Count it all JOY!

2008-09-28T19:26:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the 8th Annual Grandma Hewitt Wiener Roast
Another year has flown by! And, here we are, back for another wiener roast! Notice the snazzy shirts. Pretty neat, huh? Do you suppose this will become a tradition, too? Here's our littlest camper!

And, here he is with his favorite people! No wiener roast is complete without the famous bubble machine!

Or, without wieners!

And, after the food, we all had a good time sitting around the fire. The activities don't really change from one year to the next, but it is fun to have everyone enjoying the time together!

Popcorn was a new item on the menu this year. I'm afraid it wasn't entirely successful! Unless you like your popcorn burnt! (Actually, mine turned out okay, but David and Doug weren't as successful!)

The weather was perfect - in the 50's and clear. The mosquitoes were non-existent - because of all the smoke from the fire, I guess. And, the company was superb.

A good time was had by all, I think. I know I had a great time! See you, again, next September! Perhaps we can get a full turnout next year. Okay, Andy, Bob/Janet, Wes, and Ted/family? Thanks to one and all for the memories!
Y

2008-09-08T21:35:00.006-05:00

Happy Grandparents' Day!Frankly, I don't even know where Grandparents' Day came from. I probably just didn't notice because I wasn't a grandparent. I'm sure it is a Hallmark event - meant to sell cards or something. But, this year, it had a whole new meaning - Grandpa and I were invited to Grant's daycare (along with every other child's grandparent) to enjoy snacktime with the kids.Grant wouldn't eat his snack unless I was sitting right next to him - I tried to move out of the way, but he would cry. So, being Grandma, I stayed right where he wanted me. No pictures of Grandpa, I'm afraid. Grant only had eyes for me for some reason, so Grandpa took pictures.
But, lest we forget, Grant is Grandpa's boy, too. After all, who else would teach him the touchdown dance??

This Grandparent gig is the best!

Thanks to Matt and Whitney for sharing!

Thanks to Grant for being such a joy to spend time with!

2008-09-08T20:26:00.002-05:00

Matt's First Birthday Revisited I've been trying to upload these photos off and on for the last couple weeks and couldn't get Blogger to cooperate with me. I have a feeling it is because of my slow connection. Anyway - I dug out a few photos of Matt to see how Matt compared with Grant at age 1.
That is one ugly cake, isn't it?? Is that mustard-yellow frosting? Who wouldn't want to eat that, I ask you! But, it is a good picture of Ma with Matt!
I don't see much resemblance between Matt and Grant in the photos. But, in real life, I can see Matt in some of Grant's expressions. How about those nifty young parents?? See? Gary used to have hair!
Matt may not be Grant, but he sure was cute. Hard to believe it has been 28 years since these photos were taken. And, even harder to believe that I still have the same kitchen tile - only with a lot more wear and tear!! Definitely time for a kitchen update!

Hope you enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane.

2008-08-13T08:50:00.000-05:00

Happy First Birthday, Grant!

(And, Happy 31st Birthday, Chip!)Our little "Super G" turned one-year-old on Saturday, 9 August!
What a difference a year makes, huh??
He was remarkably neat with his cake (homemade carrot cake cupcakes). Given the opportunity to make as much a mess as possible, he opted to stay fairly clean. :) Fairly clean or not, after the cake came the bath - which he loved regardless of the cold water. He didn't want to get out.

He (and his mother) opened mounds of presents. At times he preferred the wrapping to the gift, just like any normal, healthy child would. :D
A good time was had by all. Matt and Whitney had badminton, bocci and corn hole set up in the back yard, so there was plenty of entertainment. They served hotdogs, brats, pasta salad, fruit and a number of dips and chips. It was a very nice party and a great way to celebrate the big 1!

Happy Birthday, Grant!

2008-08-12T08:20:00.003-05:00

This past weekend . . .

Ted, Jodi, Chris, Andra and Danielle visted from Virginia. It has been a year and a half since Ted, Jodi and Chris were here last. This is the first chance we've had to meet Andra and Danielle, Ted's girls from his first marriage. It was so terrific to meet them. They are beautiful - in looks and actions. I know Ted is proud of them. I just wish Ma was here to see them. She wanted things to work out for Ted and his girls so badly. Well, I'm sure she knows and is smiling.

It was a whirlwind visit, but everyone had a good time. Perhaps they will get here a little more often now that they live closer. But, I know it is difficult to get away when schedules are so busy. They will be welcome whenever they can get here. As for the girls, they are going back to their mother this month, but we are all hoping they will return next summer for another visit. Now that we've had the chance to get to know them, we sure hope we will see them more often!

2008-08-11T08:04:00.002-05:00

August, 2008 Vacation is over, but as we return to our routines, birthday season is in full swing. Gary turned 55 on the day we returned from our trip and Matt turned 29 one week later.
Hard to believe I'm the mother of a 29-year-old!
Three days after Matt's birthday, the family patriarch turned 85! He had a bumpy spring, but aside from the occasional ache and pain, he is doing well now.
We are blessed with a wonderful family and all of us can thank Dad/Grandpa for what he and Ma started. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT & GRANDPA!

2008-07-31T16:49:00.002-05:00

One Last Look . . . .After we packed our belongings, I took some shots of the condo. It was a great place for a family vacation.

The condo wasn't very large, but it was perfect for us. I hope we get to visit there again someday!
The final elevator ride down. Gotta wonder what Grant is thinking! :)

2008-07-29T08:22:00.003-05:00

Parting Shots The beach was gorgeous on Saturday! Unfortunately, we were on the way out.
Whitney and I walked 2 miles every morning, but on Saturday we limited ourselves to a mile. Had to take a self-photo to document. :)
When Matt, Gary, Grant and I went down to say goodbye to the gulf, a sunbather pointed us to a shark (or half of a shark). She said it washed up on shore and she was not too thrilled about getting in the water because whatever ate the back half was still out there. Hmmmmm - and I was in the water several times. So were Gary, Matt and Grant! Oh well - all's well that ends well.
Too pretty to leave, huh?
Our customary good-bye photo!

2008-07-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

The Last Beach Day :( Our little surfer dude is walking - when he wants to. He's good for 3-4 steps before he decides crawling is quicker. :)
Eeeeek! Morning hair!!

And, a good time was had by all!

2008-07-25T12:56:00.002-05:00

Thursday - Back to the Beach

After a full day at the beach, we went to supper at Cocodries the only restaurant on the island. Most of the "action" is on the other side of the bridge and we like it that way. The island is very peaceful and the bridge to Navarre is only a couple miles away. This is a wonderful place - really!

2008-07-24T13:18:00.005-05:00

Wednesday . . .. . . began in front of the TV watching cartoons.
Wednesday had been designated sightseeing day, so we were lucky that it turned out to be a stormy day--didn't feel like we needed to spend the day at the beach. We headed for Gulf Breeze in search of Fort Pickens. Turns out, contrary to what I read on the internet, Fort Pickens is not open. If it is open, the road to it is closed, so that was a wasted trip. But, while we were in Gulf Breeze, we ate lunch at a burger joint before we headed for Pensacola. Our next stop was the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Junior Pilot
Grandpa couldn't see what was about to happen, but Grandma was enjoying this almost as much as Grant!
Smack, smack, pull! Repeat!

Here we are in a replica of a WWII era home. Glenn Miller was playing on the radio. :)

Junior Pilor and Mom - Dad missed the plane. :D

Here we are in front of Bob's Flying Machine. Didn't know Bob had such a thing, so we took a picture for all to see.

After the air museum, we drove by the lighthouse. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is only open to the public on Saturdays from noon-3:00.

We finished off the day at Shane's Rib Pit where Grant got his first-ever balloon. He was so excited!

By the time we got back to the condo, the rain was over, paving the way for a beautiful Thursday.

2008-07-23T20:22:00.002-05:00

Tuesday The day began with identical hairdos!
Of course there was more beach time. Grandma will be washing sand out of crevices she didn't know she had for months to come. :)
After a full day at the beach, we headed to Vinny R's for Italian cuisine. Mmmmm - delicious! Grant loves spaghetti!
We had another full day that ended with thundershowers. Nothing better than lightning over the Gulf. Beautiful. I spent time on the porch listening to my new iPod and playing solitaire - until movie time. We watched B Movie to wind up the day. Tomorrow we head out to do some sightseeing.

2008-07-21T19:45:00.003-05:00

Monday in Navarre Beach . . . Monday started out with a little monkey business - Grandpa and Grant rough-housing on the bed.
Grant was a little more comfortable on the beach today. Although, he was really quite good yesterday, too.
Grandma had to get into the act. :)
Dad and Grant were having a blast!

Grant was really enjoying "splash splash."

Mr. Happy was having the time of his little life.

Enough for Grant for one day - back again tomorrow. :)
While Whitney and Matt went sightseeing, Grandpa introduced Grant to the wonderful world of cartoons. G & G were both mesmerized.

We ate at the Cancun Mexican Restaurant, bought a few more groceries and returned for evening walks (except Grant - he zonked pretty quickly).

The end of another perfect day in paradise.

2008-07-20T21:58:00.002-05:00

Second day - first beach day . . . Santa Rosa Sound
West
South

East

These are all views from our balcony. We have a nice large balcony with doors from the living room and the master bedroom. Neat! Plus, both bedrooms have bathrooms. How nice is that? The master bath has a jetted tub - a bit weak on the jets, but all in all, very nice.

Grant and his daddy getting ready for his first real beach experience! Stay tuned for beach fun photos.

