Horticultural Center, So Beautiful

Photos Discovery Center and Birds of Prey Show

The Discovery Center where we viewed a movie on the building of Callaway Gardens.

The birds of prey show.

God is Watching Out for Us!

We drove to Cumming GA on Monday and checked into our motel.  We made arrangements to arrive at Susan's the next morning at 10.  She had some plans made but the weather was predicted to be so bad a state of emergency was declared!  And then it didn't even rain.  With everything that was happening all over the south, we never even had rain anywhere.

So we spent the day with Susan and Vince having lunch and dinner together.  Upon our arrival Susan had coffee, cake and fruit.  We chatted a lot, rode around their neighborhood which is just lovely, met some of their friends and enjoyed really good food.  We looked at some model homes and drove through some fabulous neighborhoods.  We had such a good time.  She did make me promise we would stay with them next time if we don't have our RV with us.

On that subject, I MISS MY RV!!  This living out of a suitcase and moving place to place is for the birds.  There is a lot to be said for having your own bed, the bathroom and kitchen stocked and your clothes put away for the entire trip.  

On Wednesday, Dick and Gail met us in the afternoon for lunch.  We hadn't seen them in a very long time.  They were kind enough to drive the hour from Athens so we didn't have to.  It was so good to see them and get caught up on kids, grandkids and retirement.  From there we left for Callaway Gardens.

We walked around the town of Pine Mountain then settled in for the night.  This morning we headed to Callaway Gardens where we stayed until mid afternoon, then traveled to FDR's Little White House.  Our next stop was FDR State Park.  We ate dinner just about 5 and were happy to put our feet up after  a whole day of walking.

I have taken a lot of photos and I will include them separately next in their own blog.

Tomorrow we leave for New Orleans to visit the WWII museum.  If all goes as planned we should be home Sunday.  Our planned stop in Opelika AL was cancelled because our friend is in Cincinnati for her mother's funeral.  The timing is unfortunate.  We just came through there before the funeral and now she is not home as we go through tomorrow.  I hope we can get together at a later date.

I get ideas about what's essential when packing my suitcase. ~ Diane von Furstenberg

Wedding Weekend

Many folks attending the wedding were in the same villas as us.  Nephew Jim arrived and he and Sharon rode with us to the party barn where the wedding was held in the loft.  

Here are great nieces Taylor and Josie as flower girls.  Nolan and Reid were sign bearers.  One said "Uncle Brandon, this is your last chance to run."  The other said "Uncle Brandon, here comes your bride."  It drew lots of laughter.  I was presented with a corsage because I was asking the blessing at dinner.

It was a lovely ceremony and instead of lighting a unity candle, Rachel and Brandon tied two ropes together in a fisherman's knot.  Their log cabin home sits on their own private lake.  Even the wedding cake topper was a bride and groom in a rowboat.

My greatest thrill was the attendance of my half-brother Kim and his wife Marilynn.  I had not seen him since we moved to Florida in 1971 and he was living with his father.  We had such a great visit and I hope to see more of them.

A new thing, at least iin that part of the country, is the candy bar.  Jars, bowls, sucker trees, etc. are all arranged beautifully and guests are provided with boxes or bags to avail themselves of the treats.  Here are Josie and Taylor filling their bags.

I didn't take too many photos but here is one of niece Cindy's crew.  Missing of course are her two grandchildren.  What you can't see are Sarah's twins and Amy's baby all making their first appearance next fall.  When asked for name suggestions I chose Raelynn for a girl.  Rae is my middle name and only Terry has been given the middle name Ray.  I need a namesake!

No party would be complete without rolling on the river to Proud Mary.  I guess if I could get up without having to climb someone's leg I would join them.

Another great shot of a few of the male cousins along with Vicki who danced every dance.  I never saw her sitting except to eat dinner.

Dustin (our godson -17 years old, size 17 shoe!),  David, Josh, Paul, Vicki, Joe, Mike, Little Dan (as opposed to my brother Big Dan).  

They had the Marriage Dance where all married couples are called to the floor.  Then by years of marriage are asked to take a seat.  Karen and Ron won at 55 years, we came in second at 49.

By 11:30 Ted and I gave it up and walked across the parking lot to our villa.  We attended 9:00 Mass the next morning, checked out of the villa and drove to Dan and Sue's for brunch and the opening of the gifts.  We left there about 1:30 and decided to drive to Corbin, KY for the night.

