Memories as we Travel

Just now in the tape deck is the Chuck Wagon Gang, did any of you listen to them when you was growing up, my mom had at least 50 records of theirs. I’m guessing that a lot of you have heard the song “I’ll Fly Away.” Not long ago I learned something about that song. When Albert Brumley wrote the song in the mid 40’s he tried to get different recording artists to sing it for him. No one would. Finally he ask the “Chuch Wagon Gang” if they would sing the song. They agreed to sing it on their radio brodcast (in 1948) and see how the people responded to it…. It went on to be one of the most recorded gosple songs. In 1993 when we visited “Precious Moments Chapel” in Cathridge, Missouri we got to see and hear one of Albert Brumley’s grandson’s sing several songs.

That time we had attended my son’s wedding in Seymore, MO. And most of the family was with us at “Precious Moments Chapel” My son all of a sudden got the idea to go to Branson to see “Shepherd of the Hills.” He said something to Pop about going along and before I barely knew what was going on, we were on our way. I wanted to see the play, but I didn’t like running off from the rest of the family. We got there just after the play had started so they let us in for half price. If you’ve ever read the book, I would say see the play if you have a chance.

I just thought of another time (I think it was the same trip) when we was going through Arkansas. I had always wanted to see the passion play at Eureka Springs, but didn’t know if we could make connections. As it happened, we were driving through Eureka Springs about the time the play was scheduled to begin. There was a thunder storm that night, and it was a bad one. As we were driving through the town the thunder cracked LOUD and it seemed to come through my window, I could hear it plainly above the sound of the motor home. I said to Pop ‘”why don’t we go see the pasion play” just then we saw a sign that pointed to it and Pop turned up the hill we went.

The setting of the play was in the rocks and hills of Arkansas, making the perfect place for all the scenes. We watched, very much impressed by the way it all came to life. It sent chills up my back to realize anew all that Our Lord went through because He loved us so much. About half way thru the play it started to rain, As the play went on it rained harder, and most of the people got up and left. We stayed and about the time they played the scene of the cross, burial and reserection, of course there was artifical thunder and lightning, but above that you could see real lightning, as it flashed through the night sky and hear real thunder as it broke the silence of the night with loud “thundering” cracks.

We decided later that it was worth all the sitting on the rain soaked benches. We will never forget that night.

Oklahoma

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008
I didn’t sleep good last night, I went to sleep about 11pm, woke up at midnight, went back to sleep, woke up at 4am and every half hour till time to get up. If only I had my bed at home. Better make the best of it, cause it will more than a month till I see home again.

When we drove into Burlingham last night, we spotted a huge pile of grain on the ground. It was at least 40 feet high and 80 - 100 foot in diameter. Imagine a pile like that in Oregon. I can just see it turn green from sprouts in less than a week. It is interesting to drive on the side roads around Tangent to Harrisburg, Oregon during the grass seed harvest. After a rain, every crack in the road has grass growing in it.
It’s 9am and were on the road.

In Kansas now and driving into the wind and dust. It is blowing so hard it jerks the pick-up around, so bad I can hardly write. “Whoa, Pop don’t get blown off the road”

Kansas, land of waving grain. And grain elevators galore. Every few miles there is a group of grain elevators. Someimes as many as 60 in one bunch.

Pop got tired off the dust on the windshield so he turned the washers and wipers on. The wind immediately blew the dust and water off to the right, but the wipers wouldn’t go to the left because of the wind. Kansas…land of waving grain, grain elevators, dust and wind.

One time going through Kansas on I-50 we seen an exit to a wildlife refuge. Following the signs we came to a pond with a blind. Went into the blind and took pictures of ducks on the pond. As evening fell we heard the call of a Great Horned Owl. I immediately went to the motor home and put my tape in the deck of Owl calls. We opened the windows to make sure the owls heard it, and soon there were three owls in trees around the motor home. What a thrill. The Great Horned Owl is such a large bird and so beautiful. When we got home we noticed on the picture that the markings down by his legs look like the marking around his eyes, no doubt to make him look as scarry as he can to peditors. God thinks of everything.

I remember one time my aunt telling me. She would have her devotions early in the morning. One night they was away late, therefore, getting to bed late. Not wanting to wake her husband in the mornig by setting the alarm, so she could wake up and have her devotions. She prayed that God would somehow wake her up. Time for devotions, an Owl called in the tree outside her window.

I can think of many times when I was at my lowest, that I would hear the call of an owl and that would remind me that God knew all about it.

The sky is dark behind us, filled with dust. Kansas is flat with gentle rolling hills. In Kansas as well as Wyoming you can look every direction and not see anything but more dry rolling hills Today you can’t see too far because of the dust.

