We had an uneventful trip from Travis to Casa Grande. We stayed in Bakersfield, courtesy of the Walton family, and then on to a night on the desert near Quartzite. I love the desert when it is deserted - and it was. But there was some critter who visited in the night and left paw prints on the hood of the car, and we never did figure out what it was.
We had an "intresting" encounter with a truck driver, not once but twice the day we drove from Bakersfield to Quartzite. Once outside Bakersfield, and again outside San Bernardino, he swerved over toward us as we were passing him. I waited too long before calling 911 so he did not get stopped, but he should have been. We have no idea what his reason was other than the fact that we were in an RV taking up space on "his" interstate.
The park here in Casa Grande looks about the same, but we are shocked that the Encore company is actually spending some money and is replacing the entire electrical system - and it needs it. We are parked in the same general area as we have been for the past three winters, and have pretty much the same neighbors.
Jeff and Bev arrive tomorrow night for their annual holiday visit - at 10:30 p.m which is way past my bedtime!! I'll have to take a nap. Ken and I are thinking we might go to Bisbee/Tucson/Sierra Vista for an overnight while they are here. Bisbee is a rather interesting former mining town, and the draw for Sierra Vista is Ricardo's restaurant just south of town.
Keith and Janet and the girls are cruising in the sunshine of the Caribbean, and Colleen is horseback riding in the snow in Montana. Skiing is on the agenda for tomorrow; for Colleen that is. She, Jim, and the girls drove to his brother's in Missoula yesterday and will enjoy a few days of true winter.
Gary and Carolyn Ousey got on a ferry out of Victoria a day earlier than expected so they scaled the Siskiyous today and will be in Casa Grande in two or three days. They are staying at a park that is about two miles from here, so I'm sure we will see them often.
Another couple we know will be coming to this park around the tenth of January, and then we will hook up with the Spragues back on the Quartzite desert the end of January. Such a social swirl.
Stay cool or stay warm as the case may be. Ciao.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
On our way to Arizona
We left home one week ago Monday, and are just now finishing a stay at Travis AFB before moving on. We will probably stay in Bakersfield tomorrow night and go on to Casa Grande the next day.
Our time here was pretty well filled with several days in the Sonoma Valley visiting wineries - and tasting wine - and buying wine. Brian has some connections to some folks in Napa who grow merlot grapes so for our Christmas gift he arranged for us to meet them, do some tasting, and take a case of wine away with us. A most enjoyable endeavor all the way around.
Jeff and Bev came up and met us in Sonoma on Friday so we had lunch and dinner together along with visiting a few wineries. We will see them again on the 29th when they come to Phoenix for their annual post-Christmas visit.
It has been difficult not having Cooper with us because he has been our traveling companion for so many years. For the first few days, I kept wanting to turn around to see if he was sleeping, but it is getting easier as time goes on.
I am up after midnight writing this because I couldn't sleep, so I guess I will go back to bed and try again. I will post again after we get to Casa Grande. Ciao.
Our time here was pretty well filled with several days in the Sonoma Valley visiting wineries - and tasting wine - and buying wine. Brian has some connections to some folks in Napa who grow merlot grapes so for our Christmas gift he arranged for us to meet them, do some tasting, and take a case of wine away with us. A most enjoyable endeavor all the way around.
Jeff and Bev came up and met us in Sonoma on Friday so we had lunch and dinner together along with visiting a few wineries. We will see them again on the 29th when they come to Phoenix for their annual post-Christmas visit.
It has been difficult not having Cooper with us because he has been our traveling companion for so many years. For the first few days, I kept wanting to turn around to see if he was sleeping, but it is getting easier as time goes on.
I am up after midnight writing this because I couldn't sleep, so I guess I will go back to bed and try again. I will post again after we get to Casa Grande. Ciao.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A sad post-Thanksgiving
After a very enjoyable day with friends and family here for Thanksgiving Day, yesterday was difficult in that we had to put Cooper down. His legs simply gave out on him. We feel very bereft, and it will take some time to get used to not having near us with his demands and devotion. Most of you probably already know because I have it on Facebook, but just in case you don't follow FB.......
We saw to it that he had a good 15 1/2 years. Rest in peace, Cooper.
We saw to it that he had a good 15 1/2 years. Rest in peace, Cooper.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Oh the weather outside is frightful...........
It looks like we have already waited too long to leave town. It has been cold cold cold for the past week with the nighttime lows hovering around freezing, and this morning I am watching the snow come down and accumulate. I have an appointment this afternoon which I just might cancel, and today was the day that Ken and I were going to finish grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. That too might get put on hold. Right now, the ground and the trees and shrubs are all white.
Ken has been shopping for a different motor home and thought he had found the one he wanted, but it has several issues that make us uneasy, so it is a no-go. We are looking at used, and our other two were new, so it feels much more risky when you don't know the history of the rig.
The Spragues have been in contact with us for making some travel plans after the first of the year, so we are going to meet up with them in the desert for the annual rally that they attend. Then back to Casa Grande for a while before heading off to Organ Pipe National Monument south of Tucson. They have found a nice park in Yuma, so we will follow them to Yuma and give that burg one more chance. So far I have not been enamored with that area. That should take us to March and there is nothing planned beyond that.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Ciao
Ken has been shopping for a different motor home and thought he had found the one he wanted, but it has several issues that make us uneasy, so it is a no-go. We are looking at used, and our other two were new, so it feels much more risky when you don't know the history of the rig.
The Spragues have been in contact with us for making some travel plans after the first of the year, so we are going to meet up with them in the desert for the annual rally that they attend. Then back to Casa Grande for a while before heading off to Organ Pipe National Monument south of Tucson. They have found a nice park in Yuma, so we will follow them to Yuma and give that burg one more chance. So far I have not been enamored with that area. That should take us to March and there is nothing planned beyond that.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Ciao
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
It's November, Thanksgiving can't be far away
It was difficult to know that this is the month of November since we had sunshine and the thermometer was rising into the 70s today! However, the weather folks have assured us this is short-lived, and we can anticipate rain in the near term.
We enjoyed a brief visit from our friends, the Ouseys. Since they live in Victoria, they just drove on to the ferry, disembarked at Port Angeles, and drove about 100 miles to arrive here. Ken and Gary talked computers and military air stuff, and Carolyn and I did a bit of shopping.
She and I enjoy a glass of wine so I decided to open a bottle of a tempranillo blend that been rolling around in the pantry since receiving it in a wine club shipment a few weeks ago. Our eyes lit up as we sipped and tasted because it was very yummy. A few days later I decided to go on line to see about ordering some more from the winery when I discovered that it is $40/bottle. NO WONDER WE WERE SMACKING OUR LIPS. That wine will definitely have to be a "special occasion" wine, but I am determined to acquire more.
I have not been particularly motivated to do much quilting, but finally this week I finished a small quilt I have been making for a friend of Craig's who has been recovering at Walter Reed Hospital for the past six months. The top is finished and it is ready to be shipped off to the long-arm quilter in eastern Washington. Now what to do? Drag out a UFO (unfinished object) or charge right ahead and start something anew?
We will host Thanksgiving this year to include Craig and Cassie, Colleen, Jim and his girls, niece Jordan, husband Cliff and son Thomas and perhaps Cassie's parents who live in Stayton, Oregon. Colleen has been charged with table decor, and I will work on all the usual traditional dishes. I sometimes stray a bit and make a different version of the cranberry sauce or the stuffing or the sweet potatoes, but the meal always contains the usual traditional components. Jim is a pie maker extraordinaire so guess what I will ask of him? However, he says he is not fond of pumpkin, so I'll make that. And I'll make the mincemeat pie because most of the kids don't even like it, but it is one of Ken's favorites.
As soon as the dishes are done, the turkey carcass disposed of and the motor home packed, we plan to be on our way out of town for an early departure for our winter down south. We have no reservations or commitments until the latter part of January so we will just see where the trail leads!
Enjoy the rest of this lovely fall with all of its sensory inputs. Ciao
We enjoyed a brief visit from our friends, the Ouseys. Since they live in Victoria, they just drove on to the ferry, disembarked at Port Angeles, and drove about 100 miles to arrive here. Ken and Gary talked computers and military air stuff, and Carolyn and I did a bit of shopping.
She and I enjoy a glass of wine so I decided to open a bottle of a tempranillo blend that been rolling around in the pantry since receiving it in a wine club shipment a few weeks ago. Our eyes lit up as we sipped and tasted because it was very yummy. A few days later I decided to go on line to see about ordering some more from the winery when I discovered that it is $40/bottle. NO WONDER WE WERE SMACKING OUR LIPS. That wine will definitely have to be a "special occasion" wine, but I am determined to acquire more.
I have not been particularly motivated to do much quilting, but finally this week I finished a small quilt I have been making for a friend of Craig's who has been recovering at Walter Reed Hospital for the past six months. The top is finished and it is ready to be shipped off to the long-arm quilter in eastern Washington. Now what to do? Drag out a UFO (unfinished object) or charge right ahead and start something anew?
We will host Thanksgiving this year to include Craig and Cassie, Colleen, Jim and his girls, niece Jordan, husband Cliff and son Thomas and perhaps Cassie's parents who live in Stayton, Oregon. Colleen has been charged with table decor, and I will work on all the usual traditional dishes. I sometimes stray a bit and make a different version of the cranberry sauce or the stuffing or the sweet potatoes, but the meal always contains the usual traditional components. Jim is a pie maker extraordinaire so guess what I will ask of him? However, he says he is not fond of pumpkin, so I'll make that. And I'll make the mincemeat pie because most of the kids don't even like it, but it is one of Ken's favorites.
