World War Z (aka "The Walking Dead on steroids")

I'll state right up front that I have not seen this movie, nor am I likely to except under duress. I know, I know...I'm probably missing out on an amazing sci-fi, shoot-em-up thriller...but I'm okay with that. Thus, this review is a compilation of what I could gather from my two teens that saw it last week while the two youngers and I were much more entertained at Monsters University.

Noah is the most verbal of the two, so what follows is primarily from him, but he and Abbey both summed up their review of World War Z with this same statement: "It's The Walking Dead on steroids!"

I don't watch The Walking Dead either, so this didn't help me understand much. After some interviewing of Noah, here's what I could piece together. The Walking Dead uses live actors, made up to look like zombies and he prefers this far more than the fake CGI zombies of World War Z. It sounded as if there wasn't much of a storyline other than Brad Pitt shooting up zombies too. He couldn't tell me how the outbreak began or if it ended with the movie, but he did understand how the fighters could protect themselves from becoming zombies. Apparently, The Walking Dead has a more engaging storyline and you actually grow to care for the characters.

The best thing I got out of the interview and that they were both most excited about was a Doctor Who connection with World War Z. Apparently, Doctor Who is filmed mostly in Cardiff when a sound stage is needed. The "Doctor Who Experience" is also located in Cardiff. [This is an interactive experience for Whovians in Great Britain.] But at some point in World War Z, a part of the movie takes place in Cardiff and revolves around doctors from the World Health Organization...yes, doctors from W.H.O. or W.H.O. doctors. 

We have no clue if this was intentional or sheer happenstance...but I think it's fun to see my kids' brains putting trivia pieces together like Dale and I do. They are definitely our children...no doubt about it!

AnyWHO (pun intended!), if you're really into Brad Pitt, zombies, the apocalypse or any combination thereof, you may like this movie. But my teens are zombiephiles (if there is such a thing) and yet they would only give it about a B-.

Cathay Kitchen, Florence, Kentucky

Our favorite Chinese restaurant...hands down...is Cathay Kitchen. It's located at 8049 Connector Drive, Florence, KY. We have eaten there several times and I have negligently never reviewed it. When I worked at Jackson Hewitt for the 2012 tax season, I was just about five doors down from this place. Actually, I was about half-way between Cathay Kitchen and Acapulco Mexican. Not once, did I eat Mexican for lunch though.

Michelle, the owner, was always gracious even when I would get delayed from picking up my food by an unexpected customer, the food is always delicious and she even gave me a discount when I worked in the same strip mall. We don't visit there as often now, but usually someone in the family will pick it for a holiday or birthday option. Such was the case today when my parents were in town for Leah's birthday.

The kids love the orange chicken and pork lo mein. I have tried the General Tso's, cashew chicken and the lite and healthy pick your own veggie meal...all to great satisfaction. Only once did someone have something they didn't like and it was the chicken curry. It wasn't that it was bad, it just had a different flavor than what was expected.

I also like that you can get vegetarian or vegan options and they offer steamed brown rice. The ginger dressing on their house salad is homemade and the best I've ever had from any Japanese or Chinese restaurant or store bought option. 

If you're not looking to eat healthy though, the egg rolls and crab rangoon are the best of any other Chinese restaurant we've tried. And they make their own sweet and sour sauce. That's Leah's go-to meal from any Chinese place and Cathay Kitchen is the only one that doesn't have that bottled bright red sauce. Again, it's chicken, covered in homemade sauce (not chicken pieces to dip) with large pieces of onions, pineapple and green peppers, just like I used to make at home.

Cathay Kitchen usually has coupons in the home mailers or coupon magazines that come in the mail. They offer dine in or carry out and have a full bar too. They sell desserts also, but we have always been too full to try them.

This is a family owned and operated business and supports our local economy. We will drive past about four to five different Chinese places to go here. It's about 15 minutes away from us and there is a Chinese restaurant in Hebron we could walk to...it's that good.

