Spring Break

The snow is a distant memory and spring is here. We're back in school after our spring break and Nate has begun his final seven weeks of high school. I know I've been talking about this the whole school year, but it's getting really real now. The last one is just about out the door.

The three weeks between our snow days and spring break were pretty uneventful; just clicking off school days until the end of the third nine week grading period. We discussed several ideas for what to do over the break, but since Jenna’s spring break is next week and Ben wanted to go camping with friends everything fell flat. Then I looked at Vicki and said, "You know, Aunt Linda's birthday is coming up. Why don't you and I fly down and celebrate it with her?” So, that's what we did. A week ago last Friday (the 12th) we boarded a plane and enjoyed a nice long weekend in Orlando with family.

I think Aunt Linda was really glad we came. Her daughter, Ann Beth, and one granddaughter, Emily, also traveled to help her celebrate. Of course, Jim, Dianna, and their boys live locally. We all went out to eat several times and enjoyed visiting and catching up on life. We also went to church with Aunt Linda at First Baptist Orlando. It was the first time she had been to church in person in exactly a year. And we went to visit Uncle Bob's grave at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery. On one hand I wish our kids could have come and shared in all the fun, but on the other hand it was a nice weekend getaway for me and Vicki.

I suppose I am tooting my own horn here, but I was very glad that I could find an old picture of my great grandmother (Lizzie Hancock), print it, and have it framed for Aunt Linda. She had raised Aunt Linda and so is very special to her. Aunt Linda had mentioned to me this particular snapshot she had taken of "Mamma" with her Brownie camera and said her copy had faded to nothing. Based on her description of the photo I was able to find a copy that my mom had and made a copy. So, it was nice to be able to give that to her.

Nate went to Cookeville a couple of times last week. Once to attend an event at Tennessee Tech for prospective students and a second time to spend more time with Ben. Then Ben came home this weekend so they've seen a lot of each other.

Jenna is coming down the home stretch of her nursing program and gearing up to take the NCLEX exam. She's had her first job interview with NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield and has been offered a day shift position as a MED-SURG nurse to begin in July. This was her top choice for jobs so she has accepted the position. We are really happy for her.

One last thing in closing. When I was a boy someone gave me a clock that my dad had made. My memory is fuzzy on this because I was little, but as I recall Aunt Ruth gave it to me when they were cleaning out my grandparents’ house for the estate auction. It's a nice mantle clock with a wooden housing which is the part that my dad would have made. The clock movement, which is Swiss, was from an airplane's instrument panel and is complete with the movable hands in addition to the hands that keep time. It is my understanding that the movement came from a B-29. Anyway, it has never worked in my lifetime and the glass face has always been cracked. Recently I took the clock to a local repair shop and I am so pleased to have it running now. It keeps great time unless I forget to wind it after eight days. I have also taken the cuckoo clock that used to hang on the wall in Aunt Mar's den in for repair but it will be a few months before I get that back.

So, that's the latest news from our family; hope all is well with you and yours.

Joe