Michael Jackson has left us

Yesterday, June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles. I'm so glad James didn't live to hear that his favorite singer passed away. He would have been so upset and sad. James had several of Michael's CD's and especially liked "Bad". He would play that song and snap his fingers and dance around just like Michael Jackson. I think he would sometimes imitate Michael and sing "Bad" at talent shows at work. James loved music and his happiest times were listening to his records on his record player. He didn't know how to play cassettes or CDs. Christmas 2008 he received a new record player for Christmas but never got to use it very much before he died in Feb. Here some photos of James when he was having fun.

He always wanted to read the sale papers on Sunday. Here he is reading by kerosene light during one of our hurricane watches.

Trip Report #4 - Nanticoke MD

We arrived in Nanticoke, MD late Sunday afternoon, coming from VA. Carolyn had to go back to Black Mountain, NC after lunch in Emporia, VA so we were minus one sister while visiting Al and Chris in Nanticoke.

A few years ago my sister Christine (Chris) and her husband Al moved to Nanticoke from Alexandria, VA and built a 2-story frame house on a spot overlooking the Nanticoke River where they a beautiful view of the wide river near where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. They have a big lawn between the house and the river and a great place for a picnic table. That night there was the most beautiful sunset; even prettier than those in FL overlooking the Gulf of Mexico! 

We opened the tall windows of their house and the weather was absolutely perfect for our trip. Had to sleep under a blanket - and didn't need air conditioning.


They have their own private beach and on Monday some brave souls ventured out into the river to get the crab baskets. There were several beautiful large blue crabs and one big fish in the two baskets. While there Chris made a delicious crab casserole for dinner one night. Another night we got Judy to make chicken and dumplings and some of her famous biscuits. We ate lots of fruit and veggies also.

Monday afternoon we picked blueberries at a nearby farm and they were so good. I brought some home and made a delicious blueberry cobbler.

We all went to a nearby state park on the Nanticoke River and walked along the sand beach. Five of the six sisters are shown here. Carolyn had gone back home to NC.

Not much going on in this part of the country. The little fishing villages have been there for ages and a few retirees from big cities move here and blend in with the villagers and enjoy the slow pace of living. My brother-in-law Bob was concerned that there were no shopping centers, banks, McDonalds, etc. anywhere in sight. You have to drive to Salisbury 20 miles north to find any of these.

Tuesday morning came around too soon and it was time to say good-bye to Chris and Al and head back to NC (in 2 cars). When we got out of the Chesapeake Tunnel at Virginia Beach, we were only 1 mile from Jim's brother Larry's house so we stopped by for coffee and to wish Larry and Suzi Happy 25th Anniversary. We had seen them the week before in Florence, SC at Katie's graduation.

We arrived back in Greensboro Tuesday afternoon, and it was raining. We were lazy the rest of the evening and went to bed early so we could get an early start home the next morning. Guess what! When Jim went out in the rain to put our luggage in the car, he discovered the battery was dead.... he left his phone charging and for some reason left the ignition turned on and you know the rest of the story. We had to call road service and by the time they got there to charge the battery, it was 7:30 a.m. So we were able to leave at 8 am instead of 6 or 7. It rained hard all the way to Greenville, SC (about 5 hours) and there were so many big trucks on the road.

It cleared up and when we got home to Elba around 6 p.m., it was so hot - in the 90s. Our good weather was over for awhile. Anyway, it's so good to be back home again. Home, Sweet Home!

Trip Report #3 - Greensboro, NC

On Thursday, June 11, 2009, we left Charlotte, NC around 10 a.m. and traveled north to Winston-Salem, NC to have lunch with friends Reva and Clarence. Reva was my best friend when we lived there 1979-1985. It was fun "catching up" with our children and grand children.

We left them and stopped by to visit our friends Dewey and Jane who live near Baptist Hospital. They have a mentally challenged daughter Debbie who was James friend. Debbie lives in a Methodist group home now and is going fine. Jane brought us up to date on all of James' friends from that area.

