Florida

So I never got round to blogging about my trip to Florida after Easter. Time I put that right.

Here's my sister, Gill, outside her pad in Zephyrhills. It's evening, so it's cool, mid to high seventies, and she's pottering around in the garden. Funny, when we were kids, she hated the garden. Maybe when I'm as old as she is, I'll have green fingers too.

This is Ben, my nephew, and Lucy the dog, lounging by the pool out the back of the house.
Ben is now nearly eleven, and bright as anything. About to change up to middle school, he is struggling with choices. Should he do band? Or chorus? Or elective wheel? (Whatever that is.) Band, says my sister, is where the nerdy kids go. But it's what he wants to do - go for it Ben! Look at me, it did me no harm. I'd make the same choice.

Though there are those who might claim I was one of the nerdy kids. But heck, if getting top grades all through school and claiming a place at the top university in the country and still knowing enough trivia to win Tim Hughes' music quiz means I'm a nerd, I can live with it.

Here's Gill walking the dog. Both of them enjoying the exercise. Not a lot of walking going on. Ben is on his scooter behind them. I'm looking at the red car...

Actually it was a great trip. Gill's job now means I see a lot more of her when I go over - her hours work out much better, or they did this time. I used to just chill by the pool and see her briefly in the evening, but this time we had whole days together! And that was a lot of fun.

As was meeting up with Chris Berryman, an old friend from Maryland who now lives not far away. He's here with Kurt, his friend who works at Disney and very generously took me round for a day. We had a great time - though by the end, my feet were bearing the marks of too much sun!

I hadn't seen Chris for far too many years, but it really was like only yesterday, the way we instantly began to joke and enjoy the time together. And then chat theology and work through really deep issues. Friendships mean the world to me; it was a great joy to renew this one.

One last picture. Me in "France" at Epcot. Just to prove I was there. This has become (for a while anyway) my main photo on MySpace. It has been years since I could fit into this Man Utd shirt! So I'm just showing off. And being thankful - it was a great holiday, a great time with Gill and Ben, and then with Chris and also with Kurt, and I look forwards to going back soon.