More Photos (stupid blog won’t let me move down)

The “girls.”

Now the cursor moves to the left!  Oh well.  Ted teaching Texas Hold ‘Em with Gus, his son Dennis and the three boys Ethan, Isaac and Peter.

Ted and Marilyn in Savannah.

A beautiful very old live oak in Johnson square.

Photos

Not in the right order but here goes!  

Early dinner in Beaufort, SC after a terrific tour with a wonderful guide.

Harbortown lighthouse and Ted

The group!  Melissa, Gus, Donna, Ted, Sheri, Dave

Hilton Head Island SC

We had a most delightful trip on Delta to Hilton Head Island through Atlanta.  Ted has Silver/Elite status for life based on his 3 million miles with Northwest when Delta took over close to his retirement.  Once I put his FF number in (I didn’t have it when I made the reservation) we were upgraded to Delta Comfort with better spacing between seats.  We also each were allowed to check a suitcase for free.  Not a tremendous thing but it was appreciated.  Our flights were on time with just enough connection time to get a bite and then wing our way to Hilton Head Island.

We picked up our car, stopped at Kroger to get some breakfast and lunch things before going to the house.  Google 18 Audubon Pond, Hilton Head to see this gorgeous home that is in a rental program.  The bedroom with the blue bedspread was ours and included a huge bathroom and even bigger walk in closet.  The owner is our hosts’ son and we were invited for a week of vacation with them.  Their Denver neighbors came too.

We learned the owner’s family was coming Thursday evening with their three boys for the weekend.  Since we were in the owner’s suite we offered to move to the smaller bedroom but they insisted we stay put.  The boys were such a delight!  Personable, polite, quiet, accomplished.  They won state in a piano duet competition, swim like fishes, and in the morning we would find them in the living room quietly playing poker.  They also eat what is put in front of them.  Ted decided they needed to learn Texas Hold ‘Em and they had a great time.  We also taught the two other couples to play Shanghai.  The boys are not allowed to have tablets but the night we stayed home with them while Mom and Dad had an anniversary date they "helped" me play Cookie Jam!  The only time the TV was turned on all week was to watch golf.

We all helped out with the cooking and cleaning up.  Everyone did their thing - biking, pool, beach, nature preserve, etc.  When the boys left, the six of us spent a day in Beaufort and another one in Savannah.  The week went by so quickly!  We rode all three trolley lines to see more of the island.  Four of us went to check out the two RV parks located there. 

We ate at Salty Dog’s in Sea Pines, The Old Oyster Factory where Gus hosted us all to celebrate his son’s anniversary, at a restaurant in Beaufort and at Paula Deen’s in Savannah.   Other than that we ate at home.  I cooked a pork tenderloin dinner on our last night.

We learned another of Ted’s nieces, Amy, died on Saturday night.  She had battled breast cancer ferociously for five years only to have it spread to her lungs, then bones and finally her brain.  She leaves her husband of 20 years and four children aged from grade school to high school.  At Lynn’s funeral in Cleveland Ted’s brother told us when Amy passes not to feel obligated to come.  He said it is an expense that is not necessary and plenty of family would be there.  When we received the call, the message was the same, so we honored his wishes.
Our flights back were just as easy as the week before.  However, I have flown internationally repeatedly and never had such a thorough pat down at Security.  I guess they have more time than in Houston.  They were polite, the agent pointed out to Ted that he should watch my things.  I gave them no grief, and got none in return.

We are home for three days and then we leave for Elk City, OK to have our bedroom slide floor repaired on the RV.  A seal had ripped and water intrusion has made the floor soft and will rot if not taken care of.  We learned this in Indiana but didn’t have time to have it taken care of there.  Rolling Retreats has the best reputation in repairing Mobile Suites so our Labor Day weekend will be spent heading there for an 8 am Tuesday morning appointment. 

I am going to attempt to post some photos of our trip.  Wish me luck.

Before We Take Off Again

More than a week has gone by and I haven’t written a thing!  It is mostly due to writing about men stripping your roof off and banging for days overhead is not too interesting.   I did play cards Tuesday which was a nice reprieve from the noise.  

