Friday, May 1, 2026:

Went to the ballet last Saturday.  The STL Ballet performed Cinderella.  A great show as usual.  

These two girls look amazing!  Who says no one dresses for the ballet?

 Sun, Jun 8, 2025:  St. Louis, MO:

Meatloaf for dinner tonight.  Thought I'd try the convection oven for the first time.  Set the timer for 60 minutes.  Checked at 50 minutes and it was done to a crisp.  The convection oven takes way less time.  The meatloaf was still good.  Then I danced the night away with Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibbs.  Love them.

The Bee Gees

 Fri, Mar 7, 2025:  St. Louis, MO:  

Did a little clean-up outside this morning and then to lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant--hoping it wasn't shuttered because of what's going on in Washington right now.  Still there and enjoyed my lunch.  Back home and started watching "Band of Brothers" based on the Stephen Ambrose book "D Day".  An amazing collaboration with Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks--and directed by Tom Hanks.  I've read several of Ambrose's books:  Undaunted Courage about the Lewis and Clark expedition.  A great read.  Also, Crazy Horse and Custer, and I'm now reading "Nothing Like It In the World" about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.  He's such a prolific writer.  He was also President of the D-Day Museum (now the WWII Museum) in New Orleans.  Mike and I visited there many times and contribute to it every year.  A nice day today.  Looking forward to next week in the 70s.

"we few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers"...William Shakespeare

RIP Mike.  So lucky to have you in my life.

Mon, Oct 14, 2024:  St. Louis, MO: 

Went to the ballet yesterday.  Three beautiful productions—Serenade, Western Symphony, both on point, and the show stopper was a beautiful, sensuous number with a male and female dancer.  They were scantily clothed, barefoot, and performed the most beautiful and sinuous dance displaying their flexibility, grace and strength. St. Louis is fortunate to have such a talented ballet company. After the show we had an early dinner.  A beautiful, sunny day.  It is starting to cool down.  This week only in the  60s. 

 Wed, Sep 11, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:

Twenty-three years ago on September 11,, 2001, I awoke to a beautiful sunny fall day.  I showered and dressed quickly and headed downstairs to watch Good Morning America because the CEO of GE was going to be on the show.  When I tuned in, they were running the story of a plane hitting the north tower of the World Trade Center.  Mike was out of town—Texas I think.  I called him and told him about what had happened.  Shortly after that the second plane hit and I called Mike back and told him the south tower was also hit with a plane.  He was in an elevator with our sales rep.  So, a terrorist attack.  He ended up having to rent a car and drive home. 

 

LET US NEVER FORGET...

9-11 Memorial - NYC

PENTAGON MEMORIAL - WASHINGTON, D.C.

FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL - SHANKSVILLE, PA

Mon, Sep 9, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:

Met with the Struyks a few days ago for ice cream to celebrate Andrew’s 8^th birthday.  Can’t believe he’s 8 already!

Andrew in his cool shades.

Sat, Aug 17, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:

 

Mike is off to his football reunion at St. Louis High.  He’s getting an award of some kind.  Have fun Mike!

 

Wed, Jun 12, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  We have a stretch of hot weather coming this week.  Mid- to upper-90s.  We’re heading out this morning to get our passports renewed.  Going to CVS to get our passport pictures taken, and then heading to lunch.  And then to the USPS to start the renewal procedure.  They expire next month. 

IRELAND

Thu, May 30, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:

 

A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA!  GUILTY ON ALL 34 COUNTS!

 

FLANDERS’ FIELDS

 

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row.

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing,

Fly scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flander’s fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us when we die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flander’s Fields.

 

John McCrae

Tue, May 14, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  On Mother’s Day we had a delicious brunch at the Struyk’s.  A lovely, sunny day.  Had a nice time visiting with everyone.  Tim cooked up a wonderful brunch accompanied with mimosas.  Nice day.

The brunch bunch.

 Sat, May 11, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  A few days ago we were having lunch and ran into this guy who told us about this pet cemetery in Florissant.  Mike has lived here all his life and has never heard of it or seen it.  So, after lunch we drove around and found it.  This is a really neat place, supposedly only for vets, is listed as a historic site for perpetuity, provides burials, services and head stones.  There is a section for working dogs.  A group of vets volunteer to maintain the place.  Really nice.

The Working Dog Section

This guy must have been killed in the line of duty.

