CARLSON CONNECTIONS

Photo Memories From the Past

2012-01-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

When we were in Hershey, Pennsylvania, this fall I saw this ball cap that made me think of Kristy. I thought of Kristy because she bought a Reese's T-shirt in Hershey back in 1979. So we bought the cap to give to her at Christmas.

Here is the famous T-shirt that Kristy bought way back in 1979. It was her favorite back in the day and we just had to celebrate by giving her the updated ball cap from the 21st Century.

As I was looking for the T-shirt photo I came across this winter picture that shows our old Shasta travel trailer that we had for several years in the mid 1970s. That trailer was our first "fixed wall" trailer.

Then I came across this picture of Connie's parents Class C motorhome that they had back in the 80s. Here are the Brask and Cutlan cousins posing with Grandpa and Grandma Cutlan's Mobile Traveler.

I found this picture on the Internet of a unit very similar to their motorhome. An individual had recently purchased this model and is using it today. While we were in Florida on our recent trip we commented several times about Connie's parents and their RVing pioneer spirit. We are carrying on that spirit.

We were also talking the other day about Chad's first new bicycle. Connie's folks got him this "Evel Knievel" bike when we lived on Broadway Place in Normal.

Then Kirk also got a new bike around that same time that was pretty fancy for it's day.

We have been a bicycle family for a long time. Connie and I both rode bikes as kids and then we brought that practice into our family. Today we are approaching 4,000 miles of riding since we renewed our bicycling interest in 1996.

But as I was looking through our photos I found this classic picture, and I said, "Wow this is a neat shot." Our kids, along with cousin Alison, in the northwoods posing in Grandpa Cutlan's "Army surplus" WWII Jeep. This pic was probably taken with an Kodak Instamatic camera.

Christmas in Florida

2012-01-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

On December 22nd we left North Carolina and arrived in Orlando by noon the next day. Our 5th wheel had been stored for a month at the Lake Whipoorwill KOA Campground. When we tried to hook-up to move the trailer we found that the trailer battery was dead. This meant we had to call for a boost. AAA sent a cheerful helper, sporting a Santa cap on his truck, who got us going in no time at all. Welcome to the Florida Christmas spirit -- and it was over 80 degrees.

We drove across town to check in at our favorite Turkey Lake Campground. By the next day -- Christmas Eve day -- we had become "Florida Snowbirds" big time. We took a 10 mile morning bike ride and then enjoyed lunch on our "patio".
That afternoon we drove about 15 miles south to the Disney area and visited the beautiful community of Celebration. Here is Connie showing off the Florida style Christmas decorations of this quaint village.
On Christmas Day we visited a large and inspiring church nearby and found a restaurant that served a wonderful traditional Christmas Dinner. Then we returned to our trailer home that was decorated in the Christmas spirit and Skyped with Kirk while he opened his gifts back in Wisconsin. Later we talked with Chad as he was on the way to the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field. Quite a Christmas!
Later the next week we moved to the Tampa area and had the privilege of entertaining Kristy and Brian as they flew down to spend three days with us. After picking them up at the airport we stopped for a visit and tour at Clearwater Christian College. One of Kristy's former students was working as a campus security guide and he gave us a personal tour of the campus.
We checked Kristy and Brian into the Country Inn & Suites adjacent to Lazydays Campground and RV dealership. Our trailer was parked at the campground and so we were neighbors for a few days.

The next morning we introduced them to the free Lazydays breakfast. Here we are hangin' out with the other Snowbirds.

Later that day we took a 10 mile bike ride at Clearwater Beach. It was a little cooler -- low 60's -- but still plenty of Florida sunshine.

Our short visit with Kristy and Brian was capped with a great dinner at Bahama Breeze on the waterfront of Tampa Bay. Beautiful night and good times!

Another blessing we had was to enjoy a dinner with long time friends Jim and Reva Munro. We had not seen them for quite some time and it was a wonderful evening of catching up, remembering and laughing. You can't spend time with Jim without laughing. Good times.

Convention Trip to Canada & Pennsylvania

2011-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

After leaving the New York City area we made our way across eastern Pennsylvania and central New York state up to the Findger Lakes region and then on to Buffalo and Niagra Falls. Not many campgrounds are open in the north after November 1st, but we found some adequate spots. However, when we reached Canada we stayed at an excellent campground that is open all year. Our convention in the Toronto area was truly worthwhile and a blessing.

Heading south from Toronto in mid November was a challenge. We found only one campground open on our route to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Here was our camp site on the Susquehanna River in the small village of Montgomery, about 10 miles south of Williamsport. It was a little chilly, but actually a beautiful fall location.
We arrived in Lancaster several days early and enjoyed the oppportunity to rest for a few days. On Monday we drove up to Hershey and toured "Chocolate World" and "The Hershey Story" museum. It was fun because we had visited Hershey 30 years ago with our kids.
On Tuesday night we had the privilege of reconnecting with Skip and Katie Mable and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a Lancaster area restaurant. Skip and Katie ministered with us at Maranatha 20 years ago and it was wonderful to see them.
Our convention was good -- but Connie had an unusal experience and victory. One of the vendor's across the aisle was a Christian camp that had an unusual wildlife demonstration at the booth. They had an acquarium full of giant cockroaches! Connie has a great fear of these critters, but notice how she conquered her fear by allowing a cockroach to climb on her finger. Go girl!!
Early in the week at Lancaster we paid a visit to the Sight & Sound Theater and purchased tickets for the opening day performance, later that week, of the 2011 "The Miracle of Christmas." Here is Connie in front of the fantastic facility of this Biblically oriented theater.
Connie even had the opportunity to meet some of the "actors" for the upcoming performance.
On Friday night we dressed up and attended the outstanding performance. The spirit of Christmas was everywhere and the evening was delightful.
Over 2,000 people packed the theater that night for a wonderful presentation of the Christmas story complete with a very large cast, real animals (camels, horses, sheep, donkeys, etc.) and dynmic music.

New York City Adventure

2011-11-20T06:15:00.001-08:00

Our second fall convention trip for 2011 took us to an unusal campground in Jersey City, New Jersey. We camped at the Liberty Harbor Marina RV Park -- directly across the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan. Here is our helpful campground host who helped us with instructions and advice about navigating the New York City area.

The campground was filled with RVs from all over -- especially Canadians! We were five blocks from the subway that took us right into downtown Manhattan.
Less than a mile to two to the east was the Statue of Liberty. On Friday evening, Oct. 28th, we were able to witness the fireworks that celebrated the 125th birthday of "Lady Liberty".
In order to set up for our convention on Wednesday we had to drive our truck over to Queens via the Holland Tunnel to lower Manhattan and then on to the Williamsburg Bridge into Queens. Then on Friday it was necessary again to drive the truck to retrieve our exhibit materials. This time we used the Lincoln Tunnel to enter mid-Manhattan and fight the traffic to the Queensboro Bridge to the convention site. It is an exciting adventure.
On Thursday we took the subway to the convention. That was truly an adventure! First, we walked five blocks to the PATH station (NJ Subway) and caught a train to 34th St. in Manhattan. Then we had to walk a block to find the correct NY Subway train to 21st & Queensbridge. We made it!

Many of the 590 teachers who attended the convention traveled the same way -- via the subway. It gave us a great appreciation for the dedicated service of these Christian school teachers. They were truly inspiring and an energetic group.

After the convention was concluded we stayed over to attend a Broadway production on Saturday afternoon. Once again we took the subway, although this time we had to take a taxi to the PATH Station due to a cold rain. When we surfaced from the subway at 50th and Broadway we saw this scene looking back towards Times Square.

Lo, and behold we ran into a church youth group from Madison, Wisconsin that were happily bouncing around the subway station and up to the street corner. We even helped them with some directions because we "oldsters" had the smartphone. Go figure!
We found a wonderful (healthy) sandwhich shop next door to the Gershwin Theater where our play was being performed. While eating lunch the rain turn to snow and kept on snowing.
We thoroughly enjoyed "Wicked" which is the delightful (and very family friendly) pre-quel to the story of the Wizzard of OZ. It was fun for sure.
But the snow kept on falling and by morning we had over 5 inches on the truck and trailer. This caused us to stay an extra day before leaving the New York area and heading west through the Pocono Mtns. and our trek toward Canada.

Reunion Prayer in Retrospect

2011-11-20T05:57:00.000-08:00

Back in September we posted pictures of Connie's 50th Robbinsdale High School Reunion. In a follow up to that fun time, the class members have posted a number of comments and pictures on a class reunion website. One of the class members posted this picture of Connie leading in prayer at the reunion event. Connie was so blessed by the obvious respect evidenced by her class leaders as expressed by the photo.

1st Fall Trip of 2011

2011-10-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

In warm September we set out on our first convention trip for 2011. Our first stop was Spartanburg, South Carolina where we exhibited our new Positive Action Preschool Bible curriculum for the very first time. The response to this colorful and well done curriculum has been very positive and encouraging.

Then we traveled on to beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where we had several days of rest and relaxation before the next convention. At this convention we were able to spend time with Kristy and Brian and other dear friends. Here is Connie fellowshipping with Tona Mae Walker, Kristy's mother-in-law and our longtime friend.
We also had the privilege of hearing Kristy deliver several of her workshops. She is a convention favorite every year as is evidenced by this picture with a packed room of about 100.
During these two weeks we camped in our 5th wheel and enjoyed some good times. I was even able to try out my birthday gift from Chad and Jen. It is a dandy headlamp flashlight that allows me to deal with trailing unhooking in the dark. I love it!
But we did encounter a bit of adversity. While in Spartanburg we experienced very heavy rains that caused our trailer awning to collapse. The workcamper at our campground was kind and helpful, and he temporarily repaired the awning so that we could get the trailer back to Rocky Mount for permanent repairs.
While in Gatlinburg we did some sightseeing and typical tourist activities. We especially enjoyed the Breakfast Jamboree Show put on by The Blackwoods. The singing group is led by the son of the original leader of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. It was a fun time.
We also had the opportunity to hang out with Kristy and Brian for the latter part of the week. They even took me out to celebrate my birthday -- again! Great pizza.
We also had to find a good coffee shop for Brian. Well, we actually all enjoyed the cozy coffee house on the Parkway in historic Gatlinburg.
Our final night was capped off with a warm campfire and marshmellow roast. Actually Kristy directed us in the making of S'mores. It was a beautiful evening. Twin Creek RV Resort is one of our favorite places.

Minnesota "Memory Lane" Trip

2011-09-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

On the weekend of Sept. 10-11 we traveled to Minnesota for a walk down "Memory Lane". Connie had the privilege to attend her 50th Robbinsdale High School Reunion. It was a fun time for her to reconnect with friends from the past. Here is a collection of memorabilia that was on display.

Connie was honored by her class president to offer the opening prayer for the occasion. She did an outstanding job honoring the Lord and presenting the Gospel before her 300 classmates who attended.
We were able to sit with Dave and Sue Martin and enjoy fellowship. Dave was a classmate and a member of the 4th Baptist youth group.
My favorite girl was also featured as one of the two class favorites in this picture from their yearbook that was displayed at the reunion.
We also took a ride down memory lane by visiting the site of the old 4th Baptist Church location in North Minneapolis. The old church buildings have been totally dismantled and a new headquarters for the Minneapolis Public Schools is being built on that site. Here is a photo looking north from the corner of Broadway and Fremont. That is the old Welander-Quist building in the front with the new high-rise headquarters building in the background.
This 27 million dollar project is slated to be finished in the fall of 2012. Here is a view looking south on Girard from 22nd Street.
This picture is looking south on Fremont, and the big pile of dirt is about where I lived during seminary days and where the Fosmark's lived for so many years while serving at 4th.
The final photo shows the street signs of 21st and Fremont, with the spire of the church building in the background that is now Family Baptist Church.

Wild Summer and then some...

2011-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

After our wonderful 4th of July trip to the beach with Kristy it was time for Connie's trip to the surgical suite. She had her second surgery of 2011 and her second rotator cuff repair. She came through fine and here she is benefiting from a DeRoyal cold therapy unit. This marvelous contraption (loaned to us by our wonderful neighbor) circulates cold water through a pad that sits on Connie's shoulder. Swelling is controlled and healing is aided. Connie is enduring physical therapy now, and is improving steadily week by week.

