Welcome to Bruntsfield M.P., How May I Help You?

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Zoe's 4th Birthday

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Zoe grins it up at her 4th birthday. Extra pics on the flickr site. . . .

It's raining Blessings in Edinburgh!

It has been two weeks of well, I should just say it's been quite stressful and much uncertainty.

Dustin left for his first "away" trip for the week last week. This was fantastic for him but for me it meant that I was alone. Sink or Swim. It's a good thing I know how to tread water holding a brick above my head (thanks to that lifegaurd training in college) because that is what it felt like!

I was living day to day trusting that the Lord was going to bring someone by to help with the girls in the afternoon and of course He did. But to tell you the truth, trusting is a bit of a downfall for me. Okay, so if you know me, I like to have the details worked out.

Dustin got home on Friday after me being a single mum for a week (thanks mom by the way!) and when he asked "how was your week?" I didn't know if I should slug him or cry on his shoulder. I refrained from both just saying "we have to figure out a better solution with the girls".

On Sunday we were in church and Pastor Colin was talking about being in the centre of your circumstances and sometimes the circumstance is not going to change but that the Lord will penetrate right through that centre and go beyond. So, I gave it to the Lord. I prayed for God to provide in whatever way He saw fit. I promised to try to stop attempting to changing the circumstances but to allow Him to penetrate to the centre.

On Monday it was a bank holiday. Not for the UK, not for Scotland, just for Edinburgh. It seems there really is no reason for the holiday but just that people need a break. It was great to have no work or school for us all but that also meant that everything else to help us be productive would be closed.

Monday evening I went for tea with my North American Lady Friends. These women have become so dear to me and a huge encouragement in my journey. Denise is a Canadian who is just the "salt of the earth" type person. She came in with a wee paper and a phone number scrawled on it "Shayna 0131......." Denise shared that a friend of hers knew this girl who was looking for a job and had just finished up nannying for a family here.

I couldn't even drink my tea I was so excited! I tried to sit there and be a part of the group but I finally excused myself and came home to call this angel!

I was about 10 minutes into my conversation with Shayna when I realized I was having no problem understanding anything she was saying. Either I have gotten so good at listening to Scottish people or she was ....no could it be.....yes, she's American! Not that we were looking for an American but it was like finding another friend (which I pray is part of this blessing).

To make a long story a bit longer....Shayna came over on Tuesday, we chatted, walked to see each of the girls' schools and that was it. I knew that God had penetrated my circumstances! He had not only provided for me, he provided; a loving person who will love our girls, she's a Christian, she's a teacher and I am sure she is so much more! She and her husband are in the same boat,he's a post grad student and they are fully trusting God for all their needs.

What a blessing! Not to mention that a neighbor moved out and we got a microwave and a washing machine! Stephen and Rebecca Smith (dear college friends) are here to visit and see Scotland. Zoe had a great 4 year old birthday. I got to connect with Pastor Mike, Stephanie Haas, Marjorie Olsen, my younger sister Tiff and my mum and my sister in law Karalyn on the phone just in the last two days! God is good....all the time!

Glen Affric, Northern Highlands

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River Croe, North Highlands

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View from the Top, Looking Towards Skye

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Dust's Short List From a Week in the Highlands

• Rain


• 50 lb pack


• 50mph winds (leftover from Hurricane Maria)


• Midges (Scotland’s national bloodsucking insect)


• Wet feet


• Sunshine (on the last day)


• Summitting a Highland Peak


• Getting to know the people in my cohort


• Creation in her splendour (UK spelling!)

Check out photos on the flickr link to the right!    

Heads-up on Dust

A quick note to friends who might be expecting to hear from Dustin in the next two or three weeks. . . . don't expect too much!

I'm in the middle of my first week of school and already the work is starting. I've found that as a Masters Student in the OE programme, I'm not only expected to carry the full workload that any other Masters student would carry across the disciplines at the University; I'm also off-site half the time doing "competency" modules.

This makes for a very, very busy schedule of being in the wild, and then finding shelter to go to "regular" class, read from thick journals and write feverishly long papers (4,000 words with full citations according to the American Psychological Association). Mmm mm. Fun. This doesn't include the 20,000 word dissertation I'll be writing next spring/summer.

This means some important things:

I have a lot of fun outdoors in the Scottish Highlands for the next two months while the weather is good (ie. windy, rainy, but slightly warmer than the winter).

I will not have as much time to respond to some of you as I used to.

Pray for my safety. Pray for my family while I'm gone. And call my wife when you feel like it. She'll never turn down a phone call. She loves 'em!

Dust
PS STAY TUNED FOR COOL PICTURES ON THIS SITE FROM THE HIGHLANDS

And now we go to Janette on location in Edinburgh, Scotland....

I have now been working at Bruntsfield Medical Practice for two weeks and am loving it. It is a great job with many great people in a great location. More than that, I love it because it causes me to pray.

You see, when you are in a medical centre dealing with 12,500 patient's names, pulling files, putting files back, making appointments etc. I hear or see names all the time that cause me to think of people in my life. So, after a couple of days at work and my attention being drawn to many people (some a bit random) I decided to try something. Each time someone came to my mind I would say a little prayer for them. The first day I did this I tried to keep track of who and how many names I prayed for. After 38 I gave up and just prayed. So, you can pretty much bet that I am praying for you!

Other than the blessing of a good job, we had a wonderful weekend BBQ here with our North American (we have to include our Candadian friends too!) neighbors. Since we don't get Labor day off we did it on Sunday. It was really great fun to have everyone out in the gardens eating, talking and being "family" to one another. My friend Ann nominated me as the "social committee chair" but I graciously declined and said I was having a break from organized event-planning for now but would love to help. Go figure--me doing social events!

The girls both love school. Lily is now reading! Zoe is learning to spell her name in a new way since they don't say "zee" for the letter 'Z.' Instead, they say "zed" so now Zoe will say "my name is spelled "zed-O-ee" in her most distinguished "I know more than you" voice! I can't believe she is going to be 4 in a couple of weeks! She learned to ride her bike last week without ever using "stabilizers" (the British term for training wheels).

We are preparing for our good friends, Stephen and Rebecca Smith, to come and visit. It will come at a good time since they will be here for Zoe's birthday (they are one set of her god-parents) and for Dustin's first away-trip so I have some support.

