We've Returned!

Sunday morning Terry drove us to the airport for our 7 am flight. It was uneventful and we arrived in Fort Lauderdale right on time. We were picked up by my brother-in-law Richard while Karen, Ron, Tim & Cindy were picked up by my sister Margaret. They took us to their contractor business, their home and to lunch. We finished our short visit with a ride from Boca to Port Everglades along A1A so Cindy & Tim could see the area. Here are the anniversary couple, nephew Bobby, Margaret and Richard.



Because we were boarding later there was no delay and we went right to our stateroom on the 11th floor. We were delighted with the balcony room. We sailed at 5 pm as scheduled and met up with the rest of our group at dinner.



Monday we docked at Princess Cay in the Bahamas. It is a private beach with lounge chairs, pavilions, bar service and lunch served for two hours. The weather was perfect but the water was still on the cool side. Here is my view from my lounge chair. Terry & Lynn had fun with their "monkey" drinks and so did the anniversary couple.






Tuesday was a day at sea and we did all the normal things the ship offers ... mostly eating! It was the captain's dinner night so we all got dressed up. Our group was aged 21 to 71 so we left the late, late nights and most of the drinking to the young folks.










On Wednesday we docked on the Dutch side of St. Maarten. The six "older" folks had reserved a van for a tour while the "younger" group opted to stay in town. One of our stops was the beach where the planes are only a few feet above you as they land. The beach stops, there is a two lane road, a fence and then the runway. The sign warns of engine thrust and we saw a couple hanging on to each other to stay upright from a jet taking off. The smaller planes we saw land don't need the whole runway and land slightly beyond the fence but the big commercial liners put it down right over the fence.





Our last stop was Orient Beach. This is on the French side and half the beach is clothing optional. Our side was clothing required but apparently that doesn't include tops for women. We walked the entire beach and reinforced our belief that most people look better with their clothes on! The water was warm and we stayed a couple of hours swimming in the surf.

Thursday was the highlight of the trip. We docked in St. Thomas, rode a taxi van (all 12 of us) to Sapphire Bay and boarded the Yacht Nightwind which is actually a 57-ft sailboat with a captain and first mate (who was also the bartender). We sailed to Hawk's Nest Bay off St. John's Island in the Virgin Islands. I've only been on a two person sailboat where I only had to shift my weight as directed. When this boat keeled while we sailed, it laid over so far water was coming in over the edge. I was told this was normal so as long as I could see land I didn't freak out.

We had a continental breakfast, snacks, lunch on the boat and an open bar all day. We anchored in the bay and I was the first one off the boat with my flippers and boogie board. It was a long way down to the water it seemed but it was delightfully warm and clear. The captain threw some Chex Mix out and lots of fish came around.














Because our ship was scheduled to sail at 4 pm we had to leave about 2 pm to sail back to Sapphire Bay and ride the taxi back to the ship. Normally we would have pulled anchor and sailed to another place to snorkle. It was a great time even though it had to be cut short.

Friday was a disappointing day. We sailed into Grand Turk but were unable to dock with the high swells and our call at this port had to be aborted. I'm not sure who was most disappointed ... the 3000 passengers on board or the vendors on the island watching the boat make a 180 degree turn and sail away. The ship added activities and Ted and I took a waltz lesson. We were deemed "not the best suited dance partners" because of the difference in our size. As if we didn't aleady know that! But it was a lot of fun and after 44 years I think we'll just learn to live with that problem.

Saturday started out wonderful. Karen and Ron wore their 50th anniversary T-shirts and everyone was stopping them to offer congratulations. We ran into them around lunch and went into the buffet. Just as we were finishing up Tim & Cindy came in so we moved to a larger table. All of a sudden Ron had an acute angina attack and couldn't get his breath. They called 911 for the ship's medical staff and he was taken by wheelchair to the medical center. An EKG and blood enzyme tests revealed no heart attack but he had to stay for a 6 hour and 12 hour repeat of the tests. Later that evening he returned to his stateroom with the instructions to use a wheelchair to leave the ship and at the airports and to see his doctor as soon as he got home.

So the celebration dinner never happened. The corsage and boutonniere were never used, the remaining 10 of us glumly drank the champagne and the waiter prepared the cake for me to take to their stateroom. UPDATE: Ron underwent angioplasty on Tuesday. He had two stents plus one balloon angioplasty done and is feeling much better. He has a battery of medicine but at least no permanent damage was done and he is still with us to work on 51 years.

Sunday morning getting off a ship is usually a hurry up and wait event but Princess did an excellent job. We were dressed, packed, had breakfast, got off the ship, claimed our luggage and made it through Customs by 8:45 a.m. We waited a l-o-n-g time for the rental car bus and didn't get on the road until after 10.

We arrived in DeBary around 3 and took Kristin home from our friend Eileen's house. She was feeling better and by the time we left Thursday was back to normal except for being a little tired.

We did lots of little things around the house for Kristin. Single ladies with homes tend to have things for Dad (and Mom) to do during visits. Ted cut and weed whacked the grass and hung two new porch lights as well as put air in her car tires. I hemmed 8 sheer panels for the living room and did the laundry. Ted also put RID down the toilet for the septic system and poured Liquid Plumber down the sink and tub drains. She is getting ready to have her kitchen redone so we spent a lot of time at Lowe's with her in the Kitchen Design Center. I may go back next month to help her unload the cabinets so they can be taken out then get the new kitchen all set up. It will depend on the timing. This is a morning view of the lake from her back porch and two Sandhill Cranes walking through her front yard. Florida had a very cold spell and the grass died like ours does here in Texas. It was strange to see all those brown lawns when they are usually so green. Ted cut Kristin's to help the new growth that you could see coming up.




Our original seat assignments on the return flight were the two middle seats in the two back rows! We were able to change them online when we checked in to an aisle and middle in row 7. No one came for the window seat so I moved over and we had a very comfortable flight home.

As we approached the baggage carousel we noticed TV camera crews. They said they were waiting for "Stump" the Sussex Spaniel that won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. He had flown home First Class and would be coming down the escalator because the NY luggage would be on the same carousel as ours. I managed to get a few shots through everyone's legs. Stump was as bored as could be. What a great little ending to our vacation.

Bon Voyage

I did go to Happy Hour with the girls at the country club. Ted and Terry joined us about 6 o'clock and the four of us had dinner. Everything was excellent and we cleaned our plates.

Thursday I went shopping for a white cotton sweater to wear Sunday morning with my "cruise wear" because at 5 a.m. it will probably be cool outside. I bought a dressy jacket to take along too. So I came home and went through all my clothes again so I wasn't taking more than I needed.

Our daughter in Florida is having her gall bladder removed so we had to change our return flights. Once we dock we'll drive from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando in a rental car. We will fly out of Orlando later in the week. It will be nice to see some of our old neighbors and our friends Tom and Eileen. We haven't seen them since our Hawaiian Christmas vacation in 2007.

