We made a quick trip to Florida last week. I left work a little early on Friday, the 22nd, so we could get to St. Augustine before dark. We stayed with Bill's sister Martha, who bought her own home there just a few months ago. We had not seen it yet, so were excited to do so. It is a cute little 3 bedroom house, right on a golf course. She managed to get a great deal on the house, as it was a Fanny Mae foreclosure. She is still working on fixing it up, but it is looking so nice.
Saturday morning, we headed on down to Cocoa, which was the purpose of our trip. We lived in Merritt Island from 1973 to 1983 and attended The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Cocoa Ward. We made wonderful friends during that time. The ward has been split, and most of the people we knew are now in the Rockledge Ward. Several things came together so that the decision was made to hold a reunion of the ward members from that time.
We drove around Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach in the afternoon. We were able to find the two houses we had lived in. They are both pretty old now, and looking a little run-down. The first we bought in 1973 and it was already 12 or 15 years old at that time. We were actually surprised that the neighborhood looked as good as it did, considering its age. The second house we bought in 1981 when it was brand-new. We only lived in it for two years before moving. That neighborhood actually looked worse than the first. Anyway, it was fun to find the old places. We also found the service stations Bill owned during that time. The one on Merritt Island is still a gas station, but another brand. The one in Cocoa Beach has been torn down and replaced by a surf shop.
We then drove out to the port which has really changed a lot. When we lived there, there were not many cruise ships, but it is a big business now. We ate at a restaurant on the water. The old seafood place we used to go to for lunch all the time was long gone.
After getting a hotel in Rockledge, we headed out to the reunion. It was held at the church building. There were about 57 people that showed up! We had a great time catching up with these great friends. Many who were much older than we were are still around and looking great! Phil Lambson is 89 and already inviting everyone to his 90th birthday party in February 2011. We might make another trip for that! It was also fun to see so many of the youth all grown up with their own families now. Some of them are even grandparents! Time just marches on, doesn't it? We took a camera and then failed to take any pictures. Hopefully, some of the others who did take pictures will post them so I can download them. We had scanned all our old pictures from that time and made a CD. Keith Waters downloaded the CD onto his computer, added some music, and presented a great slide show. That was probably the hit of the evening, as it really brought back the memories of people and events.
Sunday we attended church in the Rockledge Ward and got to see a few more people who had been unable to attend the night before. We enjoyed the whole weekend so much. I don't think we will wait quite so long to visit again.
Sunday afternoon, we drove back up to Martha's, where she had a great dinner waiting for us. Bill's other sister Hazel and husband John, who have a beach house there, came over for dinner. We also have three nieces who attend Flagler College and two of them were able to come. The third was out of town. Stephanie is a senior, majoring in English, and Allison is a sophomore, also majoring in English. It was fun to catch up with them. Allison lives in New York, so we hadn't seen her in a long time. Since Steph lives in Atlanta, we do get to see her once in a while when she is home.
Monday morning, Nicole, the third niece, came out for breakfast, as she had gotten in late Sunday evening. Nicole is also a senior and majoring in Theater. She had been to New York to try out for a grad school. Nicole and Allison are sisters, so it had also been a long time since we had seen Nicole. We so enjoyed seeing all of them.
After Nicole left to go to class, Bill and Martha took off to play some golf. I went out to the Outlet Mall, which is just a couple of miles from the house. I am not much of a shopper, but I enjoyed it for a while. I bought some play clothes for Ashby from Carter's and Gymboree. I also picked up a couple of things for me. Then I went back to the house and curled up with my book for a while. It was a great afternoon!
That evening, we met John and Hazel at a Mexican restaurant in town. It is right across the street from the fort and has a nice view of the river and the bridge. After dinner, we went out to the beach house for a little while. They have done some renovations that we had not seen yet.
Tuesday morning, we headed back to Atlanta. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Cantrell Christmas 2009
With Ashby now 17 months old, we had the best Christmas ever!
Leroy is the taco cook. He makes them using the recipe his mother taught him.
Lisa and Judy singing for the talent show. That's me making the mistakes on the piano!
Even the bows are fun for Ashby. She loves that hat and wears it all the time!
Uncle Billy got her her first laptop and she loved it! Everytime he got his own out, she came running, so he figured she was ready for her own.
The Little People Farm from Grandma Vanett was really neat.
She loved her new baby doll from Grandma and Grandpa Cantrell.
