I have written extensively about my lack of patience.  I also lack a good “leaving” ability.  Nowhere in my educational experience do I remember any teacher discussing the need to develop a good “leaving” skill in one’s life.  And there is no question that I lack that skill.  The truth is I now realize how comfortable I get in whatever place or situation I have become familiar with.  Whether it be in a little town in southeastern Pennsylvania, a desert town in northwest Arizona or in my hometown of western Kentucky – I simply get used to things quickly and find leaving very, very difficult.

I say all this as Lisa and I prepare to load up our RV and head south for four weeks in central Georgia.  Home these last couple of months has been here in Owensboro, our hometown, where our children, parents, and friends live and whom we miss constantly during our travels with Lisa’s work.  Leaving those we love, including an adorable grandson, will not be easy.  We have learned how to adjust to new areas, meet new friends and acclimate ourselves to new places and surroundings.  But we are just not good at leaving.

From Pennsylvania to California we have made friends that we love and miss.  In our old Kentucky home resides our family who we miss the most during our time away and who now we find ourselves preparing to leave once again.  We simply get too attached too quickly and love people too much to ever overcome this trauma.  We just hate to leave.

I remember the sadness I felt as a child when my grandparents would return to their home in Sturgis, Kentucky after spending a week with us at Christmas.   The void they left was impossible to fill and I would annually slip into a post-Christmas depression for a few days after they left.  Christmas was over, school was on the horizon and people I loved had left.  Maybe that has bearing on my poor ability to adjust to leaving one place and go to another.  It is true (for me) that uncertainty brings on anxiety and as Lisa and I prepare to live in a strange place for a period of time there is always the fear that we may not fit in – that people will not like Lisa or her work – and that I may not find a place suitable to spend my time.  The future is an uncertain black hole where bad things can happen.  But the future also brings hope of something really wonderful.  Based on all our past assignments we should be elated for our next adventure that begins this coming week.  The old hymn is certainly true – “Tis grace has brought us safe thus far – and grace will lead us home.”  Christian teacher/theologian John Piper suggests that we should live our lives between those two lines.  In other words, based on God’s provision and care for us in the past – we should lose all fear and anxiety of the future.  But that is easier said than done.

Lisa and I leave for Stone Mountain Georgia this Thursday and God only knows what we are going to experience in the next four weeks.  But we can be assured that the sovereign God, timeless and eternal, is already standing in that future place – one in which we have no knowledge. It is comforting knowing God is waiting for us in that future.

Had we never left home we would have never known about Hanover Pennsylvania or Loma Linda, California.  We would have never known about the “Andy Devine Days Rodeo” of Kingman, Arizona or met people along the way that have become dear friends.  Lisa and I would never have been scammed out of money for bogus Disneyland tickets in Long Beach California or known the taste of Amish “Whoopie Pies”.  Had we not left home we would have never learned how to survive a freezing night in Amarillo, Texas or experience shopping the wholesale district of Los Angeles.  The truth is we have had to leave – to live.

So here is to the anxiety of leaving.  And here is to another chance to live.

Love, Steve and Lisa

Lisa and I have made reservations to stay at the Stone Mountain RV Park in Georgia as she begins her four-week assignment in Riverdale.  After looking at all the options – we chose to stay in this well established, highly recommended location even though it will be a thirty mile drive to and from her work place.  Sometimes we have to sacrifice for safety and amenities.

With those plans now set – we will soon say good-bye again to our family and friends but this time – only for the next month.  God knows where we will be after January – but there is a good possibility we will be back in Arizona.  We will learn soon enough.

But what a time it has been for Lisa and I these past two month.  I’m not sure we have ever or will ever experience such a whirlwind of activity in such a short time span.  Soon after arriving home in early November we were off to Disney World for our son’s wedding.  I hope to chronicle the wonderful (even magical) experience that was for our family – I simply have not had time.  After arriving back home we had a reception that I wrote about in a previous post that people are still talking about.  What a party – what a celebration.  Along with all the wedding stuff – I helped remodel our daughter’s kitchen, purchased a piece of investment property along with my brother-in-law and spent some quality time with our precious grandson, Conner Jack.

