Bookworm Confessions

Out with the old, in with the new...

2012-01-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

December has come and gone and I'm behind posting as usual, so I'd like to backtrack to Christmas weekend where part of the family gathered to celebrate the holiday. It's almost impossible to get the entire family together, but this year we were fortunate to enjoy the holiday with two of our sons and their families at Andrew and Jessica's new home in Kingsport. And it was the first time our sons' families had seen each others nine month-old daughters that were born twelve days apart.

There's Eric and Betsy and Izzie from Florida on the left and Jessica, Emmy, Andrew, and Aeva on the right.
What cute kids (if I do say so myself).

Christmas morning involved a whole lot of paper-crunching by the babies and happy smiles from Aeva as she opened her gifts.

Eric's big surprise was an AK47 from Andrew that required assembling. I was in on the surprise and told Andrew I was pretty sure that it wasn't something Eric would be interested in, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Andrew had been acquiring the pieces over quite a period of time, and it gave him a lot of pleasure to see his big brother so pleased. Needless to say, the guys spent all their free time down in the garage assembling it at the workbench.

But all was not play. There was one big job that Bob had been working on for a week or so before Christmas, and that was getting our piano ready for transit to Andrew and Jessica's home. We bought the piano when Andrew was less than two...

...and it still looked like new and sounded great. Time for a new generation to be tortured with piano lessons. The question was how to transport it by ourselves.
Well, leave it to Mr. Fix It who built and devised this ingenious protective framework in which the piano could be moved and protected. Thanks to the help of three other muscular guys they were able to move the piano out of our house into the U-Haul trailer we'd rented.

Getting it out of the trailer into the garage for temporary holding turned out to be pretty simple. Bob simply tipped the trailor and out it slid onto a dolly, but moving it into the second level of Andrew's house from the lower level would mean tough going which ever way they went--up the steep winding front steps or up the steep grade of the backyard. After thinking it over on Christmas day Bob was ready to put the plan into action. He and the boys went to Lowes and bought a come-along and some conduit and 2x4s. Using the 2x4s as a track they rolled the piano on short sections of conduit. It turned out to be so easy that they didn't even need the rope and come-along.

Now the music room has music!

Andrew had to go back to work while we were still there and their two little girls were sick, so Eric's family and Bob and I spent a day at the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg. The traffic getting there was horrendous, but it was worth it just to see this first of Izzie's. She was far more engaged than I had expected and seemed to get a lot of pleasure from seeing everything moving about.

Thanks to Jessica there were lots of good eats over the holiday, although there were some that Aeva helped with were a little heavy on the icing and sprinkles.

Needless to say, we ooohed and aaahed over everthing the kids did. They were our best source of entertainment, especially Aeva's take on this selection from the Sound of Music. It really was a great Christmas.

Two days after returning from Andrew's we drove down to Chattanooga to meet Ryan and Katrina and their two girls at the aquarium. They had spent Christmas with Katrina's family in Atlanta and were flying back to Colorado that day, but the girls would be staying with us for a week. We were so happy to see them!

The Tennessee Aquarium is really super, and Sydney and Kenzie loved running around and looking at everything.

Fortunately when Ryan and Katrina buckled the girls into our car they were happy to come with us, so that made leave-taking a lot easier for Katrina. Having them with us meant a lot to us. This is their second solo visit, so they remembered things very well and felt right at home. They are the most precious little girls.

A sleepy little Mary had to have her blanket over her head to go to sleep...well, that and a thumb.

They were so easy to entertain. Each day we'd get out to do something that involved a lot of running or jumping, but they seemed just as happy at home with their iPads or princess dolls.

When I flew them back to Denver they did just great on the plane. I really don't know who was more excited to be reunited--the kids or mommy and daddy. I just know that the time we got to spend with them was precious.

The only downer of the holiday season was that Bob and I came back from Christmas sick as puppy dogs, and it wouldn't quit. During the girls' stay it became apparent that we both had bronchitis and sinusitis, so a visit to a walk-in clinic was in order. Right after returning the girls home I made a second visit and am just today, 16 days after showing symptoms and being without any sense of taste, beginning to feel better. This is the first time in 42 years of being together that we have ever been sick with the same thing at the same time. Good thing, too. We've been pretty poor company. What a way to start the new year.

Looking back over the past year and being with our chicks over the holiday season Bob and I don't have nearly enough fingers to count our blessings. God has blessed us over and over again with four of the finest children any parents could ever wish for and seven beautiful grandchildren who are the little loves of our lives. Whatever this year holds in store I take great comfort in knowing that God knows me personally and will be by my side through good and bad. What more could I ask for?

The Old Folks at Home

2011-11-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

There is a cute commercial that shows a daughter's concerns over her parents' social and emotional state now that she's going off to college...Are they eating? Do they have more than 13 friends on Facebook? Never fear...their cool new car turns them into party animals. Well, party animals we are not, but we do manage to have ourselves some fine old times like on this past Sunday when we were invited to go off-roading with friends Dan and Marilyn in their Hummer.

Sunday morning we met up early, fueled ourselves with a hearty breakfast at Cracker Barrel, then headed for the wilds of Giles County (about an hour south of Nashville) to an off-roading site way back in the toolies. You pay a fee, absolve them of all person responsibility, then take off into the hinterland to test your driving skills.

At first it didn't look too bad. There were a lot of decent-sized ruts and narrow "roads" that required some clipping-as-you-go so as to not scratch the paint. The first half was fun and I was suitable impressed with driver and terrain.

The view of the surrounding countryside from the top of the hill was pretty...and very windy.

Just when I thought we were all done and had judged the experience less risky than I had expected we headed into what looked like a wall of woods. There was a well-marked road that made it easy to know where to go, but eventually, after cresting a hill and looking for a way down, the man at the wheel decided that the way to go was down--straight down a very steep hill where it appeared no one had gone before. Bob decided to get out and walk down the hill part way to scout it out, and we women wisely decided to walk down. Smart move, as it turned out, since very quickly it became apparent that even the bubbas on their four wheelers with roll cages had passed by this challenge. There was no road there at all...and there were ruts from wash-outs that were deep deep deep. Even our fearless driver eventually admitted, after making it 3/4ths of the way down, that counter measures were in order to keep the Hummer from getting stuck in the rut or hitting a tree that was directly in our path. So the guys got out multiple straps, anchored them to a sturdy tree, and connected them to the front of the Hummer to keep the vehicle from sliding the wrong way.

Bob loosened the straps with a come-along inch by inch until it became apparent that in order to straighten up the Hummer even more (It looked like it was going to tip onto its side!) that the straps would have to be moved from front to back, so they set about doing just that.

The ground was wet and it was drizzling, and as any Southerner knows, wet clay is slicker than greased snot. Bob's feet went out from underneath him at one point, and he fell across a log on his back, which left him with a bruised kidney and a gouged hand. At one point the Hummer began a driver-less slide down the hill as all four of us watched it take off on it's own, but the straps held. It was kind of stressful there for a bit.

At the bottom of the hill at last! Straps off, ready for the next hurdle.

Bob used a rotted tree stump to help ease the Hummer over the ruts.

Needless to say, it was an experience we'll not soon forget...but it was a lot of fun.

So, kids, don't worry about us. We're still able to sit up and take nourishment, we still get out and about, and we still act young and foolish on occasions.

Fall Colors

2011-10-30T08:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was just one of those perfect fall days--cool and crisp with bright blue skies. It was the kind of day that makes you want to get in the car and just go anywhere, so we headed the car down to Natchez Trace Parkway to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Unfortunately, when I reached for my camera I realized I'd left the CF card plugged into the computer, but thanks to my handy dandy iPhone I was able to get a few pics that weren't too shabby.

We detoured off the Trace to drive through the little bitty town of Leipers Fork. It's quaint buildings and eateries make it a hub for anyone who enjoys a bit of old-timey Americana. Cars were lining the road yesterday and dozens of bicyclists had stopped at Puckett's Grocery to tank up.

Good good day.

Handyman

2011-10-28T16:50:00.001-07:00

One of the very first things Bob built after we were married was a handy-dandy workbench that has accompanied us on every move up to the present time. It has a zillion dings on it's surface, testament to the countless repair jobs and projects it has partnered. Our house just wouldn't seem a home with it. When Andrew expressed an interest in building one in his garage it only seemed right. Last month he and Bob put their heads and hands together one weekend to make one of which they're both proud--and rightly so. With two large sliding tool drawers and storage underneath all that's lacking is the distressing that time will provide without difficulty.

After seeing the finished project I wondered why I should let all that talent go to waste at home, so I asked Bob to make a pull-out drawer in a kitchen cabinet that had a lot of wasted space.

He got right to work on it and produced a thing of beauty.

I'm surely married to the handiest man on earth.

Foods of the Season

2011-10-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

The change of seasons from hot to cold bring a groan from a lot of people, but not me. Summer is a fun but frenetic time, but when it cools down enough to open the windows at night and really appreciate the worth of a down blanket that's when I come into my element. And it's more than just the changing foliage going from greens to vibrant yellows and reds and finally to the intricate laciness of bare branches. What we eat changes, too--at least around here it does. Now that it's cool enough to savor the warmth coming from the oven I've been pulling out old family favorite recipes (you can spot them from the greasy finger marks all over the index cards) and doing a much better job of fixing proper meals. For the two of us, one big cooking sessions will last us pretty much all week, so it had better be worth multiple meals.

A friend had given me several butternut squashes, so this morning I thought I'd get those baked and freeze what we didn't eat right away. The rich colors just look healthy. That's what a young woman behind me at the grocery yesterday must have thought as she watched me unload all the fruits and veggies from my grocery cart. She turned to her mother, standing behind her, and said, "Wow, look at all those healthy foods! Just look at the stuff we've bought. This is just so embarrassing." It gave me an opportunity to put in a quick plug for vegetarianism, hopefully not sounding too high and mighty, since on the last shopping trip I'd bought Hostess cupcakes and salt and vinegar chips. Hopefully, in the end, balance will win out.

Rainy Day Distraction

2011-10-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today I emptied the pantry of all the ingredients I had on hand, cranked up the oven and got to work replenishing our supply of granola. Usually I'll make several batches at a time, but today I outdid myself. What prompted this frenetic baking episode?

Well, you can blame it on the weather. Yesterday's high was 74. Today's high upper 40s with wind and rain. Absolutely perfect for baking and filling the house the with the delicious fragrance of toasting oats and coconut.

There's some inner voice I hear on rainy days that whispers bake cookies. I'm guessing that when I was a kid my mom did just that with me to help pass the enforced indoor hours. I did this with my kids and now with my grandchildren. From wherever the compulsion derives, it's strong and persistent. Now that I'm not twenty anymore and burning calories like crazy running after kids I try to to go light on the butter and sugar splurges, but granola-making satisfies the urge just fine.

Tonight I'll be going to sleep luxuriating in the symphonic sounds of wind, rain and rustling leaves and happy in the simple pleasures of being a homemaker.

Kingsport Weekend

2011-10-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

We've had a wonderful long weekend up in southern Appalachia visiting family and friends. The changes in Andrew and Jessica's little girls are readily apparent each time we see them. Trying to get decent pictures of these two wiggle worms is way beyond my limited skills as a photographer, but with Jessica's help we did manage a few that weren't too blurry.

Like the new bangs? She did it herself just before her flower girl duties in Colorado. Her mother was not best pleased, but it could have been a scissors-to-the-scalp kind of self-inflicted doo. Every kids does this at least once.

Emmy, at six months, is at a very oral stage of her development. If she can reach it she will stuff if into her mouth, be it spinach, apples or dried leaves.

She has what I call the full body smile, arching her back and wiggling like a puppy over things that she finds really pleasing. With an older sister around there's no end of things to occupy her.

On Sabbath Bob and I drove over to Ashville, NC, for a Johnson family reunion at the home of my cousin David. The trees are just starting to turn beautifully.

I'm not directly related to this branch of the family, but my three first cousins and I share the same grandparents, so I went mainly to see them. While there Bob and I discovered that there were seven of us that had attended the same college at about the same time, some of whom we hadn't seen since the 70's. I didn't take any pictures, so I borrowed this one from Shirley Clark to show the wonderful lunch we had on David and Sue's back porch.

At the reunion was a friend of my parents. In her 80s now, she just happened to mention that my mother was one of her bridesmaids, which I never knew. Her granddaughter kindly sent it to me. My mother is second from the left. This wedding picture of L.D. and Erna Jean Johnson dates from Oct. 31, 1948.

While there we walked the short way up to the top of the hill to see the retirement house that my grandparents built back in 1961 when they moved from Miami. One of my cousins now lives there and has done a great job of preserving the integrity of the house while modernizing it at the same time. Back in the day it was painted a deep pink (very Florida), but the pale yellow and enclosed front porch looks great.

The tile work my dad did in the house looks just as good today as it did fifty years ago.

On Sunday Bob and Andrew worked all day to complete the building project they'd begun on Friday. Every man needs a workbench, and together they made a really fine one with two large sliding drawers. They were both proud of it.

Wonder what job we'll tackle next time we're there? There are no end of job when you're a home owner.

Singing Zoo Girl

2011-10-01T14:54:00.001-07:00

Aeva's singing debut at the zoo. a video by skorzy on Flickr.

