"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there."
– Josh Billings Happy Monday people. Hope you all had an excellent week. The Cleveland Browns finally won yesterday so Steve's happy. It happens so rarely that one really needs to celebrate the moment - - you Detroit Lions fans used to know that feeling. This week's update is going to be a bit different. I am going to work from today backwards. So here I sit in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina looking at the most beautiful sunrise sky. The background is a pale to medium blue, but the clouds are bright yellow and white, being lit from the early morning sun. Absolutely lovely. I hope the day stays this way because we plan to take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel to Kitopeke State Park and do some geocaching. For those of you not familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, it is a 17-mile long series of bridges and tunnels that take you from the mainland of Virginia via Virginia Beach, across the Chesapeake Bay and over to the eastern point of the tip of Virginia. Check it out at this website: http://www.cbbt.com/history.html. So yeah, I am hoping that my claustrophobia doesn't kick in. Could be interesting. Yesterday, we had a delightful day. We began our day with a wonderful pancake and sausage breakfast at our campground. This brought back wonderful memories of the 20+ years that Terry and I went to Family Camp on the shores of Lake Huron in Michigan. People just staggering in, wearing their pajamas and not really caring what their hair looks like. Adults headed straight for coffee with that glazed look in their eyes. AAAAAHHHHH, the good old days! After this, we headed to Kitty Hawk for church. We visited the Lighthouse Christian Church and had a wonderful service. I must tell you a quick story about how good God is. I have been dealing with some self doubt about my calling and my effectiveness in counseling those who are seeking God. I won't bore you with the details but yesterday's message was all about encouragement and how God doesn't lead you somewhere and then forget about you. Both Steve and I felt that this message was meant specifically for me - - especially when the pastor woke up Sunday morning and got the idea to speak about how God encourages us. Do you see what I mean? Isn't that cool? Ok, so after church, we visited the Wright Brothers' Memorial which was very interesting. These guys made several trips to Kill Devil Hills (which is the actual location of their first flight, not Kitty Hawk) because it provided them good wind and soft sand for landings. Their first flight was 12 seconds and went all of 120 feet. They steadily improved this performance and on their fourth attempt, they achieved flight for more than 800 feet. That was worth celebrating! One of the facts displayed in the museum really caught our eye and that was the comment that it was 66 years between man's first flight and man's landing on the moon. Incredible, no? Steve and I climbed the hill at the top of which is the memorial to the Wright Brothers. From there we could watch the kite flying contest which was happening below. That was really cool. From there, we headed down the coast to Cape Hatteras and stopped and had lunch at a beachside pier. The weather was sunny and a spectacular 77 degrees. Perfect! Earlier in the week, Steve and I spent a couple of days in the Washington, D.C. area. Steve had never been to our nation's capital so I was excited to show it to him. We took the subway in from College Park and stopped at the Smithsonian station which is right next to the mall. When we came to the top of the escalator that leads you out of the subway, I lead Steve to the middle of the mall because from this vantage point you have the Washington Monument on one side of you and the Capitol Building on the other. Quite the wow factor and he was impressed. We walked and walked that day going from the Smithsonian station, to the Holocaust Museum, and from there around the Tidal Basin to see the Jefferson, Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, and Lincoln Memorials. It was a monumental trip (get it - - monumental - - I crack myself up). While resting at the Lincoln Memorial, we met Orlando Rivera, a Vietnam vet, and his dad, Isidor, who is a World War II vet. Both were visiting D.C. via the Honor Flight program. They were telling us about their experience with first leaving Atlanta (where their flight originated) and how the city of Atlanta's police escorted them all the way to the airport. As they neared the airport, the Atlanta firefighters made a tunnel with the extended ladders of their ladder trucks for them to pass under. They said it was quite spectacular. When they arrived at Ronald Reagan airport in D.C., the firefighters there greeted their plane with a water tunnel on the tarmac. Coldwell Banker sponsored their trip and paid most of the expenses. How cool is that. We thanked them for their service and left that conversation with full hearts. While in D.C., we also visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. This was a very understated but beautiful memorial which consisted of 184 benches, one for each person killed at that location. Here is the website if you want to learn more about it: http://pentagonmemorial.org/. What was really eerie about this memorial is the location. It is located right next to the actual wall that was hit with Flight 77 the morning of 9/11. Obviously, the building has been repaired since this terror attack but there is one stone in the facade of the building that was left from that explosion. It is soot-covered and black and stands out from the rest of the limestone slabs. As you look back at the Air Force Monument to the south, you get an idea of the flight path that the plane took as it headed for the Pentagon. Very creepy to visualize the plane heading toward the building and what the people on that plane must have been going through, knowing they were about to die. You know, it's been 11 years since that awful day and we were all so emotionally impacted by it at the time. But eventually the pain and fear subsides and we go back to our lives and sort of "forget" what happened to our country, and the world for that matter, on that day. Being at that memorial sort of brought it all back for me and I am glad that we visited it for that very reason. We cannot be complacent about our freedom and what it takes to maintain it. Thank a military service person next time you see