Not too much time this week for blogging....

....too busy having fun! Check it out at Camp Kreitzer.

Our Fresh Air Girls Come Today

Ever hear of the Fresh Air Fund? It's a group that's operated for over 100 years sending children from New York City out into the country for a week or ten days to enjoy a totally different experience. We participated for the first time last year hosting two young girls who are returning today for another little vacation in the country. We pick them up this afternoon and look forward to the reunion and a week of fun activities. We're going to visit the farm where our milk comes from so the girls will have an opportunity to milk a cow, feed the chickens, and maybe help with the haying. We'll take them to our granddaughters' horseback riding lesson and hopefully they'll get a chance to groom a horse. Then we have an assortment of wonderful things to choose from: peach and berry picking, visiting the caverns, taking a hike in the George Washington National Forest, and, of course, letting them drive the tractor again. Should be a fun time. I hope you'll take a look at Fresh Air Fund and consider becoming a supporter. They're a group that deserves to continue for another 100 years!

All Good Things Must Come to an End!

At least for now.

Our two Fresh Air Fund visitors from New York City left for home early this morning and we are back to just the two of us. Quiet reigns as we get ready for our next batch of visitors (our Austin son and his family). So laundry, bed changing, pool and yard upkeep, etc. are all on the agenda for the next few days. As we do our chores we'll be thinking of all the fun we had this week!

Walking across the "scary bridge"

And what a busy week it was! We hiked to the Woodstock Tower for a view of our little town to the west and Fort Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. We waded and threw rocks in the north fork of the Shenandoah River and crossed the "scary bridge," a walking suspension bridge built to let folks get out when they are "river'd in." (That's when the river covers the road.) We picked blackberries at Marker-Miller Farm and visited the Rte. 11 potato chip factory. (Unfortunately, they weren't cooking that day.) We walked around Woodstock, went thrift store shopping, and fed the ducks. On First Friday and on Sunday we went to Mass and Sunday morning we also visited a local nursing home where I take the Catholic residents Communion. The girls charmed them all especially one lady who is generally depressed and hostile. Instead she lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the girls and asked them questions about school and their summer activities.

At nighttime we read fairy tales and had bedtime prayers and lullabies.

For the first time ever the girls cooked over a bonfire and jumped on a trampoline. And every day but one we swam and swam and swam with an occasional popsicle break. In fact one of the girls learned to swim while she was here and has a beautiful stroke! Our other visitor already knew how and she helped instruct and was a great cheerleader!

The girls baked cookies and decorated cupcakes. They drove the tractor, picked wildflowers and made beautiful arrangements. A high point of the week was visiting the "llama lady" who is always friendly and welcoming and full of fun! They took our two little granddaughters under their wings winning hugs and necklaces made by the six-year-old.

Two local nieces loaned us their ten and eleven-year-old daughters to join in the fun and they are already asking us to invite Bari and Monni again next year. In fact, God willin' and the crick don't rise we are already thinking of what we can do when summer rolls around again. I think a short camping trip will be on the agenda.

Now doesn't all this sound like fun? Why not consider becoming part of the Fresh Air Family. We'd love to tell you all about it if you have any questions not answered by visiting their web site.

Want to do a good deed? Take a child to a nursing home!

Every Sunday I take Communion to eight Catholics at a local nursing home. All but one are seriously mentally incapacitated with either Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Several are often difficult and hostile. But what a change comes over them when they see children! One lady is often negative and cheerless. Not today! We took our two little visitors from the Fresh Air Fund and she just kept telling them over and over how beautiful they are. She asked them questions about school and how they were enjoying their visit. She repeated herself several times. Alzheimer's patients can't remember from one minute to the next what they just said, but the entire visit was sweet and charming.

I love all these dear people and am saddened when people talk about how their lives aren't worth living. Of course they are! They invite us to self-sacrifice. They remind us of what we need to be before our God -- dependent and little. They are the ones in the highways and byways that the master sent his servants to gather in for the banquet. And they are also the ones he said to invite to dinner -- those who can't invite us back.

Please, please take your children and grandchildren to nursing homes. Teach them that the sick, the suffering, and the elderly are precious in God's sight. It is a corporal work of mercy, but I can tell you that you will receive more than you can give.

Fresh Air Fund: What a Great Program!

I'm not blogging much this week because we are hosting two little girls from New York City through the Fresh Air Fund. What fun! They had never cooked hot dogs and s'mores over a bonfire! They loved it!

We've also been to see the llama lady. Did you ever feed a llama by offering a cracker held in your mouth?

We picked blackberries at a local farm, gathered wildflowers and made arrangements,

 put puzzles together and played games. Every night before lights out we have stories and songs. If you've never heard of the Fresh Air program check it out. Maybe you'd like to join the fun next year. Our two little granddaughters are thrilled to have two new friends to play with.

And two of our grand nieces who are about the same age have enjoyed being part of the excitement as well. I think there may be some pen pals in their future.

We're sure glad to be part of the Fresh Air Fund and hope to continue as long as our health (and energy) holds out! What's more fun than a gaggle of gorgeous little girls having fun together?

Our Fresh Air Fund Adventure Begins Today

Have you heard of the Fresh Air Fund? Check it out. It's a program that matches children from New York City with families in the country. Today we have two little girls coming to stay with us for a week and we have lots of adventures planned. Hopefully, the buck will continue coming to our little apple orchard and the mommy bunny with her babies. That's probably something they've never seen in the city. We also plan on a visit to a farm, maybe to the llama lady's place and a walk across the "scary bridge" which is a suspension bridge that swings when you cross it. What do you think we should do with the kids? Any ideas?