Road Trip Review

I just returned from a leisurely driving trip down south and around east.  The initial reason for the trip was to spend Thanksgiving with my good friends, Tom and June.  I arrived in Ft. Myers Beach Tuesday afternoon and found Tom, June, their daughter Joan and grandsons Jake and Josh playing in the sand.  We had a great time catching up, wiggling our toes in the sand, and walking along the beach to dinner. 

Tom and June waiting for sunset before heading in to the Gulf Shore Restaurant for dinner. 

Joan and the kids left early Thanksgiving morning as they had come about a week earlier.  For a change, Tom, June and I had breakfast at the Gulf Shore Inn (a long time favorite restaurant) and dinner at Nervous Nellie's.  Eating out on the patio overlooking the back bay, listening to pleasant, live music and eating our respective favorite meals (Tom had ribs, I had crab, and June had the traditional turkey) was a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Tom's cousin Cindy, her son Matt and new daughter-in-law Carmen, came for the weekend and we all enjoyed the videos of Matt and Carmen's wedding - including their special wedding dance.

Heading home, I stopped in Jacksonville to visit Peggy and Pat.  I loved seeing how Peggy had decorated their home in black and purple - I know it sounds very dark.  But aside from the black couches, purple and black were primarily the accent colors.  Very nicely done.  Don't know why I forgot to take pictures but I now have a visual in my mind.

The next stop on the trip home was to visit my cousins Susan and David and Aunt Janet and Uncle Clyde.  Although my Dad has done a good job of staying in touch with his relatives, the cousins haven't really stayed in contact.  They were all very welcoming and it was wonderful to have some time to talk with them.  Susan has recently purchased a new house and her house is beautifully decorated.  Her talent as an interior designer was much in evidence.  And the vegan chili she served for dinner was delicious.  Chili's my favorite dish and hers was superb.


David and Susan in Susan's house. Susan collects needlepoint Christmas stockings - and they were lovely. David has my Dad's hairline - that's how I know we're all related!

In catching up with Aunt Janet and Uncle Clyde, I discovered that Aunt Janet also has one of her grandmother's quilts.  And guess what pattern - my favorite!  Hers is a Triple Irish Chain that is in the postage stamp style - squares that are about 1" finished. 

This is Aunt Janet's quilt - it's in excellent condition.  The pieces in the Triple Irish Chain are about 1" - very tiny and very nicely done.  You can actually see the quilting design in the white spaces quite well.

I also discovered that Aunt Janet has the same quick wit my Dad has and is well matched with Uncle Clyde's dry humor.  The conversation was lots of fun and touched on all sorts of topics.  And to top it all off, I found out that Uncle Clyde lived for a time in Princeton, Indiana!

From there, I headed up to Chevy Chase by way of one of my favorite places - Replacements, Ltd.  I first found them online several years ago and had stopped by the showroom on an earlier trip.  This time, I stopped and was able to connect with Jeanie as I knew she wanted some additional pieces of her china.  Mission accomplished.  If you're ever near Greensboro, NC, take an hour or so to visit their showroom.  It's a wonderful display of china, crystal and silver that is a feast for the eyes.

On to Chevy Chase, where my brother had just arrived from Texas.  We had a few hours to chat while waiting for dinner, and Mom, to arrive.  I also got a sneak preview of the coming family calendar - a gathering of photos that is a collection of photos showing kids and grandkids involved in their favorite activities, growth of the family through weddings and births, and is a much awaited Christmas gift to us all.

Snow in the backyard through the kitchen window.   Next time I'll raise the screen! We eventually got about 2".

Finally, home to Indiana just ahead of the first snowfall of the season.  Waking up this morning to the ground covered with snow was a treat - knowing that I didn't have to DRIVE through it.  So now it's back to work on those quilts I received from several friends and customers just before leaving that are going to be Christmas presents for some lucky individuals. 

Cheers!