Friends

We have spent lots of time with the Jaynes this past week, and now they are headed out in the morning to spend one or two nights in Mesa and then on to Las Vegas. Last night we were invited to Gary and Della Reinbolds' who are parked in the Palm Creek Resort here in Casa Grande..........a very posh upscale resort with over 1000 spaces and a par 3 eighteen-hole golf course in the middle. We, the Reinbolds and the Jaynes then went on to Chili's for dinner. Another evening of enjoyable company and visiting.

Last Tuesday is when the Ziemers were here for the afternoon, and so we were able to catch up on what they have been doing. They have four kids about the ages of our four, and the last of them, one of the twins, got married last October. They are going to be heading back home within the next ten days as Daryl seemingly has injured his shoulder and has a doctor's appointment later this month. He has already had surgery on the other shoulder, and now it looks like it will be this one.

Today Carolyn and I were in Phoenix for an Amish furniture and quilt sale at the fair grounds. I was quite surprised at the reasonable prices of some of the furniture. All of the quilts that were for sale were machine pieced and then hand quilted - some were quite lovely. But aside from the quilts, most everything was more country than is my choosing. I purchased a book and two scented candles.

We had Bob and Sharon and Gary and Carolyn over for dinner tonight - hamburgers. This is one of the first days that it has been warm enough that we could sit and eat outside, as long as we finished before the sun went down. I think it is supposed to be nice tomorrow as well with the temperature in the mid seventies.

I talked to Karen briefly this afternoon, and they are in Ely, Nevada tonight with a goal of getting here on Sunday. The space next to us is going to be available so we will be neighbors for a week and then see what they decide to do. I think a road trip to Yuma and Mexico might be in the plans for the near future. Since we have occasionally considered spending time in Mexico, we thought it would be worthwhile to just drive across the border to Puerto Penasco to spend the night and check it out.

We have been able to connect with Brian once in a while for some IMing, and last Saturday, he, Keith and I were all on at the same time. He is very busy and is currently working nights. We sent some rugs, coffee, and a magazine to him recently, and he had it in less than ten days so it is good to know that the U.S. Post Office is doing its job.

We have not been in touch with Sheila and the boys for a while, and I suspect they are in McCall this week end for some skiing. Both boys got straight As on their recent report cards, and Nolan is number one student in his entire student body. We have awesome grandchildren; otherwise known as our space chickens!!!!!

We are settling in for the evening...........the television is on and Cooper is snuggled up on the sofa. Have a good weekend. Ciao

Another week has gone by. We have been here almost four weeks, and I have yet to open my sewing machine. I have also been thinking I would take one full day to go to Phoenix and shop by myself, but I haven't done that either.

We have shared some dinners with Gary and Carolyn, but with each of us having friends arriving, our schedules will change a bit. Bob and Sharon Jayne arrived last Friday and are staying at Val Vista Winter Village which is about 2 miles from here. They and Angus are fine and it is good to see them. Gary and Carolyn have some friends arriving tomorrow and will be here for three days. Tony is a magician, and he has some engagements in this area.

Rod and Karen Sprague plan to be here by this time next week. I'm not sure where they plan to stay, but we have heard that this park is full, so they could end up at Val Vista as well. We are looking forward to our time with them as we had such a good time down here last year when they joined us.

And Davenport friends, the Ziemers, called and said they were coming down for a visit next Tuesday afternoon. They always stay in Phoenix at The Resort, and we haven't been up that way even though we were within blocks today..........

We, the Ouseys, and the Jaynes went to the Mesa Market (a must when wintering in the Phoenix area) today, and I managed to spend less than $5. But I have my eye on some items when I go back next time. We also found a reasonably priced outlet for a sunscreen to hang from our awning, so it was a worthwhile trip, and we can probably pick up the sunscreen sometime in the coming week. Our awning cannot be adjusted as to how low it sits, and we get sun all day on the door side of the MH so it is time to take action.

Have a good week. Ciao

Ah the Sunshine

It is still in the 40s in the morning, but the days have been glorious and in the low 70s. It is still a bit too cool to sit outside with my morning coffee and paper.

I'm afraid this past week has not been very exciting. We have been in to Phoenix twice on specific shopping expeditions and had Gary and Della Reinbold here for dinner on Thursday evenng.

We, and the Ouseys, went to Chandler on Friday for the Beaudry RV 'roundup' which included a free barbeque lunch. Afterwards, we climbed in and out of at least two dozen motor homes ranging in price from the low $100s up to $750,000 and above. I was pleased to see that the manufacturers are putting in more and more hard surface flooring in the living areas rather than cheap carpet that gets dirty and wears out. I think two lavatories in any motor home is over the top, but I do like the rear master bath that is found in some of the diesels. But I managed to find something wrong with all of them, and was willing to come back to our humble abode.

We enjoyed the Reinbolds visit and caught up on what they have been doing. The first six months after Ken and I were married, we carpooled with them. Della and I worked downtown Spokane and the guys would drop us off and then go on out to Eastern for school. They eventually settled in Davenport and bought the local insurance agency. Their son Mike and daughter Kris are about the same ages as Keith and Colleen. Now they spend most of their time either at a condo in Anacortes or somewhere in their motor home. This winter they are here in Casa Grande at a nearby golf resort.

We were thrilled to have the Air Force IM site up and working yesterday, and with a bit of technical help from Keith, he, Brian and we were able to 'chat' . It is quite fun with a three-way conversation because there is usually something to be reading while someone else is composing. So we determined that there is a chance that all of our family could be together the first week of July. Keith and Janet and the girls arrive on the sixth, and if Brian, Sheila, and the boys can stay a day or two beyond the Fourth, it will work. What fun would that be?

I have had some interesting grocery shopping experiences that have run the gamut. There is a chain of stores in the area called Food City which would be considered lower end, but the fun is that they cater to the Mexican cuisine, and every store has its own tortillaeria with fresh warm tortillas hurtling down the conveyor belt Plus the store has all kinds of interesting ethnic foods; Knorr brand chipotle flavoring base, and some fresh vegetables that I have never seen such as grey squash which is similar in taste and texture to a zucchini.

And at the other extreme was a stop at AJ's which is a very upscale chain here in the area. A beautiful store with lots of interesting and high end foodstuffs with prices to match. But it was fun to poke around, and we only needed 2 items so we didn't blow the budget. I still rely on the commissaries for the staples, and then frequent local stores for produce and fresh items.

The Super Bowl is in the fourth quarter and then we are going to have dinner here with Gary and Carolyn - chicken enchilada casserole, Mexican rice, and spinach salad. That should make us sleep well after a late dinner! Ciao

Sunshine and Sewing

Here are two pictures pertaining to the previous blog - the peanut can technology and Greta with her new doggie, Peach.

I think the wintery blast is in the past and sunshine has taken its rightful place among us. We are seeing blue skies and sunshine with the temp topping out at 72 yesterday. And I suppose in another month we will be complaining because it is getting too hot.

Let's see, on Tuesday the four of us took two cars into Phoenix. We arrived at IKEA around 9:30 and enjoyed the breakfast while waiting for the store to open at ten. Then Ken and Gary went their merry way to do their shopping at Fry's Electronics while Carolyn and I started our quest for all those "can't live without" items that IKEA is so famous for. After walking the aisles of the upper floor with all the room displays we had to make our way back to the restaurant for a coffee and tea break so we could summon the energy to shop the lower floor. And then it was time for lunch! After that we still had to make a stop in the food section for meatballs and lingonberries to restock the larder in the motorhomes.

Speaking of bargains one can't live without; IKEA had a set of dishes, four placesettings, large plate, salad plate and soup bowl for $3.99 for the set. We each had to have one of course - and they were blue and white - perfect colors. I keep buying throw rugs while trying to find the perfect ones for the motor home.......not too big so I can't shake them, not too small so they don't cover enough space, not too light in color so they show all the dog hair, and, and, and. So now I'm trying a couple of good-sized burgundy cotton rugs, and since the interior is neutral in color, I think I'll have to continue the burgundy theme with some pillows and accessories. Yes!!

Yesterday found Carolyn and I on I-10 headed back to Phoenix for the Sewing/Quilting/Craft show at the fairgrounds and spent about six hours there. After just a half hour, someone tapped me on the shoulder and it was Jan Zeimer for Davenport/the Resort/Phoenix. She said there were two cars that came in from the Resort.

I have enough quilting projects to keep me busy for the next two years so I did exercise pretty good restraint. But I did get taken in by a silicone roller that will pick up pet hair, coins, and pins and needles. It works like a lint roller but has an extended handle and the roller is about 10 inches wide. It does work quite well, and as soon as the roller is covered, you rinse it in water, and when you dry it off it becomes sticky again. It sounds a bit of a gimick, but I do think it will help - see the preceding paragraph about rugs and dog hair.

Coming home found us going the wrong direction of I-10 after we left the fairgrounds, so we had to do a bit of backtracking during rush hour traffic, but we did get home just fine.

We have the ability to IM with Brian if we happen to be online at the same time, and we were able to chat with him for a few minutes this week. With the difference in time zones, his early morning is our early evening, and vica versa, so there are two good windows to catch each other. I know he is very busy, as is the entire squadron along with just having to adjust to a new environment and mission. He and Sheila also have a blog site that is updated every few days so that also gives us a glimpse of what is going both with the guys and the families at home. If you are interested in the blog, let me know, and I'll get you to it.

The Spragues are hoping to leave Spokane and come our direction the second week of February if all stays okay with their parents. The Jaynes have talked about coming down next month, but I'm only giving that a 50/50 chance based on what they have been saying. In the meantime we and the Ouseys are trying to figure out if we want to stay where we are or explore another park for the next month we are here.

