May 31, 2012. Artemas, PA. Driving.

Today was driving day.  Both Kate and Mary Frances drove the gator today, round and round the circle at the farm, while Ken and I sat by the fire.  Neither girl would drive with the other  so it was first Kate getting a refresher from me  and then Mary Frances being schooled by Ken.  The girls did well.  It has been a several years since they drove the gator or the mule.  

This afternoon, the girls went searching for creatures at the creek.  They found two crawdads but no salamanders.  They did return to the farm house soaking wet with even their boots full of water.  Fortunately they found clothes on the dining table.  Kate wore a pair of Christina's jeans, which fit perfectly,  while Mary Frances wore a pair of Ken's fleece pants and rubber shoes.

After the driving sessions, Mary Frances commented that it was a good thing it was a few years until she was 16 and driving, as she thinks she will need the practice.   Both Ken and I thought they did well.  By the time we all leave at the end of June they will be almost professionals!!

May 30, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Sorting.

Every stitch of clothing could be found in the pump room at the farm,  in large black garbage bags, put there safely by the cleaning service.  We arrived to see the screen room full to the brim.   It took until today before we began the sorting.  Kate, Mary Frances and I started at the crack of 10:00 to open each bag and make a decision for each object.   The plan was to put the valuable clothes on the dining table to check with Christina and Andrew and Ken. and to fill the discards in bags to be taken to the Goodwill.   We were lethal with your decision making.

The back of the truck now has 12 bags for Goodwill.   With the girls competent help, we completed our task today.  Tomorrow we will arrange the objects in the basement.  Many items have not been used for  years so again more bags will be filled and given away.  Truth be told, I should have sorted the clothes in the farm house immediately when Andrew and Christina moved to Mississippi but it took an incidence to force me to do the job.  Now it is done, except of course for all the objects sitting on the dining table!!

May 29, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Downton Abbey.

I don't know how we missed it, but we did...until now.   The series was published in 2010 on PBS Master Piece Theater, and again in 2011.   Dave and Irene have given us the original UK edition  of both series .  We are enjoying them immensely.   It is just like the old Upstairs Downstairs but better.

Kate and Mary Frances have already seen them all but they are loving them too and keep giving us hints as to what is going to happen next.  As I often read the end of a story, I kind of enjoy being told what will happen next and I think the girls like to tell me.   Every evening after dinner we troop downstairs and watch the next part of the story.  Sometimes we watch two sections in a row.

Today when we were in Bedford, Ken wondered if we should buy the next part of Downton Abbey but I had to tell him that series three is now being filmed so we must wait.  For now, we will watch Series two and enjoy every minute.  But I must say that the Grandmother has been given the best lines!!

May 28, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Destiny of The Republic.

Candice Millard wrote this book.  It was written in an entertaining style, giving information that you already knew  but had not discussed for many years.   It is also another remainder of the arrogance of the medical world.  The full title of the book is "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Decline and Murder".  

Had President Garfield been an ordinary person, he would have survived the shooting and gone on to live a long life.  As it was, the medical care he received at the hands of the doctors caused him to die from infection, introduced by the doctor's non sterile hands and probes.  According to the book, other places in the world and in the US already used aseptic techniques but the good doctors in DC thought they knew better, so the President died after three months of agony.  Arrogance is a bad thing anytime, but in this case it was lethal.

There is more in the book, which discusses the crazy man who shot the President.  It is  a book worth reading.

May 27, 2012. Artemas, Pa. The Land.

The girls are thrilled to be at the farm.  When we arrived, they both bent down and kissed the ground.  It was very cute.  But when we finally went to the old farm house,  giggling and laughing came from the play room on the top of the house.  I finally had to call them down for our next chore.

There is a strong connection between people and specific places of land.   I have not really felt a part of any place but I know that this particular farm has the ability to restore your soul.   Both Kate and Mary Frances are very pleased to be here at the farm.  It was a good idea to bring the here.

May 26, 2012. Morristown, TN. Traveling.

