Thursday, September 30, 2010

Have you even agreed to do something that at the time seems like a great idea and then when you get there you dread it? I seem to do that more and more. I think it is mostly because I am in a rut. After a 9 hour day at work, I just want to come home and relax. But anything extra I do in my life is usually done after work. To be perfectly honest, though, I spend more time dreading after work activities than actually doing them. Jessica and I are doing a program together tonight at a county school. While I love doing these programs, it certainly makes for a long day. And to top it off, I have an all day training at work, so it will be a lot of confined time and energy. I guess age has something to do with this feeling. We used to have activities all the time when the kids were in school. We went to hundreds of football and baseball games, wrestling meets, musicals, concerts and plays. Looking back, I wonder how we managed. I think it is the little thing I like to call "automatic pilot". I put myself in this mode when I have lots to do. I just hit go, and try not to think about it. That may be the only way I am going to get through the day today. Of course a sore throat and waking up at 3:30 a.m. will not help. But by this time tomorrow, the day will have been spent, and I will be glad to have accomplished something. So, I am now putting myself on cruise and going for it. Wish me luck!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

What I want my grandchildren to learn from me.

When you are a parent many pressures are on you to raise your child the proper way. There are manners to teach and basic educational skills, you have to educate your child about safety and how to utilize money, then there is life long lessons like staying healthy, being a friend and on and on. As a grandparent, many of those responsibilities are off your shoulders. A random thought that recently popped into my head has started me thinking about what I, as a grandmother would like to teach my grandchildren. What lessons do I think are important for them to remember as they grow? Being a list maker, I have come up with a list of the lessons that I would love to share with my grandchildren.
1. Learn how to enjoy your life. So many people go through life doing things that they think make them happy, or are designed to make others happy. How many people take the time to just think about their own life and the things that bring them enjoyment?
2. Find happiness in the simple things in life. Like a rain storm, or a bird singing. The smell of apple pie cooking or the words to a beautiful song. Enjoy the world that God has given you. . . the trees and their seasons, the water and its power, the sky and its many changes.
3. Realize that the greatest way to receive in life is to give. Practice how good it feels to help or support someone else in need. Appreciate what you have and share it with someone less fortunate.
4. Hold on to the people who love you and that you love. Find someone who makes you happy and content and keep them in your life.
5. Be grateful. Find something every day to be thankful for. It is the sad person indeed who cannot find something in their daily life to be glad about.
After all the trimmings are removed from our life, you know the "can't live without" things, it is important to be able to find happiness without them. Sure money, education and security are important, but to me the key to true living and happiness is about these lessons.
When I am gone, I hope Maddison and Mason can think back on some of the times we have spent together and remember how important it is to just be happy. Mom and Dad and the schools can teach the reading, writing and so on. But if I can help them find happiness in a book or writing in a journal, having and being a friend, or just enjoying nature then I will have done my job!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Homecoming parade 2010


What a beautiful day for a parade! Every once in a while Missouri weather smiles down on us and says: "See, this is why you stay here"! The day could not have been better if it had been painted by Norman Rockwell. It was sunny, warm (but not too hot) and the town was decked out in red, white and blue. There were floats filled with alumni, future alumni and fall athletes. The bands played and the horns sounded. Miss Maddison was selected by her teacher to be one of two students representing their class on the South Park float. We had the privilege of picking her up from school and taking her to the parade. It brought back memories of 25 or so years ago when our kids were young and we would take them to the parade. Aunt Bea and Uncle Scott picked Mason up and met us in front of Amanda's school to watch the parade. Randy even got to be there (for sad reasons, he left work to attend the visitation of his coworker who died on Monday). As we lined up to watch the parade, a friend of Mason's and her mother stood by us. The 3 years old played and ran after candy, while the adults clapped to the music and visited. The bands played the Spartan fight song and the politicians pumped hands and distributed leaflets. The football and softball players waved to the crowds. The only thing missing in the parade was horses. I don't remember a parade in Moberly without horses. There were a few dogs, but not one horse.
The event really made me appreciate living where I do. Rural communities might have some disadvantages, but they sure know how to put on a parade. The people were friendly, the drivers courteous and the crowd was well behaved. This is a memory to hold on to when people talk about eroding values in our country. They should be invited to the next small town parade.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Wake up call.

