As I travel across this land, I am reminded of a story I started to write about 10 years ago. It is time for us to have a new adventure, so a new story is a good addition to this trip.
In the days, weeks/months, ahead I will share each chapter here with you. So stay tuned!
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Grammy Leigh and Hippity Hop's Summer Adventure - Part Two
 |
| Sunrise over Southwestern Wyoming, 8/4/17, through the smoke of all fires in the Western States ...we lose the smoke as we cross the continental divide later today. |
A little later Grammy is traveling on to her Daughter's in Richmond, Kentucky … with a planned day trip down to Bowling Green, KY for an Eclipse Watching Party on August 21, 2017. But today’s leg of the journey should end up in or near Cheyenne, Wyoming. But for now, she is looking forward to spending some time with her family in Tennessee. So on to Shelbyville.
"Leigh, why don't we stop for a bite to eat in Evanston, WY before we head east once more?"
So the first stop of today's journey is the "Little America" truck stop in Evanston and breakfast for our friends.
Once back on the road again our little band of travelers head east once more. As they journey east, Grammy Leigh noticed that their route actually crosses the Continental Divide of the Americas twice between Rock Springs and Laramie Wyoming.
As today's 500-mile goal is to be Cheyenne, Wyoming - though it is a little short, Bro. Dave decides to take a lunch and nap break at a truck stop near Rawlings, WY. When the truck is parked, Bro. Dave pulls down the picnic basket, ice chest and a couple blankets while Grammy Leigh gets Hop out of his kennel and places him on a leash with his harness. He needed a break from his confinement, too.
Lunch and a two-hour rest break over, our gang reloads the "Haul Me Home" truck and rejoins the never-ending, eastward bound caravan.
About 4:00 pm Bro. Dave says he is in need of another short rest break.
"Hey Dave, it looks like we are just a few minutes from a geological point of interest, the 'Gangplank.' It is said to be the easiest route from the Great Plains into the mountains and onto the West Coast. We can take our afternoon road break there and maybe learn something new."
"That is a great idea, Leigh."
So the pair, and our bunny friend, pull off the highway into the truck parking lot beside the "Gangplank." Ass our group stretches their legs and takes in the views all around them, Bro. Dave stops in front of the commemoration sign.
"Hey Leigh, the sign says that this formation is about a Billion years old and leaves the plains behind, rising into the mountains. Even the Union Pacific Railroad uses a part of it to leave the Great Plains behind for the mountains."
"Dave, you know I don't believe the earth is that old. I believe that the Bible bears record that it is between 10,000 and 12,000 years old. I have read many articles in Biblical Archaeology that state scientists are proving the Bible is truth more and more every day."
 |
| Satelite view of Gangplank, WY |
"You're right. Brother. God is good, and He gave us many beautiful views to share on this trip. So, let's enjoy them and each other's company."
 |
| I-80 from the Gangplank Point of Interest Area |
About that time lightning flashed, thunder rolled and Hippity Hop tugged on his leash in great anxiety. Then the sky broke loose with warm, summer deluge and our little trio ran to the truck and quickly crawled inside. Their rest break ended, and just a little wet for their troubles, our group re-enters the Interstate and their day's journey.
The cloud burst that started at the "Gangplank" hadn't let up when Bro. Dave and Grammy Leigh stopped in Cheyenne for dinner. Having planned to sleep under the stars throughout this road trip, the tent Bro. Dave had packed into the truck was not easily located when they stopped for dinner. So Grammy Leigh decided to get a motel room for the night. This would give them a full night's rest, some time to relax in front of the TV and a shower before they returned to their road trip.
The first exit into Cheyenne yielded a good choice of motels, a couple fast food joints, and a small diner at the local, roadside truck stop. Grammy Leigh said that a real meal would be preferable to fast food, so they ate at the diner.
Finding a motel room was not as easy as finding a place to eat. All of the motels that were close to the interstate had no rooms available. So Bro.Dave and Grammy Leigh decided to pull into a nearby Mc Donalds to get a soda while Grammy checked online for motel rooms. When she found one that looked good, Grammy called them:
"Hello. Is this the Sidney Best Western? Thank you. I was just on trivago.com checking for a handicapped room in Sidney with two beds and your ad showed one available. Is it still open?"
