Delta Project - The Storm Surge Barrier and Windmills

Day 6 - After floods of 1953 flooded 500,000 acres of land and claimed 1,835 lives, Dutch parliament launched the Delta Project which involved the closure of all tidal inlets on the North Sea except the New Waterway and the Western Scheldt. It was inaugurated in 1985; the last phase of two immense sea locks protecting the New Waterway and the shipping route to Rotterdam was completed in 1997. To date, the locks have been lowered an average of once a year. The environmentalists complain each time it has to be closed. I'm not sure what they would have the government do instead!

The red lines in the second picture show the 1953 flood stage (top, thin line) and the lower one (thicker line) shows where the water is when they order the locks closed today. The third photo is a mock up of how the gates work. There is a series of these locks as shown in the last photo that stretches a long way. I forgot to count how many there are. It is an engineering marvel and cost billions to construct. You'll also notice wind turbines in this photo. They are in use a lot throughout the part of Europe we visited.






In the afternoon we walked from the ship to Kinderdijk where we saw 19 original windmills built in 1740 that are still in operation today, more for show than for any actual benefit to the water table. Instead a large auger is used to drain the water from this region. The homes within the windmill are rented inexpensively by people who agree to run the windmills for a certain amount of time each month.

On To Antwerp and the M/S Harmony

Day 5 - We checked out of our hotel where I forgot to mention our breakfast was included each day, and boarded a bus to the ship. Along the way we were to explore Ghent, a site where two abbeys were founded in the 7th century at the confluence of the Schelde and Leie Rivers. It was here in 1814 that the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain. The weather was threatening and we took a bus tour instead of a walking tour of Ghent but then the sun came out so we had a chance to walk around a bit.

We visited St. Bavo's Cathedral which houses the Van Eyck brothers painting Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.


I don't think I could have taken a decent picture because of the lighting but photos were not allowed anyway. They had individual receivers that told you in English what each panel represented and was very interesting. Two panels had been destroyed and copies were done and marked to keep the scenes complete. I've downloaded a picture off the internet for you to see. There are panels on the backs of the end panels but I didn't find a picture of those.


From there we proceeded to the ship docked in Antwerp. We arrived to find the other six people in our party already on board. They did not take the Brugge pre-cruise trip. We went to Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady and came back for our first dinner onboard. Everyone was raring to go and the six of us were ready for a little R&R! On Sunday we went to the Diamond Museum where of course you could not take pictures. There were some beautiful historical pieces on display but the numbering system didn't coordinate with the receivers and we were all confused. A lot of the ladies were disappointed the shops were closed and they couldn't shop for diamonds!




Next stop, Willemstad, the Netherlands. We have been to Willemstad, Curacao on a cruise and it is a lovely Dutch island with beautiful pastel painted buildings with the stairstep rooflines as seen in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Discovering Brugge On Our Own

We decided to skip an optional tour and strike out on our own to see some things that were only mentioned in passing on our guided tour. We headed to the Market Square to visit the Church of Our Lady. It houses one of the only pieces by Michaelangelo that resides outside of Italy. In fact, the Italians tried to take it back but the city has a receipt in its archives showing it was purchased legally and was not the spoils of war. Photos inside the cathedrals are difficult because of the lighting.




Next we went to the Holy Blood Chapel where a cylinder supposedly contains the blood of Christ. You have to approach the altar where this man sits who never says a word or smiles, just bows his head indicating that you may touch the cylinder and take a picture. It was reverent and weird all at the same time.



Here are some random shots around the city.









This may have been the day we had "wurst mit senf" on the square for lunch. That's a hot dog with mustard! Then we took a brewery tour of the last working brewery within the city. I don't think they have OSHA because we climbed places and took stairs that were unbelievably difficult to maneuver but we made it. Grand Circle tells you that these cruises/tours require you to be physically capable of getting around ... and they mean it.




That evening we participated in a progressive dinner that started at the fountain in the square across from the hotel. We were met by a lady dressed in period costume who gave us all a drink of schnapps before setting out on foot. She explained the fountain sculpture in the square and told us some city history as we walked to a restaurant for dinner.


From there we walked to another square to have dessert in one of the outside restaurants. Unfortunately it was raining very hard when we got to this restaurant but we sat under the awning and heaters were on so it wasn't so bad. Everyone took the hot drink and not the wine though! We opted for a short taxi ride back to the hotel rather than walk back in the rain.

