NEW ORLEANS & MARILLYN

Here we find ourselves in New Orleans, and Peggy, my cousin, is with us. We just arrived last night and are ensconced at a pleasant motel out on I-10. We've had breakfast and are about to get out for a little while. We are due at our cousin's house, Marillyn, at about 11 AM after she has completed therapy.

Marillyn was married to our cousin, Cyril, for over 50 years, when he died about 10 months after New Orleans flooded. Marillyn has been having some problems, so we have come to help out where we can. It will be fun to visit with her today. We will be with her till the weekend. She is a wonderful character, someone I have held as special since I met her as a teenager.

We hope to get Peg downtown to see some of the wonderful sight of New Orleans. We love to ride the cablecars out St. Charles and walk along the Mississippi River. That is scheduled for Fred & Peg, even if I don't get to do it. More later.

Time to Catch UP!

It has been ages since I blogged something, so I really think it is time to do a little writing.

I have just returned from 2 weeks with my cousin, Peggy Carty, in the Tampa/St. Pete area. We had so much fun, house sitting for her son Scott...and his wonderful African spiked tortoise, Bucky. We enjoyed lots of time with other son, Doug, and his family while Scott and his family went to Costa Rica to do some surfing.

Peg's grandson, JT, did some going with us...like to the Tampa Aquarium and to the Bird Sanctuary at Redington Shores. JT is going into 3rd grade this year...he is a sport. He is fun having around when you are visiting places like the Aquarium and the Sanctuary.

Peg and I also spent 2-weeks playing cards...Spite & Malice...at a penny a point. We have "banks" of 50 pennies each. When someone wins all the pennies, we declare that person WINNER, and split the pennies out again. So far, she won one; I won one; and she is 59 to my 41 ahead on our third game. I takes lots and lots of hands to get to where we are right now. We'll pick up where we left off on Saturday.

We also ate lots of fish...none that we caught fishing, though. We found a great place down in Belleair...Wards, it's called... that sells fantastic She-crab soup and smoked mullet. I even brought mullet home for Fred to try; he likes it, but not nearly so much as I do.

But, my really BIG news arrived last Dec. 31...We have a new granddaughter, Scarlett Skye Hardin. SHE IS ADORABLE! At 6 months old, she is full of smiles and giggles. I spent her first 4-weeks in Chicago in January, and I became so attached to her.

Max and Ash still have a huge part of my heart. They are growing into such wonderful little boys. Max was 4 last October, and Ash turns 3 on July 11. They are so much fun...and they love going to play-school at the Crown Center. They are so quick to learn everything that is put before them...and I do love MY Boys!

Then, at the end of March and beginning of April, I spent time with them at their condo at Disney World. I go down to enjoy the world during the day so Greg & Kelly can go out at night...a great exchange. Next year, Grandpa Fred will be joining us at The World next year.

In April I had a lap band put in at the top of my stomach to help me lose some of my tonnage. So far (since April 18), I have dropped over 40 pounds. My clothes are getting very baggy and my self-esteem has risen many notches.

I still love photography, and I take pictures of everything! I love to "shoot" birds and bug and sunsets. On the trip last summer out to the National Parks in the Rockies, Fred shot a bunch of photos, but I took over 5000 that I am still editing.

Fred retired in May, so we are now ready to travel and see some of the country. Right now Fred is scalp-deep in directing Warner Robins Little Theatre's Treasure Island. It will open July 8 and run for 3 weeks.

The post card I posted was designed by our younger son, Jeff. His work is so beautiful. Jeff is such a talented artist. He has been doing his Dad's play posters & post cards. His magic touch produces such outstanding pieces of art.

Jeff was married a year ago this past May 2. He married a real sweetie...Deanna...and we are so thrilled to have another daughter in our family. They live in Atlanta where Jeff works on his art. He also goes to art conventions all over the southeast. Deanna is a busy worker also, managing a condo/apartment complex just north of Atlanta.

Fred and I stay busy. He has been working to beautify our backyard, putting it back into order after we had a stone patio and stone walkways added. He has arranged plants and added a brick and stone sitting area out by the azaleas. It does look nice. I have sprigged the open area with grass, and, if I stay home a little more, I will get some other things done also. Our pond looks great, and Fred has also added a fish-spurting fountain.

