We've had a busy day. Since we wanted to be at the museum by 10:30 a.m. for a couple of programs, I skipped my exercises this morning.
The first thing going on at the museum was an inter-tribal Indian dance event. Several men and women, and even a couple of little girls, dressed in colorful costumes, performed several dances. The meanings of the movements of the dancers were described to the audience by one of the drummers, so that we could better appreciate their purpose. Among the dances was one for a successful buffalo hunt, a sneak-up dance, for the purpose of successfully sneaking up on the enemy, and a jingle dress dance, for the purpose of healing.
The ten-year-old daughter of one of the adult dancers performed the jingle dress dance. Her father noted that the child suffers from autism following an inoculation, but with the help of the jingle dress, combined with medical science and prayer, her autism is under control to the point that she is able to fully participate in school and other activities.
Another little girl performed the fancy shawl dance, and she was very cute. Two women also performed traditional female dances. At the end of the performances, the women of the audience were invited to ask the male dancers to dance with them. If an Indian male is asked to dance, he must do so or pay the woman, since to refuse is to insult the woman. We ladies were hesitant to participate, but finally all the Indian men but one had a partner. I finally decided I'd join that last one.
The dance we did was a simple follow-the-lead-couple, hop-step, hop-step dance. After several minutes of dancing around in a circle and through the audience, though, I felt I'd gotten a nice workout. Hubbie stayed on the sidelines, snapping pictures.
Since there were no chairs provided, Mother used her wheelchair for seating. Following the performance, we went inside the museum for a program on sausage making. One of my professors from college and his wife demonstrated the technique, and then provided written instructions and recipes. I do not eat sausage, and haven't for many years...not since the time when I was still living at home with my parents and, while suffering a violent case of flu, I was thoroughly sickened by the smell of sausage cooking one morning. But I took copies of the information to pass on to Sis.
After this program, we returned home for lunch. Then Hubbie and I changed into dress clothes to go over to the college to attend the inaugural ceremony for the new president (Mother opted to stay home). The ceremony, held outdoors in the warm, sunny garden quadrangle, was very nice. The college's bagpipers led the dignitaries, professors and senior students, all in regalia, to the podium, and special people like our state's governor, and a state senator spoke. The community chorale group joined the college chorale to perform two songs, and two interpreters for the deaf were on the podium.
Hubbie and I sat in the sun, though there were shaded seats. But the sun felt good after yesterday's very chilly, windy temp. We did have to use our programs to shield our eyes, but it was no sacrifice.
After the ceremony, we were greeted by Mother's and my friend, whom we visited last Tuesday afternoon. She said she had three more small bags of crafting stuff she wanted to send to Mother, and would we please stop by her house and pick them up. We did.
We were back home around 4 p.m. Mother was here and heating the leftover chicken noodle soup for our supper, which we had with more biscuits and honey. After supper, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I watched our favorite college football play to another disappointing loss. I'd recorded the game on DVR while we were out and about today.
We ended the evening with a couple of more TV shows I'd recorded. Of course, when the cable guy replaced our old cable box, we lost all the movies and TV shows I'd recorded, so after watching the few shows I recorded on the new one, and that we watched tonight, the DVR is empty.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 23
I decided to stay away from the swimming pool again today. I hope to go back Monday. I did get on the treadmill, however. While I was exercising, Hubbie went over to the cable TV office to report the problem of our TV with its runaway guide and DVR list functions. Last night, I had to just quickly hit select to capture a program, and then I usually couldn't hit the function quickly enough to get what we wanted. So we just watched whatever the remote control managed to halt.
Hubbie came back from the cable TV office with a new remote control and instructions on how to program it. He did as instructed, and still we had runaway functions. So he called the cable TV number, which is somewhere in Texas, and was told they could put out a work order for someone to come today to replace the cable box (which was determined to be the actual problem). We didn't know exactly what time the cable guy would be here, so Hubbie gave his cell phone number...if the cable guy called, we could be home within minutes.
Then we went on about our business, going downtown around 10 a.m. to tour the various antique/craft/flea market shops and malls, listen to music in the pocket park, and get free hamburgers and hot dogs provided by a local bank. This is a "first annual" event that began Wednesday and will continue through tomorrow.
It was pretty much rained out yesterday, but today the town was crowded with folks looking for something different to do. The weather was chilly and windy, but since we spent most of our time inside the shops, it was tolerable.
I didn't find much I wanted. One new store had a couple of ceramic items that I bought...a cardinal bird to add to the mantel when I put my birds and birdhouses back up in January, and a small pot with a handle, of unknown origin (it looks sort of Oriental), that I'll use as a Christmas tree ornament. Together, the items cost $3.50.
Hubbie bought a quart jar of locally produced honey. It is said that eating local honey helps control pollen allergy symptoms by introducing small amounts of the pollen allergens to the system, thereby desensitizing the consumer. It seems to work, though it is not proven scientifically.
After we'd shopped for a while, we stopped by the bank's portable barbecue unit to pick up freshly cooked hamburgers and hot dogs to bring home for lunch. We sliced up sweet onions and tomatoes to add to the burgers, along with lettuce.
After lunch, we continued our tour of the antique/crafts etc. stores until around 2 p.m., and then returned home to fix chicken noodle soup from the broth and chicken Mother cooked Tuesday. We wanted the soup to be ready when we came back from an event at the college, where a photographer showed slides of his Antarctica trip. The slide show and his talk were very interesting. A large crowd...more folks came than expected, I think...crowded into the small area in the college library where program took place.
I can't imagine why this keeps happening, but again today the largest man in the room plunked himself down in the chair right in front of Mother. So one of the library staff moved a folding chair, and I pushed Mother's wheelchair in front of "large guy."
The program lasted two hours, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. When we got back home, I put a can of biscuits in the oven. We had these with (you guessed it) honey. After supper, we watched TV, of course. Since all the programs I'd recorded on the old DVR were lost when it was replace with a new one (the cable guy came shortly after we returned from our downtown tour this afternoon...he said he'd never seen anything like our runaway functions).
Funny: at one of the stores downtown that sells "shabby chic" clothes, I saw a chambray tunic with a lace-up front that I liked and that I thought was in my size. I decided to try it on and went to the makeshift dressing room in the back of the store.
The tunic was a bit snug and not right for me, but when I tried to take it off, it rolled up in the back and trapped my arms...one up, one down....forming a straight jacket effect. I couldn't reach anywhere to pull the thing off. I had to twist and turn and inch my arms until I could get a hold on the opposite sleeve and strain my way out of it and finally out of the whole thing. After I got out of it, my hair looked like it had been combed by a hay rake. Naturally, I was so long in the dressing room that both Mother and Hubbie were ready to send someone in to check on me.
