CHAPTER 205 IMPRESSIONS OF MY LIFE: AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A RECHERCHE POET GETTING INTO A ROUTINE 2014-2015

 CHAPTER 205 GETTING INTO A ROUTINE. 2014-15

 

At the start of the year 2014 I was elected to the Board of Iron Faith Fellowship as the Treasurer.

On February 8 a dinner was held for the Board and their spouses at The Olive Garden along Concord pike.

Pastor Randy Scott sits at the top of the table with his wife Karen.  Going down the table from his right is Associate Pastor Steve Moore, his wife Erin Kelly Moore, Chris Piasecki and her husband and Associate Pastor Haus Piasecki. On the right side of the table going down from Karen Scott is Shirl Korwek, Elder Rick Korwek, Treasurer Larry Meredith and Lois Meredith

I actually managed to put a book of essays together, but just the   one: Life, Love and Laundry.  

April 5 found us joining with several other men for the Men’s Conference held in Reading, Pa. of “Iron Sharpens Iron.” This was an  annual conference held at differs locations in the region every year.

It contained several sessions addressing Christian topics of interest to men. It was an all-day affair. 

Another annual event, not held at Iron Faith but put on my Highlands  Bapist in North Wilmington was the “Via Delarosa” reenactment of the Passion of Jesus. They turned their church into a replica of first century Jerusalem. It was so exact it was scary to walk through the Roman Guards  along the way.

You followed the entire story from the Garden of
Gethsemane right through the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of the Lord. 

There was of course, Bible studies, the men’s brekfast, Green Day and Jammin” for Jesus. The beginning of fall found us gathering to put together backpacks to distribute to the poor for their return to school.

We did a kite-flying outing, 

 

 had a bike run and fun day,

 

and a distribution of blankets made by the women for the homeless.

And a “Nets for Life Giving collection.

There were a couple more things popped in to 2014 before moving to much the same in 2015, when we had another Baptism down in the River and another Jammin’ for Jesus in the summer. 

Every year we held an Easter Sunrise Service on the hill of
Claymont’s Woodshaven-Kurse park. It begins at 6:00 AM and lasts until the sun has risen in the East.

Something about this place that makes one feel they are on Golgotha that first Easter  Sunday. Perhaps it is the old historic cornerstones left in the ground from an 19th century girl’s school. It is as if the  tombs are there. 

After the service we all journey to the Hollywood Grill in

Wilmington for a group breakfast before going to the  regular church service at 10:00.

2015 was very similar to 2014, except my parent’s estate, if one can call it that, settled in early  2014.

 I was able to use what money remained from selling their house and property to kind of save my own. I thought I would be able to do more than I did, but, boy, prices were so much higher  than I hoped.

I did put new siding on the place  (right), because the old siding was crumbling away. Also replaced the windows (left).  There was not enough  to buy a new heater as I hoped.

Nor money to replace the roof (right). But a terrible hail storm hit southern
Pennsylvania into Delaware. Contractor signs were going up everywhere. I almost…just almost…pity the insurance companies.  

I delayed, but finally called a contractor, and sure enough my roof and gutters had been damaged.  My insurance company, Nationwide,  came and inspected. The agreed and paid for a new room and gutters. These are gutter I never have to climb up and clean.  I only ended up paying $250 and I now have  roof less than ten yeas old. The tiles are a blue color. 

 

Now if only the heater continues to head.

Lois and I finally got to go out again in 2015. Three  times it
was to a venue called Burlap & Bean, a coffeehouse in Newtown Square, which serves various coffees and sandwiches and such

fare.

 

The first concert we
attended featured Bill Staines. A folk singer and one of my personal favorites. I had about a dozen albums of his.  

 

He was on the bill that night with Raianne Richards and Mark  Mandeville. 

This was on April 25. 

On June 16 we were back for Rebecca Regoo and the Trainmen. 

 

Finally in August we came again to hear

Dylan Jane in concert.

 

We started taking trips from the Senior Center. It was usually th e same people along on these outings. On 8/13/2015 the bus carried us to a much touted Rock Hall Beach in Maryland. Well it was pretty small actually.

The saving grace was having  lunch at a restaurant in Rock
Hall itself. That is Lois in the blue top following the crowd inside.

 

In October on the 14, the day before Lois’s 74th birthday, we went on a trip with the Brandywine Senior Center located in the Claymont Community Center to tour the Annie Ann’s Pretzel factory in the Christiana Mall. 

Appeared our life was getting to be what retirement was supposed to me, a bunch of carefree days and little outings. 

I expanded my exercise routine. I had been taking early morning walks of between 5 to 10 miles daily. Hardly ever missed, almost 365 days a year. I love walking in the various parks near where we lived, the more rugged the better.  This helped keep my weight down.

Now that I had the Leasure to indulge it, I decided to lose more pounds and get fit.