Greatgrands Birthday Toy

 Their Mom Amanda says:

What an exciting day! Elise and Leo got their early birthday gifts today. Daddy worked so hard to build the play set for them and they got a little time to play on it before bed time tonight. 

Where is Ethan!

He is very good at hiding!!

Goodreads-WEBSITE OF THE DAY

Goodreads. "Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations." Search books, literature trivia, book quizzes and quotes. Twenty-five million members.
https://www.goodreads.com/

This mornings adventure

Eldon H. from here in the park needed a pdf document signed and sent and he wanted to do it by email. He had the form scanned into his computer but needed to be able to add text to it. Now I tried to do this many years ago but did not have much luck so I was swimming around looking for solutions when I stumbled upon PDFzen. Eldon has Google Chrome and Google Drive and we added the app PDFzen which allowed us to open the pdf and then edit it. First we saved the original pdf in Google drive-opened, edited and mailed the saved document right from there. Easy Peasy although it took a long time for the stumbling around part. So if this is an app you think you could use, go to the Chrome store and search for pdfzen. It works within Google Drive.

Learning new stuff is way cool.

Very Cute Commercial

If only we could do this it would be so much fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfxB5ut-KTs

Daddy is in the Navy!

Scarlett, Nina and baby Skylar

Mom Ann and Nina

Missed Call

I missed a phone call from great granddaughter Elise. She called to tell me her favorite meal is *Runza casserole. It is one of our standbys and it sounds like it may become one of hers as well. I was sorry I missed her call. Elise will be four next month and it is always great fun conversing with a four year old. You are bound to find out some fascinating facts. We will be seeing her and her brother Leo later in April and we are looking forward to fun with the kiddo's!

* The runza casserole recipe can be found on the recipe page of this blog near the bottom.

Twice Baked Cauliflower

Peggy posted this on Facebook. It is for sure one on my todo list.

Twice Baked Cauliflower

(Makes 6-8 servings; recipe adapted slightly from The Low Carb Gourmet.)

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower

4 oz. low fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)

1/2 cup low fat sour cream (do not use fat free)

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (If you only have finely grated Parmesan, use a bit less)

6 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, fat blotted with paper towel and then crumbled

1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

(I used Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in light cream cheese, light sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.

Spread evenly in a medium-sized glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with low-fat cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Nina Grace

Nina Grace is our great grand in Georgia/Florida.
Growing up so fast! She has two sisters, Scarlett and Skylar.

snipped from Facebook.

For Kindle Fire Users

Judy Lowary told me about this great website for Kindle Fire users and I have to
 agree. You will need to subscribe but it is a painless process

http://www.lovemyfire.com/

With the Kindle Fire being "The #1 best-selling product on

Amazon"* there's a real need for a friendly, easy-to-use website

about these tablets.

Blog settings changed and other stuff

I have made some changes to the blog settings. One of which is the ability to post comments. Years ago I used to have it set so anyone could leave comments but then some unsavory characters left inappropriate ones so I changed it so they were not shown. So now I set it  to allow comments but you are required to be a registered user. So look in the left column and find where you can join and then be able to comment on a post. I think this will add a bit of pizzazz so I hope you decide to join and comment. Some of you have joined in the past so you will not need to rejoin. Also, let me know what you think about the changes.

Butch and I cleaned the vent covers on the roof. Now if you know me at all you know I did the ground work and he did the roof work. We had not cleaned them since they were installed so it was long overdue. A great deal of satisfaction is a result of getting these chores done.
Afterwards we walked over to the flea market. The cheese slicer I have used for my entire married life (55 years) broke. New ones like it are hard to come by. You know the ones I mean with a wire and a roller? My roller was long gone but I had learned to adjust.We saw a new one in the grocery store but the wire was wobbly and would never do a good job so we passed on it. So I looked to see if the Rada company made a cheese slicer and yes they do. It is more like a knife than a wire but I have always liked Rada products so decided to go with it. The Rada factory is in Waverly Iowa! Buy USA!   https://www.radacutlery.com/ 
I have used it once and I am happy with it. There is always a learning curve with a new utensil but I think it will be fine. Getting my slices straight was an issue but that was true of the old one as well.
On Amazon this little jewel was $10.90 while at the flea market it was $6.99

We usually go to the flea market on Saturdays so the remainder of Wednesday turned into Saturday for me.  Having two Saturdays doesn't matter when retired. It just means you are slightly askew for a bit.

