We finally have our new condo furnished and livable! We stored the motorhome with friends Cheryl and Tex for this last month in the north and we are spending a week with our youngest son in Minneapolis. He is on vacation for a week so we will probably go apartment hunting with him. He needs a change, in cost that is. Think we are crazy? Probably, but who could give better advice than mom and dad? We hope to get a little sight seeing done during the week also, including going to the Mall of America where Ben's last display job was done for Best Buy. Hang in there and we hope to show you pictures of that in a future Blog.
We also have had four weeks with Gary's sister in the hospital, and not sure when she might get back home. I had the help of her cleaning lady to get things back in order for her return. That living alone could be a short term thing as it looks like she needs full time care. Her mind is sharp, but that does not take care of the mobility and lungs.
In the mean time, we have kept up with friends and activities in Salem. We still have more to see, but will run out of time for sure.
OUR CONDO - Much time spent furnishing, having it painted, carpet cleaned and window glass and sliding door glass replaced and a new screen for the door.
Our first dinner entertaining our family was Sunday, July 31st.
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| Richard, Lynn, Victor, Gary, Savannah and Richie View looking at the living room and balcony doors. |
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| View looking toward the kitchen |
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| After dinner rest and visit. Guess Savannah ate too much? Or was it a late night before? |
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| Finally got rid of the packing boxes, and installed the CD player/radio that was given to us by Audrey's sister. |
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| Gary finally found a sofa table to his liking for the TV |
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| Gary's Art Studio in the bedroom. It really is a large room. |
July did not have too many active days with friends and family because of the work on the condo and furnishings. Gary and I sure had fun going to yard sales, thrift and antique shops!
July 4th, we had the family out to Northeast Ohio Retreat Center's campground where we stayed in the motorhome for a couple months.
Friends, Sandy and Billy, from Beckley WV contacted us to meet with them and other "63 classmates at the new restaurant, Boneshakers, where Timberlanes used to be. The restaurant was busy that night as it is still "new" and we saw many others from about town. It was a fun evening and we got to visit with other classmates who do not usually go to the monthly luncheons. Here you see many of them deep in conversation.
We had our usual family Birthday Dinner for the birthdays soon to arrive in August, September and October. Sorry we were unable to celebrate a May birthday since he no longer lives in the area, and it seemed too early to celebrate a December one. Maybe we will get home for that one???
I keep mentioning "62 and "63 luncheons. These are pictures from one for the class of "63 held at B.B.Rooners.
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| Bob and Judy Doyle, Wilson and Linda Baughman |
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| Billy Payne, Outlaw Country singer from Beckley, and our classmate Sandy Stewart. |
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| Fred and Donna Hartman |
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| Tim Bailey and his wife |
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| Audrey, Bill and Terri Shasteen, Bob Doyle |
On to another Agape Sunday School Class covered dish carry-in. Always so enjoyable and this to wish another traveling RVing couple, Bill and Jane, safe travels as they leave for wintering in Arizona.
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| Rich and Hope Theiss with two of their grandchildren. |
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| Carol Ritchie |
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| Dick and Jane Huber n the kitchen!! |
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| Jane Weikel and Sandy Betz getting deserts ready. |
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| Vivienne and Gordon Dunn |
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| Jim and Cathy Joy, with Gary Ritchie and others in the background. |
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| Jane and Bill Weikel, safe travels for the months ahead. You will be missed! |
Another couple, Jim and Cathy Joy, from our SS Class came to spend an evening with us for pizza and 5 Crowns. We had visited them at their motorhome in Eustis, FL last winter and have enjoyed the visits. Cathy came with dishes to add to my everyday Corelle and then they went away with an armload of Rubbermaid totes to clear out some of our excess. If we don't watch it close, we will soon be overloaded!!
Another day we went to the Dutch Haus and met up with RVing friends, Don and Lois from Columbiana and Florida. They were doing well and it was fun to catch up on news of fellow travelers and to know that all are doing well. They had to stop traveling more than a year ago because of Don's health. Following that lunch we went on into Columbiana to stop and visit a school friend of mine, Gretchen, who has lost a husband and has had some serious health problems since we saw her last. Of course, it was a great visit and we got to see her son, Jimmie, who stopped in after work to check on her.
It was a chore to find a mutual time that my friend, Louise, and I could get together. But we did manage to do so a couple times. Gary and his friend Rick have also been together to do some things of interest. And Gary met up with my cousin, Larry, for a car parts swap meet at the Canfield Fair grounds after which he stopped in to visit and see our condo. Hopefully, his wife, Betty, will be able to come along the next time. She was recovering from a knee replacement this time. Take care, Betty!
Gary also has enjoyed the monthly First Tuesday night at the Youngstown Sportsman Club, to meet with former co-workers, especially those from E W Bliss. He also took in the Summer Arts Show at Youngstown University.
Audrey's sister was our first overnight visitor in the condo. Pearl came from Indiana to visit friends and relatives of hers in northeast Ohio and then came to stay with us for a few days. We always have a fun time playing our favorite 5 Crowns card game. We also took in a day of yard sales in Sebring. We look forward to spending a little more time with her on our way south.
We have both spent time with former co-workers at retiree luncheons. And Gary's lunch planned for SES retiree's may have started a reoccurring luncheon. They are always times to enjoy coming home to, in addition to family gatherings..
We have spent time with Bill and Esther Goodchild several times since returning to Salem, including a steak dinner at the Leetonia Sportsman Club, and visits to our condo for Bill and Gary to check in to our electrical needs. While they worked and yakked, Esther and I played our 5 Crowns. Of course, they and other friends in Yuma are wishing that we were planning to winter in AZ this year. But we feel with Gary's sister's health issues that it would be best to be closer to home. So we have changed our plans to winter in Pensacola FL instead. We will leave for there in mid-September. We must at least get the motorhome down there before freezing weather.
Take care and stay tuned for our Minnesota trip.
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