There Is
Good Out There
I
recently read several posts by old friends and former neighbors, Jim and Pat
Dick, from Connecticut. These two neighbors of 20 years have been
trekking the roadways in a motor home for the past 18 years. In recent years
they have spent much of their time in Yellowstone National Park and their permanent site outside
Titusville, FL named The Great Outdoors.
This past week Jim and Pat were in Indiana and have two wonderful stories
about the people of the mid-west. There is goodness out there folks and
thanks for sharing Jim and Pat.
From Jim's Post, with permission.
Tonight was a very special night. One that happens often in this RV
lifestyle which we have done for 18 years.
The other day we found a coffee shop in
Monroe, IN. While we were enjoying our Latte's, a very nice young lady and
her Daughter came in. They made their order and proceeded to sit across from
us in a tiny four person sitting area. We had a very nice time talking about
what we were doing and Nicole talked about their farm. Eventually she invited
us over for a visit. We were not able to make it but subsequent phone calls
allowed us to visit with her family and parents tonight.
I can only say that this is one of the most
wonderful nights we have had in our 18 years of full timing. We were invited
for dinner which included pork chops from their farm. They not only farm many
acres of land but raise 5,000 hogs for market!!!
We asked her parents if she used to bring home
stray animals when she was younger. They said no but she does bring home
strangers for a great home cooked meal!
My great enjoyment was her father is a
photographer and has done many trips to Alaska. He showed us some awesome
photos of their journeys. Not only is he a photographer but he was a Navy
Corpsman assigned to a Marine Detachment in Viet Nam. He suffered many wounds
and has a Purple Heart!!! God Bless the Man!!!
This was a great time for both of us and, I
think, we have made friends not only here in Decatur, IN but in Jacksonville,
FL where her parents will be spending the winter.
I cannot say enough about how wonderful it is
to be in this lifestyle!!
After reading the Post and asking Jim's permission to use it in the
Blog, the below was his response.
Lee, You
are more than welcome to use it. I have another that happened in the same
coffee shop this morning. We arrived around 11:30 only to find the shop was really
closed but the owner, Matt, was still there. He said he was closed but, since
he was there, he would happily make our drinks for us. Another gentleman was
also there, apparently a friend of Matt. Once the drinks were made Matt said
he had to go to Walmart but would return in about an hour and reopen the shop
at 2:00 pm. He said we were welcome to stay in the shop to enjoy our Lattes,
just be sure the front door was locked when we left and leave by the rear
door which would lock automatically. We spent the next two hours talking to
Matt's friend about many different things, one of which was how friendly
folks in the mid-west seem to be compared to many on the two coasts. Matt's
theme for the shop is Hawaiian with lots of surfing and skating memorabilia on
the walls. I noticed he did not have a Ron Jon Surf Company sticker. He will
be getting one in the mail once we return home. I would encourage any
travelers to head to the mid-west and spend some time with the local folks.
It may well be an eye opener and you just might make friends for life!! I
know we have! :-)
Jim and Pat
A New Job is born
Our granddaughter, Rachael Palmer, graduated
from Salisbury University in May of this year with a degree in Elementary
Education.
Rachael has puttzed here and there, subbing at her
alma matter, house and animal sitting and a buck here and there thing, when
she could find it.
Well by Jiminy, she has gone on the permanently employed
list. She has recently been hired by two brothers involved in the Food and
Beverage business who own a number of restaurants and a Brew Pub.
A great article in
the local magazine.
Rachael is filling the role of Personal Assistant to the
owners and has herself moving forward to Independence.
We here at the Rooster wish you all the best Ray.
In the meantime Ray's brother Tommy is preparing for a
trip to China. This trip is part of the experiential travels at The Salisbury School.
Up
North in Connecticut
Who knows,
you might get on Jeopardy some day and win a bunch of money if you read it.
Besides, everyone loves Giraffes.
