Tuesday Return

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Nathan and Kathy travelled through the night and this morning to get back on TN soil a little after noon.  I imagine it will be a bit hard for them to return to reality and imagine that they are a bit jet lagged.  Long day yesterday, two long flights and a three hour time difference, plus an active week cruising/touring around Alaska had adrenaline flowing…and I can vouch for the fact that when you get home that adrenaline stops flowing and you pretty much stop, too.

I did take Elijah to the dentist this morning.  But they only xrayed him and told him to come back tomorrow to have the work done…so not much need of having an adult with him for that appointment.  But always glad for a reason to get to visit with a grandchild!  He wqs heading back home to his school work.  He is a senior this year.  He is dual enrolled at Motlow so will be taking a college math class ad an English class.  He hopes to be able to get all his requirements to graduate done this semester.  He said that then he will be able to concentrate on baseball and his work.  Always busy!

At the Bookclub meeting this past Saturday, we added a couple of books to our books to read over the next few months.  I already had one of them checked out so I have been reading that so I will get it done before it will be taken back into library cyberspace.  I didn't think that I was going to like the book, but it it turns out that I am enjoying it.  So I have spent more time reading than stitching.  I am also teaching my Sunday School class for the next two Sundays so I have been working on that, too.  

It was slightly cooler today…the heat didn't take my breath away as much as it had over the last week. I think that maybe the humidity was a little lower today…that can make a difference.  Tonight's overnight low is supposed to be mid 60s…so that helps at least with the start of the day.  I knowthat summer has left us yet…but perhaps little hints that Fall is on its way?

I need to get back to ornament stitching.  I’m almost finished with another one.  I took a break from stitching for both reading and preparation for some upcoming ornaments.  I have pulled the floss for three more and chose fabric…that way I will be ready for some new starts once the current ornament is finished.  I also got my stitching straightened up…it was strewn all over the place.  I got the card table cleared off and now it only has a stack of finished ornaments on one corner of it.  I also put away floss from other projects that I have finished stitching and the floss that Joy brought back that she had borrowed for a cross project that she did.  Stitching happening all over the place…in one form or another! 

The kitchen got a little attention today, too. I had casserole dishes that were clean that are stored on upper shelves.  I wait until there are several to put away so I don't have to make too many trips up and down on the stool!  Safety reason over laziness…at least I tell myself that!  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 

Heat Wave Supposedly Ended 36 Minutes Ago!

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I got home from prayer meeting a little before 7pm…and the temps had started coming down…of course, they would come down at that hour anyway…so not sure yet if it is cooler or not.  But when I went to prayer meeting around 5:30pm it was still in the mid 90s.  I saw it get as high as 97° on my car thermometer when I was out getting my hair cut and then running an errand….a silly errand, I will tell you about in a moment.  When I left church, it was 90° and by the time I got home it was in the upper 80s and now it is 84°…maybe temps are coming down.  Tomorrow the high is "only" supposed to be 88°.  My Alexa upstairs isn't the new and improved so she can’t tell me heat index…so I don't know the feels-like temperature.  Anyway, we supposedly have had a "cold" front come through or one is supposed to come through.  We will see if tomorrow feels a little better outside than it did today.  It was a HOT day.  

My one errand of the day sort of had me rolling my eyes.  I decided last night to order some mouthwash that I use that sometimes Walmart has and sometimes doesn't…so decided to try Amazon…exact same price as Walmart…so why not.  It was to be delivered today before I had planned to be out and about…so that would save me a stop at Walmart.  Well, around 10am I got notified by Alexa that my package had been delivered…so I headed to the front door to go get it.  The mailman had brought it to the front porch and left it in one of the rocking chairs.  So far perfect until, I glanced a second time after I opened the door…the box was ripped open and I could see the bottle sitting inside the open box…so I thought, "at least the bottle didn't fall out!  Then I picked up the box and found that it was soaking wet…reason that it was opened the way it was.  And, the box was very light…a full bottle of mouthwash should NOT be light!  I then pulled the bottle out of the box and it was light as a feather and not a drop left in it. 

