Retirement: a new path

Well, I am certainly surprised by this new path of retirement. Only today, after almost 2 weeks into it, am I starting to feel like I’m really retired. I have not had one to do list since May 31. The truck finally arrived on Thursday with our items and I have been busy unpacking. As you can see, I got the most important thing set up first, our coffee station. We usually get up very early and have our lattes on the patio facing the pond. It is idyllic, my friends, just idyllic! We are meeting new neighbors daily and getting used to rain showers every afternoon. We have availed ourselves of the pool on the hot afternoons and it is delightful.

Unfortunately, I ended up in urgent care because I was unable to walk on my foot. They put me in a boot cast and I saw the orthopedist three days later. It is amazing how quickly I was seen by both urgent care and at the doctors office. Everybody has been incredibly kind. So I had an injection, am on oral steroids, and I have to be in the boot for a week yet. Plantar fasciitis! 🤪My dear DARYL is waiting on me hand and foot and is a sweetheart. I managed to sit down and unpack a lot of boxes though.

The other part of moving here is a big adjustment. That is trying to find friends who are somewhat in line with our Progressive thinking. We have received a lot of negative comments from people because we’re from California. They have lots of bad things to say about it. I’ve taken this approach. I asked them have you ever lived under the biggest trees in the United States? Do you get to swim across the lake every single day? Do you have neighbors who come and shovel your snow before you’re even out of bed? Do you have a town that has 22 wine boutiques, and friends in every one of them? Do you have a community resource bank that feeds the hungry and programs for those who are homeless? Do you have a church that just loves you to pieces? This is the California I know! I try not to be arrogant about it and I say to people, “California is a very diverse state so please don’t judge me about what you think you know about it.” I think when we get our license plate changed maybe all the comments will stop but for now they keep coming.

My devotional time with God has taken a decided turn. No longer do I read scripture to see how I will preach the lectionary. No longer do I think about worship in terms of who is in the pews and what their needs might be. This all feels very strange to me. When I read my Psalm this morning, it was flat. It was more like a description of what’s going on in our nation now and did nothing to encourage me. So I quickly turned to scripture song that DARYL wrote. “And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your Hearts & Minds through Christ Jesus.” I used to sing this song often to my congregation as a benediction. The other thing that really lifted me and caused me to worship was DARYL playing the organ. We now have his Studio organ installed and it is just magnificent. The 9 foot ceilings of our great room allow the sound to just resonate. I am blessed beyond measure.

I surely do miss all of you, though. I know that it will take time to deepen relationships here. Know that you are dear to me and I love you very much. Will let you know when we’re ready for visitors! Easing into retirement! Bonnie Lee

Joy Abounds!

Life has been so busy and full that I did not take time to blog for the last few days. I’m realizing that I really like not having a “to do” list and tasks that have to be done in a given time.

As you can see from the pictures, I’m fulfilling my dream of having a little garden. At the development where we live there is a community garden and I have plot 15. It’s a late start, but I have tomatoes, three kinds that is, and two kinds of peppers. It was fun, getting my hands dirty and mixing the manure with the soil. (Yes I wore gloves!)

We are still awaiting our items from the moving company, which looks like it might arrive on Wednesday. Life has its own pace now though, and we were able to swim in the community pool yesterday and it was lovely. The people here are incredibly friendly and shopping is a totally different experience than Calaveras County.

Going to the grocery store or to pick up items at the hardware store is an Adventure all in itself. People are laughing, checking in how you’re doing and wanting to tell you about their latest grandchild. No one seems in a hurry.

Yes, as expected, people tell me their stories. Daryl patiently waits as I relish their journey. Daryl says he thinks I have a magnet across my forehead that says “talk to me.” It’s not a coincidence that two men shared with me that they are raising grandchildren. One man told me that he had just retired from 45 years working in the school district and now he has to take care of four young grandchildren. “This is not what I expected as a grandfather,” he said. “I thought that as a granddad, I would be laying sugar on the kids and doing all these marvelous things and sending them home to their parents. Instead, I’ve got a baby, two 3-year-olds and a seven-year-old.”

“It’s hard you know,” he said. “I have to be the parent and take care of all the discipline. And now I have to work again so if we have money to raise these kids.” “Not what I expected,” he said, “but you gotta do it.”

