Family time in the Big Easy. We are spending a week in a Hosteeva rental condo just off St Charles Ave. in New Orleans. Brian, Johnna, Kent and I make it a road trip as we drive in from Houston (thanks Johnna for taking on the chore of chauffeur for the week) while Mike, Tracy and Willa take to the air from New York. By evening the 21st we are all settling in at our home for the week. Laid back time includes decorating the traveling Christmas tree (mostly cheering on Willa as she decorates the tree – fantastic), icing cookies and a gingerbread sleigh and reindeer (a cute but short-lived result), assembling an elephant puzzle, silly fun team games, and strolls up and down St. Charles. Nana and Grandpa make the most of Willa time taking walks, blowing bubbles and just finding fun anywhere we can. Our family exchange this year involved each of us anonymously donating an item that best represented our 2019 to a grab bag. We drew those items and attempted to determine who contributed it and what it represented for their year. It provided a fun way to get a little insight into each other’s lives. It was unanimous, we should do it again some time. We do a bit of cooking: burritos, corn chowder (nice job Mike), pizza, and stuffed roasted squash (thanks Tracy) for dinners. Mike’s cinnamon rolls make a perfect breakfast for Kent’s bday and his Vegan Derby pie the bday “cake”. Vegan baked French toast was a hit as well. We do some eating out; Café De Mond coffee and beignets of course, some fantastic etouffee, beans and rice, jambalaya and gumbo at a hole in the wall joint, the Bayou Bistro, gourmet hotdogs (the kids found this place while they wandered the Quarter), awesome drinks and Vegan dishes at the Green Goddess and a meat eaters fix of burgers at the Trolley Café. We take in some quintessential NOLA French Quarter entertainment: a very talented violin player showing his skills in Jackson Square, a wonderful high energy live band out on the street, and Music Box Village a unique artistic stop where we can “play” the actual structures and make music. Very cool. Kids night out involved a sampling of clubs. It IS the coastal south and huge live oaks line the lanes and canopy the walks in City park. It is a beautiful place to stroll anytime but even more magical at Christmastime when the trees are lighted with displays ranging from graceful and romantic to odd and whimsical. The NO Aquarium is pretty spectacular. At first Willa is a bit overwhelmed by the huge tanks and oddly lit spaces but before long warms to it making for a great visit. I get my Sazerac fix and a wonderful special treat when Brian and Mike take me out to the nearby Avenue Bar for a little Mom and son time. Perfect. It has been a great week. Kent and I are enormously blessed to have time with our entire family together. There is no greater gift.

One more gathering, Christmas in Pennsylvania. Merry First Christmas Harlow. We gather with Bob, Lou Ann, Molly, Clark, newest addition Harlow, and Carol. More cookies, great food, a fair amount of football, and a chance to catch up on what’s happening with everyone. It is a great closing to our holiday Season. Love and hugs to everyone.

The Focus is back to its old self – shinny bright red and hail dent free.  We picked it up September 26.

We picked up the motorhome yesterday, October 3.   We still have some reorganizing to do but it is nice to be back in our own bed!

The trip home with the motorhome was somewhat eventful since they failed to secure the turbocharger output line properly.  About halfway to our campsite it blew off and the motorhome immediately lost most of it’s power.  Luckily it was a quick fix, and we were back on the road. Fortunately, it did not happen in the mayhem that is Houston traffic, we were north on the two-lane interstate with a handy exit.

The annoying part: everyone took MUCH longer than they promised!!!

The fun part: we got to stay at Brian and Johnna’s the last 10 days of our homeless period.  We did some cooking, some puttering around the house and yard, and spent an evening at the Fort Bend Fair that included some usual finds: funnels cakes, turkey legs and some of those twisty potato chips and one activity entirely new to us, mutton bust’n.  If you ever get a chance don’t miss it.  The event features little kids (a max weight of 55 pounds) clinging to the back of a sheep as they are released into the arena.  Longest ride is the winner.  Rodeo clowns scoop the kids up about as soon as they hit the dirt and raise them on their shoulders to wave to the crowd.  Some look thrilled at the experience and some not so much.  Expressions range from broad, proud smiles to teary eyes.  Maybe it has something to do with whether they have to pour dirt out of your helmet and facemask?!  

We checked out Brazos Bend State park.  Yep, they still have alligators.  We drove through San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge just to scope it out.  We are set to volunteer there starting in November.  It is about an hour from Rosenberg so we hope to be able to spend some of our off time with the kids.    

And now it is raining A LOT

The body shop has now stretched Focus repairs to over two weeks and no word yet on when they will even start on the Motorhome.   Obviously, the International Truck repair shop isn’t looking for any referrals from us for motorhome work or even a passing grade review.  Stay tuned for how this all works out