Today I had my hair cut and colored. Tomorrow is my manicure and pedicure. We'll go to church Saturday night because we have to leave about 5 a.m. to travel to the airport, get the car parked and get through security in time for our flight.

Here's our home for the next week:

Mystery Solved

Terry and Carol had a dinner at the country club Saturday night and that was why we were playing bunco for them. We went to Mass at 5 pm and then grabbed a sandwich at Chik Fila before going to the home of Walter and Norka. All these couples are from St. Anthony's and it was a nice evening getting to know them better. And I won! Hope they'll invite us back in spite of that.

Since we had been to church already, Sunday morning we decided to try the new restaurant Rise and Dine that just opened on 242. We called Rick and Brenda but they were already at Denny's with Rick's family but Jay and Stella were ready to go on a moment's notice.

We liked the food but the pancakes are too big. There were 3 of them and each one was as big as the dinner plate. Ted couldn't begin to eat them all. Next time we'll order sausage and pancakes and split them. We all went to Wal-Mart and then back to our house to discuss our summer plans. After they left we didn't do much but read and watch some TV.

Sunday evening we met the Newcomers group at Goose's Acres. It's an Irish Pub that sits on the Waterway. There were close to 30 people in the group but you really can only talk to those right around you. It was a nice end to the weekend.

Monday we were up early. We told Terry & Carol we would leave our house at 7:30 am to pick them up. Then we drove to Rayford Crossing to catch the bus to the Coushatta Casino in Kinder, LA. There was an 18 wheeler on fire on I-45 and part of I-10 closed so it turned into a longer trip than usual. Terry won a roll of nickels and a protective wrap for a motorhome that he doesn't have. Neither do we. I see a present going to Rick who has the only motorhome in our group. We're all 5th wheelers.



The rooms at the Grand Inn are very spacious and a short stroll to the casino. After we were checked in, we took the shuttle to the casino since it was sitting out front. We played some games, met late afternoon for the buffet and then played some more. That evening we sat in the Inn lobby and visited.

Tuesday morning our bags had to be ready by 10 am so we all went to breakfast at 9 am. We couldn't all sit together so we broke up 4 and 4. We were all playing games and checking in with one another periodically. None of us were winners but we sure had a lot of fun.

Our bus was leaving at 4 so we met at the deli and ordered sandwiches to take on the bus. The ride home was quicker even though we hit a snag in Beaumont. We dropped Terry & Carol off and were home before 9 pm. Now I have to get all my hair and nail appointments in before we leave for our cruise. It's Happy Hour at the country club tonight and we may stay and have dinner with Terry & Carol. Tonight is the club's birthday dinner celebrations and her birthday was earlier in the month.

Quiet Week

We did go to Cut N Shoot on Sunday along with our chicken legs. We spent the afternoon visiting and playing Mexican Train then switched to Pegs & Jokers. At dinnertime we turned on the oven to cook the chicken and warm up the brisket and pork that was left over. There were still a good many Boomers staying over because of the Martin Luther King holiday. It was way after 11 when we got home.

Monday was my bunco day. This is my group that has been together since October 2001. I remember that so clearly because Ted's two shooting buddies Howard and Burt came to Houston from Florida and they were all going to San Antonio for the National Skeet Shoot. We had been in our house less than two months. Howard's comment was "Donna just got here and already she's got a floating crap game going." They came the next year too and we had the big house for sale. A couple came to look just as they were all taking off for San Antonio and Howard said "they are going to buy your house." And they did. We were 5 months in a rental house and then moved into our present patio home.

Tuesday I didn't turn the TV on. I'm still mad that the media chose the two candidates that we had to choose between.

Wednesday Ted left for Beaumont and I had a day to myself. I cleaned the carpets in the office and our bedroom. The rest hardly ever get walked on. Ted hadn't been able to book a room in Beaumont and said he might just have to drive home. But he did get one so he was gone overnight.

Thursday I had two funerals to cook for. One was a lady at our church. The second was one of the young military men who had died in the Blackhawk helicopter crash on the grounds of A&M in Austin. He was married 4 years to a cousin of one of our fellow "funeral ladies." We are known as the St. Martha Society. The young lady has been staying here in The Woodlands since the tragedy. His Mass was at St. Ignatius in Spring, burial at Houston National Cemetery and the reception was at the home of our friend. After I did my food deliveries I stopped at Wal-Mart and was home the rest of the day.

Terry & Carol are due back today from Alabama. We are playing bunco for them tomorrow night but I'm not sure why. I thought they weren't going to be home. Sunday is Dining Out at Goose's Acres along the Waterway with the Newcomers and then Monday and Tuesday is an overnight bus trip to Coushatta Casino in Louisiana.

Until then, stay warm, travel safely and maybe we'll see you down the road.

We Didn't Cut or Shoot

The week started off as planned. I played Canasta on Monday. Ted shot in his skeet league on Tuesday and then we took Jeff and Connie to dinner. When Ted went out Wednesday on his way to the men's neighborhood luncheon, he found a crack in his truck's windshield. It had been pretty cold over night and perhaps there was a ding with moisture in it. He used my Expedition and arranged for Milstead to come by and replace the windshield.

Thursday morning I left for the ladies' neighborhood luncheon which was being held at the new home of a former neighbor. They have built a fabulous 5000 sq. ft. house in Wincrest. We had a tour and lovely lunch followed by a short meeting to discuss activities for the rest of the year.

The truck was not in the drive when I got home so I was surprised to find Ted in the office. He said when he left for Sam's to get coffee for the camping weekend (they were borrowing our big coffee pot), he found he had no power steering and no power brakes. Instead of heading south, he went north to the Ford dealership. The shaft of the water pump broke and took out the tensioner, pulleys, belts, etc. with it. It's amazing he made it to Conroe.

So our weekend of camping wasn't looking too good. Ted took the coffee pot up to the campground and told them we might not be able to come. Since the truck was already in for repairs, Ted had some fluids changed and the switch on the passenger door changed out. It never turned the light on when I opened the door, the door ajar light kept staying on and the overhead lights had started staying on a long time before going out. We didn't want to find a dead battery some time down the road.

The truck wasn't ready until about noon on Friday. We hadn't planned on spending $1700 this week on truck repairs but as Robert Burns said "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." It was to be a fairly cold weekend (at least overnight), we were only going for two nights (which I don't really like to do), I was busy cleaning the house and didn't have our food and clothes ready to go. Ted asked if I wanted to go and I said no. I don't think he was happy about that but he accepted it. Now I have over 6 lbs. of chicken legs in my freezer that I'll keep until the next rally I guess. I planned to cook them Saturday and go to the campground for dinner but that wasn't in Ted's plans.

We went to Mass on Saturday and then to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. I wasn't feeling "up to snuff" and had a dull headache. When we got home we kicked the heat up a notch and watched some TV. I told Ted I was glad to be home and not at the campground knowing I had to get up at 7 am to make churh by 8 am and then pack up to come home. He agreed with me.

