Alabama bound

December 7
Today we leave for Alabama to see the first set of grandkids. This blog may be updated less frequently due to all the attention needed for the 4 little "Bamers".

NC to TN

December 2
We left Charlotte around 10:00. There was a lot of rain so we took our time. We were planning to go to Murphey NC, but had a lot of trouble getting out of Asheville. Do we trust the GPS, the map, or the Internet printout????? Nothing was making sense and we were getting quite frustrated. The sun finally came out around 4:30 and it was amazing to see the wispy fog/clouds hugging the mountains as the sun set. I wanted to take a picture, but there were so many high line wires, I didn’t think it would be as impressive if you had to look between the lines.
When we decided to find a Wal-Mart to spend the night, the GPS insisted on taking us to one we couldn’t see--backtracking about 10 miles. Finally we pulled into the mall the GPS wanted us to get in to and saw an abandoned building (Wal-Mart has moved.) A police officer was parked in the almost empty lot. He told us where to find another one but we asked if we could just stay there and he said, “Sure.” so we did. It was warmer and no rain at that time, but the wind and rain picked up later. I believe we’ve experienced this before!

December 3
The trip from North Carolina to Tennesee was a combination of interesting interruptions. Two different highways were closed due to rock slides. We did get to Murphey and found our way to Fields of the Woods. This is a place where the world’s largest Ten Commandments are displayed, at least that’s what they claim. They are displayed on a big hill. There are also a lot of Bible verses displayed around the area, and a hill with many rocks engraved with descriptions of various attributes. There is a replica of the tomb and a hill with 3 crosses on it. We had hot chocolate at the gift store/restaurant. It was quite interesting and free, but we wouldn’t recommend going out of the way to see it.
From there on we got on a road we thought would take us easily towards TN, but ran into a road block due to a truck going off the road. We waited awhile in a gas station, then were told it was cleared up and we could go around and get ahead of the line of trucks waiting. It was smooth sailing, or driving, from there. We got to Ken & Joy McGarvey’s home (with some cell phone directions) around 4:30 and had a great dinner and conversation with them and Ken's mother, Lois who lives with them.

December 4
Ken took us on a tour the next day--we saw 3 silos in a lake, Ken’s favorite driveway, and the break wall to extend the dam in case of excessive flooding, as well as the general area in which they live.

December 5
This morning we woke up to a beautiful layer of snow! We felt right at home! Since one is supposed to make lemonade when life gives you lemons, I decided to make a snowman since life was giving us snow. He was only 2 ft. tall but kinda cute. He ended up bowing over but lasted until we left, long after all the rest of the snow melted.
Joy, Lois and I went to a ladies tea in the afternoon. It was very nice. All the guys served us, even Ken, but Bruce stayed home with Ari.

In the evening we all went to a beautiful Christmas light display with synchronized music. Truly Awesome! The music was not secular at all. It had some traditional, some modern Christmas songs, including the Hallelujah chorus. Magnificent!

December 6
We went to church with the McGarveys. Ken and Joy sang in the choir and Bruce played his clarinet in the little orchestra! They have a bell choir--two people played 4 bells for the prelude. I sat with Ken's mother, Lois. It's a very friendly church and we heard a great sermon.
In the afternoon we went to the Messiah. Ken and Joy sang in it and it was excellent. We took a tour of the area and saw Whitestone--a retreat center for missionaries and ministers.

Billy Graham Library

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Jan and I went to the Billy Graham Library which is nearby. It was fascinating! After walking in at the "foot of the cross", Bessie the cow introduces you to Billy's early life. There are several rooms with many displays and video presentations telling about the various aspects of Billy's life and work. It is truly amazing to see how God worked in this man's life of 91 years. (His health is currently better due to new meds, according to one of the tour guides.) We also got a tour of Billy's childhood home. There is no admission charge, but who can resist the book store or the dairy bar! We did resist the dairy bar, but it looked good.
In the afternoon we took Bruce to a nearby car museum which was quite fun--full of nostalgia. There were quite a few cars, motorcycles, and other memorabilia.

