Spoonbread

Make a postcard - it's easy!

Still Winter in Iowa

Sister Myrla sent this picture. It looks like Hewy is saying, "What alien life form is this?"

Overheard

Every now and then I overhear a snippet of conversation that tickles my funny bone. This is one that I heard a couple of days ago.
" Put your hearing aids in and get out here and listen to these birds!"

The Big Switch

We plan to sit tight for a week or two. Fuel prices for one and experience tells us it isn't all that warm up north. In years past I have said we wouldn't be going that way till the leaves were on the trees but that doesn't work either. The few prescriptions we take run out in April so we are obliged to get them renewed. And the leaves are not in full evidence until May. So we plan to leave here around April 11th and slowly travel north to Carthage MO. The Coachlight RV Park has exceedingly soft water so we plan to wash and wax our home there. Then from there up the road to see our Missouri kids. Iowa after that and I am assuming it will be at Lake Anita again till the doctor stuff is done. As of right now that should not amount to much.
My blogging emphasis has been on the Magnolia Park one but that will change once we are out the front gate. We will be in a different spot here next year. For a few years we have been on a spot designed for two small units and they would like us to take a different spot next year so we will be on #57 facing east. It will be nearly across the street from Bill & Jo, closer to the pool and all the other event places. I am sure we will like it fine.
The beauty of the full time lifestyle is that it can be defined in whatever manner suits us. And right now we are suited to doing just as we are. We hope you are too!

Homer & Bodie

Butch's cousin Willie sent this picture of her Dad, Butch's only surviving uncle and his Great Grandson Bodie.

So what...

So what have I been doing? Staying indoors as much as possible the past couple of days. Why you might ask? First off we are "enjoying" triple digit temperatures. Secondly I am suffering with high tree pollen allergies. So I am wearing a mask when I do go out. We need an air-clearing rain. It hasn't rained at all for what seems like a very long time.
Enough grumbling...
I enjoyed a visit via computer with Marvin Ludwig today. Marv was our square dance caller for many years. We discussed many subjects as we have always done every time we are together.

And then I started in on a long unfinished Swedish Weaving project that has been on the back burner for over a year. I am making progress on it and I am enjoying getting back to it.
Also I did three loads of laundry today.
Butch got a new tip put on his pool cue so had to try that out. Then he had a couple of electrical calls to attend to.
Fuel prices are affecting our Spring plans somewhat. We plan to stay here a bit longer than usual and then pretty much head straight North stopping in Carthage to do a spring cleaning of our movable home before venturing to Iowa for our doctor visits. I turned 65 this month so I may get a more thorough going over and that can take longer what with tests etc.

Straight from the Headlines

The following quote is copied straight from the Des Moines Register Headline...It sure tickled my funnybone!
Former councilman Brad Olson pleaded guilty today of second-degree theft and acknowledged "that there is strong evidence of my actual guilt."

Somebody should send this to Jay Leno...

Sunshine Getaway

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Laid Back in Texas

Busy Being Sick

Friends Donn and Peggy surprised and pleased us with a visit. Unfortunately I had another episode with illness. Don't ask me what it was I do not even know but I was treating it with DayQuil as it resembled a cold. I have a heart murmer...been there all my life. And after a particularly bad Monday morning with Butch taking me to the Doctor in somewhat of an emergency...felt like one to me! DayQuil and NyQuil is bad, bad, bad for Barb!!
So now I will be more properly medicated with a chest cold expectorant cough syrup and should be back up to snuff very soon.
I hope Donn and Peggy come back again so I can enjoy their visit as much as I wanted to. More pics later...

Surpised!

Long time friends Donn and Peggy Gordon from Carson City NV emailed us from San Antonio and said they were headed our way. What a surprise! They are staying on South Padre Island the lucky ducks! They arrived yesterday so Butch and I headed on down to see them. We ate at Pirate's Landing in Port Isabel and most of you know by now that is one of my favorite places to eat...that and Dirty Al's. Butch, not being fond of seafood, we chose Pirate's Landing this time. More non-seafood choices there. He is especially partial to their Chicken Fajita. It is great to see Donn and Peggy and we will be doing as many tourist things as we can cram in a few days. Tomorrow we will go to Mexico...the next day is a birthday party for the many friends we have with March birthdays...me included and Sunday is free as yet but I am sure we will do something.
I think they got sick of winter. Anybody else up there thinking that way?