Connie progressed sufficiently in August to throw a super birthday party at Positive Action for my 70th. She really did it big! Pizza, cake and ice cream, balloons, party favors and noise makers. It was a bash! It was topped off with a 20 minute video shown on our giant 10'x13' screen in the Media Room at PAFC. Our three kids all contributed video clips for the production and then our IT Director added a number of historic photos that Connie provided. I enjoyed it very much.
All of the party goers enjoyed their food on the special "China-ware" that accompanied matching napkins and decorations.
Just a few days after the monumental party we began to hear about the impending visit of Hurricane Irene. We have been extremely busy at work with a very blessed sales season and so we did not have much of an opportunity to prepare. On Thursday night we decided we better go to Walmart to pick up a few items before the storm arrived. Here is what we saw when we walked in the door of the store.
And when we got back to the shelves that are supposed to contain one gallon jugs of drinking water -- here is what we saw. We grabbed our supplies before the locals cleaned out the store completely.
On Saturday morning Irene came calling -- and did she leave her impact! The constant hurricane force winds kept up for over 12 hours. They ripped up Rocky Mount. Praise the Lord we escaped safe and sound and did not sustain any damage at our house. Many friends were not as blessed. Here is the house of Frank Hamrick's daughter and son-in-law. They lost their garage and two cars inside.
Our Shipping and Warehouse Manager took a tree right into their kitchen. This picture was taken on Sunday afternoon and you can see the temporary decoration at Paul and Pat's home.
Here is the street in front of the Positive Action office building with the electrical transformer laying on the ground. We are still without power at the office and it looks like it will be at least a week before it is repaired. We only lost power at home for about 21 hours, but many, many folks in our area are still in the dark. Our staff at PAFC has done a great job pulling together to serve our customers. Three generators have us up and running -- although without air conditioning -- and we have already taken about 100 orders this week. Summer has been a truly busy time, and now comes a busy fall.

The Outer Banks Revisited

2011-07-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Each year we like to return to The Outer Banks (OBX) for a few days, and each year Kristy likes to come to spend a week of her summer vacation with us. We appreciate it that Brian lets her come and this year she wanted to come for the July 4th week. We had already made reservations for the 4th weekend at our favorite OBX campground -- The Refuge -- and so we said, "Sure, come that week, but you'll have to go camping with us." Of course our camping is in style!

So, off we went and she just fit right into our activities. We rented a bike for her and set off on our favorite 10.8 mile Kitty Hawk Loop bike ride. We park at the Kill Devil Hills city municipal building and start our ride going around the south and west ends of the Wright Brothers monument.
About half way through the ride we stopped to take a picture of the monument shown below. While we were taking our photos the owner of the house approached and asked, "Would you like a history lesson?" He then explained to us that this was the first place where the Wright Brothers set up camp on their initial visit to the Outer Banks in 1900. For the first time things made sense to me.

As a kid I was always enthralled with name Kitty Hawk and it's link to the history of flight. But after living in North Carolina for 15 years I had come to realize that the Wright Brothers made their first successful flight at Kill Devil Hills, not Kitty Hawk. Mr. Brown straightened out my understanding by clarifying that the Wilbur and Orville first experimented with their gliders at Kitty Hawk for several years before they moved about 4 miles south to actually accomplish their historic flight near the huge sand dunes called Kill Devil Hills. This monument acknowledges the approximate spot where the Wright Brothers first pitched their tent in 1900 -- four years before they accomplished their first flight.
On our second day we took another 10 mile ride, but this time it started at Manteo and included the north end of Roanoke Island. Here is a beautiful shot of Kristy on the bridge to Festival Island, looking out at the Manteo harbor.On that ride we were able to inspect the Waterside Theater where the famous outdoor drama The Lost Colony is conducted each summer. We have attended this play several times, and have taken Kristy to see it. But on this day we were able to roam the grounds and actually go on stage, and to the backstage area. Kristy was in her glory taking lots of pictures to share with her drama students back in Chattanooga.
Later on Saturday we headed for the beach and enjoyed the beautiful new Jennette's Pier on the south end of Nags Head. The water temperature was relatively warm and the day was beautiful. Connie had me to rent some beach umbrellas -- which was a very good idea. :)
On the final day we grilled "Wisconsin" brats at our campsite near the water's edge at The Refuge. We love this campground that is nestled in the marsh land south of Manteo and just north of the quaint fishing village of Wanchese.

We were able to send this video to Chad and Jen who were camping at a State Park in Wisconsin at the same time.

We've enjoyed the beautiful sunsets before and this night was a great one.

As an added bonus we were able to squeeze in an enjoyable lunch with Gail and Paul Fosmark -- plus Sara and the kids -- on our way to take Kristy to the airport. That was a special treat.

In Memory of Jim Gunzel

2011-05-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

On April 28th our cousin, Pastor Jim Gunzel, of Victoria, British Columbia, slipped into the Savior's presence after just a few short weeks of struggling with pancreatic cancer. We were not able to attend the memorial service held in his honor, but we have been warmed by the reports of the service and his final days of ministry to his wife, family and church family.

In February of 2007 Connie and I had the privilege of spending a weekend with Jim and Marion in beautiful Victoria. After showing us some of the sights during the day on Saturday, they took us to a wonderful restaurant overlooking the waterfront and looking out at the historic buildings decorated in hundreds of lights. It was a magical evening that we will never forget and here we are at the table with Jim and Marion.

On Sunday we had the privilege of attending their church, Westshore Alliance, which meets in this interesting building that is part of a recreational park. The church has a wonderful piece of property for future building plans, but currently meets in this comfortable building that allows a spacious and friendly meeting place for the congregation.

Here is a view inside the assembly area where people are enjoying fellowship during an organized time on Sunday morning.

We especially enjoyed seeing Jim move among the church members as he interacted with them. It was obvious to us that he loved being pastor to his people.

We enjoyed his preaching ministry and I caught Jim in his study surrounded by the tools of sermon preparation that he used to feed his flock.

Jim and Marion

We also had a wonderful time in their home

Our final moments were spent on Monday morning at the dining room table for a wonderful breakfast. Precious memories.

Trip to the Mountains

2011-04-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

On Easter weekend we had the joy to travel to the western Carolina mountains to meet Kristy and Brian for two delightful days. We arrived in cold and rainy weather on Good Friday night, but it turned beautiful the next morning. We headed for our favorite Mast General Store.
This quaint mountain spot has become a favorite of Kristy and Brian too -- and so they suggested that we meet them for the weekend. It is just about the same distance for both of us and we love the area.
After sitting on the back porch of the country store for a short while, we learned that the local mountain pickers and singers would be performing directly -- so we grabbed the best seats on the swing and rockers.On Sunday, after enjoying a wonderful church service, we ate our farewell lunch at Panera's. It was here that we got the idea to Skype with Kirk on his birthday. So, we entertained the crowd eating on Panera's patio and watched Kirk open his birthday presents on our laptop.
Here is our view of Kirk on the computer screen holding up a birthday package. What wonderful technology we have at our disposal.
After we returned home we received an unexpected treat. Judy and Wes Brask called and said they would like to drop in for a quick visit and dinner on Tuesday night. What a great blessing! They had earlier spent several weeks in Florida and then traveled to Virginia to see their kids and grandkids. We had a wonderful short visit.

Visit to Duluth

2011-04-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

On April 13th we flew to Minneapolis and rented a van to drive to Duluth, Minnesota for a homeschool convention. We were able to stay at the Comfort Suites in Canal Park right on the Lake Superior waterfront. On the day we arrived the wind was blowing and sending large breakers crashing against the sea wall. We didn't know what was waiting us...

Saturday morning we awoke to this sight. Snow! The wind had increased on Friday and blew in a spring snowstorm with 4-6 inces blanketing the ground.
Here is the Duluth skyline from our hotel window at about 6:30 A.M. It was beautiful with the twinkling lights and the blanket of snow.

During the two day convention we talked to over 200 homeschool families and had a wonderful reception to our curriculum. Here is Connie talking to some prospective customers at our booth.

A real treat was to have my sister Cheryl and her husband Dwight drop in for a visit. They came to support a young lady from their church who played a piano solo. We were able to spend a nice dinner with them at restaurant on Friday night.

While we were away Kristy received the coveted Carlson Crowd plaque for winning this year's March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament contest within the family. This was the 5th year in our family contest, and we have had a different winner each year. The only two to not win the contest have been Chad and Brian -- and they are probably the best informed college basketball fans in the family. Go figure?

Connie's Knee Surgery

2011-01-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

Since last summer we have known that Connie had to undergo a knee replacement. The surgery was put off until after the Christmas season and finally the day came on Jan. 11th. Wouldn't you know that another winter storm was bedeviling the South. Global warming just isn't given much credence down here in North Carolina. Anyway, here is the "real deal" type of bionic knee that now resides in Connie's left leg. Now comes the fun.

Here's the girl on the afternoon of the surgery -- with Greg & Becky's flowers giving her comfort. She was alert after coming out of recovery, but snoozed off after getting into her room.

The next morning they got her up early and ready for action. Here she is with her dandy brace and "On Q" pain pump. Pretty high tech stuff for Nash General Hospital in Rocky Mount.

Later in the morning roses arrived from Kristy & Brian. All the nurses comment on how great the room smells.

Then at lunch time we joined the other knee replacement patients for a group lunch. They roll the recliners from the rooms right into the eating area. Connie is having fun with her new friends.
Each patient has a coach (spouse, family member or friend) who is invited to the lunch times.

After lunch the patients are returned to their rooms so that the lunch room can be converted to a Gym.

Then it is therapy time with the "Joint Replacement" staff leading the athletes (patients) in strenuous exercise. Connie won the prize for the day by bending her knee by 114 degrees. Tomorrow will be a more difficult day because the heavier doses of pain medication will be eliminated. But she is doing great!

Funnin' with Fosmark & Mincy Fams

2011-01-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Jan. 6th, we had the privilege of a fun night to meet Gail & Paul Fosmark, plus a stealth visitor -- Andy Fosmark -- and Sara & Dave Mincy and family. Gail and Paul escaped eastern Canada to brave the East Coast post-Christmas blizzard to visit the Mincy's in the Raleigh area. Unbeknown to them there was a plan to bring Andy to North Carolina for a surprise visit. We were able to meet the gang at "Sweet Tomatoes" in North Raleigh.

It was a short visit, but we enjoyed it immensely!

Gail and Paul looked great, although Paul has had some health challenges lately. Pray for him as he deals with a skin cancer issue.

It was also wonderful to see Andy for the first time in almost ten years. The last time we saw Andy was in Hollywood, CA., in April of 2001. Andy looked great!

Even though we are live close to the Mincy family, we don't get to see them much. Here is Sara, Dave, Wes, Will, and Skye. They are a fun bunch.

The Mincy kids had their own booth -- right next to the oldsters.

Wouldn't you know -- before we left "somebody" hoisted Skye up in the sky -- er, tree.

Guess who? (Hint: he traveled the farthest...)

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Carlson family gathered for our bi-annual Christmas get together in Rocky Mount. This year the travel to North Carolina was a breeze. The Walkers' had clear and clean roads and the Wisconsin crowd actually arrived a half hour early to RDU airport. It was great to have us all together again.

We don't have many opportunities when the boys can see their sister, but they do keep close via cell phones.
Kristy was still finishing up some classroom work. Here she is showing Kirk her new laptop that helps her teach online classes for two different colleges, in addition to her high school teaching duties.
And I seized the privilege to have my temporary "in house" mechanic look at a few problems. Chad put a quick fix on a truck issue and then helped me solve a tarp installation for the trailer. The weather was beautiful on Christmas Eve. But snow was coming...
Of course we had some great eating. Connie did her usual outstanding job of providing handsomely for us all -- and then some!
After eating and gifting, and eating some more, we all journeyed out to the Positive Action building on Christmas afternoon for a viewing of the super-animated DVD Wall-E. Here is the comfortable Media Room at PAFC that is a great place for us to enjoy.
Looking down the main hallway of the PAFC building the camera caught the "4 Boys" in this candid shot. Nice hat, Kirk.
But in the night after Christmas...the snow began to fall. And it continued to fall and fall. By mid day it had piled up to be a foot deep! Very rare for North Carolina.
The problem was that our Wisconsin crowd was scheduled to fly out of RDU at 12:30 PM on the day following Christmas. We got to the airport on time, but knew that the flight was already cancelled. The road to Raleigh was treacherous. The bad news was that Delta couldn't give them a flight until Wednesday. That wouldn't do! So, we drove them to Charlotte (3 hours from RDU) and they flew out on Monday morning. Chad had the foresight to purchase trip interruption insurance and that was a blessing to cover the extra expenses. It was truly an exciting three days.

