So What Else Is New

We're ready for Christmas.  I wrapped the last of the presents today.  I used to love wrapping presents, but for some reason it seems like a huge chore now.

Since Amy and Amelia will not be here until after Christmas, we thought seriously about not putting up a Christmas tree.  I don't know what made us change our mind, but we did get the tree up and are enjoying it very much.

I made Bubba a fruit cake and have baked some goodies for other people.  My weight is staying the same.  I have enjoyed some good meals, some sweets, and a lot of nuts, but I'm watching the quantity and trying to choose carefully when I indulge.  If I can just maintain through the holidays, I will feel victorious.  

Our long time neighbors and friends, the Pattersons, seem to be aging rapidly.  He will be 90 in February and she is 86.  We try to take meals to them every chance we can.  They are fortunate to have two sons who are seeing after them.  We love them and try to assist where we can.

We attended a community Christmas cantata Sunday night.  The choir had 55 voices and involved churches throughout the town.  It was wonderful and approximately 350 people attended.  Our church will have a cantata Sunday morning.

I'm having some friends from work over for lunch Monday.  That is all I miss about the job -- the people.  I took a big step last week and packed up my work clothes and gave them to Good Will.  I'm still enjoying retirement.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

Finally, I have a new location and experience to write about!  The second week of December was spent at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin.  This park used to be a private campground and it looks nothing like other Florida state parks we have visited.  The sites are all roomy and paved with a cute street lamp marking each one.  They have cable tv, sewer, shuffleboard, ponds, and a swimming pool.  There is a shuttle that carries campers down to the beach or you can walk or ride your bicycle -- no motor vehicles allowed.  The week we visited was perfect.  The weather was great and there were no neighbors on either side of us.  I can imagine that things are quite different in the summer time.  This was not a park I would visit to enjoy the beach, but for Christmas shopping, it was great!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were all about the same.  We slept well and late.  Then we ate a light breakfast and went shopping.  We went to the Mary Esther Mall, Bass Pro, and the outlet mall.  We shopped until around 3:00 each day and then returned to the trailer where we spent some time outside, ate a light supper, and enjoyed television until we got sleepy.  We found a new restaurant that we liked, Callahan's Restaurant and Deli.  I got the best pimento cheese sandwich and Bubba got the fried shrimp special for $9.50 which had all he could eat.  We carried food to grill, but since we ate a big lunch every day we just got by for supper.

The park looks like a resort with the swimming pool and beach chairs.

 We're enjoying the nuts we bought at WalMart.  

Bubba went through the bin and got us a bag 

with a lot of walnuts and Brazil nuts.

I'm learning to ride my bicycle with training wheels.

Bubba says I won't fall, I hope he is right.

This is a sample of Bubba's shopping.

He's going to catch flounder with this stuff, I hope.

This is a $65.00 dress that I found for Amelia.

I only paid $15.00 for it.

I thought she would enjoy singing and dancing in it.

To sum it all up, this was a good week because we got all our Christmas shopping done.  We were able to divide it up over three days as we were staying so close to all the good shopping.  We enjoyed eating out more than we usually do. BUT it was a location we would probably only stay in once a year.

I always said that my dream vacation would be to stay in a motel close to an outlet mall and this was even better.  Thank you, Bubba, for being a good sport.

Happy Birthday, Little Vicky!

Sixty-two years ago a very special person entered my life.  My cousin, Vicky, was born and I had a friend for life.  She was the most beautiful baby.  There are so many pictures of our tea parties and our little table at family functions.  She has a picture of both of us sitting on Santa's lap.  I mean we go way back.

Vicky at a Christmas dinner with my family

I can't remember exactly when Vicky's health issues began.  She was in the hospital in Atlanta at a very young age and from there things just got worse.  I was too young to know exactly everything going on with her but she had issues with her kidneys, a mole removed that was diagnosed as a melanoma, and the spinal disorder scoliosis.  I can remember one scary night when my parents were trying to get the highway patrol to get word to her father in route to Atlanta that she had taken a turn for the worse.  At one time she had orthopedic shoes, a back brace that had the support under her chin, braces on her teeth, and prescription glasses.  Her family lived in a house that didn't have air conditioning.  I don't know how she ever survived the summers in those braces, but she did more than survive - she thrived.  I don't remember her ever using her "issues" as a reason for not doing something.  If she complained, she didn't do it to me.