Everything went well today.  The sky was blue and the girls were delightful, reading and listening to music and napping and snacking.  Every so often we would talk.  And the traffic was  light so we made good time.  Tomorrow afternoon, we should arrive at the farm which will make us all very happy.

We are staying in a Best Western Plus in a room with two queen beds and one bathroom.  Fortunately, the motel is adjacent to a Cracker Barrel so we walked there for dinner.  The food was delicious, probably because we had not eaten lunch so were starving.   Now, except for Ken, we are in nightshirts so I suspect we will go to bed soon.  Right now, Mary Frances is soaking her ingrown toenail in the bathtub, as directed by Christina.

Tennessee is a lovely state, with lots of big hills and rocks and interesting cities.  One time soon, I want to stay a day or two in Chattanooga, a town we have driven through and sung about but never spent any time.  Perhaps next time.  But for now, we will soon be in Virginia, then West Virginia and Maryland.  Finally, we will reach our destination in Pennsylvania and we will all be smiling!!.

May 25, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Travels.

It is always a little bitter sweet when you move from one place to another.  Our stay in Jackson has been lovely but now we begin the long trek to the north and our summer by the shore.  Our journey will keep us at the farm for a month, a place we love dearly.  Kate and Mary Frances have always loved the farm.   Our time at the farm will be special because both girls will be with us, to do the things they have always done, such as seeking crawdads in the creek and hiking in the woods and fishing in the pond.  There is really not much to do at the farm, if you are a city person only, but they love just poking around and so do we.

Tomorrow we start out at 9:00.   The girls are good travelers.   They get into the back seat of the truck and we never hear from them until we stop for a break, which we do every two hours.  Our habit is to snack during the day for lunch and stop early for the night.  Then a walk and a good dinner and we are soon off to bed.  The girls are excited and so are we but we are sorry to leave our wonderful little condo by the reservoir.  It is 68 degrees in Liverpool, Nova Scotia while today in Jackson it was 90.  Definitely, it is time to move along!!

May 24, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Celebrations.

Celebrations are wonderful but somethings are more worthy to celebrate than others.  Any celebration is valuable if only to note the occasion and point out how important this celebration must be.  Last evening we celebrated in style, because Kate and Mary Frances have been promoted to the next grade.  This school year is officially over.  In August when they start school, Kate will be in the 10th grade and Mary Frances in the 7th grade.  Molly will move to Senior Nursery School.

We celebrated by dining at a new Mexican restaurant, very close to our condo, called Tequila.  Every time we drove by, we commented that we needed to visit that restaurant.   The Mexican restaurants, we have been told,  are not good in Jackson, but this new fancy place might be better, so we seven celebrated there.  We were in a festive mood.    Three of us, drank two Margaritas each, just to celebrate and because they were serving two for one Margaritas on the rocks.  We were seated in a large room all to ourselves so Molly was free to wander around and look out the windows.  The food was tasty and the service was excellent.  And Kate spoke Spanish to the waitress!!   That was a celebration all on it's own.

May 23, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. The Miracle.

The young man told me that it was a pleasure to help me, but I really wanted to give him a big kiss on his cheek.  What he did was a miracle.  He took my old dead phone and moved all my contact numbers over to my new phone.   I went into the Verizon store and he asked to help me.  His response was quick.  "If I can power up your old phone, I will transfer the data."   The first thing he did was to transfer the battery from my new phone to the old phone.  Then he turned it on and walked away without saying a thing.  But he smiled.

I started to look at new phones, just to keep myself busy.  It seemed a long time but was probably five minutes when he returned with my new phone with all the contact numbers installed.   The astonishment showed on my face.   I asked him how much I owed him and he said "You owe me nothing.  It was a pleasure to help you."  That was when I wanted to give him a hug.  It was a modern miracle.

Actually, a system exists whereby you keep your contacts on the computer.  Then, you can transfer the data yourself.  I was behind the curve but I got lucky.  The phone was only in the water a minute.  Whew.

May 22, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Entertaining.

