Whew! No New Problems

So far so good on nothing else bad raising its ugly head!

Karen and Ron arrived at Dan and Sue's on Friday. Karen brought a Sam's size package of brats and we had them for dinner. Todd and Ann arrived after dinner. They had their horses, Shamrock and Zoe, pastured at the fairgrounds and were all ready for the Cowboy Mounted Shooting on Saturday. The weather has been rainy each afternoon and overnight. It's kept us from going out on the boat but the guys can fish off the seawall so they are happy.

Saturday we met everyone at the Mercer County fairgrounds to watch Ann and Todd compete. They ride a course set up with cones topped with balloons. They not only have to ride the pattern quickly, they have to shoot the balloons along the way. They also have exhibition rides where people learn and horses practice. There were about 5 little kids and one boy was so tiny his legs stuck out. He did real well. They point a play pistol but don't actually shoot until they are 12. We had a tailgate party for lunch. Neither Todd nor Ann placed in the money on Saturday.



We all went back to the State Park for them to check it out for next year's family reunion. Then five of us went to Immaculate Conception Church for Mass and three went to Dan's. We all met up at a restaurant.

Where we met was the old bar and store that owned the cabins the Ruhe and Homer clans rented for vacations in the 40s and 50s. Our family reunion packet for 2009 has a picture of the establishment's original owners presenting my great-grandfather with the key to the city of Celina in 1943. I learned to fish on the piers in front of the cabins and clean them at the fish house out back. All but a couple cabins are now gone. But we had a great time with Blue Moon Beer and some fish for dinner. (I drank Merlot.)







Sunday we went back to the fairgrounds and this time Todd took second place. Besides some money, he won a pair of spurs. They must dress in period costume. Ann wears "prairie skirts" and she looks good no matter how well she does! Karen and Ron left after the last heat but we stayed to help them load up their electric corral fence and tend the horses while they packed up. I never thought I'd see the day I was raking manure but that's exactly what I did.





Once the horses were on the road we went back to Dan's for a little bit and the guys did a bit of fishing but then we headed for the RV. We stopped for a bite at Arby's and then took a walk around the campground before sitting outside until dark.

Today we are e-mailing pictures of the RV damage to Goodyear, the factory and the dealership we bought it from in Lufkin, TX. We decided to have the parts shipped there and we can stop on our way home down 59 to have it fixed. Let's hope it all works out.

I'm going to Sue's to do laundry this afternoon. Then we are taking them all out to dinner. If all goes well we'll be heading to Dayton to get the rest of the tires changed out on the RV. Two failures is enough. We're getting rid of all the G614 tires that were manufactured during that time period. The guy in Dayton is a friend of Dan's. He said he is well aware of this crop of tires and can handle the inspection and claims process for us.

The Lord willing we'll be back in Cincinnati tomorrow with all new tires (except for the new one Goodyear bought us last year). We're going to Elk Lake for the 4th of July.

A Week Plus In Review

We went to Sacred Heart Church at 4 o’clock on Saturday and Kara joined us. Then we went to her house where Allen had cooked some Omaha Steakburgers I brought in from the RV. We ate quickly because we had to be at the dance recital at 7 o’clock.

What can I say except that Ally was SUPERB! She was in 7 different numbers (thus 7 different costumes) and didn’t miss a beat in any of them. This is her first year in the Repertory Company where they dance en pointe (on their toes). She also studies jazz, tap, pom-pom and ballet. The hit of the show for me was when her daddy danced to Hound Dog and then with her to All Shook Up. What wonderful memories he is creating for her by taking the time from his busy schedule to attend the practices and then to perform in front of an entire theater full of people. Way to go Patrick!



Sunday was Father’s Day and Kara cooked a scrumptious meal of meatballs and spaghetti. She said it is my recipe but it sure tastes better when someone else makes it. She is a much better cook than I am in my estimation. Ted had gone shooting in the morning and Patrick went to play soccer at 6 p.m. so it was a busy coming and going kind of day. I did a load of laundry and went through our box of mail. The kids are all so happy that Kristin is here. She just loves being with all four of them and they love having her here.

Monday morning we were back in Troy in the morning for Ally’s “Promotion Ceremony.” They don’t call it graduation. Ted had a 10 o’clock with the dentist but made it to Larson Middle School in time for the ceremony. If you have ever seen a Chrysler ad with a mini-van driving away with a sticker on the bumper, it says Larson Middle School. I don’t know the details but they won the honor of being in that ad.



It was back to the dentist for Ted on Tuesday. Dennis is trying to make up for the week without power since we are time constrained. Afterwards we went to Kelly’s and made 15 lbs. of BBQ for the party on Friday night.

Ted golfed on Wednesday and I just took my time straightening up, getting a shower, getting dressed and reading my book. Ted had to go into the dentist after golfing so he was gone most of the day. I enjoyed the relaxation since we have been on the go so much.

