July 28, 2014
Today we enjoyed a great visit with long time friends, Carl and Margaret Reed. We all met and became friends in the post high youth group at First Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak. The group had a tendency to grow and shrink and we were all part of the quick shrinking in 1963 as several couples within the group got married including us. Both Carl and Margaret were in our wedding party. They moved to Pennsylvania close to 40 years ago so we've not seen other alot over the years. BUT now, they are just about an hour from our son's home so when we set up housekeeping in his driveway we're able to spend time together again. It is like the years apart never existed. :-)
Today we met them at a lovely old restaurant, Tavern on the Square, built back in the 1800s in New Wilmington, PA. It is Carl's old stomping grounds as he grew up here attending school with many of the Amish who live in the area. Our delicious lunch lasted several hours as we caught up with each other and had lots of laughs together.
Ken and I then enjoyed checking out some of the quaint shops in nearby Volant, a town only 1/8 of a mile long all of which is filled with the little specialty shops. Amish buggies traveled up and down the road adding to the flavor of the area.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Sunday July 27 - A Day of Celebration and Joy
Worship at our church in Royal Oak, Michigan was extra special for us today - so much so that we drove from Pennsylvania yesterday just to attend. Why, because our son, Daniel, was the guest preacher.
Ken and I have been members of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak since we graduated from high school when both of us were new to the area, me from the east side of Detroit and he from Whitehall, Michigan. He joined the choir that I was already singing in and then started attending the post high youth group as well. That is where we met. A couple of years later we were married there. All four of our children were active members and in fact, our oldest daughter, her husband and two boys still are active. This year the church is celebrating its 100th anniversary and as part of that celebration have invited back past pastors and children of the congregation who have gone into the ministry to preach some time during the year. This was Dan's Sunday.
Now why was that so special? After all we can hear him every Sunday while we are here in Pennsylvania at his own church, Westminster Presbyterian. But this gave us an opportunity to see old friends who watched him grow up and especially some of the people who had been the most influencial in his career choice. It was a special joy as all of them have moved on to other churches and one has even moved out of the state so we don't see them very often. Besides it meant he was back "home" even if it was only for a few hours. Here they are with Dan and his wife Jen.
It was also our 51st wedding anniversary. So for us it was a return to our roots. The flowers decorating the lobby were placed there in celebration of this special day. Here we are with them.
It was a special joy to have some additional time with our oldest daughter, Bethany, and her husband, Dean, as well as their two boys, Scott and Jason as well. They welcomed us into their very welcoming home last night when we drove in from Pennsylvania. Time with our children is always special. Dean has created a beautiful front and back yard with his very green thumb and we always enjoy seeing it. He has created what I always wished I could have - wonderful flower gardens and lush lawns. Somehow I was never as successful as he has been.
After the service, the whole family gathered for lunch at our favorite local restaurant, bd Mongolian Grill in Royal Oak. We had the private room so we could easily mix and chat in the little time we had before everyone went their separate ways. There was even a special anniversary cake. Since next weekend is Jen's parents 45th anniversary, we celebrated both of those anniversaries.
And even threw in the additional celebration of Dan and Jen's 21st anniversary that was a couple of days ago and her sister, Sue, and husband, Jim's, 9th anniversary that was earlier in the month.
What a fantastic day!!! To top it off, by evening we were back in our motorhome in Pennsylvania before the thunder storm hit that had sirens going off and even causing some damage in areas we'd driven through. God truly took care of us.
We thank God every day for our marriage, our children and grandchildren, and our ability to get around and be able to participate in events like this. What wonderful gifts He has given us!
Ken and I have been members of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak since we graduated from high school when both of us were new to the area, me from the east side of Detroit and he from Whitehall, Michigan. He joined the choir that I was already singing in and then started attending the post high youth group as well. That is where we met. A couple of years later we were married there. All four of our children were active members and in fact, our oldest daughter, her husband and two boys still are active. This year the church is celebrating its 100th anniversary and as part of that celebration have invited back past pastors and children of the congregation who have gone into the ministry to preach some time during the year. This was Dan's Sunday.
Now why was that so special? After all we can hear him every Sunday while we are here in Pennsylvania at his own church, Westminster Presbyterian. But this gave us an opportunity to see old friends who watched him grow up and especially some of the people who had been the most influencial in his career choice. It was a special joy as all of them have moved on to other churches and one has even moved out of the state so we don't see them very often. Besides it meant he was back "home" even if it was only for a few hours. Here they are with Dan and his wife Jen.
