For those of you interested Only in TRAVEL, I (Jack) wrote the blog between MARCH 2010 and October 2010 during our travels west. We saw the most beautiful places and had the best time in our big truck and little trailer. See Blog Archive below.

Apr 27, 2013

Keely and Victor's Prom Evening!


Arriving at Friends House for Pictures
Prince and Princess
Great Looking Couple
Proud Papa
Victor Has Sometime Up His Sleeve!
Clark Kent!
Victor's Mom Did Keely's Hair- Isn't it Beautiful?
Pretty Maids All in a Row



The Whole Crew

Apr 23, 2013

Kudos and Big Thank You to Rick!

Well, thank goodness for Rick. You'll notice how much nicer my title is thanks to Rick's help. 

Apr 21, 2013

I Just Heard The Most Wonderful News!

I received word just a little while ago that Mary can ride her bike without training wheels! She was so happy and excited when I spoke to her. As anyone would expect for a princess, it's a beautiful pink and purple bike!! Her Mom is going to send me pictures--I'll post them as soon as I got them, but we are all so excited, including my sister, her Gramma, that I just couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news. Hurrah for Mary!!!

Apr 20, 2013

Party Time at Michael and Laura's

We all converged on Michael and Laura's home for their first family gathering, today. Laura and Michael are excellent hosts. We met Laura's cousin, James, who lives in Atlanta. It's about a 50 mile drive from my house to Michael's and about 85 from Lisa and John's house. Susan was on call so she couldn't make it. She hung out with Jack and took him shopping at PetSmart and for a walk at the nature center.

Keely, Michael's daughter was working until 5:30 so the other four girls took the golf cart and went over to say hi. It was good to see all the cousins having such a good time.

I tried to get some good pictures of all the girls together, but that's like nailing jello to the wall! They are all so silly, but that's the way I love them. I took over 80 pictures, but just chose a few for the blog.


New Sisters-in-Law
John, helping with something, as always
Amanda clowning around. Do you believe those eyes?
John and Lisa brought an Ice Cream Cake. Yum!
L-R Peyton, Laura, Michael, Keely
Like I said, Like Nailing Jello to a Wall
It's Like Laura Has Always Been Here
All the Girls in the Family! Oops, I lost Michael!
John's Ladies

Apr 17, 2013

If You Are a Dog Lover and You Want a Laugh!

Dog Wants Kitten - Link to Video

Blogger has really been bugging me. It won't let me change the color of the Blog Title which was great with the last picture I used, but is too light for the picture I changed to to try to balance the look of the top. Seems like they've changed the whole way to get to where I can blog or edit. Now, in this post I tried to emphasize the link with a different color, but it won't show when I view the blog.

Might as well write a little blurb. As each day passes I try to do more and more. I'm having my counter tops sealed on Friday so one task, today, was to clear off the counter tops. At the moment, it looks like I took a step backwards geting the house in order, but by Saturday everything will be back in its place. In preparation for surgery, I had put everything I could think of that I would need at counter top level. I have slowly gotten most of it back. I can reach a little more upward, but still have trouble bending especially if I have to twist at the same time. Baby steps I keep telling myself. I am really starting to feel the benefits of the aqua therapy. I go tomorrow.

I vacuumed a little and straightened up, including a little vacuuming reaching as far under things as I could which wasn't far. I have a small Eureka boss vacuum that I leave out and just do a little at a time so there's no heavy lifting or pushing involved. We're only talking one room anyway, but it's still progress. 

I did such a dumb thing that I should be ashamed to write about it. When I wrote my check to the IRS and mailed it, I started to wonder whether I had written the amount in and whether I signed it. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I hadn't--sort of like when you leave the house and wonder half way down the street whether you left the stove on. Only, it was too late to rectify this. What to do? I called the IRS and they told me to write another check and send it with an explanation of what happened. 

Today, I checked my checking account on line, and they have cashed the two checks. Now, tomorrow I have to call and try to see how fast I can get my money back.  I couldn't believe that the first check was just fine. I've gotten so used to banking online that I rarely write checks any more, and still being a bit cloudy from pain meds was just enough to send me over the edge. Oh, well. If that's the worst I do in life, I'll be fortunate. Just hope I can get it back before the end of the month.

