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It’s been another busy year here in Boonville, New York.

Until recently, Keith has been working nearly fulltime with an electrical contractor. Since retiring as a writer for our local newspaper last year, Judy has continued her volunteer work, most of it at church lately.

In 2011, we commemorated several auspicious occasions. Judy’s parents celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary in early February. Also in February, we observed the 30^th anniversary of the day we first met! Yeah, we know, it’s unusual, but since we met under rather unusual circumstances, we celebrate that date probably more than we celebrate our wedding anniversary (if you’re wondering how we met, just ask us!). In August Judy’s high school class held a 70^th birthday party, since most of the folks in her class turned 70 years old in 2011. It was another great time with long-time friends and former classmates. At the end of the month we celebrated Judy’s 70^th birthday with friends at her favorite restaurant. She says it’s a miracle she could observe the occasion, since there were times in the past when she didn’t think she’d see the day!

But, backing up a bit – in mid-May we took our first trip by auto-train, meaning our car went with us on our train trip to Florida to visit daughter Kathi, her husband Chris, and our grandson Ryan. After an enjoyable stay, we drove the car back home, stopping several times on the way north to visit friends and relatives.

After touring “America’s Largest RV Show” at Hershey in September, we decided an RV was not for us. We had been toying with the idea of buying one for traveling back and forth between York and Florida in the future, but had to re-think our plans. After 22 years in Boonville, we figured it is time to move back home.

Judy, left, at 70th class birthday party with classmates (left to right) Dawn, Pat, and Wanda.

We recently found a suitable place in Dillsburg, Pa., and although we’ll miss our many Boonville area friends, we’ll be moving closer to most of our family in the spring. We also plan to spend winters in Florida (or other warm climates), so we’re still looking for something in the south also.

Since we’ll soon be fully retired and living in York County most of the year, we’re hoping we can visit with many of you much more often than we’ve been able to while living in Upstate New York. It will be great to see you all again.

God has been good to us, and we’ve enjoyed many blessings. However, Judy’s lupus and arthritis continue to be a nuisance! She’s scheduled for neck surgery on January 10. Part of the hardware from surgery three years ago must be removed. This has to be accomplished before she can have another hip replacement, which is really what she’s waiting for. We pray that she’ll be fully recuperated by the time we move.

We'll miss our friends Terry and Cathy and their family, with whom we had dinner several weeks ago.

We’re eagerly looking forward to a new chapter in our lives, and we trust that the New Year will bring good things to you, too! Hope to see you soon. Take care and God bless!

 

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Thanks for visiting my blog. Please stop by again soon. I’ll try to keep you posted on our move to Pennsylvania and on my latest surgery. 

Well, it’s official! I’ve hit The Big Seven-Oh! Praise God, I’ve made it this far. I’m truly  thankful that I’ve lived to celebrate my 70th birthday.  And not everyone observes a 70th birthday amidst warnings of a ferocious hurricane – in this case, Hurricane Irene. It will be a birthday to remember, for sure. And instead of being depressed about getting older, I’m eagerly looking forward to another year of my life – excited to see what lies ahead. I know for sure that it will be a year of big changes – like moving from our home of 20 plus years to – who knows where! We’re not a hundred percent positive where we’re headed, but we will be vacating our Boonville property, probably in the early spring of 2012.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog – about some of the things that happen here in Boonville, New York, at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains – and about some of the things that happen in my life!

Yes, August certainly was a memorable month, with lots of monumental moments!

Diane, Joyce, and Daryl - some of my Bible Study group friends.

I’ve done lots of reading this month – not the sort of reading I usually do, though. I joined a Bible Study group at church (www.boonvilleunitedmethodist.com), the subject of which is “Reading the Bible in 90 Days.” Since I  procrastinated and didn’t join the group until they were several weeks into their reading, I had a lot of catching up to do. But I’m now on schedule, and I look forward to our Wednesday morning discussions.

Getting back to the 70th birthday observance, I’m not the only one who passed this milestone this year. Most everyone in my high school graduating class either already hit 70 or will mark the occasion by the end of the year. So, of course, there was a big birthday party for the Dallastown Area High School Class of 1959. It was one I certainly didn’t want to miss.

Keith and I traveled to the York/Adams Counties area the first weekend of August, for the big event on Saturday afternoon, August 6. It’s always great to see lots of former classmates and friends, and this was no exception. It was a blast. The sad part is, every time we get together there are more names to add to the list of those who have departed.

