Canasta, the Pope and Bunco

When we were gone we received a voicemail from Alicia asking us to sub at Canasta Saturday night. The next message said they had called Terry & Carol and they were subbing. I was disappointed since we had no plans but on Saturday afternoon Alicia called back. Wayne had taken ill so he and Pam could not play. We were still available and it worked out for everyone, well, except for Wayne.

We went to church at 5:00. Terry & Carol were there but their pew was full when we arrived so we sat with our neighbors Jeanette & Dick. Afterwards we went to Chik Fil A for a sandwich and then headed over to Alicia & Owen's house.

They had four tables (16 people). We play four games and change partners each time so you get to visit with everyone. It was Owen's birthday so we had some cake and ice cream afterwards. Ted and I were 5 points apart in score but didn't win anything. That's OK. We played well and had fun.

Sunday Rick & Brenda came over. They are traveling from Rockport, TX to Memphis, TN to work for his brother for a few months. We had only this one day to get together. Last year we tried to go to the Funeral Museum but it was a Monday and it was closed. So we picked that to do, wondering if it would be macabre or depressing. But it wasn't at all.

It had lots of caskets (technically 6-sided) and coffins (technically 8-sided) and hearses from plain, simple carts to more elaborate carts and sleighs, all pulled by horses to some very expensive and notable hearses such as a 1973 Mercedes that conveyed Princess Grace of Monaco in her 1982 funeral.

This is a "if I can't take it with me, I'm not going" casket. There is over $600 in money embedded; however, I'm sure the coins are now worth way more than face value.


These fanciful ones are hand painted Ghanaian coffins, the largest collection outside of Africa. Most churches frown upon them.


This is a 3-person casket built for a couple who intended murder/suicide after the death of their child. They changed their mind and the child was buried alone. When the man died the wife asked for a refund from the original funeral parlor. It had changed hands three times and they said "no."



There is a 1916 Packard funeral bus that could carry the coffin, pallbearers and 20 mourners. In San Francisco on a hill it tipped over sending everyone including the deceased onto the street. It was retired and ended up in this museum.

There were areas for Egyptian mummies and sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?), the Mexican "Day of the Dead" celebration, an exhibit on the funerals of most 20th century presidents, Elvis, John Wayne, Sinatra, Gandhi and many others. This is a funeral badge from the funeral of Abe Lincoln.


Embalming came into vogue during the Civil War and a section is devoted to Dr. Holmes who invented it and how it is done.


The next two photos are traditions that have gone by the wayside - a funeral in the private home parlor and a quilt made from the ribbons attached to the funeral flowers.



There is a large exhibit on the death of Pope John Paul II. All the pomp and circumstance that surround a Pope's death, how the chambers are sealed and the ring of the fisherman smashed are explained. There is a section on the process to elect a new pope while the funeral for the deceased pope is being planned. The deceased pope is first put into a cedar casket, then into a lead casket that is soldered shut and ribbons and wax further seal it. Then it is placed in a Douglas fir casket for interment. I didn't know the pope wore red shoes but it is part of their official dress. Apparently John Paul II didn't wear them in life but he wears them in death. Benedict XVI wears them regularly it said. They also had the British Popemobile on display.







After the museum we went to Cheddar's for dinner. Again it was very good, very crowded, very noisy. Then we came home and sat out on the deck until dark when Brenda & Rick left.

Monday was bunco at Carol's house so Ted and Terry went to hit golf balls while we girls played. Afterwards I went shopping and came home with a few new things. I'm just not much of a shopper and didn't stay out long.

Ted has gone to Fort Worth today and will be back on Thursday. That gives me a couple days to myself. Tomorrow is an early Happy Hour in honor of St. Patrick's day. I don't like green beer. I wonder if they'll have green wine?

Til later.

I've Surfaced

It would be so nice if all junk mail disintegrated one day after hitting your mailbox. If you really wanted it, you would have 24 hours to take it out. Otherwise, poof, it would be gone. I had to empty the shredder twice yesterday. And the Medicare thing is heating up in anticipation of my birthday next fall. I already know what I'm going to do so I wish there was a way to shut all that off.

We received a notice from TX Dot that our trailer went through a toll booth without paying. Seems the driver taking it back to Arizona didn't mind whizzing on by. We filled out a form saying we had sold that vehicle so I hope that clears it up. We did receive our new vent and graphic that they owed us for the new rig. Once we change those two things out, Ted will be a happy camper.

I had a nice time at our neighborhood ladies' luncheon on Thursday. Next month is my turn to pick out the restaurant. I have two in mind but I have to check out the feasibility of taking a group of 15 women there who all want separate checks. Not every restaurant is that accommodating.

Afterwards I went to Susan's for a get together but I didn't stay long. I walked with Carol to her house to get our mailbox key. I ended up talking to her and Terry for quite awhile. So we called Ted and asked if he wanted to go to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. We have a hard time getting together with them where we can actually talk so it was a nice evening.

Rebecca cleaned on Friday while I dealt with the mail. Then Sherida called and asked us to go to a St. Patrick shindig at Fleming's Steakhouse. We would have loved to have gone but it's Friday in Lent so we declined but thanked her for the invitation. Ted had salmon croquettes and I had mac and cheese all the time knowing how good Fleming's steaks are. It's a small sacrifice but one we're willing to make just six Fridays a year.

Last night we watched Dateline about a Cincinnati murder where a lady killed her doctor husband. When they recapped her life they said she went to a Catholic high school and my high school came on the screen. How surreal! She grew up in the 50s so I think we're close in age. She was a high school drop out so she didn't graduate from there. I looked at my four year books and she isn't in any of them so I would guess she came after I graduated. I guess she wasn't paying too much attention when they taught us not to kill!

I forgot to tell you all that spring is definitely coming. We found daffodils in bloom at the rest area in Forest City, Arkansas and the Bradford pears and dogwoods were blooming all the way home through Texas. Get those annuals, fertilizer and trowels ready folks.

Welcome to Texas

It was good to see that sign when we crossed the state line from Arkansas into Texas in Texarkana. We are gone for longs stretches lots of times but then we are usually in our RV with our own bed and our clothes put away in closets and drawers. Living out of a suitcase just isn't the same.

Last Sunday we attended church with Karen and Ron. Their son Terry and daughter-in-law Lynn stopped by to give them an update on the cabin at the lake where they had spent the weekend (without facilities). Ron is anxious to get it open because Karen won't go down until she has "facilities." They plan to do that this weekend.

Then their daughter Cindy and husband Tim came by to see us and show me what she has gathered for the 2011 family reunion. We chose the shirt and bag we'll buy in bulk. She also had a lot of "giveaways" to put in the bag. I need to work on getting some of those too. They stayed for supper so it was a nice day and evening.

Ted called his sisters and they and Kathy's husband Mike met him for lunch on Monday while I met with my friends for lunch. Donna, Donna, Donna, Cookie. It's almost like stuttering but we started Kindergarten together in 1950, graduated high school in 1963 and we can pick up like no time has passed at all. I had a great visit.

We headed out early Tuesday and drove to west of Little Rock where we spent the night. Wednesday we finished up, arriving home about 2 p.m. Here's where the saga of the post office starts again.

In December and February they did not hold my mail for the two week stretches we were gone. This time they started holding it two days before we left but I let that go feeling at least they were holding it. Terry checked the first week and we got mail 3 days in a row. I called the post office, had a "chat" with the guy in charge who assured me they had a tub of mail already that they were holding for me. Guess what I found in the mailbox - 54 pieces of mail! They are absolute idiots at my post office. Now I know why the term "going postal" has become synonymous with losing it!

Kara went to the doctor yesterday and he said she is perfect, exactly where she should be at this point. However, Morgan got sick at school while she was at the doctor and had no one to go pick her up since Kara was all the way downtown. It's times like this that she and I both wish I was closer. A neighbor came to the rescue and by evening Morgan seemed to be doing OK.

I did get through some bills and things out of the 54 pieces of mail we had yesterday but today that "tub of mail" will be picked up by Ted and I'll have another go round with it. I have a luncheon and party today too so I need to get moving.

Talk to you all later.

Super Pumped

A second comment has been placed on my Don't Eat the Bluebonnets entry. One of the authors has read my blog and commented. I'm so pleased!

