Jan 23,2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

Around 10:30 this morning, we left Goldsboro and headed east.  I’d never really seen the Black Angus  in eastern N.C., or the emerald green fields behind the fringe of long-leaf pines that line the straight stretch between Kinston and New Bern.  There are rows and rows of newly planted pine trees behind the fringe.   Planted at different years, these pine groves are in various heights.  Collard patches beside homes, and camellias ready to burst open, are in the yards of the homes along the road. 

Conversations contained questions.  “Do you remember that?” “What was on that piece of property?”  “Something has changed, but I can’t remember what was there, do you?”   “That’s got to be new!”  “When was that built?”  It is amazing what we do not see when things are so familiar.   I once asked my mother where she used to hide Christmas presents and she told me they were always in sight.  We grow older and we no longer see the “new” that is in front of us.  At least that is what has happened to me.

It is wonderful to be home.  We have had a fantastic time traveling.  I have seen things I never thought I would ever see and gone places I have only read about.  What a privilege, gift, and blessing we have been allowed, and you have been a huge part of our blessing.  Thank you for your interest, your emails, the phone calls, your comments and questions.  All of these things encouraged me to be accountable to you, and to ourselves.  A trip of this duration has all run together in our heads.  We keep questioning each other about what we saw where and when.  Because of you and our doing this blog, we’ll be able to answer our own questions and piece together the blogs and the gazillions pictures we took.

Thank you for caring and for your love.  We could feel them all and knew we were engulfed by your prayers.   We are most indebted to you, and thankful.

Continued blessings always,

Dan, Fran, and Junior