Bluegrass and quilts

Bluegrass came to my attention in the Adirondacks of New York in 2004, when the Upper Hudson Bluegrass Festival was initiated. We attended most of those concerts until we left the Adirondacks in 2009. We have attended 2 Bluegrass Festivals on this trip, both in Iowa. We took our coach to the first, the Backbone Bluegrass
Festival in Strawberry Point. The jacks went so deep in the mud that I thought we would have to dig them out.

Backbone Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Pt., Iowa

We drove our rental car to the Festival at Central City. The most unique  thing about this festival is that it was indoors.

Concert site at Linn County Fairgrounds, Central City, Iowa

I didn't know much about any of the groups playing at either venue. There was one duplication. Annie Savage was at both. She was with her group The Savage Hearts at Backbone, but at Central City, she sang with Bob Black and Banjoy. That was my favorite group at Central City.

Hanging from the rafters in Central City were a collection of quilts. I am not sure of their purpose. I heard someone say something about "accoustics" in regard to the quilts, but they seemed too far spread out to be helpful for that purpose.

A Bluegrass Quilt

Displays many symbols of Bluegrass and various venues.

Nostalgic Foods

As we returned from Jefferson City, MO to our campsite in Urbana, IA, I just had to stop at a roadside store advertising A & W products. Turns out they had a full A&W stand. I ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich, which was good, but not the highlight of my meal. The best thing was my root beer float. I have never imbibed carbonated drinks, but have always loved the flavor of rootbeer. I was delighted in my youth to find that ice cream reduces the carbonation in floats, so root beer floats became a standard, with A&W as my favorite. I just haven't been able to find draft A&W for quite a while, and canned or bottled root beer just isn't the same. I was delighted by this find yesterday, and really enjoyed that float!

There was also a Godfather's Pizza in the same building.  Ed and I have been trying to remember where we lived that had a Godfather's pizza. I remember that it was pretty good pizza, but I was more interested in a root beer float yesterday.

DODS and the survivors

Our travels this year brought us to this special place at this special time. This day is marked on my mental calendar as DODS: Day of Deepest Sorrow. 6 years ago today my oldest grandson Kyle left this world by his own hand. He was a beautiful young man, full of potential and the father of 3 little girls, including a set of twins. His death seemed to be the result of a disagreement with his girlfriend,  the mother of his children, but she is the only person on earth who really knows.

These are some of the survivors of that fateful day. My husband and I, grandparents. Then there is Ryan, his sole surviving brother, and Sandra, his mother. It is very special that we were able to be together at this special time to remember in this place. Kyle ' s uncle Scott, who was very close to Kyle, has shared in this time of memories also, but was not able to meet with us last night.

The Soul of the matter.

This is the vehicle we have rented for our stay in Jefferson City, Mo.,a KIA Soul. There are three reasons why we should not be driving this vehicle: (1) We were expecting a larger vehicle; (2) When KIA first introduced this vehicle, it was depicted as being driven by rats, which turned me off; and (3) our oldest son Darrel, with strong military ties, is offended by the manufacturers' name, KIA,  because of that significance to the military community. This all got me thinking about the various reasons we accept and reject things. Some of those reasons have little validity in the big picture. Actually, the car is quite roomy on the inside. I don't feel cramped at all. I hardly ever think of the rats in the ads, and, as far as Darrel ' s objections go, we aren't buying the car. Just using it for this period, however, will help me consider other rejections and acceptances I will make in the future.

On Hotels and RVs

We are in Jefferson City, MO, on what I call my vacation. I do that not only because when we are here we see family, but because I don't have to cook and clean and do all the other things I have to do when we travel in our RV.

These are pictures of the breakfast room at the hotel. There is much more of a variety than I would offer at home. We could have the ubiquitous make - your - own waffles, omelets, cereal, pastries, fruit and beverages. This morning I had a biscuit with not - too - bad sausage gravy. 

It has occurred to me that staying in a hotel room is really little different from RV life, except for the immobility and lack of cooking facilities. I like having maid service and going out to eat. I like the occasional retreat from normal living responsibilities, and I love the opportunities to see family. I will, however, be glad to get back to our home waiting for us in Urbana, Iow

Turning 70

On my recent birthday, I turned 70. That landmark meant that I had lived 19 years longer than my father lived, as cancer took him at the age of 51. It also meant that, if my mother and maternal grandmother were any guide, I might live at least 11 more years. Both of those women left this life at the age of 81. But there was something more significant about this birthday. Many of my friends are turning the same age. This is something I haven't been aware of, or at least haven't given much thought to. I've had many of these friends since grade school. In recent years, we have

been brought back together through Facebook. We all participate in the Palm Beach High School Facebook group. Even in recent years, however, I haven't been aware of birthdays, except to note who is having one. This year, however, many of us are talking about our age. 70 seems be a hallmark that is important to us. We all have friends, family and classmates who didn't make it to this point, and I guess we celebrate 70 with a bit of gratitude mixed with sorrow. We may also be realizing that many of us won't be around to celebrate 80. 70 is a special mark in the journey of life. I don't feel 70, and sometimes I find myself surprised that I am there. But I am. I hope to make the most of this special year, and wish the best to all my friends who are sharing it with me.