Not much

Not much going on...taking it easy and fully recovering. The tree pollen count is very high as the leaves are budding out. The parrots sure like those buds and stop for a snack usually morning and evening.
I had fun yesterday working on a couple of computers. One was a simple problem. It was a new Dell completely underpowered. Doubled the memory and made a world of difference. Vista takes 1 GB to even start up in a timely manner so don't buy a new one with Vista containing less than that amount of RAM. The other problem proved to be a bit trickier. Another new Dell laptop and the windows updates would not install. There were seven to install and I managed to get 4 but the other 3 would not go. Investigating on the net said to start into regedit and I am not confident enough to do that so I had to advise they call Dell Tech support. First time I have had to tell someone that this season.
Here is a little cartoon for your added enjoyment.

All Better Now

Okay, enough of the sick talk. I would say I probably had the flu and no, I did not get a flu shot this year. Next year I will. I am much better now in fact very close to normal. Glad it is all behind me. Tonight I am playing in the park pool event and tomorrow is computer class as usual. I am up for it!!

Butch is home...

He came home early after driving all night. And he came home to a sick wife. I became sick Saturday night and I am now beginning to feel somewhat normal...this is Wednesday. I have hopes of being back up to speed very soon but there haven't been any additions to the blog primarily due to illness. In fact a nap is sounding very good right now....

Butch will be...

Butch will be on the road bright and early Saturday morning. Friends Terry and Lisa have sold their house in Canyon Lake TX and will be heading home to take care of that so they are consequently leaving a day earlier than planned. I think the three of them are ready to head south although I am sure they enjoyed their stay thoroughly. I am ready for the old guy to get back home so we can resume our life together. It feels a bit like my right arm has been missing. I will be glad to get it back!! The cat misses him as well.
I have many friends in the park and they have all made sure I haven't wanted for anything while he was gone and I sure appreciate everything that has been done for me.
Be sure to check the Magnolia blog too for things of interest. The link is on this page too.

Digital Converter Box for TV

Will you be needing one?

This is the link to apply for the coupon for the digital converter box. You are allowed two coupons.

www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html.

To the Casino!!

Hontas, Yunita, Butch, Terry and Lisa went to Central City CO to gamble a bit. There isn't any TV at Snow Mountain Ranch which pushes you to find other pursuits of happiness!

The Weather Channel Desktop

The Weather Channel desktop is what I use to stay on top of the weather no matter where we are. I change the location settings as we move from place to place. Right now we are set for Donna Texas of course. A foghorn or thunder sound is what I hear when an alert is sounded. This morning we have a fog alert.
It is a free download and you can find it here.

The Weather Channel Desktop download

Skier Butch

Butch called a few days ago and told me he had been told it was wise to either buy or rent a helmet. He has skied many other years without one but recently we had read of a snowboarder at Breckinridge who had died and he was wearing a helmet! Snowboarding is dangerous at best!! So Butch bought a helmet. Last night he called and told me he had a bad fall and credited the helmet with saving him from far more serious injury. He is fine but he said it was indeed a bad incident.


Gary and Jason are there with Butch now and for the next couple of days. I am sure they are having a good time.

I am not lonely. I simply have not had time to even think about being lonely. Sundays and Thursdays are my light duty days the rest are as full as I care to have them. Make no mistake, I am having fun doing what I want to do.

Traveler IQ

Have fun with the Traveler IQ

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq

Fuel Woes

Fuel Price Woes – some helpful hints!

Our RVs might not move down the road as often as we’d like, but we feel your pain. Here are some hints about maximizing your fuel efficiency and fuel-related web links.

The experts we consulted all agree that getting back to the basics of good vehicle maintenance is key to controlling the gas mileage your RV or tow vehicle achieves.

Tires: Good tread, along with inflation pressure that is appropriate to the vehicle and road conditions, is very important.

Filters: Be vigilant about the cleanliness of your air and fuel filters.

