Thursday, Friday & Saturday Events

It is good to be back with Carissa and the other Miscellany Monday bloggers.

My friend Margaret invited me to attend a professional women's club luncheon this past Thursday.  It was such a delightful time with some of the nicest ladies.  The meeting was held in one of the member's home.  It was a showplace!  The home is not large, but from the courtyard to the outside balcony, it was magnificent. This is Margaret standing in the foyer.

 View from the balcony

The lunch was delicious and served beautifully.  Thanks for the invitation, Margaret.

On Friday evening, our Sunday School class met at Jeem's Bayou on Caddo Lake for a fish fry fellowship time.

The original lodge which was build in 1869 is still there and offers plenty of bedrooms for retreats or families who don't mind rough'n it in order enjoy the beauty of the lake.

We spent as much time as possible out on the pier watching a spectacular sunset.

For those of you who aren't from the south, those are cypress trees, so characteristic of the Louisiana waterways.

Grandson Jackson, who was given a football scholarship to play at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, MI, got to take the field at Right Guard this past Saturday afternoon when they played Toledo.  The team made their first touchdown while he was in there, so we give him complete credit for the score.  He really did well, and his grandparents could not be more proud.  Geaux #65!

Picture taken from the computer so not very clear.

On Saturday evening, we had a little storm (is there such a thing?).  The storm clouds were so beautiful and yet ominous.  This was the progressive view from our front yard.

As I watched these threatening clouds, the words of a song came to mind and I couldn't help but relate them to our current national conditions.

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

And that is my prayer as we face another week of political uncertainty.

Miscellany Monday: Where Do I Go From Here?

 As mentioned in my last post, I spent this past week helping Daughter and family move into their lovely new home in Dallas. It is in an older, well established neighborhood that seems to be very family friendly.  There will be no sharing of pictures however, out of respect for Daughter, and the lack of interest in packing boxes.

After driving in on Friday night, Hubby and I planned to get up early on Saturday and visit the local Shreveport Farmer's Market.  That was a great idea until I tried to get out of bed that morning to find I could not move without excruciating pain in my lower right back. There went the plans for the day. So, my Saturday was spent trying to find any position or movement that didn't elicit a scream and wondering which box I shouldn't have moved. Fortunately, Sunday brought some relief and we are now looking forward to the Farmers Market this week.

Tomorrow is Grandson Jackson's BIG day!  He heads to Western Michigan to enroll for the last Summer Session and begin his conditioning regime for the Broncos Fall Football Season.  We are so excited for him and this new adventure in his life and that of his family.

With that in mind, I want to share a link Son sent us today, written by Lewis Hamilton about the new WMU Coach Fleck. I think you will find it very interesting and inspiring. You will for sure see why we feel blessed to have our grandson mentored by this fine young man.
Row the Boat

As for "Where I Go From Here," I'm trying to decide which direction, if any, my blog needs to take. I feel like I'm floundering without much direction and focus. I would appreciate any feedback you might have to help me think this through. Maybe it's just the funk mood I find myself in right now and will seem all better tomorrow, but here's where I find myself today.

May you have a great week and remember to "Row Your Boat" wherever you are, and I'll keep reminding myself to do the same.

National Signing Day, Final Snow Pictures

National Signing Day

Western Michigan University’s 2013 recruiting class is highlighted by five players who received a three-star rating from Rivals.com or 247Sports.com, one of whom is my grandson, offensive lineman Jackson Day (Granger, Ind.).

We were so excited to be part of this important day in the life of our one-and-only grandson.

Wearing the CAP!

The whole family of supporters

 Signing his life away

Dad, Jackson and the Penn H.S. Football Coach overseeing the fax to Western Michigan University to make it all official.

 Final Snow Pictures

 Before the snow began to melt Hubby and I went for a drive to capture a few additional shots of this beautiful winter wonderland.

Mishawaka Municipal Buildings

What was once a majestic mansion, now in sad disrepair

St. Joseph River

Son's Hospital

One of our favorite houses in Mishawaka

A bit of  nature's color struggling to exist

The only snow man to be found in this snow-covered city

Now, these are major icicles!

Have a great weekend!

Indiana Trip Continued

Indiana Trip Continued!

I want to share a bit more of our trip to visit our family in Indiana.

A night at Amish Acres in Nappanee, IN.

The Round Barn Theater is the most awesome attraction at Amish Acres.  Built of wood in 1911, it’s probably one of the most unusual theaters you will ever be in.  It is actually ROUND! And it has such an interesting history.

After the barn was purchased from an Amish farm a few short decades ago, 100 Amish carpenters in Nappanee and beyond were hired to take apart the old round barn.  Each piece was numbered, moved to its new home at Amish Acres, and reassembled in order to house a permanent memorial to Joseph Stein and a theatrical hub in the small Indiana town of Nappanee.

A view upward of the completely wooden ceiling.  An awesome sight!

The Amish Acres Historic Farm and Heritage Resort has celebrated 40 years of historic interpretation.  It opened to the public in 1970 to preserve and interpret the Amish lifestyle to the outside world while respecting the integrity and privacy of these plain people.

The center point of Amish Acres is the historic 80-acre farm that was homesteaded by the first Amish family to settle in Indiana and is the only Amish farm in America listed in the The National Register of Historic Places.  Pretty amazing, isn't it?

This century old barn restaurant where the famous Thresher's Dinner, a family style feast of Amish country favorites, is served daily, sits slightly to the left and behind the theater.

 We have had the pleasure of attending other productions at the Round Barn Theater, but none any better than the "Sisters of Swing - The Story of the Andrew Sisters." Sisters of Swing

I just have to tell you that had I not known these precious girls were not actually the Andrew Sisters (of course an impossibility) and were not lip-syncing, I would not have believed it.  They were fabulous!  Even my two granddaughters enjoyed the story and the music.

 Before we went out to dinner prior to the play, we had a Mary Kay make-up session.  How fun for me and the girls.

 The after!  Aren't they just beautiful?

 Another highlight of our trip was making a trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan where our grandson has made a verbal commitment to play football at Western Michigan University in 2013.

Yes, and now I can honestly say, "I've been to Kalamazoo and back!" 

I see one of these in my future!

 You know these Midwestern girls are tough when they play soccer in freezing cold temps with winds over 30 mph and in a driving rain.  But the grandparents from the South are not quite so tough, but we loved every minute of it.

Thank you Day Family for another great visit.