Carthage, Missouri

We are at the 3 week stage of our current trip, and this is where we are camping at the moment. The Big Red Barn RV Park in Carthage, Missouri  - about 2 hours south of Kansas City. It is also only about 25 minutes NW from Joplin, where in May 2011, an E5 tornado came through and killed about 156 people and injured around 1200 others. Nasty business these tornadoes. In the Joplin case they only got 20 minutes notice of the tornado. Last year with Jen and Peter we drove though Moore, Oklahoma, just one week after an E5 tornado killed twice as many people - they only had 10 minutes warning.  

We discovered the Big Red Barn RV park last year, and it has good wifi and cable TV. The Golf Masters is on at the moment, hence the need for cable TV! Some of the trees have spring buds on them, and I saw my first red cardinal bird of the trip. So they are in this location which is a bonus, and I look out for them constantly. 

We have had a slower start than usual this trip, owing to the fact of needing to get the new tyres balanced (see previous blog) before we could do much driving. We did go to a Ford place in Bentonville, but they weren't capable of balancing tyres as big as ours - 19.5, but they did decide that we had a cracked radiator and a leaking water pump while they were at it. Murray had noticed some leaks under the rig, and asked them to take a look. Uh oh, in the shop for another few hours. Thankfully they offered us a courtesy car and we were able to check out some shops and restaurants, and we even got to visit the cinema and see 'The Monuments Men'. We really enjoyed it. The waiting room in many of these larger car dealerships can be very comfortable - big, flat screen TV, free wifi, clean toilets, hot coffee, and this one even had freshly made biscuits (cookies). Very nice indeed. In the photo above you can see Murray checking his iPhone for aussie football reports. However, as Ford couldn't sort out the tyre balance, they referred us to a Truck Service centre in Joplin, and they sorted the problem out quickly for us. We only had time to eat a leisurely breakfast at a cafe next door, and it was done. Great service, and at no charge to us. Thanks Ford. 

Before we made it here to Carthage,  we stayed at a Golf/RV Resort in Cave Springs, Arkansas. A nice little RV Park, that we discovered last year, and which is a very convenient way for Murray to play golf. He just walks out of the front door of the RV, takes a few steps, and he is at the Golf Club house. While we were there for 2 weeks, our dear friends Sandy and Joe Bill from Fordyce, Arkansas came and visited us for a few days. They booked into a nearby hotel, and we were able to spend the days together - the guys even played 9 holes of golf which gave Sandy and I time to check out a beautiful bakery cafe selling mouth-watering pastries. Delicious. Once the menfolk joined us, we went back into Bentonville and checked out the Walmart/Walton Museum - we visited it last year, but Sandy and Joe Bill had never been there. It is amazing to see the story of how Walmart started from a simple five and dime store. If you check out the blog entry that I wrote about it last year, you will get the story. 

Walton/Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas

A visit from Sandy and Joe Bill

Thankfully, despite being so far away, Tony and Yudian send me regular photos and videos of Jackson, so I keep up to date on how he is growing. Such a happy little boy. 

First week back in the USA 2014

In light of the tragedy of the missing Malaysian Airlines jet, Murray and I were relieved to arrive safely in LA and then Kansas City, following our flight from Brisbane. Our flight didn't get into Kansas City until 5pm, so by the time we collected our luggage and picked up a hire car, it was just after 6pm when we got to the cave to retrieve the RV. Once again the engine started immediately, despite being in storage for 8 months this time. As usual, our first step before hitting the road for another 6 months of RVing was to put the RV into Ford for a routine service. It was also time to replace the 6 tyres - yikes - the price of each tyre has gone up $180 per tyre since this time 3 years ago when we purchased an extra spare tyre for our Alaskan trip. We dropped the RV off to Ford at 7pm the night we arrived, and left it with them for 2 days while we recovered from jet lag by eating out at our favourite local haunts (Red Lobster, Outback, Olive Garden), shopping  (DSW - Discount Shoe Warehouse got a nice visit) and resting up in the motel!

In she goes for a service - 7 pm at night!

We spent the first 2 nights in our usual campground in Independence, Missouri and woke to a very light dusting of snow (see photo on the left) and black ice, which delayed our planned departure by an hour. Mind you, Benn and Daina must have been sniggering at our 'snow', compared to what they were driving in over in Iceland. The black dot in the photo below is Daina - Benn stayed warm in the vehicle! During our first night in the RV we noticed a slight leak from the water valve at the back of the toilet. As we had also had a temporary leak from a water valve and a  toilet seal last year (resolved without any action taken or money spent), we figured we were on borrowed time, so decided to replace the toilet as it didn't cost much more than just replacing the valve! We were keen to hit the road so didn't arrange the replacement until we reached Arkansas. 

