I don't know why, but I've always been very protective of whatever food is on my plate. Through the years when I've thought about it, I have always come back to the conclusion that this territorial feeling I get when I eat is most likely due to my birth order. The feeling is usually strongest when I'm eating with the genius (which is everyday!).
Last weekend we were celebrating another one of our family milestones -- I think it was Annie's graduation from fifth grade -- by eating out with Jim IV and his family. We were at Ruby Tuesday's and after my meal, I decided to order a dessert. On the menu was something called a blondie, and it came in single and double sizes. I asked everyone at the table if anyone wanted to share because the double was more economical if it was shared. No one wanted any, so I placed my order for a single along with the kids' (theirs was a delicious looking concoction labeled chocolate lava cake.)
When the desserts arrived, my comment was, "Wow! I wonder what the double looks like -- this is huge!" So big, in fact, that when the genius asked for a bite, I felt very generous, even though that is usually not my reaction to such a request. (If someone wants dessert, they can get their own!!!) Of course, he took the best bite -- the front end of the triangle-shaped blondie, the part that is the gooiest.
Then he decided he wanted one of his own, so he proceeded to order another single for himself. After the server put the order in, he came back looking sheepish while he confessed that he had mistakenly put a double order on my plate, but for the genius, the portion would be half the size of mine. Five out of six of us had a good laugh, and the genius chuckled a little but thought the server was kidding. When the dessert arrived, it looked somewhat pitiful with a puny slice of blondie cake looking lost next to ice cream with a little caramel sauce drizzled around the plate.
The somewhat confused look on his face while the rest of us rolled around on the floor was something I'll never forget.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
CELEBRATIONS!
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| Chloe at Christmas |
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| Mothers Day (don't know what the white spot is on Annie) |
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| Bailey's ASU graduation |
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| Birth of Caleb 1st Great-Grandson |
Thursday, August 11, 2011
LATEST HEALTH REPORT
Several people have called to see how the genius is faring, so here is the update on his health: he's hanging in there. He was doing pretty well -- the pain in both his back and leg was abating -- and then he went back to work!!
Yesterday was his first day of inservice for teachers, so he had me drive him as close as possible to the building where most of his meetings were. He sat through all the morning meetings and then slowly walked to another building where he remained until 4:30 when he called me to come and get him. He didn't even go to lunch (which was free) but instead ate some trail mix he had carried with him in his briefcase. If you know him at all and how he loves to eat, you would realize what a departure from his usual behavior this was.
He had a rough night but seemed a little better by the time he went back this morning. At least he has a sandwich in his briefcase today. I doubt very seriously if he calls me to pick him up before all the meetings are over.
Tomorrow he has another meeting with the physical therapist and then potentially, he has five days off before his one class starts. I say "potentially" because I'm betting he will still go into work on Monday and Tuesday.
But we will see -- I'll keep you posted on his condition. And we both appreciate all your calls.
Several people have called to see how the genius is faring, so here is the update on his health: he's hanging in there. He was doing pretty well -- the pain in both his back and leg was abating -- and then he went back to work!!
Yesterday was his first day of inservice for teachers, so he had me drive him as close as possible to the building where most of his meetings were. He sat through all the morning meetings and then slowly walked to another building where he remained until 4:30 when he called me to come and get him. He didn't even go to lunch (which was free) but instead ate some trail mix he had carried with him in his briefcase. If you know him at all and how he loves to eat, you would realize what a departure from his usual behavior this was.
He had a rough night but seemed a little better by the time he went back this morning. At least he has a sandwich in his briefcase today. I doubt very seriously if he calls me to pick him up before all the meetings are over.
Tomorrow he has another meeting with the physical therapist and then potentially, he has five days off before his one class starts. I say "potentially" because I'm betting he will still go into work on Monday and Tuesday.
But we will see -- I'll keep you posted on his condition. And we both appreciate all your calls.
Monday, August 8, 2011
THE STREAK
Those people who know the genius well are aware of the fact that he is a very goal-oriented man as well as a person who is interested in numbers. The two traits combined caused him to start riding a bike (indoors or out) everyday. For many years he had jogged almost daily, but his knees were beginning to deteriorate, so his doctor suggested the switch to a bicycle. And so he did.
As of Tuesday of last week he had ridden at least a mile, usually more like 12-15 miles per day. This unbroken streak lasted through two cataract operations and thyroid surgery. On those days he rode before the surgery, and then the next day he would pedal a mile, gradually building back up to more.
