Due to some sad events, we left Casa Grande earlier than planned and are now at Alderwood RV Park in north Spokane.
Ken's nephew, Bill Novotney, who is my age, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer the first part of March and passed away 17 days later. Fortunately, we acted quickly enough that Ken was able to fly to Spokane last week and was able to see Bill while he still knew him and to say good by the day before he passed away. Bill's service and burial were yesterday (March 26) in Harrington.
I had not yet had time to collect my thoughts or decide what to do, although I was leaning toward driving the car up, when on Sunday Keith called and said he would fly to Phoenix and drive the motor home to Spokane. He arrived late Sunday night, and we were on the road by 10:30 Monday morning to arrive in Spokane on Wednesday afternoon.
I had most everything taken down, put up, or stowed away which amounts to a fair bit after having been parked in the same place for almost two months, and our traveling friends were right there to assist with utility disconnects, car tow-bar and car hook-up.
No learning curve needed for Keith, he just put it in gear and away we went. We stayed the first night in Alamo, NV in a truck stop that hosted not a single truck but several RVs, and we even braved it and ate breakfast the next morning in their little cafe with no ill effects. The second night found us in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Ontario, OR, and then on to Spokane on Wednesday.
Since Bill lived the past forty years in Harrington and was involved on several fronts, his service was standing room only. There were probably 225 folks in a church that can hold about 125. Bill and Karla's youngest daughter, Debbie, teaches at a Hutterite school in the area so many were in attendance and they provided several vocal pieces, a cappella, both at the service and graveside. Their oldest daughter, Marty, composed and read a lovely piece reflecting on what her dad had meant to her and her sisters, and Marty's oldest son, Kieran, read a poem written by her other son, Kiel. Both beautifully written and delivered.
Craig and Colleen drove over on Thursday, and they and Keith will leave tomorrow to go home. We will probably stay in the area for a few more days before going home because I want to be sure the kitchen is finished before I get there. the plumbing was connected yesterday, and I think the contractor still has some trim work to do, but it is essentially finished. The cleaning crew goes in on Wednesday.
Jerry and Lois' house has become family central for our kids to include Cinda's arrival yesterday so there are bodies sleeping everywhere. I'm sure J&L will be glad to reclaim their home and get their lives back to normal next week.
The weather here has been reasonable but colder than I like. At the moment, the frost is just beginning to melt off. Not that we had stellar weather in Arizona; in fact it was the coldest and wettest winter we have seen since going down for the past six years. I wore shorts just TWO days out of the entire two months.
My next blog will be from Steilacoom. Ciao.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Since my great grandfather was born in Limerick, I believe I am well-qualified to spread a bit of Irish cheer, plus my brothers are named Patrick (noble) and Michael (God-like), and then there is daughter Colleen Erin (Irish girl)! I will wear my green T-shirt today and partake of corned beef and cabbage at the annual dinner here at the park. I'll skip the green beer!
The temperature has finally risen to the high seventies, but the wind has continued to keep us pretty cool. This has been a very unusual winter as far as the weather is concerned.
We are going to leave here a bit early and go home via Las Vegas and the Tri-Cities. Las Vegas is more about staying at the Nellis Famcamp and shopping at the commissary than it is about gambling, and then we will mosey on to Prosser where we will spend a day or two to do some wine tasting/shopping.
Even though I am never anxious to get home and am content living the life of a vagabond, I am looking forward to seeing the new kitchen. I think it should pretty well be finished by the end of this week including a thorough cleaning. Our contractor has a crew he uses to come in and clean after the work is finished and that is a good thing!!!!!
Craig came up with the idea to widen and arch the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, and it appears to have made a big improvement in the flow between the two rooms. I have lost some wall space in the dining room so will have to do a bit of rearranging but that is a small price to pay.
Since this is a pretty uninspiring blog, I'll post one of my newest favorite recipes from the cooking goddess, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. And since I can't seem to leave well-enough alone, I have incorporated a couple of changes that seem to work just fine.
I slice up the stems as well as using the florets (in fact I prefer the stems to the florets), and I found it wasn't the end of the world when I discovered I was out of pine nuts, but I suspect most any kind of nut would enhance the dish. Since fresh basil isn't exactly a year 'round kitchen staple I skipped it and in this instance I think no basil is better than dried basil. This recipe is also fabulous with fresh asparagus!!
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
* 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* Good olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. Bon appetite.
Ciao
The temperature has finally risen to the high seventies, but the wind has continued to keep us pretty cool. This has been a very unusual winter as far as the weather is concerned.
We are going to leave here a bit early and go home via Las Vegas and the Tri-Cities. Las Vegas is more about staying at the Nellis Famcamp and shopping at the commissary than it is about gambling, and then we will mosey on to Prosser where we will spend a day or two to do some wine tasting/shopping.
Even though I am never anxious to get home and am content living the life of a vagabond, I am looking forward to seeing the new kitchen. I think it should pretty well be finished by the end of this week including a thorough cleaning. Our contractor has a crew he uses to come in and clean after the work is finished and that is a good thing!!!!!
Craig came up with the idea to widen and arch the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, and it appears to have made a big improvement in the flow between the two rooms. I have lost some wall space in the dining room so will have to do a bit of rearranging but that is a small price to pay.
Since this is a pretty uninspiring blog, I'll post one of my newest favorite recipes from the cooking goddess, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. And since I can't seem to leave well-enough alone, I have incorporated a couple of changes that seem to work just fine.
I slice up the stems as well as using the florets (in fact I prefer the stems to the florets), and I found it wasn't the end of the world when I discovered I was out of pine nuts, but I suspect most any kind of nut would enhance the dish. Since fresh basil isn't exactly a year 'round kitchen staple I skipped it and in this instance I think no basil is better than dried basil. This recipe is also fabulous with fresh asparagus!!
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
* 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* Good olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
* 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. Bon appetite.
Ciao
Monday, March 08, 2010
Did we take a wrong turn?
We were planning to spend at least two months in the sunshine of Arizona, but after six weeks, I am wondering if we are in the correct state. Right now, I have the electric heater plugged in, I am wearing sweats and drinking coffee, and as I look out the windshield I see nothing but a dark gray rain-spattered view across the park. And it has been like this off and on ever since we arrived. We would have had better weather had we stayed home in Steilacoom.
But we have no control over the weather, and I can't say that we have been terribly inconvenienced except when it is time to walk the dog in the douwnpours. We have had some MAJOR fronts come through that have beaten a thunderous cacophony on the roof.
We still manage some socializing here in the park, and if need be, we just move Happy Hour inside. We have had two sets of friends depart for home or other points west, but now have two Canadian couples who will be here for one month. Both of the guys are retired Canadian forces and Gary and Ken worked together while we were in Halifax.
My former boss (from real estate days) and his wife just purchased a home in Trilogy which is a lovely planned community in the northern part of Peoria. We joined them for lunch last week and toured their new "digs" which will be lovely when they finish their redecorating. And long-time friends from Davenport and Navy days (Larry and Lynn VanAusdle) had a get-together at their home in Sun Lakes last week with several couples who winter in this area.
Mike and Mary were here for a short visit last week, and we spent one full day driving to Tombstone (don't bother; it is a scruffy, poorly maintained town where every activity will cost you) and on to Bisbee. We didn't stop in Bisbee, but Ken and I have been there before and it is quite an appealing mining town with both an historical section and a new section.
For a mere fifty or sixty more miles we made our way to Sierra Vista to have dinner at Ricardo's which is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been in the same location for something like 30 years. Keith and Janet discovered Ricardo's when they lived at Ft. Huachuca, and we never miss an opportunity to stop. M&M treated us in honor of Ken's birthday. Then full circle back to Casa Grande.
My quilt projects have barely seen the light of day. In order to really get into a project, I end up trashing the motor home from one end to the other including the ironing board on the bathroom sink, the sewing machine on the vanity in the bedroom, and the cutting mat on the dinette table. By the time I get everything out, I am almost too tired to sew, and then it all has to be put away if we want to eat dinner.
The kitchen remodel at home is coming along on schedule with all the upper cabinets in place and new window installed. Base cabinets and countertops and backsplash are next. Our contractor is excellent; not only in his quality workmanship but in his ongoing efforts to stay in close touch as the work progresses. It will be fun to go home to a new kitchen! Ciao
But we have no control over the weather, and I can't say that we have been terribly inconvenienced except when it is time to walk the dog in the douwnpours. We have had some MAJOR fronts come through that have beaten a thunderous cacophony on the roof.
We still manage some socializing here in the park, and if need be, we just move Happy Hour inside. We have had two sets of friends depart for home or other points west, but now have two Canadian couples who will be here for one month. Both of the guys are retired Canadian forces and Gary and Ken worked together while we were in Halifax.
