health issues.

Last night I had talked Evelyn into going to Iron Tree and riding around while I played 18 holes. We were up early and teeing off by 9:15. It always takes us an hour to get out of the house. We were one of the few people there when we started. It was still cool but morning showers had been predicted. We enjoyed the first round but by hole 4 it was warming up considerably. I wear a hat in the sun but had begun playing without it. I put it on during hole 4. We finished, and I was playing par for me. I wanted to get Evelyn home by 1 so I just continued without a break. I didn’t do as well in the beginning. There was a very slow 4some in front of us, but they let us play through on hole 3. I think I was rushing to get out of their way and played terribly on that hole. In fact I quit that hole and went on to 5. Things improved only slightly but I was not delaying anyone. When we finished the 9, I went back and played hole 3 over. I did much better. We were home shortly after 1, and I made Evelyn lie down for a while. I went to the kitchen and chopped celery and onion for our chicken salad. She came out, and I chopped the chicken while she mixed the dressing for the salad. It failed to make the chicken salad moist enough. We ate some of it for lunch and cleaned up the kitchen. Evelyn lay down to read and suddenly began to feel chest pain. She was in misery. I went out looking for an envelope I had misplaced and returned to find her vomiting in the bathroom. I worried she might be having a heart attack, and she worried about a gall bladder attack. She has a family history of the latter. She felt a bit better and went back to bed. For some reason the power went off in the entire neighborhood so I joined her for a nap. She felt much better when she wakened, and we went off to Wal-Mart for medicines and then to choir practice. Afterward we came home to watch the Cubs play the Brewers again. Evelyn took some Zantac hoping it would help settle her stomach. She has had an upset stomach several times over the past week, even in Lexington.

errands galore

Tuesday found us with a busy schedule. We walked the lake and returned home to clean up before starting out. We went to Wal-Mart to get my medicine refilled and went to the church to talk about being in charge of the upcoming dedication dinner. The church secretary said she thought no one had yet volunteered. We said we would. We then went to the hospital to pay a bill and to check on why we haven’t been called to volunteer. Someone did contact us by e-mail and by telephone tonight. She will try to work it out so that we can volunteer at the same time. She is talking about weekends which doesn’t excite me, but the Lord has something in mind. We left there and went to the Open Door where we served the people. It was hot today and seems to always be hot there. We have been there so long that many of the people know us, some even by name. I have begun looking for a dinner jacket to go with my new tuxedo pants so I went to two thrift stores, asking them to be on the lookout for one. We also returned some books that Evelyn has been unable to read to the library. We went to two groceries on the way home to replenish some supplies here. We came home and rested. It always tires Evelyn out to work there and her back was hurting today. After waking, we began working on making some hazelnut/poppy seed bread. I chopped the hazelnuts and kneaded the bread. We made 3 different size loaves and allowed the dough to rise. We ate a Healthy Choice meal from the grocery and then cleaned up the mess that dough and flour make. Then we were ready to bake. We were also ready to watch the Cubs play on TV. They had a big 6th inning and won their 3rd in a row. Everyone gets worried when they lose a string this time of year. We ate peanuts in the shell while watching the game.

Two for one

Sunday we went to worship with the remaining LLL members. The service was another uplifting one. We sat with and said goodbye to Tom and Janet, finished packing the car and left for Corbin. We were gone by 10:30 and planned to eat at the shrine, but Evelyn preferred a buffet and they didn't offer one. We went on to Baurborville and ate. I try to avoid buffets because I have no common sense. I did better this time but not well. We drove on down 25E stopping at one flea market looking for a MaxAire top for our vent and for gas. It was only $3.59 and we are supposed to get 5% discounted at Marathon stations. We must take a long time driving because we didn't arrive until 5:30. We unpacked some of the car but mainly just "crashed" for 20 minutes and then were off to the candlelight closing of Folkmoot USA. It was a fine program, especially the Argentinian dancers. We didn't stay for all of the closing because we were tired. We came home and just ate some snacks before going to bed. We did learn that it had rained Saturday. Praise God! We still need rain.
Monday we slept in and then went to walk the lake. We had been sitting for mostly 4 days and needed exercise. We stopped at a clothing sale but found nothing we wanted. We came straight home and watered the plants. It was 11 so we didn't eat breakfast. We showered and then Evelyn prepared some squash, onions and tomato with Emeril's Italian Essence. I thought it delicious. We took a nap because Evelyn had been light on the sleep last night. When we wakened I continued working on the computer while Evelyn made a bean dip to take to Jim and Kathy's for a snack. We like to go there because she works and is tired when she comes home. We always take snacks and beer so we aren't spongeing. We made plans to go out with them Friday and then came home and finished the peanut butter pie from last week. Evelyn watched "Mr. and Mrs Smith" while I wrote this. In the afternoon and evening she also wrote some notes to the grandkids to send with a surprise package to them.

Finishing the convention in style.

