Sunday Worship Thoughts - GEMs

Yesterday I spoke at a ladies retreat and spoke about being like jewels in a crown (Zechariah 9:16). In the afternoon, as I talked about GEMs, I used power point slides that had a picture of a diamond on each slide. One of the retreat ladies needed to leave the room as she was dealing with a cough that wouldn't stop. When she got out in the hall, one of the cleaning staff from the facility we were in asked her what we were about. She explained that it was a Christian ladies retreat and told a little about what that meant. The staff member was surprised. She'd seen the diamond on the slides and thought we might be selling jewelry.

While we smiled later at the mistaken impression the woman had had, we rejoiced in the opportunity that our retreat lady was able to share a little of Jesus with her. Sometimes the more important things happen outside of our worship circle.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - The Romantic Road

[Summer, 2004]

Wurzburg was the first stop on our trip down the Romantic Road. We found the Residence Palace without too much trouble and parked in the huge lot in front of the 17th/18th century building. The palace is probably known best for the world's largest unsupported ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Unfortunately for us, there was a huge renovation project going on that had a good part of the fresco covered by a large picture of what it would look like if you could see it. We did get a peek at some of the workers with tiny brushes carefully repairing little spots that were deteriorating with age. The unsupported ceiling was designed by architect and engineer, Balthasar Neumann.

We caught an English tour of the palace and wandered through elegant and unique meeting rooms and banquet halls. One room is done entirely in shades of white. (Didn't know white had so many shades.) The Residence Palace had one of the prettiest chapels we saw on our trip. There are two more Tiepolo works displayed there, The Fall of the Angels and The Assumption of the Virgin.

Our tour over, we crossed the parking lot to find some lunch. We never tired of the outdoor cafes and found one a block away from the palace. Much to my delight, I got to practice my German again. Our waitress spoke little English. I ordered deep fried camembert cheese cakes with cranberry sauce. They were absolutely delicious and I found them once or twice again along the way during our trip.

A short drive brought us to Fortress Marienberg, used as the residence for the local prince-bishops from 1253-1720. Obviously they weren't concerned with keeping out the riff-raff anymore. The moat was dry and planted in grass with a few trees. The structure was very interesting, as was the 8th century Marienkirche, but we passed on the museums. We needed to move along to our evening destination--Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Along the Romantic Road are 27 towns and villages to visit. Unless you plan to spend the good part of a week, you cannot see them all. We stopped on our way to Rothenburg at Bad Mergentheim. The former town of residence of the Grand and German Masters of the Order of Teutonic Knights. Just beyond the castle in the middle of a garden area, was a delightful cafe serving up the fanciest tea I have ever seen--even in England. Dick was overwhelmed with the presentation. The rest of us enjoyed cappuccinos.

It was almost six when we arrived at the Best Western Hotel Merian. The hotel was on the second floor over a carpet store, small but very nice. We got directions to a restaurant that was just outside the gate to the town of Rothenburg obT. It was a lovely meal but in the customary style of Americans, we were in a hurry. The night watchman tour was to begin at 8 p.m. and we were getting nervous about missing it. I don't think our hostess was pleased with our impatience.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Heidelberg, Germany

[Summer, 2004]

Arriving in Heidelberg, we settled into the Best Western Rega which was a short walk from the historic city center. With some guidance from the front desk we found a very old historic German restaurant, the Gueldenes Schaf. And, of course, we had Wiener Schnitzel.

The next day was scheduled to be our laundry day. We were in desperate need of one. The first few days of our trip had been warmer than we expected and we had gone through most of the clean clothes. The first self serve laundry we found was closed for repairs. We were kindly directed a bit farther down the street and around the corner to a smaller one that was extremely busy picking up the business from the closed shop. We found ourselves surrounded mostly by university students but everyone was kind enough to wait a turn and give us help when we needed it. The settings on the washers were a little different than we were used to but everything came out the same size and color that it went in.

The laundry done and stashed back in our rooms, we were free to explore Heidelberg. We began with lunch at an outdoor cafe near the large Church of the Holy Ghost. After all doesn't a tour group march on its stomach...or maybe that was an army...hmm. In the middle of lunch the bells began to peal with a clear deep tone that resonated throughout the city.

