And.....away....we.....go!

It's almost 8:30 a.m. my time as I write this. In just a few hours my sister Jackie, nephew Phil, niece Wendy and all four of Jackie's granddaughters and I will be loading into an SUV (in her family, believe me, one is NECESSARY!) and heading for what is, at the moment, rainy Ocean Shores, Washington. But it's supposed to be less likely to rain there than it is here in Tacoma, and it should be 54 to 58 degrees (Fahrenheit, you can figure it out in Celsius -- what's that, about 10 Celsius?) so we are expecting to have a good beach weekend. Ocean Shores is throwing a parade sometime this weekend, so the kids will probably want to see that. Other than that, we have no real plans except to have a lot of fun!

Canterbury Inn is a luxury beach resort (I won a trip there - certainly couldn't afford it otherwise!) so even if the weather turns ugly there will be plenty to do indoors. There's an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, and other stuff to do. And I plan to have my laptop along (unless it won't fit into the SUV after we get all the other "must haves" loaded) and can blog when things get quiet if I'm tired of napping! (Napping? With four grandkids along between ages three and nine? What an inspired fantasy! It's okay to fantasize... There are two rooms... I might be able to shut myself up in one of them... Ya just never know!)

I'm packed, everything on my list is in the car. Whether it will all make it into the SUV is another story. I brought a sleeping bag that can stay back if need be. I like sleeping outdoors at the ocean, if there's a secluded "outdoor" patio attached to our room. I love the sound of surf and ships' horns and the whole ambiance of the ocean. One of the neatest things I ever experienced was on a cruise to Alaska in 2004 (another trip I couldn't afford, but God found a way!). We went through some fog (only at night, like Camelot!) and our ship, the Diamond Princess, and other ships would send out a fog horn alert every couple of minutes -- perhaps more often. You would think it might become annoying, but it was magical! I even looked for an ambiance CD when I got back to see if I could find one with the foghorn from a big ship on it! (Didn't find one. If you know of one, let me know!) The waves rocked the ship gently during this time. I slept as soundly as I've ever slept in my life. I have never forgotten it. I remember thinking at the time, "This must be what it's like inside the womb..." gentle rocking, sounds from far away -- digestion, inhalation, music... a sense of almost surreal peace, true shalom!

My astrological sign is Pisces. Pisces is a water sign and it's certainly true for me. I swim like a fish and play in water with the abandon of a sea otter -- except in the ocean. I have a deep fear of sharks. Perhaps I was a sea otter in another life and had a fatal run-in with a shark! (Christians are supposed to have nothing to do with astrology or reincarnation, but I was a pagan a whole lot longer than I have been a designated Christian, so I know at least a little something about these things! :-) And from reading LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS I also learned that astrology back in the long ago and far away was not considered pagan or even odd. The three Wise Men who followed the star to Bethlehem were astrologers. Regular people survived by "reading the stars" -- knowing when to plant during the seasons, etc. God placed the stars, so there is rhyme and reason to them -- I'm just pretty sure that TODAY'S astrology is keyed more toward entertainment and making big money than it is toward "discerning the things of God." The zodiac itself was originally a Christian construct, but was adopted and misused by other people. Isn't it amazing what I learned while reading LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS? It has some truly amazing "aha!" moments in it, aside from proving to the reader how the Bible has to be the inspired word of our Creator and Benefactor!)

Oceans, lakes, rivers, even swimming pools attract me. They "sedate" me almost like a drug would. I feel completely at rest and at peace next to them (unless there's a wee one nearby who doesn't know how to swim).

I hear that the larger the body of water, the more negative ions one is exposed to. Negative ions are not negative to our bodies at all -- they counteract the more prevalent positive ions found in cities and on dry land. Negative ions are good for us. Maybe it's that which gives me such a sense of well-being and peace. Who knows?

Anyway, I expect to experience lots of negative ions this weekend -- starting in just a few hours.
If I can fit my laptop into the SUV, I'll "take you along for the ride"; if not, I will report on it when I get back. How's that?

I pray that you will have as good a weekend as we are planning to experience...

Til next time -- SHALOM!