Ready to Roll

Ready to Roll

Our History

My photo
Ohio, United States
Having recently retired we are fulfilling our long time dream. We began our camping life with a tent in 1969 adjusting as each of our three sons arrived over the years and gradually progressed to a 32' Class A in 2007. Even after our sons became too busy with their own interests, we continued dreaming over the years. The Louisville, KY 2003 Great North American RV Rally and the book "Movin' On" convinced us that a motorhome after retirement was really for us! In 2007 we sold our home and disposed of most of our belongings and awaited the wife's retirement on February 1, 2008. We were out in our first motorhome ten times in our first summer in 2007, with our grandson joining us eight of those ten times. Since he must stay behind with his mom and dad to continue school, we told him he can join us on vacations (by car or plane) anywhere we are as we travel the US. Imagine the history lessons he could acquire! However, Mom and Dad don't look at it that way, especially the flying. Fortunately we don't miss work one bit!! We just miss the friends there. We have many hobbies to keep us busy when we decide to sit still for a day. Hope to see you on the road.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

OUR OHIO TIME COMING TO A CLOSE SOON.

We are still facing stressful times here in Ohio. But we are trying to move forward with our plans to head to Florida on January 3rd. This gives us time to enjoy the holidays with the family here. We will miss being with our son, Ben, in Minnesota and now with Victor who is going to join Ben for the weekend. We are wishing Victor safe driving and a fun time!!
Early in December we made a trip to Indiana for the burial of my mother's last living sibling, Howard, who passed away in December in California. We had him returned to Indiana where he grew up so that he could be buried with his parents and a brother and sister-in-law. Though the weather was intensely cold, we survived the time at the graveside and then met back with the family at my sister, Pearl's house. We had a very nice visit with much reminiscing with old photo albums.
Audrey with her Uncle Howard when Gary and I
were in California,
where we stopped to see him in 2014.


Photo of the siblings, except Howard, when they met at the
home place in Roll, IN in 1963 when their father passed away.
Howard did not make it back from California at that time,.

Howard with his brother, Bruce, when they visited in
Garden Grove, California in 1974
Cousins and their children and grandchildren as they gathered at Pearl's.
David, Julie, Anna, Angie, Nicole, Paul Jr and Pearl

David, Victor, Gary and Jeanne

Jeanne and Norbert's daughter, Nicole with husband Ron
and their children

Jeanne and Norbert with their family.
Norbert was kind enough the take care of the graveside
service and memories for us.
Thank you Jeanne, Norbert, Pearl, and Liz (not present) who planned the event. These times are never easy, but this more so because it had been so many, many years since most had seen Uncle Howard. We were glad that we could bring him back to his family. And so glad to make his landlady in California, Sennie, happy to grant the wishes that he had expressed to her in recent months. We will be forever grateful to she and her husband who were so kind to him for his last eight years.

Our stay in Ohio has continued with visiting with friends and relatives as usual. The camera was not always present at these events, but I will record the pictures that I did take.
Class of 1962 Luncheon at Salem Air Park restaurant.

More of Class of 1962.  Bud so glad that you came out
for the event, and Sherry as well.
We never know when we go to these luncheons who
will show each time. But it is always a nice visit.
I got out for one of our scrapbooking days and had a wonderful time with visiting and lunch.

Mary Ann, Leah and Dee

Eugenia and Betty

Looks like the four Christmasteers to me!!
Our TOPS chapter had their annual Christmas dinner at Boneshakers in Salem. They have a wonderful menu and we are so glad that an old building has been opened back up.  Gary and I also went there to have dinner with our friends Larry and Gloria Cecil on another evening.

Barb, her friend Bonnie and Ellie

Nancy, Shirley (our fearless leader) and Audrey

Another Barb and Joann

Janet and Shirley
Our Monday Bible study group had their Christmas Dinner at Cheryl's house and a fun time was enjoyed with much great food!! I look forward to getting some new recipes.

Carol, one of our leaders.

Ann giving a gift to another leader, Cheryl,
who is also hostess most of the meetings.

Ann, Renaye and Judy

Judy with Marty, Mo and Anna

Mo and Anna

Judy, Marty, Carol, Ann, Anna

I am so glad to share in this Bible study as it is a great prayer and praise support!! I will look forward to joining them again when we come back to Ohio.

Gary has been doing his usual of meeting with friends and walking the Mall. So he is getting his exercise to wear off this extra eating!! His friend, Rick, took us out for dinner last week and that is always a fun time. Thank you, Rick!!

And we have a couple more dinners out before we leave, so we hope that weather co-operates! Also for our trip south!!

Take care and God Bless!! Happy New Year to you all, wishing you a healthy one!!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

THANKSGIVING HAS COME AND GONE

As forecast for the weekend of November 20th, before Thanksgiving, we had snow!! Br-r-r-r
Driving south on Tippicanoe Rd for church in Salem
Looking from our balcony to the walkway that goes to the
carports,  now enclosed for winter.
Looking from the walkway out to the pool area.

Looking from the walkway up to our balcony.
We had Victor in for Turkey day and all of our family except Miranda and Doug here in Ohio in for dinner on Friday. Had a lovely visit!! Miranda and Doug we missed you!! Hope that we can connect for Christmas.
Victor, Savannah, Richie and Lynn

Richard and Lynn stayed longer in the afternoon.
We so seldom get to spend time with them as they are so busy.
It was great!!
Now we are back to our usual schedule of meetings, lunches and Gary's Art classes. Following my evening with my TOPS friends, we took a side trip by Bob Sebo's to look at his Christmas display. I imagine that it grows larger each year, but I never tire of seeing it.


The gate at his drive.













The return trip, and in come a string of cars.
I also stopped by to take a picture of Gano's display, or rather part of it.

