HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PETE AND JANET

Just talked to Pete because I had emailed him this morning and he hadn't responded.  When I called him, he said he had been busy. Today is his and Janet's 55th Wedding Anniversary. They went to Branson for their honeymoon and stopped by the family house after the honeymoon. I don't remember the wedding, but I do remember their stop in Marshfield. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Pete and Janet.

Great Day at the lake

I heard from Brother Joe yesterday. He had gone to the cemetery with flowers on Memorial Day. He didn't say when he was coming here to see me so I'm going to have Goldman go there too, We can meet often since I''m pretty close. I want to see him and Leslie and Sam [that King boy] and also go to the old Carnegie library in Marshfield which is now a museum of sorts. As kids, we spent many hours in there. Joe sent me the hours that it is open. I called them when I knew someone would be there to ask about the Marshfield pictures and whoever answered the phone knew me from grade school. John and Jana and the girls - and I hope Tricia - will be here on the evening of the 12th. Elaine will be in Missouri sometime around the 4th. It has rained the last two nights and it's supposed to stay cool all day. We've even turned the air conditioner off.

memorial day with a wonderful group

I'm here at the lake and have been since last week Wednesday. Linda left on Friday after the other group began arriving. I have already talked to Rose this morning and she and Shirley will soon be enroute from Chicago back to St. Louis. It's just me, Goldman and Mad Dog. I had 13 over the weekend so Goldman and Mad Dog got beds instead of air mattresses. They're still sleeping but get right up if I need anything. Doug took the kids on lots of boat rides and Scott took them on the wave runner. Groves had to leave Sunday but the rest of the group stayed as long as they could. Scott's kids have two more days of school and he had the farthest to drive. The girls did the shopping and the guys helped a lot. I go to bed first and, when I get up first, the kitchen is cleaned up and ready for someone to cook again. I haven't heard much from Joe. Pete and Janet called with their Saturday call. After I hear from them, I know what day of the week it is. Donald and Vita left Monday for Italy, France, and England. They'll be gone three weeks.

Perfect beach weather in Chicago

Sue at Lake

Back to the Lake

Today is the day I start the summer at the lake! Linda is picking at 10 A.M. this morning, and I'm all packed and ready to go. The weather looks like it it's going to be really hot for the next couple days; it's summer weather. The rest of the group will arrive on Friday for the holiday weekend.  I went to Chris and Shelly's for dinner last evening. They can't come to the lake this weekend. Shelly has to work. Rose and Shirley go to Chicago Thursday through Tuesday.

We have several in the family who are graduating from high school or college this spring.  Among them Tricia (granddaughter of Brother Bob) who has completed her degree and nurse's training; Connor (grandson of Margaret and Norman) who, at age 18, is graduating with a high school diploma and an associate's degree; Erica (granddaughter of Margaret and Norman) who is graduating from Westminster, and Jalen (my grandson) who is graduating from eighth grade.  And we do doubt have missed some.  Please, fill us in if we have.

At Cheesecake Factory for Dinner

At Cheesecake Factory for Dinner

At Cheesecake Factory for Dinner

At Cheesecake Factory for Dinner

Happy Birthday, Shirley and Sabrina!

Just waiting until Wednesday when Linda and I head for the lake. I am having my eyes checked one more time in the morning and will probably have to wear glasses, at least part of the time. I have no idea how long it takes to make glasses to fit a prescription and neither does anyone I ask. My appointment is at 9:30 in the morning and I should learn more then. Pete and Janet called with their weekly Saturday morning call. If they didn't check in, I wouldn't know what day it was all week. Rose and Shirley are over at the Apple store right now. The Apple store is one of their favorite places. They are going to Chicago next week for a few days over the holiday. Shirley's birthday is the 25th as is Sabrina's. Happy Birthday to both of you! I talked to my friend Liz this morning. Remember, she and I worked at GMAC together all those years and with Brick, too. GMAC is Ally now and Liz is assigned to the office near Chicago. I am hoping she and her husband Dave will make it to the lake some time. Liz has come for Girls' Weekend in past years.

