Great Adventure of 2019: Part 1

We've been home from our Great Adventure of 2019 for 3 months and I'm just getting around to writing about it! This was a trip we started planning a few years ago, but then my Daddy passed away so we put it on hold. Our destination: The Canadian Maritimes. CH visited when he & a friend rode motorcycles to Newfoundland & Labrador but it was my first time to visit Canada. I went through 6 new states on the way. When we began to seriously plan our route, I had a request: to spend a day in New Hampshire with a friend. It turned out to be a good rest-day for CH after 2 days of driving.

Ready for our Great Adventure of 2019!

The first day of driving was smooth...until we were in WV. We hit a lot of torrential rain, wind, and thunderstorms for about 2 hours. We weren't sure if we were going to reach our planned destination but we did. We found a hotel just outside of Hershey, PA. There were 2 hotels side-by-side and we chose the one with a covered entrance. Note to self: don't ever choose a hotel because it has a covered entrance when it's raining! The young lady at the front desk was very helpful when it came to suggesting someplace to eat. I thought the room was okay, but CH said I didn't look very closely at it. Glad he said that as we left and not as we got there; I definitely would have had to ask for another room. 

Looked like a sunny day for Day #2

Day 2 was completely smooth. We pulled off the interstate somewhere in Connecticut for lunch. We talked with another couple and asked about a town square in this particular town. We were told there wasn't one in this town, but if we went about 10 miles down the road we would see a very typical New England town square. It was really nice to get off the interstate & see some of the countryside. In fact, we didn't get back onto the interstate until we left NH and traveled into Canada.

I have no idea where we were, just that we were in CT somewhere. In the town the lady directed us to, there was a very old cemetery. We found it very interesting that there was a plot literally right in a schoolyard. 

If I'm not mistaken, most of these (if not all) were memorials, not graves.

Found a gnome!

Some of the grave markers were too worn to see the dates

The cemetery was a good place to stop and stretch our legs a bit before we traveled on to see my friend. Annie is a fellow Speech/Language Pathologist and blogger who I "met" online some years ago. We met in person a few years ago in New Orleans at a conference. I couldn't believe I was in her town!

Shortly after this picture, CH showed me how to change the selfies so it wasn't backward!

We stayed at The Common Man Inn. The room was very spacious and there were pictures of the area all around the halls. The grounds were beautiful; it was nice to just sit and enjoy.

 Annie & her husband met us for dinner that night. I just couldn't believe I was in NH with her! We laughed & laughed, and then laughed some more.

The next day, they took us around town. The claim to fame of this town is not only a college but also a plant that makes baseball gloves...Babe Ruth had a glove from here.

There were stone walls all over the place...reminded me of Ireland!

Sculptured Rocks was a really cool place. It made the rocks and the river in the Great Smoky Mountains pale in comparison. 

Standing on a bridge looking down

As an added plus, I got to see Annie's Speech Room!

I also got to see her house (which is an old farmhouse with amazing fireplaces) and sit on her back porch. I ended the day with a severe headache so we had to cut our day a little short. CH & I went back to the inn. I really hope they come down to see us at some point so we can show them around the Smokies.

The first leg of our trip was done. We were ready to cross the border and get to New Brunswick!

Thursday "Thangs"

~  Today is day one of two for professional development.  These 2 days are counted as "Banking Days" for next year.  On our school calendar, we used to have "Optional PD Days"; the board has changed the name to "Banking Days".  Next year we have 3.  So, we can earn 3 days off by doing 3 days worth of PD during the summer, as long as we have certificates stating that we earned them.  

~  YS managed to pull out a "C" in Algebra!  WHEW!  He came through in the last hour!

~  MS has been working at the Destination Imagination Global Finals last week and this week.  He's making some good money, which is good since he owes his daddy!

~  CH & I got a good laugh while watching Wheel of Fortune last night:  there were 2 brothers on a team who were from El Salvador.  The puzzle they won:  Red and Green Chili Peppers.  What did they win for solving the puzzle?  A trip to Central America!

~  I love it when CH brings me a surprise, even when I tell him to bring me one.  He went to Wally World last night and asked if I needed/wanted anything.  I couldn't think of anything I wanted, so I told him to bring me a surprise...something he thinks I would like.  Here's what he came back with:

I didn't see it in when it was in the theater, so hopefully it's worth buying it!  It got rave reviews from ASHA (the American Speech Language Hearing Association), so it must be pretty good.

