Our 10 hour journey began on friday morning with two cars. Chuck's brother, Don's son,Matt in his car with me behind the wheel and Chuck with RuthAnn in his car following us. The intended way to have done it was for Chuck to ride next to Matt following behind Chuck's car with me behind the wheel and RuthAnn happily riding in the backseat,talking a mile a minute.Matt had made his decision after talking with Jim,Chuck's brother in St.Louis, to leave the family,farm,homestead and travel to their state,get a job and make his way in the world.Matt had only been driving for the last year and told Chuck about his nerveousness of the travel in the large cities.The plan changed and I ended up with 10 hours of watching Chuck in my rear view mirror with map in the front seat and cell phone to communicate between us in each car as was needed.The main reason we took our travel weekend was to actually pick up Chuck's mom who had went down to stay with them for the month.Of course it had also been far,far too long since we had made our journey down to their place for a visit so we felt it was great to go spend some time with them.The church(Maremac Baptist Church) and parsonage is pastored by Jim and his wife Carol.The church is in a flood plane so it goes through a bad flood in the spring alot.As you look at the side of the parsonage you can see how far up it has flooded.The last time we were down there,the kids were quite young.The funniest memory was blogged about the kids having fun catching fireflies in canning jars out in the yard.They were so proud of them they brought them in to show us with lids on.Bryan being only about 6 years old suddenly had to show us his and proudly,quickly took his lid off before anyone knew what was about to happen.See mom and dad their little butts light up as they fly around.The next commotion was of all of us racing in circles trying to capture the escapes.I am pretty sure a few sat on the top of the couch that night enjoying the ball game on the tv.More talk after I get back from Howard City to visit Chuck's mom overnight with RuthAnn.She is now out of school for the year.
The two largest rivers of the United States are the Mississippi (being the first)as seen in the background and the Missouri river(being the second) which the state got its name from.The Mississippi on the eastern border and the Missouri on the western border. As we traveled across the Mississippi River,I looked at Matt and told him we were traveling through the gateway to the West.We are now foreigners of the West. It had already turned dark by this time, so looking upward to the Gateway Arch,it was an awsome site.I quickly got RuthAnn's attention to look at it and she was awe struck.The Arch rises 630 feet and ranks as the tallest monument constructed in the United States.Small trains carry visitors to an observation deck at the top.
Saturday morning bright and early we were all up to go fishing down to the Meramac River with Jim and Carol's church family. Jim and Carol had a full house while we were there.Matt's brother(Peter) has been down there for the last three years, Jacob,Jim and Carol's son who was home from College, Chuck's mom whom we had traveled down to bring back to Michigan,Chuck,RuthAnn,Myself and a little special 3 year old(Trinity)they holdvery dear to their hearts.They had her for the first year of her life and babysit her as needed.Every weekend they have her at their home until she goes back to her mom. It had turned out to be a very full weekend with their church family.Saturday morning bright and early saw all of us getting ourselves,picnic items,fishing tackle ready and heading out the door to go fishing with the Meramac Baptist Church family down to the river.Mom and I both had our hooks baited and handed to us to cast out into the mighty fish laden river.(yeh right maybe out past the middle they were jumping)Did any big boppers come fin swimming happily our way for a hand out? Not!There mom and I sat
with our two fishing poles.As the water and wind would float our lines back in,we would check to see if the worm had been gobbled up.If not out it would sail and if it had I would brave breaking a huge,juicy earth worm in half and poke it through the hooks jagged end. At one point RuthAnn brought me a couple of huge juicy earth worms in her hands that had become her friends. Her and her friend Trinity had a wonderful time with the worms. If they accidentaly dropped one they would just walk over and get another one out of the bucket. They actually had another container with crickets they were using but I backed out from trying my hand at hooking one of those critters on our hooks. I could just invision them snapping at my finger as I squeezed them onto the hook of their death. Dad taught me one September as he had come up, to squeeze the earth worms in half because they go twice the distance. My friend Sandy's husband has his own boat and is a fisherman so he was willing to take Dad and I out fishing on his favorite lake.
