Happy graduation Tori

Terry's granddaughter from Peachtree City GA graduated from HS last Friday.  She has big plans as she will start college in the fall.  In a class of 376 she was in the top 4%!!!  She pretty much excels at what she does and has a great personality to go with it.  If you are with Tori she will make you happy!

Happy Birthday Faustina

We were on the road May 20th and could not get to the internet so we missed posting Faustina's birthday.  You are getting too too big Faustina.  We love you.

On the trail!

The pictures are from the Beer Garden in Raleigh NC where we stopped for lunch.  They have the most beers on tap in the world.  On the first floor they have all NC beers and there is something like 150 and then on the second floor there is something like 250 more beers from all over the world.  The lunch was very good.
We are about 1500 miles into our trip.  We camped in GA for 5 nights, in SC one night and now are in VA.  Will be in Delaware tomorrow and then in NY the next 2 nights.  From there will be in Boston for 3 nights and in Acadia NP for 3 nights.  Then it will be heading west through New Hampshire and Vermont.  So far so good.
We took in Tori's graduation Friday and her party Saturday.  She is Terry's granddaughter. 
Not much else.  WE did make a stop at EC yesterday as I have this rash that was spreading.  After a shot and some pills we were on our way.  As we stopped for tonight Terry all of a sudden is stuffed up and light headed.  We are praying that it will go away.
We are pretty loaded down with things for a 3 week camping trip and then things for up north.  Not sure these camping trips and north trips should be put together.  Of course 2 years ago we packed for the trip north and a trip to China so maybe we are getting better!
Enough for now.

Day 4

We left on Tuesday and drove in MUCH rain.  The first camp site we stopped at was flooded.  We did find a camp site that was OK.  We arrived in GA on Wednesday.  Thursday we visited Jimmy Carter Library which was nice.  Today we are at Terry's daughter's for Tori's HS graduation.  Tomorrow it will be the party and then Sunday will be off north to SC, NC, and up the coast.
Don't know when we will have Internet again.  So far the trip has been interesting and our health is fine.  I have had FP each morning so life is good!!!

Its almost time!

It is almost time to hit the road again.  Although we have much to do before we leave Naples for the season things are moving forward and I THINK we will be ready May 17th.

• We had a friend of Terry's over for dinner last night and today a friend picked us up and treated us to lunch.  The last of such things before we leave.
• Terry had her last tennis match yesterday and I played for the last time this morning.  In the last game our opponent slammed the ball into the net which made me and my partner 7-5 winners.  A good way to end!
• Our spare bedroom is filling up with things that go.  A good sign.
• We have had the AC guy come and do the semi-annual check and the bug man came for the quarterly check so that is done.
• We have shopped very little for food and the fridge is getting to look kind of empty so that is good.  It is always a challenge to have enough to eat but leave with the fridge and cupboards a little bare.  We do have a home watch come weekly so things stay good.  IF the air would go out in the summer that would mean the humidly would be up and in a short time (perhaps a week or 10 days) the house would show a GREEN hue!
• Terry took the recycle bin and garbage bin out by the side of the house and filled them with water and cleaner.  It is nice to have them kind of clean before we leave.
• I will be on my way shortly to get some keys made.  We will leave a set of keys with a neighbor just in case.

So life goes on as we head north.  We pretty much have our route planned out with camping reservations from May 18-June 3.  In that time we will take in a HS graduation, 3 presidential libraries, a national park, several breweries, 6 state parks and of course get an overload of scenery.
We plan to land in St. Paul June 10th with our running shoes on.  Not literally but figuratively.  Our summer plans are to redo the 2nd floor bathroom which is at least a full summer job but we also want to play a bit of tennis, visit grand kids, take a trip to ND and do some odd jobs around the house in St. Paul.  Then as we head back to Naples in the fall we hope to catch sister Helen in AR and see Terry's new Great Grand baby in Texas.  While in Texas we will take in the Johnston, the Bush and the Bush presidential libraries.  We should arrive in Naples in the fall in time for the fall tennis league, I hope. 
Now all of that is dependent on this darn back of mine staying healthy.  I thought I should get a shot before we left and I did pray about what I should do.  Well there was one road block after another so I felt that was God's way of saying, "Carmen you do not need to get that now."
I saw on Facebook today that Jim Kellen died this week.  Jim was stricken with polio at the age of 17 and spent the next 67 years in a wheel chair.  He certainly was a strong man of God.  I know his reward in heaven will be great.
No, I think it may be time to get those keys made and then get some more work done towards our departure on Tuesday.   I was not inspired in my writing today and it may be because there was no FP by my side.

OLD???

Last night as Terry and I were surfing channels on TV we saw that Lawrence Welk was on.  For the fun of it we clicked on it and before we knew it the program was over and we had watched pretty much all of it.  During that time we joked about our parents watching it. What the heck, we must be getting long in tooth!
Mother's Day came and went.  It was pretty quiet.  Terry received calls from her 3 children, we went to the flea market for one item and that was it.  Very different from many Mother's Days in the past but then we all know that the only constant is change!
I am going through some tough times.  Sometimes family and friends can be a real blessing and then at times things do not go so well--such is it for me now.  This too shall pass, at least I hope!
I hope all the mothers in the world had a great day and I am so thankful for the many mothers in my life.

