Days 13-18

Tuesday night after dinner we went to the Irish/Scottish sing along and local dances.  Ted even danced with our director Ali in what I can only describe as the forerunner to the Virginia Reel.  You can certainly see where the music and dance of our Appalachians was brought by the Scots/Irish to that area.  The Irish jig and clogging are equally close.  It was a fun evening.

Wednesday morning dawned so foggy you couldn't see anything!  We were scheduled to travel from our anchored ship by Zodiac rafts to the island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides.  Everything went as scheduled but we left later than planned once the fog lifted.  Only 10 passengers at a time were transported in a zodiac so it took a few trips for our whole group to make it to shore.

We were met by a local guide and walked through the village to the Iona Abbey, founded by St Columba in 563.  "The Columban community survived several Viking attacks but around 1200 a community of Benedictine monks was founded on the site by Reginald, son of Somerled, the self-styled ‘king of the Isles’. The abbey remained an important place of worship and pilgrimage until the Reformation in 1560, after which monastic life came to an end and it largely fell into disuse. The abbey experienced a short-lived resurgence when Charles I reintroduced bishops to the Scottish Church and made Iona the seat of the Bishop of the Isles. However, by the end of the 17th century bishops had once again been abolished and the abbey continued to decline once more. New life was given to the abbey buildings when the process of restoration was begun in the early 20th century under the Iona Cathedral Trust. This was continued from 1938 by the Iona Community, an ecumenical order who continue the tradition of Iona Abbey as a place of worship. The abbey is now cared for by Historic Scotland and can be visited all year."

The restoration and preservation are so very well done that the Abbey is an ecumenical community still using the facility for worship.  Many gravestones have been salvaged but some were worn so smooth while in the ground it is impossible to read what was written; however, many more can be deciphered.  It turned into such a pleasant day that we shed our parkas and enjoyed strolling back into town for lunch.  When we finished, we went back to the silver jewelry maker and I bought a Tree of Life necklace.

The fog started rolling in mid afternoon so we caught the second zodiac back to be sure we could get to the ship.  We made it fine and took advantage of the down time to rest up.  At 4:00 o'clock we had High Tea followed by a discussion by our four Program Directors on BREXIT, the United Kingdom's vote about whether to stay in the EU.  It was interesting and I could tell we have a boatload of liberals sailing with us.  I have no horse in the race and simply listened.  We all voted and learned at our Port Talk the vote was 28 In and 25 Out.

After dinner we went to the lounge to play Liars Club.  We arrived late so didn't choose a team but stayed to join in the laughter of the answers.

The next morning we docked at Barra, Scotland, an island in the Outer Hebrides.  The weather was beautiful and we were anxious to take a circle bus tour of the island.   We stopped at the tiny airport where the landing strip is the beach!  The scenery is spectacular.

By the time we finished the full circle it was time for lunch back at the ship.  A buffet was set up on Deck 5 Aft in the beautiful sunshine.  Apparently we are experiencing unusually warm weather not seen here but a few days a year!

After lunch we walked to the town hall where we were entertained by the bagpipes and folk dancing, with some fellow passengers being chosen as partners.  Ted was relieved we were in the second row and inaccessible.  We took a short walk along the shoreline before returning to the ship to rest up.  All the fresh air and walking catches up with us.

Friday was a very full day in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides Islands.  We left at 8:15 and explored the countryside on our way to a Harris Tweed Weaver.  To be Harris Tweed it must be hand entered on the loom and the weft is powered by pedaling like you are riding a bike!  I have photos for later.  Next we went to a whiskey distillery.  After explaining the distilling process we were offered a sample.  And just like in Bardstown KY, I abstained.  It is a relatively new distillery so only Spirits under three years old and whiskey over three years and a day are being sold.  It will be two more years until their scotch can be sold.  

We enjoyed lunch at a campsite where a tent was erected.  There were box lunches and drinks for all.  Our next stop was Blackhouse Village that has been turned into an historical site.  The stone houses have thatch roofs and derive their name from the blackness caused by the burning of peat.  Next up was the Callanish Stones, the very thing I was waiting to see due to my interest in the Outlander series of books and TV series now being shown on Starz.  As a little extra, we were driven past the early home of Mary McCloud, mother of Donald Trump!  

It was 4:00 by the time we returned and we had a bit of time before heading to the lounge to see the local dance company perform accompanied by bagpipes.

Saturday was another early day!  I am looking forward to getting home so I can sleep in.  It was a blustery day and we walked to the Heritage Museum in Stromness on the Isle of Lewis in the Orkney Islands.  This city is located on the Scapa Flow which played an important part in WWI and WWII.  It was a protected port but was breached by the Germans who snuck a submarine in and sunk the HMS Royal Oak causing over 800 men to lose their lives.  Four barriers were built after that to protect the port and they now serve as causeways connecting the islands.

Later we traveled through the most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen on the Isles of Lewis and Harris.  It was just beautiful.  We viewed ships that had been sunk called the Churchill Barriers to help block access to the inner harbors of these many islands.  