And this is a picture of a family that has not only supported Dan through the years but have given us a great deal of support, too, while raising our children and they continue to do so still today. Cecil and Mary Elizabeth Luttenbacher had to travel a long distance to be able to attend (about an hour and a half of driving) so it was extra special to see them and a couple of their children as well - Diane, Sue Ann and Rick.
Since Dan's wife also grew up in the area, her parents were also able to come as well as her sister and her husband and two children. What a thrill to have all 17 of us together in worship.
Here is a picture of all of us.
And here we are back at the beginnings of this terrific relationship
After the service, the whole family gathered for lunch at our favorite local restaurant, bd Mongolian Grill in Royal Oak. We had the private room so we could easily mix and chat in the little time we had before everyone went their separate ways. There was even a special anniversary cake. Since next weekend is Jen's parents 45th anniversary, we celebrated both of those anniversaries.
And even threw in the additional celebration of Dan and Jen's 21st anniversary that was a couple of days ago and her sister, Sue, and husband, Jim's, 9th anniversary that was earlier in the month.
What a fantastic day!!! To top it off, by evening we were back in our motorhome in Pennsylvania before the thunder storm hit that had sirens going off and even causing some damage in areas we'd driven through. God truly took care of us.
We thank God every day for our marriage, our children and grandchildren, and our ability to get around and be able to participate in events like this. What wonderful gifts He has given us!
Day 16 and 17 - Lots of Traveling
Saturday, July 19
After our lovely day in Bergen, Norway we had the "gift" of a day at sea as we cruised back toward England. These are some of our favorite days when cruising - days to relax and just soak up the fun of being cared for and just 'hanging loose'. This last day was an especially busy one as there was much we wanted to do on the ship's schedule.
Following a leisurely breakfast, we attended a culinary demonstration by the Maitre d/hotel on our ship as well as the Corporate Executive Chef of Princess who just happened to be sailing with us on this trip. After demonstrating how to make several different dishes along with trading jokes and side notes, all of us in attendance were given a tour of the Ocean Princess galley. That is always a treat seeing where all that wonderful comes from and getting a peak at what is being prepared for our upcoming lunch.
Immediately following that the we participated in a "On Deck for the Cure" 5 K walk on the running track of the ship that we dedicated to my mother, aunt and grandmother all of whom had breast cancer and three friends who are fighting the good fight right now: Emma Jean Cook, Nancy Kerr, and Carolyn Jouret.
The walk had us out of doors in a misty fog and doing a mighty fast walk for us - especially fast because we were eager to be done and get to the last enrichment lecture of the trip which actually started as we were walking. The lecturer has presented a whole fascinating series on forensics. This particular one was about The Search for the Unknown Titanic Child and how through DNA testing just recently it has been established who the child is in the unknown child tomb in Halifax where many of the victims were buried. It was just amazing to learn what scientists now are able to discern from even a tiny fragment of bone (in this case about the size of a broken toothpick).
After our last lunch aboard the ship, I went to a book club meeting to discuss the book that had been selected for passengers on this trip to read and discuss. It was called The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan. It was a fascinating historical fiction based around real characters who lived in Paris, France in a very poor area in the late 1800s.. One of them was selected by the painter Edgar Degas to be the model for several of his paintings and one famous statue - Little Dancer. She was only about 14 at the time and living off a very tiny stipend she received while attending Paris Opera, a ballet school. Her older sister had been in the school and on stage some and the younger one was just starting the school.
This was followed by a passenger talent show in the Cabaret Lounge. Usually we don't choose to attend these but I was especially intrigued to see what might be shared especially since we had such a diverse group of people on board representing 29 different countries. Among the participants was a teen ager from Russia who played a couple of pieces by Edvard Grieg whose homeland we had just visited (Bergen) and a fellow from China who sang Some Enchanted Evening beautifully and in almost perfectly pronounced English. Impressive!
Once that was over, Ken and I had to face the fact that all good things must come to an end which meant we had to get our suitcase packed as it had to be outside our stateroom door before our 6:00 dinner hour. So we tackled the job and chatted about all the wonderful memories we'd made on this trip.
Dinner ended with a parade of baked Alaskas carried by the waiters and led by all the chefs as we waved napkins and shouted our thanks for a great cruise. They no longer use real lit candles but battery ones but the affect is still wonderful with the lights turned low.