Speed: Slow and steady wins the gas mileage race. Don’t rush to get up to speed. Make your cruising speed slower than you might have in the past because 55-60 mph can save you some money. The fueleconomy.gov website says, “… you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.”

Reduce idling time; idling gets 0 mpg.

Use your cruise control when you can; it’s more reliable at maintaining a steady speed than your foot!

Use a cash-back rewards credit card or gas card to purchase fuel. Every little bit helps.

This website, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/, is really handy. Just click on the state you’re wondering about and information about fuel prices and trends in that state is readily available.

The gas buddy website, http://www.gasbuddy.com/, includes the Canadian provinces.

Kite Festival

8th South Padre Kite Festival

Dandy Dog Dude


Unique hairdo on an old guy

Ready to Fly

From Lisa Linder at Snow Mountain Ranch

Hopi Campground where Butch and I worked all summer

Lisa makes an angel


Today it is -12but it is beautiful.

The first picture is a cabin here at SMR, the second picture is Hopi campground with the continental divide in the background. The rest are the "perfect" snow angel!!!!

Today Terry and I went walking all over the place and we went ICE SKATING. Believe it or not, no broken bones to report. We were going to cross country ski, but there was not instructors. And yes, we did let go of the rails when we were ice skating, and NO FALLS!!!!

Tonight SWIM AREOBICS for me. Last night when I left the swimming pool and walked to the truck my hair froze - for real.

-12 is like -27. But, it is so much fun.

Love,

Lisa

P.S. we saw a fox today basking in the sun, but, by the time I turned on the camera he disappeared into his hole. but, I will be presistent and get a picture of him to send.

Here is Butch!!

This is Butch on the webcam at SMR. He called me and told me he was in the area and I had to keep watching. It takes a new picture every 5 minutes and it takes awhile before it shows up on the website. Looks like a beautiful day at SMR.

Shipley's Fish Fry

Sunday before Butch left we went to Bert and Wayne Shipley's annual fish fry. Everything was very delicious and you can see that the Brooker's were clustered up and laughing. Pictured are Bill, Bernard, Mark, Marlene and Jo.

Butch is here...

This is a webcam shot from yesterday and this is where Butch is staying. If you would like to see webcam shots from there click on the link on the right.

For the checkers

I know I am behind! I have pictures to post and things to tell you so check in later today for this morning I am going biking and when I get back I am making the Crockpot Tequila Pie for supper so after that perhaps I can get caught up with the blogs.
Later!!

Hectic Day

The new park directories went on sale today so I had to be up at the hall early before coffee time to sell them. Then being a member of Warblers singing group I was scheduled to sing at 9:30 when coffee hour started. Then there were last minute sales before leaving for the golf course that I am now in charge of since Butch is in Colorado. Shot a 38 for 9 holes ...the best score I have had this year. Came home... took a twenty minute nap ...went to the neighbors for a small gathering ...drank a Bailey's...came home and burnt my supper. Too much Bailey's!! Sitting here sweating...probably from the Baileys but then it is still 76 degrees tonight. Jason called earlier from Boone IA and told me to go outside and face north and blow. Hovering around zero up there.
Butch called too. He said he had made it to Snow Mountain Ranch and was getting settled into his room. Lucky guy! So far he doesn't have any roommates. That could change at any time though. He said he was puffing pretty good going up three flights of stairs to his room. Altitude.
That is it for now. I am ready to take a break and let the Bailey's wear off!

Animal Rescue

Sister Myrla does animal rescue. Her "new" cat named Church has it better than he used to!
Hewy loves Church by the way.

Churches hut has layers of blankets and plastic.

