Phannie

Phannie
Photo taken near Monument Valley, Utah

Sunday, October 30, 2022

On the Road Again

 At America's Best Campground, Branson, Missouri...

After spending a few weeks at Ranchito Hondo, it was time for yet another adventure. Unfortunately, the nature of this trip was sufficiently time-consuming that I haven't had much opportunity for writing a post. Well, maybe I have, but time with family and friends has just been more important, as you can imagine.

One of the main reasons for this fall trip was to celebrate daughter Mindy's birthday and to spend a week with her and Tyler and the grandsons. Mindy seemed to enjoy her birthday dinner out at El Palenque, our favorite Houston-area Mexican restaurant:


Of course, it is not unlike her dad to do some monkeyshines at such an event, and I'm sure I embarrassed her adequately.

Son-In-Law Tyler did me a great favor in doing a temporary repair to Phannie's instrument panel (the right side where the rearview camera screen, radio and a/c controls are). It appears the lightweight plastic panel was all that was holding these items in place and, after 16 years, an ill-placed screw at the factory finally caused the plastic panel to break in a critical spot, causing these items to fall inward with no support. We had just arrived in the Houston area, and we were in a mess. Tyler, whose business is construction (he builds things like airport terminals and football stadiums), dropped everything and perfectly designed a metal backing for the plastic panel, into which he repositioned the abovementioned displaced components. We are so proud of Tyler; we think of him as our very own son.  

After Mindy's birthday celebration and spoiling the grandsons, we headed to Branson to meet up with friends and attend a three-day gospel concert. Here are some of them:


Beyond Sandy and me in the photo above are LouAnn and Bubba, Mary Lou and Harvey. Missing are Carolyn and Larry, who had family obligations and couldn't make this get together. They are all wonderful people who are more like family than friends.

We had a great time at the concerts, seeing shows, shopping and dining out as old friends do. Much laughter was had by all--definitely good for the soul.

One of our meals was out at the Big Cedar Lodge complex south of Branson, and the autumn foliage was so beautiful that we just had to get some photos. These don't quite equal fall color in New England, but for the Ozarks, they aren't too shabby:





We are at the end of this fall trip, and how blessed we are to have the ability to travel and enjoy our relationships as we do. We hear so many stories about people who are unable to enjoy their golden years for one reason or another. Perhaps the most heartbreaking are those who didn't retire when they could and had little or no enjoyment of times like these.  

We are headed back to Texas, and we'll catch you up again, well, when I feel like it!  (Ha!)


Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it as I should every day.


We don't stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing. 
 ---George Bernard Shaw

"I get up every morning, and I just don't let the old man in." ---Clint Eastwood











11 comments:

  1. I've been wondering what you and Sandy have been up to lately. It's good to hear that you've been enjoying yourselves and are staying out of trouble. Well, except for those restaurant shenanigans. Poor Mindy! I trust that you're doing your best to keep Tyler happy - he's priceless! Safe travels home, my friend!

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    1. Ah, yes. I am so happy that we have such a close family. So many don't, and it's very sad. Here's wishing you and yours a warm and healthy winter. (The news about heating oil up there is a little scary.)

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  2. I know you guys have been enjoying every minute. As I mentioned on FB, you fall color pics are just sensational. I enjoyed them so very much! Safe travels home.

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    1. Those pics did turn out better than I thought. The one you and I liked is going up on the wall, I think. Stay well, you wonderful folks.

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  3. Nice to hear you have a good EXCUSE!! (reason, I mean) haha, for being away from the blog writing. :) Family and friends are totally acceptable and necessary. Those fall colours are beautiful. Safe drive back to Texas. Belated Happy Birthday to Mindy, she looks wonderful in her sombrero! Um, yah you too! 🤣

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    1. Thanks, Patsy, for making me feel better about being so lazy in writing. But we agree that family and friends come first. Stay safe and well!

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    2. Always wonderful hearing from you and catching up
      on all your fun! Branson is great. What a good place to
      share time with friends. The colors were so pretty as we here
      in central Calif never get that much. Thanks🤗

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    3. Yes, but California has so much diverse beauty. Probably unique in the U. S. Thanks for your comment!

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  4. Whoops, sorry, the above, Linda a.

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  5. Nice to have help with those RV repairs. Fall colors in Branson are nice. Assume you got into a few more colorful areas heading to Texas. We take US 65 out of Branson to the south or cut over to Oklahoma and down depending. So far I have not taken the new highway south down I49 as I don't like tunnels such as the one north of Fort Smith Arkansas. Good to hear from you. Mark

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    1. Thanks, Mark. we are indeed blessed with a great family and the ability still to enjoy our adventures in our sunset years. We are ever mindful, however, of those who cannot claim the same.

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