August 3-20

The first week of August, I began full time Van living as Hoosier temperature and humidity soared.  Ok, I parked the van, and slept inside when Brother and Sister-in-law welcomed me into their cool home.  Steve sanded and repainted RIVER’s fiberglass roof.  His inventive carpentry saved my sagging cupboards.  My packing put things in place AND on a packing list to find those items when needed.  Sometimes it works!

  Ongoing Grief Journey: 

     I had dinner one night with brother Steve and the next night with sister Barbara.  Our sibling check–in times have become less regular since Roger’s death.  For better or worse, we are who we are now and always have been: loyal and yet independent.  Having grown up surviving home life in our four various ways, we learned a great deal over this past year as we communicated about Roger’s care needs and how best to advocate for the choices about life that he was making.  Each of us loved him in our own way, and Roger knew it. We did an awesome job journeying together with the awful disease of ALS.  Each of us can move on, hearing the voice of Roger and the Holy One saying to each of us: “Well done, my good and faithful one.”     

I was honored to help celebrate the life of my friend Kate’s mom, in Urbana, IL and be a reminder in person of all the love and prayers sent from Oregon and Idaho.  I watched a movie on Rog and Nanc*’s porch then worshiped at North UMC in Indy before a little visit with Laura and Curtis in Franklin, Indiana.

Aug. 15-17, I met my first NOMADS.   These Indiana United Methodists have volunteered for YEARS, often helping at Indiana Church Camps but also all over the USA. Painting, building bunk beds, digging trenches, making curtains- the tasks are different at every project.  NOMADS (Nomads On A Mission in Divine Service) is a UMC group, providing Volunteer Service at various sites around the USA in trade: 3 weeks of RV site for 6 hrs per day, 4 day/ week service. I’ll be at Lake Junaluska NC over Labor Day & Clermont FL between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I invite you to check us out http://www.nomadsumc.org.