Hearts in Service Blog

We are on vacation for the next few weeks and have been trying to do a few different things than our normal hiking trips. We love to hike and will still incorporate that into the weeks, but also wanted to do a few fun things that make it actually feel like vacation. We started the week by driving 2 1/2 hours to go to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now to be honest, I actually thought I wouldn't enjoy this as much as the guys did. I was wrong. This was 6 floors of exhibits, music, and memories from my growing up years. I loved every minute of this place and it was well worth the money. Dan and Stephen loved "The Garage" which was a floor dedicated to instruments and being able to play them all. They had a studio where you could play with a live band and they jumped right in to play. Of course, they have both played for years so did great. It was so fun! On Tuesday, Dan and I went hiking on a local trail and did a 6 mile hike on a very hot and humid day. I love that there ...

I love when God's blessings come in ways you just don't expect. A few months ago my daughter's boyfriend had invited us to come on vacation with his family. Each year they rent a house on a beach and the entire extended family goes. Apparently, one set of grandparents wouldn't be able to be there so they had an extra room. I have to be honest and say relaxation is very difficult for me. I always have a hundred things that I can be doing and even when I do get a few days away, part of each day is spent in doing some sort of work. So having an entire 5 days away was going to seem a bit lazy to me. Also, I truly was feeling a bit overwhelmed and awkward crashing another family's vacation. I'm fairly outgoing but when I'm in social situations where I'm the only outsider I feel extremely uncomfortable. But I also knew they were graciously accepting us and my daughter really wanted us to come.  So we went ahead with the plans to go and I am so thankful I did. ...

There is Pleasure in the Pathless Woods by Lord Byron There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: It's no secret that I love to be out in the woods and nature. So it was fitting that the first day of our staycation was spent hiking. Unfortunately, since I injured my knee last summer I cannot go on trails that are too strenuous. However, I'm thankful we live in an area where there are a lot of trails that are fairly flat or only have small and short inclines.  When I get out in the woods I can feel the tension melting away and it's an opportunity to disconnect from the world for a bit. The weather was beautiful yesterday so it was an especially pleasant hike. Sometimes Dan and I will chat as we walk and other times we are just quiet as we enjoy the scenery and one another's company. It's peaceful and calming. I love not man the less, but Nature more, ...

Today was a low key day. We took our time this morning before leaving and then went to a state park we've been to before. There are mineral deposits in the water that make it a beautiful bluish-green color.  It was a pleasant walk and I was able to go 2 miles. My knee does hurt so I have to walk slowly, but at the same time just sitting makes it stiffen up and difficult to move. So I keep plugging away.  One of the reasons I truly missed walking was because Dan and I have our best talks while we walk. So the past few weeks have been wonderful because I feel like we are reconnecting in a way we haven't been able to do in a while. We stopped on the way home and picked up paint so I can start painting Emily's neon green, seizure-causing (not really) room a different color. I came home and spent the afternoon working on my talk and discussion tomorrow. A church invited me to come to their leadership retreat and lead them in some discussion and goal...

  Umm......this would have been a nice piece of information to know ahead of time! Part of me really wanted to see a bear and part of me did not!         Today was a gorgeous day! Bright blue skies, puffy white clouds, low humidity and temperatures in the 70s. I wish summer weather was like this all the time. We headed out to a place about an hour and a half away called Whetstone Gulf State Park. There are 5 miles of hiking trails that circle a 300 foot gorge. We had never been there and thought we'd check it out. I packed up a picnic lunch and we were headed out the door by 8:30. We set out along the north trail which immediately started a steep climb. I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't be doing this when it leveled off fairly quickly. I had my Fitbit app on my phone and had already decided I was going to monitor how far I went with my knee.  We ended up walking a half mile up into the gorge and then the half mile b...