We were passing Berea, KY right at dinner time and left the highway to have dinner at Boone Tavern.

This is a historical tavern and is used today as a dining room, hotel and conference center.  It is staffed in part by Berea College students who are studying hotel management and culinary arts.  Our server was from Bolivia and said he enjoyed this past winter's snow.

We settled in for the night in time to watch Amazing Race.  My Oklahoma cowboys are still in it and I cheer them on each week.  The weather is supposed to be severe today so we will plan our drive to Cumming, GA with that in mind.

Still Chilly in Ohio

We took off around 8:30 on Tuesday and drove to West Memphis, AR where we spent the night.  To say there is "construction" is an understatement, the interchange around I-40 and I-55 is a nightmare! Just maneuvering our way to the motel, to dinner and back, then finding the entrance to I-40 the next morning was a challenge.  We will go another route in June with the RV!  But we made it and are now wiser.

Our second day was broken up by stops in Bowling Green at the Brand store that sells clothing from the local garment factories (and much from overseas).  I bought a zippered sweat jacket because it was getting cool and I thought I might need it.  Ted chose a few shirts, I added some Vasserette underwear for me, got our 10% senior discount and were on our way.

Next stop was the Zappos outlet in Shepherdsville.  I found a pair of gold strappy shoes, walking shoes to leave in the RV and a pair of black boots.  Unfortunately Ted found nothing.

After dinner at the local diner around Campbellville, we drove on into Cincinnati to my sister's.  We called ahead to tell them we would eat dinner on the road and would arrive later.  

We spent Thursday visiting with Karen and Ron then headed out for dinner at an Italian restaurant where 17 folks from my grade school days were gathering for their bi-monthly dinner.  I was happy when I got the e-mail saying the dinner was not only when we were in town, but on our 49th wedding anniversary.  Once again Donna brought cupcakes to share as dessert for all of us to celebrate our special day.  She had done the same for my birthday last October.  It was such a fun evening and the food was outstanding.

Friday we packed up and continued north to Celina for the wedding we are attending.  Karen and Ron drove their car too because we are still loaded down.  We left two rugs for Sherry, a dress for Lily and a tank/overblouse set for Karen at their house.  When we arrived at Dan's we unloaded the bedding ensemble that is our wedding gift, a gallon of whiskey and a quart of Bloody Mary mix that we had won along with a small bag of broken jewelry for Sue who does beading.  When we see Kelly today we will give them their 3 dresses from the FL wedding, Kara's dress and shoes, a dress I bought for Ally, a wedding gift for Kara and two boxes of gluten free crackers I bought for Morgan but forgot to give them to Kara.  Did I mention we were in my Expedition!!

The rehearsal dinner was at 7:00 for 64 people with open bar.  I had one Long Island iced tea and Ted off course had Diet Coke.  The food was excellent.  There were a half dozen selections to choose from.  When Brandon spoke to thank everyone for coming he mentioned we had come all the way from Texas, it was our 49th wedding anniversary and he had a cake made in our honor and it would be served with ice cream as dessert.  Of course we were very pleased.

We were supposed to stay at Dan's but Sue's parents are not coming due to illness so we are in their villa across from the reception hall.  That takes the pressure off the bathrooms at Dan's house and works fine for us.  My nephew Joe and Debbie are next door and were partying with others last night.  My phone rang and they asked us to come over but we were already in our PJs.  Of course they said come as you are but we didn't!

The wedding is at 3:00 today.  Right now the weather looks good.  I hope it stays that way.

Congratulations to Rachel and Brandon on their wedding day.

I Must Be Blessed

Well I am still waiting on the landscaper.  I can understand weather delays, availability of plants, etc.  I can't understand having to hound a company for information.  Despite a call at noon asking for confirmation they were coming the next day as rescheduled, I received no call back so another call near the end of the business day was met again with excuses.  I asked just when they were going to let me know they weren't coming.  I never did get an answer.  I told them to forget it and she PROMISED they would be here on May 7.  I hate to start over and am too busy to interview others so I am giving them one more shot.  But if the owner shows up he is getting an earful.  I haven't been able to get past the office lady. And I swear as God is my witness it will be done on May 7 or nothing short of doing it for free will change my mind in firing them.

Ted had his annual endoscopy done on Thursday and all appeared OK.  Of course we are once again awaiting pathology but the doctor said he didn't see anything of any concern.  It has been over six years since his problem so we keep our fingers crossed and do the annual procedure.