Unfortunately that afternoon Carol was involved in an accident.  Her three passengers sustained injuries.  Ted immediately went to the scene to be with Terry.  When Terry followed the ambulance, Ted took John, who was with Terry, to get his truck so he could go home.  Then he went to the hospital, took Terry some food and then came home once Carol’s tests showed bumps and bruises but nothing broken.  

One lady had 4 broken ribs and a punctured lung, another a hairline hip fracture and another a broken elbow.  It cast a pall over our whole group of friends.  Everyone was released by the weekend and are home recovering.  We have offered to help if needed but they were all getting along ok and knew we were dealing with the roofers and getting ready to leave again.

Saturday was church and dinner out by ourselves.  The Astros were less than entertaining this week and cabin fever was setting in.  Monday the roof job was finished.  The house was in order, laundry done and clothes ready for packing.

We leave tomorrow morning for a week.  If I have a chance I will give you a shout out from Hilton Head.  And if this site cooperates, maybe a few photos of the group.

I Got The Message!

We had been looking at motorhomes and twice came within a hair’s breath of buying one.  They were both 2016 Newmar Ventanas.  The one in Florida just presented too many logistics problems along with timing issues but the one here by home looked promising.  We had made a deal, put $5000 down to hold it until we returned.

We went to see it and found it very nice so we had to have an earnest discussion about parting with that much money on a depreciating asset this late in life.  I had prayed about it and I took it as a good sign when a couple who looked a bit older than us were on the Newmar factory tour and were buying a brand new one.  However, the next day our 68 year old friend who was just retired and was preparing to "head out" after cataract surgery went to bed and never woke up.  Talk about mixed messages!

We have had no debt since 2003 and I didn’t want to start.  But this outlay would take all my liquid "emergency/big ticket items/vacation" money and that made me uncomfortable.  In the end we decided to pass.  Then God sent the reminder.  RV repair, maintenance and tires, balance due on Ireland trip, a new house roof.  And now I am headed for a big dental bill.  Listen up, Lord!  Thank you for showing me we made the right decision but enough is enough.  I got it!  

Saturday we drove to the campground Susan and Tommy were staying in.  They were heading out for a two month trip to Colorado.  We had four Newmar books for them to look at from the factory in case they decide to replace their Allegro bus.  They will both be retired next spring, have time on their side and would get use out of a new unit over the next decade or two.

They had their kitchen faucet replaced but were not getting water.  They had a call into a plumber but Ted crawled around looking to be sure the line was turned on at the manifold and tried to find a problem but couldn’t.  He stood up, pushed the faucet handle sideways, the way ours works, and the water came on.  They had been pushing it back and forth, for hot or cold, versus sideways to turn it on!  We all had a good laugh.

We wished them safe travels and left for church. Afterwards we went to Landry’s for dinner with Terry and Carol.  Our meals were excellent and the only problem was the waitress paired me with Terry and Carol with Ted on the checks.  It only took a few minutes to get it squared away.

By Sunday morning I knew I had a dental problem.  I had two bridges put in sometime in the late 90s.  Several years ago, the back molar on the right side where the bridge was attached gave out.  They had to remove the bridge, remove the root that was left of the molar and made me a partial since I was not a good implant prospect.  Now the front tooth holding the left bridge is hurting big time.  I have a call in to the dentist since today is Sunday and am expecting a similar outcome.  Once again our travel schedule may get in the way.  

We’re Back!

We drove to Forrest City, AR on Thursday, then Carthage, TX on Friday.  That allowed us to pull into Woodlands Lake about 11 am on Saturday.  We took about three loads of food and clothes home and I started laundry right away.  I had stripped the bed down to the mattress pad so all that was three loads before I did another three loads of our clothes.

We stopped at 3:00 to shower and dress for church.  I didn’t write a check because I didn’t have my mail that would include our church envelopes.  Afterwards we went to dinner with Terry and Carol.

We finished up on Sunday and cleaned the rig from top to bottom but waited until Monday to put it away.  We have an appointment in Elk City, OK the day after Labor Day to have a repair made on the bedroom slide.  We didn’t know about it until we were ready to leave and we didn’t have time to stay.  Elk City is closer than Knoxville or LaGrange!

