ChangeofHeart

Check It Out ! Canoeboggin'

2009-12-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

Ready -Set- Going -Going Over and back up again !

Well, we got the canoe out for about the second time this year but it was not because the river water level was back up (which it is by the way).

Had to wax the bottom to make it slide OK and we just couldn't pass up the chance. Yes the two of us went down a couple of times, once with the same outcome, one upright.

Joy !

Finally Snow At Riverview Manse

2009-12-19T08:40:00.000-08:00

There have been minor dustings over the last 3 winters that we have lived here but as I write we are in the middle of what we would term 'real snow'. Still snowing so it will be 12"-20" or so before it stops. Great snow !...now we can move !

View all the snow at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/Snow121909?authkey=Gv1sRgCNO4wPGa8KqXSw#

Golden Co With James, Feb. 2009

2009-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

What was more fun on our trip to be with James ?? Eating with Dragon Dancers? Being on stage at Red Rocks Park? Walking in Nederland CO snow and solitude? ......or just being, and being with James ?
Our call is being with James but you can see all the rest at the Picassa GoldenCo Feb. 2009 Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/GoldenFeb2009

Thanksgiving 2008 Asheville, NC

2008-11-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

A blessed Thanksgiving and Warrens' first one.

See all the unedited pictures of preparation, enjoyment and lethargy at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby In the "TGiving2008" Album

Warren Otis Wagner

2008-11-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Warren Otis Wagner, born today November 1st, All Saints Day 2008

Born this morning, a little early but right on time eh ? ..at 7 pounds.

Mother, Warren and Nick are all fine and are at the hospital in there own room where Warren will stay with Mom and Dad until they are released (Sunday?)

Margaret is now in Asheville with EllaRose for a couple of days.

This all came about this morning starting with a call from Nick around 830a. Margaret left for Asheville around 930a and I got a call from her at 11a with the good news.

That's all we know for now but of course you'll hear and see more !

Gerald

Swiss Plus VA and CO and NC and SC Family Gathering

2008-10-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

A joyous gathering of Margaret, Gerald, Tracy, Nick, Ella, Maude, Lola, Eva, Melanie and James along with visits from Bakers and Thompsons blessed all of us in Asheville NC recently. My thanks to James for his great additions to the pictures.

See all pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby

Ahhhhh.....family !

Ashbys In San Juan and Culebra PR

2008-05-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

A number of years without vacations, our 38th Wedding Anniversary and an invite from son James all combined for 10 wonderful days in Puerto Rico.

See the pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/SanJuanAndCulebraPR

The four Pictures with the little logo in the lower left are little movies !

More to be added as time allows

peace,

Hosanna to the Son Of David ! 03/16/2008

2008-03-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

www.pvelc.org Goes Live !

2008-03-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

We are now blessed with a lovely website for Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church that is still being added to daily that you can view at:

http://www.pvelc.org/

Take at look !

The Pastor Hits the Paper !

2008-01-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

While sitting and having a cup of coffee in downtown Staunton Margaret had an opportunity to tell some of the how and why we have come to be here. With the exception of a couple of items the young lady doing the interview did justice to the topics covered.

See the article at: http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801080304

Thanksgiving, 2007 Asheville NC

2007-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

See pictures of the the entire event at: http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/Thanksgiving1107

29th Oak Grove Music Festival

2007-08-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's not often that a person gets to hear great music, in an incredible setting, in workshop-afternoon and evening concert situations a MILE from your home; but that would be a definition of 'blessed' indeed !

Well.......I was blessed this past weekend at the 29th Oak Grove Music Festival right up the street from our house.

Pictures from top to bottom are; Friday eve Up and Coming Performers blue stone sky, Heart Gets Monkey and Trees on Fire. All great but keep your eyes out and see the sites for Trees on Fire: " hybrid-rock geniuses", "organica" or maybe Bob Marley with a Shenandoah Valley spin. Followed by Saturday performances and workshops by: the superb Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen, Carrie Newcomer (wow!), Mel Jones and His Bag O'Bones and Scott Fore & His Hillbilly Hotclub. Top quality sound by Gary Kirby out of Stuarts Draft. Put this on your calender right now for next year !
See all the pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/OakGrove81107

peace,

Trip to San Antonio TX and BSF 8/07

2007-08-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well of course this is Miss Ella Rose who is up around an walking now. I thought I would use her picture to just say " Hello" from the Ashby's and invite you to view some pictures of our recent trip to work in the Bible Study Fellowship International pressroom.

See pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/gkashby/BSF807

BSF International prints and distributes Bible lessons and support material for over 900 classes worldwide for adults and children. They do all this with a minimum of paid staff and utilize volunteers to assist in their efforts. We packed lessons for adults and children for classes from Ghana, Kenya, Scotland and Harrisonburg VA to name a few !

Summer At River View Manse

2007-07-12T06:13:00.001-07:00

Spring rushed in and by and now it's summer so I thought it fitting to show you River View in the summer !

Some of the 60 Leyland Cyprus that we planted are visable in the foreground and the 'aviary', where we are feeding the birds can be seen in the center of the picture. Birds this week besides the Mourning Doves, Goldfinches, Cardinals, Bluejays, finches and swallows have included an Indigo Bunting and a Little Blue Heron.

The newly planted garden is giving us all our salads and 'zukes' as well as cucumbers, beets, parsley and an abundance of so-far green tomatoes that we talk to daily ( "get red! get red!").

You can see from the grass that it has been dry, dry dry here. We're currently making plans for irrigation from the river - stay tuned and peace to you where ever you are this summer.

Shenandoah Confederate Breastworks

2007-07-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

In late winter of 1862, the people of the Shenandoah Valley were growing anxious regarding the threat of a major Yankee invasion near Staunton VA. On April 5, 1862, about 3000 troops began construction of Fort Edward Johnson near the top of Shenandoah Mountain. Included also was over a mile of trench of “breastworks” dug into the frozen, rocky ground. Men camped on the top of the mountain found the ground too steep and rocky to find any comfort at all.
By the end of April, General Johnson was worried. Jackson had been defeated near Winchester and had left the valley. When Johnson left the fort to confer with Jackson, a panicked officer gave the order to abandon and destroy the fort. Johnson’s army now camped near Staunton, faced two approaching armies without defenses. On May4th Jackson’s army arrived in Staunton in a secret and lightning move to assist Johnson and forced the Union Army into retreat at least for a time.

- USDA Forest Service brochure

Daisy - Guard Dog of the Shenandoah

2007-07-05T07:48:00.001-07:00

One Year Ago...June 11th

2007-06-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

One year ago, June 11th Ella Rose Wagner came into all our lives.

