that are difficult but filled with grace.

Barbara is a middle school teacher, and we will go into her school this week and set up the bulletin boards. I remember helping teachers do this when I was in middle school. Should be fun! I like being teacher's pet, don't you.

We have Allison, Barbara's daughter's wedding shower on Sunday. I'm looking forward to meeting all her friends and family I haven't met before. It's been a long time since I went to a wedding shower.

I hope all is well at St. Stephen's and I am keeping you all in my prayers.

SERVING GOD'S PEOPLE

This past week was really wonderful! I had so many opportunities to see St. Stephen's parishioners in action. One of the first conversations I had with this congregation was about the many ministries the congregation individually and corporately support both in the Diocese of Olympia and overseas. This past week I had an opportunity to see both individual outreach and our corporate outreach.

Wilma Patrick was kind enough to invite me to The Whidbey Hospital Auxiliary picnic and BBQ. The work this group has done is truly amazing. Forty years ago, they started with 20 volunteers. Over the years, the volunteer numbers have grown and they continue to encourage many to join. They have built a hospital, financed important medical equipment and programs and they are now beginning the work for a new hospital wing. Whidbey Hospital has become an important gift to Whidbey Island and their satellite facilities have added a much needed local resource. They need to expand their ability to serve this community and I know we will want to support that work. I learned a lot about the work of the hospital, and was treated to the auxiliary's hospitality. They were extremely warm and welcoming to me and I am grateful to Wilma for giving me this opportunity to meet them.

Saturday, I had another wonderful experience. I went down to our "Apostle's Build" for Habitate for Humanity. There I saw many of our parishioners working away. There were others from the community also helping. They were putting up wall board that day. On Sunday, many of the workers came to church with arms raised to praise God from holding up wall board. I also met the new owner of the house. What a wonderful woman. She has helped on many other houses, and now she will have a new home for herself and her two sons. God is good!

I leave for vacation this Friday and I will take with me the many gifts I have received from this parish. I will take my pride in the services people offer to others. I will take with me a sense of being home on this Island and in this congregation. I will also carry all of you with me and keep you in my daily prayers as I know I will be in yours. I'll take Charlie with me for the first leg of the journey, but he will be staying at the "North 40" of George and Vicki Churchills from August 25th to September 3rd. Give him a hug for me while I'm gone. SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!

FOG SURE BEATS SMOG

Last week, I decided I wanted to go see West Beach. I had driven on West Beach Road, but I had never stopped along the way. Charlie and I set off in the morning planning to spend the day at the beach. As we turned off Swantown/Crosby Road onto West Beach Road, we were met with a wall of fog. It stretched all around us. I couldn't see ahead of me, and I knew the ocean was to the right of me, but I couldn't even hear the waves. We seemed to travel in a bubble.

You know how quiet it is when you are in a fog bank? There was this lovely sense of Charlie and I being the only two creatures in the world. I could see fairly well, but I still drove slowly. I drove slowly because I didn't know what was up ahead, and I drove slowly to prolong the sense of quiet and isolation. Everything looks muted in the fog, almost like a impressionist painting, where the colors blend into each other and experience takes over from form. You're not sure what your looking at until your almost upon it.

Along the way, we pulled into a private cul de sac. There was a rocky beach, Charlie and I walked along the rocks for awhile. He went down on the wet sand but didn't seem to like the waves that came close to the shore. There was a bench right at the edge of the rocks and we sat companionably enjoying the quiet. As I often find myself doing here on Whidbey Island, I thanked God. I thanked God for the beauty of the fog, for the peaceful time to reflect on God's gift of weather, and for an hour to do nothing but meditate in the quiet. Lunch time came and I hadn't brought us anything to eat, so reluctantly we moved off our bench and headed home through the lifting fog into the bright sunlight of Harrier Circle.