EMPTY NEST TOUR DAY 2

Left Ft Collins after a good nights sleep…
rode up Big Thompson in our rental Jeep
Heading for Estes—where I worked in my teens
Making more memories and seeing some scenes

Bob & Tony’s Pizza---still THEE place to eat…
Then Salt Water Taffy—just can’t be beat.

We made some typical tourist buys---not a load
Then into the Park and over Trail Ridge Road.

Grand Lake’s a place for some reminiscing

The place where we had our first wedded kissing!

Daven Haven where I once served drinks with a smile
Has not changed much though it’s been quite awhile.
Then onto Granby where we met 3 decades ago
The home where I lived when Jim was my beaux .

Sweet Betty Cranmer, in her late eighties…

Still loving Jesus and giving him praise.

Up to Walden the trees looked pretty sad
Bark Beetle disease has done them bad…

Some are looking pretty red
Most are just plain dead

Then Saratoga for the night---- On to Wyoming!!

SECOND ANNUAL EMPTY-NEST TOUR--DAY ONE

Despite the "No Child Left Behind" policy of the current president,

Jim & I have just embarked upon our

Second Annual NO Kids Summer Vacation

also known as

EMPTY NEST TOUR

Last year we visited Durango--where we first became parents.

This year we visit the places we lived BEFORE kids

Worland, Wyoming & Granby, Colorado

PLUS my 40th High School Reunion in Ft. Collins

AUGUST 29--Leave DCA at 6:30

Arrive DIA 11:00ish

Jim does consulting job in Denver

I shop at the Family Dollar store for junk.

Then we head to Colorado Spring to see Aunt Reba, et al

Charles with Reba and her favorite niece!!

Charles with Reba and her favorite niece's husband!!

Aunt Reba--age 75!---and still a bundle of energy.

A COUPLE OF POLITICAL ANIMALS

Man is by nature a political animal.

Aristotle

*******************************

Two political animals headed down to D.C. today

when Carol & I attended a conservative gathering

at the Heritage Foundation--

Kay Granger, Texas Representative gave an interesting talk.

Then we hit Union Station food court for a Reuben.

Gee...guess who we ran into???
Carol has her preference already picked out!!
Oh, it's going to be a loooong campaign season!!
**************************
Madness is rare in individuals - but in groups,
political parties, nations, and eras it's the rule.
Freidrich Nietzsche

EYES and GOOD-BYES

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
Henry David Thoreau

I only had about 9 years of acuity, before the 5th grade
blackboard got fuzzy. Glasses & contact lenses have been
a blessing for almost 50 years.
What did people do in the middle ages???
---you can only squint so long.
These 58 year old eyes underwent Lasik-interlase
at The Lasik Center ten days ago.
www.tlcvision.com/centers/rockville
The same place & doctors that treated Tiger Woods.
It has been a slow heal…each day better and better…
Though some told me I would see perfect by Day 2,
my eyes are still adjusting to the change…
At certain ranges of vision it can be a little blurry.
Nevertheless, I stand amazed at being able to
awake in the morning, look out my window
and see trees with leaves!!!
Not green blobs!!
*****************************************
I had my first driving experience since surgery...
Last Tuesday---on the beltway---
With Chung Hae---late at night…
In retrospect---WHAT WAS I THINKING??
Though I could see the lanes & traffic around me---
I depended upon Chung Hae to shout out orders---
“turn here….exit here…get in the right lane…”
We did indeed arrive home safe & sound---
Well, SAFE, anyway.
Chung Hae wondered as people drove up next to us,
looked in the window, saw a squinting blonde lady
with an Asian woman shouting directions at her…
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??
******************************
This would not be the first time this
blonde middle-aged lady has leaned on that
Asian woman for advice and counsel. In fact,
the beltway incident only epitomizes our friendship.

There is an old adage that—
“A REAL friend will tell you when your face is dirty.”
Chung Hae has been that kind of true friend to me.
She has taught me what it looks like to be transparent in
confessing her own sins & seeking humility in her relationships.
She has walked me through sin issues in my heart
and prayed for me as I have faced things about myself
that I know the Savior wants to change in me.
Saturday morning she flew out to Florida to join John, who
is already working God’s miracles at Mayo Clinic.
I know that is where the Lord has moved them.
And I know the Lord will bless us all with this transition…
But I cry anyway.
I will miss not having her 2 miles down the road.
I will miss our talks, walks, eating out, eating in,
watching videos, our Wednesday prayer times,
and all the laughter we've shared!!

I thank God for our friendship.
And I thank God that he invented cell phones
And airplanes and e-mail!!

**********************************************
“It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell
your friend his faults. So to love a man that you cannot
bear to see a stain upon him, and to speak painful truth
through loving words, that is friendship.”
Henry Ward Beecher
God Speed Casler Family
You will all be missed.

A BUSY WEEK of FAMILY FUN

Of the three dogs we've owned over the years...

Jim claims Sadie is his favorite.
Can you understand why???

Ann & Bill come for a visit from Iowa...

Leaving behind the flooding in Iowa City.

They discovered something at the Native American museum
that some Iowans could have used last month!!

NO PICTURES OF DALE...

he used us as stopover from a business trip to Tanzania.

If I had taken pictures, they would mostly have been him napping

or working on his laptop. We love having him anytime.

EURO CUP...

on Sunday brought some serious soccer fans over to the house

SPAIN versus GERMANY

Although most of them have blood and heritage
of the "master race" surging through their veins...

They were rooting for Espana!!

And they weren't disappointed!!

Still in the soccer mood....

Sam, Billy and Julie's team lost horribly to the Hooligans

in indoor soccer that night.

Hmmm....sounds like they are following in the cleats prints

of the "master race."