Hail, Hail, the gang's all here! Daughter Kathi took this with her phone, and it came out a little dark! Left to right, Amy, Judy, Diane, Brian, Kris, Dan, Keith and John.

Prior to the class party, we visited my parents at their York Township home on Friday afternoon, and learned all the details of my mom’s upcoming back surgery. She underwent the procedure on Tuesday, August 9, and is now doing fine. Mom will turn 88 on September 4, and she certainly is an amazing woman.  (I’ll be updating my companion blog about the Druck family history soon, so check it out for more details: (www.judyroutson.wordpress.com). Following our visit with Mom, Dad, and my sister, Bobbi, our next stop was daughter Amy’s home in Mechanicsburg. This too was a big event.

Daughter Kathi and family had come north from Orlando to visit her mother-in-law, who had recently had surgery. Although it was quite a drive to Amy’s home, Kathi joined us for dinner. It’s a rare occasion when all four offspring can gather at one place. We missed the grandkids and Kathi’s hubby, but it was a great evening. They presented me with an early b-day gift: a digital picture frame, which I’d been talking about, and which I’m very grateful for. Now, all I have to do is get my many boxes of photos scanned and onto the digital frame…

My new digital frame with photo of DAHS classmates.

Another important date during August was an appointment with a photographer. Yes, for a change, I was on the other side of the camera. Our church is creating a photo directory, and Keith and I had our picture taken on August 17 – another rare occurrence. Usually I’m the one taking photos, so we don’t have many of us together. I’m also on the directory committee, so there’s another project keeping me busy lately, taking photos, doing publicity, and greeting people as they arrived for their photo shoot. All the while, I continue listing books and other things for sale on eBay (check it out at JKBooksAndMore).

Keith buying fresh goodies at last summer's farmer's market.

During August, we also visited our local farmer’s market and caught the final band concert of the season, followed by a spectacular fireworks display. I also did some volunteer duty at the Boonville Black River Canal Museum (www.blackrivercanalmuseum.com).

The historic Boonville bandstand during the final concert of the 2011 summer season, August 19.

The month wouldn’t be complete without several doctor visits, and one of mine this month was with a doctor at a hospital. No emergency, just a routine procedure, the details of which I’ll spare you. But I must have set some sort of record: it took four different nurses a total of at least 12 times until they got an IV in my vein! There’s always a problem, because they say my veins “roll,” but my previous record was seven tries. I felt like a pin cushion.

At the UMW Roast Beef Dinner, Saturday, Aug. 20, Cindy Damsky helps serve, along with Pastor Jim.

The 64th Annual New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days (www.starinfo.com/woodsmen/) during the weekend of August 19-21 brought lots of visitors to our usually quiet little village. It’s really an awesome event, held at the fairgrounds, rain or shine, to choose the best lumberjack and lumberjill in New York State!  Contestants come from all over the country – as well as Canada and New Zealand – to compete. Many local organizations take advantage of the increased populace and hold fund-raising breakfasts and dinners. Our United Methodist Women prepared our usual roast beef dinner on Saturday evening,  and though I didn’t help in the kitchen this year, Keith and I showed up to eat. We met friends Cathy and Terry (who moved to the city last summer) and enjoyed their company during dinner. Cathy and Terry also joined us for my birthday dinner the following Saturday night, August 27, at Red Lobster, in New Hartford.

Friends Terry and Cathy helped celebrate my birthday.

It was quite an evening, and the first time I’ve ever been serenaded by the Red Lobster wait staff. Yep! A group of them sang “Happy Birthday” to me, as they delivered my key lime pie, complete with a glowing candle atop the whipped cream. What a surprise! We had a grand time. The highlight of the month!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Please stop by again soon to learn what’s happening in Boonville, New York, and what’s the latest excitement – or not – in my life!

I can’t believe that August is here already – in fact, it’s the middle of August!! Where in the world did the summer go?

As usual, it’s been a busy time here at our home in Boonville, New York. Although I’ve tried to get out of some of my volunteer activities, it seems I’m always doing something for our church (www.boonvilleunitedmethodist.com) or some other local group! At least I’m never bored (actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been bored in my life!).

Our village bandstand, built in 1882, has been the setting for many summer band concerts.

During the month of July, we took in a couple of concerts by the Boonville Community Band  in the Little Village Park. Those Friday night summer concerts have been going on for many years, and it’s a good time to socialize with friends and neighbors, as well as listen to some great music.

