You gotta friend in me!

I have always loved this little green guy and was so happy to see him again. Click on the link and hit play.

Summary of my emails for the year;-)

Tongue in cheek!!


I must send my thanks to whoever sent me the one
about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a
wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same
reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny
Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive
the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for
participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have
363,214 angels looking out for me, and St.
Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

I no longer eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible
mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer -causing deodorants even though I smell like a
water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I
forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five
minutes.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can
remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking a man along to watch the
car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping
gas.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these
products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup water in the
microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me
for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be
pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a
perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer r receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are
actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our
American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a
number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica,
Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive
my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have
their recipe.

Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big
brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant
death when it bites my butt.

Thank you too for all the endless advice Andy Rooney and Maxine has
given us. I can live a better life now because they've told us how to
fix everything.

And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up the $5.00 I
found dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there
by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next
70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00
PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back,
causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it
actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's
ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.

Have a wonderful day.

Sister Myrla's friend Tara goes all out for Christmas and this is one of her trees this year.

We went to the Weslaco Christmas Parade for the first time this year and we noticed something startling...NO TRACTORS!! It is hard to imagine a parade without tractors. They had many,many of the fancy low rider cars that do fancy footwork with hydraulics though. Different part of the country for sure.

Went to Mexico for panchos and margarita's. This handsome fellow was offering to carry drinks to the table.

Butch and his four dollar haircut. It is a day later and I am still shocked every time I look at him!

A stray kitten in the park gets fed frequently by some kind-hearted kitten lovers. (Not Us!) The other day while shuffling we saw this same kitten catch a big juicy mouse for itself.

A Handsome Palm on Peach Street

We are sufficiently decked out for Christmas

Butch has his eye on something....

...Could it be the dessert table??

Highlighted

Beautiful photo by an unknown photographer
  

Games they Play

Sister Myrla has two pets at her house and they spend their days "playing" with each other.
  

Feeding the Geese-submitted by Bill Brooker

Cool spell and other stuff

It cooled off yesterday which was a pleasant relief. Today the temperature sits at 75 degrees and the humidity is around 20 percent. A near perfect day. Butch is at the golf course so he is a happy camper.
Recently we acquired distant network services through DirecTV. We were required to apply for it through the FCC and it takes about 45 days to get approval. We had such a time of it this summer getting all the networks off the antenna. It seemed we happened to be in the wrong places to get good reception. I applied for DNS service when Butch had surgery because I knew he would be laid up for awhile and TV is important to him. Well, we recently got it after all this time! So now we can get the network TV channels, CBS,NBC,ABC and FOX, from either Los Angeles or New York. It has made for an interesting week. If we miss a show at 7:00 PM our time we can pick it up off the LA channels at 9:00pm. By having it through the satellite we can also get the guide and know what is coming up and that is handy.

Livin' Large and Laughin' Easy

Things are moving along nicely in sunny south Texas. Butch is playing a little pool. We walk our two miles daily, play a little shuffleboard. More and more snowbirds are making their way south.
We had our carpet cleaned in the motorhome today and it was nice to get that done. I added some cleaning to it as well. It never lasts but there is a satisfying feeling to walking into a clean house.
I plan to do a little shopping at Wal-Mart this afternoon. Butch is more "up" for that than I am usually so no problem there.
Later...

Huey

My sister Myrla's favorite photographic subject,her dog Huey. Great fall photo.

  

Bill & Jo Brooker of Heber Springs AR sent these pictures of the beauty of fall on the river at their Arkansas home.

Colleen and Jim Clopton, friends of ours from Jefferson Iowa, our home town, had this poster in a frame on their wall and they were gracious enough to share. It means something to all us girls from Jefferson Iowa!!

Passport Questions: The passport question has been arising with our friends heading south for the winter. Here is official word on the subject. Q. When will the travel initiative be implemented?
In the proposed implementation plan, the initiative will be implemented in two phases. The proposed timeline will be as follows:
January 8, 2007 ? Passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMDs) or NEXUS Air cards would be required for all air travel from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is a change from the previously scheduled date of January 1, in order to accommodate holiday travel.
January 1, 2008 ? It is anticipated that on January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes may permit a later deadline, both the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to put all requirements in place by the original deadline. Advance notice will be provided to enable the public meet the land/sea border requirement.

