High Hopes

We have high hopes that the weather will take a turn for the better here soon. We have not had the best of it this year. Butch did get to play golf yesterday and we had a few hours of warmth and sunshine but this weather is nothing like we are used to and hope to get used to again. They are promising a few days of 80 degrees and warm sunshine mid week but then they are saying we will be getting more of what we have now and have had for a couple of weeks. Cloudy, Cool, Damp and ICKY!!  Always one to look on the bright side...we have not had wind and dust!!
Come on March!!! March is always nice weather here...or at least it has been.
I am getting a head start on laundry today and Butch is napping and spending hours on the computer....I think a golf tourney is starting later...maybe he has forgotten...You think??
 

Nancy and Jerry Armstrong

Donn and Peggy had company this week from Panora Iowa. Nancy, Donn's sister, and her husband Jerry came in hopes of seeing the typical South Texas sunshine. It didn't work as we have had a very cool and rainy week. I sure hope they come again to see the best of the Rio Grande Valley. Yesterday we went to Thompson's orchard so they could load up on citrus before taking off this morning for Iowa. After the trip to the orchard we had a tasty lunch at Fat Daddy's followed by a potluck supper at Allen Hall. The weather may have been a disappointment but they were certainly well fed.

#*&$ weather

It really isn't too much of a bother to me. I have plenty of sit down inside things to keep me busy but it sure starts to wear on many people and make them a tad crabby . We have had a longer than normal stretch of cold and rainy weather. Now the locals are tickled pink as this rain has been a long time coming and is sorely needed. So we need to sit back and be happy for them. BUT the folks who have come to the valley for the first time are not getting the best of it.
Butch's sister Marlene and her husband Bernard have come to the valley for many, many years but they said if they had went by the weather the first year they were here they would have never come back. We who have come many times know we have plenty of sunny skies in our future.
Butch was supposed to play golf in the Senior Olympics today but for the first time ever they have postponed it till next Wednesday. The weather for that day is supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny.

Things you could do today:
Play cards with friends
Check out the pool hall and play a game or two
Go to a matinee
Cribbage in the little hall at 1:00 PM
Potluck in Allen Hall at 5:00 PM
Watch the mixed league players in the blue hall at 6:30 PM.
Also the South Texas Whiskey band will be practicing in Allen Hall after potluck and they welcome listeners.

Weather Break

So the weather turned yesterday from one where the air conditioner feels pleasant to where the furnace and warm clothing both feel good. It rained pretty steady throughout the night slowing down around sunrise. It gives us the kind of day we would call a snow day in the north. Coats and jackets are needed if you venture outdoors but it is much nicer to stay inside and  veg out. I have finished one bracelet and plan to start another here soon. Playing some pretty steady Words with Friends. And Butch and I are listening to the book "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett.  Add to this Butch watching a golf tourney on the limited television we have here. We thought we would try to get by without satellite TV this winter and see how it goes. We are usually too busy to watch much of it and there isn't much that interests me even with the satellite. So the final answer is we do miss some things but not much and it really isn't hurting us much doing without it. Many times Butch will come home and it will not be turned on. I guess what I am saying is that if he didn't turn it on I doubt that I would.

Calico Beans

Calico Beans

Rated: Submitted By: Kathy Photo By: FROGHOPPER Servings: 9

"This hearty melange of beans works just as well at the Thanksgiving feast as it does at a summer barbeque. Using canned beans makes it practical to incorporate the variety of legumes required for the calico effect, and simplifies the preparation."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup bacon, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can butter beans 1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained

1/2 cup ketchup 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup chopped onion 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1/2 cup chopped celery

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2.	Place bacon and ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
3.	In a four quart casserole dish, mix together the bacon, ground beef, pork and beans, kidney beans, butter beans, lima beans, ketchup, onion, vinegar, dry mustard and celery.
4.	Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Brooker & Company, Inc. - Home

Great looking website. Check it out! Way to go Leo!