Next time you're craving Chinese...try Cathay Kitchen...I know you'll like it just as much as we do!

A Big Year for the Barthauer Women!

The next four birthdays in our family are all female and they are all significant. This struck me a few days ago and I realized it was a huge year for we Barthauer ladies.

Today, our youngest, Leah, is 10. No more kids in single digits ever again. The baby has entered the "tween"  years! It's impacting me quite a bit that the "kid" years are behind us. It was been just as swift as everyone said it would be.

August 18th I turn 45. I will technically be closer to 50 than 40 from that day on. Exactly two weeks later, our third child, Rebekah, becomes a teenager. For her 13th, she and I are taking a little trip to Florida, for which I'm saving my summer babysitting money. So basically, my whole summer is working up toward her big day and we can't wait to get away together.

And finally, on November 10th, our oldest becomes an adult. Abbey will be 18. She takes her first international missions trip to Canada in just under a month without anyone else from the family going. I feel like this is merely the beginning of many similar trips to come.

So there are a lot of changes coming up for us in just a few short months. Who said, "The only constant is change," was spot on. I've always loved change though and embraced it wholeheartedly. My prayer has been that as our children grow I would love each phase even more than the previous one. I have to confess the closer we get to the end of this parenting journey, that doesn't come as easily. But seeing each of them becoming the person God created them to be is amazingly beautiful and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

To Think or To Love? THAT is the Question!

Here goes...I might as well hang up my Midwestern, evangelical hat because it'll probably be handed to me after this one.

I recently had a conversation with a person that grew up in, what they described as a toxic, Southern Baptist church experience. Later in life, they attended a "more liberal" church where homosexual couples even participated in leadership. This person told me that although this was something that had been very foreign to them at the time...they found it refreshing and freeing. I just smiled (or at least attempted to keep a poker face) and listened. I dared not say a word, one way or another...and I distinctly had the feeling that I was being "tested", or maybe measured is a better word, by how I would respond. Yet, I offered no response.

Afterward, as I processed through the conversation, I kept repeating over and over in my thoughts, "I couldn't say anything...because I don't know what to say...because I don't know what to think!" I very distinctly heard God's Spirit assure me "don't think...just love."

And there it is: God incarnate (aka Jesus) never commanded that we think about our neighbors the way we think about ourselves. No...He said the greatest commandment right after loving God with all of your being was to love everyone (aka your neighbors) just exactly the way you want to be loved. 

In light of yesterday's huge Supreme Court decisions, it's not that I wanted to wade in with my two cents worth. I've been wanting to write this post for two weeks. I simply thought the timing was perfect.

Honestly, I still don't know what to think...and I'm learning to be okay with that. If you're disappointed that I'm not taking a more fundamental, hard-line stand against something you deem to be the end of Christian civilization as we know it...I guess my response would be that I concede that you have every "right" to feel that way, just as I have every right to choose to love first. I'm not trying to lose favor with you...I only seek to obey my Savior who set the standard by which I desire to live.

Amen!

Living Beyond Fear

A couple of days ago I posted this article on Facebook from Ann Voskamp's website and it really resonated with me. Since last fall, our oldest, Abbey, has been learning to drive. I will confess that I have a great fear of lack of control when someone other than myself is driving. This is not a good attribute to possess when your daughter who struggles with perfectionism and low self-esteem is the one learning to drive. Suffice it to say, her dad did most of the training.

Last Tuesday, after a true perfectionist's repetitive driving of the course multiple times...she passed and the instructor said, "I wish all of my tests were this easy." She was proud, and deservedly so. 

Later that night, she drove by herself to hang out with a friend in Florence, the biggest town near us. It's about 15-20 minutes away. We asked her not to drive on the interstate, I told her I loved her and to be careful and I honestly can say I didn't worry about her once. She's even had our other children in the car with her a few times since and I haven't fretted at all.

