Anniveraries

I've sort of completed another marathon. Marilyn and I have been married 26 years as of last Thursday. I asked Marilyn if it seemed like a marathon, and she said, "yes, it as been especially painful these last few miles, er, years!" Very funny! Actually, it has flown by very fast. It doesn't seem like that long.

I talked to my dad today, and he told me of another anniversary that is going to be celebrated next week. The church I grew up going to (St. Peter's Episcopal, in Kansas City, MO) was started in 1958, and my family was one of the first families in the church. I was not even two years old at the time. My older brother and sister and I were all baptized that year, part of the first bunch in that church. My dad is the only one still going to the church that was there in 1958. Anyway, there is going to be a celebration on Friday night, March 28. Wish I could be there, but I will be at the play my daughter, Katie, is directing at my present church.

Last summer we celebrated my dad's 85th birthday, and while we were there, I visited the old church for the first time since my mom died about 11 years ago and took this picture with my cell phone. About ten years ago they replaced some of the windows in the church with stained glass windows depicting events in Jesus' life. The picture is of the window with loaves and fishes, which symbolizes the feeding of the 5,000. That window was dedicated in memory of my mom because she was always the one in charge of the potluck dinners and fixing brunches for the choir between the early and late services on Easter, etc. She probably fed more than 5,000 over the course of her lifetime.

Yesterday I had a good long run with Brian, Jana, and Mike. Mike had trouble with his foot partway through the run, but finished okay. Brian just about sprinted the last mile - about 7:20 - and I did about a 7:45 for the last mile. It felt good. Tonight I ran about three miles in the neighborhood with my daughter, Becky.