Polly and Dick suggested we explore the castle first. We found a bus to take us to the top of the hill where the castle overlooks the city (a new tram was being built). The castle dates back to the 14th century. It is a curious combination of Baroque and Renaissance architecture. Large sections have been destroyed but it's size is still overwhelming. The gardens provide a peaceful place to stroll and look down over the Neckar river to the city below.

After a mid afternoon cappuccino break, we returned to the historic city center and wandered around the Holy Ghost Church. At the base, built between the supporting structures surrounding the church, were numerous souvenir booths. We circled the base and found the entrance to the church and a sign that told us we had just missed an organ concert. Huge columns stood in rows supporting the roof that towered over our heads. The stained glass windows rose up to match the height of the columns and all combined to make you feel very small and insignificant compared to the grandeur they exhibited. As I walked past the columns, they seemed to glide by and for a moment I imagined myself in grand clothes, maybe those of a queen about to receive her crown, walking to the altar for the coronation ceremony. I almost made it but my dreaming was interrupted by the urgent call to move on. There was more to see.

We walked a few blocks to the old bridge that crosses the Neckar river and admired the old bridge gate before starting back in the direction of our hotel to hunt for food. For an unexpected stop, Heidelberg had turned out to be very rewarding. It pays to be flexible.

Wordless Wednesday

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Rhine River, Germany

[Summer, 2004]

We arrived in Sindelfingen just outside of Stuttgart in time for dinner and found an Italian restaurant (no wiener schnitzel this night) open in the older section of town. While it was Saturday night and didn't seem that late, the area was not brimming with tourists. We felt a little uneasy and decided not to do a lot of exploring after dinner. Our Best Western this time turned out to be in an industrial area--car factories surrounded us. We had planned on three nights here but decided we would move on to Heidelberg after our Rhine River tour the next day. The hotel graciously made reservations for us. It turned out to be a good decision.

The day began chilly and looking a bit gray and cloudy as we drove north to Ruedesheim near Mainz in Germany. At Bingen, we took the ferry across the Rhine to Ruedesheim not realizing that there was a stop in Bingen for the river cruise as well. There are a couple of large boats that do day trips along the Rhine. We had originally found K-D Cruises on the web but when we arrived in Ruedesheim, we saw a very nice ship with two indoor decks and one open observation deck on top that was about to leave shortly and covered the area of the Rhine we wished to see. The name of the company was Bingen-Rudesheimer Fahrgastschiffahrt . Tables were set with glasses and cups and restaurant service was available. The trip started at Ruedesheim and went to St. Goarshausen where we had about an hour for lunch and a short walk through the little town before our return trip to Ruedesheim.

Along this area between the two towns are more than two dozen castles and fortresses that can be seen from the river. Remember "mad King Ludwig"? He built a lot of castles in Germany, the most famous being the one at Neuschwanstein. There is a little castle that sits right in the middle of the Rhine that was built by him. If I understood correctly it had something to do with being able to tax those who crossed the river--a little income for all that castle building. Some of the castles have been renovated and turned into B&Bs.

About midway through our two hour cruise to St. Goarshausen, the clouds gave way to sunshine and the air began to warm. Bob and Dick ventured out onto the observation deck from time to time to take pictures. Polly and I enjoyed sipping our warm coffees and watching the castles slip by through the huge glassed walls of the ship. The scenery looked like pages out of a fairy tale book.

Just before St. Goarshausen a large wall of rock juts out from the shore. Below it on a small outcropping sits the statue of a woman combing her long hair. It commemorates the legend of the Lorelei. It is said that she had long golden hair and sat on the rock singing while she combed her tresses. Of course this was in the area where the fast moving river narrows and the distracted boatsmen were doomed when they hit the shallow reefs.

Upon our return to Rudesheim, we spent some time exploring. The split timbered architecture of the old German towns are delightful to see and often are painted with symbols or scenes that are works of art.

We drove out of Rudesheim and crossed the river by bridge bypassing the large industrial city of Mainz on our way to the university town of Heidelberg.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Black Forest, Germany

[Summer, 2004]

After enjoying soft boiled eggs, cheese, bread and coffee at the Hotel Post in Balzers, we cherished the last views of the little country of Liechtenstein and pointed the Audi in the direction of Germany. If we had known the beauty of the area in Switzerland that we were passing through, we would have tacked on another overnight stay. The mountains above and valleys below were picturesque but the vistas of the clear aqua lakes were breathtaking.