Restaurants are fairly expensive in Europe. The breakfast I saw advertised was 9 Euros, about $14. Lunches are 15-22 Euros or $20-$33 dollars. Dinners were in the 40 Euro range or $60. We had purchased 225 Euros at Wells Fargo before leaving. We bought another 50 in Brugge and another 150 in Germany. We bought very little along the way and for the most part our meals were covered. But you have to remember those half Euro potty breaks!

In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow

Day 4 - Last June (6/5/09 post) I reprinted John McCrae's 1915 poem about World War I. Flanders is the northern area of Belgium. We visited Essex Farm Cemetery where a monument to Mr. McCrae and the poem can be found. It was on this site that the Canadian doctor wote his poem while sitting in one of the many bombproof dugouts. We continued on to Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth military cemetery on the continent. It was here at Hill 62 that the Canadians formed the front line in 1916. We also visited the Flanders Fields Museum.




It was in Belgium where The Salient, a great arc of defensive lines, was formed in 1914. By that winter the war of movement was over and the forces dug-in in primitive trenching systems.


I learned that the U.S. only participated in the final five months of the war. An interesting thing occurred known as The Christmas Truce. On Christmas Eve, Belgian and German soldiers put aside the war and shared food and song. An hour later, everyone was back in the trenches and machine guns rang out again.


The Commonwealth Cemetery and War Graves Commission maintains graves, records and registers of 1.7 million soldiers throughout Belgium.



I'm sure I'm oversimplifying this but our tours are called Learn and Discovery so I'm trying to pass on what I learned.

We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant on an island in the city of Ypres.



We then closed the day by attending the Last Post at the Menin Gate. Everyday since WWI the Last Post is played (similar to our Taps) and wreaths laid at the monument inside the gate that lists 50,000 names.

And So It Begins ...

I have been up since 3:30 am (10:30 am European time) and I've done all I can while Ted is still sleeping. The bags are in the bedroom with all the laundry and I don't want to drag them out and have stuff all over the house. It can wait. So I downloaded my pictures and can start with my promised blog.

Day 1 - Our friend Dave drove us and Terry & Carol to the airport in my Expedition and then kept it so he could pick us up. It saved a lot of time and money so we certainly appreciated his help. Our flight over was easy. We dreaded the four hour layover in Frankfurt but with Passport Control and the vastness of the place, you need two hours easily so it didn't seem so bad. It was the next day at 9 am when we arrived.

Day 2 - Our second flight was to Brussels where we were met by a Grand Circle Tour rep. She informed us we were waiting for the Heathrow flight that was bringing our other friends Bob and Lorraine. Once they arrived we were transported by bus to Brugge for a three night stay at the NH Brugge hotel. It was a 17th century monastery originally and has been renovated beautifully inside to its present use.

We arrived just in time to join in the welcome cocktail and information reception. Because it was raining and we were all tired, we opted to have dinner in the hotel.

Ted in the lobby on Day 3.


Day 3 - We were right on a transportation square and could watch everyone riding bikes, catching trains and/or buses. Our bus was parked on the side street in front of some lovely white houses. We learned they were built in the 1400s for the poor and today are housing for "pensioners" - a new name for us old folks!



We took a walking tour of the city where we saw the city gate, corner saint statues that gave streets their names, historical churches, canals and toll houses (we took a boat road on the canals) and much architecture that is hundreds of years old. Note the 1614 date on the building.








We arrived at the city center, plaza, market square, marketplatz - each European city has one and they are called by various names. Beautiful buildings surround the square. Most are government buildings, museums and churches with very beautiful architecture. The lion and bear are symbols of Brugge and are featured predominantly in many places. Lovely outdoor restaurants abound.






We stopped to watch a Belgian lace maker ply his trade. You work in pairs of bobbins and can be using as many as 200 at a time. It gave a whole new meaning to being "tied up in knots."


We did not have our receivers during this part of the trip, we got them on the boat; however, our tour guides wore one with a microphone and we were able to hear all that was said.

Ted is up, I can start the laundry. Perhaps Chase Bank is back on line and I can pay bills. Anyway, Day 4 and our trip to Flanders will be up next.

