October Open Spaces

 

Open Spaces

Vol. 21.11

By John W. Vander Velden

November 25, 2021

 

I finally sat down to begin this month’s newsletter on the evening of Thanksgiving Day. It was wonderful to spend some hours with family this year. We didn’t last year. COVID changed a great many things didn’t it? But we made up for the lost opportunity and were able to reconnect face to face with those we love. I hope that you were able to get together with your special people as well.

Christmas is only a month away and if your home is like ours that sets a busy schedule for these coming weeks. Yet I feel it is important to remember what separates December 25^th from the other 364 days. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ...and with His birth the world changed. I’m sure you have heard it a thousand times, Jesus is the reason for the season, well in our home we know it is true. During this insanely busy season, take some time to remind yourself about why you celebrate Christmas.

Now for a bit of writing news.

I have finally finished my first editorial revisions. The story has changed dramatically since I began this step in early February. I mean even the title has been changed. But soon, probably in January, I will send this draft of With the Sun’s Rising to my editor for her take on the story. At almost 650 pages it has been a major undertaking to hone this work into this new story.

It is my hope my readers will enjoy this chapter of Elizabeth’s life.

I have only one more Author’s Event left this year. It has been a thrill to be able to meet with readers once again for the three events I have had this month. Having the opportunity to come face to face with these wonderful people has been a benefit I had not expected. It may be the best part of publishing my books and makes the thousands of hours to create them well spent.

If you are in Goshen, Indiana, Friday December 3^rd, stop by FABLES BOOKS, 215 S. Main Street, between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM, take a moment and say hello.

So I will close this month’s newsletter with these few words. Thanksgiving should remind us of how blessed we are. To be thankful brightens our day. Make a habit of counting your blessings.

So on this day remember that God loves you. He loved you yesterday. He will love you tomorrow. God never abandons...never.

May blessings come your way.

John 

Benny's Adventure

 

Benny’s Adventure

By John W. Vander Velden

 

Hi I’m Benny, just ordinary Jeep, if there is such a thing. But you can’t know how hard it is to share a garage with my older sister, Pearl. She goes on and on about the trips John and Jackie have taken her. How she carried them rough and rumble up and down five miles of private lane so they could hike another two miles to reach Montreal Falls. Or the other times they went to UP Michigan and mushed and mudded ten miles trying to get to Crisp Point Lighthouse, only to mud their way out to find a better route.

Every night it’s the same thing, “I remember a time in North Carolina, or was it Kentucky.” I’ve been to Kentucky too, so she doesn’t hit me with those trips often. Well I’m here to tell you...and Pearl too...that I had quite an adventure of my own.

I thought she’d turn green when I told her I went to Colorado. I guess its fortunate her white paint didn’t, but I could tell sis was envious. Yes, ole Benny here went Rocky Mountain high, and Pearl, she hadn’t even crossed the Mississippi River. Ha!

Coming out of the clouds

I can’t say I cared much for the traffic, being an outdoorsy guy, but I held my own. The Denver area is hectic, to say the least, silly cars and trucks everywhere and all in a hurry. But Colorado is more than Denver, and we went to see the mountains, and we did. Drove high enough to be in the clouds on our way into Estes Park. The road winds this way and that up, up, up, and then drops into the pocket where that town can be found. Pretty county Estes park. Had to stop to let a herd of Elk cross the road. A bunch of them. Saw Big Horn Sheep standing on the side of the rock like it was flat ground. Yes, that was a fun day. Pearl, sorry you couldn’t come. Not!

I guess I shouldn’t rub it in, but pay backs are... Well you know what they are.

Estes Park

We also drove down to Garden of the Gods the views and the red rocks were unbelievable. The sun shown that morning which made the day extra fantastic. On another time, John and Jackie took a scenic train ride just outside of Georgetown. I wanted to ride too, but it’s a narrow gauge railroad and didn’t have Jeep seating. I guess I didn’t mind too much waiting in the parking lot. Parked beside me was a Subaru from Iowa, which was cool but the dogs kept interrupting our conversation.

Garden of the Gods

We went to Loveland and through Longmont and Boulder visited with friends and relatives, had supper with Nick several times in Arvada, but my favorite part was the drive we took the last day on CO 103. Wow, that road has more curves than a bottle of jelly worms. Echo Lake was worth the stop...twice. We crossed eleven thousand feet on that road and pulled off the road several times ‘cause John took lots of pictures.  Next time we’ll drive up to Mount Evans, the highest paved road in the continental U.S.. Not that I need payment you understand, but driving up to fourteen thousand feet would be so cool!

Anyway, now when my sister begins bragging about Door County, Wisconsin or the Keweenaw Peninsula or a hundred other places, I just dim my headlights and dream of Colorado.

Echo Lake...didn't I say it was worth the stop

View from near the top

This is Benny sayin' happy travels...