LOVE IS…

Are you old enough to remember the ‘Love is…’ black-and-white comics that appeared in magazines and newspapers back in the 1970’s?

After having dated during high school, Debbie and I got back together while attending Roberts Wesleyan College. After her sophomore year, she returned home to work. I hitch-hiked nearly 10,000 miles over the next couple of years - mostly between Rochester, NY and Beaver Valley, PA. I've brushed several inches of snow off my shoulders in Buffalo, NY. I've also slept in wooded areas near Route 79, waiting for traffic to pick up again in the morning [traffic flow was different in the 1970's]! 

The two years that we were apart prompted us to write lots of letters! Debbie often included a ‘Love is…’ cartoon in with her correspondence! 

We're the couple on the right representing the class of '73 

during Homecoming of our sophomore year!

We kept the flames of our love alive and were married in August, 1973, after my graduation.  😊

________________________________________________

Have you ever heard the story behind these much-appreciated cartoons?

A New Zealand artist-cartoonist, Kim Casali, began to travel around the world when she was 19 years old.  Six years later, she settled in California where she met an Italian man named Roberto Casali.

She began drawing short scenes of them portrayed as a chubby naked girl and boy. Her efforts drew on her feelings at the time. 

 

First, she drew a little girl to represent her. Then she drew a little boy to represent Roberto. Her feelings for him became the basis for her drawing.

 

Roberto decided to produce the output of comics, and so “Love is…” was released on January 5, 1970.  In 1974, the boy calls the girl Kim. Even before that, in the comics [1971], the girl draws the letter R in the sand!

 

In a 1981 interview, Kim said: “If I had a choice, I would be an author of romantic love songs…But I don’t know how to write beautifully, so I had to choose another way to express my feelings.”  The comics became very popular!

 

After the birth of two sons, Roberto became the business manager of their corporation – ‘Minikim’.

 

Eventually even animals appear in the comics, too: a dog named Samson and a reference to Fido. In 2005, the couple has two cats, and in 2009, the girl is crying over a dead cat.

 

Sadly, in 1975, Roberto was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Kim stopped working and turned the artistry over to Bill Espirit. This is when the comics became color and the characters began wearing clothes.

 

In 1976, at the age of 31, Roberto died and the comics showed only a little girl and a tombstone. Sixteen months after his death, Kim had a baby by using the frozen sperm of her husband.

 

Sadly, this love story finally ended when, at the age of 55, Kim also died of bone cancer.

[Information largely copied from:  https://pictolic.com/en/article/love-is-history-of-creation-of-cute-comics-about-love]

SEASONS OF LIFE

Good morning, Lord,

The calendar says it’s still summer, but we all feel fall in the air.  Leaves are already blowing through our yards.  School has begun and football has us excited.  We’re more than half way through another year.  It’s been a good year so far!  Thank You for the wonderfully mild winter we enjoyed.  Spring was incredible as farmers got their seeds in the ground a little earlier than usual.  Summer was hot – just the way we like it.  And now our fuel bills get a break as we don’t have to run our air conditioners.  Living in our area is a pleasure as we get to experience four fairly equal in length seasons (well, winter could be a little shorter!)

And through it all – You’re faithful!  You are the Master Designer behind all of this wonderful creation!  We marvel at Your precision and delight at Your creativity. 

 

THE SEASONS OF LIFE MIRROR YOUR CREATION!

 

Spring

Oh, how I enjoyed the spring of my life!  Like so many others, I ran and played and was carefree as my parents accepted all of the responsibility.  I learned and grew and stretched and abounded in energy and curiosity!  Fortunately for me, I did so in a safety zone that my parents established with guard rails that helped me avoid a lot of the painful and dangerous experiences of life.  I chose to adopt the principles and values that they had modeled for me and those values travelled with me into the summer season of my life!

 

Summer

Summer was independence and freedom!  Finally, after the stressful period of adolescence, I was able to direct the course of my own life.  My parents were still there to consult, but this was the season of fun, major decisions, developing skills and advancing education!  It was surely an adventurous time! 

