Maryland

November 16, 2006

We arrived in Elkton on Wednesday night and looked forward to Thursday in the small town which is the county seat of Cecil County where John Rock and Sarah Everette were married in 1795 before leaving for Hart County, Kentucky. He is the Rock family connection back to this area of the country. The historical society library didn't open until ten so we drove around the downtown area, had coffee at a new coffee shop named Judy's Jar. Brightly decorated elk statues are posted araound the city in strategic locations. We learned that it is a money raising campaign for the city's art and history society.

The people in the historical society were very helpful and pulled out lots of books with a "Rock" name. Evidently there are no Rocks living in the county now but in the 1700's there were some that were quite prominent. They were Protestant and had denied publicly the teachings of the Catholic Church. Clayton wasn't able to make the link between John Rock and the ones he found at the library but he gleaned a lot of information.

We had lunch at a cafe called Baglemania and continued with the research until four when the library closed. It continued to rain today and late afternoon there were high winds in addition to the heavy rainfall. There are reports of downed electric wires in some surrounding counties here in Maryland and in Pennslyvania (Cecil County borders PA).

We look forward to a slow day tomorrow as we head for Baltimore and the weekend with relatives.

Nine States in One Day

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

We left York, Maine, this morning. It had quit raining there after raining the two previous days. The sun seemed to want to peek out from behind the clouds and it was in the 50’s. We got on I-95 S which was our route almost all day. We drove into New Hampshire, whose state motto is “Live free or die”, within the first few minutes of the trip and crossed the Piscataqua River. New Hampshire is called the Granite State which is an appropriate name since we saw lots of granite! Within an hour we had gotten to Massachusetts. We decided to exit on Route 2 to see the Minute Man Statue and the national park there. What a great multimedia presentation of the events leading up to and after April 19, 1775 when the Revolutionary War was started. The heroism of those early men and women is remarkable and made me proud to be an American with that kind of history. We drove on to the site of the statute which is at the site of the North Bridge where the actual first shot was fired. To imagine how the soldiers maneuvered the river and the swampy land without getting terribly wet and muddy. A lot of the pictures drawn of the events don’t take that into consideration. To picture Paul Revere riding that old road shouting out to all about the British being on the way was certainly sobering. It was worth the hour’s delay to see that part of our nation’s history.

We continued to the border of Massachusetts and entered Rhode Island. The first town there is Pawtucket and seemed to be a nice town with a blend of the old buildings and new construction. Speaking of construction, it caused us several delays along the way on I-95 from Maine to Maryland. We caught a glimpse of the capitol building in Providence from the highway but didn’t have time to stop there. By the time we got to Warwick, RI, it was a little past noon and time for lunch at the first Cracker Barrel that we had seen since leaving Kentucky more than a week ago. We decided to stop there even though we feared that the wait for a table might be long. It was a pleasant surprise to be seated immediately. The server that we had was very friendly and she smiled when we ordered, smoked ham, pinto beans and turnip greens with corn bread. She later told us that she knew we were from the south because of our order. She said that the people there in Rhode Island don’t eat many turnip greens and pinto beans!

We were back on the highway before one and soon were in Connecticut and drove across the lower section of the state with marvelous views of the harbors and Long Island Sound. There were ships, barges, etc. Traffic was almost bumper to bumper in New Haven so it took a while to get around that city. We entered New York at 3:07 and it took us 30 minutes to arrive at the George Washington Bridge that crosses the Hudson River which we had already seen in Albany where the Erie Canal begins. I-95 S goes through the Bronx, a first-time experience for us. There are tall buildings and lots of narrow streets, traffic and, of course, people.

A little after 3:30 we were on the New Jersey Turnpike, a toll road that ends at the Delaware Memorial Bridge ($6.45 fee). We did stop at a service center in New Jersey but otherwise just drove the highway, sometimes at the speed limit and other times much slower due to the heavy traffic. New Jersey is the Garden State but we really didn’t get to enjoy that part of it. It was a little after five when we got to the toll booth before entering Delaware. It was the first time for Clayton to drive in Delaware but I was there in 1997 for a missions conference. Delaware is the “First State” and proud of that as they should be. The blue hen is their state bird, if I recall correctly.

