Georgia Aquarium

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On Monday, we went on a field trip to the Georgia Aquarium with other seniors. This trip was sponsored by the City of Fountain Inn and organized by Sue Grubbs and Heather Johnson. This trip was so well organized and thoughtfully planned! The city paid for our chartered bus (for 56 people), t-shirts, entrance tickets, and our meal at the Varsity. We are truly grateful to everyone involved in making this trip an amazing experience!

We met at 7:15, and the bus left promptly at 7:30. On the trip, we played a trivia game, and prizes were given out. I had time to knit and visit with others on the long drive to Atlanta. The bus driver was a hoot, and she made the trip fun too! The bus dropped us off practically at the front door and we each got our ticket as we got off the bus. We were instructed to meet at this exact place no later than 1:30. 

After a group picture, we were all on our own. Don and I wandered through all the sections and enjoyed seeing some of the strangest creatures. I enjoyed the Beluga whales, but Don’s favorite was the seadragons. We were scheduled for the Dolphin Presentation at 11:3,0 so at 11, they announced that we could make our way to our seats. We got fantastic seats in the middle of the “theater” and 2 rows beyond the Soak Zone! I loved watching the dolphins perform and would definitely go see them again. After the show, we walked around some more in the aquarium and revisited our favorite sea creatures. Then we walked outside to admire downtown Atlanta. We walked to the World of Coca-Cola, which was right across from the aquarium, to stretch our legs before the long bus ride home. 

By then, the bus arrived and we boarded the bus exactly on schedule. Our next stop was The Varsity in Norcross, where we had a late lunch. As we got off the bus, we were each given a voucher card which showed our menu options on the back. We ordered our food, which was quickly served and enjoyed our lunch. We sat with Shawn (from our exercise class) and got to know her a little better.

By 3:30, we were back on our bus and heading home. We even got home early! I’m so glad we were on a bus because after seeing the traffic on the interstate, I would not have enjoyed the trip at all if I had had to drive to the Aquarium.

It was a wonderful trip and I'm so glad we live in a town like Fountain Inn! 

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Busy Week

It started on Saturday, and we worked hard cleaning up the yard as best as we could. We got the big tree moved out of the yard. My hubby mowed the lawn and the weeds. We pulled unwanted vines out of the bushes. By the time we got it all done, I thought it looked pretty good.

On Sunday, I went to the early Easter service, and they played many of my favorite hymns. When I got home, it was time to hide the 84 plastic Easter eggs. Then we went across the street to my neighbors' for lunch. We had wonderful pizza and visited with friends. There were lots of kids, and it was fun to listen to all the different kids' conversations. After lunch, we had the Easter egg hunt. I’m not sure if all of the eggs were found because I heard three different totals. We may find more throughout the year. 

On Monday, we spent the morning at the dentist, where my hubby had 4 teeth pulled and then had a temporary bridge put in while we wait for the permanent one to be made. I felt so bad for him because he was in pain all day. He didn’t eat anything all day except the oatmeal before breakfast and then Muscle Milk during the day. When we got home, the HVAC guys were there and had started installing our new HVAC system.

On Wednesday, the HVAC guys returned to finish the job. 

On Thursday, we spent all day pricing appliances. We went to six different stores and got lots of prices. It was mind-boggling, and by the end of the day, we were exhausted.

On Friday, we exercised in the morning and did errands during the day. 

Saturday, Hubby drove me to the knitting guild meeting to show off my finished sweater and blanket. Then, I had a Meet a Designer session on Zoom, during which we met with Yumiko Alexander. After the Zoom meeting, we walked downtown to the Italian Festival, which had a great turnout!

 Whew! It was a busy week! 

Scavenger Hunt 2025

It was time for our annual scavenger hunt hosted by the Fountain Inn Senior Center. Sue and Heather are great leaders and make it a lot of fun. There were 11 participants, and we met at the park. After being given the scavenger hunt cards, we walked towards the falls. Along the way were also eight Easter eggs for us to find. The distance to the falls was .75 mile, so we walked a total of 1.5 miles. Don and I got there early and walked a mile before the group showed up. The weather was perfect - not too hot and not too cold. The sun was shining and the scenery was lovely. At the end, we sat at the picnic shelter and we traded in the eggs we found for prizes. What a fun day! 

1982 20c America's Libraries (#2015)

In 1982, the United States Postal Service released a 20-cent stamp to honor America's libraries. This stamp was first issued on July 13, 1982, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the American Library Association's annual convention. The stamp's design features the first three and last three letters of the alphabet, symbolizing the foundational role of libraries in education and literacy. Designed by Bradbury Thompson, the stamp emphasizes the importance of libraries in American society. It was printed using the engraved method by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, with a total of 169,495,000 stamps issued. This commemorative stamp serves as a tribute to the countless libraries across the nation that have provided invaluable resources and services to people of all ages.

National Librarian Day is celebrated annually on April 16 to honor the dedicated professionals who manage and organize our libraries. Librarians play a crucial role in providing access to information, supporting literacy, and fostering a love for reading within their communities. They not only manage collections of books and other materials but also offer various services such as educational programs, technology assistance, and community events.

The origins of National Librarian Day are closely linked to National Library Week, which was first sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) in 1958 to encourage reading and library use. National Librarian Day specifically recognizes the hard work and dedication of librarians and is observed during this week-long celebration. It's a time to express gratitude for the invaluable contributions librarians make to education and the betterment of society.

So, if you have time, go visit your local library! You never know what treasures you might find.

References:
National Postal Museum
Mystic Stamp Company
National Today
American Library Association

How to Knit Estonian Inlay

I am so honored to be invited by the Twisted Stitches of Central NY Knitting Guild to teach a class on How to Knit Estonian Inlay. Even though I had taught this lesson in person at the Zombie Knitpocalypse in 2024, I was a little nervous about doing this on Zoom. I just hope the people who attend will feel like it is worthwhile. I made a video in case people needed a refresher on it or if they needed to see a visual again.