Fall Flowers

It was a very pleasant morning outside, so much so that Mommy and Nana went out there to do some gardening.  Above you can see the flowers that the Edges gave us, planted in the pot there at the front entrance.

Nana sat and trimmed the mums a bit in the sunshine, as things were just right temperature-wise.  She and Mommy spent a good deal of time in the front yard, decorating things for fall.  It feels like fall now, and it's actually a little cool for someone from Florida, but Nana is enjoying it. 

She's doing so much better today.  It's obviously not a moment where just like that everything will be fine, but the hope is that the trend will be more of these sorts of days than anything.  This picture above shows her smiling with Mommy, joking around, and almost completely normal.

Earlier, a kind neighbor brought a dog with him to the front yard, and that brightened up her day immensely.  She had a good day.

Madison did too.  You can see her here as a member of the Candy Corn Club, one of the founding members.  She had that Spanish quiz, and she thinks she did okay on it.  Meanwhile, the other grades are pouring in, and she's gotten A's in ELA and other classes, really doing well.  One thing she did in school was watch certain parts of the Presidential debate.  We did not watch it last night, as we were in a high-stress sort of day as it was, and given the sense of peace we had later on, it just made sense to keep that peace as best we could.  Presidential debates are not a place to find any semblance of peace.  This one was especially contentious.  The conventional wisdom is that it was in fact "a mess."  Much of the media is recommending that there be no debates, and as inclined as I am to agree, when you step back and remember their motive, you begin to realize why they want to stop having the debate:  they feel as if their candidate did not do well.  Madison enjoys the roasting.  Like one candidate reminding the other he doesn't remember what college he went to.  But it's a contentious time we're living in.  We're so focused on our own family crisis that it's not possible to look to events like this anyway, and it's probably not helpful for our sense of peace we're trying to create within the house.  No, its best to keep the news off right now, at least as much as we can.

Tonight, Madison had her small group online with Camille and some friends, and it was nice to get together once more.  This has been going on since March or so, and it's just great to see it still going.  We may be shifting gears with the topics next week, moving to some areas that Camille is wanting to speak about.  I'm good with that, as she's been such a great mentor and friend.  We trust her completely.

The Hunter family made us dinner tonight, some rice and beans and grilled chicken, flavored with something a little spicy from the Caribbean.  It was delicious!  And dessert was spectacular.  Shobie made this gluten-free cake that was just wonderful.  It was a family effort, as their son Bailey grilled the chicken, and her husband Kevin put the spices on.  The end result was a lot of really, really good food, so much that I'm afraid I ate too much tonight!

Mommy wanted to wash "Hotel Transylvania" tonight, so that's what we did, even if it was until a little later.  So late, in fact, we passed on reading tonight, and just said our prayers before all going to sleep.  Again, we slept through the night, although Mommy was on the couch, just in case we had a "Forky."  That's our code for someone going out the door and walking down the street again.  We're still playing the part of Woody, from "Toy Story 4," trying to keep Forty from escaping and throwing himself away somewhere.  The end result is Mommy sleeping on the couch.  I'll join her there tomorrow night - the living room might become our new bedroom.

We said our prayers, and fell asleep very quickly.  We're all still so exhausted each day.

Warfare

We've had struggles today, mighty ones.  Nana is inconsolable, irrational, illogical, and just not there at times.  Walking down the street, fifty degrees temperatures, pouring rain, refusing an umbrella because it rains in England.  Not wanting help, just wanting to go anywhere in particular, but no matter where she was, she didn't want to be wherever it was she was at.  Her mind is fragile, hurting, and searching desperately for something to grasp hold of.  We need prayer, prayer for peace, for rest, and for guidance as to what to do.  We need hope.  Mommy has literally worried herself sick.  

Madison did have a good idea today, at taekwondo and at school too.  She was sparring for a bit, working with ground defenses, and working hard.  She's done her math homework, and she's still working on an online assignment with Social Studies too.  In her spare time, she's been writing a book.  Yes, our daughter is about finished with her seventy-five page novel she's been working on in her spare time since about March or so. 