Also, in mid-July, daughter number one, Kristina, came to visit for a few days. It was great to have her here, even if her stay was short. And it was probably the hottest week of the summer!

We took a day trip to Old Forge, where we joined the throngs of tourists exploring the many unique items at the Old Forge Hardware Store. We visited the new arts center (called the View), where we saw lots of beautiful paintings (www.ViewArts.org) . And we couldn’t leave without a stop at the candy store for some goodies!

Another day, we drove a short distance to what we used to refer to as one of the area’s “best-kept secrets.” However, it appears that ain’t necessarily so.

Agers Falls is a popular swimming hole, with – as you would expect – a beautiful water falls! But even on a weekday, it was crowded with people of all ages. Probably all trying to cool off! I didn’t venture into the water, but those who did said it wasn’t as cool as they had anticipated. probably because of the unusually warm weather.

We also took drove to Utica to tour the bridal gown display (Two Centuries of Wedded Perfection) at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica (http://www.mwpai.org/museum-of-art/museum-of-art-calendar/wedded-perfection-two-centuries-of-wedding-gowns/). It was a very interesting display of some unusual wedding dresses. Afterward, Kris practiced swimming at Rome’s YM pool (she swims competitively in a Master’s League, and had a swim meet coming up, so wanted to stay in shape).

Keith at the Old Forge Hardware Store (several years ago!)

On Saturday, Kris drove us several miles northward to Lowville in her new VW Jetta. The main reason she offered to drive, I think, was so she could open the sun roof! (Sure glad I wore a hat!) Keith wanted to show her the windmills at Lewis County’s Maple Ridge Wind Farm, always a fascinating sight. With 195 wind towers (as they’re called), spread over 21,000 acres, it’s the largest wind tower project east of the Mississippi.  Unfortunately my camera wasn’t working. Kris took a fantastic video on her Blackberry, but I can’t get it to download on this site! If you’re on Facebook, check it out!

After a brief stop at a farm stand, we headed to the Boonville Black River Canal Museum, where Keith and I have volunteered in the past. It was nearly closing time, but we wanted to give Kris a quick tour.

The Boonville Black River Canal Museum, built entirely by volunteers.

The following morning, she headed back home to Gettysburg, and we were sorry to see her go.

At the end of that week, on Friday, July 29, we drove to Indian Lake, in the Adirondacks, during a torrential downpour, to visit some friends we hadn’t seen in several years. It was great to spend time with Marge and Bill at their lovely mountain home, and catch up on all that had happened since we were last together. On Saturday morning, we stuffed ourselves on an absolutely fantastic breakfast that Bill had gotten up early to prepare.  A beautiful time, with some beautiful people, but much too short! (Again, no photos!)

We arrived home in time for the last day of the great Oneida County-Boonville Fair (www.boonvillefair.com) on Sunday afternoon. After all, what’s summer without a county fair?

Our main reason for going was to support our church’s food booth and take in the concert by Fritz’s Polka Band (www.fritzspolkaband.com). I just love that toe-tappin’ polka music. Wish I could dance the polka, but with my two left feet and my aching back, there’s no way! But FPB is great to listen to. I even bought one of their new t-shirts. (I took some photos with Keith’s cell phone, but have to figure out how to download them to this site!) Of course, we filled up on the usual unhealthy fair food – but that’s the fun part of a county fair, right?

And that, my friends, takes us to the end of July. But stop by to visit soon, and we’ll catch up with August, which included a trip to our hometown and an early birthday present for yours truly. What was it and how many birthdays will I celebrate? Well, it’s more than I care to admit, but come back and find out!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

 Hello! And welcome to my blog, mostly about my sometimes-busy life (and sometimes not) in upstate New York, in a place called Boonville. No, it wasn’t named for Daniel Boon! It’s named for the founder, a Dutch adventurer by the name of Gerritt Boon, who brought a group of settlers here in 1795. (For more about Boonville, click on the Boonville Historical Club link at the right, and then click on the tab “Boonville History.”)

So how did I add five pounds to my 4-foot, 10-and-a-half-inch frame? Too much good food and drink and too little exercise! It wasn’t bad enough that we ate almost constantly while on vacation. During the month of June, it seems like there was one dinner after another sponsored by the Boonville United Methodist Church. I’ll say one thing for the Methodists – they sure do know how to cook! Those here in Boonville, anyway. But let’s go back – to Saturday evening, May 28, when we returned home.

Wreaths placed on this local monument, which lists area soldiers killed in action, on Memorial Day 2010.