A beautiful chapel was built by Italian WWII POWs on a bluff.  It is beautifully painted inside and reminded me of the Texas Painted Churches.  The front wall featured a portrait of Mary and Child.  Our guide said the chapel was built as a message of peace as indicated by the olive branch the child Jesus is holding.  However, when I pointed out that the Latin banner translated read "Queen of Peace, pray for us" he refused to respond.  He also refused to acknowledge St. Magnus Cathedral was a Catholic Church when originally built.  I detected a bit of bigotry I believe!  There was an artistic display called The Weeping Window at the cathedral.  Ceramic poppies flowed from a front window, each one in remembrance of someone who lost their life in the war.  They were individually handcrafted. The funny thing was he kept talking about "seeing the puppies" and we were all confused!

We returned back to the ship for lunch and then headed to Skara Brae, a 5000 year old archaeological village uncovered on the coast of Orkney Island.  Their use of rocks to build housing, passageways to connect them and to make furniture is amazing.  We stopped at two more areas of "stones" but it was so windy and cold I only got out to view one set.

It is thought these stones were set to measure time using the sun, moon and stars.  At equinoxes you can see how the sun or moon are in a direct line with another stone.  Hearths or rock piles in the center indicate rituals or celebrations, even burials, occurred there.  Since it is thought early men worshiped the sun and moon, it makes sense.  However, it is all speculation.  I had been discussing the Outlander series with Ali our director and we both hugged the stones but didn't get transported back in time.  

We had two terrific couples join us and Tom & Jeanne for dinner and had an exceptionally nice conversation over our meal.  Later the crew presented some silly skits for our enjoyment.  

Morning found us docked in Aberdeen where it appeared we would have rain but when we departed for our tours, it had stopped.  First we visited Fittie, old fisherman homes built close to the docks. They  are now very expensive homes that don't appear to give you much for your money and from there we visited the Burnett home, Castle Crathes.

This late 16th century castle, with connections to King Robert the Bruce, provides a memorable experience with its towers, turrets and stories of its resident ghosts. King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Leys to the Burnett family in 1323: the ancient Horn of Leys, which can be seen today in the Great Hall, marks his gift.

The castle, built in the second half of the 16th century, is a superb example of a tower house of the period.  Some of the rooms still retain their original painted ceilings and collections of family portraits and furniture.

A visit is enhanced by the 1.5 hectares of walled garden, which incorporates herbaceous borders and many unusual plants, providing a wonderful display at all times of the year. The great yew hedges, fascinating examples of the art of topiary, date from as early as 1702

 I really enjoyed this visit because so much is original and photos from long ago up to present time are displayed.  The Burnett Clan is still very active today and meet as family.  I have lots of photos to share soon.

Not to be outdone, in the afternoon we drove to Balmoral Castle with a lunch stop along the way.  It was a lovely ride and we toured the Exhibits, the gardens and the ballroom where large public affairs are held.  We have visited Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Balmoral and Edinburgh Castle and the Queen has not been home anywhere we have been!

Monday was disembarkment day in Edinburgh.  We took a panoramic tour of the city by bus and eventually were taken to The George Hotel where we would spend the night.  We were on our own for lunch and chose a pub on Rose Street.  I had a big, old burger and it tasted great!  

Our last evening began with cocktails followed by dinner in a ballroom set up in a very elegant fashion. A bagpiper led us in, sang a little and recited some poetry.  Then there was the presentation of the haggis!  It looks like a huge, gray slug!  Our hot appetizer was a thin layer of haggis, covered in mashed potatoes with whiskey sauce. Ted and I passed!  It was a great end to a great vacation.

We were up early to dress, pack, put our luggage out, go down for breakfast and be in the car by 7:15.  We kept running into others from the trip at the airport in Edinburgh but I think we, Tom and Jeanne were the only ones scheduled into Heathrow.  For some reason we were in Business Class which was a nice surprise.  I still don't know how that happened.  We said our goodbyes to Tom and Jeanne who needed to make their way to Terminal 3 while we remained in Terminal 5.  

We had lunch then made our way to B Concourse of Terminal 5 which was a l-o-n-g way!  Even the ramp to the airplane was about 10 times longer than normal.  I thought we had to be back in Ireland considering the distance!

We settled in for the 9.5 hour flight, grateful for the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom so extensively but even more grateful to be heading home.  We arrived after a 9.5 hour flight and were greeted by Terry who again was our driver.  Having been awake 22 hours, we went to be almost immediately and got a good night's sleep.

Photo blog to follow as soon as I download and sort my photos.  Thanks for accompanying us on our visit to the Maritime Jewels of the United Kingdom.  

Next 5 days, the Cruise Begins

We were up early to put our luggage out by 7:00, eat breakfast and be ready to depart at 8:15.  This procedure is why I don't do land tours.  Taking a 10 day bus tour that involves 8 hotels is not my idea of a relaxing time.  But doing it once to move from the 6 days in London to the ship was okay.

We didn't hit terrible traffic and got through London in good time and then drove west into the English countryside.  There were fields and fields of green to gold wheat and barley blowing gently in the breeze.  In the distance were nice rolling hills and we could have easily been in Kentucky from the appearance.