!Happy Belated Birthday, Joe

We missed Brother Joe's birthday which was on the 17th. Happy Belated Birthday!! I didn't post his age belatedly because I am not sure what birthday he celebrated and figured he wouldn't want us to even if we knew it. Hope you had a happy one, Brother. Pete and Janet called with their Saturday morning check in. They said Spring had possibly arrived in Idaho. Pete was going to help with cleanup in their neighborhood today. He says if he doesn't help out, people might talk bout him. I doubt that! Scott and the boys are headed to Santa Claus, Indiana, today. Scott is chaperoning Jalen and seven other boys, part of an 80 person band trip. And he and Brayden are 'hanging out'. It's an amusement park. Rose is practicing her guitar as she is still diligent about.

Guitar Lessons

Rose has been diligently practicing her guitar and has seldom missed a day.  Now she has decided that perhaps she does need something besides her own study and has found a teacher to begin some instructions. Her new teacher is very encouraging, and Rose is encouraged.

 I should be back at the lake most of the time after May 22. I don't have anyone to go with me this coming weekend but, after that, I hope to spend the summer mostly there. Chris and I are having dinner tonight. Shelly has to work.

[ The reason for the GC cake in Idaho was Merri's birthday. Merri, i won't post your age.]  Happy birthday, Brother Joe, too!

Mother's Day

As you can see by the pictures, we've been spending some time watching the humming birds and sitting in the garden. As of now, we can still count the birds but hope they will soon be here in droves. I had a wonderful Mother's Day with lots of attention and phone calls. Scott is tired of getting me flowers for almost every occasion so he's going to give me the works this year. Beth will stay over a week day some time when she's at the lake for the weekend, and we'll find a place at Lake Ozark for the 'works'. I might get spoiled. Then on Mother's Day evening, I got flowers too! Chris arrived with a pot of geraniums for the lake house. He brought them here, and then he and Shelly took me and her mother and her Uncle Butch to dinner. It was a wonderful day and I had lots of calls from others besides my sons. My cataract surgeries and eye drops are finished now, but I may need glasses for some of my vision correction. I have an appointment on the 21st - after my eyes settle down. Chris doesn't wear glasses after removal of the one cataract, but Rose does. Pete and Janet called Saturday. For Mother's Day, Janet was making a German chocolate cake cause it's Merri's favorite, and both she and Kelly were coming. Nancy and her family spent the time in Panama City. Chris and Shelly vacationed in Key Largo, FL., returning late on Saturday evening.

Mother 's Day 2012

Humming Birds have arrived in Missouri

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Garden May 13, 2012

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Elizabeth, daughter of Catrina and Robbie

JALEN

Tuesday

Tuesday before lunch time and I got an early haircut. I'll probably nap this afternoon though it will mess up my styling at the hairdresser. I'm also working on solving a crossword puzzle and I don't consider looking up things on the computer cheating. Reading my own writing is a challenge in itself. I found a folder of ancestry data while Linda and I were going through pictures at the lake house last week. I thought it was stuff Brother Joe had gathered but he says 'Sally Jackson' gathered the data in a family reunion we had. He and I will go through it when we can get together.

Lake and Back

I'm back in St. Louis after a wonderful stay at the lake. Linda is a great companion, among other things. Shirley thinks I've found another sister. I sometimes hesitate to ask her to do something that I can perhaps do myself because she's right there doing it - whatever it might be - ahead of me. She is also a baseball fan and our cable and television services were out when we got there but Linda got Charter out before Thursday's game had barely started. The trouble was all due to lightning striking nearby. We spent lots of time framing pictures and sorting. I did most of the sorting while Linda framed. The weather was extra good and nice and warm. We could sit outside. Brother Pete called with their weekly update yesterday and they were going to have freezing temperatures both Saturday and Sunday nights. More later. Chris is taking me to lunch and he and Shelly are leaving for Florida in the morning. Scott and Brayden have already left for Louisville.

Margaret and Fred Bird

Shirley and Brayden

PLAYING SCRABBLE

Shelly in Zoo Uniform

THE LAKE IS CALLING; I MUST GO

Linda is picking me up at ten. I don't have much time to update but will fill in as quickly as I can. Shirley made several copies of the old picture we posted here, and we'll get them in the mail as soon as we can. If there are additional requests for copies just let us know. Shirley made extras. I went back on Monday for my post cataract checkup. I'll probably still have to wear glasses but am not wearing them right now. I still grope around for them after years of habit. I had therapy yesterday. Shelly took me and waited while I had my session. The therapist thought I looked different without my glasses. One of my birthday gifts was a T-shirt "The Lake is calling; I must go." So true, so fitting (pun intended).

Sue and Chris Groves

After trip home from Louisville on Sunday