Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 423
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Hello, all, to my latest trip report.  It will start slowly and take some time to complete, but eventually we will get to the end.   First of all, thank you for reading along and especially for commen

Wednesday, October 15 -- The Day the Rain Stopped -- Part 1   It was still raining this morning, so I changed our FP+s to the afternoon.  Went to the Trading Post and purchased our refillable mugs.  I

Wednesday, October 15 -- The Day the Rain Stopped -- Part 2   Our next FP was for BTMRR.             Is that ride getting rougher, or are we just getting older and more sensitive?   As we left th

Saturday, October 25 -- The Day My Aunt Passed Away -- Part 6

 

Sorry, Dave!

 

_DSC4832_zps44246152.jpg

 

_DSC4833_zpsf29d2197.jpg

 

_DSC4835_zpsdc962913.jpg

 

_DSC4836_zps2db63fcf.jpg

 

_DSC4837_zps3ae25e1f.jpg

 

_DSC4838_zpsa0a3f565.jpg

 

_DSC4840_zps13522adf.jpg

 

_DSC4841_zps4a67803d.jpg

 

_DSC4842_zps06550544.jpg

 

_DSC4843_zps5e44dbc1.jpg

 

_DSC4844_zps40184b08.jpg

 

_DSC4845_zpsf21d5035.jpg

 

_DSC4846_zps96a04e17.jpg

 

_DSC4848_zps866cf546.jpg

 

_DSC4849_zps0a83fd06.jpg

 

_DSC4850_zpsa00d2bbf.jpg

 

_DSC4853_zpsb2f573ff.jpg

 

_DSC4850-a_zps4d282fb8.jpg

 

_DSC4856_zps0a0dde73.jpg

 

And then it was over. 

 

It was stunning.  I really hated to see it end. 

 

It's the best daytime parade ever!

 

Meanwhile, I wanted to avoid the departing crowds, so I hung around awhile.  See, it's not crowded here!

 

_DSC4861_zps776505c3.jpg

 

I later moseyed down to the exit.

 

_DSC4862_zpsfd1d8ebf.jpg

 

_DSC4863_zps44b2baed.jpg

 

Eventually we took Kassie looping.

 

_DSC4865_zps055693fa.jpg

 

_DSC4866_zps5416522f.jpg

 

_DSC4867_zpsbad3eead.jpg

 

_DSC4870_zpsa9adb7ed.jpg

 

_DSC4871_zps59901680.jpg

 

About 8:30 that evening we got a call from my mother saying that my aunt Bill had passed away.

 

Her grandson Chris, who checked on her several times every day, found her on the floor. 

 

We don't know how she died.  She may have had a heart attack.  She may have had an aneurysm.  She may have died from hitting her head in the fall.

 

I wasn't especially close to Bill, but I was very close to her husband, my uncle Olan.  He was my second father. 

 

I didn't expect her death to affect me like it did.

 

It hit me hard.  It was like Olan had passed away all over again.

 

It meant that aside from my mother the only family members in that generation who are still living are my aunt Jo and my uncle Clyde in Lakeland.  And they are failing rapidly.

 

David and I talked about what to do.  Should we leave in the morning, or should we stay and keep our commitment to spend time with Clyde and Jo tomorrow.

 

We decided to stay because there was a good chance we couldn't get home in time for the funeral anyway.  And I thought Clyde and Jo needed us here.

 

I cried myself to sleep.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm so sorry to hear about your aunt.  It must have been a shock for you being so unexpected and with you being away from home.  But I'm sure you made the right decision to stay and visit with your aunt and uncle.

 

Oh, and more beautiful pictures by the way!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm so sorry to hear about your aunt.  It must have been a shock for you being so unexpected and with you being away from home.  But I'm sure you made the right decision to stay and visit with your aunt and uncle.

 

Oh, and more beautiful pictures by the way!

 

Thank you.

 

It was a hard ending to a beautiful day.

Link to post
Share on other sites

More great pics....sorry about your aunt. :(

 

Thanks, Aaron!

 

Great parade shots. I agree; that parade rocks.

 

Sorry about your aunt. 

 

Thank you too, Kelly!  Even though I'd seen pictures of the parade, it still just amazed me.  There's so much detail in it that it's hard to capture in photos.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sunday, October 26 -- The Day We Went to Lakeland -- Part 1

 

Early Sunday morning I got a call from Jennifer, my cousin's wife.  She knew we would be visiting that morning and asked us not to arrive until she drove over from Brandon to tell Clyde and Jo about Bill.  She wanted to do it in person instead of just calling and was really concerned about how they would take the news.  Then shortly after she left we would arrive as backup.

 

We left Disney property and headed toward Lakeland.

 

_DSC4877_zpsdda9a69a.jpg

 

I always enjoy this sight:

 

_DSC4885_zps77510098.jpg

 

We stopped here so we could eat breakfast at Bob Evans.

 

_DSC4886_zps9204bd13.jpg

 

My breakfast was:

 

_DSC4888_zpsfbfaac7b.jpg

 

_DSC4889_zpse71c528f.jpg

 

That's what I order every year when we stop there.  The omelet is delicious.  But, let me tell you, they sure don't know how to cook grits!

 

David had:

 

_DSC4890_zps27de1e3a.jpg

 

We're always amazed by all this equipment across the street.

 

_DSC4897_zps0802c0de.jpg

 

We made it to Lakeland and had a nice visit with Clyde and Jo.