2nd Trip Fall of 2010

2010-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

We were home for two weeks and then hit the road again. This time we headed for Lancaster, PA. Our truck and trailer seems like a big rig until we pull into a rest stop and park next to the 18 wheelers. But we enjoy having our home with us where ever we go.

Our next stop was in Lexington, Kentucky. We parked at a campground 20 miles south of Lexington at a place called Camp Nelson. Our trailer was backed up to a canyon wall that rose over 70 ft. During the Civil War a large military camp occupied this location on the Kentucky River. It was an interesting place.
After completing our second convention we were able to spend several days in Chattanooga with Kristy and Brian. We enjoyed a special blessing by being able to see the play that Kristy directed this fall. Here is Kristy with some of her cast members at Cici's Pizza for a lunch that we were able to share.
That night we had great seats to see "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night." It was a hilarious play! Here is Kristy with her full cast.
From Chattanooga we headed for Orlando, Florida to exhibit at our final convention of the season. We camped again at our favorite Turkey Lake campground and enjoyed some warmer weather. After the convention we moved to the Tampa area where we stayed at the very impressive Lazydays Campground. Then on Thanksgiving Day we headed for our favorite Thanksgiving Day restaurant -- Mimi's Cafe. This is the fourth city where we have enoyed Mimi's for Thanksgiving. They do an outstanding job.

On the day after Thanksgiving we discovered a delightful Christmas tree lighting event at the Hyde Park neighborhood of Tampa. It was a beautiful evening at a very picturesque place.
The community put on a wonderful program of Christmas carols and family oriented entertainment. Connie said that it was like being in one of those TV Christmas movies.
After our short stay in the Tampa area we headed back north toward home. On the way home we stopped for fuel at a Flying J and saw this guy perched in the window of a big motorhome. It was good to get home and to park the Laredo in our driveway for awhile. But we'll be ready to go again...

1st Trip Fall of 2010

2010-12-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Where did the last three months go? We left home on September 25th and traveled over 8,000 miles on two trips to six conventions. We spent 50 nights on the road and reached all the way north to Duluth and south to Tampa.

Our first trip started out stopping for a night in Pratt, WV, to visit long time friends Dave and Bettye Baughan. Dave is pastor of his home church and we arrived in time for the evening service and then camped for the night in their parking lot.

Then it was on to South Bend, Indiana for our first convention. Actually, our two colleagues, Shannon and Champ, were also exhibiting at another convention in South Bend and we met up to share some of the work load. Conventions are Work!
Upon leaving northern Indiana we headed for Watertown, Wisconsin where we parked for a week at Calvary Baptist Church. It was fun to live for a week in our old stomping grounds. We also were close to Kirk and Chad -- and we took advantage of that close proximity. On the first weekend Kirk came over to Watertown for the day. We took him shopping at the Outlet Mall and ran into old friends from Normal, Illinois who happened to be visiting in the area too. Here is Kirk with Alyce Beernink and Kristy Beernink Dunn.
The next weekend we had the opportunity to spend time with Chad and Jen, which included a short fishing expedition. No fish were caught, but the experience on Lake Mendota was worth the whole trip.
A sad note was added as we shared in some of the last days of Sal, Jen and Chad's cat. Sal had been struggling with a tumor that was debilitating and caused his life to be miserable. Several days after we left Wisconsin Sal had to be put to sleep. "Grandma" Connie had an opportunity to join Jen in comforting Sal during his final days.
While in Watertown we had the privilege of connecting with a number of friends from our past days of ministry. Here we are enjoying great food and fellowship with Wayne and Carole Vawter at the Upper Krust. This fabulous restaurant is owned by our dear friend Donna Kurschner. We enjoyed two delicious lunches at the Upper Krust.
After a quick trip to Pittsburgh for a convention we headed further north into Wisconsin and parked our trailer for a few days at Cheryl and Dwight Turbett's driveway. It was fun to see them and to have them come into our home away from home. While parked at the Turbett's we took an overnight side trip up to Lake Nebagamon and Duluth. Here is our old family cabin (now owned by the Seidler's) on Maranatha Bay. The cabin looks great. A more complete report of our Nebagamon visit can be seen at http://carlsontravels.blogspot.com/.

Beautiful Maranatha Bay on Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin

Before leaving the north we spent a night on the water front in Duluth. Here is the famous Aerial Lift Bridge that was next to our motel on Canal Park.
The next morning our truck wouldn't start and several men came to try to help us before the AAA service truck arrived. Turned out that the guy on the right was a campaign aide for Chip Cravaack, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress. This was two weeks before the election. Congressman-elect Cravaack is the fellow who unseated the 18 term incumbent James Oberstar.

After the great time "up north" we headed for our last convention of this trip. That convention was in a suburb of Minneapolis which afforded us the opportunity to meet the Brasks' and Cutlans' for dinner. What a great time!

Colorado Trip - Part 3

2010-07-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

We left Glenwood Springs on the morning of our Anniversary and headed for Vail. They were having an arts show in the Lionshead Village of Vail, and Connie enjoyed shopping and sightseeing in the charming village.

We decided to take the gondola ski lift up to the mid-mountain.

I had skied Vail years ago with our son Chad, and it was fun to see the view in the summer.

The view is fantastic and the weather was perfect.

What a great place to celebrate 45 wonderful years!

On the way down we could see I-70 stretching to the east.

That evening we had a wonderful anniversary dinner in Dillon, CO, right by the Dillon Reservoir.

On our final full day in Colorado I wanted to visit Eldorado Springs near Boulder. On a 1971 trip to this area we stayed in a campground near the old resort hotel. I was amazed that even though the resort is history, the swimming pool is still operational.

It was especially amazing to see the same old slide in service. Here is a picture of me going down that same slide in 1971.

We will remember this trip and the beauty of God's creation for years to come.

Colorado Trip - Part 2

2010-07-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

After our short time in Colorado Springs we headed up into the mountains to the beautiful retirement home of our longtime friends Bruce and Marsha Jackson. Here are the Jacksons on their front deck. They are many miles from anywhere -- at about 9,000 feet. We enjoyed immensely a night in their charming log home. What a gorgeous spot!

Shortly after our arrival, Marsha challenged us with, "Want to go 4 wheelin?"

Wow, did we have a great time. We spent close to two hours and traveled over 20 miles on the rugged trails of the National Forrest that is close to their property. Here we are climbing a steep grade.

Before we ended our fun Connie took her turn at the controls.

From the Jackson's place we headed north and west over Independence Pass.

I wanted to go over this pass to commemorate our aborted attempt to navigate this highway in 1977. At that time we did not gain the summit because our Mercury station wagon stalled half-way up the mountain -- right in the traffic lane. The problem was compounded because we were pulling an 18' travel trailer.

God, in His graciousness, rescued me and sent along a highway work crew to tow us to this turn-off. In 2010 it dawned on me that this was the only place on that 30 mile stretch of mountain highway where I could turn around a vehicle pulling a trailer. I am so thankful for the way the Lord protected our young family from my foolishness.

For two days we stayed in historic Glenwood Springs. The Hot Springs pool has been a famous spot for over 120 years. I took youth camping trips to this area in the late 1960s and the Hot Springs pool was a must stop for the teenagers.

In January of 1969 we stayed a night in the old hotel and swam in the pool. The temp was 104 in the pool even while the snow was falling.

On the 1977 family trip we camped in this campground 35 miles south of Glenwood Springs.

After taking teenagers to this area for several years, I wanted to camp with our family at this tranquil spot on the Crystal River near the isolated town of Marble, CO.

Marble is near the site of the famous Yule Marble Quarry. It was in this very area where I led four camping trips from 1967-1970.

We did not hike up to the Quarry this year, but were able to see these huge marble chunks that wait to be transported to various parts of the world. From this quarry came the marble for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and other monuments in Washington, D.C.

A few miles from Marble is the quaint village of Redstone. Connie took over behind the counter in the General Store -- for a few seconds. From there we headed for Vail...and our 45th Anniversary Celebration.

Colorado Trip - Part 1

2010-07-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Connie and I had a wonderful trip to Colorado from June 16 to 28. It began with a three day Homeschool Convention at the Denver Merchandise Mart, and then extended to a week of vacation following.

Here is our display with Connie working -- dealing with customers.

After the convention we spent several days in the Denver area, including time with friends and staying at the beautiful home of Dave and Cindy Becklund. Dave and Cindy invited a number of our longtime friends to a time of fellowship at their garden patio. What a beautiful spot! We appreciated and enjoyed their outstanding hospitality.
One of our dear friends, Roy Vasquez, came all the way from Phoenix to visit Dave and Cindy and to be there for our gathering. And did we love Roy's hat!!
Another friend who we were able to see was Butch Rodman and his wife Kay. Butch and I go back to the 50's and the southside of Chicago. It was good to see them, and other friends; Harold & Bonnie Marcilliott, George & Barb Williams, Darrel & Pam Estrabrooks, Larry Thomas, and Betty Nelson Wasmundt. We stayed up late...and it was worth it!

After leaving the Denver area we took in the chuck-wagon dinner and old-time Western Music Show at the Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs.

It was a beautiful night and the food was good.

We loved the Flying W Wranglers -- especially their rendition of "Colorado".

Dealing with Springtime in Carolina

2010-04-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

It is getting to be that time of year when I leave the house most mornings singing, "Nothing could be finer than to be be in Carolina in the morning." But not quite yet this year! First we have to do our annual "pine straw" treatment to our lawn. Yesterday was that day.

We start with 18 bales of pine straw that we purchase at our neighborhood Lowe's store.

Then we spread it around by hand to cover the bald spots, and to compliment the pine needles that are already on the ground. This project takes care of our lawn for the year. No grass -- and no mowing.

But this time of year also brings the sickly yellow/green pollen dust that settles on everything. Because we have so many trees on our lot we get a greater share of pollen dust everywhere. This is our deck last week before the rain came to wash it clean. It is almost like a light dusting of snow.

Our vehicles looked horrible!

Then comes the "worms" (seed pods from the trees) to cover everything! All of this usually lasts a month. Hopefully not this year.

Finally, the finished product. At least until the Fall when the leaves begin to fall.

Trip to Greenville, South Carolina

2010-03-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

Connie and I took a trip this last week to display our Positive Action products at the annual Bob Jones University Bible Conference. This was the special idea of a sharp young man by the name of Jayson Byrd, who works at the BJU Campus Store. Jayson invited about a half dozen publishers to bring books that could be featured during the conference.

Here we are in the store with some of our products on display. It was an enjoyable experience talking with many conference attendees and students.

After spending several hours at our booth on the first day, we were heading to our truck to leave campus for dinner. We were talking to some friends on the sidewalk when we heard our name being called and spotted Erin Rodman Jones, wife of the BJU president, running across the street calling our name. We have known Erin since she was a young girl, and have been friends with her parents since before she was born. It was a blessing to visit with her and catch up on her family. Connie had the presence of mind to get me to take a picture.
Another purpose for our trip was to meet Dave Ratje, manager of the Printing Division of BJU Press. The Press is now printing some of our Positive Action books and I wanted to take the opportunity to personally meet Dave. Here is Connie, with Dave on her left, meeting Bob the "glue" specialist. Bob will be the person responsible to make sure that our books are glued tightly. You can see that Connie was having a good time with these helpful gentlemen.
We were also able to visit the offices of our friend and marketing consultant, David George. David is president of Genesis Marketing Group, and he helps us at Positive Action with our marketing ideas and programs. David is a Bob Jones graduate, with many years of marketing and sales experience. He has become a valuable asset to our ministry at Positive Action For Christ.

Hangin Out in Who Dat Nation!

2010-02-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

We are in New Orleans Saints country. Right now we are in Gulfport, MS, but several days ago we were in the Big Easy itself. On our way to a convention last week in Galveston, TX, we stopped in New Orleans for a few hours to see the rebuilding progress after Hurricane Katrina. Some progress has been made, but the evidence of the devastating storm is still visible. But it was obvious that the Gulf Coast Region was really excited about the upcoming Super Bowl game.

