Singing Convention

When I was a young girl, my friend, Vickie and I would go to the All Night Singing. And it lasted just about all night...her father would take us and then pick us up. He was a good man.
This week, honey and I went to the All night Singing only they call it the National Quartet Convention. It is in Louisville , Ky. at the Expo/Fair Center. All of the quartets, trios, family groups, soloists, anyone who sings Gospel Music are  there. It was like being in church for 6 hours. Yesterday we went to one of the Showcases. The Showcases are programs of different groups singing then another time there are the singers of the future. So you get your "fill" of music...we got to the convention center at 12 and left at 10 last night!!! Boy were  tired. Today we are still weary. It takes about 5 hours to drive plus our stopping at one or two places. We try to do other things while there as it is the only time we will take a vacation this year.
Other years we would leave the convention and travel to other states . We went to New England about 3 times. Went to every state in  New England from Vermont to Delaware....we are blessed. We drove to within 15 miles of Canada ; it was in 2001 and we were warned that they were checking everyone closely  taking many hours to cross and then back. So we decided not to go. We had been a couple of years before that in 1998 or 99...to Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is something else. Water going over the falls so fast it made  you dizzy. The weather was so cold, we had to wear jackets, one morning there was frost on the ground.... Met people from other countries, then when we left traveled around in Canada in fact visited an Antique Shop. We thought we were still in America.
 After we left Canada we traveled across Pennsylvania ,saw festivals in small towns, fairs, antique stores, craft stores, you name it we stopped and enjoyed our time.
One time we went to the North West. Visiting  Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Mo.,the best of the trip was to The Mall of America. What a mall..we spent one day and did not see all of it. IT takes 3 days to cover it all but we only had a day.
The thoughts of traveling when the children were small came to mind. In 1963, my sister, Shirley, had come to our home in Shiloh, Alabama so when it was time to take her home we decided to go to Washington D C. Since she lived only  a hew hours from there we thought it would make a nice trip.  Money was not in good supply but  gas was cheap cheap...and away we went. Jeff was only 5 months old. One of the members of the church kept Windy and Vann for us. While in DC we had the most wonderful time knowing that we would be back. So we went back later on when the children were older, in 1972. They enjoyed that trip so much. OUr children love history and this was history already made and to make...we also went back in 1987 or 88.. not sure, with Vann only. Have wanted to go back many times but haven't made it yet.
Another time in 1964 at Christmas time we drove across Ohio to West Virginia again to visit my sister. On Christmas eve , Santa came and visited the children. Windy and Vann were ok but Jeff wasn't too happy. So I held him. Later on after Santa left we heard the loudest explosion two houses downs from where my sister lived. Found out a car had gas in the trunk and it exploded when they lit a cigarette. We were all so scared, sleep didn't come easy that night. But Santa arrived in fashion for the kiddies... I saw today a toy that we bought Vann, a bubble with little balls in it, when you pushed it the balls would jump around and make noise. He loved it...many of the toys that we bought our kiddies are now in the antique stores!!!! wow!!!
I know I got off the Singing Convention theme but thought kept coming of earlier times. We are excited that next year we should be attending if God permits.
Thank you grandpa for listening....love you J