The Edges provided us with dinner tonight, a chicken rotisserie dinner and part of a meal train thing where different families come and provide us with something to eat each night.  It's been overwhelming in thoughtfulness, very moving.  Also delicious!  And look at these flowers they gave us!

We're just at a loss as to what to do with Nana.  We're worried she'll wake up in the night as she always does, and then goes down the stairs, out the door, and off down the street.  She wasn't turning around when I caught up with her this morning, and I only stopped her when it started to rain again.  She's used to the rain, she says, because she's from England.  She doesn't want help.  I get that.  I get that she wants to stay independent and make her own decisions.  There's this strange place where we need to accept help when we need it, and yet we often don't.  She could stay as independent as she wants, but an 87-year old from Florida doesn't walk out into the cold rain.  She came out with bare feet one time and a bath robe.  Mommy is completely broken, crying to the point that Nana is trying to console her and then we start it all over again.  Tears, hugs, repeated phrases.  It's all been very difficult. 

We've got a lot of people in on what's going on, knowing all about the situation and offering help.  We may need that soon enough.  

We had such a crazy break-through moment tonight.  Nana was on another walk, and was going to keep on going like always, and I was in the car tailing her like a private investigator.  She was lost again in her mind, and Mommy was somewhat sick.  I pulled up beside her and told her that Mommy needed help desperately.  I had to go and take Madison to taekwondo, but meanwhile, I needed someone to help Mommy, and help her feel better.  Something was wrong, I told her.  Nana immediately changed, getting into the car, and going straight home with me.  I ran in ahead of time and told Mommy, "You're sick."  Mommy doubled over and went to the bathroom, and I followed her.  Nana came in and nearly pushed me out of the way in order to help her daughter.  And that's what happened the rest of the night.  Nana watched over Mommy, cuddling with her, resting with her, making sure she was okay.  The atmosphere changed at about 5pm today from pure raw stress to a sense of peace.

At dinner tonight, the one that the Edges provided, Nana sat to eat with us, actually eating food as Mommy ate too.  In looking to Mommy to eat, she herself was eating too.  It was so peaceful.  I compared it to that time of having intense pain from kidney stones, and suddenly getting that medicine at the hospital that surges through the bloodstream to bring peace and healing.  It was nice.

It was so great that Zena's mother actually went to sleep tonight, and for the first time in four weeks or so, slept through the entire night without waking up, and walking about.  And because she was able to do that, we were too.  We said our prayers, glad of the sudden serenity and rest.

Joro Judo

This is our new pet, a Juro spider that's been rather active right there at our front porch, decorating for the season a nice large web.  This was a rather busy spider, working hard right there in front of us on the porch, doing some movement across the web, maybe some personal training.  Maybe some Juro Judo.  This spider would occasionally stop to look back at us because really, who are you people?  Why are you just staring at me?  Don't you have anything better to do?  Get a life!

That's when I grabbed the camera and took this picture.  As big and menacing as this Juro spider may appear, his bite is apparently equivalent to that of a bee, and not so much poisonous, unless you have allergies in this direction.  These spiders won't bite unless you are all up in their face, which of course we were more than happy to follow social distance procedures.

Today was a good day for Nana.  I'm typing this on the following day with the context of the fact that the following day is not a good day.  Or at least it doesn't start out that way.  But this day is a good day, only with a few moments of confusion and meltdown.  

We dropped Uncle George off at the North Springs Marta station, which has one of the greatest exit ramps back to 400 North.  It is so overgrown with plantlife all around and like a concrete maze through it all, something like the Pevensie children encounter coming back to Cair Paravel after hundreds of years of absence.  Or maybe like that scene in a "Planet of the Apes" movie, where we see bits and pieces of what New York is to become.  Incidentally, with this pandemic lately, New York seems well on its way to becoming just what we see in those early Planet of the Apes movies.

