I have sat down half a dozen times over the past couple of weeks to write something here. I even considered (briefly) writing a post while in the car on the way to Pennsylvania, but I would have had to do it on paper and then rewrite it here, and there are few things I abhor more than doing a job twice for no good reason.
Thusly.
I've also had some trouble because there were a lot of things I could have said, but nothing I really felt needed to be said. I've been in this weird mood, lately. Well, it's not weird to me - I've had it many times before. But a lot of people (or just the few I've allowed to experience it) find it disconcerting at the least. Personally, I kind of enjoy it. It's one of my more feisty-yet-fun-and-fancy-free moods. It only comes out one or two times a year, usually when I've been very stressed out and I'm just tired of putting up with everything.
The only thing I don't like about this mood is that I can be really annoying while in it. Also, my pet peeves are elevated to supreme annoyance levels.
Honestly, I'm amazed anyone hangs out with me at all.
Bah. Train of thought has yet again derailed.
I have vacation time now. I've been taking advantage of it, possibly more than I should, but it's addictive. It surprised me how much I really needed it. I went to PA with my parents, which was good, because PA is familiar and comfortable. If Ohio is my Nostalgia State and Indiana is now my Home State, Pennsylvania is definitely my Family State. I've been traveling to PA to visit family for as long as I can remember, so I guess it is only natural to associate the whole place with a feeling of comfort and safety. It's been so fantastic that so many churches in PA have shown an interest in my ministry. It just confirms the warmth I feel in my heart.
My dad is going to be very perturbed that I put this picture on here. But I had to! He was freaking out because Thaddeus Bear was looking at him.
Man, Pennsylvania should hire me to take promotional pictures for them.
It also doesn't hurt that my little corner of Pennsylvania happens to be quite close to several historic sites, including Civil War battlefields.
This pic combines two of my favorite things - large weapons and graveyards.
This cemetery doesn't seem big enough considering it's intended purpose.
Can't stand this pic - it was backlit and I didn't have six hours to wait for the sun to move. Grrr.... The other side came out great.
This seemed like a really small number to us, even counting the other two Unknown plots. Then we realized that the State plots had a lot of Unknown graves as well. So these were the guys that they couldn't identify by State or by name. Very sad.
This is one of my favorite spots at Gettysburg. (Did I forget to mention that's where I was? It should be obvious.) I spend a good portion of my time in Gettysburg on this ridge. Someday, I will work up the nerve to actually walk across the field.
This is a good spot to point out my sometimes conflicting views on the Civil War. We all have the benefit of hindsight, of course, but if you had asked my views of the conflict at the time, I would have been an ardent supporter of the Union. For those of you who believe we are still fighting this war, 1) Get over it, and 2) I am still proudly pro-Union. However, my reasoning now is vastly different from what it would have been in 1861. Had you asked me about secession then, I would have said it was an abomination, and that the South was just covering up the real reason for separation. Today, I still think the South was covering up the real reason for their actions, but I have a more open view on secession. NOT that I'm advocating it (not entirely), but I have a much less idealistic view of the federal government these days. I believe that there are many things that should be under the purview of the state, but the federal government has hijacked them.
Hmm... politics. That should get a reaction.
One thing I love so much about the Civil War is the huge number of weird coincidences and near misses. For this reason, I have always had a soft spot for Brigadier General Lewis Armistead. If you don't know his story, or why his actions on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg are so significant, feel free to look it up. Or ask me. But I'll probably tell you to look it up.
There was something else I was going to talk about. A lot of things, actually. Suddenly, I can't remember them. Hmm...
Doesn't matter. I have a bunch of pics from Antietam as well, so I'll share them in the next post. I'm sure that one will be random as well.
You are allowed to comment on this, by the way.
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