We were in Maryland after six and got off at the first exit to arrive at Elkton where our hotel room was waiting. We got checked in and unpacked the car once again. There was a Taco Bell close by so we walked there for a taco!

Now it is time to rest before we head out tomorrow for the Historical Society of Cecil County so Clayton can do some family research. There is a connection there with the Rocks. I know he is looking forward to finding the links there at the library.

Our Maine Adventure

November 14, 2006

Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to visit Maine. We studied Maine when I was in school and had Lewiston, Maine, as our sister town in Barbourville at that time. I read about the lighthouses, the coves, the ocean, the hills, the small towns and the northeastern way of life and thought that I would like to see it firsthand. That wish was finally realized when we arrived in Maine yesterday, Monday, after driving from Schenectady, New York, through Vermont and New Hampshire. It was about a six hour drive with rain all the way so we couldn’t take advantage of the overlooks from the hills due to the fog. It was a pleasant drive though as some of the trees were still brightly colored and sights along the way kept us awake. We drove through the town of Troy, NY, which had a sign claiming to be the “home of Uncle Sam” born in 1789. There was a sign pointing off to the left of the highway as his burial site. We also drove past the Tommanhock Reservoir out of Raymertown.

We stopped in Bennington, VT, to have coffee and to see “The First Church” built in 1806 (organized in 1762) in “dedication to the separation of church and state. Congregation founded by those seeking religious freedom. Vermont’s legislature designated this church ‘Vermont’s Colonial Shrine’; adjacent cemetery, ‘Vermont’s sacred acre’.” Some gravestones were dated in the 1700’s.

It was the first time that we had entered New Hampshire. We arrived in Concord around lunchtime, saw the dome of the capitol and ate lunch at a pizza place right off the highway. We drove across the Veterans’ Memorial Bridge off Fort Eddy Road. Like many other places on our trip there was a lot of construction there.

It was still raining when we crossed the Maine border. We had finally reached the most northeastern state. We got on I-95 at Biddeford and drove the few miles north to Portland. We drove to the visitor center and got information about Portland and other places around the area. The mixture of the new with the old is pleasing to the eye. Clayton and I commented on the houses which were made of wood, more than brick. We found our hotel and got settled in there before heading to Freeport and L. L. Bean, the place we had heard so much about. The main store is huge and full of their signature collection. Christmas decorations were already up. Freeport also boasts lots of outlets – Lenox, Bath & Body, etc. We didn’t do much shopping since it was raining but we did the touristy thing of seeing the site of L. L. Bean. Since the seafood place that we had been recommended was closed we ate a sandwich and headed back to our room to rest and get ready for bed.

Today we were up early and ate our continental breakfast in the hotel and packed our car for a day of sightseeing and travel on south to York where we were booked for the night. We started our tour in Portland downtown and saw the huge observatory “lighthouse” which was closed for the season (we discovered that if you really want to see everything in the northeast you have to go before the end of October). The fog would have prevented our seeing much from the tower anyway. We drove on down to the port and parked our car at the maritime museum and gift shop which just happened to be open due to a school tour group. We were able to walk down the path to the lighthouse and look around, took some pictures.

We continued our car tour along the road that skirts the ocean and stopped at lighthouses and parks along the way. The small towns, beautiful big houses along the coast, naked trees, rain and fog made for an interesting drive. We had to back track a couple of times due to poor signage but enjoyed even that! We made it to Kennebunkport by lunch. No, none of the Bushes were in view while we were there. We had a lobster lunch in a restaurant overlooking the harbor. The lobster was delicious – actually we shared it. We then tried one of the house desserts a “Blue Cow” made with blueberry soda and cinnamon ice cream. That was good yet unusual. I thought it tasted like a Yankee candle smells!

