Saturday, February 1
We started February with a cold, rainy weekend. One thing I wanted to do before we could leave on our trip to Virginia was to get a fertilizer/pre-emergent treatment out on the yards and North 40. The problem up until now was that there was no rain and lots of wind, both deterrents to doing the treatment. But, this morning dawned with a light sprinkle, so I went to a couple of places looking for what I wanted and then returned to the house to put out the fertilizer and hope it would stick to the ground long enough to hold for the promised rains.
By the time I was finished with that job, the temperature was dropping and a light rain started to fall, so I put away the tools and we spent the rest of the day trying to decide what we needed to pack for the upcoming trip to Virginia.
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Sunday, February 2
Happy Groundhog Day!!!
No living beings in Wood County saw their shadows today. It was so cold and rainy that we almost decided to not drive to Yantis for church. However, when it got down to the last minute, the rain slacked off a little and we went ahead with regular Sunday morning plans. Wow, were we ever glad we did. Brother Kent Pate delivered a message that was tailor-made for the two of us!
We returned to the house after church, had a little lunch and our customary nap and then spent the evening semi-listening to the Super Bowl game and working around the house.
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Monday, February 3
I started the day by driving to the Chevrolet house to pick up the tags and registration sticker for the new Equinox, and then we spent the rest of the day packing for the trip and making other last minute arrangements.
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Tuesday, February 4
Happy Birthday to son-in-law Andy Dondis in Richardson, Texas!!!!
I went to the weekly prayer meeting at Yantis First Baptist Church and then returned to the house to get Bonita and take her to the Bradshaw Hilton Doggy Hotel. After that, we began packing the car and finally hit the road around 10:45 for our long-awaited trip to Virginia.
We had decided long ago that this trip would be more leisurely than our standard Point A to Point B trips made in the quickest possible time. Our goal today was to make it to Lonoke, Arkansas, a few miles east of Little Rock on I-40.
We had light clouds over us most of the trip, but when we stopped for a rest break at the Arkansas Welcome Center east of Texarkana, we noticed that the weatherman was posting ice warnings in the Little Rock area. We hopped back into the car and headed east, hoping to beat any bad weather that might be coming in.
Along the way, we began noticing what looked like ice in the trees along the highway, but the temperature was floating around between 37 and 41 degrees, so I told Barbara I thought those must be trees that were putting on early leaves, much like the pear tree in our front yard. It wasn't long until we saw ice on the evergreen trees, as well as hanging from fence lines. It wasn't until we checked in at the Best Western in Lonoke that we found that there had been a major ice storm across the state this morning and the temperatures had never risen enough to melt the ice.
That didn't matter to us though, as we were safe, sound, and warm in our comfortable room.
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Wednesday, February 5
We awoke well rested, ginned around to get dressed for the day, had a light breakfast from the hotel breakfast bar, and then loaded the car and struck out for a short travel day with our sights set on Memphis, Tennessee.
But first, the obligatory morning selfie, just to prove to the world that we were alive and (mostly) ready for the new day.
We continued to see signs of the ice storm along the way, and though their didn't appear to be much damage to trees along I-40, it was definitely cold and windy out.
We approached Memphis around noon, crossed the Mississippi River into the city, and found our way to the downtown Holiday Inn.
This was the sight from our hotel room.
It was bitterly cold and windy outside, but this was our first time to be close to Beale Street, so we dressed for the weather and prepared to head into the elements and see what we could see.
Before leaving the hotel, we checked at the desk for recommendations for a good lunch place. We walked down Second Street toward Beale Street, and finally decided to try the gumbo and fried chicken salad at the Blues City Cafe.
After a very satisfying lunch, we once again donned our winter gear and walked down historic Beale Street. We enjoyed the sights very much, but came away feeling that it was an R-rated version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
When we'd covered the "walking street" section of Beale Street, we returned to the hotel a different way...spotted the modern Peabody Place tower and Autozone Park, a AAA baseball stadium right in the heart of downtown Memphis.
Our return to the hotel gave me an opportunity for some comic relief. I told Barbara to grab the camera and shoot me as I was coming out of the elevator in my Beale Street Flasher pose. It was too cold to go any further than this, even if I was so inclined!
