2016 June: Nothing about China here...this is family tour USA

26 June 2016

If you are looking for more exciting pictures of China, this post is not for you..so be forewarned and feel free to skip it! This post is about friends, family and some of our beautiful places in the USA!

Most each year, we come back home to the US and try to see as many friends and family as possible in a short amount of time.  It is always an exercise in planning and efficiency to maximize our time and this year is no different!  In the following pages of text and photos, I will take you on a journey in the US from South Carolina to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and finally to Florida.  The US is a big place...we just touched the surface of a few of our favorite spots..and then of course we didn't get to see everyone.  Hopefully next time?! 

Rod came a little earlier this year so that he could go to the Alternative Medical Clinic in Myrtle Beach and hopefully get his batteries recharged to continue to keep his body environment being one that does not provide a good place for cancer to grow.

Sunrise on Myrtle Beach, SC

Another beautiful sunrise at Myrtle Beach

Rod with his practitionners Drs Brown and Dong

Rod with Katheryn and Brittney on staff at the Alternative Medical Clinic in Myrtle Beach, SC

After that he went to see some friends in Lexington, SC and enjoyed catching up with them.

Rod and Jess

Rod and Johnny

Then, he came to KY to start the visit with our KY families.

Rod with grand daughter Olivia

Rod with daughter-in-law April and son Matthew

April and Matthew Miller

Rod with grand daughter Olivier Miller

Rod's family gathering with everyone except Sarah (who was still in China at this time)

I came to join him in Louisville and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with our family there.  the time passes way too quickly each time.

Olivia and Nana Sarah eating strawberries

Father daughter Olivia and Christopher

Rod Sarah, Christopher, Rachael and Olivia (the only one who does no look happy to be there!)

Olivia and her mom Rachael making icecream

Olivia showing off her amber necklace

Olivia parading around with her Bamboo hair towel

Grandpa is the horse, waiting for his rider

Olivia dancing in Nana Sarah's shoe

Olivia and Grandpa in a pillow fight

Olivia and Nana Sarah

Olivia and Nana Sarah and "Tuzi" the bunny

Ruth and Sarah

Ruth, Sarah and Hope

Sarah, Hope (Rod's late brother's wife), Ruth (Hope's daughter) and Rod

Christopher and Rodney in the pool together..like father like son!

Olivia with the noe and artwork she gave to Nana Sarah

Olivia with the artwork and note she did for Grandpa

In addition to seeing family, we also enjoyed a quick trip to Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger factory (where they make baseball bats)  This trip to the Louisville Slugger factory really took me back to my childhood!  When I was a young girl, my cousin went to see the Cincinnati Reds play baseball.  Somehow or another he got 2 bats..1 that was a Pete Rose model and 1 that was a Johnny Bench model.  I can see see them clearly in my mind.  I played softball and used these bats at home and took them with me to games.  So many fond memories playing softball.  To be able to go to the bat factory was like I imagine the kids feeling going to the chocolate factory!  Even though I run a factory for a living, it was still magical for me to visit this one.  So glad we took the time!

baseball bats (made of Ash wood) in process.  No pictures allowed in the factory, but these were "in the hall way", so this was allowed!

Batter up!  Sarah was ready to play again!

Sarah and Rod in the Louisville Slugger factory entrance (my factory doesn't look like this...hmm..

Looking through the factory window

The Lousiville Slugger factory, located in downtown Louisville, KY, USA

Then we took a couple of days for us together at French Lick, Indiana.  We had both heard of this place, but neither of us had ever been there.  This resort has two separate hotels, both with a long history, and both being build around some natural cold springs that were thought to have healing powers.  The springs are both still operational, but the water is not for drinking any more (they found out in the 1970's that the water contained lithium (no wonder people left here feeling very relaxed and "healed"!).  The hotels are real Americana from the early 1900's and 1920's.  Now there is a casino and 2.5 golf courses and other activities to entertain people, but for me the hotels and grounds were just beautiful to enjoy.

The lobby of the French Lick Hotel

Sarah and Rod at the French Lick hotel

Sarah and Rod having breakfast at the Colonnade Breakfast buffet

Sarah and Rod with Pete something (his house in the background, now Clubhouse for the golf course) on top of the ridges...stunning!

Part of the Golf Course at French Lick

The French Lick hotel front porch

Flags and flowers at French Lick, IN

More Flags and Flowers at French Lick

The Hotel entrance at the French Lick hotel in French Lick, IN

Sarah taking off to mountain bike in French Lick

Rod Mountain biking (the level before the hills!)

Rod and Sarah after a little sweat started to roll..been awhile since we really climbed hills like this!