I'm Pumped

Check out the comments on my Don't Eat the Bluebonnets post. The illustrator sent me a comment! How neat is that? I did share all the pictures with the kids because Morgan was sitting in the front row reminding me to "show us the pictures, Grandma." I was so happy to share part of Texas with those kids and teachers and delighted to hear from Bill.

Kelly and family made it over on Friday night to see us before we left. She had a cold all week so stayed away so Kara would not catch it. Cassie had come home from college on spring break so the whole family was there. I learned two new things this trip. 1) how to use my cell phone as an alarm clock and 2) how to "rip" a song from a CD onto my computer so I can download it to my ipod (which I don't have!). We have an ipod docking station in the new RV so they think I need one. Ally "ripped" a Steely Dan song off of Allen's CD to show me how I could get all my Patsy Cline songs onto my computer and then onto my ipod when I get one. Hey, I think they can teach this old dog new tricks.

We left Kara's Saturday morning and drove to Centerville to visit Peter and Ethleon. They are both close to 90 and experiencing some difficulty. They were so happy to see us. We only stayed a couple hours but it was a great visit. We promised them we would stop again in June when we're in the area.

My nephew's father-in-law died and was buried yesterday so they called to tell us where they were all gathering afterwards. The Irish have no corner on wakes with my German family. We arrived before 3 and it was 10 before we got to Karen and Ron's. It was a sad occasion but gave us the opportunity to see many people we see only at family reunions every two years. Rest in Peace, Kenny.

Don't Eat the Bluebonnets

Today is our last day in Michigan. Kara is doing well and today she added a little tuna on small crackers. It doesn't take much to fill her up.

Once we got the kids off to school this morning we went to the mall to get a dress shirt for Sam for his First Communion. I bought him a black sports coat in Hidalgo, TX and he has new khaki pants. He picked out a tie so we took it all with us to get the shirt. He's going to look spiffy for his big day.

Then we went to Gymboree where I got two outfits for Morgan - one for Easter and one for her birthday. We checked Pottery Barn Kids for Star War sheets for Sam but we missed the sale so we'll wait. I did find a new set on Ebay so Kristin is watching that auction and we may get them there.

We were "secret readers" in Morgan's class this afternoon since Allen had to change his trip to Lansing. I chose the book we gave them after their Easter 2008 trip to Texas. It's about a cow who eats the bluebonnets and the next year they don't grow back. I'm sure it was written to impress upon the children to not pick the bluebonnets so they can re-seed themselves. I started by telling the kids where we live, the difference in weather, and about our wildflowers that bloom in the spring. The bluebonnet is our state flower and the Hill Country and the Piney Woods of East Texas are famous for their beautiful fields of bluebonnets in April. Ted said he thinks even the teachers enjoyed the story.

We brought the kids home with us so they didn't have to ride the bus. We called Kelly and she was on her way to Saginaw to pick up Cassie for her spring break. Hopefully we'll get to see them all later this evening.

We are stopping in Centerville, OH tomorrow to see the fellow that Ted replaced at Abitibi in 1984. Peter is now 90 and having some problems so Ted wants to see him while we have the opportunity. My nephew's father-in-law died this past week and the funeral is tomorrow. Depending on our timing we may be able to catch up with the family wherever they are gathering after the service. We will be staying with Karen and Ron again for three nights.

The weather has been fairly pleasant this week. No more snow, lots of sunshine and temps in the 40s. However, I'm still ready to get back to Texas.

Sam is Doing Much Better

This morning Sam went to the pediatrician. She was grateful he did not have meningitis which is what she suspected when she sent them to the ER. Purpera is an autoimmune reaction to an infection. What we perceive as bruises are actually inflamed capillaries. He is on antibiotics and needs to have a urine test once a week for six weeks to insure his kidney capillaries are not involved. This is a rare side effect but they want to be careful. Never a dull moment around here.

After the doctor appointment Kara and I had to take pizza to Morgan's class as a lunch reward for having the most parents at the last PTA meeting. Everyone was surprised to see Kara out and about looking so well. Her surgery was one week ago today.

Ted and I went to the grocery and then Kara and I fixed a turkey breast and fixings for dinner.

Not much else to share but I wanted you all to know Sam is OK.

Wacky Wednesday

Tuesday went just as planned. We got the kids off to school, the cleaning ladies came and went, Barb came for lunch and it was great to see her. The kids get home at 3:30 and Morgan has to be at dance at 4:30 so it's a quick turn around time. Kara and I dropped her off while Ted stayed with Sam. We went to the vitamin store, the drugstore and then picked up pizza at Jett's for dinner. Sam was complaining that with all the food brought to us and my and Ted's cooking, there hadn't been time for take-out (translation pizza). Since we had such a busy evening we accommodated him. Allen ate quickly so he could go at 6 to pick up Morgan.

Wednesday morning I came downstairs to find Kara and Sam in the family room. She said he had been up since 4:30 with a temp of 102.7 and was complaining his legs hurt. It wasn't long before he was wailing which is entirely out of character. She and I both checked his legs and they were covered with bruises and we recognized it as purpura because Kristin had it at about the same age. They called the pediatrician who wanted them to take him to the ER immediately. Morgan took the bus to school and they took off. I did laundry, made beds and straightened up while Ted went to get a haircut. Eventually they came home and our diagnosis had been correct. Kara and Sam took a long nap and I finished the laundry. Six people sure can generate a lot. By bedtime tonight Sam's fever was down and his bruises were subsiding. He has an appointment with the pediatrician at 9 tomorrow morning.

Ted and I made plans to meet Gus and Melissa for dinner at Loccina restaurant tonight. We had a great 3-hour dinner and got caught up on all the kids and grandkids. While we have 3 daughters, 3 granddaughters and one grandson, they have 3 sons and are expecting their third grandson. Next time might be that girl!

Tomorrow there is a pizza party in Morgan's class for having the most parents at the PTO meeting and Kara and I are doing that. Allen was to be the secret reader in her class on Friday but he had to move today's trip to Lansing to Friday so Ted will be the secret reader instead.

Kara had several projects she wanted me to help her with but we haven't had time to get started. You just never know what each new day will bring.

Photos

Kara received this in the mail. It cracked her up. Especially Joy's note that said she hoped soon the ball would be rounder than Kara.




This is Morgan's room. I just love the yellow, green and lilac colors together.



I took this picture of Kara's backyard out our bedroom window. The weather has improved since the weekend and patches of grass are appearing. They call this balmy ... my response - BS!



We took this picture when we stayed the night in Cincinnati on 2/22. It is the area surrounding Karen's condo.



That's all folks!

I Lied AND I Had to Cook!

Well here I am after saying I wouldn't be but I do have a few things to share. The fellows had a great time at Laser Tag. Poor Sam had a -29 the first round (meaning he got shot more then he shot others) but brought that up to a 30 on the second round. Ted came in 7th (out of 32) the first round and 2nd the second round. I'm sure, given one more crack at it, he would have made first!

While they were gone I played with Morgan. We were on Purble Place on the computer making cakes, choosing pairs and another game I had a hard time figuring out. It was too hard for her to play. Then we played Go Fish and War with cards. Finally we played Sorry Slider, a new version of the Sorry board game.

Eventually Christine and Kelsey came to visit - with more flowers!! The kids went off to play, Kara and Christine visited and I had some down time. When the boys all came home I heated up the tortillini soup and put out the salad with bread for our dinner.

Today I got up to get the kids off and Allen was just leaving. I asked what he wanted for dinner and he said he didn't know, no one had ever asked him that! So I got a pork tenderloin out to defrost. Kara's friend Kellie came to visit and brought Kara some body wash and visited for awhile. Since Kara was allowed to start soft foods, we made a trip to the grocery where we spent a lot of time reading labels. She can only eat about 1/4 cup of food at a time and it has to be high in protein. That doesn't leave a lot to choose from.

Another flower arrangement arrived but it was a basket of bulbs that are peeking through and will bloom shortly. Then a box was delivered that contained a Disney throw. Someone knows how much this family loves Disney World. I put "thank you notes" on the grocery list!

All our activity wore Kara out and she took a two hour nap. The kids came home and I went through the backpacks and sat with them while they did their homework. Ted read a book to Morgan because that is part of her homework this month. Then she had to color the shamrock on March 1 to indicate she had been read to or had read herself.

Sue arrived to visit with Kara so I put the tenderloin in the oven, set the table and got the rest of our meal together. Poor Kara had protein whey mixed with applesauce and a little apple juice. Blah!!

