Crisp!

That’s exactly how to  describe our weather today.  And I love it.  Today is the perfect day to piddle around and do nothing, or a bunch of somethings.  Weird statement, huh? 

Well, that’s me, if you haven’t figured it out by now.

I love the fall.  I always have.  I love the crispness of the air, the whiff of fireplace smoke as I step outside.  I love the leaves skittering along the street like a bunch of kids let out for recess.  Even something about the sunshine and the way it shines down on me makes me feel good.

But today is cloudy and delightfully cool, a kind of day I absolutely love.  I don’t know why I like these days better than days filled with bright sun and warmth.  Mom calls me her alien child.  I just seem to have more energy, and feel really content. There’s just something so cozy about days like today. A good day to bake, or snuggle up and read a book. 

I’ve really indulged myself as far as reading goes these past few days.  Mr. Man and  I went to OKC to a car show this weekend, and road time is a great time to read.  I devoured Debbie Macomber’s 8 Sandpiper Way, where I was able to catch up with the folks from Cedar Cove, and Julia Quinn’s The Lost Duke of Wyndam. Julia’s book initially caught my eye, because the model on the cover is the actress who plays Vienna on my soap, As the World Turns. Well, that, and the fact I love Julia’s books.  But I thought it was neat.  Both of the authors above have fantastic websites, BTW. Julia is doing something interesting…she’s offering exclusive e-books that are actually 2nd epilogues to stories readers have already fallen in love with. I think this is brilliant.  How many times have YOU read a book and was sad that it ended? This offers readers a chance to revisit her lovely Bridgertons. She plans to write two a year. 

So, as I said, we went to OKC.  We participated in another PT Cruiser event, but the BEST part was getting to see and spend time with Toddler and her Mom and Dad.  Ah, yes, Toddler.  She’s growing up so fast!  She’ll be four in less than a month.  It’s such a joy to watch her revel her childhood. It would be great if we could all remember to enjoy life as it comes with such abandon. 

We went to a really neat place in Arcadia, OK, on old Route 66 called Pops.  It’s a gas-station/diner/convenience store with an ultra-modern design, but also with the feel of a traditional diner/soda shop.  It boasts over 700 different flavors of soda, and also has its own brand of beer and lager. On the outside of the building, there’s a 66 foot tall soda bottle that really solidifies the business as a true landmark!

I had the BEST chocolate malt I’ve ever had in my life, and that’s saying a lot.  I’ve had my share of those. And the food is FANTASTIC, too.  My opinion wasn’t just colored by the fact Toddler was all over me  and being my buddy either.

We also went up the road to the ‘Round Barn”

Toddler found that one a little scary.  It WAS dark and a little creaky in the loft.  But fascinating how the inside of the roof was a basket weave pattern.

I tried my best to convince Brother and SisM to move home, but that pesky thing about finding a good job got in the way.  RATS.  So the ol’ heart took another hit as we had to say good bye.

Still no movement on the house.  I swear, I’m going to pull all my hair out.  Maybe I’ll be too sick to care for a couple of days, since Mr. Man has seen fit to share his head cold with me.

Grrr….

Where have I been?

Well, In Toddlerland, of course!

SisM and Brother generously offered to let us take Toddler with us to the family reunion, since they couldn’t get the time off from work.  We got to visit with all three of them, in shifts…SisM drove Toddler over last Wednesday, and this Wednesday, Brother came to pick her up and drive her home.  It was great to see them, but not nearly long enough! 

The week between, Mr. Man and I took Toddler and our two pups to San Angelo/Robert Lee to the family reunion. We met Mom there, as well as UncleB and AuntD.  The reunion seemed way too short this year, and there were too many people missing. Those, like Granny and JC and AuntL, who have passed.  People who couldn’t get out of prior commitments.  People who were ill.  Still, we enjoyed each other in our little church hall in our little town. 

Toddler was excited to be on an adventure.  She is learning about jokes.  And she knows one.  One. 

“Knock-Knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Boo.”

“Boo who?”

“Aww, don’t cry.”

I tried this:

“Knock-Knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Orange.”

“Orange who?”

“Orange you glad I didn’t tell you not to cry?”

Like I said, she’s just getting the hang of it.  The “orange” didn’t connect as a substitute for “aren’t you” so various other objects like tables, chairs, and other nouns took the place of honor.  But we laughed anyway, because it was so silly.  There was another little funny…

“What do you call a bunch of ducks in a cardboard square?”

