Monday as soon as we were checked in, we made reservations for our first day's shows. Since we were new to this town, we immediately took our map in hand and headed to the God and Country theater for the afternoon show that would start at two. Right now, there are not many of the "big name" stars in town, but there are more than enough shows to keep us entertained for the few days we will be here and to give us a good taste of what Branson is all about.
We enjoy live music. In fact, we can enjoy most types of music to one degree or another, but there are some things we enjoy more than others. Since we both came of age during the fifties, our first choice was Rock, Roll, and Reminisce which was put on by seven performers with basically two lead male singers and a girl singer for some numbers. The theater was relatively small with comfortable seats and adequate leg room. We enjoyed such numbers as Chantilly Lace, Johnny Be Good, Wake Up Little Susie and a whole lot of other good songs that represented the era well. During intermission, we enjoyed chatting with the singers.
At five, we were in the smallest theater in Branson, The Little Opry Theater located in the Imex Complex where we enjoyed the George Strait Tribute show George Strait has had a top ten song for 33 years in a row, so there was plenty of material for the show. James Garret was the lead singer accompanied by Randy Plummer and Sean Pittman who plays fiddle for Rob Clark. We especially enjoyed the songs Sean played on the hammered dulcimer which is the ancestor of the piano. Again, the show was good entertainment.
At eight we headed out to the Shepherd In the Hills Site for the evening performance of the drama which has been occurring now for over fifty years. There are other things that you can do at the site, but we did not want anything but the play. This is the only place where we really felt the impact of the crowd that is here. Actually, the crowd wasn't as large as it could have been. There were vacant seats. This is quite a production. Trams pick attendees up at the parking lot and transport them to the ticket area. Then, after being photographed, we ( and about thirty others were taken in a tram down a steep, winding path to the amphitheater where we climbed down about thirty steps to our seats which were not too far from the fence separating the seats from the performance area. At 8:30 in the growing dusk, the action began with mounted flag bearers galloping into the ring for the patriotic opening. The historic drama continued for another couple of hours until all the bad guys were dead and some of the good guys and true love was found and recognized. I am glad we went because it was quite a production, but I was also glad to head back to the hotel. By midnight we were settled into our room and making plans for the next day.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Reunion Road Trip 2014
After a futile attempt to organize for multiple destinations on our annual road trip, we basically tossed everything but the kitchen sink into the back of the Escape and headed to our first point: St. Simons Island, Georgia for the annual Scrambling For The Cause golf tournament where we joined Rob and Traci Saturday morning at our hospitality tent on the third hole of the beautiful course complete with live oak trees and the beauty of a Georgia barrier island.
Our reunion here was not only with our "boys", but also with our extended network of "boys" that we met over the years from the KA brothers who came into our lives while Kevin was a student at VSU. This year we were also pleasantly surprised to see that the participants had expanded to some Hamilton County folk. The day was busy and fun with lots of laughter and lots of good old Southern trash talk between us college football fans. There is nothing like a tee shirt, visor, and baseball cap with a team logo for a conversation starter. That's why we bring them out every year.
After the tournament and good-by hugs, we headed way cross Georgia, driving through small towns and acres of lush farmlands where we were pleased to see evidence that this year the rains have arrived when needed. Shortly after sundown, we checked into a motel in Auburn territory. The next day we started a day that we expected to end in Branson, Missouri as we headed through Alabama, into the Memphis area of Tennessee, across the Mississippi River and to the West Memphis Arkansas Welcome Center where the battery of the car gave up the ghost. By the time the good people of AAA had jumped us off and the good people of Auto Zone had installed my 46th wedding anniversary present, we were too far behind schedule to make it to Branson Sunday evening without pushing beyond our safety limits. Dark, hilly curvy roads, and exhaustion do not make a safe driver. With the help of our navigation system, we found a Days Inn in Hardy, Arkansas and called it a day.
Monday we hit the road earlier than usual, taking advantage of the fact that we had changed time zones and Klep was awake earlier. We opted to head up the road in the Spring River Area and go across the southern section of Missouri. Our first stop was Mammoth Springs, Arkansas where we stopped at the welcome center, saw the dam and springs, and got advice on breakfast which we ate across the road at the Riverbank Restaurant overlooking the Spring River. The food was excellent, well priced, and eating on the screen porch in the cool morning air listening to some of the regulars talk was entertaining. There is nothing like a good eavesdrop to get a flavor of local color! It's a little like actually getting inside of a play instead of just observing it from afar. We had the special breakfast which included two eggs cooked like Mama used to do them, some of the best sausage I've eaten in years, and biscuits (light and fluffy with crust outsides) smothered in really good gravy. We decided that this was our basic meal for the day. The cost was about seven dollars each which we considered a bargain.
