Miles Presents

I love being home.  It is lovely to have a space that is organized just so and feels so embracing.  But when the chance comes to leave and visit family and friends, that is not to be turned down.  So when daughter Jessica invited us to come to Normandy Park and attend a science fair for Miles, we decided to go.  It is close to an 8 hour drive.  Since being here, driving time feels different to me.  Hours on the road don't feel all that badly to me now.  I brought things to do along our way and the time passed pleasantly.  For me.  Layne was driving so he was much happier to be done with the travel.  We arrived at Chris and Jessica's early in the afternoon.  Miles gave his science presentation that night.  He dressed way up for it, sporting jacket, tie and even a hat.  He and two friends gave a presentation on global warming and what we can do about it.  The gym at school was filled with such politically correct science projects as saving the trees, addressing bullying, body consciousness, accepting homosexuals and transgenders, etc.  I found it rather disturbing that there wasn't much of conventional science there.  Miles and friends did a great job of presenting but the bias of the teachers was definitely present.

I love visiting the Gendreaus.  The kids are always very happy to see us and bonding with Chris and Jes is always rewarding.  The kids seem happy and motivated.  Not much of spirituality among them, which I wish I could do something about.  I worry that without a spiritual footing, the kids will fall into the dark holes that surround them in our increasingly caustic culture.  They are so precious and good.  I had a sweet visit with Jessica and, in general, the visit was lovely.  I love living closer to them, even as I miss being farther away from my California kids.

I talked Layne into stopping to visit our friends, Gary and Nora Jacobson, on the way home.  They are just a few minutes off the freeway and about half way between us and Gendreaus.  This time we stopped.  It was so good to see these precious friends again.  We raised children together and, while in Fremont, they were among our best friends.  Nora is struggling with her health now.  Her sister, who lives with them, has Parkinsons.  Time brings its challenges for sure.  In spite of theirs, Gary and Nora were their same upbeat selves.  We so enjoyed our time with them and, even though it has been a long time since we've seen them, the years melted and it was as if we had never been apart.  I believe the best friendships work like that.  Layne mentioned that he was very glad we stopped.  A late arrival home was worth it!

Our neighbor, Jim, has been talking about displaying a flag in his back yard for some time now.  Jim will not be suppressed in his plans and he managed to finish the big flag project this past week.  A huge flag pole now reaches up to the sky with a beautiful American flag waving in the breeze.  Our back yards open to each other, so our view of the flag is,  perhaps, even better than his.  And so our sunset views are now accompanied by our flag, waving its greeting in the spring winds.

My Oakland Temple friend, Nikki Larsen, arrived for the week yesterday.  She and daughter Heather will attend a horse riding camp for the next 5 days.  Although I rarely talk to Nikki in between her yearly visits, we instantly connect.  Already we've had some wonderful conversations.  I'm looking forward to a sweet week ahead.