~  Here's a find:

Magnum White Chocolate Bar.  I read on someone's blog (sorry I can't remember whose it was!) that the chocolate ones weren't very good, but I really liked the white chocolate.  A bit pricey compared to other ice cream novelty bars:  there are only 3 to a box.

~  Ally got her stitches out on Tuesday.  The vet tech said that when they were prepping her for surgery a couple of weeks ago, they were putting the junk on her stomach, and the bladder stones were just falling out.   The vet said that when they put her on the operating table, there was a nice little pile of stones laying on the table where she had been.  She said she had never seen anything like it.  Ally seems to be a lot happier; she'll be even happier after next Tues. when she gets to go to the "beauty parlor" to get a hair cut!

~  Is blogger doing anything "funky" with anyone else while trying to post pictures?  Sometimes I'll have to choose the picture and click "post" 3 or 4 times before it will insert it.  Very aggravating!

What kind of "thangs" are going on in your world today?

To Make You Laugh

A friend posted this video on FB.  I thought it was hilarious!  I know that the stereotype of southerners is that we're not that smart, and this pretty much sheds a bad light on SC Education.  (When we lived in SC, we used to say that the state's education model was "Thank God for Mississippi" because SC was ranked 49th in the country, and MS was 50th.)  If it had been someone with a northern accent, I think it would've still been funny!  The fun begins around 1 minute into the video.




Now that I have you laughing, prepare to be amazed!  My FIL sent this video to me.  Really cool (the trying on part..the signing kind of creeped me out)!

It's Gonna Get Crazy

This week is going to be absolutely C-R-A-Z-Y.  District Soccer Play begins tonight:  It's do or die time:  If they lose from here on out, they're done.    They shouldn't have too much of a problem tonight:  they beat the other team by 8 goals the first time they met.  Tomorrow may be a little iffy:  If they play the team I think they will, it may be close.  MS' team only won by 1 goal during the regular season.  If they win tomorrow, I think they'll play again on Thursday for the district championship.  And, if it plays out the way we hope it does, they will be playing either the team that beat them by 2 goals 2 weeks ago, or the team that beat them by 1 last week (those 2 teams tied during their regular season game).

On top of all the soccer going on, I'll be finishing up meetings this week, winding down the school year.  (Only 1 more Monday!)   I'll have one more meeting next week:  The last week of school!

And, to top that off, MS graduates on Friday.  That means a few out of town guests, a house that needs to be cleaned, weeds that need to be killed, a cake, fruit tray, and veggie tray that need to be ordered, and figuring out what else we're going to eat after the ceremony.  I.will.not.get.stressed.  My mom asked if there was anything she could do.  Sure, mom...how about letting us borrow your yard so that the dogs won't be in anybody's way?  Unfortunately, we don't have a fenced in yard so the girls can't be out without supervision.  That's where my parents' yard comes in very convenient!

I hope everybody had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I woke up to this on the kitchen table:

I was also given this card:

Just in case you can't read what it says, here's a close-up:

Yes, I was laughing when I read it!  MS must've taken a lot of time looking for "that special card"! He said that it was stuck in with the Mother's Day cards, and didn't realize it said "Birthday" until he was home.  He keeps us laughing, for sure!  He redeemed himself with this:

WHAT?  I'm on a what?  I know, I know, but sssshhhhh, don't tell MS that I've cut out sugar!  I did have one...just one, mind you!  Surely if I just have one a day, it won't hurt, will it?  I mean, it's not like there are a bunch in the bag; there can't be more than 10 in there.

I spent a little time down at my mom & dad's house in the afternoon.  My sister, Jeffy, her husband, and my brother (the guitar player)  were there while I was there.  (I've gotta tell y'all something about Jeffy:  she rides a Harley:  not a girlie sportster, either.  I got educated on such things while I was visiting with them this afternoon.)  That's one of the neat things about living in my hometown:  getting to see my parents and siblings without having to think about a 4 hour drive, or getting home at a decent hour to get the boys in bed because they have school the next day. 

Anyway, back to me:  we were going to go to dinner at a new place in town that just opened up last week.

 We tried to go there on Friday night, but were told there was a 90-140 minute wait.  When we pulled in the parking lot, it looked as full as it did Friday, so we went to Chili's instead.  We only had about a 15 minute wait.  As we were leaving, it was getting pretty packed.  We're really getting uptown now: Here's what opens up today:

It's going to be about a month before we get into eat at that restaurant; betcha! 

If my postings aren't as frequent this week (especially at the end of the week), don't lose any sleep over it:  I'll just be really busy!

