An Day for Hugs!

WARNING -- This entry tends to be a bit on the religious side, so if that turns you off, just stop reading now!


It's interesting that members of SKP (Escapee) RV Club pride themselves on their "hugginess." And they do traditionally greet you -- and each other with hugs.

BUT, they have nothing on a gathering of Mennonites -- especially those of us who have served together on the Constituency Leadership Council (CLC) or other committees together. Today was one long round of wonderful hugs.

Forry and I didn't get up very early this morning, so had a late breakfast across the street from our hotel, before I went to my Executive Board meeting at 1:00 PM. It was a bitter-sweet meeting as we were both greeting four new members of the Board (new 4 year terms) and saying farewell to the four who have finished serving eight years on the Board. I have now been a Board member for two years -- and many of these folks have become very good friends. Needless to say, there were lots of hugs and more than a few tears.

Tonight we gathered for the first "official" function of the Assembly. There is nothing quite like hearing a roomful of Mennonites in song. Perhaps because singing was one of the few coed activities permitted in years past, Singing Schools were very popular. (I am sure this week's Hymn Sing will be attended by thousands.) Four part singing and rounds are taught to some of our littlest children. To have a 2-3 thousand adults singing acappello in worship is an early taste of what heaven may be like.

As usual, the adults at this assembly are way out-numbered by the youth. I haven't heard any official counts yet, but I did hear there are 5000 youths here versus around 2000 adults!

And Several Days Later --

I don't know what's going on with my computer -- or the internet at the ranch! I have NOT been able to connect there at all!

I had spent most of the day Thursday in Moses Lake with my dear friend Phyllis while Vic and Pam went to Wenatchee. It was a blessing to be able just to spend time with her. She slept most of the morning, so I was able to connect with Vic's wireless network; get my Norton virus software downloaded; get all the upgrades for both Microsoft and HP. It seemed like everything was going well...

Got home and attempted to access the internet and nada! I couldn't even get the computer to recognise the aircard...

We went to CleElum Saturday morning for the Memorial Service for our friend Dr. John Anderson at the Middle School Gym. The gym was full and it was a pretty amazing tribute. We heard a lot of stories about his Norwegian sense of humor and about all that he had done for rural health. It was good to see my former AHEC colleagues who were there. The community had a dessert reception following the program. There were three tables stretched the length of their school cafeteria loaded with cookies, cakes and other sweet things!

After the service, we went into Ellensburg to the AT&T store. They suggested that I delete the aircard software from the computer and then let the aircard reinstall it. I did, it reloaded just fine and voila! the computer could again see the aircard.

Got back to the ranch, had three bars, connected just fine, but then again it would not connect to the internet!

We flew to Columbus, Ohio today for the biennial Mennonite Church USA convention. We are at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and when we checked in I did get the password for their wifi system hoping that I could get it to work at least. I plugged in the computer, tried the aircard and it worked perfectly! I just don't understand what is going on!

Laundry, laundry, laundry!

This is actually yeaterday's post. I absolutely could not access the internet last night!*%*##

I spent most of the day dealing with laundry. I don't like drying most of our clothes in the dryer, so by the time I'm finished, Auntie Violet begins to look like the old-fashioned Chinese laundry with clothes hanging from every possilbe spot. Since it looks like we may be staying here at the ranch for an extended spell, maybe I can get Forry to put up a clothesline?

The following are pictures of Russian Knapweed, which is the main noxious weed Forry has been spraying for years on our CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) acres. It's a nasty one that spreads underground and is a VERY persistent perennial! When Forry's dad Ernie, first saw it, he took a sample into the Extension Service. They told him not to worry about it, it would "NEVER spread in this country"!!!

I'd like to have the dollars spent on spray -- to say nothing of the hours -- spent trying to eradicate it!

And on to Spokane...

Forry had an appointment this afternoon at 2:30 in Spokane, so we headed up there just in time for a stop at Arby's before his appointment. We were just casually talking and suddenly realized he was supposed to be there in ten minutes! We quickly took off, drove to the office building, switched drivers, he ran inside and I went to find a place to park.

Then we ran errands: to Group Health pharmacy to pick up a prescription; to Spokane Wireless to pick up a connector for the new booster we had gotten last week; to the AT&T store to see if they could figure out why I am sporadically having such a time -- especially during the daytime -- connecting to the internet; and to Auto Zone to pick up another inverter so that I can use my computer in the car without running the battery down (we've either loaned the one we had to someone or just plain lost it...).

The fellow at the AT&T store was not much help. Of course, the laptop and the aircard worked just fine there! He did pull up the map of coverage for all of the cell towers to see if we had coverage at the ranch and we do. He couldn't figure out why we were having problems. Scott at Spokane Wireless thinks maybe they are putting a new cell tower into service and have powered down the one we use so as not to "blow it out" when the other one comes on line. Perhaps they'll power them both up slowly?