Heading in the direction of Schaffhausen, we took A4 to Neuhausen and the Rhine Falls. Once you are close enough, there are very clear signs to follow (unlike Italian road signs). Polly and Dick had been here before but had seen the falls from Neuhausen side. This time we opted to see it from the Schloss Laufen (castle). It was a good choice.

The castle is a very romantic setting and has lots of different viewing levels from which you can experience the power and force of the water as it surges over the precipice. The falls are not as high as Niagara's but to me they seemed to be more powerful. Perhaps it was because we could get so close to the surge of water. It was a long climb back up from the lowest level but stopping to take in the views, made the climb easier.

Back in the car, driving through the tall pines of the Black Forest region you could understand how it earned its name. Some of the sections are so dense all you can see are dark tree trunks. It is an area alive with all sorts of lore and famous for its cuckoo clocks. We stopped at Titisee, a resort town near Neustadt, named for the lake it borders. Lots of restaurants and shops and hotels kept our interest as we enjoyed the fresh cool air that mixed with the warmth of the sun. We had lunch by the lake--Wiener schnitzel again--and stopped for a piece of Black Forest Cake just before leaving. The cake was a little different from our Americanized version but it was quite good.

As the Audi climbed out of the back woods and onto the autobahn again Bob called out from the back seat, "Hey, Dick! Are we standing still?"

Cars were zooming past us on our left.

"I'm doin' 180," Dick said in his defense.

The kilometers converted to about 112 mph but cars continued to speed past us. Some areas of the autobahn have no speed limit. There are strict rules however. You must stay in the right lane unless you are passing and then you better be passing quickly because suddenly a Mercedes will materialize instantly in your rearview mirror. Dick dropped his speed a bit to ease Polly's nerves. From the front passenger seat, she was getting the full view of the pavement disappearing in a blur beneath the car.

When it was my turn to sit in front as Bob drove, I just closed my eyes. I figured at that speed, death would be instantaneous but I didn't want to see it coming.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Liechtenstein

[Summer, 2004]

Liechtenstein is a tiny country of 34,000 inhabitants. It is bordered by Switzerland and Austria. We crossed the open border from Switzerland and found ourselves in a Alpen countryside. Vaduz is the capital but we chose the Hotel Post in Balzers for our two night stay. There are about nine little towns in the country and we drove through most of them, setting out early in the morning to drive up to the ski area in Malbun. In summer, you can take the ski lift to the top of the mountain (6,560 ft. above sea level) and opt to hike down. The view from the top is spectacular. Below us were lush green valleys and behind us, reaching even higher, were snow capped mountains. It was a "Sound of Music" moment.

On our way back down to Vaduz, we stopped in Triesenburg for lunch at a little restaurant that clung to the side of the mountain giving us another perfect view of the farming landscape below. We enjoyed schnitzel and noodles (actually little dumplings) and explored the museum that housed historical artifacts from earlier settlers. Exploring an interesting side road that led to a panoramic view, we found ourselves parked next to a field full of brown cows all with various sized bells around their necks. It sounded like a field full of large wind chimes. I don't know how the cows put up with all the noise but it was a delightful encounter.

We arrived in Vaduz just in time for a City Train ride around the town in a drizzling rain. Unfortunately the prince was not in so we were not invited to the castle (actually, the castle is not open to tourists). The castle sits on a small outcropping of a mountainside that overlooks the town of Vaduz.

That night as we listened to the sounds of Balzers beginning to quiet for the night, I thought about our day and how beautiful the scenery had been. But if I were to remember one thing from Liechtenstein, it would be the wonderful lady we met in the Backeri in Triesenberg. She asked, in German, if she could help us. I replied that I spoke only a little German. She replied that she spoke no English.

"Well then," she said slowly in German, "We will speak with hand signals and smiles." We carried on quite a conversation. She was patient with my elementary German and spoke slowly with a vocabulary I could understand and yes, many hand signals and smiles. When I think of Liechtenstein I will remember the beauty not only of the countryside but of the spirit of that lovely lady.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Meilen, Switzerland

[Summer, 2004]

Leaving Belgirate we kept Lake Maggiore on our left this time and circled around it to head north into Switzerland. All was fine until we hit another small town that seemed to have more cars than than people. When some places began to look familiar, we knew we were driving in a circle.


