A reunion for Jan's Aunt Eunice; a change in plans

An old Irish song tells of the "Forty Shades of Green" in Ireland. I thought of that often while watching the endless greens of the Iowa countryside pass by yesterday.

In checking out our plans for arrival in Oregon, I called my aunt's place of residence only to hear some astonishing news. After I had a great conversation with her 2 weeks ago, she fell, and although apparently not injured, seemed to be tired and sleepy most of the time. Her daughter came last week and asked for hospice assistance. Without excitement or fanfare, Aunt Eunice quietly slipped into the presence of the Lord she so loved, on Monday evening. She did not see that 95th birthday in August, after all. Bill and I are now reevaluating our travel plans. We will probably not go all the way to Oregon. We are now in southeastern South Dakota, and planning to go on to Mount Rushmore this week.

On the Sea

The cornfields of Iowa resembled a vast green sea, with little islands of trees indicating a farm or a small town. You could identify a farm by the huge grain storage bins. Most towns have an ancient church steeple above the treetops--some have two or three.

Iowa Wind Generators

We never see an old fashioned windmill any more, at least not in working condition, but we happened upon this huge group of generators in western Iowa. I counted about 60 of them in sight at one time. We had just gone through a boisterous thunderstorm, so they were all turning at a pretty good clip. They look so stra-a-ange!

Coming or Going?

This one goes under the category of "Things you'll never see as long as you stay in your recliner." Further explanation unnecessary.

Get your kicks...

on Route 66! Part of our driving has taken us by way of the old Route 66 that Nat "King" Cole sang of so long ago. Most of it is now gone, replaced by (ugh!) freeways, but fragments remain.

The Lilies of the Field

Kansas and Illinois roadsides are brightened by wildflowers, and one of the most common is the orange daylily shown here. I'm not sure if they were a true wildflower first, or if they went wild from early settlers, but they are everywhere! Each flower lasts only one day, hence their name. Did you know that?

Quilt Detail

You can see that the red stripes were created from an assortment of red prints. So were the white stripes and the blue background. The white stars have a small print of stars on them. I love to look at this prize quilt each time we visit Windsor Place in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Incredible Quilt

This beautiful quilt hangs in Windsor Place, where Mom Makemson lives.

Kansas Countryside

Here is a typical southeastern Kansas view, near Coffeyville.

Lots of blue skies and a few rolling hills, with occasional trees. And the ubiquitous red barn!

Oklahoma Mountains

On Tuesday, June 16, we came through the beautiful mountains near Mena, Arkansas. When we crossed the state line, we learned that Oklahoma has real mountains that we never dreamed of. Oklahoma is NOT all flat and arid!
Our plan is to leave Coffeyville, Kansas, this evening after Mom Makemson goes to bed. We need to arrive in Danville, Illinois, by Friday evening, to attend the Makemson family reunion on Saturday. After that, our relaxed schedule begins, consisting of a round trip to Hillsboro, Oregon. I am so ready for that!

Mammy's Cupboard

We passed Mammy's Cupboard on the way to Natchez, and were disappointed that it wasn't open for lunch! :)

Vanna Sees Louisiana

We left a day late (and a dollar short??) and took 4 days instead of 3 to get to Kansas, but we have arrived! Bill's mom is glad to see us, and is in good spirits.
We came via Baton Rouge, Lousiana, and stopped for a quick look at St. Francisville, renowned for having many, many antebellum homes. Some of these historic homes dated back to even the 1700's. A beautiful piece of American history!
In this photo: the flowering trees are crape myrtles.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Winnsboro, Louisiana

Sunday evening we revisited Winnsboro, Louisiana, where Bill was pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church when the children were small. This was our first return visit, and it has been 42 years since we left!

We had a wonderful visit with Willie and Gladys Pitman, and saw two of our former Sunday School children, who are both now grandmothers. Carnis Gould also came by to see us. What a nice time we had--we stayed up late playing the "whatever happened to..." game.