"Thank the Lord! Can you hold it for me for a little while?"
"Hallelujah! Are you pet-friendly? Good, I'll take it. We are in Cheyenne, WY so it will be about two hours until we get there. How much will it be?"
"Yes, my brother has an AARP card. A 10% discount sounds awesome, thanks! We'll see you soon."
Bro. Dave made his usual walk around the trucks while Grammy Leigh walked Hippity Hop on his leash to stretch his little, bunny legs. Once their walks were complete and every body was loaded in the "Haul Me Home" truck and headed down the Interstate toward the Sidney, Nebraska Best Western Hotel, and a full night's rest.
Driving the last 85 miles to the hotel took a little more than two hours. When they arrived, they quickly checked in at the front desk then walked down to their room with their suitcases and Hop in his kennel for a long, hot shower and a couple hours of TV before drifting off to sleep.
As it continues to pour down rain, and our happy trio prepares for bed, I will leave you here in Sidney, Nebraska until we meet again.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Grammy Leigh and Hippity Hop's Summer Adventure - Part One
“Hey Everybody, Grammy Leigh is about to start on a new adventure. Gather around quickly ... here she comes. Let’s listen as she gets ready,” BoBus the hound encouraged.
“Oh good. I’m glad that you’re all here already. I have some news I want to share with you. So let’s quiet down, I don’t want to have to repeat my instructions. I have an announcement to make. I have to take a trip back east with my big brother, Dave. We are delivering some furniture to my mother in Tennessee and then I will go on to Kentucky to my daughter’s. Her oldest son, my grandson, is getting married soon and this trip is the only way for me to get there for the celebration. I will be gone from the farm for about two months, so let me tell you all what needs to be done and what I expect while I am gone.”
Grammy sat there with all of her farm hands and critters to tell them of her plans for the trip and what she needs each of them to do while she was away. When Grammy Leigh finished her talk with everybody, she went into the farmhouse to pack her suitcases.
While Grammy was sorting her clothes for the trip she saw Hippity Hop (also called Hop) hopping across the yard and into the rose garden for a nap in the shade. Grammy got to thinking about leaving Hop Hop behind while she traveled.
Grammy knew that Hop needed more personal interaction than most of her critters. So she decided that she would take him with her. So, after filling her suitcases, Grammy found the small traveling kennel for Hop to ride in the truck with her and Bro. Dave.
As Brother Dave loaded the “Haul-Me-Home” truck, Grammy made sure all of the farm chores were done in the big barn. When all was ready, Grammy put Hop in the kennel and got into her seat in the truck while Bro. Dave placed their suitcases into the truck and the picnic basket between the seats in the cab of the truck. Then crawled into his seat behind the steering wheel, ready to start the truck engine. Before Bro Dave brought the engine to life, Grammy prayed:
“Dear Lord, protect this truck and all of its contents, including the living ones. Set your angels upon each wheel, before and behind, above and beneath us as we journey across the country to visit our family. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”
After her prayer, Bro. Dave started the truck engine and proceeded to drive out of the driveway of Grammy’s farm; it was about noon on August 3, 2017.
As Bro. Dave looked for the best parking place, Grammy Leigh took in the scenery ‘round about the field where they were to park. Down the right side of the field ran a fence that enclosed the neighbor’s farm animals. The front pasture section held a couple of cows and their calves. But in the back pasture, there was a merry menagerie of goats, horses and their colts and a few stray sheep.
This group of four-legged friends was quite playful in the gathering darkness. Their playful ness enticed our Hippity Hop.
“Brother, I think if we place the mattresses between the trucks we will be better able to keep an eye on everything.”
“That sounds good, Leigh. Let’s do that,” Bro Dave replied.
Once the beds were down for the night, Grammy pulled out the picnic basket and they shared a dinner of sandwiches, pudding cups, and fresh peaches. Even Hop had dinner, but he had some bunny kibble and water, with a serving of Sweet Timothy Hay for dessert.
