Jeff had scheduled my Christmas gift last week as well as giving him some needed time away from work. We were able to do part of it, but we had a few hiccups in our plan and had to return earlier.
I shared with my family (same as last year) that any gift that I had to find a place for in my home was a "NO GO." I don't even need clothes, so they are struggling to find me a gift. I have made a wish list on 123Stitch, so hopefully I will have some fun new stuff for 2018. If I don't have any more time than I have had for the month of December I will be sad. Hopefully, after this week it should settle down a bit.
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| My view as I type this morning. Lemony has the ball, Gus wants it. He is now 6 months old. Happy playmates. |
Back to the trip.
I haven't shared a ton on this blog about my obsession with space, but I do have one. A big one! I spent years in my classroom hoping to inspire the next generation and I have a ton of memorabilia that I have collected.
If there is something going on anywhere near me I try to be there. Our closest friends are back in Huntsville and the company that he works for sponsored a moonwalker at the facilities in Huntsville on Thursday. We headed up Wednesday evening to visit them and attend. I have actually seen four moonwalkers over the course of time and this would make number 5. It is the 45th anniversary of Apollo 17's landing, so Harrison Schmidt was in Huntsville. My friend got me into the presentation and even got me an autograph to go with my collection that will NOT end up on eBay until I am gone. We also got to tour his son's work location which was so cool to see him all grown up and doing some very cool work. Our kids grew up together and are best of friends.
We were going to come back to our cabin on Thursday and go to the lights at Calloway Gardens on Friday night.
All of this was subject to how things went with Jeff's brother. He had been in extreme pain the few days before we left. We honestly left worried that cancer had returned and was the culprit. He was scheduled for a procedure on Thursday morning, but insisted we go on for the trip.
We went to bed on Thursday night preparing to leave early Friday morning and return home instead of the trip to Calloway. He had been in the hospital and Jeff knew his sister needed help. Both of Jeff's siblings are older than him. Jeff was the accident baby. He is 14 and 12 years younger.
It all has turned out fine. Jeff's brother is doing much better. The procedure has ended up being successful. Biopsies have been taken, but the doctor feels hopeful that it is not the cancer returned. We would have some very cold temps and snow to contend with if we had stayed for the lights.
We got outside Huntsville and drove very slowly through snow to just north of Montgomery. The trip took way longer because we Southerners do NOT know how to deal with snow. Actually Jeff did an amazing job and I just enjoyed the show of being in a snow globe. I enjoyed the views immensely, but was happy to leave it in Alabama.
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| On the way home. Somewhere on I 65 near Birmingham. |
Apparently, it snowed here overnight Saturday, but I missed it sleeping. It is very cold here. I am not going to complain as I said this summer nearly did me in with the humidity.
Hopefully, I will be back on my normal routine this week. I really need to do some shopping. Don't tell me if you have all yours done. I am way behind, but I will get there.
I loved your "snowglobe" picture. You all definitely had more snow than we did. I am glad you were able to attend the moonwalker presentation. Happy to hear your BIL is doing better.
ReplyDeleteThe snow was lots for around these parts for sure. The last time I remember that much snow I was at Auburn in the early 1980's.
DeleteWhat a week! Not what you planned in its entirety, but the Lord knew and worked everything out. So thankful that things seem on a better course for Jeff's brother now. And thankful for how God kept you safe driving in that snow! It's very interesting. People up here should know how to drive in snow, and many of them do know, but they seem to have amnesia with the first major snowfall every year and try to drive as usual. The result is lots of cars off the road and many accidents. It happens every time! So happy you were kept safe and that you enjoyed the snowglobe effect.
ReplyDeleteIt did all work out. We had a good time and things are better on this end as well. I can't even imagine that much snow on more than a day or two. I thought it was quite a lot for a short period of time. I think the key was it was cold enough for it to stick. IT is quite a novelty here in the south.
DeleteSo glad everything turned out ok for Jeff's brother!! And what a great gift to visit the Huntsville facility. There is always something interesting to see there. I have never been to Calloway Gardens but it is on my bucket list. A friend posted pictures from there on FB and they were so pretty. I am hoping to get some Christmas goodies baked next week..if I make them too soon, they will be eaten!!( by Me). Hope things slow down for you in the New Year. I was thinking about all the things you told me about the school situation down there. I am hoping some of them have been resolved.
ReplyDeleteYou need to plan a visit to Calloway. It is beautiful. I especially love it in April/May when everything is greening up and in the fall. It is one of those special places for Jeff and me. We used to go there and listen to the Auburn games on the radio when we were dating. I was teaching over there 5 miles from the gate and Jeff was finishing up at Auburn. Then we took our kids every couple of years to bike the trails.
DeleteThe school thing will not be resolved until after the new year. I think the paper will have made a big mess for nothing. There is a lot that can't be reported yet that will come out. In the meantime, it has brought out all the crazies and Jeff spends lots of hours soothing ruffled feathers and Lindsay's office is like a morgue.
Perseverance!!!
I know that this has been a hard year for yall ....hoping the New Year brings relief.
ReplyDeleteSandy, I don't know what a moonwalker is?? Great idea on the 123 wishlist, makes it easy for them and you get what you want. Glad to hear Jeff's brother is doing better, I will keep him in my prayers for a good report on the biopsy. I love going to Gardens and always look to see if there are any when going to a new place. I bet they were pretty in the snow. I can assure you lots of Northerner's don't know how to drive in snow either!! Enjoy the rest of your week, Mary
ReplyDeleteMoonwalkers are the 12 that walked on the moon. I am a big space nut. I have been crazy about it since I was a child. I read and collect lots of stuff and look for any opportunity to go to the hubs for space, like Kennedy, Johnson, and Huntsville. I went to Space Camp as a teacher as was the science lady in the elementary schools where I taught:)
DeleteCalloway Gardens is in west central Georgia. It is a beautiful place. A definite visit if you are traveling in that area. We go often because they have lots going on there at all times of the year.