Behind Again

Don’t ask me how you fall behind when you have nothing to do, yet here we are.  Last week went by so quickly.  We were in town at Kara’s a lot getting ready for the party.  We checked in with the venue (Scottish Lodge Hall) and went over regular and Covid details.  There could be no buffet but a caterer was allowed to dish up prepared food, she had to have a bartender, no self serve.  Only 50% of capacity was allowed.  Everyone had to wear a mask. With that done we regrouped to establish and tackle jobs to make the party happen as safely as possible.

We rolled a small packet of hand sanitizer, salt & pepper packets, knife and fork in a napkin and taped it shut with yellow strips made with sticky on one side. We washed our hands, sanitized our hands and wore gloves.  She had ordered 8 dozen cupcakes and bought individual containers to put them in.  Then she made labels for the different flavors.  

We felt well prepared for celebrating as safely as possible.  Imagine our surprise on Friday when the hall called and said the Board of Health had just visited and said they were wrong in classifying them as a restaurant and they were an Event Center with a limit of 10 people.  They and the caterer could lose their licenses and attendees could be fined $1000!?!

By Saturday morning they had a plan in place to have it at home, outside in their yard.  As a precaution she had bought two canopy tents intending to use one on their patio in the summer and take one back if she did not run into the exact problem we were dealing with.  The biggest item was tables and chairs which she was able to rent at the last minute.  She and Bill were able to pick them up using both SUVs. With that taken care of, I knew we could do this.  

The caterer said he was running into this and coming to their house instead was no problem.  He served all the food while gloved and had wrapped each dinner roll in its own baggie.  

The patio

The Chill table 

The Driveway

Restrooms

Kara had his Awards Table all ready with help from Morgan and Kristin.  She displayed it next to their 50” TV brought outside to run the slideshow she created of his life.  It was exceptional and I made three appearances plus one of my hands holding him.  In addition to a check I wrapped up a DVD that we had in at least 4 RVs.  It was from 1930s cartoons, most of which were Popeye.  As soon as he climbed into the RV he wanted to watch those old time black and white cartoons.  Morgan was excited too because she said it had prompted her interest in drawing.  (She is an excellent artist).  I worried he would think it was dumb but he was elated.  He remembered watching it none stop and said it was like finding an old friend.  

It turned out to be a beautiful day.  It was on the warm side but the shade and a nice breeze kept most everyone comfortable.  The kids were able to play all sorts of games on the grass and the last people didn’t leave until about 10:30.  I was expecting Daughter #4 and her family at the park for dinner on Monday.  Sheetal has been a part of our family for 37 years as Kristin’s best friend.

Turns out Kara sent me home with all the leftovers because they all decided to come!  I really didn’t have to do much though.  More heating up than cooking!  

Today we are going to take Sam to his haircut thinking I could get my nails done.  But they aren’t allowed to do powder dip so I decided to just wait.  But we are having one last family dinner because Larry and Kristin fly back to Florida on Wednesday and we head into Indiana and then Kentucky on Thursday and Friday.  

Week One of Two

We went to Frankenmuth on Wednesday for two things - Chico’s Summer Sale and Bavarian Inn’s world famous chicken dinner.  Chico’s was a success $280 worth of clothes for $104 and the chicken dinner was as delicious as ever.  It was our only meal of the day.

I don’t think we did much on Thursday other than Ted washed and waxed the car and MH.  I am still straightening, finding, moving things to be as convenient as possible.  And I found the fly swatter!  No flower on it though.  I also found the campfire forks to roast marshmallows. Neither of us could even remember if we had kept them.

We had Kara’s family out but just had pizza delivered to our campsite.  The little fellow in yellow latched on to Sam and it turned out he was the nephew of Cassie’s prom date in high school.  Small world.  He had some cookies and a lemonade before his grandma came to get him.

On Friday we went into Kara’s where she had Bill grill beef or chicken kabobs, corn on the cob and watermelon chunks for dinner.  Bill bought them a 6th anniversary cake that was enjoyed by all.  We stopped at the store on the way home because everyone was coming to the park on Saturday.

