Before we started to PA. I volunteered to do a meme for a blog friend, so here goes. I know some people don’t like them but, it helps you know a person better. (A person you’ve never seen J )

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? __ I was working hard at my cake and catering business. We would do up to 11 cakes a weekend and 3 or 4 caterings, all off premise.

I was also wishing I could spend more time with my children and grandchildren.

2. What is on my to do list today? __ Finish unpacking. Cleaning the sewing room. Laundry, in general clean house as much as can with the energy I’ve got left.

3.Things I would do if I were a Billionaire? __ I would first of all give my children at least $100,000.00 so they wouldn’t have to worry about debt. Then I would put away some so Pop and would be able to pay our place off and also be able to help others in need. Almost worse than debt is the inability to help other when we see a need. Then I would give the rest to missions.

4.Three of my bad habits? ___ I wish I had only three. But one is staying up too late at night (in other words taking too much me time) Collecting anything there is too collect, and I guess 3 would be trying to keep everything I collect. After all if can’t find anything else to do with an old shoe, you can always use it for a planter. J

5. Five places where I have lived. __ I’ve lived near Canby, OR, Sheridan OR, Estacada, OR where we raised our family on the banks of Eagle Creek (Crik) Fruitland, ID and of course on the road L

6. Five jobs you have had. __ House cleaning (with pay), changing diapers (without pay)

Selling every thing I could find, ex. Garden seeds, cloverine salve, greeting cards, hand made corsages, Amway, Stanley products, Avon, etc. Decorating cakes, Floral arranging, Catering, Photography. Is that 5?

7. Five people who write interesting blogs I’d like to tag. __ every one who reads my blog writes an interest one of their own so I guess you’ll have to volunteer, like I did.

Now I think were ready to start on our trip.

First of all since we only have room on the way back (Pop ordered 50,000 cards, printed with the necessary information on the back.) He wants to bring them all home with him; I only hope there is room for me, on the way home. I’ll have to send the rest of you home by plane.

We get all our printing done in Maryland, Why? Because we can get it done so much cheaper. When I first ordered blank cards I got it done in Portland, We only bought 25,000 so of course it wasn’t long till we needed more. We shopped around and found out that on 25,000 cards we could have saved over $2,000.00 if we would have got them printed in MD instead of Portland.

It is now 9:30 am on Thursday March 27, 2008. It’s time to leave. Our first stop is Boise to get gas ($3.23 per gal) Our drive thru Idaho takes about 31/2 hours, Utah comes next, I wonder how many times I have driven or flown over this road? I wonder at what point it became a road to get to and from instead of an adventure?

There is something about Utah that makes it almost my favorite state. The Rock Mountains on one side of the road and rolling hills on the other side. The mountains are now covered with a skift of snow making them very beautiful indeed. Later on in the day, the rocks will turn red, depending on the time of day and the light that shines on them. In the fall the valleys in the mountains turn red because of a bush that turns red. I wonder why God gave it to people that don’t honer Him like they should. It only shows how much He loves us no matter who we are.

Does anyone know the emotions that go with each state? (Does anyone know that I am a melancholy person? J ) Does anyone know how interesting it is to learn more about nature, and God’s creation. I also find the facts about every state interesting. I even enjoy the Mormon Crickets (which probably isn’t fair, because they can do a lot of damage)

The first time we saw Mormon Crickets. We are driving in to Silver City. The only way in to Silver City (Idaho’s favorite ghost town) is miles of back roads. It was the last of May or the first of June. These large black bugs were hopping all over the place, or was it over grown grasshoppers? Seeing a man at a campsite we asked him. His answer “Mormon Crickets” From then on it awas exciting to watch for them. The poor things lay dead on the road, so thick they turned the road black in some places.

We’re at Snowville, Utah now and Pop is stopping for gas. I wait because Pop likes to talk to different people we meet along the way. The trucks have big snow packs under them and Pop has found a truck driver to ask about the weather. Mr. Truck Driver told Pop it was snowing hard during the night. Mr. Truck Driver also said he seen at least 10 big trucks and trailers that had slid off the road, as he came over the summit. The sun is brightly shinning now. I pray that God will protect us and keep us safe.

I have to wonder how much this trip will cost us with gas so high.