"Stop at a hotel," I said. "They'll probably speak English."

"No, no," came the male reply. "We'll find someone at the gas station."

Well, this time they did. A tall Italian man preceded our two guys out of the gas station and jumped into his car. Bob and Dick jumped into the front seat and said, "Follow that car!" The Italian's car pealed out onto the street and we screamed right after him. The guys told us that he spoke English, was headed for the border and offered to lead the way.

We followed him out of town and onto some back country roads. Polly and I began to look at each other with the suspicious minds of the females we are.

"Are you sure this guy is going to the border?" we asked. Laughter from the front seat did not put us at ease.

"Are you sure he's Italian? You know there are some people who would love to get their hands on four unsuspecting Americans." More laughter from the front seat.

Farms and fields and forests whizzed by as the road seemed to narrow even more. Suddenly we came out of the woods and onto a highway with the border crossing obviously in front of us. Heart rates slowed as we approached the Swiss border. The Italian went to the first booth and we took the second. The guard looked at our passports and reminded us that we needed to purchase a driving permit for the car in order to drive in Switzerland. He waved us through and we parked to stretch our legs and purchase our permit.

While Bob and Dick were in the license bureau, Polly and I noticed the Italian still talking to the guard at the border. They had not let him through yet. Those suspicious little minds of ours began to work again. When the guys returned and we pointed out that our "friend" was still waiting to get through. They looked in his direction and he gave a little salute in return.

"Quick, get in the car." Dick said between his teeth that were clenched in a smile.

"We're out of here." Bob echoed.

We have no idea why he was still waiting as we pulled away. I don't think we want to know.

Once in Switzerland navigating became a cinch with wonderfully clear road signs that matched the information we had on our maps. We headed for Lake Zurich and the winery of some friends we had met on a dive trip to Papua New Guinea.

As we waited for a ferry ride across the lake, we could see the acres of vineyards along the hillside across from us. The grapes are provided perfect growing conditions along the shore of the lake. The ferry deposited us in Meilen, a quaint little town with a few small wineries. We found a parking place and had lunch at a little cafe next to the water before we set off to find the winery of Herman Schwarzenbach. Luckily our friends were there since we had forgotten to bring their email address with us and had not warned them we were coming.

They live just above the wine cellars in a home that has been passed down through generations and is about 200 years old. On our personal tour, we were intrigued by the beautiful carvings on some of the large wooden wine barrels. There was no processing at the time but Celeste explained the stages of bringing in the grape harvest all the way to selling the bottled vintage. We enjoyed a taste of their product in their beautiful garden along the lake and relived some of the highlights of our dive trip in PNG before continuing on to Liechtenstein.

Wordless Wednesday

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi - Stresa, Italy

[Summer, 2004]

Stresa is a beautiful little resort town on the shores of Lake Maggiore. In the distance you can see the snow capped mountains of Switzerland. Cobblestone streets invite you to investigate their boutiques, shops, cafes, and restaurants. Bright flowers hang from second floor windows and railings in striking contrast to the antiqued coloring of the old buildings. Hydrangea bushes proliferate in the park along the lakefront. In July the bushes are full of blue and pink blooming globes. But in June, the hydrangeas are just beginning to show color and are upstaged by the profusion of rose bushes with flowers the size of soft balls.

Across from Stresa lie three small islands, Isola Bella, Isola del Pescatori, and Isola Madre. We opted to visit the first two. Finding a water taxi a little more convenient than the public ferry, we arranged the times we wanted to travel to each island. We left for Isola Bella, enjoying the panoramic view of Stresa from the boat. Upon arriving at Isola Bella, we went straight to the ticket office of the Borromeo Palace to beat the buses full of tourists we knew were arriving in the parking lot in Stresa. We opted for the audio tour and plugged our headsets into the audio player. There was more information supplied than we wanted but someone who is a real history buff would enjoy the details.