We ended up taking Son Sean out to dinner at Chan's Dragon Inn on 3rd. It's one of the oldest established Chinese restaurants in Spokane. I had seen an ad where they were featuring asparagus this week... The food is typical Chinese, but it sure was quiet there. I don't think it's a real good time to be in the restaurant business.

And on to Moses Lake...

I had an early morning conference call for the Search Committee this morning that lasted until after 9 AM. Sherry waited for me, then we went out to do chores -- feed the chickens, guinea, peafowl and let the goose and ducks out of the chicken house for the day; fill the horse trough; and give some hay to the llamas. Forry put the new belt on the lawnmower for her.

Sherry has planted dozens of roses around the ranch in and amongst the trees. Some of them climb way up -- it is quite something to see a rose blooming in the middle of a tree. The following pictures are of the honeysuckle and roses climbing over the trailer by the swimming pool:

We left Sherry's a little after eleven, stopped at the Mercantile along the highway for enchiladas for lunch and picked up some asparagus and fruit.

We took Highway 17 on into Moses Lake so that we could spend some time with Vic and Phyl. I brought some Royal Ann cherries for Phyl which she seemed to enjoy. Pam and Sarah as well as the caregiver Veronica were all there, so we had a chance to visit. It was nice to just sit with Phyl and hold her hand.

Back to Touchet...

After a wonderful inspiring worship service this morning, we headed back across the Blue Mountains into Washington and back to Sister Sherry's Touchet farm. The vet was out yesterday and gave Deacon a couple of antibiotic shots -- he was a changed dog today! He met us at the gate and was more his normal playful self. It was good to see him feeling better.



I've go an early conference call tomorrow morning; Forry needs to put a belt on Sherry's lawn mower; then we'll head back to Ritzville area and our ranch.

It's Late and It's Been a Full Day!

After the worship service this evening (which included some amazing singing!) we went over to the "coffeehouse" at the student union building and listened to a very mellow guitarist for a while. It was great to just sit quietly enjoying the music and visiting with my dear friend Pat -- and her husband Warde.

One of the delegates that I have come to know over the years said today that she looks forward to conference all year and stores up interactions, worship and music to remember all year long. I think I agree with her!

English and Spanish and French AND Swahili?

We have gotten used at our Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference annual meetings to having translation available in Spanish as well as written materials. We have worshiped for many years in both Spanish and English. This year we admitted International Bethel City Church of Portland as a PNMC member. They are mainly a French speaking group of Congolese who have emigrated to the US over a period of years. So we had music today in French, English and Spanish -- and then were introduced to a song in Swahili!

A PNMC meeting is somewhat like going to a large family reunion -- there are many people here that we only see at such gatherings. So there are many, many conversations catching up on what has happened since we have last seen each other.

One of those pleasant surprises today was getting to visit with Phyllis and Norm who are delegates from Salem, Oregon. They had been long termer volunteers with us during our time with Mennonite Disaster Service in Dulzura, California in March and April.

Off to Idaho...

Sometimes visits must come to end even if it seems they've hardly begun. Neither Sister Sherry nor Deacon looked very happy while we were eating breakfast this morning. (Of course, Deacon is probably more concerned that Sherry is not sharing her yogurt, berries and granola...) We will stop back at the farm on our way back to Washington on Sunday, but then will have to come back later for a longer visit...

We drove (in the Toad) down through the Blue Mountains through Oregon and on into Idaho:

It truly was a beautiful drive!

We saw this most interesting train on the way. The cargo consisted of the huge blades for power generating windmills:

Each blade was balanced on THREE railroad cars with some overlap of each on the cars both in front and back of it!

We will be in Nampa, Idaho the next three days attending the annual meeting of Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference at Nazarene College Conference Center.

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY Brother Patrick!

Dogs and chickens and guinea hens and horses....

It was a quiet day at the Sister Sherry's farm on the Touchet River today. We did chores, watered the plants in the greenhouse and read. The older mastiff Deacon is not feeling good (he's developed a couple of weepy "hot spots" on his neck), so we've been keeping him close to home and quiet.

This is 2 year old Deacon chowing down:




This is Corin (Corinthians 13), the 8 month old female mastiff puppy on her bed chewing on a raw carrot:




Here's Peek A Boo, Sherry's 11 year old Pyrenees Sheep Dog with her summer haircut:





This is Maggie, a stray that came to stay after hunting season last year:




Part of Sherry's herd of miniature horses "mowing" the farmstead:



This is Espresso, one of the miniatures:


One of the banty roosters:





And one of the peacocks:






The outside of the greenhouse:




And the inside:

And this is only PART of all the critters at Sister Sherry's!