Brooker & Company, Inc. - Home

Beef Brisket

Recipe:   Beef Brisket        2/2/2012
Category: Meat
Author:   Leslie Cleaveland

4-5 lb fresh beef brisket
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 med. onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 med. stalks of celery, chopped
1 12 oz bottle of chili sauce
1 12 oz bottle of water
1 12 oz can beer (NOT light beer)

Sprinkle soup over meat. Put onions and celery on top. Combine chili sauce, water
and beer. Pour over meat . Bake covered in 350 degree oven one hour for each
pound of meat. Cool in refrigerator overnight. Remove grease that rises to the top.
Slice meat across grain. Heat slices in the cooking liquid. Pour some over slices to
serve. Freezes well.

Dick Cleavelands Birthday

We, the Brookers, Cooklins, Gordons,and Stilsons helped Dick celebrate his 70th birthday. In this picture he is reading a card from the Cooklins and is about to find a new package of "chew". Tootsie Rolls are his chew of choice!

And here Dick is trying to convince the flies to leave the goodies alone.

Bill and Donn brought their own glasses to be filled with Margaritas. " I am telling you officer I only had one drink!!"

Leslie and Norma prepared a wonderful meal of Brisket, beans and potato salad.. It was mighty tasty. The brisket was the best I have ever tasted and if Leslie shares the recipe with me I will post it here.

Looking Forward...

We always feel like we are on vacation when we pull out of the Magnolia driveway in the spring. January, February and early March are the prime times here. So we are busy now. Hmmm I think I have said that before. Today me and two of my buds, Kay and Peggy will be serving treats for crafts. They take it easy on me and let me do the drinks. I appreciate that. They were also a big help to me last Thursday, Friday and Saturday as I prepared for Omelets in a Bag on Saturday morning. We made 87 omelets. I had a couple left over and I have microwaved them for my breakfast and it works quite well to do so. I had previously told them I would only do it once but I have now rescinded and will prepare them again in February.
My guilty little secret is that much of my spare time, the little that I have, is spent playing Words with Friends on Facebook. It is an online form of Scrabble. I always look forward to getting to it. I try to get my other work done first but often I slip and go to Words with Friends first. Don't tell anyone, okay? Bye!!

Busy, busy week!

There has been pressure for me to make omelets in a bag for Saturday morning breakfast and I succumbed to pressure and agreed. Saturday is the day. So I asked my good friend Peggy to take me to Sam's Club to do the shopping. We did that yesterday. After our trip I had the rest of the afternoon somewhat free. I took a few peoples picture for the directory. Ones we didn't have or had missed. Then last night was the first steak fry night and it was excellent. After supper it was time to go to the pool hall for mixed league play. My partner and I have a very casual attitude about it and that is a good thing!!
In the next little bit it will be time for computer class and then afternoon will find my good friend Kay and I in the kitchen of Allen Hall getting stuff ready for omelets. Once things are all set for tomorrow morning I can relax a bit until tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM.
So all in all a mighty busy week. Next week will be almost as busy but it will seem easier than this one I am sure.
So if you wonder why I missed some days of posting, you can now quit wondering.

Ethan sleeps

Jason sent this picture of Ethan to our phone and I finally removed it today. Such a sweet little guy.

Rainy night

We had a couple of nice downpours during the night. Our air needed a good cleansing so I was glad to hear it. It is the first rain we have had in quite awhile so it was nice for that reason too. It might slow down some activities today but I doubt if it slows anything down much. Peggy, Rozetta and I plan to visit a few Ropa places and perhaps find a bead shop or two in the process. It is golf day for Butch so I know he hopes to have it clear off so they can. He would be there regardless of weather but sometimes the course closes thinking players won't come in adverse weather conditions. They are wrong. The mister has had a bit of a fit every time they have not been open because of a little rain or  40 degree days.
We are in the busiest time of the year and there is something happening every day this week. February will be the same and then things start to taper off in March.
Right now it is time I get dressed, throw down some breakfast and get to Allen Hall.
Till next time...

