I admit that I can get a little bristly when people condescend me, talk to me like I am of lower intelligence. But today I had a situation happen that caused me to laugh loudly and not feel bad at all.

Let me set the scene. Arriving back to the hotel from a little morning shopping, I noticed the maids were not finished with the room. Yes, roughing it, I know. So I grabbed some snacks and my book and headed down to sit at the poolside. To illustrate how infrequently the word "poolside" enters my vocabulary I have to admit to a struggle that waited for me there.

I found a chair near an umbrella, a polite distance away from the only other pool users. A young mom with 3 children was having lunch at the only table. Her umbrella (needed in this rare case for sun, not rain!) was open and shading her little family. The umbrella I sat by was not open. With everything else settled where I put it, opening the umbrella to shade my reading time was the only thing left to do.

That umbrella was not going to open for me, and how quickly I used up all my knowledge of outdoor umbrellas. I was by now sticking myself inside it, invisible to others from the shoulders up. It was while in this awkward position that I heard the oldest of the three children -- a boy of 7 or 8 -- say, "Mommy, could that lady just come and sit here by us?"

Later that day, the center umbrella was folded up again, and it was raining again.

Rev. had his first full day of lectures today and took 10 pages of notes to add to the the six taken during yesterday's half day. There are 10 students in this class, and Rev. was happy to discover that he is not the oldest. We continue to be relaxed, refreshed and grateful for this time here in Charlotte.