We should make a stop ahead, we just passed a big bill board that said “Big Yarn Shop Ahead” “Grove City Yarn” Maggie (Knitting Kat) are you still with us? We can stop if promise you won’t by too much yarn, after all we’re about full of luggage.

We’ve passed several blinking red lights, people must like to speed on these long, flat raods. When a car passes Pop at a great rate of speed, he gets great pleasure in seeing the poor car sit along side the road (after a couple miles) with “blinking red lights” behind it. (I don’t know about Pop) “The Bible says “he that laughs at calamity shall not go unpunished” maybe that is why Pop has “blinking red lights” behind him sometimes. Although I think it make a diffence if it’s a real calamity or breaking the law. I don‘t know, I‘ll have to think that through.

I don’t know why the bill boards show up so much out here, maybe because you don’t see anything for miles and then when you do get close to a town the first thing you see is huge bill boards.

It is still 126 miles to Salina where we turn south to Oklahoma. O, dear here is another bill board that says YARN - the second friendliest yarn shop in the universe (I wonder which is the 1st friendliest) another says Russel Stover Candies - free samples. We passed a couple smaller bill boards that say “Jesus is Lord, I trust in Him.“ I always feel good when we pass those kinds of signs.

Along the road around the fields there are fences and the post are rock. I wish I knew how to explain it so you could really get the picture. But the posts are actual rock a little bigger around but in the shape of and as tall as wooden fence posts. I wonder where they get rock that size and shape. (I guess I should look it up an google )

Oh, I must of went to sleep for awhile. We’re headed east near Salina and as soon as I can get Pop to turn at the right places we’ll be headed south toward Oklahoma. We, we made it and we are now headed south on 135 to Oklahoma, and by 4:30 in the after noon we cross the border into Oklahoma.

We’ll spend the night at Blackwell, OK. Tomorrow morning (Lord Willing) we will reach my daughter's place in time for church. She lives in OK.

Although this trip is rather long at times. I will keep a song in my heart so all the world will know I love Christ. It’s not hard when I think about all Christ has done for me. I can’t begin to name my blessings that he gives me everyday.

“Happy is the people, whose God is the Lord” Psalm 144:15

You all take care now........... and God Bless !

Stop for Gas

Time for gas; when we pull off, we meet a couple who lives in Wisconsin, they had been out to visit their son in Trememton, Utah. We hadn’t met the couple before, but we had met the son. Conrad had taught school in Pennsylvania a few years ago and we met him while he was living in my daughters house while my daughters family were out in Washington state, teaching at the Russian school for 2 years. It’s a small world. We meet in Wyoming, their son lives in Utah, they live in Wisconson. We met the son and had dinner with him and his wife, while he was teaching school in PA.

It is 1pm and we’re still going thru Wyoming. The wind is blowing very hard shaking the pick-up around as we drive.

We finally reach Cheyenne, taking a right we go down thru Colarado. We are going to stop in Oklahoma to see my daughter so we are turning down to I-70 now instead of later.

We pass Loveland. We’ve been here before. One time when we drove our motor home back east, we went thru Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. In Estes Park there are often Elk grazing in the town. On top in the Rocky Mountain Park you’ll visit sights that exsist no other place. As the Home Website says you get to experience the exhileration of the view over the clouds.

We seen the shiloette of Elk in the setting sun. The altitude from 7,500 feet to 14,259 feet slices through the mountain’s sub-alpine and alpine zones. Take a drive up the ridge road you can experience the Artic ecology. We stepped out of the mortor home and it was cold and quiet. So quiet you could almost hear the silence. As we started down the mountain, our brakes started to heat up. Pop pulled the motor home off at a pull out along the road and tried the brakes again, This time they went clear to floor. No brakes. We let it rest awile and since the motor home has self adjusting brakes, Pop backed it up several time till we had brakes again.

That night we parked at a park near the botttom of the mountain. All night we could hear the haunting night music of bugling elk. It was awesome. Many times we have to thank the Lord for the blessings of our experiences and also for His protection and mercy to us while we travel.

We are now past Loveland and headed down through Colorado. There are several toll roads to get around Denver. To get Pop thru an interchange and onto the right road is an experience of it’s own. Since Pop does all the driving he says I’m his co-pilot. Since he has to keep up with all the cars going at speeds that would scare anyone. ( I have to admit , it seems faster than it is, because Pop don’t go faster than the speed limit) he just doesn’t slow down when I think he shoud.

We are now on I-70 headed east. It is 25 miles to the border of western Kansas.

I’m tired an when I’m tired I can think of all kinds of things to pity myself. Why? Why? Why? So I buried my head in my pillow and thought…….. about all the blessigs I have, I can’t think self pity, when I think about people all over the world that are suffering much more then I ever thought off. O. I do have my times, but I can honestly say they don’t last for long. My God is faithful and brings peace. I get the most discouraged when I think about Pop, when he don’t feel good.

