California

We got to California around 5:00 and drove almost to Beaumont when it got incredibly windy. We spent the night in a truck stop.The terrain was amazing as it changed from mountains to rocky hills with all kinds of variety. We were also amazed by the huge number of wind farm windmills that were on both sides of the road for miles.




Friday, March 26
Continued on down to Escondido and arrived at David and Tracy's home about 9:00 a.m. Again, the flowers were beautiful since they’ve had a lot of rain. Tracy was home alone, looking very expectant. We were both pretty tired and just hung out. I went with Tracy to pick up Breanna from school. We had fun playing together. David came home from work around 6:00.

Saturday, March 27
We all went to Balboa Park in San Diego and saw the botanical gardens and then went to the train museum. It was a very nice day. We ate lunch down town.



Sunday, March 28
Went to a large church--contemporary service, excellant sermon. The children came in with palm branches during the singing of "Hosanna". We visited a mosaic park afterwards, than went to a baby shower for Tracy and Chloe.

April 1--still no baby, no fooling!

On the road again--next stop California

Saturday, March 20
Got to David and Amanda’s around 9:30. Amanda was working. Ari and the boys (and Mac) were glad to see us. It turned very cold and windy--we were accused of bringing the cold weather again. Played with the boys, had pizza and watched UP.

Sunday, March 21 First day of Spring, Madison’s 5th Birthday
Went to Woodlands Church again.
Still friendly, good sermon, still loud music, hard to sing with.
Watched Harry Potter 2 in the afternoon. Still cold.

Monday, March 22
Said goodbyes to all, got the boys off to school. Helped with the wash, cleaned bathroom, printed boats for Michael’s blanket, packed up. Bruce got the car serviced, had more that needed to be done than we expected. We took off about 1:00. Very nice day. The scenery was very pretty--lots of flowers, rocks, cacti, &c. Stopped at a rest area for supper, then found a Walmart in Ferrville.

Tuesday, March 23
Took off after breakfast in the camper. The flowers were replaced by cacti patches, yucca and sage brush. The land is rocky with some beautiful passages through the rock hills, sometimes hilly, sometimes flat. Old fashioned windmills are stuck randomly throughout, and every once in awhile we came upon a windmill farm. There are occasional oil wells, some working, most silent. There were some flocks of goats and a few sheep, and even a few horses, but no cattle. (We did see a herd later). Also, lots of trains running parallel to the highway.
We met a couple at a gas station in the middle of nowhere--southern Baptists from Houston )”We give ‘em heaven every week.” They were heading for Big Bend TX where he paints landscapes with a friend. He said it was beautiful--wide variety of terrain.
Eventually mountains started poking up out of the horizon and gradually became more prominent . The wind came up very strong, so we stopped in Van Horn around 5:00 at an RV park. It was a nice place--even had a pet playground, wifi, and TV hook up. We slept good and left around 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday, March 24
We saw more mountains and desert. There were cute wagon wheel shelters or teepee shelters at the rest areas. We finally arrived in New Mexico. We stopped at the visitor center and had lunch. It was really a neat place with adobe style picnic spots, various cacti plants, a fountain and very warm drinking water. We drove through more mountains and desert, but also saw a HUGE dairy farm. We went through a border patrol check point and were asked if we were citizens. I refrained from saying “Si, si, Senior.”
We got to Arizona around 2:15 p.m.. After Tucson everything was much greener and we saw more and more beautiful flowers.
In Phoenix, our Garmin led us to a Go-Kart place owned by WalMart and we got permission to stay there. It was near the airport and airplanes were flying over. It was also very near the train track which blew it’s whistle when going through the town. Other than that it was fine.

Thursday, March 25
After breakfast we headed visit Harold and Alice Wieland in Peoria (a suburb of Phoenix). We had a nice visit with them and they even gave us lunch. Ari liked them, too. We left around 2:00.


The flowers were gorgeous because of all the rain they’ve had. We finally got to see some of the tall skinny cacti.

Disaster Response Services--Slidell, LA

This is a brief review of what we've been up to here in Slidell.

Feb 26 Friday -- back in our little house on the pavement.
We set off from sunny Texas after packing up, walking the dogs one last time and leaving a couple gifts for the boys (and Amanda). It soon started to rain and continued raining until night time. We camped in a Walmart near Port Charles, didn’t have any electricity--dead battery. Cold, but got out lantern and candles. Ate at Cracker Barrel in the morning. Got to Slidell around 2:30. Met Pete and Jane, Virg and Esther Baker and others. Virg didn’t know we were coming so we had some good talks about Prinsburg. (He was my high school teacher many years ago.) He said he taught me everything I know and I said, “Ain’t it the truth!”
Met the rest at supper.