Here's New York's flattened curve.  That was what all this was about, right?  Flattening the curve?  We were doing all these closures to keep the numbers at a place where the hospitals would not be overcrowded.  And based on this, we're there, right?  So why do government officials insist on punishing the restaurants, the plays, the movie theaters, the sports events, and so on?  

Here's Georgia's numbers.  That curve looks like it is flattening too, doesn't it?  So, do we open up stores again and rebuild a free market economy where people can survive and make a living selling or buying things and so on?  Or do we crush everyone's spirits and the economy with the mantra of exposing people to this potential threat that people that like the flu, has a less than .1% mortality rate?  Is the trade-off worth it?  Or is this a case of - as one prophetic voice said not long ago - the cure being worse than the virus itself?

Rabbit trail there.  We got home, and there were no problems.  The sun was out, and Nana was helping Mommy on the back deck.  Things almost seemed normal.  There were some forgetful moments, but overall things were okay.  

At one point, Nana wanted to go for a ride, but we diffused that by taking her to taekwondo instead.

It was a delightful moment.  It filled us with such joy to see Nana so surprised by Madison's skill and talent.  She was sitting there with a big smile on her face, as you can see below in this one picture.

She kept nudging Mommy and telling her how well Madison was doing, and how much better she was than this person or that.  She was so happy watching Madison do what she was doing, and she was happy to see people come up to see her again.  Tucker was there, who saw her last at the funeral ceremony.  Mrs. Edge was there, who had paid for the flowers brought down to Florida with us.  Other parents were there too, and for a time all was well.

Madison was obvious to that particular drama, although she was the performer that helped Nana's spirits soar.  She did well out there, and has a great time on the mat, although she said she probably got a few bruises.  She practices hard!  There weren't any foes to spar against today, but she still trains super hard.

Here she is with a practice kick, and as you can see here, that is a genuine foot-fiesta right there!  She has a superb high kick, and is doing so well.

Afterwards, we stopped by Captain D's, a favorite of Nana's.  Mommy can't eat there, but I love it, and Madison enjoys the fries.

The combo meal here is saying hello.  It kind of looks like Cookie Monster here.  Yes, we see faces in all kinds of odd places.  

Nana enjoyed the fish, and we all enjoyed the meal together, a pleasant time together.  Nana sat down after that, telling us all kinds of memories about her father, a shorter stature of a man who married a much taller woman that she just couldn't imagine being married together.  It wound up being true, as eventually the two parted.  And her father worked extra hard to make sure that Nana and her brother were taken care of.  Memories poured out about the Germans flying overhead and all the students going under the desks for cover, the factories in danger nearby and how her father was responsible for making sure the lights were out all over town each night, so there wouldn't be a visible target. 

The stories went on for a bit, the memories from World War II and beyond, of family and of adventure.  She was happy sitting there on the couch, recounting memories with a smile of recollection on her face.  It was so pleasant, so calm, and so nice.

We watched a few programs tonight, including a few episodes of "The Show That Goes Wrong," just because it was on BBC.  That was for Nana, although we just love this group of actors, and what they did for "Peter Pan" a few years ago.  We watched an episode called "The Lodge," which had an October feel to it, one that was a lot of fun. 

Nana didn't make it long afterwards.  She was asleep at about 9:30pm, and all was well for a short break.  We prayed tonight, and we read as well.  We were asleep soon afterwards, although Madison was doing some talking in her sleep at one point.  She called out to me and asked me for the plush friend, the abominable snowman of hers named Everest.  She told me she didn't know where it was, and was quite concerned about that.  I told her I'd find it, and she went back to bed, going under the covers again and ... I'd like to say she went back to sleep, but she was already asleep!  An odd thing, sleep walking.

That's how the day ended, and it was a good one, quiet and peaceful.  The next morning, up until about 1:15pm, was quite the opposite.

