September 29, 2010. Canyon Lake, Tx. Planning Ahead.

This place is lovely. Quiet, seventy-five degrees and sunny with everything in the house working well. It is a great blessing.

All day I have been planning ahead. I marked the maps for our 281 trip north, both the new atlas and the individual maps. Look it up on the map. We will be driving through the middle of the country, right through the great plains, the geographic center of the nation. Actually, Ken is right. There is not much there there. But we are ready with our maps.

Next up for me was Christmas shopping. We will all be here in San Antonio, including the Mississippi family and as we will only be here until a short time before Christmas and as I hate crowded store, this morning I went Christmas shopping for the seven girls. I must still purchase seven objects to add to their collection I started several years ago but I am almost ready to go. Of course, one problem with my timing is that the stores have no Christmas bags. For the past several years I have given each girl a large bag of goodies from the Dollar store. I give them paper, pens, post its, tape, scissors, flash lights, mirrors, socks, cups, candy, rulers, magnifying glass, containers for pens and anything I think useful through the year. Sometimes but not always I give them something of value but not always. They like the bag of goodies which is the most important part of the gift.

And I hope Suzanne does not mind, but I moved the furniture in the living room. It was changed a couple of years ago and I did not object to the change but today I decided it was better the old way. I'll tell her when we see her tomorrow. Our first Volleyball game at TMI this season will be held tomorrow. I love to watch the girls play their games. Both Sarah and Abigail play on their respective teams and they are much better than I was at the same time. Abigail's team is unbeaten and according to David they are a very good team. Abigail is definitely a gifted athlete so it will be interesting what she does with her talents. She along with me, is planning for her future.