Florida Vacation, Days Six and Seven - from Tampa to DC to Home

On Tuesday morning we had a sweet time at breakfast with Sophie.  We were playing songs on the piano apps on our phones!  But then we had to say goodbye to her when it was time for her to meet the bus.  It felt really, really hard to realize that this long-anticipated time with her was already over.  

Lisa had left very early to work at the Yoga studio, so around 9:00 George took us to the studio, we got to see around it, said our goodbyes to George, then Lisa took us to the airport.   I felt like crying as we said goodbye to George and to Lisa.  They gave us such an amazing vacation and we enjoyed being with them so very much.  I told them that they had spoiled us rotten.  They reminded us that I had kept up with the dishes and folded laundry.  Lisa said, "That rates really high on my spoiled scale!" 

We flew to BWI.  I was sleeping before it ever took off, as is usually the case.  When we arrived in Baltimore, we contacted Jeremy, and he gave us directions to one of his stores near DC where he was working that day.    Here he is with one of the office girls at the store. 

We left our truck parked there and went with Jeremy to his house.  We saw this on the way!  His apartment building was just five blocks south of the capital, now the house he moved to is about eight blocks north of it.  

Here are some pictures of the house.  It's an old row home owned by his boss and he has orders to refurbish it!   There were no curtains, so the very first thing he did was make some.  And he added some art work.

He put up these shelves at one end of the kitchen to provide more storage and a place to put the bar stools.  

Dick stayed home with Molly, his dog, while Jeremy, his friend Mike, and I walked to a grocery store.  I had decided to make a pot of vegetable soup. Jeremy was just thrilled to be getting his picture taken in the grocery store.  Can't you tell??

Here's what we found when we got back.

The soup, served with crusty bread, just hit the spot for all of us.  Later we watched a movie and then hit the sack.  He has a guest room now and two bathrooms, which makes him happy to more easily be able to have people over.  

Wednesday morning I made scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, potatoes, and veggie bacon.  Dick fixed the washer, which had gone crazy when a load of sheets had gotten off balance.  Around 11:30 we left for Jeremy to take us back to our truck at the store.  And then we had to say goodbye again.  

We were in no big hurry, so we stopped a few times for lunch and rest rooms.  As we drove on 99/220 from Altoona toward State College, we decided it was beginning to look like home.

Turning into our community.

And then as we got to our house, I saw what I was dreading - my dead marigolds and roses!

I was so glad I had taken a picture before we left.  Here's my before and after collage.

But there is no doubt that the frost that killed my flowers also did wonderful things for our fall foilage.  My mountain is starting to burst with color even on a cloudy day!

And that's the end of my vacation posts finally.  Now I am trying to figure out how to catch up at work and at home and get to see Austin and Destiny and Sammy and that little Jada who is growing too quickly already.  And there's a Sunday School reunion I wish I could go to down home on Saturday and we're having our praise service at Fillmore Sunday night.  I feel a little overwhelmed thinking about it all.  Can I just go back to having vacation, please???