Sadly we attended the funeral of the father of our "home campground" owner.  We have gone to that campground consistently since it opened and are good friends with the couple that own it.  We enjoyed talking to Billy's parents when they were in residence in their motorhome.  May he rest in peace.  He had some rough last years.

I did laundry all day long on Saturday.  I was really playing catch up in that department.  We chose to wait until Sunday to attend Easter Mass so while I was busy in the laundry room, Ted went shooting for a bit.  I made a beer can chicken for dinner and we watched TV in the evening.

We attended 11:00 Mass on Sunday arriving at 10:30 so we got a parking spot and a seat!  At 3:00 we met up with Carol, Terry, Irene and John at a restaurant for an early dinner.  It was sort of sad having no kids around to hunt eggs but the 10 kids and 18 grandkids among us were not around.  Distance and other sides of the family play out on holidays.

Today was bunco, nails, hair and packing!  We hit the road again tomorrow heading to a wedding in Ohio.  I used the leftover chicken to make a pot pie for dinner and we are loading the car!

"Travel makes one modest.  You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world," ~ Gustave Flaubert

One Day From Home

We had a terrific week in Ingram with our Hitchhiker friends.  We had coffee in the morning, games in the afternoon, Happy Hours at night, shared meals, karaoke in the evening and lots of visiting going on.  

We ladies all went shopping Saturday and had lunch overlooking the Guadalupe River.  At 5:00 we went to church and returned in time for the fish fry put on by the campground.  So we ate fish two days in a row.  Sunday was the drive to Cooper's BBQ.  We picked up Dulce and Berndt and our timing was perfect as we pulled into the turn lane in Llano right behind the rest of the folks.  We did a better job of not letting our eyes be bigger than our bellies.  We chose one pork chop, a 5 rib piece and three slices of brisket.  I ate half the chop and one rib.  Ted ate the other half,  four ribs and one slice of brisket.  We brought the other two pieces home.

Back at Buckhorn, Dulce went over my Schedule E and K-1s.  We decided it would be best to file an extension to give me time to be sure I got it filled out correctly.  So that's what I did.  We don't owe, so it was easy and I hopefully will get it done before we leave again.  If not, I have until October.

Monday we did our prep work for leaving, I made green beans and a pot of sauerkraut and sausage for the potluck and then won a game of Jokers and Marbles against some very good players.  I hadn't played since 2009 in Idaho where I didn't do well at all.

We had a great dinner, so much food!  Afterwards we had a white elephant gift grab.  We bought a BBQ set in its own case.  I picked a bag containing a half gallon of Canadian Whiskey.  Since I have liquor left from Kara's first wedding in 1992, I will take it to the wedding next week where it will be gone in no  time.

Driving Donna to Brenham and College Station, traveling to Llano and our trips out and back to Ingram gave us terrific views of the wildflowers that were awesome this year.  The Indian paintbrushes were very evident as well as primrose.  I was unable to identify the white flowers that looked like a small poppy and the yellow daisy type.  Need to get my Texas Wildflower book out!  There were fields and fields of bluebonnets especially between Austin and Brenham.

We are close to home and Ted washed the RV today.  I went to the doctor and had my stitches removed.  I also got the official word that it was a benign cyst.  Ted has his annual endoscopy tomorrow in the afternoon.  We will be leaving here early enough to get the rig parked and to the doctor on time.

Tonight we are having burgers with Tommy and Susan.  They have been here since March 1 and are staying until May 1.  They spend two months here three times a year.  We like when they are closer to us so we can spend time with them instead of "meeting in the middle."

Hopefully the landscaper will show up Friday as promised.  We purchased a new Lazy Boy double recliner loveseat and it is supposed to come Saturday.  I have a hard time getting things done at home so I pray these two things actually happen! 

"Blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed."  ~ Alexander Pope

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In the Texas Hill Country

Sunday I was still a bit under the weather but muddled through getting ready to head out again.  We had received an invitation from Grand Circle Tours to a breakfast at the Marriott in Westchase so Monday we headed there.  It was held in a ballroom with a full breakfast served, games played, prizes awarded and new trips discussed.  There are a few changes for next year - excursion tipping included, transfers available if you do your own air, etc.  We met some nice folks and enjoyed discussing all the tours we have all taken.

