Dear family and friends, it has been a long time since I have posted and so much has happened. You would think that being retired and being free of housework and yard work, I would have plenty of time to write. However, we are just having too much fun! We have been to see friends in North Carolina. John was a classmate of Chris when we were at Virginia Theological Seminery. His wife Debbie became my best friend. The four of us and our children did everything together. John asked Chris to supply for him on the Sunday after Christmas. He loves doing it and I get a good sermon. Best of all, I don't have to wonder where we will go yo church. We have been to two very interesting churches in Virginia Beach. It is very different up here. We did attend a very simple Midnight Mass. Sure missed Holy Spirit.
We also spent time with a girlfriend that moved to Virginia from Gulf Shores. She is the one that turned me into a blonde. We had so much fun catching up and meeting her new husband. I ate my first fish taco and learned to play Mexican Train Dominoes. It has nothing to do with lining them up and knocking them down. Chris was so disappointed.
Of course the best part was spending time with family. My granddaughter and I made matching macrame key chains. I could not find my glasses to read the directions so they are not perfect but we laughed a lot. We went to see Night At The Museum. I cried a lot because Robin Williams was in it. I rode all over town with my college age grandson and learned about his ambitions and goals. I watched my daughter Amy bake every kind of Christmas treat and had to keep Chris out of the buckeyes until all gift bags were filled. (And he can't understand why his sugar levels are so high)
We had planned to meet our Ohio friends over New Years but had not set a destination. After examining several options we decided to just meet them in Ohio. Chris has no fear of anything! The first day of driving was not bad. By nightfall we had made it to the West Virginia border and stayed at the no frills Wal-mart. Nothing but the best for me. The next day of travel was harrowing. I had to
drive through the mountains in the rain. I don't think I ever went over 50 miles an hour. I was the slowest vehicle on the road. The curves were matched with 5% downhill grades. I just stayed in my lane and prayed for my shift to end. Of course when it was Chris' turn to drive, the sun came out.
It is very cold here but we are warm In our camper. I am amazed at how well we are doing. Tonight will be the real test with freezing temps. The current temp is 21 degrees and the low tonight is 18. If the pipes hold up tonight we will be ok.
Peace to all. Happy New Year
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Greetings from Charleston, South Carolina
We arrived n Charleston late today after two wonderful days in Savannah. I wish we could have stayed there a week but even though we are retired and free spirited, we still have deadlines that can't be moved....like Christmas.
On Monday we took the 'hop on,hop off ' trolley and had a great overview of the historic district. I learned that Spanish moss has nothing to do with Spain or moss. It is an air plant that does not attach to the tree. It is in the pineapple family. We saw an old house that Joe Namath purchased for $90,000. He wanted to turn it into a gentleman's club. The city would not allow this so he sold it for about $250,000. Today it is worth several million. We passed by the birthplace of Juliette Low. Did you know she was 52 when she started the Girl Scouts? Amazing what people can do regardless of their age. Do you know why they sell Girl Scout cookies? The girls made cookies to send to soldiers in WWI. However by the time the cookies arrived there were nothing but crumbs. So the girls started making candy for the soldiers. The sugar and butter for the candy were quite expensive so they sold cookies to get the money for the candy. That's their story.
For lunch we ate at Mrs. Wilkes. The tables are set for twelve guests and food is served family style. There were so many dishes: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, greens, slaw, cabbage, stewed tomatoes, rice, turnips, stuffing, lima beans, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, baked beans, bar-b-que, corn bread, rolls, and of course sweet tea. We spent the first 15 minutes passing food. There were people from Colorado, Savannah, and Iran. Interesting group.
The best site was the Cathedral of John The Baptist. It was beautiful. The stations of the cross were carved and exquisite. I took a picture of all 14 to keep for my prayer time.
I still can't believe we have been on the road since August and we are still married. Our 27 feet have not closed in on us. We have found more time for prayer together than we ever had before. I have found that I can have my quiet time when Chris walks the dogs each morning. I have been reading Henri Nouwen's Spirituality of Living. He suggests that you repeat 'the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want' at least three times. This is a good Mantra for this Christmas season. I have been using it for my breath prayer. The truth is, I do not want for anything...the Lord has provided for all my needs. Of course, when the 42foot deluxe coach pulls in next to ours...I have to say the prayer over and over so I won't covet their storage.
Tonight we are in a county park that houses the Festival of Lights much like Calloway Gardens. We will take the tram tomorrow night. It is very cold here and I am hiding under my electric blanket.