I like entertaining.  I have done it all my life.  But I have never enjoyed cooking.  My solution is to invite folks for dinner, then try to figure out what to serve them.  If I did it in reverse, we would never have company.  For many years, we had very little disposable income, but we still entertained.  I knew how to make stew in many languages.  Often I have wondered why I entertained as much and decided that when I was home caring for the boys, entertaining was the only thing that challenged me much during the week. Getting the food prepared and within my budget and having the food all hot at the same time was not something I was trained to do, so I had to figure it out on the run, and all when looking after two active boys one year apart.

Part of entertaining I enjoy is the preparation.  First figuring out what to eat, then putting the whole thing together,  so the event looks effortless.   Tonight, Andrew and Christina and the girls and Linda are coming for dinner.  As usual, everything is ready an hour before they arrive.  For appetizers we will eat fresh vegetables and olives. Lasagna, salad, and rolls for the main course and cheese cake and berries for dessert.  Nothing really was cooked by me.  I just merely arrange food.

In Nova Scotia, where we entertain a lot, I really need a cook.

May 21, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. My Phone.

It has cost me $45. to obtain a new phone.  My old phone is dead.  I did not even recall that I had purchased insurance on my phone.  The pleasant lady at the Verizon store assured me that the best thing to me to do was to make a claim on my insurance.  I of course, told her that I was not going to use my home owners insurance for the phone.  She looked at me as if I was nuts and she informed me that I had insurance on the phone but I would have to pay the deductible, which turned out to be $45.  I was delighted.

She called the insurance company and told her of my claim.  In ten minutes, it was done.  The new phone will arrive tomorrow via courier, with instructions to activate the phone.

Ken and I remembered, after the fact, that we could have done the whole thing on line from home.  Ken ran over his phone several years ago and he needed a new phone.  A new phone was sent the next day to him.  But we forgot.  It is a wonderful world.  Now my fingers are crossed as to whether or not my contacts can be transferred to my new phone.   Always something else to worry about!!

May 20, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. The Orchid Thief.

David heard about this book while watching his garden show on a Saturday morning, so I down loaded the book onto my iPad.  Now I am almost at the end.  The story is simple.  A man stole a bunch of orchids in Florida from state land.  The case was complicated but during the book you read pages and pages about orchids and how they grow.  Perhaps there is more information than is necessary but I found it interesting.  I love orchids.

The writer, Susan Orlean, does not live in Florida and in fact paints a rather unattractive picture of Florida and it's history.  The full title is The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession.  The book tells you not only about the thief but also a lot of other folks who are in love with orchids.  I had not known about such people so I enjoyed the book, even though it was not particularly well written.  I learned a lot about orchids and Florida.

May 19, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Stupidity.

Once again, I have been reminded to keep humble.   This has happened to many of my friends. Now it happened to me.   I left my cell phone in the pocket of my shorts when I put the shorts in the washing machine.  By the time I remembered, the phone was wet and would no longer work.   Every so often, something comes along that I do that is just plain stupid.  Getting my cell phone wet was certainly a very stupid thing.

This happened this morning and I kept hoping that the phone would dry out and start working so I did not tell anyway,  but no such luck.  Finally, tonight,  I confessed to Ken and Andrew and Christina what I had done.  They thought it was funny, that I, who am generally well organized,  would put my phone in the washing machine, then leave it there until it is soaked through.

The big problem is the phone numbers in my phone.  I know I can get another phone, but what can be done about all those numbers in my dead phone?   I bet I will find out soon!!

May 18, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Shakespeare Night.

Ritchie is a friend of Christina and Andrew.  He is the kind gentleman who came to help us unload the trailer last year.  Several months ago, he started a Shakespeare reading night in his home.  Now he is an English high school teacher, so he knows more than the average bear about Shakespeare as his Masters degree is in English literature.   He invited friends who were interested in literature to join him at his house to read the plays.   He serves beer and wine and snacks and keeps the readings going with some pertinent explanations, but people chose a part and then the reading begins.