We had shopping and packing to do when we returned home so we would be ready Tuesday morning to depart early.  Our drive to Ingram outside of Kerrville was uneventful.  We made one pit stop but that was all.  We traveled route 21 through Bastrop and the burned areas from the wild fires a few years ago are still very much in evidence.  I imagine it will take decades for the regrowth.  That had been the prettiest strip in Texas to drive through.

We are here with 23 HitchHiker units, one Cameo and our Mobile Suites.  If we are to remain with the group a by-law change needs to be made.  It was discussed at the annual meeting but with the two SOBs (some other brand) in the room not a lot was said.  One lady who runs the Snowbird club said they opened their club up to anyone sponsored by a Snowbird owner once Nu-Wa stopped making Snowbirds.  She warned them if they didn't grandfather previous owners or accept sponsored folks they would cease to exist by attrition since HitchHiker is out of production.  We enjoy seeing these folks when it is convenient with our schedule but it certainly isn't our end all or be all in RVing.  Whatever they decide will not impact us much.  We are still members of Texas Boomers and have a standing invitation to join the Dallas HitchHikers who accept SOBs.  That gives us the right to attend any gathering featured on the Forum.  I think it is a moot point.  Then there are always Mobile Suite groups.  We were invited to a luncheon when in Mission but we were leaving for Florida and unable to attend.

While here there are coffee get togethers in the morning, exercise class, games in the afternoon, Happy Hour and sometimes dinner planned.  A dozen of us went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant one night, we had a group cookout another.  Last night we ate in.  There is a group going to Fredericksburg to a German restaurant tonight but it is Friday in Lent and we are going to pass.  There is a catered fish fry tomorrow night!  Just our luck.

Today we were going to Buckhorn to visit Dulce and Berdt from our Mission park.  They are here until after tax season.  Usually they go to California but are coming to Michigan in July when we are all getting together so they may have different plans this year.  She is going to help me with our five K-1s received this year for our taxes.  I will need to finish our return and file it electronically the day we get home!  Everything is done but this section.  However, she has a $1million return she needs to go over so we moved it to Sunday.

We will only be home a week before we take off to Ohio for a family wedding.  We have plans to see some folks along the way.  We hope to visit Calloway Gardens and the WWII museum in New Orleans as we make our way home once again.  

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

Lao Tzu

Errands and Doctors

Monday afternoon I did lots of laundry that had piled up during my gallivanting.  I remember doing laundry everyday when all three girls were home and even more on weekends.  It just never ends.  But at least I don't have to beat it against a rock in the river.

Our last Senior Bingo Lunch was Tuesday so I was up and out early.  It was entirely catered so I didn't have to make something but I did take two bingo prizes.  I always watch to see how quickly they go so I know if I am on the right track with what I purchase to bring.  My two were gone right away so I am still doing well in my selections.  When I haven't bought something specific, Tide, coffee and stamps are always popular.  This put me at 46.5 hours and I am scheduled for four hours at the Thrift Shop which gets me past 50 (barely!).  It all starts over in June.

First thing Wednesday morning I got the leaf, pads and tablecloth out for the dining room table.  We were having Terry, Carol and their five visitors for dinner.  Before Ted got up and would have helped me get the table together I received a call from Terry that the stomach bug had hit and dinner was out.  We were sorry to miss their family but I didn't want to get sick either.  I put everything back in the pantry and the refrigerated things into the freezer.  I will use it all sometime.

Ted and I were out several times this week doing some sort of errand each day.  Bank, pharmacy, post office, grocery, Sam's, etc.  Errands pile up too.

The next day I visited my doctor for my six month bloodwork to be sure the medicine I am taking for my cholersterol is working and not causing any side effects.  Liver enzymes are important to watch.  He checked me over and said he would call in a few days with my numbers.

That afternoon I had another appointment with the dermatologist about a lump on my scalp.  He said it was probably a cyst but should be removed so we made an appointment for the next day.  I never gave much thought to the quickness of this scheduled procedure.  On Friday we returned and my scalp was numbed and a cyst that was pure white and looked like a small tooth was removed.  That's when he said he was relieved because so many scalp things turn out to be metastized!!!  I am glad he waited until all was OK before mentioning that.  Now I have stitches that will be removed when we return from Kerrville.  So I am waiting for pathology reports from two doctors.  Getting old isn't for the faint of heart.

