A good time was had by all!
I think I told you in my last entry that we were off on a whirlwind trip to Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana. I’m reporting that we had an absolute ball! It’s always a joy to connect with dear friends and loved ones where fond memories are renewed and new ones are formed.
Our brief stay in Nashville brought an unexpected experience! I learned that bathtubs have more uses than the obvious! Our last night in Nashville with our friends, the Magees, brought threatening, foreboding weather. Severe thunderstorms were predicted, and conditions escalated to the “storm warning” level. That is the worst one, right? Our eyes began to be fixed on the weather channel which gave us the prediction as to when the twisters would pass over the area where we were staying on the 4th floor of a condo. So, taking the threats very seriously, at the precise time – 9:40 CST – we put our plan in place! I had first dibs on the bathtub with plenty pillows to cover the head! Thankfully, the storms passed over us in just a few minutes and our immediate area suffered no visible damage.
Other nearby areas were not so fortunate. On our travels the next day we witnessed an eyewitness account of the havoc in some areas: overturned 18-wheelers with cargo strewn about, trees twisted and broken, debris everywhere, for miles and miles, as we continued our journey toward Memphis. We were so grateful for having been spared the devastation, but our hearts were heavy for those who were not so fortunate. We were reminded once more of the awesome force when severe weather is unleashed in such extremes.
Getting to meet (and rock!) Bill and Kellye Johnson’s new baby girl, Mia, was just wonderful! They live in Nashville and we had a great visit with them. She is just a living doll - pretty and pink, and just perfect in every way. (I told our friend, Stacy, that in spite of trying to tuck this beautiful baby in my suitcase, I was not successful!)
The highlight of our trip was the celebration of my sister’s 80th birthday. Bea lives in the country between Henderson and Longview, Texas, in a lovely, serene, wooded area. As youngsters, we roamed this land and had our very own Discovery Place. There, we learned to catch grasshoppers in a jar and then head to the small branch which flowed nearby, and often bring home a perch or two! We learned the love (really) of working hard and helping our parents with whatever chores they needed help with; so it is always good to return and get a refresher course in Remembrance 101.
The birthday celebration was full of love, fun, family and friends, and lots of cake, ice cream, and balloons, of course! Bea is the first in my family to reach this milestone, so we were thankful that God allowed us to celebrate such a happy occasion. Many of her church family and immediate family gave wonderful tributes to her. We wish her many more years!
From Texas we stopped in Crowley, LA for coffee, hugs and a quick chat with Bill’s Aunt Cheenie, who is also 80 years young! A cup of good, strong, Louisiana coffee (Community, no doubt!) always gets the motor going, and we loved catching up a bit with Aunt Cheenie.
Our last stop was in Kentwood where we had a wonderful visit with Bill’s sister, Gail. Gail is such a joy and we always love spending time with her. She knocked herself out cooking for us! Brisket, butterbeans, potato salad, tossed salad, brownies and ice cream! Man, can it get any better? (Gail baked her brownies in muffin cups! She had seen this tip in a recent issue of Family Circle – no fretting over cutting them just so. I think I will do the same next time!) As always, though, we never seem to have enough time to see everyone we'd like to in Kentwood, but perhaps another time.
So, we are back in our South Carolina “nest” and ready to get back in our routine – whatever that is! A special joy today was spending time with Art and Merritt and family. Anna was home from college, so we were tickled pink to spend some time with Anna! Max is so much fun, too, and is growing so tall! I think he’s passed up his dad now! I think Max should receive some kind of reward, don’t you?
Another special "long distance" joy today was keeping our Arkansas granddaughter, Hannah, in our thoughts. Hannah is the first ever from her school to participate in the Arkansas All-State Orchestra Concert which was held in Hot Springs, AR. She told us it went really well! Hannah enjoys playing her violin in her church orchestra and other times playing her "fiddle" for fun in more casual venues! We are proud of all of our grandchildren.
Thanks for letting me share our times with you, our treasured friends. We are so blessed in so many ways! God is good, all the time! And, of course, all the time, God is good!
Here is a snapshot of Bea reading her birthday cards and opening her gifts. To her right is grandson, Nick Dillard, who will be graduating from the University of Texas in Austin, TX this May. Bea is looking forward to being there to join in Nick's special day, and we may just decide to put an appearance in there, too! Bill did a superb job as master of ceremonies and keeping the fun going!