Tired and hungry we pull off for the night. Burlington, CO. We look for a restaurant and find one that says Chinese Food. Pop said he wasn’t hungry for Chinese food tonight, so we went down the street and got a supper buffet at a different restaurant. It was Chinese. Pop didn’t say anything and I didn’t either. The first clue was the soup. It was “Egg Drop Soup,” and folks that ain’t American. Note: we were in the Midwest where it is called breakfast. dinner and supper, instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Well this has been kind of a boring day. You have days like that when you travel. One thing for sure I never get so bored as to not get excited when I think about all God’s creation and blessing to us and the United States.

I like this thought by Glenna Oldham;
Sometims when I come to pray and close my closet door: my earth-bound thoughts are a roaring ocean beating, beating upon the sands of my mind. Then Jesus comes……

I leave you today with a few verses from the NIV

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. Psalm 71:14

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God. Psalm 42:5

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Wyoming - Colorado

March 28, 2008
I-80 goes across Wyoming from one end to the other, a total of 403 miles. It can take all day, but not today, we‘ve got to reach our destination. So checking our watch after breackfast . It is 9:30am, so we’d better get started. We don’t travel long days, It wears me out and Pop is not an early riser. A friend of ours once said. “Pop don’t get going at the crack of dawn, it’s more like the crack of noon” J I’m not an early riser either if I don’t have to be, but I can be.
I will say this about Pop. For 17 years while he worked in the woods, he got up early, sometimes he would leave the house at 3 or 4 in the morning. I guess now he’s catching up for lost time.
We are on our way…. The sun is brightly shinning and it is a clear, blue sky day, but it is cold. Every time I’m here I can’t help but marvel at the gigantic rock formations that reach for the sky. They are right at the edge of town, cause one definantly can not build on them. Although that would certainly building on the rock, like the wise man did.
If we keep going we will make it thru this state and beyond today.
Just now we came up behind a semi and painted in big letters on the back of the trailer it says, JESUS IS LORD, NOT A SWEAR WORD. As we pass, it says the same thing on the side of the truck, only in bigger letters. I wish we could see more of these kind of trucks.
Wyoming has it’s own beauty, but is a long way across the state. It’s still 259 miles to Cheyenne. Which is at the east end of the state. I could count trucks or I could watch an occasional train as it winds its way through the desert. There are patches of snow along the road and in the mountains.
Speaking of trains…. I love to watch the coal trains up in the northern part of Wyoming.
They are long trains. Most over 100 cars all the same and all full of coal, and lots of them. Carrying coal to all parts of the nation.
On a side note… My mother used to like the song by Vernon Dalhart, “Hobo Bill’s Last Ride” Mom had a bother, named Bill that was a lone type of person, he was known to ride the trains, He walked out of his families life in the 50’s and the last time he was seen, he was driving through the countryside in 1958. I didn’t put it together till after we were married a long while. Although I’m sure the song wasn’t about her brother, I’m sure she thought about him, and it made her lonely every time she heard the song.
I think I’ll count trucks for awhile. It doesn’t take a very smart person to realize there are a lot more trucks than cars out here. I’ll see how many cars there are per 10 trucks. Here goes… 3 cars- 10 trucks , 4 cars - 10 trucks, 4 cars - 10 trucks, 4 cars - 10 trucks. Oh my here are 7 cars - 10 trucks. 5 cars - 10 trucks and 2 cars - 10 trucks. I’m tired of counting trucks, I think I’ll look at magazines awhile. I looked at them yesterday but who knows I might have missed something.

As I Travel, I'll see you tomorrow

Evening, March 27, 2008

It is early evening and the sun is lighting the rocks with perfect light. In the spring the sun turns cold at this time of day and is now casting it’s light on the gigantic rocks that rise above us on the left, turning the color of the rocks from gray to red.

Have you ever noticed, that sometimes in red rock country, the rocks turn red as though they had a light in them. Next time note the time of day, it will either be in the early morning or late afternoon. That is the best time to take pictures of landscape or scenery.

They say photographers should get up an hour before daybreak. Shoot till 10am, travel or take a nap and go out again in the late afternoon or early evening and shoot till a hour after sunset.

Now we see a fright train, slowly, snaking it’s lonely way along the track at the bottom of the rock mountain.

We pass a Ranch Exit. It’s something the people from PA know nothing about. Friends that have visited from PA. can’t understand why there would an exit off of intersate just for a ranch (whatever that is)

One man told us he decided to exit at one and find out what it was all about. He drove for awhile and “It came to a dead end at a set of buildings” He didn’t realize there could have been 1 or 2,000 acres that belonged to the “set of buildings” acres, along with perhaps 100 head of cattle grazing over thousands of acres in order to get enough feed among the rock and desert land. In eastern Utah or western Wyoming you don’t raise a cow in your back pasture that is full of lush green grass. Wyoming is desert country and a rancher once told us that sometime it takes at least 100 acres to raise 1 head of beef.

