2021 Christmas Letter of Activies

 My events of the year 

I began a daily Bible study and read online with Christy Jordan, author of Seeking Scripture. We started on January 1, reading Genesis, and will end in December with Revelation. 

I took several day trips this year, including a couple of trips.

In January, I visited several covered bridges in South Alabama: the Easley Bridge, the Swann Bridge, the Horton Mill Covered Bridge, and Noccalula Falls in Gadsden.

February Day trip to Guntersville and Huntsville.

 

In March, we took a day trip to Oak Mountain State Park to visit the museum and see rescued birds of prey.

In July, we rode to Spring Valley Farms in Lutts, Tennessee, to see the Sunflower fields with friends, and then to Clifton, Tennessee, for lunch.

October took a trip with sisters to Mooresville, North Carolina & Mount Airy (home of Andy Griffin)

In November, I took a cruise to Cozumel and Progreso with a friend.

Three trips to Huntsville Botanical Gardens 

Cheek-wood Botanical Gardens in Nashville and their Lego art on March 6. 

On March 6, Ava celebrated her sixth birthday at Chuck E. Cheese.

June River celebrated his June 19th birthday. 

June 19, Atlas celebrated his first birthday(SR The ROOM 124 Wheeler Street Rogersville)(First Trip arJune 29e Sun)

June 29, Hazel Cate was born (fifth great-grandchild)

December 5, Hayne's 2nd Birthday Party@Shoals Next Level 850 Howell Heflin Lane, Tuscumbia (inflatables for kids inside) December 10th is December 10

(Onik, BAA, Cluck & Moo Hayne is December 17th!)

December 17: Surprise birthday party for my sister, Vicki, at the Zip City Community Center. She is turning 70

My husband and I received our first COVID-19 shots in March and our second in April.

In April, I took Mike (my oldest son) to the orthopedic Center for back surgery after an accident at work. 

Events I did 

Walking Tours  & Hikes 

Florence Cemetery Walk 

Mooresville Walking Tour 

Donnell House Tour 

Sheffield Business Walking Tour

National Wildlife Hike

PawPaw Patch Hike

National MushroMay 7ke  

On May 7, Our Newly built Modular Home was delivered (this kept us busy)

May 20, 31, Furniture delivered (bedroom furniture and foyer)

May-June Hubby installed 4 ceiling fans and a sliding shower in the smaller bathroom.

June-July Utilities, plumbing, natural gas, internet, Dish, and septic tank installed.

June Washer and Dryer delivered 

June Sofa and kitchen table delivered 

June 75-inch TV  installed 

Aug Man returns to do repairs and install the chimney.

Sep-Dec Hubby built a Deck on the Side and Back of the Modular Home. 

Aug Concert driveway installed. 

August 1, our RV 

Nov 1, Garage on May 5th. 

On May 5, Robert H. died (my sister Paula's husband)

On May 8, Marcus (grandson) graduated 4 UNA College with a Bachelor's Degree. May 28sics  

May 28, Montana graduated from Rogers High School (got a job at Monarch Tile)

In August, our swimming pool was hit by lightning, filling the yard with gallons of water.

In September, Killen opened the used bookstore where I volunteer once a month. It has been closed for over a year and a half because of the Coronavirus.

July, Root canal and a bridge (tooth broke) 

Nov, tooth pulled and one filled (accessed)

Well, we finally settled into our new home, with limestone gravel all around, a concrete drive, a garage, and a deck on the side and back of the house. 

We celebrated Labor Day with two pots of chicken stew, sharing it with the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. 

We celebrated Thanksgiving with a variety of dishes, including turkey, ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, blackberry cobbler, cranberry sauce, Butterfinger cake, and dressing. 

We are planning a big Christmas, and I don't know what we are serving yet, but it will be good. 

I'm so glad we sold the RV and moved into something bigger. Now I can entertain at my house instead of taking everything somewhere else. 

I have my Christmas tree, decorations everywhere, a couple of poinsettias on the table, and the bar ready for Christmas. 

2021 ends with lots of good memories 

2022 may be even better.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2023 July 12, Popes Tavern, Indian Mound Museums Florence, AL.

 Today, we took  Ava to see UNA's mascot, LEO, but he was sleeping. 

Leo is getting old and has not been as active since his mate died. 

I took her around the campus, showing her the Smith Bell Tower and the president's home. "Wesleyan Hall, constructed in 1856, is one of the oldest structures on the University of North Alabama campus." The building looks like a castle. 

Wesleyan Hall (Castle Building)

Smith Bell Tower 

Lion Cubs 

The campus fountain was shut off due to a leak. 

We next stopped at Pope's Tavern, where Ava learned about how the tavern was used as a hospital during the Civil War. Early cooking tools, Cypress furniture, and Civil War artifacts. 

Ava asks the curator several questions about the articles in the museum. 

We also visited the building that held information about the processing of cotton. 

Cotton Balls 

Our next stop was the Indian Mound. 

She and I both walked to the top of the mound. Lots of steps!

