August Trip to Nashville/Belmont

After we got home from Pipestone, we got a few essentials taken care of on Wednesday and then on Thursday drove to Nashville with Julie, Gehrig, and Emma.  Took two cars to transport Gehrig to school at Belmont University.   Took two cars because:  1) Gehrig wanted his car at school, and, 2) we needed two cars to carry all his stuff!!

We got there Thursday afternoon and spend the rest of the day with Belinda and Bailey.
Celebrated Belinda's birthday a few days early.

 On Friday we went to the school to check him in and unload the cars.  The reception line in front of his dorm was incredible - many students cheering and then taking all his stuff up to his room!  We didn't have to unload a thing!

Got him all checked in and moved in and room arranged the way he and his roommate wanted.

A few pictures of the Belmont campus:

After we took him out to lunch, we left him back at college and spent the rest of the time with Belinda.

Gehrig and his roommate, Josh:

We came home on Saturday in one car and collapsed for the next few days!!  But, we thoroughly enjoyed it!!

August 2015 in Pipestone and the Class Reunion

Here it is, October, so I had better get moving or I'll get so far behind that I can't catch up!!

In August (the 2nd) we left Plano and drove to Chanute, KS to have some trailer repairs made.  Earlier this summer we had a tire blowout and it took the fender off so we had to have it replaced.

From there we drove to Council Bluffs and visited with Judeen and the girls (families).  Katie and Tim had just moved into a new home so we sat out back and played with Aliza - what a hoot!!

Alison with Aliza blowing bubbles:

We did get the the Mexican restaurant again for the the usual - margaritas and good Mexican food.

Judeen and Aliza coloring:

Family picture without Tim who wasn't feeilng well at the time.

On Wednesday we left for Pipestone and got to the campground in the afternoon.  Actually got our site that we had when we camp-hosted back in 2014.  Sunset that evening.

On Friday morning we drove up to Minnetonka (with a quick stop in Renville to pick up some fresh sweetcorn) to visit with Pam and Steve and family.

Judy with Violet and Alice:

Judy with Mathias:

On Saturday we got together with cousins whom we hadn't seen in a long, long, time.  This picture is of the cousins:  Allen (Sparky), Pam, Jody, Judy, and John.

This one includes the spouses:

Matt was in town over the weekend and an impromptu concert was had.  (Henry who lives next door is learning to play the drums!).

We also got together with the family on Sunday.

Here are Lauren, Ben, Violet and Alice:

Stephanie, Jessie, Mathias, and Pronk:

Molly and Zack:

And Matt again with next door neighbors, Mia and Henry.

Came back to Pipestone on Monday after stopping in Chaska to have lunch with Bob and Chris Risberg who are part of a Mission Builder team working on an addition to a Lutheran church there.

Visited with relatives in and around Pipestone during the week.

My cousins, (who are sister and brothers from the Barkley family) Karen (from Michigan), Denny, and Rick (both from California) came into town for a visit.  We met at a Mexican restaurant for lunch along with Karen Appeldorn from Echo, Minnesota.

Karen and Denny:  (Rick had come along but had to leave to go back home).

Karen (my cousin, Gene's wife):

Visited with Harold, my uncle who is 95 years old at Good Sam - played bingo and had afternoon coffee and snack.

On Friday night we went to the first reunion get-together at the country club.  Saturday we hung out with Claudia and Mike - had breakfast, went to the farmers market, drove to where the old Appeldorn (Claudia's grandparents ) home was moved, and then back to Claudia's to see what was left where the house sat for about 100 years.

Picture of house on original homestead:

Picture after house was moved:

Picture of house at new location:

Saturday night we had the second get-together at the country club - somewhat more formal with a sit down dinner and all.  Had a good time.

Picture of classmates that attended the Saturday night dinner (about 31 out of 108).

Sunday morning we left for home.  Stayed the night in a campground north of KC and then spend the second night in a campground in Checotah, OK. and then arrived home on Tuesday.

East Coast Travel 2015

Well, it's only September 19^th and I haven’t updated the blog with our July and August trips!!  So I guess we will start with July here…

We got back from our June trip to TN and FL and finished out the month with DR appts, etc.

On July 14^th we flew (yes flew – left the truck and trailer in Plano) to Hartford, CT and rented a car there.  Drove to Larry & Jacky’s house in Belchertown, MA and spent the night).  They were gone on vacation to Cape Cod for the week.

The next morning we drove up to the Concord, NH area to visit with friends we had met back in 2012 when we were traveling on the East Coast and met them in Portland, ME.  They were at a square dance weekend and we had a good time with them.  We also met them earlier this year in Kerrville, TX at a Hitchhiker rally in April.

While there we got caught up on our and their travels and then went to a Shakers Village in Canterbury, NH and toured their village.  They were pioneers in their ideals of gender and racial equality and their survival and prosperity depended on the land and on environmental stewardship.  They were entrepreneurs. Their skill in business and practice of sustainable living brought them prosperity and allowed the community to survive for 200 years.

After the tour, we went had a great fish dinner and one of their favorite restaurants.  We then drove back to Larry & Jacky’s for another evening.

The next morning we drove down to Hightstown/East Windsor to visit friends and to attend an engagement party for Skip and Diane Cox’s daughter, Ashley on Saturday. 

Party on Saturday was in the Cox's backyard.  It was a beautiful day for it.

Had a fabulous spread:

The Cox family:

  Also had a great time visiting with the Diefenbach’s:

Celebrated Sabrina's 1st birthday:

And couldn't forget Asaiah:

On Sunday we attended our old church (St Paul Lutheran in East Windsor) and then left for CT to meet up with Larry, Jacky, and Hannah (and boyfriend, Cory) and Jacky’s parents, Mike and Nancy Canter in Old Saybrook, CT.  Had a great dinner on the beach:

And then took some pictures:

Hannah and Cory:

 Larry, Jacky, and Hannah:

Jacky's parents, Mike and Nancy:

And us:

 From there we headed up to Belchertown to be with Larry & Jacky for about 10 days.  Since they sold The Loose Goose Café in February, they were still job hunting so we were able to spend some quality time with them.

We met up with Mike and Nancy on another day and went to a restaurant in North Hampton for a great meal.  Beautiful day to be outdoors.

We walked around Amherst one day and went into a cemetery where Emily Dickinson's grave site is.

At one end of the cemetery is the back of the complex where Larry & Jacky's cafe was (The Loose Goose Cafe).  This mural extends all the way across.

We also went to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.  In all the years we have gone up there, we have never visited this.  So it was about time!!

The basketball court had games going all day.

On the upper level there were pictures of many of the basketball stars.

At one point you could pretend you were on TV and announcing a game.  It was televised and then replayed once so you could watch it.
Here are Jacky and Cory:

And Larry and Hannah.

Hannah had to register at Belchertown High School so we went with them.

Very nice school.

The weather was so nice the entire time that we were there that we ate outside at The Pub in Amherst one day.

The time went by way too fast but when you are having a good time, that's too be expected!!

On Monday, the 28^th we flew back to TX.