Horseradish Sauce

Friends Bill and Kay know I am fond of horseradish. They are as well and gifted me with their favorite horseradish sauce. They buy it at the Dollar Tree and yes it does cost a dollar. In Iowa we are not all that close to a Dollar Tree so I am stocking up before we leave. Here is a picture of my favorite horseradish sauce so you can hurry on down to the nearest Dollar Tree and get your own.

Great Uncle

Cousin Howie put this photo on Facebook and I snipped it from there. I think it is a great picture in a spooky sort of way.

Grandma Brock's Chocolate Cake

My Grandma Brock was a great Grandma. Whenever we stayed with her she would not only let us do whatever we wanted to do, she would help us. I remember one time my sister Jayne wanted to make a chocolate cake at 9:00 PM. Grandma says okay so we do it! Of course we always ate a great deal of the batter before it was actually baked. Grandma's Chocolate cake was her standard recipe and I never saw it written. But we grandchildren helped her make it so frequently that we knew the recipe as well as grandma did. But time marches on and the fine details of the recipe became vague to me. And then one day I ran across this recipe and it was exactly like Grandma's recipe!!


Grandma's Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C butter
1/2 C buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
4 T. cocoa powder
1 C hot water
1 1/2 C flour
Cream together eggs, butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients,soda, flour and cocoa alternately with the buttermilk. After you have mixed this well, add the cup of hot water. Batter will be thin. Use two round cake pans and dividiing batter evenly between the two. Bake at350 degrees for 20 minutes.
(Grandma rarely had buttermilk on hand so we put a teaspoon of vinegar in regular milk)

Icing:
1 Box powdered sugar
1 C butter
1 C. flour
4 T. Cocoa powder
Mix sugar, flour and cocoa. Blend in the butter. Make some strong coffee and use the coffee to make the icing the right consistency.

As I start...

As I start my day I think what is on the agenda for today and when we are in sunny south Texas every day holds something. Today is computer class and I need to get there in the next few minutes. An interesting note is that each and EVERY computer  I have had an issue with has been on a computer with Vista. I will be so glad when Vista fades off into the sunset and I feel truly sorry for those folks who are saddled with it. With the average life of 3 - 5 years for a laptop it will happen but seniors being such as they are, can make things last a very long time. Here is to a hopeful future!!

Brain Study

Good example of a Brain Study: If you can read this you have a strong mind: 7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F U C4N R34D 7H15.

PS: The third word in the first sentence has me a bit stumped but other than that it is easy. 

Pixel of Ink

Why some books are free for Kindle and other answers. I thought this page was very informative. I do know you have to grab those books when you get notified because they may not be free for long. I read the blurbs or rather scan might be a better word and if I find one that interests me I "buy" it right away. There is a lot of good literature out there and it is just a click away
http://www.pixelofink.com/an-introduction-to-free-kindle-books/#WhyAreTheseFree

From Grandpa Gary

Elise loves reading books and Amanda requested we get a video of her reading one of her favorites. There are many where she knows all the words like her opposites or her New shoes, red shoes.

Llama Llama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y6Hhq0Ta08

The other video is just Gary on his latest purchase
Inversion table: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8GLT5JA8mA

PS: Butch wanted an inversion table last summer but I argued that we did not have room for it. So Butch may just move in with Gary now.

Our Lucky Day

Here are some very adorable pictures of Sweet Elise. Thanks Grandpa Gary!!

Senior Valley Olympics

 Butch couldn't play shuffleboard this morning because he will be going to the Senior Valley Olympics playing pool. He will be representing the park in golf as well. He is a busy boy.

Days Whiz by...

