I didn’t realize I had not posted our 4th of July photos! So whatever happened over the next week must not have been important!
So … we left on the 12th as planned, traveling to Memphis. The next day was a hard travel day due to a closed bridge in Louisville and a semi across the road in Indiana. When we arrived in Batesville at The Sherman, we learned there are no first floor rooms, no bellman, no elevator! Trudging our things up a flight of steep steps, down a winding hallway to the last room just about did us in!
In the morning, rested and showered, we walked to a recommended restaurant for a wonderful breakfast including goetta, usually only found in Cincinnati. It is a German breakfast meat we both enjoy. Ted decided to get an oil change because it had hit its mileage so we had to stay in the area enjoying the small town with virtually no traffic.
At 4 o’clock we met Cindy and Tim at the assisted living home where my sister Karen (Cindy’s mother) is being cared for. Her Alzheimer’s has progressed and she is close to non verbal, mostly mumbling so a conversation is not possible. But her face lit up in a degree of recognition when she saw us and that was enough for me. I had brought her birthday gift, including 4 packs of her beloved Peeps, along with a “fidget stuffed dog” used to keep patients’ hands busy and occupy the hours of just sitting. I had given her a fidget square they said she uses a lot, especially when they need to calm or comfort her. However, I had to open the card, show her the gift and all she wanted was a Peep! We sat with her through her dinner and then stayed while an Amish choir sang for the residents. Karen “dances” in her chair and mouths words from lyrics she remembers. It is the only thing she enjoys. She cannot understand a TV program so I suggested they put a music channel on of Big Band, Oldies, 50s music she would remember. They are going to see what they can do with an Alexa they can control from an app.
Afterwards we met Sherry and John (Karen’s other daughter and her husband), and also Cindy’s daughter Amy and her family. Freudenfest was going on in neighboring Oldenburg (where the nuns who taught me have their motherhouse). We had a terrific family style chicken dinner, some polka music and ice cream!
It was a fun evening, enjoyed by us all.
The next day we moved to Lawrenceburg which is where we always stayed in our RVs but this time it was a Red Roof Inn, quite nice, actually. We had breakfast, again with goetta, saw the movie “Sound of Freedom” a must see, attended Mass where Ronnie and Sarah were married years ago and then went to the casino. We didn’t stay long! I got 3 different Player’s Card and none worked properly and Ted was losing so we left!
Sunday dawned pleasantly and we headed to Pennsylvania. We learned you needed to buy Falling Waters tickets well in advance and none were available so we moved on to Plan B. We would stop in Bedford for the night and the next day visit the Flight 93 Memorial. Our motel was a throwback to the 50’s complete with ruffled curtains. Clean and comfortable but no coffee ready in the morning!
We took a road through the PA mountains to a height of close to 3000 ft to reach the memorial. It is a much larger complex than I expected and crowded. No pictures were allowed inside so I only have a few descriptive ones. We had access to the last recorded phone calls from passengers to home. I could only listen to two before hanging up. So much sorrow, desperation and fear. They have programs describing the day and events afterwards. There were lots of scout troops there and I realized this was a history lesson for them, none were even born when this happened.
A Common Field One Day, A Field of Honor Forever
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