Monday, November 29, 2004
HOME AGAIN AFTER THANKSGIVING....2004
Today it is raining and everything is soaked to the gills. While we were gone the wind took the last of our beautiful fall foliage so we have skeletal trees and bushes staring back from their vantage points. Some of the oaks will not drop the remainder of their leaves until Spring. And so, for the most part, fall is now over, just like Thanksgiving….and winter is soon to follow.
George took good care of us in KC. We always enjoy seeing the improvements he has made on his home and getting acquainted with Cheetah, the cat, and Murphy, the dog, once more. They lead a pretty solitary life since George works and is away many hours of their day. They are always quizzical concerning our arrival and with good manners, wait until we are ready to acknowledge them.
We had to take our cat, Missy, who suffers from nerve damage and can no longer walk. She has little use of her front legs but her back ones are constantly used to pivot her from side to side as she needs to change position. She has survived a year this way and has accepted her situation with grace. She remains a sweet, sweet, kitty cat.
We are thankful for our safe trip up and back. Traffic was heavy but we didn’t drive at peak hours….traffic is always heavy around the KC area. George lives on the West side in Johnson County so most of the fields we remember from 20-years ago are built up into fancy corporate locations and the farms are long gone. It’s sad for me….I am not akin to much change but the hoards of people moving to the cities make it necessary. I am happy to note that people are waking up to the history and beauty of the wonderful old buildings and many are in the stages of restoration.
George and John had been telling us that we needed to see Union Station and the return to it’s original beauty. This time we made it a priority and I’m glad we did. It is the second largest train terminal in the U.S. with Grand Central Station in NYC being the first. The huge entrance area had a large display of different trains running around tracks….and through different scenery. There was a coal train, passenger train, freight train, AM Track and trains with box cars and tank cars…all going through the four seasons and towns, cities, mountains; the expanse of America.
That is how we stumbled onto a very nice display which was just there for a limited time and it added much to the pleasure of touring the station. We ate lunch on the balcony overlooking the vastness of the building and remembered the many times of arrivals and departures our own family made from the place. To see the building restored to her former greatness was a happy experience.
We did eat at the Pizza Shop the night we arrived which is always a family tradition. On Thanksgiving day George attended to the meal with some assistance from Becky. The past two years he has ordered a meal from a store specializing in full “take out” holiday dinners. Worked great for all of us….we had more time to visit and the food was very good for “take out.” We made arrangements with my good friends who used to live across the street from us, (Gene and Rosalie Fowler….and their daughter, Janice and her three children) to come to George’s for a visit. Gene and Rosalie drove up from Emporia, KS. to spend Thanksgiving with Janice…..yes, the same Janice who blogs and many of you know. She’s as beautiful in person as she is in her blog offerings.
We had a good time catching up with each other on a face to face basis. We have kept in touch all these years but hadn’t seen each other for 7-years when they drove over to attend my retirement party from the MSHP. We are always surprised how much time evaporates between our visits and have vowed to make connections sooner from now on.
We arrived in a 10-inch snow which broke down many trees all over the area in George’s neighborhood. Bradford Pear trees were the worst hit but certainly not the least. They survived a terrible ice storm a few years back….and the area is known for their beautiful landscaping.
So today I am unpacking, doing laundry and getting organized for Christmas. There is much to do and so……..I will be back with the ongoing story of Esther, tomorrow. Right now, I’m headed for the kitchen to round up something for our lunch. I hope you were all treated as well and fed as good as we were and that today is a day for remembering your own good times.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
George took good care of us in KC. We always enjoy seeing the improvements he has made on his home and getting acquainted with Cheetah, the cat, and Murphy, the dog, once more. They lead a pretty solitary life since George works and is away many hours of their day. They are always quizzical concerning our arrival and with good manners, wait until we are ready to acknowledge them.
We had to take our cat, Missy, who suffers from nerve damage and can no longer walk. She has little use of her front legs but her back ones are constantly used to pivot her from side to side as she needs to change position. She has survived a year this way and has accepted her situation with grace. She remains a sweet, sweet, kitty cat.
We are thankful for our safe trip up and back. Traffic was heavy but we didn’t drive at peak hours….traffic is always heavy around the KC area. George lives on the West side in Johnson County so most of the fields we remember from 20-years ago are built up into fancy corporate locations and the farms are long gone. It’s sad for me….I am not akin to much change but the hoards of people moving to the cities make it necessary. I am happy to note that people are waking up to the history and beauty of the wonderful old buildings and many are in the stages of restoration.
George and John had been telling us that we needed to see Union Station and the return to it’s original beauty. This time we made it a priority and I’m glad we did. It is the second largest train terminal in the U.S. with Grand Central Station in NYC being the first. The huge entrance area had a large display of different trains running around tracks….and through different scenery. There was a coal train, passenger train, freight train, AM Track and trains with box cars and tank cars…all going through the four seasons and towns, cities, mountains; the expanse of America.
That is how we stumbled onto a very nice display which was just there for a limited time and it added much to the pleasure of touring the station. We ate lunch on the balcony overlooking the vastness of the building and remembered the many times of arrivals and departures our own family made from the place. To see the building restored to her former greatness was a happy experience.
We did eat at the Pizza Shop the night we arrived which is always a family tradition. On Thanksgiving day George attended to the meal with some assistance from Becky. The past two years he has ordered a meal from a store specializing in full “take out” holiday dinners. Worked great for all of us….we had more time to visit and the food was very good for “take out.” We made arrangements with my good friends who used to live across the street from us, (Gene and Rosalie Fowler….and their daughter, Janice and her three children) to come to George’s for a visit. Gene and Rosalie drove up from Emporia, KS. to spend Thanksgiving with Janice…..yes, the same Janice who blogs and many of you know. She’s as beautiful in person as she is in her blog offerings.
We had a good time catching up with each other on a face to face basis. We have kept in touch all these years but hadn’t seen each other for 7-years when they drove over to attend my retirement party from the MSHP. We are always surprised how much time evaporates between our visits and have vowed to make connections sooner from now on.
We arrived in a 10-inch snow which broke down many trees all over the area in George’s neighborhood. Bradford Pear trees were the worst hit but certainly not the least. They survived a terrible ice storm a few years back….and the area is known for their beautiful landscaping.
So today I am unpacking, doing laundry and getting organized for Christmas. There is much to do and so……..I will be back with the ongoing story of Esther, tomorrow. Right now, I’m headed for the kitchen to round up something for our lunch. I hope you were all treated as well and fed as good as we were and that today is a day for remembering your own good times.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