My agenda for today is to continue on the cleaning. Butch plans to shuffle this morning and play cribbage this afternoon.

Another thing that happened yesterday concerned golfing in Boone. Aha! I bet that set you to wondering. I am a MyPoints member. I have been for years. Since 1998 actually. They send me pages in email, ads really and if I click on the page and go to the website I rack up 5 points merely for going to it. Do not have to buy anything and believe it or not it has never resulted in any spam for me. Once your points have accumulated you can buy things or get gift certificates. I usually get gift certificates for Amazon. 1700 points will get me a $10 credit for Amazon or many other stores. I have done this many times. Since 1998 I have racked up over 70,000 points. If this interests you let me know because I get points if others join too but that is not what this is about.
While looking at the MyPoints email, they offered a Groupon deal for a golf round in the DesMoines area. I am also a Groupon member so I checked it out. Two people with a cart for 18 holes was $29 and it was at the Boone Iowa course in town! That is a few blocks from Jason. So I  purchased the deal. Since it was through MyPoints I received 15 points per dollar too. 435 points! Win/Win!!

Most days it does not take much to amuse me.

Female Intuition

Butch laughed way too hard at this joke. The truth must be funny.

WEBSITE OF THE DAY

An RV isn't required and there are some great ideas here.
Awesome RV recipes. Click on pictures of delicious food then browse through websites with tons of tempting recipes for camping or RVing. On Pinterest.

Spring on the playground

Digging Deeper

We finished the windows and the roof vents. Two big jobs done. So then I started sorting paper, throwing out some, setting some aside that stays in the motorhome and another bunch to get moved into the house  and a burn bag. The burn bag is one for the burn barrel when we get back to Iowa.
I even whittled this pile down to saving things in google drive and updating our health information . Now that is refinement, my friends.
In so doing, I came across some snippets I have saved and a short poem written and then long forgotten.

Here is the assortment...

Sayings I found tucked away here and there while Spring cleaning.

“Holding a grudge is letting someone live in your head rent free.”

“ Happiness is that little space between too much and not enough.”

A poem I wrote found in the same nook or cranny:

     Bright Side of Nasty

Some days are better than others.

The good and the bad take their turn.

Forget all the bad,rejoice in the good,

a lesson we all have to learn.

Tomorrow may try to be nasty,

and smugly think it has won.

But when the dust clears, the score you’ll see here

Bad day-zero Me-one

“Life is a gift. If we don’t live it well we are being ungrateful. And we have to love the ones who journey with us.”

Chores and supper

     Butch finished washing the motorhome yesterday and I helped and then tackled washing the windows inside. Today we plan to take on a few other long neglected areas such as the roof vents.
     At least once a year we go through every nook and cranny and often discover forgotten treasures. They must be treasures otherwise why would we have kept them in the first place. If time permits we may also do that today. Spring brings on nesting instinct in all of us it seems.
   

 Last nights supper recipe is below and it is a keeper.

Egg Salad and Cheese Quesadillas

(Makes 4 quesadillas, can easily be increased. Recipe shared by a Kalyn's Kitchen reader.)

Ingredients:

4 hard boiled eggs

4 small size flour tortillas (use whole wheat or low carb

tortillas for South Beach diet)

olive oil or non-stick spray for spraying tortillas and pan

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 T mayo or light mayo

1 1/2 T finely chopped green onion

1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, or use other seasonings of your choice)

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup finely grated cheese (I used a low-fat Mexican blend of four cheeses)

Instructions:

Follow instructions for making perfect hard-boiled eggs. Let eggs cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into pieces about 1/2 inch. Mix eggs with Dijon, mayonnaise, chopped green onion, and Spike seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spray or brush olive oil on frying pan and on bottom side of tortillas. Spread egg salad mixture on half of each tortilla, not going clear to the edge so it doesn't fall out while quesadillas are cooking. Top egg mixture with 1 T grated cheese, then fold the tortilla to make a half-moon shaped quesadilla.

