Sunday Night Market and Playing at the Park

Heather and Kyle took us to "Chutney Marys" for Indian food last night. Since we have never eaten many Indian dishes we let them order a selection of food they like. We started out with spicy, pepper chips that you dip in mango or mint sauce. I liked the mint best. Then they brought us chicken grilled on a stick and basted with a sauce similar to the mint sauce - it was good. Samantha loves it and ate a huge portion! Next came: "nan" or bread - similar to a tortilla - good! okra in curry sauce; breaded broccoli; battered and fried cauliflower; two kinds of "Dal" - lentil dips; and prawns in a sauce. Overall a great experience but Indian food isn't our favorite!
For dessert we went to Samantha's "very, favorite place - Mango Mania." All they serve is mango ice cream - it's creamy like a frozen yogurt and delicious.
Kyle took the girls home while Heather, Roger and I went the to Sunday Night Market. It is in a different location each Sunday and it happened to be in the area of the restaurant. It consists of "junk" - fruits and vegetables - fresh fish of all kinds - and prepared food booths. It is so interesting to see all the different selections. In the pictures below you can see a popular food booth that has all the meats, seafood and vegetables on the top shelves and the frying pots on the lower shelf. You pick out what you want and cook it yourself. The "jackfruit" is very popular - you can see the big, bumpy fruit - the stall owners peel it, cut it up and sell it in small containers. It smells horrible - worse than the fish! Couldn't force myself to try it. They also sell meat sandwiches similar to what Roger has seen in the Middle East.
We stopped at the shopping center to get Roger some new sunglasses - he uses the kind that clip on his regular glasses - and he lost them! They had some but the were too big for his lens. The sales guy says "no problem, I cut for you." So he cut them to fit (with scissors!) and then filed them smooth.  So glad he had a solution because Roger really needs them!
We took the girls to a playground this morning. They are so excited about Disneyland that we had to take them out to run off some excess energy! The reflexology path is designed to walk on barefoot - to massage your feet! We leave early, early tomorrow morning!!

Christmas Morning

Megan and Carlos joined us on SKYPE to watch the girls open their presents this morning. What a great way to share some time with them. The girls loved the swings they sent them and had Roger and Kyle holding them up so they could "pump." They need to hire someone to come drill holes in the cement structure to hang them out front.
Emily got a scooter and a helmet and Samantha got a microphone and dance videos to play on the Wii game.
They love the Barbie house and each got a new Barbie to go with it. Samantha said "We need to move this up to my room so I can have some privacy. She's too little to play with it!"
We enjoyed cappuccinos from Heather's new coffee maker and music from Kyle's new Ipod speaker.

We are having a nice quiet (well, not very quiet!) day at home today. Turkey is in the oven and Heather made white chocolate, raspberry cheesecake for dessert!

Disneyland!

Roger and I are still in shock over our Christmas gift from Heather and Kyle - we are all going to Disneyland in Hong Kong! For years, I have been telling the girls they need to give me grandchildren while I am still young enough to take them to Disneyworld. You can imagine our surprise when Heather gave Samantha, Emily, Roger and I the same sized square box and inside was a Disney character with a note that said "Can't wait to see you at Disneyland in Hong Kong!" I immediately started crying tears of joy and couldn't stop! The girls are excited but not nearly as excited as I am! I'm like that little kid on the TV commercial - "I'm too excited to sleep!"
We are flying to Macao, the Las Vagas of Hong Kong, on Tuesday morning - staying at the Venetian hotel for 2 nights and then going the Disneyland and staying there for 3 days - flying home on Sunday. Kyle apologized for not giving me more notice to plan and organize - which is half the fun for me - anticipation!
Friends of Mel and Ray have a daughter who is touring Asia with her boyfriend and they were going to visit us while in KL - Heather had to change the dates with them because of our trip but, swore them to secrecy. Well, Mel heard about a "big secret" and she and Judy guessed that it was one of 2 things: either Megan and Carlos were coming to KL or Megan was pregnant! Megan called Heather and said "tell them already - you won't believe the rumors over here!"
It is cooler in Hong Kong - in the 50-70 degree range. We packed a few warm clothes because we thought we might go up into the mountains for a week-end so we should be OK. Heather had to borrow stuff for her and the girls!
Emily says she is going to see "Rella" - can't say Cinderella!
I'm really missing Megan and Carlos!!!!

Christmas Brunch

The party last night was a success. It was nice to meet so many of the friends that Heather and Kyle talk about - all of them ex-pats with basically the same story as the kids. It seems the men work long, crazy hours and the women are responsible for everything else. Well, them and their maids!
A Malaysian caterer came to the house and grilled (brought their own little open fire grill) chicken and beef "satay" - small pieces of meat on a stick that you dip in a spicy peanut sauce - it was very good. They also brought a cucumber/onion salad meant to "cool the palate" and some rice balls. One of the couples brought "7 layer dip" with tortilla chips - a little taste of Texas!
We went to the Hilton hotel for brunch this morning. We can't all fit in the car so Roger, Samantha and I took a taxi. Samantha went with us so she could show us where to go to catch it. We walked by one taxi stop but she said "no, not that one - that is the blue and white one and it is too expensive" - "we get the red and
 white one at the bottom of the hill." When we saw a taxi coming she raised her hand and started waving it down saying "get it Grandpa, get it!" She is an urban girl!  Oh my goodness, what a selection of food! From all countries- Malaysia, USA, China, Europe. I tried all the fruit but stopped at  some of the other concoctions. Just the selection of bread and rolls was amazing. Samantha and Emily love the chocolate croissants!
Samantha and I started a tradition of going to the Nutcracker Ballett last year in San Antonio. Of course, there isn't a production here so I brought a DVD of the Royal Ballet version. It is interupted a few times to teach some ballet steps. We are getting dressed up and  "going to the matinee performance" after nap time today.
Thank goodness we started early on the Barbie Doll House - "some assembly required" will get you every time! It really is cute - 3 stories with an elevator; complete with a doorbell; a working chandelier; a pop up big screen TV; Chinese lanterns around the hot tub; a flushing toilet; and a shower that sings when Barbie steps in! Megan sent the girls swings - the guys are at the hardware store getting additional chain to hang them from the overhang on the front patio. They will love them!

