Being Benson

I am a Benson. Its official. I participated in my first family bike event!

The Benson family is long known for their infamous family bike trips. The family would pack what they could carry onto their bikes and set out over a mountain pass, sleeping on the ground with homemade mosquito netting for a week at a time. There is even a story of Ray giving a Sunday morning sermon during breakfast at a local dinner proudly clad in nothing but bike shorts and a t shirt. Suffice it to say, the Benson's are a biking family. And I can now count myself as one of the Benson Bikers.

A few weeks ago, Daren and I paired up with his parents, Ray and Judy, and his nephew, Nathan, to ride in the Portland Bridge Pedal. This event is huge in the area! Over 16,000 bike riders participate in this event which raises money for Providence Heart and Vascular Institute. There are several routes and lengths to choose from and we did the 6-bridge loop logging in 14 miles respectively.

It was an incredible way to see our beautiful city. The bridges are beautiful and the views you get from the top of the Freemont bridge are breathtaking. On top of all of the bridges were photo op spots, vendors giving away free coffee samples and pocket sized bike maps.

The day was a perfect balance of cool weather and just enough sun. The best part of the whole event is that I didn't fall once! Even though a kid and a volunteer tried to take me out at two different times, I never once went all the way to the ground. Another highlight was cruising down the Marquam bridge and hearing the volunteer yell "SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN!" and then having my father-in-law fly by me at the speed of light shaking his head and laughing. I started laughing out loud so hard I nearly knocked myself off of my own bike.

Only in Portland, will a city also known as "The City of Bridges" shut down all of them for a bike ride.

Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady

I know that that is actually a Kenny Rogers song but since for the longest time as a child I thought Kenny and Dolly were married I still find it an appropriate title to this post dedicated to the lovely lady songbird called Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton live is fantastic! Fantastic.

A Sunday ago Daren and I were sitting in one of our favorite weekend breakfast spots eating our eggs in silence as we both read the Oregonian. One of our favorite things to do. Suddenly I broke the silence with the frantic rustling of my section and held up the small ad and exclaimed "Dolly Parton is coming to town!" Daren, being the generous man that he his, smiled and said "Well then get us tickets." And you better believe I had those tickets so fast.

The day came and I was hyped. I spent a good amount of time trying to put together my flashiest outfit because I felt that Dolly deserved it. Daren was very obliging and went to this concert without any complaints and even said that sure, he was a little excited.

We walked into the venue and there she was resplendent in red sequence. I was immediately drawn in and falling in love. I had never experience that sort of infatuation and the ability to relate to a performer before. I mean she's little, standing only 5', she is a lady with boundless class, her roots are in a small town and she's got some very 'large assets'. The lady makes sense to me! For the first time in my life it made sense to me how the Beatles and Michael Jackson made women cry. I was engulfed by the charms of Dolly and sat on the edge of my seat singing along the entire time.

About a quarter of the way in Daren leans over to me and says "Man, Dolly Rocks!" So at intermission we tromped straight out to the Dolly Gear station and proceeded to purchase three Dolly Parton t-shirts. The best part of that is that only one of them is for me.

Dolly played nearly every instrument on stage and even rocked the harmonica at one point. She sang an A Capella gospel set with the 8 men in her band that was to beautiful and moving. Plus, everything she touches sparkles. Seriously, everything she touches on stage in covered in rhinestones!

We had so much fun at the Dolly Parton concert it was ridiculous! We decided that if we had gone to see Dolly before we got married out wedding would have been shrouded in Dolly songs.

Her new CD is called Backwoods Barbie and is on its way to being a staple in our married music collection.

Prayer

Isn't is amazing how when you go to God in prayer asking for someone else to change he changes you?

I have been a born again believer my whole life and, still, prayer never ceases to amazing me.

I have no idea how anyone gets through life, through love and loss, through the good times and the bad with out the hope of Jesus Christ. When they say Great is Thy Faithfulness they aren't kidding!

As I continue to step forward into my new role in life I am taking my God with me. Whenever I want to say to him God I don't think this is fair. He says back to me "You're right. But I never said that life if fair, I said that I am fair." Then he goes on to say things like "Now let's take a closer look at you and your heart before we move on to try and fix someone or something else."

I am ever amazed at the depth of the intimate relationship I am able to have with the freakin creator of the universe!

His love endures for ever.
His grace is amazing.
And his faithfulness never ceases.

Amen.