Sunday, we had breakfast in the camper, met the rest of group and went to Trinity Presbyterian Church, next door. Then we all went for lunch at a restaurant. Home again, toured work sites, supper with group, then did a puzzle with the group. The trailer tank is full so we can’t shower in it.
Saw a bluebird.

Monday March 1

Started work Worked with Esther Baker, Carl and Lee. Did a lot of cleaning, then helped unscrew and screw screws in railing spindles until it started raining too hard. Had a nice visit with Esther. Bruce and I were on clean up duty. Played pegs afterwards. Bev called me a Meany Beany Chili Weanie for bumping her off all the time. Used main shower. Found out Marcella is from Prinsburg, was a Roeloefs, but isn’t related.

Tuesday March 2
Very cold all day. I worked at the Florida house with Bruce, Bev, Gary and Henry. We put in baseboard and caulked. Had fun but really got cold. Bruce felt sick afterwards and skipped supper. I played Wizard with the group. Beat Virg, but the rest beat me. Washed clothes. Showered but tank filled up again.

Wednesday March 3

Worked at Pearl River--Randy’s home--with Virg and Esther and Pete. Beautiful day, had to shed in the shed in the afternoon. Got sweet rolls from the cooks. Got a lot done--fire caulking, cleaning, and putting up spindles.. Even got Randy to help, and he did a great job. Met Max, his son. Great day.
Bruce drained tank so we finally had shower power! I played Wizard with the group. Lost by -40!

Thursday March 4
Another beautiful day. Bruce hit his head on Pete’s trailer mirror. Worked at Pearl River again. Started putting up insulation. Met Bonnie and Max. A Methodist group joined us, so things sped along, even though we sometimes got in each other’s ways. Saw lots of bluebirds. Played Pegs with the bunch.

Friday, March 5
Beautiful day. Bev joined us at Pearl River. We started dry walling. Us ladies got almost 3 closets finished.
Shared well with the Methodists, I fed the horse carrots with Bonnie’s mom. Got a porta potty. Randy got upset because he was told not to put nails in drywall. Got pictures taken of the group. Played pegs--ladies won!

Saturday, March 6
Another beautiful day. Bruce and I went to Picayune, MS and visited Jean, Cathy, Hunter and Rachel. It was Hunter’s 11th birthday. Rachel had 3 teeth knocked up from a fall in the bathtub. Had a very nice visit. Came home early, shopped, visited with rest of gang, washed clothes.

Sunday, March 7
Went to church at the Presbyterian church again. They had a potluck and we were invited. Afterwards a bunch of us went on a trip around the area, stopped at Randy’s house, saw some houses that had been worked on, went to a canal where they were catching crabs, came home for soup--very good. Bruce and I both played Scum. Lots of fun.









We also saw this house which was NOT on our list of houses to fix!


Monday, March 8
Gary and Bev left to see their new granddaughter. They used our car to bring their RV to the next site. We moved to their camp spot. I worked at Randy’s house, Bruce at Florida--Danny’s house. We mostly dry walled with the Methodists, who mudded also. I burned my finger on a drywall screw and got branded. Called Madison to assure her we hadn’t died. Very tired, no games, had a hard time getting to sleep. Dave called.

Tuesday, March 8
Back to Randy’s. Warm but cloudy and sprinkled some at our place Bruce and John got rained on working on ramp at Danny’s. This was the last day for the Methodists. We got almost all the dry wall done. Randy and Matt have been helping and Max has helped some when he’s around. Played Scum again. Called Amanda.

Wednesday, March 9
Worked at Randy’s again. Nice day, quiet without Methodists. Got a lot done--almost finished drywall. Did a lot of mudding. Bruce had a swollen and bruised foot that the nurses ace bandaged. He went home after supper to keep it up. The rest of us visited a sight where there were 32 kids and adults working here for one week. Very interesting setting.

Thursday, March 10
There was a truck in the ditch in the morning near our home site. It had a trailer on and slid off the road. It was pulled out by the time we left for work.
Bruce and I were on for devotions. I used 2 poems, Bruce did his “The good that I would I do not---”. Did a lot of mudding.
Played Scum.

Friday, March 11
More sanding and mudding. Beautiful day. Randy was somber. Matt was very friendly. Cleaned up a lot of stuff, won’t be there Monday. Two of our workers, Neal and Carl left. Everyone was very tired, so we all turned in early.

Saturday, March 12
Beautiful Day! Went to Metairie and visited Theola McAuliffe--Amanda‘s mother-in-law. She gave us a personal tour of Longue Vue. Very interesting and the flowers were awesome. We had supper with the group in the evening.

