October Tennessee Trip

We brought yellow squash from our garden to feed to Whitney's chickens, they ate it all. The next morning Whitney dropped us at the Provo Airport.

We flew from Provo to Nashville and picked up our rental car. It was a Malibu with shimmy problems, we found a gas station and filled the tires and it was a little better. We hit Walmart in Mount Juliet and got pillows and a mattress topper and then we headed to Cookeville and Sam's Club. We bought chips, chocolates, chicken lasagne, and this dip. They were all very good and we enjoyed them with mom and Alicia.

We went for a 4 mile walk every morning and then drove to Rose Mary's house to buy fried peach and apple pies. Alan had one for breakfast every morning with his barley water.

Rose Mary's house

Rose Mary with Jamie and Ashleigh when they visited mom last July. She is a Mennonite that came over from Switzerland when she was 5 years old. She bakes bread, rolls, cookies, and fried pies and sells them from her house. Alan had fun speaking German with her and she was surprised that he spoke it.

Daisy loved having us scratch and rub her.

We're so glad mom has her to keep her company. Wednesday we took mom and Alicia to Cookeville for mom's DR. appt and took them to eat at Golden Corral. We all enjoyed it.

Mom made pickled okra last summer and we polished off about 1/2 the jar before we left for home.

It was overcast and rained a few days, but the weather was pretty good.

We all put this wooden puzzle together one night, we also watched NCIS Hawaii a couple of nights, and of course we played Rummikub, Phase 10, and pound the table. Alicia came over 2 days and played with us.

Mom had the ceiling of her garage blown in so the floor of her livingroom and kitchen will be warmer in the winter.

We went to Allardts' pumpkin festival, this beetle caught my eye and the motorcycle got Alan's attention.

We went to church and had mom take our picture for our mission plaque.

After church we went onto Martha Washington Rd. and visited dad's grave.

Monday morning after our walk we went to Rose Mary's one last time and then to Muddy Pond General Store to get some bags of chocolate covered cranberries and orange slices.

We left around 11:30 and stopped in Cookeville Sam's for lunch. We turned our car in and waited for our flight, it was pretty crowded in the terminal. It felt great not having any connection we had to make though. 

Our stewardess had everyone push their call buttons to light the candles on a birthday cake and we sang happy birthday to a boy named Steve. She was making jokes and was very friendly.

 

Scotland Ireland Cruise

 

We took mom and dad to the open house of St George temple, it was lovely and they enjoyed it.

We had sandwiches and dessert afterwards in the chapel next door.

Off to Hamburg Germany, Tom drove us to Las Vegas, we stopped in Chicago for 8 hours, then Copenhagen, and then Hamburg. Alan got a hot dog and I got a big coconut macaroon at a food vender plaza across the street from our hotel

Cool building across from our hotel in Hamburg.

In our room on the MSC Prezioca.

Alan enjoying one of about 10 desserts they offer at lunch and dinner, mmm were they good. We shared 3 or 4 each meal.

On the tender ship taking us from the ship to shore. 1st stop Queensferry near Edinburgh.

Shop with many tartans, these are McDonalds and Macdonells.

Edinbough castle

Pippers to welcome us ashore in Edinbough.

Prince street.

2nd stop was at Orkney Island, the capitol is Kirkwall. It was a small cute town where everyone knows everyone, about 9,000 people. We walked to the church from the pier, Church was held in the school, we waited in the lunch room and then moved to the math room for church.

In the mathroom for Sunday school.

Our 3rd port was Stornaway and we stayed on the ship because it was pretty rainy.

Next was Greenock, it was rainy that day also, but we went ashore.

Going back to the ship.

We played rummy and Skipbo.

Between Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, and Greenock, Glasgow we hit REALLY rough seas, This picture in Greenock reminded me of how it was. It was like roller coasters and Alan got up to go to the bathroom and water from the toilet was on the floor. It was a storm tossed ship.

The next day was Dun Laoghaire, outside of Dublin.

We bought some reisin for me at their $ store.

Ringaskiddy lighthouse, in county Cork.

We took a taxi to Blarney Castle and walked the grounds with 2 women.

It had beautiful gardens.

Huge leaves.

Gypsy wagons

The castle, we didn't kiss the Blarney stone because the line was too long of a wait.

Store at the Cork Woolen Mills. I agree!

Leaving Cork, what a beautiful city.

At sea 2 days and ate SO many desserts.

And mocktails!

Food galore!

Watched shows most evenings, plays, opera, gymnastics, contortionists, singers, pianist, etc.

We took a taxi to church Sunday from the ship. They had people there from 22 different countries and we loved it. We had Sacrament in German and Spanish, then in Relief Society the teacher spoke spanish, so I understood it. We walked to the train station and then took a bus to our hotel. We did a trial walk from our hotel to the airport and it was about 1/2 a mile from door to door. It was a perfect location to walk to the airport the next morning. We took a wrong turn and walked .8 miles but we made it in plenty of time. We had some miracles to catch a flight, we made up time and got onto our next flight in Copenhagen just in time. We watched movies and tried to sleep but it's very hard to do.

We made it to Vegas and took Debi and Tom home and we got home at 3am, bed 3:30 and slept 4 1/2 hours and moved and cleaned the house.