One of Randy's co-workers died yesterday. He was 57 years old and a long time employee of AECI. He got sick at work, and left to get medical care. Shortly after getting to the hospital, he died of a massive heart attack. He was a fine man and a friend of Randy's. Randy had spoken with him hours before he left work. It was a sad evening at our house last night and an eye opener for us both. Randy is working 70 hours a week on outage for 6 - 10 weeks. Those extra 30 hours a week are hours that he will never get back with his family, that he will never spend doing something he enjoys. He has no choice in working this much, since it is mandatory overtime. Randy is just a few years away from being able to retire. He has choices on how long he wants to stay. . . the longer he stays the more money we will have for retirement. But who can calculate your life expectancy? It is such a gamble to make those kinds of decisions in life. Do I stay to have a better, more secure retirement, or do I go ahead and retire and enjoy the life I have left? No easy answers. I wonder what the deceased co-worker would advise us to do? Does he wish he had spent his last day anywhere but work? I guess we will never know.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Education

I just watched a new Oprah show about the state of our educational system. It was fairly negative about teachers, and although they praised effective teachers, they placed a lot of blame on teachers in general. I am not sure how I feel about the media's take on education and teachers. On the one hand, I come from a long line of educators. From my grandmother, who taught English and Latin to my mother who taught 2nd grade for 25 years, my father who retired as a high school administrator and finally my sister who very recently retired as a reading specialist, I have been immersed in education for most of my life. I know how difficult it is to be an educator, and especially a conscientious one. But from a mother and grandmother's point of view, it terrifies me to know and hear about some of the poor teachers employed in our schools. What the show did not seem to cover was the difficult task that teacher's have. By this I mean the social problems, the paperwork, the poor environment, the "be all to all" attitude and the inherent politics in education. Why blame the teachers solely for the lack of performance? Don't parents need to take some of the blame for these problems? Unlike ages past, teachers now get to be nurses, social workers, counselors, behavior specialist and moral instructors to children. They get pressure and blame from parents and administrators. Their salaries are not up to standards and they often purchase supplies with their own money and spend evenings and weekends working without pay. I wonder what quality of teachers we could get if we did hiring like the NFL? The best get picked first and get paid the most. If you can't cut the mustard, you don't get selected. The prospective football players have a great deal of motivation to be the best. . . money, lots of it, fame, recognition and glory. It is just a sad commentary that we pay entertainers, atheletes and actors large sums, while teachers and other public servants can barely make a living. I don't think it is as simple as placing the blame on the teacher's shoulders. A good teacher can excel under poor conditions. But what blame do we place on absent fathers, addicted parents, parents who prop their infants and toddlers in front of the TV so their children won't bother them? How many children come to school and have never been read to at home? There is plenty of blame to go around, but don't single out the teachers. They are doing a job most of us can't or won't do.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Enjoying lunch at the Irondale (aka Whistle Stop) Cafe in Birmingham.

