HOME - Spring 2011

We arrived home a few days before Palm Sunday. Got to say HI to all the Tronnes' - yes! :) Then we got Carrie home to Fort Atkinson so she can be at work at OPP and the Public Library this week before Easter. On Sunday we took the motorhome on a 7-hour drive to Forest City, IA, to the Winnebago Service Center near the factory to have repairs made in our new motorhome. On Wednesday we were hit with a very wet snow storm. We thought we could drive to a nearby state park, but the snowfall was so thick we just enjoyed it through the car windows - turkeys, deer and birds in the road.

The refrigerator is working again!!! There should be NO more water leaks into the slide-out cupboards!!! And the TV works with a cable hook-up and the engine batteries will NOT lose their power when we're sitting still!!! Life is GOOD!! We were on our way home by Thursday noon, so Carrie and I could attend a Good Friday evening service at Central Lutheran Church.

It was called a Tenebrae service - something done in the early church worship. As the 7 sayings of Jesus from the cross were read, candles and lights were dimmed. By the end of the service we had a time of silence in total darkness. A very meaningful end to Holy Week meditating on Jesus' final hours and days in the tomb.

Easter Sunday was a joyful time to renew friendships at church and enjoy the Trick's breakfast - a yearly event. We left spring behind in MO, though, because the days have been cold and damp. And even rain about every other day. We did go camping twice with our club and those weekends had great weather. In fact, our first weekend was free camping because we helped rake the pine needles and leaves off the camp sites.

The Tronnes grandson, Austin Peter, brought us a May basket when we returned from the first camping trip. He was praying we would get home that Sunday before he had to go to his house. He surprised us! Stapled two pieces of construction paper together and taped dandelions on the outside. The inside held an apple and was filled with popcorn! He will be 8 in August and he and Carrie measured their hands and feet - they are the same size!! Carrie is 38!!

Now it is May 10 and we are enjoying an 83F day even though predictions were for rain every day this week. We have the Albion Museum (www.aahs50.wordpress.com) swept for a tour tomorrow by a high school history class in the morning. Gary is mowing lawn and when I'm off this computer, I will be cleaning the flower beds at the Museum. We are thinking that winter has suddenly become summer with this WARM day, but we'll take it! No floods in our area this year and just enough rain to keep the dust down. Farmers are getting the corn planted and we are seeing orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks (5 males at one time!) at the feedeers. Did you know that orioles eat suet, too? We had never observed that before.