Breckenridge

A week or so ago, my Ro and I got to get away.  We were able to check out beautiful Breckenridge for the first time since we've been to Colorado and stay in a friend's condo.

It was just awful.  Here is her unkempt backyard.

There was nothing really to see, nothing to look at.

 

So boring.  We had to entertain ourselves by geocaching.

OK, seriously, I can't keep up with that because it was breathtakingly beautiful there.  We did geocache, and one in particular took us here.  This is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

And another here.

Perfect weather, too early for the skiers to bombard the little town, time spent with the one I love, what a wonderful weekend.

Oh, we didn't forget to thank our host, either.  She is a Patriots fan.

And another one

Yesterday's post sparked a little bit more remembering in me and so today I thought I'd skip back down Memory Lane.

I grew up, at least until I was 12 or 14 or something, as I said yesterday, at Grace Baptist Church in Palmdale.  It was a small, pinkish campus, U-shaped, on Avenue R near the 7-Eleven at 30th.  Gosh, the memories...  the sanctuary had two sections of the traditional pews, an organ on one side of the church and a piano, which Mom played, on the other side.  I remember Mr. Drummond and Mr. Sweatt often greeting us as we came in the doors and Mr. Drummond usually had a pack of Juicy Fruit gum in his suit that he was willing to share with us kids.  Mr. Sweatt often had an earphone in his ear and an AM/FM radio in his suit, tuned in to the game.  I remember - or maybe I remember being told - that the pastor would sometimes stop and say, "What's the score, Luther?"

We had greenish carpet in that building, and a cross at the front.  Both Deb and I, and my dad, too, were baptized there, literally decades ago.  Mrs. Boyd would sit prim and old with her hair in a bun and a hairnet, and Mrs. Morris was always loving on us.  One time Deb tried to sneak up behind Mrs. Boyd and hit her with her new tomahawk - and Mom stopped her just in time.  I wonder if those ladies were really as old then as I remember them?  And I just remembered Mrs. Boyd's first name - Grace.

The bottom of the "U" housed our kitchen and fellowship hall, although I'm not sure they called it that then - maybe they did.  I remember ice cream socials and decorating outrageus hats for some mother-daughter thing, learning how to play a kazoo, children's church, and VBS.  At one VBS I made a purple octopus in that room out of yarn, glue, and a styrofoam ball.  I remember Mrs. Helman (sp?) telling my mom I sure didn't smile much (?!)  and drinking cocoa after caroling on a truck filled with hay one Christmas. Once we had a teacher named Goldie (Golda maybe?) Pringle... and I remember, again, some of the songs we learned way back then ~ about Agape love and the fruit of the Spirit and more.

I can picture how we set up tables in the front of the church to enroll kids in VBS, how we'd congregate in the back of the church for food and fun, especially when the weather was nice.  I can see in my mind's eye the mulberry trees which were so pretty and shady but dropped fruit that drove the grown-ups crazy because the kids couldn't seem to leave it alone - and it stained.

I really only remember two pastors there, although I'm sure we had others.  Pastor Pickett used to call the kids up to the front during the service for a special kids time, and he gave us jade to keep.  He is also the one who baptized me.  And I remember Pastor Waterbury and his family as well.  Seems like we went to his home for something once, and they had croquet.

Lastly (for now, at least), the time in that church brings back memories of shoes.  Yes, shoes.  Mom, pretend these are brown...



Do you remember these wedge sandals that were so popular back then?  I loved loved loved them... but mine were similar to the ones above (again, only in brown), and I wanted the ones the cooler, older girls wore - the kind my mom wore, similar to these:

The heel on mine were only about 2", but on my mom's and on Christine Waterbury's, they were a good 4". 

Ah, I miss those shoes. 

Good memories all the way around.  Thanks for letting me reminisce.

Gifted

Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

I am amazingly blessed. Here are four good and perfect gifts my Father has given me.

 

~ 08/12/06, Salinas, CA