Family and Friends

Family and Friends

October 14-16

 From Sedona we headed south to Scottsdale where Jeff’s sister Linda and husband Dief spend the winter from their other home outside of Denver. Their home is lovely, in a gated community on the golf course.  The home is filled with Dief’s beautiful bronze sculptures he has been creating over the years.  We both loved Scottsdale and neighboring Carefree, though in the high 90’s really didn’t mind the dry heat.  Could see spending winters there and now is a great time to buy.  Another place to add to our “possible places to live” list.

Sculptures on display

Dief and Linda

Linda & Janice

Back Yard

Linda, Jeff and Janice

 We headed toward Texas and took several night stops to reach San Antonio (which will be under a separate entry).  By the way Texas is a HUGE State and when alls said and done we must have driven about 1,300 miles just there.

October 21-25

After San Antonio we headed for another of Jeff’s sisters, Donyce & husband Vic on South Padre Island all the way down on the most southern part of the Gulf.   Talk about ideal weather---sunny every day.  This is their off season and the “snow birds” had not begun to arrive.  We had a great time and pushed our limits and stayed on 4 nights.

 Their annual Sand Sculpture Competition was taking place and had contestants from around the world.  There was a gal there who Janice realized competed in the last Vineyard Sand Sculpture Contest and knew Janice Donaroma who headed it up.



Wacky Duck

A 30 year sand sculpture veteran

Lucinda aka "Sandy Feet" competed in Vineyard Competition

Jeff and Vic spent one afternoon surf fishing with lots of hits but no real keepers.  Jeff did hold onto adecent size Pompano which we threw on the grill and each had a fork-full or 2 to try.  Actually very tastey!  Time to go and we headed back North to Austin.

The Pompano...doesn't look like much but grilled up tastey!

October 26-27

We headed to Ken & Cathy Campbell, ex-Vineyarders and Pastor of Faith Community Church who moved to Leander, Texas a bit northeast of Austin.  On our way we learned that SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, more Vineyard buddies, had coincidentally been in town.  So we had a short, but fun reunion and enjoyed Cathy’s great barbeque sparerib dinner at their lovely home.

SQuire, Cathy, Louise and Ken

October 31

 Another stop was in Nashville to visit our Vineyard friends, Bev and Warren Petitt.  The Petitt’s moved to Brentwood area 14 months ago to set up the Contemporary Music Center which had been located in Lambert’s Cove, West Tisbury at the FOCUS property for nine years. Also along with them from the Vineyard (former Youth Coordinators at Faith MV) are Jenn and John Leininger who are  on CMC staff.  And their adorable little boy, Jackson who is already 14 months old.  

Bev, Warren, Janice, Jeff

John, Jenny, Jackson, Janice and Jeff

Nashville was a natural place to relocate CMC and has proven to be a phenomenal success.  We were blown away with the new “digs”.  It is a professional, first class facility which trains college students from around the country various facets of the music business.  Check out their website:   www.thecontemporarymusiccenter.com