one! Arlington National Cemetery was interesting. We visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which contains remains of an unknown soldier from World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and until 1998, the Vietnam War. It is guarded 24/7 by the Third United States Infantry. Each soldier who guards the tomb takes a very specific path in front of the tomb. He walks 21 steps, turns to face the tomb for 21 seconds, then turns back in the opposite direction from which he came and waits another 21 seconds, and then heads back to the other side for 21 steps. The number 21 alludes to the 21-gun salute, which is the highest honor given to any military or foreign dignitary. We tried to capture the beauty of the changing of the guard ceremony in pictures, but they really don't do it justice. There are a number of YouTube videos you can watch - - here's one for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqZ-mkdp1H0. We didn't really visit any of the Smithsonian museums with the exception of the Air and Space Museum. That was interesting but disappointing for us because I had built it up to be something really cool - - which it is for most people - - but we had been to so many NASA locations and military museums along our journey this past year, we were already well-versed on the vast majority of the exhibits contained in the museum so we didn't really see much that was new. The main difference is that the aircraft exhibited were the actual ones... not a replica. The remaining Smithsonian exhibits will have to wait for another time. The old man and I were exhausted. We walked almost 10 miles in two days and that is not something we were physically prepared for - - know what I mean? Ok, so we get to the first part of the week which is the last thing I am going to write about. We stopped in Pittsburgh to visit our friends Ed and Ilona Wilkocz. We met these two lovely people at Watkins Glen, New York and have became fast friends. They took us around the city of Pittsburgh which is quite impressive. The downtown area has gone from steel-related company buildings and services to a conglomeration of more high-tech and service-oriented companies. They make excellent use of the waterfront and the drive around that area is quite interesting as you can't go more than a mile without going through a tunnel or crossing a bridge of some sort. Take a weekend and check out Pittsburgh. There is much to do and see. Alrighty then, that's it for this week. Steve and I are hot-footing south at this point. From here we go to Wilmington, N.C. for a couple of days. Then to Edisto Beach in South Carolina. A quick stop in St. Mary's, Georgia, and then in Bushnell, Florida a week from today. We have many adventures planned between now and then so we will have much to share next week. Stay tuned and stay warm. I don't know if the weather is going to get cold again for you northerners, but for us - - it's all about 75 and sunny!!!!!!!!! Later!
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AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! It's good to be home! After almost two weeks staying with family, Steve and I have retrieved our dear Big Red from the manufacturer and are happily sleeping in our own bed again. But before I get to that, let me update you on the week of visiting friends.
First, while Steve and my dad went to have dinner with my brother-in-law Yog, I met two friends for dinner at my mother's favorite restaurant - - Mexican Fiesta! These two women - - Lisa Harris and Michele Patrick - - are the funniest and craziest women I have ever known. All three of us used to work at Visteon but Michele moved on to Continental and I retired so Lisa is left on her own, but she manages okay. Anyway, I absolutely loved visiting with them and laughed so much the entire time we were together. Next, Steve and I focused on cleaning out that storage unit. We were giving away furniture and "stuff" like there was no tomorrow, but honestly, I am not missing any of it. On Tuesday afternoon, we went to visit our friends Dave and Deane Luce who live next door to our beautiful farmhouse in Swanton, Ohio. While we were visiting them, I looked over at that house and was taken aback to realize that we used to have enough stuff to fill up that huge house, a 3 1/2 car garage, a party barn, a 40 x 60 pole barn, and a chicken coop. Now, the sum total of everything we own fits into a 40 foot fifth wheel and a 10 x 7 storage unit. I was really blown away just looking at that house and realizing how much has changed in just a year or two. Anyway, back to Dave and Deane. We just love these people so much. They are a total hoot, even if they do beat us in euchre every time (well, except once, the memory of which we cling to like it's life-giving or something). Anyway, our dear Deane is having some health issues and had just gotten out of the hospital but had to model her "Mighty Mouse" cape for us. A neighbor made this cape for her because no matter what medical issues befall her, she keeps coming back and charging hard. Thank you Lord for her ability to rebound because we want to have these two people in our lives for a long time to come. One evening last week I got to go and visit Little Lauren Marie (she's not named after me but does carry some of my personality traits - - Oh Lordy!). This girl is so adorable and the last time I saw her, or her brother Alex, they were so much smaller. Now Lauren is 3 and Alex is 7 and in second grade. When you see little kids after a long period of time, I think that's when it hits you that time is really moving quickly. Know what I mean? I think it's because children just change so much so quickly that not seeing them for a year makes a huge difference. Anyway, the main reason for the visit was to catch up with my friend Michelle Laser who I have known for almost 20 years. We worked together at Dana Commercial Credit back in the early 90's, then again at Dana Corporation in the 2000's, and then at Visteon. She's "together" as ever and looked great and I love the family picture I was able to take. Also, if you are looking for a good tax man, I highly recommend her husband, Aaron. His tax firm - The Laser Group - is located in Toledo and can be reached at 419-578-1040. Ok, that's all for the commercials. Now on to my buddy Christine Perrine. She is such a cool chick and I am so glad that we got to spend some time together, even if it was just a brief lunch. It's hard to believe that her baby, Stephanie, is finishing her