Heat frying pan over medium-high heat, then cook quesadillas about 3-4 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted and they are slightly browned. Serve hot, with salsa on the side if desired.

Keeping up

At times it isn't easy keeping up with two blogs. Especially when the interesting stuff can apply to both. So if you are a reader of this one and not the magnolia one you may want to check it out. www.magnolianews.blogspot.com

Things are winding down here with many people leaving. The pace slows and we start looking to Spring cleaning and other chores we have been too busy to tackle the past 5 months. We are leaving here April 9th and headed for Sattler (Canyon Lake) Texas for a one night stay before making our way to Llano TX for a week. Then we will be making our way north with one night on the road and Peculiar MO being the next destination on Friday April 18th. Right now it looks like we will be in Jefferson on the 21st. Circumstances can change things but that is the story for now.
The weather has moderated. We are usually putting up with 90's by now but this year it is 80's and that is a good thing. Actually it is the sort of weather we usually enjoy most of the season. So once again weather is a non-issue. I like it when weather is a non-issue.
Today Butch plans to tackle washing the remainder of the motorhome. He did the roof yesterday. I am his gofer and lookout when he does this while at the same time getting some inside work done too. Windows may be my feature of interest.

My last computer class was yesterday and we had a good time. I received many Thank You's of which I am grateful. I will miss them but know we will be doing it again next fall. The beginner class has come a long way and may choose to join the advanced class next season. I think they have learned enough to feel comfortable there.

The Best I Can

If you are a regular reader of this blog you are already aware of my friend Colleen. For me, reading one of her columns is like going on one of our walks. We do this at 7:00 AM each summer morning in Jefferson Iowa. Our walks are not only exercise for our bodies but also for our minds and our conversations feed a need in each of us. As I read her latest column below, I am thinking about this park and the people who are in it and the fact "We are all doing the best we can."

‘It’s important to assume positive intent on the part of others regardless of their behaviors. They are doing the best they can at the moment.’

March 19, 2014

~a column by Colleen O’Brien

This quote above has been floating through my life for a year or two. I wrote it down without attributing its owner, which I regret. I searched Google, but even the Great G herself could not come up with the person who said it.

(Obviously, Google does not know all. This was disappointing as well as satisfying; I found it refreshing to learn that she, if only in one instance, could know as little as I. G was doing the best she could.)

In a book group discussing The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeanette Walls, I defended Jeanette’s mother, who was flakey, self-centered, troubled. She seldom served meals or cleaned house because she hardly ever left her art studio. She had inherited land but refused to sell it to make her family’s life tolerable. When I said to the book group, “She was doing the best she could,” three women took umbrage and attacked me for giving the benefit of the doubt to a bad mother.

At the time I came across this quote I was not thinking of other people, I was thinking of myself. I needed to at least hope I was doing the best I could and wanted others to think likewise. In other words, no judgment, folks. If I could do better, believe me, I would.

I soon assimilated the controversial quote into my dealings with the lives of friends and strangers alike – assuming positive intent on the part of others regardless of their behaviors. Yes. A good point of view to maintain. Most of us are doing the best we can. And if I doubt it or am uncomfortable with how the person is doing the best he can, I don’t have to hang out with him.

Perhaps there are born sociopaths; I know there are people who learn to be vile because they’ve been treated vilely. But I do believe that the general run-of-the-mill human is struggling with finances or kids or health, befuddled by relationships, always preoccupied with one inconsequential thing or another. In this broad spectrum of non-sociopaths, people are doing the best they can.

When my husband and I first traveled around the country with a trailer, meeting all kinds of people from everywhere in the U.S. and Canada, I was struck by how people were friendly one day and, often, unfriendly the next. It soon dawned on me that I didn’t have to feel ignored or shunned because I could pigeonhole them as mostly old, which meant they couldn’t see, couldn’t remember or had hemorrhoids.

When I found the quote about humans doing the best they can at the moment, I could smile, say hi whether they said hi or not, and keep walking. I no longer had to make up stories about hemorrhoids because I was no longer hurt that they didn’t say hi.

Sometimes I myself can’t even smile. That I’m walking and acknowledging at the same time is a feat in itself.

Like you, I’m doing the best I can.