We spent the afternoon resting (with a little time in the exercise room) and then headed out for dinner with some special friends. We'd received notice of a Manager's Special this evening, so we stopped in the hotel lounge for some goodies before walking back down to Beale Street to join our friends, George and Janie Estes, for dinner at B. B. King's Restaurant. George was Barbara and Henry's pastor at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Lubbock many years ago, and we've had several opportunities to catch up with he and Janie during our retirement travels.
After saying goodbye to George and Janie, we returned to our hotel room and found a message from Whitney showing Jimmy with the results of a present we had sent him (plus some cookies that he had made using the gift.
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Thursday, February 6
Today was a travel day. We left Memphis this morning and traveled across Tennessee to Pigeon Forge, one of our favorite vacation places. Barbara wanted to attend a dinner theater on this trip, so we picked one in Pigeon Forge.
Our trip today was, thankfully, uneventful for us. We did see traffic wadded up just east of Nashville, and as we got closer, saw a vehicle with the front end completely burned up.
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Friday, February 7
While we were driving east yesterday, we got word that Cousin Ladd, who has been working in New Jersey for the last month, was headed home to Mineola and would be passing through Tennessee on the way. It worked out for all of us that he was able to stop in Pigeon Forge this morning and we spent several hours together, beginning with a family style breakfast at Mama's Farmhouse.
When breakfast was over, we drove to one of the big stores in Pigeon Forge to do some serious shopping.
Ladd said he'd stopped at the welcome center on his way into town this morning and had a free pass to go to the Mountain Dew Skybridge, so we decided we'd go in search. We got an address, plugged it into our navigator, and wandered around the hills for about 30 minutes until we came to the address, but there was no skybridge...or anything else except a zipline business that was closed. We took another look at the map and I finally figured out where we were supposed to be, which was about ten minutes from where we first started.
When we got to the skybridge attraction, we found that only one worker was present, but she gave us the grand tour and then turned us loose outside to see the what was around the site where Mountain Dew was first formulated to mask the taste of moonshine.
The end of the skybridge hovers 300 feet over the Little Pigeon River. The bridge has several glass panes in the flooring so the viewers can see straight down to the river bank.
After very little rest this afternoon, we wandered up the road to the Hatfield and McCoy Theater for a wonderful meal and a fun show. While the script for the show was somewhat cornball and predictable, the music and dancing were fantastic, and a good time was had by all in attendance.
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Saturday, February 8
Today was another travel day...we were up at 5:00 and on the road by 6:00, headed for Richmond.
A common theme of our travel days has been the ultra-cold weather we've experienced along the way. This isn't because we're great cold weather fans, but it does demonstrate how widespread this particular winter storm is. These are scenes from along I-81 through Tennessee and into Virginia.
When we got to the Richmond area, we drove straight to the shops at Short Pump, a major shopping mall. The plan for the afternoon/evening was to meet Mike, Kelly, and the kids at Build-A-Bear where Ava would pick out and dress a bear for her birthday. Ava's birthday is on the 12th, but with Kelly leaving Monday for a two-week trip to South Africa, today was going to be the birthday celebration.
We got to the shops early and did our own shopping until the kids and grandkids arrived at Build-A-Bear.
While we watched, Ava went through the whole process of picking out her bear, having it stuffed, and then selecting an outfit for the bear (who she named Cuddle Bear).
Barbara spent her time selecting a bear for a baby shower for Cousin Maddy when we return to Mineola.
Once the bears were dressed and released from captivity at the store, we made a short drive to Panera (Ava's choice, 'cause she loves their Mac and Cheese) for the birthday dinner, then we drove to the house, unloaded the car, and began setting up our room.
After awhile, we all gathered in the playroom downstairs for fun and conversation.
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Sunday, February 9
Jack was a little under the weather with a cold, so we kept him at home this morning while Mike, Kelly, and Ava went to church...that also gave us time to get a load of wash going and straighten up our room (and take lots of pictures of Jack).
When the others came back from church, we had lunch, settled in for afternoon naps, and then had a fun evening of family time as Kelly did her final packing for the big trip.
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Monday, February 10
Kelly was supposed to fly out of Richmond at 6:30 this morning to connect to an overseas flight at Dulles International, but late last night she learned that their flight from Richmond was canceled by Delta. Someone at Delta scrambled around and got the team a flight from Richmond to Atlanta for this afternoon, with a Delta connection to Johannesburg. so Kelly had some extra time to get ready.
Mike got the kids off to daycare and then went to work, and we hung around the house.
