Naomi and Eddy came to My Home!!! (away from home!)

This is a picture of my daughter Naomi and her son 3 1/2 year oldEddy!!!
They are sitting by one of the beautiful tile signs on the walls of NYC Subway system:

A couple of months ago I learned the Rabbi and his wife, from Beit Simcha, were putting on a Messianic Praise Concert AND hosting a Messianic Passover for their congregation and other local churches in the Allentown, PA area.

I decided I would take 5 days off of work to attend the regular Shabbat Service and the CoffeeHouse concert on Saturday and then the Passover Seder the following Tuesday Eve.   I thought it would be very nice if Naomi could go with me!!!  I could ask, all she could do was say, I'm sorry, I won't be able to come.  BUT she talked to Dan and they decided she and Eddy could come!

Yay! I made arrangements with Nomi to get my car (my great little Subaru Forester) prepared for the trip.
Then we prayed and asked God to please arrange loads for me so we could caravan with my truck and car to Allentown.  God did just that!  I got a load from Kentucky to Chicago on Thursday AM.  That morning Naomi left Eau Claire and met me in Bloomington, IL, I picked up my load and we drove to Pennsylvannia together!  We had 5 amazing days together, everything went as planned and God blessed every aspect of our time together. (Even the weather and where to park my truck!)

On Saturday we attended the morning service, then the "after service fellowship lunch" (an Oneg), then Nomi and Eddy went back to the truck to sleep, and in the evening was the Messianic Praise Concert.

On Sunday, we got up and drove 1 1/2 hours to Hoboken, NJ.  Took The Path train under the Hudson River and spent a day exploring Manhatten!! So fun!!  Looking close, you can see the Statue of Liberty in the background:

On Monday, we did a self guided tour of 7 Covered Bridges in the Allentown area.
In the evening The Blanks, the Rabbi's family invited us to their personal Passover Seder in their home, Passover began on Monday Eve.  It was wonderful, we also learned so much and enjoyed lots of conversation!

On Tuesday, we headed over to a truck stop in New Jersey to relax a bit and get ready for the Community Seder scheduled for the evening.  At both seder's the children are included looking for the Afikomen and checking to see if Elijah is at the door.  Eddy got to do both of these, he loved it!

This is a pic of my pastor Rabbi Glenn and his wife Pam, Naomi, Eddy, and me:

                                                                                 
The next morning (Wed) Nomi packed up and her and Eddy started on their two day journey home. 
It was a perfect visit, eveything went so well, we had a wonderful time!!

Walks

This summer has been a wonderful time of WALKS

I have always loved Nature Walks. Really the only entertainment I enjoy, that along with swimming! Walking is much more available to me than swimming. Everywhere I go I seem to be able to find a wonderful place to walk. Yesterday, after I dropped my load at the Nuclear Energy Plant in Shippingsport, PA I, yet again, went on a beautiful walk. I walked down a one and a half mile 8% grade country road - and back up. Then continued walking and found a place called Raccoon Municipal Park. I didn't see any raccoon's, but they had a wonderful 1 mile walkway through the woods, it was refreshing and cool.

As an OTR driver I am all over the country East of the Mississippi. I have walked in so many beautiful and refreshing places. Here are some pictures. I’ve been and seen so many more places than this. Sometimes I love the environment so much I forget about taking pictures.

    Truly God is the best “entertainer” of the World!!!!!

Fort Meyers Beach, Florida Gulf of Mexico

Arkansas

Albany, Oregon

(I was in Oregon last year, didn't have my own truck then, but I included it, because I enjoyed being there soooo much)

Alabama Country Road

This road is in Mound State Park in Illinois. I went up and down these stairs at a couple different times during the walk. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Truly, the world is my gym, as I use these walks for a fast paced exercise also!

Georgia

Knoxville, Tennessee

New Orleans, Louisiana

New York City Central Park

(My first glimpse of the park - So Exciting! =)



Skyline

Central Park is so much more beautiful than I imagined!







So much to see, these are only a few glimpses

San Antonio, Texas Riverwalk

The Alamo is just two blocks away, they are both in downtown San Antonio

South Carolina

St Charles, Louisiana

Saw this Statue of "My Kids" while I was walking downtown! =))

St Louis, Missouri

Drove by so many times and loved the Arch, one day I stopped and went UP!

Virginia Beach, Virginia

It is ALWAYS wonderful to be able to go to a beach on the Ocean

William Sterling State Park on Lake Erie, just south of Detroit, Michigan

Barefoot in Cool Water - Awwww! =)

Started as "just" an idea!

Today while I was walking to the store to buy a few things I needed, I passed a Rest Home and Rehabilitation Center. Several months ago I had an idea: walk into a Rest Home, see if any of the residents would want to play cards with me.

Decided to walk in...signed the guest book at the entrance and wrote I was visiting the Activities Director...talked to the supervisor, she thought it was a positive idea, so I proceeded to try to find a resident who would be interested!! I talked to one of the residents in a wheelchair and she said, I know a resident who likes to play cards....follow me! =) So I walked down the hall with her to Clarence's room.