We had a crowd - Kelly, Pat, Cassie, Greg, Ally, Bidkar, Baby CeCe, Kara, Bill, Morgan plus the two of us.  Getting enough serving dishes and silverware was the biggest obstacle.  I had summer sausage with cherry covered Brie and some chips and pretzels for snacks but I had to find big spoons so people were not reaching in with their hands.  Ted grilled burgers and brats.  I made baked beans and a peach cobbler in my crockpot served with vanilla ice cream, Kelly made a fruit salad and Kara a pasta salad.  I also sliced tomatoes, onions and had shredded lettuce and pickles to make a good old fashioned burger.  And of course the hand sanitizer was on the table too.  We had commandeered another 8 foot table from an empty campsite so we had 16 feet of food and plenty of seating using additional lawn chairs.

We did not hold the baby and stayed 6 feet away because we have been out in stores and places though we do wear our masks indoors, it is mandated for public buildings now in Michigan.  She can walk a few steps but takes off when pushing her little cart.  She loves music and was enthralled trying to clap and keep time to Ted singing All My Exes Live in Texas.  It was so cute!

Ted built a fire and we all social distanced around it.  We turned the outside TV on and Ted turned the station to country music.  We found there are light strips under the slide out and the coach!  Makes a big difference when you come home in the dark.  The two patio light bulbs were burned out and Bill brought a bigger ladder to reach them.  No more coming home in the dark!

Little by little we are finding things and learning.  Every once in awhile we have to write Jim and ask him the question of the day.  Good thing he doesn’t charge us!

On Sunday Ted went shooting and it rained cats and dogs.  I thought for sure he would come home but he said they shot the whole course, stopping to wait for showers to pass.  We dressed and went into town.  Our original Plan was to attend church outdoors in lawn chairs but the weather caused cancellation so we watched Pat and Kelly’s church on TV in their family room.  Afterwards we went to a great restaurant with lots of food, great prices and even better service.  It was my Monday dinner too!

Monday, right after they emptied our tanks, we had a problem that sounded like a motor or something running under the sink.  We couldn’t figure out what it was and why it was running.  It started after they had dumped our tanks.  We talked to Oasis people, Jim the previous owner and finally Newmar who I told the only thing under there was the Sub Woofer and the built in vacuum.  Turns out the sub woofer has been a problem and they were sure that was it.  They said we could unplug it and get it “fixed” at our convenience.  I went under the sink looking for an off button but there was only a Max and Min dial.  It was on Max and I turned it to Min and it stopped.  It doesn’t appear to be “on” and they said it only comes into play when the surround sound comes on.  We are lucky we can get the TV on and find the station we want without worrying about the surround sound.  Ted called Jim back and had a good laugh.  We are learning something new almost every day.

Brand New KOA

We drove without incident to Mt. Gilead and found the KOA that had opened just 8 days previously.  We were given a spot in Row G and I asked where the cabin was that Dan was going to be in.   I explained we were together and probably would be eating together and would like to be close.  They put us right across the road from them and it has been most convenient.

We then went to Eagle’s Nest to watch Dan shoot Fitasc, a European clay shooting game.  It is done holding your gun down near your waist and raising it to firing position only after the bird is called for. It is very difficult.  As of late afternoon Saturday he was in second place.

We came back home and while Sue and Dan showered after all day in the sun, Ted grilled brats on the grill at their cabin while I readied macaroni salad, watermelon chunks, beans and chips.  Klondike bars were dessert, the small ones.  I really did more “opening” than cooking but Sue was most grateful to walk out to the covered patio and sit down to eat.

Friday the fellows were shooting at 9 but they go warm up before so we agreed to meet them at 9:30. When we arrived they were moving quickly and I was concerned my brother Kim and Marion were going to arrive too late to see them shoot.  They arrived just in time to see them shoot the last two stations.

We all came back to the pub here at the park and had lunch.  Dan had to go back to his Fitasc round, Kim and Marion visited with us for awhile longer, then headed back to Powell, OH about 40 minutes away.

We spent the evening on the cabin patio just visiting and munching on veggies and nuts.  No one was hungry.  It started to rain so we headed across the road to home.

We did the same time thing on Saturday and two of the squad never showed so with a 2 man team, they had moved almost half way down the course when we arrived at 9:30!  When they finished, with not great scores, they went to 5 stand to practice!  We took the trappers advice and went to a small restaurant near the range.  The food was very good but the selection was limited and quantity way short of the “enough for two” Todd promised us.