Christmas Party

Heather & Kyle are hosting a Christmas party this evening for all of their friends that are staying here for the holidays. Many have left on "holiday" to visit family.
We went to the grocery store yesterday to by all the items we needed for the party, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Roger and the girls went with us and he took them to the inside playground at the mall while we shopped. A girl came up and introduced herself as Amanda, a friend of Heathers. After chatting for a while he discovered her parents have a summer home on Round Lake near Manitou Beach, Michigan. It truly is a small world! I swear we never go anywhere that Heather doesn't see someone she knows!
I am making an appetizer for the party that calls for water chestnuts and we couldn't find any cans - I said "I usually find them in the Asian section" - Heather looked at me and said "Mom, the whole store is Asian!" - duh!!! We finally found fresh ones that Renu showed us how to peel and slice!
Caterers are coming with the main Indian dish and staying to serve and clean up. Renu is staying late to feed the girls and get them showered and in bed and then coming back tomorrow to help with more clean up. So
Heather and I finished our cooking and went for a foot massage while the girls napped.
This "reflexology" place is very close to the house - Kyle loves it and goes at least weekly - and now I know why! It is dark inside with soft music and several reclining chairs. They serve a hot, spicy ginger tea which was very good. They soak and wash your feet and then massage each foot and lower leg for about 25 minutes. Then they sit you on an ottoman and massage your neck, shoulders and back for 10 minutes. All for $12 US! It was wonderful - I'll definitely go back before we leave. Roger wouldn't have anything to do with it!
Emily goes around singing "Jingle bell, jingle bell, all the way - heh!" and one of her favorite sayings is "what happen?"

  

Gingerbread House

Samantha and I took advantage of some quiet time while Emily was napping to decorate our gingerbread house. Guess why we had to put it up so high?!

No No, Emily

The little Tasmanian Devil that lives here has a new name: "No-No Emily Grace Liskow!" If we had a nickel for every time someone says "no no" to her we would be very rich!
Samantha was trying to be a "good big sister" and took it upon herself to change Emily's poopy diaper the other day - oh my!

Aquarium

Heather and the girls took us to the aquarium today. It is located in downtown KL so it was interesting just getting there. No valet parking so we parked in a parking garage - new experiences daily - now we know why Heather loves those valet guys! The guys on the scooters are crazy dare devils! They wear their jackets backwards - we can't figure out exactly why - it isn't like it's chilly here! Heather says probably to keep the bugs off their clothes!
The aquarium is located near the Petronas Towers in a huge upscale mall and park development. This mall was a "real" mall - 5 or 6 levels of expensive designer stores - we just looked as we walked through - no Gucci or Prada for us!
The aquarium is very well done with wonderful exhibits and a moving sidewalk that travels through a tunnel so you can see the sea creatures swimming all around you. Spooky when a giant - and I mean giant! - sting ray swims over you! Then we see a sign that says "Due to the glass the fish are actually 30% bigger than they seem!! We timed it so we could see them feed the sting rays and sea turtles. It was a special treat for the girls because Santa Claus was the diver today! Roger said "who would believe we are in Malaysia watching Santa feed the fish while listening to Jingle Bell Rock?!"
We had a picnic lunch in the park, played at the playground and then barely made it home before it rained.
The girls and I have had fun doing arts and crafts projects - making Christmas presents. I can't tell you what we are making - it's a surprise!
Heather is making spicy Thai food for supper - sounds delicious but I'd better go find the Tums!
We are really getting spoiled with both Heather & Renu waiting on us!

Santa Claus

The girls stayed with Renu’s (the maid) daughters last night while we went out for “western food” at the Press Club and then the guys played virtual golf at Torrey Pines. Match play – Kyle won. Takes some time to get used to the visuals!
We are surprised that there is so much “Christmas” here – decorations, lights, trees and music everywhere! Guess the Muslims have “blended” with the other ethnic groups! The shopping center we went to last evening is 5 stories and full of unique stores but Heather says it is not a “mall” because it is not anchored by a large department store. Could have fooled us! She says it is more “like the Packa Plaza of KL!”
I am constantly getting in the wrong side of the car! I can barely stand to sit in the front seat when Heather is driving – I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat but have no controls and it is scary! Scooters weave in and out of traffic like crazy! Heather valet parks practically everywhere she goes because the parking garages are so small and dark. The attendants all know her well! We even got a discount because we valet parked there twice in one day!
We went back to the same “mall” today to see Santa. The girls were dressed in their matching red sundresses and pig-tails and looked so cute – but, trying to get Emily to be still long enough to get a picture is impossible! The guys took the girls to Chili’s for lunch and Heather & I went to a nice Chinese restaurant and had a quiet meal. Then we went and had manicures and pedicures, picked up a few more groceries and got a taxi back home.
We spent some time playing checkers with Samantha tonight. Roger got her some of the big ones from Cracker Barrel for her birthday. She’ll catch on to the the strategy quickly.
As we drive around town you can hear the “call to prayer” from the mosques throughout the day.
Malaysia has 7 kings, all from different regions, and they take turns ruling every 5 years. There is a $650 million ringgit palace being built here for the incoming king. The poor Malaysian people (literally poor!) get to pay for it!
The last picture is of the toilet in the women’s rest room at the mall. Since I broke my pelvis I can hardly “squat” – pretty sure I peed all over the floor! I know, TMI!!!

Yogi Bear and BooBoo in KL!

You will never believe who we saw at the mall this afternoon!? Yogi and BooBoo were there promoting their new movie that will be here in February. Samantha went right up and gave them both a big hug but Emily didn’t want to get any closer than about 6 feet! Waving and saying “Hi, YoYo” but not getting too close!
We valet parked at the mall to go grocery shopping! Many items are really cheap here but food is not one of them. We bought items for two/three meals, meat and vegetables, and the total was  was $350.00 ringgits or about $120.00 US dollars.
Kyle worked last night and today on a deal with a company in India. The good news is he didn’t have to travel there – he couldn’t get a Visa in time.

Happy Birthday, Samantha!

Hard to believe that Samantha is 5 years old today, Friday, Dec 17th. She opened her family presents before school this morning; had a cupcake party with her classmates and we are going to her favorite restaurant, Souled Food,for dinner - pizza and bannana splits! Her "real" party will be in January after all the children are back from Christmas "holiday."

