A lightning-swift visit.  They came, they're gone.  Arrived last night just before eleven.  Departed this morning just after nine.  Not much time together, but it's surprising how much talking can take place within the space of a few hours. There'll be a longer time together on the return journey.  Then we'll have most of a week to plumb the depths of what has been occurring since last we were together.

She finds it difficult to leave her pastoral work behind.  Which is ample reason for their late arrival.  It's just too difficult to leave, despite all the pre-arrangements that go into the enterprise of taking a break from ministering to those who require constant support, both emotional and religiously-inspired.

I had everything at the ready before their arrival, pre-prepared and -cooked to just put it all together as soon as they were ready to sit down and eat.  After taking as much of their baggage which they would need in from the car, which they had parked in the garage; our own vehicle remaining in the driveway, they were set.  Which precludes the necessity of emptying the entire car of their possessions to ensure no break-ins occur.

They're on their way to Nova Scotia.  They'll stop this evening at a provincial park in New Brunswick, where they'll camp out for the night before taking up their journey again to Nova Scotia.  She is faithful to her vow to be with her mother twice yearly.

She is the most intelligent, capable woman I've ever known.  Nothing escapes her, and there isn't much she doesn't know.  That is inclusive of culinary arts and modern trends in social customs.  She shares, with our oldest son, musical talent, both playing a variety of musical instruments, both traditional and heritage.  But while she ministers to peoples' souls, he explores the heavens with his astronomical commitment.

Each of them have degrees in history from the medieval era, and an oeuvre of academic papers to reflect that.  They're like shooting stars in our lives.