Merci

Yup... it is true.. we are just over half way thru the year and I have completed my humanitarian act for 2006.

Yesterday I flew home from Chattanooga and with me I carried a small animal crate with a little cat in it. For 16 hours this adorable and very friendly kitten accompanied me. She tolerated it all very well.

She had been a stray living under the deck at the Schmidt's rental house in Chattanooga. They had been instructed by the landlady to not befriend her. I felt so sorry for her.... she was so effectionate and almost an exact replica of my 2 year old Maine Coon, Surely. So, I bought a small animal crate, and made a reservation for her to accompany me on my Airtran flight. I named her Merci as that is what she needed and also... my other Coon, Surely is named from the verse "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...." So, now there is Merci joining Surely.

She is here safely. Sleeping a lot today. She found the food bowls and the litter box and is getting used to our dog and other cats. My goal is to find her a home here, tho I admit that will be hard for me. She is so darn cute! But, alas, we already have 3 cats and a dog.

Chattanooga Soules Reunion: Friday

alt="" />

Another day has flown by.... almost. There is about 90 minutes left.

I hear the day began early with a few folks waiting up to welcome Hudson and Adie...who arrived at 4AM!
For the rest of us it began around 9AM with breakfast down in the Staybridge lobby. About half the crowd then went off to play frisbee golf. Mamaw, Shelley & Linda went to a civil war battle field & museum. Several of us stayed behind at the hotel to relax, chat, read, and make BeDe cards. Around 3PM some of us set off for food.... most ended up at a Thai restaurant.

Ben, Jess and I ate a little before them, at Hair of the Dog Pub and joined the Thai group for Thai iced tea. After filling our bellies, a bunch of us went to the aquariums. Jess & I went just to the huge new salt water aquarium but some people did the fresh water one as well.

The evening thus far has involved over an hour of reconvening the large group and finding a restaurant to accommodate us on a busy Friday evening. Eventuially we ended up at the Blue Plate, a great place along the river (next ot the aquariums). It was fabulous!

Now we are back at the hotel (10:30 PM), about to have some sort of multimedia night including a BeDe card slide show.

Arrived! Our Day 1 of Soules Reunion '06

We made it to Chattanooga! But..that is jumping ahead. Allow me to back up a bit.

Yesterday (Thursday) was our travel day. The day began at 2AM with a tiring late night drive to Logan via the Pike and 1-93 detour. Thankfully there was little traffic at that hour so we arrived easily at Logan by 4:14 AM. I was so exhausted that once we boarded I buckled into my seat, hooked myself up to my Nano and feel asleep before we hit the tarmac. I slept right through the takeouf.That was a first! I woke up to sip the diet Coke the attendant delivered, falling right back to sleep again. I woke up shortly before landing. I do recall a bit of turbulance at one point but other that that, the 2.5 hours were lost to much needed sleep. We arrived in Atlanta a bit ahead of schedule (8:45AM)

We found our bags, grabbed the shuttle and went to find our rental car. At Enterprise car rental the guy wanted to upgrade us to an SUV for $5 a day but I declined. When he took us out to the lot he gave us a new Xterra anyway. Hot buggy! Jet black with a jazzzed up roof rack. I started out as the driver but after about 45 mintues I had to wake up Ben to drive because I seriously felt like I was just going to fall dead aseep. It had been 26 hours since my last night's rest.

We arrived after noon time & were greeted by the Soules gang at the fornt door of Staybridge. They got our bags into our room and we headed out to lunch and to the Hunter art Museum in town. Lots of walking in the heat but it was fun to just jump right into things. Most of the family had arrive the day before. Hudson and Adie were to arrive later.



After a 1 hour nap, we had some supper at City Cafe up the street, followed by pool and hot tub time and a couple of hours of family time including Terrill's video of the 1986 Soules Reunion week in Lenoxdale, MA. What a "blast from the Past." Jess was under 2 years old, Aaron was 2 months old. Camila and Rebekah were not yet born. Grandpa (Frank) Soules was there, wheelchair bound after brain surgery. Gigi (Edith Barnes, Frank's then 90 year old mother) and Uncle Paul (Franks' brother) came at one point. My parents were even in the video as they had come to visit us. My Dad had recently had his right arm and shoulder amputated. He and Frank both died (cancer) that Fall, 3 weeks apart.

Lots has changed. Some great things, many additions to the family and some losses. Two decades of growth and transitions. All in all, the family seems to be healthy, happy and even flourishing.

The day ended for most of us just after mid-night.



.

Off to Tennessee

Jet & Beno and I are off to TN in a few hours. First we have to find our way to Logan, via a detour, as the main tunnels leading to it are closed due to falling roof panels that weigh 3 tons each! Yup. No joke, one fell last week and killed a woman on her way to the ariport. So...we need to seek an alternate route. Initially I was bummed that we had to drive there in the middle of the night but now I am glad b/c there will (hopefull) be little traffic. I will be glad to be sitting at the gate by 4:30 AM and even more releived when we arrive in Atlanta around 9AM...and then I will really relax when we complete our drive to Chattanooga which should be by lunch time.

Baird is already there (flew last Friday) and Aaron flew yesterday, Tuesday. Our suite at Staybridge awaits.

Col and Ian will house, garden and pet sit.

Yipee....