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!

{Friday Foto Friends} Sparsely Participating!

I'm participating sparsely with just a few pictures from this week & linking up with Deb from Breathing in Grace.
I thought this was a pretty cool picture. I took it one evening when I took the dogs down to my parents' house so they could run around the fenced-in yard. The big tree's reflection in the window caught my eye.

It kind of looks like the giant "leg lamp" from The Christmas Story!

Sunday evening, CH & I rode up to "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies" to meet up with some friends of ours from NJ who are vacationing down here. As we traveled close to my mountain school, we were amazed at the fire line from the fire back in November.

You can definitely see where the fire was.

This isn't a great picture, but you can see where the trees haven't grown back.

This old organ was in an area just outside of the restrooms.

We ate at a restaurant that I hadn't ever noticed before. It was very rustic inside and the food was excellent. Good Southern-style home cooking!

Halloween? Already???

This hit me when I walked into Michaels yesterday. It's 86 degrees outside in the middle of summer, and Halloween is already up? But...wait. I saw this when I turned a corner:

You've got to be kidding.

So...how is it in your neck of the woods? Hotter than blue blazes but the stores are trying to get you cooled off with visions of Halloween & Christmas being right around the corner? Ridiculous!

{Friday Foto Friends} Changes, Flowers, and a Tune Up

I was planning on linking up with Deb at Breathing in Grace, but she's having some technical difficulties. I'm on my own for a recap of the week in pictures.

I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing this logo on the tower. I thought I had a picture of the Aluminum Company Of America's logo on it, but I can't seem to find it. Anyway, this is a definite sign that the Small Town is changing.

Yes, I know these are weeds, but look how pretty those dainty little flowers are! So, they're staying in my little flower bed. 😁

I was sitting on my couch the other night, and I looked out of the window and thought how pretty the mountains are. Then I thought, "Wait a minute...I can't see the mountains from my living room window!" Those are actually clouds.

And here they are when I stepped out on the porch to snap a picture with my big girl camera. They do look like mountains, don't they?

I saw this little guy on the bird feeder when I took the girls out for a bathroom break. 

Lastly, here's "Eloise" getting tuned up. I had my first piano lesson Wednesday, and I loved it! I can't wait to be halfway proficient!

Hope everyone had a good week. Don't forget to go to Deb's to link up, or just see everyone else's pictures.

{Wednesday Hodgepodge} I've Got Nothing for the Title

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Has your April been filled with showers? Do you carry an umbrella, wear a slicker, or make a run for it? Besides rain, what else has filled your April? 

Boy, has it ever! We had a "flood day" on Monday...too many flooded & blocked roads. We're in the middle of our state testing, so I'm sure the superintendent felt it was better to have everyone miss a day of testing than to try to get in all of the make-ups from those students who couldn't make it to school.
I usually make a run for it. Unless I actually remember my umbrella, which stays in my car.
Easter activities filled up the better part of my April, as well as helping to clear out my parents' house.

2. What's something you could you give a 30-minute presentation on at a moment's notice and with zero preparation?
I would say it would have to do with being an SLP in the schools.

3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.
I don't know if it's a favorite, but it seems like we had roast a lot.

4. What's a song you thought you knew the lyrics to, but later discovered you were wrong?

I always thought he was singing "Do it like a lady"!

5. According to one travel website, the most overrated tourist attractions in America are-
Niagara Falls (NY), Hollywood Walk of Fame (California), Times Square (NYC), Epcot (FL), Seattle Space Needle (WA), and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (Boston). How many of these have you seen in person? Did you feel like a tourist? Did you care? Tell us about a place (not on the list) you've visited that might be considered a tourist trap, but you love it anyway.
I've been to Times Square and Epcot. Of course I felt like a tourist: at Times Square I was with a high school band!
Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's free, so I don't know if it could technically be called a "tourist trap". It's my most favorite place in the mountains.

6. Your signature clothing item?
Jeans & t-shirts?  😁
I'm definitely not a fashionista!

7. What's an experience you've had you think everyone should experience at least once? Why?
 Visiting a foreign country. It gives you a deeper appreciation of being an American and living in the greatest country on earth. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.
The weirdest thing happened on Monday: I saw an armored sheriff's vehicle with sirens on. I saw it again just a bit later. This was after a police car when through an intersection with its lights & siren on. As I drove back from the vet, I saw a lot of police cars in a gas station parking lot, searching a car. I'm wondering if they thought there were explosives, but then realized there weren't. I didn't see anything in the paper about it this morning. Weird...just weird.