Our brief stay in Nashville brought an unexpected experience! I learned that bathtubs have more uses than the obvious! Our last night in Nashville with our friends, the Magees, brought threatening, foreboding weather. Severe thunderstorms were predicted, and conditions escalated to the “storm warning” level. That is the worst one, right? Our eyes began to be fixed on the weather channel which gave us the prediction as to when the twisters would pass over the area where we were staying on the 4th floor of a condo. So, taking the threats very seriously, at the precise time – 9:40 CST – we put our plan in place! I had first dibs on the bathtub with plenty pillows to cover the head! Thankfully, the storms passed over us in just a few minutes and our immediate area suffered no visible damage.
Other nearby areas were not so fortunate. On our travels the next day we witnessed an eyewitness account of the havoc in some areas: overturned 18-wheelers with cargo strewn about, trees twisted and broken, debris everywhere, for miles and miles, as we continued our journey toward Memphis. We were so grateful for having been spared the devastation, but our hearts were heavy for those who were not so fortunate. We were reminded once more of the awesome force when severe weather is unleashed in such extremes.
Getting to meet (and rock!) Bill and Kellye Johnson’s new baby girl, Mia, was just wonderful! They live in Nashville and we had a great visit with them. She is just a living doll - pretty and pink, and just perfect in every way. (I told our friend, Stacy, that in spite of trying to tuck this beautiful baby in my suitcase, I was not successful!)
The highlight of our trip was the celebration of my sister’s 80th birthday. Bea lives in the country between Henderson and Longview, Texas, in a lovely, serene, wooded area. As youngsters, we roamed this land and had our very own Discovery Place. There, we learned to catch grasshoppers in a jar and then head to the small branch which flowed nearby, and often bring home a perch or two! We learned the love (really) of working hard and helping our parents with whatever chores they needed help with; so it is always good to return and get a refresher course in Remembrance 101.
The birthday celebration was full of love, fun, family and friends, and lots of cake, ice cream, and balloons, of course! Bea is the first in my family to reach this milestone, so we were thankful that God allowed us to celebrate such a happy occasion. Many of her church family and immediate family gave wonderful tributes to her. We wish her many more years!
From Texas we stopped in Crowley, LA for coffee, hugs and a quick chat with Bill’s Aunt Cheenie, who is also 80 years young! A cup of good, strong, Louisiana coffee (Community, no doubt!) always gets the motor going, and we loved catching up a bit with Aunt Cheenie.
Our last stop was in Kentwood where we had a wonderful visit with Bill’s sister, Gail. Gail is such a joy and we always love spending time with her. She knocked herself out cooking for us! Brisket, butterbeans, potato salad, tossed salad, brownies and ice cream! Man, can it get any better? (Gail baked her brownies in muffin cups! She had seen this tip in a recent issue of Family Circle – no fretting over cutting them just so. I think I will do the same next time!) As always, though, we never seem to have enough time to see everyone we'd like to in Kentwood, but perhaps another time.
So, we are back in our South Carolina “nest” and ready to get back in our routine – whatever that is! A special joy today was spending time with Art and Merritt and family. Anna was home from college, so we were tickled pink to spend some time with Anna! Max is so much fun, too, and is growing so tall! I think he’s passed up his dad now! I think Max should receive some kind of reward, don’t you?
Another special "long distance" joy today was keeping our Arkansas granddaughter, Hannah, in our thoughts. Hannah is the first ever from her school to participate in the Arkansas All-State Orchestra Concert which was held in Hot Springs, AR. She told us it went really well! Hannah enjoys playing her violin in her church orchestra and other times playing her "fiddle" for fun in more casual venues! We are proud of all of our grandchildren.
Thanks for letting me share our times with you, our treasured friends. We are so blessed in so many ways! God is good, all the time! And, of course, all the time, God is good!
Here is a snapshot of Bea reading her birthday cards and opening her gifts. To her right is grandson, Nick Dillard, who will be graduating from the University of Texas in Austin, TX this May. Bea is looking forward to being there to join in Nick's special day, and we may just decide to put an appearance in there, too! Bill did a superb job as master of ceremonies and keeping the fun going!
I'm glad you had fun, and I'm more glad you're back (with or without Mia).
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Velta, Your sister looks so young. It's hard to believe her age. Your adventure in TN sounds so scary. I am so glad everything turned out ok and we are still praying for the victims of that terrible storm. I am so glad y'all are back-I have missed your blog entries.
Love ya,
Susan
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