I spent Saturday at home taking antibiotics and Tylenol but we did go to Mass at 5:00.  We decided to try the new Golden Corral for dinner.  At buffets I try to choose a dinner - salad, meat, vegetable, starch and a dessert and not over eat.  I have noticed portions are smaller so those that want to try many things don't waste so much.  I did opt for two desserts - a tiny strawberry pie that was very good and cotton candy!  It was just me and the kids hanging out waiting for the pink fluffy stuff to be twirled on the paper cone.  I can't remember the last time I had one.  

Young love is like cotton candy, it is always sweet yet easily dissolves and fades away.

A 64 Year Long Friendship

I picked up Donna at the airport late Thursday afternoon.  We came home to a nice dinner prepared by me and Ted.  I had done my preparation beforehand so things were ready quickly.  We had a nice evening of visiting before retiring for the night.

Since it is bluebonnet season, on Friday we chose to ride to Brenham to see how well the wildflowers were doing and to also visit the Blue Bell ice cream factory.  You can certainly tell spring break is in full swing by the crowds gathered at the visitor's center.  After checking tour times we had lunch at Volare's Italian restaurant and then returned for our tour.

Donna has been in food sales, mostly spices and oil for restaurants, so she was interested in the manufacturing process.  We all were interested in the free ice cream!  After we had finished our choice of flavors they came around with their newest flavor  - Butterfinger, my favorite candy bar.  I just had to help them with their market research.

There weren't as many flowers out as I had hoped for but that is probably due to the colder temps we have been having for the past six months.  When we came home we fixed a pizza and watched Saving Mr. Banks.  It was a very good movie and had a very interesting story line, not what we expected.

I decided we would stay around the area on Saturday so after a big breakfast we took the boat ride on the waterway to see the beautiful buildings, sculptures and landscaping mixed with lots of restaurants.  We shopped a bit before heading home to go to church.  Afterwards we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  Terry and Carol joined us and we all enjoyed the evening.  After dinner we traded cars so they have my 8 seater while their family is here and I will use their 5 seater.

I had emailed information on several area things worth seeing to Donna and she chose to visit the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station.  We stopped in Navasota at Martha's Bloomers Cafe for lunch before continuing on.  The library was interesting to me just as the Johnson Ranch and the Truman library were.  The bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes were plentiful and many cars were parked alongside the road for picture taking.

Ted was busy grilling steaks and baking potatoes for our dinner.  We had another nice dinner before we all collapsed on our respective sofas and chairs to watch Amazing Race and the Good Wife.  We were all very tired.

Today I took Donna to the Cheesecake Factory to meet a former fellow employee for lunch.  I declined to join them knowing they had business to discuss.  That gave me time to fuel up the car, grocery shop, empty the dishwasher and remake the bed when the dryer stopped.  When she called, the timing was such that I could pick her up and deliver her right to the airport.

It was a whirlwind weekend but we both enjoyed it immensely!  We aren't friends for all those years for nothing.

 

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown

Still Not Getting Any Warmer

Some landscapers are saying to wait a bit before replanting because this cold stuff still may not be over.   I need to figure out how to get our RV to Hawaii next year.  Anyone know of a bridge?  Enough is enough!

We went to church on Sunday since we were out on Saturday.  Tommy had told Warren not to get on top of his RV for any reason because God would strike him down since we put visiting him first before going to church.  I thought that was pretty funny.  We went at 9:00 and there were kids galore.  We had to sit in a different spot than usual and the acoustics were bad.  Add the noisy little darlings and we remembered why we prefer a different time.

Ted went shooting and if I did anything Sunday and Monday it was so uninteresting I don't even remember.  But Tuesday I was back at the thrift shop doing my four hours of work.  Ted was cleaning the deck furniture of all the yellow pollen when I got home.  It is in a thick layer all over everything.  I feel sorry  for those with allergies.  Luckily, neither of us is bothered.

I had my hair cut and went to the grocery store afterwards on Wednesday.  Ted does most of the shopping and I experience sticker shock when I do go.  I don't know how people are feeding their families.  The full baskets I used to buy each week when the kids were home have to be a king's ransom now.  I went to Happy Hour at 5:00 and we all stayed a long time.  There was a good group and we just lost track of time.

This morning I took Pat, who works with me at the funeral lunches at church, to my volunteer organization's Information Coffee.  There was a large group of ladies looking to join and I am happy to report Pat filled out her paperwork and paid her dues right away.  I hope she enjoys this group as much as I do.  Time will tell.

I am leaving now for the airport to pick up Donna who will be visiting until Monday.  I just hope the weather improves!

