Monday, April 23, 2007
Whole Lot of Traveling Going On
Jo and Lloyd are off to see the Wizard. They are on a several week vacation to Europe. They rented an apartment in Germany in the Black Forest but are touring other States while there. Jo has flown very little and her flying experiences have been a bit rocky.
During Spring Break from the college, she flew to Tennessee to visit her Army Sgt. son, Gene, and family. Usually she and Lloyd drive there to visit but since Lloyd is now working in Iraq and she is alone, she elected to fly. She thought it would be good experience preparing her for her flight to Germany. She did not want to leave her new car at the airport and I refuse to drive it, so the grand plan was for me to stay the night with her and drive into the city in the minivan.
Up at 4 A.M. and on the road, we encountered one of Houston's usual gully washer, frog strangler thunderstorms. Rain fell in sheets so dense that at times we could scarcely see the roads. At the airport, traffic was backed up forever, Jo feared she would miss her flight so decided to get out and walk to the entrance. She had little luggage of her own, just a small suitcase, overnight bag and her laptop, but Monica had asked her to bring a load of clothing she had left when she moved back to Tennessee which required an oversized suitcase on wheels. Just as Jo unloaded the bags to the sidewalk, the storm increased to near hurricane force, driving the rain horizonally, the huge suitcase on wheels turned over and she was instantly saturated as she struggled with the luggage.
As she neared the check in counter, the plane was boarding , all the lights went out at the airport and the computers went offline. Even after the emergency generators kicked on, it took a little time for the computers to come back online but Jo was afraid to leave the line to go change clothes. She stood shivering and dripping until she boarded and made the flight soaking wet. Due to the ferocity of the storm it was a rough, bumpy flight for much of the way. Her first flight experience was not a pleasant one.
In preparation for their vacation in Europe, Jo had carefully coordinated her flight from the States and Lloyd's flight from Iraq so that their separate flights would arrive within 10 minutes of each other. Each carried their cell phones so that they could call each other at the German airport in case they failed to connect as planned. Jo had reserved hotel rooms in Frankfurt, prepaid the rental on an apartment 200 miles from Frankfurt and reserved a rental car. She had carefully arranged for every contingency and need, she thought. But the best laid plans of mice and men... .
Before we reached Houston Intercontinental, Lloyd called to say his flight out of Baghdad was delayed by a dust storm which can last for many hours or even days. Jo boarded her flight to Chicago, thence on Lufthansa to Germany but heard no more from her husband. She did not know if he would meet her at the airport or not and I gave her instructions what to do if he was not there on time. As it happened, he was somewhat delayed further in Dubai because the departing plane failed to start! Passengers had to be re-routed to another plane. However, Jo was not the one who had to wait for a missing spouse.
Jo spent her trans-Atlantic flight time busily crocheting baby blankets for her expected 5th grandchild. Just as the stewards served breakfast, all the plane's lights went out, even the lights on the wings. Soon the acrid odor of burning electrical wiring filled the plane. The stewards scrambled about, making everyone put their breakfast trays on the floor, fold up their seatback trays, andthe stews stowing all equipment. The passengers became very quiet. Before too long they spied the lights of a city and as they approached the Cologne airport, they saw a bevy of emergency vehicle lights near the runway. Jo told an elderly couple seated near her, "There must be some sort of emergency going on down there!" Innocent of airflight, she did not realize that they were the emergency.
Fortunately the pilot made a good landing and the emergency vehicles swarmed the plane. One would think that the passengers would have been immediately evacuated but due to the terrorist fears , they had to wait on board for two hours until the cause of the fire had been determined and the passengers cleared. After being evacuated to the terminal, they had to wait 2 more hours until another Lufthansa plane arrived from Frankfurt to carry them the rest of their flight, then another 2 hours until the luggage was transferred and other matters completed. Meanwhile, Lloyd waited at the Frankfurt airport with only the "flight delayed" message, and the cell phone calls failed to go through. Finally they were able to communicate with text messages and the happy couple were reunited over 6 hours late.
Bubbly and insouciant as ever, Jo was unfazed by the adventure she had experienced. Due to her innocent ignorance of airflight, she failed to realized what a disaster it could have been. I cannot imagine what a nightmare the pilots must have had landing a trans-Atlantic plane under those circumstances. It was fortunate indeed that they were not far from Cologne which had an airport with runaways long enough to accomodate those huge planes.