We came home and Ted showered while I started two loads of laundry.  The stackables don’t hold but 1/4 of what my 20+ years washer at home does and takes way longer to run a cycle.  What they save you in water you pay in electricity and time!  But I guess it is better than the laundromat though two hours every other week was enticing!

Sunday there was some confusion.  Kim asked if Ted and I had time for dinner Sunday near their house.  Dan was leaving right after shooting because they had a Monday morning flight to FL.  We said yes but then there was the question if they were coming to see the shooting.  We all decided they weren’t.  I chose to stay home because the three of them left at 7:30 after checking out of the cabin.  I tried repeatedly to reach Kim to determine if they were or were not coming and received a text from Marion eventually “we are 5 minutes away”.

Sue’s truck and our car were parked a distance away from the general public parking lot, the fellows were about to start shooting, so Marion came back for me after I made a quick trip to the mirror, and all turned out well!  Ted shot very well but not good enough to make up for his mediocre score on Saturday.  Neither he nor Dan won any money or accolades!

Everyone headed for home and later on Ted and I dressed up for an Italian dinner out in Powell, OH.  We were the only four in the restaurant though another party came in later.  The food was excellent and we talked non stop until close to 10:00.  I do hope they will attend next year’s family reunion.  He has at least 100 people to meet that he is related to.  There are lots more, that will just be for starters.

Monday we left about 9:00 and drove 5 hours to Michigan to Addison Oaks, an Oakland County Park.  We end up here usually every year in our summer comings and goings.  It has big sites and two parking spaces per campsite.  We will be here a little more than two weeks.

Everyone is working so Tuesday we did a lot of running around - Sam’s for our protein drinks and gas, Target for an induction 5 qt. pot, Kroger for a few groceries ... and we forgot water and sodas!  That will give us something to do tomorrow!

Moving On

On Tuesday, we drove through two hours of beautiful farmland and the city of Van Wert, OH with the most beautiful collection of Victorian homes with sweeping verandas, turrets and widow walks.  It was a beautiful day, but we arrived in Shipshawana about 11:05 and were told breakfast was no longer available after 11:00 so we had an early lunch.  Normally I would order a piece of their wonderful pie but stuck to my guns and declined.  Last time I looked I was .4 out of my range so back to the straight and narrow!  One quarter of a pound is easier to lose than a whole pound!  

We walked around the flea market buying two gifts (everybody loves fleas LOL) but the sun and heat were becoming uncomfortable.  We moved on to E&S grocery where you can find amazing things especially for baking but there was no strawberry glaze I wanted nor powdered peanut butter Ted wanted.  I bought one more gift and we headed for home.

We did not have to look for a cutting board or fly swatter since we found them at Dollar General.  The swatter has a blue flower attached.  Ted told the girl it was really nice because you can kill the fly and send flowers all in one swat.  😊

And as I predicted, I have located my cutting board in a drawer but not the fly swatter.  I am wondering if maybe some things made it to Goodwill that I should have held on to.

Wednesday we had a mobile repair tech coming to fix a part in one of our A/C units, it was actually something to do with the heat pump that threw an error code so luckily the A/C continued to run.  We have two units so we were never uncomfortable. In fact, we don’t know how long the error code was displayed.  Ted had them tighten a piece of molding and realign a cargo door that the previous owner had gotten off kilter with the electric cord reel.  Their bill for two men and the part was less than a service call in the big city!

In the late afternoon Ted went to meet Dan for a few rounds of skeet.  While he was gone a storm came up and the awnings were going nuts.  The large side awning put itself away due to its wind sensor and I pushed the button for the one over the door,  however, the ones over the windows on the opposite side were being pushed and pulled frantically.  Ted had told me you have to put these away by hand.  I ran out and saw you had to slip the strap out of its clip and let it roll up but I couldn’t reach it, then the man across from us came over and did it for me.  Whew!  So much still to learn.  We had one awning in the trailer and I knew which button to use!  Ted showed me where the rod was to use to let the awning roll up.  Lesson learned!

Today we move on to Mt, Gilead for the registered shooting competition this week end.  Dan and Sue are heading there early because Dan is shooting today.  Ted isn’t, so we will take our time and get set up at the campground.   It is only a two hour drive and you don’t want to arrive before checkout.  If your space is occupied you have nowhere to go to wait!

