I am your good- hearted, obnoxious friend...

There are some things I've promised myself I'll never do.  I won't share them all with you, but here are a couple...

I won't make my surgery history & ailments the main substance of conversation.

I won't make everyone look at my latest and greatest pictures of our grandkids.

I won't tell people everything I've learned - like - it's a great idea to moisturize before waxing.

And...I won't make people look at my travel photos for hours on end while I explain every fascinating detail of a trip the person I'm speaking to is not really interested in, or does not have a frame of reference for.  

Except today.  Today I am sharing a few pictures of our Celebrating Life trip.  It did not involve orphanages or burying people.  A trip without pain (heart and body)?  The only thing that I heard clearly after talking to God about this was, "How about saying - 'Thank you'."   So that's what I did.  Every day.  I said thank you.  I stayed in the present.  DW and I enjoyed each other.  We saw and experienced much of history - a lot of old rocks - a lot of columns - a lot of churches.  

Here are a couple of moments captured (nope, it's not a slideshow!)...

1.  I saw a picture on Facebook of a friend, standing in a doorway in Europe, looking like a model.  I thought this trip would hold my 'I could be a model' moment, but...no.  However, I did get to sit in the seat right in front of a curtain on one of the flights!  Why that's so fun, I don't know, but it was.  (Notice the fab hair & perfect make-up!  This was the first of four flights, which was proceeded by a bus ride to find the airport.  When you're using air miles to travel it can add to the adventure.)

Favorite surprise?  Dubrovnik in Croatia.  The roofs in the walled city were all tile and the underwear hanging from the clothes lines were mostly all white.  So awesome.   We walked the wall that was intended to protect this city.  Lots and lots of steps and stairs, but the view was spectacular.

I'm reminded of many 'watchmen on the wall' scriptures.  Here's one...

I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart;

And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me.

Habakkuk 2:1

Better than I had hoped?  Venice.

Surprise in Venice?  Flooding in June.  

These two pictures are of San Marcos square.   

We ate lunch in the square (sitting in those red chairs),  

an instrumental ensemble playing in the background.  

3 hours later (when we came back to the square) we were ankle deep in water.

There are always, always adventure stories.  Yes, I have pictures of bathrooms.  If you ask DW about his highlight from the trip you might hear something about a motorcycle ride that he enjoyed...watching me take.  (My first.  Tell you about it later.)

For now, I'm closing with the phrase I was directed to start the trip with, walk the trip in and now - remember the trip with - - - -  Thank you.  Thank you, my Father, for this time with You and with DW.  Thank you for all who prayed for us as we traveled,  and didn't ask why we weren't at an orphanage, but rather, helped us to rejoice in the joy of the experience.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Ciao!  (Giggle.)