Just as Grammy Leigh and Brother Dave were falling into a restful snooze, our bunny friend escaped from his kennel to stretch his little, legs. Hippity Hop quickly made his way through the parking field to the Western end of the pasture next door. It only took him a moment to find a hole in the fencing which allowed him to hop on into the pasture. Once on the other side of the fence, Hop began to frolic with the animals living there. He ran with the colts and dodged the gopher holes with the baby goats, and other lots of other games that the residents of the pasture taught him. After about two hours of frolicking with his new friends, Hippity Hop returned to his kennel to rest before their journey across the country continued.
As our merry, little band of travelers sleep through the remainder of the night, I will let you rest also. Until next time ... be blessed of the Lord and give Him the Glory in all things! Good Bye!
Monday, July 18, 2016
Lydia and Joy Stealer
Intro:
As sometimes is the case with our plans, it looks like my trip this week isn't going to happen at this time. But Satan can't succeed in his attacks against us UNLESS we GIVE him a foothold in our hearts and minds. He can only do what WE ALLOW him to do. On this note, I want to share a story I wrote for my church family a few years ago. It's called Lydia and Joy Stealer.
Lydia and Joy Stealer
Lydia is a servant of the Most High. She is very conscious of being open to His
leading her into various ministry opportunities. Even her job in the working world allows her
to come into contact with many people in person in her work place, as well as
on the phones, helping them with their find solutions for many for their daily
problems in the words of the Book.
Most people who had met Lydia would say that she was a
very happy person. So full of laughter
and good cheer that she almost always wore a smile on her face and sang songs
of the Most High wherever she went.
Living in the city of the Most High was a criminal
named Joy Stealer. Now the Joy Stealer
was a loyal servant of the Enemy of the Most High. His crime was to take away the happiness and
good cheer of all the servants of the Most High, thus getting them to leave His
service and wander aimlessly among the Wastelands of Despair. In this way he added to the followers of the
Enemy.
For many years Joy Stealer had followed the servants of
the Most High weakening their defenses and throwing stumbling blocks into their
paths, and he was very good at his job.
But he try as he might Joy Stealer could find no way to break down the
defenses of Lydia and take away the happiness she had flowing forth through her
life. So Joy Stealer sought the help of
other servants of the Enemy. He sent
minor slaves to spy on her day and night to learn what could be used against
her to make her falter in her service to the Most High.
Darkness and Depression each found places of rest among
the folds of Lydia’s robes. They rode
along with her for many days making notes to take back to Joy Stealer. After about two weeks of this research to
find a chink in Lydia’s armor Darkness and Depression reported back to Joy
Stealer their findings.
“Master,” Darkness started, “We have found no failing
in her that you may exploit.”
“What!” yells Joy Stealer, “Than why have you
returned?”
“Well, Great One,” Depression continued, “She has no
weakness, however we did notice that she ALWAYS wears an MP3 player with stereo
headset over her ears.”
“That’s right,” Darkness agreed, “she listens to the
music of the Most High both day and night continuously. She never removes the speakers from her
ears.”
Now Joy Stealer had an idea. “I will plug her ears so she cannot hear the
music of the Most High. She will think
that her MP3 player has quit functioning and look for another. While she is seeking I will fill her life
with so many of these people she is so willing to be of assistance to that she
will be totally overwhelmed and exhausted and her loyalty will slowly begin to
falter.
After getting a good nights rest, Joy Stealer began
this new tactic to attack Lydia and turn her from the service of the Most High. He began it very slowly, blocking her hearing
for just an hour or two at a time until by the end of the first week he had
totally blocked the music from her ears altogether. In the second week he started adding more and
more responsibilities and people with needs in her path that she had to take
care of.
The smile was now starting to fade from Lydia’s face
and the songs of joy had all but vanished from her heart. By the end of the third week exhaustion was
taking a toll on her physical well-being.
She wasn’t sleeping well at night, as the toils of the day wouldn’t
leave her mind. She wasn’t eating
properly either, as the constant turmoil was keeping her stomach rolling and
nothing tasted good in her mouth any more.
Joy Stealer had done his job very well thanks to the research of
Darkness and Depression. So well even
that he had brought them back to Lydia to place her in such a state of gloom
that she would forever forsake her job of service to the Most High.
But the Most High
was not one to accept the loss of even one of His subjects without a
fight. He sent His Son, Peace Giver, to
personally sing in the ears of Lydia His most precious songs of comfort and
joy. To Peace Giver the Most High gave
the gift of invisibility so that Joy Stealer could not see or detect His
presence. This allowed Him to stand
right behind Lydia and sing right in her ears.