The other man is actually a neighbor from whom we borrowed jumping cables cause our battery in our car was dead. “I’m raising two grandchildren,” he said, “after our daughter died two years ago. This is not what I expected for retirement. We had to move here so we could have a bigger house to take care of these girls. One is seven and one is 16. It’s all good though.” He said, “it’s what God asked us to do.”

As most of you know this resonates deeply with me as Daryl and I raised a child after we had empty nested. I tried to encourage both men by saying what an incredible gift they are giving to their grandchildren and that I will pray for them for strength. It seems to me that God puts people in my path to keep me alert to the joys and the needs in our world. I used to pray through the church directory every morning and decided I would change that up as I retire. Seems like God has a prayer list all her own and so I’m back at it.

As for the home nesting, it’s going slowly. I have one frying pan and a few dishes, but I was able to make dinner last night since the refrigerator arrived. It was shrimp, corn on the cob and salad and we feasted. We still don’t have any chairs or a table so we are managing with two weary lawn chairs that are majorly uncomfortable. It didn’t matter though, as we sat outside and listened to the creatures around the pond.

There are many funny things that have happened. I think that I’m giving DARYL quite a comedy routine these days. Our new washer and dryer arrived and the person who installed them turned them on to make sure they worked. They’ll go for about 20 more minutes he said, and then you’ll know everything is fine and he left. Not long after that I heard some music.

“It’s the ice cream truck,” I yelled to DARYL. “It’s only 9:15 in the morning.” I was so excited. I can eat ice cream at any time. As I ran to the front of the house, he said to me, “Bonnie Lee, that’s the dryer. “ He was right. Our new washer and dryer have a song of their own when they’re finished and it is so delightful. I laughed so hard I had to sit down. All this music makes doing laundry, a blessing.

A barn swallow has set up residence in our door stoop. She is sitting avidly on eggs. Now, those of you who know Daryl, know that he does not like birds flying around in the house, garages or anywhere near him. He likes looking at them from a distance, but that is it. I explained to him that it is a blessing that the swallow has chosen us. She chose us because she feels safe here. We are blessed by her presence in a sacred way. She does make a terrible mess! When I told him how long it will take for the eggs to hatch and then for the young to fly away, he looked at me and shook his head. She is quite beautiful with her blue head and rust colored breast. I think she’s growing on him because I heard him talking to her the other day. I’m going to name her Bella, a feathery welcome to our new place.

I’m finding that every day is a new excursion into the unexpected. It’s all new unfamiliar territory and at the moment, even as we revel in it, we are comforted by the memories that we shared with you sweet people back in California.

Daryl and I feel very rich with the joys of friendships all around the world. As we connect on social media and other ways, please know that we are grateful for you. May your walk into the unexpected today give you laughter and peace. Discovering new joys, Bonnie Lee.

so Many Joys Already!

It’s hard to believe that I’m only on day two of retirement and there are so many joys!

We had a marvelous joy that the settlement of our house went incredibly smoothly. Thanks to our realtor and friend Carrie Shinn, it was just absolutely incredible. As I left the house this morning, though there were tears in saying goodbye. It has been our refuge and the trees have nurtured me immensely. But it is time to call a new place home.

As we wrapped up final details at the post office, the bank and got our RV ready for storage until we return later this month, I found it hard to believe that I didn’t need to check emails, text or meet deadlines.

The reality kind of set in when DARYL and I took a swim in the pool at our hotel. We’re staying overnight in Sacramento for our early flight tomorrow morning. As we relaxed and exercise, we laughed and smiled at each other and said isn’t this marvelous?

I’m discovering though, that there is a whole bucket full of emotions. excitement, trepidation, and wonderment! I said to Daryl, “My motto is to go gently and lovingly into each day.” Those of you who know me well are probably askance at those words. Why she runs on rollerskates most of the time! She’s always doing something! It’s true however, don’t put me into a box. I can change as life changes.

One of the things that will be changing is my name. Yep at 71 years old my name is now going to be Bonnie Lee.

Actually, it’s not a change. When I was very young, I lived with my natural family and I was always called Bonnie Lee. It was kind of a tradition in Virginia and in the south to have a double name. When I went to live with a foster family, they said you are not going to be Bonnie LEE, you are going to be Bonnie. That was part of their intention on removing my identity and trying to create a new one. Guess what! I’m still Bonnie LEE on the inside and I’m gonna claim it now. My brothers and sisters called me Bonnie LEE because that’s how they remembered me.

