Still Very Boring

It has been more than two decades since we spent summer in Texas.  We are leaving mid July but there has certainly been very little going on while we wait to drive off to our first stop, a week at Raystown Lake Resort in Entriken PA for a week for our family reunion (my side).  We have house sitters again for the summer.  Marina and Nancy are holding down the fort!  

Last time I wrote we were going to play cards at the country club and I won!  I only had 11 points and you want to be low.  

I worked two hours at the Thrift Shop.  This time I hung clothes that have been looked over and set aside.  The rest go in recycle bins and are sold by the pound.  This is how you will see a child on TV in the Congo wearing an Astros baseball shirt.  Most get shredded, cooked and fibers used for fine paper.  

I played Canasta and won too!  I believe it is the first time I ever came in first place in this group.

We did get our TSA numbers at Bush airport.  Ted’s passport is scheduled to arrive June 24 (arrived 6/20) according to the website but we will be gone when mine arrives.  I have added the numbers to our August plane tickets so we should be good.  

Our neighborhood birthday luncheon bit the dust after one by one people dropped out.  When it got down to just two of us, we bailed.  It will be November before I will plan another and December is always done by Deb so we will see what 2024 brings.  

Nancy, Ted and I toured the Conservatory just to see what they offer.  It is like a 5 star hotel with individual senior apartments.  There is no health facility associated with it.  Just beautiful apartments of various sizes with amenities for residents that include a dining room, cleaning, utilities, transportation, etc.  It is very nice.  We are not ready to do anything like that just yet, if ever, but it was worth taking a look to have the info.  

Ted had a nice Father’s Day hearing from all the girls.  We did nothing special that day though.

We did get our new gifted TV set up in our bedroom.  We had Jason switch the TVs, I looked and told him to switch them back.  Size wise, it just didn’t work.  But all is good now.

I had a cardiologist appointment and all looks good.  Dr. D was going to contact Dr. C to check on my cholesterol results which he had failed to send to her.  She upped my Simvastatin to 20 mg. last time to stay ahead of the expected cholesterol rise from my hormone therapy.  She needs to see how it has            worked.  That’s about it but maybe the two weeks before we leave will be a bit more interesting.                                                            

   

Past Two Weeks

 In all honesty, in the past two weeks, nothing much happened.  Now into another week, still not much is going on.  

We had our AC yearly serviced and made sure they cleaned the outside compressor.  Lots of things end up in there in a year’s time.  

I worked a day at the thrift shop and two hours lifting heavy bags and sorting clothes is tough on the old back.  I came home and took a two hour nap!  I am working again this week so I need to “toughen up.”

I got a hair cut, we’ve gone to church and out to eat.  I am still fine tuning all my computer work.  One liability policy did not get cancelled, though I have an email saying it was, along with all the others.  They keep billing me so that necessitated two phone calls.  

We received our new car license plates so I was able to remove the paper plate number from our 3 EZ toll passes (TX, FL, PA) and put in the new number.  I received a print out of our 9 days in FL.  There were two pages of the tolls equaling around $100.  Every road in the Orlando area seems to be a toll!  

Delta changed our Orlando back to Detroit departure in September so I used that opportunity to check how to put our TSA number in when we get it.  Then I printed the new schedule out and put our Delta cards in my travel file.  That file is filling up! 

We have an appointment next Monday to get TSA pre-check clearance.  Silly me, forgetting both of our passports were sent off for renewal, had to scramble for other ID.  Apparently our driver’s licenses and birth certificates will suffice.  Just in case, I have old expired passports and a photo of the current ones as back up.  Apparently my Student ID with my photo on it from Lone Star College will work too!  

Our neighbor’s husband bought two new TVs and gave us this 43” one from their bedroom that has been turned on twice!  We will move this to our family room and the family room to here once I get a TV stand to hold the 36”.  The picture on the new one is so much better.  When I asked his wife why they got new she said she had no idea!  Ted’s butler rack will have to be relocated!  

