Is this a cool photo, or what? That's me, a ton of years ago, third one from the left.

And that's me with Christy The Dog on my lap. I was 15. My sister is on my left, my brother on my right and David, Carolyn's son, is behind him.

Who is Carolyn? Last week through Facebook, after whole decades, I contacted Carolyn, a friend of my parents, and she's the one who shared these photos of the camping trip both our families took to Donner State Park in 1974.

I told you Facebook is incredible! How amazing to be in-touch with people who, eons ago, we left behind. Back then, when you moved, you moved. Phone calls were expensive, the Internet wasn't even a gleam in anybody's eye, and trips back to the old home place were hit and miss. Mostly miss, in our case. With every move (and there were many) I wrote letters by the dozens. When we left the place where we met Carolyn's family, well, I nearly lost my mind. (Long, sad story.)

Anyway. Can it really be that long ago that I was a dreamy-eyed teenager who walked to school humming songs from musicals, all encompassed in her own special world? Oh, the dreams she had, dreams not of fortune, but of fame and travel.

But now? Yick, fame would frighten me and well, travel? I choose day trips. I mean, really. I'm surrounded by gorgeous farmland dotted with 1800's farms and truly, I can think of nothing else I'd rather stare at from car windows. All those barns and gardens and picket fences! All those sunflowers, fruit stands and orchards. I see no need to fly around the globe to find beauty when I have all of that next door. At least, not at this phase of my life.

Maybe it's rather like something George A. Moore said: "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."

Ahhh. There's nothing I can add to that.





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In the top photo, Carolyn is on my left and my mom is on my right. I have always remembered that camping trip with joy.



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Luke 17:21
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.