As soon as the dishes are done, the turkey carcass disposed of and the motor home packed, we plan to be on our way out of town for an early departure for our winter down south. We have no reservations or commitments until the latter part of January so we will just see where the trail leads!
Enjoy the rest of this lovely fall with all of its sensory inputs. Ciao
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
On the Warpath
I'll spare you some of the details, but I thought I would let you visualize Helen Kirkwood marching around the halls of Madigan Medical Mall with fire in her eyes.
After waiting a total of 1 1/2 hours, encountering an assistant who could neither make the scale work nor read the answers on my questionnaire and not having laid eyes on my caregiver, Ms. DelaRosa, I grabbed up my handbag, opened the door of the examining room and marched out!! I lurched to a stop at the receptionist's desk long enought to learn that I could find the chief of the Internal Medicine Clinic on the second floor. So up the stairs I went in search of Col. McGuire whose name was on the letter I had received directing me to make today's appointment.
Not knowing where I might find the elusive Col. McGuire, I decided to enter through the double glass doors identified as "Command something" and trod upon the flowers of the carpeted hallway looking for directions (remember this is the U.S. Army and there aren't many flowers so you know I was on hallowed ground). I stopped two young women, one in uniform and the other a civilian employee, for directions to Col. McGuire, and with a panicked look on their faces said they didn't know but they would take me down the hall to the secretary who would surely know. So they escorted me through some more glass doors to inquire as to the location of the colonel. Either the look on my face or the steel in my voice seemed to get everyone's attention and I think they were thinking to themselves they really wanted to get me out of there before I accosted some general. The nearest woman picked up the phone and quickly dialed the patient ombudsman, Ernestine, and handed the phone to me. I only got through about two sentences when Ernestine said she would come up and get me!!
All the while as we walked back downstairs, Ernestine was telling me how they want all their patients to be happy!! And it seems Col. McGuire was just the acting chief, and Col. Vilner was the current chief.............but he was in a meeting.
After speaking with Ernestine, and she in turn talking to her boss (who is one level down from the chief), the second in command said she was going out to the clinic to talk to Ms DelaRosa. She then returned to say both Ms DelaRosa, AND HER SUPERVISOR, Dr. Bales were in an office and invited me to go with her to speak to the two of them.
With some profuse apologies from my caregiver, and some further explanations from her supervisor, Dr. Bales (who had been my previous caregiver, and I LOVED him), I pretty much accepted apologies and explanations and returned to the clinic with the caregiver to proceed with the appointment that was to have taken place two hours earlier. Even at that, it wasn't a particularly stellar encounter, but it will suffice for now.
I understand all about busy doctors and clinics, but there had been some other poor communication prior to my appointment so I went into today's appointment already loaded for bear so as the clock kept ticking away, my blood pressure kept rising until I decided to take it upon myself to do some marching!
Fortunately, I had "dressed" for this appointment so looked pretty no-nonsense in black pants and shirt and aqua blue silk jacket. I would like to think that helped my credibility, and I thought it might be fun to put on the same outfit and walk down those same halls tomorrow to watch the looks on faces!!! Ciao
After waiting a total of 1 1/2 hours, encountering an assistant who could neither make the scale work nor read the answers on my questionnaire and not having laid eyes on my caregiver, Ms. DelaRosa, I grabbed up my handbag, opened the door of the examining room and marched out!! I lurched to a stop at the receptionist's desk long enought to learn that I could find the chief of the Internal Medicine Clinic on the second floor. So up the stairs I went in search of Col. McGuire whose name was on the letter I had received directing me to make today's appointment.
Not knowing where I might find the elusive Col. McGuire, I decided to enter through the double glass doors identified as "Command something" and trod upon the flowers of the carpeted hallway looking for directions (remember this is the U.S. Army and there aren't many flowers so you know I was on hallowed ground). I stopped two young women, one in uniform and the other a civilian employee, for directions to Col. McGuire, and with a panicked look on their faces said they didn't know but they would take me down the hall to the secretary who would surely know. So they escorted me through some more glass doors to inquire as to the location of the colonel. Either the look on my face or the steel in my voice seemed to get everyone's attention and I think they were thinking to themselves they really wanted to get me out of there before I accosted some general. The nearest woman picked up the phone and quickly dialed the patient ombudsman, Ernestine, and handed the phone to me. I only got through about two sentences when Ernestine said she would come up and get me!!
All the while as we walked back downstairs, Ernestine was telling me how they want all their patients to be happy!! And it seems Col. McGuire was just the acting chief, and Col. Vilner was the current chief.............but he was in a meeting.
After speaking with Ernestine, and she in turn talking to her boss (who is one level down from the chief), the second in command said she was going out to the clinic to talk to Ms DelaRosa. She then returned to say both Ms DelaRosa, AND HER SUPERVISOR, Dr. Bales were in an office and invited me to go with her to speak to the two of them.
With some profuse apologies from my caregiver, and some further explanations from her supervisor, Dr. Bales (who had been my previous caregiver, and I LOVED him), I pretty much accepted apologies and explanations and returned to the clinic with the caregiver to proceed with the appointment that was to have taken place two hours earlier. Even at that, it wasn't a particularly stellar encounter, but it will suffice for now.
I understand all about busy doctors and clinics, but there had been some other poor communication prior to my appointment so I went into today's appointment already loaded for bear so as the clock kept ticking away, my blood pressure kept rising until I decided to take it upon myself to do some marching!
Fortunately, I had "dressed" for this appointment so looked pretty no-nonsense in black pants and shirt and aqua blue silk jacket. I would like to think that helped my credibility, and I thought it might be fun to put on the same outfit and walk down those same halls tomorrow to watch the looks on faces!!! Ciao
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Beautiful fall
I love this time of year, and the last few days have been beautiful with blue sky, sunshine, and turning leaves. But this afternoon it is back to reality..........rain. That just gives a reason to turn the lamps on low, build a fire in the fireplace and snuggle up with a quilt and a book.
Ken is continuing to improve with a final diagnosis of amyotrophy (caused by the diabetes) as evidenced by a sudden onset of pain in the hip and thigh. But he continues to improve and has completed a month's worth of PT. We have charged headlong into the diabetic diet routine and all is working well. He is at the very low end of the scale, and a few years ago he would not have even been considered to be diabetic.
This past Monday was Colleen's birthday which we celebrated on Saturday with her requestd menu of stew, bread and apple crisp. A pretty easy meal from my perspective. Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us as well as three new faces; Jim and his daughters Noa and Ani.
Colleen and Jim have been a twosome since summer, but I have tried to mind my own business and not get too involved:)!! He lives in Seattle and lost his wife about 3 1/2 years ago so he has been a (super) single parent to the girls who are ten and twelves. We have known Jim for ages as he was Brian's best friend when they were in college at UW and we have always been very fond of him.
Jim has included Colleen in several recent social events where she has met his friends and the folks from his office. In August they spent four days in San Francisco, and this coming weekend they are going to one of the San Juan islands for an annual get-together with friends of his. We are very happy for both of them and are thrilled to have him and his girls be a part of our lives.
Ken is keeping himself occupied by shopping for a new-to-us used diesel-pusher. I am still very content with our current coach, but he would really like the diesel engine. With the wonder of the internet, he has been shopping the entire country, and I see a real possibility of our making a quick trip to Iowa or Minnesota or some other far-flung state should the right rig become available.
I mentioned in a previous blog that we had not seen the Schulers since last Christmas, so they are coming on Saturday for a short two-day visit. She and I use our October birthdays as an excuse to get together this time of year, and we are looking forward to seeing them.
Our friends the Ouseys have been threatening to come and see us, and I think I have convinced them that they need to act on their threats. We are hoping they will come for a visit later on this month. And then we will see them again when we all get to the desert in January (although we hope to leave here right after Thanksgiving).
We had a good time in Prosser on our little mini-vacation last month, and the wine cellar is replenished. I love that part of the state with all the green fields and vineyards. We stopped in Kennewick to visit with my cousin, Ellen Jean, who is about 90 years old and cute as can be. She has had two broken wrists and a broken hip, but she is on her feet and perky as can be. She can't be bothered with staying down.
Happy Halloween. Ciao
Ken is continuing to improve with a final diagnosis of amyotrophy (caused by the diabetes) as evidenced by a sudden onset of pain in the hip and thigh. But he continues to improve and has completed a month's worth of PT. We have charged headlong into the diabetic diet routine and all is working well. He is at the very low end of the scale, and a few years ago he would not have even been considered to be diabetic.
This past Monday was Colleen's birthday which we celebrated on Saturday with her requestd menu of stew, bread and apple crisp. A pretty easy meal from my perspective. Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us as well as three new faces; Jim and his daughters Noa and Ani.
Colleen and Jim have been a twosome since summer, but I have tried to mind my own business and not get too involved:)!! He lives in Seattle and lost his wife about 3 1/2 years ago so he has been a (super) single parent to the girls who are ten and twelves. We have known Jim for ages as he was Brian's best friend when they were in college at UW and we have always been very fond of him.
Jim has included Colleen in several recent social events where she has met his friends and the folks from his office. In August they spent four days in San Francisco, and this coming weekend they are going to one of the San Juan islands for an annual get-together with friends of his. We are very happy for both of them and are thrilled to have him and his girls be a part of our lives.
Ken is keeping himself occupied by shopping for a new-to-us used diesel-pusher. I am still very content with our current coach, but he would really like the diesel engine. With the wonder of the internet, he has been shopping the entire country, and I see a real possibility of our making a quick trip to Iowa or Minnesota or some other far-flung state should the right rig become available.
