A Thanks From Ernie

I received the following from Ernie and he asked me to pass it along to his fellow Hoosier Cruisers.

Dear Hoosier Cruisers!

Since my surgery I have received over 50 cards. I have read them all twice.
The one, that was hand delivered to me from the Hoosier Cruiser rally at Steve
and Cassie's. I have looked at quite a few times.

I have shown the card to a lot of friends. They cannot believe the work and time that went
into my "card". I agree with them.

It is a card that I will cherish and keep for a long time.
I thank each and every one of you for a memorable get well card.

Sincerely,

Ernie Clashman

October Rally

The following report was provided by Doug Tillmann.

OCTOBER HOOSIER CRUISER RALLY AT STEVE AND CASSIE LISLE’S FARM

This was the second "Lisle Farm Rally" gathering and we had eighteen coaches at this last Hoosier Cruiser Rally of the season.  After arriving throughout the day Thursday, the Hoosier Cruisers pretty much just sat around and yakked and enjoyed one another's company and the beautiful, sunny, crisp, fall weather until early evening when we caravanned into South Whitley for a nice dinner at the "Brown Stone Cafe".Friday morning there was a "Pitch In" breakfast in Steve Lisle’s meticulously clean garage/workshop.  This was another of those infamous Hoosier Cruiser "Bring-A-Dish-To-Pass" and make everyone fatter type of event where there is more food than the total number of attendees could possibly consume.

After breakfast there was a rousing game of "Family Feud" where the folks were divided into competing groups and were asked a series of goofy questions about pretty much everything.  There was a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ and it was lots of fun.  As we were leaving the "Family Feud" event we were all surprised as we were "strafed" by two A-10 Thunder Bolt fighter aircraft as they went through some low altitude, high speed, acrobatic gyrations which made our teeth and the windows rattle. These awesome, thundering, airborne fighting machines, also known as the "Warthog" were, as we found out later, based at the Air Guard base in Ft. Wayne and the event was quietly orchestrated by Steve Lisle and his son-in-law.  The Warthogs, with GAU-8 Avenger gatling guns mounted in their noses, made us tremble and we were all glad that they were not angry at us and that they are on our side.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon playing Euchre and the dice game "Toss ‘em Up" in in the Community Center/Lisle Garage.  Dinner was another pitch-in along with  a big pot of brats which Barb and Jim Gibson had prepared.

After dinner we all donned warm clothes and blankets and listened to a roving minstrel as he strummed his guitar and sang to us as we sat around one of Steve Lisle’s itty-bitty, teeny-weeny campfires which had flames leaping fourteen feet into the pitch black, chilly fall night.  Ahhh, life is good !

After another pitch-in breakfast, Saturday morning found Jim & Bobbie Gibson laboring in the field setting up yard games. We all lined up and carried marshmallows across a course between two popsicle sticks and then pitched them into a bowl.  We all acted like teeny-boppers and had lots of fun.  Then some of the Cruisers engaged in a treasure hunt by elite teams named: "The Pudgy Pumpkins", "The Squishy Squashes", "The Wicked Witches", "The Scary Scare Crows", "The Groovy Ghosts" and "The Sassy Spiders".  No kidding !   That was the team names.  Unfortunately, it began to rain and the rest of the yard games that Jim & Bobbie had worked so hard to set up went unused.

After dinner we were treated to a sort of gift/door prize drawing. This one, like the one last year at the Lisle Rally, was different in that when your name was drawn you could select a gift from the table or you could "steal" one that a fellow Cruiser had previously drawn.  Betty Tilmann drew a nice, fuzzy blanket that was promptly "stolen" from poor Betty and  then came into Lois Stoner's possession .  Now, Betty was not happy about this but the picture of Lois cradling the blanket, cuddling it to her cheeks and sort of "bonding" with it was touching indeed.  Unfortunately for Lois, poor Miss Lois, her ecstasy was short lived.  The blanket went in and out of her control countless times and resulted in Lois finally losing it to Mae Stevens which did not make Lois a happy camper.  The blanket ultimately ended up with Mae which left Lois in a state of moderate to severe depression.  Congratulations to Mae and our very special sympathies go out to poor, sad, depressed Miss Lois for losing her treasured, soft, fuzzy blanket. Boo Hoo Hoo for Lois ! ! !