Dustin started school today and I have not seen him so enthused about something in so long. He came home just like a little boy on his first day of elementary school wanting to tell me all about it--in detail!

Finally--I've found a place here in Edinburgh where I truly feel at home. It's amazing! When you step through the door, flash your membership card it's almost like being transported back to the states. Costco is everywhere isn't it!? We can even get those great muffins if we want! Try this out though, go to Costco, buy a load of stuff and push your "trolley" (British word for cart) out to the "car park" and realize, I took the bus here....I walked 1/4 a mile from the bus.....Costco doesn't "bag" the groceries and now what am I to do? Thankfully my friend Rachel was with me and we were able to split the price of a taxi! For just a "wee hour" I pretended I was back in Clackamas shopping.

Homesickness is a reality that I fight each day. I love my life here. I love my job. I love the routine my family is getting into but I don't love being so far away from all of you. So here's the solution...COME AND VISIT US!

Missing you, loving you and praying for you,
Janette

New Artist Links . . . . Songsters and Tellers of Truth

You have got to check these out!

Some new artist links of some of our favorite artists. . . . all of them share one thing in common: INTEGRITY. To the music, to saying it like it is, to their fans.

One sentence descriptions:

Bill Mallonee: Indie Americana Songster with a voice that grabs your t-shirt in a dark alley to remind you he's been hobo-ing on the Truth Train much too long to let you get away with "easy."

Aimee Mann: Deceptively smooth voice describes the depth of the world's emptiness but refuses to blow out the last candle.

Jars: No one sounds like them. That should be enough to listen.

POD: Front-line, hard-core--blasting the rock-rap before it was cool--warriors who will be reggae-ing the globe when it becomes cool. They write songs for fighting, and we all need a little of that.

You'll need Quicktime or Windows media player for the POD site, but its worth it. You'll also have to wait for the download, but then a real treat: watching them record with a Hasidic Reggae artist. They claim their new album coming out late fall, "Testify," will be the album of their career. BIG CLAIM. But these guys have always backed up what they say with action. They're being produced by the same guy who gave Alanis Morrisette her jagged little pill.

Enjoy.
D

Word Verification for Comments

If you're leaving a comment on a post in the main column, you'll notice there's an extra step called "word verification." I hate extra steps!

But we've been getting spammed in our comment columns by computers leaving stupid advertisements. . . . can you believe it?!!

So please bear with the extra step. It keeps this site clean from robots (and businesses), and only allows humans (and friends) to speak.

New "Tag Board" on this Blog:

There’s a little box (called a “tag board” or “chat box”) in the sidebar to the right where you can write general comments or messages to the Kunkel Fam or other friends!  

Please be aware that we may not be able to write back, but we WILL read them.  

The “tagboard” is a great little invention to increase a sense of community on this site.  Is that really possible?!!  Community through computer screens?  I’m not so sure about it, but we’ll give it a try.

Give it a shot. . . . say what you think. . . . make a comment. . . . begin a discussion with others . . . . (We retain the right to remove any “offensive” material from the board).

Happy bloggage!

A New Link!

For those who are actually interesting in this kind of thing. . . .

I've created a site to handle the stuff I'm working on regarding the wild, boys and men who like to be in it, and the stories we tell.

You can click on the new link in the right column called "Hero Tracks" and read the first piece.

Sometimes, you have to tell yourself what you really think. . . . write it out so you can see it. . . . that's what this was all about. I needed to figure out my philosophy, and this is my first shot at it. Some of you may recognize the story from another article I wrote, but its changed a little.

Out of this, I hope, comes a direction in research. And out of that comes, I hope, a perspective that encourages and strengthens boys and men within their families and communities.

There you go! No more of that on this "family" site. But if you're interested, check it out.

Dust

Where we live. . . .

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

The apartment complex where we live is easy to spot from the top of Arthur's Seat. It is shaped like a crescent (or horseshoe)and is a little bit away from the top right corner of this picture.

When I go for a run, its usually from there and around the park road that circles Arthur's Seat.

If you imagine the picture spreading to the right, you get a view of the castle and the old town area.
Dust

Some New Links In the Right Column

Check out some new links in the right column. . .

After hearing from a friend who took my "Magnolia" suggestion and tried watching the film and was disgusted, I put a link to a review that has other people's thoughts about the film as well. I love what the film has to say about forgiveness, and the truth that no one is lost no matter how depraved. But to make that point, you have to watch the first part of the film to see the depravity--it's a set up. I stand by what the film says and believe it says it unlike anything else I've watched in my life.

Also. . . .

New links to some books I've read lately:

"Bono on Bono" is a must read for anyone interested in the developing world's nations and what we're doing since Bono is on the forefront of that. However, he's an amazing poet and artist and to use Bob Dylan's words, "Spending time with Bono is like eating dinner on a train--feels like you're moving, going somewhere. Bono's got the soul of an ancient poet and you have to be careful around him. He can roar 'til the earth shakes. He's also a closet philosopher."

Well said, Bob!
Dust

Kite Chasing

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

There was a guy flying a kite on top of the hill. It's out of sight in this picture, but the girls had a lot of fun chasing it around and almost leaping off the edge of Arthur's Seat!

It was a beautiful day.

The Fam on Arthur's Seat

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

We finally made it up Arthur's Seat! Lily and Zoe were troopers and made it up without too many rest stops. You can see the entire city of Edinburgh, and we took a bunch of pictures.

If you're interested, click on the "Get Kunky Pics Here" link on the right and watch the slideshow under "Views from Arthur's Seat."

D & J on Arthur's Seat

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Lily took this picture. Not bad, eh?!

Miss Independance!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

I knew this day would come....I just didn't think that it would be today. I guess I was thinking maybe on her wedding day or perhaps dropping her off to college but today--the first day of Primary One? We got up this morning early because Lily was so excited for school. We got to school, met the teacher found her coat peg, her cubbie and all the first day of "big" school stuff when Lily kissed each of us and said "okay, you can go now." I couldn't believe it, my own daughter, my "baby" was telling me to leave. I don't think there is any way that a "mum" can prepare herself for the flight of her first little chick but what did I expect, we raised her to be an independant girl and she is!