I mentioned in a previous blog that we had not seen the Schulers since last Christmas, so they are coming on Saturday for a short two-day visit. She and I use our October birthdays as an excuse to get together this time of year, and we are looking forward to seeing them.
Our friends the Ouseys have been threatening to come and see us, and I think I have convinced them that they need to act on their threats. We are hoping they will come for a visit later on this month. And then we will see them again when we all get to the desert in January (although we hope to leave here right after Thanksgiving).
We had a good time in Prosser on our little mini-vacation last month, and the wine cellar is replenished. I love that part of the state with all the green fields and vineyards. We stopped in Kennewick to visit with my cousin, Ellen Jean, who is about 90 years old and cute as can be. She has had two broken wrists and a broken hip, but she is on her feet and perky as can be. She can't be bothered with staying down.
Happy Halloween. Ciao
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!!!
After endless rounds of doctors' appointments, tests, labs, etc., we said, "The hell with it all." We are on our way to Prosser to do some relaxing and wine-tasting for a few days.
Ken is feeling better, but the only answer so far is a diagnosis of diabetes.....which could be a player in the previous three months' problems, but no one is saying. He is more mobile, and in considerably less pain, but he right leg and knee are not to be trusted because of so much atrophy. PT starts on Tuesday.
So in spite of setbacks, we are feeling pretty frisky and decided we wanted to go play for a while. He has given himself a bit of a break and allowed me to drive the MH for a short stretch which I have been saying I need to do anyway, just to be sure I am comfortable with it. I think I've got the hang of it.
I have made two trips to Yakima/Union Gap in the last three weeks to take advantage of peaches and pears. I canned seven more quarts of peaches, but the pears I made into chutney as well as subjecting some of them to drying. I used an "off-the-wall" method of drying using a box fan, furnace filters and bungee cords, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. The whole process is from an Alton Brown "Good Eats" segment on the Food channel.
We have had a dearth of encounters with our friends for various reasons. Rod and Karen Sprague are leaving Spokane on Saturday to take in the balloon festival in New Mexico and then will go on to San Diego. We haven't gone anywhere, and they have been busy so haven't been over our way.
We haven't seen Jeff and Bev Schuler since last January. They usually come to Steilacoom in the spring and again in the fall; neither of which has happened. The fall trip is hoped to occur yet this month. Jeff stepped on a piece of wood in his shop and did enough damage to require surgery. He should be mobile again in the near future.
But the Jaynes and their friends are coming to western Washington the end of this month, so we are looking forward to a visit with them!!
We are just rolling down the hill with Yakima spread out before us.....and even though there are lots of clouds, there is sunshine peeking through at the moment. In another hour we will be settled in at Wine Country RV and relaxing with a little libation!!
Ciao
Ken is feeling better, but the only answer so far is a diagnosis of diabetes.....which could be a player in the previous three months' problems, but no one is saying. He is more mobile, and in considerably less pain, but he right leg and knee are not to be trusted because of so much atrophy. PT starts on Tuesday.
So in spite of setbacks, we are feeling pretty frisky and decided we wanted to go play for a while. He has given himself a bit of a break and allowed me to drive the MH for a short stretch which I have been saying I need to do anyway, just to be sure I am comfortable with it. I think I've got the hang of it.
I have made two trips to Yakima/Union Gap in the last three weeks to take advantage of peaches and pears. I canned seven more quarts of peaches, but the pears I made into chutney as well as subjecting some of them to drying. I used an "off-the-wall" method of drying using a box fan, furnace filters and bungee cords, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. The whole process is from an Alton Brown "Good Eats" segment on the Food channel.
We have had a dearth of encounters with our friends for various reasons. Rod and Karen Sprague are leaving Spokane on Saturday to take in the balloon festival in New Mexico and then will go on to San Diego. We haven't gone anywhere, and they have been busy so haven't been over our way.
We haven't seen Jeff and Bev Schuler since last January. They usually come to Steilacoom in the spring and again in the fall; neither of which has happened. The fall trip is hoped to occur yet this month. Jeff stepped on a piece of wood in his shop and did enough damage to require surgery. He should be mobile again in the near future.
But the Jaynes and their friends are coming to western Washington the end of this month, so we are looking forward to a visit with them!!
We are just rolling down the hill with Yakima spread out before us.....and even though there are lots of clouds, there is sunshine peeking through at the moment. In another hour we will be settled in at Wine Country RV and relaxing with a little libation!!
Ciao
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Several more nice summery days, but
there is a big bunch of clouds hanging around way out in the Pacific that will probably make there way here by Thursday. Can fall be far behind?
Ken continues his tests with no clear answers and just a lot of speculation. He is scheduled for a spinal tap on Thursday as they continue to look for an infection or a virus. The pain has lessened and he is more ambulatory, but is in constant fear of taking a tumble. He has even driven a little this week. To be continued.
I defrosted the big chest freezer today, which had not been done in years. It turned out to be pretty quick and easy as I was able to remove the big slabs of ice from the walls before they fell and melted. So it is back on and cooling down. That freezer is 35 years old, and I'm sure eats a lot of electricity, but I think we will just leave it in place for the time being. With the new refrigerator and its large freezer, I could almost give up having a second freezer -- almost!
Last Thursday, Elisabeth and I drove to Yakima to buy fruit, taste wine, and eat some good Mexican food. As we started home, my car began to chug and smell funny. After some fits and starts, we happened on the service entrance for a car dealership wherein we met a very nice sales manager who correctly identified the problem even before the mechanic put it on the computer (bad coils) and after retrieving new parts from the local VW dealer, he had us back on the road in about an hour at an unbelievably low price. We were very fortunate.
Colleen came down on Saturday and we canned peaches, and tomorrow I have some apricots that will be ready for jam. I want to go back over in the next week or two to get pears and anything else that is inviting. Ciao
Ken continues his tests with no clear answers and just a lot of speculation. He is scheduled for a spinal tap on Thursday as they continue to look for an infection or a virus. The pain has lessened and he is more ambulatory, but is in constant fear of taking a tumble. He has even driven a little this week. To be continued.
I defrosted the big chest freezer today, which had not been done in years. It turned out to be pretty quick and easy as I was able to remove the big slabs of ice from the walls before they fell and melted. So it is back on and cooling down. That freezer is 35 years old, and I'm sure eats a lot of electricity, but I think we will just leave it in place for the time being. With the new refrigerator and its large freezer, I could almost give up having a second freezer -- almost!
Last Thursday, Elisabeth and I drove to Yakima to buy fruit, taste wine, and eat some good Mexican food. As we started home, my car began to chug and smell funny. After some fits and starts, we happened on the service entrance for a car dealership wherein we met a very nice sales manager who correctly identified the problem even before the mechanic put it on the computer (bad coils) and after retrieving new parts from the local VW dealer, he had us back on the road in about an hour at an unbelievably low price. We were very fortunate.
Colleen came down on Saturday and we canned peaches, and tomorrow I have some apricots that will be ready for jam. I want to go back over in the next week or two to get pears and anything else that is inviting. Ciao
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Update
As a synopsis: floors are finished, house is back together, some sunshine has allowed a few flowers to bloom, we have not only a new refrigerator (planned), but a new dishwasher (unplanned), Cooper and the Westfalia have caused the remodel budget to pale in comparison, the weather in North Carolina and Maryland can be oppresive, we love to spend time with our family, Ken has been in pain and gimpy for over a month, and Colleen and Craig have been helper-bees over the past month.
Brian and the boys were here for three days in July after a whirlwind trip from Virginia to North Caroline to Idaho to here. They retrieved the car they had stored in Boise and drove to Lewiston where Doug Riddle (Jordan's dad), whom we love, took the three of them up the river through Hells Canyon. It can sometimes be difficult to impress teen boys, but they were impressed!! Doug was a sweetheart for doing that.
On Saturday, we hosted about eighteen family members with all but two staying the night. The front yard looked like tent city. The menu of the day was a Spanish theme with tapas, gazpacho, and paella. What an easy menu for a crowd!!! Jerry and Lois, Curt and Cinda and Linea, Jordan, Cliff, and Thomas, Craig, Cassie and Greta, Colleen, and Brian's longtime college friend, Jim, and his two girls were all in attendance. Fun, fun, fun.
Brian and the boys and Ken and I were in a shuttle to the airport on Monday morning at four IN THE MORNING to go to North Caroline in preparation for Brian's change of command on Friday, July 30. They have lovely new quarters on base, and with some frenzied unpacking, their house was quite settled and liveable by Thursday, which was a good thing, because Thursday afternoon saw the socializing begin again with the arrival of Sheila's sister and family and Sheila's mother and her sister plus Keith Craig and Colleen. There were also several longtime friends in town for the change of command.
Thankfully, Friday was overcast and the change of command was in a hanger at nine in the morning so we didn't suffer the heat and humidity. Here is the culmination of the day:
www.seymourjohnson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123215892.
Then it was back to Brian and Sheila's for another full day of fun.
Part of the Air Force tradition is a "roof stomp" where many of folks who are under Brian's command come to the house, put up a ladder and stomp around on the roof. I think we counted about 25 flight suits on the roof, then they descended on the keg of beer in the back yard!!
We drove to Maryland on Sunday to see the Maryland Kirkwoods for a day or two because there was no way I was going to be on the east coast and not see Janet and the girls. Our plan was to hop from Andrews AFB to McChord, but the one flight had no seats so some super sleuthing garnered us two last minute one way tickets on Air Trans for a great price. We have been home since Thursday morning.