Isn't she a cutie?

When she reached high school, she made a lot of friends, many whom she maintains a relationship with even today.  She kicked up her heels a little and made her mother crazy, but she was going strong.

She attended college and received her doctorate in art history.  During this time she had surgery to have a rod inserted into her spine to correct the scoliosis.  Later she went to law school and became an attorney.  During this time she met and married Robert, another attorney.  They have a beautiful home, two greyhounds, and many friends.  Vicky has become a gourmet cook making things that I've never heard of using ingredients that I probably wouldn't recognize in the produce section.  She is the only person who has been able to duplicate our grandmother's teacakes and believe me, I've tried.

Vicky was a visitor in our home from the time Bubba and I married.  Everytime she came home from college, we picked which night she would spend with us.  She continued this up until she got married.  Amy used to love for her to visit.  She would talk about all the different cases she was studying and we both listened with rapt attention.

Vicky holding Amy (5 months old)

I tried to teach Vicky how to make biscuits.

This one looked like a pine cone.

Vicky, Amy and me at a party prior to her graduation.

She always remembers my birthday by sending a card and/or calling.  She always remembers Amy's birthday with a gift.  She was there when she graduated from college and has given her some beautiful jewelry through the years.   Now she has become "Bebe" to Amelia and is just as thoughtful with her.

"Bebe" and Amelia walking the greyhounds

We have never quarreled.  Through the years she has been my sounding board and support in the various issues I faced with my mother.  She always seemed to understand my side and was always willing to listen.

Vicky and husband Robert celebrating their anniversary

Very few people call her Vicky today.  To most, including her husband, she has become Victoria.  After all, would you trust an attorney named Vicky?  To me she will always be Vicky and I will always be thankful for her presence in my life.

Happy Birthday, Vicky!  I love you.

Thanksgiving in Opp

When Joe and Judy found out that we would not be in Atlanta with Amy and her family for Thanksgiving, they graciously invited us to join their family for the holiday.  We had made reservations to camp already but were happy to cancel them for the opportunity to spend time with family.

We arrived at our favorite campground, Frank Jackson State Park, on Monday afternoon.  This park has everything for "roughing it" in a proper manner -- sewer connection, cable tv, and internet at every site. In addition, most of the sites are located on the lake so there is always a good view.

Judy and I made a couple of trips to the nearby WalMart in Andalusia and I found a few bargains in downtown Opp.  A lot of my time was spent watching Judy cook for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.  She had already done a lot of cooking each day before we even arrived at their house.  On Tuesday night, they allowed Bubba to fry mullet for them and I fixed a couple of easy side dishes to go with it.

Joe had been under the weather lately so Bubba helped him with a few of his farm chores -- including taking a horse to the vet.  There was also a lot of time spent talking.  The good thing about talking to someone your own age is that they may have heard the story before, but they don't remember it.

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother."

Thursday was a sumptuous meal with their family -- son Jody, grandson John and daughter-in-law Melissa, and Melissa's parents who are visiting with them from Canada during the cold months.  They are such nice people and we have enjoyed eating with them several times in the past few years.  I always say that it is not about the food, but I would be remiss if I do not include the menu for the day.

• Turkey & Ham
• Dressing with Gravy & Cranberry Sauce
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Creamed Corn
• Baby Lima Beans
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Homemade Yeast Rolls
• Dessert (Coconut Cake, Butternut Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie & Ambrosia)

Everything looked so pretty.

This is just some of our Thanksgiving feast.

Needless to say, we enjoyed some fine leftovers that night and the next day.  Judy is an excellent cook and does it with love.  The food was great but the company was even better.

It was great to see John again.  I was sorry Amelia was not with us.  He made me a beautiful birthday card when he learned my birthday was on the first.

Friday evening was spent playing Monopoly at John's request.  Does that game ever come to an end?  We played until it was past our bedtime and we reluctantly said good night and good bye since we would be heading home the next morning.