Well, I am very sad to report that the streak has been broken after 3778 days straight (that's 10 years and almost 4 months!). He just couldn't keep it going with the excruciating pain in his back and leg. In fact, he couldn't walk down to the exercise room of the hotel in Miami.
I am sooo sad for him, but very proud of him, too. To have that kind of persistence day after day during all kinds of colds and various other minor illnesses, to say nothing of just being tired after work is truly remarkable to me. On the best of days I don't like to exercise, and usually don't, but he has been so faithful to keep it up -- I just have to admire such perserverence!!!
So here's to my husband for his constant adherence to a principle he believed in and his dedication in carrying it out!!!
But please, Lord, let him get back to work!! I'm worn out fixing him three meals a day!!!!
Those people who know the genius well are aware of the fact that he is a very goal-oriented man as well as a person who is interested in numbers. The two traits combined caused him to start riding a bike (indoors or out) everyday. For many years he had jogged almost daily, but his knees were beginning to deteriorate, so his doctor suggested the switch to a bicycle. And so he did.
As of Tuesday of last week he had ridden at least a mile, usually more like 12-15 miles per day. This unbroken streak lasted through two cataract operations and thyroid surgery. On those days he rode before the surgery, and then the next day he would pedal a mile, gradually building back up to more.
Well, I am very sad to report that the streak has been broken after 3778 days straight (that's 10 years and almost 4 months!). He just couldn't keep it going with the excruciating pain in his back and leg. In fact, he couldn't walk down to the exercise room of the hotel in Miami.
I am sooo sad for him, but very proud of him, too. To have that kind of persistence day after day during all kinds of colds and various other minor illnesses, to say nothing of just being tired after work is truly remarkable to me. On the best of days I don't like to exercise, and usually don't, but he has been so faithful to keep it up -- I just have to admire such perserverence!!!
So here's to my husband for his constant adherence to a principle he believed in and his dedication in carrying it out!!!
But please, Lord, let him get back to work!! I'm worn out fixing him three meals a day!!!!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
THE THIRD DAY
Day 3 began with the genius' waking me up at 6:00 a.m. saying he was in GREAT pain and could not straighten up. When I watched him walk with his upper body almost parallel to the floor, I realized he was indeed in very bad shape. The pain was shooting down his left leg and unbeknownst to him, the leg was also becoming very weak. We immediately contacted the hotel doctor on call who told us to come in to see him at his office.
That ride by taxi to and from the doctor's was a nightmare. He just couldn't get comfortable and walking was almost impossible. He finally made it in and got a couple of prescriptions for pain and relaxing the muscles; after filling them, it was back to the hotel.
From this time on, we were forced to depend on room service for our food, which in less expensive hotels is not so bad. But in this one, it was another story. At least we were in upgraded accomodations -- I can't imagine what a horror story it would have been if we had been in a single room with two queen beds. Here we had a nice round dining table on which to eat our meals.
I will say that the food was truly delicious! AND there were generous servings, so we learned to order one meal and split it -- that way it wasn't quite so hard on our pocketbooks, which were being emptied at an alarming rate. I did make a trip to the ATM in the lobby and it was $5.00 to withdraw $80.00 (the maximum).
This is about all I will report on this lovely excursion except that we spent Day 4 the same way, relaxing in the room and calling for room service. On the fifth day, we hobbled to the limo, rode to the airport, and this time checked our bags.
However, before we leave the subject of the Fontainebleau, below are pics to view of our place where we spent so much time.
Our Lovely Soft Bed
My Shower
View from Our Balcony
The Kitchen (the dining table is at the lower right)
to be cont'd
Day 3 began with the genius' waking me up at 6:00 a.m. saying he was in GREAT pain and could not straighten up. When I watched him walk with his upper body almost parallel to the floor, I realized he was indeed in very bad shape. The pain was shooting down his left leg and unbeknownst to him, the leg was also becoming very weak. We immediately contacted the hotel doctor on call who told us to come in to see him at his office.
That ride by taxi to and from the doctor's was a nightmare. He just couldn't get comfortable and walking was almost impossible. He finally made it in and got a couple of prescriptions for pain and relaxing the muscles; after filling them, it was back to the hotel.
