Look What Was Waiting for Us When We Got Home . . .

We got home today from our visit to Amish country, and while I was filling the sprinkling cans to water the plants on the deck (they really needed the water), my eyes fell on our four tomato plants, laden with ripening fruit.
I picked the ripest. There's more out there waiting for us. Evelyn and I ate one of them for supper, and I'm taking some cherry tomatoes in my lunch tomorrow. The one we ate tonight tastes homegrown--I think we'll be tasting them every day for the next couple of weeks.
This morning up in Berlin we went food shopping--first at a country store where we picked up some South Carolina peaches (had one of those for supper too) and some Amish-made jelly. Then on to Heini's Cheese Castle. (Go ahead and make jokes about the name--we did!) We got some cheese spread and a few small blocks of cheese and threw it all in a cooler we had brought anticipating some food purchases.
We stopped for a late lunch in Grove City, OH and were home before 4:30. I (we) had plenty of time to tend to the yard, unpack, go through the mail, bring the checkbook up-to-date, clear out some of my work emails, and pay bills.
It was nice to be away. I'm ready to get back at the work ahead of me.

Our Minivacation

Evelyn and I are taking a little long-weekend trip, starting this afternoon. I'm writing from Mentor, Ohio. Tomorrow we're gong to visit the James A. Garfield home, a National Historic Site. Garfield, before he was president, was one of the Christian leaders who worked together to start Christian Standard, and when he died, the Standard's first editor, Isaac Errett, preached his funeral. (Found this article about Garfield published in Christian Standard.) I've always thought I'd like to visit his home sometime, and when I purchased a Groupon for a stay at a bed and breakfast in Millersburg (Amish country), I decided to combine the two destinations into one trip.
We'll visit the Garfield home tomorrow and maybe visit the Holden Arboretum, try to see some sand beside Lake Erie, and do whatever else we can find to do around here. I'm looking forward to a Saturday in a place I've never visited before.
We left home about 2:30 and stopped at a Mansfield exit for supper at Der Dutchman, a place we used to stop on the way to or from Grove City, PA, when Jennifer was in college there.

Earlier this week (Tuesday) we got to spend the evening with Wendy Wagoner who came the spend overnight with us. She will be the missionary in residence at CCU first semester (starting August 18), and she was in town working out some details with them. It was great to visit with her and sense that she's doing well.
Wednesday night we had Dan and Cindi Cooper at our house for our weekly dinner and Major Crimes evening. We really enjoy the series, a spin-off from The Closer, and the weekly fellowship with the Coopers is something we always look forward to.

Wednesday at work we sent the September issue of Christian Standard to the printer, and Jim Nieman has been working since then to get the digital version ready to upload to the new Christian Standard app.

Our tomatoes are starting to come on. Evelyn gave a bunch a of the grape tomatoes to the neighbor before we left, and a few of the regular tomatoes will be ready when we get home.

Vacation Diary, Part Two

Monday, June 16
We left the 9/11 Memorial and Museum after noon, and we were hungry. We stopped at the first deli we saw and decided to go upstairs, be seated, and order pizza, instead of ordering sandwiches from the counter downstairs. The World Cup was playing on the big screens, and the place was busy. And the service was slow. The pizza was wonderful, but we were there at least an hour. By the time we found our way back to the subway, got back to Grand Central Station, and walked back to the hotel, it was well after 2:00. And then we had to wait for the car to be delivered. Bottom line, we weren't out of the city till after 3:00, later than I wanted to leave.
But we got through the Lincoln Tunnel fast, and the traffic on the Turnpike kept moving. We checked into our Residence Inn in Horsham and got to Jen's after 5:30, in plenty of time for a wonderful evening.
Matt grilled some of the best Italian sausages and barbecue chicken thighs we've ever eaten. And Jen had brought in every salad sold at the Giant supermarket deli. It was a wonderful supper. We took a walk through the neighborhood to use up a few calories. (All 8 of us, four Johnsons plus Evelyn and me and the Cartwrights.) And then we adjourned to Dairy Delite to enjoy a true delight native to the area, water ice. We ate our ice cream, lucky to snag a table when the place was crowded with other delight-seekers. It was a great way to end the day.

