Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR

We visited the new art museum financed by the Walmart family.
It is a fantastic museum.  The building itself is a work of art and
quite unique.

The collection is all of American artists.  I have never seen so
many famous original works of very well known American
artists, in one place, before.  I loved every minute of it and
only wish I had more stamina to spend more time there.

After we left the museum we drove through Joplin, MO and
saw the devastation from the tornado of two years ago, not
knowing of the one two days ago.

We are currently in a State Park just east of Wichita, KS.

Home by Saturday, if we are not snowed out.

On the edge of the Smokeys

We are now in Tennessee, on the edge of the Smokey
Mountains.

The last few days we've been visiting Robert's
sister, Patricia.  Pat has Parkinson's and is
in kind of tough shape.  She shakes and she
can't finish sentences, loses her train of
thought mid-way.

We took her out to lunch, but that was only
possible because, at the lunch place, one of
the staff, a strong young man lifted her out
of the van and after lunch hefted her back in.
She's not fat, but is totally incapable of doing
stairs.  The Assisted Living place she has lived
for the past few years has a physical fitness
room right near her unit, but she has never set
foot in it and she has no stairs to climb
anywhere.  She is terribly out of shape.

Her husband is in the Memory unit because of his
Alzheimer's...a sad state of affairs all around.

The bright spot of the weekend was that we met
Erin and David and went out to dinner with them.
The restaurant they picked, the Four Square, is
fabulous.  What a delicious meal we had and lovely
conversation.  It was a great treat and very enjoyable
evening.

We are headed for Crystal Bridges, the Art Museum the
Walmart has endowed in Bentonville, AR.  Robyn was
there a few days ago and she recommends it highly.
We'll go as my 81st b-day treat.