The entertainment after dinner was provided by an outstanding violinist Greg Scott who could produce some amazing varieties of music on the instrument. He was followed by a comedian we didn't much care for so we just went out on the deck to enjoy one last beautiful sunset before calling it a night as we had to up very early the following morning.
Sunday, July 20
We were up at 4:30 this morning. The ship had docked in Dover earlier in the morning so we were greeted with a view of the beautiful white cliffs of Dover once again. Then we were off for a quick breakfast as we had to report to disembark at 6:00 a.m.!!!!! Mighty early for sure!
Our bus took us to Heathrow Airport where we had to find things to do as our plane was not due till 12:30 and weren't due to fly out til a little after 1:00. People watching, chats with others from the ship also waiting, walking, and reading filled our time. The flight itself was due to get into Detroit at 4:30 p.m. which was 9:30 England time so it was getting mighty tired out by the time we arrived. There was the usual round up your luggage and long wait to get through customs before Beth could pick us up and take us back to her home where Dean had a meal ready which was really welcomed by us. It was fun to chat with them for a bit but the tireds took over and we were off to bed not long afterwards because we had to then get up early and head out for our home in Pennsylvania in the morning. By the time we were back there at 2:30 in the afternoon all we could think of was a good nap :-)
So all the travel came to an end but oh what wonderful memories we have of this fantastic cruise to areas just south of the Arctic Circle.
After our lovely day in Bergen, Norway we had the "gift" of a day at sea as we cruised back toward England. These are some of our favorite days when cruising - days to relax and just soak up the fun of being cared for and just 'hanging loose'. This last day was an especially busy one as there was much we wanted to do on the ship's schedule.
Following a leisurely breakfast, we attended a culinary demonstration by the Maitre d/hotel on our ship as well as the Corporate Executive Chef of Princess who just happened to be sailing with us on this trip. After demonstrating how to make several different dishes along with trading jokes and side notes, all of us in attendance were given a tour of the Ocean Princess galley. That is always a treat seeing where all that wonderful comes from and getting a peak at what is being prepared for our upcoming lunch.
Immediately following that the we participated in a "On Deck for the Cure" 5 K walk on the running track of the ship that we dedicated to my mother, aunt and grandmother all of whom had breast cancer and three friends who are fighting the good fight right now: Emma Jean Cook, Nancy Kerr, and Carolyn Jouret.
The walk had us out of doors in a misty fog and doing a mighty fast walk for us - especially fast because we were eager to be done and get to the last enrichment lecture of the trip which actually started as we were walking. The lecturer has presented a whole fascinating series on forensics. This particular one was about The Search for the Unknown Titanic Child and how through DNA testing just recently it has been established who the child is in the unknown child tomb in Halifax where many of the victims were buried. It was just amazing to learn what scientists now are able to discern from even a tiny fragment of bone (in this case about the size of a broken toothpick).
After our last lunch aboard the ship, I went to a book club meeting to discuss the book that had been selected for passengers on this trip to read and discuss. It was called The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan. It was a fascinating historical fiction based around real characters who lived in Paris, France in a very poor area in the late 1800s.. One of them was selected by the painter Edgar Degas to be the model for several of his paintings and one famous statue - Little Dancer. She was only about 14 at the time and living off a very tiny stipend she received while attending Paris Opera, a ballet school. Her older sister had been in the school and on stage some and the younger one was just starting the school.
This was followed by a passenger talent show in the Cabaret Lounge. Usually we don't choose to attend these but I was especially intrigued to see what might be shared especially since we had such a diverse group of people on board representing 29 different countries. Among the participants was a teen ager from Russia who played a couple of pieces by Edvard Grieg whose homeland we had just visited (Bergen) and a fellow from China who sang Some Enchanted Evening beautifully and in almost perfectly pronounced English. Impressive!
Once that was over, Ken and I had to face the fact that all good things must come to an end which meant we had to get our suitcase packed as it had to be outside our stateroom door before our 6:00 dinner hour. So we tackled the job and chatted about all the wonderful memories we'd made on this trip.
Dinner ended with a parade of baked Alaskas carried by the waiters and led by all the chefs as we waved napkins and shouted our thanks for a great cruise. They no longer use real lit candles but battery ones but the affect is still wonderful with the lights turned low.
The entertainment after dinner was provided by an outstanding violinist Greg Scott who could produce some amazing varieties of music on the instrument. He was followed by a comedian we didn't much care for so we just went out on the deck to enjoy one last beautiful sunset before calling it a night as we had to up very early the following morning.
