Porches, peaches and sweet
tea
August 20, 2013
"Wanderlust":
The strong desire to travel.
That, in a nutshell,
describes me. I often spend hours perusing maps, geography books,
dreaming about seeing new places, visiting friends and family. It drives
my husband nuts....he hates travel...just likes "getting to where we're
going". Every fall, however, I find myself actively planning the
"next big trip". Well, this summer, I think I've just completed
one of the most FUN ones I've ever had. With 2 weeks vacation to play
with, I got to see all of my immediate family, sit on a bunch of porches, eat
some southern peaches and drink (splenda) sweet tea....all in the company of
one VERY precocious 10 year old!
Our annual family vacation
this year found us all in the glorious Great Smoky Mountains.
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is in a heavenly setting of green mountains and
plenty to do. However, because of that, everyone else in the U.S. must
have decided to descend on the area at the same time. The traffic rivals
Branson, Mo. in nightmarish volumes! Thankfully, we were staying a few
miles out, in a resort with it's own HUGE water park and arcade....so the vast
majority of our time was spent on the resort. Just being with our kids,
and their kids was enough for Steve and me to be completely happy. It was
fabulous to be able to have our 2 grandkids get to know each other, although
with the 7 year difference in ages, they didn't always mesh in the
"sandbox". I love the different personalities, and especially
loved that Jacob, age 2 1/2, finally included "G-ma" in his lexicon!
(Up until now it was always just "PaPa"...) Cuddle time,
fixing food that he desired, PaPa taking him on walks.... it was pure bliss to
be able to spend time with the grandson that lives so far away!
The first porch we sat on
was at the resort. (isn't that what one is to DO on vacation? SIT and
contemplate?) The porch outside our condo, unfortunately faced the
parking lot - so we were able to sit and people-watch. However, the kids
had one that overlooked a gorgeous golf course. THAT was enjoyable!
We also enjoyed fun times with the requisite miniature golf, aquarium, and slayed
the North in the battle at Dixie Stampede. (even if the North DID win the
war....it's the South - of COURSE the South will win!). The little ones
were fascinated by the big show, lights, animals and amazing trick riding.
(and the food was excellent!). Worth the $$.
On Wednesday, though, the
time came for everyone else to return to work....but Ian and I had decided to
take a "road trip". It appears that in Loudoun County schools,
the history topics for 4th grade were focused on Virginia History - Jamestown,
Thomas Jefferson, and, of course the Civil War. So, when I suggested to
Ian that we drive on from Tennessee to Texas to see the extended family, he
said, "can we stop at some Civil War battlefields?" What a
great idea! I have always LOVED history, and never having any of my kids
who would focus more than 20 minutes on any topic....this provided a perfect
opportunity for me to exercise my passion for sharing history's lessons!
I ordered online instructional tools, posters, quizzes, maps.... checked
out books from the library, and planned our route together. Our journey
from Virginia, to Texas and back through the deep south afforded us an
opportunity to actually get the "big picture" of the Civil War from
many angles. But more on that later..
***
Lest you think that it was
ALL history, though, the boy loves science as well. Driving within 15
miles of Oak Ridge, Tennessee was just too close to not plan a visit to, in my
opinion, one of the BEST science museums for kids in the country. The
Science and Energy museum of Oak Ridge is a medium-sized museum, very
inexpensive ($7.00 total for the both of us), and is geared for not only
energy, but also explaining in great detail how the atom bomb/nuclear physics
came into being before and during WWII. We got there at 1030 am, and,
silly me, I thought we'd be out in a couple of hours. FOUR HOURS later,
I'm pulling Ian out, thinking that they'd close it if we didn't exit soon!
He literally had to read every plaque, touch every display, asked
hundreds of questions about atom bombs, war, (even getting into Hitler/German
scientists/Jewish extermination reasons, etc, etc). THEN, we discovered
an actual science lab for kids....with a teacher at the ready. He was in
heaven. We did experiments on air/ water/ gases....formation and
transmission of sound waves, microscopic critters seen under a microscope (and
how to USE a microscope)....it was truly fun. He could have stayed there
longer...but grandma's feet were pretty sore by then!
We spent the night with
some good friends in Middle Tennessee, then set off for our next day's goal:
Shiloh National Battlefield.