Tomorrow the cleaning ladies are coming in the morning, Ted is going to the Detroit News, my friend Barb is coming for lunch and we need to go to the vitamin store to get all the supplements Kara needs.

I don't know when I'll write again. I'm not even going to venture a guess!

The Homecoming

Kara came home on Saturday and the kids were so glad to see her. She was feeling a lot better but of course not 100%. The gas was still giving her back pain but she was starting to get relief. She is eating soft foods and liquids and her system is functioning normally. We old folks know how important that is!!

More flowers arrived from her neighbor and her mother-in-law. Ted and I went to church at 4:00 (no dogs or donkeys!) and then Ted fixed Tortellini Soup for dinner.

Pat and Kelly came over for the evening so we had a nice family visit. Kara feels better sleeping in a recliner so they moved the yellow recliner she has in Morgan's room (that she used for nursing when they were babies) into her bedroom. She said she slept fine and I'm sure Allen appreciated sleeping through the night in his own bed.

Kara actually made blueberry pancakes (with blueberries they picked last summer) for everyone. Sam helped her and it was good for her to spend the time with him. Allen has taken them to catechism class while he is attending church and we are babysitting Kara. Another friend has stopped by with chicken pasta salad and is visiting with Kara.

This afternoon Ted, Allen and Sam are going to the Boy Scout Laser Tag outing. I'm sure they will have a really good time. I told Sam that when they are playing a game that includes shooting, Grandpa will be a competitor and will play to win. This should be interesting.

I won't be posting every day anymore since things will settle into a normal routine and there won't be much to write about. I expect to see my friend Barb on Tuesday and we have dinner plans with Gus and Melissa on Wednesday. I think we'll be able to leave on Saturday as planned.

There's no more snow predicted yet so maybe Ted's snowblowing days are over for this trip.

Day #2 - No Mistakes

The kids go to bed so well. At 8:30 last night we told them it was bedtime. They got their PJs on, hopped into bed and that was it. Morgan was up on her own again this morning but we had to wake Sam up. They washed up, brushed their teeth, got dressed, ate their breakfast and had about 10 extra minutes. I told them they could watch TV and Morgan promptly told me "we're not allowed." I didn't want them dressed in snowpants and jackets in the house getting too warm and it was too cold to stand outside. So I told them this was a Grandma Special for just 10 minutes then they could get their outerwear on. This standing outside in the snow, wind and teen temps is for the birds!

I made all the beds, straightened up a bit, did the laundry and straightened up the linen closet on the second floor. Ted used the snowblower to clear the drive and walk then went to Lowe's to get light bulbs for the strip in the kids' bathroom. When he got back, everything was covered in snow again. He said he wouldn't live up here ever again. He intends to live and die in Texas!

Ted was supposed to take Sam to his Cub Scout meeting tonight but it was cancelled because of the weather. We only have one child seat in the car so we really couldn't take them out so Ted went to McDonald's and got fish sandwiches for us and they had McNuggets Happy Meals. Fridays are always a challenge during Lent. I had cabbage soup for lunch!

Kara is doing really well. She is eating cranberry juice and jello. All the tubes have been removed and she is walking around. Allen has stayed with her the entire time. I know the kids will be happy to see them both tomorrow. Flowers arrived from Kara's work and the spring flowers are a nice touch amidst all this winter white we're looking at.

Day #1 - On Our Own with the Kids

Kara had to be at the hospital at 5:30 this morning so when I woke up at 6:30 they were long gone. Morgan woke up on her own so I got her breakfast. When I went upstairs to help her get dressed, Sam woke up on his own also. They brushed their teeth and got dressed. While I was combing Morgan's beautiful long red hair, I sprayed the detangler just as she turned her head and got some in her eye. Whoops! Mistake #1. I washed her eye out and she said it was OK so we finished up. Mistake #2 - I put grape jelly on Sam's toast instead of strawberry. I didn't want a scene so I just started over.

When I went out in the garage to stand with them waiting for the bus, it was 18 degrees and we had a new dusting of snow. They had been riding their scooter on the driveway and must have moved the snow shovel. I couldn't get the garage door to go down. I hollered into Ted and he told me to look more closely at the possibility of something breaking the beam and I found the shovel. Mistake #3 and it was only 8 a.m.

We both got dressed and drove down to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. This is the hospital all the Canadians come to for heart surgery they can't get in a reasonable amount of time in Canada. We found a bargain! It was $4 for valet parking. When I take Ted down to the Texas Medical Center it costs $14 for just a few hours. We sat with Allen until we could go to Kara's room. She was pretty uncomfortable and I'm sure it is the inert gas roaming around, looking for a way out. She was leery of the morphine drip but I convinced her to try it. Throwing up pain free is better than just being in pain. After two doses she fell asleep and we left.

We stopped at Wal-Mart before coming home. The phone rang a lot and eventually the kids came home. They didn't have any stories of calamity so I guess we did OK. Then the door bell rang and someone named Theresa brought lasagna, green beans and cherry cheesecake. This was gratefully accepted; however, Lori brought lasagna, salad and berry pie last night!

Ted called Kelly and invited her family over to help us put a dent in all this food that was accumulating. I finally got to see Ally and give her the Valentine card, money and candy we had for her. Pat didn't make it over so I sent him big helpings of everything. We only have so much room in the refrigerator but the garage itself serves as a big one all on its own.

Allen called and talked to the kids. He said Kara walked some and they gave her something for nausea and she was feeling better. We may run downtown tomorrow to visit her if all goes well at the beginning of Day #2.

About the post office. I went online and filed a complaint but I have received neither a phone call nor an e-mail regarding the situation. I'll have to let you know later on if Terry finds anymore delivered mail.

Greetings from the Great Lakes State

We went to church and out to dinner with Terry & Carol on Saturday night. Then we left Sunday morning and drove to just west of Memphis where we spent the night. We took off a little later than we intended Sunday morning. Just south of Elizabethtown, KY the radio announced a truck crash across the highway on I-65 closing access to I-71 for several hours. So we took the Bluegrass Parkway to Lexington instead of going through Louisville. This took us past Keeneland Race Track and many of the beautiful horse farms. It was a route we had never taken and was very enjoyable. We met Karen & Ronnie at Skyline Chili for dinner, stayed the night with them and left Tuesday morning arriving in Michigan mid-afternoon. It was a long haul and Ted drove it all.

We barely got unpacked when Kara and I left to take Morgan to dance class while Ted stayed with Sam. Then Kara left for a support meeting. Allen came home and took Sam to get a hair cut. Ted then came for me and Morgan so we could take her for a hair cut. Ally came in for her classes just as we were leaving so I didn't get to watch her practice at all and barely said more than hello to Patrick.

Wednesday was a little less hectic. I got up with Kara to learn the ropes of getting the kids off to school. Ted and I had dentist appointments at 9:30 and then we went to the grocery and came home for the day. Lori, a friend of both Kara and me, brought dinner over which was a big help. I worked with Morgan on her homework and Ted helped Sam with his reading. The phone keeps ringing with well wishers and I know it will be the same tomorrow with inquiries.

It snowed 8 inches and the kids had a snow day on Monday. They are predicting snow to start tonight and keep up until the weekend! At least they know how to handle it up here and most drivers are OK with driving in it. My car is so dirty from the slush but it's too cold to have it washed.

And then there's the continuing saga of the mail!! The HOLD notice was put into our box and the mail stopped on Friday even though the date listed was Monday. To be on the safe side, I gave a key for the mailbox to Terry & Carol. They have gone over twice and both times there has been mail in the mailbox sitting ON TOP of the piece of paper that says HOLD! They are absolute idiots at the post office. And they want to take care of our health care? Are they nuts???????? I have the Postmaster's cell phone number at home and will be calling her as soon as I get back home. They are 3 for 3 since December in not holding my mail when requested to do so. Anyone have any suggestions?

Packing Again

It's been a busy couple of days getting things finished up from the RGV trip, tending to matters around here and gearing up to take off again. The old mantra "A man may work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done" comes to mind. We probably scheduled a bit too much into these few days.

Jennifer came on Wednesday and we chose fabric for the loveseat and a window treatment. What she drew up was a bit too formal for me so we worked on changing that to better fit my style. Minutes after she left she called on my cell and said my home phone was busy. The deck guy said he had called all week and said the same thing. I checked and the phone had no dial tone. No wonder I only had two messages on the answering machine. So I called the phone company and added that to my list of things to get corrected before we leave again.

