November in Kansas

We spent most of November in the Kansas City area, camping at the beautiful Presbyterian conference center, Heartland--a spot we have loved since 1972. And we made lots of memories during that month. We had coffee with Loyd & Lillian Gentry--back in the late 60's, Loyd and Jerry both pastored in Aurora MO and we laughed together over many fun times we spent together. The new Power & Light District in KC is really an amazing place--what a boon for Kansas City and its inhabitants...we ate at the Irish Pub, went dancing, and watched Jo ride the mechanical bull. When Jo & Scott flew in, the 3 of us went to pick them up sporting pink hair--to make Jo feel right at home. And guess what? She got off the plane just a blonde--not a trace of pink. But we offered the other travelers a good laugh (especially Jerry in my Mom's wig!) Breakfast at Chubbie's is always memorable. We were blessed with a visit from Carla (Haas) & Al Adams, pictured here with Mike Price (whose family shared Thanksgiving with us at Carla's.) Back in the early 70's, these 3 were college students at Missouri Valley College and members of our "Rap 'n Sing" college group that met in our home every Sunday evening. The Adams live in PA where Al is the Presbytery Exec for Beaver-Butler Presbytery. Our Carla has seen the Adams over the years, and the Prices and Adams had a brief get-together a year ago..but what a treat it was for all of us to have a little time together. Thanksgiving evening ended, as it always done when one is in KC, by going to the Plaza Lighting--and we were not disappointed with the spectacular display of lights. And lastly, after the Lighting ceremony, Jo and Meredith Price prepared for the Black Friday shopping (which began at 1 a.m.!!!) by taking a little nap. The only female missing from the shopping adventure was yours truly, who was smart enough to go to bed! It was a blessed Thanksgiving, and we are grateful for every memory we made.

Sculpture Tour

Here are just a few of the sculptures of Seward Johnson that were on exhibit in various parts of Chesterfield MO while we were there. They were an absolute delight to behold....children playing on them..folks getting their pictures taken by them. Jerry's funny experience was sitting beside the workman on the bench, and rather than having coffee with him (as he is doing in the picture) Jerry was sitting there working on his cellphone when he realized that a little boy was standing right beside him staring at him. When Jerry looked up and moved, the youngster was totally startled, and his parents began giggling as they watched - the child apparently thought Jerry was part of the sculpture!

The Awakening

The Awakening is the latest addition to the public art collection in Chesterfield MO. This monumental sculpture, measuring 70 feet in length and 17 feet at its tallest point, was first cast by sculptor Seward Johnson in 1980 for a sculpture exhibition in Washington DC, where it resides. This second casting is now in Chesterfield. It is absolutely amazing...if you are in the St. Louis area, please don't miss it. Your imagination runs wild as you consider this giant awakening from our earth...think about it!

Dr. Edmond Babler State Park

What is more fun than a cook-out, especially on a very cold crisp autumn day? We didn't let the cool temperatures stand in our way. The cook-out and hike through Babler Park were shared with the Worleys, part of our extended family ever since Janelle and Jo lived together for several years in Chicago. We were all at Tim & Janelle's wedding in Chicago, and have visited them every place they have lived since then. Nothing better than chowing down on a roasted brat, is there, Garrett? Unless its a s'more, right, Shannon? Garrett is now 10 and Shannon is 7 - and they were a delight to spend time with...even if they both beat up on their Grumps in a video game, who is very inexperienced at video games, I might add! Both kids are very attuned to our world around us, encouraged by their nature classes at the Center for Creative Learning, so we had our own guides on the trail as we discovered spiders, analyzed a dead field mouse, found a natural spring, and checked out all the trees and changing colors. It was a memorable day!

Rap 'n Sing

Over 35 years ago, while Jerry was pastoring Covenant Presbyterian Church in Marshall MO, he had a group of college kids who gathered in our home every Sunday evening for "Rap 'n Sing". Last Sunday afternoon, Mike Price (center) of Springfield MO, and Randy Orr (left, St. Louis area) joined us at the farm in Rolla MO for an afternoon of reminiscing and great laughter -- and if you were in that group and are reading this, please know you, too, were talked about!!! Thanks to Facebook, several others in that college group are sharing with one another again. We met Randy's wife, Jill, for the first time - and that was a joy. Thanks, Mike & Randy, for making the effort to come and spending time with us. It seems like yesterday we were gathering in our living room!

