Travel & Camping
garden row 10
Things planted in this row are domestic only!
More exotic things are growing
in THE ARBOR section.
THE FIG TREE, THE ENGLISH GARDEN,
and THE MANGO TREE
are a few examples.
To get to THE ARBOR
click below on
https://www.angelfire.com/yt/gardenofpoetry/arbor.html
When I go camping, I camp PRIMITIVE fashion. Just ask Fred! We go WAY back!
My first trip away from home, on my own, was a short vacation to my mom's cousin's place in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. Here are some photos from that trip: Battleship Rock and Soda Dam.
I have always loved this photo of the Albuquerque Airport terminal; It's ADOBE!
These are the people I stayed with: Mom's cousin Miriam and her husband Frank.
Here I am with Mom, Dad and Monica at the Velvet Ice Cream Festival in Licking County, Ohio.
Here I am with my youngest sister Julie on a whitewater rafting trip on the New River in West Virginia.
The following poem was inspired by a sign I saw on that trip. The sign warned that swimming from one
point to another would result in a heavy fine!
I AIN'T AGONNA PAY NO TOLL
My favorite fishin' hole
is just a coupla miles away
But the road I take is TEN miles each way
'cause I ain't agonna pay no toll!
I moved across the county line.
Library books were overdue.
I put 'em in the book-drop an' away I flew!
I ain't agonna pay no fine!
It's a long distance call to Piney Knoll.
I gotta friend lives in that town.
When I wanna chat, I DRIVE the 50 miles down!
I ain't agonna pay that toll!
I'm writin' this from my cell in jail.
I wouldn't pay the ferry fee.
Got arrested swimmin' 'cross illegally.
An' nobody wants to pay my bail!
10 July 1987
Postcard From new Jersey
Date: 08/30/97
A cheery hello to all! I was going to send real postcards, with no messages, and come home and e-mail the messages. Well I didn't get the 'postard thing' done, but here is the greeting and a message way
too long for any postcard:
Before I left for New Jersey, I was calling this my summer of the big cities, because I had to make a business trip to Chicago, and had planned to visit New York city as a side trip while visiting friends
in New Jersey. But now that its all over, I'm calling it my Liberty Summer.
I arrived in Glen Ridge, New Jersey on Monday evening, having spent the day 'on the road' with Monica, her fiance Rob, and our friend Anita.
It was so good to see my friend Karen again! Except for catching up on who said hello, and what many of the former co-workers are doing, it was like no time had passed at all for us. Karen is just so fun and
easy to be around. She hasn't changed since I saw her six years ago when I visited her before her move from West Virginia. Everything is simple, and if plans go awry, she changes with them. You'll see what
I mean later.
Her son Matt, now almost 8, has changed a great deal. I met Abigail, 3, for the first time. Very sweet and well-behaved kids. Uly has trimmed down, and looks great, since Monica & I went with him to the
Philippines. He has his own practice now, with mostly Hispanic patients. Karen works parttime out of her home organizing things for an au pair group. Here's as brief a run-down as I can give of our visit!
Tuesday: Karen drove her kids, and I drove Mo, Rob & Anita, to Liberty State Park, where we took the ferry to Ellis Island. So very interesting! So much history to absorb! We found familiar names on
the Immigrant Wall, and toured the main hall. After lunch, we bought souveirs and spontaneously sent Mo & Rob off on a ferry to New York city to explore on their own. What an adventure for two young people!
Anita, Karen, Matt, Abbey & I ferried to the Statue of Liberty island, where we did not disembark, but marveled from afar as the boat filled up again to take us back to the park. Monica & Rob, with
Karen's directions for returning to her house by bus, got back about 8 o'clock that evening, with a found souvenir--The New York Times.
Wednesday: The early morning news was that Uly had a call from the Philippines in the middle of the night. His mother, who was planning to visit in a few weeks to see her grandchildren for the first time, had
passed away only moments before the call. The house was abuzz with phone calls trying to reach Uly's sister in Baltimore, and a brother in Chicago. Uly's beeper kept him busy, and Karen's au pair calls
never seemed to stop. I told Karen we did not have to stay; that we could just go on home, such as things were. She wouldn't hear of it. Plans had been made for that evening, and it would be a great diversion for them as well. Finally, by afternoon the medical and au pair calls were being rerouted to others so family business could be tended.