So today we may ride up and get our coffee pot and any coffee or cups that are left. Here's hoping the truck repairs are ended for a good long while.

I'm Just Flat Out Tired

Tuesday dawned as a nice day but we were all pretty whipped from the day in Galveston. We had planned to drive to Richmond, TX to the George Ranch but no one felt up to the ride and 3 hours of walking around. So we let everyone sleep in and sort of fend for themselves eating. At 4 pm we all went to a movie - Twilight for Kelly's family and Doubt for me and Ted. We all met up after the movies.

By then it was dark so we went to see the ice rink, walked through the lighted "Wonderland" and strolled along the waterway to the water feature where water, lights and music present a show of sorts. After a quick spin through Market Street, we headed home for dinner.

They left the next morning around 10 for Dallas with Ally the undisputed Mexican Train champ but I held the winning score in Wii Bowling. I haven't bowled for several years but I think my hip is ready to give it a try again. After all, I have the bowling ball Ted gave me for my 19th birthday in 1964! I bowled all the time until we moved to Texas and I just wasn't physically able to because of my hip.

Ted hooked up the RV and drove it to Rayford Campground and got it set up. Then he cleaned the carpets. He usually does this in September after our summer trip but this past year he was suffering from sciatica and we were just interested in getting the RV put away and getting him to a doctor. Ted and I then attended a New Year's Eve party and had an enjoyable time. We got home a little before 1 am and went right to bed.

After church the next morning Ted left for the campground so he and Rick could work on changing out the faucet on the vanity and work on getting the DTV boxes working on the TV. The LR TV was fine but on antenna the BR only showed what was on the other. I think they are making progress but it still hasn't been accomplished.

That evening we all grilled out at Dee and Rick's site and sat around visiting with a fire in the chiminea. It wasn't cold out so the fire was mostly for atmosphere. We broke up and I was in bed by 10:30 hoping for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately I didn't get it. I woke up multiple times through the night. I'm due for one of those "down for the count" nights.

Today Ted and Jay went out together and Stella and I hit the 99 Cent Store and Hobby Lobby. I want to redo the top of my kitchen cabinets when I take the Christmas stuff down so we were on a mission. We just snacked for dinner and went to play bingo in the rally hall. Brenda won $41 and Ted won $21. Not too bad a showing.

Tomorrow is Jay's birthday so we're all going out for dinner. Sunday we head for home. I still can't believe it is 2009! Now if I can just get a good night's sleep ...

So Long to 2008

I'm glad I have my blog to read because 2008 seemed like a whirlwind of doctor and hospital visits plus running from hurricanes - Eduardo, Fay, Gustov and Ike. Not much of an endorsement. But when I go back through my writings, I remember lots of good things that happened.

We spent Christmas Day at Terry & Carol's with a dozen other people. She made a wonderful turkey dinner and it was a great day. Our first Christmas at home in Texas was most enjoyable.

Kelly and family arrived late Friday evening. It was two long days of driving for them and they were all very tired so they quickly went off to bed.

In the morning I made a big breakfast for everyone. The three girls wanted manicures and pedicures so I took them to the salon and then went to grocery shop while I waited for them. We had invited Terry & Carol for dinner because Ted was putting a beef tenderloin on the rotisserie. We had a lovely dinner and visit. They even brought the girls Christmas cards with money. That was so generous of them!

On Sunday after Mass we went to Terry & Carol's beautiful home so the kids could see it. Then they took us to the country club for brunch. It was such a nice atmosphere and great food. Later, Carol and I took the girls to Charming Charlie's to do some shopping for accessories. They ended up with MORE stuff compliments of me and Aunt Carol. But girls are such fun to shop with.

On Monday we took off for Moody Gardens in Galveston. We had not been to the island since Hurricane Ike so we wanted to ride around a bit. I was amazed that we saw lots of boats still laying on the side of the road. I'm not sure what their owners do about getting them repaired and back into the water. A lot has been cleaned up and repaired but there is much more to do. This is a picture of the Flagship Hotel that lost its ramp from the highway. There is also a big hole in the wall clearly visible. The other is what is left standing of another building that had stood over the water.




We stopped at a Mexican restaurant that was very authentic. Everyone but us spoke Spanish but we muddled through. I ordered a burrito and it was a foot long and about five inches wide! I barely was able to eat half.



Then we went to Moody Gardens. Our first stop was the IMAX theater. The show was a Christmas story that none of us had ever seen. Next we went to the special effects theater and saw a condensed 4D version of the Polar Express. We got sprayed several times from snow, ice, hot chocolate, etc. The 3D version along with these special effects was great.





We visited the Aquarium which is what the girls were most interested in. There are many different exhibits in addition to the aquariums and we spent a lot of time here. I especially liked this moray eel and the penguin exhibit.




Our last stop was the RideFilm which was a Disney type ride with Santa who was late. We traveled via film and chair movement through the world at breakneck speeds. By then it was late and the Christmas Festival of Lights were all on. We didn't have time to do the 3/4 mile walk but we saw a lot of them as we walked to the parking lot.

We came home to some really well done ribs that were in the crockpots. I had started them on low close to 10 hours before. No one needed a knife! I quickly heated some beans, put frozen french fries in the oven and made cole slaw. I didn't even eat because I was so full but everyone else did. We spent the evening watching Hancock and it was around midnight before we all turned in.

I think today will be a "seat of our pants" type of planned day.

Santa, Chicken and Trains

OMG it's cold up here. Today we went to Frankenmuth (little Bavaria) about 60 miles north of Troy. It has Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store and #1 Michigan tourist attraction. There is also the famous Family Chicken Dinner at the Bavarian Inn or Zehnder's. We stopped at Bronner's because it is such a fun place to browse and I did buy a lighted garland and a magnet.





Then we went to the Bavarian Inn for the famous chicken dinner. Santa stopped by and we were also serenaded by an accordian player playing Christmas carols and we were able to sing along. (Is that even possible, an accordian serenade?).





Afterwards we headed to Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad north of Flint. We visited with Santa and Mrs. Claus and Dancer, a live reindeer. The kids made a craft and then we took a ride on the railroad. It goes through the countryside for about 40 minutes through many lighted exhibits. My favorite is the "four calling birds" display. There are cardinals around a phone receiver!





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We left at 11 am and it was almost 8 pm when we arrived home. Both kids were bushed and went to bed almost immediately. Tomorrow is church, Ally's dance studio recital, our family dinner at Kelly's and gift exchange. I'll rest on Monday I guess.

Fun with the Grandkids

After our Houston snowfall, the trip to the airport was slow and we arrived at our gate just as they were boarding. It was such a turbulant flight the lady in front of us traveling with three kids under age 6 I would say, all started getting sick. God bless her she never lost her cool, just handed the baby across the aisle to a passenger, passed out bags and when they were finished rang for the attendant. They stopped serving drinks and when they started up again did not have coffee because of the possibility of someone getting burned. It was a real roller coaster ride.

