Marshall's trip to the Midwest

Last Saturday Heidi accompanied Marshall on a trip to the Midwest to see his grandparents and cousins. It was a whirlwind trip for Heidi, but I hope it was as much fun for her as it was for me. After picking them up at the airport, we went to Broadway Pizza for supper. Yum! I love their pizza, and Marshall enjoys their toy train that travels on a track close to the ceiling.

While staying with me, we went swimming, looked at animals in a pet store, he played at Shoots and Ladders – a wonderful amusement park for kids near my home, had a picnic supper with Peder's family and his Grandpa Steve and then played in a near by park with them, played my piano, watched a hummingbird at the feeder, played with Nels, swam some more, had lunch at Redstone—a family tradition for Heidi and me, took Heidi to the airport, went to Como Park, and took in the Crayola Experience at the Mall of America, as well as rode the rides in the amusement park there, and swam with the cousins in my pool. All of this was in the course of about 72 hours. We were BUSY!

I'll let my pictures tell more of my time with him and Aurelia, Felix and Leo.

Marshall on the Merry-Go-Round at Como Park

Marshall near Dred Scott Field

Marshall admiring the lily pads at Como Park

Marshall (center) on ride at the Mall of America 

Marshall scanning his drawing at the Crayola Experience in the Mall of America

Marshall at Shoots and Ladders

Leo, Marshall and Aurelia with their spin art

Aurelia, Marshall, Leo and Felix

Trip to Ely

Tuesday we loaded up my sister's car, and she, my cousin Pat, and I headed up north to Ely. It was a beautiful day, and I especially loved seeing this part of the state which I had never seen before. There were miles and miles – probably 50 or 60 miles – of fir trees.  That's all we saw on both sides of the highway. And then we arrived in Ely. It is a small town with a population of 3,455. Most everything is located right on the main street. It is well known for the International Wolf Center, but also boasts of the Dorothy Molter museum, and the fantastic N. American Bear Center. Out of these attractions, we saw all but the wolf museum.

Both days we were there, we drove out to Camp Van Vac where Peder and his family, his in-laws, and our cousin Linda each rented a cabin for the week. It was really fun seeing the place where Peder's family has been enjoying each summer for several years.

Leo standing next to their heat stove

L to R: Janet, Pat, yours truly, and Linda 

Pat standing next to the sand structure one of the campers had made

Linda standing next to her cook stove

While in town, we ate at some nice restaurants and looked around in many stores. My favorite place was the Jim Brandenburg Gallery. He is a well known photographer, whose work has been featured in the National Geographic magazine. I bought a poster there that I intend to frame to hang over my fireplace in autumn/winter. I also loved visiting the North American Bear Center and the Dorothy Molter Museum .

On our second evening there, we enjoyed a delicious spaghetti dinner outside Sarah's parents' cabin. Ken had made home-made meatballs and spaghetti sauce. My, was that good! After dinner, Pat, Peder and I walked around the resort a bit and enjoyed sitting by the lake looking out at the activities going on. Felix brought us a tiny frog he had found. Then when Leo appeared, folks that were swimming near by called out, "Hi Leo!" It seems everyone in the resort knew my grandkids. That was reassuring, knowing they would come to their aid if one of them got into trouble. Toward sunset, we moved some chairs near the shore to watch the beautiful sight to the end of the day, and then we headed back to town to our hotel.

Around 3 am the next day (Thursday), a big wind storm blew across the kids' resort, knocking down about a hundred trees, breaking down all of the power lines and closing off the roads and paths around the resort. One tree fell on Peder's cabin and one fell on Linda's cabin. They were terrified! Rain was blowing into the cabin windows so they had to close them, making it hot inside. Peder said they took the kids to bed with them and put their blankets over their bodies and heads to protect them should the wind blow out their windows. It was very scary.

