Little Rock, Arkansas

We are spending tonight in Little Rock, AR, on our way to Oklahoma City tomorrow. We thought we might do a bit of necessary shopping, which we did in the late afternoon after we arrived. The trip here was generally uneventful, but there was constant heavy truck traffic the entire way on I-40. It was fun to again cross the Mississippi River from Memphis and to again see the huge pyramid convention center there just before crossing. Roads were dry all day, and we got a chance at noon to give our salt-covered car a badly-needed wash. The Tennessee River and the Mississippi River seem huge to us, especially after living near the Rio Grand River in Albuquerque and the Guadalupe River in Kerrville. Today they also looked very cold, although there was no ice visible on either at this part of the country. Eastern Tennessee is very wooded, which is really pretty, and Western Arkansas is very flat, basically a flood plain for the Mississippi. There had recently been heavy rains here, so there was still much flooding evident as we drove through eastern Arkansas. Happy and safe travels.

Stevie - 2, Phillip - 1

As you may well realize, we frequently comment on places where we have enjoyed the cuisine and on the service, as well. Last night we again ate in a favorite, The Outback Restaurant, HW2 again enjoyed rack of lamb while I had the filet with the addition of lobster tail. It was excellent, but we especially enjoyed our waitress Stevie. She gave us excellent service without hovering or rushing. When we needed attention, she seemed to sense that she could be helpful. At the end we talked about her returning to college, and she intends to do exactly that. She was most personable without being intrusive, and we left having been encouraged to return in the future so that she might again be our waitress.

Tonight we decided to walk to a nearby restaurant, Jonny Carino's, which we have enjoyed visiting over the years. In some ways we have enjoyed this restaurant for Italian food as much as we have enjoyed The Outback for its cuisine. Our waiter was Phillip, and he had all the motions down but talked way too fast, and we felt hurried or rushed at the end. I actually mentioned to the manager that he was doing his job, but that we could not always make out what he was saying and that he needed to slow down his speech for us old folks to better understand. We did not want to get him into trouble, but the manager was sitting directly across from us and said that he would mention our suggestion to Phillip but certainly not get him into trouble because of our comment. Believe me, you would much rather be waited on by Stevie because of her personality. Phillip has a way to go to become a better waiter, but perhaps our suggestion may help him to improve. Happy travels.

Reluctantly we head South

We left kids/grands with a few tears and headed out of Ann Arbor on Rte 23, which takes you to Toledo, which is about 50 miles south. About 17 miles from the Ohio border, a car tried to pass us going very fast, started to spin, drove in front of us, and flew off the road into a ditch on the right side. It happened very fast, and we were glad we were not speeding on the slick roads. HW2 immediately called 911 and reported the accident, and help was on the way. We hope the driver was not hurt. We had awakened to two or more inches of new snow, and it was still snowing when we left. The roads through Michigan were slick and continued very hazardous all across Ohio. We did not drive out of snow until we were in Kentucky. It made for a long day as our windshield kept getting plastered by snow and road grunge kicked up by other vehicles. Our wipers worked, but the spray did not, as it was frozen most of the way until we reached Kentucky.

We had planned to go to Wisconsin to visit other kids/grands, but the weather was even worse there, and we decided not to try to make that trip. We will miss them this time but hope to see Chris in San Antonio in late January. Going south was really out of the way but seemed the only sensible way to travel, considering the awful weather happening in the Midwest.

It was nice to stop in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We got a room and then went to the Outback restaurant for dinner. HW2 loves their rack of lamb, and I like their filet of beef. Quite filled, we returned to our motel and quiet time. Happy safe travels.

Have you played Indigenous?

This family loves to play games including cards, put together Legos and other things of interest to the boys. Yesterday we played "Oh Hell," sometimes called "Oh Bother." The whole idea is to help the boys learn the ideas of trump and bidding, as well as playing the game. When we play the game with the Omaha grands, they love to play the final hand by holding up a card to your forehead, not looking at your own card, of course, but getting to see all of your opponents' cards and then betting if you might win the trick. It is politically incorrect in Ann Arbor to call this hand "Indian," of course, so we decided to call it "Indigenous." It was so hysterical that we had to keep playing the hand several times, much to the enjoyment of all. Christian's face gave away what he was thinking, and so it went.

Later we played Yahtzee, and then it was bedtime for all. A wonderful day! Happy travels.

Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra, Ra Ra Ra Ra

Early in the afternoon we decided to go bowling. The kids and grands have been doing virtual bowling on their Wii console. They actually are already quite good, and so a dose of reality seemed in order. It was indeed quite fun. We actually got some strikes and spares and lots of missed pins, too. We spent an hour bowling, and it had some really funny moments like when Christian's ball bounced into the next lane. We had bumpers to help the grands control their balls, and one shot bounced back and forth from side to side and finally ended up as, hold your breath, a strike, of course. Such wonderful uncontrolled shots produced much gaiety in all of the participants. We cheered on each strike and found the bowler raising his/her arms in delight. English and body language was tried but did not seem to actually move the ball in the direction desired.

Afterward we went for Chinese food in the style of the movie, The Christmas Story. We had to remember not to break out into song of "Fa Ra Ra," but you know we wanted to do so. The food was excellent, and not a morsel was left by the hungry bowlers. Much fuller, we traveled the short distance home. Happy travels on a full belly, y'all.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It is snowing here in a fine snowflake drifting down sort of way. We are wondering whether the Midwest blizzard will work its way here and may have to make travel plans based on the weather. Our friends in Minnesota are digging out, as are friends in Omaha. So we wait to see what the day brings.

I actually like the white stuff but not necessarily to drive long distances in. Since we plan to travel south through Oklahoma City, which just got 14 inches of snow, it remains to be seen how we might return to Texas. Stay tuned, and happy and safe travels.

The day after Christmas

Christmas was quite exciting with two very wired boys enjoying the whole thing of course. Friends stopped by in the afternoon to play for awhile as they were leaving for 6-8 months in Switzerland today. Kim took the family to the airport early this morning.

The tempo of things is much subdued this morning. The boys are putting together Star Wars Lego sets, and that also means that Lego pieces are no longer on the floor in the living room for a few minutes. It seems that there are more sets to put together, so this activity might go on for awhile. Kim is trying to make enough room that we can actually move about the living room.

Later today we may do a bit of shopping or go to the YWCA for some physical activity or bowling, but who knows. Time will tell. What we do not need to do is eat. We have been eating for nearly a month and will have to go back on the diet when we return to Texas. Happy, slightly fat, travels.

Keeping in touch

Today we have been on the phone with family and friends keeping in mind that we are on Eastern time. It has been fun to learn what each family has been doing and how much they enjoy this holiday. Presents abound, but the best present of all is to hear each other's voice and to wish each other a Merry Christmas. A very Merry Christmas to each of you, and happy travels, of course.

Merry Christmas to all........

Merry Christmas to each of you. We are spending this wonderful holiday here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today is is raining and very close to freezing, so we hope it stays warm enough that we do not have slick streets. The boys got up, had a bite of date cake, and then excitedly began by opening presents from Santa, including stockings. The hit gift for the boys was to get juicy oranges and real nuts to eat. The adults enjoyed all the excitement and drank cups of strong coffee.

Later we moved on to opening presents from family and friends stacked under the tree. It was a blizzard of paper and excitement. All of a sudden it was over and time for a late breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, coffee or juice, and date cake. Now comes the fun time of trying to play with all of the presents. We still have our story of Jotham's Journey to finish. We have enjoyed hearing each chapter read each evening before bedtime.

The Christmas Eve celebration at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church was beautiful! For the 40th year in a row, children put on dramatization of Mary and Joseph and the birth of baby Jesus. They even had a brass quartet playing along with the organ. One of Kim and Chuck's friends David played the trombone in the quartet. Later after the service David and his family joined us for a Christmas Eve dinner. It was a lovely dinner of scalloped potatoes, ham, green beans, and fruit salad. They left early as David had to play at the 10:30 service as well. Finally, the kids were tucked into bed and visions of Santa and sugar plums danced in their heads. Happy travels.

Irrepressible grandsons

As most of you know who have small children, when Christmas draws near, the level of excitement is raised to great heights. It is certainly true here. Jonny and Christian can barely contain themselves and have to be firmly guided by mom and dad to try to keep them on track. This morning they each have a list of jobs that they are working on under the guidance of mom. They have been making beds, putting away clean clothes, cleaning rooms, and practicing. Currently Jonny is practicing piano, and soon Christian will practice playing his bass violin.