Our drive south from Missouri to Arkansas was like old times - sun shining, fields rolling past the window - ah, bliss! When the RV hit 63 mph (101 kph) the steering wheel vibrated a bit, indicating a problem with the tyre balance/alignment since the new tyres were fitted. Ford have arranged for us to get the balance corrected at another Ford on our route. For now we are just enjoying our home away from home - the photo on the left is a selfie I took just as we were passing Joplin, Missouri, and just over an hour from our destination.

At 8.30am we found ourselves driving through morning fog to get the new toilet installed. As we rounded a bend I liked how the old barn in the photo on the left looked in the eerie light. The new toilet in the photo on the right was installed in 30 mins. Too easy. 

While it is still cold here for us today (high of 13 C (55 F) predicted), tomorrow, Thursday, is supposed to be 21C (70F). That's more like my kind of weather! Our friends Sandy and Joe Bill from Fordyce are driving up to visit us on Sunday. They will check into a nearby motel for 2 nights - we are looking forward to seeing them and hearing all their family news. Sadly Joe Bill lost his mother in February - she was 104 years of age. Until 6 months before her death, she was driving her car and playing the organ at her church. What an amazing and wonderful lady Francis Benton Meador was. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and the Fordyce community at large.

Aunty Dympna with Francis Meador - Fordyce, Arkansas  2010

Last Transmission from Australia for 6 Months...

Fred, Angela, Trish and Murray Byron Bay lighthouse

The end of our time at home before spending another 6 months in the USA is always exciting yet tinged with regret. We had an especially full-packed 8 months, most of which is already covered in earlier blogs. What wasn't covered was a visit from Daina's parents, Angela & Fred. They flew up from Adelaide and we were able to fit in some wonderful activities. Gemma and Bill invited us over to dinner along with our aunt. We managed a visit to Byron Bay's lighthouse and the Eastern-most point of Australia. Angela and I joined my sister Ret for a life validating Gratitude Seminar that went from 9am-4pm on the Sunday. Meanwhile Murray took Fred for a spin up Mt Tamborine and then to lunch with my brother Tony. 

In the last few weeks it is usually a time of farewell lunches and dinners, with the odd farewell breakfast thrown in too - that was great to see you Nadia and hear about your recent trip to Italy. My girlfriends had lunch at the Lighthouse Cafe and posed for the obligatory photo. Jenny, Carol & Julie, I will miss you all. On the Gold Coast it was great for Ret and I to catch up with old nursing mates Jenny and Caren, and had breakfast with Lynne. 

Julie, Carol, Jenny and Trish at Lighthouse Cafe

Ret, Caren and Jen

Breakfast with Lynne

Paw Paws 

I had a lot of fun cooking with my Thermomix, and made my own butter and baked my own bread most of the time. Our home in Ballina is in good hands with friends and family holding the fort while we are away. Thanks to Bev & Keith, Peter & Sam, Brid and Shona (our cousins out from Ireland), and a few others yet to confirm. I wonder who will be there when our pawpaws ripen?

While we were getting ready to leave our summer weather and head to a more cooler USA, Benn, Kim & Daina were dogsledding in Norway. What a life these kids have - our fun didn't really kick off until retirement, but they have got an early start!

Benn and Kim with dog sled dogs

Jackson with cigar - Cuban style

The saddest occasion was saying goodbye to little Jackson. You may recall I attended his birth back at the end of November. He has grown a lot since then, and just this morning Yudian advised me that Jackson had crawled for the first time. I got to have a few visits with him recently, but the last visit was difficult for me. Thank goodness for Skype!! 

Jackson smiling

Last playtime and smiles from Jackson

Look at that face…so cute

Lunch with Tracy, Ret and Rose

Last but not least was a very enjoyable St Patricks Day lunch with brother Tracy and sister Rosemary. Then that evening about 16 of us caught up for a farewell dinner. So besides my eldest sister Gemma and her husband Bill, were 2 nieces and 2 nephews and their spouses and some of the kids. 

Gemma with our nephew Mark - eerily looking like our dad!

Farewell dinner

Aunty Dympna celebrates her 90th Birthday!

The birthday girl - Dympna

The matriarch of our 'tribe' turned 90 at the end of January. My Aunty Dympna celebrated this wonderful milestone by inviting over 60 family and friends to a Mass, followed by a luncheon. One of her past pupils from her teaching days was the priest that concelebrated the Mass, along with two other dear friends of Dympna's - it was very moving. Then Dympna's youngest nephew Chris, who lives with his wife Mandy in Japan, sat up late into the night before her birthday, and wrote a special poem about his memories of her. Our cousin Brid in Ireland also wrote a wonderful poem. Both poems were read out at the luncheon. Thankfully the party was catered for by the staff at the retirement village where Dympna lives - they decorated the lovely big room, cooked and served the meal, then cleaned up afterwards - the whole day went like clockwork. Many thanks go to my elder sister Gemma who coordinated all the fine timings and sequence of events, even while she was absent for 2 months in Perth. It was a truly enjoyable celebration. 