We picked the kids up at daycare this afternoon, took them to Walmart for a little grocery shopping, and then returned home to fix supper and have another fun evening that included Ava helping Grams fix a Root Beer Float pie (very tasty, healthy, and non-fattening, in spite of its name).
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Tuesday, February 11
Today would have been Mother's 91st birthday. Barbara took this photo when Mother attended what would be her last service at Harvest Acres Baptist Church during her birthday week last year.
Mike took the kids to day care this morning and we took advantage of the day to do a little grocery shopping and then just chill around the house.
But, there was plenty of time for photos this evening.
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Wednesday, February 12
Happy 3rd Birthday to granddaughter Ava Corinne Little!!!!
Jack has been under the weather since we got here and was feeling worse yesterday, so Mike asked us if we'd take Jack to the doctor this morning and get him checked out. Mike said he'd take care of getting Ava to day care and picking her up this evening.
So, once we get everyone up and moving around, we headed into Midlothian to the kids' pediatrician. The regular doctor was not on site today, but we received great and timely service from the staff and another doctor, who confirmed that Jack had a bit of a strep infection and some infection in his ears.
While we were with the doctor, we told her that Ava had been exhibiting some of the same symptoms, but to a lesser degree. She told us that since the kids were siblings and in the same house, to have Mike give the office a call if Ava got worse, and she'd call in a prescription for her.
When all was done at the clinic, we returned to the house and made Jack as comfortable as possible until Mike could get home with the new prescriptions.
One of Jack's procedures is to have a nebulizer treatment before his afternoon nap and going to bed at night. Barbara got this shot of Jack and me just before I put him to bed this afternoon.
The weatherman was predicting snow all day, and it finally hit around 4:30, just in time for the afternoon traffic rush. I had to go to Walmart for some things about the time the storm started, and by the time I got back to the house, it was coming down pretty hard...and even harder when Mike and Ava got home. There was nothing to do this evening except watch the snow come down and enjoy the warmth of the house.
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Thursday, February 13
And the snow came, and kept on coming. With the combination of about 8 inches of snow with a couple of layers of ice mixed in, the Richmond area was locked down tight. Mike took his snow day in stride, enjoying the unexpected opportunity to spend the day at home with Ava and Jack. Before the day was over, we got to watch Mike make a snow angel in the backyard, and Ava helped Grams make a big bowl of snow ice cream out of the snow that Mike brought in from the front yard.
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Friday, February 14
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!
Mike's valentine was that he got to stay home a few extra hours this morning before braving the roads to go to work. The kids had another snow day and missed day care, and we had another full day of Grams and Gramps time...it just doesn't get any better than that!
We finally broke out the tea party set that we had gotten for Ava and she learned all the finer points of High Tea, at least Grams and Gramps style. Jack was just glad to be part of the party.
We received a text from granddaughter Jaycie with a photo showing the Valentine's gift she had made for her special friend Keaton. Just doesn't seem right that she's old enough for this sort of thing (and that we're getting as old as we are!).
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Saturday, February 15
The snow hasn't done a very good job of melting away, so we spent most of the day inside playing with kids (large and small), cooking, washing, and taking care of other chores that couldn't be set aside just because it was too nice outside to do them.
Around noon we took separate cars and got outside for a bit. Mike took the kids to Dick's Sporting Goods to let them run around a bit, while Barbara and I did some shopping. Later, we all met up at Arby's for a family lunch.
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Sunday, February 16
Ava and Jack are still under the weather and taking medications, so Mike asked if we'd mind watching them while he went to church this morning. We were, of course, delighted to have some extra Grams and Gramps time, since we don't get to see these kids all that often. It was too much fun and we had a blast, but the minute Mike got home, the Ava and Mike were all over him.
Our plan for the day, after Mike returned, was to let him have some serious "Daddy" time while we drove into Richmond to meet up with one of Barbara's former students from Lubbock.
I first met Adria Gharati last November when she joined our little group at Arlington National Cemetery during the commemoration honoring the bugler who sounded Taps at the Funeral of President John F. Kennedy. At that time, we agreed that the next time we were in Richmond, she would try to come down here and we'd take her to lunch.
We agreed this morning that we'd all meet at the Tobacco Company Restaurant, a fine dining establishment located in an old tobacco warehouse way down on Cary Street. Barbara and I made our way to the restaurant, only to find that it wasn't open for Sunday lunch. But, we did take photos of where we'd like to eat someday.
