2007, May 6-10, A trip to Whigham, Georgia with Ron

Saturday, May 5, 2007 

Two of my granddaughters, Hannah and Madison, came to our house. I cooked hamburgers, then we all swam in the pool. Both my granddaughters spent the night, and we watched Pretty Woman on TV.

Day 1: Sunday, May 6, 2007

My husband took the girls home.

Ron came by and picked me up We went back to his house because he had not printed out the directions to Andy's

We left Ron's house about 9:00 A.M.

We filled up with gas at 43 Express.

We were about 15 miles north of Dothan when we stopped for gas, drinks, peanuts, and beef jerky.

We stopped at Fred's in South Georgia to get Ron a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, Dr. Peppers, popcorn, nuts, raisins, and Mountain Dews.

We arrive at Andy's house at 5:00 P.M. Eastern time. Andy's wife had made chili for supper.

Ron and I went to Winn-Dixie in Bainbridge for some groceries.

We almost had a wreck when a car pulled out in front of us.  

We ate supper about 6:30 P.M. 

Andy's family was at church.

Later that night, when we were watching "Night at the Museum," Nevada sat next to me.

I slept with Sierra, Ron slept in Dakota's room, and Dakota slept on the sofa.

Sierra was reading a book about the "Little Princess."

Day 2: Monday, May 7, 2007

Andy, Charity, and Ronald went to play golf. I stayed with the grandkids.

The boys wanted to play golf, so they got out some old clubs and went behind the church. 

Boys playing golf

Later that day, Montana and Nevada rode four-wheelers, and Sierra, Dakota, and I rode bicycles.

It was hot, and the grandkids were tired, so we went inside, and they built things with their Legos.   

Everyone went to Boat Basin Park for ball games. 

Sierra had a softball gam, and they lost.

Dakota had a baseball game, and his team won.

Nevada had a T-ball gam; everyone wins in T-ball.

The boys' T-ball team was called Syrup Makers, and the girls' T-ball team was called Syrup Maids.

A boy named Cody joined Sierra, Nevada, Ada, and Montana in a pretend game of softball. 

We stopped at KFC to get chicken for supper for everyone.

It had been a long day, and everyone was ready for bed early.  

Earlier today, I ate a bagel with cream cheese, cheese dip with chili, popcorn, and cookies.

Day 3: Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Sierra, Nevada, and I rode bicycles.

On our way to the park, we stopped at the bread store to get day-old bread. 

Then we all went to Bainbridge Park, where we could feed the animals. Everyone walked along the one-mile wooden bridge to the Flint River.

On an empty baseball field, we all joined in playing a baseball game against each other.  

Leaving Bainbridge Park

Andy will be grilling tonight, so he and Ron are going to Jane's meat market to buy steaks, pork chops, hamburger patties, and hot dogs. Then, they are going to Walmart to buy vegetables. 

Home Run!

Catcher

Tonight is Dakota's last baseball game.

Day 4: Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Ron, Andy, and Dakota went to play golf at 10:00 A.M. 

Early that morning, I rode the bicycle.

While the men were off golfing, everyone else rode to Tallahassee, Florida. We all played miniature golf.

I was trying to take pictures and play miniature golf, but the kids played too fast, and I couldn't keep up. 

Playing Putt-Putt Golf 

Next, we rode to the theater in Tallahassee to see the movie "Ghost Rider" with Nicholas Cage.

Montana sat next to me at the movies, but when Nicholas became a man of fire, Montana went and sat in his mom's lap.

Montana got up and went to sit with his mom.

At the movies, everyone ate a hot dog and drank a Coke.

That night, Ron and I watched the movie "Flushed Away" while Andy's family went to church.

When everyone returned from church, we watched American Idol

I went into Sierra's room and wrote in my journal.

Day 5: Thursday, May 10, 2007

I cooked bacon, biscuits, and gravy for breakfast. 

Andy, Ron, and I ate the breakfast that I cooked. 

Dakota made a batch of cookies, and the kids ate them. 

Andy, Montana, Sierra, Nevada, and I went to visit Miss Jane.

Miss Jane had two parrots; one would bow, and the other would bite.

Jane gave Andy a bag of fresh green beans and the kids some candy. 