Tuesday was mail day and I spent quite some time in the office clearing my desk.  Nancy does such a great job on the mail so it doesn’t take nearly as long to go through it.  But there is always the pouch of paper I take with me and spend time emptying on our return.

By Wednesday things settled down so I had my nails and toes done.  I need to call for a haircut now.

I followed Ted to the Brake Shop on Thursday so I could bring him home while they looked at his ABS sensor.  It kept turning itself off and even turned itself on when it shouldn’t have.  The Ford dealer in Indiana identified which tire it was but didn’t have time to pull the tire to look at it.

Then I met Jody for lunch to catch up since our last breakfast date.  We had a delicious lunch and 2.5 hours of visiting.  It was an enjoyable afternoon.

We will only be here for two weeks before taking off to Hilton Head.  Then it will be a 6-7 day trip to Oklahoma after our return from there.  I will be glad to have close to two months at home eventually.  

I had seen a wasp so went out on the deck to knock down the nest with the broom.  I noticed a crack in the Hardy Plank and some paint bubbled.  We called our roofer and the news was not good.  That whole edge where the diverter is set could be lifted up.  Since the roof is over 16 years old and has been through 3-4 hurricanes it seems it would be sending good money after bad to just repair it.  So next week we will have lots of banging going on around here.  He is going to run a gutter and drain pipes on either end rather than replacing the current diverter system.  

After picking up the truck with a new ABS sensor, we went to Sam’s for a few things and were home the rest of the day.  Ted is having to do coverage of Houston, San Antonio and Lufkin where newsprint is being shipped again.  He spent a lot of time on the telephone discussing preliminaries.  I guess he will be making a few road trips when the paper arrives.

And another weekend is upon us.  Hope you have a good one.  We are just trying to stay cool and I worry about the men putting the shingles on next week.  

Casey, IL

Wednesday morning we left Shipshewana headed to Casey, IL.  It was a new campground for us.  Our trip was uneventful, thank God,  We were delighted with the park.  It had long, pull thru spots, nice grass and huge shade trees.  The grounds and pool were impeccable.  I decided to do laundry in their laundry and the owner invited us to sit out front in the rockers and enjoy the delightful weather.  She gave us a map of Casey and told us it was the Little Town with the most Biggests.

We had dinner then took her advise and drove into town.  Here are some of the Biggests that we found.

Pitchfork

Tee

Birdcage

 Mailbox

Catching Up

I have no recollection of what we did Thursday but we took Sam and Morgan to Red Robin for dinner when their parents went to a class reunion dinner.   They were also picking up Kristin at the airport.  I was spending the night so Ted could go shooting while we girls attended the baby shower.  It was a nice affair.  Here is the mother to be, a grandma and two great grandmas!

The gift that touched Ally most was a smaller version of her Bun-Bun!  She received the bunny when she was 10 months old and it was bigger than she was.  It was her constant companion and she rubbed its one cheek until she created a hole.  It has been in the cedar closet at her mother’s.  The new Bun-Bun Jr. has his name embroidered in his ear.  It made Ally cry!

We went to church at our old parish and saw a few ladies that remembered us.  We have been gone since 1996 so it is amazing anyone remembers us.  We all went to Kelly’s and some of the young folks that were at the shower came over.  We threw a bunch of stuff together to feed everyone and it was a fun time!

Sunday we hit the road again.  We were not in a big hurry because the Amish town of Shipshewana is closed up tighter than a drum on Sunday.  We were anxious to see Tom and Eileen, our old FL neighbors, though.  We set up the RV next to the repair facility and then went to the park where they were.  We decided to drive to Nappanee to determine how long it would take Monday morning and also to find a place to eat.  We found the RV tours gathering spot and ate
 at an Italian restaurant,

The next morning we closed up the RV so they could pull it inside.  The routine maintenance and repairs were going to take two days because two panels would need painting because our blown tire damaged them.

We went back to the Newmar plant to take the tour.  It was so thorough and well done, and lasted 3.5 hours.  Their motorhomes are well built and beautiful.  On the way home we stopped in Middlebury to eat at Das Dutchmen Essenhaus.   We had a great lunch. The Amish are outstanding cooks!