Thursday was Cassie’s 18th birthday and we planned a pizza party at the RV. We bought a birthday cake and ice cream too. Right before everyone was to arrive it rained and the table and benches were all wet so we called the Pizzeria outside the park and asked if we could have it there. It only holds 16 people inside so we pretty much filled it up. There were a few tables on the porch and Kristin took Sam and Morgan there to give them a little more room. We ordered the family special to feed the 12 of us. The manager was so gracious in allowing me to bring my own cake and ice cream. I took plates, napkins and forks so we didn’t use their supplies for food we hadn’t purchased from them. Kara’s friend Shannon joined us with her new baby Katie who is 3 months old. She wanted us to see her before we left and we’re running out of time. It was getting late when we were finished and no one came back to the RV.

Oh, the traffic and lines on Friday! Our jobs for the party were to pick up the two sub platters in downtown Rochester on our way in, go to Meijer’s for 25 two-liter bottles of pop, stop at the balloon store to pick up two different “bouquets,” go to Costco to pick up the two cakes and two cases of water, and finally, get 5 bags of ice. It took us three hours! They say Michigan’s economy is in the toilet but you couldn’t prove they were bothered by $4 gas from the traffic or lack of jobs by the lines in the stores. Add bad roads and construction and … well you get the picture!

The party for Pat & Kelly’s 20th anniversary, Cassie’s 18th birthday and graduation and Ally’s Confirmation and completion of middle school was held at the Troy Community Center. Kristin did a slide show of Cassie from birth through graduation that was played on a 37” TV for everyone. A video of Ally dancing through the years played as well. It was a great gathering and we had a chance to see a few friends we otherwise wouldn’t have seen.

We attended Alexandria’s graduation party on Saturday. She is the daughter of my former boss at Celanese and she is Kara’s babysitter. We were able to visit with my other former boss, his wife, another gal I worked with and the wife of one of the college interns who was there before I left. They had two tents – one for sitting, one for the catering and it was especially nice. It was almost 9 when we got home.

Sunday we got up early and went to 9 o'clock Mass at St. Andrew's and then stopped at Walgreen's for my Lipitor and Papa Joe's for fruit. I was making a fruit salad for a party with all our golf, bowling and church friends from our years in Troy. Most have moved to other areas around Troy and really haven't seen each other for several years so it was a big reunion for everyone. Of course, Bob G., Bob A. and Len H. were all missed. They were a big part of the group but have passed on in the last few years. We are especially grateful to Chris and Linda for hosting the event.

Monday we took Kristin to the airport and it was back to the dentist for Ted. He dropped me at Kelly's and I did laundry while I waited for him. Then he dropped me at the library while he went to Sam's baseball practice. I'm really behind in the bills and correspondence so I needed the time to catch up before we leave. I don't know if I'll have internet access in St. Mary's, OH or not. In the past I've worked off one of the workamper's connection. But he may not be there this year ... or he may have tightened his security. So we'll just have to wait and see.,

Hooray! Power!

It was late Wednesday afternoon when we finally got power back (3 days without). We left Kara's about 7 a.m. on Wednesday after spending a second night here. Ted had an 8:30 tee time about 10 minutes away from the campground. He drove me back, got his clubs and met Chris, Steve and Jeff plus some others for a round of golf.

We decided to stay at the RV until later that evening before going back into Troy. We were sitting outside with the gal from the next camper when the generator for the bathhouse stopped and her strip lights came on! I checked and our refrigerator had switched back to electric and our alarm clock was flashing. What a relief. However there are still 50,000 without power and tempers are getting short.

Yesterday we drove to a new shopping area near Great Lakes Crossing. I wanted to use my Talbot Gift Card I received from Kristin for Mother's Day and mail my Dad's Father's Day card. We also needed to pick up a white T-shirt and transfer paper so Kara could make Sam's Alphabet Letter shirt for party day. He chose the letter A. We dropped that off when no one was home and went back to our humble abode. We caulked two things on the RV, took a walk, had dinner, took another walk, sat outside for awhile and then watched TV until bedtime.

Today we came in for Sam's end of the year party. I got to serve PB&J uncrustables and fruit kabobs. Then we had an assembly. It was about a book of Mandy and Pandy to teach kids some basic Chinese words. Now I don't think I could find one Chinese person in Texas to speak Chinese to but Spanish would be a different story. Here in Troy, Chinese is probably very helpful. In fact, five Chinese children from the class got up to help the man teach the others to count to 10 in Chinese.

We came back to Kara's for some lunch and to do a load of laundry. I am staying with Morgan while she naps and Ted, Kara and Sam are at Dick's Sporting Goods buying Allen a present for Father's Day.

Kristin is due in tonight but Allen will go got her. She is staying here with them. We would have to hang around here all day and get home very, very late back at the campground if we picked her up. I may have to take her back to the airport for her return flight because it is a Monday and Ted has a dentist appt. at the same time. I'll love driving I-75, I-696 and I-94 in our truck!

Speaking of the dentist, other than the impressions and choosing the teeth size and color, Ted hasn't had any other appts. because they still don't have power. I sure hope they have it by Monday when he has another appt.