While Andy, Charity, and Ron were at Wal-Mart, the kids and I rode bikes. 

Montana would get way ahead of me, and Nevada, and I would have to call him back. 

Dakota & Sierra stayed home, Dakota on the computer and Sierra watching TV.

Later that evening, Sierra and Nevada had ball games.

Ron, Dakota, Montana, and I did not go to the ball games. 

Dakota went fishing, Ron cooked an onion blossom, and I watched a movie, "Night with the King."

Day 6: Friday, May 11, 2006

Early the next morning, Ron and I started for home. 

I was driving, and we took an alternate route that led us to downtown Dothan.

We were home by 2:30 P.M. 

A couple of grandkids came over to swim, Hannah and Madison. Hannah's friend Katie also came.

Put on my swimsuit and joined the grandkids for a swim. 

2003 Summer Gulf Shores State Park

In the summer of 2003, I rode to Gulf Shores, Alabama, with my son and his family. 

My son pulled his pop-up camper with his truck to Gulf Shores State Park

20115 State Hwy 135 Gulf Shore, AL 36542 251-948-7275

We parked the car and camper on Gator Road by the lake. It costs $27.00 per day for 4 people, plus $2 per person over age 6.

Every day we would go down to the state park and public beach to swim, and sometimes we would swim in the state park's public swimming pool.

At night, we all slept in the camper; my son and his wife slept on the left side. My granddaughter and I slept on the right side of the camper, and my grandson slept on the table, which had been made into a bed. 

We had a canopy where we put our bicycles, coolers, and non-refrigerated food. We had a clothesline to hang all the wet clothes and a laundry room to wash and dry them. 

There were bathrooms with showers and toilets. 

Our camper did not have these facilities. 

We would use these facilities after swimming and in the morning to get ready.

We would ride our bikes to the Beach pavilion, a facility on the beach with a unique roof design. 

The pavilion features picnic tables, a bathhouse, and a snack bar. It has two large fireplaces and a boardwalk to get to the beach.

Church activities were held during the week we were there, and the kids took part every day.

We visited the Gulf State Park's Nature Center, where we saw several exhibits and live animals(snakes, turtles, bats, and possums) representing some of the wildlife that can be seen in the park. 
http://www.alapark.com/Gulf-State-Park-Nature-Center

The kids and I rode our bikes; sometimes my son and his wife came along.

Once, while I was riding my bike, I put the brakes on too quick and my back wheel went straight up in the air. Another time,when I was riding my bicycle, I slid off the edge of the sidewalk. We rode many miles along various paths, and we saw many different types of animals. 

We went to the Naval Museum in Pensacola, FL 
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org.

We went to the Tanger Outlet Shops in Foley, Alabama, which have over 120 stores.
http://www.tangeroutlet.com/foley 

Address: 2601 S. McKenzle Street, Foley, AL 36535 251-943-9303.

We had a week of fun.

1969~ Summer 1969 Killeen, Texas

A new adventure for the family was a trip to Killeen, Texas. 

A total of 13 people are traveling in a pickup truck with a camper shell mounted on the truck bed.

These included the mother, father, their eight children, two grandchildren, and a son-in-law. 

The family was taking their daughter and granddaughter to be with her husband, who was stationed at Fort Hood in the Army.

The truck was full of everything the family needed for the trip: food & clothing.

The daughter had brought several boxes with her.

A full-size mattress was placed on the truck's bed. The father and son-in-law took turns driving, stopping only to eat and use the restrooms.  

The women took care of the children and food. 

Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, southwest of Waco. Killeen is a ranching village in a cotton-growing region that is home to Fort Hood Military Base. 

It is 759 miles, which will take about twelve hours. The family left late in the afternoon, which meant driving all night. 

The family had been riding for hours, and when it became too dark to see, they all fell asleep on the mattress. 

The father was doing the driving, but he felt himself drift off to sleep.

The father was awakened by a loud horn honking, which alerted him that he was swaying on the interstate. He was so frightened that he stayed awake the rest of the night. 

There were no video games during this time, and the kids had to make up things to do. 

The kids would look at the tags on cars and trucks to see which state they were from.

Another fun thing was reading billboards. 

Texas is a big state, and when the father said we are in Texas, the family rejoiced, but needless to say, they still had to ride several more hours.

