HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILL!!!

Just a quick note to wish Bill a very, very happy birthday!!

Just a year ago we were on a luxurious cruise ship heading to the Alaskan wilds. This year Steve and I are in the Texas heat enjoying our first grandchild and you and Deb are getting ready for a wedding. What a difference a year can make!!

Hope you have a great day. Can't wait to see you guys real soon.

Love ya!!!

It's been a couple of weeks . . .

. . . so here’s an update on what’s been going on……

I believe my last blog was about Easter and the completion of our deck. Since that time we:

1. Went to Savannah for the annual Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament. We had a good time as usual and saw so many good friends. It is always so much fun to see our long-time friends and catch up on things. I realized while we were there this time that we moved to Savannah just about 25 years ago. Unfortunately we only lived there for 2 years, but we’ve got a lifetime of memories in that short time-span. We were lucky enough to be there for a festival on the riverfront. There were all sorts of craft tents set up and I was able to start my Christmas shopping!!! YAY!! Also, there was a car parked there that belonged to a SCAD student. He painted his car with chalkboard paint and takes it all over the area for people to write on it to their hearts’ content. Then it rains and he starts all over!! It was lots of fun. Here’s my pic of that:

2. We’re still working on some of the landscaping in our yard. We added 6 more junipers on the other side of the stairs for the deck. We added pine straw to the first set of junipers we planted and…… I’ve been working along our driveway for a long long time. I am meticulously digging up all the grass growing next to the driveway because Steve planted some Iris bulbs on a whim. The Iris plants have begun to come up and some have even flowered this year!!! So, removal of the grass and addition of pine straw was in order. I’m almost through with this project and hope to finish up today. If I don’t, it may be quite some time before I conquer the grass…. :( Here are some pictures of these projects:

3. Last weekend we visited Landsford Canal State Park in South Carolina. It was a really amazing park. It seems back in the 1800’s the safest way to get to this area way by boat up the Catawba River. There were some rapids in the river that prevented safe passage, so a canal with working locks was installed. According to the signs in the park, Irish immigrant stone masons cut and installed all the stone to complete the locks and canal. They worked using a plan drawn by a Scottish immigrant. It was very informative and educational. The canal is no longer used and overgrown. This park is home to the nation’s largest area of flowers called Spider Lilies in the country. We were a couple of weeks early to witness these plants in bloom. When we get the chance to see them I promise to get some good photos and post them. There is also a pair of American Bald Eagles that lives in this park. We didn’t get to see them, but we plan to go back soon and see if we can spot them. but here are a couple of photos of this trip, too:

4. I visited the GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!

I read about this in Southern Living Magazine and decided that since it was in my new little hometown, I couldn’t pass it up. There is an artist in downtown Lancaster who works with metals. He has constructed many beautiful works that can be seen throughout the State. In downtown Lancaster, there are benches along Main Street that he constructed. Steve and I admired them from the first time we came to Lancaster, but didn’t know the history of them. The artist’s name is Bob Doster. When asking for directions to his studio, he simply tells people to look for The GREAT WALL OF CHINA. So I went in search of it and here it is:

Get it? Great wall of china!?!?! (If you don't get it,

double click on the photo to enlarge and see all the

CHINA that makes up this wall!!)

Some of the benches downtown:

5. Last, but CERTAINLY not least, Steve and I are leaving tomorrow for a very long weekend visit to Abilene. We're coming home next Tuesday. We are so so so excited about it. I can’t wait to see both of my ladies (and Bryan of course)!!! When we made the plans (according to Steve’s work schedule), we didn’t realize it was Mother’s Day Weekend. What a GREAT added bonus!!!! I’m sure Katie and I (with Maddy’s help and permission) will blog about our escapades in Texas.

Until next time…….


Love to all!!!!