RV SURFING IN THE DENTY DINGY

          Have you heard of couch surfing?  Where friends stay with friends and park themselves on the couch for a visit for a night or two?  Well, I have a new one for you, I call it “driveway surfing” for our RVr types.  It has several advantages for both the hosts and the surfers: close proximity to have coffee together in the morning and late nite adult beverages (without driving home) and/or games, easy access for changing clothes for activities, and ease of care for the “kids”, our animals. Many times we can’t stay with friends because of logistical or covenant restrictions, but it is so much more fun to be in closer proximity.  We love carrying our spare room with us. We call it our “condo on wheels” or the Denty Dingy We enjoy driveway surfing and thank all our friends and family for those delightful opportunities!

KOA on the Swannanoa River, next to Black Mountain

        From Ohio we went to Black Mountain, Durham, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Brunswick and the Golden Isles (St. Simons Island and Jekyl Island) and then headed back to Black Mountain and Raleigh/Durham, before we are heading home by way of Cartersville, just outside of Atlanta.  If you see Flat Stanley and Flat Stacie, we are carrying them with us for a project for Taylor who is in Girl Scouts and they are in some of our pictures. There was so much we did in the past six weeks, it is just too numerous to cover it all, so I will touch on the highlights.  

OOOPS!!!

Had one major problem though:  I thought I would transfer 500 pictures from my phone to my laptop, and bam.... more than 400 of them disappeared... oh well, I am just not that much of a computer techie after all.

The highlights of North Carolina were:

The autumn colors were just beginning to show up in the mountains and we were thrilled for the cooler temperatures!

Celebrated the 10th Anniversary Howl-In with our friends at Full Moon Farm Wolfdog Rescue

• Visited with our friend Pattiy Torno at the River Arts District in Asheville
• Found a new favorite restaurant: The Trailhead in Black Mountain and Glynn discovered Nitro Stout beer at Pisgah Brewing Company.

Glynn & Alex

In Durham, we surfed in my sister-in-law, Lori’s driveway and we enjoyed spending time with my nephew, Alex. Went to his first track meet, to a UNC Tarheel/Virginia Tech game (48-34), and went to see “War Horse” the play (the stagecraft and puppetry were magnificent!).

UNC Chapel Hill w/Lori, Susan, Allen & Alex - Go Tarheels!

We had a great visit with my brother Rick and my sister-in-law Brenda, a group of their friends and her brother’s family, while they created a feast of pulled pork, Brunswick stew and slaw. Rick is a great cook and they made a fantastic brunch for us before we left. Everyone is so busy with work and school schedules and we are always glad to get to spend time with these two and their beautiful three cat kids!

(Background at the Swannanoa River, Sparky & Patchouli at Red Top Mtn. St. Park, Chester & Sparky top R,
Bottom L-R, Talisker, Nico, Miss C (Caol Ila))  All are very special Angels in our lives!

We did another driveway surf with our friends Allen and Susan in Wilmington, NC.  We had a fun beach time! Glynn got to go fishing (not catching) with Allen, while Susan and I drove over to Wrightsville Beach (haven’t been there for 25 years). We had a beautiful boat ride, got to see the Intercoastal Waterway, the ocean, Figure 8 Island and had nice visit with them and Chester, Sparky’s new dog friend. 

Marcy & Mike

Some Georgia highlights were: 

Some of the Denty Family

Visiting in Savannah with my friend, Marcy and her husband Mike (later Glynn and I took a historical trolley tour of Savannah)

Glynn’s brother, Ralph & his wife Sandy hosted a Denty family get- together with Laura & Brent, Jamie & Bob, Eric, Amy, & Sam

  

We had a wonderful visit with my artists Debbie (my MudMama & Sista) and Terry Craig. I got to play with and be surrounded by art. They loaned us their Miata convertible so we could run around the Golden Isles, and we had a funtabulous good time! 

A couple of my AMTA Sistas, Pat & Tanya, at the convention

          The Georgia visit was short but sweet, and we headed back to the mountains for another quick visit and then on to Durham so I could attend the American Massage Therapy Association’s National Convention in Raleigh.  It was a full schedule that week, where I had to get up at 6am every morning for 8am classes (ugh!).  But it was well worth it and we all had fun while researching and preparing to host the AMTA National Convention in Ft. Worth next year! (Not to mention dancing our butts off!)