Thursday brought the deck guy who repaired, cleaned and stained the deck. Even Ted said it looked a lot better. Mark that one down in my column! Another fellow came and picked up the loveseat so it can be done in our absence. I got a call from the phone technician who said he had found some cables that needed replacing and my phone was OK now. First call - Omaha Steaks - a telemarketer! Our last visitor was a lady who bought our old area rug.

We followed her right out and headed to Rayford to pick up Tommy and Susan. Tommy had invited us to dinner if we came into Rayford Tuesday night before putting the trailer away. We went right to storage so we didn't do that. We went to Cheddar's in Spring and it was every bit as good (and crowded) as the one in the valley. We made plans to go back to the RGV with them in September between the Labor Day 10th anniversary Boomer rally in Boerne, TX and the mid-October Hitchhiker rally being held in Montgomery, TX. I'm looking forward to showing them around down there.

Friday I got my winter clothes out, got a hair cut, manicure and pedicure. I don't think I'll have time for such things over the next few weeks in Michigan. I went to the bank and the grocery to get things for an appetizer for Wind Down last night. I popped a cheese pizza (it's Lent) into the oven and got dressed while it baked. I'm not good at all this rushing around anymore.

There was a big turnout at Wind Down and we saw many of our friends. Ted was able to spend time with Terry but I don't think I said more than "hello" to either him or Carol all night. We are going to church at 5:00 today and then out to dinner with them afterwards. We want to take off early tomorrow morning.

Marcia called and said Bill has moved his motorhome into a new spot so we can push the trailer back the extra five feet. We'll do that today.

The saga of the post office continues. I went on line to stop the mail starting Monday. Ted went to get Friday's mail and there is a sign saying "hold." If we want yesterday and today's mail, we'll have to go pick it up at the post office. Do these people not know how to read or don't they have a calendar?

Next posting will be from the frozen tundra!!!!!!

Back Home

Bill and Ornell arrived at Mission West in the afternoon and after setting up and taking a short rest, they came over with Jay and Stella to see our new rig. They liked it and the park we were in. After a couple glasses of wine and some good conversation we went to dinner. We had to say goodbye in the parking lot of the restaurant afterwards because we were heading out the next morning and wouldn't see them again.

We hooked up and drove to Victoria to spend the night at the Lazy Longhorn again. We unhooked and went into town for fuel and to eat. No reason to break my "no cooking" streak on the last day! The next morning was cool but sunny and we drove home without incident.

We didn't know exactly what we were going to do about parking the trailer because we had not heard from Marcia who owns the storage lot. She finally called and said she is switching the person in back of us so we will have 40 feet and the new person will have 30 instead of the current 35/35 split. However, it couldn't be done until Friday.

We were able to put it away in the 35 feet with some hanging out. We are as close to Bill behind us as we can get so we're a bit into his space. He's OK with that. I wouldn't want to leave it like that because of the exposure to rain and sun so we'll be glad when Ted can push it back the additional 5 feet for protection. I did notice one of the tail lights was not working and it had been, so he'll have to look into that. We went over some awful potholes and railroad tracks so it could be a loose bulb or burned out bulb.

I'm always amazed at how we can mess up 2300 sq. ft. in the house with the contents from an RV of about 300 sq. ft. But it happens every time. Even though we leave most of our things in the RV, we still have to bring laundry, clean clothes we need at home, perishable groceries, refrigerator/freezer contents and toiletries/medicine back.

This morning I worked on the mail (which I think WAS NOT held again) but I can't prove it wasn't delivered earlier in the day ahead of the regular mail which we received later. I have bills to pay, checks to deposit, etc. We also received two more tax items so I put those into my Tax Cut software. So far we're still ahead and I try to be as close to the bone as I can when I pay our estimated taxes so I'm feeling good.

The deck guy came and is returning Thursday to repair, clean and stain our deck. Ted was against having it stained because of the need to keep doing it but even though it is pressure treated wood, the sun is causing the boards to crack and if we don't protect it we'll be replacing the deck not just staining it. It's been a 7 year battle but I finally won.

Jennifer the decorator is coming today to discuss reupholstering the Lazy Boy loveseat double recliner, a new valance for the family room and new carpet for our bedroom. Next up will probably be having the trim painted on the house. It's always something with a house but it's an investment and needs to be maintained. I've always looked at it like this - my Procter & Gamble stock is self-insurance against the first of us to need long term care and the house proceeds are the self-insurance for the second one. If we're lucky enough never to need that care, the kids will benefit in the end. Of course, a long term care insurance policy would do the same thing but you can't live in an insurance policy and instead of receiving a stock dividend check you would be paying a premium.

The Green Up guy just arrived to fertilize the grass and I'm not dressed so I better head to the shower. The weather is still crazy and we're watching to see what we'll be driving into next week. I wrote to all my relatives on Facebook (192 of them -- really) to get rid of the white stuff before we arrive. I'm sure they would love to.

Back to 80s and Sunshine Here in Mission

I don't know if I can remember what we did over the last couple of days. Time just keeps running together into a big blur.

Ted returned home from Fort Worth on Wednesday, right before the 12 inches of snow fell there. He would have been stuck for sure if he had scheduled that visit later in the week.

On Thursday he took the McAllen folks out to lunch and was gone until about 3:30. Then we left to meet up with Jay and Stella who were checking out other parks. We would like to be near Donna, TX since it is really in the middle of the valley and is a great location. I mean with a name like Donna, it has to be good, right?

We/they managed to check out about 8 parks so far and only one has possibilities. Some parks are grass sites which we don't want. Others are parked like you are in storage. Others have many permanent residents and some times they cop an attitude toward "visitors" so we don't want that either. I like the park we are in but it is as far west in the valley as you can get and is one of the more expensive parks down here. The other one we like is Llano Grande in Mercedes near Donna but it is even more expensive than this one. We have to be considerate of the people we are camping with as far as expenses go and I always want value for my money. It got late so we came home so I could watch the first week of Survivor.

Friday we hung around because the fellows came to wash and wax our RV. They did a really good job and now Ted is happy. Of course once we drive it home, especially if it rains, he'll be wanting to wash it again. We decided to go to Cheddar's for dinner since we knew we would be early and could beat the crowd. The Rayford people keep raving about one south of The Woodlands but I've never seen it nor eaten there. It's really good and I'll be checking it out back home. We intended to go to a show at Mission West that started at 7:00 but it was after 7 when we left the restaurant so we decided not to. The fellow was on the program for Saturday night so we knew we would see him then.

Saturday was Gonzales Burger day. This is a little hole in the wall that sells nothing but hamburgers, french fries and onion rings. The burgers are fresh meat, never frozen and about 7 inches across when they start cooking them. I always end up giving Ted at least a quarter of mine. People start arriving around 10:30 so when they start cooking at 11:00 their orders will be first up. It was about 11:30 when we got ours. You don't have to eat for the rest of the day after that.

From there we went to the Don-Wes (Donna, Weslaco) flea market. Ted wanted some oranges and grapefruits and for some reason, he forget to buy the grapefruit! I wanted a kitchen towel with a crocheted end to button onto my oven handle to dry my hands. I found one and that's all we bought.

We came back to our park and decided to go to church at 4:00. It was as crowded as the week before on Sunday and the brown dog followed the priest right up the aisle again. The country western song during collection this week was a 1940 song "Remember Me, I'm the One Who Loves You." I'm pretty sure the writer and singer didn't have God in mind but if you think about it ... it works! No dancing this time but it did turn into a sing along on the chorus. Church back home is going to be a bit boring next week.

We went to Mission West for the "People's Choice" show. Eight acts that perform around the valley were featured and we were asked to vote on our favorite. The winner received $1500, 2nd and 3rd $500 and the others $150. The last act, The Link Family, were sensational. There was a fiddle, bass, mandolin, guitar and banjo with everyone singing. That's who we all voted for, and that's who won.

This morning we went to the breakfast buffet because it is Valentine's Day. One reason is as good as the next. I still haven't cooked anything in the new RV. Bill and Ornell are on their way down and we'll all get together tonight. It's a shame we are leaving tomorrow just as they arrive. I have a load of clothes in the washer so I have to scoot.

Happy Valentine's Day to all. May all your communication today be love notes.