Ken and I attended tonight and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We read the last two acts of Julius Caesar.  Next month they will read The Taming of the Shrew.   They selected the characters and are ready for next month.   Tonight we were 12 people.  We sat around his living room and had a jolly old time.  Some people read with vigor and some people just read the part, but it was enjoyable to all.  It certainly makes me feel badly that we do not attend any plays.  Sometime soon we will plan a trip to Stratford and stay for the weekend, attending as many plays as possible.  I now have the taste for theater.

May 17, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Swimming.

This afternoon, for the first time this season, Ken and I went to the swimming pool in the condominium complex.   Ken actually got into the water!!   The pool is beautifully set, right along side the reservoir and it is a so called infinity pool so when you are in the water, you can look out to the lake with no barrier between you and the lake.  It is a lovely setting.

Today was warm and sunny, so we went to swim and found ourselves alone.  It was just like having our own backyard pool.  I did my exercises in the deep end while Ken bounced around. After we sat and enjoyed the lake, Ken went back to the condo while I read by the pool.  Soon, a young man came up the stairs from the lower deck, wearing only his bathing suit, but looking like a Greek God.  He was young and tanned and muscular.  What a surprise.  He must have been laying flat on a lounge chair out of my sight, getting his tan.  As he left, he said goodbye but I wanted to ask why he was sitting by the pool in the middle of the afternoon.  But I was speechless, which does not happen very often.  I don't often get to see a Greek God.

May 16, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Fat.

How did it happen?    My recollect is that  the ladies in my family were thin.  My Mother was never overweight  nor was my aunt.  Certainly my grandmother was very thin.  But somehow or another,  I became fat.   This was pointed out to me by my Cardiologist, Dr. Cotton, who is pencil thin and looks sixteen years old.

Now he was polite.  He is from Mississippi after all, but he pointed out to me that I weigh too much.  Furthermore, he also suggested that I know everything I need to know in order to get rid of the fat, so he would not bore me with the details.  I appreciated the lack of a lecture on food because it bores me to death.

Now, I have visited four Doctors since I have been to Jackson, the Internist, the Opthamologist, the Dermatologist and the Cardiologist.   No one mentioned my weight, just commented that I looked great.   Dr. Cotton was the only one who told me the truth.   Now I must return to my pattern and eliminate sugar and pretend that it is poison to me.  In a year, I return to Dr. Cotton.  He will still be thin.  It remains to be seen if he will be pleased with my fat level next year.

May 15, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. The Doctor's Office.

I often observed  older couples in the waiting room of the Doctor's office.  They seemed to both be competent, but they were in the office together.  Then one went  to be examined while the other one waited and read a magazine.   Eventually, the one reading would be called in for consultation, or perhaps for something else.   It made no sense to me for two people instead of one person  to be waiting in the office.  Why didn't they drive themselves?

Now in Jackson, Mississippi, Ken and I are just like those little old people.  Both of us drive to gether to each others appointments and wait together in the waiting room.   We laugh about it.   What is most interesting is that someone always asks the waiting person if they would like to sit in with the consultation with the doctor, after the examination has taken place.  We always refuse.

 We were trying to figure out today when we will start driving to our appointment all by ourselves?   I don't know the answer but I know that tomorrow I will accompany Ken to the Dermatology office for more surgery.  Perhaps next time in Jackson we can drive alone but don't count on it.

May 14, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Dinner.

John told us about this little restaurant, so tonight the three families ate dinner at  "The Mediterranean Fish and Grill",  a place very close to our home.  From the street you would never go in for dinner.  The name is ridiculous all by itself.  But John told us that it was good so we used it to take food out for a friends in the country.  Tonight was the first time for dinner in the restaurant.

Elias is the owner.  Elias Habib.  He is a very nice man.  He took the children's order first, so by the time he took the order from the adults the children already had their food.  He was wise as well as nice.  All six children enjoyed the evening, chatting away while the adults drank and ate at the other end of the long table.

Ken and I thought that Elias was Lebanese but it turns out he is from Israel, but not Jewish.  He has no sign of an accent so he must have lived in the US a long time.  His food is good so we will visit his restaurant again.   His wife, who is from Egypt, does all the cooking.  Monday evening is a perfect time to dine out with a big group.   it was a lovely evening.