          It is finally time to head home, so we stopped in Cartersville, GA, just outside of Atlanta, to visit cousin Krista and her family.  We had a beautiful campsite at Red Top Mountain State Park and were only scheduled to stay one night.  But the engine light came on when we left Durham and sure enough, the truck would not start the morning after we had dinner with Krista.  Good Sam RV Club helped us out again, and Glynn spent the day at the Chevy dealer for a malfunctioning glow plug and fuel filter housing unit, all covered by warranty. Meanwhile, I spent a lovely autumn day with Sparky and Patchouli at the state park.

          Now it is the last week before we get home... and I cannot wait!  We are in Huntsville, Alabama at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center today and will head home tomorrow. 

          I don’t think I’ll be a full-time RVr any time soon. I have been ready to be home for several weeks, even though we are having the time of our lives!  And the next surfing I intend to do will be in our own driveway... hopefully by October 15th!

          One more blog to go after we get home, then this Sassy Ornery Sister On Sabbatical better get her butt back to work!  Later on down the highway; we are on the home stretch now!

YEAH, I'M FROM OHIO!

Anthony & Mom

You CAN go home again!  And see family, family and more family! Enroute to Ohio, I really looked forward to spending time with Mom & Anthony, seeing my brother Carl and his wife, Brenda, and all kinds of relatives; catching up with all my Sistas... cousins and close friends.  Lots of visiting, eating great food, no stress, lots of emphasis on relaxation!
                
A most memorable "aha" moment came when  I met a special little boy who lives next door to my mom. Vinnie is 18 months old, and each and every time he saw us, he would smile a big smile, wave and enthusiastically say "HI!.... HI! HI! HI!" And each time he did, it made me smile and this had to be one of the sweetest highlights of my entire Ohio visit. "Hi Vinnie!" I would say, and I would wave back. He really touched my heart. Just think if we could all be like that to everyone, all the time. What a wonderful world it would be...

Westside Market

Some of the highlights of our Ohio trip were:

• cool temperatures
• the beautiful rolling hills, green farmlands complete with red barns and silos
• fresh produce, esp. peaches & the sweetest most tender corn
• did I mention COOL temperatures, like 60 and 70 degrees
• shopping at Westside Market in Cleveland (where Mom's neighbor, Terry, has a booth where he sells fresh chicken where members of his family have been vendors for 100 years)
• homemade cooking (thanks to Mom), like peach crostada, apple pie, peach crisp, banana nut and zucchini bread, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, city chicken, chicken pot pie, brautwurst...can you say, YUM! (Glynn & I are NOT dieting!)
• a couple of lovely rainy days and cooler temperatures
• of course at least one trip to Amish country, to eat great food at the Hartville Kitchen

I often have this Norman Rockwell scene in my head of my family gatherings and have finally realized it is best not have that vision. This year was somewhat different and lots of wonderful family moments were shared. These pictures reflect just a smallest portion of our family gatherings.

The Sky-Way Drive-In was popular when my Aunt Joyce & Uncle Larry were in high school. Stopped by their house to visit after my burger here.

                        This is my nephew Shawn and  his one year old daughter, Sydney.  We went to her First Birthday party, but it was hot outside! So a few of us didn't smile as much as we usually do!

(L-R) Jackie & me; Carl & Eva; me, Jackie, Kim & Lovie; Minnie-Carl

We enjoyed visiting a bunch of relatives.  I especially enjoyed reconnecting with people I haven't seen for a long long time: the Walsh Family: cousins John & Kim, Aunt Fran & Uncle Jack (and kids, w/their kids), Ruth & Malcolm (Kim's parents), and seeing my Sista cousin Jackie & her bro Kevin. In North Canton, we got to see Aunts Darlene & Raelynn & cousin Debbie.  It is always fun to see Carl & Brenda and get to know Beth & Andy & their kids; and Shawn & Erin, Justin & Lori & their families.

"Wise Choice Livin' The Dream"

I got to see one of my best friends, Deb Suman, the closest of Sistas for 35 years.  She has a new baby... which would be, of course, another one of my nephews.  A four-legged nephew puppy named Lance (birth/show name under the pic).  What a joy to behold!  He is entering the world of dog shows, so let's be on the watch for a winner in our midst.  Here is his picture after he won his first award "Best in Match".  He is a Bouvier des Flandres and a beautiful handsome boy!

Carl, Brenda & Glynn

It truly was wonderful to be home again, back in familial surroundings, visiting family, seeing kids that are growing up. That's what I miss the most living in Texas. So I keep coming back to visit when I can, even though it's been sometimes 4-10 years. We didn't get to see everyone, but we sure tried. I love checking in with my roots and visiting the stomping grounds where I grew up, and the relatives and friends who grew up with me.

