This week proved to be our busiest week yet with Kay hosting her book club, two rounds of golf, and hosting Harper and her parents over the weekend.

Monday was our quietest day of the week as we hit a few golf balls and hung out at the rental house, as Kay made preparations (food) for book club.  

Kay exercised Tuesday morning, now a regular routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with other ladies at the Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church.  I played golf with what’s becoming a regular foursome, including Jim Morris, Fred Douglas, and Bill; we played DeSoto Golf Course, the first to be built in the Village and just refurbished last year.  The greens were lightning fast, and it was difficult to make a putt; to date, it is my least favorite of the courses at Hot Springs Village.  Jim and I ate at a great Mexican restaurant in the Village, with the coldest beer around.  While we played golf, drank, and dined, the book club ladies went to Oaklawn Race Track in Hot Springs, and tried their luck at the casino.

Kay hosted book club Wednesday, with the ladies arriving around 11 AM.  They dined on quiche, grape salad, corn dip, broccoli salad, Harry and David’s onion dip, tortilla rolls and salsa, fresh fruit, ice cream frozen dessert, chased down with Mimosas.  It was a great time to exit stage left, hit a few golf balls, and join others in the foursome to play Balboa.  Another course I haven’t played, it proved to be a well groomed course, but requires one to stay in the “short grass” to make a good score; I had a fair game, certainly better than some shot the last few weeks.

Karyn, Kay’s daughter, received a major award at the Little Rock District, US Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer Day picnic in central Arkansas on Thursday.  Kay traveled there to honor Karyn as she received Project Manager of the Year award, while I remained behind for yet another golf lesson.  Today’s lesson was about keeping the right shoulder down through impact, and rotating the body toward the target after impact—two small, but essential  elements in improving ball contact.  As for the lessons as a whole, it is a slow process, but improvement is being made week by week.  One of the most difficult things is remembering that the ball doesn’t go quite as far (and the body doesn’t flex near as much) when hit by a person in their mid-60s compared to a person in their 40s or even 50s.  We chilled Thursday evening.

After receiving confirmation of a visit from our youngest grand baby and her parents, Kay and I drove to Walmart Friday morning for a few groceries and gasoline.  The Walmart store is across the Village a couple of miles outside the West Gate (the original main entrance).  Harper, Jenny, and Brian arrived late Friday evening, and we visited a bit before retiring for the evening.  Harper is recovering from tonsillitis and Jenny is still fighting this viral malady.

We were all up pretty early Saturday morning, but Jenny was definitely sleep deprived.  Brian, Harper, Kay, and I spent a good portion of the morning riding around various parts of the Village while Jenny napped.  Of course, Harper fell asleep, and slept almost the entire time we were riding.  Back at the rental house, we all loaded up in the Expedition in our swimsuits, and drove to Balboa Beach for a couple of hours of lake and beach time.  We all had a good time, throwing a Frisbee, and just lounging about in the lake.  The sound of thunder signaled time to depart, and we just beat the light rain that began to fall.  After the rain, we drove to the Family Area where Harper, Jenny, and Brian enjoyed playing on the slides and climbing areas.  Harper is a real climber, and knows no fear.  She has tremendous upper body strength, and is quite fast, and will escape your grasp before you know it, though we could tell she still didn’t feel well, despite a pleasant attitude and healthy appetite.  Back at the rental, Jenny and Brian went for a long walk, Kay entertained Harper, and I prepared dinner.  Afterwards, we all collapsed on the sofa and love seat, falling asleep about 9 PM—no last man standing in this crowd.

After breakfast Sunday, Jenny and Brian packed their car, and we all went for a ride around Hot Springs, driving down Bath House Row, and checking out the locations of Mid-America Museum and Magic Springs Amusement Park.  They departed for Memphis upon our return, Kay went shopping in Benton/Bryant with a girlfriend, and I washed clothes, cleaned house, and hit a bunch of golf balls—my best practice yet.  We watched television a short while in the evening before I cried “uncle” and went to bed—I sure am sleeping a lot!