Now...before you go thinking I'm some sort of superwoman or something, I have to back up a little to our recent vacation. My driving control issues have been a source of contention between Dale and I as long as we have been together (20 years if you count dating). I have criticized him on more than one occasion, I am sad to reveal. But as God has been stripping me down, one of the things He has helped me let go of throughout the last three years is a fear of dying. Actually, He's helped me with all of my fears. Not that they never rear their ugly heads, but overall, He has given me victory in the day-to-day of worry and fear.

When Dale was driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvannia, my "normal" fear of no control in the twists and turns of the road began to surface. As gently and calmly as if He were in the car physically beside me, I felt Him "put His arm around me" (figuratively speaking of course) and ask, "What exactly are you afraid of Angela?" Following Beth Moore's advice to go there with your worries and listen to how He will handle them, I replied, "Having a wreck!" I knew He "got it", but He pushed further, "And what will happen if you have a wreck?" "One of us could be injured or die." "And what will happen if you get injured...let's just take care of that one first."  "Well...I guess You'd see us through the injury, take care of us, heal us or help us deal with any disability that might result." "Yes...and what if one of you dies?" "We get to be with You! (smile!) Okay...I get it...no matter what happens...You've got it covered." (sigh!)

Immediately, there was peace in my body and in my soul. I know I needed that lesson before my daughter started driving. I still ask her to be honest to and respectful of us, to tell us where she's going, and only go there or else call and let us know how her plans have changed. But that first night as a couple of the other members of our family were asking multiple times, "When did Abbey say she'd be home?" and "Does she have her phone?" I realized just how far He'd brought me in my fears and how thankful I was for His perfect timing. (And no, I didn't fret over Dale's driving anymore either!)

Bottom line, I can't be with my children 24/7 for the rest of their lives...but I know the One who can!

Monsters University

Yesterday, we took advantage of $5 Wednesday at a local theater and spent part of the afternoon with Mike and Sully. Well, at least the two younger girls and I did. The older two went to see World War Z. We have loved watching the original Monsters, Inc. over the years and never dreamed there would be a sequel...at least not in the traditional "Disney does a sequel" train of thought.

One of our biggest frustrations with Disney sequels has been that there doesn't seem to be any creative thought put into finding a new and different storyline. Case and point: Ariel wants to leave the sea, her daughter longs to live in the ocean. Simba can't wait to grow up and be on his own, his daughter is a female carbon copy. And Cars 2 was probably the biggest Pixar disappointment for me to date.

Not so with Monsters University! By doing a prequel this time, Pixar had a wide open field of storyline possibilities and I think they came up with a winner. I won't provide any spoilers, but I'd just like to say that the elementary-aged Mike Wazowski is probably the cutest thing I've seen in animation...with Boo from the original and the triplet brother bears from Brave coming in a close second.

It is a great movie and the Pixar short, The Blue Umbrella, is very cute as well. The animation is so realistic I had to remind myself it was a cartoon. Go see the movie and don't forget to keep your ticket stubs to use toward Disney Movie Reward points!

Wisdom From My Friend Chandra

Chandra is one of the single moms I am deeply privileged to know. She has not only been caring for her son as a single parent, about two years ago or so, she moved back in with her mother so she could serve her as she began exhibiting signs of dementia and possibly Alzheimer's. Chandra would never take any credit for the amazing way she has been coping with the hand that has been dealt to her...so I'll just say that if you could...you should know her.

One of the things she's great at is sharing with her Facebook friends the lessons she learns on her journey. Last night was a beautiful example and I asked her permission to share it with you.


God's patience is something to really marvel at. I mean for those of us that believe - we trust that He made the sun, moon, stars, and earth and holds it all in place - that He formed us with His own two hands in our mother's wombs and knows each of our days and how many hairs are on our heads yet when problems arise a lot of times our first instinct is to panic and not trust that He sees, hears, or cares, or will work in our favor and we have to fight and struggle to 'work up' this faith to believe that He will indeed help us again, 'this time' ....Didn't He do so the last time? And the time before that? I would've lost patience a LONG time ago with someone that acts as silly as I do with this at times.