Needless to say Lily in her little school uniform, pink backpack and lunch sack had a great day and was eager to hold my hand once school was over. Hopefully she'll want to hold my hand for years to come.

Janette

Zoe's First Day at Nursery (Preschool)

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

The University Nursery is just around the corner from our flat. Lily is hugging goodbye to her sister here. Notice the matching red shoes! Zoe had a wonderful time and has already made numerous friends. The nursery is incredible, and has a HUGE backyard space with lots of fun kid stuff to do (garden, sandbox, swings, toys, games and more). Lily starts her first day at Preston Street Primary in two days. MORE PICTURES ON THE FLICKR SITE WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

Zorro

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Hallo. . . My name is Mini-Zorro. You WILL let me mark you with a "Z!"

Of Guitars, Harmonicas, Street-Singing and Curious Dogs

I went downtown today and played my guitar and harmonica and sang for about 3 1/2 hours non-stop. A LONG time to do that kind of thing. (Sorry, no pictures. Janette and the girls stayed home for the regular Monday "tea time" with the women at the flat) The Kunkel family is extremely tight on the finances these days--girls need school uniforms, we all need to eat, and the student loan was held up because of some computer or technical issue. So I decided to go use the only real skill I've got and make a few "quid" for the fam. I can't carpenter, plumb, or lawyerize. But I can play the guitar and harmonica, and sing.

It's not something I necessarily really wanted to do -- stand on a street with my guitar case open and 100's of people walking by, most of them not stopping to listen or even look.

How do you give away something precious when people won't stop to receive it?

But I sang and played anyway, watched the people walk by, literally every color and size and type of person you could imagine under the sun. . . .

The children would always look. Many would want to stop and listen, if even for a little bit. Some parents would relent and stop with their children. Most would pull them along--"we have something to do, somewhere to go. . ."

I got into the groove, and fell into "the zone" which is a wonderful place to go-- the music and song swell within you and you just ride the wave of the tune and the feeling in it, and you reach out with it to anyone who goes by. I'll always enjoy that, no matter where I'm at.

But I noticed something interesting: I got money from very few people. And of those who gave, none of them dressed rich, or well, or looked like they had much to give.

There were people eating on the sidewalk at two restaurants nearby. Many of them sat there for over an hour eating and listening to me play. Most of them gave nothing.

A young woman was sitting with her friends, and I could tell she was listening intently. In fact, she started mouthing the words to the Alison Kraus song, "When You Say Nothing At All," when I sang it. I couldn't believe it! I didn't think there would be anyone who knew that in Edinburgh.

She came over as they were leaving, and in her hands were two apples and 1/2 of a russian chocolate bar. She said, "I have no money left. But would you take these?"

I said, "Yes. I have two daughters who'll love the apples and chocolate."

She smiled and put them in the guitar case next to the few pence people had thrown in.

I said, "Cheers." (for those who don't know, a term used loosely in the UK for everything from saying thanks to goodbye to excuse me)

I played a lot of harmonica with the songs, just because for the average passer-by it adds so much to a tune. . . . that, and I love doing it anyway. As I got more and more tired, and it seemed that more and more people were walking by not paying any attention, I got more and more bluesy.

This culminated in a rip-roaring rendition of an old bluesy rock n' roll tune that I cut my teeth on when I taught myself to play the guitar at age 14. The infamous "I'm going to Kansas City."

My favorite line is singing, ". . . they've got some crazy little women there and I'm gonna get me one."

By the time I was done with that, my fingers were like pieces of raw meat and had passed beyond the "oh man it hurts bad" stage. They just throbbed. The beer that people were drinking at the outdoor tables looked really, really good. I'd forgotten to bring water.

A bum came rambling up during the next song, with his dog. He was drunk. The bum, not the dog. But the dog--a cute little half-grown mutt of some kind--started sniffing at my harmonicas on the ground to the right of my feet. I slid over, still playing and singing, and pushed the harmonicas between my feet. I like dogs. I don't like dog slobber on my harmonicas.

The bum stood--swayed--next to me and kept offering me a cigarette from a pack that was empty because he was smoking the last one. I kept nodding at him, but I decided the song was too good to just stop. A young couple over at the cafe were pulling out their camera. The dog started sniffing in the guitar case. I was thinking to myself, as I kept time on the guitar and leaped into the harmonica bridge, "Please don't throw up or pee in my case." When a dog has to pee, it can happen suddenly. You know, the old "mark my territory" quick lift. . . . He didn't do it, but he did stick his nose in the case and snozzle it.

The couple at the cafe took a picture, laughing.

They didn't put any money in the case either.

And the bum and his pup tottered off. The pup wanted to stay, but for the sake of the guitar case (and the health of the pup) I'm glad they went.

It was an interesting day.

At least I didn't get rained on.

And I made minimum wage (5 pounds an hour) for doing something that I love to do--at least, I think I love to do it on a sidewalk with people walking by and dogs eagerly trying to do something illegal in my guitar case.
Dust

The Sides and Kunkel Families (minus Lily and Zoe)

The Sides and Kunkel Families (minus Lily and Zoe)
Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

We had a wonderful visit last week with the Sides. They were traveling through Scotland and England on holiday, and spent a few days in Edinburgh. We ate many great seafood meals (I highly recommend the Chili Mussel Pot--at least 30 mussels!), talked and walked together, "musuemed" together, and had a grand old time. Thanks Jim, Sharon, Brad and Doug for the wonderful memories!

"Famine or Feast" (A.K.A. "For Poorer or Poorer!")

14 people interviewed. . . .

1 chosen. . . .

We just got the call today: Janette has work as an administrative receptionist and assistant at a large medical clinic!

Incredible--considering most businesses here will hire a native Scot over a North American. Incredible--considering there were many, many applicants, and still many interviewees.

The phone rang, but I was in the other room in thanks and praise listening and agreeing with the song on the stereo in the kitchen:

". . . . Famine or feast,
I'm on my knees.
Lookin' for the answers
To things I can't see.
In times of jubilation,
Or waiting for release,
Time we all pray to the Lord--famine or feast.

You may say,
time to pray
is every now & then.
I tell you twice,
Jesus Christ--
He's no fair-weather friend.
He ain't no fair weather friend."

Steve Wiggins says it much better than I could. He was singin' the words and backin' it with some old-school rock n'roll, and I was hollerin' along, and the phone rang and Janette went to answer it, and she got the job.

