6 days in Indiana

Once a year, the weekend after Father's Day, there is a Jones reunion in Indiana. Daddy died in 2004 and I've wanted to attend ever since. Actually, I wanted to attend with him prior to that but Mother was so sick and we could never work it out. Anyway in 2004, after he died, I wanted to go but I worked for a mortgage company and you don't leave work at a mortgage company at the end of the month. Finally, here it is 2006, and I now work for a telecommunciations company -- actually, I'm a VP so leaving at the end of the month is allowed. :)

So, on June 21st of this year, Mother and I flew to Indianapolis and enjoyed 6 days in Indiana!

Day 1 -- we arrived in Indianapolis at 12:06 in time for lunch. The nicest lady helped me get Mother (who goes through airports in a wheelchair) to the Hertz counter. Then she helped us get our luggage out to the curb where Hertz DELIVERED our car to us! I had no idea that could happen. My experience with rental cars is you get on a shuttle bus with your substantial luggage and go to a remote facility to pick up your car. Thank you HERTZ!! Interestingly enough, my Dad's favorite car when I was a child was a blue and white Grand Prix. When I reserved the car with Hertz I thought I would get a Taurus -- they gave me a Grand Prix. We decided it was what Daddy wanted for our trip and were grateful he was with us!!

Once the car was brought to us we drove to Lynhurst Drive to find our hotel -- the Quality Inn & Suites. I had read a review online of this hotel and a restaurant called "Indy's" that was great! so I was definitely looking forward to lunch at this restaurant. They did not disappoint. Over the next 20 hrs we ate there 3 times and planned to come back for lunch on Monday on our way to the airport for our flight home. The rest of the day was spent resting, reading, the drug store -- sort of a chill and recover day.

Day 2 -- Up and out of the Quality Inn and to Indy's for breakfast. The Outrageous Omlet was our choice and I mean this was the BEST omlet either of us had EVER eaten. Thank you Indy's!!
Next, a country drive to Medaryville, Indiana, home of my Daddy's only sister, Leona Pullins. She works for Pulaski Service Center -- a senior center -- where she is the director. We ate lunch with the seniors and enjoyed it immensely!! The next stop was the grocery store in Francesville where we bought the ingredients to make potato salad and 5 cup salad. We went back to her house and made the salads and then headed to Independence Cemetary where many relatives, including my grandparents and great-grandparents, are buried. We also went to Newland, where Daddy mainly grew up. There is no house -- just a field where there was once a house. Then on to Pizza King, the only fast food in Medaryville, to order dinner out. Aunt Leona had made homemade cheesecake and we ate cheesecake, cantaloupe, and pizza like pigs. Pizza King has yummy pizza! We enjoyed Aunt Leona's hospitality and her beautiful home immensely.

Day3 -- We said goodbye to Leona as she left for work and headed back to Lafayette, IN where we met up with Kenny II and Wesley and their families including Deborah, Jason, Chase, Lori, Brady, and Lori's mom, Mary. Mother and I rented a suite at the Holiday Inn City Centre so everyone would have a place to lounge around and take a shower. We swam in the indoor pool with Chase and Brady. Chase got a case of hives and Wes and Lori took him to the doctor. He's fine and off we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. The sweetest thing was a gift from Lori to me, Kenny, and Mother -- a framed picture of my Daddy -- his graduation from high school. It was very special!!

Day 4 -- REUNION DAY: Mother and I ate room service and she made biscuits to go out of the leftovers!! We headed to the park in San Pierre, IN where we saw so many cousins we haven't seen since we were kids (and I'm 44 at this writing). The food was good and so many wonderful people similar to my Dad. A very special day! After the reunion, Mother and I went to Uncle David and Aunt Alice's home in Wheatfield. We enjoyed hamburgers for dinner and lots of chatting and laughing.

Day 5 -- Uncle David didn't sleep well so we didn't see him all day. Aunt Alice let us fix our breakfast and then we headed out to see where Uncle Bob lives and Aunt Pat. Also, where Wheatfield High School once stood, which is where Daddy graduated. I took a picture of the plaque that remains, to go along with my picture of him I was given the other night. Do you know where corn comes from? Well, let me tell you -- maybe not all of it, but A LOT of it is grown in Indiana. It's so beautiful. When we went to Indiana as kids the corn was always over our heads. You'd drive down the road and could see nothing but corn because you couldn't see over the corn!!

Day 6 -- Mother and I had a 6AM wake-up call to get on the road by 7:30. Aunt Alice has her insurance business in her home and we want to be out before her day begins. Besides that, we want to be in Indianapolis in time for one more meal at Indy's!! :) As I loaded the car on the"business entrance" side of my Aunt and Uncle's home, I looked up and there were 3 deer, a doe and 2 fawns. I just stood there amazed that they were there. I thanked the doe for sharing her beautiful children with me then went inside to tell my family about it.