I think of how aggravated it would make me if Chase kept coming to me everyday asking and begging in full fright, "Will you feed me again today? Will you clothe me Mom? Will you hold me? Will you tend to and bandage my scrapes and hurts? Will you ever give me snacks or presents? Do you love me? I mean do you REALLY love me? Will you protect me in the storm? Will you shield me from things that might hurt me? Please Mom, will you? Please Mom, I'm begging you" ....I mean, that would hurt (and anger) me so much if he doubted my love for him like that and was that fearful that I wouldn't care for him the very best that I could and do anything and everything in the world to make sure he was safe, happy, healthy, and had everything he needed and more. I mean haven't I proven that to him time and time again? How and why in the world would he doubt me or my love for him like that after all I've done for him?

If God sees fit to give me my very next breath, well, I think we should be able to trust that He will also care about and provide for the rest of my needs.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:9-11

Open Sea (Go Down Mo) App

Every day on my Kindle Fire, I have the option to receive a "Free App of the Day." Today's is Open Sea (Go Down Mo). I took a test drive and chuckled at the thought of someone, somewhere, having a bizarre sense of humour that I can appreciate.

You see, Mo needs to lead his people to the Promised Land. And you have to swipe the waves to part the water. In the second level, evil mummies are chasing the people, so you swipe the waves back over them. Third level is even better...you have the ability to double tap the ground and produce lightning strikes to speed up the elders before the young people drown.

Okay, if you can't laugh at yourself and have to protect all things religious with a serious demeanor...then this game is not for you. But if, like me, you can poke a little fun at life just to make the journey a bit more enjoyable...then for 99¢ you too can help Mo and his people reach the Promised Land. (Free today for Kindle users. Amazon Prime may be required.)

"Blessed are Those Who Mourn...

for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4, NASB)

Jesus just confounds me. And maybe it's only me, but somehow I doubt it. How can those who mourn possibly be "blessed"?

First of all, I think I have to overcome my American preconceived notion of what blessed means. I should have posted this link with my previous post Blessed are the Poor... Reading Ann Voscamp's take on who really is poor... puts into perspective that what we in the U.S. call blessed quite possibly isn't.

The Amplified Version of this word helps me understand what biblical blessing may include: "a happiness produced by God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace." 

My favorite version was from The Message though: "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." I like that.

Once again I believe Jesus was extending an invitation to reach the end of ourselves for that is where His embrace is most dear. But in a culture that believes you should "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and it takes great tragedy to reveal our weakness, how do we daily live as one "who mourns" so that we can find our comfort only in Him? That's a good question for me.

Acknowledging that I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to live this life and at the same time asking Him to draw me closer to His heart so that I am broken by the things that break His is the only place I know to start.

Circumspection

"He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, NASB)

When I read this a few days ago, my head was still full of seeing a glimpse at how The Simple Way lives out economic justice, kindness and humility before their neighbors in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia. God is there and I've even wondered at how the neighborhood has changed in the last decade since God moved in.

But what caught my eye in my Bible was that the word humbly can be interpreted also as circumspectly. That prompted me to look it up because it's not a word I use or even hear every day. When I saw it broken down, it just made sense: circum comes from the same root as circle and circumference. So you can probably decipher that is has something to do with being round or around. Spect is derived from the same root where we get the word spectacles (as in eye glasses) or a spectacle (as in "that was a sight to see"). When I put them together, circumspect could mean I'm looking around.

The official definition is watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent; well-considered. Of course those fit...but I'm more inclined to like my hodge-podge definition from the root derivatives.

What does God require of me? Justice for those who need it (whether they deserve it or not) because I will love them kindly which I will be enabled to do when I am looking around for what God is doing. It seems like such a simple answer, but will take each of us a lifetime of concerted effort to achieve...and only then by His grace, power and Love.