Here is my favorite graduation picture of Cassie. She was walking past our seats on the way to hers with the class. Her party is next Friday. Her gift from us was a cruise to the Mexican Riviera in February along with the rest of her family and Kristin. It feels wierd not to have a gift to hand her though. Ally is graduating 8th grade on Monday too. Kelly and Pat celebrated their 20th anniversary April 30 so the cruise was one big celebration.

Still No Power

It is now Tuesday afternoon and there are 200,000 people still without power. They now say it will be tomorrow night before it is all restored. Northern Oakland County was hit the hardest, is the least populated, is where the campground is, so we expect to be last. Many schools are still closed, traffic lights remain out and some roads are still blocked. The road we take north from the campground to I-69 was closed when we left up there. Good thing we were headed south.

We spent from Sunday evening until Monday afternoon without electricity at the campground before coming into Kara's. It looks as if we'll be here one more night. Ted is golfing out near the campground tomorrow morning so we'll have some more juggling to do.

The other problem is Ted's dentist has no power and he is trying to get Ted's new plate done in less time than normal and now we have this power hold-up. Dennis is a good friend and great dentist and is jumping through hoops to get this done in time. They just called and asked Ted to come right down. Some progress I hope but they said they still don't have power! If they get power his tee time for tomorrow morning may be in jeopardy.

Let's see now, we've had to deal with the front tooth issue, the broken bedroom glide chain, the truck leaking issue, and now the power outage ... and we've only been gone three weeks. We got the truck back yesterday and so far it seems OK. At least we have two more weeks around here to make sure it is all right.

Let's hope all our troubles remain these small inconveniences.

Wild Weather Weekend

Saturday we went to Freedom Hill amphitheater for our oldest granddaughter Cassie's hgh school graduation. Her Grandma Duda, Aunt Kara and boyfriend Robert also were there along with her parents. Ally was home sick.


There were over 400 kids and it took almost three hours. Except for the monotonous reading of all the names, the speeches were actually very good. Afterwards we all went to Red Robin for a late lunch. Ted and I went back to Kara's while I did laundry and we went to St. Thomas More for 5 o'clock Mass. It was late when we got back to the campground.

Ted went shooting Sunday and I prepared for the kids to come for dinner. We set their small pool up in a stand of pine trees next to our RV so we could sit in the shade. There was a nice breeze blowing and it was quite pleasant. Ted had given Sam a fishing rod and reel for his birthday so he and Allen took Sam to the lake to learn to cast. When they came back Ted started the grill. Just as we were about to sit down to eat, a storm blew up. We hurried to get the food inside.

Then the sirens went off. We grabbed the kids and headed to the bathhouse. Ted thought staying dry and eating his dinner was more important so he stayed put. When the all clear came the pop-up across from us had been ripped apart, a tree split in two and just missed a trailer and car two sites from us and trees in the woods had the tops snapped off. We were very lucky.




The power went out and never did come back on. Today they said it may be tomorrow night before we get it back. A night without his CPAP machine causes Ted a restless night so this afternoon we came to Kara's prepared to stay if their prediction is true. We did OK without electricity though using our propane to cook and we switched the water heater to propane. We used our 12V lights. We have a Black & Decker Storm Center that gave us a flashlight, another light, a radio, a weather station and an inverter to charge our cell phones. It's the CPAP machine that makes electricity so important to us. Since Kara has been out to the park three times and it has rained all three times our RV neighbors asked if maybe she could stay away!

We are watching the kids until Kara and Allen come home. I'm fixing dinner and Ted has gone to pick up our truck and turn in the rental car.

This trip sure is taking twists and turns from our original plans. We have had to be flexible but as long as we get to attend all the celebrations - graduations, recitals, Father's Day and birthdays, how we spend the rest of our time here doesn't matter as long as we are all together.

Promised Pictures

This is the entrance to Addison Oaks, a lovely lane of weeping willows. It reminds me of the scene in Sound of Music where the kids are hanging from the trees in the play clothes Maria made from drapes. It was the Buhl Family's country estate. They were a prominent Detroit family and there is still a Buhl Building in downtown Detroit. Oakland County now owns it. The house has been turned into a conference center/banquet hall and Kara had her wedding reception here in 1992.

The campground has 4 loops in a wooded setting. There is a fishing and boating lake, swimming beach, pavilions, disc golf and weekend entertainment. It's about 15 miles north of Troy and a delightful place to stay while we are in the area.



This is a picture of Sam in one of the five relay races he participated in during Field Day. We were the cheering section.


Here is the Bounce House that was the big birthday present for Morgan and Sam.



Friday was a trip into Rochester to go to the library to use their wi-fi, haircut for me and a grocery shopping trip. Kara, Allen and kids came out to the RV for dinner. We just finished eating and a big storm blew up. We were all stuck inside and the electricity went out. They left about 9 o'clock and told us to come to their house if we didn't get electricity back. It came on about 10:30. Until then Ted had been listening to the radio and I was reading by flashlight. All's well that ends well.

