Retirement
In 1993 Bill and I took a trip to Nova Scotia in the camper. When we heard that the tide came in forty feet, I didn’t want to camp on the beach! There are cliffs beside the road where the tide comes and goes. It was beautiful. In Main, on the way, the campground was famous for rabbits running everywhere!
On the way, we had camped near Washington, DC to attend Jennifer’s (my sister Jane’s daughter) wedding in MD. As a prize, I was given the beautiful flower arrangement from the table where they served a nice meal. We enjoyed the flowers on the trip.
Coming home, Bill was eager to stop at Niagara Falls. Somehow, when I reached in the back seat, my back hurt really bad. To be a good sport, I walked with Bill all along beside the water, went in a boat below the falls, etc. (which I did enjoy). Ever since then I have had a fair amount of back pain. The doctor has never found anything but arthritis (old Arthur, as daddy would say).
In the late 1990s, Bill thought it was time to plan retirement. After much discussion, we agreed to apply for admission to the Baptist Home in Winston Salem, NC. We knew they had a long waiting list.
We then decided that it might take a long while to sell our house, so we put it on the market. Jeff said we were welcome to park a camper at his home. We bought a nice camper and build a storage shed in his yard for our extra furniture.
In the spring of 2003, after less than a year, the house sold. We spent a lot of time downsizing, giving the children things and finally calling a yard sale man to give us a price on the remaining stuff.
On thing sort of funny - we had so many books the children didn’t want, when we heard about a boy scout trying for his Eagle Badge who was collecting books for prisons. When we took our six or seven big boxes of books to his house, there was a SMALL box on his porch to leave books! He was surely surprised when he reached home to see the porch nearly full.
We finally moved to Jeff and Sheila’s in March. In May, on fact Mother’s Day, the Baptist home called with a room available. We traveled to Winston Salem; the room was on the fifth floor and, to me, the little balcony’s view seemed really high up. I wouldn’t enjoy that drop-off at all.
Whenever it was very windy or stormy, we would leave the camper to stay with Jeff. David and Ruth had bought a little farm house next to them in Bailey, NC. When their renter left, they offered us a chance to move there. SO in January 2003 we moved to his house. There was definitely more space and we could use our furniture again. Bill had a nice little garden bordered with zinnias full of butterflies.
We now had room for Elm City friends to come for a visit. A car full of them came one Sunday (the name of our road was missing). When they called that they could not find us, I stood at the end of the road jumping up and down. One stranger stopped to ask if I needed help! Fun - we were a nutty bunch anyway.
Of course, we got to enjoy the country feeling of living there and watching their goats in the fence behind the house. David had enlarged the pastures quite a bit for the goats.
About this time, Jeanie told us to retire with them. She was in Albemarle at the time but David still worked in the Southern Pines area. They were able to find a nice home with a little cottage in the back yard.
We retired with Jeanie’s family in October 2003. In summer 2004, Jeanie asked me what we wanted to do for our 50th anniversary; I said we just wanted the family. She invited our sisters and my brother, Tom, and of course, our children. Nancy , in MI, couldn’t come but sent a surprise of beautiful flowers. All the sibs came but Mildred and Jane Ayers. At the time Mill was very involved with daughter’s, Julie, medical treatments. Tom who had just lost wife, Minnie, in May came by way of Florida; he said, bless his heart, he just had to get out of the house.
Jeanie’s house was filled with beautiful roses and we all were served a delicious meal. David McDaniel had taken some of our special pictures and showed them on the computer. Then they took pictures of Bill and I with everyone.
Our 50th anniversary cake. Mary Ellen & Bill
We told our Sunday School Class and closest friends that when it came time to move, we would slip quietly away. By September 2003, we moved down to finish work on the cottage. The owner before Jeanie had some kind of craft shop so the big living room and a bath were nicely finished (for her displays) but our future kitchen was a garage. Bill and I lived in the living room while workers closed in the garage; we managed pretty well. I had just found out in July 2003 that I had acid reflex and was still having a hard time finding medicine that worked for me. I was sick for quite a while and lost twenty pounds - wrinkle city! I was just always so healthy but had to accept not always feeling tops - part of getting older.
It is pure joy being close to family and grandchildren. I thoroughly enjoy teaching OR keeping Hope on task as she did her first grade video from Bob Jones.
Bill went in for gardening in a big way. He cleared trees off the land and planted tomatoes, okra, corn and watermelon (to the children’s delight).
He also planted apple and pear trees along with a fig tree and blueberries for the future. Beside the house he had kale, mustard, spinach, green beans, beets, carrots and onions.
