After what has felt like a really busy summer, we are almost ready to head back to India. The last week is always filled with similar things -- pulling out the suitcases and assembling things to pack, getting a haircut, cleaning out the refrigerator, suspending mail and other services, and more.
We seemed to be on the move a lot this summer. My mother spent two weeks with us. She was a bit apprehensive, but it went well and she was happy to see many of her friends from Topeka while she was here. We drove to the WOSA/NA reunion conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, near the end of July. Following an intensive weekend of meetings and socializing, we drove up to the Grand Teton National Park area. We spent a week in a rented house with our daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and two of the grandchildren. We enjoyed seeing the mountains, doing a bit of hiking, going white-water rafting for the first time, and just spending time with our kids. At the end of August, we had a party in Indianapolis to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday (actually in October, but this timing worked best). About 40 people came from all over to honor her and we had a great time.
A few weeks ago, I realized that I take lots of pictures in India and talk about the things we see and do, but say almost nothing about our life in Goshen, Indiana. It is beautiful here, in a very different way from the Himalayas. So I drove around and took a few pictures to put up here before we leave.
We seemed to be on the move a lot this summer. My mother spent two weeks with us. She was a bit apprehensive, but it went well and she was happy to see many of her friends from Topeka while she was here. We drove to the WOSA/NA reunion conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, near the end of July. Following an intensive weekend of meetings and socializing, we drove up to the Grand Teton National Park area. We spent a week in a rented house with our daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and two of the grandchildren. We enjoyed seeing the mountains, doing a bit of hiking, going white-water rafting for the first time, and just spending time with our kids. At the end of August, we had a party in Indianapolis to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday (actually in October, but this timing worked best). About 40 people came from all over to honor her and we had a great time.
A few weeks ago, I realized that I take lots of pictures in India and talk about the things we see and do, but say almost nothing about our life in Goshen, Indiana. It is beautiful here, in a very different way from the Himalayas. So I drove around and took a few pictures to put up here before we leave.
Ripening corn with farm silo in the distance
Soy beans
Farm tree with corn in background
Typical farmhouse with pond
Another farmhouse; notice how much lawn is mowed!
Silo and barn
Sweet Corn Charlie's farm market (with friend Bertha from swimming)
Truckload of sweet corn to be bagged (we eat this every week we can!)
Charlie's grows lots of good melons, too
Delicious vine-ripened tomatoes
My family roots go way back in Goshen. This house is where my father grew up in the 1920s and 1930s. I don't think it has changed very much. It is about three miles from where we live now!
The house my mother grew up in has been remodeled extensively but relatives still live there. My grandfather began farming the place when he was 14, around 1910 or so.
Much of the farmland in this fertile area has been built up with housing developments such as this one. In fact, the house we live in is on a former corn field.
And to close with a bit of whimsey, I though you might enjoy this duck family who appeared in our front yard during a rain earlier this summer.
Dan and Anne,
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing us up to speed over your summer. Looking forward to your postings again from Woodstock. Blessings! Bill K.
The contrasts between the topography of Goshen and Woodstock are amazing. I see Goshen with new eyes.
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