A Review of John Howerton Honda in Beckley, WV

John Howerton has been our "Honda home" since 2012 when we purchased a 2012 Odyssey van.  We had a good sales experience then and more recently, in January of 2015 when the van needed some repair work on the piston rings.  Thankfully the repairs were covered under warranty.  The service staff was excellent.  From the first time I called to make an appointment for the problem I was having, I was met with professional courtesy.   The issue took longer to repair and test than I expected (nearly a week in the garage) and even though I grumbled about having to rent a vehicle, the service department did everything within their power to explain what the trouble was and to offer a helping hand in renting a car and giving me a ride to Enterprise-Rent-A-Car.  

I picked up my van on a Saturday and by the following Monday, my service engine light was flashing again.  I immediately took it back to J. Howerton Honda.  Once again, the service department was courteous, moving me to the front of the line and taking my van in right away to evaluate the problem.  Since it was going to be more than an hour wait, they also offered a vehicle to me to complete my errands that morning.   That considerate gesture went a long way to make the extended wait worthwhile.  Upon returning, it was discovered that I had a loose wire related to my fuel emissions.  It was fixed and I drove away without further issue.

February 2015 brought heavy snowstorms to our area and I revisited the idea of trading the Odyssey for a 4WD Honda Pilot.  I was happy to learn that a white Pilot was available at another dealer and that John Howerton Honda could obtain this for me.  I spoke on the phone with the sales rep several times over a week to work out a deal agreeable to both of us and exchanged text messages to confirm it.

On a Monday morning I went first thing to the dealer to check out my new ride.  It looked great and as promised.  We spent a long time going through all the preliminary paperwork such as settings for the vehicle, license and insurance info, etc.  I'm sure you know the drill.  After nearly an hour I was presented with the legal financial documents which did not show the agreed upon purchase price.  I stated the amount was wrong and showed them my text messages with the sales rep.  Thus began a 30 minute or more haggle over the price and down payment.  I should have walked away, but I didn't.  I took the offer closest to the originally agreed upon purchase price.  I paid more than what was promised.

I filed a complaint with the BBB, not just because they did not honor the previous agreement, but because they attempted to place the "misunderstanding" on my shoulders rather than acknowledge their fault in promising one thing and delivering another.

So, all in all -- if you need service for your Honda, I highly recommend John Howerton Honda service department.  If you're looking to make a purchase, I suggest you deal elsewhere.   I hope my experience can help you.

"Good judgement comes from experience.  Experience comes from poor judgement."

A Blessed Visit

Yesterday my daughter and I did something I've wanted to do for several years now -- we finally made a visit to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Beckley, WV.  What joy!   Except for the beautiful gold onion dome and cross, it is an inconspicuous brick building tucked between other brick and stone buildings in the older section of Beckley, near the courthouse/ historic district.

St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Beckley, WV
Photo from www.orthodoxbeckley.org

We arrived just before the 10:30 am Divine Liturgy and upon entering the front door, the lovely waft of incense filled our senses.  I am home  I thought as I took a slow breath to inhale that familiar fragrance. We walked up the steps toward the sanctuary and became aware of melodic voices chanting in English, both male and female.    I stopped at the narthex to light a candle, say a prayer and venerate the icon of Christ and the Blessed Theotokos. This is the area of quiet preparation for entering the nave, the place where the faithful gather to worship God.  Joining the congregation, we found the space full of peace and the walls graced with numerous icons.  A soft visible blanket of incense hung in the air, making the iconostasis with its vigil lamps seem otherworldly.   It truly is heaven on earth.

St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, nave
Photo from www.orthodoxbeckley.org

As we stood at our pew, I took in the numerous icons on each wall and large stained glass windows- some of which were donated by people I knew from our St. George family.  A sense of warm welcoming came over me as I noticed many familiar icons, such as St. Mary of Egypt , St. George the Trophy-bearer  and the enormous Christ Pantocrator adorning the ceiling.   Kind of like peering into a photo album and seeing familiar faces, it gives a sense of belonging - of knowing- that I too am part of the family of Christ.

I had met Fr. Samuel Haddad on several occasions in years past, but never had the pleasure of hearing his homily until yesterday.  It was the Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican and Fr. Samuel spoke about these two men and their prayers as found in Luke 18:10-14.  Interestingly, he pointed out their prayers from the viewpoint of God... Is God pleased with one prayer over the other?  Is it a matter of behaving in a certain way so as to appease our Father in heaven?  The reality is, as Fr. Samuel went on to say, is that God knows exactly what we need -- humility that begets repentance.  A "heart cleaning" in other words.   When we pray, and ask forgiveness, it is not that we are trying to please God by our actions, it is that our inner sin and darkness needs to be swept clean to allow humility, forgiveness and love to take root and grow.  