However, their irrepressible nature comes out, and you may get a burst of song, a jingle repeated endlessly, or a war between two boys with Nerf guns. They received the guns last night at friends and have been playing at every chance with them since then. When I came down this morning, they were hiding behind chairs, and I nearly became a target.

I remember being excited about what might happen on Christmas morning and savoring gift ideas in my head. Catalogues were a favorite for exploration. The fact that I wanted one of each might have been unrealistic, but the fantasy of it all was wonderful.

When the boys get their jobs done, the reward is to go to the library and/or the YWCA to swim for a couple of hours. They need the physical activity. Christmas with children is a wonderful experience for all. Happy travels.

Mom's birthday

Mom turned 97 years old on Sunday, December 20. She really is quite remarkable since she lives alone in a two story house, does her own house and yard work, and still drives her car. On Sunday the entire church congregation sang happy birthday to her.

We had a small dinner party on the 19th at her house, and her three sons and spouses were able to join in the festivities. Unfortunately, her daughter Sue could not be there. Her presence would have made the celebration complete. HW2 cooked a standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding. Anne supplied broccoli casserole and twice cooked potatoes. Donna brought home made candies for dessert. We also had rum cake, Mom's favorite, and a chocolate brownie cake. There was much to eat and lively conversation since we seldom get together as a family. It was lovely and all too soon over. The brothers left, and we quietly cleaned up and put away table leaves, and soon the house was back to normal. Happy birthday, Mom! Happy travels.

We travel to Ann Arbor, MI

Sunday morning we left Fayetteville, NY, quite early. In fact we got up at 5:00 am and were on the road at about 6:15. A stop at Starbucks for coffee, and we were on our way. Shortly we found the New York Thru-way and headed west, stopping now and then for gas or potty breaks. We drove through customs as we decided to take the short way through Ontario, Canada, leaving the USA at Niagara Falls and returning at Detroit.

As we pulled up to customs, the agent wanted to know where we from, and when we said Texas, he asked us if we had guns in our car. He said that it was all right to bring weapons into Canada and that eight out of ten Texans had guns. We said that we did not have any guns, and he asked why not? We replied that we were too old to have guns, although we did have air guns, but not with us. He wished us a good trip, and we were on our way through Canada. When we arrived at USA customs upon leaving Canada, we were asked if this was a rental car. Now, who rents a ten year old Buick? We replied that indeed we owned the car, had not bought fruit or liquor, and he let us back into our country. This short cut saved us several hours, and we arrived in Ann Arbor about an hour later at 3:30 pm to be greeted by lots of hugs from kids and grands. Happy travels.

Temperatures

It has been quite cold here in Syracuse, NY, for these Texans. Several mornings have been at or below zero, and when we finally crawl out of a toasty warm bed to find it has risen up to 8 - 10 degrees above zero. We are not used to this type of weather, but it does put me in the mood for Christmas. It seems to me that Christmas has to have cold weather and preferably snow as well.

I can remember spending several Christmas seasons in Hawaii and enjoying the balmy weather but not really in the mood for Christmas. It is all in your upbringing for sure. At one point while living in Tucson, it snowed. How exciting since it only snowed every 4-5 years there. But we had nearby Mount Lemon, and if you needed a snow fix it was a short distance to travel. We did this frequently so that we could make snowballs and all that entails. In New Mexico we always had cold weather and frequently snow as well, as we lived at or near 6000 feet, and this weather could be counted on to produce the necessary ambiance.

In the Texas Hill Country it has snowed once since we have been wintering there in the past nine years. So I hope that when we return in January, we might again luck out and have snow. Happy travels.

Happy 97th Birthday Mom

We are celebrating Mom's 97th birthday tomorrow although the actual day is the day after. Three of her four children will be together with their spouses to celebrate the event. Sue could not be here but is here in spirit.

We plan to have a standing rib roast, twice baked potatoes, broccoli casserole, Yorkshire pudding, sauteed mushrooms, and lima beans. Dessert will be Rum cake a favorite of the birthday gal. We have been looking forward to this birthday celebration. Mom is quite amazing, living alone in a two story house and still driving. She is an example to us all. I do not expect to achieve such an age but am proud of her accomplishment and hope she attains 100 and more. Happy travels.

