Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Friday, March 23, 2012

It's Party Time

George and I went to Tullahoma yesterday to visit his 'almost' 100 year old father...  Dad is doing well ---and still has his sense of humor.  When we got ready to leave,  Dad said this:"If you find a pack of wild horses,  please save me a couple"...... Isn't he a Cutie?

Anyhow the party today is NOT about Dad (that big 100 yr. old party will come in August).  This party is all about our wonderful TOYOTA PRIUS.....  Mrs. P, as we lovingly call her,  just yesterday turned over to  200,000 miles on the odometer....  AND--she is still getting us about 54 miles per gallon (which comes in handy these days when the cost of gas just keeps rising). 

Mrs. P has been with us since we bought her in 2005 (she's a 2004 Prius).   She has taken us all over the country since then ---and has NEVER given us one bit of trouble.  In fact,  we are still on her FIRST set of brakes (which is rare for a car this old).

When we take her into the Toyota place for service,  everyone is surprised that she is in such good shape and still going STRONG.    Why would we trade her for a newer model when she is still doing so well?????  SO---we will keep her until she causes us a major problem.  So far,  no problems!!!!!  We will buy another Prius ---but one never knows if a newer one will EVER be as good as Mrs. P has been!!!! Congrats to her!

SO--since George and I LOVE to celebrate,   we invite you to have a party today in her honor!!!!!   I'll share some photos today that we have taken in various places since 2005.  Above,  Mrs. P is waiting patiently (she is very patient and never complains) at an overlook for us to take LOTS of pictures!!!!!  Below are more.
 




Most of you will notice where this picture is... This is our wonderful little cabin at Mt. Nebo,  Arkansas.  Mrs. P has made MANY trips up that mountain--carrying us and all of our 'stuff'...




Mrs. P takes us on bumpy dirt roads ---as we head back into the mountains in search for new waterfalls.




Can you see Mrs. P down there????  We had been on a hike in North Carolina and were coming back down the mountain when we spotted her,  sitting there waiting for us...  (I think she takes some good books to read while she has to wait!!!!!! ha ha )




Even in muddy conditions,  Mrs. P will just take us anywhere we want to go!!!!




Finally,  we recently took a Valentine's trip to the North Georgia mountains... We were near the Unicoi State Park area again searching for waterfalls --when we encountered some snow!!!!!  Again,  Mrs. P did well--and seems to handle whatever conditions we encounter.

Please lift your glass in celebration of MRS. P today!!!!!  She's been a fabulous car --and I hope she'll keep on keeping on for many more months or years!!!!!

Have a fabulous weekend.  I will see you on Monday.

Hugs,
Betsy

79 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you love to get a "good" car. I've owned a couple of lemons before, but I have a good car now! You certainly have shared some great photos...I love the smoke coming out of the Mt. Nebo cabin's chimney.
Have a nice weekend, Betsy!

Ms. A said...

There's a lot to be said for a GOOD car! Cheers to Mrs. P!

Sharon said...

Maybe someday Mr. P can meet Lucy, my 2001 Toyota Corolla who just turned over 185,000 miles. Same scenario - no problems! Why get rid of her! She looks almost brand new and takes me far back to even the most remote trailheads where she's always patiently waiting when I fall back into her exhausted after a long hike.

Rebecca said...

OMG You were in Tullahoma yesterday!!! That's where I live!

WOW! Almost 100!!! God bless him!

Cheers to Mrs. P! May you get on keepin' on for many years to come! ;)

Hugs and Blessings,
Rebecca

Ruth Hiebert said...

My advice on tho sporty day is,just keep that old girl busy and she will be happy. Mrs.p seems happiest when she can take you and George on another adventure. Have fun.

Connie said...

Mrs P. has served you well. I'd hang onto her as long as I could too if I were you. I laughed at the thought of her reading a good book. :-)

mamahasspoken said...

Yes, I love my Toyota too!

MadSnapper said...

she has certainly done you proud. contgrats on finding a super car. I had to smile because our truck is 2004 and we bought it in 2004 and it has 39,000 on it, you can tell we are not world travelers.

Jen said...

200,000 miles!! I think that says a lot about you and George too. ;-) Party on.... !

linda m said...

Congratulations to Mrs. P

Tami AKA My Kid's Mom said...

Sounds like a great car! I had one that went on forever - I rolled her over to 300,000 miles before she quit on me - never had one like it since though.:(

Out on the prairie said...

Kind of cute shot in the rain suit

Karin said...

She is a beauty, pretty color and compact! High five to Mrs. P. Congrats on 200,000!!! Many more years of togetherness wished upon y'all! - That reminds me, need to call the service department for our Venza and see why the driver's seat sounds like something is loose. Don't really need a check up until June but I think this shouldn't wait. Have a fund week-end!