UPDATE: Just after I wrote about the Jaynes coming to Arizona, we received an email to say they were planning to leave next Saturday!! They are coming down I-5 so they can stop in Euguene to get a brake system installed in the motorhome, then continue south and east. I am going to check at the office to see how availability is. I know there are spaces available, but the question is whether there is a space in the pet area. It will be fun to see them. We are slowly creating our own little social circle here. Ciao

Peanut Can Internet

Ah ha, we now have internet – all with the help of a Planters peanut can……….Ken borrowed some software (and the peanut can) from Gary that in effect captures the signal from the antenna atop the office at the other end of the park. So it works like a charm and I am a happy camper – er peanut camper? Besides, I was in need of a bit of new décor for the dashboard, so the peanut can fills the bill.

We have visited back and forth catching up with the Ouseys, and other than some housecleaning, we have not done much of anything. Yesterday was cold and rainy, and it made me wish I had one of those gorgeous RVs with a fireplace, but we have had to make do with the furnace and a heater, which are actually quite adequate.

There is an interesting setup next door to us. A car that is covered, a 20+ year-old 15’ travel trailer, and a huge tent/gazebo setup that takes up ½ the entire site and creates a solid wall with a view of nothing outside our slide-out windows. But I guess with such a little trailer, one would have to have some overflow space. I saw the occupant for the first time this morning as she was walking her Pomeranian, and since she is a chain smoker, I imagine she spends a fair bit of time in the ‘gazebo’.

Casa Grande has a street fair this week end so we will take a look at that today, and go on to the outlet stores to see if I can find a swimming suit that won’t make my cry so I can go into the hot tub. There appear to be two Lutheran churches in the area, so we’ll see if we can find one for tomorrow.

Gary and Della Reinbold are staying nearby and came by for a short visit yesterday. I will have them over for dinner sometime next week. And Ken has talked to Daryl. They are in their usual spot, The Resort, in Mesa. Glenn and Nancy Reinbold are also at The Resort, and after about two years of pondering, they have purchased a park model that they will move into tomorrow. I’m afraid there are too few months that are comfortable down here that I would want to own something that I felt compelled to visit. The RV suits us just fine.

We have heard from Brian, and he says it is cold, cold, cold. But his brief reports indicate that not only is the coffee very acceptable (and he is a pretty severe coffee critic) but dinner recently consisted of crab legs, steak, and gumbo. Well, they can’t fight a war on an empty stomach!!

Colleen missed a day of work last week as the result of yet another snowstorm in Puget Sound. Actually, I think all the roads were okay, but she couldn’t get in and out of Walnut Lane. She didn’t sound terribly disappointed to have to stay home with her dog and a fire in the fireplace. Her commute has approached two hours in the morning this past week, so I suspect she is going to get serious about finding a place to live nearer to her office on Queen Anne

Sunday evening

We went to the street fair yesterday where there were quite a few restored cars, vintage and otherwise, plus the usual booths with everything from kettle korn to jewelry. We did stop at the outlet mall, but I only purchased 3 books, and there were no swim suits to be had.

I think it will be IKEA and Trader Joe’s on Tuesday and the quilting, sewing, craft expo on Thursday.

Tonight it has been raining off and on and the temperature has been dropping throughout the evening and it is now 37.5!!!! There is snow from Tucson and to the east and south!!. We might not be able to go anywhere if the cold weather continues or we get snow!! Ciao

On the Road Again

January 15, 2007

We did get out of Steilacoom at 5 p.m. on Saturday and made it to the rest stop south of Portland. We fully expected a full house, but we were able to score our favorite site alongside a curb at the very back of the area. It is a great place to stop with Cooper, and he is now a happy camper to be on the road and away from the princess, Skyla. But he is never fully convinced that we aren’t going to go off and leave him someplace, so he spends most of the day on the sofa with his eyes only half closed until he can’t stay awake any longer.

Yesterday was a long day, and it began with Ken bounding out of bed at 5:30 am because he was concerned about getting through the Siskiyous before dark. We were under way by 6:30, made it through southern Oregon and northern California without incident and stayed last night at Rolling Hills Casino inear Corning. We made the mistake of going inside to eat, and it was somewhere between bad and terrible. The best part of my meal was the dinner roll and a piece of lemon meringue pie.

We have blue sky and sunshine this morning and have enjoyed looking at the thousands of snow geese that are wintering alongside the interstate in the rice fields. And just a mile down the road we came across a huge gathering of Canadian geese. A blue heron and a bunch of white egrets round out our morning’s quarry.

Craig, Cassie and Greta came for dinner on Friday night and to let Greta have yet another gift encounter. I think this is about number four by the time you count all her family. Ketih and Janet gave her a Gund puppy that she promptly named Peach and fashioned a leash for her from the ribbon from another gift – the Kon-nex (sp) toy that came from the Idaho Kirkwoods. Greta had made several creations with that before the evening was over.

The Baltimore Kirkwoods gave Ken satellite radio for Christmas, and we are thoroughly enjoying it. Between no commercials and constant reception, it is a delight. But then we managed to blow out one of the front speakers so there is a shopping project after we get to Arizona. I missed my Sunday night entertainment (Brothers and Sisters) because we were dry camping so I will have to see if I can resurrect it on the ABC website.

We aren’t sure how far we will get today; Bakersfield is too soon to stop, but the choices are far and few between after that. We doubt we will be in Casa Grande until sometime on Wednesday. In the meantime, we continue rolling down the road.

It is now Tuesday late afternoon, and we have decided to make a run for Casa Grande. Last night found us dry camping at Edwards AFB so we took advantage of the commissary and BX before leaving about noon today.. The drive into the San Bernardino/Redlands/Loma Linda area was all too familiar, but we arrived there this time in a different frame of mind. Actually, the area looked a bit less unappealing since a strong wind had blown most of the smog away and there seemed to be some green here and there.

The trip has been blissfully uneventful with no big scares or problems, and we are looking forward to getting set up and sitting still for a while.

Here we are on Wednesday afternoon with the sun streaming in the windows. We made very good time last night and arrived at Foothills West in Casa Grande before ten o’clock and got to bed about midnight. We are about 100 feet from where the Ouseys are, and I can see the back end of their rig with just a little walkway between us. We had coffee together this morning and caught up on each others’ news and Carolyn is cooking dinner for us tonight. Who could ask for more?

I need to get on with some much-needed housekeeping because there is black dog hair everywhere!! But Cooper seems unaffected by the turn of events and is in on the bedroom floor enjoying an afternoon snooze.

We don’t have an internet connection at our site, but I will save this to my memory stick and take it to Ouseys this evening to post. Ciao.

Almost gone

If we can get the motor home down Birch Street tomorrow afternoon we will be on our way. We have had major cold weather and snow for the past two days so it has made for some slippery driving. Ken is out running errands right now, but he has studded snow tires on the Westfalia, and this is the first time out in several days.

I have my sewing machine and about six projects to take with me, but it remains to be seen how many will get finished. I like to keep my options open!!

Craig, Cassie and Greta are coming for dinner tonight so Greta can open her Christmas gifts from our family. She was in Portland with Cassie's parents when we were all together for gift-giving. We will have Swedish meatballs and spaetzle for dinner - how is that for being international?

Ken has his first lab results since Loma Linda and the numbers are going in the right direction. His PSA has gone from 4+ to 2+ so we are delighted, and his doctor says it is great!!!!! The only downside was to have to ease off on cholesterol medication since it is affecting his liver, but that too can be dealt with!!

We had an enjoyable evening on Wednesday with our friends. They had to drive home after the storm started and it was not easy for Richard and Elisabeth who live in Gig Harbor. Their usual entrance to the Narrows Bridge had been closed so they had to make their way around to another on-ramp. She said it was snowing hard and cars were skidding everywhere, but they made it home.

My next blog should be from road ahead!! Ciao

Happy New Year

In fact we are now heading in to the second week of it. Our New Year's Eve was the usual Herculean effort to stay awake until midnight, have a sip of champagne and then toddle off to bed.

We are by ourselves for the first time since before Christmas, but it sure was fun while it lasted, and we loved having everybody here. Jeff and Bev went home yesterday. I managed to come down with a cold last week, but fortunately, the Schulers are ready to sit still and unwind when they come so I was able to just do fun stuff like play Boggle and do a bit of shopping.

We continue to tell everyone who will listen what wonderful granddaughters we have. Being 16 and 19 they were such fun to have around and were willing to do or join in on whatever was going on. They both play pinochle so that was usually the game of choice. They were fun, and cheery, and cute, and awesome!!!!! They went to the store for me one afternoon and along with my requested items, brought flowers back to me. Purchased with their own hard-earned money.

Bev and I drove to Portland with Cassie on New Year's Day to keep her company. She met her mom in Portland to do the Greta hand-off. We all had lunch together and then shopped for about 1 1/2 hours at the Fabric Depot which is one of the biggest fabric stores I have ever encountered. However, I exercised restraint and only purchased thread!! I think Greta fared quite will with fabric for at least one or two new outfits. With both mom and grandma being accomplished seamstresses, she is a well-clad little girl.

We plan to be out the driveway next Saturday afternoon. Colleen gets home about noon, and we figure anywhere outside of Steilacoom is a good start for the trip south. We will probably head for a rest stop at the juncture of I-5 and I-205 south of Portland which has lots of ample overnight parking. We have stayed there before and Cooper approves.

I have invited our friends the Bakers, and Elisabeth and Richard for dinner on Wednesday evening for some visiting before we leave. I guess I had better get busy and decide what to feed them. Cassoulet or braised short ribs are two ideas that come to mind; neither of which have I ever prepared. But that is why you have company for dinner isn't it? To try out those new and untested recipes?