At the same time, give or take; Margaret graduated from seminary, we sold our house in Louisville KY, Margaret was called to Pleasant View in Staunton VA , was ordained and installed and we bought a house in Staunton and moved in.

In all of this, you could truly say it was a year of new birth, new growth and blessings in abundance.

River View Rocks !

2007-06-02T15:05:00.001-07:00

Well I just hadn't ever thought about what a great place the back yard would be for a band, a party and some Praise for the Lord - but the senior graduating from high school next door certainly did.
The Band: "Second Chance" - their card reads and I quote" " Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more. John 8:11a.
http://www.myspace.com/4secondchance
Amen

The "2nd Wind" Back In The Water With Her New Owner

2007-04-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

When I Last Saw her...

2007-04-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

As I drove east on I64 accross Virginia April 7th, there was a 4" blanket of seasonal, yet unexpected snow that had just fallen the night before. But what I remembered were hot summer days when I had to make sure to put on sunscreen and wear sunglasses as I headed the Change of Heart out of Cooks Landing into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Change of Heart has now been sold. One fellow boater wrote me upon being told my boat was sold by saying, " Good for ya' mate! You still have the memories". Indeed.

Though the last time I saw the Change of Heart, she had snow all over her that needed to be cleared off; what I remember is the whine of the two-stroke engine and the rise and fall of the bow as we headed out to sea and then that silence as I brought her around into the wind, raised the mainsail, cut the engine and felt at one with the sea, the boat and myself.

peace,

Thumbs Up -Ella Rose Wagner 03/21/07

2007-03-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

...or it could be, "hey, Daisy is outside and I am inside" says Ella.
Several new teeth are in for Ella, lots of new sounds and a few more pounds. Spring and new life comes to visit us in Verona VA.
peace,

NOW it's Winter in VA !

2007-02-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

After a number of 60 degree days in January we've now shifted into a number of days below freezing and the last couple of nights in the single numbers. The Middle River, behind our house is partially frozen and the birds are beginning to find the feeders that I have put in the back yard. A couple of inches of snow fell within hours of this photo and indeed, now it is winter. peace,

Verona Community Food Pantry

2007-01-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Shown here is volunteer Hunter Fauber with one of the family members of the clients of the Verona Food Pantry. The Pantry is the largest in VA and distributes food to those in need in Augusta County VA including certified USDA distribution.

In 2006 the Pantry served over 22,000 families comprised of over 66,100 individuals. To give you an idea of scale this amounts to around 100,000 pounds of food per MONTH and about 18,000 loaves of bread per MONTH. Hunter has seen the growth and need for this outreach from it's start in his garage to the vital volunteer operation that it is today. The distribution is totally volunteer run and has to PURCHASE all it's distributed food ! Let me know how YOU can support this mission with time or financial support. Thanks from the families of Augusta County VA.

Changes At River View Manse

2007-01-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

The extended warm weather here in the Valley has allowed the springtime projects to be moved forward in time. Fencing around the house and the rebuilding/enlarging of the deck was completed just as temperatures dropped 40 degrees this week. These two projects along with setting the storage building also resulted in moving about 20 trees and shrubs to better growing locations. Margaret and I are taking a course on Landscaping for Birds and Butterflies and I'm starting to move some of the plantings to encourage bird visits on the property. Another couple of weeks and it will be time to overseed with clover and tall fescue and be mowing by the first of March. New growth, new life, same Maker and Creator.

Mt. Solon VA- January 12, 2007

2007-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

St Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mt. Solon VA for the last 150 years. Two wood stoves, 10 attended last Sunday, One God- the same one for the last 150 years. You can't get to the church from the south when the river is up because the road crosses the river without the aid of a bridge. The river was up so we came in from the north.
Occasion is the funeral of a beloved member who was baptised here, brought up children who were baptised here and married here, and had their children baptised here.
First Reading was from the book of Romans 8 - "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The congregation sang "Beautiful Savior", "How Great Thou Art" and "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" - AMEN.

"Mean...low down work!"

2006-12-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

When I read Martin Luther, he strikes me sort of like reading St. Paul: he probably wasn’t the easiest guy on earth to live with! But outspoken for sure and at this time of year I open up “Martin Luther’s Christmas Book”, edited by Roland H. Brainton. It is a great read every Christmas.

This week’s Gospel lesson is Luke 2: 1-14 covering the birth of Jesus and the coming of the shepherds.
Luther writes: “That was a mean job, watching flocks by night. Common sense calls it low down work, and the men who do it are regarded as trash. But the Evangelist lauds the angels because they proclaimed their message only to shepherds watching their flock by night. These were real sheepherders. And what did they do? They did what real shepherds should do. They stayed in t their station and did the work of their calling. They were pure in heart and content with their work, not aspiring to be townsmen or nobles, nor envious of the mighty. Next to faith this is the highest art – to be content with the calling in which god has placed you. I have not learned it yet.
It is the very devil that no one wants to follow the shepherds (example). The married man wants to be without a wife, or the nobleman to be a prince. It is: “If I were this! If I were that!” You fool! The best job is the one you have. If you are married, you cannot have a higher status. If you are a servant you are in the very best position. Be diligent and know that there are no greater saints on this earth than servants. Do not say “If I were”; say, “I am.” Look at the shepherds. They were watching their flocks by night and an angel came and made them apostles, prophets, and children of God.”

Luther concludes:
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising god for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
“This is wrong. We should correct this passage to read, “They went and shaved their heads, fasted, told their rosaries and put on cowls”. Instead we read, “The shepherds returned.” Where to? To their sheep. Oh, that can’t be right! Did they not leave everything and follow Christ? Must not one forsake father and mother, wife and child to be saved? But the Scripture says plainly that they returned and did exactly the same work as before. They did not despise their service, but took it up again where they left off with all fidelity and I tell you that no bishop on earth ever had so fine a crook as those shepherds.”

As we all return to our workplaces of home, factory and the world, may we all take the Good News of this season with us to ponder in our hearts and proclaim with our lives.

Peace,

Gerald

Uncle James and Ella Rose

2006-11-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

Well the river came up a little...

2006-11-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it has rained this much before but I guess the ground was saturated, maybe some obstruction downstream (?), who knows....
At noontime last Thursday the Middle River that flows through the back edge of our 2 acres was at it's normal level and by the end of the afternoon the river had come up 5 feet to just crest the bank and provide this recreational facility for some passing ducks.
All gone now, but it certainly let us know that nature and our river are on their own schedule.

What Makes a GrandParent Joyous ??????

2006-11-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

Ella Rose Wagner, now sitting up on her own as can be seen - will soon be visiting in Staunton VA along with her parents and her Uncle James Ashby from Colorado. The reason for the gathering will be the holiday of Thanksgiving. The reason for the gathering will indeed be - thanks-giving ! peace,..