The airport was not crowded and we walked right up to the Budget rental counter. And here in Detroit, with all the news about the Big 3 on TV, they rented us a Hyundai! When we lived here you wouldn't dare drive a foreign car for fear of what would happen. Maybe that's part of the problem. For my kids, Detroit, Michigan and the rest of the country who would be affected by a collapse, I hope help is on its way from Washington. This would truly be "trickle down" economic suicide. So many businesses in the whole country are tied to the auto industry.

We arrived in time to pick up Sam and Morgan from school. That evening I played bunco with Kara's group and won! Friday we went to the Performing Arts Center in Macomb to see Ally dance in The Nutcracker. She was a child invited to the party, a toy soldier and a snow angel. She did excellent and the whole production was impressive. She has to dance it twice Friday and twice Saturday. Sunday will be her dance studio's holiday show benefitting ALS. We had a dear friend die of this disease and will be purchasing raffle tickets for the benefit.



Last night we made cut out butter cookies with the little ones. There was a lot of colored sugar on the floor! Afterwards, Kara and Allen went shopping and we watched Polar Express with the kids. At bedtime we read them the Christmas book we had brought and tucked them in bed. These are things we miss by living away.



Today is a trip to Frankenmuth. More on that later.

Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful

It's snowing in Houston!!! We saw "more than flurries" on the evening news in areas just south and west of us. But when I just got up from the couch and looked out ... it was snowing here! I took these pictures of the fern and the table on our deck. I sure hope there is no delay in our 9 am flight tomorrow. We just need the temperature to go above freezing. Yesterday it was in the 70s and now this! We'll need warm coats, gloves and hats just to get out of here, never mind using them in Michigan.

Paying the Piper

Yesterday was spent getting caught up. We started off at church with Rick and Brenda for the holyday. It was the Children's Mass but they all read so softly none of us could hear; however, it was nice to see them all in attendance. Lots of Rick's relatives were there and they are all girls! Not a boy among them.

After church I grabbed three tags off the Christmas tree in the Fellowship Hall and Brenda and I took off for Kroger's with the fellows heading to Home Depot. We bought what we needed for salad, fruit and banana bread. I was back trying to find a rotten banana! I always seem to have two when I need three. Then we went to Walgreen's to buy games for the Christmas tree at church.

The fellows went several "guy" places while Brenda did laundry and I made banana bread, cut up fruit and got the salad things together for today's bunco luncheon at Carol's. Rick and Ted rehung the garage light, investigated surge protectors and antenna info in preparation for the February conversion of TVs to digital. Both of our RV TVs are analog. We have the first DTV box on the living area TV but we get the same channel on the bedroom TV if we're on the antenna. It's OK when we are on cable. We need to split the signal somehow and Rick has a theory. They'll work on this over New Year's at Rayford.

Ted went to Randall's for a pizza to bake and then came home and "doctored" it all up to his liking. I'm not sure if it was lunch or dinner but we were all hungry by then. I was ready to wrap the games I bought when Rick questioned if I was supposed to. I called the lady in the church bulletin and she said no so that was another job I didn't need to do.

I got my bunco gift wrapped and ready to go, put together a bag of groceries for the food pantry, put the Pak N Play that Peggy is borrowing into the car and prepared for mailing the picture photo box I did for Nick of his graduation. This morning I put the fruit salad together, got out a basket and napkin for the muffins and gathered the salad fixings to toss at lunchtime. Then I started my laundry.

Sitting around a fire can be a great camping pastime but it makes all your clothes, not to mention your hair, smell like smoke. And when you wake up the next morning, the RV smells like smoke. So I brought everything home to be laundered. There are some jackets, sweatshirts, etc. that normally stay but not this time.

I need to see Dr. Chang for my blood work for my Lipitor before we leave. We get new insurance January 1 and I want to order my 3 month prescription while the transfer of info is taking place so I don't run out. We also both have a dermatologist appointment and I have my GYN and mammogram appointment. All of this in addition to being in Michigan for a week and over Christmas!

We thought we were going to begin 2009 on a clean medical slate but Ted is scheduled for one more endoscopy with biopsies the first week in January. This has to be done because of the ablation therapy he had done at the end of October. One of these days we hope to get the "see you in one year" comment. Now if I can just ace my two tests we'll be in great shape for 2009.

Weekend at Bernie's (Boerne, TX)

We seem to be meeting ourselves coming and going. Last Sunday we pulled out of Rayford after attending church and then joining 8 others from the campground for breakfast at Skeeter's. Ted had a trip to Dallas/Fort Worth planned for Monday-Wednesday and I had routine things to do. I also had a dentist appointment, hair cut, have the garage ceiling repaired and packed a box to be sent to Michigan. Since I had to send presents anyway, I packed a good bit of our clothes. I printed out the UPS labels and Ted found a UPS truck in our neighborhood and just handed them to the driver. Now we are set with just a carry-on, no $15 baggage fee and no waiting at luggage claim in Detroit.

Thursday we met Stella and Jay at Magnolia High School and headed to Boerne, a quaint little city 40 miles NW of San Antonio. When we arrived, Jay's electric receptacle was not working and we had to wait for the park to fix it. That made it late in the afternoon and we headed into town to eat rather than cook. We finished after dark and had an opportunity to see the whole town lit up. They were having Dickens on Main this weekend and all the buildings were decked out.

Friday was busy with the rest of the 30 rigs coming in for the rally. Ted and I decorated the table we were assigned and helped Sandy a bit in the rally hall. We were invited to eat at Dave & Charlotte's. Dave is quite a cook and made chicken tortilla soup, jalapeno cornbread and guacamole with chips. The soup was excellent. I passed on the others. We sat around Don's "far" (fire for those that don't speak southern). It was pretty chilly and we needed the heat on overnight.

Saturday began with a breakfast in the rally hall. I used my new convection toaster oven to make a casserole as my contribution. Afterwards Ted and I went to Oma's Christmas Fair and into town to stroll through the shops. We had to get back in time for me to make two different pans of baked chicken drumsticks for the potluck. I put the first baked batch in the crockpot while I baked the second one. I made over 7 lbs. and all but 6 legs were eaten.

We had a gift exchange like no other. You chose a gift and a number. When your number was called randomly, you were give a direction such as name the reindeer, sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas", exchange with someone at a certain number table, etc. The gifts are mostly funny and their journey is even funnier. After it broke up we sat around Jay's fire. The nights were really cool but the days were beautiful and sunny.

This morning we attended church in Boerne and then hooked up to head home. We arrived around 4:30. I'm now getting organized for our trip Thursday to Michigan. In the meantime, Rick and Brenda are coming tomorrow. Brenda will do laundry and Rick will help Ted rehang the fluorescent light in the garage now that the ceiling has been repaired. Tuesday is my bunco Christmas party luncheon. It will be at Carol's new house with me being co-hostess. That means I have to make the muffins, fruit tray and salad.

