Pinterest Goes to Opp

Hitch itch set in and we called Joe and Judy to see if our camping up there for a few days would interfere with anything they had planned and of course they assured us that it wouldn’t.  We arrived on a Wednesday and Judy had prepared a delicious “diet friendly” lunch for us.  Following lunch, I brought in some wreaths that I was working on and she pulled out some stuff she had bought for making the deco mesh and grapevine wreaths.Judy’s front door was big enough to accommodate the big fall wreath I made and she seemed pleased to get it.  We soon discovered that we did not have nearly enough embellishments for our projects so we planned a trip to Dothan the next day.  Bubba and Joe enthusiastically agreed to accompany us – mainly for lunch, I think.

Judy and I loaded up on wreath making supplies and prepared to mass produce wreaths over the next couple of days. We went to Sam's while we were there; Joe and I decided that we would take advantage of their free hearing tests.  (We really know how to have fun, don't we?)  Joe's took so long that I decided to wait until next time.

 Judy caught on quickly and we were turning out wreaths right and left.  She has a better eye for what to add to embellish them than I.  By Saturday, we realized that we needed still more stuff to go on wreaths and we went to WalMart in Andalusia.  We couldn’t believe that WalMart was the only place that did not have their Christmas decorations out.  We ended up at a Dollar Tree that had some cute things we could use so we headed back to finish up the projects we started. We worked at a frantic pace and I had six new wreaths to carry home with me.  About this time Bubba asked where I was going to put all these wreaths.  I told him not to worry because I was going to sell them at the subdivision yard sale in Atlanta and would be making him a rich man.  He was very happy to hear that because by now he had figured out that I had a couple of hundred dollars invested in my new hobby.

Sunday night as I brushed my teeth, I bumped my gum and it hurt.  I pulled up my lip to take a look and I bumped my tooth and it moved.  You guessed it, it was the tooth that has the bad root canal and this was not looking good for its “self-healing” that the dentist had optimistically mentioned to me.  The next day I was able to get right in and discovered that the bad tooth was getting worse not better.  I had some infection to deal with and then had to make a decision on getting a dental implant or a bridge of some kind.  For me, losing a tooth that shows is not an option.  Bummer!!

Pinterest Started It! Lunch with Amelia at School and More(September 2015)

A while back I logged in on the Pinterest site to see what it was all about.  At the time I was mostly interested in diet recipes, American Girl doll patterns to sew, and fun things to do with kids.  I found all that and more. Eventually I saw a tutorial for making a wreath out of the deco mesh that has become so popular.  It looked easy enough and it wasn’t long before I had saved “to my board” a number of wreath ideas and a lot of “how to” instructions for the deco mesh wreaths.  My goal was to make Amy a Halloween wreath. (You’ve seen them.  It looks like the witch smashed against the wall.)  Since the parts needed for that wreath were kind of expensive, I thought I would get the items needed for a fall wreath and try that as my first one.  Of course, I was confident I could do it and I also bought everything needed for the witch wreath at the same time which I would not have done if I lived close enough to the stores to run pick up what I needed when I needed it.   As I started on the fall wreath following the directions I was watching on the iPad, I felt like I was doing great and even sent Judy pictures of just the side I was working on.  I won’t go into a lot of detail but suffice it to say getting the mesh on the frame was easy enough and as I went along I discovered tricks that made it even easier.  The mesh is the easiest part.  You can cover the frame with mesh in about fifteen minutes.  It is the embellishments that take the most time.  Choosing them is one thing.  Choosing the right thing is another.  Anyway I had found a new hobby that created a better mood for me than sewing and I was consumed by deco mesh fever and eager to spread it to others.  It was always simmering in my mind, but we had an opportunity to visit the family in Atlanta and I put wreath making on the back burner of my mind.

Amelia’s school was observing Grandparent’s Day by inviting grandparents to have lunch with their grandchildren any day during the week of September 7 – 11.  So we jumped at the chance to go.  The trip to Atlanta was uneventful.  On a Thursday morning, Bubba went with Darryl and Amelia to a Dad’s Breakfast at the school which was so well attended that there were dads and their kids sitting on the floor of the gym.  (I don’t believe the schools where we live would have that kind of participation.)  They had a guest speaker and although it was well attended, I don’t think Darryl or Bubba got that much out of it.  I saw a picture of Amelia that looked like she was taking a nap.

At lunch time we went back to the school.  After living in a small town for so many years and a graduating class of 50 – 80, I could not comprehend how big Amelia’s school really is.  Her school has grades 2 – 5.  Each grade lunches together one at a time and second grade completely filled the cafeteria.  That’s a lot of second graders!   Amelia seemed happy to see us, but now I understand why she seldom eats her lunch.  She prefers to socialize.  As she munched on some cheese and crackers, she was busy speaking to her friends and acquaintances with a lot of high fives and hugs.  She had twenty minutes to eat (the same amount of time as inmates).  They were allowed to get an ice cream for $1.00 with  one section of the cafeteria allowed to go at a time.  We gave Amelia a dollar and she stood in a line for ice cream, which she was unable to finish before it was time for her class to go.  

