Between trips

I was home for less than a week before we were off on another trip.  Between trips:

I helped teach a Bible study with my friend Sarah.  We are studying an overview of the Bible using Walk through the Bible materials and things we have learned going to Israel.  Sarah's brother leads groups there.   Here is an old picture of us.  But we haven't changed much - have we?

This was our very first young mother's group in 2009! 

 We need to get a picture of this year's group!

I went to my "old ladies", excuse me, "gracefully aging older women" friends' Bible study.  Here we are sewing for Dress A Girl.  I haven't got a picture of us this year either.

We are sewing dresses for young girls and will sew shorts for the young boys at a children's home in Haiti.


The book we are studying is called "Making Peace with Your Emotions", a Women of Faith series.  I love studying with these women and praying for one another!


This year we are also going out for lunch in groups of 3 or 4 once a month so that we can get to know one another in a smaller setting.

We went to see the movie "God Bless the Broken Heart" with friends Dave and Marilyn and Sally and Robert.

We cried through the whole thing!

We visited Grace Fellowship in Hillsboro, the church our son-in-law used to pastor before being called to Wisconsin.  They used to meet in the grade school but have built a beautiful new facility!

 Our friends, the Friesens also came to help celebrate the new church.  Luke does chores for us when we are on our many trips we go on; feeding the birds, watering plants, etc.

It is so beautifully crafted, much of it done by the people attending the church!

 We attended a celebration of the 70 years of Israel as a nation.

I got my flu shot too!


Thought I better since I help with Awana Cubbies!  Adorable little 3 and 4 year olds!!

And then, another trip to go on....

Drive across Missouri and on home

 I left Hannibal around 10 in the morning after the visit to the museum.  I popped in the audio CD of Tom Sawyer and enjoyed the story.  Highway 36 across Missouri was a nice 4 lane road. 

But OF COURSE, when the opportunity arose, I HAD to get off the highway and get on a dirt road!

I saw a sign for a covered bridge and I could not pass that up!  It was east of Chillicothe.

The sign said that I would have to walk 1/4 a mile to the bridge.  There was one other car parked there.  It was a pretty secluded place.  What if there were a murderer lurking, waiting for me?  

     Or perhaps a pack of coyotes or wolves?       

                Or a bear?

I grabbed my mace and thanked the Lord that I was not all alone.  He was with me!

"When I am afraid, 

     I will trust in You....

In God I trust; I will not be afraid.

   What can man (or coyotes, wolves or bears) do to me?"

                   from Psalm 56

"I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.  

              I cry out to God Most High, to God, Who fulfills His purpose for me."

                                                                                            Psalm 57:1,2

When I got to the bridge, I met this couple.  They were on their honeymoon and happened to see the sign and also had to get off the main road to see the bridge.

This bridge used to be on the main road and water did flow underneath it at one time.

The couple offered to take my picture and I took theirs.

On the walk back to the car, I could hear a chickadee, woodpecker and titmouse.

I wanted to take 36 all the way across to 135 but I decided it would put me home after dark.  I am not supposed to drive after dark, so I opted for a shorter route.  Parts of this route I had not been on before.

I was getting rather nervous as I drove south on 77.  I needed gas bad!

I finally found a gas station in the town of  Herrington.

I came across a sunflower field just north of home.

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful trip to Indianapolis and to Ohio, the opportunity to see family and friends, and to enjoy this beautiful country!  For safety on all the 2-lane roads and from wild critters!

A night in Hannibal

I spent the night in Hannibal, Missouri, the boyhood home of Mark Twain.  I stayed at the Main Street Bed and Breakfast right downtown (on Main Street, hence the name)  

The building used to be an old bank with law offices on the 2nd floor, now converted to a B&B.  The owners live in the bank portion.

Admittedly, there were trains that clickety-clacked throughout the night less than a block away.  However, on the pillow with a delicious piece of chocolate were ear plugs, and really, the trains did not deter me from a good night's rest!

 I felt just like this lady - I just wanted to dance a jig I was so happy on this little adventure!

There was a basket of breakfast goodies.  The night before, I stopped here at the Java Jive located next door to get a sandwich to eat for dinner.

The Mark Twain Museum was right across the street so before leaving town, I decided to visit.

 Norman Rockwell illustrated two of Twain's most famous books, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in 1936 and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1940.  I love Norman Rockwell paintings!

 Mark Twain had this jewelry box hand-carved in Italy for his wife, Livy.  Inside the top is a hand-painted silk painting.  It can't be exposed to air and light or it would deteriorate but below is a copy of it.

I find this a little creepy.


 



Mark Twain's books are enjoyed world wide.

 You can take cruises down the Mississippi River.  Since we did that earlier this summer, I had no need to do so now.

Mark Twain's boyhood home.   You can see the white fence where Tom Sawyer persuaded his friends to pay him for the privilege of whitewashing.  Tom sat nearby and watched that it would be done well.

I bought myself the audio tape of the story to listen to while I drove home to Kansas.  

Listening to the story, I was somewhat taken back because he uses language we don't use today.  But it was interesting and enjoyable and made the trip go by fast.