Sharon Jayne called this morning to say that she just noticed this morning that our Liberty Lake house has been rased. She said the garage is still standing, which was probably a smart move because we built it new and it had a concrete floor plus a full basement! My consolation is that I have the sink, and I could easily reproduce that floorplan from memory.

Colleen is in Phoenix this week and her dog is tolerating us but that is about it. The dog walker just came to take her out so she was a happy camper. She is a very good dog for being so high energy, and I know she wishes we would go away and Colleen would return. I slept downstairs with her last night since I didn't think she would enjoy sleeping by herself, and she loves to get up on the bed and snuggle next to the down comforter!

We have a day of relative calm weather today, but there is at least one imminent storm plus a cold front that is going to put us down into the low 20s in another day or two. In fact it was nice enough today that Ken was able to wash the motorhome.

Ciao

We are still enjoying the season

We seem to be keeping busy. We have done a bit of post Christmas shopping and Keith, Janet and the girls just left for a day in Seattle. Since we can go anytime, we opted to stay home for the day. However, we might drive to Curt and Cinda's and rendevouz later in the day.

Craig and Cassie have been here two evenings to share dinner with us, and we will be going their way tomorrow. They gave all of us girls gift certificates for pedicures so tomorrow will be a girls' day at the salon.

There has been much eating, enjoying wine and game and card playing. Our prime rib dinner on Christmas turned out very well, and I probably will never be able to duplicate it. As usual, I combined several recipes plus my own ideas, but it all turned out well with the exception of rather flat yorkshire puddings. Well, you can't win 'em all.

I am already enjoying some of my Christmas gifts. I asked Santa for 100 #2 pencils and chisel-pointed erasers for my puzzle work - and he obliged. I also came across a stemware drying mat, and I love it. It looks like a refined rubber floor mat covered with little rubber bristles that raise the glass up enough to let air circulate; hence glasses air dried without spots. It is great.

We have had lots of rain, but the last two days have produced a few hours of blue sky and sunshine. In a couple of weeks we will be absorbing full days of the stuff once we get to Arizona. Ken looked at the web cams for the Siskyous this morning and the road looked fine with lots and lots of RVs heading south.

I hope all of you are staying well and enjoying the season. Ciao

Merry Christmas.......

to all our friends and family. We are thrilled to have the 'Baltimore Kirkwoods' here to share this special time with us.

One of Janet's surprise Christmas gifts for Keith was two Seahawks tickets for today's game against the San Diego Chargers so he and his dad left about 9:30 to catch the train to Seattle. it is cloudy and cool outside with a good possibility of showers, but we hope the weather at least stays dry.

Since Craig, Cassie, and Greta were headed to Oregon to spend Christmas with Cassie's parents in Stayton, we all met at the Hawks Prairie Restaurant yesterday morning for breakfast. Greta will stay with her grandparents for the next week or so, this was the only chance for Greta to meet Keith and Janet and the girls. And like the rest of us, they all thought Cassie was great and Greta quite precocious.

As luck would have it, Santa and his wife sat down at a table near us for breakfast. He wasn't wearing his full formal red suit, but he had on a red shirt, and had glasses and a beautiful full white beard. Colleen and Greta approached him after he had finished breakfast and Greta announced she had a question for him. "Where are your reindeer?" He told her they were still at the North Pole. And he gave her his business card. Of course we have a picture, which I will post at a later date, and it couldn't have turned out any better if we had tried.

We will go to church this evening and then come home for our traditional fondue supper. And even though we have no need to wait for Santa, we will wait and open our gifts in the morning. We usually have seafood for Christmas dinner, but this year we are going to be even more traditional and have prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.

Brian, Sheila and the boys are spending their Christmas at the condo in McCall. I think Brian has to work next week, but they will go back up for New Year's week end.

I hope all of you are well and happy this Christmas season. Ciao

Christmas is still coming

even if every last thing isn't done. I can't believe how long it is taking to put this house back together. We still have to decorate and put up the tree which we did get yesterday. The only good thing about this slow painful process is that I won't have to clean house afterwards because I have cleaned every step of the way.

Colleen will be here later tonight. She stayed in Redding last night and when I talked to her about an hour ago, she was just getting to Grants Pass. Now we have to hope the two dogs like each other since they have never met before. We think they will be okay because neither is aggressive, although Colleen said Skyla has become pretty protective and possessive through the move. I don't think Cooper will care as long as he has his bed, his tennis balls, and food and water.

We lost power again night before last around midnight and found out yesterday that it was a feeder line that runs down the middle of Walnut Lane. The utility folks kindly let us know that the road would be torn up for about three hours in case we wanted to get our car out of here so we could go someplace - which we did. And power was restored about two yesterday afternoon.
Curt and Cinda are still without power with nothing on the horizon. They are sequestered in their kitchen/family room with the fireplace and they have a gas range and water heater so they are managing. I haven't talked to Elisabeth for a day or two, but they are out quite a ways so I suspect they may still be without power as well. But they keep themselves well-prepared with a generator and stored water plus a good wood-burning fireplace. For some people of my generation, it is second nature to figure out how to stay warm and dry and fed - I grew up with cold running water, a wood stove for heating and cooking, and no indoor plumbing!!

Colleen is thrilled to be driving through southern Oregon with a gray overcast sky, and I am beginning to have visions of sitting in the sunshine in Arizona - which I will be doing in a month. I don't mind our northwest weather, but sunshine sounds good.

It's time to get back to work. Stay warm. Ciao

Remembering

It was one year ago today that Gary Ousey's brother passed away after having been diagnosed with brain cancer within the month! We were in Yuma at the time, Gary had already flown to Winnepeg earlier in the week, and we took Carolyn to Phoenix on the 17th for her flight out. It was a very sad time for them. Dennis widow, Catherine, has continued with blogging and sharing some of her emotions, the good and the difficult. She is presently visiting their daughter in Vancouver and plans to move there permanently next summer.

We had a very enjoyable evening with the Bakers last Monday night with much of the conversation centered around the RV life. They took their RV to Orlando and back last summer and other than some tire and battery problems they had a great trip. We keep saying we are going to get together and go somewhere, but so far we haven't.

The painting, curtain hanging, Christmas decorating, and general organizing will be finished by tomorrow night. For those of you who live in the Lakewood/Tacoma area, I suggest you go to Rodda Paints on South 84th. Good product, reasonable price, and excellent customer service. We discovered today that they had mixed two gallons of satin instead of flat as I had asked (and the receipt verified), and they apologized, replaced the paint and refused to charge me for the two new paint pads I wanted to purchase. A good business from all that I can tell.

We weathered the massive wind storm with no problems. Steilacoom seems to be quite sheltered from storms, and we especially so. We had a few branches down, and were without power for about 15 hours, but that was it. The only concern was no power to run the sump pump which had been constantly running in the basement because of all the heavy rain associated with the storm. So Ken fired up the generator in the motor home and hooked up the sump pump! Problem solved. Our friends in Gig Harbor, and Curt and Cinda in Bellevue are still without power and are being told it could still be days before it is restored.

Six more sleeps and the Keith and Janet and the girls will be here. And probably fewer than that for Colleen. The moving company picked up her household goods today, and she is leaving Phoenix after church tomorrow. She is staying in Pasadena tomorrow night and then will head north fromt there. She should be here Wednesday or Thursday.

I mailed about eight Christmas cards this year. Since I blog and keep in touch by email, I have limited my list to those whom I don't have contact with during the year. So if you are reading, this you won't be getting a Christmas card! Ciao.

Projects, Dinners, and North Korea

I am taking a breather from cooking, wrapping, and internet shopping. It seems as if I have a dozen different projects going and can't get any of them to the point of completion. I started wrapping gifts today, and have at least one that must be mailed, so I need to keep at it.

It is cold and drizzly outside today so it is a good day to be inside. I thought Craig, Cassie and Greta were coming for dinner, so put together a couple of dishes this morning.........now they aren't coming because Craig has been sick for three days, but the good part is that dinner is ready~!!

We were invited to Curt and Cinda's for dinner last night, and as always, it was a very enjoyable evening and an excellent meal. She had been shopping at Williams Sonoma so created a marvelous reduction sauce with veal glace and chestnuts. Roast beef and oven roasted carrots rounded out her menu. Our contribution was a green salad with orange segments and pomegranate seeds and an orange-based dressing and for dessert a little plain one egg cake with chocolate frosting right out of my old Betty Crocker cookbook.

While shopping at Williams Sonoma, Cinda purchased a package for me containing four different sea salts including one from the Big Island in Hawaii that is black!! I am excited to try them all.

Colleen is in the throes of last minute packing and will be ready for her movers next week. She said she is so excited for this move that she feels like she could jump in her car and drive straight through -but assured me she wouldn't. She said Skyla is curious about all the boxes but doesn't seem to be distressed. Now when the suitcase comes out it will be a different story....she just doesn't know she gets to go along this time.

We watched the Diane Sawyer special about her visit to North Korea. Of course there was nothing revealing because everyone has been told what to do and say. I find it curious/frightening? that that country's leader has the time to create directives on every little aspect of everyday life. Talk about state control!!

We are invited to Kit and Katherine's tomorrow night for dinner so I feel like we have had a great week of eating out. Katherine and I worked together in real estate about one hundred years ago. Now Kit, who is a retired pilot, is working in real estate.