My former boss (from real estate days) and his wife just purchased a home in Trilogy which is a lovely planned community in the northern part of Peoria. We joined them for lunch last week and toured their new "digs" which will be lovely when they finish their redecorating. And long-time friends from Davenport and Navy days (Larry and Lynn VanAusdle) had a get-together at their home in Sun Lakes last week with several couples who winter in this area.
Mike and Mary were here for a short visit last week, and we spent one full day driving to Tombstone (don't bother; it is a scruffy, poorly maintained town where every activity will cost you) and on to Bisbee. We didn't stop in Bisbee, but Ken and I have been there before and it is quite an appealing mining town with both an historical section and a new section.
For a mere fifty or sixty more miles we made our way to Sierra Vista to have dinner at Ricardo's which is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been in the same location for something like 30 years. Keith and Janet discovered Ricardo's when they lived at Ft. Huachuca, and we never miss an opportunity to stop. M&M treated us in honor of Ken's birthday. Then full circle back to Casa Grande.
My quilt projects have barely seen the light of day. In order to really get into a project, I end up trashing the motor home from one end to the other including the ironing board on the bathroom sink, the sewing machine on the vanity in the bedroom, and the cutting mat on the dinette table. By the time I get everything out, I am almost too tired to sew, and then it all has to be put away if we want to eat dinner.
The kitchen remodel at home is coming along on schedule with all the upper cabinets in place and new window installed. Base cabinets and countertops and backsplash are next. Our contractor is excellent; not only in his quality workmanship but in his ongoing efforts to stay in close touch as the work progresses. It will be fun to go home to a new kitchen! Ciao
Friday, February 19, 2010
Back in Casa Grande
Three weeks back in Casa Grande, where does the time go? Since we have been staying in this same park for several years, it is fun to return and see some familiar faces; as well as some new ones. We are settled in to a routine that doesn't vary a great deal.
Cooper's schedule pretty much dictates what we do and where we go; and he is always with us. He is perfectly happy to stay in the car while we shop or run errands, but as the weather warms up that becomes more difficult to do.
We spent a day with friends who live in Sun Lakes. Larry grew up in Davenport and is retired from the Navy, like Ken. And coincidentally, Lynn and I had met through a mutual friend before we knew about Ken and Larry. They invited us to join them for a Gospel quartet performance at their church called Liberty. They were excellent. Very entertaining and very good voices.
There is a quilting group that meets here in the park on Wednesdays so I have enjoyed that. I don't have a major project underway but am experimenting with some possibilities.
The Spragues arrived here on Wednesday for a week's stay and Ken and Rod are off today for a Rotary meeting and then on to the Mesa Market. I have finally convinced myself I don't need to go back to the market since it is the same every year and not much of any quality. Karen isn't interested either, so we are going to set up our machines on her patio for the afternoon.
Mike and Mary arrive one week from today for a short visit. I want to take them to the Old Tucson Studios since that is where so many western movies were filmed, and Mike has always loved westerns. We have nothing else firmly planned, but they are content to spend some of the time just sitting on the patio and soaking up the sun.
I had a pleasant surprise when I read a comment on my blog page and discovered it is a neighbor from grade school and high school days. Hello Steve. I'll be emailing you. Thanks for the contact.
My coffee is calling to me!! Ciao
Cooper's schedule pretty much dictates what we do and where we go; and he is always with us. He is perfectly happy to stay in the car while we shop or run errands, but as the weather warms up that becomes more difficult to do.
We spent a day with friends who live in Sun Lakes. Larry grew up in Davenport and is retired from the Navy, like Ken. And coincidentally, Lynn and I had met through a mutual friend before we knew about Ken and Larry. They invited us to join them for a Gospel quartet performance at their church called Liberty. They were excellent. Very entertaining and very good voices.
There is a quilting group that meets here in the park on Wednesdays so I have enjoyed that. I don't have a major project underway but am experimenting with some possibilities.
The Spragues arrived here on Wednesday for a week's stay and Ken and Rod are off today for a Rotary meeting and then on to the Mesa Market. I have finally convinced myself I don't need to go back to the market since it is the same every year and not much of any quality. Karen isn't interested either, so we are going to set up our machines on her patio for the afternoon.
Mike and Mary arrive one week from today for a short visit. I want to take them to the Old Tucson Studios since that is where so many western movies were filmed, and Mike has always loved westerns. We have nothing else firmly planned, but they are content to spend some of the time just sitting on the patio and soaking up the sun.
I had a pleasant surprise when I read a comment on my blog page and discovered it is a neighbor from grade school and high school days. Hello Steve. I'll be emailing you. Thanks for the contact.
My coffee is calling to me!! Ciao
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wal Mart, Salton Sea, Quartzite desert & Yuma
Those are the "sights" (read stops) we have encountered since my last blog from Travis AFB, and there will be one more when we move on to Casa Grande on Thursday.
We spent one night in the parking lot at the Wal Mart in Bakersfield before moving on to the Salton Sea and the Fountain of Youth. While in Bakersfield we went to Buck Owens' Crystal Palace for dinner and to have a look around at all the memorabilia from his musical career. We also spent a few hours at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield which is a sixty-acre outdoor facility with lots of little historical houses that have been moved to the property and set up as various businesses with everything from a harness shop to a blacksmith shop. There was a great emphasis on the oil, and I didn't realize what a huge impact it had on the area.
The most interesting stop on this trip was our two-day stay at the Fountain of Youth near the Salton Sea. That entire area is very desolate and foresaken, but this park was most enjoyable with its mineral water spa. We drove through Bombay Beach which had been a desirable resort area when the Salton Sea was created, but after a massive flood some twenty years ago, most everyone just picked up and abandoned their properties. But with great surprise, we found by looking closer that a number of those ramshackle places were occupied by what to look like squatters.
Rod and Karen drove to Slab City which was originally a military base that the government razed and just left the concrete slabs. That too has taken on a life of its own with numerous societal misfits taking up residence there living in everything from tents to big motor homes.
While on the desert, we endured the worst storm of twenty years with howling winds and driving rain. We pulled the slides in for the better part of one day and all night to protect the awnings from the wind. There were a number of folks who saw their slide awnings blow away. There was some sunshine for our last day before coming to Yuma yesterday. And on Thursday it is on to Casa Grande.
Cooper is doing well, and with his incredibly expensive dog food, his coat looks gorgeous. We never fail to have folks stop and ask about him or comment on him when we are out walking.
Karen and I need a quilting fix since we have been on the desert with no power for our machines so we are off today for pedicures and quilt shop hopping. I am also keeping my eyes open for a different machine since I have come to the conclusion that mine is underpowered and the source of a lot of frustration.
Unitl next time.............ciao.
We spent one night in the parking lot at the Wal Mart in Bakersfield before moving on to the Salton Sea and the Fountain of Youth. While in Bakersfield we went to Buck Owens' Crystal Palace for dinner and to have a look around at all the memorabilia from his musical career. We also spent a few hours at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield which is a sixty-acre outdoor facility with lots of little historical houses that have been moved to the property and set up as various businesses with everything from a harness shop to a blacksmith shop. There was a great emphasis on the oil, and I didn't realize what a huge impact it had on the area.
The most interesting stop on this trip was our two-day stay at the Fountain of Youth near the Salton Sea. That entire area is very desolate and foresaken, but this park was most enjoyable with its mineral water spa. We drove through Bombay Beach which had been a desirable resort area when the Salton Sea was created, but after a massive flood some twenty years ago, most everyone just picked up and abandoned their properties. But with great surprise, we found by looking closer that a number of those ramshackle places were occupied by what to look like squatters.
Rod and Karen drove to Slab City which was originally a military base that the government razed and just left the concrete slabs. That too has taken on a life of its own with numerous societal misfits taking up residence there living in everything from tents to big motor homes.
While on the desert, we endured the worst storm of twenty years with howling winds and driving rain. We pulled the slides in for the better part of one day and all night to protect the awnings from the wind. There were a number of folks who saw their slide awnings blow away. There was some sunshine for our last day before coming to Yuma yesterday. And on Thursday it is on to Casa Grande.
Cooper is doing well, and with his incredibly expensive dog food, his coat looks gorgeous. We never fail to have folks stop and ask about him or comment on him when we are out walking.
Karen and I need a quilting fix since we have been on the desert with no power for our machines so we are off today for pedicures and quilt shop hopping. I am also keeping my eyes open for a different machine since I have come to the conclusion that mine is underpowered and the source of a lot of frustration.
Unitl next time.............ciao.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Moving On
We will depart Travis on Thursday morning and probably stay in Bakersfield that night before going on to the Salton Sea on Friday. We have been busy and entertained while here with the arrival of both the Spragues and the Ouseys within an hour of each other last Friday.
Gary and Carolyn took a look at the map and decided it was a pretty short side trip to hop off I-5 and come visit, so it has been the six of us. There is lots of available space here in the Famcamp so we had no problem getting either the Spragues or the Ouseys in.
