Chattanooga Choo choo

Well here we are at the Marriott Courtyard in Chattanooga, TN. Staff mtgs start in less than an hour. We arrived here last night, and had the morning free. I can think of many words to describe this area where we are....clean, quiet, sunny, beautiful, peaceful....

The hotel is only 1 block from the river. After breakfast, Bob and I walked along it for while, then started to walk to an art museum. Along the way we saw an historic bridge. As we started to walk across, we were stopped by a couple of ladies. They were filming for a local channel, and wanted us to wait a second while the photographer adjusted his camera. Then they filmed us walking across. It will be on their local progam, *First Sunday* this Sunday morning. Alas, we won't get to see it.

We did go to the art museum... a lot of what they call *art* ...well.....it wasn't so pleasing to us. But we did find one section that had old black and white photos done by a man named Hine in the late 1930's. They were of the area where a dam was going to be built. He showed the people that would be affected by the dam construction. It was interesting how it showed his original captions for the photos stating how these people would be displaced. Some were log homes from the Civil War era. But then they showed the caption from the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) stating how these people would now have electricity to power their homes. This part was very sad to see, but obviously very real. The effects of progress.

Well time to get ready for our first meeting. If anyone is actually reading this, hope you have a blessed day serving the LORD however He is leading you to do so today!

back.....and almost gone.......

Well, we are back from our family vacation to the upper peninsula of Michigan. Camping on Lake Superior at the Hurricane River National Campground is a family tradition. But Shan hadn't been there in 17 years, and David in about 8. And this time, we had the joy of introducing all three grandkids to this special place.
Sand, large rocks to climb, rock collecting, hikes, touring an old lighthouse, going to Munising to a combination bookshop/coffee shop, reading and viewing the stars (shooting stars and satellites) were among the fun activities. I was glad that my heals were recovered enough that I could make the 1.5 mile hike to the Au Sable lighthouse with Bob, Lyndie and Stephan on Sunday afternoon. I'm glad we did it early in the week, because as the week progressed my heals really became aggravated. Last year at this time, I wouldn't have even been able to attempt it, so I was thrilled.
The entire group took a much longer hike on Wednesday afternoon, So I took Shiloh into the little town of Grand Marais and we toured the Pickle Barrel House....that was a special time for me to have with Shiloh.
We arrived home Saturday night about 10, tired but giddy. Shan left out early Sunday morning to drive back to Lnchburg. We have all three kids. T say we are tired would be putting it mildly. After all the excitement and adventures the boys had last week, they just needed to crash. I now have a new appreciation for $1 DVD's at Walmart. We did get one sort of educational one put out by National Geographic about 2 men who attempt to get as close as possible to sharks without cages for protection. It kept Stephan, Samuel, Bob and Glen entertained for an hour!
Tomorrow, (Tuesday) I drive to Lynchburg with all three grandkids, while Bob stays in Greenville. He'll travel to Columbus on Wednesday to make a presentation at a hospital. I return on Saturday. Sunday we are at a church in Germantown.
THEN its the Great Darke County Fair!!!!! Hope to see you there!