POST VACATION 17SEP13

I was on vacation last week, drove home to Scandia, PA on Friday, 6SEP13 and came back to Herndon, VA on Saturday, 14SEP13. I really needed to get away, and Scandia, a small village in NW Pennsylvania, is the exact opposite of living in the metro D.C. area. My parent's house sits on 12 acres, on a dirt road, back in the woods. Quiet, serene, beautiful. No cell service, high speed internet is available if you have a computer (my parents don't). I go home to be with my Mom and Dad, to help them out around their place, and to bring some peace to my soul, to catch my breath. And I was able to do all that last week. We went to Erie, PA to see the tall ships in port for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. I went to church with my parents and saw many old friends I really do love. We went to Benezette, PA to see some of Pennsylvania's elk herd (we saw 86 elk and heard lots of bull elk bugling) and visit a couple of wineries. And every afternoon we were home we sat on the deck and drank a bottle of wine and talked. We ate well every evening and one night we even had fried green tomatoes (northern style). I went to dinner with my friends Derek & Pam. The little rescue dog Mom and Dad got, his name is Smiley, bonded. And Dad and I got the railing on the deck replaced and my new soft top put on my Jeep. It was a really good week, and I really didn't want to come back. But I am very thankful for the week I had with family and friends back home, safe travels, and for the family, friends, my home and my job that I did have to come back to here in VA.