We stopped at a plaza on the highway for a rest stop and found Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, etc.!  Besides music and movies I think junk food is our next biggest export!

At noon we stopped in Salisbury (where no one had ever heard of Salisbury steak) for lunch at an historic pub where George V had some marriage festivity plus there were a few other historical events that I can't remember!  Our visiting time was spent at the Cathedral, built starting in 1221, and today houses one of four original copies of the Magna Carta.  We are asked to limit photos on ship's wifi so I will do a photo blog at a later date.  

We arrived in Poole and were transported to our ship and our accommodations are lovely.   There is a king size bed with a large mirrored dresser wall with drawers and vanity, two wardrobes and a sitting area with couch, table and two chairs plus a nice size bathroom. 

We attended the mandatory muster drill and then met for our port talk about the next day's events followed by dinner.  We are getting better at knowing people's names.  We came to our cabin immediately and Ted was asleep by 8:00 and we slept until 8:00 the next morning.

Our first stop was the Isles of Scilly, Tresco to be exact.  This small island sits so it catches the trade winds and has a tropical weather pattern.  It has an amazing garden, Abbey Garden, for a place so far north.  We walked several miles around the island enjoying the plants, sculptures, birds, ruins, etc. and were whipped by the time we returned to the ship.  After another great dinner, it was easy to fall asleep by 9 pm.  We have been too tired to enjoy any of the evening entertainment.

Sunday we docked at Fishguard, Wales and were taken to see a tapestry that was made of the last incursion into Britain by the French at the end of the 18th century.  It was just a two day battle but is their claim to fame.  The needle work was astounding and it took two years to complete.  After lunch we visited a dairy farm but coming from a family with folks still raising animals on gentlemen farms it was not of great interest to me but city folks enjoyed it.

In the afternoon we visited a woolen mill where the looms are still loaded by hand.  The patterns are created by one woman.  This particular mill has been in existence since sometime in the 1800s and has been in the current family for the last 105 years.  The machinery always fascinates me.

The next day we docked at Holyhead and traveled to Caernarfon to visit that town.  We visited an Edward I castle built starting in 1283.  The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale.  Its most recent use was the coronation of the last two Princes of Wales - Prince Albert in 1911 who subsequently abdicated the throne and 1969 when Prince Charles was coronated Prince of Wales and retains that title to this day.  If either William or George are given this title, the ceremony will occur there.  And I will be able to say I stood on that balcony and gave the royal wave!

Our lunch was at the Bell Tower Cafe with locals joining us to have dialogue about our respective countries.  The original city wall from the 13th century forms the alley that we walked to get to the cafe.  We had a bit of time to walk around the square and then the perfectly sunny day gave way to a quick rainstorm.  Our next two stops were at the Snowdonia Mountains scenic look 

and the town with the second longest name in the world.  It means The church of Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the red cave.  Whatever!

  .

Before dinner, there was an Inner Circle cocktail reception.  After dinner we finally stayed up to enjoy the Welsh Choir that came onboard to entertain us.  The leader was quite a comedian and the singing was lovely.  

We sailed across the Irish Sea to the port of Dublin overnight.  We had to be on the bus by 8:30 and for some reason I was still tired.  We had a panorama tour of Dublin and spent time at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Imagine my shock when I learned neither this nor the other cathedral in Dublin are Catholic.  For all my belief that Ireland was a Catholic country, it was not so in the beginning.  Catholics were persecuted, denied education and jobs and were not allowed in Anglican churches.  Next time I hear about reparations I am going to tell them "when I get mine, you'll get yours."  Next we went to Trinity College where we also visited the Book of Kells and the Long Room library, both very impressive.  Photos to come later.

We all had lunch in a local pub and then could shop, pub crawl or return to the ship.  We chose to come back and rest.  I kept telling Ali, our leader, we needed a day of rest!  That day I took it.

Days 1-7

You knock off the first two days very quickly.  It is the day you leave and arrive.  After a 9 hour flight we arrived at Heathrow about 1 pm. We had to go through Immigration and Customs and then met our driver in the outside hall.  He gathered our luggage and we followed him to the garage where he loaded us and our things into a new Mercedes sedan with the steering wheel on the wrong side!

It was a long ride to the Tower Hotel at the end of the Tower Bridge.  We were met by our Director, Alison, and immediately given our room key and found our luggage already In our room when we arrived there.  She had given us some paperwork, explained the evening's activity and signed us up for the Windsor Castle tour later in the week.  

Neither of us had slept much on the plane so we took a short respite before getting ready to meet up with Tom and Jeanne and the rest of our group.  We went by motorcoach across the Tower Bridge to a pub on the opposite side of the Thames River.  We watched many tour boats loaded to the gills with tourists and learned it was a holiday weekend here too so the city was even more crowded.  

Dinner was a drink, mushroom soup or smoked salmon, chicken or fish pie and apple crumble.  I had homemade lemonade, Ted a beer.  I had soup and Ted gave his salmon to Tom and we both had chicken pie and dessert.  It was very good and I was stuffed.  We met Chuck and his wife who entertained us with tales of their Antartica Trip on the same ship we are sailing on this trip.  The motorcoach brought us back to the hotel where we immediately retired for the evening.

