When Old Moms Swing into Blue Sky

Yesterday Jonathan and I ended up for a few minutes at Sherman Park in the middle of Sioux Falls where we had traveled for several reasons, mainly my final of three infusions at my clinic there. 

We had left home a few hours earlier than originally planned, however, so that Jonathan could arrive at a courthouse in Sioux Falls in time to accompany a man from the reservation in for his case.

 Interestingly, the name of the place was Minnehaha County Courthouse. Minnehaha is the name of a native American Indian tribe, and also the name of a street near Colorado Springs where we had purchased a fixer-upper many years ago, maybe sixteen, hoping to remodel and make some money.

This name may or may not bring back very good memories.  

However, yesterday was a lovely day, and while Jonathan was at the courthouse, I ran a couple errands and ended up with two red and white striped paper bags of free, fresh popcorn from 

Ace Hardware! 

Since our daughter had made us three bags of popcorn for our 2-day trip, we shared those Ace popcorn bags with our friend's family, and were they ever tickled for the diversion and treat as they had been sitting in their vehicle just waiting.

Then we stopped for a few minutes to walk in the sunshine at a park we passed where we noticed lots of robins on the ground. I saw one pulling a worm that stretched as long as the robin itself! 

It was just a city park, but we never know what we'll discover if we just pull over and get out and walk. Not only did we discover all the hungrily feasting robins, but we discovered a spot where one hundred years ago a businessman and real estate man named Mr. Sherman built a 500-foot-long wooden slide for adventuresome young people. (Or old people, if he included people like Jonathan and me.)

Jonathan and I had fun meandering around on that hillside, voting on where we each thought the slide may have started. The sign said the slide went up and down and around, a bit like a roller coaster, or maybe a bit more like my cancer journey right now!

Which is why we take time to just stop and take a walk in the middle of it all--to allow our minds to reset and relax and rest. 

I love reading about history, including the history behind this now non-existent slide and behind these Indian Burial Mounds that were in another corner of the park.

I would have thought they were just hills, of course, but turns out these hills are burial mounds that contain skulls, bones, pots and pans, and even horse bones!

I prefer the green grass on top. 

Also the swing that takes me into the sky while stimulating my lymphatic system,

and spring blossoms like these ones my sister Dorcas sent me a photo of in Virginia. 

So when I am waiting on results of treatments and infusions, praying about desperate problems in Haiti, Ukraine, our own country, and so many other places in the world, and am in between a court and Aldis and Menards, it's time to take a few moments and swing right up into the blue sky--

like a happy little girl who knows that in the middle of it all, 

we can trust Jesus and enjoy one more moment of life and love!