That leaves me Wednesday to do all the last minute things before we leave one more time! We'll be back 12/17. Kelly and family will be here 12/27 until 12/31 and we're heading to Rayford after they leave. We're due into Cut N Shoot mid-January, the cruise the first week in February and then off to the Valley if all goes well. Time just goes by so quickly. It seems impossible to slow it down.

In all the rush please don't forget the Reason for the Season - Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving

We came to Rayford on Wednesday pretty early. Ted had an 8:30 am appt. at Camperland to have the Dometic refrigerator recall kit put on. We have never had trouble but figured we should get the shield put on as directed. Once he was set up I brought the rest of the stuff over in the Expedition.

Some friends were already in so we visited. They asked if we wanted to grill out for dinner but we chose to eat inside. I was sound asleep by 9 pm and slept until 7 am. Every once in awhile it all catches up with me and I'm down for the count.

Thursday for dinner I made two pumpkin pies, sweet potato casserole and cranberry jello salad. Rick and Brenda drove over from the other campground and brought orange danish and sausage patties for breakfast. Dawn and Greg came with them and stayed for dinner. Rick and Brenda were going to his sister's for dinner and left before we ate.



Of course there is never enough food! NOT! Another huge feast was presented. I used my dishes, silverware and wine glasses and passed up the paperware that was set out. After all, it is a holiday. Later that night we sat around Jay's firepit even though it wasn't cool out.

Friday was dry and warm despite the weather forecasts. At 2 pm there was a craft project that Stella and I decided to do. We made a gingerbread girl holding a sign with our name on it. We decided we would be lucky to get C- in art if we were in school but it was fun.



Eight of us went to Donnelly's pizza buffet for dinner and got back just in time to play bingo. There are 5 games and one family won the first three! I needed one number on the 4th and 5th games but Diane never called my numbers. Afterwards Stella, Ellen, Ron and I played Mexican Train. Ellen beat us all by over 100 points but the rest of us were within six points of one another.

Today is cool and cloudy. Ted ate the breakfast served in the rally hall but I just had a bowl of cereal at the RV and carried my coffee cup to the hall to visit. Afterwards Ted and I went to check out recliners but we keep coming back to the Lazy Boy Pinacle Recliner. We still haven't ordered them. We also stopped to look at Mobile Suites and Escapade 5th wheels. I still haven't seen anything I like any better than what I have.

Tonight we're grilling burgers and everyone is bringing their leftovers to make a meal. There is a band later on but it is so cool out that I doubt we'll stay outside to listen to them. If we stay outside, it will be bundled up sitting around Jay's firepit again. We're going home tomorrow. We need to get ready to leave for Boerne, TX on Thursday. Next weekend is the Texas Boomers Christmas Camp Out.

Oops!

Saturday I made four loaves of banana bread with my two bananas and the one I commandeered from Michele. Two are for the funeral breakfast and I sent one to a friend who just arrived home from the hospital. She may not be able to eat it but her husband can or it will be handy if someone stops in for a visit. It's the thought more than anything that counts.

Ted had gone shooting and I intended to just take things easy. I put some ribs into the oven about 2 pm and the phone rang. It was Brenda wanting us to go to The Lighting of the Doves. Ted told me to take the ribs out and we would have them Sunday.

So a little before 6 pm they arrived with a couple from their park in from Canada. They all admired my Christmas decorations before we took off in the Expedition. My SUV sure comes in handy when there are 6-8 people going somewhere.





We parked and walked over to Town Green Park. The light exhibit you walk through was up as was the ice skating rink. There were booths lining the Waterway and we sort of sauntered by and finally arrived at the snow hill where adults and kids alike were taking turns riding intertubes down the hill. The line was unbelievably long!

We ended up close to the area where Santa arrived by barge along the Waterway. He made his way to the stage where he read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Then they threw the switch to light the doves. Afterwards there were fireworks. It was great to see the kids all excited and so innocent. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He is the spirit that is in all of us.

It was obvious that any restaurant in the mall or Market Street was going to be swamped so we opted to buy four $5 pizzas from Domino's, two six-packs of beer at Wal-Mart and coupled that with a bottle of wine that was at home. We came back to the house and had a fun evening visiting. A topic of discussion was the difference in our health care systems.

Sunday we went to church and wow! the music was something. They had the "Opening of the 10th Anniversary Door" which happened at the 9 am Mass but the music must have been carried over. There was even a trumpet player. What a way to end the liturgical year. Next week will be the first Sunday in Advent and the church year starts over.

Ted watched football and I started wrapping Christmas gifts. I'm going to send them to Michigan along with our heavy sweaters and stuff via UPS. We hope to get by with just a carry on when we fly there 12/11. We can UPS it back to ourselves before we leave up there. Most of what we wear up there we don't use down here.

We decided to put the empty boxes away in the attic above the garage. I slipped off the edge of the plywood up there and put my foot through the ceiling in the garage. Thus the title of this blog. A drywall guy came by today and will be back next Monday to fix it for $75. Not too bad for a simple mistake.

At 6 pm we met the Newcomer's group at Guadalajara restaurant for dinner. I had put the ribs in the oven in the morning and we ate those for lunch so we weren't too terribly hungry. I ate one taco and brought the other one home and had it for lunch today.

We're taking Terry & Carol to the airport tomorrow. They are flying to New York to be with their daughter and her family for Thanksgiving. We'll be heading to Rayford on Wednesday morning and will stay until Sunday. I'm going to enjoy taking it easy for a couple days.

I'm Pooped!

It has been a very busy week and I am simply too pooped to pop! Brenda and Rick expected to stay a night while they got new carpet and hardwood floors in their motorhome. They dropped Cleo off early on Monday and came back later in the afternoon. We had Taco Soup with cornbread I made for dinner and watched Dancing With The Stars. Company does not have a choice in TV when MY shows are on.

Tuesday Ted left for Austin and I brought every Christmas box down from the attic. After a chicken dinner I prepared, Brenda and I went to an Ecumenical Church Thanksgiving service. It was being held at St. Anthony's this year. I took two loaves of Friendship Bread I had made.

On Wednesday my friend Connie came over to help with my Christmas dilemma. We have never been here for Christmas in 7 years so I haven't seen my decorations for a long time. She and I started evaluating. We worked all day. By that evening Ted was home and Brenda and Rick took us to Saw Grass Steak House for dinner. I sure appreciated the break from the kitchen.

Thursday morning they rounded up all their things including Cleo and took off expecting their motorhome to be ready. Connie came by with a list typed on two pages and pictures of the places we needed to purchase things for in the house. We hit Lowe's, Garden Ridge, Michael's, Hobby Lobby and Picket Fences. We were gone 6 hours with time off for a quick lunch. Then we spent another two hours placing things. Instead of getting rid of stuff I had acquired more!