We spent Sunday and Monday (Memorial Day) recuperating from our travels. We even missed the annual Memorial Day Main Street parade and services at the local cemetery. Guess we better make sure to get there next year, as it will undoubtedly be our last Memorial Day here. Boonville is home to many veterans of all conflicts, men and women alike, and as a whole the area is very patriotic. Various veterans’ organizations observe all the national holidays that call attention to the military or the flag.

Dan Duggan from the cover of his CD "For The Love of Friends"

By Friday evening, June 3, I had unpacked everything, stashed away the suitcases, and washed, dried, and put away all the laundry. There was a benefit program nearby that included one of my favorite musicians, Dan Duggan. Dan is one of the greatest hammered dulcimer players you’ll ever hear (see www.esperanceproductions.com). The concert was a fundraiser for the local Black River Canal Museum (www.blackrivercanalmuseum.com). So, of course, there was no way I was going to miss this wonderful opportunity. And the musical trio, which included Peggy Lynn and Dan Berggren, was fantastic, as I expected it would be. I just love that hammered dulcimer!

Pastor Bill closes the day's program with scripture, while wife Shari looks on.

The following day was one that many people in our church had worked hard preparing for. It was a farewell gathering to honor our long-time minister, Pastor Bill Mudge, and his family. Pastor Bill had been appointed as a District Superintendent in the United Methodist Church, which meant he would be working in another area of the state. Since his younger daughter Hannah still has a year at the local high school, the family won’t actually be moving until she graduates. Pastor Bill will be commuting to his new job, as of July 1.

The afternoon meal included just about everything you can imagine. I tried to restrain myself, knowing those extra pounds would be hard to shed. The many humorous and sometimes tearful tributes to the pastor and his family lasted until early evening, adding up to a long day.

 Monday night, June 6, I attended another dinner that included a surprise – for me!

It was our annual Boonville Historical Club end-of-season dinner meeting at a local restaurant. Again, the food was sumptuous. During the program, I was presented with the club’s Citizen of the Year Award. It’s something the club has done since 2002; however, it’s not presented every year – only when someone is nominated who meets the qualifications! I was honored and humbled to be chosen for this prestigious tribute, which included my name permanently engraved on a plaque and a lovely flowering plant.

Gerry Crumb, right, presents plaque to yours truly.

 Two nights later, I was off to another covered dish dinner (why we call it  “covered” dish, I have no clue. In some parts of the country, they say “pot-luck” or “pot-latch” dinner.) Again, it was a season finale for our United Methodist Women. During this evening’s program, a group of us were photographed for having earned our reading program certificates. Another woman and I had each read 20 books during the year to qualify for the Level IV certificate, the highest possible achievement.

We really should have attended the stamp club dinner Tuesday evening at a Utica restaurant, but Keith and I both decided we just couldn’t go through with another dinner. Our next dining experience was with our friends Ed and Kathy, on Wednesday evening, June 22. We hadn’t seen them in a while, so we spent several hours catching up and talking over our future plans, again while consuming more delicious food.

 And then on Friday evening, June 24, amidst severe thunderstorms and a torrential downpour, we made our way to – you guessed it – another covered dish dinner at church! This one to honor our associate pastors, both of whom are going in new directions: one to take over as a senior pastor in another church; the other to retirement.

UMW members who earned Reading Program certificates. Yours truly is third from left.

On Saturday afternoon, June 25, our friends Cathy and Terry  stopped by after attending a nearby wedding. They didn’t stay for dinner, but we did snack and drink a bit while they visited. 

But wait! There’s one more occasion for food! On Tuesday, June 28, I had lunch with some of the crew at the Boonville Herald office. At least it wasn’t a huge lunch – just a sandwich! It was more an excuse to get together with my former co-workers to catch up on all the news and happenings in their lives.

Associate Pastor Joan Ripp, front; Associate Pastor Lynn Lockwood, standing left; Senior Pastor Bil Mudge. All are headed in new directions!

Whew! Between all these dinners, as well as the church rummage sale, administrative council meeting, dentist appointments, walks along the canal, volunteer activities, and such, the month flew by. I can’t believe it’s the first day of July. That means the Boonville Concert Band begins their summer concerts in the bandstand this evening. I don’t want to miss that!

This is also the anniversary of the day Boonville’s own 97th Civil War Volunteer Infantry fought gallantly at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. But that’s another story for another post!

And those five lost pounds? I hope I never find them again.

