Like the Boy Scouts, we hoped to be prepared.  Last night we planned to get up first thing this morning, survey the storm’s progress, and make a decision.  We met in Janey and Patty’s room at 7:45 am even before we’d had coffee.  Our flight was scheduled to leave New Orleans airport at 1:55pm.  The…

What is that old wives’ tale again?  The morning after you’ve been drinking make sure you get on a boat?  That may not be it.  But that’s what we did.  We got up early and wiped the powdered sugar off of our lips after more beignets and coffee.  We headed to our airboat tour…we’re in…

Janey and I took off at a canter from the hotel before 8:00am because we felt sure we’d be SUPER POPULAR with the rest of the team if we brought back coffee and beignets from Cafe Du Monde.  The beignets were still hot and so was the coffee when we gathered in the lobby with…

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — CLARKSDALE, Mississippi –NEW ORLEANS, LA Janey says it was Ron Hansen who later became the Mayor of Muscatine who leaned over to the waitress as she delivered a platter of cheeses to a banquet Jane attended. He gently touched the waitress’s arm and declared triumphantly, “What a friend we have in Cheeses!”…

— MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Saint Jude Thaddeus:  The Patron Saint of Lost Causes.  One of the apostles of Christ.   One of his first followers.  Later martyred.  His name Jude means giver of joy; his name Thaddeus means generous and kind. “There is something so special about HERE” said our tour guide, Mary.  Patty had…

ST LOUIS, Missouri — NEW MADRID, Tennessee — Arkansas –MEMPHIS, TN We pulled off the road for gas this morning and saw the flag at half mast at a Burger King.  We were still in St. Louis.  There are good people everywhere who awoke to the same horrific news that we did today: a terrible…

  — ST. LOUIS, Missouri — We had plans to attend the afternoon St. Louis Cardinals baseball game today so we decided to visit Grant’s Farm first thing this morning to make the most of our time here.  You can’t be a American beer lover and not know about the Anheiser-Busch Brewing Company, one of…

MUSCATINE, Iowa — HANNIBAL, Missouri — ST. LOUIS, Missouri I awoke with a migraine and was unable to lift my head from the pillow.  Team Winona kicked into gear. Trudi, my roomie, was as nice as ever and did all she could to help, but the gals had to postpone our departure; Patti and Jean…