New Toy

Just purchased an iPad Pro 12.9 inch with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. I’ve saved up my blow money for it. I actually got it mostly for the bigger screen real estate and the larger keyboard for easier typing. I loved my little iPad Air, but this one gives a lot more space. I’m working on a book this summer that will be coordinated with illustrations and I wanted to be able to have the pictures side by side with my text as I wrote. I figure this larger screen will do the trick! It’s speedy, has great screen, and yet is still quite portable. 

Apple’s set up for transferring files is the essence of simplicity. Simply bringing the old iPad near to the new one, follow the instructions on the screen and in a matter of less than an hour, my entire content was transferred and my old iPad wiped clean for trade in. Slick!

And another Making the Case Conference is in the rearview mirror…

…but it was a great joy. Stellar line up of speakers, of course. Loud and joyous singing at Compline, Matins, the Hymn Sing and the Divine Service. Got to meet lots of new friends and catch up ever so briefly with old friends. I look forward to it every single year. It’s exhausting (to a native introvert like myself; lots and lots and lots of people time). And I’m tickled pink when it’s behind us and it mellows into memories. Here are some random pics:

Happy 41st to Us…

… and how is that even possible? 

That Was a Wonderful, Crazy Week

A true whirlwind. 

SATURDAY:  Leave Hamel, drive to Logan Ohio, so…

SUNDAY: …we can attend Emmanuel Lutheran in Lancaster for Pentecost. Was so blessed to hear our old friend, Mark Raddatz, preach and preside. Also to meet some fans of The Word Endures. Then the drive to Maryland.

MONDAY:..Memorial Day, we celebrated with Cindi’s sister Deb and many of her children and grandchildren, with Cindi’s sister Dee and family, and with Aunt Sandy. 

TUESDAY…Cindi and I enjoyed a Salvadoran lunch with my brother Joe’s widow, Peggy. Was so great catching up with her! Then in the evening, dinner and games with the Dillons, Quades, and Aunt Sandy. We played Farkle. 

WEDNESDAY…after rush hour, we headed down to Richardsville Virginia, the town my family was from. We visited with my sister and her family (including several of her great-great grandchildren). We always used to tell Sissy how much she looked like Grandma Bess (my dad’s mom). No more. She has become the spitting image of my mom! I visited family graves and my mom’s family’s home. Walked over to my brother Maupin’s widow’s home and was blessed to run into two of his children and one of his grandchildren. We visited for a while, but when the bugs started chewing on us, headed back to Sis’s screened in porch. We waited around to see if the whippoorwills would sing, but alas, they were silent that evening. We spent the night at a great Air B&B in downtown Fredericksburg.

THURSDAY…after a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Sis, Jimmy and great grandson Brayden, we headed back to MD, giving thanks many times over that we don’t live in this area anymore and convinced we could never do it again. Traffic insane! We had a quiet supper with the Dillons, Quades and Aunt Sandy.

FRIDAY…a trip to check out the Museum of the Bible. I was a bit disappointed. Not a lot of rare manuscripts on display at all. Lots of facsimiles. And even a Nestle Aland Greek NT under glass (????). Aunt Sandy joined us for dinner one more time and we got in a game of five crowns.

SATURDAY…long trip to Lauren and Dean’s. All was going smoothly till horrible accident closed the interstate for an hour before we got to Indy. Not sure, but suspect some of those in the crash perished. The ambulance came with sirens and lights and left rather quietly and not hurriedly with no siren. May the Lord have mercy on them all! We pulled into St. Paul’s Dieterich just after six and enjoyed a lovely visit with Herberts grandchildren and Lauren and Dean.

SUNDAY…after the Divine Service at St. John’s Dieterich, where my son-in-law Dean presided and gave out the gifts, we returned to parsonage for a late breakfast, and finally hit the trail for home. We got here about quarter to two, quickly unpacked, and ran over to the dairy to pick up yoghurt and fresh milk. I’m glad things are quiet for a couple days before our regular routine resumes. Tomorrow we’re heading out for dinner to celebrate our 41st anniversary.