Tuesday, June 17
We slept in a little and relaxed in the morning and got to Jen's around 11:30. We went to lunch with Jen and Miles at a quaint little coffee shop/cafe nearby and then drove into the city to the historical district. We didn't have a lot of time; the museums all closed at 5:00. But we were able to see an introductory film, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, and Independence Hall. (All the free tickets for the latter were already gone when Jen had called several days earlier, but the ranger let us sneak in with a huge tour group of high school kids, and we were really glad we got to see it.)
We had good tour guides at Congress Hall and Independence Hall, and we enjoyed lolly-gagging through the adjacent Washington Park, under the giant shade trees, beside a sparkling fountain, and surrounded by colorful landscaping.

The senate chamber inside Independence Hall

We walked down to Penn Landing and looked across the Delaware River at Camden, New Jersey. Matt and Miles met us and led us to Sonny's, one of their favorite spots for the famous Philly cheesesteaks. Wow, what a good choice. They were really good--and larger than some of us could finish.

We drove back to Levittown and decided we needed something light and sweet to get the taste of the cheesesteaks out of our mouths. You guessed it--another trip to Dairy Delite. Two days in a row isn't too much for vacation!

Wednesday, June 18
Jen met us at our hotel, because it was on the way to today's destination, Valley Forge. After a delightful lunch of salads and soups (and a couple of cookies) at the Corner Bakery Cafe, we made our way to the national park.
It was a h-h-h-hot day. I think the temp hit 96 degrees that afternoon. But we still enjoyed the visit. We watched the introductory film and looked at all the explanatory displays in the visitors center. Then we took the trolley tour around the giant park. The guide explained how regiments from the various states built log cabins, many of them each sleeping 6-9 men. We were interested to learn there was no battle there and Valley Forge housed more than 20,000 people, including several hundred women and children who would have been destitute if they hadn't accompanied their soldier husbands to the camp.

This house was Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. The beautiful grounds surrounding it
(pictures below) were the loveliest part of the park.

We drove to Newtown where we met Matt for dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant there. Byron declared it was the "office party," meaning he treated for dinner. It was a very fine treat. We returned to Matt and Jen's place for more visiting and laughs before returning to our hotel to pack for the trip home.

Thursday, June 19
We were up early and had plenty of time to linger over the hotel's breakfast before leaving for the Philly airport. We dropped off Katie and Byron a little after 10 and began the trip over the Turnpike and across the Interstates back home to Liberty Township, Ohio. We were home a little after 8:30 p.m., plenty of time to sort through the mail, pull our few clean clothes out of the suitcases, and watch Monday's episode of Major Crimes before heading to bed, tired but happy.

Vacation Diary, Part One

We drove from our home to Harrisburg, PA last Thursday afternoon and evening (June 12), and then on to New York City Friday morning for a week of vacation in the Big Apple and the Philadelphia area, accompanied by lifelong friends Katie and Byron Cartwright and led by the ever-faithful and patient Siri. As I posted to Facebook: 

1536 miles. 2 lifelong friends. 2 wonderful kids & their 2 remarkable spouses. Miles of sights & sounds in 2 big cities. What a vacation!

Here's a rundown:

Friday, June 13

Katie and Byron had invited us to stay with them at the newly refurbished Wyndham timeshare in the heart of Manhattan, on 45th between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. We got there about 20 minutes after they did, unloaded the luggage, found the place to park the car, and ate lunch from the sumptuous food bar at the deli on the corner. I used my trusty Streetwise Manhattan to guide us for a walk to see some of the sites: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall. It was muggy, and we were ready to rest. Thankfully, the room (apartment!) was ready for us after 2:00, and we could settle in, cool off, and wait for Jennifer who trained in from PA. She arrived a little after 3:00, and we left for Long Island by 3:30.

This is one of three groups Geoff led during the program.

The catalyst for our trip was Geoff's annual Jazz Night at Herricks, where all of his jazz bands perform for parents and friends while students serve up ice cream sundaes and other snacks. The traffic for the drive out of the city was terrible, and we didn't get to his school till after 5:00. He picked up Lisa at the train station and brought her and two huge pizzas for our supper before the program started at 7:00.