It was a good holiday and we appreciate Joe and Judy for including us in their plans.

 

A Move and Birthday #7

Amelia turned seven years old on November 12.  Her mom and dad ate lunch with her at school taking Frozen cupcakes to share with her class.  That evening they ate at Chuck-E-Cheese.  In a phone call to wish her a happy birthday, she told us that she felt seven and it was way better than six.  It's hard to believe how fast she is growing up.  However, that was not the only big event that week.  On the Friday following her actual birthday, her parents met at my cousin's office (an attorney) for the closing on their new home.  By the time we arrived in Atlanta around 1:00, the house was a beehive of activity with all the carpet being cleaned.  Then Amy and Darryl left Bubba and me at the new house putting down shelf paper in the kitchen and they went to pick up a rented truck and Amelia at school.  The big move had officially begun.

When Amelia came in, we stopped with the shelf paper so that she could open her birthday presents.  She had asked for a disco ball and some "glitter" shoes in a bigger size than the ones we got her last year.  We weren't too sure about the disco ball, but we did find a light that accomplished the same effect and we got two pairs of "glitter" shoes, and a new dress to go with it.

Amelia set up her light, put on her glitter shoes, and selected music for her performance.

  I love how graceful she is when she dances, especially with her hands. She has long slender fingers just like her mom's and she moves them so delicately when she "performs". She is very self-assured. She tells us that she has many talents -- among them are being the fastest runner, a singer, a dancer, a musician, and an artist. I don't know how she will ever choose what to focus on.


We all spent Friday night at the apartment and the next morning Darryl left to pick up his helpers and start the move. They had a storage unit full of things that wouldn't fit in the apartment that he was going to tackle first. After he left we began to pack up the apartment so that it would be ready to go when he got there. I felt sorry for all the movers, including Darryl, because the apartment was on the second floor and when they got to the house, there was also a second floor. It was a long day but by the time it was over, we were all able to shower and sleep in the new house on the freshly made beds.


Sunday morning moved a little slow since everyone was tired, but that afternoon things picked up as Amelia had her birthday party at a local gym which followed the Frozen theme and included a rock climbing wall as the activity. Amelia and her friends seemed to enjoy the party and as I have been known to say more than once -- a good time was had by all.

Amelia and her friends line up for a picture.

 It's almost time for cake.

And here it is, look at that smile.

She is fearless!

Hang on Amelia!  Don't "let it go"!  (Frozen, get it?)

Paw-Paw and Nana declined to participate in the rock wall climbing.

I've got to give Amy credit for being a super mom this weekend.  I don't know how she pulled off a birthday party in the midst of the big move.  I don't think I could have done it.

We stayed until Wednesday helping where we could.  I'm happy that they are finally settled into what we hope will be their home for years to come.  The house is beautiful with lots of space.  I can picture Amelia as a teenager there having her friends over to visit.

Well, it was a busy week.  A lot was accomplished.  If you ever need to move, call Darryl.  He has gotten really good at it.

And Happy Birthday, Amelia!  We all love you so much.

St. Andrews State Park in November

Early November we returned to St. Andrews State Park for a five night stay.  Everything was working great on the trailer this time.  The weather was great and we had an enjoyable trip.

So beautiful and deserted this time of year

Bubba tried throwing his cast net from the pier along with several other fishermen, but had no luck.  He returned to the camp site and as it got dark we began to notice that there would be a mullet jump every now and then right out from us.  Bubba donned his waders, gathered up his net, and waded out into the water.

Mullet beware -- Bubba is after you!

And....he catches them.

He caught enough in three throws that we had enough for a fish fry the next day and some to freeze for later.  It's kind of funny that he spent so much time looking for them at the pier and they were right there behind us the whole time.

We went to Pier Park to shop and eat out one day, spent some good time relaxing and enjoying the view.  Our next trip will be to a park that we have not been to before so maybe I'll have more to report.  We've been completely retired for one year.  It went by so fast, but it has been good.   

