Notes and pictures from a good weekend

Scout helps Rebekah in the garden

 Mothers' Day Weekend definitely has a different feel to it from our "empty nest" perspective. The good news is that Rebekah managed to talk with both children; Naomi checked in from Connecticut and Andrew managed to get off a call from some beach in Morocco where he's up to his eyeballs in sand, bureaucracy, more sand and still more sand.

Yes, we really miss the kids - but all in all it was a good weekend (even though Rebekah did end up messing up her back again). So this morning's Monday post is simply an annotated journal with some great pictures.

Tim and Kelly Black with Rebekah 

Friday we took Tim and Kelly Black out to our favorite gourmet burger place in South Tampa. We dined alfresco in the balmy evening air. I know it sounds crazy that you can spend as much on a burger as a fine entrée at the Bonefish Grill next door, but my feeling is that if it's good it's good - and this place is good beyond good! That plus they serve burgers with names such as Buffalo Bob, Decadent Daddy and Toga Party, along with beers like Rogue Dead Guy. Besides, having Tim as a colleague in ministry continues to be a dream staff situation for Rebekah; we are blessed beyond measure to have the Black family in our community and we simply enjoy spending time together.

Mother's Day (-1) lunch

Saturday my brother Geoff and I took my mum out for a relaxed lunch in Ellenton. It's nice to be able to sit down together, relaxed, and talk about anything and everything. We may be the other side of the world from where we grew up, but she's the same mum who made sure our childhood lives were so secure and blessed, full with the kind of love that literally nourished us as we grew.

Geoff and I are both very much aware of the privilege it is to have both our parents in good health and just a short distance away.

The paparazzi attack!

I couldn't help but take this image of Geoff adding mum's picture to his cell-phone collection. It really is amazing (especially considering the fact that Naomi lives 1,400 miles away and Andrew makes his home in Tuscany) that we all live within 50 miles. Geoff has his daughter, Hannah, close by too, along with her husband Andrew and Geoff's cute-beyond reason grandchildren.

Too cute

Saturday morning Rebekah and I got out into the garden to dig some new beds in the "waste area" between the sidewalk and the street (this is where Rebekah found - and repeatedly killed - the Fios fiber optic cable last week). Scout Labrodoodle tried her best to help and the result was the couple of wonderful photographs you see here.

Just a slice of life at and around Maul Hall. We continue to simply enjoy the fundamental privilege of living. Sometimes we complicate matters, and - most certainly - we live in a world that is fraught with anguish and pain. But at its core this experience of being alive is very, very good.

And for that, I am grateful - DEREK