Getting Ready for Christmas with the Grandkids

I arrived at State College Airport at 10:00PM Tuesday after a cramped oversold flight from New Orleans to Philly. But the PropJet flight from Philly to State College was absolutely beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky, bright lights on the ground and I don't think we got over 8000 ft during the one hour flight.

The kids were asleep and pretty soon I was, too. Wednesday I went to Corl Street School for lunch with Sarah. I stayed during "free time" and had a ball.

Thursday we went to a musical program put on by the third and fourth graders. It was the finale of their semester long study of Japan. Really cute. Then I went back and had lunch with Casey and her friends.

Saturday night Ann's mother, Carol and step-father, Bob had us all over for an Old Fashioned Christmas Dinner.



The ladies all dressed in antique clothing that Carol had found and altered to fit the girls. We talked about how things were "in the old days" - including our memories. Which to the kids really did qualify as the "OLD" days. Although they seem like yesterday to us.

Carol cooked a meal of pork roast, roasted medley of "roots" - sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beets and turnips, and beans. It was a wonderful family meal.

Bob and Carol were leaving for Myrtle Beach on Sunday afternoon, so after dinner the kids opened their presents. Both the girls got American Girl dolls and Ben got a big car track thingy that we all played with.




We left full to overflowing and I was ready to go to bed. But Tom and Ann are still young, so we took a 40 minute ride out into the country for a Winter Solstice Party at the cabin home of friends. I guess I haven't become a COMPLETE Southerner because I really did enjoy sitting around a campfire in the snowy night all bundled up, drinking beer, talking and watching the kids sleigh ride.

Church Sunday morning featured the Nativity Story presented by the kids. It was so beautiful - and different. I've been to many children's programs. This was the first one that included rapping teen "angels in training", dressed in jeans and teeshirts, who arrived on little bitty tricycles and a unicycle. The singing was great, the story was timeless and we laughed and cried and came away full of Christmas Spirit.

Sarah was a Townsperson, Casey was the Innkeeper and both were in the chorus.






Did I already say that Tom and Ann are young? After the "cast party" we went home to get ready for - we didn't know how many - Christmas carolers. Ann came up with the idea that we go caroling around the neighborhood Sunday evening and then come back to the house for a party. She invited several couples, including some of Casey and Sarah's friends and their parents. Then she put a notice in the Church bulletin inviting anybody that wanted to join us. About 20 people, of which about half were kids and teens, walked the neighborhood singing at any house that appeared to have people at home. There were a few houses where we knew the people. But most were not people that anyone in our group knew. Everyone had so much fun that they've already made plans for next year.

Monday was a quiet day, with some last minute shopping. Everybody was happy to go to bed early to make sure Santa didn't skip us. After putting out cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph.

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 !