A great big  - ! Yeehah ! -  type thank you goes out to Steve and Cassie and Jim & Bobbie Gibson and Danny & Mary Lou Biddle for all of their efforts in staging another absolutely top drawer rally at the Lisle Farm !

It was a great rally and brought our 2012 season to a bitter-sweet end.

See you after the snow melts !

Amana Octoberfest

Amana Octoberfest Parade

Great cooks make for great meals

The Hoosier Cruisers joined the National RV Great Lakers in a wonderful Fall rally at the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  The event began with a great evening of brats over the campfire and of course marshmallows and somores for desert. This was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and share stories of travels.  We kicked off Friday with a tour of the Amana Heritage Museum to familiarize ourselves with this very unique community.  There was ample time the rest of the day to explore the "colonies" and of course begin the shopping escapades that are always available during festivals.  Saturday began with a pitch-in breakfast followed by a parade in downtown Amana,  more touring and shopping.  After dinner on our own our rally masters had arranged tickets to a wonderful play where we enjoyed a comedy performed by some very professional actors at the Old Creamery Theater adjacent to the campground.  Sunday was very relaxing and closed with a family style dinner at the Ox Yoke Restaurant and some more campfire time.  Monday started for six of us with 18 holes on one of the most picturesque courses I've ever played.  The weather was perfect and the course condition outstanding making this outing one to remember.  The afternoon included a great tour of the Amana Furniture Factory where we learned how truly fine craftsmen and women make some to the finest furniture in the world.  We closed the rally with a carry in dinner of great food from the Great Lakers and Hoosier Cruiser ladies.

Dinner at the Ox Yoke

 We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our friends the National Great Lakers.  I know some lasting friendships were made and we look forward to another combined rally in the future.  The Hoosier Cruisers would like to invite all the Great Lakers to attend any of our future rallies and look forward to meeting those that were unable to attend this wonderful event.  I know I can speak for all attendees in extending our appreciation to Dennis and Betty Behnken and Greg and Bettie Wessel for organizing this fabulous rally.  By the way Dennis thanks for the fabulous weather- you "rock"!

It's a lonely job but somebody has to do it.

Member Updates

Sadly, our Secretary Beth Bailey suddenly lost her mother Kathleen Sheets to the Lord this week.  Viewing is Friday from 4:00pm-6:00pm with the furneral Sat. at 10:00am at the Genda & Bodine Furneral Home in Frankfort, Indiana.  Beth has had a difficult year and I know she would appreciate our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

On a more positive note, Jane Clashman informs me that Ernie is doing well following his lung surgery and will be released from the hospital on Saturday.  We hope to see them both soon back on the road. 
Nina Francis is scheduled soon for her surgery and we will continue to wish her well and keep her in our prayers.

September Rally was a Great Time

The Hoosier Cruisers have been very busy as of late.  We had a wonderful Family Reunion in Indy however there were a few challenging moments for some of us as noted in the photo.  I guess someone didn’t like where I parked them.  For a more complete summary see my Presidents Message.

The September rally hosted by Mable and Bob Heath and Carol and Jerry Hardacre was a big hit with everyone.  The rally started with a visit to the Paramount Theater and a concert benefitting the Special Olympics.  The music was first rate and the luxury door to door transportation provided by Jerry and his church bus was very special.  Other activities for the week included and interesting visit to a casket manufacturer where we watched the finest wooden caskets being made.  For the man who has everything, a top of line unit was a beautiful walnut hand carved casket which sold in Hawaii for $25,000.00.  We were also treated to a military museum tour and a wonderful dinner followed by entertainment from a local music store/school.  Our own Jill Winebrenner took a lesson and seemed to catch on to the instrument very quickly.  Saturday began with a nice breakfast and tour at the Gaither Restaurant and music studio.  It was very interesting seeing where these famous Christian singers/musicians wrote and recorded much of their music.

Of course we also had our annual business meeting and election of new officers.  Many thanks to those officers who have served this past year and a big welcome to the new electorate.  Details will follow in the next newsletter but the new officers and e-mail contacts can be found in the column to the right on this blog.

It’s off to Amana now and Sandy and I hope to see you all there.

Hoosier Cruisers

Two of our members are about to undergo major proceedures and we can play a part. Ernie Clashman will have lung surgery on Thursday for lung cancer and Nina Francis will have several proceedures including bypass surgery soon. Please keep both of our fellow Cruisers in your thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks.