One of my best decisions was marrying Debbie!  Everything changed after that!  Your ‘call’ on my life was another major course-correction!  Early summer found us moving frequently and clearly leaving the nests where we had each been established.  Kentucky seemed so far away from our homes back in 1973.  Even long-distance phone calls were rarely made due to the expense of doing so! 

Then, our family began to arrive:  Travis (1976), Troy (1980) and Tracie (1981).  I made $100/week at my first church!  The only government support we ever accepted was during those early years when WIC [Women, Infants and Children] provided milk, eggs and cheese!  The responsibility of raising children was fun, but demanding.  Our finances – already tight – were stretched to the limit!  But our joy was full and our partnership as parents was developing experience and purpose! 

Summer was a long season!  Raising our family, gaining my education, and establishing myself as a pastor with experience dominated this period.  Keeping our balance and surviving the strains on our marriage took perseverance and focus!  Our greatest enemies during this season were financial distress and my own personal struggle with depression.  I actually had a burn-out episode during this season when I quit everything for almost four months while living in East Liverpool!  But God, You were faithful and turned it into the only real miracle that I attribute to my life!  Thank You!

I’m not really sure when summer drew to a close and fall began.  I suppose it was the season when our three T’s began leaving the nest and launching into their own ‘summers’.  Our role as active parents was coming to a close.  However, You raised new challenges for us as we engaged with the Shelter Care Social Serving Agency, the Akron Cornerstone Church and later, the Free Methodist Community Church in New Middletown.  Debbie’s work at the Springfield Elementary School with Cindy Marchese was an extremely fulfilling time for her. 

The greatest thing to happen for us during these years was retiring our burdensome debt that had caused so much of my depression!  By diligent adherence to a plan and God’s abundant provision for our family, we reached our goal in a mere eleven years!  Hallelujah!  Debt is gone FOREVER!  Thanks be to God!

The awards and rewards that resulted from leading and participating in growing churches were fulfilling.  But You weren’t finished with us yet!

The next three years were invested by living and working in Changchun, PRC for three years!  A book would be needed to describe the amazing and life-expanding experiences of that adventure!  New friends populated our lives!  Students endeared themselves to us by their kindness and love for life!  You enabled us to see fruit for our labor, for which we will be eternally grateful.  We would not surrender those years for anything!  They are a treasure to us! 

Fall

I suppose that’s about when our fall season of life began.  Although I pastored for nearly two years at Kittanning, doing so as a commuting/part-time pastor was too much of a limitation! 

It was about this time that we experienced the greatest loss of our lives – Travis died!  It knocked us down pretty severely!  Debbie retired almost immediately.  I retired at the end of the next year.  During this interim period, we lived in a small trailer on the Whippo farm.  We were comfortable, but knew that we wanted to establish a real retirement home.  We found an opening in Heron Woods and carved out a shelf overlooking two beautiful, small lakes.  Our manufactured home was delivered after significant clean-up and preparation.  Then came two years of building a two-car garage with Troy – one of the greatest joys of my life!  Landscaping and sowing a lawn also kept me busy.

This was followed by five years of being a Lyft driver.  God gave me a vibrant and creative ministry in this role.  Losing that job thrust us into living on our retirement income [there’s a story behind this – ask me sometime!].  We made the necessary adaptations and did fairly well. 

Then, in February of 2024, I was called back into ministry as the interim pastor of The Foundery Free Methodist Church in Wellsburg, West Virginia.  It has been a rewarding experience and I hope I have helped the church as it now prepares to embrace a new, full-time, pastor!  A little piece of my heart will always be invested in these wonderful and accepting people! 

So, we consider ourselves to be in the late fall season of our lives now.  Winter is coming – we know that!  Our major accomplishments have probably already been realized.  Our love for one another deepens almost daily – it seems.  We thoroughly enjoy being together!  We serve one another and enjoy every day!  We love our family and treasure the times when we can be with them.  We take enormous joy from the fact that they are serving the Lord!  We celebrate their accomplishments with pride and joy! 