We went to Jaemore Farms where we enjoyed our usual fried pie and homemade ice cream.  They had peaches still, but they came from somewhere else and were not as good as the ones we had bought earlier in the year.  We got some good mountain tomatoes at a good price, some yellow squash  and a bag of apples.  I just love a good produce stand!

I carried a couple of wreaths for Amy to see.  The Halloween wreath that I made for her front door was way too big as was the big fall wreath; however, I had a small fall wreath that she really liked.  I pulled everything off the witch wreath, bought a smaller frame and made a smaller version of it which I actually like better and I think she did too.  I told her that when I came back for the Willie Nelson concert I wanted to bring wreaths to see if I could sell them at her neighborhood yard sale.  She seemed to think that was a good idea.

We finished up the week by celebrating Bubba’s 72nd birthday on Saturday.  Amelia whispered to me that they ordered Paw-Paw a cake.  I asked what kind and she replied, “Chocolate, my favorite!”  Amy started the day by preparing Belgium waffles with bacon for breakfast.    She later fixed some delicious finger foods for everyone to enjoy while watching football games and we had birthday cake and ice cream as well.  For dinner Darryl grilled ribeye steaks which he does better than anyone I know.  Then there was more cake and ice cream.

The next morning we were on the road home, stopping along the way for a Cracker Barrel breakfast compliments of Amelia who had selected a Cracker Barrel gift card as Paw-Paw’s birthday gift from her.  I wish that she had been with us.  That girl can eat some Cracker Barrel pancakes!

We stopped for some Popeye’s Fried Chicken in Marianna and for supper we both had a big slab of birthday cake with two scoops of ice cream.  Can you say nightmares and weight gain?  Wow, that was a crazy thing to do.  Bubba socked the headboard in his nightmare, bruising his hand.  I stepped on the scale and almost passed out.  Well, we won’t do that again!

The most exciting thing about this weekend was the surprise Amy and Darryl sprung on us to celebrate our 50th anniversary next summer....We're all going to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons.  They are going to provide our plane tickets and we will all leave Atlanta on June 4 for Jackson Hole, WY.  They are making all the plans and securing all the reservations.  Darryl has already sent some options to choose from for Yellowstone.  We're going to spend one night in the park.  He is getting us a condo in Jackson Hole for all the other nights.  We already know that we are going to ride covered wagons into the wilderness for a steak dinner with all the fixins', including cowboy songs around the campfire.  Darryl is going to do all the driving which relieves Bubba of a lot of stress and I will not have to be the navigator which relieves me of stress.  We're looking forward to it.  This is going to be a very special anniversary thanks to them.  I wonder what we'll do for our 60th?

"I'll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again!"

For those of you who occasionally read my blog and vicariously share my adventures, hang on to your hats!  This old gal had an exciting weekend!  Our daughter, Amy, has been tested several times through the years.  When these tests occur, I'm once again assured that we have produced an amazing young woman who will sacrifice her own dignity for the sake of her parent(s).

For the past couple of years, I've gazed longingly at ads for Willie Nelson concerts and commented that I would like to go sometime.  Bubba said if he was ever close enough, he would take me.  (I think he meant if he came to our little town.)  One day Amy sent me a text that said, "Guess what.", I responded, "You're having a baby!" and then "You're getting a dog.".  Finally she said, "You and I are going to see Willie Nelson on September 25."  She said, "I'm taking you."  (That translates into "Not only am I buying your ticket, I'm buying a second one for me and I don't care a thing about going.")  That gesture all by itself translates into sacrificial love.  (I told you we did a good job.)

I think I should take a moment to express my Willie Nelson feelings.  Basically, I like a lot of his music.  I like his support of the American farmer.  I don't admire him for his use of marijuana, but honestly something has prolonged his life.  I admire the way he settled his issues with the IRS by working hard.  I do realize that I should have seen him twenty years ago if it was only about the music; however, he is an American icon and I wanted to see him before he came to the "Roll me up and smoke me when I die" part.

I had also decided that I wanted to make this trip to Atlanta by myself.  I think it is good for me.  I did it last year and enjoyed it.  I knew that it was not going to be much of a weekend for Bubba and we had just had a visit with Amelia two weeks prior to this.  So I travelled alone and made it there and back safely.  More about the rest of the weekend in another post.

We left home early enough Friday evening to locate the venue and had planned to eat dinner somewhere and come back.  When we got there, we found a really good parking place (free) close to the gate so we decided to just sit in the car and snack before going in.  We had wine in dixie cups, havarti cheese, crackers and chocolate coated almonds.  What a meal!  Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like the taste of wine; however, I have discovered that the second cup is much better than the first.  We ate and drank and talked about some of the characters we were seeing and hearing.  It was way more fun than going to a restaurant.

