The Games People Play

Golf - you've probably heard about it. The object of the game is to hit a wee ball into a wee cup with a long, narrow stick. Dropping that sucker into that wee cup in the fewest number of tries is most desirable.

Lately, the only thing about my game that has dropped dramatically has been my confidence. I tell you what, after watching my performance deteriorate over the last few months... and tossing out my scorecard altogether after a particularly horrible round about 10 days ago, I decided I'd just give the whole thing up. I haven't been golfing...I've been flogging - and my attitude and behavior have been sad.

Well, a few days ago, I was in the public library and saw a little book called, Golfer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Golf by Doug Werner. I checked it out and was floored - the basic grip that was described and illustrated in the 1st few pages was TOTALLY foreign to me. Apparently, nobody had ever told me the correct way to hold a club! In spite of this, I had kind of made the wrong way work enough of the time in the past to think that I had this thing figured out. Uh-uh... Anyway, I tried this 'new-to-me' grip in the privacy of our little cabin on wheels, and it felt soooooo awkward. It was as though I'd never held a golf club before.

Much to Dennis's surprise, I agreed to his suggestion of proceeding to the golf course with my new grip. After 2 holes of absolute flailing about, something clicked and the angels began humming. [They were not actually singing, mind you, but I hope that will come in time!] I shot a 94 that day (hey, that's good for me!) and decided that maybe I'd postpone my exodus from the sport.

Realizing that it can all 'go south' again at any time, given the plethora of factors that affect each and every round, I'd best continue reading. Surely there will be a chapter or so on the mental game...keeping it fun. Besides, it is a game, after all, right?!

Now, go out there and have a great day!

...it's a box of chocolates!

Life is just full of surprises, isn't it? We've had many in the past several weeks; some good and some not so good. Everything from having a parking spot open up right when we need one, to being inundated with a sudden shower while playing our favorite golf course.

We had a big shock last Saturday when we heard about a motorcycle accident involving a dear friend. In critical condition, unresponsive and virtually unrecognizable for 4 days, Jerry lay bandaged and broken in the hospital. His family and a wide circle of friends breathed his name in constant prayer. Today we learned that he has regained consciousness - Praise God! We know that Jerry has a long way to go in his recovery, but he is one tough cookie and he'll be back up to speed in no time. We are blessed to have people such as Jerry in our midst; he is a character!

This episode reminds me, once again, to live in the moment... be present to the miracles... and love without reservation. Life is a fragile gift, and it's all about relationships.

We had a delightful surprise on Sunday evening. As Dennis was leaving the RV to take the garbage out, we heard someone exclaim, "Hi there!!" As I peeked out the door, I was stunned to find our wonderful friends, Debbie and Scott Sherrill (and their little dog, Tony Parker) standing there. They'd planned a surprise visit to see us in Ruidoso on their way to Santa Fe. We had the best time catching up with them until they had to move on Tuesday afternoon. They are lovely people and we are fortunate to call them 'friends.'

Telephone conversations and email messages are wonderful and do keep one in touch, but nothing compares to the physical presence of friends and loved ones. We are so looking forward to our 'winter' stay back in central Texas!

Here's hoping all is well with you and yours. Receive the blessings, and abide in love!

Closing out our time in Colorado and cruising into New Mexico

Our time in and around Durango, Colorado was so nice; the people were welcoming, the sights - beyond wonderful, and the food - mouthwatering!

We met a delightful bookstore owner, a tiny woman, who was quite a character; a waitress that was a breath of fresh air; the couple that had managed the campground for 17 years - and cheerfully delivered delicious made-to-order pizzas to our campsite; and the young railroad steward who seemed as thrilled as we to be riding the rails. The folks in this great country of ours are pretty hospitable, as a rule. Oh, sure, one can find a bad apple every now and again, but generally speaking, we are a good lot.

As we explored the Durango area, we enjoyed historical areas such as the awesome Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde. We were allowed to walk through the ancient structures. I kept wondering about the condition of the feet of those inhabitants. A pedicurist would have made a killing! The guides at the site invited us to climb down a ladder, through a 40-inch diameter hole, that went down into a very dark place called a 'Kiva,' a circular pit that was used for spiritual encounters, etc. I passed on that invitation; some sort of phobia shivered up my spine as I contemplated the scene...

The trip on the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was amazing. The heights were breathtaking; the sheer drop-offs were, too! We saw bubbling mountain streams that suddenly became thunderous falls, and rapids complete with skilled kayakers enjoying their close encounter with nature.

On the way back from Silverton, all of us in the 10 or so railcars were treated to quite a scene of bare behinds - and some fronts - by several groups of young folks rafting and sunbathing on the shores of the Animas River. It is some kind of tradition, apparently - we have no pictures for evidence, however!

Of course, Dennis and I 'played at' golf one afternoon at the beautiful public course in Durango. Thank goodness God rained us off the course on the back nine, or we'd have felt compelled to record our scores for posterity... golf - what a wonderful, horrible sport.

One evening at the end of our time in Durango, Dennis treated me to a lovely dinner at the Mahogany Grill in the Strator Hotel. Afterward, we thoroughly enjoyed watching a local production of 'Dames at Sea' in the little community theater. The entire cast of 6 (college students - what energy and talent!) were exceptional - not a weak voice in the bunch!

Finally, we bid Durango and the surrounding area a fond farewell and drove back to a place that we dearly love - Ruidoso, New Mexico. We've been here almost a week now and are all settled. A few days ago, while I was off enjoying a respite at a day spa here (thanks to my dear 'sisters' back in Austin - a terrific idea for a BIG birthday I recently celebrated), Dennis kept himself busy by hosting a Dish Network satellite installer at our campsite. Don't boys and girls find unique ways of entertaining themselves?!?!

Anyway, we are planning to thoroughly enjoy ourselves in the lovely small-town pace of Ruidoso for the next 2 months. We'll no doubt come down off our mountain as Moses once did - with faces shining and peace & contentment exuding through our pores.

Until the next installment - love to all!