New Floor

We got all tucked away on Monday and it always amazes me how much stuff you need to bring for only four days!  We needed food, clothes and toiletries.  When we leave for several months it will be the same but we will use it all a lot before we come back home.  

HitchHiker friends were camping just north of us (as seen on FB) so I invited them for dinner.  It has been a few years since we joined the HitchHiker rally in Ingram, TX and saw them.  Susan is fourth from the left.  We had a good visit and we wished them safe travels as they headed to Tyler, TX the next day.

I have been talking about replacing our wood floors after 19 years.  Overall they look fine but I am aware of every nick and bang if one would inspect closely.  Also, I wanted a darker wood and wider planks this time.  Vivienne showed me the work she had done so I called the company.  They came out Thursday, I chose the flooring and they started the next day!  Here is the darker, wider wood I chose (laying the wrong way so color shows better.  It will run the same way our lighter wood was laid).  I needed it to blend with the cabinets because I don’t want to change them at this time.  I don’t want white, gray or dark so I will stay with the status quo.

And what a mess!  I avoided refinishing because they said it was so messy but I don’t think it could have been any worse than getting this old stuff up!  

That took all day Friday to remove the old floor, sanding and floating on Saturday, actual installation Sunday.  We were planning to celebrate our 57th wedding anniversary on Saturday with dinner at Perry’s and would go to church Sunday morning so Ted could shoot in a charity event (with my blessings).  Since they were keeping us locked in and out of our bedroom in back, or the office in front, we cancelled the reservation and moved to Plan B.  We used our bedroom time to shower and dress, they left in time for us to get to church, took Communion to our neighbors and I chose Golden Corral for dinner (I wanted fried chicken) and it tasted good.  We decided not to move our reservation to Sunday because of not knowing anyone’s timing,  The work got finished and Ted eventually came home from his event.  Two shooters shot 77, he shot 76.  That put him third and he got nothing!  The $800 entry fee had been paid by a patron so nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Our finished family room.  The coffee table is new.  There is a matching side table by Ted’s double  lounger (opposite side of the floor lamp). 

I got a whole lot done Sunday after the workers left.  Everything had dust on it and all decorative things had been removed.  I made a lot of progress and finished up Monday morning before I left for cards at noon.  I came in first place with a score of only 25 (you want to be low).  While I was gone, Ted changed our AC filters and used an RV cleaner on all our kitchen cabinets.  I could smell the orange scent as soon as I walked in.  Maybe he felt guilty about my being alone on our anniversary.  He also made a Perry’s reservation for Tuesday evening.  

Tuesday I did laundry and tied up some loose ends in the office.  We went to Perry’s early evening.  They had red rose petals on our table .  Ted had their signature pork chop and I had chicken.  We both brought enough home for another meal and we had ordered from the Senior Menu.

I missed my friend Nancy’s birthday last week so I invited her to lunch on Thursday.  We had a nice afternoon.  We stopped by her house where they are having the same floor removal we had just completed due to a leak during the Big Freeze.  I’m not sure why they are just now getting it done.  They had the same awful mess we had and I was glad my house had been cleaned Wednesday after all we had done before then.  They have a big job ahead!  

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Easter Week

I had a lot on my plate this week.  I was to get a haircut on Saturday but Cindy cancelled that morning and offered me one on Monday after her doctor appt.  I had cards at that time and it was very late to notify Michele I couldn’t be there so I refused that time slot.  I wrote and told her the times I could come and did not hear back so by Tuesday I made an appt. at a nearby salon.  I am very worried about Cindy but it is a half hour to get to her and when she cancels right when you are to leave home, it gets burdensome.  

So on Monday I played Canasta, ended up 3rd out of 8.  Always in the middle!  I was last at 3-13 this time when I played Tuesday.  Just didn’t get good cards to play with.  So by Wednesday I was ready to get our groceries and clothes ready to load up!  I could not remember what I had in the motorhome in regards to clothes and any special dishes I needed for cooking so I took what I knew I needed just to be safe.

We drove to the RV park, not very far from home and unhooked the Jeep at the front and went to get set up.  There was a Comcast work trailer parked where Ted needed to turn and the guy showing him in got off the cart to direct him.  I couldn’t see the front of the motorhome or how close he was to that work trailer but I could see the boulders they put at the edge of the grass to keep people from running over it.  Ted was ready to run right into them.  I laid on the horn and he stopped.  The guy came and moved one of the rocks and waved him on.  There was a second rock in the way and I blew the horn again.  The guy gave me a dirty look and I said “he trusts me more than you so move the damn rock.”  The trailer should not have been there in the first place!  And moving the rock was simple.  He left us to our own devices and Ted backed in with me directing him.  All was good!

John and Vivienne were not home so Ted got permission to wash the pollen off the motorhome while I put stuff away and made a tomato, cucumber, onion salad for dinner, brownies for dessert and I was going to bake potatoes.  John was cooking a tri tip roast. We ate outside and it got late so we all headed in.

Friday there was a party in the clubhouse.  They had eggs to color, flowers to make into small arrangements and food.  There was to be an egg hunt for the kids but it had rained so they rescheduled it but I don’t know to when.  

My deviled eggs.  They ate them all.

My dyed eggs and flower arrangement.  Perfect size for our dinette table.