You might ask why I would do this at this late date in life. It’s because I’m somewhat returning to my roots.By living in the Southeast I will have a flavor of life with which I am familiar.

I’m glad my roots weren’t stuck there. My roots extended far into the world where You all became branches of great delight and offered me shade and welcome and hope. I’m incredibly grateful for all the people that have led me to this day. You all, whether you are church members, friends, or family, fellow singers, and previous coworkers, my life is so enriched because you are in it. I’m particularly blessed that I’ve had fantastic 20 years of ministry. Before that I had jobs that I loved and opened up a plethora of deep relationships that continue to this day.

I’m carrying these marvelous connections into retirement with me. I’m thinking of how so many people stood by me doing my two struggles with cancer, the death of our beloved son Chad, and many other trials along the way.

There have been miracles and healing along with laughter and tears. So as I enter this next part of my journey, I take the treasures of you with me. It is amazing that all over the world I can connect with friends and we can share stories and share love that brightens the world.

So for now, if you will, please call me Bonnie Lee. It’s the name my natural parents called me and even though I barely knew them because of being in foster care almost all of my life, I want to celebrate it now. I invite you to think of your name and the beauty it holds and the identity that you find there. May doors of gratitude open for you.

Spiraling into Joy, Bonnie Lee

Retirement - The Joy Continues

 June 1, 2025 I am retired! Yahoo! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. We had a most wonderful retirement celebration at Open Door UCC (formerly First Congregational UCC) last Sunday. If you get a chance, check it out on the church's website under the Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yvgPOqT64

It was a love feast and many tears and joys! The church gave Daryl and I some beautiful books of letters they created and also a gorgeous photograph of church members and the church building. The children made a book for us too! We are still reveling in the celebration and love shared there.

So many people are asking me what I plan to do in retirement. My answer is play and spend time with Daryl and family and friends. I plan to "be" rather than "do." A lot of folk already have my life planned out for me - oh you will get involved in volunteer work, you will preach somewhere, you will serve on a board. Hm, I am not even the slightest bit interested in planning my life that way.

I had a funny thing happen this week that illustrates how silly planning and trying to predict life can be. Daryl and I love camping and I am one who loves decorating a beautiful dinner table no matter where we are. However, sometimes the wind does not want to assist my fine design. It whips up the tablecloth and the napkins. I discovered that if I put rocks on the table, it solves the problem. However, it doesn't exactly suit my fancy of having a gorgeous table setting. So one day while camping in Oregon on the coast, I discovered the most beautiful rocks. I gathered a whole bag of them. For years now I have been carrying them around - just in case I camp at a place that doesn't have beautiful rocks.

I forgot all about them until this week when I was cleaning out the RV to get ready to take a cross country trip the latter part of this month. "What the heck is this heavy thing?" I asked Daryl as I held it up. "It's your rocks," he said. "Remember you got them to put on the table." I busted up laughing. "You have got be kidding me," I said. I actually thought there would be a dearth of rocks! You see, my life for many years has been wrapped up in planning, administrating, organizing and implementing. It seems as if even my vacation camping was filled with preparing for God knows what! 

The rocks ended up in the beautiful rock garden in our home in Arnold which was sold to a new owner. They have found a place where they can shine and be noticed, not in a bag in the basement of my RV!

I tell you this because I do not plan to gather rocks for a beautiful table. My table will be filled with memories of you all, with new dawns and God calling my name, saying, Bonnie Lee what shall we do today? Whom shall we love today? I'm excited to discover what God will send my way to help me praise Her more. Of course I must add that sleep and going to the beach are high on the list.

I do not know of life without having to set an alarm, check emails and texts and put a schedule together for worship and preaching. It sounds amazing. I am surely going to have joy in this journey of retirement and love will reign at our table! Dancing my way to Myrtle Beach! Bonnie Lee

P.S. Some of you have asked about the logistics of our move. We fly to Myrtle Beach on June 3 and will be there for several weeks. Once the moving van has arrived and we are settled a bit, we will fly back to California and pick up our RV and truck and drive them across country. 

Dancing in the Rain!  Oh my dear ones, I had great ideas of writing each day on our trip and keep you all abreast of what is going on, but life has been a whirlwind and I was just not able to write. So now I will catch you up to date. It's pouring rain today and so on my lunch break I decided to give this a whirl! 