In addition to spending time visiting, Karen and I have worked on a small quilting project, and this afternoon she, Rod, and I went to see Invictus which was an awesome movie. But then I don't think any of Morgan Freeman's movies are anything but awesome.
The six of us toured the Jelly Belly factory here in Fairfield this week, and it was an OK tour, but they offer a complete tour down on the floor of the production area for a mere $47/person. We settled for the free tour which gave us an overhead perspective on the entire operation. Every one of those little jelly beans exits the production line with Jelly Belly stamped on it!! The gift shop had a plethora of Jelly Belly items, all appropriately over-priced, but I did purchase a two-pound bag of Belly Flops, the misshapen beans that didn't make it out the door.
Finally this morning I am seeing some blue sky and sunshine which is a vast improvement over the past five or six days of fog, damp, and dank. And the weather is bound to get more appealing as we move south.
Cooper has been a happy trooper. We weren't sure he was going to live to travel with us this year, but he has rallied and is as happy as a clam having the both of us confined to an area where he can keep an eye on us. He hardly looks fifteen when we take him outside and he bounds around in the grass looking for rabbits. He has lived to hunt another day.
There is an interesting phenomenon next door. A man arrived with a small older used motor home last weekend, and obviously knew NOTHING about an RV, but he said it was something he had always wanted to do, and had just purchased and driven this over from someone's driveway in the area.
Now it is the middle of the week, and I have gotten a glimpse of a woman and at least one teenager, but the curtains stay drawn and there is very limited activity except for the car being away during the day. My speculation is that it is a family who has lost their home, and have had to succumb to living in a small RV. No one goes out on their maiden voyage in an old RV they know nothing about just for the fun of it during the winter months. I will probably never know the entire story since we are leaving tomorrow. Ken helped him set up when he first arrived.
I need to get on with laundry and shopping to be ready to leave tomorrow. Ciao.
Gary and Carolyn took a look at the map and decided it was a pretty short side trip to hop off I-5 and come visit, so it has been the six of us. There is lots of available space here in the Famcamp so we had no problem getting either the Spragues or the Ouseys in.
In addition to spending time visiting, Karen and I have worked on a small quilting project, and this afternoon she, Rod, and I went to see Invictus which was an awesome movie. But then I don't think any of Morgan Freeman's movies are anything but awesome.
The six of us toured the Jelly Belly factory here in Fairfield this week, and it was an OK tour, but they offer a complete tour down on the floor of the production area for a mere $47/person. We settled for the free tour which gave us an overhead perspective on the entire operation. Every one of those little jelly beans exits the production line with Jelly Belly stamped on it!! The gift shop had a plethora of Jelly Belly items, all appropriately over-priced, but I did purchase a two-pound bag of Belly Flops, the misshapen beans that didn't make it out the door.
Finally this morning I am seeing some blue sky and sunshine which is a vast improvement over the past five or six days of fog, damp, and dank. And the weather is bound to get more appealing as we move south.
Cooper has been a happy trooper. We weren't sure he was going to live to travel with us this year, but he has rallied and is as happy as a clam having the both of us confined to an area where he can keep an eye on us. He hardly looks fifteen when we take him outside and he bounds around in the grass looking for rabbits. He has lived to hunt another day.
There is an interesting phenomenon next door. A man arrived with a small older used motor home last weekend, and obviously knew NOTHING about an RV, but he said it was something he had always wanted to do, and had just purchased and driven this over from someone's driveway in the area.
Now it is the middle of the week, and I have gotten a glimpse of a woman and at least one teenager, but the curtains stay drawn and there is very limited activity except for the car being away during the day. My speculation is that it is a family who has lost their home, and have had to succumb to living in a small RV. No one goes out on their maiden voyage in an old RV they know nothing about just for the fun of it during the winter months. I will probably never know the entire story since we are leaving tomorrow. Ken helped him set up when he first arrived.
I need to get on with laundry and shopping to be ready to leave tomorrow. Ciao.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Happy New Year
Yup, I have just jumped from Thanksgiving right to the New Year....but I will give you a glimpse of the intervening weeks.
To start at the end, we arrived today at Travis AFB Famcamp in Fairfield which will be "home" for about two weeks. In addition to our annual time with the Schulers, we are awaiting the arrival of the Spragues. They hope to leave Spokane on the 4th so if the weather cooperates, we should see them around the 7th.
Our trip down was uneventful, and we had great roads all the way with barely any snow in sight except the upper half of Mt. Shasta. Getting out of Steilacoom was a bit hectic because the kitchen had to be completely emptied. We are having it remodeled while we are away this winter so it had to be ready for the contractor to come in and demolish and rebuild. Trying to juggle Christmas, a four-month trip, a kitchen remodel and Christmas proved to be a bit overwhelming at times.
We spent Christmas Eve with the Johnsons in Bellevue and Colleen came back to Steilacoom for Christmas day. Craig and Cassie came by before we left and arrived with pizza in hand which was a godsend since I had nothing left in my kitchen but some empty cabinets. Colleen stayed two extra days and helped us with last minute packing and organizing.
I had hoped to get down here in time to attend a Kaffe Fassett quilting class today, but there was just no way we could get out of town in time. I am waiting for a call from Bev to hear how it was. Marvelous, I'm sure because he is so talented.
Keith and Janet and the girls are cruising in the Caribbean as I write this, and Brian is home from his lonely outpost overseas for the holidays.
Brian has learned that his next job come July will be at Seymour-Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC, a base where he has never been stationed. So we have a good excuse to hop on one of my private jets to go join in the transition the latter part of July.
After we leave here, we are going to travel with the Spragues to southern California with a stop at some hot springs in the Salton Sea area, and then on to Quartzite for a week in the desert with about 250,000 of our closest friends. I'm sure it sounds awful, but there is lots of desert so if you stay away from the town of Quartzite itself, it is quite enjoyable.....until the waste water tanks are full and the fresh water tank is empty!!!!!
We have made no plans beyond the week at Quartzite although we will probably end up back in Casa Grande where we have been going for the past few years. We know many of the regulars, and it is a good spot for Cooper.
Happy New Year and all the best to each of you in the coming year. Ciao
To start at the end, we arrived today at Travis AFB Famcamp in Fairfield which will be "home" for about two weeks. In addition to our annual time with the Schulers, we are awaiting the arrival of the Spragues. They hope to leave Spokane on the 4th so if the weather cooperates, we should see them around the 7th.
Our trip down was uneventful, and we had great roads all the way with barely any snow in sight except the upper half of Mt. Shasta. Getting out of Steilacoom was a bit hectic because the kitchen had to be completely emptied. We are having it remodeled while we are away this winter so it had to be ready for the contractor to come in and demolish and rebuild. Trying to juggle Christmas, a four-month trip, a kitchen remodel and Christmas proved to be a bit overwhelming at times.
We spent Christmas Eve with the Johnsons in Bellevue and Colleen came back to Steilacoom for Christmas day. Craig and Cassie came by before we left and arrived with pizza in hand which was a godsend since I had nothing left in my kitchen but some empty cabinets. Colleen stayed two extra days and helped us with last minute packing and organizing.
I had hoped to get down here in time to attend a Kaffe Fassett quilting class today, but there was just no way we could get out of town in time. I am waiting for a call from Bev to hear how it was. Marvelous, I'm sure because he is so talented.
Keith and Janet and the girls are cruising in the Caribbean as I write this, and Brian is home from his lonely outpost overseas for the holidays.
Brian has learned that his next job come July will be at Seymour-Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC, a base where he has never been stationed. So we have a good excuse to hop on one of my private jets to go join in the transition the latter part of July.
After we leave here, we are going to travel with the Spragues to southern California with a stop at some hot springs in the Salton Sea area, and then on to Quartzite for a week in the desert with about 250,000 of our closest friends. I'm sure it sounds awful, but there is lots of desert so if you stay away from the town of Quartzite itself, it is quite enjoyable.....until the waste water tanks are full and the fresh water tank is empty!!!!!
We have made no plans beyond the week at Quartzite although we will probably end up back in Casa Grande where we have been going for the past few years. We know many of the regulars, and it is a good spot for Cooper.
Happy New Year and all the best to each of you in the coming year. Ciao
Monday, December 07, 2009
Deep Freeze Time
Brrr, are we ever feeling the Arctic blast from the north. The furnace has run almost non-stop all day, and it is having trouble getting the temperature above 65. What does that tell you about a 90+ year-old house with plaster walls and scant insulation? I was stringing some lights near the fireplace and discovered a major cold spot between the fireplace and the outside wall.
We have continued to fine-tune the next three weeks to coordinate Christmas and leave-taking. We are going to spend Christmas Eve with Curt and Cinda and family in Bellevue and then come home to have Christmas morning here. Then we hope to be on the road by noon. Since I hope to be in Pacific Grove the morning of the 29th for a Kaffe Fasset Quilt presentation, we need to make tracks and getting an early start can't hurt. This plan gives Colleen both of her Christmas favorites; Christmas Eve dinner with fondue and Christmas morning gifts and breakfast.
