Tale of Two Houses

The Tale of Two Houses




There I was peacefully napping on a Sunday afternoon, as many nearly 70 year old guys will do, and all of a sudden my love little bride wakes me up somewhat aggressively which is unusual. So I lay there thinking, which of the neighbor ladies have dropped by for afternoon tea and why do I have to be involved? But, then again, she was pretty insistent so I figured I had better go see what was so important that I should be disturbed like that!



Well, I couldn’t think of anything that would call for me dressing any different than usual, so on went the boat shoes, shorts and tee shirt. I enter the living room to see three grinning faces. One was my bride Pat, and the other two belonged to a couple we vaguely knew. My first thought was just how much it’s going to cost me to get rid of this smiling couple! Even before I joined them, Pat almost shouts out that they want to buy our house. I thought that’s not anything to wake me up from a nap for because that’s just plain silly. When we decided to move off Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville from a multi-story house, we decided to design our retirement home from the ground up with everything we could think of and then some. Let’s see now…one level, all hardwood floors, doors that could be wheelchair accessible if you want to be morbid; my man cave off the master suite so I don’t have to go far to be alone; a car wash size shower with dual shower heads…and it too is wheelchair accessible; a screened porch for me and a pool for her; and, finally pet doors for the dog and cat…low maintenance and doesn’t interfere with my sleeping! Keep in mind that this was supposed to be our last house. It has an office, guest suite, and oversized garage for my toys…you name it, we have it…so why would I want to sell it!



The house was perfect…EXCEPT as my lovely bride pointed out…Savannah lives 55 miles away. She is our lovely little granddaughter who lives one town below Nashville and we live one town above Nashville. She is the only grandchild near enough to see weekly…the others moved off and left us! We go for visits as often as possible, but distance is a great factor.



So as any strong southern male with generations of strong southern males behind him, I said with great charity…that will be fine dear…or as I learned to say long ago…yes, dear we will sell the house. One hour later we had hammered out the details of the purchase. Well, the women had hammered out the details of the purchase. We all know they run the world! This was on Sunday afternoon. Monday morning I went to our attorney, had the contract drawn up, and it was signed on Tuesday! Now some men who are closing in on 70 might be concerned that they were now homeless, but not me. I married a little human dynamo Irish woman with an MBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame…yes we are a divided family…MS State and the SEC vs. Notre Dame. While watching the evening news on Sunday night, Pat was on the computer looking for a house in Murfreesboro, TN, the home of one Savannah Elizabeth Ledwell!



On Monday morning as Pat brings me my coffee, which is no big deal as she does that every morning, she said we were driving to Murfreesboro after breakfast. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to look around since we were homeless and she had promised me pancakes. We drove down the familiar 55 miles after pancakes at IHOP, and only then did I realize we had a specific destination in mind. Keep in mind she is Irish, red haired and runs my life. So we drove up to a lovely home in a gated community of cluster homes and there sits a real estate waiting to show us around. Remember I told you she runs my life and she’s Irish. We go in, look around, designate the room for my man cave and her office, note that it already has a screened porch and a separate deck, there is a swimming pool and tennis court, a beautiful creek running through a park like area just below the house that the Association maintains, and just a little cosmetic fixing up (like a new kitchen!) she says…so, she turns to me with those big blue eyes after all of 15 minutes and says “it’s perfect, daddy can I have it?”…or at least that’s how I recall it…she says in her direct way to the real estate agent, we’ll take it but given the amount of work, we are going to give you a very aggressive price, much lower than asking…told you she was the brains of this operation!



I have to stand on principle, after all we had only looked at one house for all of 15 minutes so of course I said, “yes, dear”. So within 24 hours we had sold and bought two homes. Stay tuned this only makes 13 homes in 30 years…she promises this is the last one…stay tuned.

Ms. Klutz 2013

Where to begin? As you know, in December of 2011, I broke my wrist. In February, I broke my arm. On July 3rd, I fell down a wet hill and broke my left wrist and left ankle! And I don't have osteoporosis so go figure! Either I have a crush on my orthopedic doc, Dr Haslam, or I am a certifiable klutz! While Dr H is precious, I think I am just a klutz! I have teased my friends about wearing "flippy" shoes...remember when Donna fell into a plane and broke her nose? Flippy shoes! I had on Born flip flops but in my defense, it was wet grass and a 45 degree slope! I guess as we get older we should be more careful. I always wondered why old women wore orthopedic shoes...now I know...it is to avoid orthopedic doctors!

