Hanging in PA

We arrived here at Scottyland CG on Friday Oct 28, one day behind the original planned date.  Sometimes stopping for a quick visit with friends is worth the delay.  This was one of those times!

We had hoped that now that our daughter and her fiancé lived more out in the country, instead of in the city of Pittsburgh, we would be able to get a CG closer than 1/2 hour away, but this time of year, choices are limited.  There is one state park, Kooser, that is staying open later than usual, but they turned off water and closed the sewer hook-ups at individual sites, which is understandable b/c of how cold it can get.  They also do not allow stays of longer than 3 weeks, even though it is way past “season”.  So, instead we are at Scottyland Camping Resort, about 18 miles away, a 25 minute drive.  Most of the drive is on narrow, windy, county roads, which during the day is fine, but can be nerve-wrecking at night due to wildlife potentially coming into the road.  The CG is ok – there are a lot of seasonal RV’s that stay parked all year but get closed up for the winter.  This location is only an hour or so from Pittsburgh so they get a lot of weekenders coming on Fridays after work and heading back Sunday afternoons.   Only issue I have with the park is a lot of the RV’s (mostly travel trailers) are old and beat up looking, causing the place to look run down and unattractive.   The upside is the rate is affordable at $395 for the month (all inclusive – no metered electric).  The only other thing is the office has very limited hours now.  We’ve been trying to get a key to the gate for almost a week (the gate sometimes gets locked at night).

Having said all that, we have already made a reservation for a different CG for next fall for the month before the wedding.  It’s about 5 miles closer to Michelle’s house and much nicer, no ugly run-down trailers.  It’s a bit more money at $450 for the month, but doable.

We have been busy since our arrival.   We’ve been spending time hanging out with Michelle, talking about the wedding, getting some chores done, and having dinner together.  Michelle and Derek are both great cooks and they’ve been spoiling us with yummy dinners.

Derek made this fabulous Lobster Mac and Cheese one night!

We’ve already driven out to Lancaster to see our son and help him move.  He and his fiancé have broken up, so it is a difficult time for him.   In spite of that, it was good to see him, as it had been over a year – TOO LONG!

me and my boy

We (Bill, Michelle and I) spent a few days in NJ, with our friends (extended family really) the Yaegers, saying goodbye to Jim.  He passed away, leaving his wife (my BFF), Linda, and 2 kids, Jessilynn (our Goddaughter) and Jimmy.  It is a sad time for sure.  Jim was a good friend and he will be missed by all who knew him.  We’ve known them for over 25 years! Derek, thankfully, stopped in and checked on Callie for us while we were gone.

We also had a scare with our great-niece, 16 yr old Avianna.  She left her fathers house and didn’t come home for 3 nights.  Scared the s*** out of us!  We are grateful that she is now home and safe, but wow!  You want the phone to ring, but you don’t want the phone to ring – ya know what I mean?   I was starting to look at air schedules!  We all breathed a sigh of relief when she called her Mom to come pick her up!

On a happier note:  We finally got to meet Derek’s parents, Tracy and Pete!  Michelle and Derek arranged for us to all have dinner together at a local place called Out of the Fire.  It was a great evening getting to know them, and I’m sure we will spend more time together while we are in town.

me and my girl
highly recommended if you are ever in the Donegal, PA area
happy parents with the bride and groom to be!

So, as you can tell, its been a stressful week, some the good kind, some not, here in PA. We have lots going on while we are here, including dress shopping!  Michelle has set up 2 appointments so far, and I am very excited to get started!  We also want to go see the venue, and talk about what they want it to look like, etc.  It’s all so exciting!  I’m the Mother of the Bride!

14 thoughts on “Hanging in PA

  1. So happy you and Bill had some quality time with your family and friends like family. Our condolences for your immortal friend and his family.
    So happy for Michelle and Dereck.
    Some very fortunate young lady awaits your son. His ‘single time’ will probably be temporary. Wishing the best for him, as we do for Michelle and Dereck.
    We LOVE retirement so far. We retired on Morris’ birthday, October 14th. Pulled out on the 25th for a week in NC at our annual championship sprint-dirt track races. Arrived at our winter site in MB, SC on Monday, Oct. 31st. Time is flying. We keep pinching ourselves to know it’s permanent, and we don’t have to return for a commitment to an employer. We are so happy, so relaxed. We’re here until April 6th. Thirty feet from the lake’s edge in our front yard, approx. 600 ft. From the ocean. It lulls us to sleep each night.
    Prayers are always said for the two of you for continued happiness and safe traveling. Hugs to you both.

    1. Thanks Elizabeth Anne! We are also very happy for Michelle and Derek – they are great together!
      It is very sad about Jim – he will be missed!
      I know Billy will be sad for awhile, but I agree with you – he will probably not be single too long!
      So happy for you and Morris! I can feel the excitement as you write about it! Sounds like you have an awesome spot!Hope our paths cross sometime soon! I’ll message you!

  2. Lobster, mac and cheese!!! That’s a taste bud party that only a creative imagination could ever exceed!! The twists and turns of your journey parallels the experiences that we all “travel” through on our mutual pathways finding home.

    1. You haven’t lived fully til you had lobster mac and cheese! Delish! Congrats on your new home! I still need that address – message me!

  3. Nice post…glad that you are reunited with your family. We are heading back to PA a little early. We will be in Lancaster on Friday November 18th – Saturday November 26th. Give a shout if you come into town?

    1. Thanks Nancy! It was awesome getting hugs from my kids!
      Sadly, we won’t be in Lancaster that early – not leaving here til Nov 27. I’ll text or PM you!

  4. How exciting! I was the mother of the bride in May 2015. It was a lot of fun and I had a blast planning and shopping with my daughter! You’ll love it! Now I am excitedly anticipating my first grandchild this February!

    1. Congrats on your expected grandchild! How exciting! We are having a blast shopping and planning all that needs to be done! Thanks for reading!

  5. So happy for you Kelly getting to spend time with your children. Nothing better. Have fun wedding planning, that is a lot of fun as well. The wedding will be here before you know it. Enjoy the rest of your time in PA and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *