The Elite Ladies

 We call ourselves "the Elite Ladies of Hillcrest". More than 30 years ago we worked together in Arkansas at a nursing home. We have kept the relationships up and we're tighter of a group now than we were then. "We laugh, we cry, we hang out". 

(There are more of us, but this is all that could make it this time around. 

These represent 4 different states, with the farthest coming from Colorado.)

Road trips with these are some of the best. Just saying. 

One of our number cleans this rental lake house in PA so we were able to rent it for a couple days. 

Beautiful location. Lots of comfy recliners.

(Don't miss the huge live edge table from California!)

When you go out for breakfast AND go to a coffee shop/bakery...

...you have to hike off the calories. 

You had me at "waterfalls", Dorcas. 😄

Sweet Arrow Falls

But the highlight of our gathering this time was the Fete en Blanc. French for "party in white". 😍

Highly, highly recommend a dinner like this with friends! How did I get so lucky to be a part of the "in" group?! You're looking at some amazing, talented women right there. 

When we first started getting together, it was preschoolers and school schedules we had to work around. Now it's caregiving for our aging parents. But it's totally worth the effort to make it -as often as possible.  

   

March & A Florida Vacation

I bought myself this puzzle for my 50th birthday and was itching to put it together ever since. The winter wasn't long enough to do all the puzzles I wanted to do so we're still putting them together over here...  

March came in like a lamb, which we personally were happy about, because we were spending the money to go to FL at the end of the month. It's a gamble to go south that late in the year because there's always a chance it will be warm & wonderful at home. Somehow it seems like you're not getting your money's worth if it's not cold back home. Therefore, we were hoping for the proverbial "in like a lamb, out like a lion". But then the first lamb-like days gave way to 6" of snow... 

A highlight of the month was doing a movie night with our grandchildren. The plot of said movie is not important, what counts is the snacks and spending time together. 

I don't have any photos, but an unnerving experience of my March was waking up one morning to a flurry of text messages on my phone. My dad had a heart attack during the night. Thankfully, due to the efficient action of my family & the medical personnel -and the grace of God- he didn't suffer any permanent damage. But it was a reminder that the day which I totally dread is coming. We're not going to have our parents forever. 

And just when my nerves were settling down that day, I got another text that my oldest brother was injured in an accident on the job. He had surgery on his hand and is looking at a lengthy recovery. 

After 2 years of COVID cancellations, the MidAmerica Truck Show was back! Only COVID after-effect I noticed was the absence of the China parts section. 

We've gone pretty much every year since I was pregnant with Arianna 23 years ago. If I had to sum up the show experience in one word, it would be WALK. It's massive so you walk & walk until your joints ache. 

It might look like a bunch of gobblety-gook on the screen, but we learned a lot at the ProTalk workshops we took. 

We were fascinated by the 1937 truck on display. I wish I would've taken a close-up of the interior. I mean, this was from our grandparent's era...

Trucks have come a long way! 

(Not sure I want to contemplate what the trucks of 85 years in the future will look like) 😟

4 years ago we took a road trip to Pinecraft, Florida after the truck show. Spring break traffic was terrible and we said "never again!" But when our DIL invited us to go to FL with them for that same week this year... Here we go again! 🤦

Traffic was terrible. Again. 

But there's Krispy Kreme to sweeten the deal...

AND at the end of that interminable drive are the cutest grandchildren you get to spend a whole week with... I mean, how could've we said no?? 

Quote Of The Day: "It works! It totally works!"  (Avery coloring with "magic" markers)

Colton delighted in squirting anyone and everyone with his little water gun. The more you shrieked, the wetter you got.   

Somehow Avery was able to con all of us into playing My Little Pony with her every day.

These kiddos couldn't get enough of the beach...

We've been to Jungle Gardens multiple times but this was the first with our grands

There is a new biking/walking trail right behind the rental house that we utilized. However, walking long distances on it in sandals proved to be a bad idea. (blisters) 😧

 Love my people! And this rental house. 

Food is always a major factor in our FL vacations... some times we even cook at the house. 😁

Ann Marie's Southern Cream did not disappoint! I used to go to church with the owners so I was looking forward to sampling their ice cream. For the first time EVER we didn't patronize Big Olaf's.  

Of course we can't go to Sarasota without patronizing Deli Deli Sandwich Co, which originated from back home. They have THE best sandwiches. 

And now Java Dawg is parked next to Deli Deli... how awesome is that to have a double decker London bus for a food truck? Top deck was cafe seating. Love it! 

Bacon is good for high cholesterol, right?! Will power just done went right out the window.

We couldn't pass up trying soft pretzels from Ann Marie's pretzel truck, too. We're rating it 👍👍

One evening Richard & I took the grands to Circus Park. 

We had to check out on Friday, but we weren't ready to go back to the cold weather so we stalled by going to The Florida Aquarium in Tampa first. 

"Fishy!" said the delighted little man. 

This aquarium had the teeniest, tiniest seahorses we had ever seen. Like fingernail sized. 

Avery was looking for Dory. She jumped up & down in excitement when we finally found her! 

Splash pad! 

Inevitably vacations come to an end and we must endure the l-o-n-g drive back home. 

Back in our day we didn't have to be strapped into carseats, but neither did we have YouTube on cell phones for entertainment. Just saying.