Almost 22 Hours from the M/S Harmony to Home

We were up Saturday morning at 2:45 a.m. European time to catch a 6:00 am flight out of Basel, Switzerland (whose airport is really in France!). After clearing Immigration and Customs in Houston we stopped at the store, came home and had no key to get in! I called my friend Sue Anne who must have a key for everyone I know. She came to our rescue so it was 5:30 when we finally got in. That was 12:30 Sunday morning European time so it was a L-O-N-G day.

I don't have pictures downloaded yet but I thought I'd pass along some of my initial observations. I really enjoyed Belgium, Holland and Germany. Everything is very neat and tidy, runs on schedule and most everyone speaks English which makes it nice for tourists. The history and age of things in Europe are just fascinating to me. The cemeteries in Luxembourg that I'll tell you about later made it a very moving day but I was disappointed in the country (half the size of Rhode Island). They have Roman ruins, buildings that our several hundred years old and massive new skyscrapers but it just didn't jell for me. Switzerland is another very small country but very cosmopolitan. It is almost three quarters forest and mountains so the cities are compact.

In Strasbourg, France the neatness and maintenance evident in the other countries was missing. If people spoke English, they didn't let you know. Besides touring the city we took a tour of the Alsatian Wine Road. It was much more interesting than the city with lovely countryside and fields much larger than we had seen elsewhere in Europe. When we arrived at the town where we stopped for a wine tasting, the buildings were marvelous, the wine not quite as good as what we tasted at a winery in Germany and none of the shopkeepers spoke English so it was a bit more difficult.

The dollar was dropping against the Euro as we toured. We received 66,7 Euro per dollar at the beginning of the trip and it was down to 62 by the time we left. There were no bargains and it costs a half Euro to use a public bathroom which translates to 75 cents per visit. There are no free p**s in Europe! And don't even think of holding the door open for your friend. But like anything in life, you adjust.

We had a marvelous time. We spent three days in Brugge (this town has many ways to spell its name depending on the language you are using). I'll just go with what was on the road signs. Our ship was very comfortable, the staff superb and the food interesting and very good. Since we had been on the M/S Symphony three years ago, we knew exactly what to expect.

A highlight was our Program Director, Peter. He was with us the entire time. What a sense of humor this young man has. He kept us in stitches the whole time. He speaks six languages so it didn't matter which country we went to, he could always help us if needed. Something new this trip were headsets and receivers to hear the Program Director no matter where you were standing. Additionally, the earphones kept my ears warm! Peter had "5 steps to Paradise." Put on your headset, plug it into the receiver, turn it on, put it on Channel 2 and adjust the volume." He told us this every day and by the 16th day in Basel, when he was still helping some of the little old ladies, I wondered how he maintained his patience. The funniest sight was one lady dragging her friend by her earphones over to Peter because she couldn't hear. She didn't follow the five steps!

I'm fading fast so I'll do my best to get the pictures downloaded and I'll do a few days at a time to keep the blog from getting too long.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Three Days Left in Germany, France and Switzerland

Thanks to all who have been waiting patiently for our return. We are nearing the end of our latest saga and I have hundreds of photos but I promise to share only the most meaningful as to not bore you. We've had a wonderful time and are not especially anxious to return home but that's just how it is. It will take several days to cover the 19 days we will have been gone.

We are leaving Speyer, Germany tonight heading to Baden Baden and the Black Forest, then on to Strasburg, France, ending in Basel, Switzerland for the return flight home after a tour of the Alsace peninsula.

Until then, auf wiedersehen!

A Wonderful Birthday

This was our last weekend home before leaving on our next adventure and it happened to be my birthday. On Saturday my friend Sue Anne picked me up and we went for breakfast and then to an open house for Stampin' Up, a class we used to take together at the community college before we both got so busy. We had such a good time catching up. Many cards from this organization are sent to the troops so they have something to write on and send home. We both knew one of the organizers and she asked us to finish up four packets of cards that had been prepared but not picked up after we were done with ours. We were happy to help. It was such a fun day.