Border Crossing Trouble

This one is a must read if you plan to go to Mexico. Congress be da$%&* they are going to be tough at the border. And this begins January 31st

http://www.rvtravel.com/blog/canada/2008/01/homeland-security-locks-horns-with.html

Butch is leaving...

to go to Colorado and Snow Mountain Ranch for three weeks. Angel and I are staying in sunny south Texas. Butch is putting in three weeks of volunteer work to have the privilege of skiing in Colorado high country . He bought the ski's he is in a toot to use at a garage sale in Denver last summer while we were at Snow Mountain Ranch. Gary and Jason will be joining him up there for a few days of that three weeks. He is leaving here Sunday and driving to Canyon Lake TX just north of San Antonio and riding up with Terry and Lisa Linder who we met last summer at Snow Mountain Ranch. These Texas people are going back for three weeks to get a taste of winter. I think they are all silly but that's just me!
For those who wonder I am not taking Butch to San Antonio and will be without a car for three weeks. Before you make him out to be the bad guy that is my choice. It saves me two ten hour days of driving by letting him have the car. In the meantime I am in a park with many friends who are more than happy to help me out.
Angel and I will do fine...it remains to be seen how the ol' guy will do. I am sure I will know before long. Neither of us can remember being apart for that length of time in our 49 years of marriage. Butch used to travel in his job both in sales and in line work on storms etc. but never was he gone for more than two weeks.
I am in the perfect place for him to do this because of the support system in place for me and the schedule here is hectic. Never time to get too lonely...but three weeks will be long enough.

Blogger Barb

Where oh where has Barb the blogger been?!!! Putting the park directory together is the answer. It has been taken to the printer and they should be ready for purchase within the next week. There are 208 entries and 21 lack a picture. Now some of those do not want their picture in there. So I am not totally to blame for those that are missing. I do what I have to to get pictures. You will notice one fellow is in the swimming pool when his picture was taken.
Until this project is out of my hands I am tinkering with it so now the tinkering is done and I can get on with other things like catching up the blogs.

Bill & Maggie

My first attempt at posting a video. I think I made it too big...

Ocelot Info

How rare is this cat ? The International Species Information Service lists 217 worldwide, with 108 being in the U.S.
WHOOPS...107!!
You can go to this site to find out more about the Ocelot.
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/ocelot.htm

I have been asked where we saw the dead Ocelot and it was about a mile west of the Intersection of Expressway 83 and Hwy 100. We were headed to Los Fresnos TX

Oh My...a DEAD Cat!!

I have had much feedback on the dead cat after I sent out the call. One guy said "I saw that dead cat." And then there was this response from my friend and former classmate Jayne.

"GOTTA TELL YOU MY STORY -

THE FIRST DAY WE WERE IN BIG BEND, WE WENT FOR A RIDE EARLY IN THE MORNING.

SINCE IT WAS CHRISTMAS DAY, TRAFFIC WAS SLOW TO NONE. WE CAME BY A ROAD

KILL BOBCAT. WE JUMPED OUT WITH CAMERAS, TOOK LOTS OF MACRO SHOTS, ESPECIALLY OF THE FACE AND HEAD. ALL THIS TIME NOT ONE CAR CAME BY US.

ANYWAY, WE FINALLY WENT ON UP THE ROAD ABOUT TWO MILES AND DECIDED TO

GO BACK AND THROW THE CAT IN THE BACK OF THE PICKUP. MAYBE SOMEONE

WOULD WANT TO STUFF IT SINCE IT HAD NO "DAMAGE". WELL, IT WAS GONE --

AND WE HAD NOT MET ANY CARS! SO WAS IT JUST STUNNED ?? IMAGINE WHAT

WAS GOING THROUGH THAT CAT'S HEAD --

ENJOY YOUR DAY. IT IS SNOWING HERE - BUT IT IS BEAUTIFUL ----"

JAYNE

Too Cute!!

Los Fresnos and S. Padre

On the way to see a classmate of Butch's in Los Fresnos we happened to spot this dead ocelot alongside the road. It was about the size of a medium size dog. It is the first time I have seen roadkill of that kind!! Mary Ellen and Brian Carlson




Mary Ellen Minnehan Carlson was a classmate of Butch's that we haven't seen in 30-40 years.
In those long ago years we had a lot of laughs and we had a bunch of fun with Mary and Brian yesterday too.

Polarity testing

The following is from an RV newsletter we subscribe to...

Bill's Hints
From Motorhomes Made Easy
"Carry a 'polarity tester,' available in RV stores. Use it before plugging in at an unfamiliar campground. It's small, inexpensive, and displays two green or amber lights when plugged into a properly wired outlet. Using one of your adapters, you can test the campground outlet before you plug in."