In June 2004 I had to have a hysterectomy and Bill had to have knee surgery. Bill’s knee evidently had loose cartilage and sometime blocked his ability to move his leg. Sometime he would have to stop and shake his leg to move the cartilage. It was sort of funny and we called him Elvis Pressley.
During those times of surgery, we had to miss at least one funeral in Elm City; we have had to go back for several since then.
All the time we were with Jeff and David, we were still able to attend our church in Elm City. We still miss them.
We decided to attend Jeanie’s church in case we couldn’t drive in future years. Although different in length of service, they certainly share our very basic beliefs. We are certainly satisfied with their honesty and integrity. We are ready for bed so early at night, we have had to give up everything but Sunday morning Sunday School and Church. We miss a lot that way.
Not only did Bill have a big garden and plant fruit trees, he had a shop built and added on a garage. I decided to go ahead and finish making afghans for all the grandchildren. I had started making one for each child, then grandchildren as they reached 12 years old. I was able to complete them for Nolan, Braden, Chase, and Hope - also for Travis and Kevin in Michigan. Now, 2005, Leah, who married Gustavo Popoca in May 2004, is expecting a baby. I am making a blue baby afghan.
Kristen, who held up to three jobs while in college at Bob Jones, graduated with honors and ended up being a dormitory supervisor for two years. At present, her boss asked her to be manager of the office which issues demerits. She wants to do mission work in Mexico., is trying to perfect her Spanish and has a serious boy friend in Mexico, Joel Hernandez. His full scholarship contract states that he can not marry an American for four years. Sad.
Stefan is a junior at Bob Jones this year 2005. Since the end of his sophomore year he has a serious girl friend, Heidi. She finished at Bob Jones last year and is teaching in Greenville, SC.
I am working with Hope again this year - she does well.
Bill and I have taken a trip to Michigan most years since Nancy and family moved there six years ago, After Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans and the gulf coast (late August or early September 2005), gas prices became very expensive and sometimes not available. Nancy, who finally was planning a trip here, decided to come by Amtrak; she liked that way to travel even if they did have long lay-overs in DC and Chicago. Well, realizing how much she enjoyed the beach house at Holden, Bill and I rented it for that week - Sept 11, 2005. Another hurricane, Ophelia, traveling just off the coast caused us to evacuate by Tuesday. All the children were there for a while.
We have been helping Jeanie transport children to piano lessons\, baseball practice, etc. which we’ve enjoyed.
Other than those things, we lead a very quiet life, only going to church Sunday mornings. Going out at night is not for us any more.
It is very difficult not to tell more about children because, really, that is what my life is made up of.
I’m always thinking of something else to add to my memories but, perhaps, now is as good a time to stop as any.
Mallard Camper at Jeff & Sheila’s near Kenly, NC
March 2002 through December 2002
David & Ruth Ann’s rental house near Bailey, NC
From January 2003 through September 2003
Cottage at David & Jeanie’s near West End, NC October -
Front: Mary Ellen, Mildred, Jane & Minnie. Mary Ellen & Bill
Bill, Woody, Ben & Tommy 25th Wedding Anniversary
Homecoming in Columbia Bill & Mary Ellen
Tommy, Mildred, Aunt Ruth, Mary Ellen & Jane On Honeywell trip
to Bermuda
Minnie & Tommy Proffitt, Ben & Jane Ayres,
Woody & Mildred Hix, Mary Ellen & Bill Myers.
Homecoming in Columbia, 2004
Kristen, Leah, Stefan, Alyssa, Cara, Nolan, Braden, Chase & Hope
The McDaniel children, 2005
Nancy Tommy Sandell Karen Travis Kevin
The Wall family in Michigan, 2004.
Nancy, Jeff, Jeanie & David Inside Captain’s Quarters
September 2005 at Holden Beach, NC
David & Braden McDaniel Boys at beach
Hope at the beach
Our favorite beach house where we enjoyed all aspects of the beach - the "jellybean" size Sand-Pipers that suddently took flight, the early morning birds nesting at the point. The challenge of walking the mile and a half to the point and how "pointless" it was to walk the other way. We enjoyed it all - even in 2005, when we had to evacuate on Tuesday, the children spent many hours on the beach.
Nancy & Tommy Wall’s home Boys at beach
Fun with Sandy, one of
their well trained Labs.
David with Nancy, Karen, Kevin & Travis
on David & Ruth Ann’s goat farm
Near Bailey, NC
Jeanie & David’s home.
David’s “scale model” of red barn Bill built.
I didn’t take good care of the children’s creations like I wish I had done.
One thing for certain, you can’t.