Memorial Day Weekend and A Surprise

Memorial Day Weekend finds us at Florida Caverns State Parkin Marianna, FL, for the second time.  You may remember that this is where we spent Christmas.  At Christmas, I found this to be a rather gloomy campground; however, this weekend is beautiful and sunny and I am thoroughly enjoying being here.

On Friday morning, I was checking Facebook and was excited to see that some old friends whom we have not seen for at least ten years were also camping at Florida Caverns for the weekend.  Rather than let them know that we would see them there, we decided to surprise them when we arrived.   We set up our campsite and went for a walk around the campground to see if we could determine which camper belonged to them. We found it, but to our dismay no one was home.  We started walking back to our site when a truck stopped and our friends, Sid and Charlotte greeted us.  We have been visiting with them and their family all weekend.

We became friends with Sid and Charlotte when their son, Allen, was the youth minister at our church.  Allen ate lunch with us almost every Sunday and usually hung out at our house until time to go back to church in the evening.  He was like part of the family.  It also helped us deal with the “empty nest” while Amy was in college.  We enjoyed  a lot of good times with Allen and his family, but eventually Allen went to another church to serve and it became harder to keep up the relationship.  When I first discovered Facebook, I looked up Charlotte and sent her a friend request.  Then I found that they, too, were enjoying camping.  I kept telling Bubba that we needed to get together with them, but I could tell from Facebook that they were very busy with their family.  (They have four grandchildren, who all live fairly close.)   So I have to say that the highlight of this weekend has been rekindling old friendships.

Sid

Charlotte and Granddaughter Julianna

We immediately learned from seasoned campers, Sid and Charlotte, that a fan set up outside would actually keep you cool and keep the bugs away so that you could enjoy being outside.  Thankfully, there is a WalMart in Marianna so we went shopping for our fan and now I’m sitting outside typing this in my Valentine’s Day recliner with our new fan keeping me cool and bug-free.

It’s hard to explain why I enjoy sitting outside at a campground  and it is so different from sitting outside at home, which I hardly ever do.  It’s peaceful here.  Everything is green.  The birds are singing.  Occasionally someone whizzes by on a bicycle.  I guess I enjoy it because I don’t feel like there is anything else I should be doing.  That is a feeling hard to achieve when you’re at home.

Enjoying a good book while we commune with nature. (Pre big fan purchase)

In the evening, we’ve enjoyed the lightning bugs that are plentiful in the woods beside our campsite.  Bubba says that when he was a boy, he and his sister used to catch them in a jar and that they would continue to light up and get brighter and brighter the more that were in the jar.  Of course, they always let them go.  I think Amelia would enjoy doing that.  Maybe one day she will be with us when the lightning bugs are in flight.

Food is an important part of every camping trip and this one is no exception.  Friday evening  Bubba grilled a chicken, which was served with fresh cucumbers, fresh stewed squash and a baked potato.  Saturday we ate at Sonny’s B-B-Q in Marianna, which in my opinion is the very best Sonny’s anywhere.  We had ribs and they were delicious.  That afternoon we cut an ice cold watermelon and then went down to enjoy peach homemade ice cream with our friends.  Charlotte makes the ice cream by my old recipe, which I don’t even have any more since we have not made ice cream in years.  I have often thought about how recipes keep people in our memories.  (That’s a topic for another blog.)

First watermelon of the summer and it was delicious!

Allen poses for a picture with us.

 Sunday included a return trip to Sonny's and a stop by Burger King for an ice cream.  We also did some walking, but mostly a lot of relaxing and visiting with old friends.  Sid and Charlotte were fortunate in having their whole family with them.  Allen and his wife, Tara, arrived in a trailer Friday evening and Jonette and her husband came earlier Friday.  All four grandchildren seemed to get along well.  They would ride bikes together and wave at us every time they passed.  Allen and Tara went to WalMart and bought a small swimming pool which they set up at their campsite, so they all enjoyed cooling it together in the pool after riding bikes.  Monday morning we pulled out around 10:00 after exchanging e-mail addresses and promises to stay in touch.  Hopefully, some of our trips in the future will find us heading in the same direction together.  That would make our enjoyment of camping even better.

Perks of Getting Older

Young people think that old age probably begins at 45 and that life goes totally downhill from that point.  They are so wrong.  I am constantly finding things I really enjoy about life as I get older.  I’ve listed some of these below, but maybe not in order of importance.

1.        Grandchildren

The joy of having a grandchild compares to nothing else.   Until you become a grandparent, you will not understand what is so special about it.