2008-07-20T21:02:00.003-05:00

Welcome to our Florida trip -

A lot has happened since I last wrote!! I think my last entry was from the Washington, D.C., trip. Since then, Bob and Janet visited from Boynton Beach, FL; Wes flew in from Oklahoma City and Jake visited twice. David and Natalie have each had birthdays. And, of course, I turned a youthful 56. :)

Matt, Whitney and Grant are going on vacation with us this year! We left on Friday, 18 July, for Navarre Beach, Florida. We stopped at the Best Western in Clanton, Alabama, on the way down. Grant did surprisingly well. He was getting a bit antsy by the time we stopped for the night, but he really did very well for a kid who would rather play than spend his time strapped in a car seat. Of course, his mom spent a lot of time in the back seat trying to entertain him!We are staying at the Sundunes Condominiums - 4th floor, far left. What a view! Obviously, we have a great view of the gulf, but we also have a terrific view of the Santa Rosa Sound out our side picture window.
We went to Publix to fill up our kitchen. Then, we took a walk to check out the beach. Grant liked the water - splash, splash. (Unfortunately, I took the pictures without the memory card in the camera and I forgot my USB cable. Oh well.) After supper at Sal's Pizzeria, Grant crashed! This is our first sunset - not much of one, but still pretty.

See the Santa Rosa Sound? This is a beautiful place!

2008-04-28T07:11:00.004-05:00

Home Again, Finnegan Thanks to computer glitches, it has taken me quite a while to finish my story! But, we left Alexandria about 11:00 a.m. on Friday, 11 April. It took us a while to get out of town, but once we did, we had clear sailing - for most of the trip. We ran into rain in West Virginia and stopped at Arby's to eat during a storm. After that, the weather began to clear.
Difficult to get a good photo from a moving vehicle, but I persisted, anyway!
After the rainy weather, there was a beautiful sunset. My extra-special thanks to David and Natalie for a wonderful trip. I had a great time and was thrilled to be included in their vacation! (If you return to DC before I'm too old to do all that walking, maybe you will invite me to go along again.)
Love you both!
Y

2008-04-22T23:19:00.002-05:00

Old Town Alexandria, VAWe didn't make many stops in Old Town simply because we were eager to get on the road. We stayed in the Sheraton Suites in Alexandria, but spent our days in Washington, so this trip on the way out of town was all we really had time for. This is the inside of Christ Church - the church attended by George Washington and Robert E. Lee.
The is George Washington's family pew, as noted by the marker below.

This photo doesn't really show up very well, but on either side of the altar are hangings of the ten commandments, the Lord's prayer and the Apostles' Creed. They are the original hangings and were hand-painted by the architect. Amazing! President Washington looked at the very same thing. I sat in his pew, too. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it didn't make me any more presidential!
Note the original cobblestone street and the view of the Potomac! What a beautiful town, full of colonial history. Maybe we will be able to spend more time next time.

2008-04-22T22:57:00.002-05:00

Our Last Night in DC On our last night, we stayed in DC to see the Capitol and the Washington Monument after dark.
It is really impressive to see the capitol all lit up.
Isn't that pretty?
This is a Civil War monument by the reflecting pool.
We didn't have the time or energy to see all the monuments at night, but we did see a neat way to see more next time - a segway tour. For a mere $70 per person, you can take a segway tour of the monuments at night. That sounds expensive - but worth it! We saw a group making their rounds and it looked like so much fun. If we start saving now, perhaps we will be able to afford that when we go back (assuming that I am invited when they decide to return to Washington, D.C.).

Anyway, as you can see, even after a long day (which included more walking than the previous days, I'm sure), our sense of humor was still intact! We had a wonderful time and even though we hated to give up and head for home, I think it was time for a rest! I love to walk, but we really took it to the extreme! While it would be impossible to see it all, we saw a lot - and made note of what to see next time.

2008-04-21T17:15:00.005-05:00

The National Cathedral . . . . . . was next on our list of sights to see. We took the Metro to Tenleytown and walked somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 blocks (I'm guessing). Whatever the distance, it was a l-o-n-g walk. But it was worth it. Unfortunately, we got there after the guided tours were done for the day and after the gift shop closed. But, we wandered around inside and out and saw plenty.

This will have to go on our list of things to see next time we go to Washington. It would be interesting to hear the history and lore that are part of the church.

We headed to a Metro bus stop and caught a bus back to Tenleytown where we caught the Metro to Capitol South. There we ate at Bullfeathers, another hangout of the upwardly mobile. The meal was delicious and the place was fascinating - a great place for people watching.

The day's not over yet!

2008-04-21T09:28:00.005-05:00

Onward to the Zoo On our way to the National Zoo, we stopped at a restaurant called Medaterra, a Mediterranean place specializing in Greek food and seafood. I had a crab cake sandwich - mmmmmm. It was a gorgeous day and we ate our meal at the sidewalk cafe.
The zoo was another hike from the restaurant. So far, walking less than the day before isn't panning out. :)
The highlight of the zoo is the panda exhibit. I'm not sure which panda this is - male or female, but we never saw more than two. Don't know if the cub, who would be nearly 3 years old by now, I guess, is even there. Guess if we'd taken time to read the signs, we'd know - but there were just so many people in that area.
They are fascinating to watch - they have such personality!
While we looked at more exhibits, we weren't really impressed. Louisville has such a beautiful zoo that the National Zoo actually paled in comparison. Plus, the National Zoo doesn't seem to have a circular path, so you see going back up hill what you saw going down (knowing full well you were going to have to climb that hill back to the top). It wasn't as "user friendly" as our zoo - but it was free while our zoo is not. Still, I think a trip to our zoo is in my future. We had a good time and the panda exhibit was well worth the trip - the other exhibits were fun, too - just not as nice as Louisville (in my humble opinion).

2008-04-19T06:43:00.006-05:00

More Arlington . . .Among the notables we saw were President Kennedy and Jackie Onassis who are buried along with two of their children by the eternal flame (which is not in the photo because jockeying for the perfect photo was not possible with the crowd of onlookers in attendance).
This is the memorial for President Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln and his family.
This is the marker for Oliver Wendell Holmes, who served in the Civil War and later became a Justice of the Supreme Court. He lived from 1841-1935.
We didn't see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but we saw a wreath ceremony - very impressive.
In the distance is Arlington House - home of Robert E. Lee until he joined the Confederacy. The home belonged to his wife and he lived there for about 4 years. It was in the process of renovation, so we weren't able to see much inside (but it was quite a hike to get up to it).
"Beneath this stone repose the bones of two thousand one hundred and eleven unknown soldiers gathered after the [Civil] war from the fields of Bull Run and the route to the Rappahannock." Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, World Heavyweight Champion - 1937-1949
Memorial for the 101st Airborne Division

We say good-bye to Arlington, and . . .

. . . with David leading the way, we head back to the Metro and on to the National Zoo!

2008-04-18T22:45:00.004-05:00

Washington, D.C. - Day 3Day 3 began at Arlington Cemetery. What a gorgeous morning. It started a bit cool, but it didn't take long to warm up! We took the Metro from Reagan to Arlington, stopped at the welcome center for me to make a pit stop, then started our hike to see the sights.
There were several school groups and tours and they headed off toward the JFK Memorial, so we headed out to see the Marine Memorial. The statue of the marines at Iwo Jima is really impressive (and we were fortunate enough to see it without all the crowds).
It is mind-boggling to see so many graves, knowing that so many have died for our freedom.
As we walked back from the Marine Memorial, we saw preparations being made for a funeral. Each veteran receives a 21-gun salute and a bugler plays "Taps." These servicemen were out there, standing at attention, in full dress uniforms (in what was rapidly becoming a very warm day) for at least a half hour before the funeral procession arrived.
No, this is not President Taft's headstone. We saw President Taft's grave near this one, so we assumed there was some relation, but the reason I photographed this one is because it says under his wife's name, "Beloved Wife, Mother, Best Friend, Homemaker Extraordinaire." I like that - I think I want that on my headstone (eventually!).

2008-04-16T17:36:00.004-05:00

More of Day 2As you circle the tidal basin on the way to the Jefferson Memorial, you walk through the Roosevelt Memorial. There are quite a few statues depicting the life and times during Roosevelt's presidency.

Finally, the Jefferson Memorial comes into view. You can't imagine how far we walked to get this far! And the walking wasn't over yet. Thomas Jefferson had some mighty big feet, didn't he?? Bet he had a tough time buying shoes!Fortunately, the kids were there to hold the building up! Can you imagine the disaster that might have ensued??Isn't that beautiful?We walked all the way back to the Smithsonian Metro stop and boarded the subway, getting off at Capitol South. We ate at a neat Mexican restaurant - Tortilla Coast. The place was filled with upwardly mobile young professionals - fresh from Capitol Hill. The food was delicious, the crowd interesting and the time off our feet very much appreciated. After supper, we headed back to Reagan and on to the hotel . . . . . . looking forward to Day 3, which promised much less walking! (But, we will see about that!!)

2008-04-15T21:20:00.004-05:00

More of Day 2

On to the Lincoln Memorial.

The Washington Monument as viewed from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

To say we were tired is an understatement!

But, that didn't stop us from heading over to the Vietnam Memorial!

And, from there to the Korean War Memorial, which is really kind of eerie. The statues are all life-size and emotional. A very strange, maybe even uncomfortable, sight. Perhaps thought-provoking is a better way to put it.
Now on to the Jefferson Memorial. Notice Natalie walking in the grass - an attempt at saving her poor feet! Also, notice the cherry blossoms. There are more around the Jefferson Memorial, I think, than anywhere. Very beautiful!

