Adventures in Southern California

Monday was an "Adventure Monday"....at least that is what I call it. Bryan is off on Mondays every other week. On some of those Mondays we go on an adventure. That is the wonder and joy of living in Southern California. Bryan suggested the Maritime Museum in San Diego. He said he had always wanted to go there. I did some of my growing up in San Diego and I never went there. There are six boats you can explore. The sail ships, especially the Star of India, are beautiful.

But the submarines were the most challenging to explore. The Russian sub had five hatches we had to go through. It would have been a comical experience if we were watching someone else do it.

Brett demonstrated what it would have been like to sleep in the small bunks.

One of my absolute favorite things to do in San Diego is to go to the merry-go-round at Balboa Park and try for the brass ring. Bryan doesn't like to participate but we had Brett along. I bought several tickets. We watched and waited for the merry-go-round to stop. A young boy got the brass ring and I trashed talked with Brett how I was going to be the next recipient of the ring. When the merry-go-round stopped Brett and I ran for the two giraffes. They are the tallest rides and each of us wanted to win. Well, just in case you ever find yourself at the merry-go-round at Balboa Park you can't try for the brass ring after 5 p.m. This is important information for you to have if you get on the merry-go-round at 5:01 p.m.....like we did.

Bryan and Angie Hostetler share a birthday, so today we went to Laguna Beach to celebrate.

After a delicious breakfast we went for a hike on the beach.

On the way home, on a whim, we decided we wanted to see the Crystal Cathedral. I have seen it from the freeway, but I have never gone there. Bryan remembers attending church there back when it was the Garden Grove Community Church and you could sit in your car and attend worship. It has changed a bit since then.

Quite a Week

This has been quite a week. Pentecost worship was a fabulous, blow-out service. Sunday night the Sanctuary Choir gave an incredible concert made up of their favorite pieces. The concert ended with the premier of Shawn's choral version of "I'll Be on My Way." There were over 250 people there, more than were in worship for Pentecost Sunday. I am guessing that over half of them were guests. Our choir inspires us, soothes us and makes us proud!

On Monday night, Brett returned from England. He did his senior year at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. When Brett landed at LAX he didn't have a cell phone that worked in the United States and his lap top had been damaged. It is amazing to me that we used to live our lives without either of these conveniences. We finally connected with Brett when he borrowed a stranger's cell phone to let us know where he was. I made Brett and Bryan pose under the men's restroom sign. Can you tell how much Bryan enjoyed having his picture taken?

I made Brett some cookies with fair trade chocolate but the thing he wanted most was a grilled cheese with grilled onions at In & Out! We stopped on the way home.

Loren Bowman died this week. Loren was one of my heroes. I would say he served as a model for me but I am not sure I could ever emulate his quiet patience and his profound brilliance. When I was the youth director of the La Verne Church of the Brethren, back in 1981, Loren was the interim pastor. His efficient administration, soft-spoken leadership, open-minded search for knowledge and unwavering commitment to the church impressed me as I made my decision to go to seminary.

Today I went to a 50th wedding anniversary party. Our West African drumming group played at the party. I love to play with this group but I am always a bit nervous in front of others. Since I am always playing, I never get to take a picture but I asked someone to do the honors today.

It is good to have Brett home. He is positive, witty and a great cook. I haven't cooked all week. Occasionally he will let me put on an apron and cut some tomatoes but mostly he prefers to just take care of meals and clean-up. I could get used to this kind of treatment.

On Anacapa

Today I got one of my wishes. Bryan and I went to Channel Islands. I have wanted to go here ever since I realized that it was where the girl from Island of the Blue Dolphins lived. My mother made me read that book when I was in elementary school. I made both my boys read it as well. I wonder if some day they will make somebody they love read it.

Bryan and I took off from Oxnard this morning for Anacapa Island, the closest of the islands. Anacapa comes from the Chumash Indians and it means mirage. The island is made up of three islets: east, middle, west. It is five miles long with steep cliffs. We had to climb 153 stairs to get to the top of the island.

There were several things we didn't know about this trip before we left. For example, when we arrived this morning the woman said, "Did anyone tell you that you would be sharing the boat with 40 fifth graders on a field trip?" The other thing we didn't know is that thousands of seagulls were hatching their baby chicks. The chicks are spotted.

So are the eggs.