2.       Discounts

I love the fact that as a senior citizen, we qualify for a variety of discounts.  The most impressive ones so far have been at campgrounds.  Did you know that you can stay at many campgrounds for as little as $10-$12 per night?  You can keep your trailer as cold as you want without worrying about your electricity bill.

3.       Pedicures

I know that a lot of young women enjoy these also, but it is a habit that I have acquired in the last couple of years that I really enjoy.  I can even view them as a necessity because I find that it is harder to reach my toes these days.

4.       Tanning Beds

In 2006, I signed up to “lay” for a month before a trip that Bubba and I planned.  I loved the tan and I loved the relaxed feeling I felt as I lay there in peaceful contemplation for the required 20 minutes.  I did this for one month every year since then until this year.  With my new ten hour schedule at work, I just don’t have time.  But I did enjoy this unhealthy habit for a while.

5.       Flip Flops

When I was a teenager, I tried to wear flip flops and deemed that they were rubbing the skin raw between my toes and I never wore them again.  At age 60, I decided to give them another try especially since my toes were looking pretty good with my new pedicure habit.  Flip flops have become my shoe of choice.  I love them!  They are so comfortable.  I’m acquiring a pretty good collection of them.  When I retire, I may wear nothing else.  What happened?  Did they improve the part between the toes or what?  Whatever happened, they are now my favorite shoe.

6.       Servants

No, I don’t have a maid.  I have discovered that the people I work with must think I’m old and feeble.  Everyone wants to help me.  If I’ve been standing a long time, they want me to sit down and they offer to bring me food and something to drink.  If I need to turn in my keys at the Control Room, someone offers to do it for me.  I was waiting outside Target with my cart the other day and it was raining.  A young man I’ve known for years, pulled up and wanted to go get my car for me so I wouldn’t get wet.  (Bubba had already gone for the car.)  I thought that was so sweet that he was willing to get soaked so I could stay dry.

7.       Memory Loss

Most people probably think this is one of the negatives about getting old.  You have to learn to use it to your advantage.  I’m reading a Nicholas Sparks book now that I know I read before.  A dog ran through the hedge into the good-looking neighbor’s yard.  That’s all I remember from the first time.  It’s like reading it for the first time!  I don’t have a clue about what is going to happen next.  I’ve found that even mysteries  I’ve read before become new again after a few months.  I really can’t remember “who done it”.  The same thing is true for movies and TV shows.  Just  think how easy I am to entertain.  I can just re-read a book or watch a re-run and I’m content.

8.       Impaired Vision

Not mine.  I hate squinting to read the fine print.  Bubba’s impaired vision is what I’m enjoying.  I never leave for work or any other function that he doesn’t compliment me on how I look.  He doesn’t seem to see me any older or any less attractive than I ever was.  That’s why I think his vision is not what it should be, but I am certainly not going to rush him in for an eye exam.

9.       Freedom

I’m looking forward to my retirement in 1 ½ years and I’m already enjoying Bubba’s.  Until recent years, I’ve always felt like my life was controlled by circumstances and responsibilities that I had no control over.  I love my job, but I want the freedom to go and come as I please.  I want to be able to go camping and stay an extra day if I’m having a good time.  I want more time to spend with Amelia.  I want to go fishing and to the beach.  I want to go to Montana.  I’m not waiting for life to begin with retirement, I trying to do as much as I can now.  Thankfully, Bubba has made that possible by taking on the household responsibilities during the week so that we can have every weekend free to do as we please.

10.   Naps

Remember how when your children were little, you could never seem to find time to take a nap?  No matter how tired you were you just could not take a nap and leave them to their own devices.  Well, now there is time for a nap! 

11.   Recognition

I’m not speaking about fame here – just the simple acknowledgement from your children that just maybe you knew what you were talking about when they were growing up.

12.   Alternative

We all know what the alternative to getting older is so we might as well be thankful for every day we’re given.  The older I get, the more I count my blessings. 

Sixty-five is just around the corner for me and I’m looking forward to it (and you should too).

Postscript from Nana

For Memorial Day Weekend, we had a site at Florida CavernsPark in Marianna.  We were sitting outside in our Valentine’s Day recliners when I could hear a little voice somewhere nearby singing, “Shoo fly, don’t bother me, shoo fly, don’t bother me.”  It reminded me of something that happened as we were taking Amelia to Baton Rouge not long ago.  I had intended to include it in my last post, but somehow forgot about it.  So here it is.  I thought it was precious.

