My friend Laural invited Dave and me to join their couples’ group on a “mystery date.” They have these mystery dates once a month and rotate the planning among the couples so everyone gets a turn to be surprised. We were excited to go! At the same time, we definitely wondered if we were getting ourselves into something kooky!

We met the other couples at Lily Pond, which is in Balboa Park near downtown San Diego. Once there, we learned that we were going to tour the Titanic exhibit in one of the many museums in Balboa Park. All kinds of things have been recovered and preserved from the wreckage: clothing, jewelry, china, crystal, perfume, toothbrushes, pots and pans, personal papers, money, etc. Very interesting!

As we entered the exhibit, we were each given a boarding pass of a real passenger. We would learn at the end of the tour whether or not they survived.

Many boarded Titanic because other ships to the US were cancelled due to a coal strike

Dave was John Bourke, age 28. He and his wife, Catherine, were part of a group of over 100 Irish passengers who boarded Titanic as third-class passengers from Queenstown, Ireland. They were immigrating to the U.S. and his sister, Mary, was traveling with them.

I was Nellie Baumgardner, age 36. I was traveling from India to the United States with my three children ages 12, 4 and 1. We were traveling in second class. My husband and I were missionaries in India and had lost a child. Our one year old, Richard, had contracted an illness in India so I was taking him to the U.S. for treatment. I did not want to lose another child.

After our Titanic tour, Dave and I took a few pictures outside.

Thank goodness for sunglasses. Otherwise, I would walk around with this perpetual squint in sunny Southern California! Speaking of sun, I have never had even the remotest hint of a tan but after 10 months here, I have a slight tint.

Me at Balboa Park

We then met back up with our group and drove to Little Italy for dessert at Extraordinary Desserts.

My wonderful, self-sacrificing husband agreed to split this luscious chocolate raspberry cake with me even though he hates to mix chocolate with fruit (chocolate covered strawberries might be an exception). Isn’t he sweet?!

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

After dessert, we drove back to Carlsbad for dinner at a fantastic Mexican restaurant called Garcia’s. Dave and I both ordered tacos…of course! If I order anything other than tacos, I always regret my rash decision. However, the chicken tortilla soup looked wonderful so I might have to go back and venture outside of my comfort zone to try it. The chips and salsa were great too.

As much as I usually do not like surprises, I really enjoyed the surprise-aspect of the day. Laural, if you are reading this, thanks for inviting us.

By the way, in case you are wondering what happened to Dave (John) and me (Nellie) on Titanic…John’s wife, Catherine, and sister, Mary, were seated in a lifeboat but did not want to leave John so they got back out of the boat. All three perished. Nellie and all three of her children were rescued via lifeboat.

…to have a big sister who will pick you up and hold you tight when the water sprinkler scares you.

Hope will dive face-first into a swimming pool but, by golly, the water sprinkler is a scary beast!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Hope and I went to the Goodwill Boutique today, looking for treasures.  A couple of weeks ago, we got dressed for church and realized that all four of us were wearing at least one clothing item from Goodwill. It’s nice to live in an area where people donate their beautiful, designer stuff — some still with tags — that we can buy for $2.99!

So, today, I was browsing through the kids’ section at the back of the store when I heard someone singing Amazing Grace. It was a loud, off-key voice coming from somewhere near the front of the store. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see!”

After Amazing Grace ended, The Sound of Music began. “The hills are alive with the sound of music! La, la, la, la.” That somehow morphed into, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”

Then, “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better.”

Despite the definite tone-deafness, the voice was sweet. Almost like a child was singing.

By this point, I was curious to see who was happily singing with total abandon so I grabbed two dresses for Lauren and pushed Hope in her stroller toward the front of the store.

As I turned the corner, I heard, “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay. My, oh my, what a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine headin’ my way. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!”

Crouched down on the floor, with a dusting rag in her hand, sat a lady with Down Syndrome. She was carefully cleaning the glass shelves that were full of nick-knacks.

She smiled and I smiled. I continued my shopping and she kept right on singing.

As I checked out at the cashier, I told the Goodwill employee that I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and that I was very happy that nobody asked her to stop.

“We are lenient about that sort of thing,” he said. “That’s what life is all about!”

Jamie was my best friend in high school. We had some fabulous adventures. There were boys (one, in particular, but he shall remain nameless). There were youth group meetings, concerts and weekends away. There were all-nighters…studying (Who stays up most of the night studying in high school? We did!). There were physics, government, calculus and history classes. There was Dr. Pepper. And Taco Bell bean burritos. There were trips to the mall. I could go on and on.

I was very blessed to have such a wonderful friend as Jamie in high school.

A few years ago, I asked for prayer for Jamie’s daughter. God healed little Karen Vi and she is doing great. Now, Jamie needs your prayers.

Jamie has inflammatory cancer.

Jamie’s oncologists have said there is nothing more they can do at this point. Due to the fast nature of inflammatory cancer, they say it’s not a matter of if it spreads but when. Next week Jamie will begin 20 days of natural alternative treatments.

Jamie and her husband, Danny, are rare people who praise God in the midst of the storm.

Will you please pray for Jamie? Pray for healing, peace, comfort and strength. Will you also pray for Danny, their children and family?

Thanks.

ETA: Jamie has asked that people pray for her on Tuesday nights at 7pm Central time. Of course, you can pray for her any time but if you remember, pray for her then!

This was 20 years ago, in history class. Jamie and I often wore matching flowered shirts that we bought at Lerner’s. Apparently, Jamie did not get the memo that day and decided to wear her Jesus shirt instead!

Jamie and Me. Rockin' the big hair!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Stay tuned for more of Pop-Up Lauren.

P.S. Lauren’s teacher made cut-out picture bookmarks for her students to give their moms for Mother’s Day. Cute, huh?!