On Sunday, April 19, we arose early and got ready to go to church with Mom and Dad and my sister Patti Sloan and her family. Before we left I went out into Mom and Dad’s back yard and snapped a picture (below) of the quiet lake on which their home is situated.
Theirs is such a beautiful and peaceful place! Below is a Google Street Views look at the front of their house; drag the image about for a look at their neighborhood!View Larger Map
Another interesting thing about Mom & Dad’s place are the cute little lizards crawling about on the screens and siding. Be nice to them, and they might give you a free rate quote on your car insurance, in a quaint British accent!
We met Patti, her husband Jason, and their son Jonathan at Assumption Catholic Church in Jacksonville. It’s a beautiful place, and the traditional Mass was a dignified, comforting experience. There was an especially serene place off to the side of the church that I noticed after Mass, and took a picture of it (see left).
We returned to Mom & Dad’s after Mass, and on our way to the Sloans’ in the afternoon took a drive through Jacksonville Beach. We stopped at the beach for a few minutes and watched the surfers, and were invited to a baptism in the Atlantic Ocean (we watched from a distance). I got a picture of Mom and Dad--don’t they look great?
From the beach we went to the Sloans’ for a cookout. We brought some authentic deli hot dogs from New York, and Jason made his awesome signature hamburgers! Jason’s parents, Tom and Ivy, were there, too--what fun folks!
The Sloans’ delightful pooch B.B. was a little standoff-ish from Melany at first. Then Dad suggested that she might warm up if she were given a little liquid refreshment. After that, B.B. was Melany's best friend (and no, that’s not Melany’s bottle!)!
After dinner, our nephew Jonathan gave us all a special performance on his guitar (mostly Jimi Hendrix, and some other “high-spirited” numbers)--he’s awesome! Somewhere a band is missing its lead guitarist!
That wraps up Sunday--could it really have been almost two weeks ago? How I wish we could relive it all again! Hang in there for the next installment of our vacation saga!
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2 comments:
What a great visit! Though we didn't spend nearly enough time together! But we did have fun! Can't wait for the next get-together!
How fun! I wish we could've been there. Your parents backyard looks like the Garden of Eden! I could die a happy man if my backyard looked like that. I can't wait to print out the picture of Melany with the "beverage" to use as blackmail! hahaha
It was nice to be reminded of how green my home state is. I remember playing with the lizards around my house when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing the pictures!
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