Ethan plays

Ethan plays a video game for the first time. His Mom says it did not last long.
Just the other day one of my friends asked why I didn't have a picture of Ethan lately so I was happy to see this one. He is growing up very quickly!

Marlene's Lemon Meringue Pie

Butch's sister, Marlene, makes the world's best Lemon Meringue Pie and I am not the only one who thinks so. My friend Peggy says it makes her mouth water just thinking about it. Yesterday at crafts we were discussing her pie and I said she most likely has the recipe in her head and wouldn't be able to tell us. But I emailed her and asked and she shared her meringue recipe with us this morning. So here is Marlene's Meringue.
From Marlene:

It’s a strange recipe, but works for me –

                                    Never Fail Meringue

                                    1 TBLS. Cornstarch

                                    2 TBLS. Cold water

                  Blend cornstarch and cold water in a saucepan

                                    ½ cup boiling water

                  Add boiling water and cook, stirring until clear and thickened,

                  Let stand until COMPLETELY COLD.

                                    3 egg whites

                                    6 TBLS. Sugar

                                    1 tsp. vanilla or lemon flavoring

                                    Pinch of salt.

                  With electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until frothy.

                  Gradually add sugar, and beat until stiff but not dry.

                  Turn mixer to low speed, add salt and flavoring

                  Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture.  Turn mixer

                  Again to high and beat well.  Spread meringue over

                  Cooled pie filling.  Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Mother Earth News

I subscribed to Mother Earth News 30 years ago. I still have a bread recipe from that publication.
Today I found this site of the day. Good old Mother Earth News is still around.

Directory of Culinary and Medicinal Herbs. "Discover the exceptional flavors and gentle healing capabilities of more than 40 of the plant kingdom’s finest. This is your one-stop shop for reliable information on cultivating, cooking and healing with these special plants." From Mother Earth News.
motherearthnews.com

Considering a Chromebook?

Where I get much of my info: http://thundercloud.net/infoave/new/255-2/

Considering a Chromebook? I agree with the assessment below. I love the chromebook but for some things I will still need a Microsoft computer and will purchase one after they come to their senses and offer one that is old timer friendly. Apple is for those who like to spend money more than I do. I am taking very good care of what I have...and waiting.

Terry is considering buying a Chromebook
i have many questions about my XP--and decided i am too old and set in my ways to learn 8--or 7 for that matter-(had it once but took it off and had XP put back in)--(so very many of my purchased software would NOT work with 7)-can i still use my email (earthlink.net) on a chrome book?

With EarthLink can I use their web based mail box or download it INTO my PC--i am considering your suggestion for a chrome book---i could keep all 3 of my computers , all running XP , off of the internet-- -hopefully i could then transfer info between the PCs and chrome book--using one of those stick things---or with the external hard drives---do the chrome books accept the use of the externals and sticks?--(do they have USB ports ?)-considering having you do your "thing" with moving IE to chrome OS--and adding new virus---your price for that service?---sure would hate to loose or make inoperable all of the stuff that i have collected using IE if i do decide to go with the chrome book?

Like most folks---my life is in my computers---and all running XP with IE---!!!!!--crochet-craft patterns saved for years--plus thousands of links saved in favorites and thousands as icons on my desktop--does the google chrome book run PDF files? -PS--am trying to use google chrome instead of IE---truth be told am having an awful time---thank you for your time and answers---Terry.

Our answer
Hi Terry, As an owner of a Chromebook and an Android tablet, I will first admit that I'm not an expert on either. I use both quite often but rarely for business.

First, right at the start, I'll tell you that we don't move things from Windows to Chromebooks with our service -- there really is nothing to move. I'll explain as we go along.

First, you can check any web mail account, including EarthLink, on a Chromebook. You sign in just like you do now. However, it would be super convenient for you to have a Gmail account and set up Gmail to check your EarthLink Mail. To learn how to do this see our article here http://goo.gl/Bd4U8T . It's very easy to do, then you can login to your Gmail account and your EarthLink mail will be there.