The palace is impressive and took about an hour to tour. The music room was the historic meeting place between Mussolini and the French and British in an attempt to scare the Germans out of the war. That was just before Mussolini joined Hitler. The most unusual rooms are downstairs in what is called the grotto. Walls are covered in small stones and there is a shell/underwater motif throughout. It was the place to go before air conditioning was invented since it stays cool throughout the hot summer days.

The Baroque terraced gardens are home to a flock of white peacocks that strut among the visitors. Gardeners work daily to keep up the sculptured greenery and the flowers that bloom profusely April through October. We skipped seeing Isola Madre but I understand the botanical gardens there are beautiful and contain a wide variety of plant life.

Our water taxi picked us up at the appointed time and took us to Isola del Pescatori for lunch. We found a restaurant overlooking the small beach area and enjoyed a plate of freshly caught lake fish. Isola del Pescatori is the smallest of the islands and is still home to some fishermen. It is a quaint walk through narrow alleyways filled with little shops and small restaurants. Colorful flowers and fishnets adorn the outside walls. You feel as though you are walking through an old master’s painting of Italy.

Back again at our car, we drove a short distance to the cable car, Funivia, where we boarded for a ride up to the top of Mt. Mottarone. The scenes from the cable car are breathtaking on a clear day. Once we reached the top we climbed to the summit and enjoyed the view of the snow capped mountains of Switzerland. Below we could see the islands we had visited in the morning surrounded by the blue waters of Lake Maggiore.

A little café with an outdoor patio looked like an inviting spot to stop for a cappuccino. No one makes cappuccino like the Italians. Business was slow and the proprietor spent time talking to us about what the winters were like—cold and snowy—which explains the ski resort on the other side of the mountain.

After a wonderful pasta dinner with wild mushrooms, we found some ice cream, gelato, and strolled around the waterfront park again, this time lingering long enough to watch the sunset turn the sky and the lake to various shades of deep purple.

Stresa is the kind of place that invites you to linger and relax but we had 16 more days and lots of places to see. We were ready to begin some serious sightseeing.

18 Days Through Europe in an Audi

[The next few days I'll be posting about a trip we took the summer of 2004.]

It wasn’t supposed to be an Audi. We had reserved an Opel. It was a matter of conjecture between the guys for the next 18 days whether the Opel would have supplied more trunk space. Happy just to have a car after being told our reservation with Avis was not on record, we left the Malpensa airport north of Milan and pointed the Audi in the direction of Stresa, our first stop.

The four of us, Bob and I and Bob’s twin, Dick, and wife, Polly, had spent a year planning these next eighteen days. Dick carried a stack of printouts from Mapquest and I had three AAA maps along with information from the internet about each place we planned to stop, Polly held tight to the Rick Steves books she’d borrowed from the library and Bob, well he came along for the ride, I guess. Oh, yes, he carried the credit cards.

Bob drove first, having had more recent experience with a manual shift than Dick. We were enjoying the countryside of northern Italy until we suddenly discovered Lake Maggiore was on our left rather than our right. Stopping at a gas station, we, who spoke no Italian, gestured and nodded and pointed to the map and they, who spoke no English, gestured and nodded and pointed in the air. Finally we said “Grazie” and just headed back in the direction we had come. Eventually it all straightened out. Maggiore was on our right again and the Best Western Villa Carlotta in Belgirate eventually popped into view around a bend just south of Stresa.

Weary and travel worn, we dragged our luggage into the lobby and were greeted by the manager behind the desk. His keen eye immediately told him he had four groggy Americans who would do anything for a bed and some rest. “I have to keepa your passaports,” he announced with a broad smile when Bob and Dick finished filling out the registration.

“What do you mean?” we all asked in unison.

“You want the key, I have to have the passaports. It’s the rule.” His smile broadened.

Now we all knew the first rule of foreign travel is never surrender your passport. By his smile, it was difficult to tell if he was kidding or if he truly meant what he was saying.

“When do we get them back?” Dick asked a bit frayed around the edges.

The man shrugged. “I give them back to you when you leave.”

We learned later that the Italian government requires a copy of the passport to be on file for each guest registering at a hotel. All he needed was a copy but he must have enjoyed playing with the Americans. I think we slept out of sheer exhaustion because none of us felt comfortable knowing our passports were in his possession.