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Our journey started Saturday (Dec. 11) at 5pm when the van we rented picked us up at the motor home in Clermont and took us to the Orlando airport and ended Monday (Dec. 13th) afternoon when Heather and Samantha picked us up at the airport in KL! As Mom would say, we looked and felt like we “had been dragged through a knothole!” The flight from Orlando to Amsterdam wasn’t that bad – we took off at 8pm so sleeping on the 8 hour flight was natural – I rested more than Roger. He couldn’t get comfortable with no leg room. We arrived in Amsterdam about 12 noon. We had reserved a room at the Mercure Hotel, within the airport, so we napped and took showers before eating dinner and boarding our 8:40pm flight to KL. Although we were not totally refreshed we felt much better. The 12 hour flight to KL was the worst part of the journey – the seats were more comfortable and we had individual DVD players with movies, TV shows and music but it was hot in the cabin (you know if I say it was hot it was really uncomfortable!) and a very long time to sit. We got up and walked around as much as possible and did leg exercises in our seats! The food was mediocre at best but we didn’t expect much.
All of our luggage and boxes, including the doll house, arrived with us so we breathed a sigh of relief! We took 2 large black garbage bags with us to wrap the dollhouse box when we cleared customs so the girls wouldn’t see it! Heather & Samantha rode the train to the airport and then we took a van taxi to their house – their car is too small for 4 people plus all our luggage. It was wonderful to see them all! Emily is even calling me “Tima” now.
Their town house is in a gated community with many other “ex-pat” families and much bigger than we anticipated. It is narrow but has 3 floors – we have the guest suite on the top.  The girls are not allowed up here without permission! Not our rule but Mom & Dad’s! Good memory training because if you get downstairs and forget something you have to trek back up 3 flights of stairs! I have adjusted to the time change better than Roger – he was awake at 3am today! Hard not to nap and then begin a vicious circle.
Emily’s school is out for “holiday” and Samantha’s last day is Friday. We have been with Heather to take/pick her up (not a quick process – you have to park and walk her in and go in to get her each time – no fast drop offs!)  and I was the “mystery” reader on Wednesday. Thursday was her Christmas party and of course Friday is her birthday party at school. I went to ballet lessons Wednesday and Roger did gymnastics on Thursday. The population is Malay,Chinese and Indian but we have met people from all over the world in a few short days!
Renu, the maid, has us spoiled all ready. She emptied our dirty clothes basket, washed and ironed our clothes and put everything away! It is customary to remove your shoes in the house – there is a shoe closet by the front door, Emily says “shoes, off” to remind you – and Renu mops the floors every day. I hate to go barefoot so I’m considered rude!
Heather, Roger & I went to Batu Caves on Wednesday morning. “VJ,” a taxi driver who does private tours etc, drove us and explained their significance. They are high, deep caves in the limestone hills on the outskirts of KL that house Hindu temples. There is an art gallery of religious scenes and a huge statue of the elephant headed deity named “Ganesh.” We walked up all 275 steps to see the inside of the cave/temple. Seemed to have more souvenir shops than religious significance! Even had a man with 2 huge snakes you could wrap around yourself and have your picture taken! There is a Hindu temple at the base of the statue but you have to take your shoes off to enter and trust me you would not want to walk around barefoot! There were several monkeys on the steps looking for food and one swooped down, grabbed a yellow bag from a lady and ran away with it! He sat on top of one of the columns and sorted through the bag – throwing away everything he couldn’t eat! He found a coconut, threw it on the ground to break it open and then ran down and got it! Heather & I stayed far away from them!
We are having so much fun with the girls. Emily talks so much you can actually have a conversation with her! They have an elf named “Sonny” that moves from one room to another each night before Christmas – watching and reporting to Santa. They get up each morning and run around looking for him. You can not touch him or he will loose his magic. Samantha saw Emily playing with him and got hysterical thinking that Santa would not come. Heather had to write Santa a letter and explain that Emily did not understand the rules. Actually, Samantha just wanted to make sure Santa knew it was Emily and not her that touched him! He was in the bathroom on the towel bar this morning and Emily told Roger “Sonny swinging, bathroom, funny!”
We walked to the grocery store the other day – have been to the bank for ringgits, the local currency, – and went to the “wet market” this morning for fruit, vegetables and shrimp. It is fun to see all the different food items. Even saw black chicken!
We also went to “The Bread Shop” one morning for coffee and pastries and then on to a special shop that sells Chinese furniture, jewelry and home decor. The guy that owns it is from Glasgow, Scotland and has lived here for about 15 years. He has a large home in a very nice subdivision and it houses his shop and living quarters. No zoning in KL! He primarily caters to ex-pats. He told Roger the area that Heather & Kyle live in – Mont Kiara – was jungle 10 years ago. Now it is as urban as downtown Houston! We are not used to the servitude – it was raining when we left and the sales girl gave us all an umbrella and then came out in the rain to retrieve them after we got in the car! They don’t do that at Wal-Mart!
The last picture is a video of Emily giggling at the card Samantha recorded for Mom for Christmas - double click to hear it - she is adorable!

3 More Sleepovers!

As Samantha would say "Three more sleepovers before we leave for KL!" We packed our new, big suitcase with all the gifts and items we are taking - no clothes! - borrowed a scale and it weighed 52 pounds. Yeah, the limit is 60 pounds!!

Van Fleet Trail

We rode about 10 miles on the Van Fleet Trail today. A nice flat, "rail to trail" in a rural area. Saw birds, deer and a raccoon but no gators (thank goodness!.) Good exercise but boring scenery! We'll keep trying new trails.
Samantha called last night and said "8 more days, Tima!" I don't know who is more excited them or us! I have suitcases all over the motor home as I try to make sure I have enough room for everything. UPS now has "luggage boxes" with handles - probably will need one of those too!
We are getting to know more couples here. Happy hour every Friday night is a fun time to meet people. We are surprised at how many work part-time at Disney World. One guy recommended that we take our bikes, park in the Disney lot and ride around Fort Wilderness (the campground) for free - sounds like fun!

Webster Flea Market

We hit another flea market today - the biggest one in the area - I just can't keep Roger away! Would you believe we bought each others Christmas gifts?! Roger got a new smaller, light weight golf bag and I got a new "big butt" bicycle seat! I love it - my butt always gives out before my legs or lungs - and this one is comfy!
We are going to coffee and donuts tomorrow morning - an every Tuesday am event - why I need the big bike seat! The social director is now on staff and will tell us all about the planned activities around the park - hope to get in the golf league.
Happy Birthday, Mary Ellen! Can't believe your 39!!

"Just You and Me Babe"

We are soooo......disappointed - Megan couldn't come this week-end! But, the good news is that she and Carlos will both come to visit in January when we return from Malaysia.
We drove to Wekiwa Springs State Park yesterday and then checked out the West Orange Bike Trail on the way back. It's a great "rails to trails" that goes through several small towns with many places to stop and explore. We can go from Clermont all the way to Apopka - well, we could if we had the stamina! We'll probably check it out in portions! Roger needs a new bike tire - was going to go to Walmart to save some money but, after I reminded him it was "Black Friday" he immediately decided to go to the bike shop!
We went to the Thanksgiving potluck yesterday afternoon - had a nice meal and met more people. We were so glad they had "Yankee" stuffing and not the southern corn bread stuffing! I bought food for Meg's visit - we can't eat out before we leave for Malaysia - we have to eat everything in the freezer and refrig before we go!
Samantha & Emily called last night to say "Happy Thanksgiving." Samantha is in the Christmas play at school on Tuesday. She recited her lines for us - she plays the Easter Bunny! Figure that out! Kyle had to work yesterday but they are having Thanksgiving dinner with other American friends on Saturday. Heather says turkeys cost a fortune there!