Famine or feast.

One thing we're learning is that God isn't a fair-weather friend.

We don't need to be either.

We praise Him for Who He is and thank Him through all things. And ALL things means famine as well as feast.

I told Janette the other day, "I'll bet you didn't realize when you said 'for richer or poorer' you were agreeing to this."

She just smiled at me.

"Yeah," she answered, "For poorer or poorer would be more accurate."

Famine or feast, my friends.
Dust

PS. What this new job does for us, in case you were wondering about the hard numbers, is that we still need about $500/month to meet our minimal budget. But that's much better than what we needed before Janette got the job!

The Fam Again. . . .

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Read the picture notes below this one to see where we are!

The Fam Overlooking Old Town

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

We went out for a little picnic with the girls and some friends today. Calton Hill overlooks the entire town and you have great views of the Queen's palace at Holyrood, Arthur's Seat, The Crags, Old Town, The Castle and the Firth (Bay) of Forth. It was a little windy, but we've come to understand this as normal!

Daddy-Daughter Day

A few days ago I took each daughter (separately) on what has come to be known as "Daddy-Daughter Day."

Components of a D.D.D.:

Walking

Holding hands

Going into any store she chooses

Buying sweets (candy)

Drinking hot chocolate

Eating at least one ice cream cone

Talking

Riding for at least half the time on Daddy's shoulders (Zoe has a habit of exclaiming to passers-by, "I'm taller than you!" as we walk by them)

Handling dresses and picking up ballerina outfits and using words like "Oooh," and "Wow!" and "You make that dress look incredible."

Pointing out weird people to each other

Dancing at least once to a bagpiper (there's one on most corners downtown these days)

Staring into each other's eyes and saying "I love you" every chance we get.

The great thing about Edinburgh is that you don't have to load into a car to go to a mall to experience time with your daughter!

You just walk and talk and window shop and enjoy each other.

With that said, its amazing how different the two of them are.

Lily was all about checking out the stores with beads, bracelets, earrings, head bands, dresses and so on.

Zoe just wanted ice cream, and the topic kept coming up every minute or so until we got some. Of course, by then, she had also eaten fries, so the ice cream sat in the cup, melting slowly, slopping all over Dad's hand as he carried it through the crowds hoping that she would want to eat it at some point--every parent hates to waste an uneaten ice cream!

I often wonder what Dads can give little girls. According to many people these days, we're not really necessary. Little girls can get along without us.

But. . . .

Who would run out to the playground and threaten bodily harm to the child that just pushed you over? Mom? She would look funny doing it.

Who would sweep you off your feet and hold you in a crowd of strangers and tell you, "Its okay. I've got you"?

Who would look at you and say these precious words: "YOU make that dress look beautiful!"? (not, "that dress makes you look beautiful.") After all, I've seen you running around like Eve in the garden, and you ARE beautiful without any dress at all.

Who would carry you for hours on his shoulders when you're tired?

Who will grab you as you fall from the bike, a 1/2 second before your knee scrapes across the pavement?

Who would take the brunt of life squarely on his chin so you can play with your friends, go to school, make 5-hour long phone calls, and do all the other things that little girls do?

Who will be the mirror -- by patient presence reflects your inner beauty back to you. A beauty not built on what boys think, or built on what the World tells you you should be, or even what your friends think about you. . . .

I'm not patting myself on the back.

More like reminding myself that my purpose is essential, not secondary. Mom builds the shelter and the roof of love in your life. But I'll be the foundation. And because I'm just a silly, absent-minded man, I forget that sometimes, and need reminding.

So here's to Daddy-Daughter Day!

And all the daddys out there makin' it happen, or any daddys that need a little remindin'.

Dust

Overheard. . . .

On the phone with her friend from Oregon, Lily tells her:

"We went to the Queen's palace. . . well, we only saw half of it, BUT we saw her real sword and her real crown and her real scepter. And the scepter still works!"

We're Online Again!

There was much rejoicing today when the modem finally arrived . . . . no more buying a coffee or tea at the cafe to pay for the "free" wi fi. . . .

There is some new stuff for you to check out, if you're into the Kunkys:

1. Check out the flickr site (picture link to the right) and see new pictures as well as "sets" which are groups of pictures with a common theme. You can even watch them as a slide show.

2. Both companion sites to the this one have new posts (see the right column for the links)

3. Lift up thoughts and prayers for Janette who has experienced a mysterious rash on her arms and legs--very painful and keeps her up at nights--for over two weeks now. She's trying some new allergy meds and hopefully that will help, but prayers are always better and more effectual!

4. Lily rode her bike yesterday for the first time, with pedals. Dust took off the pedals when we first got it, so she learned to balance and use both brakes going downhill before she ever pedalled. The amazing thing is that once the pedals were on, she was riding within 10 minutes because she had the balance-thing down!

Still waiting for home internet service!

A quick update for anyone who's checking this site regularly:

We've found that it takes much longer here to set up internet than in the States. We're still "in process" and hopefully will be much more able to update the site and blog some more photos in another week or two when we're connected in our flat.

Until then, stay tuned, and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Jan's looking for work and I'm meeting with all the university people in the different departments to make sure things are ready for the term when it begins. That and having a pint every now and then!

There's no escaping it--there's a pub on every corner, it seems!

The good news is that we live very close to "Arthur's Seat," the extinct volcano at the heart of the city, and I'm working off the extra carbs on runs around the hill.

Peace!

Dust

Tea Party Ministry

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

These are friends of Lily and Zoe. . . .

Countries represented: Zambia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia!

The girls had a wonderful tea party and Daddy played his guitar by request and chidren of all faiths sang "followin' da mastah" and "God is big" and "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."

Go figure. All this in our little apartment building which has families from all over the world engaged in postgraduate studies.

Dancin' to the Pipes!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

This piper was amazing--and loud!

Lily kicked off a spontaneous dance and we couldn't help taking pictures.

She was doing a fair impression of the scottish jig, and more people stopped to watch and throw money in his case!

On the Castle Walls

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Jan and the girls on the castle walls overlooking Edinburgh. You'll find a bunch of panoramic pictures of the city on the flickr site. . . .