Well, The Cold Front Is Here ... And The Rain

Tuesday morning was jacket weather. Not only had the temperature dropped but the wind was down right chilly. Ted packed his suitcase and left for the McAllen airport and I had the RV all to myself. Around noon Jay and Stella came by to pick me up and we went to find the ropa nuevas. I'll explain what these are a bit later. We were "close but no cigar" in our quest. We called Ted and he sent us in a completely different direction which was even further off than we were originally. We stopped at the Don-Wes fruit market and I bought some grapefruit, oranges and onions. We decided to have a late lunch and were able to find Gonzales Burgers but decided to wait for Ted to eat there so we went to Martha's Restaurant which is right outside the park we were at last year in Donna, TX. On the way home we stopped to pick up Jay's computer that needed a repair. I spent the evening alone with my books, TV, cell phone and computer.

This morning Jay and Stella picked me up and with directions in hand, we found the ropa nuevas. This translates New Clothes. There are ropa usadas, Used Clothes, too but we weren't interested in them. We found the stores we shopped in last year and found lots of bargains. Because Jay had driven us around for two days, I invited them to lunch at Furr's Buffet. I have yet to cook anything in the new RV. I did heat a cup of coffee in the microwave but that hardly counts.

They dropped me off and I waited for Ted to return. At 5 o'clock we all went to the clubhouse here at Bentsen Palms Village for a margarita hour. There were a couple tables of snacks and plenty of free margaritas. Then they had their last night of Bentsen Palm Village Has Talent. There were about a dozen performers who were all pretty good. Some of them were very funny. It was a most enjoyable evening.

Plans for tomorrow are up in the air. Jay & Stella want to go to Mexico for their "drug run" but if it rains they don't want to walk across the bridge in the rain. And Ted is supposed to take the McAllen Monitor people to lunch if they can get away. So right now none of us know exactly what tomorrow will bring.

The weather is supposed to get worse before it gets better but we're in much better shape than a lot of the country so we're not going to complain. Before long we'll be complaining about how hot it is. I hope all that white stuff is gone by the time we go to Michigan later this month.

83 in Mission, TX and the Sun is Shining

We were expecting a cool front and rain but instead are enjoying today's weather. We went to the Hitchhiker luncheon and had a good time. People from Louisiana recognized us as the buyers of the 2008 Champagne that was featured on the NuWa Owners Forum. I didn't know how they knew that but Ted said they met us in Shawnee, OK at one of the HH rallies and knew he was Skeetshooter on the forum. Guess I better mind my p's and q's while I'm down here.

We're headed to Mission West where Jay and Stella are staying for a Bluegrass Jam session. It is their burger night but we're still full from our lunch and passed on the eating part.

That cold front is still headed this way. But it isn't snow and that's good. Stay warm and dry wherever you are.

Greetings from Mission, Texas

We arrived in Mission to 74 degrees and sunshine. It was a welcome change from the cool temps and rainy weather we've had most of this winter. We got set up and called Jay and Stella to let them know we were in town. They came by to see our new trailer. By this time it was 4:30 and Ted and I had not eaten all day. They suggested we go to Tio Chuy restaurant because it was close by. If you want authentic Mexican food, this is the area to find it in.

We had a nice dinner and turned down an invitation to attend a dance at the park where they are staying. Ted has been fighting a cold and was ready to just put his feet up. In fact, he was sleeping by 7:30 in his new electric leather theater recliner.

This morning we went to church and it was an experience to say the least. As we approached church I noticed speakers instead of bells in the tower. They were playing a song about "the child in the manger" which I thought unusual for February. Imagine my shock when we found two Christmas trees (with cowboy hats as some of the ornaments) and a manger still up in the church. According to the church calendar we are in what they call Ordinary Time until we start the season of Lent.

Next the priest walked up the aisle with his dog! The first thing he said was he realized this is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time but he chose to celebrate the Presentation of Our Lord in the temple 40 days after Christmas. This is the story of Simeon and Anna in the Bible.

When it was time for the reading of the gospel story of the Presentation, Jesus, Mary and Joseph walked up the aisle ... with a live donkey! On the altar Simeon and Anna joined the play. After the homily they played a country music song about a dirt poor farm family and their son. The lady in front of me was doing an in-place two step! Then another dog walked right up the aisle to the altar. By the time church was over there were three dogs on the altar. I guess this is one of those "whatever floats your boat" occasions. It was certainly different.

We stopped at Home Depot and Wal-Mart before returning to the park. We stopped to get the gate code and Jay pulled in right behind us. We went next door to Retama Village to take pictures of the homes with the RV ports attached to show Susan and Tommy. Then we visited for awhile with their friend Kathy. She owns a Super RV Site that consists of a large concrete patio to park your RV, your vehicle, have a patio and a shed. She turned the 12 x 20 "shed" into an entire apartment with LR, kitchen, bath including a washer & dryer in a closet! It was amazing. Then we decided to go to the flea market over in Weslaco. I bought valentines for the grandkids, a rug for the RV and Ted bought two pineapples. We had to get back because we had signed up to attend the BBQ and Super Bowl party at our park.

We had another good meal and watched the game on the big screen TV. Stella was rooting for the Colts and Jay for the Saints. Ted and I had "no horse in this race" and just enjoyed a really good game.

We are attending the Hitchhiker Owners monthly luncheon tomorrow. Jay and Stella are waiting to hear from an installer so we don't know what plans, if any, we'll have for tomorrow.

Ted is flying to Fort Worth Tuesday and back Wednesday. He'll also take the McAllen paper people to lunch on Thursday or Friday. So Jay and Stella are going to babysit me while he's gone. We usually stay down here longer than the 10 days we'll be here this year. But we need to get ready for our trip to Michigan.

More later ...

Whew! Lots to Accomplish

Our new rig was delivered at our storage place around noon on Thursday. I had boxed up as much as I could get to with the slides opened just a little. Once Ted pulled it out of its spot and we could open it up fully, Rick and I worked for three hours moving things. He did most of the carrying as I put things away just as quickly as I could. Ted was doing paperwork, finding a notary, getting instructed on the rig and moving his stuff into the basement so he wasn't able to help us much. Finally our old rig pulled out and I felt like an old friend was saying goodbye. But just as quickly Ted pulled out with our new one heading for Rayford and I followed in the Expedition.

Much to our surprise, Tommy was standing at our site at Rayford with his new Flip video camera heralding our arrival with the new Hitchhiker. It was a misty, nasty day and the ground was saturated so we quickly emptied the Expedition and moved inside to finish up getting things in order. It took about another two hours to finish up.

When Susan arrived home from work we all went to Willie's Ice House for dinner. Ted called Rick and invited him and Brenda to join us. Tommy took another Flip video of all of us and e-mailed it to Jay and Stella who are awaiting our arrival in the Rio Grande valley. We had a great meal but I was the only one who indulged in a margarita. I needed it! We dropped off the Expedition and all rode in the truck back to Rayford.

Since the books that accompany the RV have been sent next day mail to our house, we had a fun time trying to get things working. We watched the bedroom TV because we couldn't figure out the LR one. Then in the morning, Ted got it working. We're still trying to figure out light switches. All the drains were opened when they blew the lines so it took Tommy and Ted awhile to figure out what to close and where. The toilet works differently so that was a bit of trial and error. The dealer in Arizona has been very responsive to our inquiries and difficulties.

Ted loves how it pulls. He said he doesn't know if it's the disc brakes or the different type hitch, but he can tell a big difference. The truck did fine on our trip today.

We left Rayford mid morning and drove to Victoria, TX. We are at Lazy Longhorn RV Park which is an OK overnight park. The turns are tight but it's convenient as a mid point stop between home and Mission, TX where we are ultimately headed. Of course Ted had to wash the front and back because it is really dirty from traveling. However, we have someone lined up in the valley to wash and wax it once we arrive there. Sometimes it's best to just let them do whatever it is they insist on doing.

We unhitched and went for fuel, a late lunch and a few groceries. We've had no new issues today but this will be a great shake down trip. I'm sure there will be more over the next 10 days but with the excellent response we have had from the dealer and Ted's great relationship with the Hitchhiker factory in Chanute, KS, we don't expect to have too much to check out in the books when we get home.

We've had a quiet evening with the fireplace going, the TV on and sitting in our new electric theater seating recliners. We'll be leaving in the morning and should arrive at Bentsen Palms mid day tomorrow. Ted will be a much happier camper when our trailer is all washed and waxed.

More from Mission on the banks of the Rio Grande River with Mexico on the opposite shore next time.

