As many of you know, I’m in charge of my mother’s 90th birthday party.  I have planned many things to celebrate her life, one of which is an album I call, “Memories of Catherine.”  With each invitation to her party, I enclosed a self addressed stamped envelope and a sheet of stationery so each friend and/or relative could write something special to Mother.  I specifically asked for “a memory of Catherine or a special message for her.”  I have transcribed my favorite below, leaving off the name of the sender.

A few months ago, Cay and Paul moved to Freedom Village.  I have met them and had lunch with them on several occasions.  Paul, quite attentive and solicitous of Cay’s needs, has a rather keen sense of humor which Cay enjoys.  They seem quite happy.

However, I have been unable to join them as much as I would like, because a careless resident, driving her electric wheelchair, plunged into a group of fifty ladies unexpectedly.  Unable to move out of her way in a split second, she knocked me down striking my left knee and right wrist with about 200 pounds of force.  Xrays revealed the tibia was not broken, but a very serious deep bone bruise was inflicted upon my left limb.  My doctor advised me that this necessitated my keeping the leg elevated and iced about every fifteen minutes for several weeks…removing  most opportunities for getting acquianted with newcomers.  The accident occurred September 16.  In the interval since, I’ve had to miss several major activities at the University where I was a professor for twenty-five years as well as activities here at Freedom Village which has more than fifty new residents now, all eager to be involved in groups (sic) activities.  I’m ready, too, but cannot for four or five more weeks because a deep bone bruise damages so many blood vessels and platelets which must be restored that my doctor insists I “take it easy” until all is healed.

I look forward to meeting Cay’s family although I probably will still be walking with a cane or walker through December.

Hopefully,

It’s a classic, isn’t it?  A real Memory of Catherine!

Day three dawned bright and early (for Linda anyway!) and we both got up went down to the lobby and had breakfast.  Bob and Lori showed up a little later, and we sat with them while they ate, and we all waited for Anne.  She was going to be there at 8:30 and we were all going to head to Meramac Spring Park in the neighboring town of St. James.  She assured us we would enjoy this spot and she was absolutely right!!We drove through St. James and arrived at the most beautiful spot we’d seen in a long time.  The incredible beauty of this park was incomparable!  We drove in and drove to the top of the world where there were picnic spots with several of them  decks that hung over a canyon with a view of forever!!  The picture above is one of those picnic decks.The colors were vivid with the greens gradually fading into gray the further away the tree line got. . .Anne next took us on the most awesome walk around the Trout Hatchery/Spring area.  The colors were vivid and believe it or not,  the photos have NOT been retouched!  I could not take enough pictures!  The trout were abundant and you could seemingly reach out and touch them.  The only problem?  No fishing allowed! If you live within driving distance of this park and haven’t been there, shame on you!  You are missing an awesome treat!  We could not take time to sit, so we finished our walk and headed back to Rolla to get ready for Susan’s Memorial.  But first just one more picture, please. . . The service was held at Christ Episcopal Church in Rolla at 2PM. The first three rows contained family and extended family, with many, many friends of Susan and the Lindgren family filling a large portion of the pews. It was a beautiful Episcopal service, with communion, and a medley of “Sound of Music” tunes sung by a trio of women. It was so Susan! Aunt Pat later told us she had requested the medley for that very reason.  The ladies of the Church provided a light luncheon of finger sandwiches, fruit, cut veggies and cookies and we sat,  shared “Susan Stories” and learned more about each other.

From the Church we went back to Uncle Bill and Aunt Pat’s home to await the next meal!!  Aunt Pat had made reservations in St. James at a wonderful restaurant, Sybill’s. The food was to die for!  I had the Tilapia and most of the others at the table had the Cowboy or Cowgirl steak, ribeye with or without the bone.  Jim said it was by far the best ribeye he had ever had!  My fish wasn’t bad either!!We were seated in the bar and had two tables full!  Our table’s diners were, me, Lori (cousin from California), Bob (Lori’s husband standing at the rear of the table), Laura (Susan’s older sister), then down the opposite side, Jonathan (Bill’s foster son), Bill, Jr. (Susan’s brother), Uncle Bill, and my favorite guy, Jim!  When this picture was taken, we had finished dinner, drinks and dessert.  We were in the “power down stage” and ready to put an end to the day!

We had truly celebrated Susan and her life.  This day was well worth our trip!