Puzzle and Gourd Dance

This morning I was doing a word search on a cereal box with a yellow hi-liter. I kept coming to words on the list I knew I had found. I realized then that as the hi-liter was drying, it was disappearing. It reminded me of a time when I wrote a check for a license plate with a black pen. The clerk soon brought the check back to me. It was completely blank of everything I had written. I was really frustrated until we discovered that I had inadvertently used erasable ink, which had disappeared because of the heat from the photo copy machine. Needless to say, I no longer carry erasable ink pens in my purse.

About a year ago, we were in Oklahoma City. It was an extended visit because of having work done on our car, which got hit as we towed it, part of the reason we are not towing this year. During the time we were there, we saw many things and got to spend some time with a long-time friend, David Flick. David is a member of an Indian tribe, Cherokee I believe, but don't really remember. We had the privilege of being taken by David to a Gourd Dance. While what we witnessed was within the confines of a gym-like structure, there were many things going on outside. It was an experience that could not be duplicated. I was most impressed by exchanges of money and goods. It was like a competition to see who could be the most generous. It was truly something I will never forget.
                                                          

The white-bearded man is our friend David

Too bad I can't capture the action

 

These are the Princesses

Peace in the midst of the storms

We are in the middle of a forecast of a rainy, stormy week. It began on Saturday night, intensifying last night and is predicted to continue on and off through the week. It is a wet time for northeastern Iowa. I don't know what stage crops are in, but I think it is at least close to time for harvest, a time when rain is not desired. Other than close down our satellite dish, we make little special coach preparations for storms. We do unhook unnecessary electronics like computers, and make sure windows are shut, but we don't bring in slides (we have four) as some do. I do certainly spend a lot of time through wind, lightning and rain in prayer.

Before the rains began on Saturday, Ed and I shared a special time. We played miniature golf--I failed to mention that course in my last blog--and we had our first campfire. Can you imagine? We have lived the RV life for almost two years now, and just shared our first campfire. It was a special time for me because it was part of the peaceful time we are sharing. While I doubt I will ever intentionally schedule a month at any particular place again, the time here has been relationally peaceful. I hate actually being on the road, and become a shrew while we are driving, relaxing only when I drive and when we are camped. This month off the road has been special. And there is more to come. This weekend our son Scott will come pick us up--we are not towing this year--and take us to Jefferson City, MO for a week. That time will be spent in a hotel. That is what I call my vacation. We have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in Missouri, and hope to see most of them.

Iowa Musings

I wish I could appropriately describe this beautiful sunset. Along with the expected pinks and oranges, there were greens and grays and colors I don't think I can describe.

I really think I have to put in a word for this beautiful park in which we are spending the month. I chose it randomly, but it is really all I could ask for. The sites are larger than we have ever seen. But there is much more.

 

The park is called Lazy Acres, in Urbana, IA, but it really isn't designed for lazy people. There are many things just to walk around and look at:

Petting Zoo

No climbing

Heads are made of milk cans

Giant watering can

Bikes are provided for children to ride

Along with many things to see, there are plenty of things to do:

Ed and I stopped for a swing

A croquet set awaits on the porch

Children can ride on Saturdays

Horseshoes anyone?

Can't forget the Frisbie Golf Course

Don't know what Ga Ga ball is, but there's the set up for it.

Where the pool used to be; now just a pretty place to gather

 There is also a basketball court, a volley ball court and some things I can't identify. If you are in this part of the country, this is the park to visit. A unique treat.

New Awakenings

Yesterday was a landmark day in the Pettibone household: we learned to use some of the resources which have been available to us. We knew we had a Wifi antenna on the roof of the RV, a little black box up in one of our cabinets, and a Wifi switch on the control panel, but we didn't know what to do with any of them. If you are familiar with Newmar, you know that each motor home comes with a very large satchel filled with information. I finally (after more than 4 months of ownership) found the information in that satchel which told me how to bring the three items mentioned above into use, and voila, we have our own wifi. It is so much better than trying to share the Park's wifi, or using our hotspot when we are out of our carrier's reach. I think this is the benefit of time off from travel and the concerns of being home: we have the leisure and time to learn new things.

This morning, as I sat outside for a quiet time, I took the time to look and listen. To my right was the sun, to my left, in an almost cloudless sky, was the moon. All around me were the songs of various birds. It was a beautiful moment that would not have been captured on film, but which nonetheless was very meaningful.