So, Ya Wanna Be in Pictures?

Join me in our Thanksgiving weekend . . .

The table is set

MacKenzie, Patrick, Tara, Missy & Randy noshing thru the afternoon

Our niece, Tara, and her boyfriend, Aaron

Enjoying the meal and each other

On Friday we joined Missy, MacKenzie & Patrick in picking out their Christmas tree

Isn't she adorable? :)

Got it!

Setting it up

Now all that's left is the decorating!

It's always good to be with family.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We are home. Feels good. :)

We left Missy's about 8:30am ET and a couple hours later stopped at Cracker Barrel in Newnan, GA. Newnan's claim to fame is country singer, Alan Jackson. :) We had another good breakfast (is there any other kind at CB???) and were back on the road, heading south.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, just as we like it. We pulled into our site about 2:30pm CT. After we unloaded the truck we picked up Blackie at Ron & Ruth's. Apparently, they spoiled him rotten while we were gone 'cause he was a very happy boy. He did get a little excited when he saw us, but nothing like he's done in the past. We SO very much appreciate Ron & Ruth keeping Blackie; otherwise we wouldn't have been able to have T'giving with family.

Tonight was a potluck dinner at the clubhouse. As usual, lots of good food and company. We got caught up with Darrell & Judy and Dick & Pat. Now, it's time to kick back, relax in the recliners and enjoy being home.

:)

The Day After

Hold on to your hats - you're not going to believe this. I went out to the stores on Black Friday. There. I admitted it. There is a qualifier, however. The only reason I went was that I had bought a cardigan earlier this week at Old Navy and as I was checking out was informed of the big sale this weekend. I asked the cashier if my cardigan would be on sale and she looked at me a little sheepishly and admitted it probably would. Of course she also told me I could come back and get the sale price during that time. UGH!! But for almost $16, I was game.

Before going to Old Navy, though, we had to pick out the Christmas tree for Missy & family. They traditionally get their tree the day after Thanksgiving. We did this with them two years ago, too. Missy always goes to the same nursery to get the tree. They picked out a beauty, too. We got it home and Randy helped Missy and Patrick set it up. It looks great. Again, pictures will be shared Sunday when I get home and get them uploaded.

Next stop - Old Navy. I am proud to say that during my 15 minutes in the store, no harm came to me or anyone around me. :) I patiently stood in line and got my refund and promptly left. I must give kudos to Old Navy for having almost every register open and the line moved swiftly.

Missy, MacKenzie and Patrick continued to shop while Randy and I got the heck out of there. However, we did need to wait for them since we rode in the same car. So, we walked down to Target and meandered through there for awhile. It's really kinda nice to wander through a store amid the crazies when you don't have an agenda. :) By the time we left Target, Missy & kids were almost at the register in Old Navy, so we were soon on our way.

The afternoon was spent at Aaron's house, watching the Alabama/Auburn football game. Tara just graduated from Auburn this past summer and they are Auburn football freaks. Even Missy is VERY into the games. College football is big in this house. Randy and I were along for the food and family time. :) It was a close game. Unfortunately, Auburn lost, but they did give Alabama run for their money.

We're back home now and I am in my jammies, looking forward to a quiet evening. Tomorrow we'll get on the road by 8:30am, hopefully, and head home. It's been good to be with family, but I'm ready for my bed.

Until the next time . . .

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 is now almost a memory and the after-dinner haze is beginning to set in. Figured I'd better post now or it wouldn't get done. I've got pictures to share, but they'll have to wait until we get home 'cause I forgot the camera USB cord.

We had a lovely dinner. Missy made turkey, candied yams, mashed potatoes, dressing, corn, and rolls. I contributed the green bean casserole. There were eight of us for dinner - Randy & I, Missy and her three kids, Aaron, Tara's boyfriend and Caitlyn, a co-worker of Missy's. There was much laughter and fun throughout the afternoon.

This morning Kevin skype'd in and we got to talk to him for awhile. It was good to see his face and his voice. Most often we just IM, but today we got to see him as well. He's just gotten back from a four day mission and is pretty beat. I am so grateful for the technology that allows us to communicate with Kevin even though he is thousands of miles away.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; there are no presents necessary, just a time to be with family (if possible) and reflect upon all that has been given to us. I know there are many people right now who are hurting in some way: loss of job, loss of loved ones, relationships are a mess, major life changes, etc. But, I truly believe that, no matter your circumstances, you can find something to be thankful for.