Sunday

Rainy days and Sundays. I have the entire day stretched out in front of me with no "to do's" on the list. I have several "want to's", but nothing pressing. Randy left for work early again this morning and as much as I would have liked to sleep in, I couldn't. You would think the sound of rain and the quiet hum of the house would have lulled me back to sleep, but no such luck. I read some chapters in the new David Baldacci book "Deliver Us From Evil", caught up on some new Oprah shows and sat on the porch swing to watch the rain. I have discovered a new blog spot "Cooking Books" from Farm Chick Kitchen. The author is a friend of mine (I use the term loosely, because although I consider her a friend, I haven't really spent any time with her in years). I am so excited to read her entries and keep up with her in this way. She writes about her love of cookbooks, and posts recipes and pictures of her kitchen magic. I can tell right now that I could live my life in front of this computer writing and reading.
The Grands are with their mom today. Even though it is nice to have some me time, I miss them so when they aren't here. Since Amanda started school, she now has Sundays off. Up until that time, we had the kids most Saturdays and Sundays, beginning when Mason was about 4 months old. It was a routine that we loved and now miss greatly.
I am counting down the days until Josh can be home with them. He will be flying in the second weekend in October and will be here for 3 days. It will be so hard for him to leave again, but he gets to return in November, and then has 2 weeks off at Christmas time. He is almost half way finished with this 6 month transfer, but may have to extend it if the work here is slow.
This economy has affected almost everyone I know in some way or the other. Even if one has a secure job (is there such a thing anymore?), there have most likely been reductions in some way. As a student of history, I know that all things cycle, and this time in our lives will change. There will be postive outcomes from this situation as well as negative. I think our country will be stronger for the changes (more fiscally responsible citizens for one), but there will be parts that we got used to that may not return (easy credit, unlimited shopping, job availability). If I live long enough, I will be reading about this time in our history and how it has affected the country. I love stories about the depression, the industrial revolution, and the World Wars. Maybe some day my grandchildren will read about this time in our country and wonder what it was like for their parents and their grandparents. I hope that they will be able to access this blog, so they will have a small idea of what it is like.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Saturdays!

Well, Randy went to work this morning, the first day of a long fall outage. He thinks he will be working 70 hours a week for several weeks. The kids were here bright and early for chocolate chip pancakes. Maddison brought her book bag and shared the contents with me. This is the first real peek at what and how she is doing in school. She seems to be warming up to the idea of school, and told me this morning that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Mason piped up with a "I want to be a big, huge monster when I grow up". To which Maddie replied: "Maybe you can be the principal of my school." Hmmm. . . I am not so sure Mr. Roth would see the connection there!
After breakfast and the school bag visit, we got out the playdoh ice cream factory and played. I like to get the kids started on a project like this and then sneak off to fold laundry, make the bed or do other household chores. Maddison is on to my tricks, and usually calls for me shortly after I leave. After the play doh mess was cleared, we got out the bendaroos. These are waxy sticks to use for craft type projects. They were the only thing Maddison asked for last year for Christmas. They are expensive, and designed for older, very patient people. We made some pumpkins with them, and Mason decided that he would see how many things he could pile on his pumpkin. Quite a sight when he got finished.
That mess was soon cleared and the kids helped me make some banana nut bread. Their job was to mash the bananas with a potato masher. I usually like some lumpier pieces in my bread, but by the time the kids finished mashing, it was almost a liquid. . . we will see how this turns out!
The kids are outside now, which will give me a window of opportunity to fold another load of clothes and get lunch started. I have to figure out supper tonight for Randy, since we are going to be at a family wedding when he gets home. I helped with the wedding rehearsal dinner last night. Jessica came by on her way home from work, and we worked together with some other family members to put out the spread. It is great working side by side with her. We think so much alike and have worked together doing things like this in the past, so we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. If I was braver, I would start a catering business with my good friend Sheryl, Jessica and Amanda as partners. Sheryl is very organized and has a great sense of style. She would be in charge of table decorations etc. Jessica is the idea person. She is willing to try new recipes and has a can do attitude. I am the one grounded in reality (what will work, what I am willing to do), and I love to take care of the do ahead pieces. Amanda would be the energizer bunny of the group. She also loves to decorate and is willing to work hard. It would be fun, but I am sure the work would be exhausting and most likely more that I could handle. We have talked about this sort of thing before and I think we love the planning, maybe more than the carrying out! Oh well, maybe someday!
After lunch, I think we will have to all have a nap. I had another one of those sleepless nights last night. I was awake at 2:30 and finally went to sleep about 5 a.m. The alarm went off t 5:15, so that was the end of my night!
The kids are ready to move on to the next project. . . so here we go!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Fried Green Tomatoes

