Jenster's Musings

Thursday, October 25, 2007

A Week With My Folks

I dropped my parents off at the airport this morning. *sigh* It was a nice visit and it seemed to end much too soon. I'm already thinking about when the kids and I can make it down their way.

As promised, I have pictures!! Not the good ones I mentioned in my last post, but some pretty shots nonetheless. So let's recap the week, shall we??

WEDNESDAY

Pick Mom & Dad up at the airport.

THURSDAY

I worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day visiting with the folks.

FRIDAY

I kept Katie out of school and the four of us drove over to Strasburg for a train ride.

Does the water tower remind anyone else of "Petticoat Junction"?

It was nice to just sit and relax and watch the scenery outside the windows.

After the train ride we drove up to Intercourse (STOP LAUGHING!) to the cannery. I can't be within a 20 mile radius of that place without stopping in for some of their super-uber-delicious seedless black raspberry preserves. And once I'm there I find all kinds of other things I absolutely, positively, without question need. I should have given Mom & Dad a head start. I got my two jars of preserves and a bag of Kahlua & Cream coffee beans, paid for them and then walked around some more while Mom & Dad found what they wanted. Not surprisingly, Katie and I found some more necessities. After paying for those I practically ran to the door with my head down and my hand over my eyes, careening through the busload of tourists who had just come in.

On our way home we passed the aforementioned horse and buggy at the car wash. I will say the horse was awfully shiny and the buggy looked pretty clean, too. It was a rainy day, though, which made me wonder if a regular car wash would give them a rain check. I'm still so very sad I didn't get a picture. It was priceless.

SATURDAY

The whole family went to Gettysburg on Saturday. We did the auto tour and it was gorgeous, but I think I'd like to go back and spend more time there. Not just at the Civil Battlefield Park, but in the little town of Gettysburg.

I was so struck by the beauty of the area I ended up taking tons of pictures of barns (I have a weakness for barns), church spires and the scenery. I did manage to get some of the monuments, too.

This monument is the Eternal Peace Light Memorial and was dedicated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938 as a symbol of peace in a united nation. From what I could find out the flame (which is very hard to see) has never gone out since that time. But what I find truly interesting is that this ceremony was the Last Reunion of the Blue and the Gray - a tradition that had been going on since 1913, 50 years after the battle. Soldiers from both sides would come to these reunions and when the last reunion was held there were very few soldiers left, most of them in their 90's.

I kept jumping out of the car to get good pictures. Todd followed me down the road just like a stalker.

We stopped in at the Appalachain Brewing Company for lunch. As usual, I forgot to take the picture of my food before I ate. The cup had been brimming with Brewer's Cheddar Ale Soup - A wonderful blend of premium cheddar cheese and our very own Water Gap Wheat accented with baked potatoes and topped with sour cream, cheddar-jack cheese and crumbled bacon. You can see why I didn't think about snapping a shot. The other picture is Flatbread Pomodoro - Four pieces of freshly toasted flatbread topped with a wonderful blend of Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, fresh mozzarella cheese and extra-virgin olive oil. Yes, it was as good as it sounds and looks.

Todd and Katie climbed this big tower and took the camera. Todd snapped a photo of this parachute toy stuck in a tree on their way up to the top. Then he got me and my head sticking through the sunroof of the stalker car.

Had to get a picture of the Arkansas monument, now, didn't I?

It seems this cool little castle-looking monument was a New York memorial, but I don't remember. I do know the stairs on the inside were S T E E P!

From left to right are the Irish Brigade Monument, the Pennsylvania Memorial and another New York monument in honor of the Native Americans that fought.

And we conclude the Gettysburg tour with this historic sign:

SUNDAY

Not much to tell that I haven't already. Taylor's girlfriend came over after the church picnic and we played a couple games, including Scrabble. She is a formidable opponent!

MONDAY

Laundry day. No pictures to share. Sorry.

TUESDAY

Mom and Dad and I drove up to the Daniel Boone homestead, about 30 minutes from the house. We didn't do the tour, but drove around a bit and looked at the sights. I'm not sure if I found the black sheep or the original house more interesting.

WEDNESDAY

I made a birthday cake for Katie that resembles something you'd see in a Dr. Suess book. I put polka-dotted candles in it in an effort to make it look like I meant to do that. I'm pretty sure no one bought it. Judging by the second picture, though, I don't think anyone cared.