Karin said...

ooops, FUN!!

Marcia said...

Found your blog from Holley Garden and had to comment on your Prius.

Mu husband got one in 08 that he named Lisa because the truck that she replaced was Bart (Big A** Red Truck). The GPS is Miss Direction. I've now inherited Lisa because daughter needed a car and husband was squeezed into the Prius. We live on a steep hill and if it snows Lisa gives up at the bottom and won't go. It was good to hear about your brakes because we've been wondering when we would need new ones.

penny said...

Congrats Betsy! That good ole gal is worth her weight in gold. Maybe Mrs P is still fit as a fiddle because of all the exercise she gets in carrying you and George to those beautiful falls you two visit.
Enjoy your weekend.

Hugs and smiles across the miles,
Pam :)

icedgurl said...

trekking your blog!!!
wow! nice! and i think you enjoyed a lot the whole trip! :-)

cheers!
..TREK..

Sylvia K said...

Ah, a very Happy Birthday to, Mrs. P! Wonderful to have such a great car. Love your captures for the day. Hope you and George have a lovely weekend! I finally found a way to be able to comment on George's blog! Hooray!

Sylvia

Hidden Haven Homestead said...

What a special lady Mrs P is!! 54 miles per gallon deserves breaking open a bottle of champagne! LOL

Donna said...

It's good to know that Mrs. P has taken such good care of you two! That's a LOT of miles!

Mary said...

I thought my husband was the only one who celebrated car birthdays :-)

Ann said...

You sure have had a good ride with Mrs P. Hopefully you have many more wonderful miles ahead with her. Unbelievable that you are still on the first set of brakes after all those miles. I wouldn't trade it in either :)

Janice K said...

We have a silver Toyota Camrey from 2005 and are approaching 100,000 miles. We too have not any problems with it....This is beginning to sound like a Toyota commercial. The family of my best friend from childhood owns one of their dealerships here--They should see this blog!

Fred Alton said...

A tip of my hat and a great big SA-LUT to "Mrs. P." I love my 2001 F150 ... even if it only gets 15 mpg. Why? Cause it's paid for!!! Thanks for the delightful read. BTW - Think Dad Adams would let me ride one of his horses? ☺

Snap said...

YeeHaw to Mrs. P!!!!

RoeH said...

Oh my gosh! Never say that out loud or even in writing. My Honda has been just wonderful for ten years and it's just now turning 100,000. I make sure to say just how wonderful it is very very softly so the fates can't hear me. I would love to get a Prius.

TexWisGirl said...

here's to mrs. p and many, many more happy miles!

Glenda said...

Cars - good cars - are like family members almost! I know I've gotten "attached" to one or two we have had!

Great pics!

I Am Woody said...

On one of these trips to Tullahoma, we need to meet!!

amelia said...

I just adore that cabin and want it!!
You're very lucky having a vehicle that doesn't give you any problems! Hang on to Mrs P and be good to her!!

HolleyGarden said...

It's always wonderful to find a reliable car. Mrs. P deserves a party! My sister has a Prius, and she just loves her car, too. 54 mpg sounds impressive!

Cheryl said...

Yay for Mrs. P!! She is indeed a wonderful car! Those are far and few between. Mark's 1995 Jeep went off to "Jeep Heaven" last week, after owning it for 17 years!! Yes, 17 years and someone owned it for a year before him! May Mrs. P carry you and George safely on many, many more adventures!

Cheryl said...

Yay for Mrs. P!! She is indeed a wonderful car! Those are far and few between. Mark's 1995 Jeep went off to "Jeep Heaven" last week, after owning it for 17 years!! Yes, 17 years and someone owned it for a year before him! May Mrs. P carry you and George safely on many, many more adventures!

Nancy said...

Hi Betsy,
I love your attitude of always celebrating the good things in life no matter how small....You have been blessed with Mrs. P and I hope she is with you for many more miles....I am sure she is enjoying all the wonderful place you and George take as much as you are and doesn't want to be left behind...Cheers for Mrs. P.....

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Cool car! Good for you both and the environment and the wallet! I have bought a car that I plan to keep for twenty years which is why I did not mind spending a few extra dollars on it. Not a Toyota by the way though I don't mind foreign cars at all. Have a super good day!

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

Wow Mrs P has been to many places...great to find a good car like this

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Mrs. P and congrats to you and George for having her! So, you don't wanna upgrade to an electric car??? Lol.

Lynn said...

