Aunt Nell Turns 90

We traveled to Oklahoma at the end of October to help my Aunt Nell celebrate her 90th birthday.  She lives in an assisted living facility near her son's house.  She has lost much of her hearing and her sight is compromised but not her spirit.  She attends church every week and contributes much to her class.  She was a Sunday School teacher and school teacher in Georgia for decades.

Aunt Nell & I Ready to go Shopping

There were seven children in her family.  Now she is the last survivor.  My mother, Mary Arliva - called Rabbit, died at age 88 as did my Aunt Hazel.  I don't remember the ages of my Aunt Ruby Mitt and Aunt Virginia when they died.  My Uncle W.C. had left the family long before I was born and Uncle Dub lived nearby.

Aunt Nell Smiling Before Leaving Her Apartment

Aunt Nell's apartment is small but efficient.  She has room for two beds and has a little kitchen.  Her son, Paul, has asked her not to cook on the range but to use the microwave instead for all her meals.  There should only be a small amount of time that she cooks because the dining room is just a few steps from her apartment door.  Meals are provided, so only snacks would require any heat.

Walter & Aunt Nell Relax in Her Apartment

Walter and I surprised her with our visit.  We didn't want her to fuss or worry about our trip.  Paul arranged for us to have a visitor's apartment within the complex.  That made it very convenient and also made it financially easier too.  Although we used his car while we were there, we could have walked to her place from ours.

Sharing Birthday Cake

We went to Cracker Barrel for supper, then returned to the facility for dessert. We had a birthday cake for her in the dining room. 

Mary Anne Cuts the Cake

Paul and wife Mary Anne and son Paul contribute to the fun. 

I wish we could see one another more often.  The distance makes it challenging to plan.
Aunt Nell makes friends easily and is very resilient so I am assured that she is being well cared for.

God is good!

T-Ball for Nola

We as grandparents have set in the bleachers for many years of T-Ball, baseball and basketball games involving our grandsons.  A recent Saturday found us once again in the bleachers but this time it was to see our granddaughter in her first T-Ball game.  We were not sure how she would fair.

Since she has many boy cousins, we felt she would not be intimated to be on a team with all boys.  She turned four years old in September.  The team practiced six times and had two games scheduled.  We had a scheduling conflict so we only got a chance to go to this one game.

Nola Gives Us a Big Smile from the Dugout

We cheered her on.  She looked so cute in her uniform.  We thought she looked ready for the game.



Confident During the Pre-game Practice



Walter got her attention for a few posed pictures and then she was off for her game.


Yawn or Team Chatter - Unknown

Playing T-Ball is really hard work.  Nola had to concentrate on many things at one time.  She had to be "Baseball Ready", whatever that is and watch for the ball and keep her shirt in, and lots of other game needs.

Coach Gets the Ball on the Tee

When she was up to bat she got a good hit from the T-Ball stand and made her way to first base.

Nola Makes Contact with the Ball

We lost our minds!  Nola got a hit!

Through the Fence We See Nola Reach First Base

This was an exciting day in the park for us.

The View is Good from First Base

The coaches took it from there and advised Nola when to run.  She had a great first game.  Now we look forward to next year's season.

God is good!

Anniversary Trip-Only a Few Pictures

We went on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary.  Since returning we have had many problems with managing our digital pictures plus other assorted computer problems.  Walter took over 1,800 pictures and most of them are wonderful.  However I have not been successful in getting them onto a flash drive so that we could have them made into a DVD for permanent storage and ease of viewing.  This frustrates me beyond description.

Since it has been so long since we traveled, I decided to post just a few pictures for now.  Hopefully later on I will be able to organize them as I want and also put a few of our favorite photos on this blog.

We have a lot of things we enjoy doing while we are on a cruise ship.  We enjoy the musical shows that the cruise director provides, the karaoke and the food - so much food to choose from, both buffet style and formal dining.  I think Walter had escargot four separate times.



Formal Meals are One of Our Favorite Cruise Things

We had been outside Ravenna on this day.  We toured the Ferrari Museum where Walter bought the classic Ferrari-red polo shirt he is wearing to dinner.



Walter Outside on Our Balcony Headed to Venice

The deep blues of the water and the sky are hard to describe without benefit of a picture.

Realizing a Lifetime Dream of Riding in a Gondola

Venice was wonderful.  We visited churches, plazas, a glass-making showroom and ate locally prepared food.  We over-nighted and went back to roam the town on our own the next day.  It was so relaxing and satisfying.  Every day we were in a different town until Venice.  The slower pace was just what we needed. 

Maybe we will enjoy the trip over and over again, if I can get the pictures organized as I want them.

Even if I never get that, I have the immense satisfaction that some of our dreams were fulfilled in those short 14 days.  God is good!