Thu, May 9, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Severe storms yesterday—morning and afternoon.  High winds, tornados, softball size hail, and torrential downpours causing flooding.  But we dodged a bullet AGAIN.  We just got some rain.  It went south of us.  Counting our blessings today.  And no storms in the immediate forecast.  A beautiful day today—sunny and 70s. 

Best wishes to my sister Sandy who is in the hospital right now.  Get well soon!

Sun, Apr 28, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Celebrated 31 years together yesterday.  Went to the ballet to see the beautiful production of “Sleeping Beauty” accompanied by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.  Wonderful to see the physicality and grace of these dancers.  They make it look so easy.  After the ballet we went out for dinner.  A really nice day!

  

Tue, Apr 23, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Drove Mike to the Washington University complex of medical buildings downtown. It was pouring down rain.  Forest Park Parkway had a lot of standing water.  Dropped Mike off and then parked in the Euclid Garage across the street.  Was supposed to meet him outside the building.  But this complex is so huge, I couldn’t find him. I finally went up to the 11^th floor where his surgeon’s office is and hoped he’d eventually show up.  He did.  He got scoped and got a clean scan.  Yay! He'll be scanned twice more before we leave for Florida. We watched golf at Augusta National last weekend.  Tiger did so well on Thursday and Friday, even though the weather was terrible.  He made the cut when a lot of other players didn’t.  But he ended up 16 over.  Augusta National is so beautiful!  Our nesting birds are doing well.  I thought the robin abandoned the nest.  But Mike felt inside the nest, and there were 3 eggs in there—still warm.  So, she’s still on the nest. Life is good!

Laura, Mike, and me

  

Sandy and I playing rummy cube

My brother, Ron

Tue, Apr 9, 2024:  St. Louis, MO:  Well, our deck has been taken over by a nesting sparrow and a robin.  The sparrow is nesting in our little bird house on the deck and the robin is nesting atop our light on the deck.  A robin nested there last year—maybe it’s the same one.  She had such a hard time building the nest because it was so windy.  All her nesting material ended up on the floor of the deck.  But, she didn’t give up.  The nest is a little messy, but she got it done.  Now both she and the sparrow are sitting on eggs. 

The sparrow's nest.

The robin's messy nest.

 

Mon, Apr 1, 2024:  New Albany, MS, to St. Louis, MO:  Left New Albany at 8:10 this morning under cloudy skies heading for I55 and Memphis.  I55 going through Memphis is a real CF—especially since there’s a lot of construction right now. Going through the construction areas, I just took my time and figured everyone else could just kiss my grits.  After getting through the mayhem of Memphis it’s just an easy drive through rural Arkansas and Missouri.  At Sikeston, MO, we fueled up, had lunch, and Mike took over driving.  We pulled into our driveway at 3:00 under sunny skies.  And 82! 

Sun, Mar 31, 2024:  Dothan, AL, to New Albany, MS:  Left Dothan at 8:30 this morning.  I drove until just south of Birmingham where we stopped for some lunch and then Mike took over driving.  Pretty cloudy today, but warm and no rain.  Another 7-hour day.  We checked in to our hotel at 3:30.  Trying to talk Mike into flying down this Fall and then renting a car.  But it’s going to be a hard sell.  We wouldn’t even need to take luggage since we have lots of clothes in the fifth wheel.  Anyway, it was 80 when we pulled in here.  Tomorrow, we leave for home.

 Boat Ride to Indian Key

Florida Keys

 

Sat, Mar 30, 2024:   Ocala, FL, to Dothan, AL:  Left Ocala this morning at 8:30.  Only about 6 miles on I75 and then north on 27.  Much more peaceful drive.  When we leave Ocala on Rt 27 we pass many beautiful horse ranches—one more fantastic than the other.  Beautifully landscaped and gated entrances, acres and acres of green pastures dotted with massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss, surrounded by miles of brown or white flat-board fencing.  And of course the beautiful horses.  And this time of year, all the wild flowers along the roads and in the median are in bloom.  A riot of color.  A beautiful day weather-wise also.  Sunny with a few wispy clouds.  I drove for 3-1/2 hours and then Mike took over.  78 here in Dothan—and also in St. Louis.

The beautiful water gardens created by Monet in his Giverny home outside of Paris.  The inspiration for his Water Lily collection.

My favorite.  His home is in the distance.