While in Birmingham, we visited the Irondale Cafe, sometimes know as the Whistle Stop Cafe, of Fried Green Tomatoes fame. It was only a few miles from our hotel, and a very familiar area to Josh, who happens to go by there almost daily on a train. It is outside of the city in a small town setting. Situated close to the tracks, like in the movie, it does not boast any ties to the book or film on the exterior of the building. The sign in one of the windows says "Fried Green Tomatoes", but that is really only stating their most popular food item. We parked behind the restaurant and took some photos by a train mural on the side of the building. Across the street is an old fashioned viewing platform where people can watch the trains change tracks or pass by on their way in or out of town. Inside the building an old fashioned cafeteria line waited for us. While standing in the modest line, I was able to view the "wall of fame" where famous people had autographed photos to display. After grabbing a tray, I noticed that the drinks were in the old fashioned small coca cola bottles (which I loved as a child) and were sitting in a bed of crushed ice. The menu featured Southern favorites like fried chicken, rice, mac and cheese, black eyed peas and of course fried green tomatoes. After selecting our food, we were shown to a table (round, checkered cloths) and were offered assistance with anything. I really felt like I was living a piece of history in that cafe. The only true mention of the Fannie Flagg book or movie was a movie poster, which was framed and hung across from the food line. It was obvious to see that the locals enjoyed this place, and did not come for the tourist appeal. I am sure there were several tourist there, but judging from some overheard conversations, there were lots of locals too. I guess good food is just plain good food. The meal was excellent, and the tomatoes were wonderful (This was my first experience with tomatoes fried, so I didn't have anything to compare them to, but there were great). I think I could have sat there all day and just soaked in the atmosphere. It was our last meal in Birmingham, so we couldn't stay long. Maddison and Mason are too young to appreciate the history, but they enjoyed the food and seemed to know it was a little different from most places they have eaten before.
After the meal, we crossed the street to watch a train or two go by. There was a photographer taking professional pictures of the train, but also a woman on her lunch break who came to enjoy some nice weather on the platform. It made me have fond memories of standing on a platform and watching trains as a little girl. I have always loved trains, and they continue to be a part of my life. My father, grandfather, many in laws, and now my son works for the Railroad. It was such an enjoyable experience!
After returning home, I rented the Fried Green Tomatoes movie and got to again relive the experience. Josh says that parts of the book and movie were based on real events (close by a young man was killed on the tracks). It was a favorite book and movie, and now has become a favorite memory. I would recommend this spot to anyone who has enjoyed the story, or who has a passion for trains. It is NOT touristy. I didn't see any back scratchers or postcards for sale (I wasn't exactly looking). The magic depended on your imagination and memory. It was just a little piece of Birmingham that we got to bring home with us that I will never forget!

Television

You know, I think television is like any other addiction. Once you get in the habit of watching it, it is hard to give up. My husband is addicted to TV. It is his way to relax and unwind. For the most part, the shows that he watches I don't like and visa versa. After supper every night, he heads to the living room to watch tv. After working for 32 years at a power plant, he has considerable hearing loss, and to be able to hear the television, he has to have the sound up quite loud. For Christmas, the family got him some wireless head phones so we could all have a break from the noise of the tv. Now I am not so sure what is worse, listening to the sound up at an ear piercing level, or having the place silent. He loves his headphones because they allow him to hear better and he doesn't have to listen to our complaining about the sound. Now when I talk to him I have to really shout and he makes a big production of taking off his headphones so he can hear me. I get a roll of the eyes, a dirty look or two and then a "what?" I mean really, how important is it that he know every commentary on the Cardinals game, or that he hears the heavy breathing on the Outdoor channel? In all fairness, he grew up in a home where the tv was on all the time. Some of his favorite memories revolve around tv shows and watching them with his older brother. For the first few months we lived in our present home, we didn't have any tv reception. It was heavenly! We actually had to find something to do in the evenings. We talked, played games and spent time outdoors (okay, we were probably painting, staining and hammering, but I can have my fantasies can't I?) Anyway, I am not sure what the point of all of this is, except to vent about Randy's love of the big screen. For several years I have wanted the tv volume lower and now I have it. But it is just so blooming quiet in here at night. Sometimes I turn the tv on in my bedroom just to have some sound. There is one really good thing about this new lifestyle. I can pretty much do whatever I want and not be heard. . . Sweating to the oldies, singing in the shower, practicing rap songs. . .

