Death orTaxes

We all know that two inevitable events are death and taxes. Probably if you had to choose one or the other, most of us would choose taxes and let God take care of death. Well, it is beginning to be tax time, and I prefer to do my own taxes rather than pay someone to do them for me. However, it takes a long time to do them, double check things, and find any new ways of doing things.

When I first started doing taxes, you could deduct the interest you paid on your credit card. That deduction has been long gone for sure. Other deductions come and go, mostly gone. My current favorite is if you keep receipts you can deduct your sales taxes. The only problem is adding them all up. If a high wind were to hit us, there would be bits and pieces of paper flying for miles that say, tax - .32 etc. I am probably one third of the way through this effort to find out my total sales tax and with luck will get that organized and finished today. Now, if someone in the IRS wants to challenge my sales tax numbers, I am ready! I have several large boxes of receipts for each tax year and will take them to the nearest IRS office, dump the requested year on the table in front of the IRS agent, and turn on a high volume fan that I will also bring. The resulting paper flury should be delightful and memorable for the agent. Probably this agent will not have a sense of humor and I will be locked up. Please visit!

Home to Kerrville

I woke early on Monday, got my faithful companion HW2 going, and we left Gulf Port about 5:30 am. We stopped for a bite of breakfast along the way and kept going. There were some traffic problems around Baton Rouge, probably caused by people going to work, but we gradually worked out of that. After that it was rather uneventful, except for trying to get around a convoy of parts for a windmill that required three or four trucks, and leading and following trucks announcing Wide Load.

We stopped in San Antonio, TX, at a Red Robin for an early dinner and a brief rest, and we discovered that our favorite Texas microbrewery (Shiner) had a new selection, Black Ale. Of course we had to try it, and it was good. Aren't all beers good? We then felt we could drive the last 50-60 miles and took off for Kerrville. On the way we called the good folks at Guadalupe River RV Resort, and they were ready and waiting for us when we arrived about 5:30 pm. This last day of travel was 7-800 miles and one of the longer travel days we have ever had. Gary helped us get the motor home from storage, moved to our site, and set up. We partially unloaded the car, headed for the showers, watched President Bush deliver his seventh State of the Union address, and went to bed.

Our nearly two month long trip was over. We had traveled over 6000 miles, visited three kids and their families, my mom, two brothers and wives and more family, and many friends. We got to revisit New York City, Washington, DC, and the WWII Memorial. We also made it down the East coast to Savannah, GA, which we had not visited before and thoroughly enjoyed. We truly deserve our self-given titles of the Happy Wanderers, but we feel so blessed to be able to take such a trip, visit family and friends, and see people and places that are new or return visits. However, it was good to get home. Happy travels to all of you.

Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House, Waiter Joseph

Emeril's Gulf Coast Fish House is located in a casino in Gulfport, Mississippi. Now we thoroughly enjoy watching Emeril and his television cooking show. He puts in many BAM BAM's and other things that seem to ratchet up interest as he demonstrates the recipes for the night. Imagine our delight to be able to visit one of his restaurants! We deliberately stayed this evening in Gulfport so that we could then enjoy a meal there. Our main waiter was Joseph, and he was ably assisted by Anthony and Adonis. Each section of the meal was delivered by the wait staff, and the plates arrived simultaneously for each of us. As Lydia, a granddaughter, would observe, "The plating was superb."

We decided to try the chef's four course special for this day. Course I was pan seared grouper with baby greens, roma tomatoes, shaved red onions and New Orleans Caviar Vinaigrette dressing.

Course II was cornmeal-fried speckled trout served with broccolini, crispy fingerling potatoes, and jalapeno corn tartar sauce.

Course III was a grilled petite filet mignon with spinach risotto, shallot crust, and green peppercorn veal reduction.

Course IV was a selection of desserts which included creme brulee, pecan pie with Jack Daniel ice cream, and Mississippi Mud Pie.