We dutifully trekked out to the Madigan clinic today since this is the week for flu shots only to discover they have nothing to offer. What little regular flu vaccine they received is depleted and they don't expect to get any more. So we will just have to continue to be judicious about hand-washing, and hope we have a bit of leftover immunity from years past.
We are closing in on time for the evening news. Ciao
We have continued to fine-tune the next three weeks to coordinate Christmas and leave-taking. We are going to spend Christmas Eve with Curt and Cinda and family in Bellevue and then come home to have Christmas morning here. Then we hope to be on the road by noon. Since I hope to be in Pacific Grove the morning of the 29th for a Kaffe Fasset Quilt presentation, we need to make tracks and getting an early start can't hurt. This plan gives Colleen both of her Christmas favorites; Christmas Eve dinner with fondue and Christmas morning gifts and breakfast.
We dutifully trekked out to the Madigan clinic today since this is the week for flu shots only to discover they have nothing to offer. What little regular flu vaccine they received is depleted and they don't expect to get any more. So we will just have to continue to be judicious about hand-washing, and hope we have a bit of leftover immunity from years past.
We are closing in on time for the evening news. Ciao
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving Past
We spent a lovely afternoon in Kenmore with Jordan and Cliff Swain, Josh, and Cliff's parents, Lee and Debbie from Davenport. By the time the groaning board was ready, we had two of everything including turkeys, stuffings, vegetables, cranberry sauces and desserts. Cliff deep-fried one of the turkeys and it was very tasty. That was a first for me. I have always been intrigued with the process but never wanted to get that up-close and personal with a pot of hot oil. Cliff and Jordan's toddler, Thomas, was adorable and provided lots of entertainment. Jordan is an artist so her home reflects her talents, as did her beautifully set table.
We are having friends here for dinner tomorrow night. Jerry was Ken's boss at Western State, and he and Mary Ellen live at the other end of our street. I know I am preparing mahi mahi from Ken's summer fishing trip, but the rest of the menu is yet to be decided.
There are a few scant plans in place for our annual trip south, but they are scant and only get us into the first two weeks. We will leave here with a planned stop in Albany, Oregon to visit Ken's cousin, Harriet. From there we will make our way to the desert for a few days on then who knows where. Possibly back to Casa Grande where we have been for the past three winters.
Colleen ran her first half marathon in Seattle today. She has been very faithful to her training schedule, and she came through with flying colors. She was running for Break the Chains to bring awareness to human bondage and slavery. I am very proud of her.
I have one string of lights on the mantle and some red and white candles in their holders. Is that enough for Christmas decorating? We are not going to put up a tree since we leave on 12/26, and it takes me about three days to dismantle, pack away and stow in the attic. I will awaken our nutcrackers, unearth the hand-knit socks, and bring forth the Nativity set, but that is about it. We are about halfway there with gifts; either already purchased or at least filed away in our minds.
We were sorry to hear that RV friends from Canada lost their motor home to fire in a parking lot while inside a restaurant in Bakersfield. A passer-by realized there was a little dog inside and broke a window to get inside and save him. It will be about two weeks before the insurance appraiser gets there, but in the meantime the Robinsons have been given the use of a motor home, help with packing their belongings, and storage space for same by someone who was in the restaurant at the time. There are good samaritans out there.
Keep warm and keep the holiday spirit. Ciao
We are having friends here for dinner tomorrow night. Jerry was Ken's boss at Western State, and he and Mary Ellen live at the other end of our street. I know I am preparing mahi mahi from Ken's summer fishing trip, but the rest of the menu is yet to be decided.
There are a few scant plans in place for our annual trip south, but they are scant and only get us into the first two weeks. We will leave here with a planned stop in Albany, Oregon to visit Ken's cousin, Harriet. From there we will make our way to the desert for a few days on then who knows where. Possibly back to Casa Grande where we have been for the past three winters.
Colleen ran her first half marathon in Seattle today. She has been very faithful to her training schedule, and she came through with flying colors. She was running for Break the Chains to bring awareness to human bondage and slavery. I am very proud of her.
I have one string of lights on the mantle and some red and white candles in their holders. Is that enough for Christmas decorating? We are not going to put up a tree since we leave on 12/26, and it takes me about three days to dismantle, pack away and stow in the attic. I will awaken our nutcrackers, unearth the hand-knit socks, and bring forth the Nativity set, but that is about it. We are about halfway there with gifts; either already purchased or at least filed away in our minds.
We were sorry to hear that RV friends from Canada lost their motor home to fire in a parking lot while inside a restaurant in Bakersfield. A passer-by realized there was a little dog inside and broke a window to get inside and save him. It will be about two weeks before the insurance appraiser gets there, but in the meantime the Robinsons have been given the use of a motor home, help with packing their belongings, and storage space for same by someone who was in the restaurant at the time. There are good samaritans out there.
Keep warm and keep the holiday spirit. Ciao
Sunday, November 15, 2009
More Birthday Fun
Colleen invited some family for my birthday celebration, and Craig was the hunter/gatherer. He went crabbing the day before and provided crab for all for dinner, and Colleen knows my penchant for caramel apples, so that was dessert in lieu of a birthday cake. Of course there was the requisite number of "sweet and sentimental cards". Not!!
I am into my third week of yoga and discovering how far I have to go. It is just a small group of about a half dozen women that meet for an hour twice a week at the local community center. The instructor is quite good, and I continue to hope I will progress to a point of being able to do at least the basics without falling over!!
Yesterday was more fun with Colleen. A birthday/Christmas gift was a cheese-making workshop held in Chimicum, WA on a working goat farm. With a herd of at least two dozen goats, the owner produces enough cheese to accommodate several local markets and a co-op. She and her family live about a mile down a road to no-where, but it is their own little oasis complete with a creamery/milking parlor, goat barn, miniature horses and herds of ducks and turkeys. In her former life, Suzanne was a geneticist and her husband is a veterinarian.
She is very practical and in addition to the rudiments of cheese-making, she provides lots of cost-cutting ideas for the process of making cheese. It is actually a pretty basic and simple operation and in the course of the day she demonstrated a soft chevre, a ricotta, a "cooked" hard cheese, and feta. All very simple.
The goal for the farm is to be self-sustaining and to not waste anything. The pigs, which are now in the freezer, root up the garden area and are fed the whey from the cheesemaking process. Turkeys and ducks roam freely dining on bugs and critters and are also recipients of the whey. The herd of goats are kept in a barn at night that gets cleaned only once a year. New straw is continually laid down over the old building up a self-heating base for the animals. Suzanne said being in the barn in February during kidding season is like sitting over a radiant-heated floor.
As we walked toward the pasture to admire the herd, Suzanne called to the girls and they came running to the fence. Very cute. Of course I have "country" running through my veins so I loved all of this.
Colleen and I were on an early ferry so stopped in Chimicum for breakfast at the "local hangout" which was a glimpse into local life. Actually it was more of a coffee/bakery place but we had a tasty breakfast while eavesdropping on the adjacent table of local retired geezers who discussed everything from local personalities to a bit about some aspects of good grammar. All very entertaining. I am always game for trying a local establishment as opposed to some chain restaurant, although I doubt there was even a McDonalds in Chimicum.
We have been invited to Jordan and Cliff's for Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to deep-fried turkey; a specialty of Cliff's. Craig, Cassie, and Greta are going to Stayton for Oregon to see her family, and in particular her grandfather who is in failing health. That said, I am going to have an early Thanksgiving dinner next weekend for them and Colleen.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Ciao.
I am into my third week of yoga and discovering how far I have to go. It is just a small group of about a half dozen women that meet for an hour twice a week at the local community center. The instructor is quite good, and I continue to hope I will progress to a point of being able to do at least the basics without falling over!!
Yesterday was more fun with Colleen. A birthday/Christmas gift was a cheese-making workshop held in Chimicum, WA on a working goat farm. With a herd of at least two dozen goats, the owner produces enough cheese to accommodate several local markets and a co-op. She and her family live about a mile down a road to no-where, but it is their own little oasis complete with a creamery/milking parlor, goat barn, miniature horses and herds of ducks and turkeys. In her former life, Suzanne was a geneticist and her husband is a veterinarian.
She is very practical and in addition to the rudiments of cheese-making, she provides lots of cost-cutting ideas for the process of making cheese. It is actually a pretty basic and simple operation and in the course of the day she demonstrated a soft chevre, a ricotta, a "cooked" hard cheese, and feta. All very simple.
