Tired and Happy

A brief note to say we arrived at Appalachian Bible College Friday after a very busy day getting the final jobs done on the RV, the house and yard.  I (Jane) slept in unto almost 10am on Saturday and was still very tired. 
Went to a wonderful small country church on Sunday and heard the most refreshing message.  Sang a few neat Hymns and enjoyed communion. 
Today was the first day of work.  I didn't sleep much last night worried about getting up so early at 6:15am.  Of course, I can hear some of you laughing...but that is WAY TO EARLY for me.  Am once again enjoying the fellowship of some wonderful women.  I'm tired now and still must go out and find a new heater.  One of our little portable heaters died last night and West Virginia is COLD!!!! Waking up in the 40's and the high today is 51....

New RV and back on the Road

We purchased a "new to us" RV early this month.  We have gone from a 30' with one slide to a 40' with 3 slides.  We plan on working at SOWER's projects about 6 months each year.  We've been very busy getting the RV ready for long term living.  This past weekend we took it to Richmond to spend a couple of days with our son Aaron, beautiful wife Susan and fantastic grandsons Christian and Luke.  We spent most of Saturday enjoying little league games, first Luke and later Christian.  Both the boys were great players.  Lots of fun!

On Friday we'll be leaving for Appalachian Bible College, just 136 miles from us.  We will be there for the month of October.  Looking forward to life back on the road.



Gramma and Grampa
Christian and Luke



Susan, Luke (what a great smile Luke) Christian and Aaron

Alena #1 Grand daughter

Remembering Uncle Jim

My Uncle Jim died Friday. I just found out. It brings a sorrow to my heart. I haven't seen my Uncle for several years. When my Aunt Nancy was ill with ALS he wouldn't let me come to see her. He wanted me to remember her as she was before she got sick. I wanted to see her, I wanted to be with her. I remembered her kindness to me as a child, touching me with loving touches. The only touches I remember receiving as a child. I remembered visiting her apartment in the Bronx just after she married my Uncle and the fish aquarium in the apartment. I remembered the time she brought home Maryann and proudly wheeling her about in the carriage. She wanted children and they wouldn't come, then Maryann, beautiful little Maryann came home, then Brian. I really don't recall Brian very much. Years after Maryann, Aunt Nancy was finally pregnant and the sweet, precious Kelly arrived.

Uncle Jim was the story teller. Boy, he could spin a yarn that would scare you silly. He was involved with the boy scouts for years and years. He loved the boy scouts. He loved to tell them the scary stories at night, in the dark, sitting around the campfire. He would tell the stories to me and my four brothers...."the hand"...oh would we jump, scared to pieces every time.I remember pitching pennies in the corner of my Aunt Vieno's apartment on Perry Ave in the Bronx.

She was really my gramma. My mother's mom died before I was born and grampa remarried a beautiful young teacher from Minnesota. She became Aunt Vieno. A more gracious and lovely lady I do not think every lived. Growing up we went to her apartment about once a month for Sunday dinner. It was so special. The table set with her finest China. Uncle Jim told us stories and pitched pennies. Aunt Vieno made peanut butter and bacon appetizers for us and set a special table for the children.

I spent many weeks with Aunt Vieno and Grampa when my folks would go off skiing in Canada. I loved being with my gramma, except for going down into the basement of the apartment building. That is where the laundry was done. It wasn't very nice and to a young girl frightening. I would never go down there alone. During those visits after Uncle Jim married I would walk down the street to visit with my beautiful Aunt Nancy.

I loved my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Jim. He was my mother's brother. He was Irish and Aunt Nancy came from a big loving Irish family. She was beautiful, very beautiful.

Uncle Jim got remarried after Aunt Nancy died. I never did meet his wife. Her name was Jane. I wanted to see Uncle Jim, but things changed when he remarried and I was not able to contact him. I missed him, I missed Aunt Nancy.

Now they are all gone. As the cousins got older we lost contact. Now I feel as if my family is gone. It makes me very sad.

Comfort, Texas

Aquarena, man eating catus!

Comfort, Texas a typical backyard in town

Aquarena, San Marcos the old street lights

San Marcos River walk

Jane and her Indian friend, San Marcos

Main Street, Comfort, Texas

Greetings from Comfort, Texas, His Hill Bible Center. Located in the lovely rolling hill country, where there is a view from every bump in the landscape. Speaking of bumps and lumps, this ministry is not good for the figure. One lovely lady's ministry to the SOWERS is to bake something luscious every work day for coffee break. And coffee break is two hours after we start working and and two hours prior to lunch. She has opened her home to serve the SOWERS. Hard to resist, but resist I must because my wardrobe is complaining mightily. Even though Dale and I go for a long walk each day, it is not enough to equate calories in, calories out.  I decided not to eat any breakfast so I could enjoy the yummy freshed baked treats. 

The little town of Comfort was founded mid 1800's by "Free Thinkers". German folks who base their lives on their minds, minus God. Many of the descendants of the Free Thinkers are still living here, so I am told since everyone knows everyone gossip is a bad idea.