Debbie is still making major contributions by being a session member and library director at Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Enon Valley!  She is deeply appreciated at this church and we have developed great affection for the people there!  She also enjoys regular fellowship with four of her sisters [Janie lives in Connecticut]. Two brothers and three sisters also attend Bethel, so every Sunday includes some reunion!  Deb also reads!  Her love for historical books and novels propels her from book to book.  I absolutely love walking into the house and ‘catching’ her sitting quietly in her chair with a good book and a cup of tea!  😊

In another week, my patterns will change significantly!  No more three-hour round trips to Wellsburg. 

I long to return to extended mornings in my home-study, reading the scriptures and writing my own personal summary of the Bible!  I have a list of projects that I’ll be attacking as well.  I hope to reduce the boxes of files that I’ve accumulated over forty-three years of ministry.  There are photos to organize and scrap books to make.  There’s a coin collection that I inherited from my mother that needs to be dealt with.  I have backpacking gear galore that needs to be given away. 

Then, of course, there are home projects and yard work that will keep me busy. 

 

Winter

Winter does not cause us fear!  We’ve always loved winter and now that it’s our final season we’re fine with that!  We’ll use our influence to bless our family, neighbors and church.  We’ll keep each other warm and serve one another as long as we can.  We’ll seek to be wise in the deployment of our time and resources.  We’ll love people and try to invest in them strategically and generously. 

We each have aches and pains.  Arthritis has finally become my travelling companion.  These once-young bodies have some miles on them now.  But our minds are still active and functional [with occasional blips for both of us].  Our passions are still vibrant. 

When the Bible says that “…your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;” [Acts 2:17 KJV] I have come to believe it is right!  I’m an old guy now, but my passion for ministry is still strong.  I have dreamed for years of planting a church.  But I wonder if I could negotiate something so vigorous?  I have three enemies:

1.   My major hearing deficit!

2.   My high passion is unfortunately accompanied by a lower level of energy than in previous seasons of life!

3.   My seemingly increasing inability to pull up words and details with efficiency.

We’ll see what God has in store, but I suspect that most of my ministry and time will be invested in the seclusion of my writing, meditating and study carrel.  And that’s okay with me! 

But the greatest comfort for both of us is the reality that we have held to throughout our lives.  Even when our winter season draws to an end, it is always spring in Narnia!  We hope to see you there, friends!

A Pivotal Day!

August 11, 1973

My whole family had gathered for the big event.  Several of us slept in the basement of my parent's home on William Penn Way (in New Brighton). Pretty much everyone was excited!  My brother, Ira, was the only one who tried to talk me out of it.

I got to the church plenty early.  My best friend, Bob Creese, was my best man!  He was a nervous wreck!  We stepped outside the church for a while so he could smoke.

The church was filled with family and friends (some later said they'd never seen the church so packed).  It was warm.  Dave Eakin was the presiding minister.

Deb's sisters (all five of them) preceded her down the aisle.  Finally, her Dad escorted her in!  Wow! She looked breathtakingly beautiful!  I couldn't believe she was about to become my wife!

I had written the ceremony with some counsel from my lifelong mentor, Glenn Hughes.  It was not flashy, but it got the job done.

The reception was at a firehall on 37th Street Extension in Beaver Falls.  It was crowded.  During the reception, Pastor Eakin stepped in behind our table.  He reported that a few of my aunts had pointed out that he had never officially pronounced us as "husband and wife";  so he did it there at our table!

My boss, Carlos Twitchell, (also my brother's father-in-law) also came to our table and slipped me a fifty dollar bill!  With it he said, "When you have breakfast tomorrow, order a steak."   I did!  Not the next day (Sunday), but on Monday morning at the Clarion Clipper Restaurant in Clarion, PA.  :-)

When it was time to leave for our honeymoon, our car had been sabotaged.  The windows were smeared with mayonnaise and the engine had Limburger cheese.  I had to drive straight to a car wash before we could leave town!

We spent our honeymoon night at Debbie's Aunt Dorothy's chalet in Marionville, PA.

On our wedding day, my sister-in-law informed me that we would be expected to return on Sunday morning to worship at my home church.  This necessitated a lot of unnecessary driving.  I bowed to the pressure and we did so.  Looking back:  it was a dumb idea!