And Butch says you would be amazed how often he finds reversed polarity in peoples homes.

Trivia

Trivia. . .
When you look at the full moon, what you see is only one-fifth the size of Africa. And speaking of the moon, the last time a human walked on its surface was in 1979.

Tell me why?

Tell me why did this dog bring me this bowl?










She is begging for beer!!

Last Blooms of Summer

After Labor Day when we were getting ready to close the campground for the season, Marilyn offered to let me have one of the hanging baskets that had decorated the place all summer. After all, cold weather was approaching and they would not last long in cold temperatures. Butch grumbled a bit about ALL my flowers but I just let him grumble. Well here it is a whole new year in January and my basket is still looking good! I must admit that it is like a needy pet and needs fed and watered daily. And a haircut once in a while but I don't have to take it for a walk.

Gentle nudge

I received a gentle nudge from friend Peggy that I hadn't posted for 5 days. I was shocked but not surprised. If you do not see anything on this one for a while go check the other one. It is listed under "Links" on this page. We are in the park now and that one tends to get more of my attention. Also I am now needing to start on the park directory and I seem to have trouble finding time to get started. It is no wonder we feel like we go on vacation when we leave the valley. There is so much that we do here. Not that we are complaining...it IS one of the things we like about being here. And then little life things come into play as well. Like my printer went belly up. Hated that too because I really liked it. The one I have now is considerably larger though cheaper. But the choosing and purchasing of a new one is time consuming...and then we have installing it and getting used to it etc.
I had it all in my mind how doing the directory this year would be a much easier procedure and it might have been had I remembered how I had it all nailed down. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday getting reacquainted with how I was successful last year. Still not quite there but in the meantime my email had piled up so needed to do lots of deleting and a little answering.
So give me a nudge when I need it or go check the other one...Oh! and Butch is either doing golf, pool or helping someone with an electrical problem but you are not likely to hear from him anyway!

An old tired dog...

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from
his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.
He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep in a corner.
An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, resumed his position in the hall, and slept
for an hour. This continued for several weeks.
Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your dog
comes to my house for a nap."
The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar:
"He lives in a home with ten children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

Myrla at a Clinton Speech in Ft Dodge IA

Click on it!

Computers Plus

When I get down here and start computer class it is like going to school. I have to get myself updated on a myriad of issues. Very good exercise for the brain cells. Today we had the dreaded BLUE SCREEN on two different computers. On one it was brand new and there was no apparent reason for it. So we took the battery out then reinserted it and it seemed to take care of the problem as it was back to normal. BUT isn't that a scary happening after buying a new one? Do they take it back to the store before the time period has elapsed whereby they would have to deal with the computer manufacturer ( in this case Toshiba)? Or was it a one time incident never to occur again? Dilemma!
The other one was an older computer and she needs her recovery disc. But her recovery disc is in South Dakota. Do you have someone go into your house and get it and mail it to you? Think about that one for a moment...hmmm, where exactly did I put that thing?.... or do you take it to an unknown fix it person down here that would be able to use an unknown recovery disc and may charge you an unknown amount and perhaps not fix it right even then. Dilemma!!

On a brighter note, at least for me, brother in law Bill's children bought him a new laptop computer for Christmas. Toshiba- Windows Vista-very nice computer but it had 512MB of RAM. In the olden days that was plenty but remember this is the new and not improved VISTA!! It takes 1 GB of RAM just to get up in the morning and 2GB makes it purr like a kitten. So he was having more than a few memory issues. I went online in search of more RAM memory to add to his computer. I googled the specs for his particular model and found a 2 day online sale at Best Buy that was expiring that night. I went ahead and ordered 2- 1GB chips at $29.95 each (Regular $93 each) for in-store pick-up in McAllen. Best Buy has this deal whereby you order online and go to the store to pick it up...I think you have to give them an hour first...and if they do not have it ready and give it to you in one minute you get $10 off! You guessed it!! They did have it but it wasn't ready so I got $10 off of EACH item-making my purchase total $43!! I was impressed!!
Step two- Had to get this installed and working. I haven't done that in awhile and not on a laptop. Best Buy would have done it but it would have cost $126. For that much I figured I would try. It went smooth as silk and he is now buzzing along with 2GB of Ram memory. I was so proud!!!
So my time has been used up getting computer issues resolved or partly resolved. I like that for a change of pace. The only time I do not like it is when I have to pronounce the patient dead or in a vegetative state. For so many of us anymore the computer and email is our lifeline to back home and who better than I understands that. So when you do not see a post on here for a few days you can bet that I am working on computer issues...or maybe I am in Mexico sipping on a Margarita!!