From this time on, we were forced to depend on room service for our food, which in less expensive hotels is not so bad. But in this one, it was another story. At least we were in upgraded accomodations -- I can't imagine what a horror story it would have been if we had been in a single room with two queen beds. Here we had a nice round dining table on which to eat our meals.
I will say that the food was truly delicious! AND there were generous servings, so we learned to order one meal and split it -- that way it wasn't quite so hard on our pocketbooks, which were being emptied at an alarming rate. I did make a trip to the ATM in the lobby and it was $5.00 to withdraw $80.00 (the maximum).
This is about all I will report on this lovely excursion except that we spent Day 4 the same way, relaxing in the room and calling for room service. On the fifth day, we hobbled to the limo, rode to the airport, and this time checked our bags.
However, before we leave the subject of the Fontainebleau, below are pics to view of our place where we spent so much time.
Our Lovely Soft Bed
My Shower
View from Our Balcony
The Kitchen (the dining table is at the lower right)
to be cont'd
Saturday, August 6, 2011
MIAMI TRIP CONTINUED
I think I mentioned in yesterday's post that the genius had worked hard getting several jobs completed before we left. On the way down to Miami, he said that his lower back was a little sore from the yard work. (Later I discovered that moving out of his office had entailed lifting several heavy boxes of books and hefting them up to the top shelves in a closet.) Plus, what plane seat, on Southwest anyway, is ever comfortable? By the time we walked forever to catch our ride to the hotel, he was moving more slowly than usual.
I'll interject here that I didn't really think anything about his pains -- we both have bouts with pain throughout our old bodies, especially hips, knees, and backs. But with a little rest or Advil we go right on, and they get "well."
The first night we settled into our luxurious apartment and finally turned out the lights at a later than usual hour for us. As we sank down into the king-sized bed, I noticed that the mattress was quite soft and thought to myself< "That's not going to help a bad back!" But as I was really tired, I drifted off pretty quickly.
You guessed it -- when we woke up the next morning, the genius was in much more pain. He was still able to maneuver pretty well, though, and made a trip to the conference to register, etc. When he came back about lunch time, we walked (slowly) around the huge complex looking at the menus of the various restaurants until deciding upon a place to eat. Afterwards, we looked at the nine pools and interesting places within the hotel, again at a slow pace. We eventually ended up at a very quiet pool located on the 5th floor of our building overlooking the water, where we remained until time to get ready for dinner.
We took a cab to a seafood place named A Fish Called Avalon, and I must say the food was excellent. When we had finished our leisurely dinner, we had a taxi drop us at a Walgreen's about 6 blocks from the hotel so we could stock up on drinks, etc. for the refrigerator we hadn't expected to have. All this time, the genius was getting worse as we plodded on; the pain now extended down his leg to his bad knee. When we got back to our suite, he made the decision to sleep on the sofa in the living room rather than take a chance on the soft mattress again.
All of our actions, from the time we left Nashville until this second night, were contributing to a very bad situation, indeed!!
to be cont'd
I think I mentioned in yesterday's post that the genius had worked hard getting several jobs completed before we left. On the way down to Miami, he said that his lower back was a little sore from the yard work. (Later I discovered that moving out of his office had entailed lifting several heavy boxes of books and hefting them up to the top shelves in a closet.) Plus, what plane seat, on Southwest anyway, is ever comfortable? By the time we walked forever to catch our ride to the hotel, he was moving more slowly than usual.
I'll interject here that I didn't really think anything about his pains -- we both have bouts with pain throughout our old bodies, especially hips, knees, and backs. But with a little rest or Advil we go right on, and they get "well."
The first night we settled into our luxurious apartment and finally turned out the lights at a later than usual hour for us. As we sank down into the king-sized bed, I noticed that the mattress was quite soft and thought to myself< "That's not going to help a bad back!" But as I was really tired, I drifted off pretty quickly.
You guessed it -- when we woke up the next morning, the genius was in much more pain. He was still able to maneuver pretty well, though, and made a trip to the conference to register, etc. When he came back about lunch time, we walked (slowly) around the huge complex looking at the menus of the various restaurants until deciding upon a place to eat. Afterwards, we looked at the nine pools and interesting places within the hotel, again at a slow pace. We eventually ended up at a very quiet pool located on the 5th floor of our building overlooking the water, where we remained until time to get ready for dinner.