I know it's easy for me to say that because right now life for me is outstanding, but I also know that in less time than it takes for me to write these words, that can change. And I hope, no, I pray!, that I will continue to hold on to God's hand and be thankful. Because it is God who is in charge, not me. Yes, circumstances in our lives can be crappy, but God is good. It is to Him that I want to turn when I am hurting. It is to Him that I want to hold on to when I can't hold on to anything else. And it is to Him that I will give praise and thanksgiving when life is good AND bad.

So, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I choose to find something to be thankful for every day. And I am grateful that most days it isn't difficult to do so. Today I am grateful for eyes that see, ears that hear, and a heart that loves deeply. Today I am grateful for a husband who loves me unconditionally, kids/grandkids who I love and who love me. Today I am grateful that my sister is my friend. Today I am grateful that my parents are pretty darn healthy and active. Today I am just grateful.

I hope you are, too.

Alabama to Georgia

After depositing Blackie with Ron & Ruth, we took off about 9:30 and headed north. We had a seven hour drive ahead of us to Alpharetta, GA.

With just one stop at Cracker Barrel in Greenville, AL, we pulled into Randy's sister, Missy's, driveway about 5:45pm. (We lost an hour, going from Central to Eastern time.) It was good to see everyone - even better to be greeted by our niece, MacKenzie with an ear-splitting squeal of delight. So nice to be loved.

So, we'll be here for the next couple of days. I'm sure you can expect a mushy post tomorrow. :)

Until the next time . . .

Getting Ready to Travel

Pat and I went to music this morning. The Tuesday group is readying itself for a Christmas program in early December so we were hitting it pretty hard, refining each song.

After rehearsal we went to the library - I finally get to check books out of a library!! YAY! For the five years we've been on the road, I've really missed being able to take advantage of a local library. You must have a local address in order to use a library, hence not being able to do so. But, this county acknowledges its winter residents and allows you to get a library card as long as you can show a piece of mail with a local address on it. Anyway, I picked up several books and am excited about that.

Finally, we stopped at WalMart so I could pick up our prescriptions as well as a couple of others items. Then, it was time to go home.

This afternoon was lazy, as usual. I made biscuits and franks & beans for dinner. Randy is out at Pops rehearsal. I spent a portion of the evening packing for our trip tomorrow.

We'll drop Blackie off at Ron & Ruth's about 9am and head north to Alpharetta, GA. It's about a seven hour drive, so I'm hoping to get some cross stitching done! ;) Plus, I'm really looking forward to seeing family!

Until the next time . . .

Christmas Shopping Done . . . Or So We Thought

Today was a shopping day - Christmas shopping. Now, most of you know by now that I do not like shopping. At all. But, Christmas shopping is a must, so off we went. I wanted to get it done. Most of what we needed to get were gift cards and they are a piece of cake. We just had to drive all over half of Baldwin County to pick up the ones we needed.

Pat told me that Walgreen's carries gift cards for many stores. I was a little concerned that they may not carry the ones I wanted and the only Walgreen's I knew of was in the opposite direction of the stores I needed, so we just went to the stores themselves. Since then I looked at Walgreen's website and, sure enough, they have all the ones I bought. Good to know for next time!

Once we got home, I updated my Christmas list and found I'd forgotten one card! Daggone it!! I even had it on my list. Duh! Oh, well. And, of course, it's a store that furthest away from us. But, Walgreen's does carry this store's gift cards, so I'll just drop by there and pick it up.

But, I hated that I wasn't done! I really wanted to be done with Christmas gifts. Oh, well.

Tonight was Bible study. It was the first time I'd attended during discussion night. See, we have a video one week and discussion the next. It was a small group tonight and these are some quiet women! I felt bad for Wendy, the leader, because no one was talking. Isn't that what "discussion" means? Talking? Anyway, suprise! I talked. I really went in with the intention of being quiet during this first time. But, hardly anyone was sharing. I don't think I dominated the discussion, but I did my fair share. Afterward, I apologized for talking too much and Wendy was so kind. She said she loves for people to talk. I warned her not to encourage me! :) Anyway, the group seems very nice and I think I'm going to like the study.

That's it for the first day of this week. Tomorrow Pat and I will go play music and then drop by the library to pick up some books. Randy's got Pops rehearsal tomorrow night. Wednesday we leave for Randy's sister for Thanksgiving. Going to be a busy couple of days!

Until the next time . . .

