I JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF LANCASTER COUNTY

 

Hello, friends.   Hope you had a great day.  This morning Joe had a doctor's appointment at the VA Hospital.  I drove him down and waited for him in the car instead of going into the hospital.  I made some phone calls and read part of my book while I waited.

When Joe came out, we were both hungry and decided to go to lunch.  We had to get on I-76 to go home but I didn't get off.  We kept right on going and went out to Lancaster County to have lunch.  Are we nuts to drive almost 2 hours to have lunch?  Uh... yes, a little.  But we had such a good time.

Joe took some pictures of the countryside as we drove through it.  It's so pretty.

We had a list of five possible places for lunch.  The first was Dienner's where Elaine and I had lunch/dinner last week.  Joe said he wanted a buffet and I wanted a sit down meal.  This would give us either one.  I pulled into Dienner's and saw there were about 20 people outside with the beepers they use to call people waiting.  So I turned around and we left.

We passed our next choice, Miller's, had a full parking lot so we drove on.  We decided to go to Katie's Kitchen.  But there were people waiting outside there also.  So we ended up at Hershey Farm.

We hadn't been to Hershey in a long time.  The last time we were there we had a very bad experience.  But we decided to give them another chance.  We walked in and were seated right away.  They had only the smorgasbord so that's what we got.

Joe went up first.  Here's his plate.  Beef, green beans, corn and mashed potatoes.

He had the same thing for his second plate but had stuffing instead of potatoes.

For my first plate I had chicken pot pie, corn, green beans and stuffing with gravy.

My second plate was fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy.  I shouldn't have had that second piece of chicken.  I saw the wing and picked it up but then saw the leg which I really wanted.  I couldn't put the wing back, so I ended up with both.  And I didn't want to waste food, so I ate it.

I didn't want any dessert, but Joe got two pieces of sugar-free pie.  He couldn't decide between cherry or apple so he got both!  Does he look happy?

We went through the gift shops after we ate.  I bought just a few things.

I got another Wanda Brunstatter book.  Oh my I had better get reading.  I also got some burlap dahlias to decorate in the fall and a bag of peppermints.  I always get peppermints there and forgot last week.

When we went out to leave, I looked for the animals they always have.  Usually there are goats, chickens, a rooster or two, ducks, geese, sheep and sometimes other small animals.  Today all I saw were these two little goats.  They were cute, but I wonder where all the other animals were.

We headed back to Philly because it was getting late.  We made good time until we got into Montgomery County.  Then rush hour traffic got to us.  But we plugged along and finally reached Philadelphia.   Joe took a picture of the Art Museum and the Philadelphia skyline as we drove along.

It took us 30 minutes longer to get home than it did to go out there.  We had such a nice time.  It's fun to do things on the spur of the moment.  And we both felt so much better and calmer when we got home.  We are still looking for a home to move to out there.  We have been looking for years.  Maybe someday.

Until next time...

Kathy

SISTERS GET-AWAY TO LANCASTER COUNTY -- DAY TWO

 Hello, friends.  Hope you had a great Monday.  I thought I would tell you about our second day in Lancaster today.

We got up and got ready for the day.  It was Elaine's birthday so she got to open her gifts.  It is a custom with us to open our gifts first thing in the morning before breakfast.  I had brought the gifts from Joe and me.

We weren't sure if the hotel was going to provide the free breakfast they are famous for, but were pleasantly surprised to find there was something.  It wasn't the hot scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns of the past, but there was plenty there.  Doughnuts, bagels, English muffins, hard boiled eggs, coffee, tea, juice and water.  We did not go hungry and everything was good.

We went back to the room, got packed up and ready to leave.  I took a picture of the view outside of our room.  I think this patio was off of the pool area.

When we got into the car to leave, we were sitting in front of a cornfield.  We're not in Philly anymore.

We had so much planned for our two days so we tried to pack everything into one.  The first place we went to was Rockvale Mall.  It has lots of discount and specialty shops in it.  Unfortunately a lot of the stores have closed.  My friends had told me it was because they had to close during Covid and couldn't make it to reopen.

We started out at Christmas Tree Hill.

I went in to get a couple of battery operated candles.  I ended up getting a lot of other things.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of them.  But I got a little gnome riding a turtle, a jingle bell hanger for the front door for Christmas, some coasters (a red truck for Christmas and snowmen for January) and a couple of Christmas gifts.  I do have a picture of one of the candles in my front window.  It looks so nice.

Then we went to Reading China and Glass.

I cannot go in that store and not spend money.  Joe had just bought me a new non-stick frying pan and I wanted to get some nylon utensils.  I found two spatulas (large and small) and a spoon shaped one.  My sister found a mayo knife.  It is shaped like the inside of the jar and will get every last bit out.  I got one too.  I also got a chopper.  I've been wanting one for a long time.

We left Rockvale and went up the road to Hershey Farm.  I got honey wheat bread, two apple turnovers, a pumpkin whoopie pie for my friend Donna, a new book from Wanda Brunstetter and a pretty blue t-shirt that says Life is Simple ... Lancaster County, PA.

Of course if you are at Hershey Farm you have to take a picture of Famous Amos.

When we left Hershey Farm we turned the opposite direction and went to the antique store that Elaine likes.  I stayed in the car and made some phone calls while she investigated.

