Road Trip, Old Friends, New Friends and Strawberry Shortcake!

 The summer has been fairly quiet for me this year.  In May,  Ron and I had our wonderful trip to Winterwood  and I also ran up to Pittsburgh for Mother's Day to spend time with John.  In July, I will be going to Paris and I realize that is a big deal.  But, looking at a blank calendar for June was not working for me.  That is when I realized it would be a perfect time for me to go to Little Rock to visit my dear childhood friend, Kay Allen.  I knew this would include a road trip to Beebe, my hometown, and lots of girlie time doing things that girlies like to do.  I was especially honored to get to spend time with Kay's good friends and got to attend the famous, "I Refuse to Be Unhappy" Friday party, even though a storm cut the outdoor fun a little short.    Kay and I are so alike in how much we enjoy people and how much we treasure our relationships.  There are too many names to mention, but if you are from Little Rock or your name is Sandra Garrett, please know that it was pure joy to spend time with you.  I cannot wait to return.

Famous strawberry shortcake with real crust like my mama used to make. Bald Knob, Arkansas!

I am going to end by showing you a few pictures of my days in Arkansas.  These blogs are really documentation for me, not really meant to entertain or inform.  But, if anything interests you, then please enjoy!

I took a stroll down memory lane past my old dorm at Ouachita Baptist University.  After 50 years it is still standing!

Beautiful Berry Chapel where at 18 I dreamed of getting married there! ha Didn't happen!

The famous Flamingo Terrace "porch" in Kay's backyard.  Original "Aline's Beauty Shop" sign hangs in honor of her mother.  Every Friday Kay's guests all toast their mothers.  So very cool that I got to participate in a toast to mine.

This picture doesn't do Kay's yard justice.  It is absolutely beautiful in every way, due to her hard work and the help of her friends!

You can smell these flowers as you drive in the driveway. 

I was so happy to see that my grandmother's house in Judsonia had been renovated and in great condition.

This is Joe Newnom who lives there now and was so gracious to visit with us awhile, once I told him that my grandmother used to live there.  We gave him a quart of blackberries. (that's another story)

Another view of my grandmother's house.  She used to make dresses for me.  There was no picture that she couldn't copy.

When Mother could save a quarter as a alittle girl, she went around the corner to this house and took a piano lesson.  This is where the music in our family all began.  I will have to ask my cousin to help me with this lady's name.

We took back roads all day long and I loved every minute of it.

This is the ice cream company in Searcy that is no longer in business, but is a real icon in the history of Arkansas.

I stopped by the cemetary to spend a few moments of reflection.  There I found flowers and, of course, I knew Sandra Garrett had put them there.  True hometown friendships...priceless.

I snapped this picture of the veterans memorial in Beebe.  My brother and my daddy's names are there.

Kay and I hit the estate sales for two days and her car turned in here at the White Pig Inn for another fabulous BBQ sandwich.  I love family owned businesses....

Yes, that is a Christmas tree in July.  Kay leaves it up all year and we turned on the lights. It was marvelous, darling, just marvelous!  This was after I had played the piano for them and even received some $$ in a tip jar!

I know...more food pictures.  However, you can't ignore the best lemon pie in Little Rock at Izzy's. Oh, my goodness.

Beautiful Winterwood Lakeside Cottage Visit May 2015

View from our balcony

Our outside dining

Dusk

Dusk

View from the bedroom

Lots of walking

Wild flowers everywhere

One of many "road" pictures

My feet are in Winterwood

Our cottage that overlooks the lake

This definitely must have a story to go with it.

Welcoming, huh! ha

See the tiny mushroom?

Grand Entrance

Prayer garden

Babbling brook for real

Ron taking a close-up

Prayer spot

Jorden Orin was born on my birthday!  His parents own Winterwood.

What a birthday! May 20, 2015

Winterwood Cottage is a perfect place to start a birthday.  After spending the morning reading, writing, and a couple of cups of coffee sitting on the porch overlooking the lake, Ron and I headed toward Rogers. This was quite a trek and consisted of a lot of curves but we were rewarded with beautiful scenery along the way.  While riding I received my yearly birthday call from W. L. McCulloch, my dear childhood friend.  He never forgets and I look forward to his call.

Once we reached Rogers, we went to the Chrystal Bridges Art Museum.  I had heard that this was a spectacular place and we were not disappointed.  The building and grounds alone were a sight to behold.  Of course, a little sunshine would have made it glow even more, but the temps were cool and we were grateful for that.  The art was more than we could cover in one day but we did see some wonderful art pieces and I will include some of them in this post.  It was a wonderful experience and I would like to go back.

Crystal Bridges Art Museum

Crystal Bridges Art Museum

Rosie the Riveter

Georgia O'Keefe

Beethoven's Trumpet (With ear) - John Baldessari

Dolly Parton - Andy Warhol

Lunar Rendezvous - Circle of Flowers by Alma Thomas

Around 4:30 we arrived at my cousin, Anita Sue's home.  Anita has lived in Rogers for many years. She recently retired from being the Dean of the English Department at Northwest Arkansas Community College.  She has been so happy here personally and professionally.  Our mothers were best friends and both shared the characteristic of never letting any grass grow under their feet, a tradition that Anita and I are successfully carrying on.   Anita made us feel so welcomed and was such a fabulous hostess.  We have always been close and I treasure these times we can spend together. 

We had my birthday dinner at a place called Crabby's where the food, drink, and fun were definitely present.  Our waiter was excellent and we could not have asked for a better celebration.  After being given my creme brule to take with me, we left and went back to Anita's for a scrumptuous dessert that she had prepared.  After a little more visiting we had to say our good-byes because Ron and I really didn't want to get caught in the mountains when it got dark.

So much for that plan!  We decided to try a "short cut" and got a little lost.  We found our way back to the main road eventually, of course, but it was a little stressful and we were so happy to get back to Winterwood safely.  We got comfy and watched my traditional birthday movie, "You've Got Mail" before going to bed.  Actually we weren't able to finish it because we fell asleep.  We will finish it later today.

So, that was my birthday.  There was only one other surprise that I didn't find out about until today.

Sativa and Eric, the owners of Winterwood have been expecting a baby that was predicted for next week or the next.  Well, guess what!  Jordan was born yesterday on my birthday!  Eric called this morning to tell us the great news!  I just think that is the coolest thing.  

It is a beautiful day and Ron and I are going to go walking in awhile.  This has been a wonderful trip and it will be hard to leave.  But, we will return......