Home, cherries and coffee shop presentations :)

Home...as in where I grew up.  John Day, Oregon...or more accurately Canyon City, Oregon.  Beautiful place - Mom and Dad got this house in 1969...I was 5 and they have done a lot of work to it :).  We slaved as kids - yes, I mean slaved.  I'm sure I did not like it growing up but today I'm okay with it.  I appreciate the work ethic.  The yard was a rock pit when we moved in, now it is lush, green and full of different kinds of flower gardens, a fish pond, a vegetable garden, trees and a hammock:).  Pure enjoyment.  My parents are doing pretty well - they are hard workers.  Perseverance must be in their genes, in their general outlook on life - just their overall attitude.   The house and the yard/property look good.  I'm impressed.  So that is good news to me...very good news.

Mom and a friend of hers wanted to go pie cherry picking today.  So we loaded up the buckets and drove about 45 minutes to Thompson's Orchards on the John Day River...beautiful place.  We picked for about an hour and had all 9 buckets full!  We got three different type of cherries and some apricots - yuuum!  Good times.  Came home and pitted the pie cherries because we are headed to Boise tomorrow to see my sisters and family.  Who can have a 4th of July without a cherry pie?...not our family :).  Mom made two cherry pies tonight.  It will be good to see everybody - it has been since November so a while!  

I did my presentation last Sunday - got some good questions and feedback...my favorite part was that my Aunt Sue came to see and hear me!  That was amazing...made me very happy.  I also got to see several people that I missed so it was fun all around.  I think it is going to work out that I do a presentation again here in John Day...looking like Sunday night at The Corner Cup - yep...you guessed it - a coffee shop!  So come on by:).

Have a great 4th of July...I am thankful for this country where my citizenship is.  It is a beautiful and inspiring world...I do love to travel,  serve and experience other countries as I have over the past year.  Last year at this time I was in Ethiopia...what a great path the past year!  Life is good, looking over the past year's experiences, people, and lessons I am still convinced that God is waaaaay better.  Take care and be safe to all of you:).

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