Parking Violation

Pat Mundy (friend from Enid), Jerry and I returned to Pat's very new and very large GMC 3/4 ton truck which Jerry had carefully parked in a Silver Dollar City parking lot straddling a white line to keep it from being dinged..and found the following note on the windshield: PARKING VIOLATION State...license number...time...make of automobile..(all properly filled in ) This is not a ticket, but if it were within my power, you would receive two. Because of your bull-headed, inconsiderate, feeble attempt at parking, you have taken enough room for a 20 mule team, 2 elephants, 1 goat and a safari of pygmies from the African interior. The reason for giving you this is so that in the future you may think of someone else, other than yourself. Besides, I don't like domineering, egotistical or simple minded drivers and you probably fit into one of these categories. I sign off wishing you an early transmission failure (on the expressway at about 4:30 p.m.) Also may the Fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits. With my compliments. It was all worth it just to receive this ticket at the end of our day!!!!!

Tess - before and after

Two years ago, Pat Mundy (Enid) was camping with us at Cape Fair on Table Rock Lake. While taking pictures of the fog rising off the James River, this stray dog wandered up to us. Pat cannot resist a wounded, suffering, pitiful dog in any kind of shape! He wore a piece of logging chain around his neck with a bolt through it. This dog could not have broken it--he was dumped. So Pat decided that when we returned from Silver Dollar City, she would rescue this dog if she was still around. So we stopped..and she was. We made a stop at Wal-Mart to buy a collar and leash for her, along with some medicated dog shampoo and dogfood. Back to the campground we went so Pat could begin her gentle washings, pettings, and an attempt to make friends with this pitiful creature. A few days later Pat took her back to Enid with the first stop being her vet to determine what her health problems were...and they were numerous. Now to the naming of this new dog in her family--since Pat's church was reading the Bible in 90 Days, she decided to name her Tess, short for testament. And Tess she became. Slowly Tess began to grow a new coat and recover from the mange, but it took a long long time. Isn't she a beauty? This is Tess, two years later..a fine dog, an excellent camper, a friend to Sparkie on all our adventures. Tess, I hope you know how fortunate you are that you crossed paths with Pat! We look forward to camping with you at Christmas in San Antonio.

Marionville White Squirrel - at last!

I first visited the Hiltons in Crane MO in 1962. The closest town is Marionville MO, billed as "the home of the white squirrels". What white squirrels? Jerry has always said he has seen them there, but I never ever saw a white squirrel. 47 years later, I have just seen my first white squirrel in Marionville. It happened last Saturday, when we were in Marionville to visit the Pumpkin Patch with our Monett friends. Jerry and I took a little drive through the town- actually Jerry was looking to see if he could find his great-aunt's house...and he said "there is a white squirrel that you say doesn't exist in Marionville." WOW. I not only saw it with my own eyes, but I got to take pictures of it. Thank you, white squirrel, for finally coming in to my life! You really do exist.

Isaiah 43:19: I am about to do a new thing

On Dec. 11, 2006, the Crane Presbyterian Church burned to the ground in a devastating fire late in the evening following the church's Christmas program...for Jerry as well as many many others, it was a great loss--years of memories of being raised in that church, the beautiful stained glass windows, the library of photos and memorabilia, and on and on the list goes. As the word spread, many folks gathered nearby to watch the fire burn out, pray for the firemen who were able to keep it from spreading, and share their grief and tears together. The next day the back wall of the sanctuary was left standing with its 3 crosses, which were metal. 2009 - Jerry has the privilege of preaching for six weeks in the Crane Presbyterian Church in a new and vital location on the east edge of town. The 3 metal crosses have been remounted on wooden crosses, and are hanging on a wall in the narthex, as you can see in the photo. The pulpit was one which was not in use in the sanctuary, but was in the entryway and was pulled from the building before it spread that far. My favorite is the cross on the communion table, which received its baptism by fire, and now stands on the communion table, reminding us that Jesus is always the center, no matter what happens to that which is made by hands. Isaiah says: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?...The people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

