Here Comes The Fall

Well let's see, what's happened since we last spoke. We drove over to Brevard, NC to see if we could catch a glimpse of the white squirrels and walk around the shops. Did we see any white squirrels, NO. isn't that the way? However we did have a good time with friends and a nice lunch. We walked in and out of all the shops. We got rained on for about ten minutes then the sun was out again and we continued on. 

We went into Asheville one Saturday night with some friends. We got dinner then went to listen to music in the park. The dinner was great and the music was really good too. They even had some kid performers up on the band stand. While we were walking around downtown there were two little kids on a corner playing guitars. Oh these kids were just so darn good. It made me want to yank the chair out from under them, but Steve wouldn't let me so we just moved on. Oh to have such natural talent and at such a young age. It just isn't fair!!

We did another performance of our dulcimer group. It was the last one for the season, but we are continuing to practice twice a week. We have so much fun!!! Steve and I went up to the Folk Art Center again for another meeting of the Western North Carolina Dulcimer Club. It was another good day. The playing of the members of that club is so amazing. I love to sit and listen. 

The Apple Festival was fun again this year. Brian and his family came over from the Fayetteville area with the kids. It was good to see them. We had dinners, walked around the Apple Festival, and went to an apple orchard to do some apple picking. Well let me tell ya, that was a bust. The apple trees had been picked almost clean. I guess every other person in the area wanted to go picking. Whatever!!!!! I did however stand in line for piping hot, just out of the fryer, apple cider donuts. Oh it was worth every minute. Heaven on earth. 

One afternoon we went to see the movie Scully. Such a good film!! Steve and I loved it. It is such a recent memory, to see it on the big screen was stirring. It was just a feel good movie. I love to go to a matinee and see a movie. 

Yesterday a group of us drove over to Shelby to a Dulcimer Hymnfest being offered by Joe Collins and the Elizabeth Baptist Church. When we arrived I was shocked at how many people weren't there. This was a free workshop being given by a really talented dulcimer player and a group of others that were there to teach some music and different arrangements. It was pretty much a full day and so instructional and fun. We stopped at a great little diner for dinner that we found in town. It was a little out of the way place that might have been overlooked if I hadn't seen the reviews on Yelp. We had a terrific dinner and headed home. This will be something we have to do again next year. 

Our upcoming plans are going to Townsend, TN for their Old Timers Days next weekend and waiting for the leaves to start their yearly riot of color. Well I'm sure you can tell that we are having a great time. 

As a final note on this blog I want to give a special shout out to my sister Kim. She had a quilt entered in the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza and she won the Judge's Choice for her Airplane Quilt. Way to go Kim!!!!!

NASCAR Hall of Fame

So let's see, where did we leave off last time. . . Oh right, lunch at a German restaurant, only found a onesie for Evelyn at the outlet, and watching the Olympics.

Ok so dulcimer practice continues. Steve and I went to the Folk Arts Center on the Blue Ride Parkway on Sunday, for the August meeting of the Western North Carolina Dulcimer Group. These are really nice people but after playing with them for just a few minutes I thought I should go home put my dulcimer in the case and never look at it again. Steve Smith wasn't there this month, but the ladies that were, their level of mastery was second only to him. It looks like they aren't even pressing on the strings and their fingers pretty much fly over the frets. As much as I felt I had no business playing in their presence, it was thrilling watching and listening to them. 

Tuesday our little dulcimer group at the campground had our monthly performance. This month we had extra help. The husband of one of the dulcimer players plays many instruments, guitar, banjo, piano, hammered dulcimer, and I'm sure he has a few others. Anyway he came and played with us and also gave us a couple hammered dulcimer songs. His playing is beautiful. It was lots of fun. 

Now on to the title topic, today we went to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. I didn't realize last year that we were so close to the HoF. It only was about 90 minutes away. As we were turning the corner and we were there I saw so many news vans and we wondered what was up with that, but we were there for the HoF. It was kind of cool, even though NASCAR is really not my deal. Of course Steve was in his glory and I only had to hear once that he's a "professional driver". Crazy man thinks that because he did the Richard Petty Driving Experience a couple times that makes him a professional race car driver. HAH!! Our ticket included one simulator ride. Now I have to admit this was fun, especially since I beat his butt. Out of 13 other drivers I was 5th, he was 9th, I led five laps, he led ZERO, I completed 11 laps, he completed 9. The only thing he did beat me at was speed. His fasted lap was 15.389, mine was 16.144, but hey I still won, and I have the paperwork to prove it. Yeah, I rule!!