And Now...Ta- Daaa!

2006-11-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

It was like a great novel: there was drama, there were tears, there was sweat and danger and there was a happy ending. One man with this 12' by 24' building on a trailer showed up and 2 hours later the building was as you see it. First of all the trailer driver was amazing in his ability to place the building close and secondly we used rollers, prybars and jacks to get the building into place and back up on the blocks to level it. Whew ! Stay tuned for fencing and gates around each side of the house next. Oh yeah, if you look closely to the left of the building there is Daisy our Jack Rusell Terrier and to the right you can see some of the 64 - 2' high Leyland Cyprus tress that we put in a couple of weeks ago. peace,

The BIG DIG, Virginia style...

2006-10-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, little did I know that in Virginia any structure (like the storage building I wanted) over 256 square feet is considered to be just like a mobile home in it's foundation requirements. Do I back up and get a smaller building or just forge on ahead ??

You can't see the two foot depth of the holes in the above picture or the four inches of poured concrete or the inspector that needs to come tommorrow to look at the holes or the piers that will go on top of the poured concrete in the bottom of the holes; but you WOULD be correct in saying that I forged/dug/excavated ahead.

Stay tuned for the 12foot by 24 foot building, the fencing and pictures of the 64 Leyland Cyprus trees that are already in the ground here in Verona Va at The River View Manse.

Wrapped For the Winter

2006-10-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

After a year and a half, Ernesto and a tide that ran 6 feet over normal last Saturday; I REALLY felt it was time to go and inspect Change Of Heart down in Hayes VA. Praise be she was high and dry!

The old tarps were completely wind torn and shredded, and I mean piles of plastic tarp that looked just like you had run them through one of those paper shredders. But inside, all snug and safe were sails, outboard motor, supplies, radio, teak and mahogany........ you can tell I really love this boat eh?

Beautiful day in the 80's, smell of the salt, met with my sailing mentor SailorBob Larkin and had supper and rode west on I64 back to Verona. What is next for the Change Of Heart ? Stay tuned ( ie I'll let you know when I know!). Peace

Dawn Out The Back Door and Over the Middle River, October 1, 2006 Verona Virginia

2006-10-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Cymbalism ??????

2006-10-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

2006-10-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

A Time of Abundance

2006-08-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

We transition from moving out of two locations and the seminary to Staunton Virginia and Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church and it has been a time of abundance in every way. An abundance of stuff to be moved, an abundance of help to move it, an abundance of celebration and anointing in a congregational setting and an abundance of greeting, hospitality and caring from everyone in our new home.

A list of the events doesn’t do it justice but for the record we packed up Margaret’s Columbus OH student housing July 19th and then drove to Staunton VA on July 20th. Gerald had already supervised the packing and loading of the Louisville house and belongings into storage units in Staunton VA. July 21st we bought Margaret a used Honda CRV to curve around those VA country roads as we had donated one car before we left Columbus OH.

On July 22nd Margaret’s ordination was held at Muhlenberg Lutheran Church in Harrisonburg VA, about 20 mile north of Staunton. The attendance and the event were overwhelming! Pastor William Funk ‘sponsored’ Margaret which means placing the stole upon Margaret’s shoulder during the ordination. This was all too fitting for Bill who was our pastor in Louisville KY and the one who baptized Margaret. Preaching the stirring sermon was Pastor Gary Erdos from Margaret’s internship site in Yorktown VA.
Bishop James Mauney, Bishop of the Virginia Synod, presided at the installation which also included Patty Covington recently graduated from Gettysburg Seminary and for whom Muhlenberg was home congregation. A pretty packed house included people from that congregation, well wishers for us from Greenville SC, Louisville KY, Yorktown VA, Columbus OH, Lynn MA (thanks Phil and Barb) plus Helen and Bill Funk up from Alabama. The music, the preaching, the communion, and the Holy Spirit – all in abundance.

Sunday July 23rd saw the now Reverend Margaret D. Ashby performing word and sacrament at Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church just north of Staunton VA. Afterwards was a giant church wide luncheon followed by and official installation service with Pastor James Pence of Zion Lutheran Dean of the Southern Valley Conference of Lutheran Pastors, delivering the sermon.

Well, all that abundant making official what the Lord called Margaret out to do was followed (in brief) by:
Monday July 24th – passed papers on our new house in Verona VA 3.5 miles from the house and loaded 3 x22’ Penske truckloads of belongings into the house with the able assistance of congregation members.
Tuesday July 25th saw a couple more truckloads into the house.
Weds-Sat we sorted, unpacked and went to the dump 3 times with assistance and Margaret’s mother Betsy Baker, staying over to help out.
Sunday July 30th– well, you guessed it, saw Reverend Margaret Ashby once again with word and sacrament at Pleasant View.

The afternoon July 30th we received a phone call telling us that Margaret’s 97 year old Great Aunt, Dr. Annette Gillette had just died in Hartford Conn. As caregiver for her Aunt, Margaret and I got on a plane Tues morning to Conn. in order to make arrangements and settle her belongings. A sad time but a time to celebrate the abundant life of a Vassar College graduate of the class of 1930 and receiving her Doctorate from Columbia University in 1936, years of teaching in the Hartford school system and a dearly beloved Aunt. A small memorial service was held in Hartford August 3rd where Dr. Gillette had been living for the last 21 years and a burial service will happen later on at the family plot in Rochester NY.
Abundance and a full life, includes abundant amounts of everything that being here on earth and leaving it, entails.

You Are Invited !

2006-06-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

By the grace of God
and
with the call of the Church

Bishop James F. Mauney
of the Virginia Synod, ELCA
will ordain
Margaret Dudley Ashby
and
Patricia Kelly Covington
to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament
in
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
on
The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Saturday, July 22, 2006
at 5:00 pm
Muhlenberg Evangelical Lutheran Church
281 East Market Street
Harrisonburg, VA
Your prayers and presence are requested
A reception supper will follow the service
Clergy are invited to vest and process
The color of the day is red

Directions to Muhlenberg Lutheran Church:
281 East Market Street (Rte. 33).
From I-81 take exit 247B west towards Harrisonburg. The church is on the left side of the road, approximately 1.5 miles from I-81. Parking is available in the church parking lot, in the lot behind the Muhlenberg Activities Center (okay to park there on weekends). Parking is also available in the vacant lot beside and behind the church.

By the Grace of God
and with great pleasure and joy
our Congregation invites
You to the
Installation of our new Pastor,
The Reverend Margaret Dudley Ashby
on
Sunday, July 23, 2006
2:00 pm
Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church
2733 Springhill Road
Staunton, VA
Reception to follow the service

There are a variety of hotels/motels in the Staunton/Harrisonburg area, however,
Gerald and I will be staying at the
Quality Inn, Staunton VA.
I-81 & Exit 225.
We have blocked several rooms if you would like to join us there. Ask for Ashby Rooms – confirmation # 139 747
$59.99 per nite. Phone 540-248-5111.