Amen!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I went to my friend's summer book club meeting last night. The book of the month was this one, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I'd never heard of the book before, but that is no indication of its popularity. It's a better litmus test for how out of the loop I am in most literary circles. 

So I was thankful for the chance to be challenged to read something other than The Lord of the Rings or another Jane Austen favorite and had the added bonus of borrowing the e-book for free from a local library. My overall impression was that it was an easy read, not excessively long (a plus for reading it on vacation) and flowed smoothly enough to keep my attention. It wasn't riveting, but it was good.

I know Christians may get hung up on the blend of Judeo-Christian messages interspersed with Islamic and even New Age ones. After the discussion leader read the author's background to us last night, it was understandable why he writes this way. (see his wikipedia listing for more information) I usually don't try to over think things, but if this is disturbing to someone, it's understandable why they might pass on this book as an option to read.

The protagonist begins the book as a shepherd boy and I deeply appreciated the correlation between him and his sheep and the lessons I've learned about my Shepherd and His Sheep.

• "It was as if some mysterious energy bound his life to that of the sheep..."
• "They trust me, and they've forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment."

The book is all about finding your Personal Legend and why some people never do even though we all have one. From almost the beginning, we learn that the boy's father longed to travel the world, but instead settled for providing stability and nourishment for his family. As most child/parent relationships go, the boy committed himself to not becoming a carbon copy of his father.

There were a few other quotes that spoke to me because of lessons I've learned in my own life:

• "When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision."
• "Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place."

Fear of failure, the unknown and uncertainty can keep anyone from becoming the person God created them to be. Only He can give you the impetus, the intuition and the compulsion to find your Personal Legend and fulfill it in His timing.

Blessed Are the Poor...

It's going to be a very slow process, but I am continuing to pick through the red letter teachings of Jesus. I can already foresee that in many places I will have to ruminate line by line in an attempt to grasp even a small portion of the feast He has invited each one of us to enjoy.

Today, is one of those days as I found myself unable to get beyond one verse, Matthew 5:3. This begins the portion of Scripture we call The Sermon on the Mount and encompasses chapters 5 through 7 of the first Gospel of the New Testament. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." (NASB)

What struck me initially, was that I knew this verse and could have quoted it to you verbatim, but the words "in spirit" had never impacted me before today. I have immersed myself in the book of James for so long that I have been putting more emphasis on the word poor and completely neglecting "the spirit". James tells us we should never dishonor the Poor and that God specifically chose the Poor to be rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom He has promised them. (see James 2)

So there I was asking the question for the first time: What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Do you think that it's pure coincidence that when I asked What IF He REALLY Meant It? I posed the additional question:   "But when you live among people that may not be experiencing as much financial poverty as they are deep poverty of the soul...how do I speak into their lives the Love of Jesus?" To me, this is not coincidence.

Sorting through the question, I looked up numerous references that reiterate how and whom will "inherit the kingdom". (Matthew 5:10; 19:14; 25:34; Mark 10:14; Luke 6:20; 22:29) and a recurring theme seems to be utter dependence on God...like a child or because you are persecuted. When I looked up the word poor, the definition that applies the most to me is "deficient or lacking in something specified". Spirit is described as my "conscious, incorporeal being" or the "vital principle in humans" that animates the body or "mediates between body and soul".

Even with all of this, I was still chewing.

What I realized I was stumbling over was one word...the one that starts each of the nine sentences from verses 3 and 11...blessed. Why am I blessed if I am deficient in the vital conscious being that defines and animates who I am? Perhaps, when I'm at the end of myself...I am ready to see, feel, taste and experience Who He is and what His kingdom contains...utter, complete, boundless dependence on Him and His Love.

Wow...that would be great! But then the next question that immediately comes stampeding on the heels of the first is: I'm pretty sure given the lavish Love of Jesus, He never intended for this blessing to be a one-time-deal. So how do I live in such a way that I am always poor in spirit?