I felt like I was in a scene from Hitchcock's The Birds. All these seagulls, trying desperately to protect their chicks and eggs, let us know that we were not wanted. We got dive bombed several times. At several points, it was all we could do not to run screaming.

We hiked out to Inspiration Point. It was inspirational but they were too many people there for us to find a quiet place to eat our lunch. There are a limited number of benches on the island and all of them are covered with bird poop....and I mean covered.

We hiked back to the other side of the island and ate lunch with a view of the lighthouse.

Then we hurried back down the stairs for a "live dive." They had divers in the kelp beds below us. There was a cameraman diving, as well. The divers were linked with us above them and with the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura. It was very cool. Back on the boat we headed down to see Arch Rock.

Wave good-bye to the sea lions.

On the way back, I told Bryan that karma dictated that if you spent your day on a field trip with 40 fifth graders you didn't know, then surely a humpback whale would be sighted on the way home. Sure enough! It was a fabulous day!

Santa Barbara

Bryan and I took off for a drive this morning. We didn't have a map. We ended up in the Santa Barbara Cemetery. My grandfather was a sociologist and he believed that one of the most interesting things you can learn about a society is how it deals with its dead. I can remember many trips to cemeteries with my grandfather. My mother liked to have our family take paper and crayons to cemeteries and do headstone rubbings. I learned early in life that some of the best real estate houses graveyards. This is true in San Diego on Point Loma and it is true in Santa Barbara.

We ate lunch at Crush Cakes. Their motto is: "Make cupcakes, not war." We planned our whole meal around the red velvet cupcake we shared for dessert. It was so good we bought a few to go. This is the Peace Cake. I don't know whether to eat it or admire it.

Our next stop was the Santa Barbara Courthouse. What an amazing place. It was built in 1929 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. On the front of the building it says in Spanish: God gave us fields, but the skill of humanity built cities.

We went up 85 feet to the clock tower. It helped us better understand the layout of Santa Barbara. We could see our hotel, the mission, the mountains and the ocean.

Tonight we drove up Highway 154 in search of the Painted Cave. We found it but by the time we arrived it was too dark to climb up to it and be able to see anything. Note to self: "Don't head to the Painted Cave at sunset."

June 5th

On June 5, 1982, Bryan and I were married at the San Diego Church of the Brethren. Bryan planned a wonderful two week honeymoon in Hawaii, beginning the next day. We drove to LAX on June 5th and stayed in the Marriott so that we would be close for our early morning flight.

Back then Bryan had a black sports car that he loved. When Bryan pulled up to the valet parking at the Marriott, he said, "My mother will never let valet park her car." He turned over the keys and we went in to register. When we arrived at our room the phone was ringing. I picked it up. "Mrs. Boyer, may we speak to your husband?" It was the first time I had been called Mrs. Boyer.

When Bryan got on the phone I heard him say, "How bad is it? You want me to come down now? This is my wedding night." The valet had been racing his car and run it into a pillar. While it was distressing at the time, they fixed the car and it was waxed and ready when we returned. We saved quite a bit on parking.

To celebrate our wedding anniversary this year Bryan and I drove to Santa Barbara. We stopped at San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura.

We when we pulled into our hotel next to East Beach in Santa Barbara....Bryan let valet park his car.

Cohort Group Weekend

In January 2006, five Church of the Brethren pastors of college town churches began to meet for support and in search of a heart and mind spirituality. I am fortunate enough to be part of this group. We have listened to each other and prayed for each other. We have learned how well we travel together. Together we have walked with each other through the death of parents, the challenges and triumphs of raising children, the joy of a new relationship, surgeries, district and denominational struggles, and much, much more.

Over Memorial weekend we got together in a lake house in Indiana. (One person couldn't make it at the last minute due to a detached retina. She was sorely missed.) One member of our group wrote a sabbatical grant proposal to bring the group together and was awarded the money. So next to Sawmill Lake we spent a few days trying to make sense of pastoral ministry and soaking in the beauty of lush green landscapes. In the four days we were there, it poured rain on three of them. The lake overflowed its bounds. I enjoyed finding a realty sign for "Pier 13" submerged in the water.

On Memorial Day we went out on a boat. I considered it my job to take pictures of dogs on boats. You would be amazed at how many people take their dogs with them for a day on the lake. This is my favorite...but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of the dog in the life vest.

I am not sure how I would have made it through the challenges of the last five years without these soul friends. I am glad I didn't have to find out. I just wish we lived closer to each other.