I posted this video six months ago but it became unviewable, so I'm posting it again since it makes me smile every time I listen to two year-old Aeva singing her heart out at the zoo. You'll smile too.

Fall Jobs

2011-10-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

The summer is over, and now it's time to get ready for the first frost, which usually arrives right around Halloween. This wake-up call got us out in the yard for about three days this week doing some heavy-duty yard work. Bob cut off all the dead tree branches he could reach and helped me trim back the ivy (wretched stuff). A visit to England will show what ivy can and will do if left on it's own, so I stay pretty vigilant about keeping it in check. Unfortunately, the only way I know to thin it out is to get in there by hand and start yanking out the long runners. Same goes for the euonymous that will creep everywhere if left on it's own. Our efforts made for three great big piles of trimmings that the city will pick up this week. No wonder I'm so sore.

Taking pity on a poor rotting tree in the front yard that seem to be thriving inspite of cancer of the trunk, Dr. Bob came to the rescue with cement to patch up several big gaping holes. It's a wonder it's living at all, but it's all leafed out and looks healthy--until you look at the rotting trunk. So far it's taken 100 pounds of cement, and the job's not done yet.

This is a beautiful time of year. I actually turned on a bit of heat this morning. Biking in the cool crisp air is a delight. Time to move out some of the ferns and put in a little fall color.

Alaska!

2011-09-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago we returned from the best trip to Alaska. It was an unhurried vacation with a limited agenda that allowed plenty of time to snoop, explore, and even rest. We flew into Anchorage where we rented a car and began the drive, in stages, up to Fairbanks. Here are some highlights.

It's all about the mountain up there...Mt. McKinley, that is, or it's native name--Denali. We had read all about it's 20,000 ft. summit, of course, but the first time we saw the sun shining on it's peak...well, words can hardly describe the sense of wonder and excitement it caused us to feel. You have to look quickly, though, for it's rarely out of cloud cover. This was our first view of the peak early one morning.

Later that same day we headed for Talkeetna. It's the picturesque little town that the fictitious town of Cicely, Alaska, in the TV program Northern Exposure was based on. And, yes, moose do wander around town occasionally. We were always on the lookout for moose and mountain views.

From Talkeetna we took an interesting jet boat ride and got out at one point to walk through the woods to a trapper's cabin.

By far the more interesting thing we did from Talkeetna was the flight we took in a deHaviland Beaver up into some of the glacial regions around the base of McKinley. The flight we had originally booked was cancelled due to inclement weather at the peak, but the flight that Jeff Babcock, our pilot, took us on was absolutely terrific.

I was so busy taking pictures from both side windows that I got airsick (no baggie required fortunately), but the glacial views were ones that I wanted to capture. I mean, just look at Ruth Glacier. Isn't it magnificent?

From the air we could see the beautiful blue of glacial melt.

After flying over glacier after glacier our pilot landed us on a deep deep lake at the edge of a glacier that was formed by glacial melt and is relatively new in origin. Only 200 people have landed there, so it was extremely cool to be in a place that so few people have ever walked on.

Bob was determined to touch the glacier, so off he took across the moraine field. The glacier is silt-covered in many places and not the pristine white you might expect.

Afterwards it was difficult to believe that that experience could be topped by anything, yet at each peek of McKinley we oohed and aahed all over again.

Our next destination, Denali National Park, was a place I'd long wanted to see, so it was pretty exciting to be there.

You can only drive the first fifteen miles into the park, and beyond only by park transport or tour, so at 0630 the following morning after arriving we boarded a tour bus that would take us 95 miles into the park, all the way to the very end of the graded road to the Kantishna Roadhouse. We had frequent rest stops, but when something of interest was spotted the bus would stop and everyone would lean out the windows with their cameras to hopefully get a shot of the park's noted animals and the spectacular views. Fall colors were at their peak.

The park was originally founded to protect Dahl sheep from hunters, but I'm glad to say they are full protected today. We were lucky to see these guys crossing a moraine field rather than on their normal mountain perches.

The grizzlies were about a month away from hibernating and were busy packing on all the pounds they could before their long sleep. This mother and her three year-old cubs were so far away they were barely more than a dark spot with the naked eye.

The views from Eielson Visitors' Center were beyond beautiful. McKindley is 24 miles away from this point. It was freezing up there!

At the Vistors' Center were these pairs of moose antlers that were found in the park. The antlers of two bulls, battling it out during rutting, became locked. The tip of one antler pierced the eye socket of the other moose, killing him, but leaving the survivor hopelessly entangled until he died from starvation or predation.

We had a nice break at the Kantishna Roadhouse, located in what was once the gold-mining town of Eureka. Today only limited tourist accommodations remain at the Roadhouse, but you get a very real sense of the isolation and hardship the men and women who came here had to endure in hopes of striking it rich. Did I mention I found gold while there? Bob and I did some panning...

...and my pan yielded this vast amount of the yellow stuff. We're rich!

We loved our time in the park but were ready for new experiences in Fairbanks. Our arrival in town left us with plenty of time to kill so we booked a sternwheeler excursion up the Chena River. It was well organized with stops along the river where there were demonstrations from bush pilots, Iditarod-training dog teams, and an Indian village.

At the Indian village there were demonstrations...

...like how to prepare and smoke salmon,

...the various types of animals trappers hunted,

...and the beautiful garments made from their fur. We enjoyed it much more than we'd expected. A pleasant surprise.

The following day we had booked a flight that was to go above the Arctic Circle and land at Coldfoot, but the weather was miserably rainy and overcast, so the flight was cancelled. As the weather cleared a bit later on that day an alternate flight to the little village of Beaver was offered--luckily for us, as it turned out, because we enjoyed it immensely and gained a view of a subsistence lifestyle that we would never have appreciated otherwise.

Before landing at Beaver our pilot took us on a swing slightly north of our destination so that we could say we'd been above the Arctic Circle. Here's what it looks like in September.

Flying back to Beaver you could see the Yukon River and it's many tributaries. It runs 2,000 miles to the Bering Sea, and it's along one of its flats that the 60 inhabitants of Beaver live.

We were greeted on the gravel runway way out in the middle of nowhere by Cliff, an Athabascan Indian, who is the chief cook and bottle washer of the village. They have no electricity or sewer in the village, but they do have a big generator and satellite dishes. Cliff provides for his family by trapping and fishing and pretty much lives off the land. The day before we arrived they had shot a young bull moose and we butchering it.

He showed us the fish trap he made and uses each spring to catch the salmon that he freezes or dries for later use.

He offered us little squares of moose and salmon, but I had to pass. All really interesting. So now we've been above the Arctic Circle!

From Fairbanks we drove straight back to Anchorage and took in the scenery along the way.

We had allowed one day free in the Anchorage area, so we decided to drive down to Seward, a small town right on the coast. We'd been there before but had approached by sea, so we had no idea how beautiful the scenerey along the inland roads was. No matter where we looked along the Chugach Mountain Range there were gorgeous glacial views.

Seward's not much to look at, but I'm sure those who live here appreciate the beautiful vista all around them. This was the epicenter of the 9.2 earthquake in 1964 that resulted in tsunamis and massive destruction. You'd never know it now.

It was a fantastic trip. Many more pics on Flickr. Just glad a bear didn't get us!

Where'd that summer go?

2011-09-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

My last post in May was just before all the fun craziness of summer began. It was shortly after that posting that I flew to Albuquerque to fetch the kids for the summer, and after that it was non-stop business. Now that school's back in session and there are hints of fall in the air it's time to catch you up, in brief, on what's been going on the past four months.

Our summer started off at a run, with one big thing following another in quick succession. As usual, we began with the Renaissance Festival that's become a tradition for us now. This year Aunt Freida went with us, and we had a really good time together with the elves and ogres.

Then it was off to Cub Camp for Declan. It was his first time to be away from family, so I was a little concerned about a week's solo adventures, but he was in the same cabin as three boys he had met before, and his counselor was a friend of ours, so that was all he needed to have himself a big old time.

Aislin really missed Declan while he was at camp but was consoled by sleeping in our room and receiving our undivided attention. She and I shopped, watched girl movies, baked, and even had a fancy dress-up tea party with Aunt Lois. A really fantastic girl week!

The day following Declan's return from camp we packed the car and left on a big road trip. New Hampshire would be the turning-around point. Declan had been asking a lot of questions about one of his grandfather's involvement in the Civil War, so we thought we would show both them some of the major battle sites while en route. Manassas, Virginia was our first stop. It's a beautiful place now but was a very different site when the Battles of Bull Run were fought being fought here.

Then it was on to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I hadn't realized what a major tourist attraction this was, but after learning more about that battle and it's aftermath, I can see why people from all over the world come to visit.

To a kid battle maneuvers don't mean a thing, so it's the little things that make impressions, like fighting from from the top of Little Round Top. That was something to which a boy could relate.

Being in Philadelphia was a first for all of us, and since we only spent a day we chose only a few things to see and do that we thought the kids would remember best, like the Liberty Bell...

...and Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was signed.

I tried to put into context what one of their grandfathers had fought for in the Revolutionary War, but I think the military get-up made the bigger impression.

What made the biggest impression, though, was the horse that pulled the carriage that we rode in through the oldest part of the city.

But, try as hard as we did to instill a little history and sense of national pride in these two, it all boiled down to grown-ups making kids do things they didn't want to do.

Fun, though, was only a day's drive away in New Hampshire, where the kids got to meet their Uncle Steve, Aunt Anne and cousin Alex. They had a fine time with Alex who was a very good sport about entertaining his two squirt cousins.

They got to see for themselves the places where all of Poppy's wild childhood stories took place, both on the farm where he lived as a child--and where Auntie Dot still lives--

...and where he grew up from the age of ten on the banks of the Merrimack River.

One thing I'm sure the kids won't forget was their first taste of Moxie. It's a New England soda that tastes revoltingly like cough syrup, but Bob and Andrew love it and we'd made a big deal of it. Must be genetic--they loved it! It was like a rite of passage.

It would have been a shame to be so near Boston and not made a stop there, so we took the kids, just like we did our four when they were small, to see a part of the U.S.'s history in Boston. They liked Old Ironsides well enough, but the ice cream they got at the top of Bunker Hill was the best part of the day.

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for making all the miles entirely possible with the invaluable assistance of iPhones, iPods and iPads.

Shortly after arriving home Andrew completed his residency at Vanderbilt and was ready to move his family to Kingsport. Moving is just gross, no matter how well prepared you are, but with the help of family the job got done.

Out from one house...

...and into another.

Declan and Aislin had such a good time with Aeva. They did their own face-painting...

...got to know sweet little Emmy...

...and had a marvelous time on Aeva's trampoline and in the club house and spotting wildlife around the yard.

We couldn't blame them for now wanting to leave, but we had one more big trip yet to make so they could meet one last new cousin. They hit if off just fine with Eric and Betsy's little Izzie.

What would a trip to Florida be without a day at the beach and seeing Papa Jud and Nana Audrey?

Two days before I was to fly the kids home Bob had a little mishap. Declan dared him to go up our steep driveway on his rollerblades. He met the challenge admirably, but coming down was a different story altogether, resulting in a tumble that yielded a fractured wrist. I can't say that the trip to ER wasn't educational for the kids, but the timing was inopportune to say the least.

It was really a grand summer, and I can't wait for next May to roll around. Lots more pics on Flickr.

Deep in the Woods

2011-05-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks I've been in the bosom of the extended fam more than at any other time, mostly owing to the work that's been going on in the old family cemetery in Sand Hill, Kentucky. About twenty minutes out from Bowling Green lies the little rural community where many of my illustrious forebears lived and died. Trouble with all that isolation, though, is that once my grandparent's generation moved to the big city of Louisville the beautiful cemetery on my GGGrandparents' property was pretty much left to revert back to nature, and in this part of the world it doesn't take too many years before Mother Nature reclaims what was once hers in a steady and all-consuming way. Fortunately for our family there are several distant cousins who have a passion for genealogy and have kept alive the memories of the Watt-Flora Cemetery and have worked tirelessly to clear the site and restore the tombstones.

You'd never guess there was a cemetery by looking at this location from the road, since there's no road going up to the cemetery. You have to cut across the farmer's field, and when we first went to lend a hand the heavy rains had made that a slippery experience. The cemetery is actually in the first grove of trees on the left.

When we first entered that patch of woods it wasn't immediately apparent that it was a cemetery at all, but a closer look revealed some standing tombstone amidst the vinca vine and fallen limbs and trees. Bob began whacking his way through the undergrowth with his weed eater, later progressing to a chain saw. As he cut stuff down, I hauled it off to start pile after pile around the periphery of the cemetery.

Don Burris, a Flora cousin who lives in Tucson, has been the project coordinator and has done a brilliant job of rallying the troops as well as cleaning and resetting many of the stones, like the grandfather we have in common, John Wesley Flora.

We found it this way.

After a good cleaning and resetting the tombstone on it's base...

...it looked perfectly brand new again.

Dozens of hidden markers and tombstones that were completely covered in growth have come to light and now clearly mark a resting place. The earliest recorded burial is in 1808, so many burial sites aren't marked with more than a stone, but at least those are now visible. With the hard work of many family members and friends, the once overgrown and hidden cemetery is slowly but surely being revealed as the beautiful and serene place on top of the hill that it once was. Guess I'd have to say that the poison ivy, tick bites and chiggers have been worth it.

