A Minor Inconvenience!

We left Jacksonville and drove to St. Cloud, Florida on Monday at noon, for a Thanksgiving with Renne's parents and other family members.  We had planned on cooking and eating Thankgiving dinner at the ranch at Overstreet Landing.  It was discovered, however, the natural gas line in the walls of the main house was leaking and we couldn't use the stove to cook with. So, we were torn about celebrating at the ranch or the townhouse in St. Cloud.  Tuesday we began shopping and planning food for a great turkey dinner.  Wednesday we began serious food preparation - cooking pies, mixing dry ingredients for dressing, cooking sweet potatoes, snapping fresh green beans, boiling eggs, cooking the squash, brandying cranberries, etc.  We decided Wednesday that we could celebrate at the ranch, but would have to prepare the food at the townhouse - a 30 mile trip each way.  Thursday morning, Renne' and I got up and finished all of the food preparation, then packed it all in the jeep and set out for the ranch house.  We felt like we were delivering Meals on Wheels!  Thanksgiving dinner consisted of:

20lb turkey
7 lb spiral ham
Cornbread and sausage dressing
Giblet gravy
Fresh snap green beans
Sweet Potato casserole
Squash Souffle'
Deviled Eggs
Mashed Potatoes
Brandied Cranberries
Fresh Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie

Needless to say, as always, it was TOO MUCH!!

We had the kids out playing touch football and soccer, driving around the ranch chasing cows on the four-wheeler, and helping muck out the stables with a very sweet 12 y/o young lady who is 5th in the world riding cutting horses.  Her future step-mother, Wilma's daughter, Jody, is a world champion barrel racer.  Wow, what a line of athletes!

Thursday evening, Renne' and I got back to the townhouse, and as we were getting ready for bed, Renne' complained about her abdomen hurting.  That was unusual!  By midnight, she was in a fetal position, shivering and sweating bullets.  By 1230, we were on our way to the emergency room at the local hospital.

Friday morning at 9am, Renne' went into surgery for an appendectomy!

Saturday afternoon - we are sitting in her hospital room while she is eating - no drinking her liquid/jello dinner!  She is doing great!  She should leave the hospital tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.  We will stay here in St. Cloud until her followup appointment with the Internist, and hopefully we will be back on the boat by next weekend.  A delay, but we are more than thankful it all happened here and not while we are out cruising the Caribbean.  There is always a silver lining to every adventure we are experiencing.

So we are not having Sundowners tonite - unless you consider Ensure an adequate substitute.  However, we will be ack to the docks soon, and we will let you know when to meet us.

Until then,
JonNe'