Let's See...Where Was I?

I departed for my sister's in Illinois, near Springfield, on Wednesday last. I decided to have the oil changed in my car before I left, so I got a later start than hoped, but the oil change was long overdue. Just as I pulled out of the Car X place, I noticed that my sister had called my cell. She had taken her hubby to PromptMed for an ear problem and was hoping that we wouldn't miss each other. Nope! I told her I would be there by 3:00, Illinois time. I was actually in their drive two minutes early!

I had minor rain for the whole trip. No biggie...but what I also had was major police patrols! More in IL than in IN...but I bet I saw a police car at least every 25 miles. One dude was actually standing outside his cruiser holding a radar gun pointed at traffic!

My sister and husband had remodeled their kitchen...mostly just new appliances. It was all lovely, of course. We did some Thanksgiving preparations...cutting cheese blocks, chopping onions and celery for stuffing, etc....but mostly just talked and visited. Dakota, the Siberian husky pup, was in doggy day care until Saturday. It was all good.

Thanksgiving morning, I was up earlier than they (due to time difference), so we just vegged until time to start meal prep. It is our family's tradition to put out major hors d'oevres instead of a noon meal: crackers and cheeses; shrimp and cocktail sauce; chips and dips (almost always California Onion Dip, among others; taco chips and homemade salsa, etc. I ate the dickens out of the stuff but couldn't even make a dent in the shrimp or cheeses or chips and dips!

When everyone began to arrive, the house came alive. All of Shari's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (except for Laurie's tribe, due to husband Danny's illness) showed up. We ate very well. Shari read Popo's Grace from the framed cross-stitch on the wall. It was special. (Popo was our grandfather. I put his traditional family grace in cross stitch just afer he died in 1985.) After dinner, games were played and it was a fun day. The children were good as gold--all boy-children: Nicky, Tyler, Carson, Cooper. Ryan would have loved playing with them. Poor Robin would have been the only girl-child in the lot...but she wasn't there...

On Friday, we attended a fund-raising event at the State Fairgrounds...Festival of Trees. Different businesses decorate trees based on themes...then other businesses bid on them for their establishments, to benefit a locaql hospital There is entertainment, crafts for children, a train ride around the grounds, etc. Shari's whole family showed up. I had been there a couple of times before...once with my grandchildren. It was a good day.

Saturday, I had thought that we could take a trip to Jacksonville to find the grave of an ancestor who had been a resident of the Jacksonville State Hospital for the Insane and had died and been buried there. I got on the Internet to do some research to determine what we would be looking for. After awhile, I came to the conclusion that there was probably no marker on his grave, so we scrapped the trip.

Yesterday, Sunday, we had a homemade (delicious) brunch with the family that wasn't there for Thanksgiving. Shortly thereafter, it was time for me to leave in order to get home before dark. Well...I miscalculated "dark" in Indiana. Left Shari's at 1:30 IN time...didn't get back by dark. Meantime, I had stopped to get gas near Springfield before departure. The gas pump wouldn't accept my card. Went inside...still no acceptance. Huh?? Fortunately, I had enough cash to get by. When I finally got home through some major rain, I hit up my bank website. There was plenty of money in the account. Apparently the gas station's scanners had a problem. Will always carry cash from now on!!

All was well at home. Just needed some recovery time. Have done some of that today, too. Guess I won't be seeing my grandchildren on the weekend of the 11th with Megan. She is making her own plans. Don't know when/if I will ever get to see my daughter again. She is in control.

Thanksgiving down. Christmas to go.