Together again, Jo and Lloyd embarked upon their great adventure. International calls on her cell phone cost only 99 cents a minute but with a chatterbox like Jo, her burbling rhapsodizing can burn up the dollars. She adores their apartment in Gengenbach, the Black Forest and environs is beautiful beyond words, they found a Wal Mart (they're everywhere!), and at a shop called 1,000 Cuckoo clocks she blew $1,300 on one.(Correction: $1,300 total, which included shipping costs and a few small items). The cuckoo clock as was on display at the store. They bought 2 little accompanying houses that go on either side of it.
It has lots of movable doodads. and is rather elaborate. My taste runs to more artistic carving and less doodads but different strokes for different folks. It is gorgeous and they love it. It will make a nice heirloom.
She promised to buy one for her sister, Dorothy, but a much less expensive one, ofcourse.(She did). Lloyd finds driving in Germany ok but the autobahn is not as user friendly as our freeways if you miss your exit. He gets gloriously lost, and Jo bubbles that it is a scenic route. It is possible that Lloyd does not share Jo's ebullience; the rumble of his voice in the background indicates that he may have a different opinion from his lively passenger. I am curious to hear their report from France. :-)
They have taken scads of photos and videos and have allowed me to share by proxy via the webcam on the laptop. Their apartment has a lovely terrace and they had champagne with the host and another couple, Jo's first taste of an alcoholic beverage.
But - language barriers, strange foods, different customs and cultures, and unfamiliar roadways not withstanding, they are having the time of their lives and overjoyed to be reunited after a 6 month separation, the first time apart in their 30-plus years of marriage. They are acting like newly weds.
Perhaps Jo now understands why I love to travel.
>>>>>>>>>>
Update:
My daughter Jo is a soon-to-be 5 time grandmother and is a round mound of sound. She is only 4'10" inches tall, quite rotund, and is a lively chatterbox - a round mound of sound, indeed. Her husband, Lloyd, is a hefty, balding 6 footer. Until now, in all the years of their marriage, they had never been separated. Even when Lloyd had heart surgery, cancer surgery and various complications, Jo went to the hospital to spend the night in his room. When she had surgery, he returned the attention. They are utterly devoted to each other and this separation while he works overseas has been very hard on both of them. I do not think that Jo could have managed had it not been for my son, Terry, who lives with her and has been company plus does all the manly chores about the farmette.
Prior to her departure to Germany to meet Lloyd for their vacation, Jo had scads of mail order items arriving from Victoria's Secret and other such purveyors of sexy clothing. Although in my youth I loved dainty or slinky nighties and negligees and undies, some of the modern bedroom attire was a bit astonishing to me. Good Heavens!!
The final straw was when I found an empty packet of male undies she was packing for Lloyd with a graphic photo of the male model displaying the contents. They were either bikinis or thongs and the mental image of Lloyd wearing them was astonishing beyond measure! I entertained suspicions about those two upon their reunion.
My suspicions were confirmed by my elder daughter, the Wild Child, in whom Jo had confided during the time of preparation for her trip. Ofcourse the Wild Child gleefully snitched her off. She reported that Jo had said, "You know those movie scenes where a couple comes in a room and starts frantically tearing each other's clothers off and falls naked into bed? Well, that's going to be what Lloyd and I will be like!" Heh! I said they were like newly weds!
I am very happy for them that after over 30 years of marriage they continue their intense love, devotion, and intimacy. They have a great marriage relationship.
The Saga of the Cuckoo Clocks:
Not only did Jo buy the large, 3 piece cuckoo for her self and the smaller one for her sister, Dot, but after completing a mountain climb, she told Lloyd that she deserved another clock. Amiable Lloyd hied them to a clock store and Jo selected one similar to Dot's to hang in her bedroom. Then Jo decided that her best friend, Sharon, needed one as a souvenir so they bought one for her. The apartments' host and other guests made a running joke about Jo as the cuckoo clock lady. Jo was able to pack the 3 smaller clocks in one of her enormous suitcases and bring them home directly.
Dot was ecstatic about her lovely cuckoo clock. When she and CG were in Germany (during the Vietnam War era) their Army pay could not stretch far enough for her to purchase a coveted clock. When Roy and I were in Switzerland, I was fortunate to prevail upon him to purchase me an el cheapo cuckoo clock and buying one for the daughters was out of the question. Jeannie was a 13 year old then and I begged him to buy one for her as it would last her a lifetime and beyond for her heirs. But he merely purchased a toy clock for her that soon broke. So getting a Black Forest cuckoo clock from her sister was a dream realized for Dot after many years of wishing. I have never seen my daughter so happy and she thought the clock was absolutely beautiful. It is, and excellently carved. Even C.G. approved, in spite of the fact that their decor is Southwestern (he dictates decor) and hung it right away, methodically following instructions as is his wont with any endeavor.