Ella Rose Wagner - June 12, 2006

2006-06-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Ella Rose Wagner was born to Nick and Tracy Otis Wagner June 12, 2006 at 9:24am. Ella Rose came into this world at 7 pounds 15oz. and 20" long. A brief labor from about 5am until the delivery at 9:24am. Mother and child and father and grandparents are resting, and blessing this joyful blessing of life.

Oh, Shenandoah.....

2006-06-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

The 'executive summary' is that Margaret has officially been called to be the Pastor of Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church in Staunton VA by congregational vote on Sunday June 11, 2006. YAHOOOOO !!! and Praise the Lord ! The 'long form' is that Gerald helped load the moving van with all the Louisville house on June 5/6 and then drove to Staunton and unloaded same into storage on June 8 and then drove back to Columbus OH June 9. Margaret and I go back to Louisville June 13 to pass papers on our house in Louisville. EVEN BIGGER NEWS, we received a call from Son in Law Nick this morning and today MAY be 'baby day' for Tracy, making us grandparents for the first time ! YAHOOOOO TWO !! If this is so today we'll go from Louisville KY to Asheville NC until Friday June 16 when we attend the Virginia Synod General Assembly in Roanoke NC and then on June 19 go to Staunton VA to look for a place to live ! I'm sure that Abraham had the same issues of moving tents, family, cattle etc etc to places unknown............Your prayers have and still keep us heading in the right direction - THANK YOU !

June 3,06' Graduation Day

2006-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Our home congregation Ascension Lutheran blesses us

2006-05-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

2006-05-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

Pleasant View Evangelical Lutheran Church, Staunton VA

2006-05-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

2006-05-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

With the congregation, in the kitchen

2006-05-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

"...we have been waiting for the right shepherd." May 21, 2006

Pleasant View Sanctuary

2006-05-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

May 25, 2006 Seminary Graduation Week

2006-05-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

Psalm 142
I cry out to the LORD with my voice;
With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.
Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
I cried out to You, O LORD:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

2005-06-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Captain Ashby at the helm of "Change Of Heart"

Our Plans and God's Plan

2005-06-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Up until a couple of weeks ago our plan was to pack up and leave from Yorktown VA on July 31, returning to Columbus OH for Margaret’s final academic year at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. After the move we were going to do some visiting and I was going to return to VA to put my 24’ sailboat, “Change of Heart” up on ‘the hard’ until we see where we’ll really wind up in a year or so.

Now revealed, here is God’s plan:
Our tenants in our house in Louisville KY are being transferred back to England so Gerald will be going to Louisville on June 29 to take care of the house, live in the house and get it ready for sale. Gerald will return to VA on July 27 in time to pack and move Margaret from Yorktown VA to student apartments in Columbus and then Gerald and Margaret will spend most of August at the house in Louisville.
Margaret WILL go back to Trinity Lutheran Seminary in September and it looks like Gerald will be at the house (and a job?) in Louisville.

The Lord’s hand has graciously rested on all of our moves over the last 4 years and with you prayers, will continue to be so over the coming months.
The “Change of Heart” is already on ‘the hard’ so keep your eyes open for blog photos of what a sailboat ‘haul out’ looks like close up and personal!
Email response will be intermittent for Gerald starting on June 29 and as we near the move dates you should be using our cell phone numbers with the ‘614’ Ohio area code on them. Those cell numbers will remain the same.
This move is not a surprise but is coming at us a little sooner and different than our original plan. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue upon God’s plan.

Gerald and Margaret

2005-06-20T18:34:00.001-07:00

Change of Heart

Rick, Sheila, Mary and Gerald

2005-06-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Gift Shop Warehouse Crew

2005-06-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Commute Spring 2005

2005-01-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Commute Jamestown VA Fall 2004

Margaret and George Bush Return to Washington DC

2005-01-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Margaret left today for Washington DC and the College of Preachers at Washington National Cathedral. See at: http://www.collegeofpreachers.org
She will be there for the next week attending a program entitled “Embodying the Spoken Word”. I quote from the course description:
“Expressing the power of the Word takes more than words. To offer the gospel message fully, the preacher must embody that message, create an active relationship with the listener, and be eager to give the message away. This is a physically demanding and emotionally intense workshop designed for preachers who are looking for a bold and innovative approach to the preaching task.”
Your continued prayers, as always, are appreciated and what is keeping us ‘afloat’.

Other top news from the Ashby’s is the beginning return of Son James to the United States. Take a look at his blog site for incredible tales and photos: http://whatyoumakeofit.blogspot.com

Tracy and Nick in Asheville NC are continuing to work away on their house along with Nick’s new job and their new pickup truck. Margaret and Tracy stay in close contact providing a constant current of dialogue on knitting, quilting, life and love.

For Gerald, the guided tours at Jamestown/Yorktown and the sailing on “Change of Heart” have slowed down radically in the current 20-degree weather in VA. On a note of increased activity though, Gerald is still giving some tours(I gave one last week to a class from Fairbanks AK on their way to the inauguration!) and is now working part time in building maintenance and repairs here at the apartment complex we live at. This may not seem like much of a blessing but to someone without a garage, shop or place to work on projects for over 3 years – the joy of having a shop full of tools and parts on the inside –is like an answer to a dream I didn’t know I was having( sound familiar if you’ve read “ Finding Your Dream” off my September blog site !) In addition I am waiting to hear from the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation this week about an additional chance to work for them at a new warehouse that they have built about 7 miles from our apartment on the Colonial Parkway.
Gerald’s voice is finally coming back after being on ‘leave’ since Thanksgiving. I did a little singing at last weekends Choir Oyster Roast and will be working with the teens at church on Feb 6th. It’s a joy to be back playing and singing after a couple of months out of circulation and practice.

I promise to go and pick up the digital disk of photos sitting down at WalMart this week and get some of them onto the site.
In the meantime, may you thrive in 2005.
Gerald

2005-01-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

January First 2005 aboard "Change of Heart"

January Wind

2005-01-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

A New Years Note to Sailor Bob January 2005

Today Margaret and I sailed in a light breeze, sunshine and 65 degrees on the Chesapeake Bay. I thought of all of us when I read the following from a book by John Ortberg, “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” ( catchy title eh?)

Signs of Wise Spiritual Training

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8

“We can hoist the sails and steer the rudder, but we are utterly dependent on the wind. The wind does the work. If the wind doesn’t blow –and sometimes it doesn’t- we sit in the water no matter how frantic we act.

Our task is to do whatever enables us to catch the wind.

