Christmas Greetings

Another year is coming to an end.
‘Tis time to greet our friends both far and near.
An update of our family we will send
to let you know events throughout the year.
We’ve had the usual ebb and flow life brings.
Hellos, good-byes, things stay the same yet change.
Three baby boys were born and our house rings
with squeals and cries and laughter–the whole range.
We also said good-bye to Larry’s dad.
He died at eighty-nine this August past.
We miss his quiet presence, yet we’re glad
for loving memories. These we hold fast
and pause with gratitude for life lived well
in gracious deeds beyond what words can tell.

Now to the celebrations–just a few.
A milestone birthday, Larry hit six-oh.
And forty years of marriage, yes, it’s true
we hit that marker just two months ago.
In August we were California bound
for Larry’s annual meeting and C.E.
We met old friends, we laughed and toured around
to see the sites, including wine country.
September saw us traveling once again.
Prince Edward Island was our final stop.
What beauty! Such great seafood! Oh, and then
the bonus was an extra C.E. op.
What fun we’ve had! Again we stop and say
a word of thanks for times of work and play.

Our daughter Fran and husband Steve are near
with Lily, three, and Logan who’s brand new.
Steve’s great as a mechanic, that’s quite clear.
Fran’s now a partner with the ER crew.
We have to drive to Turbotville to see
son Reuben, Donna, Levi, Judah, Max.
They’re in their new addition, gratefully.
To Scott and Sarah, just a few brief facts.
With Jade and baby Colby, life is grand.
They moved to E-town, bought a house and yard.
This summer Nathan moved his little band
to South Carolina, it was truly hard
to see them go, though following their call.
The bottom line? We love and bless them all.


We’re glad the holidays will soon be here
because the children all will gather in.
They’ll fill our quiet house with noisy cheer,
happy to be together once again.
One thing is certain, winter did arrive
this week. The air was crisp with wind and snow.
But since we’ve lots of work and miles to drive
we layer the clothes and out the door we go
with gratitude for health and strength. Of life
itself we’re mindful. Yet we know for some
not all is well, the days hold pain and strife.
We join with those who long for peace to come
to hearts and homes, to people everywhere.
And peace to you, our friends, whose lives we share.

Merry Christmas!

Prince Edward Island - III

On the way to Charlottetown yesterday, we drove by the Confederation Bridge, which connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick. It is quite a marvel to see, but I was glad not to drive over it!


Charlottetown is a delightful place, small, picturesque. We walked through the streets, browsing in some of the shops, admiring the flowers. We went into St. Dunstan's Basilica, a large and beautiful Catholic church. Our friend and guide, a native of PEI, pointed out the Confederation Building and other historic sites.


There was a shellfish festival going on, and we considered going into the large tent set up near the harbor. We stopped by, but there was loud music playing, we weren't sure what foods were available for lunch, and there was an admission fee. By then it had begun to rain and the wind kicked up. We decided to have lunch instead at a little restaurant called Flex Mussels. After some more browsing we returned to Summerside.

A large group of us went out for dinner. The conference was formally over, but traditionally, this group enjoys a final evening together. We returned to the Shipwright where a few of us had eaten lunch on Friday.
There were kettles of mussels and raw oysters for appetizers, fresh oat bread and bottles of wine. The special was grilled salmon with herbs, a delicious vegetable medley and roasted potatoes. Larry had scallops. Others had halibut. There were jokes and laughter and reminiscing. It has become a tradition to finish off the evening with toasts and port. It was 11:00 before we left to return to Summerside.