We bought a house in Loris, South Carolina which is 25 minutes from the Beach. It is a little west of Myrtle Beach in a new development, out in the country and we just love it! We had to make two trips back East to get it all done but we are pleased to have the keys to our new home. Our little Scion is actually parked in the garage! 

That is big news to be sure but I have to tell you that I had the most unusual experiences that have enriched my life. Daryl says I must have a sign on my forehead that say, "Talk to me, I am here for you."

On one of our plane trips, the woman next to me started crying, rather forcibly. "Are you okay?" I asked her. "No I am not," she said. "My father died." "I'm so sad for you," I responded. "Was it sudden?" "No, it's complicated," she answered. She went on to tell me the story. "He lived in California and I live in Virginia and he died two months ago and I didn't know anything about it till last week. My brother lived with him and cleaned out the house and the money and finally told us when we couldn't get an answer from my dad. We didn't talk often because my dad was an alcoholic and it was a broken relationship."

For the next hour and a half she poured her heart out. She kept saying, "I'm so sorry to be crying to you. "It's okay," I assured her. "Tears are healing and you are grieving and I am here for you." We bonded and blessed each other.

My journey is also filled with people, well complete strangers really, who bless me too! While going for an appointment at Stanford recently, just I was about to enter the building a women stopped me. "Wait, she said, "I have something for you!" I looked startled because I did not know her. "Here," she said, "this is for you," and she handed me a stone in the shape of a heart. "I want you to know you are loved!" With that she placed a stone in my hand. "Everyone needs to know they are loved," she proclaimed and then she left and I stood with the amazing gift. I was stunned, amazed and thrilled that an individual would just burst out with love like this. I am so sick of hearing all the angry rhetoric lately and this was like a piece of sweet chocolate after a fast! 

Of course I could not keep this stone to myself, so I passed it on to someone at church, who then passed it on to someone, and it is still going. We are spreading the love!

Now one incident like that can carry me for many days, but I had another one! We flew into the airport in Myrtle Beach and they used golf carts to transport us from the parking lot to the terminal. It was almost midnight and so we had to call someone. Sure enough, very promptly a boisterous man arrived with his cart. He acted as if we were VIPS's. "I got the bag," he said, "no lifting for you," he told Daryl and me. We engaged in delightful conversation and he put our bags in the back of our car. 

"Oh wait," he said as I handed him a tip. "I have something for YOU. He pulled out a little figurine of Jesus. "Here," he said, "this will bless you!" It was the cutest little thing - about an inch in size and fit in  the palm of my hand. "This is great," I said, "I'm a pastor and I will share it with my children at church." "Here you go, have some more and he gave me three more." Daryl and I got in our car and I just burst out laughing! "I got a miniature Jesus in my hand." I said. "I guess I can carry him with me wherever I go. A good reminder of the love of God and others!" The ironic thing is that since we got home and have been getting our house ready to sell, I have misplaced them. My Jesus is lost! Not really, because he is so alive in my heart and apparent in the many people I meet everywhere I go!

So I've decided to find love everywhere I can. I don't want to seem indifferent to the sorrows many are facing and the political dilemma in which we find ourselves and yes I am writing to my senators and representatives who seem to have no backbone at all, but really love is the key.

We change the world with our love, our caring hearts, our joyful gratitude for the earth and its people. This morning I was not grateful for our country's leadership so Jesus and me had a chat. Still not grateful, but I did pray that our leaders will not sleep a wink until they do the right thing by the immigrants and much more! Okay, I know that sounds vindictive but that's where I am. I know - maybe when I find my Jesus, I'll send one to them or a heart of love!  I have to do something and I think it's a better option than being mean or afraid.

There are two mottos I have in life - you already know the one - "Joy in the Journey" but the other one is "I choose to live in Faith, not fear." Matthew 6:24-34 is my mantra and Daryl has written a song with them so I sing it alot. 

Perhaps you are not able to have faith and that is okay. I love you and will wrap you in my prayers and heart. As I continue to do my chemo maintenance and see the doctors at Stanford, I am grateful for your loving support that holds me up when I am weary. Everything seems to be good at the moment and I feel great! It's a good thing too because I am madly packing! 