last year at OSU in the Nursing program and plans to go on for her Physicians Assistant degree. Geez, that girl used to clean my house when she was about 13 years old so to know that she's about to graduate from college just blew my mind. Chris and her husband, Bob, like to go to Vegas so Steve and I are hoping that they come out for the March NASCAR race in Vegas and hang with us for a few days. That would be a blast. So Friday came and we had to say goodbye to everyone and head to Indiana to retrieve Big Red. WOW was I excited to see her! It's not that I don't appreciate seeing family, but I really really really love my own bed and my own stuff. Can you relate? Steve and I spent the night in Indiana and then headed east to Cleveland where we spent two days relaxing at the Round Up Lake campground. On Saturday, we celebrated our 12th anniversary at the camp's Chili Cook-off. I couldn't have asked for a more appropriate venue for our anniversary celebration, given our new lifestyle. I enjoyed myself and met some really nice people so to me, it was perfect. Can you believe it's been 12 years? And you thought it wouldn't last . . . . . . Anyway, today we visited the Cuyahoga Valley National Park which is just south east of Cleveland. What a lovely park and what a great time of year to visit with the leaves in full color mode. We took a little hike to see the Brandywine Falls, which were absolutely gorgeous. Alongside these falls was an old electric company - Champion Electric - which produced restaurant appliances and was the last industry in the Brandywine area. Since this park is only 2 hours from Toledo (or 3 from Detroit), I highly recommend a visit. There is just so much to see and do in this park - - the hiking trails alone could take weeks to get through. There are a number of old farms that sell fruits and veggies, a beaver pond with live beavers in it, a beautiful train that takes you the length of the park (which, by the way, is a 3 1/2 hour ride). There is also a paved bike path that runs alongside the old Ohio & Erie Canal that is very scenic and a nice path to take for some exercise. Along the way, you can see a number of buildings that were quite important when the canal was in great use. We also saw "Hell's Half Acre" which is where the Canal Visitor's Center is located. So when someone tells me that they've been to Hell's Half Acre and back, I'll know exactly where he was. Okay, that's it for this week. Tomorrow we head to the Pittsburgh area to visit Ed and Ilona, friends we made while we were in Watkins Glen, New York this past summer. From there, we will spend a few days visiting our nation's capital (capitol? I can never keep those straight). From there, we head south to the North Carolina coast, then through South Carolina, Georgia, and on to Florida where we will be participating in a huge geocaching event in the Ocala area. Thanks to everyone who made our visit to the Detroit and Toledo areas so wonderful. My dad was the best host ever (even his crazy dog, Sandy, was nice to us). Steve's sister Beverly and her husband Larry were also gracious enough to house us while we were engaged in the Toledo area. Thanks to everyone else who hugged us and said that they missed us. Our life is quite special, no doubt, but missing all of you sometimes takes its toll. Even a life of perpetual vacation has its drawbacks, no? Alrighty, try to stay warm folks. We are not happy that we've had to run our furnace continuosly since we picked up Big Red so we have to head south in a hurry. We will be thinking of you as we walk the beach later this month. Sorry, but I had to say it!!!! Love you all! "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
– Theodore Seuss Giesel Hello from Detroit/Toledo. We are in town for a brief time while our Big Red finally gets repaired. We have been so busy catching up with family and friends but we also had some important things that had to be done. First, we had to get the final round of our shots for our trip to Haiti. We had to meet with our photographer and have our every-other-year update to the family portrait. Thirdly, we are moving furniture and stuff out of our climate-controlled storage unit and into a much smaller, standard storage unit. This will save us $150/month, so the effort is worthwhile. This is a huge job because the 10 x 15 unit is stacked to the ceiling. Clearly, things have to go in order to make this happen so that is our project this coming week. Aside from that, we spent a great deal of time with family since we will not be home for Christmas. One of the fun things that we did was watch Jill, Gary, Stevie, Aime, Jeremiah and Darius (and other of their friends and family) participate in a mud run in Toledo. What a hoot that was. The basic outline of this mud-run is a 5k run through the woods, with an occasional obstacle that must be overcome - - like water holes, large wooden piles that have to be climbed, a rope wall that you had to scale before swimming through mud to cross the finish line. It was just a riot watching the participants in this event because some of them came in costume - - a guy in a kilt (who had nothing on underneath), some ballerinas, a Stormtrooper (from the Star Wars movie), and people who had super hero underwear on over their sweats. Hilarious. It was a beautiful day and we had tons of good laughs. Steve and I think we are going to check out a mud run while we travel around. We have some work to do to get into shape, but it looks like so much more fun and more of a challenge than the standard 5k run. Next, we met Steve's siblings and his mother for dinner at Sakura. That was a really great time. Not only is the food good, but they entertain you as they make your dinner. We ate like pigs and enjoyed spending time together. We also spent time with my siblings as we celebrated the September and October birthdays of Terry's Jill (versus our daughter Jill), Stevie, Gary and our niece Stephanie. Ok, that's it for this week. Nothing too exciting, just catching up back home. This week we continue our work on our storage unit and will devote time to friends vs. family. Can't wait to see my friends. It's always good to see what everyone is up to while you have been away. Take care and hopefully we will continue to have beautiful Fall weather. Wasn't this weekend just absolutely beautiful? Hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy it. Winter will be here soon people! (Well, for some of us.) "Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same."