This morning we checked out at 6:15 and returned to the airport at Charlottetown. We had kind of a crazy flight out of PEI. It's a small airport, so checking in and passing through security was no problem. In the gate area, we waited and waited, then the captain came into the waiting area and said that there wasn't enough fuel on the plane to get to Detroit, and more fuel couldn't be added until a mechanic got there at noon. (We were to leave at 8:30). The alternative was to make a stop in Bangor Maine for fuel. After a bit more waiting, he said that was the plan, but we had TOO MUCH fuel to land safely in Bangor, so we would be sitting at the end of the runway to burn off some excess fuel before take off. That took another 20 minutes so we were about an hour and twenty minutes late leaving, plus the extra time fueling in Bangor. We were thankful our schedule had included a three hour layover . . . with the time it took to get through immigration and customs and security, we had about ten minutes before we boarded! Did you ever hear of such a crazy thing? It's not like they've never done that flight before!! But the flights were smooth and uneventful, and we are grateful to be home.

Prince Edward Island - II

Saturday morning . . . hard to keep track of the days here. Today is the meat of the CE so the guys will be in sessions until 4:00. These guys put in some long days, no different from home, I guess. Breakfast is 6:45-7:30 and the sessions soon after.

Friday was absolutely gorgeous here, weatherwise.  It was sunny and warm, "severe clear" Larry would say. (I forgot to mention that Thursday was mostly sunny but very breezy, a continuation of the strong winds that nearly blew us away upon our arrival). I hung out in the room for a couple of hours, reading and writing email. There is a harbor front shopping area across the street, so several of us walked over and browsed.
 
I didn't buy anything but lunch . . . some of the shops have closed already and most will be closing for the season this weekend or next.

We drove several miles out into the countryside for lunch, a place called Shipwright. It is located in what must have been a farmhouse, surrounded by lovely lawn and flower gardens, and then meadows and pine tree woodlands. The chef is a young man, or seemed young to me, his wife an Anglican minister. There were four of us, one of my American friends and two Canadians, one from Calgary, the other from right here on PEI. She is the one who knows of all these charming places to visit and to eat.  
Since the associations have been having joint sessions for several years, we've all met before. This was the first time I'd spent extended time with them in a small group. Lunch was great, although we missed the Thai mussels by one order. However, the Canadians asked the server if there were any leftovers or if one accidently fell off a plate, could they have it? And the chef actually prepared about half an order from what was left over, so the mussel lovers were delighted! The chef bakes the most mouthwatering breads, yesterday it was oat bread. I had half a turkey sandwich on oat, with a cup of corn chowder. The soup de yesterday was a tomato pesto of some sort which two of the women had, and the other had their seafood chowder. We sat around the table until 3:00, a most meaningful time talking about our different but similar experiences as spouses of professionals, what it has meant in terms of careers and family, ways we have learned to take care of ourselves. Some of the most memorable times for me are these, purely spontaneous, you can't plan for them, they just happen.

We then drove through the countryside for awhile, stopping at a couple small pottery shops and a tea and preserves boutique. I forgot to mention in yesterday's account that we had stopped at a local ice cream parlor (actually there are about six of them across the island), called Cows. They have delicious flavors of hand dipped ice cream . . . but also gift shops with clothing and novelties. Some of the "cows" designs are quite creative . . . but I left them there.

We got back to the inn at about 5:15, just in time to freshen up and walk a short distance up the harbor to the Silver Fox Yacht and Curling Club, where the lobster feast was prepared for us. What a great time we had. The lobster was delectable. Our PEI friends were sitting across the table and gave two of us amateurs a step by step lesson in how to best crack open and eat them.
There was a bright red strip down through the tail of mine, which our local expert said was like roe. I gave it to Larry. The beer was plentiful, the food pleasurable, the company laughter filled. The Canadians know how to enjoy themselves!
After dinner, there was a band which played a wide variety of music, from the toe tapping Celtic and local ballads, to Elvis, John Denver, and the Tennessee Waltz. A couple of the tables were pushed back and the dancing started.  

Our PEI friend loves to dance and she and her husband did a great job pulling some of us more reluctant ones onto the floor at various times . . . I believe they succeeded in getting everyone in our party out at least once. Haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

We walked back to the inn at about 11:00. There was a hospitality suite in the Parlor Room, so we stopped in there for another half hour before calling it a night.