From there we drove through more small towns and got to Fort McClary which has been used for nearly 275 years to protect the approaches to the Piscataqua River. The blockhouse was built in 1844. The site was manned during five wars - the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I. Again the fog and rain prevented our seeing all the sights from there.

We looped back north for a ways to arrive in York where we spent the night. Nearby Kittery boasts one of the largest outlets in the country so we drove down the road to that area and looked around a little. We went into the Kittery Trading Post, similar to Cabelas or stores like that. We ate fresh seafood again for supper. I suppose it would be bad not to eat seafood in this area!

On Mission Celebration

November 13, 2006

We arrived in Schenectady around noon on Wednesday. It was raining and had rained all morning on our drive from Horseheads. We located the church where we were to meet around five or so and headed for a place to eat. We stopped in the Barnes and Noble and got wireless access to check email and the news. We also took advantage of the in-house Starbucks for coffee and dessert – pumpkin cheesecake which we shared.

We met at Trinity Baptist Church for orientation to the association and received our assignments for the rest of the week. The church hosted supper and each of the participating missionaries shared a short testimony in the “getting to know you” segment of the service.

We really are lucky to be staying with such a great hostess, Ginger. She has met all our needs for food and rest and sleep during the week and is such an interesting person. We have been glad to listen to her stories about the mission work she has done. She is a fascinating woman.

I had the privilege of speaking to the women’s Bible study that meets on Thursday mornings. The women are so dedicated to the Word and what It has to say to them. We were hosted for lunch at the home of Paula and Jeff and their two darling daughters. It was neat to hear from them about their ministry to the youth and Paula’s past experience as a short-term missionary to an Eastern Europe country.

On Thursday evening we had dinner with the associational director and his wife and eight children. It was a neat experience to meet them all and see how disciplined each one is and had great fellowship around the table. After dinner Sean drove us to the town of Amsterdam for the evening services which are in English and Spanish. Clayton and I took turns with both groups so got to speak Spanish. The pastor is bi-lingual and has a fantastic ministry.

Friday was a “play day” as the pastor and his wife took us all to Albany to go through the state museum – a fascinating place which many different exhibits. Clayton and I could have stayed in there all day! We went up to the 42nd story of the Corning building and had a panoramic view of the city, the Hudson River, etc. It was a great place to pray for the people of the area. We got a quick tour of the capitol before heading out for lunch at a place called “Gramma’s” with lots of country cooking. We had a quiet evening as many of the church were involved in a wedding.

On Saturday the association had its annual meeting so we were able to hear reports about the work in the area and were impressed in the leaders’ sense for increasing the Kingdom. We each had a time to share about the work in Argentina and hear about the other missionaries’ work in different areas. We also had a time with the children in their program learning about missions. The children were fascinated with Clayton’s “gaucho” articles – the hat, poncho, knife, belt and maté. They reported back to their leaders about the “cool” items they saw. We also shared about the children in Argentina. The afternoon was “display” time as each person had the opportunity to share individually articles from their places of service and talk to people one-on-one. That evening we returned to the church to meet with the youth and answered questions about our call, the people, especially the youth in Argentina, what our life was like, etc.

Sunday morning we were up early for the early worship service. I did the children’s message in both morning services and spoke to all the adults during the Sunday School hour. After church my hostess took me on a drive to Massachusetts for an outing. Clayton preached in Spanish at the Amsterdam church and enjoyed it so much that he said he was homesick for Argentina. That evening we were back at the Trinity church for an evaluation meeting with the planning committee and to speak to the children during their program

What a great five-day opportunity we had in New York with the Lord’s people. It was so inspiring to see how they work and minister to the people in that part of the state.