We're in Michigan and doing OK

I wanted to download a few pictures when I wrote up the last couple of days but I'm at the library and don't have access to them right now. So I'll save them for later.

We left Cincinnati Tuesday morning in a light rain but had driven out of it in under an hour. We arrived at Addison Oaks and were backed-in, set up and had our feet up by 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. Kara arrived with the kids.

I had foam stickies, crayons and paper plus the parrothead hats and leis for them to play with. Sam made me a picture and it's on the microwave now. Just as we were heading to the playground it started raining so we ended up inside. We have a 5 disk set of old cartoons shown in the 50s and the kids love them. When they got hungry we fed them the old stand-bys - mac and cheese, yogurt and juice boxes.

Wednesday Ted had his first appt. with Dennis, the dentist. We have three more on the next 3 Mondays. He doesn't see a problem with getting the new plate done in that timeframe. We had dinner with Kara and were spending the night so we could attend Sam's Field Day at school on Thursday and his birthday party that afternoon. Cassie came by to visit and had dinner with us. Ally and Patrick were at dance reheasal (he dances in the Daddy/Daughter dance) and Kelly was getting a haircut. It was a nice surprise that she stopped by.

We were at Hamilton Elementary at 8:45 to cheer the kids on. It was 5 different relay races. The PE teacher asked me, Ted and Allen to stay all day because we were the best "cheerers" she had ever seen. It was a lot of fun. We barely made it home in time for the party guests to arrive. The big present was a Bounce House that was inflated in the yard. I think there were 10 kids plus several mothers and Kara served pizza, salad and chicken salad along with TWO birthday cakes - Scooby Doo for Sam and Tinkerbell for Morgan.

Today I am FINALLY going to get a haircut and stop at the market for a little grocery shopping. I think Kara and family are coming out tonight.

Tomorrow is Cassie's graduation ceremony so we'll be in Sterling Heights for that.

A wrinkle in our "best laid plans" has been a leak in the truck. We had a repair done in TX that supposedly fixed it. They said it was a cracked tube by a valve. At Karen's and again at Kara's we had more drips. Ted took it to a Ford dealer here and it is a leaking seal. We left the truck yesterday and rented a Ford Fusion until Monday. With gas prices, it could be a wash in the end as far as expense.

Ted has a few choice words for Gullo Ford in Conroe, TX when we get back. We're in luck because our warranty is 5 years (up June 15) or 100,000 miles and we're almost at 97,000. If it was going to happen, now is better than later.

More when I have the pictures to share.

Eating, Eating, Eating

When everyone asks what we've been doing I tell them "mostly eating." It seems we can't visit without food around! Oh my poor waistline.

Friday night we met Ted's siblings for dinner at the Ashton Oak Golf Course where his sisters live. They and his one brother that remain in Cincinnati have moved to Cleves or North Bend which makes Indian Springs very convenient besides it being so close to I-275. My sister doesn't live too far either. And now the campground has added sewers so we have full hookups.

On Saturday Ted took me to the baby shower and he left with his brothers-in-law for lunch and to watch the Reds game. It was so nice seeing everyone again and meeting Kathy's in-laws. She had quite a crowd. Here is a picture of those attending from our side of the family. The second photo is Aunt Ann and Aunt Eileen that I wrote about previously. I didn't take my camera to the wedding and didn't get their picture. It's hard to believe they are 96 and 80.





We missed all the late afternoon Masses but found one at 7:30 pm at St. Simon so we went there. We passed on Betsy's birthday bash at a bar in Mt. Adams because we wanted to go to church. Also, our truck on those tiny, windy streets plus terrible parking accommodations made us leery of trying to drive the truck up there.

Sunday Ted went shooting again at Fairfield Gun Club while I prepared a fruit salad and deviled eggs (more food!) because Karen and Bill were coming for dinner. We have been friends since the early 60's. Karen has a short video clip made at our first house in Delhi. Kelly is about a year old and their Craig is just an infant. In the film I come walking down the hallway brushing my hair and the looks and mannerisms are a dead ringer for our Kristin. I would love to have that piece of their anniversary video on a separate tape. When they left the sky was beautiful and I took a picture. It doesn't do the sunset justice.



Today Ted is going to the Enquirer retiree's monthly luncheon to see the fellows. I am going to Karen's to do laundry. I also need to get my hair cut if I can work that in. We will be heading to Michigan tomorrow.

Sightseeing Today

We decided to go to Cincinnati Union Terminal that houses the Cincinnati Museum Center. We chose to see The Human Body in Omnimax and BODIES ... The Exhibition. The terminal is one of the best examples of art deco architecture in the country. Beautiful mosaics were displayed throughout in its heyday as a train station but to save them when its future was uncertain, the flat panels were moved to Greater Cincinnati Airport. Two curved ones remain. It is a beautiful, beautiful building.

The movie's photography was awesome and the exhibit mind boggling. I find it hard to believe people can look at the complexity of the human body and not believe in a supreme being or to take in the fetal exhibition and not question abortion. We were especially interested in observing the esophagus, hip joint, gall bladder and knee. We spent close to three hours at the museum.