There's the crux of it for me. I am being asked to always live at the end of my ability...the end of who I am and what I am able to do. That's a call for me to live in such a way that (as Frances Chan says) "If God doesn't come through, I'm screwed." It is radically living sacrificially and without reserve so that who I am and what I am able to do can only be explained by a supernatural God, the Love of His Son and the Spirit that empowers us beyond our limits. It is a call to be a Red Letter Radical!

The "Down" Side of Healthy Eating

Okay, so the title is a little misleading, because there's really no down side to healthy eating and healthy living. I've discovered some side effects though that if you're not prepared can catch you off guard. Since I have experienced all of these within the last 24 hours, I thought I'd share them with you.

• You'll need a lot less sleep. Right now, if I get six uninterrupted hours of sleep, I wake up without an alarm clock and have no grogginess to overcome. I don't need coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks or other stimulants to get going.
• You know when you've had something you shouldn't or even too much of a good thing. As your body detoxifies, when you reintroduce something that isn't healthy...you'll know it...soon. For me, the trigger foods are anything fried, soy, meat, dairy,  processed/refined sugar or flours, and too much salt (even sea salt). Headaches, blemishes, brain fog, gas, bloating, swelling, body odor, dry mouth, or dry eyes can quickly ensue. And yeah...that last bite of salad looks good and you really hate to waste it, but it's not going to taste as good as the first bite did...and if your body is telling you it's full...stop.
• Your taste buds are clean and not coated with processed, refined junk so the old foods don't taste good anymore. A chemical manufactured in a lab is just not going to taste as good as sun-ripened berries or sweet, juicy watermelon. Those chemicals only taste good when we have a steady diet of them. That's why companies add addictive substances, like aspartame and MSG...it keeps you coming back for more.
• You may not experience specific cravings. I learned a long time ago that as you tune into your body and actually take the time to listen to it, it will most always tell you what you need. This is why people need the mid-afternoon coffee and sugar pick me up. The lunch they ate didn't satisfy their body's needs, so they are experiencing a blood sugar slump. The fastest way to fix it is with the bad options. But as your body is healing, and you're getting all of the nutrients you need, you may not have that "feeling" that you need protein or chocolate or dairy or whatever that thing is for you. Sometimes I have difficulty deciding what to eat because food is now fuel...not comfort. I do still crave a salad or a juicy fruit when I'm dehydrated though.
• Your muscles may behave differently when exercised. I say may because this is a new one for me. When I have eaten a mostly vegan diet in the past, it was not highly raw. When I have previously juiced, I was mostly focused on detoxifying, not concerned with exercise and didn't juice long enough to feel this good. So what I've been noticing is that when I go for a walk, which isn't even strenuous, my muscles feel tight, or maybe firm is the better word, and even if I have some knee or foot pain while I'm exercising...it is quickly gone. I'm finding that I also am having less stiffness of joints and muscles a few hours later like I have had in the past after a workout.

None of these "down" sides to eating and living healthy are reasons for me, or you, to give up. In fact, all of them are indications that I am on the right track and need to keep going. Weight loss isn't the only benefit, or even the best.

My 500th Post!

I never had my sights set on posting 500 times. I only noticed a couple of weeks ago that I was getting close. Yet, here it is.

I started this blog on Sunday, July 18, 2010, with this post about why I was starting a blog. Not very original, but we all have to start somewhere, right?

A lot of things have changed since that day, almost exactly three years ago. I still have a huge heart for single moms, but that has not become the "formal" ministry I thought it would. Instead, God has grown me to seek His heart in every circumstance and sometimes that includes single moms, but it also encompasses everyone else...especially the "least of these"...those who may not be able to speak up for themselves. That changes from day to day, moment by moment and sometimes it even includes pulling back from a relationship that for whatever reason, His Spirit warns that I am not the one to step into their life for now.