We were traveling down I-10.  Amelia, the perfectly content traveler, was riding in the back seat of the truck.  All of a sudden we were in the midst of a downpour.  Amelia began singing from the back seat, “Rain, rain go away.  Come again another day.”  (Cute, right?)  She sang this over and over , but then the rain seemed to come down harder.  Then she said, “Okay now, louder and faster.” And she began singing the little song much louder and much faster.  And then, all of a sudden we were in the sunshine again.  The look on her face was priceless.  She was convinced that the little song (louder and faster) was responsible for the sunshine.  And I’m not too sure that it wasn’t.

Tupelo Festival and Bubba's Buddy

It you didn't visit the Tupelo Festival in Wewahitchka, FL, this weekend, you missed out.  Bubba and I usually go to the festival and almost always leave feeling like we have wasted our time.  This year was very different.  All the vendors' booths were well arranged and there were plenty of interesting things to see.  The food looked really good and there was a wide variety of things to eat.  The festival was well attended and the crowd stayed constant up until closing time.  We saw a lot of people we hadn't seen in a long time and really enjoyed the outing.  

The main reason for attending the Tupelo festival was to visit our friend Charles who had set up a booth to sell his hand crafted wood projects.  We found Charles and his wife, Helen, surrounded by a crowd of people who were admiring his work.  Charles started working with wood a few years ago and since he retired, he has had more time to devote to his hobby.  He makes everything from wooden chests to toys.

My favorite things that he makes are the trivets which are pictured on the right.  I have one or more of each one of them and today I bought one of the fish trivets for Amy's kitchen.  I know that she is going to love it as much as I do mine.

Charles is a unique individual.  He and Helen have been our friends for as long as I can remember, but Charles has been Bubba's buddy.  Years ago Bubba had surgery on his back and it was a very traumatic experience for him.  Charles was there with him through the surgery and was waiting in his room with him as he came out from under the anesthesia.  Bubba was very groggy and I leaned over him to tell him that Charles and Helen were there.  He said, "I know, he's my buddy." and he went back to sleep.
Charles has always been the person Bubba called if he needed help. He was the person he called if we broke down on the road.  He was the person he called if the hot water heater was spewing water everywhere.  He was in Milton with us after my nephew died in a house fire.  He was there when Bubba's mother and dad died and when my mother died. He was there when I had my pacemaker surgery. His wife, Helen, is also a very special person. She is a cancer survivor who pushed herself while taking chemo to get Amy one of her special afghans finished for a wedding present thirteen years ago. (Go, Helen!!)  I'll tell you all about Helen another time.
Charles is the person Bubba calls when he needs help, but he is also the person he calls when he wants to have fun like fishing or floundering.  
Charles plants a big garden every year.  He is an excellent farmer, but I think he gives away more than he keeps.  Whatever he has, he wants to share.  We have enjoyed everything from figs to satsumas to corn to squash from his garden - and it's not just us, he shares with anyone who stops by.
There is not a person in our community that he does not know.  He loves people and they love him.  
There is a quotation that says the more you give away, the richer you are.  According to that, Charles is a very wealthy man, but Bubba is even wealthier because Charles is his "buddy".

Helping with the Move

Baton Rouge is now home to Amy, Darryl, and Amelia.  We were fortunate to have been able to assist by keeping Amelia for a week two times in the past six weeks.  In the past we helped by lifting furniture, hauling the piano, putting down shelf paper, building a fence, etc.  I much prefer the role we played this time in the move.


We met Amy in Mobile as they were in route with their belongings.  We did many of the same things we did last time Amelia was with us.  We had pancakes every morning, played at the playground, and fed Bucky and  Doe-Doe, the goats.


We spent Tuesday and Wednesday at St. George Island in our travel trailer.  Amelia seems to enjoy that as much as we do.  This time I carried some toys for her to play with inside and she entertained herself very well when we were not at the beach.  The wind was blowing and the surf was rough, but she was content to play in the ankle deep water.  We also rented two movies that we watched every evening before bedtime.


Rather that bore you with every detail of the week, I'm posting some pictures to tell the story.

Amelia discovered that she likes her pancakes with cheese.

She loves the playground.  She calls the tire swing "the swing with the hole".

Amelia and Paw-Paw pose for a picture.

Amelia takes a break and enjoys a Yoo-Hoo.

We both enjoyed the opportunity to spend a special week with Amelia.

We treasure these times we share with Amelia.  We're always looking forward to the next visit.  She is a precious child and brings much joy to us all.