Traveling East

Life took on way too busy a pace to keep up with blogging about our last weeks in Chico.  Time seemed to accelerate with so much to do and time moving way too fast to get it all done. We don't know what we would have done without Jacob and Quin to help with so many of the home improvement projects we've been putting off for years.  It was fun to watch Joel and Jay and Steve working together to rebuild the deck out back.  Julia came up from San Antionio and packed about 1/3 of our house for us while also entertaining us with her wit and good humor.  Jane and Jim came up from Santa Cruz, Jeannine, Mieken and Christy helped finish packing the house.  Karen, Jay, Laura and Jim hosted the most incredible party, and many of Quin and Jacob's friends came to wish us well; an unexpected delight!  I feel like I just won an oscar, but I can't close this blog without saying a heartfelt thanks to all our friends for the parties, dinners, help with packing and all the well wishes and thoughtful gifts that came our way in the last weeks in Chico.  It was so much fun that we wished we would have thought of leaving years ago! 

Our last night in Chico we stayed up until 1:30 a.m. finishing packing the house and our bags.  We are now in Colorado visiting my parents. We went for a ride by Ridgeway Reservoir to enjoy beautiful views of the San Juan Mountains, and this evening viewed the full moon through their spotting scope.  Saturday we will head back to Brighton, Co to visit with Steve's dad before heading back to the east coast to visit friends and family. 

More later (including photos); sleep now!

Turbulence over Minneapolis/St. Paul

May 6, 2010

We said our goodbyes to friends and family in Seattle and Gig Harbor, WA today after a four day weekend. Our time in Gig Harbor was a reunion of families, most of us still living in Chico, who have shared Sabbath Suppers” together every other Sunday for the past 14 years. Our time in Seattle was spent visiting family we haven’t seen in years- my sister and her husband, Betty and Howard as well as a niece and her husband, Mandy and Michael. It was a fabulous weekend with friends who seem like family and family who we discovered are still good friends.


We are on our way to Winnipeg where we will meet the Canadian MCC staff and learn more about the programs there. The departure from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Winnipeg was late due to the weather. There in Seat 5F, as we sat on the runway waiting for the clearance to go, I watched the raindrops collect, make rivulets and flow down the surface of the oval window. Once we were in the air, it became apparent why our departure was delayed. The plane jolted, dropped and rocked its way across the sky. It made me stop and wonder which was more dramatic, the turbulence over Minneapolis/St. Paul or the turbulence in my heart. The farewells begin.