Traveling Fast in the Slow Lane

Meet "Flat Donna" who will be traveling with me. She is my friend Donna Whitecotten.
Days fly by when you are having fun. I did not get in a hurry this morning and could hardly wait for coffee. I headed out on I-35 for Oklahoma City. Paulette was in Waco when I left Gainsville. About that time the phone rang and Nick was wondering when I would be getting into Manhattan. I was so excited because I was not sure I would get to see him this trip. The rest of the day was spent in anticipation of seeing him so the miles were long. While I waited to meet up with Paulette, I visited the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial and State Firefighters Museum. Much of it was the history of firefighting equipment. The most impressive part to me was the tribute to those who assisted in the bombing at the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. Having visited the memorial on site just a year ago brought it all to my attention again….we are so vulnerable in our country of free thinkers. The parking lot at the zoo and science center had one shady area and I claimed it for myself. The soft breeze in the shade gave me a nice place to wait. We left Oklahoma City at 3pm headed to Junction City, Kansas. Sweet GPS directed us down a different road that turned out to be such a good road and straight through the corn and grain fields of Kansas. We only saw one field of sunflowers..salute Sue Paben. We set up the trailer very quickly and hurried to meet Nick for dinner. He brought Giles Bell with him and we were delighted. They have become good friends and I hope they take good care of each other when they deploy. It will be different this time and I fear more dangerous. I hated to say good bye to him but he will come home on leave before he goes. I look forward to that. Well these two old broads are settling in for the night. The baby egg traveled very well today. We boogied down the road and hardly knocked anything off in the floor. Tomorrow will take us through Kansas and Iowa where the barns and silos are waiting for grain and into Minneapolis for 3 days of Creative Memories hoop-la. Blessings to all who are following. Days may get more exciting come Sunday.

Stumbling for Sure to Showcase and Beyond

Not sure anyone wants to know the details of this day but here goes. Wanting to have a nice leisurely drive leaving my home and arriving somewhere north of Ft. Worth by night. The baby egg “Edwina Jr.” was hitched to my little Toyota and time left to say good bye to a few friends, delivering a get well present and wishing success to a friend who is having surgery on Tuesday. In my attempt to do something properly, I FELL ON MY KNEES! OUCH my new pants now have a small hole in the knee and my knee is bleeding and hurts like a big bulldog. Okay, I cleaned up the knee, locked up the house and pulled out at 12:02 just as planned. Off I go just as happy as “a pig in slop.” Pulling into a service station in College Station gave me my next revelation….NO PURSE. In the process of delivering the lovely gift to my friend, I took my purse with me in the car which is the law. The knee injury followed the gift delivery so upon returning to the house to fix the knee, I left the purse IN THE CAR. Being very fortunate, I am Richeys very good friend. He went to my house, got the purse, and met me half way back. The rest of the day was a piece of cake. I had planned to see a former student Monday afternoon but with running a little late we had to postpone the visit for another day. This all puts me at the south edge of Ft. Worth and the clock says 5:02. Yes, I could pull over and eat dinner and wait for the traffic to die down but I really had no trouble until downtown. All were in such awe of “Jr. Egg” that I had no trouble getting through town on I-35W. I found the loveliest state campground north of Denton. It is Lake Ray Roberts State Park. Now I am grateful to our state for posting good signs because the very expensive GPS could not find the lake nor the KOA that I know is on I-35 just over the Oklahoma line. I have now had an egg sandwich, watched 3 episodes of last year’s season of the Closer and writing for my blog of this trip. These will be my first writings in my blog of the 3rd trip to Minneapolis. Wow, looking back to the first driving trip…..this is great. That time I was in a tent and it was hot. I am sleeping tonight in “Jr.” with the air conditioner running and I dinner cooked in the microwave. Just like the good Bulldog puppies would say, “woof woof woof.”
Traveling along with me is my friend “Flat Donna, a real Girly Girl.” She was created by one of my friends Donna Whitecotten. She created this cutie using Storybook CreatorPlus3.0. Consultants etc., who could not attend Showcase, are going by proxy in the suitcases of those of us who are attending. Most will fly their guests to Minneapolis but Donna is traveling by auto and seeing very interesting sites.