The best came last when HW2 was able to select two signed cookbooks of Emeril's. Joseph was able to find signed books and helped us take pictures of the kitchen chefs. He is a very able Front Waiter and has a fantastic job history. I predict that one day he will open his own restaurant or be in charge of a vineyard solving all the chemical issues involved in making a fine wine. After all, he has a degree in Chemical Engineering from LSU and is working on a master's degree in restaurant and hotel management. His varied career history will help him to be a success at what ever job he settles into. In the future, look for this young man to become a notable success.

The entire experience was a delight and probably rates as one of the two best restaurants we have visited in the past ten years. Should I give it a five star rating? I should! ***** "YEAH BABY"

Sharpsburg and Peach Tree City

We reluctantly left Savannah since we had found it to be a charming town full of lovely old houses, many great restaurants, and lots of good shopping. We took I-16 to Macon, GA, I-75 to Griffin, and then went cross country on G16 until we got to the Sharpsburg and Peach Tree City area. Chris and Traci live in the country, but in this area. Maxine (our global positioning device) talked us directly to their door, and shortly Traci and the kids (Brittani and Tyler) arrived home from school. Chris came in a bit later from North Carolina where he had been meeting with his boss. Traci, a surgical nurse, is on call this weekend, so we went out for dinner back in Griffin and then all returned for bath and bed. We had not visited this area for several years and noticed how much construction had occurred and was continuing, and also how very dry it is. They have been experiencing a severe drought here, with most of the lawns brown and many trees damaged as well.

What a joy to get and give hugs from grands and kids. Everyone talked all at once, and we enjoyed art work of Tyler, played checkers, and put a dinasour 3D puzzle together with him while listening to Brit play her guitar and sing. This is one busy family.

Touring Savannah/The Old Pink House

Yesterday we did an on and off trolley tour of Savannah. It was helpful to learn some of the history of the area. They do have their slant on things, since they call the Civil War "the War of Northern Aggression." This Texas Yankee found that a bit troublesome. Did you know that Spanish Moss (1) does not kill trees, since if it did, all the trees in Georgia would be dead, and (2) contains pests like bed bugs and chiggers, so, leave it alone and just look at it. There are more than twenty very lovely period squares in this small city with magnificent homes surrounding them. In 1955 a group of ladies started a movement to maintain these old homes and prevent them being torn down, thus keeping the ambiance for which this city is famous. There seemed to be restaurants in every nook and cranny.

We settled on eating at The Olde Pink House which had been built in 1771 and served as a home, a bank, and headquarters for a Union Army General before it was restored and now is a lovely restaurant. They have many fish items on the menu, but HW2 wanted rack of lamb and I a NY strip steak (secretly commenting that I was a Yankee). Food was plated beautifully and tasted even better. We could not make room for desert or coffee and walked back to our motel. We did walk around for much of the day and even threatening rain could not stop the walking, shopping, and sightseeing. We would gladly return to explore the area in more depth and perhaps try other restaurants that we also heard were excellent.

Today we travel to the Atlanta area to see Chris, Traci, and Brittani, and Tyler. Our two-month car trip is quickly coming to an end. We have enjoyed it thoroughly and hope you had fun vicariously going with us.

Savannah, Georgia

We drove back inland from Virginia Beach to locate I-95 and follow this interstate highway from southern Virginia through North Carolina and South Carolina to arrive in Savannah, Georgia. We arrived late in the afternoon and immediately set out to walk along Bay Street. We found two pubs that looked likely to have good beer and dinner and finally settled on Churchill's Pub and Restaurant located at 13 W. Bay Street. Our wait person was Kimberly and proved to have a great sense of humor and good judgement about the beer available and what was good on the menu.

A pint of Chocolate Stout and a pint of Skipjack, and we were good for the meal. We decided to try hors d'oeuvres of: Pear, Kiwi, and Spring Greens Salad with Champagne Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing, Blue Crab Cakes, Bacon-wrapped Scallops, and English (puff pastry-covered) Sausage Rolls. This feast was followed by coffee, Red Velvet Cake, and Bourbon Pecan Pie with drizzled chocolate and whipped cream over the top. Delightful!!!!!!