Biking

We rode a great trail into Clermont yesterday. It's about 4-5 miles and travels along the shore of Lake Mineola. We had breakfast outside at a nice little restaurant and then rode back. Today we went the opposite way on the trail and omg, did we get a work-out! Silly us, we thought Florida was flat! Although, there is a town nearby called "Howey-in-the-Hills" - that should have been a clue!
I found a super Target nearby so I'm going this afternoon to pick up the items Heather has asked us to bring to KL. Roger is getting worried about the amount of luggage it will take as I keep adding to the "stash" of things to take with us!
We got an email from the airlines stating they have cancelled the direct flight from Amsterdam to Orlando, on our way home, so now we have to go to JFK, go through customs and catch another flight to Florida! Best laid plans......

Rolling Ridge

We are settled in our winter home here at Rolling Ridge and meeting our neighbors. We drove around the area and noticed most of the homes have screened in porches - that tells me something! Sure enough, the "sceeters" swarm around dusk!
We went to a huge flea market on Saturday - you know Roger - had to go shopping! Got groceries and had my nails done today. Hope the turkey fits in our small oven!
We plan to ride the bike trail from Mineola to Clermont in the morning. Wish me luck - there are more hills here than we imagined!

Clermont, Florida

We arrived at Rolling Ridge RV Resort about 3pm today and went to happy hour at 4pm! The first couple we met, Tom & Sue, were born and raised in Hillsdale, Michigan - what a small world it is! A nice, small park with friendly residents - many of them our age - we think we will enjoy it here.
Plan to spend the week-end getting the "lay of the land." Need to find a good Mexican restaurant!!

Magnolia Plantation

We toured Magnolia Plantation today on our way out of Charleston. What a beautiful place! We took our bikes and rode the 4-5 miles of trails around the property; walked through the gardens and took a tour of the plantation house.
The plantation has been in the Drayton family since 1680 and is still managed by descendants of the original owner. The "first" Drayton came from England, via Barbados, where he owned a sugar plantation. Hence, he had plenty of money to build a huge mansion on 2000 acres in South Carolina. The first house burned after being hit by lightning and the second house was burned by Gen. Sherman's troops during the Civil War so what is standing now is actually the third home - but full of "saved" antiques and many gorgeous old handmade quilts. The truth is, most of the plantation owners did not live in the plantation homes most of the time. They lived in their town houses in Charleston because of the mosquitoes and danger of malaria. I must have a little Charlestonian blood in me!! Magnolia has not been a working rice plantation since the Civil War - no slaves = no workers = no one to plant and harvest the crop! The Drayton family is fortunate that the ancestor that lived on the property during this time was very frugal and willing to change his lifestyle significantly in order to keep the plantation! Only 500 acres remain and the rice fields are now swampland. It survives because of tourism.
We are in Brunswick, Georgia tonight and will drive on to Clermont, Florida tomorrow.

Fort Sumter

It was cool and rainy yesterday so we stayed home and got some work done around the house. We took a harbor tour out to Fort Sumter today - where the first shot was fired that started the Civil War. It is located on a small man made island in the Charleston Harbor.  Made with stone and landfill shipped from the New England states long before the Civil War! A beautiful day and a good American history lesson. We drove around the Battery and some of the old neighborhoods, had lunch in downtown Charleston, and then toured the Citadel campus. The cadets were walking briskly around campus - in uniform, ramrod straight, making 90 degree turns in true military fashion. Looked a little too disciplined for me!!
On our way home we drove to the small fishing village of McClellanville and bought fresh shrimp for dinner. Yummmm! The moss draped live oak trees and the raised houses with wrap around porches are typical of the South.
South Carolina Trivia:
They served "boiled peanuts" as a snack at the first restaurant we went to - they are literally boiled with the shells on and served warm and wet. Nasty!
Charleston and the surrounding area is architecturally controlled, especially in the historic district. But even on the outskirts of town stores are hidden behind trees, boulevards and lovely landscaping. You can't tell if there is a Lowes or Walmart past the parking lot!
Charleston was the second richest city (per capita) in the states prior to the Civil War - mostly because of rice. There is very little rice production here now - due to global competition and because hurricane Hugo dumped salt water into the rice fields and ruined  the soil. And obviously, no slaves = no free labor! It remains a busy shipping harbor.
According to the park ranger on Fort Sumter, President Lincoln was invited to a ceremony on Fort Sumter Island commemorating the end of the Civil War but he declined feeling it too dangerous to travel to the South. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the theatre that evening!

Charleston, SC

We traveled to Charleston yesterday and arrived at the park around 4:00pm. It is a national forest campground located on land that used to be Buck Hall Plantation with large, mossy trees and right on the inter coastal  waterway. We pulled forward into our site so we can see the boats pass by from our “picture window.” They are mostly private fishing boats and yachts. A really nice park about 25 miles from town. 
The road leading into Charleston is nicknamed “Sweetgrass Highway” because the Galluh women weave baskets from palmetto palms and sell them from stands all along the route. They are beautiful and intricately woven baskets of all shapes, sizes and designs but pricey. The small one I liked was $250.00. I don’t doubt it was worth it if you considered her time and expertise in making it but, I didn’t want it that much!
It was a gorgeous, 75 degree day so we decided to tour downtown Charleston. Our first stop was the Visitor’s Center to get the “scoop”  - and there we met Mark. He could sell you oceanfront property in Arizona! Talked us into “touring” the “historic” Church Street Inn and listening to a “little spiel about their property” – in return we got 2 free tickets for a carriage tour; 2 free tickets to tour Magnolia Plantation and 2 free tickets for a boat tour of the harbor and Fort Sumter – the three things we really wanted to do! How long could it take to tour around the hotel and hear why we should choose to stay there!!???  As we were leaving the Visitor’s Center, Mark came running out to recommend that we not mention we are traveling in our motor home because, after all, they want us to stay in their hotel! Well………come to find out the Church Street Inn is not a hotel but part of Festiva Resorts time share program. Duh, we are a little slow! Two hours later we are still listening to why buying into their plan is such a good deal! We were so nervous because they kept asking us questions about where we typically travel; what type of places we stay in and how much we usually pay; where were we staying in Charleston (luckily, I had seen an Embassy Suites on our way in town!) We were so afraid we would say “motor home” and get caught in our lies! I finally said “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but we’ve been here 2 hours and it’s a beautiful day and I’d rather be out seeing Charleston!” That’s when they brought in the “big dog” – come to find out, he started out selling time shares on Canyon Lake, Texas! The deal was $30,000 (plus annual maintenance fees) for 6,000 points/year (used like dollars to buy time in their many resort properties) for 40 years! Doubt if we’ll feel like staying at a “Sandals” type resort when we’re 90 some years old! We said a firm “NO,” collected our free vouchers and got out of there! Figured it was worth it for $110.00 worth of tickets but we won’t get suckered again!!
We shopped around the Market – kiosks in the old renovated slave market – until it was time for our carriage tour. I bought a great new shawl. Charleston is the second oldest city in the United States – St. Augustine, FL is the oldest. The carriage took us all around the historical district and “south of Broad” – meaning south of Broad Street which separates the “haves” and “have mores!” Gorgeous old homes – narrow and deep properties - now worth millions! Many still have the iron symbols on the front that let the fire department know they had paid to be protected in case of fire; the old hitching posts; and the stone blocks next to the curb to step on when alighting their carriages. There are many “pineapples” – a sign of welcome - made of wrought iron and cement decorating the homes, fences and properties. Most have wrought iron fences and decorations but, they are not original because most of the original ironwork was melted down and donated to the Confederacy during the Civil War. We ended the day with a great seafood dinner and had  to laugh about Festiva!
This boat looks like it is parked in the middle of a wheat field!