Sunday, July 20
We were up at 4:30 this morning. The ship had docked in Dover earlier in the morning so we were greeted with a view of the beautiful white cliffs of Dover once again. Then we were off for a quick breakfast as we had to report to disembark at 6:00 a.m.!!!!! Mighty early for sure!
Our bus took us to Heathrow Airport where we had to find things to do as our plane was not due till 12:30 and weren't due to fly out til a little after 1:00. People watching, chats with others from the ship also waiting, walking, and reading filled our time. The flight itself was due to get into Detroit at 4:30 p.m. which was 9:30 England time so it was getting mighty tired out by the time we arrived. There was the usual round up your luggage and long wait to get through customs before Beth could pick us up and take us back to her home where Dean had a meal ready which was really welcomed by us. It was fun to chat with them for a bit but the tireds took over and we were off to bed not long afterwards because we had to then get up early and head out for our home in Pennsylvania in the morning. By the time we were back there at 2:30 in the afternoon all we could think of was a good nap :-)
So all the travel came to an end but oh what wonderful memories we have of this fantastic cruise to areas just south of the Arctic Circle.
Day 15 - Bergen, Norway
When we awoke clouds hovered over the top of the hills but the prediction was for warm (high 60s) and mostly sunny. For the first time on this trip we could leave the rain coats and heavy jackets behind! After breakfast we were off on our bus tour of the city of Bergen, the 2nd largest city in Norway. It started with a funicular ride up to the top of Mt. Florens where we could see all the way out to the North Sea.
Our guide pointed out the seven mountains that surround the city and took us for a walk in the woods to the little lake where people can canoe. It was a wonderful spot to hike and so very quiet and peaceful compared to the huge city at the base of the mountain. There were tall evergreens and lots of trees including aspen as well as moss, rock, wild flowers, wild blueberry bushes, a cascading stream, and cute signs along the hiking paths.
Posters indicated that concerts are often held up here in the evening. Back near the front was a restaurant, cafe, shop, children's playground and a troll statue.
After our return to the bus we were given a couple hour tour of the city and surrounding communities. More than 120,000 people live in the city center but far more in the "suburbs". That was especially evident as we cruised out of the fjord late in the afternoon and saw many homes scattered over the hills and rocky outcroppings. It has to take a long time to get into town from many of those areas and especially the airport that was almost an hour out of our berth.
The old section of the city was primarily wood structures but not a lot remains due to numerous fires and the fact wood construction is no longer allowed. Instead most everything is smooth cement all painted in a variety of colors. Everything is very close together with most of the streets still paved in stone. Once we were away from the old section streets widened and there was even expressway.
Because we were riding in a bus the whole time it was difficult to get many pictures worth keeping but I did snap one of this rather "ugly" statue of Edvard Grieg in front of the concert hall. Bergen was his hometown.
As we left Bergen and sailed out the fjord, we passed by lots of lovely scenery and homes built in interesting spots. This definitely is a wealthy area as we saw many many pleasure boats and some pretty spectacular homes.
Our guide told us that the oil wells in the North Sea have produced enough income to keep the country free of any national debt. Yet the prices of goods are very high.
Our guide pointed out the seven mountains that surround the city and took us for a walk in the woods to the little lake where people can canoe. It was a wonderful spot to hike and so very quiet and peaceful compared to the huge city at the base of the mountain. There were tall evergreens and lots of trees including aspen as well as moss, rock, wild flowers, wild blueberry bushes, a cascading stream, and cute signs along the hiking paths.
Posters indicated that concerts are often held up here in the evening. Back near the front was a restaurant, cafe, shop, children's playground and a troll statue.
After our return to the bus we were given a couple hour tour of the city and surrounding communities. More than 120,000 people live in the city center but far more in the "suburbs". That was especially evident as we cruised out of the fjord late in the afternoon and saw many homes scattered over the hills and rocky outcroppings. It has to take a long time to get into town from many of those areas and especially the airport that was almost an hour out of our berth.
The old section of the city was primarily wood structures but not a lot remains due to numerous fires and the fact wood construction is no longer allowed. Instead most everything is smooth cement all painted in a variety of colors. Everything is very close together with most of the streets still paved in stone. Once we were away from the old section streets widened and there was even expressway.