North Carolina

November 30, 2009
We have left Virginia and arrived in North Carolina. Since we had to go through the town of Colleen in Virginia, we had to stop and get a picture. Yes, there is a Colleen, Virginia! It's one of those places you have to keep your eye's wide open for or you'll miss it. (We actually did drive past it, but I made Bruce turn around and go back!)There's a gas station and diner and an ice cream shop, which is what you have to look out for--the huge ice cream cone. They make pretty good shakes.
We arrived in North Carolina around 4:00 and spent the night with Jan, Bruce's sister-in-law. Woke up to f-f-f-frost! Felt like Michigan. Ari has had to adjust to her dog, Toby, but they quickly got into the tolerating each other stage.

Train Show

We all went to a train show exhibit in Waynesboro on Saturday. It was pretty cool. We finally pulled Bruce away. Afterwards we went to Revolutionary Soup for supper in Charlottesville.
The next day we went to another church--Trinity. It was also very good. The weather was beautiful and Jeffrey & Heather and I toured the University of Virginia. Jefferson founded it late in life and was very proud of this contribution--it's one of three items on his tombstone (being president isn't on it).

Thanksgiving!

A beautiful day! We got our dinner underway, then went down town to serve dinner at a shelter. We had a great time, made some new friends and were truly appreciated. It made for a great start to our day and we were all even more thankful for our many blessings. When we got home we had a delicious dinner ourselves.

Trolly Time

We've had several rainy days, but Bruce and I did make it down town to ride the free trolly around. We got off at the University of Virginia (started by TJ himself). We visited the rotunda and walked around a bit, but there were so many students we didn't get to see much.

Covenant Church

We revisited Covenant Church and brought our shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We had planned to visit a different church each Sunday but decided to revisit this one. We really liked it.
In the afternoon we went to Harrisonburg and on the way back stopped in Staunton and ate at the Bistro. In the parking lot were stools used by the Statler brothers. This place is full of surprises!

Monticello

Saturday, November 21, we all went to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. The tour was great. We got to see inside the Monticello and saw some of TJ's inventions, gardens and graveyard. I learned that although little oranges from prickly trees smell really good, they taste absolutely awful! We also learned a lot more history and saw the movie about his life. Bruce stayed awake through most of it.
On the way home, we stopped at Carter's Apple Orchard which is on a mountain top and has a fantastic view of the city on one side and more mountains on the other. I think I can add pictures now.

W. Wilson, Foam Henge, Natural Bridge, Wax Museum

Happy Birthday to Jeffrey and Jeremy--November 17
Sorry you couldn't be with us, Jeremy.
We headed for the Natural Bridge in Shenandoah Valley. We stopped in Saunton first and Bruce and I toured Woodrow Wilson's birthplace and museum. Very interesting. Another major history lesson. Bruce loved the 1919 Pierce-Arrow limousine on display.
Next, we stopped at Foam Henge. Some creative person(s) made a replica of Stonehenge out of foam pieces. Very clever and fun.
We finally got to the Natural Bridge, and after having our pictures taken with a huge bear, setting off all the toy birds at once, and picking up the balls someone (H.A.M.)knocked over, we left the gift shop and took the hike to the Natural Bridge, along the Cedar Creek Nature Trail, visited a Monacan Indian village, past Hidden River and on to Lace Falls. It was awesome. Good job, God!
After we got back, we toured the Wax Museum factory and exhibit. Amazing! We got a lot of great pictures. It started with creation, then had a lot of history displays, and ended with Leonardo DeVinci's Last Supper display with the Crucifixion and Resurrection Story all very well narrated.
We ate at Macado's in Lexington.

Virginia Beach

Monday, November 16
Jeffrey and Heather took 2 days off for Jeffrey's birthday. Monday, we drove to Virginia Beach. Our first stop was at Fort Story on Cape Henry. We climbed the lighthouse and looked out at the Atlantic Ocean. It was great. There are 2 lighthouses there as well as a lookout point.
Next we went to Virginia Beach and got our feet wet--Heather got more than her feet wet and had to shop for new pants later. Bruce did NOT get his feet wet. The dogs loved it until another dog walked by and they started barking at him and their barks echoed off the buildings and really drove them crazy.
We did some gift store shopping (mainly for pants), then found a restaurant where Bruce could have raw oysters. It was called Abby Lane and was all in Beetles motif. None of us are Beetle fans but it was fun to see and the food was good. On the way home we stopped at the Williamsburg Visitor Center. The days are WAY too short!

