General Butler Summer 2012

Each time I drive into Carrolton, past the campground, up the hill, past the golf course and into the lodge parking lot, I remember.  All the years we came with Clyde when he first started at KU.  Jason was a toddler, Becky an infant.  We stayed in the cabins at first.  They grew and played at the playground there, rode bikes around the campground.  Grew more, we moved up the hill to the lodge.  There it was....the swimming pool.  At that time, with a diving board:) 
These days, new pool, no diving board.  Same good meals in the dining room.  Same activity after dinner.  Walking the road hunting for golf balls and looking for deer. One big difference.....different kids.  Clyde (Pap) is still working ten hr. days and we are lounging in the pool during the day, waiting for his truck (years ago it was BIG and red).  Now it is a utility truck, white. 
Tonight it was lodge eating.  The boys were hungry and ate very well.  We also love "Our Best" over in Henry Co.  It is great.....big pies!  We also love Hometown Pizza....that's about all the nights we have:)  Tonight we came up lucky in our hunt.  Austin found four golf balls and Matthew found three.  One of Matthew's had a UK blue paw print on it:)  Then they saw several deer, fairly close (well, not too close, but kind of!)  Here are a few pics:

This was when they were still looking.....course we teach them about caring for the greens (stay off short grass)....cause Kimmie would want them to have good golf etiquette. 

Austin found one all by himself in the bushes....hope that's all he found.

Look this is my cool UK one:)

Fun in the pool:)

Tomorrow will be much of the same.  We will start the day, while it's cool, down the hill at the playground.  Then we'll get some lunch (most likely Subway) and go up the hill to the pool.  Then some quite time (ha) and wait til pap gets home later.  Then pool time with pap, supper, walk, bed.  Tonight I read Austin's Children's Bible (love it) to them.  So easy to understand.  Then they watched Reds baseball and now all is quiet.  That's what I need to be doing before they are awake too soon!  Night all.

Mets 2012

This is a blog entry donated entirely to Austin and his t-ball team, the Mighty Mets.   Because of his birthday, May 26, he has been able to play for three years.  Becky signed him up to play at South Lexington (Shillito Park) and he was assigned to Steve Goodpaster (coach Steve) and the Mets.  His assistant coaches Peddicord (I believe it's Tony, grandson Alex), Griffin (his son is Nicholas), and Steve Estepp (son Stevie) all have been very patient, low keyed, and knowledgeable.  We had a great first year (two years ago) when Austin played the field and was brand new.  Then we lost a few key players and had a rebuilding year last year.  We may have tied two but lost the rest.  Not a fun year.  Then we started out with three straight losses this year.  Oh boy, this will be a long season.  Well, they improved.  The boys started hitting much better.  Getting on base, running bases, and big hitters that brought them in.  Austin has had a big year at the bat.  He makes good contact and hits it through the infield most every time.  Tonight, he hit a fly out past the fielder!  Fun night.

Austin next at bat "on deck"

Here is buddy up at bat.  Such concentration!

.....and running the bases.  Mets scored another. 

Thanks for coming Uncle Jason!

Austin and some of his team mates.

Thanks for the free players drink!

This is after the game and the crowd had moved on, but here is a little shot of our fans.  I have to add here, the moms have been so kind.  No hard/harsh words when the boys miss one, or the calls aren't what we think they should be.  They always encourage the other boys, calling out "good hit or good catch" a lot.  They are nice to each other and nice to the nanas/grandparents!

We will miss them next year as Austin moves on.  Matthew was too old for this year so he took gymnastics.  Next year they will be able to play again on the same team.  Thanks for a fun season Austin and Mets!  Thanks coaches for all the time you give.  Wow, so awesome!

Saturday

Everyone had told us we had to have a beignet (puffy donut) from Cafe' Du Monde.  So off we went to get one.  Little did we realize that there would be a long line.  The people directly behind us were from Memphis, so they had a lot to say about our bball coach.  We enjoyed meeting and speaking with them. The wait wasn't as long as we thought it might be, about 20 mins. or so and it went pretty fast.  They seat you when the previous guests stand and then they clear the table.  The menu is simple, just those beignets, coffee, juice....not sure what else.  Very inexpensive, $2.42 (I believe).  They are covered with 4X sugar.  They tasted to me like a lighter (?) version of a Spaldings Bakery donut. 