Jammin'

"> > For Jerry, this has been a fall for jamming. It began with the mini-class reunion, playing on Don's front porch in their beautiful Stone County home. He started jamming with a group that Don has at his home on Thursday evenings. From that came the opportunity to attend the Jenkins Family Reunion at Mars Hill on a Sunday afternoon, where they accompanied these 3 sisters as well as many others who came to the open mic to share their talents. At Silver Dollar City (as you know, our all-time favorite spot!), he played with the Homestead Pickers at the Pickin' Shed. He jammed here at the campground with a fellow parked across the road from us who had his guitar...and that person has a jam at his house every Monday evening - so that's where Jerry will be tomorrow night, honing his skills on that fiddle. He had a lesson last week from an outstanding fiddle player we met last Sunday. So all in all - his musical ability is gaining. In ten days we will go to Rolla to stay at the family farm of a Midland friend, Jerry Gahr. Jerry called today to say that he and his wife will also be in the area...JG plays the banjo in a bluegrass group of FPC'ers who call themselves "The Backsliders". Jerry was able to play with them several times this past summer. So the two Jerrys will be doing some pickin' and singin' on the porch in Rolla as well. Oh, the opportunities are endless. That's the beauty of this part of the country--there's lots of pickin' 'n singin' going on everywhere. Watch out, Nashville!

A new Water Well

Another water well has been dug in the Presbytery of Eastern Uganda, and we are humbled at this gift in our honor. What a blessing! We in our country take so much for granted - and clean water is just one of those. We turn on taps, turn on showers, open the hose, and there it is. But in Uganda, clean water is a precious commodity. With the digging of 37 wells by First Presbyterian Church of Midland, we have shared in the gift of better health for many of our brothers and sisters. These pictures bring tears to our eyes and joy to our hearts. Thank you!

We're #1!

Destination - Rogers AR, along the Wal-Mart corridor in northwest Arkansas...to visit with Jerry's cousin, Betty (who works for WM) and her Mom, Aunt Timmy. We've been RVing for over 40 years now...and we had not yet ever spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot, something which many RVers as well as truckers do. Most WMs are very friendly towards us, and have huge parking lots that can accommodate us. We have talked about it several times--but never had done it. Betty, when we spoke with her on the way up, suggested we stay at the W-M at 21st & Walnut in Rogers...and so we did. It was a great place to spend the night and do our grocery shopping--and the biggest, cleanest, widest-aisled store we have ever been in. We had a good visit with one of the store managers (who looked every bit of 16--has anyone else noticed how the persons in responsible positions in our country are getting younger and younger?). Randy also told us that we were staying in Wal-Mart's first store - the first one in that huge chain. So thanks WM - for a good evening in your parking lot in your first store. Now we can say we are among the RVers who have overnighted at a W-M parking lot!

You go nowhere by accident....

"You go nowhere by accident"...we had a plan for that day, but it didn't happen. Our nice neighbor in the RV Park pointed out to Jerry that we had a potentially dangerous tire problem...so instead of pulling out to continue our journey, we hung around the RV park while someone came and replaced the tires. And then we were on our way, knowing the road we were going to take, but no plans as to how far we would get or where we would spend the night. We were ready to call it a day and were on the lookout for an RV park near Mena AR when we saw a beautiful campus and an RV Park sign--and Jerry turned in. "Wherever you are, God has put you."...There was not a soul around...the brochure box on the sign was empty. But the place looked inviting and lovely. A man in a pick-up drove up, so I asked him if we were able to park in a pull-through campsite and spend the night. He told us to follow the road and help ourselves to a campsite. So we did just that. The setting was exquisite--huge tall pine trees, an amazing view, a few other RVs parked around but almost no people. On our walk, we noticed the emblems on some of the RV's--we were at the Christian Motorcyclists Association campground. It is an amazing place - and apparently all those there must have been out on their bikes "riding for the Son". We spent a delightful and restful night. The next morning, we dropped a contribution into their night dropbox, grateful for the opportunity we had for rest and refreshment. As we drove out of the campground, this banner hangs overhead--"You are now entering the Mission Field." How appropriate - may we remember every day as we leave our homes for school or work, or perhaps leave our RV park - that we are now entering the mission field. Thank you, CMA--we are proud of your investment in this fine camp facility near Mena AR. A favorite benediction at our church goes: You go nowhere by accident. Wherever you are, God has put you. Wherever you go, God has sent you. The living Christ who dwells within you has a purpose for you to further His Kingdom. Amen? Amen!