May 13, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Mother's Day

It was a perfect Mother's Day for me.   No crowds, no waiting, no hassle.  Brunch at the condo with Andrew and Christina and the girls started the celebration.  Ken cooked bacon while I opened packages.  We ate berries, muffins, quiche, cinnamon rolls, and bacon.  And of course olives.  For dessert we ate brownies and little pecan tarts.  No fuss and no muss.  Coffee and apple juice to drink.   The goslings obliged us by visiting right in front of the condo.

A nap in the afternoon is always nice on Mother's Day too.

Christin's Mother came to dinner at their home tonight so we all celebrated together once again.  Molly asked the blessing and without being prompted thanked God for her Mother.  It was very sweet.  Good food and good company can not be beaten for an enjoyable time.

To top off the day, I had a long conversation with David.  He called to wish me Happy Mother's Day and we ended up talking for a long time.  It was fun.  His garage is well under way and his bees are doing well so he is happy with that.  It was a lovely day for me, this Mother's Day, 2012.

May 12, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Ballet Recitals.

I loved every minute of the Recitals.  Molly was the first this morning, smiling and dancing her heart out.  She loved it, especially when all the little girls each in their own classes came out for a bow, right at the end.  She ran out onto the stage and made a big bow and waved.  It was wonderful.

Tonight, Mary Frances and Kate had their turn to shine and shine they did.  Both girls danced well and stayed in character the whole time they were on stage.  The ballet school does a magnificent job with the costumes and organization and of course, the dancing.  All the girls from the beginners to the advanced showed off their expertise.  The whole thing was impressive.  We are fortunate to be here in May so we can watch the girls dance.  Of course, I would remiss to not say that they looked lovely as well as danced well.

It is clear by watching that all the dancers enjoy their dancing.   I don't know how the teachers are able to correct and train the girls while retaining the enthusiasm.  It is a wonder to behold.  And that was how we spent our day.  You can't spend a better Saturday than watching your grandchildren dance in a recital.

May 11, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Canton Flea Market.

Ken read about it on the Internet.  Canton, a small town just north of us was having a Flea Market in the town square.  We had been to the old town and admired the beautiful Court House and  Episcopal church, both one of the prettiest sights in the nation and used in many movies.   We decided to go.

About two miles from Canton, we started to see traffic and soon we saw lots of cars followed by many cars parked on lawns both front and back.  For $10. you could park your car on someones yard.  The closer we got to town the more people we saw.  People were everywhere, walking on the street and sitting on the grass.  People everywhere.  Too many people for us.

This Canton Flea Market was huge.  There must have been thousands of vendors.  The tents covered the town square and along each side road.  We decided to turn right at the first road.  It took us three lights before we were able to turn on Highway 16 East to Carthage.  We saw Canton Flea Market but from the comfort of the truck.   We wanted out of there as quickly as possible.

Our day was lovely, driving through rich farm land along pleasant well paved roads with very little traffic.  Perfect.  We ate Japanese food at Carthage, then drove south on highway 25 and finally around the other side of the reservoir to home.   We were pleased to avoid the hoards at the Canton Flea Market.  Somehow, we never expected huge crowds.  Who could know?

May 10, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Fermor.

A Time to Keep Silence is the name of a small book, another by the writer Patrick Leigh Fermor.   It is the story of his time  in monasteries, where he went to shut out the distractions of the world and write his books.   You learn when you read his books, not the least being his vocabulary.  Fortunately the Kindle has a built in dictionary and I consult it on every page.  This book was written in 1958 but reissued in 1980.

I was not been brought up to think highly of the introspective, contemplative life.    For us, a life of action was the highest achievement, so this book discloses and interprets the life of the quiet and still life of the monks, and it's benefits.  I still am not keen on the idea but for some people, it may have merit.  This book tells you how and why.

I just discovered a few weeks ago that Mr. Fermor died only last year.  Now I have only one more of his books in my Kindle but I intend to read more.  He was a learned interesting man and a wonderful complicated writer.  A Time to Keep Silence is worth every moment of your time.