Hubbie came back from the cable TV office with a new remote control and instructions on how to program it. He did as instructed, and still we had runaway functions. So he called the cable TV number, which is somewhere in Texas, and was told they could put out a work order for someone to come today to replace the cable box (which was determined to be the actual problem). We didn't know exactly what time the cable guy would be here, so Hubbie gave his cell phone number...if the cable guy called, we could be home within minutes.
Then we went on about our business, going downtown around 10 a.m. to tour the various antique/craft/flea market shops and malls, listen to music in the pocket park, and get free hamburgers and hot dogs provided by a local bank. This is a "first annual" event that began Wednesday and will continue through tomorrow.
It was pretty much rained out yesterday, but today the town was crowded with folks looking for something different to do. The weather was chilly and windy, but since we spent most of our time inside the shops, it was tolerable.
I didn't find much I wanted. One new store had a couple of ceramic items that I bought...a cardinal bird to add to the mantel when I put my birds and birdhouses back up in January, and a small pot with a handle, of unknown origin (it looks sort of Oriental), that I'll use as a Christmas tree ornament. Together, the items cost $3.50.
Hubbie bought a quart jar of locally produced honey. It is said that eating local honey helps control pollen allergy symptoms by introducing small amounts of the pollen allergens to the system, thereby desensitizing the consumer. It seems to work, though it is not proven scientifically.
After we'd shopped for a while, we stopped by the bank's portable barbecue unit to pick up freshly cooked hamburgers and hot dogs to bring home for lunch. We sliced up sweet onions and tomatoes to add to the burgers, along with lettuce.
After lunch, we continued our tour of the antique/crafts etc. stores until around 2 p.m., and then returned home to fix chicken noodle soup from the broth and chicken Mother cooked Tuesday. We wanted the soup to be ready when we came back from an event at the college, where a photographer showed slides of his Antarctica trip. The slide show and his talk were very interesting. A large crowd...more folks came than expected, I think...crowded into the small area in the college library where program took place.
I can't imagine why this keeps happening, but again today the largest man in the room plunked himself down in the chair right in front of Mother. So one of the library staff moved a folding chair, and I pushed Mother's wheelchair in front of "large guy."
The program lasted two hours, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. When we got back home, I put a can of biscuits in the oven. We had these with (you guessed it) honey. After supper, we watched TV, of course. Since all the programs I'd recorded on the old DVR were lost when it was replace with a new one (the cable guy came shortly after we returned from our downtown tour this afternoon...he said he'd never seen anything like our runaway functions).
Funny: at one of the stores downtown that sells "shabby chic" clothes, I saw a chambray tunic with a lace-up front that I liked and that I thought was in my size. I decided to try it on and went to the makeshift dressing room in the back of the store.
The tunic was a bit snug and not right for me, but when I tried to take it off, it rolled up in the back and trapped my arms...one up, one down....forming a straight jacket effect. I couldn't reach anywhere to pull the thing off. I had to twist and turn and inch my arms until I could get a hold on the opposite sleeve and strain my way out of it and finally out of the whole thing. After I got out of it, my hair looked like it had been combed by a hay rake. Naturally, I was so long in the dressing room that both Mother and Hubbie were ready to send someone in to check on me.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, October 22
Skipped my exercises this morning, so I could do last-minute stuff related to the scrapbook club meeting this afternoon.
What a rainy, miserable day...wet, wet, wet! I was afraid that the weather would keep the ladies from coming, but the first one arrived early, around 12:30 p.m. We had a nice visit and then began our screen door greeting card project. The other lady was about 30 minutes late, but she was able to complete her project in the allotted time, anyway.
We had hoped Sis would be here for a few day's visit, and would be able to join us in the project, but she is having vehicle problems, so she might need to postpone her trip up here.
The first lady who arrived left at 3 p.m., our usual club stop time. The other lady stayed until around 4 p.m. She had brought a big basket of Christmas stamps, plus inks and washable markers, but we didn't have time to use them. So she left them here for Mother and I to use next week.
After that lady left, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to pick up a few groceries, particularly slaw mix to use with barbecue sandwiches at supper. Besides the sandwiches, we had microwave baked potatoes, and leftover blackeyed peas.
While we were working on the greeting cards, Hubbie went to the nearby town where we got the TV to exchange the HD cable. He had called ahead to make sure the store had the appropriate cable in stock, and was assured that it did. But lo, when he got there, the right cord was not in stock. So the clerk ordered one, which will be available in a couple of days.
Now, though, we have another annoying problem...when we access the on-screen guide, or the list of DVR recordings, it just whips through the list and won't stop where we want it to. I don't know if the problem is with the cable box, or the remote. Guess Hubbie will be making another trip to the cable company office.
What a rainy, miserable day...wet, wet, wet! I was afraid that the weather would keep the ladies from coming, but the first one arrived early, around 12:30 p.m. We had a nice visit and then began our screen door greeting card project. The other lady was about 30 minutes late, but she was able to complete her project in the allotted time, anyway.
We had hoped Sis would be here for a few day's visit, and would be able to join us in the project, but she is having vehicle problems, so she might need to postpone her trip up here.
The first lady who arrived left at 3 p.m., our usual club stop time. The other lady stayed until around 4 p.m. She had brought a big basket of Christmas stamps, plus inks and washable markers, but we didn't have time to use them. So she left them here for Mother and I to use next week.
After that lady left, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to pick up a few groceries, particularly slaw mix to use with barbecue sandwiches at supper. Besides the sandwiches, we had microwave baked potatoes, and leftover blackeyed peas.
While we were working on the greeting cards, Hubbie went to the nearby town where we got the TV to exchange the HD cable. He had called ahead to make sure the store had the appropriate cable in stock, and was assured that it did. But lo, when he got there, the right cord was not in stock. So the clerk ordered one, which will be available in a couple of days.
Now, though, we have another annoying problem...when we access the on-screen guide, or the list of DVR recordings, it just whips through the list and won't stop where we want it to. I don't know if the problem is with the cable box, or the remote. Guess Hubbie will be making another trip to the cable company office.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Woolly Worm
This is a snapshot of the woolly worm, also known as a woolly bear worm, we saved from our curious kittens. The worm, or caterpillar, is about two inches long and, if it survives the winter, may emerge in the spring as an Isabella tiger moth. Folklore says that the blacker the woolly worm, the harsher the winter. Some say the moth predicts correctly 80-85 percent of the time, but scientists poo-poo that idea. Whatever its prediction capabilities, the creature is quite beautiful.Wednesday, October 21
Skipped water aerobics again. Today was my last day to take medication for my infection, so maybe I'll be ready to return to the pool soon. I did a session on the treadmill, plus weights exercises.
Once I was ready for the day, Mother came over and we continued sprucing the house for company tomorrow. We also set up tables and put card-making materials at each seating space, as well as a plentiful supply of pencils, glue, tape, scissors, etc., in the center of each table. I think we're ready now, except for last minute straightening up tomorrow morning.
