Monday through Thursday

 First, you need to know that the internet in the guest house is S  L  O  W.  Really slow so I'm not sure how often I'll write.  But here goes for Wednesday late afternoon.I added more days toward the end of the week.  .  

                Kimmy and Jared with a great kitchen clean up after the Thanksgiving celebration.  

Starting with Monday.  We left home around 8:30 on our way to a leisurely trip to Georgia.  I was thinking maybe Berea Kent. or something like that.  What happened that the first day took us to Cleveland Tenn.  Almost to Georgia.  Doug was at the wheel of course and that's where the car stopped.  Our motel was the Douglas Inn in the process of a new renovation.  All good.  

                                            There is always a lot of ice cream on the menu.  

The second day Tuesday took us on a trip missing Chattanooga completely.  Why didn't we find this route a long time ago is crazy.  Anything is good missing that city.  Way too much traffic for the highway with the west and east meeting into one way south is too much, I would say.  We arrived at the monastery around 11:30 Tuesday morning with horrible rain for the whole trip south.  Going through or around Atlanta in the rain has a few upsides. I would say mostly down.  But it was part of the morning.  We always choose to go right through which is easier than around.  There are many trucks and the route is more than twice as long around.  So through we go.  Rick arrived from Texas close to supper.  We had a great visit with Dee by ourselves which was really nice before the rest of the group arrived. We also headed to the bookstore in the afternoon.  This store is the biggest Catholic store in Georgia. It's great. 

                                    I think this is a camellian blooming.  More buds are on the way. 

Wednesday we headed to the grocery store with our list of things to buy.  Needless to say, a second trip was needed because we forgot to get everything on the list.  How dumb is that?  It was all there to see and it just didn't happen.  Today was the travel day for the Michigan Russells.  The schedule of the college freshman kept him at school until the wee hours of Wed. morning.  Deadlines need to be met.  Today is a full day of travel with the hope of arriving around 8:30.  It's a very long ride for one day but sometimes there is no other choice. 

                                Beautiful, wonderful  Magnolia tree, one of many on the property.                                                                  One red seed pod left leaving evidence of a beautiful flower.  

So anticipation of more folks here in the guest house, farmhouse, and fun house is pretty high.  We're getting estimated times of arrival and now it seems to say 9:03

Jared and family made it to the guest house after a nearly 15-hour ride.  Dee stayed with us visiting for another hour or so. Then it was bedtime finally around midnight. 

                                            More flowers with evidence of rain drops.

Thursday morning brought the first of many pie-baking marathons planned for the weekend.   There were two rhubarbs and one apple that started the race. The refrigerator freezer was restocked with more pie shells ready for apple filling brought from Michigan.  What we don't use will be turned into pies for the Monks marking special celebration days.  The turkey/ham Thanksgiving noon meal happened with the traditional lima beans, corn, and mashed potatoes.  I added cranberry sauce of course with gravy in the gravy boat.  It was an afternoon around the table lasting past 4 o'clock.  The supper meal was skipped but icecream filled what small spaces needed filling.  It was a great family day.  

                                            Grandson Jacob visiting with his Texan uncle Rick.