Where in the world is Greg Kelley?

Because this trip was a pilgrimage, I didn’t take a lot of pictures of Greg but did find a way to spread the word about colon cancer in Druskininsai.  I put several educational cards and colon cancer pins on one of many statues in a park.

The Hill of Crosses, Kryzių Kalnas, located 12 kilometers north of the small industrial city of Siauliai (pronounced shoo-lay) is the Lithuanian national pilgrimage center. Gregs ashes were spread here and a cross placed with his name and other family members that have passed. A colon cancer pin was placed on the cross. Standing upon a small hill are many hundreds of thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity. The city of Siauliai was founded in 1236 and occupied by Teutonic Knights during the 14th century. The tradition of placing crosses dates from this period and probably first arose as a symbol of Lithuanian defiance of foreign invaders. Since the medieval period, the Hill of Crosses has represented the peaceful resistance of Lithuanian Catholicism to oppression. In 1795 Siauliai was incorporated into Russia but was returned to Lithuania in 1918. Many crosses were erected upon the hill after the peasant uprising of 1831-63. By 1895, there were at least 150 large crosses, in 1914 200, and by 1940 there were 400 large crosses surrounded by thousands of smaller ones.

Lithuania was such a poor country filled with very sorrowful history. The strength of the people and ability to forgive the Russians and Germans was very moving. Vilnius was the most charming of cities. The cobblestone curved streets were perfect for picture taking. Greg sat on a couple stones and sat in the city square people watching.

There are six lakes located in northeastern part of Vilnius, Lithuania. They are a part of the Verkiai Regional Parks and called the Green Lakes due to glacier activity. Greg is sitting at the Žalieji lakes . There was a huge ant mound there that is protected by a fence. The Lithuanians love their ants.

When we weren’t on the road, we enjoyed some homemade Lithuanian vodka. Much to Greg’s surprise, we ate in a vodka distillery and it depicted what happened when you had too much of the stuff!

We visited the Geographical Center of Europe, located in Lithuania. The very heart of Europe.

In March 2008 Greg joined a medical mission to Nicaragua with Nicoplast GI Endoscopy. The charge of Nicoplast GI Endoscopy is to advance medical care of patients in Nicaragua by providing endoscopic equipment, endoscopic accessories and by teaching Nicaraguan physicians advanced endoscopic procedures. Colon cancer prevention is an important part of this mission.

Tolland CT

I wanted to spread the word this month in an effective way.  I made a basket filled with Greg’s business cards, colon cancer pins and blue colon cancer bracelets. A good friend, Yaz Sheriff from Heart and Soul Cafe let me to bring it to his restaurant. Below are some pictures from the restaurant. Thanks Yaz

Greg met some new people on this flight. I gave the  flight attendant a new colon cancer pin and she wore it. Business cards were also passed out. Lori turned 50 in October and scheduled her colonoscopy.

Had a meeting in Boston today,  I didn’t keep my mouth shut about Greg (had Gerry’s help too) and many coworkers found about him and this site today. I encouraged two people to take Chantix, a miracle drug to quit smoking.  Here are some highlights from the day and I’ll never think of Left Field…..Green Monster….under the Coke bottles the same, no never! Game 6 -J.D. Drew hit a grand slam in the first off Fausto Carmona and where does the ball hit? RIGHT ON THE COKE BOTTLE!    This forces a game 7 and we all know the rest.

Toronto Canada

Greg is honored to be attending the Smart Ass Golf Tournament sponsored by Pentax and NHL Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler whose wife died of colorectal cancer 8 years ago. For more information on this tournament, visit http://www.smartassgolf.com/home.html. Darryl is now on a huge campaign to bring awareness as we all are. Tim Nelson is the keynote speaker and Greg will sit at the podium with him; Tim will be doing all the speaking…..Tim campaigns to bring awareness to the disease and encourage screening.  He is currently producing a documentary to be submitted to the Toronto Film Festival. 

Greg’s packed and ready to be shipped to Tim.  He was adamant about wearing his cowboy hat….Greg Kelley…..Greg Norman.  Hope he hit’s a hole in one as it relates to spreading the word on getting screened!  Kick Butt Greg!

Thanks Tim

Greg’s been invited on a bicycle trip through the French countryside with Dr. Anthony Zaldonis Jr. and his daughter Pauline. Dr. Zaldonis practices Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine at St. Francis Hospital located in Hartford, CT. If he’s questioned on who/what “Greg” is, what better person to answer BUTT a doctor preaching what he practices!