Tuesday we all went to the flea market until we needed to pick up the trailer.  We then took it to Lambright where we bought our new furniture to have the couch “stops” increased in height because it had repeatedly hopped out and jammed itself against the wall.  We them checked into the same park as Eileen and Tom.

Dinner was back at the Essenhaus for their dinner buffet.  The food is that good.  We all walked around the campground in the pleasant weather until 8:00 when I went in to watch the Bachelorette finale.  Dumb ending!

I am ending here because I have some photos and don’t want this to get too big.

Trying to Stay Current

Wednesday through Friday is sort of a blur.  We did laundry at Kara’s, ate at a Mexican restaurant with them on Friday night and after church on Saturday, our granddaughter Ally and her husband came over to Kara’s for pizza.  Kelly and Pat were in Cincinnati attending a Marriage Encounter Conference.  They are the Detroit Diocese leaders.  On Sunday, Ted went shooting, Kara and I went shopping for baby gifts and Bill had to work.  We all met back at the RV for dinner.  We are enjoying what we consider nice weather though the locals are still complaining about the heat.  Everything is relative!

Monday I was under the weather and we just stayed here in the park.  I felt fine Tuesday morning though, so we set out to redo the baby shower gifts.  The bed and dresser I planned to buy isn’t needed until Ally and Bidkar move to a 2 bedroom apartment so right now the car seat is of utmost importance.  You can’t take your baby home in a car without one,  Hmmm ... at $300 a crack I wonder how that plays out!  

Anyway, Ted, Kara and I all signed up for the Buy, Buy (isn’t that the truth!) Baby 20% off coupon.  We found the car seat ($300), the second base for the second car ($129) and the stroller ($300) at the store in Utica.  I only mention the price because 20% becomes significant!  Since I signed up for both of us using two different emails, but from the same computer, only one worked!  Kara’s was obtained earlier and had expired!  Plan B, stand at the checkout and find more coupons.  I used my Retail Me Not app and snagged one that worked.  I took Ted’s phone and just went directly to the site and hit another one that worked!  Savings $146!

While they loaded the three huge boxes into the truck I asked the lady who wheeled them out what happened to the $5 umbrella strollers we used for our kids.  She laughed and said "I know, crazy isn’t it?"  Anyway, we will address the bed later but I had to come home and rearrange my gift bag.  I had also purchased a book and an outfit so I took the tissue off the dollhouse furniture, put the registry paper with the three items circled and the receipt into the book and used the tissue to wrap that and the outfit.  I think I am good to go now!

We took the boxes to Kara’s and used the code to open the garage and put the boxes inside.  We had no room in the RV.  I found a WW studio with open hours so we decided to stop and get my July weigh-in over with.  I thought I was okay but I wasn’t quite sure like I am at home.  Woohoo!  I was 2.6# under goal.  Now I am good until August 31.  I think I will weigh in BEFORE Hilton Head though.

We came home but eventually went back into town to have dinner with a cousin of Bill’s who we know and had lost her husband not too long ago.  We had a great meal and a long visit.  I ordered a low points meal and celebrated my 2.6# cushion with a small dish of Ray’s chocolate malt crunch ice cream!  Ray’s is a Detroit institution located in Royal Oak.  It sure tasted good.  

Wednesday we had Kara’s family back out for dinner.  The weather had cooled down to the 70s so we had a fire and s’mores for dessert.  Morgan just received her learner’s permit so she and Bill drove for 22 minutes around the park.  There is an app on his phone that tracks her drive time!  They stayed until the whole bundle of wood had been consumed.  It was getting dark when they left for home.

Grand Lake St. Mary State Park

Sunday morning we left for Celina, OH.  We were going to arrive before Dan and Sue arrived back from a shooting weekend so we were in no hurry.  Imagine our surprise when we pulled in to see a huge beautiful pool added last year to the campground.  We put on our suits and went for a swim.  Later we drove to Dan’s and rode together to a restaurant for dinner.  Ted and Dan were shooting on Monday.