An observation regarding our accommodations: Recycling seems to be well established here. The soda machines dispense soda in glass bottles. All the rooms have three baskets, one labelled recycling, one labelled compost and one labelled trash . . . and each has it's list of the contents to be included. The rooms also invite guests to reuse linens.

Prince Edward Island

We flew to Charlottetown on Wednesday via NorthWest Airlink (50 passenger planes) Harrisburg to Detroit to Charlottetown. We will return on Sunday by the same route. We feel quite fortunate to be 20 minutes from the Harrisburg airport and to be able to connect to wherever we've wanted to fly. It costs a bit more, usually, but the convenience, especially with the new security measures, is hard to beat. ("Why would you go anywhere else?" asks Larry.) We walked into the airport around 11:00 a.m. There was no one ahead of us at the NW counter. We checked in within 5 minutes and headed to security where there were about 5 people ahead of us. We were at our gate within 15-20 minutes of walking through the doors. The flights were uneventful. We did have a three hour layover in Detroit. We used the time to walk over to the main concourse and exchange some currency, then went to the Irish Pub for a beer and a sandwich. (It was 3:00 but we'd not had much to eat yet and we knew we'd be in the air over dinner time.) The weather at Charlottetown Wednesday evening was 65 degrees, partly cloudy, but with quite gusty winds, so the planed bounced around a little during landing, but nothing real serious. Charlottetown airport is also quite small. The customs people were friendly, even a jolly lot. They asked the requisite questions, but were friendly and casual.

We had arranged for a taxi to transport us to the convention sight at Summerside, a 45 minute drive to the west. It was 9:00 p.m. here (an hour later than EST) and dark, so we weren't able to see the countryside. Our cab driver was a local and chatted away most of the trip. He seemed like a stereotypical maritime guy, weathered, curly gray hair with a cap perched on his head. He said he grew up on a farm with reigistered Holsteins. Potatoes are a big crop here and he told us that we will see brown fields. In preparing for harvest the potato fields are burned so the potatoes mature properly. This, I understand, is because of the short growing season which doesn't allow the potatoes to die down on their own, as they do in Pennsylvania.

We checked into our hotel, The Loyalist. Described as a country inn, it really does have that flavor, comfortable, friendly folks, lots
of flowers. Yesterday (Thursday) we joined a few friends from USA also here and did a bit of touring. This area is beautiful. There is a tranquility about the area that is palpable. There are green fields, we saw lots of potatoes, some soy beans, and lots of pastureland. Lots of pine trees along the roadsides. There are numerous dairies, and in fact, we drove by two farms known in the Holstein world for their good genetics. The fields often extended to the coast, so the cattle, green fields, blue water in the background is breathtaking. Over the last number of years, Canadian embryo association (CETA) and the American counterpart (AETA) have met together and since Larry was on the AETA board for about 5 years, he has learned to know several of the CETA guys quite well. The current CETA president is a friend and lives here on PEI, so we have been given some tips for places to eat.  
Yesterday we headed to the northern coast to a place called The Dunes. It is a gallery, pottery studio, gift shop and restaurant. We ate lunch there and the food was so good and so beautifully displayed that I took pictures of our plates!  
I had the soup of the day, sweet potato soup. Larry had mussels to die for.  
I also ended up buying some lovely sterling silver earrings and some pottery. We were able to have it shipped. Here's an interesting tidbit--local taxes there are 16+%. We could have it shipped for 20% and no taxes . . . so that seemed like a pretty good option. 


We drove back along the northern coast, where, by the way, there is a lot of erosion going on . . . has been for years. Our friends own some property along there and are losing ground annually. The soil here is red, and in fact, one of the local souvenirs are "dirt shirts", white t-shirts that have been stained a rusty red using PEI soil. We stopped briefly at Cavendish, Green Gables fame, but didn't have time to tour the site. We bought a set of the books.