– Lois McMaster Bujold Alright, let me start out with an apology for my laziness. We have just been so busy (yeah, I know, hard to imagine for two people who are on perpetual vacation). So the last time you heard from me, we were finishing up in Hattiesburg and heading north for our journey home. Our first stop on that journey was Little Rock, Arkansas. Let me say this out loud for those of you who have never been to Little Rock - - WE LOVE THAT CITY.. Holy Cow what a surprise. This town is about the size of Toledo, Ohio but very young and very vibrant and very clean. The city itself is right on the Arkansas River (as was our campground) and makes use of that river extensively. People boating up and down that river all day long and, in addition to that, there is a 17-mile paved path from the downtown area to the The Big Dam Bridge. This bridge is pedestrian only and was built over a locking system that allows commercial traffic to travel safely down the Arkansas River to the Mississippi which is at a much lower elevation. Like this walkway, many of the bridges that cross the Arkansas River between Little Rock and North Little Rock are pedestrian only. This is an indication of just how outdoorsy this city is. Everyone is out and about during the day walking around. If you are ever in the area, please stop and partake of this lovely little city. You will be very surprised at what it has to offer you. One of our first stops was to Little Rock Central High School, the first school to re-integrate African American students into the "whites only" school system. September 25, 1957 was a supremely important day in the history of the United States and its fight to overcome racial inequality. The "Little Rock 9" as these students were called, took their lives in their hands by being the banner carriers for desegregation. Their names are Terrence Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Minnijean Brown, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta Walls, Gloria Ray and Melba Pattillo. For those of you who are not familiar with the story, the city of Little Rock, as well as the governor, were vehemently opposed to what was about to happen and the situation became extremely violent. Nonetheless, 8 of the 9 finished their high school careers at the school as life in this country slowly began to accept that all people are equal and should be treated accordingly. I am sure that the 1957 citizens of Little Rock would be hard-pressed to believe that 50 years into the future, this school would go on to become one of the finest high schools in the country with a racial mix that makes it look more like the United Nations. Our next visit was to an old grist mill that looks more like a fairy-tale site than a working grist mill. This little park is now right in the middle of a subdivision on the Arkansas River and difficult to find, but once you do get to it, you are well rewarded for the effort. The entire scene is absolutely breathtaking and apparently, David O. Selznick thought so too because this grist mill is in the opening scenes from Gone with the Wind. The mill is not actually real and was never in operation. The artist designed it to look as though it was very old and abandoned. The entire park is concrete construction but made to look like wood, iron and stone. The landscaping is nicely done and the little pond even sports a swan. I can only imagine how many brides have their wedding photos taken there because honestly, it is just so beautiful and something you have to see in person to really appreciate its beauty. Next, we visited the Clinton Presidential Library. WOW was that interesting. It houses the books and records of his entire 8 years as President. You begin your tour with a tribute to his and Hillary's mothers, which was very sweet. You go on to a replica of what his cabinet room looked like and then tour through various displays of his accomplishments as President of the United States. My favorite part of the tour was passing by the display of all the magnificent gifts he received from other foreign dignitaries. Very cool. The final stop was his oval office, duplicated down to the most minute of details. That room is not as large as you would think, but I can see why it would be intimidating to enter. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by what we saw there. We have not visited any other Presidential Libraries on our trip but we intend to do so going forward. We spent a day in Hot Springs and the National Park there. Oddly, they are situated on either side of the main street which we found amusing. As far back as the 1700's, the American Indians were traveling to this area to enjoy the healing qualities of these springs. The water is 143 degrees when it hits the surface and contains several minerals which some believe accounts for the therapeutic nature of the baths. Speaking of which, there are several spas that were developed to cater to the needs of the rich and famous back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These spas are still in existence today, but now offer much more modern techniques for relaxation. Hot Springs is the birthplace of Bill Clinton but it is also a National Park which boasts several nice hiking trails and a tower that rises 216 feet above the high point of the park. We had lunch at a place called "The Ohio Club" which was the hang-out for the gangster element that came to Hot Springs for vacation. It was almost like a museum with all the memorabilia from the time in this country when the gangster element was very prevalent. The food was awesome and we highly recommend a stop there for lunch if you are in Hot Springs. The coolest place we visited in Little Rock was an organization called Heifer International. The following is an excerpt from their website that explains their history and mission: (http://heifer.org/) Heifer International was founded in 1944 by Church of the Brethren educator Dan West. His vision of a worldwide program to end hunger and poverty was born of his Christian faith. From the beginning, the vision has encompassed all spiritual paths and all people who understood that to serve God, we serve our brothers and sisters. Today, Heifer comprises people of faith working together around the world to realize its vision. By giving families a hand-up, not just a handout, we empower them to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity, but our approach is more than that. By bringing communities together and linking them with markets in their area, we help bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. I urge you to take a moment and look through their website because this organization is just so impressive. They are an organization that is not interested in taking care of people by providing for their every need. They believe in the Biblical principal of "teaching a man to fish" and providing the infrastructure and tools that will allow him to take care of himself. There is so much going on in Heifer International that the website is the best place to tell you all about it, so please do peruse it. You can participate in their mission by giving a donation or buying a goat or a flock of geese or even a heifer. We are so blessed in this country and quite honestly take our blessings for