I was planning on wearing a hat to the concert.  I made a hatband out of a red bandana (like Willie's) for my hat and made one for Amy to wear.  I sent her pictures of the hats and she said that she was not going to wear that hat.  She was going to wear a ball cap.  I insisted that she put it on just long enough for a picture and she did....and she wore it all evening.  (It really looked cute on her!)

We had pretty good seats.  There was an opening band and then there was Jamey Johnson who sang some songs I had heard before, but he sang them all so slow.  Maybe that was his interpretation.  It didn't matter because Amy and I had more entertainment going on than we could handle anyway.

To Amy's right was an older (older than me) man and his wife.  To my left were four older (older than me) women.  But in front of all of us were six of the most obnoxious drunks I've ever seen in my life.  They stood in front of us for the opening act and we would have probably told an official if they hadn't sat down eventually, but watching them was very entertaining;I had never seen such in all my 66 years.

There were three men who looked to be in their 40's and their "dates" appeared to be in their 20's.  The head drunk looked like a young professional type.  He wore glasses and had curly hair which he must have loved because he constantly ran his fingers through his curls. (Maybe it was a new look for him.)  He was dressed in jeans with lots of rhinestones on the hip pockets, no belt, and a long sleeve denim shirt with more rhinestones on the back.  Each hip pocket contained a flask, the contents of which were soon consumed by the group.  In addition, they were drinking tall cans of beer and some mixed drinks from the concession stand.

The second in command looked the shorter version of an assistant warden I worked with at one time. The third man was a little plump with glasses and appeared to not be as involved in the drinking as the others yet he definitely had too much to drink to be the designated driver.

The girls were too young to be with these guys.  Two of them were pretty in a trashy sort of way and the third had on a ball cap and looked like the kind of person they interview on tv around here when a tornado passes through.

The leader drunk obviously thought he was pretty cute.  He would on occasion stand up, pull up his shirt, and shimmy around.  Sometimes he would pull his trashy girl up to dance with him.  He had his hands all over her, but he also seemed to enjoy hugging his buddies a lot also.  (What did that mean?)  Once he was hugging his buddy (the assistant warden type) and his buddy's date was feeling leader drunk's butt. The weather was cool and there was either a light or misty rain the whole times.  Most everyone had on rain ponchos or hooded rainwear except for the drunk performers in front of us.  (Would it be totally wrong to hope that they all came down with a bad cold or even the flu the next morning?"

I know for a fact that if Darryl or Bubba had been with us, they would have said something.  But you've got to admit that it makes for a better story than writing about Jamey Johnson's long slow songs.

Finally it was time for Willie.  His band got set up and out he came.  The crowd was excited.  (Me, too!)  And as he started to sing, I began to smell something.  I screwed up my nose and looked at Amy with a question in my eyes.  Could it be?  Yes it could.  The six in front of us had lit up a joint and were passing it back and forth.  And the group in back of us were doing the same thing.  And all across the amphitheater I could see the moving glow.  A friend on Facebook told me not to inhale, but I had to breathe, didn't I?  So this was a first for me.  I've had correctional officers tell me that when you walk into a dorm of inmates you can immediately distinguish the smell if it's there and now I know what they mean.

To use the word of a friend who had been to a Willie Nelson concert several years before, it was "lackluster".  Willie talked the lyrics more than he sang them.  His guitar playing was as good as any I've ever heard.  His sister's piano playing was great in a honky tonk kind of way.  He referred to her as his "baby sister", but I looked her up and she's 84!  She had someone help her to the piano.  When anyone had a solo instrumental part, I noticed that Willie was wiping sweat and drinking water.  On several of his songs, the lights would shine on the audience and we would sing them.  I did that and Amy just shook her head.  (I did that well after the second cup of wine had worn off, so it was just crazy me kicking in.)  I didn't notice that Willie forgot any of the lyrics.  He performed for about an hour.  It's kind of inspirational for those of us who are getting older.  If Willie and his sister can keep on keeping on, maybe I can too!  I just saw an ad for his New Year's Eve show somewhere so it doesn't look like he has plans to quit for a while yet.  I asked Amy her favorite song and she replied, "The last one!".

Afterwards we had waffles and bacon at a Waffle House on the way home.  It was 11:30!  Do you know that the week before I got married I had to be home by 10:00?  Needless to say, I slept so good that night.  It was an evening I'll never forget. 

In the words of my friend who hit the nail on the head:

"When I saw Willie, it was sorta lack-luster but I realized a geriatric guitar picker that still attempts to please is worthy of attendance. Farm-aid has to be draining but his dedication to the American farmer is commendable. You will enjoy the nostalgic experience w/Amy regardless of whether he brings down the house or not."

Amy, I had such a good time and you were a good sport about it all. I probably should remind you that Neil Diamond is already 74 and time could be running out on him. I hear he'll be doing concerts in Australia next year. What do you think?