The Birthday Mass 

Delicious sponge cake

My brother's 8 week old son Jackson wanted to share the limelight on the day. Dympna wasn't the oldest one there, but Jackson was certainly the youngest one! All of the ladies present wanted to nurse him or just wanted to touch his soft skin! Jackson brightened many old (and not so old) faces with his lovely, wide smile. No one was immune from his appeal! 

Ret enjoys a nurse with Jackson

My eldest brother Tracy with Jackson

Jackson's mum Yudian gets to dry him after his bath  - love this photo!

Dympna with Jackson - he is giving her a big birthday smile

Jackson's Christening Plus Baby Noah arrives

Jackson in his Christening outfit

Being Christened

We had a great family get together on the Gold Coast recently for Jackson's Christening. Tony's 3 older children Nicholas, Kate and Anna were the godparents. Sadly Nick was working in Darwin and was unable to attend, so Murray stood in for him. Anna made a delicious Christening cake which was the perfect accompaniment to the champagne, sandwiches, meat pies and belly pork prepared by Tony. 

Jen's Animals!

Great cake Anna!

Some of the guests...

The next day Jackson was due for his 6 week check-up with the paediatrician. He was perfectly behaved and the specialist gave him a clean bill of health. He told Yudian she must be doing everything right as he looked so healthy.

Paediatrician checks Jackson

A few days later my younger sister Ret rang me to say her son Peter and his wife Sam (who were expecting their second child in early February) had a surprise arrival - their second son Noah was born 3 weeks early. Sam had the baby at 7.30pm one evening, and her and Noah were discharged by 4pm the next day. Ret and I flew down at 8am the day she was discharged, so that Ret could meet her new grandson, and we could both help mind his older brother Jethro who will be 3 years old in March. Little Noah and his mum settled straight into home life - he simply fed, pooped and slept! Such a contented little man. I spent a delightful 3 days with the family, and given that every day was a celebration, the champagne flowed often! Ret and I were wined and dined by Pete and Sam, and one day we took Jethro on the bus into Circular Quay and showed him the big boats and reacquainted him with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera house.

Grandma Ret with baby Noah

Yay…champagne. Thanks Pete

Sam, Jethro and baby Noah

Me with the newest great nephew

Jethro, Ret and I at Circular Quay with the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind

Within an hour of getting off the plane in Ballina after my 3 day Sydney sojourn, Murray and I were driving out to catch up with friends who were camping at Alstonville - 15 minutes from our place. After we checked out their wonderful RV we all sat out under a big shady tree and had a sunset BBQ. The next morning my aunt and I pulled up a chair in some shade overlooking the beach, and had an iced coffee and chatted for almost 2 hours. It was such a delightful few hours.

Diana and Michael with Murray in front of their RV

Lighthouse Beach Ballina

Early days of 2014

Aunty Dympna and Kim enjoying oysters and champagne

Well Christmas passed as quick as greased lightning, and hot on its heels was New Year. We celebrated the end of 2013 over drinks and a delicious meal with friends Judy and Don, other friends Warren and Heather. We had a lot of lovely social encounters with family and friends over the festive season. Kim and my youngest son Mark caught up with each other, and sadly it wasn't until Mark returned to Darwin that Benn and Daina arrived home from Japan. But they did get to spend a few days with Kim before she flew home to Copenhagen. My kids are spread far and wide around the world these days!

Mark and Kim

Not wanting to miss one last chance to see Kim before she left the country (she had a busy itinerary and was hard to catch), I went up to the Gold Coast and saw her briefly, and spent some time with baby Jackson (and his mum and dad). Yudian and I had fun taking Jackson on his first shopping outings, and checked out 3 of the 5 main shopping centres nearby. We'll get to try the 4th one the day after the Christening! 

Yudian and Jackson hit the shops

Kim, Benn and Daina heading to their surfboards

Benn and Daina meet Jackson - here with Tony and Yudian

Benn and Daina sipping champagne with Ret and AD

On the riverfront -  the river is reflected in the windows.

The day that Kim was due to fly out, I had breakfast with her, Benn, Daina before saying our goodbyes. Benn, Daina and I then met Tony, Yudian and Jackson for morning tea before driving home to Ballina. Our feet hadn't touched the ground when Aunty Dympna (AD) and Ret invited us to join them for a celebratory champagne, and I guess we just couldn't refuse! That was the perfect entree to our next outing for champagne and oysters on the river front with Benn, Daina, Ret and Pete. Well, we are still celebrating New Year I guess…Next stop the Gold Coast on Sunday for the Christening.