Ministry with my parish continues to be a delight and we are growing even as I prepare to leave. Our folk are so amazing and incredibly full of compassion so it's a beautiful thing to experience this in my last two months with them. 

May your day be full of blessing and hope. YOU ARE LOVED! Pastor Bonnie

Thursday March 6 Searching for our new home

 We had a good time with our daughter and son in Fayetteville NC and helped Jordan get settled in his new apartment. Now we are in Myrtle Beach and ready to do some house hunting. Many of you have been asking if we have a house so let me explain our process a bit.

We will actually not buy a house on this trip. We are planning to build a new home so we are looking at models and sites. We will sell our home in California first before we purchase a home here. It will take about three months to build a house here.

No worries, we won’t be without a place to live! We have our RV and I love my rolling home! I have such fun nesting in there! Plus once we are ready to move we are going to drive it across the country! It is going to be fantastic! 

So back to the house buying plan. We will hopefully get our home on the market in early April. Once we have a signed contract on our home, the builder will let us purchase a home in Myrtle Beach. Does it sound a little up in the air? Absolutely but that’s just part of the adventure! My mantra of one minute at a time still serves me well. God is gracious and calms my spirit and Daryl and I pray for wisdom everyday. 

In the meantime we plan to head to the beach today! We drove through horrendous rain storms yesterday but it is glorious today! (By the way, the fires are no longer a threat and not near where we are going to live.)

We still have much to do with our sweet parish when we return! Our little church continues to grow, we are going to be receiving our confirmands on Easter, and Lent is here. We are so blessed to be in ministry with such wonderful, loving people!

I have purposely not watched the news as my brain, my soul and my body need a break from it. I do continue to pray fervently for those who are harmed by the recent actions of the leadership. One of our own people in the parish has lost his job because of the federal firings(or whatever you call them.) how tragic. 

The only way I can deal with all this is to live by faith and not by fear. I’m still sending emails to my representatives but the replies I get are of little comfort. 

Today, my dear ones, know I love you and hold you in my heart! Joy in the journey! (Thanks to our daughter, this is a view from our hotel room!)

We went to Corky’s! February 28 Friday

Vacation is great fun, especially when you can eat a variety of foods. See that picture above?That was our dinner at Corky‘s. DARYL found this restaurant and it was listed as one of the top eight barbecue places to eat in Memphis Tennessee. It did not disappoint. Its Elvis theme was fun and the atmosphere was rather like a party. 

As you can see, we had a slab of ribs part of it dry and part of it wet. (I had to ask what that meant!) then it came with pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken, Cole slaw and baked beans. They topped it off with fantastic homemade rolls. Oh my it was divine. Now Daryl and I, knowing we were going to be doing a lot of sitting in the car the next day, ate in moderation. We packed over half of it to take for the next day.

So feeling quite comfortable we were ready to pay our bill when the waiter said, “Now y’all not from here, and you just gotta have some of the best banana pudding in all of Tennessee. Why that just is the perfect ending to a good rib meal!” He began to describe it and I suddenly had flashbacks of my childhood in the south and that homemade pudding. “ We make it right here,” he said. Daryl and I looked at each other and said okay we gotta do it.

Oh my, I am still dreaming of that banana pudding today! Vanilla wafers, rich divine banana pudding, “just right” ripe bananas and real whip cream on the top! It was heavenly, but by now we weren’t sure we could pull ourselves out of the chairs. 

We waddled our way back to the hotel with our leftover goodie bag. I wish I could tell you we slept deeply and long, but alas the food kept speaking to us. It was a bit of a trial and tums and sprite quickly became our friends! So no we did NOT eat the leftovers for lunch. We ate mildly all day and very little. However,was it worth it? Absolutely! I would do it all over tomorrow night if I were in Memphis but alas we are headed to Fayetteville NC tomorrow and I’m sure biscuit gravy and grits will be waiting! Happy eating!