After finishing our convention we headed back toward Gulfport and Biloxi, MS. On Saturday we stopped in a mall in Baton Rogue, LA, and were adorned with Mardi Gras beads as we entered a department store. Here I am decked out in my beads on the day before the big game.

Today -- the day after the game -- we were out doing some shopping in Gulfport, and Connie spied a "free car wash" sign that was intriguing. A local carwash had promised that they would give free car washes on the Monday after the Super Bowl "when" the Saints won the game. Well, we got a free wash!

Here is one of the friendly attendants sporting his "Who Dat" shirt as he guides our truck to its needed cleaning. Our truck still had the remnants of a North Carolina snowstorm and road salt on its exterior from eight days previous.
After our wash was completed we had to take a picture of Connie standing by the "Pitstop Carwash" sign on Highway 49, just north of I-10 in Gulfport, MS. If you are ever in that area we recommend this friendly business. But, of course, you will have to pay -- unless the Saints win a Super Bowl again.

2009 Christmas Trip

2010-01-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

We left Rocky Mount on Dec. 18th and had to swing down to Augusta, GA and then over to Atlanta on our way to Chattanooga. This Southern swing was necessary to avoid the big snowstorm that had swept across the country. We were glad to avoid the snowy and icy roads, but we did have plenty of snow later in the 3,400 mile trip. Praise the Lord for 4-wheel trip!

Our first stop was a three-day early Christmas with Kristy and Brian in their cozy place outside of Chattanooga. Kristy had done a marvelous job decorating their home, and Brian helped to make us comfortable for the visit. We didn't mind leaving them on the 22nd, because we knew they were planning to join us the next weekend in the Twin Cities.

From Tennessee we headed north to outrun the next snow storm coming from the West. In Madison we were able to have a delightful Christmas with Chad, Jen and Kirk. We stayed at the Grandstay Suites and found that place to be very comfortable. Here is our crowd on Christmas evening after we returned from an interesting dinner at a unique Japanese restaurant.

On Christmas Day we had the privilege to join Jennifer's family for a wonderful dinner. The time was fun and the ham dinner, with all the trimmings, was incredible.

Then on the 26th we set out, along with the Madison gang, to head for Minnesota. The snow flurries were minimal, after two days of almost continuos snow in Madison, and we reached the St. Paul area just in time to meet Kristy and Brian's plane coming from Atlanta.

That evening we enjoyed a truly "magical night" hosted by Greg and Becky at their home among the pines near Stillwater, Minnesota. Everyone in the Cutlan Clan was able to attend except Brad Brask. We surely missed Brad, but everyone savored the special opportunity that we had to be together. We enjoyed the time -- and the food! We don't get to be together much, and we have to seize the moment.

The Brask Family

The Cutlan Family

Here is Connie with her sister Judy and niece, Dana, enjoying the comfort of one of the rooms in the lovely house. Greg and Becky made every possible preparation and it was a memorable time.
Kristy and Brian were able to stay until Monday and we went to the Mall of America before taking them to the airport. After leaving the Twin Cities, we were able to a spend night with Cheryl and Dwight Turbett in their new home in Hillsdale, Wisconsin. Here is the beautiful view that Dwight has in his parsonage study. We loved their place and enjoyed a wonderful dinner that Cheryl prepared for us. And our truck started in the morning...that was a blessing in the cold weather.
From Wisconsin we traveled southward and once again spent our days outrunning a new snowstorm that was following the cold snap enveloping the the whole country. We were able to reach North Carolina by Saturday night so that we could meet Gail and Paul at Sara and Dave's house in Garner. We had a delightful evening with them and then visited their church on Sunday morning. Our visit was capped by a dinner at "Sweet Tomatoes" in Raleigh with the Fosmark and Mincy families, and Doug and Diane Bookman.

Thankful, Thankful

2009-11-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful this Thanksgiving for so many things -- but especially for Connie's visit to the dentist's office on the day before Thanksgiving. We had just finished seven out of nine weeks on the road exhibiting at conventions. Prior to the last convention Connie developed a toothache and saw her regular dentist. The prognosis was that she might need to visit an Endodonist for a root canal. Sure enough that was the conclusion after she suffered through several days of medicated misery. The Lord arranged a miracle cancellation so that we could hurry back to Rocky Mount from Washington, D.C., for a Wednesday appointment.

We had planned to have Thanksgiving in Northern Virginia, but, instead, we drove to Raleigh for a turkey dinner at Mimi's Cafe. This is the third time in five years that we have enjoyed Mimi's Thanksgiving feast -- first in Orlando, then Fort Worth, and now in Raleigh.

We highly recommend Mimi's Cafe -- here is the feast! (Plus pumpkin pie.)

At our Washington convention Connie met one of her favorite telephone customers. Her name is Myrrh. Can you tell that she is timid and shy, just like Connie?
Here is a little Southern cultural experience that we have every fall. We drive past a Cotton Gin every day we go to work in the tiny town of Whitakers, North Carolina.
This what cotton looks like when it comes in nowadays from the cotton fields. These are huge bales that are the size of the inside of a semi-trailer. There are not as many cotton fields in Eastern Carolina these days as when we moved here thirteen years ago, but the finishing process has become more hi-tech.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER IN NORMAL (Actually it was in Bloomington)

2009-10-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

Following the Lindblom Reunion (see below), we had the privilege on Sunday morning of attending Marquette Manor church and speaking in the Youth Department Sunday School class. After the morning service we hitched up the trailer and headed for Normal, Illinois, to camp at the Calvary Baptist property and attend the Sunday evening church service. It was fun to attend Calvary and see many friends where we had lived and served from 1966 t0 1970, and then again from 1978 to 1985.

On Monday morning we had to do a mound of laundry. But in the afternoon we enjoyed the beautiful weather and took an 11 mile bike ride on the excellent Constitution Trail. This trail is the former railroad trackbed that ran right behind the house where we lived from '78 to '85. Here is Connie in front of our old house at 22 Broadway Place in Normal.

Here is the Camelback Bridge that is just a block north where we lived. This a good shot of the trail heading north.
We fondly remembered this drainage ditch that was one of Chad's first "fishing holes" back in the 1980s.
But the great blessing was a wonderful dinner gathering that we had that Monday evening at the Olive Garden in neighboring Bloomington. We had asked Dan and Jane Shickle if they could invite some friends to go out for dinner. Bless their hearts -- but 27 of them showed up!
It was a great evening of sharing testimonies, experiences and remembrances. We are hoping to plan a Reunion Singspiration for sometime in 2010 if possible.

50th HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

2009-10-31T18:53:00.001-07:00

From Iowa we made our way to Kansas City to exhibit at our third convention. As soon as the convention was over on Friday we dashed toward Illinois so that I could arrive at my 50th High School Reunion that began at 3 pm on Saturday at he Holiday Inn in Hinsdale, Illinois. We drove the 500 miles and made it on time. Actually, we arrived in time to park our trailer at Marquette Manor Baptist in Darien, which was about 10 minutes away from the Holiday Inn where the reunion was held.

What a great experience that evening was! George LaBine and his committee did a superb job planning and organizing a delightful evening of memories. We had 99 class members attend, out of 478 listed in our 1959 yearbook. Back in the day the Chicago Public Schools operated on a semester system and therefore held a January and June graduation each year. Our reunion for the Lindblom High School Class of 1959 included both groups.
It was fun checking the "lanyard photos" around our classmates necks to see who we could remember and identify. I enjoyed immensely the opportunity to reconnect with classmates after so many years.
The program included a delicious dinner, plus a very interesting video and several special features. Of course there was time for lots of pictures and lots of conversation.
Here I am talking with Jack Beasant and Jo Mannino; with Ron Lach on the left in the background. Connie enjoyed herself and did a great job snapping priceless pictures.

STOPPING AT THE AMANA COLONIES

2009-10-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

After leaving Madison we headed southwest toward Iowa, on our way to Kansas City for our next convention. Late in the afternoon we pulled into the campground at the Amana Colonies and were informed that water would not be available after 5 pm due to the freezing temperatures. The next morning we had to wait until about 9 am before the thermometer crept to 32 degrees so that we could connect the water hose and take showers.

Then we drove into town and spent a little time in the historic Amana Colony. Here is Connie at the Woolen Mill after she purchased a worm, woolen scarf to fend off the chilly weather.

We enjoyed some shopping and some historic investigating. The woolen mill is still operated and then the products are sold in the same building. Our visit was timely on account of the very early cold temperatures.
We discovered the Brick Haus Restaurant in Amana and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Seated next to our table was delightful group of ladies who belong to the Red Hat Society. We had heard of "Red Hatters" and so we asked if we could take their picture. They obliged -- and that gesture led to the responsibility of being their de facto photographer for awhile. They were a lively bunch!

VISITING KRISTY & KIRK

2009-10-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

We've arrived home after 28 days and 4.300 miles on the road. Next is a trip to Lancaster and Gettysburg, PA. Our first two weekends in October were spent in Chattanooga with Kristy and Brian, and then Madison with Kirk. Chad and Jen were off to warm Guatemala, and we endured 25 degree cold in Wisconsin -- but it was worth it!

In Chattanooga we arrived in time to participate in Kristy's neighborhood Garage Sale. Here is the "Sale Lady and Crew" on a beautiful fall morning.

Then before we left town on Monday morning we were able to visit Kristy at her school. Here is Kris and Mom in the classroom. It is in the blood!
We even were able to sit-in on one of Kristy's classes. It was fun to interact with the students and see Kris at work.
The next weekend we were in the cold north with Kirk. It even snowed a little at our campground. We had a great time hanging out with Kirk, which included grilling brats at the KOA.
Before we left the Madison area we were able to visit Kirk's place of employment. Here is Kirk at the front door of the offices of REM Wisconsin. We were very impressed with the quality facilities and friendly staff members of this interesting company. Kirk loves his job and we were pleased to see him doing so well.
Here is Kirk in his office cubicle at the REM headquarters. His work keeps him very busy as he manages the lives of six clients. We even were able to meet one of Kirk's charges. We left Madison on Monday, October 12th and headed for Kansas City by way of the Amana Colonies of Iowa.

A Visit to Uncle Remus

2009-10-12T17:07:00.001-07:00

We began our fall convention trip two weeks ago by traveling to the sunny state of Georgia. We just left Madison, Wisconsin where the temperature dipped to 25, and we had snow flurries! What a contrast!

On our way through Georgia we happened to see an interesting place. It was the Uncle Remus Museum in the small Central Georgia town of Eatonton, about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta. This town was the boyhood home of Joel Chandler Harris, who was the author of the Uncle Remus stories.

As a boy my dad would read the stories about Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. These stories were created by Mr. Harris and originally published in the Atlanta Constitution newspaper. A number of years ago Cousin Dave Gunzel gave me a small book containing some of these stories as a gift. I have kept that book in my office as a remembrance. We enjoyed a short visit to the very fascinating museum that is located in a log cabin made from two original slave cabins.

You can learn more about the museum at http://www.uncleremus.com/index.html. Here is Connie being welcomed by Brer Rabbit.

This plaque explains the historical significance of the site.

Connie is standing at the door...it was a neat museum.

Here I am stirrin up trouble!

I got stuck in the "Briar Patch"

From Eatonton we traveled on to Macon for our first convention. We camped at the beautiful Lake Tobesofkee County Park just west of Macon. The only problem was that we did not get an opportunity to enjoy the lake property, except for a very short time in the morning. Here was our view from our trailer's front door.

Summer is over!!

2009-09-21T19:43:00.001-07:00

Summer is over, but it was great while we had it! Our last trip of the summer was over Labor Day weekend and we enjoyed several days at the Outer Banks. We returned to "The Refuge" at Wanchese, NC, and camped again at a beautiful spot on the backwater of the Pamlico Sound.

This is what we saw every day out our picture window in the trailer. The weather was beautiful and we love this location.
One of the days we visited friends Herb and Elaine Haines and saw their beach house building project. The Haines' were friends from the 80's when we lived in Fairfax, VA. They are building their retirement home in Rodanthe, NC, which is about 25 miles from the Hatteras Lighthouse. Elaine's parents purchased the property many years ago, but never built.
On Saturday we climbed Jockey's Ridge, the large sand dunes in Kill Devil Hills. Connie has always wanted to do this -- and as a good husband, I went along for moral support.
Jockey's Ridge is where you can learn to fly -- or, at least, hang glide. No, that is not me! (Or Connie, either.)
We took two great bike rides over the weekend. Our second ride was from Duck to the Sanderling Resort on the northern end of the Outer Banks. Along the way we passed the Costal Research Facility and saw this "danger" sign. At this facility they study ocean waves, but it previously was a military training where munitions were tested.