Goodness! Happy Birthday to Mrs P! She has been a good ole gal hasn't she? She sure has seen a lot of the country and those back roads too. "Dad" Adams is a wonder too. Bless his heart. We bought our car the day after Terry retired, I drove it off the lot with 7 miles on it, the next morning my daughter went into labor a week early and I had to drive our brand new car to Lakeland as a very excited grandmother about to meet her first granddaughter and her namesake. Reason I drove was cause I had just traded my Grand Am for the new one and Terry had sold his car and I was so much more familiar with driving that model. We love our car but just call it "baby".

Anonymous said...

Ya'll put 200,000 miles on your car in 7 years? Holy Toledo! I know ya'll travel quite a bit, but I didn't realize it was THAT MUCH! WoW!
I have an 02 Impala that has about 160,000 miles... I sure could use a car that gets 54 mpg! Niiice =)

Busy Bee Suz said...

Ive often wondered how many miles she had on her....she still looks like a spring chicken!
You could do a commercial for Toyota Betsy!!!
I'll toast to Mrs. P...but I will wait till after 5 to do it.
Congrats on getting such a wonderful and trustworthy car!!

Arkansas Patti said...

Wow, I almost bought a Prius in 04 but went with a little pick up instead to haul stuff.
You all really treat her like a Jeep and that seems to keep her feeling young.
Maybe you should do a commercial.

Anonymous said...

She looks beautiful, Mrs P =)
I remember that I've seen some of the pictures before, and there is that adorable cabin again.
Have a fantastic Weekend!
Hugs
Eva

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

I've heard good things about the Prius, I didn't know they had been around that long.

Unknown said...

It is a blessing when you have an automobile that is a good one...makes it hard to get rid of it. Keep hold of her as long as you can. She seems to be happy with how well ya'll take care of her!

Terry and Linda said...

That is how I feel about my car...I just can't seem to get my head around trading Black Beauty out. So you and I think alike.

Why am I not surprised!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Susie Swanson said...

Mrs. P.is an exceptional and very good car..she is a beauty as well..We've had a few that lasted longer than we expected but they are rare anymore..Beautiful pics as usual..Hope you have a nice weekend..Susie

Big Dude said...

I hope our Insight serves us as well

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

I'm reminded of those Toyota commercials of the '80s, "Oh what a feeling, Toyota!" Do you remember those?
Party on Mrs. P! I would LOVE to get 54 mpg, especially since I filled up yesterday and nearly died!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

You've been packing some miles on that little car, haven't you? We have an '06 Sienna with about 90,000 miles on it. It's the first vehicle that we ever purchased new. But we've always tended to keep cars until the only home left for them is the salvage yard. We take care of them, and they take care of us. Congratulations to Mrs. P and a wish for many more years of waterfalling.

Faye said...

Looks like you retirees have found the perfect ride with Mrs. P, Betsy. I know the feeling. When I retired and had to give up a company car I chose a Toyota Scion xB and still love it today for its no drama maintenance, good mileage, comfort--plus, it's just cool to drive for it shape. Call it my breadbox. Looks like Mrs. P is up for many more explorations. Happy trails!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Yea Mrs. P! Isn't is fun when your vehicle develops a personality. Very nice that you have photos of her on your adventures. Here's to many more miles!

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

I'm smiling over your pictures of the wonderful Mrs. P.
A good car like that is truly worth keeping as long as possible. I have a 2002 Honda Civic EX that I bought new and have loved all these years. Because I took a commuter bus to work during my last five years on the job, the car has only 85,000 miles and I'm hoping to keep it for years to come. However, my sister has a Prius and just loves it. The mileage is awesome -- and so great since you love traveling so much. May you and Mrs. P enjoy many more journeys -- and an early 100th birthday wishes to your spirited father-in-law!

Lady Di Tn said...

What a wonderful silver lady Mrs P happens to be and so patience for her 2 legged friends. She must be kin to Mr. Timex and instead of ticking keeps on rolling along to take her animals to different parts of the world on adventures that they willing share with other animals in the blog sphere of life. You have a great weekend and peace my dear friend.

joy said...

Oh my, love your post about your toyota car. We too only loves Toyota car. Now we have Toyota Urban cruiser.
Loves how she travels with you all the way.
By the way, I come acroos your blog through " Gracie Goes Gaga:)

diane b said...

That is what the ad says "I love my Toyota". Give her a hug.A fun post.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

I'm so glad you have such a good car. What a blessing to get a car that's dependable and gets good gas milage. I celebrate with you the great service your car has given you over the miles it's traveled. Happy many more years of great service for you!

Rohrerbot said...

You are too funny:) My car is named Bea after the late Bea Arthur. Take care of her and she'll never let you down:)

Ginny Hartzler said...

