Last stop in PA

 From McAllisterville, we headed out to Mifflinburg where our friends John David and Louise live.  We met them years ago in AL  and they have come to various MDS sites to work with us, bring groups of folks with them.   We have visited them before in their home, and they have come to see us in MB also.  It is always a good time when we are with them, and we reallly appreciate the hospitality and good time they show us.  It is also fun to see their growing family.  We feel like their kids could be our grandchildren too.
 A family picture taken of John David, Louise, Andrew, James, Aaron and Krystal.
 They took us out to their cabin by the river, not many minutes away from their home.  It was a neat place and cozy and we had a good couple of hours there, sharing lunch and exploring the mountain.


 Krystal enjoying her front porch swing.
 James out in the river at the cabin.
 Andrew swinging out over the river at the cabin.
 and last but not least, Aaron.  We enjoyed our time with this family, and all the other folks we visited while we were out there.  They took us to see some other friends we had met over the years, and we had a busy and fun Sunday with them.   Come Monday morning though we were ready to head home and so we said our good-byes and turned the car in the direction of home.  It had been a busy but good time spent with friends, visiting and re-building relationships and friendships we had made.  Glad the wedding gave us an excuse to head out that way.

More of our holiday!

After the wedding we spent the rest of the week visiting friends.  It was a good week of re-connecting with people-friends we had made thru MDS.  The first night after the wedding we stayed at this Bed and Breakfast.  It was a very foggy night and also still the next morning so the picture is not super clear.  We had met this lady in Florida last winter.   A couple of her grandchildren worked with us in Birmingham and we met her through them.  It was a lovely place and we had a good sleep in a lovely canopy bed, and then she fed us a delicious breakfast in the morning before we headed out again.
 From the B+B we headed out with Cameron, a young man we met last year and grandson to the lady who owned the B+B.  He is farming with his dad, and he took us to see his home and farm where he still lives with his parents and sisters.  It was neat to see their operation and to get to meet his mom and a couple of his sisters.  They had a lovely yard and a large farm operation.  It was fun to be able to connect with this young man again and learn more about his life.
 From there we headed out to Manheim, where our friends Jim and Martha live.  We met these dear folks years ago when we were in LA with MDS and we have wanted to visit them for a long time.  Finally we got the chance and it was good.  They are still the same and we enjoyed our visit with them in their new home.  They have spent four years building this log home doing most of it themselves.
 An outside view of their log home.
 Leaving there, we headed to Chambersburg to meet Sam and Pat.  They are friends we met in CA with MDS and we really appreciated them and got to love them.  It was Pat's birthday the day we came so we got to celebrate with them and catch up with their lives, and spend a night with them in their home.  They are special friends of ours and we hope to someday be able to work together again.  (Pat is a really good cook!)
 Moving on again, we headed to McAllisterville to see friends  Jay and Twila.  They were part of our long term team last year in Birmingham and though we spent 2 months working together, we didn't get to know them as well as we would have liked. This time spent with them was great as they showed us their farm, and took us along into the community for a fund-raising supper, and as we visited and got to know more about one another.  It was a good time.
 The last picture shows a scene from across the road at J + T's.  They have Amish neighbours and this morning he went out with his horses and binder to start harvesting his corn.  It was interesting to watch and quite different from the way we harvested our corn.

Scenes from Pennsylvania!

 A couple of weeks ago we headed out to Pennsylvania for our fall holiday.  We got an invitation to a wedding of one of our Old Order Mennonite friends and so we thought that was enough reason to head out there and visit.  We have lots of friends out there from our many years of MDS service and so off we went.
 It was interesting to attend the wedding of one of the girls we met last year in Birmingham.  It was a rainy day for the wedding and so we could not explore the yard but it looked like a lovely farmyard.  The first picture is of one of the buggies arriving with guests for the wedding.  After the guests get off, attendants take the buggy and park it and then the horse gets taken to another spot and taken care of there.
 The second picture was not at the wedding but you can see the horse here is saddled up and waiting for it's rider to go out to see his girlfriend on Sunday evening.
 We stayed with friends most of the nights we were in PA and often in the mornings we heard the clop clop of horses passing by.  In the third picture if you look closely enough you will see a horse and buggy heading down the road.  The landscape was rolling and very rural, yet there are people living everywhere.  Most of the farms where we were are somewhat smaller than ours here in MB.
 The rest of the pictures are back at the wedding.

 Some youngsters at the wedding tired of being cooped up in the house went out for walks.
 Third picture from the bottom.  Many of the girls in the blue dresses were at our site in Birmingham last winter ans so it was good to be able to see them again and catch up on their lives.  A couple of them were planning weddings for this fall.
The second last picture shows the rest of the group that was in Birmingham the same week as the girls.  It was fun to get to meet so many of our friends in one place and get to know them better as we experienced this wedding, and as we waited to be called in for the meal.
The last picture shows the happy couple.  Grace and Nathan.  Grace was one of the group of girls who volunteered with us last February and so we were happy to be able to come and join her on her wedding day and experience something new.

Back in the sewing room

I am slowly getting things together again so that I can do some sewing when the urge hits.  I have some fabric for a stash, and thread, a few patterns and of course the sewing machine.  This fall, I needed to make a blanket for a new little grand niece and decided instead of making a rag blanket out of flannel, I would piece a blanket.   It is a bit trickier to get everything just right with flannel, as it is a bit stretchier than just plain cottons, but I think the blanket worked  out okay.  Hope it keeps the little girl warm!
 Feels good to get back to being creative again.