We made it to Mom's by early afternoon on Saturday

November 15, 2015 - Sunday

37 degrees/clear/calm

Terre Haute, Indiana

It appears we are going to enjoy at least two more days of fall on this trip as today's high in west central Indiana is 65 degrees.

Friday morning at home

Not bad, leave the UP in driving snow and cold and arrive two days later enjoying balmy temperatures. I just heard from Yooper Brother Mark who is sitting in his deer blind (opening day!) and said he's too hot. The weather is also mild up home today.

Let's see. Where do I begin? Friday was a hurry up and go/wait/go day.

Taking Brutus to the kennels on Friday

After arriving home from taking Brutus to the kennels and dropping Sargie off at work, I was pleasantly surprised when Neighbor Mike's daughter, Amelia, and her friend, Emily, came to visit. Amelia was bearing a loaf of homemade bread, something she knows her Uncle Tom LOVES. Amelia's a musician and I told her sometime ago that she could borrow one of my five-string banjos. Since she's a fiddle player, I also lent her my mandolin. Amelia's claim to fame (other than being a nutritionist way up north on the Keweenaw Peninsula) is that she plays in a polka band. I told her to go use the instruments and make me proud!

These girls are bad! Emily on the left/Amelia on the right

Page Two

My oldest son, Josh, was asked to address ESPN, the sports cable news network, on Veterans Day. He sent these pictures and remarked how impressive it was to meet some of the cast and be in the studios.

US Coast Guard Commander Joshua Pennington

I don't mind bragging about my oldest little guy. He enlisted in the Coast Guard at age 18, received an appointment to the USCG Academy two years later, graduated and has distinguished himself throughout his career. With the rank of Commander, he currently teaches at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. 

Page three

We stayed Friday night in Janesville, Wisconsin. Sargie had driven the entire way and we were ready to stop. Thankfully, we found a clean, inexpensive, room close to the interstate.

Saturday's drive to Terre Haute was fun. There was little traffic, a bit of construction, and we laughed and ate the miles away, finally pulling into Mom's in the early afternoon.

Windmills dot the landscape in Central Illinois

Mom's community has been celebrating Veterans Day. Mom has been an integral part of the Service Committee that ensured everyone was reminded of the importance of the day.

There's my daddy!

Great job, Mom and committee members. It's too bad our public schools and other institutions can't seem to remember the importance of remembering those who have served.

When we approached the entrance to Mom's building, I was impressed when I saw her new car... a Beemer convertible.

... but was sorely disappointed when she informed me that it wasn't hers. 

All three of us were hungry and it didn't take long for us to decide that a meal at Red Lobster was called for. 

We spent the next hour eating, talking, and laughing and unfortunately, discovered way too late we'd eaten too much! The food was delicious, plentiful, and after, we went for a walk around Mom's senior complex.

Mom has given us her cedar chest, one she purchased from a neighbor as a teenager in DesMoines, Iowa. I can never remember a time that the cedar chest wasn't a part of our lives when growing up.

We also have inherited the contents of the old cedar chest and found silverware that belonged to my great-great Grandma Jones, Mom's "straw man" that she played with as a small child, and the best thing, Mom's wedding dress from 67 years ago.

We were three tired people last night and bedtime came quickly. Mom and Sargie both said they slept well. I know I did.

My sister and her husband are to come over today from their home forty miles to the east. Sargie mentioned something about doing some shopping, and Mom seems to be game for anything.

I'm bummed as we won't be getting the Packers/Lions game. These Hoosiers are nice people, but obviously, they are misguided when it comes to NFL football.

Time for one last cup of coffee before greeting the day.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Where I asked Sargie to marry me several years ago.