We are playing cards at the country club tonight!  Looking forward to that.  We play 3 hands, then have dinner, and finish up the last three hands.  We start at 5 so by 8 we are usually on our way home.  We come home now at the time we used to leave to go out!

Lots in the calendar for next week!  Hope this one didn’t bore you too much.

Pretty Much Caught Up

The week after Mother's Day was pretty quiet.  It allowed me to get the credit card situation in hand, the photos from the cruise loaded on to my computer, the time change on our plane tickets in August updated, the paperwork, deposits, and info on the cottage rental all printed, moved money here, there and everywhere it seemed.  The check to pay for the motorhome is still two days away from being totally cleared.  Both Chase and Capital One acknowledge it is processing but I guess it will be ok by May 25 as stated!  The Oceania cruise is cancelled, all funds returned and deposit and insurance for the Thanksgiving week Princess cruise taken care of.  So much for travels!

The 2011 Expedition is gone and the state of TX notified, insurance cancelled.  The motorhome is gone and the state notified, insurance cancelled and refund received, the 2022 Expedition is awaiting the assignment of our plates to replace the paper plate and all the insurance is in place!  What a lot of computer work, phone calls, etc. to get all that done.

I had the windows washed inside and out plus left the screens out to be placed in the attic.  I have never opened a window in 20 years!  With the screens gone I can wash the windows inside and out when needed.  In the fall, the way the sun hits the deck windows, they need attention a lot.  This will help.  I had the young man move the screens to the attic.  He stopped and fastened a bolt on the ladder that he found loose.  Nice guy!  

Finally … on Thursday … something fun!  CWJF Installation of New Officers Luncheon was held in Old Town Spring.  A gal in my class of 2010 was being inducted as President.  I surely wouldn’t miss this affair.  They always take a photographer professional picture from the balcony.  I found a snapshot of us all milling about, looking up, waiting for the word to get in position.  I stood next to Lisa in pink to be able to find myself!  

Our historian made the rounds getting candid shots of most everybody.  While searching the FB website for these photos, I found one I am in at the Christmas party. 

 

Paperwork and More!

There was a lot on my plate when we arrived home.  We put our bags in our bedroom, keeping the rest of the house tidy.  But the subjects on my desk had me preoccupied with getting my ducks in a row,

First was the credit card scenario.  I was unable to fix our cable account because I did not have the info to get into my account.  A payment was denied so I had to request a rebate of a late fee while entering the new credit card.  I entered new info to my WW account and even though they said my subscription was cancelled, when I went Friday they said the new card was in there and I was good.   AND, I had gained nothing while gone!  I think we are ok on all the changes.  There are a few charities I have not been able to fix so I will wait until they contact me and get it set up again.  St. Jude’s hospital is one.  Tunnels to Towers was easy to do!  What a pain with the efforts to cancel and change, and I have no idea how my number was out there, but it was supposedly being used in PA at a WaWa and the card was present.  We both had our cards!

Next up was a Place Holder for a future Disney cruise in the next two years.  Lots of paperwork to get that settled and copies made.  It gives you $250 (initial deposit) plus a 10% discount off the whole price. If we take the kids for our 60th, 10% would be a bundle.

We rented a cottage on Lake Michigan for 10 days mid August.  So once again, deposits, downloads, copies, etc. to finalize the reservation.  

The biggest thing was cancelling our Barcelona to Dubai cruise.  The circulation in my legs acted up while on the cruise.  It felt like I was wearing socks and bugs were crawling inside my legs.  To say I was freaked out is an under statement.  I have to see the cardiologist but she nixed the 16 hour flight home from Dubai as too dangerous.

So to recoup some of the money we had paid, I booked Thanksgiving week out of Galveston on the Regal Princess.  We have a mini suite and got all the refunds and transfers taken care of.  Whew!  I went ahead and sent my passport renewal in because I don’t know if going to Mexico requires your passport to be good for six months after you return.  Ted’s is in the pipeline and mine was already to go.  So I shouldn’t need it anytime soon so off it went.  