Grandfather Mountain

We drove from Asheville through the Pisgah National Forest up to Grandfather Mountain today. The autumn scenery was spectacular! Most of the trees had lost their leaves as we got to the Blueridge Parkway (it is at a much higher altitude) but the sun shining through the forest was still beautiful.
There was a large park like area at Grandfather Mountain used annually for the "Highland Games" - a gathering of the Scottish clans. It reminded me of Jamie and Claire from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series of novels. A wonderful read!
We ate a picnic lunch at the top of the mountain and walked across the mile high swinging bridge - which thankfully, did not swing! - and then drove into Blowing Rock, NC and shopped around the quaint town. We bought this neat little "fire pot" - a ceramic pot with an insert that you fill with a sterno like substance and presto, an outside fire! Sort of a cross between a campfire and a fireplace but small enough to store without Roger complaining!
Our travels took us back by Julian Price Memorial Park where we camped with Mom & Izetta and Heather & Kyle several years ago. Good memories!

We spent yesterday touring downtown Asheville. We went to the historic Grove Park Inn but passed on seeing the Biltmore Mansion when we found out it now costs $60/person! We saw it before with Heather & Kyle and decided seeing it with Christmas trees wasn't worth $120.00! They wouldn't even let us go to the Biltmore Winery without tickets to see the house!

We leave for Charleston in the morning!

Asheville, NC

We left Michigan on November 9th and headed south - following the sun! We are now in Asheville, NC where the temperature is 75 degrees - our kind of weather. We were surprised that the fall color was still so vivid here. It is beautiful country anytime of the year but autumn in the Appalachians is gorgeous! We drove to Chimney Rock today and hiked back to Hickory Nut Falls - the sun shining through the red, gold and yellow leaves made the trip lovely. It was only a 3 mile hike but we were tired - we had better get in shape quick if we want to explore Epcot with Megan!

Happy Birthday, Marion

We went to Kim & Jay's for a birthday lunch celebrating Marion's 70th birthday yesterday. Her actual birthday is November 25th but we celebrated early. Rick flew in from Atlanta and surprised her. Good to see him, unfortunately, Allison and David couldn't come because David was sick with croup. It was a fun afternoon with all of Roger's family and a chance for us to say good bye to everyone before we leave on Tuesday. None of my pictures turned out!!!

Happy Birthday, Emily!

Emily was 2 years old yesterday (11-5) - she's growing up too fast! Wish we were there for her big day but we will be soon! Roger's phone rang not long ago and when he answered this little voice said "Hi, PaPa!" - his heart melted!

Brrrrrr........

The outside thermometer read 23 degrees this morning. The leaves have fallen, the sky is gray for winter, there is frost on the pumpkins and ice in the ponds - all signs that it is time to get out! We are heading south soon, November 9th, before the white stuff starts falling. 80 degrees in Clermont today - my kind of weather! Florida here we come!

Judy

My sister, Judy, had a right total knee replacement on Tuesday and is doing remarkably well. I know she was uncomfortable while we were moving Mom on Saturday but never complained. I was amazed that the surgery only took about an hour. She was up walking that evening, passed her rigorous OT and PT at the hospital and I brought her home on Thursday. She is getting PT at home now to build up her range of motion and keeping it iced to decrease the swelling. She doesn't need much nursing care so I'm just cooking! She's hoping it will help her golf game!
Mel has been having radiation therapy for about two weeks and is doing well - beginning to feel some fatigue and "sunburn" but nothing like chemotherapy.
Thank you Lord for taking good care of my family!

Mother

We moved Mom from her two bedroom apartment in the semi-independent wing of the care center to a one bedroom apartment in the extended care wing last Saturday. We have know all summer that she needed to move where she can receive more supervision/care and finally a place was available on the ground floor. She did not want to move and gave us a rough time but some anti-anxiety meds helped her (and therefore, all of us!) to cope with it all. We were exhausted but, had her all situated, with pictures hung and decorations arranged by dinner!We were worried about her being disoriented during the night so Judy spent Saturday night with her and I spent Sunday and Sunday night with her. The good news is that the staff check on her every three hours while she is sleeping. She insisted she was not going to stay in "this place" until two friends came to visit after lunch on Monday and just raved about what a lovely apartment it was - now she likes it! Guess peer pressure works at any age!
We were fortunate that the facility has an annual rummage sale and told us to leave anything we didn't want in the old apartment and they would store it until the sale and then donate what did not sell to the St. Vincent  thrift store. I don't think they expected a whole bedroom full of stuff! What a blessing not to have to cart it all away.
It was a trip down memory lane to go through picture albums and family mementos. I found two diaries written by my father's grandmother, his father's mother, during 1946 and 1947. This was the time my Dad, his only brother, Uncle Bob and many family friends were returning from the War, getting engaged and married. She was especially worried about Dad, "Dickie," because he didn't come home from Calcutta until March of 1946.

Blast From the Past

We ate lunch at Schlinker's hamburger joint this week - 42 years since our last date there! This tiny restaurant has been on Ganson Street since 1927 and run by the same family. It is near the hospital where I went to nursing school so we went there frequently to avoid the hospital cafeteria food! It is a small box of a place with just enough room to get in and sit at the "U" shaped counter - about 14 stools. It feels like you are all dining at the same table. They only serve hamburgs and pie. We met a couple that work at the hospital. She has worked there since 1966 when I started the nursing program so we both knew many nurses and staff. A nice trip down memory lane!

Fall in Michigan

It has been a gorgeous week here. We haven't been in Michigan in the fall in years and are enjoying the beautiful autumn colors - the trees are decked out in all their glory! We played golf on Friday afternoon and went to Sean's football game on Saturday. His team, third graders, called the "Spartans," played the "Wolverines." Appropriate on the actual big game day! Everyone was dressed in their green & white or blue & gold football colors - a big rivalry here in the state. The "real" game turned out much better for the Spartans! The kids teams are allowed to play on the high school football field (that would never happen in Texas!) complete with volunteer announcers and a concession stand!

 

As nice as these Indian summer days are we are planning on leaving for Florida on November 9th - gotta' go before the white stuff starts flying!