We’ve crossed the state line into Wyoming. Wyoming with it’s tall windmills and snow fences. I’m getting where I can almost tell a state by the surrounding scenery without having to see the welcome sign. It is 89 miles to Green River where we will stop for the night. Fort Bridger is 10 miles ahead and Little America is 32 miles beyond that. Little America is a huge truck stop. It is complete with gift shops, a motel and eating places and 50 cent ice cream cones. Kids stay free, so says the billboards that start advertising it 32 mile before you get there.

Wyoming is one of the states that consist of rolling hills, big rocks and desert. You can stop in some spots, get out of the car, and look North, South, East and West, as far as the eye can see. You won’t see a building, tree or any sign of life, except perchance an Antelope or two.

Notice the Exit signs… In Eastern Oregon you have exit signs that say … Emigrant Springs, Dead man Pass, Poverty Flats, and North Powder. (As the wagons go west)

In Wyoming the exits are things like … Ranch Exit, Happy Jack Rd, Fort Bridger, Covered Wagon Rd, Flaming Gorge and Snowy Range Rd. In Pennsylvania it’s … Littlestown, Abbottstown. Kralltown, Irishtown, Hunterstown, or Gettysburg, Davidsburg, Dillsburg, Mumasburg, or Mount Pleasant, Mount Joy, Mount Olive, Mount Aetna and even Mount Zion. Of course there is Lancaster where were headed. I found out one thing, if you need to hide, move to Mount Pleasant, PA. There are 4 Mount Pleasants in Pennsylvania.

We stop for gas and as we step out of the pickup we find the wind blowing very hard and cold blowing so hard you can hardly hold the door open.
Back on the road we pass a herd of Antelope, foraging among dry sage brush, rock and sand.

Up ahead is a wreak, a semi on it’s side. A man is carrying a box up to the road, the side of the truch says Fed-X. I wonder if any of the packages say Fragile- Handle With Care. We pass only to see in view another semi on it’s top and behind it are small items of evry description. I can’t believe my eyes but up ahead there is another semi, things strewn along the meium fro another wreck. Was it the wind or last nights snow storm?
Along the road we seee 3 different bands of sheep. The ranchers call them “range maggots,” because they eat the grass shorter than cattle, leaving the cattle nothing to eat.

Useually we see a sheep wagon with a band of sheep, but there don’t seem to be any around this time. Pop said he thinks the sheep wagon was first self contained camper. It is a wagon about 15 to 20 feet long and in it is a wood stove, table and chairs, and a bed. The sheep herder stays in this while his sheep dog lays under it, in the shade in the summer time. There is often a horse tied outside. When it comes time to move the herd of sheep, the owner, with his truck comes along and moves the sheep wagon.

We live in Southern Idaho and one spring we decided to keep up with a band of sheep that we had seen near our place. We checked on it every couple days. I think it moved about a mile a day and sometimes more till it reached the mountains, to summer pasture. Then in the fall it would begin it’s slow journey back to the valley for the winter. It’s takes a certain kind of person to be a shepherd, stand out in the desert all day and guard the sheep from danger.

I have to think of our “Shepherd.” It would certainly take a very special kind of person to stay with us everyday. One that was even willing to die for us. Do we realize what a blessing we have. I can’t think of words enough to describe the privalege we have to be in a flock of sheep with the special kind of Shepherd we have.

I won’t take time to explain the snow fences, but the windmills. There are hundreds that dot the countryside. They are usally on the hills where they can catch the wind.

Someone has said that Wyoming has 43000 people, 46000 dairy cows and lots of wind.

The “technology” of the power windmill dates back to the Pharaohs of Egypt. I am amazed from time to time how long it takes us to learn what they knew thousands of years ago.

Back to the windmill. It is a machine that faces into the wind, it has pier for the turbine tower that is 70 foot deep and 19 feet wide. The tower is 250 feet high. It has 2 blades each 125 feet long. There is a large box at the top of the windmill which contains the gearbox, generator, hydraulic and computer controls for the wind turban. The box weights 330,000 pounds.

There are lots of these windmills in Wyoming but in the last several years we see some on the hills near Springs, PA, near Somerset Co.

Oppps, overhead is a sign that says, I-80 closed at Rawlins to Laramie.
It is 6:30pm so we’ll Green River is just ahead at exit 89. We’ll just pull off here and sleep for the night.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, The name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalms 113:3

Perhaps it is in praise to God that our life is most complete.

Father , thank you for your world and all the wonders you have given us to enjoy. Keep us safe through the night and thank you for safety over the past miles. And my family and grandchildren, lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. Praise be to thy name, Amen.