Another Weekend Done

Yeah, I've been lazy and haven't posted for a few days. Actually, there wasn't much to share so I figured I'd just write about the weekend as a whole.

Friday was spent in our usual manner - I went to Curves in the morning and we just hung around home for the rest of the day. I fixed dinner for Dick & Pat and us - a chicken casserole dish from the the back of the Stove Top Stuffing box. It was pretty good.

Saturday was laundry day, again as usual. (I am sooooooo boring!) It was also the craft and flea market day at the park. Folks sign up for a table and bring their wares to sell. We have some talented people in this park - wood carvers, jewelry makers, artists, to name a few. Also on Saturdays, there is breakfast. So, after I got the laundry done, we walked around the market and had breakfast. Larry, our cook, makes one good biscuit! Randy and I both had sausage biscuit sandwiches. Yummy. Dick and Pat were there, too, of course.

After breakfast we all sat outside at the our site and visited. It was a beautiful morning; all the more so because it was unexpected. The forecast was for a nasty rainy day, but the morning was sunny with a slight breeze. Perfect for sitting on the patio with good friends. :) Unfortunately, by the early afternoon the sun was gone and it was getting overcast and damp.

Of course the rain came about the time we were to go out. Eight of us; Ron & Ruth, Darrell & Judy, Dick & Pat and us went to a concert given by the Airmen of Note, the Air Force jazz band.
They were excellent. We all enjoyed it. One thing that made it even more fun is that one of the trombone player was a "local boy." He had grown up in Loxley, which is a town just north of us. He seemed really pleased to be playing here.

Today we went to church and had a quiet afternoon at home. Just got back a little bit ago from the ice cream social. Now it's time to settle in for the evening.

Until the next time . . .

Overcast, Becoming Sunny

I'm talking about my attitude, not the weather. I woke up feeling a bit melancholy, don't know where it came from, but there it was. Been missing my kids these past couple of days, so I know that fed the attitude a bit. With Thanksgiving next week, I guess I'm feeling kinda family-less. Hopefully spending Thanksgiving with Randy's sister and kids will help.

Sara, our daughter-in-law, called this morning and we got to talk for awhile. That helped my mood a lot. She is a wonderful young woman and we love her and are grateful for how much she loves Kev and how supportive she is of him and his career.

I decided not to go to music today. Yeah, I know - no music at all this week for me. We had an RV tech coming today and I wanted to hear what the problem was with the slide. Thankfully, it wasn't much of a problem; just replacement of a pin that had broken. The cost was less than $100!! That, in itself, is a miracle. Nothing ever costs less than $100 on an RV. We are very happy with Petersen's RV, they are a family-owned company and provide good service - both mechanically and relationally.

As the day went on, my mood lifted some. I did some cross stitch, ran to WalMart to pick up more Thanksgiving cards, finished writing the cards, took a bike ride around the park and watched some TV.

We got a call from Dick & Pat early in the afternoon letting us know that they would be coming in late this afternoon! We were expecting them this weekend, so we were quite excited. Randy and Ron got busy outside prepping their site. Sometime between 3:30 and 4:00, we heard Ruth outside saying that Dick & Pat were pulling in! They were more than an hour earlier than we expected.

Needless to say it was a joyful reunion. :) Pat has been through much sorrow since we last saw them in June. She lost both of her brothers in less than two months and had a cancer scare herself. Thankfully, no cancer was found and she can begin to put all of that behind her. After getting our hugs, we let them set up.

Since none of us had eaten dinner yet, the four of us went over to Big Daddy's (yes, I know we were just there!) for a reunion dinner. :) It was great being together again. We just pick up where we left off and keep going. Isn't that a sign of great friends?

It's nice having the day end on a happier note than it began. I'm still missing my kiddos, but it's not overwhelming. Having good friends next door sure go a long way to making life a bit sweeter.

Until the next time . . .

Chores

We had a bit of excitement during the night - the furnace wouldn't fire! About 1:30 I was up and heard the burner trying to ignite, but nothing was happening. So, being the liberated, 21st century kind of woman I am . . . I woke Randy and told him something was wrong with the furnace. :) And being the sensitive, loving husband Randy is, he got up and went outside to check things out.

Turns out when Randy had gotten one of the tanks filled last week, he didn't reconnect it, so when the other tank died last night, the full one couldn't take over automatically as it normally would. Randy connected it and we waited to see if the furnace would fire. It didn't. Ugh. Randy figured the propane lines were too cold for the propane to get through and it would just take some time. So, we turned on the electric heater and brought it to the bedroom area. I went back to bed and Randy stayed up 'cause he was wide awake by that time.