Now it is back on the road.  We will leave on Thursday (1/2/14) and begin our time in Georgia.  It will be good being only 400 miles from home rather than 1800 and there is a good chance we will make it home on weekends.  Getting back on the road will allow me time to write about all our experiences of these past two months.  Thanks for reading!

Love, Steve and Lisa

Lisa and I never know where we will be next.  And that is good and bad.  Traveling with her work has been the greatest adventure of our lives and we would not trade the experiences for anything. Certainly it has come with some sacrifice – namely being away from family for long stretches – but what an adventure it has been.  As we are once again in between jobs, we both have experienced the anxiety of not knowing where we will be next.

Yesterday Lisa accepted a four-week assignment south of Atlanta and will begin that assignment on January 6th.  We had been hoping for something east of the Mississippi River for a change since our last two placements were in California and Arizona.  Being just six hours from home is a Christmas gift we really did not expect and we are both excited that our travel time will be considerably shorter than our recent trips west.  From Georgia there is a good possibility that we will go back to Arizona in February.  We do not look forward to that long drive – but do look forward to meeting up with our friends there and Lisa loves the seven days on – seven days off rotation.  But, in reality, we really don’t know – and we just never do.

We have learned to not allow ourselves to get too excited or too stressed about that “next” location.  Lisa has been recommended for jobs in places like Montana, Martha’s Vineyard, Boston, Virginia, Washington DC, and Texas – just to name a few.  Always we would begin thinking that might be our next destination and start the planning in our minds.  How far away is that?  Where will we stay?  Can we take the RV?  What is the weather like?  All those questions had to be answered and it would not take long for us to begin getting excited about those different locations only to be placed somewhere completely different.  So, we are learning how to not get too excited about a placement – at least not until the contract is signed.

But we never expected six hours from home and we will get that after Christmas – even if for a rather short time.  Now we can begin planning for real and are looking at taking our RV south and have already found a really nice RV park twenty miles from the hospital where she will work.  For now the waiting is over and plans can be finalized.

I have written before that I am not a very good “waiter”.  That does not mean I tend to spill drinks on people.  By “waiting” I mean I don’t do sitting still anticipating the next thing to happen.  I don’t wait well.  But I am learning how.  Of all the characters in the Christmas story – I find myself most impressed with those shepherds watching their flocks. Night after night they would take their positions on the side of that hill and just watch – and (I believe) wait.  Here I am reading into the scripture white spaces – but it is my belief that they were waiting for something to happen.  Maybe they were waiting and watching for a wolf – maybe they were waiting and watching for something in the stars and sky.  Who knows?  But they appear to be really good “waiters”.  I seriously doubt what they actually saw and heard on that famous night was what they were waiting for or anticipating.  And is that not they way of our lives?  Lisa and I very seldom experience what we expect.  We have very rarely gone to the place we had first planned to go.

Most of the time what we are waiting for is not what we get.  Life is a surprise and try as we might to plan for the next big event – those plans are often a waste of time.  I long to be one who can symbolically sit on the hill with those shepherds and just be content to wait.  I may be waiting on the wolves – but who knows?  An angel may show up.

Peace! Steve and Lisa

(Update:  Lisa and I are enjoying our time here in Owensboro and are waiting to hear about the next assignment.  Lisa has been contacted about returning to Kingman, Arizona sometime in February and has also been recommended for a job in Richmond, Virginia (which is just 650 miles away versus 1700 miles to Kingman).  We hope to get back on the road after Christmas.)

I could use scripture to make my point with this post.  I could talk about how Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding he had been invited to.  Perhaps that would be enough evidence that Jesus wanted people to celebrate life.  Maybe I could pull some scripture from the Old Testament and how David danced and encouraged others to do so in the Psalms.  But, I am sure some would take issue with any attempt on my part to prove a point with the Bible.  Besides that – I don’t think scripture should be used as a debate tool.  Instead of that approach I think I will just say what is on my mind.  I think people (especially Christians) should celebrate more.  And I mean really celebrate.  Dance and sing and dance some more and then when your voice is hoarse from singing at the top of your lungs and your feet too sore to stand – fall into bed humming the last song while remembering that last dance.  God is good and life is worth celebrating.

