Heavy Hearts

Dear Family and Friends,

Chuck and I are in the United States visiting family and friends.  After spending several days in Seattle we traveled to Richland, WA to visit family here.

It has been almost a week since we heard about the tragic earthquake in Ecuador. We have heard (either via facebook or email) from most of our friends.  They all seem to have escaped injury.  We are very thankful for that.

I could be posting some pictures I have taken over the last week or so, but somehow I just don't feel like I want to share them in this post.

There have been some news clips on U.S. television, but not very much.  Thanks to our facebook friends living in Ecuador we have been able the to get a sense of the devestation.  Our hearts are warmed by the out pouring of love of the Ecuadorians living in the other parts of the country, in the form of fresh water, food and much needed supplies that are being transported to the region.

Viva Ecuador...a country we are proud to call our own.

Love,
Nancy and Chuck

Boiled Peanuts, Catfish and Collard Greens....I must be in Georgia

Dear Family and Friends,

Chuck and I are in the USA right now.  We come back here every year at this time to pay our taxes, vacation with Matt (our son), and to visit family and friends.

I left Ecuador about two weeks before Chuck so I could have a nice long visit with family in Columbus, Georgia.

Here I am with Aunt Opal.  She and I had lunch three times while I was there. She is doing great and looks as pretty as ever.  Here we are at the Red Lobster.

Going home always involves eating the food I grew up on.

For example:  Fried Catfish...

Or a plate of vegetables...(collard greens, black eye peas, cole slaw, baked sweet potato and corn bread are the veggies I picked this time)

Speaking of southern eating...there was a lady outside of Walmart selling these two items to collect money for a charity.

I stayed with my sister, Mary Anne, and brother-in-law, Larry.  We had a grand time together.

They took me to Pine Mountain, Georgia for breakfast one Sunday.  This is the Country Store, outside of Callaway Gardens.

Here is Mary Anne and Larry eating a good ol' country breakfast.

Since the azaleas were out, we went inside the gardens to enjoy them.

We also visited the butterfly center there.

and we went to Birds of Prey show in the gardens featuring this handsome owl and other birds.

It is not unusual to see cows on the highways in Ecuador, but when I saw this lady on the freeway I dropped my jaw.   So funny.

Every day was full of shopping and meeting with friends and family. Just before I left, I met some of my cousins for dinner.  Some I had not seen in a long time. The older I get the greater the joy connecting with family.

This past Friday I flew to Seattle to join Chuck.  He had spent a couple of days in Minnesota with grandkids on his way to Seattle.

The flowers here in Seattle are beautiful and the weather has been outstanding.

We will be visiting family here before driving across the state to Richland, WA. to visit family and friends there.

Love,
Nancy