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My traveling is done for the month, and it is time to get settled in back at home. We have had some wonderful almost fall like weather these last few days. It put me in the mood to get out some fall decorations. The kids spent the night on Saturday, and they were more than willing to help me decorate. They had fun with the window stick-ons and the light up pumpkins. I am not much of a decorator and I like things plain and basic. I have to admit that putting up a few fall colors livens up the place!
We had a fun weekend of "art work", outdoor play and even a few crafts. We melted old crayons and made new ones in a muffin tin. The kids seemed to really enjoy that and were proud to show their mom the flat and round colors. A quick trip was made on Saturday to Amish country. I love to travel there in the fall. The rain had caused a few of the roads to be washed out, but we managed to find the two stores we patronize. I finally bought an angel food cake pan and a pastry blender. As much as I like to cook, I am surprised that I needed to buy those fairly simple kitchen tools. I hope to make an angel food cake soon. It used to be my favorite cake, and my grandmother would bake one every year on my birthday. I would love to have her recipe for the pink icing she drizzled on top.
This afternoon after a short nap (everyone slept but the children), we went to our big bottom field and worked on burning the weeds off. Randy likes to put in a deer food plot in the fall, so the weeds had to go. All in all it was a great weekend. Jessica and Scott were hosting his mother for supper tonight to celebrate her birthday. It seems like weekends are so busy, there is rarely time to just get bored (something I sometimes like to do!). Tomorrow it is back to the normal 5 day workweek. I don't feel very rested from this weekend, but I think that may take a week or two to accomplish.
There have been some sad life endings this week, but also some new beginnings. I pray for blessings for all families affected and going through this transition. Life really is a circle~

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The saddest part of the trip to see Josh was on the way home from the St. Louis airport, back to Moberly. Maddison fell asleep right away, but Mason had slept some on the plane, so he was awake for awhile. Funny how you don't really realize that Mason (age 3) is getting the whole being gone from Dad situation. The car was quiet, and from the back seat came a quiet little voice that said: " Mommy," Amanda answered, "yes, Mason", then "I really, really, really love my Daddy". His voice was breaking with emotion, and you could tell that he was trying so hard not to cry. That was all it took. Amanda and I had both been holding back tears. . . but they let lose with that. A few minutes later he was asleep. But it was almost like he had to get that off his chest before he could rest. Ah, and we think children don't understand life. When in fact, they have it much more figured out than the rest of us do.

Back Home (finally)