Last night there was a President's Reception at a seaside restaurant. Our gang wasn't impressed with the fare and wanted some "real" food, so, again at the suggestion of our hosts, we headed a few miles west to Kensington, to the Home Place for another wonderful meal. The raw oysters were magnificent, I was told. I had a delicious seafood chowder. Driving along the water, we saw a lot of lines of bouys where something is being farmed or harvested, most likely oysters, we were told.

We all had tickets for a local theater production called "French Toast". It was comedy, music and dance of the Acadian heritage. I knew nothing of this history, but it is fascinating. Canada has it's own stories of deportation and struggle.

Vernon Kennel: 1918 - 2007

"The boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places; surely we have a delightful inheritance. We will praise the Lord . . . " (Psalm 16:6-7, adapted)

Today, O God, as we reflect on the life of Vernon Kennel, our husband, father and grandfather, we give thanks for a lifetime of memories.

-He was a faithful husband.


-He loved his family--children and grandchildren--and enjoyed spending time with them. We remember skinning squirrels, fishing and learning to clean the fish we caught, wrestling on the floor, getting "ear meat," the jeep rides with Uncle Earl.

-He was a participator in games of all kinds. We remember him playing volleyball, softball, hockey ("grandpa on the ice") and golf, as well as hunting and fishing.

-He enjoyed singing. We remember his voice as we sang together at home and at church.

-He loved God, the church and God's word. We remember his faithfulness in church attendance and his support of the church's programs. We remember hearing him quote scripture he had memorized.


-He had a gentle and quiet spirit. He was steady and consistent. We remember his unconditional love and acceptance, that he was easy to be with and we were comfortable in his presence.

-He was generous, sharing his time and his money when needed. We remember his help in our home improvement projects.

-He was well-respected. He lived his faith.

Thank you, God, for his presence in our lives, for his love and his example. May our lives reflect the good things we have learned. May the heritage of love for God and for one another continue from generation to generation. Amen.

Derailed

Okay, so my long and flowery recitation of events in California got derailed by other things. And my picture journal ended abruptly when my digital camera jumped off my lap into the dirt, causing the lens to freeze. Sigh.

Suffice it to say, the remaining days were filled with fun things . . .


We rode along 17 Mile Drive which wanders through Del Monte Forest and along Pebble Beach. We stopped at various lookout points along the coast. The water, waves, sand and rocks provided beautiful scenes. We saw little hermit crabs along the shoreline, birds and seals, giant kelp and the Lone Cypress. We wound our way through Del Monte Forest. Seeing how very dry the forest was gave us an appreciation for the danger of forest and wild fires. There were also many homes, from the simple ranch style to breathtaking mansions. We saw several new homes under construction.
At Pebble Beach we browsed through the shops, then sat on the patio of the Lodge and had a drink overlooking the golf course, playground of the rich and famous.

Back at the Hyatt, we showered and prepared for an evening of dining and entertainment on the beach. Three or four buses carried the group to the party location. A cash bar provided drinks throughout the evening. There were three fire rings surrounded by beach chairs and numerous tables available.
Dinner was served buffet style. We were offered barbecued chicken, roast beef, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, tossed salad. Dessert was peach cobbler and fixin's for s'mores. There was an oldies band who weren't too bad when they were actually singing, but they also tried to be humorous, with less success. At one point the leader of the band made his way through the crowd tapping people for a hula-hoop contest. Again, high on hype, short on entertainment. I did make an effort, but wasn't too successful at anything but being a good sport. Later in the evening there was a limbo stick, but most of the participants were kids.


On Thursday afternoon there was a tour of three local wineries. At the first two we simply heard a bit of the history and hype of their wines.
At Chateau Julien, however, we received an informative tour of the process of wine-making. And it was a lovely property as well. The Chateau Julian Cabernet savignon is worth a try.