Remembering 9/11 -- I was at the White House

2009-09-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following testimony on 9/12/2001, the day I returned home from Washington, D.C. after the 9/11 attack.

I AM THANKFUL FOR THE LORD'S PROTECTION! I WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN AMERICA WAS ATTACKED!

On Monday morning R.C. Winstead, a PAFC board member, and I drove to Washington D.C., to attend a legislative conference for Christian school leaders. Little did we realize the extraordinary significance of the conference theme when it was introduced at the opening session on Monday night. That theme, "For Such A Time As This," became so prophetic and momentous as the events unfolded over the next twenty-four hours.

Tuesday morning, after an hour-long preliminary meeting, the entire group of about 140 was loaded into buses at about 9:00 a.m. to travel from the Holiday Inn on the Hill up Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House complex for a special "White House Briefing." The buses dropped us on 15th and E Street, which is on the east side of the White House grounds. We leisurely walked up the sidewalk to Pennsylvania Ave. on this gorgeous morning. We were surrounded by numerous tourists and government workers -- all enjoying the beauty of that very special place.

Then we walked west in front of the White House to 17th Street where we were to enter into the Old Executive Office Building to be cleared by White House security. As we arrived at the entrance we were only there a few minutes before a group of employees began to quickly emerge from the building. Immediately we were told to get away from the building because a plane was heading toward the White House.

I must confess that my first thought was that a small private plane, piloted by a kook, was trying to make some crazed point. So we obeyed the policemen who began to shout at us and we moved down the street for protection. At the same time cell phones began to chirp and members of our group began to receive calls from family and staff members in different parts of the country. Near me was a pastor from Hackensack, New Jersey, who received a call that gave us the shocking news about the first hit to the World Trade Towers.

In the minutes that followed we began to learn the tragic story. It also began to dawn on us that we were definitely in harms way. I remember fear beginning to rush into my mind due to the realization that our nation's capitol was under terrorist attack. And here we were -- a block away from the seat of America's power. Then I remember one of the men saying to three or four of us -- "let's pray!" There we stood -- praying for our safety and for our country. Then I can say that God's peace came to my heart. And all up and down that street groups were calling heaven -- asking for God's strength for us and wisdom for our country's leaders.

In a few moments another call told us that the Pentagon had been hit. I did not learn until today that my colleague R.C., and another friend in the group, saw the aircraft circle above us. Perhaps this occurred while I was in the prayer group -- I don't know. I do know that God was good to keep me from seeing that plane. Because of my long acquaintance with the Washington area, I would have known that this meant something was terribly wrong. I know that all aircraft are strictly prohibited from leaving a narrow route along the Potomac River on approach to Reagan National Airport. The Lord not only protected us -- He throttled my fear by keeping my mind in the palm of His hand.

Soon our group was urged to move west to 19th Street and then south toward Constitution Ave. to an area where we could maybe meet our buses. By now the traffic was turning to absolute gridlock as all government workers poured out of the buildings and headed for home. When we reached Constitution Ave. the sirens began to wail as fire engines, police cruisers, and many unmarked law enforcement vehicles began to emerge from all directions.

Then we saw the large cloud of dark smoke emerging from the Pentagon -- several miles to the southwest. It was then that the reality really began to set in. The unthinkable had happened. Everything had changed. But the changeless God of the universe was right there with us on Constitution Ave. And we could sense His protection and peace.

We've learned today that the plane made two passes over the White House. Could it be that God kept that plane from exploding into the White House specifically because 140 Christian leaders were there at the door? We don't know God's ways. I just know that God's protection was on our lives. He must have things for us yet to do. What a challenge! What a privilege!

Summer Happenings

2009-08-22T08:41:00.001-07:00

We've had a busy summer. Every summer is busy for us because our ministry, Positive Action For Christ, sells and ships most of our products during the summer months. This year has been true to form and we are thankful to be busy, active, and productive. The Lord has been good to us and to our ministry during these challenging times.

Over the 4th of July weekend we camped near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and watched fireworks at the Waterfront Park on the Albermarle Sound. Prior to the fireworks we enjoyed the patriotic concert given by the U.S. Army TRADOCK Band from nearby Fort Monroe in Virginia. This area has a big military influence and the crowd was very patriotic.

Earlier on the 4th we stumbled upon one of those famous citizen "Tea Parties" at the little county seat town of Currituck. We sat for an hour or so and listened to the speeches. It was very interesting.

During this summer I have embarked on a task that I have been contemplating for some time. I have researched slide scanners over the past few months and finally found the best scanner for me. That choice was ultimately the Image Lab scanner that is pictured below. This little gadget easily converts old 35mm slides into a digital format that can be uploaded to a computer. Here are some of the vintage family slides that we have been able to reclaim for viewing.

Here is our first date, recorded by Connie's dad in 1960. What kids we were!

Look at this great memory of our kids in Connie's parents' backyard.

A wonderful Christmas memory with Grandma Carlson.

And here is one of Connie's early bikes and gives an indication where our Carlson "bikeride" tradition began.

Tennessee Travelers

2009-06-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

We took a vacation trip -- plus a homeschool convention -- during the last twelve days of May. The trip started with a three day stop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to help at the very large North Carolina Home Educators Conference. We parked our 5th Wheel at the Marshall Baptist Church, where our good friend John Homes is the pastor.

Homeschool conventions are long days and very tiring, but it was a very profitable and enjoyable experience. We also had the privilege of attending Sunday services at Marshall Baptist and we appreciated being able to park on the beautiful church grounds for three nights -- next to the church cemetery.
Before we left Winston-Salem we rode our bikes on the paved Salem Creek Trail to Salem Lake. This was a nice trail from the historic Old Salem Village to Salem Lake. Then we headed west over the Smokey Mountains to spend several days near Kristy and Brian in the Chattanooga area. We camped for four days at the beautiful Harrison Bay State Park that is about six miles from Kristy and Brian's house.

On Tuesday night the whole Walker Clan came out to our campsite for Root Beer Floats and an old fashioned campfire. Here's our campsite -- and Brian's parents. It is always a treat for me to spend time with Brian's dad -- my great friend of over 30 years. We had a wonderful night!

Here is our campsite as it looked just before we pulled out. We first camped at this campground 40 years ago when Kristy was not quite two years old. I can assure you it was much more enjoyable now with our comfortable 30 foot trailer that has all the comforts of home.

Before leaving the Chattanooga area we had the opportunity to ride the great Tennessee Riverpark bicycle and walking trail. This trail is fantastic! Ultimately it will be a 22 mile trail, but we rode almost seven miles from a few miles south of the Chickamauga Dam to downtown Chattanooga. Of course, we had to ride back to where we parked our truck. We did enjoy a cup of coffee at Rembrandts, which is Kristy and Brian favorite coffee haunt.

From Chattanooga we headed north to Nashville for three days at the Nashville KOA. This delightful RV park is just a mile north of the large Opryland area that features the historic Grand Ole Opry. Kristy and Connie are pictured here in one of the atrium areas of the huge

Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort. We toured the sprawling facility and wandered through the shops. Plus we had coffee!
On Saturday night we attended the Grand Ole Opry show at the impressive and grand auditorium where the Opry now resides. The show was good family fun and enjoyable. Many of the performers were the old timers. We especially enjoyed the Riders in the Sky, who pattern their style after the old "smooth" harmony western group known as the Sons of the Pioneers. Their rendition of the song Tumbling Tumbleweeds was outstanding!
The evening ended with a historic appearance by Comedian Steve Martin playing the banjo. We were clueless that he was on the program, although most (all?) of the sold-out crowd was very well aware of his scheduled appearance. He was good! No, he didn't tell jokes, just played the banjo to a standing ovation. It was a fun experience.

Spring Has Finally Come?

2009-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Connie has been patiently waiting for the azaleas to bloom. Even though they are not as full and bright as they can be -- they are finally bringing color to our front yard. We are glad to hear that warmer weather has finally arrived in the north where our family and friends have toiled through a long, hard winter.
Last month our family conducted the 3rd annual NCAA Basketball tournament contest. This year modesty prevents me from going on and on about who won the coveted "Carlson Crowd" trophy. Connie kept after me and I finally consented to pose for a picture with the trophy plaque.

I beat out Chad by a whisker thin two points. I wish that I could say that my victory was determined by cunning and brilliant analysis, but that would be bunk. I happened to pick Sienna to beat Ohio State in the first round, and that turned out to be the difference. That was a wild guess. Chad, Kirk and I all picked the North Carolina Tar Heels to win the tournament -- and they did! But the difference was that one lucky pick. We have a good time each year in our family contest. Here I am with the prestigious award.

Galveston Trip

2009-02-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

We returned to Galveston, Texas, for the second year in a row to exhibit at a Christian school convention. Wow, what a difference a year makes! Last September Hurricane Ike hit Galveston Island and did tremendous damage to this Gulf Coast historic strip of land. We were amazed at the devastation that was still evident five months after the storm.

Downtown Galveston was flooded with storm surge from Galveston Bay. Here is the Arts Center with the water line marked at about seven feet.

This boat was in a neighborhood about half way between the Gulf and the Bay. Don't know where it came from, but sites like this were seen all over the area.

A year ago we had dinner at what used to be this restaurant. It "was" called The Captain's Table, but it is doubtful that it will ever open again. The entire front of the building had been completely torn off.

On Saturday we spent four hours at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It is a fascinating place. I am examining the Saturn Five rocket that is taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The most outstanding feature of visiting the Space Center is the tram tour of the real working areas of the Center. Visitors are able to see the actual control room where all space missions are directed. Then the tour goes to a large building where the astronauts are trained on all of the equipment and procedures that they encounter in flight. Note the large blue trap on the ceiling. This tarp, along with many others that were draped on other pieces of equipment, are necessary protection due to ceiling leaks. Even NASA was effected by Hurricane Ike.

This robotic arm is used to train the astronauts for outer space maneuvers. Every condition and activity expected to be encountered in space is simulated in this building. It is an amazing place!

After Christmas Trip to Florida

2009-01-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

As soon as Christmas was over our family split to the four-winds. Chad & Jen headed for Mexico and Guatemala, Kristy & Brian for western Carolina and then home to Tennessee, and Kirk flew back to cold country (and his dear kitty "Roxy") in Wisconsin. So -- Connie and I headed for Florida. Here is Chad and Jen at some ruins in Mexico.

Actually, we headed for a planned vacation (time left over from 2008) at Maranatha Village in Sebring, Florida. Maranatha Village is a beautiful retirement community in south-central Florida, about 75 miles southwest of Orlando. The drive into the village introduces visitors to a picturesque lake and the well maintained grounds.

We had visited there briefly in 2005, but we wanted to come back with our trailer for a relaxing vacation. Well, we enjoyed ten days of "staying put" in the great RV Park. Our camping spot looked out on the golf course and provided a fun place to live for awhile.

We had a great time visiting Minnesota friends who now live at Maranatha Village. (See http://pillsburymemories.blogspot.com/.) Our days included bike riding, investigation of the area for future reference, and sanctified partying with our friends. We really liked the Village and found that the residents were very friendly -- human and otherwise.

We also had the opportunity to connect with friends from Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Larry and Reta Shoup are full-time RVers who are working for the winter at a KOA located about 50 miles south of Sebring. The Shoups were our helpful tour guides on a day trip to Sanibel Island near Ft. Myers.

We also had the opportunity to visit a place where Connie's folks took us 25 years ago. This time we road our bikes to Highlands Hammock State Park, which is just a few miles west of Sebring.

Highlands Hammock is a nature preserve that exhibits the historic "hammock forest" of early Florida. The vegetation is thick and semi-tropical, with huge oaks and a cypress swamp. Back in the 80's, Connie's dad wanted our family to see what an early Florida forest looks like. It was a special thrill to go back after many years to ride through this historic state park.

We are back to the cold north now -- North Carolina that is. Next month we are off to a convention again on Galveston Island in Texas. We hope to visit the NASA Johnson Space Center outside of Houston after our convention is completed.

