skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Life is never too busy to stop an appreciate a good sunset! So of course, one of my favorite activities is "chasing a good sunset" with my best friend, Annie. However, that's not as easy as it used to be as I am currently in Muncie and she is in Ohio. The good thing though is the fact that we are at least in the same hemisphere. Usually we joke that my "sunset" is a good "sunrise" half way around the world. So this evening at the office I 
got a text exclaiming how amazing the sunset was along with a few pictures to enjoy (top left). I had to stop and soak in the amazing colors as well and with the camera close by, was able to send back a shot from my own viewpoint (bottom right). What a joy to share the beauty of Creation! When was the last time you enjoyed a good sunset?
I am now in Muncie and my calendar is getting booked solid in an effort to get in some quality time with friends! More than anything, this furlough has been a reminder of how important relationships are in life. To share with one another our dreams, sorrows, accomplishments and fears...to listen and to be heard. A cup of coffee, a good meal, lots of laughter and words of encouragement. My life is abundantly blessed by some amazing people who share their lives with me. How often I say that "there are no strangers...just friends I have not met yet". How true that is...for in life we all have something to offer. And by giving ourselves away, we find that we are the ones blessed. Although not everyone is reflected, here are some of the amazing people I have had the privilege of spending time with over the past two months. And in my time remaining...many more photos to add! Click here to see photo album!
A personal philosophy is that one should work hard and play hard...and if you are not having fun, go find something else to do! My time in Ohio has been filled with both and I have been having a great time. I have met Annie's new friends and most importantly the new man in her life, Dale. We have been catching a pretty regular workout at "Curves", gone shopping and of course a great cup of java at Caribou coffee. Most recently was a trip to one of my favorite international grocery stores, Jungle Jim's - 6 acres of international foods from over 50 different countries! It has also been a time to help out with some "projects" like painting the upstairs room and hallway and I couldn't help but grab the rake and start tackling the leaves outside. Next Tuesday one of my friends from PA will be arriving for a visit and then it will be off to Muncie for a few weeks. Time flies when you are having fun!
One of the wonderful aspects of being home is being able to visit family and friends and gain a glimpse into the lives of those I care about but have not seen in awhile. Arriving in Ohio was the first time for me to see Annie's new place in the country and to meet her new friends. She definitely lives in the country in a quaint two-story old farm house that is nestled next to a horse farm. This view is from her back yard! A few days after my arrival she had invited some friends over for a bonefire and a time of singing. Unfortunately it rained that day which put a damper on the outdoor activities but we still ended up having a great time together inside. What a joy to finally meet the people I have been hearing about for such a long time!
My "ride & drive" challenge has slowed down some although I was very tempted in California to ask my great aunt and uncle's neighbor if I could take his combination "road/dirt" bike for a spin. I did drive a Hyundai Sonata rental car which I was able to put over 1500 miles (2400 km) in just 8 days.
I am now in Ohio visiting Annie for a few weeks and had the opportunity to go horseback riding with one of her friends. Here is a picture of Sandy riding one of their mules and I got to ride "Doc". This was after getting to throw around a few bales of hay and groom the horses!
Annie and I continued our time in California by visiting Yosemite National Park. What an amazing place to see and experience! It seemed that every turn we experienced breath-taking views of Creation from huge mountains of stone, crystal clear streams and so many variety of trees.
We stopped at the base of "El Capitan" (pictured left) where we were able to look through a telescope with 400x magnification to watch three climbers ascend the face of the mountain. Amazingly the climb takes 4 days to reach the top! To see more photos of the spectacular scenery in California, visit my photo album on Facebook.
got a text exclaiming how amazing the sunset was along with a few pictures to enjoy (top left). I had to stop and soak in the amazing colors as well and with the camera close by, was able to send back a shot from my own viewpoint (bottom right). What a joy to share the beauty of Creation! When was the last time you enjoyed a good sunset?
One of the wonderful aspects of being home is being able to visit family and friends and gain a glimpse into the lives of those I care about but have not seen in awhile. Arriving in Ohio was the first time for me to see Annie's new place in the country and to meet her new friends. She definitely lives in the country in a quaint two-story old farm house that is nestled next to a horse farm. This view is from her back yard! A few days after my arrival she had invited some friends over for a bonefire and a time of singing. Unfortunately it rained that day which put a damper on the outdoor activities but we still ended up having a great time together inside. What a joy to finally meet the people I have been hearing about for such a long time!
Annie and I continued our time in California by visiting Yosemite National Park. What an amazing place to see and experience! It seemed that every turn we experienced breath-taking views of Creation from huge mountains of stone, crystal clear streams and so many variety of trees. .JPG)