Thinking we got most of the miles out of our way on Wednesday, we got a leisurely start from our Hampton Inn room in Richmond, Virginia. Down to “breakfast” in their dining room area for one of the worst breakfasts we have ever had at a Hampton Inn ~ and probably one of the most expensive rooms at a Hampton Inn, topped only by NYC! The so-called scrambled eggs were dry, chewy and tasteless and we dumped them. Jim replaced them with dry cereal, I had yogurt. Can’t go wrong with those! The choices weren’t there. The trash was full, and the young lady who was the hostess was leaning on the counter talking. She finally walked over to the trash and pushed it down a little. How did Linda’s day start? Was it going to be same as yesterday? If the breakfast was any indication, it certainly was! Before I left the dining room, I had spilled my orange juice in my lap and had to leave carrying the USA today in front of me. Oh! we had to pick the paper up in the lobby because one was not left at our door, as is the policy for SILVER members of Hilton Honors! Despite the start, the day was rather uneventful. As we departed and turned on the GPS we found we had only traveled half way and we would have to make time today. The various “wild goose chases” that plagued us yesterday set us back more than we had imagined. Jumping on US 70 we headed across Indiana, Illinois stopping in Vandalia, Illinois to see something, anything, and stretch our legs. The town advertised itself as having Illinois’ oldest Statehouse and we set out to see it! The grounds were immaculate and the building beautiful. It was worth the stop! Also worth the stop was “The Old State Cemetery” two blocks beyond it. The cemetery is well kept, and stones that are becoming unreadable have been “transcribed” onto bronze plaques on cement markers in front of each one.  Mary Hall’s is an excellent example of just such an effort. We left Vandalia and continued on our journey, finally crossing the Mississippi River into St. Louis.  Jim drove, Linda snapped as many pictures of the Arch as she could, giving directions to Jim as she did so!  Women, as everybody knows, use both sides of their brain after all! Since we had not had lunch and it was approaching 2PM we started looking for something, anything to eat!  We finally found it and decided on the best!  If you’ve never been to the midwest, you’ve never had the pleasure of a “Slider!”  Yummo, 59 cents each, and of course, one just won’t do it!  The are 2 1/2″ square, a bun, hamburger, diced cooked onions and a pickle slice.  Served hot and there’s nothing like ‘em! We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express an hour before Bob and Lori, giving us time to unpack, relax and take a short nap.  They called when they arrived and we met 10 minutes later for our “dinner date” with the Lindgren clan of Rolla, Missouri!

Our plans were to be up and on the road by 6AM. We were late and missed the 6AM deadline by 10 minutes. Pretty good, I think, especially when I did not get out of bed (or off the sofa which I slept on) until 5:30!

The sunrise was beautiful as we headed to the Turnpike.  I had to roll down the window and stick my camera outside facing east, of course, to get a picture.  I’m sure the car behind us thought I was nuts.  (He wouldn’t have been too far off base, either!)

First stop was at the Breezewood exit for breakfast.  It was time and we both needed to stretch.  We bypassed the Burger King (yech!) at the rest stop for a real breakfast and ended up at a Dennys’ Diner for a semi-real breakfast.

Our waitress was what we would have expected at Dennys.  Without asking we found out that she had been married for 26 years and fought every day of the marriage before they divorced.  She was now living with somebody who she had been living with for 16 years and they had only had two fights in that length of time.

Jim had the French Toast Slam which he did not finish.  It was French Toast ala Dennys and could have been cooked more.  I had the Senior “Belgian” Waffle special.  The “Belgian” waffle was in fact a regular waffle that could have been cooked more, and my “Over Medium” egg was actually an “Over Easy” egg because Jim had ordered his over easy and they cooked both orders at the same time.  Happens all the time, and I think I’ve finally learned to not order eggs when Jim does!

Jim had ordered hot tea, I had ordered coffee.  When the waitress refilled my cup, she refilled Jim’s as well. . . with coffee!

Just before we exited the turnpike, I spied this license plate and thought of Michael, our family’s “Coastie.”  The “Coastie” driving was pretty cute and I think Michael would have liked her. . . .

We left Pennsylvania and headed into Ohio and that’s when the day from Hell began!  We’ve always wanted to stop in Wheeling and walk around because you can see it from the bridge  as you roar down the 70 going east to west.  We actually  got off the 70 after we passed it and turned around to go back.  Detour after detour finally got us into the heart of Wheeling which looked like a quaint little town.  We saw a sign that pointed to the left that said something like “Victorian Section” and turned left on the one-way street that led us RIGHT BACK TO THE 70!!! Frustrated by that time we gave up and continued on our journey.

Next stop was the Welcome Center where the young ladies behind the counter were more engrossed in their conversation than in people who were wandering in and out.  I helped myself to the map I was after and a few other pamphets and left.

I, of course, had to take a picture or two and learned that this Welcome Center is dedicated to “The Men and Women of the Ohio Department of Transportation Who Gave Their Lives to Provide a Safe Transportation System for Ohio Travelers.”

The highway going East to West through Ohio is dedicated to “The Nation’s Armed Forces who Served in World War II.” How ’bout if you weren’t armed but still served?  Just wondering . . . .

