US Trip September - October

Business or pleasure?

It's one of the questions on the customs form you have to fill out before they'll let you into the USofA.  They ask too if you're a terrorist or if you've been on a farm lately or if you want to sell some of the stuff you're carrying, or if you have over $10,000 in cash on your person.  I generally answer No to everything.

But the business or pleasure question?  This time, I wanted to say:  Yes.  Both.  It's always a pleasure to be there.  Good grief, it's Florida, pleasure destination of half the world! But there was (family) business to take care of in GA, too.  But I checked Pleasure. :)) Don't confuse the customs guys is a good rule to follow.

After landing in Orlando we took the weekend to reorient ourselves, but there was a special dinner to squeeze in, too.  Le Coq au Vin. Voted the best French restaurant in Orlando. If I could vote, I would agree. Excellent service, excellent food, and we loved the company, too.  :-)  Some of the charge went to charity too.  Good all around!

On Monday we walked Hayden to the bus stop and then Dylan to kindergarten.  What a pleasure!!  Hayden loves school and loves riding on the bus (Thanks, Mr. Fernando! Great bus driver!).  Dylan does not so much love walking to school.  Why can't we go in the car?? This is so boring!!  My legs are tired!!  But we find ways to pass the time and before you know it, there we are!  Wow! Did you see that lizard!  How many bikes have gone by??  It turns out to be a lot of fun.

Are these kids cute or what?

Then, so soon, we were off to Michelle and Joey and Hunter and Hannah. We hardly ever take the direct route because we have time.  At the end of the Turnpike, we toke the Scenic Route.  Love it.

US 27 leading to US 98. Through little towns and along stretches of woods and pasture.  We looked longingly at the turnoffs to Cedar Key and Steinhatchee, but we kept driving.  Somewhere, though, you have to take a break and St. Marks, just over the bridge, was the place:  Tupelo honey, cane syrup, home-made jam, sitting on the hood of a pick up truck.  Ya just gotta stop. 

We tasted the syrup, selected  a jar of fig preserves, and took a picture, but not without a price - it comes with a story.  Seems the old guy has been there a while doing his thing and a few years back, someone else asked to take his picture.  Later, his son-in-law says Dad, you're famous!  and shows the old man a picture of the painting that was made of him and his truck and his goods.  And the price of the reprints - hundreds of dollars!!!  Well, that's me, he says, don't I get a cut?? Another grandkid, a law school, grad, says So sad, too bad, you gave permission and now your image is not yours anymore.   So the old man takes pleasure in telling the story and showing the copy of the painting.

Then a pause in Apalach.  It is impossible to not stop.  Regardless of the changes, there is the permanence of the water and the boats and the seaside buildings and the lovely salty scent of the place.  If we ever get back to the USofA, that is right up there of where I want to be.

And finally to Michelle.  And family.  They are all so busy!  School, work , dance, soccer, homework, cooking.

Werner got the valances re-hung.

I got the Christmas pillow and ornaments finished.

Michelle did some serious showing off of how to throw pizza dough. Very cool. I think she's been practicing on the side. I definitely need lessons!

We walked on the beach.  You would not believe it from this picture, but it was a Red Flag day, a tropical storm out in the Gulf, but she never showed up.

There was a quick side trip to Tallahassee and a too-short visit with Nancy. But so much better than no visit at all!

And the highlight of the week:  the FSU game.  Leaving early has its rewards.

And what pleasure for me: for the very first time, I got to see all the grandkids at one time in one place. Kids too. This simply does not happen often enough.

Add to that a big win over Maryland. Go NOLES!

Before we left, Hannah modelled the dress she'll wear to the freshman dance (she's growing up, don't you think?), and they posed in front of the car before leaving for school. It was too early for Hunter.

Next stop, Atlanta.  Not really.  NObody lives in Atlanta.  It's Tucker and John's Creek and Suwanee and Decatur and Lithonia.  (Really, it's Atlanta, but don't tell anyone!)

This was the "business" part of the trip, doing my part to get mother's house organized for an estate sale.  NOT so easy!  Julia and Ginny had already done the lion's share of the work, but I helped for the last organizing for selling. The guys helped, too.  Cool. Done.

Meanwhile, Mother is enjoying her new digs.  The place is more than nice and the service seems to be top-notch. I heard no complaints. How could you???