It was so good! And, as usual, we were impressed with the quality of Geoff's groups, the rapport he has with his students, and the command he had of the whole situation. He had decided at 4:30 to have it in the gym instead of outside, on the school's courtyard, because of threatening weather. The sky opened amid lightning flashes and rumbling thunder, just as the program began. Good decision, Geoff!

We drove back to Geoff and Lisa's neighborhood after the concert and enjoyed dessert on their beautiful terrace before taking the subway back to Manhattan by 10:00. (We parked the car in front of Geoff's apartment building Friday and Saturday nights, thus avoiding about $100 in parking charges.)

Saturday, June 14

We took the subway back to Long Island City and met the three Taylors at Geoff and Lisa's favorite breakfast spot, Cafe Henri. We enjoyed the wonderful Benedicts and omelets and other delights before stopping by Geoff and Lisa's apartment to pick up Frankie and take a walk through the parks lining the East River not far away. It was a marvelous day; the storm the night before had ushered in a cold front. The Manhattan vistas were striking, as always, and we enjoyed walking and chatting. We adjourned back to Geoff and Lisa's terrace for ice tea and cookies before taking the subway back to the city and our main event of the day.

Thanks to Lisa and Geoff and their tripod and excellent camera for this shot and the one above.

We had tickets for the 2:00 matinee of Newsies, which provided us an afternoon of energy and enjoyment. The production numbers, with their acrobatic dancing, were virtually spellbinding, and we had wonderful seats in the mezzanine to give us a perfect view of the show. It was wonderful.

Afterwards we walked back to Grand Central Station and caught the subway to meet Geoff and Lisa and Jennifer in an East Village neighborhood where the New York Taylors wanted to introduce us to a Korean restaurant Lisa knew. I ate the whole meal with my chopsticks! 

For dessert, we walked to a bakery and restaurant not far away, Vaniero's. The hardest part of the experience was choosing ONE dessert from the PAGES of options. The best part was the uproarious laughter accompanying Byron's stories from our college days long ago. I think the people around us wondered how we got liquor into a bake shop!

On the way back to the subway, we stopped at the famous Strand Bookstore and spent almost an hour wandering the three stories of new and used books and other delights.

Sunday, June 15

We took the subway to the beautiful Salvation Army auditorium that is the meeting place for the Redeemer Presbyterian Church Downtown Congregation. We met Geoff and Lisa there. (Actually, we met Geoff on the street, walking toward the church, and Lisa followed by subway. He had driven Jen to Forefront Brooklyn, where she was the morning speaker. It was a tough decision to choose one congregation over the other for Sunday morning, but we figured this would be the only chance for Byron and Katie to experience the unique worship that is characteristic of Redeemer.) 

After church, we took the subway with Lisa to Central Park, and Geoff drove Katie and Evelyn there. He and Lisa had packed a picnic lunch for us to enjoy, and we really did enjoy it! The pasta salad and accompaniments was wonderful. The conversation was even better. And, as always, there was laughter, lots of laughter. We were inspired to a different pose, below, to help preserve memories of the day (thanks, again, to G&L's tripod, camera, and creativity).

We walked (and walked!) through Central Park and then traveled back to G&L's apartment, where we rested and cooled off a bit before the evening's adventure: a trip on the East River Ferry from Long Island City to the Fulton Ferry Landing, followed by exploration of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and a wonderful dinner of Luke's lobster rolls. Yum! The weather all day had been glorious--warm and breezy and dry, with a clear blue sky and puffy clouds. It was the perfect evening for the ferry ride and visit to the park. Lisa & Geoff recorded the ferry ride and the lobster roll dinner with these pictures:

Frankie accompanied us on the trip, and we enjoyed exploring the gardens surrounding a riverfront restaurant.

The sun was setting as we took the ferry back toward Long Island City, and I took lots of pictures, trying to capture the perfect view of the day.

The first picture, below, shows the Fulton Ferry Landing, from the ferry itself.

