Thursday, June 1
With a relatively short drive ahead of us today, we were able to just take our time getting packed and moving everything from the hotel room to the car.
When all was finally squared away, we left Gettysburg and took off down the highway toward Richmond, Virginia, via the dreaded I-95 corridor through Washington, DC. Even now, we cringe at the thought of it!
Fortunately, we weren't in a big rush today. About an hour out of Gettysburg we saw a sign advertising Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. We'd seen that same sign on previous trips through the area, and decided today would be the day we'd find out all about it.
We left the highway and wandered through some woods before winding our way up a hill to a cemetery and the beautiful campus of Our Lady of Lourdes. Words can't describe the multitude of beautiful views, so we'll just let the photos show it.
After leaving the campus, we drove back down to the highway until we hooked up with the interstate system leading toward Washington, DC, caught I-95 South to Richmond, and then turned, off and made our way to Midlothian.
No one was home when we got to Mike and Kelly's house, so we got the key from the secret hiding place and began moving all of our stuff into the guest room upstairs.
Later, Kelly and the kids came home and we got to start playing Gramps and Gramsie to Ava, Jack, and Benjamin.
Kelly ordered pizza through a school fundraiser, so we all had a good time when the pizzas arrived and Ava recognized the folks who were delivering them.
The only thing better than watching the special pizza delivery was when Mike got home and we got to sit down, eat, and enjoy some family time for the rest of the evening.
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Friday, June 2
This morning we were refreshed on the routine of getting Ava to the school bus pickup site. Once Ava was on the bus and headed for school, Kelly left to go do some work, and Grams and Gramsie had some quality time with Jack and Benjamin.
After Ava got home, she and Jack asked about the trumpet, so I got it out and we had some "practice" time.
And then we spent another evening of fun family time...
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Saturday, June 3
The morning began with the usual family breakfast and some photo phun for us.
It was obvious to us that little Benjamin looks up to sister Ava...in more ways than one.
Weekend fun got a grand start this morning as we drove to one of the area high schools to watch Jack play T-Ball. Jack made the time and effort well worthwhile as he had a great outing!
Kelly left the game early to go to a party, so when Jack's team was finished, the rest of us returned to the house to kick back and relax...and listen to Ava serenade us on the trumpet.
Mike and Kelly got some Dad and Mom time tonight, which gave us some fun Gramsie and Gramps time with the kids. First up, dinner at Panera...always a favorite with the kids...
Followed by dessert at Sweet Frog...everyone's favorite stop!
Then, it was back to the house for baths and story time, with Ava reading to us...
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Sunday, June 4
Everyone was hustling around this morning getting ready to go to the morning activities and services at The Village Church. Mike and Kelly had to take the kids and go early, but we weren't too far behind. There is no question that if we lived in this area, The Village Church would be our choice...friendly people and great praise, worship, and sermons!
When church was over and the kids had run off a little steam, we drove to a nearby Costco to do a little shopping and a lot of looking. Then it was back to the house for nap time, followed by an afternoon and evening of family fun. Jack got a haircut, Ava did some homework, and Benjamin just enjoyed life with family!
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Monday, June 5
We promised Ava and Jack that they would each get a "date day" with Gramsie and Gramps while we were here. Today was Ava's Day, and we got the opportunity to visit her at her school, where she is finishing kindergarten in a couple of weeks.
When school was over, we gathered up the kids and drove to Chesterfield for our "required" outing to Monkey Joe's.
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Tuesday, June 6
Our "date day" today was with Jack. We did a little shopping, and then headed for one of Jack's favorite eating places, Chic-Fil-A, where he got his special meal and a little time in the play room.
When we finished our meal, we took Jack back to the house, and then we drove to Surry County, about an hour and a half southeast of Richmond, to see a couple of our Georgia volunteer friends, John and Lynn, who were supervising the construction of a new church.