It was a sad and tearful goodbye yesterday as we left Josh at the airport. We arrived 2 hours ahead of our flight to find out that our 4 p.m flight was delayed by 45 minutes. . . not a problem, except that we had only 45 minutes to change planes in Atlanta. After a conference with the Delta clerk, we were told that our choices were: reroute to Detroit, and then back to St. Louis, or wait for a later flight, which would get us into St. Louis 2 hours later (we were already pushing the envelope with a late arrival). Neither option was good with 2 young travelers, by now exhausted as well as their mother and grandmother! After some pleading, we talked the clerk into double checking on getting us on the earlier 3p.m flight to St Louis. I think she took mercy on us as she looked at Maddie with a tear streaked face, and Mason as he was climbing around on the luggage check in station. There was a look of understanding that passed on her face as she told us that we would have to hurry because they were already boarding our flight. We RAN to security and began shucking shoes, cell phones etc. Pushing, pushing, pushing, we zipped through without any problems. . . no wait. . . the TSA employee motioned for us to see her. She needed to exam Maddie's purple bag. Again, I heard a page, Delta paging the Taylor party of 4. I told Amanda that Mason and I would head toward the gate (of course it was a long walk away) and meet her there. As Mason and I ran toward the gate, another employee was standing in the concourse saying: "Are you the Taylor group?" Yes, I shouted, and he waved us on. "We are waiting for the rest of our group, to come from security" I said. "We can't wait any longer, you will have to get on or wait for the next flight". What to do? How do I plea my case to these people? Judging from our experience, this was the only Delta flight in the history to actually be on time. Buying some time, I explained what had happened. Then I said something that I am not really proud of. . . "I guess next time we will fly Southwest". About that time Amanda and Maddison came running up to the gate. The Delta employee didn't even check our boarding passes, he just motioned us on board. Thankfully, the plane was not full and we had our choice of seats. I felt like everyone on board was cursing us under their breath. But I have to say, the Delta people did everything they could to make us relaxed and comfortable. (Which made me even more embarassed that I had threatened to take our measly business to SW). It took the entire 30 minute flight to Atlanta for me to settle down. And guess what caused the problem at security? Maddison's light up Twinkle Toes sneakers! They had to take everything out of her bag, swab her shoes, exray several items and repack before she could go. Our little 5 year old terrorist! Lessons learned: never fly anything but non stop with small children, avoid ever flying through Atlanta, and keep the Twinkle Toes at home! More on the trip home in a future post.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Birmingham

This is day 3 of our trip to Birmingham. Where we are staying (Cahaba) is a beautiful, lush area complete with trees, restaurants, shops and hotels. It is a far cry from what I imagined the area to be like. We have not see the "other side" of the city yet. I am sure there are areas where the big city life has taken its toll on the landscape and people. Yesterday we visited Vulcan Park and Museum. Vulcan is named for the Roman god of iron, which is a natural resource of the region. In the museum a display addressed the rise and fall of Birmingham in the 1900's. Iron made the area explode with industry and population. The Great Depression brought the nation's highest unemployment rate (100,000 out of 108,000 workers were said to be without jobs). Needless to say, many people suffered through that time in this region. Then the war regenerated the area with the increased need for iron and its byproducts.
Part of the display commemorated the Civil Rights movements during the 1960's. What a tumultuous time that was for the country and especially the South.
After seeing the museum, we went downtown. Sidewalk placards marked the path of the civil rights march in Birmingham. Each sign featured a famous quote from someone describing the fight for racial equality. I would have liked to have walked the entire path, but that is not something that generally interests young children. I did see enough to get a feel for the history of the march. It dawned on me just how far our nation has come in the last 50 years. It is hard to believe that about the time I was born, black citizens in the south could not drink out of the same water fountain as whites or attend school together or even exercise their constitutional rights. It makes me both proud and sad to be an American born in this century. Proud that we have changed the world, sad that people had to suffer and struggle so to accomplish equal rights.
I will not forget being here and seeing places that changed the face of our country.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Got back from Dallas on Friday about 9. Unloaded, started laundry and on Saturday evening, Amanda, Maddie, Mason and I left for St. Louis. Arrived at the hotel about 9, and were in bed by 10. AT 3 a.m. Sunday morning, the alarm went off and we got ready and boarded a shuttle for the airport and a 6 a.m. flight. I knew as soon as the flight attendant said: "We are ahead of schedule, everyone is on board and we are ready to go" that something would go wrong. Seconds later, the attendant picked up the phone beside us and paged paramedics and a clean up crew. Then she asked the travelers if anyone had any medical background. It seems a gentleman had taken sick and had thrown up. About 40 minutes later, he walked off the plane and we were on our way. Of course, we only had a 42 minute window of time between the plane landing in Atlanta, and boarding a plane for Birmingham (our final destination). We were traveling with 2 car seats, 4 carry on bags, 2 backpacks and a 3 and 5 year old. Off the plane in Atlanta, up the escalator, down a long, long hall, down the elevator, on the train to a different concourse, off the train, down another very long corridor to the gate. Whew, we had minutes to spare. Glance at the teleprompter to discover a 45 minute delay in that flight! I have worked from sunup to sun down before and not been as tired as those few hours made me. We finally load plane # 2 (even later than we were told the delay would be), to find that the 4 of us had been separated into 3 rows. Impossible with a 3 year old and a 5 year old. The wonderful attendant helped us work this out, and we were off for a 30 minute flight (all 4 of us slept the entire flight). Our faithful friend who was picking us up at the airport arrived in time for our original flight, prior to all the delays. Needless to say, she had lots of time to kill. We finally arrive at the hotel, to find our room was not ready, and the staff had not gotten the message that we could get into Josh's room. So we stored our luggage at the front desk, and walked to the nearest diner. After the meal, we set up camp at a patch of grass on the hotel lawn, and waited for our room to be ready. Of course the point of this whole trip was to see Josh, who has been in Alabama working since July 5th. And as luck would have it, his train was delayed due to mechanical difficulty, and he didn't get back to the hotel until 7! As most tales go, this one has a happy ending. The trip was worth all the hassle, headaches and delays. Maddison and Mason gave Josh the biggest hugs ever. He had tears in his eyes as he greeted his family. A nice supper followed, and a good evening was had by all. We get a few days to rest up for the return flight(s) home. We hope to be in St.Louis by 8, and be home before midnight. It might be restful to be back to work and school. These vacations are hard on a gal!!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