Time to take a deep breath and get back to normal activities.  We went to church Saturday night, then to Joe’s in Conroe.  Sunday we went to Honor Cafe where Ted attends Bible Study on Monday.  My Mother’s Day gift is the Labor Day weekend at the Grand Floridian with Kara, Bill and Kristin in a 2 bedroom suite.  We are taking CeCe too.  Kelly sent two Chico items she said I tried on over Christmas when she and I went shopping!  

Minnie in her 25th cruise anniversary outfit.  

Our beach day on Castaway Cay.

My Mother’s Day and Anniversary cards.

When You Wish Upon a Star …

We went to church Saturday night and left about 8 am Sunday heading to Orlando.  We stopped in Crisply, FL for the night after dinner at Waffle House because it was the only restaurant open after 5!  They must roll up the sidewalks!  

Just as I was settling in at the motel I got a notice on my phone from Capital One that someone was trying to get $1 approved at WaWa, a gas station in PA.  They claimed the card was present but we both had our cards and had not used either for two days.  They cancelled it and mailed a new one to our house.  Luckily Ted’s card is a different number and we both have a Bank of America card too.

The fun began the next day while I tried to change our many accounts that are paid automatically using that credit card number!  We were traveling down the turnpike in FL when I was notified by SunPass that our card was denied.  I changed TX EZ Pass and PA transponder but forgot to change the very pass I was using!!  We are home and I still have some to contact because I was missing pieces of info.  

Kristin is renovating her house so we pitched in breaking down boxes and taking them to Recycle, worked in the garage so Bill could find what he needed when he arrived to do some electrical work, went to the bank, the paint store, the trustee’s office, picked up new cocktail and side table, and met her husband for lunch.  She has been working on scoring student tests and couldn’t go.  

For dinner we went to a German restaurant in downtown Sanford, a gentrified area along Lake Monroe.

Hot German potato salad, red cabbage, and a wurst mit senf (bratwurst with mustard).  Yum!  

The MI folks flew in Wednesday night with Kelly coming to Kristin’s while Bill and Kara went to Disney’s Key West to be there in the morning to meet up with Morgan who had been there for four days with her father and stepmother.  She chose to stay in FL even though she had to spend Friday to Monday with just the fellows.

Ted drove us to Port Canaveral on Friday. We timed it perfectly, walked right on the ship and had several hours before sailing. 

Kristin had hats made for the four of us and they were a huge hit. 

This trip was to celebrate Kristin’s 50th birthday celebration so Kara decorated her door, something most people do.  They did our door for our 50th anniversary in 2015. 

We had a delightful, but short time, cruising from Friday morning to Monday morning.  Sunday was spent all day at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private Island.

On Monday evening we had a group of 14 at Giovanni’s for a dinner to celebrate Kristin’s 50th birthday!

1970 Cincinnati neighbors, now living in The Villages,  and Florida late ‘90s neighbors, now living in Palm Coast joined family and friends for dinner and birthday cake from The Glass Knife, Kristin’s favorite. 

Tuesday morning we hit the road and drove to Mobile for the night. We made it home about 3 pm Wednesday afternoon.

It was good to be home to continue untangling the compromised credit card mess, get the laundry done after unpacking and sleep in my own bed. 

1977-2023

Our camping days started with the rental of a small motorhome back in 1976 followed by the purchase of an 18 foot trailer to accommodate all 5 of us.  It wasn’t long and we upgraded to a 23 foot Wilderness that we thought was the cat’s meow.  We kept that and moved it to MI in 1981.  By the mid 80s it became apparent that Ted’s weekly travel schedule plus the girls’ school activities and the need for a third car made selling the trailer and truck a good decision.  We just didn’t have time to use it.  Life went on and about two years before retirement, Ted had chosen a HitchHiker 5th wheel and new truck to re-enter the camping world again.  That 2004 was replaced later with another 2008 HitchHiker, a little bigger.  By 2014 he had his eye on a dually truck to pull a 2014 36 foot Mobile Suite since HitchHiker was no longer in production.  