Yesterday we visited one of my favorite places, Aquarena in San Marcos. It is 70 miles from here, that in Texas is around the corner. We have visited every time we are in the vicinity. Aquarena used to be an amusement park featuring mermaids, swimming pigs, glass bottom boats, a hotel, an arial ride across the natural springs and restaurant. It closed years ago and has been purchased by Texas State University. They are developing the area as a persevered natural habitat. The springs are the beginning of the San Marcos River that leads to the Gulf. The original structures have been left standing, taking one back in time to around 1950, a wonderful time capsule.

It is very dark at night, with no city lights to interfere with the stars. The Texas sky is huge, one can see from horizon to horizon a zillion stars. Amazing!

Still in Spicewood, Texas

Today we should be in Comfort, Texas at our second project, but we are still at Highland Lakes in Spicewood.  Dale has been ill with pneumonia and is recovering.  He is not strong enough to work and the wonderful folks here at this camp would like us to stay as long as we need too.  They are so very gracious and loving.

I'm getting a little stir crazy.  The project is finished, the next group of SOWER's has arrived and I don't have work to do.  Hopefully we will be leaving here within the week and move on down to Comfort, TX.  When I arrived here for my first project, I was a little apprehensive.  I thought that all the ladies would be so very spiritual and better than me.  I found out we are all the same, children of the Lord in various stages of growth.  There are ladies from good, loving and Godly homes, from abusive homes and everything inbetween.  Some ladies have ministered to me and I have been able to befriend and minister to a very hurting lady.  It has been a blessing and another of those wonderful learning opportunities.  God is so good!

First SOWERS project finished

It snows in central Texas..biggest snow in 6 years

Here is Dale teaching our Group Leader Ray how to tape the walls of the new Medical building the fellows built. 

Dale on the roof of the garage being built by the SOWERS

We have finished our first SOWERS project!  It has been a great experience always learning wonderful lessons from the Lord.  Now it will be March on Monday and we are ready for spring!  You can see the HUGE snowfall we had this week.  Of course, it was gone quickly but the folks around here and in the Austin area were so excited about the snow.  One fellow was shown skiing on the Capital building lawn on about one inch of snow and lots of green showing.  Very big deal.

Dale is ill and has been for several days with a very bad cold.  He has spent yesterday in bed and also today.  I hope he gets better soon, but he tends to stay quite ill.  I was very mildly outs of sorts for a couple of days, but I tend not to get sick.  I really think he should eat more chocolate. 

Highland Lakes is rather remote.  Thursday we went out for some cold medicine and had to drive almost 20 miles round trip to the closest store.  We haven't gotten out very much.  Today we were going out to an RV show in Austin but will not be doing that, maybe tomorrow but unless Dale is blessed with a miracle probably not. 

Hello to Christian, Luke, Daniel, Josh and Alena....Gramma and grampa miss you very much!  Have you been sledding?  I look at the news and see that you have had great amounts of snow...I think some mom's are looking forward to Spring!

Oh Boy the Sun doth Shine or Oh Boy the SON doth SHINE!!!!

Josh what are you looking for ?

Ok it's a bit chilly

What a smile Daniel!

She's our girl Alena

Before we left for Texas the 3 little munchkins stayed

with Gramma and Grampa

Luke with a friend

And here we have Christian and puppy

We have just started our second week at Highland Lakes, Texas.  The first week was adjusting to this new life style. I have gone from being "home alone" to living with the SOWERS family.  I'm learning lots of good stuff, for one I can be with people and even enjoy it....and I can get up at 6:45am and survive.  We have devotions each work morning and that is a lovely way to start the day.  I was worried about this aspect and find once again it was a great waste of worry. 

Saturday Dale and I drove into Austin and had a fun afternoon with our nephew Dean and Bonnie.  It was Tye's first birthday (our great niece).  A little cutie.  Dean is Dale's brother's son.  We were able to visit them last year when we were in Texas and were glad to be able to renew our friendship. 

Sunday afternoon was beautiful, sunny and warm.  Dale and I have been eating way too much of the great food served to us here at camp and wanted to walk some of it off.  The Camp is surrounded by Lake Travis (part of the Colorado River) and a County Park.  We picked a trail and walked and walked and walked and walked.  The trails were very poorly marked so we traveled in what seemed to be the right direction.  Of course, neither D nor I have a good sense of direction and we finally found the road several miles from our expected destination which added about 3 more miles to our walk.  About a mile from the camp a cold, windy front came through and eventually we were REALLY glad to get home.  Our SOWER neighbors had put our awning up so no damage was done.  We were SO glad to put our feet up.

My work has been putting craft projects together, very enjoyable for me.  Dale has been working on building a garage. 

And the sun is still shining....

Life in Progress

Dale and I arrived at Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center in Spicewood, Texas last Friday.  Okay, so it only rained a little....and Saturday a little more and my word the SUN came out and the sky was blue for one entire day before the flood gates opened again and again...something like the snow you are getting we are getting with cold, windy rain.  It's been a blast, sometimes I can even hear Dale when his lips are moving and he is looking in my direction.  Get out that metal barrel in your garage, snuggle up in there and roll out to the yard and wait for a good pelting thunder, rain storm.  Wow...you will have a great time.