We wanted to walk around the area, but it was too cold and windy, so we opted to wait inside the Omni Hotel Starbucks until Adria arrived to take us to some alternate dining opportunities.
Adria drove us a little farther south on Cary Street to some more opportunities to view the old tobacco warehouses, most of which have been turned into lofts and businesses. One of the old buildings houses a favorite, but very somber experience, The Virginia Holocaust Museum.
We first went to Mimi's, a restaurant that Adria had tried before, but the wait was going to be at least 45 minutes, so we crossed the street and discovered Poe's Pub and Eatery. Since we had never visited any of the Edgar Allen Poe museums or sites, we decided this would be the next best thing.
We were pleasantly surprised with the restaurant, the food, and the outstanding service.
When we had eaten our fill, Adria drove us back to the parking lot where we had left our car; we said our goodbyes and returned to Mike and Kelly's house while Adria drove back north to her place.
The rest of the evening was spent enjoying good times with Mike, Ava, and Jack.
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Monday, February 17
Happy Birthday to brother Ernie Little in Harrison, Arkansas!!!!
Today was Presidents Day, whatever that's supposed to mean. We're from the old school when George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays were set aside to honor those men who so highly honored the office of President. Now it seems that this day just means another paid day off for federal officials and bureaucrats, while regular people spend the day earning money so they can pay the taxes that pay the salaries of those who aren't working.
Okay, enough of that rant...day care was closed today, so Jack and Ava stayed home with us. The weather was also pretty iffy, so we just stayed inside and read, played, and napped until Mike came home this evening.
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Tuesday, February 18
We were all up at the usual time this morning. Mike, Ava, and Jack enjoyed their breakfast and then Mike took the kids to day care while we used the day to catch up on chores around the house and go out to do some shop looking.
We've been talking to Ava about going to Inflation Nation, one of her favorite fun places, but the weather has been too bad to get out. Inflation Nation was open today, so we picked the kids up at day care and drove out for an hour or so of bouncing and sliding fun. Jack is now old enough and agile enough to get a kick out of some of the bouncy buildings.
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Wednesday, February 19
Mike joined us for lunch at Panda Express today and we had some nice "adult" time together. Lunches with Mike are always fun and interesting.
This afternoon we picked the kids up at day care. Miss Jodie does a wonderful job of teaching the kids under her care. We told Miss Jodie that we did a journal/blog about our family, and said that since she was such a vital part of Ava and Jack's lives, we'd like to include a photo of them with her.
Once the kids were buckled into the car seats, we drove to Sonic for a Diet Coke for Grams, then to Food Lion so Ava could pick out a treat, and then to Dick's Sporting Goods where Ava and Jack managed to unleash some of their pent-up energy.
Then, it was back to the house and Daddy for the evening routine of dinner, playtime, baths, and bedtime.
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Thursday, February 20
Mike had to go to work early this morning, so I took the kids to day care while Barbara got dressed.
When I got back to the house, we hopped in the car for a short trip (about an hour and 15 minutes...short for us) to Lake Anna to see our friends Rod and Ruth Kunkel. We first met Rod and Ruth when we went to Lady Lake, Florida in 2007 to help build a church. Since then, we've visited many times and have kept up a great friendship.
Our visit today was short, but lots of fun as we caught up on each other's lives since we last saw them in November.
After a fun time with Rod and Ruth, we drove back to Midlothian, rested a bit, and then went to day care to pick up Ava and Jack for a return visit to Inflation Nation.
We are very impressed with the facilities and staff at Inflation Nation. Everyone is friendly and helpful. there is good supervision, and Christian rock music is played in the background. Even signs around the building indicate the importance of having God in our daily lives.
When the kids had had enough activity at Inflation Nation, we returned to the house for the evening routine. Ava even showed how helpful she could be by volunteering to feed Jack while the rest of us cleaned the kitchen.
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Friday, February 21
Today was a work day for us as we began the first of several loads of laundry that had accumulated throughout the house. With Kelly scheduled to be home sometime tomorrow, we wanted to get the place spiffied up so she would have a clean house to come home to and not have to deal with the housework herself. Also, we were busy packing all of our stuff so we could be ready to start loading the car tomorrow evening and get ready for our trip back to Mineola once we turned Mike and the kids back over to Kelly.
