— 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 the first in the U.S.  This company originated here in St. Louis.  Grant’s farm formerly was owned by General Ulysses S. Grant but later was purchased by the beer-producing Busch family.

 The farm is now a fun family-friendly destination with a delightful tram ride through gated fields.  We saw buffalo, geese, deer, cranes, and even had an unusually close view of Texas Longhorn Cattle.  Perhaps the Grant Farm folks ought to review their Liability Policy…one turn of the head and this fella could have been a problem for us!  Luckily he was pretty darn interested in his mid morning snack (he’s very relatable), and no problems arose for our tram…

 

We had organized a tour of the Clydesdale operations at the farm, and our tour guide, Gwynneth, had loads of information.  These immense horses weigh approximately 2200 pounds when they are at their peak pulling strength.  They’re trained to pull and to travel in trailers and to respond favorably even when in large crowds at state fairs and sporting events.  They even respond well to six women who approach all wearing the same shirts..

After a great pic with Rudy the Clydesdale above…we were off to the stadium! What an amazing stadium..and the weather was just perfection.

And sure enough the Clydesdales made their way over to be a part of our afternoon epxperience as well…

 

One of the most amazing things about Patty is her ability to connect with people along the way.  At breakfast this morning there was a child of no more than 2 years of age who played peek-a-boo with her from about fifteen feet away at the table he shared with his parents and grandparents.

At the game a young girl of about four who attended the game with her father began to interact with us and soon she was accepting peanuts from Patty…with a tiny inaudible “thank you” each time.

Patty also spoke to a young newly married couple directly in front of us.  Before long   Lauren and David Schwinneman were both wearing TEAM PATTY bracelets.  Their first baby is due on December 9th.  Safe journey baby Schwinn…!

We made our way back to the hotel and Patty really wanted to rest…it had been a long day with a lot of walking…the rest of us went out and grabbed dinner, and we all headed back to Patty so we could play charades…she had said,  “I’m a little tired, and sometimes I just need to pick and choose…and I choose Charades!”

And we played Charades.  And we laughed as much as you’d laugh if you got to watch Jean act out “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and Patti act out “Deliverance.”  Because life hands you opportunities.  What you do with them is up to you.

We choose Charades!

 

 

BLOG NOTES:

As we left Muscatine the other day Patty began to write down some thoughts…below are her words…

As we drive down Hwy 61 south I reflect on this trip so far and it hasn’t disappointed! There’s alway the fear that it won’t live up to our expectations and we’ll all be stuck with each other having NO FUN!….but I can tell you that hasn’t been the case! Moods are great, company is better and the road has been kind! These women gave up their time and money to see me have fun and laugh and enjoy every mile…..and spread hope to the hopeless! Muscatine was amazing and my friends haven’t changed a bit! Still as sweet as ever and they went above and beyond to make me feel loved! The Muscatine memories never stop and more were made last night! Love that town and those people!
I’ve battled PanCan for 5 years now and I never thought I’d see today but I am here and more in love with life than ever. I can keep saying thank you to everyone but that doesn’t ever seem like enough for how much people do for me just to see me smile…..I always wish I could do more but for now, I’ll do what I can which is enjoy this moment and share the moment with those I love! and let’s not worry about tomorrow. Let’s all not worry because today is the tomorrow that we worried about yesterday! Enjoy it!           –Patty

 

Sometimes Patty hangs out with superheroes.