After lunch, Mother and I watched a VHS movie..."Dracula," recorded a couple of years ago from the public television channel. I can see that this movie would be much higher quality on DVD, as would the movie we watched yesterday afternoon..."Sleepy Hollow," starring Johnny Depp. I'll probably try to order these movies online.
While we watched the movie, Hubbie worked outdoors, gathering yard ornaments to store for the winter, and then at 2 p.m., he went to fetch Mama Cat home from the veterinary clinic. He put her in the wire cage for a while, until she came out of her grogginess, and then turned her loose this evening. Hubbie worried that the cat would shy away from him in fear, but she just offered her head to be petted, and rubbed against his leg. Fortunately, cats aren't capable of putting two and two together.
After the movie, the TV went into flickering mode again, and became worse as the day wore on. Finally, Hubbie called the store where we bought the TV, and they thought it might be a cable company problem. So Hubbie went to the cable company to see if someone could come and take a look at it. These days, we can't call the local cable office, since calls are directed to some unknown state. We didn't expect anyone to be able to come today, but our guy who has taken care of our problems over the years, came right away.
He tried several things and finally concluded that it was the HD cable sold to us by the store where we got the TV. It appears to be faulty, so we'll need to exchange it for another one. For the time being, the cable guy switched the unit to TV, rather than HD, and it works fine. The picture is sharp, but will probably be even better with the new cable.
Supper tonight was turkey cutlets, served with baked sweet potatoes, and blackeyed peas. Later, of course, we watched TV...several one-hour shows I'd recorded on DVR last week.
Once I was ready for the day, Mother came over and we continued sprucing the house for company tomorrow. We also set up tables and put card-making materials at each seating space, as well as a plentiful supply of pencils, glue, tape, scissors, etc., in the center of each table. I think we're ready now, except for last minute straightening up tomorrow morning.
After lunch, Mother and I watched a VHS movie..."Dracula," recorded a couple of years ago from the public television channel. I can see that this movie would be much higher quality on DVD, as would the movie we watched yesterday afternoon..."Sleepy Hollow," starring Johnny Depp. I'll probably try to order these movies online.
While we watched the movie, Hubbie worked outdoors, gathering yard ornaments to store for the winter, and then at 2 p.m., he went to fetch Mama Cat home from the veterinary clinic. He put her in the wire cage for a while, until she came out of her grogginess, and then turned her loose this evening. Hubbie worried that the cat would shy away from him in fear, but she just offered her head to be petted, and rubbed against his leg. Fortunately, cats aren't capable of putting two and two together.
After the movie, the TV went into flickering mode again, and became worse as the day wore on. Finally, Hubbie called the store where we bought the TV, and they thought it might be a cable company problem. So Hubbie went to the cable company to see if someone could come and take a look at it. These days, we can't call the local cable office, since calls are directed to some unknown state. We didn't expect anyone to be able to come today, but our guy who has taken care of our problems over the years, came right away.
He tried several things and finally concluded that it was the HD cable sold to us by the store where we got the TV. It appears to be faulty, so we'll need to exchange it for another one. For the time being, the cable guy switched the unit to TV, rather than HD, and it works fine. The picture is sharp, but will probably be even better with the new cable.
Supper tonight was turkey cutlets, served with baked sweet potatoes, and blackeyed peas. Later, of course, we watched TV...several one-hour shows I'd recorded on DVR last week.
Tuesday, October 20
Slept late, but got on the treadmill anyway, and then did weights exercises. Once I was ready for the day, Mother and I gathered the stuff we'll need to show the ladies how to make screen door greeting cards Thursday. I cut several pieces of screening for the cards, then made door templates, and printed several copies of the instructions, etc.
Didn't do much after lunch. About 2:15, we left to go to our friend's house. This friend had called and left a message while we were in Branson that she was cleaning closets and had some bags of craft materials to give to Mother. There are things that we might not want, but we can contribute them to fundraising yard sales.
We enjoyed the visit. Our hostess, though, insisted on serving coffee and peach turnovers, which I really didn't need, but I also didn't want to hurt her feelings by refusing to eat one. The coffee must have been caffeinated, because I had trouble falling asleep last night, and was still wide awake at 2 a.m.
We didn't leave our friend's house until 4:30 p.m. We'd planned a simple meal of baked tilapia fish, brown rice (pre-cooked during the afternoon in the rice cooker), and frozen mixed veggies, cooked in the microwave. Hubbie was hungry by the time supper was ready at 5:30, but the edge was off Mother's and my appetite, after eating the turnovers.
While we were at our friend's house, Hubbie called the vet to make an appointment to get Mama Cat spayed tomorrow. He gathered her up and took her to the vet's office this evening, so she'd be there and ready for surgery first thing in the morning. This cat has presented us with three litters of varying sizes in the past year, so we will be glad to have done with her prolific ways. Of course, now we'll have to see how many hussies are among her female offspring.
As Mother was leaving our house after supper, she spotted a big, black, woolly worm on the front porch. She called me to go see it, and then she kept the kittens away from it while I ran back inside and grabbed my camera.
Those kittens sure did want to get a hold of the critter, but I saw no use in them worrying it to death, since I knew they wouldn't eat it, anyway. So I called Hubbie to come out, rescue the poor thing, and take it out to one of the gardens.
Didn't do much after lunch. About 2:15, we left to go to our friend's house. This friend had called and left a message while we were in Branson that she was cleaning closets and had some bags of craft materials to give to Mother. There are things that we might not want, but we can contribute them to fundraising yard sales.
We enjoyed the visit. Our hostess, though, insisted on serving coffee and peach turnovers, which I really didn't need, but I also didn't want to hurt her feelings by refusing to eat one. The coffee must have been caffeinated, because I had trouble falling asleep last night, and was still wide awake at 2 a.m.
We didn't leave our friend's house until 4:30 p.m. We'd planned a simple meal of baked tilapia fish, brown rice (pre-cooked during the afternoon in the rice cooker), and frozen mixed veggies, cooked in the microwave. Hubbie was hungry by the time supper was ready at 5:30, but the edge was off Mother's and my appetite, after eating the turnovers.
While we were at our friend's house, Hubbie called the vet to make an appointment to get Mama Cat spayed tomorrow. He gathered her up and took her to the vet's office this evening, so she'd be there and ready for surgery first thing in the morning. This cat has presented us with three litters of varying sizes in the past year, so we will be glad to have done with her prolific ways. Of course, now we'll have to see how many hussies are among her female offspring.
As Mother was leaving our house after supper, she spotted a big, black, woolly worm on the front porch. She called me to go see it, and then she kept the kittens away from it while I ran back inside and grabbed my camera.
Those kittens sure did want to get a hold of the critter, but I saw no use in them worrying it to death, since I knew they wouldn't eat it, anyway. So I called Hubbie to come out, rescue the poor thing, and take it out to one of the gardens.
Monday, October 19
What a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Why couldn't we have had some of this last week in Branson? Oh, well. Can't have everything.
