To Toronto and Back on Halloween night 2017

Eight or nine men from Faith Tab. needed a ride to the Toronto Airport to catch the first leg of their flight to Mexico to do a building project mission trip with Dave and Becky Snyder.

Peggy was asked to drive them.  She asked me to accompany her so she would not be alone on the drive back to Lockport.

We met up at Faith Tab at six p.m. and the guys loaded the truck, and we headed out.  Adam drove there so that Peggy did not have to  drive both ways.    The guys were a scream.  Here is one conversation.   guy 1"when I retire I might run for alderman"
                        guy 2"you are going to run to Albany?"
                        guy 3"no, he is going to walk people to the altar"
                        guy 1"Peggy, what does an alderman do?"

We found the hotel at the airport easily and then Peg and I headed back to Lockport.  

Here are some pictures from later on this week after the team arrived at their destination in Mexico.
four members of the Faith Tab team

building the new church

NIAGARA FRONTIER WATERCOLOR SOCIETY FALL 2017 MEMBERS' WATERMEDIA EXHIBITION

I called Pam last night and asked her if she wanted to go to the Kenan Center to see the WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT and she said yes.  After my eye doctor appointment, I called her and we agreed to meet at the Kenan Center.   We enjoyed seeing the paintings.

After that we met up at KFC and we split one of their small meals.  

Sunday Afternoon at Faith Tab

After church today there was a CHILI COOK-OFF and a Soup Luncheon.  I provided egg salad sandwiches to go along with the soup.

After lunch, their was an INSIDE Trunk or Treat for the kids since it was drizzling outside.  They also provided tvs so some of the men could watch the Buffalo Bills game.  I think that was set up in the large sanctuary.

Friday night walk in Lockport (10/27/17) and Saturday with Peggy (10/28/17)

Last evening I took a walk downtown because it was such a lovely warm evening.  Along the way I ran into a couple of trick or treaters heading towards Main Street.

There was an event going on at Ida Fritz Park. 

I took a few pictures before heading home.

and saw this on the way 

As I got closer to home, I started to feel weak and I barely made it home before I had diarrhea.   Which is why I did not post this last night.  

                                             Saturday October 28

Yesterday on the phone Peggy mentioned her plans to go today to get chowder at a church in Gasport and then go to the Amish Bulk Food Store.  I asked if I could accompany her and she agreed.

I met her at her house this morning.  Before leaving, David insisted that I try the chili he is making for tomorrow's chili cook off at Faith Tab.  I tried it and it is pretty good.

Our first stop was at a place where we turned in cans and bottles for nickels.  Then we went to Gasport.   Unfortunately, when we got to Covenant United Church of Christ, they had sold out all of their chowder.  I saw this sign for next Saturdays Autumn Bazaar.  Peg and I went to it last year and want to go again.

Then we went to the Amish Bulk Food Store on 104.  It was very crowded and we ran into Becky, Pat Tomaino and her daughter and Yolanda there.  Both Peg and I made several purchases.

Peggy suggested that we stop by the Beachy's so she could show them the aerial pictures she took a week ago when she and David flew over.  Mrs. Beachy was not home but several of her children were there.  The girls just loved seeing the pictures.  It was nice to see two year old Johanna, who seems to be doing very well.

We also stopped at what I sometimes call THE HAUNTED FARM STAND right near the stone schoolhouse.(the real name is PRODOM FARMS).  It has been cleaned up since last year.  I bought a tomato and another butternut squash.

When we got back to Peggy's house David gave me a jar of chili to have for supper tonight.  

Before going home, I stopped at Reids and purchased my lunch and I also left a jack o lantern rock on the deck of the ice cream shop.

the two smaller sparkly stones on the left are waiting to be placed.  

Lockport CARENET Pregnancy Center 2017 Fundraising Banquet (10/26/17)

Once again, I helped to fill Peggy's table with guests for this annual banquet. I invited Elaine, Nancy and Becky to join me and they all agreed.  Elaine drove this small group to the Tonawanda Castle in Tonawanda, NY.

