Home from the sunny south ...

What a week!  Wendell and I left for FL on the 16th and had a good trip down with beautiful fall foliage to see in KY and TN.  But, next time we fly and rent a car there ...  One low spot; we HAPPENED to be going through Gainesville and drove right through the campus just in time for students streaming to an FSU home game.  ARGH!  And guess who was driving!?  You gotta laugh ...Weather was beautiful all the time we were gone until the last afternoon as we approached home.  (Omen?)

This was my favorite part of the trip: We spent Sunday with my cousin Jane.  We agreed that we probably hadn't seen each other in at least 30 years.  So much catching up to do!!!!  Not enough time!  Wendell took countless pictures and none of them turned out good of me ... I take a terrible picture!  But here's my favorite of Jane and I ...

Jane has such a lovely home!  And it is made more special with all of her NASCAR memorabilia.  Just situated in a wonderful setting and so comfortable.  She has made a real HOME there.  Port Orange seems like a great place to live.  We had a delicious lunch out with Jane and Cregg.  (Their story is so romantic!  High school sweethearts recently reunited after too many years apart.  I am so happy for Jane; she deserves many years of happiness!)   The day was not long enough.

We went on to Orlando and stayed in a condo for 4 days.  It was so beautiful.  I never want to cook or clean again.  LOL!  Here's a view from our building overlooking the lagoon.  Everything was so perfect.  I don't know why, but it is so green it looks artificial.  They had a little open-air pub at the end of this lagoon (stage left) and we spent some time there ...

And here's a picture taken from the fishing dock.  I don't know why but Wendell never went fishing here!?  He had his gear with him, too.  The day I took this picture we watched a man from WI catch an alligator gar!  Awesome mouth on that dude!  About 2' long I'd say. 

One day we drove out to the coast and drove around the Cape Canaveral area, where we lived when we were stationed at Patrick A.F.B.   Our old apartment was still there at 212 E. Buchanan and other than a fresh coat of paint, nothing looked too different.  Here's Wendell on the beach, just at the end of our old street.  Actually, I never thought I would ever get back there.  Lots of changes in the area ...

Only downer was that while we were gone Mother had to be admitted to the hospital.  I was on pins and needles all the time after Don called (we were on our way back from the beach), waiting to hear about how she was doing.  We came home a little more quickly than we had planned.  But that is okay.  God took care of us as we traveled speedily back to Indiana Thursday afternoon and Friday.  And it was good to sleep in my own bed again.  

Now that we're here it's back to reality.  I'm off to see mother a.s.a.p. ...