2008-04-14T18:32:00.004-05:00

Day 2 Continues

Our next objective was Lincoln Memorial - seen through the telephoto lens from the Washington Monument. We walked the entire way because we couldn't fine a bus that went to the monuments that wasn't a "tour" bus. Tour buses cost at least $25.00 per person and, at the time, we didn't think it was worth it. In retrospect, it probably was worth every penny, because walking from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and, finally, to the Jefferson Memorial was a very long walk indeed! To top it off, it finally warmed up. On the way to the Lincoln Memorial, we stopped to see the World War II Memorial. Since Dad/Grandpa was in a ship off the coast of Okinawa, I took this picture.
And, since he is from Pennsylvania, I photographed the Pennsylvania memorial.

2008-04-13T21:16:00.008-05:00

DC, Day 2Day 2 started out cold, which was all the more noticeable since we spent about a half hour waiting in line outside the National Archives waiting to get in.
We had plenty of time to appreciate the architecture!
After another wait of about 15 minutes, we finally got our turn inside the rotunda where the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are the main attractions. We also saw the Emancipation Proclamation and some original correspondence from colonial times, among other things. Flash photography was prohibited and since my camera has to be reset NOT to flash each time, I wisely put my camera away for the duration. I didn't want to embarrass the kids by being banished from the exhibit. :) Natalie took a number of photos, one of which is the mural above. Also, in the National Archives building is an exhibit that included formerly classified documents, details of past wars, the cold war and threats of war. Much of that exhibit was interactive and we spent quite a bit of time "playing" with everything.Much to our surprise, the sun was shining brightly when we emerged from the National Archives! What a pretty day it turned out to be. It was still a little cool, but it warmed up nicely. Before we headed to the art gallery, we stopped at the food court in the Air and Space Museum for lunch. In case you were wondering, I had a hot turkey sandwich from the Boston Market. :)
We headed to the National Gallery of Art, but didn't spend a great deal of time inside because we hated to waste the pretty weather!
This fountain is inside the National gallery. A touch of spring.
A sampling of the art we saw - lots of Impressionism on the first floor. The cathedral by Monet is my all-time favorite picture. There are actually four in the set, I believe (each representing a different time of the day), but only two are on display at the National Gallery. There was also an exhibit of bronze statues (from tiny to huge), but since it was a special exhibit, we were prohibited from taking photos. Some of them were from the 13th century - amazing!
A view of the corridor outside the impressionism exhibit.
From the art gallery, we headed to the Washington Monument. By this time, it had warmed up considerably and, although, it didn't look like it was going to be a very long walk, looks are deceiving. It was quite a hike - and just the beginning of our hiking for the day! Blisters, here we come!!

2008-04-13T14:49:00.002-05:00

The Conclusion of DC Day One Our next stop was the White House. You can't imagine the walk we undertook to get that far!!

You cannot get very close anymore - this photo was taken with the telephoto.

This photo was taken without the telephoto lens.
After that, we went to the Old Post Office, then to the new post office to buy stamps . . .
Then, on to the Reagan Building where we ate supper (in the food court).
Finally, before we caught the Metro to go back to the hotel (via the airport), we took a walk to the Washington Monument - an other hike and a half!

We arrived at the airport too late for the shuttle and had to wait for nearly an hour for the next one. Look who we saw in the airport. Actually, McCain was really in town speaking at a hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue - we could tell by the unhappy protesters out front!

By the time we got back to the Sheraton, we were exhausted! But, we had a full and fun first day and looked forward to the next!

To be continued . . . .

2008-04-13T13:34:00.003-05:00

More of DC, Day OneThis is Able, a rhesus monkey, part of the Able-Baker Jupiter space mission in 1959. Able & Baker returned from their mission unscathed, but Able died 4 days later from anesthetic administered during surgery to remove the electrodes implanted before the space flight. Someone had the forethought to stuff Able and make the monkey part of the Smithsonian exhibit. Incidentally, Baker lived until 1984.
The Amelia Earhart exhibit.
Amelia Earhart's plane in which she flew across the Atlantic in 1932 - then flew across the United States the same year.
The Spirit of St. Louis - no explanation needed. :)
Thermal image of Natalie and Me. :)
Natalie and I both took turns "flying" a Cessna. :)

While we were at the Air and Space Museum, we watched a film Celestial Collisions, narrated by Robert Redford in the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Very fascinating! The entire museum was a lot of fun!

2008-04-13T12:48:00.002-05:00

More Washington, D.C. - Day One :)The Cherry Blossom Festival was in progress and trees like this were everywhere. Beautiful!
Our next stop was the Air and Space Museum, currently housing a limited exhibit from the American History Museum, which is in the process being renovated. This is the "puffy shirt" from Seinfeld and Mr. Roger's sweater.
This is George Washington's uniform and his battle sabre. He wasn't a very large man, that's for sure.
Did you know the ruby slippers were covered in sequins??? I was surprised - I always thought they were something fancier than that.
And, no American History exhibit would be complete without Kermit! The exhibit is very small and quite crowded. We were really looking forward to visiting the American History Museum, but I guess we will have to catch that one next time.

2008-04-13T11:42:00.004-05:00

Washington, DC!!Natalie and David planned a trip to Washington, D.C., during Natalie's spring break and invited me to go along! We had a great time! We stayed at the Sheraton Suites in Alexandria, VA, and took the free shuttle to Reagan National Airport everyday to catch the Metro subway into D.C.

Since the weather was so cold (40's & windy - but no rain) on our first day, we got off the subway at the Smithsonian exit and went straight to the Natural History Museum, where we spent most of the day. What a fascinating place. I'd been there years ago, but I don't remember half of what I saw then. There is just so much to see and absorb.
Did you know they mummified cats in ancient Egypt??
The kids at the entrance to the dinosaur exhibit.
Not knowing where to go for food or what to look at next, we stopped at a street-corner hotdog vendor to buy lunch and ate in front of the National Gallery of Art. It was very cold outside, but you will notice that David is not wearing a jacket - that's because he gave it to me to wear (insisting he was warm enough - but, I'm not sure he was). Wasn't that nice?? Thanks to him, I was toasty all day long. :)

2008-03-08T21:46:00.004-05:00

Weather Stories . . . . Last Sunday, 2 March, it was 65 degrees and beautiful outside - as you can see from David's short sleeved shirt. :)
I even had crocus blooming. Ahh, spring is on the way, right??
Then, Friday and Saturday (7 & 8 March) we had snow - a total in Taylorsville of about 10-11 inches of it. Natalie said they had more than that in J-town. As beautiful as the snow is - it is quite a change from the spring preview we had over the weekend!!
As you can see our pet pelican, Heathcliff, is wearing a snowy coat and hat. Of course, pelicans aren't really used to snow, are they?
Oh well, Grant spread sunshine in between the spring weather and the winter weather. At nearly 7 months, he is getting to be a big boy! A smile like that warms my heart even when it is cold and snowy outside. :)

Spring is bound to get here one of these days, right? So, enjoy!

2008-02-19T23:08:00.002-05:00

Need a beach fix?Matt and I weren't acutally looking for a trip to the beach, but when the opportunity arose, we made the best of it. It was beautiful in Panama City Beach last weekend!
Grandpa had been feeling bad - mostly due to extremely low blood pressure, I think - and was ready to come home. With such low BP, there was no way he could drive by himself, so Matt and I went down to get him. We stayed the night in Cullman, AL, on the way down and arrived in PCB about 3:00 p.m. on Friday. After we visited with Grandpa, we took a walk so Grandpa could get a nap. The beach was as gorgeous as I've ever seen it! If it didn't take so long to upload video to You Tube, I would post the sunset video I took with my camera. The lady in the neighboring apartment brings out her CD player at sunset every evening and plays a recording of Amazing Grace (bagpipe version) as the sun slowly sinks into the sea. I recorded it for posterity, but it is too much for my connection to handle, I'm afraid. So, I can't share it.
After our walk, we packed up most of Grandpa's things and Matt loaded the car. Then, it was time for a trip to Boondocks for supper. Matt had a plate full of boat trash. I, of course, had the deviled crab! Mmmmm, good!
We finished packing on Saturday morning and left this beautiful beach behind. The weather was already in the 60's when we left, aiming for the 70's. The reason for the trip wasn't fun, but we made the best of our short time there. And, we returned while the weather was still good. On Sunday, there were a number of bad storms and tornadoes along FL331 & I-65 - and by that time we were home.

Grandpa is back where he belongs, getting the care he needs and all is well!

2008-01-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

Grant Update I haven't posted any Grant photos since New Year's Day, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share how he is growing!
Grandpa and I got to babysit a couple times last week and, while Grant hasn't changed too much in appearance in the last few weeks, he certainly has changed! He's always liked to move his feet and hands, but now he jumps - and jumps and jumps and jumps. The Exer-Saucer he received from his Oma and Opa for Christmas is really getting a workout. He loves that thing!
He's also eating more solid food and he seems to like it. Note the carrots and bananas on his face. :)Last night he sat at the table with us during supper. And, of course, Grandma had her camera ready. :) He's still "Cracker Jack, the pass-around pack." We all enjoy holding him and he never seems to mind being passed back and forth.

At 5 1/2 months, Grant is still a joy! I kind of suspect he will always be a joy to me - just like his dad and his aunt!

Life is definitely good!

2008-01-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Nancy's Art DisplayYesterday, I went to the public library in Shepherdsville, KY, to view my sister's art display.
It was difficult to photograph the pictures so you might have some idea what was on display. So, I did the best I could.
This is my sister, Nancy.