Spiritual transformation is that way. We may be aggressively pursuing it, but we cannot turn it on and off. We can open ourselves to transformation through certain practices, but we cannot engineer it. We can take no credit for it.

Spiritual growth requires discernment. We must learn to respond to the fresh wind of the Spirit. Wise sailors know their main task is being able to “read” the wind – to practice discernment.

Our task is to do whatever enables us to catch the wind.

Gerald

Unto Us A Child Is Born

2004-12-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

We ushered in Christmas Day 2004 with 200 other people this year. Margaret and I participated in three Christmas Eve services at St Mark at 500, 730 and 1100PM totalling about 600 people and finished up the last service about 1230AM Christmas morning. It was great time with singing, candles and the hope and expectation of good things to come.

Sleeping in on Christmas morn, our expectation of Christmas joy was not disappointed and around 830am James called from a village about 75 miles north of Calcutta on the Ganges River. James delighted us with wonderful tales of seeing villages and life along the Ganges River over the 400 or so miles that he has already covered.
Words cannot describe the joy and yes relief that Margaret and I felt from this phone call and it set the tone of pure rejoicing for the rest of the day.
As a further update to James location and the recent disaster in that part of the world: James is alive and well – read it all on http://whatyoumakeofit.blogspot.com.
The rest of the day was slow and relaxed as we brewed a pot of good coffee (thank you Tracy for upgrading our coffee selections) and opening a couple of gifts that we had been given by congregation members and a couple we had gotten each other. Phone conversations with Tracy and Nick in North Carolina and Betsy and Steve Baker in South Carolina rounded out our sense of family ‘presence’. Margaret baked a couple of lemon pies and later in the day we went over to Pastor Erdo’s home to join with them for a family Christmas day dinner. Without trying to, we seem to have collected a wonderful batch of Yorktown related Christmas tree decorations that will serve as a reminder of this year.

As I sit here now at St Mark in between Sunday morning services on the 26th, the snow is gently falling, completing the visual joy to go along with the joy we have and wish to all reading this posting, for all the coming year.

2004-12-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Nick, Margaret on the phone with James in Varanasi India and Tracy - Thanksgiving 2004
Asheville NC

October-November Update

2004-12-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Without any further delay here is the October-November update before December is gone!
First of all, lets’ get started with a recent Haiku that friend Sailor Bob wrote for ME !

COME ABOUT – Ashbyhaiku

I sail “Change of Heart”
But not Alone
God is here
With oceans of Love.

How many people have sailing instructors that write Haikus’ about them ? eh ?

November is gone and December pushes with a steady speed right into 2005. As I relate some of the events of the last couple of months I also will attempt to go beyond just the ‘chronology’ of these events but try to draw some at least, short term impressions of what these events are meaning to me.

For Margaret the weekends are full to overflowing. In particular working with the teens in their Catechism class including writing study questions and grading movie reports that they are writing. Other agenda items for her have been New Member Classes, teaching a session for the women’s’ Dorcas Circle, Council and Internship Committee meetings, writing front pages for the church newsletter on a regular basis, community wide Thanksgiving service and Reformation Service participation, “Lost and Found” synod youth weekend, and at least four “opportunities” to preach that I can see coming in the month of December.
But as an old boss of mine used to say, “was this an activity or is there a result?”
Well, I see Margaret taking on more and more over a wider range of spiritual, teaching and administrative areas. To me it is like looking at the career of a race car driver as they start at 60 mph racing around the streets, then go to 90 mph racing around the local circuits and then going in to professional racing at 150 mph on larger circuits. If from the start Margaret had been asked to go 150mph she’d probably say ‘no way’ but what I see is that ever increasing experience through the empowering of the Holy Spirit that will let her say at some point, ‘this IS the way’. Of even greater importance is Margaret continuing to find her own “voice” in this empowering as the well meaning pulls and tugs of peoples direction cause fears that keep her from finding her own voice and doing her own work that the Lord has intended for her. This of course is a work in progress as we race around the weekly trial runs and endurance races of the church schedule.

For Gerald the list is made up of working tours at Jamestown and Yorktown for the State of Virginia Dept of Education, leading a Bible Study Fellowship Bible discussion group (my 7th year), teaching an adult Sunday school class on the Parables at St Mark, weekly choir rehearsals and singing at multiple Sunday services, leading song as the cantor for the newly added Taize services at St. Mark, and of course sailing and working on the boat.
It was a busy October and November for Gerald at Jamestown and Yorktown. Attendance of school aged children was up 25% at both locations for the two school months of Sept and Oct which translated to 20,000 children that went through Jamestown and over 9,000 visiting Yorktown. It’s quite a sight to pull into work in the morning and see 35 full sized buses lined up or pulling in for tours! Just think of the latent 4th grader and 5th grader energy represented there! Because the Jamestown/Yorktown tours are made up of school field trips, that source of work will come to a halt right about now and not really pick up again until March. This means I need your prayers and I need to get out there and find some other work. I’ve really enjoyed the teaching/questioning/touring that I’ve done with the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation and I hope that whatever the Lord works out for my next job, that it allows me to do more tours when they are available.
My prayer for work here in Yorktown was that it would something that would not only provide income but also add to my value as a Pastoral Spouse. The teaching preparation that I’ve received through the Foundation has been an answer to that prayer in a way that I never would have imagined. The Sunday school class that I am leading now is already getting the blessing from what I’ve learned!
My 24-foot sailboat, the “Change of Heart” still is a thrill every time I get to work on her or take her out sailing. I’ve taken the boat out solo several times and come back not only safely, but also better educated of what to do differently next time. The days here in VA still provide opportunity for sailing in between the rain and I plan to keep sailing any days that I can until what I hear will be a January of no sail days. In the meantime I’ve been doing electrical work and moving some things around inside the cabin of the “Change of Heart” in preparation for solo trips and overnight trips as I gain confidence. I have a profound respect for what I still do not know and also a respect for going around in a 5,000-pound object with no brakes! The sailboat provides me a gentle mix of tinkering with and ongoing repair project, fiddling amongst fear while sailing and then moments of getting the boat trimmed out and sailing on, as Sailor Bob put it, “ oceans of Love”.