Earlier in the morning, passport applications were yanked from the internet, and completed for Karen & the kids. We all rushed out to have their passport photos taken. Plans were made to rush to Rockefeller
Ctr. in NYC for passports. Those plans were cancelled, and we visitors sat waiting for a second trip to transpire, this time to Philladelphia for the expedited passports. Phone calls to airlines for itineraries were made, and faxed info, was NOT coming through from Detroit. E-mails and phone calls were coming in and going out between 12 Sommer Ave. and Baltimore, Chicago, and Angadanan. But no faxes from Detroit. It was soon evident that we would not be going to Philly.
By 5:00 pm, all that could be done, was done, and it was time to leave for 'the Big Apple.' The baby sitter arrived for Matt and Abbey, and we departed. Monica and I arranged the seating in the vehicle; summoning from our memories, our travels in England, with six people in the car, four of whom had to cram in the back. Another adventure! Rush hour traffic to New York city, vehicles merging alternately to get through the Holland Tunnel! On the way to the tunnel, Uly's beeper went off. Oh-no! We thought those were taken care of! A call back on the cell phone, proved positive--a doctor had offered to take Uly's calls & patients from now until he returned from the funeral. This particular doctor had lost his own mother not long ago, and he knew Uly needed this kind of help. The world with all its ugliness, does still have kind people.
We parked near 42nd St. and walked to 57th where we had an uneventful, though delicious dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I'm getting to the point, where if you've seen one HRC, you've seen 'em all! I just want a tee-shirt from the ones I visit. Our Waitress didn't want to be our waitress--parties of six get 15% gratuity built into the bill, so she didn't have to be nice. Don't ya hate that! Well, as Karen & I are 20% tippers, she lost out from us! The Ladies Room was a flashback to New Orleans--an attendant was squirting too much soap in my hand
before I knew she was even there, and giving me towels before I even turned on the water--and SHE wants a tip! Not from me--I don't feel bad. The walk back to the car park was great! It was dark, and the city
lights were spectacular. All the marquees were advertizing their famous shows--CATS, MISS SAIGON, CHICAGO, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED..., The Ed Sullivan Theatre , home of THE DAVID LETTERMAN SHOW. We popped into a small souvenir shop, where, surprisingly, the most purchases were made by Karen & Uly--T-shirts for all the neices & nephews they will visit in just a few days in Angadanan.
Once we got the car back on the streets, we headed for Greenwich Village. Poor Karen was so tried, but she wanted us to see it. She knows me well enough, that I will not likely be back on my own, at least not soon. We had a quiet walk through the village. Mo & Rob thought they got very near it the day before, having walked through Soho. We were soon merging into the Holland Tunnel, on our way back to NJ. For all the horns, and horror stories told of NYC traffic, we saw no accidents, or even 'near misses.' We all agreed that when traffic is THAT intense, the drivers are alert and aware of the traffic around them, whereas, in Columbus, folks just mosie along in their own little worlds, shaving, combing, applying mascara & lipstick, having coffee & conversation. General inattentiveness = Danger.
Thursday: Early morning had been productive. Finally, someone in Detroit was convinced that the itinerary could be faxed sooner than in a few days, and after several calls, Karen, had the final documents
neccessary for the expeditious passport proccessing. ROAD TRIP! I saw to it that Matt & Abbey were strapped into one car, so Uly could take them to get the required shots (poor babies), and Anita, Monica,
Rob & I climbed in the other car with Karen. We were on our way to Philladelphia. Once there, Karen went to the courthouse for her business, and the other four of us went for another adventure. Our first site was the Liberty Bell, followed by a stroll past Independence Hall. We did our own tour at our own pace. Outside Carpenter's Hall, we happened upon a most amusing troup of actors, in colonial dress, telling in folk-song style of the beginning of our country. Seeing Ben Franklin doing the Macarena was a HOOT!