Saturday we didn't have breakfast plans. I finished the leftover pork and Evelyn went to an Arby's for a breakfast sandwich. It was the only thing open. We then went to hear Phyllis Wallace. She speaks on the "Woman to Woman" program produced by the Lutheran Hour Ministies. She spoke for nearly 2 1/2 hours. I could understand little. It sounded like echoes to me. Evelyn heard it well. We had expected to hear Reverend Klaus too but didn't. We served some time as volunteers again and then walked down through a downtown farmer's market instead of having lunch. We went back to the hotel and Evelyn rested. I went back to go through the exhibits and discovered some extra fudge brownie served to the exhibitors. I went back and clled Evelyn to come to join me in the delicious decadence. We ate in the volunteer's lounge we had discovered yesterday. We also got some small bags of Doritos, etc. for tomorrow's snacks. We went back for some of the afternoon final session. Evelyn noticed it was on Spiritual gifts and wanted the information given. We had missed the presentation. We later found the answers in the booklet and she can use the material in her continuation of the Bible study she is leading at church. I had to go to rehearse with the choir at 2:15 so we separated. We rehearsed and then sang in the rally, so Evelyn and I never met. I get so filled with joy during some of the songs that I can hardly sing. I do stick with it though. I looked for Evelyn after the rally but couldn't find her. I went to the room looking and decided to take a couple of items to the car. I then went back looking for her and the Grotrians. I found her in her good dress and everyone else in semi-formal attire at a cheese and fruit soiree. I was in shorts, not realizing this might be more formal. I was not a happy camper but had no time to go change. I stayed and then we went to the closing dinner. It was delicious; prime rib, asparagus, mashed potatoes and cheesecake. During dinner, a bluegrass band entertained us with gospel bluegrass tunes. The program was a "good ole boy commedian". He was funny. We said goodbye to Tom and Janet and went back to the room to take another load to the car. We will be able to leave soon after worship tomorrow. We want to make it to the KFC "shrine" in Corbin by lunch time. This is where Colonel Sanders developed the secret recipe for the chicken Evelyn loves so much.

Inspirations and horses

Friday we were scheduled to work as information hosts in the Radisson lobby. We were in this hotel so we had a short distance to travel. I went down first while Evelyn got ready. She had not gone to sleep until after 3 this morning. We don't know what keeps her awake. I was matched with a woman from the convention bureau who could talk the paint off a wall. Evelyn came down and saved me. We finished at 10 and we went to the general session. The feature was a great sermon by Dr. Klaus emphasizing that Christians must draw the line against the ACLU, antiChristian media and even churches that don't preach the gospel of Christ. It was very moving as was the testimony of Pat Day, former great jockey, after our lunch of "hot brown" for the second day. This time we got a recipe for the dish. Day's testimony was very powerful and moving too. This was great Spiritual food in both the morning and at noon. We went to our room and changed for the family night at the Kentucky Horse Park. We were taken by bus to the park and toured the horse museum, enjoyed a barbecue dinner (it was not nearly as good as those in Texas) and a horse show that was good but not as good as the one we saw 12 years ago. We enjoyed being with Tom and Janet and entertained them in our room for a while. We planned to meet them for breakfast tomorrow but had to cancel because we couldn't find any places open for us to gewt to, eat and get back for the Q&A with Dr. Klaus and Phyllis Warren tomorrow morning. We will also begin packing for the trip home tomorrow evening.

Convention day 1

We were up eating breakfast by 8 and off to downtown Lexington by 9. We arrived without trouble and parked on the 5th floor of the parking garage. Our room was not ready but we weren't without occupation. We had to check in, and I had to hurry off to my 2 hour choir rehearsal. Evelyn came in to watch toward the end and then we rushed to our hotel to see if we could check in. We still couldn't but did see Tom and Janet. They were going to a session but we weren't. We walked around the near area and found a famous restaurant across the street. We shared a "hot brown", a chicken breast on toast covered with a sauce. It is a favorite around Kentucky but is not hot nor brown. It was good however. We happened to go to a small clothing store having a grand opening located in the Victorian mall where the restaurant was. Evelyn went in to see their clothes and came out announcing they had tuxedo trousers for $5. She wants me to get something formal for our January cruise and the price was right. I plan to wear things only once and don't want to pay some outrageous price for them. We found a pair that fit and a shirt also. Both were $5 each. The funny part was that Evelyn looked around while I was changing and noticed how big the women's shoes were. To shorten the story, she suspected this might be a shop for transvesties. We left and forgot some bags we had been given at the convention, so I had to return for them. Sure enough, there was a large man with a dress over his arm looking at accessories to go with it. What a joke on us. We returned to the convention center for the opening worship service. I sang in the choir and we were blessed with Holy Communion. Evelyn sat in the back with Janet (Tom was an usher) and said the choir was not very loud. I know the tenors had a terrible time with one of the selections. But I think the Lord was blessed in the service. We had paid for a dinner and went after checking in to our room. I had to go to the car to bring our items in and take my "transvestite" items to it. Evelyn was able to take a short nap and off we went to the dinner. The entree was delicious pork loin and green beans with good rolls and a nice dessert. Evelyn carried much of hers back to our room. We have a cooler with ice so it will keep. We went to attend a "float building party". It was a presentation about building the Lutheran Hour float for the Rose Bowl parade. We enjoyed the enthusiasm of the presenters and would like to go help sometime. We will not likely go as long as I am preaching in south Texas. We also enjoyed a root beer float provided by the hotel. We returned to our room and went to bed on our sleep number bed. This was the first time we had slept on one. Evelyn wanted her side soft and set it on 30. I put mine on 55. I slept better than she did.

