At the end of 2011 Ameren made Ken an offer he couldn't refuse---- retire with a full year of pay plus health insurance and a great pension and 401K. So he accepted and on the 22nd of Dec., he retired. So 2012 was our first year of living as retired folks. Since he retired, so did I.
One of his vendors sent him this really neat hand made inlaid wood vase. He had a lot of really neat vendors.
1-17-22-2-12 Oregon winter trip:
Now that we had nothing tying us to home, when we came across a super airfare to Oregon, we took it. Probably the first time we've gone there in Jan., but we had a good time and some pretty great weather for that time of year in Oregon.
Of course we spent a couple nights in one of our Worldmark resorts on the Oregon coast.
we were shocked by the beautiful weather
Ken got to celebrate his birthday at Ugo's with my relatives.
and we got a visit from William and Sue---one of his vendors from Portland.
They came to Newport and had lunch with us.
2-19---3-2, 2012 Kauai : the year the Schneides joined us for a week
Shortly after getting back from Oregon, we were on our way to Kauai for our annual vacation there. LOVE it there!
And love the snorkeling. Always find some interesting critters---like this sea cucumber.
Love this manmade pond in Lydgate park.
Only place I've seen these stripeys in the wild.
another rare find here---hogfish
a common eel in Kauai---snowflake eel.
another rare fishie in Kauai---Picasso triggerfish
This week the Schneides joined us. We made them go to Smith's luau
love the beach here by our resort---KBV
love the beaches all around Kauai!---like here at Poipu Beach.
another view of Poipu Beach
We've seen some really incredible sunsets here!
Always thought this would be fun to do. Tim and Faith did it, but Ken would never do it.
the famous Hanalei pier
another great sunset
our guests---back when we were still friends. Seems they didn't like us having Fischers join us on Maui a few years later and now they don't talk to us.
a day in the canyon.
Would have liked to do more of this hike, too, but this is as far as I got.
Polihale
a couple black and white stilts in a flooded parking lot.
3-14-21, 2012 Atlanta trip
Back on the mainland, it wasn't long til we were on another trip. This time a road trip to Atlanta to visit with Angie and Josh. Love all the old barns along the way.
Angie and I loved going to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and it is a reciprocal garden with our MOBOT membership.
such a pretty garden.
they even had free sundae Sundays.
another view at the gardens
inside the above building
one of the many interesting gates around the garden
must have been March---love all the daffodils and tulips that time of year.
another gate in the middle of a tulip garden at ATL gardens.
childrens garden.
more daffodils
walking through the garden
before the landmark "Earth Goddess" was added to the garden here.
interesting green "flowers?"
Love all the Redbuds blooming now, too.
and Cherry trees or Bradford Pears.
a drive up to the north Georgia mountains to some wineries.
don't look like much right now.
but the wine was good.
one of the wineries.
beautiful countryside.
another winery
Angie and the pups on their townhouse porch as we were leaving. Who would have known that in a couple years we would be living in Georgia, too---on the NE side of Atlanta, later in middle Georgia, then in NW Atlanta!!!!
Hitting the road again and enjoying Springtime in the midwest.
Tennessee---who knew Tim and FAith would be moving to Tennessee in a couple years!?
3-24-2012 Back at home---Ken went out and bought a Townie touring bike and started joining me for bike rides. I had been going alot! and had gotten up to regularly doing 15 miles. But it was nice that Ken was now joining me, even if we didn't go as far.
3-25-2012 My lilacs!!!!! and daffodils. These lilacs were from a plant that was planted in our yard back in 1970.
3-28-2012 March in St. Louis---off to the Butterfly House in Faust park
a confused butterfly
3-28-2012 the old houses in Faust park
neat park.
4-3-2012 and downtown to Forest park. So much to do there and it's free! Here's the tulips by the Jewel Box in Forst Park.
more tulips in Forest park
one of the bridges in forest park
along the pond in forest park
4-3-2012 still the Boathouse restaurant in Forest park. Neat restaurant. Only ate there a couple times, though.
the pavillion in Forest Park that Angie thought about having their wedding. She was afraid the weather might not cooperate, though.
view from above pavillion.
view up to pavillion
4-12-2012 Over to Tim and Faith's house. They went somewhere on vacation (England, I think?) and I painted their dining room for them.
4-12-2012 back in those days I spent a lot of time with Coni Schneiderjans. Here we are at the Science Center.
they were having some sort of Star Wars thing and Schneides are groupies.
4-18-2012 I still played a lot of volleyball. This was the Wed. night Kirkwood team that I was on. Loved having this group of gals.
A couple trips to Orlando---1st one in Feb. with Carolyn and David and Jane.
Great time in Dad's timeshare.
David and Jane even came down.
4-22-2012
The 2nd trip to orlando was in April with Coni. She is a Disneyholic. So I finally agreed to go there with her.
There are distinct advantages to going places with people who are experts of that area. She said I had to go to the Lion King show---she was right! It was spectacular.
I already knew I loved the safari ride.
she also knew how to use the FastPass system. Back then you had to go to kiosks near the ride and get a ticket. Now (2020) you can do it from your phone!
She also showed me how cool the Disney hotels are.
We didn't stay at them, but drove to them and walked through them.
love all the "surf boards"
I had never been to Disney for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.
It's always beautifully landscaped, but they really do it up for this festival!
One of the stroller parking areas
Coni also made reservations for us to eat at the French restaurant. With Dad we would just grab a hotdog or leave the park to eat, but it was neat splurging for a change.
so many flowers.
the new Energy ride.
the Epcot ride
another great place for sunsets!
the iconic Epcot ball
love the fireworks displays there, too.