Cowboys and Stuff

The cowboys continued their mosey this morning at KidPak with a third "Trailblazers" message and skit of the series, although this time around, we're back to a one-month series and going with that for a while, rather than the two-month series.  We haven't been doing consecutive one-month series in quite some time, given the effort it takes to put together a stage and so forth.  It used to be that we did a one-month series each month, and I couldn't imagine all that work with a stage every four weeks, but we did that from 2006 to around 2013.  From time to time afterwards, we'd do a one-month series here and there.  But now we're right back at doing this and this only for the time being.  Part of the reason is that we keep doing our online services as well.  Madison gets to see those as well as the regular KidPak service, and in addition to that, the main service at 9am. 

In an odd game of "Where's Waldo" here, you can in fact see Madison - at least her head - in this picture above during our first service.  She goes there, and then attends the second service as a volunteer at KidPak below.

There's Daddy and our friend Daniel as cowboys in our ongoing series.  We've had a little story moving along, the bottom line to cover and a bunch of bad jokes too, but it's been a lot of fun.

Nerdo is is seen here giving everyone a lot of laughs.  Kids are so loud when he comes out, and he's so gifted bringing laughs to everyone. 

Afterwards, of course Pastor Lance is there to help share the message, although the kids are also going to the rooms in shifts to watch this week's edition of KidPak online.

It's a full morning, and I'm glad to see Madison so engaged in it.  We've been very, very proud of her lately.  She gets to enjoy the service at KidPak too, but she's also a volunteer helping out with some of the younger ones.  She's keeping pretty busy each Sunday morning.

We got home, and things were a little tense for a lot of the day, unfortunately.  Nana has been a little worse  recently, and in fact we didn't sleep that well last night, all of us.  There has been a lot of wandering, talking to herself, and difficult behaviors... we did manage to get some dinner tonight.  In the spirit of things, we ordered from Texas Roadhouse online, and brought back some steaks and other food.  Nana sat at the table to eat with us, but again, it wasn't long after that she was breaking down again.  It has been so emotionally stressful, and there have been plenty of private meetings between Uncle George, Mommy and myself about what the next steps are going to be.  One day at a time.

Strangely, tonight things suddenly calmed down at one point.  This may have to do with some medication that was taken, but Uncle George suggested another cowboy movie, "Cowboys and Aliens," and we sat down to watch this before bed.  And right about when it started, Nana joined us, and the five of us sat for nearly two glorious hours, watching a movie together as if everything was alright.

The movie was fun, one I hadn't gotten around to seeing yet.  Madison enjoyed it, as did the others, although we wouldn't put it at the top of any list right away.  It was just a decent movie we all sat together to enjoy, a cowboy movie, and a nice memory of things finally settling down.

Afterwards, we were able keep things calm and orderly in the house.  We put something in front of the door just in case Nana wanted to go wandering.  She did that a few times this afternoon, and not that far.  We kept an eye on her from a distant, tailing her like private eyes.  The rain suddenly came though, and that grounded her and everyone else:  it was a massive deluge.  In fact, on the way to pick up the food at Texas Roadhouse, the cars were going along Dawsonville Highway, making huge splashes just about everywhere, almost like we were all log flume riders at the end of a big plunge.  I've never seen it rain that much in Gainesville's downtown area.  I'm glad we had the RainX on.  

But tonight, Nana did well again, apologizing and at least carrying a more cheerful disposition, despite the consistent forgetfulness about certain things.

Through all of this, Madison has been outstanding.  She's shown love and support, and she's been so kind and wonderful and patient.  We're extremely proud of her.  She's done so well.

Tonight we read a few chapters from "The Wizard of Oz," and from the devotional as well.  We said our prayers, and not much later, we were all asleep.  Sort of.  Lately, it's been challenging.  We've all been getting up repeatedly through the night, waking each time Nana does.  We're all quite exhausted, but we'll get through this.

Saying Goodbye

And this is it.  We could be back, but also probably not to this condo here.  One last glimpse of Ba-Ba's desk here, and a last-minute decision to keep one particular sculpture, and we were out the door there.  

Speaking of which, here's the door.  Madison took all these pictures today, just some last glimpses of a day where we turn the corner to go in a new direction, hopefully a good one.  

