The last couple of days have been a wild ride.  Birthdays, lost people, lots of prayers, and a visit from my WI daughter.  I'm so grateful for family and friends, for pastors and God's grace and mercy. 

I'm packed and the lists are almost all crossed off.  My pack weight is more than  wanted, but my weight and the pack weight together are still under what I weighed a year ago, so I feel ok about it. 

Thank you to everyone for your support, well wishes, and prayers.  It means so much to me as I take off tomorrow.  Please keep Eddie and the family in your prayers as they adjust to not having the control freak around- taking control of everything.  I love something Ed told me this morning- that God is teaching him through this, as well as me.  He is going to be on a pilgrimage of his own, learning to be independent and having to do it all on his own, something I've had to do for so many years as he's been on the road, trucking.  I'm proud of him for taking it all on- two households, ours and his dad's.  I know that God is molding him into a stronger, more confident man.