The family did not care much for the flat state of Texas, with its oil wells everywhere.

After several long hours on the road, the family finally arrived at the son-in-law's home. 

He lived in a three-bedroom trailer outside the army base. 

The kids could not wait to get out of the truck and stretch their legs.

The food and clothing had to be unloaded and taken inside.

The kids played outside until dark, when the mosquitoes started to bite. 

That night, the smaller kids slept on the floor. The mother and father had one bedroom to sleep in. The two couples with their six-month-old babies also had a bedroom to sleep in.

They were not kidding when they said the mosquitoes swarm like flies, and they are as big as elephants in the state of Texas.

The next day, the family spent a relaxing day swimming in the lake near Belton.

That afternoon, the women went shopping, checking out all the small shops nearby.

The next day, the family loaded into the truck, leaving behind one daughter and one granddaughter.

They started their twelve-hour journey home. No one fell asleep.

The family had a great trip, even though they rode hundreds of miles in the back of a pickup truck, and they were bitten by mosquitoes.

Their father almost wrecked the truck on the interstate. Taking a trip to the big state of Texas. 

None of this mattered to the family because it was a family vacation, so much like the Vacation movies that Chevy Chase made. 

2016 ~ Feb 15 Monday, Taking Classes at the Apple Store

2016 ~ February 15, Spent a day at Apple Store taking Classes

Taking five classes at the Apple Store

8–9 A.M. dentist Appointment 

We went through the drive-through at McDonald's for breakfast. 

I ordered egg, sausage, and cheese burritos

My husband ordered egg, bacon, and a bagel.

We arrived a little after 10 A.M. to begin my classes

I had five one-hour classes

My husband dropped me off, and he went to see the ophthalmologist

10–11 A.M. Workshop Appointment: Stay Connected 

11–12 P.M. Workshop Appointment: Sketch, Draw, and Paint with iPad

I ate lunch at Barnes & Noble: Taco Soup, oyster crackers, and a cookie.

12:45–1:45 P.M. Workshop Appointment: Create Great-Looking Documents with Pages for iPhone and iPad

2:45–3:45 P.M. Workshop Appointment: Explore Apple TV

3:45–4:45 P.M. Workshop Appointment: Perfect Your Photos on Mac

We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Athens for Dinner.

I ordered Pinto beans, turnip greens, onion, chow-chow, cornbread & iced tea.

My husband ordered a big breakfast. 

We came home dressed for bed and were watching the X-Files on TV when my husband got a call-out at work around 8:30 P.M.

   

At work, two pumps were not functioning correctly. Three plumbers were called in to fix the problem. 

I did my CBS while I waited for my husband to finish the job.

We stopped for gas on the way home.
We arrived home around 12:00; by that time, the rain had moved out.

1989~ My Hysterectomy Adventure!

In the summer of 1989, I took five weeks off from work to have a Hysterectomy.

My doctor had found a fibroid in my uterus, which was the size of a grapefruit.

He sent the fibroid off and said it was not cancer.

He also said that I could not do any heavy lifting or driving for 5 to 6 weeks after the surgery.

I remember checking in at the Hospital in Muscle Shoals, where I was prepped for surgery.

I hate knives and the thought of being cut is terrifying, so needless to say, I was very nervous about the upcoming surgery.

When my nurse came in, she said Are you nervous about the surgery? I said yes.

Then the nurse said, "I am going to give you a shot; it will relax you."

The surgery went well, and I was up walking the next day. 

During the surgery, my abdomen was filled with air.

My stomach looked & felt like a balloon ready to pop.

They gave me an enema to relieve the gas, but it did not work.

The nurse said that I needed to walk to relieve the gas.

I walked up and down the hospital's halls but found no relief.

Finally, I went to the restroom and found relief; it sounded like air from a hot-air balloon or a stack of whoopee Cushions.

I was released from the hospital, and my middle son came to the hospital to pick me up.

I had a prescription to fill, so we stopped at Kmart's Pharmacy in Muscle Shoals.

The prescription was for the pain; it was Tylenol with codeine.

The doctors wanted me to walk, so I walked inside K-mart with my son to get the prescription filled.