When people ask me what I do since I retired, I fume. It is sometimes what I don't do now: I don't mow the lawn for 2 hours in the dark and wonder the next afternoon which spots I missed since I left home before daylight; I don't pack breakfast and a lunch to carry with me when I leave the house for bus and teaching duties; I don't go back to school after getting off my bus route to finish the paper work for school or plan for the field day, President's Fitness test, and everything else needed for training those cute Bulldog Puppies of Waller; I don't have as much money but I am still having fun; and I don't have to squeeze my album making into the little spots of my like; and I don't have to make sure that I can manage a camping trip during the three summer months. I actually took a trip when school started, I just finished mowing lawn in the morning, sat in a chair in my living room while I ate breakfast and lunch, answered emails and planned on going to a meeting in Houston tonight. Tomorrow I may finish posting business figures and clean the office. Life is Good.

Spent time with another part of my extended family. Adrianne Ambrosy graduated today from St. Pius X High School. The graduate is the granddaughter of our beloved "Bookwalter and Daddy Bookwalter," as my children called them. Adriannes mom Toni was Meredith and Nick's baby sitter. I am pictured with Toni and brother Ray. The grad is Adrianne. Group photo is her family: Ray and Susie Bookwalter (uncle and aunt), Toni and George Ambrosy (parents), brother Jay and sister Michelle. It was a lovely graduation which was preceded by Mass. I always appreciate a graduation which is reverent and a celebration without horns and yelling. We enjoyed lunch together following the ceremony.

Good Bye Edwina

Made the trip to Abilene and got Mother home on Mother's Day. She was beat and has had a hard time recovering. I gave her the album in progress "Scripture Challenge 2010." She loved it. Came home and Paulette and I worked on final touches on Edwina. A lovely lady came on Monday and Edwina of Yellowstone left my driveway behind the same lovely lady. That made two happy ladies. That little trailer gave me many smiles. This past Monday I shopped for a few more additions I wanted for the new trailer (still no name but I am thinking of "Junior" as in Edwina Junior.) Got to do some thinking. Maybe "Ed Jr." I really like my old tag from teaching "Puppytrainer." Folks ask what kind of puppies I train. They think all bulldog puppies have 4 legs and do not understand my lovable puppies have 2 legs and grow up, graduate, marry and have babies that I also got to teach. Some do well in life and some have obsticles. I love them everyone, take pride in their successes and wonder what signals I missed when they have hit bumps in life's road.

How many turns can one person make in a week? Paulette and I worked very hard on Edwina of Yellowstone (Casita Egg Camper) in preparation for selling to some lucky person. I already have several people who want to look at her, but, I am no longer at home to show her off.

I have now landed in Cameron to get Mother ready for a trip to Abilene for my brothers graduation at ACU. He is 72 and getting a Masters Degree from the Center of Conflict Resolution. We are all going ~ Meredith is meeting us there as well as most of Johns children. Who would have guessed that Mother would actually make this trip? What was I thinking? In the meaqn time I will be meeting with several high school classmates to start planning our 50th high school reunion. 50 YEARS ~ wow!!!

I am also uploading a picture of one page of my scripture challenge for 2010. I have the first 6 pages in a book for Mother's gift album for Mother's Day. Enjoy my page.

Casita Baby is off on its maiden voyage. Pulled her out of the barn Tuesday with Daddys red Tacoma pickup. we traveled as far as Cameron. Mama got in it today so she could take a good look. Ebby and Porter came to our "open house." The trip will actually begin on Thursday morning on my way to the Texas Bluebonnet Casita Rally in Bandera. I am hoping to learn all the little tricks and modifications that others have done to make life easy when traveling. Doubt I will do any modifications since she is so new. I did mount a hook for my keys on the inside of the door. Now to name her. Edwina of Yellowstone was so perfect for Egg #1 and I think this one should just carry on the name. Paulette will be joining me on Friday evening. Maybe between the two of us, we can remember all the things we will learn.
Enjoying the view as I go down the road. Mary Alice