Nov 12, 2011 - Veteran's Program

The local county library board sponsored a chili supper last night at the local Optimist Building. There was a program featuring the vice president of the state VFW. As one entered the building there was a sign-up for the door prize of a sheet of Purple Heart stamps. Evelyn won one page of stamps. This morning Evelyn and I went to Rich Hill (small town) where the local stores were having Christmas "open house". We stopped at a couple of quilting stores, a jewelry (hand crafted) store, and a wood craft store. That was fun! Evelyn makes...

Nov 11, 2011 - THANK A VETERAN

We left the Optimist Building Thursday morning, moving to the driveway of Gary/Evelyn's home. Gary graciously added a electrical hook up when building the garage. We are hooked up with electricity, wifi, and satellite. There is a beautiful view out the front of a lake which today is being whipped by the cold wind. We will be here through Thanksgiving. Thank you, all veterans and families, for the service you gave to our country and to all of us.

Nov 25, 2010 - Turkey Day is Over

Turkey Day is Over at Ev and Gary's home. There were 27 assorted Hickeys here plus one friend. Jennifer from Carl Junction, Mo brought "Mya", a student at Missouri Southern College. Mya is from Gambia, a country from Western Africa. She has just been in the US for 4 months. The kitchen counters were crowded with assorted, familar Thanksgiving dishes. In the afternoon we watched "old" VCR tapes of previous Thanksgivings...1987, 1994, 1995.Jennifer and Beth performed a "cooking show" in 1994 for the family; and now have their own children. We...

Nov 23, 2010 - Another Travel Day

We left Feyodi Creek City Park, Cleveland, Oklahoma, this morning, heading east and north. It was a windy day to travel. Of course, the wind blows every day in Oklahoma...no hills or trees to slow down the wind. We have arrived in Adrian, Mo, parking in the Optimist Club parking lot. We are grateful to the Club for allowing us to park here. Of course, our brother in law gives us permission to do so! Gary and Evelyn chauffeured us to supper at one of the local restaurats; it was "dollar taco" night. They were very tasty. Gary and Evelyn...

Nov 22, 2010 - Wild Mustangs and Buffalo

Today, Monday, November 22, we spent the day with friends, Gay and Fred. We originally met Fred and Gay in Zapata Texas, but they live the rest of the year in Cleveland, Oklahoma. Acting as tour directors they took us though the Oklahoma Hills and home of ranches that are thousands of acres in size. Some of these ranches are home to herds of wild mustangs that the government has moved from Arizona/New Mexico. The ranch owner receives a daily stipend from the government for each wild mustang. Some ranch owners receive over a million dollars...

Aug 22, 2010 - Quiet Sunday

Gary and Evelyn picked us for church this morning. Evelyn and Glen sang two songs--"Farther Along" and "Where We Will Never Grow Old"---very nicely, I will say for the worship service. There was lunch after church with Gary and Evelyn and other friends. They left us at the motorhome. We talked to our children and my mother, and I managed a short nap. The rest of the afternoon and evening was with Gary and Evelyn at their lovely home. The evening cooled down rather nicely. We sat on the deck, binoculars in hand, watching the many kinds of...

Aug 21, 2010 - Back in Missouri!

Arrived at Adrian, Mo, this afternoon about 3:45 p.m. It is HOT here! We were dripping wet by the time we got the motorhome plugged in and the air conditioning going. We drove to Evelyn and Gary's home. It was a very pleasant surprise to see Glen's niece, Suzanne, and son Cody, there. The six of us went to the nearby small town of Montrose to a restaurant called "Short Street" renown for prime rib on Saturday night. It's reputation is safe; the prime rib was delicious. The evening ended with a game of Mexican Train, and a piece of...

Apr 5, 2010 - A First for Us

Gary is very active in the Optimist Club. Monday nights are BINGO night. We sat with Evelyn and learned the "ins and outs" of playing Bingo. This not your grade school Bingo! There were 135 players. The kitchen cooked and sold various sandwiches, fries, slices of pie, non-alcholic drinks. We three, Glen, Evelyn, and I, had 12 tear-off sheets with each sheet having six games of Bingo. Each sheet had different winning combination of numbers: regular bingo, an X-shaped bingo, etc; plus 8 game cards that were "black out" bingo...all numbers...

Apr 4, 2010 - It's Easter

Gary and Evelyn chauffered us to their church this morning. We had lunch in Butler, MO, with several other church members. We spent the afternoon discussing travel plans, making lists, watching a couple of information DVDs on "planning a trip" to Alaska. Plans/itinerary seem to be smoothing out, and becoming finalized. A "tornado watch" was issued for this area until eleven p.m. The bank of clouds (see photo) formed east of Gary/Evelyn's house, thankfully. There were strikes of lightning from the tops of the clouds running straight down....

Apr 3, 2010 - Free At Last!

Friday was a busy and fun day. We helped Gary and Evelyn finish with the last minute details of getting ready for the auction (Saturday). Evelyn's daughter, Suzanne and husband Kenny, were also here. It has been great seeing them. Late Friday afternoon we drove to Clinton MO to see the new fifth wheel rv that Evelyn and Gary are purchasing. This is the rig they will be taking to Alaska. We then went to a small, ok, really small, town, Montrose, MO, to the "Short Street Restaurant" for the Friday night special...prime rib. It was a...

Apr 1, 2010 - April Fool's Day! Any pranks?

Okay, this is my second attempt at tonight's journal. The first just disappeared; not a very funny April Fool pranks. We arrived at the home of our daughter, Trisha and her two boys, Brady and Tanner, Tuesday afternoon. Does every grandmother say "my goodness, how you have grown"? Brady, age 12 and half, finishing sixth grade, is at least 5'8". He loves learning to play his guitar, needs no prompting to practice. Tanner, nearly 10, finishing fourth grade, is getting ready for braces. He is excited about the process. It was a quick visit,...