Something both Don and I had both wanted to do was to find the old Sand Hill Spring and visit it. It was this picture that had sparked our interest, as it shows both his grandmother and my great grandmother, along with their families, at the spring on 11 May 1906.

Faye Beck Meredith was able to find the exact location of the spring and contacted the owner to request permission for us to see it. On the day the four of us met to see it she warned us about the abundance of copper heads, so armed with weedeaters and stout sticks we began our foray into the deep woods. Bob blazed a path down to the base of the hollow with the weed eater, which seemed to have scared off any snakes, but we were still left with lots of wet slippery sucky clay that was as slick as you know what.

105 years plus one day after the old picture was taken we were able to see where our ancestors had posed. See the rock face in the background? That's where the boarded walkway had been built way back when. Pictured are Faye Beck Meredith (Mr. Charlie's granddaughter), Bob, Faye Flora Alford, and Don Burris.

The reason this was so meaningful for Don and me in particular is that the family picture represented the stories we'd heard our grandmothers tell about how as kids they would be sent running to the spring to fetch milk or butter or whatever else needed to be kept cool. It was the community refrigerator and a place to cool off on a hot day and apparently valued enough that a photographer was hired to photograph the family at the site.

It's been very interesting to piece together family stories with photographs and onsite visits, such as locating the site of my GGGgrandfather's store and the cabin in which his son and wife(my grandmother's parents) raised their family of six. The spring was located directly across what was then just a dirt road. I pasted in the cabin in the approximate location in which it once stood.

Family is very precious, and it has been exciting and gratifying to see what can happen when family pulls together.

All these trips have given me opportunities to play with my camera. Some of the most common things are the most beautiful when viewed up close like this field thistle and shelf lichen.

Spring News

2011-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

As you can see, there are a lot of white blanks where pictures once were, but this is my fault as I went on a privacy kick on Flickr and restricted access to photos on a wholesale level. Thought I could undo it just by changing the privacy from Friends and Family back to Anyone, but nothing is ever that simple. Couldn't even find the HTML code after this, so if you hadn't seen those pictures before now, too bad. I'm just starting from scratch. A lot has happened in the past two months, so I'll just run through things zippity fast.

We have to go back to the births of two granddaughters in the month of March. Emma Rae was born on March 29. Andrew called me early that morning asking if I could come over to watch Aeva, so I hopped in my chariot and joined the morning rush hour traffic. He called twice before I got there to ask where I was and if I was driving fast. He and Jessica were in the car and out of the driveway as soon as they saw me approaching the house. Beautiful Emmy was born five hours later, much to everyone's joy.

Aeva was pretty excited about her new baby sister and very maternal.

Backing up a bit, we had become new grandparents just twelve days earlier on March 17 when Eric called to say he and Betsy were in the hospital awaiting the birth of their little girl. At the end of a very long day Isabel Susana was delivered by C-Section and welcomed into a very excited family.

We got to meet Izzie a few weeks ago. What a precious little mite!

A few days after returning home Ryan flew in from Colorado with his two little princesses in tow so that they could have their first solo visit with us. Ryan made round trips on both ends of the trip, which was a lot of effort and expense on their part, but the privilege of having these two little granddaughters all to ourselves was wonderful.

We weren't sure how the girls would do being away from their parents for the first time, but Ryan and Katrina had done such of good job of building their excitement that they hardly noticed when Ryan left. They are the cutest little bundles of energy! Kenzie is at that fifty finger stage where you try to direct her from one source of mischief only to turn around and find out she's into something else, but it's just the two stage where autonomy is paramount-"I do it myself!" She and Sydney explored every nook and cranny of their new environment and found the motherload of Aislin's treasured toys, but they enjoyed Declan's boy toys just as much. Trying to get pictures of these two wiggle worms was challenging, so I counted myself fortunate to get a few good shots of these beautiful little girls.

Sydney has blown me away with her reading skills, so a new interactive book on the iPad was like a moth to the flame.

The girls and Aeva had a big time playing together.

The girls got to meet Captain and Pablito. Aeva loves Captain and hauls him everywhere, and now Sydney wants one, too. Who can blame her when they're so cute!

The week went by all too quickly, but it was a really wonderful bonding time. I feel like for the first time the girls really know us, and we certainly know them better, too.

Since the girls' leaving we have had one big storm after another, and some of them have been whoppers. The sound of the storm sirens going off behind our house and verbal warnings being broadcast about "seek shelter now" always gives me the willies. Weather this time of year is always volatile, but this year more than usual. Bob usually make fun of me when I grab the essentials (dog, iPad, iPhone, purse) and head to the basement for shelter, but last night, after repeated weather warning on TV, we actually laid out run-for-shelter clothes at the end of the bed since the storm was predicted to hit in the wee hours. No sirens went of during the night but we opened the blinds this morning to this sight in our back yard.

The tree was actually on the golf club's property and fell in our neighbor's yard, so the club guys got right on cutting it apart this morning. The same happened to us last month, with a huge dead tree falling right in the middle of the backyard. We've had so much rain lately that the ground is saturated, and quite a bit more is expected tonight and tomorrow. The big trees that surround the house always make me anxious when these storms hit. Tornadoes are scary but the idea of a huge tree crashing down on the house is, to me, equally frightening. There is an upside, though. Everything is super green and growing at a fantastical rate (including weeds). The heavy pollen is an allergy-sufferer's nightmare, but this is just the price we pay to live in such a beautiful part of the county.

Baby Watch

2011-03-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

With two babies in the family due within a few weeks of each other, one due now, I keep checking my phone for missed text messages. So far no alerts, but that could change quickly. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the short time we have left with Aeva before her parents move to eastern Tennessee this summer.

You never know about a two year old. Sometimes they love you, sometimes you carry the plague. Yesterday at the zoo was one of the good days for me and Aeva. It was picture perfect outside, and judging by the full parking lot, about a zillion other Nashvillians thought it was too nice to be indoors as well. Aeva was really enjoying herself. She's a great mommy to her doll, Morgan (also her cousin's name), and totes the poor bedraggled dolly everywhere. She also like to imitate having a baby in her tummy like her mommy.

At 35.5 weeks Jessica is ready to Emmy to make her appearance.

There's just no place more fun on a lovely spring afternoon than the zoo.

This morning I enjoyed being at a Jessica's baby shower. Her friend really outdid themselves making everything look beautiful--and the food was wonderful! Sandy, Jessica's mom, always brings something delicious.

So now we just wait for two phone calls telling us Betsy and Jessica have gone into labor. Each of our five grandchildren are the joys of our lives, and another two will just add to that joy. The only thing that would make me happier would be if they all lived on our street and were running in and out all day. Wouldn't that be great?

How Do You Say It?

2011-02-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

For some kids learning their last name is no big deal. Monosyllabic names like Smith, Jones and Brown are easy for a toddler's tongue, but Avea at 29 months is up to the challenge of pronouncing her big last name. Just watch and see.

Way Back When

2011-02-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

If you wonder why all these old pictures are surfacing it's because I've been going through all of our photo album and slides and digitizing the whole lot so that each kid can have a photo history of the fam. Many of them are slides that are horrible in both composition and exposure, but we saved each one like it was the Holy Grail and would never have even thought to discard them for lack of clarity. This one, however, is one of the slides that turned out well, and I'm so glad to have it, as it's a perfect encapsulation of my life in the summer of 1978.

This was taken at our house in Angola, Indiana--our very first purchased house. I was 28 years old and the mother of three lively and beautiful little kiddies. And do you see those diapers? Mind you, those are cloth. Moms these days don't even know what diaper pins are, let alone rubber pants, but I'm proud to say that I am a survivor of the diaper-in-the-toilet days.

It was during this summer that Bob and I had been longing for a vacation and wanted to travel out west, but when we guesstimated the cost to be around $400 for two weeks of traveling we had to rule it out. Fortunately for us my folks took mercy on us and gave us the money and told us to bring them the kids and GO, so we packed out little green canvas tent and Coleman stove and took our new Malibu station wagon (also a gift) and hit the road.

It was the first time I'd ever been away from the kids, but the first week was fine. Beginning the second week, however, I began to miss the kids something fierce and told Bob I wanted to head home. He was faring the separation just fine, but good man that he is, he took me back somewhere around day ten to the precious little faces you see pictured here. I can't tell you which twin is which. They looked so much alike at this age that I usually have to label them as "twin" when they're pictured together. They are twelve months older than their sister.

I can't believe now that I cut short the trip to which we had so looked forward, but it did provide a much needed break. I came home ready to meet the stresses and pleasures of being a stay-at-home mom once again. Since then I've had the opportunity to repeat this same trip many times (without tears)...but with kids in tow.

Real Winter

2011-02-18T16:44:00.001-08:00

This year we've had a pretty decent winter...well, at least for the mid-south. There have been some pretty cold days and a number of decent snows, but I can remember one winter storm that made what we've had look pretty pitiful. This happened back in 1977 when we were living in the little town of Angola, Indiana, which is way up in the northeast corner of the state, not far from the Michigan state line. Dipping to minus 20 in January was not uncommon. One night in January it began to snow and didn't let up for quite some time. Here's what it looked like when Bob was finally able to dig a path out of the house.

The wind had been blowing so hard that the back door was almost entirely covered.

Catherine and the boys were little bitty kids but old enough to enjoy the fun of playing in the snow. Since we weren't able to get out of the neighborhood for two day and only snowmobiles were traveling the bigger roads Bob made the most of his time at home and built the kids long tunnels running through the snow. They thought that was the best!

True Wov

2011-02-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day...mushy cards, candy, flowers. Well, maybe for some, but that's not the kind of love I'm used to. I get showered with love every day of the year in ways that don't fit onto the pages of a card. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I met Bob my first semester at college. I was eighteen and he was a man of twenty-five who was wordly-wise. He had already served in the Air Force for four years, then worked for Chrysler, who was under contract to NASA, on the building of the Saturn I booster. Then he was off to Nicaragua and Guatamala, where he worked for Page Communications which provided communications between the US embassies and the states. I couldn't imagine what he saw in me...a girl just out of high school whose traveling highlight had been a trip to San Francisco with her grandmother and annoying little brother. But whatever he saw, he seemed to like. He has stuck to the story that the night of our first date (where his roommate picked me up and delivered me to the room where he ran a projector all night and we barely got to speak to each other) he told his roommate that he was going to marry that girl.

One thing that I have learned about my man is that he's as good as his word, and less than two years later we were married. I wonder if he knew what he was getting into.

What I knew about him from the start was that he was a hard worker, scrupulously honest (I call him Mr. True, so I've learned not to ask if a dress makes me look fat), loyal, and not one to look back on a decision once made. And I knew that I wanted those handsome Eastern Europe looks to be part of my children's genetics.

Through the years it's been the small but unexpected gestures that have spoken volumes to me, like the time I came home from school in my student nurse uniform to find this message strung across our living room--Welcome Home White Wonder. I still have those pages and treasure them.

His expressions of love are through acts of service, not gushy words or gifts (although I do get those on occasions). Every time he accompanies me biking just because he says it's not safe for me to be out there by myself, or when he does a honey-do that seems totally senseless to him but is important to me, or even when he cleans the bird poop off my car, I know it's because he's expressing his love. Being a very wordy person and hopeless romantic it took me a while to learn to appreciate this particular love language, but I've come to know it's value.

This is my Valentine man, for ever and always, and I love that he loves me.

Sneak Peek

2011-02-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

This has been some week weather-wise. We've had two "big" snows, for Nashville that is--the last one with accompanying black ice that had drivers sliding all over the highways on their way home from work. A normal twenty minute drive home turning into a four hour nightmare wasn't unusual. Fortunately we arrived back home as the storm began and sat it out until temps warmed up enough for the salt to begin to melt the ice. It gave Yankee Bob the opportunity to get out his neglected snow shovel and do what he was trained to do.

When it's eight degrees and everything is frozen solid it's hard to believe that spring is just a month away, but here's the proof.

Amazing things, these daffodils.

Happy Birthday

2011-01-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

In the South a girl's father is called daddy. Age of the child is irrelevant. Not father, not dad...Daddy. My daddy will be celebrating his 82nd birthday tomorrow. I don't know anyone with a more youthful spirit than this man. Here's a quick look back on eight decades.

Here's my daddy with his father and sister in Miami in 1933...

...and with his mom and sister in 1934.

You can already see the man in the boy in this 1939 picture.

My all time favorite, however, is this one of my parents in 1950. My mom was about three months pregnant with me.

And then their happy little bundle of me arrived, along with congratulations from his brother.

The years between childhood and adulthood pass quickly, and before you knew it I was asking my daddy for more than ice cream cones. I was asking him to walk me down the aisle. He was afraid he would cry during the song he sang during the wedding, but he did admirably. I have always loved hearing my daddy in his beautiful baritone voice.

And then the babies started coming. He went from Jud, to Daddy, to Papa. I have no idea which twin is which, but there's Catherine with my brother's little guy.

He's the best Papa a bunch of kids could ever have. Certainly the most fun.