Happy Birthday, Roger!

Happy 63rd Birthday, Roger! Thank goodness he doesn't look, think or act his age! Samantha called and sang "Happy Birthday, Grandpa" and made his day! He asked her how her soccer team was doing and she said "it's kind'a boring!"

The weather cleared on Friday morning, they had a successful test flight, and we were out of there! We thought about going to a great state park in New York and doing some hiking but it was predicted to rain most of the week-end so we headed back to Jackson. On our way through Canada to the Port Huron, Michigan border crossing we were amazed to see so many vineyards and small wineries. We were not amazed to see all the road construction and traffic!!!

It was so clear we could see Toronto across Lake Ontario as we crossed the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Canadian Falls

We toured the Canadian side of Niagra Falls on Thursday afternoon. The weather was too nasty for them to fly so Roger had some time off - no sense staying home watching it rain so we went across the bridge! There is so much mist from the falls it's pretty wet there most of the time anyway! We were told all the new high rise buildings along the ridge on "main street" prevent the mist from drifting away so it just lays over the park along the Niagra River.
We drove along the main street on our way home - a cross between Las Vagas and Dollywood! We couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Niagra Falls

We arrived back at Somerset Centre on Monday and left for Niagra Falls on Thursday! Roger is doing some work at the Niagra Falls Airport and since he drove my house here, I came too! It's lovely fall weather here. We spent Saturday afternoon in Niagra on the Lake, a small town in Canada right near the Niagra River and Lake Ontario. The town is full of beautiful restored old mansions and there are flowers everywhere. We ate lunch in the patio restaurant at Niagra on the Lake Golf Course - right on Lake Ontario. It is the oldest golf course in North America - it has been there 135 years!

We rode our bikes along the river yesterday afternoon and went in to see the falls in the evening. We were surprised that the park around the falls is open 24/7. They shine colored lights on the falls at night to give them a rainbow look. They are amazing any time of the day!

Return to the Scene of the Crime

Today (Sunday) has been the nicest day we've seen in ages - 60 degrees, blue sky and no wind! We took the ferry across to Mackinac Island and rode our bikes the 8 miles around it. Less people and congestion made it nice and I stopped to look at the scenery - so I managed to stay on my bike this time! The water in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is crystal clear - you can see all the stones along the shoreline. We enjoyed lunch with a great view of the harbor, shopped around a bit and then came home. I'm so fortunate to be able to come back and ride the trail I missed last year!

We were remembering the summer we flew a small airplane from Texas to Michigan and brought the girls to Mackinac Island. They were about 8 & 10 and disappointed that we didn't go directly to Grandma & Grandpa's house. We landed at the airport on the island and told the girls we would call a taxi to take us to town. They didn't know there were no cars on the island, so when they heard the "clip clop" of the horse and buggy "taxi" they were excited. We rented 4 bikes, did the trek around the island and had such a fun day that we all have good memories of it!

You Know You're a Redneck......

You know you're a redneck if................you park your car on the side of the road in Mackinac City at 7:00pm and wait until 8:45pm for a parade of semi-truck/trailers all decked out with chrome, lights, fancy paint jobs and polished to mirror finishes! Yup, we watched about 100 trucks come across the bridge and drive through town blaring their horns and applying their "jake brakes." All part of the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show - see the video on the city's web page for just a glimpse of the excitement!. My favorite was a semi trailer painted with a tribute to the military - it was awesome!

Third Annual Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing

Over 800 antique tractors lined up for the 3rd Annual Mackinac Bridge Crossing yesterday - tractors of all different colors, sizes and conditions driving across the bridge from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace. A fun experience for Duane, Bill & Roger to do together. Dave, Marion, AnnaLee, Salle and I went to breakfast and then lined the street with the other spectators to see the "parade."

Our 21 day trek around Lake Superior has ended - everyone is leaving to go home today. Roger & I are going back to Somerset Centre, where we stayed this summer, until the end of October. We had a great time with family - we are not used to having traveling companions!

Sault Ste. Marie

We left Canada - the customs agent searched the motor home! - and stayed two nights in Sault Ste. Marie. The campground is right on the river so you can watch the big ships go through the locks. The guys toured the Bush Plane Museum and us girls went back to Canada and toured the shopping district!

Agawa Bay

On the road again…..to Wawa where their mascot big goose welcomed us to town! We unhooked the Saturn and drove to see High Falls and Silver Falls. Six of us can fit if Bill rides in the trunk!! Enjoyed our picnic lunch and then drove on to Agawa Bay.
We are at Agawa Bay Campground – located right on the shore of Lake Superior and nestled in the pine trees - it is gorgeous! Getting the trailers and our motor home into the sites was “kind of tricky” (as Samantha would say.) Thank goodness all the guys are good at maneuvering the rigs but, even Roger was nervous about scraping the sides! We watched the sunset from the beach and decided since it was so difficult getting in and out we would stay a couple of nights.
Another gray, rainy day but we went exploring anyway – afraid if we wait for the sun we won’t see much! Our neighbors said there was a terrible storm last week and the waves that were crashing into the shore were about 10 feet high!
This is a beautiful portion of the coastline. Lovely, isolated coves dot the shoreline and the rocky outcroppings remind us of Maine. We stopped at Katherine’s Cove and Sinclair Cove. Where you can not see the coastline there are hundreds of small pristine lakes and rivers nestled in the trees. We keep looking for a moose munching on the shoreline!
The Sand River flows into lake Superior and the water falls down a beautiful rocky terrain. We hiked up to the top of the first falls but not the entire path.
Roger & I hiked down to see the Obijwa pictographs but, omg! – a treacherous trail and we did not venture out on the cliff to see the 35 drawings! Look at the pictures and you’ll see why!
We’ve enjoyed our morning coffee out on the windswept beach. A few whitecaps today. Montreal Island is directly across from us. We were told the Canadian government established a caribou herd on the island but, about 4 year years ago the bay froze and either wolves got to the island or the caribou left because there are none there now.
On our way to Sault Ste. Marie today after we disentangle the motor home from the trees!

Aguasabon Falls & Gorge

We drove from Thunder Bay to Rossport, Ontario yesterday with rain and sunshine alternating throughout the day. We stopped to see Quimet Canyon, supposedly the “Grand Canyon of Canada” but, there is no comparison! Roger & I saw a black bear on the side of the road as we drove into the park – by the time I alerted everyone via our “walkie talkie” and got my camera out he was long gone!! We had to park the RV’s, unhook our car and shuttle everyone back to the trail leading to the overlook. A nice walk in the woods and a pretty spot – we had lunch and then continued our trek.