We were up early on Monday having gone to bed at 9 pm.  We had our included breakfast at the hotel and then boarded the bus to Hampton Court whose most famous resident was Henry VIII and his six wives.  It is a huge place and we observed Flemish tapestries that have been hanging there for over 500 years, many portraits and learned more history of the divorces, beheadings, death and survival of the wives.  We walked for a couple hours.

After a bus ride back to the hotel, we joined Alison and another couple on a ride on the Underground (we were given passes) to Campton Road, an area of eclectic stores and stalls.  One area was former horse stables and there was beautiful architecture throughout the area.  We stopped at Hawley Arms for a local beer before reversing our Underground route back to the hotel.

We were on our own for dinner and walked to the Dickens Inn on the marina, visible from our room.  It has a tavern on the first floor, pizzeria on the second and a grille on the third and no elevator despite being a newly built building.  We trudged up the steps, had dinner and more local beer before making our way back to the hotel where we climbed into bed immediately.  I wish I had a Fitbit to know how far we walked that day.

  

Tuesday was an absolutely miserable weather day.  After breakfast we boarded a bus headed to Windsor Castle.  It rained all the way there and only picked up more steam as the day went on.  I had been there about 20 years ago, right after St. George's Hall had burned, and was anxious to see the renovations.  The train station has been expanded to include many high end shops and security now rivaled the airport.  Finally we were able to get in out of the rain by entering the building that houses the miniature of the castle called Queen Mary's Doll House though it was never made for children to play with.  It is a perfect 12:1 scale and everything is an exact duplicate from the vacuum cleaner and books to the Rolls Royces in the garage.

From there we entered the Apartment State Rooms and toured through all open to the public. The last was the new St. George's Hall with the many shields of the Order of the Garter and the octagon room that replaced the destroyed small, private chapel in 1992. 

After a quick stop at the big Chapel of St. George we hurried to the bus in a downpour.  Everyone was wet despite the umbrellas, weatherproof jackets, hoods, etc.  After a very long and damp ride we arrived back at our hotel.  

We went to our room and put on dry clothes and headed out for a late lunch/early dinner with Tom and Jeanne.  It had stopped raining but the wind was still cool.  We had a nice view of the marina as we enjoyed a good meal with wine and dessert.  Afterwards we all headed to our respective rooms,  the day had worn us out.

London is exhausting!  We went to bed about 8 pm, I woke up for maybe an hour around midnight then fell back to sleep until 8 am!   We dressed and went to breakfast where Tom and Jeanne finally located us.  We agreed to meet and head to the Imperial War Museum that Tom wanted to see.  I mapped our route - walk to Tower Hill underground, go on the black line to Embankment stop and switch to the brown line for two stops!  All of this is accompanied by lots of up and down many steps!

We visited the WWI floor and the display of medal winners.  By then we had been there for a long time and decided to move on to the Shakespeare Globe Theater.  It was another walk to the Castle and Elephant (I kid you not) stop for two stops and then a 10 minute walk.  We learned we were too late for a tour so checked on performances for tomorrow.  None of us relished the walk back to the underground stop so I decided to check on the riverboats.  Fortunately the pier right there had boats that would drop us off right at our hotel!  So our being tired allowed us to ride on the River Thames as a new experience.

We had a bit of time to rest up before dinner.  The folks who had not taken the London pre-trip had just arrived that day so the entire group was having dinner.  There will be four groups with their individual leaders on the ship.  We will continue to stay with Alison in the yellow group.  We gathered in the Upper Foyer for a talk and buffet dinner.  It was nice to only have to ride the elevator to our room.

Thursday was our panoramic tour of London and we were driven to all the highlights of the city.  Traffic is horrendous and I am surprised they don't have a daily talley on the news listing dead bicyclists, motorbike riders and pedestrians.  No car goes fast enough to kill any drivers or passengers.  Crossing the street involves looking in every direction because vehicles come from all directions.  We enjoyed the tour but were grateful we weren't driving!

The groups split up two and two and gathered at two different pubs for a lunch of fish and chips.  Afterwards we and a couple from PA walked down the block to the theater district and bought third row seats to see Beautiful, the Carole King Story.  It was fabulous!  I don't know if it was the music being from our generation, the story or the talented actress who played Carol but I would go see it again in a minute.  We caught a bus right outside the theater and used our transit card one last time to go back to the hotel. I think there was $1.60 on it so we cut it close.  I don't know how much was loaded on it in the beginning but we made good use of it.

As we walked from the bus stop to the hotel, we ran into Tom and Jeanne who were going to dinner so we just walked with them.  We ended up at Weatherspoon's where I ordered a special "3 small plates for 10 pounds sterling" so I ordered soup, chicken fingers and topped chips.  The portions were huge and I asked if this was indeed the small plate special and was assured it was.  I ate the soup, some of the chicken fingers but the "Chips" were French fries covered with cheese and pieces of ham.  I was expecting potato skins, not a huge dish of French fries, so ate one forkful only.  Ted ate the rest of the chicken but the fries we left.

