Headed South

On Wednesday, December 12th - two days later than planned - I got everything put away, hitched up and headed towards Jackson, MS.

10 minutes out I run into a standing still traffic jam on I-81. Unfortunately, it didn't stop until just AFTER the exit that would have been my escape route. So it took me 90 minutes to go 30 miles. Not a great start.

The rest of the day was uneventful and I only hit serious traffic in Knoxville, TN.

I stopped for the night at the Wal-Mart in Scottsboro, AL. After an hour on the roughest stretch of road I've ever been on with the Airstream. It was an old fashioned poured concrete highway with expansion joints that seemed to be 10 feet apart. Whatever the distance, it hit a resonance at 60 mph that made me think the Honda was going to bounce right off the front of the truck. 50 mph only rattled the fillings out of my teeth.

I was so happy to see that Wal-Mart sign. I was the only RV in the lot and I had a quiet night's sleep.

Here's a map

I intended to get an early start but realized as I started out that I had no trailer brakes or lights. Half an hour of trouble-shooting later I was on the road with everything working.

I was still able to make it to Timberlake Campground in Brandon, MS by 3:00, thanks to the change to Central Time. It was important that I get there before 5 because the campground office closes then. I did not have a reservation. I had read on an RV review site that reservations were all placed in the concrete jungle right next to the highway. "Drive-ups" are given their choice of available spots and there are many beautiful spots right on the waters of Ross R Barnett Reservoir. The really strange part is, if you make a reservation and find the place mostly empty when you arrive, you'll forfeit your "one night's deposit" on the bad spot in order to park in a good spot. So I took my chances. I was told there were only 5 spots available. When I went to check them out I found that they were all on the water. Apparently there are a whole bunch of people who wouldn't pay double for their first night to get a lake front spot. So they're all sitting on the concrete, listening to the traffic. While I'm enjoying a waterfront site, listening to the ducks.

Here's a map of today's travels.

Brandon, MS is where my friend Lesly lives. The campground is less than a mile from her home so I would have stayed here regardless of the spot, but I am happier on the water.

We had a quiet dinner Thursday and Friday we went to Canton, MS for the Christmas Festival. All the shops around the Historic Square are open and lighted with many competing in the "Mulled Cider" competition. We aren't sure, but I'll bet that the one shopkeeper offering spiked cider won. It's a beautiful little town. Someone has donated a large collection of animated store figures. Many were true antiques but I also spotted several from the original Disney World's "It's a Small Small World." I wondered where they all went.



Local history says that the citizens of Canton weren't really supportive of seceding from the Union and didn't fire at the Union Troops. So the Courthouse and surrounding buildings were not burned. It's one of the oldest still original cities in Mississippi.

Lesly and I had fun shopping and people watching. Saturday was supposed to be Honda day, but it dawned cold and rainy.

Saturday evening we went to see The Nutcracker, put on by Ballet Manificat, a Christian Missionary dance group. A truly professional group with a very different version of the story. Instead of a nutcracker, Grandpa gives Clara the family Bible. The battle is between the Devil and Angels. Clara visits Heaven and sits with Jesus while the nations of the world pay homage to Him in dance. It was a beautiful story, beautifully presented.

On Monday I headed back to Irish Bayou and found a worse stretch of road than the one in Alabama. I drove most of the length of I-55 at 45mph, with everything in and on the truck and Airstream bouncing all over the place. But I arrived at Vince and Lonnie's safe and sound.

Map

I'll only spend one night here. Then I'll fly to State College to be with my grandkids for Christmas.

Although it still gets a little hectic sometimes,

Life is Good !

A Short Stay in Salem

We arrived back in Salem on Friday, November 30 in time for me to go to a party at the home of Phylis and Wayne Parker, long time friends from Church. Phylis prepared several wonderful hors d'oeuvres and some incredible desserts. We all ate WAY too much. I'm sure everyone there would agree with me that they're great hosts. It's so much fun to go where it's obvious that the hosts love being hosts.

I stopped back the following week to talk with Wayne. I was his excuse for stopping lawn work for a little while. Just reminded me how much I love my new life style.

The week included seeing my Goddaughter, Erin for the last time before her 21st Birthday. She's too grown up to suit me now. It'll really be hard to see her next spring after her birthday. I didn't get to go to this Christmas Party, but it's the most recent picture of her I have



I invited some friends to join me at the "Holiday Pops Spectacular" with the Roanoke Symphony, Salem Choral Society, Roanoke College Children's Choir and UNA Dance Theater. Becky Kiser and her daughter Alex, and Carol Wheeler were to be my guests. Carol and I got to the Civic Center early. I was very sorry to receive a phone call from Becky, about 30 minutes before curtain to tell me that both she and Alex were sick and couldn't come. That nasty winter "thing" that was going around had hit both of them at the same time.

I just couldn't stand to waste two tickets so I went to a couple waiting in line to get to a ticket window. When I asked if they were waiting to buy tickets or were they in the "will call" line, the lady said, "We're waiting to buy tickets. The show is almost sold out, so I know they'll be way in the back but my husband was out of town and we weren't sure he'd be back in time so I didn't buy them in advance."

I said, "Well, here are tickets for two really good seats. Enjoy - and Merry Christmas." When they sat down next to us and we started talking we discovered that she had been a substitute teacher and knew all three of my kids. It really is a small world, especially in a town the size of Salem !

I had friends in every one of the performing groups but I especially wanted to see Maria Jessee dance. She's the young lady I talked about in my October 10th blog. It was a major "inbetween" just learning that she was dancing. When I had talked with her in October she told me she was dancing in The Nutcracker but the performance was after I'd be gone. So I didn't think I'd get to see her dance again this trip. But I saw Unurbat Gunaajav, the director of UNA Dance Theater in the grocery store and asked him what they were doing for Christmas. He told me that they were dancing with the Roanoke Symphony. Even though Maria was dancing with another group, he said that he had asked her to dance for him as well. She agreed. Oh, and the only reason I saw Unur was that I had forgotten something and had to make a second trip to Kroger's. AND it would be the first time I'd get to see Maria "en pointe."

The concert was great and the dancing was exquisite. Thanks to the wonders of cell phones, Maria's mother was able to direct me to the "stage door" after the performance so I could give Maria roses

I haven't seen them at Church because they've been going to the Saturday evening Mass so it was great so talk with the whole family, even for a short time.

One more performance before I headed south - Emily Milan (see Dec 13th blog) was performing in "A Christmas Story" at the "Showtimers" theater. Emily is on the far right on the poster. And, again "Tinkerbell Jerusalem" came through. All performances were sold out and with little-to-no encouragement they put my name on the waiting list for cancellations. The day before the performance I got a call - one ticket available. Funny, funny show. When I went back stage to see Emily, I also saw Jane Brill, the Director. She was Tom's English teacher at Salem High. I DID say that Salem was a "small world" didn't I?

I'm so Blessed to have so many incredible young people in my life. It's hard to leave them, but after a couple of days running errands it was time to head south. Email and cell phones do keep us all in touch. And I'll be back next year to see them again.