I have since been shopping, mostly for a few decorations and stocking stuffers. I enjoyed spending the Saturday after Thanksgiving decorating for our Christmas setting.

Welcome







I need to stop back at the stores to get a few more things to decorate the balcony with. I have to remember to be conscious of size so that it stores in our closet easily!

But I sure enjoy wandering through the stores, I just hate the checkouts! I swear they have multipliers on there!

Next week, God willing, we will be going to Indiana, leaving Tuesday. We are going out for a Memorial Service for my Uncle who died at age 95, providing the plans all come together okay. I always enjoy visiting with my sister and she is always bugging me to come. So we will barge in on her. And it will all end way too soon.


Gary and his friend Rick have been out to have a day of picture taking. They were disappointed that the original plan did not pan out, but they found plenty more to see.




















It is a good thing that we can find plenty to do at home since we only have one car.
This past Tueday, we took Gary's sister, Janet, home from the nursing home after rehab. She is doing so well that we are amazed. Now if she follows the doctor's orders explicitly she could be fine for a good length of time. I think that she doubts the diagnosis, which we believe is denial. Oh well, what ever makes her happy. Unfortunately, we are all adding the years on. Just pray for good health to continue.
You all take care and God Bless.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

FALL IS UPON US, FEELS LIKE WINTER SOME DAYS IN OHIO



Some fall colors are still out there, but the leaves are dropping fast. I see many people working in the yards raking and bagging. We don't miss that at all, although Gary went to Victors and cleaned them off the valleys of his roof and out of the gutters and from behind the bushes. Hopefully the gentleman we found to mulch them will follow through!
Much of what we do now is meet up with friends and visit Gary's sister, who is in rehab following her illness. Long hospital stays sure take the starch out of the patient.
We stopped in Mike's Penn Grill for fish one day for lunch.  Did not get to see Mike, but visited with his dad who still lives in our old neighborhood on Goshen Road. The beer batter fish was great and Mike's mom's pies were awesome. We split of course, as it certainly was too much for just one person!
I got a couple of Gary's drawings matted at Michael's to hang in the livingroom. Our condo is getting to look more like an art gallery!
My friend, Louise, and I went to Panera Bread for dinner and a lo-o-ong visit. It's about time to do it again for there certainly has been enough events in our lives to need catch up time.
We worked the annual Boy Scout spaghetti dinner at the Methodist Church. We gave out drive-by carry-outs. Kept us busy for a few hours. We almost missed getting our dinner! Not that it would have been a bad thing as we sure eat out too much! It plays havoc with my weight loss program.
Before the spaghetti dinner, we stopped out at Westville to visit with some Oregon friends who have recently retired.
Richard was a former pastor at First Friends. It was great catching up on news and memorializing about his brother, Warren, who had recently passed.
He was so caring and such a sweetheart, it was so good to learn more about his life. In spite of his struggle with Cerebral Palsy, he sure lived an interesting life helping others. It was also great to see their oldest daughter who was in school with our oldest son.
On Sunday's after church we usually call Vic to join us for dinner. Gives us some time together.
Our fifty-second anniversary just passed in October. We went to Mountaineer Park to play the slots and then went to dinner at Red Lobster. Richard and Lynn, thanks for that gift card!! At mountaineer I came out ahead by $32 so that finished the Red Lobster bill! That was a first big win for me in a long time or maybe ever!
My '62 Class luncheon was at Salem Hills and was a great visitation. Gary's '63 Class luncheon at B B Rooner's was well attended also. Much catching up all around!
Friday, October 28th, five of us scrapbooking friends went up near Medina Ohio to a place called "Hollis" to buy scrapbooking supplies. I don't need much of that, but it was a fun day. We stopped at Molly's Tea Room in Medina for lunch and that was awesome! It gave me an idea for my sister's birthday in November.
November 1st was the HS&L retirees luncheon so gathered with friends for the traditional Thanksgiving feast. I had to bring much of mine home. They had Judge Shirley Christian for the speaker and I really enjoyed that. I learned much about the court system.
November 2nd Gary took the car to Akron Honda for an oil change and then met up with his former boss in Alliance for lunch. Don is now retired also. While in Akron for this excursion, Gary got to take pictures of the Goodyear blimp.

Gary began teaching his colored pencil art classes at the First Friends Church. It might have been a poor day to begin the class as was not too well attended. This week will tell whether the class is going to grow. But it gives him something to do as we spend this fall in Ohio.




On the 3rd I received a phone call from my Uncle Howard's land lady in California as he had just passed away. She had let me know on Sunday that he was in the hospital and the doctor was thinking by Thursday that he expected to send him home soon. At this point, I can rest assured that he did live a long life (almost 95 years) and living in this family home was very good for him. We had stopped to visit with them three times when going through California since we have been on the road. I am so glad that we did!

My sister, Pearl, stopped at our new home to visit a couple days this week. So I took her to Picadilly Parlour (tea room) in Canfield for her birthday.
It was the first time that I have been there also. It was fun and the quiche was delicious! Happy Birthday, Pearl, on the 13th.
We also enjoyed our usual 5 Crowns card games in the evenings. I would have liked it more if she had stayed longer, but she had company coming to her home in Indiana this weekend. So she had to get back and she hoped to beat the rain.
We have a Sunday School friends get together later this week that we are looking forward to.





Our S.S. friends, Jim and Cathy came to visit and play games and enjoy sloppy joes.
We played Mexican Train Dominoes while visiting and reminiscing our visit in Florida last year.
We also met Carol and Gary at the Memorial in Westville.
We love any opportunity to visit!
Other than that, we will focus on the Holidays before heading south where the motorhome is stored.
Take care and God Bless.