The second is the Manhattan skyline at sunset from the ferry as we returned to Long Island City.

Back at Geoff and Lisa's place, we went to the rooftop of their building and enjoyed the remarkable view available to them there.

We were tired after a long day, but when we got back to our timeshare, we couldn't ignore Katie's desire to see and experience Times Square one more time. Should we go then, at 10 p.m., or wait till Monday morning? We finally decided just to go for one more walk and experience the city at nighttime. We were so glad we did! 

The walk to Times Square from our place wasn't long, and you must experience Times Square at night to really experience it! 

We soaked up the bright-as-day aura of it all, surrounded by skyscraper flashing neon, jostling crowds, and the feeling that you really have come to the center of the earth. We traded iPhones with some tourists of Kentucky and took each others' pictures, looked through a souvenir shop, bought water from a streetside vendor, and were back "home" in about an hour. It was a great way to end the day!

Monday, June 16

We went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum Monday morning before driving to Horsham, Pennsylvania that afternoon. The museum is a sobering chronicle of all that happened on September 11, 2001. Everyone who visits New York should see it. Perhaps most compelling are the recorded stories from survivors, accompanied by projected diagrams showing where they were in the World Trade Center or the Pentagon when the planes struck. We spent at least two hours there; we could have stayed longer, but by that time all of us felt like we were on overload.

We walked outside to pause at the two large reflecting pools, marking the footprint of each of the original World Trade Center towers, surrounded by granite (?) plaques, each bearing the names of some of the 9/11 victims. And we came upon the marker bearing the name of Todd Beamer!

We walked to a deli for lunch, under the shadow of the imposing Freedom Tower, glad we had taken time for this experience.

Vacation Diary—the Vatican

The jet lag has really thrown me for a loop this week, but every day is better. I'm almost feeling human now. Sunday morning I was up at 5:00 and got through two weeks of work e-mail before we went to church that morning! Monday morning was the same story, and I got to work very early. Yesterday I woke up at 3:15 (after having collapsed in bed about 9:30 Monday evening) and determined, "I am NOT getting up yet!" I took two Tylenol P.M. and had no trouble sleeping all the way till the alarm went off at 6:00! Last night was a little better, but I was up before 6:00 this morning, so I'll take advantage of this time to post another entry about our trip. (Dentist appointment this morning means I don't leave the house till about 8:00.)
After flying all night from Newark to Rome, we got on busses and drove straight to the Vatican Museum. It was raining--a steady, unrelenting rain. The temperature was about 58 degrees, with an intermittent breeze. And we stood in line in that weather for more than 2 hours to get in the place.
This was a much less than glamorous way to begin our European adventure, but the visual treats inside the museum and around the Vatican were worth it. By the time our tour got started, the rain had stopped, and we had sunshine for our bus trip to the hotel where we could cast off damp clothes and take wonderful, warm showers.

Back Home, Back to the Blog

"I haven't been off the Internet for two weeks straight since 1998!"

That was Jennifer's comment when we were reviewing our vacation with her on the phone today. We took a 12-day cruise of the Mediterranean preceded by a 3-day Rome pretour, and except for 30 minutes to check e-mail at the beginning of the trip, I didn't log onto the Internet the whole time. No Facebook. No e-mail. No blog posts.

So I'll catch up here, interspersing details about the trip with more typical daily diary reports.

I decided to sift through my dozens (hundreds?) of pictures and to begin with pictures of me and Evelyn, more or less. (Remember when I began this project, I said, "It IS all about me!")

Here's the thing. At the moment, my body, which hasn't adjusted back to Eastern Daylight time after two weeks in Italy and Greece, thinks the time is past 3 in the morning tomorrow. So I'm fading fast, and I don't have the energy to keep dates and places straight to accompany all the scenery photos.

So I'm beginning with these pictures just to record for the world and remind myself that Evelyn and I were in some beautiful, memorable places during the last two weeks.

In the Colosseum at Rome

On the Acropolis in Athens, and at the foot of the stairs leading up to Mars Hill (below)

On the beautiful islands of Malta and Santorini (below)

In an outdoor restaurant in Venice

All dressed up for "formal night" on the ship