Utah….we just passed a forsaken weathered old homestead. It looked like the house stood empty for years. Was it someone’s dream home? Was it the home of some new bride who had a dream of a bright future, only to find out life in the wide open spaces was hard? Drought, wind, hail, prairie fires, and cold winters forcing them to move on. Or, could it have been home to a family, the yard perhaps full of children and happy noises of children at play, they grew up and soon the young girls dated, married and moved off leaving a couple old and gray alone. When they could no longer take care of the place they left it vacant.. The old house trembled when the thunder and lightning rumbled thru the night, moaning and groaning in the farce cold winter winds. Then came summer and with it hot sun that would make it parched and dry.

As we pass I can’t help but compare it the homes we live in now. AC in the summer and automatic heat in the winter. When the sun dries everything out in the summer the automatic sprinklers come on keeping the grass around our houses bright green and soft to play on.

I’ve got an imagination, so make sure you want to finish the trip with me. I learned to do almost anything to keep from getting too bored as we travel on mile after mile. We’re still in Utah but since I’m getting tired I’d better take a nap.

These trips give me lots of time to think on God and His wonderful blessings to man.

Arriving home around 4pm Monday evening, we were tired and glad to get home. To sum up our trip to PA. this time. It was a good trip with lots of fun things happening. Kept busy all the time checking card accounts, getting ready for the wedding, picking out gifts, sorting cards, taking inventory, and of course shopping.

We went from rush hour, in Kansas on interstate 70 consisting of 2 lanes each way, and meeting 27 cars in 5 miles to Baltimore and Washington D.C. where one could meet 500 cars during rush hour, in the same distance. Where 4 lanes of traffic each way was bumper to bumper.

Gas was priced from 2.99.9 per gallon to 3.77.9 per gallon.

We stayed in Motels priced $60.00 to $70.00. With our senior discounts. (Don’t you wish you were old?) With everything we took along from Bananas (My daughters Bent and Dent store) we spent an average of $10.00 a day on eats. Of course I’m not counting free room and board at my daughter’s house. We sleep in our motor home, but we eat with Robin. (Robin, being my daughter, we’re not up early enough to eat with the birds) As we traveled we got a good taste of all kinds of weather. Rain, Thunderstorms, Snow, wind, wind, COLD WIND, blowing very, very hard.

As we traveled through Indiana and Illinois, there were Tornados in Arkansas, tearing up everything in its path and killing some. Kansas City, MO, had a tornado hit and that is too close to Indiana for comfort. We experienced a 12 hour thunderstorm with lightning coming so close to the house we were in that one time we heard a loud bang, the flash of lightning went clear across the porch under the roof. With it was rain and that brought the water up in the creek beside the house about 3 or 4 feet in a couple hours. In fact we went out by the creek and watched the water come up. It was warm in some states and we would roll the windows downs. In a couple hours we saw snow along the road. We got a good taste of global warming and global freezing.

Over the next few days I plan on posting a diary of our trip. So I can remember each day. You’re welcome to come along if you like. Some of you went along one time when we went to Multnomah Falls. Most of you fell asleep till we got there, this will take much longer.

            WELCOME ABOARD!!

Our God was very good to us on this long trip. Almost 6,000 miles and not even a flat tire. THANK YOU LORD!! “The Lord thy God is with Thee, whither soever thou goest”

I’m blessed with 52 grandchildren and 5 greats. I love little babies and I couldn’t wait to hold them when they were born one by one. I love to watch toddlers as they discover new things getting into everything in site and some things not in site. Then the terrible twos, and when they begin to talk. They say the cutest things. They start school; first thing you know they are graduating, from grade school to high school, etc.

I was so busy when my own were young and I was with them all the time and every stage just seemed natural. It’s somehow is different watching the grandchildren. Not being with them all the time, I am pleasantly surprised when I see the difference for one visit to the next. I just get used to their first smile and they begin to walk. They learn to talk and then they go to school. Then comes one graduation after the other. Soon there are weddings. Then there are great-grandchildren,

What I find interesting now is watching them become their own person. The grand’s and greats arrange in ages 4 mo’s to nearly 30.

God has blessed me beyond measure. So far most all the older ones have given their heart to the Lord and want to live for Him. I only pray that it will continue. But there are a couple that has broken our hearts by not serving God in a manner that shows. I know it breaks my heart when I see children go out in the big world by themselves, and wonder around like a little lost child. My heart aches along with every mom that aches for her children. Some of my own had a hard time finding where they belonged in the world. Praise God all came back. So, Moms don’t give up.