“A Quacker Box!”

*sigh*  How cute is that?

Toddler is a good little traveler.  And Mr. Man and I got our first  “Are we there yet?”  but only once.  The rest was

“How many minutes till we get there?” 

“About a hundred million.”

“WHAT?”

It was a paci-dropping moment.  At three and a half, Toddler is only up to counting to twenty.  Oh, and she remembered the name of the street where our hotel was, the number of our room, and the number of Grandma’s room. Consistently.  All weekend.  BRILLIANT.  Our baby is brilliant.  BUT attached to that pacifier.  But she only uses it when she’s intent on sleeping, or having a major meltdown.  Along with her blankie and pillow. 

Heck, *I* have a blankie and pillow.   And I guess Diet Coke and chocolate are my paci.

(On that note, I think I’ll skip talking about how my Weight Watchers meeting went today.)

As for potty stops, we didn’t have many, surprisingly.  And I can be blamed for those.   Once, in an Allsups in Lamesa, Toddler and I were in a stall . . .

“We make a good team, Toddler.  What would we do without each other?”

“Um, go to the potty by ourselves?”

Yeah.  I guess so. That little gem earned a snort and giggle from the stall next door!

Can’t often put one over on the kid either. 

“Eat the cereal in the bowl on the table, Toddler.  It’s still good.”  (She likes hers dry.)

“Noooo-ooo.  I want the cereal out of the box.”

“That cereal in the bowl is perfectly good.”

“Nooooo-ooooo!”

“Yeee–ssss!”

“Noooooo-ooooo!”

“Toddler, I know you just want more marshmallows.  So eat the cereal in the bowl already, first.”

“YOU eat it!” She offers it up to me.

At a stand off, I grab up a few pieces and pop them into my mouth.  The humidity has made them stale.  YUCK. 

“You’re right,”  I admit. ” Let’s get you some more.”

“Yeah.”  She’s a happy camper, and doesn’t hold a grudge or brag.

So much more fun to tell with her, but I’ll save it for another time.

No new news on the Foster front.  Just waiting for the call for our home studies.

Right now, I’m catching up on a few things– Oh, and I’ve learned to Twitter too!  Do YOU Twitter?

 

 

BACK!

We’re back!  But I’m still gathering my thoughts enough to blog.  Sounds silly, I know, but really–I’m still TIRED!  We’re those types who pack everything they can possibly do into a vacation…well, I am at least, and I drag Mr. Man, who is a good sport, along with me.  Given the chance, though he loves having fun, too, Mr. Man would use a vacation to relax and chill out or something.

So in the meantime, here are some pictures of our trip.  I say “some” because every one of us were camera crazy, and I’m still waiting to upload  photos from the rest of the gang we traveled with.

Domingo Delicioso #11

Phew! What a busy week! Nothing special, just busy at work. Which is good! Those pesky bills like it when they get paid. Preferably on time.

A week and a half until vacation! We can’t wait to get out of town. Have the house-sitter all lined up, now all I have to do is pack…and buy the all and sundry we manage to stuff into the car. Cold drinks, snacks, pet supplies…I might even try to sneak in a new pair of shoes! It seems like we have to take the whole household. I still always feel like I’m forgetting something. (Good thing we don’t have kids, I guess. ) Mr. Man bought a trailer…if that tells you anything. Actually, we really DID need it, because for car shows, we do a display themed around Phantom of the Opera, and it’s really involved.

We’re going to Colorado, to a PT Cruiser event: Cruise the Rockies VII .

Last year was our first CTR, and it was held in Red River, which was a blast. This one is a bit further away from home, in Steamboat Springs…and it’s the first week long vacation we’ve had in a few hundred pounds – - er, years.

Several other Cruisers from around Texas are staying in our town overnight, and we’ll caravan up there. That’s always fun. We’ll be staying in Canon City first. I’ve never seen the Royal Gorge, so that will be neat. A little scary, but neat. The places we’re going up there even allow us to bring our pets into the park! That’s good. Dodger and Hermione will have a blast! From there onto Steamboat Springs….then after that event, we’ll be going to Estes Park as we head home. There, we plan to see the Stanley Hotel, where the movie The Shining was filmed. Looking forward to that, too!

Until then, work work work!!

What a trip!