The sun rose this morning, and as we've been all week, we were up early with not much sleep through the night.  Madison took this picture over the balcony, and this picture below at the living room area, one last time.  It was nice place.

We were loading the car after this, cramming both cars as full as we possibly could.  A couple of last-minute items were left in the lobby area.  I meant to go back and get them, but then for some reason Madison and I thought it would be funny to leave them on the table there beside the floral display.

She took a picture to show our culpability.  It's a Saturday, so the only record of who did this heinous act will have to be reviewed on film.  I'm sure the viewer will only roll her eyes.

We had a few chores this morning, getting gas, dropping off cable supplies and getting a meal at the Chick-Fil-A there.  Other than that, we were off and running, as you can see above.  That's Uncle George driving with Nana, and they were following us up Dunlawton Drive there, right to I-95, and northward.  We had a lot of stops along the way at rest areas, as we wanted to give Nana sufficient time to stretch her legs and use the rest rooms.  We left later, but we were moving pretty quickly, and surprisingly, we got through Henry Country rather quickly.  We got through Crawford County even more quickly.  That's an I-75 joke there.  

Here's a map of the Eastern part of Crawford County, and you can see that tiny sliver of I-75 that travels through.  I think it's about 50 feet that you spend inside Crawford County.  They ought to take advantage of that with some sort of billboard or advertisement or big water tower or at least a rest stop.  It could actually be one of those 'blink-and-you-miss-it' sort of entire counties.

Anyway, we got home early in the evening, and spent some time unpacking.  It's cool outside, almost like it is fall or something!  It was easy to sleep tonight -we were all exhausted after the long drive, the unpacking, and the setting up the inflatable bed and so on for Uncle George.

But we did it, and after reading tonight, and after prayers, we were in bed quickly.  Some of us have to get up early tomorrow for church!

Sunset

Our last sunset at the condo, a nice subtle one, still remarkably peaceful and pleasant.  Today we actually jumped out into the waves, deeper than usual, although still standing up just fine.  The waves splashed up and over us, and it was super fun going out there in the ocean for a bit to relax.  Following that, we were in the pool down there, using it one last time as well.  

Things were not going so well inside the house for Mommy.  It seems as if it is a sunset in other ways as well.  Nana's condition has been troubling, an emotional roller coaster, her memory problems amplified by recent events.  It's incredibly stressful for Mommy, and it is clear that when we move upwards, we'll all want to take some medical check-ups, but in Nana's case, it's been a long time since she's had any examination.  

Earlier in the day we were at Goodwill for some drop-offs, but we were also there looking around a bit.  It was just a chance to get out of the house.  Madison actually got some clothing she'll be wearing perhaps at school or church, but otherwise, it was an okay stop.  I think the other stop we looked forward to more was a final trip to Cow Lick's Ice Cream.  It was sad because we still can't actually eat there or even use their restrooms.  But we got some ice cream nonetheless, and Madison was quite happy to see the huge mound of berry flavored ice cream she got.  We all got something there, taking it back to the condo to finish it off.

We've been packing today, filling up the cars and getting ready to go.  But it's very difficult on Nana.  She doesn't want to be here.  She doesn't want to be anywhere right now.  She's breaking down frequently, inconsolable, emotional, and repeating things over and over again, asking questions over and over again, stating things over and over again, and despite all we try to say or do, nothing helps.  We have compassion, love, patience, kindness in our words and hope in our hearts, but nevertheless, she's pacing about, lost, repeating, muttering, speaking in cruel ways and then suddenly breaking down in tears over what she's said and done.  She's lost.

We prayed tonight.  We're praying for guidance, for peace, and for rest.

Ba-Ba's Funeral

This morning we got ready to go to Ba-Ba's funeral, and that involved a tiny bit of scrambling, but not too much.  Uncle George and I went to a florist in downtown Daytona Beach, returning to join the others who were dressing up for the ceremony.  Soon enough, we were on the road driving southward about forty-five minutes to Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.

