Kennedy Space Center

For the last several months, we have been immersed in history all along the East Coast. We've seen monuments of early explorers and founders, gone through historic buildings, been on re-constructed ships like the ones who carried the first English and European settlers to this new land, with all of the risks that they encountered in route. We've marvelled at their adventuresome spirit, and the work and ingenuity it took to actually settle in this new land.

But for these last couple days, we've had a completely different experience. We've marvelled at the adventuresome spirit of those who risked their lives in space exploration. And the ingenuity of the thousands and thousands of people who made it happen! The Kennedy Space Center was very fascinating. (Photo from postcard) We're glad we could take two days to go through it, and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Great presentations on the past, present, and current missions was very impressive. And then trying to get our minds around our own galaxy, much less the billions of galaxies in the universe, is overwhelming.

We had hoped to see the space shuttle Atlantis lift off, but it was postponed until January and the astronauts sent home. (Photo of it sitting on the launch pad.) We did get to see the unmanned Atlas rocket lift off, though, with its classified payload. (See small white dot on photo.)

We saw many of the original capsules and rockets and space suits. Walking through the Rocket Garden brought back lots of memories for John, because he had worked on many unclassified Agena capsules when he worked at Lockheed in the 60's. (One of the photos is of the Agena capsule.) Some of the things he worked on were also connected to the Gemini program, which were used with the lunar launches for rendezvous operations.

The 3-D IMAX shows were terrific, giving us a real feel for landing on the moon, or working on the space station. One of the live presentations we enjoyed was of astronaut (Bill) Fabian who piloted a couple earlier missions, who share some of his experiences.

We actually know one of the astronauts -- Loren Acton. He was a member of St. Andrew's UMC in Palo Alto. He went up in the Challenger/SkyLab (the last one before it exploded) as a solar physicist, so it was extra thrilling for us to see his name posted, and to purchase a SpaceLab II patch with his name on it. (photo) We left the Kennedy Space Center proud of our country, and now the international cooperation for future space exploration.

Rugby in Orlando

My nephew, Andy Pickrell, who lives in Fresno and plays rugby on a local team, had been selected to be on the Pacific Grizzly Rugby Team, which was to play in a national tournament near Orlando Dec 7-9. So of course we changed our itinerary just slightly so we could be there! Rugby is a brutal game; we don't really understand the rules; it was a bit warm in the sun. But, Andy is family, and we would have done anything to be there to support him! Although he didn't actually get to play much (he was second string behind the fellow who was voted MVP for the whole weekend!), his team won the All-Star National Men's Championship Rugby Tournament. We were there as they were presented with the silver cup, and each got a medal. It was an exciting moment!

Beaches & More History (North Carolina and Georgia)

John had spent a week at Myrtle Beach, N. Carolina, with Ann and her family on vacation several years ago, so he was anxious to enjoy the miles and miles of sandy beaches again. We couldn't believe how built up it was. Not only were there miles of wonderful beach, there were miles and miles of high-rise hotels all along the beach, and tons of amusements and restaurants and tourist shops as well. There must have been 20 "World's Largest Visitor Center" places with gimmicks to get you in their shop. This is their slow season, so many things were closed for the season. But we sat out on the beach, even if it was a bit overcast and windy. In fact, we were the only ones actually sitting on the beach! But that's what we were there for, so we didn't let a little less than desireable weather stop us! I enjoyed walking in the sand, watching the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and pondering what I wanted to write for my father's memorial service, since we would not be going back to California for the service. I remembered that the last time he visited us in Santa Rosa, I had taken him to watch the waves at Bodega Bay, then we went to the Crab Shack and had the best ever crab sandwich. He devoured it, actually! So that evening in Myrtle Beach, we went to a Crab Buffet Dinner -- and ate way toooo much!

Then it was on to Savannah, Georgia. There is so much more to Georgia than we could get in on this trip south -- we hope to return later. The one day in Savannah was very enjoyable. We took one of the trolley tours so we could get on and off. Such an interesting city, laid out way back in the 1600's by founder Oglethorpe. Every several blocks there is a city park with a statue in the middle. We enjoyed walking along the River with their riverboats all decorated for Christmas. We most enjoyed going through one of their historic buildings, the Davenport House, built by an early builder! Yeah, Davenports!

Williamsburg & Friends

We had a pleasant several-day trip from Michigan to Williamsburg. On the way we went on a covered bridge search again in Pennsylvania. We also found Gravity Hill. There were three spots on that tiny rural road where you were supposed to be able to put the car in neutral and roll up a hill. Well, it didn’t work on the first two marked spots, so we thought we’d gone on a wild goose chase. But on the last one, it’s happened. We rolled up a hill! Couldn’t believe it – not sure if it is because of a “gravity gap” in the universe, as some claim, or an optical illusion!

