A Glimpse of Gold and Glory

There are some days that are just better than others, and this was one of them! In the morning, it was hovering around 20 degrees, just barely cold enough to make frozen bubbles. So I took my golden implements along out, and I made some glorious bubbles.

My favorite implement was the snowball bush, or viburnum, painted with gold Rust-Oleum paint. The painted leaves and sparkle-teasel were very nice, but the feather was a waste of time; it wouldn't behave, it had no magic in it, so I simply tossed it.

The poppy seed heads didn't do what I hoped - I guess I had a vision in mind of bubbles perched atop them, all in a row, but my bubbles didn't do that, they would NOT perch, they crawled down the side and made a gloppy mess!

I did find a fingerprint, though, my first one ever, and you may see it in the extras. (Yes, it is clearly a fingerprint!) I have told you before about seeing God's handwriting etched in my frozen bubbles, appearing and disappearing. Now it's fingerprints. Go figure!

So that was the morning portion of our story. I went for my walk and showered and my husband and I headed down the pike for a family visit, via the Big Valley, by way of Couch's in McAlevy's Fort, where we had an outstanding hot lunch of fish fry (for him) and hot roast beef sandwich (for me).

We picked up 9 books at the book swap there, mostly westerns in paperback for my husband. He's been going through a "Smoke Jensen" and "The Preacher" phase, so we picked him up some Louis L'Amours to see if he'll like those too.

As we often like to do, we made a quick stop along the Juniata River, where the water was running high and green. T. Tiger got down on a rock along the river where he could view the current better. Well, guess what happened next: we've heard that in the olden days, there were brigands in these parts, but on this day, T. Tiger was ASSAULTED!

Well, this makes our second attack in just a few days, as T. Tiger and I were attacked by a dog in the Scotia Barrens the other day. I wondered later if the dog could SMELL the Tiger in my daysack. But I digress.

I had placed T. Tiger on a rock, and a thin, dark bug with wings (a Thug Bug?) walked up to him, and walked ON him and knocked T. Tiger over! I don't know if it was after his bling or what (yes, that's a fancy dragonfly necklace he wears), but T. Tiger came within inches of falling into the river and disappearing forever!!!! Yikes! And did I hear the bug exclaim, as it disappeared under the rock, "Two whiskeys is BREAKFAST on the river!"??? Maybe. . . .

Then we went to my mom and dad's house and my brother-in-law showed up too. And we hung out in the living room and talked and laughed and told stories and marveled at how things are these days, and complained about the price of gas, as we all must do, now.

My mom and dad were perfectly clear and in seeming good health and full of beans, as they say. And I got to hug my parents and kiss them and tell them in person that I pray for them every single day. And I sat and watched my mom's face from an angle and thought, again, how beautiful and strong and smart she is; has always been.

And just before we left, I asked my mom and dad to sit for a picture or two with me. And so my mom and I snuggled on the couch and waited for my dad to join us, as he was sorting through his wallet trying to find some card to show my husband.

Then, suddenly, my dad realized we were waiting on him, and he looked at the two of us sitting there, me and my mom. And he shouted, "Gimme my gals!" and grabbed us and sat on the couch with us for a photo which you may see in the extras.

But in that second before he sat down beside me, I was caught in the glance that passed between the two of them, my mother and my dad, age 91. They held each other in that glance, and big smiles passed between them.

It was a glance that I don't even have adequate words to describe, except to say that it was golden, like being unexpectedly caught in sudden sunshine, warmed by that love. (If my brother were there, he'd have said, knowingly, "There's still fire in the furnace!" with a sly smile.) People, look and learn. This is how you show love; a whole lifetime of love.

Well, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to go. So we said our good-byes and I love you's and hopped in the car to head home. We set out around 4 p.m., and were so glad to be going the OTHER way from all the traffic coming at us on route 322 through the Narrows, up to Lewistown, all the way to State College.

We looked it up when we got home because it was lots and lots of traffic, like after Arts Fest or after a football game. Bumper to bumper for miles and miles and miles, and even with two folks having a fender bender already on the side.

And we learned that it was the start of spring break, and everyone was leaving, leaving, and oh, the local roads always seem too small when that happens. But we were not inconvenienced, though we did marvel at it, and made it safely home!

So that was the story of our big day, which was full of gold and glory from moment one until the very end of it! Yay!

I have several photos and so I also have several songs. First is for the golden portions of this day: John Stewart, with Stevie Nicks singing back-up for Gold. The second one is for the family visit: Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles, with Who Says You Can't Go Home.

And finally, this one is for the loving look I saw pass between my parents, for there is love in this world that knows no end (I know there is for I have seen it): Live, with Forever May Not Be Long Enough, from The Mummy Returns soundtrack.