Christmas

For me to call this my Christmas is wrong. It centers with Christmas. Some years ago, when I was a United Methodist Pastor, I was thinking about my Home Church, in Richmond, Virginia. I had visited Richmond, many times. I lived about an hour and half from Richmond for a while and went frequently to research my genealogy. I never went to church, in Richmond because I had to preach at my own church. I thought it would be nice to visit on a Sunday and worship with them. This desire came in the fall. As I looked at the possibility, I concluded that I could not do the trip in the fall due to new groups forming. I could not go through the season of Advent, as we prepared for Christmas. The best time came after Christmas and that year, it was the first Sunday in January.

About this church: it was not my church, as this was a merger of my home church with another church. Technically, it was as a merger becomes a combination of the churches merging, in history as well as former member.

I left on Thursday, stopping at the welcome center in route and there was some interesting artwork.

Virginia is for Lovers

Even the benches were Virginia oriented.

I had the intention to go to Willaimsburg, to tour. I worked there a little more than thirty years ago and since have come to the feeling that I had truly left Williamsburg. However, I thought that I could tour the restored area. Friday was rainy so I change my mine and I hung out in Richmond. I did try some train watching. I got to the spot that I like to watch from. I took out my Amtrak notes, and there was not a train schedule for a couple of hours. I did take out my phone to see if there were delays that might mean a train soon. I did hear the whistle but did not get into position in time. It was the Carolinian, northbound, two hours late. I read awhile waiting for a freight but got bored and decided to leave. I got a short distance when I saw the gate come down at another crossing and a pig train came by, and me out of position.

I toured the city and on Saturday, I got the whim to take video of my drive. I have a phone holder attached to the windshield so I can use it for directions. I put the phone on the holder and used that to take video. I drove to Northside and through the a favorite park: Bryan Park.

I remember hearing that the site of the park was an old quarry. There was more to it than that, however. I also heard that it was build at the end of the trolley line to encourage trolley usage on weekends. However there is more, of course. Look it up.

It seems, my photography and video has always been on rainy days.

Christmas

Christmas travel is centered around friends and history. I spend the first Sunday in January at my home church. Either a day before or a day after, I head out for an excursion. In the past, Washington DC and Baltimore MD has been the center of this day trip. This year, it will be Williamsburg, VA. I haven't been on a tour there in a long long time. I worked there until 1982 and have move a bit since. I visit friends on day trips, when I lived in Richmond, but never the old tourist sites. This year will be a tourist trip, after more than 35 years.

As I said, this trip is the to be at my home church, on the first Sunday in January. This has become a tradition, in the last dozen years or so. Before I retired as pastor, December was too busy and all the way back to October is the same. There are fall retreats, Christmas and Advent stuff to be there for, So the first Sunday in January is the most convenient. Looking ahead, the temperatures predicted for the week would be the lowest so I decided to delay this trip a full week, when the temperatures would be at least 20 degrees higher.