Recorded music

I was thinking of all the ways we have recorded music. Edison made recordings on wax cylinders that could be played on a gramophone. If anything was done earlier than this, I am not aware of it. Then discs or 78 records seemed to be the next invention, played on a record machine or record player. When we were kids, we got a 45 rpm machine that played small records with a big hole that just fit over the spindle of the machine. Then came the invention of 33 rpm and high fidelity. I think the next invention was tapes with eight track tapes were quite the jump forward. Finally, the whole thing gave way to CD's which we enjoy today. Of course, there are Ipods and other contraptions you can put into your ears and quietly enjoy music of your choice. What will be next? I do not know but have enjoyed that many varieties and ways to present music for our pleasure. Happy travels.

Oh the weather outside is.............

When you grow up in upstate New York, you expect that Christmas time will bring snow. The first snow is wonderful, but gradually as winter wains, it is not so much fun. If you have to get out and shovel, it is even less so. In later years here while growing up, it seemed as if we got less and less snow. But then I moved away to Hawaii and later on to other states in the southern part of our beautiful country and seldom saw snow at any time unless we deliberately went on a skiing holiday. Now in Albuquerque we frequently got the white stuff, but it was soon melted and few snowplows were on hand to help keep the roads clear. Snow days were fun for the kids, but the missed school days had to be made up later on in the school year. I just saw a school bus go by here, so I guess that they are having school today.

Last night it began to snow a bit here, and the weather man kept referring to "lake effect snow" and said that the Syracuse area would get 1 - 4 inches. Right now it is still snowing, but we have only accumulated an inch or so at this point. Our old Buick is beautifully covered and will have to get brushed off before it can be driven. So that lovely song, "The weather outside is ............, but the fire is so delightful......" Can you sing it? I probably will sing it in my head the rest of the day. Happy travels.

Fayetteville

We arrived in Fayetteville, NY, to spend a week or so with my mom who turns 97 later this week. Last night we played cards, of course, and had fun doing so. Today I started in on her list. She keeps a list of things she can not easily do for all visiting relatives to complete. I am glad to do my part and have checked off a couple of things already. Then we took her shopping to the Carousel Mall, and she treated us to lunch. She gets a cart to drive, and it helps her get around without getting so tired. One lady patted her on the back and told her, "You drive that real well." That pleased Mom greatly. We stopped two more places on the way home and now are having a bit of quiet time so I can get caught up with this blog.

Clayton, if you are reading this, I had to let you know that the car right ahead of us got a squirrel, but I don't think I can count this so our record remains 1 : 1. I did feel sorry for the squirrel, but guess he no longer cares.

We were treated to a rice and shrimp souffle last night. It was excellent. Wish you could all have a taste. Happy travels.

Cards and turtles

Yesterday it was not a nice day to be outside, as it rained and attempted to sleet a good part of the day with snow showers in between. So we stayed inside and visited but still went to church driving carefully over the hill to Speedsville where the church is located. Niece Joan is the lay leader, and she does a wonderful job. How she manages to do this on top of her nurse, mother, and wife duties, as well as producer of a play The Christmas Story in Owego, I do not know. It boggles my mind. If she ever retires from her nursing job, I think she should consider a second vocation of minister.

Once back home we had venison supplied by Tim for Sunday lunch and later played cards, Pitch this time. It was good to relearn how to play the game, and, of course, we talked the whole time. We have had a wonderful visit with Maurice and Anne.

At one point I asked Anne if she remembered the turtle incident. She could not even remember having turtles. In the middle of talking about turtles we had to get ready and leave for Newark Valley to listen to a musical cantata being put on by members of choirs throughout Tioga County. Cousins Ruth and John were two members singing, and we had to go hear the production. It was rather icy on the road, but we got there safely, and the music was wonderful.

Home again and early enough to be able to call two of our nieces to see if they remember having turtles. Emily did not, but Linda did. Linda thought they were very small about the size of a half dollar coin. We did not call Joan, as we thought she might like to be in bed getting ready to go to work this morning. As I remember the story, the turtles disappeared, and we looked all over for them in the kitchen. Finally they were found when Emily opened her mouth and displayed them there. Anne does not believe this story at all, but they did have turtles. Happy travels.

Friends and family

While we have been here visiting Maurice and Anne, we also have enjoyed visits with Joan, Tim and family, Ruth, Gladys, and John all members of our family. We also have enjoyed visiting with Winogene and Jackie, who graduated with me from high school. It is hard to believe that we graduated 53 years ago.