Our family has done a lot of celebrating these last few weeks.  Our son got married at Disney World and we celebrated.  Then we got home and had a reception where we celebrated some more.  People danced and sang and acted silly and laughed (boy – did we ever laugh). The only guilt I have felt from all the frivolity is that Lisa and I have not done more of that in our marriage.  After nagging me for years to take dance lessons – I finally gave in and have to admit I have loved learning how to dance.  But the real joy of celebrations like we experienced with Justin and Lori’s wedding is just letting yourself have fun.  We had people come up to us days after the reception saying they had not had that much fun in years and one even said it may have helped save a marriage.  I’m not surprised.  It is true that a couple that prays together – stays together.  Maybe I should add “dance” to that list.

This post may get me in trouble as a Baptist Deacon – something I am and will always be proud to call myself.  But does it hurt to party and celebrate with absolute abandon on special occasions?  We have had to utilize a Catholic church now on two occasions (our daughters wedding and now our sons) in order to allow the kids and adults to dance since it is not allowed in our Baptist church.  It is time for that rule to change.  The first order of business for the next marriage enrichment class at our church should be teaching couples how to dance and have fun together.  Let me be clear that I am not advocating drinking or carousing or wasting your life away partying.  I just think people need to celebrate the life God has given them.  And who has more reason to celebrate and party than those who understand the grace and goodness of God.  Christians should be known as the ‘partyingest’ people on the planet.  (Here come the comments).

So thanks to everyone who partied with us at Justin and Lori’s wedding reception.  Thanks for dancing and laughing and having fun.  Marriage is good – God is good – Life is good.  Let us celebrate!

Love, Steve and Lisa

Lisa and I did not know who we were praying for – and that went on for twenty-seven years.  Out in the misty uncertain realm of the unknown was someone God would bring into our son’s life to be his wife.  We thought of that as early as the day he was born and we would pray into that uncertainty for nearly three decades.  At times we worried it would not happen or that the person would be less than our desired choice.  So we just prayed on.

Yesterday I had the privilege of officiating our sons wedding and I thought of all the prayers Lisa and I had prayed throughout his life as his bride made her way down the winding path toward the altar at the “Swan” Resort at Walt Disney World.  Here was the bride – but even more than that – here was a long-awaited answered prayer.

Some believe that Noah may have been working on the ark for hundreds of years waiting for God to deliver the promised rain.  I am not sure that I could have been that steadfast.  But most parents will do just about anything to secure the best life possible for their children and if it took hammering pegs into holes for a hundred years while waiting for God’s fulfilled promise – I hope I would be willing to do that.  Fortunately – all that was asked of Lisa and I was to pray and be patient.  And wait.

This morning I woke up to the reality that both our children are now married and their lives have taken a path away from us as parents and into a future to build their own life and legacy.  Lisa and I would have it no other way.  This morning I realized God had answered our prayers.

We did not know who we were praying for – until Lori Johnson stepped into Justin’s life and yesterday agreed to be his wife.  How can I not believe theirs will be a blessed life and how can I not believe that God will keep them in the palm of His hand – bottle their tears and gift them with joy unspeakable.  After all – He is the one who did this.

Welcome to our family Lori.  We have waited a long time.

Love, Steve and Lisa.

I use the word “good” to describe many things in my life – and that is a good thing.  Lisa and I enjoy good pizza, good weather, good music, and a good movie.  When I say it is “good” to be home – something seems inadequate about the word.  Lisa and I have been so excited getting home after five months in Arizona that I am struggling to find the right word to express our feelings.  Seeing our family, including our grandson, after five months away in the Mohave Desert is a joy impossible to describe.  Let’s just say it is beyond “good” to be home – but it was not easy getting home.

Lisa and I left out of Kingman around 8:30AM Arizona time on Thursday Nov. 7th.  As we were about to pull away from the Kingman KOA Campground where we had called home since the middle of June – our camp friends arrived to bring gifts and say good-bye.  Tom and Diane from Redding, California arrived to bring some of Tom’s homemade relish, jelly and a handmade wind-chime.  Kay, who with her husband Glenn, had moved from Ohio to make Kingman their home, also arrived to wish us off safe and we tearfully left these wonderful people and new friends.  After stopping to have all our tires checked out – we were finally on our way on I-40 heading east.