Hey, thanks so much for visiting my blog. Please stop by again soon!

Kit and Jack on their Wedding Day in 1942

I had fully intended to start updating this blog about all the things that have kept me busy in Boonville this past month, but then I realized that today would have been the 87th birthday of my late mother-in-law, Catherine Ella Lehr Routson.

Kit was born in York, Pennsylvania, on June 29,  1924, one of seven daughters of  Luther and Pauline Klinedinst Lehr. She was a graduate of William Penn Senior High School, York. During World War II, in October 1942, she married Wilbur Jackson “Jack” Routson, Jr., who entered the U. S. Navy two months later. Catherine and Jack had two sons, Keith and Randall. 

It seems like just yesterday that we first met. She passed away on October 28, 2008, while a resident of a York nursing home. We miss you, Mom! Happy Birthday!

Kit and Jack with family members at their 50th wedding anniversary party in 1992.

If you’re one of the few regular followers of my blog, you know I’ve been posting about our trip via auto train from Boonville to Florida, after which we took a road trip back to Boonville. On our way home, we made several stops.

Best buds – Ned, left, and Keith.

In my last post, I forgot that we had spent Monday night in Brunswick, Georgia, on our way north.  Tuesday morning, May 24, it was on to Bud and Kathy’s in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, after which our next destination was Cary, North Carolina. Why? Keith wanted to meet a childhood friend and former classmate he hadn’t seen in a long time.

We arrived in the Raleigh/Cary area late Wednesday afternoon. After freshening up in our room at a beautiful Marriott Residence Inn near Ned’s home, it was back in the car again. We could never have found the way to his lovely house, tucked away on a cozy street, had it not been for the trusty GPS. It led us through traffic and onto streets that would have been next to impossible to navigate, even with the most detailed map. Truly an amazing invention, that GPS! 

Keith and Ned had a great time reminiscing. Our host also proved to be a marvelous cook. His wife Bev, a long-time flight attendant, had to work (a flight to Switzerland – you call that work?). So Ned grilled us a delicious dinner, complete with all the trimmings. After a  wonderful, nostalgic visit, we finally said good night.

A classic combination - good friends, good conversation, good food, good drink!

Although Ned had graciously invited us to spend the night, we opted to stay at a Marriott. Because our daughter Kathi works for the company (she’s senior art director at their Orlando home office) we can get great rates at Marriott-owned hotels across the country, if they’re available.

I loved the Residence Inn. I could live there forever! It has everything you need in one compact, well-designed room. But, Thursday morning, we were on the road again. Keith wanted to show me the Martinsville, Virginia area, where he once lived and worked. In fact, it was his first real job out of college: a supervisor in the chemical laboratory at the DuPont Nylon Plant.

Martinsville Memorial Hospital

A once very productive manufacturing facility, the Martinsville DuPont plant started operating in 1941 making the first women’s nylon stockings. When WWII started, they focused on producing parachutes and other war-related items. At one time it was the largest nylon manufacturing plant in the world, with over 5,000 employees. But it closed in 1998, and it appears the town went downhill after that. 

We drove around the area, located the apartments Keith lived in, even found the hospital where his daughter Amy was born, and eventually drove to the former DuPont location, which had covered 500 acres, including a golf course. Keith sweet-talked a friendly older female security guard into letting us drive through the area, which now houses several other businesses and the municipal police station.

It was another day of reminiscing for Keith, as he recalled how he – a 22-year-old whippersnapper fresh out of school – for several years successfully supervised about 20 women employees, ages 40-60. Had he stayed with the company, he often says, he would have had it made - with a nice income and a great pension! On the other hand, he would never have met me! (Even though the Martinsville plant closed, employees were transferred to other DuPont locations.)

The DuPont nylon plant, Martinsville, VA, from the December 1973 company newsletter.

After a trip down memory lane, we arrived in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in late afternoon. A college town with lots of places to shop and eat, we soon spotted a Red Lobster, my favorite restaurant. After the usual seafood delights, it was off to another beloved haunt – Barnes & Noble. Among the books on sale was a Kathy Reichs novel.

Although I had vehemently vowed to not bring another book into our home, I couldn’t resist. She’s one of my favorite authors and the hardcover edition was a steal!

After a good night’s sleep at the Fairfield Inn (a Marriott hotel) we were back on the road heading north. Destination: York, Pennsylvania, where we arrived mid-afternoon at my parents’ home. My sister also joined us for a short visit. After catching up on Mom and Dad’s latest health issues, it was off to Gettysburg, where our beds were waiting at the home of Kris and Dan. But first, it was party time.

