What, August already?

OK, so it doesn't officially come until tomorrow, but the summer is flying by. What a grand time with our friends from Argentina during the month of July. We wanted them to feel the gracious hosting they gave us during our tens years of service there, and I think they were impressed. We drank all kinds of different wines from Leelanau County, Michigan, we visited Niagara Falls, both from the Canadian and the US side, we showed them a bit of Michigan beauty and history when we visited Mackinaw Island, and they saw all of the mid-belt of the US when we traveled from Miami to Michigan. They got to see the Cincinnati Reds play St. Louis in Cincy, they watched the Traverse City Beach Bums on artificial turf, they climbed the sand dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and we watched the sun set over Lake Michigan from the heights of Peterson Park in Northport. Quite a ride I must say. One of the highlights was the Argentina asado we put on with their help for the NW Lower Michigan Synod Global Mission Committee, early in July. Everyone, including the bishop, was impressed with the food, the graciousness of our friends, and the wine (oh yes, always the wine).

But, good things come to an end, only to open the door for other good things. I returned to the task of painting the caboose, which will be ready for the open house on August 7th. I will be including pictures of the caboose next week. Mary and I both returned to our diets, that are going quite well, and now we are preparing some goodies for the Church's bake sale at the Suttons Bay Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2. The Global Mission Committee has asked me to represent them before the national assembly of the Lutheran Church in Honduras in November. I am hoping that Mary can go as well. It will be a fun time, even with all the problems that are happening there. Our anniversary is coming up soon, and Mary and I have agreed that we need to get away more often. Maybe we can take off to some interesting spot this year.

Angela is back at work with a nice bonus and raise, looking to make some changes in her life. David is doing what David usually does, work, music, and spending time on the computer. Allison is getting ready to begin a new year at Ferris State University in the program she has longed to complete. She will enter in August, go for a whole year, and then spend an unpaid year of internship. After that she is guaranteed a job, unless Government Health Care ruins what we have (sorry for the political commentary).
Mary and I are reflecting on retirement. I will be taking a course at Luther Seminary, Minneapolis, in September to train me for interim ministries. We are thinking seriously about retiring in or around Suttons Bay. At least that is the thought of the week. Been looking at houses in the area and thinking about what to do during winters up here.

Wait a minute, does August begin tomorrow? Oh my! How the summer has gone by, and still so many things yet to build.