Betsy, this is beyond COOL! WAY beyond! You know we name all our cars, and even our GPS! A clink of the glasses to Mrs. P, long may she run!! Now we want to know all about how you determined she is a she and not a he! This is the first time I have been in blogland since forever!

Chatty Crone said...

That is so cute - you ought to write a story to the company - they might put it on the air! I have 134K on my Honda so far. Love, sandie

Cuby said...

Well Mrs.P has done so well, many years of travelling with you to so many places. She is such a star!

Jane said...

I was wondering how Ms. P was fairing these days! Glad she is still treating you well, and happy travels!

Jane

Jane said...

OT - did you ever follow The Old Geezer blog? I believe his site was hacked and he is now posting elsewhere. Any idea where his new blog is??

Jane

Catherine said...

I can almost picture the two of you zipping around in your car seeing the sights and having fun! It's always good to have a reliable vehicle!
Hope you are having a terrific weekend!
xo Catherine

Cheqna said...

This is a "cute" posting, hehe..so what book is Mrs P reading now? ;-D. Anyway, hope you both will enjoy many more years together, travelling with the trusted Mrs P.

I've never named any of my previous cars, into my 4th because of some reasons that I needed to change.

Love that cabin..very nice surroundings.

:-)

Anonymous said...

I found your blog today from Eva's art blog, your header photo is anmazing.You have a lovely cabin, I have enjoyed your photos very much.

Carletta said...

WOW! 200,00 miles and not a major problem - now that's a testament to Mrs. P.
Cheers to Mrs. P. and here's to many more Happy Trails!

SquirrelQueen said...

Happy 200K Mrs. P!
Sounds like you have a winner with Mrs. P, I would certainly hang onto to her. She has definitely taken you and George to some interesting places.

Our little spring snow storm was a surprise. We have had a very mild winter, I'm hoping that doesn't mean a super hot, dry summer.

Sarah Knight said...

That is very cool!

eileeninmd said...

Hi Betsy, your Toyota Prius must be a great car. It is wonderful to see a car reaching 200,000 miles. I would definitely hang on to your Prius. It is serving you very well. We have a Toyota Matrix that has over 168,000 miles and I hope we get to see the 200,000 mark too.

From the Kitchen said...

Happy Birthday to Mrs. P!! I hope you gave her a little high test gas as a birthday treat!! Hope she totes you and George around for many more miles.

Best,
Bonnie

DeniseinVA said...

And may she give you many, many more miles Betsy and George. She is a grand lady! Loved these photos Betsy and I leave as I raise my glass to Mrs. P.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Congrats to Mrs P for so many great miles of traveling, the gas mileage is wonderful! We have had 3 Toyota Camrys, we just sold one of them last year and it had well over 200K and still ran like a charm. I did a blog post on them last year, we love them so much! Not to sound like a commercial, but they are the BEST cars we've ever had.
I've been away from blogging this past week due to various issues, and the time simply has passed way too fast, and have some catching up to do in blogland. Hope all is well with you and George and that you're enjoying the weekend.
Hugs, Cheryl

Lynda said...

Mrs. P has helped you make many memories while you have had numerous celebrations on the road so she does deserve a great party. We filled up this morning on our way back into town. Guess you could say we got 'tanked' in her honor! (Actually it was our Sonata that got tanked!)

Shug said...

Hi Betsy....
I love parties, and this one is great!
I would think this is something that definitely would call for a party. Wow, 54 miles to a gallon? I need one of these cars for all the running that I do...
congrats and I really think it's in the best interest of all to keep Mrs.P around...
Have a good evening.
shug

Andrea said...

I am sure Mrs P very much appreciates you gestures of gratitude and appreciation, i know she will certainly return the favor. This is really the best party i've seen although i haven't eaten something yet, because mostly the guests are trees! hahaha. happy adventure.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Mrs. P on her 200,000 miles! That is one dependable lady you have there!

BTW, I live in Estill Springs and found you through Eileens blog, Viewing Nature with Eileen.

Anonymous said...

As I was reading your post, I thought I should give our SUV a name. We have a Nissan Xterra; how 'bout Mr. X. :-) Ms. P has been very dependable. 200K is a lot of miles!

Neal said...

I will have to say that you guys are on the road a lot! :) We have a 2005 Camry and it has only 80,000 miles on it. We drove a Prius about 3 weeks ago. I was surprised how much room it had in it.

Cicero Sings said...

You two are too fun with all your celebrating. Mrs. P has definitely been a winner. My Roo-B has been a good car but she sure does use up gas. Sigh. Those trips to the coast.

George's Dad is doing SO well. Good to hear.