We stopped for gas and split a “Fried Pie” that we bought from an Amish girl who had a table set up on the grass.  What’s a Fried Pie?  That’s what I asked.  It was a turnover like piece of flour and lard with a sweet filling in it that had been fried and dunked in a vat of sugary glaze.  I asked if they had a fruit filling and see said yes they had raspberry and blueberry.  I was excited because I imagined fresh fruit.  No, more like pie filling from a can.  Was it good?  Not my idea of good.  Was it unhealthy?  Very!  Would I buy one again?  Not in a million years!

Jim was ready to close his eyes for a little bit so he offered to stop in Zanesville if I could find somewhere to shop awhile.  I took the handy dandy GPS and started looking.  I finally found a Good Will Store (my favorite book and treasure store!) and we headed in search of it.  Was it a store when we finally found it?  No!  It was a training facility!!

Since we wanted to stop at the Hampton Inn we had passed to get to the Training Center to pick up a directory, we followed the GPS’ instructions. . . .almost! back to the 70 and the Hampton Inn.  It only made two mistakes!  Number one could have been fatal!  It had us turning right on Elm Street, which would have taken us to the Hampton Inn, had it not been a one way street leading off of the 70!  Jim started into the turn and slammed on the brakes!!!  Shame on you Garmin!!!  I picked up the directory and the GPS then told us to turn right to the driveway out.  They were right, there was a driveway out, but it was from the Hotel next door and we would have had to drive through a planter and knock down a tree to use it!!

As we approached Columbus I decided I wanted to go to the Ohio Historical Center and find a few death certificates and/or birth records.  Jim could nap there.  He thought that was great UNTIL!  We followed the Garmin again and it had us in the right lane when we should have been in the left lane and Jim had to cross slam on his brakes in heavy traffic twice to get to where we were actually supposed to be!  Exiting the highway we saw a lot of State Police, road blocks and Police directing everybody into the parking lot where we wanted to be.  It was the State Fair, and we were in line with all the attendees!!!  Not only that, but we had to pay $5 to park!  As the State Police was getting ready to direct us into the dirt parking we told him where we wanted to go, and he directed us to that area.

Jim found a nice shady parking place, I gathered my notebook, money and started off for the entrance only to find that IT WAS CLOSED ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY!!!  We had fought horrendous traffic and paid $5 to park only to get the hours of the facility!!  I was almost in tears by this time!  Jim was gracious and we headed back to the 70!!

I finally found someplace to stop! Heart of Ohio Antique Center! Jim did nap; Linda did shop ~ for 1 1/2 hours. Going thru post cards. And I only went thru 2 vendors’ post cards! I did find some really good ones, though!

It was on the road again for our final destination of the Hampton Inn in Richmond, Indiana where we would end our day with a lite supper at Applebys and a good nite’s sleep at the Hampton Inn.

Today is the final leg on the journey to Rolla. Wonder what experiences could possibly top yesterdays???

The weather was perfect and the sky was the brightest blue we had seen in a long time, so we decided to take a walk, have breakfast and on to Market, Lancaster’s Historic Central Market, a landmark and a destination in the city.  Walking down an alley to get to the Market are the most interesting shops and the Quilt and Textile Museum. Two wonderful restaurants are just opposite it,Lancaster Dispensing Company and Carr’s. Carr’s also has a stand in the Market where you can buy meat and prepared dinners (which we have bought on a number of ocassions.)

This is the place to be on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, year around.  Know the expression from soup to nuts?  Well, it applies to this place, with Amish crafts, flowers, pastries, cheese, chicken, fish, coffee, etc., etc., etc., thrown in for good measure!
This picture was taken about 8:00 AM, if I had waited until 10:00 AM, it would have been wall to wall with people!  Our favorite poultry stand is immediately on the left and excellent produce is right across from it.  Our dinner for the evening was chosen from both of these stands.  We made our rounds, adding to our tote bag on wheels and headed out the back door to Penn Square area.

Waiting for his master, this beautiful dog seemed to be standing guard over the less fortunate fellow on the bench.  These are the types of sights you see in Any City USA.  
This young man’s attire really caught my eye, as I was taking a picture up the street, so naturally, I had to zoom in on him!  The color combination wasn’t one I’d wear.  Is this a sign that I am getting older???