On Monday we went to Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut, PA.  While there we ran into a man from the New Brighton Free Methodist Church:  Joe Plassmeyer.  He bought us iced cream cones to celebrate our marriage!

Then we drove to a place called The Summit.  It was a honeymoon resort in the Pocono Mountains. We had a room with a heart shaped hot tub and a king sized bed!  We ate with many other couples in a lovely dining room!  Some were celebrating anniversaries as well as marriages.

One afternoon we participated in 'sack races'.  That evening we were presented a trophy at the evening meal titled:  'Best in the Sack at The Summit".  No kidding (I still have it)!

Actually, we didn't do a lot of celebrating.  Deb pretty quickly got an infection and had to see a doctor for an antibiotic.  :-(

Upon our arrival back at my folk's house, we opened all of our wedding gifts.  On Saturday, we packed up a U-Haul truck and headed for Wilmore, Kentucky, where I would soon be attending Asbury Theological Seminary.

Debbie followed me in our old Buick.  Going through Cincinnati, I told her to stick close to me. Most of the time, I couldn't even see her because she was so close behind the truck!

We pulled into Wilmore around 9:00 PM.  I backed the truck up to our duplex door and we collapsed. Suddenly, couples started appearing from every direction.  In short order, the truck was unloaded. Debbie simply stood at the door and told people where to put things.  A few women sneaked into our bedroom and set up the bed;  even found our sheets and had it all ready for us to climb into!  We didn't even know most of these people, but we do remember that Wayne and Becky Sawyer were part of the group!

Monday morning, Debbie started her new job at the First Security National Bank in Lexington. Shortly after, I began car-pooling with three other seminarians to UPS for the late-night shift!  These guys became a support group for the next couple of years.

Within a week, Debbie pulled a muscle in her back and was laid up.  We had no phone yet.  I remember walking down the street late one night and calling home for advice.  I truly felt the aloneness and responsibility I had for my new wife.  She recovered after seeing a doctor and we got settled in to our new life together in a new place!

Forty-four years later, the adventure continues...

Professional Movers

Moving days have been some of the hardest days in our marriage!  There were all-nighters getting ready to move, trying to take advantage of the time that the kids were sleeping.  We celebrated several of our anniversaries in transit.  I remember our fifth was in a McD's in Uniontown;  we were dirty, hot and tired.  I looked across the table and wished Debbie a happy anniversary!  We laughed.

We've moved more than our share of times:

1. to a cement-block duplex at 301 East Morrison Street, Wilmore, Kentucky - after our honeymoon!
2. to our first real home:  a 40' x 8' mobile home at 20 Chapelview, Wilmore, which we paid $1,800 for and sold for the same a year-and-a-half later.  Travis was born while we lived here.
3. to another, nicer duplex at 104 Stephens Drive, Nicholasville, Kentucky. On weekends we lived in a 70' mobile home behind the Tunnel Hill Free Methodist Church in English, Indiana.
4. to 112 Oak Lane, Harrison City, Pennsylvania.  Here we endured two horrendous winters in 1977 and 1978.
5. to Blaine Avenue, McClellandtown, Pennsylvania.  Troy and Tracie were born while we lived here and Travis went to Kindergarden.
6. to 315 Hill Boulevard, East Liverpool, Ohio.  Travis started and finished school in East Liverpool!  
7. to a home we purchased at 316 Thompson Avenue, East Liverpool, Ohio.  Debbie bought the house - I bought the view!  
8. to 285 Bradshaw Avenue, East Liverpool, Ohio.  We were told we were moving, so we sold our house!  Had to rent this one and move.  A year later it was sold and we had to move again!  
9. to 500 West Fifth Street, East Liverpool, Ohio.  We nicknamed this place 'Maniac Mansion'.  It was HUGE!  There was a Bruno's pizza shop on the corner that sold big slices for $.50 - we ate a lot of pizza while there with three teenagers!  Travis left for college from here (He hated his semester there!  He called me one day and said, "Dad, they're stricter here than you were!").  
10. to 2100 Spencerville Road, Spencerville, Maryland.  Travis was at the United States Naval Academy while we lived here (25 miles away).  
11. to?    We lived in several places for a few months:  the farm in Enon Valley, an apartment in Chester, West Virginia (courtesy of our friend, Heidi Dietz), and a house in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.  This was a transition during a time of family crisis;  we ended up running a licensed home for severely behaviorally challenged children in Summit County for six years!  
12. to 962 Kickapoo Avenue (my favorite address - very poetic) where we worked for the Shelter Care Agency.  I also joined the staff at the Cornerstone FMC.  Troy and Tracie both left the nest while we lived here.
13. to 4350 E Calla Road, New Middletown, Ohio.  
14. to room 1237, Hua Yuan Hotel, Weixing Liu, Changchun, Jilin Province, PRC.
15. to 273 Gilmore Road, Enon Valley, Pennsylvania (after a disastrous one-month in a duplex in New Castle, Pennsylvania).  
16. to 190 Rusty Trail, Enon Valley, Pennsylvania - hopefully our last stop before Heaven!

