It is the Lord's Day

Began the day early with the Run Through Redlands. There was half-marathon, 10K and 5K (my race). I've been training the past month since the last 5K with friends, so I ran the first mile then a few short sprints here and there. Don't know my time yet, because I was looking at the wrong clock at the finish. But I did finish!

I'm hoping less than 45 minutes, which is the time I used to walk 3 miles.

Tom woke up with a headache and nausea, so he missed walking the Half-Marathon. Too much sun at soccer yesterday. He gets "sun sick" and I turn into a Mexican.

Then to church (after a shower and change) and now nap time!

Me, Sarah and her Dad, Dirk Isaacs

A full day

This morning was my first time watching Grant play soccer

half-way through the season.

Then I met the international graduate student

who was paired with me by the International Friendship Connection.

We liked each other immediately,

and are looking forward to becoming good friends.

Our first outing was the Redlands Garden Tour.

First there were flower specimens that were judged.

These are some Iris I would like to order for my garden.

Orchids

A little garden tableau.

Then we toured local gardens.

A beautiful side yard.

and backyard

Finally the day ended at the Redlands Symphony

listening to Rossini, Shubert, Schumann, and Kodaly.

Amazing cello concerto and woodwind solos.

Walking Redlands

Jeanette, Virginia, and I walked again today,

and I couldn't resist taking pictures of these beautiful homes.

A Craftsman with beautiful landscaping.

I've always loved curved homes.

Note to myself: build an arbor and plant Wisteria

over the East patio and South windows.

Tomorrow is the annual Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society garden tour. I love the old-fashioned name of our local garden club. Our bicycle club also has a great name: The Redlands Water Bottle Transit Company.

Three things

I've been trying to get into better physical shape by running a mile each weekday morning for the past month. Some days it's a struggle. Years ago when Tom was running a lot, I asked him why he liked it so much. He said, "Because it feels so good when I stop!" Yep, that's how I feel.

Today is TAX DAY. April 15th. The deadline for filing taxes, and I missed it. Legally. Filed for an extension. So taxes are still looming over my head. Gotta get those receipts in order!!!

Charisa, my college piano student, submitted one of her compositions for evaluation a few weeks ago. She was one of several who received the top score (5 out of 5) and was invited to play at the California Music Teacher's Annual Convention in Los Angeles July 2nd. I cannot say this has anything to do with my "exceptional teaching," because she does this all on her own. Nice work, Charisa.

Feeling teary and lacking energy today. I was suddenly teary in the card aisle of the Christian bookstore while choosing thank you cards for those who have been so kind to our family this past week. Even for Christians death is still the enemy because it separates us. Even though I haven't lived with my parents for 43 years, it is sad they are not around.

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Our church has contracted with a professor from the University of California, Riverside, (my alma mater) to teach this course in the hopes some of us will go overseas and teach short-term English classes to nationals as a help to our missionaries.

Tonight it felt like a university course! I've not taught in a school classroom nor prepared lesson plans. I'm feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. What was I thinking?

It's only week 3 of a 10-week course. I'll study and keep slogging through. Maybe it will get better. But I'm thinking 10 weeks isn't enough.

This morning we said "Goodbye" to my younger sister Faith and Doug

as they began their 2-day drive back to Seattle.

Ginger is staying on two weeks.

Even though I was exhausted, I wanted to attend our Monday morning Koinonia group, as today was the first day of a 13-week video study called, "The Truth Project." Very impressive. Today's penetrating questions were, "What is Truth?" and "Do you REALLY believe that what you believe is REALLY real?" I also learned that "Amen" means "truly." I didn't know that.

Then I came home and lied down on my comfortable couch drifting in and out of sleep from 12:30 pm - 6:30 pm. And I stayed there all evening watching a movie: "The Diary of Anne Frank." Okay, enough with the sobbing! I seem to have an endless supply of tears.