The reason why I'm suggesting a Gmail account for Chromebook users isn't because I'm a big fan of Gmail (and I am), but because it just makes sense if you're using a Chromebook to have a Gmail account. Why? Because when you have a Gmail account you also have all other Google services like Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Chrome Store etc. When you have all the Google services your Chromebook becomes even more useful. For instance, you can create and read Microsoft Office documents like Excel, Word, etc. Chromebooks (at least mine ) come with 100gb of storage space on Google Drive -- this is important because, since Chromebooks are Web-oriented, they have very small storage drives. So you aren't going to have a lot of hard drive space to store files, documents, etc. But with 100gb of Google Drive space, you have plenty of room to store your favorite files.

Chromebooks have USB ports just like Windows computer, they also have HDMI ports so you can connect it to a high definition TV and watch YouTube videos, Netflix, etc. on your TV via your Chromebooks.

You cannot run Windows software on a Chromebook, so you can't move IE to a Chromebook nor any other Windows program. Chromebooks use the Chrome operating system, not Windows, so if you're planning on moving a bunch of your favorite programs to a Chromebook, it's not going to happen. That being said, the Chrome store has a lot of free apps you can use, some of them actually better than their Windows counterparts. You can browse the Chrome store by clicking the Chrome store shortcut on your Chromebook.

I am really not sure what you mean by "sure would hate to loose or make inoperable all of the stuff that i have collected using IE if i do decide to go with the chrome book..." You can't have anything in IE but your Favorites (bookmarks) and these are easily exported into Chrome. In fact, if you have Chrome on your Windows XP computer you can import all your IE bookmarks (Favorites), settings, etc. into Chrome. If you have a Gmail account you can save them and use them on your Chromebook on the Chrome browser.

You ask about cross stitch patterns and icons on your desktop. Desktop shortcuts are mostly shortcuts to the programs you installed, since these are all Windows programs, you can't move them to Chromebook. As far as cross stitch patterns, if they're in a format such as PDF, yes you can read them in Chromebook; Google docs can open PDF files. But if those patterns are for a specific program and can only be opened by that program, you're not going to be able to use the cross stitch program on a Chromebook, because, again, it's a Windows program.

Google Chrome is actually much easier to use than IE. IE has senseless warnings about scripting errors, add-ons, and, probably the worst of all, the stupid Smart Screen filter. Once you learn that all Google Settings can be accessed by clicking the rectangular icon (with 3 horizontal bars) in the top-right hand corner, you'll see how much simpler it is than IE which is actually very difficult to configure due to its arcane "Internet Options" dialog.

But frankly, Terry, I don't think you'll be happy with a Chromebook. It seems to me you're a Windows guy and there's nothing wrong with that. And a good 15" or 17"Chromebook is only going to save you about $50 to $100 over the cost of a Windows 7 computer (yes, you can still buy Windows 7 laptops and desktops). Windows 7 is not a huge leap for Windows XP users. And if you choose, you can get a really great deal on Windows 8 computers (less than $400) and we can make it work just like Windows 7 for you. All you need to do is buy a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care key and we'll set up your Windows 8.x computer to look and work just like Windows 7.

We recommended Chromebooks for people who typically use their computers for checking email, updating their social networking sites, playing games, browsing the Web and looking at and working with digital photos. It's really not going to be something a dyed-in-the-wool Windows user, like you seem to be, is going to be very happy with.

Most of the programs (90%) you have installed on XP will work on Windows 7 (and Windows 8x). And you'll have IE too if that's what you like.

I hope we've answered all of your questions and we've helped you make a decision as to what your next computer will be.

Leo-11 months

25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Web

The Web is celebrating its 25th year in 2014. Very hard to believe!

25 Things About The Web

http://www.webat25.org/news/webfacts

Northbound thoughts

It happens every year and it is called "Hitch-itch". Things wind down in the park, activities taper off and you know before long that you will indeed be northbound. I have made a 'last trip to Mexico' list and a checklist for things to get done before take off. The question this year is how far we will be going north. We think our first days run will take us to Sattler (Canyon Lake) Texas. When we leave the park will hinge directly on the new manager. In the past we have stayed over a few days by paying a prorated fee. But word gets back to us that others have met with a stone wall on this issue with her insisting a full month be paid. That will not fly with us. So we will either be leaving the 31st of March or a week later if allowed to prorate our fee.
Our Canyon Lake friends have made reservations at the Llano City RV Park where we have stayed in the past. In fact we stayed there in October on our way down. Their reservations are for 6 days and we will be doing the same starting April 10th with perhaps a longer stay depending on when Spring breaks in Iowa. It is nice to have a plan in place.

