Between trips

We had left Wisconsin early because we had tickets to the Symphony in the Flint Hills.  We were really looking forward to going.  BUT ... a windstorm came through and destroyed several tents and for the first time, the event was cancelled.  We were so sad.  We will have to try another year.

If we had only known, we would have stayed with the kids a little longer as the family sang together at church and we would have loved to have worshiped with them.

The family went to Ohio to pick up their new puppy!!  His name is Kobi, shortened from the Japanese word Yorokobi, or Joy.    Isn't he just sticking cute?!

I finished working on genealogy books for the children and nieces and nephew.  What a project.  Months and months of work!  Such interesting stories from our past.  One of our relatives died in prison in Switzerland for his anabaptist faith, back in the early 1600's.

My grandfather's family and grandmother's families along with my husband's families are all inter-related.  We are almost a bushy bush, instead of a family tree!  Names are repeated in each of our families over and over.  Al says that if we were dogs, we would be purebreads and quite expensive!

Psalm 145:4

 One generation will praise your deeds to another,

    and tell about your mighty acts!

The Worship pastor at church and I have worked on a prayer room.  For the longest time, there just was no space, but after much prayer, somehow there was a solution!  Each week, during each of the services, there are people who come to pray for the service, for the people, the pastors, elders, the childen in the nursery and in Sunday School, youth group, the nation....  It is quite amazing how fast the hour goes!  I LOVE this precious time!

Sweet hour of prayer 

Sweet hour of prayer 
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne 
Make all my wants and wishes known 
In seasons of distress and grief 
My soul has often found relief 
And oft escaped the tempter's snare 
By Thy return, sweet hour of prayer

We have a board for requests and also a bulletin board where we post answers to prayer.   We can call to Him in our distress.  Our cries come before Him, into His ears.  Psalm 18:6

Our family had a get-together.  Al's sister, Julie is moving away and we have enjoyed getting together when we can.  It won't be quite as easy any more.  But she is close to her children, and that is good!

One evening the sky was just incredible to look at!!  I have to say, I love clouds!!

"It is He who made the earth by His power.  Who established the world by His wisdom.  And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.  When He utters His voice, there is tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth."  Jeremiah 10:12,13

My Bible study group - during the summer we meet every other week at a coffee shop.  

One of the ladies brought her granddaughter one day.

Then the other week we meet to sew dresses for Dress A Girl Around the World.

 Here is one that was finished recently.

Author, Deb Raney, came to town and gave a short talk about her new book.

 If you've not discovered this author, you have to read her books!  Her newest.

Deb's mother used to be in our Bible study many years ago, which is how I got to know about her.

 A dear friend and brother-in-Christ went  home to be with the Lord.  Dear sweet Carolyn used to be part of our Bible study until they moved back to California.

Rich was such a generous and kind man.  He could play the piano like no one's business!!  And now he is in the Lord's presence!  Until we meet again, Rich!

And then, it was time to pack my suitcase again, because we were on another road trip.....

Homes of famous people

After a good night's rest, we began our trip home.  The hotel coffee was not the best, so we decided we would stop in Hannibal at the Java Jive.  It is only an hours drive from Jacksonville to Hannibal but in that distance, we counted 8 police cars!  And by the end of the day - 18!  Not sure why they were so thick.

Sort of a blurry picture.  I took it as we crossed the Mississippi.  Look how high the water is to the railroad tracks!

We climbed the dikes to see how the flooding was since we'd been here last week.

The tracks and the playground still under water.  

We enjoyed getting good coffee to get us going on the road.

A unique lamp in the restroom.

Shortly after Brookfield, I had Al turn north so we could see the Locust Creek Covered Bridge.  I discovered this when I went to Wisconsin on my own.

There were bats inside!

It began to sprinkle while we were walking back to the car, and then the rain began in ernest.  We timed that good!

As we continued west on 36, I saw a sign for J. C. Penney's boyhood home!  Of course, we had to stop!  He grew up in Hamilton, Mo.  It is just a small town of about 1800.  

There are Amish around here.

He grew up in a little bitty house!

I read about his life and was really impressed!  It is worth the read!  

At Cameron, we stopped for gas.

We continued on 36, west to St. Joseph, where we stopped to see the home where Jesse James lived.

As long as we were looking at famous people's homes, we of course would have to stop to see Amelia Earhart's home in Atchison.  It was not out of the way - or so we thought.  

The bridge across the river was closed due to flooding, so we had to go back up to St. Joseph and go west a few more miles on 36 and south on highway 7, coming in from the north.

And here is the home she grew up in.  We were going to take a tour but it was 10 minutes to closing and we'd still have to pay full price.  We'll come another time.

The tour guide came out and we chatted for quite a while.  She said in the olden days, the wagon trains would stop here and purchase supplies.  The store keepers in Atchison got rich, selling things at high prices to those crossing west.

 Fancy homes

We could see the river flooded to the east.  The guide told us her daughter works in KC and it is usually a short drive over the bridge, but since it is closed now, it takes her an hour to get to work.

A neighbor lady came out to talk too and we found out she is originally from Hutch, our go-to town where we did shopping!  And where Al and I went to college.  Small world!  

Well, on this trip, we had seen the homes 

         of General John J. Pershing and Mark Twain, 

               Wyatt Earp and Ronald Reagan,

                     Abraham Lincoln,

and today J. C. Penney's, Jesse James' and Amelia Earhart.  

Allen said, "There's one more home I want to see."

      "MINE!"

Continuing on home...

Can anyone tell me what this is?  It looks like a steeple just sticking out of the ground.   It is on Highway 4 between Atchison and Topeka.

We made a rest stop in the Flint Hills

Pretty warm day - the cattle enjoyed standing in the ponds.

And we got home before dark!