We started with all the decorating right after Thanksgiving. Billy was still here, so he helped put lights up on the house. We all got together to decorate the tree before he left.
I had done a lot of shopping during the year, so much of my "shopping" was going through what I already had. I bought a few missing things online and made one stop at the mall to finish up. Oh, and of course, I had to go to the Dollar Store to find stocking stuffers. Other than groceries, that was about all there was to the shopping - nice and easy this year. Bill did pick up a couple of items, so that was also a help.
That left a little time for some fun things, so Lisa and I did a craft project. We made the nutcracker soldiers from clay pots that everyone has made over the last few years. It took us several days, since Ashby was so involved - one day for shopping, one for painting the base coat, two or three for the handpainting. And they turned out really cute! Now to figure out how to store them........
Billy drove down from Iowa a couple of days before Christmas. That was his third trip down in less than two months, but we were still so excited for him to come.
Christmas Eve is always with the extended family. This year we went to Julie's house. There was a nice group this year with all three of Bill's sisters, plus tons of nieces and nephews and all of their children. Ashby is the baby of the group and she had a ball. The traditional dinner is homemade tacos, which everyone loves. We often do a talent show, but this year it was very short. We then did a gag gift game which has also become a tradition. We finished up with opening the real gifts from the name draw. It was a lot of fun. We then went over to Lisa's for a little while, since Ashby was getting extremely tired. She was still so wound up, though, that it took a while for her to actually go to bed.
Leroy is the taco cook. He makes them using the recipe his mother taught him.
Lisa and Judy singing for the talent show. That's me making the mistakes on the piano!
Nice gag gift, Nancy. Do you really support cheerleaders?
Some of the family enjoying being together.
Christmas Day, Lisa and David and Ashby came over late morning and we opened gifts. The rest of the day was just fun and relaxing. For dinner we grilled a London broil, veggie-kabobs, and shrimp. Mighty tasty!
Ashby wasn't much into the gift thing yet, but she loved all the activity. She was excited about every gift that was opened. She especially loved all the attention she got, both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think she figures Christmas is all about her! She is definitely the most entertaining part of any day.
Even the bows are fun for Ashby. She loves that hat and wears it all the time!
Uncle Billy got her her first laptop and she loved it! Everytime he got his own out, she came running, so he figured she was ready for her own.
The Little People Farm from Grandma Vanett was really neat.
She loved her new baby doll from Grandma and Grandpa Cantrell.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Babysitting Ashby - For 5 Days This Time!
We had the best time taking care of Ashby for five days last week while David and Lisa were away. His company pays for an outing for employees and spouses at the Amelia Island (Florida) resort every year. No children are included, so someone had to take care of Ashby or Lisa would have had to stay home. We graciously sacrificed our time to take care of her. (Did you hear the chuckle as I wrote that? Some sacrifice!)
After stopping by the doctor's office to have him check out her fever and sniffles, they dropped her off on Wednesday. Turns out it was just a virus and not strep or flu, so they could leave her. Then our fun started! As usual, she was fun and cute and happy almost all the time, even not feeling up to par. I was most worried about her sleeping since she usually wants to be in her own bed, but we managed to do just fine. The crib is in the guest room, so one of us would just lie on the bed while she went to sleep. She never fussed at all about naps or nighttime. She woke up a couple of nights while she still had the fever and we gave her another dose of tylenol. Otherwise, she slept well.
It is interesting that a little 16 month old can get homesick, but I think she did. One of the sweetest stories happened while Bill was alone with her and I was at work. She was looking at the photo albums and got the one of the wedding. She was caught up in looking at pictures of mommy and daddy. She stopped at a picture of David, put her head almost on the page and just stared at him. Then she put her head the rest of the way down and started to cry. Poor Bill! He distracted her by putting on her favorite video and then hid the album so that wouldn't happen again. There were several other less dramatic moments when she was obviously missing mommy and daddy.
By Friday, she was feeling better and getting a little cabin fever. I was able to take off work, as did Bill, so we decided to go out. We made one errand stop and then went to the mall. She loves walking in the mall, watching all the people, especially all the babies. We went to the play area, but she didn't play long. She was really excited about the train, though. She knows the sign for train and kept making the sign and laughing. Bill was going to take her for a ride in it, but she almost cried when he tried to get her on the train. I guess she just likes watching it. She has ridden it before, but Lisa rode with her so that must have made the difference. We also walked over to the arcade where they have cars, buses, trains, airplanes, and whatever, that you can ride in. We didn't put any money in, so none of the vehicles did anything, but she loved going from one to the next and sitting in it and pushing all the buttons she could find. By then, we were all getting hungry, so we headed to the food court to get lunch. Because of her fever, she hadn't been eating too well, but by Friday, her appetite was back! She ate a ton of mashed potatoes, corn, chicken and anything else she could reach off our plates. She fell asleep on the drive home and then took a long nap. All that cute stuff - and we forgot to take a camera! Can you believe that?