In Iowa they have what they call 10 perfect days. There are days that are perfect and I think Iowa is only allowed ten. I say that with tongue in cheek. Today south Texas is having a perfect day. The humidity is low, the sky is clear, winds are 0 to 5 mph and the temperature is 78 degrees. I do not know how many perfect days Texas is allowed but I think it is more than ten...they are so big ya know.;-)

Our winter residence

 
 
  

Yesterday was doctor day and cleaning day and a general taking care of business day. It went smooth. Butch cleaned on the outside while I was doing the inside. Supposed to be warm today and my plans are to continue the cleaning process. I got about a third done yesterday.
Butch has been either playing pool or cribbage in the evenings...sometimes both! I am getting another Swedish weaving project done in the evenings.
We have returned to our routine of daily walks.
They have had a lot of rain this summer and so it is very lush and green
everywhere. We went by a grapefruit orchard and the grapefruit are green! We
had never seen that before. They always tell us the juiciness of the
grapefruit depends on the moisture they have had so they should be extra
juicy this year.

Sandcastle Days

 
 
 
  

Saturday's Pictures

 
 
 
  

We have arrived in the deep south of Texas and it is warm. Nicely so at 72 degrees. Our friends who travel to this neck of the woods will be unhappy to learn that we are still dealing with construction...lots of construction on business 83. The good news is, it is further east of us than it was last year.
Those coming down in something that runs on diesel fuel may like to know that we filled up at the Shell station in Kingsville for $2.27.9 That is the cash price which is 6 cents lower than the regular price. There is an ATM at the station. The Shell station is located on the east side of highway 77 on the south edge of Kingsville.
Also remember that there is a new code for the gate this year. I am reminding you because we forgot about it. I can't give it to you here but look up the letter you received about it before you head down...or ask some kind friend with a memory.;-)
Today went much better than yesterday. Great traveling weather and we listened to a good audio book on the way which helps the time fly by. We are enjoying 'The Keeper of the House' by Shirley Ann Grau very much. "Abigail was the last keeper of the house, the last to know the Howland family's secrets. Now, in the name of all her brothers and sisters, she must take her bitter revenge on the small-minded Southern town that shamed them, persecuted them, but could never destroy them. Shirley Ann Grau is a major American author whose works are often set in New Orleans and Louisiana's Creole region. She often reflects the isolated bayous and their French-speaking residents, but her fiction is equally at home with the fiercely independent people of small Southern towns or the sophisticated life of the New Orleans' upper class. The Keepers of the House won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1965."
I have been a member of www.audible.com for many years and always get much enjoyment from my membership. If you check it out and plan to join, let me know so I can send you an invitation. I would need to send you an invitation for me to get credit. Regardless whether you join or not an audio book is always a good idea for those long lonely stretches of highway.
We are here plenty early and it is apparent as we look around the park but Butch needs to get a blood draw on Monday and get reacquainted with his south Texas doctor. We also know it will not be long now before all our old friends and some new ones will trickle into the park and we will be here to warmly greet them.

We have had a day we would like to forget! First off we tangled with a toll gate on the Indian Nations Turnpike and it will be the last trip on that piece of crap for a highway. When they charge mucho dineros for traveling on a road it should be as smooth as a babies behind and it is definitely more like a wrinkled old granny fanny. All of Oklahoma's roads are like a granny fanny and our future plans are to avoid the entire state if possible. We have damage on the passenger side front of the motorhome and if that wasn't enough we were hit by a rock kicked up by an oncoming semi. It is the worst rock ding we have ever had. It looks like it was darn lucky it didn't come on through.
So tonight we are in Rockdale Texas at the Hidden Valley Oaks RV park, one we have stayed in before and liked. We have chili simmering on the stove and we are quite happy to be off the road for this day.
We are grateful for many things today...the motorhome still runs...we are both healthy and we will keep dwelling on those things as we always do and try to forget this high stress day.;-)

In Mizzou

We are in Peculiar MO until Wednesday then we are headed south. We take our time so it is hard to say when we will arrive at our winter playground location. I have been watching the weather down there and it looked like they were getting daily rains so I wrote to Don Loring and he said yes, that is pretty much it. Humid too!! So it looks like we will soon be back in weather that resembles Iowa in July. Oh well, that is what we love about the south.