A Hole in Our Hearts

There's a hole in our hearts with the passing of our dear friend and neighbor, Fletcher Patterson.  He died on Saturday morning, August 15.  His sons said that there was a beautiful reflection of the sun coming up from the lake lighting up his face.  They called us immediately and we went down to be with them.

Bubba had the opportunity to tell him that he was the best friend he had ever had and that he loved him.  I think he will always be glad he was able to tell him that.  I brought bites of food that I thought he might eat and fed it to him. He always told me he loved me when I left.  He had such a peace and I will never forget that.  Thankfully, he never required a lot of pain medication.

His grandson told of him repeating over and over, "O grave where is thy victory?"

He had a beautiful service. He would be/is pleased.  He planned it.  It was perfect.  

No Sting, No Victory

This week can go on record as one of the hardest in my life.  Our dearest friend, Fletcher, who I wrote about in my blog in February is lying in a hospital bed, in the den of his home looking out across the lake.  He is dying.  His body has become emaciated like those who were released from concentration camps after the war.  His skin is yellow and his hands are cold.  Disease is ravaging his body, but his beautiful, brilliant mind is still there healthy and whole.  He can quote scripture, poetry, and lines from his favorite hymns.  What a blessing it is to sit in his presence!  What a beautiful testimony he is to the love of God!

The older son, Pat, has cared for his dad daily for weeks now.  The younger son, Mike, relieved him on the weekends.  Now Pat has gone to be with his daughter for the birth of her second child.  Mike comes in at night and then goes to the hospital every day to be with his mom.  Bubba and I try to fill in the gaps so that they will both have someone they know with them.

Fletcher's wife, Jo, had a stroke Friday and has been in the hospital ever since.  She was left unable to verbally communicate, but she has improved almost daily.  She is scheduled to go to rehab, but they are going to allow her to come home for a visit with Fletcher.

The hospice nurse and I were talking last night.  He was telling me how different things are when it is a non-Christian facing death.  He said, "This man is ready.  He is not afraid."

"O death where is thy sting?  O grave where is thy victory?"

   1 Corinthians 15:15

49 Years and Counting.....

A lot was different in 1966.  Gas was 32 cents per gallon.  A new house could be bought for $14,200. (But who had that kind of money?)  First class stamps sold for 5 cents.  Lyndon Johnson was president and Ronald Reagan was elected governor in California.  Cigarettes were determined to be hazardous to your health.  The first Star Trek aired on television.  Pampers began marketing the first disposable diaper.  Troop strength in Viet Nam was increased to 389,000.  Mini skirts were in style for the first time.  Walt Disney died.   “These Boots Were Made for Walking”, “Wild Thing”, “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “The Sound of Silence” were all number one on the charts. 

Something else happened on August 4, 1966.  A 17 year old girl fresh out of high school married a very handsome young man who wore blue mohair sweaters, smelled really good, and treated her like a princess.  He had a good job and drove a 1965 Blue Corvette Sting Ray Convertible which didn’t hurt. (We soon found out we couldn’t afford the $95.00 per month payment.) 

Weddings were different back then.  There was a wedding cake, punch, nuts and mints.  That was it, at least around this area.  My dress was made by an oriental lady at the bridal shop from a picture I saw in a magazine.  It cost $100.  That was a lot of money back then.

We bought a small, two bedroom block house that cost us $45 per month.  Every year we paid the interest in a lump sum and it would be $300 - $400.  We had to really save to get that much money together.  One time we bought a small gas heater that cost $12 and paid on it weekly because we didn't have $12 to spare.  The house had no air conditioning.  We used a box fan that we moved from room to room with us.  The kitchen was so tiny.  I told Bubba one time that if I could just get a small metal cabinet for it that I would never ask for anything again.  I can't tell you how many times I've been reminded of that statement.

We were very happy even though we didn't have much materially.  We enjoyed fishing, riding around, visiting with family and friends....... I was a housewife which is what I always wanted to be.  

I know that I didn’t seek God’s guidance in a husband, but He was looking out for me anyway.  I thank Him every day for my wonderful husband and for the time we’ve had together.  Happy Anniversary, Bubba!  We’re at 49 years and counting……

Branson Vacation 2015 (continued)

Day Five - Misery

We left Branson at 8:00 this morning and stopped for the night in Hattiesburg, MS and we are both tired and a little grumpy.  We had about an hour driving through the Ozarks appreciating the scenery.  I was drinking my Diet Dr. Pepper and eating ginger snap cookies and all was well with my world.  Then things went south both literally and figuratively.

Everything turned flat and there was nothing pretty to view out the window.  The sun was shining in so bright I thought my leg would start smoking.  There were no rest areas.  The one that said welcome to Mississippi was just small and dirty.  The towns we passed through were small and we couldn't find a place to eat when we wanted to stop.  The roads were rough and bouncy.  We were on the road ten hours and we still have at least six to go if all goes well.  BUT we're in a very nice Hampton Inn tonight, ate supper at O'Charley's and it was fast and delicious.  Now it's time to relax and enjoy the wonderful air conditioning in this room.