Rod coming down..no fear

Rod in front of the gardens at West Baden Hotel

Sarah at the entrance to West Baden Hotel at French Lick

Rod hopped on the trolly

Rod and Sarah in the dome of West Baden hotel

One of the doors in the dome of the West Baden hotel

The view as you enter the West Baden hotel.  It's a giant dome...absolutely stunning!

Rod sitting on the porch at West Baden

View from the porch at West Baden hotel at French Lick, IN

Early morning walk around the reservoir at French Lick

Another view of the Reservoir at French Lick

Sunrise breaking over the clouds at French Lick, IN

After a delightful stay in French Lick, we ventured back across the river to KY and explored some of the beautiful bluegrass area in Central KY.  The dry stacked rock fences, black board fences and beautiful rolling hills and horses always call me back here.

Camp Nelson National cemetery

An old bridge over the KY river between Frankfort and Georgetown

Sarah and the river

Rod riding the caboose at High bridge KY

The Railroad bridge at High Bridge KY

A Saul to Paul moment in KY

 We spend the night in Frankfort and got up early in the morning to drive around the town. It's a pretty old town with the river and capital.  It has a special meaning for both of us as it's where we first met and where Sarah became a 2nd Lieutenant in the KY Army National Guard.

The Capital building in KY

Rod and Sarah in front of the Capital building in Frankfort, KY

Inside the Capital building

The Capital building of KY...when buildings were built to last and with class!

Selfie in the Capital

The roof of the House of Representatives in KY...only wish the politicians were as classy as their capital!

The view of the Senate as seen from the House of Representatives in KY

 After reminiscing about the old days in Frankfort and "My old Kentucky Home" played in the rotunda on graduation day for Sarah as she got her commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the KY Army National Guard way back in 1983, we packed up and headed towards Harrodsburg, KY and then to Georgetown..on the way we passed by Shakertown, at Pleasant Hill, KY.  We had been here before and we didn't go into the park, but we did stop and take a break in the parking lot by the pond..another case of the rock fences drawing me in!

Something there is that doesn't love a wall...not me!

Shakertown pond and wall

The Kentucky River on the Mercer and Jassmine County Line on US 68

Kentucky woman!

Horses and black fences on a farm between Georgetown and Lexington, KY

 We drove around a little more and spent the night in Blue Licks, State Resort Park.  This is a park that is roughly 20 miles from where I grew up.  When I was growing up, it was not a resort park but we often went to this park with school or church events.  I can remember going on the trails in this park and imagining that I was walking the same path that Daniel Boone took!  In this area, there was a water springs that was naturally salty and in fact, the early settlers (1750's) evaporated the water to get salt.  There was a hotel built here and it was billed to be a healthy retreat from the heat of the south.  Unfortunately, the spring dried up..and the big tourism boom stopped.   The last battle of the revolutionary war was said to have been fought here.  For me, it was all of the aarow heads and indian relics that kept me interested.  Visiting the museum today, it's nice, but in my mind it was a lot bigger..funny how our mind makes things appear bigger in the past than they really were!
We hiked the heritage trail and for the first time in my life, I actually saw the springs area where the "healthy" water came from.  Its just a wetlands now, but I was really happy to have hiked the trail to see the great salt lick. (Still not sure where the name "blue licks" comes from!).  I'm pretty sure this trail didn't exist when I was a kid either!
Below, I take you on a hike through the Blue Licks State Park heritage trail in Blue Licks, KY.

Rod hiking the trail early in the morning!

Sarah beside the log cabin at Tanners Fort in the park

 Next, we went into Maysville and stopped while browsing along the roads and stores all weekend,  I had the best surprises of the trip, running in to people I grew up with...teachers, neighbors, classmates..it was just fun!

I played Softball with Paula

I went to church with these fine Christian ladies Shirley and Phyllis

JoRetta and Mrs Mofford were my neighbors and I was a classmate Mrs Mofford's daughter Minda, who unfortunately died in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire outside of Cincinnati when we were in Highschool

Mrs Felice was an Art teacher at our highschool and I played basketball with her daughter Kathy

I played trumpet with Kelly (he reminded me we played a duet at music contest and ranked superior!!)

I played in the band with Kirk and we were in the same homeroom in High School and were always good friends

Toby was my 7th grade art teacher, and assistant softball coach.  She was one of the bravest persons in the world as she accompanied a bunch of 13-15 year old girls in 1976 from Kentucky to Idaho to play in the National Slow pitch softball Championship tournament. (we lost, but it was a great trip!)  Thank you again Toby!

 Below are some simple photographs of the town of Maysville, KY, closest big town to where I grew up.  We enjoyed just walking around town and also around the lake in nearby Washington.