Each year they have a tomato festival here and that is today (Sunday) and yesterday.  They had kids activities, free tomato samples, and if you bought $30 of merchandise you receive a free box of tomatoes (in a cute bag). 

Ms. Tomato

In the afternoon, we took a trolley (the original green one...Streetcar Named Desire) to the Garden District.  It was threatening rain, but we never got "stuck" in a shower.  We were either in a restaurant or on the trolley.  Whew! The one thing I didn't like about many of the places here, they don't have public restrooms, places to sit and rest, etc., for visitors like some places we've visited.  At least it seems that way to me, when I have drank a lot of ice tea.  Some restaurants say "for customers only". 
The other thing that may be a negative (again to me....I don't believe Clyde felt it) was I didn't feel as secure as in the bright lights of New York.  There just didn't seem to be as much security around.  Maybe there was, I never felt threatened, just not real safe. 
Recently in San Antonio, my mom, sister and I just felt SO welcomed.  Here, not so much, but it was OK. 
I have appreciated the prices on food, the things we did that were "free" and the price of our convenient hotel were all reasonable.  Saying that, there were motels, restaurants & many gifts that were way over our head.  I saw where the "rich" stayed! 
Last night, we went back to Deanies to eat....we LOVED it the first time.  However, it was later and the wait was one hour.  So we decided to hop a trolley and go back to the River Moon Walk down to French Street (music row).  We met these very nice ladies who told us to eat at this Italian place....again, too long a line.  So, we walked up the street and landed in a (bar) place with a band playing.  The bus tour guide had mentioned it as we passed.  It was Maison's, and there was a table ready that we could order food from.  Sitting there with our shrimp broschetta (spelling?) and chips/dip (with my diet coke & Clyde's soda) we met a nice couple from England.  They were originally from Australia, but now live in England.  Clyde sat next to her and they talked when you could hear! 
Walking back (trolley stopped that line at 10) along dark alleys/streets, I thought "if my kids could see me now!"  and....please Lord keep us safe!  Ha, it wasn't bad....too funny, a man in the McDonalds (stopped there before we got to the hotel) came up to me and said "it's not right not to be able to use the bathroom in a McDonalds......I guess I'll go outside to take a P...." and bless his heart, he looked like he would have. 
It is Sunday morning and the first morning of our trip that it is overcast, dreary.  So, since this is our check out day, we are ready to pack it up.  Call for the car (where do they put them???) and head out.  We met this couple last night, when we were deciding to wait at Deanie's, that told us of a plantation named Oak Alley.  They bragged and bragged on it.....we may stop there, but depends on the weather!  We'll see....where the road takes us today???? 

On a side note, missed Austin's game yesterday and they had another victory!  This season is ending better than the first four straight losses made us wonder how it would go.  It has been fun.  He is doing well, hitting great and fielding MUCH better.  Yeah!

Thankful Becky is juggling work, family, etc., and Jason Allen is working hard and kept up our yard!  Thankful for good friends that have stepped in to water!  Becky offered, but she has her hands FULL.  Flowers can be replaced, but my babies need her most.  Love to all.

New Orleans

We got to New Orleans yesterday and have been going all day today.  We have eaten at a couple of good "local" places that the hotel clerk recommended.  One was Daisy Dukes and tonight was Deany's.  It was WORTH blogging about.  We loved the portions & prices were very good.  Nice atmosphere, just all around great dining.  For starters, instead of bread, they bring red new potatoes & butter.  Very good!  I will stop chatting and add a few pics....I am losing energy by the minute!  I feel really bad, as I am sitting here, Clyde is fixing to go back out to pick up packages we didn't want to carry earlier. I offered to go with him (not wholeheartedly) and he said no, he would be fine to go.  I hope he doesn't make a detour by Bourbon Street!  OK, by day I liked Bourbon St. in a way.  Some music, liked the balconies with flowers, and the shop where I picked up the boys snow globes was there.  At night....NOT at all.  Sorry, I don't mean to be prudish, but it was so sad...to me.  We only walked back there a short distance to actually buy the globes....today we saw them (the snow globes:) but I wanted to make sure I liked them best.  The girls hanging in the doorways to clubs were hardly dressed, or not at all....I kept thinking of their life.  I wondered if the money was worth what it must cost them.  Just a little sad to me.

