Hershey - More than Just a Chocolate Bar

Can one live 15 miles away from the Sweetest Place on Earth and not dip into some of the chocolaty possibilities? I have to admit; it did take Aletheia and me a while to experience some of the sweet spots of Hershey, PA. Living in such an easy distance to one of the tourist hotspots of Pennsylvania has its advantages: you don’t have to pay for hotels or eat out in a restaurant for every meal AND the odds of meeting someone that works at one of Hershey attractions is very good.

Stephan came into our lives through work Aletheia was doing with a local church. They were like old friends instantly, which led to him coming over to hang out at our house one evening. As conversation progressed, Stephan started telling us about his job working on the trolley tours that ran out of Hershey World. As he described what he did and told us some of the history of the town, he started to light up. His admiration for Milton Hershey spoke volumes. I wanted to experience Hershey though the eyes of someone who had been teaching Milton Hershey’s legacy to people for a decade, so I asked when his next tour was and how to sign-up?

Thus began our experience of Hershey, PA. A few days later, we were on a trolley, touring the town of Hershey and hearing an amazing story of how one man made it through multiple bankruptcies to one day build a town and a school and change peoples lives all around the world through chocolate.

Thanks Stephan for opening our eyes to all that is packed into the name Hershey!

24-hour Turn Around

Aletheia and I are always reminding each other that it only takes a split second for things to change – one phone call, one knock on the door, or one answer to a question can really truly change the course and pace of your life. The hardest part is waiting for that moment. I have been operating in the waiting mode for so long, that when that moment finally arrived it happened so fast that it almost didn’t seem real.

For the past couple of months I have been living a life that did not include any predictable income from an outside source. Yes, I have been earning a little money from Space to Spire, but it is very unpredictable concerning when and how much I will receive. For the first half of the year, Frey’s Greenhouse played the roll of steady consistent income as a part-time job so I would still have time to work in the Spire realm. With the greenhouse season over, I need something else. After many inquiries and filling out many applications, all seemed to be lost in the large abyss of job hunting.

I have plenty of experience on the job hunt front but I still find it tricky to know what to do. I have turned in an application, but how much time needs to pass before I call and ask about it? Should I do it in person? After two week, I went for the plunge. After all, what would be the worst thing that could happen? I wouldn’t get the job? It seemed that that would be the case anyway, so why not?

After walking around the store for a while, I spotted one of the managers on the phone. While keeping my actions casual, I looked at the nearby merchandise all the while planning what I was going to say once he was off the phone.

Once his phone call was complete, I approached and issued my opening line. I managed to miss understand his response and continue in my focused, pre-meditated fashion. This got a chuckle out of the manager as I soon realized that his reply didn’t even register. After clearing up the misunderstanding with light and witty tones, I asked if they would be hiring for the holiday season anytime soon and ending the paragraph with a short phrase about not wanting my application to get lost in the “great abyss”. Yes I did use that phrase. And, why not? I had already made a spectacle of myself, why not jump in with both feet? Right?

Yup it was risky. I walked away feeling like somewhat of an idiot. I finished some of my other errands which included picking up another job application to a different store. I relayed the story to my roommate when I returned home, which resulted in some laughs about it all. When I got to my room, I look at my phone and saw that I had a voice message. It seemed that the intro to one of those moments had arrived. The manager found my application and wondered if I could come in for an interview the next day. Less than 24 hours later, I am officially hired as the newest Hobby Lobby employee assigned to work in the frame shop. My first day: Aug 25^th. Let the new adventure begin.

Queen Killer

“We Will, We Will Rock You”

When an opportunity comes your way to see the band that made the “Stomp, Stomp, Clap” motion something even those without rhythm could handle, you take it.  I don’t even own a Queen album, but somehow I was right there with everyone else singing all the words for more than half of the songs at the concert. That is how you know a band is good, when they have been around long enough to penetrate generations without their listener’s knowledge. 