Back to my chores. Ciao

We had a letter recently from our neighbors at the RV Park in Loma Linda. They are now back in Nampa Idaho after Vic completed his round of proton therapy. Eva wrote that Mad Hattie was asked to leave, and she couldn't believe how quiet it got after she was gone. That poor old lady is going to have a difficult time settling in anywhere. And why she is living in a 24' motor home is beyond me. I have a feeling she doesn't have much of anybody to look after her.

Ken is slowly recovering from some kind of a bronchial malaise. He is now coughing less and has a little more energy. He will recover just in time for me to come down with it I suppose.

The motor home is at South Side Motors now that it has been at the Workhorse facility. There is a problem with the coach battery and no one can figure out the cause. Workhorse says it is losing its charge as a result of the house batteries, but South Side doesn't think that is the case. At least they are talking to each other so perhaps there will be some resolution by the end of the day.

I am down to the last act for the Christmas quilt which is to finish the binding. I have it attached by machine and now just have to sew it down on the back side. Any further embellishments will have to wait to be added for next year because there are too many other things on my agenda at the moment.

We have been following the story of the Kim family that was lost in the Oregon backroads. We took that same road several years ago - in the summertime - and it was iffy then. As I recall, parts of it were just a glorified logging road with hairpin turns and single lane traffic. But as mentioned on an internet site, many maps and online programs show that route as a viable option to get to Gold Beach. Sadly, the body of James Kim was found this morning.

As we talked about what we would do in that situation, we determined that we would not leave our car, and it would behoove us to carry something like a big blue tarp or red tape to put on top of the car to be seen from the air. Duct tape is going to be another addition to our bundle of emergency items we carry in the car. In addition to the usual blankets and flashlight, I also have a metal coffee can jammed full of partialy used candles that would create one good-sized candle for some light and a bit of heat for quite a while. And a good use for all those half-burned candles.

We have a bit of sunshine and it isn't terribly cold, but it is definitely a winter light outside. I am happy to have the temperatures get back to what is normal for us around here because I could not get warm last week when it was so cold.

Ciao

Wedded Bliss, Palouse Hills, St. Nicholas

We have been home since last Monday, and the house is still in a pretty significant state of disarray. I do have the kitchen back together, and that was no mean feat since I had to start from the top down and wash and/or dust every single shelf, spice, dish, kettle and wall. But the floors do look very nice, and I am especially excited to be rid of the vinyl in the kitchen and to have the fir floor.

Ken is in the process of painting quarter-round so he can move on to some painting of the walls and trim. It does make it easy since the living room and dining room are both empty……but there is not one open square inch in the guest room!!

On Friday we celebrated 44 years of wedded bliss peppered with a few little exceptions along the way. Ken’s treat was a maple bar for breakfast!! We went out to dinner, but enjoyed a shrimp cocktail and a bottle of Washington wine before going downtown to Le Crème Brule.

I found a Columbia Valley wine, Palouse Hills, that is produced and bottled in Walla Walla. It was a reasonably priced, very tasty cabernet. I bought it for the significance of the name since Ken was at WSU during our early courting days and I can still hear Ray Conniff recordings serenading us at the student union building. Now the challenge is to find more of the wine because there only seem to be a few bottles available on closeout at the state liquor stores.

We had promised ourselves we would give Le Crème Brule one more chance, and it fared quite well this time. Ken had rack of lamb and I had duck maigret en papillote. Both were very nicely presented, and my only criticism is that my duck breast was a bit over-cooked. Espresso and crème brule rounded out the evening. There was even a small jazz combo playing which added to the ambience.

Yesterday was a St. Nicholas faire at the Olympia Waldorf School that Greta attends so I made an appearance for about an hour. Cassie was in charge of making gingerbread that was then being sold for $1 per piece, and there was a brisk business because it was very cold outside where some of the crafts and vendors were located. I purchased a few little stocking stuffers and walked through the school for a peek. Greta’s dad was there with her so I met Jason and visited with Greta for a few minutes. Her latest news is that she is now six!!

I can’t get warm, and I think part of the problem is our heating system rather than having been a hothouse plant down south for three months. For some reason the back of the house just doesn’t get very much heat, and of course that is where the television and computer are located, so it makes for some chilly leisure time.

I am beginning to feel pretty good about Christmas shopping. I think I am at least 50% there with some ideas for the rest. I LOVE the internet. And with many sites offering free shipping, it is hard to beat the bargains. I like to support Operation Christmas Child, but I passed on shopping and packing a box and went with a donation instead since I am so content not to have to go out to shop. Now I am anxious to finish getting the house back together so I can move forward with decorating, wrapping, and menu planning and baking.

The Ziemers called us yesterday to wish us a happy anniversary – Daryl was Ken’s best man. They are planning their annual trip south and hope to leave around the 4th of January. Daryl’s mother was in the hospital recently and now they are making some arrangements for someone to look in on her each day while they are gone. Daryl and Jan always spend most of their time at The Resort in Mesa, but since we will be just down the road in Casa Grande, I am sure we will see them once in a while.

Gary and Carolyn Ousey are now in Harlingen, Texas and then will join us in Casa Grande in the middle of January. They escaped the cold and snow in Victoria, but it looks like they are quite chilly in Texas at the moment.

Since this is not being printed, I don’t have to worry about a corrigendum, even though I am confident there are some errors. Ciao.

Thanksgiving Past

We are biding our time until it is time to leave for the Boise airport to go home. Brian is at work at the moment and will be here in another hour to give us a lift.

It was a most enjoyable holiday weekend with Brian and the boys. We drove to McCall on Wednesday evening, and Brian and I had enough time in McCall to do some gorcery shopping before the store closed at ten. For a small town, McCall has a wonderful grocery store by the name of Paul's. They are able to walk a fine line to be able to appeal to a wide range of shoppers from the basic to the gourmand. They have a great deli and gourmet food section. And then to add to the mix, there is a flight of stairs just past the cash registers that leads up to a quilt shop. What more could I ask for? Gourmet groceries and quilting supplies!!

Our dinner was very traditional starting with an appetizer of pickled herring with Aquavit and a beer chaser!! Now that is a Kirkwood tradition with the components coming from Ken's Danish heritage, but we press it into service for every occasion no matter how signifcant or insignificant. Dinner was roast turkey and stuffing, gravy, two kinds of potatoes, Brian's cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. We pretty effectively missed the vegetable/salad course except for some baby peas. Brian found some specialty root beer for the boys for their Thanksgiving libation, and we adults shared some tasty wine.

Brian and his dad installed an outdoor light on each of the six condos in their complex. There are no street lights on their street, and the one tiny light near the entry just doesn't offer much illumation. By the time they got to the sixth unit, they were down to about ten minutes per installation. A Crusty's pizza and a jug of beer was their compensation.

Since there is not enough snow at Brundage to open the ski season (although we got about three inches on Thanksgiving), the boys spent a lot of time with their Play Station, Game Boy, and Legos. They have a wonderful Lego train with both freight and passenger cars. But more track is needed to get the train up to full speed. I loved it.

I added a new game to the condo collection: Blokus. It consists of different colored squares combined in odd shapes to be fitted together on the board with only corners touching. It is a pretty fast game and one that can be enjoyed by most all age groups. Brian won every game he played, and Nolan was a close second. As usual, I participate in games for the sheer pleasure of playing since winning is not usually an option.

I'll blog again after we get home and I get the layer of dust off the keyboard. I need to clean fast and move quickly to accomplish everything and be ready for Christmas when Keith, Janet, and the girls arrive on the 22nd. Ciao.

Eastern Washington Trip

I spent a fun 8 days in the Spokane area. Cinda and I left Bellevue a week ago Friday at ten in the morning assuming we would miss the bad weather that was due later in the day..........not so. The bad weather arrived early and we as we approached the Snoqualmie Summit and for ten miles on the other side we drove through snow and rain and slush. The road crews must have been caught off guard also, becuase we only saw one grader and it was parked behind a jack-knifed semi truck and trailer. I was glad to have someone with me for company and moral support, and we did make it just fine.

Lois had Calla and Sam and Maja up for dinner on Friday night, and then I was whisked off to Coeur d'Alene on Saturday for an overnight of fun. This was all planned by Lois and Calla. We stayed at the Coeur d'Alene Hotel, had drinks and hors d'ourves in the lobby, shopped a bit, and had a marvelous Italian dinner at a local restaurant. Maja joined us, and since she is just sixteen, she was very patient with all of her 'matronly' relatives.

I moved on to Karen's on Sunday evening, and she cracked the whip for three days to be sure I had enough of my latest quilt completed to be ready for the class on Thursday and Friday. However, we did find plenty of time to visit, and shop, and have lunch out.

The two days of quilting class was very good even though I didn't come away feeling as if I had accomplished very much. I spent the better part of the two days learning to cut out bits of fabric to create applique. I'm not so sure I will ever be very good at it. But it was another learning experience.

Karen and I visited with Mike and Mary for a couple of hours on Tuesday evening. Joel came home while we were there so got to visit with him as well. Both Mike and Mary are talking more seriously about retirement, and like most of us, have to wait to make sure all the ducks are in a row for health care.

I drove home last Saturday without incident amd was pleased to find the floor work completed. They do look much improved, but of course not perfect since this is a 100 year old house. There are some places that had to be repaired, and there are a few stains, but overall I am quite pleased.

Of course you can imagine how much dust is layered on EVERYTHING and inside EVERYTHING!! I have emptied, cleaned, washed, and relined four kitchen cupboard shelves and that is it. I know all of this will be waiting when we get back from Idaho next week. We have been staying in the motor home because of the fumes, but they have pretty well dissipated, so we are back in the house tonight.