We took a cab to a seafood place named A Fish Called Avalon, and I must say the food was excellent. When we had finished our leisurely dinner, we had a taxi drop us at a Walgreen's about 6 blocks from the hotel so we could stock up on drinks, etc. for the refrigerator we hadn't expected to have. All this time, the genius was getting worse as we plodded on; the pain now extended down his leg to his bad knee. When we got back to our suite, he made the decision to sleep on the sofa in the living room rather than take a chance on the soft mattress again.
All of our actions, from the time we left Nashville until this second night, were contributing to a very bad situation, indeed!!
to be cont'd
Friday, August 5, 2011
TRIP TO MIAMI BEACH -- SUMMER 2011
The discussion of what to do for summer vacation began early in the spring with several ideas being bandied around. We could return to our favorite vacation spot, Cape San Blas, Florida, for a week's visit. Another thought was to re-visit a place on the Panhandle that we frequented for many years with children and grandchildren: Perdido Key, FL But the one we ended up selecting was a trip to Miami Beach that coincided with a statistics meeting that the genius would attend. That was one memorable vacation we will never forget!
The first decision involved transportation. We ruled out the 24 hour drive (one-way) pretty quickly -- too time consuming and not much fun. Then came the choice on which airlines to fly -- we both like Southwest, but they only fly into Fort Lauderdale, which meant a 45 minute ride to Miami Beach. But American only had an Eagle flight to Miami, and even though the genius was ok with that, I wasn't -- I'd heard too much about how those little planes bounce around. So we decided to go for Fort Lauderdale (and how could we miss with a name like that?).
With that decision out of the way, we moved on to where we would stay. The convention listed 12 hotels, one of which was the Fontainebleau. I had heard much about that one and so researched it on line. It had recently undergone a one billion dollar renovation and although it was a little more than the others, we decided to go for it. So we were all set.
We worked feverishly to get all our chores done before we left. The genius worked for weeks moving out of his office at school, which he would no longer need next year due to his lighter work load. He also did some much needed yard work. I, on the other hand, had much more important tasks like getting my nails done and my hair colored and styled.
But the big day of departure finally came. Rufus was picked up by Jim IV and carted out to his house. The genius and I took off from Nashville and arrived in Fort Lauderdale about 9:30 p.m. We were able to get a car (much nicer than a cab) to the hotel for a pretty decent price, so the situation was looking good. And when we got to the hotel, because of the late hour and hotel overbooking, we were given a one bedroom suite!! with living/dining room!! and a full modern kitchen!! and best of all, 2 beautiful full baths decked out in marble!!!
This vacation was looking better and better!!!
to be con'd.
The discussion of what to do for summer vacation began early in the spring with several ideas being bandied around. We could return to our favorite vacation spot, Cape San Blas, Florida, for a week's visit. Another thought was to re-visit a place on the Panhandle that we frequented for many years with children and grandchildren: Perdido Key, FL But the one we ended up selecting was a trip to Miami Beach that coincided with a statistics meeting that the genius would attend. That was one memorable vacation we will never forget!
The first decision involved transportation. We ruled out the 24 hour drive (one-way) pretty quickly -- too time consuming and not much fun. Then came the choice on which airlines to fly -- we both like Southwest, but they only fly into Fort Lauderdale, which meant a 45 minute ride to Miami Beach. But American only had an Eagle flight to Miami, and even though the genius was ok with that, I wasn't -- I'd heard too much about how those little planes bounce around. So we decided to go for Fort Lauderdale (and how could we miss with a name like that?).
With that decision out of the way, we moved on to where we would stay. The convention listed 12 hotels, one of which was the Fontainebleau. I had heard much about that one and so researched it on line. It had recently undergone a one billion dollar renovation and although it was a little more than the others, we decided to go for it. So we were all set.
We worked feverishly to get all our chores done before we left. The genius worked for weeks moving out of his office at school, which he would no longer need next year due to his lighter work load. He also did some much needed yard work. I, on the other hand, had much more important tasks like getting my nails done and my hair colored and styled.
But the big day of departure finally came. Rufus was picked up by Jim IV and carted out to his house. The genius and I took off from Nashville and arrived in Fort Lauderdale about 9:30 p.m. We were able to get a car (much nicer than a cab) to the hotel for a pretty decent price, so the situation was looking good. And when we got to the hotel, because of the late hour and hotel overbooking, we were given a one bedroom suite!! with living/dining room!! and a full modern kitchen!! and best of all, 2 beautiful full baths decked out in marble!!!