Here's the surprise for Nana, Mommy and Madison.  Pastor Lance and Pastor Tucker drove all the way down here to attend the ceremony.  The church vehicle rolled up in place, and Mommy was trying to figure out who it was that had just pulled up in the lane that was designated for our service.  Even after Pastor Lance and Pastor Tucker got out of the car, she was still squinting her eyes trying to figure out who it was.  It just didn't occur to her that they would drive so far just to be here with us, but of course there was that moment that it dawned on her, and it was an emotional reunion.  Nana kept saying throughout the day, over and over again, "I can't believe they came all this way to see be here with us."  There were hugs, conversations, and soon enough, a departure towards the shelter where the ceremony would take place. 

The flags were half-mast today I believe due to the passing of a Supreme Court Justice, but it was certainly appropriate for our beloved father, who was a hero in every sense of the word.

Here is the urn that contain his remains, placed on a platform in the shelter.  These were picked up yesterday from the funeral home, and brought to the cemetery this morning along with the flowers.

You can see the setting here, the emblems of the branches of the Armed Forces on the wall behind.  Due to the current pandemic, there were only allowed ten guests at the ceremony, the remaining visitors asked to wait some distance away.  But it worked out today that we had exactly ten visitors.  We sat in the two rows there, obviously with Nana and Mommy in the front, alongside Madison and Uncle George.  And then, the flag was brought in.

There is so much precision to this ceremony, and so much reverence.  It's a very moving moment, as the soldiers there fold the flag with care, preparing it and presenting it to Nana.
 

It was intensely moving as the soldiers approached Nana, and in such a profound moment, they told her these words:  "On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Air Force, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved ones honorable and faithful service." 

And then the salute.  Nearly indescribable in the way respect was paid, this one salute meant so much to us.  It meant everything.  It has been many years since Ba-Ba has served, and yet this profound moment was such a reminder of the gratitude and appreciation of our nation for his service.

After the presentation, Pastor Lance spoke, and God Himself set this up.  We had no speaker.  We didn't have time to make arrangements, and honestly I don't like it as much when a complete stranger comes up to speak about the deceased, having no idea who that person is or was.  In this case, Pastor Lance knew Ba-Ba very well.  They played tennis together recently, and of he knows Nana and the family very well.  Nana was so happy to have him come and share a few words, which he was happy to do for us.  We spoke about it yesterday, and I was making sure this could happen, and was glad it was actually very easy to set up.  We had a few moments, and Pastor Lance spoke from his heart, uplifting and encouraging us, and adding so much to this ceremony.

He even sang "Amazing Grace" with us.  I can't even express how overwhelmed we were to see them here at the ceremony.  Camille and her mother were overwhelming last week too, watching over Madison and staying with her at our house.  Many times I've thought about Ba-Ba, how he "didn't deserve this," and not being able to understand why it happened.  And yet all this:  we didn't deserve this amount of overwhelming love.  And yes, I can't understand it either.  I mean, I sort of do.  But I can't fully grasp this kind of love.  It's the kind of love that only God can share, a love that is so immense that you can't explain it, understand it, or ever put an actual value on it.  It's a gift of such remarkable grace, and all we can do is sit back and receive it, and marvel at God's goodness.

Pastor Tucker spoke for a few moments too, about Jeremiah 29:11, and led us in the Lord's Prayer as well. He and Lance made the trip last night, spending the night at Cape Canaveral, and then joining us for the ceremony this afternoon.  

Nana appreciated it so much.  After the ceremony we went over to the actual internment, seeing the location where Ba-Ba would be placed.

We sat and watched the grounds crew putting the urn inside his place on the top row.  You can find the location very easily.  Just look for "B4."  As in, we've been there "before."  Nana was saying that Ba-Ba would be very happy to have a place at the top there.  He wouldn't have it any other way!

She had friends show up here as well, and they too came a good distance, although not as far as our friends from Georgia.  Nevertheless, they did come a great ways and spent a good deal of time with us this afternoon, and that was so amazingly thoughtful.  These girls used to play tennis with Ba-Ba and Nana, and shared a lot of memories and laughs.  They were happy to be here to join us.

