ON THE ROAD AGAIN

A friend of ours heard about our "journey of faith, fisher, forests, family, friends and fun" and suggested we set up a Blog. A what? So here we are....on the road again with Bocahontas and Buba. Blessed with the freedom of time, we were inspired by two of our favorite causes. So we organized a road trip to Alaska which should not only be fun but also an opportunity to spread the good word about The Fisher Houses , The Orthodox Christian Mission Center/Programs and some of our National Parks. We are participating in a 2 week Mission in Tyonek, Alaska with the OCMC group in June. Feel free to check out the planned trip on the calendar link. Caribou Cabins? Blue Moose? Tundra Lodge? and our soon to be "favorite" Motel 6. Any and all suggestions, prayers and good karma are welcome and very much appreciated....poor Buba, in a car with Pam for 5 months. Lions, and tigers and bears oh my! Toggle down to the calendar and see where we are over the next months. We ask for your prayers.

Grab yourself a cold one and come along for the ride. Enjoy and laugh along with us viewing the daily blogs which are archived on the left side of this page in chronological order. We started April 22- Happy Trails!

THE LONG & WINDING ROAD

THE LONG & WINDING ROAD

The Fisher House

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The Fisher House Foundation, through the kindness of donations received, provides "comfort homes" that are built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable America's military families to be together during extended treatment for serious illness or lengthy physical sessions....very much like the Ronald McDonald homes for families of children in a similar situation. We were first introduced to Fisher House while visiting Brooke Army Medical Center (Burn Center) in San Antonio. We were so moved by the dedication and love of the staff and volunteers that we returned for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Currently there are 44 Fisher Houses (more in the works) and our goal is to visit all of them and spread the good word to family and friends. Please feel free to peruse their website for a detailed explanation about the Fisher House Foundation and programs. Perhaps you will be inspired by the work this group does on behalf of our Armed Forces.

Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC)

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is the official foreign mission agency of all the Orthodox Jurisdictions (i.e. Greek, Russian, Serb etc.) The goal of the OCMC is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ where it presently does not exist and to establish vibrant Orthodox Eucharistic Communities throughout the world. We have had the privilege and pleasure to admire the work of this organization (headquarters located in St. Augustine, Florida) for years and now that we are retired we have the blessing to participate. We are on the road to Alaska to join a Mission Team in Tyonek for a couple weeks to do some construction and teaching in an Athabascan Indian Village. "If I had a hammer"...you'll be happy to know I deep sixed the acrylic nails in anticipation of caulking and painting. :) Please take a peek at the OCMC web site for details on all of the programs they are involved with throughout the world. And do stop in to see Father Martin and his kind and loving staff when you are in St. Augustine! We will also be visiting family, friends and Orthodox Churches while on the road to share the marvelous work of the OCMC.

National Parks

Most people know that the National Park Service cares for national parks, a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. The treasures in this system – the first of its kind in the world –have been set aside by the American people to preserve, protect, and share, the legacies of this land.


People from all around the world visit national parks to experience America's story, marvel at the natural wonders, and have fun. Places like the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Gettysburg are popular destinations, but so too are the hundreds of lesser known yet equally meaningful gems like Rosie the Riveter in California, Boston Harbor Islands in Massachusetts, and Russell Cave in Alabama.


The American system of national parks was the first of its kind in the world, and provides a living model for other nations wishing to establish and manage their own protected areas. The park service actively consults with these Nations, sharing what we've learned, and gaining knowledge from the experience of others.


Beyond national parks, the National Park Service helps communities across America preserve and enhance important local heritage and close-to-home recreational opportunities. Grants and assistance are offered to register, record and save historic places; create community parks and local recreation facilities; conserve rivers and streams, and develop trails and greenways.


We hope to see you soon in a national park and invite you to explore the ways we can help you preserve what’s important in your hometown.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

DAY 107 MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY....MALL OF AMERICA

These Minnesotans take shopping to the next level-Mall of America (also MOA, MoA or the Megamall) is a super-regional shopping mall located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. It is supposed to be largest mall in the United States. Opened in 1992, the mall received 40 million visitors in 2006 and continues to be a destination-by the bus load. I was here shortly after it opened? Must have been a meeting for something or I just wanted to feel good about wearing a size 12 (oh how I long for the good old days). Apparently, as I "bloomed" so did most of the babes up here....amen. Shopping, eating and amusement parking all under one roof is a safe haven from all the wilderness and canoeing I suppose.

Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft. with 2.5 million sq ft. available as retail space. The mall is a nearly symmetrical building, with a roughly rectangular floor plan. Over 520 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on one side. An addition planned north of the mall will allow for up to 900 stores. And you would need 900 stores in one place because? You can. Despite Minnesota's sub-zero temperatures in the winter, only the mall's entrances are heated. Heat is allowed in through skylights above Nickelodeon Universe. Heat is produced by lighting fixtures, other electric devices and also by employees and guests of the mall in sufficient amounts to keep it comfortable or in Buba's opinion, not. In fact, even during the winter, air conditioning systems need to be run nonstop during peak hours to ensure a comfortable shopping environment. Although the common areas are unheated, the individual stores do have heating systems. Two nearly identical seven story parking ramps on east and west sides provide 12,550 parking spaces. Parking lots on the north and south of the building, along with nearby overflow parking, bring the total number of spaces up to approximately 20,000.

Buba had to use his handheld GPS to find a parking space and it only took him 15 mins to figure how to get out of the garage.

Pleep insisted we take him to the amusement park inside the mall. He had a riot climbing all over everything, swinging from one thing to the next. Then he discovered Lego Park and it was all over but the shouting. Bocahontas had a headache from the noise and the gazillion kids running all over the place. Buba hid in the car. Pleep was in heaven.

Bed in A Bag

Pleep also tried out the Bed in a Bag store. First it's a bean bag then you take out the "mattress" in the bag, shake it out and you are ready for your buddies to sleep over. Pleep thought we should get one for Alex as she has a studio and he was concerned about where will he sleep when he visits? Pleep was very proud when he heard a fellow Floridian thought this great idea up- go Corda Roy in Gainseville!

Spam Museum
A Minnesota claim to fame. Yes, a full blown museum for Spam. Pleep thought Spam was all about the crap advertising he gets on his email. Well he had half of it right....SPAM is the undisputed king of mystery meat. Made of pig parts and secret spices, cooked in its own cans right on the assembly line, SPAM rolls out of its far-flung factories at a rate of 44,000 cans an hour. The museum features 16,500 square feet of SPAM artifacts, history and fun—and all for free! Pleep checked out vintage advertising, answered SPAM trivia, tried his hand at canning SPAM products, stocked up on collectible SPAM memorabilia, and learned about all the SPAM products, even the hard-to-find varieties. ..and that would be Sushi-Spam???

Pleep liked the hair net and lab coats required. No wonder Boca felt like a sveltey(not me in the pic but you get the idea) ....they grow some big gals and guys up here. No problem finding those jumbo undies. Pleep wasn't that sold on Spam until we explained it was the favorite food of Hawaiian cowboys. He likes the idea of being a cowboy in Hawaii and asked to head there next. Buba spent a long time with a map explaining why we couldn't drive to Hawaii. The little darling then suggested Buba buy that houseboat from the guy up north and we float over. Pleep really likes being retired.
Posted by Sharing our Journey of Faith at 6:59 AM