Winter Getaway --Finally, SOUTH PADRE ISLAND

We loved hitting the Welcome to Texas sign, and crossing the big bridge onto the island was a bonus!

WHAT WE LOVED:  1. We walked, biked or rode the free metro anywhere we needed to go (Translation: our RoadTrek remained parked the whole week!!).  2. Friendly and clean KOA situated next door to Pier 19, a pretty outstanding restaurant.  3.  Although not as warm as we anticipated, we did use the pool and enjoyed a "night out" at the Commons with a 4 part ladies group, Shake, Rattle and Roll--just my kind of oldies music.  They even did their doo-wop moves!
4. BEACH close enough to ride to, just to sit & listen to the waves..most of the time the red flag was up.  5. Reading, watching some podcasts, napping, seeing A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  6. Sharing our thoughts together on some great books.  7.  Doing nothing.

Come unto Me, all you who are weary and thirsty...and I WILL give you rest!

 

"My boyfriend's back and there's gonna be trouble!"

AND a lovely Valentine's meal prepared by Chef Bill, and sunset provided by the Lord!!

 

Winter Getaway....passing through LOUISIANA

Rolling into the Sam Houston State Park in Lake Charles at 5 pm, we were delighted to find out that our National Park Pass got us half price at any Louisiana state park...such a deal, $32 for 2 nights!  This was actually our first camping on this trip since we were waiting for the warmer breezes of the Gulf shores (well, we're almost on the shore!).

  

These are the Bayous of Louisiana.  Danny said that up North we call them "creeks"!!

We had a wonderful day with Danny and Linda Carl, friends from our Valley View PA days, who traveled west a few hours from Morgan City.  We met at Luna's, a great seafood spot where Danny was able to convince Bill to get something local...not the burger he had anticipated!!  He chose salmon and was a pretty happy camper!  We wandered the historic district and found a Mardi Gras museum, which was fascinating and upped our Louisiana culture index by 100%!  Of course, following all that education, we had to locate a King Cake to finish our experience of Mardi Gras.  Bill found the hidden baby Jesus in his piece, how fitting for my preacher hubby!!

  

Ending the day with a game in the camper before heading to Corpus Christi, I admitted that Bill is the Master at Rummikub!

Winter Getaway ....a few bumps on the road

On our way to Memphis, we had noted that our new refrigerator was acting up...it seemed cold at times, but then seemed to not be retaining the cold at any point when we pulled over for breaks.  When we pulled into our Airbnb after 6 pm, the inside lights would not work to assist us in gathering our necessary items for check-in...hmmm.  Being the quick witted folks that we are, Bill decided that the back battery must have some loose wires. He grabbed the flashlight and opened the back van doors, rattling around to open the area where the battery was.... silence.  He shut the door, locked up and we walked towards our "home" for the next two days.  I asked, "did you figure it out?" With the most sheepish look on his face he replied, "I forgot to get the battery out of the house."  He had retrieved the main battery for under the hood, but in our haste to get "outta Dodge", had totally forgotten the OTHER battery.  He told me not to tell anyone, but promptly told our kids so I think I am free to share this!!  HaHa!  Quick stop at AutoZone solved problem #1.

As we started on our way to Shreveport, we met with a few snow flurries coming through Arkansas, and then spotted a Camping World near North Little Rock around 2 pm.  Feeling like we deserved a break, and still thinking that our refrigerator wasn't working correctly; we pulled in to have them check our propane level (which operates the fridge, the stove, the heat)......and we were still sitting there at 6 pm when they closed!!
The propane was still at 75% but it was determined that they would fill it, except--when the hose was pulled out it broke the valve, propane spewing out everywhere.  The very bad news was that a new tank was the solution.  The next bad news was that it would cost $1500+.  The final bad news was that they did not believe they could find a propane tank for our Vintage Model..and if they could, it could take 2 weeks.  Of course, Bill's first response was to go to the bathroom to settle his upset stomach and to think!!  My husband is the world's best resource person.  He began calling different people and found a RoadTrek owner (from his Vintage RoadTrek FB group) who had purchased several propane tanks when RoadTrek went out of business a few years ago... (drum roll)  for $450!! AND, he lives in Grand Rapids so Bill can pick it up when we get home in April! The heavy load lightened, our current dilemma seemed easier to determine.  We would "wait out" the leaking propane, drive it on our merry way without propane and manage on electricity or a cooler with ice.  However, the propane had a VERY slow drip/spray and at 6:00 pm the manager reluctantly told us he couldn't let us drive until it was drained...and we should think about a motel for the night.  He graciously drove us to the closest motel where the lovely desk clerk gave us the AARP discount, bringing our total below $100, better than we thought.  We slept in our clothes, woke up the next morning, called Camping World, and were on the road by 9:30; bypassing Shreveport and on to Lake Charles to meet our friends.




Lessons Learned:  1) Something always goes wrong.  2) Humor helps.  3) Attitude Adjustments are always needed.  4) Gratefulness Wins every time.     
Overriding all of the frustrations and bad news:  God gave Bill wisdom & creativity, God provided rides with kind polite drivers, a desk clerk who generously gave us free beverages that evening, an excellent free breakfast at the hotel.  And we were extremely thankful for a fresh start on Day 4!!

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!)