Went out of town for a family reunion this last weekend, and it was so great! We got to see Toddler, and her Mom and Dad, of course. As well as many other family members we’d not seen all year. Some were not able to make it, and they were missed. There was food, games, and lots of memories…and it was good just to sit back and chill, watching the guys toss horseshoes and enjoying the warm, sultry afternoons. The nights were gorgeous, too.

Toddler has grown a lot, and was really precious, as always. She stayed over a night in our hotel room. It was so sweet to wake up with her and have one of our little talks. In a couple of weeks, she will be coming to town to spend a week with us. I can’t wait. We’ll have all sorts of fun! She’s my shopping buddy. She’s a good helper, too. And on this trip, she and the puppies got to know one another better, so I hope they’ll get along more. The pups tend to get a bit over excited, and it’s a bit contageous…I can’t blame Toddler, a dog jumping in my face wouldn’t make me happy either.

Saw one of our cousins who will be in town with his band next month, and he seemed pleased that we plan on seeing them. They are Cellus and the Loose Grip, and I have a track of them on my MySpace Profile. Cool, bluesy rock.

*sigh* I wish we’d had at least one more day to visit with everyone. But we’d still have to return to the same old same old eventually. And here we are. Oh well.

Yawnnnn…

Man. I am so BORING. And bored. There’s so much I NEED to do around here, but I can’t muster the enthusiasm. I am almost bored enough to write.

I’ve finished wrestling with the vacuum cleaner– again– and have laundry cycling… What fun.

DH and I took the Phantom Cruiser to the body shop today to get an estimate on the Lambo door kit.  Those are hinges that make the front doors open like a Lamborghini, out and then up.   So we’ll be putting that in the hop on Wednesday, and will have it by this weekend. He’s so excited. And it looks like we’ll be getting a trailer, too, before we enter Phantom in the big car show in Colorado this August. That will be nice, considering the rear deck display, themed after Phantom of the Opera, includes two fence posts, that support the chandelier, that rode from the back of the car to the front, between us, last year. (oh, I’m glad THAT sentence doesn’t have to pass critique group.)

I suppose I could work on painting more of the set that we want to put underneath the stage part.  We make that look like Erik’s lair in the catacombs…but I would need to go buy materials, and I’m broke.

Well, I suppose I should go…do nothing…

Snowstorms and Parades and the Flu! Oh, My!

Well, a couple of nights ago, we got a whopper of a snowstorm. The weather service said our town received 8.2 inches of snow. It didn’t really seem like that much, but what we got was more than we had all last year! It was also Dodger’s first snow. He asked to go outside, then looked at me as if to ask, “What’d you do?” Bless his heart. It didn’t take long for Little Bit to get too cold. DH said if Dodger stayed out there long enough, we’d not have to have him fixed because his little bits would freeze off. Bad Daddy! But it was funny. His first step out, the look on his face was priceless. His expression let me know he thought the snow was all my fault. But I can tell Dodger likes the little parka I got for him! And he looks sooo adorwable!

 

 

Last night, our PT Cruiser club participated in the Christmas Light Parade.  As you’ve no doubtedly figured out, this is an annual event where different business and organizations decorate an entry and toodle down our main street, ending in the lighting of the community Christmas tree and the arrival of Santa Claus.  It was great fun, and though the temps were still frigid, there were many who braved the night air and came out for the fun! Even my DH, who was sick, sick sick.  He is such a trooper!  He dolled up Phantom Cruiser (our Cruiser is themed around Phantom of the Opera) and I dolled up Texas Red as our other members did the same.  DH  cranked up the Trans-Siberian Orchestra music as  we entered our place in line, and off we went!   And as soon as  it was over, DH  vroomed toward home and his easy chair while I went to get him some soup and sundries from the grocery store.  Bless his heart, he was so hard asleep when I got home, he must have been really bad off.  And my Sis-in-Law and my brother were both ill this week too.  I’m dodging those flu germs as best I can!

 

If you want to see pictures of our dressed up Cruisers, just click here. 

Ok Ok Ok

Before I forget, I want to tell you something I heard today. I was listening to Barbara DeMarco Barrett’s Writers on Writing podcast this afternoon. R.A. Salvatore, Sci-Fi-Fantasy author was the guest, and he said something that hit home with me.

