Gracious Hospitality at Ivy Hill

Yesterday we left from Laurel with Dianne's mother, Sylvia, and drove to Vernon, Alabama, for a visit to Jeanne and Don's Ivy Hill home. This home is a work in progress, and, oh, the progress they have made since buying the house last year. Through their creativity and talent and hard work and sweat, they are transforming this neglected property into a beautiful home. It's a place to which all are welcome.

The table was set for a post-Christmas dinner, and what a spread it was. So many delicious dishes, one plate just wasn't enough. After the meal, we introduced the Thornton grandchildren to letterboxing. We seem to be spreading this "disease" wherever we go. Lizzy, the youngest grandchild at six months of age, declined the outing, indicating she'd rather have a nap. The grounds of Ivy Hill provided many great planting spots. This fun day ended with a few posed shots, though it was almost dusk by the time we thought to do so. In the grandchildren photo, Alex just wasn't feeling photo shoot. Getting the entire Thornton clan into one photo was quite a stretch, but all 18 squeezed in. After returning Sylvia to Laurel, we visited some fascinating places on the way home. The Alabama Veterans Memorial in Birmingham...... and Birmingham's one-fifth scale replica of the Statue of Liberty. Coincidentally we found letterboxes in each of these locations. Before we returned home, the van's odometer rolled over to 100,000 miles, accomplished in just a little over three years. Hmmm... maybe we need to be traveling a bit more.