The row houses of Maysville, KY

Looking up Market Street in Maysville, KY

Since Maysville is right on the Ohio River, it often was flooded.  In 1937, there was a big flood that did significant damage and spread disease (Rod had a 2 year old sister, whom he never knew, who perished in the 1937 flood).  After that, many towns along the Ohio raised funds to build a flood wall and Maysville was one town that did this.  One artist, Mr Bob Dafford, saw these concrete panels as an empty canvas and has painted beautiful scenes from the area's past and present on the panels of the flood wall.  Several of the towns along the Ohio have these murals which, in my mind do their part to help preserve the history of the area.  I'm not sure how useful the floodwall is since there are many dams now on the Ohio that can regulate the water, but I wouldn't want to lose the artwork on these mighty concrete canvases!  This particular painting is of the Germantown Fair, not far from the house I grew up in.  The Fair is still operating today, and is the oldest continuously operating county fair in the state (and maybe the country), for well over 100 years.

Sunrise on the lake at Washington, KY

Getting our ducks in a row at Washington Lake

After Maysville, we went down the river to New Richmond, OH, where Rod went to school and visited his old High School.  It is still operating as a school and we were surprised to find that in the hallways, they show all of the graduating class photos.

Rod standing on the steps at his Alma Mater in New Richmond, OH

Rod's senior picture from High School in New Richmond, class of 1965

We then worked our way to Loveland, OH, where my father's sister my Aunt Freda lives.  Her sons and daughter all live close by, and my sisters Mary Nell and Becky and her family drove in too, so it was a grand, although, not complete, family reunion.  Below are some pictures of a wonderful day together!  A Big thanks to my cousin Jenny who helped my Aunt Freda organize and host a great meal for us all!

Mary Nell and Sarah

Cousin Jenny, my Aunt Freda Hill and Jenny's husband Roger

Rodney, Aunt Freda and Sarah

Mary Nell, Becky and her daugther Dawna Cooper

Sarah, Mary Nell, Becky and Dawna

Jim , Becky's husband and Rod

The "Adult" table on the porch

The kids table! Jenny and her brother Paul and his wife Ginny

Mary Nell and my cousin Jeannine

Wild and crazy Tollner girls and their husbands kicking it up

Dawna and her Dad with some "Shanghai lady" from China

Jenny, Sarah and my couin Jeff's (Jenny's brother) wife Martha. Happy Birthday Martha!

Sarah and Jeff at Martha's birthday party

My good friends and family JB and Debbie and Rod.

The birthday girl Martha and my cousin Jeff...lovely couple inside and out

 After a big day in OH, we came back to KY to see Rod's youngest son Matthew and his wife April who drove down from Louisa, KY.  It was a beautiful Father's day and so we took a drive to Augusta  and took the ferry across the river and just enjoyed spending time with them.

Matthew and Rod..the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!

Sarah, April, Matthew and Rod on the Ferry from Augusta, KY to Ohio

Rod with April and Matthew on the Ferry

April with Matthew on the Ferry

April and Matthew under the US flag, with the state of Ohio flag in the background on the Ferry

One more photo for the road with Rod, April, Sarah and Matthew

Later in the afternoon, after April and Matthew left to go back to Louisa, we went to the cemetery where my parents and grandparents and family on my fathers side of the family.  My Aunt, who was also a WWII veteran was just recently buried there and I wanted to pay my respects to her for being another wonderful, independent woman role model and also for her service in WWII.

My parents grave marker.  I put sunflowers on the grave, they  have surely already wilted, but I wanted to put them there.  When I was young and the CB radios were popular, I asked my dad what should be my "handle" for the CB.  He thought about it and said "Sunflower".  It has been one of my favorite flowers ever since.  Thank you Mom and Dad for being wonderful parents.  I hope to make you proud.

My aunt Anna.  A wonderful role model for all the girls and women in our family.  She is surely continuing to speak her mind and straighten things up up there!  Thank you Aunt Anna for being you and for your service to our country.

The next day we went to Fort Thomas, KY to see my uncle (my mother's brother) who we had originally planned to spent father's day with, but my uncle had a stroke and was hospitalized.  We went to the hospital to see him and my Aunt and my cousins Jane and John Harmon at the hospital.   My uncle is doing OK (he's 92!), and it seems they were able to get him a declotting shot in enough time to prevent too much damage.  Time will tell, but at this point the prognosis seems good and as I write this I have have learned that he has been released from the hospital.  He's a tough one!  I only hope I will be as tough and live to be his age!

Sarah with Uncle John Henderson (my bother's brother)  the hospital.  He is a WWII Veteran and has survived many close calls  after the war with automobile accidents, falls on ice and other untold situations.  He and my Aunt Betty have been wonderful Role models for me, growing up just down the road from them.  Thank you Aunt Betty and Uncle John and thank you JoAnn, John Harmon and Jane for taking care of them.  Love you all.