It took only a few minutes to get involved in the project ourselves, as I donned a hardhat, grabbed a driver, and went to work putting pieces of steel together. And, as on our previous projects with John and Lynn in Florida and Tennessee, Barbara grabbed the camera and recorded the event for posterity.
After eating with the team, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Midlothian, arriving just as the kids' Bible study group was finishing their work for the night. We said good night to the little ones, and then headed to bed ourselves.
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Wednesday, June 7
Our last day with the kids was spent doing laundry, packing, and loading what we could into the car in preparation for the next leg of the adventure tomorrow. Tonight was just a fun time with everyone.
And family portraits...
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Thursday, June 8
We said our goodbyes to everyone last night, so we were able to get up and out early this morning with the goal of driving as far and as fast as we could today. Our route today took us across many, many miles of I-64 across Virginia and into West Virginia...
Then into Kentucky, but we had trouble either finding scenic places to photograph, or finding the camera when we saw a scenic place...guess we'll just have to go back to Kentucky one of these days...
We also made it across part of Indiana...
And well into Illinois...
before we finally called "Uncle," and stopped for the night in Mt. Vernon, where we found a great hotel and had a wonderful meal at a nearby Bob Evans restaurant before calling it a day...a l-o-n-g day!!!
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Friday, June 9
We took our time getting around this morning...got everything packed, had breakfast at the hotel, did our morning selfies...
and then started rolling.
This was another Point A to Point B day, with our ultimate goal to get to Olathe, Kansas, as soon as possible. We finished our Illinois leg of I-64, and crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis...
And headed west on I-70.
We took a little break in Boonville, one of our favorite stops along I-70. Why Boonville? Well, we'll tell you. Back in 2001 we had a sixth grade Odyssey of the Mind team at West Middle School in Liberal, Kansas. The team advanced to the state tournament where they earned a Ranatra Fusca Award for outstanding creativity, and advanced to the World Finals at the University of Maryland. I was assistant principal at the high school at the time, but was still permitted to help Barbara coach the team. We got permission from the administration and school board to take one of our Big Red road coaches to Maryland, with me as the driver.
When the time came, the team, coaches, and parents boarded the bus and we headed from Liberal to Kansas City, and then across I-70. As luck would have it, we were due for a break about the time we got to Boonville, and there was a Russell Stover outlet store at the interchange where we got off. The kids and parents (and coaches) went inside and loaded up on candy for the rest of the trip. The store manager wanted to know who we were and where we were headed, so we told our story and she offered the store's and her best wishes to us.
The kids performed nearly flawlessly in all portions of the competition and ended up as the second-place team in their problem. On the way home, we stopped again at the Russell Stover store in Boonville. The manager remembered us and asked how things had gone. When we told her the results, she pretty much told the kids to each fill up a bag (and not a little one, either) and take it as a gift from the store. She even took one of our team photos and put it on the store's bulletin board! Well, the kids were ecstatic, and we carried so much chocolate home that we couldn't even smell the diesel that was so pervasive on those older buses.
Ever since then, we have made it a point to stop at the Boonville Russell Stover, whether it was time for break or not. The store had been remodeled, the bulletin board with our team photo is gone, but we have never forgotten the friendliness and excitement of the manager and her crew that day.
We hit the road once more for the final push through Kansas City and into Olathe, arriving in plenty of time to meet with Whitney and Jimmy, as well as Heather, Alexander, and Abby, who were visiting for a few days while Andy was serving on a national AP exam grading team.
Dinner at the El Salvadorean Restaurant, ice cream,fun, and family photos were the order of the evening...
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Saturday, June 10
Heather, Alexander, and Abby left this morning to return to Richardson. After the rest of us finally got up and around, Whitney, Jimmy, Barbara, and I went to IKEA for some Saturday shop-looking and lunch. We had a great time looking at all the things we could live without, and even found a few that we just had to have. Barbara and I were entranced by the models for tiny houses, and told Whitney that they needed to construct one in their backyard and rent out their house as a bed and breakfast. Heck, we could build two tiny houses on their place and just move to Olathe!
