Winter Getaway 2020: Part 1, MEMPHIS

Thinking we were leaving the cold behind, we departed Monday, February 3rd at 4:30 am.  The temperatures did not change a whole lot as we headed thru Illinois, but grateful to pull into our Memphis Airbnb before dark, dropped off our luggage and went a few miles for some Chinese!
Our friends Karen U. and Kerri B. gave us many ideas for our 2 day stay...so we plunged right in on Tuesday!

GRACELAND was our first stop. Talking to some other tourists, we mentioned that even in a place that should be celebratory of all that Elvis accomplished--it felt a bit somber.  My takeaways?  He was a gifted & intelligent man who was not expecting all the trappings that fame brought. He loved his family. He tried to give back. He loved to rest with his horses and friends in this place.  His grandmother instilled in him an early faith.  My other "takeaway"?  A 40 song CD for our travels!!



SUN STUDIO was a blast from the past, all kinds of pictures of 50's and 60's up and comers. I particularly loved the shot of Elvis and Johnny (one of my Dad's favorites, not sure he would have approved of this friendship in Elvis's early days of moving and grooving!!).



Since we didn't relish the thought of my directing Bill in our RV van through the unfamiliar streets of downtown Memphis ..we opted for a Lyft driver who dropped us at the studio; the downside? Walking one mile in POURING rain to THE PEABODY to see the infamous Duck Parade. It happens daily at 9 and 5.  The story goes that the hotel owner brought home his live duck decoys after a hunting jaunt.  Being a bit inebriated, he chose to dump the ducks in the indoor hotel fountain.  To his amazement, the guests loved it.  They hired a Duckmaster to train the ducks, and The Peacock is now in its 87th year of this very unusual tradition.  One of my highlights was chatting with the piano player there, who asked if I wanted to join him in a gospel song--he started Amazing Grace.  It was lovely!  I was hiding behind the piano so I don't think anyone noticed or heard...😅. We did eventually dry out somewhat and very much enjoyed our Ribs and Brisket at the Rendezvous, another one of Memphis's highlights.

  

 

  

After checking out on Wednesday morning, we headed to the National Civil Rights Museum, a non-profit located at the previous Lorraine Hotel where MLK was shot & killed.  This was not only a story of him, but of the movement he inspired and helped birth:  non-violent activism to bring awareness to the country of the inequalities of education, of work opportunities, of human kindness and justice to all.  Even though I was living through this era...it did not touch me in small-town Michigan.  I am only now becoming much more aware of the racial divide still in existence and how it has taken decades to actually flesh out the laws that were enacted to truly make non-whites equal, not just in word (law) only. One more rib sandwich at Central BBQ and we were on the road to Shreveport.....or so we thought.

 

 

Into No Man's Land by Irene Miller

This selection was suggested by one of our Sizzler members as our December read after hearing an inspiring presentation by the author.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about yet another Holocaust story as I had just completed one recently; but I was pleasantly surprised because this was a very different story.  My past readings had never dealt with the Jewish exportation from Poland to Siberia, and the mistreatment from the Soviets. 

 

Irene's parents had been non-practicing Jews who fully embraced the Socialist movement in Poland, and it was a hard blow for them to experience the reality of Communist Russia--It was not a "party for the people", but once again, a dictatorship similar to the Germans, where the lower classes worked for the elitist government.

My heart broke for Irene in so many ways.  Her relationship to her mother held no warmth.  Her relationship to her sister also felt cold with many references to how Halina only bossed her around or totally ignored her.  Her physical pain with her feet and constant cold.  Her need for activity and friends to play with, which no one seemed to understand. Her avoidance of the traumas she suffered by stuffing her memories for so many years.  Her determination to finish this memoir for the sake of Naomi, her daughter who passed away in a car accident.

The amazing part of this story is not the hard, gruelling, horrific details...but the after-story of Irene's success, of her many degrees, of her current volunteer work in telling this story to young adults in school settings.  It seemed as if she needed to forge ahead, to prove to herself that she could bury the past and live a full and productive life...however in embracing her past, she became the voice of so many people who may have been lost forever in No Man's Land.

MI Christmas with the Tegelaar Tribe

.....THE ANTICIPATION

BEN & JENNY'S GIFT

WE WISH THIS HAD STAYED FOR THE KIDS TO PLAY!

....THE 7 DAY VISIT (Lita forgot to take photos!)

....THE KNIGHT FAMILY GAMES (Lita remembered to take photos!)