For Margaret and Gerald the most recent cause for praise is the safety and joy that our son James is having in Nepal and India. James left for Nepal on October 11th and after arriving in Kathmandu and heading into the mountains (18,000 feet plus!) we didn’t hear from him again until November 14th. He is updating his incredible travelogue on his blog site: http://whatyoumakeofit.blogspot.com/ Read all about it and make sure to go to the right hand column and click on his ‘photobucket.com’ where he has some really great pictures. James will be back in New Mexico in March to defend his Masters thesis in Geology.
Tracy and Nick are also working along both at their respective jobs and their first house. Purchased this past summer the house is getting lots of well deserved attention ranging from Tracy and Nicks’ art touches inside the house to the more mundane but needed rewiring of the house and new foundation under the garage/Nicks’ workshop. Sort of like my ‘todo’ list for the Change of Heart, there’s always plenty to do.
All I can do is give praise for the protection and joy of heart that James, Tracy and Nick are participating in. Don’t get me wrong, they’re having their bumps and grinds along the way but I just give praise for their abundant lives and we will continue our prayers for the joy in their hearts no matter what hills they are having to currently climb.

In the combined ‘Ashby Clan’ category, we were able to drive to Asheville NC on Thanksgiving Day after Margaret and I participated in a community wide Thanksgiving service on Wednesday night. We left about 5AM and had clear sailing over during the 7-hour drive to arrive at Tracy and Nicks’ charming home and hospitality. The pies were already laid out in quantity when we arrived and shortly thereafter Nick prepared the bird for it’s journey to the Thanksgiving Table that evening. Tracy read a passage from ee cummings and we ate the first of several great meals on what was laid before us.
The other additional highlight of the family Thanksgiving was including James in the festivities. At 10PM Asheville NC time James called on the phone from Varanasi India at 8AM the next day and we all got a chance to speak with him. See the 2004 Ashby Thanksgiving picture with us on the phone with the missing member of the crew, soon to be posted !

Son James Heard From !

2004-11-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

See and read about James' adventures in Nepal, Kathmando and Varanasi India at his blog site http:/whatyoumakeofit.blogspot.com and make sure to go the link on the righthand sidebar titled "My Photo Albums at Photobucket.com" for some really great photos !

2004-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Sailor Bob at the helm

From Poet, Sailor Bob

2004-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've talked about Robert Larkin, aka Sailor Bob in the "Change of Heart" post and how besides being my sailing mentor, he is also a dear friend and poet.
On the morning of October 12, 2004 before we went sailing, he shared his most recent poem with me. I share it with you because I recognize this as talking to me as well as I'm sure you might recognize it talking to you.

In God's time
On the beach,
Watching the waveletts
Roll pebbles and shells
Back and forth;
I feel the shoulder chips,
Of resentment, fall off
And into the grinding
mill at my feet.

In God's time
these sharp chips
Will become dull,
thru time and tide,
Smooth enough to
pick up and throw
Away forever.

-- Larkin 12 October 2004

At The Washington National Cathedral

2004-10-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Washington National Cathedral

This picture was taken at the Chapel of the Resurrection, underneath the Washington National Cathedral. Margaret and I were blessed to be with acolytes from St Mark at the 25th Annual National Acolyte Festival. With over 2500 acolytes in an incredible service and event the Rev. John Chane, Bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Washington blessed all the acolytes in "their high calling and responsibility; to pray that God will bless and direct them in their ministry; and to celebrate the witness of their service before the altar of God".
WHEW ! Service before the altar of God ! Awesome indeed !

2004-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

St Mark Lutheran Sanctuary

Ashby Update October First

2004-10-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

“The preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”
--Proverbs 16:1

It seems like years since I posted our last update on August 8th but that’s because so much has gone on in the last 60 days. Despite multiple passes from the remnants of several hurricanes and all that’s listed below we are here and in gear!

Let’s start with the reason for being in Yorktown and that’s Margaret’s internship as Vicar Margaret Ashby at St Mark Lutheran. Margaret has been working 6/7 days a week, preaching every third week and serving in a number of other assisting capacities. Our prayers for being shown a whole different set of needs and solutions has indeed been abundantly realized. From Church Council, to planning for a new website, to assisting at funerals, to assisting at the St Francis Blessing of the Animals; there has been a whole new level of learning that we’ve been exposed to. Upcoming events include our participation in the yearly Acolyte Training held at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, city wide Reformation Sunday services with the retired Catholic Bishop of the area preaching and of course the Advent season.
In the midst of all of this Margaret’s sister Maria, who has had cancer for a number of years passed away in Switzerland. A sad occasion but I was able to get James out of Colorado, Tracy out of North Carolina and Margaret and myself all the same plane going over to Switzerland and back again. Really the first time that all four of us as a family, have been together in over 2 years. Margaret’s brother Stephen was also there from South Carolina and along with the Swiss family we cried, remembered and celebrated the Maria’s vital full life. Ironically we had just finished helping Maria’s oldest son Stephen Humair, move out of his house in Findlay Ohio just before we moved to Virginia and he moved back to Switzerland with his wife and two children. Maria became a grandmother of four during the years she was diagnosed with cancer and the Lord blessed those years indeed.

Gerald of course is in the choir at St Mark and in addition to attending Adult Sunday School is getting ready to start teaching an adult SS session on the Parables in November. It would be easy to be involved the same 6/7 days a week at St Mark that Margaret is but my new job and of course my new sailboat are keeping that in check.
Regarding the job: Gerald has just finished 2 weeks of training and qualifying as a Museum Program Assistant at the Jamestown Virginia Settlement. Jamestown is the first permanent English settlement in North America and hosts 200,000 school aged children a year with emphasis on what is called the Virginia Standards of Learning which the Jamestown Foundation (a part of the Virginia Department of Education) is an integral part. I serve as a guide for the 2-hour tours through the interpretive areas of a Powhatan Indian Village, three reproduction ships, a Riverfront area and a reproduction Fort James. The Jamestown settlement is a lovely 30-minute drive on the Colonial Parkway that starts on the York River, winds across the peninsula past Colonial Williamsburg and then over to the James River.
Starting this week I am training to do the same work here at the Colonial era Yorktown Visitors Center that includes a Revolutionary War encampment and a Colonial farm site.
In addition, Gerald is now serving his seventh year as a Discussion Group Leader with Bible Study Fellowship International. This year’s study is The Acts of the Apostles and the Newport News evening men’s class is some 300 men strong ( plus about 35 children also taught by the men).
Last, but by no means least is the fact that Gerald has bought and is learning to sail a 24’ sailboat. This is a long and blessed story in itself and it’s origins can be read on my website under the title “ Finding Your Dream or the Origin of the sailboat “Change of Heart”.

Soon to be 29 year old son James has completed work on the trail atop Mt. Massive ( 14, 250’) in Colorado and is getting ready to leave on his birthday, October 11th, for Nepal for a number of months. He will assist in various geological projects and in general be in an area of the world that he has been longing to go to for several years. As parents our deepest prayers for his happiness and safety will continue. You can see details of his Nepal adventures and the current political status of the country on James’ website:
http://whatyoumakeofit.blogspot.com/

Daughter Tracy Otis and husband Nick are busy working away on their ‘new to them’ 1928 brick bungalow in Asheville NC. Oddly enough all the hurricanes have brought much more destructive rain to the Asheville area than to us here on the coast. Lots of painting and scraping, house rewiring and raising the garage/workshop and pouring a new foundation under it –are some of their recent activities.

