Old Friends Reunion - Pennsylvania - Day 14

September 3, 2014 Wednesday Day 14

I knew I was only about 2 hours away from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania - my destination. 

Good Morning Boys!

My Oncoming Traffic

My long time friend, Denise, lives in Tennessee, but her brother lives in Pennsylvania, so she had arranged for me to be able to stay at his house, and she would she drive up to meet me. It has been eight long years since we have had a face to face visit! Denise and I met through a homeschool site over sixteen years ago when the internet was all very new. We both showed up at Five In A Row and through the story of a little blue boot that was put in the toilet by my then 10 month old son - now 17 - we met and a lifelong friendship began. Six months later, her husband flew Cassidy and I to Florida to spend a week together. There was nothing new to learn about her upon meeting; it had all been said on the phone over those hundreds of hours of talking, and those many, many, many pages of writing letters. It would be another six years - 2003,  and I would travel once again to visit her, but this time in Tennessee, and accompanied by another nearly two year old - Cooper, and this time Cassidy was seven. Considering he was always her daughter, Tessa’s, age, it was a given that he would accompany me. 

In 2006, it was Denise’s turn to come to Canada with Tessa. We had a wonderful visit out in the country, and while she was with us ideas began brewing. What if our whole family were to go to Tennessee for a month? The plan quickly formulated, and then Denise headed home. Shortly after, Ray began driving with a few of the boys, and I flew out a week later. Ray’s drive was a week each end, and the time in the middle was a month. It was a fantastic time. Ray helped by doing some construction -friend to friend - on their house, and our family lived in the carriage house out back. Cassidy had a chance to try tap classes with Tessa, since he was a kid of all skills - try anything that kid will! And we lived as if we were Tennesseans. I could have easily moved there. I absolutely loved the scenery of the state. 

Sadly, many years would go by before we would have the chance for another visit. We adopted children, and built two houses, and life got very complicated and at times very sad for both of us. But always in the back of my mind, and sometimes on my lips, I would speak of the trip to Denise that I would make. There was no way that a friendship like ours could go that long without real face time. No Skype, or phone calls could make up for sitting on a bed in the wee hours of the morning filling in the gaps of the last eight years!

As we were driving along I took a road the GPS told me to take, but it seemed to be the wrong way. It had the wrong name on it. Rather than drive forever and not be able to turn around, I decided to pull off and look at the GPS. Literally the minute I did this, a car pulled in on my right. I told Courage to jump out and ask them if this was the 30 East. I got out from the other side, in case he didn't there fast enough to talk to them before they left. 

It was the most curious thing. This old guy with white hair got out of the car on the left side of the car and began exercising, as if he had been in the car for a long time. Then the lady got out on the other side, and she did the same thing. It was so unique that it made me think of people at a track meet - knee bends, arms over heads, putting their legs up on the bumper to stretch. It is so hard to describe, but given their ages, it seemed rather surreal. 

I asked them what road we were on, and they told me it was the 30 East. I was so relieved, and I thanked them and headed back to the car. They jumped back in their car and they were on their way, just like that! 

As we pulled out I said, "Get a picture. Get my camera." And then Isaiah said, "It's just a car." Because the people were back inside and heading away, and I said, "It's not just a car! It's a car with angels!" And Isaiah quipped, "Exercising angels!" and we all laughed, cause they were so unusual in their behaviours.

A Beautiful Home in Pennsylvania

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My van continued to cause me issues, but I limped along. We stopped for a quick McDonald’s lunch, and then headed on. I was determined to get some uploading done, so I stopped in Fulton Country, Pennsylvania, to see if they had a library, and they did! To make it better, they were ever so kind and allowed me access to it. Wow!! I sat there for a couple hours bringing everything up to date, and feeling relieved to know it was not my computer that was the problem - it was the connection at the truck stop. So now I know my Apple works if I have the right hook-up. 

The Children Enjoying the Books While I Worked

We arrived at Denise’s brother’s house, and introductions were made, and Michael, her brother, welcomed us with the welcome of the South. Honestly, those eight years slid by. There was and will never be that awkwardness, because when you are friends like us, time carries no burden. It is like it was just yesterday that we were together. And so now, for the next few days, we will chat, and chat, and chat some more! And I will have the privilege of getting to know her granddaughter, Kenzie, as a ten year old. The last time I visited Denise, she had three sweet grandchildren, and Kenzie was only two years old. This time, she is the age of our kids, and so they will have a wonderful time making new friends. 

Briton and Kenzie Having a Chat

When we arrived at Denise's brother's and wife, Mary's house, I said I just wanted to know what to do with my van. I had announced to Ray that I had a transmission problem, and he said to find a tranny shop. So I alerted Denise to this, who then talked to her brother. When I arrived I borrowed the phone to talk to a shop, and they could not even begin to see me until Friday. Well that is too late, as I have to be in New Jersey for my booking for September 7, 8, 9th. Then Mike suddenly thought of their friend, Jim, who comes for dinner on Wednesdays normally. He is a mechanic. He gave him a call and shortly after this, Jim arrived, and did an inspection of my van. We went for a test drive, and he told me what he thought. He would try to also get it into a shop in the morning with some friend to get a scan done. He figured it wasn't that bad, but there was something going on with the transmission. I felt so grateful to know that once again I had been taken care of! No, not problem solved, but a bit of relief for the moment, and I would not be on the road again for a couple days.

Michael is a chef, and a wonderful dinner was whipped up, and then he decided we needed to take a road trip down to a very special icecream parlour. And boy was it worth the short drive!!

Chef Mike at Work

My Little Campsite

.