She peeked in his room and announced to him he had a visitor. Then I walked in and we said Hi. He was very nice and friendly. We exchanged some pleasant conversation as I told him I was looking for someone to play cards with. It was now 2:15 PM. He said he and some others had a Pinochle game planned for 3PM.

So....my efforts were getting off to a slow start. But I knew, that a lot of times get off to a slow start, but then turn out really great, so I kept talking and relaxed. We talked some more, then he taught me how to play Black Jack, which, I found out is simply another name for 21!! We were enjoying our conversation and our time together.

As 3PM approached we started off down the hall to the activities room for the scheduled Pinochle game.

Clara was there waiting. We talked a little while we waited for Paul to arrive. I mentioned I had never played Pinochle before and really didn't have a clue how to play!! So, Clarence and Clara dealt us a hand from their Pinochle deck and we laid our cards on the table and they proceeded to explain the rules. Then I left my cards on the table and they picked up their hands and we started to play a practice game. As it turned out there are a lot of complicated strategy moves in Pinochle!! My mind was swimming with all they were telling me. BUT I was absorbing their ideas.... a little at a time.

About 10 minutes later Paul showed up. We gathered the cards, shuffled and dealt them to the four of us. Since Pinochle is best played with teams, I was now Paul's team player and Clara and Clarence were our challengers. Amazing timing!! They needed a fourth player and I arrived just in time!!!! =) There are so many variables and strategies I was still feeling quite lost. So for the next several hands I had to pass my hand to Paul to help me know what to bid. They were all so nice and patient and I was working as hard and fast as I could to catch on. We were having a great time!!

Clarence was 82 and had spent his career as a physicist for a company in NJ. He was very sophisticated and intelligent and had so many great insights on life....very interesting to talk to. Paul was in his late 50's (like me), a former cop and later worked for many years with the Federal Drug and adminstration Dept, but his health was very compromised by diabetes...he had had a quadruple by-pass surgery and also was going through physical therapy for a stroke. He was at the residence for rehabilitation and was hoping to be out eventually. Clara was in her late 70's and had health issues also...but what I remember is that she said she had been part of two Pinochle Clubs in her earlier years, she was a master player!!

We played for 2 hours, then they invited me to have dinner with them! Then we continued our game from 6:30 to 8, when visiting hours were over. We had soooo much fun!! By the end I was getting it and doing my own bidding and playing...I was still making some obvious mistakes, but they were just so glad I had come in they didn't care. I was very glad I had come in too.

At 8PM I had to go, visiting hours were over, we said good-bye and I was gone!

I probably will never be back to this place , as I move around so much....but I think I will probably definitely find another place to go. It was hard to carry out on the decision to walk into the Home, present myself and my idea, but I was well received and it was a very positive experience, so I'll see what happens from here!!

Afton Visit - Dan, Naomi, and Eddy!!!

On March 19th I was in Indiana. When I checked the load that came over my satellite system, it was a load to Fargo, ND! It was Thursday and I delivered on Monday AM, so I would drive through Eau Claire over the weekend! Naomi was gone the Saturday I arrived =(, but she was having a great time at a family women's retreat, (see her blog post http://naomiesther.blogspot.cocm/2010/03/womwns-retreat.html) I stopped at Hobb's to get my mail and visit Dan and Eddy. Eddy and I had a great time. We visited my truck, which he LOVES! and he wanted Grandpa to see my truck too. Grandpa Peter was babysitting for Naomi while she was at her retreat. Then I read Eddy a book, so fun, and Eddy got a little snack and he went down for his nap!
Then I was able to hop over to Schipper's and have a wonderful visit with Beth, Kevin, and Taylor. They are wonderful believers and, as usual, made me feel so comfortable and at home. It was hard to leave their home and drive off to Fargo.

After I dropped my load Monday AM, I waited for another dispatch, nothing came up. So I was "bonused" to the Minneapolis board.

Nomi and Eddy were driving to Afton, just east of St Paul. We actually arrived at their "summer home" about the same time. So I got a first visit the same time Naomi did!
Just like Naomi and I saw my new truck the first visit together when she drove me down to Ohio last March. A little advantage we have both living in the MidWest!

Dan picked a wonderful place for their summer stay in the cities, it is beautiful. A home that was built in the late 1880's and restored so cute. And the yard and grounds are beautiful. Nomi has pics up on her blog: http://naomiesther.blogspot.com/2010/03/our-house-in-afton.html

It was about 60 degrees the next two days I was waiting for a load. The house was very comfortable and "homey" and Naomi and I and Eddy had so much fun together!




Outside we went on a couple of adventure walks. ONE of the highlights for Eddy was the wheelbarrow rides! HaHa, I just remembered Nomi made a mention about that on FaceBook! When she was in Eau Claire and the snow had first melted!
Naomi Hobb's: "It's wheelbarrow weather out there!!" "What is wheelbarrow weather"? "The snow is melted! Eddy and I put away the firewood sled and and got out the wheelbarrow!"