Sue and I were going to Winner’s butcher shop in Versailles and then back to the park to swim.  I bought some chicken wings that comes with “fixins” that we had at the graduation party.  You sprinkle, then grill them.  Turn them over and sprinkle again!  We must have gone through hundreds at the party.  I also bought some pot roast, all cooked and in containers.  Oh so good!  Open faced roast beef sandwiches were on the menu for dinner that night.

Sue and I were in the pool until there was thunder and a flash of lightning and they blew the whistle for everyone to get out of the pool.  That was it!  No rain, no more thunder or lightning, the sun stayed out!  We changed clothes, got some sides together to go with our sandwiches and ate outside when the fellows returned.  We said our goodbyes about 9:30 and they left for home.

Tuesday was travel day again.  I-75 is under construction from Florida to Michigan so we took state highways instead.  Boy could we tell we crossed into Michigan!  We thought Arkansas was bad.  All the roads have been bad but those first few miles up Michigan 23 was like an honest to goodness washboard.

We have been fortunate that things have stayed put inside despite the bucking and bouncing!  I am real careful that I remember to secure the closet door, medicine cabinet, shower doors, put the TV and antenna down, bungee cord the dish cabinet doors and Velcro the refrigerator handles.  Now we have to take down the clock too!  Even Velcro didn’t hold it up.  Sounds like a lot but takes less than 5 minutes.

Bill and Kara were going to come out for dinner but the weather looked iffy.  It had sprinkled all day so we met in Rochester for dinner.  The kids were with their Dad.  They both had long work days so we didn’t linger long.

Wednesday was finally a day for us to relax.  We went to check on a campground in Lapeer, MI but it was a horrendous place.  Not much more than a gravel parking lot with coaches cheek to jowl in a line.  No thank you.  We stopped at Kroger for a few things and then came home where I was able to stream The Bachelor on my IPad.  This gal was “loose” throughout the whole show and I don’t hold out hope for anything to last no matter who she chooses.

Today Bill and the kids came out for a quick visit.  Kelly, Pat and Cassie are coming for dinner but not until 7:00.  I made beans, fruit salad, cucumbers, and sliced tomatoes to go with the burgers and brats plus strawberry shortcake for dessert.  Kara is off tomorrow and asked us to come in.  Yeah!  I can strip the bed and take the laundry in to her house.

No photos but more things will be happening!  Stay tuned.

Let’s Give This Another Shot

We returned to the RV on Sunday and left Monday to attend Lynn’s funeral in Cleveland.  It was so, so sad to bid someone so young farewell.

It did give us a chance to see several relatives but we prefer better circumstances.  We left immediately following the Mass, burial was private.

That evening we had dinner with a group of friends who were classmates of mine in grade school.  That is always a fun time.  I didn’t take a picture though.

Wednesday we visited, overlooking the city, from my brother’s recently purchased condo.  Then we had dinner in the restaurant in the building, scoring a window seat to continue the view as the city lights came on. Spectacular!  We spent over six hours just visiting and enjoyed the evening so much.

Thursday we finally got our new microwave glass plate that I had shipped to my friend Judy.  Everyone on both sides of the family had been away from home so I asked if Judy and Joe were going to be around.  They gladly agreed to the UPS drop drop off and brought the plate for the turntable over.  We had a lots of laughs during a great visit and dinner in west Harrison.

Somewhere along the line we shopped at Sam’s to stock up on our Cincinnati favorite foods,  I did some laundry, we shopped at Gabe’s and had dinner at Skyline chili!

I am afraid to go to my weigh-in with all this eating out, but Saturday was another Cincinnati must, LaRosa‘s Pizza, but  with a group of Mercy high school class of ‘63 friends.  So much fun catching up after 56 years!

After attending Mass in the afternoon, we drove to Bellevue, KY, across the River to see a group, The Belaires, perform.

The Belle of Cincinnati quietly slipped past, her paddle turning, as we listened to the concert.  Afterwards there was a fireworks display and it was rather late when we returned home.

At Wits End with This Blog

I will keep this short and sweet because this “no longer supported” site is driving me crazy!

Our week in photos

The 4th of July weekend at Elk Lake

Ted holding Graham who climbed up in his lap and gave him a kiss.