We traveled extensively in the HitchHikers and Mobile Suite with 2009 our banner year.  We traveled out West covering 11,000 miles, over 109 days visiting 17 states and a bunch of national parks.  In 2020 we decided to check out motorhomes. After much research and knowing our needs, I set my sights on a 2016-19 Newmar Ventana.  The 2016 was the first year for the added Star frame and Ted wanted a tag axle and Comfort Steer.  I wanted two recliners opposite a couch, a table not a booth, and light colored furniture.  Black and gray were coming into vogue and I didn’t like it.

At one point I knew every Ventana fitting some of that criteria for sale throughout the entire US.  I finally joined Newmars For Sale and put an ISO ad to narrow down selection.  No one had everything I wanted.  It took 15 minutes for Jim to write to me from Maggie Valley, NC.  He had exactly what we wanted but couldn’t sell until April because he needed to use it in March.  Covid was just shutting everything down so we had many conversations until April when our Mobile Suite sold and we told Jim we were coming.  We ended up buying the motorhome and a Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit set up for towing.  We enjoyed it for 3 years but much has changed.  Most of our traveling companions have stopped traveling or sold their rigs for medical reasons.  There is no place in the US we particularly want to go or see.  We have visited 49 states for Ted, 46 for me.  That is coupled with our 44 countries visited that will be 49 when we return from Dubai next December.  

A nice couple is all excited with their new motorhome and we have coached them from start to finish to help them enjoy it for a long time to come.  Ted took Rusty out driving, followed him to a local campground to go through setting up and tomorrow we will both go back over to go through departure protocol.  We leave for Florida Saturday in our new Expedition to meet up with the girls for our “girls gone wild” (on a Disney cruise) long weekend.  And a new chapter begins.  

Here are some memories.  

In Missouri heading north.

Addison Oaks, 15 miles from the kids in Michigan

Retama Village, Mission TX 

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky

Ted cooking a beef tenderloin for our whole family.  I baked a dozen potatoes in the convection oven,  a dozen ears of corn in the instant pot, made a broccoli salad and chocolate eclair cake.  It turned out perfect!

Easter 2022 with John and Vivian at their park in Cypress TX.

Foley, Alabama with Ira and Lee

Indian Springs, Cincinnati where we stayed each and every year visiting family. 

Thanks for the memories NuWa, DRV and Newmar for your fine vehicles that added so much to our life,

Staying Busy

Ted had his “annual” endoscopy since he missed 2020 (Covid) and 2021 (travel and difficulty with scheduling) and 2022 allowing me to be the patient with two surgeries.  Dr W said there were some acid streaks and upped his omeprozal from 20 mg to 40 mg.  A few innocuous polyps were removed from his stomach opening but doc said they were nothing to worry about.  It will be two weeks to get pathology report.  I will worry anyway.  Update:  All is good with pathology.  

Thursday we had our neighborhood birthday lunch at Chicken Salad Chick.  I really like their food but my WW app certainly doesn’t.  I was going to rejoin WW the next morning so I went for broke and had a chicken salad croissant, broccoli salad, grape salad and ate the cookie that comes with it.  WW gave me the news the next morning that I have 13.6 lbs. to lose to get back to goal I reached in August 2018.

Friday evening we went to hear Gerre sing in the Methodist church presenting The Weeping Tree Cantata.  They had an impressive choir, bells and orchestra and we enjoyed the presentation of the Passion of Our Lord.  Last year for Good Friday we went to Cowboy Church while camping with John and Vivian.  Then there was the Christmas concert at the Baptist Church.  So ecumenical of us!

Sunday we attended Mass at 9 am.  Holy Saturday Mass the night before is a 3 hour long stream of events including reading special prayers, blessing holy oils to be used throughout the year in sacraments, baptisms and confirmations of those entering the church after completing the RCIA program, burning the remaining palms to use for Ash Wednesday next year, etc.  It has been years since we attended that Mass.

We went to Gerre and Barry’s for dinner Easter Day with their son and his family.  We hid 170 eggs for the kids to find (young adults really).

