Getting my fix ...

... of autumn!! Well, slowly! The trees aren't quite fully in autumn bloom but close. As we drove north, the trees began to change and I began to think, "Okay, Thanksgiving is just around the corner... that means Christmas is right after that .. yikes ... I'm not ready!!"

Chattanooga is pretty if it is daylight and sunny. But when it is nighttime, drizzling and a little bit foggy, that can present some challenges. I was driving and we had decided that we would pick up one of those hotel books where you can get awesome deals (and we do). We usually pick them up at the welcome center in Tennessee but you have to drive a little ways up I-24 before you actually come to the welcome center. (In and out of Georgia again.) So, we stopped to get gas and Sandi picked up a book there. The weather was deteriorating quickly and we had just passed an accident where a semi's cab had burned. That had me less than secure about driving much farther.

We could not find a hotel which took pets except for 10 miles behind us. That was not acceptable to Tim who was anxious to get to Indy for a family reunion last evening. Soooo ... we decided to go on to the welcome center (just a few miles ahead). We did, Sandi ran in and picked up two more books. Of course, you have to find where you are in the book which can be a challenge. She did -- called one hotel and they had rooms just not first floor rooms. Since I'm limited to a wheelchair and a walker and I was not going to ask Tim to pull me up a flight of stairs in a wheelchair, we passed on that one. Then Sandi found it ... THE one! They took pets, they had first floor rooms and the gal was really nice which gave her brownie points as far as we are concerned.

Sandi told the gal that we had a dog and

that Cookie was only about 10 pounds give or take a few. The gal said, "We don't care if you have a bear down there." Okay, then ...

The hotel was only six miles up the road, "America's Best Inns" I believe. It wasn't the fanciest but was very acceptable and clean. We didn't need much since it was already 12:30am and we would be 'back on the road again' around 8:30am. There is usually an $8 charge for a pet and for more than two people .. the original rate for the hotel was $34.95 .. the gal told Sandi, "Oh, the dog is a little one and I'm not charging you for the extra people -- I just need to know how many for breakfast in the morning" (sausage and gravy breakfast) .. so after we paid a total of $40 for the rest of the night, we were off to our room. And back up and on the road again not long after 8:30!!

We arrived safe and sound in Indy at 3pm .. my brother, Mark, met us at Walmart (can you ever go anywhere without visiting Walmart?) and talked to me while Tim and Sandi picked up some things for their reunion. Then it was off to Tim's sister's home (Paula). I always enjoy being there -- they are all like family to us as they have adopted Sandi as more than just a sister-in-law -- she and Tim are a unit. I hung out there until Rachel picked me up (well, I got into their van) and we headed to Spiceland, Indiana (their home). Spiceland? Just south of I-70 and New Castle, Indiana. I'm looking forward to sister time -- as well as with the rest of her family.

Soooo ... now you have the rest of the story -- if you hung long enough to read it all ... lol!!! I'm off to see my dad after while and am looking forward to some father/daughters time, also. There are just two daughters and my dad always enjoys us being there together.

Hello .. Hello??

Last evening, I wanted to call Bob's mother to let her know I was coming up to Indy and would be spending a couple days with her. I was driving so Sandi dialed the number and handed the phone to me. My mother-in-law answered but she sounded far away. She told me she wanted to change phones which she did. She still sounded far away but I could understand her.


All at once, I heard the call waiting beep and pulled the phone away from my ear to see who was calling. I couldn't read the number as it as upside down. Oooopss .. I had been holding my phone upside down! I have one of those Rumor (Sprint) phones -- it's not a flip phone (except for the keyboard that flips out) so it can look the same in the dark -- right side up or upside down!!


Needless to say, we got a good laugh about it and Thad (the call waiting person) really laughed when he heard what I had done. How come little brothers laugh when big sisters make silly mistakes! 'Cause they know we are really, really human???

Cold weather, here I come!!

Yikes -- I was anxious to be in cooler weather but I think 30 degrees at night is stretching it a little. (Heading to Indianapolis today!) Oh, well, the fall colors (hopefully they are still 'in bloom') will be a good trade off! So, I had to dig in my closet to find appropriate 'cold weather' attire!!

The only down side of traveling north is there is a chance we may miss the birth of Kasi's baby -- although we are returning on her actual due date. She has already made one trip to the hospital for the doctor to say it wasn't quite time yet. She is extremely anxious for this to be over -- however, there are weekend activities at her high school that she would like to attend -- homecoming game, etc. Soooo ... we will see if Ava decides to cooperate with her mother's desires.

I did try to take a picture of her last night. We have had some interesting conversations around the kitchen table the past few evenings -- 10 year old Kamen has had some questions regarding the upcoming birth -- inquiring minds want to know? He has a very inquiring mind!!

Generations ...

This afternoon, Kasi and I sat and talked for a while -- just talked. About life, about her pregnancy, about motherhood .. and I realized the value of those kinds of talks. It seems that we are often so busy that we don't take time to simply 'talk'.

I had taken a break from work (income tax deadline is on Wednesday) and was sitting on my bed (which is one of those Craft-a-matic beds). She sat down in my wheelchair and we ended up talking for quite a long time.

In just a week or so, she will become a new mom. She's young, unmarried and with that comes uncertainties. Yet, one thing is certain -- the love of her family. Someone at church commented on our family and the love we show to each other. Do we have problems? We're normal and normal people have problems! But, we hang in there together through the good times and the tough times!

I get amused and sometimes frustrated when I hear people share how 'perfect' their children are. More often than not, they are either oblivious to what they see or their kids have them 'snowed'! Years ago, I was directing a ladies' retreat. One of the mothers was sharing how her children never gave her any trouble and how wonderful they were. Shonna told me later that the oldest daughter shared openly about her life and it was nothing like what her mother thought. (And the gal was still in her teens and living at home.)

Sooooo ... back the generations. We will soon have four generations here in our home. And I will begin to think about my generation (matriarch -- sounds ancient!!!) and what will we pass on to little Ava June when she enters this world.

Now ... I am so anxious to see what she will look like. I think if we were gambling folks we might lay odds on that. Ava's father is white, red headed and blue eyed. Care to guess??

Kasi is still high school and in high school she plans to stay. She has one of the leading parts in a school play in November! Wow ... I remember when I had Shonna. There was an 18 year old girl in the same hospital room as I was. She had her baby and within a couple hours had her bluejeans on and was ready to leave! Needless to say, she didn't leave immediately but she was ready.

But, I doubt the gal across the hall was ready to leave -- I'm not sure why I am rambling here -- she had a 14 lb. 8 oz. boy! No, you didn't read that wrong. They had to go to Pediatrics to get diapers to fit him. He had to be in an incubator for some problems and they basically had to almost cram him into it! Poor boy!!

It's going to be interesting to hear a baby's cry again ... and there will be another little person to love and cherish.