Back to Reality Again

First, today is our grandson Dale's 3rd birthday!  How did three years pass already?? Happy birthday Little Buddy!

Well I didn't fall into a deep depression when we got home like I did after our trip in August, but it was really hard to get motivated for the rest of November.  I didn't do any craft shows this year.  We had our first measurable snow mid-month but fortunately it was mostly gone by the next day.

Did one short walk on the Canal but my foot hurts so bad so that was a quick trip.

After we got home from the trip I was desperate to get to see 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in the theatre so I went one afternoon and he went to a different movie called 'Overlord'.  BR is easily one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life.  If Rami Malek doesn't get nominated for....and win...an Academy Award it'll be a sin.  His performance as Freddie Mercury was mesmerizing.

Speaking of movies, we also went to 'Fantastic Beasts:  The Crimes of Grindelwald'.  I was a bit confused after it and probably should've watched the first movie before we went.  I left with a lot of questions.  It was good and all, but it's hard to like this franchise as much as Harry Potter because there are a lot of timeline changes with the characters that don't quite match up.  The Fantastic Beasts movies are more like someone's fan fiction brought to the big screen, even though JK Rowling is involved with the screenplays.  I would prefer if these would be released as books.

Thanksgiving was really quiet.  Val had to work till about 2 and her mom was doing her dinner at 6, so there wouldn't have been enough time for her to come all the way over here.  Since Nick & Karmyn just got engaged, we told them that it was OK if they wanted to play through at her parents' house all afternoon and then go to his mom's for 6.  It was just Russell & I and a whole lotta delish food!!!

Val's birthday was over Thanksgiving weekend.  This is the card I made her. 

Also made her a carrot cake from scratch.  

She came over the day after Thanksgiving and I took her to see 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.  It's very rare that I go to a theatre to see a movie twice but this one is worth a second look.  The last time I did that was in 1991 when 'Dances with Wolves' came out.  Here we are waiting for it to start.  This theatre has recliners and I honestly don't think I can go back to regular movie seats again.

She also turned me onto Stroopwafels.  I've never heard of them or seen them before but wow are they tasty!  Just picked up a box!

One of my friends posted a pic of a cross stitch and wrote 'please make this for me'.  So I did.  I love fast projects like these.  

Another instant gratification project.  This was a free kit with a bead embroidery I got.  It came with  the little paper frame and a magnet for the back.  Took about a half hour or so.

My friends Cindy and Michelle destashed some of their craft supplies and sent them all to me.  There are several little cross stitch ornament kits, and then this one of West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, Maine. This just took about 3 days to complete.  I'm finding it harder and harder to stitch on 16ct Aida, especially white-on-white.  My eyesight is so shot.  😢

Can't believe Christmas prep is in full swing and then another year come and gone way too fast.

Intrepid Travelers

We were both kind of dreading the trip home cause that is one long drive from Orlando to Cape Cod.  We're talking about 1,200 miles!!  We left about 7:00 AM to head north.

White palmetto tree as seen on the flags and state symbols.

I thought this was unusual for a major highway, to have the trees so close.

This rest stop is about 3 miles north of South of the Border.  I was so creeped out that I wouldn't use their bathroom so Russell stopped here for me!!!

Very blurry cause it was about 6:00 but we made it to Virginia the first day, and stayed in Emporia.  After a delicious meal at Cracker Barrel we checked into a hotel and crashed for the night.

 Up real early in the morning to continue on.

Got to the Capital Beltway around DC right at rush hour so it was definitely slow going.

 Loved this truck.  I lived for Scholastic Book Fairs in elementary school!

Maryland by mid morning....more traffic around Baltimore.

 I didn't realize we were going to pass through Delaware too...I was lucky to grab my camera in time!

We could have branched off to avoid the DC/Baltimore metro area but we had one more stop to make on the way home, in South Plainfield, NJ.

Russell got antipasto salads from this place called Pizza Stop that would deliver to the Halls Warehouse a few blocks away.  He hasn't had one in well over a year since his forced retirement.  He was so excited to stop here on the way home.  We got here about 2:30. 

I got a really good pie.  I miss NY/NJ style pizza!

He was so very happy to see that they hadn't changed anything with the salad.  He got two.

Aw look how happy!!!!!

The rest of the trip home was uneventful and we were in the house and relaxing by about 8:00 pm.  This was easily one of the best vacations ever....from seeing the boys and doing Halloween with them to living out my dream of seeing Harry Potter World, it was a perfect trip.  Made a lot of memories and had a lot of laughs. 

South of the Border, SC

Back in 1976 when we drove home from Florida, my dad stopped at South of the Border, a super kitschy souvenir complex which is right on the South Carolina/North Carolina line.  I remembered it being colourful, crowded, somewhat dazzling, and of course all the funny billboards on the way.  I asked Russell if he minded stopping on the way home.  The billboards were plentiful and amusing.

However when we got there, I found it so run down that the first thought in my head was 'what a dump'.  I'd assumed we were going to be here at least an hour with me looking around and probably eating at the restaurant.  Nope.  I wasn't going near that restaurant.  The whole place was just so hinky and creepy.

I achieved my goals of souvenirs and a pressed penny but the store was just too weird.  The whole vibe there was weird.

I wanted to walk around outside a bit and get more pics despite it being so tacky and Russell didn't let me out of his sight, slowly driving along close by where I was walking.

Glad I stopped this time cause I won't be back.