Thoughts about Grandma Lee on Mother's Day

My Grandma Lee's home in Cayuga North Dakota

I am thinking that Grandma and Grandpa Lee sold their farm to Halver, their son, in the early 50's.  They then moved to this stone house in Cayuga.  I don't think Grandpa lived long after the move.  I believe he died of prostate cancer.  Grandma lived here for about a dozen years or so.  Her brother, Henry, lived with her much of that time.  Henry never married.  This picture was taken a couple of years ago.  As one can see, nobody lives there and I would say it has been a long time since it was occupied.  Some memories of Grandma in Cayuga.

• Uncle Henry lived with her and he smoked.  Grandma would not allow him to smoke in the house but in the winter time he could stand in the entry on the left of the picture.  The main door to the house is hidden by bushes.  When a person would enter the house the smell in the entry way from Henry's smoke.  I am SURE, whatever he smoked, they were the worst smelling cigarette in the world!
• The living room was the area of the house that is in the foreground of the picture.  It was there that Henry and I would sit and play Chinese Checkers.  I remember well, when I was in the 6th grade I became good enough to beat Henry most of the time.  At that point I almost had to beg him to play.  It was not long before we did not play at all.
• I often stayed with Grandma after a late late basketball or football game as Dad did not want to drive to Cayuga and sit in the car until midnight or later.  I was at Grandmas the night Ronald died.  
• Grandma always had cookies.  I mean always.  Mom would tell us on our drive to Grandmas that we should not ask for cookies.  She often reminded me of the time we were about to leave and I said to Grandma, "Mom said we can not ask for a cookie" Did I get a cookie?  I got 2 cookies, a big hug and a hardy laugh!
• I remember that Grandma always seemed to be happy and she was so fun to be with.  When they lived on the farm she canned and put up all kinds of garden things.  She had more kinds of berries---all of them ended up in great tasting jam or jelly.  She and Grandpa also had plum trees, apple trees and even a pear tree.
• For some reason Grandma thought the world was a better place if you ate oatmeal everyday.  As I think back maybe her oatmeal helped me do well in sports but if it did I will never admit it.
• When they were on the farm Dave and I could ride the big bike and the little bike to visit them. The ride was only 3 1/2 miles.  I would have to pedal hard to keep up with Dave on the BIG bike.  That did not happen very much as we were pretty small when they moved to town.
• Grandpa's laugh was big and bold enough to fill the Grand Canyon. I can still see him arch his back, throw his head back and laugh with a sound that seemed to fill the earth.  This was especially true when he would purposely delay present opening by eating and eating at Christmas time.  I can still see his huge hands too.  To me, they could do anything.
• As Grandma was dying in the Veblen Hospital she gave me a $20 for high school graduation.  As Dad and I walked to the car my fingers were white from holding that bill.
• A sad day when Aunt Amanda came from CA after Grandma died.  She and her sister Ragna were to get Grandma's things.  They pulled up to the house with a U-haul trailer and everything went in.  I did not see my beloved Chinese Checkers game leave but I knew they took it and I was sad!  A mainstay in Grandma's home was the china head of a doll.  I have no idea where it came from but that left too and it seemed like that was almost part of Grandma.

So on Mother's Day, I remember Grandma Lee not as a mother but as a wonderful grandma and a great friend.

Happy Mother's Day to all

Much of who I am today is because of my Mom--she was the best!

Terry, my wonderful wife and my Annie Oakley!

Kim, Terry's oldest and a great mom

Mary, great mom model

Amy, super mom

Cynthia, wonderful mom

Gail, who gave her all for her 4 children

I salute all the mothers today.  I honor them for all they give and how they love.  The world would be a very different place if their love did not exist.  I hope your children honor you today in a great way.

Happy 3rd birthday Agatha Adkins--May 4th!

Agatha Adkins turns 3 today.  As you can see, she is a fun loving little gal.  She is #10 of the grandchildren. Happy birthday Agatha, Love, Grandpa Lee and Terry

Good Bye Wallace

Wallace was put to sleep today.  He came into our lives in August of 2005.  Lemond died in 2004 and we decided to wait until Gail was finished with cancer treatment before we welcomed a new member of the family.  In the fall of 2005 we answered an ad in the paper from a family in Ellendale, MN. I thought I must have gone off my rocker as we paid $400 for him.  I had done my homework and I knew that it was a very reasonable price for that kind of dog.  In hindsight he was worth every penny and more.   He came as a cuddly Golden Doodle and he was wrapped as a furry ball of white hair.  The first few nights we put an old clock that ticked in his crate as we had read that would help his loneliness.  Not sure it did but I do know the clock never worked after the first few nights!   We had Frisky and Lemond but Wallace was the BEST.  He was so loving and so smart.  When we bought him we had not thought about the fact that he would have poodle hair which meant haircuts.  I think I may have been jealous when his haircut cost $75. and mine $15. and to top it off he looked better!!!
Over the last several years he lived with Cynthia and family.  I know he was loved so much by everyone but each time Terry and I visited he let me know he knew us.  He will be missed.