UP, OUT, AND ON THE ROAD! 7/1

I actually had Rod out the door at 7 a.m. and on our way to Enterprise to pick out a car! We ended up with a Ford Explorer, similar to Kerry’s Highlander. I thought it was maybe a bit big, but by the time we loaded 2 coolers and all our stuff, I’m not sure where Betty will fit!

We headed out by 9 a.m. loaded down and stopped in New London for a brief visit with brother Michael. I haven’t seen him since Paula’s (my brother Bill’s wife) funeral maybe 3 or 4 years ago. But he had called me the past 2 years on my birthday so I thought we could just stop by. We gave him some heads up so he was expecting us. We had a nice chat for maybe 45 minutes. He wasn’t able to do his construction today as he’d gotten an insect bite that swelled his entire hand and he finally relented and went to a walk-in clinic (has no insurance so doesn’t do doctors or emergency rooms!). Now, after some anti=biotics his finger is just swollen with a huge welt. Looked very painful!

Brother Michael in his bar, Easy Street

Aunt Grace Mitchell, Stevens Point, WI

Betty's job at gas stops!

Wind turbines all over the midwest

Then off to Stevens Point to lunch with Aunt Grace, my mother’s twin brother’s widow! We saw her 2 years ago when Rod and I went to nephew Jon’s wedding in MN. She’s sharp as a tack and full of news updating me on Stephen, Teddy, Michael, Patrick and Margaret, my cousins. Stephen and Nancy have a beautiful home on Keewenaw Peninsula north on Lake Superior from Ontonogan, He’s still working and commuting from there, in business with Grace’s brother Tom. Ted and Mary Ellen (both still working in the piano business) also have a home nearby up there. We may try to stop by on our trip back, depending on our time. Mike’s wife, Debbie, stopped by for dessert at Grace’s after lunch. Her son Michael, a wonderful pianist in the military band, will be leaving soon to live in Germany. Her son Tom (he and I talked travel to China last time we met up) has a great job and is moving back to Phoenix from NC as we speak. Patrick and Sarah live in Neenah and Sarah just got a Master’s. I think one of their kids is at West Point. And then Margaret is a 1^st grade teacher near Sun Prairie and her husband used to be a principal, now retired.

So we then headed out to meet up with friend Betty in St. Paul for the night and try to fit her stuff in the car! She may need to run alongside the car!! And we’ll be off to the Badlands/Mt. Rushmore tomorrow. We each have a little “passport” to get our stamps from each of the national parks we visit. I started with the stamp for the National Seashore on the Cape!!