Obviously, she inherited our mother's talent. She does a beautiful job and really enjoys her hobby. She is using her retirement time wisely. I, on the other hand, can barely write my name legibly - there is no way I would attempt to paint! But, that's okay - I don't think I could fit it into my busy schedule anyway. :)

If you get to Shepherdsville before the end of January, stop in to see her work in person. If not, visit her blog - she occasionally posts photos of her newest paintings. Enjoy!

[Beautiful display, Nan!]

2008-01-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

Off to a Good Start

Our new year began with the traditional family dinner of pork and sauerkraut. Dad cooked two pork tenderloin and peeled 10 lbs. of potatoes in preparation for our feast. All the locals were able to be here at one time - a rare moment, indeed! We all had a fabulous time and went away stuffed and ready for 2008!
Happy New Year to us all!

[And, remember Grandpa in your prayers as he faces the possibility of surgery in the near future.]

2008-01-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year's

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

I've found a new way of wishing you Happy New Year! Enjoy!

2008-01-01T12:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year's Happy New Year's from our party to yours!

May we all be blessed in 2008!

2007-12-30T13:07:00.000-05:00

More Christmas!In keeping with tradition, the family gathered at Dad's/Grandpa's on Christmas evening for supper.
As you can see, Grant was the center of attention and his grandma had the camera handy - for a change. :)

After a nice meal of ham sandwiches with a side of lasagna, we spent the evening visiting. A nice time was had by all. Hard to believe that after so much preparation, the holiday is over for another year! But, it was a good one and now we look forward to 2008!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

2007-12-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day

Christmas Day began at home. Natalie and David spent the night and woke up waiting to see what Santa brought them. :)

Matt, Whitney and Grant arrived before 9:00 a.m.

Let the festivities begin!
Grandpa held Grant while gifts were opened.
Then we ate breakfast - Gary's traditional sausage and eggs and this year we also had a wonderful coffee cake made by Whitney!
After breakfast, there was time to play with the new stuff! Stuffed toys are edible, right?
Abby even got into the act. Check out that snazzy bandana.Natalie and David left to go have Christmas with David's family.
And, Whitney, Matt and Grant went home to have their own family Christmas.
I've never seen a baby love a car seat like Grant does. He loves to go, go, go!From here, we all head to Grandpa's for the full-family celebration!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-29T18:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve . . . . . . flew by in a blur! We began at our house where we exchanged family gifts.
Everyone got a little something. Obviously, Grant is not old enough to open his own gifts, so his Dad and Mom helped him out. :)
After our family gifts were opened, we headed for church - then on to Grandpa's for more gift giving. As you can see, Grant was quite popular.

We had a great time, then we all headed home to wait for Santa. Alissa and her boys headed home to Hopkinsville and actually saw Santa over Bernheim Forest on their way. I know he made it to our house - I hope he made it to yours!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Is Home for Christmas!Grandpa (or, in this case, Great Grandpa) came home from Panama City Beach for the holidays. The kids decorated his tree on Wednesday of this week and on the 22nd, we resumed our Saturday visits. I think Grant enjoys his great grandpa!
I went shopping and while I was gone, evidently everyone wore the poor little kid out!
Look who's learning to sit up!
Merry Christmas!

2007-12-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

Festivities

On Thursday before Christmas, the girls and I splurged and went to the Macaroni Grill to eat, then to the movies. We saw Enchanted and really enjoyed it. I had a bit of a problem with the rodent/roach scene, but other than that, I was 'enchanted.' It was a really cute movie and a good choice for the season. On Friday, Whitney and Natalie came over and we baked cookies - 21 dozen total. We baked chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodles and lemon spritz cookies - then divided them amongst ourselves and Grandpa so we could all gain a few pounds!
Grant kept us entertained while we baked until he got sleepy. Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't the only one who took time away from baking to spend time with him!
Grant finally got so sleepy, but he wouldn't give up and take a nap. So, when Gary returned from his errands, he took Grant and held him while telling us of his morning's adventures. Grant fell sound asleep! Hmmm - is that the effect Gary has on everyone when he talks??
The last of the snickerdoodles - a baked reminder of the reason for the season (the cross, not the cookies)!
Cookie baking was a success! Thanks, girls, for your help. It's a lot more fun to bake with the ones you love than it is to bake by yourself!

2007-12-15T00:59:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Graduate! Matthew received his Masters of Science in Educaton and Human Resources (I hope I got that right) from the University of Louisville on Thursday, 13 December 2007! He graduated with a perfect 4.0, although there was no mention of it in the program or no recognition of it during the commencement. I thought they at least used to make note of it in the program, but not this time. Oh well, we know what a good job he did and we are the one's who count! :)
To say his father and I are proud would be an understatement!Grant won't remember being at the commencement, but the rest of us will. He had a coughing spell and I guess the appropriate word is "spewed" his dinner all over the place. He was sitting in Grandma's lap when it happened, which is a good thing. He'd been fussy when I had him over my shoulder, so I turned him around and sat him in my lap - in the nick of time. Can you imagine what kind of damage he could have inflicted on the row behind us if he'd been over my shoulder when the "fountain of milk" started? We definitely would not have won any friends! He certainly made a mess, but it was just one of those things. Grandma didn't mind getting soaked and I actually enjoyed taking him to the rear of the auditorium to rock and sing him to sleep. David came and took over in time for me to see Matt receive his diploma.We had a surprise visitor while we were there, too! Doug and Kellie were attending the graduation to see Kellie's sister receive her diploma. This was a great photo opportunity! As was this! Doug took our photo so we could have a whole-family shot. How nice is that?
And, after all was said and done, look who perked up? I'm sure it was just so Grandma could get a cute picture. :)

Congratulations, Matt, on a job well-done! You are a fine young man and we are proud you are ours!

2007-12-14T23:48:00.000-05:00

Tree Trimming

Last Sunday the kids came over to help decorate the tree. It makes it a lot of fun to have them all around to help!
As you can see, Matt the Pest, was also decorating Whitney!
Dad even put on an ornament! First ornament in 30 years, I think! Good picture of the top of his head (a.k.a., the bald spot). :D
Grant enjoyed the festivities, too.
We found out that he liked the green icing on the sugar cookies! I think he got more on his face than he did in his mouth, but it matched his cute green outfit!And, here's the finished product! Beautiful, right? Well, last night it fell over and made an awful mess. I finally got it upright and thought it was pretty stable, but this morning, it had fallen over again!! It has now been tied to the wall and redecorated. So, with a few smashed branches, it doesn't look quite this good anymore, but we were lucky that only three ornaments were broken and two of those can be glued. So, all's well that ends well. We don't usually put the tree up until 15 December, anyway, so I guess we are still on time!

(P.S. It wasn't the cat's fault, either, because she was with me both times it fell. Just wanted to set the record straight.)
Merry Christmas to all! And, to all a good night!

2007-11-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

Grand Finale1954

So, who are these adorable kids??

[For the record, this is not the exact photo I remember. The photo I remember had Bob on the right, Nan on the left and me on the verge of escaping. But, since I cannot put my hands on that photo, this one will have to suffice.] Turn the clock up 53 years and here we are - perhaps not as young, but pretty well preserved if you ask me!
And, here we are with our fearless leader!
Happy (late) Thanksgiving from all of us!

2007-11-30T20:22:00.000-05:00

Parting Shots

Natalie and I headed to the beach one last time on Sunday morning and on the way back to the room we found Dad/Grandpa waiting for us on his deck. :)

What jokers! I told them all to line up for a photo and look what I got! Now that's more like it! :)

Thank you to Dad/Grandpa for the beautiful week. It was great for us all to be together. I said this would be the last post, but there is one more. Stay tuned - one more time.

2007-11-27T17:38:00.000-05:00

Another Fine Seafood Meal!

For our final supper of the vacation, Dad/Grandpa took us to Montego Bay - always a favorite!
Terry once again talking with his hands. :)

We had a wonderful time - not just at Montego, but the entire trip!

Stay tuned for one final post before we head for home!

2007-11-27T09:25:00.000-05:00

Ah, Saturday - Our Last Day in Paradise

(for a while, anyway)Again, too cold to walk in the morning. It looks nice here, but in reality, the sun only shone for about 1/2 hour the whole day - and that was while we were at Bob and Janet's taking pictures we couldn't take the day before!
Beautiful motorhome. :)

Natalie and I went to the Treasure Ship marina in search of pelicans. Didn't find any, but we did find these nifty dolphins! :)
After a little shopping, we were back on the beach taking the walk we didn't take first thing in the morning.

2007-11-27T08:47:00.000-05:00

Supper at BoondocksWe had a wait of about 20 minutes before we were seated at a table. Natalie and I checked out Pickles, the souvenir shop. Bob, Natalie and I wandered around exploring and looking for photo opportunities.
While we roamed, Dad, Nan, Janet and Terry sat in the waiting area - scanning the menu for something scrumptious to eat.
I don't know what everybody else had, but I had stuffed crab, baked potato and green beans. Wow, was that good!
Incidentally, there was a lemon in my water - which Grandpa found a better use for! :)
Mmmmm - delicous meal. Lengthy wait to check out, but worth it. From here, back "home" where Natalie and I took a quick swim followed by a trip to the hot tub to warm up. It was only in the 40's outside. Some people do crazy things on vacation!

2007-11-27T08:15:00.000-05:00

Black FridayFor obvious reasons, Natalie and I avoided the stores on Friday. The morning proved to be too cool for a walk, so we visited Bob and Janet in their new motorhome. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera! Hard to believe, huh? Anyway, after our visit, we headed out to Rosemary Beach, one of my favorite places. We walked a little, but we weren't dressed warmly enough to go too far!
With the wind now coming from the north, Grandpa's porch was pretty warm.
Natalie and I braved the beach to collect shells left behind by the waves of the previous days. The water on Friday was calm, clear and inviting. I only managed to get in up to my ankles. The water felt pretty good - the air was chilly, though.
Finally - a sunset! No clouds tonight!
After our walk on the beach and after I took sunset pictures, I got brave and decided to go swimming. That's Bob trying out his new camera.