Unbeknownst to us, this same day but later in the evening, J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter books fame) showed up at the Castle to huge fanfare, red carpet and screaming kids to kick off the sale of her latest installment. Read about it in the paper the next day. . . .

Short Thoughts on Arriving In Edinburgh

The following is an excerpt from my journal three days after we arrived in Edinburgh. . . .

And then finally, the descent into Edinburgh, and looking out over the left wing of the plane and seeing in the distance all the landmarks we’ve read about and studied for so long: the great fortress on the Hill (castle Edinburgh) and Arthur’s Seat, the volcanic leftover that heaps above the town. Walking through customs and not having to do a thing. . . . incredible surprise and joy! Whatever we had to do was done in Dublin when we entered. Catching two taxis because we had so much stuff, and the warm welcome we got from the elderly taxi driver who wouldn’t leave the girls in the rain with the luggage until I got there with the keys for the apartment (I had to stop at the housing allocations office). He then proceeded to tell us over and over that he thought we should not go to IKEA tonight because it was already getting late but that there were other stores in the area that we could get a few things at until tomorrow.

Of course, there’s no stopping Janette, who once she’d put her feet down in the flat, moved a couple of beds into different positions and smelled the air and declared it needing some freshener led us down the street to the bus stop and with Jodi’s help found the bus to IKEA that sits 20 miles south of town. We were in—wandered around like rats in a maze, following arrows, is this the right way honey?--and back home in a four hours with bedding and necessities and fell asleep at 9PM Edinburgh time. I’d still be sleeping if Lily and Janette hadn’t conspired together to rise at 3 AM!

The city: how best to describe it? We have spent days looking at it online and in guide books preparing to be here. We knew the names of streets and buildings and neighborhoods and even some of the history before we ever got here. But then, on the ground, its entirely different. The weight of the centuries and the heaviness of the cobbled streets and the soaring steeples and chimneys and gables give the entire city a presence like none other I’ve been in.

It’s a tangible weight that envelopes you, and you realize you’re finally IN the city--but its getting IN to you. Every street you look down is a vast treasury of beauty. Every where you look you’re utterly surrounded by curves and angles and shadows and stone and depth and this great weight that a mighty city carries like a heavy mantle, a personal presence. THAT’s my first impressions.

The brogue? I’m already starting to sound like them, my African ears catch the tones and ups and downs of the speech, but I have to admit its more musical than any language I’ve heard so far. Reminds me of the James Taylor line from one of his songs: “to me the words are nice the way they sound.” I catch myself not listening for content but listening instead to the rise and fall and harmony of words in the native Scots.

Dust

You Know You're In Scotland When. . . .

(I'm sitting in the coffee shop again and have a quick moment to throw something on the blog and I thought this was most appropriate. We should be online from our flat sometime early next week. Until then, enjoy this. . ..)

* You are standing next a middle-aged gentleman in the grocery line and he's wearing a polo shirt. But it's not just any polo shirt. The little crest over his heart says this: "Royal Musselburgh Golf Club. Established 1774" Yeah, a golf club older than the United States of America!

* Your daughter says to a man standing on the sidewalk, "Nice kilt." To which he winks and says, "Its a good thing she didn't call it a skirt."

* Your other daughter gets into the back of a taxi and looks up at the front left seat (in which no one is sitting because the driver is over on the right side) and says, "who's driving the taxi?!"

* You ask for a pound of cheese and get cheese that costs a pound.

* You plug your computer into the wall through two adapters and still end up blowing out the speakers.

* You go for a "drive in the country" and stop by a little country church in the middle of some farmer's field--and find out that it was built in 1550.

* You walk into a cigar shop and ask the question (foolishly): "which ones are the Cubans?" to which the proprieter answers with a little bit of a smile, "Sir, they're ALL Cubans."

* Your kitchen is plumbed for your washing machine.

* When you finally get that when people are walking up to you and saying "HiYa!" they are not getting ready to judo chop you, but are just saying "Hi!"

* When the Whiskey smells like old socks and the sea.

* "Going to the Post" means you are actually paying every bill you've got, picking up some milk and fruit, getting cash, finding a paper, AND mailing your letters.

* The beer is flatter but better.

* You can tell native Scots by the sweat pouring off their brow and nose, the red cheeks and the swearing at the heat--in 70-degree weather.

There's lots more, but this will have to do. Hope you enjoyed! This has all been part of the adventure of getting used to living here!
Dust

Ubiquitous Scottish Phone Booth Pic

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Yeah, we had to do this. After all, its one of the icons of culture on this island.

We Made It!

A quick post since I'm sitting in a free wi fi coffee shop. We are waiting for internet to be set up in our flat, so you won't hear from us as regularly on this site for the next couple of weeks.

SUFFICE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN CARED FOR BY OUR FATHER IN WAYS THAT SURPASS IMAGINATION ALREADY! THERE'LL BE MUCH MORE IN OUR NEWSLETTER COMING OUT WITHIN THE NEXT 4 WEEKS OR SO. . . .

We'll be adding more impressions of our time here once we have better access to the internet.

For now, I've uploaded all the pictures we took the first week we were here onto the flickr website.

Click the link to the right for "kunky pics" and check them all out.

You can even copy and save your favorite picture of us and put it on your computer desktop!

Peace!
Dust

Downtown with the Fam

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Here we are sitting on the big relief map of the city. The Royal museum of Art is behind and on the right. You can see the University of Edinburgh's school of theology above the grassy mound in the background. Can you tell Mum and Dad are still dealing with jet lag? Kids are doing fine though!

12/1 Blacket Avenue!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Here we are at our favorite street crossing in Edinburgh--the corner of Dalkeith and Blacket Avenue--we live just a few yards down the avenue in a big married student housing apartment (flat) complex. There's shopping, post, a huge swimming pool, Lily's school on Preston street, and more all within a few blocks!

The List!

Over the last three weeks we made a big loop through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, a little bit of Montana, back through Idaho and then to Oregon. 1000's of miles in a truck that grunted like a tired buffalo.

I've tried and tried to write about the last 3 weeks and can't find words. I've sat down 3 times at the computer and don't even know where to start, so I'll just make a list:

We saw. . . .

friends.

We saw family.

We saw . . .

sunsets

and mountains

and tears

and smiles

and rivers and trouts

and birthday cakes

and batman begins and cinderella man

and stars

and darkness

and ponderosa trees like great columns in the cathedral of the forest

and sisters and wives flyfishing for the first time--oh, what a sight!