We have been taken back by how the time flies by. I get our vitamin supplements ready each week putting all the capsules into containers by the days of the week. I generally do this on Sunday mornings. It seems like I am doing it frequently. We are into the middle of January in a new year and it does not seem possible but here it is. Jason was saying that some people worry about how they might fill their time when they retire and he was asking if I knew of anyone that was a problem for. My answer to him basically was that if that were so it was by choice. The days fill up and fast and when we are here in this warm weather area it happens at lightening speed. It is impossible to take part in everything offered. I gave up trying to do it all a long time ago.
The number one thing that will stop retirees from getting to do all they want to do are health issues so my advice to the young is take good care of yourself and when you reach the senior years you will be glad you did.
I know Butch plans to play shuffleboard this morning and after he gets up I plan to wash the sheets. This afternoon is crafts for me and he will probably meander over to the pool hall. I really need to get over there too. I enjoy playing pool when I get there to do it.
It promises to be a warm day today so we seniors will be out and about saying "hey" to all we meet.

Beading group

A group of us gather on Wednesday afternoon at Charlotte's house for a beading session. We share ideas and learn new techniques etc. This past week we had a guest, Jan Foster from Llano Grande Park. Jan and I learned to bead together in Michigan and it is so much fun getting together again. I think and hope Jan plans to join us every week.
If Joy from Thunder Bay Golf and RV Resort in Michigan reads this she is sure to be jealous. But Joy we do think of you often and the fun we had in the summer of 2010.

Jan is beading. Love her battery operated Ott light

Elise's new hairdo

Isn't she just the cutest little thing with her new hairdo?!! I just love it!!! And it looks like she does too.

Christmas pics of Elise

These are some good pictures Grandpa Gary and will stand the test of time.

Friday Last and then

We went to supper at the El Dorado in Weslaco and enjoyed a meal with friends Ted and Jan Foster who we met at Thunder Bay Golf Resort in Michigan last year (2010). The meal  and the company  were excellent. We had lots of catching up to do. We stayed at the restaurant for two hours and still were not all caught up. Ted and Jan are mostly fulltimers too. I think Ted has plans to play every golf course in the nation and he has a good start! Jan and I learned to bead together and we are both still at it. You can find their website by looking to the left on this page for RockyTopRamblers and clicking on it.
The days are starting to run together so I have to stop a minute to remember what we did on Saturday. Oh yes, it was garage sale day here in the park. I was not involved this time but my friends Peggy and Kay were and I know how boring it can get staying there till noon so I stayed longer than I normally would to visit with them.
Butch played golf in the afternoon and I just kicked around.
This morning Butch and I went to Martha's for breakfast and were a bit disappointed with the meal but then there are so many good choices to make down here it could be that we were being a bit fussy. Returned to the park and went for a walk. And now Butch is reading the Kindle and I am getting caught up on computer work.
Till next time...

Ethan's "Baby"

When Ethan was just a wee one his mama would say things to him like "No, Baby. Don't touch" and "It's time to go, Baby" etc. Ethan picked up the endearment and started returning the favor by calling his mama "Baby". So now this three year old says to his mama  "It's time to go, Baby" etc. I think it is cute but his Grand Papa Jason says at what age does it become just weird. Maybe in his teens?

Getting things done

Norma's computer - still working on it. Updated stuff and running Malware bytes. Her 'puter is really in pretty good shape. It is just in for a checkup. One of the things that did come to mind is that Norma's up north connection to the internet is at the library and so she is only on for a short period of time. Double edged sword. She isn't on for long so that lessens her chances of picking up any bad stuff but she isn't on long enough to get all her updates downloaded and installed. I hope Norma is okay with me telling you this. This lady has come such a long way in learning about her computer. She tickled me awhile back when she was able to help others with their computers and she was spot on with her info.
Sometimes people think there is something wrong with their computer when all it is is updates coming in and/or trying to install.
I am running Malware bytes and we are on hour three. The last hour and a half is checking .exe files on games.


LAUNDRY:
In process...so I guess you could say I am multi-tasking. But only on load one of three.


Allegra D prices. YIKES- Cheapest in USA was $98 for 30 tablets and he is taking one every 12 hours. So we went back to Mexico. The pharmacist yesterday said,"See you tomorrow." And he was right. 60 tablets were $82.50. Enough for a month. Butch went to the doctor yesterday for his annual allergy visit and then we made the first trip to Mexico for Meds. Today was the second trip. He has been suffering with allergies for over a week, getting progressively worse. Unable to sleep because of sinus drainage for 3 consecutive nights. Last night he was finally able to get some sleep and is napping now in fact. I have had a bit of the same thing but so far me and my neti-pot have held it at bay. Other than that we are A-OK health wise.
Aaaah...It stinks when life gets in the way of fun.