43 43-foot Earthen Mound was built about 500 BCE. 

Inside the museum, Ava learned about the timeline of the Native Americans during the Paleo-Indian Period, the Archaic Period, the Woodland Period, and the Mississippian and Historic Periods. 

We saw arrowheads and many American Indian artifacts. 

On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's to get Ava a kid's chicken nugget meal. 

We stopped at Smokin' Jalapeño for tacos. 

We took our food home to eat. 

2021 April 3, Florence Cemetery Walking Tour, UNA, McFarland Park, Wilson Dam, & Ava Florence, Alabama

Harry Wallace will lead the tour at 705 East College Street. The tour of the Florence Cemetery, established in 18181, features many unique headstones and famous gravesites among the rolling hills and towering trees. 

The cemetery contains the graves of many early settlers, two governors, prominent leaders and their families, and numerous unknown Confederate soldiers.

Harry Wallace, our guide

Blooming Cherry Trees 

McFarland Par 

After the walking tour, I stopped at Wilson Park to see the blooming cherry trees. 

Next, I went to UNA to see the newly remodeled fountain. People were taking pictures for Graduation. Leo the lion was basking in the sun and roared several times. Usually, he just lies quietly, but today, he must have been hungry.

LEO the Lion at UNA

Fountain at UNA 

Ava riding her car 

I rode to McFarland Park and stopped for a few pictures. The River was down compared to what it had been, but it still peaked at the banks. One side of the park was closed because of flooding. There were a lot of people at the park; people were parked everywhere, even on the banks of the road. 

I stopped at River Heritage Park and walked to see the floodgates at Wilson Dam. The Tennessee River was raging through. 

On my way home, I stopped to check on my son Mike. He had surgery on his back. He was outside with his brother Andy. Ava came outside and was riding her car. I saw a Yellow Monarch Butterfly landing on the yellow dandelions. 

I had an exciting day.

2017 Christmas Letter

Christmas Letter 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

I hope this letter finds your family doing well.

This is to inform you about the events that occurred in 2017.

My sister lost her husband (age 68) in April to a heart attack.

He awoke from sleep, called out to my sister, and said I have a heart attack, and before she could get help, he was gone. He had been having some health issues and had seen a doctor.

He was a retired railroad engineer and a farmer. 

Vicki raised vegetables and sold them at the farmer's market. He was very active in farming, raising mules, and participating in his community. 

On December 16, Dad was admitted to the Hospital. December 21, I took Dad to Rehab.

Dad stayed in Rehab from December 21 to February 11. Dad turned 90 this year and could no longer live alone, so he moved in with my sister. While Dad was in Rehab, a minister came by and talked to him. Dad said that man changed my life; I was saved, and he has been going to church with me and my sister ever since. 

This year has flown by, and Christmas is only a few days away.

I have finished my Christmas Shopping.

I had a total knee replacement in my right knee at the end of September.

I was in the Hospital for two and a half days, six days in rehab, and four weeks of physical therapy.

I still have problems walking long distances. My knee has healed nicely on the outside, but it will take months to heal on the inside. 

Before surgery, I had to wear a leg brace on my right knee just to walk. 

In January, we visited Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to observe a flock of Sandhill Cranes before they began their northward migration.

At the end of January, we toured the Guntersville Museum and took a ride around Guntersville Lake. We also stopped @ Buckets Pocket State Park to enjoy the sweeping view of the rugged, untouched landscape from atop a large rock. 

We celebrated Valentine's Day @ Famous Dave's Restaurant in Franklin, TN. We also visited the famous Bedford Falls Train Display @ Hundred Oaks in Nashville. 

We spent President's Day in Montevallo at the American Village, a series of buildings that allow one to journey into America's past, from its independence to self-government.

We also walked through the Festival of Tulips, stopping to pick a basket of tulips to take home. 

On March 4, I attended "Cooking on the Mountain" at the Burritt Museum in Huntsville.

March 27-29: Hubby and I stay @ the Inn on the River Hotel in Pigeon Forge, TN. 

We enjoyed visiting Patriots Veterans Park, the Islands, Bush Bean Museum, the Old Mill, Applewood Farms Restaurant, Cherokee Veterans Park, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and traveling across the Smoky Mountains.

On April 1, I enjoyed the Beaty Street Walking Tour in Athens, Alabama. 

On April 8Hubby and I enjoyed the Houston Walking Tour in Athens, Alabama (home of one of Alabama's governors)

On April 14, I attended a Passover Seder Meal at the Methodist Church in Killen.

On April 15, I enjoyed a Church Walking tour in Decatur, Alabama

On April 17, Hubby and I took our great-granddaughter to Cullman.

We bought fresh strawberries @ the farmer's market, and we toured the train depot and the Clarkson Covered Bridge.

On April 23, I enjoyed the Athens Cemetery Stroll, where the cemetery comes alive with characters from the past. 

On April 29, I enjoyed the walking tour of Historic Bank Street in Decatur, AL. 

In May and June, we enjoyed music in Wilson Park. 