We are looking forward to a few days with Brian and the boys. Sheila is now in Arizona and will be working twelve-hour days for the next two weeks. She has always been willing to work holidays to allow others to spend time with their families and this year is no exception.

We had dinner at Craig and Cassie's last night which is always a treat. They are a gracious host and hostess, and the food and wine is second to none. Craig is shopping for a chain saw to tackle the big maple tree that went down during the recent heavy rains. They heat with wood so it will be put to good use.

I need to finish packing and get to bed. I probably won't blog until we get back home, but when I do, it's quiddity will be retained.

Air Waves, Tulips & Well-diggers' rods

Just when our lives were settling down, we found a way to upset the apple cart. We have toyed with having the floors refinished for quite some time, and so we called a local business to come out today to give us an estimate. Of course we, like everyone else, want the work completed before Christmas……but he said he could do the work next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

In the meantime, Ken has to tear up the old kitchen vinyl and subfloor, and of course the living room, dining room and hallway have to be emptied. So I spent the better part of the afternoon stashing china and stemware in every possible nook and cranny with most of it going on the shelves in the guest room closet. Oh yes, and the pantry, which is chuck-a-block, had to have everything on the floor moved. The kitchen serving cart is in the bathroom, and the bathtub is stacked full of storage drawers that contain everything from paper plates to beans and rice.

I am going to Spokane tomorrow, and Ken and Cooper will have to move out to the motor home next Tuesday because with the floor plan of this house, there is no place for them to go in here once the floors are in progress. I think I am glad I will be gone.

Well this week’s election truly did give the Republicans a thumping as President Bush called it. I won’t speculate on any of it, but it would seem that the electorate wants something done to bring a closure to Iraq. The stock market hit another record high on Tuesday so I suggested to Ken we stash our investments in our mattress for a while until we see what happens post-election!!

Cinda has tomorrow off since it is Veterans’ Day so she is going to ride to Spokane with me. It will be a great chance for us to visit non-stop for about five or six hours. I’m hoping the weather holds with just some wind and rain predicted.

Lois sent a card to me this week with the following verse that I find hilariously funny every time I read it (actually, I can just recite it at will by now because I have read it so often). She sent it to say she can’t wait for my visit this week end. It makes me laugh out loud every time:

Stroke the air waves, pull up the tulips,
Break out the well-digger’s rod…..
We’re gonna yodel tonight

It is from a line of cards called Pondering Pool whose creator is Susan Mrosek. She is my latest heroine.

Well, my jaunt to Spokane doesn’t qualify as a true peregrination, but it is sufficient for me at the moment.

Ciao

It's wet and windy

So now I've quit complaining about being cold because it is wet, wet, wet. There is a state of emergency for every county in western Washington, and there is more rain on its way tonight. Up to now, I haven't heard the sump pump turn on so there must not be all that much water under the house.

Craig and Cassie have a creek running through the property in the backyard and Craig sent pictures showing how high it is. It isn't up to the house yet, and he said the house has been there for 100 years without incident so they are feeling okay. However, Huxley the dog can't figure out what happened to his backyard.

For lack of anything better to do, or lack of good sense, Elisabeth and I drove to south Seattle today to shop at IKEA. We drove both ways without incident and had a great shopping experience because there was no one else there. All of the Christmas items are on display so we had a grand time - after we dined on our usual Swedish meatballs.

Ken went to Spokane yesterday and will return tomorrow or Wednesday; I'm not sure which. He stayed at Jerry and Lois' las night, and who know where he is tonight. I know he went to Rod and Karen's this afternoon to talk about our trip south in January.

We had a good visit with Anita and Larry on Friday night and dinner was fine, but the cook has a poor memory. I forgot to pass the hollandaise sauce for the stuffed chicken and forgot to add the pomegranate seeds to the salad. Hmmm. I made an apple custard cake for dessert which is something I had not made in years and was not positive about my hand-written recipe from our Canadian days in Nova Scotia, but thanks to the internet, I was able to find the exact recipe and rest assured that mine was accurate. After reading Catherine Ousey's blog today and her description of a Jeannie's cake made in Winnipeg, I was able to find a recipe on the internet. It is a light cake, frosted, and perched atop a shortbread cookie crust. Sounds yummy.

Well this doesn't qualify as a florilegium, but it is all you are going to get. Ciao

Brrrrrrrrr

I’m sure part of my problem is having been sweltering in southern California for the past three months, but it is damn cold around here. It has been getting down into the upper 20s at night which is what we might expect in the dead of winter. But rain and clouds are on the way so it will be wetter, but more importantly, It will be warmer.

I have been sewing for a while each day and spending some time just catching up on housework and shopping. Ken has washed the motor home, put the garden to bed, and yesterday he went shopping for a new scanner.

The first attempt was an HP all-in-one scanner, printer, copier, fax, etc., but its design made it too high on the computer table for me to be able to see all the buttons, so now we have just a scanner that doesn’t have any buttons! Its seems I have become more aware of my height (or lack thereof) over the past year and am amazed at how many places are out of reach for me. I realized tonight that the kitchen countertop is above my waist!!

Ken is going to go to Spokane this week end to get a canoe that his brother, Jerry, is giving him, and then he will get out to see the Jaynes and the Spragues. Rod and Karen are our traveling partners for our trip south this winter so we need to agree on where we are going. As soon as he gets home, I’ll head for Spokane.

We are having one of Ken’s high school classmates and her husband Anita (Kanzler) and Larry Foster here for dinner on Friday night. We visited with them at their high school reunion this summer and found that they live in Centralia which is only about 40 miles away. It is fun to reconnect with folks from our ‘growing-up’ years now that we are all grown up.

Well this isn’t exactly a billet-doux, but then that wouldn’t exactly be appropriate would it? Ciao

Birthday, Wine, and Birthday

Thank you to all who remembered my birthday with good wishes, calls, cards, and gifts. I had a very nice day and ate both lunch and dinner out. I can't remember the last time I did such a thing.

Craig and Cassie came for dinner last night to share some of Craig's wine stash - wonderful - and to have some lamb for dinner. I used a Julia Child cookbook for a bit of the meal, along with bits from other books. Having been reading her autobiography, I wanted to seriously take a look at her recipes. I used her recipe for the apple tart tatin, and it was excellent, but no more outstanding than my former recipe. I was surprised with her pate brisee as it appeared to have the makings of a very tough pastry, but not so, it was wonderful.

As much as i complain about my kitchen in that it is not a good working kitchen with too little counter space and an inefficient arrangement, it seemed quite okay after having cooked in the motor home for the past three months.

Rachel turns sixteen today, and it seems like only yesterday when I was present at her birth - since her dad was in Iraq at the time. She was a very good and cuddly baby. She slept so much at first that Janet worried about her, and I suggested we just appreciate it. Of the four grandchildren, we were with Rachel, as a baby, more than any of the others. Happy Birthday Rachel.

We have a quiet week at home coming up. Just the usual chores and projects. We have some blue sky and sunshine, but a few gusts of wind that flutter some leaves to the ground, and it is cool. Have a good week. C

We Are Home!!

We were pleased to get home and find everything in good order. Outside looks pretty typical for this time of year with leaves starting to pile up against the garage and fences, and the flowers holding on to their last faint blooms.

It was interesting to walk back into the house after its barely having been opened for 2 1/2 months and being assaulted with that lonely, old, pungent odor of a 100 year old house being uninhabited. It reminded me of the same feeling I had when Ken and I were first married. We went to his parents' house for the day and his mom was away on a trip. Even though his dad, Bill, was home, the one who keeps the home fires burning was not, and it felt empty. Yesterday was a similar sense of something missing: that combination of foods, scents, and "life".

Craig and Cassie and Greta came by after we got home so it was a good occasion to share a bite to eat and a sip of wine. All is well with them, save Craig's car which has a problem that the Subaru people can't seem to figure out. Fortunately, Cassie has a second car that he is using at the moment. We are going to get together later this week for a serious leg of lamb dinner and a bottle of Leonetti wine that Craig has offered to share!

Greta asked if they could sleep over, and of course the answer was no since it was a school and work night, but I'm sure we can arrange for a sleep-over for Greta one of these days.

Attached is a picture of Rachel and her "date" (she says they are just good friends)from last week's homecoming dance. I think she looks very much like her sister Sarah in this picture.

Now to get organized!! I need to catch up on the laundry and finish removing whatever needs to come out of the motor home. Then the focus will be some serious quilt work to be ready for a class in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho the week before Thanksgiving. After returning from that, we will be off to Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with Brian and the boys, and then home to get ready for Keith, Janet and the girls for Christmas. Who could ask for more joy than all of that?

I've enjoyed this time gamming with all of you in blogland. Ciao.

We are in Yreka, CA and loving it!!!! Everything looks absolutely beautiful. In fact, once we got out of the Loma Linda area, we even thought Bakersfield looked good!!

The trees are just beginning to turn, and right outside our windshield is a delightful ten foot long split rail fence that is robed in golden and green grape vines. Beautiful!! We are going to spend an extra day or two in Oregon to drink………….in the fall colors; and perhaps a little of the Pinot!!

Our youngest grandchild turned 11 today. We just called Warren to wish him a happy birthday, and he said they made fudge in his science class, as some form of an experiment, and he thought that was pretty cool for his birthday. His birthday celebration will be delayed for about two weeks until his dad gets home from somewhere – I know not where.

I drove the MH for a few miles today – my first time. I tend to hug the right side of the road, and the steering is very touchy, so it is a full time job to keep it where it belongs. And Ken says it handles 100% better since he had it realigned this week. I would not have wanted to drive it before the alignment.

Next blog will probably be from Steilacoom. I am able to post this one because this park has free WiFi.