We headed back to the hotel where we readied our things for the 8 am departure in the morning.

 

Another Countdown

Monday was a welcome relief in that the only thing I had to do was go to the dermatologist.  A new "thing" cropped up on my thigh and was growing.  He took one look at it, pronounced what it was and froze it off.  Then he looked at my back and neck finding something he didn't like and did a biopsy on that.  I am not going to borrow trouble and worry about it just yet.  Odds are it isn't anything or if it is can be handled easily.

We decided on a light supper so stopped and bought deli chicken noodle soup, rolls and things for salads.  It was easy enough to put together and clean up.  It was a big TV night.  We had a DWTS final, The Bachelor first episode and a recorded Starz Outlander episode we missed on Saturday.  There was only one dead body on Outlander!  After so much NCIS you can get tired of dead bodies!

I was scheduled to get my hair cut on Tuesday but received a text asking to change it to Wednesday.  So that just left the eye doctor on Tuesday afternoon.  I kept my appointment and Dr. D said he wished all his cataract patients my age could see as well as me.  Not even a prescription change needed.  He recommended Systain for any irritation caused by heated air in the winter or allergens in the Spring.  Ted brought Skyline chili home from Kroger and fixed it for dinner.  It tasted so good!  

We watched the DWTS finale and couldn't be more pleased at the outcome.  The deaf male model was an awesome dancer despite having absolutely no hearing.  He was a joy to watch and absolutely deserved to win.  

Wednesday I eventually started the laundry and then left to get my hair cut.  I wanted it short for the summer so Cindy obliged!  I was to get it cut before Chicago but she had medical issues and had to cancel my appointment.  But I am good to go for now.

 

Ted had to go to Arlington for two days so I didn't do much but finish the laundry and fix my dinner when I returned home.

Thursday I put all my clothes in my suitcases to see how good I was doing on room and I am fine.  The paperwork I need is all together so my toiletries will be the last thing to go in.  I played cards in the afternoon and still didn't win!  One bad hand out of six and you are in the toilet!  

It started raining really hard around 5:00 and I was concerned about Ted driving in it.  He called about 7:00 and wasn't too far from home but was stopped for a wreck.  By the time it stopped raining on Friday we were in a No Go Zone because of all of the flooded roads.  This is the worst I have ever seen it in our area.  Normally it is south of us.   Here is my friend's street where their car was swamped and floated four houses down and allowed water into the car itself.  It is ruined.

I went to the nail salon close by and had no trouble going, but it was pouring down when I left.  Despite being parked right in front, unlocking the door remotely and having an umbrella, I was soaking wet from the waist down.  I came home and stayed.

We finished packing and have two large bags and one carry on.  There are no fees for these.  However, no TSA pre -check when flying internationally.  I think we are ready!

What a mess the area is in spots, and traffic is a nightmare.  We did our last minute stuff, went out for a late lunch then came home and called Terry to say we were ready.  It took us about 2.5 hours to get through the traffic to be dropped off, stood in a Bag Drop line until I noticed an empty World Traveler line that just happened to be printed on our boarding pass so we used that one and security wasn't bad at all.  Of course it wouldn't be right if there wasn't at least one gate change, so here we sit waiting to board.  

We are off to visit the Queen!

Good Times and Bad

Thursday was just a day of exhaustion and Friday we prepared for our trip to Chicago for a HAPPY occasion.  We had a 7 am flight so we were up at 4:30 to head out in time.  We are loving our constant receiving of TSA Pre Check which makes the security lines easier.  I am sure it is our age more than anything.  We haven't caused any trouble in 70+ years so they think odds are good we aren't going to start now.  Whatever the reason, we appreciate it.

I paid extra for the exit row and we were very comfortable.  I watched the movie Revenent and the time passed quickly.

The wait at Dollar car rental was unbelievable!  The line was out the door.  I sat waiting for Ted and received a text from Kara that one of her very best friends who had been diagnosed with pneumonia died of a pulmonary embolism.  She was 51 and leaves 3 boys.  It is so hard to be a parent and not be able to take the extreme pain of grief away from your children.  They were scheduled to come to Chicago too but after last week in Florida they had decided not to.  Good thing too.  Such a sad situation.

Ted's sister rode over to the rectory with us from the hotel where cousin Fr. Terry is pastor, to attend the family party.  There was much story telling and getting caught up followed by some videos and DVDs made up of old family films and pictures.  What a great family they are and having been part of it for over 50 years is one of my biggest blessings.  We were pretty tired and went to bed immediately after arriving back at the hotel.

We had a terrific included breakfast Sunday morning and then headed to church for 11 am Mass.  Fr. Terry is in to music and the theme was God creates the music in our lives, Jesus teaches us the words and the Holy Spirit moves us to dance to that.  We had Doobie Brothers. Lennon & McCartney and a few others as music during Mass.  Sort of the same thing we get in Mission from Fr. Roy except he is into Country Western Music.  It was like being at a rock concert.  Ted, Terry, Carol and I were asked to carry up the Offertory gifts which we did gladly.

