Rebirth and Hope

I've come quite a bit of the way cross country already and am now spending time with family in Iowa.  I left Massachusetts on Tuesday after a fabulous visit with family, as well as various points of interest -- the butterfly emporium, the Yankee candle factory, and the Peace Pagoda.  Plan to get some of the pictures published, but loved the time there -- forgot how beautiful it is in New England.  My favorite of course was the Peace Pagoda, which after a tortuous hike uphill in the hot, hot sun, we came upon a most unexpected site -- a Buddhist temple and prayer sanctuary on the top of a hill.  Just awesome and truly restored my belief that all things were happening for a positive purpose.  Can't wait for you to see the pix!  

Then Tuesday morning I started heading west and the great news is our country's empty parking lots and manufacturing plants are once again full and/or being rebuilt and bringing new vigor into abandoned landscapes -- not all done, but truly the sites restored my faith that we were heading in the right direction as a nation to strengthen our American roots.  Let's keep the momentum moving and not allow politics to take away the might and grandeur of what can be done if we make the effort to invest in our country once more.

On through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and finally Iowa.  The earth is still black and fertile here, crops growing and life sustained, and as tired as some of our smaller towns are, there is still much hope for a brighter future in the hearts of the people and families here -- hope we don't fail in making our American dreams survive and continue to waste and exploit its potential or worst yet, to not even try!