So, that sorta catches up on all our doings. Perhaps I can be a bit more attentive to my blog...I sure enjoy reading the blogs of other.

Happy Granny in Chicago

GREG & KELLY HAVE A HOUSE!!

Today, Sunday, January 10th, 2009, Greg & Kelly called to let us know...

They have a house!

Now, it is not the one they had been waiting for the bank to finish it's paper work on; that was on Dewey Street. This one is on Mulford St., and it seems a perfect fit for what they need. We looked it up on Google World and loved the tour around it.

The top photo is the initial listing photo.

This is now it looks right now with all the snow.

Fred and I are so excited we can barely contain ourselves. They will have a closing in February and be moving in sometime around then. The lease on the apartment does not end until April, so they will have time to do what they want to do to get the place ready for them.

It is an older house; Kelly thinks it was built around 1909, but the previous owners loved and cared for it. It's both clean and nicely appointed inside, with some appliances (washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove), but it does need a new hot water heater. It is LONG, and very roomy, with a full finished basement and an upstairs also. There is a 2-car garage out back (not connected to the house); there is a backyard that is grassed and a paved area for play or extra parking.

Anyway, Kelly will probably blog the details and some good pictures, ones they have taken. I uploaded a few from the reality's web site. I will put them below so you can see a little of what has us all excited.

I believe this is one of the bedrooms.

This is the upstairs landing.

I'm thinking this is the den and backdoor...but it could be the front room.

The kitchen.


This is a view in the backyard, the back of the house.

Traveling Thanksgiving Week Nov. 22-27, 2009

Fred & I left for North Carolina and his brother's home Sunday morning. His play had closed Saturday night and Thanksgiving week was ahead of us. We had a VERY rainy drive up through Rabun Gap through Asheville and on to Gene & Carolyn's home in Spindale, NC. We left home in rain, traveled in rain, and arrived in Spindale in rain! During our visit with Gene & Carolyn, we attended the Spencer Baptist Church Thanksgiving dinner (Sunday night) and Carolyn's sorority potluck Thanksgiving dinner (Monday night). We enjoyed going out shopping on Monday. Best of all was the visiting with them, catching up on conversations and family. As we left Spindale, we encountered a herd of buffalo (American bison) at the Pea Ridge exit on Hwy. 74. North Carolina has a lovely herd of those big hairy beasts, and we stopped to give them a look. Tuesday morning we headed for Pigeon Forge, TN, to relax and see the place we had heard so much about. We stopped just north of Asheville to visit with Fred's college roomate, Les Stowe. It's always great to see him.

The drive over the Smoky Mountains on Tuesday was beautiful; we both love the mountains. Our day was sunny and comfortable. The views were spectacular! The clouds climbing the mountains as viewed from Newfound Gap were awesome! We took all day to get across from NC to TN and Pigeon Forge. It was definitely not rainy weather!

Before we crossed the Mountains, we enjoyed a stop at Cherokee, NC, to wander through the shops and to photograph their Bears On Parade.

While there, Fred found himself a beautiful leather jacket with all the trimmings. He wore that jacket every where we went and received many compliments for it.

WOW! Had Pigeon Forge changed since we last passed through it some 20 or so years ago. Then it was a four-laned highway with a few shops on either side; now it is a whopping tourist/shopper town; it has grown tremendously since Dolly Parton began to add attractions and jobs. If you are an outlet-shopper, this is definitely the place to visit.

Dinner Tuesday night at Pigeon Forge was at Mama's Kitchen. Now, if you like hometown, Southern cooking and plenty of it, this is definitely the restaurant to visit. It is served family style and 2nds are available, IF you can hold it. DELICIOUS! Wednesday we slept in and relaxed. Driving around Pigeon Forge was fun. We made reservations to spend Thanksgiving lunch (1:00 show) at the Dixie Stampede. We enjoyed a stroll around The Old Mill District and found our favorite restaurant, Old Mill Cafe. Lunch was there, and the food was great. There were some nice artists' galleries and other shops to browse. Then we headed for Cades Cove, a favorite area in the Smokies.
Going out to the Cove was a longer drive than we remembered, but riding along the river almost all the way was a treat. Seeing the water falls, rocky rapids, and smoothe reflective areas...well, we stopped regularly to take pictures...it was soooo beautiful.