That evening after church we went to a Wine Tasting party. This is a new group that has spun off from Newcomers and will be limited to 20 couples. Newcomers has started a new group so we will have two opportunities a month if we want. The home we were at has an actual movie theater in it. John has done a fabulous job. The screen is 107" and has the velvet drapes around it, lighted shell sconces on the wall, small steps in the aisles with rope lighting and six theater recliners. We watched an Eagles concert once the crowd thinned and had a great time with Connie dancing in the front row! Don't think for a minute that we "old folks" can't have fun.

I thought I would have a cauliflower ear by Sunday evening from all the wonderful phone calls. The phone rang constantly and I didn't accomplish much at all. My friend Susan stopped by to borrow some things for a Halloween costume and I literally talked on the phone the rest of the day.

In the evening we went to dinner with Terry, Carol, Jody and Dave. We had some great food and wine before going back to Dave and Jody's where she had a lovely table set for homemade apple pie and ice cream. She just didn't think it was right that I asked for pie and not cake so she bought this lovely oversized cupcake to stick the candles in. It is almost too beautiful to eat but my swipe of the icing said it will be wonderful when I do!






I can't remember a nicer birthday. My mantel is full of cards, I had great company for the entire weekend. I received several very nice gifts and the greetings that came from all over the country via mail, phone, Facebook and e-mail were phenomenal. When you hear from all your children and family, camping folks as far away as Utah and New Mexico, receive greetings from gals you started kindergarten with way back in 1950 and many, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, from people you worked with through the years, it all touches your heart. It was that kind of day.

Tomorrow we leave for our Romancing the Mosel River Boat cruise that will take us to Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxemburg. We will be gone until the end of October so the blog will remain unchanged until I return. There is a computer on the ship but there are 140 passengers so quick checks of e-mails on occasion will be the best I can do.

Don't touch that dial, I'll be right back ...

Update on Morgan

Morgan came through her surgery fine this morning. They found the configuration of her ear is abnormal. Where she should have a measurement of "5" somewhere in there, she is only a "1". This lack of depth keeps her tubes from draining her ear properly, thus all the infections, and affects her hearing. She will have to have a tube put in again after she recovers from this surgery.

They are hoping to take her home today since the surgery didn't take as long as they thought it would and she will be fully awake much sooner in the day. Originally she was to spend the night. Let's hope she can sleep tonight in her own bed.

Thanks for your consideration, concern and prayers.

One Week And Counting Until Europe

Our weekend went as planned for a change. Ted went skeet shooting up in Conroe on Saturday and I ran errands trying to get caught up on everything for our trip. I'm not sure which end of a trip, going or coming, is the most hectic.

We went to church at five and then on to Terry & Carol's to sub in their church bunco group. We had a great time but didn't win anything. The last quarter of the U. of Houston/Texas Tech football game was on and was close. The last five minutes were downright exciting as Houston pulled it out right at the end. It was well after midnight when we got home. We seldom stay out past 10:30 or so anymore.

Sunday was Ted's 65th birthday so he spent the day opening his gifts, talking to family and friends on the phone calling with good wishes and watching ... football! In the evening we went to Macaroni Grill with about two dozen people. Carol and Jody brought a large birthday cake and everyone joined in singing and wishing Ted a happy birthday.

We were up bright and early Monday to go to Legendery Oaks golf course in Hempstead where we met Jim and LeAnne for a 10 o'clock tee time. We left the fellows there and headed to Brenham for a jeweler. I needed a new watch band and I had pulled the pearl off my earring the night before. The first jeweler was closed on Monday but the second was open. They fixed me up in no time and we were on our way to Bellville.

The Texas Boomers are having a rally at Coushatte Ranch in Bellville. LeAnne said she thought I should take a look at it before I committed to go. We did and it's just not my kind of campground. It's very big with permanent residents in various types of mobile homes, trailers, RVs, etc. The trees need trimming, the roads are not well defined and the sites are helter skelter. I think we'll skip this rally and perhaps go to Rayford for the Halloween Chili Cook-Off the weekend before instead. We'll just be getting back so we may opt to just stay home! That would be novel.

We went back to LeAnne's house in Brenham and waited for the guys to get finished. They came home and we drove to Carmine, TX (Jim said this is Car-Mean, not Car-Mine). There was a new Texas Roadhouse type restaurant they had heard good things about. Ted had a T-bone and I had chicken fried chicken. It's a Texas thing y'all might not understand. There's also chicken fried steak but that doesn't appeal to me. It was very good but I could eat only half my dinner. The rolls melted in your mouth.

