As we visit the area and sometimes venture away from Nashville, we are constantly reminded how blessed we are. We try to encourage everyone we meet by telling them "our story." God is good and we are thankful for the opportunity we have to share our lives and adventures with our friends and family.
We want to share a praise. After two plus months of unemployment, our son-in-law, Matt, has landed a job. It is very different from anything he has done, but we are all optimistic that it is an opportunity for him to show his talents and excel. He will be "the" service technician for a local pool and spa business and will travel 150 mile radius to open, close, repair, etc, pools and spas. His first day will be on Monday, April 12. We were excited to learn the owners are Christians. It is difficult to find a job these days -- NC has one of the highest unemployment rates of 11.2%, with 13% in the county where we are. Matt has applied and applied and applied -- and unfortunately not many callbacks. He's also gone on a couple of interviews -- either they didn't select him, or it was part-time or crazy hours, but he never gave up. It was through networking and talking to everyone he could that brought this job opportunity to him and the recommendation from his neighbor to the owners. We are convinced this job chance is part of God's plan for Matt and his family.
Alissa and Matt had a leak behind the wall of their shower, so they came up with a plan to enclose their garden tub and put in a shower and remove the old shower. Alan helped Matt construct a wall around the tub.
They then placed water-proof sheets of paneling over the newly-created wall.
They worked steadily for two days, barely taking a break. I stayed out of their way, but I did go for hamburgers for lunch one day. Little did I know that when you order a hamburger with "everything," that means chili is added to the burger -- at least in this area.
They did a great job.
We drove to Greenville -- about 45 mi Southeast -- to pick up our Blue Ox hitch and have the base plate installed on our Honda so it can be towed behind the MH. As we approached Bradford Creek RV and Coach, we couldn't help but notice the mobile homes in the area were sitting up high off the ground.
We were told that following Hurricane Floyd a few years ago, FEMA required the homes be placed high off the ground in an effort to prevent them from being destroyed by flood waters in the future.
Bradford Creek RV and Coach and Kelly's Supply Store are in the middle of nowhere. Due to the economy, they no longer have full-time technicians, so we had to leave the Honda overnight. There is a retired gentleman who works in the small store and coordinates any necessary repairs, etc. And he told us -- he does not receive an income for working -- he just wanted something to do. The owner is a broker for high-end diesel pushers.
This is the back of the owner's home. There is a camping area to the left and there are plans to expand in the next five years. The owner expressed he was contemplating what to do with the house now that he and his wife are empty-nesters -- perhaps a Bed and Breakfast, maybe a clubhouse for campers, etc.
In this area of NC, it's a family tradition to celebrate milestones -- such as birthdays, holidays, etc.-- by having a "pig-picking" -- yes, you heard me right -- a pig-picking. You can purchase a whole pig that has been split in half and they cook it on a special grill. When the cooked pig is ready, all participants line up and literally "pick" the meat from the pig. One of the kids' neighbors was celebrating a family wedding, so Matt took some pics for me.
Dalton was proud to take his house to school where each child shook their house, dropped it on the floor, etc. Dalton's house was the only one that did not break or crumble; thus he received a 100 for his project. Thanks to Papa who came up with the plan and helped Dalton to put it all together. Who would've thought a house made out of pretzels, lasagna noodles and crackers would not crumble when shook or dropped on the floor?
We have not missed a soccer game and Dalton's team is still undefeated. They will play in a tournament to determine first, second, third place. We expect the "Cosmos" to place first.
One last thing before I sign off. We saw the following sign in the vet's office where we take Lucy and I wanted to share it:
What a great witness to those who come to this vet's office. That's what it's all about -- sharing Christ with anyone and everyone.
We took Matt, Alissa and Dalton with us to VA over Easter weekend to visit Jon, Mindy and Allen. Our next blog entry will cover our trip and visit. In the meantime, we pray God is watching over our family and friends and we pray God will continue to bless our voyage.
Bradford Creek RV and Coach and Kelly's Supply Store are in the middle of nowhere. Due to the economy, they no longer have full-time technicians, so we had to leave the Honda overnight. There is a retired gentleman who works in the small store and coordinates any necessary repairs, etc. And he told us -- he does not receive an income for working -- he just wanted something to do. The owner is a broker for high-end diesel pushers.
This is the back of the owner's home. There is a camping area to the left and there are plans to expand in the next five years. The owner expressed he was contemplating what to do with the house now that he and his wife are empty-nesters -- perhaps a Bed and Breakfast, maybe a clubhouse for campers, etc.
In this area of NC, it's a family tradition to celebrate milestones -- such as birthdays, holidays, etc.-- by having a "pig-picking" -- yes, you heard me right -- a pig-picking. You can purchase a whole pig that has been split in half and they cook it on a special grill. When the cooked pig is ready, all participants line up and literally "pick" the meat from the pig. One of the kids' neighbors was celebrating a family wedding, so Matt took some pics for me.
It takes two people to turn the swine.
It sounds like we will experience this savage tradition first-hand ourselves. We are going to have a pig-picking to celebrate Sarah's graduation and of course I will share that momentous event with you in more pics -- especially of everyone lining up to "pick" the pig.
Dalton has been studying earthquakes in science. As a project, he had to construct a house that would withstand an earthquake and could not be destroyed. A list of possible components to use to construct the house was sent home. Papa came up with a plan -- large pretzels for the frame, lasagna noodles for the walls and crackers for the roof. Small pretzels were used for the windows, doors and steps. While Dalton was at school, Papa meticulous cut each pretzel and noodle. Foam was used for the foundation and it was all constructed on a piece of plywood. When Dalton got home from school, they took the cut pieces and created the house.
Dalton has been studying earthquakes in science. As a project, he had to construct a house that would withstand an earthquake and could not be destroyed. A list of possible components to use to construct the house was sent home. Papa came up with a plan -- large pretzels for the frame, lasagna noodles for the walls and crackers for the roof. Small pretzels were used for the windows, doors and steps. While Dalton was at school, Papa meticulous cut each pretzel and noodle. Foam was used for the foundation and it was all constructed on a piece of plywood. When Dalton got home from school, they took the cut pieces and created the house.
Dalton was proud to take his house to school where each child shook their house, dropped it on the floor, etc. Dalton's house was the only one that did not break or crumble; thus he received a 100 for his project. Thanks to Papa who came up with the plan and helped Dalton to put it all together. Who would've thought a house made out of pretzels, lasagna noodles and crackers would not crumble when shook or dropped on the floor?
We have not missed a soccer game and Dalton's team is still undefeated. They will play in a tournament to determine first, second, third place. We expect the "Cosmos" to place first.
One last thing before I sign off. We saw the following sign in the vet's office where we take Lucy and I wanted to share it:
We took Matt, Alissa and Dalton with us to VA over Easter weekend to visit Jon, Mindy and Allen. Our next blog entry will cover our trip and visit. In the meantime, we pray God is watching over our family and friends and we pray God will continue to bless our voyage.
We join with you in praising God for His provision of a job for Matt! Enjoyed seeing pictures of the bathroom project and Dalton's science project. I was surprised the lasagna noodles were strong enough until I remembered that I now use the partially cooked noodles which are a lot more fragile. Happy to hear you have another item checked on your 'to do' list for full-time travel. Looking forward to seeing prom pictures in a couple of weeks!
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