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Tony W. Petree 
Judy
H. Petree
OUR LIVES
1998 Around the World
1999 The Big Wedding
2000 Short Trips in USA
This year we saw the most amazing changes in our
lives in over 20 years. Tony and I finally got our act together and
started making plans for our retirement days. We began by trying to
design a home to build on Fripp Island, SC with some computer software
programs, what a mess. Anything we really wanted couldn't be put on
our lot --I wanted a widow's walk, a garden window, all the rooms facing
the canal, all the bedrooms upstairs, and lots of big wide windows. We
were trying to work in a downstairs bedroom so Mom and Dad could stay there
when they visited because there would be lots of steps with the house on
10 foot stilts. Things bogged down with the bulkhead and removal of
rocks, dock was going to be expensive, couldn't agree on gazebo, so we decided
to take a vacation in Florida to visit Mom and Dad at Sun City Center.
By February in Florida, Dad wanted us to see some of
the homes over on Apollo Beach so he found a great real estate agent named
Vicki Clark. We looked at 9 or 10 houses, but nothing struck us as
ours. Then we happened to see a for-sale-by-owner sign on a nice little
blue house. The next day we had an appointment to see it and another
house in the same area. When we walked into the little blue house we
looked at each other and said---YES. In two days it was ours--it had
everything that we had been trying to get into our design. And more,
it was a deepwater lot with a dock and lift, a hugh lanai with a pool, a
widow's walk that looked out over Tampa Bay, a garden window, and it was
just one big open-windowed paradise. Regardless to say we put Fripp
up for sale.
In March we had planned a trip to France with 7 other
couples. We really wanted to stay here and go to Florida, we need
to be home to oversee the selling of Fripp, but we went anyway. Our
flight out of Greensboro was late, so we missed a whole day in Paris. The
next two days were a whirlwind tour of Paris both by tour bus and walking.
The we took a couch to the Rhone river and got on a riverboat for the
next nine days. The Provence region was spectacular, the people were
kind and the river was soothe. We stopped at all the lovely little
towns and did a lot of shopping and sightseeing. The last 3 days we
spent an the French Riviera. Yes they were topless, which Tony enjoyed
immensely. While we were there we received a call that our condo
on Fripp had been sold. We celebrated through the night.
The next few months were spent going back and forth
to Florida, buying furniture, cleaning out Fripp, and enjoying ourselves.
Tony was in a buying frenzy--we both got new cars and he traded our
ancient Olds for a little red truck Waht a joy all this was, but a lot
of stress also.
During all the summer months, Howdy and Laura began
building plans in South Carolina. Laura was only a little upset by the
fact that howady was going to be gone during the initial phases of the building.
Tony went with Howdy and GC to Minnesota for their annual trip, this
time it was for 2 weeks of boundary waters fishing.
By November, we had most everything in place, learned
how to close up our house for several months and be Snowbirds. Howady and
Laura moved into their new home. Dr. Chuck Hutchens performed a house
blessing for them with many church, work and friends sharing the blessing.
Tony and I loved our first days in our new paradise. Aunt Ellen
and Uncle Jerry were our first overnight guests--they helped us do yard
work and received new names--Felina and Jose We seemed to have company every
week for about 4 months. We loved having everybody, but I was
exhausted and my stomach problems escalated.
Thanksgiving was at our home in Florida. David,
Edna, Jerry, Ellen, Patsy, Jack, Howdy, Laura, new neighbors Richie and
Betsy, Mom and Dad and Tony and I spent an overstuffed day together eating
and playing Mexican Train outside on the Lanai by the pool. We took
a trip to New Orleans the first week of December. We won it at the Northwest
high School reunion. Janet Ruiz was our wonderful guide. We needed
a rest and the place was perfect. Christmas was at Howdy and
Laura's new home--we overdid the present thing again. New Years was
at Maudie and Bill's just as it had bee for over 30 years. What a wonderful
year. Thank you Lord for all your blessings.
2000
The early winter months gave a little snow just
to keep us aware that we don't live in the deep south, thus the name NORTH
Carolina is appropo. However, not enough for us, we like to sled and
generally 'waller' around in it. These were also times to play Mexican
Train Dominos, Pinochle, and Obstruction with our friends. Several
trips to Fripp Island were made just to make sure the tides were coming in
at the right time and to catch a few fish. Judy took a trip with Mama
Wilma and cousin Jeanne Henson down to the real South to visit Aunt Ellen
and Uncle Jerry Plank. They have a lovely new home in Summerfield.
Florida. Being with Jeanne and Ellen was just wonderful because it has been
ages since we had any time together.
I spent a week with Patsy Barnhardt being Nurse
while she recuperated from surgery. Her home at Lake Norman overlooks the
lake and is just spendid in the evenings. She did very good, a little
testy about letting someone take care of her. though. She is usually
the caregiver.
Mom, Dad, and Tony and I journeyed to California
to visit Aunt Bertha and Uncle Bivin Kersey in Huntington Beach. Bertha
had had two strokes and was in a nursing home for a few weeks, so we cheered
her up. About 3:30 a.m. as we were sleeping soundly down the street
from Disneyland in a small motel, we were rudely awakened by a 7.4 earthquake.
