It’s been a wonderful week of family, sightseeing, eating good food, laughing, relaxing and just having an all around good time.  David and I have spent a few days in Wilmington, North Carolina.  We went to see these people.

David’s brother and sister-in-law and their son and his family.  We had the pleasure of having these children visit our house last Summer.

This little girl is a free spirit and makes me smile.

And this little boy happy to show his missing tooth.  Just like my grandson.

We had fun with them one night shooting at cups with nerf bullets and knocking the cups down. Of course, it got out of hand and several shots hit some of us accidently on purpose!

David and I also went to North Carolina to see the azaleas during the Azalea festival in Wilmington.  Wilmington was dressed in the most beautiful flowers all over the city.  We took tours through the gardens and through some houses.  I will just let you look at the beauty that is Wilmington.

These were everywhere.

Pretty girls in pretty hoop skirts in every garden.

This was someone’s back yard.  A really wonderful place to entertain.

Someone had a lab and had this statue in their garden.  I got to pet the real lab. I missed mine.

There are beautiful houses everywhere.  Wouldn’t you just like to walk up these steps and move right into this house?  The flowers were gorgeous. Well, maybe the occupants might have something to say about that!

Loved this house.  It has a very unusual porch ceiling like the ribs of a ship.

I’m a sucker for lace curtains at the window.  So pretty.

Another house we went through.  It was so cute.

Historical houses everywhere.  They really take pride in keeping their old houses well kept.

Azaleas were not the only flowers blooming.

Even some of the sidewalks were unique.

There was a street fair going on also and I think this man was trying to sell everything!

I even saw a woman leading a llama down the street while walking.  I thought I was on Mulberry Street.

If I had to live in a city, Wilmington would be high on my list.  It’s Savannah without the commercialism and heavy traffic.   Don’t take me wrong.  I love Savannah and have been there a few times, but Wilmington rates right up there with it.

We had to go to the beach.  The first time we went, Terry, my sister-in-law and I sat bundled up in blankets sitting in chairs trying not to freeze.   The wind was blowing and it was cold.  We didn’t stay too long that day.  Then another day David and I went by ourselves to a beach north of Wilmington and found it much warmer and the beach was so nice to walk on.

While David did this….

I did this…..

Then we walked a couple of miles on the beach.  It was so nice.

For some reason quilts and fabric always manage to be incorporated into any trip we take. This time I met a friend of my sister-in-law’s who was a quilter and she brought over some of her quilts to see.  I loved this one.

This floral one was bright and cheerful.

I especially loved this one.  I like how the black and white fabric sets off the bright spokes in the fans.   I want to make one of these.  When you meet someone who likes to quilt, it is like you have met a kindred spirit.  Talking quilts always makes me happy.  I did not buy one yard of fabric this trip.  I had to make myself stay out of quilt shops as I am trying so hard to finish up several projects before I buy one more yard of fabric. Believe me, it was hard.  Even when I wasn’t looking for them, quilt shops would appear.

I am so looking forward to seeing my dogs and chicks.  Molly had surgery while we were gone and I am sure she is ready to come home.  It’s been fun, but back to reality.  I am actually looking forward to planting my garden.  My brother-in-law already has most of his garden planted but he also has a palm tree in his front yard.  It’s still too cold to plant most things in our state.  But boy, have I been inspired by all I have seen.

Here’s to azaleas, old houses and fun with family.  Bye.

I love to travel.  I don’t like long car rides or flying so that is a dilemma when one wants to get from one place to another.  I don’t like interstate driving or destination driving like we did the last couple of days.  Destination driving, according to David is getting from one place to another as quickly as possible with as few stops as possible.  We don’t usually travel like that. When we travel, we usually stop several times at quilt shops or antique stores or just to get out and walk around.  We only stopped once in a little town called Clinton to go through some antique stores.  I was so glad to get to our destination.  David’s brother’s house.  Then I was too tired to visit for very long, but we will see him and our sister-in-law several times.  Going to the beach with them one day. Can’t wait.

Anyway, as we destination drove we passed so many interesting things we could have stopped to see.  Carl Sandburg’s house for one.   Carl Sandburg was the poet I believe who read a poem at President Kennedy’s inauguration years ago. Or was it Robert Frost?  I would have loved to have seen his house.  I bet it was really interesting.

Later, as we drove, we passed an old house and David said, “That’s a neat, old house.”  “Yes,” I replied.  “Kind of looks like what Carl Sandburg’s house might have looked like if  we had actually seen it.  “Colonel Sander’s house?” David asked.  “Carl Sandburg’s!”  I said, giggling.

We have lots of interesting conversations like that.  Like when I asked David, “Do you ever wonder why you married me?”  “No,” he said.  Then, “Do you ever regret marrying me?”  “Why?” he replied.  “Are you an ax murderer or something?”     Not yet.

Or the conversation that went like this.  I was watching the car in front of us and I asked David, “If you saw a hand sticking out of the place where the tail lights should be, would you take the car’s license plate number and follow it?”   “What are you talking about?” asked David.  “You mean to tell me you would not get the license plate number and follow that car if it had someone’s hand sticking out the tail light area?”  “Where did this come from?” asked David.  “You know all those murder shows I watch on ID where the woman is in the trunk of a car and sometimes one of them has the forethought to break out the tail light and wave her hand and gets noticed and someone calls the police? Are you telling me you would not call 911 and follow that car and get the license plate number?  You know that guy does not have good plans for that woman.”  “In that case, yes I would,” David says.  Conversation closed.

Driving with David can be exciting like when he drove from the left lane across two other lanes to get to an exit and realized it was the wrong exit.  It was serendipitous though, as we ended up on streets lined with pink azaleas, white dogwood and purple wisteria.  Mentioning these we have seen a lot of beauty the last couple of days.

Spanish moss.  It makes me thing of romantic stories.

Dogwood trees everywhere.

Azaleas.  We cannot grow these well in our state.  At least not like this.

Big southern homes with big porches or verandas as they may call them.

David does all the driving because I am too interested in looking at everything. And besides, we would actually like to arrive at our destination and alive!

Finally arrived in this state, but we took a wrong highway and ended up in this state.

Then we saw these and thought we were in England.

But we finally got back on track.

Driving along David shouts out “Pee Dee!”  I say, “What?”  “P-E-E D-E-E,” he spells for me.  “The name of a river we just crossed.”  “Oh,” I replied.  “I thought it was something you have to do.”

On a serious note, we passed a funeral procession kind of like the one in “American Sniper” with flags hanging across the street and motorcyclist after motorcyclist with flags on the backs of their bikes roaring down the highway.  Must have been a military funeral or someone important.  Police stopped all traffic and people stood on the side of the road with their hands over their hearts.  In a day of light, and laughter and fun we were reminded that death comes to all of us.  That a person’s passing is serious business and I pray all are prepared.

Going through this tunnel reminded me of the light at the end of the tunnel some people say they see in near death experiences.  David’s driving did not make me see this.  He is actually the safest driver I know even after the incident with the semi who tried to run us off the road.  See Miss Garmin hanging there in the window?  She laughed and laughed when David took the wrong exit.  I have a love hate relationship with Miss Garmin although she has found all our destinations for us pretty well, but don’t tell her because she might get the big head.

Here’s to travels and the things we see.   Bye.