It is raining in Dallas. What a nice way to spend the day! The rain did change my plans some, but fortunately we have a room with a walk out patio, so I opened the door and have been enjoying the weather. I like to watch the rain, especially when it is not an every day occurrence.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Missouri. We are planning on making the trip in one day. On Saturday Jessica, Scott and Amanda are having a garage sale. I think I will have the kids and I plan on doing lots of laundry, and repacking my suitcase. Randy has been invited to a co-workers house for a football game in the afternoon. When I get home I have bills to pay, laundry to do and then get ready for a drive to St. Louis and an early morning flight to Birmingham. It will be hectic, but fun. Randy is not able to go on this trip, but we hope to drive somewhere south in October to meet Josh.. . I know Randy has really missed Josh. They have been best buddies for many years. The fall is when they are especially close because they share a love of that season and all it brings (football, hunting, outdoors, etc).
Enough about all of that! I am going to relax today in preparation for the next few days. Somehow I don't think there will be much time to relax once we get to Birmingham. The adventure continues.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Decided to do some shopping today. It was fun just wandering around the mall with no agenda or list of things to do or buy. I watched some children ice skate and chatted with an elderly gentleman as he watched the skaters. I contemplated going to a movie, but talked myself out of it. After Randy got home we checked out an ACADEMY store, which I had never seen before. Only one more day here. Then it is home to Mo, for a few hours, and then a drive to St. Louis and a flight to Birmingham. Wow! It should be crazy!!
The class Randy is taking has 5 people in it. This class is offered to people all over the US. ON the first day, the other students were introducing themselves, and the only woman in the group announced that she had lived a lot of places, but she considered Moberly, MO her home. She now lives in Arizona, and her grandmother (age 97) still lives in the Moberly/Huntsville area. What a small world we live in!
It has been raining here all evening. A very nice break to the 95 degree weather we have had since we have been here.

Dallas, Day 3

It has been so long since I have unscheduled myself, I hardly know what to do. I am on my own this week with a variety of options, all of my own choosing. Shop? Relax? Read? Swim? I think that I am just the kind of person who needs to have a daily plan, because even when I don't have work or family plans, I make my own plans. I guess I like being structured. Today I decided that I will get out and explore in the car. I love walking, but it is seriously in the upper 90's here with high humidity. I have the Garmin, maps etc, so I hope to not get lost. I have until about 5 to wander around. I will report in later on what I have found to do.