You may be asking about now did we get any thing but maybe a boot and tin can? Scroll down to the next picture.Yep they looked like little sun fish but they were called something else.I don't remember cause I didn't get it wrote down. Mom got three little ones and I got one. Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.By the end of our fishing excursion and picnic we were all burned to a crisp,but had a wonderful time. By the time they were telling us to pack it up and head up to the picnic tables I didn't want to stop.I was having too much time reeling my line in and throwning it back out.I must say I was finally able to get the line out into the middle of the river.What fun,I want to do it again.Mom and I have decided we need to find a fishing hole,get our chairs out and have some more relaxing fun.Of course I will need alittle practice at trying to get a fish off of the hook if we land one.That could be very interesting.Hey theres another one,no its just the same fish on the end of the line thrown back out again.Could you imagine the other people around with wierd looks on their faces as they observed the goings on?I think I need to watch the fishing channel or get a good book on teaching me how to release the fish. Of coarse it could be awhile before I could release one still alive back into the river. The birds would have a field day for lunch.I can see them now lining up on the tree limbs,the rocks in the river,the old rotted log floating somewhere near by.
Jacob had his Kayak down to the river for some water fun and enjoyed giving RuthAnn and Trinity rides.At one point while I had traveled down to the rocky area to see if I would have more luck,I looked up to see Chuck's smileing face sitting in the kayak.Although without him realizing it he was about to slide over the little dam in the river.Everyone started yelling at him to start turning his kayak around promptly or else over he was to go.I do believe he thought he would successfully menuver the dam without any mishap because he just kept smiling at all of us.Thankfully he did turn the Kayak around averting any mishaps.I didn't have my camera at the time he chose to be in the kayak or I would have snapped a picture.It was over by the rocky area I did catch alittle fish.Unfortunately as Jim helped off the end of the hook,and I was hooting and hollering for everyone to see the fish I caught,Jim released it back into the water with a mighty splash.Just as it dove back into the water Carol had quickly picked up the camera and was about to snap the picture.Oh well,there went my evidence.When I walked back over to mom and found out she had caught 3 small ones I felt defeat for me but jubilation for her.Yehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.We caught four out of the few that were caught.Like I said earlier we kept seeing them jump out of the water further out but they just didn't like fin swimming over our way.Better luck next time.
d to get us set up for a horse and carriage ride through the city.Just as we were about to take off with Larry at the helm,he looked back at RuthAnn and asked her how old she was.He asked her if she would like to sit up with him and help him with the horse.As her whole face lit up in a smile,up she was helped into the seat next to him.He let her have the reins several times during the ride.
Sunday morning was sunday school and church beginning at 9 oclock,with a scrumptious buffet lunch afterwards.Pictured here are Peter,Matt's brother on the right,and on the other side of the two girls are Jacob,Jim and Carol's son with Matt whom we had go down with us sitting next to him.The one girl had been a girlfriend of Jacob's and her friend.
After the Potluck their was an old fashion sing fest which several different ones got up and did specials unpracticed.In these two pictures they were definately unpracticed.As we had started singing a couple of songs in the song book,one of the older women came over to me and quietly asked me if I would sing something repeatedly while I was hesitateing.My heart took a leap at first but I began to say ok as long as Carol would sing with me.Suddenly I remembered I had left my glasses at the house.So with relief in me I told her I didn't have my glasses. She immediately said what if I could find you a pair of glasses?This man I joined had loaned me a extra pair of his that I could try to manuever right.He also used bifocals by of coarse you can imagine how different everyone's perscriptions are along with the lenses being larger making the lines further apart.This man got up to sing Supper Time and my heart took a leap,quickly asking him if I could stand next to him and sing.Small country churches are totally different then larger organized ones.Well I figured that would be it as the afternoon soon came winding down until Carol at the piano began looking around,asking if their was anyone else.You guessed it.She looked right at me with a smile on her sweet face and asked,Dianne how about one more. All of a sudden I had all kinds of glasses being offered to me to try to use while I sang.I told her I would only if she would sing with me.Up to the piano bench I went with four different glasses in my hand.I asked her if we could sing In The Garden.With three glasses clutched in one hand and the same man's glasses being held up to see through we sang our song.What a heart warming time it was for all who had sat their in the pews either to just sit,sing and enjoy or to also get up and have a part in it.It had been a wonderful time.I will remember our wonderful time with their sing fest for a long time.These two songs I was part of hold special memories from home with Mom.