We then rode through our old neighborhoods and stopped by a friend's service station to say hello and ask how his wife is doing. She is undergoing chemo and asked that we wait until July when we return to get together. Her son was there and said she is doing well but is very tired. We continued on to Dick's Sporting Goods to buy shotgun shells since Ted can't make any.

At 6:30 we met Bev (P&G) and Paul at Whisky's in Lawrenceburg. We had a 3-hour dinner and then stood in the parking lot some more. It was so good to see them. On the way home Ted asked if I wanted to stop at the casino. After all he did have that $25 winnings to work with.

We stayed just one hour. Ted was still up $10 and I won $60 so it was a good visit. It was very late when we got home.

Our time here is passing quickly. We paid for a week upon arrival so had to pay for the remaining four days today before we forgot. We will be pulling out next Tuesday.

For The Good Times

Tonight I met Mary and a group she got together from St. Bonaventure for dinner at Olive Garden. Charlene, Dianna, Mary, Cookie, Donna K and I had a three hour dinner that was mostly talking. We had such a great time catching up with each other and learning about others that we individually have stayed in touch with. We agreed to meet again in July before I return to Texas.

Cookie, Donna K and I were in the same class. Dianna and Charlene were a year older and Mary was a year younger. Her brother Joe was my first boyfriend in sixth grade I think. He married and named his daughter Donna. She has great fun telling people she was named for her father's first girlfriend! I loved that story.

Ted went to the Fairfield Gun Club and shot skeet while I was at dinner. We had gone to Karen's and done laundry today. We're enjoying this 60 degree weather overnight and pleasant days. There is rain forecast for later in the week however.

The Three Donnas

First, I want to show you a picture out our back picture window. We are backed up to a lake and this is our view. The rest of the campground is gravel but it certainly looks good in this photo.



Now the story of the three Donnas. In the Fall of 1950 I started kindergarten at St. Bonaventure School. So did Donna K and Donna B. We had all been baptized at this parish church. We made our First Communion, were Confirmed and graduated grade school from there in 1959, going on to Mercy High graduating in 1963. Donna K and I went on to work at P&G with me leaving in 1981 to move to Michigan and she continued on, retiring in the late 1990s. We all were married there also. It has been torn down in the last decade which broke all our hearts.

Today we met at our RV for lunch. I made BBQ using a recipe Donna B's mother had given me almost 50 years ago. We had such a GREAT time. There were tears and hugs, with lots of pictures. They brought our First Communion picture, the next class's First Communion picture where Donna K and I were "leaders" and our 8th grade graduation picture. There were other pictures of dances and proms we all attended. And guess what? I still have the same date as I did in all those pictures from sophomore year on!!!! I played the DVD our girls' made of our whole life that was shown at the 40th anniversary party they gave us three years ago.

Ted took off to allow us girls a gabfest and headed to Argosy Casino. He came back a few hours later and said he left when he was up $25. If we run out of people to see and things to do, we may make another trip there to give me a chance to lose that $25 for Ted.

These are the events that make our visits to Cincinnati so enjoyable. I've heard from another grade school friend and she has invited me to dinner tomorrow night. I hope to have some more pictures.

Memorial Day Weekend

We arrived at Indian Springs before noon on Friday. We backed into our lake spot and started setting up. When I pushed the button for the bedroom glide it went out about six inches and stopped with a big CLUNK! It wouldn't budge in or out. We checked the electrical system and 12 volt system but they were OK. We called the factory and they said we had to get to the mechanism under the bed.

This entailed dragging the king size mattress to the living area and taking up the false floor of the storage bin under the bed. To get that out we had to take off the hydraulic arms that hold up the bed platform. We had to depress a lever and push on the slide. We realized we needed a third pair of hands - one to depress the lever, one to hold up the platform since the hydraulics were removed and one to push the glide. We saw that the chain was broken.

A fellow was running a bobcat next to us working on the visitor parking and playground areas. He came and asked if we had a problem and offered to help. He was able to walk the chain off the sprocket where it was hung up. He told Ted if he went to the hardware store and got a new master link he could fix it for us after his shift. And he did!! Praise the Lord!

We had just an hour to get ready for the wedding but arrived at Moonlight Gardens in plenty of time. We enjoyed seeing Ted's Aunt Ann (age 96) and Aunt Eileen and Uncle Bill (80s). We love them dearly and are so grateful for opportunities like this to spend the evening with them. Kath, Peg and Kevin and families were all there - 11 nieces and nephews plus spouses and 9 of Kevin's grandchildren. Everyone looked great and I'll see them all next week at a baby shower (for #48 great-grandchild) arriving in six weeks. And we learned #49 is coming in November. The 5th great-great grandchild is due in the fall also. What a family. We arrived home after midnight.