The choir gathered in front, on the right side of the church and we were blessed to hear their sweet voices praising God and offering responses during the Liturgy.  There were children, teenagers, young adults and some older adults too completing this dedicated group.  I quietly sang along with them a few times.

The people at St. Nicholas' could not have been more welcoming to us.  It was a perfect way to usher in the Feast of St. Brigid, my patron saint.   Radiant faces and pleasant greetings met us upon dismissal and we both knew with certainty that we would be back to visit again very soon.    If you are in the area and interested in the Orthodox Church, please stop for a visit sometime;  I'm sure Fr. Samuel would be delighted to meet you.   You can read more about the church and their service schedule here:  St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church

Glory to God for all things †

Monastery Visits Part I: Holy Cross Monastery, WV

On Memorial Day, hubby, daughter & I went to spend time with our friends at Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV. This was a special day for me to have my husband along for his initial visit to a monastery. It was an unusually hot & humid day- well into the 90s - the type that makes me marvel at how well the monks cope with the heat in their long, black cloaks.

Clematis growing wild over rock behind Outdoor Chapel at right.

As always, we were welcomed with pleasant greetings and smiles as we made our way to the trapeznaya for lunch. Here I met Anna, the lady who tends the guest house, since the women are seated together and the male guests eat at the monk’s table. We enjoyed a meal of tuna salad, garden salad, monastery bread, a unique beans & corn mixture as well as cookies for dessert. The cool water was especially refreshing after our walk in the heat on the monastery grounds. We all ate in silence while one of the monks read excerpts from the lives of the saints.

Bishop George was present this time and welcomed us openly after our lunch. Within a few minutes, Brother Anthony, a novice recently come to the monastery, led us on a tour beginning with the outdoor chapel. We also visited the library and workshops to learn a little about how their soaps, lotions, and athonite style incense are made. It smells so good in the incense making room!

Outdoor Chapel at Holy Cross Monastery

Soaps drying on rack

We also visited Mother Theodora, the resident nun who makes the beeswax candles. Br. Anthony told us that these candles are sold all over the nation and Mother got to a point where she couldn’t keep up with orders. At that point, the monastery purchased an automatic dipping machine to help make the candles in larger quantities. Beeswax candles have been used in Orthodox worship services since ancient times. They produce a bright, long-lasting flame and burn very cleanly, making them preferred over paraffin candles that produce more soot.

The highlight of this visit came after our trek to the goat barn. Father Sergius is now tending the goat herd plus one cow. All the animals looked healthy and lively; we were glad to see the arrival of several baby goats! Their relationship with people is tightly woven, as evidenced by their contentment in the arms of my daughter and husband.

We had been informed of a new little guest in the goat barn by Fr. Seraphim upon our arrival, although we didn’t see her anywhere. A fawn, abandoned by its mother was being cared for by the monks, who quickly named her Viva. As we asked her whereabouts, Fr. Sergius made his way to the end of the barn and laid down on his stomach in the straw in order to collect her. She was hiding in the shadows beneath a hay bin, nearly out of his reach. I had a giggle or two watching this scenario since one of the baby goats took advantage of Fr. Sergius’ awkward position and climbed impishly upon his back. Over and over she would clamber up and then leap off joyfully into the straw, seeking attention and play.

Viva

Ever patient, Fr. Sergius was finally able to collect the tiny fawn into his arms and bring her into the light for all to see. She was beautiful! ..soft, gentle, endearing in every way. After he performed a few veterinary duties, he asked if we would like to hold her. My husband took the opportunity and I captured the moment with my camera --a photo I’ll cherish all my days.

It was time well spent. I think what I like most, aside from their wonderful gift shop, is the opportunity to talk with the monks, to ask questions and learn a little of their story. Praise God for their example and answer to His calling in their lives. †

Driving a few hundred miles to be still...

Speaking of Cass in my earlier post, here are a few additional images made from this area of West Virginia.

Clayton Spangler, one of my best friends and photography mentor, taught the workshop. One of the unique aspects to Clayton’s seminars is the fact that they aren’t hurried and for this, I am grateful. It may seem a bit dull to tell you how much I savored the breeze and the sounds of the creek rushing by, but keep in mind that my day-to-day life could easily follow the tempo of William Tell Overture.

When Clayton encouraged the group to take time by Leatherbark Creek to look at the rocks and swirling water, some were stationary, quiet observers while others moved from rock to rock looking for a bit of foam...a frog, a dragonfly perhaps. It’s no secret that I was in the latter group. It’s so hard to be still. I’m always thinking I should be doing something else, that there is something more interesting around the bend. But one of the great things I learned about landscape photography over this weekend, is that all you need is patience ...the willingness to be still. Nature is always changing and providing exquisite displays of light and motion... we just have to be agreeable to waiting for the next show.

