My oldest sister, Carolyn and I were able to visit Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Overland Park, Kansas, on our way back to Oregon. My childhood friend who is now known by some as Father Tom, is a member of the parish. He is the one I have mentioned doing some proof-reading for in his translation project over the last two years. He has completed translating the New Testament and the Service Book of the Orthodox Church as well. While the Greek he translated is still Greek to me, I am appreciating reading his translation which often presents a fresh way of considering the meaning of Scripture.
Grain silos are the lighthouses of the vast western prairies of the USA. I was both surprised and delighted to see not only amber waves of grain, but wonderful waves of sunflowers, too.
Rolling along the prairie in our mini-van, I found myself envisioning what it might have been like for the pioneers who rode horses or rolled along in prairie schooners to explore and develop the magnificent, vast, prairie land; and when we stopped at a Lewis and Clarke overlook of the Missouri River and I saw the sign warning of poisonous snakes, I was reminded of just how perilous pioneering can be...even now!
One of my objectives in driving to Nebraska and back was to see Mt. Rushmore up close and personal! My friend, Fran, had warned me before I left Oregon that I might be disappointed when I saw the sculpted presidential faces because they might seem smaller than the zoomed in photos I had seen before I arrived. While I understand what she meant, I was none-the-less impressed by the massive size of the sculptures which are located a bit south of Rapid City, South Dakota. The park literature stated that there are mountain goats within the park and we were very excited to see two on the way out of the park. In defense of our poor quality photo of them, please note that to get this shot we obeyed the sign which stated "No Parking or Standing or Stopping at any Time" :)
One of the sobering stops we made along the way was in Garryowen, Montana, where the Battle of the Little Big Horn began at Sitting Bull's Camp. The Custer Battlefield Museum had an extensive collection of books for sale, but this one caught my eye as being one that will help me think through and better appreciate the heritage, present, and future of Native Americans.
Our last stop was a delightful visit with fellow blogger-friend, Betsy Queen in Spokane, Washington.
Betsy, her husband, Dennis, and their sweet pet, Cloe, graciously welcomed us into their beautiful home. Betsy's current charity project is stitching mittens and hats for children in Spokane who need them. Among the groups she stitches with is a group that meets at a great store, Paradise Fibers. I had heard of Paradise Fibers before, so especially enjoyed going to visit the store with Betsy.
Then before we knew it we were driving over the high prairie land of Washington, and down along the mighty Columbia River, until we arrived home near Mt. Hood in Boring, Oregon, where we are recovering from and enjoying the memory of driving over 4000 miles round trip. After sorting through nearly three weeks worth of mail, unpacking, and doing laundry, I am almost ready to sort through my button collection for buttons to sew onto my crocheted cane coat, and crochet more rows on my shawl, and crochet a baby cocoon for my newest granddaughter, Rosie, who is due to arrive at the end of October!
What are you almost ready to do :)
Gracie xx
