Where is It? It Was Here 25 years ago!

Elsewhere (our motorhome) just got us home from a really nice trip to the coast - not quite long enough.    Traveling makes me happy - I relax more, sleep better and just live in the moment.

We left early Friday morning - nice relaxing drive.  Spent some time in Wilmington - boondocked at a nice Wilmington Walmart.  

Saturday we drove to Southport and Oak Island then decided go to Carolina Beach and Fort Fisher.  Ken enjoyed the Civil War Museum while I sat under a shade tree and read a good book...nice.

View from Elsewhere in Snead's Ferry Campground

Next stop: Snead's Ferry.  We spent some time fishing there about 25 years ago and remembered it so well.  We got there and just couldn't find it.  The place we remembered is no more.  Snead's Ferry is still a small fishing village with docks and fishing shops and restaurants - but not the ones we remembered.  I guess you really can't go home again.  Sort of sad.

We spent the night at Fulcher's Campground - right on the water - walked to the Riverview Cafe for dinner.  It's been there since 1946 - we just didn't find it when we went there long ago.  If you're ever in the area - try it.  The food was wonderful - some of the best seafood we've had in ages.  Very busy place.

My favorite stop - since Ken was wounded in Vietnam:  The Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated to all the men and women who served during the Vietnam confilct. 

Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The glass walls lists the names of the 58,229 heroes                                 who made the ultimate sacrifice to their country.  Each time we visit the wall in Washington and now this one - we feel compelled to find names of some of those we knew who gave their lives.  I can only imagine how hard it is for Ken - he lost so many friends and fellow soldiers.  Wish you all could see it.

There is also a steel beam from the World Trade Center on display.


No idea why - Ken decided we should drive north to Aurora, NC - neither of us had ever heard of it.  We like just going wherever the spirit leads!  Little road with not much of anything.  We begin to see what looks like mountains of sand - or something.  I think there were miles of what looked like the terrain of some other planet.    Then we see this huge industrial complex - PotashCorp - the world's largest fertilizer company.  Very interesting.  

Aurora also has a ferry that runs to Bayview.  We like ferries, but didn't need to go to Bayview.  Nice drive home - didn't start raining until we were a few miles from home.

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Elsewhere...Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama

Which is better?  Going?  Or coming home?

We just got home from a trip in our motorhome, "Elsewhere".  Hard to explain to people who don't travel in an RV - it's a different lifestyle - we meet the nicest, most interesting people.  

Great trip - just a few little blips - like wanting to tear the new GPS into a thousand pieces.  Electronics are just wonderful.  We reached the absolute limit with the one we bought recently - returned it and bought a different brand.  This one seems to think it's fun to send us on the backroads - seriously.  For a few miles we were on narrow two lane - some one lane roads - I'm sure were were going in circles.  Time to get out the Atlas and shut her up.  We gave her one more chance and she seemed to realize that it was do or die - she behaved for the rest of the trip.  She is still on probation - any more backroads and she's outta here!  You don't want to know what we named her.

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway!!!  It really is as steep as it looks - fun ride - spectacular view from the top.   “America’s Most Amazing Mile,” -  trolley-style cars climb  almost straight up Lookout Mountain at a 72.7% grade!   Interesting history - hard to believe we had never been there before.

We spent the night in Chattanooga - very nice Walmart parking lot.  RVers don't stay at Walmart to save money - it is just so convenient - there are Walmarts everywhere so we don't spend time searching for a campground. There are usually several RV's spending the night.  Since we're self contained we don't need anything except a safe place to park.  Of course it is usually expensive because we think of things we want from Walmart!  We call ahead and ask permission - and they are always extremely nice.  We just started doing this recently after hearing so many others talk about it.   Makes good business sense for Walmart - brings in RV business and keeps customers happy. 

Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama - fun place - it is amazing what people leave on planes and buses.  Does anybody get to their destination with their stuff?  Huge stock of jewelry of all kinds - all kinds of electronics - computers, iPads, cameras, games.  Thousands of books, clothes of all kinds - some household items.  Even some saddles.  Good prices if you find what you want.  I bought some books - great selection of all kinds of books.  

Can you tell? - I like to go to weird places.  Someday I want to go to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where the US Air Force sends their outdated and decommissioned planes to rest.  "The Boneyard," as the location is known, covers 2,600 acres and houses over 4,200 military aircraft valued at roughly $35 billion dollars.  I just know that would be a fun place to visit.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is great.  Loved seeing all that space stuff.  We saw two IMAX movies - excellent. Popcorn was good too.  I didn't realize until our visit that adults can go to SpaceCamp - maybe I can go?  Maybe not?  

We spent the night in the U.S. Space and Rocket Campground - beautiful - quiet and peaceful.  Nice evening.

We had not heard of Ave Maria Grotto in Culman, Alabama - truly amazing and inspiring.  Benedictine Monk - Brother Joseph Zoettl began building the miniatures as a hobby in the 1890's.  He built them of colored glass, marbles, cold cream jars, punctured commode floats, wrecked marble, broken bathroom tile, costume jewelry that people sent from all every state in the union and from many foreign countries. Brother Joseph continued his work for over 40 years - Hh built his last model, the Basilica in Lourdes, at the age of 80, in 1958.  Hope you can see it someday.

Spent the night somewhere in Alabama - really not sure where we were - guess that new GPS could have told us (maybe).  Watched a DVD and enjoyed a quiet evening after spending some money at another Walmart somewhere in Alabama.