Now we are headed to North Carolina, where we want to plant new roots some day, and see our family who live there. We are heading South with the geese and the humming birds, on the road again!

SEEING THE SIGHTS & THE CHICAGO FAMILY, Plus... "It's a Small World Story"

Wow! We went from playing tourists in Memphis & St. Louis, to family gatherings in Chicago, travelling 500+ miles with a range in temps from 106 to 66 degrees, I'd say we covered a lot in the 10 days before we got to Ohio!  They were both fairly easy drives with 6 hrs each between cities, and once settled in, I think we ate and drank our way thru all three. We had never been in Memphis and St. Louis, so we stayed 2-1/2 days each.  In the limited time we had, we did our best. On this trip, I am using Yelp reviews and it has really helped in making choices from everything from campgrounds, dining, attractions, hair salons and massages.  I also suggest anyone travelling to try GasBuddy to find cheap gas prices.

Memphis first: We were amazed at how much was going on there! It was still very hot and we could not stand in lines outside, so we did not do Graceland. :(  We will definitely come back again to tour the Sun Studio, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Gibson Guitar factory and more music venues. Some of our favorite things here were:

Goddess of the Rainbow
Memphis Botanic Garden

• Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken (the BEST ever!)
• Beale Street Music (a public park, a private restaurant courtyard -- prefer private, less street people)
• Memphis Botanic Garden
• The Peabody Hotel Ducks
• Cozy Corner BBQ (very old place, very tender tasty ribs)

St. Louis was still very hot, so we did very little.  We will come back again and take in the historic aspect of this city and go to the museums, theater and music venues.  We will definitely take a guided tour of the Basilica next time. Stayed at the Casino Queen RV sites on the Missouri River, not much there, but safe and clean with with grassy areas.  They are not the "loosest slots around" however.  Of course $20 each does not go far. Fun things to do in St. Louis are:

• The Bridge Tap Room and Wine Bar (Glynn loved the Southern Tier Choklat Beer)
• Anheuser Busch Stable Tour (still get free samples,have toured their other brewery)
• The Arch (2-1/2 hrs standing in line underground, but it was worth it)
• Basilica St. Louis (felt like I was in a beautiful old cathedral in Europe)

We get to the CHICAGO area! YAY! What a family! What a town! What a small world!

Lamar Story & Glynn

First of all, there are no camping sites on a river that's for sure. Now we are spoiled as we have been camping on the Guadalupe, Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.  We stayed in Joliet, IL, central to both families we wanted to visit. Think someone's "field". Nice enough, but not sure about the people, kinda ... 'outback'. But nice. We set up, go to bed, then at 3am when Sparky needs to go out, Patchouli jumps out by accident, and we think... uh oh, she's a gonner. Glynn's out there in the middle of the night snooping around the big Class A parked next to us. I'm hoping they don't have a shotgun... long story shorter, she comes in later when I shake the food jar. Next morning, and here's where the small world story comes in, Glynn's outside fooling with the camper and I hear this guffawing and commotion outside. As it turns out, that Class A belongs to a friend of ours in Rockport, Texas, Lamar Story.  Teresa and Lamar have been full-timing since April and we end up camping next door to each other for one night! They were leaving the day after we arrived. What are the chances of that happening?? A lot of synchronicity happening on this trip! It truly is a Small World after all!

Now on to visit family!  YAY! Let's just sum it up in pictures, shall we?

Rob, Madeline, Kevin Denty & us

We went to see Glynn's nephew's family, Rob, Lisa, Madeline and Kevin Denty in Orland Park, IL. Rob is a jazz musician and teacher. The next night, he had a gig at the Shedd Aquarium.  We had a wonderful time with his family at the event, which was held outside, while watching the sun go down over the skyline of Chicago. The night lights came up and the evening ended with fireworks over the Navy Pier. With cool temps and clear skies, it was absolutely beautiful!

Luke, Scotty & Josh Conley
with Aunt Kay

Joshua Robert Conley

Our other Chicago family is my friend Diane Cole and her husband, Stan who live in Downers Grove.  She is the mother of my nieces Andrea Conley and Sarah Rae, and nephew, Bob Scott. We moved the camper to the Cole's driveway and commenced to visit at Spa-la-Di (restful visits with hot tub evenings and our favorite adult beverages) and helped Diane get ready for Joshua's baptism (Andrea's third son) and the party following.

Stan & Diane with the newest
Sox fans! 

   
While we had our camper parked in their driveway, Diane took us out on the town in Chicago, with a watertaxi ride to see Bob working at Bar Louies, out for a fabulous dinner and then on to Andy's Chicago Jazz Club where we listened to great music. The next night we went to a Sox game after tailgating like the locals!  