Myrla and Scott

Many of you have seen Myrla and Scott's dog pictures...remember Hewy?...But she sent me this great picture of them and so I thought I would show you what the dog masters look like.

Howdy

Howdy Keep Movin' On Blog readers!
Christmas and the new year are fast approaching. It always seems a little strange in 80 degree weather and you would think after several years that we would get used to it. I never seem to though. When I get a hankerin' to see the white stuff I click on the link to the right and view the Snow Mountain Ranch webcam. That has been a nice addition and I look in frequently in hopes of seeing some wildlife. Today I saw what I think are deer tracks. Not sure though.
We have had a good year with many adventures and if you are a frequent reader you are all caught up. I like doing the annual letter as we go along and in the blog. Sure saves me much extra work. Unfortunately those who are not connected get left behind although there are very few anymore not part of the tech set.

There have been some folks with new computers in the park and some I know who are getting new ones and I have been busy setting them up for streamlined use. I take off all the "free" stuff they load on as most of the freebies are for 30 days only. They want to get you hooked on their programs so you will pay for the full version. The truth is most of it you do not want anyway. Microsoft Office is one of the big offenders. Check out www.openoffice.org and you can have all the features of MS Office for free. Some folks are suspicious of things that are free but I do not recommend anything that hasn't been checked out upside down and sideways.
Still learning about Windows Vista and without the operating system on my computer it is slow going. Right now I am not overly impressed but the jury is still out.

Butch has been busy keeping electrical issues to a minimum and his brother Bill takes care of plumbing. They make a good team. They play golf in between times.
We haven't done much out of the ordinary but I imagine things will liven up after the first of the year.
We wish all of you

Iowa!!

This young fella did a youtube video doing a jig in front of many Iowa landmarks. It is 7 minutes and 9 seconds long but it is worth it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsWBD3UPfg4

Snow Mountain Ranch Web Cam

They now have a web cam at Snow mountain Ranch. Hope it works for you.
http://ymcarockiesmuseum.org/images/ftpimages/smr.jpg

Bernie's Fruitcake Recipe

Recipe: Bernie's Fruitcake 12/16/2007
Category: Holiday
Author: Bernie Craig

2 C Flour
1 1/2 C Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
4 eggs
3 T butter-room temp.
4 Jars Whole Maraschino Cherries (Drain 3 jars)
2 C Pecan halves or pieces
2 C Walnut halves or pieces
1 LB. Raisins

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Add
remaining ingredients one at a time in the order listed, mix gently.
Pour in ungreased tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Increase heat to 325 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let cool in pan
then remove. Wrap in foil or plastic and store in refrigerator. Allow 1 to 2 days for
flavors to mingle before serving.

I never liked fruitcake until I tasted Bernies. :-)

Art online

Art online: Iowa institutions go high-tech to display, discuss works in new ways
Art on YouTube;

Try to imagine life before television, before we looked at images and expected them to move. Imagine what it was like to spend hours looking deep into one image, instead of 24 images per second. . . .

The voice on YouTube's online video continues:

Today our brains are instructed by the code of cinema. And because that code requires us to watch passively in a sort of trance, we've gotten into this habit of relying more on the images and maybe a little bit less on ourselves. This is why when we go to museums, we end up disappointed, alienated - because something is missing. We know how to watch, but it's like we've forgotten how to see.
Advertisement

To help us out, staffers at the University of Iowa Museum of Art challenged students last year to create short videos about various works in the collection. In the YouTube series quoted above, Eula Biss and John Bresland riff on an ivory figurine from the Congo, a blurry red Mark Rothko, a pudgy statue swiped from a Big Boy burger joint, and more. With a few simple tricks from "the code of cinema," the videos bring the artwork to life more than a standard printed explanation ever could.