Thursday evening was the annual banquet. Larry was surprised by being awarded the President's Award for his work as president in the year following reorganization and the reorienting of a new management company.

Friday several of us went to Carmel-by-the-Sea. We browsed through innumerable shops and boutiques, enjoying lunch at the popular Hog's Breath restaurant.

On Saturday we returned to Cannery Row. I enjoyed walking out on the pier which was occupied by a working fishing business with its stained and weather boats, smells of fish, local folks cleaning and selling the day's catch. Many seals were inhabiting the water under the pier and we heard their raucous barking. We had lunch in a small restaurant located out on the pier, but down the steps and looking out at water level. In the evening, a large group of us returned to that area for dinner and our final evening together.

Sunday everyone was up early and headed for the airport and home. In spite of hearing various horror stories of air travel experience this summer, we were grateful to return home, on schedule, with no problems.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Wednesday, I was awake by 6:30, so showered and went along with Larry to the exhibit hall for the complementary continental style breakfast . . . fresh fruit and various breads and pastries, coffee and juice. The exhibit hall is one of the ball rooms and there are at least two aisles lined with booths. Several are familiar suppliers of ET products. This years meeting was held with the Society for Theriogenology so there were other exhibitors as well.

Midmorning the four of us who mostly hang together headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Actually Larry and another veterinarian joined us, also. (The annual AETA golf tournament was planned for the same time, but Larry seldom joins that event. This year the tournament was held at Del Monte Golf Course, which borders the hotel grounds.)

The aquarium is in the area of Cannery Row, just a few miles from our hotel. We arrived at 10:30, just when the Sea Otters were to be fed, so we made our way to that area. Of course there was a big crowd already assembled, so we didn't get very close while the actual narrated event was happening. Still we watched the otters for a few minutes as they played in the water on the other side of the glass. The otter exhibit is new and features freshwater otters from Africa and Asia along with other aquatic creatures which share their habitat.


Leaving the otters, we decided to split, the men went one way and we went another. We saw lots of colorful creatures. The exhibits were arranged by location in relation to the ocean. "Ocean's Edge" shows the creatures of the coastal habitats. There is a tide pool, a three-story kelp forest, a walk-through wave crash tunnel, and an old wharf on the other side of the glass with crustaceans and starfish, and the beautiful creatures that cling to the surfaces of wood and stone. There are penguins and touch pools with sea stars, decorator crabs and bat rays . . . sea cucumbers, anemones and kelp. We saw shimmering schools of sardines. It was fascinating to watch them swim, weaving this way and that in perfect synchrony, looking almost as a single entity.





The "Outer Bay" area includes a million gallon tank of large deep sea critters . . . sea turtles, tuna, shark and barracuda. There was a large display of exquisite jellies, drifting and pulsing through the water.


There was also an exhibit area devoted to the history of cannery row, "Hovden Cannery". There was actual equipment on display, and large panels with black and white photos showing the workers, telling the stories of the long hours and tough conditions under which these folks worked in the development of mass production of canned sardines.

I was most impressed with the care given to educational features. There were many volunteers, especially at the touch pools, not only to protect, but also able to tell about all the creatures. Nearly every window of every display had a recorded feature. There were a lot of hands on opportunities. The brochure lists their mission: to inspire conservation of the oceans. They've done a great job. There was a small display where folks were given opportunity to write to the governor on issues of conservation, there was a "cafe" in which the chef gave information about endangered food fish . . . along with a little trifold card that listed menu items to enjoy and those to avoid, in the interests of conservation.

Oh, and of course there were the requisite gift shops, which we actually avoided altogether. At about 1:00, we left the aquarium with lunch as our goal. Larry and Dr. Carmichael had caught a cab and headed back to the hotel for the afternoon events scheduled there.