Ciao

44 Down and None to go

Today is the finish line. Ken will sip his 16 year old Lagavulin scotch that he has been saving for this occasion, we’ll toast our good health, and be on the road tomorrow! The time truly has gone very quickly, and we feel so fortunate to have learned about Loma Linda. A follow-up in four months will begin to tell the tale as to how successful this was.

We are pretty much ready to go. Ken spent the better part of the day stowing everything outside, removing the window sun screens, checking oil and tire pressure, and trying to figure out where we can put everything. We have acquired a bicycle and a rocking chair while being here, and neither is a small item to put away.

We aren’t positive of our route home, but the California portion will pretty much be I-5. We might take an extra day around the Eugene, Oregon area just to take in the fall sights of the Northwest.

Colleen is in Pasadena for meetings for two days, so she and a friend are driving over for dinner this evening. It is less than 60 miles, but with the traffic around here, it is hard to tell how long it will take.

I had a great time visiting the Schulers in San Jose last week. Bev and I went to the Pacific Quilt Show on both Thursday and Friday. Some of the quilts on display were truly amazing. I got to see all three of the Schuler kids, their spouses, and children. Bev had John and Carol Nicoletti over for dinner on Friday night. They were our neighbors when we lived in San Jose. John has just been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and is preparing for chemotherapy treatment. It was 12 years ago that he had the same thing, and beat it, so we are praying for the same this time.

Our next communication should be from Steilacoom.

Ciao

Three to go!!!!

Almost finished, and Ken would tell you that this was the right decision, and he couldn't be happier with how everything has transpired. Now is the four-month wait before checking PSA levels, but we feel confident about that too. Just yesterday, he heard another story from a new patient: the patient did his research and told his urologist that he was going to seek treatment at LLUMC. The doctor, without another word to the patient, went to the desk to say that the patient was seeking treatment elsewhere and would not be seen again by him!

We have to have the front end of the MH aligned on Tuesday morning, and then we will be on our way. We plan to be home by the weekend.

I am going to San Jose today for the quilt exposition and will return at noon on Sunday. I hope I can stay warm since I only have a light cotton jacket. It was warm when we left Steilacoom, and we knew it was hotter than blazes down here, so we just did not think about mid-October weather. I refuse to buy anything since I have a closetful of sweaters and coats at home, so if worse comes to worse, I'll buy a $5 fleece blanket and cut a hole in the middle to create a poncho!! It has been cool enough here the last few mornings to run the heater while we shower.

Have a good weekend, and if I don't blog for a while, you can find us at home in about ten days. Ciao

Visitor, guests and plans

What a great treat it was to have Karen here for a few days last week. We spent most of the time with her helping me with my unfinished (read problematic) quilting projects. I now have three projects that are in pretty good shape. We ventured out just one afternoon to go, where else? A quilting shop. She went home yesterday and she has a full schedule for the next ten days.

I go to San Jose on Thursday, and I’m looking forward to that. Bev is taking both Thursday and Friday off so we should have lots of time for a quilt fix.

The weather has remained cool which has been very enjoyable. I have been wearing a jacket to walk Cooper in the mornings. I think it is going to get up to 80 tomorrow, but even that is tolerable.

We have decided to drive the MH home instead of storing it. One reason is because we can’t get in any of the storage areas. March AFB has space, but none that will accommodate 32 feet. We are using the rationale that it won’t be that much more expensive to take it home and bring it back down this way in January because:

1. Gas is costing less at the moment
2. A private storage lot could be upwards of $100/month
3. There would be motels and restaurants if we were to drive the car home

And this way, we will have it available for Keith, Janet, and the girls when they come to spend Christmas with us. We plan to be out of here one week from Tuesday, and maybe take an extra day or two to drive home.

We reciprocated and had the Wheelers over for dinner last Tuesday night. I knew they were vegetarian, and she said they don’t eat anything that has a face or has a mother. So I prepared an Indian masala dish and loaded it up with everything from garbanzo beans to FROZEN spinach to fresh cauliflower. Actually, it was quite good, and Nancy brought a chocolate prune cake for dessert which was very good. These folks don’t drink either, so it was a very healthful evening!!

Colleen is in New England for a friend’s wedding, and she called on Thursday to tell us she was in New Hampshire eating fresh clam chowder. Wish it had been me. I would like to spend more time in Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.

Have a good week.

Ciao

The calendar says it's fall

The managers have attempted to make one believe it is fall even though the temperature at the moment is 80 and on its way to 90 today. There are about a dozen white swan planters scattered around the park entrance, and the summer silk flowers have been swapped out for golden chrysanthemums. In front of the office entrance, a scarecrow is standing sentry assisted by some pumpkins and a bale of straw. All quite cute.

The confines and noise level here are getting to me!! In addition to Mad Hattie, who was ranting just a few minutes ago, new neighbors moved in beside us yesterday; a couple about our age and their adult son. This morning around eight, they had their dinette window open and talked loudly (argued) for about 1 ½ hours. Their dinette window is one foot from the chairs on our little patio. So it has NOT been a quiet Sunday morning.

I just scored two bicycles. A lady in a trailer across from us is taking it back to Arizona, and she just wanted to give the bikes away. I don’t know how much we will ride them here in this little park, or whether we will go to the expense and effort to haul them around with us, but they will provide a little entertainment for the next 3 weeks. She also gave us a great little folding rocking chair for the patio. Again, we may not have room for it when we pull up stakes, but we can rock n roll for now.
We just went to dinner with some folks who are staying here in the park. Their home is just a few miles from here, but it suffered a fire as a result of spontaneous combustion in a bale of hay that they had stored on their back porch (for their rabbit). We have chatted from time to time and she always stops to pet Cooper, so she asked if we wanted to go to dinner with them. Sure. It was a local Italian restaurant, and my eggplant parmigiani was very tasty.

Today is now Monday, and the excitement for the day was a trip to LaMesa RV (this site is as bad as their others), and WalMart. I think we spent $10 at WalMart. This isn’t a super store, so less to spend money on.

At LaMesa, I stepped inside one of the Tiffin buses, but assured Ken he didn’t have to enter into immediate negotiations. One floor plan had the refrigerator and sofa on a slide-out across from the stove and sink. But there was no dinette, and the only place for a table and chairs would have been in front of the refrigerator/sofa. The other floor plan had the sink, stove, and workspace lined up in that order, which meant you had the stove smack between the working space and the sink. I am too sloppy for that – I need the sink easily accessible.

I hear my book calling me. I am reading the biography of Julia Child. She was pretty outspoken, frank, and daring for her era. Quite the lady.

Ciao

Hattie, Rock, and Geezers

This is the end of another week. Three more weeks, one week end, and one more sleep and we will be free to go………providing there are no more down times for the equipment. I went with Ken today, just to see who all was around and see who there was to chat with. Not many. And everything was running early, so he was finished before his appointment started.

The weather has become quite comfortable. Right now at 4:30 it is just 77 outside!!

Hattie has ceased to be a novelty!! After determining that management was simply trying to placate me with a lot of lip service, I took matters into my own hands. She had her door wide open and was ranting and raving about nine on Wednesday evening. Now keep in mind that her first words to anyone is that she is hard of hearing!! I walked alongside her motor home and tapped twice on the side – she responded immediately, even though she couldn’t see me, her television was on, and she was ranting. I asked if she would close her door, and she said she would. Then she asked me if I was going to bed. I said, “No, I’m trying to read and you are being too loud.” She said, “I’ll cool it.”
All day yesterday I didn’t even see her and her car never moved. Now today, she has gone someplace, but I haven’t heard a word out of her. I suspect the calm is short-lived, but I will simply repeat my actions. I don’t fully understand what is going on, but I am beginning to think she is dumb like a fox.

Last Sunday we decided to take a drive to Big Bear Lake since the crowds should be gone, and it would be cool. About 15 miles out of town, we rounded a curve and hit a rock that had fallen. The noise to the underside of the car was deafening, and the estimate from the VW dealer was heart-stopping - $900 – all because of a piece of rock about the size of a gallon milk jug. So next Thursday is repair day. We can drive it around town, but we aren’t going to take it out on the interstates.

Our friend, Sharon Jayne, turned the big 6-O this month, so Bob threw a surprise party for her last night. We didn’t know anything about it (and could not have been in attendance since we aren’t even in the state of Washington), but I happened to call just as they got home. She said there were about 80 people there, and she was completely surprised. It’s safe to tell her age because she says she doesn’t read my blog!

Just a little over a week before Karen gets here, and I can hardly wait. Oh for some girl talk and wine time. Every time I am out walking in this park I encounter another old geezer with a scraggly beard, dirty fingernails, and cigarette in his hand. Actually, I’ve only encountered two of those, but this place is pretty heavily populated with men – and not a one that I would trade Ken for.

Have a good weekend.

Ciao

Equipment Failure, Medicare, Visitors

As of this afternoon, we now know that our earliest departure from here will be Monday, October 16 because today’s appointment had to be cancelled due to equipment failure. That is not the end of the world, we can manage an extra day or two. I think it seems more severe simply because his last treatment was to have been on a Friday to leave us clear to leave, but now we will have to wait through another weekend.

I finally finished assembling the Christmas wall hanging that I have been working on since last spring. Mind you, there is still plenty of tweaking, clipping, straightening, and fixing to do before it is done. I have now decided I will spend the money to have it quilted. I wasn’t going to simply because the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired, but I have a feeling the professional quilting can’t do anything but enhance the overall appearance, and since I used some fabrics that have some history and sentimentality, it will be nice to have it properly finished.