Our hope was to get all the way to Oklahoma City on that first day and we were making pretty good time all the way into New Mexico.  Just outside Albuquerque we stopped for fuel and I noticed one of the tires on our RV was low.  We found a place that had air and I did my best to fill the tire to the same level as the others.  It concerned me that our RV tires had been sitting for five months in the dry desert heat and it had crossed my mind to have them all changed out before we left.  But we decided to try to make it home on our old tires.  Probably not a good idea.

Just outside Tucumcari New Mexico, the tire blew.  I immediately thought that I may have added too much air which caused the blow-out.  We managed to pull our vehicle and RV over to the side of a very busy I-40 – but not as far off the road as I would have liked.  Trucks and cars were flying down the road just a few feet from where we pulled off and in the darkness – it was a little scary trying to determine where we were or how this could be fixed.  On top of all that – we had very little phone service and could not determine by our GPS where we were located.  Lisa called AAA (highly recommend this service BTW) and tried our best to give our location.  It was simply too dangerous to try to walk to the nearest mile marker.  As she was on the phone trying to get help, I noticed car lights pull in behind our RV and I stepped out hoping it was a state trooper.  Two young men walked up and asked if we needed help.  They appeared to be about twenty-five years old and told me they had run over part of our blown-tire and noticed we were in need of help.  Fortunately, they managed to tell me our location since they had full service on their phones and it gave us all the information we needed to get help to us.  They said they were on their way to Dallas from LA.  I think they disappeared back into heaven as soon as they drove away.

Finally – after about forty tense minutes on the side of the road – a wrecker service arrived and changed out our tire and we were back on the road.  Thank God for “good” people.

The delay forced us to stop for the night in Amarillo, Texas and we pulled into the KOA campground around 10:30PM.  The wind must blow through the panhandle of Texas night and day and though it was not as bad as when we drove to Arizona in June – it was enough to keep us up most of the night.  It also did not help that we had run out of propane and had no heat.  Lisa and I huddled under every blanket and warm clothing we could find to stay warm through the cold night.  We have never wanted to be home more.

As soon as dawn broke – I warmed up the truck and we were soon on our way – again.  Our son’s future mother-in-law, Connie Johnson, followed our progress home on ‘Facebook’ and her comment that she was “praying us home” brought tears to our tired, bloodshot eyes but also provided us with enough encouragement to get us all the way to Owensboro at 1:30AM Saturday morning.  (I hate to admit that I did discover we did, in fact, have propane enough to stay warm – I misread the tank indicator.  I just told Lisa that I wanted to cuddle with her so I pretended we were out of propane.  She did not think that was funny.)

We have now been home for a week and are getting ready for our son’s wedding at Disney World and a reception here in Owensboro in mid-December.  Along with that we have been helping our daughter, Heather and “fun-in-law”, James Morris remodel their kitchen.  We are staying busy.  Seeing our grandson, Conner Jack, was a joy beyond words and our house has been filled with people almost night and day since we arrived.  We would have it no other way.  Where we go next with Lisa’s work is anyone’s guess.  When we leave is also uncertain.  We will leave all that up to God who is working it all out from a vantage point far superior to ours.  But, for now – we are just glad to be home.

And it is good to be home.  Love – Steve and Lisa.

When my brother and I were kids playing in our neighborhood – back in the day when summers seemed to last forever and playing outside was mandatory – our dad would step onto our little front porch and blow a whistle indicating it was time to go home.  We could hear that whistle blocks away and knew that he meant business.  It was time to get home – and now.

The whistle is blowing for Lisa and I.  We hear it blowing for us to get home finally after five months here in Kingman.  And so the packing up has begun and Thursday morning – we will head east toward Kentucky.

There is much that we will miss here in Kingman – the mountains, the warm weather, the sunrises and sunsets, the people we have made friends with.  We may return someday for either a visit or with Lisa’s work – who knows?  We hope to visit JC and Carol again in Vegas and stop by to see how Glen and Kay are making out in their new house outside Kingman.  We may even bowl again with Diane and Tom (although I doubt another 254 score is possible).  Lisa is going to miss many of the co-workers who have become friends – and we both will miss the staff here at our campground.