We have really enjoyed these many visits and last night finally got to play cards with Maurice and Anne. We do so enjoy these fun evenings. We haven't done much card playing this time as we have been kept busy enjoying community events, and HW2 and Maurice have been trying to get over colds. They have felt quite lousy but have tried to stay good natured. This has slowed down the card playing. We played a game either called Progressive or maybe Michigan Rummy. It is fun to play but more fun to visit as we play and try to keep track of the game. We actually played three sets of the game and finally gave up and went to bed to give the ones with colds a chance to rest.

If you are wondering about Max, he stayed with friends in Kerrville. So he has two girls to fuss over him and has been having a great vacation himself. He may not want to come home when we return in January. Happy travels.

Southern Tiersmen

Yesterday we decided to attend a spaghetti dinner held at the Berkshire Methodist Church. They sponsor a dinner once a month as a fund raiser. You receive dessert as you sit down, and then you are provided salad and home made dressing followed by a drink of choice and then bread and a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs. It was quite good and filling. This was followed by an event sponsored by the Berkshire Historical Society. Maurice and Ray, members, have recently written a book about Berkshire which is filled with pictures and commentary of earlier times. It is quite interesting to read especially if you grew up here.

The event was a concert by the Southern Tiersmen. This is a group of 30-50 men from the area who enjoy performing barbershop music. This was primarily a Christmas concert and some barbershop quartets as counterpoint. They were delightful. They started each number by getting a note from a pitch pipe, and then the wonderful sounds of four part harmony assailed your ears. They even sang one of my favorite songs, "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which ends with the words "...If only in my dreams." In times of war, past and present, this has been true for so many men and women in the service of our country. I always enjoy hearing the song.

Near the end of the program the conductor encouraged us to join in the singing, since he noted that many had been doing so right along. I was guilty of humming the base parts, but thought I had been quiet. Apparently not. We left the church to discover that our car was covered with a light blanket of snow and drove slowly home enjoying the reflection of the Christmas lights decorating houses along the way. Happy travels.

Weather here

Last evening we decided to drive to Dryden for dinner at the A1 restaurant. We did not realize how cold and windy it had become when we set out. There was quite a wind blowing and a bit of snow in the air, but we managed to get there in short order. Maurice had scallops, Anne had carbonara, HW2 had mixed seafood on pasta, and I had a gyro plate. We all had Greek salads, and the food was really good. After dinner we drove a bit further north to go to Walmart and Penney's. Then home. It seemed to get colder and colder throughout the evening. This morning the temperature is in the teens and dropping. It has dropped four degrees since I got up. We are not as cold a good friends Julie and Ron in Minnesota. They are reporting 20 degrees below zero. It gives one pause to think about why we drove to the North Country. My only conclusion is that family outweighs temperature.

When we decided to take off a month to vacation and see family, it could have been either November or Decembe,r and our boss at the RV park suggested it would be better if we went in December. So we agreed with him and set forth on this adventure in December. We have had quite the weather. It rained for several days of travel which makes driving difficult, and now we are in cold and snow country and soon will travel further north to Syracuse, which is always cold and snowy in the winter. Then onward to Michigan by way of Erie which is one of the places that gets more snow than most. Are we crazy? To add to this will be a trip to Wisconsin and more snow?????? Who knows. Family outweighs weather. Happy travels.

Green eggs and Spam

I know that the Dr. Seuss Book is Green Eggs and Ham, but I wanted to get your attention. Maurice and I drove to Newark Valley yesterday about noon to do a few quick errands. First we went to the wine and liquor store, which has been there for six years now and doing quite well. When I was a kid and making speeches to the WCTU (Woman's Christian Temperance Union) for scholarship money, it was quite obvious that these women were a force to contend with in our town. Long after prohibition was legislated out, our town was still dry. Today it is no longer a legally dry town since this wonderful store exists. Anyway, we went into the store to buy a couple bottles of Red Cat (red and white) so that we would not drink all of Maurice's supplies while we were here.

Then around the town square to the post office which is in the very old high school where our dad went. They have built two high schools since. Maurice had some mail to drop off. Then on to the local grocery store to get a few supplies. I had my list, and he had his. At one point I passed him in deep conversation with Pat D., got introduced and tried to remember who she was, but could only remember her name. I went on about my business and thought nothing of their conversation. Last evening we found out that Maurice and Pat were talking about hidden pleasures. It seems that they both like Spam. Pat had a can in her basket and Maurice noticed it and said, "I know what you have in your basket. You like Spam." Pat admitted she did and that she bought a can of the stuff from time to time.

When we learned of the Spam incident it brought up some other memories. We all had to eat it during WW II, and apparently you are in one of two camps. You either love it or hate it. I did not know that Maurice was in the first group. Our two spouses are in the second group and kept saying, "BLETCH!" Then we had a discussion of how healthy Spam was, and it does seem to contain lots of fat and salt with the meat. Finally, Anne reminded us about how difficult it was to use the key the get the top off of the can. If you were not careful the key would unwind while you were attempting to get the top off, and frequently, if you were not carefu,l you could cut yourself. Today's can has a much better snap off top. I am in the first group and am looking forward to breakfast of fried spam and eggs, since Maurice has a can stashed in the refrigerator which he brought out during our discussion. Which camp are you in? This is not the LIGHT version either. If our arteries can stand it, we will have a wonderful breakfast. Happy travels.

We travel North to Yankee country

The day dawned wet and cold, and we had several news casts of bad winter storms coming from the mid-west. So with trepidation on our part about what we might face, we started this day at 5:45 am. We drove west on I-65 and then turned north on I-81. In the process we drove out of Virginia into West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and into central New York. We had snow along side of the road from the minute we got into the Blue Mountains of Virginia. Roads were wet and dry in turn, but there was no ice or snow on the road at all. We arrived at Maurice and Anne's home about 3:30 pm. There had been 5-6 inches of snow here when we arrived.

After supper three of us went with cousin Ruth to see the Vienna Boy's Choir in a concert in nearby Binghamton. It was wonderful. HW2 was sad to miss this, but she came down with a cold and felt it was better that she stayed here and tried to get over it. We were glad to arrive and be back in my home town with close family. Happy travels.

Williamsburg - Day 3

We returned to Colonial Williamsburg for our final day to visit. This time we toured the Governor's Palace and one of the original homes from the 1700's that had been owned by the gun smith and later a man who was a bookkeeper. After this tour we felt that we might return in the future and saved other parts for a return visit.

In the afternoon we repacked the car and went to nearby outlet stores and looked around but found little to buy that was on sale. Dinner was at the Jefferson Inn with good Virgina cuisine of Smithfield Ham and crab cakes. Tomorrow is a travel day. Happy travels.

Williamsburg - Day 2

Today dawned bright, and we four returned to Colonial Williamsburg to visit the restored buildings and learn all we could. Pat and Phyllis planned to leave by mid-afternoon, so we had to decide where to go first. We went to the Capitol Building. It is not original, since that one burned and was replaced, and that one later burned, also. The current building was built 75 years ago and is a replica of the first one. We had a very knowledgeable guide who filled us in on lots of details, especially how the government was organized when Virginia was a colony of Britain. The governmental office was upstairs in the West wing and is oval. Sound familiar?

Next on our tour we visited a tavern that has been continuously lived in since colonial times and has not needed much, if any, restoration. It primarily served as a tavern, and we visited most of the rooms on the main and upper floors. Bedrooms were for men only, and they slept 2-4 in a bed. If you had not met before sleeping, you were supposed to awaken the sleeping man and introduce yourself. As most of the beds were rope beds, the ropes stretched and if not tightened, they tended to sag like hammocks. Thus comes the term, "Sleep tight." Linens were washed monthly, and bedbugs were a real problem. Since bathing was not a common practice, I suspect that sleeping was a smelly process.

At dinner last night we were given napkins that were a 36" square and tied around the neck to protect your clothing. Thus the root meaning of, "To tie one on." We later were informed that a person convicted of perjury was sent to the stocks where one ear was then nailed down for an hour followed by the same action for the other ear an hour later. Thus the meaning of, "Ear marks." I think that all legislators who sneak pet projects for funding into legislation, currently called "ear marks," should have this punishment.

Punishment was prompt, and ifthe crime was bad enough the first time, you were branded on the palm of the hand with a letter for the type of crime. So if you were a thief then you would be branded with a "T." If you were a repeat offender, then you would be hung by the neck until dead. Seldom was anyone a repeat offender. You only spent time in jail until your case could be tried. Jail was not a punishment if convicted. Instead, if the court granted you mercy for this, your first crime, you would be branded and then set free to live out the rest of your life with your shame. Crime was nearly non-existent in these times even though 150,000 people lived in the Virginia Colony.