May 9, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. The Weather.

It is dramatic.  One day it is hot,  over 90 in the shade and everyone  complaining.   Then the rains and winds appear followed by thunder and lightning.   The next time you go outside, the temperature has dropped 25 or 30 degrees, and the day is sunny and cool and beautiful.  For the third time since we have arrived this time,  it has happened exactly like that.  Everyone you meet talks about the wonderful cool weather.  Often it does not last long so the next day it will often be back to 90.

This time, people are overjoyed to hear the forecast that we will have several days of temperatures in the 60s and low 70s.  In the middle of the night, the front came through, but Ken and I were not aware,  so this morning we wore shorts and light shirts and sandals, as yesterday was hot.   When we left the condo for our doctors appointments the temperature was 65.   We looked ridiculous with everyone else in jeans and long sleeved shirts.  But it is really true.  The air conditioner is turned off and the window is open.  Tonight we ate dinner outside on our patio overlooking the reservoir.    Everyone walking by commented on the wonderful cool weather.

It is so different.   In Nova Scotia, folks are wanting warmth but here in Mississippi, the people are overjoyed with the 65 degree weather.   The conversations are exactly reversed.  We just smile and agree.

May 8, 2012. Jackson, MS. The Waiter.

Today we attended a Ladies Lunch.  Molly loved it.   After a morning visit to the framer with Christina and Molly, I suggested on the drive home that we have a ladies lunch with just Kate, Mary Frances, Molly, Christina and me.   It look while for Molly to understand that we were not inviting Daddy and Grandpa, but after she finally got the message she thought it a wonderful idea.   She went to both Kate and Mary Frances asking if they would like to join us for a Ladies Lunch.  Then she wanted to leave immediately, even though it was only 11:10.

Off we went to Char and then got lucky.  Our waiter was wonderful.  When we arrived the restaurant was half full and by the time we left at 12:30 the place was packed including the bar, with a waiting list outside too.

Our waiter reminded us what a good waiter should be.  He anticipated our needs without being asked, bringing Molly crayons and paper, refilling and replenishing the drinks, bringing another dish of mashed potatoes to Kate when he noticed that Molly was eating them, bringing boxes for the left over food, all with no request from us.  He was the best waiter I have ever had, anywhere and anytime.

Our conversation was spirited and private.  It would never have been held in the presence of men.  Our Ladies Lunch was a big success.

Natchez

Condo Neighbors

May 7, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Goslings.

Every day the goslings are a bit bigger and a bit darker.  Every day we observe them as they walk along the edge of the reservoir, eating all the way, with both parents watching every step of the way.  Both geese attend the goslings all the time, never letting them out of their sight.  If a person or another goose gets too close to the goslings, the parents either move them away or go after the other goose or ducks.  It must be why there are still six goslings left.  Many creatures would like to eat those little tasty goslings.  These two geese parents show  exemplary behavior.

I could not  fathom human mothers leaving their children to be raised by others and breaking up the home.   The wild animals show a better example than the humans.  Amazing but true.

May 6, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. Bon Ami

The restaurant is on Northside Drive, a road we have been on many times but today we got lost on the way to meet the Family for brunch.   We both knew the way, but we turned the wrong way.  Fortunately, everyone waited for us.

The restaurant has great food so today we had brunch.  Two years ago we did the same thing except last time we went to church with Andrew and Christina  while this time Ken and I slept in and met them at the restaurant for brunch.   Lazy us.

Molly bounced up and down on her seat when we finally arrived. She was so happy to be able to order.  Shrimp and cheese grits is what Christina ordered, something she ate the last time too.  In Jackson, Bon Ami is famous for it's shrimp and grits.  For me, I ate quiche and salad.  And we all ate dessert.   Eating out after church is delightful, especially if you have not gone to church.

May 5, 2012. Jackson, MS. George Will

George Will wrote a lovely story about his son, Jon.   Jon was turning 40.   He was born with Downs Syndrome.  Google George Will and you can read how a child with Downs can and does live a full and happy life.  