This blog has morphed, as I continue to. As I have been challenged by God to put everything under the lordship of Jesus, I have been sharing those changes...whether it is food, family or the daily grind..."Writing a Better Story" should be the sieve through which I filter most choices.

You'll never see me communicate that I am perfect. From the onset of this blog, my prayer has been to be transparent...whether in serving, parenting, loving (or a lack thereof), fasting, eating, reading, learning, growing or at an absolute stalemate in my relationship with God...I never want to convey that somehow I have this all figured out.

If you hang with me through the next 500, where will it lead? I have no clue! That's why I love this God so much. Every day is an adventure...every moment a possibility...and every life a beauty to behold. If the Lord wills that I write 500 more and He tarries in His return, I can guarantee one thing: if I am faithful to obey His call...it will be an AMAZING journey!!!

Berry Pickin' At Phillips' Berry Patch

Today I had the idea to research blueberry u-pick farms in our area. There really aren't very many if the online information is correct. But when I found Phillips' Berry Patch in Guilford, Indiana, (Dearborn County) and called, I discovered that she still had "a few" strawberries and the blueberries would be ready soon.

I didn't give the kids a choice about going and there were a few grumbles, but once we arrived, the girls pitched in on the picking and Noah elected to keep an eye on Jewell.

We didn't have her walking around barefoot...but we did set her in the patch for a few pictures. I don't think she knew quite what to make of it.

Abbey loves kids...and it doesn't take long for most kids to pick up on that. She made some new friends today, Addy and Ryan. They were the only other family there and it was their first time to pick. Their mom was really friendly and we chatted some. As I walked to my van a little later, I just had that "feeling" that I was probably talking to a Sister in Jesus. Not sure...but it definitely felt that way.

Then came the tasty part. I was curious to see what Jewell would do and before I could snap the second photo...

...a berry was already getting stuffed in her mouth, green top and all. 

She quickly spit it out, but it must either have been because of the size or the prickly top because she didn't hesitate to eat 10 of them for lunch when we got home. They're so juicy, I've already prepared her mama that she might have a berry-stained baby tonight.

Strawberries are normally $2 per pound, but because it was end of season (although she still had a lot) Mrs. Phillips gave them to us for $1 per pound. She also told me the blueberries will be ready in the next week or two...we'll be back, I know!

It's a success when the kids are eating fresh, locally grown strawberries all day and my 17 year summed up the experience with , "That was fun."

 

Blue & Gray Bar & Grill, Gettysburg, PA

We asked our battlefield tour guide for a local restaurant recommendation and this is what we chose from his suggestions. We had seen it on our drive through the town square area and it looked pretty good.

It was.

We were greeted by a very friendly waitress, but for a family of six, there was really only three places to sit...either at the bar or one of the two tables that were already occupied. A couple of our kids were uncomfortable eating at the bar, so we waited for one of the tables to open up. 

There was a lot of variety to the menu. There are 12 different Battlefield Burger choices alone. Plus, for the Man vs. Food set, a Pickett's Charge Challenge that's free if you finish it. Dale's flag, shows that he stuck with the Union army and chose the General John Fulton Reynolds burger which came on a soft pretzel roll with a corn fritter and warm bacon dressing on top. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

His is the only photo we took, but Noah and Leah had hand-breaded chicken fingers that were yummy, while I had an Ahi Tuna wrap, but the Crab Cakes were very tempting. Abbey chose the Chicken Apple Salad sandwich and Rebekah opted for a Philly Cheesesteak with American cheese instead of Cheeze Whiz as indicated on the menu. A few of us chose waffle sweet potato fries instead of traditional and both blew away any Chick-fil-A competition without a doubt.

Overall, if I had to rate the food, hostess, cleanliness and atmosphere, I'd give this restaurant a solid A. Sadly, our server just wasn't that friendly. I always attempt to be chatty and pleasant because I know servers have a tough job. I can usually get someone to come around and perk up a little. My children have even accused me of being flirtatious when I feel that I'm just being nice. But after about 20 minutes or so with this guy, I gave up trying. This was a pretty pricey place for us, so it annoys me a little when the person we'll be tipping/paying for serving us can't even crack a smile. Oh well!