“Writing is about abuse . . . this business is about rejection
. . . Nobody (editors) tells you what they like, they only tell you what they don’t like . . . it hits you right in the gut when someone trashes your writing and there’s nothing you can do about it because it’s there on the page, you can’t say ‘I wish I had done this’ but you didn’t and that’s the way it is . . . being published cannot be the emotional focus of your writing . . .you only survive if the writing is what’s important to you.”

Sometimes, I believe I’ve lost sight of that.

Now, for Gabrielle:
The G.I. Blues Cruiser. That little window is Aloha from Hawaii. On the other little window, it’s the black jumpsuit, baby!

What a trip!

As I said, a couple of weeks ago, DH and I went to Red River, NM for a PT Cruiser event called Cruise the Rockes VI sponsored by the Colorado PT Cruiser Club.

On Thursday morning, we met up with the other Texas clubs at the Big Texan Restaurant, home of the 72 oz. steak, free if eaten, with all of the sides, within an hour. Now, to us locals, this restaurant is often looked on as, well, not exactly a tourist trap, but you get the idea. It’s one of our biggest tour attractions. It’s even been featured in movies, including WAKING UP IN RENO with Patrick Swayze and Billy Bob Thornton. It’s fun to go to once in awhile, and the food is decent.

We lined up then hit the road, taking the route through Springer , “where the high plains meets the foothills,” “gateway to the Enchanted Circle, ” to Red River, NM. It was a smooth trip, until we ran into this curiously wet substance after crossing the state line. Once we realized it was rain, we took lots of pictures to show the folks back home what it looks like. (Turns out, we seem to have brought some back with us, since it’s been raining here since we returned.) The twists and turns of Cimmaron Canyon and Carson National Forest revealed majestic mountians and beautiful scenery that included tall, green trees with a winding creek twirling around their feet, within yards of the road. Along side, you would see people fishing, or just spending time with nature. It was all good, but then: Eagle’s Nest. We were only 18 miles from our destination, and we hit a wall of rain and hail that pounded down so hard we had to turn around and take refuge underneath a gas station awning at the turn off to Red River. It was quite a site, seeing 16 or 17 Cruisers huddling under there while buckets of cold, fresh rainwater sluiced down around us. We made sure to be good customers to the little convenience store there, since we were blocking their pumps and using the facilities it was only right to stock up on more drinks and snacks! Soon we were making our way through Bobcat Pass and descending into the little valley that nestles Red River. On the mountains surrounding the little town, the dormant ski runs looked like green ribbons laid over the slopes. PT Crusiers from 17 different states were filtering in, getting their rooms and beginning to get to know one another, or meeting up with old friends. Everyone was pretty much on their own that night as far as activities go. Some of us retired to our rooms, others took advantage of the cookout in the park, and a few found some good restaurants to eat at. We even managed to sneak Phantom Pooch and his purse-like carrier into the restaurant they chose. The owners didn’t mind, as long as he wasn’t running around (unlike the restaurant in Taos, where Dodger wasn’t welcome. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. We knew it was a chance we took. Eating outside on the sidewalk isn’t so bad.)

The next morning, everyone registered and picked up their goodie bags. The day was spent shining up the cars, shopping, visiting and relaxing. Some took the lift up to the summit for lunch. That evening there were hamburgers and hotdogs in the park, while Cruisers from all walks of life exchanged ideas, oohed and ahhed over each other’s cars with their displays and decorations and had a great time in general. After dark, a bunch of Cruisers with and without lights formed an impromptu parade up and down Main Street. It was quite a sight! On Saturday, most of the 141 Cruisers that attended CTR lined up and took the road to Taos. Once we got there, things got a little mixed up as to where we were supposed to go, and what we were supposed to do, but we eventually fell back together. Due to unexpected road construction, and the fact NONE of us wanted to get fresh tar on our Cruisers, we took a different scenic route than had been planned. It was a little longer, but there were some interesting things to see along the way, such as the Rio Grande Gorge. Another were these weird little domes popping out of the ground, and our guide called them Earthships, in their Earthship Community (Well, in Texas, we call them dugouts.) That evening, the awards ceremony was held in the community hall. A surprise to many, there was a wedding to start things out! There was a couple there who’d become engaged at CTR last year who wanted to include the attendees of CTR this year in their special moment. Sadly, earlier in the day, there was also a funeral. Longhorn Cruisers brought their beloved friend’s ashes to La Junta Overlook in New Mexico where the Red River and the Rio Grande converge and set his earthly remains free over the spectacular 360-degree vista.