Joy Stealer couldn’t hear Peace Giver’s singing either for he had no peace
in his being. Only those who chose
service to the Most High and had made a place for peace to live in their hearts
could hear the music of the Most High.
This gave Peace Giver the clear advantage in the battle for Lydia’s
mind, and He made full use of this advantage.
Peace Giver sang his
songs of comfort and joy loudly and constantly in Lydia’s ears. He had no need for rest or food as he was
sustained totally by the love of the Most High. During this battle for her mind, Lydia
didn’t realize that the music of the Most High had disappeared from her
hearing. She had thought that the MP3
player had malfunctioned, so she thought to replace it. But no MP3 player seemed to play the songs of
the Most High that she had long cherished, so she gave up on trying to replace
her player and gradually dismissed the lack of it’s music. It wasn’t that any of the equipment was
faulty; it was the plugs put in place by Joy Stealer that filtered out the
music. But Peace Giver was there singing
all the while.
Lydia finally got so
sick and tired that she began to call out to the Most High for health and
strength. This prayer started cracking
the plugs placed in her ears by Joy Stealer.
Now Lydia began hearing strains of the songs sung in her ears by Peace
Giver. Her body was very weakened from
the many weeks it had been deprived of its music. Her mind was tense from it’s over working to
meet the needs of those she had thought placed in her path by the Most High –
yet which were in truth the trap of Joy Stealer. But hope was beginning to return with the
renewed connection to the missing sounds of the songs she had long been
accustomed to hearing both night and day for all the years of her service to
the Most High.
Although she had
been sharing her trials with her mentor, Mrs. Calming Comforter, Lydia had
found no peace in Calming’s words with out her music.
Today as she left
her office for a weekend retreat at the Sea Shore, the plugs that had blocked
the music fell from Lydia’s ears and she could clearly hear the beautiful voice
of Peace Giver singing to her the precious songs of the Most High. Joy Stealer had lost the battle for Lydia’s
mind – and ultimately for her service.
She has now recommitted herself to the job given her by the Most High in which she worked serving those of His kingdom in the solving their problems, whatever they
may be. And she has again in place the
headset of her MP3 player so that she can hear, night and day, the songs of the
Most High; especially those she had heard sung personally by Peace Giver as He
sang in her ears during the battle fought for her mind and her service.
Joy Stealer has been
sent out of the city of the Most High to wander with his cohorts Darkness and
Depression in the Wastelands of Despair until the end of all time when they
three would join the Enemy in the pits of Hell for Eternity.
~*~
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly. John
10:10
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you
again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name,
he will give [it] you. Hitherto have ye
asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be
full. John 16:22-24
And Always Remember:
Do Not ALLOW Satan to Steal Your Joy!
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Storytelling Festival and Camping Vacation as my Writing Retreat
Dear
Family, Friends and Followers,
I
am pleased to announce that the reason for this page is finally coming to
fruition, so I welcome you to be a part of the new adventures that are coming
and the tales that I will publish here to share with you about their events,
pictures and the ministry opportunities I will have along the way.
That
said, I invite you all to travel with me next month to the California Gold
Fields and the Sierra Storyteller’s Festival at the North
Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center. It promises to be an exciting
learning experience and networking adventure. The Festival itself is Friday, July
22 – Sunday, July 24 2016. But as I am working on a historical novel set in the
region, I am going to travel throughout to gather information and pictures for
this project as well.
 |
| Brandy City California Site |
So
come along for the journey and …. Stay tuned for all of my upcoming adventures,
complete with pictures and anecdotes of time well spent and a vacation well
deserved.
And
if you live in this part of Northern Cali and know of a small Pentecostal church
I might like to visit, please post their contact info on this page.
And
welcome to Grammy’s New Adventures! Hang on tight and go with the flow!
You can follow the adventures here and at Grammy's GEMS.
You can follow the adventures here and at Grammy's GEMS.
Come Visit me at Bullards Bar Schoolhouse Campground, space 52 from Friday 7/22-Wednesday 7/27
And Checkout their FaceBook Page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)