A week after I came home from the hospital, my daughter-in-law said We are going to the Birmingham Zoo. Do you want to go? We can rent a wheelchair to push you around.

I had been cooped up in the house for a week since my stay in the hospital, and I was ready to get out.

It takes about 2.5 hours to drive to the Birmingham Zoo. When we arrived, we purchased tickets and rented a wheelchair.

I was still very sore from the surgery, and as I was pushed into the wheelchair, I could feel every bump and pothole that we hit.

It made me appreciate people who have to ride in wheelchairs all the time, especially those who use rented ones with no extra padding.

Riding in a Wheelchair

At the Birmingham Zoo, we saw the African elephants throwing dirt onto their backs. We saw giraffes eating leaves from very tall trees. We visit the cages of the Siberian tiger, the roaring lions, the cheetah, the Black Panthers, the Snow leopard, and the Jaguar.

We visited Monkey Island, which housed hundreds of monkeys.

We saw a family of gorillas with the mother feeding her young.

We went into the reptile house and saw rattlesnakes, copperheads, coral snakes, Boas, anacondas, dragon monsters, chameleons, helmet lizards, Iguanas, and many different species of frogs.

Our next stop was to see the Roman God Vulcan atop Red Mountain, who overlooks Birmingham. The Vulcan is 56 feet tall, and there is an elevator that takes you to an overlook encircling the statue. 

I had a wonderful time at the Birmingham Zoo & The Vulcan, but was sore the next day, and I had to take several Tylenol with codeine for pain.

A few weeks later, I rode to the Space and Rocket Center with my son and his wife. 

This trip was also fun, but I had to take Tylenol with codeine because my stomach had not completely healed from the surgery. 

I spent my time sunbathing on my back porch during the day.

I spent time at the Birmingham Zoo, at the Vulcan, and at the Space and Rocket Center with family.

I went back to the doctor for my six-week check-up, and the doctor said I could go back to work.

I was ready to head back to work, and it was wonderful to be behind the wheel of my own car.

🎢1972-1997 Opryland Theme Park

Opryland Theme Park opened June 30,1972, and the park closed December 31,1997 

Our family would visit Opryland Theme Park at least once, and sometimes twice, each year, until the park closed in 1997.

When we first started going to Opryland, the boys were too small to ride the big roller coasters.

We would ride the Flume Zoom, a log ride that seats up to six people, in Hill Country. No one wanted to sit up front because they would get wet.

In Big Hill Country, we would hop aboard the Thunder Switch train and ride to El Paso Station in the American West. 

Sometimes we would take the New Orleans Sky ride, which travels from one side of the park to the other.

We spent most of our time at Opryland Theme Park watching Country Music Shows.

As the kids got older, they would ride the timber topper coaster. In 1979, the coaster was renamed the Rock' n' Roller Coaster. This coaster shot out of the station into a single loop, climbing into a double loop and back to the station with a quick stop. There were always long lines for this ride.

The boys always enjoyed driving the antique cars called the tin Lizzies. The vehicle would hold up to four people, and the boys always wanted to be the driver, so sometimes we would ride in separate cars or ride over and over so each could get a chance to be the driver. The tin Lizzie was on a track, so no matter what kind of driver you were, you were always coming back to the station safely. 

The kids also enjoyed the little deuce, a closed float ride. The lakeside area was home to the kiddy rides and the old millstream, where we would get into a boat that took us around the lake on a track. 

The barnstormer was a biplane sky ride, and it was next to the old millstream. 

At the state fair was the petting zoo, where the kids could pet and feed the animals. 

We also enjoyed the Tennessee Waltz swing, which was my favorite. 

The kids love the bumper cars, where they can run into each other. 

There were endless carnival games for the kids to play, and I always tried to steer them away from this area because it cost more money. 

The Wall-Bash cannonball was one of the kids' favorite coasters. 

It flipped over twice. 

We would always get soaking wet on the Grizzly River Country.

This ride was a large raft that could seat up to 20 people. It went down the raging river, passing several waterfalls, twisting and turning.

Water was coming at you from all sides as you were carried down the raging river. 

In 1984, the Scream'n'Delta' Delta Demon Coaster was added in the New Orleans area. It was an intamin wheeled bobsled coaster. 