 

_DSC4906_zps0439e92c.jpg

 

Jo had recently been discharged from a long hospital stay.  She's lost at least 100 pounds since last year.  Mentally she is doing great, but physically she isn't.  We could see a huge change in her condition.

 

Clyde, on the other hand, seemed to be doing better physically and mentally.  Last year he hardly recognized us.  This year he kept up with the conversation.

 

They both took the news about Bill's death better than we thought they would.  Jo said she had been expecting it.

 

After the visit, we drove to downtown Lakeland.  Neither of us had ever seen the actual city.

 

_DSC4912_zpscba246b0.jpg

 

It's a really pretty town, and I now understand why it is named Lakeland!

 

On the way back to the fort we stopped at Publix in:

 

_DSC4919_zps70bf159a.jpg

 

I was blown away by that store and am excited that we're getting one here soon.

 

We then headed toward Old Town.  When our kids were little, they loved visiting this store:

 

_DSC4923_zpse04b88c7.jpg

 

My purple crayon skills aren't nearly as good as TCD's, as evidence here:

 

_DSC4924_zps7d1c4f72.jpg

 

Oh my gosh.  I'd have to be heavily drugged to ever ride either one of those things!

 

Finally we were back on Disney property!

 

_DSC4927_zps52322ec1.jpg

 

_DSC4931_zps939ea6b9.jpg

 

_DSC4935_zpsbcc2f494.jpg

 

Another one of those funny buses:

 

_DSC4937_zps9ba2415a.jpg

 

_DSC4938_zpsdbe7e394.jpg

 

And finally we're home!

 

_DSC4939_zps41e56f85.jpg

 

_DSC4941_zps7484334d.jpg

 

Einstein had asked us to call him while we were at WDW, so around 4 pm we headed out to MK.

 

_DSC4946_zpsf856fc89.jpg

 

_DSC4947_zps32557998.jpg

 

_DSC4951_zps346df8cd.jpg

 

A closer look at the Poly bungalows:

 

_DSC4953_zpsad1f4c35.jpg

 

Crowd arriving doesn't look too bad:

 

_DSC4955_zps9be07f00.jpg

 

We called Einstein and told him we were on Main Street.  Had a great conversation with him.

 

To be continued ...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh Gwen... I was so sorry to read of the passing of your aunt.    Life goes by much, much too quickly and while, as believers, we do have reassurance in knowing that we will see our loved ones again, the human fact remains that life is short and that loss can be very, very hard.

 

I will keep you in my prayers over this holiday season.  

 

Blessings to you my friend...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sunday, October 26 -- The Day We Went to Lakeland -- Part 2

 

Then we positioned ourselves outside The Chapeau to take TCD's suggestion and people watch.  This was an MNNSHP night, and the crowd didn't disappoint!  Although there lots of pirates and Woodys.

 

_DSC4959_zpsca7af473.jpg

 

_DSC4960_zpscf07f452.jpg

 

_DSC4961_zpsd1141cdd.jpg

 

How nice of Superman to bring his grandmother to the party!

 

_DSC4962_zpsf73d8e3b.jpg

 

_DSC4964_zpse9d62de4.jpg

 

I saw too many Minnies pushing strollers.  When did Minnie have a baby?

 

_DSC4965_zpsb7db5b67.jpg

 

_DSC4966_zps859c4f76.jpg

 

_DSC4968_zps6486d190.jpg

 

_DSC4971_zps7b61ec5f.jpg

 

_DSC4972_zps01a10400.jpg

 

_DSC4973_zps59301138.jpg

 

A pirate family:

 

_DSC4974_zps14df3d41.jpg

 

_DSC4975_zpsfdd35598.jpg

 

_DSC4976_zps92d442b1.jpg

 

_DSC4977_zps907c1caa.jpg

 

_DSC4978_zps8eba1461.jpg

 

_DSC4983_zpsc139f92f.jpg

 

_DSC4984_zpsbd984313.jpg

 

_DSC4986_zps6b134a8d.jpg

 

_DSC4987_zps6d3aeefc.jpg

 

_DSC4989_zps3cedb581.jpg

 

_DSC4990_zps5a5a49a7.jpg

 

_DSC4991_zpsf057dd53.jpg

 

_DSC4995_zpsec169abe.jpg

 

And my favorites ... check out this mother/daughter duo who happily posed for me:

 

_DSC4996_zpsf89b401d.jpg

 

Can you see their eyelashes?  They had bats on them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sunday, October 26 -- The Day We Went to Lakeland -- Part 3

 

On our way out of the park we went through the candy store.

 

_DSC5001_zps108de37d.jpg

 

_DSC5004_zps1761337c.jpg

 

_DSC5005_zps8c3e2697.jpg

 

_DSC5006_zps4e5d0d87.jpg

 

_DSC5007_zpsc95bfa22.jpg

 

_DSC5012_zpsa3a738fa.jpg

 

Darth Vader was staying at WL:

 

_DSC5013_zps8e2e9691.jpg

 

Since I had the zoom lens with me, I took more River Country photos.

 

_DSC5014_zps9c04d787.jpg

 

_DSC5015_zps28beb64a.jpg

 

_DSC5018_zpsbe915c83.jpg

 

We came back to Dolly, took Kassie looping, had dinner, and called it a day.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...



×
×
  • Create New...