Now he is Papa to six great grandchildren (soon to be eight), and a new generation is learning to appreciate milkshake money, silly songs, the plus side of nagging, and all the junk that he foist on them just before their parent's car pulls out of the driveway.

Time and years may change some things but never the love you have for a parent. To me he will always be Daddy. Happy Birthay!

At the beginning...

2011-01-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

Way back when wigs were popular and waists were in style, when mustaches and plaid polyester pants ruled the fashion world there was a naive young couple who had the world by the tail and their whole professional lives before them. Newly graduated and ready to strut their stuff they eagerly began their first real post-grad job in the Indiana Conference. A real paycheck! They had yet to learn that politics played a part in every social hierarchy. They're pictured here with the conference president welcoming them aboard.

Since only the young man was employed by the conference his twenty-one year old wife thought she would just be accompanying him to the youth camp where he was sent as boy's director for the summer, but she was informed as soon as they arrived that she was to report to the camp kitchen each day to assist, beginning at 0500. This she dutifully did over the next three months because she was young and too timid to say that she should have been asked first. No mention of compensation was mentioned, but she shouldn't have worried. At the end of the summer she was given a check for the magnanimous sum of $400. During that summer she and her new husband of a year kept house in a tiny room in a lodge shared with those in three other rooms (bathroom included) and did what was expected of them.

This idyllic life almost came to an abrupt end, however, when the husband, who in his pursuit of creatures to exhibit in his reptile class, brought home a very large black snake, which he put into a commercial-sized mayonnaise jar with holes punched into the lid. The wife vehemently expressed her displeasure of having to share their cramped living quarters with a slithering snake, but she was assured that he would have it out of their room first thing in the morning. This young wife had not yet learned the heftiness of a foot well put down, so grudgingly she acquiesced. In the morning when the happy husband went to retrieve his prize specimen from the jar the lid was on the floor and the jar was serpent-less. Promptly the wife jumped up onto the bed telling him that he'd better find it pronto, not only for her sake, but also for the sake of the others who shared the same living space. Not wanting to make his faux pas public he decided to postpone the search until after breakfast when no one would be about. A furtive hunt found the snake coiled in the room of an elderly woman, who was none the wiser when the snake was removed from under her bed, replaced in the jar and shown with pride to the group of prepubescent youngsters who thought their teacher was way cool.

This young couple, now not quite so young, has been sharing adventures for almost forty years. The wife has learned to be a little more assertive about what she will and won't do, but there's not much she won't do for her man. That much has not changed.

Real Winter

2011-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

It may not look like much to someone living along the northern east coast, but this is big time winter for us Tennesseans. When I let the mooch out for the last time last night around 10P it was raining and cold. When I peaked out the blinds at 12:30A (it was a good book) everything was covered in white. There is nothing quite as delicious as being snuggled under a big fluffy down comforter while it snows and blows outside.

My Robert, being the good man that he is, donned his snow gear and began shoveling this morning. It's in his New England genes. He was programmed from birth to seek out the snow shovel as soon as white stuff hits the ground.

Winter's not all bad, though. He picked eleven vine-ripened tomatoes this morning. Think I'll make a big pot of potato soup and a tomato and avocado salad. Maybe some hot rolls, too. That should be enough carbs for this hard-working man of mine.

Identity Crisis

2011-01-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

I had the weirdest experience this weekend in Montgomery. As I was checking into the hotel this young woman (around 20, I guess) took one look at the name on my credit card. After almost 40 years of this I quickly recognized the desire to pronounce my last name as opposed to the total confusion as to how to pronounce it. So, kind person that I am, I pronounced it for her. Below is the conversation that ensued between this gal and myself.

Girl: How did you say it?

Me: Korzyniowski

Girl: Is that German?

Me: Polish

Girl: German?

Me: No, Polish. Polish names often end in ski.

Girl: Is that German?

Me: No, it's Polish. My husband is Polish.

Girl: Is he Dutch?

Me: No, he's Polish. His family came from Poland.

Girl: Is that Dutch?

Me: No, it's Polish.

Girl: That's not the same as Dutch?

I know someone who need to get out more.

'Bama Girl

2011-01-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Since I have crested the hallmark of antiquity and am on the slippery slope of dotage you might think it weird for me to say that college seems like only yesterday and to refer to friends of that era as kids, but that's the way it still seems to me. One of my dearest friends from college was Lois. She was such a fun person to be with and without even trying made the people around her feel a little better. Although the years since college have seen us make our homes in very different parts of the world, it seems that regardless of the time that elapses between our visits that we are able to just pick up right where we left off. There aren't many people that I can say that about.

This weekend was catch-up time with Lois, so I got in my trusty car and set out in the mid-teens on icy roads to see my friend. Fortunately, as soon as I hit the interstate the roads cleared right up, and the closer I got to Montgomery the warmer it got. The time we had together was brief but so very nice.

I came back home under grey overcast skies to one very happy dog and an equally enthusiastic husband, who has found his retirement calling as a hydroponic farmer. Down in the storage room off Bob's office he's set up this small shelf where's he's growing the most lovely tomatoes. These are some of the tomatoes still ripening after he picked the ones pictured below.

Just look at these beauties!

And would you believe these are just a few that this one, yes one, plant has produced. Bob's already picked about a dozen and has at least twenty more ripening. It's amazing! It's taken him several tries and a lot of tinkering with the system he devised, but by jove, I think he's got it. They taste so much better than those styrofoam things they strip mine down in Texas. These smell fresh and taste wonderful.

Holiday Snapshots

2011-01-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

We are back home after a wonderful time in New Mexico with two of our kids and their families. Since I've already posted a couple of pictures from my iPhone I'll just include a few of my favorite pics from the trip.

This was Declan enjoying the first snow of the season in his back yard. He's a great big eight now and leader of the pack.

For Christmas Declan and Aislin each received an iPhone (older ones no longer used) that were customized with games and movies and pictures. They loved them! Yesterday I received my first Skype call from Aislin placed from her phone. So nice to be able to do all this from the comfort of your bed.

This was my first time to see sandhill cranes as they made brief stops in NM before heading wherever they go for the winter. They're very skiddish of humans, so getting close-ups was tricky. Big beautiful loud birds.

Here's little two year-old Mackenzie, Ryan and Katrina's younger daughter. She is the cutest little pipsqueak.

Her big sister, Sydney, enjoyed the attentions of her big cousins. The four kids had a big time together.

Family is such a blessing. Each time I look at these pics I just have to thank God for the blessings he has heaped upon us.

Perfect Christmas

2010-12-26T12:01:00.001-08:00

Since we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, complete with a visit from our own personal Santa, we had Christmas day free to explore magical New Mexico with Ryan and
Catherine's family. And what could make Christmas more special than snow, which we found in abundance in the Jemez Mountains! We ate a cold picnic lunch off the tailgate before hitting the slopes with our sleds.

Needless to say everyone slept very well last night.

Then this morning the whole gang went hiking in one of my favorite places in Albuquerque--Petroglyphs National Monument.

Ancient rock art is everywhere, and spotting them is part of the fun of being out in the desert with the bright blue sky overhead.

It's going to be hard to see Ryan and Katrina head back to Colorado tomorrow. Sydney and Mackenzie are two of the cutest little girls and have been fantastic playmates for their cousins. Unfortunately I have had the mother of all colds, resulting in the complete loss of taste and smell and being one giant runny-nosed germ, so I've had to love my four little treasures from a distance. Their antics, however, have kept me laughing. It's been a wonderful holiday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Star Treatment

2010-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

I'm just going to say it. I'M SIXTY. There...I pulled that Bandaid off quickly. Still hurts a little. I don't what there is about that number that has been so hard to swallow. Up until I turned fifty birthdays were no-brainers. Don't get me wrong. I have more to celebrate in life than ever before, especially when I compare my life with so many that I know who have been through divorce or bereavements of one kind or another or face a health crisis. Inside I don't feel a day over twenty, although the packaging lies.

To sweeten the day my honey man pulled out all the stops. The day began with pink roses and an ooey gooey card. Then I was instructed to be dressed and ready for an evening surprise which turned out to be supper at a cozy little Italian restaurant downtown. During the course of dinner this man of surprises reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of my favorite perfume. Well, that did it. My pool of happiness overflowed at that point. I felt like the Duchess of Springfield.

To further sweeten the pie my honey took me see the new Narnia and even walked the mall with me (without a single complaint) while we killed a little time.

Putting this down in writing has clarified what I already know, that I've been blessed beyond measure in every way. I go to sleep and wake up next to the same handsome man who's been the love of my life for almost forty years. I have the four absolutely best children in the world (who sent flowers and called) who have given me five (soon to be seven) beautiful and delightful grandchildren. Hmmm...maybe being in my dotage isn't so bad after all.

COLD!

2010-12-12T13:24:00.001-08:00

Winter has arrived early in the mid-south. Last week was pretty chilly but not like what we're currently experiencing. Today's high was 25 with a low of 16 expected. Tomorrow we'll soar to 20 and dip to 10. This is snuggle weather under that 500 fill down comforter.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Exploring Nashville

2010-12-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Nashville is a very neat city in my book. It's loaded with Civil War History that's tucked away here and there, some of it right under your nose but practically invisible if you don't know what you're looking for. Some time ago I picked up a brochure at a rest area on Fort Negley in Nashville, so today we went in search of it and found it, big as life, right by the Sounds Stadium. It was the largest inland stone fortification built during the Civil War and is described as the centerpiece of Union occupied Nashville. Today it's operated by Metro Parks and is free. It's a very interesting and beautiful 0.5 mile walk as you wind your way through the three tiers of the fort. We absolutely loved it and will certainly go back again.

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There's a fantastic view of downtown from the fort, although when it was built the entire area was cleared to keep a better eye on those Rebels.

Just 600 yards from Fort Negley is another very historic site, the City Cemetery. Opened in 1822 it's the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in the city. It's like taking a walk through history as you look at the tombstones and read the epitaphs of the famous and not so famous people whose last stop was Nashville. As weird as it may sound, snooping out old cemeteries is my absolute favorite all time favorite thing to do.

I was reading online some of the interment records, which include causes of death. I found the peek into 19th century medicine absolutely fascinating. It was easy to spot the cholera epidemics that would hit the city in the summer and other diseases and causes of death that you would expect of that time period--e.g. tuberculosis, smallpox, child bed fever--but some of the archaic medical terminology had me scratching. Here are a few.

Yellow Janders (jaundice)
Rasmus (no idea)
Dissipation or Intemperance (alcoholism)
Overlaid in Bed (referred to accidental infant smothering)
Parilitick (paralysis)
Lockjaw (rabies)
Appoplexy (paralysis due to stroke)
Kings evil (Scrofula, which is tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands)
Moritification (sepsis)
Malignant fever (typhus)
Flux (dysentery)
Fatty liver (cirrhosis)
Jail fever (typhus)
Malignant sore throat
Teething (sepsis or disease occurring at time of weaning)
Hooping cough (Whooping cough)
Chronic affection (chronic affliction)
Quinsey (tonsillitis)
Marasmus (malnutrition in infants and young children)

The list goes on and on. Apart from disease were deaths from accidents--e.g. killed by a dray, gravel in blades, sun strokes, shootings, stabbings, getting blown up, plus the more mundane overdoses from mercury, opium and laudnon (laudanum).

It was a unique look at a small slice of history. I plan to go back when I have a good camera in hand and a lot more time to explore.

Virtuous Vice

2010-12-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving the subject of cigarette cost came up--one of those convoluted conversations that start with one subject and end up way off the original point. I remember when my grandfather used to smoke, and smoke, and smoke. He was never without a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, but at $0.25/pack it wasn't a budget-breaker. Of course, he died of lung cancer. None of us were really sure of the present day cost.

Today I found myself checking out a few items in one of the quickie lines in Walmart, and right behind the cashier were rows of cigarettes so I asked her what a pack costs. She didn't even know but scanned a single pack of Marlboros that came up $5.50. Can you believe that? And a case was over $50. Aaand, add to that the cigarette tax of $0.62/pack. In NYC a single pack can run $11. Wowsers. You would think that even if it weren't for the graphic these will kill you statements on tobacco products that the cost alone would be prohibitive, but I still see plenty of people puffing away, many of them young.

I was feeling pretty righteous until I took note of the case of Diet Coke in my cart, my own little personal vice. At least it's more affordable and less deleterious, and second-hand Coke is just flat.

Nothing in Particular

2010-12-05T07:35:00.001-08:00

Here's what comes of a lazy Sunday morning's playing around with my iPhone. First I checked my mail, contacted friends on Facebook, found movie times, checked blogs, and ended up this productive session by taking pictures of my foot with the Hipstamatic app. Hardly a prize winner but avant-garde for sure. Maybe later on I'll go twiddle my thumbs for variety. The mind is a scary place.

Resemblances

2010-12-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

When family gets together on holidays it's hard to not make comparisons. Some resemblances are genetic, some acquired. Hard to tell in our family.

Some are a little to freaky to think about.

There are moments of normalcy, however brief.

Ice!