We and a GPS on her best behavior chose a different route coming home today.  We went to the huge Anderson, SC Flea market - didn't stay long - was not impressed at all.  Only thing we bought was a red lace oak tree (think that's what she called it).  Just because it's pretty.

Good trip.

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Quilt City, USA - Paducah, Kentucky

I thought I was going to a quilt show last week - it really was more than a quilt show.  The whole town of Paducah turns into "Quilt City".  We saw a man with a superman cape made from a quilt!

Truly amazing quilts - 
Mobs of people - 
Hundreds of vendors selling all kinds of temptation for quilters.
Hancock's of Paducah was like another quilt show.  Lots more shopping temptation.
The Rotary Antique Signature Quilt Show was another great show.

I think Beverly and I exercised remarkable restraint - didn't have to pawn our wedding rings or sell the car.  Just added a few more projects to our list.

Kentucky does things a little differently - we went to a store that was inside a huge warehouse type building - just drove right into the building and parked!  

It's a long drive to Paducah.  An especially long drive home Saturday - rained all the way home.

Of course I had my own personal driver!  Beverly drove all the way home - I leaned back and relaxed.  What a friend.

Life

There are people in my life whom I love so much who are so strong and so good.  So accepting of what life offers.  So deep and calm in their Christian faith.  So loved and so needed.  Makes everything I do; everything I worry about; all the things I let upset me - seem completely insignificant.  

I take her a quilt. Not that she needs a quilt.  It is that I need to do something for her - I hope she knows and can feel the love in the fabric - in the stitches.  I pray for her - sometimes I cry for her.  

She comforts me - tells me she is okay.  She is teaching me.  Hard lessons.  Lessons I don't want to learn.  Her faith is amazing.  I know that she is much more than okay.

A Really Good Day

Four year olds enjoy life so much!  Jeremiah came yesterday afternoon to spend the night with us.  When he is not busy eating, he is busy playing, watching everything I do - and asking questions.  His papa bought him a pair of bib overalls.  We asked him to try them on and he informed us that "I only work on Friday - that's when I'll wear them."  Papa asked why he worked on Fridays - he said "I have a super burst of energy on Friday."  Not sure I could keep up with him on a Friday!  

Jeremiah's favorite place to sit is in the recliner with me - of course I sort of like it too.  He watches me pretty closely and if I'm not giving him my full attention - he lets me know it.  Everything is more interesting with a four year old boy around.  Our plan was to take him home at lunch - but he "needed to stay longer".  We had a fun afternoon - he spent all day in his pajamas!  Too rainy to go outside so why not?  His dad picked him up about 6:00.  

No stitching for me today - I had much more important things to do.  

A really good day.

Easter - Memories - Faith

Easter - so many good memories of Easters past.  Easter - hope - new beginnings - faith - spring - family.  Is our faith shown in what we say or what we do?  In what we have or what we give?  The ones in my life who have exemplified faith have been the quiet ones who didn't seek attention - who were just there quietly doing what needed to be done.  They have left an imprint on my heart and life. 

Have you read In His Steps  by Charles Monroe Sheldon?  It is one of the best selling books in the world.  It will make you think about the decisions you make every day - it might change the decisions you make in the future.  Faith is not easy - at least not for me.  It is a daily choice - to live by faith.

Family here for dinner tonight.  Life is good.  Our best times together are usually around the dinner table.  More laughter than usual tonight.  Mostly laughing at memories of ourselves.  Having a four year old and a seven month old at the table brings a special joy.  

Good food - our family likes good southern country food.  Tonight it was Honey Baked Ham (Aunt Honey does a great job with that), creamed potatoes, green beans, marinated slaw, deviled eggs, broccoli casserole, yeast rolls and carrot cake for dessert.  It is so wonderful to have a daughter in law who is a great cook and loves to help with family dinners.  J knew he was getting a wonderful wife - don't think he realized what a good cook she would become.  They are such good parents - how blessed LJ and LA are to have them as Mommy and Daddy.

Our teenaged grandsons are on a trip to the mountains with their mom and her family.  They're lucky to have lots of family - even great grandparents on their mother's side.

I'm still working on the double wedding ring quilt for Josh and Becky.  Quilting two quilts for Veterans for our quilt guild.  Working on some wool appliqué.  Knitting a block for the Great American Afghan. All good.

I finished my Wonky Star Quilt!  Yeah - the stars are supposed to look like that...it's wonky.  It was a fun quilt to make - first quilt I've made using solid color fabrics.  Machine quilted on my Janome Horizon.  It feels so good to finish something.  I have so many projects that need finishing.

The very air I breathe feels heavy today.  Thinking about the thirteen month old baby boy who was shot and killed by a teenager in Brunswick, Georgia.  My "Seestah" and her family live in Brunswick so this feels very close to home for us.  My heart and mind can't begin to comprehend someone shooting a baby.  

Bev and I went to "Charm Club" this morning.  Bet you might not know about charm clubs.  It really is not about learning to be charming!  Twelve of us meet once a month and exchange cotton squares so someday we can make a charm quilt with hundreds of different fabrics!  Those of us addicted to quilting and all such things think it is quite a fun thing to do.  

Four weeks until we go to Paducah, Kentucky to THE Quilt Show!  Nothing like 50 quilters on a bus trip!