This afternoon Whitney and Jimmy introduced us to Blue Apron meals. We had a ball watching them prepare and cook a delicious meal. Jimmy is learning a lot about food preparation, and had a hand in nearly every part of the process...and the meal was delicious...we might need to try that ourselves one of these days!
Since Jim was out of town on a business trip, the four of us spent a relatively quiet evening just visiting, reading, and watching TV.
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Sunday, June 11
We all just kind of lounged around this morning, enjoying the beautiful weather. Around noon, Barbara and I went to gas up our car and then stopped at Panda Express for some takeout food for Whitney, Jimmy, and us.
Jim got back from his business trip this afternoon, so we sat around and talked about his adventures at the Belmont Stakes in New York. He shared some wonderful photos of his experiences there while he was working for his company.
Later, we went to one of our favorite eating and shopping places, the 888 Oriental Emporium, not far from where the kids live. We enjoyed a mountain of great Chinese and Thai food...
Barbara modeled some of the latest fashions...
And, since all of us were finally together and we would be leaving the next morning, we took our family photos...
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Monday, June 12
Today was another Point A to Point B day. We quietly got away from the kids' house at 6:15, drove as fast as we could with minimal stops, and arrived back in Mineola at 3:15, just in time to hit a thunderstorm as we crossed into the city limits.
Since a thunderstorm in June is a pretty important thing in these parts, we took some pictures of the yard and North 40, and then began the task of unpacking the car, putting some things away, and making piles of laundry to be washed at a later time.
We covered 3,485 miles and drove through 14 states during the last nineteen days...it was definitely time to be home!!!
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Tuesday, June 13
We didn't waste any time getting back into the swing of things, After starting a new load of laundry, we drove to Lindale for a dermatology appointment for me. Then, it was back to the house to do more laundry, put away a few more things, and have some lunch. After a short nap, we drove up to Quitman (can't seem to stay off the highway for very long) so Barbara could see Dr. Martinez. Doctors and driving seem to be a big part of our lives!
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Wednesday, June 14
Today our nation celebrates Flag Day!!!
On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
Inspired by decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916, but it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.
Each year on this date I republish a piece that I wrote in 2003 following a discussion with Barbara about the seeming lack of knowledge of what the nation’s flag represents among school students, many of whom recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily in their classrooms, but do so in rote fashion without thinking about what they are saying.
The following piece was dedicated to the students of West Middle School in Liberal, Kansas.
I AM THE FLAG
I am the Flag of the United States of America. It is almost impossible to go through a day without seeing me…flying proudly over public buildings and military bases…marching at the head of parades…or displayed as lapel pins on the jackets of patriots, young and old.
Perhaps nowhere do I strive to be displayed more proudly than in the schools of our country, for it is there that the first lessons of patriotism are taught to those who will grow up to guide, guard, and defend the country I represent.
But even there, as I am seen by millions of students each school day, I am in danger of neglect. Like all things that are commonplace, I am often taken for granted, and the pledge that was written to show honor to my colors and my country becomes a meaningless ritual, chanted without thought, by young people who have not learned, or who have forgotten that I represent the sacrifices, hopes, and dreams of all who came before, and of countless millions around the world who would share in their freedom.
It seems that it is only in the times of war or national tragedy that I have meaning to the masses who call this land their home. If that is true, then our country is only one generation away from losing the rights and privileges that I represent, and that you take for granted. For after all, if you don’t care, then who will teach those who follow you?
Whether I fly proudly over the buildings of your community, or am placed beside the flags of your houses of worship…whether I am seen as a pin in the lapel of a military veteran, or as an over-sized decoration covering the playing field of a football or baseball stadium…or whether you see me draped in silence over the coffin of a father, mother, sister, brother, son, or daughter who served or gave their life for this country, I still represent each and every one of you, and the freedoms that were won on the battlefields around the world.
