It is now the middle of January, where has the time gone?
After the rush of the holidays, the New Year’s eve party and the great family gathering on the first day of this year we decided that we needed some time to ourselves. We were still involved with the “service project” at our children’s rental unit, with clean up duties and some residual restorative work. The week after Christmas our children form Missouri decided to help their siblings with restoring the apartment which was “thrashed” by the previous renter. An effort which took time, hard work, and money; but was so satisfying in the end.
A quote from the psalms come to mind: (133:1 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! The Message.) How blessed are the parents who can experience this!
We did get the opportunity to enjoy our time together in relaxation. A gentle but abundant snow kept us snuggled in bed. Our daughter’s 10th anniversary of her 29th birthday brought us together for a great dinner experience. Some renovation in our own home helps justify the expense of new tools. We work well together. We also rest well together. Early in our retirement we needed to learn to limit our daily activities to just that: daily activities. To not let these activities carry over into the evening hours, just to get it done. There is always another day, there are always more projects, but the time you spend with your loved one(s) comes around only once. You use it or lose it! If you lose that time you might actually lose the loved one or lose “love.”
Let me try to explain this a little more: People have asked, when we retired so young, “Why did you give up medicine? Medicine is such a benevolent profession, you could help so many people, in so many places during your travels.” I “gave up” the practice of medicine, because we wanted to do things as a couple.
When we were young and maybe even innocent, we wanted to be together, all the time. Then came the babies, the job, the schools, the moves, the children growing up, and so on, and on, and on. After a time the children left. We were left alone, again, just the two of us. Sure, there is a career and there are many great opportunities for involvement in a variety of activities. Most of these are individual activities, geared to the availability of the worker. I, however; had a great desire to do things together as a couple. Because our life’s situation and direction we had traveled down the path of life, we were able to “retire” from gainful employment at this time. We redirected our focus. We started another
“career.” My third one.
We thought it would be great to “travel for the Lord,” work for food, and support those involved in Christian mission work. Our first mission’s support trip was 10 years ago and we have visited many exiting places in the past decade.
We made many friends, we were influenced by great teachers and many other Kingdom workers. But we did it together, as a couple, a unit if you will. United in marriage by “eternal” vows. We truly have been blessed. This reminds me of a favorite text in Ecclesiastics, (chapter 5:18-20.) We are not wealthy as this world defines this, but our benefits are out of this world.
Our month as "Pink House" host and hostess was over at the end of October. We have moved to another residence on the campus, here at Glen Eyrie.
We now live in the “Chalet.”
This is the small 
white building in the picture. We have also gone from winter to winter, with beautiful sunshine days in between.
It seems like we enjoy (or is it endure?) a winter (snow) storm every two weeks. The great thing about the weather here, is that the snow usually melts away a day after it stops falling. At least that has been our experience so far.
We have been busy doing other work now. 
I have been manufacturing backdrop boxes for the upcoming Madrigals. The fronts are being printed. It will be a replica stained-glass window, depicting a nativity scene. We are also scheduled to help with serving the guests during the Madrigal dinner and show. Something we are really looking forward to, with joyful anticipation.
Corrie has been busy with phone calls, some other office tasks and dining room duty.
Because the Glen is going through a slower period this part of the year, we get to enjoy many “boxed” meals. The other single volunteers have been taking their meals at the Chalet with us.
It has become “dinner and a movie.” We have a DVD player for just that purpose!
During the past few weekends we have gone on some more hikes. Both, in the snow and up on the rocks during beautiful warm fall weather.
During the half week after Veteran’s Day, the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway was offering substantial discounts for military personnel and veterans, who have a military ID. 
We took advantage of this and went up to the summit on November 12.
Reaching the summit was in question, as the wind was howling through the saddle at 12000 feet.
After we reached Windy Point at 12129 feet, the wind had dropped to below 50 mph, so we went on to the top.
With an ambient temperature of 23 degrees (F) and the wind at 47 mph, our noses detected about +1 degree (F). Cold to say the least! We had prepared by bringing warm clothes, yet we cooled off very quickly. The gift shop was a nice reprieve.
“Winter Wonderland,” a quote from Michigan, - many years ago. Here at Glen Eyrie winter transforms the place wonderfully. E have had another white blessing. Our children from Missouri spend the weekend with us a s guests in the Pink House. We took them to Dorothy Falls at the end of Queen Canyon. Rick, ever the amateur geologist, had a blast looking at all the rocks and the exposed layers of rock formation in the canyon wall, never mind the flowing water.
The weather was in the sixties with sunshine, but on
Sunday we started getting snow. It did not really stick to the roads, but transformed the surroundings with about a two inch accumulation.
Oh yeah, we shared the experience of a mountain lion stalking turkeys in our front yard. The turkeys flew into the trees and the lion bounded off, back into the woods. (He did not look too hungry!) We didn’t get a picture because it all happened fairly quickly.
Monday was a wonderful day to see the snow covered trees and rocky crags. We took a lot of pictures and took even a ride through the Garden of the Gods, to see the clean white covering on the red rocks.
We unexpectedly had overnight guests.
The guests-services did not know that the kitchen was closed this morning; we had gotten a box-breakfast yesterday. Since the overnight guests usually have breakfast included, we cooperatively agreed to cook and serve breakfast at the Pink House and serve it in the gorgeous Pink House dining room. Our guests were delighted, as were we, to have a scrumptious warm breakfast served in style! One more week and we’ll move to the chalet, leaving the Pink House to another couple to manage for a month.
Waiting for spring, though. 