Going to worship

We arose and finished loading the car. I carried the tomato plants to the front so Doris could water them without having to drag the hose to them. Marty agreed to collect our mail. We packed “everything” we had left to pack--I thought. At about the point where we couldn’t turn back, I discovered I had not brought my computer. I was going to order a new battery but can’t until next week. We drove on stopping several times especially for gas. I had bought just enough to get to Tennessee where the prices were lower. We got some gas for $3.79, 20 cents lower then in NC. We had intended to eat the sandwiches Evelyn had made for lunch but went to McDonalds for coffee and ate from the $1 menu. We drove through a heavy rainstorm but not for as long as I thought we would. We arrived in Lexington around 3:30, checked in for our 1 night stay, and went to the pool. I swam a bit but Evelyn wouldn’t get in deep enough to swim. She was only waist deep. We went to a hot tub they had and then went back to shower. We could not get the water to switch from tub to shower, so Evelyn had to take a bath. After she was dressed, I got the front desk clerk to come and show me how to make the change. It was difficult for even him. I expressed my disgust that we were not informed how to do it ourselves when we checked in. I came down and found this house computer and used it to see if I could publish.

Rain but not enough

Tuesday we to walk the lake after a light breakfast. It was cool despite a prediction of 91 for later in the day. We got back and I watered the plants while Evelyn cleaned the vinyl in the car. We then showered and continued packing for tomorrow’s trip. We had lunch and finished the country style ribs, potatoes and vegetables, but I had one of my esophageal sphincter attacks. I hadn’t had one for a while and this lasted 10 minutes. I recovered and cleaned the kitchen before resting. Shirley and I decided to go on and play golf despite the heat as forecast and the possibility of thunderstorms. We went out for our 9 holes. I was playing miserably and lost a ball in the middle of a fairway when the rains came. It was a blessing that we were playing a hole next to the only shelter on the course. The rain started then stopped--again and again. We decided to stop and claim a rain check for a date in the future. We called Evelyn to come after me while Shirley went back to her cabin to get Paul. We stopped at K-Mart, Big Lots and Radio Shack. I was especially interested in knowing the price of a battery for my computer. We picked up some popcorn and went to meet at the Mountain Barbecue restaurant. We had dinner but were not impressed. Paul’s ribs were especially tough. We all came back here to have some peanut butter pie Evelyn had made during the morning. We also watched the video on hurricane Katrina. They left and I packed the car before watching TV. We had a light rain but need a storm. Not one like headed for out Texas area but a storm nonetheless. We certainly pray that the Lord protects our friends and everyone in the Valley.

Very hot for the mountains.

Monday we went to the Iron Tree golf course earlier than usual to avoid the heat. I was very inconsistent again. I did well on the first ball and not so well on the second. We were finished by 12:30 and came home for more country style ribs. I really love them but Evelyn is only so-so with them. I sent her to nap immediately while I did the dishes. When she got up we went to get my trousers from the dry cleaner and the library for her to get some books. We noticed it was 93-95 on the car thermometer and decided I would cancel golf with Shirley tomorrow afternoon if it was that hot. We also mailed a package to Emily containing things she had left behind. It cost $14.25 to mail the thing. I think we would have just kept the dresses and worn them ourselves had I known the cost before hand. We had supper and then watched some TV. At 9 I called the Winston’s in Texas to see how they were doing. There is a hurricane, Dolly, headed toward Brownsville, due to arrive Thursday. I didn’t know much about it until I received an e-mail from Janice today. I also called the Waters and was able to leave a message. Perhaps she has evacuated. I am certain Don isn’t gone because she said he had corn to harvest before the winds ruined it. Shirley and I decided that 93 was too hot to play golf so we will cancel unless it cools tomorrow. We have finished packing most of our clothes for our trip to Lexington Wednesday. It will be a wonderful spiritual experience.

Finish to a busy week

Sunday we were off to sing praises to our Lord in the choir. We had originally thought many of the choir would be gone but only 2. We had a retired pastor filling in for our pastor on vacation. He served Holy Communion. We had planned to have some of the leftover ribs for lunch and invited our friend widower, Phil, to join us. He was scheduled to work at the Folkmoot performance as Stuart Auditorium too. We were to be there at 12:45 but didn’t make it. There was nothing going on until about 1:30 anyway. We stayed for the first half of the performances but came home so Evelyn could rest. We were scheduled to pick up a widow lady and take her to the monthly band concert at Maggie Valley. We came home by 4 and had to get her at 6. We thought we would be early but there were hardly any seats left. We usually take lawn chairs but hadn’t this time. We did find seats but would have been cooler outside. I had made popcorn to go with the sodas we had taken so that was our supper. We enjoyed the concert and saw Paul and Shirley there with their 17 year old grandson Forrest. He plays the flute and did a little narration for one number. It was over shortly before 8 and we returned Frances to her home. We took our normal route home through Lake Junaluska, and Evelyn decided she should walk some so she could sleep better. We did that and came on home. We ate a dish of ice cream and did some packing for Wednesday’s trip to Lexington. While at the concert I made a plan to play golf with Shirley Tuesday after 3. We also will go out to dinner with them afterward because it will be around 7 when we finish golf. We will try to go to a restaurant where we have a discount coupon.