Our drive around the Loop Road in the Cove was lovely. Deer, bear, turkeys, raccoons, ground hogs...they were all out to graze and add winter fat. Again, we stopped regularly to take pictures. The mountains surrounding the Cove were a delight, especially as the sun set when they turned from blue to pink!

Thursday morning...Thanksgivings Day...found us up early and ready to scout around the city. At 11:00 am we parked at Dixie Stampede. You arrive early for the pre-show, a group of 3

fellas who knew how to play their instruments. By 1:00 we were settling into our seats for the Stampede show....lots of horses, trick-riding, funny skits, and a beautiful Nativity, camels and Wise Men included.

Lunch was vegetable-cream soup you drink from individual handled pots, a rotisserie chicken, sliced pork roast, potato wedges, rolls & butter, with a puffed-pastry for desert. (We definitely brought out a "doggie bag.") And the whole time you are eating, you are involved in a wonderful show that included the neatest "snow" like we had encountered at Disney World one Christmas. We really enjoyed ourselves.

After the show, Fred and I drove back up into the Smokies. Our destination was The Chimneys Picnic area, but we went on up a little ways beyond, to The Chimneys overlook, so we could photograph the mountain's twin peaks. We ran into SNOW...real snow! We had lots of fun in the flurries; at that time, nothing was sticking. But I took a neat video of the experience. Now I know you folks who see snow all the time won't be excited by flurries, but for us warm-weather folks, this was a treat.



By 6:30 we were back in Pigeon Forge, and our Stampede lunch was gone. We decided to go back to the Old Mill Cafe, perhaps to have soup and a sandwich. Instead, since they were serving only Thanksgiving dinner, Fred and I enjoyed the most delicious meal one might find on a trip at Thanksgiving...stuffed-potato soup, ambrosia salad, turkey, ham, roast beef, dressing, mashed potatoes, lucious green beans, stewed corn, rolls, and for desert d-licious pumpkin pie. Once again, we walked out with a "doggie bag" for dinner the next evening.

Friday morning found Fred & I heading for home via The Smoky Mountains. We could have gone home more quickly by heading for the Interstate, but the chance to be in the mountains one more time was just too alluring...and what a parting gift we were given! First was our encounter with the bear on the Hairpin Curve.


Then we began to see the snow. We had encountered it in the flurries on Thanksgiving day. (I never could get the video to work on the blog.) Well it stuck on the upper regions...the mountains had been flocked with the white stuff!
We both took lots of pictures, and I will put them in below here. The frosty mountains were breath-taking. Every time you took a picture of what seemed the most beautiful scene, you saw a dozen more spots needing to be photographed.



By the time we arrived at Newfound Gap (state line for TN & NC), the temperature had reached 30 degrees and the wind was fierce...made the temp feel more like 15 degrees. The snow was and inch or two on the ground, so there were lots of snowball fights going on amongst the younger set. Everything was flocked with snow and ice...a Christmas card arriving early for those lucky enough to see it.

Once we started down from Newfound Gap most of the ice and snow disappeared and the temperature rose.

By the time we arrived in Cherokee, the temp was about 49 degrees and there was very little wind. Our drive home was pleasant. We arrived back home in WR in time to pick Augie up at the kennels. We were back in "civilization" and our adventure was ended. We ate supper from our "doggie bags" and reminisced about the trip. OH, WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME at Pigeon Forge & The Smoky Mountains.

OCTOBER IN CHICAGO Part 1

Wednesday, Oct. 7, found this Granny on the way to her Grandsons in Chicago. The drive up to Atlanta Airport was easy thanks to Groome Transportation. The flight via United was about as smoothe as sitting on your kitchen chair....never quite as comfortable. One of our attendents became very ill..."Is there a doctor or some with medical training on the plane?" Last time I heard that I was the sick person. Anyway, they cleared runways and air space to put us on the ground at O'Hare as quickly as we could manage.