Pole Dancer

Butch is the pole dancer in our house.

March

Two Bits

Two Bits of interesting items from our most recent RV newsletter. One could happen here and the other has happened here...or close anyway.


A 300-acre campground in Welch, Minn., has been closed by court order. Hidden Valley Campground was shut down in a dispute over its sewage disposal system. Owner Cory Axelson said he's sunk more than $400,000 into system repairs, but a judge says his campground is closed until state officials issue licenses for the system.

Police in Mission, Texas, may have broken up a ring of thieves who specialized in stealing Ford F-250 pickups and selling them in Mexico. Police staked out Mission Bell RV Resort in February, where pickups had been previously stolen, and netted four adults and a juvenile who were charged in connection with at least one truck theft.

Saturday thoughts

Yesterday we found out that a former resident of Magnolia Park is back in the area and looking for a place to rent or buy for next season. As it turns out there is not much available but I digress. This person left quite disabled and left paperwork behind, perhaps things she should not have. It was discovered that she had been married and divorced multiple times, like over 10 times. I have heard different numbers but all of them were over 10. When Donn G heard this he stated that apparently she liked to sleep around legally. That tickled our funny bone.
People are starting to leave as they usually do this time of year but I was reading the Des Moines Register this morning and they said a 130 year record for low temperatures was broken last Monday. LAST MONDAY!!! There has to be some changes made before we can in good conscious leave the warmth for the cold so recently brutal.
Butch was in another Pool event today. He finished respectable but not with a medal. He has one more time to play in league play and then it will be just playing for fun the rest of the time.
Till next time!

Sun

Or rather lack of it. In the last computer class we were discussing photos and getting them in the computer. Judy said that she had not taken many pictures this season because the days have been so gray and the weather so crappy that there were not many photo taking opportunities. And right she is.
It has indeed been a very different season and that continues to be true. We are still in a quandary about when we may head north. We are paid up through March. We will be keeping an eye on Iowa's weather trends. We are pretty certain we may spend some time in Llano TX but that too is not set up yet. So as usual March finds us in a state of limbo. We will get it lined up. We always do.

I did take some photos today while on my walk.

To back up a bit on Friday night the Pool league players had a gathering at the Cleavelands on Willow street. Here are pictures from that event.

Tuffy and Char did BBQ Ribs. Big Yum

Wonderful

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday and as I told someone I have had many of them. I hope to have many more.
The night before my birthday we went to the Alamo El Dorado, that is the best one, with our friends Bill and Kay Stilson and Donn and Peggy Gordon and enjoyed another great meal there. Bill Stilson's birthday was on Monday so we were celebrating both events. Great food, great company you cannot beat it.

Then yesterday we met at Bill and Kay's for ice cream and cake, afterwards we went to Denny's so I could get my free breakfast Slam. So my birthday has been nearly a week long event. My friends treat me very well and I am very grateful for them. Life would not be much fun without them.

*

After we settled in for the evening and scanned the TV for something worthy of watching and finding nothing we turned to Netflix. Last summer we started watching the Netflix series "Breaking Bad". There were four seasons of it and as a rule it would not be something I would watch. It is very violent in places. But it is one of the best built series I have ever seen and all very believable. We watch in wonder as this seemingly ordinary family man sinks lower and lower into a very BAD place. Well, we now have season 5 and that is what we are watching. There are 3 episodes left and we are so ready to find out what happens next. This is the final season.

*

In a few minutes I will be teaching another computer class. I need the beginners  to feel comfortable with what they know and we only have 3 or maybe 4 more sessions to make sure that happens.

First Week in March

The first week in March is very fast paced. So much happens here in the first week and everyone is trying to get things done before the big leave for northern climes. This year may be the time to sit tight and wait for warm weather but we are such creatures of habit that I look for many to head out anyway. I wish them the best and safe travels but I do believe we will hold back and watch for a change in the weather patterns in the northland.
Last year we rushed home because we were anxious to get our little bungalow finished up and then we froze our hiney's off for two months before the weather broke in June. So this time I think we will wait for difference in the trends before heading that way.
There has been so much happen in the last couple of weeks that it easy for me to get way behind. Nothing drastic just the usual events. So I will start with just a few minutes ago. Butch came home with a 3rd place win in 8 ball men's doubles. Don Louks, one of my star new computer users, was his partner.