We walked to the Olde Pink House to make reservations for tomorrow evening and then walked home, enjoying the Spanish moss in the trees, muted lights, and visitors dining at many wonderful restaurants. Tomorrow we plan to take a trolley tour of the area which allows us to get on and off at any stop and continue on a later trolley. More about this adventure tomorrow. Sleep well!

The Chesapeake Bay Region

We left Washington this morning and drove northwest through Annapolis and over the Bay Bridge to the east bay region and then turned south to travel to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which connects Norfolk to the east side. On the way we stopped at Chincoteauque and Assateague Islands, made famous by Marguerite Henry in her book Misty of Chincoteauque, a wonderful story for children about wild ponies that grow up on Assateague and annually are swum to the main island and made available for purchase and taming. We hoped to see the wild ponies but saw none. We did get a picture of a statue of Misty and saw lots of blue herons, sea gulls, and white swans.

We arrived in Virginia Beach in the late afternoon with enough time to walk along the Atlantic Ocean to the Fisherman's Pier. Dinner found us at Il Giardino's, an Italian restaurant which is well-known in this area for fine cuisine. We tried the focaccia, Clams Casino, Caesar salad, lasagna, and salmon in a creamy tomato sauce over pasta. It was excellent, and we had no room for either coffee or dessert. Our waiter, Bill, was a fount of local information, as well as very knowledgeable about the restaurant's fare. It was a lovely day driving along estuaries and occasionally seeing the ocean or Chesapeake Bay.

In Washington D.C., We Meet Keera

After coffee at our motel in Baltimore, we headed the short distance to neighboring Washington D.C. We found a motel for the night and headed into the city to see the World War II Memorial, which both of us wanted to see. We are including several pictures of this long overdue memorial. We thought it was very well done and enjoyed our visit, even though it was a very cold day. We then walked to the Smithsonian Museum and visited the Air and Space building. I never get tired of seeing the Wright Brother's plane or The Spirit of St. Louis.

Then we decided on lunch at The Old Ebbitt Grill. Both of us love visiting this grill and ordered an appetizer of pecan-raisin bread, apple-pear chutney, and four different kinds of American cheeses. We followed this with the special, an 8oz filet on a bed of garlic enhanced fresh spinach, accompanied by mashed potatoes. Absolutely wonderful! We were too full for dessert but thoroughly enjoyed visiting with our server Keera, a delightful local young lady who made our stay very enjoyable. She was attentive but not bothersome and helped us locate a nearby store so that I could replace my gloves, since I had left one glove in CT.

Nearby we located the subway and took it back to our motel with some shopping at the huge Pentagon City Mall at our destination stop on the subway. We arrived home tired but happy to have been able to revisit our country's Capital and its many beautiful buildings and monuments.

The Red Barn Restaurant

On Sunday we treated our hosts Pat and Phyllis by going for brunch. The Red Barn is located in Westport, CT. Brunch was a feast of fish, salmon, ham, roast beef, lamb, and pork as well as almost any breakfast item you could wish. The Eggs Benedict were done perfectly. The bacon was crisp and the sausages mouth watering. There were many tempting salads and desserts, too many to count. It was hard not to waddle out of this place. We spent two happy hours with our good friends and talked nonstop except when eating or visiting the buffet. We averaged three visits each to the buffet, so we felt that this brunch would be the first and only meal of the day.

Well, so much for that theory. We left after brunch and started to drive to the Baltimore area. Six states later (CT, NY, NJ, DE, PA, and MD) we arrived, found our motel, and headed into the Inner Harbor area to eat of course. Crab cakes were the intended item, and we found them. They were good but too expensive we thought. So who's complaining? We obviously managed to eat again even after the wonderful brunch.