Peace to all, Barbara
On Monday we took the 'hop on,hop off ' trolley and had a great overview of the historic district. I learned that Spanish moss has nothing to do with Spain or moss. It is an air plant that does not attach to the tree. It is in the pineapple family. We saw an old house that Joe Namath purchased for $90,000. He wanted to turn it into a gentleman's club. The city would not allow this so he sold it for about $250,000. Today it is worth several million. We passed by the birthplace of Juliette Low. Did you know she was 52 when she started the Girl Scouts? Amazing what people can do regardless of their age. Do you know why they sell Girl Scout cookies? The girls made cookies to send to soldiers in WWI. However by the time the cookies arrived there were nothing but crumbs. So the girls started making candy for the soldiers. The sugar and butter for the candy were quite expensive so they sold cookies to get the money for the candy. That's their story.
For lunch we ate at Mrs. Wilkes. The tables are set for twelve guests and food is served family style. There were so many dishes: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, greens, slaw, cabbage, stewed tomatoes, rice, turnips, stuffing, lima beans, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, baked beans, bar-b-que, corn bread, rolls, and of course sweet tea. We spent the first 15 minutes passing food. There were people from Colorado, Savannah, and Iran. Interesting group.
The best site was the Cathedral of John The Baptist. It was beautiful. The stations of the cross were carved and exquisite. I took a picture of all 14 to keep for my prayer time.
I still can't believe we have been on the road since August and we are still married. Our 27 feet have not closed in on us. We have found more time for prayer together than we ever had before. I have found that I can have my quiet time when Chris walks the dogs each morning. I have been reading Henri Nouwen's Spirituality of Living. He suggests that you repeat 'the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want' at least three times. This is a good Mantra for this Christmas season. I have been using it for my breath prayer. The truth is, I do not want for anything...the Lord has provided for all my needs. Of course, when the 42foot deluxe coach pulls in next to ours...I have to say the prayer over and over so I won't covet their storage.
Tonight we are in a county park that houses the Festival of Lights much like Calloway Gardens. We will take the tram tomorrow night. It is very cold here and I am hiding under my electric blanket.
Peace to all, Barbara
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Greetings from Savannah Georgia
Saturday was beautiful after the fog lifted. We took the dogs, Millie and Miss C, to the ocean for time to run and play. Because of the fog, the beach was empty so we let the dogs off the leash and they had a great time as seen in the video. In the afternoon we went to Jacksonville Beach Pier with our friends to watch the surfers. At first sight I thought there were about 40 large black birds in the water but then I realized I was looking at wetsuits.
For dinner we went to a fish market nd had the best fresh blackened grouper. But the day is not over yet. Sharon was able to get two tickets to Jeanne Robertson, a nationally recognized humorist and former Miss North Carolina. At age 71, she entertained us for almost 2 hours in 4inch spiked heels. We laughed nonstop. The 'boys' went to see the movie Interstellar.
We were out way past our bed time but we made it to church today. We have found the best church! Father Tony even recognized us from when we attended a few months ago. The music is so uplifting. It is both traditional and contemporary. We were in church from 10:30 till 12:15. Can you imagine a service that long. There were many young children and people of many colors.
After church we headed to Savannah with no reservation. We found the military base campground but there was no camp host. We found out that this camp must have reservations...no drop-ins...contrary to what our research had stated. So, we are parked in what may or may not be a reserved spot. And we may or may not get a knock on the door and we may or may not have to move before morning.
Tomorrow we will enjoy the town of Savannah and hopefully have good pictures.
Peace and Joy, Barbara
Oh....the boat will close on Monday. Great news that will allow us to travel without the worry of the care and maintenance of our boat.
For dinner we went to a fish market nd had the best fresh blackened grouper. But the day is not over yet. Sharon was able to get two tickets to Jeanne Robertson, a nationally recognized humorist and former Miss North Carolina. At age 71, she entertained us for almost 2 hours in 4inch spiked heels. We laughed nonstop. The 'boys' went to see the movie Interstellar.
We were out way past our bed time but we made it to church today. We have found the best church! Father Tony even recognized us from when we attended a few months ago. The music is so uplifting. It is both traditional and contemporary. We were in church from 10:30 till 12:15. Can you imagine a service that long. There were many young children and people of many colors.
After church we headed to Savannah with no reservation. We found the military base campground but there was no camp host. We found out that this camp must have reservations...no drop-ins...contrary to what our research had stated. So, we are parked in what may or may not be a reserved spot. And we may or may not get a knock on the door and we may or may not have to move before morning.
Tomorrow we will enjoy the town of Savannah and hopefully have good pictures.
Peace and Joy, Barbara
Oh....the boat will close on Monday. Great news that will allow us to travel without the worry of the care and maintenance of our boat.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Greetings from Mayport
The weather was great on Thursday. The fog cleared and so we decided to drive up the coast to checkout Jekyll Island. We had lived a short drive from the island when we were newlyweds but never visited the island. When we finished crossing the bridge to the island, there was a toll booth and a charge of $6. I thought Chris was going to turn around. He did not want to pay just to see the island so he went into the visitor center to see if it was worth it. We had already driven about 100 miles so what is $6? Alas,he decided we would enter this little community. Most of the restaurants where closed for the season but the big, historical Jekyll Island Club Hotel was still serving. We ate in the Grand Dining Room. It was very beautifully decorated for Christmas and it was Grand! What a treat.