To you I make this promise…
“I pledge allegiance to those who call the United States of America their home. I will fly proudly as a symbol of your hopes and dreams, and of the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed to gain and protect your rights, privileges, and freedoms. For as long as I am honored and respected, I will be a daily reminder that we are truly ‘one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’”
James A. Little
February 1, 2003 Liberal, Kansas
Today we had the honor of having this piece published in the Community Chronicle, a monthly newspaper that serves the Lake Fork area.
Activities today were somewhat limited...Barbara made her annual pilgrimage to the Christus Mother Frances mobile unit at the local Walmart parking lot for a mammogram. Since we were on the lot already, we did some shopping to stock up an necessities, and then returned home for the day. After all we WERE still winding down from the long trip!
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Thursday, June 15
Even more important than doctor visits and medical procedures was getting a haircut, and today was the day! Leslie did a great job getting Barbara's hair put back together the way it is supposed to be. She didn't have much to work with on me, so we just used the photo of Barbara.
This afternoon we drove to Sulphur Springs and met our friends Jerry and Diane during a visitation time for one of our church members, Diane Lyons, who recently passed away. She was a sweet, sweet lady, and our hearts go out to Roger, her husband, during this time.
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Friday, June 16
Today had to rank as the least fun day of the month. We drove to Tyler this morning to Dermatology Associates so I could sit in a chair and have my face burned off. It was a miserable and very uncomfortable experience, and the immediate results made me look and feel as if I had just visited a mad scientist (maybe you have to be of a certain age to remember those movies). Words can't express the new look, so we'll just let these mug shots tell the story.
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Saturday, June 17
We hung around the house all day ('cause what else could we do?) but tonight we had a group of church friends over for soup and taters before driving out to the country to Jam-Cat for the monthly gospel sing by Cross County Line, a really wonderful gospel group.
Good friends, good music, and beautiful scenery...a great way to finish the week!
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Sunday, June 18
We went to Sunday School and the morning service at Yantis First Baptist Church this morning. Leah and Ryan brought Kaiden over this afternoon to spend VBS week with us.
The VBS kickoff was tonight, so we took Kaiden out to be registered and participate in the fun and games while we took photos.
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Monday, June 19 - Wednesday, June 21
The routine for each day was the same...breakfast, drive to Yantis, spend the morning at Vacation Bible School (Kaiden attending classes, and Barbara and I doing photography). Since every day looked the same, we didn't set up photo pages for these three days, as they wouldn't look significantly different than the ones above...or maybe we're getting lazy in our old age.
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Thursday, June 22
Yesterday was miserably hot, so riding Taz with Kaiden was out of the question. It was a little better today, so in the late afternoon we saddled up and had a ride through the back country of Wood County and over to the backside of Lake Holbrook, where we took advantage of the natural scenery to get some photos of Kaiden and Taz.
When we returned to the house, Barbara had the makings for enchiladas set out and we all helped in cooking one of our favorite meals.
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Friday, June 23
Today was the last day of VBS. The kids and workers went through their full schedule of classes, and finished the morning with a special water balloon activity and a cookout.
When we returned home, we found that a city works crew was busy digging a couple of drainage ditches from the end of the street down to the greenway drainage pond. They sent someone out with a backhoe last week and he made a terrible mess out things, so after a little encouragement from neighbor John, they were finally going to make it right. What we didn't know for a couple of hours was that the ditches were also going to be lined with asphalt to keep them from being washed out again. We were thrilled that the years long battle with renegade drainage was finally going to end, and maintenance of the North 40 would be much easier.
This evening we made a run to Wallyworld, then to Dollar Tree, and finally to the park to show Kaiden the new recreation equipment and the water park.
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Saturday, June 24
This was our last day with Kaiden. We spent the morning getting his things put together and packed, and Ryan came over to pick him up. What a wonderful week we've had!!!
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Sunday, June 25
Our church was so very fortunate this morning to host the Ferrell family from Sulphur Springs as they led our praise and worship service. Chad, Melaina, and Zach were an instant hit from the first note, and the praise band was super energized by Chad's leadership.