Four of the grandchildren are married now and I have great-grandchildren. I’ll love to watch them grow. I had my babies and my babies had their babies and now my babies, babies are having babies. Life goes on. (At a terrific rate of speed)

I don’t know why I’m thinking about it now. It might be because I just learned that one of the grandson’s is going to Belize for three weeks, he’s visiting a mission down there with a friend. Another is going this spring to Mexico to help with a mission, and still another is leaving soon to a foreign country to help with a mission project. It just thrills me to hear about their adventures when they come home. It blesses my heart to know that they are working for God. Maybe it is because I wish I was able to do those things myself, at any rate, my mind is on my grandchildren as you can tell. I didn’t tell you my one granddaughter is getting married in April. O, my I can’t keep up.

On a different subject, it is time for us to go to Pennsylvania again.

I think, I dread the trip, I don’t know, I don’t have many feelings either way. I guess after going about 30 times in the last 10 years it has become my life. I know the route by heart, and since I get the job of co-pilot I know my atlas quite well. I love maps. I have a map of every state in America and lots of maps of hiking trails. With all my pictures I can take a trip in my living room J And O, the memories.

One time we took pictures of the bridges of Madison Co, Iowa, and as the story goes, “I” found a love note tucked between the boards. So I guess I’m not the only one that has an imagination. I’ll put the note in a scrapbook sometime.

I remember the cruise we took on the inside passage to Alaska, the storm at sea, as I looked over the edge of the boat in the back and seen the waves storming about I couldn’t help but think about Jesus when he calmed the storm at sea. Also the song that says “He Is The Master of the Wind” ‘Twas beautiful that night, but just as I got inside the ship there was an announcement made, “No one outside” The ship was rolling and pitching but all ended well, except poor Pop got sea sick and as far as he was concerned the ship went round and round.

I got to fly to Hawaii with a friend and we had so much fun. We flew to a different island each morning. Her uncle was district court judge on Maui and he took us one morning to the biggest brunch I have ever seen.

We manage to get the rental car stuck on the beach, but the islanders graciously helped us out. I could go on and on but I think I’d better be kind to my readers if I have any left since I am rambling on and on.

One more story, since you all seem to enjoy a “Pop” story. We were traveling in the New England states one fall, my granddaughter was with us. It seemed like everything had “Maple” attached to it in some way. I remember one evening Pop and Cyndie went into a store to pick up a few groceries. Those that know “Pop” know that he like pop. And as he got to the check-out he seen a big wooden tub and in it were bottles of “Maple Porter” marked 3 for $1.00. (Also Pop like sales) so he bought 3. When he got back to the Motor Home, before I pot them in the refrigerator, I read the contents, they contained alcohol, I told Cyndie but we didn’t tell Pop. L After awhile we decided it was time for a taste, I sat three glasses on the table and poured them full. Cyndie and I didn’t drink ours but Pop took a sip. He made a surprised scowl and remarked “that stuff is rotten, what’s wrong with it” by that time Cyndie and were laughing quiet heartily. The rest went down the drain. That was over 10 years ago and we still laugh at him today. Poor Pop not only did he by alcohol, but he bought it when a minor was with him. The good news is I didn’t have to visit him in jail.J

On a more serious note, Sunday was Easter Sunday and I am so glad “He Arose” What does the empty tomb mean to you? I think it’s all said in the words of a song “Because the Tomb is Empty, My Life is Full”

And I leave you with a “Good Friday “ poem……………

Perhaps the day was gauzed with mist.

Perhaps the air was light.

Perhaps the rain fell trembling down,

Before that life took flight,

We know that for three lonely hours,

The day was stunned to night.

Perhaps the soul is clothed in gold.

Perhaps its veil is grief.

Perhaps its fog has lingered low,

Defying minds belief.

Each heart must know its hour of dark.

Before the Light’s relief.

Sheila J. Petre

               photography by Virginia  

This photo was taken at a beaver pond in the Grand Tetons, showing the reflection of the Tetons and the trees surrounding the pond.

 the present Christmas:  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, most of us in a house at the beach.  Then Christmas came and for some reason, I cried.  Even though I felt selfish doing it, I cried. My son and his wife came over and we had Christmas at my daughter's house. We had a very good Christmas. (As I write this I feel more guilty than ever)

            photography by Virginia