Friends have a 50th anniversary

Saturday we decided to walk the lake again. We haven’t been very faithful to that task lately. But first we tried our new space bag. We put some of our extra bedding into it and sucked the air out with the small vacuum. It worked and hope it will save us some space in the guest closet. It was a beautiful morning and we scooted right along on our walk. We returned home and took the mats out of the car and sprayed them with Resolve. Evelyn did that while I hooked up the vacuum and cleaned out the car. She had a load of laundry washing while we worked. We hung the mats to dry and she went in to take a shower and work on lunch. I stayed outside and washed the car on the outside. I came in and we ate lunch after I showered. We then took a short nap because we had risen a bit early. We then dressed to attend the Bollinger’s 50th anniversary party. We found some friends from Geneva to sit with. Their kids had thrown the party for them and it was a buffet lunch. The problem was that it lasted from 3 to 4:30 and we weren’t hungry. We invited the couples from IN to come to our home and one of them did: Ralph and Nancy Haines. Nancy was Evelyn’s tennis partner in high school. They didn’t stay long and we just watched TV and snacked instead of having a meal. We made a couple of loops around our neighborhood and then came inside to boil some eggs to make deviled eggs. I watched some of the Cubs game on the computer. They have lost both games after the All Star game. I have been stung enough by those guys over the years that it is difficult to remain optimistic. They are playing teams in their division and must beat them to stay ahead. They also have a difficult time winning on the road. We will keep watching. We learned that we will be singing at church tomorrow. That was a surprise but we will participate.

Quite a busy day

We were up normally and prepared some of the dishes for our afternoon guests. We left home and went to Wal-Mart to get my medicine. We also bought two boxes of bags that are supposed to allow us to put our extra bedding, etc. into them and suck the air out, making them flat and easy to store in smaller places. We will try them tomorrow. We drove to the Open Door where I gave the devotion before the dinner. I emphasized that we all have spiritual gifts that can be used to glorify God if we use them in love. Tom and LuAnne met us there and even helped serve. We stayed until a bit after 1 and then left for the parade of nations. There were many people to help clean up including a group of youth from a Methodist church. We had parked in the parking garage so the 4 of us carried our chairs to Main street. We set them up on the court house lawn with hundreds of other people. This is where the parade finishes, and we saw their finishing performances. We saw them perform last night and will see them two more times. Tom and LuAnne will no likely see them again. We returned here for our dinner of smoked country style ribs. It was only 3 but none of us had eaten at the soup kitchen and were hungry. We had a delightful dinner and visit with them. They are just wonderful friends albeit younger. We will go to South America with them in January. They left around 5 and we took naps because we were tired and Evelyn’s back had begun to hurt. She took some pain meds after waking and off to the Friday dance we went. She did fairly well dancing and we had a good time. We did leave early and we went to bed. This was the busiest day we have had for a long.

a golfer's fowl friends

Thursday Evelyn led a Bible study at church at 10, so I had her take me to the golf course. I got my cart and began playing my 18. I hit some very good shots on the first round but they were offset by some bad ones. I did play much better than yesterday but was alone. I didn’t start as well on the second round but birdied one hole and eagled another. Of course this didn’t mean I had a great score but those holes felt good. Evelyn picked me up at 1:30 and we came home to enjoy some lunch. Afterward we snipped beans (which she later burned in the pan) and napped. The heat takes my strength. She had a marvelous Bible study. She is a devoted leader and is blessed by her efforts. We went to the Folkmoot USA gala in Maggie Valley and had a very good time watching the performers. We were able to go to a party with the dance troupes afterward and had a good time watching them dance with people from other countries and the locals. I am always sad to think we can't get any of our friends to come to visit during this time of the year. We had paid $100 for the opportunity to go. We came home late. We have an impossibly full day scheduled for tomorrow.

Hot and tired.

Wednesday we went to the local farmer’s market to get some green beans and squash. We also went to the grocery outlet for some cereal and meat. We had not intended to buy as much as we did. We then went to the Open Door to serve until 1. Before we left, I noticed the cooks throwing away some of the chicken and rice entree. It was delicious so I asked that they put some into a container and took it with me. We drove to the golf course where Evelyn left me to meet Shirley and the Duceys. We had carts and played 18 holes. One of the many things I will never understand about this game is that despite having many good shots and putts, I didn’t even break 100. Oh, well! It was hot today and Evelyn was blessed to be in the A/C all day. She came to get me and we drove to Maggie Valley to have dinner with the Casterlines and Duceys at Snappy’s Italian restaurant. We had a coupon for $7 and split a lasagna meal. We had to hurry home because the Bollingers were coming to pick up the badminton and croquette sets they had lent us for the kids to use while here. They also enjoyed some pie Evelyn had made while I was playing golf. They told many stories, including many they had told us at least 1 time before. They even told one of the same stories twice this evening. The wonders of getting old. They left after 10. We were both tired.