Sharon was less demonstrative than Dot but she too was very happy. As she and Jo chatted, she kept touching and stroking the box containing the clock. Tom hung it for her immediately and she is quite proud of it.
Terry hung Jo's small one in the bedroom and the unaccustomed cuckooing disturbed her sleep. Too drowsy to come fully awake, she somehow thought the clock was chiming incorrectly. Only after she was up and about did she realize the clock also cuckooed once upon the half hour in addition to the complete number of cuckoos upon the hours. The odd number had deceived her in her sleep. She is happy with the clock and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the large one that the store shipped for her. It will go either in the Family Room ( the fireplace room) or in the formal living room to keep the enormous grandfather clock company that stands majestically in a corner. She dithers about where to place it. Terry will probably have to hold it up against the wall in numerous places before she decides upon a permanent spot for it.
Back at home with over 1,000 photos (!) plus videos, she is wild to return for another trip. I know my daughter - she is quite probably already plotting finances for another tour next year. She and Loyd had a fantastic vacation.
During Spring Break from the college, she flew to Tennessee to visit her Army Sgt. son, Gene, and family. Usually she and Lloyd drive there to visit but since Lloyd is now working in Iraq and she is alone, she elected to fly. She thought it would be good experience preparing her for her flight to Germany. She did not want to leave her new car at the airport and I refuse to drive it, so the grand plan was for me to stay the night with her and drive into the city in the minivan.
Up at 4 A.M. and on the road, we encountered one of Houston's usual gully washer, frog strangler thunderstorms. Rain fell in sheets so dense that at times we could scarcely see the roads. At the airport, traffic was backed up forever, Jo feared she would miss her flight so decided to get out and walk to the entrance. She had little luggage of her own, just a small suitcase, overnight bag and her laptop, but Monica had asked her to bring a load of clothing she had left when she moved back to Tennessee which required an oversized suitcase on wheels. Just as Jo unloaded the bags to the sidewalk, the storm increased to near hurricane force, driving the rain horizonally, the huge suitcase on wheels turned over and she was instantly saturated as she struggled with the luggage.
As she neared the check in counter, the plane was boarding , all the lights went out at the airport and the computers went offline. Even after the emergency generators kicked on, it took a little time for the computers to come back online but Jo was afraid to leave the line to go change clothes. She stood shivering and dripping until she boarded and made the flight soaking wet. Due to the ferocity of the storm it was a rough, bumpy flight for much of the way. Her first flight experience was not a pleasant one.
In preparation for their vacation in Europe, Jo had carefully coordinated her flight from the States and Lloyd's flight from Iraq so that their separate flights would arrive within 10 minutes of each other. Each carried their cell phones so that they could call each other at the German airport in case they failed to connect as planned. Jo had reserved hotel rooms in Frankfurt, prepaid the rental on an apartment 200 miles from Frankfurt and reserved a rental car. She had carefully arranged for every contingency and need, she thought. But the best laid plans of mice and men... .
Before we reached Houston Intercontinental, Lloyd called to say his flight out of Baghdad was delayed by a dust storm which can last for many hours or even days. Jo boarded her flight to Chicago, thence on Lufthansa to Germany but heard no more from her husband. She did not know if he would meet her at the airport or not and I gave her instructions what to do if he was not there on time. As it happened, he was somewhat delayed further in Dubai because the departing plane failed to start! Passengers had to be re-routed to another plane. However, Jo was not the one who had to wait for a missing spouse.
Jo spent her trans-Atlantic flight time busily crocheting baby blankets for her expected 5th grandchild. Just as the stewards served breakfast, all the plane's lights went out, even the lights on the wings. Soon the acrid odor of burning electrical wiring filled the plane. The stewards scrambled about, making everyone put their breakfast trays on the floor, fold up their seatback trays, andthe stews stowing all equipment. The passengers became very quiet. Before too long they spied the lights of a city and as they approached the Cologne airport, they saw a bevy of emergency vehicle lights near the runway. Jo told an elderly couple seated near her, "There must be some sort of emergency going on down there!" Innocent of airflight, she did not realize that they were the emergency.
Fortunately the pilot made a good landing and the emergency vehicles swarmed the plane. One would think that the passengers would have been immediately evacuated but due to the terrorist fears , they had to wait on board for two hours until the cause of the fire had been determined and the passengers cleared. After being evacuated to the terminal, they had to wait 2 more hours until another Lufthansa plane arrived from Frankfurt to carry them the rest of their flight, then another 2 hours until the luggage was transferred and other matters completed. Meanwhile, Lloyd waited at the Frankfurt airport with only the "flight delayed" message, and the cell phone calls failed to go through. Finally they were able to communicate with text messages and the happy couple were reunited over 6 hours late.