I mentioned going to the
library in preparation for this excursion, and checked out 4 books on CD for
the trip. Two were purely fun books, and we finished up Jules Vern's
"Around the World in 80 days" on the trip to Tennessee for the family
vacation. The next book, though, introduced the Civil War to Ian in a
perfectly 10-year-old way. "Across 5 Aprils" is a historical
fiction, written from a 10-year old's perspective, of the war, how a family was
torn apart, with some serving in the Confederacy and some in the Union army.
Set in Illinois, it had a decidedly pro-North bent....but did a great job
of discussing ALL of the major battles and giving a perfect overview of the
scope of the war. We chuckled at the mention of the battle of Balls Bluff
(located 3 miles from where we live)...and loved the fact that we were actually
going to see Shiloh, Vicksburg, Mobile, etc. The books made the miles go
by fast, and Ian never fell asleep listening, in fact got frustrated if I
turned it off to make a stop or a phone call. Total focus on his part.
Shiloh is off the beaten
path, so we got to see rural, agricultural Tennessee/Mississippi. The
visitors center had a great video presentation that set the tone for the
battle. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, then explored the far reaches of the
battlefield, ending up at Shiloh Church - the still standing old log church
that was the central site.
Another of Ian's gifts is
an eye for architecture. He carefully explored the log cabin, noticing
the way the doors were hinged with wooden pegs, wood dowels instead of nails,
and a rock foundation propping up the corners of the fragile, old church.
Ian's collection of photos on his I-touch rapidly grew.
Leaving Shiloh, we chose
to drive along a back 2-lane highway to Memphis. The farmland was in full
green growth, and the rolling countryside was actually relaxing. A stop
at a small country store, however, brought up another topic of discussion.
It seemed, as we were about to get out of the car, that we noticed that
we were the only white people around. Ian noticed, and we mentioned
briefly that, in days past, especially before and during the Civil Rights era,
that whites and blacks did not share stores the same way we do today. He
asked if it was safe....and that broke my heart...He went on to say that he had
heard that more violence occurs with blacks than whites (and yes, I had heard
that statistic on the news lately regarding D.C. arrests)....but this was the
time to fiercely dispel that notion. (I think it was Rogers/Hammerstein that
penned, "you must be carefully taught" to be prejudiced). We
talked about equality, trust, and, in the end being alert NO MATTER where we
were, black/white/asian, whatever. The folks in the store were all very
friendly....and actually the cashiers ended up being Middle Eastern. It
was time to teach the boy about becoming truly color blind. We started
that day.
This was the day that
would be the longest we spent in the car, and it proved a challenge for Ian.
He had never been on a trip longer than about 9 hours...but wanted to
"make it to Texas" for the night, and kept urging me on. We
crossed over into Arkansas about 5pm....had dinner in Little Rock (his first
time at Cracker Barrel – mmmm they DO make good tea!)- and even though I
suggested stopping for the night, it was, "no, Grandma, I want to SLEEP in
Texas!" So on we went....and made it to Texarkana late in the
evening. 14+ hours.
A word about choosing a
hotel along the interstates....I've done it for years...and usually try to stay
in big name brands....so chose a Ramada this time....unfortunately it turned
out to be a slight mistake. The place was "sort of" clean (we checked
the mattresses closely for critters - none to be seen, and yet another life
lesson for Ian), but the peeling paint in the bathroom was disconcerting.
I locked and blocked the door with something that would make noise if
someone tried to break in (I always do that, having heard so many stories in
the news how people can slip into hotel rooms at night and steal wallets,
purses, etc). I also sleep with the bathroom light on, just in case.
We got to sleep fairly
quickly, (something about driving for over 14 hours did me in!) but at
4:10 am I struggled awake to the sound of the phone ringing - the hotel phone,
not my cell. I answered it, groggily, for I had been in a deep sleep.
A voice on the other end said that it was the front desk calling, they
were "sorry to awaken me", but they were inputting their information
into the corporate computer before the end of their shift, and were having
trouble with the information that I had given them. Without letting me
say anything, they hurried to say that I would receive a deep discount on my
room for having to have been awakened and all they needed was for me to verify
the spelling on my name. Thankfully, being a nurse, my brain functions on
little to no sleep, and I remember thinking, "they never asked for me by
name when I answered - something that any good front desk would do when
calling", and then the pushy way they were pressing me with an
"overload" of information, made my red flags wave wildly. I
replied, "You've GOT to be kidding me". He said, again, that
no, he was just trying to avoid having to "run a credit check" on
me....to which I repeated, "well, go ahead, - but you'll have to answer to
me in the morning when I get up and run this by his boss". I slammed the
phone down. And never went back to sleep. It was going to be a LONG
day ahead of me.