When I saw these on another table, I thought they were round fritters of some sort....like hushpuppies.  They were the above mentioned new potatoes.  Good beginning.

I had eaten one fish from here and we had taken the cole slaw off the end.  We also got a nice salad and fries.  Let's see....there were oysters, good size shrimp & fish.  All good...very good.

This is a quick pic of Bourbon St. at night.  We walked to the gift shop then took a side street off.  I don't care ever to go there again.  LOL! 

We enjoyed watching the boats along the Mississippi River, on the River Walk.

Radom shots, not in order.  This is our room.  Being in the big city reminded me of Boston....when we gave up our car for the few days we were there. Or New York, where we could pick up a pastry down in the lobby (not a continental breakfast).  On our way out this morning, I wanted a large ice tea, so we went to McD's!  No free refills and you pay to potty.  Coming back this afternoon, I bought another ice tea this one in our lobby.....thrice the price and half the size. 

A walk around Jackson's Square.

We took a bus tour today, the one we used was VIP Tours.  This is Dino, a local that was flooded out of his home from Katrina.  He had just finished remodeling his home after a years work when this happened.  He was not one stranded as he got out when he was warned to (I believe he said).  This tour was two hrs. and he spoke a lot of Katrina.  He showed us the houses that Brad Pitt is rebuilding with solar energy.  The electic bill is very low now in these homes.  I may add a photo below.  The pic above is how the dead are buried here.  All above ground with many family members in one grave.  All the names on the one above are buried in it.  They wait one year and one day to open it up for another person to be buried. 

Dino was quite humorous and had a lot of information.  Very knowledgeable. 

One of Brad Pitt's houses....see the solar energy panel?

This is the last thing for today.  An evening ferry ride. 



Our Trip Continues....Natchez Trace Parkway

We left Nashville this morning and headed toward Jackson, Mississippi.  We are traveling the Natchez Trace taking our time to make the stops we think look interesting.  From what we saw today, we enjoyed the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway (we took it last June) better, but today was so pretty, weatherwise, that the trip on Natchez has been good.  We only made it to Tupelo, Mississippi, tonight and stayed in a very comfortable motel, The Jameson.  Clean, nice room decorations, and they honored a motel magazine rate....which was cheap!  It boasts a "homemade" Belgium waffle on it's continental breakfast, so we'll see.  The pool looked nice although we didn't go very near it.  All in all, we sure would stay here again.
Here are a few pics from our day:

We got on the Pkway at mile marker 442 out of Nashville.

The Gordon House, first brick house built in 1817-18. The owner was the ferry operator. However, while he worked or was away, his wife saw to the building of the house.  Other than the front porch that was missing, it appears to be standing as it was built.  Clyde found that hard to believe, but that's the way I understood the marker.  The fence around it was newly replaced.

This was Jackson Falls a short hike (900 ft.) took us there.  It was nice to see but this picture doesn't show it well.  We met a nice couple that had walked up on the top of the little waterfall, and she had slipped on the rocks.  She was soaked and her nice, big camera was a little wet.  She took off the lens and there was mud.  She hurt her knee pretty good and struggled a little to get back. 

This is actually another waterfall that we couldn't hike to but walked along the top looking over at it.  Way up in the picture, and over to the left a bit, you see a little red which is the car.

There are no restaurants along the Trace you have to get off to find one, which is easy to do.  However, I like taking food with us and stop along the route at a picnic area.  We just ate a hearty snack here this trip and ate our meals at local stops.  Cheese cubes, good crackers, apples, bananas and a few other things make up our snacktime. 