With legendary songs like “We are the Champions”, “Somebody to Love”, “Cray Little Thing Called Love”, “Under Pressure”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, and the multi-part epic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, could their concert really be anything but great? Queen + Adam Lambert did an amazing job of showcasing their hits with Adam at lead vocals while also beautifully weaving in tribute to the late Freddie Mercury.

Thanks Sue Schmidt for the invite!

Ohio Whirlwind

Our Mid-west trip would not be complete without taking advantage of ever opportunity possible. After all, in our minds Ohio is way closer to Pennsylvania than Arkansas. And so as Aletheia and I discovered that our long time friend (and my former college roommate) would be visiting family in Ohio while we were in Michigan, why not find a way to pass through on our way back to PA? And so that is what happened. Well…not exactly how it happened. I ended up taking a greyhound bus from Detroit to Ohio as Aletheia had to head back to PA in her car and ended up picking me up from the bus station on the way to Lynette’s parent’s house. All was worth the effort (The Creamery. So good!) as it is always good to see old friends even if it isn’t for very long. Maybe someday we will make it out to Arkansas. With getting to Ohio being as exciting as it was, I can only imagine what great adventure would come to pass getting to Arkansas!

Birthday Line-up

After my Dad’s party (had just missed his younger sister’s birthday by a couple of days), the following day it was time to celebrate my Mom’s sister’s birthday. Then eight days later, Aletheia turned the same age as me. But that didn’t last long, as in the shadow of America’s birthday I moved up another number. All of the fabulous reasons why everyone should have a birthday in the summer were met time and time again: grilled food, warm weather, and swimming definitely hit the top of the list.  This year, it was just as sweet as I caught candy on the side of the road as floats passed by and enjoyed a beach side view of a great fireworks show. I am sad this birthday run won’t include celebrating Eva’s first birthday (just 5 days after mine), but I am sure at some point I will make it to one of her birthday parties as the celebration of her life has only just begun :)

Timeline Research

As is often the case when meeting up with family, it often feels like no time has passed while at the same time being aware of how much time as really passed. When I walk into a room, see the kids I used to babysit, and find out that they just got married or will be graduating from college or high school this year. After the overwhelming of “I am getting so old” subsides, start to make connections like I haven’t before. Wait I was how old when you were born? or all of a sudden I take, what seemed like, two separate areas of my life and for the first time hold them next to each other: Wait, you had your baby the same year so and so moved?

This of course caused a light to come on in my head? I remember a lot of things happening in my life but do I actually know WHEN they happened? I know my uncle Phil used to live in the house down the road, but when did he move exactly? How old was I? So, my time with friends and family has become purposeful on another level. I have decided I am going to create a timeline that superimposes all of the milestone events in my life with those of my family (weddings, divorces, funerals, moves, births, etc.) and other major events in the world (inventions, presidents, wars, etc).

What a mind blowing idea right? I find it funny that it is so mind blowing for me as I have been keeping a written record of events in my life for the past 9 years (cough: this blog). I have a feeling I will find this project very interesting and quite educational.  With so many opportunities to talk with family already lined up, all I have to do is start asking.

Petoskey Hunt

Up until the time I was 18, I lived in the same room in the same house in the same small town in Michigan. This is by no means a complaint. Croswell was and is a great place to grow up, with one of the great advantages being it is 5 miles from one of the Great Lakes.

Like every other state, Michigan has a state tree (white pine), state bird (robin), and a state stone (Petoskey). All of my life I unconsciously thought that the state stone was hard to find and could only be found in the town of Petoskey. Why else would you name the town that? I also assumed that because Petoskey is located on Lake Michigan that if you were to find the stone any where else it would have to be on the opposite side of the state. Why would I even think to look in Lake Huron?

Fortunately, Hilary shattered my mental limitations concerning the petoskey stone. One of her few goals for this trip to the states was to go petoskey stone hunting. For those of you that are wondering what in the world is so special about a petoskey stone, please let me enlighten you. The petoskey stone is both a rock and fossil, and it is made of fossilized rugose coral.