Still in Utah

Utah with its recent memories… In the last 5 months Pop and I, along with some of our family, have made 3 trips to the University of Utah. Salt Lake is a pretty town, it sits up against the mountains. The mountains make a lovely backdrop for the town. The reason I say some of our family is because the children don’ think they can trust Pop and I to remember all the details the doctor says, so some of them go along (I wish they would all think they have to go) :-) I’ll tell you a secret…when we get home the children don’t always remember what was said…

Talk about enjoyment, I can’t explain how much I enjoyed those trips with our (smart) daughters :-) One time our granddaughter went along. On all the trips we made we went shopping. Since we stayed 2 nights and the Doctor didn’t take all the time, we had time to shop, and of course at my favorite stores. My daughter likes antiques so of we stopped at several antique stores, and I like scrapbook stores so we stopped there, and since we all like to eat, we stopped to eat. Our husbands were very patient while we shopped.

The first time down there we stop at a craft store. It was Thanksgiving time and since the world likes to call it “Turkey Day”, there were lots of ceramic turkeys and lots of slogans to go with it. One big plate in the shape of a turkey had the words “Gobble till you wobble” I don’t really think a Christian should gobble till they wobble, but we defiantly didn’t go hungry while at Salt Lake. So we said we “shopped till we dropped” and “gobbled till we wobbled.” When you have extra time on your hands and you get tired you can act pretty silly.

The first time, daughter #4, Laurie and her DH took us. The second time we drove and daughter #5 Valerie and our grandaughter Elsie went with us. The third time Laurie and her DH took us and Valerie went along also. The last time Laurie and I worked Sudoko puzzles and I needed a pencil so when we stopped at a dollar store and my son-in-law went in for snacks, I decided to go in. He went in first so as he was comming out I asked him if seen any pencils, he told me where they were but I couldn’t find them there. I finally found them and as I was going to the car I met him coming back in. He kind a laughed as he told me he thought I had said “pretzels” We all had a good laugh about that, but let me tell you something folks, it’s worse than that now….

I can even get after Pop and he stays happy as a lark because he can’t understand a word I say. :-( I know what I want to say, but when it comes out it sounds so funny that sometimes we cry, but we’re usually able to laugh. Like “husband” is now “hubin” Pop says he likes being my “hubin” O, dear life is strange. :-) When it bothers me the most is when the children have to work so hard to understand me.

Will we ever get through Utah? I will keep going, It seem like my thoughts wonder around more when we first start a trip, I can't talk so I think.

Utah has huge grain elevators and as we pass 50 or 60 of them that are built together, Pop says (as he usually does) “I wonder what Jim Bridger would think if he could see these grain elevators?” “He told Brigham Young that he could eat all the wheat this valley could produce” I say, you’d better get busy Jim Bridger (mountain man) instead of spending all your time leading wagon trains from Missouri to Oregon. He didn’t do such a good job with the Donner Party. Some of them starved to death.
As we go on we see exits to Wolf Mt, Powder Mt, and Mt. Zion and a sign says Devils Slide up ahead. I call it Jacobs Ladder.

I wonder why everything ruggedly beautiful gets a name like Devil’s slide, Devil’s Gate, Hell’s Canyon, Devil’s Punch Bowl, Devil’s Churn, or Hell’s Gate. God created all this beauty. Devils slide is 2 sets of rock about 100 feet apart, with no other rocks close. The rocks are gigantic slabs of rock that look like they are standing on edge, with smaller rocky mountain side between. They go up the mountainside looking like a giant slide.

In order to drive to PA we will travel across 10 states but I promise to not take so much time in each state. It will take seven days because we are going to stop in Oklahoma to see daughter #3. (Gwen and her DH, Henry)

We now follow I-84 till we turn east on I-80, After that it is about 29 miles and we will be in Wyoming. It is around 4pm now. We ought to be able to make it to Green River, WY for the night.

Till next time............

“We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all man.” I Timothy 4:10

Usually I know what I want, but I don’t what I need. Lord, it’s so good that you know what I need. You, bless me with plenty of my needs and some of my wants. Thank you for what You allow me to have. Thank You Lord

First a meme

Before we started to PA. I volunteered to do a meme for a blog friend, so here goes. I know some people don’t like them but, it helps you know a person better. (A person you’ve never seen :-))