Penn Square always has something going on, but this morning we were just too early to catch any activity. We did stop to admire our new Convention Center and Marriott Hotel, a wonderful addition to our city center. The grand opening of the facility was held last month and was packed with citizens of the community, including us, of course!
Our fair city is really a happening place with so much to offer.  The first Friday of every month finds the streets swamped with young and old alike taking in the various openings at the Art Gallerys throughout the city.  Gallery Row seems to be one place everybody stops and mingles, meeting friends and checking out the latest exhibits.  (See what I meant about blue skies?  This picture was totally untouched!)
Several other architectural details just called out my name and I had to stop to photograph them before I got home.  This doorway was on Orange Street and I had never noticed it before.  Just an example of one of the wonderful elements that has been preserved in our city.
. . . and this was just down the street from this door!  This one is not quite as old, but is unique just the same!
Heading up West Chestnut on our last sprint towards home, my camera couldn’t help it!  It loves the entrance to this home!  I’ve watched as they’ve renovated the exterior of this home and can only imagine what the interior looks like!  That IS copper over the windows and door, and those lions on the front door are brass.  The plants in the planters are real and gas lights flank the front door!
This house is just several doors from the Concord/Shreiner Graveyard where Thaddeus Stevens is buried, and is the subject of the picture below.
The last picture is of West Lawn on the corner of West Chestnut and Charlotte, as we turned the corner for home.  This was the private residence of Barton Martin and his family and the residence has now been converted to upscale apartments.  Barton Martin and his brother Jonas built the row of homes I live in.  Barton gave one to each of his daughters (kinda like my father-in-law would have given each of his children chickens!) and the daughters used them as rentals.  Jonas retained the one we live in today as a rental since his home was the large on the other end of Charlotte, next to our home.
So ends another Saturday morning in the City.  Breakfast with my best friend and a walk into town to take in the sights.  Life is good, indeed!

We went out for dinner tonight and this is a copy of the check.  Now, the coke and the diet coke were the same size and we both had refills.  We figured the only reason the diet coke was 4 cents cheaper was because they didn’t put in any sugar, thus saving us 4 cents.  No other logical explanation. . . .

On the way back to Lancaster, we decided to take a detour and see “The Shoe House” that we see everytime we travel between Lancaster and York on Hwy 30.  As we approached it appeared to be in the middle of a cornfield, which it is not.

This would be the view of the other side of it.  It is open for tours in the summertime, $4.50 for adults and they even sell ice cream and souvenirs!  It was closed when we were there, however.

I guess this has been around for sometime.  I wonder if an old lady ever lived here and if one of her many kids now owns it?  What do you think?

. . . and keeping the theme going, the mailbox matches the house and . . .

. . . the fence matches the mailbox!  All the way around the property!  Shoes on each section of the fence.  I wonder if anybody ever got the boot from here???

. . . and so another Thursday evening in midstate Pennsylvania draws to a close for Jim and Linda

Remember that song “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man of Mine” from Showboat?  That line, “Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly” jumped out at me this morning when Jim pointed out these two baby doves cuddled together.  I knew two doves had been going in and out of the bush in courtyard behind us for some time.  This morning we saw the evidence  that indeed there was a nest in that bush.  Evidently these two had tried to fly and flew right to the ground under the nest.  We will keep our eyes on them and see if Mama or Poppa come to their rescue and try to teach them a thing or two or if they’ll just have to try it on their own!

Can you say “Awwwwwe how cute?”

For the first time in 30 years of marriage, I went on a “Girl’s Weekend,” and surprisingly enough, enjoyed myself!  I think I’ll do it again. . .  Linda, Louise and Linda left Lancaster bright and early Saturday morning and headed to Linda’s place (the other Linda!) at the shore.  We made it in the middle of the afternoon, after stopping at a garage sale, couple of stores and then just had to have Grotto Pizza!

It’s not a picture in Rehoboth unless you are having it taken on the Boardwalk, is it?  Some very nice man offered to take the picture and we accepted and handed him our cameras!  Then it was on to get ice cream and french fries!

Everytime I see the vivid colors of the sky, beach and umbrellas, it never fails to take my breath!  It’s such a beautiful sight!

While at Linda’s I took a walk and on the way out of her development came across this rose bush ~

Turning south I found this mailbox, and couldn’t believe it was still in use!

. . .  and exactly how does the mail deliverer know the address?  This is how!

As we walked around the yard at Linda’s we came across some interesting mushrooms.  None of us had ever seen a red mushroom.  Have you?

. . .  and the final picture is of a variety of holly that we learned was called “Grape Mahonia.”  These bushes are outside of a Grotto Pizza and the hostess saw us examining the bush closely.  When we walked in, she told us the variety was the Grape Mahonia.  Pretty, isn’t it?

Since there’s no way I’m going to take a camera on a shopping trip (wastes too much valuable shopping time!) the rest of our excursions were not recorded and cannot be posted!  Trust me, it was a delightful weekend and one I hope to repeat soon!

What is a tourist sight for many is commonplace for us!

Buggy Parking at Costco

This is a common sight in Lancaster County, so common that we don’t even think twice about it. Parking spots are alloted for buggys at restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls and even the Post Office. Wal-Mart is just one of the many places that even provides “Buggy Sheds” for their customers, protecting both the horses and buggys in inclement weather.

So I got a flyer from my favorite furniture stores here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and as I was leafing through it, I came across this little item. Now I love these chairs and someday will have one in my home, but I think I’ll wait until they go off sale . . . what do you think???