At our hotel, I had heard nothing due to wearing ear plugs. When I got up to go to the bathroom around 4 am, the room was pitch black. I felt my way to the bathroom door but when I opened it, I was surprised to not see the night light. I called to Janet and announced our power must have gone out. Janet confirmed that and offered me her flashlight. Pat was now awake and asked if I had not heard the vicious wind around 3 am. I said I hadn't. They told me at that time the clock radio suddenly came on and then all the power went out. Later we learned winds 70 to 90 mph had whipped through the entire area, killing two boy scouts in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We got up a bit before 6 and with the power still out, got dressed, and checked out of our hotel. We had intended to check out by 10 that day anyway. Driving out of town, we looked in amazement at all of the huge trees uprooted or broken off in the city park and in front of the high school. We had to drive to another town before we could find a restaurant with power so we could get breakfast. All of our family at the resort packed up too and once the fallen trees were cut away from the roads, headed for home – leaving a couple days before they were scheduled to leave.

Family Time Is the Best!

Seeing the sights is interesting and a lot of fun, but being with my family is the best part of my vacations. I loved playing with the kids – even though I stink at playing Mario Brothers! I enjoyed watching the movie "Inside Out" with the family, going down to see the pond – looking for turtles and spotting ducklings, going to church with Rachel, and listening in on their family Bible reading time.

On the last day of school, William declared he wanted to dress "fancy." Here he is relaxing after school was dismissed.

Annika is growing up to be a young lady. I loved watching two of the short movies she has produced and reading some of her story writing.

It was fun keeping score for the little volleyball game Annika and Josiah played with their neighbors Allen and Aaron. And I loved going with the family to see the new Pixar movie, "Finding Dori." I enjoyed petting their cat, Noko, too.

And then the sad part comes and I have to say, "Good-bye."

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour of Washington, D. C.

I booked passes for Hans, William and me to ride the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus to see some of the sights of Washington after touring the Pentagon. We had to walk a little ways to the first bus stop. After boarding the double decker vehicle, we stayed on the bus until we had passed the Washington Monument and then got off so we could visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

This is a very impressive sight! There are 19 stainless steel statues that are a little larger than life-size. They are dressed in full combat gear. It was interesting to hear Hans point out the various weapons the men were carrying. Apparently there had a been a ceremony of sorts prior to our arrival as workers were carting away white folding chairs. Wreaths from various countries remained around the perimeter of the statues. There is also a wall of black granite, on which there is a mural of the land, sea and air troops. The names of those killed are on this wall. I thought this memorial was excellent!

Next we walked past the Lincoln Memorial (on our left) and the Reflecting Pool (on our right). This entire historical part of Washington, D. C., is so well plotted out. There were some ducks swimming in the pond. One tourist overheard me tell Hans the pool reminded me of "Forrest Gump," and started yelling, "Jenny, Jenny!"

Just ahead we came to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I told Hans that one of his dad's high school classmates had died in that war and looked up his name in the directory they provided. The names of the deceased are listed in the order of when they were killed. I was able to find Scott Richardson's name. You'll see it here:

This statue is at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The National World War II Memorial was up ahead, but by the time we had seen the Vietnam memorial, I was running out of steam and needed to rest. I decided I could see it another time. So we made our way to our next bus stop and boarded it to go into the city center to see the Ford Theater. This ride took us past The White House, The Bureau of Engraving, The National Archives Building, and other Federal Buildings. We got off at the bus stop nearest the Ford Theater.

After crossing the street and walking to the next block, Hans noticed the long line outside the Ford Theater. And then we saw the sign "Must have tickets to enter theater," so I put that on my list for "next time," too. Rather than waiting for 20 to 30 minutes for the next bus, Hans decided to use Uber. This was a new and fun experience for me. He stepped away from me and William for a minute, and when he returned he said, "There will be a black Cadillac, license number ***, coming for us in about six minutes. He is here right now." Sure enough, his location appeared on Hans' phone. Well, he was a welcome sight! We piled into the big, back seat of his air-conditioned car and it felt heavenly. What a relief from the heat! He drove us to the closest spot to Arlington National Cemetery.

Tourists on the steps watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

At the Information building of the cemetery, we bought tickets to the tram which gives a guided tour of the cemetery—pointing out graves of famous people. We got off at the stop for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There were many people already assembled on the steps that face the tomb, but it wasn't crowded by any means. I felt so sorry for the soldier who was walking back and forth, in full dress wool uniform, but I learned more about them and their desire to perform,

Here is what I learned about the guards' walks:

There is a meticulous routine that the guard follows when watching over the graves.