"Don't knock the weather.  If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation."  ~ Kim Hubbard

Still Cold Out!

Usually by March 1 our grass has greened up, the azaleas and dogwoods are blooming and we wait to see that first bluebonnet of the season.  So far, only the bluebonnets are co operating.  With the big freeze that covered everything in ice two days before we arrived home, 3/4s of our planted area out front was decimated.  Also, a big branch of one of the live oaks broke and is just hanging there, way up high.  So I spent last week meeting with landscapers to once again get the area replanted and the trees trimmed.  We have made our choice but they are all so busy it may be as long as 2.5 weeks before it gets done.

I worked for the first time since December for my volunteer group on Tuesday.  I am at 43 hours and will end the year at 50.5, closest I have ever cut it.  I attended a meeting Friday and now have 3 of my 4 meetings in and all four events of my committee work completed.  There is an information coffee on Thursday so I will accompany the lady I am sponsoring.  Both of my other recruits are happily engaged in their work and I hope Pat joins too.  

Friday was Inherit The Wind at the theater where we have our season tickets.  They did a fabulous job with so much dialogue to memorize.  It just flew by, that's how good it was.  Next up will be Gypsy in May.  We met Gerre, Barry, Sherida and John for dinner beforehand.  Two other friends were there and the gentlemen volunteered to sit in as part of the jury.  There were already so many in the cast I guess they thought this would be a good way to fill those chairs.

We spent Saturday at the campground visiting.  Warren and Judy have their new Mobile Suites so first stop was to see it.  We picked ours up in December; they got theirs from the same place in January.  Because they live in theirs full time, it is a few feet longer than ours but very similar inside.  We really enjoyed the visit.  Afterwards we went for burgers and Susan's sister Karen joined us and then came back to the campground.  It was a beautiful night and we stayed way late just talking and having a good time.

I have company coming on Thursday and have been busy planning our time.  It will be a short visit but I want to use our time wisely.  Planning ahead always helps in accomplishing things.

Here is a picture of Mary Rose.  I think she appears much bigger than her 3 lbs., 1 oz.  but  Kristin said her foot is the size of Kristin's thumb.  She isn't hooked up to very much and that is a good sign.

It’s the little things that make life worth living,
It’s the little things that help us make it through.
I never knew how true those words were,
Until I first set my eyes on you.

Rest in Peace, Amy

Kristin's sister-in-law will be laid to rest in New York tomorrow after viewings today and tomorrow morning.  She and Larry flew up yesterday to be there.

Mary Rose continues to do well.  All your prayers, concerns and outpouring of sympathy is greatly appreciated.  There is just so much sorrow when death comes to someone so young under these sudden circumstances.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter today.

A Tragedy

Our Friday night was spent with Gerre and Barry. They took us to dinner at the Catfish Place because we have Tucker again this week and they wanted to treat us. It was good catching up.

I received a phone call from Kristin early Saturday morning.  I knew something was the matter when the call came on Ted's phone.  It meant she called me, I didn't answer so she was trying her Dad's phone.  She needed to reach us, it was not a casual call this early on a Saturday.

Larry's brother Peter and his pregnant wife Amy had been at the wedding three weeks before.  She was about 26-27 weeks along.  At 2 am she had a seizure, fell in the bathroom and was rushed to the hospital where she had another seizure and died.  They did an emergency C-section and Mary Rose was born.  She is in the NICU.

Our families are devastated that this lovely girl, the picture of health, was taken so unexpectedly from us.  Please keep them all in your prayers.  There is a long road ahead for Peter and his baby daughter.

I feel bad for Kristin and Larry who should be pouring over photos and videos, writing thank you notes and combining their belongings into one home.  Instead they are barely going through the motions of daily life.  They could use your prayers too.

We went to church Saturday night and came right home.  Our hearts were too heavy to do anything else.  Ted did shoot on Sunday and we met our Dining Out group at 6 pm and were home about 7:10. It is hard to be good company under the circumstances.

Today seemed like ages since Saturday, not just two days.  I went to my bunco group and it helped talking to other women who were so sympathetic.  The funeral will be next Saturday in New York with burial on Sunday.  Of course Larry, Kristin and his sister are flying up.

Rest in peace, Amy.  Your daughter needs a guardian angel in you.

Treat everyone like it is the last time you are going to see them.  One day it will be.

