Scene On A Muni ~

While we were in San Francisco, we took full advantage of traveling by bus (muni). On one of our rides, I sat next to a man reading, while his little boy (about four years old) sat next to him. Diandra stood over me holding on to the rail and smiled as she read what he was reading. The chapter's title was, "Be Thankful Always." I looked to see what book he was reading and noticed it was Start Your New Life Today by Joyce Myers. At that very moment, he jumped as his little boy hauled off and hit him in the arm hard yelling, "SLUG BUG!" Diandra and I couldn't contain our laugh. The man leaned over to me as he rubbed his arm and said in a low voice giggling, "And he looks all day."

San Francisco Botanical Garden

My daughter and I have wanted to visit San Francisco for quite some time and decided to just do it. She got on the Internet and looked up points of interest. We woke up fairly early to leave at 5:30 in the morning to get on the Bart by 7:00ish, in order to get us off the Bart into S.F. by 8:00 and on the Muni. My daughter is quite the navigationalist; she had an itinerary with buses to catch and places to see. Our first stop was The Golden Gate Park and headed right to the Botanical Garden's (admission is free right now, but I understand they will start charging in August).

While we were there, a group of kids were drawing sketches of the surrounding. Diandra and I were so pleased to see children of all ages spending their time like this and made us wishing we were a part of the class. There were also people meditating, and doing a form of exercise called Tai Chi. The smoothness of their lines and moves were somehow calming just to watch.

There were volunteer's busy gardening in area's throughout the grounds and I thought how if I lived in the city, I would like to volunteer. It is so beautiful there, I could only imagine how they must feel during and afterwards. With that in mind, I thought about how I could volunteer for something similar in my own town but then thought, 'Where would I find time?' It made me admire their dedication.

Simply beautiful!


SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDEN VISION STATEMENT
The San Francisco Botanical Garden will be cherished locally and recognized internationally for beauty, diversity of plant collections, educational programs and dedication to conservation.

MISSION STATEMENT
The San Francisco Botanical Garden Society builds communities of support for the Garden and cultivates the bond between people and plants.

Unsettling News ~

While we were camping we received some unsettling news. My niece Deja has been passing blood when she has a bowel movement. She had an MRI and it showed that she has three small tumors in her colon. Her blood work came back and apparently they are concerned that she may have a rare cancer called Pollock (I don't know if I am spelling this right) disease. Her little colon is too inflamed right now to go in and take a biopsy. The doctor's prescribed a medication to help get the swelling down so they can get this biopsy. Hopefully it will be at the end of this month.



Until then, I am asking that you will lift up this precious little girl in prayer. Her name is Deja and she just turned three last month. Red heads are usually described tending to have a spitfire characteristic as part of their personality. Well, let's just say she doesn't disappointment us in this domain. Right now I consider it a blessing.



Thank you ~

My Old Soul ~

Rob and I wanted to show Nessa Kennedy Meadows and some areas that are sentimental to us since we have been camping there for 23 years. While we were driving, Rob would slow down and point out something to me that was interesting and say, "Mom, that would be a good picture." It melted my heart; Rob showing me he cares, taking an interest in what I like to do.

Rob is such an old soul. He has always been wise beyond his years. It's funny, watching him grow up, he loved the forest, wrote poems, loved learning how to play the guitar, loved fishing and had such respect for our fish and game. I always pictured him growing up and working as a Fish and Game Officer/Forest Ranger/Fireman and living in a rustic cabin like I posted in my previous post, and now I can picture him snapping photos inspired by Ansel Adams. He has done the total opposite. He commutes to Oakland, working in a tall building that looks at a back drop of the Golden Gate Bridge and wears a suit everyday. I have mentioned this to him and he sighs while he says, "Mom, you have to have a good knee (he has had three knee surgeries) to climb mountains and move fast after poachers. It just wasn't in the cards. God had a different plan for me." What can I say to that? He is right. I immediately think of the stories he tells me of his encounters with people he meets on the Bart, or the homeless and sharing his lunch with them. If he can tell they don't want to be bothered he just gives them his lunch. I don't know how many countless Bible's I have bought for him because he gives them away to people he meets after having a conversation with them. I have noticed Rob has stopped telling me of these encounters, only because I think he sees the fear that shoots across my face and then is tired of the lecture's telling him to please be careful! God is in control.