peaches

Tuesday we had cereal and then Evelyn went to church to get the copies made for her Bible study Thursday. She went to get her nails filled after that. I read my daily Bible entries and then did some computer work: printed the agenda for us at the LLL convention and answered some e-mail. Evelyn came home early and we prepared lunch and ate leftovers. I then peeled the last of the peaches we had bought last week. They were drawing ants on the deck. While I peeled Evelyn made a peach buckle. We will need it tomorrow night when the Bollingers come after their choir practice. I had wanted to play golf, but Evelyn didn’t want to go for 18 holes. I just tinkered in the shed, hanging things and drilling holes. She then decided to go walk around the lake, so I went along. We returned, ate supper, and walked around the loop before watching the all star game. We called Casterlines, making plans to go out for dinner after golf tomorrow. We called Jones and finalized plans for Friday’s Folkmoot parade. We called CA and learned the boys had arrived safely. We watched TV until 11 and went to bed with the ball game tied.

back to normal

Monday we tried to get back into our routine. We were walking around the lake by 8. We saw some ladies coming with some roses. The caretakers trim the rose bushes periodically and give the cuttings to passers by. Unfortunately we were too late. We met Frances, our friend who lives on the lake and she invited us for coffee. We accepted because we usually say no and didn’t want to lose the invitations. We enjoy talking with her and her husband Mickey. We came went to church to have some copies made but no one was there. We went on to the post office to mail things to the Noah. They should be there when he arrives tomorrow. We came home and Evelyn prepared a large lunch because we had not eaten breakfast. Afterward we worked on cleaning the slow cooker. We had put 4 large chicken breasts into the slow cooker yesterday afternoon and forgot about them until 11 last night. The barbecue sauce was burned and stuck to the sides. Evelyn then took a nap and I went off to walk the front 9 at the Lake Junaluska golf course. I played 2 balls as usual and was surprised that I played the first ball well but not the second. I returned a bit later than planned. We ate supper of the rescued chicken breasts and had dessert with our new neighbor from across the street, Doris. We talked about the family that had visited while we were gone on the trip. She had a good time with the kids. Evelyn had made a peach pie she served with ice cream and Doris enjoyed it a lot. I am trying to develop the habit of going to bed earlier than we have been.

relaxing

We wakened and prepared for church. We were a bit early so I read some of the paper we get on the weekends. Then off to church. We thought the choir would sing but we didn’t. We won’t next week either because almost everyone will be gone. We were blessed by the worship and then came home. I had put some charcoal into the starter chimney and lighted it. We had thawed some steaks last week and needed to cook and eat them. Evelyn made some sweet potatoes mixed with peaches that were delicious. She also baked some Grands and cooked some spinach. We wasted the afternoon watching the Cubs game. It will be the last until Friday because of the All Star game. I also fixed some of the pictures from the Grandson trip and e-mailed them to the girls. We fixed up a package to send to Noah containing the items he left in the motor home. Evelyn is still not feeling just right but wanted to walk to see if it would help her back. It began to rain, however, just as we got to the lake. We went to Wal-Mart and walked around inside for a while and then came home. We watched “Meet Me in St. Louis” and really enjoyed it. We have another busy week ahead and another following that.

Shindig

We were up at the usual time and ate breakfast before going out to pull and dig weeds out of our south slope. We had wanted to do that for several weeks but finally got much of it done today. We got started before it got too hot but it was hot by the time we finished. We stopped around 11 and Evelyn began cleaning more peaches. I dinged around outside thinking we might go to walk around the lake. (That was in the original plan.) We heated up things for lunch, but Evelyn had an upset stomach, forcing her to lie down. I ate while she napped. I then cleaned up for the day since it was obvious we weren’t going to walk. Around 4 we left for Asheville to shop for some kitchen items and go to the Shindig on the Green, a free bluegrass festival. We arrived at the festival around 6:30 for the anticipated 7 o’clock start. Just as it was time to start, the rain came. It was not hard nor stormy but did delay the start for an hour. While it was raining, I was shocked to see the AARP driving coordinator that I worked under last year in Texas. He has bought a home somewhere in Asheville and plans to spend the summers in the mountains. Evelyn was still not feeling normal so we left a but before 9 and drove home. We will return to church tomorrow morning.

resuming normality

We slept late this morning, especially me. I got up around 9:15. I got dressed and took Evelyn to her Weight Watchers meeting. She had lost another pound. I walked to the kitchen store looking for a grater that is attached to a plastic container. They didn’t have one. We took some grocery bags to the Open Door and went out for breakfast at the local Waffle House. We had a 2 for 1 coupon for a ham and cheese omelet. It was delicious especially since we had to wait to eat until after the weigh in. We returned home and gathered up the golf equipment and the recyclables. We went to Iron Tree and played 18 holes. Evelyn is really great to ride around with me. We took some candy to give to Isidro, the Hispanic man who does the mowing, etc. At the golf course. He has given me many balls he has found over the months. He appreciated it. In fact he even joined us while we played the second 9. He speaks a bit more English than I do Spanish. I didn’t play well but not bad for not playing at all for two weeks. We retuned home and did some work before relaxing and eating supper. I took the tow bar and magnetic lights back to the trailer. We just relaxed for the evening because we couldn’t learn whether there was a street dance this evening. We called Noah to wish him happy birthday after 9.

The fnal chapter of the Revolution.

