All
JIC I don't get round to finishing this series, I would like to say
something about the people we met and to give due credit to our hosts. We
stayed with the Mournings in Albuquerque, the Johnson's in Longmont and the
Wheelers in Vancouver. They all showed remarkable hospitality (or should
that be insanity <g>) to agree to accommodate this eccentric Englishman.
I will be forever grateful to Ron and Lorraine for doing their best for us
despite trying family circumstances. They looked after us splendidly - Ron
even ventured to an Indian restaurant for us despite some reluctance.
Unfortunately I don't think we saw the best of the children, Randy and
Misty, as Randy was under the weather and Misty was recovering from a flight
from Scotland. Mind you, they gave up their bedrooms for us without
complaint for which we were grateful. I'm just sorry things did not work out
as we had planned and we only got such a short time together (though I'm
sure it is all in the Lord's rich tapestry). Ron comes across as a very
gentle man and Lorraine - well perhaps the best description is that she is
my sister as far as I am concerned.
What can I say about our list moderator and his family? Perhaps just that.
He came across as a strong family man whom I suspect is a lot softer than he
makes out <g>. Nevertheless his sons know the limits and don't seem to mind.
I got the impression that they respect him rather than fear him (Jen, you
can thank them for the "Mickey, Mickey" story as they insisted he told it).
I also suspect that his youngest is an apprentice Larrikin <g>. His wife
shows remarkable sense in playing and coaching SOCCER!!! and also makes
excellent pancakes. I found a soul mate in his eldest (though Mike probably
would not believe that). I just pray that he does not wander from the Lord
as I did. His middle son has a smile to melt icbergs. Mike also showed great
dedication and financial sense as he ironed on all the cyber powwow logos
while we were there so that we could transport them to the Wheelers <g>.
And finally A No 1 (aka Charlie Wooster) and his other half Jennifer. The
thing which most impressed me about Duane was his humility. I had the honour
of attending one of his Rangers meetings and I was greatly impressed by the
way he approached everything and everyone. There were no airs and graces;
no, "I am the Senior Commander". I was also impressed by the way he handled
an extremely difficult situation which arose while we were there. Duane, I
saw the Christ in you. Keep going bro' you are doing good work.
Jennifer is a live wire and a confident person. Like all women she sometimes
seemed exasperated with the antics of her "menfolk" (i.e. Duane and Josh
rolling round fighting in the snow <g>). I will try to create a web page
with some pictures if I get time. She is very creative and cares about her
boys a great deal. She has a zest for life which is refreshing.
Josh is the result of Duane and Jen putting their ideas into practice. A
very confident young man (at times I had difficulty in believing that he was
just 14). He has obviously been given responsibility and has risen to the
challenge.
The thing which struck me was the difference in affluence between our two
countries. For a couple to enjoy the same sort of lifestyle in England (size
of house, number of cars, extra equipment, gadgets etc.) they would both
have to be in fairly high powered jobs. The only couple which seemed to get
near that description was Mike Johnson and his wife Lori. I earn
approximately the average income for the UK and my wife works as well yet we
would struggle to get anywhere near the lifestyle enjoyed by our hosts. BTW
this is not a gripe, just an observation.
[ok I've had my say if any of our hosts wish to invoke the right to reply,
feel free]
BoW
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