All our activities have been outdoors and social distanced restaurants.  Ted is getting frustrated having to ask for salt!  Paper menus and nothing on the tables remain the order of the day.  Our granddaughter Ally has been exposed at work.  Her first test was negative and we are awaiting results on the second one.  This may make seeing Cece a bit more difficult.  We are having trouble finding Campgrounds with space the first two weeks of August.  I think after 8/15 some schools will start back and things will open up.  We have two weeks to work on it.

Stay well.  Avoid crowds.  Wear a mask in stores and at church.  Wash your hands.  Since no one has definitively decided just how this spreads, that’s about all we can do besides staying home all the time.  And we have our home with us!

On A Bigger Lake Now

Usually we stay at Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Park but all the sites were filled because of the holiday by the time I was able to get through once it reopened.  So we are in a private park, not fancy, but it has full hook-ups, easy in and out with no one bothering you with rules and regulations and half the price of the state park that has electric only!  We rode through the other night and it appears they have put water and sewers in a few lines of sites but they don’t look big enough to hold us.  So, all in all, we are happy where we are.

Once set up, we went to Dan and Sue’s to meet their new dog Dolly just home from training in Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately, they did not convey to her that she is not a lap dog.

Eventually we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.  For the middle of cornfield country, it was really good.  Monday was spent getting acclimated, stopping at the store and eventually going back to Dan’s for a cookout.

Tuesday the fellows went shooting, Sue had a headache so I kept the car and went to the post office to mail a birthday card and then went shopping for 3 boy and 1 girl birthday presents.  For the 4th we are going to a 4th of July picnic and combined birthday party for four of their 16 grandchildren!  I also bought bags, tissue paper and 4 more birthday cards.  I hope they like their gifts.

Wednesday we were waiting on Keith and Steve to arrive from Connecticut.  They were headed to Elk Lake to join  the four housefuls down there but spent most of the afternoon and early evening with us before continuing on.  Dan took us for a very pleasant boat ride on Grand Lake in the afternoon and we eventually ended up at CJs for dinner.  We all were really hungry because the only thing besides dirty dishes cleared away was two croutons!

Here is a little history on the hand dug lake.

“Originally constructed as a feeder reservoir for the Miami-Erie Canal, Grand Lake St. Marys was for many years recognized as the largest man-made reservoir in the world. The 13,500-acre lake is the gateway to swimming, boating, camping and fishing in one of Ohio's oldest state parks.The area in and around Grand Lake St. Marys State Park played an important part in the development of the Northwest territory.”

The fellows went shooting again on Thursday while Sue and I drove to Lima to get manicures and pedicures with everyone wearing masks.  We stopped for some things at a drug store and I dropped her off at home.  Ted was not back and I took a short nap then fixed myself a small dinner.  He ate when he got home and we stayed in for the night.  

Friday we ran an errand and ended up having lunch at Bella’s on the patio beside the lake.  

This is just down the street from where cabins with individual fishing piers were where my family spent many a vacation.  My great grandparents came to Celina for years to vacation and fish, they belonged to the Moose Lodge because it was the only TV and they wanted to watch the Reds.  Grandpa Homer was presented a key to the city at one time.  I remember seeing photos of that.  The restaurant/bar that was Chick and Tiny’s is now named something else and has expanded and the cabins and piers are all gone.  I am thankful for those wonderful childhood memories and being able to share my stories with Ted.

We were invited to Sue’s son’s home to celebrate 4 youngsters’ birthdays and Independence Day all rolled into one.  Dan and Sue have 6 kids and 17 grandkids so we saw 3 of the adults and 7 of the children.  Everyone had a great time, lots of food, presents and birthday cake!

We had to travel north on I-75 to get home.  Because it is all flat farmland here, we were able to see fireworks from both sides of the road and in front of us.  A fine end to a wonderful day!  

We have nothing planned for the rest of today or tomorrowBut that may change.  Tuesday we are going to Shipshawana, IN to Amish country.  The flea market will be open so I can find a fly swatter and cutting board, neither of which I have been able to locate in the motorhome!  As soon as I get home I will probably find them so then I will have two.