I have had to do a double take several times today to make sure I knew what those dark things were in the sky. We had a few sprinkles of rain last night, and it has been overcast all day today, but I don't know if we will see any other precipitation.
We had a most enjoyable weekend in Phoenix with Sheila and Colleen. Of course IKEA was the first order of business along with a short visit to the 69th annual Junior League Rummage Sale. The sale had been underway about one hour when we arrived, and folks were lined up by the dozens to pay for their treasures. We looked and left. But then we were at IKEA a bit before it opened so we had breakfast while we waited.
We went out for a German dinner on Saturday night with Sheila and Colleen treating us in honor of Ken's birthday (tomorrow). I must say that we are a pretty tough bunch of critics when it comes to German food, but we collectively decided we would give the restaurant a B. My schnitzel was good, as was the red cabbage, but I think I make a better spatzle. A good time was had by all.
We 'girls' spent some time putting some finishing touches on Colleen's apartment by doing some rearranging and hanging some pictures. It all looks very cute and cozy. Then on Sunday after Sheila left, Ken and I went with Colleen to two different shelters to look for a dog. She didn't take one home, but there were a couple of possibilities. One interesting dog was a Catahouli - a Louisiana cattle dog. But it is a lot of dog needing a lot of exercise so probably not a good candidate for an apartment.
We talked to Craig on his birthday, and it sounds like Cassie made sure he had a good week end. He said they ate well. Cassie is the daughter of a home ec teacher and Craig says she can cook up a storm.
I had fully recovered from my cold of a month ago, and now I have some sort of respiratory ailment that has hit me with a vengeance. I have lost all sense of taste, and I have coughed until every muscle in my body hurts. I am ready for this to be over.
Carolyn and Gary are having us for a steak dinner tomorrow night for Ken's birthday. I will bake an apple pie, but between not feeling well, and the confines of the motor home, I am using a frozen pie shell. Oh horrors.
Ciao
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Another week of excitement..................not!!!!
Let's see, what exciting stuff do I have to talk about? We have done a bit of socializing with the Canadians. Rob's birthday was a few days ago so we were treated to a luncheon barbeque with bratwursts, hot dogs, and pistachio pudding dessert. Gary and Carolyn treated us to dinner a their "house" earlier this week and we enjoyed a pork tenderloin that was delicious. Then we went to lunch yesterday with Gary and Carolyn at our newest favorite Mexican restaurant in Blythe. The nice thing about a meal in a Mexican restaurant is that there is always enough to bring home for another meal.
I got my hair cut this morning at a little shop in Quartzite and it took about twelve minutes and cost twelve dollars. That works for me. Ken and I then motored on to the big city of Yuma. We made an appointment to have sun screens installed when we are back down there the tenth of March, and then left my rings at the jewelers to have them sized down by one and one half sizes.
The big size was their idea, not mine, but they are going to give me a "good deal" and only charge me one half the fee to resize them!! Plus I paid $140 for the first sizing to include a chunk of gold, but now the jeweler tells me that it is just a small amount of gold that will be removed when he sizes them down. I said I wanted it!!!!
Sheila will be in Phoenix this week end, so we are also going to go to Colleen's for a week end of shopping and eating and visiting. It is about a two hour drive from here and we will go in on Friday morning and come back to Ehrenberg on Monday. I haven't seen the inside of a Trader Joe's for a while, and there are still fabric shops that I haven't explored.
I do have about ten new pieces of fabric for a new project as soon as I get my hands on the pattern. I am moving toward a contemporary/oriental look in ecru, oriental florals and black for a new duvet cover for the bed in the motor home. Neither oriental nor contemporary sound like me, but I think it will work with the window coverings and wallpaper.
We are already anticipating Christmas..........Keith and Janet and the girls are coming to Steilacoom! They made the decision early because they were able to get tickets at a very reasonable price. I assured them I would begin preparing as soon as I get home. We have not had them with us for Christmas since Sarah was a toddler, so it will be a special time.
We have had the Olympics on every night, but little of it has captured my attention this year. Of course the ice skating is my favorite, but I am tired of listening to
Dick Button and all of his negative comments. And even the skating has failed to put me on the edge of my seat.
It has been getting very cold at night, but it is warm and sunny during the days, and the temps are headed for 80 this week end!
Ciao
I got my hair cut this morning at a little shop in Quartzite and it took about twelve minutes and cost twelve dollars. That works for me. Ken and I then motored on to the big city of Yuma. We made an appointment to have sun screens installed when we are back down there the tenth of March, and then left my rings at the jewelers to have them sized down by one and one half sizes.
