What an Awesome weekend I had.

This past weekend has proven to be so awesome. I spent Saturday with my Friends at Avalon Tea House in White Bear Lake, having lunch, enjoying tea and discussing a book that we have been reading. It was great fun, Sunday I decided to drive my friend Valoriea's pickup truck to Tennessee on her move to Newport TN - then on the return trip I would meet up with my Daughter Nan in Nashville.  Later I went over to my daughter Nan's house to discuss her trip and where we could meet. All in all Saturday & Sunday were very exciting days.

 

I had a Fantastic Sunday!

This Sunday was such a fantastic and exciting day for me.  It started out very routine.  I got up early enough for church, then during church my quilting friend Valoriea announced that she needed a driver for her moving truck.  She was planning to move back to Tennessee and leaving on the 2nd of August but needed a driver for the truck so she could take her pickup truck down with her and not have to come back for it.  While she was talking I was thinking how fun a trip to Tennessee would be since I had not been down that way in a very long time.  I knew I would not be able to drive the big truck due to my shoulder, (the vibration would not be good for my shoulder).  I expressed my thoughts to her later and wished her well in finding a driver.  to my surprise she asked if I would be able to drive her pickup truck, stating that she would drive the larger truck herself.  We went outside to check out her pickup truck.  I was able to get in and out of it ok.  She asked if I would like to be her driver.  Would I!  I was so excited.  We discussed driving and how she did not like to drive fast nor drive at night.  Neither do I :) We decided it would be a go.  Then I texted my daughter Nancy to let her know that I would be going to Tennessee in August and how excited I was about it and the arrangements we were making to tow my car down so I could drive it back.  Well to my surprise she said that she would be in Nashville TN on the 8th & 9th and if I could meet her we I could drive home with them.  Perfect!  I wanted to see me Niece Karen on my way home and Karen would be coming to Nashville to see Nan and Zuri - Wow - I am awestruck at how this is turning out.  Valoriea and I both agree that God knows our needs has a perfect plan for each of us.  Not only will Valoriea have a driver for her pickup so she does not need to come back for her truck but I will be able to see part of the country I have been longing to see - enjoy my road trip and spend time with my daughter and see my Niece too.... Wow! 

Today (Monday) I spent most off the morning printing out my travel route and planning my trip.  I also reserved a car rental from Knoxville to Nashville for the 8th and 9th.  I plan on driving out to Nashville, meet Nancy and stay overnight with her there in the KOA Camp, enjoy meeting my Niece Karen when she comes to visit and then travel back with Nancy and Zuri, sharing the drive home and visiting with them on our return home trip. 

Now the rest of this coming week I will be at a Quilting Retreat with my quilting buddies Wed - Sunday.  I also spent this morning planning what projects I want to work on and getting together my sewing supplies for this.  How fun.  I am so looking forward to these next few weeks.

Here are some pictures from my vacation and some reminecing

They make great Pastrami sandwiches here at Tommy's - a wonderful NY experience. 

The view from my Brother Ed's RV



Eddy and Helen buy their honey and maple syrup from this Local farm.  It's just down the road apiece. (note the sign, "Wicopee Rd"

The High School I attended in Elmsford NY.

The Girls Entrance

 Alexander Hamilton High School

The Boys Entrance



The area where my dad had a well and built a small rock pond on Taxter Rd, Elmsford NY.  Now over
grown with trees and old stumps.  Just beyond is a small stream where my brothers and I used to
catch crayfish.  lots of great memories here.



The old driveway going up to our neighbor's home.  My brothers and I used to sleigh ride
down this driveway all the way to the street in the winter time.  The tall tree to the left
with a limb restin on it was at the right back corner of the garage.  We used to climb this cherry
tree all the time and sit on he garage roof gazing up at the clouds n the sky.

Note the remains of an old mailbox strapped to the tree at the driveway entrance of my old
homestead on Taxter Road where I grew Up.