We arrived in Greensboro late in the afternoon and it was nice and cool. We sat outside under a big oak tree in my sister Susan's and her husband Bob's pretty front yard, in an older neighborhood called Lindley Park, near Univ. of NC at Greensboro.

On Friday we celebrated Bob's birthday in the afternoon after we went shopping that morning to help Susan get a new flat screen monitor for her computer. Friday night we went to a seafood restaurant for the monthly birthday get-together of the church they attend.

Saturday was a relaxing day. We've been to Greensboro so many times we didn't do any sightseeing. We always had to take James to the Amtrak station when we were there. On our last visit, we took him to see the new Amtrak/bus station that has been restored downtown.

We got up early Sunday morning and packed Susan and Bob's car for a 3 day trip to the Eastern shore of Maryland to visit our sister Christine Knudson and her husband Al. We stopped in Emporia, VA on the way and had lunch with Christine's daughter and her family. Her friend Wes had grilled shish-k-bobs for lunch and we had a luncheon for Jake, Cydi's oldest son who graduated from Suffolk High school on Sat. Jan 13, and it was her son Bobby's 15th birthday that week also.

All 6 of the Wilson girls were present for the luncheon (my 5 sisters and myself) so they took lots of pictures of us. Usually at our gatherings there's always one who can't be there. Our brother Perry who lives in Elba was missing from our gathering. We all see each other throughout the year at various places.

We left Emporia at 2 P.M., so we could be able to get the White Haven Ferry, west of Princess Ann in MD, to get to Chris and Al's home in Nanticoke.

When we got to Nanticoke, it was nice and cool.

Trip Report #2 - Charlotte, NC

On Tuesday we drove to Charlotte from Florence, SC, stopping to visit some Gilmer cousins in the country near Kershaw. 

We arrived in Charlotte late in the afternoon to visit my sister Alice and her husband Jerry for 3 days. They recently moved from Fayetteville, NC to Charlotte to the South Park area to be near their 5 grandchildren. Their sons Alex and Andrew and their families live close by and the grandchildren gets lots of TLC from their grandparents. They stopped by after dinner on Monday and we all had watermelon for dessert. They came for pizza dinner on Tuesday night. They will grow up too soon. Their parents used to visit us when they were young and their kids remind us of them so much.

On Tuesday, Jim and I visited the new Billy Graham Library near the airport. What a tribute to a great man. I'm glad he is still living and got to see the library and other buildings completed. The home was one his father built when Billy was a teenager and was relocated from a dairy farm in  South Charlotte. The barn behind the house is where the exhibits are located. You walk through many, many "rooms" where there are photos, videos, etc. displayed showing Billy Graham's life. Someone did a great job putting all of this together.

Ruth Graham is buried in a quiet garden near the library. A brick pathway leads downhill to her gravesite. Soft religious music is piped into the garden.


While in Charlotte we visited Oaklawn cemetery where Jim's biological mother (Dorothy Carnes Gilmer) and his brother Ronald are buried. Jim's mother died when he was 8 and his brother was 14 when his bicycle was hit by a car as Ronald was returning home from his paper route.

We left that cemetery and went to Harrisburg to see the graves of Jim's father and step mother Mary. Took a picture of the Gilmer home at 311 Plaza Dr, which was sold recently. Jim and Larry never lived there. Their original old homeplace was a small frame house near Harrisburg that was moved in 1954 when a new house was built. That replacement home was torn down about 1980 after they built a new home at 311 Plaza Dr. The original old home place is still there and is a used car lot office. He was able to identify the rooms. It is still on property where they lived when Jim was growing up.

We left Charlotte Wed. morning, heading to Greensboro to visit another ister, Susan and her husband Bob for 3 days. 

Trip report #1 - Florence, SC June 4-8, 2009

We left Alabama on Thursday morning, June 4th and traveled to our son Bill's home in Florence, SC - a 9-hour trip. When we arrived Bill had prepared a delicious meal which we shared with him and our three granddaughters.