 

 

When we got home and turned on the TV we found out why all the TV vans were a block from the HoF, Trump was at the Charlotte Convention Center, which was directly across from where we parked.  Damn, if we had known we could have stuck around. 

More From North Carolina

Steve and I are really enjoying our time in North Carolina. The weather has been pretty wet and you would think that would be upsetting, but actually we are taking it easy. We have gone to the movies, we have been renting movies, we have been able to take advantage of activities here at Lakewood RV Resort. 

I know I've said it before but this place really is great. Last Friday night the owners threw a party. Free food, free beer and wine, and a really good local band for free entertainment. The only problem was that it was the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. We ate, we socialized, we had a great time and still made it home in time to see the United States walk in. I just couldn't miss that. 

Steve and I did go visit our favorite German restaurant in Black Mountain and we had a wonderful schnitzel dinner. I have been practicing my dulcimer a lot. There are a couple other new players and we are taking advantage of extra practices together. Although the dulcimers are fewer than last year we have picked up a guitarist, the husband of one of the new players, and he used to play in a band and he is GOOD! It adds a whole new level to our little group. 

I did make it to one of the outlets and only found a onesie for Evelyn. Oh it's probably for the best. God knows Steve and I don't need anything, but heck sometimes it is fun to shop. 

So I guess what I'm trying to get across is, we are enjoying life, relaxing (as much as one can relax watching the olympics, our neighbors are probably thinking we are fighting cause there is yelling going on), but aside from that we are having a good time. 

Loving North Carolina

We are having the BEST time in North Carolina. We have been catching up with friends from last year and it's like the time stood still. I'm playing with the dulcimer group twice a week, and we can't forget about Happy Hour and Nickel BINGO on Wednesdays. Card games are going on pretty much all the time here, but I only play on Thursday night. It gives Steve a night of peace. 

The weather has been very nice. The temps are much lower than in Florida and almost every day it threatens to rain in the late afternoon but the rain has been hit or miss. When it rains we get a good wash out and we have had a few, but heck, that just gives us a reason to relax and watch a movie. We have already seen a good couple. 

We are trying to take things slow. We have had things going on since we left North Carolina last year and this is our time to relax. So I'll update you with more later. I guess I should update everyone on the problems we have had with the RV, oh wait!! THERE HAVENT BEEN ANY!!!!! Thank God

We Are In North Carolina

Ok, let's face it, Florida is hot this year. I think someone has transported it to the surface of the sun, but then we got to Savannah and now we were in the molten core of the sun. I mean this heat was horrible, just horrible. It took hours for the RV to cool down after getting to Savannah last night. However all is right with the world again and we are in much more reasonable temps here in Flat Rock. When we arrived it was only 78° here. Ahhhhhhhh, much better. 

When we walked up to the office to get checked in we ran into several friends from last year and we were greeted with hugs and smiles. Yes we have come home, to our northern home. The worst part is I just want to do everything right away, like NOW!!!! For a year I have been looking forward to coming back to Lakewood RV Resort and being able to visit different locations and doing different things. I know I'm impatient! So I went to happy hour at the lodge, Steve decided to be a poop and stay home. I mean come on, it isn't like he pushes the RV from Florida, but whatever he was tired, he was sweaty, he wanted to just sit in his recliner. WHATEVER!!! I let him have some peace and quiet. I played nickel bingo. I didn't win, but it was like I'd been there just last week. Lots of familiar faces and lots of welcome hugs and smiling faces. 

So we are mostly settled in and all is good. Tomorrow we will finish getting things settled. Then it is fun, fun, fun. . .