Visit with "old" roommate

Shirley and I met our first semester in college and ended up being roommates. She was (is) from New York. She left Kentucky in the late 60's and returned to her native state to get a job where she worked as an accountant for more than 25 years, married Jack. They eventually bought her parents' house, where her family moved to when she was two. We have kept in touch over the years and finally after all these years were able to get together last night here in Elmira, NY, for dinner and a very nice visit. She and Jack treated us to dinner at the local Olive Garden and then they took us out to their home for dessert. How wonderful it was for us to be able to get together and try to get caught up on our lives. We are looking forward to other visits together in the coming years.

Today Clayton and I left the hotel in Horseheads and drove to Schenectady where we will begin a missions conference tonight. We will be here in the Hudson Baptist Association through Sunday night. It sounds like they have a wonderful week planned for us to share in the churches about the work in Argentina and other places in the world.

The Erie Canal and other points of interest

The Erie Canal

On Monday morning we left Niagara Falls, NY, to head toward Lockport, NY, where Locks 34 & 35 of the Erie Canal are located. As most people know the Erie Canal was constructed in the early 1800’s to connect Albany to Buffalo – Hudson River to the Niagara River. It was a pleasant drive on a state highway. There are still some trees with different colored leaves. We were disappointed when we arrived in Lockport to find that the Visitor’s Center is closed until May 2007 (seasonal). However, we did find the walking tour alongside the canal and were able to get a feel for the workings of the canal which is now geared more toward recreational use rather than the historical commercial use. It is amazing to know that the canal was constructed without the use of modern-day machinery. Lockport is a small village which has maintained its historical look but just travel a couple miles from the town and there are fast food restaurants, strip malls, etc., that connect the town to Amherst just a few miles away. The First Baptist Church there was built in 1816. It seems that Catholics had the most churches in the early 1800’s.

From Lockport we traveled south on Route 78 until reaching HWY 20 to drive east for a while before heading south to Horseheads and Elmira. The drive took us through hills and trees with less leaves and wintrier look. We stopped in Warsaw for a late lunch at the Silver Lake Family Restaurant. The food was good and the server was very friendly. (Silver Lake is located just a few miles south of the town.)

We ended up on I390 south and stopped at the Corning Glass Museum in Corning. It was amazing to see examples of glass works since before the 3rd century B.C. Some of the pieces were magnificent. We started out in the glass sculpture room and saw some “interesting” pieces, interpreted by modern artists. We also saw some of the amazing things done with fiberoptics and other inventions. The glassmaking demonstration reaped a beautiful bowl. We learned that the “glassblowers” have a six-year apprenticeship involving 12,000 hours of hands-on work before the person is certified. Of course, the trip ended with a stop at the Glass Market where we could have bought some glass pieces. Actually, we bought a few cheap things! So many items were out of our price range!

After a little problems with directions to our hotel here in Horseheads we finally arrived and were pleased to have a nice, clean room. Supper was in front of the hotel at “Ye Olde Hickory House” which had a wonderful wood burning fireplace which added to the atmosphere of the room. The service was nice but “hovered” a little much. We were the only people in the restaurant side but the “lounge” had a crowd.

Today (Tuesday) we slept a little later than we had normally and had our breakfast in the room. I went up to the lobby and got it – a continental type - cereal and bagels. We then hit the road to drive to Elmira – about 10 miles to see the Mark Twain exhibit at Elmira College. All of his things have been donated to the college which by the way was the first women’s college in the USA that graduated women with the same degrees as men. We were disappointed that the exhibit was closed (season, again) but we could have seen it if we had called ahead. We walked around the campus and saw the statue of Mark Twain and then the study – gazebo type building – that had been moved from his summer home of Quarry Farm. The study was built on a knoll there and is where he wrote “Tom Sawyer” and many other of his books. His wife Olivia was a graduate of Elmira College. The college is small and reminded me a lot of Union College in my hometown of Barbourville.

We ate lunch at a nearby place and are now in the “Sweet Read Bookstore” in Horseheads where the wireless internet is free and the coffee is great, although not free! Maybe we can get caught up on our stuff here.