Hope everybody has a spectacular week!

May 4 Episode of Tuesdays Unwrapped

 

It's time again for another Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Emily at Chatting at the Sky .

"Beware of him who hates the laugh of a child."

Johann Kaspar Lavater

Today, I am thankful for children's laughter.  At times it is inappropriate,  but it is still contagious.  I remember sitting in class as a child, not being able to control my laughter.  I knew it wasn't an appropriate time, but I couldn't hold it in.  Nothing in particular set me off, I just had to giggle.  And, of course, that made the person next to me giggle, and so on, and so on.  

Working in a school, I hear children's laughter quite often.  It's a sign of a happy school; one that allows the children to act their age.  It's a school that lets the children learn by having fun, and have fun in their learning.   

One reason I'm thankful for children's laughter has to do with a blog that SouthLakesMom recommended to me:  Momastery.  Glennon's sister was a guest host on her blog; her post was about her visit to the Mother Theresa  orphanage in Rwanda.  Her heart-wrenching post made me so very thankful that God saw fit to put me where he did...in the U.S.A.  The kids at my schools may not have the most ideal life, but they are so much better off than those children.  Do the children in the orphanage laugh?  Did Glennon's sister hear the children's laughter?   Do they know the feeling of uncontrollable giggling for no apparent reason?  Do the children know what it's like to have a big "belly laugh"?

I triple dog dare you to watch this video without laughing:

It's the Ultimate Party

I love a good party!  I've seen this banner/button on a few blogs, and SusanD.at This Day! is partying over on her blog.  So, I decided to check it out.  So, get your beverage of choice, finger foods, music, and let's get this party started!

Click on the button either at the top of this post or on my sidebar to find out all about it.  Since I'm new to blogging, this will introduce me to new blogger friends.  There's even a chance to win some free stuff!  To me, the only thing better than going to a party and meeting new people is coming away with some free stuff!

First and foremost, I'm a mom of 3 boys, 1 of whom (OS) has flown the nest and is in college.  Middle son (MS) will be flying in August, but he's staying close to home.  Youngest Son (YS) is still in high school.  We live in the SE U.S.A., in a small town in Tn.  after living in Ga. & SC.  We are living in the same small town (in fact, the same neighborhood) where I grew up, although I have never lived her as an adult until 6 years ago.  I come from a  large family (there are 10 of us), and most of my brothers  & sisters have moved back home.  I felt left out and thought it was time to come back home.  The town we live in is a wonderful place to raise children;  I'm extremely glad my husband was supportive of me to move home.  I guess it made it easier that he is a military brat who was used to moving around anyway, as oppose to me whose parents live in the same house that they've been in for 47 years.

I'm a full-time working mom; I love my job!  Working in a school system has its advantages (breaks & snow days!), and the kids keep me laughing.  That's what life should be all about:  laughing and being happy.  I used to play tennis in the summer with an "old ladies' group", but I'm going to take this summer off.  I love to read (I have so many books on my list but not enough time...especially since I've discovered blogging!), cook (the clean up:  not so much!), watch movies, go to hockey games (semi-pro), watch college football, college women's basketball (but only if a certain team is playing!), take my 2 little girls for walks in the park (as long as there aren't any other dogs in the park), and take rides in the mountains. 

As you may have guessed by the 9 siblings, I am a Catholic.  I am rediscovering my faith and struggling to be a faithful follower.  I'm very friendly, honest, and loyal.  I love learning about different cultures!  So, if you visit my blog, you may read about my boys, my dogs, my husband, high school sports, college sports, being an almost empty-nester, living in a small town, being Catholic in a small southern town, books, etc.  In other words, just a whole hodge-podge of things!

But, enough about me!  Hop on over to see what the noise is about at 5 Minutes for Mom:  The Ultimate Party Blog and meet some new friends!  Who knows, you may be one of the lucky ones who leaves with a prize!

As far as the prizes:
Of course my first choice is to win the Grand Prize:  a Toshiba laptop  from 5 Minutes for Mom  (Might as well dream big, right?).
My realistic top choices are:  Be My Guest Certificate (2 night stay) from Hilton Garden Inn, Soy Collection Moisturizing Candles Gift Set from Soy Delicious Moisture Candles, or a $100 Gift Certificate to Restaurant.com from Thrifty.Jinxy.
If I should happen to not win any of the above, here are my other choices in no particular order (from the US Continental Only Prize List):
28, 32, 36, 37, 49, 57, 70, 73, 74, 75, 82, 87, 88

Y'all have a good time and come back soon!