Bobbo, Andrea, Sarah & Diane

The weekend ended with Josh's baptismal party and visiting with Diane and Andrea's extended family.  So much fun!  We can't thank them enough for all the memories and joy we shared that weekend. 

Now we are in Ohio visiting Mom and more of my family! Whew! What a trip!  Talk at you in the next segment of S.O.S.O.S., now down the highway we go!!!  Rollin, rollin, rollin, keep those doggies rollin... yahaaa!!!

HOT! HOT! HOTTER!

Yes, it has been HOT! HOT! HOT! on this trip.  111 degrees at the hottest!  They say it is a dry heat... WHATever, oven baked for sure!  Give me humidity on my porch with a breeze any day.  It has been cooler at home with 90+ degrees.  But hey!  We are on a road trip and ten days have passed since my last post. It is raining in Memphis today, so it is a good day to blog and do laundry.

 

Bangers & Mash!

What a wonderful visit we had with our extended families in the Bedford/Ft. Worth area.  Cassie (my adopted "Sis") & Randy let us stay in their home and leave the camper in their shady driveway. We are forever indebted to them for their generosity. Fun was had by all: shopping & cooking together, celebrating the opening of the Olympic games, many "happy hrs", some great dinners out and playing X-Box Kinect games (my sides still hurt from laughing so hard). They let the "kids" have the run of the house and Patchouli fell in love with Randy. Chouli was interested in Juno (their hedgehog), but alas, playmates they are not meant to be. Cassie took us to Grapevine where we fell in love with another small town, especially since they have a fantastic deli and a thriving arts community. We also found a cool campground to stay at next time, the Vineyards in Grapevine.

We had a special visit in Ft. Worth with Michele & Dage (our "adopted" son), who are pregnant with Noah, due the first week in October.  The nursery is a fun jungle theme and they have been creating many of the decorations themselves.  We went to the Ft. Worth Water Gardens to cool off and took GrandPop Glynn out for Mexican food.  GrammyKay was totally thrilled when Noah started kicking and I got to put my hands on the baby bump and send him loving energy.  Cannot wait to hold him in my arms!


Arrived in Little Rock, AR on Monday night, July 30. 106 degrees at 8pm! Very unusual heat for them. Stayed at the Downtown Riverside RV Park in North Little Rock, directly across the Arkansas River from the Clinton Presidential Center. Great views up and down the river. We were quite surprised and pleased with Little Rock. There is much more going on than we anticipated. We will come back and enjoy more of the arts and music scene next time. 

Highlights of our time in Little Rock were:

-- The Clinton Library
-- Fun & educational trolley system
-- Geneology Archives (COOL place to spend an afternoon)
-- Historical Center with "Barbie" Collection for me and Bowie Knives exhibit for Glynn

Downtown Riverside RV, Little Rock

-- Lunch at The Root Cafe & beers at the Flying Saucer
-- The Heifer International, a charitable organization helping struggling families around the world toward self-reliance
-- Haircut at Suite.102.salon with Alli

Welcome to my Sabbatical Blog!

It has been barely over one week and chilling/relaxing and reducing stress has been a top priority for this super Type A personality.  The load-in for the camper and reorganizing days were exhausting, so the first 4 days were used as decompression while we hung out next to the Guadalupe River in Seguin at David & Ann's place on the river.

I struggle daily to not make a "To Do" list and focus on having fun and being in the moment.  Meanwhile I am trying new ways of doing things for fun, like reading during the day and getting up early, instead of reading late into the night, and sleeping in.

Now for the fun events we have done this past week:

-- met up with Barbara & Ed and listened to New Orleans style jazz music at Star Co. Coffee in Round Rock, TX
-- went to see the "President's Own" U.S. Marine Band Concert in San Antonio
-- headed to Dallas/Ft. Worth to see Cassie & Randy and went to the Pecan Lodge BBQ at the Dallas Farmers Market
-- going to see our "adopted" son Dage and Michele to see the baby bump at 29 weeks

That's about it for this week.  I'll close for now with two realizations: (1) I must be relaxing because I did lose track of my calendar by forgetting which day of the week it was. And (2) I don't have to get straight "A's" in life anymore.  I can relax and go with the flow.  Talk to you next week.  I'll close with these pictures of Chouli and Sparky, showing how laid back we are all feeling right now.

Sending everyone love and hugs from S.O.S.O.S. and Glynn, Sparky and Patchouli!