Thursday we really completed the trip: we returned the motor home to our friends who had lent it to us. Evelyn went to the grocery to find some items we needed to replace in the motor home. I worked on finding the circuit reset switch on the generator. I finally did. We hooked up the car and towed it to Hendersonville where our friends live. I looked like it would rain all the way there but didn’t. We returned the coach, and I went inside the house to talk with the Shell card through Citi. I had tried to get fuel at a Shell station only to learn my card had been discontinued. I also saw that our account had been charged for exceeding the spending limit. These made me furious and I told them so. I had tried several times to have the limit increased with no success. I have to figure a way to pay what I owe without paying the fee. We left and went to eat lunch next to the Farmer’s Market. The restaurant is called the Moose Cafe and has good food and good prices. We went to the Market and bought some tomatoes and peaches. We got half bushel for $10. This was a great buy. We returned home, picking up some milk on the way. I wanted to watch the Cubs game but should have found other occupation. We rested and then took some beer, Pepsi and Doritos to Rogers’ just to talk. We enjoyed our time together, and then they invited us to stay for a sandwich supper. We came back, watched some TV, did some ironing and went to bed.

cleaning up after teenagers

We weren’t able to sleep as late as I thought we would. We were eating breakfast and at work cleaning the motor home by 9. We had to empty everything out that we had taken along. We were very methodical, beginning at the front cupboards and working toward the back. We parked so that we could put both slides out on either side of a tree in the neighbor’s yard. We then cleaned out our items from the lower compartments. We had to clean up many scraps the boys had left and found some items they had inadvertently left and will want back. We were blessed in that the AC worked on the shore power from the house instead of blowing a circuit. It was hot so we ran the AC a while and then turned it off while I vacuumed the floors. We did this in stages so that we could cool things down periodically. We had things removed and the floors cleaned and spotted with 409 by noon. We stopped and ate lunch. We then decided to take a nap before continuing. When we wakened we were blessed with a wonderful rain shower that lasted for at least 3 hours. This allowed us to put some of the things away that we had brought in. When the rain let up, we returned to make the bed, wash out the refrigerator and mop the floor. I also took some of the things from the outside compartments that we had taken and bought along the way. We finished around dark (after I tried to wash some of the dirt from the outside) and came back to relax for the evening. We ate more leftovers for supper, and I spent some time making reservations for out stay in Lexington week after next. We need this reservation for 1 night and will stay in the convention hotel for the other 3 nights. We also called Sheffield’s and made arrangements to return the motor home tomorrow.

Back in our own home

I wakened after most. I had slept on the couch in the basement. I slept well for being on a couch. Much better than being in the motor home. Stacy had made pancakes for breakfast and I ate. I spent most of the morning posting pictures on the blog. I can’t do it with my air card: only with a high speed wireless connection. Tom has one so I could use it. Tom worked at home and helped Stacy make roasting ears and chicken fajitas for lunch. They were both delicious. Stacy helped us get ready to go. Stacy had bought some wine as a replacement for what they had drunk while we were gone. She didn’t have to do that but I appreciated it. Stacy has been great this past few months and I like putting her into the blog. I took a nap and then we left home about 3:30 and things went well until we got to a Camping World. We needed to dump our tanks and thought they would have a dump station. Not only did they not have a station but they had no way to just drive through. We had to unhook the car, back up and rehook. We had trouble getting the towbar disconnected, but Evelyn had a great idea I never thought of, allowing us to disconnect. We continued home, stopping to get gasoline in Dillard and eat in Franklin. We didn’t arrive home until 9:30. We parked in Sandy’s yard again. No one was home to ask but I think it will be OK. We discovered 12 bottles of Corona (a love gift from Pieder) in the refrigerator and a dish of candy (a love gift from Rosalie) on the counter. We relaxed and talked with both girls. We thanked God many times for the good trip and safe return. In fact, the entire family reunion was great. The girl's families enjoyed being here while we were gone and we had a great visit before we left for the trip.

One last group photograph taken at Jamestown just to prove that we were all together on the trip. It is difficult to get people who disperse like grape shot (look it up) together in one place for even a shutter click.

Home at last! Carrying some of the baggage from the motor home to the house.

Celebrating on the stairs at the Georges in Roswell. We thank and praise our Lord Jesus for a safe, mostly harmonious trip with our maturing grandsons. God is good all the time!

Big people relaxing in the new Father's Day "room" on the deck with Tom and Stacy.

Illustrations of most of the life inside the motor home: playing PSP or fighting over it. Much moving around also occurred.

This is a time shot so we could all be in the picture. The closest place to rest the camera was too far and unlevel but the best we could get.

Noah is preparing to enter the museum at Ninety Six battlefield.

We are entering the Kings Mountain museum, site of the Continental victory that turned the war for Independence in the favor of the Army.

This is a great light show of the progress of the battle.

We could walk a path right to the actual site of the battle itself.

Here is a close shot of the light diarama showing the Americans capturing the British forces. The commanding British officer in the country said he feared this would be the turning point of the war. Shortly thereafter Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.

The Virgina War Museum was a great success. There were many great posters, headlines, uniforms, etc. from the wars of the past. The tanks and artillary outside offered great opportunities to exhibit climbing and balancing skills.