Mom, Janet and Lyn visited our cousin Ken and his wife Joanne in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. The trip started by stepping foot onto “The Cat” in Bar Harbor, Maine. The CAT is the most amazing car ferry in North America carrying up to 775 passengers and 240 cars across the Gulf of Maine at highway speeds. Wedgeport is a small fishing village close to the town of Yarmouth. It was once known as “Sport tuna fishing capital of the world.” There also is a flourishing boat building business in town called LeBlanc Brothers Boatbuilders. Manager, Neil LeBlanc gave us a tour of his facility and we got to tour a lobster/scallop boat in the final stages of completion. Greg sat on the propeller blade which was about 4 feet high. If you want to see the boat completed, visit www.leblancboats.com and watch the final finishing touches. We went from the top deck down to the turbines and generator room, it truly was a fascinating tour and I don’t believe I’ll ever step foot on one again. A day trip took us up to the town of Digby for some fresh Digby scallops; we then went down a narrow peninsula where the Bay of Fundy and St. Mary’s Bay meet. I believe the area is referred to as Long Island. We also went out on Ken and Joanne’s boat.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Greg has the most fun with the Gallo’s, or should I say the Gallo’s have more fun with Greg on their vacations. I’ve copied and pasted Gerry and Fran’s diary. I gave them several business cards and understand they came home with none. Way to go Gerry and Fran…thanks for spreading the word on colon cancer. This trip was to attend Gerry’s niece Nicole’s wedding and here’s the beginning of the trip.

Pre and Post Wedding

“I did not want to distract the wedding so I had limited pictures. Of course, he did hang out at the bar with the bartender Shannon and my brother’s neighbor, and master of all the wedding decorating, Robyn. Greg is in the wedding arch, top right … also, a view of the wedding setting in Oak Creek Canyon’s Indian gardens.”

New friend’s for Greg …

“Groom’s stepfather and mom, Moose and Liz, and step brother Josey, hanging with Greg ….. Moose was so impressed with Greg, while shopping the next day, he just had to add to Greg’s wardrobe………. Moose and I lived in Hillsboro, NH for the same 11 years, but had to go 2500 miles to meet.”

Greg Meets Jacob

Jacob is a Native American and devout Christian. His art was inspired by his mother’s Laguna-Pueblo ancestry; his father was Navaho.  Jacob found his way to Oak Creek Canyon’s Indian Gardens. Art and faith got him through difficult times and he is now providing the Garland family gift shop artworks in exchange for his humble home in a truly beautiful place. Jacob also is caretaker of the gardens, where the wedding was held. Some of Greg’s ashes were left on the river bank in hope of inspiring Jacob’s creativity.

 

Jerome Arizona

“Jerome, AZ bills itself as “America’s Most Vertical City” and “The largest Ghost Town in America”, and once known as the wickedest town in the west, it was a copper mining ghost, now turned tourist attraction, sitting on top of Cleopatra Hill, overlooking the Verde Valley. All the Jerome pictures are random around town.”

  

   Prescott Arizona

“Greg pauses at the statue commenting war veterans in Prescott, and then heads for the Palace Saloon. Virgil Earp was Sheriff of Prescott, AZ before heading to join Morgan and Wyatt at the OK Corral in Tombstone, and was known to hang out at the Palace Saloon. After leaving he headed out to browse the Western memorabilia stores in Prescott.”

Seligman, Arizona

If Seligman, AZ was not the inspiration for the town of Radiator Springs in the Movie “Cars”, it should have been. A throwback 50’s and 60’s town located on historic Route 66, it literally is “the town the interstate passed by” 

 Grand Canyon Caverns

“Grand Canyon Caverns are 125 miles from the Grand Canyon, so until 1962, the connection between the caverns and the actual Grand Canyon went unrealized. Wanting to find the source of the fresh air constantly flowing though the caverns, men set off red smoke grenades in the ends of the cavern while teams of observers were sent out in all directions. After 2 days, no smoke was observed in the surrounding areas, so the effort ended. A week later, an Indian tribe on the rim of the Grand Canyon 125 miles away reported red smoke emerging from the rocks below. Some of Greg was left in the caverns.”

 

 

Larry’s Garden

A bit of Greg was left among the pottery in my brother Larry’s garden in Lake Montezuma, AZ.

Larry's Garden