I guess the ride is always more enjoyable when you're going to a place and you're looking forward to what's ahead.  I think we both enjoyed Branson.  Sure it is similar to a Pigeon Forge type place, but it has not reached that point yet as far as number of people so that in itself made it more enjoyable.  This is probably my last post about this trip unless something interesting happens on the rest of the way home.  At least I know we will have good rest areas on I-10 and since we have travelled that way many times, we know some good places to eat.  And the road is smoother.

I think we have both decided that we would not enjoy driving out west.  I can't imagine several days in a row like today just to get there.  We'll figure out something.  I think I would like to go back to Branson in cooler weather.  Who knows?  

"Not all who wander are lost." (J.R.R. Tolkein)

Branson Vacation 2015 (continued)

Day Four - A Perfect Day at College of the Ozarks

This morning I told Bubba not to eat much breakfast because today was going to be all about the food.  We had reservations at Dobyn's Dining Room at the College of the Ozarks.  I posted a link to the lunch menu hoping to get some help about what to choose.  I got the following text from Amy:

Sister-in-law Winifred let me down on this one.  Of course Amy wasn't a lot of help because she pretty much advised that we order one of almost everything.

Bubba poses by a college plaque at the entrance.

We arrived early and located the restaurant.  Then we followed a simple map to the fruit cake/jelly making kitchen located on campus and run by students.  The map was simple, but we still got lost.  

I'm sitting by a pool and waterfall at the entrance.
Loving my little purse!

We were shown around the kitchen by a student from Haiti.  We didn't actually see them mixing the cake but she opened one of the four ovens that were baking cakes they had mixed earlier.  They bake nearly 30,000 fruit cakes in a year from a recipe that has been used for 30 years.  They don't bake during November and December because they spend those two months shipping cakes all over the world.  They had samples and it was a delicious fruit cake.  They had jars of jam on the counter that they had made that morning - elderberry.  Students were in the process of packing fruit cakes that had cooled in tins.  I didn't even think about taking pictures there, duh.

The entrance to the restaurant/lodge is in the background.

We went back to the Keeter Center to enjoy the air conditioning for a few minutes before lunch.  There was a hall full of pictures of famous people who had visited the college for one purpose or another.  Among them was the first President Bush with Barbara, and the next President Bush with Laura, General Colin Powell and General Norman Schwarzkopf, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I love what General Schwarzkopf said about leaders.

Lunch was all we expected and more.  We started with fried green tomatoes. Then our server, Alexis, brought some of their whole wheat rolls and whole wheat cranberry biscuits with butter and apple butter.  These are homemade by students using the flour from their own grist mill located on campus.  Bubba had the special of the day which was not on the menu.  It was slow cooked beef brisket in a raspberry/chipotle barbecue sauce served on a ciabatta roll and topped with provolone cheese and red onions with sweet potato fries on the side.  I ordered the chicken fajita salad.  Both meals were so good.  You would think that would be enough food, wouldn't you?

No way!  We were there for the full experience.  Our server recommended the chocolate cobbler with ice cream and it did not disappoint.  The two of us trying really hard could not eat it all.  The entire meal including a $10.00 tip for Alexis was $53.00.  I think that was very reasonable. This was really an elegant dining experience with an incredible view.  I can see why Trip Advisor says that it is the #1 restaurant in Branson.  If I could do it over again, I would eat all the bread.  I was afraid I was going to get full too quickly so I restrained myself.

Before

After

After lunch we went to the museum which is located on campus.  There are three floors of interesting things to look at from furniture to guns to stuffed animals to military uniforms.

This is the Beverly Hillbillies car.

Me with a big moose (obviously)

Me with a big bear!

On our walk to the museum, Bubba noticed an interesting building and we stopped for a look.  It was the Star Schoolhouse built in 1910.  It was set up with books and furnishings from when the school taught all grades in one classroom.  Can you imagine that today?

Bubba is looking through an old textbook.

The College of the Ozarks was well worth the trip to Branson even without the shows, etc.  I love the idea of students working for their education.  They graduate with a good work ethic and no debt.  You can't beat that.  We saw young people working in the flower beds, driving trucks loaded with construction materials, manning the visitor sites, working in the lodge.  I think it would be great if more colleges operated like this.

This is a $20 fruit cake, but it seemed like the thing to do.

,Right now we are back in our motel room and the thermostat says it is 69 degrees in here.  We both got showers and got into our comfy clothes and we are just chilling out.  Bubba swears that he is not going to eat another bite today, but it's 5:30 and I'm starting to feel a little hungry.  He's asleep so maybe he'll wake up just a little hungry.  If he doesn't, I have plenty of snacks packed so I know that we will be fine.

Don't we look like fun people?

