A bounty of buttons

Charles' brother Dale made today extra special by surprising Charles with 75 buttons for the collection!

Charles in Florida - pt. 3

Another Scrabble match (Dale won)

The home in Largo (1966 - 1986)

Next to the hotel

Next to the hotel

We played a number of Scrabble matches today at the hotel. Mom and Sandy play quite a bit in Georgia, and we enjoyed sharing memories as we played. We also had time this afternoon to take in some of the changes in the area since last we lived in Largo. Included in this tour was the house at 1047 9th Ave., NW. Charles' parents paid $9,000 in 1966; the house is listed on Zillow at $381,200! We also saw the new Largo High School and the home of Charles' grandparents, John and Hazel Plants.

Charles in Florida - pt. 2

Charles enjoyed reading the Tampa Bay Times this morning, taking in the lovely weather and the beautiful flowers at the hotel

Charles in Florida - pt. 1

When Charles arrived in Tampa late last night, greeting him was the Phoebe the Flamingo statue, officially named "HOME."

The Lights over Albert Lea!

The Northern Lights, otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis, made an appearance tonight in the skies north of Albert Lea. We could see them unaided as a faint glow and using the iPhone, caught a first-time glimpse of the phenomenon!

Albert Lea Remembers

Bob Sharp (Army), Sid Troutner (Navy),
& Charles (Army/Navy)

Volley salute in front of the Courthouse

In front of the Courthouse

Bob Sharp leads the program

Charles' Legion cover at the lunch for veterans at the 
American Legion Post 56.

We joined a fair number of veterans and community members this morning in front of the Freeborn County Courthouse as Veterans Day was observed in Albert Lea.

Veterans Day 2025

Charles' sister, Sandy, make some memory pages and recently posted to Facebook two that she had made featuring his dad and siblings in uniform.