granted. It is incumbent upon us to consider the less fortunate. We spent a good deal of money on Christmas presents in their gift shop which sells a number of items that are produced by the people that this organization supports. Baskets, jewelry, jams and jellies, etc. are all available and made by the people all over the world. It was an absolute delight to visit this organization and we highly recommend a visit if you are in the Little Rock area. This was our last adventure in Little Rock. From there we ventured north to Branson, Missouri where we stayed for three very rainy days. We honestly did not enjoy our time in Branson. It poured constantly and Steve came down with a very bad cold. We attempted to go out and explore the town but the traffic was so bad that we couldn't get anywhere. It took us 30 minutes to go 2 miles down the road. UGH!!!!! We absolutely hate that and I can only imagine how bad it would be if it wasn't pouring rain. From there, we went further north in Missouri to Sedalia where we spent 5 days at an RV Rally. Steve and I are members of an RV club called Escapees, which we highly recommend if you are thinking about traveling by RV in the future. This club not only offers camaraderie with other like-minded travelers, but also provides a significant amount of education for RVers. We spent our time in educational sessions dedicated to RV safety, photography, using Facebook effectively, how to earn money on the road, cooking in an RV, getting the most from your GPS, and fun things like geocaching. We absolutely loved our time at this rally and can't wait for the next one which takes place in Gillette, Wyoming next June. Once the rally was over, we headed further north for an overnight stop in Amana, Iowa. What a find this place was. It is the German equivalent of Shipshewana and the Amish. We did some Christmas shopping here too and enjoyed a nice German dinner - - Bratwurst, Knackwurst, spaetzle, chicken schnitzel, etc. MMMMM MMMMM. Lastly, we had a stop in Illinois on our way east and back home. This stop was for a graduate retreat for Seminary students at Moody (like me). We had a wonderful time touring the farm which hosted the retreat. We were sad to learn that the drought has caused farmers in the Midwest to lose more than half of their crop this year. We saw evidence of this dramatic water shortage as we moved from Mississippi through Missouri and Iowa. Rivers that were once raging waters are now nothing more than little streams making their way around sand bars. Bridge after bridge crossed over these sad remnants of what I am sure were important bodies of water to the communities through which they traveled. It is hard to believe that just a couple of years ago this region was so overwhelmed with water that the Mississippi was flooding communities left and right. Nature has amazing powers, don't you think? So, after a stop in Syracuse, Indiana to drop off our home (Big Red), we headed back to the Detroit area where we will be for a couple of days. From there we head to Toledo and a visit with our friends, family, and kids and an update to our family portrait. After that, we head south for Miami and our trip to Haiti. Take care and stay warm. For goodness sake, you people in the north are getting some cold weather. No me gusta!!!!! (That means "I don't like it" in Spanish). Later kids! "Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
– Henry Van Dyke Hello from Hattiesburg, MS. Steve and I have finished our assignment with the Red Cross and both of us feel very privileged to have taken part in that activity. It is hard to put into words how affected by this experience we both have been, but suffice it to say we would do it again in a heartbeat. It was interesting to see how things played out for us there. We were initially sent to "sling hash", as Steve would put it, but by a stroke of weird luck, we ended up doing things that were in line with our natural skills and abilities. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was the assistant to the Chief of Mass Care and helped him and his team stay organized on all the tasks they had in front of them - - sheltering, feeding, safety and wellness, and bulk distribution. Because I was in this position, I was able to see the "behind the scenes" efforts of what it takes to make a disaster relief effort tick. I must say that I was a tad overwhelmed with the amount of stress and activity that was inherent with this position. It's been a year since I had to deal with stress like that and it definitely took its toll on me. I was physically exhausted and had a headache at the end of every day. I was most intrigued to see the political underpinnings that go on behind the scenes too. There are a number of constituents in an operation like this - - the people affected by the disaster, of course, but also the state and local governments, FEMA, and the ARC's home office in Washington. Everyone has their own opinion on what needs to be done, who will be responsible for it, and who will get the credit. Because of the position I held, I was able to hear some of these conversations and it was rather enlightening. Steve was great in his position as assistant to the Manager of Bulk Distribution. As all of you know, he spent 30 years in automotive manufacturing, the last few of which in material handling, so his skills on the dock and in the warehouse were invaluable. His boss was a younger guy with some experience but not a great communicator. Steve's role was to get directions from him and clarify them for the back office and loading dock volunteers. He was running constantly between his office and the dock and was also exhausted by day's end. By the end of the week he was the one contacting various EMAs (emergency managers) to determine their needs and prepare a list of products to be sent to them We can see that God had placed us both in positions that played to our skills and allowed us to both play a very important role on the team. Plus, his office was next to my office, so we got to see each other all the time and had much to talk about when the day was over. Today we had to make a trip to Gulfport and get a replacement tire for the one we blew on the way down here. We both love this Gulf region so we took the opportunity to drive along the coast to Biloxi and do some gambling and have some great seafood for lunch. We were curious to see what we could of the hurricane damage but most of it had been cleaned up already as it has been 10 days since Isaac made landfall. What was left were large piles of debris on the beach, an abandoned boat next to the road, and some large trees out into the gulf a little bit from shore. Not bad really. We, of course, lost money at the casino but had a great lunch at McElvoy's right on the water. I had shrimp and grits and Steve had oysters and crab-stuffed red snapper. MMM MMM. Tomorrow we begin our journey home. We begin with a stop in Little Rock, AR for a couple of days. Then on to Branson, MO. We will stop in Des Moines, IA and then turn right and head for Ohio. On the way we plan to stop at the world's largest truck stop on I-80, make a brief pit stop in Chicago for a Graduate Retreat for me, and then into Goshen, Indiana to visit with friends and drop off Big Red for some warranty work and repairs from our run-in with the tree back in Connecticut. After all that, we will be in Toledo/Detroit to visit family before heading down to Miami and our flight to Haiti. Lots going on with the Andersons, no? Take care peeps and we will see most of you very soon. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts of support while we were here. It was a great experience and we are so happy that we could be of service. Hello everyone. I wanted to give you an update because Steve and I are getting text messages asking about our status, so I thought it would be best to tell you all the same story at the same time. So here goes,
