Back to Virginia

I have been back in Virginia since March 19th to help care for my sweet Aunt Joyce.  She was diagnosed with meningitis and moved to UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, VA the day after Ardell and I left.  My cousins and I have rotated shifts so one of us can be with her while she is treated for meningitis.  Charlottesville is about 40 miles over the mountain from Staunton so I have driven that route in all kinds of weather - including snow and sleet.


While I have been to Staunton many times, I had never visited Woodrow Wilson's Birthplace or Presidential Library so I spent a day visiting those sites.   Woodrow Wilson was president at the end of WWI.  It seems I have been exposed to a lot of WWI history lately via Downton Abbey and the book "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett.  Also, my grandfather, B. Bruce Lamond, was a chaplain during that war.  The 19th Amendment was passed during Wilson's presidency.  I like that one!!!

Gypsy Hill Park is a short drive from my aunt's house so that is where I have been doing my walking.  It's a great park with a  1.3 mile loop and it is hilly!  My calves are getting pretty muscular!  Weird when your pants get too tight in the calves!!

My original walking buddy, Donna Foster, and I met for lunch one day in Lexington, VA.  She now lives in Roanoke, VA.  We used to live down the street from each other in Sugar Land and Janet, Sarah and her daughter, Amanda, were in kindergarten together.  Donna found me on FB several years ago and we met for coffee when I was in VA several years ago.  This time we had time for a much longer visit.  Great fun!