Hyatt - first impressions

The Hyatt Regency at Monterey is a complex of several buildings that run along side the Del Monte Golf Course. There is a conference center, a Grand Ballroom, large reception area bordered by a bar and restaurant which includes patio seating overlooking one of the greens and fairways of the golf course. There is also a sports bar, "Knuckles." The landscaping and exterior approach are beautifully maintained. The hotel buildings are three stories. Our building is at one end of the complex, so we've done some walking . . . a good thing.

We have not, however, been impressed with the facilities. The rooms are nice, nothing extraordinary. The Hyatt is obviously old, and the carpets and furnishings are a bit worn. The elevator for our building is out of order, so we had to tote our oversized luggage up three flights of stairs to our room, and of course, continue to do a good bit of stair stepping. The stairways aren't impressive either, they look like the stairs in a parking garage. Nothing here is complimentary. Nothing. In addition to our pricey room fee, there is a daily service fee for bottled water and the use of guest services. Wireless internet is available for $9.99 a day.

Now to the food. Upon arrival we were hungry. While walking by the restaurant, we greeted one of the drug company reps . . . Larry knows a great number of these folks, as they see one another year after year. She was eating a Cobb salad which looked pretty good, so we sat down with her and ordered the same. I think it was priced around $12.95. Beverages are a bit pricey, $3.50 for a soda.

More and more of Larry's peers were arriving, so it became reunion time. Lots of laughter, hugs . . . like a big family. This spring I made a digital photo album of Larry's AETA 2004 China trip. We bought copies for the other two vets who were on the trip with him and Larry had great fun presenting them with these books. There are about 300 people here for this event, Larry knows many of them, but there are about eight or ten that we hang with, and we ended up in the sports bar for a dinner that lasted into the evening. I haven't laughed so hard for ages. What a fun loving group, with a history of crazy stories. Actually, this is the group who were on the Board together when the management embezzlement crisis occurred. Lots to laugh about now. It wasn't funny then--and it cost them, too, not only emotionally, but all of them put in some major bucks to keep things going. Enough of that.

We didn't go back to our room until about 11:00 p.m.-- 2:00 a.m. EDT -- a long day.

California, here we come

Tuesday was travel day. We got up at 4:30 a.m. for our 6:30 flight out of Harrisburg. We were a bit late leaving, so rather than park in the remote parking, we chose the short term lot, and presumed upon our daughters to retrieve the car later in the day.

We found at check-in that Larry's large suitcase exceeded the weight limit by 8 lbs. leading to a $50 surcharge. So much for packing together to save space. There was a modest line waiting at the security check, but it quickly filled up behind us. There were no surprises there, however, just the routine 3-1-1 reminders (all liquids in the carry on must be 3 oz or less, fit in one 1-qt size Ziploc bag), computer out, shoes off, and all that.

We boarded and left Harrisburg in a timely manner with a short flight to Dulles. We took a shuttle to our departing gate and again, boarded and left Dulles on time with no problems. We did get a phone call from our daughter, Fran, who said that as she drove in the lane to sleep at our place after working overnight, she met heifers coming out. It never fails, it seems. Larry goes away and something happens with the animals. We called the farmer who rents the pasture, and he was soon on his way to get them back in the pasture.

The flight to San Francisco was scheduled to be just over 5 hours. The plane was full. We were served a beverage and tiny little package of two biscuits. Breakfast trays, snack paks and alcohol were available for $5 each. Gone are the days when the airlines provided food to economy class!

There were two movies during the flight, Spiderman III and Shrek something or other. I didn't listen to either, couldn't help but see some of it.

When we got off the plane in San Francisco we learned that the temperature was in the 60's, quite a difference from the mid-90's in PA. I noted with interest that there was a Rosetta Stone kiosk in our concourse. Rosetta also had the back cover ad on the flight magazine from SF to Monterey.