This  is the first year that it has been held there. The former armory is not as fancy as Salvatore's but it is VERY nice.  Before the meal, I looked around some of the other areas of the building.  

I purchased twenty dollars worth of tickets for the basket raffle.  There was a lot of guesswork involved while choosing which baskets to try for, since the lights were not all that bright in that room and the baskets were not labelled.  I put most of my tickets on a small Vera Bradley shoulder bag.

Peg and I were surprised to see our brother Mike there.  He came with a group from his church.  A few pictures were taken of him, Peg, Becky and I.

Our meal was very good, it included both beef and chicken.  They did the drawing for the basket raffle and announced the winners of the silent auction between the meal and the program.  I was happy to win the purse. 

  Becky won two baskets and Peggy won one.

The speaker, Claire Colwell, survived an abortion that her mother had when she was thirteen.  She was adopted into a wonderful family and was able to meet her birth mother in her twenties, and that was when she heard the whole story.  She was very good.

Peg said that she thought about four hundred people attended this years banquet.  It was a wonderful evening and I already look forward to next year.  

Buffalo Day with Marlene (October 21, 2017)

I met Marlene at Faith  Tab and we headed to Buffalo to do a few things.

Our first stop was at Hoyt Lake.  We picked up some information and then we walked around the lake.  It was a beautiful walk, with lots of nice scenery.

Then we drove to a different location to take a walking tour of the grounds of the old  Buffalo Psychiatric Center.  Marlene was able to bring up narration on her smart phone.

I had noticed people going into the main entrance of the mail building, so I suggested we check it out. The hotel (Hotel Henry) is beautiful, very spacious with lots of open area sitting spaces for their guests.

There is  an art gallery upstairs. 

Marlene had a restaurant picked out:  Plaka's. 

Its kind of like an old time diner.  Very good service and reasonable prices.  We both had the pot roast sandwich, which was huge and delicious.

We drove through Tonawanda on the way back to Lockport, in order to pass the Tonawanda Castle.  It was a great day!

Met Jean near East Aurora, NY Friday 10/20/17

Jean and I were friends back in the early l980's but we lost contact when I moved to the Oneonta area in l986.  I was able to find her phone number on the internet and contacted her about a month ago.  Last night I realized that I had a free day today so I called her and she agreed to meet up with me today.

I woke up to a gorgeous fall day!  We met up at the Yellow Goose on the corner of Big Tree Road and Two Rod Road, between East Aurora and Wales Center.  It is a huge convenience store.  I suggested that we drive a few miles east to go to the Wales Center Hotel.  I had called them last night to make sure they were open today and was told that they were.

We drove past it because it does not have a sign, but eventually (after a phone call) we found it.

We  did not eat there because they did not have any real tables and chairs, just barstools and tall tables with tall stools.  Jean can not use those tall stools.  We did use the ladies room, which was nice, and talked with the bartender and a customer.  Jean is such a good sport she said that this was "an experience".  It sure was.

We decided to just go back to the Yellow Goose.  I had a sub and Jean had a calzone.  My sandwich was just fine, but I think it was a bit expensive (over six dollars).  We visited for an hour or more and got each other caught up on all that has happened to both of us over the years.  Its been over thirty years.  

Jean needed some WHITE OUT, so we drove to East Aurora to go to a CVS to get it.  Then I took her back to the Yellow Goose to get her car.  We agreed to try to get together sometime in the spring, since winter is getting so close.

On the way back, I turned off of 78 to check out this old diner that I noticed not too long ago when I was out with Mary Ann.    It is on Route 20 in Depew, on the way to the Lancaster Opera House.  

 I had a piece of bumbleberry pie with a scoop of ice cream.  It was delicious.

I stopped at WalMart in Lockport to pick up an item that I ordered. (a bed wedge).