When I woke back up about 6:30 this morning, I looked down into the living room and started laughing. Randy was sitting in his recliner, on the computer, with his coat on and hood up! Of course, it was only 57 degrees in the rig, so he sure needed the coat!

I headed out to Curves and did my session. Came home to the furnace roaring! YAY! All is working fine. Praise God! I was a little worried there was a problem. Bad enough we've got a problem with the slide, we sure don't need another issue right now.

After my coffee and computer time, I got to work. I cleaned the bathroom and all the mirrors in the bathroom and bedroom. Then I updated the finances. Lastly, I wrote and addressed Thanksgiving cards. I didn't them all done 'cause I ran out of cards. Gotta get some more tomorrow. I also did a bit of cross stitching.

Randy went out and got the propane tank filled. He spent the rest of the day in his recliner. He didn't even take a nap! I can't believe that. Well, he did take Blackie for a couple of walks, too.

We also said our good-byes to Russ & Pat. They are making their way west to Tucson, AZ where they will winter. It was a little hard to say good-bye 'cause we're not sure when we'll see them again. They don't come east very often and we sure don't go west much, either. But, we'll work something out. Randy's talked about spending February and March of 2011 in Tucson, so we'll see.

It's gonna be chilly again tonight, so I'm glad we've got the furnace going and plenty of propane!

Tomorrow we have an RV tech coming to look at the slide. Hopefully, it is not a big (read lots of $$$) problem. But, whatever it is, it's gotta be fixed.

Until the next time . . .

Last Day with Russ & Pat

Typically I would have gone to one of my dulcimer groups today, but since Russ & Pat are leaving tomorrow, I decided to spend that time with them. We won't be seeing them for a very long, so I wanted to get as much time in as possible!

(Note to Jennifer: You're going to have to check in on your folks now! :) I won't have any more info on them!! heehee)

We started our day at the Foley Coffee Shop. We wanted a bit of local flavor with Russ & Pat. I think they enjoyed their breakfast. From there, Pat & I parted ways with the guys. They went to the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Pat & I headed home to exchange dulcimer music.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cross stitching, watching recorded shows, and reading. Randy got home about 2:30.

About 4pm we picked Russ & Pat up and went to dinner at Big Daddy's. Once again, we had a good meal and an enjoyable time together. I'm really sad they'll be leaving tomorrow. We're waiting until the morning to say our good-byes.

I'm going to have a quiet evening - Randy's got Pops rehearsal. More TV and computer comin' up! :)

Until the next time . . .

Monday

Fairly quiet day today. Randy was leaving around 8am to go to Mobile to pick up friends who have been on a cruise this past week. I didn't have anything planned except to go to Curves and WalMart. I left about 6:35am for Curves and was at WalMart before 8:00. :)

Due to horrible fog we had this morning, the cruise ship didn't dock until well after 10:00am and Randy didn't make it home until 12:30. Once I got back from WalMart, I had a quiet morning of finishing my Bible study lesson for this evening and watching some shows I'd DVR'd.

The afternoon was spent in the usual way - relaxing and watching TV. We lead an exciting life, don't we?!?!?!! :)

I left about 5pm for Bible study. I was invited to join a women's Bible study at Silverhill Covenant Church. A couple of women I met at Curves are part of this study and invited me to join them. They are doing a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther. I was a few weeks behind but spent this past weekend getting caught up so I was up-to-date tonight. I have to say there have been few times that I can remember being so welcomed and made to feel at home. It was a great experience and I am looking forward to getting to them better over the coming weeks. And this study is amazing - I can't wait to see how God is going to use it to change me.

Tomorrow we're going to breakfast with Russ & Pat. Then the guys are going to the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola and Pat & I are going to go through our dulcimer music and exchange songs. Once the guys get home, we're going to dinner at Big Daddy's. Gotta take Russ & Pat there before they leave! And sadly, they're leaving on Wednesday.

That's it from LA! Until the next time . . .

Sunday Sunshine

We woke up to another beautiful, sunshine-filled morning. And no, it doesn't get old. :) We had a leisurely morning; having coffee, watching the news, the usual morning routine.

About 10:15 we picked up Russ & Pat and went to church. Every week I'm more convinced this is where we need to be. The worship is so joyful and filling. The pastor began a new series called, "The DNA of the Church." He gave a great intro today, sharing with us who the Church really is (us); how we are God's Kingdom in the world; and what we are to do with the power and authority Jesus has given us. It was pretty powerful.

