Here's the Scoop

Praying everyone had a Glorious CHRISTmas season - and you all are safe and sound back in your own homes with healthy families. My husband and I send many prayers your way. As an early Christmas present my sweetheart Duane, bought me a “Kindle dx” from Amazon.com. I am able to down load many FREE books - as well as buy books from Amazon at sometimes less then half the price from them. I have about 26 books so far and have read 3, working on the 4^th. The first book I bought was a Bible for $5.99; it is so great with lots of information for my bible studying as well. I was so happy this arrived two days before we were to leave for our trip. This one we purchases has an option were you can have either a male or female voice read it to you- so very cool indeed. I can change the font for easier car reading which is great.

I bought Duane a new Radar detector that tells of road conditions and safety hazards up ahead. As well as a Garmin which we just love - it gets us where we need to go. Once in a while Garmie as we call her has taken us on a wild weird ride - LOL.

So here is our trip- hold on to you uppers it’s a bumpy ride grin.Dec 19^th- We headed to Washington DC - we were going to see the Christmas tree and all lit up for Christmas. I had never been there so Duane wanted to show me the White house and all. LOL- We even thought about popping in on BO’s and seeing if the president would invite us into Brunch- heck everyone else seems to be getting in-LOL OK so that part is a joke. We did want to see the all or the sites there. Plan was 2 or 3 days of seeing everything.

Well as we approached West Virginia on the West Virginia Turnpike Interstate 64, OH my word the snow and slick roads - so many wrecks and cars in ditches just left - some where even abandoned on the right lane so you would be traveling along at a safe clip and then all of a sudden, dang you have to get in the other lane fast - there where not signs or warning's so that was causing even more wrecks .- We came up to a toll booth there was no charge and we were told to go through and turn around and find another route as the road was closed up ahead with a multi car pile up - so we did that and took this smaller road off the toll road to the north to try and get around the wreck-lol- !

Someone’s Christmas present were delayed as there was a Large UPS truck kind of half on and half off the road - grin and about a mile up was a Miller Lite truck as well. LOL so at least all stranded would have beverages-grin- ok not funny! At the time we saw it we needed anything to give us a chuckle. Many a Prayer was said this trip, God was watching out for us to be sure. I would sure hate to have been one of the people having to leave their cars on the side of the road. I said many a prayer for the people that did have to leave theirs Well by not we were in contact with Duane's dad and also Duane's brother telling us that most of Washington was covered with - power outages and so much snow that they were closing the city down- so we decided to head just to Duane's Mom and Dads in NC.

So we get off Interstate 64 north - between Charleston and Beckley and take this lovely country road sorry but can't remember for sure which it was- Right after a toll booth - seems like 23 comes to mind and we went the wrong way and turned around and as we came across that country road there were tree's down and they cut the tree just across One lane and plowed that lane - so travel was not much fun!

I took many pictures and will add them on here. (If I remember how - been a while since I felt like playing here.)

So on this road there was another big pile up and we all had to turn around - I think the whole group of cars all came off the 64 West Virginia Turnpike At one place they just plowed a path right in someone’s yard for the traffic to go around a fallen tree.

There was a large coal mill on the route we took as well a river - the pictures all look like I was using black and white film- lol- it's a digital camera. I so wish I had thought to write the roads down - was a wild ride.
The trip to Mom and Dad Coverston's usually takes 11 hours with the stops we make - this trip was 17 and 1/2 hours. Way to long for me. My back was screaming to be sure.

On top of that I had what was left of getting over a running stuffed up head. All the getting in and out of the warm car to potty and get drinks didn’t help my cold.

The morning after getting to the folks I got worse and oh my almost had to seek Medical attention. Don’t you all hate to do that in a strange town? So my sweet husband went and got the meds I needed and I doctored up before it got to bad. I was doing pretty good in a couple of days not totally clear up but could breathe at least.

On Dec 22^nd - we went out to Chinese Restaurant for supper with Duane’s youngest Brother Bill and his wife Christi - (Christine really - LOL- Yes Brothers both married Christine’s - they have great taste - grin) we had a wonderful time catching up with them.

On the Dec23^rd- (After I went craft shopping tell you later about that!) We went to supper with the folks to a sea food restaurant; we always go there with the folks. We had a great time as well with them.

I got to go to my favorite stamps store in Mooresville NC, Called “Stampers Alley “. The lovely Brenda that owns the shop is a doll. She is so helpful and sweet as always. I went by myself as my husband was helping his Dad with some Grab bars in his Bathroom. To be able just to hang out a visit was so great. Brenda got hold of my friend Connie and her friend Judy and they came to Stampers alley and visited with me. Connie Judy and I went to a Subway and had some lunch (Brenda had brought her own). Judy sweet dear lady was recovering from a bad fall. I send many prayers her way in hopes that she is feeling better. I got to buy some new embellishments I had wanted a few Copic’ markers I didn’t as well. A friend and helper of Brenda’s showed me some great cards she had made with some papers from “Graphic 45 unique paper crafting. The “Botanicabella Collection” they have these punch out images as will as tags and all the other paper to do back grounds as well. Draw back is they are printed on both sides and had to decide which pretty side to use. I got 2 of some of the paper so I had a full sheet of both of the pretty sides- LOL. You girls know how it is. Grin! I got many wonderful stamps from Northwoods and Great impressions as well.

Here’s the web page to the store and also their new blog.

http://www.stampersalley.com/

http://stampersalley.blogspot.com/
So we are watching the snow reports of up and coming snow storms - My bestest Friend Marie in Nebraska was telling me on Skype that the weather was terrible there and we usually get it in Indiana about a day and a half later and it was coming all the way east .

The plan was to come home day after Christmas but we decide that maybe we should head home Christmas Eve so as not to be trying to go through the Mountains in another blizzard. So Dec 24^th we headed home and got home just before the Snow hit -was a beautiful day! We had hoped to get home in time to rest a little and dress to go to candle light Christmas Eve service at our church. But I was worn out and by the time we got home unloaded the car check the huge stack of mail our lovely neighbor George had brought in the house for us. So comforting to us to have them right next door to be able to take care of mail and check on and feed the fur babies and the fish as well. Our little Matthew kitty has to take medicine each night and can only eat his own special food as he has Asthma (LOL - also high cholesterol - grin must be all that ‘Delicate Sauce” on his ‘Fancy Feast Elegant Medley’s”