It has been a pleasure watching him grow into the man he is becoming and I am so proud of him.

With the help of Rob, here are some photo's of our camping trip.
:)

Rustic Cabin ~

There are many cabin's up in the mountains. A lot of them are for rent and have the bare necessities in them (e.g., a bed, table, chairs and a couch). You have to bring the rest. Although some cabin's you can tell are owned by families because of extra care and thought put into them while they were being built.

Every year this paricular cabin has caught my eye and I have always told Charlie as we drive by it, "If we had a cabin, I would want it just like that one (pointing at it)." Sometimes he finishes my sentence for me and other times he just looks at me and says, "Uh huh."

I have always wanted to get a closer look at it. While I was with Rob and Ness, I pointed it out to them.
Rob nonchalantly said, "Oh, well we will stop on the way back so you can get some pictures."
I said, "Really?"
Ness said, "Yeah, why not?"
I said, "Well, sometimes Charlie gets irritated when there isn't a place to park." Rob said, "Ah mom, no problem, I will look for one close enough and then you can walk in."
I was so happy!

It turned out there was a drive way that led up to at least three other cabins nestled along the river that, being so fixated on the cabin itself, I'd never noticed before. So it was no problem getting to them. Nessa wanted to see it too and got out with me, although we went our separate ways.


The fire chimney has always been the first thing I noticed from the street.


And then the back of it.


This is when I whip my head around as we drive by it to see it practically on the river. Can you imagine drinking your coffee on the back porch in the morning? Or listening to the constant sound of the river flowing?


Okay... then as I am walking back to the truck and find Nessa, she says, "Hey, take a picture of me on the porch!"
I look at her and said, "What?"
She says it again.
I am shaking my head no and she is looking at me like 'What is wrong with you?'
I look back at her and said, "Ness, what if someone is there?"
Nessa said smiling, "I will just tell them how beautiful their cabin is and would it be okay to get a picture by it. Besides, no one is there, I already looked in the window."
My eyes were the size of dollar coins.

Oh my ~

Grateful ~

This is our first summer with Rob since he served four years in the Air Force. While he was away, we would miss him terribly and reminisce around the camp fire at night about the good ole times. It left us looking forward even more to when we could go camping as a family again.

This year, we were all so grateful Rob could get some days off from work so that he could join us. I was a little nervous the day we expected them to arrive. I straightened up our camp space, hoping it was just the way Rob remembered it from previous trips, and hoping Nessa would enjoy her first time camping with us, so much, it would have her coming back each and every year we went.

The second night Rob stood by the camp fire and got teary eyed saying he had been gone way too long and he had missed so much. I knew he wasn't only talking about camping. It was also all that our family has gone through in the time he has been gone, too. I gave him a hug and told him I loved him. He said, "Everything has changed.... it's good to be here." He was right, it just felt so good to have him there with us. Our time together went way too fast.

My Diandra and Ness are my always ready to strike a pose. Anyone wanting to take a photo of me, cringing... I run and hide.


Nessa and I decided to go on the Giant of the Columns trail. She has never seen it before and wanted to experience this hike.


Here she is at the top of the trail where all the broken granite rocks are piled. She is a character! I love that girl!


Having some "quiet time," Rob and Ness in the tent...


Their dog Pookie ~ "HEY! Get me out of here!"


Nessa getting a snuggle in with Sophie.

Summer Moments ~

I think this is the first summer I can recall, we haven't had any camping trips planned. We are being very spontaneous; when it happens, it happens. We were able to go camping last week. I enjoy getting away from the computer, television, and turning the cell-phone off (there are no towers). Being still and taking in what surrounds me. The sweet air, the breeze on my skin and through my hair, bright blue skies, sound of the birds and river. It's a time to let go and think about nothing; being still, breathing in and being thankful.

We had a couple of thunder storms and rain showers while we were there. The smell after the rain was wonderful. During the night, there was a blanket of brilliant diamonds, lighting the sky. At times, it looked as if you could reach up and touch them. It was breathtaking. It's moments like these, I want to slow everything down and take it all in. I don't want to miss a thing.

I am finding as much as I want to slow down, there is no stopping the hour of time.