We met Karen at 2pm, had a refreshing cool drink at a quaint little lunch counter, and did some souvenir shopping. Then it was nearly time for Karen to pick up the finished passports. While she did that, the other four of
us, made a long, hot trek to a seedy part of town to see one of Edgar Allen Poe's former homes. It was not too hot, but warm and VERY humid in Philly. Then we had to walk back! At 5pm, we were sure glad to
be sitting in the air-conditioned car, even if it was for nearly two hours! This turned out to be a great time for Karen & me to visit. Something we talked about, were ironies; our having watched, on Tuesday night, the video Uly filmed 4 years ago in the Philippines, when Monica & I went with him. As we had watched the video, mentioned, was the hope of Matt & Abbey being able to meet their grandmother in only a few weeks. Alejandra Villeza Agpaoa, a diabetic, died of a heart attack, and had been scheduled to see a heart specialist this week. I told Karen that this whole trip had been so Philippine-reminiscent. On our way to Poe's site, we had passed St. Augustine's church (on Augustine's feast-day, no less!) advertising Filipino masses. Before we left Friday morning, I told Uly that, when I had seen the church sign, I had asked St. Augustine to watch over them on their trip.
Friday: Matt had gone to bed early last night, not feeling well. Karen and I decided that the greatest contribituting factor was that he "missed" his mom. She had been so busy these last few days. He
was better Friday morning. Karen packed up some leftovers for us to bring back with us; they would otherwise be left in their frige while the were in the Philippines.
I had taken some fresh produce to her so it would be used up! Now I was afraid it would not be used, but not to worry! Karen said vegetable stir-fry was on the menu for that evening. We packed up and left the house by 9am. We gassed up my car, got beverages and ice for the cooler, and hit the NJ Parkway by 10am. It was a good trip--an adventure--for us all.
I hope many adventures come your way.
Always, :o) Yvette
Trip to Memphis
Thu, 18 Jun 1998
Monica and I had a fine time in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the Blues. Our purpose for the visit was to attend the wedding of my niece Brandy, the step-daughter of my older brother, Russ. Brandy is
3 or 4 years older than Monica. She was a lovely bride in a rose pink satin-like, full-skirted gown with triple flounces at the bustle area. She carried a bouquet of dark roses, and her long brown hair was
pulled up onto her head under several layers of white veils. Brandy's mom, Alice, wore a floor-length sheath of steel-gray satin-type fabric. She was beautiful. Brandy's attendants wore dresses similar to Alice's, several shades lighter in color, and they carried long-stemmed dark-blue irises and statice. My brother Russ walked Brandy down the aisle. In his black tuxedo, and his waist-length hair pulled back into an English braid, the father of the bride was stunning !
On Friday, April 24th, Monica and I took a drive from Colliersville into Memphis to see Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. We purchased some souvenirs, and drove downtown to Beale St. to see the famous strip of Blues clubs, where many a legend began. It has been developed into a tourist attraction of sorts, and there are many fine restaurants on Beale St. BB King has a place there. We went back to the area on Saturday, with Mom, Dad, Annette, Jenny and [her three kids] Jake, Joe, & Katy. Mom took photos of Dad, Monica & me in front of the WC Handy statue on the square. This area of Memphis reminds me of a 'mini' New Orleans.
On Sunday, after Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Colliersville, Annette, Jenny & kids, Monica and I returned to Beale St. for lunch at the Hard Rock Café. My choice was to eat at Elvis Presley's, highly recommended by Russ, but I was outnumbered! No regrets, though; as we lunched we were entertained by a fabulous Black Gospel group. I could barely sit still to eat! I did not purchase my customary T-shirt, as I was short-funded, but got a key-chain instead. Then our little entourage of two vehicles, drove to Graceland, where all of us, except me, toured Elvis' former home. I figured if I could do no more than stand outside of the Beatles' homes in Liverpool and just look, that was good enough for Graceland!
These of course, were the highlights, but we had other fun times, including dancing at the reception. Brandy's in-laws, Donnie & Darlene were lots of fun! We all ate complementary breakfasts in the
hotel Lobby. I met Brandy's Finnish families, and Mom & I went to Mike & Brandy's to watch them open gifts on Sunday night. . We all took photos, and can't wait to get them back. I mailed only two
postcards, so if you get one, consider yourself loved and blessed! God bless the rest of you, now! I love you all, anyway and you should know that!
Love, Yvette