There was a lunch served outside in the courtyard afterwards.

The Keehan/Rogers/Sullivan group

I finally was able to enjoy the spring lilacs!  I miss them and always seem to be too early or too late to enjoy them.

Ted and his cousin Fr. Terry

And his cousin Dee 

In the courtyard of the rectory with Jay, Bill, me, Joyce, Mickey and Sharon.

Fr. Terry and his 92 year old mother, our Aunt Pat.  She is the last survivor of the 9 Keehan children and their spouses.

The most beautiful crucifix I have ever seen hangs above the altar of this parish church.

After the lunch we retired to the rectory where a more private gathering was occurring.  Eventually the family took their leave and mostly Fr. Terry's friends remained. Most of the family were driving back to Ohio.  We left for the airport and spent most of the time playing musical gates.  I know there were at least four changes. Our flight was ordinary and arrived a bit early.  We got the worst shuttle driver ever who appeared not to have a clue how to locate cars.  He actually stopped at three spots where no one on our bus had a car.  A woman got disgusted and told him to just let her off and she would find her own car.  We were the second last people on the bus and he blew past our road so I hollered.  He didn't even have us on the list even though I gave it to him when we got on.  Chuck receives a major FAIL.

It is good to be home!

Louis E. Boudot

July 31, 1926 - May 17, 2016

Louis Eugene Boudot, age 89, died at his residence in Punta Gorda, Florida on May 17, 2016.  

Louis served in the US Marine Corps during WW-II and was a long time resident of Ohio.

He is survived by his beloved wife Edna of 31 years of Punta Gorda, Florida; his 3 loving daughters, Donna (Ted) Rogers, Lauren (Spence) Montgomery and Sherry Schroeder; 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his late wife, Bettie.

Donations in his memory may be made to 

TideWell Hospice of Southwest Florida at:

5955 Rand Blvd. 

Sarasota, Florida 34238 or 

Animal Welfare League at:

3519 Drance Street 

Port Charlotte, Florida 33980

Please visit the online tribute for Louis Eugene Boudot at www.kays-ponger.com to sign the guest book and offer condolences to the family. No services have been scheduled.

Arrangements by Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home and cremation services. Port Charlotte Chapel. 

And It Continued ...

I was just walking into the Thrift Store to work my shift Thursday when the text came on my phone.  Hospice said time is getting close.  I responded "imminent?" And got a "yes."  Thus started another medically stressful day.  I chose to stay, without saying anything, because I wanted to keep busy while I pondered what to do and when.  I did tell my friend Donna when I was leaving the store.

Larry and his sister had gone over the day before for a visit so Kristin left work immediately and headed that way, a 3 hour drive.  Kara and Bill had plane tickets for Saturday and didn't change their plans because hospice had come and with medication, stabilized him somewhat.  Patrick was in Naples for work and stayed, with Kelly flying down on Saturday.  My niece Jill flew in from Cincinnati on Friday.  

All these plans fell into place and we were still trying to figure out which path to take.  Airfare was $2000 for the next day and if we got a call during the night, we were holding useless tickets.  The airlines are not generous on using leftover tickets.  There is at least a $150 per ticket change fee and in some cases you can use the balance to buy a cheaper ticket but there is no refund of the difference.  So that was no guarantee of anything as far as timing went at quite an expense.

I also had a calendar full of events that I needed to clear up.  Kristin called when she arrived and said he recognized her, asked for me twice and ate a bit of food.  She felt we had some time.  I canceled Shanghai here at our house on Saturday, got a sub for bunco on Monday, changed my eye doctor appointment for Tuesday and Donna said she would find a sub to work for me at the Thrift store on Thursday.  

With all that handled, we used Friday to finish up with the work people and cleaning people, Ted got a haircut and went to the store to fill our cooler.  We packed our clothes and got ready to head out at daybreak on Saturday.  Neither of us like night driving any more, especially at high speeds in unfamiliar territory, so we didn't start out until it was light outside, all the while praying we would arrive safely and in time to see him and everyone before they all left for home.

We drove 12 hours to Tallahassee then left at 5 am and drove another 6 to arrive at 11 am on Sunday.  My Dad had been terribly restless, combative and hallucinating on Friday night.  Poor Kara and Bill did their best to quiet him but he was trying to take his clothes off, climb out of bed, swinging his arms wildly, seeing things, etc. so they called the hospice nurse who came over.  They started a different regimen of meds and he calmed down but was heavily sedated by the time we arrived.  They insisted he could hear us.  If so, he knew we were there. If not, I doubt he did.

Larry, Kelly, Pat, Kara and Bill all had flights home Sunday and one by one they said what they knew were their final goodbyes.  Sunday evening and all day Monday was a constant bedside vigil.  Jill had to leave and we waved to her plane as it flew over the  house.  The Crisis Care Hospiice nurses were excellent and we could not have asked for better care for him.  They told us everything they were doing and why.  We also leveled with as he transitioned from life into death.  Monday night we were told to call anyone who needed to be there.  But by 11:30 she said she thought he would make it through the night and we should go to bed.  Kristin was staying up and helping with the turning of him on a regular schedule.  I woke up at 5 am and went out to see what was what.  At 8 o'clock we got a new nurse and the old one said it would be that day.  One and a half hours later he took his last breaths.