The Tomb Guard:

1. Marches 21 steps south down the black mat laid across the Tomb.
2. Turns and faces east, toward the Tomb, for 21 seconds.
3. Turns and faces north, changes weapon to outside shoulder, and waits 21 seconds.
4. Marches 21 steps down the mat.
5. Turns and faces east for 21 seconds.
6. Turns and faces south, changes weapon to outside shoulder, and waits 21 seconds.
7. Repeats the routine until the soldier is relieved of duty at the Changing of the Guard.

After each turn, the Guard executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the Guard stands between the Tomb and any possible threat.

Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed—the 21-gun salute.

The mat is usually replaced twice per year: before Memorial Day and before Veterans Day. This is required because of the wear on the rubber mat by the special shoes worn by Tomb Guards. The sentinels have metal plates built into the soles and inner parts of their shoes to allow for a more rugged sole and to give the signature click of the heel during maneuvers. The sentinels wear sunglasses because of the bright reflection from the marble surrounding the Tomb and the Memorial Amphitheater.

On the ground not covered by the mat, a wear pattern in the tile can be seen that corresponds to the precise steps taken during the changing of the guard. On the mat itself, footprints worn in by standing guard are also visible.

At the completion of the tram ride, we opted to call Uber again for a ride back to our car. It was a full, exhilarating day. I loved all of it!

Friday - a very special day!

Hans took a day of leave so that he could spend the day with me and William. On the schedule was a tour of the Pentagon and sights around Washington, D. C. We took their car into the city since there were the three of us – the requirement to drive in the HOV lane.

Prior to going into the Pentagon, we walked to the 9/11 Memorial. On that awful day, September 11, 2001, 184 people perished when flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. There is a bench for each victim with their name engraved on the edge of it. It was very moving being in this hallowed space.

(This is not my photo.)

After looking around the memorial, we made our way around two sides of the Pentagon where I had to go through a security check to get a visitor's badge. Hans and William entered a different door and waited for me in another room.

Once inside the building, Hans began showing me the stores and shops that are on the first floor. There were gift shops, barber shops, dry cleaners, tailors, shoe shine shops, jewelers, shops for each branch of the military, and so on. I bought a hooded sweatshirt in the Pentagon gift shop.

Next we walked out into the center courtyard (that's not what they call it). There was an Expo of sorts going on out there. Here I am standing next to a robot that the Navy will be using at some point.

After looking around the Expo, we re-entered the building and went to the floor where all of the top brass in the five branches of the military have their offices. It looks like this:

(This is not my photo. No cameras were allowed.)

All of the other hallways are very, very plain—white walls, no photos.

When we were close to Hans' office, he took us into a small room that had a bank of mailboxes. Each box had a key. Hans asked me to give him my I Phone. He placed his and mine in the box and locked it. That was the first step in security to enter his offices. We crossed the hallway and entered his place of work. Once inside, he introduced me to his Administrative Assistant - a very nice woman. Then we walked down a hallway to meet some of his staff. Again—very nice people. Finally we went to his office. He is in a nice space, has a big print of the U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur over the desk. He told me he has to insert his ID badge into a device before he can log into his computer. Once into the initial program, he has to insert his badge into the device a second time, to give him clearance. Talk about security!! While we were talking, his Captain came to his door to meet me and William. He was really great! He spent quite a bit of time talking to us and told me I should be very proud of Hans and all of his accomplishments. He went on to say Hans has a rich military history.

There are at least two food courts in the large structure. We ate lunch in one of them.There are 25,000 people working inside the Pentagon. The five sided building is made up of five rings: A, B, C, D, and E, the outer ring being E. The building is five stories high. If one walked around all rings of all floors, they would have walked seventeen miles.

I loved my tour with Hans and William. It was really special!

Josiah's 6th Grade Graduation

On Thursday, Josiah graduated from the sixth grade. I was fortunate to be in town during this time so I got to go to the ceremony. There were about 90 to 100 sixth grade students. The students were seated in chairs that faced the audience; the teachers were on the stage. The program started with the students singing the school song. It was interesting to see some singing full heartedly – others barely opened their mouths.

There were awards and certificates given to students who excelled in music, sports, civic participation, and so on. Following the awards, each student came forward to receive their "diploma."

Following the ceremony, there was a reception in the gymnasium. We spent a little bit of time there and then left so that Hans and Rachel could go to work.

Hans, Josiah, Rachel

My Trip to Washington, D. C.