This vacation was looking better and better!!!
to be con'd.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
SAGA OF REDECORATING CONTINUES
Last year we did a lot of redecorating: painting bedrooms, bathrooms, new bathtub, rearranging rooms, swapping rooms, etc., etc., etc. Well the saga has continued, but it surely is WORK!!!
This winter and spring we have painted the kitchen and had bamboo floors laid in the entry way, hall, kitchen and pantry. We're currently in the process of getting bids for painting the living/dining room and stairwell. I've pretty well decided on which one to choose, so let the painting begin (or continue). Below are pictures of the flooring:
>THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE FRONT DOOR
THIS IS A SHOT OF THE FLOORS FROM THE FRONT DOOR (Notice the paint samples on the wall).
Neither of the two photos shows the shininess and beauty of the wood, but hopefully, you get the picture.
Next after that will be to remove the carpeting on the first five steps, refinish them, and install a railing. Then . . . . we will have new carpeting installed all over the house.
I look forward to getting it all done!
Last year we did a lot of redecorating: painting bedrooms, bathrooms, new bathtub, rearranging rooms, swapping rooms, etc., etc., etc. Well the saga has continued, but it surely is WORK!!!
This winter and spring we have painted the kitchen and had bamboo floors laid in the entry way, hall, kitchen and pantry. We're currently in the process of getting bids for painting the living/dining room and stairwell. I've pretty well decided on which one to choose, so let the painting begin (or continue). Below are pictures of the flooring:
>THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE FRONT DOOR
THIS IS A SHOT OF THE FLOORS FROM THE FRONT DOOR (Notice the paint samples on the wall).
Neither of the two photos shows the shininess and beauty of the wood, but hopefully, you get the picture.
Next after that will be to remove the carpeting on the first five steps, refinish them, and install a railing. Then . . . . we will have new carpeting installed all over the house.
I look forward to getting it all done!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
The family is all excited about Chloe. I'm sure Ashley is spending many hours with her and enjoying the whole experience tremendously. I envy her.
Below is a photo of her in our "famous" bed that four generations of our family have used. The bed was customed made for our aunt and then MA was the one to start the tradition in our family. I have several pictures of myself sleeping in the bed. There's no telling how many babies have slept in it. It's a perfect size for keeping near the mother's own bed so that she doesn't have to go far to get the baby at night.
CHLOE IN "THE BED"
Meanwhile, things are about the same here. I am still staying on the diet most of the time. Last weekend we went to a party and someone whom I hadn't seen in a while complimented me on my weight loss. I was telling the genius about it later and commented that it was nice to have someone notice. He said, "I tell you all the time how proud I am of you for sticking to the diet!"
I replied, "Yes, but you never tell me that you can see that I have lost weight!"
Sweet Brenda who overheard the conversation told me about 10 minutes later that she could tell I have lost. And I chose to believe that she wasn't just trying to make me feel better -- she's too honest for that.
I will say that the genius does compliment me often on the way I look when we go out, etc. And I appreciate that very much!!
The family is all excited about Chloe. I'm sure Ashley is spending many hours with her and enjoying the whole experience tremendously. I envy her.
Below is a photo of her in our "famous" bed that four generations of our family have used. The bed was customed made for our aunt and then MA was the one to start the tradition in our family. I have several pictures of myself sleeping in the bed. There's no telling how many babies have slept in it. It's a perfect size for keeping near the mother's own bed so that she doesn't have to go far to get the baby at night.
CHLOE IN "THE BED"
Meanwhile, things are about the same here. I am still staying on the diet most of the time. Last weekend we went to a party and someone whom I hadn't seen in a while complimented me on my weight loss. I was telling the genius about it later and commented that it was nice to have someone notice. He said, "I tell you all the time how proud I am of you for sticking to the diet!"
I replied, "Yes, but you never tell me that you can see that I have lost weight!"
Sweet Brenda who overheard the conversation told me about 10 minutes later that she could tell I have lost. And I chose to believe that she wasn't just trying to make me feel better -- she's too honest for that.
I will say that the genius does compliment me often on the way I look when we go out, etc. And I appreciate that very much!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
THE BIG DAY
The most I remember about that day was getting ready. Everyone but the genius and I went to the wedding place about 3:00 to prepare tables, decorations, etc. We could see that there were plenty of helpers so we waited until later to go.