We are exhausted. We are working at the headquarters of the Disaster Recovery organization for the Mississippi operation. I am the assistant to the Chief of the Mass Care Operation. Steve is the assistant to the Chief of Bulk Distribution. I spend my days working with staffing of shelters, helping answer phones for the feeding teams, and generally doing whatever the Chief needs me to do. Steve works in the warehouse where they are loading trucks with food, clean-up kits, water, etc. There were some 4000 people who needed sheltering in the state of Mississippi and there are approximately 750 volunteers and Red Cross staff working to assist them. What I am overwhelmed by is the logistical nightmare it is to get this job done. I cannot write the details of the work that goes on every day, but imagine 750 people coming together, the vast majority of which have never worked together before (or rarely have worked together) and trying to get the food organized and shipped to each shelter, the shelter staffed, cleaned, supplied with cots, blankets, pillows, etc., the Emergency Response Vehicles staffed and loaded with food, water, etc. and organizing which streets/neighborhoods will be covered by each ERV. It takes an army of people. I am so impressed with these volunteers. Most of them have taken vacation time from their jobs and left spouses and family behind because they felt the call to be of assistance to those in need. These people really care and are willing to endure some pretty uncomfortable situations themselves so that they can be there for someone who needs help. Steve and I are very lucky. We are sleeping in our comfortable Big Red, but a good number of these volunteers are sleeping in the shelters along with those who came to them for help. Enduring sleepless nights and the uncomfortable situation of having to share a shower with strangers are not all they have to do (if they have showers). They then have to put in a 12-15 hour day running endlessly trying to make sure things are getting done and needs are met. If you haven't ever done so before, please consider making a donation to the Red Cross. I am sure you will be as surprised as Steve and I were when I tell you that this organization is funded completely on donated money. They get some support from the United Way, but the vast majority of their funds are donations. So, okay, we're exhausted. We're going to bed so we can get up and do it again tomorrow. Mississippi is cleaning up and things are going back to normal quicker than anticipated, which is great for those people. Louisiana is still struggling with 800,000 without power. We have transferred staff from our operation to theirs to backfill the gap. Some of these volunteers started in Florida, then came to Mississippi, and are now on their way to Louisiana. God Bless Them!!!! Goodnight everyone and thanks for the kind words and thoughts. Well, 1550 miles later, we arrive in Hattiesburg, MS. Not without incident, however. In Birmingham, AL today we had a tire issue on the trailer. God Bless that truck driver that saw our tire go flat and honked a warning to us before it blew (Steve said it was hot when he touched it). We've had a number of angels along the way who helped us at just the right time. God was definitely keeping a keen eye on us as we traveled down here. For that we are grateful.
The weather down here is what you would expect. Isaac clouds hang very heavy over us right now. They are extremely dark and almost close enough to touch. Sort of eerie. We've seen some flooding too. The rivers are moving quickly and we passed a golf course that was completely under water - kind of like Cottonwood Creek Golf Course on Central Avenue. Just wanted you to know that we made it and are going to settle in for a good night's sleep. Our workday is 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. but at least they feed us. MMMMMMM. Powdered mash potatoes and canned green beans here we come!!!!!! Good night people and thank God that you don't live in Mississippi or Louisiana. If Steve and I get off duty earlier than expected we may stop in and visit our friends in Waveland, MS. They were, once again, hit hard so we just want to stop and give them a hug or something. Hello everyone. We wanted to let you know that we've had a change in plans. As you are all aware by now, Hurricane Isaac is building out in the Gulf of Mexico and scheduled to make landfall sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning. What you probably didn't know is that Steve and I are fully trained in Shelter Operations and Mass Care for the American Red Cross. As such, we have been deployed to Hattiesburg, MS, where the Red Cross has set up a large shelter for persons located in the Gulf region. We left New Hampshire this morning and are currently cruising through Connecticut and headed toward Pennsylvania, our eventual stop for the evening. Tomorrow we will continue our 1,500-mile journey to Mississippi in order to reach the shelter by late Thursday or early Friday morning and begin work. At this point, we know we will be there up to 21 days, but that's all we know.
It has been an interesting drive so far as we cross back over some of the path we have already taken. Seeing some of the sights again has been a pleasant trip down memory lane for Steve and I. We will be spending the night in Wilkes-Barre, PA which is just south of Scranton. It's funny, but since we left Stroudsburg, PA several weeks ago, we've had Scranton local channels through our dish service the entire time we were in Watkins Glen and Henderson Harbor, NY as well as our time in Vermont and even in New Hampshire. Who knew that Scranton would have such a powerful TV station? Anyway, we are asking for your prayers today. We would like you to pray for the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as they prepare for yet another disaster to befall them. If you will recall, Steve and I spent a good deal of time in the Gulf Coast this past winter. During our stay, we met numerous people and visited numerous communities that endured the difficulties that Katrina brought. In some cases, they are still rebuilding some seven years later. So keep these people in your prayers. It must be so difficult to just get over one hurricane only to be faced with another. Pray also for safe travel for Steve and I. We are dragging Big Red with us as we head south and this 50 feet of metal train (and 22,000 pounds as well) is a chore for Steve to manage long periods of time on the road. Thanks everyone and we'll keep you posted. "Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing."