The day had arrived. I brought with me petosky stone that a friend had given me to show everyone an example of what they were looking for. We arrived at a beach we had been to countless times as children. My 5-year-old nephew was the first to reach the shore. He stops, picks a stone off the ground and declares with great excitement, “Muma, I found one!” Naturally, we were all in disbelief. How in the world could he have found one so fast?! After examining the stone, it was confirmed. He had indeed found a petosky stone. This of course generated much excitement as the rest of us began to look.

My Petosky Find

After a while, we all started dipping in to our perseverance tanks. And just that moment before I was about to take a break, my eye caught something, My had went in the water for the hundredth time, but this time it came back up holding exactly what we had been looking for.

I have to add a special note here: it was hard for anyone to walk away from this task disappointed. I picked up so many other stones just out of pure desire to examine their beauty at a closer level. Although the process seems hard, time combined with pressure can result in beautiful works of art.  

Casey's First Find

He Didn’t See It Coming

At this time last year, Hilary and Mark were playing with the idea that they would come to the States for a visit in October.  As time passed and October got closer and closer, I figured the trip wasn’t going to happen. Eva (my newest niece) still didn’t have a passport and Casey was due for a new one. With summer being the best time to be in Michigan, I suggested they wait and come then. That would give plenty of time to get things in order, plus Dad had a milestone birthday in June: he would turn 70. With that fact in the mix, Hilary and I began planning.  It seemed silly to come over at any other point when such a big event could take place.

I will admit, we were unsure whether or not to keep this birthday party a secret. Then the usually downpour of questions rolled in: where would this even take place? Who would we invite? How would we get word out when neither of us are in the area?  What about food?

We bounced more ideas around and made some calls. That is when the community that is truly family in our little town of Croswell stepped to the plate. One offered to provide this and knew someone who could bring that. Some could only come for a little while but would bring this or that. With such great friends and family, and Hilary and the rest of the Sephton gang arriving a week in advance this whole plan seemed like it would work.

In all my life, I can recall a few times when we attempted to surprise my dad with something. It never really worked. It seemed that the one thing that we saw as our greatest disadvantage (not being there) was actually our greatest advantage. He had little opportunity to suspect anything. Especially as I was arriving the day of the party! I will never forget the moment when he figured everything out. I think he was a little disappointed in himself that he would let the wool be pulled over his eyes like that, but in the end I think he warmed up to the idea that all of the people there were dear friends and family that just wanted to have a good time celebrating him. Happy Birthday Dad!

Backyard Makeover

When we moved into our new house, the backyard looked like this:

With the coming of spring, I decide to at least attempt to trim back the wild aspects displayed out back. Little did I know what I would discover. As I pulled back some of the weeds, I uncovered brick.

And the brick kept going. When I finally revealed all of it, I decided that the little portion at the top that stuck out and served no purpose that I could imagine had to go. It was then that I decided that I needed to put my new acquired knowledge gathered from the greenhouse to the test. So, I took that “extra” brick and converted it into the lining of a flowerbed and transplanted the “sod” from the where the flowerbed was to fill in the place where the brick was. I have to say; I ended the day feeling pretty proud of myself. I am beginning to understand more and more why people garden. Now, I just need some flowers.

Oh Spring!

I find that working in a greenhouse is a hard place to beat when it comes to the best place to work during the season. Life is all around me every single day! I can come in after two days off and notice more and more growth: the wisteria is blooming, half of the osteospermum is showing their color, and the ferns are ready for their haircut. The list of things to do is endless as what you are working with continues to change.

I have learned so much about flowers and plants that everyday I am constantly reminded how much I DON’T know. I have to remind myself that Noah didn’t build the ark in a day and I highly doubt he had any idea what the next day would bring either. So I take my lessons day-by-day, moment-by-moment and internally celebrate as the question I couldn’t answer yesterday (and had to bug a co-worker about) I could actually answer today without any assistance. Oh how even the smallest victories can be great accomplishments.