Tomorrow we head toward home.  Tonight we have to choose another route.  We don't want to go back through Memphis and Birmingham so we will probably go towards Jackson, Mississippi.  We'll see how that goes.

Branson Vacation 2015 (continued)

Day Three - 102 Degrees

We slept until about 7:00 this morning after our late night with Shoji.  I relaxed with coffee and my computer while Bubba checked out the free breakfast.  He brought me back a couple of donuts to go with my coffee and they were actually very good.  After lazing around for a bit, we got dressed and punched the directions to Branson Landing in our navigation system.

Branson Landing is similar to shopping in Destin or at Pier Park on Panama City Beach.  The Bass Pro where Bubba wanted to go was at one end and Belks where I wanted to go was at the other.  Our destination for lunch, Famous Daves Barbecue, was in the middle. We started out with a light breeze that lasted for approximately ten minutes.  I used my phone to record our walking and by the time we were finished at Branson Landing, we had walked 4 1/4 miles.  The good news is that we (I) burned off some calories which I'm sure I will soon replace.

This is at Branson Landing.  Don't know why I'm standing by a gorilla.

At noon we watched the dancing fountains show which was the National Anthem with dancing water and flashes of fire.  It was impressive.

The fountain show is in the background.  You just can't see it.

The same friend who recommended Shoji and McFarlains Restaurant also recommended Famous Daves.  We were seated at a window and had a great view of everything happening on the lake.  There was a zipline that we watched and by the time we finished eating I was thinking I might want to try it, but did I say it was HOT?  We had ribs which were delicious.  I had mac and cheese for my side dish and it had corn and jalapeno peppers in it.  I loved it.  Of course there was a corn muffin with the meal that was very good.  Corn bread is a big deal here which is fine with me.

That's us!  We had a great view, just too much sun for a good picture.

We returned to the motel for a break and some cool air.  I returned to the gift shop to purchase our tickets for a show tonight.  After some consultation with the expert, I chose Pierce Arrow.  It is also in a theater within easy walking distance from our motel.  It doesn't start until 8:00.  Can you believe the late hours we're keeping?

I guess Pierce Arrow was a good show but it didn't measure up to Shoji.  They had an excellent comedian and a wide variety of music styles.  The bass singer has held  the record for the lowest bass note for a number of years.  My favorite song by the quartet was "Your First Day in Heaven".  I couldn't help but think of our beloved 90 year old neighbor and friend, Fletcher, who is declining rapidly in his battle with cancer.  Better days are ahead for him and I wish he could have heard this song.  He's a real people person and I know that he will be smiling and greeting all the saints who have gone before.

Tomorrow we are going to the College of the Ozarks.  According to all the reviews, there is a lot to see there.  I have reservations at their restaurant for 11:15.  It is ranked #1 in Branson on Trip Advisor. I've been looking at their lunch menu and already thinking about what I want to try.  What would you get?

Branson Vacation 2015 (continued)

Day Two - We're Here!

I'm happy to report that after driving through so much flat land, we came to some beautiful scenery with hills and valleys that were reminiscent of the Smokies.  No pictures because unlike the Smokies, there were no places to pull over and take any.

We arrived at our motel, Best Western Music Capital Inn, at about 2:00 and were able to check in.  I was reluctant to make a reservation here because of my motel phobia but I went by recommendations on Trip Advisor and wasn't steered wrong.  My thinking is that people are more likely to go online to write a negative comment that a positive one.  I can't say I like it better than the Fairfield Inn we stayed in the night before which was newer, but it feels clean and is in a great location.  The staff here are amazing so I am satisfied.

Tickets for the various shows for which Branson is famous were available in the gift shop.  They had a place set up so you could sit and select what you wanted.  The lady there was very helpful.  We chose to see Shoji Tabuchi on our first night.  She told us that he is considered to be the #1 show in Branson and I can see why.  His theater is directly across the street from our motel and it was worth seeing as an attraction itself.  The bathrooms have been featured on a tv show as the #1 most luxurious and they were indescribable.  Shoji is a very talented violinist/fiddle player and his show had something for all ages.  His daughter is part of the show and she is very talented as well.  It was amazing to learn that Shoji is 70 years old.  He certainly doesn't look it.  I was told that he does three shows a day during the peak season. What is truly amazing is that Bubba enjoyed the show as much as I did.  He has already asked what show we are going to see next.

We had supper at McFarlains, a restaurant nearby that was recommended by a friend.  It started with a big piece of cornbread with butter.  Bubba chose the liver and onions and I got the hamburger steak.  It was very good.

We were out until 10:00, but thankfully we just had to walk across the street to be back at our motel.  

Branson Vacation 2015

Day One - The Adventure Begins

An early start was suggested by Bubba for our first vacation to a new location in a long time.  We are headed for Branson, MO.  I've never been in Missouri or Arkansas so that will be a first for me.  I had trouble sleeping so 5:00 came faster than I would have liked.  