– George Sheehan HOLA! How's everyone? We're doing great and enjoying our time in Vermont. Our campground is on Lake Champlain near the city of Swanton, Vermont which is funny because our farmhouse was in Swanton, Ohio. Anyway, this campground is quite a trip in that it is "little Quebec". The vast majority of the people here are French-speaking Canadians with seasonal trailers. It is very strange to be sitting at our campfire and hearing everyone around us speaking French. We felt like the foreigners. Our friends, Glenn and Lori Paton, would be right at home here!!!! What an absolutely lovely part of the country. Seriously, if you Googled the phrase "bucolic country scene", pictures from Vermont would appear. Steve and I really took a great deal of this type of scenery in one afternoon while doing a tour of Vermont's covered bridges. The bridges we saw were in Franklin and in the towns of Belvidere, Cambridge and Waterville. Most of these bridges were built by the Jewett Brothers during the period of 1865 to 1890. (Attached is a link to a website that can give you more information if you are interested: http://www.virtualvermont.com/coveredbridges/index.html). These bridges were not on the roads used today. Quite the contrary. These bridges were along roads that are quite narrow but used to be the main thoroughfares in the area during this time. The cutest little towns are all around them and we stopped and had lunch in one of them. What a delightful afternoon we had driving through the Green Mountains and experiencing some of the back road Americana we so enjoy. Speaking of delightful, Steve and I got to play Bingo at the Knights of Columbus in the town of St. Albans. We didn't win anything but it was just nice to play again. Steve calls it "dabbin fever" and it is really quite addicting. Anyway, we met a very nice woman named Jeri who is an older widow. She showed us how to play the new games that we were not familiar with and she even won $130. She was so excited. Good for her! Once again, Steve and I took a boat cruise. I don't know what it is about these cruises that I love, but I really do find them to be so relaxing. Anyway, we sailed along Lake Champlain and learned all about the important role that this lake played in the Revolutionary War. Did you know that this was the site of one of the most important naval battles? And it was fought by none other than Benedict Arnold (before he became a traitor). Again, there is more to the story than I can write here, so I am attaching a link to the website that will tell you the story. Please enjoy it: http://www.lcmm.org/shipwrecks_history/history/history_revolution.htm. So, okay, more about the lake. It is 125 miles long and 14 miles across. Rivers extending from it flow as far north as Quebec and as far south as the Hudson River into New York's harbor. The deepest point is 400 feet but most of the lake is between 60-100 feet deep. There are several large ships that have sunk in this lake and remain there for scuba diving adventures. If you are a scuba enthusiast, consider this as a vacation stop. In addition to the boat cruise, we explored a little of the town of Burlington which is a very cool town right on the lakeshore. Organized as an official city in 1785, it is the largest city in Vermont and is the home to the University of Vermont. We made a stop at Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory and enjoyed some of the locally made delights they had to offer. MMMMM MMMMM! One of the coolest things we did while in the area was take a hike in the Ausable Chasm, which is just south of Plattsburg, New York, on the other side of Lake Champlain from where we were staying. This was an amazing site, not just because of the natural beauty of the gorge, but because of the stories the gorge would tell us. First, of course, is the story of the glaciers that created the gorge in the beginning. But in addition to that, in 1996, this area of New York was hit with a tremendous cold and snowy winter and an ice dam was formed downriver from the gorge. This ice dam broke loose and a torrent of flood waters came through the chasm, ripping out the metal walkways and bridges erected for the tourist attraction. It had suffered so much damage that then President Clinton declared it to be a Federal disaster area. Then, in 2011, Hurricane Irene came through the northeast and, once again, raging flood waters were sent through this gorge and destroyed much of what was rebuilt in 1996. One trail is still closed to the public. There was evidence of these two disasters left in places along the trail and it was incredible to see the twisted metal ruins of what used to be a bridge or a walkway just laying by the side of the river. Anyway, the gorge itself is two miles long and is an enjoyable hike. There are more than 400 steps involved in the hike that we took (the yellow and green trails) but it wasn't too bad. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Our last adventure really wasn't an adventure at all. We visited the Shrine of St. Anne for Sunday services. This shrine, located on the Isle la Motte on Lake Champlain, rests on what was originally a french fort built in 1666. The fort was dedicated to St. Anne de Beaupre and therefore, the shrine was also given the same name. It currently houses a lovely little open-air chapel where we attended services as enjoyed an excellent view of the beautiful Lake. We walked the grounds and admired the Stations of the Cross that they have erected right on the shoreline. In addition to that, there is a statute dedicated to Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer who first discovered this area. Afterwards, we took a walk on the sandy beach of Alburg Dunes State Park. While walking on the beach, it was very obvious to us how low water levels are in this area. Rivers and streams seem to be a bit low, but while walking on the beach it became quite evident to us that the lake appears to be 6-8 feet lower than normal. Last summer when Hurricane Irene came through, water levels were at an all-time high (for obvious reasons). Just one year later, however, water has become quite the precious commodity to this waterfront community. The number of docks that were completely out of the water along the lake shore spoke to just how bad things have become here. Alrighty, on to New Hampshire. We plan to do some serious hiking in the state parks near our new campground so we promise some excellent pics next week. Until then, take care. Love you all! "It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time."