The Masters was on TV and we watched that while some of the kids went fishing since they live on Lake Conroe.

We had a huge table running from one end of the room into the entry hall for eating dinner.  When we were finishing up, their grandson-in-law brought them a card and it contained a sonogram telling them their granddaughter is 3 months pregnant.  Gerre cried, Barry cried and I cried.  It was such a wonderful ending to a wonderful day.

Because I am out of town so much I took the first available Canasta play day to host after I came home.  It just happened to be the day after Easter.  To make things easy, I chose to serve a catered lunch from Chicken Salad Chick.  I ordered Fancy Nancy chicken salad croissants, broccoli salad, pasta salad and cookies.  I had fruit salad left over from Sunday so I included that along with chips and macaroons.  

It was a big hit!  But the catering for 10-12 people had at least 3 dozen sandwiches!  Everyone ate and I bagged up two sandwiches and a separately wrapped cookie in a ziplock and everyone took one home.  I had pretzel nuggets and York peppermint patties on the play tables and even some of that was eaten.  I didn’t win, I was in the middle again.

I had my bone density, blood work and oncology appointment later in the week.  They are trying the last of the three hormone therapy pills available to see if I can eliminate the joint pain the other two have caused.  Bone density was a bit better, blood work was all good, I was down a bit in weight and an appointment for December for a mammogram and follow up was made.  All good news!

The community college where Nancy and I take classes presented “Footloose” on Wednesday evening.  It was free for students and seniors!  We scored on both fronts.  The Drama Department did an excellent job and we both enjoyed it.  I have been humming “Let’s Hear It For The Boys” ever since!  We grabbed a bite to eat afterwards (it started at 5:30) so we had a late dinner.

I took this week’s class via Zoom but was disappointed in the presentation.  It sounded like a sales pitch to me and apparently the college agreed because I received an email from the Director advising people to be careful about following through on the subject discussed!

Friday was my first weekly weigh in since joining back up with Weight Watchers.  I was down 4.2 lbs. leaving me a little less than 10 lbs. to lose.  Ted was proud of me!

I saw Dr. Chang Monday.  All vitals and blood work in line!  I got a haircut and Cindy noticed how I am getting curls out of nowhere!  Our class on Medicare was cancelled but our Doc Talks on joint pain and weight management were very good.  

Wednesday, the folks wanting to buy our motorhome had it inspected.  A husband/wife team spent 5 hours testing a total of 700+ items.  There were a few things they needed some assistance in how it worked, to get them checked off.  When all was said and done, there were two items.  A wood screw missing from the glide on a drawer (if I had a wood screw I would have fixed it), and the sensor in the black tank still says 1/3 even though it is empty. 

That is not unusual for something to be stuck to the sensor.  We sat still for 3 months.  We emptied and cleaned it every week and filled it with Calgon and Pine Sol for the drive home.  Nothing worked.  The inspectors told them the sensors are notorious for doing this.  You will know when it is empty but will not get another reading until 2/3 which gives you plenty of time to empty the tank.  One day it will just work loose and the 1/3 will go away!  Fluids were taken from transmission, engine and generator and as of 7 pm Friday, no results.  The buyers were told by the inspectors that they didn’t expect any problems based on our maintenance records and the condition of the well cared for motorhome.  

And in the midst of all of this we sold our current Expedition and bought a new Expedition from Planet Ford.  We pick it up Saturday.  We hope to close Tuesday of next week on the motorhome.  Our storage will be due 5/1, the license plates expire 5/1 and the insurance expires 4/27!  Time now is of the essence!  There was a MI man who opted to take his 5th wheel home from FL before getting into serious negotiations and he was on the phone to Ted several times on Wednesday asking how it was going.  He was “ready to pull the trigger.”  So we have a back up if things go south though I would not pay $1000 to get an inspection and then not buy over a screw and dirty sensor!  

Wish us luck!  