Because we were riding in a bus the whole time it was difficult to get many pictures worth keeping but I did snap one of this rather "ugly" statue of Edvard Grieg in front of the concert hall. Bergen was his hometown.
We did pass the summer palace of the king
Day 14 - Skjolden, Norway
At 11:00 last night, our ship picked up a pilot to guide us through the longest fjord, Lustrafjorde, in the world (20 5km). We docked at 7:00 this morning. What a beautiful view we had when we pulled open the curtains this morning. It was drizzling and the clouds were low but the evergreen tree covered mountains rose starting right on the shore with just a barn and home up maybe a couple of hundred feet from the gorgeous blue green glacial water. This picture was taken from the ship on the 9th floor.
Following lunch, we boarded a tour bus for a trip down a very narrow mountain road that followed along the dge of fjord. We traveled thru several tunnels most of the time hugging the side of a mountain as we traveled. The bus driver had a real challenge because every time we encountered a car or truck we had to shift to the very edge of the road or back up to a spot where we could shift over a bit more so that vehicles could pass. In one of the tunnels, we met a truck and our bus driver had to back all the way out of the tunnel to where there was a bit of grass shoulder so it could pass us. The switch back roads as we climbed a mountain to see a stave church, became a real challenge when we met a tour bus coming down. At one point we made a very short stop so those interested could take a quick picture. Six cars and trucks ended up backed up behind us.
In the town of Luster, we visited the oldest of the remaining 28 Viking built stave churches in the country (1000 once existed), the Urnes Stave Church. It was originally built in 1130. These wooden churches have high-rising turrets and sloped roofs along with a lot of carving and detailed paintings on the walls. Coatings of pine tar have protected it along with the fact it is constructed on a stone foundation to protect it from rot. Staves or upright long poles make up the frame work.
The ferry ride itself was quite an experience as it was very small and required that all of us get off the bus and stand on the tiny upper deck. The bus driver had to back onto the of the ferry with a space allowance of about 6 inches on each side of him.
Since it was raining, we weren't able to get good pictures but the views were spectacular.
These colorful boat houses lined the shore in the town where we were headed.
And we even had some dolphins follow us.
Because of the misty rain we were not able to get pictures that truly showed the beauty that surrounded us on our sail back down the fjord in the evening but it really was amazing.
Since our tour wasn't happening until the afternoon we enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast and simply soaked up the view we had from that dining area which overlooked the waters and a mountain filled cove.
Following lunch, we boarded a tour bus for a trip down a very narrow mountain road that followed along the dge of fjord. We traveled thru several tunnels most of the time hugging the side of a mountain as we traveled. The bus driver had a real challenge because every time we encountered a car or truck we had to shift to the very edge of the road or back up to a spot where we could shift over a bit more so that vehicles could pass. In one of the tunnels, we met a truck and our bus driver had to back all the way out of the tunnel to where there was a bit of grass shoulder so it could pass us. The switch back roads as we climbed a mountain to see a stave church, became a real challenge when we met a tour bus coming down. At one point we made a very short stop so those interested could take a quick picture. Six cars and trucks ended up backed up behind us.
In the town of Luster, we visited the oldest of the remaining 28 Viking built stave churches in the country (1000 once existed), the Urnes Stave Church. It was originally built in 1130. These wooden churches have high-rising turrets and sloped roofs along with a lot of carving and detailed paintings on the walls. Coatings of pine tar have protected it along with the fact it is constructed on a stone foundation to protect it from rot. Staves or upright long poles make up the frame work.
We were not allowed to take pictures on the inside so can't show the intricate carvings in there but this shot of the front and one of the sides gives an idea of what went into the construction.
Across the street from the church was a tiny museum with a huge field of raspberry bushes, loaded with big red berries. The farm land rolled right down the mountainside to the fjord.
The remainder of our tour took us through small towns, over rushing streams with small waterfalls, past vineyards and small farms and was capped with a ferry trip across the fjord so we continue back toward the ship yet see even more of the landscape.
The ferry ride itself was quite an experience as it was very small and required that all of us get off the bus and stand on the tiny upper deck. The bus driver had to back onto the of the ferry with a space allowance of about 6 inches on each side of him.
Since it was raining, we weren't able to get good pictures but the views were spectacular.
These colorful boat houses lined the shore in the town where we were headed.
And we even had some dolphins follow us.
Because of the misty rain we were not able to get pictures that truly showed the beauty that surrounded us on our sail back down the fjord in the evening but it really was amazing.
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