September 12-15 Chesterfield Rally Update

Mable informs me that Friday will be a pitch-in breakfast and supper will be a "bring a dish" event with meat provided. She also suggested that if we arrive on Thursday before supper we could carpool to a restaurant then head to the Paramount for a Country Jamboree event. Sounds like a great start to the rally. Hope to see you all there.

Up And Coming Events For The Hossier Cruisers

Our next rally after the FMCA Family Reunion in Indy is in Anderson/Chesterfield Indiana Sept. 13-16. Our hosts, the Heaths and Hardacres, have once again arranged an interesting rally for the Hoosier Cruisers. Registration will be open until the rally but reservations are only being reserved at the RV resort until August 15th. Call Timberline Valley RV Resort (765-378-5909) as soon as possible to secure a spot with the Hoosier Cruisers.

It's been a few years since we had an "away" rally and this is a great
opportunity to pack up and explore the Amana Cononies in Amana, Iowa Sept.27-Oct.2. Thanks to our rally masters Betty and Dennis Behnken this is a combined effort with the National RV Great Lakers and should be a steller event with great fun and fellowship. Check out your newsletter for complete details.





The October rally is once again at the Lisle ranch in Columbia City, In. Oct. 11-14 and will be a wonderful way to wind down a busy camping
season. Those in attendance last year reported a fabulous time and we
all know how beautiful the fall season is for camping. This is a
"dry camping" event so reservations go to the Lisles and prepare your
generators for a little exercise. Steve would like to hear from those attending by Sept. 15th.

All the details for these rallies are in your August newsletter which you should have now received. Please don't hesitate to contact the rallymasters or myself with any questions.
Each of the registration forms posted should be printable by clicking on the form to enlarge and print. A few people have found hovering over the document then right click and print works as well.

Hoosier Cruisers Meet Health Issues Head On

Several of our members are struggling with health issues and could use our thoughts and prayers. Sandy Berrier reports that Bill has lung cancer which will require surgery soon. He would like for us to keep him in our prayers as he confronts this challenge. Leroy Frank has just had triple bypass surgery and is doing well. We all wish him a speedy recovery. J.R.Kelley is finishing his radiation treatments for prostate cancer and he and Louise should be back in camping mode when Indy rolls around. Finally, Connie Decausemaker had some good news as they are closer to working out her difficulties and will not need to go to Mayo.

Hoosier Cruisers arrive at Circus City

Peru welcomed the Hoosier Cruisers last Thursday and even published an article in the Peru Tribune about our club. Rally master Don Orman was quoted saying "we've been here before...but it has been several years". Nineteen coaches and at least 20 grandchildren and children took full advantage of the wonderful opportunity to visit the Circus City Festival. It began Thursday with dinner at a unique restaurant called the Siding. We had our own buffet and sat at tables in old railroad cars.

Friday was a day of exploring and shopping at the festival and downtown Peru. I thought we would never see some of the women again. Friday night was a pitch in dinner with our host providing a wonderful beef brisket as the main entree. As always, we had the best side dishes possible from some of the best cooks in FMCA. The rest of the evening was relaxing mostly watching the kids and a few adults play numerous games. The water balloons were definitely the biggest hit.

Saturday brought some excitement as we headed downtown to the festival parade. Our rally masters had arranged private parking and we were escorted to our own barricaded lot. Boy did we feel special. The parade was excellent and started with a fly-by of an Army Huey gunship and appropriately our National Anthem. It was then on to the circus. Boy was I surprised. The performers ranged in age from 6-18 years of age and showed great courage, poise and professionalism. We were even treated to a seven women pyramid on the high wire performed by an all women wire act. The show closed with a great performance on the trapeze. These kids are awesome, very talented and definitely dedicated. I'm sure there were many proud parents in attendance. The evening was continued with a great catered dinner and we were then entertained by a local blue grass band singing many familiar songs.

On Sunday Bettie Wessel led us in devotions which were wonderfully geared to the children. Assisted by Betty Behnken it was the perfect conclusion to our visit. All in all a very successful fun filled rally due in large part to our terrific rally masters Don and Lou Ann Orman and there assistants Duane and Lois Stoner. Well done!!