Happy Retirement

     I just got back from a short trip up to Indiana.   My friends, Betty and Kirk Whiting both just retired from teaching and I wanted to be there for Betty's last few days of teaching FACS and the banquet. I had a wonderful time, especially at the retirement banquet.  Not only honoring the retirees but also seeing many people from school that I have not seen since the last day of school for me 4 years ago.  

Here is Betty opening gifts from the 4 of us....Kelly, Lauren, Kris, and me.   (Thank you Kris for doing all the shopping!)

     Kris and Kelly eating lunch.  

     Lauren and Betty.   Betty is going to be missed....lots!

     The four retirees with smiles on their faces.  

     Kris, Lauren, Betty, Kelly, and me.

     One day after school was over for the year, I was driving by the middle school and stopped in the back.  Yes, I am now a visitor.  I did just sit for about 15 minutes remembering teaching here in this incredible band room.

     I took a picture of this old building in Hobart.   When I was in elementary school, I took some piano lessons from a lady that lived here.  It looks exactly like it did then.  She and her sister lived in the basement apartment.  I always felt uncomfortable going in because it was dark and Mom would drop me off.   You did that back then.  She was an older lady, as was her sister and both were kind people and yet, in my own imagination this seemed like a haunted house and maybe, just maybe, my teacher was some sort of witch.   I was never comfortable taking lessons here.  Oh, and the doors open up into an ally.  Didn't take much to get my imagination going!

     Ron's dog Sage.  I think this is where she spends time while waiting for Ron.

     Ron and I went to Monticello and spent a day with Dave - my other brother.  Corn was planted everywhere.  But there is more than corn in Indiana....beans.

     Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana.  Dave teaches at the middle school and Mom and Dad used to own a resort by Indiana Beach.  Anchor Bay Resort.   Then they sold the resort and moved into a house on Kean's Bay on the lake.  My week-ends during my adult life were often spent on Shafer Lake.

     The golf course Dad always played - Pine View.  He loved this course and misses his friends that he used to golf with all spring, summer, and fall long.

      Sage still waiting for Ron.  Where are you Ron?????

     And then it was time to go home.  That is a story in itself.  I flew from Midway and when we were close to Atlanta they shut down the airport.  So we back tracked to Chattanooga.  There we sat for a couple hours waiting out the storms.   Off again to Atlanta.  And then we sat and waited with 5 delays.  Finally flew out at 11:30 pm and poor Mom and Dad were waiting at the airport.  I was exhausted by then.  Home and in bed by 1:00 am.  We have all been there, right?

Here is an interesting picture after the storm.  The clouds with  the sun  trying to come out.
Looks like fire and this picture did not do it justice.

Thanks to my cousin Sandy for meeting me for lunch one of the days and also taking me to the Tri State bus in Portage.  I did not get to see all of the family but this trip was for Betty's retirement so most of my time when to activities with her.  

I almost mentioned names of people I got to visit with and the banquet but there is just too many so may I say that I so much enjoyed seeing everyone again.  

Happy retirement to all of you new retirees!   Hope you love retirement as much as I!