There was time to meet up with the big and little kids of the family and do some catching up.  Once a year is hardly enough time to do it all, but again, it's better than nothing. The kids are all teenagers now, all of them driving.  Geeze.  I think us old folks are holding up pretty well, too.

 

But then another reality set in.  Werner's mom was not doing well, so he headed back to Germany a week before our planned departure. 

I headed back to Orlando on my own.  It was such a treat taking Hayden to the bus and walking Dylan to school (still boring, but we managed :)).  The Christmas pillow got done, one (!!??) of the ornaments for the kids.  Saturday was the BIG GAME, FSU vs  Clemson. What a show and FSU showed them all what they could do.  I forget how wrapped up you can get in college football, so far away that I am.  But I'll be a close watcher the rest of the season.

Here's mommy and daughter.  What a beautiful pair.

And Dylan before she had her visit to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party.  Tinkerbell, of course, just like last year!

Afterwards, she had a hoot organizing all the loot.

And then it was time to say goodbye.  Getting two kids to hold still is challenging and the pictures don't always come out great, but I love the memories they evoke and I wouldn't trade them for anything - the memories OR the pictures!

It was a wonderful trip and of course I can't wait to be back again! Thanks to you all for everything.  Pure pleasure.

Home Ties

Never have I taken so few pictures on a US trip.  I'm thinking of blaming Werner since he wasn't here to pose for me. 

It was a family visit.  Hanging with the sisters and the BiLs - stripes optional.

 
We shopped and ate and visited and ate and walked and ate and ate some more.  But food is communion and that's what we did.

There was one afternoon with Nancy.  We visited a couple of antique/lots-of-used-stuff stores.  Always fun. And we ate, too. 

After a week in Atlanta, it was off to Panama City, or more accurately Lynn Haven.  Hunter and Hannah had just been let out of school, so they slept a lot, hung with friends, watched TV, texted, stuff.  There were new point slippers to buy.  So pretty!

 Poor Riley needed a bath.  He's happy to cooperate, but not so happy being wet!

Hunter spent a fair amount time driving here and there, visiting friends and the girlfriend, and took a test at the local university so he could do university courses next school year along with the regular school work.  He passed!  Yeah!

 
Otherwise, I chilled.  Easy to do in this setting.

Then off to Orlando!  Little kids!   Here's Dylan talking to Werner in far-far-away Germany, and then, holding a big bowl of jalapenos she picked with Dad from the little garden!

Hayden wasn't always so quiet and calm as this, but he did sit and read and work and build railroad complexes.  He's an engineer!

And the night before I left, there was a lovely sky to remind me I have to come back again.  There's nothing like Florida and nothing like family. And next time, we need more time for both!

US Visit Winter 2012

Wow.  A month since my last post.  But we have been really sorta kinda busy.  Or I just haven't stopped long enough to write.

It began in Orlando on January 3 and ended there on February 2. In between there were stops in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Lynn Haven and Tallahassee.  We saw old friends and lots and lots of family.  Just like always. I like it that way.

Lee and Crissy and kids only got a nod from us before we were on our way north - though we were to return for a longer visit.
 
The first stop was St. Augustine - a pause on the way to Jacksonville.  Werner had been there years before, and my last visit was even more years before that.  It's a bit more touristy now with the "old city" converted to trendy and touristy shops and restaurants and very pedestrian friendly.  But the major draw, the Castillo de San Marcos, has not changed a bit. Walking around it was a pleasure and a walk down memory lane as well.  The weather could hardly have been better - cool breezes and warm sunshine.  A nice omen for the rest of our trip.

I'd arranged a stop in Jacksonville to meet up with a few former high school classmates since I won't get back in April for our 50th class reunion.  Everyone says it but it doesn't make it any less true - How did we get this old? Wasn't it just yesterday, the prom, the graduation?  Yes (in our heads) and No (in real time).  It was a special treat to see two good friends from that time - Sherry and Bonnie.  Others were there as well and we had a nice evening.  Werner of course is so easy - and since he's a bit exotic, people love to talk to him.

And the B&B we stayed in I will recommend to everyone:  The Jenks House in Riverside, a historic neighborhood that grew out of the great fire of 1901.  The Martens were wonderful hosts and breakfast with fresh-squeezed orange juice from trees in the back yard, fresh roasted (!) and ground coffee and buckwheat pancakes can hardly be described without drooling. The upper photo is a sewn fabric collage that hung over our bed.  Very interesting.