The flight from SF to Monterey was delayed by about an hour. Evidently the morning fog had delayed flights for the rest of the day. The flight was fine, very short. Our checked luggage arrived on the conveyor in good shape. We caught a cab to the Hyatt Regency and checked in. It was about 1 p.m. local time -- 4 p.m. at home and we'd eaten nothing but a couple biscuits and a handful of almonds. Time to find something to eat!

Moving Day II

Our daughter Sarah, her husband Scott and the two little ones moved this weekend, from a townhouse in Mount Joy to a single family home in a development near Etown.

They were still doing some painting Friday night and called for help. We headed over, stopping to pick up some food for dinner on the way. Larry was putting vents and outlet covers back on for awhile, then started painting. I was mostly tending the children. At 8:30, I brought Jade (23 mo. old) back to our house and put her to bed here, since I was keeping her Saturday, moving day, anyway. Larry didn't come home until about 11:00. This is why we were painting:


The carpeting had been replaced in the bedrooms as well. The plan was wait awhile to install new carpet downstairs. However, when they steamed those carpets, they learned something about cats and cat pee . . . it soaks through the carpet into the padding and never goes away . . . it just waits to be released by the next steam treatment. Whew, the whole place stunk. So, their friend, the carpet installer did a rush job, replacing the carpet first thing on Saturday.

Moving day, Saturday, dawned hot and miserable. Too bad everyone was too busy to enjoy the water features. Maybe another day.

The Big Move

This past weekend, we helped son Nathan and his family move from Lancaster, PA to Fort Mill SC. They are moving as a part of a team training for missions. They packed the Budget moving van on Thursday, then came to our place to spend the night. Larry and I had worked a full busy day, and we arrived home to find our daughter Fran was there starting supper. She and and our other daughter Sarah had planned this meal so we had one last family evening together.

Friday morning, not quite as bright and early as we might have hoped, we headed for South Carolina. The trip went well. Larry drove the truck, pulling our car on a trailer. Nathan started out with him, and I drove their car, allowing Nathan's wife Terah to interact with the children. At New Market, VA, we stopped to refuel the truck and ourselves. At that point, Nathan and I switched places for the remainder of the trip. There was one traffic jam on Rt 77 north of Charlotte NC that slowed us to a crawl for a few miles, but other than that, we did well.


When we arrived at our destination, a cabin on the old Heritage USA property, Fort Mill, SC, their team and other friends from the community were there to greet us....the other two couples who are part of their team also live in cabins, all three just a few yards apart. The truck was unloaded promptly, the bedrooms were set up, and and we ate a delicious meal prepared prepared for us.


Being on the old PTL grounds which we heard so much about in years past was an interesting experience for me. Here is some of what we learned and experienced . . . this property was purchased by MorningStar Ministries about three years ago . Some of you are familiar with Rick Joyner and his ministry in the area of praise and worship. Anyway, they are in the process of restoring some of the main buildings, beginning with the Grand Hotel and the Conference center, for use as Christian retreats and conferences. If you go to the website and follow the H.I.M link, you can see some interesting pictures of the renovation process. They have the hotel and conference center up and running.


Rooms in the Grand Hotel are available just like a motel and that is where we stayed. They are very nice, much like a Comfort Inn, or Holiday Inn Express, except that it is meant now to be a retreat center, so there are barebones amenities, no TV, phones, or hairdryers in the rooms. (And no coffee either!!) Anyway, we stayed there, just across a lawn and parking area from Nathan and Terah's cabin. The huge atrium is currently used as the place of worship for MorningStar Fellowship, though they are "off" for the month of July, so it was quiet around there.


We walked around the old Heritage theme park property, sad and amazed at the decay of what must have been quite a place. The "tower", 20 or so stories, is deteriorating, the brick falling off, windows broken. We walked around the lake (with grandchildren Bella and Noah, giving Terah a chance to set up her kitchen). Buildings crumbling, grown over. Is desolation too strong a word? That's what it felt like out on the back side of the property where the water park used to be.