More Christmas Activity

2008-12-27T07:13:00.001-08:00

Christmas is over and we are now on to the next adventure! The last few days have been great, but everyone is moving on today for the New Year. Kristy and Brian are headed home via Blowing Rock, NC -- one of their favorite destinations. Kirk flies home later today, and Chad and Jen are on the bus heading from Mexico City to Guatemala. (P.S. Just got email from Chad. He says, "The city is in full holiday spirit. The weather is spectacular.")
We had plenty of good Christmas celebration time; encouraged by Connie's extensive decorating and preparation. Here Jen and Kristy enjoy Connie's "little tree" in the dinning room.
We had plenty, plenty to eat. Consulting Chef Chad expertly carves the turkey for his Chief Chef, Mom. Chad is actually the gourmet cook in our family and he always brings a professional touch to the kitchen chores. It was good!!!We spent several hours on Christmas Day at our Positive Action office facility in Whitakers. Our ministry conducts seminars and youth activities and so we have an excellent game room that is equipped with a Wii set-up. Here Jen and Chad try out the virtual tennis courts.
The grand finale for the day was lighting sparklers on our deck (left over from the 4th of July) and that ceremony produced this interesting photo of Kristy and Kirk.

Warm Christmas

2008-12-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Carlson family sends "warm" Christmas greetings from 60 degree North Carolina! Our gang arrived on the 23rd -- well, actually Kirk, Chad and Jen didn't get to our house until 3:30 a.m. on the 24th. Kirk had a difficult time getting out of Detroit and then his luggage did not make it to Raleigh with his flight. But after a good night sleep, we were all revived and thankful to be together again.
We started out with a Taco Salad lunch and moved on to a "Chad" project in the afternoon. Chad fabricated a custom bike rack for the back of our 5th Wheel. He did a great job!
Then our neighbor's son, Jett Bunn, came over at Connie's urging to show our kids his Green Bay Packer helmet and scrapbook. His dad, a native of Rocky Mount, who has been a life long Packer fan took him to Green Bay for a game this fall. Jett won the helmet as a door prize at a VIP reception at Lambeau Field.

Later we had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of Beef Stroganoff and all the other goodies.
Christmas morning we had our 2-hour gift opening ceremony. As always it was a great time, with some interesting gifts. Kirk got some ECU (his alma mater) gear, including a beautiful pictorial history of the university.
Fisherman Chad's prized gift was an Abu Garcia fishing reel (made in Sweden -- go figure) to support his Wisconsin hobby. Kristy has more pictures on her site Life's A Stage at http://www.tnwalker62.blogspot.com/.
This morning at 3:00 a.m., Chad and Jen left the house to catch a flight for Mexico City. From there they will take a 12 hour bus ride to Guatemala for a two week adventure. Oh, to be young! But, we leave this weekend for Sebring, Florida for two weeks in our 5th wheel.

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Merry Christmas from North Carolina

2008-12-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

We want to extend a Christmas greeting from our home to you and your family. In the next few days our family will be arriving for a time of celebration and joy. We wished that we could have sent out a family photo on our Christmas card, but that was not possible prior to our gathering time at Christmas. However, in the coming week we will be able to take some pictures and post them on this site. We trust that you, and your family, will have a blessed time remembering the Savior's birth and fellowshipping together.

We have finished our fall convention travel for the 2008 season. This year we logged over 9,300 miles as we traveled through 19 states and Canada on three different trips. Our first trip took us to the Midwest, and we enjoyed the comfort of our new 5^th wheel trailer.

After a brief two weeks at home we headed out, without the trailer, to Toronto. On the way to Canada and after finishing our convention, we spent time in Niagara Falls. Years ago we spent a short time viewing the Falls during a visit in the rain. This year the weather was clear, although cool, and the view of the Falls was spectacular. We were able to see the Falls from both the US and Canadian vistas. It is truly a marvel of God’s creation.

From Niagara we headed to Kingsport, Tennessee to have a visit with a distribution company that we are endeavoring to work with in the homeschool market. From east Tennessee we headed to Dayton, Oho for another large Christian school convention. Then it was back home for less than a week before we hitched up the trailer to head for Dallas, Texas.

After the first two cold nights we ran into fairly nice weather. This was our third year traveling to Dallas and I had always wanted to visit the site of the John F. Kennedy assassination. But it wasn’t until late in our visit last year that I discovered that the location for that historic event was just a few blocks from our convention venue. This year we planned to slow down after the convention and visit the 6^th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. We highly recommend this very interesting museum.

The assassination shots were fired from the 6^th floor of what was known in 1963 as the Texas Book Depository. The museum today occupies the entire 6^th floor of that building. There are many photos on display that chronicle and explain the events leading up to, and surrounding, the life and death of President Kennedy. Probably the most fascinating aspect of the museum is that you can stand within a few feet of the window where Lee Harvey Oswald obviously propped his rifle to shoot the president. Also, you can look out the windows on the roadway at Dealey Plaza where the presidential motorcade passed the building.

From Dallas we drove back home at a little slower pace. This year we celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at a Cracker Barrel in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We are glad to have this opportunity to serve the Lord and see the country.

FALL CONVENTION TRIP -- 2008

2008-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

On Sept. 23 we set out on our fall convention trip to exhibit at four Christian school conventions. The trip would log 3,992 miles on our truck and take us to ten states. During these conventions we estimate that we talked personally to over 400 Bible teachers and school administrators. Many of these were new contacts for our ministry and they represent possible expansion for Positive Action's outreach. We trust that many of these contacts will turn into new customers for the future. Here is Connie standing by the display and exhibit materials that we set up at each convention venue.
Our first convention was in Gatlinburg, TN, where our son-in-law Brian was one of the organizers. Actually, his dad Dr. Charles Walker (my longtime friend) was the convention chairman, but Brian had responsibilities which brought him frequently to our booth to check on us. We appreciated the personal touch from him and his colleague, Randy Scallions. Connie was able to also visit one of Kristy's workshops at this convention.

After the convention we were able to spend some time with Kristy and Brian in the beautiful Smokey Mountains area. Here we are enjoying a cookout at our campsite where we lived for several days.
After leaving Gatlinburg we headed for Nashville, TN to visit Donelson Christian Academy. This school is using two of our Positive Action studies in their Middle School. The interesting thing about this school is that they are using the books electronically -- on Dell tablet computers, rather than using printed books. We wanted to see firsthand how this program was working. If you are interested in a fuller explanation see my report at: http://carlsontravels.blogspot.com/.

Here is a view of the classroom demonstration that the school conducted for us. It was enlightening.
Then we turned north and headed to Indianapolis, IN. On a Tuesday night, before heading to South Bend for our next convention, we had a wonderful pasta dinner at Merrit & Donna Rector's house. Merrit was my close friend from college and seminary, and he cooked the marvelous dinner for us. Both Connie and I enjoyed visiting Merrit & Donna in their lovely home.
We exhibited at two convenitons in Indiana -- South Bend and Indianapolis. Between the two we spent a weekend in the Elkhart, IN area. Our purpose was to try to find a "soft" cover for our truck that could be used to protect display materials for transit when we are not towing the 5th wheel trailer.

The Lord led us to a truck supply dealer who was able to install the perfect cover for us. While at that truck store we met a man by the name of John Lenehan, from Woodstock, New Brunswick. John hauls RV trailers between the US and Canada for various dealers. He wanted to talk with us and told us that he was a recovering alcoholic. We were able to give him some good things to read and to pray with him. Pray for John!
After leaving Indiana we were able to see family in Illinois and Wisconsin. We stopped for a great lunch with my sister Cheryl Turbett, and her husband Dwight, in Rockford, IL. We were joined by niece Kari Tackeberry, and her delightful three kids. They suggested the Machine Shed, and we recommed it to you very highly. Great place to gather and eat.
From there we went on Madison for a weekend with Kirk, Chad and Jen. The weather was just beautiful and we took the opportunity to have a big cookout with brats and burgers in true Wisconsin style.
Following our time in Wisconsin the weather turned a little cooler as we headed north for our final convention in the Twin Cities. We spent an afternoon at the Stillwater (MN) Ford dealership getting our truck mirror repaired, and those folks were outstanding with their customer service. Then we were able to have dinner at Connie's brother's home. Greg and Becky hosted us, plus Judy and Wes Brask, for a delicious dinner at their warm and beautiful home in the northwoods.
The evening started with hors d'oeuvres around the "fire pit". It was a great evening.
During the time we were in the Cities we camped at 4th Baptist in Plymouth. Here is our trailer parked behind their Christian school building. This was the fourth location during our four week trip where we parked at a church or school. It makes things convenient, and is very economical.
After our profitable convention ended on Friday, Oct. 17, we dashed back to the trailer to prepare for a youth group reunion that we had planned for that evening to be held at 4th Baptist. You can read more about this historic "gathering" of the old 4th B youth group at: http://www.youbelong.net/theupwardway. Here is part of the group that gathered for the evening.We enjoyed seeing so many friends. Here is Connie with three of her high school youth group friends: Joan Kroehnert, Audrey Wykes and Bonnie Marcilliott. We do love the privilege that we have to minister across the country and to meet so many new friends at conventions, but then also connect with family and old friends along the way.

Happy 98th Birthday Aunt Midge -- Wow!

2008-09-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Cousin Carol Gunzel sent this wonderful picture of our hero -- Aunt Midge -- 98 years young!

Aunt Midge Gunzel, my mom's only sibling, is an amazing person. She is sharp, full of historical information, and has her venerable Norwegian humor. She just celebrated her 98th birthday with her kids (ya'll are still kids to me) and we have this great picture as a testimony to God's grace and Midge's perseverance.

Surrounding her are Joy (Davis), Jim, Marilyn (Anderson) and Carol. Cousin Dave was unable to join the celebration, because he is many miles away down in the southwest. Carol says, "...the little 2 year old licking her finger from the cake's icing. She'd stand there and poke her finger in the cake and look around to see who was watching her! That's Jim's granddaughter!" Looks like the cake was good.

Connie and I had the joy of visiting with Midge in February of 2006 and then a year later in February of 2007. We were very interested in her stories about her early days as a pioneer missionary to Mongolia in the mid 1930s. We have a copy of her interesting autobiography, with fascinating pictures, that tell the story of her trek to the Far East to become the bride of Uncle Stuart. God bless you Aunt Midge! You are an encouragement to all of us.

Labor Day Weekend Camping

2008-09-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day Weekend we took our Laredo to a nice campground right off I-95 at Selma, North Carolina. On Saturday we invited the Mincy family to drive out from their home in Clayton, about 15 miles away, to join us for a cookout. We had a great time hangin out together.

We grilled hot dogs and Wisconsin brats, and enjoyed the cloudy afternoon and the shade of the trailer awning. After the cookout ended the sun came out and the heat drove us inside to the air conditioned comfort of the trailer.

Inside we moved on to the activities of the day that included a rousing "Bingo" contest with priceless prizes. All the kids (including Sara and Dave) won prizes, and a good time was had by all! Then the day was topped off with old fashioned root beer floats. It was a great capstone to summer.
On Sunday Connie and I were able to attend Community Baptist Church in Clayton where Dave serves as Minister of Music. This vibrant church plant is a growing congregation meeting in a beautiful new public school. The church owns land adjacent to I-40 on the southeast edge of the burgeoning sprawl of Raleigh. We were very impressed with the ministry of this exciting church.

Chad & Jen Fishing

2008-08-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Recently Chad and Jen took a weekend camping and fishing trip to Devils Lake near Baraboo, Wisonsin. We loved these pictures that they sent us from that trip.

Three Cousins

2008-08-03T11:26:00.001-07:00

At our family reunion last month we took a picture of the "Three Cousins" -- Dana, Kristy, and Alison. After returning home we found two earlier pictures from the preceeding decades.

First, is a wonderful shot of Grandpa Cutlan with his grandaughters from the 1980s. Grandma Cutlan noted on the back of this picture that it was "one of my favorites".

Then from the 1990s we have a wonderful shot of the three young ladies at a special time together.

Finally, it was fun to get this great picture at our Beach House on the Outer Banks, of our now three distinguished young women.