Then OFF TO ATLANTA and the local Goode Sisters and families.  The family hasn't grown in the last couple of years, but since we're all growing older, it seems bigger!  What fun!!  We missed out on Keith + Liz and kids but we'll catch them next time.

Finally we make it to Florida, Lynn Haven, the Ginn Residence.  Because Hunter and Hannah were so long the focus of our trips there, it still seems it still ought to be the first stop and it is still strange that it isn't (no offense, L+C!)  We got to see Hunter play soccer with his school team, mess around with Hannah's friends for a weekend sleep-over, and eat fresh oysters till we couldn't.  Otherwise, it was lots of normal life - school, shopping, work, eating, cooking.  All that equals wonderful.

Then a couple of days in Tallahassee with Nancy.  Crazy dog!  Fried shrimp!  Talk, talk, talk!  We are still working on solving the worlds' problems and I'm sure we'll accomplish that on our next visit.

Finally back to Orlando and time with Dylan and Hayden.  There are bike rides to do, picnics to have, flower beds to weed and plants to water, more food to eat and more food to eat and votes to tally.

The political process has always been interesting to Werner (he arrived in the US just as the Bork hearings started, for those of you who remember!) and he's never got over it.  I don't know exactly when I started (maybe in high school running for office in student council), but I remember putting up signs and making phone calls for McGovern, going door to door for Chiles, and donating here and there.  And always reading.  It's interesting to be there and see debates and reactions in real time.  From now on, it will be time-delayed.

We're home again, from warm and sunny to freezing and sunny and sometimes snowy.  And freezing is no exaggeration - our pipes are closed.  Shut down.  No water in the bathroom or shower.  No washing machine.  After the thaw, we'll find out what has happened and what we have to do.  In the meantime, we fill the buckets from the kitchen to flush the toilet and take our showers at the fitness center after our workouts.  Weird.  Strange.  Not so really comfortable.  Really.  Not.

U.S. of A. - Version 2011.1

We're half way through our month-long US visit, and it seems past time for an update!  I'm having to squeeze this in between sleeping in, taking walks, visiting with family and eating.  Tough life.

Arriving in Orlando means one less stop along the way, but it doesn't seem to mean getting to the final destination a whole lot sooner - I think we waited half past forever for our bags to arrive.  Then it took the rest of forever to decide which of all the choices of cars we could live with for four weeks.  Werner finally decided on a cool-looking Chrysler.

It was too late for the kids too greet us, but they were well-primed so Dylan and Hayden welcomed us the next morning.  Sweet!  This photo is "posterized" - cool effect.

After just three nights, we headed to Atlanta so we wouldn't miss seeing Julia and Larry who were heading off on their anuual Cancun-in-winter trip.  Naturally, there was a get together with the whole crew, this time at a local Mexican restaurant. 

The highlight for me is always my sisters .....

But everyone gets attention.  Mother was the proud recipient of yet another unique Werner-made birdhouse.  It will have to compete with lots of others that she and Daddy had put up over the years.  Not to mention lots of natural places for birds to build homes!

Then off to Florida again and Hunter and Hannah.  What a hoot!  We arrived while they were in school but they came in jumping up and down like they used to do meeting us at the airport.  Love it!!

Here's Hannah cleaning up after a muffin-making spree,



and Hunter trying out Dad's glasses.  You can see he still has a head full of thick curls. And BRACES!

On the weekend we hit Five Guys at Pier Park for hamburgers and checked out the beach.  It's still there, still white, still wonderful. 

Orlando Interim

This is such a short visit! Only a few days with Hayden and Dylan (and incidentally their mom and dad) before heading off to Lynn Haven to get Hunter and Hannah ready for three weeks in our Germany.

But it's a fun few days.

Little Miss Dylan is - of course - precocious. Reads books. Knows her letters. Knows her numbers. Hey, what a kid!








Hayden needed a hair cut, so Mommy gave him one, sitting on the terrace out back. Hayden doens't really love hair cuts.


But then there's mowing the lawn with Dad, time on the swing and a romp in the pool. Not bad!








Naturally, Hayden is precocious, too. He can spell - really! He'd put together G R A P , and I said hey that looks like a word but it's not really a word. But hey, the kid was not finished. He looked around until he found the E. Now it's a word - G R A P E. Not bad for a 4 year old.

All of that is very interesting of course, but for Werner, the most interesting was my rental car - a PT Cruiser, metallic blue. Werner was GREEN. Cool car.