Meeting Up

Yesterday, was computer class day. There were several of us who met in the library and we had a lively discussion about several computing issues. I always hope they go home with at least one new piece of info. The truth of the matter is I probably learn as much as they do. It keeps me on my toes and challenges me to learn new things...like Windows Vista (Grrr)and sometimes my memory is challenged as well when someone asks me something I know very well but I just have to bring it to the fore. Anyway, I had a good time and hope they did too.
After that I went to Llano Grande RV Park in Mercedes TX to meet up with Cathy Gleason who shares my love of Swedish Weaving. I met Cathy online through a Yahoo group of Swedish weavers. We ask questions,get ideas and inspired by the works of others. Cathy and I had a great time talking over our projects and also our lifestyle as Cathy and her husband John have been doing the same thing we have only longer. They have been full timing for 8 years and we are going on 4. I am amazed the difference the Internet has made in our lives. It numbers in the hundreds the people I never would have met otherwise. While I was visiting Cathy, Butch and his foursome were playing golf and when they finished Butch and I went to Harlingen to help his sister Marlene and her husband Bernard with some electrical issues. And then they treated us at Chili's. We had a full but fun day.

Old Fella

A couple in the park asked me if I could do some adjusting with this old picture they had been given. That is right up my alley so I had some fun doing that. Great picture too. Don't ya think?
His name is Mr. Aubrey
Other things we did yesterday.
1. Paid the electric bill
2 Went to McAllen to upgrade our Verizon phone. Shopped at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club and we will not be doing that again until after Christmas. It was a mess! Why do people shop with their entire families? There are clusters of 10-12 people in every aisle clogging up the works. And despite their commercial saying otherwise Wal-mart had about 10 checkouts out of 24 in operation.
3. Went to Gonzales Burgers for lunch. We cut our cheeseburgers in half and had half for lunch and the other half for supper. They cost $3.50 each. Taste great and a bargain to boot.
I am sure we did other things too like talk our walks an Butch played pool..always does at 6:00pm. It was a busy day.

Elf Yourself

I had more darn fun with this program. Using different pictures etc. The close up picture of Butch makes me giggle every time I see it. Click on the link below to see what I am talking about.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1228938054

Chair

Okay, I have a new chair. It is very comfortable...probably the most comfortable one I tried. Lots of lumbar support. It was very cheap...bought it at the flea market from Bubba's Furniture. It is new and the color (taupe) is okay. But it is too big!!! I think it might be my 'in the meantime' chair.
I will still be looking for a smaller one that also fits all the criteria but I will not be in a hurry to do so. If I stumble across the right deal I will have a chair for sale. One thing about it we didn't pay so much that it will hurt. It sure looks very different in here without the sofa but I am getting used to it.

Angel's Pillow

Angel does like a pillow for her furry little head
and Butch is happy to oblige.

Golf Day

Played golf today and shot a 40 (9 holes) and I do not consider that too bad considering I play only on Tuesdays and only in Texas. Butch shot 35. It was okay for him but not cause for celebration.

Our sofa left the motorhome yesterday. I was concerned about how difficult it would be to get it out of here but it turned out to be not difficult at all. It seems the tougher part will be finding a chair that suits me. We shopped yesterday and I found a couple I could have lived with but let's just say I didn't fall in love. So we are still looking.

Sold!!

We have been toying with the idea of selling the sofa sleeper in the RV and replacing it with a computer desk and comfy recliner. So before the park garage sale held yesterday I took some pictures of it and placed them on a display board. $1200 new-$300. We figured if it didn't sell we would try again next month. To be honest we didn't figure it would sell at any price and it probably would not have anywhere but here.
Anyway some folks came in and wanted to see it. A friend at their park had seen the ad and called them about it. So I sent them to see it and Butch handled the sales work. They said they would have to go take some measurements etc. But an hour or so later they called and said they wanted it!!
So at this point it is not in their possession yet but we are considering it sold. What a surprise!!