Hospice made all the appropriate phone calls and the chosen funeral home arrived.  There will be no visitation, just a service when his cremains are interred in Cincinnati later on.  They left a white rose on the hospital bed, placed him on the gurney and covered him with the flag.  We were all allowed to say our goodbyes before they took him away.  I felt so sorry for Edna and Laurie.  They are both losing their  best friend and biggest fan.  He was married to Edna for 31 years and Laurie has always been a Daddy's girl.  The rest of us were quite emotional as well.

Since there was no service there was no reason to stay any longer.  Everyone was exhausted and Edna's daughter was due in.  We stripped the beds and remade them before leaving.  Time alone with her daughter was the best thing for Edna.  We drove to Tallahassee for the first night and onto Lake Charles the second.  On Thursday morning we arrived home at 10:00.  

As for the other medical situations, Tim was recovering nicely from his appendectomy, Ted's biopsies were negative, my mammogram was normal.  Kara is scheduled for an ultrasound and poor Charlie is having difficulty in his recovery.  Please pray for this young boy who has been through so much.

Medical Alert Day

We had an appointment for Ted to have his routine endoscopy on Wednesday to keep an eye on whether his Barrett's Esophagus has reared its ugly head.  It has been since 2008 that he was diagnosed, treated and eventually released after 15 months of treatment.  Today's initial results were good but a few biopsies were taken and so we wait.

Last week we were informed that Ted's great nephew with disabilities was having a tumor removed from his spine, also on Wednesday.  His surgery went well but only 90% was removed because of it intertwining on his spine.  He was talking, wanted to go home and can move his legs but will be in ICU for a few days.  And again, we wait.

Kara thinks she has a hernia so had an appointment - on Wednesday!  The doctor ordered an ultrasound and we wait.

Wednesday morning the first thing to greet me on Facebook was my niece saying her husband was in surgery having an emergency appendectomy.  It had perforated so he will be hospitalized for 2-3 days receiving IV antibiotics.  He came through well and was able to eat but was in pain so we wait for his release.  

The news on my father is he is still in hospice care plus round the clock attendants.  He is slipping but at most times is very clear of mind.  We are so thankful he is not in pain but he is troubled because he realizes what is going on with his deteriorating health.  We and our girls have been going to Florida to visit and give my sister a little break.  His wife's daughter and my sister's daughter went to Florida to help too.   Today was a calm day and the hospice nurse will visit tomorrow.  Kara and Bill are due to arrive there Friday.  And again, we wait.

My friend Shari is going to have her hip replaced so she asked me - on Wednesday - if she could borrow anything that might be helpful so we got out the toilet riser, walker, cane, long handled shoe horn and the "picker upper" for her to use.  

I felt like all the medical news was way more than I could deal with in one day.  But there are so many prayer warriors out there that I made it through the day just fine.  The folks came and power washed the drive, walk, deck and courtyard.  They will return to put the preservative on the deck once it dries out.  The garage is cleaned out and orderly.  I have made progress!

Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.  ~ Joyce Meyer

Guess what?

Just as soon as I posted the going away picture of my bowling ball, an old school friend posted pictures of the 10 bowling lanes where I learned to bowl at the ripe old age of about 11.  Our parish had a complete complex of church, school, priests' house and nuns' house.  In the basement of the school was the bowling alley.

Also included was a Christmas photo of Midnight Mass.  When I was in choir I stood upstairs above the altar.  We could look straight out to the choir loft in the rear of the church and be directed along with the adult choir.  What wonderful memories.

I know I have posted this next photo but for context I will do it again.  When the church complex was sold and dismantled, the altar and windows were used at The Fathers of Mercy in Auburn, KY.  We have visited there twice.  I am so grateful these beautiful things have been saved.

Friday I spent most of the day laying out our summer route.  I typed a spreadsheet and sent it to Eileen so she has the info to start making her reservations,  Day, date, city, campground name and address, check in/check out dates and number of miles to drive to that destination.  Some reservations can be made on line, others you need to call so it is best we each do our own.  When I finished that I used Trip Advisor to make a list of Attractions in the areas where we are staying.  We need to order tickets to the musical at Palo Duro Canyon and for a tour of the McDonald Observatory before we even leave.

That doesn't seem like it should take all day to compile but you need to consider how to get where you want to go, where to stop as far as distance, find a park in the area that can accommodate your size rig and has the amenities you want.  We both need 50 amp in the summer to run both A/C units.  Now I can enjoy our weekend in Chicago and our time in the British Isles knowing we have that all set up.

 

Saturday was uneventful except we went to church as usual.  I had ribs in the crockpot and put potatoes in the oven and hoped I had set it to come on while we were gone.  It worked and I had only guessed at how to do it.  I seldom use that feature.