The singing kept going until we suddenly had RuthAnn and Trinity besides themselves needing to be able to go and play.Carol looked at her watch and realized if we didn't get going we would miss our train to the top of the Arch. Mom has never been up to the top so she went with Jim,Chuck,RuthAnn and Myself while Carol parked the car and brought her and Trinity in to wait for our ride to be over.
This looks out where the eastern traffic comes across the Mississippi River to join the Western world.
This is of coarse only part of the picture of St.Louis.
After we walked away from the Arch and over to the Grand Stair Case leading down to the Mississippi,Carol lead us over to the Reflecting Ponds where the ducks were leisurely swimming.Needless to say by this time my high heels came off and I strolled in the cool grass in my nylons for awhile.We had such a quick dash from the church sing we couldn't go change out of church attire.
This is the Lewis,Clark statue that is supposed to be parking for cars.This last spring when the news was on about the awful flooding in St.Louis this involved.Carol told us this statue was totally submerged and that the flooding was all the way up to the top of the Grand Stair Case leading to the Arch.I thought this was quite interesting.The church ended up being alright this time because they had erected a flood wall after the last flood.
After arriving back to the house and having a bite to eat the playing cards came out.Into bed RuthAnn and Trinity went and Jim proceeded to teach Chuck and I how to play Canasta.After looking at my clock for the second or third time we decided it was time to turn the lights out and hit the hay.The next morning was departure day with Mom,RuthAnn,Chuck and I.It was a good trip back.Once at the house I dropped Chuck,RuthAnn and the suitcases off kissed them goodby and headed back out the door.We went and picked up PeeWee their dog,where he had been for the month and I took both of them and their belongings with my suitcase back up to Howard City.I spent the nite and arrived back home the next morning.It had been a wonderful weekend with everyone.
The rush,rush of preparation for Christmas Eve celebration is always well worth it.I frantically rushed to finish the stores to beat our family arrival but failed once more.Will I ever succeed in being totally ready to greet family at the door with a giant big Christmas smiley welcome? Do elephants fly? Lord willing I will prepare next year to have Christmas celebration one day early and I will sit by my door in preparation for the door to fly open with family, food and presents in hand and feel like I succeeded.Remember one and all to ask me this time next year if I succeeded.Isn't family wonderfully accepting of our times like this.I think this is the second Christmas Eve in a row,I have had to apologize for a messy bathroom and a few other areas with a few inward tears of regret,only to be hugged with smiles and acceptance anyway.We had a wonderful Christmas celebration Christmas Eve with Annette and Earl's family heading out in the freezing cold to weather the snowy,icy roads to travel home to Sparta.Even though it is only a 20 minute ride normally,it probably took a smiddenly longer,longerrrrrrr time to travel this time.Our prayer is that one and all had a wonderful family time and all is well.Our love to all.
As my thoughts wander to things I regret now of not doing enough of were,writing the letters that mom so dearly wanted from me and from not saying I love you nearly enough.Oh how I wish I could rewind the clock backward for more time with mom home with us on earth.Unfortunately how I recklessly abandoned doing and saying enough.So you all will need to excuse me as I say over and over now,Mom I Love You.