We sat bolt upright in the bed as it shook first to the left and right,
then back and forth. Tony tried to get up to put on his pants, but
staggered all over the place. When it was over, we woke Mom and Dad.
Dad said Mom turned over and said, "Leonard, quit shaking my bed".
The excitement was over and all the Californians just pooh-poohed it the
next day. Hey, there's no where to run, at least here in the South
you can get away from a hurricane and sometimes from a tornado. We
went down to San Diego to the Zoo, then to Tijuana for some shopping, went
up to Las Vegas to lose a few dollars and on through the desert. We
spent the night in Death Valley. Tony and I ventured out in the middle
of nowhere around midnight to see the stars and listen to------absolutley
nothing---it was certainly eerie. We went northwest to see the giant
redwoods; I thought they would have a hard bark, but it was papery thin sheets.
On to the Hearst Castle and down to the coast we went to see the seals.
We spent one more day with Bertha and Bivin, then flew home.
Spring was glorious, all our yard work had reaped
generous perennials of every color and size. Tony and Dad Leonard
began their project of making a cement curb around all our gardens.
It was strennous work but they succeeded. Tony built a retaining fence
around the mulch pile which turned out lovely. Together we poured
our own stepping stones and laid them out all through the garden, around
seventy of them.
We Fripped out in July and did the parade scene
and fished. Howdy and Laura and Mom and Dad came for a while. Marilyn
and Monnie Ellis came for a week. Back home to the flowers, fishing
and golf. We attended a few parties and mostly chilled out, okay,
sweated out. Tony made his annual trip to Minnasota with Howdy
and the guys. They like to get outback and not take a bath for a few
days, grow beards and fart a lot. Sometimes they fish. He came
home and immediately took off again to the coast for more fishing.
I left for Fripp again.
September brought pleasant memories
of last years' wedding as Howdy and Laura celebrated their first anniversary.
She called laughing and crying to tell us she finally got her green
card. She did it all on her own, without using Howdy as her representative.
She is quite a successful woman on her own; she has a new job in the
Greenville Hospital coordinating the medical files for all Medicade patients.
Howdy got the promotion of his life as he became Radio Frequency Engineering
Manager for the Greenville, SC and Knoxville, Tenn. district. Are
we proud?
At Fripp again, we experienced a real nature high
one day out in the inlet. We caught quite a few whiting, spots, trout,
and junk fish that day. So, as we were coming in we stopped to see if the
bottle-nosed dolphins would eat our fare. About ten of them surrounded
our boat and even took them out of our hands, at the end of the frenzy they
all came up at once and did that eerie high-pitched schreeng before we left.
I think they were saying thank you.
Mama Wilma had minor surgery for a cancer
on her leg and is being quite fiesty about staying down for a few days.
Also her breast biopsy a week later was severe, but the results were negative.
She has since returned to the golf course and is packing for she and Dad
to stay four months in Florida. Dad has successfully managed to
get Forsyth county to pave and maintain his development's streets. He
did put in lots of work cutting down and chopping up the trees along the
roads. At 75, he and Mama certainly can outdo any 50 year old.
Howdy and Laura are packing to fly to Manilla, Philippines.
Laura will have a months' visit and Howdy will join her for two weeks.
The two of them work hard and deserve this wonderful opportunity.
Tony and I are chaufeurring a group of Russians from
Chuvash Republic for 21 days in November. They were sponcered by the United
States Department of State, a-la Madeline Albright, and hosted by Forsyth
Technical College. We are so proud to have had the opportunity to pay
back some of the gracious hospitality we have been served in our travels around
the world. To get a look at some of the pictures and activities that
happened click on CHUVASH above. Tony drove the first week, I drove
the third week and we split the remainer of days. We took them to Myrtle
Beach during the second week and saw the Rockettes Christmas Show and the
Carolina Opry Christmas Show. WOW! It was the first time
any of the Russians had seen the ocean. They were awed. Our next
adventure is to host the Robertson Family Reunion in a fish fry--Tony, Mike
and GC will cook.
It is the year of late celebrations---Thanksgiving will
have to wait for the weekend because Howdy and Laura have to work.
Then Christmas will be celebrated on New Years Eve after Howdy and Laura return
from the Philippines and Mom and Dad come up from Florida. Fripp Island
will be our meeting place. What a year it has been.
RETURN
1999
This year has been even more fulfilling than 1998.
Even though seeing the world was a marvelous opportunity,
being with my family at momentous rites -- Howdy married Laura -- and finishing
my degree were just as thrilling.
After New Years at Fripp Island, SC, I became welded to the computer
trying to get my thesis done. I finished the
120 page thesis by the deadline and took the graduation ceremonies at full
tilt with my family and friends by my
side wishing me well. I am so blessed to have such a loving family.
I took off to Patsy Barnhardt's for a few days of R and R. She'e the
best. Soon thereafter, Tony and I attended her daughter's wedding at Lake
Norman. That is where we got the idea for the trellis filled with
flowers for Howdy's wedding. It was so idyllic as Tim and Nichole
powered up the boat and slipped out into the sunset after letting out several
butterflies to flit over the guests.