Wild Set of Events

We didn’t even make it off Lark Drive before a problem cropped up.  My job is to watch that the two tow bars stretch out and lock.  It has never been a problem until this time.  The passenger side one would not lock.  We undid it and tried again.  Same result.  A fellow walking by stopped and told us to stretch out the tow bars, lay them flat on the ground so we could drive up to them square.  It worked!  I guess we were just lucky all these past 3 years.

We drove to Victoria and when we were just about there, my phone was down to 8%.  The generator was turned on when we left but based on my phone battery check, it didn’t stay on and I should have had power but apparently didn’t.  I checked the microwave and it was off.  Oh-oh!  We pulled in to set up and when Ted plugged into the post … nothing!  These rigs are electrical computer giants.  One little thing like the driver’s foot rest not being properly closed will keep it from starting.  So the fun began.  Ted was on his back in the basement looking for the transfer switch when a neighbor walked by and pushed our Oasis (hydroponic heat) reset button.  That turned on the inverter and we then had power but not the source we wanted.  Ted checked the generator and it was switched off,  so he reset that.  Still nothing.  He asked the office to check the power to our post.  The guy comes out, looks at it and said “one of those two plugs is dead, try the other one.”  Viola!  Power!  

We went to church and then a Mexican restaurant we like there and we both had margaritas!  The rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived right at 11, check in time.  We had a couple coming at 4 to look at the motorhome.  I had cleaned closets and drawers, done the nooks and crannies where the valley dust had settled and just needed to touch up the bathrooms a bit.  She looked great.  

The couple was very impressed.  The wife loves it and wants to travel, he is hesitant to spend the money. They have cash, having sold a business, but he is dragging his feet.  I am not sure he wants any RV.  The  negotiations are ongoing with more visits and more explanations of how things work.  We are not doing anything but answering their questions and letting them go through it.

We spent our days there emptying out everything that will not go with it.  That was hard enough without removing dishes, linens, cleaning supplies, Ted’s maintenance items and tools in the cargo bays, etc.  That all stays and we have more than enough of that at home.  We once again messed up a 2300 sq. ft. house with some of the contents of a 40 foot motorhome.  It took two days to do the mail and get things back where they belong,  

I worked hard all week at home while Ted met with Brian to do some maintenance issues.  Now the Oasis and both ACs have been serviced. 

Friday night John and Irene took us to Red Lobster for dinner.  We brought him some Voltaren cream and her some vanilla from Mexico but that certainly didn’t warrant  dinner; however, we were delighted to accept and spend time catching up.

I had a dr appt., we went to church and I used my free meal coupon at Black Bear for dinner.  Other than that I stayed focused on the house.

Our Disney cruise tags arrived and the girls are excited.  Kara has been on several Disney cruises and the rest of us have been on one but also other cruise lines. So we tamp down the enthusiasm so exhibited by many on the Disney Cruise page!  

I don’t need magnets, fish extender gifts (don’t ask), or period costumes to match the dining room themed  restaurants.  My Dad told me Ted and I would be jaded in retirement because we traveled so much throughout our lives.  I think I have arrived.

In the meantime while Couple #1 try to make a decision, a fellow from MI, wintering in FL, is “very, very interested”in our MH.  He is knowledgeable, asking all the right questions and doing proper due diligence contacting Newmar and Freightliner for maintenance and repair history.  No repairs, maintenance as called for by Freightliner.  And so we wait.   

The only thing on the calendar this week was working at the Give A Gown event.  This is an amazing organization that is tremendously organized and productive.  High school students, mostly from lower income schools, are brought in and allowed to choose a prom dress, a purse and jewelry!  I was merely checking in volunteers, checking them out, answering questions and collecting pink aprons on their way out.  I had a great time and saw several Forum girls also working.  Next year I think I will be a “fairy godmother” and help someone choose their outfit.  I learned that anyone can take a dress to any Tide Cleaners and they will clean and store it for this organization. 

I did all I could on our taxes and had to file an extension to wait for a K-3 that won’t be sent until June!   Or I could file without including it and then amend it!  I have enough to do leading up to summer and a respite to October sounded good.  