The goal for the farm is to be self-sustaining and to not waste anything. The pigs, which are now in the freezer, root up the garden area and are fed the whey from the cheesemaking process. Turkeys and ducks roam freely dining on bugs and critters and are also recipients of the whey. The herd of goats are kept in a barn at night that gets cleaned only once a year. New straw is continually laid down over the old building up a self-heating base for the animals. Suzanne said being in the barn in February during kidding season is like sitting over a radiant-heated floor.
As we walked toward the pasture to admire the herd, Suzanne called to the girls and they came running to the fence. Very cute. Of course I have "country" running through my veins so I loved all of this.
Colleen and I were on an early ferry so stopped in Chimicum for breakfast at the "local hangout" which was a glimpse into local life. Actually it was more of a coffee/bakery place but we had a tasty breakfast while eavesdropping on the adjacent table of local retired geezers who discussed everything from local personalities to a bit about some aspects of good grammar. All very entertaining. I am always game for trying a local establishment as opposed to some chain restaurant, although I doubt there was even a McDonalds in Chimicum.
We have been invited to Jordan and Cliff's for Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to deep-fried turkey; a specialty of Cliff's. Craig, Cassie, and Greta are going to Stayton for Oregon to see her family, and in particular her grandfather who is in failing health. That said, I am going to have an early Thanksgiving dinner next weekend for them and Colleen.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. Ciao.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Beautiful Palouse
Colleen and I just returned from our four-day fall birthday trip to southeastern Washington. The Palouse country is beautiful most any time of the year, but I think fall is my favorite with the stubble fields and the winter wheat green fields forming a patchwork quilt across Whitman County.
We revisited several shops that we found last year, but our B&B experience was just that .... an experience.
It was a ranch located between Colfax and Pullman and our host and hostess were a husband and wife of retirement age who have partially retired from farming but have plenty of other interests. Their home was a perfect layout for a B&B with a full daylight basement that afforded four bedrooms and two bathrooms, but I don't think these folks have really considered what a B&B should offer besides a bed, a bathroom, and a breakfast.
Colleen's and my room had obviously been the family room when the house was built and it came complete with a fireplace and a bar. But it looked as if this also became the catch-all over the years since it sported a French provincial china cabinet adorned with a two-foot tall Father Christmas standing guard from the top. Draped across an old trunk was a saddle and bridle, and the chaps were hanging from the fireplace mantle which was adorned with an imitation evergreen tree.
Colleen got the special bedside table that was adorned with a feathery, sequined, two foot long blue peacock that our hostess said she just had to have and waited for it to go on sale.
When we got a glimpse of the birdcage the size of a small refrigerator with a foot tall parrot sitting on its outside edge, we declared that we were not breakfast eaters so no need to prepare breakfast for us. Because the bird and cage were located right at the end of the stand-along eating bar in the kitchen and adjacent to the dining table. Ugh.
These folks were very nice, have been ranchers all their lives, and so I suspect they didn't have any sense of anything being amiss. I just wonder how they have stayed under the radar of the local health department.
Saturday was homecoming for WSU so we avoided the stadium area, but the day before we found a fruit sale where the school was selling its apples and pears. We found at least a dozen kinds of apples that we have never heard of so considered that quite a find. Moscow has a great Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings so we found lovely peppers and squash among other things, but we shopped very quickly because the overnight temperature had been 15, and it had not warmed up very much by 8:30.
The little town of Palouse is becoming quite a tourist gem. There are three antique shops with two of them being very inviting, a nice little quilt shop, and the Green Frog restaurant serves up some very tasty food. We shared a bowl of homemade soup, a black bean burrito that looked and acted more like a lasagne, and spinach salad. All very tasty and yummy. The shopkeepers were lamenting that there is no place for visitors to stay in Palouse so I'm thinking that might be my call for a bed and breakfast. No need to worry about competition from the ranch over by Colfax/Pullman!!
Colleen and I saw Mike and Mary and Becky and Ben while we were there and all are doing well. Mike is not supposed to ride in a car for long periods of time, but he seems to be getting a bit of cabin fever.
We spent two of our four nights at the Sprague RV park/B&B/canning kitchen. Colleen made apple butter after we returned from down south on Saturday afternoon. Rod is still working at the jobsite at Vantage, so Karen is busy trying to keep ahead of the freezing weather and to winterize everything. This early cold snap makes me think more and more of sunny Arizona. Ciao
We revisited several shops that we found last year, but our B&B experience was just that .... an experience.
It was a ranch located between Colfax and Pullman and our host and hostess were a husband and wife of retirement age who have partially retired from farming but have plenty of other interests. Their home was a perfect layout for a B&B with a full daylight basement that afforded four bedrooms and two bathrooms, but I don't think these folks have really considered what a B&B should offer besides a bed, a bathroom, and a breakfast.
Colleen's and my room had obviously been the family room when the house was built and it came complete with a fireplace and a bar. But it looked as if this also became the catch-all over the years since it sported a French provincial china cabinet adorned with a two-foot tall Father Christmas standing guard from the top. Draped across an old trunk was a saddle and bridle, and the chaps were hanging from the fireplace mantle which was adorned with an imitation evergreen tree.
Colleen got the special bedside table that was adorned with a feathery, sequined, two foot long blue peacock that our hostess said she just had to have and waited for it to go on sale.
When we got a glimpse of the birdcage the size of a small refrigerator with a foot tall parrot sitting on its outside edge, we declared that we were not breakfast eaters so no need to prepare breakfast for us. Because the bird and cage were located right at the end of the stand-along eating bar in the kitchen and adjacent to the dining table. Ugh.
These folks were very nice, have been ranchers all their lives, and so I suspect they didn't have any sense of anything being amiss. I just wonder how they have stayed under the radar of the local health department.
Saturday was homecoming for WSU so we avoided the stadium area, but the day before we found a fruit sale where the school was selling its apples and pears. We found at least a dozen kinds of apples that we have never heard of so considered that quite a find. Moscow has a great Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings so we found lovely peppers and squash among other things, but we shopped very quickly because the overnight temperature had been 15, and it had not warmed up very much by 8:30.
The little town of Palouse is becoming quite a tourist gem. There are three antique shops with two of them being very inviting, a nice little quilt shop, and the Green Frog restaurant serves up some very tasty food. We shared a bowl of homemade soup, a black bean burrito that looked and acted more like a lasagne, and spinach salad. All very tasty and yummy. The shopkeepers were lamenting that there is no place for visitors to stay in Palouse so I'm thinking that might be my call for a bed and breakfast. No need to worry about competition from the ranch over by Colfax/Pullman!!
Colleen and I saw Mike and Mary and Becky and Ben while we were there and all are doing well. Mike is not supposed to ride in a car for long periods of time, but he seems to be getting a bit of cabin fever.
We spent two of our four nights at the Sprague RV park/B&B/canning kitchen. Colleen made apple butter after we returned from down south on Saturday afternoon. Rod is still working at the jobsite at Vantage, so Karen is busy trying to keep ahead of the freezing weather and to winterize everything. This early cold snap makes me think more and more of sunny Arizona. Ciao
Friday, October 02, 2009
Happy October
Where did September go?
The good news is that Mike had successful surgery last month and the prognosis is good with no plans for chemo or radiation, even though the tumor was malignant. He spent four days in the hospital and is now home recovering. Even though the surgery was laproscopic, he was quite uncomfortable for several days.
We have attend TWO rallies since my last blog. The Winnebago rally in Lynden was interesting, and the group that is from this area was very welcoming and inclusive. Of course we were urged to join, but I resisted, and was honest with them in that I really don't want to join a group and feel obligated to do my share of the work when called upon. The work is fine, but it has to be on my schedule.
We spent five days in Spokane to see Mike through his surgery, and then we joined Rod and Karen at an Alpine rally in Richland. Another very nice group of folks, and this rally, like the previous week's rally, tended to have a heavy emphasis on eating!!
We visited just two wineries while in the area. It was crush weekend, and those special weekends attract hordes of people, many of whom do not know a merlot from a marlin, so we didn't venture out very much. We always go to our favorite winery, Barnard Griffin, and this time was no exception.
Next week Colleen and I are going to Spokane and Whitman County for a combined birthday outing. We did it last year and had so much fun that we are going to stay an extra day this year. Karen is graciously allowing us to stay with her while going and coming so it should be a very fun four days. Both Colleen and I relish the crisp fall air and all the wonderful fresh fall produce, particularly squash and pears.
I have whittled away at my unfinished quilting projects, and I think I am ready to embark on one last major unfinished quilt. I keep seeing fun fabrics and new patterns that intrigue me, but I won't let myself start anything new until the UFOs have been cleared away.
Happy Halloween!!! Ciao
The good news is that Mike had successful surgery last month and the prognosis is good with no plans for chemo or radiation, even though the tumor was malignant. He spent four days in the hospital and is now home recovering. Even though the surgery was laproscopic, he was quite uncomfortable for several days.