Soooo....I guess I will try to be less klutzy and wear sensible shoes. But I will still keep Dr H on speed dial.

I'm baaaaack!

I am absolutely mortified that I have not posted since last September! This being retired is tough! I had been working a bit more for The Oncology Group but things seem to be slowing down...of course the fact that I also broke my arm falling over my briefcase in a hotel room while checking out a snow storm has kept me a bit limited in my computer skills. And then of course, a major adverse event at my favorite hospital which caused me to have a second surgery to correct their error didn't help my mood much! Sooooo...I think I should start posting again if I can come up with some fun things to write.

We are heading to Florida soon with one of the grands and her parental units. We do this every year. Now that our son and his family are moving back to Tennessee, we are going to drag them down next year. It will be great to have everyone within just a few hours of us, but I will miss stopping off at Harrah's Cherokee on the way to NC...I could always rationalize that Woody couldn't drive all the way to Chapel Hill in one day...now I have to make a special trip to gamble and can't pretend it's just a way stop!

Now...what else do you need to know to catch up on our crazy life? We are not selling our house since the market hasn't quite returned enough to make it worth it so I've added granite in our master bath, redone the kitchen cabinets, subtracted and added some furniture and am trying to figure out what more I want to do. Now we really won't recoup our investment, but it sure looks pretty! Woody wrecked the RV in October when he blacked out...still don't have it back but we've been promised it soon. None of the doctors can figure out what happened so we're just hoping it was a one time event. Christmas was uneventful in 2012...as you recall in 2011 the entire family got sick! This time we just ate and had a ball with Savannah opening presents. We've also been to almost every Boomerangs' concert...and gleefully call ourselves groupies. Throw in lots of movies, a trip to the Egg Bowl in November (that's Ole MS vs. MS State and State lost and Woody was bummed and Jennifer was ecstatic since she's an Ole MS grad) followed by a long postponed trip to New Orleans...of course, there is a Harrah's Casino there! Oh and Woody had to drive me to work in South Bend, IN after the broken arm and before they would let me fly and we stopped at Harrah's Horseshoe Casino in Elizabeth, Indiana so we had a great trip. We've also had Savannah almost every weekend and have lots of fun memories with her, including planting flowers since she loves to garden! It's so much fun to have a grand close and we can't wait to get Riley closer too!

I'm sure there are tons of other things you should know to catch up on everything, but it's late and I'm tired! I'm still rehabbing the arm and shoulder...water aerobics and swimming....so now I'm tired AND sore but am regaining range of motion rapidly! I will try to do better...so my tip for this long delayed post is Don't get so caught up in day to day stuff, that you forget to do what you like to do...in my case, it's to write this blog!

A Wonderful Afternoon at the Track!

Woody and I spent a wonderful afternoon at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, KY watching and betting (a little) on the races! We sat on the 2nd floor porch of the clubhouse with lots of other "old" people, had a light lunch (hot dogs, chips and M&M's) and bet on the ponies! It was tons of fun and not really that expensive since you could bet as little as $2 per race or not at all! We, of course, that would really be me, bet a little more than that and even won a little! So your tip for the day is think outside the box, keep up with activities at local venues and head out for a fun day or evening rather than sitting home!

Tonight we head out to Cheekwood for an event hosted by Belle Meade Vacations. Tons of travel and cruise vendors are in one place so we can pick our next "excellent adventure". The very best travel agent in the world is Cindy Farringer who is one of the owners of Belle Meade Vacations and my dearest friend! She has arranged some fabulous trips for us so give her a call when you need a great trip!

Cindy Farringer at cfarringer@bellemeadevacations.com  or 615-386-9876

This is Cindy in Costa Rica I think! She personally checks out so many of the trips or cruises that she recommends so she knows what is great or not...at least that's the excuse she gives for lots of good travel! On Saturday, Woody heads out to a free car show in Lebanon, TN and I'm heading to shop and do lunch. Too many retired folks sit around and don't make the effort to get out. We have a friend who knows entirely too much about daytime TV! He needs to get out more. When you are still healthy enough to try new things, don't waste your life....sitting at home may come soon enough as we age. Socializing through groups or with friends is important. Most senior citizen centers sponsor bus trips to local events or even longer trips. Golden Circle Travel specializes in trips for older adults. You don't have to hibernate for the rest of your life after you retire! Sit down with a map and see what is a reasonable day trip drive from your home...back roads are great because you can go slow and leave your blinker on and no one cares!! Have fun...get out and about...don't vegetate!