Spending time in California

So another week has come and gone. We are having the best time getting to know Evelyn. She has already changed so much since we have gotten here. She is getting to be so cute and personality is developing fast. To say that Steve and I are smitten is the understatement of the year. She is cooing and smiling all the time and she just loves to be walked and patted and held while she sleeps. (Yes Debby, no matter how hard I try not to, I'm spoiling her ROTTEN!!, and I'm loving it.)

Steve and I went to the campground we were supposed to be staying at for the month and picked up our deposit. While we were out that way we stopped to take a few pictures of the underpass we drove the RV through. Well, I thought it was bad from my seat in the RV, but seeing it from the car and the street, oh it looked even worse. This thing must have been so tight. Steve and I talked about it, if we'd gotten stuck we would have had to knock out a window and climb down to get help. Wait till you see the photos. God drives along side Steve often and I am so thankful for that, because I'm not much help. I just hide my eyes till we are through. 

Yesterday I had such a nice surprise. I "wanted" to go see the Star Wars movie. I know, it has been out since BEFORE Christmas and I still haven't seen it. We were so busy before the holidays, then we were getting things settled so that we could make the trip to California, anyway we just didn't get around to going. Well so I was thinking it would be a nice thing to do on my birthday. We figured that Courtney needed a break from us anyway, but don't you know Steve kept putting me off. I was a bit perturbed when he announced he didn't want to go, we could go on Monday. Monday would be so much better he insisted. I wasn't convinced, but hell that means I get to go see Evelyn. So I'm good!!! Little did I know there were schemes being played out. Curtis and Courtney ordered a cake and got a gift card for the movies for me. That was just the sweetest thing. Courtney made authentic tacos for dinner. They were so different than anything I've had and they were so darn good, then they brought out a Tinkerbell cake with candles and the whole deal. Honestly I was hoping my birthday went by with little fuss and no notice. Never in my wildest imaginings did I think about being 55, but heck life is good, I have wonderful family, wonderful friends, and a husband that is second to none. So I guess God is traveling right beside me too. 

Did I mention that Courtney and I made a tutu for Evelyn. I didn't think so. We sure as heck did and it was fun. We got glitter ALL over the living room. Steve was having a panic because before we were done we had glitter all over the baby too. He acts like that's a bad thing. She has just had her iniation into the girly girl club. Glitter should be worn proudly, and often. I don't think Curtis was in the door more then two minutes before he wanted to know where all the glitter came from and we had wiped things down vacuumed and dusted after we were done. Lesson learned maybe don't get the glitter tulle next time, oh who am I kidding, these guys just need to learn to live with glitter. 

Enjoying Our Great-Grandbaby

OK I guess I need to bring you up to date on what is happening here. Although it was a long trip across the country we made it with little to no trouble. Thank God for Steve's driving skills because we had high winds, and not so great roads, long days, etc to deal with and he handled it like a pro, then we got to our final day. Doesn't that sound ominous? We set off for the last time and the jacks gave us some trouble, not a big deal, we have been around this block a time or two let me tell ya. So we get that issue fixed and we are on the road. We are riding high because before the end of the day we will see our sweet baby Evelyn (her daddy and her mommy too, I know it sounds like we have no interest in Curtis and Courtney and that really is not true, but Evelyn is brand new and needs all the fussing only great-grandparents can give), anyway getting back on track. We are riding along, following the GPS making good time even though we were delayed a few minutes with the jacks, we are driving now along farm roads and we come to a FREAKING train tressle. Now not only is this train tressle kind of low and we look at each other not daring to address the elephant in the room, but it is so narrow and there is an abutment in the middle making it so narrow if we had a sheet of paper we couldn't have slipped it between us and bridge. Oh it was a white knuckle ride today to say the least, oh but I'm just getting started. We drive just a few miles more down winding and pocked roads and we pull up to our campground. Half of this place is on one side of the road and half on the other. The right side took a hard turn that was a wicked down grade and sloped to one side, the left looked like it went to a marina. There were two signs that said campground to the right marina to the left. The sign on the left said store, marina, boat ramp, and camping to the left. What the hell am I in Oz now, remember the scarecrow telling Dorothy to go to the left and the right? Anyway, I called the office number and I was asking him which way we go, he wasn't a hell of a lot of help. We ended up having to disconnect the car, turn the RV around and try to make an approach from the opposite direction. That was no better, NO BETTER AT ALL!!!!! Well by this time our rock guard was ruined from all the swales and my last nerve was at the breaking point. The campers that were there looked like they had been abandoned. Do these people not realize we have been on the road since the previous Monday and we are in the Danger Zone? I want to get settled, I want to get off the road, I want to see Curtis and Courtney, and I WANT TO SEE MY GREAT-GRANDBABY EVELYN, SO IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, DON'T PUSH ME. We went into the store/office and told them we wouldn't be staying with them. OK great we told them, but now it is getting late and we have nowhere to stay. Thank God for a very nice lady at a Thousand Trails campground. Although they really didn't have anything for several days she was able to give me a suggestion that worked out well.