Both the service (held at 5:30) and the reception were outdoors. It was a beautiful sunny day with that heavenly citrus blossom aroma floating over everything while the birds sang a tune overhead. (Actually, sometimes they squawked but were not distracting.) Once the sun set it was a little chilly but most people came prepared with sweaters, etc.
The wedding and reception both went well without a hitch. The music was very pretty, especially Jordin's singing, the bridesmaids made a colorful backdrop for the bride in her beautiful white dress. She and Mike make a stunning couple.
Of course I have pictures to show:
JIM IV FAMILY
GROOM AND BEST MAN CLOWNING AROUND
BRENDA AND FAMILY
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE AND NEW SON-IN-LAW
BRIDE AND MAID OF HONOR
DANNY AND BAILEY
BRIDE AND MAIDS
WEDDING SINGER
PROUD GRANDPARENTS
CUTTING THE CAKE
BRIDESMAIDS
The most I remember about that day was getting ready. Everyone but the genius and I went to the wedding place about 3:00 to prepare tables, decorations, etc. We could see that there were plenty of helpers so we waited until later to go.
Both the service (held at 5:30) and the reception were outdoors. It was a beautiful sunny day with that heavenly citrus blossom aroma floating over everything while the birds sang a tune overhead. (Actually, sometimes they squawked but were not distracting.) Once the sun set it was a little chilly but most people came prepared with sweaters, etc.
The wedding and reception both went well without a hitch. The music was very pretty, especially Jordin's singing, the bridesmaids made a colorful backdrop for the bride in her beautiful white dress. She and Mike make a stunning couple.
Of course I have pictures to show:
JIM IV FAMILY
GROOM AND BEST MAN CLOWNING AROUND
BRENDA AND FAMILY
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE AND NEW SON-IN-LAW
BRIDE AND MAID OF HONOR
DANNY AND BAILEY
BRIDE AND MAIDS
WEDDING SINGER
PROUD GRANDPARENTS
CUTTING THE CAKE
BRIDESMAIDS
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
WEDDING EVE
On Friday after a morning of lounging by the club pool, Laurie and I walked "home" and dressed for the bridesmaids' luncheon. It was held on the patio of the same club.
Phoenix weather can be very interesting. There is no humidity, of course, and the sun can be quite hot. But the patio was in the shade where it was chilly, so the club accomodated us with big heaters scattered around us. All the girls looked pretty and there are a few pictures below of the happenings.
GRANDMOTHER AND THE BRIDE
BRIDE AND MAID OF HONOR
TWO JORDIES
THE BRIDE AND HER MAIDS
On Friday after a morning of lounging by the club pool, Laurie and I walked "home" and dressed for the bridesmaids' luncheon. It was held on the patio of the same club.
Phoenix weather can be very interesting. There is no humidity, of course, and the sun can be quite hot. But the patio was in the shade where it was chilly, so the club accomodated us with big heaters scattered around us. All the girls looked pretty and there are a few pictures below of the happenings.
GRANDMOTHER AND THE BRIDE
BRIDE AND MAID OF HONOR
TWO JORDIES
THE BRIDE AND HER MAIDS
Monday, April 12, 2010
WEDDING DAY, MINUS TWO
Thursday before the big day was mostly a hang out or get last-minute-things-done-day for everyone. For me, I enjoyed life by the pool.
Jim IV, Laurie, Jay, Annie, and I stayed in a house that backed up to a beautiful golf course. Mike's company owns four of these all in a row. He had offered one to us before but we couldn't use it because we had Rufus with us, but this time we did. Now that I've been inside one of them, I think we'll leave Rufus at home so we can enjoy this luxury again.
The house has three bedrooms, two baths, roomy top-of-the-line kitchen, stocked with food, then a dining area, overlooking the large living room. The living room and master suite had a great view of the golf course. Laurie was in seventh heaven. She borrowed some clubs from Mike and played every morning on the small pitch and putt course that was right next to our house. One morning we walked down the street to the club house and had breakfast out by the pool. I felt very pampered.
Another new experience for me was the heavenly fragrance that was enveloping all of Phoenix at the time. The citrus trees were in bloom all over the city, and the wonderful scent followed us everywhere. Also, the refrigerator at our house was stocked with fresh picked oranges that were probably the sweetest, most delicious I have ever had.
Because the wedding was held outside, this very pleasant aroma drifted over us during the service and added a special ambiance.