The pool water was warm as bath water! What a pleasant surprise. It was so nice that Natalie and I decided to swim again after supper.

2007-11-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving DinnerCalypso's had a Thanksgiving buffet. Unfortunately, by the time we got there the seafood that was advertised had run out. Grandpa requested a substitute and was permitted to choose one item off the menu to share at the table. So, those who wanted seafood had popcorn shrimp with their Thanksgiving meal!

The buffet consisted of turkey, stuffing (cornbread or crawfish), rolls, gravy, green beans, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, cranberries, ham, chocolate cake (with a creamy filling and whipped cream on top), pecan pie and bread pudding. There may have been other things, but that's all I can remember. It was all very tasty!

A good time was had by all!

Happy Thanksgiving 2007!

2007-11-24T00:47:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Storm

Beach Beauty

The storm never really amounted to much on the beach. In the end, there was a brief shower, but the clouds were very dramatic. Unfortunately, photos do not accurately portray the beauty. But, I took plenty of photos anyway!

(P.S. Blogger was not allowing me to upload photos consistently, so the rest of this post is being completed from home - now that the party is over!)

2007-11-23T23:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Florida!Woke up to a beautiful morning.

Natalie and I took a walk to Sugar Sands to start the day.

Since Thanksgiving was so gorgeous and since Friday's weather threatened to be too cold to spend on the beach, that's where I spent my day. Natalie and I staked out our spot and enjoyed the sunshine.

While I spent time on the beach, the rest of the gang went swimming.
As the day progressed, a cold front approached.

Next, I will post photos of the impending storm (which was really not much of a storm in the end).

2007-11-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

Wednesday Night Supper

Master Beer Pourer

Enjoy the experience. The food was delicious, as always!

2007-11-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

More of Wednesday . . .

Once we came up from the beach Grandpa, Nan, Bob and Natalie got in the pool. Too cold for me!

After the pool, we moved to the hot tub - now that's more my speed (or warmth)!

Nan and Bob figured out how to block the jets and get the water to shoot out the deck.

Some kids never grow up!

What happened to Mickey's hair??That's better! :)
Now, we get ready for supper! :)

Stay tuned . . .

2007-11-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Long Awaited Thanksgiving Trip to Florida :)Natalie and I arrived in Florida at about 11:30 last night. Her afternoon conference was canceled, so we were able to hit the road at 12:30. With the exception of the hour-long delay getting through Birmingham, the trip was blessedly uneventful.
Nan and Terry arrived this morning.
Natalie and I took a morning walk to Sugar Sands and back. Bob and I walked half way to Sugar Sands and back this afternoon. The sand is very soft - makes for slow walking!
Look who came down to the beach today! Can't remember the last time Dad/Grandpa made an appearance down by the water. :) How neat!
What a nice day! Stay tuned for more of Wednesday!

2007-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

Another Great Day! Truthfully, my days are nearly always great. And, it isn't because I'm retired, either. I guess I'm just one of the fortunate ones whose glass is more than half-full 99% of the time. But, really, can you possibly have a bad day when you get to spend it with your favorite grandbaby? I think not! Matt and David went to Indianapolis to see a Colts game and today was Whitney's Derby Dinner day with her grandmother. Guess who got to babysit?
Whitney seems to hate to impose, but nothing could be less of an imposition! She does me a favor when she asks me to stay with Grant. He is just such a warm, toasty, cuddly bundle of joy! And, how precious is that?
And, that?? Look how he plays with his hands. :) He makes the cutest noises now, too, and tries so hard to talk. I sure am enjoying this grandma gig - it's great work if you can get it!
Whitney and Grant came out for supper this evening, too, as did Natalie - since their guys were enroute from Indy. We had a nice, quiet, lazy evening. Grant settled down after supper and slept the remainder of his visit.
I had such a nice day. This was my last dose of Grant for a while, since Natalie and I will be leaving on Tuesday and won't return until next Sunday night. Guess this will have to last me. Hopefully, Mom and Dad will be generous with the photos like they were when Gary and I visited PCB in October. Hint, hint. Thanks to them, once more, for the generous helping of grandbaby.

There's nothing like it!

2007-11-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Note the turkey - precariously perched next to the sudsy dishwater. It was "resting" and with my limited counter space, there weren't too many places for r & r! But, isn't it a beauty?? I'm getting better at this. I will never be as good a cook as my mom, but I have definitely improved over the last 34 years. And, I don't get too many complaints from the peanut gallery, so it must be okay. :)
Since Natalie and I are heading south on Tuesday, we celebrated Thanksgiving on Saturday, 17 November - and it was a very filling celebration - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, 2 kinds of rolls, salad, peas, cranberry sauce, onions and, of course, pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Grant's first Thanksgiving. He was napping when we sat down to eat, but couldn't stand to be away from the commotion, so he came out and joined us. What a sweetheart!
Daddy returned from New York on Friday night and it seems he and Grant can't get enough of each other. :)

Along with all that food comes a guarantee for indigestion and the need for a nap!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

2007-11-14T19:32:00.000-05:00

Grandma's Special Day!! Whitney invited me to babysit for Grant today!
I'd have to be crazy to turn down a day with such a sweetheart! And, crazy I'm not (contrary to popular belief). :)
Grant was sooooooo good and so pleasant. It seems he only cries when he thinks he is never, ever going to eat again. Then chows down like there is no tomorrow.
Such a joy! He squeals and jabbers now and is just so adorable. Funny how you forget how much fun it was when your own kids were that age. I know we had fun - we have plenty of happy photos to prove it - but reliving it with Grant is truly a blessing.
Thanks, Mom, for a terrific day!

[I'm posting another 50 pictures on the web album! Enjoy! (When Matt returns, he can see what he missed!)]

Love to all!

2007-11-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

A Trip to the Airport

Look at their smiles!! Like father, like son!

I have a baby picture of Matt with the crooked smile and numerous photos of Grant with the crooked smile, but this is the first documented photo of both of them smiling crookedly together. How cute is that?

Matt left this afternoon for a 5-day trip to New Jersey/New York for a business trip.
He wasn't too thrilled about leaving his new family at this particular time since babies change so much when they are as young as Grant. But, the week will go quickly and it won't be long before Matt is back home with Whitney and Grant.
Matt will be back on Friday night - in time for Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday (since Natalie and I will be at Grandpa's for the Thanksgiving holiday).
Storytime, "Ten in Bed"

After Matt's flight left, Whitney and Grant came back to the house for the evening.

Natalie with the littlest cardinal fan.

Grant loves his Daddy - and his Uncle David, too. :)

All personality. :)Thanks, again, to Mom and Dad for sharing.

Anytime spent with Grant is a joy!

2007-11-01T09:20:00.000-05:00

A Surprise Visit from the Great Pumpkin!No one was probably more surprised than the Great Pumpkin himself! He fell asleep in the car and woke up at Grandma's and Grandpa's! He's the sweetest, softest pumpkin ever. :)

[Spoken like a true Grandma!]
I just saw him on Monday when he stayed home from daycare with a bellyache and I think he has even changed since then! You gotta love the way his hair matches his outfit. :)

He left the same way he arrived - asleep!

Happy First Halloween to Grant!

And, thanks, again, to Mom and Dad for sharing! :)

2007-10-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

I visited my favorite grandson today! Since I haven't seen Grant for two weeks, I took advantage of the "grandmas can visit anytime" policy at the daycare today and spent several hours with him.
A lot changes in a couple weeks! When I last saw Grant, he was smiling a little, but look at him now! Seems like he grins all the time he is awake. What a sweetheart! He is a happy little boy and he is surrounded by happy little girls at daycare. It's a cheerful place. I think he is going to be very happy there - by the looks of that smile, I'd say he already is!

Thanks, again, to Mom and Dad for sharing. Anytime spent with Grant is always a joy!

2007-10-22T14:58:00.000-05:00

One last walk before we head for home Finally found the pelicans I was looking for - they were fishing for their breakfast between "home" and Sugar Sands. Still smiling - even though I'm heading home.
One last beach photo!
Boy, I hate to say good-bye.

But, it was a little easier this time since I know I'm going back with Natalie for Thanksgiving.

Heading down the Choctawhatchie Bay Bridge - the last view of "big" water.

Thanks for coming along on our trip. We had a great time and are looking forward to next October!

2007-10-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

Beautiful way to end a perfect day . . .

As the sun slowly sinks in the west, so goes the vacation. But, we had a wonderful time - despite illness, red tide and rain. We still had a nice week away from 'everyday' and got to enjoy time together and with Dad/Grandpa. Can't ask for any more than that. Life is definitely good!

2007-10-21T21:53:00.000-05:00

I don't know if sailors were delighted, but we were! Our final day on the beach was gorgeous!
With no waves, I was able to walk out quite a distance. The water was crystal clear and there were large schools of tiny, iridescent fish. I also saw one small (approximately 8") stingray.
See how clear and sparkly? It was a beautiful day!
While I was in the water, taking lots and lots of pictures, Gary was on the beach. I couldn't interest him in exploring. I guess the point of vacation is to do what you want to do - so we were both happy.
This was the kind of day I associate with PCB. This is how I remember the beach was when the kids were little. It was a picture perfect day. And, after all the rain, we really enjoyed it!

[In case you are wondering - Blogger wasn't working on Saturday night.]

2007-10-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

Red Sky at Night . . .