We had told the kids we'd pick them up at day care and make a final trip to Inflation Nation this afternoon, but when we got there, we found the place was closed to the public this evening because they were hosting a father/daughter dance for a local elementary school.
Ava and Jack took this information in stride as we loaded them back in the car and then took them on a trip to Kroger's to pick up some food for the weekend meals.
When we returned to the house, we found that Mike had stopped for Thai take-out for our supper. Mike knows our tastes quite well, and we all enjoyed a nice variety of our favorite Thai dishes in the comfort of the house.
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Saturday, February 22
We received great news this morning when Kelly called to say that the IMB team was back on American soil at Dulles International Airport and would be heading back to Richmond mid-morning via a shuttle bus.
While Mike and the kids waited for Kelly to return so they could meet her at the IMB headquarters and bring her home, we set off on our last adventure of our time in the Richmond area.
The first thing on the agenda was to visit a "Doc-in-a-Box' (urgent care facility) to have Barbara checked out. We've both been having racking coughs, but Barbara's "stuff" had turned into a low grade fever and just feeling terrible. We were a little leery of the procedure and whether they would accept our insurances, but there was no problem getting Barbara in. As a matter of fact, she was registered, checked in, and moved to an examining room before I could finish parking and closing up the car.
The exam was brief, but thorough, and the doctor determined that there was some low grade fever, but no indications of strep, which is what Jack had last week. He said it was probably just a viral infection and ordered up some over-the-counter medications to fight the symptoms until the infection could run its course.
Feeling better with that bit of information, we struck out across Richmond and I-64 toward Newport News, Virginia to reconnect with two former students from Liberal, Phillip and Kim (Lawson) Roth. Barbara had both Philip and Kim in her eighth grade class at West Middle School, and I had worked with both of them in the middle school band and also in the Liberal High School Band before I went over to the "dark side" in administration. Kim was also one of Leah's best friends through middle school and high school.
We met the kids at Harpoon Larry's Oyster Bar, a really nice seafood restaurant in Newport News. While we ordered and then ate, we got caught up on happenings in each other's lives. Phillip is a captain in the United States Air Force and is assigned as a Finance Officer at Langley Air Force Base. Kim is returning to school for additional credits and also does some teaching.
After enjoying a wonderful meal, we followed Phillip and Kim to their new house. They took us on a scenic tour that we really enjoyed.
Once we got to the house, we got the grand tour. The kids have a beautiful place and are doing a great job of making it their own for the duration of their stay in Newport News.
All good things must come to an end and we had to head back to Richmond, so we said our goodbyes, reversed course, and traveled back across I-64 to the kids house. We were just opening up the house when Mike, Kelly, Ava, and Jack arrived back from a trip to the park on a beautiful, sunny afternoon...a rare treat after the winter conditions of the last two weeks.
We got everyone inside and sat down to a delicious dinner and an evening of getting caught up and having fun with the kids, with Kelly giving us the Reader's Digest Condensed Version of her trip to South Africa and Lesotho.
Jack's birthday is coming up, so he got his present from Grams and Gramps a few days early.
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Sunday, February 23
We got up early this morning, helped the little ones with their breakfast, finished loading the car, and then said our goodbyes and prepared to start the long journey back to Mineola.
After stopping at McDonald's for a couple of Egg White McMuffins (we've been on a diet for a month now, and will have to get a little more serious about it), we headed down I-95 to Petersburg and connected to I-85 for our journey through Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
We didn't know how far we would get today, but we did know that we would be stopping in Gastonia, North Carolina for a visit with Bett Black. Bett is the widow of Bob Black, my mentor, friend, confidant, and surrogate uncle when I first started teaching in Gaston County, NC in 1970. I remember making a phone call to Bob one day and Bett answered. When I asked, "Mrs. Black?", she answered, "No, I'm Bett," and that's how I've known her ever since.
Bett was serving as hostess for a memorial service at her assisted living facility, so we had only a short time to visit and give her a couple of gifts we'd picked out. Even though our time together was short, time spent with Bett is always quality time, and as we were leaving, we promised to return and spend more time when we get do..
After leaving Gastonia, we drove to the Greenville-Spartenburg area of South Carolina, where we found a nice Best Western and hunkered down for the night.
FYI...If you are looking for a Sonic on I-85 between Petersburg, Virginia and Atlanta, don't waste your time and wtrain your eyes...you won't find one.