After that, we slipped into the next state - Missouri, found our first back road to follow and heard the chime indicating that the fuel tank was getting low. We probably should have paid more attention to it, but instead we headed up and down hills and around curves with views of sweeping hills, rolling farm land, horses and cattle in the field, an occasional deer leaping over a fence, rolls of hay drying in the pastures, bridges over creeks, and well maintained farmhouses before finally locating a combination liquor store, gas station, deli, gift shop, and hardware store. We probably had another ten miles in the tank, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out!
Shortly after twelve, we pulled into the Comfort Inn in Branson, checked in, got tickets for shows, and headed off to enjoy our first one.
Our reunion here was not only with our "boys", but also with our extended network of "boys" that we met over the years from the KA brothers who came into our lives while Kevin was a student at VSU. This year we were also pleasantly surprised to see that the participants had expanded to some Hamilton County folk. The day was busy and fun with lots of laughter and lots of good old Southern trash talk between us college football fans. There is nothing like a tee shirt, visor, and baseball cap with a team logo for a conversation starter. That's why we bring them out every year.
After the tournament and good-by hugs, we headed way cross Georgia, driving through small towns and acres of lush farmlands where we were pleased to see evidence that this year the rains have arrived when needed. Shortly after sundown, we checked into a motel in Auburn territory. The next day we started a day that we expected to end in Branson, Missouri as we headed through Alabama, into the Memphis area of Tennessee, across the Mississippi River and to the West Memphis Arkansas Welcome Center where the battery of the car gave up the ghost. By the time the good people of AAA had jumped us off and the good people of Auto Zone had installed my 46th wedding anniversary present, we were too far behind schedule to make it to Branson Sunday evening without pushing beyond our safety limits. Dark, hilly curvy roads, and exhaustion do not make a safe driver. With the help of our navigation system, we found a Days Inn in Hardy, Arkansas and called it a day.
Monday we hit the road earlier than usual, taking advantage of the fact that we had changed time zones and Klep was awake earlier. We opted to head up the road in the Spring River Area and go across the southern section of Missouri. Our first stop was Mammoth Springs, Arkansas where we stopped at the welcome center, saw the dam and springs, and got advice on breakfast which we ate across the road at the Riverbank Restaurant overlooking the Spring River. The food was excellent, well priced, and eating on the screen porch in the cool morning air listening to some of the regulars talk was entertaining. There is nothing like a good eavesdrop to get a flavor of local color! It's a little like actually getting inside of a play instead of just observing it from afar. We had the special breakfast which included two eggs cooked like Mama used to do them, some of the best sausage I've eaten in years, and biscuits (light and fluffy with crust outsides) smothered in really good gravy. We decided that this was our basic meal for the day. The cost was about seven dollars each which we considered a bargain.
After that, we slipped into the next state - Missouri, found our first back road to follow and heard the chime indicating that the fuel tank was getting low. We probably should have paid more attention to it, but instead we headed up and down hills and around curves with views of sweeping hills, rolling farm land, horses and cattle in the field, an occasional deer leaping over a fence, rolls of hay drying in the pastures, bridges over creeks, and well maintained farmhouses before finally locating a combination liquor store, gas station, deli, gift shop, and hardware store. We probably had another ten miles in the tank, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out!
Shortly after twelve, we pulled into the Comfort Inn in Branson, checked in, got tickets for shows, and headed off to enjoy our first one.
Reunion Road Show
Our 2014 edition of the Klep and Barbara road trip are well under way. Along the way, I have created and posted several entries, but this morning I find myself with enough time to attempt to begin the actual blog!
Our last few days at home were busy with trying to organize the packing in some coherent way so that we would be prepared for the distinct segments of this trip as well as the transition times on the road between our widely divided destinations. Eventually, we just threw every thing into Ruepert and left home. For those of you who do not know us well, we always name our vehicles. The Escape which is our current long distance vehicle has been with us now for several of these trips.