I went inside and got my iPad so I could report my delivery failure to Amazon.  I decided that I didn't want to risk the same thing happening again so decided that I would just ask for a refund.  The only way I could get a refund was to return the defective product.  So after my haircut, I went to the UPS store and returned an empty bottle.  In the past I have been told to keep products that were fine just not what I had ordered…but this time the box and empty bottle had to be returned.  I did as I was told and my refund has already been given to me…so all's well that ends well…I guess!  Just seems like an unnecessary trip! But Amazon got what they asked for! And, I had an outing that I hadn't planned on and still don't have my mouthwash as I just couldn't face Walmart at that hour of the day!

Nathan and Kathy are on the last leg of their journey…sort of…they have gotten to Anchorage…and, fly out midnight Anchorage time (3am TN time).  They are seeing a few sights in Anchorage before heading to the airport  3 hours before their flight. The Anchorage flight takes them to LasVegas.  Then a flight from Vegas will get them back to Nashville and they will hopefully show up in Tullahoma sometime after lunch tomorrow.  Makes me tired to think about all that traveling.  Their ship docked in Whittier, Alaska early this morning.  Then they had to shuttle to Anchorage about 60 miles away.  Their shuttle had to travel through a one-way tunnel that is about 2.5 miles long.  This one way tunnel is also a train tunnel…they had to wait on a train and maybe other cars before they could have their turn.  I had heard about this tunnel and know that they line you up according types of vehicles, I think and the lines take turns going through…and of course you have to wait for cars, trains, etc. coming the other direction.  It took a while before they got their turn.  But in the wait they got to see a glacier and at some point on this shuttle trip, they saw beluga whales.  So sounds like an interesting trip!

I get to be a parent substitute for Elijah tomorrow.  He has a dentist appointment and has to have an adult accompany him…guess I qualify?!?

To be continued!  Be safe! Be well! Be cautious.  

Sunday Alaska Favorite Photo

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Another Hot One!

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This looked like the cool photo for today!  I felt like we needed another snowy photo to counteract the heat of today!  This was taken by either Melany or Wade with me in the shadows attempting to capture the snowy landscape from the train.  

I had my Zoom Cottey College Alum Bookclub today.  We had a pretty good group plus the author of the book and his wife.  We had a lively discussion and enjoyed spending the time together sharing and picking each other’s brains!  I always look forward to this Saturday in the month.

I haven't stitched much today…instead tried to do a little organizing of my stitching projects.  They had gotten a bit spread out here in the family room.  I still have more to do, but the chaos has been settled just a little.  

I’m not sure how much stitching I will get done this evening as I am pretty sleepy…may end up dozing with needle in hand.  While choosing tonight's photo, I kept seemingly doze and my finger would land on the photos I was choosing from and multiples would be chosen…then I would have to shut down the photos and start trying to chose…again.  That happened several times before I finally got to the one I had decided I wanted to use tonight.  Obviously I didn't take tonight’s photo since I’m in it…guess it is Melany's! I haven't heard from the Alaska travelers today.  They had a busy day planned.  They were docked at Icy Strait Point/ Hoonah.  They were planning to learn how to cook salmon this morning and then this afternoon were going whale watching. I hope the excursions were good ones for them!

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Recognized in Skagway

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Imagine being more than 2000 miles away from home and hear your name called out from a truck that is passing by!  Nathan and Kathy were walking down the Main Street in Skagway, Alaska this morning and Nathan was recognized and someone called out, "Hey, Nathan!" I mentioned that Melany, Wade and I had tried to see one of the shipowners in Skagway…a young man from Tullahoma…someone who Melany and Nathan had both babysat for years ago.  He hadn't gotten into his shop when we were there.  But this morning, Nathan and Kathy's timing was perfect…he was driving by on his way to work.  He told them he would park around back and open the shop for them.  I’m sure they had a good visit!  Barrett is the proprietor of Bearhead Studio in Skagway.  He is a renowned nature photographer…been published in National Geographic…I believe that he has also done one of their covers.  

Here's a photo Melany took inside his studio so you can sort of see some of his wonderful photos. I would have loved to pick his brain about photo techniques!  If I were younger, I would love to go on some of his group photography trips off into the Alaskan and Canadian wild…but for that I will admit to being too old and decrepit! But I can still wish and enjoy his photos!  

Today has been another hot day here in TN.  It was 91 when I went to and from the grocery store with a heat index close to 100.  The heat zapped my energy for some time after I got home.  I’m glad that I didn’t  have to stay outside for very long and that it only took two trips to get my groceries into the house.  A good day to stay in and stitch and read.  I have done a little of both of those and a little picking up around the house and emptying the dishwasher!  I’ve done more sitting than anything else!  I did manage to fit a nap into all that sitting!  It has definitely been a lazy day of summer!