. . . sailor's delight! Should be a beautiful day tomorrow. This sunset was our reward for two rainy days!
A good bowl of hot chili and grilled cheese sandwiches - perfect end to a nearly perfect day!

One more to go. See you tomorrow!

2007-10-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

Friday, continuedFinally found a pelican!!
After our "strenuous" walk to Pinnacle Port and back, we took a few relaxing moments in the hot tub. Wow! It was hot!!
The sun is finally trying to peek through.
See the bird camouflaged in the tree?
Does this little bit of sunshine promise a beautiful sunset?

Stay tuned . . . .

2007-10-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

Another Day in Paradise More rain today. Woke up to storms and had to forfeit our morning walk, again. So, after a breakfast of sausage and egg biscuits, courtesy of Dad/Grandpa, Gary and I went to Winn-Dixie and bought chili fixins. I put together a pot of chili to save us from going out in the miserable weather for supper like last night.After I got the chili started, Gary and I went for a walk. It was sprinkling when we started, but the rain stopped before we reached Sugar Sands. On the way back, I spotted this perfect shell in the water - about knee deep. So, I handed Gary my phone and waded in to get it. When I reached in, the sand gave way from under me and a wave smacked me down! I ended up sitting in water to my shoulders - laughing myself silly. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt, so I really looked ridiculous! But, look at that shell - it was definitely worth it!After a ride down the beach in search of pelicans (no such luck), we came back and took a walk to Pinnacle Port. Look who we found! Looks like Roy Orbison really gets around - we photographed him in Topsail last summer!
We made it to Pinnacle Port! Dad hasn't wanted to walk that far, but the cloudy, cool weather combined with firm, packed sand made it a nice walk.
As you can see, the walk wore somebody out!

I took so many sunset pictures tonight that I will have to continue this to another post.

2007-10-18T17:41:00.000-05:00

Another Beachless Day Woke up to rain, again, today. Since we couldn't take our morning walk, we left early for a ride. It wasn't raining in Rosemary Beach (threatening to rain, but not raining, yet), so we took a walk through the neighborhood. Dad was impressed with the name on the truck!
Postman in front of the post office!
There were reports of tornado touch-downs in the area, but we didn't see anything. Dad/Grandpa saw a waterspout out the window, but no damage anywhere that we could see. It sure rained, poured actually, all day long. The water is really rough and the beach is washing out in spots. All in all, an interesting day for sure!
After an uneventful sunset, we headed to Sonny's for supper!
How about this little guy?

Looks kind of like Matt's baby pictures here. What a cutie. Wonder how he is surviving without his Grandma? (Looks like he's surviving just fine, huh?)

2007-10-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

A Gorgeous DayGood morning . . . the guys eating breakfast after Gary and I returned from our morning walk.
Beautiful day at the beach!
Red tide wasn't too bad - Dad was even able to sit outside to read.
Now there's two readers.
Clouds obscured the sunset, but the colors were still pretty.
After sunset, we enjoyed a delicious supper at Boon Docks tonight! Terrific way to wrap up a beautiful day.

2007-10-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Dreary DayThunderstorms rolled in during the night and we woke up to a dreary, rainy day. Didn't even get our customary morning walk.
We went out shopping and by lunchtime, the rain had moved out. The clouds didn't leave with the rain, but we still were able to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon on the beach - with only a little red tide irritation.

Sunset was rather uneventful, so we left earlier than usual for supper.
As we were zipping down Back Beach Road toward LaFiesta II in PCB, there was a beautiful sky following the sunset. Unfortunately, we didn't slow down enough for a photo, but even blurred, the colors are pretty. Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

At last check, the stars are out, the weather is warm and I was able to stand out on the deck for a while with no red tide symptoms.

Looks like tomorrow will be a great day.

2007-10-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

The Tide Is Still Red . . .

. . . so we took a ride to Seaside today. (Note the mailman standing in front of the post office - not working! :)

After a stop to buy shrimp for tonight, we returned to Dad's where Gary cleaned said shrimp.

Next we went to Books-a-Million, because what is a vacation without a trip to the bookstore?? From there, we went down to the marina where we ate a lunch of carryout McDonald's (because we waited too long to decide where to eat) and did a bit of reading in the beautiful, breezy sunshine - without wheezing, coughing and sneezing. Too bad we had to ride so far to find a sneeze-free zone, but one does what one has to, I suppose.

This is the view from Dad's window. Notice how the palm trees have been trimmed up - hence, fewer picturesque fronds for the photographs. But, the trimmed trees make for a much better view of the water from the room. And, since that is a close as we seem to be able to get to the beach, we appreciate the beautiful view!

And, finally, the perfect sunset. Then, off to Pineapple Willie's for supper.

And, on the homefront - Grant has had a stomach bug and Whitney took him back to the doctor to make sure he wasn't suffering from dehydration. The doctor said that his illness was going to have to run its course and Grant would be fine. On the upside, he was weighed again this week and he weighed in at a whopping 13 lbs. 8 oz. Way to go Grant!

2007-10-14T16:57:00.000-05:00

Today's topic . . . Red Tide

Red tide, you ask? The day was beautiful - southeasterly winds, bright sunshine, a few fluffy clouds - perfect, except for the red tide. According to infomation on the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute site . . . "A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, is currently occurring in northwest Florida with greatest impacts in Bay County." Guess where we are?? Yep, you guessed it - Bay County!

Gary and I attempted to spend time on the beach today. The morning was beautiful - we took a morning walk and noticed that the water even looked clearer than yesterday. After the morning walk, we took a drive down the beach. On the way back, we coughed a few times, but didn't think much of it.

Well, we headed out to the beach and noticed the dead fish rolling in on the waves and found we could barely breathe without coughing. Fortunately for Gary, he didn't appear to suffer as much as I did, but he was still uncomfortable. I returned to the room for lunch, put drops in my eyes and took a Benadryl. Armed with newfound determination, I returned to the beach, but, alas, to no avail. We ended up coming up early today to enjoy the view from the room.

The aggravating thing is - there are other people out there and I don't see anybody else suffering like I did. Maybe you have to be predisposed to allergies to notice a problem. And, for the last several years, I have developed multiple allergies I never had before.

The bright side is - the sunset is still gorgeous, the company is still great, we had a delicious supper at Chinatown and tomorrow will be better. And, if it isn't, we will find something else to do. After all, it takes a lot more than red tide to ruin a vacation!!

And, while we are in Florida, look at what Grant is up to - his ears in pumpkins!

See you tomorrow!

2007-10-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

Sunset #3 (eventually) Today was more successful than yesterday. The temperature was 79 degrees with low humidity. It was perfect. (And, I wasn't sick!)

3
Handsome Pa - gussied up for supper (at Montego Bay)
Pre-Montego Bay where I had a delicious supper of Maryland-style crabcake and garlic mashed potatoes.Beautiful sunset for a wonderful day.

More tomorrow . . . .

2007-10-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Second Sunset . . . . This is the only picture of our first full day of "fun in the sun."

I spent the day in bed sick, sick, sick. I managed to get out to the deck for the evening sunset shot, but then went back to bed.

I spent Wednesday with Matt, Grant and Natalie. Evidently Grant had brought home a "daycare" virus, which Matt and I caught. Natalie got a touch of it, but fortunately didn't get the full force. Matt said that Grant was sick for about 12 hours. Matt was sick for about 24 hours and I was sick for about 36 hours. I guess age was the mitigating circumstance! At any rate, sick or not, I wouldn't pass up the chance to spend time with Grant!

2007-10-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Panama City Beach!

We arrived in Panama City Beach at approximately 6:45 (or 5:45 PCB time). Dad/Grandpa was sitting on the back porch reading and enjoying the beautiful sunset.

This is our first sunset. It's a beauty, isn't it?

It's good to be back!

More tomorrow . . . .

2007-10-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

Look who I'm holding . . . Grant!

And, he's a whopping 11 lbs. 1 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long! He has just taken off! He has gained 3 pounds 3 oz. and 2 inches in length in the last month!
Dad took a "Grant day" to stay home with him after the doctor appointment. Grant received a number of vaccinations today and Dad wanted to give him a little extra attention. I think all the medicine he received pretty much wiped him out. He slept soundly for most of the afternoon. We even went to Moe's for lunch and made a quick trip to Home Depot, but Grant slept through it all.
I hope he is sleeping this peacefully tonight.

As always - thanks for sharing! And, thanks to Natalie for letting me do all the holding. My visit today will have to hold me over for a while. Love you guys!

My next post will be from sunny Florida!

2007-10-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Today was such a fun day . . . .

Whitney returned to work on Wednesday of this week after an 8-week maternity leave. Grant isn't scheduled to begin daycare until Monday, 8 October, so someone was needed to babysit on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Whitney's mom is in town visiting from Utah, so she stayed with Grant on Wednesday and Thursday. For the sake of 'fairness,' I was invited to stay with him today. Knowing Whitney's mom lives so far away, I would have understood perfectly if she had been asked to do all three days, BUT I was elated to have the opportunity to spend today with him!

Grant is growing so quickly. If you saw him at the wienie roast, you will notice that he looks even a bit larger than last Saturday. He is so pleasant, too. The only time he seems to fuss is when he is hungry. He is such a joy to be around. He is cuddly, that's for sure. But, rather than holding him constantly, I put him down on his "fancy blanket" several times to play and he loved it. He also loves to have his diaper changed - he smiles and just gets really happy when he hits the changing table! He took a couple brief naps in his swing and a pretty lengthy nap on his "fancy blanket." [I'm sure there is a real name for the blanket, but I don't have a clue what it is!]

Gary was off today, so he spent a good deal of the day with us. Today is Uncle David's day off, too, so he came over for a little while as well. Once again, it takes a village, huh? Actually, we all just love it when we get the opportunity to spend time with the little guy. He is awfully special to us, no doubt about it.

Thanks to Whitney and Matt for the invitation!

You've got a keeper there!

2007-10-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

The 2007 AGHMWR (continued) In an effort to get as many pictures posted as possible, I decided to try multiples. The pictures are small, but it gives you a better view of our festivities! The fire was lit before dark and we all started cooking hotdogs long before it cooled enough to get near it. Patience is a virtue, so I'm told - I'm not sure I will ever know that for a fact. :)
Before sundown, Grant was the star. After sundown, the fire was the star - well, maybe. Grant may only be 7 weeks old, but he certainly capitivated a lot of people!
The weather was good - no rain and in the 50's - considerably warmer by the fire, though - hence the short clothes on some of us.
Everyone seemed to have a good time. It is fun to have a campfire family reunion each year! Actually, it is one of my favorite days of the year! I get more excited than anyone else. I just love sitting around the campfire - cooking hotdogs and marshmallows on a fork. It is great to have everyone together and there is plenty of room for the kids to play. The boys were so good and I think they had a great time, too!
Grandma Hewitt had no idea what she started when she introduced me to my first wiener roast! It took me a few years to get this going, but I'm glad we've begun a new tradition.

I hope everyone had half as much fun as I did!

Thanks to Jake and Christy for driving the farthest; to Alissa, Drew and Nick for making the trek from Hopkinsville; and to all those who live not-so-far - Nan & Terry; Grandpa; Doug & Kellie; Natalie & David; and Matt, Whitney & Grant. Next year we will shoot for a few more family members - Andy; Chip, Shira & Aiva; Ted, Jodi & Chris; and Bob & Janet - then it will be a full-fledged family reunion!

Thanks for the fun! See you again next year!

For more photos, see Alissa's blog , dated 30 September, and her flickr site.

2007-09-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

The 2007 Annual Grandma Hewitt "Memorial" Wienie Roast

Notice we've added "memorial" to the title this year, because after all, this event is in memory of the great wienie roasts my Grandma Hewitt arranged every year after they moved from Erie to Harborcreek! :)

Our 2007 wienie roast was notable as Grant's very first wienie roast - at 7 weeks old. He was quite a trouper, too. He was passed to everyone over the course of the evening and never fussed. He was a hit, I think. (But, then, he is always a hit with Grandma!)

Now that I've wowed everyone with the Grant pictures, I will write a post about the wienie roast! Stay tuned . . . .

2007-09-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

One Month +

Grant had his one month plus doctor visit today and weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. He has made great progress in the last couple weeks! He is now 20 1/2 inches long, too. Because of his reflux, the doctor prescribed an infant antacid and recommended a tablespoon of cereal be added to his bottle. With the extra bulk in his diet, I suspect he will grow even quicker.

He's obviously enjoying the extra nourishment! Have you ever seen anyone more comfortable and content? :)

He likes it so much, he's ready for more! :)

We all sure enjoy him. Thanks to Whitney and Matt for sharing!

2007-09-09T10:26:00.000-05:00

Hmmmmm . . . . Maybe It Really Does Take a Village :) Well, maybe not.

Whitney and Matt needed to attend a wedding rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner on Friday evening and Gary and I were asked to watch Grant! What a chore, huh? I can't think of anything we'd rather do, to be perfectly honest!! Grant is so cute. There is nothing more relaxing than holding a baby, believe me - especially your very own grandbaby or nephew!

Natalie and David came over for the evening, too, hence Matt's comment, "I guess it really does take a village." But, we all just wanted to enjoy some Grant time!

This lucky fella will never lack for love, that's for sure - what with loving parents, grandparents, aunts and an uncle all doting on him!

Life is definitely good!

2007-09-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

No Weigh-In This Week . . . .

but, still cute. :)

2007-09-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Grant!

Grant weighed in, again, today and he has gained 8 oz. since his appoinment on Monday!

The big guy is up to 6 lb. 8 oz. :) Way to go!
And, as you can see - all that eating makes a boy very sleepy!

Love to the happy family!

2007-08-31T16:25:00.000-05:00

Two Things . . . .

First and most importantly, Grant turned 3 weeks old yesterday, 30 August. That was also the day of the first UL home football game, so I got to go over to Whitney and Matt's to help with Grant for a little while. He is so cute. What a joy to be able to spend time with them! This retirement stuff is great!

Also, as promised, here is a photo of my antique "find." Turns out it has three full-size drawers with the two glove drawers on top and a marble insert. It needs a little work, primarily new hardware! The drawer pulls are awful! But, I wasn't looking for a picture-perfect piece and I really like it. I can't wait to get it cleaned up and ready to use!

Here ends another week!

Happy Labor Day to all!

2007-08-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

Big Day!
Whitney and Matt's little blessing topped 6 lbs. at his weigh-in yesterday!

Hip hip hooray!

What a sweetheart he is and what good parents he is lucky enough to have!

On a completely different topic, I went shopping with Judy Johnson yesterday and finally found a chest of drawers for my "guest/baby" room. I've paid for it, but Gary and I have to go back to pick it up on Friday. If I remember correctly, it is 4 drawers, with 2 glove drawers on top - it also has a small marble insert. It is an antique, but more in the "collectible" vein - rustic, maybe. Anyway, I like it and can't wait to get it home and cleaned up. I will take a picture of it - with the tacky drawer pulls on it - when I get it. The hardware is the first thing to be changed, believe me. But, it is a neat piece of furniture and just what I wanted - vintage, not new.

Well, that's all for today. Just thought I'd let you know that Grant gained 11 ounces in 3 days - I think he is on his way!

2007-08-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

A Fair Evening . . . . Natalie and I spent last evening at the Kentucky State Fair. We had a good time - doing nothing in particular. It was Kroger night, so we had a free dinner consisting of a hotdog, salad of choice, chips of choice, beverage. Not bad for free. :) After supper, we checked out the art and promotional exhibits. Found four of Alissa's five photos. Terrific work, Alissa! You should have won something! Your photos were certainly much better than some of the "winners"!
Free supper or not, we had to have a funnel cake. Never had one before last year, but now that I know what they are, they are mandatory fair food! We shared one, although we've no proof I ate any - but we see Natalie chowing down!
The only ferris wheel this year was the one with gondolas. I prefer the open seat type, but there wasn't one; so, we did the gondola ferris wheel and enjoyed it. It is the only ride we do and I guess because of the skimpy crowd, we seemed to get an extra long ride. :)
Trees obscured most of my view of the midway, but this is what I could see. I love the view from atop the ferris wheel.
The end of a perfect evening. No one was available to take our picture - so we took it ourselves! Great time! Thanks, Natalie, for accompanying an old grandma to the fair! :)

2007-08-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Worth the Trip Home, Right?

Matt and Whitney invited us to visit Grant after we returned from our trip. It was an offer we could not refuse! We'd kept in touch by phone and via photos, but there's nothing like the real thing. Grant is adorable. I think we will definitely keep him!

2007-08-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Home, Again

On Tuesday, 14 August, we left Erie after a stop to fill up the car and to buy oxroast from Carmosino's.

Shortly after getting on I-90, we passed a couple signs to remind us what we'd seen! Actually, the most we saw of Waldameer was what you could see from the road as we entered Presque Isle. Jim McEldowney told us that Waldameer is building a new Ravine Flyer - like the one that used to cross over the beach road. I guess it will be ready next year.

We ate breakfast at Mr. C's in Ashtabula, Ohio. I'll bet they wondered at Perkins whatever happened to us! Mr. C's didn't look like much from the highway, but Dad and Ma had eaten there and Dad knew it would be good. And, it was - good, quick, inexpensive. A very nice place.

[This photo was taken as we were leaving the parking lot - the lady in the car next to us thought I was taking her picture. :)]

We arrived home in record time - due in part to the fact that we missed the Cincinnati bypass and drove straight through town. At that hour of the day, the traffic wasn't bad and we actually saved time going that way.

We had a great trip down Memory Lane. I think the only thing that would make it better would be if Dad could share his memories with all of us kids. I have to relearn the memories each time I go up there because I never lived there (well, I did for 11 months, but I certainly don't remember that). Here's hoping something can be worked out next summer so Bob and Nan can go, too. Dad would really love that! Still, he and I had a great time and we will definitely do it again next year - just not for the reunion because it's been scheduled for Grant's first birthday (and Chip's 31st birthday)!

Start making plans for next summer, guys!

2007-08-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

Wrapping Up Day 4Monday was a beautiful day, as you can see by the pictures from the peninsula and the pier. Sunday was the only day we had rain and it didn't amount to much (except when we were visiting Aunt Connie and Uncle Bill). The temperatures were cool compared to Louisville - highs in the low 80's or high 70's/lows in the low 60's or high 50's. The days were very pleasant and seemed very short! Grandpa had us burning our candles at both ends - we saw a lot in a short time!
We ate at McGarrey's Cafe - a place Dad had eaten with Martha Stoops and Danny last time he was in Erie. I had the oxroast sandwich (dry - no juice). It was good, but it would have been better if it was a little sloppier!
This was formerly Easton's Grocery where Grandma V. worked when Ma and Uncle Bill were young. Now it is a Battery Outlet, but at least the building is still there.
This is Franklin Terrace - 635-B. I think Dad and Ma's apartment was the second from this end. It is not the best area anymore - Dad was concerned about taking his vehicle with the WEWs through there. But, once you got inside the neighborhood, it was not as bad as we thought. It seems to be pretty well-tended. I noticed that about all of Erie. Even the least desirable neighborhoods are clean. The whole town, though old, is very clean and inviting. I was quite impressed by that. If it wasn't so far north, it would be a desirable place to live. But, my thin blood would not like the winters there, I guarantee it!
And, finally, we rounded out our last day riding around the fountain at least 10 times (maybe more) to see if it changed colors. Well, it did change from white to yellow and then to blue, but we never saw any other colors. This is the best photo I was able to get from the car. The blue didn't show up at all.

