It's late July and the windrows of grass that lie in the fields for some two weeks have been threshed, baled and moved off the fields. The last rain was over a month ago and the temperature should again be around 90˚. It's been said that this summer is nearly perfect and probably the best weather in the nation, or maybe the world. I agree. Today is the first day after four days of VBS and the 17th anniversary of the marriage of Marc and Tina.
As the sun rises this morning I'm thinking about where I was on my 17th wedding anniversary and all the beads on my necklace. The necklace is 16 years old as it was given to me and all members of a mission trip who did VBS in Wasilla, Alaska. Its main central feature is a replicate of the Methodist cross. On each side of the cross are a pair of beads representing each mission trip taken since that day, beads that represent two trips to Alaska, Mexico and Tanzania, five trips to clean up and rebuild after Katrina, one for the trip to Ukraine and many for local "trips," about two dozen in total.
By 1986, the year of our 17th anniversary we had built five houses, moved to Trapper Creek to start the Toy Mill business, traveled 43 states in five months with our children, and made our first trip to Europe. Gail served on numerous committees, led the Trapper Creek volunteer ambulance service and was in the process of starting a local medical clinic. Denvy also served on several committees and had just been appointed to the Borough Planning Commission.
As the sun creeps over the horizon I'm exhausted just thinking about what happened in those years. And that was just a start because there have been another 27 years since then.