Last week I flew to Washington, D. C., to visit Hans and his family. I arrived at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday afternoon and Hans was there to pick me up. Driving from the airport to his home, he pointed out the Pentagon to me. I also noticed the Washington Monument and the U. S. Capitol. Since I hadn't been there since 1967, this was very interesting to me. Of course, back then, there weren't so many cars or lanes for them.

There was no one home when we arrived at Hans' home. The kids were in school and Rachel was at work. Hans gave me a tour of their house, and that was fun. Rachel is really great at decorating. Here are a couple of photos I took.

These are wooden Japanese dolls on display

Japanese cabinet in Rachel's kitchen with Japanese plates, etc.

mani/pedi

I know. I'm behind the times with many things today. One such thing is treating myself to a pedicure and a manicure. Today I got up the nerve and walked into a salon and had the full treatment. What a pleasant experience this was!

The man who greeted me spoke some English. I asked if I could get a pedicure and a manicure and he said, "Yes, pick out your nail color." Wow! They must have had 300 bottles of various colors on the wall. I chose a medium rose color.

I was so excited to have my toe nails clipped and cleaned up. The woman who was doing this for me was so sweet. She spoke little English, but told me she was from Vietnam. She and her husband own the shop and they work 7 days a week! She soaked my feet—all the while the massage rollers inside the chair were going up and down my back. It felt so good! She clipped, trimmed, filed, and buffed my nails, and massaged my feet. Next she applied a very nice cream on my legs and began massaging them. Over and over again she rubbed the nice cream in. I didn't think it could get any better, but she followed this by wrapping hot, moist towels around my feet. [Some of this could be out of order, but it is close.] Eventually she began with the polish—first clear, followed by 5 coats of nail polish—putting each foot under a heat lamp for 60 seconds between each coat. The final coat was a clear gel coat.

Next came my hands. I moved from the massage chair to a desk-type setting. First she soaked my hands in a nice bowl of warm water. It made me think of the old dishwashing detergent TV ad where women soaked their hands in the sudsy solution. Next she pushed back the cuticle and then trimmed the cuticle. She filed and buffed, then soaked my hands once again. Next she led me to to a sink and gave me a nail brush to scrub my hands and nails. After drying my hands on a nice, warm towel, I returned to the desk and she began the polishing – first the clear coat, followed by 5 coats of the rose color (one minute under the heat lamp following each coat), and finally, the coat of the clear gel.

All in all, this was so much fun! I was pampered and felt wonderful. I'll be returning.

Planning Trips

I have had fun looking for things to do for this summer. I have two trips planned. First off, I'll be flying in to Washington, D. C. in a couple of weeks to visit Hans and his family. I have been to our nation's capital only once - back in 1967. Steve and I had bought our first new VW Beetle and first movie camera for this trip.

We drove east to Gettysburg and then to Washington, D. C. We toured the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, took the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument and walked down the stairs. Boy, did our knees hurt the following day! Did you know that inside the memorial are commemorative stones from individuals, civic groups, cities, states and countries that wanted to honor the memory of George Washington?  There are a total of 898 steps. An earthquake hit the Virginia area in 2011 and caused damage to the memorial. Since that time, no one is permitted to use the stairs.

We went to the Lincoln Memorial and also to John F. Kennedy's grave site. At that time, it was very simple and surrounded by a white picket fence.

(I took this photo off the Internet)

We toured one portion of the Smithsonian Institute – the building that houses the Hope Diamond and the First Ladies' dresses. We also drove to Mount Vernon and then took in a baseball game at D. C. Stadium. Vice President Hubert Humphrey was also at the game. I tried to go over to greet him, but the Secret Service would not allow me into that section, even though I was from Minnesota.

During this upcoming trip, Hans is going to take me on a tour of the Pentagon. I hope to see his office and possibly take a photo of him sitting at his desk!

In July I'm going to go to Ely, Minnesota, for a couple of days with my sister. At the same time, Peder and his family, plus our cousin Linda, and Peder's in-laws have rented cabins at a resort there. We'll be able to go to their resort during the day and then spend our nights at a hotel in the town. I have never been to this part of our state, so am looking forward to that.