Getting back to the awards ceremony…the emcee was hilarious, and made sure the whole room had a great time. Colorado PT Cruiser Club did a great job at making everyone feel at home.

One of our Caprock Cruiser couples won a hand-carved rear shelf that commemorates Cruse The Rockies VI, and it just happens to look GREAT in their Cruiser. They had a cool rear deck display, “Blue Man Cruiser.” Another couple had a representation of Communion for their rear deck display. Our display was Phantom of the Opera, as usual, with a new addition: a working candelier.

Several of our group won doorprizes. DH and I won a One Cool Cruiser Award, voted on by the citizens and Chamber of Commerce of Red River.

After the awards, everyone was hungry, so we did the best we could since all the restaurants were closed! Word to the wise–if you plan to eat late in Red River, bring your own food! There was another parade down Main.

The next morning, there were donuts and coffee, info exchanges and good-byes, and everyone made their way home, already thinking about Next Year’s Cruise the Rockies VII, to be held in Steamboat Springs, CO.

I really had fun on the trip. I wish everyone had. A couple of people we traveled with . . . it seemed that everything that came out of their mouths was negative, and after awhile, it drove me absolutely batty. I mean, how sad is it to look at life through a filter like that? I’m sure the folks I’m talking about probably had their own very strong opinions about me, more than likely thought I was being sharp or being a grump. And I worry that they thought I had no sympathy for their point of view, or their age, but that’s not the case. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people who are good at hiding my irritation, or emotions of any kind as far as that is concerned. (Which is why I’m not particularly intersted in playing poker.) A lot of my comments or observations were met with arguments or just plain complaints. I know these folks are under a lot of stress, and I thought they’d feel better getting away from home and getting away from it all. Unfortunately, I don’t think it worked, due to the friction.

Oh, it wasn’t all bad, we had some laughs, too. I just let it get to me.

And poor DH! He spent so much time shining up the car, only to have the front desk call and say he might want to move his car from the spot in the underground parking area. When he went down, our shiny black car was COVERED in mud! So much for the convenience of underground parking. There was some sort of huge leak, and due to all the rain, all that crap washed down into it and all over the car. YIKES!

But he got it back into shape in time for the show and shine. It was neat seeing so many people stop by and enjoy our display. DH spent A LOT of time working on it.

Events like this are so much fun, with people with similar interests yet diverse backgrounds getting together for a good time.

Blogger is being difficult about uploading pictures, but I have a mess of them. If you are interested, visit this webpage.

Cruisers Cruisers Everywhere!

Did I mention that I am President of my local PT Cruiser club? Yeah, I am. I’m not sure how it happened, but it did. Anyway, we had guests, a lot of other PT car clubs from Houston, D/FW, OKC, and Kansas come through town on a nostalgic Route 66 Cruise this last weekend. They’re a fun group of people and we really enjoyed them.

We had planned to take them to a popular restaurant on our portion of the old highway, but as it turned out, they had a blackout on that block and no electricity whatsoever! So we had to come up with a plan B, and we went to another restaurant that was really great and accomodating for a large crowd on a short notice. The next morning, we got up early and ate breakfast at a local restaurant, The Big Texan, that is somewhat of a legend and has been in several movies, such as WAKING UP IN RENO with Patrick Swayze and Billy Bob Thornton. We then took them to Palo Duro Canyon, an historical site that is the second largest canyon in the U.S.

Here’s some pics!

I have absolutely nothing to tell….

Color me BORING.

This last weekend, we DID go to our monthly PT Cruiser club meeting. We’re getting ready for a large group to come through. About 39 PTs are cruising Old Route 66 and will be stopping here on their way back home. Sounds like a lot of fun. We’ll go eat at a restaurant on our section of the famous old roadway, then the next morning, go cruise another historic site, Palo Duro Canyon.

We’ve been busy with the pup, Dodger. He’s learning a lot, and I’m sure with a little more encouragement, he’ll eventually be housebroken. I cleaned the carpets today. I’m sure it won’t be the last time this summer! He’s a sweetie, though. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

My friend, Jennifer Archer, was invited to write a novella for Harlequin’s More Than Words Program,in the 2007 Volume 4 edition of the More Than Words Anthology, which celebrates women and their achievements. She writes more about that in her blog, Gabfest, so hop on over and read all about it.

Gabrielle has spiffed up her blog, Diary of an Adult Runaway. It looks great, and she has wonderful pictures from her recent vacation in Spain.