And I thought maybe I'd get bored this week!

I attended Rosalie's funeral Mass Tuesday and helped at the luncheon afterwards. As usual, I brought all the round tablecloths home to launder. I hate to admit I still have them. They are clean and folded but I've not gotten them back up to church. I plan to do that tomorrow. I also need to deliver the Bunco Bag to Elaine's since I'll be down in the Rio Grande Valley next time they meet.

On Thursday I went to a Junior Forum information tea. I'm going to join this organization that helps out all around the community. Newcomers has run its course and church activities are mostly tied to young families so this is a different avenue I want to pursue. Susan, Teri and I had a nice lunch afterwards.

Susan mentioned they had to go to a consignment shop that was closing to pick up their Oriental rugs they had for sale because the shop was closing. When we got to her house I looked at the big one and decided it would go in my family room. So on Friday we went to get it and they invited us to the Friday buffet at the club. Terry & Carol and Jody & Dave were there so we all sat together.

We asked Terry & Carol if they wanted to go to church in Magnolia, eat at Las Fuentes and then go to the Texas Opry Saturday night. They did so that's exactly how we spent our late afternoon and evening.

Sunday Ted called me to look at something on the computer. To make a long story short, by Monday afternoon we were the proud owners of a 2008 Nuwa Hitchhiker Champagne 5th wheel. It was ordered but couldn't be financed at Vacation Station in California which went bankrupt. A bank in Las Vegas then had it and shipped it to Mesa, AZ where a lot of buyers are spending the winter. So despite its being over a year old, it has never been titled.

Today was spent doing paperwork, making copies, faxing and dealing with lots and lots of phone calls. The RV should be leaving Arizona tomorrow morning and arriving here on Thursday, just in time for us to take it to the valley. And I'll have you know there was no migraine, tossing cookies, or any other kinds of stress when I called Morgan Stanley and told them to wire the money. I don't know if I'm getting better or realize that there's no infinite amount of time promised so we may as well go for the gusto.

This afternoon we went out to start getting things together. We are filling bags and boxes so we can transfer "stuff" in bulk. The driver will be taking our old trailer back to Arizona on trade.

Ted has to go to Denver tomorrow and come back late Wednesday so most of the grunt work will be left to me. Rick said he would come help us move. Ted had helped him when they bought their new motorhome.

We just didn't know what we wanted to do when this unit became available. It is exactly what Ted wanted and we got such a good deal we couldn't pass it up. The lower portion is laid out exactly like our current one except the couch and chairs are switched. Ted wanted the leather theater seats and likes not having to turn the recliners at the back when we bring in the slides. The fireplace is nice but I'm not sure I would have ordered a new one with it. The sink is all one piece with the Corian and it extends over the stove which are nice touches. The refrigerator is 4-door versus our present 2-door. The bath is totally enclosed in one room and we have two full length wardrobes with mirrored doors. This RV is two feet longer than our old one.

Here are some pictures.

Where Haven't I Been

I get this question a lot and now I have an answer. Lots of places!

Of the 50 U.S. states, I have been in all but four - North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Vermont but not all of them in the RV. BUT ... there are 203 recognized countries in the world and I have only been to 25 of them. So I don't think I'm going to run out of places to go any time soon.

What brought this about was Lorraine, whose husband puts together our European Riverboat Cruises, said they have been inducted into the 100-Country Club. They have traveled a lot and she told me to look on line for the list of countries. So I did. So now you know (and me too!).

Ted has been to a few more countries. Off the top of my head I can think of Singapore, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica because of work travel. I believe he has been in all the states but North Dakota and Nebraska. He traveled extensively in Canada and was able to cross the border into NH and VT on occasion. I may catch up to him here in the U.S. but probably not outside of it since we travel together all the time now.

It was fun and interesting researching this. I'm ready for that queston next time I get it.

Great Camping Weekend

We arrived at Stephen F. Austin State Park in Sealy, TX around noon on Thursday. We parked in front of Jay and about 15 minutes later, Tommy pulled in and parked behind him. The sites here are terrific – large, with lots of space between. Trees are not located where they interfere with slides and awnings.



We spent the afternoon visiting and I baked some short cakes for dessert. Susan arrived from work and we shared a dinner of delicious vegetable soup made by Stella followed by my shortcakes covered with strawberries, blueberries and cool whip.

Our temps have been nice and it was 79 on Friday. Ted and I took a walk around the park and 17 deer ran across the road right in front of us. Tommy’s sister and brother-in-law from Chappell Hill came to visit so he cooked hot dogs with James Coney Island chili plus some burgers for everyone’s lunch.

A fellow came to Jay’s trailer because he has a big Park Host sign out front. He wanted to know if anyone knew about 5th wheels. He just picked up a new one at Camping World but could not get unhitched. Ted and Jay followed him to his site, had him put his front legs back up, chock the wheels, set the brake on the trailer, then put the truck in reverse and bump back on the hitch. Ted pulled on the release bar and voila, he was unhitched. It was apparent he wasn’t too well versed in his new rig so they spent some time with him. Then he discovered he had locked his keys in his truck! I told his wife she would laugh about all of this … a few years from now.

We all drove into Sealy to eat dinner at Tony’s Restaurant. We had a good meal and the portions were way too much. I brought home enough for my lunch on Saturday. It was too windy for a campfire so we sat outside Tommy’s motorhome until bedtime.

We had our coffee over at Jay’s Saturday morning and we had another “help” visit. This fellow needed jumper cables but Jay didn’t have any but Ted did. So off Ted went again to lend a hand. Rvers are always willing to help any way they can.

Susan’s sister and niece came for a visit and I was inside their motorhome for some time. Tommy, who is a professional photographer, came to our RV to take pictures with his fisheye camera.





We haven’t decided what we are going to do yet but it will be good to have the photos if we decide to sell. We figure we have five options: 1) do nothing; 2) add a second A/C, new sink and new recliners to our rig; 3) order a new 2010 Hitchhiker 5th wheel, 4) find a motorhome that interests us and buy that; or, 5) wait until after our summer trip to decide what we want to do and then do it. Time will tell.

Jim and LeAnne came in the afternoon to have dinner with us all. I had a box of Omaha steaks and Ted grilled them for us. Susan, Stella and I all pooled our resources and we put together another nice meal. We sat around the picnic table and laughed at all the stories. Then Jim and LeAnne came inside for a little visiting before heading back to Brenham.

We were up early Sunday and were headed into Sealy for church. Our “friend” stopped us on the way out to discuss hitching up with Ted. So Ted got out of the truck and demonstrated on our hitch. (When we came back later we saw him pulling out of the park so I guess he had no more problems.) We saw 11 deer on the way out.

After chuch we stopped for fuel at Wal-Mart and called back to the campground to see if anyone needed anything. They didn’t but told us they would meet us at Tony’s for breakfast. We arrived first and played musical tables until we had the one that suited us best. We had just settled in when the other four arrived. I can’t believe the amount of food this place gives you! For $5 you get 3 eggs, a meat, grits or hash browns, toast or biscuit (and they are 5 inch squares). I gave some of mine to Ted.

When we got back to the campground, Ted washed our truck, Jay & Stella did “restroom duty” and Tommy & Susan hooked up their Jeep to the motorhome and took off. They will be at Rayford all of February and want to get together. Ted has trips to Beaumont and Denver to get in, we plan to go to the valley for 7-10 days and then leave for Michigan 2/20. I’ll do my best to work it out because they are so much fun to be with.

Jay and Ted watched the Colts win over the Jets and Stella and I sat outside in the sunshine. For dinner Stella baked a pork loin while I baked potatoes and made fried apples. We had salad left from last night as well as some leftover cake. I baked a few cookies to go with it. It was getting chilly so we ate inside our RV and then they stayed to watch the Saints win over the Vikings. Now we have Terry’s Colts playing Bloss’ Saints in the Super Bowl. Who to root for????? If our plans work out we’ll be in the Rio Grande Valley for the Super Bowl so we’ll just enjoy the game. I’m sure no matter which park we end up in, there will be a Super Bowl Party.

I slept until 8:45 Monday morning. Something unheard of. I guess it was the walks and fresh air. I cleaned inside while Ted did his outside duties and hooked up. Jay and Stella were still at a meeting so we took a walk until they came back. We didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

They have a few things to work out for timing and place in the valley. Once they know their schedule and spot, we'll work ours out around it. We had such a great time last year that I'm really looking forward to going with them again this year.

