So we’re having a good vacation … fishing for those who like to fish, swimming for those who like to swim, porch sitting for me. My parents were here yesterday evening and most of today. They’ll be back for the weekend and my brothers and their families will be joining us. But here’s the real fly in the ointment … my friends back in Virginia aren’t here. That’s the real problem. I’m only with them during the humdrum of daily life. I don’t get to share the fun of vacation with them. And I’m missing them all pretty badly. I said as much to LightHusband. He says that’s what heaven is. It’s not about pearly gates, gold streets, and crowns with jewels … it’s when we get to spend eternity with God and all our friends.

So I wonder … do aviation engineers study pictures like this when they’re designing helicopters and things?

So my father says to me this morning, “We got an offer of $400K on this place. Should we take it and split it four ways? (meaning between my parents, my two brothers and me). What do you think we should do?”

I just looked at him. I was trying to figure out if he was kidding or not. Sometimes he’s quite a kidder. But he seemed to be kind of serious … perhaps testing the water.

So I told him about what Grandpa George told Charlie in the movie “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.” There was a scene right after Charlie found the last winning ticket, when he was with his grandparents and his parents, and all the grownups were trying to decide who would best accompany Charlie on the tour. Charlie put a stop to all the action by declaring that no one would go because he was going to sell the ticket for top dollar because they needed the money so badly. That was when Grandpa George stepped in, “Money is common,” he told Charlie, “they print lots and lots of it every day. But this tour — this tour is a once in a lifetime experience and you’d be a fool not to go on it.”

So I looked at my dad and said, “Money is common, they print lots and lots of it every day … but this camp is priceless.”

He grinned at me and nodded his head.