FYI...If you are looking for a Sonic on I-85 between Petersburg, Virginia and Atlanta, don't waste your time and wtrain your eyes...you won't find one.
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Monday, February 24
Today was another travel day. We left the motel in South Carolina and traveled through Georgia, Alabama, and into Mississippi, where we stopped for the night in Meridian. We had decided early on that we didn't want this trip to be just about getting from Point A to Point B, so we made several stops during the day to do some shop-looking and just enjoy the experience of traveling again.
FYI...If you attempt to use a Best Western Rewards card to pay for gas at a pump, it will probably deny the card. Please don't ask how we know this.
FYI...If you attempt to use a Best Western Rewards card to pay for gas at a pump, it will probably deny the card. Please don't ask how we know this.
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Tuesday, February 25
Happy Birthday to Cousin Don Sandley in Birmingham, Alabama!!!
Happy First Birthday to grandson Jack David Little!!!!
After a leisurely (and very delicious) breakfast at the restaurant located on the motel property, we got back into the car and began the next leg of the journey home. Shortly after we crossed the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, we found a little town in Louisiana that had a Sonic...at least that's what the sign on the highway told us. It took several minutes and miles of wandering through the town (3 miles long and one block wide), we found the Sonic and ordered corn dogs for lunch (yes, even corn dogs are legal on our new diet...IF we eat just one).
While we waited on our order, Barbara occupied and amused herself by playing with the camera.
The weather continued to worsen as we headed west, so we opted to take advantage of a comp room at the Marriott Spring Hill in Bossier City for the night. The plan was to check in and then go down to the river walk to do some shopping, but we would have gotten caught up in rush hour traffic, so we decided we'd wait until tomorrow morning to do that.
Instead, we relaxed for a while, had a great meal, and settled in for a quiet night in our spacious and very comfortable room.
Wednesday, February 26
Happy 45th Birthday to son John Henry Colwell in San Antonio!!!!
It was time for the final leg of the journey home, and we decided, after a nice breakfast at the Marriott, to just load the car and head for home...no shopping, no dawdling, just drive until we got there.
We arrived at the house at 11:55 AM, after 3,071 miles, 23 days, and travel through 10 states. It was a wonderful trip, made even better by the comfort and handling of the new Equinox, but it was definitely time to be home!
We unloaded the car, piled everything on the bed in the spare bedroom, and set about unpacking and running a couple of loads of laundry...and most important, settling in for a nap!
I went out to Yantis this evening for Praise Band rehearsal while Barbara stayed home and tried to make sense of the mess in the spare bedroom. She also went through the mountain of mail that neighbor John had faithfully carried to the house for us while we were gone. When I returned, we just sat and relaxed until time to go to bed and sleep.
Thursday, February 27
It's back to our regular routines today. I had a hair appointment with Leslie to get the grey feathers removed from around my head. When that was done, I stopped at the car wash to get about a hundred pounds of road dirt and grime off the car.
After getting back to the house, we did some more unpacking and putting away of "stuff," and then went to the Walmart parking lot so Barbara could keep a mammogram appointment with a mobile medical office.
As Barbara was getting an exam, I went into the store to do some looking and found that we could have new passport photos made there. That was an important find, since our original passports expired last September, and we will need new ones if we are to make our hoped for motorcycle trip to the Pacific Northwest and into Canada this spring.
It took a while, but we finally got photos that were acceptable. Then, it was back to the house for lunch, a nap, and an afternoon of filling out passport applications and getting them ready to mail.
I had a rehearsal tonight with the Lake Country Symphonic Band; we're preparing for a big concert on March 15. Meanwhile, Barbara stayed home to pay bills and straighten out the checkbook.
I got back to the house around 9:15 and we watched TV and played computer games until time to call it a day.
Friday, February 28
On this last day of the month, we awoke to a cold, grey, and windy morning, so we were more than a little slow in getting around. We eventually got in gear as I had a meeting to attend at Holiday Villages of Lake Fork, and Barbara was busy preparing another delicious lunch.
When I got back from HV, we sat down to eat our meal and enjoy another episode of House of Cards, the latest series we've begun watching.
Later, we made a trip to the post office to get our passport applications mailed, stopped at Sonic for an afternoon special, and went by Wood Memorial Nursing Home to pick up some paperwork necessary for completing Mother's income tax return for 2013. Whew...we were so worn out from all that activity that we just had to go home and rest a while!
