Reflections...

Yesterday Dee and I had a nice lunch at Freedom Square Diner. They'd sent me a "Half Birthday" card for a free meal, so we used it.

Then we headed home. I continued reading my FDR book as Dee did things around the house. Later we went to the Campbell's house for a lovely dinner and good conversation. Earl showed me some of the tools his grandfather, a blacksmith, had made to use in his trade. Fascinating stuff and still useful today. He also brought me up to date on the home improvements he's made over the last few months. He's turning that place into an up to date home with lots of useable space and rooms.

I called my mom during the day and chatted with her, and also talked with our daughter online a couple of times. We broke open one of the puzzles Kerri gave us (the one with no straight edges and 5 extra pieces) and began sorting the pieces into groups that looked similar. There are 750 pieces so this may take a while.

It's been quite a year... Our retiring and moving to Mars; Kerri and Patrick's wedding; the death of Dee's mom, Valora Kennedy; new opportunities for me to spend time with my mother in Monongahela; our joining a local Presbyterian Church; my joining the Greater Cranberry Barbershop Chorus (Bogmeisters); Our celebrating Dee's birthday with a surprise party for her complete with about 40 guests in all; Dee's going back to work part time at McGinnis Sisters; my doing some supply preaching for local churches (and helping lead a couples communication workshop for the Air Guard) and my working part time at Treesdale Golf Club as a starter/ranger (and golfing for free) and also serving as an axillary chaplain at the 171st Air Refueling Wing for four months; Kerri and Patrick announcing their anticipated birth of a daughter in April 2009 and their moving in to their new place in Ashburn, VA; our week at the Dude Ranch; and of course the many opportunities we've had to renew friendships with family and friends who live in the Pittsburgh area. Some of those friendships go back to high school days (and for Dee to elementary school days) as well old neighbors as well as friends from our three Pittsburgh churches (Mooncrest Community Baptist, First Baptist of Pgh. and Wilkinsburg Baptist). Yep - quite a year... God is good!