New York City

Pat and Phyllis suggested that they take us to a train station in Westport, CT, and we travel to New York City for the day, since Sunday was supposed to be much colder. On Saturday we decided to do exactly this and had a wonderful day. After an hour train ride we disembarked from the train at Grand Central Station and with our bus pass were whisked up Madison Avenue and then walked a block west to Park Avenue to see the Guggenheim. Unfortunately, it was under extensive construction, and we could not see the exhibit as we wound down the famous ramp. Undeterred, we walked back to Madison Avenue and found a deli for lunch. Then back to Park Avenue to walk a short distance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We spent several hours there viewing the Egyptian exhibit (Is there anything left in Egypt?) and the American exhibit, looking especially for Tiffany Glass and Frank Lloyd Wright's work. Did you know that Louis Comfort Tiffany was also a painter? He certainly was a multi- talented artist. We could have spent many hours and probably many days and never begin to see this extensive collection.

Reluctantly, we left and headed downtown again by bus to the Empire State Building and decided to ride up to the viewing deck on the 86th floor. We had to go through extensive renovation and listen to much hawking of souvenirs but persevered and enjoyed the sights of this magic city from this high vantage point. I particularly enjoyed the Tower of Babel feeling as I heard so many languages being spoken by the many visitors to the city and at the top of the Empire State Building. How wonderful that so many visitors want to see this building, built at the height of the depression in the 1930's. Did you know that much of the steel work for the building was done by Iroquois Indians?

We returned quickly by elevator to the street level and rode the bus again, this time to Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall. We decided to stop at Maxie's for dinner and met a very cute waitress, Natalia, who could be the twin of the actress (Minka ...) who plays Lila on Friday Night Lights. We told her to send her picture to the TV show and maybe they would discover her, and she could be Lila's lost twin sister from NY City. We found out that Natalia was from Tennessee, a ballet student, and working her way by waitressing. She just came from a tryout where 175 girls showed up and maybe one would be selected for a revival of Phantom of the Opera. Obviously, this is a very competitive business. At one point in our meal she brought us a free dish of Cole slaw and pickles, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The dessert of New York Cheesecake was superb.

Back to Grand Central Station, and after an hour trip back to Westport, we were met by Pat and whisked back to their home for the shank of the evening. It was a delight to revisit in a tiny way, New York City.

Keep Childhood As Long As Possible

In today's world with access to the internet, it seems as if children have the potential to be exposed to inappropriate things. This makes parenting a much greater challenge as the parents try to keep alert as to what their children are doing. We are in favor of keeping children as innocent as long as possible, since once innocence is gone , it cannot be regained.

Last night the four of us were talking about this problem of making childhood last as long as possible and relating how childhood seemed innocent to us. Long ago, I overheard my mom saying to my dad that he needed to have 'the talk with me' since I was about to get married. I awaited the TALK with some trepidation, and finally Dad said, "Have you been to the drugstore?" That was my talk. Fortunately, I had been to the drugstore. The stories from the other three were similar, until Pat described sitting on a large water tank, that was fortunately located on the ground, with a friend, and they were talking about SEX. At some point in the conversation Pat was asked how many kids were in his family and responded four. "Well, you know your folks had sex four times then!" In a rage, Pat hit the other boy and knocked him off the tank, since his folks would not do something like have SEX. How innocent we were. Let's keep it that way for kids as long as possible.

Red Headed Woodpecker in CT.

At Maurice's house which backs up to the woods, he has placed several bird feeders and keeps them filled so he gets many birds to watch. I was envious when I learned that they had recently seen a red-headed woodpecker.

When we arrived in Connecticut to see our friends Phyllis and Pat for a few days, we were wonderfully surprised by a sighting of a red-headed woodpecker in their yard. Now I can quit being envious of the sighting in NY. This is the first I have ever seen and give thanks for the pleasure of the sighting.

Phyllis and Pat have been married for almost three years now. We were fortunate to attend their wedding. Now we are talking about traveling maybe to Greece and/or Turkey together. Who knows? We have discussed taking a trip to Italy, to Scandinavia, and maybe Russia, and not Greece and Turkey. There is no telling what actually might happen, but I will keep you informed.