Saturday morning Ted took me to the nail salon since I was unable to get my manicure and pedicure on Friday with all the hullabaloo about the glide. When I was finished we left for Elk Lake at Owenton, KY to my sister's cabin. We had tickets to a Jimmy Buffett Legends concert with dinner at the Elk Creek Winery. We had a table at the front edge of the patio overlooking the amphitheater. We were the only ones wearing parrothead hats. They gave out leis but ours were nicer so we wore both! Everyone kept stopping to take our picture. We bought 3 bottles of wine and two funnel cakes to go with the dinner provided. There was a beautiful sunset and we had a great time.

Sunday we went to 8 a.m. Mass (the only one they have all weekend) and then Ronnie made a goetta breakfast for us all. My nephews David and Brian plus Laura his fiance came by in their boat to tell us how they made out working at the winery the night before. They worked the wine tent on the lower level nearer the stage. They said they sold over 1000 bottles of wine. The bar by the patio also did a brisk business. I think it was a big moneymaker for Curtis the owner. He's a friend of my brother Dan.

When they left, we got on the pontoon boat and took a long ride up and down the many coves of the lake. It's fun to see the renovations and new construction that has taken place since last year. It was a beautiful day and a nice ride.

We grilled out for dinner and then watched Road to Perdition (SP?) with Tom Hanks. I had a hard time staying awake for the news.

This morning we ate breakfast and lunch with Karen and Ron before heading back to Cincinnati. We stopped at Wal-Mart to get some groceries for my lunch tomorrow. More on that later.

Some Pictures from our Campsite

The river flooded the campground this spring and they are still removing the flotsam and jetsam that collected along the shoreline. All the electric had to be redone.

Two Days in Memphis

We arrived at Tom Sawyer Campground around 2:00 on Tuesday. This park is a little less than 5 miles south of the I-40/I-55 interchange in W. Memphis, Arkansas. It has such an awesome view of the Mighty Mississippi right on a levy at the river's edge that it is worth the few minutes drive. We got a front row site and we had a bench right on the levy to watch the river. You can see big bends at either end of the view of the river and tugs push 20-25 barges lashed together.

The song "Sitting on the Levy, Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" comes to mind. Also, I can visualize the paddlewheels coming round the bend, calliope playing or the shout "mark twain" floating across the water.

The moon was full both nights we were there and the shimmer across the water went from shore to shore. It's one of my favorite places to stop and I'm glad we had two nights there.

Tuesday night dinner at Rendevous and Beale Street didn't work out for us. Rick and his brothers were not home from golfing by 6:30 and they were more than an hour away. We were both tired and hungry and just opted out of the evening.

The next morning Ted met the fellows for 36 holes of golf and Brenda picked me up and we and her sister and sister-in-law went to Tunica. I'm not sure how but I won $99 playable dollars within the hour of arriving. You can't cash it out, you have to play it. We had the buffet lunch at the Sheraton casino and it was pretty good. I even had enough "points" that I got $1 off! After 6 hours I had lost $15. That's not a bad entertainment fee for six hours of fun.

We were invited back to Rick's brother's house for dinner. There were 15 of us for lasagna and homemade bread. His sister-in-law is quite a cook! We had a wonderful time visiting and it was after 10 when we got home.

Wednesday morning we had to say goodbye to the river and we headed north towards Nashville. We drove about 7 hours and stopped in Shepherdsville, KY just south of Louisville. We are at Grandma's RV Park and it's a great little park right off the interstate. EZ in, EZ out. That's what we look for when we're traveling.

I called our friends Rita and Wayne Overton who now live in Louisville. Rita had to go to a school function for their grandson but Wayne drove down to see us. He drove us to a BBQ place and we bought him dinner. It was a nice visit but I was diappointed not to see Rita. Maybe we'll still have a chance while we're in the Cincinnati area.

Next stop is Indian Springs (Cincinnati) and 11 nights in one spot. We have a pretty full calendar. No matter how long we stay in the area, we never get to see everyone. We have a wedding tomorrow night and then Saturday we're off to Elk Lake in Owenton, KY to spend the weekend with my sister at her cabin on the lake. We won't be home until Monday. There's no wi-fi; there's not even cell phone service. So until then ...

We're On Our Way

On Friday Ted pulled the RV to Rayford and parked next to Jay who came in on Wednesday. I filled up my Expedition with food and things and drove over. It amazes me that we can fill the truck and car twice each and find room for it in the RV.

We went to Pit Master BBQ for dinner when Jay and Stella arrived after work. Half way through the meal Ted broke his front tooth off his upper plate! After a lot of laughing about our heading to Arkansas, etc. we decided to drive home and get his old plate. It didn't fit real good anymore so we glued the tooth with Gorilla glue and for now it is working! I called Kara and got the phone number of our old dentist in Michigan who made the plate. That is where we are going to spend the most time and we thought perhaps it would be enough to get a new plate made. It's way past time to get a new one.

On Saturday Joanne drove their truck to Rayford so Ted could take the 5th wheel hitch out. Dwight had a stroke over a year ago and she has gotten rid of the trailer. She had no one to do this for her. Ted offered to go to Willis and do it but she was looking forward to a few hours out by herself.