We enjoyed an overnight visit with John’s cousin, Prue Kestner, in Knoxville, Maryland. She lives in a 2-story home built in 1824. She has put lots of work into it, and has furnished it with many family antiques and photos. Great fun! We went out to dinner that evening in neighboring Frederick (lots of Revolutionary War and Civil War history in that area) and thoroughly enjoyed an E. Indian meal. Prue teaches Yoga, has been to India many times, teaches Sanskrit and mediation – an interesting evening, for sure.

We enjoyed stopping by the Wellspring Retreat Center outside Washington DC -- originally part of the Church of the Savior--where we have attended retreats. It is holy ground. We had a nice visit with Janet Hudson who is still part of that mission group.

We had been looking forward to our 3-day stay at a B&B in Williamsburg since last June, when our church gave us a gift certificate for the Boxwood Inn. We stayed in the deluxe “Jefferson Room” with its luxurious king-size bed, spacious bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and a shower big enough for four people! The breakfasts were scrumptious!

Our first evening we went to the Governor's Palace for a candlelight classical music concert, with costumed players of various instruments. We spent just one day going through the colonial Williamsburg with their 1700’s reconstructed houses, gardens, shops, taverns, and live craftspeople. The “actors” portrayed the political confusion of the time, about whether to support the King or to rebel for independence. We had a wonderful dinner in a tavern with roving musicians and great prime rib. We didn’t see everything, but decided to spend the next day at the historic Jamestown area, learning about the first English settlers who landed there in 1607. There is also a reconstructed fort, an American Indian village, reconstructed ships--all quite interesting. The museum was very detailed and informative.

We were thrilled to be able to connect with Rebecca and Dave Hartt and family, and had a wonderful dinner in their beautiful 2-story brick home. (Rebecca was the choir director at Christ Church before moving to Williamsburg.) As is the custom in many homes here, they had a wreath and candle in every window in the front – I counted 13, I believe!

The phone call that interrupted our wonderful time in Williamsburg was of the news that my father, Vern Pickrell, age 96, had died. He had been in a nursing home for the last several years, with little quality of life, so it was not a surprise, but still came as a jolt. But we can also rejoice that he has finally been welcomed into God's eternal realm of peace -- he was more than ready.

We rejoined our trailer where it was stored in North Carolina. It was a bit hard to go back to a tiny bathroom, and to have to cook for ourselves again. But, hey, it’s home, and it’s always good to be home!

A White Thanksgiving

We were dreaming of a White Thanksgiving, and we were not disappointed! It snowed on Thanksgiving Eve, so we woke up to a beautiful landscape in Petoske, Michigan. (see photo of the Jim/Helen Davenport home). Thanksgiving was very special with all of John’s children (and spouses/partners) and grandchildren, except grandson Devin, whom we will visit in Orlando in a couple of weeks.

We were able to go to a Middle School basketball game to see the star player, our grandson Erik, make the most points of the game. That same night granddaughter Sarah receive “Best Attitude” award for her participation in the Petoskey High School Varsity Volleyball team. One of the great surprises was that there was a “Grandparents Day” at Elizabeth’s kindergarten class the day before Thanksgiving. She was the most adorable one there, of course, greeting us with a huge hug, singing perfectly all the great Thanksgiving songs they had learned, taking us around the playground, eating lunch with us in the cafeteria for the best $3.50 turkey dinner (for the price) we’ve ever had!, and generally thrilled, as we were, that we were there at all! Grandson John actually missed the family Thanksgiving dinner because of a long day at the restaurant where he works; he even gave up his bedroom for our week stay. Granddaughter Natalie beat Grandpa playing pool on their new pool table. Granddaughter Lauren was the one who sat to visit and actually asked us questions about our trip.

Much preparation went into our Thanksgiving meal (see photo of Helen and Sarah.) It was good to have John and his 3 children together (see photo). All in all, a a blessing to be with family.

It was lightly snowing the day we left. The surprise of the day: we saw 7 cars/pickups with deer strapped on their vehicle! It is deer season, and it is big in this part of the country. (see photo)

On our way now to Williamsburg, we spent one night near Cuyahoga National State Park, and did a couple short trail hikes. I normally am not ready to get in the Christmas spirit right after Thanksgiving, but this year, with the snow, the Christmas music on the radio, the lights and decorations already up in the cities, and knowing we will be in a warmer climate for Christmas (Florida), we've actually been enjoying the Christmas season already. May this be a blessed season for you as well.