I recently heard the following phrase again that I think is so apt and that is: “A season of preparation for a lifetime of service”. The challenge continues to be finding the silent moments of thought and prayer to allow the processing of all that we are blessed with in preparation here and exhibiting a spirit of grace and wisdom along the way.
Stay tuned for additional updates regarding the whole Ashby clan and many more sailboat adventures at:
http://changedheart.blogspot.com/

Gerald and Margaret Ashby 10/01/04

2004-09-27T23:52:00.001-07:00

Finding Your Dream

Finding Your (Finding That You) Dream or The Origin of The Sailboat "Change of Heart"

2004-09-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

Settle in because this story takes a little while to tell, but it is a story that I need to tell and hope you take the time to enjoy.

Where to begin ?
Well I guess to set the stage or some remote basis for this tale I’ll tell you how a couple of my weeks every summer were spent as a child – say from early grade school up through high school. My parents attended the Unitarian Church in Lexington MA and every summer we attended a “Family Week” at Star Island, which is one of the Isle of Shoals, located 10 miles off the Portsmouth New Hampshire coast. The week consisted of daily talks for the adults around a topic for the week while us kids got to roam the small island, learn tales about Blackbeard the pirate, play in tidal pools and in general never have anything but the Atlantic Ocean and waves crashing into the rocks surrounding us to look at. As I entered High School I became very active in Unitarian youth groups and continued to attend teenage weeks with the church at Star Island each year, eventually becoming part of the planning committee for this retreat.
So you see, I at least have been to the ocean.

I’m not sure where the next fact belongs but let’s put it here: Gerald is really, really poor at dreaming. I went years and years before I could ever remember having dreams even at night as an adult and during my waking hours, dreaming just hasn’t been something that I do. I mean, I’m a second-generation immigrant of working class heritage – it’s all about work and not dreaming - right? Margaret has tried to train me for years in the ‘art of dreaming’ without much effect for over 30 years now.

We now fast forward (or slow forward if you will), 40 years, to Margaret and I moving here to Yorktown VA, right on the York River below and emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. We are less than a five-minute walk from the water and daily commutes around here always include a view of the water in some form. During the first week we were here my errands to get us squared away took me by our local Post office, actually in Grafton VA just down the street from Yorktown. As I was leaving the post office I noticed a bulletin board reserved for local ‘for sale’ items. On this board was an advertisement for a sailboat. To be exact a Bristol 24, a 24’ sailing boat with classic lines. Don’t ask me why it caught my eye, or why there was just a glimmer of a thought that said “ hey, what if I had a sailboat and learned to sail and just did that instead of working?”
But there it was – and it happened just that quickly – and was gone.
Well, I didn’t take any note of the phone number or anything but went on my way. In the next couple of days I went online to see what a Bristol 24 was because I do remember hearing that Bristol was indeed a fine craft, made in Bristol Rhode Island and many of models were designed by the America’s Cup designer Ted Hood.

In my prayer journal for Monday August 16, 2004 I write that I confess that I do not dream. The reading for the day makes me wonder, is it because unlike Isaiah 40:31 “I am NOT waiting on the Lord to renew my strength” ? Do I not trust the Lord enough to dream for fear that I will be discouraged ?? Is that it??
Well a week goes by and my travels once again take me to the Grafton Post office but THIS time as I’m coming out I happen to take down the name, phone number and location of where the boat is moored, thinking at that point just to use it as another destination for exploring and getting to know the area. Several days later I’m working my way down the list of local businesses that I’m approaching for job prospects and I come to Winter Sound and Electronics, which is over in Gloucester Point VA. Gloucester Point is right across the York River from Yorktown, separated by a big bridge with cool rotating sections to let the BIG ships including carriers, in and out of the river. While I’m looking over the map the night before to find Winter Sound I notice the various bays labeled and lo and behold east of Gloucester Point, over there past Bena VA and right near Achilles VA is Cooks Landing – location of the advertised Bristol 24 !
Well, I thinks to myself, why not try to find this place and to find Cooks Marina and try to find Pier #1 and Slip #6 and see what a Bristol 24 looks like or even if it is still there?

The next day dawned and over the bridge I went looking for Winter Sound. Before I knew it I was looking at numbers higher than the address I was looking for so I just figured I keep on going and try to find Cooks Landing and get to Winter Sound on the way back. One turn then another turn and the marsh grass is getting taller and it becomes difficult to even see the buried sign for Cooks Marina, but after a couple of turn a rounds I’ve arrived at a small, family run, fairly old marina. I get out and begin scouting the Pier numbers which all have letter like “A” but no Pier 1. I reason that maybe the ad really meant Pier A, Slip #6 but there is no sailboat in that location so I figure that maybe the boat is no more. About that time I notice that just around the corner are some more piers so I drive out of the marina and take the next little unmarked road around to more piers. Maybe these piers are numbered I think to myself, but no, these are more letters like the letter “G” and the letter “H” but then I go HEY ! What if it is really Pier I as in the letter “I” so around I go and park and find what indeed is pier I.

As I walk down the pier a friendly older guy introduces himself as Sailor Bob. I then notice that he is working on a boat next to Slip #6 and Bristol 24. I ask, and Bob tells me that he is the owner of the Bristol 24 and the boat next to it is his recently acquired Bristol 27 –the reason for selling the Bristol 24 ! Bob is 74, has been sailing since he was 6 years old including some racing off of Long Island NY and we immediately start finding so many mutual points of connection and spirit that I am at once at home and at peace. Several hours later, the afternoon ends in Bob giving me an autographed copy of a small book, which he illustrated and published on the basics of sailing. This was part in response to my question “how would I learn how to sail” and the other response from Bob was, “well, you would come up to me and just say, ‘Bob I want to learn to sail’, and I would show you!”

As I’m driving out of the marina, between the tall marsh grass I am glowing with the sun from the outside and the inside. But hey ! Get a grip ! You don’t even have a job no less know how to sail or whatever and this indeed is really just a DREAM.
It is indeed at this point that I, Gerald, realize that I am dreaming – yes me, dreaming !
That was Tuesday August 17, 2004.

Tuesday night, all day Wednesday and Wednesday night, all I can think about is the ocean and the Bristol 24. Margaret is saying wonderful things like, “isn’t that great”, “you ought to do it” and “this is just wonderful”.
Now let me ask you –does that make any sense?