John and Sherida (our TV guru) came for dinner Saturday night. Before we ate John got us all set up with our new digital boxes. He also did something to Jay's surround sound. Two wires were crossed. They stayed until after midnight and we were pooped by the time we got into bed.

We always attend churh at St. Simon and Jude when we are at Rayford. We went at 9 a.m. We decided to grill some burgers for lunch for all of us. I made some beans and fruit salad to go with it. Afterwards Jay and Stella started to pack up. Dee and Rick stopped by when they arrived home from San Antonio. They are living at Rayford now. After a shower and some TV I went to bed at 9:30 p.m.

Monday we received a call from Dr. Bushon's office. They normally need a month but are going to do a new plate in three weeks. Ted has four appts. while we are in Michigan. I left for home so Carol could pick me up for bunco. When we arrived we determined that there was one extra player because of a mixup in subs. I called Ted and told him he could come get me so we could get an earlier start. We got on the road around 11:30 and stopped in Texarkana, AR a little after 5:00. We filled up, had dinner, then went down the feeder road to a new campground. We'll be here one night and head for Memphis tomorrow.

It hit 94 today so I hope the weather cools off as we head north. It's only May!

The Rest of The Week Before We Leave

Ted's trip to the dermatologist went well. He froze a spot on his nose and gave him "chemical warfare cream" for a spot above his eyebrow and the edges of his ears. Ballcaps don't protect the ears and I need to convince him to wear a hat with a wide brim all the way around. My job is to watch for red spots on his face and forehead so he can put the cream on them too if any develop.

I played bunco Tuesday night but didn't win even though I was a sub. In fact, the whole group was subs but it was fun because I got to see people I normally don't run into too often.

Wednesday night was a birthday party at the country club for Jody's husband Dave. Happy hour was at 5 p.m. with just the girls and then at 6:30 the party was in the library. This is where Ted's 60th birthday party (2004) started before we went in to eat brunch. There were cocktails and several appetizers. The cake was decorated with huge magnolias (out of icing). The gal did a marvelous job on it. It was a great time and it was after 10 when we got home. I hit the couch and was out like a light. Ted left me alone and at 2 a.m. I got up and moved to the bed.

Today was the Newcomer's End of Year luncheon. I received a certificate for being an Activity Chair and also a "halo" for being an angel. Someone nominated me because of my willingness to hostess things even when it isn't my turn, taking food to members in need of a hand, driving people to doctors when necessary, etc. I just think of it as "the right thing to do." But it was certainly nice to be recognized and appreciated.

Tomorrow we head to Rayford. I'm having trouble with the clothes I'm taking. It is still cool up north (compared to here) and I have several social things that require more than my "camping" clothes. Then you get into special lingerie, jewelry, dress shoes, etc. that I never carry in the RV. And to have several things to attend only complicates that matter. Once we get set up tomorrow I'm going to take stock of everything I took over there and may bring some of it back home.

The next time I write will probably be from Cincinnati. I don't know which of the campgrounds have wi-fi and even when they do, a lot of times it isn't too reliable. I know I can go to the Comfort Inn breakfast room down the road from Indian Springs and use theirs so that's what I'll be doing for the two weeks we're there. When we hit Michigan I use Kara's wi-fi at home or the Rochester Library. Until then, safe travels and God bless.

Post Script

Raynor from Dr. Ertan's office called this morning. He said the pathology on the "brushings" from the healed areas all look good. Ted is doing very well.

I told him about the "bug" he seems to have picked up. His take on it was that it doesn't have anything to do with the procedure. What we need to watch for is a sustained fever and/or difficulty swallowing. His fever was only for one day and that was five days after the procedure and five days ago. He has never had difficulty swallowing. He is better and is at the dermatologist this morning for a routine check-up. We've had enough of doctors for awhile.

We set up the next endoscopy for July 22. That gives us plenty of time to get results back and schedule anything else if necessary. We should be able to leave August 5 to stop in Slidell to visit Tim's widow Bloss and then arrive in Topsail State Park on August 7.

We are so grateful that things are going along so well. I have to admit I've been surprised by the people you least expect that are there for you as support and the ones you expect to be supportive just aren't. Everyone deals with difficulties in a different way I guess. There are more ostriches out there than you'll ever know.

Last Weekend Before Leaving

Ted continues to be bothered somewhat with whatever it is he has. He is still visiting the bathroom too frequently. I can find no connection between this and his procedure. We're thinking lunch at the Wok or samples he ate at the other stands may be responsible. We ate the same lunch but he had several samples that I didn't. However, he is getting better.

We went to the Methodist Church Home Decor Sale on Friday. Marleah had to cancel so Ted said he'd ride over with me. We are looking for an oil for above the mantel. We didn't find one but I did find a brand new changing pad cover from Pottery Barn Kids for $3. They are $19 at the store and this still had the tags so I put it in my "present pile." With the constant stream of invitations and announcements we receive from our large families, someone will be able to use it down the road.