The one and only picture at Williamsburg, the site of the big flop of a visit.

The grandsons trying to scale a wall at the Jamestown Settlement. A disposable camera will be left on the ground at bottom left. Security ran them off.

Yorktown battlefield and redoubt 9 being taken

This is a mortar with Peter's head as a cannonball.

Weaponry demonstrations at Yorktown

Pictures on the ships at Jamestown

finished

We slept a bit later this morning and cleaned up the outside table that was very wet from last night’s rain. We gave the boys the option of taking a shower or going swimming. They went swimming. They returned and we ate breakfast of cereal and left. Unfortunately Andrew had put his shoes under the coach where no one saw them so we left them unknowingly. We drove some back roads to Ninety Six, SC. I never realized it was a town. We used the GPS but had to guess the address. We got to the town but had to stop to ask at the library and found the way to the battlefield. It was one of two sites we visited where nearly all of the original landscape had been maintained. It only took us an hour or so to tour the museum and the battle ground. We and nearly all the world are surprised that the Continentals won the war. We came out and found that the generator would not produce any power to the coach even though it ran well. We were unable to heat the hot dogs for lunch. Instead we drove a hundred miles and went to a Subway for sandwiches. It was 4 by now and so we called it supper. We called Stacy and told her we would be arriving before dark and wouldn’t need supper. We came through Roswell without any problem. We were all glad to be here. We had drinks and conversation. I planned to sleep in the motor home, but it was too hot. I came in and joined everyone else in AC. It is unclear at this time where I will sleep. Evelyn is on the couch.

Kings Mountain

We wakened at 7 even though we had set the alarm for 8. Neither of us slept very well. We wakened the boys packed in the slides and left ASAP to beat the congregation that would be coming to worship soon. We stopped at the first rest area to freshen up a bit and drove on, cutting across country from I-95 to I-40 via 70. We joined with I-85 and continued toward Kings Mountain. We arrived in the town and were surprised to learn the actual battle took place just inside South Carolina. We drove to the National Park and saw another film, toured another museum and walked on a path around the mountain site of the battle. This was another well presented historical area. This battle in 1781 was really the first victory for the Continental Army and led to the surrender of Cornwallis 8 months later at Yorktown. We drove on to a campground nearer to the next stop: Ninety Six Battle Site. We got parked and were cooking hamburgers by 6:30. The boys went to the playroom but came back in time to carry the meal to the pavillion nearby just before a deluge began. It lasted all throughout the meal but did stop for us to carry the things back. We continued watching “Phantom of the Opera” for the evening’s entertainment.
Evelyn was feeling a bit better but was energetic in proclaim she hated this form of travel. This was a real shock to learn that she had always hated it throughout the 25+ years we owned a motor home. I can’t believe she really did always, but she did declare that this was the final “camping” trip she would go on. I believe her to be serious and won’t ever mention missing having a motor home again. We called Tom and told him we would probably be there late tomorrow or Tuesday. We have enjoyed the trip but are all tired of it.

Wonderful rain

We were up and off to Newport News to the Virginia War Museum by 10:30. The boys were good about doing their chores dumping the sewer (Peter) disconnecting the electricity (Noah) and hooking the safety cables to the car (Andrew). Peter also connected the brake buddy. We drove to I-64 but encountered a traffic jam that caused us to try to get around it. The Lord was good in leading us around and back past the jam. We arrived at the museum around noon. We saw Shell station advertising $3.879 gasoline. We drove back there after dropping Andrew and Noah off. Peter had been there 2 years ago and didn’t want to go. We also found a discount grocery and bought more groceries. We still have most of the things we brought from Waynesville but needed more for some reason. The boys didn’t stay at the museum as long as I thought they would. They did go outside and climb on to some of the tanks and big guns displayed outside. We left there at 3, not 5, and drove south. We found a way to I-95 without going back to Richmond. When we got to the NC line, we encountered a violent thunderstorm. One bolt had to hit something within ¼ mile of us. And rain! I got to thinking: it has probably been over 2 years since I have seen rain so widely spread and hard as this was. We drove in it all afternoon. We finally stopped to stay in a Wal-Mart only to discover that we could not stay overnight due to a city ordinance. Evelyn did make pasta and marinara sauce for supper before we left. We drove on to Wilson, NC where we found a church parking lot large enough for us to turn around. We parked around in back and at this writing we have not been told to move. I hope it lasts into the night. The big people are ready to be home. Personally, I am disappointed in how Evelyn allows herself to be taken advantage of by the boys and more disappointed that they would do it to her. Tomorrow will be the next to last stop.

