We got back from Missouri. We had a great time with Dale coming for about 4 days, and then all of us going down near Branson to a spot on Bull Creek in Taney County where the Meadows Schoolhouse is. We turned off of a highway and it looked to me like it was where 3 long driveways converged. It was all slighty uphill. We were following Willard who had already turned around about 4 times. He stopped his car in the middle of the 3 dirt "driveways" and said, "I can't remember if we take this road (pointing left) or that one (pointing right). The sign just said "Goodnight Hollow". We went to the right and lo and behold, once we went up the hill we were on a regular road. We were looking for a "low water bridge". Willard said if we saw that, we were in the right place. We did see it and we also saw that the other road that went to the left came to the same place, so it didn't matter which road we took. We crossed the bridge and went a ways more and came to the schoolhouse and cemetery. The family was already gathering. Esther had a wonderful time seeing the nephews and cousins. There were about 25 people that came,since it was not an official reunion. That will be in 2012. Esther said she could look down the road where it curved and the trees obscured our view of anything beyond and just imagine her home there. It is where she was born and lived in her younger years. She did not want to drive down there because she was afraid it would be different than her memory. I doubt it from what I saw. It seemed unchanged and it was lovely there.
Esther had one day to rest when we got home and then yesterday afternoon and evening we moved her to Vineyard Place. She is now in apartment 126 and she loves it. I can't remember ever seeing her happier. It did my heart good.
