Prayers Answered...

Bynwood Needleworks - Outside The Farmhouse Last Night

 

Handsome's brother and (our) sister-in-law have had their western Wyoming home for sale for some time, but we knew the closing was imminent. Before Handsome ended up in the hospital, we'd all made arrangements for them to stop on their way back East (where they'll be moving to be closer to their kids and grands).

When Handsome ended up in the hospital, they had decided to by-pass Wisconsin and just keep moving toward the east coast. They were going to call on their way through (or around). But, then, all our prayers were answered!

Handsome called me from the hospital this morning to tell me that the doctors said he was well enough to come home TODAY!!!! He spoke with his brother before they had pulled up stakes in their Minnesota campground, and plans changed back to stopping here for the night.

I made pork carnitas enchiladas for us for dinner, picked Handsome up from the hospital, made an apple crisp for dessert, and brother and SIL pulled in the driveway before dark. We had a lovely night, catching up over a meal. (No. Handsome was served a tasty tomato basil soup per his dietary restrictions for the next few days.) 

After dinner was cleaned up and the kitchen closed for the night, we took the dogs out for their last evening walks, and I caught this image of their cute teardrop camper on our driveway. Doesn't it look peaceful?

Thank you, all, for your prayers and good thoughts for my beloved husband. I believe in the power of prayer, and know that they're always heard. I'm grateful that this particular prayer was answered so quickly, and that Handsome could be back home yesterday. This was a true bright spot for us, and I know you had something to do with it. Thanks again. I'll go to sleep happy tonight.

Settled At Breezy Hill...

 We've spent the weekend in Wisconsin already. The weather has been

beautiful and although the name has changed, this is where we've stayed

for the last four years when we're in the state. It's good to be back again.

 When we open the door on the Flying Cloud, this is our view. We have the 

awning out to put shade on the camper, so you see the edge of it in this photo.

 Our neighbor is a seasonal camper, so they have landscaped their lot -

to our advantage. The apparatus is a farm implement that plants seed

in the ground behind a tractor. Now, it's filled with and surrounded by

flowers. I find myself wishing I had one. Isn't it a great focal piece?

 These gorgeous lilies greet us every time we go outside our door.

 So do these, which makes for a pretty happy place to park while we're

enjoying our home state. Breezy Hill is located on Highway B in Eden.

It's central to all of our destinations while we're here, so in more ways

than one, this becomes our little slice of Paradise. Did I tell you that

there is a homemade ice cream parlor using milk from their own dairy

located nearly at the end of the driveway into this campground? 

Oh, yeah, babe!

Looks Like We Made It...

 ...to Meadville, PA, that is.

It was a bit of an arduous drive through the mountains of

West Virginia to get here, especially in the rain, but Pennsylvania

proved welcoming. There was a lot of sunshine and the steep ups

and downs slowly transformed into rolling hills and valleys.

 Handsome went over to the college yesterday to pick up his

registration packet, which always includes a college tote bag.

Inside are all his class schedules, meal card and a few other goodies.

 

This year, he came back with a matching packet for me!

Go figure. I only go to one group gathering, the Thursday recitals

and the concert finale on Friday, but here was my own meal card,

schedule (in case I want to sit in), and even my own swanky pen!

 While he was over at the college, I was working on the knitting for my special project. I finished it around 9 last night, and will start my day today doing all the joining and yarn tucking. After that, I'll add the ribbon closure and perhaps a button or two just to trim it out a little more. I'll decide when I get to that point.
I'm also making something for our great-nephew's Christening next month. I brought Sofie along so she'll be helping me out with the machine sewing part of that project. She also has a small embroidery unit, so I'm going to add a little something extra, too.
Tag will be here tomorrow. He's so excited to share his good news! You'll have to come back to read all about it. (He can hardly wait!)

Day Three...

This was the back of our Flying Cloud first thing yesterday morning. Handsome called me outside to see three deer trotting away from our campground. They were too far away - even for my "real" camera.   The sun was shining, and it was already hot while Handsome was  breaking up camp for us. I had finished stowing everything inside and came back out to see if he needed any help. He was nearly done, too, so  I took the photograph! We left Cornersville shortly after this was taken.

When I look out my window while we're on the road, this is frequently my view. The mirrors are great for keeping track of what's going on behind us, but I'm a little hampered from seeing past them to get good rolling photos of the terrain.

Every once in a while, I do manage to catch a peek at something I can capture.   Right before we crossed into Kentucky, I saw a barn I wanted to photograph. It wasn't until after I looked at it on my iPhone that I realized it had a barn quilt on it!

We spent a nice bit of yesterday's miles on the Bluegrass Parkway in Kentucky. Not the usual heavy semi traffic, and incredible scenery. There were lots of other barns to see, too. You do know how much I love them, right? Let's just say, "a lot"!

