Back a few years ago, I was lucky to visit an old friend from my high school days. I met Norma at my first job back in 1966. After receiving her Masters in Social Psychology at UCLA she surprised us all and married a doctor and moved to an Amish community outside of Cleveland, Ohio. This lovely lane is a quarter of a mile from house to road where the mail box resides. Although these photos are in black and white, I also have some in color with all the fall leaves in full regalia. This land is beautiful whether dressed in greens, oranges or snowy white.
Early one morning I snuck out of the house with my film camera and took a couple of rolls. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can review your pictures right away. It was always a surprise when I developed the film and saw the results, good or bad. Since Tom, the doctor, had a practice, part of the 90 acre farm was leased to an Amish farmer next door. Walking through the cornfields was a thrill for a girl originally from Hawaii who grew up in the barrios of East Los Angeles. The closest thing to a farm I knew was singing "Old MacDonald had a farm..."
As I explored the area I came upon this beautiful sight. The sun coming through the stand of trees caught my breath. It was so quiet that morning. It felt like I had walked into the holiest of holies. This was better than any church I had ever visited. I felt closer to the
powers that be than ever before.
This lovely building is not a church but an old schoolhouse. The former owner of Norma and Tom's house was a school teacher who had taught in this one room schoolhouse for many years. The school was actually in another location and Tom found out that she had taught there for many years. When it came up for sale, he was determined to unite that schoolhouse with the spirit of its former teacher, who most assuredly resides in their home. So over hills and dales, this house was dragged across the fields until it landed in Norma and Tom's backyard. It's currently used as a woodworking shop for Tom's tinkering. Norma said in passing that if I wanted to retire here, I could move into the schoolhouse. Wouldn't
that be a dream?
By the way, you might be interested to know that it was Norma's Mom, Elisa, who found a "nice doctor" for her only daughter to marry. Elisa was a nurse's aide at General Hospital in Los Angeles where Tom was doing his residency. Some fairy tales still happen... at least back in the 70's they did.
My Mom worked at Sears Roebuck. I
never married.
Back a few years ago, I was lucky to visit an old friend from my high school days. I met Norma at my first job back in 1966. After receiving her Masters in Social Psychology at UCLA she surprised us all and married a doctor and moved to an Amish community outside of Cleveland, Ohio. This lovely lane is a quarter of a mile from house to road where the mail box resides. Although these photos are in black and white, I also have some in color with all the fall leaves in full regalia. This land is beautiful whether dressed in greens, oranges or snowy white. 
Early one morning I snuck out of the house with my film camera and took a couple of rolls. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can review your pictures right away. It was always a surprise when I developed the film and saw the results, good or bad. Since Tom, the doctor, had a practice, part of the 90 acre farm was leased to an Amish farmer next door. Walking through the cornfields was a thrill for a girl originally from Hawaii who grew up in the barrios of East Los Angeles. The closest thing to a farm I knew was singing "Old MacDonald had a farm..." 
As I explored the area I came upon this beautiful sight. The sun coming through the stand of trees caught my breath. It was so quiet that morning. It felt like I had walked into the holiest of holies. This was better than any church I had ever visited. I felt closer to the powers that be than ever before.
This lovely building is not a church but an old schoolhouse. The former owner of Norma and Tom's house was a school teacher who had taught in this one room schoolhouse for many years. The school was actually in another location and Tom found out that she had taught there for many years. When it came up for sale, he was determined to unite that schoolhouse with the spirit of its former teacher, who most assuredly resides in their home. So over hills and dales, this house was dragged across the fields until it landed in Norma and Tom's backyard. It's currently used as a woodworking shop for Tom's tinkering. Norma said in passing that if I wanted to retire here, I could move into the schoolhouse. Wouldn't that be a dream?
By the way, you might be interested to know that it was Norma's Mom, Elisa, who found a "nice doctor" for her only daughter to marry. Elisa was a nurse's aide at General Hospital in Los Angeles where Tom was doing his residency. Some fairy tales still happen... at least back in the 70's they did. My Mom worked at Sears Roebuck. I never married. 
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