Thin Places

There is an outdoor place I go to pray where the atmosphere is different; it’s marked by a peace that is palpable. I don’t have the opportunity to visit daily, but I try to go there at least once a month because it provides such a nearness of God’s presence. It’s a thin place, in the sense of the Celtic peoples who describe such places in ancient Ireland and Scotland. A place where the veil between the heavenly and earthly realms is very thin and transparent. In looking for others with similar experiences, I found a thought-provoking article by Mindie Burgoyne you might also enjoy.

A few of my friends know what I’m speaking of when I mention thin places, each has their own description for such areas...”the energy is different”, or “the atmosphere is charged” and I have found it fascinating to hear about their own locales and experiences. Some of the monks at Holy Cross Monastery have told me about visiting the graves of saints, sometimes in ancient catacombs, where it was difficult to speak because there was such an overpowering presence of God. In each case, we all have a difficult time describing such places because they seem to be perceived outside of our five senses. It's almost easier to gain a sense of understanding by beholding the face of the witness rather than absorbing their words.

I asked the abbot of the monastery what he thought about “thin places” and he was quick to remind me that while there are holy places on the earth where we come into contact with God and His saints there are also “thin places” where we come into contact with spirits that are not from God, but from the evil one. He cautioned that I should be wise about discerning these places.

I thought of the abbot recently, as I visited Cass, WV for a photography workshop. While the workshop exceeded my expectations in affording dramatic images of the rare Shay engines and surrounding rugged West Virginia landscape, I learned that the community of Cass (population 16) transforms into something altogether different when the tourists have gone home for the night and the train depot is silent. The atmosphere was so dense and disturbing that my friend & I cancelled our reservation to stay in the immediate area and lodged 11 miles away instead. Pictured below is the old Cass Company Store. More on Cass later...

Green Bank, Paper Airplanes and Litmus Paper

A Tribute to an Incredible Boy

Last Tuesday, on St. Patrick’s Day, I spent a beautiful day with our son.  He had advanced to the Regional Math Field Day, held at NRAO in Green Bank, WV this year and what a privilege it was for me to be part of this special event!

We began our day around 5:00 am, in order to have breakfast and make the 3 hr. drive north.  The sights were spectacular on Route 92, with dense fog lifting slowly to allow brilliant shafts of morning light to accentuate the tidy farmhouses along the highway.  The air was crisp and while Ben snoozed in the seat beside me, I savored my coffee and the rolling landscape that offered a new discovery around every bend.

Ben is such a neat kid, often quiet, but thoughtful and usually trying to figure out how things work.  He has been this way since he was a toddler and one of our favorite stories is of him at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.  We were on a tour of the historic sights and while my husband & I were listening to the guide in the courtyard of the Governor’s Palace, Ben was apart from our group a little bit, standing over a grated drain inlet  with his hands resting on bent knees.  As he peered  intently down that dark shaft, we walked over and said, “What are you doing?”    Without looking up, he continued to study and then our almost 3 yr. old said, “Water down there..”  “Where does it go?”

I love his inquisitiveness and his ability to understand systems and mechanics.  Math and science seem to come easy to him and I am thankful for his gifts.  When he was selected for the County Math Field Day, he barely said a word about it.   And when he placed 3rd at that level, he didn’t want me talking about it.  He considers praise annoying ...and embarrassing if it’s done in front of others.  I admire this quality in him, although it’s been a learning curve for me, as I like to give praise and pats on the back. In talking with other moms, I’m finding this trait common in boys.

At the Observatory, the students tested from 10:15 am to about 3:15 pm with 5 parts to the field day:  Quantity Estimation, Group Activity, Written Test, Mental Estimations and Relays.  The folks at the NRAO were wonderful hosts; providing breakfast items and beverages and also a full lunch for everyone.  The day went smoothly and while Ben was testing, I enjoyed a tour of the Observatory and then sitting in my van, soaking up the sunshine and reading some favorite hymns and prayers of St. Patrick.

All in all, it was a great first experience for the both of us.  And, even though he didn’t earn an award at the end of the day, he said he enjoyed the challenges and would try to go again next year. 

Among Ben’s hobbies, he enjoys making paper airplanes.  He has a book that shows how to make a variety of plane types and more recently, he discovered a website that includes video on how to make even more styles.  When he told us at dinner one night that he could make a rocket out of paper, my husband smiled at him and said, “If you can make a rocket out of paper, you’ll probably work for NASA”.  “I’ll show you” was Ben’s only reply.

