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Published: August 14th 2013
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Corn fields and windmills filled our windows today as we drove across Nebraska and Iowa with stops to visit friendly faces in both states.
We first landed in Lincoln, NE, to visit with Deborah, Michael and Adelyn Fuggit. Deborah was our nanny for two years when the kids were 4 and 6, roughly. She's now married to Michael, and their daughter, Adelyn, is 16 months old. We had a delicious buffet lunch, made merry by the gurgling giggles of a precocious and precious toddler who was both entertaining to and entertained by all four of our kids. It was fabulous to catch up and hear about their current life, as well as compare heights to see if Deborah or Maggie are taller (she still has about a 1/4 inch on our daughter, but Maggie will most likely take her at our next meeting).
After lunch we made a quick stop at the University of Nebraska bookstore so Todd could pick up his latest college collection sweatshirt, then it was on to Des Moines, IA, to spend the night with Brian, my brother. We got to check out his bachelor pad and had a fantastic dinner at the Iowa Machine
Shed Restaurant, which specializes in promoting the value and benefit of farms and farming. The food was filling and flavorful, and the company superb. Our dinner conversation included volcanos, hail storms, tornados, and cannibalistic squirrels. The kids love talking to Uncle Brian!
And Todd and I appreciate him, too, as he graciously has let the kids crash at his place while we enjoy a peaceful night at a local hotel. Weird to be without them after so many straight days together, but we are grateful for the respite. Tomorrow we head off early, early for Chicago to catch an afternoon game at Wrigley Field with our beloved Cubs. Tommy, surprisingly, is leading the charge for getting on the road at the crack of dawn so we don't miss the first pitch at 2:00. We'll do our best. But the boys have never been inside the park, so it will be a big father & son/son/son bonding moment.
We spend most of our time driving now with iPads, DVDs and iPods. When Todd drives you'll hear Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" or any of Bill Bryson's books, and when Marcia takes the wheel her playlist includes Fun,
Mumford & Sons, Phillip Phillips, Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift and more. Todd likes to say we're each experiencing our own separate car rides as we each indulge in our own preferred electronic distraction. But the miles fly by, and we're enjoying the views. Particularly of the skyscraper-high windmills here in Iowa. These moving monoliths are a dominating presence on I-80, with as many as 50 at a time in one general vicinity. We've passed enough of these three-pronged giants that I feel compelled to learn a little more about how they work. Maybe we should look into installing one in our backyard to cut down on our electric bill!
Two days left - 48 hours. Two more entries before we part ways. Until tomorrow...
Marcia
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The Other Baldwin Family
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Friendly Faces Before the Finale
As the music of your journey nears the final few bars, it's great to see Deborah and her family joining in on the chorus! Oh, that Adelyn is a cutie! Now that the RV is put away and the old trusted steed is bringing you home, have a great time singing those songs over the radio! We leave for Chicago in just two days, so please tell Todd not to break the city. Happy trails!