I didn't go to the pool this morning. I'm trying to allow plenty of time to get over my infection. I got on the treadmill, instead, and then did resistance exercises. Once I was ready for the day, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the newspaper office to pick up last week's editions. I noticed that the story that I wrote about the 100-year-old man was on the front page Wednesday, along with one of my photos of him.
We also shopped for groceries at the WDCS, before coming home. During the afternoon, we did some house cleaning, since Mother and I are expecting the ladies of the scrapbook club to meet here Thursday afternoon to make screen door greeting cards.
I also uploaded snapshots to my computer and did other computer tasks, including answering emails. Mother's and my friend from another town advised that she plans to come to our town for a visit this week. She's to stay for a couple of days with another friend of ours. Later, the other friend called and wanted to know if we would be free to join the two of them at her house tomorrow afternoon. We set a 2:30 p.m. time for the visit.
I called the scrapbook club members, too, to remind them of our Thursday meeting. I was sad to learn that one of the ladies had lost her sister to breast cancer last week, and the funeral was Sunday. Her sister was 80 years old.
But this lady still plans to come to the meeting, because she's anxious to learn how to make the cards. She's the lady, though, that doesn't like to travel in the rain, and there is predicted to be heavy rain Thursday, naturally. Hopefully it'll slacken by the time she needs to travel.
Supper tonight was boiled chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and English peas. Spent the evening, as usual, watching TV. We've noticed that the TV is blinking, like it's not getting a good connection. We've tried swiveling the screen this way and that, making sure the connections are tight, and unplugging it and then plugging it back into a new surge protector unit. Nothing seems to work. It's annoying.
I didn't go to the pool this morning. I'm trying to allow plenty of time to get over my infection. I got on the treadmill, instead, and then did resistance exercises. Once I was ready for the day, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the newspaper office to pick up last week's editions. I noticed that the story that I wrote about the 100-year-old man was on the front page Wednesday, along with one of my photos of him.
We also shopped for groceries at the WDCS, before coming home. During the afternoon, we did some house cleaning, since Mother and I are expecting the ladies of the scrapbook club to meet here Thursday afternoon to make screen door greeting cards.
I also uploaded snapshots to my computer and did other computer tasks, including answering emails. Mother's and my friend from another town advised that she plans to come to our town for a visit this week. She's to stay for a couple of days with another friend of ours. Later, the other friend called and wanted to know if we would be free to join the two of them at her house tomorrow afternoon. We set a 2:30 p.m. time for the visit.
I called the scrapbook club members, too, to remind them of our Thursday meeting. I was sad to learn that one of the ladies had lost her sister to breast cancer last week, and the funeral was Sunday. Her sister was 80 years old.
But this lady still plans to come to the meeting, because she's anxious to learn how to make the cards. She's the lady, though, that doesn't like to travel in the rain, and there is predicted to be heavy rain Thursday, naturally. Hopefully it'll slacken by the time she needs to travel.
Supper tonight was boiled chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and English peas. Spent the evening, as usual, watching TV. We've noticed that the TV is blinking, like it's not getting a good connection. We've tried swiveling the screen this way and that, making sure the connections are tight, and unplugging it and then plugging it back into a new surge protector unit. Nothing seems to work. It's annoying.
Sunday, October 18
It was business as usual today for a Sunday...reading the Sunday newspaper, etc. I did get on the treadmill, since I hadn't exercised all last week.
For lunch, we pulled out and heated various leftovers from the freezer. After lunch, we watched "Sweeney Todd," with Johnny Depp. This version is much more violent than the one featuring Angela Landsbury. And it's a whole lot more up close and personal viewed on the 50" plasma screen.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I continued watching TV...catching up on last week's programs I'd recorded on DVR.
Supper was deli turkey sandwiches, and then more TV.
For lunch, we pulled out and heated various leftovers from the freezer. After lunch, we watched "Sweeney Todd," with Johnny Depp. This version is much more violent than the one featuring Angela Landsbury. And it's a whole lot more up close and personal viewed on the 50" plasma screen.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I continued watching TV...catching up on last week's programs I'd recorded on DVR.
Supper was deli turkey sandwiches, and then more TV.
Branson Trip, Day Six
Saturday, October 17: wouldn't you know it, today was sunny and relatively warm for our trip home. Travel was uneventful...we stopped for lunch, and then arrived in our town mid-afternoon.
Mother's cat, Snoops, didn't appreciate the trip home any more than she did the trip going to Branson. I think she just doesn't like the sound of the noisy diesel truck, or maybe she doesn't like the motion of riding. At any rate, for the first 30 minutes or so of every trip, she loudly protests..."Can you hear me-ow! Can you hear me-ow!! Can you hear me-ow!!!
She finally settles down, though. But every time we stop, like for lunch, and then start traveling again, she goes through her routine.
We spent the rest of the afternoon after getting home unpacking the camper, and doing laundry and other chores related to getting organized again after a trip.
For supper, we had whole wheat pancakes and turkey bacon. Then Hubbie and I settled in to watch our favorite college football team play to a disappointing loss in a very close game. I'd set the DVR to record the game while we were gone. Then we watched "Dancing With the Stars," before turning in for the night.
Mother's cat, Snoops, didn't appreciate the trip home any more than she did the trip going to Branson. I think she just doesn't like the sound of the noisy diesel truck, or maybe she doesn't like the motion of riding. At any rate, for the first 30 minutes or so of every trip, she loudly protests..."Can you hear me-ow! Can you hear me-ow!! Can you hear me-ow!!!
She finally settles down, though. But every time we stop, like for lunch, and then start traveling again, she goes through her routine.
We spent the rest of the afternoon after getting home unpacking the camper, and doing laundry and other chores related to getting organized again after a trip.
For supper, we had whole wheat pancakes and turkey bacon. Then Hubbie and I settled in to watch our favorite college football team play to a disappointing loss in a very close game. I'd set the DVR to record the game while we were gone. Then we watched "Dancing With the Stars," before turning in for the night.
Branson Trip, Day Five
Friday, October 16: We were in no hurry to get up this morning, and after breakfast and getting ready for the day, we went to a roadside fruit and vegetable market outside of town, which was recommended to us by a staff member at the campground registration office. We were interested in locally grown produce, particularly apples, and we found nice red delicious ones and bought a half bushel of them. We also bought turnips, acorn squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
After lunch, we went down Branson 76 Country Boulevard to tour the Veterans Memorial Garden, and the God and Country Inspirational Gardens (see photos in previous blog). Before returning to camp, we stopped by a hobby store, but since the prices for scrapbooking supplies were too high, we left after only a few minutes.
For supper tonight, we had barbecued pork sandwiches, with sauteed potatoes and coleslaw. Shortly after supper, we went back to town to see a performance by the "Twelve Irish Tenors." We arrived at the theater way ahead of the 8 p.m. performance hour, because we wanted to be sure to get a handicapped space for Mother right in front of the building.