After church we went to Cousin Vinny's, an Italian restaurant in Daphne, just north of Fairhope. It's one of our favorite restaurants; we've never had a bad meal there. Their spinach salad is fantastic! Russ got that, Pat got a chicken caesar salad and Randy and I got the muffaletta with a spinach side salad. Hmmm hmmm good!

From Cousin Vinny's, we took a drive along Scenic 98 which is the road that rolls through Daphne and into Fairhope. It takes you along the beautiful homes that sit on the bay and are landscaped just beautifully. There is lots of $$ in that town. :) As you go along, not only do the beautiful homes take your breath away, you see glimpses of the bay and many, many boats. The views are just gorgeous.

Once we left Fairhope, we showed Russ & Pat a 55+ community called The Grove that is a lovely development of manufactured/mobile homes that we like. It is an active community with lots of things to do. Several former RVers make their homes there. I told Randy it is something I am willing to explore once we stop traveling. We also drove by another RV park in which one can buy a site for $30 to 50K. Yes, you read that right. It's ridiculous! The sites are not large by any stretch of the imagination and the park itself is small. I can't imagine why anyone would want to buy a site there, but there are many who have. That won't be us, I can tell you. We could get a nice home at The Grove for little more than $50K!

We got back home about 3pm and all four of us were ready for a nap! :) Bellies were full and riding in the truck with the sun pouring in just made for sleepy people. We dropped Russ & Pat off at their rig and, once we were home, I promptly plopped myself in the lounge chair on the patio with my book. Well, I read maybe a page or two before I was being rudely awoken by our neighbor yelling for his dog. :) It had started to get chilly in that 40 minutes I was "reading," so I came inside and got comfy in my recliner. Randy was watching TV.

We finished our day with the weekly ice cream social. Russ and Pat joined us there. We visited some more and then the Vintage Vagabonds took the stage. This is a group from the park who play easy listening dance tunes. They were pretty good.

Another great weekend. Not sure what is going on tomorrow but I'll let you know! Until the next time . . .

Exploring with Friends

This was an absolutely, fabulous day! I was up a little past 6am and headed off to the laundry room to put that weekly chore behind me. I was back home by 8am with two loads of laundry done. Then it was time to get ready for our playdate with Russ & Pat. :)

About 10am Russ & Pat came to pick us up. We were going to show them the Gulf Shores area, so we headed south toward the water. Our first stop was at the Mobile Ferry dock area. The road leading to the dock runs between Bon Secour Bay and the Gulf and on either side of the road are many gorgeous homes that sit out on the dunes overlooking the water. Also at the end of this road is Fort Morgan which played a major role in the Battle of Mobile Bay and was also used in the Spanish-American War and both world wars. We didn't tour the fort, just parked in the ferry parking lot and Pat and I took pictures of pelicans in the bay. :)

Leaving the Mobile Ferry parking lot, we headed toward the beach. It was an amazingly gorgeous day, weatherwise. To be walking on the beach in short sleeves and capris in November just blows me away! I just wanted to grab a chair, a book and sit on the beach for the rest of the day.

We also took a drive through Gulf State Park campground. This campground abuts a lake and there are RV sites that back up to the water. It's a great campground. We have always said that if we didn't stay at the Escapees park, we'd be camping here. Most state parks have a two week limit on reservations, but you can stay for the season at this park. And it has very reasonable rates - including monthly.

Our tummies were beginning to let us know it was past lunchtime, so it was off to Doc's for lunch. Doc's is in Orange Beach and is a well-known local seafood restaurant.

We'd been to Doc's once before and enjoyed it and figured Russ & Pat would, too. And they did! I don't usually take pictures of my meals, but this looked so good when the waitress set it in front of me, I couldn't resist. Pat's looked pretty good, too. :) Randy and Russ enjoyed their meals, as well.

Back in the truck, it was time to head toward home, but we had a couple more stops to make before we got there. The next stop of Tanger Outlets. Pat needed to get some new sneakers and she only buys a certain type of Nikes and Tanger has a Nike outlet.

When we got there, the guys went one way and Pat and I went another. Pat found her sneakers and we went in search of some more "bargains. " :) There was a new bookstore so of course we had to go in it. I found three more Christmas presents! The Crocs store was next and Pat found a couple pair of flip flops she couldn't live without. After all, they were buy one, get one free - can't pass that up! From there we went to the Jockey store and I won't share all that Pat bought there.