After the first couple of days, she was really at home and acted like she ruled the place - which, of course, she did! When we decorated the tree, we made sure that breakables were on the upper part of the tree, so she could play with the things on the lower branches. She loves the tree and spent a lot of time taking things off and trying to put them back. She loves books and was always bringing a book for one of us to read to her. We have a coffee table book of Christmas pictures from around the USA. She loved looking at that and finding pictures of "babies." Her favorite picture is of four little babies - quads - all dressed up in Christmas outfits. Her absolute favorite thing was to stand in front of the open refrigerator and look at everything in there. She also liked to play in the office while I was at the computer. She discovered which doors and drawers she could open and would empty everything she could.
On Sunday afternoon, I heard a car door slam and looked out to see that Lisa and David were back. I got Ashby to head for the door and when Lisa opened it, Ashby went crazy! She was so excited to see mommy and daddy that she could hardly control herself. She bounced up and down, laughed, smiled, reached back and forth between them, and wouldn't let them put her down. So cute!
We had such a good time. Sunday night, after they went home, it seemed too quiet! We slept better - not having to half listen for Ashby - but it was lonely! I have said before that I have lived my whole life for this moment - and it is more true every day. I am so glad we live close enough that we get to do this kind of thing. I love being a grandma!!!!
After stopping by the doctor's office to have him check out her fever and sniffles, they dropped her off on Wednesday. Turns out it was just a virus and not strep or flu, so they could leave her. Then our fun started! As usual, she was fun and cute and happy almost all the time, even not feeling up to par. I was most worried about her sleeping since she usually wants to be in her own bed, but we managed to do just fine. The crib is in the guest room, so one of us would just lie on the bed while she went to sleep. She never fussed at all about naps or nighttime. She woke up a couple of nights while she still had the fever and we gave her another dose of tylenol. Otherwise, she slept well.
It is interesting that a little 16 month old can get homesick, but I think she did. One of the sweetest stories happened while Bill was alone with her and I was at work. She was looking at the photo albums and got the one of the wedding. She was caught up in looking at pictures of mommy and daddy. She stopped at a picture of David, put her head almost on the page and just stared at him. Then she put her head the rest of the way down and started to cry. Poor Bill! He distracted her by putting on her favorite video and then hid the album so that wouldn't happen again. There were several other less dramatic moments when she was obviously missing mommy and daddy.
By Friday, she was feeling better and getting a little cabin fever. I was able to take off work, as did Bill, so we decided to go out. We made one errand stop and then went to the mall. She loves walking in the mall, watching all the people, especially all the babies. We went to the play area, but she didn't play long. She was really excited about the train, though. She knows the sign for train and kept making the sign and laughing. Bill was going to take her for a ride in it, but she almost cried when he tried to get her on the train. I guess she just likes watching it. She has ridden it before, but Lisa rode with her so that must have made the difference. We also walked over to the arcade where they have cars, buses, trains, airplanes, and whatever, that you can ride in. We didn't put any money in, so none of the vehicles did anything, but she loved going from one to the next and sitting in it and pushing all the buttons she could find. By then, we were all getting hungry, so we headed to the food court to get lunch. Because of her fever, she hadn't been eating too well, but by Friday, her appetite was back! She ate a ton of mashed potatoes, corn, chicken and anything else she could reach off our plates. She fell asleep on the drive home and then took a long nap. All that cute stuff - and we forgot to take a camera! Can you believe that?
After the first couple of days, she was really at home and acted like she ruled the place - which, of course, she did! When we decorated the tree, we made sure that breakables were on the upper part of the tree, so she could play with the things on the lower branches. She loves the tree and spent a lot of time taking things off and trying to put them back. She loves books and was always bringing a book for one of us to read to her. We have a coffee table book of Christmas pictures from around the USA. She loved looking at that and finding pictures of "babies." Her favorite picture is of four little babies - quads - all dressed up in Christmas outfits. Her absolute favorite thing was to stand in front of the open refrigerator and look at everything in there. She also liked to play in the office while I was at the computer. She discovered which doors and drawers she could open and would empty everything she could.