Mommy arranged a good deal of the flowers there at the bottom, carefully arranging what she could.  It wasn't all of them, as we got a lot of flowers for the ceremony.  But we did leave all the red roses and other flowers, taking the rest of them home with us.

Afterwards, we posed for a few pictures and spoke with each other for a good while.  It was warm out there, because it is Florida.  But it was overcast, and breezy as well.  In other words, it was comfortable, and not the blazing heat that we can expect from time to time in this state.

In the end, Nana was quite content with the location and the ceremony itself.  It was very nice, and I think made so much better with the arrival of additional friends who shared their love.

Pastor Tucker was there with Madison afterwards, as was Pastor Lance.  There were times that we all were filled with grief, moved to tears, and as you can see above, how nice it was to have a loving friend nearby, one there to help us share in our sadness.

Pastor Lance and Pastor Tucker came all this way for us, and it was one of the kindest gestures we've ever received.  

Tucker and Madison were talking about taekwondo a bit, and of course he's one of her instructors at Edge ATA as well, so it was nice to have him there in duel roles, as KidPak pastor and taekwondo instructor.  Madison was talking about not being able to do any kicks because of her dress there.

Afterwards, we drove up the road to Port Orange, stopping at an Olive Garden there for a nice meal together.  Uncle George paid for it all, treating everyone to a delicious meal together that was more than just food. The staff there knew we were just coming from a funeral, and treated us very well.  The food was super delicious, and the conversation was rich and filled with laughter and joy.  It was just what we needed in every way.  It was a wonderful and memorable meal together.  

We said our goodbyes to Lance and Tucker, who got on the road right after this and had to make the eight hour journey back home.  How grateful we are for them.  We ourselves went back home and got changed, and spent the rest of the day relaxing.  We even spent a few moments at dusk, walking the beach again.

It was a perfect time to talk and reflect, and do a bit of planning the next steps of course.  But the weather was just right.

Lots of seagulls along the shoreline this evening, and a lot of sandpipers too.  Not as many actual people though, and that was nice.  The clouds were there, but not in a menacing way suggesting any thick amounts of rain were on the way.  Nothing dramatic like that, and yet there was the same serene sense of peace about the ocean, the calming waves and the warmer waters splashing up and over our feet.

Mommy and Uncle George both took this time to just walk along the shoreline, thinking and reflecting, and hopefully healing. 

As the sun set, we headed back northward again towards the condo.  These last two trips, we've walked southward, whereas we usually do the trip north.  I think this has to do with the turtle nests that are more prevalent to the north during that season.  There aren't any nests to speak of right now, so we walked south instead.  The shoreline view is all the same, of course.  

The birds have been hanging out here a lot lately, as has the sargassum.  That's the seaweed stirred up by storms and washed ashore.  It's good for the beach and ocean area here, although it sort of gives the bay areas a brown color that makes it look like a stirred up lake.

Madison was enjoying her walk alone as well.  Despite being ready to move on from Florida, walks like these are good for her - and us.  She was taking photos with her phone today, and oh - there was a bit of bird chasing too.

Yes, that's Uncle George.  He and Madison were chasing the seagulls a few times, just relaxing along the beach as Mommy and I took a nice quiet stroll.  In the end, we all stopped to take a look at the pastel sunset one more time before heading back into the condo to join Nana.

It was a good day.  It was a sad day, but within these seasons of immense sadness there are moments where an incalculable love rises up to meet that grief, balancing out the waves of emotions, and settling our spirits with a sense of peace.  Yes, God is in control, and yes everything does work out for the benefit of those that love the Lord.  We'll be okay.

Tonight we watched a movie together, all five of us in the condo.  It was "Enola Holmes," and everyone rather enjoyed the distraction.  Actually, it was a fairly decent movie.  We said our prayers tonight, and read as always before heading off to sleep.  That part came easy tonight.