2010-11-27T19:02:00.001-08:00

This evening we did ourselves proud as we milled side by side with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of other obsessed Nashvillians and out-of-towners through the recently re-opened and refurbished Opryland Hotel. I've never seen such a traffic jam there in all the years we've lived here. Total chaos, but what fun! We were there in force with Eric and Betsy and Andrew and his family enjoying all the Christmas decorations and ambience.

When we had just about walked off our legs we hiked over to see ICE! Good thing we were given giant parkas to put on over our coats because the ice sculptures are maintained at 6-9 degrees. Pretty chilly but worth the freeze.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Black Friday

2010-11-26T16:04:00.001-08:00

You'd think after Thanksgiving we'd have to rest up, but nooo. This morning found Betsy and me out with the multitude shopping for the baby and Bob, Eric, Andrew, and Curt in the freezing cold shooting skeet. I'm quite sure we girls had the better time.

Here's Andrew shooting a Winchester 1400 ...

And Bob and Curt trying to look as cool.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Times Past

2010-11-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've been working on the old family pics once again (and will be doing so until I'm 90 at least) and thought some seasonal recollections might be in order now that Santa will be making his mall appearances next week. How about these from the Korzyniowski archives?

1949 Bobby and his sister Wanda

1950 Bobby and Wanda

I was struck looking at these pics how much Aeva looks like her Poppy. Something about the eyes, I think. Here's Bob at age ten.

And Aeva at 18 months.

Now everyone says that Aeva looks like her daddy, but then her daddy looks just like his daddy. Those Polish genes are tough to shake.

Here are two more comparisons, but of a different sort. These pictures were taken at the home where Bob grew up in New Hampshire. Just shows that some things never go out of style and that fancy just doesn't mean a things when you're a kid in hot weather.

Bob in 1949...

...and his children in 1982.

Note that there appears to be no correlation between the size of the water container and enjoyment.

Dynamite!

2010-11-15T06:27:00.001-08:00

Wanna feel good today? This should do the trick.

Out for a Spin

2010-11-13T05:37:00.000-08:00

It's not often the weather's as nice in mid-November as it was this past week, so Bob and I decided to take a quick late afternoon spin on Shelby Bottoms Greenway to downtown. It's a fun way to get in 12 miles. Here we are on the pedestrian bridge that overlooks downtown Nashville and LP Stadium.

Of course, the faithful mascot was along for the ride from her perch on my back.

Staycation Day

2010-11-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Some while back I earmarked a page in Southern Living that suggested points of interest close by for those of us living in the Nashville area, so since it was a beautiful day and I didn't want to do what needed to be done at home I got in the car and took myself off to do what I enjoy most--snoop with camera in hand.

I picked up Natchez Trace Parkway and checked out a few of the beautiful sights on the road that twists and turns 440 miles all the way from Nashville to Natchez, Mississipi. The scenery must have been spectacular a month ago, but it's still not too shabby.

Then I went to find Loveless Cafe, a favorite Nashville eatery, well-known for their hot biscuits and all-day breakfasts. Their blackberry jam was delish!

You can obviously get other than breakfast foods here, too.

I came home with almost no good pictures, a jar of blackberry jam, a new apron, and some biscuit mix (I know..cheating). To my surprise, I found that the most vibrant fall colors I'd seen all day were in our very own yard.

A very nice day indeed.

Readying for Winter

2010-11-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

There's still color on some of the trees but many are already bare, and those that do have leaves are losing them quickly. With temps predicted to drop down into the mid twenties tomorrow and Saturday night it's enough to make any tree think winter is already here. Bob is performing his yearly duty of blowing clear the irrigation system so the pipes don't rupture with the freeze.

This is an HDR iPhone 4 picture. Not too shabby, huh? As of yesterday Bob now has the new i4, so you can FaceTime him anytime. I wanted to surprise him with the gift but found when I went into the Apple store that you can't just buy one and walk out with the upgrade price, so I went ahead an had it connected (I know all his secret information) and thought my surprise would be greatly appreciated. It has turned out to be a lot of work for him since his Mac runs on Tiger (two upgrades have come out since then), so he will be upgrading to Snow Leopard soon so he can sync with iTunes.

Technology is great but confusing to a non-techie like me. When we were married you could not own a phone. They all belonged to Ma Bell and you rented monthly. Phone numbers were memorized (my mother could spout them by the dozen) and entered by turning the rotary dial. Then Princess phones came on the scene (whoo-hoo!) and every phone number sang a little song. We though our first cell phone (a big heavy bag phone) was ultra cool, but we had no idea how far and how fast technology would change. Why not take advantage of it?

Literary Flourishes

2010-10-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

I do so admire one who has the ability to take the twenty six letters of the alphabet and arrange them in such a way that their combination has the ability to amaze the reader at their boldness of unique expression. Take this tiny little Georgia church, for instance. Why you could put these words on the grandest sign on the biggest church in downtown Atlanta and not be surprised at all to see it there.

Fall Jobs

2010-10-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Since it's cooled off there's been opportunity to get to some of the yard jobs that we've put off for years. You know..those jobs you keep saying you need to do but don't want to tackle? Well, my honeyman did himself proud last month as he attacked the yard with spade in hand (pickax in some instances) and put fiberglass edging around the beds that kept getting bigger and bigger and did the same down the steepest part of the driveway to prevent mulch washing. And he built another retaining wall around the big tree. It looks great.

And here's a picture just for all our pretty grandkids. Look who I saw eating nuts this morning out on the front steps? Chipmunk Willy is back!

Still Here

2010-10-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, how long has it been since my last post...May? How the months have flown! It's way too late to say what's been going on since that last entry except to say that each day has been full to the bursting. Here's a line or two for each of the big events of the summer.

Our companions for the summer were Declan and Aislin. Those two scamps made my face ache from laughing by the end of every day. Our nine weeks with them were interspersed with several get-togethers with their parents, but we absolutely loved having them with us.

In June our whole family was together to celebrate Eric's wedding to Betsy Lopez in the beautiful garden of the oldest house in St. Augustine, Florida. It was a beautiful but simple ceremony in which these two started their new lives together.

Ryan was there with his family to support his twin. He and Katrina sure have two cute little girls (if I do say so myself).

Andrew and Jessica were there as well. Aeva found her cousins very much to her liking on that very hot afternoon.

The reception was held in the early evening aboard a big sailboat, and I can easily say that it was the most fun and unique reception I've ever attended.

Everyone, including Catherine and Sean, just chilled and had a good time.

Skip to September and to Aeva's second birthday. She had a big party at the Discovery Center with an animal cake she had talked about for weeks and some real live animals provided by the staff that she and all her friends could pet. Pretty cool party.

Recently we've been heavily involved in the the lives of my great aunt and second cousin, both invalids, who decided they wanted to come live by us in assisted living. After a lot of legalities we moved them from southern Georgia where you see nothing but pine trees, peanuts, pecan trees, and cotton. This is the view from the front door of the house from which they moved.

One week from the time we moved them, we moved them back into their house at their insistence, but at least they got to see a little of the big city, like on the day we took them to Centennial Park to see the Parthenon. This is Inez taking in the sights.

So now it's just Bob and me catching up on a little sleep and quiet time.

We're going to need it, too, because come spring we're going to be grandparents to two new little granddaughters thanks to Andrew and Jessica and Eric and Betsy. That will be six granddaughters and one grandson. Declan still reigns supreme as the only boy.

By the way, Declan found this little smelly present left under his covers from Aeva (with a little help from Uncle Andrew).

Guess that's it for now. Tons of jobs around the house and a few day trips fill in the gaps of this abbreviated version of the past six months, but I am determined to post much more often from now on.

2010-05-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

Today's BIG job has been to rent the carbide sander and get on with the very dirty job of getting the sealer off the brick floor throughout the kitchen, living room and bathroom. What a dust storm throughout the house this has created (wrecks havoc on contacts, I can tell you). This is the first of several steps in preparing the floor for tiling.

Nothing says I love you like some blood, sweat, tears...and dust. Catherine, you are really loved.

Happy happy birthday today to
my 30 year-old boy! Eat some cake for us Andrew.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Out Comes the Kitchen!

2010-05-04T10:34:00.001-07:00

Look at my hard-working men as they tear out Catherine and Sean's kitchen! This has been a long time in coming, so it's pretty exciting. Guess we'll be preparing meals on the grill or in the camper for a good while.

On another note...We've watched in horrid fascination the flood damage at home. It seems so surreal as we left for NM before a single drop of rain fell. In fact, we weren't even aware of the deluge until we received a wrong number call in the car from someone on Sabbath saying "Tell Papa to come get us in the boat!" When we saw that the call came from our area code we checked the weather as soon as we got home and learned of the flooding then. I can hardly believe it.

I'm incredily sad for the loss so many have sustained but also very thankful. Our house is fine (thank you, friends, for checking on it for us) since we live high, but Andrew and Jessica had to evacuate for a night and came to our house. Their house is okay but others in their neighborhood did not fair as well.

On a positive note, all is well here at Catherine and Sean's. The sun is shining and it's dry. Perfect weather for the jobs the guys are doing. The camper we brought up for them is our place of lodging, much to the delight if the kids, who are thrilled that it is now theirs. It's been our home away from home on many occasions over the past three decades, so we're entirely comfortable there.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Getting There

2010-04-30T06:06:00.001-07:00

After traveling 714 bumpy miles yesterday (thank you, delightful Arkansas) in strong westerly winds that made the farmers' tilling the equivalent of the great Dust Bowl we pulled off the road on the west side of Oklahoma City to spend the night. Felt good to wash all that blown dust out of my hair.

Big change in the weather this morning. It's raining-and windy, of course-but maybe the addition of moisture will help my eyeballs not feel like they've been shrink-wrapped with my contacts. The dryness of the plains and desert states positively desdicate me.

We're back on the road now, fortified by a highly nutritious McDonalds breakfast. What is so difficult to understand about "no meat"? You'd think we were speaking Kurdish. Oh, well, Sisco positively loved the ham from our Egg McMuffins. So thus readied we continue on our way...Clive Cussler audiobook in place and clearing skies on the horizon.

Oh, no, that quart of Diet Coke I drank 15 minutes ago...Honey, pull over at the next rest stop (big eye roll from the driver).

-- Posted from my iPhone

On the Road

2010-04-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

28 years ago we splurged on this Canadian made pop-up camper, thinking how great it would be for family vacations and campmeeting-and it certainly has been. We've packed four kids in the car and seen much of the US with the camper in tow. Lot's of really great family memories center around the camper.

Without the kids at home we rarely use it anymore, so it's on it's way to Albuquerque (as I blog in the car) so Catherine and her family can make some memories of their own within its canvas walls.

We'll get to enjoy a nice long working vacation as we help with major kitchen and floor renovations. The camper will stay behind, but memories stay with you no matter where you go.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Bang, Bang, Shoot 'em Up!

2010-04-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I would blame it on living in Tennessee if it hadn't begun in New Hampshire. It goes way back when Bob's daddy bought him a .22 that he has to this day. Then he bought for himself a shotgun that he sold before moving to Central America back in the 60s. That's right...I've married a Yankee redneck.

It must be genetic since Andrew started pestering the life out of us when he was 12 for a .22 and now can't buy enough firearms to be satisfied. To make matter worse, they have enticed another guy to buy a gun. At least they're not sneaking around in the woods shooting poor woodland creatures. They have taken up the noble sport of clay trap target shooting. See the proud gun owner.

I'm told that Bob's marksmanship is improving and that skeet and little clay pigeons run for cover when the mighty marksman takes aim. This male bonding sport is something I don't quite understand, but they seem to really enjoy it. Maybe they'll take up caber tossing next.

Travellers Rest

2010-04-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Snooping online this weekend about things to see in Nashville I noticed Travellers Rest Plantation was a "must see". I'd never heard of it, but yesterday we went to check it out, and I'm so glad we did. Surprisingly, it's not far from the zoo, where we often go, but it's tucked away inside a neighborhood where the city has grown to surround this once 2,200 thousand acre plantation owned by John Overton, a prominent Nashvillian and friend of the Confereracy. Just looking at this home takes me time traveling.

The house was begun in 1799, with additions added later. It's in amazing condition with many family objects in the house, with all other furnishings correct for the period. Since Bob and I were the only ones on our tour we had ample opportunities to question our knowledgeable guide about this and that. We learned a lot about Nashville's very interesting history.

The grounds and gardens were impressive with a wide variety of huge trees ranging from the American Elm to the Royal Paulownia. The towering ginkos were the largest I've ever seen.

I still like the lowly dogwood best of all, though. Nothing says springtime to me like their blooms, be they white or pink.

Lovely as the plantation grounds were, a walk around our yard confirmed that we have a lot going on for us, too. Just look at all the colors we have right now - from big fat iris bud to dwarf coreopsis in the window boxes...

...to the purples of clematis and verbana.

And what would the South be without azaleas? We have three different varieties blooming right now around the house.

Even the roses are beginning to bloom.

There are the reds of dianthus, the whites of spirea...well, you get the idea. Set all this against the bright green grass. Beautiful! Believe me, it's a struggle to keep things growing, but my favorite gardner is very vigilant, however, as he wages constant warfare with the squirrels who love to chew off sprinkler and dripper heads.

Of course, the heat of summer will soon be here (has been, in fact, but we get a reprieve this week) and the blooms will fade away and the grass will struggle, but for right now everything is a feast for the eyes.