Jack and I are lounging at the moment--well he's snoozing. We usually don't call it a night much before 1 a.m. I don't like blogs without pictures. I'm sure you're all getting tired of seeing Jack, but I never tire of him. I forgot I tried to take a few pictures of the yard, yesterday, but it was raining so I stayed under the roof. I was disappointed this year. I planted 400 daffodils three or four years ago and I don't know what happened. I don't think there were 30 that bloomed this spring. Hope it's just been the warm winter weather confusing them.
Raining so Just got a few of the Azaleas and a little of the Dogwood

The Dogwood Tree. The Spotlight is on our American Flag which has been flown every day and night since 9/11. I don't know how many Flags and spotlights I've had to replace, but there have been many. When I'm away, I leave bulbs with neighbors and the battery operated light in case the electric goes off. 

Jack comfy with Susan last evening

Jack Comfy today

The pictures didn't come out in the order I wanted, but this is the first year the daffodils bloomed. Broke my heart just to see a few this year.



Apr 15, 2013

The "Sleepless in Seattle Couple" - He Popped the Question!

Laura and Michael (Carly Simon)

Wishing Them Continued Romance and Happiness for the Rest of Their Lives
Welcome to Our Family, Laura

Apr 12, 2013

Another Therapy Update

When I first started this therapy, I had my doubts as to whether it  was going to help me. I was determined to give it my best. I've had two wonderful therapists working with me twice per week. Francine and Leslie are wonderful, loving and caring ladies. They want me to get well. I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. 

I had a difficult time in the beginning, but after the last session I came home and did the usual. Took a pain pill and put ice on my back. I had the best week since surgery so far.

Today, the parking lot was full when I arrived, but I was able to walk the full length of the building without the horrible hip pain that I had just a couple of weeks ago. I can't even describe how bad it was. Amazing! The workout was fairly rigorous. Balance is a big part of helping the back recover which means strengthening the core muscles. I'm doing much better with balance. I told Leslie, today, that I can almost pin point the exact time I let my core muscles go--when I stopped wearing heels and dressing up for the job. I'll never do that, again. Easy to hide not holding your stomach in with a sweatshirt three sizes too big for you! Leslie and Francine make workouts fun because they are such pleasant people. I don't know how many people in the Atlanta area ever read this blog, but if you ever need therapy, ask your doctor to write a prescription to Integrated Therapy. They have a number of locations in the Atlanta area.

As I did the workout, today, I kept my focus on being able to travel, again. Different scenes and places I want to see, again, were like a movie in my head. Before I knew it I was done. I'm still keeping the fall as my goal to go camping, and it seems more realistic, now. If it works out, during the winter I'd like to head south to some of the parks I've read about in Sherry and David's blog. Oh, and Susan would like to go to Charleston--she loves it there and wants to take Jack so I'll have to fit that in. Probably should make reservations, now.

I belong to a swim/tennis club a couple of miles from here--have had the membership since my kids were little. Rich always kept it so I did, too. Funny how that worked out. I'll use it this summer to continue to strengthen my muscles on my own. I'm going to post a few of the memories that I was thinking of while in the pool, today. Onward and upward.
James Island

Haystack Rock Pacific City, OR


Santa Fe

Virginia City, NV

Hemingway Reading Area Memorial, Ketchum ID

Don't Need to Tell Most of You Where This is-Jackson Hole WY
A Picture I'd love to See Again For Real, But I'll Always See it in My Memories 

Silverton CO

DAV Memorial, Taos NM

DAV Memorial NM

The Square in Taos NM


Apr 1, 2013

Things Looking Brighter!

Doctor first thing this morning. Pain is normal and as expected so he was not surprised at the extent of it. X-Rays look great. He said this particular surgery is a "long term investment". I could still be healing after a year. (Guess I didn't take my age in mind--huh?)  That was a good way to explain it. He changed my pain meds and gave me a new prescription to continue therapy. I have to call him in six weeks. My activity level is dictated by pain (let's hope that means the new meds will work better and I'll be able to vacuum "under" things, now)--pain in the hips IS coming from the back.

I'm making a new promise to myself, today. JACK.AND.I.WILL.BE.CAMPING.IN.THE.FALL!!