BUT! Jennifer, ask your mom about those purchases!! :)

By now, it was almost 4pm and we figured it was time to get the guys and head for our last stop. When the guys picked us up, we saw that Russ had done a little shopping of his own at the Black & Decker store. :)

Our last stop? The ice cream parlor in Summerdale! I wish I'd taken a picture of the inside of the store 'cause it looked like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor; at least as best as it could.

Russ, Pat & I got a scoop of ice cream and cones, but Randy got a banana split. I should have taken a picture of it - it looked great. He said it was the best one he'd had in a long time. We all enjoyed our treat.

Then, it was time to go home. We had a fantastic day, seeing familiar places through new eyes. I am so glad Russ and Pat like this area - maybe they'll come back!

Once we got home, we realized that our neighbors were gathered for a campfire. We hadn't seen them all week, so we wandered over for a bit. It was good to touch base with them! It is such a blessing to be surrounded by good friends and to have the comfort of being able to drop in on them. We are so rich in this way.

And we also get to experience His paintbrush every night.

Russ & Pat are going to church with us tomorrow and then we're going to take the scenic route through Fairhope. Can't wait to show them how beautiful that town is!

Until the next time . . .

Spending the Day at Home

Randy was a busy guy today, but me? Not so much. I had a rough night and very broken sleep, so I didn't drag myself out of bed until almost 7am. Yeah, I know that's not late, but I had laid there for a half hour until I decided I might as well get up.

I went to Curves, but wasn't very productive. I probably wouldn't have gone at all 'cause I was feeling so crummy, but I had to pick up a Bible study book so I could get ready for the study on Monday evening. I have four chapters to do to get caught up!

Anyway, once I got home, I grabbed a shower and that was the extent of my exertion for the day. I have felt "off" all day - headache and just yucky.

Randy, however, was da man today! He put the awning back out, with the lights and set up our patio. (He'd had to put all of it away when we were waiting out Ida.) He also mowed the lawn. Then, he went to his psaltery group and played for about an hour. He was much more productive than I was today. :)

This evening we went over to Russ & Pat's for an appetizer hour. Darrell & Judy came, too. Russ made stuff jalapeno peppers, I brought cheese, summer sausage & crackers, Judy made blueberry bread. It was yummy! We spent a couple of hours chatting and sharing stories.

Tomorrow we're taking Russ & Pat exploring. Supposed to be another beautiful day. Until the next time . . .

Sharing Music with Friends

It's Thursday, so that means music! Today was going to be a little different 'cause we were supposed to have the jam session down at the water in Fairhope, have a potluck afterward, AND Russ & Pat were coming with us!

We picked up Russ & Pat about 8:30 and headed to Fairhope Pier. We were the only ones there! The plan was to meet at the pavilion as long as weather permitted. Well, it was sunny, but breezy and the pavilion was in the shade, so it was pretty cool. A couple of other folks showed up, but we all came to the conclusion that no one else was coming and so off we went to our regular meeting place. And there they all were! Linda, who coordinated the event, said she left a note, but none of us saw it! No matter, we all ended up together.

The group was much smaller than usual; several people were on a cruise and I guess others had things they had to do. That's okay, we enjoyed ourselves anyway. I felt a little bad 'cause Russ & Pat weren't familiar with many of the songs we play, but they hung in there anyway.

Some of the group

This one's for you, Jennifer!

Randy at his psaltery

Other half of the group

About 11:45 we stopped playing and got ready for our lunch. We were not going to go hungry today! As usually happens at a potluck, there was more food than we could eat, but we sure tried. :) We had good food and good conversation. It was fun to have time to sit and get to know some folks we haven't chatted with before.

Getting ready to eat

Enjoying each other's company

After lunch, we packed up and left for our next stop. Russ & Pat needed to pick up their mail from the Summerdale post office and we needed to mail a package to Kevin. Got that done, dropped Russ & Pat off at their rig and we came home.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed - I'd developed a nasty headache while at Pickers and it wasn't going away. Finally after a couple of hours, I got up and took a bicycle ride, hoping that would ease the headache. It did, some.

Russ, Pat, Randy & I went to the clubhouse for dinner. It was good, as usual. Russ & Pat got to meet Darrell & Judy as they sat at our table. We had lively dinner conversation. :)

Nothing planned for tomorrow, we'll see what comes. Hope you've had a good week! Until the next time . . .

