P.S.

Can't believe I forgot to include this side story when I was writing about my trip.   While I was at Jackie and Gary's house outside of St. Louis, Jackie was asking me questions about the drive and all the places I had visited.  She started giggling and said my trip was like the movie, "Ted's Excellent Adventure".   Except this was Debbie's Excellent Adventure!   And that's how the title for all the entries detailing my trip came to be.  Thanks, Jackie, for the inspiration.

The End,
Debbie

Just thought you'd want to know!

What's next?

I don't know about you, but I have so many hobbies that sometimes it's hard to decide which one to play with next!   There won't ever be a time when I feel bored because there are so many interesting skills I'd like to acquire.   It seems that my interests fluctuate seasonally, or at least over a period of months.   I'll get hooked on an idea for a quilting project and then all I want to do is quilt for a few months.   Then, some yarn will catch my eye and I break out my knitting needles and knit for hours on end.  

Besides the time I spend with my sweet family, working on creative projects brings me the most satisfaction I have ever felt.  Now that I'm back from my trip, I"m slowly getting back into the rhythm of our home life.   I've never been one to watch TV for hours on end, but Joel loves to.   One of the ways we "hang out" together is in the living room.   While he watches his favorite shows, I do handwork;  win-win for both of us.  It doesn't matter if it's hand quilting, embroidery or knitting, I just like to have something useful to occupy my hands.

Lynn and I went shopping at a very upscale store while I was in Kansas City.  As we were leaving I spotted this jacket.   It's more teal than this photo shows and I just couldn't seem to resist it.   She insisted I try it on, ha!   The kiss of death!   You should never try on something you are so attracted to because then you'll HAVE to buy it.   Well, here it is.   Yes, I bought it!  The lightweight wool is some of the softest I have ever laid my hands on and the tailoring is exquisite.   If there's one thing I really appreciate, it's high quality sewing.  

The scarf on the jacket is one I knitted last winter and it's one of my favorite things out of all the garments I've made over the years.   It is knitted in pie-wedged shapes so that when you wear it, it falls in ripples.   Too fun!

See what I mean?  Pretty cool, huh?

There is a little boutique knitting store only a few blocks from our house and every once in a while I drop in to see what's new.   The scarf above was made from Prism yarn (which, by the way, is a St. Petersburg yarn dying artist's company) and the included pattern I bought there.    About the same time that I bought that funky yarn, I spotted a book of patterns using very fine, mohair yarn.   The romantic styles in the book were just too appealing to resist.   Then, I had to buy the yarn to go with it!   Of course!
And here is what I made:   a scarf and.....some gloves.

The scarf can be worn like a wrap on a cool evening and has tiny beeds knitted into the lacey design.   I'd never knitted using beads before but found it was a great challenge I enjoyed.  The fingerless gloves intrigued me so much that I had to try my hand at making a pair.   Thank goodness it was cold enough quite a few days last winter that I actually had opportunities to wear them.  They are great to wear while driving a car because you can still use your fingers to answer the cell phone, etc.   

The latest knitting challenge I had was teaching myself how to knit socks.   Socks are really strange to make as you use 3 double ended needles and knit around and around so there isn't a seam to annoy your feet when wearing them.   It was really awkward figuring out how to hold the needles comfortably, but I finally figured out a way that worked for me.  Here's what I've finished so far.

And they're cozy, too!   I've already got another pair of socks on my needles and should have them done in a couple weeks.  Well, it's time to get some things done around the house.   Hope you get cooler weather wherever you are.........

Happy Fall,

Debbie

Oh-My-Scrumptious!

Are you a Foodie?   I think I'm a Foodie.   I love to grow food, I love to smell food, I love to cook and bake food, and I really love to eat food.  Yup.  It's official.   I'm a Foodie.