I got the tickets for this show for $20 (valued at $32 each) from the local radio station last summer. This is a wonderful show that we highly recommend. The men, some directly from Ireland, some Irish Americans, and some with Irish blood, sang not only Irish folk songs, but Opera, and modern pop and rock. While each individual is an extremely talented performer, solo numbers included two men with extraordinary voices....one in particular was thrilling to hear. While other shows had somewhat low attendance, this one packed the house. It's one that I wouldn't mind seeing again.
But, as with the "Comedy Jamboree," a large man sat right in front of Mother. This time, she just leaned out toward the aisle to see the stage. Always, it seems, large people, or ladies with big hair choose a theater seat that directly blocks Mother's view.
It was around 10:30 p.m. by the time we got back to the campground, so we were ready to jump in our jammies and hit the sack.
It was cold enough today to need turtleneck shirts, sweaters, and coats. First thing this morning, we were heartened when the sun shone very briefly. But (boo), it was quickly swallowed by the clouds.
After lunch, we went down Branson 76 Country Boulevard to tour the Veterans Memorial Garden, and the God and Country Inspirational Gardens (see photos in previous blog). Before returning to camp, we stopped by a hobby store, but since the prices for scrapbooking supplies were too high, we left after only a few minutes.
For supper tonight, we had barbecued pork sandwiches, with sauteed potatoes and coleslaw. Shortly after supper, we went back to town to see a performance by the "Twelve Irish Tenors." We arrived at the theater way ahead of the 8 p.m. performance hour, because we wanted to be sure to get a handicapped space for Mother right in front of the building.
I got the tickets for this show for $20 (valued at $32 each) from the local radio station last summer. This is a wonderful show that we highly recommend. The men, some directly from Ireland, some Irish Americans, and some with Irish blood, sang not only Irish folk songs, but Opera, and modern pop and rock. While each individual is an extremely talented performer, solo numbers included two men with extraordinary voices....one in particular was thrilling to hear. While other shows had somewhat low attendance, this one packed the house. It's one that I wouldn't mind seeing again.
But, as with the "Comedy Jamboree," a large man sat right in front of Mother. This time, she just leaned out toward the aisle to see the stage. Always, it seems, large people, or ladies with big hair choose a theater seat that directly blocks Mother's view.
It was around 10:30 p.m. by the time we got back to the campground, so we were ready to jump in our jammies and hit the sack.
It was cold enough today to need turtleneck shirts, sweaters, and coats. First thing this morning, we were heartened when the sun shone very briefly. But (boo), it was quickly swallowed by the clouds.
God and Country Inspirational Gardens
We aren't sure if the God and Country Inspirational Gardens facility is non-operational for the winter season, or is permanently closed. Ordinarily, there are waterfalls, ponds, and other water features, as well as flower gardens. But today, the area looked abandoned, the flowerbeds neglected. The photos above show the mill and the cedar church, standing along the winding path. It would be a shame if the facility is permanently closed, since it is one of the few free attractions in Branson.
Veterans Memorial Garden
On Friday, we visited the Veterans Memorial Garden. The garden can be seen from Branson's 76 Country Boulevard, but can only be accessed by going up a side road and around to a church parking lot at the back of the garden. The small garden includes a white iron gazebo seating area, and two or three tiers of plants and flowers. Paving stones and steps lead visitors through the garden. It was a chilly day for a stroll through the plants and fall flowers, so we didn't linger long. I imagine the little garden is very pretty when it is in bloom during the spring and summer. A local master gardener designed the garden, and various organizations helped construct it.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Branson Trip, Day Four
Thursday, October 15: we were up early to go to "The World Famous Platters" 10 a.m. show. This was an exchange show...I'd bought tickets to the Sinatra show for $20 from our local radio station back in the summer, but when I decided to make reservations, I discovered the show had closed. So the radio station replaced the tickets with ones to the Platters show (ordinarily priced at $32.80 each).
This was a very entertaining show by a very talented group, whose music of the 50s and 60s is still wonderful today. Three of the original singers, plus two more recent members, sang such hits as "Only You," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "The Great Pretender."
We were amused that Mother got all the attention during the show. Various members came down into the audience and crooned to her, held her hand, hugged her, called her "baby doll," and finally presented her with a red rose. Later, Mother commented that "that's what happens when you get old." At one point, audience members were invited to dance in the aisles, so Hubbie and I tripped the light fantastic (more like slowly shuffled around).
After the show, we returned to the camper for lunch, and then spent the afternoon shopping at craft malls, where Mother and I bought several Christmas ornaments, and Hubbie bought a garden item to use as an exchange gift at the Master Gardener Christmas party. Then we went back to the Amish store to buy three more jars of cherry preserves...one to give to the folks who came by our house to feed the cats and kittens while we were gone.
Later, we went to the "Circle B Chuckwagon dinner show," which began at 4:15. This was one of the shows for which we had free tickets (valued at about $30 each), but then we had to buy $12 dinners.
Before dinner was served, an old black and white Roy Rogers movie and a Lone Ranger TV episode were shown, with free popcorn. Hubbie was the only one of us who indulged in the popcorn. When the dinner bell rang, supper was served, which consisted of roast beef, beef sausage, baked beans, applesauce, sauteed potatoes, cornbread muffins, and hot cinnamon rolls for dessert. I ate the roast beef, potatoes, and applesauce, as well as the cinnamon roll, but passed the sausage to Hubbie. The meal, served on tin plates, was a bit pricey for the quality. The cinnamon roll was the best part of it.
After dinner, the Horn family, who own the establishment and act as servers, became part of the entertainment, consisting of cowboy humor and cowboy music. We were most impressed by the extremely talented fiddle player. But for the price, this wouldn't have been our first choice for entertainment in Branson.
We were back at the campground by 7:30 p.m., when we played three games of Skipbo. Hubbie won two, and I won one. Zilch for Mother again (drat).
This was a very entertaining show by a very talented group, whose music of the 50s and 60s is still wonderful today. Three of the original singers, plus two more recent members, sang such hits as "Only You," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "The Great Pretender."
We were amused that Mother got all the attention during the show. Various members came down into the audience and crooned to her, held her hand, hugged her, called her "baby doll," and finally presented her with a red rose. Later, Mother commented that "that's what happens when you get old." At one point, audience members were invited to dance in the aisles, so Hubbie and I tripped the light fantastic (more like slowly shuffled around).
After the show, we returned to the camper for lunch, and then spent the afternoon shopping at craft malls, where Mother and I bought several Christmas ornaments, and Hubbie bought a garden item to use as an exchange gift at the Master Gardener Christmas party. Then we went back to the Amish store to buy three more jars of cherry preserves...one to give to the folks who came by our house to feed the cats and kittens while we were gone.