The big size was their idea, not mine, but they are going to give me a "good deal" and only charge me one half the fee to resize them!! Plus I paid $140 for the first sizing to include a chunk of gold, but now the jeweler tells me that it is just a small amount of gold that will be removed when he sizes them down. I said I wanted it!!!!
Sheila will be in Phoenix this week end, so we are also going to go to Colleen's for a week end of shopping and eating and visiting. It is about a two hour drive from here and we will go in on Friday morning and come back to Ehrenberg on Monday. I haven't seen the inside of a Trader Joe's for a while, and there are still fabric shops that I haven't explored.
I do have about ten new pieces of fabric for a new project as soon as I get my hands on the pattern. I am moving toward a contemporary/oriental look in ecru, oriental florals and black for a new duvet cover for the bed in the motor home. Neither oriental nor contemporary sound like me, but I think it will work with the window coverings and wallpaper.
We are already anticipating Christmas..........Keith and Janet and the girls are coming to Steilacoom! They made the decision early because they were able to get tickets at a very reasonable price. I assured them I would begin preparing as soon as I get home. We have not had them with us for Christmas since Sarah was a toddler, so it will be a special time.
We have had the Olympics on every night, but little of it has captured my attention this year. Of course the ice skating is my favorite, but I am tired of listening to
Dick Button and all of his negative comments. And even the skating has failed to put me on the edge of my seat.
It has been getting very cold at night, but it is warm and sunny during the days, and the temps are headed for 80 this week end!
Ciao
Friday, February 17, 2006
Ken must be right when he says our week consists of 6 Saturdays and a Sunday because I do not know what day of the week it is. I think it is Friday, but then again, it could be Saturday.
We added another chapter to the Martha story. Mike called earlier this week and said Martha's daughter Rachel and husband were in Mesa visiting Martha and of course I wanted to meet them so we drove to Phoenix on Wednesday and came home yesterday. It was so much fun to meet them. The only time I ever laid eyes on Rachel was when she was an infant and she and her mother came to Washington for a visit and now she is in her late 50s!
Rachel and Assad were geologists (now retired) and living in South Dakota. They have a daughter and son-in-law, both of whom are optometrists, and a son with a degree in theater but after several years of performing in New York, he has returned to school - law school. Apparently Assad is very knowedgeable in his field, and for all the times he told folks that he was attending some kind of a geological seminar or function, he failed to mention that he was a presenter, not just an attendee. A modest man.
We also drove out to The Resort while in Phoenix to visit with some of the Davenport folks. Some of the conversation focused on the upcoming 50th year high school reunion for the five of them who are Davenport graduates.
We stayed all night with Colleen, and her little apartment is very cute now that she has everything in its place save hanging pictures. She has many lovely items that she has acquired from her years of travel or gifts from others to include Polish pottery, prints and paintings and some textiles. She is still shopping for a dog to adopt. She has contacted a number of rescue places to find just the right companion.
And to finish the Phoenix trip, Ken very patiently helped me find a quilt shop that I had been wanting to visit and then very patiently waited while I did my shopping. Today I plan to put some of my purchases into play.
Ken's cousins, Carolyn and Irvin Ladd from Crooked River Ranch, Oregon are in the area for a few days. We drove to Parker to visit and have dinner with them earlier this week, and now they are in the park right next door to us, so we had them over last night. I think they have been on the road for about two months, and will be going home within the next few days. We have had the fun of having friends and family around us for this entire trip.
It is overcast this morning, but it doesn't look like it will last. We had lots of gusty winds earlier this week but they have gone away. The temps have cooled down to the high 60s and low 70s.
Ciao
We added another chapter to the Martha story. Mike called earlier this week and said Martha's daughter Rachel and husband were in Mesa visiting Martha and of course I wanted to meet them so we drove to Phoenix on Wednesday and came home yesterday. It was so much fun to meet them. The only time I ever laid eyes on Rachel was when she was an infant and she and her mother came to Washington for a visit and now she is in her late 50s!
Rachel and Assad were geologists (now retired) and living in South Dakota. They have a daughter and son-in-law, both of whom are optometrists, and a son with a degree in theater but after several years of performing in New York, he has returned to school - law school. Apparently Assad is very knowedgeable in his field, and for all the times he told folks that he was attending some kind of a geological seminar or function, he failed to mention that he was a presenter, not just an attendee. A modest man.
We also drove out to The Resort while in Phoenix to visit with some of the Davenport folks. Some of the conversation focused on the upcoming 50th year high school reunion for the five of them who are Davenport graduates.