I also went on the fun old day Carnival like rides in the dinosaur area of Animal Kingdom. Dad and I never spent much time in that part of the park.
I also loved the walk through aviary. So many cool birds that I've never seen before.
4-28-2012 Back at home----we had one of our really bad storms with really big hail.
4-28-2012 Time for more wedding photos and engagement photos. Here's long time friends of the kids---James and Lisa.
5-2012
Time to go visit Angie again. She picked me up from the airport and we headed to the beach---Edisto Beach.
First time to the mid Atlantic coast.
some really neat photographic areas
trees in the ocean!
love Botany Bay
love the marine areas there in Edisto, too.
and more beautiful sunsets
this time of the year was also when a ton of Horse Shoe Crabs were on the sand. First time I've seen them in the wild.
5-28----6-4, 2012 Maui with Carolyn
Then in June I joined Carolyn in Maui. I had been here with Dad a few years ago and realized what a neat island it really is. Ken and I thought nothing could beat Kauai, but I'm really enjoying Maui.
Carolyn didn't want to go, but I'd always heard so much about snorkeling at Molokini Island, so I did a tour there while she chilled out at the resort.
It was really neat, but not worth the money and hassle of going so early since they kept you corralled in such a small area.
there are lots of areas around maui with great coral and snorkeling.
Definitely better then snorkeling around Kauai
and more sunsets.
Although Carolyn would rather turn her back to sunset and read! That just amazed me!
I loved walking around Kihei while Carolyn slept.
Loved seeing all the flowers and the blue ocean
the small harbor in S. Kihei. I always wondered if there were any fish in this little swim area, but never made it there.
nice trail along the ocean
love the stark black lava against the blue of the ocean.
the condo I was able to get with an RCI exchange. It was great! I love the Worldmark Kihei resort, but wouldn't mind staying here again, either.
LOVE being here when so many Plumerias are blooming. Usually we're in hawaii in Jan-March when not many Plumerias are blooming and the trees are weird looking skeletons devoid of leaves.
heading to one of the many spectacualar beaches.
Can't wait to get back here!
heading in
greeted by a barred filefish
oval butterflyfish
an elusive zebra eel.
We also won a free sunset cruise, so I made her go on that. Views were neat.
Especially the moon rising over the mountains.
Even love the views of the island as we flew away.
Flying over Oahu---wishing I was snorkeling down there in Hanauma Bay.
5-23-2012 Before Maui at home---time to cut Roxy's hair. Summer cut! We found a neat place were we can go and groom her ourself and bath her for only about $15.
5-24-2012 Back home---time to join William (Ken's vendor from Portland) and go to a Cardinal game. He still includes us in his parties for his buyers.
6-17-2012 Faith's b-day and Father's Day One of the really unique restaurants in St. Louis---the Bevo Mill
Faith's birthday at the Bevo Mill.
6-20-2012 Our Anniversary One of our favorite restaurants---Cunetto's, on the Hill. We had many special dinners there---
like for our 37th anniversary
6-26-2012 One of few vacations with Barb. Spent a lot of time with her and her family when I was a kid. Don't see her much since I moved to St. Louis. So when we get a chance to go off for a few days, it's nice. This time we went to LOTO.
Gotta check out the caves down there.
heading back out.
on to Ha Ha Tonka State park.
burned down mansion.
7-10-1012 ANd back to Atlanta for a few days to visit Angie.
used some Coke points and went to the Coke Museum in downtown Atlanta.
walking to the museum through Centennial park
some of the coke bottles.
in the Coke Museum
the testing room.
more of Centennial park
Olympic park in Centennial park
Angie and I even did a painting Sip and Strokes. I do enjoy painting, just need to have motivation.
8-9-2012 I also love gardens---so back in St. Louis I try to go to MOBOT whenever possible. Especially when they have special events, like the suppose crowded Japanese Festivals.
a couple other garden fans.
steam breathing dragon
heading out
8-23-2012 More "work"---taking some senior pictures for Barb's grand daughter, Kaitlin.
Barb and her sister
9-8-2012 Time for the hops harvest at Tim and Faith's.
onto his home made hops drying racks
picking more hops.
10-13-2012 James and Lisa's big day
10-15-2012 Angie and Josh in for Jame's wedding and enjoying a little St. Louis
they had a spooky good time.
11-2012 Shortly after James's wedding, we made it to S. Florida to visit Angie and Josh in their new home! I fell in love with S. Florida right away!
Xmas decorations in S. Florida
Checking out Loxahatchee. Little did I know we'd be living down there for a year and spending a lot of time at Loxahatchee.
Ken putting up hurricane door panels so the kids could get a discount on their home insurance.
Angie at one of the S. Florida gardens.
11-5-16, 2012 Nov. cruise: And from the kids house---it was easy to jump on a cruise. So Ken and I took a few Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale in the 4 years the kids lived there.
I'd always wanted to go to St. Lucia. I wasn't disappointed.
Not as impressed with Martinique at the time, but appreciate it more now.
Dominica, a real gem for snorkeling !!!! Too bad it's so poverty stricken.
St. Thomas---an island we loved so much we made a couple land vacations there, too.
Barbados---what a contrast in islands. WEalth here and still a lot of great snorkeling. But I didn't know it on our first trip there, so did a photography tour instead. It was great.
Halfmoon Cay----one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!!!!
Back at the kids' house for Christmas. Even Roxy enjoyed the trip.
Back to St. Louis and the cold and snow.
It was another fantastic year.
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