Our oldest
grandson David is having a great sophomore year at Champlain College.
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Jill
and Rebecca are still busy with 4H and their Alpacas. Rebecca has taken to
the Saxophone and Jillian keeps honing her skills on the competitive Softball
field. I'm glad I'm not buying the gas to cart them around. Kevin does turn
16 next month, so there's a taxi service waiting to happen,
Kevin's
still participating on the HS soccer team and in the DECCA
Club. What a great organization that I never knew existed.
As
for Bell, Cody and Annie, the resident Poodles, we have got to get up there
sometime soon and see them.
Editorial
This
morning I was watching the news when Newscasters started to report on a
Lincoln, NB, school district that wanted to eliminate gender - specific
identity in the classrooms. No boys and girls in this school district, less
we offend someone. They even identified assembling the students by calling
them Purple Penguins rather than boys and girls. An example given was, “Now
all the Purple Penguins gather on the rug for reading time.” Why not hunter
and gatherers?
Have we not gone over the proverbial deep end? Everyone seems to take or make
offense toward something that needs change. The Washington Redskins is a
perfect example which I’d like to expound on. I mean, even our president has
given his opinion on the subject. Let’s have a beer in the Rose Garden and
chat about it.
Let us venture off to Texas and the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Have we not
shut out the poor Cowgirls? They have worked the range for those boys on
their steeds while they ramrod cattle. And what about calling them boys?
African-American males over two hundred years have taken offense for use of
that word due to its reflection to the days of slavery when they were
summoned by the master with, “Come here boy.” Let me get out of Dallas, too
much controversy here.
As I leave Dallas in my pickup and head north and east a bit to Kansas City I
come upon another football stadium, Arrowhead. Now Arrowhead surely projects
violence. Put that in your quiver. Very politically incorrect, the name of
the stadium alone is a case for a law suit. The team that plays there, the
Chiefs, what, all Chiefs and no Indians? Armies and corporations have failed
historically when there are too many chiefs and not enough indians, we’re
going back to litigation once again.
I leave Kansas City in a blustery snow storm that’s sweeping down the plains.
I’m headed for the Great Lakes, plenty of heretic problems up there. My next
stop is Cleveland, and are there issues in this city. The “Browns” is the
team name in this exclusionary town. Lorenzo Carter was the first settler in
Cleveland. Carter was born in Connecticut and traveled through Canada to
Cleveland in 1797. Why not the “Nutmegs?” After all Connecticut was the
Nutmeg State. While in Cleveland, Lorenzo befriended Chief Seneca, ah,
there’s those Indians in prominence once again. Hush one’s tongue!
Just what does the word “Browns” refer to in this modern day of watch what
you say? Obviously it’s the Hispanic community, right? According to the 2010
census only 10% of Cleveland is of Hispanic origin. What an affront to the
communities of Slovaks, Hungarians, Czechs, Russian, Scotch, Irish and Poles
who helped make this great city what it is. During the Industrial Revolution
these hard working people made Cleveland. According to the same census English
was the primary language of 88.4% of the population. Let us call the team
“The English.” We can hoist a mug of tea to the victor. I guess that wouldn’t
work at a Tail Gate Party.
The naming of the team was left to the first coach. That was Paul Brown, back
in 1945. A contest recommended the name be Panthers. There was an old team
from years past named the Panthers. That team was a failure, so Brown
rejected it. Since Brown was the coach, it was Brown’s team, thus we have the
Browns. Brown was fired in 1963 ending 17 years of coaching. He eventually
was instrumental in establishing the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland kept Paul’s name and now we
have political correctness gone way over the edge. Where does this end? When
does this end?
For me, I’ll root for the “Wicomico
County Eclectics.” There are those indians once again. What kind of tribe
were the Wicomico anyway?
I hope this finds
everyone well.
Enjoy the week, bring a smile to someone other than yourself.
Eat well and exercise.
Semper Fi
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