12 Days, 4 States, and a Lot In-Between

In the last two weeks, I've sipped morning coffee in seven locations in four different states, which is definitely not my norm.

So much has happened that I took a few extra days off from teaching to absorb it all. Also not my norm.

But after playing catch-up on bills, laundry, and several other things I forgot, I'm all the more aware of how out of my norm I've been.
It started in the Atlanta airport two weeks ago on an early bird flight to.... Akron, Ohio! Meet my siblings: Rara and Mark.

From Akron we traveled to New Castle, PA to visit my parent's roots. From there we drove to Titusville, PA and spent the night close to where my grandparent's burial took place the next day.

After much consideration I'm convinced my mom's parents now reside in an enchanted forest. Maybe it was the 21 gun salute. Or the pint sized chapel that barely held our family. Or the towering trees with the feathery pine branches.

I'm not sure.

But something surreal lingered among the tombstones, leaving me confident that death has lost its sting.

After the burial, we drove back to Akron, spent the night with my aunt and uncle, and flew home after sharing a hefty meal with family we rarely see.

Storms delayed our flight and hampered the view as we headed south. But in between, we watched a sunset that lit the sky and colored the horizon.

The beauty punctuated the end of the trip well, since after only two short nights at home, my friend, Lu, and I left for South Georgia.

Last spring I became an approved speaker for Stonecroft Ministries. As a result, I was booked to speak at three women's events in Savannah and Dublin.

Lu drove. I spoke and sang.

And when a window of time opened between events, we snuck off to the beach where I paid a $4 parking fee for a 20 minute therapy session.

The ocean had missed me.

Knowing my story, the hosts invited several women with chronic illness. Recently diagnosed with adult onset mitochondrial disease, Patti and her husband drove from Augusta so we could meet.

Sitting with her felt as rich as reconnecting with family. The mito community remains small. Few know the verbiage, the cocktail, the unique frustrations.

But Patti knows them well. And together, we will fight on.

With our tenth anniversary only days away, Don and I finally made plans to spend a few days at the beach. For those who know him well, you'll appreciate this photo of me, The Donald, and his best friend, Oswald Chambers, visiting on the sand.

Home for two days now, Eggs, our tabby cat, bolts around like her old self and order almost reigns. Another round of antibiotics took care of a lingering sinus infection and my foot seems to be healing.

So as I contemplate the coming fall season, hope wells up inside, although I'm well aware we never know what challenge may lie ahead.

"We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it" (Proverbs 16:9 MSG).

If my plans unfold as my calendar states, I'll be speaking about once a month at least through January. Within a few days, I hope to have the dates and locations on my website and amazon author page.

Maybe I can meet you there.

And whether the sun is shining or a hurricane is blowing your way this weekend, sip some coffee, take a few deep breaths, make some plans, and then surrender them before the ink dries.

From Akron, Ohio to Tybee Island, He knows best.