My Travel Journal

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West Virginia
When I started my retirement travels in 2009, I wanted a way to share it with family and friends as it was happening. Hence, "My Travel Journal". However I realized I wouldn't always be on a trip and wondered what to do with the blog in between times. My daughter pointed out, wisely, that travels can also include trips to the kitchen to try a new recipe, trips to visit family, trips to my neighborhood Starbucks, or a fun day trip with a friend. You're welcome to join me on any of these journeys! I've set up individual pages for each of my major trips (see tabs above).

Also, I have an Etsy shop where my current needlework resides. The last pieces I posted here were in 2013! So if you'd like to see what I have accomplished recently, go to (and I apologize for having to copy and paste):

www.etsy.com/shop/thedollhouseneedle

I recently added an "Italian Word a Day" thingie which shows up at the bottom of every page. You see the word and can click to hear it pronounced. I've been enjoying it and I think my accent is improving as time goes by.

May 23, 2021

At Last...my Sunday's back to normal!

And I just had to post about how happy that makes me.  My Starbucks store closed way back in 2020 (I think by late March they were closed).  So I had to read my Sunday paper, work the puzzles, etc., at home and it just wasn't the same.  Most Sundays I didn't bother to buy a paper...

Then they opened  but no indoor seating and there was nowhere to sit outside either because it was late enough in the year the the Pullman Square powers that be had put away all the benches and shut down the fountain.  And I sure wasn't going to go get a cup of tea and not have anywhere to drink it.  

Finally, the PS powers that be got the benches back out probably in March but still no sitting inside at Starbucks.  But I would go occasionally just to see how many barristas I still knew.  It finally dwindled down to 3 that I knew plus a lot of new ones.

But now it's just 2 that I know but they've opened up inside and outside!!!  So today, I got my newspaper, went down to SB, got my tea (iced because it was already 80 degrees).  While I was in line a woman came in behind me and when I looked at her, I thought I recognized her but she was wearing a mask so I didn't say anything.  When the barrista that knows me took my order she said my name and the woman behind me took down her mask and she was who I thought she was.  I probably (way back 4 or more years ago) occasionally posted about the dad and little boy who would come to Starbucks on Sunday mornings and how the little boy would go outside searching for money around the fountain like my grandson used to do when he was little and would come for a visit.  She had the kids with her but they were outside.  I asked if he still collected money and she said they both do.  He's nine years old now and even though I said to the mother "you don't have to bring them over to say 'hi'", she did anyway and he managed to get through that okay so that was nice.  

Then I got started on my crossword and for the first time since I had been doing the crosswords at home, I got every square filled in!!  

So, a good time was had by me except for my constantly running nose (365 days a year), which was exacerbated I think by the flowering tree I was sitting under.  I felt like people were thinking "good grief! - why didn't she stay home?"  I've never had an allergy that I know of, but then I've probably never sat below a flowering tree either...

And that's all there is to report.  I'll be going to visit January and Maggie soon (I think in about 3 weeks) and am excited about that so life has certainly improved since March, 2020!

And for those of you who read to the bottom I will post 2 pictures Chris sent to the family this morning:


Chris said he picked her up from a picnic table for the photo on his and then she leapt to his shoulder.   



November 24, 2020

 For PP members:


Just put in the time and your name and addy and I'll announce when it's been taken - probably later tonight.  

I'll steam out the wrinkles and try and pad the package somehow.  The bottom one I was trying to get a close-up




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