We do hope to visit New York City for a day or so after leaving CT and going on the Washington to see the WWII monument which we have not yet seen. So we feel like we are on a real vacation but with no agenda or time frame except that we expect to get back to Texas by the first of February.

Atlantic Ocean

Yesterday we crossed the Hudson River just below West Point, where the Army Military Academy is located. We were hoping to locate a motel and then take the train into New York City for the afternoon. We drove through Tarrytown and then Sleepy Hollow where the Legend of the Headless Horseman had been set. As we drove by a very old cemetery in the town, you could almost expect this ghastly visage to emerge from behind a tombstone. With no luck finding a reasonable motel (one was priced at $250 per night), we turned to the Cross Town Freeway and wended our way through Rye, NY, looking for a motel. We turned onto Route 1 and followed it in a northeasterly direction and could see the ocean from time to time. There is something fascinating and soothing about being near the ocean. I think I could happily find a place to stay that looked over the water and sit on the beach for hours listening to the noise of the waves crashing on the shore and the sounds of the shorebirds as they look for food.

We enjoy this area of the country and are fascinated by the huge houses located near the shore. Today we drive to see friends Phyllis and Pat who have made their home in the central part of Conneticut. We are looking foward to this visit. Our conversations seem to pick up and continue whether we saw them last week or last year. Probably we will talk non stop the whole time. That could be tiring for all. Happy travels.

Belluscio's Restaurant, Rye, NY

Quite a few years ago we were in Rye, NY and there was an intense storm which took out much of the power in the area. We had settled into our motel and decided to venture out to see if we could find a restaurant that was open. We found Belluscio's in a nearby neighborhood of mostly homes and discovered a gem that featured fine Italian cuisine since 1933. Today on our way to Connecticut to see Phyllis and Pat we decided to try to find this lovely restaurant again. All we could remember was that it was in Rye, NY. So we wandered around up and down Route 1 and finally found the city of Rye and then mostly by accident found Belluscio's. It opened at 5pm and we were at the door. We sat in the same place and ordered Veal Saltimbocca, a side salad and a dish of spaghetti with marinara sauce. Mama Belluscio makes a fluffy cheese cake for dessert so we tried that and decaffeinated espressos. We waddled out the door having had a terrific meal and fun with neighboring visitors who recommended a place in Portland Maine.

Best of all was our wait person Joy. She is a young grandma in her 40's whose parents now live in Florida and take jaunts to Beloxi, Mississippi for the inexpensive fun. Joy could not believe we were Texans until I put on the y'all accent. Joy was a delight and helped make our evening a success.

The Craftsman Inn

Yesterday we had lunch at the Craftsman Inn which is located in Fayetteville, NY, on Route 5, just across from the Town Center shopping area. It is currently painted green on the outside and furnished primarily with Stickley furniture on the inside. All the decorations are of the craftsman period or arts and crafts period of the late 1800's or early 1900's. The food was superb and not too pricey. We had hamburger, tuna melt, and ruben type sandwiches, and it was so much food that we have enough left over for lunch today.

Fayetteville is a suburb of Syracuse on the east edge of the city. My dad always said you should live on the east side of the place where you work so that you could drive to work or go home and not have the sun in your eyes either way. Stickley makes wonderful arts and crafts furniture and has been in business since the late 1800's and is located in Manlius which is another suburb on the east side of Syracuse and just south of Fayetteville. We have toured their factory and are awed by the quality of the workmanship. If you ever get a chance to buy quality furniture, I encourage you to look at Stickley, as well as others such as Bernhardt or Thomasville.

Happiness!!!!!

We were at the mall the other day to get our walk, and we had been walking all around each of the halls and going into some of the stores when we realized that a candy store was having a sale to unload their left over Christmas candy. This nice young lady appeared with a small plate of samples, and who can resist dark chocolate. So we looked around and decided that Mom would like a box of mixed chocolates and some Christmas ribbon candy. While I was paying, HW2 noticed a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that was framed and hanging behind the cash register on their wall.