Life is full of new interesting experiences.  They (the more experienced SOWERS) say this is the Hilton of SOWER projects.  It just might be.  We are fed three meals a day on weekends.  That weekend might start on Thursday and end Sunday noon.  The food is fantastic.  Yes, I mean it is REALLY good.  We are also given a coffee break after working an excruciating long hour, sometimes even an hour and fifteen minutes. It's just awful! Here I am cutting out butterflies from foam with another SOWER lady and we have to stop talking and take a break, go have drinks and snacks provided by the camp for a half an hour. Then we go back to work for another 1 1/2 hours and go have a yummy hot lunch again provided by the camp then go home and wash last nights dishes. I leave them for something to do. Dale works until 3:30. It's a very hard life. But, I think I should be the one to sacrifice and not have others having to endure this because I refuse too.

Not only the sacrifice of all this hard work, but today after lunch we were requested to pick out several tee shirts for ourselves. I mean all we do is sacrifice. But, I am learning patience.....

Today the sun is shining, although it is very cold, mid 40's. 

Well, We Certainly Missed the Texas Drought!

The drought apparently did not stop the guy who drank these bottles dry

They say we missed the drought!  "They" are certainly correct.  We are very sorry about that.  We also missed the normal temperature high, but I think we are smack into the normal lows, very lows!  Very FUNNY!....But, I am my normal cheery self.....yes, that's right, laugh if you must....but surprising, even to myself, I am cheerful and enjoying the trip anyway.  See, God works in the "elderly" as my grandchildren (even my children) would say.  They don't realize age happens too quickly and "old" age not until you are about 90 or so....I am just a tad over middle age, like most of the rest of you.
Haven't seen alot of Texas yet, since we have been either driving or waiting for the rain to stop.  We were able to get a shortish 4 mile hike in the other day, but that is about it.  I love to walk and enjoy hiking.  Was looking forward to that, but eating is good too.....that is an indoor exercise.
Gave Daisy a bath in the shower this am.  She loved it, didn't even bite me....well maybe she didn't love it, but tolerated it pretty well.  Traveling with Miss Stinky Face in confined spaces can move even Miss Cheery Self to stop eating and bath the dog.

Silsbee, TX

Lunch in Mississippi at our site over looking the lake



Now that's a bridge up up up!!!!

Jane says, "IS IT EVER GOING TO STOP RAINING....

Arrived yesterday, Silsbee, Texas. Stayed only one night in Louisiana due to the RV campground was pretty much a shallow lake. They had 5 inches of rain in just a couple of days. The area is called a bayou, maybe because it looks like a forest under water...interstate 10 went for miles and miles and miles on piers over the bayou (swamp) It rained and rained as we traveled. This am as I awoke in Texas (about 25 miles north of Beaufort) with overcast skies I was feeling a bit cooped up, but wonderful day the sun has come out and it is in the 50's.
We visited a local church and enjoyed a bit of Jesus refreshment.....
We will stay here a few days, hike, do some bird watching and visit the area.

Desoto Park, Childersburg, Alabama

Beautiful, cool, clear morning. We will be leaving here shortly for Mississippi. Dale is out treasure hunting with his new metal detector. I think we will soon be rich. He already found over $3.00 yesterday.
Desoto Caverns Park is a nice campground with a sort of "roadside" flavor. It has a large cavern found somewhere in the 1400's by military, Spanish I think. Prior to that it was used by Indians for a very long time. Now, you can pay $17.95 to see it. A little rich for our entertainments. We go for free or almost free. But, nevertheless, a nice place with pleasant surroundings.
Daisy still does not like the riding part. She actually bit me as I tried to get her out from under Dale's seat to put her into the kennel. Wow, that has never happened before and for her sake it had better not happen again.
We will be heading to Mississippi today and will not have WIFI for several days. So we will see you in Louisiana....

Day two

We made it to Tenn yesterday with a good travel day.

This is today,Sunday...rain...rain...

rain, but we

are packing up and will soon be on our way to Alabama...Daisy is not to sure about this travel business. Yesterday she hide under my seat while we traveled. Gl.ad we bought a new heater, working well. Warm and toasty

Travels with Jane and Dale

Oh, I'm a bit nervous today, getting ready to leave tomorrow morning for new adventures. This should be about a 3 month trip with two months in Texas. It's cold outside and I hope we will be heading into warmer climes. We'll spend just one night in Tenn and head further south on Sunday.

The trip takes us to Spicewood, TX to work at a Christian Campground for three weeks and then 3 weeks in Comfort, TX less than 100 miles from the first project.

Daisy just had a bath, the RV is packed (with a new space heater) and we are ready to go. We will miss Daniel, Josh, Alena, Luke and Christain, oh and their parents also. We'll miss our dear friends and give much thanks for the ones helping take care of our home while we are away.

Don't forget to pray for us, we'll be praying for you.