Finally....

Well it is finally here. We are actually at the airport...waiting for our midnight flight to New York City. We had a wonderful dinner with the Butler fam, they dropped us off at PDX...and here we sit...waiting. When I consider all of the craziness of the past weeks trying to get ready to go, this moment seems almost unbelievable.

Yesterday (Thursday) was one of those days. I had so many things to do...all of those projects that needed to get done at the church before I could feel comfortable leaving...and of all things...my old faithful 76 Chevy truck..."The Silver Bullet"...breaks down coming out of Lowes. I push it off the road into the Paragon Motel parking lot, and as I am gazing under the hood, praying and asking for divine wisdom and healing, Gary strolls by and asks if I was having problems. I did say something sarcastic like "no I'm just meditating  and looking for some shade." He was a guy staying at the hotel and happened to be a retired mechanic. He needed some work...and I needed some work done...sounded like a match made in heaven. 

So after 5 hours...the Bullet was back on the road. Gary and his wife Cathy will hopefully be visiting the church and I got to scrunch all of those projects into an already scrunched day.

So here we sit...waiting. Waiting is a blessing. It is interesting how waiting can create such a vast array of emotions. You know when you are late for church and you inevitably get behind someone who has to slow down to look at the flowers on the side of the road...oh that brings out the emotion. 

But to have had a crazy week, and nothing to do but sit and wait...it is a blessing. Really. Even the slowest line ever checking in and going through security was not a problem...just go with the flow.

So next stop... New York City.

Anticipation...Anxiety

Well it is coming down to the wire. We leave for the journey of a lifetime in just two days. On Friday night we leave for a week in Philadelphia working in the inner city. Then we leave for three weeks in Ireland, Scotland, and England for a vacation that is getting more and more expensive at every turn. Then we begin six weeks of sabbatical from my job to refresh, renew and to rite (I know there's supposed to be a w in front of that...but we have to have three points and they have to...boy I do need a break).

But with every adventure there is a certain amount of fear of the unknown associated with it. But for Pa right now, there is just the fear of forgetting to do something to get ready to go. The anxiety that while I am straining out a gnat (the details) I will miss the Camel (the obvious) sitting on my front porch. People ask me if I'm excited about the trip...NO...there is so much tension and stress I am going to need a month just to recover. The beauty is...for once in my life...I will have that opportunity.

(a stressed out Pa)

Mimi on the other hand is already done with work. Her job has been to take care of many of the details before we go. But all the while the realities of what it costs are actually piling up on her causing a great deal of anxiety (I think it was John Kennedy who said to count the costs before you build something...or maybe Jesus). The insurance, the hotels, the 8 dollar Starbucks...it is all too overwhelming.

But on Friday night...........

The Adventure begins.