It was high time to visit with our (grown) children and our grandchildren. For some reason, Nina and I do all the traveling. The children seldom come to see us! So, after the house building project was well underway and summer was in full swing, we made preparations to make the 2017 Road Trip. The actual itinerary was to be very flexible. We would first go to Kentucky and we would end up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Daryl and family. In between we would visit with Nina’s sister-in-law Marion in Pickerington, Ohio, Nina’s sister Pam in Kirtland, Ohio, Nina’s cousin Priscilla in Glenmont, New York, Nina’s cousins Linda and Chris in North Branford, Connecticut, Nina’s son Peter and his wife in Connecticut, and Nina’s brother-in-law Billy in Ninety-Six, South Carolina.
Jim’s daughter Shaundra had plans to be in Logan, Utah for an Especially for Youth activity the third week in July. Originally Jim and the rest of the family were coming out west to visit with family and Shaundra would go back with them. However, life intervened, Jim spent a couple of weeks in the hospital with a very serious infection, and their trip west was cancelled. Rather than have Shaundra give up her EFY experience, we planned our trip so that she could ride back with us. That all worked out very well.
We left Utah on Tuesday, July 25th headed east. So far we’ve visited Jim and his family in Kentucky, Nina’s sister-in-law Marion in Pickerington, Ohio, Nina’s sister Pam in Kirtland, Ohio, and Nina’s cousin Priscilla in Glenmont, NY. We’ve just arrived in Connecticut to spend some time with cousins and Nina’s son Peter. After that we’ll spend the Labor Day weekend in New Jersey and meet up with Daryl, along with his family and his in-laws on Monday, September 4th at a house Daryl has rented on the North Carolina Outer Banks. After that? Who knows!
We had a very special experience while we were in Kirtland last Friday. Pam (Nina’s sister) and Nina had spent the morning and early afternoon together. We had wanted to visit some of the church history sites in Kirtland, so they decided we should go to the Kirtland Temple on Friday late afternoon and then do the rest of the sites on Saturday morning.
When we arrived at the Community of Christ Visitors’ Center for the Kirtland Temple, we learned that the next tour would be combined with a Church History tour from Utah and that our very good friend Karl Andersen would be conducting the tour! I had wanted to somehow get together with Karl but there just didn’t seem to be time in the schedule. This was a golden opportunity not only to have a brief visit, but to have him lead the tour and teach us the history at the same time. He made the visit very spiritual and enlightening. This was one of those “coincidences” to be treasured. I’ve long maintained that there are no coincidences, only appointments made by God and kept by man. This was another example to proves the rule.
We’ve had some interesting problems on the trip. Grandson-in-law loaned us a car dolly so we could tow Nina’s Toyota Avalon and not have to rent cars at various stops along the way. We rented cars on our last Big Trip three years ago and, while that was very convenient, it was Very Expensive.
The passenger side tire came off the car dolly as we were coming into Columbus, Ohio. It looks like the spindle disintegrated. Fortunately, no one was affected other than us. The day after picking up the newly repaired dolly, the driver’s side tire on the dolly had a blowout. Both times the tail lights on the dolly were blown off the vehicle. I’ve gotten very good at replacing tail lights! We also managed to tear half the front bumper cover off Nina’s Toyota Avalon. That’s currently being held together with wire and a couple of bolts. This is a repair job that’ll eventually have to go through the insurance to get fully replaced. Meanwhile, I hope to further secure the bumper cover enough so that it’ll get us back home. Knock on wood….
Since the tire issue, the dolly has performed quite well. It’s good to have a car with us. I’m thinking it would be a good idea to buy a car dolly so we can do these kinds of trips more often.
Life is good. We’re currently in a campground in southern Connecticut near the beach. It’s cool and very humid. The rain should move out by about midnight and tomorrow should be a great day.
Ta ta for now!
Roland and Nina… Thanks for the trip update… Hoping that most, if not all, of your trip plans go very smoothly.. I am still working through ” my journey” in grief because Marsha is gone. Along the way, I have met with people who are so kind, caring and helpful. And I start every day with scripture. So very glad that I /we had Marsha in my life and yours. Guidebook on grief shows a path forward, and it helps. Wishing God’s blessing in your lives. I visited Marsha’s grave site earlier this week. There is no marker or monument for her. So that is something that needs to be done. I keep her cremains and a shrine of sorts in my house. I’m still so very emotional that it is probably best for me just to type rather than call. But know that I care about you and your loss. Marsha and you are such a great blessing.
I still haven’t forgotten that you plan on being on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I may drive over that way while you are there for a brief visit, but I doubt it. Will end for now. With great love to you both, Billy …. Oh I forgot… I may send a photo or two by text to either your phone or Nina’s phone if you will provide a cell number.