At 80+ years, she is still going strong.
I really cannot describe the process to you but will share some lovely photos of how we greeted and ended each day with spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Sunrise
Sunset
This is the beach cottage where we stay.
Part way through the week our silence and serenity
was somewhat disturbed by the fact that
the house next door to us was being
torn down using a huge back hoe excavator.
Actually, this was a gift for me.
I am living in the midst of a huge construction project
at The Redwoods.
I have needed an attitude adjustment and this was it.
I realized no matter where I am, there are going to be
interruptions and situations that can be irritating
IF I let them disturb me. It is all up to me.
I can go with the flow OR be annoyed.
Well, on this retreat, I found myself really enjoying
being a side walk superintendent as I watched this
amazing skilled back hoe operator
take down this cottage in one day.
Watching this process reminded my of an old saying that will now be my mantra for the next 2 to 3 years of construction at
The Redwoods.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist."
Not very spiritual but very wise and I am confident that God brought this to my mind for me to remember when ever I start getting upset about noise or inconvenience!
The house was taken away in 2 truck loads!
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I came home just in time to help celebrate my sister,
Barbaras' 80th Birthday.
Her sons T.J. and Jesse flew her down to the Bay Area
for a family celebration.
They went to University High School and the Katherine Delmar Burke School in SF to relive family history and learn about
the Burkes' contribution to education in San Francisco.
The above is a photo of Barbara with her sons at
The Katherine Delmar Burke School.
My Aunt Barbara, Great Aunt Katherine Delmar Burke,
and my Great Grandmother Lizzie Burke's
portraits are in the background
Here is an old photo of the siblings
as children in San Francisco.
Barbara, Elizabeth, Nancy and Warren
taken in 1947 at 101 32nd Avenue, SF
And here we are as a family in 2014
This batch of family had not been together for over 18 years!
We missed our brother, Warren, who did not
feel well enough to attend that day.
We connected with him later and he
will get lots of photos.
Jesse, Barbara and TJ.
Barbara is holding the card I made her.
Nancy, Elizabeth and Barbara
The Burke's Girls
We all went to Burke's at one time or the other.
2 comments:
Love it! And I love your attitude about letting the construction get to you (or NOT). Very wise. xoxoxo
Your sister sure doesn't look 80! Glad most of you got to get together. Three of my sisters and I got together for lunch the other day. A sister and brother couldn't make it since they live in Japan and Hawaii but I learned something. We emailed an IPhoto of all of us to them and when I got home I realized my sister in Japan had tried to get hold of us as she would have been there with Skype if I'd had my Ipad with me! Next time we'll try that and see how it works.
Two to three years of construction! That's a lot more than the one day for the little house but perhaps it won't always be noisy like that backhoe. I sure hope not! Just thinking about it is enough to get my "knickers in a twist". I think I prefer that saying to the other one like it, "panties in a wad".
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