Round Top, Texas is an antique area and their fall event is just starting. There were a few stores right around the corner from the restaurant so we meandered around. We came to a store with a BB gun collection, going back to the 1800s, in the back. Jim and Ted had a grand time back there looking at the guns and talking to the owner. None of us bought anything but it was fun to look.

We stopped in the town of Burton, TX on the way home just to drive through to see it. There are tiny towns like this scattered all over Texas. They aren't even one stoplight towns. They are lucky to have one stop sign. Burton has a cotton mill but it is now up for sale. And time marches on. After a little visiting back at their house, we came on home but it was 8:30 before we arrived.

Today I had a dermotologist appointment in the morning and a funeral luncheon to help with in the afternoon. Ted left for Beaumont, TX right after I got home but he'll be back tomorrow. After walking with Geri, I have a dentist appointment and then my time is free for the day.

Our granddaugher Morgan is having her eardrum repaired tomorrow morning so I'll be anxiously awaiting a call from my daugher Kara about her progress. She had a bad infection that ruptured the eardrum and it has not repaired itself. It's a 2-3 hour operation and is very delicate. Your prayers will be appreciated.

Fall Is In The Air

Tuesday Ted left for Florida. He took Kristin to dinner and spent the night at her house. The kitchen floor and crown molding have been completed since his last visit and he said it really looks good. She's down to one bathroom and new living room furniture to finish. The house is about 50 years old and was occupied by an elderly woman until she died. It was a top to bottom overhaul that has been on-going. It's nice to know the end is in sight.

While he was gone I did my normal things around the house and went to Happy Hour at the country club on Wednesday night. We had a large group and I didn't get home until after 8 o'clock. I used the DVR to record Dancing With The Stars and watched it when I got home. At least the first two sent home really deserved to go. Either you can dance or you can't. And they couldn't.

I got quite a scare on Thursday when I came out of the shower and Ted had come home. I had set the alarm, which he disarmed upon entering, so to find someone in the house was startling. He caught an early flight home but didn't call to tell me.

I've been walking in the morning with my friend Geri. She lives across SH 242 next to the walking track so we meet in the morning. This and the trails we took this summer must be paying off because the doctor called with my test results and my cholesterol was 157 and my ratio was excellent! We're trying to walk three times a week but with both our schedules, that's not always possible.

Tomorrow is an appointment at the nail salon, shopping for Ted's birthday gift, a few errands, church at 5 o'clock and bunco at Terry & Carol's with the group from our parish church. We're subbing for someone.

Sunday is Ted's 65th birthday. We are celebrating by having dinner with 18 people from Newcomer's at Macaroni Grill. Carol and Jody are bringing a cake that the restaurant has graciously agreed to serve. I'm sure he'll be pleased.

Monday we're going to visit LeAnne and Jim. If the weather holds, Ted and Jim will golf at Legendary Oaks in Hempstead while LeAnne and I burn up the credit cards. Afterwards we are going to check out a campground the Boomers are using in Belleville in November. Then we'll do dinner in Brenham or Chappell Hill. They always say we're welcome to stay but it's only a little over an hour to their house and there's no reason not to come back home.

This time of year always reminds me of a poem I learned in the third grade. Ironically, there is a store here in The Woodlands called "October Gave A Party." Here is George Cooper's poem of the same name.

October gave a party
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."

Happy Autumn to all.

Raining Again in Texas

All summer, everyone from home kept telling me to bring the cool air and rain home with me! Well I must have done just that because things are pleasant here and green. In fact, it is raining right now. Our sprinklers are covering better and we're ready for that new sod.

We had a great time at Wind Down on Friday night. There was quite a crowd and it was great to see everyone. Sharon and Mel were our hosts and have such a lovely home. We sat out around their pool for part of the evening.

Ted went shooting Saturday and I did a little clothes shopping. We went to church with Terry and Carol late in the afternoon. There was an "Arts in the Park" doings at Creekside Park so we went there for a little while afterwards. Then we decided to go to a new restaurant here in The Woodlands for dinner.

We ran into Susan & Vince and Connie & Jeff, who happened to run into each other there too, so they had dinner together. They were just finishing up eating when we arrived so we all had a nice visit waiting for our food to be served.