Family Reunion on The Outer Banks

2008-07-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great reunion for the Carlson, Brask and Cutlan families over the 4th of July week at The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. The Outer Banks are the 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, and this area is our favorite vacation spot along the East Coast.
Eighteen of us gathered, and that was everybody in our families except for Greg and Becky Cutlan. Greg had a last minute medical incident that made it wise for him to cancel their plans to come, but Nathan and Alison were able to join us for a great time.
It took several days for everyone to arrive, but on Tuesday night our Carlson family was complete and we took a walk on the Avalon Fishing Pier near our beach house. It was a beautiful night and here we are walking on the Pier. From left to right: Chad, Timmy (Kirk's N.C. friend), Connie, Jen, Kirk, Kristy (her head shows behind Kirk) and Brian.

By Wednesday night the whole gang had arrived and gathered at our 3-story beach house that was both roomy and accomdating. We had pizza, enjoyed fellowhip, and then headed for the outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, which is the historic portrayal of The English Roanoke Colony and the settlers who vanished without a trace from Roanoke Island in 1587.

The entire group came from eight states including as far west as Montana and Colorado, and then Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, New York and North Carolina. The group really enjoyed our place!
On Thursday part of our group (Dana & Jake Huffman, Chad & Jen Carlson, and Kristy & Brian Walker) headed for the open waters on an ocean fishing expedition. They brought about 12 fish back for supper that night at the Brask beach house.

Also during the week the group enjoyed biking, surfing and skim boarding, a trip to see wild mustang horses, a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, a "Pirate" adventure ship, the Wright Bros. Memorial, beach time, fireworks on the 4th, hot tub at our place, a "Sharing Time" on Thursday night, plus lots of hanging out time on Brasks' deck overlooking the ocean. The girls even found time to do a "beading" session to create unique jewelry.
Our house had a rec room on the ground level complete with pool table, foosball table, TV, etc.
On Friday night, July 4th, we were able to secure a private room for a wonderful family seafood dinner. Here is the whole crowd enjoying the excellent cuisine at Mako Mikes. The evening was topped off with most of the group playing a challenging round of mini-golf, and then on to the Brasks' to watch fireworks from their third floor deck. A great capstone to the week!
Kristy has more pictures and commentary on her blog Life's a Stage at: http://www.tnwalker62.blogspot.com/

March Madness & The Carlson Crowd

2008-04-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row The Carlson Crowd has conducted a highly regarded contest during the NCAA Basketball Tournament. In 2007 Kirk won the first ever “Bragging Rights Traveling Trophy” award for picking the most correct victories among the 65 team NCAA tourney.

This year it was Mom Carlson who won the title. The winner of the annual contest wins the right to possess the “Bragging Rights Traveling Trophy” plaque for the year. This week the coveted plaque arrived via UPS from Kirk. Connie has proudly displayed the plaque in the family room for the year.

For the contest this year we used the Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Tournament Pick'em online format. This is a free online contest format that is completely automatic. All the scoring is done automatically after the actual teams in the tournament play each game. Each family member is able to log on to the contest web page to check his or her progress and post comments. It is a fun event for us every year and we look forward to the Carlson Crowd March Madness contest with eager anticipation.

This report was filed by The Commish!

Carlson Family RVing History

2008-04-04T11:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we picked up our new 5th Wheel trailer. It was an interesting experience! The trailer is beautiful, comfortable and amazingly hi-tech with lots of cutting edge features. Still, camping is camping and we had a typical adventure over the three days of learning the ropes on the Keystone Laredo 265RL.

The day we did our orientation was like a beautiful summer day – although it was still March. We stayed in the campground at the RV dealership for several days to test everything out, and the day we left was a mini-nightmare. It was cold, rainy and we had a dozy of a time hooking up to leave. From that we both caught colds that resulted in laryngitis later in the week. Such is the camping lifestyle. Not always perfect, pretty, or universally enjoyable. But still, we love it!

All of this brought me back to our Carlson family history with trailering down through the years. Our first experience was when we borrowed Roy and Bev Hodge’s tent trailer in the summer of 1969. Kristy was just two, and we took her to Chattanooga and the Smokey Mountains for her first visit. I remember a cold, rainy and leaky night in the Smokies.

Then in 1972 we bought a Bethany Teepee trailer that we took to the Black Hills, Wyoming and Colorado. Again there were memorable experiences of cold nights in the Rocky Mountains and Kirk’s resulting trip to the hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In a few years we moved up to a fixed wall 16 ft. Shasta travel trailer that we dragged all the way to California. Later we acquired a 19 ft. Corsair that had our first bathroom and shower.

From 1978 to 2002 we were out of trailering, except for onetime in the 80’s when we rented a large pop-up camper that we took to Michigan and Indiana. Here are some pictures that remember our “traveling trailers” over the years.

Kristy & Brian's Trip to Wisconsin

2008-02-24T17:12:00.001-08:00

Kristy & Brian made it to Wisconsin for their weekend visit to Maranatha. They had quite a time on Thursday night because of bad weather in the Cincinnati area. Their departure from Chattanooga was delayed and that caused them to miss their connecting flight in Cincinnati for Milwaukee that night. When they finally got to Cincinnati they had a difficult time getting a place to sleep, and, of course, their baggage was not available to them for the night. So, when they arrived in Watertown on Friday morning they were glad to go to the Jackson's house for a quick change before going to campus.

The rest of their day on Friday was a whirlwind of meetings, greetings and eatings. It's sounds like it was a very profitable time. They will appreciate your prayers for them in the days to come. There are decisions to be made by both the College and Brian.

On Saturday they were able to spend the whole afternoon with Kirk, Chad and Jen. Through the wonder of the internet they were able to send some pictures for all of us to enjoy below.

While the kids were playing and partying (well, eating), Connie and I were working. Connie has decided to strip the wallpaper in our Master bathroom in preparation for a new paint job. Then she also intends on redoing our bedroom -- in time, but I think that will be sooner than later. During all of this activity, I had the joyous privilege assembling our annual tax information for Corey Pfaffe, our faithful and favorite tax preparer.

Five for lunch -- Mediterranean we're told

The guys hanging out at Chad & Jen's place

Look at Brian -- no coat! A real northerner

Jen & Kristy enjoying the time together

Connie is at work tearing things up!

Gerry trying to keep us afloat -- kind of...

New Truck and Trailer

2008-02-16T19:05:00.001-08:00

Today we bought a new (to us) 2003 Ford 3/4 ton truck and ordered a brand new 2008 5th wheel trailer. We went to the Raleigh RV Show on Feb. 9th to learn more about the kind of trailer we wanted to acquire. This shopping excursion had been planned since our extended RV trip last fall when we realized we needed a bigger rig.

To our pleasant surprise we found a new 5th wheel trailer that exceeded our expectations. Bill Plemmons RV World had an unbelievable offer for the "show only" and that sealed the deal for us. So, today we ordered a Keystone Laredo 265RL, just as was displayed at the show. Then when we got to the dealership to sign the papers we found that they had this beautiful Ford diesel 250 Super Duty truck that will be more than adequate to pull the 5th wheel. The truck has only 18,000 miles on it and is completely set up to pull the trailer.

Here are some pictures of the truck and trailer.

The 30 Days of Christmas

2008-01-18T18:09:00.001-08:00

This year our Christmas celebration stretched to the ultimate – a whole month! It all began on Dec. 11th with our annual Positive Action company party, and it didn’t end until Jan. 12th in Madison, Wisconsin, having lunch with Kirk just before we left to return to North Carolina. In between were joy-filled occasions, plus some painful experiences for Kirk, but altogether it was a wonderful example of God’s sovereign leading and control.

After our company Christmas party we had the usual flurry of Christmas activity with a church concert, class activities and decorations. Then Kirk arrived on Christmas Eve (see Kirk’s Ordeal below) and things began in earnest. First, we had Christmas alone with Kirk. Chad and Jen were heading for a three-week vacation trip to Argentina on Christmas day, and Kristy and Brian were scheduled to spend Christmas with the Walker clan this year. We had a blast with Kirk, even though he was dependent on pain pills for comfort.

Next, was a fun gathering of the Fosmark/Mincy/Walker/ Carlson crowd on Dec. 29th in Rocky Mount and at our Positive Action facility. This was a wonderful time! We played the famous Wii video game and saw family and ministry videos on the giant screen at the PAFC media room. Everyone enjoyed the Pizza and goodies.

Then it was Christmas all over again with Kristy, Brian and Kirk. We had a great time celebrating and hanging out. Of course, after the festivities we got serious about Kirk’s Ordeal and the resulting trip to Wisconsin. Our trip up north also allowed a quick run to the Twin Cities for a delightful evening with Judy and Wes Brask and Greg and Becky Cutlan. We even squeezed in a day at Maranatha visiting old friends. When we arrived back in North Carolina on the 13th we were ready to put Christmas 2008 finally to rest. Wonderful memories!

Lots of good food!! Oh, oh -- diets coming!

Chad and Jen in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Here's the fun (goofy?) crowd doing their thing

Cousins and spouses doing Pizza -- with Skye

Kirk hangin out with Wes & Wil Mincy

We are thankful for the special time together

Wonderful fellowship -- Front: Wes Brask, GBC, Greg Cutlan
Back: Judy Brask, Connie and Becky Cutlan

Kirk's Ordeal

2008-01-18T17:51:00.000-08:00

Early in the morning on December 20th our phone rang and Kirk was on the line telling us he was in the Emergency Room at the UW Hospital in Madison. He informed us that he had been up all night with pain and finally drove himself to the ER. Little did we realize that wake-up call would lead us on a three-week odyssey that included a painful period for Kirk and an unplanned journey for us.

Kirk had been struggling with a painful condition since October. On December 20th he learned from a CAT Scan that it was a rather large kidney stone that was giving him the problem. But, because it was just before Christmas he was told he could not see a urologist, and that he should just drink fluids, and hope that he passes the stone – and that he could travel to North Carolina.

So, two days later Kirk started out on his trek to our house to spend Christmas, plus a week of vacation. Before he arrived we appraised our good friend, and family doctor, Ron Hughes about Kirk’s condition. Kirk had volunteered for a year in Dr. Hughes’ office, and therefore they were well acquainted. On the day after Christmas we got Kirk in to Dr. Hughes and through that visit obtained an appointment the next day at the Urology Clinic of Rocky Mount.

Dr. Frobose, the urologist, wanted to do a surgical removal procedure the very next day, but insurance bureaucracy back in Wisconsin slowed down the process. Once again, the holiday season limited Kirk’s access to swift medical treatment. But surgery was performed the next Thursday, Jan. 3rd, and we were told that he should be able to return to activity within a day. It became apparent to us after the surgery that Kirk could not drive himself back home, so Connie and I volunteered for the task. After all, we were just planning to leave that weekend for a vacation to the Florida Keys, and a change of plans toward a northern vacation was not too difficult.

After three difficult days of driving, we arrived in Madison with a “still hurting” patient. Through vigorous arm twisting the previous Friday, we had finagled an appointment in the UW Urology Clinic on the 7th. That day he was told he would get some relief. Did not happen!!

The next morning Kirk called us about 5:30 am (we were staying at Chad and Jen’s house) saying he had to go to the Emergency Room again – he was miserable. We wound up spending our whole day in the ER, without the benefit of shower, shave or real food. We felt like we were in the TV show – replete with gruesome wailings from other patients, tough and kind cast members, and a final resolution that was somewhat helpful – maybe. It was not until three days later (Jan. 11th) that Kirk was able to get some relief.

Finally, on the evening of the 11th, we were able to take Kirk to the Tumbleweed Steakhouse for a dinner that he felt like eating. During all of Christmas he had been dabbling at the goodies, but never felt like digging in with an appetite. We were so thankful that God directed all of these events so that we could be able to chauffeur and help Kirk through his unforgettable ordeal.

Kirk at his favorite Urologist's office

The fancy new Nash Hospital Surgery Pavilion

He is finally back home -- startin' to feel better

Merry Christmas from Warm Rocky Mount

2007-12-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

It is great to have a non-white Christmas, even though Connie is feeling bad about missing the snow. We are so thankful that Kirk was able to duck the Midwest snow storm and drive down here to Rocky Mount for Christmas. We have had a great time pampering Kirk for a few days. Kristy and Brian will arrive on Saturday, Dec. 29th when we will also join together with the Fosmark and Mincy clan for a day of fun.

We follow tradition on Christmas Eve with "Beef Straganoff"

Kirk attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service with us at church.

Connie was her usual quiet, calm, and "not very excited" self on Christmas morning -- not really!!