Gratitude, Glorious Weather, and Good Friends

This was a full day - full of being grateful for so many things. I am grateful for: being able to get up and exercise even though it's not my favorite thing to do; seeing the sun come up after a couple of overcast days; knowing that I am loved; and the list goes on and on and on . . .

Most importantly, today I am grateful to live in a country that allows its people to disagree with each other and the government without concern for their safety, a country that welcomes others in to share in the wealth of it and where I can openly worship my way. I am grateful for those men and women who have fought (some having died) for me to continue to live freely.

To each and every man and woman who have served and are still serving, in our military, THANK YOU. To "my" soldier, my son, who is currently deployed to Iraq: I am proud to be your mother. And lastly, to the unsung heroes, the spouses of these men and women, thank you for holding the homefront while your husbands/wives are serving.

We had beautiful weather today which was a lovely change from the last couple of days. The skies were blue, the sun was shining, and there was a breeze. Glorious.

About 3pm today our good friends, Russ & Pat, pulled into the park! YAY!! We walked over to greet them, got our hugs, then left them alone to set up. There's nothing worse than having an audience while you're trying to do that! :) We made plans to go to dinner once they were finished. So, a little past 5pm, they were finished and we headed out to The Shrimp Basket for their all-you-can-eat shrimp dinners. Yummy.

We had a wonderful time at dinner, catching up with each other's adventures since we last saw each other - in April! Of course, we didn't hear about everything, but we have lots of time over the next couple of weeks. Russ & Pat are going to join us for Pickers dulcimer group tomorrow. That'll be fun. Pat plays the dulcimer and Russ plays the guitar, they will fit right in.

A fantastic day, I'd say! Until the next time . . .

So Much Hype – So Little Storm

At least it for us. We both said that we'd had more wind and more rain in some thunderstorms. The rain stopped sometime in the middle of the night and that was when it was supposed to be the worst. NOT that I'm complaining, mind you!!

I believe my East Coast buddies/family are starting to feel the leftovers of Ida. Sorry 'bout that, folks! Hope everyone stays dry and safe.

It did drizzle on and off most of today. But, I still had to get out. We'd been hanging around the rig for the past three days and I was starting to get a little cabin fever. We had stayed home over the weekend (except for church) and it was nice to have nothing planned. Of course, yesterday we were on storm watch so we didn't go anywhere. I was MORE than ready to do something today.

So, we went shopping. Yes, you read that right - shopping. I know; you're thinking I definitely must have been a little feverish to want to go shopping, but we had to. We needed to get Kevin's birthday presents so we can get them in the mail to him. Plus we were able to check off a few more Christmas presents.

Then, Randy surprised me by wanting to go to Big Daddy's for a late lunch/very early dinner. He usually doesn't initiate going out or specifying where he wants to go, so that's why I was surprised. Of course, I didn't say no! ;) So, we had a scrumptious meal - we got our usual for Big Daddy's - the mega burger for Randy and blackened shrimp for me. Yummy!

Tonight Randy's at Pops rehearsal and I'm at home. The wind is more fierce tonight than it was last night. Weird. Russ & Pat are due in tomorrow so we're excited about that. We'll be having some good times over the next couple of weeks with them.

That's about all from our world. Hope yours is good. Until the next time . . .

Riding Out the Storm

Tropical Storm Ida is on her way inland and heading toward Pensacola. Some of our friends decided to get the heck out of Dodge and left this morning, heading west. We decided to stay put for a couple of reasons: one of our slides will not retract, so that's a huge impediment to moving plus Ida was downgraded and the predicted wind gusts have lessened. We'll see what happens!

Right now we're getting rain and some wind. The worst is supposed to come during the night. Guess we'll be rocked to sleep. :)

Talk to you after the storm!

The Weekend

This has been one lazy weekend! Yesterday the only productive thing I did was laundry - and that was done before 8am! We had absolutely nothing else planned for the day and that's exactly what we did.

There was lots of cross stitching, computer reading, and TV watching going on, but that's it. Oh, and yes, to end the day, we sat by the fire with neighbors for a bit as well.

This morning we got up and readied ourselves to go to early service in anticipation of Russ & Pat getting here this evening. Well, just a half hour before we left for church, Pat called and told Randy they weren't coming because of concern about Tropical Storm Ida. I couldn't believe how disappointed I was!! So, I called back to see if there was any way they could just delay a couple of days and come later in the week. I talked to Russ and he said they were talking about that and would get back to us.