Snuggle Bunny is 18!

Middle Son is 18 today!  Looking back, it's so hard to believe that he's all grown up.  Well, mostly.  He was 2 weeks late coming into the world.  I just knew I was going to have him before my birthday (29 March) because I was not going to be 30 and having a baby!  Yes, I know he is the middle son; and yes, God has a great sense of humor!  My birthday came, but I didn't panic...he had until 3:00 p.m. to make his entrance because I was born around that time, so technically I wouldn't be 30 until then.  And, my birthday went.  Full moon came, full moon went.  New moon came, new moon went.  And still no baby. So, the decision was made to induce.  My in-laws came up to take care of OS.  8 April 1992.  I spent the whole day hooked up to pitocin.  People came, people went, babies were born.  Around 6:00, they asked if I wanted to go home.  I didn't think there was any sense in me laying around just waiting, so off we went.  I thought once they took me off of the drip, the contractions would go away.  A couple of hours later, we went back to the hospital.  I was only dilated 3 centimeters.  Bummer.  They gave me some demoral, and told me to go home and not come back until I was doubled over.  I went home and slept until I woke up, ran to the bathroom, and lost what I had eaten the day before.  Luckily one of my sisters had gotten sick with her oldest one, so I knew what was going on.  My husband and I talked for a few minutes about whether or not we should go back to the hospital.  On the way, I told my husband that if they told me I was still just 3 cm, I was going to tell them to cut me open 'cause I wanted that baby out!  Turns out he was crowning, no time for an epidural, so I had all 9 pounds, 1 ounce of him natural.  And so begins the adventure that is MS' life.

After going through two sets of tubes in his ears and an adenoidectomy, we had a couple of big scares.  The first one was when he was 3 years old.  The dr. thought he had meningitis...the deadly kind.  Turns out he had Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, and apparently it was caught early; he didn't have any after effects from it.  You know, there is no feeling as helpless as hearing your baby screaming for you as the hospital staff is holding him down, about to stick a big needle in his back.  Thinking about it still makes me cry.

The next scare was when he was 6.  He had to see a pediatric oncologist because he had a tonsil that had been enlarged for months.  The oncologist took one look at him and said that it wasn't it.  MS did have to have his tonsils taken out.  The ENT came to me after and said that his tonsil wasn't enlarged, it was inverted.  Weird.  Then again, he did have the chicken pox twice.  We've only had bumps, scrapes, and bruises since then.

He has always been a mess.  He would go and go and go until he just couldn't go anymore.  I have a picture (which some day I will scan those old pictures in!) of  him on Christmas Day in the middle of the hallway, fast asleep.  When I wanted him to take a nap, I would have to lay down beside him and let him play with my hair.  Of course, the trick was for me to stay awake until he fell asleep!  If that didn't happen, I was asking for trouble!  He would gather my hair at the top of my head and say, "Just like a princess!"  Right after YS was born, he was suppose to be taking a nap.  I get a call from a neighbor down the street, and he says that we have a streaker up here.  I had fallen asleep, and YS was in his swing.  I figured MS had his pull-up on, but when I went across the street (where my neighbor was having a Mary Kay open house), all he had on were his water shoes.  I think OS was a bit embarrassed.  I've got a million of these stories, but I'll have to pace myself!

When he was around 9, he played football.  During a game, he drop-kicked this kid because he was talking about his mama.  If you don't know what a drop-kick is, check out this video.  The clip around :42 may be offensive, so you may want to pause it, let it download, then move the button over to 1:36.



I don't think he said, "I love my mama very much...now you know that", but he and the other boy did get kicked out of the game.  MS thought his coach had just taken him out of the game for a rest!  MS played football all four years of high school; the first 2 years he played tennis in the spring, then switched over to soccer for his junior &  senior years.  However, he never drop-kicked anyone else.

I love the young man MS has turned into.  There were times when I thought he wasn't going to have a conscience and wasn't going to ever calm down.  His 5th grade teacher said that she had a rough time trying to keep up with him and coming up with things to keep him busy.  MS has a great sense of humor; he makes me laugh, even when he doesn't mean to or doesn't want me to.  He is a loyal friend and a good listener.  He always has a good time, and makes friends fast.  He has a heart as big as Texas.  He never cried much, but when he did, they were these big crocodile tears that would melt my heart.  I tell all of my boys that they are my favorite (and they believe it).  Today, MS, you are my favorite!

