http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Sd9DW4ge
Click on this link for slideshow of the trip!
As I told you some time ago, I was waiting for pictures to accompany this story. Well, one picture was put on here for you to see and the rest will follow soon because I now have the pictures that really do tell the story. This story is probably as close to a Fairy Tale as I have ever been involved with. On Easter Sunday Courtney put on my calendar for June 6-9 "Beach with Tracey and Courtney". They were going to Destin, Florida for a wedding and that was my invitation. The time finally arrived and on Thursday, the 5th, we loaded all of our "stuff" into Tracey's van and away we went down the highway at 7:00AM. Such a happy, pretty day to be riding down I-65. We stopped for a bite of breakfast at McDonalds and then on to the Peach Park for lunch and then on to Destin. Tracey drove, I was the navigator and we only made a couple of wrong turns - no big deal - and Courtney laughed at us. Driving across the big bridge and seeing the water and realizing that I was in Destin, Florida again made me so happy. There is absolutely no place on earth that holds the memories that I love or gives me more pleasure than Destin. When Tracey drove up in front of our place to stay, the Emerald Grande, I knew that the Fairy Tale had begun. We were given our room keys for our condo on the 11th floor and we walked into the most elegant of all places - living room with dining table, full complete kitchen, three bedrooms, two full baths (bathrooms bigger than my living room here on Freda Villa) and a balcony off of the bedroom and a balcony off of the living room looking down on the pool area and also the beach. How much more could I possibly ask for? Stonie and Jenny O'Briant's daughter, Kristin, had chosen this site for her wedding. Coincidentally, her father and mother own a condo in this facility so it was not new to her. The first evening was a hamburger-hot dog cook out around the pool and a fireworks display that was exactly like the ones we used to see on the 4th of July when the family came to Destin. Each morning breakfast was served in a private room for all of the guests. A boat was chartered to take us out in the harbor to see the dolphins. All of the wedding party which consisted of men and women in their 20's laughing, teasing, joking and having a wonderful time entered into everything that had been planned for their enjoyment and Tracey, Courtney and I were included in all the arrangements also. Since we were free on Friday night because the wedding party was having their rehearsal and dinner, we did a very nostalgic thing. We went to The Back Porch and had seafood nachos. Talk about memories and lots of conversation that started with "do you remember when we came here and...." I felt like I had stepped back in time and expected to see Billy come in the door any minute. I even bought T-Shirts for Courtney and Carter like I used to do when they were little. Such a fun, wonderful night. Saturday was spent by the pool. Courtney and Tracey got wonderful sun tans. Part of the fairy tale was the way Tracey catered to my every wish. I said I would like to have a certain drink (Mudslide) and the next thing I knew it was in my hand. Tracey decided that I needed to get out of the sun so she arranged to have an umbrella put beside my chair and tilted at just the right angle to make me comfortable. Time for the wedding came on Saturday evening and we put on all of our fine wedding attire and went down by the pool where the white chairs were set up and a lot of people were seated while a man played a classical guitar. When Kristen and Jason were pronounced Man and Wife everybody opened an envelope that they had been given and butterflies flew out. What a sight to behold - hundreds of butterflies flying all around the couple. I had never seen that done before and it really impressed me. The reception was just "to die for" - a whole table of shrimp - thousands of shrimp!!!! Prime Rib, Lamb chops, Vegetables, Fruits, Chicken wings and little legs, anything and everything to drink or eat that you could imagine. The party lasted quite a while and I left Tracey and Courtney and the others to continue line dancing and laughing and having a ball while I indulged myself one last time in the huge bath tub and the comfort of the biggest bed - I do believe it was a double king size-I have ever slept in. Sunday morning came and we packed up and left this perfectly ideal place for our journey home. Coming home was not quite as jolly as going down to say the least. We went to the Donut Hole (another memory making place) and got a box of goodies to eat on the way and made a stop at the Peach Park for lunch and arrived back at my house in the early evening. I really missed all of the pampering and attention that Tracey heaped on me and my house seemed big and empty without her and without Courtney, but I have thought and thought about that trip over and over. It was absolutely a whirlwind, fantasy trip that I am so glad I was privileged to be a part of it. I shall never forget one minute, one scene, one thing about my week-end in Destin in June, 2008.