All three of the girls called on Sunday and I had long conversations with all of them.  I received a pearl necklace from Kelly and slacks from both Kara and Kristin.  Ted brought me a dozen white roses when he returned from shooting and then we went out to eat.

I played Canasta on Monday and came in last!  However, that gave me my dollar back.  One of these days this losing streak has to end.

On Tuesday the dredges of the garage were picked up by Paralyzed Veterans of Texas.  I hope someone enjoys the golf clubs.  I had given my older set to a school coach last year to give to a student who wanted to play but had no clubs.  I love getting rid of things we no longer use that may be useful to someone else.  

We went to the new shooting range that has been built right around the corner from us.  It is Seniors day on Tueaday and lanes are just $7.50.  I shot from 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 yards, a 10 clip magazine at each yard.  First two to the body mass, next two to the head and the last two, and farthest, to the area above the body mass but below the throat.  I did pretty darn good too.  Afterwards we went to lunch and to check on the trailer.  I thought I left a phone charger in there but I didn't. I will have to look further here at home.

We stopped at a new 55+ housing development to look at the models.  The one we liked was way too much house for us.  It had a huge finished second floor that raised the price from $350,000 base to $530,000 and then you had to pay extra for a premium lot to put it on.  It was the reverse from downsizing which is what I would think 55+ people would be looking for.  Our house is one story, 2300+ square feet and is perfect for us.  I think we'll stay put.

We Ate at Home!

Ted went shooting Sunday and I tackled the garage.  It is best he is gone when I start pitching.  Otherwise everything I throw on the pile would end up on a new, different shelf.  I have to respect some of this stuff is his, so I try to consider that, but I will never understand why we have empty boxes and bags galore on the shelves!  Just getting rid of those and consolidating "like things" made a big difference.  We are getting rid of all the golf things except Ted's Ping clubs and travel bag.  We have a small bag of new balls and tees for Terry.  Also, we will donate the toys and tubs we have saved for when the kids came to visit.  They are too old to be interested in the old toys.  

I also boxed up all our Christmas lights and will ship them off to great niece Vicki who is involved in a charity haunted house.  Most strands are wound around paper tubes but there are a few loose so I told her to throw a light checking party to get all the strands working.  I will have done all I can to Ted's room and the garage so I will continue my mantra when I park in the garage and walk into the house through these areas:  "It is his house too."

This probably isn't most people's description of "organized" but it will have to suffice in our case.  I will let you know how long it takes Ted to fill in the empty spot above the wreath!

I am saying goodbye to an old friend.  Ted gave me this bowling ball in 1964 for my 19th birthday.  It was the first thing with my married initials on it.  It weighs almost 14#, pretty heavy but I never could control a lightweight ball.

I bowled with it in many leagues, the first for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, then our church group in Michigan and up until I left Florida in 2001 and stopped because of my hip.  Now that I have two new hips, if I start up again I will get a new ball more consistent with the current lane blocking now in use.

It was hot in the garage and I stopped twice to have a drink and cool off but I was tired when Ted came home.  I planned to make a meatloaf but he wanted to grill burgers.  But we ate at home!  I finally went to the grocery store on Monday.  

Tuesday I had to work at the Thrift Shop and then get my mammogram afterwards.  It has been since fall that I have worked there and the renovations are done.  The store is very well organized and things displayed well.  I stopped home for lunch, went by the post office and then went to the Breast Center.  I think things looked okay because she only took two X-rays of each side.  If there is a question they will usually take another picture for more info.  Let's hope my assessment is correct.  The funny thing is the little Asian girl was enamored with my eyebrows!  She wanted to know how I got them so perfect.  I told her they were tattooed on almost six years ago and I gave her Emily's card.  

Ted had an appointment to see his gastroenterologist before his scheduled endoscopy.  Lucky him, he also received one of those new colon test kits to use instead of a colonoscopy.  They have called me because it has been 5 years since my last colonoscopy and I would much rather do that test than prep for one.  Ted is scheduled for 5/11 for his routine follow up endoscopy.  I told them to call me back in September.  I will bend Dr. W's ear when I am there with Ted in hopes he will give me a tester kit instead of scheduling a colonoscopy.  

While he was gone, the tree trimmers came.  They put down the bull rock first and then started on the trees.  Boy did they trim.  The debris filled a huge trailer.  We have some sunshine now and the house isn't in hiding.  Right after they left, Gordon came to replace the kitchen faucet.  The sprayer head would not switch from stream to spray.  I was getting both at the same time.  The company sent us a whole new faucet which Gordon installed.  He checked the light and proclaimed the problem was the light bulb - wrong kind!  Ted bought a new LED one.

Thursday was our Forum Installation Luncheon.  This is such a fun event.  The creativity of those putting the skit together amazes us all each year.  The food was really good and everyone had a nice time.

Our outgoing president, Cheryl.

Our new president, Chris.

Our newest members.

Our table

It was a long meeting with all that needed to be accomplished.  I left home at 8:45 am and returned home about 1:30.  I didn't do much of anything after that except heat up the pot roast and noodle leftovers for Ted for his dinner.  I was too full from lunch to join him.