On Sunday afternoon, I heard a car door slam and looked out to see that Lisa and David were back. I got Ashby to head for the door and when Lisa opened it, Ashby went crazy! She was so excited to see mommy and daddy that she could hardly control herself. She bounced up and down, laughed, smiled, reached back and forth between them, and wouldn't let them put her down. So cute!
We had such a good time. Sunday night, after they went home, it seemed too quiet! We slept better - not having to half listen for Ashby - but it was lonely! I have said before that I have lived my whole life for this moment - and it is more true every day. I am so glad we live close enough that we get to do this kind of thing. I love being a grandma!!!!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Another Thanksgiving - Another Wonderful Day
We had one of those really special Thanksgivings this year. We decided to have just our family rather than getting with extended family this year. That made it quiet, but relaxing and fun.
Billy drove down from Iowa on Tuesday. Wednesday we made sure we had everything we were going to need - but of course Billy still had to run to Kroger's on Thursday morning. I had checked the spice cabinet and was sure I saw sage for the stuffing so I didn't buy any. When I started to make it, I couldn't find any - so he saved the day and the stuffing by making a run to the store. I also made a chocolate peanut butter cream pie that day. It was something new to try.
We worked together getting things going on Thursday morning. Part of the fun of Thanksgiving is cooking together. I made the stuffing while Billy got the turkey ready (and made the run to the store). The goal was to get our 20-pounder into the oven by 9:00. At 8:55, we closed the oven door and did a little cheer! Meanwhile, Bill was snapping the green beans and getting them on to cook. We then got the table all set - using the Lenox china and sterling silver that belonged to my grandmother, of course. It only gets used once or twice a year. After getting all the serving dishes figured out, we took a little break.
The second thing that makes Thanksgiving fun is watching football, so that is where Bill and Billy planted themselves. The games weren't on yet, but there is plenty of pre-game coverage and other sports tidbits to fill in.
After Ashby napped, David and Lisa showed up bringing their share of the dinner. We got potatoes peeled and cooking and other last minute things going. Finally around 3:00, we sat down for our feast. Everything turned out perfect! We ooh'ed and aah'ed our way through dinner until everyone was stuffed - just like the turkey!
After cleaning everything up, the rest of the afternoon was spent lying in front of the TV, napping, taking a walk, or other equally relaxing events. Lisa and David wanted to nap, so Bill watched Ashby since all she wanted to do was run around. I had thought I would take a nap, and was on the bed, when Ashby and Bill showed up. We all spent the next hour and more playing together. She was on the bed and having more fun. We laughed the whole time. Needless to say, we never did get naps.
Later, after eating some of the four pies we had for dessert, I watched Ashby while everyone else played some games. She entertains herself so well - just have to keep an eye on her because she is curious enough that you never know where she will head next.
It turned out to be one of those special Thanksgivings - so relaxing, fun, and quiet, with all the elements of a perfect holiday. It is one of my favorites, because it is just about family and remembering blessings. For me, having Billy, Lisa, David and Ashby made it perfect!
Billy drove down from Iowa on Tuesday. Wednesday we made sure we had everything we were going to need - but of course Billy still had to run to Kroger's on Thursday morning. I had checked the spice cabinet and was sure I saw sage for the stuffing so I didn't buy any. When I started to make it, I couldn't find any - so he saved the day and the stuffing by making a run to the store. I also made a chocolate peanut butter cream pie that day. It was something new to try.
We worked together getting things going on Thursday morning. Part of the fun of Thanksgiving is cooking together. I made the stuffing while Billy got the turkey ready (and made the run to the store). The goal was to get our 20-pounder into the oven by 9:00. At 8:55, we closed the oven door and did a little cheer! Meanwhile, Bill was snapping the green beans and getting them on to cook. We then got the table all set - using the Lenox china and sterling silver that belonged to my grandmother, of course. It only gets used once or twice a year. After getting all the serving dishes figured out, we took a little break.
The second thing that makes Thanksgiving fun is watching football, so that is where Bill and Billy planted themselves. The games weren't on yet, but there is plenty of pre-game coverage and other sports tidbits to fill in.