This evening was a good time to get on Taz and ride up to Yantis for our church service. Then we took some "roads less traveled" when we returned home.
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Monday, June 26
Barbara woke up feeling sick and dizzy this morning...she had an appointment scheduled with Dr. Marrtinez in Lindale, but was feeling too sick to go, so we called and rescheduled, and then settled in to do whatever had to be done today.
John and Carol are on a week-long getaway from San Antonio. This evening we received photos from their day in Washington, DC.
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Tuesday, June 27
Today was another rough day for Barbara. She said for me to go on out to Yantis for prayer meeting, but other than that, we both stuck close to the house.
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Wednesday, June 28
Some time back, when Barbara was visiting Dr. Martinez, her primary physician, she asked whether he could get her a prescription or order for physical rehabilitation services through the ETMC Rehab Center that is just a couple of blocks away from us. It took awhile, but we got word that the rehab had been approved through Medicare, so this afternoon we went to the rehab center and Barbara had a preliminary evaluation to set up an exercise program.
The center is relatively new and has a wide variety of equipment and services available...who knows, even I might look into buying a membership and start working out. But, I don't want to make any snap decisions😊.
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Thursday, June 29
Barbara had another appointment with Dr. Martinez this morning. This afternoon we just enjoyed having a beautiful day in the neighborhood as we looked at some of our plants and flowers,
And cooked a meal to share with our church friends Brent and Eve (they moved all the way from South Dakota to East Texas) when they came to dinner at our house tonight.
Good friends and good food...Life is Good!
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Friday, June 30
We did it!!! We made it to the end of another month (and this was a month when we weren't so sure we'd see this day).
We woke up to find that members of the local Kiwanis Club had delivered American flags throughout the community (to those who subscribe to the program). The flags will be up through the Fourth of July celebrations, but this was a great morning to get a photo.
This afternoon we drove up to Yantis to the graveside service for the brother of one of our church friends, Shi Cruse.
When we got back to Mineola, we decided to celebrate our successful conclusion of another month by going to Jalapeno Tree...great food, and even greater air conditioning!!!!!
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"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." - Martin Luther King
At home in Mineola, Texas,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsie
ADDENDUM
This date, June 30, 2017 marks the end of eleven years of our retirement and the eleventh year of publishing our journal/blog. On the afternoon that we left Liberal, Kansas, to begin this adventure, we had no clue what lay ahead of us, and even in our wildest imaginations, we never saw how life would unfold for us. We have traveled most of the Lower 48 in Big V, on the motorcycles (the Voyager and Taz), and by car (even one adventure by train), and have met a multitude of new friends. We've learned new skills along the way, and in the past 18 months have even returned to our teaching roots by preparing and delivering children's sermons each Sunday at our church in Yantis, Texas.
2017 has been bittersweet as we have faced many challenges, dealt with the sudden and unexpected death of Jim's youngest brother, Ernie, and experienced many physical challenges of our own (let's say we know much, much more about the healthcare system now than we did six months ago).
Still, we are eager to plunge into whatever adventures lie ahead of us. We are still being blessed with opportunities to travel and do volunteer work, which continues to be our dream life.
While we are less likely to stay on a firm publication schedule of our life, travels, and adventures, (not that the schedule the last year has been all that firm) we will, more than likely, continue to keep a record of some kind and get it out whenever we can.
Our thanks go out to all of our journal/blog/Facebook family who have encouraged us in this endeavor. Just when we begin to wonder if this is a worthwhile project, we hear from someone who we thought would be the least likely to even care about us, and they share their appreciation for including them in our adventures and giving them hopes and dreams for their own futures, and that reminds us of why we do this.
Thanks for keeping up with us and encouraging us...we hope and pray that the next six months will bring even more great adventures and experiences to share with you.
Love and best wishes to all,
Jim and Barbara Little
June 30, 2017
Mineola, Texas