Unfortunately I have to attend a funeral today. Rosalie was diagnosed with cancer last August while we were still out west. It certainly didn't take long to claim her. Rest in peace, Rosalie, you were a great lady and friend to many.

It's Warming Up!

We're supposed to be in the 70s this week and it did reach 78 today. I hope it stays around because we are going camping at Stephen F. Austin State Park with Jay and Stella who are workamping there. Susan and Tommy are coming out also. We're staying four nights but they may stay only two nights since they aren't retired. We leave Thursday and it will only take about an hour and a half to get there. Jay said he will save the site next to them first thing Thursday morning. We have a reservation paid for so I hope he can do that.

Last Friday we went to Wind Down and none of our close friends were there but I had a great time talking to people I don't normally see and some new people. It's good to move out of your "comfort zone" at times socially. Since we don't have business trips, etc. to do anymore, we aren't made to reach out and make new acquaintances as often. We had a nice time and I'm glad we went.

We went to church Saturday afternoon so I could spend Sunday getting ready for my bunco group due here on Monday. I had kept out a lot of the things I used for Canasta last week so it wouldn't take as much time. At least four of the ladies were coming back here for the second Monday in a row. I hope they didn't feel as if they had a bit part in Groundhog Day where the same day kept repeating!

We met Terry, Carol and Jody at Salt Grass Steakhouse Sunday evening to celebrate both the ladies' birthdays. I had a huge chocolate cake that the manager said was OK to bring in and gifts for each of them. Dave had to make a quick trip to Florida and was just flying back and could not join us. It was a very pleasant evening but they made me bring the rest of the cake back since I was having bunco.

When bunco was over on Monday I still had a huge part of the cake left so I took it to my neighbor for her grandchildren. I took the bag of candy too! They'll enjoy it and I won't waste the cake or be tempted by the candy.

I had my mammogram today and the gal said she didn't see anything glaring at her but of course only a radiologist comparing this year's with previous year's would know what it actually shows. So far, so good. Then I got my hair cut and highlighted instead of just colored. A new look to go with my "no glasses" scene.

Tomorrow is packing the camper day followed by Happy Hour at the country club. If Ted doesn't go to the gun club to shoot, he'll meet me there and we'll have dinner with Jeff and Connie.

Congratulatons to Scott Brown, the new senator from Massachusetts.

Giving Thanks

I have much to give thanks for this week. The most important being Ted's endoscopy results of yesterday. Last January Dr. E. told us his ablative therapy had been totally effective and Ted's esophagus was clean as a whistle. Ted was released back to Dr. W. to have a surveillance endoscopy in one year to make sure it stayed that way.

Ted had the procedure done yesterday and Dr. W., who in the beginning was not wild about the treatment path we chose, said it was a normal endoscopy. He changed his medicine to one pill a day and said to come back in a year. It was a roller coaster ride the past 2.5 years but we couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. Don't ever be afraid of second opinions, doing some of your own research, and disagreeing with a doctor. You need to be your own health advocate and make informed decisions along with the medical personnel. Praise God for answering my prayers.

I'm also thankful for the return of warm weather. Many plants look like cooked spinach but most will come back. I've learned many people lost their sprinkler valves but they will be fixed long before summer necessitates turning on the system. I put my flannel nightgown away (my "foul weather gear" as Ted calls it) and am enjoying the sunshine and 60 degree weather.

We are getting rain this weekend which will keep the temps down but we're not bundled up like Nanook of the North anymore.

Have a great weekend. We plan to.

Frozen Pipes All Over The Place

Thankfully our pipes have made it through OK but we know of at least four in the neighborhood whose sprinkler system valves blew off. One was in the area I'm responsible for on the Neighborhood Watch. They were home, so it was easy for me to notify them. They didn't even know about the flood outside! The other was down the street but that captain didn't have info so they called me. I checked the tax records, then the white pages, and got a phone number for them. The other two were neighbors who were home and aware of the situation.

My walking friend Gerre was in NYC and came home to a leak in the pool, broken sprinkler pipes and a broken pipe at their lake house on Lake Conroe. Welcome back! Yeah, right.

They are predicting above freezing (barely) at night with temps creeping back into the 50s and 60s during the day. But that will also bring rain. I'd get out of here if there was somewhere to go. I think AZ and CA are the only two places we could pull the RV to and get warm. Leo and Shirley came back from the Rio Grande Valley when it hit 28. She said she'd rather be cooped up at home than in her "tin can" as she calls their Class C motorhome. We'll just have to "cowboy up" and wait it out.

We stayed home all weekend and Ted made chili one night and tortellini soup the next. Good weather for soup. Other than church and runs to the grocery store and Sam's, I don't think we went out at all.

I had my Canasta group in yesterday and all went well. We always have a good time. I actually came in second and turned my $1 into $5. They did pretty well eating the food I had. I have bunco next Monday so the nuts and candy I put on the playing tables will be put back out. Ted will eat any leftover nuts but the candy will have to go to the food bank. I have no will power.

Our summer trip is starting to shape up. I think we'll be at Rayford for Memorial Day and leave on Tuesday to arrive in Cincinnati on Thursday. Friday is Jesse and Joe's wedding. We'll stay two weeks and then head to Michigan for Morgan and Ally's dance recital. We may stay there through July 4 and then head to Alpena where Howard and Linda will be work camping. Then we're heading across the Upper Peninsula into Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and then south back to Texas to arrive by mid-August. We will leave 8/21 for Cancun. It will be a shorter summer than usual. The Texas Boomers are having a big Labor Day 10th anniversary rally in Boerne, TX and the Hitchhiker rally is in October in Montgomery, TX so we'll just stay around for those things.

I'm thinking spring and called the deck company to come out and renovate our deck. It is 7 years old now and needs some TLC. I'm also having a floor guy in to look at refinishing our wood floors, changing out the bedroom carpet and perhaps putting a wood floor in the office. We have never stayed long enough in homes to have to deal with painting, removing wallpaper, re-carpeting, etc. so this is a new adventure for us.

Stay warm wherever you are. If you need to get out in snow and ice, walk carefully and for good measure, carry a big stick.

Now It's Even Colder!!!!!

It is 24 this morning. Yesterday it never got above freezing and our normal would be in the 60s. Enough already. We went out to look at our sprinkler pipe and there was an icicle on it. There must be a little leak there. It is wrapped in foam but we put a towel all around it. You can't find pipe insulation anywhere down here right now. The fountain in the courtyard has created a hanging icicle. They said to let it run so we are. We put drink cozies on the hose bibs over the insulation that is on them. Again, no bib covers available right now.

I kept my dermatology appointment and we're almost done with all the freezing. She hit all the spots below my chin. She always comments on how much this virus likes me. Let's hope they all stay gone now.

We all laughed at Farkle because Jacque had to deal with coats. That's something we just don't do down here. My coat closet has my vacuum cleaner and excess paper towels in it. We opted to just toss them across the sofa. Some of the girls are still learning and the scoring is different from what I play on line, so we opted not to play for money ... and then I won! Wouldn't you know it? Next month I won't come close.

Jacque offered me a cup of hot chocolate when I arrived which sounded great since it was so cold. It was awesome. I asked how she made it because it was simmering in a pot on the stove. It was Nestle's, skim milk and the secret ingredient ... Godiva Chocolate liquore (sp?). Oh my what a difference that makes. With whipped cream on top and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, it sure took away the chill ... and landed promptly on my hips!

My GYN appointment went good. The doctor told me "cool beans, see you next year." Never heard that term before but I'll take it. I've scheduled my mammogram for later this month and if that and the Pap are OK, I'm good for a year! Yippee! We've scheduled Ted's endoscopy for next week so we're closing in on all these appointments and tests.

We have no plans this weekend other than to try to stay warm. I have some running to do because I have Canasta here on Monday. I'll clean, get the food ready and the tables up on Sunday so it's ready for the 15 ladies that are coming. I don't think Ted will want to go shooting as cold as it is.

I hope wherever you are that you are warm and dry. Stay that way.