A hilarious day, February 28

 OK, my dear friends you certainly are all welcome to correct me when I am wrong. DARYL and I realized this morning about halfway through our trip to Tennessee that Ash Wednesday is next week. We fairly danced at the rest stop when we realized it. Just think, we can eat donuts every day now through Mardi Gras till next week! Although we haven’t had a single one yet! I think we were just so confused by day after day of driving that we didn’t know what week it was. Of course, that means we’re having a grand time and aren’t really thinking about regular activities. So we had Ash Wednesday a week early. What will we do next week? I’m not sure. Stay tuned. Maybe we needed a time of repentance early! 😂

But that isn’t all that happened to make today funny. First of all, we drove through Oklahoma and Arkansas and then to Tennessee. A lot of the landscape look like Pennsylvania and yet we did not see many very large farms. In Oklahoma, they were dried up lakes, and in Arkansas there was flooding. We did however get to see the Ozark mountains. I have never been in the Ozark mountains, so that was a gem of a trip. No time to hike them and actually they’re only about 2500 feet in elevation. Seems tiny compared to Big Bear but I still loved it. 

The funny story developed as we pulled into our hotel. I went in to get us registered, and DARYL was unloading the car. The young lady checked me in and said to me, “ Is he with you?” motioning to the man behind me. I did not look around, but said , “yes that’s my husband.”  She said, “Oh great, then would you like an upgrade to an executive suite rather than two beds?” I turned around to ask DARYL what he thought and realized that the man standing there was not my husband. The man started laughing. He said “Yeah when you told her I was with you, I wasn’t sure about that but I went along with it.” “Oh my goodness,” I said “I am so sorry.” We all laughed and I said “I got a new husband at the Fairfield hotel!” About that time DARYL came in and I said “DARYL, meet my new husband.” He looked a tad confused until I explained to him what had happened and he just shook his head. 

The adventure continued when we came back as he was in the same elevator as us. We got off on the same floor and you will not believe this, but his room is directly across from ours. “Oh no,” I said “there could be trouble.”  He just busted up laughing! 

Oh the predicaments I get myself in. That’ll teach me to not turn around and look who’s behind me. But it sure made for a good laugh after a long day and a lot of fun with complete strangers. But all in all I’m sticking with my sweet husband, DARYL. He puts up with me and all my shenanigans and loves me deeply!  Just one of the many adventures we have together! May you all laugh some today! 

Thursday February 27 A Dilemma and a Blessing

Today’s drive through Texas and Oklahoma was drab. I just couldn’t settle in with the miles and miles of dirt and flat land. Brown trees and darkness everywhere, except the sky of course, which was a magnificent blue the whole day. We did get to see some red hills but I missed taking pictures because I was so focused on finding out what their compositions. I’m told the Native Americans called them Medicine Hills because of their high concentration of epsom salts. But that was about as interesting as it got.

So my dilemma, how does one love God’s beautiful earth and yet find it, well a little sad? You know me, I’m used to living among the tall green pines, redwoods and cedars with their elegant branches, cuddling my days. I cherish the terrain changes as I drive from Arnold to Murphys each day. Turkeys, foxes, coyotes, deer and bear sneak around to my great delight. So I felt a little discombobulated by this flat land. I said to Daryl, “It would be rude to tell someone they live in a boring place, wouldn’t it?” “ Well yes,” he agreed “and it’s God’s good earth.” I like to be so positive but really I’m at a loss here. It reminds me of a saying I had in my locker when I was in high school. “Kindness and truth go hand in hand, but where the two diverge and collide, kindness should override truth.” This is one of those times!

Daryl said it reminded him of Lent- barren, stark, and open for us to see ourselves more clearly. Lent, a time of introspection and contemplation. I like that. It helped me see the land as inviting a new depth to my searching. As we reflected on Lent we realized that this was the first time in our married lives that we had missed attending an Ash Wednesday service. “From dust you came, to dust you shall return.” Well, I saw plenty of dust today and let me tell you, I prefer to be alive today! Thank you Jesus! I much prefer the “child of God” sign that Daryl makes on my forehead! 

As always though, it’s the people who make life a joy! When we stopped at one of the gas stations for a break and were doing our usual stretches, a young woman approached Daryl. “I see you are from California too. We are just leaving Orange County to move to Wilmington North Carolina,” she volunteered. “Unbelievable,” Daryl said. “We are moving to South Carolina!” They chatted a bit and she explained that it was just too expensive to live in California and they have family in the east. We had fun talking with them. They were adventurous! A young mom and dad with a teen son and a baby. They were going to drive it in three days! We felt bonded, travelers on the road together! 

This reminded me that our world is full of beautiful people. I know the state of our political situation is a mess right now, but everywhere we go we keep receiving loving kindness from just about everyone! Smiles abound, stories are shared, doors are opened, bathrooms are clean, the coffee is great (well most of the time) and we are bonded by a common will to live happily! A nation of kindness exists even when it doesn’t make the news! Let’s claim the goodness! 