 

Memories of the old house on Taxter Road  

We lived in the upstairs of the old Carriage house and Barn without running water, heat or indoor plumbing.  The house was large, having 2 floors.  The main floor had a large apartment with the kitchen, dining room and living room on the left side that had a front entrance onto a large porch with stairs going to 3 upstairs bedrooms.  There also was a wrap around screened in porch from the kitchen to the dinning room, to the right of the main floor was the  attached Stable area, which had stairs in the back going to the upstairs apartment.  The barn had an open area to house a carriage and a few stalls to house the horses.  Mom and dad lived in the apartment above the stable.  On the 2nd.  The upper level of the house had 3 medium sized bedrooms with and entrance to the stair way.  From the back bedroom there were windows where you could look down into the back yard.  we used to climb out on the porch roof when there were rain storms and dance under the water running off the roof onto the porch.  The apartment above the stable where mom and dad lived had an entrance into a small room then the kitchen, a large room to the left is were we all slept. from this room there was a doorway to the stairs going down to the front porch.  There were also 2 or 3 rooms behind our sleeping area that had a door leading to the back stable stairway. 

Since we didn't have any indoor plumbing Dad would have to go down to the well every day and bring back pail fulls of water from the well from which my mother would use for cooking or bathing.  Taking a bath meant using a round steel tub filled with hot water that was heated on our wood stove.  The old wood stove in the kitchen was our only heat source for the apartment.  I remember Dad piling blankets and coats on us as we slept to keep us warm..  Brrrr the mornings were cold and we often huddled around the stove to warm us in the morning.  In the kitchen was a sink with a hand pump for water but it didn't work.  The kitchen window looked out into the back yard were dad kept his chickens, ducks and goats.  The goats were housed in a little shack on the right side of the house.  Our out house was located at the back of the house and to the right of the front porch well hidden by bushes and trees.  I remember planting my 1st rose bush alongside of the outhouse.  It grew tall and had many roses on it which gave off a heady aroma of roses.  To this day my favorite cologne is Roses, (I even have rose sachets in my clothing drawers.)   


A large area to the left of our driveway off of the front porch was were Dad had his vegetable garden.  My Father loved to plant Peas, String Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, cucumbers and onions here.  towards the back are 2 large boulders on which I would sit and read, (I remember going up into the attic were I found a box of books - I read Thru these books the summer I turned 13.  Wow in my imagination I visited Rome, Greece and other exotic places as I read these books,) or lay across them looking up at the clouds by day or the stars at night.  There was a gentle slope down to the road were Dad would Plant Dalia's and Gladiolas. 

My husband Raymond built railroad tracks to scale around the perimeter and made a car using a small engine.  My oldest boy, Raymond Jr. loved to ride around the track on the car his daddy built.  We lived on this property quite a long time.  I was 5 or so when mom and dad moved here from downtown Elmsford and in my mid 20's & Married with 2 children, (Raymond Jr. & Ann,) when we moved to Tuckahoe NY were my 3rd child was born, (Nancy).
 

Vacation time is over :{

I had an awesome vacation time.  I left June 24th to take a road trip back to NY to see my Brother's Eddie & Bobby.  My youngest daughter Elizabeth and my granddaughter Zuri came with me.  Zuri spent her time in NY with her Aunt Rose and visited with her cousins and brother.  Elizabeth went to NYC twice by train and enjoyed time with her cousins.  I relaxed at my brother Ed's House, took a ride in his RV, and enjoyed visiting with family.  Elizabeth and I were able to attend my Niece Kimberly's Wedding last Saturday in Yorktown Hgts.  It was an unrelievedly beautiful day, the bride was beautiful and the reception great!  I also got to go to a great Italian Restaurant in Fishkill NY Avanti's.  Great food, great company!  I drove down to Elmsford NY with Elizabeth and was able to show her where I grew up.  There was nothing left of the place, the house was torn down and the property overgrown with weeds and trees.  I did a little reminiscing - I pointed out the large rock I used as a reading place and the area where her grandpa use to garden.  I also showed her the overgrown driveway that my brothers and I used to sleigh ride down, and the area that Grandpa Hess had built a well and were my Husband and Uncle laid down pipes for running water. Great memories.  I drove up to my old High School - took a lot of pictures of it.  Then drove into downtown White Plains, which I did not recognize at all.  Beth and I stopped in a  Deli/Café and had lunch.  She had a turkey sandwich and I got a pastrami.  Yum!