Back from HAWAII

I wish I would have had time to blog when I was in Hawaii as it's always so great to catch thoughts and feelings and moments when they are fresh and happening, but due to severe wifi access constraints, this did not happen.

Anyways, I had a holiday with my girl and it was AMAZING.

I am incredibly grateful for those 12 days in the tropics.
Breathing in the warm moist air,
Hearing the waves crashing along the rocky shore right outside our hotel room,
Listening to the birds creating a fantastic backdrop of sound that went so well with the blue sky and green palms and brilliant flowers,
Watching the live entertainment at the hotel's luau and revelling in the beat of the drums, in the beauty of the native dancers, and in the gentle island singing
Listening with rapt attention and gaining perspective and vision and revelation as David Damien taught at the YWAM campus for 5 mornings straight.
Meeting old friends and sharing in the increasing joy of reunion that Kailua holds for me.
Making new friends and delighting in the fact that I am still finding kindred spirits - even if my new favorite is 24 years older than I am.
Being blown away by my sweet daughter's patience with me and my wheelchair.
Daily she took apart my chair and pushed it into the trunk of our upgraded mustang convertible - often two or three times a day.
Daily she pushed me without complaint over all sorts of strange terrain and up lots of hills to help me to get where I needed to get.
Experiencing the joy of this particular holiday with my dear friend Barb who loves me and mine as if we were her family.
Having this dear friend who is an actual massage therapist rub my back and arm and working miracles in these parts that were giving me so much pain.
Discovering the joy of hydromorphone on the flight home - instead of writhing with pain and discomfort I just sat there half asleep and virtually pain free. WOW.
Being in that familiar environment that feels like a second home and being invited to come and be staff at a YWAM CDTS if it's where the Lord leads.
Finding out again, that no matter how hard a trip starts out there is adventure to be had and joys to experience that make it all worthwhile
AND finding out that usually it all gets easier once I figure out the new routine.

And now for more pictures to tell the rest of the story...

drip drip

For the first time this year I drove into the school parking lot and there was almost NO ICE!!  The big lumps and bumps and frozen craziness have melted into oblivion and I am so happy!  It's been a pretty dangerous place for me this winter so FARE THEE WELL ICE lumps and WELCOME to that lovely feeling of Spring in the air today.  WOOHOO!!

I know, I know, it's not Spring yet, and we could still get heaps of snow, but I want to enjoy this drippy wonderful soft aired day.

I've been laying low this past weekend.  Migraines threatening and being warded off by my blessed little white pill and his many siblings all named zomig.
Also, while I'm mentioning awkward uncomfortable things, I sprained or strained my left thumb again quite badly which leads to other limbs getting aggravated so I'm rubbing in the A535 into both shoulders and elbows and swigging back loads of salmon oil.  Trying not to roll around too much or do too many transfers.
Which pretty much leaves me laying in bed!!  (alas, even working on the laptop is aggravating my right elbow region, but I'm way too bored just to lay here doing nothing!)

Despite these little setbacks my heart is expectant and eager about an upcoming trip for the bean and I to HAWAII!!  On Thursday!!!
I am so ready for this holiday and hope to get extra time in at the school with my beautiful students so I won't feel too guilty about this extravagant getaway!

This new year has also seen me hitting the counselling zone which is kind of amazing.  I've talked about it for years and it's never happened but there was a wee bit of an initiating event which catapulted me into this zone and I'm so happy about that.

Something about "the fullness of time" and I've arrived.
Thank you Jesus.
It's been very helpful and revealing and lots of other stuff.
So I'm thinking that maybe my 50th year is looking like more of a Jubilee Celebration after all!

Stay tuned...