Lots of News!

Remember, click on the photos to enlarge them!

Hi everyone! 

Lots to report. First of all, Nellie has had cataract surgery in both eyes, and is now seeing better than ever! She has already given away her glasses, because she doesn't need them anymore! After her first eye was worked on, she woke from a nap, looked at the TV and said, "Hey, I can read that!" She was so happy, she was giddy! She walks around the Strickland house now reading the signs for everyone!

This weekend we are going to Walgreens to get her some reading glasses, so she can read the paper. She is so excited!

A couple of weeks ago, we had a visit from two of Nellie's nephews, Bill and Joe Adkins! They were up from the Southwest to see the New England foliage and came to visit Aunt Nellie. They are two of her sister Jean's sons. Jean used to live in Orlando.

Later this month Nellie's daughter Bobbie, and her husband Bob and son Justin are visiting. Bobbie hasn't been to Maine since Marisa and I got married in 1998. The way the weather has been going there might be snow... we had 6 inches of snow on the ground last Halloween...

Dana will be coming up in November, too!

Ben is still playing 8th grade football for his school. He is quite the star.... the team is 5-1 and he has scored at least one TD in every game but one, and averages about two a game... Nellie is going to come to see him play his last two games, now that her eyes are all settled in.

Last weekend we took the boys to Washington DC (my first visit!) and Gettysburg. We drove there and back last weekend, taking the boys out of a day of school... We had a great time. The Mall in DC, and all the memorials were wonderful. The boys especially liked the Vietnam Menorial and of course, the Lincoln Memorial. Gettysburg was great, the new visitors center is one of the best of its kind. It's worth another visit if you have not been there since the new one opened.

Maine was important at Gettsburg. We visited the spot on Little Round Top that Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 2oth Maine saved the Union left. The entire place in humbling. The boys really liked it.

Nellie would like to thank everyone for the cards and letters, especially Betty and Connie!. She reads and saves them all, and wishes she could write back to everyone.

Rolling mom in for her first cataract surgery.

The Adkins boys, and Nellie

Mom, showing them the activities board.

This is the Maple tree across from our house.

Ben, on a long TD run. Both teams wore maroon... Our team have the ram horns on the helmets...

Flying through the air, trying to catch Ben...

Lucas, at the Maine part of the new WWII Memorial on the Mall in DC. It's a beautiful place.

Ben, proud of his Texas roots.

Lucas at the Lincoln Memorial.

Reenactors at Gettysburg. Lucas loved the gunfire!

Hanging out with Abe...

Not really advisable.

At the 20th Maine memorial, on Little Round Top.

The statue of Gen. Warren, who stood there and saw the Confederates moving to the Union left and set up the defense of Little Round Top. Gettysburg is a beautiful, very moving place.

 A view from the Union lines.

 A statue at Gettysburg National Cemetery. Notice the pennies left behind...

 A marker of Unknown soldiers, probably Confederate.

Marking the spot in the National Cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Again, notice all the pennies at the top.