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Heat Advisory Still in Effect

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Very important to share another Alaska photo to remind us that it can be cold.  This day when we were in Glacier Bay National Park was very cold.  The temperature dropped noticeably when we entered the icy waters.  I know that the temperatures in Alaska are high right now.  Nathan was wishing yesterday that he had taken more short sleeved shirts.  They are in Juneau, AK today.  We did not go to Juneau so I can't post one of my photos.  Nathan was looking forward to visiting the only United States capital city that you can't drive into.  You have to fly or take a boat to get to Juneau.

This hasn't been a day of being too active…even in the house.  I have stayed in rooms that have fans blowing to make it seem cooler!  I napped in my upstairs recliner with the ceiling fan going.  Right now I am in my downstairs with a little oscillating fan blowing.  

I did venture out one time today.  I headed to the church to work in the library for a little while.  I needed to pick up the book that we will be discussing on Saturday with the Cottey Bookclub.  This time it is sort of my job to lead it since I suggested the book.  But I am taking an easy out…not having to worry about what we will say as the author and his wife will be joining us so I’m giving them the lead!  We've just been sent out the link to the Zoom meeting…I have received it, as have the authors…so we should be good to go Saturday morning.  Also the Alum Association posted another "advertisement" for it that showed up in Facebook this afternoon. Now to just sit back and let Saturday Zoom time get here.

The other reason that I went to the library was to do a little maintenance.  Both Donna and I have been out of pocket the last couple of Tuesdays so there were a few books to check in and out and shelve.  So I did that while picking up the trilogy of books.  We discussed the first in the trilogy last year and this time will be discussing the 2nd…perhaps next year the concluding book?  The three books are Paperboy, Copyboy, and Manboy by Vince Vawter.  Paperboy was an honor book in the Newberry Awards some years back.  They are very good books about how stuttering affects a child, really throughout his life…but there are MANY other themes and topics addressed…it is semi biographical…growing up in Memphis, TN in the 50s and 60s. Good reads for any age.

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 26th Anniversary, Nathan and Kathy

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Several who read the blog were there for Nathan and Kathy's wedding in Statesboro, GA, 26 years ago.  Many moons and suns have risen since that momentous day!  

Here they are today:

Can you tell they are on a special trip? Can you tell where they are? Next photo is a hint…I took the next photo on June 3, when I was standing almost the same spot…at least near…the same shoreline at least.

They are off on a special trip for their anniversary…Alaska!  Today was their first port of call in Ketchikan, Alaska.  They had a great time exploring.  They even FaceTimed me when they were watching a stream with lots of salmon in it and there was a bear attempting to catch one.  Later in the day they sent me a video of a bear actually catching one.  This trip is doubly special to them, as they had an Alaska cruise planned last year for their 25th anniversary, but due to Joy getting a bad concussion they had to cancel it.  So the fact that they can go this year is doubly good since they were able to plan the trip since Joy is well enough for them to leave her in charge of kitchen duties while they are gone.  Sounds like they are having a great time…no rain today and it is quite warm…Nathan was bemoaning the fact that he didn't bring very many short sleeved t-shirts…never know in Alaska what the weather will be.  They will continue in a northerly direction…perhaps it will get cooler for them.  Another reason that Nathan was really looking forward to this trip is that it is a return trip for him to Alaska. 

His sophomore year in college he spent the summer in Alaska as a BSU (Baptist Student Union) missionary.  BSU is now known as BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries).  He is the director of this ministry at Motlow State Community College. So it has been many years since he went and at that time he spent time more in the interior of Alaska.  So their present trip is taking them to a different area of Alaska…mainly the panhandle of Alaska.  Their trip is also different than Melany, Wade's and mine as they are what is known as a one-way (ours was a loop…started and ended in Seattle).  Nathan and Kathy started from Vancouver, Canada and will end in Whittier, Alaska. And, they will fly home from Anchorage, Alaska. They have some of the same ports of calls that we had, but also have some different ones. They are traveling on the same cruise line as we did, but a different ship.  So sort of the same as my cruise…but different!!!

My day has gone well to this point.  I mainly stitched today and ended up finishing another ornament.  So the count is rising of finished ornaments! I have been to Bible study this evening.  We are back on a schedule of things at the church since school has started back up.  

To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!