Later, we went to the "Circle B Chuckwagon dinner show," which began at 4:15. This was one of the shows for which we had free tickets (valued at about $30 each), but then we had to buy $12 dinners.
Before dinner was served, an old black and white Roy Rogers movie and a Lone Ranger TV episode were shown, with free popcorn. Hubbie was the only one of us who indulged in the popcorn. When the dinner bell rang, supper was served, which consisted of roast beef, beef sausage, baked beans, applesauce, sauteed potatoes, cornbread muffins, and hot cinnamon rolls for dessert. I ate the roast beef, potatoes, and applesauce, as well as the cinnamon roll, but passed the sausage to Hubbie. The meal, served on tin plates, was a bit pricey for the quality. The cinnamon roll was the best part of it.
After dinner, the Horn family, who own the establishment and act as servers, became part of the entertainment, consisting of cowboy humor and cowboy music. We were most impressed by the extremely talented fiddle player. But for the price, this wouldn't have been our first choice for entertainment in Branson.
We were back at the campground by 7:30 p.m., when we played three games of Skipbo. Hubbie won two, and I won one. Zilch for Mother again (drat).
Veterans Memorial Museum
These are shots of the huge bronze statue of 50 marching soldiers, representing the 50 United States, that is on display at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Branson. Each bronze soldier is modeled after an actual person. The person used as a model from our state, for instance, went on to become governor. A description of the museum will follow in another blog.
Branson Trip, Day Three
Wednesday, October 14
We got up at our usual 7:30 a.m. hour to get ready to go to the Veterans Memorial Museum. We arrived at the museum around 10 a.m., where we used the free tickets (valued at $13.50 each) given to us by our local radio station.
Just before we got there, a tour bus disgorged a large contingent of older veterans and their wives, so the museum was pretty crowded. The facility has ten rooms that trace the history of wars from WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and others. Viewers cannot help but be overwhelmed and saddened by the thousands of names of America's sons and daughters killed in action in these wars, which are displayed on the walls in each room. One room contains a wall with tiny photos of faces of soldiers, with a plaque stating that each face represents two killed in WW I, and there are 62,000 faces displayed.
The museum also contains lots of artifacts, sculptures and murals. Among the artifacts are various examples of WW I trench art. These are fascinating art items made, most commonly, from large spent shell and bullet cases. The cases, made into decorative items, contain intricate and beautiful exterior carvings. Trench art was also created commercially following the war, as a way to recycle mountains of debris into souvenirs to be sold to tourists.
In one room, there is a massive bronze sculpture of 50 U.S. soldiers (see photo in previous blog). The museum's website states that the sculpture is 70 feet long and weighs 15 tons. It took the artist, Fred Hoppe, 10 months to complete, and is said to be worth three million dollars. It's an awesome work that makes the viewer gasp in admiration upon entering the room. We kept walking around and around it, studying its remarkable details.
The museum is also special for its exhibit cases of uniforms, photos, letters, etc., that tell the personal stories of various veterans, and for other exhibits, like the one displaying artifacts and information about the Navajo code talkers, and another about carrier pigeons that were so vital in WW I and WW II. The Navajo code talkers confounded the enemy in WW II, with a code that is virtually impossible to crack by anyone except another Navajo code talker.
The most disturbing room in the museum is one called "the spoils of war exhibit," filled with items captured from the enemy. Upon one wall is displayed an enormous battleship flag, with it's hated swastika symbol. A placard indicates, though, that the symbol, corrupted by the Nazis, is an ancient one once used in India, China, and even America. In the early 1900s, for instance, tourists loved to buy pots, jewelry and other items decorated with the swastika from Native Americans in New Mexico. Today, we are repulsed by the symbol.
This room also contains such artifacts as Herman Goering's tea set, and Eva Braun's hair brush. While all these items make a visitor's skin crawl, the most heart-wrenching exhibit is the photos of the bodies of Jewish people killed by the Nazis.
One woman seated outside the room refused to go in, feeling that to do so would be to condone the enemy. But a placard inside the door states that the museum has no sympathy for its WW II German and Japanese enemies, and the exhibit should not be taken as an endorsement of enemy beliefs. The museum recognizes that the artifacts are repugnant, and are displayed only for historical truth and as symbols of our triumph over evil.
At one point in our tour, I decided to retrace my steps back to the first room, to take a picture of a placard in the exhibit case containing a model of the USS Missouri battleship, because I was fascinated by the fact that it took 175 tons of blueprint paper to design the ship.
Anyway, Hubbie and we (with Mother in a wheelchair) got separated when I backtracked to the other room. I thought we'd seen everything, so I exited through the entrance door, but Hubbie was nowhere to be seen. So we left the wheelchair with an attendant and went to the gift shop. No Hubbie. I decided to search for him using the exit door (I don't think visitors are supposed to do this, since there was a rope across it, but I unhooked the rope while the gift shop employee wasn't looking and we went on in). There we discovered there were three rooms we hadn't toured yet. So we toured them. But we didn't see Hubbie. Finally, we turned around and went back out the exit and into the lobby. No Hubbie. I checked the truck. Nope. After a few minutes, Hubbie came into the lobby.
In front of a group of folks sitting on benches, he demanded, "Why didn't you tell me where you were going??!!. I looked for you everywhere!! And then I sat out here for ten minutes waiting for you!! I even sent a woman into the bathroom to see if something was wrong with you or your mother!!!."
This was an unexpected outburst from him, since he never raises his voice. I said nothing, but just followed him to the truck. Once in the truck, though, I told him I was embarrassed by his tirade against me in front of other people. I think I understand it, though. He was probably afraid I might have had a heart attack, or Mother had fallen ill. But it never occurred to me that he wouldn't notice me, slowly pushing Mother in a wheelchair, leave the room we were in. Guess from now on I'll have to be exceedingly careful that he knows where I am at all times. He could have saved himself a lot of grief, though, if he'd just thought to call me on my cell phone.
We headed back to camp, had lunch, and then went back into town for the "Comedy Jamboree" show, again using free tickets (valued at $40.31 each) given to us by our local radio station. This show features comedy, music (country, pop, rock, and gospel), and dance, and is entertaining enough. The show includes segments where the two comics enlist members of the audience to participate in their routines. We enjoyed it, even if we might not have gone without the free admission tickets.
When I made reservations for the show, I specifically asked for an aisle seat for Mother, since she doesn't like to be squeezed among folks, and it is easier for her to see the stage from an aisle seat. We got the seat we wanted, and the staff even kept the two seats in the row in front of Mother open. But a large lady, assigned to a seat in front of Hubbie, decided to move to the seat in front of Mother. So Hubbie and I got up to allow Mother to exchange seats with him.
Following intermission, the lady again decided to change seats...you guessed it, right in front of Mother. Again, we switched seats so Mother could be in one not behind this lady. I wanted to say something to the lady, like, "Can you please decide where you want to sit, so my 4'11" mother can sit somewhere besides behind you?"