Bonnie Wren survived her stint as a Snack Bar “volunteer” in charge for her son’s swim meet, only to come home to a mischievous Mojo. I think, with his unconditional welcome home after her big day, the bulldog has won himself a short reprieve. (Methinks he better quit chewing up his dog bed though.)

Went to see The Devil Wears Prada last night. I REALLY liked it. I haven’t read the book, but I can speak for the movie!

Well, I guess that wraps it up. I have to go fold laundry now. PFFFT.

Family Fun

Well, I’m back from our annual family reunion! We had all kinds of food, fun and enjoyed the balmy 107 degree temps of Central Texas. Phew!

We always have a lot of fun gathering with the family. Preparation to go is usually started the week before (if you don’t count the early hotel reservations, there’s usually a big Rodeo going on down there that same weekend and rooms book up fast.) My 95 year old Granny, my Mom and I made a double batch of her famous sugar cookies. Mom shopped for big batches of food stuff that she brings, as well as baking her goodies. I bring homemade bread…I usually take 4-6 loaves. I was so glad to finally find my “thing.” Everyone seems to have something to add to the event that people look forward to. A certain cookie, cake, or side dish. People usually race to get a slice of Cousin Jewel’s chocolate and caramel merangue pies, before they get the main plate of food, because if they don’t, they lose out. We didn’t have those this time though, because her husband J.C., has been battling back from a second stroke, so she’s devoted all her time and energy to his care.

The weekend starts out with a chili dog lunch on Saturday. The family usually meets in the local community center, but in this town without a stoplight, you actually have to camp out on the night of January first to be first in line on the morning of the second to reserve the hall. It’s amazing, in a town that small. And J.C., who has always been the life of the party, was also the one who usually took on that responsibility. It was also getting to be a real big hassle. So this year, we had our festivities in the fellowship hall at the church. One of my favorite things is how we form a huge circle and hold hands for the prayer of thanks and blessing before each meal.

After lunch on Saturday, people usually either visit the cemetery, or other places with more happy memories, or take part in games after clean up in the kitchen. We also bring pictures and other memorabilia to look over and reminice. There’s a bgroup of our guys who excitedly look forward to gathering on the nine-hole golf course this little town has too, and usually play it twice to get in 18. One of our little show offs actually made a hole in one this year! Alas, it wasn’t my husband. He does get a kick out of going to our own family tournament every year though, and I think it means a lot to him that the guys in my family look forward to him getting there so they can hit the links. How they manage to do it in that kind of heat, I’ll never understand.

Sometimes we go downtown, or to the nearby creek.

We often stop to remember family legends like Uncle Pete, who used to become a guest at the local iron bar hotel. (Yes, he loved his, um, beverages, it seems. ) It was said that while there, he’d let himself out to run an errand, and when he was done, he’d lock himself back in.

That evening, we have a sandwich supper and more dessert. Afterward, some of our musically-inclined members get out their Banjos, Guitars and Mandolins and sing old favorites and requests. Then after that, they put the instruments away and we get hymnals form the church house and sing our favorites from those. We’re a pretty good bunch of singers, if I say so myself. (Well, maybe not ME, especially since my ears are still stopped up from that sinus thing, but everyone else sounded great.) And I’m STILL proud of our cousin Jessica, who’s band, Springcreek Bluegrass Band is coming out with a CD this summer.

Then we break up and head out to where we stay overnight, which for us is a little larger town about 30 miles south. On the way, we have to be especially careful because the little backroad we take has a LOT of deer who make no bones about jumping across the road.

Then there’s the heavenly barbeque: brisket and sausage served along side a big pot of smokey brown beans, salads, veggies and other various goodies. More dessert. Seriously, when they invented the phrase “tables groaning with food” I am sure one of my ancsetors was involved. And after, more games like 42, Catch Phrase, Chess, Cards, Yahtzee, Pictionary, liven up the crowd. Except for those who give in to the temptation to nap in the rockers and recliners brought from the local folks homes.

Once in awhile, when we can stay an extra day, we explore the larger town, visiting the local antique stores, and even the historic sites, such as Miss Hattie’s. In old times, it was a famous bordello, but now, it’s an elegant restaurant.

All too soon, it is time to head for home. I am always thankful that we have the time to come together as a family. And doubly thankful that we all like each other enough to want to keep up the tradition!