This first part was written yesterday.  I did not get back to finish it.  I was going to post what I had and took a picture for it.  But that picture did not come through before I left for breakfast…
Here I am writing super early.  It is just before 3am and Merril and her sister are catching a flight to North Queensland at around 6am.  They will be leaving for the airport shortly.
We set up a bed in our shed which I slept in last night.  It was a bit of an experiment as far as I was concerned but I did want to see what this was like.  I would say this is a good place to sleep. 
But I did wake up fairly early as I did not want to miss saying goodbye. Hence here I am.  That explains why I am wring so early. 
I did however go back to bed after Merril and her sister left.  After I got up I went for breaky with a mate.  As per usual I enjoyed the catch up.  We only went just up the road and I was back in time to have coffee with another mate.
It turned out he could not make it at the agreed time as he had double booked.  That get together has been changed to today.  I then spent a good bit of the day checking my eyelids for leaks.  There were not any.
It was my designated day off and I ended up spending it quietly.  There was stuff I could have done but I decided I was going to keep a low profile.   I did what I like to do and put all I knew I had to do into one day rather than spread it over two. 
So today I will set up a place for a get together.  Merril and I often do it together of a Friday and I will continue the tradition while she is away.  I also need to send out a newsletter telling those that come that our Menzone is on Saturday week.  I normally send out a newsletter one week and a couple of reminder emails the week following.  So I will do the newsletter today.  I am also writing minutes of a meeting we had not long ago.
Those things need to be done.  I will also get together with a mate for coffee.  The plan is set.  See what happens.

I want to write again about the article that defines so well where I stand.  I am not articulate like many.  I have a limited way with words and only occasionally get blown away by the beauty of what I have written.  More often than not, when that happens, I feel like a spectator and marvel at what is on the page.
So to have something written that I feel expresses my feelings is a bonus for me.  It is a case of wow, someone else is expressing what I am feeling.  That is actually a real encouragement to me as it is always nice to catch up with another walking the same track and to engage in conversation that reflects the feelings of both of us.
So I am happy to use another’s thoughts where they express better than I the way I feel.
“Realism refuses to let difficulty have the final word. Realism acknowledges limitations while still believing in the unlimited.  Hope grows because faith refuses to let realism become the final authority.
That balance changes everything.  Planning is careful and expectant, decisions are responsible, yet open to change as seen necessary. 
Faith is often misunderstood, especially when circumstances feel overwhelming.  Some think faith means denying reality. Yet faith faces reality honestly and does not pretend facts are untrue, but it does refuse to let those realities define actions.  Faith says, “this is hard”, without concluding, “this is hopeless.” It recognizes limitations without assuming those limitations are final.
Faith knows change often comes slowly and keeps trusting, even when there is little visible evidence that anything is changing.  It is not dramatic or passive - just consistent. Decisions are made not because success is guaranteed, but because faith has proven to be reasonable even when a situation looked impossible.” 
(The Danger of “Realistic” Thinking Without Faith - by Thom Rainer)
Again, I have made a few changes in there and do not say this is what someone said, but it is the way I heard what someone said.  I guess it honestly means heaps to me as I am not immune to doubt or impatience, yet I have proven for myself the trustworthiness of who I trust.  I know my doubt is born of the inadequacy of my view rather than inconsistency in the object of my trust.

Merril and I are looking at a trip away.
We have planned it for September, and it will be all month.  We were with a travel agent yesterday making final arrangements.  We had been with the same person last week when we first looked into where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do and see.
It feels to me that the options of places to travel to are becoming less.  Most places it seems can still be visited but wanting to visit some places that would have been a no brainer in the past, I have second thought about.
Anyway September is not that far away but there are a number of things that need doing before then.  There are things we regularly do like running a monthly market, running an Alpha course, running groups where people get together weekly, running monthly men’s get togethers and a heap of other activities we are involved in.
All will be put on hold for us for September and there will be a lot of organizing to get others to do what we do for a while, or to shut down the get together all together.
Still. I do see seeing the way others live as a good thing and I hope to learn a few things as well as enjoy seeing a few things.
We decided it is probably a good time for us to go now as the day is approaching where travel will be a bridge too far.  Not that it will be something we do not desire, but it will be something we are physically incapable of doing.
I am trying to think of all I need to in the time I need to.  This getting older sure is not all it is cracked up to be.  I did a trip overseas in my early 20’s and reckon I would still be on some of the rides if I could. But now when faced with a choice I tend to go for the more sedentary activity.
Still I am excited by activity.  As long as I can still get a nap.