Travis always made us jealous when he moved.  He did 'nothing'.  The military sent packers in and then movers.  He was lodged in nice hotels until everything was ready.  Tracie and Jon have had this experience too!  Our moves were all self-moves - usually using a U-Haul trailer or truck!  Ugh!  

Actually, we still have a dream of living in some other places like:

• Dahlonega, Georgia
• Ocean City, Maryland
• Savannah, Georgia (winters)
• near the Smokey Mountains (along the Appalachian Trail)
• Hong Kong
• the Philippines
• Portugal
• wherever else God leads...

The dream continues!

These moves reflect lots of lifting and sifting.  They reflect exhaustion and anticipation.  Some of the churches had teams who helped us unpack;  I can't remember any that helped us pack to leave!  People have loaned us trucks. But, by-and-large, the Hal/Debbie Moving Company has developed some major skills along the way.  However, our number is unpublished - we're not taking on any clients at present.  

Give us a couple of months to get settled and then stop by and visit us.  Just remember when you come that you should plan to be gone by 10:00 PM. That's when our eyelids get heavy and we drift off into never-never-land!  

But there's usually a pot of soup or chili on the stove and a pizza in the freezer!  If not, we always have popcorn!  

OUR WEDDING WEEK

Debbie and I were married on August 11, 1973, (at 6:30 PM) in the New Brighton Free Methodist Church.  The church was packed - including the overflow rooms in the back of the sanctuary!

My 'Best Man' was my boyhood best friend, Bob Creese.  He was a nervous wreck!  I remember taking him out the back door of the church so he could smoke, to calm his nerves!

Dave Eakin was the officating pastor.  He was Debbie's pastor from the Rochester, PA Free Methodist Church.  He wasn't much older than us! 

Our reception was at a firehall in Beaver Falls.  It was crowded! 

Some "friends" smeared my car windows with grease and put limberger cheese on my engine.  I had to drive directly to a car wash before we could leave for our honeymoon!  Some "trusted" family sprinkled rice all through my honeymoon clothes and put big, red, X's on my underwear!  I learned a lot that day about who you could trust and who you couldn't!

We drove to Marienville, PA for our first night.  We stayed at Aunt Dorothy (Whippo's) chalet.  On Monday, we went to Conneaut Lake Park to spend the day.  We ran into Joe Plasmire from the New Brighton Church;  he bought us ice cream cones!  We laid on the beach for part of the day.  Then we drove to 'The Summit' in the Pocono Mountains for a three-day stay at a honeymoon resort!

Debbie and I were awarded a trophy at dinner the first evening for being 'The Best in The Sack'!  [We had won the sack races that afternoon!]  Unfortunately, Deb developed an infection while we were there, but we still enjoyed the heart-shaped tub and the first king-sized bed we'd ever seen!

Then we went back to my folks' home, packed a U-Haul truck and left for Wilmore, Kentucky, where we set up house-keeping in a duplex apartment owned by Asbury Theological Seminary.

Humble beginnings, but may Troy and Missy be as blessed as we were!