Fun with Family & Friends

As Dorothy Gale once said, "There's no place like home."  Home is where the heart is, and our hearts are bound together with loving family and friends.  My son, Alex, and his girlfriend, Jaime, had some time off from work and wanted to visit the family in Austin.  So, as we planned our next move, there was no doubt where we wanted to be!  We hadn't met Jaime before and we were won over by her poise, self-confidence, and sweet nature.  (Unfortunately, the picture isn't great...it's from my phone.)

We had fun getting together with most of the family in the Austin area one afternoon and evening at our campground.  My daughter, Megan, and Dennis's daughter, Amy, and her girls Anna and Ellie enjoyed the pool.

There were 15 of us at our campsite that day.  Just about the time we brought all the food outside for dinner, a quick downpour freshened the air...and us... while the sun was still shining!  It didn't bother us much; we just wiped down the tables and chairs after it stopped, and enjoyed the meal as if nothing had happened.  I noticed that we had a neighbor nearby who was also enjoying the day...

I snapped this picture of my mom as she was enjoying a lovely evening in her backyard.  Note the hibiscus to her right and the way it complements her dress...how feng shui!

 

One day we had nice visit and lunch at Megan's apartment.  This is Beowulf, my grandcat; isn't he handsome in his tunnel?  He is such a smart cat; and very friendly!

The visit with everyone was wonderful, but now that the first day of summer has arrived and the thermometer is beginning to do its central Texas thing, we're off to New Mexico and that cool, mountain air.

Adios, amigos!

Honest Abe, Bonnie & Clyde, and the Choctaw Nation

I've always admired Abraham Lincoln, so I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Springfield, Illinois.  The home in which he and his family lived was lovely.  We were impressed that several blocks of the immediate neighborhood were restored along with the Lincoln home; one could really get a sense of what life was like in the mid 1800's.

Mr. Lincoln left on his trip to Washington, D.C. from this train depot when he became this country's 16th President in 1860.

Abraham didn't return to Springfield until 5 years later, when his funeral train made its way back.  His tomb is a peaceful, beautiful place.  His wife, Mary, and 3 of their 4 sons are also buried here. 

The Lincoln's oldest son, Robert, lived well into his 80's...I hadn't remembered that. He died in 1926 and is buried in Arlington Memorial Cemetery in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Mary.

On a lighter note, and with no disrespect, I thought that this tomb for a long-ago governor of the state of Illinois looked as if it could have been built for Fred Flintstone...whaddya think?!

After Illinois, we tarried awhile in Joplin, Missouri - folks do that, you know.  Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow stayed in a garage apartment in Joplin for several weeks in the 1930's before leaving town in a hurry...amid a flurry of bullets, I believe.  Joplin was quite memorable for us, as well.  We fed the catfish at the campground - and we clearly hadn't been the first to do so; they were big!

Later that evening, we had quite a bit of excitement as we stood in the storm shelter/laundry room with a tornado touching down a few miles away.  We had buckets of rain and a bit of hail (I think...Dennis wasn't as sure as I), but it was those sudden moments of absolute stillness that most grabbed my attention.  We met a nice, single father with his 2 young sons that night.  His boys were sound asleep the whole time we talked; I think they missed the whole storm!  We are very thankful (as is the virtually-undamaged Joplin) that they weren't hit as hard as Ohio and Michigan were just yesterday - our prayers are with all of those folks.

The morning after our Joplin tornado was also quite dramatic.  Dennis was outside busy doing some such thing under our camper's slide outs when he stood up, too soon, and really bonked his head.  Long story short, my dear sweet one popped his head clean open and now has 8 staples for a crown!  He is fine; none the worse for wear, which is amazing in and of itself.  I swear, I married one tough fella!  ...and no, I am not going to post pictures on this topic; you'll just have to use your imagination.

Finally, a little braggin' about me, a Dean Martin-themed one-cent slot machine, and the Choctaw Casino that paid me $31 and some change after a brief stop in Durant, Oklahoma. 

Hey, that's the kind of big news I like!

See you later, everyone...and (to coin a phrase from 'Hill Street Blues,' "Let's be careful out there!"  =]