Life in Lancaster and Travel

Lancaster PA and Beyond

by Carl (ret 1996 from Tomlinson) and Carol Cotnoir (ret 1977 from music dept. for motherhood)  

We moved to Lancaster right after Carl’s retirement.  We’d had in mind for several years that we would like to distance ourselves from the I-95 corridor.  We had vacationed in the Lancaster area many times, and we researched the cities of Chambersburg and Gettysburg to our west, but decided that Lancaster had the most to offer, being a fairly prosperous area with more activities offered than we could possibly take advantage of.  We rented until 2000, when we bought our Manheim Township ranch-style home.  The Township is about 5 miles north of downtown Lancaster.  Lancaster County is known as “Amish Country” and indeed, there is a large settlement here, but the farmland tends to be to the northeast and also south of Lancaster city.  Where we live is more developed and we have a nearby Home Depot, K-mart, large grocery stores and of course, a large mall.  We like that convenience but do enjoy spending time over in Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse where the pace is a bit slower and the views of the Amish farmlands quite peaceful.

We are active at our church, St. Edward’s Episcopal, where Carl ushers, is a greeter, helps count the weekly offerings, is on the Coffee Hour committee and always has his tools ready when something needs a little repair.  Our daughter Cathy, now 34 and a graduate of Bunnell H.S. class of ‘96, received her B.S. from West Chester University, a Masters from Temple, and is now working on a second Masters in computer systems at University of Phoenix.  She teaches math and computers at Multi-Cultural Academic Charter School in inner-city Philadelphia, lives in Phoenixville, is married to Tom Costello and is step-mom to Gabe.   Carol is active in a Quilt Guild and for 14 years was a member of the Ephrata Cloister Chorus, the educational arm of that museum.  She’s held offices in the local organ guild chapter and still substitutes a bit at the organ for area churches.  She’s in our church choir and is the chairman of the Pastoral Care Committee, keeping home-bound members connected to their church family. Together, two months a year, we pack food for clients of the local Food Bank.  With two big universities nearby, Franklin & Marshall and Millersville, and a church on practically every corner, there are concerts of every type around, a thriving community theater, a professional theater for which we usher, a symphony orchestra and various over-55 lecture series which are very worthwhile, some drawing as many as 300 people per class.

One thing we looked forward to in retirement was the ability to travel.  We’ve been through the Panama Canal on a two-week cruise, and to the Caribbean islands, took a tour of southern England and  a river cruise on the Rhone and Soane rivers in France including a 3-day stay in Paris.   We so enjoyed the river cruising/sightseeing in France that we plan to return in September and have been studying French with Rosetta Stone so we can try to converse with native-speakers in their own language.   Because we are land-locked in Lancaster County, we try periodically to go to an oceanfront condo we rent in Mrytle Beach.  We call it “getting our fix.”  All in all, we’re grateful to be in good health and able to enjoy whatever life brings our way.

Romano Monny Cotone 02.05.2021 17:13

Hello Miss Raymond. You were the musical driving force in my life of music 75-77. Played along side you with drums. I own RCI Starlite Drum MFG. owe it all to U

Mark Rudolph 28.04.2015 03:18

Hello Cotnoirs, Great to hear all is well and you are so active and others are enjoying your talents. I just retired after 40+ years...Love, Mark Rudolph

Paula S. 24.10.2012 16:17

I love Lancaster myself, and I have lots of relatives in the area. It has so many quaint and rustic qualities. Europe sounds super.