I have been disappointed that we could not see more of the coastline in our travels – the road is inland and the trees block the view of Lake Superior except for occasional glimpses – but we finally had some beautiful scenery the last part of our way here. We are camped at Rainbow Falls, along the shoreline and it is lovely. Roger & I got up early this morning to see the sunrise over the bay. We planned to hike back to the falls this morning but the gate was closed!

We drove toward Marathon and stopped at Aguasabon Falls and Gorge on the way. We are staying the night at Whitesand Lake Campground – a place truly out in the “boonies!” We are all trying to earn some money playing “31” and “Right, Left, Center.”

                                                                                                                          

 

 

Good News: better scenery and better weather today.

 

Bad News: no phone or internet service and Dave & Marion’s slideout is not working properly – Roger and Bill are literally pushing it in and out manually!

 

 

 

This old logging wagon is on display at Whitesand Lake. The wagon and the sleigh rails are all made of wood. In the winter, it was used, each night, to drizzle water on the logging road to create ice ruts for the other wagons to follow during the day. The ruts prevented the other wagons, loaded with logs, from slipping off the road. Sounds like a cold, lonely job for those night time drivers!

 

 

                                                                       
Trivia: White River, Ontario is the home of “Winnie the Pooh”

Thunder Bay

We arrived in Thunder Bay, Ontario yesterday after a pretty drive along the coastline. We stopped at Grand Marais for shopping and lunch – continued to “High Falls” on the Minnesota/Canadian border – then across the border to Ontario. I had to “off load” some wine to Bill & AnnaLee because customs only allowed so much per person!

I am writing in “live writer” and will upload this to my blog when we have internet service – we unplugged our Verizon card so we wouldn’t be charged “roaming” rates!

There was a vicious storm during the night and it was still nasty this morning but we took off exploring anyway. Guess it’s how the town got it’s name!

Kakabeka Falls, means “thunder water” in the native Indian language and is located just west of Thunder Bay. They are the highest falls in Canada. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is here too – the cliffs look like a side view of a sleeping giant.

We ate breakfast for lunch at “Hoito” – a restaurant know for their skinny pancakes – like a crepe – and “clobbered milk” which is like homemade yogurt. The restaurant was started many years ago to offer plenty of good, low cost food for manual or “bush” workers in the area - “Hoito” means “caring” in Finnish. When in Rome…….

Amethyst is a semi-precious stone mined in the Thunder Bay area so, after lunch we went shopping at the Amethyst Gift Centre.

We all have our jeans, sweatshirts and winter coats out but are hoping for nicer weather tomorrow! Roger and I are suffering from “technology deprivation” without the internet!

Two Harbors

We toured the lake coastline near Two Harbors, WI yesterday. A gorgeous "autumn like" day with clear blue sky and sunshine - in the low 60's. Splitrock Lighthouse is the neatest lighthouse we've ever seen. It was built in 1910 after a terrible November storm in 1905 wrecked 29 ships - the north east winds battered them against the steep cliffs and rocks along this northern coastline. Yesterday they were repelling and rock climbing on the same cliffs! I'll let my pictures speak for themselves!

Apostle Islands

We toured the Bayfield Peninsula today. We drove up to the town of Bayfield, WI - reminded us of Portland, Maine with its harbor full of sailboats and quaint downtown area. The weather is nasty - in the 50's, windy and raining but we made the best of it. Lunch and shopping and then out to Meyers Beach to see raging Lake Superior - 4 ft waves and strong winds - we did not stay long!
Roger pulled me out to the shoreline so Bill could get our picture and a big wave got us good!
There are 22 islands in the archipelago chain called the "Apostle Islands" located off the coast of northern Wisconsin in Lake Superior. The best way to see them is via a boat tour - big & small, each one offers something different. The violent storms and waves from Lake Superior have formed big sea caves, in some of the islands, that you can kayak through. The weather wasn't too conducive to boat tours so we had to settle for viewing them through the mist.

Trip Around Lake Superior

We left Jackson on Sunday to begin our trip around Lake Superior with Roger's sister, Marion & Dave and his brother, Bill & AnnaLee. It's nice to have traveling companions!  We stayed in Hartwick Pines State Park on Sunday night and then crossed the Mackinaw Bridge into the Upper Peninsula on Monday. Roger & I went for an early morning bike ride before we left on Monday. We are camping in a beautiful site right on the shore of Lake Superior in Munising now. It was 90 degrees yesterday - very unusual for the UP this time of year - Roger & I went swimming - well we waded out past our waists! The beach is sandy and the water is crystal clear.
Tuesday - We took the boat cruise along the Pictured Rocks National Seashore today - it is beautiful! Colored rock formations interspersed with pristine sandy beaches along Lake Superior's southern coastline. Lake Superior is bigger, deeper and cleaner than any of the other Great Lakes. The sandy beaches give the water an emarld green color - reminds us of Lake Tahoe.
Trivia question - can you name all 5 of the Great Lakes???
Huron, Erie, Ontario, Superior and Michigan
Sept 1 - It rained all night and early this morning. We left Munising and headed north in the downpour but it cleared and was a beautiful drive to Ashland, Wisconsin. We saw the first of many waterfalls along the way when we stopped for lunch. We are camped along the shores of the lake again. We had some excitement when we pulled off the road to wait for the others to gas up and caught a low hanging wire on the top of the motorhome! Got our attention real quick! Roger pushed it up with the extended pole he uses to wash the motorhome with while I pulled forward - no serious damage - thank goodness!

Sisters

My sister, Mel, was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month ago. Stage One - not in the lymph nodes. She had a lumpectomy last Friday and is doing well. She will have radiation treatments but no chemo. All good news after such a scary diagnosis. She is a "real trooper" but please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Lake Cumberland

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and we all had a great vacation on the houseboat in Kentucky!
Roger & I picked up Megan, Heather, Samantha & Emily at the airport on August 10 and we headed for Yogi Bear Campground near Mammoth Cave, KY. The girls loved it and Samantha was courageous enough to hug BooBoo & Yogi – BooBoo first because he was smaller! Emily is following in Samantha’s footsteps – she loves to see Yogi and say “hi” and “bye” but won’t get any closer than about 6 feet! The heat and humidity were oppressive (thank you Roger for our third AC unit!) so we spent a lot of time in the pool and on the water slide. Heather rented a golf cart which Emily loved to ride in – she giggled and clapped her hands when she got in! She is talking more & more every day!

We left Yogi on Friday and went to Lake Cumberland State Park, near the marina in Jamestown, for Friday & Saturday night. Our campsite was near the swings and Emily loved them cried when she had to get out! The rest of the family arrived later on Friday and on Saturday and stayed in cabins in the park. We boarded the houseboat on Sunday around noon. It was huge and beautiful – 8 bedrooms; 2 refrigerators; 3 1/2 baths; a bar; a hot tub and a two story slide with plenty of room for all 15 of us! We laughed; ate; drank; played cards & games; went swimming and floated on our rafts; competed in the “Eddy Olympics;”  had Karaoke night;  played with Judy’s 2 jet skis and overall had a great time! We had to return the boat on Thursday morning, stayed in the park until Friday and then everyone headed home. We took Kyle Lasich, Kyle, Heather & the girls to the airport on Saturday and they headed back to Houston and then on to Kuala Lumpur. It was a little (just a little!) easier to say “good-bye” knowing we are going to Malaysia in December.