Ken is in the midst of a medical mystery after awakening on Fourth of July weekend in excruciating pain in his right hip and thigh. After three trips to emergency over that weekend and several appointments and tests, there is still no conclusion and he continues to rely on pain medications. Several things have been ruled out, mostly really scary stuff, but still no answer. He has developed weakness on his right side to the point that he doesn't trust himself to drive because he can't react fast enough.
He is scheduled for another test this Monday, plus he delivered a letter to the doctor yesterday to make it crystal clear as to what was occurring along with a request to move faster with some kind of a diagnosis. Continuing to take high-powered pain meds isn't the answer nor the solution.
Cooper on the other hand is like the Energizer bunny and just keeps going and going and going at 15 1/2. We had to have a sitter stay with him while we were away and Roseanne spoiled him beyond belief, plus she walked him downtown every day!! I never would have imagined he could do that as stiff as he appears to be. We had avoided some grooming and medical issues for him thinking he was gong to expire any day and wouldn't tolerate anesthetic, but he proved us wrong again - hence the big dent in the budget for some minor surgery, grooming, and teeth cleaning. This is the third winter coming up when we didn't think he would be going south with us.
We are now home for a while with no specific plans until we have Ken mobile again. So come and see us!!! The guest room is completely finished and it does have a new bed, so it is safe to visit. We would love to show off our newly finished floors, redecorated rooms and remodeled kitchen!!!
Now my goal is to get to the sewing machine to finish a couple of quilts that are in progress plus go to Yakima for some fresh fruit to do some canning before the summer is over. How homey is that? Ciao
Brian and the boys were here for three days in July after a whirlwind trip from Virginia to North Caroline to Idaho to here. They retrieved the car they had stored in Boise and drove to Lewiston where Doug Riddle (Jordan's dad), whom we love, took the three of them up the river through Hells Canyon. It can sometimes be difficult to impress teen boys, but they were impressed!! Doug was a sweetheart for doing that.
On Saturday, we hosted about eighteen family members with all but two staying the night. The front yard looked like tent city. The menu of the day was a Spanish theme with tapas, gazpacho, and paella. What an easy menu for a crowd!!! Jerry and Lois, Curt and Cinda and Linea, Jordan, Cliff, and Thomas, Craig, Cassie and Greta, Colleen, and Brian's longtime college friend, Jim, and his two girls were all in attendance. Fun, fun, fun.
Brian and the boys and Ken and I were in a shuttle to the airport on Monday morning at four IN THE MORNING to go to North Caroline in preparation for Brian's change of command on Friday, July 30. They have lovely new quarters on base, and with some frenzied unpacking, their house was quite settled and liveable by Thursday, which was a good thing, because Thursday afternoon saw the socializing begin again with the arrival of Sheila's sister and family and Sheila's mother and her sister plus Keith Craig and Colleen. There were also several longtime friends in town for the change of command.
Thankfully, Friday was overcast and the change of command was in a hanger at nine in the morning so we didn't suffer the heat and humidity. Here is the culmination of the day:
www.seymourjohnson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123215892.
Then it was back to Brian and Sheila's for another full day of fun.
Part of the Air Force tradition is a "roof stomp" where many of folks who are under Brian's command come to the house, put up a ladder and stomp around on the roof. I think we counted about 25 flight suits on the roof, then they descended on the keg of beer in the back yard!!
We drove to Maryland on Sunday to see the Maryland Kirkwoods for a day or two because there was no way I was going to be on the east coast and not see Janet and the girls. Our plan was to hop from Andrews AFB to McChord, but the one flight had no seats so some super sleuthing garnered us two last minute one way tickets on Air Trans for a great price. We have been home since Thursday morning.
Ken is in the midst of a medical mystery after awakening on Fourth of July weekend in excruciating pain in his right hip and thigh. After three trips to emergency over that weekend and several appointments and tests, there is still no conclusion and he continues to rely on pain medications. Several things have been ruled out, mostly really scary stuff, but still no answer. He has developed weakness on his right side to the point that he doesn't trust himself to drive because he can't react fast enough.
He is scheduled for another test this Monday, plus he delivered a letter to the doctor yesterday to make it crystal clear as to what was occurring along with a request to move faster with some kind of a diagnosis. Continuing to take high-powered pain meds isn't the answer nor the solution.
Cooper on the other hand is like the Energizer bunny and just keeps going and going and going at 15 1/2. We had to have a sitter stay with him while we were away and Roseanne spoiled him beyond belief, plus she walked him downtown every day!! I never would have imagined he could do that as stiff as he appears to be. We had avoided some grooming and medical issues for him thinking he was gong to expire any day and wouldn't tolerate anesthetic, but he proved us wrong again - hence the big dent in the budget for some minor surgery, grooming, and teeth cleaning. This is the third winter coming up when we didn't think he would be going south with us.
We are now home for a while with no specific plans until we have Ken mobile again. So come and see us!!! The guest room is completely finished and it does have a new bed, so it is safe to visit. We would love to show off our newly finished floors, redecorated rooms and remodeled kitchen!!!
Now my goal is to get to the sewing machine to finish a couple of quilts that are in progress plus go to Yakima for some fresh fruit to do some canning before the summer is over. How homey is that? Ciao
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Can it be that summer is finally on it's way?
I am looking out my window at blue sky with just a light film of haze.....and I have the doors open instead of having the furnace running. Woohoo!!
Yesterday was graduation/party day for Linea Johnson graduating cum laude from Seattle University. We didn't attend the graduation, but were front and center for the party afterwards, which was great fun. Congratulations Ms Linea. Check out my Facebook pages for photos of Linea and her mom in their robes.
Our gift to her was a quilt that I made sometime during the past year, but of course had put off the finish work, so there were several late nights with needle in hand, but it was finished for the party yesterday. So another unfinished project to check off my long list of unfinished projects; what next?
We have been living for this past week with the the two downstairs bedrooms' furniture piled in the living room as the floors were being refinished. Starting today, we can move back into those two rooms, and in another ten days we empty the front of the house for the same process. The upside is that I don't have to worry about "keeping house".
Since the bedrooms are empty, we might as well paint, right? It sounds like such a simple task, and we have been at it for several days. The biggest problem is to find the right paint colors. How can the look change so drastically from the chip to the application? But we are now on track and should be able to finish up over the next day or two. It had been years since either room was painted, so they were overdue. The guest room is now two shades of blue, a deep blue on the ceiling, and a medium blue on the walls. Ivory trim and a strip of border wallpaper finishes it off. The other room is beige on top, taupe on the bottom with a lighter colored chair rail. I gave away the IKEA sofa bed that had served us well so now I am rethinking the entire room setup. And I got rid of the bed in the guest room so that needs to be replaced. Give me some warning if you are coming to visit so i can be sure to run out and buy a bed!
Brother Mike and a friend were fishing near Long Beach, Washington the past two days so they came by last night to stay before driving on to Spokane. They are sleeping in the MH, and I haven't seen a sign of them yet. Two days of getting up early, fishing all day, and catching nothing, will wear you out.
Here's to summer........sometime. Ciao
Yesterday was graduation/party day for Linea Johnson graduating cum laude from Seattle University. We didn't attend the graduation, but were front and center for the party afterwards, which was great fun. Congratulations Ms Linea. Check out my Facebook pages for photos of Linea and her mom in their robes.
Our gift to her was a quilt that I made sometime during the past year, but of course had put off the finish work, so there were several late nights with needle in hand, but it was finished for the party yesterday. So another unfinished project to check off my long list of unfinished projects; what next?
We have been living for this past week with the the two downstairs bedrooms' furniture piled in the living room as the floors were being refinished. Starting today, we can move back into those two rooms, and in another ten days we empty the front of the house for the same process. The upside is that I don't have to worry about "keeping house".
Since the bedrooms are empty, we might as well paint, right? It sounds like such a simple task, and we have been at it for several days. The biggest problem is to find the right paint colors. How can the look change so drastically from the chip to the application? But we are now on track and should be able to finish up over the next day or two. It had been years since either room was painted, so they were overdue. The guest room is now two shades of blue, a deep blue on the ceiling, and a medium blue on the walls. Ivory trim and a strip of border wallpaper finishes it off. The other room is beige on top, taupe on the bottom with a lighter colored chair rail. I gave away the IKEA sofa bed that had served us well so now I am rethinking the entire room setup. And I got rid of the bed in the guest room so that needs to be replaced. Give me some warning if you are coming to visit so i can be sure to run out and buy a bed!
Brother Mike and a friend were fishing near Long Beach, Washington the past two days so they came by last night to stay before driving on to Spokane. They are sleeping in the MH, and I haven't seen a sign of them yet. Two days of getting up early, fishing all day, and catching nothing, will wear you out.
Here's to summer........sometime. Ciao
Monday, May 24, 2010
Miscellaneous
It has been a quiet month interspersed with brief moments of busyness. And that is fine with me.
Colleen's concerts are over, and I very much enjoyed the performance I attended, Craig returned from the east coast and is now back again for a few days to help with his friends rehabilitation, Keith made a five-day whirlwind business trip to Australia, and our last exchanges with Brian find him keeping busy and looking forward to his next assignment in North Carolina.
Nolan just completed his SATS (and did very well), Warren and Nolan have finished track, Rachel is home after her first year at UMBC, and Keith and Sarah are both finished with classes for the quarter.
We loved having the Spragues here for a short time, and we did manage to convince them to stay one extra day so the boys could spend more time poking around Tacoma looking at such things as acoustic guitars and guns, and leaving Karen and I free to mosey off to a quilt shop or two. I don't know when we will get together again as our schedules are pretty divergent for the next few months.