We spent a quiet Sunday watching the Sunday news shows in the morning and football, football, football the rest of the day!

Monday was my bunco group, the one that has been together since October 2001. I think we are down to three original members and everyone else has been added through the years. It remains a great group and the ebb and flow of friends is what makes it so much fun.

Afterwards I met Jody at the new home of another friend Ann. She has purchased an absolutely lovely home and wanted our opinions on decorating. Me! The blind leading the blind! But we had a great afternoon and I think overall we all came up with some great ideas. I then drove her to Gullo Ford to pick up her car and came home. I had been gone literally all day!

After dinner I watched the premiere of Dancing With The Stars and Ted watched, what else, football.

Today he leaves for Florida and will spend the night with Kristin. They'll go out to dinner together and have a nice visit. She has had changes at work and is very busy. I know she'll bounce a lot of stuff off Ted about the situation. I have a doctor's appointment this morning and then I'll have the next two days all to myself. Happy Hour is at the country club tomorrow night but that is the only plan I have made while Ted is gone. Stay tuned.

Getting Back to Normal

We ran into Terry & Carol at church Saturday night and they invited us to join them at Rico's in the strip mall near church for dinner so we did. Anytime I don't have to cook is OK with me.

On Sunday Ted opted for Conroe to shoot versus Houston because the weather was threatening. He'll chance it at Conroe which isn't too far but to drive to Pearland south of Houston to get rained out would be a bit much. I just putzed around here. He brought frozen Skyline chli home from Kroger's so we had that for dinner. For the uninitiated, that is a plate of spaghetti with Skyline chili over it, topped with shredded cheese and served with oyster crackers. A Cincinnati favorite known as a 3-way!

Monday was Canasta day (not Hand & Foot) and I was doing really well going into the fourth round and was paired with a new member for that last round. After enmassing 18,500 points in three rounds, we only got 685 the fourth round. So much for winning! Our hostess Sharon is also a friend of mine from church. Her husband Tom worked at NASA and he told her to be sure I saw all his memorabilia in his office. I was most impressed with a shadowbox containing all his work badges from all the missions he worked on. He had lots of pictures of him sitting at the controls we all see on TV. My son-in-law Allen would be so interested in seeing these things.

Ted left for Austin again on Tuesday and didn't return until Thursday. I didn't do much while he was gone but did meet with the sprinkler guy who will be here on Monday to make adjustments and repairs to our system. Once he is done we will have a 10 x 10 area resodded.

Yesterday was our ladies neighborhood luncheon. I learned that my 75 year old neighbor who has been widowed since I've known her is marrying a gentleman from her church in November. Of course the whole luncheon club is invited to the wedding and reception! She is so excited.

After the luncheon I did my errands at the bank and drug store. I got my flu shot while I was there. Ted had arrived home and we spent a quiet evening at home and watched the premier of Survivor. There's a real jerk on there who said he is from Houston. He is giving us all a bad name. Hope he goes home quickly.

Tonight is Wind Down and we'll get a chance to see lots of our friends that we haven't seen since May. It should be a fun night.

Still Digging Out

Not too much going on this week. We finished up with the RV and had it put away by Tuesday at dinner time. When we told the office we were leaving Gwen said she would credit us for the second night. Campgrounds seldom give refunds and we certainly appreciated her gesture.

I went to the dermatologist on Wednesday and that evening we picked up Chris for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. She said all her friends who winter in Florida go to Sweet Tomatoes and she was anxious to go. Her grandson was injured in a motocross accident and she has come from Michigan to help out. She changed her plane ticket and is not going home until next week. I hope to see her again before then. She is doing very well since Bob's death. Her other daughter and her son both live in the same block with her in Michigan so she has lots to do with her grandkids so close.

On Thursday Ted drove to Austin for work and it gave me an opportunity to get all our paperwork filed where it belongs. I had almost four months of mail saved that needed attention and then all the Medicare/Medicare Supplement/Social Security stuff that needed new files. I'm down to one container of books from the RV to put back where they belong. And then I am taking on UPS for the damaged frame on the baptismal dress. Wish me luck on that one.

My niece Toni and I did a lot of searching on the internet for a Family Reunion 2011 venue. I think we've finally zeroed in on one in Pigeon Forge, TN. This is just north of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park. The folks from Cincinnati love going to this area so it should be a popular selection.