A wasted day

Today was a bust. We were in no hurry to get to historic Williamsburg because I planned to stay until after the fireworks at 9. Evelyn made Bisquick batter and I fried eggs and pancakes for our breakfast. She made sandwiches for us to take for lunch and we planned to eat supper at the old town. The first problem was that Andrew had been whining that he was not interested in Williamsburg at all. I thought once he saw it, but that was wrong. He kept wanting to leave. Next, both Evelyn and I had contracted a cold. She was feeling terrible and being in the oppressive heat (bust #4) made her unwilling to stay. When we entered, we thought about buying a ticket to some of the stores, etc. but thought we would look around to see what was going on before we did. It was a good thing because we would have wasted the money due to busts #1 and 4. Stacy had searched diligently for three wooden muskets and three 3 cornered hats to wear at Williamsburg. Only Noah and I were willing to wear the hats. Peter, Noah and I carried the muskets. Even then I had to insist because Stacy had tried hard to provide them. We did get to see two films. One acting out the debates in the House of Burgesses and one about how John D. Rockefeller, Jr. gave money to the restoration of the town. While we watched, it began to rain. We had eaten our sandwiches in a small area with picnic tables before the films and the rain. (An interesting side note: Noah led the lunch prayer and prayed also for rain!) It was very hot then despite having a table with an umbrella. Needless to say, we left. We went back to Jamestown to see if Peter could find the disposable camera he bought and left two days ago. Naturally, he didn’t. We came back and Evelyn and I went to bed. I couldn’t sleep but she did. The boys tried to go swimming but thunder forced the pool to close. They came in and played a great deal of games and the PSP electronic piece of junk J that I am sorry I ever allowed on board. We have never sat out around a campfire, and the boys and I have played only one game of Sequence. The boys found “An American President” (a piece of liberal fluff) and then some more Sequence. We had put things away before leaving this morning and should be ready to leave for Newport News in the morning.

Yorktown

Up a bit earlier today. We ate cereal for breakfast and were off to Yorktown. It was hot again today--95 by the car thermometer at one point. We first went to the Yorktown Victory Center. It is owned by the state of Virginia and was quite elaborate. There was a good time line that covered the plot for the Revolution and what things were happening at the time. There were many timely quotations by people from both England and the Colonies. Some of the exhibits were outside, some inside. It was always good to get out of the heat into the AC. We saw a film about the disputes and the final engagement at Yorktown. Every historical site seems to have a film of the events there. There was one at Jamestown yesterday too. And one at the National Park, Yorktown Battlefield. The Victory Center offered a simulated encampment and many hands on events for the kids. Noah volunteered to take part in the mock loading of a mortar canon. Both it and a musket were fired by a “soldier”. At the battlefield, it was interesting to see the actual place the battle took place. We were surprised to learn that most of the battle was fought with canon, not infantry contact. We went to a pub for lunch before going to the battlefield. We took many pictures and 4 movie clips, but Andrew has messed up the computer and I have trouble loading them where I would like them. I can’t even find the movie clips even though I know they are in the computer. I will have to find someone to correct this problem for me. Are you busy, Tom? We did laundry at the placed we are parked because we will likely leave here a bit before we had planned. We will leave Saturday. Tomorrow is Independence Day at Williamsburg.

We arose this morning, showered and I cooked corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. I used our new outside portable stove. The boys ate some of it each, a bagel and a bowl of cereal. We were then ready to go to Jamestown. We left to see what it was like to live in the first permanent settlement in the new world. We arrived and bought a combination ticket for the Jamestown settlement and the Yorktown settlement. We walked around the gallery of displays about the Powhatan Indians and then watched a short movie about the settlement. We left there and took a guided tour of the exhibits. Our guide was knowledgeable but spoke too softly for me. We saw how the Indians lived, the fort the settlers made for defense against the Spanish, the way the English lived inside the fort. The highlight was being able to board the ships that brought the settlers and their supplies to the James River colony. There were many people that enacted parts of the early settlers. Two or three were on each ship and gave some interesting commentaries. We were there from about 12 until 3:30. It was a day hot for us but cooler than many days this time of year. Everyone wanted to go to Pizza Hut so I took us there. We had planned to eat some burritos for supper but it was in between meal times, so we called it a late lunch/early supper. The boys were very good about waiting for lunch. They never complained about being hungry once. We had eaten a lot for breakfast. I was very proud of their patience. We came home and insisted they all take showers. This caused a bit of rebellion but they finally complied. There was some rift developed among the boys but was not confrontational. Evelyn and I took a walk around the area and found a washer and dryer we can use for laundry within a couple of days. We came back and just shared a Pepsi. The boys played Monopoly and went to bed. We ate some popcorn that Stacy had given us. The part that popped was good.

Traveling to Williamsburg.

Tuesday was a travel day. We left Greensboro about 9 and stopped at a truck stop for milk because we had no milk. We bought some very expensive milk, ate cereal, and drove to near Burlington, NC where we stopped at a Wal-Mart for supplies. I bought some notebooks for the boys and told them they had to complete an entry about the trip to the Guilford Court House yesterday before they could have lunch. They did their job and we stopped at a rest area again to enjoy shaved chicken sandwiches for lunch. We drove on toward VA because I thought gasoline might be a bit cheaper there. We still don’t know but will find out tomorrow when we go to Jamestown. We drone on around Richmond and to the reserved RV site. It is a Christian retreat center and is large but a bit primitive. It does have a very nice swimming pool and the Beeli boys swam. Peter could not find his swimming suit so he sat with us. Evelyn made beef and noodles served over potatoes for dinner. Noah wanted to make a fire and did a good job of it. He wanted to make Smores but found no takers. Andrew and Peter played a short game of Monopoly. We called the parents after 9 and talked about fun we have had. We then watched “Castaway”.