I have been following the activites of Linea and Cinda with their involvement in NAMI and Bring Change 2 Mind, both mental illness advocacy groups. I joined them along with Curt and other friends of theirs for two fund-raising walks this month. Two weeks ago was the 5K in Seattle, and yesterday was the 5K in Portland. Seattle's weather was lovely, and Portland's was wet, cold, and breezy. However, we walked on both sides of the river near downtown Portland so that was a new experience for me.
Ken drove to Portland with me yesterday which was a good thing, because I was so sleepy on the way home I probably would have driven right into something. Portland is such a difficult city to navigate that running into something is always a bit of a possibility!
We are paring down the kitchen to-do list now that all the plumbing issues have been resolved. We are ready to have the floors refinished and then it will be July after Chuck returns from Alaska before the base molding is installed, and some revisions are made to two of the upper kitchen cabinets.
If you ever select kitchen cabinets, do not under any circumstances allow anyone to talk you into hinged 90 degree corner cabinets instead of a single angled door. I did and I regret it. I can't even reach the bottom shelf nor see anything that is on it, so we are purchasing materials to have Chuck revamp both the cabinets to allow for lazy susans. That is what I discussed originally and the kitchen designer convinced me that these are much better -- even though she is as short as I, and she doesn't have hinged doors in her kitchen!! Lesson learned.
We are experiencing days and days of overcast, cold, and drizzly weather, but it is bound to change soon. Enjoy spring in your part of the world. Ciao.
Colleen's concerts are over, and I very much enjoyed the performance I attended, Craig returned from the east coast and is now back again for a few days to help with his friends rehabilitation, Keith made a five-day whirlwind business trip to Australia, and our last exchanges with Brian find him keeping busy and looking forward to his next assignment in North Carolina.
Nolan just completed his SATS (and did very well), Warren and Nolan have finished track, Rachel is home after her first year at UMBC, and Keith and Sarah are both finished with classes for the quarter.
We loved having the Spragues here for a short time, and we did manage to convince them to stay one extra day so the boys could spend more time poking around Tacoma looking at such things as acoustic guitars and guns, and leaving Karen and I free to mosey off to a quilt shop or two. I don't know when we will get together again as our schedules are pretty divergent for the next few months.
I have been following the activites of Linea and Cinda with their involvement in NAMI and Bring Change 2 Mind, both mental illness advocacy groups. I joined them along with Curt and other friends of theirs for two fund-raising walks this month. Two weeks ago was the 5K in Seattle, and yesterday was the 5K in Portland. Seattle's weather was lovely, and Portland's was wet, cold, and breezy. However, we walked on both sides of the river near downtown Portland so that was a new experience for me.
Ken drove to Portland with me yesterday which was a good thing, because I was so sleepy on the way home I probably would have driven right into something. Portland is such a difficult city to navigate that running into something is always a bit of a possibility!
We are paring down the kitchen to-do list now that all the plumbing issues have been resolved. We are ready to have the floors refinished and then it will be July after Chuck returns from Alaska before the base molding is installed, and some revisions are made to two of the upper kitchen cabinets.
If you ever select kitchen cabinets, do not under any circumstances allow anyone to talk you into hinged 90 degree corner cabinets instead of a single angled door. I did and I regret it. I can't even reach the bottom shelf nor see anything that is on it, so we are purchasing materials to have Chuck revamp both the cabinets to allow for lazy susans. That is what I discussed originally and the kitchen designer convinced me that these are much better -- even though she is as short as I, and she doesn't have hinged doors in her kitchen!! Lesson learned.
We are experiencing days and days of overcast, cold, and drizzly weather, but it is bound to change soon. Enjoy spring in your part of the world. Ciao.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Keep on Keepin' On
We have been home for one month...........isn't it time to go somewhere?
After the jacks are repaired on the motor home. Three are in need of replacement parts, and I guess it would be wise to wait and take care of that. I have been following my friends as they make their way from Minnesota to Washington via Texas, sans motor home, and have been wishing it were me. A road trip in the car is second best to an outing in the MH.
Our time is pretty well occupied with trying to get the kitchen finished and tying up the loose ends. And it is like a line of dominoes with each step dependent on another so it is a bit of a balancing act. We are close to finishing the lighting, redoing some of the plumbing, and making a decision for the floor. Even with all that, it is quite joyful to work in new surroundings. I am equally thrilled with my new 25 cu. ft. french door refrigerator......I have never had such spacious luxury, and even after a major shopping trip it still looks empty.
Craig returned from spending time with his friend who is recovering at Walter Reed, and he says he is glad he went. I believe the next major hurdle for his friend is to get finished with surgeries, get stabilized, and then get moved here to Madigan.
As I mentioned, the trip was also an opportunity for him to spend time with Keith, Janet, and the girls.
Colleen's Sacred Music Chorale is having its spring concerts this weekend so I will attend tomorrow night in Lynnwood. It is quite an amazing group, about seventy strong and including a number of professional musicians, and the works performed never cease to amaze me.
We are looking forward to a short visit by the Spragues on the 16th of May. They will have been attending a rally in Wenatchee and then will come here for two nights. We don't have enough room in the driveway for two coaches, so we reserve space for them at the Fort Lewis Travel Park which is just a matter of three or four miles from here. It has been several years since they were here, but I know Karen can't stand to not see the kitchen!! I don't know what I will do to get them back here next time.
Enjoy the lovely spring days as each one brings more and more beauty. HK
After the jacks are repaired on the motor home. Three are in need of replacement parts, and I guess it would be wise to wait and take care of that. I have been following my friends as they make their way from Minnesota to Washington via Texas, sans motor home, and have been wishing it were me. A road trip in the car is second best to an outing in the MH.
Our time is pretty well occupied with trying to get the kitchen finished and tying up the loose ends. And it is like a line of dominoes with each step dependent on another so it is a bit of a balancing act. We are close to finishing the lighting, redoing some of the plumbing, and making a decision for the floor. Even with all that, it is quite joyful to work in new surroundings. I am equally thrilled with my new 25 cu. ft. french door refrigerator......I have never had such spacious luxury, and even after a major shopping trip it still looks empty.
Craig returned from spending time with his friend who is recovering at Walter Reed, and he says he is glad he went. I believe the next major hurdle for his friend is to get finished with surgeries, get stabilized, and then get moved here to Madigan.
As I mentioned, the trip was also an opportunity for him to spend time with Keith, Janet, and the girls.
Colleen's Sacred Music Chorale is having its spring concerts this weekend so I will attend tomorrow night in Lynnwood. It is quite an amazing group, about seventy strong and including a number of professional musicians, and the works performed never cease to amaze me.
We are looking forward to a short visit by the Spragues on the 16th of May. They will have been attending a rally in Wenatchee and then will come here for two nights. We don't have enough room in the driveway for two coaches, so we reserve space for them at the Fort Lewis Travel Park which is just a matter of three or four miles from here. It has been several years since they were here, but I know Karen can't stand to not see the kitchen!! I don't know what I will do to get them back here next time.
Enjoy the lovely spring days as each one brings more and more beauty. HK
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Where is spring?
We are still waiting for a full day of sunshine. There have been a few teasers, but the weather has not been great since returning home.
We drove to Chehalis yesterday to meet up with the Ouseys as they are making their way back to Victoria. Since we left Casa Grande in a bit of a hurry, it was nice to spend some time with them as we sipped some wine and dined on Subway sandwiches. They are planning to be on the 2:00 p.m. ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria today.
I just investigated another shopping venue here in the Northwest - Grocery Outlet. I know Craig and Cassie have shopped there, but this was a first for me. The stores are a bit on the dismal side, but there are some gems if you look, including fresh produce. For the size of the store, they have a large wine selection, and most everything I saw was in the $5 range. Mind you, I didn't recognize one single label, but for $5 they are worth a try. According to their website, there is a three-tier system for the marketing of wine, and they purchase at the lowest or third tier which means they buy up the cases that didn't sell through the first two tiers such as wholesalers and restaurants. Remember, if you are used to shopping at AJ's in Phoenix or Queen Ann Thriftway in Seattle or Metropolitan Market here in Tacoma, THIS STORE IS NOT FOR YOU!!
Craig is headed to Baltimore for a few days to visit a friend who was injured in Afghanistan and is now at Walter Reed. His injuries aren't life-threatening but he lost several fingers. One leg is going to require multiple surgeries and lots of metal. Fortunately, Craig can stay at Keith and Janet's while he is there so the trip is a two-for-one visit.
Colleen is in Spokane to attend a conference, and she too benefits from family and will stay with Jerry and Lois. The last time I checked, the rest of the family is where they are supposed to be although Brian said he has some travel coming up. And that includes Ken and Cooper who are still in bed!!
Ciao
We drove to Chehalis yesterday to meet up with the Ouseys as they are making their way back to Victoria. Since we left Casa Grande in a bit of a hurry, it was nice to spend some time with them as we sipped some wine and dined on Subway sandwiches. They are planning to be on the 2:00 p.m. ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria today.
I just investigated another shopping venue here in the Northwest - Grocery Outlet. I know Craig and Cassie have shopped there, but this was a first for me. The stores are a bit on the dismal side, but there are some gems if you look, including fresh produce. For the size of the store, they have a large wine selection, and most everything I saw was in the $5 range. Mind you, I didn't recognize one single label, but for $5 they are worth a try. According to their website, there is a three-tier system for the marketing of wine, and they purchase at the lowest or third tier which means they buy up the cases that didn't sell through the first two tiers such as wholesalers and restaurants. Remember, if you are used to shopping at AJ's in Phoenix or Queen Ann Thriftway in Seattle or Metropolitan Market here in Tacoma, THIS STORE IS NOT FOR YOU!!
