Off to the North Country

Tonight, Steve and I will be on our way to Boston and then on to Berlin, New Hampshire. I'm almost at a loss for words, oh just kidding, when it comes to how I feel about heading up there. It is a place that I never left. You see, my dad was a military man and I didn't stay in Berlin long. When I was 6, the Army began moving us around. Just for fun, here is a quick whirlwind time line of my life from there. After 1st grade in Berlin, it was 2nd grade in Seattle, 3rd-4th in Manila, Philippines, 4th-6th in Norfolk, VA, yes I had to repeat there somewhere based on the Philippine school system, 7th grade back in Berlin where all my 1st grade buddies were in the 8th grade, then 8th grade in Manhattan, 9th grade in Staten Island finally 10-12th in Verona, Italy. Somewhere through all that we managed to return to Berlin on holidays or vacations to keep a bond with my dad's 9 siblings and my mom's 3. They were both from the same town so my roots are buried pretty deep there. Berlin is a small industrial paper mill town sitting well north of any tourist activity in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. It is a town that doesn't grow much and just sits quietly at the base of Mount Washington in the White Mountains Presidential range. Then came my Air Force career after one year in Columbus at Ohio State. I spent one year in Denver and then 7 years in the Mojave Desertof California, and then the final 3 years at Wright Patterson. Somewhere in there, Mike, Steve and I met Cindy, who in her lifetime had ventured from Xenia to Cincinnati, and possible Kentucky. 28 years later, most of you all know me as a man rooted firmly here in the Ohio Valley. Well, I have to be honest, if Cindy could stand the cold, we would be gone. I never once gave up the feelings of where I was from and where I wanted to belong. It just didn't work that way. After living and traveling almost around the world, I still found nowhere more peaceful and beautiful as around Berlin, New Hampshire. But I will tell you, Norway takes a very close second place!

Well I don't want to go on and on but just wanted to share some of the excitement I feel about this trip. Each of my children are thinking of different things to do to spend some good quality time with me and if they all choose going to New Hampshire, you can see I won't be disappointed. It's always been a thrill for me to go there, even as a little boy, and that has never changed. Some of the things they have there are REAL Popsicles, chocolate donuts and woopie pies. Steve and I wont go hungry, that's for sure. I probably won't have computer access so we will just have to hold the blog for when I get back next week and will have lots of little stories to tell. In the meantime, I continue to soak up your loving prayers, support and encouragement with vigor and an appreciation you can't imagine. I honestly look forward to round 4 of Chemo so that it will be over and I can get to those scans and see great results. That is my hope, that is our wish and our prayer. God loves you all and so do I.