But – nothing can keep us from home.  Last year we missed Christmas while in Loma Linda, California and it was one of the worst, most painful holidays we ever experienced.  We vowed that if at all possible we would never miss Christmas at home again.  When we get home there is a kitchen to remodel, a wedding to plan, holidays to celebrate, and family and friends to catch up with.  One of my first stops will be for a chocolate long-john from “Rolling Pin” bakery and a good, greasy, hamburger from the “Dipper”.

But there is also a little grandson who has grown over the past five months and we can’t wait to get our hands on him.  What a reunion it will be.

Home – We are going home!

See you soon!

Steve and Lisa

Steve feeding the burrows

Lisa with the “Oatman” gunslingers

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were married here in Kingman, Arizona back in 1939.  I have no idea why.  Perhaps they just wanted to get away from Hollywood – and if that was the case – they did a helluva job.  Kingman ain’t Hollywood – trust me – and that’s a good thing.  Come to think of it – maybe it is understandable why they came here to get hitched.  They then honeymooned in a local gold mining camp town called “Oatman”.  Lisa and I traveled there on her final day off from work before we head back home in a week.  People had told us from day one that “Oatman” was a place we had to visit while here in Arizona.  One of those “must sees”.  Famous for it’s daily mock gun fights and roaming burrows that saunter through town, “Oatman” is located along thirty miles of the longest stretch of the original Route 66 still in use.  Winding through the Black Mountains and Mohave Desert, Lisa and I weaved our way along the narrow roadway amazed that people actually traveled this route on their way to California several decades ago.  The entire length of “Oatman” could not be more than a mile long and along with the “Oatman Hotel” where the Gable’s spent their wedding night, it features shops, restaurants, bars and hungry burrows waiting to be fed.

“Oatman” was originally a mining camp in the early 1900’s that became popular with prospectors after ten million dollars in gold was discovered.  The town is named after Olive Oatman, an Illinois girl kidnapped by Yavapai Indians and forced to work as a slave.  After being adopted by Mohave Indians, her face was tattooed in the Mohave Indian tradition and she was later set free very near where “Oatman” was settled.  Hence why the name “Oatman” was adopted in her honor.

Aside from experiencing all the history of the place, Lisa and I had the most fun feeding the wild burrows.  Tame enough to allow them to feed out of your hand, these donkeys have grown in population having descended from pack animals the early prospectors used.  The animals arrive each morning at about the same time the stores open for business and they seem to know what parts of the town provide the sacks of feed since they will walk up and down the wooden, plank sidewalks waiting to be fed.  If not careful – the animals can become somewhat aggressive – biting and kicking each other trying to get to the free hand-outs.  As evening approaches, the burrows make their way back into the hills surrounding “Oatman” – only to return to town the next day, as if they are reporting for work.  Lisa and I bought two bags of feed and laughed at how quickly they would gather around trying to get a bite of food.  Even after the food is gone, they follow people up the street thinking more food is on its way.

Lisa and I commented that after finally making our way to “Oatman”, we believe we have now seen just about every famous place in north-west Arizona.  Now we wait for the next week to pass so we can finally gather all our things, hitch our wagons and head east.  Homesick, sunburnt, and a little tired of desert living, we are looking forward to ending our time here.  But, leaving a place after five months brings a little sadness to both of us as we have grown to love these people and these places.  Who knows if Lisa will be called back here in January – who knows where her next assignment will take us?

But we know where home is – and that is our next destination.

Love, Steve and Lisa

Glen and Kay live in the same campground here in Kingman as Lisa and I and it has been great getting to know this very nice couple from Ohio.  Their story fascinates us.  As Glen tells it, Ohio became nothing but drudgery in terms of climate and lifestyle.  And four years ago, when they visited their son who had moved to California, they made a stop in Kingman and fell in love with the place. They loved the warm weather, the hills and canyons, the nearly year-round sunshine, and the lack of dreary rain and snow.  Lisa and I agree that the Mohave Desert has its own unique beauty – very different from Ohio and Kentucky.  But to say we have fallen in love with it – is just not true.  But for Glen and Kay it became their greatest dream to live here and so they went back to Ohio and put their home up for sale.  That was four years ago.