Make a free slideshow design Thanks going out to Joyce at From This Side of  the Pond for the Smilebox idea.  I tried to get a slideshow in the post using photobucket but wasn't able to get it to cooperate!  And, yes, I'm cheap...I didn't put out the money to add music, so sing along to your favorite song while you watch the show!

What a Weekend!

First, a little background:  my husband & I lived in a small town (population 33,045)  in Ga. after we first got married.  When we first moved there, we didn't like it there, weren't staying, had 3 babies there, stayed for 11 years; I cried when we moved to a small town (population 67,339) in SC.  (This town seemed like a big town to me!)  We stayed there for 9 years, until I decided I was ready to move home to be closer to my family.  So, we moved to a very small town (population 7,744)  in Tennessee.  This weekend we went back to the town in SC to visit  (ST, SC).  We have wonderful friends there, and there are great little places to eat, not just chain restaurants like they do here in our town in Tn.  So, we went on an "eating tour" of the town this weekend!
First, since it was Good Friday and therefore a "no meat" day, we went to The Mayflower:

(Let me preface this by saying all 4 of us had completely fasted all day except for 1 small snack midday...MS didn't even have that.)  We had these huge (even though they called them the "regular") plates of fried baby shrimp and some cole slaw, but y'all, the hushpuppies they bring out before the meal are to die for!  I completely forgot about the hushpuppies!  They are shaped like onion rings, and are always brought to the table hot.  Dip them in a little tub of honey butter, and OOO-EEE!  You have to really watch how many you eat, otherwise you won't have room for your dinner!  Okay, we're off to a great start; so far so good!

Saturday morning we went to a bagel/coffee shop.  It used to be across the street from the small university in town; it was in a converted house.  Lots of character.  Now it's in a small strip mall.  That should've been our first warning.  We were highly disappointed.  When these 2 sisters first opened the shop, they made their own bagels, and my boys loved the cinnamon rolls we used to get there.  They were huge, and were homemade.  Anyway, the sisters had gone out to Colorado and lived, learning how to make these bagels.  The sisters had the shop for a while, until they started having babies, then they sold it to a man who either was retired or was just about to retire.  The bagel my husband had on Saturday tasted store-bought, as did the cinnamon rolls, and the rolls were not as big.  The cappuccino had me wishing we had found a Starbucks or even a Panera.  So sad; the atmosphere was gone, and along with it, the flavor!  Here's what it looks like now:

My husband said he was glad I paid for it; he would've asked for his money back!  Here I am with the original sign.

After b'fast, we went over to see some friends.  She was the first person I met when we moved:  our husbands knew each other from work, and when we went to ST, SC to look for a house, my husband introduced us after church.  We picked up right where we left off.  Okay, not exactly, because when we left they had 5 kids and now they have 7.  It was so good talking and catching up with what everybody had been doing for the past 6 years.  Here we are (I was so excited I think I was choking her!):

Next stop on eating our way through ST, SC was our favorite hot dog place.

It is still in the same place, you still have to park in the back (unless you're lucky enough to get there as someone in the front is leaving), and it is still packed with customers!  The hot dogs were still really, really good.  When we were looking for a house, our realtor (who is originally from there...there aren't a whole lot of people who actually grew up in ST, SC) introduced us to Ebenezer Grill and Cherry-Lemon Sundrop, complete with an actual cherry in it.  The boys were crazy over it!  Well, now they're serving Cherry Mountain Dew...YS said not quite the same, but close.

My husband took a picture of the footlong hot dog:

MMMMM-MMMM, those hot dogs are good!  I'm sure the customers were thinking we were really strange and weird for taking pictures of the food and drink, but when you've had them on a regular basis and then don't have it for a while, you don't take them for granted!  Here's the husband and YS coming out:

Whew, were we full!  But, we had more to relive!  After our hotdogs, we went by to see the woman who was the lead Speech Pathologist when I worked for the school system.  Again, we picked up right where we left off!  She is an amazing woman!  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture with her (what was I thinking!).  She is such a sweet, wonderful person!
Next stop:  a shaved ice/ice cream stand not far from where we lived:

YS had a hard time deciding what to get:  Tigers' Blood Shaved Ice?  Peanut Butter Chocolate Milkshake?  Ice cream?  He finally decided on ice cream (don't remember what flavor):

Then, we went by our old neighborhood for visits.  We saw the people who live across the street first...they were outside working in the yard.  Then, we went up the street and saw a couple of other neighbors, including our neighbor's son who had a break from motocross racing this weekend.  He is in his first professional season, so we were glad we were able to see him!  He has turned out to be such a nice young man, and the way he treats his little sister (who is now in 5th grade) is just the sweetest.  Our memories of him include watching him riding up the street on his dirtbike, doing a wheelie the whole way up!  We also got to meet one of our neighbor's adopted grandson.  And, it just so happens we introduced his parents to each other!  Always glad when there's a happy ending!  The grandson is just adorable; the pictures on Facebook just don't do him justice!