Remember when I told you I stopped at an orchard coming south through Missouri a couple weeks ago?   Well, I bought some apples there and  then Barb had picked some pears for me at a friends house near her in Alabama.   After I got my car unpacked from the trip and did forty nine loads of laundry (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit) it was time to do something with the fruit before it spoiled.

Yum, here comes the good part.   Two of my crock pots came out of hiding and after peeling, coring, and slicing the apples, they went into the crock pots along with a little water, sugar and nutmeg.   By the end of the day I had chunky applesauce! 

Now, just what do you do with pears?   When I was a kid I remember my Aunt Etta canning pears from her trees so they'd have fruit all winter.   Didn't think I had enough pears to do that, so, I had to come up with Plan B.  Barb makes a delicious jam called Pear Honey, so, I got her recipe (actually, it's Paula Deen's) and started peeling. 

You just cook it down until it turns a gorgeous honey color and thickens and then it's ready to be put in jars and go through the canning process.   Now, I get a little nervous about canning.   Hey, I can't help it!   It's the nurse in me.  All those classes I took in microbiology make me far too aware of all the organisms that can make you sick if you don't do things just right. 

Well, you know what?    Everything went just fine.   I read cookbooks like other people read novels and I had been boning up on "how to" do this the right way.    It's been a few years since I canned anything but it all came back to me once I got into it. 

All you need are a few tools of the trade.   Doesn't that blue handled thing look like something you'd use to birth a calf?   Hey, I'm just sayin'!

Ta-Da!  Success!   And it tastes good, too!   Now I can't wait to do a few more jars of......hmmm, I need to figure out what I want to can next.

But wait.  There's more!   Wait till you see what I made 2 nights ago.

Make a yeast dough.   Saute onions till brown.   Cook 1 lb., yes I said 1 lb. of bacon and crumble.  Roll out dough, spread onions and bacon over dough.   Roll up and slice.

Put in pan.  Now let rise again and bake.

Can you smell it yet?

Eat and repeat.  Can I get an Amen, sister?  Is it any wonder I don't lose any weight?  Too bad.   I'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and bitchy.  Enough said.

I'm just sayin',
Debbie

D's "E. A.", Part Eleven

Days 15 & 16: 

I just couldn't bear the thought of getting back in the car for another 11-1/2 hour drive so soon after arriving at Barb's.   We decided I should rest a whole day before attempting the last leg of the trip home to Pinellas County.  It was a pleasure to putter around in the sewing room with Barb and wander through the gardens and woods.  Even though I've enjoyed living in a bustling county for over 30 years, there is still a very big part of me that yearns for my own place in the country.  Is it true that as we get older, our lives come full circle and we revert back to the things and places of our childhood?  Let me know if you figure that out, ok?

Thanks, Barb, for all the fun I had doing projects with you.  It was just like old times; stenciling, sewing, knitting, gardening and all the other crazy things we managed to get ourselves involved in. 

I wish you and Chuck many, many years of sitting on your front porch while you survey your "kingdom".   Giggle.......my hat's off to "The Lady of Lawrence County".


Now it was clearly time for me to start for home.  The morning was cool (only in the 50's!) as I drove down the curvy lane and onto the country road leading to the highway.   These cotton fields were everywhere and I just had to stop and shoot a couple of pics for you to see. 

Do you see the white cotton boll in among the leaves?   It was a little too soon for the cotton to be ready for harvest, so the plants only had a few splotches of white chunks of raw cotton on them.   Soon it would be harvest time.

Six hours later I was ready to cross into Florida once again.   Home couldn't be that far away, could it?  

Wow!   Back in the Eastern Time Zone ...........only 7 more hours or so to go.   It was around 7pm when I finally pulled into our driveway.   The palm trees were swaying and the sun was dropping low into the Gulf of Mexico when I hauled my weary body out of the car.  Before going into our house I jotted down the odometer reading.   It really was good to be back home......Jeremy and Joel greeted me with as much enthusiasm as I felt about seeing both of them.  I'm glad I made this journey, but I'm really glad to be back home again.