The island was covered with giant live oaks covered with Spanish moss. It is funny...I never miss it till I see it in Florida. The beach along the Atlantic was empty of tourists and quite relaxing. The best part was Driftwood Beach recommended on TripAdvisor. It was the number one recommendation for the island tour. We drove by the unmarked dirt road the first time but found it after turning around and stopping next to another pickup truck. After a very short hike, we were excited to see miles of beach covered by huge trees that had turned ash and clearly had been on the beach a very long time. It was amazing!
We also discovered a little church that housed three different congregations. I think the Methodist church owned the building because their sigh was the largest. Their service was at 11. The Episcopal Mission service was at 8:30. The Catholic service was 7pm Saturday night. What a good stewardship of a building.
Today, Friday, we are spending time at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. One appointment is a regular update with his doctor for diabetes. The other appointment is for issues he is having with his neck.
Luckily we have the time and the motorhome that allows us to come here for his bigger issues. I think we have at least one surgery in our future for corporal tunnel. That is just a little thing.
Well, no humor in today's blog. Maybe tomorrow.
Peace to all. Barbara
The island was covered with giant live oaks covered with Spanish moss. It is funny...I never miss it till I see it in Florida. The beach along the Atlantic was empty of tourists and quite relaxing. The best part was Driftwood Beach recommended on TripAdvisor. It was the number one recommendation for the island tour. We drove by the unmarked dirt road the first time but found it after turning around and stopping next to another pickup truck. After a very short hike, we were excited to see miles of beach covered by huge trees that had turned ash and clearly had been on the beach a very long time. It was amazing!
We also discovered a little church that housed three different congregations. I think the Methodist church owned the building because their sigh was the largest. Their service was at 11. The Episcopal Mission service was at 8:30. The Catholic service was 7pm Saturday night. What a good stewardship of a building.
Today, Friday, we are spending time at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. One appointment is a regular update with his doctor for diabetes. The other appointment is for issues he is having with his neck.
Luckily we have the time and the motorhome that allows us to come here for his bigger issues. I think we have at least one surgery in our future for corporal tunnel. That is just a little thing.
Well, no humor in today's blog. Maybe tomorrow.
Peace to all. Barbara
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Greetings from Mayport Naval Station (Jacksonville, Florida)
The RollinACE has hit the road again. We spent the month of November in Gulf Shores. This gave us time to visit friends and have walks on the beach. We also sent the ACE to camping world for repairs and a modification of the TV. We also took time to purchase a jeep so we would have a vehicle for our next trip. The boat is practically sold. If nothing goes wrong we will close this week. The buyers have not acquired insurance yet...the only holdup.
If the boat sells our worldly possessions will consist of the RV, one jeep, one power parachute, two dogs, and one 5x5 storage unit. It is so freeing. I guess you could say we also have a house but it stays rented so we try to forget that liability.
We stayed very busy in GS but one month was a long time in one place and I was ready to travel again. We first headed to Niceville, Fl. We visited the priest at St. Jude's Episcopal Church. We had a great visit with Father Greg and his lovely wife Cindy and had the best Cajun food ever. The bread pudding was deep fried and served with the best sauce. We spent the night in the church parking lot. (Boon docking--better than Walmart).
Now we are spending 5 nights at my favorite campground. We are right on the water but the fog is so thick that we can't see any of it. We hope to spend time with our good friends here and I look forward to Sunday Services at a wonderful church we found here. We are headed to Chesapeake, Virginia to visit my daughter and her family for Christmas. We plan to take our time and enjoy sights along the way.
Peace to all. Barbara
If the boat sells our worldly possessions will consist of the RV, one jeep, one power parachute, two dogs, and one 5x5 storage unit. It is so freeing. I guess you could say we also have a house but it stays rented so we try to forget that liability.
We stayed very busy in GS but one month was a long time in one place and I was ready to travel again. We first headed to Niceville, Fl. We visited the priest at St. Jude's Episcopal Church. We had a great visit with Father Greg and his lovely wife Cindy and had the best Cajun food ever. The bread pudding was deep fried and served with the best sauce. We spent the night in the church parking lot. (Boon docking--better than Walmart).
Now we are spending 5 nights at my favorite campground. We are right on the water but the fog is so thick that we can't see any of it. We hope to spend time with our good friends here and I look forward to Sunday Services at a wonderful church we found here. We are headed to Chesapeake, Virginia to visit my daughter and her family for Christmas. We plan to take our time and enjoy sights along the way.
Peace to all. Barbara
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