We stayed all night with Colleen, and her little apartment is very cute now that she has everything in its place save hanging pictures. She has many lovely items that she has acquired from her years of travel or gifts from others to include Polish pottery, prints and paintings and some textiles. She is still shopping for a dog to adopt. She has contacted a number of rescue places to find just the right companion.
And to finish the Phoenix trip, Ken very patiently helped me find a quilt shop that I had been wanting to visit and then very patiently waited while I did my shopping. Today I plan to put some of my purchases into play.
Ken's cousins, Carolyn and Irvin Ladd from Crooked River Ranch, Oregon are in the area for a few days. We drove to Parker to visit and have dinner with them earlier this week, and now they are in the park right next door to us, so we had them over last night. I think they have been on the road for about two months, and will be going home within the next few days. We have had the fun of having friends and family around us for this entire trip.
It is overcast this morning, but it doesn't look like it will last. We had lots of gusty winds earlier this week but they have gone away. The temps have cooled down to the high 60s and low 70s.
Ciao
Monday, February 13, 2006
Ehren Where?
We are in Ehrenberg which is a hard-scrabble little “berg” that is a hub for migrant workers with only a Flying J and one or two shabby store fronts. Blythe, CA is six miles to the west where we found an Albertsons, Rite-Aid and K Mart. There is nothing to do around here from what we can tell, so we are making plans to spend a day or two with Colleen within the next week or two!
This park is quite nice, fairly small with very wide sites and a view of the Colorado River and beyond. We are parked about 200 feet from the banks of the river so have a great view.
We are traveling with the three other couples so we busy ourselves with visiting back and forth and sharing meals. We did engage in a game of Mexican Train with Rod and Karen yesterday afternoon. They are flying back to Spokane on Wednesday and will return to Phoenix/Tucson in a month. They are going to store their trailer at Doll Beer where we stayed in January.
It has taken me ten days to shake this cold, but I think I am about over it. Of course two others were complaining of sore throats yesterday, so I suspect everyone will end up with it.
I am making paella for the group for dinner this evening, but I am afraid it will be shy on the seafood considering my shopping choices, so I am counting on something from the frozen sections. If I serve enough sangria, no one will know the difference, right?
Carolyn and Irvin Ladd are about 45 miles north of here in Parker, but we haven’t made contact with them. They called once but have their number blocked, and even Harriet didn’t have their cell phone number. I think they are leaving to go back to Oregon within the next few days.
I promise I will blog the instant something exciting happens around here, so you may not hear from me for a month! Ciao.
This park is quite nice, fairly small with very wide sites and a view of the Colorado River and beyond. We are parked about 200 feet from the banks of the river so have a great view.
We are traveling with the three other couples so we busy ourselves with visiting back and forth and sharing meals. We did engage in a game of Mexican Train with Rod and Karen yesterday afternoon. They are flying back to Spokane on Wednesday and will return to Phoenix/Tucson in a month. They are going to store their trailer at Doll Beer where we stayed in January.
It has taken me ten days to shake this cold, but I think I am about over it. Of course two others were complaining of sore throats yesterday, so I suspect everyone will end up with it.
I am making paella for the group for dinner this evening, but I am afraid it will be shy on the seafood considering my shopping choices, so I am counting on something from the frozen sections. If I serve enough sangria, no one will know the difference, right?
Carolyn and Irvin Ladd are about 45 miles north of here in Parker, but we haven’t made contact with them. They called once but have their number blocked, and even Harriet didn’t have their cell phone number. I think they are leaving to go back to Oregon within the next few days.
I promise I will blog the instant something exciting happens around here, so you may not hear from me for a month! Ciao.
Monday, February 06, 2006
On to Benson
I am still playing catch-up with my blogging. We were in Mesa until last Wednesday, the first, when we moved on to Benson. We enjoyed our stay in Mesa at the Doll Beer Mobile Home Park. Old but perfectly suitable. It was fun to have Martha pop in and out almost on a daily basis. She usually arrived with fresh fruit, or cookies, or something else she thought we might have use for.
We toured one of Frank Lloyd Wright's properties last week before leaving Mesa - Talisian - which is still a working design school. I need to learn more about the man, because he was pretty complex - eccentric? It was quite fascinating to walk through the living areas that he and his family occupied for several years. He would never create a structure on the top of a rise, but always placed it under the brow of the rise to make it one with the surrounding area. Of course the location of Talisian was really out in the middle of nowhere when it was built, but the greater Scottsdale area has moved in closely.