Now, let me tell you about my experience Monday night, June 30th. I accompanied Corinne to Lakeshore Wedgewood Home to celebrate 4th of July Supper with Chuck Ross. We got there and looked all over the place for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Finally, here he came, with his cane shuffling along the hallway. We found a table that would accommodate us and also a man named Billy that Corinne and Chuck knew. We got our food - their food and our food - no easy task I might say and we began our meal. Chuck yelled at everybody that came by and got them to come over and meet his guests. He would say "this is Corinne. She works at Dollar General and this is Patsy". He knows everybody - and I do mean everybody and whats more everybody knows him. There was a man and his family at our table who was a teacher at Greenbrier High School. Chuck said he had been there to see Lipscomb play Greenbrier. The man went on to say that he had a son named Tommy Nichols and Chuck said "yes I know him. He plays foot ball and his number is 15". Now I ask you, how does he know somebody that plays for Greenbrier and even know his number? He is amazing. Well, Chuck ate every morsel of food on his plate and two desserts. He wanted us to go to his room and for Corinne to fix his answering machine. It wasn't broken but had lost his voice and was being answered by a recording. Corinne couldn't fix it and we were not wanting to stay in his room any longer than necessary. I cannot tell you how many newspapers, books, envelopes, cups, clothes, and his big collection of Bobble Head Dolls that occupy that one room. Corinne told him that he needed to throw some stuff away and he answered with his usual answer "uh huh". Corinne thanked me for going. I thanked her for asking me. Being around Chuck is quite an experience. He has a memory that is remarkable. For a little while I was taken out of my world and entered into a world where people live such limited lives. It makes me thank God that I have the life that I have but I'm thankful to know that there is a place that is available to those that need the care and concern of christian people who can administer to their needs.
There you have it - A Fairy Tale Experience for me and a glimpse into a life I hope I never have to endure.
Click on this link for slideshow of the trip!
As I told you some time ago, I was waiting for pictures to accompany this story. Well, one picture was put on here for you to see and the rest will follow soon because I now have the pictures that really do tell the story. This story is probably as close to a Fairy Tale as I have ever been involved with. On Easter Sunday Courtney put on my calendar for June 6-9 "Beach with Tracey and Courtney". They were going to Destin, Florida for a wedding and that was my invitation. The time finally arrived and on Thursday, the 5th, we loaded all of our "stuff" into Tracey's van and away we went down the highway at 7:00AM. Such a happy, pretty day to be riding down I-65. We stopped for a bite of breakfast at McDonalds and then on to the Peach Park for lunch and then on to Destin. Tracey drove, I was the navigator and we only made a couple of wrong turns - no big deal - and Courtney laughed at us. Driving across the big bridge and seeing the water and realizing that I was in Destin, Florida again made me so happy. There is absolutely no place on earth that holds the memories that I love or gives me more pleasure than Destin. When Tracey drove up in front of our place to stay, the Emerald Grande, I knew that the Fairy Tale had begun. We were given our room keys for our condo on the 11th floor and we walked into the most elegant of all places - living room with dining table, full complete kitchen, three bedrooms, two full baths (bathrooms bigger than my living room here on Freda Villa) and a balcony off of the bedroom and a balcony off of the living room looking down on the pool area and also the beach. How much more could I possibly ask for? Stonie and Jenny O'Briant's daughter, Kristin, had chosen this site for her wedding. Coincidentally, her father and mother own a condo in this facility so it was not new to her. The first evening was a hamburger-hot dog cook out around the pool and a fireworks display that was exactly like the ones we used to see on the 4th of July when the family came to Destin. Each morning breakfast was served in a private room for all of the guests. A boat was chartered to take us out in the harbor to see the dolphins. All of the wedding party which consisted of men and women in their 20's laughing, teasing, joking and having a wonderful time entered into everything that had been planned for their enjoyment and Tracey, Courtney and I were included in all the arrangements also. Since we were free on Friday night because the wedding party was having their rehearsal and dinner, we did a very nostalgic