Craig is headed to Baltimore for a few days to visit a friend who was injured in Afghanistan and is now at Walter Reed. His injuries aren't life-threatening but he lost several fingers. One leg is going to require multiple surgeries and lots of metal. Fortunately, Craig can stay at Keith and Janet's while he is there so the trip is a two-for-one visit.
Colleen is in Spokane to attend a conference, and she too benefits from family and will stay with Jerry and Lois. The last time I checked, the rest of the family is where they are supposed to be although Brian said he has some travel coming up. And that includes Ken and Cooper who are still in bed!!
Ciao
Sunday, April 04, 2010
A Blessed Easter to You
We have been to church, and we will join Craig, Cassie, Greta, and Cassie's parents for dinner later on today. There were other plans that involved other family get-togethers, but I think we all decided we were tired, and we had had plenty of family togetherness lately.
Ken and I spent three nights in Prosser after we left Spokane to afford us some time for wine-tasting and wine-buying. We were finally able to make arrangements to have someone meet us at Steppe Cellars which is way out in the country and this time of year (as is true with many other wineries)there is no one at the tasting room. This winery has a female German winemaker, and we especially love the white wines, so we made it worth their while to meet us there.
Nephew Joel and wife, Shawna, were in the area this past week, so they came and stayed with us on Thursday night. We haven't seen them since before they were married one year ago last December (theirs is the wedding we missed because the entire state was buried in snow) so we were thrilled that they came to see us. Shawna teaches math at one of the Spokane community colleges so she had this past week off. Joel works for Honeywell, but he wishes he could spend all of his waking hours at their property in Clayton where he is building their 'shome'. The building is about 60' x 40' with the lower level all shop and the upper level living space.
Craig and Chuck, our contractor, were here having a beer when we arrived home on Thursday afternoon, which is appropriate since they have been the masterminds and worker bees for the kitchen remodel. The cabinets, the countertops and backsplash and the big archway into the dining room are all beautiful. Chuck is the best of the best. His workmanship and business management are so awesome that I would like to have him build a house for me.
I love the knotty alder wood for the cabinets although I am a bit disappointed with the kitchen planner with some of the things we ended up with. Do not ever ever ever let a kitchen designer talk you into corner cabinets that form right angles with hinged doors. They are a nightmare to open and close, and a blind corner would be far better. And do not let a kitchen designer plunk 12" wide cabinets into small spaces. A 12" wide cabinet is useless. Leave the wall space open and hang a calendar with hunky men on it!!!
It has been rainy and cool to cold since we got home, but I think that was my mantra while we were in Arizona so nothing has changed. I'm sure we will see some warmer dryer weather sometime soon.
Upon reflecting over the past three weeks that included a family death and funeral, I see the silver lining in that it afforded us as a family to connect and reconnect, and I'm sure many of us will stay in closer touch in the future. Give your loved ones a hug and let them know how much they mean to you.
Ciao
Ken and I spent three nights in Prosser after we left Spokane to afford us some time for wine-tasting and wine-buying. We were finally able to make arrangements to have someone meet us at Steppe Cellars which is way out in the country and this time of year (as is true with many other wineries)there is no one at the tasting room. This winery has a female German winemaker, and we especially love the white wines, so we made it worth their while to meet us there.
Nephew Joel and wife, Shawna, were in the area this past week, so they came and stayed with us on Thursday night. We haven't seen them since before they were married one year ago last December (theirs is the wedding we missed because the entire state was buried in snow) so we were thrilled that they came to see us. Shawna teaches math at one of the Spokane community colleges so she had this past week off. Joel works for Honeywell, but he wishes he could spend all of his waking hours at their property in Clayton where he is building their 'shome'. The building is about 60' x 40' with the lower level all shop and the upper level living space.
Craig and Chuck, our contractor, were here having a beer when we arrived home on Thursday afternoon, which is appropriate since they have been the masterminds and worker bees for the kitchen remodel. The cabinets, the countertops and backsplash and the big archway into the dining room are all beautiful. Chuck is the best of the best. His workmanship and business management are so awesome that I would like to have him build a house for me.
I love the knotty alder wood for the cabinets although I am a bit disappointed with the kitchen planner with some of the things we ended up with. Do not ever ever ever let a kitchen designer talk you into corner cabinets that form right angles with hinged doors. They are a nightmare to open and close, and a blind corner would be far better. And do not let a kitchen designer plunk 12" wide cabinets into small spaces. A 12" wide cabinet is useless. Leave the wall space open and hang a calendar with hunky men on it!!!
It has been rainy and cool to cold since we got home, but I think that was my mantra while we were in Arizona so nothing has changed. I'm sure we will see some warmer dryer weather sometime soon.
Upon reflecting over the past three weeks that included a family death and funeral, I see the silver lining in that it afforded us as a family to connect and reconnect, and I'm sure many of us will stay in closer touch in the future. Give your loved ones a hug and let them know how much they mean to you.
Ciao
Saturday, March 27, 2010
We are in Spokane
Due to some sad events, we left Casa Grande earlier than planned and are now at Alderwood RV Park in north Spokane.
Ken's nephew, Bill Novotney, who is my age, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer the first part of March and passed away 17 days later. Fortunately, we acted quickly enough that Ken was able to fly to Spokane last week and was able to see Bill while he still knew him and to say good by the day before he passed away. Bill's service and burial were yesterday (March 26) in Harrington.
I had not yet had time to collect my thoughts or decide what to do, although I was leaning toward driving the car up, when on Sunday Keith called and said he would fly to Phoenix and drive the motor home to Spokane. He arrived late Sunday night, and we were on the road by 10:30 Monday morning to arrive in Spokane on Wednesday afternoon.
I had most everything taken down, put up, or stowed away which amounts to a fair bit after having been parked in the same place for almost two months, and our traveling friends were right there to assist with utility disconnects, car tow-bar and car hook-up.
No learning curve needed for Keith, he just put it in gear and away we went. We stayed the first night in Alamo, NV in a truck stop that hosted not a single truck but several RVs, and we even braved it and ate breakfast the next morning in their little cafe with no ill effects. The second night found us in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Ontario, OR, and then on to Spokane on Wednesday.
Since Bill lived the past forty years in Harrington and was involved on several fronts, his service was standing room only. There were probably 225 folks in a church that can hold about 125. Bill and Karla's youngest daughter, Debbie, teaches at a Hutterite school in the area so many were in attendance and they provided several vocal pieces, a cappella, both at the service and graveside. Their oldest daughter, Marty, composed and read a lovely piece reflecting on what her dad had meant to her and her sisters, and Marty's oldest son, Kieran, read a poem written by her other son, Kiel. Both beautifully written and delivered.
Craig and Colleen drove over on Thursday, and they and Keith will leave tomorrow to go home. We will probably stay in the area for a few more days before going home because I want to be sure the kitchen is finished before I get there. the plumbing was connected yesterday, and I think the contractor still has some trim work to do, but it is essentially finished. The cleaning crew goes in on Wednesday.
Jerry and Lois' house has become family central for our kids to include Cinda's arrival yesterday so there are bodies sleeping everywhere. I'm sure J&L will be glad to reclaim their home and get their lives back to normal next week.
The weather here has been reasonable but colder than I like. At the moment, the frost is just beginning to melt off. Not that we had stellar weather in Arizona; in fact it was the coldest and wettest winter we have seen since going down for the past six years. I wore shorts just TWO days out of the entire two months.
My next blog will be from Steilacoom. Ciao.
Ken's nephew, Bill Novotney, who is my age, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer the first part of March and passed away 17 days later. Fortunately, we acted quickly enough that Ken was able to fly to Spokane last week and was able to see Bill while he still knew him and to say good by the day before he passed away. Bill's service and burial were yesterday (March 26) in Harrington.
I had not yet had time to collect my thoughts or decide what to do, although I was leaning toward driving the car up, when on Sunday Keith called and said he would fly to Phoenix and drive the motor home to Spokane. He arrived late Sunday night, and we were on the road by 10:30 Monday morning to arrive in Spokane on Wednesday afternoon.
I had most everything taken down, put up, or stowed away which amounts to a fair bit after having been parked in the same place for almost two months, and our traveling friends were right there to assist with utility disconnects, car tow-bar and car hook-up.
No learning curve needed for Keith, he just put it in gear and away we went. We stayed the first night in Alamo, NV in a truck stop that hosted not a single truck but several RVs, and we even braved it and ate breakfast the next morning in their little cafe with no ill effects. The second night found us in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Ontario, OR, and then on to Spokane on Wednesday.
Since Bill lived the past forty years in Harrington and was involved on several fronts, his service was standing room only. There were probably 225 folks in a church that can hold about 125. Bill and Karla's youngest daughter, Debbie, teaches at a Hutterite school in the area so many were in attendance and they provided several vocal pieces, a cappella, both at the service and graveside. Their oldest daughter, Marty, composed and read a lovely piece reflecting on what her dad had meant to her and her sisters, and Marty's oldest son, Kieran, read a poem written by her other son, Kiel. Both beautifully written and delivered.
Craig and Colleen drove over on Thursday, and they and Keith will leave tomorrow to go home. We will probably stay in the area for a few more days before going home because I want to be sure the kitchen is finished before I get there. the plumbing was connected yesterday, and I think the contractor still has some trim work to do, but it is essentially finished. The cleaning crew goes in on Wednesday.
Jerry and Lois' house has become family central for our kids to include Cinda's arrival yesterday so there are bodies sleeping everywhere. I'm sure J&L will be glad to reclaim their home and get their lives back to normal next week.