I drank my morning coffee while I got last minute packing done and got dressed.  We loaded the car and set out only to go a mile before we had to turn around.  The warning light was on indicating that we had a tire problem.  Bubba checked the pressure in the tires and aired up the one that was a little low.  However....the seed had been planted and it was several hours before he seemed to relax about the tire.

We drove until around 6:00 and ended up in Jonesboro, AR.  This was about three hours farther up the road than we had intended.  We didn't have a reservation, but had no problem finding a very nice Fairfield Inn for the night.  I have a phobia about motels.  I guess I've watched too many of the news reports showing the disgusting habits of cleaning staff in motels, even the more expensive ones.  This one is perfect.  I just hope the one I've reserved in Branson is this good, but I won't hold my breath.

Other than that I can only report that Arkansas is flat with a lot of soy bean fields.  We've already decided that we will go a different route home.  I went online to see what attractions we might like in Arkansas and found that there are none.  I'm certainly not interested in the Clinton Museum.

Branson is less than four hours away so we should get there in plenty of time to explore tomorrow.

Vote YES for Longer Summer Vacations

I don't know that anyone is putting longer summer vacations on their agenda, but if someone would do that, they would be my candidate.  The summer may seem long in terms of number of days of hot weather, but it is way too short when it comes to time available to spend with family.  Amy and Amelia will go back to school on August 6 and of course Amy has pre-planning "stuff" prior to that.  That means there isn't time for Amelia to come here for another beach camping trip.  There isn't time to meet up with Joe and Judy to spend time with cousin John.  There was just a few days for us to go up for a visit with them and then, bam, summer is over and it's back to school.

We went up on a Sunday in heavy traffic.  We left early so that we could avoid the crowds returning home from the local beaches, but eventually we ended up in the city traffic that is always in Atlanta. 

Atlanta Traffic - UGH!

Finally (PTL), we were there and as always Amelia greeted us with lots of hugs and kisses.  She was very eager to introduce us to her new puppy, "Billy".  Billy was very happy to meet us and was properly excited.  Amelia adores Billy.  Let it be known that I've now been kissed by lips that have kissed a dog.  I guess I'll accept that as long as Amelia is the carrier.

Darryl grilled steaks for supper and I'll admit that I ate every bite of the biggest one on the table.  It was so good and I love steak so much that I enjoyed every single bite.

Amelia wanted me to play video games with her.  We started out with Wii bowling and ended up playing a princess game that had many "worlds" and "chapters".  We played for a couple of hours and had barely finished one world before it was bedtime for Amelia.  I got to tuck her in after she read to me for a little while from a Junie B. Jones book.  Amelia told me that Barbara Park, the author of this series of books had died.  She said, "There will still be Junie B. Jones books, Nana, because I'm going to continue them for her.  I'm going to be an author when I grow up."

The next morning, Amelia and Amy left for a tennis lesson.  There is a teacher in their subdivision and this was a trial lesson to see if they wanted Amelia to continue with him.  Things went well and Amelia had fun so I'm assuming this will on her agenda for the coming school year.

In the meantime, Bubba had noticed oil under where our car was parked at their house so Bubba set out for the Hyundai dealership in Buford.  It turns out that when the local dealership changed our oil the week before they had used an "aftermarket" plug and no gasket.  Bubba immediately called them to complain.  I mean, when you get your car serviced at the dealer you expect to get Hyundai parts.  They have a lot of groveling to do before we're satisfied.  The service department in Buford was great.  They fixed the car in a timely manner and explained everything in detail to Bubba.

Jaemore Farms near Alto, GA, was next on the agenda after lunch.  We loaded up on fresh Georgia peaches, plums, tomatoes, squash, and boiled peanuts.  We enjoyed a cup of their homemade peach ice cream which is the best ever.  This place never disappoints us with the quality of their produce.  Then it was back home where Bubba stayed with Amelia and allowed Amy and me to go shopping for a while.

Yummy Peaches

Amelia introduced Bubba to the princess game and he played with her for another two hours.  Her directions to him were, "Follow me and do everything I tell you."  When we were ready to go home, Amy received a call from Bubba telling her that the puppy had pooped on the carpet.  Paw-Paw draws the line on cleaning up puppy poop!  Later on when I pressed Amelia to tell us who she loves best, Billy or Paw-Paw, she said, "That's easy.  Paw-Paw, because Billy pooped on the carpet!"

That evening we ate supper at a Mexican restaurant and returned home where I played the princess game with Amelia again until it was time to go to bed.  I tucked Amelia in, she said her prayers, and I was almost ready to leave her room when she reminded me that I hadn't sung Jesus Loves Me yet.  I sang to the best of my very limited vocal ability and Amelia said, "Nana, you may think you can't sing very well, but I think you sound beautiful." (She says the sweetest things, but I know that I am not a singer.)

