Tom and Bronxie enjoying our little, sunny front porch in our “southern” little house in the park.

We were married on Easter Sunday, 2009 (April 12).

We’re going to a bed and breakfast Tuesday night—the last of this year’s celebrating:   http://www.bbonline.com/mi/quigleysloghome/index.html.  Two good years together.

We’ve taken 14 trips, with the 15th planned—a quiet week-long retreat at Manresa, which is run by the Jesuits.

Then we’re getting ready to be snowbirds.  Florida/Michigan.

Thanks be to God for this life.

These are the stakes where the road commission is to make a culvert for our driveway.

This is the way our woods looks now.

We are back from our very first cruise.  The warm weather and sun were much appreciated as opposed to our present snow, ice and zero degree temperatures.

Tom keeps our backyard bird feeder filled with sunflower seeds.  The birds (and squirrels) push seed out and it falls to the ground under the feeder.  He noticed some were sprouting and we decided to leave them alone.  We have a gorgeous patch of “accidental” sunflowers right in the middle of our backyard.

Two years ago I transplanted black-eyed susans to this space by our front steps.  It is full and beautiful this year.

Irene, on right, was a Scottish Presbyterian Pastor.  She was one of the planners for the Theological Summer Session I attended the summer of 2007.  Miriam, from Cuba, is next to her in this photo.

Aly (Alastair Hulbert) sent us a note yesterday telling us that Irene died.  We knew she’d had health problems, but this still was a sad day.  She was witty, thoughtful and evidenced her spirituality in practical ways.  I still remember the sermon she gave to us (as we crowded ourselves into the tiny chapel located behind Scottish Churches House).  It was on “Enough.”  The idea was if all people in the world would share, everyone would have enough.  There would be no huge gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”   I still think of that sometimes if I’m considering myself to be lacking.  I’m not lacking anything I need; I truly have enough.

Thank you, Irene, for helping to make my TSS experience such a good one.  You challenged and loved us.