Swimming around the boats.

The water park Tim built for the little ones. Dumping bucket, spouting dolphin, elephant and bears.

The rest were taken on Saturday at Ed’s house where we celebrated our godson Dustin’s college graduation.

Ark Photos

Oops! Photos Didn’t Load

The weekend weather was hot but no rain after a big storm on Thursday night took down some large trees!  Everyone had a terrific time and Saturday’s dinner in our red and white private tent was delicious!

Everyone had to be out by 10 am on Sunday.  Ted and I took Karen to Mass at 8:30 while Ronnie got their things together.  She got out of our car and into Dan’s and off they went.  We were staying until Monday so we went to Bowling Green KY with Kelly, Pat, Kara, Bill, Morgan and Sam.  We hiked down to a blue hole at the lost cave and then to the Butterfly Building before heading to the Mellow Mushroom to eat.

While there, Ted received a phone call from Terry.   I knew it wasn’t going to be good.  Either something had happened at home and Nancy requested he call us or something else.  It was that their great niece had died suddenly a few hours before.  I have still not received a cause of death but I am suspecting PE, blood clot, or aneurism.  I did learn when they tried to intubate her, the lungs were filled with blood.  She was 37 and leaves her husband and two daughters ages 11 and 14.

This just threw us for a loop.  Her family lived near us in Michigan and we were each other’s only Family in the area.  Lynn was like us having a grandchild.  Our kids were so excited when she was born.  Kristin remarked this is the first person she remembers her birth and death.  So, so sad.

Monday we headed to Georgetown KY and got set up.  Kelly and Pat stopped at the Corvette Museum and then at our campground for a bite to eat before going to their motel and the James family toured some of Nashville before catching a flight home.

Today the four of us went to The Ark in Williamstown. We spent about six hours there including lunch and a short gospel concert.  It is HUGE!  The building itself is so interestingly built and how the animals were fed, watered and cleaned up after was enlightening.  You could visit frequently and probably find something else each time that you had missed.

We have made arrangements to drive to Avon, OH on Monday for the funeral to arrive in time for the viewing and we will stay over night to attend the Funeral Mass on Tuesday.  Kelly and Kara will drive over from Michigan. Ted’s brother, sister and sister-in-law are also driving from Cincinnati.  Lynn’s parents died 10 years ago, 9 months apart.  Her grandparents and aunts and uncles all live in Arizona and I have not heard of their plans.

Tomorrow we head to Cincinnati where the RV will stay for 11 days with us not being there 4 of those days!  Nothing like paying camping fees and motel fees for the same night!

I am having problems with photos again!  The last I promised from the reunion didn’t post and I am trying to post The Ark.  I will try to post them separately.

Photos Ruhe Family Reunion 2019

In A Nutshell

We left on Monday as planned.  Since it wasn’t a weekend and there are several campgrounds in the area between Texarkana and Little Rock, we didn’t make a reservation.  Out first choice was full, second was closed permanently, third closed due to flooding, fourth gave the last spot to the guy in front of us, fifth was also flooded and finally we found a place 6 miles off the interstate just outside of Little Rock.

When we went in, our place was a mess from all the potholes and bad roads.  Arkansas did warn us "Potholes Ahead." 

The crockpot was on the floor but ok.  The cabinet doors had opened and Corelleware was broken into a zillion white shards all over the place, the microwave had opened and the glass plate was across the RV in pieces, the pendant light was hanging 6 inches down on wires with the shade broken and the clock was off the wall!  

We cleaned up the mess and assessed the damage.  I have lots of Corelleware so no big deal, the pendant lights are due to be changed out anyway so that will be taken care of, the clock did not break and could be rehung but I need to order a new glass plate for inside the microwave.

We had to take the narrow country road six miles back to I-40 and relaxed a bit.  But that didn’t last but two hours and kapow!, the pothole that disrupted the inside had ruined a tire.  We were on the side of the road for almost three hours.  I spent a half hour trying to explain to Coachnet road service they cannot tow a 5th wheel,  if she sends a flatbed it had to accommodate 50 feet because the truck would need to pull the trailer on to it and I just needed a tire changed.  In all the discussion she never asked if we had a spare!