Tuesday we met my cousin Vicky for lunch.  We caught up on family news and enjoyed a good meal.  Afterwards we made a few quick stops and we were home again.  Amelia and I continued on with the princess game.  We were approaching the end and Amelia was very excited about it because the golden dresses would be unlocked and our figures (princesses) would be able to wear them.  While Amelia and I played, Amy started putting together a feast for our supper that night.  Eventually Amy called Amelia to help her with a blackberry cobbler, because as Amelia said, "Have you heard that I want to bake something every day?"  Later she mixed up corn muffins that were the specialty at our house when she came for a visit.

Corn Muffins

Baked Creamed Corn with Jalapenos and Red Bell Peppers and
 Tomato Feta Salad

Grilled Pork Chops
Sorry no picture of the Blackberry Cobbler, but it was GOOD!

Right after supper Amelia and I went to play the last level of the princess game.  She was so excited she was shaking.  I asked her why and she explained that we still had to defeat the witch.  We did it and put on the golden dresses!  Yay!!
Amelia told her mom that the next day  she would show her around all the worlds we had opened. (I know Amy was excited about that.)

I know that this sounds like way too much time on a video game, but we had fun together and a lot of interesting conversation.  I know that Amelia is very much against anyone being mistreated by a bully.  I think she would befriend someone in that situation and try to make it better.  I don't remember how it came up, but I asked her if anything ever upset her.  She said yes, when she has to do chores.  Then she told me, "When I need to calm down because I'm mad at my mom for telling me to do chores, I just lie down on my bed and think of all the nice things about my mom and I feel better."    

Other sweet things were all the hugs and kisses she had for Paw-Paw.  One night he went to bed without saying good night.  Amelia scooped up Billy and headed for the bedroom so they could both give Paw-Paw a good night kiss.

The next day as we were saying our good byes, Amelia hugged me and thanked me for playing the princess game with her saying, "I've never been that far with a friend before."

Bubba actually let me drive for about an hour on the way home.  I think he might have gone to sleep with a proper pillow. This is a huge step for him.  He may finally admit that I'm a decent driver and quit holding the collision I had in his Corvette in 1966 against me.

Rocky Bayou State Park was HOT

Camping in the summer in Florida is HOT.  We met Joe and Judy at Rocky Bayou State Park  Niceville, FL in middle July for three nights of camping.  It had been a while since we camped with Joe and Judy at Lake Eufaula so it was good to see them and catch up on all the news.  When we made these reservations in the spring, we noted that it was supposed to be dark nights and Joe and Bubba were looking forward to floundering.  Joe brought his boat and they floundered for about two hours and called it quits.  They didn't even see a sign of a flounder in that amount of time.  There was some discussion about getting up in the middle of the night and trying again when the tide would be better but then they both decided that they were just too tired to do that.

Floundering Buddies

Judy and I discussed ahead of time what we were going to do for meals and we decided that we would have sandwiches and eat out.  We took nothing to grill because it was just too hot.  We had several meals out that were good and nobody had to get hot cooking.

One day we got in a 2.25 mile walk that was ..... hot.  I had sweat dripping off the tips of my ears, off my nose, and running down my back.  The good news is that I felt like I had really accomplished something.  I got a nice shower, washed my hair, and rested for about an hour before getting ready to go out to eat.

We all headed home on Thursday.  Judy had peas to pick (she hoped) and we needed to get ready to go to Atlanta for a visit.

Bubba and I are going to Branson, MO, soon but we will not be camping.  It has been years since we have done a vacation by car and stayed in motels.  Our last few trips have been to the mountains where we always rent a cabin.  I have watched so many things on tv where they expose the habits of housekeeping staff at motels that I really have a phobia about staying in a motel, but I have studied the reviews on Trip Adviser and I've got my fingers crossed that I've selected a really clean place to stay in Branson.  I'm thinking that anyone taking time to write positive comments must have really been pleased.  I usually want to "write a letter" when I have a bad experience but seldom take time to let an establishment know that I was pleased.

I think I'm going to take my computer with me and work on my blog every night.  If I wait a whole week, I'll probably forget something.  Stay tuned!

Welcome to the World, Baby Caroline

With only one picture on Facebook to tantalize me, I decided it was high time to visit the newest addition to the family, Caroline, who was born on June 30 to nephew Brandon and his wife, Lacey.  I really had to twist the arm of the new grandma, sister-in-law Winifred, to get her to accompany me.

Caroline is a beautiful baby, so cuddly and sweet.  We took turns holding her for a while.  I think this is one proud grandma.

Then Brandon took us on a tour of his latest venture which is farming.  He has cows, chickens, pigs, and rabbits and intends to produce meat more organic than what is available at the grocery store.  His knowledge of  farming history and techniques was impressive.  It was great to see someone his age both highly motivated and hard working at a new endeavor.

As we left, Brandon presented me with a dozen eggs fresh from the hen house.  I've told Amelia about our visit and she wants to go sometime.  I think she wants a chicken to sit on her shoulder.