Tonight we are having supper with an old college roommate who is from this area and came back here to live after graduation from UK. She had gone to UK because of her love of horses. I am so looking forward to getting caught up with her and meeting her husband. We haven’t seen each other since 1968 when we graduated from college.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls

We left Louisville yesterday morning before seven and arrived here in Niagara Falls at 4:30. The road trip was fairly uneventful. We drove from Louisville on I-71 to Cincinnati, then on to Columbus to the outskirts of Cleveland where we took the bypass I-271 to I-90 to Erie, PA onto to NY – Buffalo at Lake Erie crossing over the Niagara River to Grand Island and then Niagara River to Niagara Falls. It was cold outside the whole way from a low of 33°F to a high of 38°F. It had snowed north of Columbus and then out of Cleveland. We had planned to eat our packed lunch on a picnic table at a rest stop but when we got outside of Cleveland the rest stop had received lots of snow so the tables were all covered white. We ate lunch in the car!

We donned hats, scarves and gloves with our coats as we left the hotel in downtown Niagara Falls for supper last night. Our hotel is only two blocks from the Niagara State Park. We walked down to the entrance before supper to check out the site and it was quite cold. Tourist season is officially over but the hotel is full – draws besides the Falls are the casinos here. There really aren’t many restaurants open except those in the casinos. We found a Denny’s for supper. Oh for a Cracker Barrel nearby! We got a good deal on our hotel stay on Priceline.com

We got up early this morning to try to get a head start on the crowds but there really weren’t any! We met a couple from Canada in the elevator so invited them to eat breakfast with us. It was fun to meet someone new and get to know them and how they view the USA. He is retired and she is due to retire next year. They travel lots.

After breakfast we walked the two blocks down to the state park to get our bearings and decide how to see the most during the day. We decided to walk the two blocks to the bridge and walk over to Canada first. We walked alongside the edge of the Falls and saw them first from this side. To quote the first European, a Franciscan monk, to see the Falls, we were “seized by awe”! They are truly magnificent whichever side you are on. We walked across the pedestrian bridge to Canada and had our passports stamped. It isn’t necessary to have a passport to cross over to Canada if you are an American, but we wanted the stamp in our passport for history.

We had a great view of the American Falls and got some beautiful shots. The Horseshoe Falls has so much mist that it is hard to see them. The park on the Canadian side is gorgeous as well with landscaped areas and good view points. There is a huge needle that allows for an elevator trip to the top to get a long view of the area but we chose not to do that since it was so early and the tower didn’t open for another hour or so.

After seeing all that we could and realizing how “American” the Canadian side is with the “Hard Rock Cafe”, “Starbucks”, Hershey’s, the Sheraton and several other noted American brands, we headed back across the bridge to the American side to see the different views of the Falls, the river, etc. First we stopped by the Visitor Center and watched the film about the history of the Falls. I am so glad that some people had the foresight in the late 1800’s to make the Falls and the areas on both sides as parks so that all people would have the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Falls, etc. One of the first Europeans, a Franciscan monk, wrote that when he saw the Falls he was “seized with awe”! The Falls are truly magnificent no matter from what side you see them.

We crossed the bridge over to the Green Island and enjoyed seeing the falls from another angle. We walked along the pathway to the Luna Island where we saw a number of water birds and also the small Bridal Veil falls. We walked up the steps to continue on the path to Goat Island. The name came about because a man put his goats on the island to keep them from being killed by wolves. The result was that all the goats died in the winter except one. The last island that we saw was The Three Sisters which got its name because its former owner had three daughters.

We walked back to the hotel and our car and drove to find a place to eat. We ate a “Tim Horton’s. Because it was so late the chili was gone so we had sandwiches which were good. We decided to drive the 13 miles north to Fort Niagara and Lake Ontario. It was a pretty drive. The little village of Youngstown is a clean town. We drove from there through back to Niagara Falls by a different route and drove through the Tuscarora Indian Reservation.
This trip has been a neat side trip for us as we get ready for the Missions Conference that begins on Wednesday.

