Boulder Trip

We spent several days in Colorado over the Memorial Day weekend, visiting Lauren and Aaron. The first day we drove to Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO, as the natives call it) and did a hike with Lauren. The weather didn't look very promising at first.

Then it started to hail at the trailhead.
As soon as it cleared, we decided to start hiking.

The clouds lifted and it was beautiful.

Then we got lost and it started to snow.

But the sky cleared and we again had some magnificent views.

Dinner that night was at the Med (a Mediterranian Tapas restaurant).

The next day we drove to Colorado Springs and did a hike nearby with Steve and Amy.

On Saturday, we toured Celestial Seasonings in Boulder and sampled lots of teas.

Then we drove to Red Rocks.

And there was time to tour Coors Brewery in Golden.

On Sunday we did a scenic drive along the Cache La Poudre River, north of ROMO.

View of the Crags

Moose by the side of the road.

Hiked the Big South trail in Roosevelt National Forest.

It rained all day Monday but that didn't stop us from going on a little hike near Boulder on Mt. Flagstaff in Chautauqua Park. We also toured CU and walked along Pearl Street.

There will be other trips to Boulder in the future, of course. Next time Lauren & I will beat the guys in Puerto Rico.

Third Culture Kids

"Which do you like better - Japan or America?"

I always hated that question. It was asked by Japanese and Americans alike. How can you answer a question like that? You like them both, each in their own unique way.

"A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK'S life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background." ¹

Phil and I are both Third Culture Kids. And it occured to me lately that Barack Obama is also a Third Culture Kid. No wonder I sense a kindred spirit.



1 "The TCK Profile" seminar material, Interaction, Inc., 1989, 1.

Motherline

I've been re-reading "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. I was struck once again just how patriarchal the church is. God is neither male nor female, right? So why do we always refer to God as "he?" The book explores the Feminine Divine. We can get a glimpse of the form and image of the Feminine Divine (intuitive, nurturing, listening, guiding wisdom) through the examples of the women in our lives, our mothers.

I would like to honor today those who have birthed us, the unfolding line of mothers and daughters. This is my motherline:

Daughters, Miriam and Lauren, and myself

My mother, Eunice

Her mother, Dora

And her mother, Oetje

"Every mother contains her daughter in herself and every daughter her mother and every mother extends backwards into her mother and forwards into her daughter." C. G. Jung