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? __ I was working hard at my cake and catering business. We would do up to 11 cakes a weekend and 3 or 4 caterings, all off premise.
I was also wishing I could spend more time with my children and grandchildren.
2. What is on my to do list today? __ Finish unpacking. Cleaning the sewing room. Laundry, in general clean house as much as can with the energy I’ve got left.
3.Things I would do if I were a Billionaire? __ I would first of all give my children at least $100,000.00 so they wouldn’t have to worry about debt. Then I would put away some so Pop and would be able to pay our place off and also be able to help others in need. Almost worse than debt is the inability to help other when we see a need. Then I would give the rest to missions.
4.Three of my bad habits? ___ I wish I had only three. But one is staying up too late at night (in other words taking too much me time) Collecting anything there is too collect, and I guess 3 would be trying to keep everything I collect. After all if can’t find anything else to do with an old shoe, you can always use it for a planter. :-)
5. Five places where I have lived. __ I’ve lived near Canby, OR, Sheridan OR, Estacada, OR where we raised our family on the banks of Eagle Creek (Crik) Fruitland, ID and of course on the road. :-(
6. Five jobs you have had. __ House cleaning (with pay), changing diapers (without pay)
Selling every thing I could find, ex. Garden seeds, cloverine salve, greeting cards, hand made corsages, Amway, Stanley products, Avon, etc. Decorating cakes, Floral arranging, Catering, Photography. Is that 5?
7. Five people who write interesting blogs I’d like to tag. __ every one who reads my blog writes an interest one of their own so I guess you’ll have to volunteer, like I did.

Now I think were ready to start on our trip.

First of all since we only have room on the way to PA. (Pop ordered 50,000 cards, printed with the necessary information on the back.) He wants to bring them all home with him; I only hope there is room for me, on the way home. I’ll have to send the rest of you home by plane.

We get all our printing done in Maryland, Why? Because we can get it done so much cheaper. When I first ordered blank cards I got it done in Portland, We only bought 25,000 so of course it wasn’t long till we needed more. We shopped around and found out that on 25,000 cards we could have saved over $2,000.00 if we would have got them printed in MD instead of Portland.

It is now 9:30 am on Thursday March 27, 2008. It’s time to leave. Our first stop is Boise to get gas ($3.23 per gal) Our drive thru Idaho takes about 31/2 hours, Utah comes next, I wonder how many times I have driven or flown over this road? I wonder at what point it became a road to get to and from instead of an adventure?

There is something about Utah that makes it almost my favorite state. The Rock Mountains on one side of the road and rolling hills on the other side. The mountains are now covered with a skift of snow making them very beautiful indeed. Later on in the day, the rocks will turn red, depending on the time of day and the light that shines on them. In the fall the valleys in the mountains turn red because of a bush that turns red. I wonder why God gave it to people that don’t honer Him like they should. It only shows how much He loves us no matter who we are.

Does anyone know the emotions that go with each state? (Does anyone know that I am a melancholy person? :-)) Does anyone know how interesting it is to learn more about nature, and God’s creation. I also find the facts about every state interesting. I even enjoy the Mormon Crickets (which probably isn’t fair, because they can do a lot of damage)

The first time we saw Mormon Crickets. We are driving in to Silver City. The only way in to Silver City (Idaho’s favorite ghost town) is miles of back roads. It was the last of May or the first of June. These large black bugs were hopping all over the place, or was it over grown grasshoppers? Seeing a man at a campsite we asked him. His answer “Mormon Crickets” From then on it awas exciting to watch for them. The poor things lay dead on the road, so thick they turned the road black in some places.

We’re at Snowville, Utah now and Pop is stopping for gas. I wait because Pop likes to talk to different people we meet along the way. The trucks have big snow packs under them and Pop has found a truck driver to ask about the weather. Mr. Truck Driver told Pop it was snowing hard during the night. Mr. Truck Driver also said he seen at least 10 big trucks and trailers that had slid off the road, as he came over the summit. The sun is brightly shinning now. I pray that God will protect us and keep us safe.

I have to wonder how much this trip will cost us with gas so high.

Utah….we just passed a forsaken weathered old homestead. It looked like the house stood empty for years. Was it someone’s dream home? Was it the home of some new bride who had a dream of a bright future, only to find out life in the wide open spaces was hard? Drought, wind, hail, prairie fires, and cold winters forcing them to move on. Or, could it have been home to a family, the yard perhaps full of children and happy noises of children at play, they grew up and soon the young girls dated, married and moved off leaving a couple old and gray alone. When they could no longer take care of the place they left it vacant.. The old house trembled when the thunder and lightning rumbled thru the night, moaning and groaning in the farce cold winter winds. Then came summer and with it hot sun that would make it parched and dry.

As we pass I can’t help but compare it the homes we live in now. AC in the summer and automatic heat in the winter. When the sun dries everything out in the summer the automatic sprinklers come on keeping the grass around our houses bright green and soft to play on.

I’ve got an imagination, so make sure you want to finish the trip with me.

I learned to do almost anything to keep from getting too bored as we travel on mile after mile. We’re still in Utah but since I’m getting tired I’d better take a nap.