The weather here has been reasonable but colder than I like. At the moment, the frost is just beginning to melt off. Not that we had stellar weather in Arizona; in fact it was the coldest and wettest winter we have seen since going down for the past six years. I wore shorts just TWO days out of the entire two months.
My next blog will be from Steilacoom. Ciao.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Since my great grandfather was born in Limerick, I believe I am well-qualified to spread a bit of Irish cheer, plus my brothers are named Patrick (noble) and Michael (God-like), and then there is daughter Colleen Erin (Irish girl)! I will wear my green T-shirt today and partake of corned beef and cabbage at the annual dinner here at the park. I'll skip the green beer!
The temperature has finally risen to the high seventies, but the wind has continued to keep us pretty cool. This has been a very unusual winter as far as the weather is concerned.
We are going to leave here a bit early and go home via Las Vegas and the Tri-Cities. Las Vegas is more about staying at the Nellis Famcamp and shopping at the commissary than it is about gambling, and then we will mosey on to Prosser where we will spend a day or two to do some wine tasting/shopping.
Even though I am never anxious to get home and am content living the life of a vagabond, I am looking forward to seeing the new kitchen. I think it should pretty well be finished by the end of this week including a thorough cleaning. Our contractor has a crew he uses to come in and clean after the work is finished and that is a good thing!!!!!
Craig came up with the idea to widen and arch the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, and it appears to have made a big improvement in the flow between the two rooms. I have lost some wall space in the dining room so will have to do a bit of rearranging but that is a small price to pay.
Since this is a pretty uninspiring blog, I'll post one of my newest favorite recipes from the cooking goddess, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. And since I can't seem to leave well-enough alone, I have incorporated a couple of changes that seem to work just fine.
I slice up the stems as well as using the florets (in fact I prefer the stems to the florets), and I found it wasn't the end of the world when I discovered I was out of pine nuts, but I suspect most any kind of nut would enhance the dish. Since fresh basil isn't exactly a year 'round kitchen staple I skipped it and in this instance I think no basil is better than dried basil. This recipe is also fabulous with fresh asparagus!!
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
* 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* Good olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. Bon appetite.
Ciao
The temperature has finally risen to the high seventies, but the wind has continued to keep us pretty cool. This has been a very unusual winter as far as the weather is concerned.
We are going to leave here a bit early and go home via Las Vegas and the Tri-Cities. Las Vegas is more about staying at the Nellis Famcamp and shopping at the commissary than it is about gambling, and then we will mosey on to Prosser where we will spend a day or two to do some wine tasting/shopping.
Even though I am never anxious to get home and am content living the life of a vagabond, I am looking forward to seeing the new kitchen. I think it should pretty well be finished by the end of this week including a thorough cleaning. Our contractor has a crew he uses to come in and clean after the work is finished and that is a good thing!!!!!
Craig came up with the idea to widen and arch the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, and it appears to have made a big improvement in the flow between the two rooms. I have lost some wall space in the dining room so will have to do a bit of rearranging but that is a small price to pay.
Since this is a pretty uninspiring blog, I'll post one of my newest favorite recipes from the cooking goddess, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. And since I can't seem to leave well-enough alone, I have incorporated a couple of changes that seem to work just fine.
I slice up the stems as well as using the florets (in fact I prefer the stems to the florets), and I found it wasn't the end of the world when I discovered I was out of pine nuts, but I suspect most any kind of nut would enhance the dish. Since fresh basil isn't exactly a year 'round kitchen staple I skipped it and in this instance I think no basil is better than dried basil. This recipe is also fabulous with fresh asparagus!!
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
* 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* Good olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. Bon appetite.
Ciao
Monday, March 08, 2010
Did we take a wrong turn?
We were planning to spend at least two months in the sunshine of Arizona, but after six weeks, I am wondering if we are in the correct state. Right now, I have the electric heater plugged in, I am wearing sweats and drinking coffee, and as I look out the windshield I see nothing but a dark gray rain-spattered view across the park. And it has been like this off and on ever since we arrived. We would have had better weather had we stayed home in Steilacoom.
But we have no control over the weather, and I can't say that we have been terribly inconvenienced except when it is time to walk the dog in the douwnpours. We have had some MAJOR fronts come through that have beaten a thunderous cacophony on the roof.
We still manage some socializing here in the park, and if need be, we just move Happy Hour inside. We have had two sets of friends depart for home or other points west, but now have two Canadian couples who will be here for one month. Both of the guys are retired Canadian forces and Gary and Ken worked together while we were in Halifax.
My former boss (from real estate days) and his wife just purchased a home in Trilogy which is a lovely planned community in the northern part of Peoria. We joined them for lunch last week and toured their new "digs" which will be lovely when they finish their redecorating. And long-time friends from Davenport and Navy days (Larry and Lynn VanAusdle) had a get-together at their home in Sun Lakes last week with several couples who winter in this area.
Mike and Mary were here for a short visit last week, and we spent one full day driving to Tombstone (don't bother; it is a scruffy, poorly maintained town where every activity will cost you) and on to Bisbee. We didn't stop in Bisbee, but Ken and I have been there before and it is quite an appealing mining town with both an historical section and a new section.
For a mere fifty or sixty more miles we made our way to Sierra Vista to have dinner at Ricardo's which is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been in the same location for something like 30 years. Keith and Janet discovered Ricardo's when they lived at Ft. Huachuca, and we never miss an opportunity to stop. M&M treated us in honor of Ken's birthday. Then full circle back to Casa Grande.
My quilt projects have barely seen the light of day. In order to really get into a project, I end up trashing the motor home from one end to the other including the ironing board on the bathroom sink, the sewing machine on the vanity in the bedroom, and the cutting mat on the dinette table. By the time I get everything out, I am almost too tired to sew, and then it all has to be put away if we want to eat dinner.
The kitchen remodel at home is coming along on schedule with all the upper cabinets in place and new window installed. Base cabinets and countertops and backsplash are next. Our contractor is excellent; not only in his quality workmanship but in his ongoing efforts to stay in close touch as the work progresses. It will be fun to go home to a new kitchen! Ciao
But we have no control over the weather, and I can't say that we have been terribly inconvenienced except when it is time to walk the dog in the douwnpours. We have had some MAJOR fronts come through that have beaten a thunderous cacophony on the roof.
We still manage some socializing here in the park, and if need be, we just move Happy Hour inside. We have had two sets of friends depart for home or other points west, but now have two Canadian couples who will be here for one month. Both of the guys are retired Canadian forces and Gary and Ken worked together while we were in Halifax.
My former boss (from real estate days) and his wife just purchased a home in Trilogy which is a lovely planned community in the northern part of Peoria. We joined them for lunch last week and toured their new "digs" which will be lovely when they finish their redecorating. And long-time friends from Davenport and Navy days (Larry and Lynn VanAusdle) had a get-together at their home in Sun Lakes last week with several couples who winter in this area.
Mike and Mary were here for a short visit last week, and we spent one full day driving to Tombstone (don't bother; it is a scruffy, poorly maintained town where every activity will cost you) and on to Bisbee. We didn't stop in Bisbee, but Ken and I have been there before and it is quite an appealing mining town with both an historical section and a new section.
For a mere fifty or sixty more miles we made our way to Sierra Vista to have dinner at Ricardo's which is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been in the same location for something like 30 years. Keith and Janet discovered Ricardo's when they lived at Ft. Huachuca, and we never miss an opportunity to stop. M&M treated us in honor of Ken's birthday. Then full circle back to Casa Grande.
My quilt projects have barely seen the light of day. In order to really get into a project, I end up trashing the motor home from one end to the other including the ironing board on the bathroom sink, the sewing machine on the vanity in the bedroom, and the cutting mat on the dinette table. By the time I get everything out, I am almost too tired to sew, and then it all has to be put away if we want to eat dinner.
The kitchen remodel at home is coming along on schedule with all the upper cabinets in place and new window installed. Base cabinets and countertops and backsplash are next. Our contractor is excellent; not only in his quality workmanship but in his ongoing efforts to stay in close touch as the work progresses. It will be fun to go home to a new kitchen! Ciao
Friday, February 19, 2010
Back in Casa Grande
Three weeks back in Casa Grande, where does the time go? Since we have been staying in this same park for several years, it is fun to return and see some familiar faces; as well as some new ones. We are settled in to a routine that doesn't vary a great deal.
Cooper's schedule pretty much dictates what we do and where we go; and he is always with us. He is perfectly happy to stay in the car while we shop or run errands, but as the weather warms up that becomes more difficult to do.
We spent a day with friends who live in Sun Lakes. Larry grew up in Davenport and is retired from the Navy, like Ken. And coincidentally, Lynn and I had met through a mutual friend before we knew about Ken and Larry. They invited us to join them for a Gospel quartet performance at their church called Liberty. They were excellent. Very entertaining and very good voices.
There is a quilting group that meets here in the park on Wednesdays so I have enjoyed that. I don't have a major project underway but am experimenting with some possibilities.
The Spragues arrived here on Wednesday for a week's stay and Ken and Rod are off today for a Rotary meeting and then on to the Mesa Market. I have finally convinced myself I don't need to go back to the market since it is the same every year and not much of any quality. Karen isn't interested either, so we are going to set up our machines on her patio for the afternoon.
Mike and Mary arrive one week from today for a short visit. I want to take them to the Old Tucson Studios since that is where so many western movies were filmed, and Mike has always loved westerns. We have nothing else firmly planned, but they are content to spend some of the time just sitting on the patio and soaking up the sun.
I had a pleasant surprise when I read a comment on my blog page and discovered it is a neighbor from grade school and high school days. Hello Steve. I'll be emailing you. Thanks for the contact.