We drove to Howell, Michigan on Saturday and had dinner with Jay, Kim, Ryan, Dave & Marion at a great BBQ place. We stayed overnight and enjoyed their hospitality for a leisurely breakfast and now we are in Hideaway Campground near Jackson for some ‘R&R.” We need to do laundry, clean and reorganize. The silence is deafening and we miss little voices waking us up in the morning.
Today, August 22,  is our 41st wedding anniversary and we couldn’t have celebrated any better than with our family!

Yogi Bear Campground

We are having a great time at Yogi Bear CG! It is so good to have all 4 girls with us! This year was a first - Samantha actually hugged BooBoo! He's smaller than Yogi. Emily is following in her sister's footsteps and loves to wave and say "Hi" and "Bye" but won't go near them!

We can't believe how much Emily is talking - her favorite words are "no" and "mine." She loves her PaPa but can't say Tima yet. We rented a golf cart and she begs to go for a ride - sits in front next to PaPa and claps, giggles and says "bump."

It has been hot and humid here - oppressive! Glad we have our third AC unit - it is working overtime! Supposed to cool off some next week - hope the weather man is correct!

Vacation Plans

Kyle, Heather, Samantha & Emily are in the States. They arrived in Houston, got their Mexican food hit then Kyle and the girls flew to Biloxi to see his family. Heather is spending a couple of days in Houston with her college roommates and then will join them. Kyle goes back to Houston to work next week. Heather & the girls will fly back to Houston and meet Megan and all 4 girls will fly to Cinncinati on Tuesday where we will pick them up. We will spend a couple days at Yogi Bear campground near Cave City, KY and then head to Lake Cumberland, KY on Friday. Judy & Mel leave Michigan early Friday morning and will pick up Kyle Liskow and Kyle Lasich at the Cinncinati airport and join us. Ray & Kirt are driving down on Saturday. Joel & Rachel are driving up from Dallas on Saturday and picking Carlos up at the Nashville airport. The gang will finally all be there! We board the houseboat on Sunday at 1:00pm for our "cruise." We are on a countdown!
A family in Judy's neighborhood had a 5th wheel camped in their driveway and several cars parked all around. Many adults & kids in the yard, obviously a family reunion, with a big sign that said "CAMP CHAOS." We should borrow the sign!
The last time I talked with Samantha on SKYPE I asked her if she was bringing her doll, Lara. She said "Oh, yes" I said "Does she like to fly on the airplane?" Samantha said "Yes, but I have to hold her very tight because she gets scared during blast off!"

Tractor Drive

The 7th Annual Tractor Drive took off this morning. They leave Friday morning, camp out on Friday night and return Saturday afternoon. This year they are "touring" Hillsdale county - many rural roads and Amish farms in the area.  Roger loves it - you can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy! There are a few women drivers but mostly it is Grandpas, Dads and sons having a good time together.
You see all shapes and sizes of tractors and trailers. Here's a few snapshots of rural America at its best!

Mom & Mary

Mom & I enjoyed a nice visit with her cousin Mary, and her daughter, Sharon, this afternoon. Mom and Mary are first cousins but lived together all through high schooal so they have a "sister" relationship. Neither one of them can drive anymore so most of the time they talk on the phone. Sharon is here from Alaska for awhile so, today was a great day for them to play "catch up" and for Sharon & I to hear about their younger years.

Church Sign

I drove by a church the other day - loved the sign out front - "Most worries are reruns."

This has been a frustrating "fix it" week. My relatively new phone, died so we tried to get it replaced under the warranty - a long story but after 7 different stores and a long wait/conversation with AT&T's warranty department we finally just bought a new one! Yesterday, we took the motorhome to a Lansing Freightliner dealer for two warranty repairs - they fixed one and "forgot" about the other and didn't have time to do it yesterday so we made an appointment to return on Thursday. We got on the highway to return to Jackson and at about 50mph the steering wheel was vibrating so badly Roger could hardly control it! Back we go! They kept it over night and finally got both the warranty issue and the issue they caused fixed. We spent the night at Judy's - thank goodness for family - and drove back to Lansing this afternoon to pick it up. We got "home" and went to unhook and park the car and it would not start - the battery was dead! To top it off, Roger has a nasty cold and has not been feeling 100% . It never rains but it pours - literally around here this summer!

The Queen Mary

Roger went to Long Beach, CA last week for a meeting with the FAA. The company he works for finally received certification for a project they have been working on for years. There was a presentation ceremony on the Queen Mary today so I got to come back with him to enjoy the celebration. It has been nice to play "catch up" with several of the people from his work.

The Queen Mary was first launched from Scotland in 1936 and was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. In 1940 it was "drafted" as a troop carrier and hospital ship under the alias "Grey Ghost." Originally designed to carry 2,000 passengers it began carrying as many as 16, 683 GI's to Europe! They were packed in like sardines - the pools were drained and bunks were stacked 18 inches apart! The museum, on the ship, is so interesting - telling the stories of many of these men and women. It went back into the passenger business in 1947 but eventually, was sold to the city of Long Beach as a floating hotel, convention center and tourist attraction in 1967. I have loved it's old elegance and "vintage" atmosphere - like being on the Titanic without the worry of icebergs!

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Judy, Marilou, Mel and I enjoyed a fun "ladies day out" at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI on Tuesday. It is a beautiful area of outdoor flower gardens and art work plus greenhouses of exotic plants. They have a wonderful children's garden with a tree house and a water exhibit of the Great Lakes where kids can float boats. Samantha and Emily would love it!
The gardens are hosting an exhibit of Dale Chihuly's blown glass sculptures through September and they are amazing. He is well known for organizing teams of exceptionally talented glassblowers that work together to form huge, multipart glass sculptures - often designed for outdoor display. They were interspersed inside and outside in the gardens and ponds and are gorgeous in their design and color. It was worth enduring the 95 degree heat to see them!!!
The heat wave here is dragging everyone down - the humidity makes it much worse than San Antonio! We went for a raft ride and swim on Lake LeAnne with Judy's friends, Winnie and Splinter (her last name is Wood!) last night - the cool water felt heavenly!

Tuesday was a "glad - sad" day for Roger - he sold his airplane. A retired Alaska Airline pilot from Seattle bought it and is excited to have found it. I'm glad it went to a good home! It just didn't fit our current lifestyle and was too costly to keep if he couldn't enjoy flying it. Dave told him to come visit when we are in Seattle and we just might do that!