When Jon was born, the physician suggest an institution would be the place to put the baby, but the parents thought not.  A family across the street from us on Old Spring Road had the same experience.   I was able to counsel the mother and point out all the joys to come when working with a child that is not perfectly normal.  Those parents ended up starting a band  for damaged children which was a huge success.  The name of the band was The Joyful Noise.  I loved it.

None of us are entitled to perfection.  We get what we get and do our best.  This small tribute to Jon will say it all.  It is a lovely piece of writing.

May 4, 2012. Jackson, MS. Manners.

In the every day interaction with the people of Mississippi,  you find an extraordinary level of polite conversation.   I am obviously not from Mississippi and everyone comments on that fact favorably.  People speak in a kind, friendly way with every exchange of information.   It is refreshing and pleasant.  I will miss it when we move north.

Ken, Andrew and I went to Lowe's to look at barbecue grills.  We gave Andrew a grill 15 years ago for his birthday and now he needs a new bigger model.   A man came up wearing the red apron,  introduced himself and asked if we had any questions.   We chatted about the different types of grills and he gave us information about the differences in costs.   He left us to look.  I soon called him back with questions.  He was pleasant and informative but not at all aggressive.  

We made a decision.  He suggested we have the grill assembled in the store and pick it up the next day, as the charge was only $10.  Then he walked me up to the cashier to pay, then showed me where to pick up the grill the next day.  On the way to the cashier, he commented on "the pretty day".   Now we have bought many appliances from Lowe's and always had good service but never with the patience and pleasant manner from this man.  I commented to Andrew on the way out that the good people of Mississippi are very hospitable and pleasant.  And he agreed.

May 3, 2012. Jackson, MS. Patrick Leigh Fermor.

He is a wonderful travel writer.  In fact, I have never read anyone better.  Recently, I read a review of a travel book and the reviewer commented in passing that the present book is good but the best travel writer ever was Patrick Leigh Fermor.  I quickly down loaded three of his books and am just now getting around to reading them.  What a treat.

I am reading " Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece. " It is not a part of the world I have visited but I can see the topography in my mind, the writing is so graphic.   You learn the past and the present, all presented in lively language.  I am enjoying the book enormously but I am not reading too much each day.  I keep my Kindle in the bedroom and only read that book there.  That way I can savor the experience over a longer period of time.

I read one of his books when I was young but then I forgot about him.  What a mistake. Now I will make up for lost time.

May 2, 2012. Jackson, MS. Shopping.

I have known Irene for almost sixty years, but until today, we have never gone shopping together.   Today I enjoyed our shopping.   We had three tasks and we accomplished them all.

The weather was fearsome with rain and wind and thunder.  Miserable actually.   We got lucky and the rain almost stopped whenever we got out of the car and headed for a store.  Normally, we would have parked and walked but with the rain, we drove the car from store to store.  The beauty of The Renaissance Mall is that all the stores are free standing, with a road bisecting the block of stores so you can drive until you find the store, then park close by.  It is a wonderful Mall.

Today, Irene and I enjoyed our shopping together.  She is not much of a shopper either, but today we were successful, even in the rain.

May 1, 2012. Jackson, Mississippi. The Old Capitol Museum.

The old Capitol was built in 1820.  In 2009 the old building was completely restored and is now open to the public, free of charge.  It is beautiful.   The other feature adding interest is that Christina's brother Nelson was the manager of the project who brought the lovely old building back to life.

Everything is perfect, even down to the size of the museum.  We four spent almost two hours looking in all the chambers and reading the exhibits.  We had seen it all.  By 1:30 we were at lunch and were delighted with the museum.   They had great style in 1820 and it was a pleasure to see the place as it was back then.  Of course, now the floors are clean and there is not a paper out of place.    The oak flooring has strips of about one inch in width.  They were beautiful.   And the medallions in the copula have never been replaced.  Just lovely.

We are surprised it took us so long to get around to visit the old Capitol Museum, but we are pleased now.