"R" is for retirement - and so much more

R - for retirement...and once again Jerry is in to the retirement mode and we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. R - for relaxation...and how much more can you relax than enjoying friends' pool or sharing a hot tub with your daughter. R is for reunion...a special evening with our college friend, Meredith. Many years ago Mere's Dad lived part of the time with us while he went to college...and now 20-some years later, Mere goes to college near Jo's, and just finished spending her 2nd summer living with daughter Carla in KC while she did an internship. R is for rewarding...and thats what this week has been. R is for rejuvenation and restoration. And what better way to relax than with Jo's stylist, our friend Robert, who somehow manages to work miracles. And indeed we did feel refreshed and radiant as we headed off to some of J&S's good friends for a magnificent evening - and plans for a fly fishing trip come December! R is for rest...and could there be a prettier place to relax than around this pool? R is for rejoice! And that's what we are doing as we begin yet another phase of our adventures in retirement as part of the Family of God. We relish the time you spend with us...whether we see you in Missouri, Texas, or Kansas..and the time you spend reading our blog and following along with us. We plan to leave late tomorrow afternoon to head across east Texas into Arkansas, and then southwest Missouri, after going to a matinee celebrating the History of Country Music at a theatre on the Riverwalk. These weeks that lie ahead of us promise to be days of reflection and re-creation in one of our favorite parts of the country--Table Rock Lake. Come on - let's go!

120th Camp Meeting

What a joy to be a part of the Bloys Camp Meeting once again. This is Jerry's 3rd year as the Bible Study leader representing the Presbyterian Church. Dr. Bloys preached 4 times a day to the cowboys and their families back in the beginning, but later invited a pastor from the Baptist, Disciples of Christ and Methodist Churches to share in the leadership--and so it is to this day. Our leadership team was incredible--including Tommy Potter (Brite Divinity), Keith Wyatt (New Braunfels TX) and Jim Denison (Center for Informed Faith, Dallas.) At the top you can see our dear friends from Redmond WA, Peter and Diane Wilson...they are long-time Bloys folks. We met them two years ago on our first day there, just when we knew we were going to Sammamish WA for a year, and we shared a lot of wonderful times in WA. Our picture was snapped by their grandson, Chandler, who couldn't resist getting himself in one photo! Ralph & Sally Green joined us for part of the week, and we ate dinner one evening at the Paisano Hotel in Marfa--a nice outing. Before camp actually opened, we were invited up to a nearby RV park to join several other couples for a hobo lunch--and here you see those yummy foil packets cooking over the open fire--they were delicious! In the photo on the middle left you see that long white thing hanging from the rafter?

That is a rattlesnake, caught and killed by Diane's nephew..and provided great entertainment for all of us as we watched him gut and skin it. I'm glad I didn't see it when it was alive and rattling along the road! Along with the gifted preaching and teaching we heard all week, the music was heavenly--we have both piano and organ, as well as shared talents from many of the attendees, whose talent is all beyond description. It is an opportunity for many family reunions, and the fellowship and conversation is great. Not only that, we had plenty of rain early on, so the Ft. Davis area is beautifully green--and cool at night or in the shade during the day. I wish each of you could have the Bloys experience--it is a page out of the past and a real treasure. The Holy Spirit permeates the whole place--it truly is a sacred week.