Back Home

Friday night the four of us drove to meet Tommy and Susan for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.  I am so used to fish and pasta on meatless Fridays I forgot about salad, soup, baked potatoes, pasta, etc. available there.  It was great fun seeing them.  Of course thoughtful Tommy had pulled our photo off my email and made 5 x 7 copies for us, the kids and my Dad.  Trying to pay him is impossible but I hope he knows how much I appreciate what he does for us.  They are such great friends as are Jay and Stella.  If in an emergency I needed someone to pull our trailer somewhere, Jay would be my first call.

We were up early Saturday, buttoned her up, said goodbye to Jay and Stella and headed for the storage lot.  We were home before noon.  Chris had already left and the house was in great shape.  I don't think he does much beyond sleeping here.  With his family 10 minutes away, he goes there for dinner.  My friend Donna is coming so I will make sure all is good in that area of the house for her arrival.

We went to church at 5:00 and then to Kathleen's to play Shanghai.  Ted won at his table but I spent most of the evening picking up cards off the floor.  Until you "go down" you have a lot of cards to hold on to and I wasn't doing it very well for some reason!

I got caught up on laundry Sunday while finishing up putting things away and doing a few "paperwork" things like renewing our passports.  We needed them in Mexico but they expire in August when we are leaving for Bucharest.  This is our fourth 10 year renewal and very possibly our last.  I'm not sure we will still be globetrotting at 80!

I did as much as I could on our taxes but need to take two K-1s to our accountant friend while we are in Kerrville.  These energy company investments are good but are a pain at tax time.  Dulce will work her magic and get the forms completed that I need.

Monday afternoon I played Canasta at Cathy's.  My cards were okay but left me in the middle of the pack.  It is a $1 game so not a big deal.  Just seeing everyone is so enjoyable.

Ted met Steve to shoot on Tuesday while I dropped off some medical records, took a package to the post office and stopped to get something for dinner at the grocery.  When we both got back home Ted wanted to go to the Mexican restaurant and I wasn't about to say no.  We will fix on Thursday what I bought for Tuesday!

We can't eat it on Wednesday because it was couple's card night at the country club which includes a buffet dinner.  What a good time seeing a whole different group of folks.  Once again Ted won at his table and I had the worse score ever!  I think I got down only two of the six games.  Both men won at our table shutting out the women.  At least I didn't drop my cards on the floor!  Ted is keeping my change purse filled with dimes for me.  

Today is our neighborhood ladies luncheon.  It is my month to choose the restaurant so I have to be at the restaurant a little earlier to greet everyone.  Ted joined the fellows at PF Chang's yesterday for their monthly get together.  It is important to stay in touch with your neighbors.

Our weekend is open now until Dining Out on Sunday night.  We are going to the newest BBQ place with the group.  It has been here a couple years now but I have never gone.  If there's something Texas has lots of it is BBQ and Mexican restaurants.  Don't ever look for meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans except maybe at Luby's cafeteria!

I have to mention the kindness and generosity of my friends here at home.  Several of them sent beautiful cards, messages and gifts to Larry and Kristin even though some have never met them.  Had the wedding been here the guest list would have been different but I was not comfortable inviting folks to a wedding 1000 miles away for a couple they didn't know.  But that didn't stop our very best friends here from honoring them on their big day.

We sincerely thank you for your love and support.  We couldn't be more blessed having friends like you in our lives and sharing in this beautiful time in our lives.  

Minutes from Home

We left Florida Tuesday morning with cool temperatures and a little misting.  We never did experience rainfall, just heavy humidity.  We drove to Holt, FL and stopped at a campground we have been to before.  It was too damp and cold to grill burgers so I made Sloppy Joes instead. We didn't even unhook.

The next day we reached Breaux Bridge a little after 1:00 and decided to continue on.  We found a "new to us" campground in Sulphur, Louisiana that was really nice.  We would definitely stay there again.  It was Ash Wednesday and I didn't have much to choose from in the way of meatless meals.  We also needed fuel so we unhooked and went to Richard's Seafood on the manager's recommendation.  I had grilled catfish and Ted had shrimp.  It tasted pretty good after the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we had for lunch!  I get a kick out of the 2-3 lb. platters of crawfish ordered in these Louisiana restaurants along with a metal bucket for shells.  Ted calls them red roaches on steroids.  I find them ok but too much work for a tiny piece of meat.  There were four such orders at the next table and they were all digging in.  It remained chilly so after fueling up we headed home to our recliners, fireplace and TV.  