We heard . . . .

laughs

and cries

and chuckles

and bad jokes

and prayers

and one million "are we there yets?".


We felt . . . .

arms around us,
horse noses cold in the early morning,
the silky touch of a daughter's hair,
the rough embrace of more than one cold river,
the tightness of the sun's warmth on our skin,

And the breeze, oh, the June breeze blew gently most days.

We felt the Spirit gently working in each of you, and changing us too. Gently guiding us into Jesus' love.

We tasted . . .

good beer and better wine and clear water
and probably too many Mcdonald's happy meals and soft-serve ice cream,
and Momma's home-made enchilada casserole,
Ghanaian groundnut soup and rice balls
and Grandma's snickerdoodles and pies and fresh, fresh, cantelope, Graham's home-made Italian cream sauce, and steak and BBQ and . . .
tears.

We drove and laughed in the truck, listened to dear friends and family, and found this to be true: when you're "members of one another" in the Body of Christ, the encouragement and help goes both ways.

Thanks friends for delightful days of rest and evenings filled with conversation that mattered.

What a joy!

And now. . . .

EDINBURGH.

Note: Read through the Archives

By now many of you will have received a "friend raising" letter from us. Maybe you're checking out the blog for the first time. . . . the format is basically like a journal or diary (with pictures) with our favorite links in the right hand column, but don't get caught in immediacy and think the "most recent" blogs are better than ones in the archives. . . . In some ways, the date stamp has nothing to do with our blog other than to give you an idea where we're at (give or take a week!).

One of the fun (and helpful) things about a blog is that you can sift through the journal entries like digging through old pages in the attic, reading sentences that shine beams on other sentences in other entries until you begin to get a good picture of what the person was all about.

If you've got the time, and want to learn about us, the only thing better would be to pop into our flat in Edinburgh for a cup of tea and a visit.

And by the way, God's blessed us with an extra bed, so feel free:)
Dust

Daughter Jenni Hope

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

We got to see our "daughter" Jenni (from when we worked at The Shepherd's Home) on our visit to McCall. She's now working as a Heli-Rappeller for the Forest Service in the Idaho wilderness. That means when there's a fire, they drop her on a line from a helicopter to put it out! Crazy! Lily and Zoe were SO excited to see her. We're incredibly proud of her for overcoming her fears and doing it. . . . even more thankful that God is opening her heart to His love.

Jan and Sis's

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Janette and her sisters: Cheri on the left, and Tiffany on the right. They had a wonferful time pedicurizing (is that a word?!) in Mom's tub.

Hangin' with our sis'

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Lily and Zoe hangin' with their "big sis'" Jenni Hope. They had loads of fun with her in McCall, and hope to see her soon in Scotland!

Checking in. . .

We're back in Portland, able to check email again for a little bit, and upload pictures from our journey this last month. We have 4 days and then . . . climb on a plane and fly to Scotland. . .

Its hard to express what a wonderful experience it has been. Each stop along the way with friends and family was a universe of wonders. Where to start. . . ? The writing of it would take too long even if we were to summarize what each of you has meant to us. We WILL share some highlights soon to come, but until then. . . .

How about pictures, which supposedly "say a 1000 words." Check them out on the flickr account and notice Lily and Zoe--they're smiling. They had a great time! When your children are enjoying the adventure, you can too!
Dust

Adventure With Us Through Our Pictures

Those of you who want to follow our adventure and have the web capability, just click on the link to the right titled "Get Kunky Pics!"

The flickr account gives us the capability of uploading and storing ALL our digital pics. You can look at the latest, or click on the "tags" to search for something particular.

We'll be updating the pictures often as we travel and live (of course this depends on having internet access, but we'll try our best).

All of them are "downloadable" so if you find something that you want to print out or put on your computer desktop, please do so. We figure it's a great way for you to remember us, and feel as if you're a part of what's going on in our family.

Peace!
D&J
PS we've been out of 'net range lately, but there'll be some new posts added to the site soon. stay tuned. . .

Hangin' out with G.G. (great grandma)

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

This is me (Zoe) hangin' with my G.G. She loves to read to my sis and me, and we love to listen. . . well, actually, sis loves to listen. I like to run and jump, so this is a picture of me thinking about running and jumping. But they're reading.

The Microwave VCR Shirley Temple-Powered Car

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Here she sits in all her beauty. . . the car that Zoe, Lily and Papa built. Is it a real car for kids? Is it a work "found" art, created from the innards of an old microwave oven and running on the old vcr that died with "Best Hits of Shirley Temple" in it? Is it whatever two little girls decide its going to be when they climb onto the driver's seat? Fly away Lil' and Zo'.

I Love Orange Paint!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Zoe had an incredible time painting her "car" that Papa Dan built out of wood and the remains of an old microwave and vcr. We couldn't decide what the girls enjoyed more: tearing up the microwave with papa or building the car or painting it.

Happy 5th Birthday Lily!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Happiness is a new doll!

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Thanks Linda for the wonderful gift!

The Fam

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Originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

At Dawn's Grad. Open House

Friendship. . . .

There's no way we can name all of the people who should be in the following post. . . If you've ever done something for us, or helped us, or stepped up for us without being asked, this ones for you. . . .

Here's a quick "shout out" to great friends who've shown lately that "friendship" is all about doing things for you without being asked:

The Behnkster for giving us the chance to get away. . .

Todd and Shari McKay for the keys that opened up a week of rest. . . .

The Dickster for being yourself. If only I was half as cool. I'd start slicking my hair back but I'm not worthy.

Matt for a ride from the airport and movie nights!

Mike for taking a chance with me as the DCE, even if I wasn't one officially.

Brenda, for a shot at musical stardom from my humble beginnings at The Rabbit Hole, and. . . for everything else you've done.

Dave Forsythe asking to care for my guitar--and trade me one of his that has a strong travelling case while he watches mine. Dave, I have to say, it hurt a little to give up Ya to you . . . but I couldn't think of a better man to play my guitar, keep her safe, and treat her with the love she deserves. Thanks for the loaner too. A Taylor isn't too bad a trade!