Well, we found a wheelbarrow in Afton too and Eddy especially liked it!












On Wednesday morning I took Nomi and Eddy to a little cafe in Afton called, hmmmm, what is it called? "Wind Sailing"? I can't remember!? But anyway, it was a very nice little restaurant and we had a belated Birthday breakfast for Naomi! It was fun, we drove there in my truck. Then a couple of hours later I got a dispatch for a load out of MPLS to East Moline, IL and I was gone.

It was a WONDERFUL refreshing visit.

Surprise Vacation in California!!!

SURPRISE Visit to California!

In the middle of February I got a load to Mississippi and was so excited to get out of Chicago!!! BBBRRRRR

But to my shocked surprise when I rolled into Memphis, the evening news was saying, although there would be no snow in Tennessee there would be snow in Jackson, MS, 2 hours south....just where I was heading!!! So, still cold, snow, and ice. I was very weary of driving in snow and ice. I really wanted a break!~!

I sat and waited for a load....waited all day and part of the next!!! I have learned not to ask the Lord for a load, because His provision for me has been so far above what I could ask or think!!! in ways, and to places that have sometimes amazed me!! I thanked God for His past provision and waited on Him, trusting Him wholly, because it can be troubling waiting for a load otherwise... =/

My phone rang....

it was dispatch.....

"Would I be willing to drive 600 miles NE to Columbus, OH to take a load to California??"

HaHa!! Of course!!!

When I looked at the destination, it was in Needles, CA

for the BNSF (Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad.)

Hmmmm....pretty far from LA.

I realized it would cost a lot of money and time to drive into LA, so I wrote to Luke and told him I would be in CA but would turn around as soon as I got there to head back to the MidWest, because, afterall I wasn't going there on vacation, I was working!!?? Very disappointing.

After a couple of days of driving

DISPATCH CALLED!!!

"The load cannot be unloaded until Monday!

Now, I had to sit through the weekend!!

BUT WAIT

Dispatch called BNSF

They would pay me - very well - to WAIT until Monday.

All of a Sudden

I had money to drive down to LA, SURPRISE LUKE

(thanks to a secret phone call to Suzy)

Have breakfast with my good friend Paulie Davis

Stop by to see TY, Monica, and Kristina Knudsen

AND

drive all the way up to Waterford to SURPRISE SAM

(thanks to a secret phone call to Nicki)

All paid by, and more, the BNSF RailRoad!!

For those of you who know my family, I also have a daughter Julia, who also lives in SoCal with her husband and my grandson Caleb. I couldn't believe it when I called her and found out they were in MONTANA!!! Her husband Ben's parents were celebrating their 25th anniversary at the church he pastor's. That was very disappointing.... =( On Monday afternoon I dropped my load by Needles and headed all the way toward El Paso, to hopefully be dispatched a load, and Ben and Jewel were on their way home by Tuesday Eve. Just missed them!!! They had a wonderful time, I had a wonderful time, but I sooooooo missed being able to include them in my surprise visit!!!

And, of course, my daughter Cassia is in Israel for 4 months,

so I already knew I would miss her!!!

"RV" July 4th Vacation to Lake Superior

Naomi, Eddy, and I had an amazing wonderful relaxing time over the 4th of July weekend!!

We took my "RV" truck to the shore of Lake Superior! Once I figured out how to plug the RV outlet into my truck sleeper we were able to cook without turning my generator on, that was very cool. (Plus the camp manager didn't get upset with me anymore because he said my generator was too loud!)

After a nice dinner, that Nomi brought along, we watched a movie and went to sleep.

The next morning, we had a great breakfast and got on the tandem bike, with Eddy in tow in his toddler trailer, and headed to Wisconsin Point. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time along the south shore of Lake Superior.

On the way back to the RV site it got very very hot!

We found a bar and grill on the way home and went in. I said to the lady at the bar, It is sooo hot out, I need a drink!! =) She looked at me funny when she saw the baby and said with a question, You mean a drink of ice water!? I laughed and said, yep.

So, after cooling off we headed out.

We got halfway back and a car was coming down the road. Just before it got to where we were on the road it's front driver side tire, rim and all, flew off and came across the road at us! It went in front of us and into the ditch! Very close call! This guy had bought a car for $30 at a garage sale just for the tires and was trying to get it home, he didn't make it!! Nomi dashed off into the ditch and retrieved his tire for him and then we were off again.

We got back to the campsite and decided to go swimming in their pool. It was very nice, and very cool, we had fun with Eddy, he was scared at first, but then got used to being in the water with us.

Then back to the truck, a nice dinner and movie, and to bed!

We got up at 5AM Monday and headed back to Eau Claire!!

We had a wonderful time, mpstly it was so great having time to be with Nomi and Eddy!