Headed Out of Town . . . Again

for both a work assignment and a few days of personal leave.

I am going to Spokane, Washington, to cover a two-day youth conference for the magazine and to do some other interviews as well. I'm both excited and terribly nervous because this is my first solo traveling assignment. This is one of the reasons why I went back to school, and now I get to put that brand-new diploma to work.

After I get done working, my beloved 85-year-old dad is going to join me for two days of exploring family history sites. He grew up in the area, and I am so looking forward to seeing places that meant a lot to him and hearing the stories that he tells with flair.

David is happy about the opportunity for me, but I'm a little worried because I can hear in his voice and see in his body language that his mood is starting to sour. There isn't much I can do about it right now except pray a lot and keep in touch with him by phone. Hopefully he'll do his best to stay busy and calm so we can work through it when I get home Tuesday. Prayers for him, please.

Work Projects and Change

I planted some flowers and herbs last week. I am no gardening expert, but I enjoyed doing it and they have added nice color to our front yard. Next year I plan on doing more gardening, but this is a good step in the right direction.

I also starting preparing my room for a new paint job. Here is a "before" picture. The room has been home for the past 23 years to our daughters as they went from little girls to young women to leaving home and starting their own families. Katie had this room last. She insisted on painting it bright pink and had lots of Tinkerbell drawings on the wall. It fit her. When I took down all the pictures I felt terribly sentimental about her and her sisters. But I decided it would not be healthy to keep it as a shrine to them. I felt similarly when we turned our boys' old room into a pantry off the kitchen. We left it alone for 2 years until Jeff got married, then made the change. Even though it was hard to deconstruct their rooms, we are glad we did it.

And so it is with life. Changes come whether we want them to or not. The trick is to learn to make the most of what comes along. I enjoyed (for the most part) watching my children grow up in these rooms: their good times and bad, their play times, their learning experiences, their laughter and their tears. I miss my babies. But I also delight in the good things they are doing with their lives. With this new stage of being empty-nesters, I like the (relative) quiet, and the chance to do some things around the house that I never had time for before.