Last night we joined Terry & Carol and Dave & Jody at the country club for salad and pasta bar. It was great spending some time with them and catching up. We have no other plans for the weekend except church and for Ted to shoot at some doings at the Houston Gun Club. I'm playing Hand & Foot (a card game) on Monday.

And so life goes on.

17 States, 108 Days, almost 11,000 Miles

We're Home!! After a great weekend with the Texas Boomers in Burleson, we pulled out at 8:30 this morning and drove straight to Rayford Crossing. We arrived about 12:30 so it was a four hour trip. Gwen and Billy, the owners, were glad to see us and we visited for almost an hour before starting our work.

I had packed up some of our clothes, toiletries, food, etc. and put it all in the truck along with the laundry and we came to the house. I stayed here while Ted went back and cleaned the carpet three times! Then he washed the front and back of the trailer before coming home.

In the meantime I unpacked what I brought home, started the laundry and did some things in the office. Tomorrow I'll pack up the rest of the stuff at the trailer and clean it while Ted does the two sides. We paid for two nights but I think we'll probably put it back in storage tomorrow at whatever time we get finished. There's no rush since we're good until 11 a.m. on Wednesday. We may decide to make use of the pool in the afternoon.

My sister-in-law left a miniature rose and some homemade brownies on our counter. When I opened the refrigerator there was milk, eggs, bacon, bread, butter, juice, coffee and yogurt that she had put in there. What a great surprise and so much appreciated. She is very thoughtful. When I called to thank her she invited us for a cookout tonight. They had two couples coming over but I declined. I knew Ted would be tired and not want to get cleaned up and go back out.

We had an absolutely marvelous summer and nothing can ever match the memories we made. People ask if we get tired of being in the RV or being together 24/7. The answer to both is no. I love having the RV to visit friends and family for as long as we want without imposing. And we consider it a motel room on wheels when we are sightseeing and vacationing. When I'm done doing that, however, I want to come back home.

I have several appointments to keep over the next couple of weeks before we leave for Europe. Then there's the matter of packing for 17 days in cooler weather. For now I'm just going to enjoy being in my own house for the first time since May 22.

Labor Day Weekend

We got set up in the last spot in the second row at RV Ranch and most of the week just looked at all the empty spots in the first two rows. They would fill in as the Boomers arrived but for the first couple of days we were on our own.

Ted went to Fort Worth on Tuesday and to the Wall Street Journal in Plano on Wednesday. By Thursday, folks were arriving. I knew David and Don would both be in and have something planned for dinner. Sure enough David had made sausage and chicken gumbo and Don had dirty rice and sausage. New Boomers, friends of David and Charlotte, made cole slaw and potato salad so I baked a peach cobbler and we bought some Blue Bell ice cream. We spent a great evening together.

On Friday all the spaces filled up and the festivities began. There were 26 pizzas ordered for Friday night and a movie was shown. Some of us ladies opted to play LCR in another room. Sandy's young niece who stopped for a visit and played with us said she wouldn't mind getting older if she could be like all of us. A few bottles of wine, a few jokes and it went downhill from there.

Saturday morning was a pancake breakfast followed by more LCR. We took a break and later on played Pegs and Jokers. Unfortunately I've not been on the winning part of any of these games! Ted went to the Fort Worth Skeet Club to shoot so we both had pleasant afternoons.

Dinner was a Mexican potluck followed by our Chinese auction. It's a bit different in that there are lots of packages - some wrapped beautifully, some in brown bags - but you don't know what you're bidding on. I bought several and actually fared very well. The funniest gift brought was a pregnancy test. There wasn't a person in the room who had any use for one but it sure caused a lot of laughter. One item I purchased will be perfect for our friend Jay as soon as he gets back from Colorado. I'll give it to him next time I see him.

Tomorrow we'll go to church early and then there's a pastry and coffee social. Nothing else is planned but something always comes up. We will probably start getting things ready for leaving on Monday.

We received a phone call that our friend from Michigan is visiting her daughter in Magnolia and will be here until at least Thursday. We have to be sure to fit in a visit with her for sure. Her husband died two years ago right after visiting with us. He was a good friend to both of us and we miss him. It will be great to see Chris again.