Oh Shenandoah!

Papa and I are back into "rambling mode" again and so we decided to take a little detour on our way to the Washington DC Temple for a special sealing.  I took off work on Friday (yipee!) and we left early in the morning so that we could visit the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory.  As all my family members know, I LOVE potato chips and they are a big downfall for me so it makes sense for me to to go to the factory doesn't it? it's like putting the fox in the hen house!  These chips are great and they use only Real Salt and the potatoes are usually picked the day before (right now they are coming from N.C.). They are a regional outfit and so they are a pretty small operation but they let you watch the whole process.  The day we were there they were making low salt chips and they were selling 3 bags for $6 because they didn't have dates on them and so , of course, we wanted to help out the local economy!  We resisted eating them until we were back in BV!  We got to try all of the varieties of the chips, even the super HOT ones called Mama Zuma's Revenge!  The Chesapeake crab were interesting but I really liked the low salt and the Dill pickle ones. Unfortunately we did not get a picture of us at the plant, but trust me, we were there!  As a matter of fact it was so much fun that the next weekend Emilie, Logan and the kids went back there with us.

Right near the chip factory is Shenandoah Caverns and an attraction called American Celebration and we went to visit both of them and had a great time!  The Cavern has an elevator to take you down so that was nice. Before we went down we ate in an original 1957 Cafe located in the gift shop.  They still use all of the old technology and had an original juke box.  The food was good but there were no .05 cherry coca colas!

Down in the cavern at Bridal Veil.  These structures were beautiful and the guide was very knowledgeable.  It was a small group so we were allowed to "linger" a bit at each site.  The colors reminded me of my first creation sphere and I felt humbled by the creation of the earth and all of the details that testify of divine design.

 They had formations called bacon and it was hard to get a good picture (they are above Dad's head), but trust me, they looked like bacon!

 

The tour lasted about 45 minutes and we then returned to the surface and visited the next attraction: 

Main Street of Yesteryear

 In the upstairs of the gift shop was a place called Main Street of yesteryear and it was full of old department store window animated figures.  These two bears were actually from a Rose Parade Float.

 Here's Cinderella from a bygone Day- Everyone dances.  These displays really brought back fond memories from my childhood and the windows in downtown Richmond at Christmas.

 They have their own brand of soda called Cavern Coolers so we needed to try those!

 At American Celebration they have LOTS of floats from past Rose Parades and Inaugurations.  Here we are on the King and Queen float from Mardi Gras.There were so many fun ones, we wished the kids were with us!

 Out front they had a huge Statue of Liberty..I remember when this was in the Macy's Parade!

Outside there were clowns and bugs and fun things to see.  The flag poles in the back were from the winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1980.  They line the walkway on both sides that leads to the Cavern.

 We wandered back to 81 by route 11 and went through all of the small towns along the way picturing union and rebel soldiers along the way.  It was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies and NO humidity.  We rambled along the Shenandoah River passing through Woodstock, Strasburg and Toms Brook until we had to get back on the freeway to head to DC.

After checking into our hotel we headed over to Bethesda to an area we had briefly visited before.  It is full of outside cafe's, yummy smelling food and an important shop that John wanted to return to.  We ate at a little Italian  deli that had very unique subs and evidently a famous client or two.

We then went to the place we came to go to; Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar where it validated what Dad has always said, CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU!

We had a wonderful time on our ramble and finished it off with a beautiful ceremony in the Temple for Emilie (Pearson) and John Hitchner.  We wish the temple were closer but we also have enjoyed many additional rambles because it is 3 hours away! We only wish we could share it with all of our friends and family!

A House Becomes a Home When there's love inside

I haven't blogged for along time but felt that I need to today. 17 years ago we purchased our beautiful property in Oregon and named it Old Hickory Farm. I had seen the property in a vision and we had looked at many places trying to find it.  When I stood on the land, I knew it was the right place and many miracles happened to make it ours. 

Yesterday we signed the papers to sell the house to a wonderful family that will love it and cherish it as the great gift it has been to us.  In 2008 I wrote about our home and I feel it is appropriate to "reprint" that today because the feelings are the same, maybe even deeper.   I have watched God weave this house through our lives and bless our family over and over, always knowing the end from the beginning. If he had listened to my pleadings on the time line we would have missed many blessings and the "right" people wouldn't have ended up in it.

These are my thoughts from 2008 that apply today.

"we have released our home to become someone else’s special place.  

The house that I expected to live in until I died and where I felt I might actually see the Savior come again.  The house that is just over the hill from where our precious son is buried. 

The house where Emilie and JJ grew up, dated, played on the roof and turned it into restaurants at Prom time. The house that God designed through personal revelation and where we found kittens in burn piles and dogs under the gas grill.

A place where we watched the stars fall and orange moons rise and where grandchildren learned to crawl and bake and swirl in a magic tub.  Where cousin sleepovers happened regularly and talks of God and Faith were common. Where chickens feared for their lives and other animals got over fed.

A house that was built to withstand earthquakes and windstorms, teenagers and toddlers and where there was enough food storage to sustain us all.

It was a home seen in a dream and built from the sadness of tragedy.  It was a fulfillment of prophecy and a gift from God.  It was a house full of energy and yet peace lived there.  It was a place where rainbows miraculously touched the ground as “signs from God” and many beloved pets were laid to rest.  

Snowstorms came and turned old roads into long sled rides and family and friends laughed and played together. 

Church events were held there..RS, Elders Quorum, High Priests, YM-YW and scouts.

It was home to married children and grandchildren where it tried to shelter them from the storms of life. 
It was a dream come true because it had a barn.

 It was a laboratory for wonderful plants and exotic animals. It blended east and west because plants were grown out of love. It produced yummy fruits and vegetables because someone cared so much. 

It was a home that kept secrets and comforted in times of pain.  The wind could always be felt on your face and somehow brush away the cares of the world.  The stars were always closer there and you could see satellites , space stations and meteor showers while sitting on the roof sipping hot chocolate.

 Wedding receptions were held in its’ comforting space filling the house with wonderful friends, music, and beautiful couples.

The inviting parlor was a sacred place filled with ancestors treasures and a special waterfall, and where many wonderful talks and beautiful blessings took place.

It was a home that briefly sheltered a celestial son and helped to soften his leaving us.

Now it is time to let go, polish the door knob and turn our faces east, leaving this wonderful place in the hands of God who so lovingly created it with many purposes in mind.  I will miss it but I will miss the feelings the most."

Over 30 years ago I was in a stake choir that sang in the Civic Auditorium in Portland Oregon and one of the songs we sang had this opening line," A House Becomes A Home When there's Love Inside".  I am so grateful that our house will once again have a loving family inside and it can continue to bless lives. It truly is what is inside that makes a house a home.  All of our memories there will always be in my heart.

Here are all the words to the song--some of you may remember it too.

A House Becomes a Home

A house becomes a home when there's love inside,
When you let your love be as a guide.
When there's joy and sweet understanding,
When you're handing out a compliment or two.
A house becomes a home when you do your part,
And when all your heart is wrapped in those around.
Life can be just like a symphony
When you see a house become a home.

A house becomes a home when its prayerful there,
When for everyone there is a care.
When each one is kind and forgiving,
When you're living for some happiness to share.
A house becomes a home when it's full of life,
When there is no strife among it's very own.
Life can be so sweet and heavenly
When you see a house become a home.