The past several weeks have been busy with school, sports, travel, and being present for friends and others.

Sadie and Christy went on a school trip to Washington, DC, promptly followed by Christy and I popping back up to DC for a two-day Churches for Middle East Peace advocacy summit.

Sadie (school) and Riley (YMCA) both had playoff soccer. No championship trophies, sadly, but it was a rewarding experience for both in terms of play and connecting with teammates.

This coming weeks will provide a bit of a break before Christy’s church and synod travels begin in earnest at the end of the month, and we head into a busy June of camps and family travel.

Hope this finds you all well. Peace.

Supporting friends at a 7th & 8th Grade end-of-year concert at the middle school Sadie and Riley used to attend.

Supporting another set of friends at a different school.

Had the privilege of attending the senior thesis presentation for now-Lenoir-Rhyne University graduate Natalie Mosier.

Motivational messaging in Washington, DC.

Interesting architectural flex in DC. The poem on the steps is excerpted from Maya Angelou’s “Alone”:

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Maxwell Park wine bar in DC builds its wine menu around monthly themes. In this case, how cultivating on sloping vineyards (as opposed to flat ones) impacts wine quality and taste. How that got them to Tina Turner I don’t know, but we appreciated that each month theme comes with its own specialized staff tee shirts.

Still Life, College Town.

Resting Avatar Face, A Study.

At the Little Grill in Harrisonburg, VA.