This was a 20 min. hike to a natural spring, but after crossing over this little rock bridge, we went a ways and decided to turn back.  Clyde loved this walk over the water.  He thought it was so neat.

Tennessee River, wider than we thought.

Well, this is the last pic for today.  As we were leaving the river, we came across this is the road.  Today we saw mostly wild turkey.  Maybe two deer so far, two snakes, but many turkey.

The neatest place I enjoyed today, was when we got off to go to a little town (Collinwood, I believe) to pick up a Natchez map at the welcome center.  It was a wooden building, with a big front porch, and inside quilts hanging on the ceiling, cookies in a tuperware container he offered us and coffee (which we don't drink, but yes on the cookies:)  Just a VERY neat place.  Restrooms clean:)  YEAH!  Next door, Hazelbeas Sweet Treats (again, I wrote it down but not sure of name).  I bought two handpainted (by the owner of the shop) wine glasses.  I sampled her chocolate but just enjoyed the store.  We met a group of boyscouts from Danville, Ky.  They were bicycling the parkway and were waiting there for one boy to get back from the hospital.  He had an alergic reaction to the cookie he ate at the welcome center....yes, I had already eaten mine.  It had walnuts in it.  The owner of the sweet shop gave the boys a large plate full of homemade treats. 



All in all this was a great day.  I can't say the route was amazing or full of surprises.  The stops were far between each other and the scenery was green trees.  Tomorrow we will go on past Jackson, which we didn't make today, and into a town that I forget the name at the moment...and Clyde is asleep.  Where I should be.  Goodnight!



Road Trip Summer 2012

Clyde wants to go out west again but decided this year to enjoy another ride closer to home.  So, we started in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland Motel.  What a treat.  I have never felt closer to Heaven in awhile than seeing all those gardens & waterfalls.  LOVED them. 
We, also, enjoyed seeing Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson and especially Carrie Underwood and the Oakridge Boys tonight!  They were awesome.  What a great night.  Here are a few pics.

I tried to name every flower as I would pass, in my head, just in case I got to go on a game show!  Ha.....not happening.  I could name some of them but not all, that's for sure.

Nice waterfall

I couldn't count the flowers, foliage, trees, water features in the Opryland Motel.  Just beautiful.  I kept saying that over and over.  Amazing.  I loved every inch of it.

This was one of my favorite places, the fountains were connected by the water spewing from one to the other and back again. 

Each singer sang 3 or 4 songs each.  Carrie opened up with "Mama Don't You Worry About Me"....but I don't know the exact name.

Little Jimmy Dickens came on first.  He was great.  He mentioned many times he is 91 and told jokes about it.  Very funny.  Clyde liked him a lot.

The Oakridge Boys ended the show and they were singing strong as ever.

I got a little emotional when they came out, as they were a favorite when we were young newlyweds:)

As they said "it wouldn't be The Oakridge Boys without hearing Elvira". 

He jumped around stage like years ago, maybe just a smaller jump.

Maggie's EOY Program

Maggie's program with day care was last night, Monday, June 4th.  It was as good as always.  Ms. Judy goes all out to teach each child (six) lines, songs, and motions for the program.  This was to celebrate Luke & Cara's promotion into Kindergarten this fall.  MJ will miss them SO much.  They are both just delightful kids.  They have large parts in the plays, Christmas and EOY, and always do a wonderful job.  Luke gave the prayer before we ate and he was just amazing.  So super sweet.  MJ says Cara is her best friend.  Here are a few pics:

This is Paul Revere (Luke) and Sibyl Ludington (MJ), they both rode to alert the Patriots British were coming.

Maggie sang "This Land is Your Land" and knew her words.  Getting her to "project" is not easy:)

Ms. Judy introducing the two newest members of the class for next year.  The ones holding certificates were there this school year.  Two are not showing, on the left.

Maggie, Cara & Luke (C & L will be going to Ki).
MJ will miss them so much this fall.

These were the six this year in large posters on the wall. 

Both brothers were there to help celebrate Maggie's end of the year at day care.  A big meal was enjoyed by each of us.  Delicious desserts as well!