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

I had a big adventure at the end of October that I'm just now writing about.  I vowed to never get this far behind with my blog, but I guess I just needed to get in the mood to write.  I did something totally out of character for me, totally spontaneous, and (according to Amy) totally crazy.

I drove to Atlanta all by myself to see Amelia in a play that was "produced" by a children's drama workshop that she was participating in after school.  Amy felt that it was too far to drive for something like that, but I really wanted to go.  Bubba reluctantly agreed so I packed my one little bag and drove up on Tuesday, attended the play that evening, and drove back home the next day.  Not only did I want to be there for Amelia, I also wanted to see Amy who was going to celebrate her birthday in a few days.  Now that Amelia has come along, we go for her birthday and rarely get to be with Amy for hers.  I baked her a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and fashioned a "41" for the top out of pecans.

I waited for Amy to get out of school so we could pick up Amelia together.  Amelia was so excited when she saw me -- that made it all worthwhile.  I hope she will remember one day that Nana loved her so much that she drove six hours to see her in a 20 minute play.

The play was really cute.  I've waited so long to write that I can't remember the name of it or what it was about, but Amelia was a princess named "Lily" and she gave an academy award worthy performance.

Amelia and the rest of the cast pose for a picture.

Princess Lily poses with Nana.

There always has to be a super hero pose, doesn't there?

My girls!!

After the play we celebrated Amy's birthday at a local restaurant.  Since I was not thinking about my diet, I had the best sandwich ever with fried green tomatoes as a side.  Later after I helped Amelia get ready for bed and read her bedtime story with her, Amy and I had a big slab of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side and some special mother/daughter time that we rarely get any more.

The next morning I saw them off to school, enjoyed drinking coffee, eating chocolate cake for breakfast and watching "Good Morning America" before I felt it was late enough to avoid the morning rush hour.  

I'm quite proud of myself for doing this.  The Atlanta traffic is always terrible, but I got in one lane and stayed there until I got through town and after that it was a piece of cake.  I don't want to turn into the kind of little old lady that has to have her husband drive her everywhere.  I appreciate that Bubba was okay with me going although I know it made him nervous.  Who knows?  He may want to do something crazy one day and I may have to be okay with it.

Seminole State Park -- What Again?

Yes, we just returned from four nights at Seminole State Park in Georgia.  I tried to count how many times we've been there; it's been seven times in the past year.  Every time is different in some way and they have all been good.

This week the weather was perfect for camping.  It was cool and the sun was shining.  There were a number of sites available right on the lake.  This time we chose site #2.  Usually we stay farther down, but this was a pull through site and hard to resist.

After it was too late to change sites, Bubba noticed a rotten limb above our awning.  He was worried about it falling and tearing up the awning so we did not put the awning out or hang our lights -- maybe next time.

Yep, it's rotten!

With the slide fixed on our new trailer, it felt like we were camping in a mansion.  You don't realize how much space you really have until you don't have it and have to ease through a narrow opening to get to your bed.

The view is always awesome.

Bubba took his kayak and enjoyed paddling around while I sat outside and read.  We walked some, but my foot is still bothering me.  (I have a doctor's appointment Monday.)  I really miss being able to exercise on the treadmill.

Here he comes.  I bet he's looking for breakfast.

We rode into Bainbridge twice and found a new restaurant that we liked.  It had a good country cooking buffet and it was good both times.  We did some exploring in the woods.  

Wild flowers were blooming everywhere.

What can I say?

Bubba grilled some good hamburgers and sausage one night.  Another time we had grilled pork chops.  

The acres of cotton make me think of the Bible verse... "The fields are white unto harvest."

This field of sunflowers stretched on forever.  So pretty!

We figured that the fish must be biting because there were some many fishermen out this time.  Some people in a tent close to us would leave before daylight and return after dark.  We finally figured out that there was a bass tournament starting when we were awakened on Friday morning by a loudspeaker calling the boats to start out one at a time.  There were sixty entries. With the red and green lights it looked like Christmas on the lake.

Trucks with boat trailers were parked everywhere.

On the way home Friday we stopped at the truck stop in Marianna and ate Popeye's Chicken for lunch.  Yes, I know that fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit are not diet food  --- but it sure was good.

