October Walkabout

I wrote this from the plane but am only just now getting it up for your entertainment.  
We had a blast.
We are safely home.
Mother is off on another adventure with Dad; they will have several this month. 
I'm still recuperating!

Monday Memories: October Walkabout

I am sitting on an airplane.  No big deal for many of you but for me?  A big deal!  I don't like to fly.  I used to fly about every six weeks, traveling all over the US for my job.  I enjoyed the places I got to see, liked meeting new people and really enjoyed the work.  Even then, though, I did not like to fly.  Every time the plane took off I was saying to myself, "There is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear...there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear....".  Every time we landed I would start singing to myself, "Thanks be unto Jesus, Thanks be unto God, He has won the battle, Through the power of the cross..." (from Death Is Ended by James Ward).  That's how much I don't enjoy flying.  Plus, as I told my friends Ashton and Gracie the other day, my arms get sooooo tired when I fly.

But here I am cruising at 30,000 + feet making another big trip with my Mom.  This time we are headed to Seattle, Washington to visit my middle sister.  She and her family have lived in the Seattle area since the early 90's and I have never gotten to go visit them.  Isn't that sad?  I have not heard my brother in law preach since they moved, never seen their house, the places where the children went to school, the hospital or college where my sister works; never gone sailing in the sound on my brother in law's boat, never sat on the porch with my sister and just talked and enjoyed the moment.  

We are going to fix that this next week.  Mom and I are excited about going for that sail in the sound.  I can hardly wait to see their home, go to church and hear Fred preach, meet the nephew who married my niece (once you marry some of my family you are family!), and just catch up with their family.  

Unless he was confiscated by baggage handlers, Sam is traveling with me (he went in the checked baggage, poor Sam!).  There will be LOTS of pictures to share.  

I am sure there will be lots of stories.  This sister is the one we describe as a cross between Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.  Just this morning as we sat at the breakfast table, Mr. Marvelous and my Dad were discussing if they knew anything about bail laws in Washington state.  I primly reminded them that it would be Fred's problem while we are out there!

Just for curiosity's sake, I did look up how we would go via Amtrak (even though there was no way I would do that with Mother after that last overly eventful trip in March).  I discovered that we could take one day to travel to Washington, D.C.  Then the next day we could hop on a train for Chicago.  After spending the night in Chicago, we could jump on a train to take us to Seattle, which would only take us three days.  Five days by rail?  Well, I'm up for it but there is no way I would try that with Mother!  So we will spend a total of almost 6 hours in the air today (and it is a turbulent ride) and enjoy more time with my sister once we get to Seattle. 

My sister has said she is taking me out for a cup of REAL coffee ~ she says what I drink is colored water.  I'll be sure to take pictures of that adventure and all the rest of the adventures that I am sure the three of us will have.

 Oh, and the coffee?  Well, the shops are pretty unique out there, but it turns out that the coffee she likes best is (wait for it)....Starbucks!

Yes, we really do have those here in the south.

And I enjoy their coffee.