The next day on our way out, we pursued the issue and he produced the passports, playing a “pick the right one” game with us. The humor was lost on us.

Books For The Road - A Lambing Season In Ireland

Often a resort or a ship will have a book exchange where you can leave a book and take a book. I love it! I've been introduced to several new authors through them. The latest, Maria Coffey, is a writer who teams up with her husband Dag Goering, a photographer and vet, to write about their travel adventures. A Lambing Season In Ireland, journals their stay in Chaersiveen in northern Ireland during the lambing season.

Coffey relates the story from her point of view which I found amusing at times as she tells of how she suddenly found herself assisting her vet husband, Dag, as he took care of ewe's and cows that were having a difficult delivery. Some of those stories are not for the feint of heart--make that stomach. But Coffey also engages the reader in the style and customs of the Irish countryside as she introduces you to the farmers and their families of the area. Mixed with a little Irish history and descriptive flora and fauna, the book is a delicious Irish stew. A great read for the traveler to Ireland or the stay-at-home who travels vicariously through reading.

(The book was published in 2001 and is available as "used" on Amazon. I had trouble finding it anywhere else, even the library. A bookstore might be able to order it for you. The publisher is McArthur & Co., Toronto, Canada)

Caribbean Misadventure - Part 3

Thursday, the skies over Grand Cayman brightened some. There were still leftover squalls but we were able to get some great dives in anyway. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Ocean Frontiers offers a night dive which Bob loves. Me, not so much. Since the day dives had been under clouded skies he had not yet had his camera in the water so he was excited about finally getting pictures with his night diving lights.

The video camera fits into a thick metal case made for diving. When we go through security at the Cleveland airport, we always allow for extra time because no one knows what it is so they run it through all the tests for explosives. Bob put it all together going through all the steps to secure the camera and make sure the seals were in place. After a light snack-dinner, he left for the Sunset Reef dive anticipating encounters with octopus, squid, lobster, and a host of other critters that come out to forage in the night.

Several hours later I heard the key in the door to the condo and Bob came in. My first question, "So? Did you get any good pictures?"

He held the camera up for me to see. The lense of the video camera was half filled with water. The housing had leaked. Murphy's Law struck again. If something's going to go wrong it will. We have yet to figure out what exactly did go wrong though.

The sun came out the next day. The diving got better. The week went on with some great dives even though we will have to rely on our memories rather than pictures. And last but not least, we were treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets we have ever seen in Cayman. Even the locals were taking pictures of it. Thankfully our land camera was still operational but it didn't capture the deep colors that God painted in the skies to say--it is well.

Wordless Wednesday

Caribbean Misadventure - Part 2

We choose to get away from the popular Seven Mile Beach area for our dive vacations and so from the rental plaza at the airport, we drove toward the East End of Grand Cayman. It's about a fifty minute drive and halfway along there is a nice IGA where we stop for groceries. It's a "vacation." I get to make breakfast and lunch and most nights we go out for dinner.

Groceries loaded between dive gear, we continued on to The Reef, our home-away-from-home for the week. Now after spending all that time and money on food supplies for breakfast, we discovered a new perk with our condo rental--free continental breakfast. Who knew? Not us.

As we settled in for the night, so did Tropical Depression-Soon-To-Be-Storm Nicole. The next morning, we awoke to thick clouds and frothing ocean and "liquid sunshine." Well, divers are all wet anyway so we donned our gear and headed out. The good news was that the boat could head for calmer waters on the north side. The bad news was that it was very dark overhead meaning we could have used the dive torch (flashlight) we'd left in the car.

Still, the diving in Cayman is good even under those adverse conditions. And it isn't everyone who gets to see fish sleeping in past their wake up time. Seriously. They were laying in little coves or flopped over rocks almost looking like they were dead but they were still asleep. Without the bright sun, they didn't know it was time to be up and about.

That evening we went out to dinner and watched a bank of storm clouds move in. Just as our waitress was handing us the check, a huge bolt of lightning crashed nearby. When our eyes adjusted again, there was no waitress! It was an unbelievable disappearance! We went inside and found her cowering under the bar. She recovered long enough to finish the transaction.