After Ashby napped, David and Lisa showed up bringing their share of the dinner. We got potatoes peeled and cooking and other last minute things going. Finally around 3:00, we sat down for our feast. Everything turned out perfect! We ooh'ed and aah'ed our way through dinner until everyone was stuffed - just like the turkey!
After cleaning everything up, the rest of the afternoon was spent lying in front of the TV, napping, taking a walk, or other equally relaxing events. Lisa and David wanted to nap, so Bill watched Ashby since all she wanted to do was run around. I had thought I would take a nap, and was on the bed, when Ashby and Bill showed up. We all spent the next hour and more playing together. She was on the bed and having more fun. We laughed the whole time. Needless to say, we never did get naps.
Later, after eating some of the four pies we had for dessert, I watched Ashby while everyone else played some games. She entertains herself so well - just have to keep an eye on her because she is curious enough that you never know where she will head next.
It turned out to be one of those special Thanksgivings - so relaxing, fun, and quiet, with all the elements of a perfect holiday. It is one of my favorites, because it is just about family and remembering blessings. For me, having Billy, Lisa, David and Ashby made it perfect!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Books I Read This Year
Since I have read so many books while recuperating from the surgery, I got to wondering how many books I had read this year. I started recording every book I read on Shelfari so I can remember what I read and when. I started in April 2008 and so far have 86 books posted. I did not go back and add books I had read before that, so that is what I have actually read since then.
For 2009, I have read 55 books - more than I would have thought. There are some that I gave 5 stars to. I am really stingy with 5 stars, so these are the books that really impressed me. That list includes: Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
When I give 4 stars, it means it was a great book that I think everyone should read. I had a lot of those, including: Run by Ann Patchett, The Emigrants by Wilhelm Moberg, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, Testimony by Anita Shreve, Unto a Good Land by Wilhelm Moberg, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, December by Elizabeth Winthrop, How Americans View Mormons by Gary Lawrence, My Abandonment by Peter Rock, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Settler by Wilhelm Moberg, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling, The Last Letter Home by Wilhelm Moberg, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, In the Woods by Tana French, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Conqueror's Pride by Timothy Zahn, The Likeness by Tana French, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Conqueror's Heritage by Timothy Zahn, The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, Saints at the River by Ron Rash, The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery, Before I Forget by Leonard Pitts, and I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.
I have read a lot of good books (32) - and a few not worth the time. From the list, you can see that I jump from contemporary to classic, with a few science fiction and young adult books thrown in for good measure. I just love to read!
So part of what I am thankful for this year is that there are so many good books out there; that there are good authors who take the time to write good books; that I have so many friends who guide me to good books; that the internet has allowed us to be able to share good books with a huge audience; and that my life has been touched, sometimes very profoundly, by all this reading.
Thanks to all you bookworms out there!
For 2009, I have read 55 books - more than I would have thought. There are some that I gave 5 stars to. I am really stingy with 5 stars, so these are the books that really impressed me. That list includes: Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
When I give 4 stars, it means it was a great book that I think everyone should read. I had a lot of those, including: Run by Ann Patchett, The Emigrants by Wilhelm Moberg, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, Testimony by Anita Shreve, Unto a Good Land by Wilhelm Moberg, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, December by Elizabeth Winthrop, How Americans View Mormons by Gary Lawrence, My Abandonment by Peter Rock, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Settler by Wilhelm Moberg, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling, The Last Letter Home by Wilhelm Moberg, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, In the Woods by Tana French, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Conqueror's Pride by Timothy Zahn, The Likeness by Tana French, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Conqueror's Heritage by Timothy Zahn, The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, Saints at the River by Ron Rash, The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery, Before I Forget by Leonard Pitts, and I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.
I have read a lot of good books (32) - and a few not worth the time. From the list, you can see that I jump from contemporary to classic, with a few science fiction and young adult books thrown in for good measure. I just love to read!
So part of what I am thankful for this year is that there are so many good books out there; that there are good authors who take the time to write good books; that I have so many friends who guide me to good books; that the internet has allowed us to be able to share good books with a huge audience; and that my life has been touched, sometimes very profoundly, by all this reading.
Thanks to all you bookworms out there!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Recovering Well
It will be two weeks tomorrow since I had my surgery - a hysterectomy. They were able to do it vaginally, so I only spent one day at the hospital. I have had almost no pain and am feeling really good at this point. Since everything is still healing, I am still taking it easy and using it as an excuse to be lazy.
There have been some good things that have come from this.
Obviously, the medical issues have been dealt with, so I should feel better as I heal.