We have attend TWO rallies since my last blog. The Winnebago rally in Lynden was interesting, and the group that is from this area was very welcoming and inclusive. Of course we were urged to join, but I resisted, and was honest with them in that I really don't want to join a group and feel obligated to do my share of the work when called upon. The work is fine, but it has to be on my schedule.
We spent five days in Spokane to see Mike through his surgery, and then we joined Rod and Karen at an Alpine rally in Richland. Another very nice group of folks, and this rally, like the previous week's rally, tended to have a heavy emphasis on eating!!
We visited just two wineries while in the area. It was crush weekend, and those special weekends attract hordes of people, many of whom do not know a merlot from a marlin, so we didn't venture out very much. We always go to our favorite winery, Barnard Griffin, and this time was no exception.
Next week Colleen and I are going to Spokane and Whitman County for a combined birthday outing. We did it last year and had so much fun that we are going to stay an extra day this year. Karen is graciously allowing us to stay with her while going and coming so it should be a very fun four days. Both Colleen and I relish the crisp fall air and all the wonderful fresh fall produce, particularly squash and pears.
I have whittled away at my unfinished quilting projects, and I think I am ready to embark on one last major unfinished quilt. I keep seeing fun fabrics and new patterns that intrigue me, but I won't let myself start anything new until the UFOs have been cleared away.
Happy Halloween!!! Ciao
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Summer is Waning
I have been trying to get warm all day! But fall is beautiful in Washington so I am looking forward to the next two months.
We have been staying close to home and mostly puttering. There is a state-wide Winnebago rally in Lynden the middle of this month, and we plan to attend. We have never participated in any of the local or state activities before.
This coming weekend is girls' weekend in Seattle. Cassie, Greta, and I are going to Colleen's for Friday and Saturday night to include some Thai food and on Saturday - pedicures all round. Colleen now has a woman living in her apartment, but Colleen gave her fair warning that this little activity was in the works.
Please keep my brother, Mike, in your thoughts. He was just diagnosed with a malignant growth on his kidney. The prognosis at this time is very positive with no plans for any treatment beyond the removal of the kidney. He is scheduled for surgery on 9/21. We will make ourselves available if he or his family needs us for anything.
Rachel is now a full-fledged college student. She moved into the dorms at University of Maryland Baltimore Campus on Friday, and I presume classes started today. Sarah is living at home and is taking some specific classes nearby to get ready to enroll at Towson for her RN.
My fresh roasted beets are beckoning me to finish dinner. Ciao.
We have been staying close to home and mostly puttering. There is a state-wide Winnebago rally in Lynden the middle of this month, and we plan to attend. We have never participated in any of the local or state activities before.
This coming weekend is girls' weekend in Seattle. Cassie, Greta, and I are going to Colleen's for Friday and Saturday night to include some Thai food and on Saturday - pedicures all round. Colleen now has a woman living in her apartment, but Colleen gave her fair warning that this little activity was in the works.
Please keep my brother, Mike, in your thoughts. He was just diagnosed with a malignant growth on his kidney. The prognosis at this time is very positive with no plans for any treatment beyond the removal of the kidney. He is scheduled for surgery on 9/21. We will make ourselves available if he or his family needs us for anything.
Rachel is now a full-fledged college student. She moved into the dorms at University of Maryland Baltimore Campus on Friday, and I presume classes started today. Sarah is living at home and is taking some specific classes nearby to get ready to enroll at Towson for her RN.
My fresh roasted beets are beckoning me to finish dinner. Ciao.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Ooops!
Has it really been that long since I blogged? We have been home for about one month so I guess it is true.
The trip across the country to get home was uneventful (fortunately....more later), and we spent two nights in the parking lot at the Winnebago plant in Forest City, Iowa. It is a very small town surrounded by Winnebago. The founder of Winnebago grew up in Forest City, and began his professional career as an undertaker. As Winnebago evolved, he kept it all in Forest City.
I was keen to take the factory tour, but I didn't see much because (1) the lines were not working the week of July 4, and (2) there were no lights on inside the buildings. However, there is a very cute quilt shop in the town so that was good compensation.
We drove along a bit of the Oregon Trail in Nebraska, but otherwise pretty much just drove toward Washington. We spent four days in the Spokane area at Clear Lake which has a Fam Camp affiliated with Fairchild. Our friends, the VanAusles, who own a home in Phoenix, spend their summers at Clear Lake so we were parked just a few spaces down from them. We saw friends and family while in the area.
Everything was in relatively good order when we got home. Craig and Colleen were good to stop in every once in a while to check on everything. Even with the hot weather, most plants survived.
The highlight of our summer has been the job of having had Warren and Nolan spend a week with us. We LOVED every minute of it. Uncle Craig and his boat were the highlights and I think the boys were out on it about five out of the seven days. In fact they stayed out on it for two nights running. Both boys were a joy to have here with us, and we hope we get to do it again next year.
Ken's cousin, Carolyn, and her husband, Irvin, were traveling in our area so we were very happy they chose to come by for a visit. They live in central Oregon, and none of our travels ever seem to take us that direction, so it was great to see them.
We were VERY GRATEFUL to have had an uneventful trip, because only after getting home and opening mail did we realize that I had overlooked paying the annual insurance on the motor home. So the entire trip from Maryland to the Maritimes and back across the country was without insurance. I was so confident I had paid it that I even removed the reminder from the computer's calendar, but I think I wss confusing paying the insurance with all the other tasks to get ready to go to Canada such as insurance cards and licenses.
I got home a week ago after having spent a week in eastern Washington and Eureka, MT for a quilt show and classes. My friend, Karen, and three of her quilting buddies were in Eureka as well. The entire town turns out for the one-day show with about 500 quilts displayed on store fronts and throughout the town park.
I stopped in Union Gap on the way home last week and bought peaches and some other fresh produce. So Ken and I canned about 16 quarts of peaches recently. I know it isn't cost-effective, but they certainly are tasty.
Steilacoom has a weekly farmer's market this year, and it is great. It isn't huge, but it has a good balance of produce, crafts, and snacks and all in all is very well done.
I have been spending some time trying to sort and reorganize my quilting area. It is amazing how quickly it can get to be such a jumble. I have completed a couple of small projects that have been hanging around forever, and am about to finish one quilt and finish a quilt top. I will not let myself start something else until I clear out the UFOs. There is another complicated partially completed quilt top that is lurking in my future before I can embark on something new.
Okay, I'll try to be a bit more prompt with my blogging!! Ciao
The trip across the country to get home was uneventful (fortunately....more later), and we spent two nights in the parking lot at the Winnebago plant in Forest City, Iowa. It is a very small town surrounded by Winnebago. The founder of Winnebago grew up in Forest City, and began his professional career as an undertaker. As Winnebago evolved, he kept it all in Forest City.
I was keen to take the factory tour, but I didn't see much because (1) the lines were not working the week of July 4, and (2) there were no lights on inside the buildings. However, there is a very cute quilt shop in the town so that was good compensation.
We drove along a bit of the Oregon Trail in Nebraska, but otherwise pretty much just drove toward Washington. We spent four days in the Spokane area at Clear Lake which has a Fam Camp affiliated with Fairchild. Our friends, the VanAusles, who own a home in Phoenix, spend their summers at Clear Lake so we were parked just a few spaces down from them. We saw friends and family while in the area.
Everything was in relatively good order when we got home. Craig and Colleen were good to stop in every once in a while to check on everything. Even with the hot weather, most plants survived.
The highlight of our summer has been the job of having had Warren and Nolan spend a week with us. We LOVED every minute of it. Uncle Craig and his boat were the highlights and I think the boys were out on it about five out of the seven days. In fact they stayed out on it for two nights running. Both boys were a joy to have here with us, and we hope we get to do it again next year.
Ken's cousin, Carolyn, and her husband, Irvin, were traveling in our area so we were very happy they chose to come by for a visit. They live in central Oregon, and none of our travels ever seem to take us that direction, so it was great to see them.
We were VERY GRATEFUL to have had an uneventful trip, because only after getting home and opening mail did we realize that I had overlooked paying the annual insurance on the motor home. So the entire trip from Maryland to the Maritimes and back across the country was without insurance. I was so confident I had paid it that I even removed the reminder from the computer's calendar, but I think I wss confusing paying the insurance with all the other tasks to get ready to go to Canada such as insurance cards and licenses.
I got home a week ago after having spent a week in eastern Washington and Eureka, MT for a quilt show and classes. My friend, Karen, and three of her quilting buddies were in Eureka as well. The entire town turns out for the one-day show with about 500 quilts displayed on store fronts and throughout the town park.
I stopped in Union Gap on the way home last week and bought peaches and some other fresh produce. So Ken and I canned about 16 quarts of peaches recently. I know it isn't cost-effective, but they certainly are tasty.
Steilacoom has a weekly farmer's market this year, and it is great. It isn't huge, but it has a good balance of produce, crafts, and snacks and all in all is very well done.