On May 6, I enjoyed a day @ the Strawberry Festival in Moulton, AL 

On May 10, 10Hubby and I enjoyed Music in Wilson Park 

On May 15, 15Hubby and I enjoyed a day trip to the Huntsville Train Depot, Ditto Landing, and Rosie's Cantina

On May 17, 17Hubby and I enjoyed music in Wilson Park with the Cadillacs 

May 19-20, I attended the Storytelling Festival @ the Shoals Theater. 

On May 27, I attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Decatur.

On May 30, 30Hubby and I toured the Pink Palace Museum and Bass Pro Shops (we rode the elevator to the top to see a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River and downtown Memphis).

On June 10, I attended a Family Reunion with my dad, sister, and granddaughter. 

We stopped to tour Tom Hendrix's "Rock Wall." Tom spent thirty years building a walk dedicated to his great-great-grandmother, an American Indian who walked from Oklahoma back to her home in Alabama. Trail of Tears. The wall is situated near the Natchez Trace, located on the border between Alabama and Tennessee.

On June 13, 13Hubby and I toured the Corvette Museum and the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, KY. On our way home, we stopped in Nashville @ the grave site of the singer George Jones.

On June 17, 17Hubby and I attended the Moon Pie and RC Festival in Bell Buckle, TN.

July 4, 4Hubby and I enjoyed spending the day @ Monte Sano Park 

On July 11, Hubby and I toured the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park, Museum of Transportation, Pennyroyal Museum, and Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, Kentucky

On July 18, 18Hubby and I enjoyed a day @ Discovery America Park in Union City, TN.

On July 27, my great-granddaughter and I spent the day @ the newly remodeled Children's Museum in Florence.

On August 1Hubby and I toured the James K. Polk ancestral home in Columbia, TN.

On August 11Hubby and I attended the Killen Founders Day Parade and music in Killen Park. 

On August 18, I rode south on Natchez Trace, taking pictures of new markers celebrating Alabama's 200-year centennial.

On August 22Hubby and I enjoyed the Wild Bird Sanctuary @ Davey Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, TN.

On August 29, my sister-in-law and I enjoyed watching the tagging of hummingbirds. We toured the Oakville Indian Mounds and the Jessie Owens Museum in Danville. 

On September 4, Hubby and I attended the Sweet Tater Festival and Car Show. 

On September 8, I attended Oka Kapassa @ Spring Park with my daughter and grandchildren.

On September 9, I attended my great-niece's baby shower.

On September 14, I toured Helen Keller's Ivy Green (birth home)

On September 18, I took my great-granddaughter to Walmart to try on Halloween heads

September 20-29, Knee Surgery and Recovery 

Spent most of October doing Physical Therapy 

On October 31, Hubby and I traveled north on the Natchez Trace, stopping at the Lewis Meriwether Museum/Park and Laurel Hills Park. We ate lunch at Famous Dave's in Franklin, TN. 

On November 4, I took my granddaughter and great-granddaughter to Wild Bird Sanctuary @ Davey Crockett Park. 

On November 14, Hubby and I spent the day shopping at Opry Mills and walking through the Charlie Brown Ice display in Nashville. 

November 17Hubby and I attended the Little Women Broadway Musical @UNA

November 23 Thanksgiving Dinner with family @ Mikes 

On NNovember28Hubby and I went to the Tuscumbia Christmas Parade

November 29Hubby and I went to Babes in Toyland @ Roxy Theater in Russellville

On December 1Hubby and I went to Light a Candle for Prayer @ Pope's Tavern, Christmas Tree Lighting in Wilson Park, and strolled the streets of First Friday in Florence. I attended a book signing by Tom McDonald for "Promises to Keep."

On December 21, I attended Sacred Way Horse Sanctuary @ the Visitor Center. 

On December 3after church, I visited the Christmas tree exhibit at the Tuscumbia Art Museum. From 2:00 to 4:00 P.M., I attended a Baby Shower for my granddaughter's friend.

On December 6, Hubby and I rode to Huntsville to walk the Tinsel Christmas Trail to Bridge Street and rode through the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights. 

On December 7, Hubby and I attended the Muscle Shoals Parade. 

On December 9, I attended the Dickens of Christmas Y'all Come in Tuscumbia, featuring a poetry reading and music at St. John's Episcopal Church. 

On December 10, I walked through the Christmas Tree Trail in Athens and Madison.

In Madison, I rode through and took pictures of the Christmas card display. At 6:30 P.M., Hubby and I went to the Maple Hill Baptist Church, where they had a replica of Bethlehem that we walked through with a group of other people. 

On DDecember117, we celebrated my sister's 66th birthday at Cracker Barrel, joined by my four sisters, dad, and two great-nieces. 

Today, December 19, we are planning a trip to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.     

December 23 Christmas with family (Saturday night at 6 P.M.). My sister is bringing Dad; it's going to be lots of fun.  

We tried to get in as much as possible during the year, but we had to scale back this year due to my knee injury. 

The coming year will bring better health. 

Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year