Our normal road trip is to choose one state and explore it, attempting to see the major "spots" and also trying to get a sense of what the ordinary, off the road places are like. This year is a different type. The first segment was at St. Simons Island Georgia for a golf tournament for MS where we enjoyed reuniting with a lot of KAs that we met during Kevin's time at VSU. We also were surprised to find that there were several people there from our county. It was good to see that the participation is growing as the tournament enters its eight year next year.
Our last few days at home were busy with trying to organize the packing in some coherent way so that we would be prepared for the distinct segments of this trip as well as the transition times on the road between our widely divided destinations. Eventually, we just threw every thing into Ruepert and left home. For those of you who do not know us well, we always name our vehicles. The Escape which is our current long distance vehicle has been with us now for several of these trips.
Our normal road trip is to choose one state and explore it, attempting to see the major "spots" and also trying to get a sense of what the ordinary, off the road places are like. This year is a different type. The first segment was at St. Simons Island Georgia for a golf tournament for MS where we enjoyed reuniting with a lot of KAs that we met during Kevin's time at VSU. We also were surprised to find that there were several people there from our county. It was good to see that the participation is growing as the tournament enters its eight year next year.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
New Year's Day
Tonight at midnight, a new year begins. In our culture, and in most cultures, the first day of a new year, whatever the day on the calendar has almost mythic meanings for us humans. I grew up with the discussion between the generations, back and forth, about what we could and could not do on the actual first day of the new year. My mother was somewhat of a rebel and would argue long and hard with those who told her what she could and could not do. She felt that faith trumped old beliefs and that was that! Not so, my granny although she would not argue with you about anything. She was just too sweet and she wouldn't want to hurt any one's feelings, not even her stubborn youngest daughter.
So, I grew up in a household that, for all purposes, didn't "believe" any of that nonsense. Now, we still had greens, rice, and black eyed peas on New year's Day, but it was because, supposedly, my father liked them.
My father was drafted into the army during World War II. He was sent to the Philippine Islands about a year before the end of the war. My mother did not have electricity or running water at the little house where we lived. She had a day to do her wash and that was the day she did it. In 1945 New year's Day came on her wash day. She filled the wash pot with water, lit the fire under it, and was well on her way to having the clothes on the line by mid morning. One of the neighbors, Mr. Wimberly passed the house, was horrified when he saw what she was doing and went straight to Land's Store where my mother's older sister Onie lived, reporting the happening and urging her to "get down there and stop her before John got shipped home in a box."
As I grew up in our sleepy Southern community, I continued to hear about bad luck and omen's and I delighted in hearing my daddy tell his old stories that he picked up from the workers at Maxwell Brother's Mill. I never really thought about them all until I was a graduate student at Florida (yes. I confess. I went to graduate school at the University of Florida) and had the opportunity to take a folklore class. One of my projects was collecting beliefs, cures, and tales. What fun I had sitting at my mother's kitchen table and listening to her and our neighbor Florie Webb Miller talk about the things their mothers had taught them. My granny was still with me and she shared a song she knew that her mother had taught her. I found that a lot of daddy's old tales went a long way back.
So, when I think of New Year's, I think of all the tradition and all the beliefs handed down for hundreds of years. I grieve a little to think that all of this is rapidly disappearing from our lives. I miss hearing the tales my daddy told. I miss hearing my Granny softly say, "Now it isn't that I really believe this, but it don't hurt to be careful." I miss when people had time to tell a tale and others had time to listen.
Do I believe that if I wash on New Year's Day someone will die in my family? No, but "it don't hurt to be careful."
So, I grew up in a household that, for all purposes, didn't "believe" any of that nonsense. Now, we still had greens, rice, and black eyed peas on New year's Day, but it was because, supposedly, my father liked them.
My father was drafted into the army during World War II. He was sent to the Philippine Islands about a year before the end of the war. My mother did not have electricity or running water at the little house where we lived. She had a day to do her wash and that was the day she did it. In 1945 New year's Day came on her wash day. She filled the wash pot with water, lit the fire under it, and was well on her way to having the clothes on the line by mid morning. One of the neighbors, Mr. Wimberly passed the house, was horrified when he saw what she was doing and went straight to Land's Store where my mother's older sister Onie lived, reporting the happening and urging her to "get down there and stop her before John got shipped home in a box."