Myrla's Big Adventure

My sister Myrla called yesterday after her heart procedure. Myrla had a heart attack a few years ago and still has heart 'issues', of course. They were taking a look at her heart scoping for blockages. Her tests came out pretty good, she tells me.

Myrla has an older neighbor who has a heart defibrillator and a mean dog. Myrla is good with dogs and when her neighbor has medical emergencies, and that happens frequently, Myrla is called upon by the EMT's to corral the dog. Myrla says that after a couple of encounters with her, the dog has become much better.

Tuesday Myrla's neighbor(Let's call her Mabel) comes over to her house to call in for her defibrillator. Mabel only has a cell phone and you need a land line for the defibrillator. The medical personnel told Mabel that her defibrillator had activated 4 times in the past 24 hours and they do not know if the defibrillator is defective or if her heart needed a jump start that many times. The woman is a walking time bomb and she knows it. She said she was not going to have her grandchildren stay with her because she wasn't sure she would make it through the night and didn't want them to be the ones to find her.

Wednesday, Myrla goes to the hospital for her heart procedure. She had a bad reaction to the sedative the last time she had this done so the doctor touched base with her on this point and assured her she would not have a problem this time. She said everything went well but she was really drugged up and it took a long time for it to wear off. The nurses lowered the lights in the room and left a small lamp on. She was in and out and resting nicely when a pink lady came in and said,"You have company!" Myrla fought to get her eyes open and 8 inches from her face saying,"I'm here!" was Mabel. Myrla said that running through her mind was "#@%&, I must not have made it...but why did they send Mabel...where is Mom(deceased)...or Jayne(deceased).... Mabel has a nice halo around her head,created by the glow of the lamp. Myrla said it took her awhile to comprehend that she was still alive and that Mabel really was there. She knew this when she became awake enough to see Mabel's daughter and granddaughter beside her.

Now maybe it is peculiar to my relationship with Myrla and the way our family is and always has been but she and I found this whole situation hilarious. We laughed till the tears were rolling down my cheeks. I wanted to share the story with you. You may find this scenario a bit off kilter but it is the way we are...and I still think it is funny!

Rummage Sale

I have been knee deep in stuff. We humans are accumulators and there is no doubt about that. When your living space is small that becomes a problem so I am going through 'things' and making the decision to keep or sell. This is a time consuming project and making all those decisions is tiring. On the plus side, after next weekend we will have more wiggle room in our humble abode.

Gratitude

Even for families who don't normally say grace or ask a blessing
over their family meals, the Thanksgiving holiday meal seems
to be one of those times that a prayer of thanks is given out of
gratitude for the gifts and blessings received throughout the year.

If you'd like to offer a prayer this Thanksgiving but don't usually
do that at your family meals, perhaps this short prayer of thanks
by Emerson could be read at your table. Maybe it'll even begin
a new tradition for your family and guests.

THANKSGIVING

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

No News is Good News

I am not a news freak. If anything I am an anti-news freak. It is my belief that too much focus on the news creates and/or intensifies a negative attitude. When medical people treat depression the first thing they do is suggest the patient stop reading newspapers or watching news on TV. But for you news freaks who do not agree with my way of thinking here is a website tailor made for you.
A click on the website below will let you know what strange & dangerous things are happening in the world at any given time. The site updates every 6 minutes, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. You can move the map around, zero in on any one area & actually up-load the story of what is going on. You may be surprised at what is happening right here in the U.S., perhaps even in your own state or city.

Global Incident Map: There is a lot happening in our world every minute:

http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php

QMags

Okay folks, this one has me a bit excited. I used to be a magazine freak. I bought several every month and clipped out articles of interest etc. Well, when we went full time I gave them up for many obvious reasons. But recently I discovered you can get your subscriptions online! Now I suppose this has been around a long time and I didn't know about it but it is new to me!! We have always enjoyed Motorhome magazine but it was one we gave up for the cause so to speak but this morning I ordered it and read it from cover to cover. It comes in Adobe Acrobat Reader .pdf file and it took a tiny bit of study on my part to easily read it. So if you would rather get your magazines online click on QMags and see if they carry the magazines you like. Save a tree!!