Hello World,

The MIT and NASA teams all got together and finally got my web page set up for my blog. I declare, that was one of the most difficult things I have ever done- not that I did much of it. These wonderful people were on the “chat” line with me for hours. I guess they decided just to do it for me to get me out of their hair!

My favorite husband is software engineer, and he didn’t even know what those acronyms meant! He’s the smartest person I know, so if he didn’t know, it was beyond this relm!

I think I told you about starting this blogging adventure on my 75th birthday. This wasn’t the only exciting thing on that glorious day! For my birthday, my husband gave me the most amazing gift – a screened in back porch! Since we moved back to Alabama in 2017, I haven’t enjoyed being outdoors at all. I’m spoiled and like the air-conditioned “no bugs nor mosquitoes” philosophy. Our deck had last seen its prime 20 years ago, so we decided to take this new approach. After many quotes that we could not and would not accept, we found an amazing man who offered cost-saving options and we ended up with a great place. It has been raining every afternoon for two weeks and I am thoroughly enjoying sitting on the porch, looking at the pond, hearing the rain, and listening to the frogs and crickets.

We have a beautiful place, I’m not bragging – I didn’t create the place, but it is like heaven on earth. Several years ago, I was visiting Enterprise for our 50th high school reunion. I had driven by this property many times when I would visit my sister in Chancellor. This day, I saw the gentleman sitting outside. I just drove up, got out of the car, and told him I wanted his house. He looked stunned and told me that it wasn’t for sale. I explained that I didn’t care if it wasn’t for sale, that I still WANTED it. He laughed and asked if I would like to see it inside. Of course, I said yes! He showed me around, explained that he had designed every detail, and took great pride in the fact that I loved it. When I left, I gave him my contact information and six months later he called and said I could buy it.

My husband was still working, but working on bleeding ulcers too, so he decided to retire early. (I’m a cougar – 7 years older than he- so I had been retired for several years.) After about a six month period where he got a hip replacement, a knee replacement and I got a kitchen/living room/dining room makeover, we moved our tremendous tonnage of STUFF to Alabama. Professional movers were a PERK of his job, but we still had stuff they wouldn’t move. On one trip, we had our old pick-up truck loaded down with everything – including Granny’s rocker. It was all covered with a blue tarp that began to shred as we left Texas. When we got to Alabama, we really did look like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills!

I must admit, I loved living in big cities – back when they were beautiful and safe – Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Dallas (Allen), Texas to name a few. But there is nothing quite like being near your family that you have missed for almost 30 years. And sweet tea and fried cornbread.