The next morning we took off on our final leg.  We are at a KOA not real close to home but close enough to get my car so we can empty the trailer with one more trip after that initial one.  On our way Thursday we started getting a whistle and couldn't figure where it was coming from.  It didn't seem to be bothering the truck's performance but it was annoying.  As we got almost to the campground we started smelling something.  When we stopped to register, Ted determined it was the passenger side front brake on the truck.  We aren't sure if a caliper hanging up caused the whistle or not but we got my car and dropped the truck off where Ted gets his work done.  He is having new calipers and brake shoes put on both front wheels.  The last thing you want is to get stuck with a 38 foot trailer and a bad tow vehicle situation.

Our friends Jay and Stella are here at the KOA too.  They are really far from home but it is the only place they could find with monthly space.  We visited before leaving to get my car and Stella invited us to share a crockpot of chili with them when we returned.  She had all the fixings for Frito pie, a Texas deliicacy, and it certainly tasted good.  I had a whole box of creme puffs I had bought to share for Margarita night in the valley and never used.  I took one of the bags from the box and let it thaw for our dessert to share.  Ted cut up an onion.  So much for our contribution.  We stayed into the evening talking and catching up.  I think we are having dinner tonight with Tommy and Susan who are at the campground we all couldn't get into.  But it is Friday and they will have to take that into consideration when choosing a place.  Mexican will be out.  Lent is only six weeks long but by no longer observing meatless Fridays all the time, it takes a bit of getting used to ... and then it is over for another year.

Here are a few more wedding photos sent to me.

Hitting the Road Tomorrow

After our last weekend in Florida, we are heading for home tomorrow.  We haven't been there since 12/26.  We plan to stop in Holt, FL and Breaux Bridge, LA before landing at a campground close to home so we can unload and clean up the trailer.  This new rig is tight as a drum when closed up.  We can reach the right side of the refrigerator and that's about it unless we run the slides out.  Our other ones gave us decent access to the bathroom and kitchen while closed up.  There are trade offs with everything.

Tom and Eileen came over Friday and we went back to Blue Spring.  After living in this area for 20 years they have never been to see the manatees.  

In the next photos look closely to see the baby manatee with its mother.  On the second one she is totally on her back.

We saw a good sized gator swimming in the spring but he was near the other bank and it wasn't possible to get a good shot.  While walking the boardwalk to the spring boil, we encountered this armadillo who was too busy rooting around to pay attention to us.  Most of the ones I see in Texas are road kill. 

Afterwards we went to a Mexican restaurant and then back to the campground.  It was ice cream social and bingo night so Eileen, Ted and I had a scoop of ice cream but only we wanted to stay for bingo so they headed home.  It is almost an hour and a half to their new home and it was already 7:30.  Anyway, we didn't win at bingo!

On Saturday we came to Kristin's to see them open the gifts and envelopes we had brought from the reception.  The lady who had looked at the house called and asked if she could bring her husband by.  She was at her friend's house down the street.  We waited two hours, her car was still there and we all just decided not to wait any longer.  How long can it take to finish a beer?

There was an 800 person half marathon starting at our park gates on Sunday morning.  And of course that was the day we had to be in Port Canaveral by 9:00.  We left at 6:30 and still had to dodge people, orange cones, and drive on the wrong side to get out of the area.  We stopped on I-95 and had breakfast and waited for a call that Karen and Ron had gotten off the ship.  It took three attempts to get where we needed to be which turned out to be through a garage, into their long term parking lot inside a fence.  Of course Karen's description of "we are near the back of the ship" when they were actually mid ship under the name, "we are in the black fenced area" when the entire port is surrounded by black fence and "we are in front of a parking garage" when there are two parking structures, didn't help.  When we finally located them we were told we couldn't load them there and we needed to go through the garage, pull a ticket, load them and leave.  No charge.  Whew!

We brought them back to our campground where our truck was and they left from here but not before we all attended church at 11 o'clock.  They were supposed to go to St. Augustine but decided not to and drove into Georgia heading home.  I think 80 degrees and sunny here sounds better than 14 and snow at home but that's just me!

Today we are battening down the hatches.  Ted checked tires and lug nuts and emptied tanks.  I did a load of laundry at Kristin's and we both got our passport photo taken.  We need to renew before our August trip.  One more thing to put together as soon as we get home.  

See y'all soon!