Crochet Crowns

After finishing the scarves project, I thought I would put my hook down for a while. However, when a need arises a fun new project must be attempted.

I was chatting with Hilary about Lois and Casey’s upcoming birthdays and she mentioned that she each wanted them to have a special crown that they wore on their birthday (as their birth dates are only 2 days apart) she wanted to give them a visual separation.

After a little hunting on ravelry.com, I bought some yarn and dusted off my hook. I couldn’t help but try one of them on for size before I sent them off.

I am still somewhat amazed by crocheting. You look at something and wonder how in the world I could ever make that? Then you read the pattern, make it through each row, and all of a sudden what looked so complicated now is being held in your hands.

All Moved In

My car unloaded

Well the move into our new place couldn’t be without its challenges and stories. The move from the Millers was easy enough as all of our stuff fit into two trips with our cars. The trickiest part was organizing the transfer for the rest of Aletheia’s stuff from the basement of her old house in Lancaster.

I can’t help but pat my own back when it comes to packing skills. With my past experiences, I can fit a lot into not a lot of space. Originally, Aletheia was going to rent a truck. Instead a friend offered to let her use the van that he uses for his band equipment.

House warming gift from
the Schmidts

So instead of a moving truck, we now had a full size van and Aletheia’s mazada 4-door hatchback.

What took 5 hours to pack into said vehicles was unloaded in 30 minutes. I never said that getting a lot into very little space was a quick task. I only said it was possible. I will say that every move is a learning experience. Example: would you ever believe that a twin size bed frame made out of 2x4s and a mattress could fit in the back of a mazada hatchback? Just so you know, it can. As a side note, it is a huge advantage if the person driving the car is short as the drivers seat is one notch away from being all the way forward.

When is moving not an adventure?

Search Concluded

After months and months, in town after town (including Harrisburg, York, Steelton, and New Cumberland) our house searching has come to an end. We are moving 6 miles away, to a different part of Lebanon. I was explaining our housing search to one of my bosses and said that Aletheia suggested we look in Lebanon. Little did I know that the next day she would hand me a paper describing a house that they had for rent. That next weekend we went and looked at it. After getting a good walk through decided it would work just fine.

I have to say; this was one of the toughest housing processes I have been through in a while. How easy is it to find a place that fits two people that are completely opposite in personality? I am so accustom to moving to place that I have never been to before, that having a choice in the matter made it harder!

Nevertheless, the process is finished and I can’t help but thank the Miller’s for their amazing generosity. They allowed us to stay WAY longer than anticipated and were very patient with our process. As I predicted when we moved in, your hugs, laughter, and kind words will be hard to part with. No amount of gratitude I can express seems like enough. Thank You.

Beautiful Mess Blitz

If anyone knows me at all, I have a very hard time turning down a road trip. I will admit that the new stage and condition of my back does make me hesitate a little, but for the most part I respond with “So, when are we leaving?”

Aletheia’s sister Kara needed to take a trip to Greensboro, NC to look at a graduate program she was interested in. With NC being my old stomping ground a plan immediately formulated in my mind: why not do a paint workshop with friends from my old church while Kara is in Greensboro?

So that is what we did. With a few set backs to overcome (Aletheia’s bum knee, a church event on the same evening, no access to a car while in Durham because Kara still had it) our Beautiful Mess workshop was a great time to catch up and encourage each other.

Spire's First Road Trip

Spire’s first out-of-state gig took us to a place that like a second home for both Aletheia and me: Marion, IN. I have lived in Marion on three separate occasions as an undergrad at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) and two other transitional times. Aletheia was a Resident Director at IWU during my third relocation to the area, which is how we originally met.

So with an invitation for Aletheia to speak in chapel at IWU, we packed the car and headed in hopes of reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and interacting with the idea that God has instilled creativity in all of us.

