Day With Family at Elijah Clark State Park

Our section of the campground is still closed so we took the opportunity to enjoy a picnic, a lake swim and a day with the family.  The kids were happy because they could ride their toys in the road without fear of cars.  Sweets and Maggie had a blast running, begging for food and swimming.  After a lunch of barbecue, slaw, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, vine ripened tomatoes, marinated cucumber and onion, and banana pudding it is a wonder we didn't sink to the bottom of the lake.  As you can tell from the photos a good time was had by all "Knee Deep In The Water Somewhere!"  Life is Good Today.

Phil lost his first tooth.

Family Reunion in Alexis, NC

You can double click on the photos to enlarge.

Part of the cemetery hopping Stroupe/Stroup's.  Yep!  That's a cemetery we are standing in.

It has taken me from Sunday until today to recover enough from the heat and activity at the family reunion to feel like posting.  Early Friday morning I drove the short 2 1/2 hours to http://www.ci.rock-hill.sc.us/ to pick up my brother and then drive to http://www.cherryville.com/ to visit cemeteries with Sid Stroupe and Linda Ballard.  It was cloudy and and raining like mad so we didn't get too hot on Friday.  We enjoyed a Cherryville hamburger with slaw and a fried bologna sandwich at Malcolm's.  The Shake Shop parking lot was too crowded!  Early Saturday morning Mike and I returned to Cherryville and met Stroupes/Stroups at the Cherryville Museum and then toured Mount Zion Cemetery and The Cherryville Cemetery. I was tickled that Nancy and Arnold drove to Cherryville for a short time to visit with me.  The time was just too short.  Later Linda, Mike, Sid and I toured quite a few more cemeteries and then drove out to Red Bone Willy's (http://www.redbonewilly.com/) to enjoy a Cheerwine and ice cream on the front porch.  Early Sunday morning found us leaving Rock Hill, for the three cemeteries in the "woods" in Alexis, NC.  We had a much larger attendance this year than we had last year.  Lewis Burton, George Rhyne, Matt Stroup, Dan Stroup, Hank Stroup, and Margaret Ann met us for the cemetery tour and "eating" to follow.  After the pot luck Lewis, Mike and I drove a short few miles to see Aunt Lillian's old home place in Iron Station, NC.  A flood of memories of playing in the corn fields, climbing the China Berry tree, and stomping in the creek came rushing back to me.

Yet another Stroupe/Stroup cemetery in the woods.

Lewis Burton, Dan Stroup, Sid Stroup

If Mike (Bubba) doesn't move off of this Stroup, the body is going to get up and move elsewhere.

Lewis Burton, Linda Ballard, Cindy Stroup, Nancy Morrison and husband, George Rhyne, Mike Stroupe.  Yep, that is a stack of Aunt Lillian's photo albums on the table!

Returned to Elijah Clark State Park to a completely empty campground.  Yoo Hoo, but Billy is still terribly busy with the front end loader and I have been up at the front office helping Amy with the July budget report.  Plan to sew on our new little Cousin Stuart's diaper shirt today. " Life is Good Today."

Life In A Mostly Empty Campground and Primrose Lane Baby Annie

This week they closed off Campground #2 at Elijah Clark.  (Our Campground)  It is giving Billy and I a chance to tidy up areas that we left undone while so many campers were around.  The VERY best part is that we are up here, in the woods, by the lake with all of these beautiful wild animals ALL by ourselves.  Yes, "Life is Good Today!"  Speaking of animals, Maggie May became sick after Lincoln and Phil stayed with us last week.  I thought that it was psychosomatic, but she probably got into "something" while I was enjoying the park with the two grandsons and not watching her as closely as usual.  She had a massive stomach upset from both ends and by Sunday morning had quit eating or drinking.  A trip to the emergency vet was in order.  Four medications and forced fluids through a medicine dropper later she began to improve.

It is SOOOOOOO blasted hot here that we have to be very careful not to dehydrate and overheat.  We can only be outside for short bursts of time.  Soooooooooo I have been sewing for that precious little grand daughter again.  This little goodie was made with fabric and rick rack purchased from http://farmhousefabrics.com/ using Baby Annie by Primrose Lane
(http://www.chadwickheirlooms.com/products/baby-annie) as a pattern.  I think it turned out real cute.