We made it through our longest driving days and so just might get to linger in bed a wee bit longer! May your day be filled with kindness! Love to you all! 

A long drive

 Today was rather exhausting as we had a 10 Hour drive to Albuquerque. It was quite beautiful as we saw the Mesas and the rock formations, but after a while, following tractor trailer trucks and seeing the same thing does get a little boring. I am not easily bored, and the shifting of drivers was helpful for DARYL and me. So while there were not very many adventures outside the car, we certainly had our time together in our little Scion. We reminisced about our dating days and our early years of marriage when we  worship workshops. What fun we had! It is good to take time to remember these marvelous things.

When you’ve been married for as long as we have, it is still a joy to chat about things. As we were awestruck at the long trains along the way, DARYL and I thought of the song “Same Train”  that the chorus will be singing and we belted it out together. We also said Bible verses in the morning for our devotional time. I love singing the Scripture songs that DARYL has written. That helps keep them on my heart. 

The song that especially spoke to me today was this, “therefore, I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. Is not your life more than food and your body more than clothing, do not worry about your life, do not fear.”

This song helped me through many days during my dealings with cancer and still does. It is easy to become frightful in these challenging times. But I know that God is with us and will walk with us through every trial. Sometimes when I’m sick in the morning from the chemo pills, I remember to thank God that I’m cancer free at the moment. Gratitude and trust enable us to continue to have joy. 

So even though I do not have much to report about the scenery or the ride, I will share that the blessings abound on our trip. May you have peace in your path today, love Bonnie.

Port a potty

I wish I had more words that dance and tantalize and rip your imagination into unspeakable joy. But all I have are stories, simple and true, embellished with my own little twists. It feels inadequate to tell so great happenings in letters and punctuation. Oh how I love exclamation points! The sheer delight never really makes it to the paper. It dangles in my mind long after the typing is done. 

I know that you will add your own flavor and spice to what you read and hopefully the message you receive will create a spark of something novel, a door waiting to be opened, a seed ready to be planted, a new gift to share. Go for it! Be inspired and live with exclamation points! 

I wish I had the vocabularies of Maya Angelou, Anne Lamott, Sanders Lamont or Jordan Hollinger. Their words tickle my brain and constantly have me asking for more. 

I write because you have asked me to share the adventures , so here we go! 

Daryl has a practice that I try to emulate. When he sees people he whispers in his soul, his heart or under his breath “child of God.” In this way, it helps him frame that person as precious. We practiced it at breakfast when the young man did an entire business transaction, very loudly on his phone, while I was trying to eat my delicious homemade waffle. Daryl whispers” child of God,” and I smile. “He’s eeking out a living, I guess.” Hope it goes well and we are blessed. 

If you know anything about the drive from Fresno to Needles you know that it is a world of contrasts. One minute you are among the lush fields of fruit trees where migrant workers are tending to irrigation lines, trimming and pesticides, while the bees are doing their job to ensure those delicious fruits arrive in our grocery carts; and the next minute red and black mountains with granite statues poke out like aliens in a foreign land.

 

Miles and miles with almost no vegetation except for the occasional Joshua tree make me feel as if I’ve landed on another planet. Magnificent, and it’s hard to comprehend the vastness of it. Our little 2012 Scion XB with over 213000 miles on it purred along beautifully. 

It’s grand to be sure, but at my age and a cup of coffee and eight ounces of water later, a bathroom is a must. Now I’m probably not telling you anything new, but California is woefully lacking in rest areas with bathrooms. As a matter of fact there are two on the 100 mile stretch of our road but both were closed. One was blocked off with cones and tapes. The second one was nonexistent. A sign said “under construction” but the only thing there was flattened black dirt with a small deserted tractor in the middle of it. I imagine the contractor said, I’m done with this and took off sixty miles down the road to sip a nice cold beer at the only pub in town. 

So we began to look for a tree, well a sage bush actually, anything that would provide an itty bitty amount of privacy. Suddenly,  I said to Daryl, “look there’s a visitor center sign” and quickly across three lanes of traffic, I headed to Boron. 