Troy and Tania for throwing a great party. . . . opening their home to a bunch of crazies. . . . and loaning a truck how many times? You HAD to get tired of hearing, "Uh, do you think I could borrow the truck this weekend?!!"

Mike and Denise, Brent and Karen, Jim and Sharon: for great conversation, free meals, and lots of laughter. When I think of you I smile and hope for more. . . . I think that means we're friends. Either that, or I really like to eat free food!

Linda Forsythe for painstakingly creating two Raggedy Anne dolls out of fabric and thread for the girls. I heard you started working on those in 1992.

Val for the great memory book (and all of you who put your words of encouragement in there)--thanks!

Carter for the mechanic's poem that made me almost soil my drawers. . . not only was it witty, it was deep. It was poetry.

Boryska and Steele womyn for watching Lil' and Zo' while we did the graduation open house thing for our youth.

Dawn and the Pegnone's for playing and swimmin' with the girls.

Phil and Patti for lovin' and livin' with us!

Miriam for a vision that gave me the picture I needed to stand firm for Jesus.

Jodi who calls often, sends cards, and does little "I love you" things all the time.

Thanks all of you. . . . and those who aren't in here. . . you know who you are.

Good friends are hard to find.

But you have made it easy.
(Dust)

Is this Scotwind?

This is the question we get from Zoe each time we pack the car up and drive to somewhere else. Then we exlain we have to get on a plane to go to Scotland. When we go to bed at night she asks "will I sleep here tomorrow too?"

Only three more weeks to go....Where we have been over the last week.....

After leaving my mom's in Eugene we headed for Bend. Some great friends from Trinity gave us their vacation home in Sunriver to stay in so we were in the same place for three nights. We had great time with my (Janette) Dad and his wife Phyllis. I call her my step-monster but the truth be told, she is really caring, loving and a lot of fun to be with not a monster at all!

Highlights from Bend with the McMurran's:

*Having them over to "our place" for dinner.

*Dustin taking the girls fishing and teaching them how to cast.

*Our 15 mile family bike ride (pulling the girls in a trailer).

*Janette and Phyllis time--lunch and shopping just the two of us.

*Dinner in town with dad & Phyllis and then seeing all their "hot rod buddies" at the DQ Cruzin.

*Lily and Zoe loved getting to ride in Grandpa's hot rod--see the pictures. Grandpa even peeled out in his own neighborhood and had an elderly lady shake her head at him!

*Walks in Sunriver to get ice cream--every evening!

*Hot tubbing after getting ice cream.

Thanks Dad and Phyllis for being so hospitable, for taking the time for us and caring about us.

Oh yes, how dare I fail to mention that we got to see Dustin fish at his secret spot and catch a fish! Lily and Zoe thought it was neat to touch it--until they smelled their hands!

A coupla new things. . . .

Now that Janette is actually posting her thoughts on this site, she's also updated the profile to the right. If you visit this site regularly, you're probably blocking out all the stuff over on the right, so read it over!

Also, notice that we've put a link to our flickr site on the right. This means that you can now copy and save our pictures from that site (this blog does not allow that).

Enjoy!

Self-portrait with the new digi-cam. . .  

Come here fishy fishy. 

Mommy was finally there when Daddy caught a fish! 

Hobbits pose for a picture 

Look how big. . .! 

Hot roddin' with Grandpa Leon in his favorite 'rod: "Lenny" 

Posing for Dad at the Fall River waterfalls. 

Look Zoe, this is how you reel in the big one. Too bad Dad can't catch anything! 

Learning to fly cast at Fall River. . . Dad taught us how! 

Unky Kunky with his prize possessions! 

My Side of Eugene.....thoughts from Janette

I read our blog today and brought it to Dustin's attention that he failed to mention anything else of our time in Eugene. What I didn't realize was that it appeared to be my job to update the blog too. So, here are some of the highlights of Eugene for the rest of the Kunkel Family.

*We started out the stay enduring an hour and a half of 6th through 8th graders showing what they have learned their last year in band. Lot's of squeeking!

*Zoe has a small bruise on her leg and a bigger one on her ego from getting bucked off of Moxie (her favorite horse at my moms farm). Zoe was riding while my mom walked beside her when Moxie got spooked and bucked Zoe off. When the horse went to kick, my mom dove over Zoe to protect her from the four legged beast. My mom came out a lot worse, kicked in the side of the head splitting her ear open and giving her one heck of a head ache. Zoe cried, she wanted back on the horse.

*Lily fell in love with wild flowers, learning all the names from Doug who taught us all something about the flora.

*Lily and Zoe followed their cousin Hillary everywhere she went, finally Hillary caught on, "If I go to the treehouse,they can't follow me!"

*Janette enjoyed special times with her mom, sister Cheri and cousin Kristie. Not to mention gardening, it just wasn't as enlightening for me as it seems to have been for Dustin. My thoughts were a bit more consumed with, "Why does he get to run the power tool and I get a rake and gloves?" MEN! Anything to do with powertools and fire and they take over. Actually, I was thankful he took it over.

Thanks Mom and Doug for housing us those few days.
A few people have made comments about our calander not being updated, that's my next job here on the blogspot.

Of blackberry roots and battle. . . .

The Kunkelfam hit the road this week. . . .

And the road cried out in pain. . . .

Horrible, horrible joke. For that, I apologize. But you have to read on because what follows is a true story (only the names have been changed to protect the blackberry bushes):

We've begun our pilgrimage and just finished some time with Mom Vicki and Doug out at their place south of Eugene.

We did lots of things together, but the most enjoyable by far was tilling up the old garden plot. It was a great day, with sharp, warm, June sun beating the clouds away and a little breeze playing with the trees. Mom has a rather large plot of garden that she's taking over (it had lain waste for years, the former owners never did much with it), and we had a roto tiller, rakes, gloves, shovels--the works. We were ready to go!

Mom had done the prelim work on the blackberry bushes (the State of Oregon consists of a single big blackberry bush, I'm convinced) by chopping them down to the ground, but you could still see their stubby, inch-thick trunks poking out of the soil every few feet. I entered the battle with great relish, removed my shirt to show disdain at their measly attempts to fight me, kicked them with my foot until one of them stuck me with a rather sharp needle, and presto!--the battle was joined.