When I went to the desk a
couple of hours later, and asked for the manager, she "wasn't in".
So I discussed this with the clerk - who seemed mildly surprised, but
then acknowledged that the same thing had happened earlier in the week to
someone else who had actually given out their name, address, phone and social
security number!!!! ID theft, it was! When I asked just HOW they
could have put thru a call to my room without my name at 4:10 am...they quickly
said, "well, someone might have just used this hotel phone here in the
lobby", to which I inquired, "then just WHERE was your desk clerk
last night?"
They shut up pretty
quickly, I got the name of their manager, and declining to leave my room card
keys with them (they contain vital information re. credit, etc)...I left.
Multiple calls throughout the day to the manager went unanswered.
I've written a letter to Ramada upper management - and, surprise - no
response yet. (almost 2 weeks later).
I think this episode set
the tone for one slight phobia Ian developed for the rest of the trip. He
never slept alone in a room after that, even in homes...and I'd often find him
cuddled up next to me. that's ok, though, because it gave me a bit of comfort,
too....keeps the boogey-men away!
***
Our last leg to Ft. Worth
went smoothly. We got to see the clear changes in the countryside, from
the hills of Tennessee, to the Mississippi valley flats, green rolling hills of
East Texas, and then entered the dry, dry drought-ridden sections, beginning
just east of Dallas, where the heat soared, and the grass turned brown.
There is a place just west of Dallas on I-20 where you crest a rise, and
suddenly can see forever - the beginnings of the "West".... flat,
plains, cacti growing alongside the road, big clouds and BIG sky. I never
cease to be amazed and excited by this spectacular view....this is where I grew
up....where my heart lies.
We stayed with my sister,
Marca and her husband Ed. Besides being wonderful hosts, they are passionate
Greyhound rescue league members, often fostering a couple of Greys for days or
weeks at a time. Currently they have 2 greyhounds of their own, and two
cats. Funny story - one of the cats has decided that I must be related to
Marca (my sister)....he always jumps in my lap and literally fights me for my
little finger - which he proceeds to suck on like a pacifier. Marca says
he doesn't do that with anyone else but her. I'm not really fond of
cats...but his one tugs at my heart. In spite of his making his
"bed" in my dirty clothes bag ;)
One of the purposes of
being in the DFW metroplex, was to visit my mom, who's been in a nursing home
for a year. We usually stay in her house, which my sister Marca and I now
own. It is in Cleburne, a town about 30 miles south of Ft. Worth. However,
this trip, the house was unavailable. Back in the spring, there was an F3
tornado that tore through the town, only doing minor damage to our house, but
destroying so many in the neighborhood. We were made aware of a family
that lived a couple of streets over from mom whose house was severely damaged,
so they are staying in our house while theirs is being rebuilt. We had
struggled with having the house sit fully furnished and empty, while so many
were suddenly homeless in the wake of the tornado...so finding a way to help
them out was, and is, so satisfying. They are taking great care of the
house, even fixing up the fence that was blown down and the A/C unit that was
knocked off its base by the winds. Seeing all the destruction in the
neighborhood was sad, though. Some were completely gone - just the
foundation left. Amazingly, no one was killed in Cleburne.
Ian hadn't seen his
great-grandmother for 2.5 years. She is wheelchair bound these days, but
delights in having kids around her. Ian was the perfect grandchild -
making conversation, not playing his video game, telling her about his life.
She was overjoyed. Her roommate, who is also her sister, was ill
and in the hospital, so we actually ended up having the whole room to ourselves
for these visits. I missed long visits with my Aunt (although we did stop
by the hospital a couple of times to check on her)...but it was good that we
were able to close the door and have a semblance of a family room to visit in.
My sisters came over, along with nieces and nephews....which made Ian so
happy. He loves seeing his cousins, Elizabeth, Raine and Samantha!
They picked up their friendships just like it was yesterday instead of a
couple of years since they'd seen each other.
Saturday morning, Marca
and Ed drove us to the Civil War Museum of Texas...where Ian learned how the
"West" figured in to the war. Texas was so interesting, in that
it had barely been a state when it was called upon to secede. I actually
had forgotten (if I ever truly knew) that Sam Houston - the "father of
Texas", who was governor in 1860, opposed secession. I can imagine
his frustration at having brought the Republic of Texas into Statehood, only to
see it leave the Union so soon. He resigned when secession was voted on.