For more pics of Traveller's Rest click here.

Nashville Doings

2010-04-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Belle Meade to enjoy the perfect spring afternoon. The riot of colors was a beauty to behold...

...and to smell.

And, of course, in proud Korzyniowski tradition the afternoon was an excuse to photograph everything and everyone in sight.

Aeva was in fine form and found everything to her liking from the rocks on the path, to throwing crumbs in a small pond to a snapping turtle. But for some reason every bench and chair was the big draw for this 18 month-old. They provided good settings for some cute pictures. This first one Andrew took.

All in all it was just a really lovely afternoon.

The weekend continued this morning with Sandy, Jessica, Aeva, and I going to Nashville's Southern Women's Convention. We'd never been before, but it sounded like a fun way to spend a Sunday.

It turned out to be hundreds of vendors with their booths and goods (women stuff, of course) with a heavy emphasis on glitter, sparkle and food. We ate our way from the first booth to the last, sampling the products for sale. You might think that Aeva would have no strong likes in the way of fashion at her young age, but there you would be wrong. She knows exactly what she likes and wants. I'm happy to say she is carrying on the proud family tradition of being a lover of beautiful footwear. She spotted a pair of pink rain boots that really caught her fancy. In fact, she loved them so much that she wouldn't put them down. This is a really crummy photo (litte camera), but you can tell it was love at first sight with these boots.

Sadly she didn't convince her mommy to buy them for her, but she did end up with a very gaudy pair of flip flops that pleased her greatly. Her good taste shows promise that she will grow up to be a fine Southern woman.

Mule Days

2010-04-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today was just a perfect day to get outdoors and do something. It was a gorgeous spring day, with a record-topping pollen count, but you don't get sights like this without paying the price.

So I opted out of going with Bob to blast clay pigeons out of the sky and went for a first. I went to Mule Days! I'd seen it advertised and thought it looked like fun, but I didn't know a thing about it. So I drove down to Columbia, TN, the "Mule Capital of the World", and found myself one of over 200,000 people who come annually to celebrate "all things mule" It began back in 1840 when mule breeders began to get together, and it's turned into a big ta-doo. It was like a county fair with a heavy emphasis on mules (of course), but I just loved walking around with my camera. We're not talking city slickers here, although the home of our 11th president is in Columbia, but good hard-working rural folks who enjoy showing off their prize animals, crafts and cooking.

I learned quite a lot about mules. For one thing, I had no idea mules got so big - or so small. Just check out Shorty, who stands 8' at the shoulder.

These little miniatures were cute cute cute, but so was their little handler.

And I found out that while mules may be known for their stubbornness, they are also quite talented.

To top off my perfect day I arrived home to find that the iPad I've been lusting after for so long had finally arrived. Happy woman am I!

I loaded it up with new games for the kids, several new books, movies, photos, apps, etc. Can't wait to get it away from Bob and try it out.

Parenting at Its Best

2010-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was talking with Catherine tonight and we were reminiscing about family vacations and some of the good and not so good experiences we had. Moosehead Lake (Maine) came up, as it was one of our favorite places to vacation when we lived in New England . We'd set up the camper, take the canoe off the roof rack, and start swatting mosquitoes. It was our misfortune to go there two summers when there had been a very wet spring, resulting in blood-sucking varmints the size of small bats. The kids couldn't go outside to play, and the only relief was to run to the lake and push off in the canoe (yes, all six of us in that canoe) or run to the car to go moose-hunting. It did make for some memorable experiences, though.

I was reminded of all this as I came across this of picture a few nights ago as I was scanning in family pics. This must have been one the times we camped there when the mosquitoes weren't quite so bad or the kids wouldn't have been eating outside. Just look the happy faces of our children.

There are times you wonder if you did right by your children. Were you a good parent? Did they enjoy their childhood or did you permanently scar them by? On this occasion it was early morning, the station wagon was all packed up, ready for the long drive back to NH, but no skipping breakfast. Were the kids happy about it? Doesn't look like it, but they were eating anyway. They were less enthusiastic about being told to look at the camera. The point is, they survived the togetherness and were doing normal family stuff (happiness has little to do with it).

I used to wonder if they would grow up to hate each other, but miraculously they are all good friends, protective of one another. Maybe those "good times" paid off.

The Firsts in Life

2010-04-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

It is so much fun to watch a child experience a "first" in their life, be it big or small. As we played with Aeva this afternoon I got out my lovely new camera and caught her reaction to some of these new experience. Take, for instance, getting her toenails painted. She noticed her mommy's and nannie's painted toes, so she got a little sparkle on her ten tiny toes and was fascinated by the experience.

Jessica and I also initiated her into the art of a two-way phone conversation. That was a big hit.

Just a little thing like sticking a flower behind her ear got a big reaction.

This was her first time to ride her scooter downhill. Of course, there was someone to catch her just a few yards away, but it was something she wanted to do over and over again.

These babies of ours grow up all too quickly. The firsts are soon replaced by new firsts, but what a pleasure to get in on some of these early ones.

Highland Alumni Weekend

2010-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend alumni from far and near gathered at Highland Academy to renew acquaintances, that is if they could recognize each other. Weight gains, grey/white hair or loss thereof, jowls and paunches can somewhat diminish the recollection of the youthful classmates that memory holds. You make eye contact with someone and you think you know them, and you can tell by their glance that they think they know you, but neither of you are sure, and besides, you can't remember their name anyway. So you try to surreptitiously read their sticky name thingy before saying in a cheerful and excited voice "Sam! You haven't changed a bit in forty years. You look fantastic! I'd know you anywhere." Lies...all lies. But I did see old friends from Louisville that are like family to me, and so the day was a happy one for me.

Loco Love

2010-04-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sisco, the four pound wonder, is one tenacious little hunter when it comes to chasing chipmunks and squirrels, or anything that squeeks, for that matter. She is lightning fast and tenacious, to say the least, although she has fortunately never caught anything live. Toys are another matter entirely. Give her a stuffed toy that squeeks and she won't give up until it's dead - squeeker torn out and laying on the floor dead. This OCD with squeeky toys is expensive, so I went to Goodwill and bought two small stuffed animals for a dollar apiece, split a seam and stuffed in a squeeker that I bought at a pet store. Works like a charm for next to nothing. Sisco is back in business!

DIY Snoot

2010-04-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Some while back Ryan sent me a link for the making and use of a DIY Drinking-straw snoot. First of all, I didn't know what a snoot was (at least in camera terminology), and secondly I'm not exactly gifted in the make-it-yourself department. But I do enjoy photography, and since it cost exactly nothing to make I figured why not.

I found out that a snoot is a flash modifier that directs light in a tight pattern. In this case it was made with straws.

My first problem was where to find black plastic drinking straws, without which this little project could not begin. Thank you Panera for your contribution. Here's what it looked like upon completion.

Okay, here's my guinea pig using just a straight on detachable flash. Good lighting, but no pizazz.

Now here's the same flash with the snoot slid over the flash.

Dramatic, no? I read one comment saying this construction was not really a snoot but a honeycomb, but whatever--I liked it. Want me to make one for you? I have plenty of straws now.

Trail of Tears

2010-04-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest things I'm finding out about retirement is the freedom we have found to go snooping when the mood strikes, and that's just what we did this week. I had recently discovered that encampments of Cherokee Indians had camped in Hopkinsville, KY, in 1838 and 1839 during their forced exile from their homes in Georgia and NC to Oklahoma. It would become known as the Trail of Tears because of the thousands of deaths that occurred during the nine month forced march. It's a tremendously sad and shameful part of American history and should not be forgotten. In 1996 this Cherokee route was designated the National Historic Trail of Tear, and the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville was named in the bill.

Pretty sad.

Last Few Days

2010-03-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Where to begin...maybe with Bob, who has been knocking himself out on the lower deck. You know that little furry creature that literally made a mountain out of a molehill? Well, Bob took up quite a few of the pavers (many more that this picture shows) so he could level the pavers, at least as much as is possible on a sloping surface. What a job!

That job began on Wednesday, I think, but then rain set in. Today he completed the job before going over to Andrew's to they could commence diagnosing and fixing a computer problem, which, of course, they did.

Then, good sport that Bob is, he donned a borrowed bow tie to participate in the 74th consecutive Springfield Lions Club Minstrel, the longest running in the US. This fundraiser was to plump the reserves of the club for eye care contributions to the deserving. Lots of old timey songs, lots of cornyness (is that a word?), some very excellent performances, lots of local kids doing their thing. All in all just the kind of variety show that a small town like ours supports very well indeed, and for a very worthy cause.

I got to sneak in a mid-week visit with Aeva who gets a big kick out of smelling her feet for laughs and playing with my iPhone. That girl can tap and swipe!

This next picture is so Uncle Stevie can eat out his heart when he only dreams of spring coming to NH.

We enjoyed making new friends at lunch on Sabbath, but Aeva mostly enjoyed her once-a-week dessert pig out, followed by a trip to the zoo to do what she loves most, i.e. combing the goats. Such tolerant animals.

Can't wait to see the rest of my little grandbabies this June. I would like to get my hands on each one for hugs and kisses. This long distance granny thing is not working out well for me.

Better Safe

2010-03-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

While Bob was skiing at Beaver Creek a few weeks ago he was broadsided by a careless skier and sent flying. Fortunately he came away with only some deep muscle bruises and residual aching, but it had the potential for being far worse. Hence our trip to REI this week to take advantage of their 50% off ski helmets. The reason they're reduced is not only that it's the end of the ski season but that nobody really wants a bright yellow in small. With the help of diligent sales rep in Customer Service, though, one that was just right was located--and our yearly dividend covered almost the entire amount.

This should offer some added protection--at least for his head.

Small Town America

2010-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I put my camera on the seat next to me, got in my chariot, and took off toward the Kentucky border just to see what I could see. These trips are best done alone since they involve a lot of U-turns, poking around, pulling over to curbs, etc. And it's something I simply love to do - snoop out small towns. Where but in a little tiny town would a golf cart tram full of women, kids and dogs stop to chat at a corner?

Guthrie, Kentucky is one such town, and it's not only full of friendly people but also many visual reminders of the past, like the 120 year-old Jenkins Department Store that still stands with its painted advertisements and it's railroad history.

I especially like to snoop out unique architectural details on old buildings. The dilapidated CME Church still had points of beauty...

...as did the Old Opera House. The whole town is a little historical gem.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across the home of Robert Penn Warren. You may not know his name (nor did I), but you've probably heard of the book All the Kings Men, which won for him a Pulitzer Prize, an honor he received twice more for his poetry. Right there in little Guthrie.

Mostly, though, I just enjoy the sights of everyday life in small towns.

Bye Bye Birdie

2010-03-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Spring is such a busy time of year. Things are popping out of the ground, birds are so happy to be warm in the sun that they chip away from sunup to sundown. Of course, if you're not mindful you could become a meal for a hawk, which is what I suspect is what happened to this little robin.

This pile of feathers in the front yard was just that--feathers. Not one little bone left. Occasionally we see a cat around, but not frequently and we always shoo them off. The golf course we live on (we don't play golf, incidentally) is an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, so we have a wide variety of birds, which Bob faithfully feeds so we can enjoy watching them. We have big birds, too, like pileated woodpeckers and red-tailed hawks. Once in a while we'll see a hawk perched on a limb by the bird feeder, but word goes out quickly and you won't see a squirrel, chipmunk or bird in site.

On constant patrol is our faithful wee beastie, Sisco, who in her eleventh year of life still looks and acts like a pup. Sunning herself on the front porch is pure pleasure as she reminds little ground creatures who's boss. She reigns supreme as Queen of the Yard.

When it's warm like today I'll leave the front door partly open so she can come and go, but that can have a down side. It's too cool yet but for winged pests, but one year I did find a little toad in the house. But it's too beautiful to be cooped up. Today it's seventy, tomorrow will be in the low fifties. Got to enjoy it while you can.

St. Paddy's Day My Way

2010-03-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

This morning over breakfast I was channel surfing and came across Martha Stewart making that most Irish of all foods, soda bread. So I hung in there to see what the big deal was and caught most of the process. Now I'm not an Oprah or Martha groupie (I can't squeal high enough to qualify), but I know a good recipe when I see one, so I went online and printed out the recipe to give it a try. It is St. Paddy's day after all, and it seemed only right I do something to recognize the day since it's my brother's birthday and there are more Irish branches than twigs on my side of the family (my red hair a testament to either the Irish or Scottish lineage). And then there are three Keowns in the Robinson family and two grandchildren with Irish names that are constantly mispronounced.

Fresh out of the oven it made the house smell wonderful. With a hearty stew and fresh papaya for dessert it made for a good meal.

P.S. I think is my new favorite "raisin bread".

Ski Trip

2010-03-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

This year I manned the home front while Bob and other intrepid skiers plied their skills on the slopes of Beaver Creek, Colorado (just a short distance from Vail). I got daily updates from the fam about how much fun they were having. Even Aeva got to try her first pair of boots and skis, but it will take a few more years for that to be fun for her. But everyone else had a blast. And why not? I mean, this isn't exactly Paoli Peaks. Just look at Larkspur run.

Looks like a bunch of happy skiers to me! They were at the top of Centennial lift when Bob took these pictures with his phone camera and sent them to me.