As I grew up in our sleepy Southern community, I continued to hear about bad luck and omen's and I delighted in hearing my daddy tell his old stories that he picked up from the workers at Maxwell Brother's Mill. I never really thought about them all until I was a graduate student at Florida (yes. I confess. I went to graduate school at the University of Florida) and had the opportunity to take a folklore class. One of my projects was collecting beliefs, cures, and tales. What fun I had sitting at my mother's kitchen table and listening to her and our neighbor Florie Webb Miller talk about the things their mothers had taught them. My granny was still with me and she shared a song she knew that her mother had taught her. I found that a lot of daddy's old tales went a long way back.
So, when I think of New Year's, I think of all the tradition and all the beliefs handed down for hundreds of years. I grieve a little to think that all of this is rapidly disappearing from our lives. I miss hearing the tales my daddy told. I miss hearing my Granny softly say, "Now it isn't that I really believe this, but it don't hurt to be careful." I miss when people had time to tell a tale and others had time to listen.
Do I believe that if I wash on New Year's Day someone will die in my family? No, but "it don't hurt to be careful."
Road Trip Reunion
July is in all its myriad elements here at Mosquito Gardens. The crepe myrtles are heavy with watermelon plumes, the tomato bushes have outdone themselves and are slowing down, the sandspurs in the garden are launching their annual attack, and the red birds are feasting on the figs making it difficult for us to harvest any.
Our annual road trip is yet to happen, but it is in the full planning stage at the moment. I use the term planning rather loosely because one of the joys of our road trips is that it really cannot be totally planned. Half the fun is the spontaneity of flowing from one place to the next. Be that as it may, however, a certain element of planning has to be done.
This year will be a little more unorthodox than most since we have three major destinations which we will weave into the plan. After loading the car on the first of August, we will first head slightly north and east to St. Simon's Island for the annual Scrambling For The Cause golf tournament that is put on each year in honor our son Kevin by a group of his college friends, mostly KA's. The tournament is to raise funds for MS. Rob, Traci, Klep, and I will be manning a hospitality tent on one of the holes during the tournament. I pray that a cure for MS will be found and that the funds raised each year by this tournament will help bring this about.
After St. Simon, our next major stop will be Branson. We have been told for years that we should "do" Branson. This will be the year. We plan to immerse ourselves in show for a few days before heading toward other points in the state as we meander up to Long Lake, Wisconsin for what is bound to be another highpoint as we rendezvous with two other couples for a reunion of wives. Shirley, Bonnie, and I were very good friends during the years I taught in Orlando and lived in Winter Park. I was in both of their weddings and have not seen Bonnie since I was in her wedding in 1967. I think there will be lots of talk, lots of laughter and a genuinely good time as we enjoy the hospitality at Jim and Shirley's cabin on the lake.
The suitcases and carry bags will soon take center stage as we get closer to departure time. Maps, tour books, books on CD, bottles of water, snacks, and all the necessary paraphernalia will be assembled. Soon enough, we'll set the GPS and head out.
Our annual road trip is yet to happen, but it is in the full planning stage at the moment. I use the term planning rather loosely because one of the joys of our road trips is that it really cannot be totally planned. Half the fun is the spontaneity of flowing from one place to the next. Be that as it may, however, a certain element of planning has to be done.
This year will be a little more unorthodox than most since we have three major destinations which we will weave into the plan. After loading the car on the first of August, we will first head slightly north and east to St. Simon's Island for the annual Scrambling For The Cause golf tournament that is put on each year in honor our son Kevin by a group of his college friends, mostly KA's. The tournament is to raise funds for MS. Rob, Traci, Klep, and I will be manning a hospitality tent on one of the holes during the tournament. I pray that a cure for MS will be found and that the funds raised each year by this tournament will help bring this about.
After St. Simon, our next major stop will be Branson. We have been told for years that we should "do" Branson. This will be the year. We plan to immerse ourselves in show for a few days before heading toward other points in the state as we meander up to Long Lake, Wisconsin for what is bound to be another highpoint as we rendezvous with two other couples for a reunion of wives. Shirley, Bonnie, and I were very good friends during the years I taught in Orlando and lived in Winter Park. I was in both of their weddings and have not seen Bonnie since I was in her wedding in 1967. I think there will be lots of talk, lots of laughter and a genuinely good time as we enjoy the hospitality at Jim and Shirley's cabin on the lake.