My friend Sarah brought over a big bag of books that she had chosen from her own library so I could keep myself entertained. She knows how much I love to read and I have read 8 so far and am looking forward to finishing a few more in the next week or so. She did a great job of choosing books that I would like. I may need to use her as my bookfinder in the future!
Best of all, my son Billy drove down from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help take care of mom. He left to go back home yesterday. He was a tremendous help - mostly doing those little errands that you don't usually even think about, like picking up milk and bread, prescriptions, etc. He likes to cook so he also fixed several meals for us while he was here. He doesn't cook a lot of things, but he is very good at what he does. We had salmon a couple of times, as well as a number of other things.
He was also able to spend a lot of time with Lisa, which I really liked. I want so much for my children to be close as adults. He thoroughly enjoyed his niece Ashby. (And I have to ask - who wouldn't? She is just about the best thing that ever happened to the world!) We were able to spend some time just talking, which is always nice. All in all, it was a wonderful time with him here and it is feeling a little lonely now that he is gone. I don't need the help anymore, but I still liked having him here. He is planning on coming again for Christmas, and maybe Thanksgiving, so I am already looking forward to that.
I will probably have one or two more weeks off work. I like my job just fine, but I like being home even more. I have a pile of projects that I had planned to work on, but I don't seem to be making much headway on them. Maybe the next couple of weeks I will have a little more energy so I can do a few of them. Of course, then I will be reading less. What a dilemma!!
I have appreciated the kind thoughts and gestures that my friends have made to let me know that they are thinking of me. I am a pretty lucky woman - loving husband, great children, wonderful granddaughter, many friends. I am blessed abundantly!
There have been some good things that have come from this.
Obviously, the medical issues have been dealt with, so I should feel better as I heal.
My friend Sarah brought over a big bag of books that she had chosen from her own library so I could keep myself entertained. She knows how much I love to read and I have read 8 so far and am looking forward to finishing a few more in the next week or so. She did a great job of choosing books that I would like. I may need to use her as my bookfinder in the future!
Best of all, my son Billy drove down from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help take care of mom. He left to go back home yesterday. He was a tremendous help - mostly doing those little errands that you don't usually even think about, like picking up milk and bread, prescriptions, etc. He likes to cook so he also fixed several meals for us while he was here. He doesn't cook a lot of things, but he is very good at what he does. We had salmon a couple of times, as well as a number of other things.
He was also able to spend a lot of time with Lisa, which I really liked. I want so much for my children to be close as adults. He thoroughly enjoyed his niece Ashby. (And I have to ask - who wouldn't? She is just about the best thing that ever happened to the world!) We were able to spend some time just talking, which is always nice. All in all, it was a wonderful time with him here and it is feeling a little lonely now that he is gone. I don't need the help anymore, but I still liked having him here. He is planning on coming again for Christmas, and maybe Thanksgiving, so I am already looking forward to that.
I will probably have one or two more weeks off work. I like my job just fine, but I like being home even more. I have a pile of projects that I had planned to work on, but I don't seem to be making much headway on them. Maybe the next couple of weeks I will have a little more energy so I can do a few of them. Of course, then I will be reading less. What a dilemma!!
I have appreciated the kind thoughts and gestures that my friends have made to let me know that they are thinking of me. I am a pretty lucky woman - loving husband, great children, wonderful granddaughter, many friends. I am blessed abundantly!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What a great week in Charleston!
We had our bi-annual reunion with some old friends in Charleston earlier in October and it was a wonderful way to spend a week! We get together every two years with three other couples that we have known for years. Half of them knew each other while they were still in high school through the church in Atlanta. Some of the guys were college roommates. We were all dating at the same time and were all married the same summer - 1967 - 42 years ago! We have remained friends all these years. Several years ago we got together in Atlanta for a long weekend. We had such a good time that we decided to get together every two years. So far, we have met in Park City, Utah; Seaside, Oregon; and Williamsburg, Virginia. This time is was our turn to plan and we chose Charleston, South Carolina.
In the carriage before the tour
Tuesday was a gorgeous day, so we headed back to Charleston to get the boat tour in. It was one of the tourist highlights of the week, because it was so nice that day. We had lunch at Sticky Fingers (best ribs ever). After walking around some, we drove around the other areas to see everything. We enjoyed driving through the Citadel, as well.