I see according to the newspaper this morning, that for those who are on Medicare (as I will be in a little over a year, and Ken already is); the monthly premium is going to be approaching $100 per month in 2007. That sounds exorbitant, but I’m probably still locked into what Ken’s mother was paying 12 years ago; and it is just the tip of the iceberg with whatever the costs are for those who must purchase supplemental insurance as well.

I believe the last communications I shared with regard to Colleen and Bassim Blazey was that they had resigned themselves to being friends…….and he told her recently that he was emailing with a woman in the Canada whom he met on an online match service. Soooo, she found out last Sunday evening that he wanted to come and see her on Monday, the next day!! He had flown to Vancouver to meet the woman, and it didn’t work out. So when he called Colleen, she said, “So now you’ve decided you’re madly in love with me.” And he said, “Yes.” She said they have had a very nice visit, but neither one is planning to move from their respective countries, and she will let me know if that is to happen. He returns to Australia tomorrow.

The weather turned blessedly cool this week, and we didn’t even turn on the air conditioners yesterday. Right now at 8:30 a.m. it is 69 degrees outside and cloudy; in fact it looks as if we could even get some rain. What a relief, even if it is short lived. I think we approach 90 next week, but even 90 I can handle for a few hours a day.

I think all is well with our boys; we haven’t had much communication recently. They are all busy, busy, busy. Craig started his new job with Finnigan Construction last week as they gear up to build a new high school in Lacey, about four blocks from where we used to live. He will be on the jobsite, not in the office, and it is a great commute for him – about ten minutes.

The Bakers were not able to keep us on their itinerary. The entire trip to Florida went well up until New Mexico where they sustained a flat tire and two dead batteries in as many days, so they had to truck on back to Lakewood. So we will look forward to our next visitor the first part of October which will be Karen. And then a few days after she goes home, I’ll go to San Jose for the quilt show. And when I come back, we will be within just one or two days of going home!

Time to refill my coffee cup and contemplate what to do with the rest of the day.

Ciao

Twenty Down and Twenty Four to Go

Another week is finished!! And all is going well. Ken had his weekly visit with his doctor this morning, and was told that if he were going to have any temporary symptoms as a result of the treatments, they would be evident by now – and he doesn’t have any!! We love receiving emails from all of you and willingly accept all your good wishes and prayers!

Ken drove me to Blythe last Saturday where we met Colleen and I went on to Phoenix with her. We had a good visit, and it was fun to have some girl talk since most everything here centers on men. We did a half day drive into the mountains east of Phoenix and ate out a couple of times while I was there. I visited my favorite quilt shop (and refrained from buying anything) and made a run to IKEA.

Colleen has a very nice, very Christian landlord (her cottage is at the back of his property and they share the pool and the yard) who had dinner with us twice this week. He is single, an administrator for ASU, and the love of his life is Toby, his golden retriever. Bill isn’t a very savvy drinker so Colleen has managed to thoroughly corrupt him. We had him over dinner one evening and had wine, and the next evening she made cosmopolitans (which she had introduced to him some time ago). While having our drinks, he said, “You know I have some steaks in the freezer that I could put under the broiler.” And of course we said, “Sure and we’ll make the salad and open a bottle of wine!”

Colleen has brokered a deal between Bill and the new hire in her office to rent her cottage when she moves to Seattle in January. Bill said he rented it to Nick and his wife for the same price as he had rented it to Colleen – which is dirt cheap for Phoenix. That is because he said he gives a discount to renters who have a dog!!! They have a Schnoodle who will be a buddy for Toby as Skyla has been.

Speaking of Blythe, here is an update for the Spragues, Robinsons, and Ouseys:

After getting gas in Ehrenberg yesterday, we did a spin through River Breeze to see how it looked. Of course all the grass is a lovely green!! And even though we didn’t stop to check, I’ll bet the pool and the spa are working fine as well. It looks like Michelle still has her job as it looked like her truck parked in front of the park model. About half the sites were filled, and just about every one of them had a toy hauler with a big jet boat parked beside it. I think there were one or two more park models since we were there. The membership park next door was virtually empty.

And Gary and Carolyn, we ate at El Ranchito yesterday before coming home.. It was six in the evening, and as usual, there were just two tables occupied. We got our dinners to go and sat out on the patio so we could have Cooper with us. Tasty as usual.

It seems my friend, Karen, took exception to my calling our crazy little lady Minnie since that is what my mother used to call her, so Ken has renamed her Hattie. Actually, Hattie has been on very good behavior, and if not, she is keeping her door and windows closed so we can’t hear her. She still sails in and out several times a day, hat on her head, in her little Scion going we know not where!

I am so excited…….Karen is coming to visit the first week in October!!! In addition to doing something quilt-like, I said I would lay in a supply of beverages and we could sit on our little patio and guess the lifestyles and comings and goings of our neighbors here in the park. We wanted her to bring Rod, but she is going to make him stay home and work!!

Speaking of neighbors, a couple from Nampa, Idaho arrived recently and are parked directly behind us (and right beside Hattie). Ken described them as older, but I’m afraid to use that term anymore considering our age, but I guess he meant older than we. Ken talked to them when they got here and learned the husband is here for proton therapy. Then this morning I was hearing some lovely trumpet music which was coming from their little trailer. He is quite talented (I’m making the assumption it is he) so we will have some occasional entertainment. I wonder if I could coax him to play in the afternoons while we are sitting outside having a drink?

The week end is here, but we have no plans. We are expecting to hear from our friends, the Bakers, who are supposed to be coming through one of these days for a visit. Otherwise, we will just be staying close to home. I will probably dash out to a local sewing machine shop tomorrow as my machine is acting up. I took it to Phoenix to make doggy pillow covers, and the sewing machine did not cooperate so I was only able to finish one of three. The other two I brought back with me.

Ciao

FIFTEEN DOWN - TWENTY NINE TO GO

Another week is finished and all is going well. Ken’s appointment is early today, at one, as I suppose everyone wants to get finished and gone for the long week end. I am going to go to Phoenix, but just haven’t settled on how. Either I will drive over early tomorrow morning or Colleen will meet us halfway; Blythe of all places. I have the option of the bus, but since I want to take a sewing project and my machine, that makes it more complicated.

We had Al over for dinner this week and you would have thought he was dining at a five-star restaurant. It was just grilled chicken and salad, but I’m sure it doesn’t take long for a guy to get tired of his own cooking. We will have to do that more often to give him a break.

I finished the book, Chocolat, and am now on to one by John Jakes. Chocolat is a very good read in that it is very well written.

Our garden at home seems to be thriving since Craig sent pictures of parsley and a big mound of tomatoes. Wouldn’t you know, we haven’t had any luck to speak of with tomatoes for the last two years, and now they are great!! But we have been going to the Thursday night market so I can stock up on fresh-picked tomatoes and Bev brought a basketful of heirloom tomatoes from her garden.

There was a forest fire near here in the San Bernardino mountains that actually started in Highland as a result of illegal target practicing, We watched various kinds of aircraft fly over for the first 24 hours as they were hitting it hard, but as of last evening they said it was under control; partly because it burned right into an area that had burned recently. As hot and dry as it is here, I can see why they would take a fire very seriously. As it was, this fire destroyed one or two homes.

Have a happy and safe holiday. Ciao

Blokus, Quilt Exposition, Neighbors & Pine Nuts

Tomorrow is Nolan’s birthday, and in just a little over a week, it will be Janet’s. August and the first part of September are busy birthday times.

We enjoyed Jeff and Bev’s visit. They got here mid afternoon on Friday and left about 2:30 on Sunday. Jeff suffered in the motor home because of Cooper, so we spent a lot of time sitting outside. They stayed in a nearby motel, so at least he could have a good night’s sleep.

Other than just visiting, the guys went to a baseball game and Bev and I shopped for a couple of hours. Then she and I came home to play Blokus which is a very fun board game, one that everybody from three to ninety three can play.

Bev and I talked about attending the Pacific International Quilt Exposition in Santa Clara the week end of October 13. That is right at the end of Ken’s treatments, so if I were to go, I would have to fly and then have him come through San Jose and pick me up. I think it is second only to the quilt show in Houston in terms of the size so it would be fun to attend.

We aren’t sure if we are going to try to go anywhere next weekend. We are not so sure we want to attempt the traffic. If anything, we will get together with Colleen, either here or in Phoenix, and that all hinges on whether or not she makes other plans. There could be worse things than to stay inside where it is cool.

We now have ‘permanent’ neighbors on both sides of us. Al, a salesman from Missoula has been here about a week and is undergoing proton treatment for cancer in his sinus’. On the other side is Karen, who is a teacher. She is married with 3 teen agers, but they are in Washougal, WA with her husband. They used to live here, he retired as an electrician, they moved to Washougal a little over a year ago, and now she is back here to teach.

I made this recently, didn’t have any pine nuts, and it still was very tasty.


PASTA WITH TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND BASIL
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and pepper
9 ounces angel hair pasta, freshly cooked
Grated Parmesan
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and garlic and sauté until light brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan separately. Serves 4.

Ciao

8 Down 36 To Go

Ken is off getting his daily zap, and I have dinner ready, so here goes the blog.

We are looking forward to a visit from Jeff and Bev this coming weekend. Bev is taking Friday off so they will get here Friday afternoon and leave about noon on Sunday. I don’t know how Jeff is going to fare with Cooper in the motor home so we might spend a lot of time sitting outside………….if we can stand the heat.

The thermometer has climbed above 100 the past two days, but the paper keeps saying it is going to gradually cool back down to the low 90s. I never thought I would see myself being grateful for low 90s, but I am and I will be. We have stayed inside for the better part of the last 2 days.