In addition to renovating for their own ministries MorningStar also rents space to other ministries. That is why Nathan, Terah, and the other two couples on their ministry team/community are renting cabins on this property. Their training, with World Outreach Center, will also take place here on the property.



Anyway, an interesting experience, being here, thinking about all the people who lost money, the poor widows who sent their mites, who believed in the PTL ministry. Larry commented, not only is it sad that Bakkers lived lavishly and exploited people, but we also observe how the place was poorly built and has not held up over these years. And as I was sitting in the mezzanine of the Grand Hotel, where there was wireless internet, I read online that Tammy Faye died on Friday. Another moment for contemplation of all that had happened on that site.

On another note, while planning this trip we realized that Fort Mill is only 25 miles from the JAARS center at Waxhaw, NC. When we visited Yarinacocha, Peru, back in 1978, we learned to know several dedicated people who spent their lives serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We have kept in touch with a few of them, most now retired. One of them, a pilot named Doug Deming, lives at Waxhaw. We called

him, met with him and took him out to dinner Saturday night. He is a very interesting man who has had a life full of jungle experience. His wife Sue is in the final stages of altzheimers. He said tonight hospice has begun providing assistance. He also mentioned that he is putting together a power point presentation of her life . . . he speaks of her with such love and tenderness.

Sunday morning, after breakfast together, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Pennsylvania.

July 12-15

We left Thursday, July 12, to spend the weekend with my husband Larry's extended family. The tradition of spending a weekend at a hunting camp in Slate Run, PA began in 1968, the summer after we were married, when Larry's grandmother and all her children were still living. The group will be celebrating 40 years next summer, and we haven't missed a single weekend. Our children grew up with this tradition, and now they all come, bringing their children, four generations spending the weekend together.

Larry's parents are the only ones of their generation who were present. An uncle and his wife are still living but reside at Garden Spot Village and are unable to participate. This year was the biggest group ever, with seventy people present. Larry's entire family was present, coming from as far as Kona, Hawaii and San Francisco, CA.

Larry's folks packed their car and drove to our place . . . then Dad rode with Larry, and I drove their car with Mother. We had a pleasant trip. I enjoy driving, and it gave us a chance to visit.

The weather was very pleasant, cooler than normal. We had a couple of showers on Saturday, but they didn't last long. Pine Creek was very low this year, and for the first time in a long while, there was little swimming and no one went tubing. The creek was so shallow that the little ones could play freely along the edge.


The cabin is in a prime location. Pine Creek is on one side of the property, relatively new "rails to trails" bike path is on the other side, and the store is a stone's throw down the trail. Most of the families bring bicycles and spend a little time on the trail.

Larry took his bucket along when we went out, and found some ripe raspberries.

When he got back he shared them with the grandchildren who quickly gathered round and chowed down.

There is always multi-generational volleyball, and usually a whiffle ball game with the younger ones. We used to play a rowdy game of softball, but as the group has grown in size, there are more and more tents and campers and there is hardly room to play. Also, there were nasty injuries a couple of times, and so softball was retired to the past. The one that clinched it was about 10 years ago when a cousin got hit in the head with a lightning throw to first. He was knocked out with a serious injury and spent the rest of the weekend in the hospital at Jersey Shore. It put a damper on the weekend for sure.




There is a campfire that burns the whole weekend. We use it for cooking food.(Larry brings a grill hanging from a tripod) and families roast hotdogs and make mountain pies (or hodgie podgies as we like to call them). We had steak and corn
on the cob one dinner.

In the evenings, the whole group gathers around the fire, often staying up until midnight. I don't stay up any more. I enjoy some quiet and don't need the interaction. Besides, I have too much to do when I get home not to get some sleep.

On Sunday we have a worship time around the fire. There is some singing, some "special" music, a scripture, sharing and prayer. Then everyone packs up and heads out pretty quickly. And so it goes, year after year, with slight variations.