We went on to church and once again, found it to be uplifting and soul-satisfying. The family pastor spoke today and he brought another great message. Yes, I think we've found a home. There is a information class next Sunday and we plan to attend.

Russ & Pat called while we were in church to let us know they decided to sit tight where they are and come here on Wednesday. YAY!!! I am so delighted with this decision. They have become such precious friends and I so want to spend time with them. Now, let's pray that Ida doesn't do anything weird to spoil these plans.

We were going to have Russ & Pat in for dinner this evening so I had planned crockpot enchiladas. Since I'd already had all the ingredients ready, I went ahead and made it anyway. It's been a while since we've had it and I'd forgotten how good it is. :) We ate about 4:30 so that we could be ready for the ice cream social at 6pm.

As usual the ice cream social involves what else? lots of socializing! :) We even had music this evening by some folks in the park. A nice way to end the evening.

Now, we're back home, relaxing in our recliners and settled for the night. The next couple of days will be interesting as we watch Ida's progress.

Until the next time . . .

Spending the Day with Friends

Got up feeling much better this morning! Of course, I don't think I could have felt a whole lot worse than I did when I went to bed. Well, I guess, I could have, but I'm glad I didn't! :)

Got out to Curves first thing 'cause we were going out with Darrell & Judy at 9am. I had to get to Curves, get back and get showered by then, so I had to move. And I did it! I actually had some time to sit and drink a cup of coffee, too.

Earlier this week we had made plans with Darrell & Judy to go to breakfast then meander around Heritage Harbor Days at Foley Park. This is an annual event that exhibits the highlights of living and playing in Baldwin County. Randy & I had gone last year, too.

The four of us started our "date" with breakfast at the Foley Coffee Shop. Randy & I often go here, but it was Darrell & Judy's first time. We enjoyed our meal and each other's company - as usual. :)


The coffee shop is right across the street from Foley Park, so that was convenient. Before walking around the festival, I went to the post office to mail a package. Once that was done, it was time to see what was doing at the festival.

The park has some beautiful flowers. Don't think the pictures do them justice, though.


Now, I'm not sure if it's because Randy & I had been to this event before or because it was early on Friday, the first day of the event, but it wasn't very exciting. We thought there would be music going on and vendors galore. The musicians were just setting up as were the vendors. I was a bit disappointed; figured when an event advertises its starting time that means all vendors, musicians, food services, etc., would be up and running. Oh, well. It looked like it was pretty much just like last year, so I don't think we missed anything.

Randy did enjoy the tractors, though. Seems they never get old.


Also on the park property is the train museum which houses a fascinating "O" gauge model train set up. This is a really neat exhibit! The attention to detail is amazing. It even had a drive-in theater where The Andy Griffith Show was playing onscreen! I think we could have looked over the exhibit for hours and not seen everything.


On the way to the train museum, Darrell got "on board" with the idea. :)


From the park we made a stop at WalMart to pick up a bicycle seat, if they had one. They did and we bought it. I was given a bike and needed to get a better seat for it. Now all I have to do is start riding it. :)

After WalMart, we took a ride to find an historic home we'd heard about - Swift Coles House that sits on the Bon Secour River. Boy, was that a disappointment. We didn't even bother going in. It's obvious it's in the renovation stages and, maybe it's nicer on the inside, but from the outside, it wasn't very impressive.

The afternoon was spent on the patio in the lounger (me) and in front of the TV (Randy). Randy also had a psaltry jam session. He's playing every Friday afternoon with a few other folks. He says he's determined to master it. :)

Pizza for dinner and Friday night TV. Boy, how exciting are we! ;) Nothing planned for tomorrow - just laundry. Sunday Russ & Pat are due in the park; can't wait for that!

Until the next time . . .

Fun Pictures

Since I felt like crud most of today due to a migraine, I'm going to share some pictures that make me smile. Hope they make you smile, too!

Kevin & Sara posed for "Old Tyme" pictures before Kev deployed. Cute, huh?


Our son-in-law, Jason, recently built a deck off of their kitchen. Reagan helped, of course. And isn't this what all of the stylin' deck builders are wearing these days?


Halloween fun - besides Reagan & Lindsay, our grandnieces Kylie & Kelsey enjoyed themselves, too!

A posing peacock

Taking a minute to get a picture at the school party

Kelsey, Kylie & Reagan before trick-or-treating

So very excited!

She's happy about whatever THAT house gave out!

But what the HECK is this?

Until the next time . . .