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." A. Lincoln

When the tire hits the road, that is the bottom line, and I think that Abe has it correct. We make our own happiness, and it is not dependent upon others. So, if I might give a small piece of advice, "Make this day one where you find happiness in small things and if given the chance share with others." HW2 finds that when she smiles at others, she gets smiles in return. Keep smiling!!!!!

That Mysterious Tom

When Mom had her problem and could not stop her nose bleeding, a neighbor Tom came to the rescue. He stayed with her until the ambulance arrived and then followed the ambulance and stayed with her until the nose was cauterized and then brought her home. We all thought Tom was wonderful to be so helpful, and Mom wanted to really thank him and his wife and so invited Tom and Leslie to dinner last night.

HW2 cooked up a storm of good northern Italian cooking and we had bruschetta, antipasta, salad with pears and walnuts, penne pasta carbonara, and chicken breasts in lemon and wine. This feast was followed by sour cherry pie made by Mom. Of course, we all talked the whole time.

Tom and Leslie are retired teachers. She volunteers for various civic things, and now he gives piano lessons, as he was a band/music teacher. Leslie was a physical education teacher. He likes to cook, and being of Italian descent, he thoroughly enjoyed HW2's meal. They were thoroughly delightful, and a good time was had by all. So, Anne, Tom is no longer mysterious, but a good Samaritan who really helped Mom when she needed help. Thank you, Tom, for being a great and wonderful neighbor.

The Kewpie Dolls

When my sister-in-law Anne was a young girl, she and her sister Dottie had saved up some money to buy Christmas presents. They each had about $5 to spend and decided to buy each other a Kewpie doll. Years later Dottie inquired of their mom where the dolls might be, and they were found in the back room in pieces, and Dottie decided to have them fixed and returned to health. Now Anne keeps her Kewpie doll in a doll chair up high so granddaughter Faith will not get it and play with it. After all, this doll is 60 or more years old.

Now Maurice, Anne's husband is a very kind man and saw in a Smithsonian catalogue a reproduction Kewpie boy doll dressed up as a bell hop. He purchased this doll and gave it to Anne for her Christmas this year. The two dolls are quite cute together, and I'll enclose a picture or two so you can see them.

I think that every little girl hopes that her dollies will be saved and that they will have them to enjoy when they have children and grandchildren. I also believe that when they get the doll down, in their minds, they return to the happy times of childhood when their biggest job was to play with their dolls. Enjoy!!

Links to other blogs are added

I figured it out all by myself on how to add links to other blogs you might enjoy reading. (1) Eric and Sarah - Eric is the grandson of my brother Maurice and his wife Anne. Eric and Sarah are a young couple doing missionary work in Kentucky for a year. He majored in social work in college and I am not sure of what Sarah majored in. (2) Bobby and Vickie own and run the Sunrise Antique mall in Kerrville and have become good friends. We had a booth in their store for several years until we moved to Omaha. It was so good to reconnect with them and their extended families. We also enjoy their mom's Frances and Rosetta.

Joan and Linda

After we returned from Marathon and had our dinner of Spiedies, we saved dessert for later, as Maurice and Anne's two oldest daughters were coming by for a visit. Linda shared pictures of her recent visit to Kentucky to visit her son Eric and daughter-in-law Sarah. Such pretty countryside and rolling hill occasionally marred by strip mining for coal. Eric and Sarah are spending a year at the Methodist Church's Henderson Settlement, essentially doing missionary work. What a wonderful choice they have made as they try to help others.

Joan and her husband had recently made a trip to England to visit their oldest son Ira, who was spending a semester of his junior UNC college year there. They had a fun time being with Ira and visiting Canterbury, where is also located a 900 years old church, St. Martin',s in which is located a brass grave plate of Sir Thomas Stoughton. Many family members have enjoyed visiting and making a rubbing on this particular brass. Now Joan and Todd intend to display their rubbing by hanging it in their stairway at home. It was fun to hear about their trip and to see some note cards Joan had made using pictures from their trip. Her husband Todd could not be at our get -together as he has been elected as one of the town judges or justices and was having his first court date that evening. I wanted to know how many criminals he got off the streets but haven't heard so far.