Tonight we began seriously looking at a trip on Taz to the Pacific Northwest sometime this spring. With a large map book in front of us and two computers searching routes and distances on Mapquest, we tentatively have a route from Mineola to Seattle....guess one of these days we'll have to figure out how to get back, but at least we have a start. If anyone reads this far and has suggestions about what to see and do along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco to Washington, please let us know, as we are pretty much clueless. We just know that it is supposed to be a great cycle tour and we'd like to give it a shot.
And that, faithful readers, brings us to the end of February, 2014...two months down and ten to go.
"A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty." - Author Unknown
Back home in Mineola,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsy
While we waited on our order, Barbara occupied and amused herself by playing with the camera.
The weather continued to worsen as we headed west, so we opted to take advantage of a comp room at the Marriott Spring Hill in Bossier City for the night. The plan was to check in and then go down to the river walk to do some shopping, but we would have gotten caught up in rush hour traffic, so we decided we'd wait until tomorrow morning to do that.
Instead, we relaxed for a while, had a great meal, and settled in for a quiet night in our spacious and very comfortable room.
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Wednesday, February 26
Happy 45th Birthday to son John Henry Colwell in San Antonio!!!!
It was time for the final leg of the journey home, and we decided, after a nice breakfast at the Marriott, to just load the car and head for home...no shopping, no dawdling, just drive until we got there.
We arrived at the house at 11:55 AM, after 3,071 miles, 23 days, and travel through 10 states. It was a wonderful trip, made even better by the comfort and handling of the new Equinox, but it was definitely time to be home!
We unloaded the car, piled everything on the bed in the spare bedroom, and set about unpacking and running a couple of loads of laundry...and most important, settling in for a nap!
I went out to Yantis this evening for Praise Band rehearsal while Barbara stayed home and tried to make sense of the mess in the spare bedroom. She also went through the mountain of mail that neighbor John had faithfully carried to the house for us while we were gone. When I returned, we just sat and relaxed until time to go to bed and sleep.
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Thursday, February 27
It's back to our regular routines today. I had a hair appointment with Leslie to get the grey feathers removed from around my head. When that was done, I stopped at the car wash to get about a hundred pounds of road dirt and grime off the car.
After getting back to the house, we did some more unpacking and putting away of "stuff," and then went to the Walmart parking lot so Barbara could keep a mammogram appointment with a mobile medical office.
As Barbara was getting an exam, I went into the store to do some looking and found that we could have new passport photos made there. That was an important find, since our original passports expired last September, and we will need new ones if we are to make our hoped for motorcycle trip to the Pacific Northwest and into Canada this spring.
It took a while, but we finally got photos that were acceptable. Then, it was back to the house for lunch, a nap, and an afternoon of filling out passport applications and getting them ready to mail.
I had a rehearsal tonight with the Lake Country Symphonic Band; we're preparing for a big concert on March 15. Meanwhile, Barbara stayed home to pay bills and straighten out the checkbook.
I got back to the house around 9:15 and we watched TV and played computer games until time to call it a day.
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Friday, February 28
On this last day of the month, we awoke to a cold, grey, and windy morning, so we were more than a little slow in getting around. We eventually got in gear as I had a meeting to attend at Holiday Villages of Lake Fork, and Barbara was busy preparing another delicious lunch.
When I got back from HV, we sat down to eat our meal and enjoy another episode of House of Cards, the latest series we've begun watching.
Later, we made a trip to the post office to get our passport applications mailed, stopped at Sonic for an afternoon special, and went by Wood Memorial Nursing Home to pick up some paperwork necessary for completing Mother's income tax return for 2013. Whew...we were so worn out from all that activity that we just had to go home and rest a while!
Tonight we began seriously looking at a trip on Taz to the Pacific Northwest sometime this spring. With a large map book in front of us and two computers searching routes and distances on Mapquest, we tentatively have a route from Mineola to Seattle....guess one of these days we'll have to figure out how to get back, but at least we have a start. If anyone reads this far and has suggestions about what to see and do along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco to Washington, please let us know, as we are pretty much clueless. We just know that it is supposed to be a great cycle tour and we'd like to give it a shot.
And that, faithful readers, brings us to the end of February, 2014...two months down and ten to go.
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"A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty." - Author Unknown
Back home in Mineola,
Jim/Dad/Gramps and Barbara/Mom/Grams/Gramsy
