Porches, Peaches and Sweet Tea

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......