It was great to have Brian, Diane, Morgan, Brigitta, and Amy join us for a family cook-out, and as usual, with plenty of good food and drink. Again, it was a marvelous evening. Unfortunately – for me, but fortunately for everyone else - I couldn’t locate my camera, so I have no photographic record of the evening.

Next morning, we prepared for the final leg of our journey, each of us driving a car back to Boonville. How did that happen?

During our previous stay with Kris, she had talked about buying a new car. She would then give her old Ford Focus to daughter Brigitta, who was driving a 1988 VW Golf, a unique little 2-door hatchback with terrific gas mileage. According to Wikipedia, the Golf was later marketed as the VW Rabbit.  Although it was literally falling apart and needed a new clutch, Keith was interested in buying it, since we needed a second “junk” vehicle.

This is what a new VW Golf looks like

During our travels, Kris had followed through on her decision to treat herself to a brand-new car, opting for a VW Jetta. So – was Keith serious about buying Brigitta’s car? she wanted to know.

Yes, indeed he was.  That meant he had to drive the VW back to Boonville, and I would drive the Impala – all 300-some miles – by myself!

After a long, tiring trip, with several pit-stops along the way, we finally arrived back in  Boonville. The VW made it with no problems!

Fortunately, this time the raccoons, squirrels, and black bears had not caused any damage while we were gone.  It’s great to get away, but it’s always good to get back home again and sleep in your own bed!

Lovely flowering plants, like this African Violet on my windowsill, can help make a house a home!

Thanks for visiting my blog and traveling with us. Now that we’ve returned home, I’ll try to bring you up to date shortly on what’s been happening in Boonville, New York! Please visit again soon!

On Sunday morning, May 22, Kathi and Chris took us to Ponce Inlet for a tour of the lighthouse and museum there, before heading to a seaside restaurant for another fabulous meal. Boy, do those calories sneak up on you!

Ryan, Kathi, and Chris at the lighthouse/museum sign.

Soaring 175 feet into the sky, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida, and one of the tallest in the country. The brick walls are eight feet thick at the bottom and two feet thick at the top. Completed in 1887, it took three years and over a million bricks – shipped from Maryland and New York – to build it. Including the nine granite steps at the entrance, there are 203 steps to the gallery deck. Guess who climbed all 203 steps? Not me!

View from the top of the lighthouse

Since Kathi was still recuperating from back surgery, the view from the top was something that only Keith, Chris, and Ryan had the pleasure of witnessing. Yep, Grandpa made it to the top; he said he wasn’t even short of breath.

The Ponce De Leon Inlet Light Station and Museum is another treasure that remains available for public touring, thanks to folks concerned with preserving, restoring, and maintaining these historic beacons of light. It’s one of the few Light Stations in the U.S. with all of the original keepers’ dwellings and support buildings intact (see www.ponceinlet.org). I’d recommend a visit if you’re ever in the area.

Chris, Kathi, Ryan, Grandma and Grandpa at the base of the lighthouse.

We stopped to check out  several of the dozen or so museum buildings before we all decided it was time to eat. So, it was off to lunch at an open-air restaurant called “Down the Hatch,” where we had a magnificent view of the water and the boats, while enjoying a lovely breeze, as well as another calorie-laden meal!

Grandson Ryan, Chris, and Kathi at Down the Hatch

Monday morning we enjoyed a final dip in the pool at Kathi and Chris’s, before preparing to leave the Sunshine State. I would have loved to stay longer, but we said farewell after lunch and headed north. With the help of Keith’s new toy, a GPS, we found our way right to the door of his cousin Kathy and her husband Bud in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. It was a wonderful visit, since we hadn’t seen them in a long time. 

We enjoyed their delightful hospitality and Kathy’s marvelous home cooking (more calories!), before turning in for the night in their lovely guest room.

Kathy A. preparing a luscious dinner for us!

The next morning – let’s see, where are we now – oh, yes – it’s Tuesday! We again packed the suitcases into the Chevy and were soon northbound toward Cary, North Carolina, near Raleigh. Keith was eager to see a former high school classmate. It had been many years since he had seen Ned, and they had a lot of catching-up to do.

But hang on a minute! We’ll continue this trip another time. Eventually, we will get back to Boonville, New York. But – this time we’ll each be driving a car.

