beach life

Feb 21
Wow.  After a day of driving in rain we arrived on the beach.  Last night we were in Galveston and tonight we are in Corpus Christi.  On the beach and loving it.  We ate dinner on the water and are loving fried oysters, shrimp, and crawdads.  We drove back to our hotel with the windows rolled down to let in the sea air.  There was a misty haze that made all the lights fuzzy and mysterious.  This is what retirement is all about.  Tomorrow we visit the USS Lexington and roam North Padre Island.  There is even a whooping crane festival this weekend.  We feel really lazy.  Not that we haven't been busy this trip.  We have made amazing strides on our family history.  In Missouri and Oklahoma we made progress and saw a lot of mountain ridges where my Richardson lines lived for a time.  In Arkansas we found my Reeder line at a tiny cemetery in Perry County.  I found pictures of my great great grandparents on both my Hulse side and my Anderson-Fort lines.  We spent a wonderful day with my cousins Frank and Sue Cullum who have seven huge notebooks on my Anderson lines.  We finally figured out where the May name came from and added new names and talked a mile a minute.  What a treat.  Then one of my great uncle's daughter (born in 1932) I have never met called from Washington state and we plan on getting together in the near future in Wyoming.  We had a great time with my cousin Janet and my cousin Chuck.  Janet made a truly wonderful southern dinner with seven vegetables including fried okra!  Heaven.  It was fun to remember our childhood time together.  There is a unique feeling to walk where our ancestors walked and lived.  In the south people don't ask where you are from but who are your people.  Who you belong to matters.  We are the dream they had of a better life for their heritage.  It is why they left settled life and came from across the seas and across the unknown land to build their dreams.  When we connect with them, it is magical and humbling.  In Texas, Marv found the grave of his great great grandfather Absolom Burton. (grave was under Abb).  We also visited areas his grandmother lived.  We tramped in tiny graveyards down country lanes and loved it.  Now we are tramping the beach and palm trees.  There are even bayous and alligators here too.  What fun!  It just keeps getting better and better.  Next week we will be in New Mexico with three of our grandkids.  All this and our upcoming mission to Italy.  Our mission start date has been changed to July 1 - we will spend two weeks in Provo and be in Italy by July 13.  It fairly takes our breath away.  We will post pictures of the beach soon.  We think of all of you especially as we watch the weather channel for up north.  Ciao for now!