Normalcy Returns Except for the Weather

I'm glad we came home a day earlier than planned. It gave me two days to get caught up with nothing causing me to leave the house. We had our normal "go round" with the post office. After standing in line 45 minutes Ted was told they had no mail for us. I checked our box up the street and sure enough two weeks worth of mail was shoved in there. Also in there was the sheet of paper telling the post office to hold our mail that is generated for them when you make your request on line. Every time we go away we have a problem. I'm on a personal mission to get our mail carrier removed. He's a minority and a Federal employee. Hell will probably freeze over first. But then I'm pretty sure Hell, Michigan might be frozen over right now. I'll have to find another way to express my frustration.

Our early return threw a monkey wrench into Carol's plans to come and make up all four of our beds on Monday. The clean bedclothes were sitting on the beds so I just made them up. Turns out she pulled a muscle and really needed Terry to come help her so it all turned out for the best. I'm glad the house was used while we were gone. The older kids loved it here because of the wi-fi.

I put away the few Christmas decorations I had out, found homes for our new gifts, emptied suitcases, did laundry, paid bills and got everything in order. The oranges, grapefruit and lemons are in the garage right now because it is so cold they don't need to be refrigerated.

After Breakfast Club yesterday I saw my eye doctor and he said I'm right on target and to come back in six months. My brain is still adjusting to using one eye for distance and one for close up but he said my vision is excellent. Everyone comments on seeing me with no glasses. I had worn them since I was a freshman in high school. I wore contacts off and on but hated the time it took to care for them properly and put them in and take them out. Glasses were just much easier to grab when you have three kids, a big house and a full time job. Happy hour was last night at the country club and because Ted was at the Houston Gun Club I went and had a couple glasses of wine with the girls.

Ted saw Dr. Winkelstein to schedule his first annual surveillance endoscopy. Everything done to him at Baylor and Methodist was sent to Dr. W. and he said that looking at the last pictures he would say "this guy has no issues." We hope and pray when he goes in next Thursday to look he feels the same way.

Today I have a dermatology appointment and then a new group playing Farkle is meeting at Jacque's across the highway. I try not to get committed to monthly groups but Farkle and Mexican Train can play without a set number so I'm giving them both a try. I still do my monthly bunco that I started back in 10/01 but that's my only commitment. In everything else we are subs or it is a come if you can/want sort of thing.

It was 30 here earlier in the week and they are predicting 19 over the next day or so. The wind is howling between the houses. I could hear something banging and it was the door on the breaker box that had come open. I turned off the sprinklers so they don't come on. We shouldn't complain with what the rest of the nation is going through but this is the coldest in 14 years and we certainly aren't used to it.

Stay warm.

Family, Friends, Food, Fun (and Driving)

First things first. Ted is having a ball playing with his Garmin and rejoices when it is wrong. It provides a lot of info but it does weird things like takes you some place one way and then wants to take you back a different way. He said he WILL NOT use it when he drives the trailer but he's been programming it all week.

Second, I didn't post the picture of us with the kids at Epcot in our matching shirts. So here it is.



The kids wanted a no commitment day on Sunday other than Mass at 6 pm. So we took our time going over. Pat set up the router, Kelly was doing laundry and I cooked omelets for Cassie and Ally. Once all the girls were dressed we went to the mall while Pat and Ted watched football. We met them at church and afterwards came home to polish off the Christmas dinner leftovers.

I went over to do laundry on Monday before my noon hair cut. Kelly's family was leaving for Tampa where they planned to visit the Salvadore Dali museum, have dinner with Pat's friend Steve, visit Pat's aunt and uncle in St. James City on Tuesday and meet up with us for dinner Tuesday night. After two nights in a motel, they were heading back to Orlando for their flight home.

Kristin was stripping beds so I put her things in with mine to make full loads. After my hair cut we went back to La Mesa RV to ask a few more questions about the Allegro. We told them we would call them on Tuesday. We had not talked to our insurance man nor our storage place. There were some logistics to work out in addition to the financial end of such a transaction.

From there we went to Tom and Eileen's where we picked lemons, grapefruit and oranges from their trees. We had dinner together and spent the whole evening with them.

We headed to Punta Gorda on Tuesday and received a call from the salesman at La Mesa. He said he had someone interested in the coach and to call him back. When we called he said he had just left us a message saying it was sold. Well OK then we can just quit working on a decision.

We found my Dad and Edna having reasonably good days and they were both able to go to dinner that evening. My sister Laurie and her husband Spence, as well as Kelly's family, met at a restaurant in the mall. Aunt Laurie had silver bangle bracelets for the girls and they were thrilled and put them on right away.

Laurie was off on Wednesday so we went to her house to visit and that evening Spence cooked some great steaks and we had another family dinner. Our time with all of them was too short but we had lots of ground to cover.

Both Edna and Dad had doctor's appointments Thursday morning so we left by 9:30. Our first stop was in the west side of Punta Gorda at Faith and Herman's who were our neighbors in Troy. We had visited them in Cologne, Germany on one of our trips but had not seen them since. Faith said Herman was due back to see us but we learned later he got caught up in some business and we missed him by 5 minutes when we left. Faith looked fantastic and they have a beautiful home on a gorgeous canal with a boat on a lift in the backyard. It was great catching up on their lives since GM and she wanted to know all about the kids and grandkids. We promised to let them know when we are in that area again.

From there we drove to Naples and impressed Les and Pat by finding their condo on our own (with Pat's directions, mapquest and the Garmin). Our plans were to go to the beach to watch the fireworks with Pat's brother's family - 8 of us in all. Pat got the wine, beer, soft drinks, cheese & crackers, shrimp and chicken fingers ready to go. Les had the four beach chairs all ready and off we went.

Don had found a terrific spot right next to a beach access walk way just one block from the pier where the fireworks would go off.



It gave us a great vantage point. Once settled, we had a good bit of time to catch up since our October trip we took together and witness a beautiful sunset.




The fireworks were terrific and because we were right by the walkway, we had no trouble getting off the beach and to the car. We all met up at Chili's for dinner afterwards and then the four of us went back to the condo. We watched the ball drop in Times Square and were all in bed by 12:05 a.m. Everything was going great until Ted got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and then walked into Pat and Les' bedroom instead of ours. We have nicknamed him the Midnight Masher! Pat had been awakened the night before "hearing voices" which turned out to be the radio on as low as it could go. Ted told her he was just making sure she wasn't hearing voices anymore. We laughed a lot about that incident.

We snuck out early the next morning for Mass without disturbing our hosts. They were up and dressed when we got back so we took a tour of Naples. It has been 15 years since we were there last. It certainly has grown but remains a very beautiful city. We stopped for breakfast at Blueberry's and all agreed this new restaurant should make it just fine with their extensive menu and good service.

We packed up and left, heading to The Villages to meet up with Phil and Mary. Phil is the General Manager of the Daily Sun as well as the TV and radio stations in The Villages. We called from Wildwood and met them at Bob Evans for a couple cups of coffee and some catching up. We drove on and stopped in Gainesville for the night.

Saturday morning we had breakfast with some RVing/Facebook/Farmville friends in person. We had planned to spend the night at the Village Lodge in Dowling Park but Dan was in the hospital over Christmas and it was too difficult to plan. He was up to coming to Denny's however. I hope they don't think I always wear make-up and jewelry while traveling but I knew we were going to church in Slidell before stopping anywhere so I was prepared. Last summer I don't think I wore make-up once. I figured I didn't know anyone, would never see them again, so why worry?

They are fulltimers/workampers with a unique situation. Dowling Park is a retirement village where they owned a house which they sold recently. However, there is a campground so they can go "home" to friends, doctors, familiar surroundings whenever the need or desire arises. I think that's a great arrangement. They have a stint at Unicoi State Park in Georgia (we've been there) before heading to an assignment in Alaska. Travel safely folks and we'll see ya down the road.

We were traveling west by this point and our next stop was St. Margaret Mary church in Slidell. Bloss, our sister-in-law, was expecting us about 6 and we were right on time. We took her to a steak house for dinner and then came back to spend the evening with her. She said it is a real treat to go out for dinner. It's hard to believe Tim will be gone two years next month.

After a good night's sleep and coffee in the morning, we headed in earnest for Texas. We arrived home safe and sound around 3 in the afternoon. Our house survived the other Rogers clan staying here and other than the clean bedclothes sitting in the bedrooms and the thank you notes on the counter, I would never have known anyone was here.

We have a busy few weeks of doctor appointments. If we can get through all of them with no follow-up, more tests or something wrong (God forbid), we may head down to the Rio Grande valley for a couple weeks the first part of February. We leave for Michigan the week of 2/22. I tell you, this retirement stuff is so busy!!!!