– Winston Churchill Good Monday morning, y'all. Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Our dear Kasey Kahne brought us 13 points this week in the race at MIS, so we're happy. We are literally vaulting up the leaderboard on the NASCAR pool that we're in. Yahoo! This week, Steve and I spent time in the 1000 Islands region of upstate New York. This region borders the St. Lawrence River that runs between Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean. The water here, despite being a sister to Lake Erie, is the most beautiful shade of blue/green and very very clean. Apparently, this cleanliness of the water is being attributed to the zebra mussel. A single one of these creatures can filter a liter of water in a 24-hour period. What started out to be a problem for the Great Lakes has turned out to be a blessing once the scientists discovered that the zebra mussel hates copper. The shipping industry has since replaced their ballast tanks (how the zebra mussels got here in the first place) with copper and all is well with them. Steve and I took a cruise on the St. Lawrence River. We left from a town called Alexandria Bay which is apparently where all the richy riches spend their summers. In fact, country singer Alan Jackson was going to buy a 32 million home on the Canadian side of the river but the deal fell through. Check out the pictures that Steve took of these summer homes. Holy Cats! The cruise was quite delightful and it was even an international adventure as we crossed into Canada during our sail down the river. We passed by a statue of St. Lawrence, for whom the river was named, who is holding a gridiron. Our tour guide told us that the former missionary was martyred for his faith, being roasted on a gridiron similar to the one the statue is holding. Because he was the keeper of the treasures of the church, he has become the patron saint for bankers. Another interesting piece of information we learned while on the tour was that the 1000 Island dressing was created in this area and made famous by George Boldt, one of the area's residents. Mr. Boldt was the General Manager of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City and he took this salad dressing to the hotel and served it there. The rest is history! While on this cruise, we stopped at Heart Island to tour the Boldt Castle. What an impressive site this was. First off, the island was not in the shape of a heart. It was originally owned by someone named "Hart" but when George Boldt bought it, he change the name to "Heart" and built a mansion as a tribute to the love he had for his wife, Louise. The house is six stories high, has 127 rooms, and is designed to look like a 16th century castle. The grounds contain an Italian garden, a dove-cote (where Mrs. Boldt was to keep her birds), its own powerhouse, a playhouse (the Alster Tower that looks sort of Hobbit-esque) and an entry arch that is quite impressive. The house was to take many years to construct but sadly, 18 months before its completion, Mrs. Boldt suddenly died and all work on the house stopped abruptly and to this day, the house stands incomplete. In 1977, the Thousand Island Foundation purchased the property and has been undergoing a restoration project ever since. What you see in the pictures is all that they have accomplished to date, which so far has cost $20 million. Approximately 60% of the house still needs to be addressed. Across the river from the house, on Wellesley Island, is the Boldt yacht house. This structure was totally cool and housed the various boats that the Boldt family owned, one of which was a houseboat that was 108 feet long. This yacht house also includes a shop which was used to build many racing launches and the house held the quarters for the Boldt's captain and his crew. Quite impressive. Apparently the Boldt daughter, Clover, was quite the racing enthusiast, which for the time was unheard of. I would have liked her. This area of the country is so beautiful that Steve and I decided to take some of it in on a bike tour at the Robert Wehle State Park, which is 1,067 acres with 17,000 feet that runs along the cliff edges of Lake Ontario. It is interesting to note that previous to Mr. Wehle owning this property, it was used as a rifle range for the U.S. Army during World War II. The day that we took this bike trip was very windy, which made the water very active and the surf quite high. This activity provided us some awesome pictures of the waves breaking against the cliffs. It was such a spectacular sight that Steve and I took some time to just sit and appreciate the beauty of God's creation. Robert Wehle bought this property and used it as a place for him to breed and train English Pointers. If you are ever in the area, we highly recommend visiting this park and taking the Snakefoot trail along the lakefront. Our last adventure was a visit to Clayton, New York - - home of the Antique Boat Museum and the Antique Race Boat Regatta. The museum houses the giant houseboat of the Boldt's (mentioned above) as well as a good number of antique wooden racing boats, some of which were designed by the famous Gar Wood. Some of these boats were racing out in the bay the day we visited, which was fun to watch. Ken Warby, the man who set the speed record on water (317 mph), was there for the race as well. He set the record in 1978 and it stills stands today.The town of Clayton is the cultural center of the Thousand Island Region and is very quaint with beautiful Victorian and Craftsman homes and worth a visit if you are in the area. So that's the fun stuff. We also had some misadventure as well. The week started with us getting a flat tire on the BAT. Apparently we had run over a giant piece of angle iron that lodged itself in the interior tire of the right rear of our truck. This piece of iron was so large that Steve could not pull it out of the tire. We had to spend $250 for a new tire, but that's only the beginning. While checking the air pressure on the trailer tires before our move to Vermont, Steve discovered that one of the aluminum wheels had cracked all the way through. Thank God that he saw that before we took off because that wheel could have collapsed and fallen off its axle somewhere along our drive to Vermont. That, thankfully, is a warranty item so it will not be out-of-pocket expense because I am sure that won't be cheap to replace. We've certainly had a streak of misfortune lately (if you will recall we had a serious disagreement with a tree branch in Connecticut), but we are not discouraged. Ok, gotta run and pack the trailer for Vermont. We are staying in an RV park right on Lake Champlain, which promises a number of picture-worthy scenes. Until then, have a great week. |
Past Blogs
December 2013
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