North to Michigan

We have made a big loop back to Michigan, but first...

We stayed several days in Selma, North Carolina (near Raleigh). We spent the time there re-organizing the trailer, and winterizing it. Even though it doesn’t normally get into the freezing temperatures there, we were advised to winterize it anyway, just in case. It was sad to leave our “home away from home” for a few weeks, but we knew we had some great things to look forward to.

We drove across North Carolina (and later through portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, and even some of Ohio) and were amazed at the wonderful color still on the trees, right along the freeway! We just don’t have miles and miles of rolling hills and hardwood forests with that kind of color in California!

On the way we went to Lake Junaluska (near Asheville, NC--photo above), which is a United Methodist retreat center, surrounded by a number of private homes owned by bishops and leaders. It was warm enough that we sat outside for a picnic lunch by the lake, and thought, “We could live here!” It was beautiful. Of course, we’ve said that in a number of places – so many beautiful areas in our country! John continues to remind me that I need to spend a winter in some of these areas before getting too serious!

It was cloudy when we went through the Great Smoky Mountains, and the colors had already peaked, but it was a fun drive anyway. We were once again in for a surprise as we came out of the national forest and drove through Pigeon Forge – just a regular small city on the map, as far as we were concerned. But after miles and miles of solid restaurants, motels, amusements, attractions, tourist shops, we began to get the idea that this wasn’t just another town. It turned out to be Dollywood--Dolly Parton’s “center of the world.” It took forever to get through the town – we found out later that during the summer, it takes 2-3 hours to drive through!

We also found a couple other pleasant surprises along the way. I have German roots in the Ohio area, so we stopped outside Cincinnati at a German section and found an authentic restaurant. We had the most wonderful lunch of sauerkraut, kraut balls (delicious), and a mushroom-bratwurst dish. We even shared a great German beer -- and I don't usually like beer. We also stopped in Frankenmuth, MI (a Bavarian village much like the Danish Solvang in California - photo above) with lots of shops and restaurants, and another great bratwurst lunch.

But mostly we’ve enjoyed wonderful visits with friends and family on our way to Michigan. Our first overnight was in Pisgah Forest, near the Great Smoky Mountains, where we stayed with Gayle’s cousin, Wanda, and her husband and retired Presbyterian minister, Tom Cook. We were pleasantly surprised to find out Wanda’s brother (Gayle’s cousin) and wife, Jack and Wilma, were also visiting. (Photo of 3 cousins) We thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them. Tom and Wanda often travel to Palestine to volunteer with the Home of Hope, a place where Jews, Muslims, Christians come together to build relationship. Great work.

Another night we stayed with Don Hayashi and his wife, Deb. Gayle and Don worked together when Don was Program Director for the Cal-Nev United Methodist conference a number of years ago. He moved to Dayton, OH, when he was hired by the General Council of Ministries. It was great fun to see where they lived and re-connect. (Forgot to get a picture-darn!)

Jennifer Weil in Traverse City insists that their home be a “must” stop whenever we are in Michigan. It has such a wonderful “resort” feel that we eagerly stop by whenever we can. She took us downtown Traverse City to see the lights and new (Rialo-type) movie theater opening the next day. She shared about her experience at Mackinaw Island as part of a movie production--she is a professional actress, afterall!

Now we are staying with Jim and Helen Davenport, and are also visiting with Ann and James – John’s kids and grandkids. Susan (other daughter) and Scott are arriving soon – it will be a great Davenport Thanksgiving!

Enjoy this Season of Gratitude!

Virginia: Shenandoah Mountains

We have once again marveled at the awesome handiwork of God as we drove through the Shenandoah Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway. We think of it as "God's Paintbrush." I fall in love with every tree that is brilliant red or shimmering gold (some of them have leaves that are red on the outside and gold in the middle), which means I'm falling in love around every bend. The rolling hills that stretch out for miles are patchwork designs of green, red, yellow, orange, brown. This area has actually passed its peak, but there is still abundant color.

It's coooold here, though. We've been taking in the sights in 37-44 F. weather. This morning it was 26 F. outside our trailer. Thank goodness for a nice warm heater in our living space!