thing. We went to The Back Porch and had seafood nachos. Talk about memories and lots of conversation that started with "do you remember when we came here and...." I felt like I had stepped back in time and expected to see Billy come in the door any minute. I even bought T-Shirts for Courtney and Carter like I used to do when they were little. Such a fun, wonderful night. Saturday was spent by the pool. Courtney and Tracey got wonderful sun tans. Part of the fairy tale was the way Tracey catered to my every wish. I said I would like to have a certain drink (Mudslide) and the next thing I knew it was in my hand. Tracey decided that I needed to get out of the sun so she arranged to have an umbrella put beside my chair and tilted at just the right angle to make me comfortable. Time for the wedding came on Saturday evening and we put on all of our fine wedding attire and went down by the pool where the white chairs were set up and a lot of people were seated while a man played a classical guitar. When Kristen and Jason were pronounced Man and Wife everybody opened an envelope that they had been given and butterflies flew out. What a sight to behold - hundreds of butterflies flying all around the couple. I had never seen that done before and it really impressed me. The reception was just "to die for" - a whole table of shrimp - thousands of shrimp!!!! Prime Rib, Lamb chops, Vegetables, Fruits, Chicken wings and little legs, anything and everything to drink or eat that you could imagine. The party lasted quite a while and I left Tracey and Courtney and the others to continue line dancing and laughing and having a ball while I indulged myself one last time in the huge bath tub and the comfort of the biggest bed - I do believe it was a double king size-I have ever slept in. Sunday morning came and we packed up and left this perfectly ideal place for our journey home. Coming home was not quite as jolly as going down to say the least. We went to the Donut Hole (another memory making place) and got a box of goodies to eat on the way and made a stop at the Peach Park for lunch and arrived back at my house in the early evening. I really missed all of the pampering and attention that Tracey heaped on me and my house seemed big and empty without her and without Courtney, but I have thought and thought about that trip over and over. It was absolutely a whirlwind, fantasy trip that I am so glad I was privileged to be a part of it. I shall never forget one minute, one scene, one thing about my week-end in Destin in June, 2008.
Now, let me tell you about my experience Monday night, June 30th. I accompanied Corinne to Lakeshore Wedgewood Home to celebrate 4th of July Supper with Chuck Ross. We got there and looked all over the place for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Finally, here he came, with his cane shuffling along the hallway. We found a table that would accommodate us and also a man named Billy that Corinne and Chuck knew. We got our food - their food and our food - no easy task I might say and we began our meal. Chuck yelled at everybody that came by and got them to come over and meet his guests. He would say "this is Corinne. She works at Dollar General and this is Patsy". He knows everybody - and I do mean everybody and whats more everybody knows him. There was a man and his family at our table who was a teacher at Greenbrier High School. Chuck said he had been there to see Lipscomb play Greenbrier. The man went on to say that he had a son named Tommy Nichols and Chuck said "yes I know him. He plays foot ball and his number is 15". Now I ask you, how does he know somebody that plays for Greenbrier and even know his number? He is amazing. Well, Chuck ate every morsel of food on his plate and two desserts. He wanted us to go to his room and for Corinne to fix his answering machine. It wasn't broken but had lost his voice and was being answered by a recording. Corinne couldn't fix it and we were not wanting to stay in his room any longer than necessary. I cannot tell you how many newspapers, books, envelopes, cups, clothes, and his big collection of Bobble Head Dolls that occupy that one room. Corinne told him that he needed to throw some stuff away and he answered with his usual answer "uh huh". Corinne thanked me for going. I thanked her for asking me. Being around Chuck is quite an experience. He has a memory that is remarkable. For a little while I was taken out of my world and entered into a world where people live such limited lives. It makes me thank God that I have the life that I have but I'm thankful to know that there is a place that is available to those that need the care and concern of christian people who can administer to their needs.
There you have it - A Fairy Tale Experience for me and a glimpse into a life I hope I never have to endure.
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