The only picture I have for this day is one of the three cousins together again at last:
DANNY, MICHAEL, JAY
Thursday before the big day was mostly a hang out or get last-minute-things-done-day for everyone. For me, I enjoyed life by the pool.
Jim IV, Laurie, Jay, Annie, and I stayed in a house that backed up to a beautiful golf course. Mike's company owns four of these all in a row. He had offered one to us before but we couldn't use it because we had Rufus with us, but this time we did. Now that I've been inside one of them, I think we'll leave Rufus at home so we can enjoy this luxury again.
The house has three bedrooms, two baths, roomy top-of-the-line kitchen, stocked with food, then a dining area, overlooking the large living room. The living room and master suite had a great view of the golf course. Laurie was in seventh heaven. She borrowed some clubs from Mike and played every morning on the small pitch and putt course that was right next to our house. One morning we walked down the street to the club house and had breakfast out by the pool. I felt very pampered.
Another new experience for me was the heavenly fragrance that was enveloping all of Phoenix at the time. The citrus trees were in bloom all over the city, and the wonderful scent followed us everywhere. Also, the refrigerator at our house was stocked with fresh picked oranges that were probably the sweetest, most delicious I have ever had.
Because the wedding was held outside, this very pleasant aroma drifted over us during the service and added a special ambiance.
The only picture I have for this day is one of the three cousins together again at last:
DANNY, MICHAEL, JAY
Saturday, April 10, 2010
PRE-WEDDING DAYS
Our second grandchild, Jordan Trueblood, was married on Saturday, March 27, in Phoenix. I arrived on Wednesday, the 24th, and was able to participate in a few of the pre-nuptial affairs.
The first one was the rehearsal dinner held on Wednesday night instead of the traditional night before the wedding. The place she was getting married had all their rehearsals for the week on Wednesdays, so the dinner was planned for that night also. It was held at a quaint German restaurant in the heart of downtown Glendale in a room at the back. Of course, I have a few pictures to display.
The bride and groom:
This is Mike and Jordan. I have mentioned before that Mike was a part of the family long before he and Jordan began dating. He was Tom's (Jordan's older brother) best friend since second grade and had many visits to Nashville in that role. They began dating soon after Tom and Kirstie married four years ago.
Here are some other shots:
TOM AND KIRSTIE (she's due on April 25)
BAILEY AND BOYFRIEND CHASE (she is maid of honor and Jordan's
sister)
ME WITH DANNY (youngest of the Truebloods) AND FAMOUS SINGER who was a bridesmaid and sang at the wedding
I will only add that the food was delicious and I didn't think I liked German food.
to be cont'd.
Our second grandchild, Jordan Trueblood, was married on Saturday, March 27, in Phoenix. I arrived on Wednesday, the 24th, and was able to participate in a few of the pre-nuptial affairs.
The first one was the rehearsal dinner held on Wednesday night instead of the traditional night before the wedding. The place she was getting married had all their rehearsals for the week on Wednesdays, so the dinner was planned for that night also. It was held at a quaint German restaurant in the heart of downtown Glendale in a room at the back. Of course, I have a few pictures to display.
The bride and groom:
This is Mike and Jordan. I have mentioned before that Mike was a part of the family long before he and Jordan began dating. He was Tom's (Jordan's older brother) best friend since second grade and had many visits to Nashville in that role. They began dating soon after Tom and Kirstie married four years ago.
Here are some other shots:
TOM AND KIRSTIE (she's due on April 25)
BAILEY AND BOYFRIEND CHASE (she is maid of honor and Jordan's
sister)
ME WITH DANNY (youngest of the Truebloods) AND FAMOUS SINGER who was a bridesmaid and sang at the wedding
I will only add that the food was delicious and I didn't think I liked German food.
to be cont'd.
Friday, April 9, 2010
REMAINDER OF CRUISE
OK, I think it's about time I wrapped this up. We spent Friday of the cruise visiting Grand Turk which quite frankly I don't think I had ever heard of before. And really there was not a whole lot to see.
The ships have been going there for four years and I'm sure that has helped their economy, but they still have a long way to go. The taxi driver told us that the politicians were very crooked and were keeping all the money for themselves. (So what else is new?)
To make matters worse, it was lightly raining all day, so we made a quick retreat to the ship where we were attacked by pirates!!