New Years Day tradition is eating at Lin's Chinese Restaurant. On the left side front to back is Dean, Rozetta, Dick and Dale. On the right side is Butch, my empty spot, Norma and Leslie.

Long ToDo List

My list is a bit long but thought I would just say "hi" so you know the blog is on the list.
The list:
Norma's computer
Lucy's computer
Judy H Kindle
Laundry
Download camera pics
Look up cost of Allegra D through Humana
Cook Ham in oven that is larger than mine.
On the blog:
Tell you about Ethan's "Baby"
Butch's doctor appt.
I will get to blog asap.

Happy New Year to all!!

Butch and I went up to Allen Hall for awhile to visit with friends and listen to music for a bit. I must admit that after our trip to South Padre yesterday I was in a fight not to put my pajamas on and spend the evening at home. I did make it to midnight but I listened to the fireworks in a prone position. They were every bit as loud as usual.
Here are my favorite pictures from yesterdays South Padre adventure.

This dog was having a great time with his people throwing him a ball.

A girl was feeding the gulls so they were clustered together waiting for more and the father and daughter featured below were running through them. They were having a great time.

There was a heavy fog near the shore but yet the sun was shining overhead. Very unusual day at the beach.

Eventful morning.

You will have to go see the other blog (www.magnolianews.blogspot.com ) to see the full story but it has been a busy one. Laundry, cleaning, a walk, the hawk and who knows what all! Spring has arrived. Birds are building nests and I hope to get some good pictures of this later. A grackle is building a nest in Donn and Peggy's tree in front of their house across the street from us. It gives me a very good view of the tree and the nest.  Fall, winter and spring seem to all blend together here. Some of the trees are losing their leaves. The releafing will begin in late January and February.

Butch is off to another park playing pool this afternoon and I am working on decluttering the house. It reaches a certain level and then simply must be tackled. Today is the day!!

Several more Elise videos

I do not feel one bit guilty putting all these Elise videos on here. If you aren't into baby videos or if your connection is such that it takes forever for them to load they are easily skipped over. Butch and I are so lucky we can keep up with her progress through the videos.

Elise playing at Mall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Te5pbvQvrM

Reindeer blowing nose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De13L26vN1s

Making Santa Cookies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7m2x4EhAzU

Elise and her Santa gifts videos

I assure you Elise got way too many gifts for Christmas. The videos are from when she opened just one of her favorites from Santa:

 1. http://youtu.be/ntabkzxw150

2. http://youtu.be/Vd1USgLLXDQ

3. http://youtu.be/jDkw2idZzgU

4. http://youtu.be/KGC2vmnM2so

5. http://youtu.be/bkpcSqBQ1Rs

Elise being polite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzoR3brT-uk

Every now and then...

Something special comes my way. This brought the tears...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WxjZB5S_g7s#t=0s

Elise Videos

Elise wants to draw: http://youtu.be/3Gof5Iwh1hw

Elise with Candy canes: http://youtu.be/JGZRB1NY4S0

Elise is Ornery: http://youtu.be/hT6R7lB_vQY

Sunshine!!

All it takes is a bit of sun to turn everything around down here. Today there are people in the pool and the sun is shining brightly, windows and doors are wide open. People are out and about and all returns to normal. Amazing what a little sun can do. We have had a period of very cloudy, dark, damp, drizzly weather so we all feel we deserve this respite.
Butch is getting a double dose of golf today. It was park golf day this morning and he is going back with Jim Rader for a second round this afternoon. They had to bring the wimps back home before they could continue playing. Butch shot a 32 this morning on nine holes. That perked him up a bit.
Christmas Dinner was very nicely done again this year. It always amazes me how people step up and get things done when they see the need. 
The years end is but a few days away. It happens so fast! I am sure that 7 year-olds would argue that fact but this near 70 year old thinks they are whizzing by.
Our friends Donn and Peggy went for Christmas eve services to their church down here in Alamo TX. As the church emptied after services the pastor was standing at the door saying "Feliz Navidad" to all who were leaving. Donn answered him with "Gesundheit"! Before you think that is inappropriate I might remind you that Gesundheit means God bless you and thus it was entirely appropriate. The pastor saw the humor and got a chuckle out of it.
I thought it was more than a little clever. So to all of you I say Gesundheit!!