We found this information enlightening and finally tore ourselves away to have lunch, and then took Pat and Phyllis back to the motel where they left for their trip back to Conn. What a treat to spend this time with such good friends.

We then returned to Colonial Williamsburg to shop and have dinner. This time it was shrimp and steak for HW2 and fried shrimp and oysters for me. We waddled out of there and caught the bus back to our car and the trip back to our motel. Happy travels.

Sunday -On to Willamsburg, Virginia

We awoke to a sunny day and ice on the windshield of the car. It was cold. After packing up we quickly got on the road going North via I-40 and then I-95. Shortly after noon found us in Williamsburg. We checked with our friends who were about an hour out on the road here and went to Wendy's for chili. When we drove back to the motel, we found Pat and Phyllis unpacking their car in the parking lot of the motel. We have been talking non-stop ever since.

By mid-afternoon we drove to the Visitor's Center and picked up our passes and checked on our dinner reservations. We then boarded a bus and were driven over to Colonial Williamsburg. Our first stop was shopping (a big surprise), and we quickly discovered that there were many thousands of visitors. This was the 75th year of these Grand Illuminations held in Williamsburg early in December. In fact, all roads were closed to traffic so that the people could use the streets and sidewalks. We slowly worked our way down the street to be near one of the three fireworks areas. Along the way we stopped to enjoy and get warmed a bit by small hanging baskets that had wood burning in them providing a bit of warmth. It was terribly cold. HW2 and Phyllis finally found us hot cider and coffee to help us stay warm while we awaited the fireworks. This act of kindness saved us.

Finally, shortly after 6pm the fireworks began, which were spectacular and went on and on. When they ended, we walked to the King's Arms Tavern where we had reservations for dinner. Oh, my, it was good to get in from the cold! The hospitality was wonderful. We were served by Lydia, who also took pictures of us. She made me hot buttered rum which was delicious. The others had wine or a Bloody Mary. HW2 later got Lydia to tell us how to make hot buttered rum. If you would like this information, just ask.

For dinner two of us had prime rib with horseradish sauce and julienned vegetables. HW2 had salmon, the vegetables, and small red potatoes. Pat had pork chops. They served relishes, creamed spinach, and Sally Lund bread, as well, to compliment the meal. Finally satiated, we completed dinner with coffee, and all shared in a piece of pecan pie with ice cream on the top.

Back to a bus stop and return to the visitor center for the car and home to the motel. What a wonderful day with good friends! Happy travels.

Winter Trip, 2009 - Savannah and Wilmington

We are trying our first slide show!

Cards and Pizza

After a rest in the late afternoon at our motel, we drove to Walmart to get pizza, salad and breakfast stuff and then on to Tom and Ashley's apartment. Tom went right to work and heated the oven for the pizza and put the salad stuff together. We sat down for dinner, and later Ashley thought it would be fun to play cards. We used regular decks but played Five Crowns and had a wonderful time. We managed to play two sets of the game which Tom won both times. It was a fun evening, made more enjoyable by Harper. He did his best to entertain us and was a good boy throughout the evening until bed time. Even then he really was not fussy.

Tom and Ashley think that they have won the baby lottery since he is so good-natured and happy. They worry a bit that their next child might be quite different. Oh, to be young and thinking about a family. That part is a long way behind us, but we certainly enjoy this new generation as they carefully plan their family and include us, as well. We came away last night thoroughly enjoying this adult relationship we have with this set of grandchildren. What a blessing.

Today Tom works at Penney's, and Ashley is home with Harper. Later in the morning we will go over there to spend our last day here. Ashley wants HW2 to help her with a sewing project. HW2 was thrilled to be asked. Happy travels.

The Atlantic Ocean

Today Tom and Harper took us to see the Atlantic Ocean, a drive of about 10 miles from their house. It was windy, overcast, and cool, so we did not stay there very long. We did manage to pick up some shells and check out a few beach stores that were open. Most have closed for the season and have a sign suggesting that they will be open in the spring, meaning March or April. Then the boys took us back downtown to visit the Cotton Exchange which has been turned into a variety of upscale shops. On the way we found lunch for the boys, and HW2 fed Harper some oatmeal mixed with pureed fruit. Harper was a moving target to get fed, but she persisted and finally he had enough. Then we took the boys home so that the baby could have the rest of his nap.