I'm linking up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Go check it out!

Memories & Miscellaneous Hodgepodge

1. April is Lawn and Garden Month. On a scale of 1-10 what's the current state of your lawn and/or garden. (10=a showpiece, 1=send in the professionals). Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month.

Definitely a 2. Our next door neighbor has a yard service and his yard looks impeccable...which makes ours look worse!
I hope to get a young man in to weed the little area between the back sidewalk & house. My plan is to have him transplant some flowers from my parents' house.

2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you?

Weeds. That's about as deep as I can get right now.

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?
The mountains & sunrises. Seriously...how could you not believe in God when you see a sunrise over a mountain?

4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

By my hands. And probably my facial expressions.

5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? Daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lily, black eyed susan...which yellow bloom on this list is your favorite?

Yellow is CH's favorite color. My kitchen walls are yellow; I like a bright kitchen!
Daffodils (Jonquils) are high on the list because they bloom first around here. It's a definite sign that spring is on the way. 

6. Flip flops or bare feet?

Bare feet. (Southern girl)

7. Tell us about any Easter plans, celebrations, or traditions you'll carry out this month.

I haven't really thought about Easter, other than Holy Week. I'm planning on attending Mass on Holy Thursday and the service (it's not a Mass) on Good Friday. Saturday morning I have to be at the church early for a retreat for adults who will be entering into the Catholic Faith that night. Then, Saturday night I will be attending Mass for Easter Vigil. I'm sponsoring someone who is entering the Church. That leaves Easter Day open. I'm not sure what we'll do since it will probably just be the 2 of us.
When I was growing up, instead of hiding a bunch of eggs for an egg hunt, my parents would only hide 1: the Alleluia Egg. Whoever found it won a prize. When my boys were little, we continued the tradition with them.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I went by the house yesterday afternoon and my oldest brother was there. We went inside and started looking through this 1 cabinet and he found some dishes that 1 of my sisters said she wanted but we couldn't find. My mom used to play bridge, and every now & then she would host. I don't remember much about it; I just remember card tables being set up with tablecloths on them, and that there were fancy dishes. Mostly, I remember being shooed out of the room. How cool is this?

My brother just got out 3 of the dishes; there are 8 and they look brand new. The middle is a "Lazy Susan". Apparently, they aren't just for serving, either:

Isn't that fantastic? 

{Friday Foto Friends} It's a Challenge

I'm doing a little better about taking pictures through the week!
I'm joining Deb at breathing in grace for the link-up. Some of these ladies have incredible pictures, so go check it out!

 Last Friday after work, I went by the church and walked through the Outdoor Stations of the Cross. A parishioner built them for his Eagle Scout Project. 

I got a surprise in the mail last Saturday. 1 of my aunts visited this Texan-Danish town, and she sent me this recipe book. CH & I are putting this on our list to visit. I was thrilled to see Frikadella! 

I had to stop at the middle school on my way to school Tuesday to take a picture of the sun rising over the mountains. I wish I had my big-girl camera, but it looks like my phone did a decent job!

This is a picture of a cardinal I saw Saturday morning. They've been very vocal lately, and they're hard to see. This one was way up in a tree!

I'm participating in a Lenten Instagram Challenge. Catholic Sistas gives us a word each day, and we post a picture using that word. I cheated with "Grace"; I found a quote on Brainyquote to use. The picture for "trial" is mine, though. Oh, and for "Eucharist", I used someone's picture (with his permission).
Have a great weekend!

{Friday Foto Friends} A Little Bit of This...

Joining Deb at Breathing in Grace for Friday Foto Friends!

I finally remembered to snap a picture of the moutain behind the school's gym last Friday. As you can see, there are no signs that there was a fire from where I was standing.

If you look closely (I helped you out by putting an arrow in the picture!), you can see the charred trees at the top of the hill.

1st batch of Texas Millionaires for 2016 is in the books. This went to the ladies who clean my house, and my daddy's house.

This little girl was enjoying some neck scratches! She's just a tad bit spoiled!

That's it for this week! It was a busy week with not a lot of pictures (obviously!). Hope you had a good week!