My morning devotional reading for Thursday August 19, 2004 is from Psalm 84 and I quote from verse 11: “the Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor; No good thing does he withhold…”

I’ve gotten up really early and I’m really at ease with moving forward to actually purchasing the Bristol 24. Can this really happen? Has the boat been sold?
I head over the Bridge once again and take the route that now is getting really familiar. As I drive I’m still certain and comfortable with this crazy venture. Understand, I’ve had plenty of crazy ventures before but never been at ease and comfortable with the venture. I get to the Marina and the Bristol is still there and still has it’s for sale sign attached. I now really go over the Bristol 24 looking at and making a list of all the questions that I have from what I see ( and what little I know about sailboats). I now call SailorBobs’ phone number and he comes on the line. We talk and agree to meet there at the pier after lunch.

There is actually another whole work related story (boring and weird) going on simultaneously with this whole dream boat over in Gloucester, but it’s much less interesting and I’ll leave it for another day or until it resolves itself.

Bob and I meet up after a couple of hours and I begin to move down my long list of questions regarding registration, insurance, history of the boat, overall condition of what I’ve seen. While all this is going on we’re getting a quart of special antifouling paint ready to brush onto the lower portion of Bob’s outboard (good practice as it comes out for the second coat on my outboard motor). I offer to paint the motor which Bob takes me up on and in all it is sort of a Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn deja’ vu.
I explain to Bob my misgivings about this whole interest in something I don’t even know how to do but in my heart I know I’m in for the deal and still at peace with the decision. I make him and offer that we agree upon, I make it contingent on Bob supplying lessons for as long as it takes for me not to need his presence on the boat and Bob heartily agrees and let’s me know that lessons will take place both on the Bristol 24 and his Bristol 27. I tell Bob that he is the instructor and I’ll head to whichever boat he points to.
The painting is finished, the handshake and the deal is finished but even for that day the blessings are not over. Bob says he has one more thing for me as I clean up from painting and we head toward the parking lot. Bob goes to his car and pulls out a loose bound copy of the latest book of Haiku with illustrations that he has done. This edition is about 144 pages long and he inscribes in the front of the book for me:
“Gerald – start with p. 48 – Then you can go anywhere in this book and life”

On page 48 there is a sketch of a spider’s web, wet with dew in little droplets. The web is in the shape of an Indian mandala – like were being done with two crossed sticks and yarn in the hippie hey-days. The sun is rising in the upper corner of the web and the Haiku is titled “ A Pantheistic Awakening”

Dog days sun rising
Through a bejeweled
“Gods’ Eye” web.
Look – God’s everywhere.

…and all God’s children, including me, said “Amen” to that !

Stay tuned, more tales of sailing through life to come - Gerald, August 2004 in Yorktown VA

2004-09-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dock Letter "I", Not Dock # 1 !!

2004-08-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

At the Jamestown to Scotland VA Ferry

Hear Ye, Hear Ye ! Ashby's Landed !

2004-08-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Established in 1691, George Washington and Lord Cornwallis here in 1781, the Union army was held off in 1862 but now the Ashby’s and a truckload of their goods have arrived safely at the Port of Yorktown VA.
The adventure in moving started July 27th when Tracy and Margaret came back from Asheville NC and started to pack in earnest. Picking up the 20’ Penske truck on Friday July 30 and with the aid of seminary neighbor “DJ” and others we had the truck packed by 2PM.
First drive was south to Asheville NC that took us until about midnight Friday. On Saturday we unloaded a washer and dryer and a sofa for Nick and Tracy and then the caravan continued. We drove from Asheville to Petersburg VA which is south of Richmond VA with Gerald driving the truck, Margaret driving the Ford and Tracy driving the Saab. Sunday morning we completed the drive into Yorktown VA arriving at the apartment around 11am. The apartment manager who let us in greeted us and the unpacking started. Shortly thereafter a member of St. Mark Lutheran’s internship committee who had a carload of really useful groceries joined us. We lived off of these groceries, plates and information for several days as we unpacked. Next to arrive on the scene was a work crew of 7 from the church and the box brigade commenced in earnest. At this point the heavens absolutely opened up and I mean with a LOT of fireworks and noise and about 3 inches of rain in 45 minutes! Needless to say a timeout was called and new/wet friends were made. Unpacking was completed by mid afternoon and we unpacked like crazy until Pastor Erdos (Margaret’s boss) and his family came to take/walk us to dinner.
I forgot to mention that Yorktown is ALL national park and we are in the middle of an actual historical tour site. Our walk to diner was about 4 minutes long going through a little village of the 1700’s to the waterfront of the York River. Fish and burgers and all the local color was enjoyed at the local pub.
Monday August 2nd Margaret went to work and Gerald drove Tracy back to Asheville NC. Tuesday Margaret went to work (begin to get the picture?) and Gerald drove back from Asheville to Yorktown (a good 8 hour drive). Margaret had called me Tuesday to let me know that it was raining a bunch (so what’s new?) as the side affect of hurricane Alex. In true male initiative I came on anyhow and in fact saw about 2 hours less rain on Tuesday than we had seen on Monday when we left.

We have been so warmly welcomed and blessed every step of the way and by every member of the congregation and everyone here in Yorktown. Over the next 2 weeks we will dine individually with the members of the Internship Committee and this Sunday there is a reception for us after the 3rd service (8:15AM, 9:45AM, 11:00AM). Vicar Margaret Ashby will be assisting at all services this Sunday, preaching next Sunday, preaching twice a month (until December- 4 times) and was helping with Vacation Bible School this week.
As of today, Friday, I’ve got all the pictures up, rooms cleaned, checking accounts opened, lights changed and hung, towel bars up and loaded. Now that the basics of the apartment are underway I’ll set to checking out the area and a job next week.

Your assistance, your prayers and your friendship continues to keep us afloat and we are ready to receive guests in our second
(that’s right folks!) bedroom.
Thank you and God bless,

Gerald and Margaret Ashby

The Move

2004-07-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Well Margaret and I are ready to “cinch up the stirrups and roust the cattle” or as with Abraham “ready to kick out the tent pegs”(Gen 12:4) and head off to Yorktown VA for Margaret’s one year internship.
Starting July 10th we’ll be in Louisville KY working around our leased house, then be back in Columbus for a couple of days. Starting July 21st Gerald will be in Colorado with son James and Margaret will be with daughter Tracy in Asheville NC until July 28th when we are back in Columbus and packing to be in Yorktown VA by August 1st.
As such, we will really be out of email contact starting July 10th and then really out of email touch by July 28th. Cell phone numbers will stay the same and the other blessed news is that we now have an actual address where we will be moving!
Many, many continued thanks to all of you that have prayed and helped us in so many ways and as our new location is about 2000 feet from the water of the Chesapeake Bay we will expect you to come and visit us in our palatial 2 (that’s right TWO) bedroom apartment.