After the neighborhood visit, we met our friends that we saw that morning at our favorite wing place.  They have moved locations and have opened up another location, but it was still excellent!

We ended up staying there for at least 2 hours talking, eating, and laughing.

Sunday morning we went to Easter Mass at the church we had been attending when we moved.  This parish began as a mission church for the African-American Community.  They built a new sanctuary after we left because they had outgrown the old one.  It's still fairly small, but is absolutely gorgeous!  This isn't your typical Catholic Mass...the singing is fantastic; I have always left Mass with a smile on my face!  The "Glory" is awesome; people clap (yes, clapping to the music during Mass...I told you it wasn't typical!), and the soloist is incredible.  I had tears in my eyes during so much of that Mass; you can just feel the love in that parish.  The priest who has been assigned to that parish is very ill; I understand that hospice has been called in.  So, we didn't see him, but the priest who was in charge of the parish we originally went to when we moved there was in the congregation at yesterday's Mass.  He is an elderly priest whose health is failing.  We didn't get a chance to speak to him; he left as soon as the Mass was over.  We did get to see some friends whose daughters babysat for us, but their girls are all grown up and our friends are now grandparents.  We were commenting on how the kids all have grown, but we look the same!
We had a tradition of going out to eat at a Chinese Buffet with some friends.  We would sit the 8 kids at one table and the parents would sit at another.  Yesterday we sat with these friends during Mass, then went to eat (of course!).  This would be our last stop on our "Eating Tour", and the perfect way to end it.  Our friends have 5 children:  4 girls and 1 boy.  Their boy and YS are 6 months apart, so our other 2 boys absolutely loved going out to eat with them!  Yesterday, only 3 of the girls were there, so we didn't get to see their son and the other daughter.  It's amazing to see how everyone's children have grown up!  All of our friends' daughters are absolutely gorgeous, and are such good people.
Anyway, we ended up staying in this restaurant for about 2 1/2 hours; again, talking, eating, laughing.  Here we are in front of the restaurant:

Did you catch how they're holding hands in the picture?  They are so sweet!
So, that wraps up the Eating Tour of ST, SC 2010.  I don't think I'll have to eat again for a week, but it sure was good, except for Saturday morning!  It was kind of strange being back there.  So much has stayed the same, but so much has changed.  There's a new WalMart down the street from our old neighborhood:

Yes, much to the horror of YS (who asked, "Are we really that redneck that we're fascinated by a new WalMart?"), I took pictures of it!
There's also a new grotto at the parish we attended when we first moved there:

It was so peaceful to sit there for a few minutes by myself with the birds chirping to give thanks to Mary for saying "yes" and accepting the heartache that she endured.  This grotto was in the planning stages when we left.  In the church, there is a new "background" (I don't know what else to call it!) on the altar (it used to be  all brick):

To get to the church, there is now a roundabout right outside of the entrance:

There is a new middle school and 2 new elementary schools which were built in the past 6 years.  But, the Civita Statues are still there (but very few people-including me- can tell you exactly why they're there!):

The water tower next to the hospital still has a dogwood flower on it:

The daycare my kids went to is still there and still has the same name:

The Oratory is still beautiful in the Spring:

As is the small university in this town:

The YMCA is still the place to be:

And, when you're 45 minutes away, this greets you to let us know we're getting closer to ST:

We had such a great visit with such great friends.  One of the best things about ST was that our friends were centered around the Church.  Someone told me that it's not like that anymore; things change-sometimes for the better, sometimes, well, not so much.  Our friends that we met through our church have scattered and are going to different parishes.  It pains me to see what is going on with the Church right now.  I don't know if it's growing pains, if the Church is just trying to go a different direction with some things and people don't like the change, or what is going on.  But, I know it's not just going on in ST, SC, it's also going on in my town here in Tn.  Wonder if it's like that everywhere?
So, the agenda for today:  cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping.  I'm very glad we have another day off!  I have got to start dieting today, especially after all that eating we did over the weekend!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!