Droopy on Christmas Morning 2011

Elise December 2011

I knew I would be getting some Elise pictures soon from Grandpa Gary and lo and behold here they are.

Link of the Day

This site features free gift tags in loads of designs in multiple
categories, including, 'natch, Christmas. Select one or more designs you
like (they are formatted in Word and PDF), download and start printing!


http://www.freeprintablegifttags.net/

Droopy

Droopy has become a park pet. Droopy has many different names but I call him/her Droopy. Droopy is a mockingbird that has one wing, his left one, that droops and hinders his flight. He has been here for at least 3 years. Since Angel is in kitty heaven Butch decided to "take in" Droopy and has been feeding him peanuts. Today I was in the kitchen by the stove and I could hear a bird chirping in the vent above my head. I told Butch that I think your bird wants fed. Sure enough. Butch opened the door and Droop hopped over to him on the roof and just as much said I am here! Of course, Butch wasted no time feeding his new best friend. I found a picture of Droopy. It is from 2008. I will try to get a new one soon.

Droop spends a fair amount of time at Pecan Bill's place too waiting for Bill to drop him a morsel. One of his other names is Lefty.

Oh Lordy

Been very busy. Of course the season is known for that but my busy has more to do with Presidential,computer and other duties than with the hustle and bustle of the season. I think it is the combo of all that. Hopefully it is.
I planned to call for a haircut appointment today but it completely left my mind with all the other things that popped up. The truth be known some days are quiet with no requests and other days it seems to pile up big. Like snowdrifts!! We are hearing about the big storm blowing through north of here. I do not know if the weather is a factor but we had residents of the park heading back to their other home in Oklahoma when they had a bad accident in Tyler Texas. The mister of the couple is in the midst of fighting bone cancer and in fact had a chemo treatment just before heading north. He had some broken bones in the accident. The missus of the pair is in critical condition. It has kind of discombobulated the park residents to have one of our own going through this major trauma. We may have differences at times but just as in any other family we all pull together and care for each other in times like this.
When Butch signed up with AARP (United Health Care) insurance we received info of different benefits we could receive because of the AARP membership. A 20 % discount at Denny's restaurants is one of those bennies. We had supper at Denny's last night and saved us between 3 and 4 dollars by using the AARP card. We met and  told some other folks in the park about it and they too saved. Now if we can just remember to use it!!
Later...

Winter weather

Winter time in S S T (Sunny South Texas) is decidedly different than winter time anywhere else. Some full timers I know who have wintered in the big three, Arizona, Texas and Florida tell me that the only place you will not find freezing temperatures is in the southern tip of Texas and the lower third of Florida and I know from experience that on rare occasions it happens here as well. We are not getting freezing temperatures but we are getting damp drizzly weather with cool temperatures. It is hovering in the 50's under cloudy skies. Not exactly what one would call pleasant but it is what we call winter here. We hope for a short one.
Butch and I cleaned house yesterday. Later I worked on a bracelet and he wandered off to the pool hall.

The mail came and with it the paperwork from the insurance company I have been waiting for since the middle of November. I had given up on it yesterday and went with a different company. I hope that aggravation is in the past. Butch's supplement to Medicare will be with a different company than mine. It shouldn't be a problem.

We have tentative plans  to go to Hidalgo TX for the Festival of lights but not exactly anxious to go in the rain. We also have plans to get to South Padre but the evil red tide is still an issue and until it is gone it is not wise to go there and irritate our upper respiratory systems. Geezzzz...just one of those things.