We waited an hour for a young man to arrive, with a small jack.  This didn’t bode well.  Eventually agreeing he was ill equipped to do the job at hand, he used a stack of our leveling blocks to lift the jack up to the frame and Ted’s long handled screwdriver as a replacement for the 6 inch handle his jack had.  We did have a spare and finally we were ready to roll.

Through all of this I had been on the phone with my nephew who dispatches at my brother’s trucking company trying to find a replacement for the spare.  He couldn’t find a Goodyear but did find a Firestone not far up the road in Brownsville.  We stopped and had it put on the rim, they tucked it back up underneath and we continued on to Yuma, TN where we spent the night.

We were only about 100 miles from Nashville and contacted the same tire company there and made an appointment to buy 3 new Firestone tires and have them put on, placing the Goodyear back as the spare.  $1400 later we were on the last leg of our trip which was just minutes from Nashville Shores.

Things got better after that.  We got checked in, parked and set up, and spent the evening watching TV,  

Thursday was a leisurely day and a few people arrived.  My sister rented a pontoon and we went for a 2 hour boat ride on the lake.  We had the entire Marina Restaurant filled at dinner.   The younger group went into Nashville bar hopping,  Friday the entire group made it in.  We had all 24 lakeside cabins, two hillside cabins and two RV spots rented for 98 people.

That evening we had the pulled pork Ted had smoked for a group dinner in the common grassy area between the lake and the cabins.  Having no one outside our group in any cabin gave us full rein of the area.  There was even a small play area for the little ones.  A poker game ensued, a lot of visiting went on, and a bunch of little kids were running around.  

Saturday was a group effort breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes and sausage.  I scrambled the eggs while niece Cindy and husband Tim cooked the rest.  We had two tables on their porch set up buffet style.  You went up one set of steps, got your food, crossed the duplex porch and down the opposite steps!  We had gathered all the picnic tables into one area for eating,  

At 10 o’clock the water park opened and everyone headed that way.  We had a huge tented area reserved for  our group.  Dinner was served there at 5 pm but people drifted in and out throughout the day.  The food was delicious at dinner and by 7 we had all returned to our accommodations for a final evening together.  

The rest are photos taken throughout the weekend.

A Lost Week

This will be short and sweet since you all know if I don’t write it down right away, I will never remember all the details.

Monday I stopped by the doctor for my urine specimen.  I haven’t heard otherwise so I guess that means the medicine worked and my infection is indeed gone.  I have no idea what I did the rest of the day.

Tuesday I took Nancy for her second cataract surgery.  This one was a bit quicker than the other one so I arrived home before dinner time.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were spent getting everything together to load the trailer on Sunday.  It takes awhile to get all the paperwork things together so I can handle bills, social things, volunteer responsibilities, etc. while we are gone.

Then I have to plan ahead for clothes for engagements we have to attend.  And enough of our bang around clothes so I don’t have to visit the laundromat frequently.

Ted went to the trailer and checked the tires, turned on the refrigerator, and did his overall checklist before leaving.  I took the pantry items out and put them away.  It is the only cabinet we can reach when the trailer’s slides are all in.

Earlier in the week he had the truck’s fluids and filters all changed.  I did pick him up and take him back a time or two.  I just don’t remember which days!

Saturday we went to Mass, grabbed a bite and then went to our neighbors for a visit while we were both in town.  We are like ships passing in the night.  We can’t decide who is gone the most.  My money is on them!

Sunday Ted moved the RV to the campground.  I had been at home loading my car and when he said he was set up and on his way home, I put the refrigerator and freezer things in bags for him.  I emptied the refrigerator, cleaned it and loaded up my car with those things.

It takes awhile to get everything in its proper place but we got it done,  I have three baby gifts, two Christmas gifts and my scale that I had to find spots for but I did it!   We had a pizza for dinner and watched TV.  Rain is predicted for Monday.  Ugh!

Dr. Uber Week #3

Wednesday was Ted’s annual endoscopy.  Dr. W said he took a few biopsies but didn’t see anything that looked too suspicious.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that he is correct.  If any Barrett’s reappears it will be back downtown to Dr. E for an ablation.  I had to drive him of course.