This is a picture of "The Wave". It's a sculpture made from boards of homes wrecked by Katrina as a symbol to those who lost their homes or lives in the flood. Very impressive.

Sunday, March 13
Went to church at Aldersgate, United Methodist. Saw Lisa there. I thought it was a great service (it was the contemporary one). Bruce was less impressed. Ate at home, napped, called kids, etc. Very nice day.

Monday, March 14
Worked on Danny’s house with Esther, Lee and Henry. Talked to Danny awhile, very nice guy, really excited about his new house. Got a lot done, cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, some work outside. Very nice day. Bruce started at the mobile home, putting a new roof on it with Peter’s crew. It’s a real mess there with all the stuff inside and all the rain damage from Gustov. Becky and Dick came. Had a good visit. Played Scum.

Tuesday, March 15
Finished at Danny’s, then had a last nail ceremony. Very impressive. Bruce played “Bless this house” on the clarinet, I read the meaning of the wreath. Danny was very happy. His cousin Jordon was there, too. Becky presented a quilt from Prinsburg. Played Scum at night.







Wednesday, March 16
Went to Danny’s to rehook the air conditioner, kids came to knock out blocks. Next we went to Dewey to finish cleaning. Got it done--lots of sand! Met the owner.

Thursday, March 18



I went with Peter’s gang to the mobile home. Worked on the roof for awhile, then Bruce and I worked on the ceiling in the back bedroom. Pretty yucky but we got it all down and then spent some time cleaning outside. Visited with Camerina. She gave me some eggs from her chickens for the group. Also bananas, strawberries, spaghetti, rice pudding, bread. I had devotions--used Max Lucado--Heaven--final home. Went well. (Amanda called just as I started. I called her back. She told me Ari had severe arthritis and got some meds from the vet.)
Had a farewell session with the group.

Friday, March 19
I worked at the home site with Marie getting stuff organized. Some more of the new people came. Bruce worked at Camerina’s. The group went to Randy’s to say goodbye and see how the house was coming--the drywall looked great.
After lunch we finished getting the camper ready and washing clothes, then left around 4:00.
It was sad to say goodbye to all our new friends, but we were both ready for a repreeve from the hard work.

Slept at a truck stop behind a gas station until 4:30 a.m.

Corpus Christie & USS Lexington

Wednesday (2/24/10) we drove down to Corpus Christie to meet with brother Wayne and his wife, Agnes. They have an RV in Alamo.
We toured the USS Lexington and enjoyed each other's company. The weather was beautiful and the ship was very interesting. The Lexington is a real World War II Aircraft Carrier that has been turned into a museum on the Bay. There are several tours you can take and a fast food restaurant on board. We also got to watch a film about the Lewis and Clark expedition. We learned a lot and saw a lot of fascinating stuff about the Pearl Harbour invasion and other war memorabilia.

Next stop--Louisiana!

Blue & Gold and Woodland Church

On Saturday (2-22-10) we all went to Michael's Blue and Gold banquet. He is now an official boy scout or will be after he goes through the Arrow of Light ceremony. Bruce and I will miss that as we'll be in Slidell LA.

Sunday, we went to the second service of Woodland Church being held at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy. We got to see Pastor Kerry (from One Month to Live series) on the screen. It was a great message and we were warmly greeted and shepherded to where we needed to be. We really enjoyed it and so did Amanda and the boys, so they may keep going there.

Dallas--6th Floor Museum

On our way back to Katy, we stopped in Dallas and toured the 6th Floor Museum where there are artifacts and videos about the Kennedy assassination. It was very interesting. We got to see the spot where Oswald supposedly shot from, and could see the grassy knoll and street from above.

Texas time with the Hathaways and Bonnemas

Bruce and I finally got to see the Hathaways in their new home in Montgomery. They seem to be doing well in spite of Cindy having to go through chemo again. It was great to visit with them even for a short time.

On the way up north, we stopped to check out the huge statue of Sam Houston near Huntsville.




After that we headed up north of Dallas to see my cousins, Rog and Marcy and second cousins, Arch and Sherry, and 3rd and 4th cousins--Kelly, Covey, Austin, Boone, Tag and Jayden in McKinney Tx. Jacob was off in Botswana, so we missed him.




We had a great time visiting, eating and just hanging out. We went to the ranch to see the horses and other animals.








Rog and Marcy gave us a tour of the Croatian village being built near there home. All the buildings are modeled after those in Croatia, even Starbucks! It was refreshing to see the Biblical aspects incorporated into it. There is a statue of the dove from the ark being sculptured and Bible verses in other areas as well as a wedding chapel already built.