Final Fall 2019: Shenanigans in CA, Part 3

Our final 12 days were spent at Mel & Keith's with combined events with Ben & Jenny's fam. Bill has since confessed that a month in CA seems a bit long to him..because he needs a list of "honey do's" and our youngest is all about us resting up!!  Soooo our last days looked like this: Bill setting up a "bed" on the sofa  in the spare room so he could breathe easier and cough without worrying about my sleep (this cough started on Dec 4th at the Airbnb where they said the cat never went into the guest room --I am guessing those crazy pet lovers smuggled him in), Mar trying to help Mel with either watching Aubrey or running for school drop-offs or pick-ups, Bill building a "possom" trap for Walker who insists that there are possoms in their backyard, breakfast with Keith & Mel, breakfast date to Denny's with Maelie & Walker (birthday cake pancakes), babysitting the 3 Walker kiddos while Ben treated Jenny to a birthday dinner out (and making a gingerbread house),

Girls Night out to a Christmas musical at Twin Lakes Church, Walker Fam Christmas with Jenny & Mel donning my Mom's sweatshirts and keds (and Keith attempting to get a BoppaLita with grandkids shot), chuckling over Walker's creative garbage hauling trike, a hike on West Beach,
and watching Maelie's school program (she was so delighted we were there and kept waving at us!!) before heading to the airport on December 17.




  

Final Fall 2019 - CA Sidetrip: Part 2

After 12 exciting days with kids and grands, Bill and I took a short excursion to Napa Valley to give all of us a break!!  Heading to the cute little Christmassy town of Sonoma was a good intro to this special season.  We wandered the town square, stopping to ask questions about the authentic old Sonoma Hotel, purchased tickets for "Judy" shown at the historic Sabastiani Theatre, and caught up on some football in the HopMonk Tavern (delicious Pumpkin Soup!) just minutes up the street from our AirBnb.

The Black Bear Diner was a perfect breakfast spot before heading out for the day .




We stopped briefly at the Vallejo Home, Spanish founder of Sonoma, to catch up on some local history, then were off to Castello di Amorosa in Callistoga for a guided tour of an amazing Italian castle and winery.

 

 

It was a picture perfect day,
even this shot from the Ladies' Room open window!


We then proceeded on to Granite Bay, just east of Sacramento, for a few days of rest and conversation with Ken & Nancy Hendren. However we took a slight detour to tour the free Jelly Belly Factory...fun!  Keith's parents were such great hosts, anticipating our every need: hot tub soak, beautiful master suite retreat, wonderful food, mini-tour of the area and scenic walk around Fulsom Lake.  The only regret...we did not get a photo together.

A Glory Over Everything by Kathleen Grissom

A satisfying sequel to Grissom's "Kitchen House".  She continues the story describing how Jamie (son of plantation owner Marshall and house slave, Belle) gets his freedom after landing in Philadelphia from Tall Oaks Plantation in northern North Carolina.

Jamie is able to pass as a cultured young white boy, thanks to his grandmother's love and educational assistance on the plantation.  Only as he is departing that home does he discover that he carries Negro blood, which causes a deep seated fear and panic as he faces unsettling crisis points in his life as an adult.

The author does a great job in transmitting the many emotional issues surrounding the characters, at this very difficult time in our history.  It is horrifying to realize how humans were mis-treated and the arrogance of the upper echelon; but also very gratifying to know that many others withstood personal risk to assist runaways.  The title indicates how freed slaves felt when the burden of slavery was lifted and they saw....a glory over everything.

Final Fall 2019 (Winter?) Shenanigans in CA - Part 1

Excited to have wonderful daughter-in-law Jenny Walker pick us up at the San Jose Airport on November 19!  We arrived to sunshine & mild weather and a house full of love with the five CA Walkers.  Summary of our 10 days: Bill/project, project, time off at cabin, project, sick for a day, breakfast with Ben, project, trips to Home Depot.... Mar/ trying hard for a few days to figure out how to best help Jenny (my analytical side), cabin time with all 6 grands, date with Abbott, reading to kids, picking up toys, cleaning up dishes, muffins with Evy & Ben, cuddling sleeping Elliott, cuddling sleeping Abbott, cuddling sick Aubrey, then sick for 24 hours, reading to kids, playing Racko with Evy, playing Twister with all 3, a chilly family walk on the East side Santa Cruz beach & hot cocoa afterwards-just before the rain! A great couples' euchre game except the men won!!  Celebrating Thanksgiving together with great chatter around the very full table: 11 adults, 6 kids and a middle schooler! Lovely.