My coffee is calling to me!! Ciao
Cooper's schedule pretty much dictates what we do and where we go; and he is always with us. He is perfectly happy to stay in the car while we shop or run errands, but as the weather warms up that becomes more difficult to do.
We spent a day with friends who live in Sun Lakes. Larry grew up in Davenport and is retired from the Navy, like Ken. And coincidentally, Lynn and I had met through a mutual friend before we knew about Ken and Larry. They invited us to join them for a Gospel quartet performance at their church called Liberty. They were excellent. Very entertaining and very good voices.
There is a quilting group that meets here in the park on Wednesdays so I have enjoyed that. I don't have a major project underway but am experimenting with some possibilities.
The Spragues arrived here on Wednesday for a week's stay and Ken and Rod are off today for a Rotary meeting and then on to the Mesa Market. I have finally convinced myself I don't need to go back to the market since it is the same every year and not much of any quality. Karen isn't interested either, so we are going to set up our machines on her patio for the afternoon.
Mike and Mary arrive one week from today for a short visit. I want to take them to the Old Tucson Studios since that is where so many western movies were filmed, and Mike has always loved westerns. We have nothing else firmly planned, but they are content to spend some of the time just sitting on the patio and soaking up the sun.
I had a pleasant surprise when I read a comment on my blog page and discovered it is a neighbor from grade school and high school days. Hello Steve. I'll be emailing you. Thanks for the contact.
My coffee is calling to me!! Ciao
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wal Mart, Salton Sea, Quartzite desert & Yuma
Those are the "sights" (read stops) we have encountered since my last blog from Travis AFB, and there will be one more when we move on to Casa Grande on Thursday.
We spent one night in the parking lot at the Wal Mart in Bakersfield before moving on to the Salton Sea and the Fountain of Youth. While in Bakersfield we went to Buck Owens' Crystal Palace for dinner and to have a look around at all the memorabilia from his musical career. We also spent a few hours at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield which is a sixty-acre outdoor facility with lots of little historical houses that have been moved to the property and set up as various businesses with everything from a harness shop to a blacksmith shop. There was a great emphasis on the oil, and I didn't realize what a huge impact it had on the area.
The most interesting stop on this trip was our two-day stay at the Fountain of Youth near the Salton Sea. That entire area is very desolate and foresaken, but this park was most enjoyable with its mineral water spa. We drove through Bombay Beach which had been a desirable resort area when the Salton Sea was created, but after a massive flood some twenty years ago, most everyone just picked up and abandoned their properties. But with great surprise, we found by looking closer that a number of those ramshackle places were occupied by what to look like squatters.
Rod and Karen drove to Slab City which was originally a military base that the government razed and just left the concrete slabs. That too has taken on a life of its own with numerous societal misfits taking up residence there living in everything from tents to big motor homes.
While on the desert, we endured the worst storm of twenty years with howling winds and driving rain. We pulled the slides in for the better part of one day and all night to protect the awnings from the wind. There were a number of folks who saw their slide awnings blow away. There was some sunshine for our last day before coming to Yuma yesterday. And on Thursday it is on to Casa Grande.
Cooper is doing well, and with his incredibly expensive dog food, his coat looks gorgeous. We never fail to have folks stop and ask about him or comment on him when we are out walking.
Karen and I need a quilting fix since we have been on the desert with no power for our machines so we are off today for pedicures and quilt shop hopping. I am also keeping my eyes open for a different machine since I have come to the conclusion that mine is underpowered and the source of a lot of frustration.
Unitl next time.............ciao.
We spent one night in the parking lot at the Wal Mart in Bakersfield before moving on to the Salton Sea and the Fountain of Youth. While in Bakersfield we went to Buck Owens' Crystal Palace for dinner and to have a look around at all the memorabilia from his musical career. We also spent a few hours at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield which is a sixty-acre outdoor facility with lots of little historical houses that have been moved to the property and set up as various businesses with everything from a harness shop to a blacksmith shop. There was a great emphasis on the oil, and I didn't realize what a huge impact it had on the area.
The most interesting stop on this trip was our two-day stay at the Fountain of Youth near the Salton Sea. That entire area is very desolate and foresaken, but this park was most enjoyable with its mineral water spa. We drove through Bombay Beach which had been a desirable resort area when the Salton Sea was created, but after a massive flood some twenty years ago, most everyone just picked up and abandoned their properties. But with great surprise, we found by looking closer that a number of those ramshackle places were occupied by what to look like squatters.
Rod and Karen drove to Slab City which was originally a military base that the government razed and just left the concrete slabs. That too has taken on a life of its own with numerous societal misfits taking up residence there living in everything from tents to big motor homes.
While on the desert, we endured the worst storm of twenty years with howling winds and driving rain. We pulled the slides in for the better part of one day and all night to protect the awnings from the wind. There were a number of folks who saw their slide awnings blow away. There was some sunshine for our last day before coming to Yuma yesterday. And on Thursday it is on to Casa Grande.
Cooper is doing well, and with his incredibly expensive dog food, his coat looks gorgeous. We never fail to have folks stop and ask about him or comment on him when we are out walking.
Karen and I need a quilting fix since we have been on the desert with no power for our machines so we are off today for pedicures and quilt shop hopping. I am also keeping my eyes open for a different machine since I have come to the conclusion that mine is underpowered and the source of a lot of frustration.
Unitl next time.............ciao.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Moving On
We will depart Travis on Thursday morning and probably stay in Bakersfield that night before going on to the Salton Sea on Friday. We have been busy and entertained while here with the arrival of both the Spragues and the Ouseys within an hour of each other last Friday.
Gary and Carolyn took a look at the map and decided it was a pretty short side trip to hop off I-5 and come visit, so it has been the six of us. There is lots of available space here in the Famcamp so we had no problem getting either the Spragues or the Ouseys in.
In addition to spending time visiting, Karen and I have worked on a small quilting project, and this afternoon she, Rod, and I went to see Invictus which was an awesome movie. But then I don't think any of Morgan Freeman's movies are anything but awesome.
The six of us toured the Jelly Belly factory here in Fairfield this week, and it was an OK tour, but they offer a complete tour down on the floor of the production area for a mere $47/person. We settled for the free tour which gave us an overhead perspective on the entire operation. Every one of those little jelly beans exits the production line with Jelly Belly stamped on it!! The gift shop had a plethora of Jelly Belly items, all appropriately over-priced, but I did purchase a two-pound bag of Belly Flops, the misshapen beans that didn't make it out the door.
Finally this morning I am seeing some blue sky and sunshine which is a vast improvement over the past five or six days of fog, damp, and dank. And the weather is bound to get more appealing as we move south.
Cooper has been a happy trooper. We weren't sure he was going to live to travel with us this year, but he has rallied and is as happy as a clam having the both of us confined to an area where he can keep an eye on us. He hardly looks fifteen when we take him outside and he bounds around in the grass looking for rabbits. He has lived to hunt another day.
There is an interesting phenomenon next door. A man arrived with a small older used motor home last weekend, and obviously knew NOTHING about an RV, but he said it was something he had always wanted to do, and had just purchased and driven this over from someone's driveway in the area.
Now it is the middle of the week, and I have gotten a glimpse of a woman and at least one teenager, but the curtains stay drawn and there is very limited activity except for the car being away during the day. My speculation is that it is a family who has lost their home, and have had to succumb to living in a small RV. No one goes out on their maiden voyage in an old RV they know nothing about just for the fun of it during the winter months. I will probably never know the entire story since we are leaving tomorrow. Ken helped him set up when he first arrived.
I need to get on with laundry and shopping to be ready to leave tomorrow. Ciao.
Gary and Carolyn took a look at the map and decided it was a pretty short side trip to hop off I-5 and come visit, so it has been the six of us. There is lots of available space here in the Famcamp so we had no problem getting either the Spragues or the Ouseys in.
In addition to spending time visiting, Karen and I have worked on a small quilting project, and this afternoon she, Rod, and I went to see Invictus which was an awesome movie. But then I don't think any of Morgan Freeman's movies are anything but awesome.
The six of us toured the Jelly Belly factory here in Fairfield this week, and it was an OK tour, but they offer a complete tour down on the floor of the production area for a mere $47/person. We settled for the free tour which gave us an overhead perspective on the entire operation. Every one of those little jelly beans exits the production line with Jelly Belly stamped on it!! The gift shop had a plethora of Jelly Belly items, all appropriately over-priced, but I did purchase a two-pound bag of Belly Flops, the misshapen beans that didn't make it out the door.
Finally this morning I am seeing some blue sky and sunshine which is a vast improvement over the past five or six days of fog, damp, and dank. And the weather is bound to get more appealing as we move south.
Cooper has been a happy trooper. We weren't sure he was going to live to travel with us this year, but he has rallied and is as happy as a clam having the both of us confined to an area where he can keep an eye on us. He hardly looks fifteen when we take him outside and he bounds around in the grass looking for rabbits. He has lived to hunt another day.
There is an interesting phenomenon next door. A man arrived with a small older used motor home last weekend, and obviously knew NOTHING about an RV, but he said it was something he had always wanted to do, and had just purchased and driven this over from someone's driveway in the area.
Now it is the middle of the week, and I have gotten a glimpse of a woman and at least one teenager, but the curtains stay drawn and there is very limited activity except for the car being away during the day. My speculation is that it is a family who has lost their home, and have had to succumb to living in a small RV. No one goes out on their maiden voyage in an old RV they know nothing about just for the fun of it during the winter months. I will probably never know the entire story since we are leaving tomorrow. Ken helped him set up when he first arrived.
I need to get on with laundry and shopping to be ready to leave tomorrow. Ciao.
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