The show lasted about two hours,, so we were back at camp by 4 p.m. Hubbie and I left Mother at the camper while we went to pick up the deli chicken from the grocery store, and stop at a filling station for diesel for the truck.
The chicken was good, served with boiled new potatoes, cream style corn, and wheat bread (bought in Corsicana, Texas, while we were there back in April). Later, we played Skipbo (Mother's very most favorite game, because it doesn't make her have to think). Hubbie won three games, I won two, and again Mother came up empty handed.
We got up at our usual 7:30 a.m. hour to get ready to go to the Veterans Memorial Museum. We arrived at the museum around 10 a.m., where we used the free tickets (valued at $13.50 each) given to us by our local radio station.
Just before we got there, a tour bus disgorged a large contingent of older veterans and their wives, so the museum was pretty crowded. The facility has ten rooms that trace the history of wars from WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and others. Viewers cannot help but be overwhelmed and saddened by the thousands of names of America's sons and daughters killed in action in these wars, which are displayed on the walls in each room. One room contains a wall with tiny photos of faces of soldiers, with a plaque stating that each face represents two killed in WW I, and there are 62,000 faces displayed.
The museum also contains lots of artifacts, sculptures and murals. Among the artifacts are various examples of WW I trench art. These are fascinating art items made, most commonly, from large spent shell and bullet cases. The cases, made into decorative items, contain intricate and beautiful exterior carvings. Trench art was also created commercially following the war, as a way to recycle mountains of debris into souvenirs to be sold to tourists.
In one room, there is a massive bronze sculpture of 50 U.S. soldiers (see photo in previous blog). The museum's website states that the sculpture is 70 feet long and weighs 15 tons. It took the artist, Fred Hoppe, 10 months to complete, and is said to be worth three million dollars. It's an awesome work that makes the viewer gasp in admiration upon entering the room. We kept walking around and around it, studying its remarkable details.
The museum is also special for its exhibit cases of uniforms, photos, letters, etc., that tell the personal stories of various veterans, and for other exhibits, like the one displaying artifacts and information about the Navajo code talkers, and another about carrier pigeons that were so vital in WW I and WW II. The Navajo code talkers confounded the enemy in WW II, with a code that is virtually impossible to crack by anyone except another Navajo code talker.
The most disturbing room in the museum is one called "the spoils of war exhibit," filled with items captured from the enemy. Upon one wall is displayed an enormous battleship flag, with it's hated swastika symbol. A placard indicates, though, that the symbol, corrupted by the Nazis, is an ancient one once used in India, China, and even America. In the early 1900s, for instance, tourists loved to buy pots, jewelry and other items decorated with the swastika from Native Americans in New Mexico. Today, we are repulsed by the symbol.
This room also contains such artifacts as Herman Goering's tea set, and Eva Braun's hair brush. While all these items make a visitor's skin crawl, the most heart-wrenching exhibit is the photos of the bodies of Jewish people killed by the Nazis.
One woman seated outside the room refused to go in, feeling that to do so would be to condone the enemy. But a placard inside the door states that the museum has no sympathy for its WW II German and Japanese enemies, and the exhibit should not be taken as an endorsement of enemy beliefs. The museum recognizes that the artifacts are repugnant, and are displayed only for historical truth and as symbols of our triumph over evil.
At one point in our tour, I decided to retrace my steps back to the first room, to take a picture of a placard in the exhibit case containing a model of the USS Missouri battleship, because I was fascinated by the fact that it took 175 tons of blueprint paper to design the ship.
Anyway, Hubbie and we (with Mother in a wheelchair) got separated when I backtracked to the other room. I thought we'd seen everything, so I exited through the entrance door, but Hubbie was nowhere to be seen. So we left the wheelchair with an attendant and went to the gift shop. No Hubbie. I decided to search for him using the exit door (I don't think visitors are supposed to do this, since there was a rope across it, but I unhooked the rope while the gift shop employee wasn't looking and we went on in). There we discovered there were three rooms we hadn't toured yet. So we toured them. But we didn't see Hubbie. Finally, we turned around and went back out the exit and into the lobby. No Hubbie. I checked the truck. Nope. After a few minutes, Hubbie came into the lobby.
In front of a group of folks sitting on benches, he demanded, "Why didn't you tell me where you were going??!!. I looked for you everywhere!! And then I sat out here for ten minutes waiting for you!! I even sent a woman into the bathroom to see if something was wrong with you or your mother!!!."
This was an unexpected outburst from him, since he never raises his voice. I said nothing, but just followed him to the truck. Once in the truck, though, I told him I was embarrassed by his tirade against me in front of other people. I think I understand it, though. He was probably afraid I might have had a heart attack, or Mother had fallen ill. But it never occurred to me that he wouldn't notice me, slowly pushing Mother in a wheelchair, leave the room we were in. Guess from now on I'll have to be exceedingly careful that he knows where I am at all times. He could have saved himself a lot of grief, though, if he'd just thought to call me on my cell phone.
We headed back to camp, had lunch, and then went back into town for the "Comedy Jamboree" show, again using free tickets (valued at $40.31 each) given to us by our local radio station. This show features comedy, music (country, pop, rock, and gospel), and dance, and is entertaining enough. The show includes segments where the two comics enlist members of the audience to participate in their routines. We enjoyed it, even if we might not have gone without the free admission tickets.
When I made reservations for the show, I specifically asked for an aisle seat for Mother, since she doesn't like to be squeezed among folks, and it is easier for her to see the stage from an aisle seat. We got the seat we wanted, and the staff even kept the two seats in the row in front of Mother open. But a large lady, assigned to a seat in front of Hubbie, decided to move to the seat in front of Mother. So Hubbie and I got up to allow Mother to exchange seats with him.
Following intermission, the lady again decided to change seats...you guessed it, right in front of Mother. Again, we switched seats so Mother could be in one not behind this lady. I wanted to say something to the lady, like, "Can you please decide where you want to sit, so my 4'11" mother can sit somewhere besides behind you?"
The show lasted about two hours,, so we were back at camp by 4 p.m. Hubbie and I left Mother at the camper while we went to pick up the deli chicken from the grocery store, and stop at a filling station for diesel for the truck.
The chicken was good, served with boiled new potatoes, cream style corn, and wheat bread (bought in Corsicana, Texas, while we were there back in April). Later, we played Skipbo (Mother's very most favorite game, because it doesn't make her have to think). Hubbie won three games, I won two, and again Mother came up empty handed.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Branson Trip, Day Two
Tuesday, October13: We had intended to go to Springfield today to meet with friends for lunch, but when we called yesterday to make arrangements, we learned that the wife of the couple we were to meet was in the hospital with intense stomach pains. Gall stones were suspected, and treatment was to take place today.