The tiller revved up with a cough that sounded like a cross between a smoker with bronchitis and a harley davidson, I winced in pain, stuck a finger in my ear, and it died. The great warrior brushed the tears of pain from his eyes, got some cotton swabs from his mother-in-law, stuffed them in his ears, pulled the starter cord once again, and lunged forward with rage upon the first root.

The pulleys whirred, the engine screamed, and the tines dug deep into the earth. I waded into the first blackberry and the tiller choked a little, whined a little, paused, coughed, and churned up a blackberry plant. . . . except. . . . not all of it.
Anyone who's lived around native Oregon blackberries knows this like a fundamental truth of the universe: there's no getting rid of them. You just take them down as far as they can go, and then you stay on top of them with everything you've got.

Paul reminded me of this in Romans (my reading a few weeks ago that leaped to mind as I battled the blackberry roots) when he talked about dealing with the "root of the sinful flesh." I wondered at the time why he called it a root. But now I think I get it.

The flesh (old man, sinful nature, whatever you want to call it--its the part of you that yells out "NO!" to God) is never completely gone while we're in this body. But there are ways to make sure that it remains just a root and never a thorn-heavy vine that consumes your life.

I think of what it took to create that garden space: first, Mom had to decide that she wanted a garden there. She tallied up her time commitments, her needs for vegetables, but mostly just her passion for growing things, and decided she was planting a garden in this old patch. It starts with a reckoning, a drawing a line in the sand, a decision that this patch of land (this heart of mine) is going to grow vegetables and fruit, not blackberry vines.

Second, you need helpers.

Third, you need to keep deciding you want the garden there (forget the feeling-driven life because that will keep you inside watching cable or surfing the internet or living off the high you get from your fantasies)

Fourth, you need some tools.

Fifth, you need to keep deciding you want the garden (get the point now?).

Sixth, you get to work with the friends and the tools.

Seventh, you recognize who's in charge: the blackberries are on their way out, despite their adamant roots of steel, and the luscious tomatoes and juicy cucumbers and melons are on their way in. It's your garden, for God's sake! (He gave it to you)

Seven is a good, complete number, so I'll stop there. . . .

Rest of the story: I beat those blackberry roots to a pulp, beat my hands to a pulp, the sun beat my back to a pulp, and I emerged joyful and painful as a helper in Mom's task. There's nothing like putting in a garden. It's SO worth it.

Wherever you're at in life, I want to blow a little breeze on the coals in your heart: It's clear to me as I read the Word of God that the old way of life is on its way out. And that's REALLY good news. For me, personally, it was a HUGE transformation when I realized my identity wasn't caught up in the battle over the blackberry vines, but that the Great Gardener was with me and called me to be with Him. The battle became fun then, instead of drudgery. I started getting into the joy of ripping out the old to make way for the new. The fears began to leave, and God's Spirit brought something fresh to take their place. . . .

You may be at the very beginning, trying to decide if its worth it. If you step in, the promise is that you'll get all the help you need, moment by moment, to deal with it. You may be at the end of the cleanup, waiting for fruit to grow. Stick with it. The rains come; the sun rises each day; and without fail (barring slugs and aphids) the tomatoes will grow!

Thanks for the letting me "be the man," Mom, and push that tiller around your garden all afternoon. In more ways than one, it was good for me.

So this is why people live in California. . . .

Funny how you set out thinking you're going to do one thing in life, and end up getting that and so much more. . .

Janette and I were given free stand-by tickets on an airline and we used them to get away memorial day weekend to Santa Cruz. Janette has a good friend from high school, Leah, who lives there and we had a free place to stay, so we decided, "hey, lets go do this. we're going to need to just BE for a while after leaving our jobs. Let's go BE on the beach."

I'd never been to Santa Cruz and it was amazing. Amazing that a one bedroom home with a little bath can sell for $300,000. Amazing that the sun came out and the breeze gently played and we sat on the beach each day and tanned and watched the sailboats slice across the bay. So this is why people live in California!

Leah and her boyfriend Kyle were the most amazing hosts, taking us all over town, feeding us beyond the point of no return, and generally making life incredibly good! Thanks Kyle for the great conversation and good walks under the stars. Thanks Leah for opening your home and heart to us. (a shout out to Doug who went for beer when there was none. Now that's hospitality!)

Here are some things we experienced:

*people surfing off the cliffs of Santa Cruz on huge breakers

*sunshine

*wonderful conversation about everything from God to why girls smell worse than guys

*sunshine

*Vintage Faith Church--a worship service that brought the words "participatory" and "involved" and "Jesus-centered" to mind--incredible music played by a little group in the back of the building sitting on a little stage facing one another in a circle!

*sunshine

*sleeping in without being woken by these words, "Daddy come wipe me I pooped." (must be spoken in a sing-song voice with a hint of a lisp for the full effect)

*did I mention sunshine?

*watching Kyle drive "California style" and taking extensive notes for my return to Oregon (as I pulled into traffic today at 75mph, squeezing my truck into a space that wasn't there, I muttered to the driver in front of me who--of course--couldn't hear, "Watch out dude, I'm pulling a 'Kyle.'" Janette just looked at me and laughed. "You are crazy!" she said. "You can't drive like that up here!" Thanks Kyle for the motivation. . . .)

*sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. I started to scrape the layers of moss and lichen off my old hide with the beach sand but I got in trouble when the beach ranger guy came up and told me I was defacing the beach. "Take your Oregon trash back to the mists from which you came!" He yelled through his megaphone. To which I responded, "I'll take my moss and lichen back if you'll take that megaphone and place it in the one spot in California where the sun don't shine."

Okay, so I'm being a little drastic. The lifeguards were fine. It took about 17 of them to ascertain whether a woman had hurt her back while training on the the sand for sailing a catamaran. Truth be told--saw it with mine own eye.

There was so much more to this trip, so many layers that can't be covered in this little blog. But I need to say this: I shouldn't be surprised at all the cool little things God does but I am--surprised that we truly rested, add to that walking away with new friends and a new sense of what friendship is all about--It's being open and vulnerable and able to listen and share from your heart.

Seems like we only expect the cake and we get the frosting, the candles (lit up like a furnace), and the ice cream on the side. What a life. And sad to say for this part-time Oregonian, it happened in California.

Thanks again Leah and Kyle for the incredible weekend of rest. And thanks God, for California and the sunshine you put there. I guess.