Friday was a busy day, getting ready for more guests to arrive and shopping for food for the graduation luncheon on Saturday. My sister Alice and her husband Jerry arrived around noon, and a little later Jim's brother Larry and his wife Suzi arrived. We all stayed at a motel nearby.

Saturday morning arrived and we had to be dressed and at the Civic Center by 9:30 a.m. The graduation was at 10. We had a hard time finding seats since the place was nearly filled when we arrived. Wonder what time they all got there!! We saw Katie when she came marching in. She was so excited to get to sit on the 3rd row with the honor students with 4.0 and above grade averages and wear two cords! We're so proud of her. She gave us a "thumbs up" when she walked off the stage with her diploma.   

After graduation everybody walked outside for photos.

Then we headed home for a delicious picnic lunch. Katie planned the menu and wanted it simple.

She wanted barbecue for the meat. I made potato salad, baked beans, and lots of other veggies, fruit salad, and a large graduation cake from Freeman's bakery. We had 23 people for lunch.

After lunch Katie opened her cards and presents and was surprised to get a beach bike to take to college, to get around on campus. No cars allowed at College of Charleston for freshmen. No place to park.


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Alice and Jerry headed back to Charlotte after lunch and the rest of us just sat around and relaxed. Larry and Suzi headed back to Virginia Beach, VA after we all had breakfast at Shoney's Sun. morning. We left for Charlotte on Monday morning after everybody but Caroline left to go to work.

All the weeks of getting ready for graduation paid off and Katie had a great party and loved her photo album I put together for her.

It's Good to be Back Home Again!

When we left Greensboro, NC this morning it was raining and 69 degrees and when we got home (Elba) it was 102 degrees and the heat index was 105!!

We left home on June 4th and traveled over 2200 miles in 2 weeks. Starting tomorrow I will post some of the events that took place and places we visited.

June 4-8 was spent in Florence, SC at our son Bill's home.

June 8-10 we visited my sister Alice and her husband Jerry in their new home in Charlotte, NC.

Then on Thurs, June 11 we traveled to Greensboro, NC to spend a few days with my sister Susan and her husband Bob.

Sunday, June 14, all 6 of us sisters were in Emporia, VA to celebrate our great nephew Jake Estienne's high school graduation by having a luncheon for him.

June 14-16 five of us sisters were together in Nanticoke, MD on the Eastern shore of Maryland at our sister Christine's house.

June 16 - on our way back to NC we stopped in Virginia Beach to help Larry and Suzi Gilmer celebrate their 25th anniversary.

June 17 - drove for 11 hours to get back home from Greensboro, NC.

Had a great time and I can't wait to post some pictures and tell about our trip.

Getting ready for a trip is hard work!

We've been planning a trip to SC for a long time to see our granddaughter Katie graduate from high school on June 6th at 10 am.

Today was the day to start packing and putting suitcases, etc. etc. in the car. We plan to be gone for several days (how about 2 weeks) and moving about in SC, NC, VA and eastern shore of MD.
So we need a variety of clothing for casual, formal, hot weather, cool weather, and swim wear.

Just learned that it will be raining all day tomorrow so we packed the car tonight to avoid getting wet in the morning.

Our car not only has suitcases, but a big framed mirror for Nerissa's dresser, a box of helium for filling balloons at Katie's party Sat., presents for Katie, party decorations, lots of books to share with my sisters (and receive some in return), a bag of shoes for all occasions, and I don't know what else. Jim did the packing of the car.

Our road trips are fun. I usually pack a lot of sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers, etc. and we ice down some canned drinks. Usually we find a shady picnic area along the way and eat and people watch. You see a variety of people at rest areas on the interstate.

We should arrive at our destination early in the evening and unpack our suitcases before going to see Bill and the girls - except they won't all be at home tomorrow night when we get there. Graduation brings on lots of parties and dinners and Katie has one tomorrow night.

We spent the day watering all my pot plants, flowers in the potting shed, as well as plants indoors. Stopping the newspaper, holding the mail at the post office, going to the bank, getting someone to mow the lawn while we're gone (almost 2 acres), and all the other things you have to do when you go away.

Is it really worth all this work? Definitely YES!