Vacation at the Ritz _______

I'm always telling people who ask how I'm enjoying retirement that there is no down side.  That is not exactly true.  There is a period of time after Christmas and before Easter that is not much fun.  It is cold, rainy, cloudy and generally depressing when you look out the window.  Camping is out unless you just want to go somewhere and sit in the camper.  You can't go south because the snowbirds have all the state parks wrapped up so you can't make a reservation. So Bubba and I have tried to get away from the house by going out to eat and doing some light shopping a couple of days each week.  It would be a good time to go to a movie but there is not much to see this time of year.  I've continued to spend time with my neighbor, Jo P., and recently had the opportunity to help another neighbor by taking her to a doctor's appointment and then a minor surgery.  (Her son had come two weeks earlier for her surgery and stayed to take care of her afterwards, but when I took her for her follow up appointment she found out they had done the wrong procedure.)

Anyway, you can imagine our excitement when Amy asked if we could stay with Amelia on Thursday and Friday last week so that she and Darryl could work.  Amelia had the whole week our of school and Amy had Monday through Wednesday.  They left for Disneyland on Friday after school.  Amelia and Darryl would be coming home on Wednesday afternoon and Amy was leaving the airport to attend a conference in Columbus, GA, for the rest of the week.  We originally planned to go on Wednesday so that we would be there when Amelia and Darryl came home, but then we changed it to Tuesday and finally to Sunday, which meant we would be there nearly four days before we actually needed to keep Amelia.  Yeah, the weather was supposed to get a little rough but we really, really, really needed a change of scenery.  Amy and Darryl graciously allowed us to occupy their house in their absence and from that point on, we referred to their home as the Ritz ______.  The accommodations were great with their only request being that Bubba put the trash cans out on Sunday and bring them in on Monday.

Amelia on the plane

Amelia and Amy at Disneyland

Amelia waiting to sign up for Jedi training

This was just what we needed.  We ate out once a day.  I made a big pot of soup that lasted for our other meals.  We did some shopping.  I found a couple of items that I had needed and hadn't been able to find at home.  The Fitness Center (basement) at the Ritz _____ had a commercial grade treadmill with a flat screen tv set up in front of it.  Bubba walked and watched Fox News.

Amelia and Darryl came home Wednesday after picking Billy up from the vet.  We went out to eat and enjoyed hearing all about Disneyland.  Amelia slept late the next morning and after chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, she announced that she wanted to stay in her pajamas all day and that sounded like a good idea to me.

Intent on her sewing

To continue our sewing lessons I bought two pieces of flannel that I thought Amelia would like (Star Wars and puppy tracks) and cut it out for her.  She did all the sewing on both pair and did a good job.  I put the elastic in for her.  She is fascinated by the sewing machine and how it works.  I unhooked it every time I left the room because I was afraid that she might feel confident enough to try it on her own.  

Star Wars

Puppy Tracks

As a present I took her a sewing basket of her own and equipped it with all the basics including the pin cushion that looks like a tomato which is just like mine.  She seemed very proud of it.  I'm hoping that one day she will show it to her daughter and tell her about our time we spent sewing together.  

Amy came in Saturday afternoon.  She is trying to set up a writing lab at her school similar to the one she worked in at UWF and this was a conference on that topic.  She met some people that gave her some good ideas and felt like her time was well spent.   

Saturday evening we ate at a Hibachi Grill which was a new experience for Bubba and me.  The food was very good and it was fun watching the chef prepare it right in front of us.

Sunday we headed home stopping at Cracker Barrel for a big breakfast.  Traffic was light and it was an uneventful trip.  (That's the best kind.)  We had spent seven nights in a row away from home!  That is probably a first for us.  The getaway was just what we needed.  Thanks to Amy, Darryl and Amelia for a great week!