I have been spending some time trying to sort and reorganize my quilting area. It is amazing how quickly it can get to be such a jumble. I have completed a couple of small projects that have been hanging around forever, and am about to finish one quilt and finish a quilt top. I will not let myself start something else until I clear out the UFOs. There is another complicated partially completed quilt top that is lurking in my future before I can embark on something new.
Okay, I'll try to be a bit more prompt with my blogging!! Ciao
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Intercourse!!! Of Course!!!
Yes, we are in Intercourse, PA, but I must digress a bit to finish our trip to the Maritimes. Joan and Ron Leitch, whom we didn't socialize with all that much when we lived in Halifax, treated us as if we were royalty. They came by the MH for a drink, and then took us to their cottage where we dined on lobster and salad and dessert. We caught up on their two daughters, one a pharmacist and one a teacher, and their two granddaughters. Ron worked for Zellars (W.T. Grant) when we were neighbors, and then he went on to own two Arbys franchises. Now they summer at their cottage on PEI and winter at their lovely home in Manzanilla, Mexico. I think we just might have to cruise to Puerto Vallarta and visit them!!!
On our way to Intercourse, we spent a night down east on the Maine coast. We just happened on a small RV park and while checking in, there was a sign that asked if one had ordered lobster!!!! The park owner said he would cook them and deliver them to the MH whenever we wanted.............I wanted. He arrived at our door about 40 minutes later with a lobster for each, about 1 1/2# each, and the total bill was $22!!! The best lobster of the entire trip.
The next day we spent the early evening driving in a circle trying to find a particular RV park, only to discover that it was a sea of mud............so we kept going. We crossed the line from NY to Connecticut, stopped at a rest area, rested for a while.................and at six the next morning awoke from a good night's sleep and proceeded on our way.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Country is not only beautiful with its green fields of wheat, tobacco, and corn, but it is absolutely charming with all the Amish farms and the horses and buggies that ply the roadways. We are backed up to a country road that is frequented by the clip-clop of horses hooves as the buggies pass by.
We drove to Keith and Janet's yesterday and ended up spending the night. We had to retrieve the fish, orchid, and alcohol that we left for safekeeping while we went to Canada. Last night we were treated to grilled pork chops that were drenched in a bourbon sauce, and this morning it was biscuits and gravy. One never goes hungry at a Kirkwood house!!!
Tomorrow morning we hit the road and we are headed west. We will make a stop in Indiana to visit my niece and nephew, and then on to Iowa to tour the Winnebago factory and visit a quilt shop in Winterset. Ken then wants to hook up with part of the Oregon trail since some of his Kirkwood ancestors were on one of the first trains to come west.
Until next time; ciao
On our way to Intercourse, we spent a night down east on the Maine coast. We just happened on a small RV park and while checking in, there was a sign that asked if one had ordered lobster!!!! The park owner said he would cook them and deliver them to the MH whenever we wanted.............I wanted. He arrived at our door about 40 minutes later with a lobster for each, about 1 1/2# each, and the total bill was $22!!! The best lobster of the entire trip.
The next day we spent the early evening driving in a circle trying to find a particular RV park, only to discover that it was a sea of mud............so we kept going. We crossed the line from NY to Connecticut, stopped at a rest area, rested for a while.................and at six the next morning awoke from a good night's sleep and proceeded on our way.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Country is not only beautiful with its green fields of wheat, tobacco, and corn, but it is absolutely charming with all the Amish farms and the horses and buggies that ply the roadways. We are backed up to a country road that is frequented by the clip-clop of horses hooves as the buggies pass by.
We drove to Keith and Janet's yesterday and ended up spending the night. We had to retrieve the fish, orchid, and alcohol that we left for safekeeping while we went to Canada. Last night we were treated to grilled pork chops that were drenched in a bourbon sauce, and this morning it was biscuits and gravy. One never goes hungry at a Kirkwood house!!!
Tomorrow morning we hit the road and we are headed west. We will make a stop in Indiana to visit my niece and nephew, and then on to Iowa to tour the Winnebago factory and visit a quilt shop in Winterset. Ken then wants to hook up with part of the Oregon trail since some of his Kirkwood ancestors were on one of the first trains to come west.
Until next time; ciao
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Down Memory Lane to the Maritimes
After what seemed like endless miles of driving we arrived in Halifax on Tuesday afternoon. There were only two choices for RV parks, and much as we try to avoid them, the KOA was the best bet. Giff and Betty Anne were determined that we should park in their driveway, but it was just too short/small, and we worried about damaging the blacktop.
We drove through our old neighborhood and stopped to take pictures of the first house we ever owned. In asking to do so, the current owner invited us inside for a look around, which we did. I can honestly say I don’t feel as if we have lost anything. Clayton Park was a very desirable address when we lived there, and I guess it is still a desirable area, but we can’t see that it has held its value. Other than a great floorplan, there is nothing appealing about the property. The current owner is talking about everything from new windows (sorely needed to replace the old aluminum) to a remodeled kitchen (not all that bad except for the cheap cabinets that are the same ones we had when we lived there).
We drove by the grade school that Keith, Brian, and Colleen attended, and it looks like a forty-year-old building. The most notable change about the entire neighborhood is how overgrown it has become as the trees matured plus several properties near our old house now have hedges.
This morning we stopped by the Giffins, and will return this evening for dinner (lobster). Giff is in New Brunswick fishing and will be home in time for dinner, but we had a good visit with Betty Anne and caught up on their five boys and their families. We reminisced about the long-ago weekend the four of us spent together in our little camper and how much fun it was.
We have chatted with Joan and Ron Leitch who were our next-door neighbors here in Halifax. They are at their cottage on P.E.I for the summer, and they now spend their winters in their newly-built home in Mexico. We have waffled about going to P.E.I. to see them, but we have decided to, so we will take a spin across the new Confederation Bridge that is the longest in the world to span ice-covered waters – about eight miles.
The weather is unbelievably beautiful with temps in the low seventies and blue sky and sunshine; not that we didn’t encounter some rains and thunder and lightning the days we were on the road getting here. Ciao
We drove through our old neighborhood and stopped to take pictures of the first house we ever owned. In asking to do so, the current owner invited us inside for a look around, which we did. I can honestly say I don’t feel as if we have lost anything. Clayton Park was a very desirable address when we lived there, and I guess it is still a desirable area, but we can’t see that it has held its value. Other than a great floorplan, there is nothing appealing about the property. The current owner is talking about everything from new windows (sorely needed to replace the old aluminum) to a remodeled kitchen (not all that bad except for the cheap cabinets that are the same ones we had when we lived there).
We drove by the grade school that Keith, Brian, and Colleen attended, and it looks like a forty-year-old building. The most notable change about the entire neighborhood is how overgrown it has become as the trees matured plus several properties near our old house now have hedges.
This morning we stopped by the Giffins, and will return this evening for dinner (lobster). Giff is in New Brunswick fishing and will be home in time for dinner, but we had a good visit with Betty Anne and caught up on their five boys and their families. We reminisced about the long-ago weekend the four of us spent together in our little camper and how much fun it was.
We have chatted with Joan and Ron Leitch who were our next-door neighbors here in Halifax. They are at their cottage on P.E.I for the summer, and they now spend their winters in their newly-built home in Mexico. We have waffled about going to P.E.I. to see them, but we have decided to, so we will take a spin across the new Confederation Bridge that is the longest in the world to span ice-covered waters – about eight miles.
The weather is unbelievably beautiful with temps in the low seventies and blue sky and sunshine; not that we didn’t encounter some rains and thunder and lightning the days we were on the road getting here. Ciao
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Family and Graduations
We spent three days at Kings Bay Naval Station near the Georgia/Florida line, and in addition to seeing 'gators, we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org. Having only opened within the past two years, the center is dedicated to rescuing and preserving the sea turtles of the area. Several big tanks were home to some turtles who were rehabilitating, and hopefully they will be well enough to be released back into the wild. I could readily relate to Simone and her impatience. Having been given a big block of ice with some small fish frozen into it, she chased it round and round her tank until she became completely frustrated and whapped the water with her flipper about five times as hard as she could. Even though she is missing one rear flipper, she is expected to be released soon.
We arrived at the Ft. Meade RV Park on Sunday, May 17 and will be here until June 13. The past ten days have been a round of fun-filled family activities and celebrations. Janet's parents arrived on Tuesday, Colleen arrived on Wednesday, Rachel graduated on Thursday, Sarah graduated on Friday, and Craig, Cassie and Greta arrived on Friday. Saturday was a Kirkwood bash with all of us together at Keith's and enjoying smoked buffalo brisket prepared by Chef Brian.
