Best-Laid Plans

Best-laid plans: I often have them.

They may be as meticulously plotted as an interstate highway. Or they may meander and shift like sand on a dirt road pummeled by the Kansas wind. But I like my plans and my lists. They just don't always work out as well as they do in my head. Know the feeling?

We spent last Tuesday night in Topeka. It was, admittedly, a roundabout way to get to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the Great Plains United Methodist Church annual conference. But there was a certain little girl who lives in Topeka that needed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa. Brent drove over from Manhattan, so we got to share a meal prepared by Jill and Eric and served under their backyard gazebo.

Then, Wednesday morning, I joined some 1,800 other lay delegates and pastors from United Methodist churches from every corner of Kansas and Nebraska.

Since it had rained, Randy went along for the ride. Actually, he drove the whole time, so I guess he went along for the "drive" ... in more ways than one. While I spent the time in meetings during the day, he "drove" little white balls across the landscape of three different Lincoln golf courses.

We ate at some fun places in Lincoln's historic Haymarket district. Thursday night, we went to the Sunken Gardens and Antelope Park, where I took dozens of photos. I posted one from Antelope Park to Facebook, but I thought I'd edit the rest of them and share the best ones after I got home.

I was trying to be a stellar church lay delegate and post photos from Pastor Ben's Friday night commissioning service to the Stafford United Methodist Church Facebook page. I accomplished that goal. 

But, in my efforts on an unfamiliar computer, I guess I erased the memory card. So my pictures of Kinley, the gardens and other snapshots of the conference are gone. As I told Jill (who is my anti-clutter preacher), she will have one fewer memory card to throw out one day.

So, I will have to be happy with the photos of Kinley I received by text last week. And I am.

Princess Kinley and her Royal Coach

Can you imagine what a sticky mess it is to feed a roomful of 2-year-olds watermelon?

My only scenic photo of Nebraska is the rainbow that I took on our way home on Saturday, which I also posted to Facebook.

But, that's OK. I'm back to the County Line, where we may not have Sunken Gardens or a rose garden. But it's beautiful, all the same, especially after more rain. We got 0.50" while we were in Lincoln and then 1.30" Saturday night into Sunday morning. So, it will likely be a couple of days before we try cutting wheat or get back into the hay field.

It may not be the lily pool at the Sunken Gardens. But it's beautiful, all the same.