We headed back to our motel to do the same and will bring pizza to cook for dinner tonight. Harper is a very cute and well behaved baby. He is interested in everything going on around him and willing to smile at all passers by. But best of all are his beautiful blue eyes! Happy travels.

Onward to Wilmington, NC

On Thursday we discovered a sunny day (our first in four days) for traveling northward to Wilmington, NC. We took I-94 and with little traffic most of the way, found ourselves at our destination by mid-afternoon. It was fun to return to this lovely city. Here the streets, as in Savannah, have lots of trees that seem to make an arch over the road and are draped with lovely Spanish Moss. Of course, the moss is a parasite and in time can kill its host tree. But the effect is quite beautiful. We did not see the many squares that seem to set Savannah apart as one of the most lovely cities spared by the civil war and restored to that time period.

We turned on our GPS system, and it took us to Tom and Ashley's home. We quickly learned that this was their old address and with a bit of correction soon found their current apartment. We finally saw our grand kids and their first-born son Harper. They are so happy in their current location and were proud to give us the grand tour. Harper was a delight as he is trying at seven months to talk and walk. He has rolling down and is working on the rest.

It is a joy and a blessing to be grandparents and to welcome our first great-grandchild into our growing family. After much visiting we went out to a brew pub located downtown not far from the Cape Fear River. It was a noisy place, but the food was good and the beer excellent. Then we parted for the night since Ashley has to work tomorrow. Tom babysits during the day and works some nights and weekends. They have it all worked out, and he will begin to attend college classes in January to finish his degree. A busy time for them.

In the afternoon we drove downtown to the Cape Fear River walk and enjoyed the waterfront area and bordering shops. We found an oyster bar for a quick lunch and then more sightseeing before returning to the motel. We would meet the grand kids in the early evening. Happy travels.

Savannah, GA

Today our drive in the rain continued. We left the motel quite early, still on Central time, and headed out in the rain to drive on through Alabama. South of Montgomery we headed cross country and finally crossed into Georgia and into the Eastern time zone as we crossed the Chattahoochee River. Most of the rivers and creeks were swollen from the continuing rains and were quite muddy. We continued to drive eastward finally arriving in Savannah by mid-afternoon. For the last hour it actually quit raining, although this was short lived.

We settled into our motel and asked for directions to a clothing store as we had left home without rain coats. Not too bright. We found a mall and purchased slickers for $5.00 and then drove downtown to find Paula Deen's restaurant. We were actually able to park right in front of the restaurant, and there were no lines of people waiting to be seated. This was probably due to the rainy weather which had arrived here shortly after we did. We quickly were seated and ordered salmon and crab cakes, creamed spinach, rice, and house salad. We also had fresh fried breads, which were excellent. It was a good meal and not nearly as expensive as a meal at Emeril's.

Currently we are under a thunderstorm/tornado watch with the rain pouring outside. Also, the wind is supposed to hit 75mph. Hopefully when we head north tomorrow, the rain and the wind will be gone. It has been hard driving for these three days with the constant rain and low visibility. Fortunately, we only saw one accident during these days. It caused a backup for miles in the other direction. Happy travels.

We start our month long vacation

Monday we went to work as usual when our boss Don decided that we could begin our month long vacation a half day early. At noon we arrived back at the motor home and finished packing the car and about 1:30 in the afternoon started our trek to the East coast. We had planned to leave on the following day very early in the morning so this half day on the road gave us a leg up on the trip. We managed to get to the west side of Huston where we stopped for the night. At times in the afternoon it tried to rain and although it was a very cold day, this did not deter. For dinner we went out for Italian food which was very good. We did see a sign along the way about the Baptist Church's Pumpkin Patch. We wondered what that was about but did not stop to learn the details. I do hope that the Church has a nice patch and celebrates with the Charlie Brown character Linus as he sits in his pumpkin patch and awaits the Great Pumpkin.

Today it dawned cold and rainy. It rained the entire day which made travel very tricky. Eighteen wheel trucks raised a fine cloud of water droplets that made it almost impossible to see more than a few feet ahead at a time. I was quite tired when we stopped short of our destination of Montgomery, AL by about 70 miles. We will just have to get started early tomorrow. We walked through the rain to a restaurant next door for a steak, baked potatoes and a plate of salad. No dessert though. Happy travels.