In times past, I would be going “leaf peeping” in New England at this time of year

Fall is an exciting time of year! Leaves change color, the air is crisp, hot chocolate tastes extra good and sitting by the fire, reading a good book become “some of my favorite things to do.”

There was a period of time when I made a journey “up North” every Fall. I saw a trip advertised in the Atlanta Journal not long after I moved there and decided that I would like to venture off to an area I had not seen. In the South, and South Carolina, in particular, almost everyone went to the North Carolina mountains for a weekend.

Since I was living in Georgia and had some vacation time I needed to use before the end of the year, a new adventure was quite appealing! I made arrangements to go on the trip, by motor coach, with overnight stays in North Carolina, Washington, and New York on the way to our destination.

We took a night time tour of the Capitol and saw all the magnificent buildings, with very few people walking around them, lit up. What a nice experience that was. Another treat was in New York, where we ate at a nice restaurant and saw the Rockettes preform!

The scenery by day and the entertainment by night was delightful! Since it became colder in the northern states, the leaves became breathtakingly beautiful earlier that in the Carolinas. When we arrived in Vermont and New Hampshire, it was like a million lights turned on! It took my breath away!

We saw so many interesting sites, ate good food, learned how maple syrup was harvested, took boat rides and so much more! I knew I wanted to repeat visits to New England whenever possible.

Some time after I was back at work, I received a phone call from the tour company asking me if I could have dinner one night at Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurant. I accepted the invitation. While we were eating, I was asked if I would like to come to work taking people on tours. I declined because I wanted to continue my employment and retire one day. Then I was told it would only be a seasonal job.

It was an opportunity to return each Fall for a delightful trip to an area I dearly loved, so I accepted. I had enough vacation time to be away from my long time job and to make the trips, also. It was the answer to a prayer I hadn’t even prayed! That opportunity opened up travel to other interesting places.

There have been so many things that have happened along my journey in life. Opportunities I could never have imagined! I have not been on a Fall leaf peeping trip to New England in years, but I have hundreds of photographs that I still look at every now and then. We never know what lies ahead when God directs your life!

From a busy lady to a recluse….

A life can change in the twinkling of an eye. Just recently we remembered 9-11 and all the grief it brought. Thousands of people went to work, took their children to daycare and had no worries or concerns. It was a normal day ….but in the blink of an eye, that changed. Our country had never experienced anything like the attack that took place that dreadful morning.

Then, in addition to the thousands of lives that were lost when planes hit the towers in New York, hundreds of other lives were taken when a plane that was heading for the Capitol was hijacked and diverted by the pilot to Pennsylvania. Such a terrible day in our history! We, as a nation, will never forget it.

Those nightmares took place twenty years ago. There have been so many tragedies through the years in our country. On a trip to Oklahoma City, I visited the memorial to those you lost their lives when a man drove a vehicle, loaded with bombs into a large building. There was a pool with many empty chairs representing those who were killed. In New York, a pool with the names of those who were killed in the twin towers is visited by hundreds each day who go to pay their respects.

The list is endless. For no apparent reason, a student took a gun to school and killed numbers of classmates…a peaceful evening at a theater ended up in a massacre. We will never understand why people do those things. In our state of South Carolina, why would a young man enter a prayer meeting, sit there after being welcomed, then pull out a gun and kill those who were so friendly to him?

All of these horrible acts of violence will never be understood by people who have been taught to love one another. Now, the entire world is facing another enemy. A deadly virus began in one part of the world and has quickly spread around the globe. Bombs or shots from guns were not fired. The dreadful virus ran rampant and now there is a variant, that we are told is even worse. And just a few days ago, it was reported that a different virus has begun.

The title of this journal entry is not intended to be funny or sarcastic. It is what happened to me and to many others I am sure. Before the virus, I was a full time volunteer. I loved helping the sick and underprivileged. Volunteers can save so much money for charitable causes. I attended classes to learn a variety of things about history, as well as current affairs. I traveled for pleasure and to learn about the world first hand. Then, all that changed…I am a recluse, not by choice, but for safety. May God have mercy on us all! I may never enjoy a busy life prior to COVID, but I can resume doing even small things to make a difference!