A New Endeavor

You know me by now...always trying to reinvent myself! I've started another blog...Making Health Care Work available at www.makinghealthcarework.blogspot.com . When you go to the hospital, you need to know what is going to happen to you and also how to make health care work better for you. Starting with your own personal health behaviors...watching your weight (I'm working on that too!), not smoking, getting some type of regular exercise such as walking or swimming, and eating a healthy diet..you may be able to head off many illnesses by being healthy and taking care of yourself. Staying out of the hospital is the best way to avoid hospital acquired infections and to protect yourself from accidental errors in care. Hospitals don't intend to do harm, but they are only as good as their weakest employee. With the increasing complexity of care needed and the increasing workloads placed on doctors, nurses and staff, it's no wonder that problems happen. Having worked in and with hospitals for over 40 years, I know that they are doing the best they can with shrinking reimbursements, fewer dollars, and increasing numbers of patients. So your tips for today...practice healthy habits, wash your hands lots, ask your healthcare providers if they have washed their hands, don't hesitate to ask questions of your doctor and staff, and, most importantly, do what your doctors tell you!! Take your prescribed medicines correctly and consider supplements and vitamins after discussing them with your doctor.

Road Trip with Savannah and Random Stuff!

Road trip! This past weekend we headed to Chattanooga to take Miss Savannah to the Aquarium as a birthday present for her mommy! Libby and Led could party on and so could we! Libby gave us Marriott points for a room, so we spent the night. The Aquarium was incredible with two separate buildings...one for the Ocean and one for the River. Savannah had been there before but it was all new to us...it is fabulous. Savannah loved the penguins but wanted granddad to hold her when the sharks swam by! I think it's watching Nemo too much. She knows the sharks are not always your friend. We didn't realize that there were two separate buildings on the same ticket, so after finishing the ocean side, we came out and went to lunch at Friday's. Striking up a conversation with a family in the next booth, they asked us which we liked better. Pulling out our tickets, we realized after a leisurely lunch and a bit of a rest, we could go back and do the other side! After a nap back at the hotel, we went for a swim and then had dinner via the Marriott Bistro in our room! Savannah can float on her back...now we have to get the floaties off!

On Sunday, we took her to the Children's Discovery Museum. It is wonderful and we only did the first floor. The climbing area is better than our Children's Museum in Nashville as it was geared to a smaller size kiddo. Granddad had to carry her out kicking and screaming to head to other areas...she calmed down quickly when she realized we weren't leaving, just moving to a different fun thing. Chattanooga is the perfect distance for a trip as it's only about 100 miles from Murfreesboro where we picked up the kiddo.

Our tips for road trips with grandkids is go somewhere close, take lots of snacks for the car and room including breakfast foods so you don't have to rush out to eat, take a portable DVD player, pick fun things to do and don't rush! Kids really enjoy some experiences and may run through others as boring. The more interactive the better. Let them set the pace. In our case, the butterfly exhibit was not exciting but she loved touching the rays and sturgeon. Take plenty of hand sanitizer!

Last weekend, Woody and I headed to Louisville for the Change of Command Ceremony for our neighbor Tom. He is moving from the Naval Reserve Center Command to become Flag Secretary for the VAdmiral of the Navy Reserve! It was tons of fun and quite impressive. And you know I always find a casino, so after the ceremony we headed to Elizabeth, IN to Horseshoe Casino...a Harrah's property which meant a free room for two nights, the Paula Deen Buffet and SLOTS! I actually won for the second time this summer.  I've said it before, but if you like to gamble, stay with one company and you can earn free rooms and other comps...just be sure you set a limit ahead of time!

This summer has been different in that we have taken lots of trips We did a week in Florida with Savannah and her parental units, a week in NC with Riley and Will along with a stop in Cherokee, NC, a trip to Paducah for the quilt museum and Metropolis for the casino, a trip to Louisville and Elizabeth, IN, and a trip to Chattanooga with Savannah...one more trip over Labor Day to Woody's family reunion and then home for a while. Whew! So one more tip...yes, two for one today...plan short trips around your home base! We have had a ball, haven't spent that much money, and still had a great time. We now are getting the RV squared away to head to Florida for two different months! That way we won't be gone too long from Savannah and still have our fun time in Florida.

