Recent Stuff

These are some random pics that were on my phone and I was clearing them.

First one was today 4/14. Had a pretty rough week last week so I took a maintenance day (that's adult speak for playing hookie from school - at my work we get 2 weeks worth!)

I walked to my old stomping grounds the Oceano Dunes Recreation Area. I know you couldn't tell just by looking at me but I used to be an ATV riding, mullet flying out of my helmet, I love the smell of two stroke gasoline in the morning kinda guy. It's been a long time since I jumped my friend's dad's sand rail out in the California desert, but I still remember I felt like Luke Duke jumping the General Lee!


This is a picture of dinner at my neighbor's (Phil & Megan). They cooked us BBQ'd Tri-Tip (notice the perfect red areas?), a wonderful root vegetable medley with delicately cooked mushrooms, oh and green beans served the only way I like veggies...w/ bacon!

I smothered my whole dish with the juices on the cutting board from the meat, is that bad?





Phil was good enough to brew me a decaf espresso to go with my deelish strawberry shortcake that my equally deelish bride put together.












Here are Josh and Maeve playing! I did a little forced perspective here so Maeve looks like a Giant compared to little hobbit Jason...who is actually sitting down.










Hope you like the pics. When I used to come up here to Oceano Dunes I was not a Christian, but I remember something in my heart being moved by the beauty and vibrancy of that area. The colors always seemed crisper there, the air so clear, and the sky a blue I had never seen. It may have had to do with the fact that I lived in a suburb of a suburb of LA. The colors there can always be described in shades of brown with a touch of smog.

When I went back there today I saw it again...the beauty and the vibrancy. And my heart was moved to worship, the God who had created all of it. I wonder about all the people who were there, camping and riding mechanized vehicles of all sorts, if they too were moved, without knowing why...I hope they will some day!

When we went to Phil and Megan's house, Phil kept saying, "Man I can't believe it took us 6 years to get together for dinner." Isn't that weird? Six years of going to the same church AND being neighbors and never getting together to share a meal. It's a sad comment on our busyness and how we take for granted that we can always do it another time.

Here's to having them over next! (Before another 6 years goes by!)