Returning Home

Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007--Lancaster County, PA

It's another nice spring day. We all went on an outing to a local nursery where we ate hotdogs and the children participated in activities. They had pumpkin painting and scarecrow making activities among others. Here, many of the homes have stalks of corn tied to their porch posts, have scarecrows on the porches, and have pumpkins either in the yard, on the porch, or in flower boxes. They are really celebrating the harvest season, and the decorations will be appropriate for Halloween later in the month, too.

Jack and I went walking in the early afternoon. I couldn't believe he wanted to do so. And once we got started, he kept saying he wanted to go further for me to see certain things. I was amazed at how far we walked. Later we measured it in a car because he was so proud of going so far. It was 2.3 miles!

Jack and I drove to Delaware. I had only been through it on a train before, so it was fun to get out and see the countryside and to see Newark, the city that is the home of the University of Delaware. It is only about an hour from Lancaster County and involves 3 states going there--Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. On the way, we encountered the Amish out in their buggies and a few of them walking. The men were all wearing their black suits, black ties, and black hats completed with bright colored shirts--purple or green. Newark is a wonder example of a college town--not too big nor too small. The campus is just a block behind the main street and actually spreads across the main street on one end. Main Street is lined with restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables. We went into a gelato place and had an ice cream cone.

In the evening, we went down the street 1 1/2 blocks to the Sugar Bowl, the local college hangout that is managed by Jack's and Drew's son Kyle. They have strombolis, pizzas, cheese steaks, etc. Jack and I each had a stromboli. We ordered the regular (vs. the large), but I think Kyle must have made us the large. I could barely finish it all. It was good, though. Drew had a pizza.

Monday, Oct. 1, 2007--Harrisburg to San Antonio

I went out early in the morning for donuts and the newspaper. Millersville is such an easy place to explore on foot. Everything is really within walking distance. And downtown Lancaster is only 3 miles away which is walking distance for me.

Drew and Kyle drove me to the airport in Harrisburg, since Jack had left for a meeting at the International Reading Association office in Newark where we had been the day before. It was an easy drive, and I enjoyed seeing the countryside on the way. I was surprised when we arrived at the airport to have them point out the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant and tell me that it was Three Mile Island, the place that had a limited meltdown a few years ago. I knew about TMI, but I really didn't know where it was. It is just by the airport.

The Harrisburg airport operates a lounge for all silver and gold members of frequent flyer clubs of the airlines serving the airport. I went in there and had a complimentary soft drink and read the New York Times. It is a conservative area, and all the other men in there were watching Fox News. I wonder if they noticed I was reading such a liberal newspaper?

My flight to Dulles was short and easy. Then I had another wait of several hours for my flight to San Antonio. I read more newspapers, I watched people, I walked up and down the terminal for exercise, and I finally went to a sandwich place and got an Italian sandwich on focacio bread, since the airline doesn't serve food on the San Antonio flight. Just before boarding, I was watching a man work on his computer creating a painting. He had a large sketchpad attached via a usb port and would draw on the pad, and it would show up on the computer screen. I don't know if he started the picture from scratch or was altering one that he had imported from elsewhere, but it was fun to see his equipment and what he was doing.

The flight to San Antonio went well again, but it seems long at 3 1/2 hours. Anyway, my luggage came quickly, and my sister picked me up just 7-8 minutes after I went outside. I was back home again a few minutes after that for the first time in over 4 1/2 months.

Note: I will write another update with final spending info and notes about my first week home in a day or two.