Bubbly and insouciant as ever, Jo was unfazed by the adventure she had experienced. Due to her innocent ignorance of airflight, she failed to realized what a disaster it could have been. I cannot imagine what a nightmare the pilots must have had landing a trans-Atlantic plane under those circumstances. It was fortunate indeed that they were not far from Cologne which had an airport with runaways long enough to accomodate those huge planes.
Together again, Jo and Lloyd embarked upon their great adventure. International calls on her cell phone cost only 99 cents a minute but with a chatterbox like Jo, her burbling rhapsodizing can burn up the dollars. She adores their apartment in Gengenbach, the Black Forest and environs is beautiful beyond words, they found a Wal Mart (they're everywhere!), and at a shop called 1,000 Cuckoo clocks she blew $1,300 on one.(Correction: $1,300 total, which included shipping costs and a few small items). The cuckoo clock as was on display at the store. They bought 2 little accompanying houses that go on either side of it.
It has lots of movable doodads. and is rather elaborate. My taste runs to more artistic carving and less doodads but different strokes for different folks. It is gorgeous and they love it. It will make a nice heirloom.
She promised to buy one for her sister, Dorothy, but a much less expensive one, ofcourse.(She did). Lloyd finds driving in Germany ok but the autobahn is not as user friendly as our freeways if you miss your exit. He gets gloriously lost, and Jo bubbles that it is a scenic route. It is possible that Lloyd does not share Jo's ebullience; the rumble of his voice in the background indicates that he may have a different opinion from his lively passenger. I am curious to hear their report from France. :-)
They have taken scads of photos and videos and have allowed me to share by proxy via the webcam on the laptop. Their apartment has a lovely terrace and they had champagne with the host and another couple, Jo's first taste of an alcoholic beverage.
But - language barriers, strange foods, different customs and cultures, and unfamiliar roadways not withstanding, they are having the time of their lives and overjoyed to be reunited after a 6 month separation, the first time apart in their 30-plus years of marriage. They are acting like newly weds.
Perhaps Jo now understands why I love to travel.
>>>>>>>>>>
Update:
My daughter Jo is a soon-to-be 5 time grandmother and is a round mound of sound. She is only 4'10" inches tall, quite rotund, and is a lively chatterbox - a round mound of sound, indeed. Her husband, Lloyd, is a hefty, balding 6 footer. Until now, in all the years of their marriage, they had never been separated. Even when Lloyd had heart surgery, cancer surgery and various complications, Jo went to the hospital to spend the night in his room. When she had surgery, he returned the attention. They are utterly devoted to each other and this separation while he works overseas has been very hard on both of them. I do not think that Jo could have managed had it not been for my son, Terry, who lives with her and has been company plus does all the manly chores about the farmette.
Prior to her departure to Germany to meet Lloyd for their vacation, Jo had scads of mail order items arriving from Victoria's Secret and other such purveyors of sexy clothing. Although in my youth I loved dainty or slinky nighties and negligees and undies, some of the modern bedroom attire was a bit astonishing to me. Good Heavens!!
The final straw was when I found an empty packet of male undies she was packing for Lloyd with a graphic photo of the male model displaying the contents. They were either bikinis or thongs and the mental image of Lloyd wearing them was astonishing beyond measure! I entertained suspicions about those two upon their reunion.
My suspicions were confirmed by my elder daughter, the Wild Child, in whom Jo had confided during the time of preparation for her trip. Ofcourse the Wild Child gleefully snitched her off. She reported that Jo had said, "You know those movie scenes where a couple comes in a room and starts frantically tearing each other's clothers off and falls naked into bed? Well, that's going to be what Lloyd and I will be like!" Heh! I said they were like newly weds!
I am very happy for them that after over 30 years of marriage they continue their intense love, devotion, and intimacy. They have a great marriage relationship.
The Saga of the Cuckoo Clocks:
Not only did Jo buy the large, 3 piece cuckoo for her self and the smaller one for her sister, Dot, but after completing a mountain climb, she told Lloyd that she deserved another clock. Amiable Lloyd hied them to a clock store and Jo selected one similar to Dot's to hang in her bedroom. Then Jo decided that her best friend, Sharon, needed one as a souvenir so they bought one for her. The apartments' host and other guests made a running joke about Jo as the cuckoo clock lady. Jo was able to pack the 3 smaller clocks in one of her enormous suitcases and bring them home directly.