Friday morning I had to finish the jobs Connie had left for me ... decorate the small tree, place the bobeshes around the light bulbs on the dining room fixture, cut the price tags off things, try to clean up the glitter, etc., etc. I also did our laundry plus the sheets from the guest bedroom and put new sheets on that bed. Brenda called and said they stayed in the motorhome in the parking lot of the business that is laying the new flooring. It was still not done.

I had a lunch date with Ann at 1 pm and afterwards took a garland back to Hobby Lobby and stopped at the 99 cent store to get eight presents for our Dollar Christmas for bunco. It was 4 pm when I got home and Ted was snoozing on the coach and didn't even hear me come in.

I debated whether I wanted to go to Wind Down and at the last minute put eggs on for deviled eggs to take with us. It was a nice crowd and we were glad we went. I "stole" Michele's last banana. It was turning brown and she is going to Florida tomorrow. I explained to her that I needed to make banana bread for a funeral breakfast on Tuesday but my bananas are not ripe enough. She was more than happy to donate her one lonely piece of fruit. There was a message on my cell phone when we arrived home ... Brenda said they were home meaning the coach was back at the campground - finally!

We have no commitments tomorrow but may go to the Lighting of the Doves if the weather isn't too cool. There is a street fair from 3-9 tomorrow and then the lights on the bridge over Lake Woodlands are lit to start off the holiday season. Next post I'll let you know if I recovered enough to make it.

B-r-r-r-r- It's Been Cold

Friday's funeral luncheon was a big one and it was late in the afternoon by the time I arrived back home with 9 tablecloths in tow to wash. We had a bite for dinner and stayed in. Saturday Ted went shooting and we went to church at 5 pm and I forgot the tablecloths to return. We ran into our neighbors and a couple from Seniors so we stood in the parking lot quite a while. It was darn chilly and finally Jeannette and I told the fellows we wanted our respective car keys to get inside. From there Ted and I went out to dinner and to the grocery.

We got up early Sunday morning to meet Rick and Brenda at 8:15 to go to the Texas Renaissance Fair. I wore jeans, socks with my walking shoes, a twin sweater set and a jacket. I figured I had three layers and could take them off as needed. All day I didn't need to!

The Fair is a lot bigger than the last time we were there. The bagel I got for breakfast came right out of a bag. No toasting or heating but the hot chocolate was excellent. We were introduced to all the performers from the various weekends. This weekend was the Highland Fling. There are two remaining, Barbarians and Celtic Christmas. One of the Christmas elves looked like the Travelocity Gnome to me.



We saw several shows - Ded Bob (one of my favorite), the Other Brothers, Washing Wenches. One kept jumping up on the end of the bench next to Ted to address the crowd. He was scared to death she was going to grab him to do something. We also saw jausting, a Cirque de Soleil mime/magician, bellydancers and various other characters throughout the Village. Since it was cold there weren't a lot of skimpy bikinis under chain maille outfits. Sometimes I think this event is a license to let your fat hang out in public!

We stopped at a biergarten for a brat and a beer (I drank root beer). There was an accordian player and two dancers. I was sitting on the end of the bench and was taken up on stage to dance the chicken dance and the German version of the Mexican hat dance. It probably has another name. The fellow thanked me and I told him if he threw in the Hokey Pokey I would think I was at a family (mine, not Ted's) wedding back in Cincinnati.




I played bunco at Judy's on Monday. We didn't have any subs, it was just our entire group. We all talked so much that we only got to play half the bunco we are supposed to but that's the fun of such a silly game. Again, even though I now had them in the car, I forgot the tablecloths and drove right by church.

Rick and Brenda brought Cleo over before taking their motorhome to have the carpet changed out. They returned late afternoon and I fixed taco soup and cornbread for dinner. They are leaving for work (at Timber Ridge CG) this morning and will wait to hear if their coach is ready later this afternoon. If not, they will be here another night.

St. Anthony's is having The Woodlands Thanksgiving Ecumenical Celebration this year in conjunction with all the other Woodland churches so I have two loaves of a sweet bread I made and need to take to church ... along with the tablecloths!!! There is also another funeral tomorrow and they expect 200. Connie and I have a Christmas decorating date tomorrow at 9 so before that I will deliver a double salad, lemon squares and ice tea to Rose to take to church .. and those tablecloths if my CRS doesn't improve today.

In anticipation of Connie's visit, I took every holiday box I had in the attic down into the garage. We are going to evaluate what I need to decorate the house simply and then I will get rid of the rest. We have not been in Texas for Christmas since our move here in 2001. This will be my first time decorating this house. Wish us luck.

A Week To Catch Up

We had an uneventful trip home from San Antonio in beautiful sunshine. We exit I-10 at Brookshire and take the back way home via Waller and Magnolia. That keeps us out of the Houston traffic and it's a pretty ride. I gave Ann and Todd the directions too so they could see a little more of the Texas scenery besides I-10, I-610 and I-45. This was one of the few times I had very little food to bring home. We had everything put away quickly and I started the laundry.

Monday morning Brenda called and asked if it was okay for her and Rick to come for a visit. Ted was at physical therapy and I was waiting for Ann and Todd so they came ahead. Shortly after they left our company arrived. Ted had a pork loin on the rotisserie for dinner and the weather was drizzly so we took a ride around The Woodlands before the weather got any worse.

On Tuesday it rained like the "hammers of hell" as my Grandpa would say. But they wanted to buy cowboy boots because they participate in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. They were in the blog back in June while we were in Ohio. They don't have access to the selection that is available here.

We headed to Conroe and stopped at a couple stores, some that I didn't even know about. The clerks were so helpful in suggesting other places to try. Todd bought his pair at Basken's in Conroe and Ann bought hers at Cavender's in Huntsville.

We made a quick stop at the Visitor's Center of the Sam Houston museum. The weather was too bad to walk to Sam's statue or to go through his houses but they saw a bit of it. Ann bought some belt buckles and jewelry as prizes for their upcoming Horseman's Club outing at the gift shop. After the $5 Burgers or BBQ Tuesday special at McKenzie's we headed home. It was almost impossible to see and cars were spraying rooster tails up and down the highway. We were glad to get home. This was our first rain since Ike almost two months ago.

Our company left bright and early Wednesday morning. I sent them up SH 59 to I-30 towards Little Rock. When they called later they said they enjoyed that route too. I haven't heard yet but I assume they made it to Indiana safely. I skipped two outings I had for Wednesday because I was just too tired to get dressed to go out.

Thursday I cleaned a little and did the ironing while Ted finished his Skeet League shooting that was cancelled Tuesday because of the rain. He thinks he came in second in his league this time. Their banquet is in two weeks. In the afternoon we ran some errands. We came home to leftovers for dinner because I had done a lot of cooking this past week.

Things are settled down now and we're home until we head to Rayford Crossing Campground for Thanksgiving. There is entertainment all weekend and a dinner on Thanksgiving day. The park furnishes the turkey and we only have to bring side dishes. And no clean up!!! A good many of our camping friends will be there.