Immediately following the festivities Tony and
I swung into the preparations for Howdy's wedding. Laura did all the
planning and work of the wedding itself, and we got to do the wedding rehearsal
dinner. And, of course, since he is an only child, what do you expect
us to do but our best. They wanted it simple and somewhere between
Ashville, NC and Greenville, SC, so the big event took place in Hendersonville,
NC, a lovely retreat tucked in the blue mountains of NC. All the guests
stayed the weekend at the resort hotel and enjoyed the pool and the
many quaint shopping areas. Howdy and Laura's guests came from
all over the world and all over the USA. We had the very best DJ --
you would have been flabbergasted to see all of us conservative, middle-class,
baby-boomers dancing every dance from the Hokey Pokey, the Twist, the Frug,
the Stroll, the Boot Scoot Bogie, the Macarena, the Electric Slide,
and every kind of Rock and Roll, Disco, and Country dance you've heard of.
Some people danced who can't even walk, Uncle G. C. tore up his knees
and finally had to dance sitting in a chair. Jess, our talented 13
year old nephew, took to the dance floor and never even bumped into any one
-- he is blind. The Extra-senior citizens did a little ballroom dancing
-- Aunt Ellen and Jerry are the best.
Laura Maria Florentin from Manilla, Philippines
has become my daughter. What a joy it is too have such a
lovely, intelligent women in the family. Howdy did good!!! The wedding
was perfect with the September breezes
wafting through the alter arbor loaded with fragrant fall flowers.
Her bridesmaids gowns were a pale avocado that
set off their Filipino olive skin with a glorious glow. The groomsmen
strutted around in their tux
and looked especially handsome. Laura's Mama was so beautiful and
proud of her daughter -- it took a little bit of
'doin' to get her here from Manilla, but it was worth it all. Laura's
brother Ricky gave her away in the traditional
Filipino wedding attire. What a wonderful two days. Howdy and
Laura were precious.
Judy traveled with Tony's Aunt Helen, cousin Judy
Idol and Aunt Ruth down to Jacksonville, Florida to visit cousin Doctor Linda
and Doctor Fred Edwards at their magnificent home on the inlet. We
did some sightseeing and shopping in the quaint little shops. Aunt
Helen, Judy and I met Tony at Fripp Island and spent two glorious days fishing.
Helen was ecstatic, Tony thinks she reminds him of his mom when she fishes,
when she gets a bite, she has a cute little grunt just like Blanche did.
Soon, we scrabbled together a few extra dollars
and headed to Tunica, Mississippi to gamble. Our friends Maudie and Bill Bledsoe
are just the most fun to be with: Bill hit a dollar jackpot and I hit
two quarter ones and a nickel one. Of course, we put most of it back
in the slots, but it was fun just the same. Tony can't bare to put his money
in, so I just give him my nickels to throw away. It was Thanksgiving
time around the corner, so the family met at Aunt Alice Hunt's home in Old
Salem. Christmas came with all its joys, and was especially exciting
to have a new daughter-in-law to shower with gifts.
Tony and I, along with Bill and Maudie, planned
our Y2K New Years Eve Party. All our friends came
and we played games and shot off fireworks -- illegally, I might add.
Everybody's children called in from all over to
wish us Happy New Year and we called it a good century and welcomed a blessed
year 2000 at 4:20 that morning. RETURN
1998
Tony and I spent 1998 traveling around the world.
He was doing contract work for Reynolds. We spent May in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is an absolutely fabulous paradise, though
the polarity between rich and poor is quite
severe. We were able to spend time in Singapore with some very special
people. Then we got to fly into Hong
Kong's amazing harbor and shop till I dropped in the back alleys and markets.
Then on to Japan for the best food
in the world and the very quietest cities we encountered. On
our way home we dropped off in another paradise --
Hawaii for a week. What a spring! I spent the summer taking
German -- now I'm brain dead -- but I did have a
great professor. Tony went fishing with Howdy and his brother in
Canada, then took the Boy Scouts to Philmont,
and then made his annual trip to Morehead City with friends to fish again.
In September we went back to Malaysia for another
month, then spent two weeks in New Zealand. If I had to
live somewhere else other than America, it would be there. This was
our first experience on a bus trip, and we met
some very interesting people from around the world. When we arrived
back home, Tony was called again in
October to work. This time it was St. Petersburg, Russia. The
city is unbelievably ornate, with beautiful palaces
and churches to rival Rome and Florence. We took a night train to
Moscow and arrived in a lovely snow covered
city. It was 10 degrees (F) most days. We were amazed at the
friendliness of the people. We were literally worn
out by Christmas, but we still had our open house with about 70 people
attending. There will soon be postings of the e-mail I sent back from
our trips, with pictures. My joys in life are my family,my perennial
garden, research into Science and Religion, and snorkeling.
I have been a professional musician for 30 years and am now retired -- so
is my voice. I am learning to play golf purely for the sake of my family
-- they all play. Tony is a real pro fisherman, loves to play golf
and work in his vegetable garden. He has lots of time this Year to indulge
in these since he retired in May 1998. And how was your year? RETURN
