12AUG11

The first day of my road trip began at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The day was short but was enjoyable. I love road trips. I hope one day to have a road trip where I don't have to be anywhere at any certain time. I'd like to be able to stop when I want to do so and take pictures of all the neat old buildings and purty skies and fields which house old barns etc. And at least once, I'd like to stop and take pictures of all the church buildings and all the signs announcing them. It'd be cool to have a weekend's worth of churches of christ.
These pictures are all from the trip north to Tyler and then from my dinner with one of my top five favorite families in the whole city of Tyler: The Shumates. They call me LFSF, short for Loralee Fabulous Shumate Ford!
I had a really great time with them this weekend. Usually I stay with Ayers, Bluhms, or Tindalls, but none of them were available this particular weekend. So, off to the country to stay with the Shumates. We went to this really great hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Legends or something like it. They have pretty much the tastiest burgers I've ever had. I found out why--they grind their own meat! There is no frozen, then thawed taste to their burgers! After we ordered, the gal at the counter asked for a name. Scott said "Blind Bartimaeus." Seems that he gives them a different, wacky name every time they go.
When we got home, Scott invited me to tour the workshop and then asked if I wanted to help him sand the set of blinds he was working on. At first I didn't really want to do so. I was tiiiirrreeed. But the thought of Scott staying up 'til 3 or 4 a.m. working on blinds and then having to take a two hour trip to his Great-Uncle's 80th birthday party didn't sit well with me. So, I grabbed my IPOD and set to work. Scott and I sang and sanded and worked for almost 2 hours and finished all but 3 of the sets of blinds! I enjoyed--as I am wont to do--working with my hands. I did learn one lesson though. Always wear protective eye wear when you are sanding!
Anyway, I had a fantastic time with my Shumates!