Saturday night we played Canasta. We both scored in the middle so we didn't win anything for play but I did win the $5 consolation prize ... and I randomly picked my own scorecard. But I didn't look!

Today is Mother's Day. I received cards and gifts from all the girls. Kara sent tickets to the Hoopee Dee Doo Review for our trip to Disney in August, Kelly sent money to buy tickets to Neil Diamond but they are already sold out and Kristin sent a Talbot's Gift Card. Also, Kara called just as we were leaving for church this morning and Kristin called as we were on the way to church. Afterwards we went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. I received a long stem red rose and a free glass of wine to go with my food.

Ally was Confirmed yesterday and Cassie went to the prom. Kara said it got to be a real race because Mass went for almost two hours and Cassie, who was Ally's sponsor, needed to be ready by 7:00. They had to "jump the line" to get a picture with the bishop. Ally knew a family from dancing and they let them cut in. Kara was the photographer and she wasn't leaving without the proper photos.





Tomorrow's Canasta has been cancelled. Jennifer has the same "distress" that Ted does. Ted has a dermatologist routine appointment in the morning. We have some stuff in the trailer but need to gather the rest up. We also have to go to the post office to Premium Forward our mail for about six weeks and then have them hold it for 30 days. I'm glad we're going to Rayford because we can open the RV, put everything away, run home for what we forgot and leave with some degree of peace of mind.

A Very Quiet Week

Monday I had a doctor's appointment to have blood work done for a new Lipitor prescription. And then I left the doctor's without it! I had Dr. Chang look at a growth on my foot that I've had for years. He said it wasn't a callous or a plantar's wart and said I should see Dr. Barclay down the hall. I made an appointment with his gal for Tuesday.

While I was waiting on Dr. Barclay the next day, Ted walked down to Dr. Chang's and got the prescription so we could drop it off at Walgreen's. It's important that we get my Lipitor and his Previcid all set before we take off for two months.

Dr. Barclay said what is on my foot is a clogged sweat gland that has built up skin to protect it from the pressure of being walked on. He cut some of it away and used an electric file to wear it down. He advised a cream and pomice stone three times a week. It doesn't hurt so I'll do what he says and learn to live with it. I just wanted to know it wasn't anything to worry about.

Wednesday I had my hair cut and colored. After lunch I had a pedicure. When I got home Ted was not feeling well. He said he felt achy and he was running almost 101 temp. He took some Tylenol so I'm hoping he feels better today. He is hardly ever sick and it worries me when he gets the least little thing.

We've received no calls from Dr. Ertan. Baylor Clinic did call on Monday to see how Ted was doing. I'm not sure if they'll tell us what the cell brushings indicate or not. That may be more for their information on how things are going. They are looking for genetic markers. There are 3 markers they have identified that increase your risk of BE turning to cancer. Without them the chance is nil, with one 6%, two 25% and all three about 80%. Research is being done on this at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center at Washington University in Seattle. It's still in clinical trials and routine testing is not available just yet.

We're getting our ducks in a row to leave on 5/16. We're spending the weekend at Rayford close to home. That gives me an opportunity to run back and forth to get whatever it is I've forgotten. We always make bets on how many times we'll run home over the weekend. We bought the TV boxes we'll need for the RV analog TVs and we'll try to get that hooked up. John, our TV guru, is coming Saturday for dinner and will have a look. WalMart had them for $50 and we had the $40 government coupon we sent for. My tax dollars at work!! The guy at WalMart didn't know what to do with the $40 card. I told him I didn't either because I've never had the government give me anything before. He ran it like a credit card and it worked. The boxes ended up costing $10.68 each and we may really need only one. John will figure it out.

Next week will be busy as we do the countdown before we take off. My entries may get more sporadic but hopefully more interesting. Our two months will be spent with friends and family. The only "new" place we're stopping is Davy Crocket Birthplace State Park in Limestone, TN. And we're doing that to visit Howard who lived across from us in DeBary. He and Ted are best buddies and great shooting partners. We'll stay in that area 4-5 days so they can shoot together before heading for home.

Ted is doing Well

Ted slept most of Friday evening and all night into Saturday morning. He asked for two Tylenol before heading to bed saying his throat was a little irritated. In the morning he got up and went to shoot in two different heats. We went to church at 5 p.m. and then to Sweet Tomatoes with Terry for dinner. Carol is in Indianapolis.

Today we hung out and went to a neighborhood party at 3 p.m. Dave and Betty are moving to Colorado. They are getting to the point in life they feel they need to be near their children. I believe they bought into a senior's housing development. We learned who is buying and who is selling in the neighborhood, learned another neighbor has cancer and is not doing well and that another's long term boyfriend had died from melanoma. A couple marriages have taken place also. We really should stay home more. We are certainly out of the loop.

We talked to Rick and Brenda today. We are spending two nights in Memphis on the way to Ohio with them. In July they are driving back here for an anniversary party and will stay at our house. They'll get here before we get back but we expect to get home before they leave and head to the Northeast for the summer and fall.

I just wanted to let everyone know Ted is suffering no ill effects and we're grateful for that.