Safe travels!

Grandkiddos! Horses! Gambling and more!!

Traveled to see the grandkiddos in NC in July! We had a blast.
We spent lots of time at the barn watching Riley ride, and Will and my favorite daughter in law learn to ride. Jennifer is doing great and Will is staying on the horse. He had more fun flirting with all the girls! Also loved playing with my granddogs Bella and Charlie. On the way over we stopped at Harrah's Cherokee which is about halfway. After Woody's motorcycle wreck in June, driving and even riding was a bit tough. I drove and just gave him drugs. Didn't do too poorly in the gambling but could have done better. Coming home we took the back way and headed to Rogersville to see Uncle Lori and Aunt Marie and Uncle Paul and Aunt Mary. Aunt Marie and Uncle Paul are having a bit of a rough go...prayers for all of them. We'll see everyone again at the reunion over Labor Day!

Our time, as always, is too short when we go to NC to visit...wish they all lived closer.

July was a busy month...we got bored and decided to head to Metropolis...another favorite casino! This one was a fabulous gambling experience! We also headed to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah. This is such a definite see in your lifetime! The artistry and talent exhibited in the quilts was unbelievable. Woody wants to make a quilt but I know how that goes...he will start one and every 5 minutes will be calling for me to help! I may send him to Estelle's....she does great quilts!!

The one thing I'm most proud of is that I am routinely doing water aerobics! When we were at Camping on the Gulf we used a CD of Billie Jo's Wet and Wonderful which I found on Amazon! I am exercising at least an hour 5 or so times a week. I'm not losing weight but I am putting on muscle and my clothes continue to get looser! Just have to get back on the diet but since the reunion is over the real pressure is off! LOL

We head out this weekend to see our neighbor Tom give up command at the Naval Base in Louisville and head to the Pentagon...we love Cindy and the kids and they will continue to stay here. Tom commuted from Louisville but he won't get home quite as often from DC but you don't say no to a promotion and a Pentagon assignment! Oh and of course there is a casino 21 miles from the base...guess where we will be for the rest of the weekend? By the way...we get comps on the rooms so if I win or breakeven we come out ahead!

So my retirement tip is get a rewards card from one casino and stay with it...I like Harrah's because they have casinos everywhere and they are very generous with their comps...especially if you can go during the week!

Back to the Olympics...I love watching just about everything! Have a great time in retirement! See you at the slots!

My 45th High School Reunion!

If you've been following my posts, you know that last weekend was my 45th Jackson High School reunion...or as Woody says, our first H.S. dance! I had not been to a reunion since my 10th so I hadn't seen these wonderful "old" friends in 35 years...except for Rombye.  Rombye has a great leather works offering called The Cordwainer www.cordwainerleather.com is their site. We see her twice a year at our Artisan Fair in Nashville. Soooo...it was great to reconnect with tons of people who were an important part of my life back in high school! We almost didn't get to go because Woody wrecked his motorcycle on his trip with Mike. One separated shoulder and tons of bumps and bruises and sore muscles later, he still troopered on and escorted me! Today you get a few tips, not just one....don't let an almost 70 year old man ride a motorcycle and don't even think about missing your high school reunion!

I was really surprised that all of us so easily integrated again...it was like we were never apart. I think all of us had a few trepidations over a few extra pounds, some gray hair, and baggage carried over from high school. I know I'd been on a diet for months which unfortunately still didn't make me tall, thin and blond. What we found is that regardless of circumstances or size, we still loved each other and saw us as we used to be! Well, except...we had to sit up straight, girls up, and no side shot photos! Lots of hugs, a few adult beverages, some tears (that would be Patsy), dancing (YMCA and the electric slide), singing (that would be Donna and me and Carol and Pat G. and a few others), a great brunch at the Baker's Rack in the old Holland's building (one of my favorite shopping places in Jackson along with Kisber's and Rosenbloom's), and lots of talking (really gossiping but we don't say that, bless your heart)! I missed several good friends who either had scheduling conflicts or were chicken and didn't show! I know who you are and will make sure you show at our 50th! I won't miss another one as long as I'm still around! It was a blast! Thanks to Mary Helen, Donna and the rest of the reunion committee who made this a weekend to remember!