Resurrection

Today is Easter, the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It made me start to think of resurrections in general.

The dictionary defines resurrection as:

1.      the act of rising from the dead.

2.      the state of those risen from the dead.

3.      a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.

I don’t think I’ve ever done the first two, but it seems I am in a constant state of the latter. I’ve always been easily bored. Yet, I don’t do well with chaos and upheaval. At home, I want everything in its place. I can’t stand clutter. Clean is important. Yet, too much of the sameness makes me want to scream.

Larry is a creature of habit. He’d follow the same routine each day, eat exactly the same meals, watch the same TV shows, and keep precisely the same schedule. As long as surfing was in the mix, he’d be content.

I need variety. I need to take a different path occasionally, see new people, places, things.

Larry re-reads the same books over and over. I’m always moving on to the next one. There’s so much to see and do and learn. I want to gobble up as much as I can.

As I am getting older, though, I realize that I can’t do everything I could when I was younger. Sometimes I feel positively ancient. That’s when I need a resurrection. I have to force myself to get up, get moving, do something new.

We were on the road for four weeks in March. By about the third week, Larry was more than ready to come home, but I loved every minute of it. Well, except for trying to sleep in strange beds.

As usual, I planned our journey like a general headed into battle. Each day was packed with visits with friends (as many as possible), covering miles and miles (over 4,000 in all), and experiencing as much as possible in the time allowed. And we saw a great deal.

But the most important part of the trip for me was reuniting with old friends we hadn’t seen in years.

We started in Prescott Valley, AZ with my former boss and his wife. Larry and I worked with both of them for several years before I left that company in 1985. He changed jobs two years later. We lost track of them for a time, but reconnected about seven years ago. What a joy to spend time with them!

We also had dinner with another couple who used to attend our church but moved to Prescott, AZ several years ago. We see them about once a year. (The husband stayed at our house for a couple of nights last fall.)

Since our four friends had never met each other, we planned dinner together. The two couples had so much in common that we’re sure they’ll stay in touch. For me, it was a resurrection of cherished friendships and the beginning of a new relationship between two couples we adore.

Next, we moved on to Tempe, AZ for Sunday services with a young man who grew up in our church here in California. He’s just been installed as the pastor there. Another couple from our San Juan church, who have moved to Colorado but winter in Chandler, also attended with us. Then they, their Chandler neighbors, and the young pastor and his family went to lunch with us. Another of my former bosses, whom I haven’t seen since about 1979, drove from Phoenix to join us. What a joy to see her again! And I added yet another resurrection of old memories of good times.

On to Deming NM, where we spent the day with one of my best grammar school friends. Over the years, I’d lost track of her, but about a week before we left, I located her again. What a fabulous day! It was as though we’d never been apart! I felt younger and refreshed when we left. And there is the promise of yet another visit together this summer.

Then on to San Antonio, TX for the EPICon conference. We look forward to this event each year where we reconnect with dear friends and make new ones. In addition to the great workshops and other conference events, I received and signed the contract for my next book, Ghost Writer, to be published this summer by Oak Tree Press. The publisher brought the contract with her as a surprise for me.

On the Saturday of the conference, we held an event, including a book signing, that was open to the public. This time, a friend from grammar school and high school drove three hours each way from Houston just to spend a little time with us! We hadn’t seen each other since graduation. And once again I had that sense of revival and revitalization. She, too, is planning to come to Dana Point for a visit soon.

After the conference, we traveled north to Dallas to spend a few days with our daughter, Kim. We really miss her and had a wonderful time just being with her.

Next, we ventured to Colorado where we had lived for a year in the ‘70s. We spent the night in Denver in a funky and fun B&B, and ate dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange, a favorite haunt during our time there. The clock turned back, and I rediscovered the love I’d had for the city and for Colorado.

On to Idaho Springs, CO, the inspiration for the fictional town of Aspen Grove, CO we created for our anthologies. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time we were there. We stayed in a charming B&B called The Miner’s Pick. The innkeeper was a delight, and we felt at home and welcomed.

Walking the streets of town for hours, taking photos of all the lovely old buildings, eating in the restaurants, made my made-up town feel real. We toured the gold mine—more great research since our little town is an historic silver mining town and much of the process is the same.

We also drove to Georgetown where we found even more inspiration. Many photos later, we felt we had captured the essence of these small, historic, mining towns, and I have some new ideas for business and people for the future. We even sold a few of our books!

Then on to Utah to visit our niece and nephew.

But the night before we left Colorado, I discovered that my ancestors had lived in a town about fifteen minutes off the main highway right on our way. I felt compelled to go there, and last week’s blog was about the amazing emotional experience I had there.

Our few days with our niece and her family were full of fun. Since we have no grandchildren and are unlikely to ever have any, being able to play with and spoil their two little boys was a delight.

Our last stop was in Las Vegas to see more friends. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and a great deal of conversation. We hope to see them at the end of this month when they return to our little piece of Paradise.

We returned home tired, and overwhelmed by everything that we’d seen and done. It will probably take me another month to process everything. But I’m not bored and feel revived and ready to go!

Now, is that a resurrection?