Contentedness in Seattle

I returned Wednesday night from a very nice vacation at Heidi's in Seattle. I was last there in July and so there had been some changes: Brian had passed away, and so that was sad not having him greet me and lie by my feet while watching TV. Corinne was now carrying on conversations and was very fun to play with in the toy room as well as other parts of the house and the back yard, and there was new furniture in the living room and a flowering cherry tree in the front yard. Oh, and there is a new puppy – Lucy. She is a beautiful red Golden Retriever and is nearly six months old. She is learning some commands such as "sit," and "park it." But being a puppy, she still likes to chew, bark, and run around. Corinne is in love with her and visa versa.

 Marshall making a pizza.

 Corinne bringing me the tray of Christmas cookies.

Corinne (wearing her purple tutu over her slacks), waiting for the microwave to complete cooking my egg. She was so cute with all of these appliances —mixer, toaster, coffee maker, and oven. She and Marshall have wooden donuts with various icings; wooden pizza wedges with pepperoni, mushrooms, and peppers that can be added or removed; a wooden waffle iron with waffle sections and strawberries, chocolate chips, butter, and syrup that can be added. They have a half dozen wooden eggs—3 white, 3 brown. It was so much fun for me to play house with them.

Here you see some of the waffles, eggs, toast with butter, donut with sprinkles, a plate with a fork and knife, and a glass of juice. Corinne did a great job bringing these food items to Grandma and then sitting with me to pretend eating them. With each bite we would say, "Mmm. This is yummy!"

This is Lucy, a sweet red Golden Retriever. We were at the bus stop waiting for Marshall when this photo was taken.

I loved meeting Marshall at the bus drop off after school and walking around their beautiful neighborhood where the flowers were abundant. I also loved going to his soccer game on Saturday. He played several positions.

After the soccer game, we went to their area market where the grocery store was having a "Grand Opening" celebration. There was a big jump house for kids, and inside the store they were spray painting "tattoos" on kid's arms and/or cheeks, cupcakes to decorate, and employees helping children plant a blooming petunia in a small pot. Marshall got two tattoos (they wash off).

The day before Mother's Day, Heidi treated me to the movie, "Mother's Day." It was being shown in a very nice theater where the seats were reserved and were actually recliners! How comfortable. This was new for me. The show was cute and we enjoyed it.

Sunday, Mother's Day, I heard from Hans and his kids, and got a nice card from Heidi and one from Marshall and Corinne. In the morning, we went to the Top Pot Doughnuts shop, and had the big decision of which ones to buy. Later in the day the family went to dinner at a Greek restaurant where the food was delicious. Such a nice time.

Corinne and I had plenty of time to play "house," while Marshall was in school. She and Marshall have a very nice toy room and their kitchen set-up is amazing. Marshall has a cash register there, too, so one night we played grocery store. Corinne and I did the shopping - putting play food in the grocery cart, and Marshall was the cashier - sliding our items over the barcode reader or placing the items on a scale to be weighed. His pretend money looked real. I thought this was a lot of fun!

Corinne reading Elmo book while Lucy watches

Corinne sporting Grandma's shoes.

Marshall and Corinne posing with Target's Bullseye

Marshall enjoying a chocolate shake at Red Robin

Off and on during my time there, Heidi and I watched some cooking shows on TV. Chad did some cooking out on the grill, and all of us watched the movie, "Annie."  The time spent at their house went by so fast, and now I am missing them - especially playing house with Corinne and store with her and Marshall. Oh, and hearing Marshall read to me. It was a special time.

The sun setting on Puget Sound

Saturday I had the most enjoyable time with my three grandkids: Aurelia, Felix and Leo. Peder had asked me to come to stay with them for a couple of hours while he went to an appointment.

After chatting with them for awhile, I gave them 15 minutes to complete what they were doing on their screens (iPad plus two other devices). When time was up, I had no push back and then asked them to get their jackets on so we could go for a walk. This was an idea that popped into my head as I drove up to their home – trees abloom in many yards and on the boulevards.

We started out by stopping at each house to look at what was blooming and to point out any interesting aspects of the house. (A rule I made was that they had to stay on the sidewalk.) It wasn't long before one of them would stop us to point out the tiny wild violets in the grass.

After turning the first corner, Felix and Leo ran up to the house at the next corner. They were excited to show me the large rock that was sitting on the stone wall. "Look, Grandma D – it has sparkles in it!" Sure enough, it was a large piece of granite. That particular house had many lovely and unusual features. We spent a bunch of time there.

