February Sunshine at the Oregon Coast

Just how blessed can you be - a four-day weekend in February and sunshine at the Oregon coast! There's no better way to start the day than a walk on the beach with a frisky dog. (After you have slept in, had your coffee, read many Psalms so that you are up to date with the Bible in 90 Days and ate a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and bacon of course.)

We watched the boats from the South Jetty.

Sailboats are a thing of beauty. Of course, all boats are beautiful.

After lunch, we went over to the Yaquina Bay State Park and toured the restored old light house there. It was time for Will's afternoon nap, but I stayed and walked on the beach then over the bridge back to our RV park. This seagull seemed to think it owned the telescope.

Our RV is over there behind those boats. I am walking out of the state park.

The viewpoint and details viewed from the bridge make it worth the walk in spite of the traffic.

Tomorrow we need to walk out to the end of the pier. Haven't done that yet this trip but I recall walking it with Doug and Anisa during that last trip and having some exciting encounters with waterfowl.

And one of my favorite times of day - sunset!

Here's Will and his faithful canine Zeek silhouetted against the sunset. Will's morning walk was a little icy today. He met a man who slipped on this dock but didn't spill his coffee....until the second slip. Will was chuckling about it when he came in to get his coffee after the walk. A few minutes later he came in with coffee all over his own coat! He said he put the tailgate down to sit and enjoy the view, and Zeek immediately jumped up beside him, knocking his coffee all over! 

There weren't enough clouds for an amazing sunset, but the color intensified and lasted a long time as I sat inside looking out the window, uploading my pictures!

The clouds to the southwest reflected the setting sun.

This RV park requires a $5 payment to get internet for 24 hours. I had to send an email before for a retreat meeting that happened this morning, so I am making good use of the internet while I have it!

A Walk on the Edge

Wow.  I just blew in from my afternoon walk. Southbound I was very tempted to give up and turn around, but I put my head down and fought that wind to continue to make forward progress. On the return trip, gusts of wind actually forced me into effortless running spurts! (And I am NOT a runner!) Fortunately, most of my route is east-west.

I watched debris fly off piles at property where an old house was recently demolished and hoped nothing would fly my way. The crackle of branches falling in the trees bordering a field sent a herd of sheep running toward the road, stopping to look at me hopefully as if perhaps I would save them. Ha, not such good animal instincts there!

Large groups of dry crackling leaves scuttled across the road like herds of little animals, only to turn around and swirl to the other side again. With great anticipation I approached my cozy home, only to have my face assaulted by bark chips flying up from the landscaping!  My house greeted mewith the aroma of the beef stew simmering on the stove. The wind continues to groan and whistle around outside as I wait for the water to boil for a cup of tea before I resume Saturday chores.

The best part of this little windstorm is that it's only 55 degrees outside! The weather forecast for Tangent says we will have 25 mile an hour winds for a couple of hours. My walk is done, but my work has just begun. Just too much fun today!

The "Last" Supper?

Before dinner tonight, Nick told me that the apartment could possibly be available to move into as early as tomorrow. I think the plan is to move this weekend.

Knowing that his days of living here are numbered,  I made a lovely dinner tonight. Steak, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce. And of course, salad while he and his dad were watching TV while I cooked dinner, because otherwise the salad sits untouched at the meal.

Twenty years ago, Will and I were about to purchase our first home. We moved into it just two months before Nick was born. Knowing that he would be my last baby, I spent a lot of time in the rocking chair, reluctant to put him down. Such a cute little boy with that curly blond hair and blue eyes! We called him our "lap boy" for years because he much preferred our laps to chairs!

How trite it is to say, "Where did the last 20 years go?!" Nick has always been eager to learn and do and go, especially with two big brothers leading the way.  I love the memory of holding his little hand as we walked across the church parking lot, with him skipping along, so excited to go to his class. I said, "Oh, Nick, you are so cute." He said, "I know, and I'm fun to be with too!" (His father sometimes sent children to their rooms until they could be cute and fun to be with!)

Soon my baby is moving out into an apartment with two friends. He has a full time job that he loves, providing IT support for a company that seems to appreciate him and is willing to invest in his training and education. There are even women there who mother him! I talked to one last week and she told me they all love Nick.  Obviously that warmed my heart! He regularly drives the big company Hummer through Portland traffic to take care of business in other branches. The first time, this mama was amazed that they would trust a 19-year-old with that, but I took comfort in remembering that this is a kid whose dad had him driving a big pickup pulling a 34-foot fifth wheel in more than one crazy place during the past few years.

Fortunately, the transition from dependence to independence happens gradually, with lots of little milestones along the way. My boys have been doing their own laundry and making their own lunches for many years....so why is it that I suddenly am wanting to make a lunch for Nick to take to work? Why is there an empty place in my heart as I realize my days of active mothering are over?

Thankfully, I know that God loves my boys more than I possibly could, and He actively pursues a loving relationship with them even more than I do. One of my many prayers for my boys is that they always remember and act on the words they all memorized in their Wednesday night Caravans classes: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The empty nest is not just a future event...Oh God, please help me to be ready!