We drove back to our condo and settled in to watch some TV. Just as we found something to watch, the lights went out. Now let me tell you, it was dark! The moon was somewhere above Nicole I'm sure but it wasn't any help. Luckily we found the dive torch and we headed for the only spot in the resort that had light-the bar, of course. Somehow they were managing to mix drinks by a small light. I'm guessing they were getting creative. We were told it would be a couple of hours before the lights would come back on. While we used our flashlight to get back to our room, we passed others who were using their cell phones. Some were even texting and walking! Luckily the lights were back on in about an hour and we were good for the rest of the night.

After tons of rain that night though, schools called off the next day and so did the dive operation. Storms were blowing so hard that it wasn't safe to go out in the squalls. Ah, but our misadventures were to continue even when Nicole decided to leave town. . .

Caribbean Misadventure

When we booked our Caribbean dive trip for this year we knew that we were taking a chance on the weather in September. Of course who knew it would be a year of one tropical depression after another. A few years ago we had booked a trip in October and it was canceled due to Ivan but other years when we've gone to Grand Cayman in September, we've had great weather and been able to take advantage of package deals because of the season.

This year as the plane circled to land, the pilot said we were going to land east to west instead of the usual way, west to east. It must have been an omen although to look at the skies, you would not have guessed. The huge puffy white clouds with patches of deep blue sky were the usual fare and I thought nothing of it. We landed without problems, gathered luggage and headed for the rental car plaza. Now we were beginning to get into the unusual.

The parking lot in front of Thrifty, Avis, Dollar, and several off-brand car rental companies was also home to about a dozen chickens as best I could count. They weaved in and out of the way of the drivers renting cars--a pretty brave venture since most of the drivers were not yet used to driving on the left side of the road. As I sat on the curb and waited for our car, the rooster of the bunch got very friendly. I expected him to peck the camera at any moment.

Who knew that chickens would be an omen of things to come?

Sunday Worship Thought - What Do You See?

It is always amazing to me to get back to the dive boat after a dive and listen to the reports of other divers about what they saw. Some only see the larger fish like sharks, rays, tarpons, etc. Some report all sorts of crustaceans--lobsters, crabs, etc. Others see the tiniest inhabitants of the reef like arrow crabs, pederson shrimp, tube worms, juvenile drum fish, etc.

Of course there are also those who like to fabricate stories as well not unlike a good fisherman. "Did you see that hammerhead?" or "How about that whale shark?" As my husband says, if you don't have a picture of it, it didn't appear.

There are times though, a diver will come up and say they didn't see anything. Huh? I was on the same dive and the area we covered was the same--you don't wander terribly far from the dive boat. There was tons of marine life, corals both hard and soft, sponges of all colors and shapes and sizes, landscapes that were dramatic and unusual. . .I could go on. It's all in what you look for.

It's not too different from what we see in life. If we look for only the things we want to see, if we search constantly for the elusive, and if we overlook all the beauty that surrounds us only because it may not be what we think we want or need, we miss out on a lot of the good things of life--the things God has given that enrich our lives. If you get to that place in heaven and God asks you, "So, what did you see?" what will you report?

Books For The Road - Wonders Never Cease

A couple of weeks ago at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference author Tim Downs was our keynote speaker. The publishing house (Thomas Nelson) of his latest book, Wonders Never Cease, was gracious enough to give each of us at dinner that evening a copy of the new book. I was intrigued since I'd never read anything of his and I truly enjoyed his two presentations. I dove in.

Wonders Never Cease is the story of Kemp McAvoy who concocts a get-rich-quick scheme that involves manipulating the meds of movie star Olivia Hayden who is about to receive a visit from an "angel." Of course the experience is book material and the book is a runaway best seller before it even hits the bookstores thanks to Oprah. It has all the makings of a successful venture except for a little girl who sees real angels and a real angel who messes with the scheme of things.

The story is cleverly written and while quite sensitive in some spots, elicits smiles and chuckles in others. I loved the premise: You can't really believe in something unless you want to or allow yourself to believe. It is a light read that is entertaining, amusing, and leaves you satisfied.

Downs also writes a series of thrillers, the bug man novels, about a forensic entemologist who solves crimes by studying the bugs involved in the crime scene. I'm looking forward to some more good reading from him. Love discovering a new-to-me author!