Memphis

A week and a half ago I made an overnight trip to the Memphis area. I drove over after work on Friday night and checked in to the Marriott, courtesy of Mom and Dad, since I was there on business for them. I had two appointments for the next day at two different retirement communities.

They have decided, through prayer and consideration and discussion that building a home on the lot they own in Hot Springs Village, AR is not what they are supposed to do next. As most of you probably know, they will be done with their field assignment next February and will be back here in the US by the end of that month. They will then buy a mini-van and pack up like they did early in 2004 and will spend the rest of 2008 and all of 2009 travelling the US from timeshare to timeshare. At that time they intend to move into a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Center), which is why we are beginning the research and info gathering now. Some of these places have waiting lists.

So over the last 6 weeks or so, we have all been searching the web and they have begun contacting places via email and having the info packets sent to me. I visited one place here in Brentwood and then the two places mentioned above in the Memphis suburb of Germantown. I talked with them just Saturday morning to let them know all I had learned last week. We have now enough education to begin a little weeding out of places that we know will not work for them. I have two more places to visit in the Fort Wayne, IN area when I head up there next (probably the first weekend of August).

All that to say that I had a really nice day in Germantown and had plenty of leisure time to drive around the area a little. I also had researched enough in advance to find a scrapbook store in the area. I was able to spend about an hour browsing at Remember When Scrapbooking (www.rememberwhenss.com) and really enjoyed myself. I got some great deals too - I got 7 12x12 sheets all on sale, 2 tag sheets that were also on sale and 3 QK dies that were 30% off! Add in one more pad of liquid chalk that was on sale and I got all for $25.01! Plus since I spent over $20 I got 4 more 12x12 sheet for free! All in all I was ecstatic with my frugal finds of things I know I will use.

I also found a nice little lunch place in between appointments and enjoyed eating my lunch and reading my book! Yummy creamy tomato dill soup and a slice of spinach quiche - I couldn't have found anything better!

So if you are ever headed to or through Memphis, make sure you check out Germantown - it's really a nice place. More news on other things coming soon... Don't miss it!