Busy Rewarding Weekend

Greetings dear blog readers!

I am pleasantly encouraged with how many of you are actually reading this! Thanks for tuning in.

As I write, things are being readied for the week and the weekend is wrapping up. Friday was a no school day for kids but their school had its annual "Art Show and Sell". Holly had a booth to sell her wonderful creative handiwork. Jack performed in the Boys Dance group and the Chorus during the show. I am so proud of both of them.

Holly and I had a couple of mini-vacations this weekend. On Friday we ran to Seattle and back to the see Dalai Lama in a panel discussion of parenting. On Saturday night we drove out to Hood River and joined up with Jeff and Cindi for a dinner at a Pheasant Valley Winery. I forgot how much I love traveling with her!

The Dalai Lama was awesome and inspiring. He has such a presence that radiates a peaceful inner calm. While the Key Arena in not the most intimate of venues, just being there was all I needed! Holly and I left the arena and made a beeline for Pikes Market. Adding to my spiritual bliss was a couple of Quilcene Oysters shooters and Dungeness Crab cocktail. I call that Nirvana on a Plate.

Jeff and Cindi were so kind to invite us to a dinner they purchased at an auction. Six couples enjoyed a wonderful dinner paired with the host's wines. Holly loved the blackberry wine with dessert. I really enjoyed the 2004 Cab. Of course the best pairing of the night was the company. Jeff and Cindi have great friends and we were lucky enough to be included in the evening. To top that, we spent the night at their place in Hood River. I woke this morning to hear the River babbling close by.

After a tasty breakfast with the gang, we made our drive home - remarking how lucky we are to have great friends and great location to live - the weather has been outstanding the last few days

As our dinner (all things grilled - hamburger, zucchini, pineapple for those of you keeping score) is being cleaned up, I can't help but reflect on the weekend and think all is not so bad in the world. Sure, things will get chaotic again - probably about time to leave for school tomorrow - but those are brief moments. I often think of a disaster assignment many years ago, where I met a group of people who were camped in the middle of their street a few days after a hurricane. They told me that after the winds had stopped they had made sure their neighbors were safe and all gathered in the street just as they were then. One by one, they lifted their eyes above the destruction to see the moon and stars as beautiful as ever. It was then they knew this was temporary and everything was going to be alright. Hurricanes, work projects, crazy schedules will blow over. When those things are gone, we are left with what is real. I need to remember to lift my eyes to see it.