Last Wednesday, we and the Spragues pulled up stakes and made our way to the Butterfield RV Resort in Benson - the only RV resort with an observatory - which Ken and Rod have visited. We quite like this place, and it is not age restrictive so there is a bit younger crowd and fewer folks careening around in golf carts. We are walking distance to a grocery store, hardware store and post office so what more could we ask for? We are parked across the street from Gary and Carolyn and Rob and Sue Robinson. Rob and Sue sold their home in Victoria some time ago and have been full timing it in their Bluebird motor coach.
I came down with a cold on Friday, so I am still operating at less that normal capacity, but it should be over in the next day or two. We have spent today, leisurely soaking up the sun and puttering. The rest of the group (Spragues, Ouseys, and Robinsons) is going to Kartchner Caverns this afternoon, but we were there 2 years ago, so we will look for something else to do.
Today is just about perfect with sunshine, blue skies, a light breeze and the temperatures in the 70s. We girls have been going into the spa every night which is a great way to cap off the day. The air cools down quickly once the sun goes down so the warm spa feels great.
We are going out for a little shopping trip to look for a pot for the cactus that we have been dragging around with us for the past 3 weeks. Karen and I have been in need of some quilt shop fixes, but so far only one in Sierra Vista. And I doubt there will be anything in Ehrenberg or Blythe when we get there later this week.
Ciao
We toured one of Frank Lloyd Wright's properties last week before leaving Mesa - Talisian - which is still a working design school. I need to learn more about the man, because he was pretty complex - eccentric? It was quite fascinating to walk through the living areas that he and his family occupied for several years. He would never create a structure on the top of a rise, but always placed it under the brow of the rise to make it one with the surrounding area. Of course the location of Talisian was really out in the middle of nowhere when it was built, but the greater Scottsdale area has moved in closely.
Last Wednesday, we and the Spragues pulled up stakes and made our way to the Butterfield RV Resort in Benson - the only RV resort with an observatory - which Ken and Rod have visited. We quite like this place, and it is not age restrictive so there is a bit younger crowd and fewer folks careening around in golf carts. We are walking distance to a grocery store, hardware store and post office so what more could we ask for? We are parked across the street from Gary and Carolyn and Rob and Sue Robinson. Rob and Sue sold their home in Victoria some time ago and have been full timing it in their Bluebird motor coach.
I came down with a cold on Friday, so I am still operating at less that normal capacity, but it should be over in the next day or two. We have spent today, leisurely soaking up the sun and puttering. The rest of the group (Spragues, Ouseys, and Robinsons) is going to Kartchner Caverns this afternoon, but we were there 2 years ago, so we will look for something else to do.
Today is just about perfect with sunshine, blue skies, a light breeze and the temperatures in the 70s. We girls have been going into the spa every night which is a great way to cap off the day. The air cools down quickly once the sun goes down so the warm spa feels great.
We are going out for a little shopping trip to look for a pot for the cactus that we have been dragging around with us for the past 3 weeks. Karen and I have been in need of some quilt shop fixes, but so far only one in Sierra Vista. And I doubt there will be anything in Ehrenberg or Blythe when we get there later this week.
Ciao
Sunday, February 05, 2006
We are still around, just silent
Not having internet available is making me crazy. I have no idea what I wrote in my last blog since I did it online (I think). Well here goes!!
Karen and Rod Sprague arrived last week after a rainy trip from Washington. We went to Casa Grande ruins last Thursday. Ken and I had been there before, but I think Karen and Rod enjoyed it. There is one part of a large structure and some low walls remaining as evidence of a people that existed for almost 1000 years until the 1400s. They, like many early civilizations, exhibited an interest (understanding) in celestial happenings and rhythms.
A first for me that day was lunch at a Crackerbarrel restaurant. I was underwhelmed to say the least. But I am usually super critical of most chain restaurants (except KFC). I found the food to be starchy and salty. It was interesting to arrive and be told it would be fifteen minutes before we could be seated. It turned out to be 45 minutes, and that same scenario transpired for every other person we encountered. Could it be that the delay is deliberate since there is a big roomful of knick knacks and old time candy to peruse and purchase while you wait?
Colleen and I flew to Colorado Springs last Friday to rent a truck and retrieve her belongings that have been in storage for almost two years. Her friend, Emmie, picked us up at the airport and hosted us for the evening. She is a gracious southern girl who exudes warmth and hospitality, and is a wonderful cook.
Two women and a truck……..
We had two men load the truck, then Colleen and I climbed aboard and proceeded to herd the behemoth down the road. It was twice as big as we needed, and it acted as though the wheels had never been balanced. It was a terrible ride until we got up to about 70 mph, and then it was a bit smoother. With the blessing of U-Haul, we drove all the way with the oil light and check engine lights on, but it did keep ‘truckin’ along.
