Closing the Loop

I'm now back in Ypsilanti, MI where my westward travels began and thankfully the weather has cooled off.  It's a nice 80 degrees at 7pm and very comfortable.  The ride from Bethalto, IL to here was very long and tiring, with a 1 hour delay for construction and another 45 minutes for heavy traffic.  In WY, I could drive for an hour and maybe see a half dozen cars.  What a change!

I arrived at sister Nancy's Friday afternoon and that night we went to dinner at a wonderful family style country cooking place.  It was the best meal I'd had in a long time!  I chose frog legs to accompany the mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, green beans and other great veggies.  What a feast!  But that was only the beginning...

The next morning we went to a fine farmer's market to get corn and a few other goodies for the barbecue at their house that afternoon.  Corey, Nancy's son, did the cooking and a very fine job he did!  He wasn't feeling well and still managed to cook up a storm!  There was more barbecued beef than I've ever seen before, fresh green beans and potatoes, broccoli salad, corn on the cob, luscious tomatoes, water melon, cantaloupe, and a "Better Than Sex" cake made by Nancy's daughter, Tasha.  If you know me, you know I'm normally a light eater.  Well, I had 3 full plates of food and a plate full of dessert.  No light eating for me that day!  It was truly the best meal I'd had in a very long time.  (Didn't I just say that a minute ago?)

It was fun being around a large family, as I grew up an only child and didn't get to enjoy rousing family get-togethers until later in life.  I sure enjoy them now!  They're an amateur psychologist's dream and I'm in heaven when I'm around one.  Watching Nancy and her daughter, "Red", interact was a ton of fun! 

Randy, Nancy's husband, had to work on Saturday, the day of the big family gathering and feast.  He arrived home to walk through the smoke from the cooker and was immediately greeted by Red with a big hug.  He has one of best garages I've ever been in and he helped my fix my ailing water pump in the trailer in short order.  He's a class A brother-in-law, that's for sure, right along with Luis Sierra, Barbara's husband.

Corey, Nancy's son, is a quiet one amongst a whole bunch of world class talkers.  He seems to take it all in, however, and when he does speak, his words are few and to the point.  I see him as a good young man with some very tough challenges to face, and he is doing that.  I wish you well on this journey and will gladly help you if I can. 

My mom, Emily, used to say that if we all hung our troubles on a clothesline, we would each go gather our own.  I believe that.  She was a very wise person and being with Nancy and her family reminded me of her many times.  Emily touched everyone she knew in a special way, and Nancy was one of those.  Nancy does that, too.  So when I'm with Nancy or Barbara or William or Tommy or any of my relative who knew mom, it's sorta like I'm with her again for a moment and I'm very grateful for that.

We did some touring of the area on Sunday and saw some fine sights along the river, but none of the pictures turned out well.  It was hot and hazy that day, which made photos more than a little difficult.  But the ride was nice and the visiting with each other even nicer.  That night we had enchiladas with something that made all of us get the giggles and it was a very fine time!  Haven't laughed so hard since granny caught her _ _ _ in the washing machine ringer!  Of course you have to be old enough to visualize that kind of washing machine, but what a visual if you can!!! 

Nancy and family took in Brutus, this huge dog, to help out another family and although he appears to be a brute, he is anything but.  She talks to him and he listens and does what she says.  He slobbers a lot, but he sure is a sweet natured dog that contributes quite a lot to this tribe at this time.  I was glad to meet him. 

My next blog will be about the numbers of my trip, the miles, gallons of diesel and so forth.  I'm closing this loop and looking forward to the next one.  Thanks for stopping by!