February 6th.  That is the new day we will end our time here in Cambridge Ohio.  From the sound of things from the hospital – Lisa may be employed there for much longer than that.  But, for now, our date is February 6th.

We feel blessed being here in this little hamlet.  The campground we are staying at is battening down the hatches (whatever that means) for the winter and the seasonal campers have winterized their campers and headed south or wherever.  All that is left here is mostly the oil and gas workers and Lisa and I.  This should be an adventure.  God has been good to us in that this will be the first time since we started traveling that we have been able to go home for a week at Thanksgiving and a week at Christmas and have a job to return to after that.  It is a good feeling knowing that we can stay in a place for another three months just six hours from home.

Cambridge is already gearing up for the Christmas season and everyone has told us the decorations downtown themselves are worth staying around for.  A life-sized Dickens Village is already being set up all over the downtown area with scenes of Dickens characters placed on park benches and in front of the downtown shops.  Really cool!  I’m amazed how little towns we have lived in are able to pull off some rather stunning events.  I wrote about the amazing fireworks display here in July and can only marvel at how the citizens pull together for various parades and other events.  I suppose when you live in small town America – these events have extra special meaning.

My favorite television show of all time is “The Andy Griffith Show” and I can’t help but think of Mayberry when I walk the sidewalks of downtown Cambridge.  People here seem to know each other and I love how, with the exception of Lisa and I and the oil and gas transplants, everyone seems to have their place and position in the town.    Here there is one hardware store, one bakery and one grocery store.  Also you will find at least one church from nearly every denomination known to man and God.  There may be a “Floyd’s Barbershop” somewhere here – I just have not found it yet.  I understand how people can make this place home and never leave.  But, may I say right here and now – we really like Cambridge, Ohio – we love the people here – but we do not see ourselves making it our home for good.

Aside from Owensboro, Cambridge Ohio will be a place that we have spent more time in our lives than any other.  By the first of February we will have been here ten months.  We are just six hours from our real home.  We are also just a few weeks away from being home for an extended vacation.  And that is not too bad.

We love you all!  Lisa and Steve