There's No Place Like Home

Yesterday, a friend of ours made a post on Facebook which got me reminiscing about and missing New England. It's been eight years since we've been back to that part of the world and it looks like it will be a few more years before we can make it back again. So, let me indulge some nostalgia.

We'll start in Maine. Back in the old days, when I was living in Dover, New Hampshire, I would sometimes bike over to the York, Maine, area—it was closer than some of the New Hampshire beaches. We have been back several times since, the last time was in winter with snow.

York Harbor, Maine, in Winter

This photo of the Nubble Lighthouse was taken in a warmer time of year.

Nubble Lighthouse, York Beach, Maine

Maine has a lot of islands. On one occasion we visited Vinalhaven Island. It was in the fall, about a week before most of the tourist industries would be shut down for the winter. Already, there weren't many choices for eating, etc. But it is a beautiful place. A tidal creek flowed under our hotel room.

Vinalhaven

On to New Hampshire. When I was young, I dreamed of living in New Hampshire when I became an adult. I made several trips to the White Mountains as a teenager to go hiking. I even went to that state for my University.

Hiking in the White Mountains in the mid-1970's
Mount Lafayette from Mount Lincoln

God had other plans for my life, however, and I haven't lived in New Hampshire since 1980. I still like the state, however, and have been there to visit many times in my adult life. The highest peak in New Hampshire and home of some of the most severe weather in the world is Mount Washington. I never actually hiked to the top when I lived in New England—we only made it to the summit on a family trip taking the cog railway. Since I've left the area, I've actually driven to the top three times and hiked it once—and that was also one of the times that I drove there. On that occasion, we had planned on hiking as a couple, but Ingrid had messed her back up bad on our travels to New England. So she stayed at our cabin in Bartlett while I hiked to the top. The weather was so nice, I decided that she should not miss the opportunity to visit. So I phoned our cell phone, which she had (this was in the early days of cell phones) from a pay phone on top of the mountain (it was a toll call to our California number) and asked if she wanted to drive up. Then I quickly hiked back down the mountain, drove to Bartlett and picked up Ingrid, then drove around to the other side of the mountain to the Mount Washington Auto Road. On another occasion, pictured below, we drove to the top, then I hiked over to Mount Adams and back.

Mount Washington from Mount Adams

In my youth, winter was my favorite time of year. I loved being out in the snow. Not so much anymore. Hiking, or snowshoeing or cross-country skiing were fine. Or maybe just donning some ice skates. On one occasion we were in the Wolfeboro area when we found a place with cross-country ski rentals.

Cross-Country Skiing Near Wolfeboro

Moving south to Connecticut. While waterfalls in Connecticut aren't near as large as some of the waterfalls out west, we do have some pretty ones. Northwest Connecticut has some beautiful country roads to explore. Not far from the quaint village of Kent is Kent Falls.

Kent Falls, Connecticut

Probably some of my most fond memories are from my back yard. Russell's Pond, as we called it then, or what is now known as the Russell Preserve, was our playground. Grab your skates, hop on a sled for the trip down the hill to the pond.

Russell's Pond, Wolcott, Connecticut

Ice Skating on Russell's Pond

Next let's head back north to Massachusetts. Massachusetts has some nice areas along the coast. Plum Island is home to a beautiful wildlife refuge.

Sunset at Plum Island, Massachusetts

Further inland are places such as Shelburne Falls, a typical New England small town.

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Just north of western Massachusetts is Vermont. A typical feature in many New England towns is a church on The Green. These churches might have doubled as town meeting places back in the day. The Green was where you might park your horses when you went into town. Often the church buildings are white, but sometimes they are made of stone, or as in Jericho Center, out of brick.

Jericho Center Congregational Church

At this point, I'm not sure I'll ever be a permanent resident of New England again. But God has led me lots a places that I'd never dreamed I would live, so it is not impossible that I might end up there. As beautiful as New England is, there are many other pretty places in this world. But the important thing is to be where God wants me to be, and right now that is in Kalasin, Thailand. And wherever I end up, I am assured that God is present.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)

Moving Up

Just after we moved to Chachoengsao, during our first term in Thailand, we had a housewarming party that included many members of the church we were associated with. During that time, we were given Thai names. Phi Chin was given the responsibility to name us. He decided on Mana and Nit. You can read more about the names here.

With our church in front of our Chachoengsao home,
where we first received out Thai names

Along with these names came titles: Uncle and Aunt. Uncle and Aunt are common titles for people who are older, but not quite seniors. So for the past ten years we have been known as Uncle Mana and Aunt Nit.

Now we have moved into a new community in the province of Kalasin. In our first meeting with the small community of believers we are part of, they were trying to decide what to call us. After some discussion, they landed on Grandpa Mana and Grandma Nit.

Enough gray hairs to qualify as Grandpa and Grandma

We are definitely old enough to be grandparents, but  at first it was a little hard to accept this constant reference to our oldness when we are called Grandpa or Grandma. But the nice thing about it, culturally, is that these titles also convey respect, kind of converse to North American culture. (See an earlier blog on this topic here.) To go from Uncle and Aunt to Grandpa and Grandma is an increase in honor. It is a move up.

The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
Proverbs 20:29 (NLT)

Thank you, God, for the 60+ years of experience You have given us. Help us to use the wisdom we have acquired to use our lives to be a blessing to others.