Number of days on the trip: 16
Cost of gasoline: $534.54
Wedding pulled off: One
Friends visited: Three (plus Barb's twice)
States driven: Six
Miles logged: 3,057.9 miles
Rest areas visited: Who counted those?
Memories made: Countless & Priceless

Maybe by next year I'll be ready for another trip,
Debbie

D's "E. A.", Part Ten (It's almost over, I promise)

Day 14:  Today was the first time during the whole trip that I started to doubt my ability to drive the rest of the way home.  I had been burning the proverbial candle at both ends and was now paying the price for it.  Really, I need to drive HOW many hours today?!?  Ok, ok, I'm in the car again, but at least I'm heading south.........in the right direction.........at least I think I am.

I wanted to show you something.   It just tickles me that in Missouri, the smaller roads have letter names instead of numbers, like highway K.   So I took a pic of this roadsign for you to see for yourself.   Some of the roads have double letters such as highway BB.   Isn't that funny?

The previous week when I was driving north toward Kansas City I had noticed this orchard stand along the highway and wrote down the exit number so I could stop there on my way home.   Well, now that I was heading home I did stop there after leaving Jackie's house and wasn't disappointed.   They had early apples, peaches, mums and so many other goodies that I had to restrain myself from loading up the remaining free space in my car.   I did end up buying a large bag of apples so I could make applesauce and can it for our holiday meals.

By now it was almost lunchtime.  My stomach was empty and I went searching in the car for something to eat.   I kept a small cooler on the front seat and when I opened it, what a surprise!   Jackie had packed me a wonderful lunch and loads of finger foods so I could eat as I drove.   Thank you, Jackie, for loving on me so much!   What a thoughtful gift.  So, I sang songs with my I-Phone and munched on carrots and be-bopped down the highway.

Yeah, one state closer!  Next stop, Barb and Chuck's house.......again! 

Yup!   I'm back in the South again.   This flag was blowing in the stiff breeze as I pushed thru the northern portion of Mississippi toward Alabama.

One of these days I'd like to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway and see the Antebellum homes and plantations.   Hmmmm.....maybe next trip.

Ok, this sign just cracked me up.   No, really, I was carrying on in my car laughing and talking to myself about how funny the sign was.   I think I was getting a little punchy from all the hours on the road alone.   Hmmmm.....not a good thing, but I did have great conversations with myself!   Ha!

By dinnertime I wearily pulled into Barb's house.  What a sight for sore eyes!  I was so happy to see their place and to be able to get out of the car for a day.  They had a yummy dinner all ready to eat and a bed for me to crash on......and crash I did.

Almost to the End,
Debbie

D's "E. A.", Part Nine

Day 13: Labor Day
Lee and Lynn's household was still bustling with guests and the chairs were still set up in the backyard from the ceremony but it was time for me to head out for my next destination.    After a tearful drive down their street I turned the car around and headed for St. Louis.   Time to start heading East again.  My next stop was at Gary and Jackie's. 

Gary was the best man at our wedding over 25 years ago.   He and Joel have stayed in touch and over the years they have come to Florida a few times to see us, but we had not been up to St. Louis to see the house they built.  It was just past lunchtime when I pulled off the interstate and read the directions to their house.

Let's see, down this road for 9 miles, over the river and thru the woods......hmmmmm.....very curvy switchback turns down a steep grade, turn left  and then right, going from one little country road to the next.   Jackie "texted" me in (thank goodness because I would have missed the final turnoff for sure) and I eased onto a gravel road.    Okay, go 1.3 miles........um, very dusty and getting more remote.,   Huh.   Deadend......... at a gorgeous house........... with an incredible view.

Here's another view of the pond nestled in the valley between two ridges.

I could spend all day sitting on the screened porch just looking out on the pond and woods, listening to the wind in the trees.

