WANDERING WITH THE WRIGHTS

March 12, 2024

Hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying the glimpses of spring that are appearing.  Mother Nature has been very kind to Jerry and I as we spent our first winter back in Illinois in 9 years.  It has been an extremely mild winter with little snow and some of the warmest months ever recorded.  So here is what life has looked like since our last blog in November -

Jerry and I volunteered at our churches annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Navy Recruits from Great Lakes Naval Base.  This year we served 190 recruits a full Thanksgiving dinner.  They were served on real plates with real silverware so besides all the prep before hand all the dishes and silverware are washed by hand afterwards.  One of the ladies who volunteers to wash dishes told me she prays for each sailor that ate off of the plate as she washes.  Isn't that awesome?  Besides the meal - Verizon lends us 50+ phones so that the recruits can call home and 2 of the phones can even be used for overseas calls.  

There are also video games, the football game, etc.

The day after Thanksgiving Jerry, Steve, Vincent and I drove to Peoria, IL.  Besides getting to visit with my brother Brian and Kathy we also visited the East Peoria Festival of Lights - it is a large drive thru display of many many floats.

Vincent and his first ginger bread house

Our tree this year

Vincent was with his mom in Texas this Christmas so we actually celebrated on January 6th

The day after Christmas Jerry and I headed to South Carolina for a little get-a-way

Everything was decorated so beautifully

We found a wonderful restaurant called Grace & Grits - this is our flight of different flavored grits -yummy

A major highlight of our trip was spending time with Bill and Lynn Genda who have retired to SC

We visited Brookgreen Gardens Nights of a Thousand Candles - it was beyond beautiful.  Lynn volunteers there so we had our own personal tour guide which really added to the enjoyment of the evening

This display just fascinated me - the pond is full of cranberries brought in from Wisconsin

Here is a close up - it looked like a beautiful mosaic

As usual pictures do not do it justice

Another highlight on the way back to Illinois was having lunch with Mary Lynn & Bob Dubler - 

more friends that have retired to Carolina but this time to North Carolina

And dinner with my niece (my late husband's family) in West Virginia.  

It was so awesome to visit with her and her son and daughter.

Christmas celebration on January 6th 

Season pass to Great America

Air Hockey Christmas gift

First snow fall

Saturday mornings during the winter were full of basketball games

The next BIG event was Vincents 7th Birthday!

It was held at Launch where the kids can enjoy a lot of different activities

Jerry and I do get out and do things that are not kid related.  Here we were at the local Senior Center having a delightful history lesson on Chicago in the 1920's given by a flapper 

We have had several deaths since January.  One was a dear friend that I have known since 6th grade - Donna and the passing of my sister-in-law Susan.  Susan was my late husband's sister.  Stephen and I were able to go to Ohio for her service.  Jerry was a wonderful grandpa and stayed home with Vincent.  Vince will be with his mom over spring break so Jerry and I plan to drive out to Rhode Island and spend some time with my brother-in-law Jim and my nephew and his family.

We also keep busy with our volunteer work and visiting with family and friends.  

Pray that this finds you all well and enjoying the promise of Spring.

Hugs and Blessings, Carol & Jerry