Life has moved at warp speed since my last post, and I am now with Leroy at a cottage on Seneca Lake in central New York State. The final day of General Synod was packed with final business sessions, last meals with friends from the New York delegation, and a concluding worship service featuring Rev. Jo Hudson as preacher. After a final debriefing on the hotel terrace, we fell alseep bed exhausted and ready for an early departure for the final leg of our trip back home.
By eight a.m. on Wednesday, July third, we lifted off for our cross-continent flight from Los Angeles to Boston. In Boston, we settled in for a two and a half hour layover. Unfortunately, I read the departures board incorrectly and we sat in the wrong gate while waiting for our flight to board. At seven minutes berore departure time, I looked up at the clock and wondered why we weren't boarding yet. A quick check of the departures board showed that we should have been seated on the other side of the terminal. We dashed up the stairs and down the long corridor to join the last few folks boarding our flight. Three minutes after we were seated, the door closed and we were taxiing down the runway! Judy Toone, our Christian education and visitation director at St. Stephens-Bethlehem, picked us up at the Buffalo airport and returned us to my car which was parked in her driveway for the past three months.
We were glad to see that our house had been well cared-for by our renters. The grass was tall, though, and required two mowings to sufficiently tame it. With my father's ninetieth birthday celebration looming on the horizon and the arrival of family members the morning after our arrival (Dad and Dorothy and my sister Karen and her husband Jerry), we did some urgent grocery shopping and organizing. Leroy cooked his famous southern fried chicken, and we concluded the Fourth of July holiday on the patio with fireworks visible in the distance.
On Friday evening, I was privileged to officiate at the marriage of our friends Rob and Christian at the Red Cross building, a beautiful gothic-styled stone mansion in Buffalo. Rob graduated from Houghton College and has a degree in youth ministry from Asbury Seminary, so we have quite a bit in common. We danced for a bit after dinner, but left pretty early - exhausted!
At mid-day on Saturday, we gathered with family and friends at Milo's Restuarant in Williamsville for my dad's birthday party. It was great to see and give big hugs to Erik and Olivia after so many months apart! Mari McNeil, my friend since middle school on Grand Island, sang songs from the era when Dad and Dorothy were young. For many years, Mari sang folk music and accompanied herself on guitar, but she has recently re-invented herself as a very successful (and talented) jazz singer. At the conclusion of lunch, we cut the cake and sang Happy Birthday to my dad.
Immediately after the birthday party, Leroy and I headed to the Finger Lakes, with Olivia following in her car. The next day, Dad, Dorothy, Karen, and Jerry came down to spend the afternoon at the lake. We swam and ate and visited a neighboring vineyard for a wine tasting. Olivia stayed on for another night. We visited Ithaca yesterday and had lunch at the famed Moosewood vegetarian restaurant. Leroy and I are enjoying these days of relaxation berore returning to our usual life (and fo me, my work) back home. I do not plan to blog about each day of vacation, but do hope to reflect here on some learnings from the months of sabbatical. So... hopefully tomorrow I'll have something else to write!
By eight a.m. on Wednesday, July third, we lifted off for our cross-continent flight from Los Angeles to Boston. In Boston, we settled in for a two and a half hour layover. Unfortunately, I read the departures board incorrectly and we sat in the wrong gate while waiting for our flight to board. At seven minutes berore departure time, I looked up at the clock and wondered why we weren't boarding yet. A quick check of the departures board showed that we should have been seated on the other side of the terminal. We dashed up the stairs and down the long corridor to join the last few folks boarding our flight. Three minutes after we were seated, the door closed and we were taxiing down the runway! Judy Toone, our Christian education and visitation director at St. Stephens-Bethlehem, picked us up at the Buffalo airport and returned us to my car which was parked in her driveway for the past three months.
We were glad to see that our house had been well cared-for by our renters. The grass was tall, though, and required two mowings to sufficiently tame it. With my father's ninetieth birthday celebration looming on the horizon and the arrival of family members the morning after our arrival (Dad and Dorothy and my sister Karen and her husband Jerry), we did some urgent grocery shopping and organizing. Leroy cooked his famous southern fried chicken, and we concluded the Fourth of July holiday on the patio with fireworks visible in the distance. 
On Friday evening, I was privileged to officiate at the marriage of our friends Rob and Christian at the Red Cross building, a beautiful gothic-styled stone mansion in Buffalo. Rob graduated from Houghton College and has a degree in youth ministry from Asbury Seminary, so we have quite a bit in common. We danced for a bit after dinner, but left pretty early - exhausted!
At mid-day on Saturday, we gathered with family and friends at Milo's Restuarant in Williamsville for my dad's birthday party. It was great to see and give big hugs to Erik and Olivia after so many months apart! Mari McNeil, my friend since middle school on Grand Island, sang songs from the era when Dad and Dorothy were young. For many years, Mari sang folk music and accompanied herself on guitar, but she has recently re-invented herself as a very successful (and talented) jazz singer. At the conclusion of lunch, we cut the cake and sang Happy Birthday to my dad.
Immediately after the birthday party, Leroy and I headed to the Finger Lakes, with Olivia following in her car. The next day, Dad, Dorothy, Karen, and Jerry came down to spend the afternoon at the lake. We swam and ate and visited a neighboring vineyard for a wine tasting. Olivia stayed on for another night. We visited Ithaca yesterday and had lunch at the famed Moosewood vegetarian restaurant. Leroy and I are enjoying these days of relaxation berore returning to our usual life (and fo me, my work) back home. I do not plan to blog about each day of vacation, but do hope to reflect here on some learnings from the months of sabbatical. So... hopefully tomorrow I'll have something else to write!