A very nice week

Last night’s fireworks ended a great week.  Work was uneventful and quite enjoyable and really stress free.  I even got to have a nice sunset as I was loading one of our flights.  The air force boys have been extremely helpful on our flights too, it just make life so much easier.

Yesterday I had a day off and I thought I would treat myself to a pedicure.  It has been months sense I have had one.   Before things got really busy the last few months we used to go to a really nice nail salon as a family and get our feet pampered once a month when I would get back from traveling.   I think we really need to get back to doing that if we can squeeze in the time.  I was always a bonding experience for us.   I went to this nail salon just up the road yesterday mostly because it is so close to walk to, I have not really heard much about it but it always seems busy when I go by though.   I was pleasantly surprise at the experience.   I got a hot stone pedicure, and it was so good!   At the end after they massage your legs the use hot stones to finish the massage.  I really enjoyed the heat of the stones and the smooth stones, it was really soothing.   After they painted my nails the brought me out to a round table to dry the polish.  This is where I was caught off guard for sure!  They proceeded to give you a nice neck and back massage.  For the people that know me I’m a little weird on my body space and people that I don’t know touching me really bothers me.  I think for that reason I have never choose to get any kind of messages, even though I have always wondered it if would be good or not.   I really enjoyed the neck and back message so much,  I would go back just for that any day J   I would have to say that going there was the most pleasant experience I have had at a nail salon ever.

Trip to Gravity Hill Farm

On Tuesday Sara brought me along to a wonderful farm that sell some great produce.   What was so cool is all the produce that was for sale had just been picked that day.   I bought some salad and yellow beans.  It so wonderful to have such fresh produce, the taste is so much better!

After we bought our produce we went to see the animals the best part J   They have Llamas, alpacas, chickens and goats there.   I really love Llamas; I just think they are so cute and cuddly.   

These had been shaved recently so they were kind of homely in a cute way. I’m sure they are enjoying having shorter fur though with the summer heat coming on though.  We also spent time with the goats as well.  They were so friendly and just loved to get attention. 

Here is a link to their web page Gravity Hill Farm gravityhillfarm

Fathers Day Church

I have a interesting father’s day storey to tell, but before I do that I wanted to wish all the fathers out there a big Happy Fathers Day!   It is not always easy to be a father and I commend all of the fathers out there.   I feel really blessed that I am a father of two wonderful children.  How every I am filling more of the disciplinarian mother role now daysJ.   So it is not one of those musts to celebrate father’s day for me.

Well let’s get to the story at hand….

I worked late last night and didn’t get back in until 2am.  I didn’t feel like driving down to Chestertown to my friend’s church, or to drive to Philly to a MCC church that I know I would feel more comfortable in.   I thought that I would pick a local church so I did the usual Google search.   There happened to be a church meeting about a block away from was I am staying.  I pulled up there web page and saw they were meeting a 10am and set my alarm to get up in time to get breakfast and make it there by 10am.

I did notice that they were a bible based church and I really do like that; however they did seem to be more on the conservative side of what I feel comfortable with though.   I struggled to get out of bed as the alarm clock was squawking at me. I had the great usual breakfast and off I went to church.   I usually try to not go with my first impressions because I want to get to know things first.  I have found you don’t always see the whole story at first.  As I walked in I was not greeted at all, being new it is already unnerving on what and where to go.  It was weird being there was people standing at the door, they just chose not to say anything to me L   As I started to walk into the auditorium the pastor saw me and not being greeted and came over and gave me a bulletin.   I proceeded in not feeling welcome and found a place to be seated.   As people came in and saw that I was new, yet not one person made any effort to greet me at all.  I go to many churches as I travel so I’m used to being new but this church had to be one of the unfriendly that I have been to as of yet.   So as services go it was kind of the usual Baptist type, so here is where the interesting part comes in.   In part of the service the Pastor wanted to have any fathers in the audience to come up and give a testimonial to being a father and what God has done in their lives.   It was funny because there really were not many that wanted to come up and they were reluctant.  What really got me though was the spirit really was moving me to stand up proudly and say my testimonial on how God had blessed my family and I.   In the end didn’t because I can only imagine what crazy issues I would have caused in a church that I don’t even attend regularly.  I don’t know if I did the right thing in retrospect though.  I think once again I overlooked and over though what god leads me to do.   I hope that someday I will be able to be to the point I just do when God speaks and not over think things.  I am going to give the church a second try next Sunday even though my first impressions are not so good, they may be wrong.   If they aren't I will move on to finding another church though.

Fireworks

Today I find myself sitting outside on the front porch of my home away from home enjoying the great weather.  The sun is out with hardly any clouds and a little bit of a breeze to keep is at a very comfortable temperature.    It is so calm and peaceful day, there is lots going on in town today but I just feel like sitting here and just taking in the world.  There is all different kinds of bird on the lawn getting worms and bugs for their babies, and there 2 rabbits that are coming out of the hedges eating the grass.  I enjoy the calmness of it all.

One of my favorite parts of staying in New Hope is the Friday night fireworks in the summer.   Last time I was here they were just going to start them and the river was too high so they canceled the show.   I guess I am really sentimental about the whole area and what the fireworks represent to me here I think.

I’m not one for really talking about personal things mostly because I really have a hard time getting my thoughts across clearly.  I will try though and tell you how I feel about this situation in my meager writing skills.  I see the New Hope fireworks as a freedom for me.  It represents the end of the old and unhappy person and the beginning of a new and very happy person.  I remember the 1^st time that I so wanted to see them I was laying flat on my back in bed last summer recovering from surgery.  There was no way I was going to get out of bed at that time to see them.   However the following week I was feeling much better.  I was not able to walk to well so Tina and I drove downtown Lambertville to find a parking place early.   When it got closer we got out of the car we walked down by the river to watch them.   I still remember the pain standing waiting for them to go off.   It too all I could do to stay standing waiting for them to go off.   It so was worth it though, I can still remember all the emotions and how I stood there with tears coming down my face.   It was a very powerful moment for me.   During that time Tina and I got to spend two weeks of uninterrupted time.  It was so special to get to reconnect with her in a new and different ways we have never done before.

Almost a year later I still find myself here in the New Hope area, staying here when I’m working in NJ.  Last night I got to see the fireworks.   I watched them from the bridge this time, was way easier to walk downtown from the B&B this time. J      The fireworks were shorter this time, but still very wonderful.  I was hoping I would be strong and not get all emotional but I couldn’t hold the tears of joy back though.  I look back on the last year I am such a happier and better person then I ever thought I could be.   I could never have gotten this far though if Tina was not so supportive spouse.  Thank you Tina!

http://newhopelambertvillefireworks.com/videos/