Ocean City, MD, and Gettysburg, PA

During our time here in Maryland, my sister Susan and her husband Dan were on vacation in Ocean City.  God is so good with His timing!  We were in Maryland at the same time and were able to spend some great time together and made some awesome memories with them. 

They invited us to join them there for the first weekend.  We planned to meet them after 4PM on Friday, so we had time to stop and rubberneck on the way there.

Along the way, we stopped to see Third Haven Meeting House of the Society of Friends,  in Easton.  It is the oldest frame house of worship in the United States, built in 1684.  An extension was added in 1797, and  in 1990, a major renovation included brick foundation.

The wooden benches had wooden nails.

The new brick meeting house was built in 1880.

In St. Michaels, we stopped to visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. This had several buildings as well as outside displays.

A drawbridge marks the entrance of the museum

Among other displays, the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse,

crab display at Waterman’s Wharf,

and a tugboat  display were all interesting and fascinating.

There was also an annual boat show going on at the museum, with several beautiful boats on display.  I was awed by these carved wooden fish, painted with gold.

The condo Dan and Susan had was right on the bay with great views from the balcony.

We had a great time of relaxation and eating!  

Last year when we were in the Baltimore area,  I was intrigued by the “Fractured Prune” donuts... no prunes in them, last name is Prunella!  So we got some on the boardwalk.  They were very good with unique flavors. They hand dip the icing when you order.

We enjoyed the Boardwalk, 

the ambiance of the beach area,

and the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum 

that included stories of historic families, and antique boardwalk rides,

and a display of one of my favorite souvenirs, sand from around the world!!

The following weekend, they came over to Baltimore and spent time with us.  

We visited Fort McHenry on Friday afternoon after they arrived.

It was during War of 1812, Francis Scott Keyes was on a ship off Fort McHenry when he began to write the words of the poem that later became the national anthem, Star Spangled Banner.  We were honored to be able to participate in the changing of the flag.

The flag that was brought down was huge......40x60!

We drove through downtown Baltimore, passing a memorial to George Washington.  

On Saturday, we went to Gettysburg.  It did not cease to amaze me, again!

Paul thought he needed to take care of Abe!

Although we have visited both sites before, it was fun to go with them and we were able to glean more information and appreciation for our history as a nation. (Previous blog about both of these, Baltimore in Oct. 2012, and Gettysburg in Sept. 2011).

We are now on our way home for a month.  We will be leaving the motor home in Chattanooga tomorrow for the needed repair from the accident a month ago!  The cracks in the windshield have traveled over the glass, and the mirror is barely usable now, covered with tape to keep it attached!!  :) Didn’t have bailing wire, otherwise I am sure Paul would be using it!!

MMAP June 2013, CEF Week 3, Windsor Mills, MD

It is always fun during the last week to see all of the jobs coming together and seeing them completed. 

Bobby, Paul's buddy, worked hard cleaning up after all of us.

Byron finished the porch roof this week.  He is using it to rest before coming down!

 Paul put a metal flashing over the bricks seen here.  Sorry, no after picture.

I reluctantly climbed the ladder above the stairs to paint the top part of the walls in the stairwell.  Nothing like depending on the Lord to hold me up!

My painting buddies, Lois and Lois (not pictured :( ), did the paint rolling on the lower part.  We put on two coats of paint!

What a sense of accomplishment once it was completed!  

Byron and Lois finished the tile and grouting in the bathroom.

A local volunteer came and helped with several different jobs, including working with Dave installing the sink in the bathroom.  He also installed the towel rack and the toilet paper holder. But  I did not get a picture of the ongoing work!

But the end result looked really good.

I followed Paul around as he installed molding and chair railing, using the caulking gun, caulking the molding and doing touchup paint on it in the closet, staircase, bathroom and conference room.

Paul and I installed the light fixtures in the conference room after Byron and Paul put up the T-bars for the drop ceiling.  Then Paul wired them all.  Bobby instructed Paul on which way the bulbs went in..... did you know there is and up side and a down side to the flourescent tubes? Bobby was a delight and kept us laughing.

The ladies had painted the room with a coat of paint but it took touchups, so it was almost like putting on a second coat!

Byron installed the flooring, with help from Dave

We and the Goodmans worked on Friday after the official job was complete on Thursday to tie up the loose ends and finish up.  So glad we did.....

The completed room looks fantastic!  

Thursday evening one of the host couples from the project made us a fantastic dinner.  These are dedicated people, working to win children to the Lord!  But I don't have pictures of everyone at the office, or out in the field at the schools!  We praise God for all of them and the work they do!

MMAP June, 2013, CEF Week 2, Windsor Mills, MD

The team for this project is small, with three couples.

We have worked with both of the other couples before, so it is nice that the friendship is already established.  Since ladies are not required to work, it is nice to have other ladies that like to work as well.

During the second week, the new roof was finished as well as the repair of the leak and subsequent repair of the wall.

The ladies finished painting the bathroom and the conference room

including the molding and chair railing.

Paul removed the carpeting and upgraded the electrical outlets, switches and will be installing lighting fixtures in the conference room.

Dave and Bobby worked on replacing the doors on a shed.

Byron began installing tile in the bathroom.

Each week, we ladies took a “ladies day out”.  

The first one, we heard about an outlet mall in Leesburg, VA, about an hour and half away. It was all about the journey on this trip.  It was beautiful going through the country 

and small towns.  We stopped for breakfast on the way, then had lunch at the mall.  On the way home, we stopped at a couple of antique stores we had passed on the way.

The second one, we went to Sykesville.  This town is about 25 minutes away and we passed it on the way to Leesburg, and saw it had a teahouse. 

We made the reservation for noon, but arrived at 10 so we could check out the stores.  None were open until 11, though, so we window-shopped until they opened.  The tea was fantastic!  We had so much fun!

After eating, we went into a hair salon to get haircuts and the proprietor, who was in the middle of coloring a client’s hair stepped up to us and told us as we entered and told us  it was by appointment only.  Then she said she could cut one.  So Lois stayed, and the “other” Lois and I took our bags to the car (we HAD to buy cupcakes and scones to take home!)  When we got back, Lois was laughing..... the gal had told her she was afraid of us when we entered, because the week before there was  three women who were robbing the stores in town!!  She figured she could take on the Lois’s, but not “The Tall One” (yours truly!!) She then told us they had been arrested.  My mouth just opened and I told her we escaped!!  We then remembered the sheriff following us into one of the stores and was just shooting the breeze with the clerk for a couple of minutes, then left.  Reminded me of Julialn.

This gal told us he was probably checking us out!~ It was so funny, we laughed all the way home!

The time goes so fast!  We only have a week left!