Then again on Sunday we were all together and joined by Sarah and Rachel's friends for a graduation party. To be continued! Ciao
We arrived at the Ft. Meade RV Park on Sunday, May 17 and will be here until June 13. The past ten days have been a round of fun-filled family activities and celebrations. Janet's parents arrived on Tuesday, Colleen arrived on Wednesday, Rachel graduated on Thursday, Sarah graduated on Friday, and Craig, Cassie and Greta arrived on Friday. Saturday was a Kirkwood bash with all of us together at Keith's and enjoying smoked buffalo brisket prepared by Chef Brian.
Then again on Sunday we were all together and joined by Sarah and Rachel's friends for a graduation party. To be continued! Ciao
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Visiting Relatives
After our stay in Pensacola, one day's drive took us to Ocala, Florida and the home of my cousin and his wife, Bill and Helen Davis. We were graciously greeted and it was their insistence that we stay in their guest room rather than the motor home. When we declined because of Cooper, he too was invited upstairs to the guest room.
Their home was featured in Southern Living back in the eighties, and they have done much to update it over the past two years. I was fascinated with the covers on the swimming pools in Florida. The pool and surrounding patio area is completely enclosed with a steel framed structure that is finished with screening so not only does the pool stay clean, but if the heat and humidity are tolerable, one can sit out by the pool and not be bothered by bugs and mosquitoes. Very clever, those Floridians!!
They took us to dinner at their country club on Friday night, and at Bill's suggestion, I had grouper which is a local fish.....it was a delicious firm white meat fish and a beautiful presentation topped off with an orchid!!
Since Bill is thirteen years older than I, he always has some family lore to share that I didn't know about. Apparently after the wheat harvest had been sold by my Uncle Paul and he was paid in $20 gold pieces, my grandmother sewed each coin into its own little pocket in a flour sack, and then hung the flour sack on a hanger under a coat in the closet. When needed, she could simple remove the stitching from around one of the coins!! He also reminded me of the story of my grandmother taking Babe the horse into the town of Colfax to do her shopping, and not ever tying her. As my grandmother made her way in and out of the shops, Babe simply followed her down the street and waited while she went into the next store.
After our visit with the Davis', we crossed into Georgia just north of Jacksonville and stayed three nights at a military submarine base to be used as a base to explore the area. We drove where we could in the Okefenokee Swamp and to my delight, we saw several 'gators..................
Their home was featured in Southern Living back in the eighties, and they have done much to update it over the past two years. I was fascinated with the covers on the swimming pools in Florida. The pool and surrounding patio area is completely enclosed with a steel framed structure that is finished with screening so not only does the pool stay clean, but if the heat and humidity are tolerable, one can sit out by the pool and not be bothered by bugs and mosquitoes. Very clever, those Floridians!!
They took us to dinner at their country club on Friday night, and at Bill's suggestion, I had grouper which is a local fish.....it was a delicious firm white meat fish and a beautiful presentation topped off with an orchid!!
Since Bill is thirteen years older than I, he always has some family lore to share that I didn't know about. Apparently after the wheat harvest had been sold by my Uncle Paul and he was paid in $20 gold pieces, my grandmother sewed each coin into its own little pocket in a flour sack, and then hung the flour sack on a hanger under a coat in the closet. When needed, she could simple remove the stitching from around one of the coins!! He also reminded me of the story of my grandmother taking Babe the horse into the town of Colfax to do her shopping, and not ever tying her. As my grandmother made her way in and out of the shops, Babe simply followed her down the street and waited while she went into the next store.
After our visit with the Davis', we crossed into Georgia just north of Jacksonville and stayed three nights at a military submarine base to be used as a base to explore the area. We drove where we could in the Okefenokee Swamp and to my delight, we saw several 'gators..................
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Katrina lives
Although the detritis from Katrina has been removed from the areas where we drove, the evidence of the devastation remains. Most houses along the Gulf are built on pilings that are about ten feet high, and there is many a site with nothing but the pilings standing. And most of the inhabited sites were occupied by newly-built homes. We primarily drove through affluent areas, much beachfront, so of course ours was a pretty sanitized view of the devastation.
We chose to stay at a casino in Bay St Louis, MS last night that has a nice RV park. Most all of the 'regular' RV parks in this part of the country have become trailer parks and are home to displaced families who lost their homes. We didn't even hop on the shuttle to the casino, but it was a nice park with grassy sites and a great place to hunker down for the night.
We have been driving I-90 for the past hour which takes us right along the shoreline with several causeways and interesting views. Up ahead is the Northrop Grumman Pascagoula shipyard with a skyline of acres and acres of cranes.
...Later Sunday evening....
We settled in at the RV park on the Naval Air Station Pensacola, and took a drive around the base and into town for some reminiscing. Needless to say, there is not much that looks familiar. However, the Mustin Beach Officers Club still stands in all its glory right on the beach. It is a beautiful building, and is in fact still an officers club. We attended our first formal Navy dinner and dance at that club right after Ken was commissioned in July 1964.
We drove into town and drove the street where we lived while here but cannot remember the address and did not see anything that looked familiar. However in looking at the houses, I am sure the house where we lived is still there; nothing looks new or updated. I have called and left a message for Mike to see if he remembers since he drove with Keith and I when we moved here.
Tomorrow we will visit the Naval Air Museum that is only about a mile from where we are parked. We can leave the A/C running and leave Cooper long enough to go tour the museum. More to follow. Ciao
We chose to stay at a casino in Bay St Louis, MS last night that has a nice RV park. Most all of the 'regular' RV parks in this part of the country have become trailer parks and are home to displaced families who lost their homes. We didn't even hop on the shuttle to the casino, but it was a nice park with grassy sites and a great place to hunker down for the night.
We have been driving I-90 for the past hour which takes us right along the shoreline with several causeways and interesting views. Up ahead is the Northrop Grumman Pascagoula shipyard with a skyline of acres and acres of cranes.
...Later Sunday evening....
We settled in at the RV park on the Naval Air Station Pensacola, and took a drive around the base and into town for some reminiscing. Needless to say, there is not much that looks familiar. However, the Mustin Beach Officers Club still stands in all its glory right on the beach. It is a beautiful building, and is in fact still an officers club. We attended our first formal Navy dinner and dance at that club right after Ken was commissioned in July 1964.
We drove into town and drove the street where we lived while here but cannot remember the address and did not see anything that looked familiar. However in looking at the houses, I am sure the house where we lived is still there; nothing looks new or updated. I have called and left a message for Mike to see if he remembers since he drove with Keith and I when we moved here.
Tomorrow we will visit the Naval Air Museum that is only about a mile from where we are parked. We can leave the A/C running and leave Cooper long enough to go tour the museum. More to follow. Ciao
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi
It was a delightful visit with Danny, Christa, Trevor, and Corey, and we loved where they live, in the southern part of the Texas Hill country. They treated us to some Texas barbecue and a tour of a nearby town, Castroville, which has connections to Alsace. The little tiny town closest to the Schultzs' is Riomedina with two stores. We patronized the grocery/hardware/antique store and I couldn't resist the Texas-made wine with my mother's name, Genevieve, and the locally made Alsatian sausage. In addition, there are fresh tamales available every Friday, so a dozen of those came along with me as well.
Danny and Christa live on five acres out in the country....and they need five acres for their menagerie....lucky is any creature that ends up in their care. They have four dogs, one of which is named Moose because as a chocolate lab, he weighted 125 pounds when they got him but is now a svelte 100 pounds. His head is as big as a five gallon bucket!! In addition, there are five kitties, 2 cockatiels, and a pond with turtles and goldfish.
Friday night found us in Vinton, LA in an RV park to which I would never return, but the stay was salvaged by the restaurant down the street. It is the lone restaurant in a small town, and Friday night is crawdad special night so of course I indulged. They were okay, but I didn't find them especially flavorful. Ken had deep-fried catfish which he said was very good.
Today was a lot of bumpy roadway as we made our way toward New Orleans. We certainly have seen reminders and remains of recent hurricanes. We have driven quite a distance in Louisiana and Mississippi that is right along the Gulf Coast, so the damage is quite apparent.
Ciao
Danny and Christa live on five acres out in the country....and they need five acres for their menagerie....lucky is any creature that ends up in their care. They have four dogs, one of which is named Moose because as a chocolate lab, he weighted 125 pounds when they got him but is now a svelte 100 pounds. His head is as big as a five gallon bucket!! In addition, there are five kitties, 2 cockatiels, and a pond with turtles and goldfish.
Friday night found us in Vinton, LA in an RV park to which I would never return, but the stay was salvaged by the restaurant down the street. It is the lone restaurant in a small town, and Friday night is crawdad special night so of course I indulged. They were okay, but I didn't find them especially flavorful. Ken had deep-fried catfish which he said was very good.
Today was a lot of bumpy roadway as we made our way toward New Orleans. We certainly have seen reminders and remains of recent hurricanes. We have driven quite a distance in Louisiana and Mississippi that is right along the Gulf Coast, so the damage is quite apparent.
Ciao
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