Our hosts for the week could not have been better as we had the great and wonderful opportunity to stay with the Buddes. My youth pastor from my middle school and high school days had recently took the senior pastor position at Westview Wesleyan Church and with open arms welcomed us into their home.  How heart warming it was to have three of my “worlds” come together in one place. Those moments are always interesting as I felt no time had passed and yet I was constantly reminded, as I remember when both of the Budde children where born and are now both in high school.

Aletheia did a fantastic job overcoming her nerves and sharing what was on her heart. With a talk-back session and time to create with students, it was nice to give back to a place that had given so much to me.

It is All in Who You Know

As they say, “starting your own business is no walk in the park.” This statement I agree with on every level. The learning curve is HUGH. Nor does any young business really bring in all that much revenue. So when someone knocks on your door and says, “Heather I think I found a job for you.” You listen with great anticipation and hope, as you know you bank account can only handle so much.

As they also say, “It is all in who you know.” I always reply, “Yes. It. Is.” Every time I am amazed how much easier things are when you know the right people. When Doreen said, “Heather, I think I found a job for you” what she was really saying was “You have a job if you want it all you have to do is call Gloria and tell her that I told you about the job and she will ask you when would you like to start.”

And with that, and no experience working at a greenhouse whatsoever, I will start my new job at Frey’s Greenhouse in two weeks. Thank you Doreen for passing your faith in me on to someone else. I won’t let you down.

HW Designs is now open for business!

Well, actually I have been doing graphic design sporadically for a while now. Much as been woven into my everyday work duties during previous jobs while other projects I could lump into the freelance category. Whatever the case may be, I now have a website that showcases them all in one place.

www.hwdesigns.info Check it out!

Crafts Just for the Cold

With all of this talk of the "polar vortex" we couldn't help but put there record low temperatures to good use. So with balloons and your basic food coloring, these beautiful ice marbles came to be. An easy simple way to add a little color to the snow covered landscape.

Be InSPIREd!

January 7, 2014

The day finally arrived to launch a new adventure in the lives of Aletheia Schmidt and me! After months of vision casting, strategizing, and planning Spire has officially begun its journey. Everyday, we wake up to unknowns. The journey is sometimes taxing and seems to be moving at a snails pace. I know this is on the the beginning. God only knows what is in store for this enterprise, for us, and for the people that cross our path. May lives be changed and relationships deepened through His power. 

Are you looking for a new way to express yourself...to process...to connect...to pray? Are the old ways flat and colorless?

Be inspired.

At Spire, we value untraditional, hands-on experiences within a safe and loving environment, and we believe that the gift of creativity is indwelling, whether one sees themselves as an artist or not.

We create SACRED, UNIQUE, EXPANSIVE SPACE while offering the medium of the ARTS, IMAGINATION, & CREATIVITY with the hope for DEEPENING connection with one's self, others, and Spirit. 

Spire places a great deal of importance on valuing one's self and one's creative process. Our workshops and retreats invite exploration within the context of community while our resources offer inspiration to those looking for a more individual experience.

The word SPIRE comes from the Latin root, spirare, which means to breathe. It can also be used to describe the upward growth of a shoot or sprout. And that's what this ministry is all about:

At Spire we long for individuals and groups alike to breathe...to grow...to look up...and remember how to find their center.

See http://www.spacetospire.com/ for more info. 

The Seasons Pass

Summer

 Fall

Winter

Somehow we managed to find ourselves staying at the Miller's for one more season than expected. The housing hunt continues....

2013 Stats

Fun in the Details

The Supplies

The Inspiration: English Cottage from the movie the Holiday for me and a lighthouse for Laura

Making a mess and progress....

Leave it to the detail oriented people to work on a gingerbread house for hours! It was well worth the effort. 

Our finished products completed

just before the ringing in of the New Year

2012's gingerbread house collection: Snoopy and his dog house, a bird house, an English cottage, a traditional gingerbread house and a light house. It makes me wonder what will be created in the coming years!
Here is what was created last time I was at the Messerly's.