We did drive to March AFB this morning for grocery shopping. We also drove by the FamCamp to check it out for storing the MH when we go back home in October. It will be just fine. The storage area is inside the guarded gate of the base and is fenced in and locked. For $25/month, I think it will work out just fine. The FamCamp itself is small; only about 20 sites, although each site has a bit of green grass and a picnic table and it is located adjacent to the runway.

The entire base which, I’m sure, was one of the premier bases 30 years ago is quite pathetic now that it is just an Air Force Reserve Base with only a part of it being used. The rest of it is very rundown and deserted looking. Being located here in the sweltering heat with all the dry brown grass and all the smog that obliterates the nearby mountains doesn’t help. But it does have quite a good commissary.

Minnie with the Hat has been very quiet – most of the time. But she must have had a window open about 11:30 last night when she went on a yelling rampage. I had to close the window to get to sleep.

Another friend, another car accident. Sharon Jayne was driving home on I-90 when the car in front of her lost a big inner tube that hit her windshield. In addition the car lost some other part that flew under Sharon’s car and destroyed her oil pan. Thankfully she was not hurt. There are severe penalties in the state of Washington for driving with unsecured loads as a result of a beautiful artist from western Washington who was rendered blind and disfigured because a piece of heavy pressboard flew through her windshield.

Our Sarah turned 19 today and moved into her dorm for her second year at the University of Maryland. We gave her a subscription to Netflix so she can watch movies instead of studying – but I know she won’t!! She said now she and her friends won’t have to walk down the street to rent a movie.

It is official. Colleen will be the assistant director at the Fuller Seattle campus come the first of the year. It is a lateral move for her, but she is thrilled to be moving back to the Northwest. The Seattle director has been talking to her for the last month, but just this week he made it known to the Fuller community. That will put 50% of our kids in Washington!

Ken is back so it must be time to open the bar. Dinner is easy, it is a pasta salad that is chilling out in the refrigerator!!

Ciao

Two Down and 42 to go

Ken had his first treatment yesterday, so he is underway. He was told by some of the staff that he was being treated for something, that if he had not been told, he would not know he had and if he didn’t know it, wouldn’t be able to tell that he was being treated.
The actual treatment only lasts one or two minutes, but with driving time and prep time, he is gone about 1 ½ hours.

We took a drive to Temeculah yesterday, but since it was hot and we had Cooper with us, we could not stop and do any wine tasting. We did drive through some areas that were quite pretty, and a relief from all the brown hills around us.

Minne with the hat was pretty quiet over the week end, but she got on a rampage yesterday morning, that after 1 ½ hours, I called the office and ask them to ask her to close her door. They also told her that if she didn’t fix her leaking gray water tank that she would have to leave. There was a repairman there this afternoon!

We have had a repairman here twice for our hot water tank. He has replaced a part and done I don’t know what else. We could use it, but if left on, it would weep. Of course it went out of warranty two months ago!

A motor home came in yesterday that was covered in advertising for ‘on the move internet’ so we tracked them down this morning. They make their money consulting for construction companies and other businesses, but the basic technology utilizes cell phones so with about a $500 investment and a cell phone one can have high speed internet wherever one can get cell service. It could conceivably replace our home service for internet as well I’m ready.

I came across a great quick pasta sauce with the key ingredient being marinated artichoke hearts. Saute some sliced cloves of garlic and a sliced small onion in some olive oil. Add a small can of diced tomatoes and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped. Add some dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and let simmer while sipping on your afternoon cocktail. Add some chopped fresh basil before serving over pasta. Pass the fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Ciao.

TGIF

TGIF. Oh that’s right, we don’t need to do the TGIF anymore.

It has been an unremarkable few days save the heat. I know it has been right around 100 for the last few days, but it looks like it is supposed to cool down by about one degree per day over the next few days.

For those of you who know my friend, Karen Sprague. She is recovering from whiplash and a sore chest (from the seatbelt) after being rear ended by someone while driving on North Division. I think she said this is the fourth time she has been involved in an accident with a male driver and none of them her fault. At least this one had insurance. She thought she was well enough to finish loading the trailer to leave last Wednesday for a trip to the Puget Sound area. You go girl.

We must be pretty settled into a routine. Last night was our second visit to the downtown Farmers’ Market to stock up on fresh produce. None of it inexpensive, but all fresh. Then it was too late and too hot to cook so we dined at In N Out Burgers.

We are feeling more comfortable with leaving Cooper for a few hours as long as everything is closed and he can’t see out. I thought I had done that before but learned that he can see out the window in the door so have to remember to pull that shade. He is feeling more settled too. He hasn’t been sleeping on the floor right beside Ken but rather on the sofa in front; and I was up before he was this morning.

The sewing machine is out, and I started back on my project yesterday. Now maybe I’ll make some good progress. No reason not to!!

We still have problems with the water heater weeping. Ken thought he had solved it, but not to be so we have the repairman on standby if it doesn’t shape up.

Have a great week end. Ciao

Minnie in the Hat

This is definitely more a trailer park than RV park. About 1/2 of the sites are either trailers or mobile homes occupied by people who come and go to work every day. But management is very nice, and the price is right. Plus they give a discount for patients of Loma Linda.

We are just one row of trailers from a busy street, but after a while I can almost turn that into white noise. There is a single woman who just parked next to us on one side, and the other side is empty. Then there is the site right behind us!! What I know about it is from observation and input from some folks who have been here a while.

Minnie with the Hat (my name for her) looks to be about 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 years old, black, and only able to hobble around with a cane. She is in a motor home the same size as our first one, but older and no slideout. She has a new little car, a Scion.. And she is probably certifiably crazy. She sometimes starts ranting as early as six in the morning. Our first morning here, I thought she was yelling at someone on the phone, and I thought it was a man because the voice is so raspy from all the yelling. I have only ever understood a word or two, but yesterday she said Bush is an idiot and they should send him back to Africa (maybe she isn’t so dumb after all). Another time she was saying to have the police come and check it out. And another something about right between the eyes. Last night she kept up her tirade for about an hour until after ten. Thank goodness she goes someplace during most of the day.

According to others around here, she says she owns 4 houses in the area but her kids bought this motorhome for her. She says the kids come and help her – haven’t seen a kid yet. There is a leak in her gray water tank so we had to tell management about that. We can tell she showers because that’s when the tank leaks. She comes out all dressed up with a hat on her head, gets in her car and goes somewhere. Sometimes she is in and out of here three times a day. She can hardly get up the steps into the motor home she is so crippled. We wonder how she manages to get around in this traffic and find her way back.

We suspect, if she owns anything, the kids have it and have dumped her here so they don’t have to deal with her. I don’t believe there is a thing we can do for her, and I hesitate to get involved because that is what it would probably be – involved!! Maybe I could invite her over for tea and spike it so she would go to bed earlier and sleep longer.

There isn’t really another good option to move to because of noise, sun, heat, etc. To be continued……..

We have subscribed to an internet service, so we have reliable internet - all the time!!

The weather has been quite bearable. We do have to run the air conditioners in the afternoons, but it cools way down as soon as the sun goes down. We actually sleep under our comforter with the windows open!.

Ciao

Sewer Pipe, Farmers' Market and Internet

Yesterday was the first official visit to LLUMC. We joined a two-hour newcomers’ tour which included a look inside one of the treatment rooms and an in-depth discussion of the treatment process. Afterwards Ken had his first doctor’s appointment to confirm the treatment plan (9 weeks of Proton Beam Therapy) and schedule a CT scan and full body scan. Once the last scan is done next Monday, it will be about one week before the start of treatments. He is at LLUMC right now for the CT scan and the body mold.

I found it interesting that they use a half piece of plastic sewer pipe for the mold and use an expanding foam to fill in the space around the body. That sounds like great low high tech!!

Having always been in the military or HMO medical system, we are quite taken with the differences found here. Everyone is very professional, helpful, friendly, and available. All of the doctors and nurses wear white coats with the LLUMC logo on the pocket, and they look very professional. We were quite taken aback at how often we were reminded that patients could make requests for such things as a different time for treatment. Even though the Proton Center can treat up to 175 patients per DAY, there is no feeling of being crowded or rushed.

The Proton Center has its own entrance and elevators in one wing of the hospital so it is its own little community. Waiting rooms are very comfortable with coffee and tea available; one room has a piano and both waiting areas have a table with a jigsaw puzzle in progress.

We went to downtown Redlands last night for the weekly Farmers’ Market which consisted of several fresh produce stands, some lively live music, and about 50 booths hawking everything from Avon products to snake oil. We did score some white peaches and some lovely heirloom tomatoes. I think I will look around for a fresh produce stand and skip the Thursday night market. Oh, and we each had a huge tamale for dinner.

We are having trouble with the hot water heater and the awning. At least the awning is still under warranty – the wind sensor is not working. With the hot water heater on electric it acts like the thermostat is gone. The water gets scalding hot which causes the pressure valve to release water so we are thinking there is a problem. We can manage with either of the above for a while as long as the air conditioning keeps working!!

We have been to In N Out Burger and Wal Mart. I know the location of Costco, Camping World and Trader Joes, all of which are quite close by. There is a small mall in Redlands with a Gottschalks and new Penneys. March AFB is about 20 miles away so we haven’t been there yet.

As usual, internet is a problem. This park just decided not to try for WiFi, and for those of us who were down south last winter, we can understand why. I don’t think there is a reliable service out there. Others staying here rented a high speed modem and paid for Adelphia to get reliable service, so guess what we are going to be doing this afternoon?

If you choose to mail anything to us:

Ken and Helen Kirkwood
C/O Mission RV Park
26397 Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373

Ciao