There is Life after the Baja..........

June 30, 2009

Along my busy road, I have involved myself in all the new computer social gadgets, i.e., facebook, myspace, twitter. For those of you writing to me and calling me about why I'm no longer sending out my travelogues and telling me you have no idea of where I am, I say......I didn't mean for that to happen. I have been so busy, especially since I left the Baja in March and I've been updating on the "quickie" social networks. So some of you already know what's up with me. I will quickly sum up the last 3-4 months, as/if I recall.....

Spent special time in El Paso with my RV friends, Mike & Susan at their home...it was all about the doggies, the food, the talk of travel, movies.....here are Sadie & Sophie..their dogs...

Made my way without stopping (this time) in New Orleans.....to Florida. Spent much of the 6 weeks while in Florida with my brother and his family. While there it was mostly about the doggies, the food, movies, flea markets, meeting some new and wonderful at an RV Park there, making myself a Florida resident by registering my "Phoebe McGee" with Florida plates and Florida insurance....saving $400.00/500.00 ..... Since I live "where I park it" guess I can do that. Also meandered down to the Palm Beach area having great times with a good friend from high school and her family.

The Prestigious Worth Avenue


Surprise? again....it was about lots of doggies, lots of food, day trips, lots of memory lane stuff.....oh and renewing my love for line dancing.

Sharon & Pat at Renegades...for line dancing



Then had to again travel a short distance to The Villages to see old friends there.

Dick & Karyn


From Florida, headed north to Jekyll Island, Georgia...another good friend from high school lives there.

I was there about a week and we......walked our dogs, ate lots of incredible food....Beta's husband is a gourmet cook and there are some magnificent places to eat on that beautiful island...also lots of talk of memories and hanging with their friends and family.


Savannah, Georgia isn't too far from Jekyll Island so I just happen to have relatives in Savannah.


Stayed at least a week with my aunt and met lots of first, second, and third cousins I had never even seen. It was one of those first family, second family situations and I'm so happy I now have them in my life. They are so very interesting and know the Savannah area really well; having lived there their entire lives so I had the best tour guides the best food (we're all such foodies..have you ever had low country boil?)
and....lots of new information about my dad's family I had never heard.....when my dad's mom died, my grandpa remarried and they had 4 sons. I knew they existed but didn't know them. Now I do!

Another aunt and uncle (same family) live in Fayetteville, N. C., so naturally I had to go there to visit them. What a beautiful place they have! I was there for a couple days and I saw more pictures of my extended family on the computer (geneology stuff) than I could have ever imagined. It would have taken days to see them all. TaZzi loved riding around the property in the golf cart with Uncle James.
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By then I wasn't far from Kentucky, so drove to my dad's home in Williamsburg. Stopped by to see my uncle Tom.....he's had a barber shop there for 50 years and he still has em' lining up for a shave, a cut, and lots of local talk.
Spent a little time with him.....then drove on out to the Raines' homestead.....some of it looks the same but also some changes, i.e., some of the roads are now paved.....that kind of traveling gives me "the chills of lots of memories"....all good and sweet.

On my way to Louisville, KY to visit cousins, I had to spend a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains.
I hadn't been there in years so I just explored, stayed at a wonderful RV park, and explored some more...the weather of a fine misty rain made the mountains look even more mysterious, beautiful, exotic and "smoky". Very relaxing.

My cousins and I had a great time in Louisville...beautiful walking neighborhood of churches, lawns, coffee houses, restaurants....it's always good to see them and I know them really well.....(first family....lol) our dad's were brothers....(RIP)

Finally arrived in Adrian, Michigan (where my 50th reunion will take place on July 31st and August 1st.) Stayed with my aunt and cousin, ate lots, got laryngitis, worked on reunion planning committee, took TaZ to vet, had lunch with friends from high school.
Which brings me to ... almost current..lots of cousins at a get-to-gether...

Last week I was in Northern Michigan with 5 friends (all girls). We did what 6 girls in their 50's and 60's would do.....talked, ate, read, listened to music, watched movies, walked in the forest...next to cabin,
went out to eat....that kind of stuff. Most relaxing! Then we went back to Cindi's home in Bloomfield Hills and had a great few days there before we returned up north....this time with a different group. Cindi,
George Black (cat) Patty TaZzi (black pug) ...after church. My dear friend, Cindi, of 43 years has recently been diagnosed with ALS aka Lou Gehrig's disease. What a shock! Jim, her husband, is most supportive and they, with help from their friends, relatives, faith will get through it. It will not be easy. After they met with her doctors and team, we came back up north for the 4th and will be up here through the 8th or 9th.






So that's pretty much what I've been doing and will continue doing ... until I no longer can....hopefully.....many years.....as this life-style is exactly what I love.

Love to you all....don't know when I'll be able to send this out .... pretty remote up here. pat