I've decided to order adult training wheels for my bicycle.  I don't know if Bubba will ride with me, but Judy has promised that she would.  My balance is off and I'm afraid I'm going to fall so my beautiful new bicycle is stored in the barn.  Maybe this will help me gain my confidence.  I hope so.  I really want to ride in all these parks.

Later in the week I decided to Google the bass tournament to see if anyone I knew was entered in it.  It turns out that a young man that I worked with at the prison actually won it.  The prize was a bass boat with a 200 hp Evinrude motor on it.  It's a small world, isn't it?

Fall Break Georgia Style

A few weeks ago we got a call from Amy inviting us to visit during their Fall Break.  She didn't have to ask twice.  Amelia had Friday and Monday off, but unfortunately Amy only had Monday.  We were going to have to babysit on Friday.

It turned out that my cousin, Vicky, and her husband were going to enjoy a Fall Break of their own and were leaving on Saturday for the mountains.  Friday lunch was our only opportunity to see her so we met for lunch and caught up on family news.

Amelia and Paw-Paw wait outside the restaurant for Vicky to arrive.
Everywhere we went people complimented her on her hat.

Paw-Paw and Amelia always take a selfie.

After lunch she invited us to follow her home to meet her two rescue greyhounds, Taz and Mango.  These dogs were trained at a women's correctional facility in northwest florida and then adopted by Vicky and her husband.  Taz was the first adoptee and he turned out to be such a well-mannered, sweet dog that Vicky made arrangements to adopt his sister, Mango, after she had been through the same training.  

Amelia was intrigued with the dogs.  She asked Vicky, who she calls "Bebe" if she could help her walk them.  They are so well trained that she had no trouble at all leading them around on a leash.

Amelia leads with Taz.  Vicky follows with Mango.

Friday evening we had an early supper at Amelia's favorite place, Chuck-E-Cheese.  We got there around 4:00 so it was not crowded at all.  Amelia had a good time and the pizza was pretty good.

Amelia and Chuck-E-Cheese

We stopped by Barnes and Noble to exchange the books we brought Amelia for some she didn't have.
 I had no idea that there were so many "distractions".  That delayed the process somewhat.

Saturday we went to Jaemore Farms for some traditional fall activities like a corn maze, riding on a pumpkin train, sliding down a farm slide, racing ducks, shooting an apple cannon, and a hay ride.  It was fun although it was a little warm and humid.  We bought some apples and pumpkins and ate some delicious barbecue and homemade peach ice cream.  A good time was had by all.

Amy and Amelia did the corn maze.  I don't like them.  I can never find my way out.
That is so embarrassing.

Amy had to hold Amelia's ears while she did the apple cannon.
 It sure smelled good around there.

Right after her turn on this farm slide, Amelia slid in this red Georgia clay.  

Amelia is growing up.  She rode the pumpkin train all by herself.

The hay ride was really a "cage" pulled by a tractor.  I think Amelia enjoyed it.

While we were there, Amy and Amelia went to see Frozen On Ice which inspired a lot of dancing (Amelia, not Amy). As we left on Monday morning, Amelia had her iPad, pencil, and paper making a list of songs that she would "perform" to when we return for her birthday.

Amy and Darryl have a contract on a new house.  It did not take long for them to tire of apartment living.  If things proceed on schedule they should be moving in around Thanksgiving.  They don't need us to keep Amelia this time, but I am in charge of shelf paper.  I love doing shelf paper, but this is going to be a huge job.  The house has a beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinets.  I can't wait to get started.  I will tackle the project when we go up for Amelia's birthday in November.

Say goodby to apartment living!

Speaking of Amelia's birthday, she wants a disco ball with lights.  I'm trying to picture that in the new house.  It sounds like something her parents definitely need to okay ahead of time.  She also wants some new "glitter shoes" in a bigger size.  I feel sure we can handle that with no problems. 

It was a good visit.  Amy seems to be happy back in her old high school.  Darryl is happy in his job and Amelia is happy in her new school.  Isn't that what we all want for our children?  We want them to be happy and if they aren't, we can't be.