Making Lemonade

En route to my Aunt Char Phelps's funeral in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Grammy, Poppa, Sage, Lucy and I found ourselves stranded in Collinsville, Illiniois, due to some unforeseen car issues (we almost lost the front wheel in East St. Louis late the night before!). Luckily, we were only a few miles from my dear cousin/goddaughter Olivia Hopkins and she was able to join us for breakfast and to hang out for a bit.

The girls charmed us with their funny faces.


Olivia was the former Editor-in-Chief of the Edwardsville HS yearbook. She used her award winning (really, her yearbook won awards) journalism skills to interview the girls...and Poppa.





Olivia's interview of Dad is not to be missed. Seriously. Adorable. 

Olivia also joined us in playing follow the leader back and forth and back and forth on the curb and running, rolling and cartwheeling up and down a grassy hill. On a walk around the hotel, we discovered putt-putt golf. Who would have thought you could still play on a Thursday morning in early October? Luckily we had a group with some pretty good persuasion skills and a Poppa with some cash.

Sage and Poppa.

Lucy demonstrates how to clean it up.

Lucy has olive fingers!

Finally, with four good wheels, we were back on the road again.  

And at the end of the road, we found Uncle Hoppy...and lots of cousins remembering our sassy, smart and seriously silly Aunt Char.