I'm making two salads for a funeral today. Rose asked me to be there by 11:00. I also have to stop to buy some drinks for her. I'll help serve and clean up. I understand this is a young father. How sad. Until later ...

San Antonio

Todd, Ann and Nick arrived at the RV Saturday morning and we took the truck into town. The Veteran's Day Parade was starting at noon and we wanted to get parked before they started closing streets.

Our first stop was the Alamo. We watched the video in the Long Barracks and took in the other information there. I was able to tell them a lot of Texas history. We were unable to get into the Alamo at first because they were laying wreaths and having a 21 gun salute to honor the fallen men of the Alamo. Nick said he didn't want to run into any of those officiating because he didn't want to have to salute and possibly make a mistake. Yesterday he wanted to bring his jacket but didn't know how to carry it. A fellow airman showed him so he brought it along. He kept checking his hat making sure it was on properly. They sure do a number on these young men and women.



After our tour of the Alamo itself (where their reaction was the same as everyone's - it's small and in the middle of downtown), we headed to the Riverwalk. They were all impressed with the natural beauty of the area, the sunshine and green trees in November. We took the boat ride and the captain congratulated the three graduates on board.

We walked along some more before stopping for lunch. Nick was able to talk to his sister Vicki back in Indiana for the first time. He kept telling her it was just luck summer in San Antonio and it's November! We were under a tree and sure enough a bird got his shoulder. The waiter brought a warm cloth and it came off with no problem. After eating his quesidilla, half of his mother's catfish and fries and the last quarter of my quesidilla he proclaimed he was full.



Afterwards we walked over to Hemisfair Park, a place Ted and I had not visited yet. It's a beautiful park with lovely grounds. We were headed to the Tower of the Americas. They have a 4-D ride "over Texas" where you get snorted by a bull, splashed by a crocodile, bounced around in a space shuttle and thrown from a bull. It was just like Disney. We took the elevator to the top for a panoramic view of the city.



Our last stop was the Mercado. We walked through the courtyard area listening to music. Ann bought a few souvenirs and Nick bought a dish of ice cream. He didn't stay full for long! Then it was back to the RV. Nick finished the milk I brought and ate a couple of pop tarts. I think he has a hollow leg.

We met them for church at the chapel Sunday morning and it was an uplifting Mass. They say there are no atheists in foxholes. By the looks of attendance, there aren't many in basic training either. We said our goodbye to Nick and are now getting ready to pull out. Ann and Todd will be at our house sometime tomorrow.

Let's Add Insult to Injury

Yesterday we received our yearly renewal for our healh insurance. We are grateful to be covered as a retiree at Ted's old company because it's next to impossible to buy insurance on the open market at any price. Last year we were warned there would be a 30% increase in our premium. I was shocked to see a 150% increase! It seems the retirees not eligible for Medicare are the most expensive group and the rates reflect that. Now we have one more "bullet to bite" after last week's slide in the market.

I attended our neighborhood lady's luncheon on Thursday and Ted had arrived home from Denver by the time I got back home.

Ted and John went to the high school football game again. We were scheduled to go to a party and I told Ted to go with John because I really didn't feel like going out. But later on I changed my mind and went alone. It's still like grade school where the guys go to one corner and the gals to the other so only a few people looking for Ted realized he wasn't there. The Woodlands HS has won both games they attended.

Yesterday we went to a talk at the Heartland Rally over at Rayford. It was about staying connected to the internet while on the road. We are trying to figure out a way to use mobile broadband without having to pay for it every month when we only need it the 3 or 4 months we are out in the summer. Alex has a couple ideas and will contact us about them. Afterwards we went to eat and then to Mass at Sts. Simon and Jude in the southern part of The Woodlands.

Today Ted, Terry and Dave are going to the final round of the Administaff Golf Tournament being played here at The Woodlands Country Club. I'm on a roll with Christmas shopping and I want to finish up.

Not an exciting week huh?

And We Thought Ike Was a Wild Ride!

I don't want to see numbers on Wall Street ever again like we saw all last week. If I had known last Friday what this Friday was going to look like, we would have that new HitchHiker Champagne and a new F-350 truck sitting outside! At least I would have something to show for the hole now in our IRAs! But most people took big hits. We don't use that money yet so we have time for it to rebound. Where is Mitt Romney when you need him?

Ted and his friend John went to the high school football game in the new stadium on Friday night. Both high schools here in The Woodlands were playing to a sold out crowd of 10,000. They must have had a good time because they left at 5:30 pm and didn't get home until almost midnight. I took the opportunity to read my book.

Saturday Ted went shooting and that evening we went to a new BBQ place called Rudy's with Rick and Brenda. If there's anything Texas has a lot of it's BBQ places and Mexican restaurants. You are hard pressed to find meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans or food such as that anywhere. My favorite BBQ is still Vernon's in Conroe and PitMaster on Sawdust is good too. I don't think I'd make the drive into Spring again to go to Rudy's with PitMaster much closer.

Sunday I worked on our summer plans while Ted watched football. Amazing Race is on in the evening and I enjoy watching all the places the teams travel to. I saw the real Terra Cotta soldiers on one episode and that made seeing the 1/3 replicas at Forbidden Gardens last week so interesting.

Monday we met Rick & Brenda and Tony & Val to see An American Carol. It was a spoof on Michael Moore and his documentaries and was quite funny. It was nice to see some media with some right leaning instead of the steady stream of left leaning we get from all the networks.

Afterwards we went to Luby's for a late lunch and Stella & Jay and a couple from the campground came and joined us. Ted had a 6 o'clock flight to Denver so he went right to the airport and Brenda & Rick came to the house to do some laundry.

We invited the others to come to play a game called Sticks but they went back to the campground. We ended up just watching TV until the laundry was done. Ted called later to say he had arrived safely.

Today I went to Coffee and Chit Chat to see my friend Ann who has just moved back from Calgary. There were so many people there though that we really didn't have an opportunity to talk much. Then I took the mail to Terry & Carol and tried to help them get their computer working. We were unsuccessful so I called Tom & Alison who are going to try to get someone over there tomorrow. Their computer has been out since Ike hit. But they were gone 3 weeks and now are trying to get it up and running.

I went to Connie's late this afternoon for a purse party and got several for the grandkids for Christmas. I did buy one for myself. But how many purses can you store? You only use one at a time! But it was a fun group and I was able to visit with some people I haven't seen in some time. Afterwards Carol, Jody and I went to Chili's for a snack since we had missed dinner.

Ted will be gone until Thursday. This is his first trip out of town since the trip from Fort Walton Beach to Fort Worth the first part of August. He is getting around fine now but he'll continue with his PT until his six weeks are up. I sure hope 2009 is a healthy year for us both. All these doctor appointments, tests, treatments and surgery since 2005 is getting old quick!