To add insult to injury, I chose to move our insurance for the cars, house, personal property and liability, all coming due in April.  So much info, comparing, questioning to do.  The hardest thing was to find the place on Xfinity to prove we have a monitored alarm system!  Every click took me to a new website that had nothing to do with what I needed.  Finally I was asked if I wanted a phone call!  Voila!  A website was sent to me and that quickly sent me where I needed to be.  Now we need to stop Travelers from withdrawing from our bank and change it to State Farm.  Fingers crossed we get this off my desk real soon.  

We have to renew our passports a year before they expire because they must be good for 6 months AFTER you return from a trip.  We will fly home from Dubai on 12/8 so our passport must be good through June 2025!  I have Ted’s ready to go but I can’t send mine off until May 8 when our Disney cruise ends.  I have to put my passport numbers on our Oceania info sheet by June 21, final payment date.  So … I can try expedited service in May and cross my fingers.  This happened once before when we were going to Eastern Europe in August and I needed my passport in Mexico January to March earlier that year.  They kept bugging me and I kept telling them I would get one after March.  It turned out ok.  Nothing has changed in the past 20 years so hopefully it will come through quickly.  One more day and then…

 Our  motorhome 

Mallard Drive, runs parallel to Lark, our street in Retama Village, Mission, TX

Our pool

Our choice

So Long, Not Goodby

We went to church, Golden Chick and card bingo on our last Saturday night here.  Other than mahjong I didn’t do much but straighten and clean drawers and cabinets.  

Wednesday was our field trip to Gellman Stained Glass Museum.  This is housed in a building specifically designed and built to house this collection of windows from near and far, but many were from the NE US.  Only two pieces were made for the museum, the dome and another that I do not remember.   I tried to identify the various Bible references without looking at the sheet.  We had a group of about 35.  I am on the washed out left, third in wearing white blouse and black pants.  

This is the entrance facing the top of the cross of the nave. 

This is a small piece of a Tiffany window called Te Deum, Of God.  The baby signifies Herod’s slaying of the Holy Innocents, trying to kill the Christ Child.  

I recognized the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  The Beatitudes.  The Mysteries of the rosary, particular Bible stories and many family windows with one to four or so people mentioned on it.   

Below, the wedding feast at Cana, birth of Jesus, Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, in memory of the Bew family over a 78 year time span.  Just a few of the great windows on display.

We have been working on our two trips to Disney, the 4 day Disney Wish cruise in May and Labor Day weekend at the Grand Floridian.  This family does nothing in a vacuum so the cruise “weekend” we girls are going on, is now at 7 people.  Bill and Ted decided to come to Orlando too so Bill can finish up some of the jobs that still need to be done for Kristin’s renovation, Ted will be the tool caddy!  Bill’s shoulder surgery keeps him from lifting, working with his hands above his head, etc. so Ted will serve in that capacity.   Morgan is flying down with her Dad and Susan prior and we will pick her up at Disney Springs the day before our cruise.  She will hang with the fellows, enjoy the pool and probably eating out, until we return on Monday.  That way she will be there for Kristin’s 50th birthday celebration dinner.  We will all fly home back to Detroit on Tuesday.  

The Labor Day trip airplane reservations have been made.  We will travel Wednesday before to Tuesday after Labor Day out and back to Detroit.  Our Andre Rieu concert is 9/13 at Caesar Arena in Detroit and now my 60th high school reunion celebration is 9/21 in Cincinnati.  We will spend a week or so there before we will finally head home.

Thursday we had dinner with 3 couples to say goodbye.  Friday we cleaned and packed to be ready to depart Saturday morning bright and early.  I have trouble getting down on my knees but even more getting up!  Getting down to get in all the nooks and crannies of the floor totally wore me out.  Ted cleaned out and packed up everything we had stored in the coach house.  We are ready to roll.  We met Jay and Stella next door at the fish fry to say so long, by April they will be back south of Houston.  They are coming in off the road for good.

Next stop Gateway to the Gulf campground.  That allows us to go through Houston Sunday morning about 10 when traffic should be light, relatively speaking!