We were moving right along here.  We headed for the Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market.  I knew I wanted to get some fresh veggies.  But I also got some lunchmeat because I knew we were out, and two beautiful pork chops.  We already ate them and they were wonderful.  In produce I got two ears of white corn that had been picked the day before, two beautiful big tomatoes, a green and a yellow zucchini and a nice head of cauliflower.

We headed over to the Bird-in-Hand Restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.  That was where Elaine wanted to go for her birthday.  We both got the smorgasbord.  We were so full that neither of us ate later that day.  Elaine ended her meal with a piece of cake for her birthday.

We looked around the store attached to the restaurant a little bit after we were finished and Elaine bought a couple of things.  Then we got ready to go home.

We were going to go down to Intercourse to Kitchen Kettle but it was after 2:00 p.m. and we wanted to miss rush hour on I-95.  So we left for home.  We did pretty good, though, because that was the only thing we didn't do.

I took a few pictures of the landscape as we left.  Here is a family in a buggy.

And Elaine said to take this one.  One buggy is coming and one is going.

I took these only because you couldn't see the faces of the people.  I would never take a picture when I know they don't want me to.

Here's some more landscape.  It's such a pretty part of the state.

We had a pretty easy ride home.  We knew we were back when we saw the Philadelphia Art Museum and the city skyline.

I-676 and I-95 were packed and it was slow going but that was OK.  Most of the way was pretty good.  Here is some of the traffic on I-95 and the commuter train (the elevated train).  I remember when this station was built.  It was controversial putting it in the middle of a highway, but it has turned out great.

And that ends our get-away for this year.  Thanks for coming along.  Hope to see you back here soon.

Until later,

Kathy

SUNDAY PRAISE

 

Hello, friends!  Hope you have had a great day today.  I spent most of today asleep.  I wasn't feeling all that great so I guess it was good I did that.

I did get to church this morning and I had two little girls in Sunday School.  The youngest one was so bad.  She goes to school for the first time this year and I told her she couldn't be running around and talking back to her teacher in school, but she doesn't believe me (or her older sister).  Boy is she going to be surprised.

I did get the lesson across to her though.  And it was a good one.  The story of Naaman.  She was fascinated that he had to wash seven times in the Jordan River and not just once.  She counted along with me (me:  "He washed one time and was still sick.  He washed two times and was still sick.  He washed three, four, five...) and asked, "Why seven?"  She also thought that Gehazi was a funny name for Elisha's servant.  "It sounds like he's sneezing," she said.  What a kid!  But so loveable at the same time.  She's the one who goes around giving everyone hugs.

But enough of that.  Let me tell you the story.

Naaman, the great leader of Syria's army, had a terrible disease.  It was called leprosy.  His wife was very sad.

"Why are you crying," asked her maid.

"Oh, it is just terrible.  Naaman has the dreaded disease.  He has leprosy," she answered before covering her face with her hands and sobbing.

"Don't cry," said the little maid.  "I know a great prophet, Elisha.  He could cure your husband."

Naaman left on a journey to Elisha's home.  Elisha sent his servant, Gehazi, to tell Naaman what to do.  "Elisha says to go wash in the Jordan River seven times.  Then your skin will be pure."

Naaman obeyed Elisha's orders and his skin became like that of a young boy.  He was cured.  Naaman was so thankful he tried to give Elisha some magnificent gifts.  "Thank you for helping to cure me of my leprosy," he said as he handed the gifts to Elisha.  "I know your God must be the true God.  Take these gifts and gold as my thank you."

"No," said Elisha.  "I don't want your gifts.  May God bless you as you return to your home."

Gehazi heard Naaman offer Elisha the gifts.  He wanted those beautiful presents.  "I'll just wait until Naaman is out of sight," he thought.  Then I will go get the gifts.

That's what he did.  As soon as Naaman was out of Elisha's sight, he hurried to him.  "My master has changed his mind," he lied.  "He would like the gifts and gold."

But God helped Elisha to know about Gehazi's sin.  "You will have the curse of leprosy because you are not content with what you have," he told him.

Elisha knew how to be content with what God had given him.  He was God's child.

(based on 2 Kings 5:15-27)

Are you satisfied with what you have?  Gehazi wasn't.  He wanted more and better without trusting in God to provide it for him.  It's so difficult sometimes to be satisfied with what God has given to us.  We want newer, bigger, better things than what we have.  Now there is nothing wrong in trying to improve your lot in life.  I know that I want to.  But there is something wrong in coveting and not trusting God to provide for our needs or being satisfied with what we have.  I always say there is a difference between needs and wants.  For instance, I WANT a bigger and newer house with land around it and a deck and a screened in porch and a...  But I NEED a new bathroom to fix the things wrong with the one I have (like peeling wallpaper and missing tiles).  

Friends, trust in God to supply all of your needs.  And be satisfied with what He has given to you at this moment in time.  God loves His children and will always provide.

I am heading towards the end of the Old Testament stories in this series.  In the fall we will start stories of Jesus.  It's important to have these background stories in your life, but even more important to build on them with the stories of Jesus.

I hope you will have a wonderful week.  I will be back tomorrow to finish my story of our Sisters Getaway.  I also have another book review to share with you.  And maybe... just maybe... there will be a little road trip.  I have to see how things work out.

Until later,

Kathy