Dot was ecstatic about her lovely cuckoo clock. When she and CG were in Germany (during the Vietnam War era) their Army pay could not stretch far enough for her to purchase a coveted clock. When Roy and I were in Switzerland, I was fortunate to prevail upon him to purchase me an el cheapo cuckoo clock and buying one for the daughters was out of the question. Jeannie was a 13 year old then and I begged him to buy one for her as it would last her a lifetime and beyond for her heirs. But he merely purchased a toy clock for her that soon broke. So getting a Black Forest cuckoo clock from her sister was a dream realized for Dot after many years of wishing. I have never seen my daughter so happy and she thought the clock was absolutely beautiful. It is, and excellently carved. Even C.G. approved, in spite of the fact that their decor is Southwestern (he dictates decor) and hung it right away, methodically following instructions as is his wont with any endeavor.
Sharon was less demonstrative than Dot but she too was very happy. As she and Jo chatted, she kept touching and stroking the box containing the clock. Tom hung it for her immediately and she is quite proud of it.
Terry hung Jo's small one in the bedroom and the unaccustomed cuckooing disturbed her sleep. Too drowsy to come fully awake, she somehow thought the clock was chiming incorrectly. Only after she was up and about did she realize the clock also cuckooed once upon the half hour in addition to the complete number of cuckoos upon the hours. The odd number had deceived her in her sleep. She is happy with the clock and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the large one that the store shipped for her. It will go either in the Family Room ( the fireplace room) or in the formal living room to keep the enormous grandfather clock company that stands majestically in a corner. She dithers about where to place it. Terry will probably have to hold it up against the wall in numerous places before she decides upon a permanent spot for it.
Back at home with over 1,000 photos (!) plus videos, she is wild to return for another trip. I know my daughter - she is quite probably already plotting finances for another tour next year. She and Loyd had a fantastic vacation.
Labels: Jo and Lloyd - trip to Europe
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Disaster with the plants
Royal Candy Cane GeraniumI have been spending considerable time at Jo's out in the hinterlands lately as well as going up-country for Patsy's wedding. I had purchased more Hibiscus plants for my window garden, plus a Geranium called Royal Candy Cane loaded with blooms and buds . It's blossoms were pink edged in red, a lovely hybrid and I hung it in the window.
Prior to an extended absence from home, I watered all my plants thoroughly, knowing they would be sufficiently hydrated for a week. Upon my return, I was distressed to find the Hibiscus' wilting in thirst. I found that their potting soil was very loose, too friable and porous and failed to retain moisture. Drat it!. Many of their leaves turned yellow and they suffered bud drop. All of the future blooms were lost. The plants are so stressed that it will take quite some time for them to recover and set new buds. I have lots of greenery but no lovely red blossoms.
The new bi-colored Geranium was also suffering yellow leaves and wilting buds. Perversely, it was drowning. Inspection proved that the pot's drain holes were plugged, allowing only a small amount of water to drain when I watered it but holding far too much in the pot. It's roots were water logged. It is iffy whether or not the plant will survive, far less fulfill it's promise of blooms from all those buds.
Prior to an extended absence from home, I watered all my plants thoroughly, knowing they would be sufficiently hydrated for a week. Upon my return, I was distressed to find the Hibiscus' wilting in thirst. I found that their potting soil was very loose, too friable and porous and failed to retain moisture. Drat it!. Many of their leaves turned yellow and they suffered bud drop. All of the future blooms were lost. The plants are so stressed that it will take quite some time for them to recover and set new buds. I have lots of greenery but no lovely red blossoms.
The new bi-colored Geranium was also suffering yellow leaves and wilting buds. Perversely, it was drowning. Inspection proved that the pot's drain holes were plugged, allowing only a small amount of water to drain when I watered it but holding far too much in the pot. It's roots were water logged. It is iffy whether or not the plant will survive, far less fulfill it's promise of blooms from all those buds.
So, I went and bought another Geranium. The store had only one pot left. It had half candy cane and half red plants in the pot. I can hang it so that the candy cane blooms face the room, or hang it so the reds are displayed. I am fine with this arrangement and I have flowers in my house again.
All the other plant people are fine, and ofcourse the Pothos ivies just do their thing as usual. They need another "haircut" soon to trim their trailing vines.
Pothos Ivy
I love my plants and all the greenery but I am quite disappointed about the loss of the beautiful blooms. No more magnificience of red for awhile. Sigh! Just the new Geranium, but it is lovely.
Labels: Thirsty and drowning plants