So since we weren't going to Springfield, we slept late this morning, and after breakfast and getting ready for the day, we went shopping. It was a cold, rainy day, so it was a good time to be indoors. We went to two outlet malls, visiting shoe stores at both. Hubbie and I found what we wanted at my favorite-brand store, and Mother found what she needed at her favorite-brand store.
Hubbie and I were able to use an AARP 20% discount offer at the store we visited, which featured a buy two pairs, get one pair free sale on shoes that were already outlet-discounted. I bought a pair of black athletic shoes, and a pair of brown casual shoes, and Hubbie bought a pair of casual shoes. Mother got two pairs of athletic shoes at a buy one, get one half price sale, but there was no AARP discount offer with the brand she bought.
After that, we stopped at the WDCS for incidentals we forgot to bring with us before returning to camp for lunch. After lunch, we went shopping again...this time to the Grand Village stores, where we visited the Christmas stores and bought a couple of ornaments for our Christmas trees. We also visited a shop that offers free samples of dips and drinks. I bought a jar of cherry preserves; Hubbie got a bottle of jalapeno mixture for dips; and Mother bought a can of hot chocolate mix, and envelopes of dip mix.
This was a fun store, but very crowded and hard to move around in, due to shelves and counters being placed so close that it was difficult for people to pass each other in the aisles. At one point, Mother spilled her cider drink, making the floor pretty slick. I tried to mop it up as best I could with a handful of facial tissue, but I couldn't get it absolutely dry, and the residue was sticky. I wanted to report the accident to a store associate, but no one was available.
From there, we went to an Amish store. Here, Mother bought lots of herbs and spices in bulk. This store sells cherry preserves at about half the price per pint of the one I bought at the other store, so I bought another one.
Then we stopped by a grocery store to order a deli chicken for tomorrow night's supper. Back at camp, we had potato soup and pimento cheese sandwiches for supper, after which Hubbie and I went to a popular overlook site to take pictures of the dam (see previous blog).
Later, we played Skipbo again. This time, I won three games, Hubbie won two, and (yay!) Mother won one.
So since we weren't going to Springfield, we slept late this morning, and after breakfast and getting ready for the day, we went shopping. It was a cold, rainy day, so it was a good time to be indoors. We went to two outlet malls, visiting shoe stores at both. Hubbie and I found what we wanted at my favorite-brand store, and Mother found what she needed at her favorite-brand store.
Hubbie and I were able to use an AARP 20% discount offer at the store we visited, which featured a buy two pairs, get one pair free sale on shoes that were already outlet-discounted. I bought a pair of black athletic shoes, and a pair of brown casual shoes, and Hubbie bought a pair of casual shoes. Mother got two pairs of athletic shoes at a buy one, get one half price sale, but there was no AARP discount offer with the brand she bought.
After that, we stopped at the WDCS for incidentals we forgot to bring with us before returning to camp for lunch. After lunch, we went shopping again...this time to the Grand Village stores, where we visited the Christmas stores and bought a couple of ornaments for our Christmas trees. We also visited a shop that offers free samples of dips and drinks. I bought a jar of cherry preserves; Hubbie got a bottle of jalapeno mixture for dips; and Mother bought a can of hot chocolate mix, and envelopes of dip mix.
This was a fun store, but very crowded and hard to move around in, due to shelves and counters being placed so close that it was difficult for people to pass each other in the aisles. At one point, Mother spilled her cider drink, making the floor pretty slick. I tried to mop it up as best I could with a handful of facial tissue, but I couldn't get it absolutely dry, and the residue was sticky. I wanted to report the accident to a store associate, but no one was available.
From there, we went to an Amish store. Here, Mother bought lots of herbs and spices in bulk. This store sells cherry preserves at about half the price per pint of the one I bought at the other store, so I bought another one.
Then we stopped by a grocery store to order a deli chicken for tomorrow night's supper. Back at camp, we had potato soup and pimento cheese sandwiches for supper, after which Hubbie and I went to a popular overlook site to take pictures of the dam (see previous blog).
Later, we played Skipbo again. This time, I won three games, Hubbie won two, and (yay!) Mother won one.
Branson Trip, Day One
Monday, Oct. 12:
We were up early this morning to get ready by around 9 a.m. to travel to Branson. It was an overcast day, with powder puffs clouds tucked into the tree tops. Mist hovered over a lake near our state's border. Along the way, a pasture of buffalo grazed.
We stopped briefly for lunch, and then we arrived at the campground around mid-afternoon. After the camper was set up, Hubbie and I toured Branson to check out where the show theaters were located. We also visited a winery that was new to us. The winery offered free tastings, and we bought several bottles of a favorite sweet variety.
On the way back to camp, we noticed that the gates at Tablerock Dam were open, so we swung down by the fish hatchery to get a better look. It was really an awesome sight, so when we got back to camp, I grabbed my camera, and Mother joined us to go back to the dam for snapshots (see previous blog).
Funny: earlier, while Hubbie and I were at the dam, a swarm of gnats flew above Hubbie's head. It was hilarious to watch as the swarm bobbed this way and that as Hubbie moved and tilted his head, and stayed right with him as he walked around. I wish I'd had a video camera...I'd have sent this one to America's Funniest Home Videos.
Back at camp, we had a supper of leftover pork roast and accompaniments for supper, and then played several games of Skipbo. I won three games, Hubbie won two, and Mother (boo) won none.
We were up early this morning to get ready by around 9 a.m. to travel to Branson. It was an overcast day, with powder puffs clouds tucked into the tree tops. Mist hovered over a lake near our state's border. Along the way, a pasture of buffalo grazed.
We stopped briefly for lunch, and then we arrived at the campground around mid-afternoon. After the camper was set up, Hubbie and I toured Branson to check out where the show theaters were located. We also visited a winery that was new to us. The winery offered free tastings, and we bought several bottles of a favorite sweet variety.
On the way back to camp, we noticed that the gates at Tablerock Dam were open, so we swung down by the fish hatchery to get a better look. It was really an awesome sight, so when we got back to camp, I grabbed my camera, and Mother joined us to go back to the dam for snapshots (see previous blog).
Funny: earlier, while Hubbie and I were at the dam, a swarm of gnats flew above Hubbie's head. It was hilarious to watch as the swarm bobbed this way and that as Hubbie moved and tilted his head, and stayed right with him as he walked around. I wish I'd had a video camera...I'd have sent this one to America's Funniest Home Videos.
Back at camp, we had a supper of leftover pork roast and accompaniments for supper, and then played several games of Skipbo. I won three games, Hubbie won two, and Mother (boo) won none.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Monday, October 12
These are photos of Table Rock Dam in Branson. Rarely are all 10 gates of the spillway open as they were this Monday. It was quite a remarkable site as the water thundered into Lake Taneycomo. The first photo shows the dam from an overlook on a foggy evening, giving the scene a mystical look. The second photo was shot from a closer overlook, and the bottom snapshot was taken from a bank near the dam.
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