I believe this is in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City. The light was just right and I was able to be still enough for this to come out. It’s looking straight up into the ceiling.
Here is another except a different angle and zoom.
Later that night we went to a free Billy Joel and Brian Adams concert outside of the Colliseum.
Went to church in Davie. They have their own building. Apperantly they sold the building to a different ministry a while back. That church didn’t do well and wanted to sell it. Florida had the funds to buy it back. It’s a bit weird for me to be in a church. We’ve bet in schools, civic centers, parks and just about everywhere except churches for the past sixteen years. The girls really enjoyed children’s ministry. They both made friends and seemed to overcome the anxiety of walking into a room full of people you’ve never met before.
John Porter had a really great message about “going”. The disciples had to be made to get on the boat by Jesus. Later, Jesus walked on water to them. Sometimes we have to be made to go somewhere for our own good. I thought that was going to lead to a bunch of change announcements but it didn’t. The ministry is doing pretty well and certain roles need to be filled. More leaders, missionaries, C.M. workes, etc.
Sarah really wanted to go golfing with me so I took her in the cart with me. Gramps was in the restaurant joking with the guys, drinking beer and watching the golf tournament on t.v. Sarah really enjoyed riding with me. As I approached the ball she would jump out of the cart and try to run but not fall. She would usually fall. She filled my fairway divots, raked the bunker after sand shots and tend the flag for me. It is the closest thing to having a caddie I’ve ever had. We had a pretty good time except when she would try to distract me during a swing by saying, “Hey dad, there’s a duckie!” She also liked to wave the flag over the hole to show me where it’s at. The crowning moment was the last hole where she reset the gps and so I had to guess the yardage on my third shot on a par 5. I need par to break 90. I guessed wrong. The shot was very straight but right over the top of the flag, bounced on the green and into a sand trap. My sand shot was pretty good, about four feet from the hole but I missed the putt for a bogey and finished with a 90.
Gramps was still in the restaurant drinking, joking and watching the tournament. Sarah started making some concoction with the last of her Sprite. She kept adding peanut skins, crushed peanuts, salt, pepper and Negro Modelo beer. Gramps was down on his casual betting on random things and was challenged to drink the concoction to make it even. He did it, how gross is that. I thinking he was reliving his college days.
We went back to the house and made pizza and watched a bit of T.V. before hitting the sack.
It’s been tough to blog with so much running around. After Florence, we went to Rome for six days. The place we stayed in was very expensive but worth it. We got breakfast and light evening buffet every day. Rome was also incredibly hot. We swetted like pigs. So many things to list, you can see the pictures when Erica is done uploading them to her photo page. St. Peters, Vatican city and museum, Colissium, The fountains and Obolisks, many Piazzas, squares, churches. The best part of Rome is a toss up between the gelato and the concert. We were about thirty or fourty feet from the stage to see Brian Adams and Billy Joel. It was free so it made it even better. The crowed was very civil and energetic. We slept in mostly, went out for a few hours, came back to the room, slept till evening, then went out for dinner during the cooler hours.
It was fun to mess with the street vendors. I had worked a guy down to 65 euros for a leather bag but didn’t have the money to buy it right then. Later in the day it was a different guy and was working him down but hadn’t made a deal. Some other lady started looking at the bag and I whispered that I had gotten them down to 65 euros. The vendor heard me and started getting irrate that I was messing with the customers. We ended up leaving but boy did that guy get mad. I thought he might send some thugs to rough me up. I kept watching our back to see if someone was following us but no one was. I had apoligized but that didn’t calm the guy down. Erica had her eye on a purse. It’s a Prada. They started around 35 to 40 euros. I finally was able to get a guy down to 10 and so we I got it for Erica. The only real Italy thing I got was a street vendor bracelet made of leather. I like it because it’s very neutral in color and the little bead thing has a guy and a girl reaching for each other with a little symbol between them. The symbol kind of looks like a kidney so that’s our joke to each other. I love you so much I would give you my kidney…
Flight back to Florida was fine.
Played golf today, 94. Swam in the pool with the girls for a while. Not much else. very relaxing day. More golf tomorrow but probably at a different course since the greens were sanded here at Grand Palms.
