As some of you know, my husband just signed on as interim pastor at Windham Summit Bible Church. One of my children asked me if this meant we were moving back to Bradford County, and though I said no, I also said that we couldn’t know this minute.

I kind of feel like we got on a train a couple of months ago, one that led us to test-drive a tiny house along a serene lake in Bradford County which led us to a renewal of old friendships. It also stirred up many old memories, the houses where we grew up,  church and youth group hayride where we met and the little village where we married.

Then that train ride took us to be test-driven, when Windham Summit Bible Church asked Jim to see if God might be leading him back to Windham as their interim pastor. I say back because he had served there in that capacity many years ago. I say test-driven because he spoke there for a couple of weeks; then he and the people agreed it was a perfect fit and here we are.

All of that to the Welcome Basket. This morning the teens of the church presented us with a welcome basket to introduce, or re-introduce us to Bradford County. I still can’t get the smile off my face. First of all, the basket was full of things produced in the county, and not the kind of things you find in a drug store or souvenir shop.

The first thing we opened was the caramel corn from Mill Street Treats, at the corner of Route 6 and Mill Street. Jim asked me not to eat it all up, but I told him it kept me focused. Sooo good. Then there was a jar of honey from Seldom Seen Farm in Rome (Bradford County Rome), better for you than the grocery store stuff because it comes from local bees, so it comes from locally pollenated flowers which is helpful if you are at all allergy prone.

Then there was a box of maple sugar candy and a bottle of real pure maple syrup from Russell Maple Farms…real maple syrup, not the imitation syrup in the grocery store either. And I could taste that before I opened it. And no, though I appear to have been on a sugar kick, there was more. We love anything blueberry, and about that jar of blueberry jam from Shores Sisters, my hubby said someone had gotten into it. Of course the blue sticky stuff on his fingers gave him away. So good again, the jam at that moment, not my hubby.

My husband spied the jar of three bean salad, a favorite from his youth, and cheese from the LeRaysville Cheese Factory. That had to wait until we got home. There was locally roasted Jingle Bell Java from High Mountain Coffee for me and fresh apple cider for him from Landon Orchards in Canton.

And we all laughed when we saw blue duct tape, what the teens call the Bradford County all purpose fix-everything solution. The funny thing was that Jim had duct-taped the inside inside of his leather bag with black duct tape not long ago, and he always has a roll handy. Now I know where that trait came from.

So, if you come to Bradford County for a drive, or a stay at the tiny houses, you now have a ready-made map for your tour. Of course, I must invite you to end your tour on a Sunday morning up at Windham Summit Bible Church where you will find the best youth group around.

May you all enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving,

and keep the duct tape close!

Carol Brennan King