Jackie walked me around the outside of the house to show me some of their beautiful, secluded property.  OH-MY-Goodness.  Simply awesome.   The wind was rustling all the leaves and rippling the pond.   A few of the trees had just barely begun to change color for fall.  I gladly flopped in a chair poolside as Jackie grilled our dinner.  Does it get much better than this?   Don't think so!

What a pretty house.........at the end of the road..........in the middle of nowhere........Awesome!

Jackie and Gary, sorry it took me so long to get up here to see your house.   It was certainly worth the wait!

Whenever I think of your place in the country, this is the picture that will come into my mind......

That night I snuggled into the guest bed and fell into a deep sleep.   I was pretty tired from the crazy schedule I'd been keeping.  The next morning I woke up to Jackie's voice reminding me I wanted to get on the road early.  Moan......as I was pulling out of their driveway, this is the last pic I took of their hideaway.  The early morning shadows were still draped across the pond.  I'll say it again, simply beautiful.

More roadtripping with Debbie tomorrow,

Traveling Girl

D's "E. A.", Part Eight (Seriously?)

Ok, so I still have a few more pics to share with you from after the wedding.  Here are Drew and Laura inside the house just moments after becoming man and wife.

And I actually got ONE picture with Lynn when we both had makeup on and were dressed in something other than "work" clothes.  Ha!   You know what I mean.....it was a bussssssy week!

This is a much clearer shot of the cross and heart symbol on the runner.

Now the wedding party can cut loose.......that is, after posing for the photographers pictures.

Of course I had to include one last shot of Drew and Laura dancing their first dance.   I pray they happily dance together for a lifetime. 

All the best to both of you,
Love,
Debbie

D's "E. A.", Part Seven

Fast forward a couple of hours and the guests are arriving.  Vicki and I scurried outside and quickly used 6" nails to secure the white runner to the earth up along the platform and all along the aisle to the last row of chairs.   While soft live music was playing  the guests were seated from the outside of the rows,  preserving the runner for the wedding party. 

Sunday, 6:15PM  Deep breath......gentlemen,  please unroll the last section of runner.



We still had one last surprise for the bride and groom.   Months ago, Lynn had emailed me a copy of a heart wrapped around a cross that was a symbol of the happy couple's love for one another.    I enlarged it on my printer several times until it was over 20" tall.  Then I used teal Ultrasuede and silver lame' to recreate their emblem.   I barely had time to sew it to the runner an hour before the ceremony so it would remain a surprise for them.

First, Lynn and Lee are escorted down the aisle.  What a handsome couple.

And here comes the bride on the arm of her proud dad.   The music was beautiful, the breeze and cool temps were perfect, the setting sun made the entire wedding scene glow while lights twinkled in the greenery.........and the bride was beaming.

 I can honestly say that I have never witnessed a couple approaching the altar that looked happier and more excited, committed and moved by the vows they were about to recite.

There was not a dry eye among the crowd as Drew and Laura spoke of their love for one another and promised a lifetime of devotion to their spouse.   What a tender, touching ceremony.........



Drew's older brother, Dave, and younger brother, Grant both look on during the touching ceremony.

And then, just that fast, it was time to present Mr. and Mrs. Drew Gooden. 

The crowd began blowing bubbles that had been handed to them when they arrived for the ceremony.

Here are some additional pics

And when the ceremony was over, there was Vicki, my cohort in crime, who so eloquently put into words all that I was feeling when she said,"We DID it!"  Make no mistake, Vicki and I were only a fraction of the team that worked on the wedding.   Months of planning and decision making were already completed when we arrived in Kansas City to be Lynn's "helper bees".   Considering that Vicki and I only met Friday night, we quickly bonded together over a three day period in our desire to help Lynn make this wedding a dream come true.   After all, what are good friends for?

It was a fun, tiring, comedic, sometimes stressful, rewarding week that I would do all over again in a heartbeat!   Thanks, Lynn, for inviting me and for including me in this wonderful memory of your life. 

Love you, girl,

Debbie