Well I guess it is apparent that Steve and I are having the time of our lives because it took me so long to get a blog update out. Evelyn is a perfect angel and  she responds to her Great Grandpa Steve talking to her and she just can't get enough of Great Grandmom Ruth anne's rocking and patting. We are in our glory!!!! We have gone shopping, out to breakfast, to a doctor's apt. and lots more. We have been eating wonderful meals and had so much fun cooking together with Curtis and Courtney.  Curtis bought a really nice smoker/grill that has been used for almost every meal. I have taken photos but we are going over to see the kids early and not getting home until late so I haven't been able to get them off the camera and into the blog (oooops sorry), but holding baby has been a lot more fun than taking pictures or writing my blog and posting it. I'm weak, I know it and I don't care.

Today while the football games are going on I am making it my priority to get the blog done and photos loaded and posted so everyone can see.

Great-Grand-Baby Evelyn

Well I'm surprised to be blogging again so soon, but we are on our way to meet our great-granddaughter Evelyn. I didn't dare hope we could go out to visit since they are all the way on the west coast, but Steve surprised me and I sure as hell wasn't going to say NO! Maybe in retrospect the timing might not be the best and we, and when I say we I really mean he, should have worked on a route and plans for stops so that I could make reservations but hey, we're crazy people we live by the seat of our pants. Today trying to find a place to stop for the night wasn't easy and tomorrow's place was just about as hard to find. This is the time of year all the snowbirds are coming south and campsites are scarce, I was reminded that we could do a Walmart, oh God help me I don't want to do a Walmart but I guess in a pinch. . . 

We got off this morning pretty well. The RV was cold though and didn't like the idea of having to crank, boy we get spoiled so easily. I thought this might be the first trip that we wouldn't have to put the generator on to run the A/C and I was right but I came real close to using a heater. It took until well into the afternoon to warm up in here. I may not complain quite so much in the summer. Oh yeah right, that was a riot, me not complaining. Too funny!!!! So our projected plan is to take our time, stay to the southern most route and be in Stockton, California by next Tuesday. I'll be sure to regale all of you with stories from the road. We are also going to lay low over the weekend. 

Tuesday we are on the road again. We have several full days of driving ahead of us and it's only just begun. Oh and just a note in passing. Louisiana has some of the worst highways. Really horrible!!

Wednesday we had a free breakfast from the campground we stayed at. All I have to say is a meal you don't have to pay for probably isn't worth much. We weren't impressed. Oh well we weren't there to have a good time. We are just passing through. This afternoon we pulled into a pecan orchard. The campground we are staying at tonight is on the edge of a pecan orchard. As we rode down the entrance road there are deer playing in a clearing off to the left it would be perfect except for one small thing. For hours we haven't had any kind of cell service and this place has nothing. No phone service no cable, no internet, NOTHING!!!! It's only one night right?

Thursday just another day almost, we are on the road again. Driving through Texas still. Steve is fighting high gusting crosswinds that are pushing the RV in unexpected directions. It was pretty much the same as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then I'm talking on the phone with Kim and a tumbleweed tumbles across the freaking highway. I actually got to see a tumbleweed tumbling. It was so exciting. Now I'm sure if you have to deal with tumbleweeds, they might not be quite so exciting but heck this was my first. I was a tumbleweed virgin. I don't know why something so silly got me so excited, what can I say, I'm easy!!