Humpbackrock

"This quick day hike provides an incredible 360 degree view of the valley for such a short ascent. The trail is steep in parts and there's a little bit of rock scrambling at the top. This trail connects to the AT if you'd like to hike farther than 1 mile."

This was a great hike. We had to keep persuading Bruce to keep going, but he was glad he persevered to the top. The trees and rocks and little rivulets were beautiful though slippery. We would like to mention that neither Bruce nor Colleen fell on this hike, but both Jeffrey and Heather did! Ari and Lucy had a great time, too.
What a view! We went up one way and down another, easier way.
http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/HumpbackRocks/

Michie's Tavern

Wednesday: This was a chilly, rainy week so we didn't get out quite as much. Bruce and I did go to Michie's Tavern for lunch on Wednesday. William Michie was a Scotsman who ran the original tavern, which was a social center and provided food and lodging for travelers. You can tour that, too, but we didn't.
The whole place is a colonial setting with everyone dressed like the 1700's. The dining room--the Ordinary--is a log structure on the inside, with a warm fire place, period music, tin plates and cups, period furnishings and a great view. The food is typical of what they would have had, served buffet style, same menu daily, and very delicious. It was so chilly and windy we didn't stay long but went back with Jeffrey and Heather Sunday afternoon to check out the other buildings. There is a gift shop, storage building, Clothier, and General Store (in the Meadow Run Grist Mill) on the property.

Historic Downtown

Bruce and I spent some time in Historic Downtown Charlottesville. It was pretty quiet in the morning so I could browse at leisure and Bruce could sit outside the shops drinking coffee. It's a walking mall with lots of quant shops and eating places, as well as a visitor center.
We went back after picking Jeffrey up from work and had pizza at Christian Pizza's! Yummm! Then we took a short tour through Virginia University area -- too dark to see much, but we got the idea.

Wonderful Worship

Sunday, November 8
Beautiful, sunny day!
We attended Covenant Church of God and really enjoyed the lively singing and diverse ethnicity. The sermon was excellent, very moving.(Not as great as Pastor Rick, but what can we expect?) They were very friendly and we picked up a visitor's package afterwards.
They have a lot of small groups and service opportunities. We were quite impressed.

Heather and I did some ceramic painting in the afternoon.

Apple Harvest Festival

Saturday, November 7
Jeffrey and Heather both had to work, so Bruce and I went to a local Apple Harvest Festival. They had live music, apple tasting, cider, apple butter making (in huge pots over open fires outside), hay rides, kids games, lots of booths selling antiques, brooms, donuts, carmel apples, funnel cakes, jams, sop, pizza, ribbon potato chips, canned goods, vegetables, honey, pie, Brunswick Stew, crafts, pictures, and probably a lot of other stuff I missed.
We got our sugar high from hot cider and funnel cakes, then bought some sweet potatoes, apples, honey sticks, and a picture of a train for Bruce!
Had a great time.
At night we went shopping with the kids and ate at STICKS.

Ash Lawn - Highland

Thursday, November 5
Bruce and I visited Ash Lawn, home of 5th US president, James Monroe. He was also U.S. Senator, Minister to France, England and Spain; Governor of Virginia; Secretary of State and of War.
Not so fancy as Montpelier (he called it his "cabin castle"), but still very interesting with a lot of French culture and more slave information. Monroe was over 6' and had a rather short bed. Apparently they slept propped up on pillows rather than stretched out, so his feet didn't hang over the edge. They intended to retire here but had to sell it because of finances and poor health. Presidents did NOT have all the perks they do today!
The gardens and fields were beautiful and we got a personal tour of a kitchen in what had been slave quarters. A gal in colonial dress was waiting for some school kids to come for a demonstration, and she invited us in and showed us how they cooked on the hearth and a lot of the utensils they used. She explained how they kept the food warm in pans of hot water as they brought it from the kitchen under the house. Quite interesting, but I'll keep my microwave. For more information, go to www.ashlawnhighland.org