Texas Rangers (not the baseball team, guys!) were known for their fierce
and effective fighting...and Texas troops were deployed far and wide throughout
the South. The museum was FULL of artifacts and memorabila from the war.
We all noticed, interestingly, that the uniforms were actually really
SMALL. I guess poor nutrition would be the explanation for smaller
stature of that time. Ed is a huge civil war buff...and he and Ian took
off talking a blue streak about the displays, etc. I found myself drawn
to a special exhibit that was there - a collection of period dresses - there
must have been 25 or 30 dresses and accessories from the late 1800s. The
theatre costumer in me was enthralled! My poor sister, Marca, who detests
museums, was a good sport and waited patiently.
After another visit to the
nursing home, we returned to Marca's where she totally spoiled Ian and me with
a wonderful dinner (fresh pork, summer veggies....mmmm!) only to be followed by
what can only be described as "decadence" for dessert.
"Healthy" fruit (berries, bananas, etc)....but dipped in dark,
dark chocolate, with a side of pound cake, Blue Bell Ice Cream (!) and whipped
cream. I confess. I sinned. It was good.
Marca and Ed had suffered a
home break-in a couple of months ago...and after retelling the story, Ian for
sure wouldn't sleep in any other room but where I was. Poor thing....I
guess he IS 10, after all. Little fears can seem pretty big to a kid.
(even with alarm systems operational).
We enjoyed visiting Marca
and Ed's church, the United Methodist church on Sunday morning. I always
like seeing/hearing how others worship....this contemporary service was
uplifting....and the sermon was excellent! Even Ian was pulled into the inspired
telling of the story of
Acts 12....how Peter's rescue from Prison by the angel,
having to navigate through 3 layers of "guards" to get to his
"freedom", paralleled Jesus' 3 days in the tomb -. Then how
Peter went to the house where the church had been praying for his release, only
to be told it was "impossible" that he was at the door. Oh
my....what a lesson in "believing that God WILL answer prayers".
Ian leaned over during this story and said that he could have read this
scripture 10 times and never seen that....it really impressed him.
We made a quick trip to
Costco, gathered food for an army, and trekked again to the nursing home for a
lunch with mom and the Cleburne clan. Sweet memories.
I haven't mentioned
sitting on the porches. Some people in Texas (quite a few, actually) have
deep porches, some even with fancy fans, fireplaces and/or kitchens. We
spent each morning and evening sitting on Marca's porch, watching the dogs,
watching the sunset. While hot by many standards (90s)...the humidity was
SO low, and with a persistent Texas breeze, we actually enjoyed the porch.
It is so relaxing to sit, breathe in the dry, clean air, and just visit.
No hurry to be anywhere.
Monday morning brought us
to the "Chisholm Trail Museum" in Cleburne. We met the cousins
and toured the outdoor replica of one of the stations found in the 1880s on the
Chisholm trail. This was nice to be able to wrap in how Texas recovered
so quickly from the Civil War, with an economy that boomed in cattle, and then
later in oil. Hordes of people moved to the state during that
time...quickly populating it. The museum had a one-roomed school house
that proved to be so much fun for the kids. It was complete with
"McGuffy's Readers", pot belly stove, maps of that era, etc.
A final visit with Mom,
and we headed north to see cousin Jacob again! Tim and Jill had just
moved out of their house, and were staying with some of her family while
awaiting settlement on a new house. So Ian and I crashed at the home of
dear friends, the Holtons (from Virginia - but smartly retired in Texas!).
We enjoyed dinner with Jill's family...then arrived at the Holtons.
Now, they have my dream house....large, spacious, new, complete with a
VERY inviting pool in their backyard. I think we figured Ian was in the
house 5 minutes before he was jumping in the pool. What followed was
another evening out on a porch, swimming in the pool and catching up with dear
friends.
We spent the next day with
Jill and Jacob while Tim was working. I am so thankful that I have a
daughter-in-law that will sit and talk with me, and share their life with me.
I ache to be able to see them more often. Ian and I got to take a
drive with Jacob, stopping at Sonic for a treat along the way. :)
We spent a morning
exploring historic McKinney, Tx. Ian was particularly taken by the
wonderful breakfast at a restaurant called “Spoons” (which didn’t include
spoons in the actual table setting) and with the architecture of an old
bank-turned-antique store.
Dinner at the fabulous
"Christina's" Mexican restaurant topped off a perfect stay in the
Metroplex. It was then back to the Holtons for one more evening on the
porch/in the pool, then we were heading back East early the next morning.
More to come......