The suitcases and carry bags will soon take center stage as we get closer to departure time. Maps, tour books, books on CD, bottles of water, snacks, and all the necessary paraphernalia will be assembled. Soon enough, we'll set the GPS and head out.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Our 2013 Christmas Letter & Year End Wrapup
From our house to yours this Christmas 2013, May the music
of Christmas fill the air!
. We have enjoyed hosting our friends at our
annual Sing and Eat ;the cantata at New
Hope
We have been gifted with
another good year together. We greeted
2013 on
a post Christmas cruise with Rob and Traci enjoying swimming the
Caribbean and touring St. Thomas , Puerto Rico, and
Grand Turk we
thoroughly enjoyed being pampered by the staff of the Ziederdam, spending long
afternoons in the sunshine, and participating in every trivia contest that came
along. After coming home it was easier
to get through the doldrums and cold days of January and February!
After
the Easter cantata and spring share day at New Hope ,
we headed to East
Tennessee to enjoy time with friends and family, watching the wild turkeys and deer, enjoying
the good mountain music, and relishing springtime... We have gained many new friends through our
“church away from home” Shady Grove. The
redbuds and dogwoods were especially beautiful this year and we enjoyed time
with cousins in Rogersville, Kingsport , Knoxville
After celebrating Leila Kate’s fourth birthday, We
came home in May to warm weather, gardening, lawn mowing, and pool time. In late May we returned to Greenville
In June we did crafts for VBS at New Hope Bible
School
The day after VBS was over, we flew out of Valdosta
to our annual roadtrip
which was through the state of Utah Las Vegas ,
rented a car, drove over to Glen Canyon Dam and entered Southern
Utah . By the time we walked
back into our back door at home, we had traveled 7200 miles seeing seven national
parks, a slew of state parks, Mormon monuments, mountains, the great salt lake,
alfalfa fields, lavender fields, buttes, hoo doos, arches, Klep also got to do research on genealogy at
the library in Salt Lake City. We also
slipped up into the edge of Idaho
We came home to summer in all of its
glory. July slipped into August when we
made a quick trip to Greenville and East Tennessee , returning home to finish out August and most
of September. The Rock Hill School East Tennessee for
the first time. It was a delight to see
them run up and down the hills and climb into the loft of the old Klepper
barn. Fortunately the ghost of the
headless man did not make an appearance while they were there. We also enjoyed catching up with all our Tennessee kin and friends including a cousin get together
at Fall Creek Falls
State Park
We came home after a stop inGreenville
Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving was full of fun, laughter,
sharing, food and all the joy that surrounds the day. Although it was too cold to sit outside on
the porch after dinner, everyone did get out for a resounding round of limbo
using some of our giant bamboo.
We came home to summer in all of its
glory. July slipped into August when we
made a quick trip to We came home after a stop in
After all the cars exited the driveway the day
after Thanksgiving, we switched gears and headed full
steam into party
preparation for our “Christmas Sing and Eat.” Now the end of the year is right
around the corner and we can reflect on life.
Funny, we never really thought we would be this old in years, but we find that the age really doesn’t mean a whole lot. It just means that we have a whole lot more memories, experiences, and friends than we did a half century ago when we were just becoming adults. It also means that we’ve seen a whole lot of good and a whole lot of bad. We’ve experienced a whole lot of joy and a whole lot of sadness. But, all in all, we find ourselves incredibly blessed in all of it. The older we get, the more wisdom we find in the tenets of the Bible. The older we get, the more we understand how absolutely glorious these lives we are given to
live
are. We pray rich blessings of joy and
fulfillment on all of you. After all,
isn’t Christmas about the greatest gift of all?
The ultimate gift of Love wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger.
Funny, we never really thought we would be this old in years, but we find that the age really doesn’t mean a whole lot. It just means that we have a whole lot more memories, experiences, and friends than we did a half century ago when we were just becoming adults. It also means that we’ve seen a whole lot of good and a whole lot of bad. We’ve experienced a whole lot of joy and a whole lot of sadness. But, all in all, we find ourselves incredibly blessed in all of it. The older we get, the more wisdom we find in the tenets of the Bible. The older we get, the more we understand how absolutely glorious these lives we are given to
Love
to you all!
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