On the Road Again

Today we are headed south for a visit with the Missouri kids.
The doctor visits went well but then we insisted that they would. We will continue with health maintenance when we get to south Texas.
The temperatures the past three nights have been in the twenties which is perfect weather. Perfect for packing up and heading out. So it is goodbye for now to many old friends and see ya'all soon to others. 

Nature equals beautiful



















View from Berniece and Dr. Keith Swanson's home 

For all those who are asking, Butch is great. I cannot believe how well he is doing. We are walking at least two miles a day with weather permitting. Also trying to get last minute visiting in before we head south next Saturday. The weather forecast makes us wish we could head out sooner but we also have to get two different doctor visits out of the way...one on Thursday and another on Friday. I plan to wear my heavy coat.;-) Butch looks good and feels good and is not having problems of any kind. If it weren't for that lengthy scar on his tummy you would never know he had surgery. So...we are very grateful for all the good fortune we have been blessed with in the past and look forward to many more blessings in the future. A million thanks for all the helpful thoughts and prayers that came our way.

Silos&Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Butch and I saw a sign on I-80 near Des Moines and decided to check it out since we knew nothing about it. More places to explore in our own backyard!
Silos&Smokestacks National Heritage Area

At Jefferson Ia

Great picture of the blimp at Jefferson Iowa. Taken by Leo Brooker Thanks for sending it Leo! 

Goodyear Blimp

Butch and I are both from Jefferson Iowa and I have received many emails from numerous people about the Goodyear blimp making a visit to Jefferson. You can also read about it and see pictures at www.offenburger.com. And it must have flown north-northwest over Rockwell City Iowa when it left Jefferson because my sis Myrla was able to get this picture. The following email is from Lois Brant of Jefferson, a long,long time friend of ours.: "If you would like to see the excitement in Jefferson last week go to Google and type in Goodyear Blimp Jefferson Iowa lots of articles about the visit. It was a real kick for the town. We could get up close enough to touch it and could talk forever with the crew members. Wonderful experience for all. Limited space for riders (6) so a few people got to make the trip. Free BBQ every night and free donuts in the mornings. And it made a stop at the Homecoming football game.
Small towns do have fun. "

Sweet Dreams

Yellow monk's cloth with Red Heart sage,white and pink yarn. Venice pattern with the sweet dreams done with loop stitch. The end rows I nearly always improvise and I did so in this case. 

Wal-Mart Pillow with Swedish weave pattern Riverwalk plus my own addition. I used Bernat Camouflage yarn and one row in each riverwalk of Red Heart pink that does not show up that well in the picture.

Normalcy has returned. Butch is home from the hospital and we have returned to our daily walks. He is feeling good and I am too. We are having the itch to head south but we are just a few blood draws and doctor visits from being able to do that but the promise of it is just around the corner and it will be a YIPPEE day when it gets here. We are having an Indian summer. I even said we could stay here as long as the weather is like it is now. I am very much aware of how it can change in a heartbeat however. We plan to do some visiting while we are still here and able before joining up with our south Texas friends for the winter. See ya'all soon!

Butch is doing fine. He is feeling good and would love to go home but he is in for at least the weekend. His blood levels have to be right and they are not yet where they want them. He has had many wonderful phone calls and visits from relatives and friends and that has helped to keep him busy and distracted. We are hoping to hear that he can come home Monday. Will let all know. Till next time...

Things are better as of this morning.The dreaded catheter is out and all systems are go. They warned him that incontinence could be expected but so far that has not been the case. The pain from the blood clot has let up completely but he is still in the hospital with an IV getting heparin and coumadin tablets. We are still parked in Avoca (I will not move this thing;-)) and will be till October 12th. We still have no idea when Butch will be released. They have not mentioned it as a possibility yet. Say!!! The hospital food is fantastic...no kidding!!! Come on over and we will eat in. I took Butch his computer today so he is online through the hospital wifi. His email address is roadramblin@gmail.com . He will probably answer messages as long as he is confined but I would not count on it once they let him loose.

Can you guess what it is you are seeing in this photo? It is the weathered top of a post.


Sumac













Buzzard Creek