We still said our requisite pleases and thank yous and we still tipped well, like we always do because we know from personal experience that waiting on a family of six is tough...but it really took until almost the end of the meal before he ever even said, "You're welcome". I just kept telling myself he was probably having a bad day. I'd still only take the experience down to an A- though. If you're in the area, for the food alone, it's definitely worth a try.  

Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA

This historical town is a place I have wanted to visit my entire adult life. For me, this was the most exciting tourist attraction of our trip. 

My two favorite historical periods are The Civil War and World War 2. But The Civil War ranks first. I have watched Ken Burns' documentary at least a dozen times and have started it again since we arrived home. Driving and walking among these places I have learned so much about...the Wheat Field, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge and of course the wide expanse of field where Pickett's Charge took place...truly was stepping on "hallowed ground" for me.

July 1-3 of this year is the 150th anniversary of the battle that began the ending of the Confederate army. Never again would the "rebels" cross over into the North to attack the Union. The tide changed here and even this many years later, thinking about the sacrifice that took place and the town of a little over 2000 that had to take care of ten times that many wounded (both Union and Confederate!) and had to bury over 50,000 bodies and live through the summer stench of 5000 dead horses, absolutely boggles my mind to try and grasp it.

There is a museum and movie on site where you can learn in detail about this famous battle. But for our family of six, it would have cost almost $70. Instead, I chose to schedule a two hour tour with a personal guide that rode in our car for $65 and taught us just as much as if Shelby Foote himself had been riding along. [That's a Ken Burns' Civil War reference right there!]

I don't know that you can request specific guides, but Larry Wallace was fantastic! He told us that we had perfect weather for the day and that with the sesquicentennial coming up, we had also chosen the perfect time. In about 2 hours, 15 minutes, he took us around to all of the major sites in Gettysburg. He said that during the big celebration, traffic would be so jammed up that he wouldn't be able to do half of what we were seeing. He also clued us in that during the months of late March through May, large school group activity deters from the battlefield guides showing you all of the sites too. What a blessing to have great weather and limited crowds.

The view from Little Round Top

For about a decade, I've decided that "some day" I'd like to take a Civil War vacation. I'd love to tour Manassas (aka Bull Run), Appomattox Station, Antietam, Chickamauga, and Andersonville Prison. If on that trip, or any other, I have the opportunity to visit Gettysburg again, I think I'd like to take a self-guided tour. I just want to wander around and look at all of the monuments first. They are amazing pieces of art and workmanship.

We didn't have a lot of time in Gettysburg. We had driven straight to the Historical Park from Philadelphia with just about an hour to spare before our tour. I think I could easily spend a few days there.

Statue of a contemporary tourist and Abraham Lincoln pointing
toward the room where Lincoln may have completed The Gettysburg Address.

 Inside the town there are little shops and different museums to see, including a free museum of General Robert E. Lee's command post that Mr. Wallace said is a great place to visit. The Lutheran seminary that was there when Gettysburg was attacked, still stands today. And you could easily spend an entire day wandering around the battlefield.

No matter how many times I hear it, The Gettysburg Address still chokes me up. And as we drove from Gettysburg to our hotel in Chambersburg, which Mr. Wallace taught us was the same path that Lee and the Confederates trod to come to Gettysburg...and retreat from it too, we drove over and around hills and mountains that were breathtaking vistas.

What I could not shake from my mind was that 150 years ago, thousands of men...with no paved roads or mechanical devices...pulled at minimum 150 cannons over those heights. Well, actually it took six horses per cannon, but the men marched for miles on end, through trees and shrubs, carrying excessively heavy loads and did not know what would happen when they reached there. For far too many, this hallowed ground was the last that they would see.