Dad and I were reluctant to call it a day. We had a wonderful trip and hated to see it end!

2007-08-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

Memory Lane, Day 4 (continued)

More views from the top of the observation tower at

Dobbins LandingThe Maritime Center and the Flagship Niagara
Hamot Hospital - takes up a full city block
Small white tower just below the horizon near the center of the picture - St. Vincent's
Needs no explanation :)
Perch fishing tour boat

2007-08-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

Onward - More of Day 4

Back to the pier, as promised. Plenty of parking now, so we stopped in a front-row spot and went inside to do our souvenir shopping. Souvenirs were exorbitantly priced, so nobody got much! After spending a small fortune, we took the ride to the top of the tower to enjoy the view.

Dad didn't want people to think he was the only person on the trip, so he took my picture - while I was talking to Matt about Grant, who was 5 days old at this point. :)

This is the new bayfront convention center.

View of State Street

Here's debonair Dad looking out over the bay. :)

Slightly fuzzy view of Waterworks where the bay taxi is departing Presque Isle for the pier.

Don't go away - I've got more. :)

2007-08-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

No, I Didn't Take This Trip By Myself . . . . Since most of the photos were taken from a moving vehicle and since Dad and I did very little get-out-and-walk sightseeing, Dad has been conspicuously absent for much of my vacation blog. But, yes, he was with me. You saw him yesterday on the boat - well, here he is leaving the boat. :)
The infamous Lady Kate
We are here! (Misery Bay)
Another view from the monument area.
After the boat ride, we rode through the rest of the peninisula - past Beach 11 (Thompson's Bay), Beach 10 (Budney Beach - named for the first person to successfully swim from Canada to Erie) and on out to the entrance of the park. At the entrance there is a campground and drive-in diner called Sara's where we finished up our trip to Presque Isle with a delicious soft-serve chocolate ice cream cone! After all, what is a trip to the beach without the ice cream cone? All that was missing was the sandy hotdogs!

2007-08-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

More Pictures from the Lady Kate, Day 4Telephoto from a bumpy boat - that's the Flagship Niagara.
Didn't have time to zoom in for this shot - thought the diving duck was a good picture. :)
Passing the North Pier lighthouse on the way back to Misery Bay
Self-explanatory :)
Perry Monument

More to come . . . .

2007-08-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

More Pictures of Presque Isle, Day 4 We passed the marina as we drove around the perimeter of the park. When we got to the Perry Monument, Dad offered me a ride on the Lady Kate, the boat I'd seen on Saturday. We thought we were going to tour the bay. As it turned out, we went out into the lake. It was great fun - beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, pleasant guide - all adds up to a fun time! And, lots of photos - only a few of which I will post. :)

[P.S. I didn't even ask for the ride, Dad volunteered! And, I'm glad he did.]
Heading out of Misery Bay past the Perry Monument
The Coast Guard Station
The old Hammermill paper factory - no longer in use
Presque Isle Lighthouse

Stay tuned for more . . . . :)

2007-08-18T08:21:00.000-05:00

Memory Lane, Day 4 Dad and I considered Monday our "free" day - free to do whatever we wanted to do - nothing was planned for us. Our first stop (after breakfast at Perkins :) was the pier, passing the back of Academy on the way. We got to the pier and it was so crowded, we decided to save that for later in the day and headed to the peninsula instead.

I took so many pictures of the bay, there's no way you want to look at them all, but here are a few. The next post will have more, I'm sure!

2007-08-17T18:03:00.000-05:00

Wrapping Up Day 3

We rounded out Day 3 with an early supper at Barbato's on West 38th, then a trip to Amy & Jim's in Edinboro.

The best spaghetti! Mmmmm . . . .

Not the best picture, but I thought you might like to know that Dad was on this trip with me. Most of the pictures are of things and places. Yes, Dad was there, too! Anyway, after we ate, I made the customary pitstop, knowing we were going out to Edinboro for the evening - so did Dad. I come out of the restroom after washing the spaghetti stain off my shirt and Dad was sitting by the door waiting. We got in the car and headed south. When we got back to the motel that night, I hear a knock on my door. I peek out and it's Dad. He said when he was taking off his shirt, he patted the pocket and found a receipt - for Barbato's. He'd put the receipt in there when he went to the restroom and left the restaurant without paying the bill. No one stopped us or said a word. We went back on Monday and Dad paid the bill - and they were amazed at his honesty! Sounds like something I would do! We had a good laugh, that's for sure. (This picture was taken after he paid the bill - not after we'd eaten. :)

We spent a nice evening with Amy, Jim and the kids. This is Jake - 10, Luke - 7 (I think) and Amy - 36. :)

This is Elise - 3 1/2, and Jim - probably 36, too. :)

Nice family portrait. The kids are all a bit rambunctious, but I think most of that was because they had an audience - and a camera to perform for. They were cute. Amy and Jim were gracious hosts, as always. It was a good visit. I hadn't seen them in 5 years and they had changed a lot.

Well, this concludes Day 3 of the stroll down Memory Lane. One more FULL day to go!

2007-08-17T08:44:00.000-05:00

More of Day 3The cemetery in Northeast is more inviting than it used to be. The trees are growing and someone seems to be tending the graves. Grandma Hewitt wanted to be buried on the hill where she could see her grapes and play cards with her sisters, Neal and Olie, while overlooking the lake. As fate would have it, there are trees now obscuring the view of Lake Erie, but I'm sure she has a pretty good view of the lake anyway!
Aunt Connie and Uncle Bill are buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery on Sterretania Road. By the time we got back to Erie, it was raining - enough to drench me because I wouldn't leave until all the weeds were pulled from the little flower garden around the headstone. I guess either Amy or Jim planted the flowers, but they had become pretty overgrown, so I made it my business to clean up the flower patch. Needless to say, we had to go back to the motel so I could change into dry clothes. Dry and rested, we headed out Lake Pleasant Road to Arbuckle. This is the lake the road was named after. :)
We found Arbuckle, but there wasn't much there to see. (If you get to Wattsburg Road, you've gone too far. That's the way Dad really knew where we were.) Dad remembered the cabin on French Creek he used to go to when he was a kid. The road the cabin was on is now someone's driveway. No cabin anymore.

Arbuckle itself used to be several houses and a feed store. The feed store is now a carpet outlet. Go figure - miles from nowhere, a community of about 10 houses (at the very most) and a carpet outlet.

We drove up the hill on the dirt road looking for Dad's grandma's house, but never found what he was looking for. He remembers it sitting up a sloping hill and we found what looked like the yard, but with a much newer house on it. Although it was a picturesque farm community, it hardly seemed to warrant its own sign. :)

From there we headed back to Erie through Waterford. We went through there in a line of traffic - too fast for me to get any pictures. We passed Crystelle's (sp?) house and the little park we used to play in while Dad and Ma visited with Crystelle. We also passed the store that used to say HEWITT on it in huge letters, but by now it has probably been painted over a half-dozen times. We went down the road where Grandpa Hewitt grew up, but Dad didn't really know what to look for, so we turned around and headed back out Perry Highway toward the motel.

2007-08-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

Memory Lane, Day 3Once we ate our breakfast at Perkins on Peach Street, our main objective for Sunday was to put flowers on the graves of both sets of grandparents and Aunt Connie and Uncle Bill. We started with a trip to Erie Cemetery to visit Grandma and Grandpa Volgstadt. Grandpa was only 55 when he died! Wow, that will make you stop and think - especially if you are 55!
For future reference, they are near the road in section 14 - between two huge trees.
After Erie Cemetery we headed for Northeast, PA, to visit Grandma and Grandpa Hewitt, passing Saint Vincent Medical Center on our way. Hmmmm - what does it say about a hospital when it is so close to a cemetery??
Photos taken while the car is moving aren't always the best, are they? You will notice I took a number of them, though. Dad slowed as much as he could without holding up traffic, but most of my pictures were taken on the run. :)
Dad thinks Ma was in the far left room of either the first or second floor when Nan was born. :)

To be continued . . . .

2007-08-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

Memory Lane - The End of Day 2

After Dad's reunion, we rode out to Harborcreek to see where Grandma and Grandpa Hewitt used to live. Well, we already knew that their place was no longer there, but we rode down Villa Sites anyway. Their trailer is long gone and a house has been built on the lot. The current owners do not keep the place nearly as neat as Grandma and Grandpa did.

We rode out past Grandma's church - where her funeral was - and then back in Buffalo Road to Erie. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of Harborcreek. Since Grandma and Grandpa's trailer was no longer there, there wasn't much to photograph!

Oh, look! Another glimpse of Hamot Hospital. We took the Bayfront Parkway to get to Jim's, giving me a perfect opportunity to photograph Erie's finest hospital! :)

After a couple hours visiting with Jim and Rachelle, they took us to watch the sunset over Lake Erie. It's not the ocean, but it is still beautiful!

As the sun set, we said our good-byes and headed back to Erie to get a late supper. We ended up at the Eat 'n Park on Peach Street, where I had a bowl of chili that was jam-packed with beans. Gary would have loved it! It was good, but I'm not as much of a bean eater as Gary.

Day 2 has come to a close. Coming up - Day 3.