Kirk got a digital camera for Christmas. Now he can join the rest of the family sharing photos over the ether waves.

Here is the Chef (actually the Chef's helper) cutting "the bird" for Christmas dinner.

Christmas Memories

2007-12-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas has been been filled with fond memories in the Carlson family, and in both or our extended families. Just a few days ago we received a Christmas card from Connie's niece, Dana Huffman, that reminded all of us connected with the Cutlan family of a venerable Christmas tradition from Connie's mother. Here is Dana's excellent recollection of Grandma Cutlan's "manger scene" and its significant Christmas memory.

Grandma’s Manger Scene

I have a manger scene that has been in my family for about 70 years. The old figures are beautiful but many of them are showing wear and have been damaged. Both the shepherd and the angel are missing their legs. Years ago grandma fastened cardboard to the bottom of each so they won't fall over. One of the sheep has been glued back together. The other has uneven feet and must lean against the shepherd to stay upright. And the donkey, he's a mystery. I think his tail has been pulled and he looks sort of chewed on. I'm sure if I took this bunch of characters to The Antiques Road Show they would be declared of little value because of their flaws. But to me, these little figures are priceless. They perfectly depict who Christ came to save.

The Christmas story comes alive when we feel it. I felt God's love and acceptance through grandma. How she treated these little figures is the way she treated me. In spite of my shortcomings she loved me dearly and never would have banished me from "the scene." She always set a place for me at her beautiful table and put a gift for me under her tree. How simply and powerfully she showed the love of God.

On the Carlson side of the family we also have many fond memories of Christmas past. Grandma Carlson was always known for her nicknacks, picture albums, and Christmas goodies. Kirk has a special memory that incorporated all of those remembrances, plus a special gift that he was able to give to Grandma.

Grandma was well known for her frugal and resourceful ways, but also for her many "finds" that she managed to acquire from various sources. One of her "used treasures" was an old color TV that had its early life in a hospital somewhere. It may have worked well in its early days, but never did work well after Grandma rescued it from the throwaway junk heap. Anyway, our kids would always razz Grandma about her less than perfect TV.

In 2002 Kirk and Grandma spent Christmas together at her Scandia Shores apartment. On that occasion Kirk presented to Grandma a new TV for her Christmas gift. She could not hear too well, but she did have to admit that she could see the evening news much clearer on "Kirk's TV." Kirk has that TV today as a Christmas memory of Grandma.

Kristy's Birthday Bash in Chattanooga

2007-12-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

Our final convention trip for 2007 was to Dallas just before Thanksgiving. This gave us the opportunity to stop by Chattanooga to visit Kristy and Brian. We were able to celebrate Kristy's significant birthday (we won't mention the numbers) a little early. Diets were set aside for the evening and we tested a new Chattanooga restaurant called Food Works. It was great, and we highly recommend the food and atmosphere.

During the time we were in Chattanooga, (while Connie and Kristy were at the Mall) I took a trip into the past. During the summer of 1966 I took grad classes at Tennessee Temple Seminary. I had to drive down to Chattanooga two weeks before Connie could come after she finished her teaching responsibilities. My job was to rent a place where we could live for the summer. What an experience! On Saturday, November 24th I took a picture of that place -- 41 years later. Here is what it looked like in 1966 and then 2007. It was kind of scary then -- but, now it is even scarier.

Hangin' Out With Family

2007-11-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

We've had two rare opportunities in the last month to spend time with family. On October 2nd we had the privilege to visit Rockford, Illinois a have a few hours with Cheryl and Dwight, plus Kari & Ted Tackeberry and their kids. It was a short visit, but we did have a great time.

We spent about an hour and a half at Kari & Ted's house, and truly enjoyed the short visit. Kari's children are a lot of fun and "Aunt Connie" enjoyed getting them to laugh and giggle -- which wasn't difficult.

It was a blessing that Ted got home just before we had to leave for the restaurant with Cheryl & Dwight. He often works extended hours, but that evening was able to get home early enough for us to see him.

It was also a special blessing was to see how good care Kari is giving to Grandma Carlson's unique China Cabinet. Kari lovingly preserves this important slice of Carlson/Leir history.

Then last Friday Connie and I were able to see Gail and the Mincy
family on our way back home from a convention that we attended in Greensboro, North Carolina. Gail had arrived at Sara's on the day before, and so we arranged to meet the tribe for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Raleigh.

We happily introduced them to Ten Ten Chinese Restaurant which is on the southwest corner of NC State University. Ten Ten has the largest Chinese buffet that I have encountered. I may have a limited experience in Chinese buffets, but trust me , this one is worth it.

We had a great time with Gail, Sara & Dave, and the "grand-kids". It was fun!

Amish Country

2007-10-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

For two days we enjoyed the beautiful Amish Country in east-central Ohio, and about an hour south of Cleveland. We camped at the spacious Scenic Hills RV Park in Berlin, among the big rig expensive motorhomes and 5th Wheels. Our site was on the crest of the hill looking out over the valley, and with a great view of the lush hills.

This is a wonderful area to visit. We did eat some of the excellent home cooked food, but tried to withstand the temptation of dining at any of the large, picturesque restaurants that frequently dot the landscape of the area. Eating is a big-time sport in Amish country!

We visited Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron (a hardware version of South Dakota’s famed Wall Drug) and Connie combed the many interesting shops in Berlin, Walnut Creek and a few other tiny hamlets along the road. Of course, the fascinating experience in Amish Country is to see the horse-drawn carriages that are used exclusively for family transportation.

We took several snap shots of the buggies as we drove around the area. It is especially charming to see “hitching posts” with horses tied to them in the same parking lots that contain SUV’s and Mini-Vans.

Chicago Heritage Day – Oct. 5, 2007

2007-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 5th, we ventured into Chicago for a trip down memory lane. Our first stop was the “new” Marquette Manor Church property to take a picture. I knew that Pastor Canedy and staff had already left for a men’s retreat at Camp Joy, so we didn’t stop for long. It is hard to believe that the present location of Marquette has become a neighborhood that now looks like the suburban areas of Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn from our days of the 50’s and 60’s.

We traveled into the city via 79th street, and then up Pulaski to our old neighborhood. Our first stop was at Hurley Elementary School on 69th Place. Initially I was thinking only about taking a picture, but then I decided that we should go inside. Wow! were we impressed with the condition and orderliness of my old grammar school.

Immediately upon entering the building, we were greeted by a smiling diminutive lady in jeans and a white “Hurley” T-shirt. She merrily greeted us and told us that she observed us taking a picture outside. When I identified myself as a Hurley alumnus, we were directed to the school office and soon were introduced to the principal – a dignified and professional Hispanic woman. I asked if I could tour the building and was told that “Miss Amy” could take us around the building, but that I could not take pictures of any students.

Miss Amy turned out to be the T-shirt lady, and only later did I realize that she wore an official badge on her waist and that she was an official security officer in the building. I don’t know if she is a Chicago Police officer, but cheerful and exuberant ‘Miss Amy” is on top of things at Hurley. Today they have over 900 students in the school, over double from my day. They have an auxiliary classroom building, plus three modulars. The whole campus is spotless, students wear uniforms and orderliness is evident everywhere. The students we saw were all Hispanic and black. Very impressive! Hurley’s web site is at http://www.hurley.cps.k12.il.us/index.html.

From there we went to see our two Carlson family houses where we lived in the neighborhood. 3735 W. 68th Pl. looked great and 3411 W. 71st Pl. looked tough. In fact, the entire 68th Pl. neighborhood looked pretty good, and the relatively “newer” 71st Pl. area was starting to look seedy. We also stopped in at the park board facility in Marquette Park at 67th and Kedize. We went there to use the restrooms, but found it to be another nostalgic visit to the dim past. I don’t remember hanging out much at that building, but it did bring back memories of a different day.

Then we stopped by the “old’ Marquette Manor property on 61st and California. The place looked very inner-city. The church now occupying the facility is an African-American congregation that bought the building a year ago. I talked with a black lady at the door for a few minutes, and she seemed to be a sharp person who had a real spiritual commitment to ministry. Later we drove 63rd Street from Damen to Cicero. You would think that you are driving through Mexico City, not the south-side of Chicago!

But then we had the highlight of my trip – we visited Lindblom, my high school alma mater. That was an experience! Once again we found a police officer inside the front door, but he was friendly, helpful and directed us to the office.

We immediately met Alan Mather the principal and he took us on an extensive hour long tour of the building. The Chicago Board of Education spent 42 Million Dollars several years ago to completely renovate the grand Lindblom building. It is amazing!

In the 90’s and early years of the new century, Lindblom struggled with many negative issues. The school was moved temporarily until the building renovations were complete, but when it was reopened in 2005 the academic program was completely changed and the school started over with only 100 ninth graders.

This year they have about 400 students in grades 9 through 11. The school was renamed Lindblom Science and Math Academy (http://www.lmsa.cps.k12.il.us/ ) and students gain admittance through an application process that includes rigorous testing requirements. Once again, the student body is primarily Hispanic and African American. Everything has been renovated, including beautiful hardwood floors, new hall lockers, and high-tech classroom equipment. The 1,700 seat, two balcony auditorium is much more impressive than it was 50 years ago – when it was truly impressive. Even the swimming pool has been preserved and updated!

Mr. Mather led me to a room where all of the yearbooks are stored. I was able to pull mine off the shelf and show him the pictures of yours truly. What an experience!

Wisconsin Badger Game Day

2007-10-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

September 29th was an exciting day as we experienced a Wisconsin Badger football game with Chad, Jen, and Kirk. We had arrived in Madison late the night before after navigating the Chicago area traffic on the Tri-State Tollway through the Friday evening commute. Saturday morning we loaded our bikes on the truck and set out for Chad and Jen’s house.

After a delicious lunch the five of us mounted up our bikes to ride to historic Camp Randall Stadium for a Big Ten battle with Michigan State.

What a great day – and a great ride! For most of the five miles we rode on paved bicycle paths that thread their way through the middle of Madison to the University campus. Madison has to be one of the "bike friendliest" cities in the country.

The game was a hoot! It is quite an experience to be part of a sea of red colors, with 83,000 exuberant fans – most of them wearing an article of clothing that is red. Chad says that on game day the stadium crowd becomes the third largest city in the state of Wisconsin.

The Badgers squeaked out a victory that day – 37 to 34 – to the delight of the Wisconsin faithful. We arrived back at Chad and Jen’s house just as the last vestiges of day-light were fading. This was a truly memorable day!

Fall Convention Trip 2007

2007-09-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

We left home on Wednesday, Sept. 19th heading for Spartanburg, SC. Our first stop was to exhibit at the SCACS Convention held at the beautiful Marriott at Renaissance Park in downtown Spartanburg.

We enjoyed seeing old friends and acquaintances, some former students and meeting new contacts. Our location was in an excellent spot, because everyone had to go right by our booth.

After the convention concluded we had the joy of having supper with old friend and my former seminary professor, Gordon Lovik in Greenville, SC. Unfortunately Joanne was not feeling well and could not join us for the great Mexican dinner. We had a great time with Gordy!

Summer Trip

2007-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Early in August we took a quick weekend trip to our favorite area in North Carolina -- The Outer Banks. One of the days we took the free ferry over to Ocracoke Island to ride our bikes. Here are some shots from that trip. Note the beach highway "snow" (sand) banks. Out on the OBX they have to plow sand -- not much snow!

You'll notice our bikes on the back of our "White Knight" Dodge Dakota pickup.

Connie kept a watchful eye on the calm water as we made the 45 minute trip from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke. We are sailing in the Pamlico Sound, which is very calm and safe.

We would love to have you come to beautiful North Carolina and take a trip to the enchanting Outer Banks with us!

July 4th at the Mincy's

2007-07-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

We had a great time today with Sara & Dave Mincy, and their three delightful kids -- Wes, Wil, & Skye. Kristy was able to be with us and we had a wonderful day seeing their cozy home and enjoying some great fellowship. And we ate!!

Mast General Store

2007-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

We visited Mast General Store, in Valle Crucis, NC, on Saturday, June 23rd with Judy & Wes Brask. Here we are on the back porch of the store with a group of "mountain boys" who were getting ready for some "pickin & grinnin."

Welcome!

2006-03-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Carlson Family Blog. Our purpose is to allow family and friends to share news, comments and pictures.

Gerry & Connie