These trips give me lots of time to think on God and His wonderful blessings to man.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Psalms 139:23 NIV

There are places in my heart that I have never been. Lord sometimes I don’t know myself, I am blessed to know that you know.

IDAHO - PENNSYLVANIA - IDAHO

Arriving home around 4pm Monday evening, we were tired and glad to get home. To sum up our trip to PA. this time. It was a good trip with lots of fun things happening. Kept busy all the time checking card accounts, getting ready for the wedding, picking out gifts, sorting cards, taking inventory, and of course shopping.

We went from rush hour, in Kansas on interstate 70 consisting of 2 lanes each way, and meeting 27 cars in 5 miles to Baltimore and Washington D.C. where one could meet 500 cars during rush hour, in the same distance. Where 4 lanes of traffic each way was bumper to bumper.
Gas was priced from 2.99.9 per gallon to 3.77.9 per gallon.

We stayed in Motels priced $60.00 to $70.00. With our senior discounts. (Don’t you wish you were old?) With everything we took along from Bananas (My daughters Bent and Dent store) we spent an average of $10.00 a day on eats. Of course I’m not counting free room and board at my daughter’s house. We sleep in our motor home, but we eat with Robin. (Robin, being my daughter, we’re not up early enough to eat with the birds)

As we traveled we got a good taste of all kinds of weather. Rain, Thunderstorms, Snow, wind, wind, COLD WIND, blowing very, very hard. As we traveled through Indiana and Illinois, there were Tornados in Arkansas, tearing up everything in its path and killing some. Kansas City, MO, had a tornado hit and that is too close to Indiana for comfort. We experienced a 12 hour thunderstorm with lightning coming so close to the house we were in that one time we heard a loud bang, the flash of lightning went clear across the porch under the roof. With it was rain and that brought the water up in the creek beside the house about 3 or 4 feet in a couple hours. In fact we went out by the creek and watched the water come up. It was warm in some states and we would roll the windows downs. In a couple hours we saw snow along the road.

We got a good taste of global warming and global freezing.

Over the next few days I plan on posting a diary of our trip. So I can remember each day. You’re welcome to come along if you like. Some of you went along one time when we went to Multnomah Falls. Most of you fell asleep till we got there, this will take much longer.

WELCOME ABOARD!!

Our God was very good to us on this long trip. Almost 6,000 miles and not even a flat tire. THANK YOU LORD!! “The Lord thy God is with Thee, whither soever thou goest”