Stop by again soon, and find out why – although we left with one car, we’ll be coming back home with two. 

Group shots with an automatic timer are always fun! Thanks to Kathy's high-tech camera, here we are: Keith, yours truly, Kathy, and Bud.

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 In my last post, we had just arrived at out daughter’s home in the Windermere area of Florida. It was great to see Kathi and our son-in-law Chris and teenage grandson, Ryan.

Kathi and Chris smile for the camera!

Their pool was wonderful, too! I loved it, although the water was warm because of the high temps while we were visiting. But, it couldn’t get too hot for me. The pool was absolutely therapeutic. The warm water may not have been all that refreshing for most folks, but it worked wonders on my aching joints.

Kathi couldn't resist this photo-op!

People may find this strange, but my husband loves to visit grocery stores when we travel, especially those offering exotic and unusual foods. So, on our second day there, off we went to a place called Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com). It truly is an amazing place. Not only do they sell hundreds of organic and imported brands of nearly every type food product imaginable (and some that you can’t imagine), consider this: in one corner of the café, they even offer massages!

As a belated Mother’s Day gift, my daughter insisted on paying for an upper back massage for me. I must admit – it felt marvelous.

The friendly waiter took a photo of Kathi, Chris, Keith, and I waiting for our meal!

Friday evening Kathi, Chris, Keith, and I (Ryan was off to a football game) headed to a unique restaurant with the unusual name, “The Social Chameleon,” a little hole-in-the-wall place that I’m sure only Florida residents are aware of. After the chilly, damp weather we had left behind in Boonville, it was great to sit outdoors in the cozy courtyard – such as it was!

Besides the usual soups and appetizers, the menu includes at least 100 brands of bottled beer from around the US and even around the world, some with really wacky and nonsensical names. I wish I could remember more of them, but how about “Tommyknocker Butthead,” for example?

They also offered some truly awesome pizzas and other main dishes. I don’t remember the fancy tongue-twisting multi-named pizza I ordered, but I couldn’t eat the whole thing, even though Keith and I shared it. As delectable as it was, I reluctantly asked for a “take-home” box. It served as part of Ryan’s lunch the next day!

Some of the unusual beers available at the Social Chameleon.

We spent Saturday mostly relaxing by the pool, except for a short afternoon trip that Keith and I took. The object of the shopping trip – well, it could change our lives! But more about that later.

We almost had to call the fire department later that day. When Kathi and Chris attempted to make salmon and shrimp on their outdoor grill, the grease somehow caught fire. There were a few frantic moments as clouds of dark smoke filled the patio. But the food was salvaged, the grill cleaned, and dinner was delicious!

And the purpose of our spur-of-the-moment visit to Suncoast RV (www.suncoastrv.com)? To check out the RVs, of course! The possibility of buying and living in an RV is an idea Keith and I discussed on our short drive between the Sanford train station and Kathi and Chris’s house on Thursday. An RV could well solve our problem of where to live when we move from this area – hopefully next summer (2012).

Kathi pretends frustration, after the smoke episode with the grill!

Right now, I’m in a dilemma. Should we move to our hometown area of York, Pennsylvania, where my aging parents and most of our family live (even though the winter weather there is not all that great sometimes)? Or should we move to a more southern location, like Florida, where usually the winter temperatures are kinder to aging and arthritic joints (and where Kathi, Chris, and Ryan have lived for many years)? With a moveable home, we could spend part of the year in one location, and part of it in another.

An RV may be the solution.

Of course, we fell in love with one of the first homes the salesman showed us (http://www.suncoastrv.com/InventoryDetails.aspx?St=UMC39347). For those of you familiar with the lingo, it’s a Class C, 31-footer, which means we would drive the RV, rather than pull it. It was beautiful and absolutely perfect for the two of us.

I love the compactness of the RV. There’s no room to accumulate “stuff.” On the other hand, what will we do with all the “stuff” we are now hoarding in our house?

We’re just in the beginning stages of investigating this possibility. There are many considerations. I’ll keep you posted as we head down this road. If anyone out there has any suggestions or comments about RV living, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Please stop by again soon, and you can walk to the top of Ponce de Leon Lighthouse with me! Hey, it’s only 203 steps to the gallery deck. Join us!

My computer connects to the wireless network on our un-screened-in back deck, but it’s impossible to work there without being overcome by the little black bloodsuckers and their assorted annoying friends and relatives. The bugs and mosquitoes don’t seem to bother my husband nearly as much, but they absolutely love me – even when I’ve doused myself with tons of smelly insect repellent.