The last day we spent on board mainly lounging by the pool and eating. As I said, the food was delicious, and I even found a way to check out the dinner menu for the day on the TV ship channel. That way we could look forward to it all day.
We docked early Sunday morning and after spending time in the art deco area of South Miami Beach, we went to the airport. We were very glad to get back to Tennessee that night.
Tomorrow, I will begin on Jordan's wedding.
OK, I think it's about time I wrapped this up. We spent Friday of the cruise visiting Grand Turk which quite frankly I don't think I had ever heard of before. And really there was not a whole lot to see.
The ships have been going there for four years and I'm sure that has helped their economy, but they still have a long way to go. The taxi driver told us that the politicians were very crooked and were keeping all the money for themselves. (So what else is new?)
To make matters worse, it was lightly raining all day, so we made a quick retreat to the ship where we were attacked by pirates!!
The last day we spent on board mainly lounging by the pool and eating. As I said, the food was delicious, and I even found a way to check out the dinner menu for the day on the TV ship channel. That way we could look forward to it all day.
We docked early Sunday morning and after spending time in the art deco area of South Miami Beach, we went to the airport. We were very glad to get back to Tennessee that night.
Tomorrow, I will begin on Jordan's wedding.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
DAY 5 ON THE CRUISE
Brenda and I left the ship on Day 5 for a quick trip around San Juan. This was one of my favorite ports with its colorful buildings and pretty brick streets. Below is a shot of me in front of the cathedral we visited that shows the blue bricks on the street.
Inside the cathedral was the tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon, which I thought was kind of cool.
We had a great time roaming the city on foot and we found a few trinkets to bring back. When we got back to the boat, we were met by a leprechan for a photo op since it was St. Patrick's Day:
(Actually, this pic was shot the day before.)
Brenda and I left the ship on Day 5 for a quick trip around San Juan. This was one of my favorite ports with its colorful buildings and pretty brick streets. Below is a shot of me in front of the cathedral we visited that shows the blue bricks on the street.
Inside the cathedral was the tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon, which I thought was kind of cool.
We had a great time roaming the city on foot and we found a few trinkets to bring back. When we got back to the boat, we were met by a leprechan for a photo op since it was St. Patrick's Day:
(Actually, this pic was shot the day before.)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
CRUISE, DAY 4
This day we docked at St. Martin's Island for a day at the beach. Both St. Martin and St. John have beaches that rate in the top 10 in the world. We decided to ferry over to St. John to that beach in the hope it wouldn't be so crowded. Below is a picture of this gorgeous place.
The water was a beautiful blue and it wasn't too crowded. So I decided to get my feet wet. (Brenda had been in and assured me it wasn't too cold.) So I waded out a few yards -- up to my thighs -- and it felt very pleasant. I noticed that the waves seem to be getting bigger though, so I turned around to start back in. The next thing I knew I was on the bottom of the ocean floor flailing my arms and legs. I finally got my footing and another one hit. By that time, Brenda was beside me holding on to me. I have never seen her move so fast. She was across the beach and in the water like a flash. Anyway, I was more upset about losing my Raybans than anything else. We both looked for them but they were long gone. Some fish is protecting its eyes from the sun with MY expensive sunglasses.
Here I am after being dunked!! Those are my reading sun glasses. I bought some more Raybans in San Juan.
The two islands were really pretty -- I can see why so many Americans have opted to live down there.
This day we docked at St. Martin's Island for a day at the beach. Both St. Martin and St. John have beaches that rate in the top 10 in the world. We decided to ferry over to St. John to that beach in the hope it wouldn't be so crowded. Below is a picture of this gorgeous place.
The water was a beautiful blue and it wasn't too crowded. So I decided to get my feet wet. (Brenda had been in and assured me it wasn't too cold.) So I waded out a few yards -- up to my thighs -- and it felt very pleasant. I noticed that the waves seem to be getting bigger though, so I turned around to start back in. The next thing I knew I was on the bottom of the ocean floor flailing my arms and legs. I finally got my footing and another one hit. By that time, Brenda was beside me holding on to me. I have never seen her move so fast. She was across the beach and in the water like a flash. Anyway, I was more upset about losing my Raybans than anything else. We both looked for them but they were long gone. Some fish is protecting its eyes from the sun with MY expensive sunglasses.
Here I am after being dunked!! Those are my reading sun glasses. I bought some more Raybans in San Juan.
The two islands were really pretty -- I can see why so many Americans have opted to live down there.
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