Aunt Betty, Sarah and their daughter Jane.  I missed her brother John Harmon and sister JoAnn.

After our visit to the hospital, we drove up to where Rodney spent much of the time in his youth at his grandparents in Crescent Springs, KY.  They had a big truck farm where they grew vegetables and they sold them on the road and also to wholesalers.  Rod credits his grandmother for teaching him how to sell.  The house is gone, but the memories are still very strong for him.  His grandfather was a stationary boiler engineer and maintained the boiler for the Villa Madonna Academy boarding school and  they lived in a house on the grounds and grew vegetables.

Rod beside the where the old house of his grandparents lived on the grounds of the Villa Madona Academy outside of Crescent Springs, KY

The land that used to be the "Truck Garden' where Rod worked as a boy raising vegetables with his Grandparents.

The Corner by the road where Rod learned to sell! (The corner of Amsterdam Pike and Collins Lane) outside of Crescent Springs, KY on the grounds of the Villa Madonna Academy. 

That evening we took a flight to Florida to make the next rounds of family reunions, first in Tampa with Rod's sister and then drove to Titusville to see Sarah's sisters Patricia and Martha.

Our family get togethers are all about food!  Loved spending time with Angela and her children and grandchildren in Tampa

Taylor and Ryan Hamilton; their brother Christopher was at Boys State in FL so he couldn't join us.

Rod and Sarah with the Hamilton gang

Girls night..Niece Victoria (Tory), sister Angela, Sarah and Tory's daughter Elizabeth...a stude at the Culinary Institue of America in New York...look out world, here comes the next great Chef!

Nephew Mark and his lovely wife Abby

Photo bombing the girls!

Sister Angela and Rodney..still loving each other and best of friends after all these years!

 After a lovely, albeit short, visit in Tampa, we headed out to Titusville to visit with Sarah's sisters and family.  One of the highlights for Sarah was to spend some quality time with sister Patricia.  I have written about her before and as you may recall, she was diagnosed back in Nov 2014 with Stage 3B (or 4, not sure which) rectal cancer.  She came to Beijing to be treated at the same place that Rodney went and had good success, but not total (it stopped the activity in the lymph node cancer, but not the primary tumor in the rectum.)  After her 2 treatments in Beijing, she followed that with the traditional US treatment of radiation and chemo and as of April 2016, all of the activity the cancers was stopped.  We continue to pray for healing and keeping her body stopped with cancer.  In the meantime, she is pursuing her doctorate in Nursing education and hopefully she will graduate either Dec 2016 or May 2017..depending on her health.  I really admire her, not only for pursuing the doctorate while undergoing cancer treatment, but also as a fine Christian woman who is very active in her church.  I love all of my brother and sisters, each one for their talents, but of all of them, Patricia and I are probably the most alike even though we are the farthest away in terms of age.  

A good walk on the Titusville bridge is always a good way to start the day!  This is a bridge over the Indian River

Patricia and Tom's Son Jonathan and his wife Emily

Sister Martha, Sarah and Patricia

Martha's son Mark and Patricia's daughter Rachael

Tom and Patricia Hurley

The reunion gang ( except Martha, who had to leave early) at the Tom and Patricia Hurley gathering

Sarah, friend Jennifer, sister Patricia and Emily's mother Nancy..(and great cook of a wonderful veggie, crustless quiche!)

Sister love...Patricia and Sarah

 So, that about wraps up the family tour 2016 in the US...we always have that sinking feeling when we leave...will it be the last time we see them?  What will the future bring?  Of course, none of us have any guarantees for now or the future...it just seems magnified when we live on the other side of the world.  We treasure every visit, reflect back on every conversation and get renewed with our adventure spirit every time we take this trip.  Having said that, we are glad to be home...home in China...home is where we find each other...no matter where in the world that is.  Our Chinese family have welcomed us back with open arms and reconfirm how special we are to them.  It is special to have family and friends all over the world! 

I would have never dreamed that growing up 2 miles from  Germantown, KY (population 300...not three thousand or 300 thousand..that's 300 people total!), I would have had the opportunity to live in and work in 4 states in the US, the countries of France, Romania and China and travel all over the world.  It's just confirmation that if we have a great supportive spouse, are willing to work, have an open mind and willing to listen and do the work of God, and of course have a desire to travel...there is a whole big world of opportunities out there...bigger than I ever dreamed possible.  Thank you God and thank you Rod for making this life possible for us!

With love and thanksgiving for safe travels and continued prayers, I close this entry, until next time.

Rod and Sarah