In 1989, the Chaos was added in the Grizzly River area, and it was a Vekoma Steel coaster. 

In 1995, the hangman was added in the American West. 

We rode every roller coaster repeatedly, screaming, holding up our hands, in delight with every ride.

There was a building called the Angle Inn that was built on a slant, and as we walked through it, we felt like we were going to tip over.

Throughout the park, people were performing country music.

Along the lake, we would visit Country Music USA, where various country singers would perform for 1 hour. 

Rocking around the clock was the 50's era where songs were performed from the 50's.  

We would visit Roy Acuff's museum, which housed many of his musical instruments. There was a museum for Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff's theater, the Nashville Network Studio, the WSM Radio Broadcasting booth, and the Grand Ole Opry house.

There was a large boat ride called the General Jackson. There were kennels for your pets, restrooms, and telephones throughout the park.

There were gift shops: Jewels and Gems, The Music Box, Ragin' Cajun Shirt Shop. 

There was Professor Bloodgood's photography, Emporiums, and Hill Country Arts and Crafts Shop. 

There were many food places throughout the park: Chubby's drive-in, Julio Pizza, Zack's frozen yogurt, Mrs. Winery Chicken and biscuits, Grizzly kitchen, Chos Concessions, Seafood Wharf, Café Mardi Gras, La Fudgeries, Country Kettles, Ruby's Country Kitchen, Funnel Cakes, and old-fashioned ice cream. 

Opryland USA 

2802 Opryland Drive

Nashville, Tennessee 37214

615-889-6611

In 1989, the cost to enter Opryland theme park was $18.95; children under 3 were admitted free.

One trip to Opryland was with two of my sisters and my sister's friend, in my sister's Mustang.

It was a wild and crazy ride; I was slung from one side of the car to the other side.

It felt like we were in a racecar or riding a roller coaster. 

We went to Opryland Theme Park with our church group many times.

We took my dad's blue van several times because it could hold several people. 

One year, we went with Nina, Billy, Michelle, Shana, OL, Ann, Chris, and Craig Wallace.

We were all going to Opryland Theme Park and the Nashville Speedway. 

We all stayed at a Nashville motel with an outdoor swimming pool.

Before the Nashville Speedway race, we all enjoyed riding the large roller coaster that was in the park near the speedway.

Before Opryland closed, it had a Christmas theme with ice skating, and it was beautifully decorated for the Holidays.

1974 ~ Summer Savannah, Georgia

One of our family trips was a trip to Savannah, Georgia. My sister's husband was stationed at Fort Stewart.

The trip took about 9 hours. We only stopped to eat and to use the restroom.

The boys played with their toy soldiers and Hot Wheels cars on the ride.

After the long ride, the kids were ready to get out and visit their cousins.

When we arrived, my sister had dinner ready. We ate and sat back to watch some TV while the kids played outside.

We spent the next day on a public beach that faced the Daufuskie Island Resort in South Carolina. 

It was a beautiful day, a bit windy, overcast, and hot.

The kids enjoyed building sand castles and darting in and out of the Atlantic Ocean.

The kids stopped long enough to grab a bite of the picnic lunch that we had brought.

The sun was hiding its face behind the clouds but sending out those hot rays.

We forgot to use sunscreen, and we all got blistered.

That night, we rubbed everyone down with white vinegar. The white vinegar was soothing to the sunburn, and at least we could get a good night's sleep.

The next day, we rode to the Military Base and to Historic Downtown Savannah. 

We saw hundreds of old houses nestled under giant oaks hanging with live Spanish moss. The Spanish moss is known as "The Hostess City of the South."  

We went to the one-level Oglethorpe Mall, built in 1969 and covering 1,000,000 square feet. 

It housed Belk, JCPenney, Sears, and Macy's (formerly Maas Brothers). In 1974, this was a huge mall.

Regency Square Mall, back home, opened in 1978, so seeing a mall was a new adventure for us.

Savannah was a beautiful historic city, and the weather while we were there was very accommodating. 

We spent the next few days inside playing Rook, Hearts, & Spades.

The kids played inside and watched TV.

We had a great visit, connecting with relatives. We enjoyed the beach and visiting historic Savannah.

We said goodbye to our relatives and began our trip home.