From sea to shining sea

In the past month, Mr. Kerry and I have been from one end of this beautiful country to the other - all by car! We romped with Harmony by the Pacific Ocean and viewed the splendor of the Atlantic.

I think we're home for awhile. At least I am. I'm a bit weary and stiff from sitting too much. I need to get active again.

Just one week after we got Mr. Eddie from the kennel/spa, he had to go back in again. He probably keeps wondering what he keeps that is so wrong that he has to keep going back to the same place.

Early on Thursday morning, the 9th, we drove to Betty's, left our jeep there, loaded our stuff into her van, and headed for Cape Cod. We traveled all along the southern tier of New York and marveled at all of the beauty of that state. We made it as far as Troy, NY, enjoying ourselves along the Mohawk Trail. I sometimes get a bit nervous when I see "Bear Crossing" signs, for I surely wouldn't want to break down in that area.

The Mohawk Trail was just gorgeous! We were particularly touched to see a small park dedicated to the Mohawks.

Statue at the end of a bridge.

We got a kick out of the Pork Store. It makes my lips swell up like Angelina Jolie's, but I love it any way.

We soon arrived at our destination - the western end of Cape Cod in a town called Bourne. We took a bit of a break, then drove to the little town of Onset, where we boarded a cruise of the Cape Cod Canal. There, we joined other members of the Nickerson family (one of the ancestral lines of Betty's husband, Pete) in a get-to-know-each-other evening. Oh, it was perfect. Below deck, they served up shrimp, delicacies of the area, fruits, etc. I was so happy to finally meet one of my fellow genealogists and Facebook friend, Laura, who is also president of the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists). We were thrilled to be with each other, and bonded right away.

Laura and me.

Our evening was complete with a Cape Cod sunset.

Betty and I had to laugh, for one of the captains looks a lot like my b-i-l Jim.

The real activities of the Nickerson Reunion began the next day. People came from all over. William Nickerson, the original settler of Chatham, has many descendants. He had lived in Boston, didn't like the politics, and moved out onto the Cape.


Two different homes on the Nickerson property.

If you look closely, you will see a chicken suspended from a string. Maureen, a master in hearth cookery, treated us to various forms of foods that have been researched and served on the Cape. With just a turn, this chicken will twirl back and forth for hours - 3 gets it done. The drippings fall down into a pot, where they would have various root vegetables. The chicken was stuffed with many different herbs grown on the property.

Saturday afternoon found us wandering around on the Cape. I LOVE lighthouses, so Betty directed us to Chatham lighthouse (Kerry and I brought the kids to Cape Cod about 25 years ago). The flag was at half-staff, for it was Sep 11.


As I walked along the beach, I noticed lots of people streaming toward a group of trucks. Unfortunately, a whale had died in the water. They pulled it up onto the beach, and were planning a necropsy the next morning. I elected not to go over where the crowds were.

The little town of Chatham was charming. We nestled into a restaurant where the locals eat, and filled ourselves with clam chowdah. Between the bucket we all ate with Harmony, and the bowls we all ate with Betty, I've had a year's worth of it.

They take care of the little creatures, just like we saw in New York City a few months ago.

That evening, the Nickersons gathered at the old Daniel Webster Inn for a scrumptious dinner of chicken, plus crab stuffed flounder. I'm telling you - this groups EATS!

I had a real treat the next morning. Instead of going to our own church, we attended the First Congregational Church in Chatham. Doug Bush, a Nickerson descendant and professor of music at BYU was giving an organ recital the next afternoon at 4:00, but we weren't going to be able to stay for it. He is also invited every year to play for their morning services. That's where we decided to go - just so we could hear him.

Oh, my goodness! He made that organ sound like nothing I've quite heard before!!!


Kind of looks like the inside of the Kirtland Temple.

The seats were filled, but not super-crowded. But in my life, I've never heard a small group of people sing with the gusto they had. Doug told me I would be surprised. I was sitting in the balcony and still felt blown away...

After the picnic at the Nickerson homestead, we bid adieu to our newfound friends and headed north to Maine. Little Angel and Ben live there now, and we were anxious to go see them. We checked into our hotel and prepared for the next morning.

I told Kerry and Betty that since we only saw Angel when she was 2 mos old, and we had never seen Ben, they might be skittish about warming up to us. Boy, was I wrong!!! They had been watching for us with their little faces smashed up against the windows. When that door flew open, the children flew into our arms. There are also other "little people" they've adopted, and they embraced us, too - with everyone calling us Grammy and Grandpa.

The "little people" wallowed all over us. I never wear good clothes when I visit grandkids - and I didn't there, either.

Angel and Grandpa in our hotel room.

Angel's foot with her shoe on fit into Kerry's shoe.

Betty and Ben

Angel playing hide and seek.

Ben, just being so cute!

Grandpa, Grammy, Angel (with her new outfit she picked out and the yellow scarf I made for her on the way up) and little Ben.

Before we dragged our hearts away from the on Tuesday, I gave them something special. I didn't have time to make blankets for them, so I gave Angel and blanket and bunny rabbit doll Harmony used to play with, and I gave Ben a blanket I wrapped Peter up in. These brought back sweet memories for me, and I passed them on.


Oh, it was so hard to leave them and all of the other "little people". And - the big people, too!

We stopped a few other places before heading home. We loved a cathedral we saw, and got a bit of a chuckle when we parked by the dumpster:



Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, VT.


A covered bridge in Tunbridge, VT - the town where Joseph Smith's parents met.

The waterfall above the bridge.

Aaronic priesthood monument - Harmony, PA
(Erik - remember these places from our special trip?)

We got a laugh out of the many different signs we saw along the way. I won't post pictures, but we saw:
Turtle Crossing
Bear Crossing
Moose Crossing
Squeeze Right (road construction)
Thickly Settled (in a tight little Chatham burg)
Why Not Shop (store)
Sleeper's Market (store)
Pit Bull Painting (on a truck)

We went to the Bellville Street Fair upon arriving home - we rarely miss that! The rest of the week was spent just relaxing.

I was alone at church today - Kerry was speaking in another ward. All of a sudden, Alice came up to me and said, "Guess who's here?!?! It was Pauline and Jim Whitehead - members who lived here when I was a teenager! I grew up with their kids. Their youngest daughter died ten years ago of breast cancer. It was SO good to see them and reminisce...

Well, this one is a bit longer than most, but like I say - you can always just delete it.

Love to y'all!
Miss P