Vivienne

It was misty and cool at dinnertime so we each ate inside.  John made bread so our grilled cheese was extra special.  Then we went to Cowboy Church.  They were very welcoming, had beautiful singing.  The pastor gave a nice talk and then the entire Passion was read.  Afterwards they had communion.  Vivienne went up but we other three did not.  

When we left for church my Jeep had a low pressure reading.  Ted used the compressor to air it up and we had no problem.  It was still ok in the morning but Ted said when Vivienne and I returned from the mall he would take it to Discount Tire.  She and I did a little damage at Chico’s while Ted and John went to Spring Ammo for a demo day.  They were able to shoot several pistols and had a good time.  While the guys took the car to get the tire fixed, Vivienne and I had cheese and crackers for a snack.  Turns out there was a small nail in the tire and they fixed it for free.  

Sunday we went to St. Anne Church and it was a wonderful Mass.  The people and the priest made us so welcome and the atmosphere was delightful.

We came home and I made ambrosia, sweet potatoes and a key lime pie.  John baked a ham and Vivienne made scalloped potatoes.  A terrific dinner by my estimation.  We sat out until it started drizzling a bit.  It was a full day.  

We were in the transient area and looked like a Newmar rally!  Ted was waxing ours and I took a photo of the other Ventana and Dutch Star.  

Good Health Feels Great

I was able to work Tuesday at Tomball Forum Friends.  We had about 120 seniors for bingo, entertainment and lunch.  This is my favorite event to work and the one I missed the most during the pandemic.  My table of six went 6 for 6 at bingo then won 3 more times and passed their winning sticks to others that had not won so everyone gets to choose a prize!  There were plenty of prizes, all supplied by our group.  Our organization also pays for the catered food and the entertainment if we have any.  Our own group, the Melodies, provided this month’s entertainment.

Wednesday evening we went next door to visit with our Israeli neighbors who had just returned from being gone several months.  Their house sitter Marena was there too and we had a great visit of several hours.

A trip to

in Seabrook TX was part of a bus trip down towards the gulf with the Newcomer ladies.

We stopped at Maas Nursery and many flowers and nursery items were purchased including two trees that stood in the back stairwell of the bus for the ride home.  I bought 18 two inch pots of various ajuga plants to try once more to get something to grow along the front wall.  

From there we continued on to the clubhouse for a delightful lunch in a room with a beautiful view.  

Saturday was the Masters, Mass, deliver Communion and eat at Red Lobster.  I told Ted I needed a different menu than he wants to cook all the time.  I chose flounder and coconut shrimp with a small salad and broccoli.  It tasted really good!

We are going to Magnolia to an RV park, where friends John and Vivienne live, to celebrate Easter with them.  We stopped by the motorhome to check on the leather repair on the ends of the recliner chairs we are replacing.  We want to sell them cheaply or give them away.  I used a brown leather repair kit and in two steps made it look better.  From there we drove to the park to check out our route, drove around the park to see our spot and how to get to it.  John and Vivienne were not home so we just came home to watch the end of The Masters, have dinner and watch TV.

This week will be busy with cards 3-13, Canasta, cleaning ladies, haircut, some prep cooking and packing.  We have a party at the park on Friday, cowboy church, Mass on Sunday, and Easter dinner.   

Another Week Toward Recovery

It is always in the back of my mind where I would be now in my “treatment” that first was thought necessary for my recovery.  I guess I presented backwards.  The worst cancer cells showed up in the biopsy and the rest got less and less bad.  The 1.3 mm size and finding it so early played a huge part in all of this.  I don’t have a lot on my calendar because I was planning maybe initially not feeling too good for 3 months.  What a relief to have avoided that.  

Monday we went to Healthy Women and spent 1.5 hours getting fitted.  The lady was so helpful and patient.  Medicare will pay for one prosthesis and 3 bras.  Then another prosthesis in 6 months but 3 more bras every 3 months.  At that rate I will need another dresser drawer!  There are two types of prosthesis,

one silicone and the other one, leisure.  It feels like a bean bag to me.  I bought the second prosthesis because I wanted one of each.  In 6 months I can choose a second one of the one I like best.  We stopped in Tomball for lunch where I had an awesome mahi mahi sandwich.

There is a shredding day happening in a few weeks here in our neighborhood so I spent time gathering oodles of things I can take.  I have a shredder but there is so much I am taking the easy way out.  

Friday we went to get our haircut.  Cindy seemed to be having difficulty and spent over an hour cutting Ted’s hair!  He doesn’t have that much.  I was up next and asked him if she was ok.  He said “no, I think she has had a stroke or her meds are out of whack.”  She has many health issues and is scheduled for a pet scan Monday.  I begged off saying I had developed a headache and would call for next week.  There were people there in the salon who had been with her all morning so we did not leave her alone.  I wish I had her daughter’s phone number to tell her of our concern.  Now I am not sure what to do!  

We have decided to go away over Easter weekend in the motorhome to give it a run like we did right before Christmas.  Tommy and Susan were supposed to go but Tommy put his motorhome on RV Trader and immediately got an interested buyer!  So we are going ahead with our plans.  If they don’t sell, they can join us.  If they do, they can come visit us because we are not going too far.  That’s traveling companions #2 who are giving up their RV.  None of us are getting any younger.  Our friend in Mission who has a house there and one in MN has been taking chemo and will have to remain down there through the summer.  They sold their motorhome  when they bought the house even though it has an attached porch to park.  Another friend there did the same with their 5th wheel.  Times, they are a changin’.