We stayed in Gallup, NM on Saturday night, got up at six and were on the road by six thirty. We arrived in Phoenix around noon, and with the help of Ken and Colleen’s landlord, had the truck emptied and returned by mid afternoon. By evening, her bed was assembled and made, her entire kitchen unpacked and put away., and I slept hard last night!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Yesterday was a day for little projects which evolved into a little shopping which evolved into spending a bunch of money. We have a broken part on the latch for one of the pantries so of course that means going to the Winnebago dealer to spend a ton of money on a little part that isn’t even in stock at the moment with Winnebago. We also took note of some shopping sites in the area and went to Camping World, Trader Joes, and one or two quilt shops.
Finally last night we remembered to take advantage of the pool and the spa here at the ol’ Dollbeer Park. The pool was spa temperature, and the spa was so hot it was almost painful so we didn’t stay long. The pool area is right in front of our MH; about a 20 yard walk for us. The pools were immaculate, as they should be since I have never seen anyone in them, and they get cleaned about every other day.
We stopped by Colleen’s office yesterday to retrieve my handbag that I had left in her car, so her dad had a chance to meet her boss and see her office. She has a busy week getting ready for a big annual fundraising event this coming Saturday, but she still thinks she has enough energy to go to IKEA one evening this week.
We have no immediate plans for the day, but I have frittered the last 2 ½ hours on the Today Show, Sonoran Living Live, and View along with several cups of coffee. Okay, okay, I need to get on with the day. Ciao.
Karen and Rod Sprague arrived last week after a rainy trip from Washington. We went to Casa Grande ruins last Thursday. Ken and I had been there before, but I think Karen and Rod enjoyed it. There is one part of a large structure and some low walls remaining as evidence of a people that existed for almost 1000 years until the 1400s. They, like many early civilizations, exhibited an interest (understanding) in celestial happenings and rhythms.
A first for me that day was lunch at a Crackerbarrel restaurant. I was underwhelmed to say the least. But I am usually super critical of most chain restaurants (except KFC). I found the food to be starchy and salty. It was interesting to arrive and be told it would be fifteen minutes before we could be seated. It turned out to be 45 minutes, and that same scenario transpired for every other person we encountered. Could it be that the delay is deliberate since there is a big roomful of knick knacks and old time candy to peruse and purchase while you wait?
Colleen and I flew to Colorado Springs last Friday to rent a truck and retrieve her belongings that have been in storage for almost two years. Her friend, Emmie, picked us up at the airport and hosted us for the evening. She is a gracious southern girl who exudes warmth and hospitality, and is a wonderful cook.
Two women and a truck……..
We had two men load the truck, then Colleen and I climbed aboard and proceeded to herd the behemoth down the road. It was twice as big as we needed, and it acted as though the wheels had never been balanced. It was a terrible ride until we got up to about 70 mph, and then it was a bit smoother. With the blessing of U-Haul, we drove all the way with the oil light and check engine lights on, but it did keep ‘truckin’ along.
We stayed in Gallup, NM on Saturday night, got up at six and were on the road by six thirty. We arrived in Phoenix around noon, and with the help of Ken and Colleen’s landlord, had the truck emptied and returned by mid afternoon. By evening, her bed was assembled and made, her entire kitchen unpacked and put away., and I slept hard last night!!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Yesterday was a day for little projects which evolved into a little shopping which evolved into spending a bunch of money. We have a broken part on the latch for one of the pantries so of course that means going to the Winnebago dealer to spend a ton of money on a little part that isn’t even in stock at the moment with Winnebago. We also took note of some shopping sites in the area and went to Camping World, Trader Joes, and one or two quilt shops.
Finally last night we remembered to take advantage of the pool and the spa here at the ol’ Dollbeer Park. The pool was spa temperature, and the spa was so hot it was almost painful so we didn’t stay long. The pool area is right in front of our MH; about a 20 yard walk for us. The pools were immaculate, as they should be since I have never seen anyone in them, and they get cleaned about every other day.
We stopped by Colleen’s office yesterday to retrieve my handbag that I had left in her car, so her dad had a chance to meet her boss and see her office. She has a busy week getting ready for a big annual fundraising event this coming Saturday, but she still thinks she has enough energy to go to IKEA one evening this week.
We have no immediate plans for the day, but I have frittered the last 2 ½ hours on the Today Show, Sonoran Living Live, and View along with several cups of coffee. Okay, okay, I need to get on with the day. Ciao.
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