Onward we went, spotting tulips, daffodils, lilacs, flowering plum trees, porches with swings, little ponds—one with gargoyles around the edge.

On the next block, I spotted a gorgeous cat – about the size of Nels – who was paying no attention to us. It was behind a beautiful black wrought iron fence and eating grass. Its house (my assumption) was a lovely Victorian, painted in tan, purple and blue. I should have brought along my phone so I could have taken a photo—not only of this house and cat, but of my three darling grandkids who were enjoying this so much!

When we came upon a brick house that is just inches from the sidewalk, there we saw a large patch of lily of the valley. The ones nearer the foundation were already open. The kids enjoyed seeing their little bell-shaped flowers.

One particular flower really impressed Felix and Aurelia. It was the bleeding heart. I pointed out the heart-shape and then showed them the little drop of "blood" dripping from it. Felix gently pinched one of the petals and then released it to see it return to its original state.

Yesterday I returned to Peder and Sarah's for Felix's birthday party. Aurelia was the greeter at the front steps. She told me she had drawn a picture that morning of a bleeding heart. Sarah later told me Aurelia had been drawing flowers all morning long. I loved hearing that.

Today Is the Anniversary of My Mother's Death

My mother and me

Today is the anniversary of my mother's death - April 6. There is not a year that goes by that I don't recall the events of that day. For many years, this was really hard on me. But as years have gone by and I have had kids of my own, and now grandkids, the difficulty has left me.

I didn't know my mother very well. She died when I was 14. Times were different then, or at least it seems so to me. My parents didn't read to us. They didn't take us to museums. Both my mother and dad worked outside the house, and then when they were home, they were busy with the garden, canning, washing, ironing, sewing, woodworking, etc. I don't recall ever seeing my parents go for a walk, or dance, or go to a movie. Our social life was going to church and having church friends or neighbors over. Vacations were primarily to see relatives—which I enjoyed a lot.

Feeling Good!

As of this week, my health has turned the corner and I'm happy to say I am feeling good! I have not used my walker or cane, and am taking the stairs in my office multiple times during the day. I am praising God for healing my body and for bringing so many angels to my aid during the process.

I just looked back and realized I have really been "under the weather" since the beginning of July—first with the severe kidney infection that sent me to the hospital for a 5 day period, and then a couple of weeks later, while still recovering from that, getting the strong leg pain and foot tingling that warned me of a herniated disc. I don't feel like elaborating on that, but the entire ordeal lasted 7 months!

What have I learned during this long event? First of all, I have learned to be patient, to know to help others in need, what it's like to be handicapped, I don't like being alone for days on end, there is not much to watch on daytime TV, and much more.

And now that I'm mobile again, I hope to do more in exercising. The timing for this is great because our snow is gone and spring is in the air. Here's to new beginnings!

Early Spring

Snowdrops

We've been having unusually nice weather in Minnesota and looks like we're having an early Spring! One day last week the temperature hit 70 degrees, and today it is supposed to reach 65! We have snow only where plows piled it up high. Green grass is beginning to show through the brown stuff. Oh, and the birds are singing their hearts out! There have been pictures of Snowdrops blooming at the Minnesota Arboretum.

Nels has been loving spending time out in the screened porch. One evening this week he was out there for over an hour. When I let him out when it's dark outside, I think he watches for mice and other creatures.

With this nicer weather, I have looked in my closet and I think I need to get some new spring/summer clothes. Mine are looking rather tired. I don't know how much looking around I can do, due to my foot problems (still having some nerve pain, but is much, much better), but I think I may give it a try tomorrow.

In choir we are rehearsing beautiful music for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter. We have a new choir director (new last June), and just love him. It's a joy to go to rehearsal and to the worship services on Sunday morning.

Communion

It meant so much to be present at the Lord's table at our church today. What a blessing this was for me! Our church only commemorates communion on the first Sunday of the month, and I have not been present for it since November.

Communion is very important to me. It is a time to confess my sins and to thank God for sending His son to die on the cross, raise from the dead, and save me and all who come to Him. Growing up, the church my family attended, offered communion every Lord's Day. They offered it Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. It was that important. This was a big change for me since moving to the twin cities. Today I was blessed.