Todd is continuing a fine family tradition of having a judge in the family. During the Salem Witch Trials in the times of the pilgrims. William Stoughton was known as Hanging Judge Stoughton, since he believed those witches should be hanged, and he never recanted this position throughout his long life. Maybe Todd will become the latest version of the hanging judge, but I doubt that.

With the nieces visiting, we stayed a second night in Newark Valley and arrived back in Fayetteville during a rain storm. Safe travels to you all.

Motoring to Marathon

We finally got it together and decided to go with Maurice as he ran an errand to get some repaired motor/starters which were ready to be picked up. So we all piled into his car and drove north to Hartford and then east to Marathon, Starters were picked up, and then we had time to vist two antique stores. Being previous antiquers, this was like a busman's holiday, and we had a great time but did not succumb to temptation.

After our visits to the antique stores we lunched at The Three Bear's Inn. There was a sign outside that an inn had been here in this location since the 1700's. Most of the family had the daily special of shrimp which was good. Them home for spiedies for dinner which we are going to grill outside on this January thaw day. The eating around here is good and we are enjoying it and the fun of a good family gathering. Happy motoring!!!!!

Who gave my brother the bird?

Today we left Fayetteville for parts south to see my brother Maurice and his wife Anne who live in Newark Valley, NY. This town is located in the central southern part of the state and is really very pretty country of rolling hills with lots of small farms. This past summer they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and we were piviledged to attend along with their many friends. It was the first time in 14 or 15 years that all of the siblings had gotten together, making this a special occasion for all of us as well.

When we got here today, Maurice brought out a glass bird made by Fenton and hand decorated. This particular bird was a golden color and a fitting anniversary present, but the tags had been lost, and they did not know who had given it to them. Thus the comment, who gave Maurice the bird? Now if any of you readers know the circumstances of this bird, please let me know or call Maurice, as he would like to write someone a thank you note. Surely there is someone out there who would like a thank you note for giving Maurice a bird!

Shingles (Not the house variety)

The last few days we spent in Ann Arbor, I could tell that I had quite an ache both on my back and my front. I thought I had pulled a muscle or something but could not seem to get any relief and decided that in time it would go away. About the last day we were there I could feel some bumps under the skin in the sore areas and thought, "Oh no, I have or am getting shingles." When we got to Fayetteville the first thing I said to mom after we got the car unloaded was that I thought I had shingles and did they have an urgent care nearby. HW2 found one in the phone book and we went over there. My early diagnosis was correct, I have Shingles. They now have an antiviral pill that you can take for a week and with a strong anti -inflammatory can control the flare-up.

Shingles occur because you have chicken pox as a child and the virus remains dormant in your body for the rest of your life and in people over 60 about half of the time, result in a case of shingles. It is not particularly infectious to others which is good news. It is painful though and I was glad to get the proscribed medicine and resulting relief.

About 6-7 years ago I participated in a blind study sponsored by the government to see if a vaccine could be developed to prevent shingles. Half of us were given a placebo and the other half a vaccine. We had to call in monthly for the next five years to relate if we had shingles. I now believe that I was in the placebo group. It was fun to participate in a study that could potentially help others. I believe that a vaccine is now available to prevent shingles and encourage anyone over 60 that had chicken pox as a child to get the vaccine.

I have wondered why the name for this disease since it brings to mind shingles for the roof or siding of a house. Anyone out there know why?

Playing cards

We love to play cards and have played cards for two nights in a row. Last night we played Shanghai Rummy eastern rules. When we normally play this game we play western rules so it was fun to adjust to different rules. HW2 like people to think that she doesn't understand the strategy or rules of the games and then frequently goes on to win. This is how she got tagged 'Sweet Cheeks' by antiquing friend Shelia. Anyway, HW2 won last night and said, "This is the first time I have ever won this game playing eastern rules." So it goes! We were glad to have HW2 win and enjoyed her comment. Tonight is another night. Shall keep you posted.