“We are in luck,” I said, “a visitor center.”  It looked desolate but we followed the signs to the visitor center which led us to the boron plant, yes, that’s right, the place where borax is produced. Not sure how interested we were in learning about borax, but our bladders kept us going. Suddenly, almost at the gate, the sign says “visitor center closed.” Okay so now the bushes are looking pretty inviting. We turn around and head back to the highway scanning for a BIG bush. The WEE gods have delivered I yell! 

Out of nowhere we suddenly came upon a port a potty by the side of the road. “Okay Daryl,”  I say, “unless it has a snake in it, I’m using it.” You are not going to believe this, it was clean, had toilet paper and didn't even stink! Outside was a stand with water, hand soap that smelled like citrus, and paper towels! How in heaven’s name did it get here? I don’t know but it saved me! Miracle, I say, an absolute miracle! 

It’s thrilling to travel when the little things become joys. 

Did you know you can now order a McDonald’s hamburger well done? I kid you not! I’m not sure what it will be when it is cooked to oblivion but friends you have a choice! I did not press that button on the kiosk and my burger still came out a little thicker than a piece of paper, but not much! 

Our stop for lunch at McDonald’s reminding us again of my sermon on Sunday about forgiveness. Sitting near to us was a family of five, twin boys around four years old, a mother breast feeding an infant and a very young looking father trying to reign in those boys. Of course they were not going to sit in chairs, they were going to use them like wild horses and the stroller like some sort of galactic carriage with it screeching and flying into the table. Daryl and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. “Children of God,” Daryl says and we both start laughing. I began to pray for those parents and at the energy bursting in those little bodies. God help them in their car ride I prayed. They are going to need it. Our smiles and body posture can show welcome and acceptance. It’s a good practice! 

Old Route 66 did not disappoint and we found ourselves in a charming Best Western with incredible evening views. “You will want to eat at the Wagon Wheel,” the concierge said. “It’s like a Cracker Barrel only local and better.” It did not disappoint. Sitting among wagon wheel lights, guns, cigarettes and beer ads;  we devoured our home cooked meals and listened to the light laughter around us. The waitress occasionally hugged the clients and we left feeling like we were back in the 70’s.

 

Much to our surprise and the 80 degree temperature we discovered a glorious pool and hot tub at this little cheap hotel that was immaculate and divine. We had it to ourselves and it was the perfect ending to a grand day. 

Yes the driving is long but oh how glorious are the joys of my travels! Luv to you all with flip flops on my feet  and my white hair blowing in the wind!

A new adventure

 This is the beginning of a new adventure for Daryl and me. Our retirement date is set for May 31, but we’re making a trip back east to Myrtle Beach South Carolina to try to finalize some plans for when we move from California.

Everyone has an opinion about what we’re to do. People tell me I’m going to be busy in ministry or find some cause to champion. Folk tell us that we will make lots of friends and be very involved in retirement, even though we are going to a place where we do not know anyone. I’m not really interested in planning it all out. I like going with the flow and seeing what will happen, but I’m looking forward to slow days of walking on the beach, riding the bicycle, tending to flowerbeds, and writing. Mostly I’m just praying that my body will hold together for retirement. It’s been a year since my last return of cancer and it has been a challenge.

So as we started on this trip last night, we left Sonora after our Columbia College community course rehearsal. Yes folk thought we were crazy driving that late at night and going so far. But I have a method to my madness. I wanted to lighten the load for the second part of the journey so we wanted to get to Fresno Monday night. 

It was an absolutely magnificent drive. There was little traffic and Lagrange Road, while being a bit of a challenge with its bumps, was a solitary drive through a starlit night. DARYL and I witnessed a shooting star and felt immediately blessed and our trip sanctioned with the holy light.

Someone suggested to me that moving is dreadful. That the unknown is difficult. I don’t really see it that way. It’s an adventure, and I am up to the challenge. This particular trip is going to be full of magnificent surprises. The young gentleman at our hotel last night was effusive with his welcome and I felt like I was a special guest. That’s one of the great joys of travel. You get to meet so many interesting people and see so many delightful things.

Some of you had asked if I was going to Blog about the trip so I will do so when I have time. It feels like a special blessing to be able to relax this morning, have my devotions and wonderful breakfast with my husband. Already I am starting to feel my body ease into vacation mode.

Wherever your path takes you today, may you find blessings in the ordinary. Be sure and share a smile along the way. Joy in the journey!