Best part comes at the end of the flight...two blue-eyed darlings grinning from ear-to-ear, each shouting his version of "Granny." It really warms this ole lady's heart.

Our visit out to the Brookfield Zoo was much fun. I had some great shots of the kids with the animals, but my Fuji camera I have used so long fouled the photo chip...I lost all but about 8 or 9 photos and all the video clips except one.

The Zoo was a lovely place to be on a crisp Sunday afternoon. The boys loved the Family House where they could do all sorts of activities especially designed for small children. I think their favorite was the spray garden. It is warm and somewhat tropical. Children are given spray bottles filled with water. They can "water" any of the plants in the garden; they loved it.

Early this morning, Greg & Kelly left for Disney World, on a long weekend get-away. The boys and I are doing fine. Right now they are eating popcorn.

As the evening progress, Greg became a bit whiny...something he just doesn't do. He was warm and all of a sudden he wanted to go to bed. He was asleep before Ash was changed and ready for bed. Max woke up crying at about 9:00 pm, so I gave him some baby tylenol. He slept till about 4:30 am, then got into the bed with me. We all slept till 8:00 am.

August Is A Rush!

Time has flown since we returned home on June 23rd from our fun Anniversary Trip to Key West and the Florida Everglades. Summer's gone and we are settling back into the school-year-routine. I enjoy my retirement...still. I am hoping to be a volunteer at Miller Elementary and perhaps, over at Russell Elementary. My paper work in turned in; it's in the school's ball park now.

Yesterday I had a very remarkable experience...up close with a red tailed hawk! I was working on my computer and watching Man from Snowy River here on the lanai where our computers are. The lanai is glassed on three sides so we can enjoy the outdoors while staying in from the mosquitos (summer) and cold (winter).

Anyway, as I was working, I caught a glimpse of something big plummeting onto our patio. Immediately I thought, "HAWK!" We have one that is in residence down the hill in Fountain Park woods; it flies over our area on patrol daily. I figured it had just captured one of our songbirds for lunch. I carefully rose from my chair and edged over to the door to see what was going on.

The hawk was not ON the patio; it was sitting on the edge of a small fountain beside the lanai door, drinking. When he raised his head, he and I locked eyes for a brief moment...it looked big and fierce, but so beautiful. With a twisting leap, it opened those huge wings and lifted off. Away he flew through our trees, skyward. It was a magnificent bird and a magnificent moment!

I found a picture of a red tailed hawk on Google. I have borrowed it to show you what one of these exciting raptors look like. I did not have enough presence of mind to grab my camera yesterday. The whole incident happened is less than a minute, probably...but it was soooo memorable.

Then tonight I had the fun of talking with my dear friend, Fern. Her sons are setting up a computer cafe next door to Ariel, Fern's elder son, in Mabalacat, Philippines. We set up tonight to try to do a conversation over Yahoo Messenger. It Worked! Once again we could talk face to face, thanks to today's technology. And we did not run up any kind of a phone bill like when we talk on a cell phone.

All of the children, Fern's grandchildren, were there. They wanted to talk to "Tia" or Granny, as they call me. My how 2 years has made a difference in them. They have grown so much. But Fern (and I) decided we have not changed since I was there.
She looks good, and it was soooo great to see her. The reception on the sound was not as good as we wanted, but JC, the youngest grandson, aged 4, was being very noisy playing a "shoot shoot" game next to her.

Two years ago today, early in the morning of Aug. 21, I began the long flight home from a wonderful 3 weeks visiting with Fern and all my Philippine Family. We had celebrated Fern's 70th Birthday on Aug. 19. Her family hosted and fed over 400 guests. That was so much fun! A few of them spoke English and I am so glad. I had lost all the Tagalog I had learned 50 years ago when my family lived at Clark AFB. But there are many ways to communicate other than with words.

This is Fern and I in 1956 up in the Baguio market. She went with us everywhere, and my parents would have adopted her and brought her home, but she chickened out at the last moment. Fifty years later we shared many moments during the 3 weeks I visited with her.

The grandkids were so much fun. Little JC is the only one missing in this shot.