I got my haircut today and my hairdresser Yolanda told me my hair was very soft, like a baby bunny. She tickled herself by saying so. We decided my hair was so soft because it hasn't been processed in any way. One of my blessings is my hair. I cannot say it has ever been a problem for me. I am happy and grateful for that.

Keeping Up with Missouri Great Grands

Here is giggling baby Leo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-kvMz9XVzU#t=60

And here is his sister Elise who went to the high school production of Ariel and loved it!!

Salad Greens

This worked well for me for many years - it's a simple, weed-free way to grow lettuce, spinach and even radishes. Take a 2 cubic feet bag of potting soil (I used Miracle Grow), rumple it around quite a bit to loose the soil, poke quite a few holes in the back side for drainage, then lay the bag on a smooth surface that will allow drainage and not get too hot, and cut out the top, leaving about a 4 or 5 inch border all around. Lightly rake through the soil to even it out and loosen it even more, then carefully, and evenly sprinkle the seeds around. I put my salad green seeds in an old spice bottle with large shaker holes, added some cornmeal, shook it all up to mix well and sprinkled them out of it. I put the cornmeal in there to allow me to see that I had covered the soil evenly. If doing radish seeds or spinach, just make lines the depth mentioned on the seed pack, plant the seeds and cover appropriately. For salad greens I sprinkled a lite covering of soil over the cornmeal and seeds and then spray-misted to water them in. I put my bags on metal sawhorses and grates to make them waist level. This kept the bags off the hot concrete and I didn't have to bend over when cutting my salad. When harvesting, just use a pair of scissors and cut what you need - don't pull the plants out. Same goes for spinach - they will grow back almost magically overnight, and you can't tell where you cut. Spray mist the seeds and plantlings at first when watering, until they are established, then you can water more vigorously as the plants mature. You will probably need to water more often, since the depth of the bags are not as deep as a regular in-ground garden. I just kept mine moist, but not sopping wet.

Jigzone Puzzle

Click on it and waste a few minutes putting it back together

Costco Thursday

Friend Peggy takes a few of her Buds who want to, shopping at Costco. The good news is there are many things I really like that I can only get at Costco. The bad news is Costco Thursdays will come to an end when Peggy makes her way back to Nevada and we make our way back to Iowa.
There is a Costco in Des Moines but it is not practical for us to have a membership there. I think I made it to Des moines twice last summer . The fuel spent to get there does not compute to be a practical thing to do. So I will load up here as best I can on the products I love most and  make the best of it.
My Costco list:
Kirkland Fine ground coffee ( I use half the amount because of the fine grind)
Kirkland Albacore Tuna
Kirkland Chunk Chicken
Quinoa and Brown Rice
Fuji Apples
Boiled Eggs
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Kirkland Hormel thick bacon (precooked)
and more that do not come to mind readily.

Greene County meets in Texas

The Greene County Iowa people who winter in Texas get together at least once a season and yesterday was the day at Olive Garden in Weslaco. Some of the comments heard; "Worst winter ever" "I have never made so much soup and chili as I have this winter" " Our golf day is on Tuesday and it is always the worst weather of the week on Tuesday" "I hear the frost level in Iowa is 50 inches deep" "I am not going north too early this year". Everyone agrees it has been a doozy of a year and I think that applies to the entire USA. We all still live with hope in our heart for better days to come.
Sunny South Texas has been once again smacked in the face with a cold snap. Just as we think the last one has made its way through another sneaks its chilly toes in the door.

Peggy's Birthday

We helped Peggy celebrate her birthday at the Riverside in Mission Texas. It is on the banks of the Rio Grande River. Later in the day we enjoyed cake and ice cream at the Stilson residence

 There seemed to be some action of some sort on the Mexican side of the river.

 Pecan Bill and Butch looking things over.

 Peggy received wine holders for her birthday...Gee, her friends know she enjoys a nice glass of wine!

Happy Birthday Peggy!!