Forbidden Gardens

Tuesday night I played bunco in Michele's group. Maria picked me up in this little bitty sports convertible but she put the top up before we left my driveway. My hair doesn't "blow in the wind" attractively!! I managed to climb in and out OK but not necessarily gracefully. I probably came across as rather rude during bunco because I spent a lot of time keeping an eye on the debate ... and I didn't win even though I was a sub.

We still have debris on our streets from the trees that fell during the hurricane. If you wanted firewood, this would be a great place to pick up logs. They are still all over the place. The clean up bill now looks to be about $15 million for Montgomery County.

Wednesday I traveled with Newcomers Global Nomads to Katy, TX to visit Forbidden Gardens. It is a 1/20th scaled replica of the magnificent Forbidden City of Beijing. There is also 1/3 scale replicas of the Terracotta Soldiers that were first unearthed by farmers in 1974.











After our tour we went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. There were 12 of us and we had a good time. There was about an hour for shopping at the Katy Mills Mall after lunch. I bought a new soap dispenser and waste can for the guest bath.

I received a call from my niece Ann, married to my nephew Todd, Karen's son. Their son Nick is going to graduate basic training from Lackland AFB in San Antonio the first Friday in November. They invited us to attend. Since they are from Indiana I encouraged them to come early and spend a few days with us. She said they would get back to me but either way, they wanted us to attend the ceremony. If we can work it out, we'll probably take our RV out for the long weekend.

Today is Thursday and it is a quiet day ... empty the dishwasher, change the sheets, go to the grocery. Our weather continues to be delightful.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Ted's been doing his PT two or three times a week. He said it really helps his back and leg. He especially likes the time in the pool (not to mention the TWO little girls that work on him at once!).

I skipped the girls' trip to Round Top on Thursday because we were gone most of Wednesday and I had a migraine headache all afternoon until 6:30 p.m. I was pretty whipped and behind with things at home so I passed. Everyone had a great time and I'm sorry I missed it.

Friday I made brownies and a salad for a funeral luncheon on Saturday. I had Ted pick up things for a salad to take to Wine Tasting Saturday night. He ordered a birthday cake for me at Sam's to take there also.

I was busy Saturday with lots of phone calls wishing me birthday greetings. Then I went to church to help serve and clean up from the funeral luncheon. Father Tom said he thought it would be OK for me to sign in at the Senior's Meeting even though I was actually in the kitchen helping. So that's what I did!

Later that afternoon we went to Mass and then to Sherida and John's for wine tasting. They are having fewer, but better wines and surprisingly I liked the darkest red called Prisoner. I even surprised myself. Ted doesn't drink the wine, they have Diet Coke for him. It was a fun evening.

Sunday Ted watched football and I attended a baby shower. It's been a LONG TIME since I've attended a baby shower for someone other than someone's grandchild or a great niece. But Deborah is 40 and having a baby girl next month. It was a nice party at a gorgeous house here in The Woodlands. There aren't enough names for rooms to cover everything in this house. The pool was the kind that had no edge. It was surrounded by a portico that had a bar, summer kitchen, fireplace, TV, fan. Charlene's husband stayed out there for the afternoon. Not too tough an assignment since I'm sure he was watching football too.

On Monday Rick and Brenda came over to do a load of laundry and when Ted got home from physical therapy we went to PPL to look at motorhomes for them. We looked around at a lot of stuff but we didn't see anything we liked any better than what we have. They didn't find anything either so we went to Sweet Tomatoes for a late lunch/early dinner and then came back here. I just don't think we'll ever be motorhome people. And the problem with used 5th wheels is that ours has been so well maintained that a used unit looks well ... used! When we're ready we'll order a new HitchHiker Champagne made to our specifications. I don't think we'd be happy with anything less.

Our weather is cooling off a bit. We're getting into the 60s at night and high 80s during the day. It will stay like this for several more weeks. It's a delightful time of year down here.

Update on Ike

There is no dollar amount yet for damage in The Woodlands. There were 697 major damage incidents, two homes destroyed, 70 out of 111 parks had minor damage, 25 parks suffered heavy tree damage and 15 parks were closed due to damage. The overhead cover at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was destroyed. Repair estimate for the pavilion is $2 million. The stage was pushed back several feet. The rest of the performance season has been cancelled.

We are so grateful that we had no damage other than losing our patio umbrella ... and we did that ourselves. The wood had swollen in the heavy metal stand and we couldn't get the umbrella out. Ted and Jason tried twisting and walking it out but it snapped. I'm sure if we had left the umbrella in the table attached to that stand, the whole thing would have gone flying, possibly into our family room or bedroom windows. So we're looking at it as an ounce of prevention. We'll never know for sure.

On an even better note, Galveston schools are reopening on Monday. Since 90% of their school buses were destroyed, Harris County (Houston) is lending them buses until they can get new ones. Moody Gardens is also scheduled to reopen. Ya gotta love the ol' Texas spirit at work down here. It's what made us fall in love with Texas.

Three Cheers for "Normal"

We've had a pretty ordinary week. The Legends Show Saturday night was a great time. Joel's wife Wendy is pregnant and did Doris Day and Peggy Lee. Joel the host took great pleasure in announcing the perpetual virgin Doris Day was pregnant. Later on in the evening he told us Peggy Lee was pregnant too. She came on stage, belly sticking out with her blonde wig in a flip. It just added to the overall fun of the night. Rick and Brenda really enjoyed it and I'm sure we'll go again when they have their regular Opry show.

We made it to church again on Sunday. Two in a row. We're on a roll and not a hurricane in sight! Whoo Hoo!

Monday we went with Vince, Susan, Joe and Linda to the Italian Grille for a murder mystery dinner to benefit the Conroe High School Drama Department. How the Texas lawyer got in with all those Brits is beyond me but the kids did a wonderful job. The food was outstanding and we've eaten two meals off the leftovers.

I had to hang around the house Tuesday because LZ Boy was coming to pick up the loveseat whose reclining mechanism isn't working. Sears was scheduled to deliver the refrigerator I ordered to replace the small freezer that went kaput while we were gone over the summer. It is only 10.5 cu. ft. but it fit in the space nicely and will be great to hold drinks. It has a small freezer that will probably come in handy at times also.

Ted started his PT and said it really helped him feel better. He will be going until the first week in November.

Today we went to see Dr. Ertan downtown at the Texas Medical Center. He said Ted is cured of Barrett's. His exact words were "you needed surgery but declined and with the new ablation therapy I cured you." Sounds sort of pompous but the guy is right. We are so grateful for this new procedure. He scheduled another endoscopy for 10/22 to hit that last bit of metaplasia that we knew about. He said it isn't even Barrett's but he wants everything cleared up. Then Ted won't have to have a surveillance endoscopy for a year. He really rode him about his weight though. I hope Ted takes it seriously and really tries to lose some. He does really well on the Atkins or South Beach diet so we'll see how it goes. Unfortunately what works for him in those diets is bad for me. I guess I'll have to cook two different meals for us.