Montpelier

Wednesday, November 4
Bruce and I drove out to Montpelier along a beautiful, winding road. Montpelier was the home of James and Dolley Madison. Madison is known as the Father of the Constitution and we got to tour the house and see his library where he wrote it. This is my way of learning history! We had an excellent tour guide. I never knew Madison was so little, my height (5' 4") and about 20# less! He was friends with Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe who were both over 6' tall! A lot of the period furniture is on display as well as clothing, dishes, jewelry, etc.
The slave culture was also fascinating. As many as 110 slaves worked at Montpelier during Madison's time, some in the home, many in the fields. They were very skilled at what they did and were sometimes hired out for $2.00 a day. The owners got the $2.00, not the slaves. If you want to know more about the place, go to www.montpelier.org. I don't know how to add pictures to this yet.

Well, we made it to our first destination--Charlottesville, VA. We had a very good trip even though we had to clean up stuff in the camper every time we stopped. The spilled bottle of olive oil was the worst, but as my daughter reminded me, at least it wasn't honey and 85 degrees like she had to deal with. We are learning a lot about what works and what doesn't in our "little home on the pavement"!
Our first day of travel involved massive rain and wind and we didn't make it out of MI--spent the night in a truck stop in Fowlerville, well known to my trucker hubby. We had breakfast there the next morning and then headed out through Ohio. It was still overcast but not as wet. There were some areas of beautiful scenery even though we kept saying, "I bet that was really gorgeous a few weeks ago". We missed a lot of the fall colors, but imagination is a blessing. We spent the next night in a Walmart parking lot in Washington PA.
Sunday we drove the rest of the way and found the scenery increasingly beautiful when we got to VA. The Blue Ridge Mountains were very pretty and the gold leafed trees on the hills as well as the cattle sprinkled throughout, and the many rivers and rocks along the way, often reminded me of the song--

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
the wealth in every mine.
He owns the river and the rocks and rills,
the sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell,
He is my Father so their mine as well.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
I know that He will care for me.

Just be glad I can't sing it for you.
We arrived at Jeffrey and Heather's home about 3:30 and got the camper parked. Ari got adjusted to their dog, Lucy, very quickly, which we were all glad of.
Monday, Heather and I took the dogs to the dog park to let them run, then Bruce and I spent relaxing and getting the camper
organized while the kids worked. Jeffrey gave us a tour of down town Charlottesville--a very historic city with a lot of culture variety. That's it for now. I catch up on the next few days (which are much more exciting) later.

And away we go!!!!!

Today we take off in our "little house on the pavement". We'll do our best to keep this updated.

5 more days!!!!!

Just a few more days, and lots of stuff to do, but all do-able.
It's getting really exciting now. The camper is nearly packed, but the dining room table is covered with stuff that has to go along but still needs to be used. We're eating up the excess food so we don't have to take too much along.
Is it just me, or is there a nationwide emphasis on volunteering? Seems like I see it everywhere on TV, church, internet...
Nice to know we're not alone.

Retirement reminiscences

OK, I am now officially retired. It still seems a bit strange, but not as sad as it was. It still feels like Groundhogs Day only it's Saturday happening over and over. I also smashed my finger while trying to close a window, so it's a good thing I don't have to type for a living anymore. I was happily surprised with a generous gift from the church, so now we really can get a laptop for our trip and keep in touch with everyone who cares to keep in touch with us.

I am about to embark on a new era in my life. At the end of September I will officially be retired, and no longer dependant on employment. This is a bit scary, but also quite exciting as Bruce and I explore what God has planned for the rest of our lives. We met at a Bible College both desiring to be missionaries, and have done that to an extent ever since, but a lot of our lives have been involved with making a living, providing for our children--physically and emotionally. I guess we both feel that now is the time to concentrate on serving God fully. We both have felt a desire to help others through Habitat for Humanity and other organizations, and now we have the time and ability to concentrate on that.

We covet your prayers as we pursue this adventure. We will be fully relying on God for our finances, health, destination and assignments. Join us right here as we keep you posted on what God is doing with us and through us.