October has come and gone!

What happened to the month of October? When I look back at our calendar the memories of the month come back. Clayton spent the first week of the month at the ILC near Richmond, VA. He went a day early so he could spend time with his sister and her family. He had a great time. While he was gone I drove down to Barbourville to visit my parents. I stopped in Paris to see my brother, Ray, who is recuperating from the effects of a brain aneurysm in late August, and his wife Susan. He is doing fine for which we are all thankful. I borrowed his truck so I could take back my grandmother’s rocking chair and the deacon bench that my daddy made for me several years ago. Mother and Daddy had been storing the items for several years. My grandmother died in 1969 and Mother bought the rocking chair at that time. I will treasure both items the rest of my life.

Daddy made the deacon’s bench after he retired for the last time at the age of 83. He is too frail now to do any woodworking. He had made rocking chairs, other chairs, some children’s chairs (I also received one of them). In his spare time from the big items he made napkin holders, plate holders, boot jacks, wooden horseshoes, toothpick holders (everyone in the county, lots around the state and other states as well as foreign countries also have them) and pen holders. He wishes that he had the hand control to whittle but just isn’t able to do so. He celebrates his 94th birthday on November 2.

As usual Mother was in her element to cook for me and any others that she might invite to a meal. At 90 she is still able to cook up a huge meal and still makes the best cornbread of all. Her energy level isn’t as high as she would like but she is amazing in all that she continues to do. She pieces quilts but has to have them quilted by machine at a local shop. She has made quilts for all her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and her two great grandchildren.

We were able to attend the UK/SC football game on the 7th. That was the first UK football game we had attended since graduation from UK in 1968! My brother, Ray, gave us his tickets since he was still recuperating. Although UK lost, it was an interesting experience to see the “old” fans so caught up in the game and the numbers of people who attend a game.

We basically stayed close to home, looking at house possibilities, speaking at local churches, attending the art fair in our neighborhood. It was a relaxing time until the weekend of the 15th. Kimberly and Craig arrived on Saturday night for a visit. We enjoyed their visit and ate at a local restaurant after church on Sunday. Late in the afternoon Clayton began to complain of an intense abdominal pain with vomiting. He began to feel somewhat better that night after I suggested that he ought to go to the emergency room. He continued to experience the pain and early on Wednesday morning I took him to the doctor. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and had blood tests and an ultrasound scheduled. On Friday, the 20th, he had laprascopic gallbladder surgery. The surgeon told me he had a badly infected gallbladder. Due to his taking an anticoagulant daily for a blood clotting disorder and a fever he had to stay in the hospital until Monday the 23rd. He has fully recuperated now and is doing well.

I attended the Kentucky Nurses Convention at the Executive West Hotel 25 – 27. I met lots of new people and learned several things about trends in nursing as well as current nursing care for various illnesses.

This past weekend Jonathan arrived from Phoenix on Friday morning for a visit. He and Clayton went to Hodgenville to see Clayton’s mom and then had lunch with his brother since I was still in meetings. Kimberly and Craig arrived that night. On Saturday we went to the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville. It is a tribute to Ali as well as a history lesson in the African American contribution to America. We all found it inspiring and uplifting. From there we went to the Slugger Museum and saw how the bat is made and viewed the museum as well. We each received a small bat as a souvenir.

For supper that night we went to Palermo Viejo. It is an Argentine restaurant which is very similar to what we experienced in Argentina. It was fun for the five of us but we missed Laura and her family and wished they could have been with us as well.

Laura called from Buenos Aires on Saturday night. They are doing well. They did take Mark Xavier to the orthopedic doctor for another check-up and received the news that surgery may be necessary to correct his right foot deformity. They are planning to take him to another doctor for a consult before making a final decision.

As we looked toward November we will be traveling. We leave on the 4th to drive to Niagara Falls for a couple of days before we are due for a missions conference. We look forward to the time there sharing how the Lord is working in the hearts and minds of people in Argentina.