Upon arriving here in Kingman in June, Lisa and I first met Glen and Kay at the place where people meet here at our campground – in the pool.  We struck up a conversation and soon became friends.  They moved lock, stock and barrel from Ohio to Kingman just a couple of weeks before we arrived – after finally selling their home which was four years on the market.  They are having a pre-fab home built and have been staying at our campground until it is completed.  We have followed the progress of their home almost daily and now they are just a week or so away from moving in.  We are hoping that we can get out to their place before we leave here on Nov. 7th.

Lisa and I have talked many times about moving away to some exotic place – something, perhaps, every couple discusses at one time or another.  Lisa thinks dreaming like that is a good thing.  And I agree.  Probably most couples go no further in their lives than just talking about dreams.  Very few actually live them out.  It is impressive, to me, that Glen and Kay dreamed of moving to Kingman, Arizona four years ago and never gave up on that dream.  Although their home would not sell year after year – still they dreamed of being here.  They would travel out here occasionally and look over the land they had purchased and there they would dream.  Now their dream is about to come true.  Good for them.  Their dream is just that – theirs.  It is not ours – nor would it probably ever be.  The thought of living permanently in Arizona is just not appealing to us – it is just not our dream.  Glen talks about how miserable he was in Ohio and how the weather there made life so difficult.  Here, in comparison, the weather is marvelous – most of the year.  Every morning when I see the two of them on their way for coffee, I like to say things like – “Boy what beautiful weather – I think I could move out here.”  They always laugh and I think they like hearing me say that. Lisa and I have made it a point to be encouraging to them – we would want the same from people if we were living out our dreams in such a fashion.

Years ago there was a man I knew who was a member of my church and lived a rather quiet life with his wife and children.  He did not say much but had his role as church van driver – which he performed dutifully.  When he was not working – he took meticulous care of his yard and home.  After he passed away it was told that he had made the comment just before he died that he always wished he could have stayed just once in a hotel.  He had never stayed in a hotel in his life.  But then it was too late.  I have never forgotten his story.  How sad it is to think of someone having such a simple dream in life and never realizing it.

Perhaps pursuing a dream is all about the pursuit.  It is that carrot that dangles in front of our lives that moves us forward – that pushes us to go from one day to the next.  Having a dream is healthy.  Unfortunately, there are only a few people who actually realize their dreams.  Congratulations to Glen and Kay – whose dreams are coming true.

Dreaming of getting home soon – Steve and Lisa

[hist whist]

By E. E. Cummings

The autumn has always been my favorite time of year.  It seems that most people feel the same way.  Who doesn’t love the cooler temperatures, football season, the changing colors of leaves, sweatshirts and, of course, Halloween?  Where Pennsylvania and our home in Kentucky are perfect places to spend the fall, here in Arizona the weather is very, very nice.  Almost too nice, in fact.  We are still putting on sun screen and swimming in the campground pool and it is nearly November.  If not for the Halloween decorations at the local stores, I would swear it was June.  And that is hard getting use to.

Lisa and I are not complaining – don’t get us wrong.  But as we near our time to leave Kingman and head back to the colder fall temperatures of home – it is almost as if our DNA is telling us something is just not right.  We should not be wearing shorts on October 23rd and the swimsuits and sunscreen should have been packed away two months ago.  I also have this weird desire to go rake something.  My yard in Kentucky is surrounded by enough trees to keep my rake warm until January – but out here – nothing.  I suppose I could move the rock and dirt around a little bit but forget finding any leaves to pile up.  I did see a yellow leaf in the little tree next to our RV the other day.  It seemed so out-of-place.  I just stared at it and waited to see if it would fall.  It may be my only chance this year to see such a sight here in the desert – where trees are a rarity and cool temperatures shocking.  By the way – the little yellow leaf is still hanging on.  I am tempted to climb up and pull it loose and then rake it into a big, black bag.  It would help me get my bearings.

Halloween in Arizona is probably not too unlike other places in America.  Children will certainly go door to door trick or treating and by the looks of things many people dress up, decorate and celebrate the day. And there are plenty of strange desert creatures scurrying about that have been scaring the hell out of Lisa and I since we got here in June. But something just seems amiss here in the desert when it comes to Halloween.  Maybe it’s the warm temperatures, maybe it’s the lack of colorful trees, or maybe it’s something else.

Maybe it’s just not home.

See you soon!

Steve and Lisa