Grandchildren, and Misc

I’m blessed with 52 grandchildren and 5 greats. I love little babies and I couldn’t wait to hold them when they were born one by one. I love to watch toddlers as they discover new things getting into everything in site and some things not in site. Then the terrible twos, and when they begin to talk. They say the cutest things. They start school; first thing you know they are graduating, from grade school to high school, etc.
I was so busy when my own were young and I was with them all the time and every stage just seemed natural. It’s somehow is different watching the grandchildren. Not being with them all the time, I am pleasantly surprised when I see the difference for one visit to the next. I just get used to their first smile and they begin to walk. They learn to talk and then they go to school. Then comes one graduation after the other. Soon there are weddings. Then there are great-grandchildren,
What I find interesting now is watching them become their own person. The grand’s and greats arrange in ages 4 mo’s to nearly 30.
God has blessed me beyond measure. So far most all the older ones have given their heart to the Lord and want to live for Him. I only pray that it will continue. But there are a couple that has broken our hearts by not serving God in a manner that shows. I know it breaks my heart when I see children go out in the big world by themselves, and wonder around like a little lost child. My heart aches along with every mom that aches for her children. Some of my own had a hard time finding where they belonged in the world. Praise God all came back. So, Moms don’t give up.
Four of the grandchildren are married now and I have great-grandchildren. I’ll love to watch them grow. I had my babies and my babies had their babies and now my babies, babies are having babies. Life goes on. (At a terrific rate of speed)
I don’t know why I’m thinking about it now. It might be because I just learned that one of the grandson’s is going to Belize for three weeks, he’s visiting a mission down there with a friend. Another is going this spring to Mexico to help with a mission, and still another is leaving soon to a foreign country to help with a mission project. It just thrills me to hear about their adventures when they come home. It blesses my heart to know that they are working for God. Maybe it is because I wish I was able to do those things myself, at any rate, my mind is on my grandchildren as you can tell. I didn’t tell you my one granddaughter is getting married in April. O, my I can’t keep up.
On a different subject, it is time for us to go to Pennsylvania again.
I think, I dread the trip, I don’t know, I don’t have many feelings either way. I guess after going about 30 times in the last 10 years it has become my life. I know the route by heart, and since I get the job of co-pilot I know my atlas quite well. I love maps. I have a map of every state in America and lots of maps of hiking trails. With all my pictures I can take a trip in my living room J And O, the memories.
One time we took pictures of the bridges of Madison Co, Iowa, and as the story goes, “I” found a love note tucked between the boards. So I guess I’m not the only one that has an imagination. I’ll put the note in a scrapbook sometime.
I remember the cruise we took on the inside passage to Alaska, the storm at sea, as I looked over the edge of the boat in the back and seen the waves storming about I couldn’t help but think about Jesus when he calmed the storm at sea. Also the song that says “He Is The Master of the Wind” ‘Twas beautiful that night, but just as I got inside the ship there was an announcement made, “No one outside” The ship was rolling and pitching but all ended well, except poor Pop got sea sick and as far as he was concerned the ship went round and round.
I got to fly to Hawaii with a friend and we had so much fun. We flew to a different island each morning. Her uncle was district court judge on Maui and he took us one morning to the biggest brunch I have ever seen.
We manage to get the rental car stuck on the beach, but the islanders graciously helped us out. I could go on and on but I think I’d better be kind to my readers if I have any left since I am rambling on and on.
One more story, since you all seem to enjoy a “Pop” story. We were traveling in the New England states one fall, my granddaughter was with us. It seemed like everything had “Maple” attached to it in some way. I remember one evening Pop and Cyndie went into a store to pick up a few groceries. Those that know “Pop” know that he like pop. And as he got to the check-out he seen a big wooden tub and in it were bottles of “Maple Porter” marked 3 for $1.00. (Also Pop like sales) so he bought 3. When he got back to the Motor Home, before I pot them in the refrigerator, I read the contents, they contained alcohol, I told Cyndie but we didn’t tell Pop. L After awhile we decided it was time for a taste, I sat three glasses on the table and poured them full. Cyndie and I didn’t drink ours but Pop took a sip. He made a surprised scowl and remarked “that stuff is rotten, what’s wrong with it” by that time Cyndie and were laughing quiet heartily. The rest went down the drain. That was over 10 years ago and we still laugh at him today. Poor Pop not only did he by alcohol, but he bought it when a minor was with him. The good news is I didn’t have to visit him in jail.J
On a more serious note, Sunday was Easter Sunday and I am so glad “He Arose” What does the empty tomb mean to you? I think it’s all said in the words of a song “Because the Tomb is Empty, My Life is Full”
And I leave you with a “Good Friday “ poem……………
Perhaps the day was gauzed with mist.
Perhaps the air was light.
Perhaps the rain fell trembling down,
Before that life took flight,
We know that for three lonely hours,
The day was stunned to night.
Perhaps the soul is clothed in gold.
Perhaps its veil is grief.
Perhaps its fog has lingered low,
Defying minds belief.
Each heart must know its hour of dark.
Before the Light’s relief.
Sheila J. Petre

Where is the Sunshine?

One day last week, I got up and it was raining. I felt good, but the sky was gray. Before the day was over the sky darkened and a big black cloud brought a hail storm. "Where is the sunshine?" I thought; "it is supposed to be spring. But, O well spring will come sooner or later it always does."

I went on about my duties (mainly getting ready for a visit from my daughter) when Pop brought in the mail. Guess what, the SUNSHINE was in my mailbox.

I received a beautiful card from a blogger friend and not only a card but a picture of her whole family. Thank-you soooo much. You know who you are, and it certainly did bring sunshine in my day.

A Visit From Mrs. Darling

Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 2:30 in the afternoon Pop took off for Boise. Mrs. Darling and her 2 children were flying in to Boise at 3:40pm for a 3 day visit. I had looked forward to this for quite awhile knowing that when she arrived things would happen. And happen they did. I don't know where I belong now. I was comfortable in my little blog world, my friends and some of my family were there. But, as I always want to learn more. The challenge to learn more on the computer was more than I could resist.

She taught me how to make web albums. My computer wasn't used to the likes of her, therefore it acted up, and it promptly turned it's self off and did away with my web albums. But I think I know enough to start over and make more, we'll see. And... I'd like to think she learned a little patience while she was here, because she is used to DSL and I still have dial-up.

She also flung me out in the big world of Blogger as you can see. She made me a beautiful site with a rose background. We got back from taking her back to the airport so she could fly home. I sat down to the computer to again view my new site, since we wasn't quite satisfied with some of the color, I wanted to see if I could change it. So I carefully found my site and more carefully clicked on a thingy where, I supposed, it would be safe to change the color a little. Presto !!! I did away with all her work and my poor site was in an awful mess. I emailed her an S.O.S. and gave her my password and when I got up this morning lo and behold, I had a new and beautiful site. And because she has my password, everytime I come back to here I see something different, so far I like it. :-) What do you think? I guess I won't get many comments because so far no one knows I'm here.

Bye, until I post again, at Gramma's Place.