Wednesday dawned rainy and windy, but we didn't let that stop us. We headed out to Middleton Place plantation, about 45 minutes away in the low country. We toured what they had to see and then had lunch at their restaurant. It was "low country" cooking, which was all good. Most everyone had the peanut soup and loved it. I had the clam chowder and it was wonderful, along with the fried catfish. After lunch, we toured through the gardens which were incredible. They would have been even more beautiful if it hadn't been raining so much!
In the rain
Thursday we did a day trip down to Savannah, a good two hours away. After making reservations for Lady & Sons restaurant (that's Paula Deen's place), we took a trolley tour of the city. We had the best tour guide and he made it really fun. A little time on River Street was followed by dinner. The food was great there, too - southern style cooking. We had the buffet with fried chicken, ribs and all the southern sides you can imagine. After walking around some in the evening, we got back kind of late. It was a long, but very fun, day.
Boat to Sumter Island --- Bill, Gary, & Bill on the Yorktown -- Shirley & Bill on the flightdeck
Bill & Shirley ----------- Carolyn & Gary ----------- Richard & Jo Anne
Bill and I drove up on Friday afternoon, so we could meet every one at the airport when they came in on Saturday. We had rented a house right on the beach in Isle of Palms. Saturday was arrival day, lunch at Red Lobster, getting unloaded, buying groceries, and generally laughing and catching up.
Sunday we attended church in Mt. Pleasant. After church, we ate at Hidalgo's, a Mexican restaurant, then mostly hung out the rest of the day. There is more to do in Charleston than could possibly get done in a week, so we planned out what things we would do each day so we could hit the highlights.
After church
Monday was "tour Charleston" day. We started with a buggy tour of the city, which was a lot of fun. After lunch at A. W. Shucks (the best BLT ever - made with fried green tomatoes!), we spent a while shopping at the market. We had planned to also do the boat harbor tour, but the weather was getting worse, so we chose to put that off until later. The guys were all so interested in the baseball playoffs, so the girls went out to see a movie - "Love Happens" - and had a great time.
In the carriage before the tour
Eating lunch at A W Shucks
Tuesday was a gorgeous day, so we headed back to Charleston to get the boat tour in. It was one of the tourist highlights of the week, because it was so nice that day. We had lunch at Sticky Fingers (best ribs ever). After walking around some, we drove around the other areas to see everything. We enjoyed driving through the Citadel, as well.
After the boat tour with the beautiful bridge in the background
Wednesday dawned rainy and windy, but we didn't let that stop us. We headed out to Middleton Place plantation, about 45 minutes away in the low country. We toured what they had to see and then had lunch at their restaurant. It was "low country" cooking, which was all good. Most everyone had the peanut soup and loved it. I had the clam chowder and it was wonderful, along with the fried catfish. After lunch, we toured through the gardens which were incredible. They would have been even more beautiful if it hadn't been raining so much!
In the rain
Lunch at the plantation
Thursday we did a day trip down to Savannah, a good two hours away. After making reservations for Lady & Sons restaurant (that's Paula Deen's place), we took a trolley tour of the city. We had the best tour guide and he made it really fun. A little time on River Street was followed by dinner. The food was great there, too - southern style cooking. We had the buffet with fried chicken, ribs and all the southern sides you can imagine. After walking around some in the evening, we got back kind of late. It was a long, but very fun, day.
Gary & Carolyn on River Street
Eating at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady & Sons:
Gary & Carolyn ---- Jo Anne & Richard ---- Shirley & Bill
Bill & me
Friday was the last day, so we started by going out for a big breakfast. The rest of the day we spent at Patriot's Point where we toured the WWII sub, the aircraft carrier Yorktown, and took a boat trip out to Sumter's Island. It was another rainy day, but it all worked out. Breakfast was our only meal out that day, as we had plenty of leftovers to finish off at home.
Patriot's Point ----------- Shirley and me in the submarine
Boat to Sumter Island --- Bill, Gary, & Bill on the Yorktown -- Shirley & Bill on the flightdeck
Saturday started early, getting all packed up and heading back to the airport. Then Bill and I drove on home and got back about 3:00. It was such a great week, but it went so fast! We are already excited about two years from now. We had all sorts of ideas of where to go and what to do and we are looking forward to seeing what Bill and Shirley come up with, since it is their turn to plan.
GREAT FRIENDS!
Bill & Shirley ----------- Carolyn & Gary ----------- Richard & Jo Anne
We are incredibly grateful for such wonderful, life-long friends.
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