Car - Face Lift

Our car was backed into while parked in front of our kid's house in Ann Arbor. No one left a note, just ran off, and so we called the insurance company, and they set us up with a terrific body shop in Ann Arbor. We took the car in on Dec. 26 and got it back on Jan. 4. While it was in the shop, we had it gone over and paint touched up, cracked grill replaced, and the rear door dent removed, as well as fixing the hit and run damage. So the car got a face lift. When we got it back, the car looked like it was new, and we hope it stays that way for some time to come.

We packed the car and left the next morning for Fayetteville, NY, to visit Mom for a spell. After about 9-10 hours on the road, we arrived, having traveled on roads that were dry and with a bit of salt residue, but no snow or snow melt. We had a wonderful time with Kim, Chuck, and boys and miss them already. We are not exactly sure how long we will stay with Mom, but we know she has been looking forward to having some company and probably to beating us at cards. She is one terrific card player, and all other players beware.

Antiquities Restaurant in Old Town Albuquerque

We have visited this wonderful restaurant many times over the years. It is located just off the square in old town Albuquerque. If you take the south street off the south west corner of the square you will in about half a block find this wonderful restaurant. It is small and reservations are strongly recommended. There is a parking lot a bit further south about a half block away.

This restaurant does steaks very well and always to what you have ordered. My favorite is a fillet Mignon with a Bearnaise sauce to thoroughly enrich your life. Salads are excellent and other dishes are wonderful too. It is fun to walk about old town square either before or after dinner and check out the shops that primarily are there for the tourist. When HW2 looks at this blog she will add her comments about this restaurant.

Cars get returned to health

We are scheduled to get our car, newly repaired and painted, back today or tomorrow. The optimist in me thinks that this might actually be the case, but one small piece thinks that it is more likely to be Friday or Saturday. I was being lazy and lying in bed, pretending to sleep, when C took his car with the catalytic converter problem (it had been stolen while we visited the Detroit Art Institute) to get an estimate on how much it will cost in money and time to get it replaced. As he roared out of here, I decided I had better get up an get this day going. We have learned that the estimate will be closer to $600 rather than the $2000 we originally heard. If you had read the blog of two days ago, you also learned that the dogs ate the chocolate truffles. They were fine and did not have to go to the vet, so no vet bill for $500. I did think that the dogs had a faint hint of a smile on their faces as they thought of the delight of eating chocolate truffles. At least they did not get sick or have to go to the vet.

We got 10 to 12 inches of snow on New Years and a bit of a dusting again over night. It is a winter wonderland here. C had made a snow cave and a snow tunnel for the boys and had taken Jon sledding. Christian did not want to go. I think that snow is clearly for the young. HW2 and I enjoyed looking out of the windows at a present day Currier and Ives winter scene. When we travel to Syracuse, NY, later this week we are hoping the storm is past and the roads cleared. Travel departure will depend on the weather of course. If you are in the path of this winter storm, we wish you saft travels.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

I hope that you welcomed 2008, maybe as you rolled over this morning, and maybe you were one of the ones staying up perhaps watching the lighted ball drop in New York City on television. However, 2008 is here! I hope that it brings you the reader much happiness, good health, friends galore, spiritual and personal growth. Sometimes I make resolutions, but they seem to quickly get forgotten in the daily rush of events. This year I do resolve to continue with this blog on nearly a daily basis and to enjoy interacting with each of you and especially to enjoy your comments. Staying in touch is a tricky thing when you are on the road full time. However email, blogs, and cell phones help.

We got a lot of snow in the night, maybe as much as 6-8 inches. Some of the neighborhood kids made a snowman and put it in the intersection next to our house. We cheered them on and wished all a happy new year's greeting. Maybe we should each do fun things this year that do not hurt anyone but bring a smile to others. HW2 tries to put a smile on the face of everyone she meets and succeeds most of the time. I try to be more like her. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!