Our screened-in front porch is a lifesaver this time of year, as far as sitting outside to enjoy our beautiful scenery. But – alas no wireless! And it’s a monumental task to drag the Ethernet cable from the back office, and out the kitchen door, to connect to the laptop.

My reason for this rather involved explanation? When the weather is nice (which isn’t as often as I’d like) I take advantage of the opportunity, and enjoy the view from my front porch – which means that unless I’m really ambitious, I won’t be connected to the Internet. I’ll be reading, watching the hummingbirds and the goldfinches, or doing whatever else I can while protected from the bugs!

This is a somewhat lame excuse for not updating my blogs, I know. But we’ve also been away, so the month of May flew by much too quickly.

I fully intended to write about Lupus Awareness Month (www.nolupus.com) and Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month during May. Both of these maladies do their best to slow me down. But, I can always write about them later! So, let’s get caught up.

Keith patiently waits to board the train in Lorton, VA.

On Tuesday, May 17, we headed south to Pennsylvania. After spending the night with daughter number one, Kris, and her hubby Dan, and our granddaughter Brigitta in Gettysburg, we continued southward to Lorton, Virginia, near the Washington, DC area. I know – I had never heard of Lorton, either. But there it was – the Amtrak station and the beginning of a new experience: the Auto Train.

After a nervous, approximatey two-hour wait, we boarded the Amtrak to Sanford, Florida (near Orlando), while our car was loaded onto another part of the train. We finally pulled out of the station about 4:00 o’clock. As I said, this was our first trip on the Auto Train, and we learned a lot about traveling in this mode. There were good parts and some not-so-good parts.

One of the good parts was the delicious food. We also met some interesting people. It always amazes me that no matter where you travel, you meet someone with some connection to your area of the country! A not-so-good thing was trying to catch a few winks or even rest (we hadn’t booked a sleeper car, but we will if we ever travel that route again!). We managed to survive, and around 9:30 the next morning, Thursday, May 19, we found ourselves safe in Florida.

After we finally retrieved our Chevy – I swear it was the last vehicle off the train – we took a short drive to the home of daughter number two, Kathi, and her husband Chris, and our 15-year-old grandson Ryan. Kathi was still recovering from recent major back surgery, but was ready for some diversion. She had just gotten her surgeon’s approval that morning to ride in a car. So we were soon out and about.

But more about that later – I promise! I’ll be back shortly with another update. So please stop by again soon. Thanks for visiting my blog!

According to www.poets.org, the Academy of American Poets inaugurated National Poetry Month in 1996. It’s now held every April, “when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.”

While I’m not a poetry fan, I do like the works of Carl Sandburg and some of Emily Dickinson’s writings. And I’ll always remember the rhythmic words of a lengthy Edgar Allan Poe favorite that I learned in 10^th grade:

Keeping time, time, time,/In a sort of Runic rhyme,/To the tintinabulation that so musically wells/From the bells, bells, bells, bells,/Bells, bells, bells–/From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells…

Edgar Allan Poe is honored on a commemorative postage stamp issued in 2009.

Of course, those are just a few words from the first stanza. The poem is appropriatelu title - you guessed it - The Bells.

On January 16, 2009, the U.S. Postal Service® commemorated the 200th anniversary of Poe’s birth by issuing a 42-cent stamp featuring his likeness. For more than a century and a half, Poe and his works have been praised by admirers around the world.
But, I guess I’d have to say that my favorite poet is a now-departed friend, who loved to write verse. In fact, during her time in Boonville, Irma Garbarino – whom I’ve written about previously in this blog – self-published four small booklets of poems, so that others could enjoy what she termed her “scribblings” and “shirt tales.” Not only did she write, she decorated the cover of one of her books, Tales of an Adirondack Summer, with her illustration of the village bandstand (see above).

Irma was a wonderful storyteller. I loved to listen to her tales of past adventures. And she was a talented poet. Sometimes her scribblings were whimsical;  sometimes sad; sometimes reflective and thought provoking.

She was so proud, when in March 2001, she was awarded third prize in an online poetry contest for her poem, “The Auction.” It’s about an event in October, and though I like the poem, I wanted to re-print something relevant to springtime. “Snowmelt” is what I chose. It’s found in her North Country Trails, published in 2001.

I know it’s late, but this post is my National Poetry Month tribute to a remarkable lady and my favorite poet, Irma Garbarino!