This farmstead especially captivated me, but I took many, many more other shots to remind me of this beautiful drive through mountains and vast horse country.

When we pulled into the Huntington/Foxfire KOA in Milton, WV, the first thing we saw was a big swimming lake. It looked really  inviting, but it rained shortly after we finished setting up The Cloud. What Taggart noticed were the kids...

...and I've told you many times before how much he loves kids!!! He was mesmerized by them before he was even out of the truck, and he  spent most of the evening looking out the window at every child that walked by.

Sorry it's blurry. sigh

Dinner last night - for those who are interested - was a shrimp boil. I popped tiny, red potatoes into a small amount of water, white vinegar and Old Bay Seasoning. As soon as they started to soften, I added sweet corn and then finished up with the shrimp. A whole meal was ready in about 15 minutes. Handsome said it sure beat popping a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew on a campfire (in the rain). Funny guy.
We traveled over four hundred miles yesterday, so sleep came early last night.   We'll arrive at our destination in Meadville, PA today. It's the shortest leg of our trip. We'll check in early, set up camp for the next week and really relax.    I'll be back tomorrow with more pictures and stories from the road.

Meals on Wheels...

 Denise G. and I have known each other for thirteen years...and we've become

good friends without ever having been in the same room together. The 

Internet is a wonderful thing, indeed. We have always exchanged gifts for 

special occasions, but we often trade with each other for no particular reason at all.

Denise is much more organized than I am this year, so her gifts arrived way

ahead of her receiving mine this Christmas. She always includes goodies from

 Vermont, but there is always something completely, uniquely, perfect for me.

 This year, tucked in among the maple candies, home-grown holly and special

syrups, I found a new book entitled, "Meals on Wheels". She found a book

written specifically for trailer campers in her friend's antique shop! WOW!

 Although it looks nearly new, this little gem was written in 1937.

 

I couldn't help but smile when I looked at the illustrations.

I might just have to transfer these to fabric, stitch one or two and

make pillows for the Flying Cloud (and Denise) when they're done!

 I've already read the book cover-to-cover and loved every bit of it. There's 

information ranging from "Housekeeping" to recipes, but one of the chapters 

that was most fun for me was the chapter on "Cooking Equipment".

 Handsome and I are always aware of the amount of weight we add to our

tow package, so you can just imagine how I giggled reading this list. It's 

actually much, much more than I would ever pack onboard for traveling. 

When I turned the page, there were more items that they considered

"optional", like a waffle maker, pressure cooker, or roaster. That's crazy!

I showed the list to Handsome, suggesting that I tend toward 'underpacked'.

He laughed. I don't blame him, either. While the book is loaded with useful

information, they definitely are willing to add more frivolous weight than we are.

Denise suggested that this might be a good addition to our travel library. You are 

so right, my friend! Thank you for everything you carefully chose for us this year. 

I'm looking forward to "tucking in" to all our goodies. Your package will be

 on its way this week. I hope you and Neil enjoy what I've chosen for you, too!

Merry Christmas hugs across the miles.

On The Road With Tag, The Roving Reporter...

Mom usually only lets me write one post each week, but I 

had so much to tell you that I asked if I could write again.

This travelin' with Mom and Dad is really fun stuff!

 While we were at Airstream, I met a cool guy named Stephen.

He would stop to say "hello" to me every time he saw me.

Mom explained that if he got down on the floor, he'd get to 

know the real me...The Master Of The Wet Willie!

It's a callin', I tell you! I can't help myself around kids.

 Stephen got down on the floor and I moved into high gear.

Nothin'...and I mean nothin' makes me happier than hearin' kids giggle.

Stephen didn't disappoint. He laughed out loud when I jumped on him. I'm

glad Mom got his folks' and sister's names, too. Maybe I'll see him again.

Man, I'm gonna miss him.

This is where we stayed last night.

It's another campground that will go on our "favorites" list.

D & W Lake Campground in Champaign, IL.

Mom and Dad said, "Five Stars, Tag!"

There is lots of space between campsites, and l@@k carefully...

There was another Airstream in the campground! Woot!! Woot!

They had a big dog that wanted to visit me, but we kept our distance.

We didn't want to get anythin' started, you know.

Another place to rest and recuperate for the final leg of our trip north.

We'll be in Wisconsin this afternoon, and Mom is going to a pre-reunion

party tonight. I'll be hangin' out at the campground with Dad and Ceri.

Only two more sleeps until Mom's sister comes to pick Ceri up, so I

want to give her special attention before she moves to her new home.

Well, that's all for this week. I'm going on break until my next Tuesday post.

See ya later!