Nashville Class

2010-03-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Who said Nashville ain't got no class? Why, we've got the Parthenon. Bob and I hadn't seen it (up close at least) in the ten years we've lived here, but last week we remedied that and were impressed. It was built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, and both the building and Athena are full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. Having seen both now, I have a better feel for what the restorations on the Acropolis will ultimately achieve (only a lot better, I'm sure).

All 42' of Athena is impressive.

On the way home we drove down Broadway and took in all the tourists and touristy sites.

You just gotta love Nashville!

Mole Power

2010-02-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

This is a paradoxical time of year. One day is well below freezing and snowing and the next it's fifty and sunshiney. The buttercups, tulips and hyacinths are risking it, though, and have their heads poked up a good four inches. The ground is wet and soft right now. Just perfect for the dreaded denizen of the deep dark dirt that does dastardly deeds - the fuzzy-wuzzly little mole. At just three-six ounces you wouldn't think they could do much damage, but our back yard looks like trench warfare in Flanders right now. How they can move so much earth looking for grubs is pretty amazing, actually, but that doesn't endear them to me one little bit. Just look at the damage one little buggers caused on the back porch.

On the other hand, they are extremely cute. Bob caught on last year and put in a bucket so the kids and I could see it. Their pelt is so soft, but those little paws are some mean digging machines. This particular mole was lucky to have escaped the mole trap. I mean, after you've petted and oohed and aahhed over a little creature you can't cut it's life short and live with yourself, so that mole got lucky and was unleashed on the golf course (bet they loved that). Let's just hope I don't get all sappy over the one destroying the back yard.

Hair-raising Experience

2010-02-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I popped into a McDonalds to get a drink and found myself staring at the most unique arrangement of hair I've ever seen. I was so fascinated that I seated myself across the room from the wearer just to look at it again - and to sneak this picture. Honestly, I didn't know you could get hair that high up off the scalp, but with enough rats teased in and half a spray bottle of Aqua Net it's obvious that the impossible can be done. Why I bet that 'do could stand up to 50 mph winds. Really it was quite amazing. Put me in mind of an anchiceratops.

Imitation

2010-02-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what strikes a kid as funny. A few months ago I made a big deal out of smelling Aeva's feet and saying an exaggerated whew. For some reason that struck her as funny and she has not forgotten it. Since then her big thing is smelling stinky feet and saying Whew! while she fans her little hand in front of her face.

She's also picking up other valuable life lessons.

She's navigates her iPhone "moo" games like a pro with her little pointer finger and swipes like a pro.

Digging Out

2010-01-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Seven inches isn't much by NH or CO standards, but for us it's quite a bit of snow, so Bob dug us out some more today. Tomorrow temps will get above freezing and we'll be melting like cray. I've enjoyed this lazy beautiful weekend.

Old Man Winter

2010-01-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

It's not often that the mid-south gets whammied like it did yesterday, but we got it good (for the south, that is). No going to church today! Most everyone is hunkered down inside, except for Andrew and Jessica who are fearless and are coming over for lunch later with Jessica's folks. The main roads are probably okay, but look what was awaiting the snow shovel in the front yard.

Freida and I got out in it yesterday for a long walk when it had only been snowing about an hour.

Everythig is prettier when covered in clean snow. I'm just going to enjoy this beautiful day from indoors.

Big Screen

2010-01-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

We have been seriously out of step with technology for the past few years, so due to the bad influence of Eric and Ryan we decided to not live in the hope of a good lightning strike but to go big screen on our own. But in order to do that we had to have the build-in cabinetry remodeled, which was designed for a tube TV. Then there were cables to run through the ceiling from downstairs, more cables to purchase, getting internet connections just right, and oh, yeah...arranging for HD - and all this was before the TV even arrived (from Amazon, no less). I think it looks pretty good.

There's still a lot of cables to hide and tweeking to be done, but I think we're going to love it. We'll have to see what a Blue-ray DVD picture looks like when it arrives. But how could it possibly be better than our old $79 Sony player?

Princess Aeva

2010-01-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

When you have granddaughters, you have princesses, and Aeva is just the latest to have come to that realization. I mean, what's not to like about a tiara? She has also discovered Aislin's treasure trove of summer toys, e.g. her baby doll which was an immediate hit.

The world is your oyster at sixteen months.

HDRs

2010-01-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

These are my first attempts at taking HDR photos. I ordered Photomatix and am learning the ropes. These are probably overtinkered, but I'll get the hang of it.

Blackberry Face

2010-01-09T13:46:00.001-08:00

Andrew and Jessica came over for lunch today after church, and we just had the best time with Aeva. She was having a lot of fun exploring the toy drawer and playing with the doll house. At this age everything is new and fun, especially dessert, which was a treat. The blackberry cobbler was okay, but the whipped cream was terrific fun.

What a cutie pie!

Click HERE for more pics.

Aeva

2010-01-09T08:42:00.001-08:00

Look who's come to Sabbath School!

-- Posted from my iPhone

Florida Holidays

2010-01-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we headed for Jacksonville to spend the holidays with Eric and Betsy, but on the way down we detoured to one of the most rural places we've been to in a long time, Coleman, Georgia, to see my great aunt by marriage and her daughter (Inez and Jeannie). The past year for them has been traumatic, so it was especially gratifying to see them doing so well in the bosom of the fam, on ancestral land once again .

We thought maybe Christmas without little ones might be a bit somber, but we didn't realize that a Wii will bring out the kid in everyone, as Betsy's Christmas present demonstrated. Boxing or tennis will turn ordinary calm individuals...

...into fierce out-for-blood competitors - no mercy shown.

We were happy to get to spend some time with Betsy's parents, Elsa and Marshall, who live just north of Orlando. Elsa is numero uno in Wii bowling!

I really hate Florida's humidity in the summer, but when it's nice...it's really nice. The day before New Year's eve found us at the beautiful beach at Anastasia State Park watching the surfers and taking HDR photos (Eric was teaching me the tricks). There's just something so relaxing about being around the ocean.

Check out the Bay Watch run.

New Years eve we met up with Betsy's folks and her brother and nephew on Disney's boardwalk to watch the midnight fireworks. It was a great place to ring in the new year. Lots of hugging and kissing and blowing of little tin whistles. Very festive. Here's a picture from Betsy's camera.

We topped off the night(?)at around 0100 by eating cupcakes back at the hotel to celebrate Betsy's 30th birthday. She was a New Year's day baby.

We just had a great time with the kids and hope that next Christmas we can get the whole family together for a Christmas of skiing and snow up in Taos. Anyone interested? Click HERE for more pics.

Christmas Update

2009-12-26T07:26:00.001-08:00

Would you believe picture was taken on Christmas Eve? 78 degrees, lunch outside, watching all the last minute shoppers walk past in lightweight clothing...guess we're not in Kansas anymore. Jacksonville, to be precise. But no matter the weather or locale, as long as you're with family the holiday is perfect, so we we are really happy to be here with Eric and Betsy.

Betsy's new Wii has featured prominently in our holiday fun...bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing. Pretty fun! But Avatar beat out Wii games. Watching it in 3D was icing on an already delicious cake.

Going to take a long bike ride this afternoon and enjoy the blessings of this lovely Sabbath day with Eric.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Surprise of Surprises

2009-12-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

When I picked up the UPS package by the front door this week and saw Ryan's return address I couldn't imagine what was in the box. I opened up the outer box, brushed away the peanuts, and lifted out a beautifully wrapped package. I got as far as taking off the wrapping paper before absolutely bursting into tears (happiness affects me that way). I was looking at a new Canon EOS 50D! But when I read the enclosed card and it said that it was a birthday gift from all my kids and grandkids...well, I lost it again. In fact, I was still snarfing when I talked to Ryan saying that you shouldn't have but don't ask me to give it back.

What is it about your kids doing something extraordinary for you that just yanks so hard on your heartstrings? Of course, the camera is lovely and I'm thrilled to have it, but their loving words meant the world to me.

See how cheap you kids could have gotten off if you'd only known?

Holiday Pic

2009-12-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of Sundays ago Bob and I met Andrew and Jessica at Opryland Hotel to take some Christmas pictures. Getting a year-old toddler to stand still, much less smiles, is an iffy thing, but we did manage to pull off at least one good picture of this threesome.

I think I am the luckiest granny in the entire world. Each of our five peewees are so precious to me.

Yard Work

2009-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago Catherine and I planted twelve little seedum joys around the base of a dying tree. The tree is long gone but the plants have multiplied time and time again until there is now a huge flowering bed in fall. Trouble was the bed was on a slope which seemed to be getting bigger each year. So my handy dandy man made this great retaining wall (pictured unfinished) to contain everything. Looks much better.

Gray Fossil Site

2009-11-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

Some years ago Bob found out about unique fossil discoveries in Gray, Tennesse, but it wasn't until this week that we made the 6.5 hr. one-way trip to visit the site. Bulldozers uncovered fossil remains that were significant enough that the highway was re-routed and a paleontology degree program was begun at Eastern Tennessee State University. Guess where the students get to dig? A beautiful museum was built with a huge lab. All first class.

Hard to imagine tapirs, alligators, crocs, tapirs, red pandas, short-nosed bears, etc., making their home in our fair state at one time. We were told it is the most significant fossil site east of the Mississippi.

That's not all that's new this week. Tonight heralded a new era in our home. When I asked Bob if he wanted supper and he replied in the affirmative I informed him that his first cooking lesson was about to begin. This has always been strictly my domain, but I welcome company in the kitchen. And he did great - and looked good in an apron, too. Cooking was a lot more fun tonight.

Of course, fair's fair...Guess now I'll have to learn how to clean out the gutters and adjust my own bike.

Back to Normal

2009-11-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

We returned home last Tuesday night after being away for a month, and there's been a lot of catching up to do. Just sorting mail was a job. Mostly, though, the yard needed attention. The leaves are falling like crazy right now and there's no keeping up but at least the rain has stopped. We still have some beautiful colors, even this late in the season.

I got out at sunrise this morning to cut down the seedum joys, irises, impatiens, hostas, etc. Got those all bagged up and feel a lot better about having that job done. Also helped get Freida moved in downstairs over the weekend. She'll be living here until a new job presents itself and life settles down for her.

Today Bob's cleaning out all the hydroponic containers and blowing out the irrigation heads in readiness for the first hard freeze, which should be just around the corner.

I can report that this first week of retirement back home has been a pleasure. The pressure is off and we both feel much more relaxed. We actually got to go to church with Andrew and Jessica with no expectations from others. Very nice. We hope to see a lot more of Aeva, who is growing like a week and is just a funny little kid. And we're planning a day trip this week, so life is good. Just wish all my kids lived on the same street so I could have everyone running in and out all day.

Anyone want to move here?

GA Day 26 - Heading Home

2009-10-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

We're just leaving Albuquerque this morning in rush hour traffic. There's only patchy sunshine now with low dark clouds that make Sandia Peak looks like a big chocolate bundt cake topped with creamy icing dripping over the sides. Looks like we'll be running into rain (big surprise there) as we work our way toward home.

We've seen some beautiful country while here. Sabbath afternoon we hiked in the Jemez National Preserve and viewed a large herd of elk in the Valle Caldera. The bright yellow cottonwoods that dotted the landscape made great eye candy.

Yesterday we viewed beauty of a different sort as Catherine and I drooled over the gorgeous southwestern pottery in store windows in Santa Fe. I could become a serious collector if money were no object. As it was I bought only one black pot from Mexico - way less expensive but still beautiful. A poor imitation, though, of the real thing-kind of like the small print I bought of Georgia O'Keefe's Poppies. We spent the day just enjoying the sites and taking in a few new places - the Georgia O'Keefe Museum and the new NM State Museum. Both excellent. I always enjoy Santa Fe.

It was hard saying goodbye to everyone this morning, as it always is when I have to leave any of my children and their families, but I'm ready to sleep in my own bed now, and I know Catherine and Sean are more than ready to get Aislin out of their bed (cover hog that she is) and back into her own. We'll probably be home Wednesday as we plan to poke along and stop and see whatever we take a fancy to.

Hastas la vista!

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 22 - Albuquerque

2009-10-22T19:43:00.001-07:00

We've been here with Catherine and Sean and the kids since Monday and are having a busy good time. Bob has been doing lots of jobs around the house and I've had the pleasure of Aislin's company during the days with time to do girl things together - e.g. trips to Barnes and Nobles.

We had two days of rain that left the first snow on the mountains here and left us thankful to be tucked inside warm and dry. Seems like the rain has followed us everywhere we've gone.

Sean is preaching in Los Alamos on Sabbath, so we'll all be going along and hope to see some of the Valle Caldera in the afternoon.

Maybe next week we'll take a day to go to Bandelier but will probably head for home by mid-week at the latest.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 19 - Albuquerque

2009-10-19T12:15:00.001-07:00

After biking out to the ruins at Chaco yesterday (and braving the gusty, sometimes light rainy periods) we settled down for the night at our tent site in a small canyon. I learned one thing about canyon acoustics - you can hear EVERYTHING everyone says or does. It's like you've got a wireless mic clipped on to your tee. Case in point... All throughout the night I listened to our neighbor's stertorous rumblings, something akin to a buzz saw - 18 times per minute. Then there was the woman way across from us whose nose-blowing sounded like a loud goose being strangled. Added to the fact that I kept rolling off my Thermarest...well, you can see why I was happy to see the sunrise.

