Punderson State Park - Ohio

Having enjoyed a few days stay at various school parking lots since the beginning of September, it seems odd to be at a State campground where there is no school out the window! There are no school bells, church bells or children enjoying recess... We will be back to school on Sunday night.

Let's recap....
Delavan, Wisconsin > Rockford, Illinois > Morton, Illinois > Danville, Illinois > Indianapolis, Indiana > Springfield, Ohio > Marysville, Ohio > Punderson State Park. Phew!

Scotts Lawn and Garden

Talk about pressure! These are the photos taken as we were passing the Scotts factory just outside of Marysville, Ohio.

As we went by I saw only three people trimming and one person on a riding lawn mower. Imagine, if you will, a dandelion growing on this lawn...not.

My new profession

Okay, so I am only pretending.

While visiting the United States Air Force Museum, I realized that there are not many opportunities for a claustrophobic person such as myself. The cockpits were SMALL, the passageways were SMALL, the places where the gunners sat were SMALL and what if you had to get out of there in a hurry...

Any words I write sound trite considering what has been given for the freedom I enjoy, but I never considered the small space in which they worked. I appreciate it even more.

The hallway where I am standing is 17 inches wide - even the tour had small spaces!

The Museum was thoroughly enjoyable. Dave thought I would be bored - Ha. I loved the planes. I loved the human stories more, especially the tales about early flight and what the Viet Nam POWs had to endure. Very powerful.

If ever you get the chance to visit the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio, just do it!

Mr. Honebrink

This is David Honebrink, who was a junior in high school when I started working at Mayer Lutheran High School. Now his name is Mr. Honebrink and he teaches middle school math at Calvary Lutheran School, and coaches track at Trinity Lutheran High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After leaving high school occasionally students will stop in for a visit, but to visit a former high school-er on their new turf, making a huge difference for the kingdom and happy in their chosen profession - it just doesn't get any better than that! A servant leader - Mr. Honebrink.

My Guitar and a Sabra Cactus are alike

So How Exactly Does a Sabra Look?
by Yael Zisling

"Most people know that a native Israeli is referred to as a Sabra (tzabar in Hebrew). However, not everyone knows what a Sabra really looks like (not the human variety). A Sabra is actually a form of cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica, in the past known as a ‘prickly pear’ and now most often called a ‘cactus pear’.

The fruit of the Sabra is thorny on the outside with a thick peel that must be removed, to get to the sweet meaty inside."

The mandarin oranges are in these photos to make a point. My guitar is ugly. It is the same color as the mandarin oranges. I wanted you to know that I am not exaggerating when I say the color is orange. IT IS ORANGE.

When I was shopping for a guitar I played it and said, "Dave, you play this guitar and I hope it sounds as ugly as it looks." But no, it sounded sweet and beautiful. I looked at other guitars always hoping that the sound would match the look....sigh. I even went beyond my guitar budget looking for a pretty guitar with great sound.... sigh.

So my guitar, like the Sabra Cactus, is not too much to look at on the outside, but it is a guitar that sounds beautiful when played, and it is a cactus that contains sweet meat when you get past the prickly exterior.

In our Christian walk sometimes we just have to look past the orange or prickly exterior to get to the real thing.

Bear Country

So I walk into the local Lowe's hardware store and on the wall between the paint and the electrical is this huge rug. Then it hits me, I am not in Wisconsin anymore.

Soon it will be Colts, then Browns, then Steelers, Eagles, Ravens, Redskins, Panthers...sigh.

Pumpkin Days in Morton IL

Small town USA at its best. There were carnival games you never win, lots of food booths, and loud carnival rides. Please note the photo of all the "pumpkin" items on the menu.
The two pumpkin photos were award winners in the pumpkin judging - and you can see why, Clark Pumpkin never looked so good.

Thank you to John Jacobs, principal of Bethel Lutheran School, for allowing us parking space for a few days and the opportunity to sing for the school kids.