And so, after dinner, we watched him take a spherical object he had fashioned out of paper, which included many tucks and folds, outside to the patio.  With a lighter in hand, he placed the small flame near a hole in the paper and WHHHOOOOSHH, it took off across a distance of about 4 feet and did not consume the paper.  We all applauded and asked if he could do it again!  He beamed as he demonstrated his craft a second time.

Ben is also knowledgeable about the fish in his care.  I have finally learned to stop fussing and asking if he remembered to feed them because he has shown me time and again that he is on top of it.  As he was cleaning the tanks one day, I observed from a distance that he was measuring and calculating something, as the bathroom counter looked more like a science lab rather than a place to brush your teeth and comb your hair.   Peering over his shoulder, I saw that he had made his own paper strips to test the pH of the water in his tanks.  “Oh, Ben, ...wow...you made your own pH paper?!”  I asked in wonder.

“It’s called litmus paper, mom” was his matter of fact reply.  It was no big deal to him; he needed to know the pH of the water and so, found a solution.  Simple.

What is nonchalant to him is incredible to me.  I admire this child and am thankful to be him mom. 

"May God grant Ben many, many years, enable him to use his gifts to glorify God's name and grow him in Truth and obedience always."

  

*Photograph is from the NRAO website.

Eating my words...

...never tasted so good.  On Sunday afternoon of this week my daughter & I were attending an artist reception in Beckley, WV.  We were both delighted to see so much snow on the ground up there!  I even commented to several guests how much we enjoyed the drive, to see the snow on the mountains since we never have much accumulation at our house in the valley.   

On Tuesday morning we awoke to a spectacular sight of fresh snow at our place!  The kids wasted no time in going outdoors to play in it since school was cancelled.  And on Wednesday morning, while driving the kids to school, it felt as if we were journeying through God's treasure box.  My photo doesn't really do the scene justice, as there were such beauties in the trees.  Smooth droplets of ice adorned the tree limbs like diamonds and the brilliant blue sky smiled on our wonder as we made our way through Glen Ferris.

Miraculous in the Common

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;  and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.”  

Job 12:7  NASB

Some of the most beautiful lessons are taught by God’s creation; the endless wonders of the animal kingdom.

As we walked down the steps we could see a crowd had already gathered;  I was glad we came early to snag  seats up front.  I had brought my visiting sister-in-law and niece to Hawk’s Nest State Park to attend a free educational program on raptors.  

Ron & Wendy Perrone of Three Rivers Avian Center spend many hours each year in classrooms, state parks, colleges, and camps to educate the public about our fine feathered friends and natural history in WV.

 Their avian center offers vet care and physical rehabilitation to injured non-game wild birds.  Their goal is always to treat and release the bird back to its natural home, however this isn’t always possible due to the severity of the injury.  For these birds, they often become part of the educational program.  Nick, a Red Tailed Hawk, is one such bird.

As the cameras flashed and kids sat up in their chairs to gain a better view of the hawk, Ron walked about the room with Nick sitting quietly upon his arm.  She seemed so at ease with the routine and even comforted by Ron’s gentle voice.  She’s been with their program since 1993 and is one of their most beloved companions.  After he told her story, I can understand why.

Nick’s left wing suffered a gunshot wound and was injured beyond repair during her youth.  As Ron spoke about her hardships in the early years, my heart was touched at her will to survive.  Life is tough for a bird with one wing, but love overcomes hardships.  It is thanks to some very gracious human beings that Nick is now 17 years old and fulfilling multiple purposes, such as teaching others about the beauty and strength of birds of prey and, surprisingly, illustrating a gentle selfless devotion.

As it turns out, Nick is an excellent surrogate mother.  As Ron told several stories of her nurturing instincts toward orphaned chicks, I spotted a growing admiration in the eyes of the women sitting near me.  Ron said, “When we have babies come into the center, we check them out and then put them in [the enclosure] with Nick and she does the rest.”    She has even nurtured infertile eggs for weeks, plucking out her breast feathers so that her exposed flesh would keep the eggs warm.

She responds to the instinct God gave her - selflessly willing to take babies under her wing and teach them what it means to be a bird.   Here is a purposeful life that helps to raise life to heights that she will never see.

Praise God for every living thing

Praise God for the soft fall of hooves in the forest

Praise God for the cry of the hawks circling in air

Praise God for the friendly nickers in the barn

Praise God for furry friends at my feet.

Praise Him in whose hand is the breath of all living things.

Amen.

*Pictured is Nick from my 2005 visit to the Avian Center for a photography workshop.