And did I mention the gender-specific pink port-a-pottyi? Very nice indeed.

After a quick hike to view some petroglyphs we backtracked the 21 teeth-rattling washboard miles to pavement and are now on our way to Albuquerque (and showers) to see Catherine and fam. We may take some day trips from their house as there's so much to see in the area.

GA Day 18 - Chaco Cultural Historical Monument

2009-10-19T12:14:00.001-07:00

After about a three hour drive from Mesa Verde we arrived at the outskirts of Chaco to se a campground full sign No big surprise there as it was early evening on the weekend. There's not much in the way of camping out here since this is the middle of nowhere, so we pulled out the Indian Country Guide Map (part of the Expoire! Series of AAA which give info in minutae and is wonderful) and found Angel Peak Rec Area with free camping. After eight miles of well-mantained but washboard road we came to the camping area that overlooked the badland's beautiful scenery. And we had the entire place to ourselves!

So here we are at Chaco Culture Historical Monument today. This world Heritage site is chock full of Ancient Puebloan ruins. We'll enjoy exploring.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 17 - Mesa Verde

2009-10-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our first outing this morning was to Spruce Tree House in
Mesa Verde.

We just finished viewing Balcony House, and it was very cool. Although I hate climbing ladders, especially 32' ones clinging to the side of a deep canyon, it was worth it.

While we were waiting for the tour to begin we overheard a ranger call in a lock-out for a TN plate, so I went up to the older couple and said we were from Springfield. They said Franklin, and the next thing you know we were hugging like ex-pats in Timbuctu. We just had a big old time swapping travel stories and y'all this and y'all that (I slip into southernese very easily when not on guard). Gotta live the South. That would never have happened with someone from Nevada.

Heading for Chaco (and no service) in NM right now to see the ruins and the gorgeous night sky from one of America's recognized "dark" spots.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 16-Mesa Verde

2009-10-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

We left Hovenweep this morning and made the less than two hour drive to Mesa Verde National Park, which is just outside of Cortez, Colorado. It's been about 31 years since we were last here, but ruins dating from 1200 AD don't change.

What has changed, though, is the landscape. A fire swept through the area in 2002 which destroyed thousands of acres of junipers and pinons, leaving much of the landscape looking like someone took a blow torch to it.

Today we went to Cliff Palace and saw a number of ruins in self-guided areas. Absolutely amazing! Tomorrow we are going to Balcony House. That's the one where you climb the 30' ladder and crawl 12' through a rock crevice. Should be fun.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 15 - Hovenweep

2009-10-16T10:59:00.001-07:00

We have been so lazy lately, Luke this morning. We woke up late and then piddled over breakfast before putting on our hiking uniform- e.g. hiking boots, Tilley hats, backpack, hiking sticks, and cameras. Thus garbed we hit the first loop of Anasazi towers and houses. Some were in remarkably good condition, but the real marvel is how they were all built right on the edge of a canyon. Very interesting.

Then my brilliant husband decided we should do a four mile one-way hike to the Holly ruins. Being the quiet and subservient little woman that I am I meekly followed. What a hike it turned out to be! Whether it was squeezing through long very narrow cracks in boulders, dodging road apples in washes, or clamboring up and down big rocks, it kept you on your toes. The ruins at trails end were impressive.

The thought of making the return hike in the hot sun was definitely not something we were anticipating with glee, however. Come to find out, we could have driven there, as did one couple about our ag we met at the ruins. When they offered us a ride back, as they were headed that way, we gladly accepted. They stopped at several other sites that we wouldn't have gotten to see otherwise, plus we enjoyed their company. The man looked just like Spock.

So here we are now all snuggled into our sleeping bags. All is eerily quiet outside underneath this magnificent sky. I'll be sorry to leave tomorrow but hope we can return again. Just a few miles away is the Canyons of the Ancients with thousands and thousands of ruins spread over backcountry. You could hike forever - just dont't forget the ibuprofen.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 14

2009-10-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

We left high altitude bear country at Bryce this morning under solid cloud cover-but no rain-and headed southwest into Arizona's Navajo Indian Reservation. As fantastic as all the marvelous canyons are appreciation begins to wear thin after a while, so we decided to forego Zion and the Grand Canyon. Been there, done that.

After traveling through miles and miles if virtual nothingness we arrived at Hovenweep National
Monument (extreme southeast corner of Utah, just a few miles from the border of Colorado and Arizona) in the late afternoon. I've wanted to come to here for years, but time constraints always prohibited us. Well, I'm so glad we've come.

After setting up the tent we rode our bikes to the visitors' center and walked part of the trail to see some of Ancient Puebloan ruins. Very impressive and beautiful in the yellow glow of the setting sun.

As dark fell we came to appreciate the true beauty of this place. The stars are like brilliant diamonds all around the white swath of the Milky Way as it cuts across the sky in unmistakable brightness. There are no night lights for miles around (not even bathroom lights), so this is a truly dark place. We sat outside just looking up in wonder as the coyotes serenaded us.

What a marvelous place!

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 13 - Bryce

2009-10-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

When we peeped out of our bags this morning my suggestion to get up and go to Sunrise Point was not met with enthusiasm. So I unzipped Bob's bag, and all 34 degrees inside the tent speedily accomplished what mere wordsp could not. So rise and shine it was (Catherine once told me those were the three most hated words in the English language.). But braving the cold was worth it.

After showers and washing a load of clothes, which Bob did (I am loving this retirement thing), we promptly took our clean selves off on a rigorous for-mile hike into the canyon where we got all hot and sweaty.

We've been here twice before, but each time all we can say is AWESOME!

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 12

2009-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

I come from a long line of very clean women, hence my distress at being if not exactly dirty, then not exactly clean. I've had on the same bagged-out pair of jeans for six days now. My complaint to Bob in this regard was countered with "Well, don't you have a belt?" Men just don't get it.

Last night Bob got up in the middle of the night to chase off two racoons who had managed to pop off the top of our heavy-duty Rubbermaid cook box that we'd left on the picnic table. There wasn't much food in it, but they'd sniffed it out anyway.

We enjoyed a good breakfast at our campsite strategically located in close proximity to the outhouse and dumpsters. It didn't much matter, though. I was so busy blowing my nose (from the cold) that the occasional waft didn't disturb my fine dining experience.

Just hiked abt 4 miles in the Escalante Petrified Forest and are on our way to Bryce Canyon for the cold night. Brrrr!

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 11

2009-10-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

We only made it as far as Capital Reef National Park in Utah today. We got a late start and made gawking stops here and there.

And Bob did his good deed for the day by helping a group of girl bicyclist from Montreal with a flat tire. So we decided to get a campsite in the park early in the afternoon and then look around - again. We've been to all these places several times before but the sights are not ones you ever tire of.

Check out those colorful layers.

This is called the Castle.

Mummy Cliffs-Get it?

Late afternoon panoramic. Navajo Dome distant right. Maybe the cleanest air on earth.

Very gusty today with rain forecast for tomorrow. It's supposed to be a low of 18 degrees in Btyce tomorrow night (9,000 ft ), so I'm not relishing the idea of two nights on the ground. We'll see... Right now I would give about anything for a hot bath, clean sheets and a magnified mirror. These eyebrows are looking positively Cromagnon.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Days 9-10

2009-10-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys.

We're at McDonalds having a fine healthy breakfast and have service. Quick update.

Spent yesterday at Dead Horse State Park and Canyonlands National Park. Both fantastic beyond words.

All packed up now and leaving Moab, which is totally cloud-covered with rain expected this morning. How did it find out we were here? Heading for Bryce Canyon and back into the dead zone. Will update when possible. Having fun!

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 9

2009-10-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

Here we are at Arches National Park in Utah!

We had hoped to camp in the park but found out that they've been booked since February and what spaces do open are quickly snatched up by 0730 by those waiting in a long queu. Soooo, we got a list of BLM sites (Bureau of Land Management) and found this beautiful campsite right by the Colorado River in a canyon. There's no water, so you have to pack your own and use it sparingly.

Just finishing up breakfast inside the tent (warm from our little heater) and are heading out into the park to hike and get windburned.

Lots and lots of visitors here, which is a bit surprising considering the time of the year, but I'm guessing this is one of the more popular nat'l parks. So we'll just add to the crowd and enjoy this magnificent place.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA More of Day 8

2009-10-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sunshine and 3G! Here we are at Glenwood Canyon and Grizzly Creek. This day is shaping up nicely.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 8 Cont'd

2009-10-08T11:26:00.001-07:00

Snowy mountains at Loveland Pass - with skiers and snowblowers at work.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Day 8

2009-10-08T08:16:00.001-07:00

After a number of hugs and kisses from Sydney and shy smiles from the baby we left Ryan and Katrina's under solid cloud cover and snow. Yep, snow. It started while we were eating breakfast and hasn't let up. Fort Collins is supposed to get quite a bit of accumulation by tomorrow. As for us, we have to go over the Eisenhower Pass and there are big snows there. Should be fun (ugh). This is all because I washed the car and Ryan cleaned up my bike. The weather map is clear for Utah, however, so once we cross the state line we should run into good weather. Our destination for tonight is Moab. Thought I'd bog this bit while I have service as I may be out of touch for a few days.

Okay, Fearless Leader...plow on through.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA Days 6 & 7

2009-10-07T07:42:00.001-07:00

It's sunny in Fort Collins! I've never been so happy to be dry before. We've enjoyed being here with Ryan and Katrina and getting re-acquainted with Sydney, who took to us right away, and McKenzie, who did not.

Trying to get an iPic of these two is like trying to capture a hummingbirds in flight, so these are the best I could do. By the way, the baby's current name is Kekee (spelling in question). It's what Sydney calls her and it seems to have stuck with everyone. It fits this diminuitive little lady just perfectly.

In the morning we're heading for Utah to Arches National Park for the weekend. Will update you from there. We'll miss everyone here.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA days 3-5

2009-10-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

No cell service has caused me to postpone a new entry, but I'll give a quick update.

After plodding through Missouri we finally made it to SD and our first point of interest - the Badlands.

The view from our campsite was fantastic as was the setting sun hit the jagged peaks.

The following day we paid homage at Wall Drug like good little tourists and hiked some trails. By 1700 rain and strong winds set in, so we zipped ourselves in our tent, crawled in our bags to stay warm and hunkered down for what was to be a very long night.

Three times during the night we had to go outside to secure the raIn flap that the strong winds had loosened. Our poor little tent was heaving from the 20+ mph winds and torrential winds, so we slept little.

By morning the storm had not abated one iota, so we decided to pack up the whole sodden mess and head south. It turned out to be a good decision as the Mt. Rusmore area (what would have been our next stop) had 6-10" of snow.

So here we are in Fort Collins tonight with Ryan and Katrina and two of the cutest ittle girls. We're so happy to be here and to be sleeping dry and warm. We'll have to come up with a Plan B as we'll be skipping much of what we had planned to see, but that's for tomorrow. I'm happy to be Nannie tonight.

-- Posted from my iPhone

GA - Day 2

2009-10-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

This morning it was a cool 45 degrees when we woke up, but at least the rain had stopped-for a while. We picked it back up this afternoon and were dogged with 20 mph wind that buffeted the car all day as we continued on toward the Badlands in SD. So today was just a travel day through Missouri.

At least traveling gives you a good excuse to eat all the junk you would never eat at home. But hey, we shared.

Close to the Iowa state line we pulled off the interstate in the teeny liitle town of Craig to get gas. Population 309. Looked straight out of the 40'S Since we'd been driving be miles and
miles of corn and soybeans it was a no-brainer that this was a farming community. I jokingly said as we pulled into a Sinclair gas station that this was probably the hub of the town, and I think I was right. Truck after truck driven by guys in bibs and billed caps bearing tractor logos pulled to get their coffee cups refilled. I know we owe our farmers a huge debt of gratitude, but it's no wonder Clark took off for Metropolis.

As late afternoon came on it began to get really nasty outside, and I broached the motel idea, which did not meet with favor initially. But as winds picked up and the sun started to set my generous camping buddy sprang for Motel 6. Now I've never been in one before, and to say it's low rent is being generous, but it's clean. And I brought my own soap and had a cup in the car, so what's the big deal...right? And the half dollar size hole in the paper-thin blanket only improves air flow. Believe me, I am not complaining. This is the Ritz!

-- Posted from my iPhone

The Great Adventure- Day One

2009-10-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are...unemployed...I mean retired. First day actually and making the most of it. We left home this morning and actually had time to tour a fantastic place near St. Louis called Bonne Terre Mine. Google it, and also look for Depth Charges on the site how cool this place is.

Right now we're in our cozy tent listening to the pitter patter of little rain drops. I just had a nice state park shower which was obviously intended to encourage brevity, calesthenics and increased circulation all at the same time. But now that's done and I'm tucked away inside with my man I'm feeling pretty cheery.

Thanks for checking on us kids. I'll update every day. Now I'm going to crawl in my sleeping bag and listen to the katydids.

-- Posted from my iPhone