Wow,

It's now 2020 and I haven't created a post in a long time. This is the crazy year of the Covid-19. I will be posting a few photographs in the near future, to express what emotions this year has brought. 

I unfortunately lost my wonderful Mother-in-law this past week, to the nasty disease of cancer. We are so glad that she is now in a better place. The day before she died, a nurse's aid sang this song to her. It was a special moment that we were glad to be able to share. Her gesture meant so much. 

Here is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PANiveIKVX0

Seventy-six years ago this week....

About a year ago my husband and I made a donation to the local hospital and decided to have a brick engraved in memory of my wonderful parents, who dedicated their lives to their family, God and helping others. This past week would have been their 76th anniversary. We had forgotten about the brick, but while attending a function at the hospital we came across it out in one of the gardens.

I think of them so often, but especially this time of year when they celebrated their birthdays and anniversary. If they still were alive, they would be 103 years old. I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you for being such a good example for us to follow.

The Little Church gets a Facelift....

The painting made an amazing difference in the Journey of this historic landmark.....What will the next phase be?? We will anxiously wait to see.

Dave Neff  and his team did a fabulous job painting the outside.

And the outside is finished......a special glimmer on the horizon.

Drive by and see the progress...the corner of CR 15 and CR 32.

The Journey of a Little Church

Window within a Window

I stumbled across this little church (built in 1852) one day searching for a photograph using the theme "Windows". The adventure has been quite interesting and I felt that the story of this little church needed to be told in photographs. There have been many articles written about St. John's Lutheran Church (thought to be the oldest church in the county) in the local papers and the history has been recorded for the Elkhart County Historical Museum...

This will be the first of several posts showing the progress of the restoration. Watch for the next post showing the beginning of the outside painting project.

Restoration began with a new roof.

MEMBERS OF THE GOSHEN AREA COMMUNITY ARE RAISING MONEY TO RESTORE A LOCAL HISTORIC CHURCH

St. John’s Lutheran Church, located on the corner of C.R. 32 and C.R. 15, a short drive from either Goshen or Elkhart, was built in 1852 by German immigrants.

The church was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. When Lynn Miller, a local resident heard that a 150-year-old church in Goshen was at risk of being demolished, she stepped up and gathered support from her neighbors and friends to defend the historical structure.

This group of community members, with the support of local officials and the Elkhart County Historical Museum, have formed the Friends of St. John’s Lutheran Church Association.

* 100% of the donations will go to the restoration of the church.*

Make checks payable to Friends of St. John’s Lutheran Church Association.

Thank you.

If you want to read more, here is One of the articles in the local paper.

A vist to Waveland, Indiana

We have some special friends who own a historic home in Waveland, Indiana. It is the boyhood home of T.C. Steele, a famous American Impressionist Painter who specialized in Indiana landscapes. Our friend is related to T.C. Steele, so that makes the home even more meaningful for their family. We spent 2 days exploring the little town and taking photographs. It was a great opportunity to capture the heartland of our great state.

Birthday Party #4

Last weekend was our grandson's 4th birthday party...It was a special day for a Fire Truck Party at the Carmel, Indiana Fire Buffs Museum.  If only Papa Ray could have been there to enjoy the day! I'm sure he was there in spirit. Here are some of my favorites photos of the day.

 Ten-four...

 He even got to ride in the truck.

BEST DAY EVER!

We took a drive in the Arizona desert yesterday (on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere) and came across a little town, Cordes (population 11). This is a photo of an Arizona farm....a little different than Indiana farms.