We also went to Monticello -- Thomas Jefferson's home. He was a faschinating man with so many interests and talents. He designed many unique features in the architecture of his home, and took great interest in everything related to the gardens and agriculture. He entertained often, and had one of the most developed kitchens anywhere, even preparing the shopping list. He read constantly, but unfortunately he had gone broke by the time he died and most of his library was sold off. He was a great writer, and wrote many articles/books, including one that challenged the literalness of the Bible. Even though he was the third president, he wanted to be remembered most, not as the holder of great office, but as the author of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Virginia statute for religious freedom, and the father of the University of Virginia. He felt slavery was an abominal institution and regretted he was not able to abolish it, and in fact, had many slaves himself. DNA has confirmed that he fathered at least one child with one of his slaves.

We drove through Lynchburg, VA, primarily because we have heard so much about it from our friend Larry Trent, who used to live there. We passed up seeing the church where the former Jerry Falwell made so many pronouncements, however.

We leave tomorrow for North Carolina where we will store our trailer and then head north in the pick-up to be with family in Michigan for Thanksgiving. What a trip this has been!

Lancaster area, Pennsylania

We love the Amish countryside. It's a slower pace of life than the big cities. The Amish mostly do not use electricity or drive cars -- horse and buggy are the main mode of transportation. But they have to share the roads with the rest of us in automobiles, and I wonder at times if they worry about their safety.

We went on a tour of the Amish farmland, stopping at some of the authentic craft stores. Quilts, woodworking, candles, and food are their specialties. We loved the Amish lunch buffet (stuffing ourselves, of course!), the warm salted soft pretzels and other bakery items, the homemade root beer, canned goods, sausages, but we could pass on the shoo-fly pie. I've been amazed at the soccer-ball size cabbage and huge cauliflower and broccoli for sale at their vegetable stands. The farmlands are neat and compact, with dairies everywhere, and often clothes drying on the line. We passed by one farm that was having a wedding with lots of buggies lined up and a tent brought in just for the horses, and an addition on the barn for the guests. It's an all-day affair, with two full sit-down meals, and a break in the afternoon so the farmers can go home and milk the cows, then back for another meal. They have weddings mostly in the Fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but never on Saturdays or Sundays. Saturdays are preparation day. Sundays are for worship. Each family hosts the gathered community in their home for worship once a year, which includes several hours of worship (sitting on benches without backs) and a meal prepared by the host family.

We didn't have an invitation to an Amish worship service, so we found an Open and Affirming UCC (United Church of Christ) to attend on Sunday. The interim minister quoted from Gordon and Mary Cosby (Church of the Savior founders in Wash. DC) about his new ministry of Zacheaus Economics. Gordon is in his 80's and starting a new ministry! We were definitely drawn in!

This area also has a fair amount of history. In nearby York, we saw a reconstructed Court House in which the Continental Congress met when York became the capital of the country for several months when the British captured Philaelphia. This is where they voted to accept the Articles of Confederation, acknowledging that the colonies were the United States of America. We also went through a 1740's half timber brick Tavern that housed travelers and Congressional delegates, learning many tidbits. Do you know where the phrase "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" comes from? The bed was formed with rope tied around the bedposts. Every day the rope would need to be tightened. The mattress consisted of material stuffed with hay, which often had bugs in it. So, "sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite" was a very good wish. Or, did you know that when we talk about storing things in a trunk, the original trunk was just that -- a hollowed out trunk of a tree, in which clothing could be packed. Each end was then secured with leather, and could be used in traveling. Or the term "bar" came about when the tavern owner would put a bar around his liquor at night so the guests couldn't steal his beer.

We enjoyed going through the indoor Farmer's Market in both York and Lancaster -- the oldest indoor farmer's markets in our country. They had aisles and aisles of fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, baked goods, canned foods, prepared items, crafts... and not nearly as expensive as our farmer's markets.

We also enjoyed going through a clock museum -- a history of how "time" was invented and recorded from our earliest ancestors until now. We found the oldest existing girls school in Lititz and the Moravian Church next to it -- the church owned the whole town in earlier days. My friend Jane Differding's uncle was headmaster there when she was a child, and her father was a Moravian minister. The Moravians influenced John Wesley, founder of Methodism, so it was fun to make that connection.

One of our surprises (and we seem to have them everywhere we travel) was going to Hershey to go through the chocolate factory. Oh, my. It wasn't just a factory -- it was a city, with huge factor buildings, plus an amusement park, a sports arena, an entertainment center, a huge hotel, museum, and who-knows-what-all! We just wanted to go on the tour, which we did eventually find. We were put on a little train that took us through a simulated factory, with a Disneyland feel to it. It was interesting, and we did get a free sample. The end of the tour was through a huge store with all kinds of chocolate-everything! A chocoholic paradise, for sure!