October 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2008
Texas and Arkansas
Howdy!!! We've been so busy running around that I haven't had time to post for a few days. I didn't realize it had been so long until I pulled up the blog and saw the dates. My how time flies when you are having fun!!!
I guess the best place to start is at the beginning............... :>)
On October 18th, we left San Antonio and drove to Marble Falls where Carolee and Chuck's son David and his wife Jeanine live. We have been so lucky with weather since the beginning of our trip. We have had mostly sunny, nice days for our travels. I didn't take very many pictures on the drive. I think my camera was in shock!! LOL
We parked our RV behind their house and hooked up to the electric and we were in business. Carolee and I had been talking about getting our ears pierced from the time we left home, but just hadn't gotten it done. Jeanine took us to a place in Marble Falls and we "done the deed". Now, keep in mind, I have 5 holes in my left ear and had 2 in my right!! So, I got one more in my right ear lobe. Carolee had 2 in each ear already and she got one more in each ear lobe. I have never minded having my ears pierced. My sister in law Ruth did my first piercing when I was about 16 when we were living on the farm. If I remember correctly, she used a needle and thread and either numbed them with ice or pinched the lobe until it was numb or something like that. Then she poked the needle through and tied the thread in a knot and I had to turn the thread several times a day until they healed. Barbaric, huh??? :>) The way they do it now is so much easier. The do it with a "gun" that shoots the ear ring right through the ear lobe and it puts the back on the ear ring at the same time. Takes just a second or two and is almost painless.
Carolee, on the other hand, swore that it is REALLY painful to have them pierced and she was surely dreading it. I took my trusty old camera along so I could record her "PAIN" and sure enough, she jumped like she had been shot (which of course she had).
Carolee in SERIOUS PAIN getting her ears pierced!!! Teeheehee
After we got them pierced, we shopped for awhile and of course when you don't want to find anything, you ALWAYS find something you can't live without!! We were in Tuesday Morning and I found a copper pot and skillet that I fell in love with. Copper is one of my very favorite things. I have some copper pots that I cook with all of the time, but these were the larger size and were just AWESOME. As you know, we are traveling in a motor home and it has been getting FULLER at every stop. We have been trying very hard to be good and NOT buy anything, so I decided I could live without them. :>(
Jeanine owns the Marble Falls flower shop (I swear I can't remember the correct name for the life of me, so we'll just call it that). She took us by to show us what she has done to it since she purchased it. It's just beautiful and she has it decorated so well. I took this picture of Jeanine and Carolee at the Christmas display. David built the mantle and fireplace. Isn't it beautiful?
Jeanine and Carolee and David's fireplace...........................
After we got back from shopping we all went out to eat and when we got back to their house, their son Tony came over to visit awhile.
David, Carolee, Chuck, Jeanine and Tony
David and Merrell and their guitars!!
Carolee, Tony and Chuck
On October 19th, we were heading to the Waco area to visit with Howard, Irma and Irma's sister Pat and her husband Larry. We were getting ready to leave David's and I decided I couldn't live without the copper pots, so Jeanine took Carolee and I back to the store and I bought them and a rooster named ALEX. I just knew Alex wanted to go home with me and I couldn't resist him. I figured we are close to the end of our trip and the back seat of the car won't be used tooooooooooo many more time. Teeheehee As a matter of fact, the back seat is getting pretty full. The trunk has been full for a LONG time. :>)
We arrived at Pat and Larry's in the afternoon and had a wonderful visit. We parked the RV in their driveway and connected to their electricity. We ate dinner on their wonderful patio/covered veranda. Pat has a green thumb and her yard was full of beautiful shrubs, trees and flowers. We came away with seeds and starts of plants for our gardens at home. Our motor home just keeps getting FULLER AND FULLER!!
We spent the night there and Pat fixed a big breakfast and we sat around and talked and before we knew it, it was time to head out again. I know you won't believe it, but I forgot to take any pictures until it was too late. I was already in the RV and we were ready to leave before I remembered. Carolee jumped out and took a couple of pictures of Irma and Pat, but Howard and Larry had already gone somewhere, so we didn't get any of them. I can't believe that I FORGOT!!!! I'm really slipping..............................
Pat and Irma in Robinson, TX (close to Waco)
We left in the early afternoon on October 20th heading to Arlington to visit with Carolee and Chuck's son Chuck and his wife Jan. We parked the RV on their side street and they insisted we stay in the house with them, so we took what we needed and stayed in the house. We also got our laundry done. Yeah!! This should get us through until we get home.
The next day on the 21st, Jan took us shopping and of course we DIDN'T buy a thing!! Yeah, right............. The back seat just keeps getting fuller and fuller. :>) We found a GOODWILL and we all found several things there that we just HAD to have. We also went to a Linens and Things that was closing and bought a couple of things. I was so surprised to find out that ALL of their stores are closing. What a bummer. I have always liked shopping there.
We went back to their house and ordered Pizza for dinner and then Jan, Carolee and I got in the hot tub and had a good soak. It was HEAVENLY!!! After that, we went back inside and Merrell and Chuck were playing one of the Wii games, BOWLING and then they started playing HORSEHOES. I decided to try it and had a blast. I can't believe how much like the real thing those games are. I had tried the bowling one before but not the horse shoe one. Merrell was in heaven. He loves both games. Jan and I also played a pin ball game and it was really fun too.
For some reason Jan DID NOT want her picture taken in her Jammies!!! Teeheehee
Jan, Mia, Chuck and Scruffy.
I'm not sure what I was doing in this one. I know I had been taking pictures of Chuck taking pictures!!!
Chuck taking a picture of me taking his picture. :>)
Chuck, Carolee, Donna and Merrell getting ready to leave Chuck and Jan's house.
Carolee, Jan, Scruffy, Chuck, Mia and Chuck, Sr.
Today is the 22nd of October and we left Chuck and Jan's around 10:30 a.m.. We are heading North to Ohio (Not North to Alaska this time). Merrell decided he would just drive until he got tired and we would decide where to stay when the time came. We ended up driving as far as Forrest City, Arkansas. We are staying at a WalMart parking lot. Are you surprised? We're all kind of sad that the end of our trip is coming so fast. Merrell and Chuck are SUPER sad. They are drowning their sorrow in................. Yep, you got it. Looks like REDNECK BEER to me!!! I think they are watching a ball game or something trying to forget that before long they will be back home and have to actually do some WORK!!!
What a life. Four months of lying around watching sports on DIRECTV!!!
Seriously, though. It is kind of hard to believe that in another 10 days or less, we will be back in WV and our long awaited trip will be just a memory. AND WHAT A MEMORY. It will probably take us two days just to sort out what belongs to who. I'm going to take pictures of all of the stuff we unload. We have "stuff" in every nook and cranny of the motor home as well as a full trunk and a mostly full back seat and floorboard of the car. I can't believe our mileage hasn't gone down more than it has with all of the weight we have been hauling around (NO, I don't mean people weight, I mean "stuff" weight).
At least the price of diesel has come down more than $2 per gallon. We paid $3.33 or something like that today when we filled up. That's much better than $5.77 a gallon, right??
Tomorrow we are hoping to make it as far as ?? Indiana and that should put us into Walbridge (Lacy and my sister Jerri's house) Ohio sometime Friday evening.
Gotta go. Catch ya later,
Love, US
