Chat with Mudder

With homage to the Bowery Boys, I call my mother "Mudder". She is one of the great lights of my life. She will celebrate her 81st birthday on October 16 and shows no signs of slowing down. Mudder is a model for those of us who watch her. She is a life-long learner, is physically active, spiritually alive and is a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend.In our last weekly chat, Mudder told me that she'd struck gold. She was sorting through papers which belonged to her mother (1900-1998) and came across notes which my grandmother took in a class in 1924. My mother knew that I, amateur family historian, would want to see that 87 year old sample of my grandmother's writing. I have no plans to ever stop Mudder when she is telling a story. When she speaks, she is handing off history to us. We would be foolish to stop the flow of historical data.
I am sooooooo glad Mudder is still with us. If you have an elder speaking to you and finding scraps of paper as they clean house, embrace both the elder...and the scraps of paper.

A Four Hour Drive to Glennallen

Early this morning, shortly after midnight, I landed in Anchorage on US Airways flight 140.
Harley Bowerman met me at the airport and we began the four drive to the Alaska Bible College. I have never had a bad trip to this state, having been here at least a dozen times. However, traveling from 12:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. does not put one in the best shape for an 11:00 a.m. chapel service. My eyes were open for entire drive and, after some sleep,for the entire chapel.
Sometimes we push ourselves in the name of ministry and it is not inappropriate. I would not wish to make such a journey on a regular basis, but today was memorable. We came upon no midnight moose, no wandering caribou and no car problems.What more could one ask?
All is well.

I don't like the fitness center

That's not an entirely true statement. I dislike, very much, the getting up and getting there. Once there, I am energized by the workout that I give my body. On Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, I swim non-stop laps for 45 minutes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes, followed by a circuit on some core-strengthening machines. I take the weekends off. We only get one body while on this terrestrial ball, so we must take care of it. We have to turn it in at the end of life. We can have rods inserted, fat sucked out, parts replaced and pieces removed. However, we still get only one body on this side of Jordan. Since that is true, let us be good caretakers. I am no fitness guru. The single motivation for me to stay fit is that I picture (and see) what limitations are placed on one, when one is out of shape. There are trips you can't take and hills you can't climb. There are grandbabies you can't run with and days at the park you can't enjoy. I am not going out like that!! So, tomorrow I will drag my body to the center again. I will be in a great mood when I leave there.