Thursday was our ladies luncheon but only three of us were there!  We normally stop for the summer but we were encouraged to keep having it.  Maybe we should have stuck to the original calendar.

Friday was my mammogram so I drove myself over and back with a stop at Hobby Lobby for the dollhouse nursery set I will wrap as a gift for Ally’s shower.  When they have moved into a 2 bedroom apartment in the fall I will order and pay for whichever bed, mattress and dresser they choose.  Kara is buying the high chair and will use the third piece of the nursery set in the same manner.  No dragging huge boxes around doing it this way.

Ted was gone all day so I started right in on cleaning because Sherida and John are coming Sunday for dinner.  They have had us twice in their new home and I am falling behind.  We are leaving next week so I wanted to be sure to have them before we leave.

Saturday was our normal routine.  I finished up getting ready for company by cleaning our bedroom and bath last, going to the store and setting the table.  After Mass we ate at home.

Ted shot early on Sunday, Father’s Day, and received gifts, cards and calls from all the girls.  I bought him a lovely card and as soon as I find it I will give it to him!  He has his two new tubes for his Kolar gun so he was fine.

Sherida and John came and we watched some baseball until the Astros were way behind then switched to the Open.  Being at Pebble Beach made it fairly late here.  We stopped for dinner, played some cards (I lost again!) and then had dessert.  It was a fun day and it was nice having them over on Father’s Day.

This week is my last two Dr. Uber duties.  I have to go for a UTI check up to be sure all is clear.  Nancy has her second cataract surgery Tuesday and I will be taking her.  Wednesday is haircut day for both of us.  I will then have a few days to prepare for departure!

It is late in the season for us to still be here but the weather has been pleasant so far and the storms throughout the Midwest made us glad we aren’t in the road.  I hope Mother Nature is done for awhile!

Start of Doctor Week #2

We watched golf and baseball over the weekend, went to Mass, out afterwards to eat with Terry and Carol and pretty much stayed close to home.  Ted did finish smoking all the pork so that is done.  Seven shoulders and butts made 25#.

Monday was our joint cardiologist appointment.  Dr. D said my vein still has some remnants of the DVT but agrees with Dr. P that it has probably just become attached to the vein wall, hardened and will cause no harm.  My vein valves still leak somewhat in the left leg but since I am not experiencing any symptoms we will leave well enough alone.

They took Ted’s history, gave him an EKG, were amazed at his BP and also the fact he takes one 20 mg antacid a day and no other meds.  They gave us a paper saying he was low risk for his upcoming annual endoscopy.  Ted asked me if he needed that and I said no, I think they did to have a reason for the visit.  She said to come back in one year for both of us!

Gerre stopped by to bring the beautiful blanket she crocheted for our great grandbaby.  What a tremendous gift that can be passed down to the next generation when the Acosta babies are grown.

We had dropped the truck off to have the transmission fluid changed so when it was ready I dropped Ted off and went on to the nail salon.  Now to get a haircut before we leave!

The stupid NBA finals were on Monday night so we watched some stuff on A&E which we never have on.  Most everything else is reruns now.

Tuesday was a shooting day for Ted and 3-13 card game for me.  (I lost!). When I finished, I stopped at Hobby Lobby to see if they had dollhouse nursery furniture.  I am buying the crib and dressing table or dresser for our great grandbaby due in October.  By the way - It's a GIRL!  Until they move to a bigger apartment they don't have room so will use the bassinet and Pak N Play initially.  To avoid being emptyhanded  at the shower I want to wrap up a tiny crib and dresser.  They were out of nursery pieces but the lady ordered some that should be on the truck arriving Thursday.  

So I went to the Dollar Store and stocked up on greeting cards.  I lost my Birthday Alarm account when I had to change my email address and have missed most everyone's birthday and/or anniversary so far this year.  They allowed me to change my email but no notices have come through.  Whatever!  Good news though regarding the gas company.  They sent me a bill!  It took 6 months to achieve that but I was never able to get them to just email the amount I owed even though my account has my new address.  Again - whatever!