Canyon Lake friends

Our Canyon Lake friends (San Antonio area) came down to the Rio Grande Valley to spend a week on South Padre. These are people we became acquainted with through Snow Mountain Ranch.
 Due to the fact that this week is a busy one for Butch we went to visit them yesterday, our only free day. I took 3 cameras with me- my old standby Fuji, my smartphone and the new GoPro. I have not mastered the handling of videos yet so we will skip that part for now. Videos use a large amount of data and time. We enjoyed lunch at Dirty Al's, walked on the beach and visited the afternoon away. All in all, a great way to spend the day.

The Pelicans are waiting for a free lunch

 Here is the reason the Pelicans have such an interest. This young man is cleaning Red Snappers and he will throw them some scraps.

 Nice boat

 Lisa is watching the action. Butch is posted on the other side of Lisa.

  Gull is hanging out for a tidbit as well.

 My best shot of the day!

We returned to the campground and gathered for drinks and conversation.
I will try with the names but ask forgiveness beforehand when I screw up.
Here we have Terry, Roxy and Larry.

 Laura and her husband, Sharon, Mike, Lou and Gary.

 Newly met friend and her husband Carl-then Butch

 Party crasher!

And if you wonder where Santa goes after Christmas, at least this week he is parked next to Terry and Lisa  on South Padre Island!

Quite a Stir

I caused quite a stir yesterday. I knew I would. When I was sick with the stomach flu for a week all my respiratory/allergy issues disappeared. My conclusion was that I had not set foot outdoors for 6 days and perhaps that was part of the solution. Also, the first two days of resuming our daily walks agitated the allergies once again. So I decided to wear a mask. That caused the stir. "What's wrong with Barb?" The answer is probably many things but the short answer is allergies. 

Saturday

Pecan Bill and Butch went to a car show in McAllen. Kay had won the tickets worth $15 each. Being one who would never spend a dollar to go to a car show, I do not know how they made any money but the place was packed. Go figger.

Anyway, Peggy and I went to the flea market. One of our many purchases was this cauliflower. This is half of it. Peggy and I shared. Cauliflower is pricey these days with a small head going for nearly $4. Ours cost $2

We picked up several items. The flea market too was packed with people. I do believe it was busier than I have ever seen it.

It's great!

This is Portia the porch kitty who may giving birth to kittens at this very minute. This was taken last night after the steak fry. She hasn't been seen since and she is very pregnant.

Myron's dog Indy loves to pull him around the park. I hope to get a GoPro video of it.

This is  a VERY old bike. I could not resist those handle bars!

It feels really good to have regained my health. You don't know what you've got till it's gone as it says in the song.

So now...

I have played it low key, staying home, doing minimal things and trying to get full recovery. I felt good on arising this morning and since Butch has pool both morning and afternoon I decided to get caught up. So now the second load of laundry is in process, vacuuming has had a once-over, dishes are done and sanitized, check book balanced and I am getting caught up on computer stuff.

I feel like I have been in isolation, self-inflicted. One of my main concerns throughout this ordeal is that we not pass it on to our unsuspecting friends and neighbors. I would not wish what we have endured on my worst enemy.

Despite feeling good, I have noticed that it does not take much effort to feel fatigued. And food doesn't yet taste real yummy. I will be ready for a walk when the weather clears. Oh yes, I didn't tell you. The weather has been beautiful for the past week but today is cold (49 F) and wet. The forecast is for 30's tonight. Unlike the past two years, we then will enjoy a nice warm-up into the 80's.

Tomorrow is Costco Thursday and my list is ready. I am looking forward to a few hours with friends doing something entirely different!

I'm Alive!

Yes, we have survived the stomach flu. For those questions you have: Yes, we had a flu shot. Flu shots are for respiratory flu. We had gastrointestinal flu and it is a virus with no cure and no vaccine to my knowledge. I read up on it when Butch first came down with it. Excellent article and you can read it here:
http://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/best-remedies-stomach-flu#2

Lots of good advice and I tried to implement as much of it as possible. 

We have found out where it was contracted and just as I expected it was a pool hall, but not our pool hall. Butch played pool at a park that will not be named a week ago Monday, the 18th and found out he had the flu Tuesday night. When the Monday pool group reconvened yesterday the conversation confirmed that many people from the unnamed park had the stomach flu.

Despite all my efforts to avoid it, my visit happened Friday night. It saps the living health right out of you. So I am feeling some better but I am weak and wobbly legged. I have been able to eat some but queasiness quickly reminds me if I exceed the body recommended capacity.
Enough of all this for now. Will post again when something of note flits into my head.

Stomach Flu

Butch had it first and now I have it. Started Friday night for me when I felt like my stomach contained a boulder. It got worse from there. Yesterday was awful. Today I feel like I will be okay but I am weak. This is all you will hear from me till wellness has returned.

Drastic or Not...

I just did a drastic thing I hardly ever do. I deleted all my emails. Don't get too excited I have read most of them. Or maybe you could say scanned them. Butch says that is all I ever do-scan.
Butch and I have had quite a time of it this winter health wise. Nothing drastic there. Just the irritating things. Butch is recovering from the stomach flu. This is following a very bad cold followed by a continuing respiratory "thing" we assume is allergies that is being stubborn. I caught his cold and now I have the allergy crap, that is what we assume it is. I have never had as much problem as he has had. But now we are both on Allegra-D. He will resume the allergy stuff once he recovers from the stomach flu. So now you see my point. The allergy business has made us tempted to give up on South Texas before and we are at that point again.
However...The weather has been perfect this winter. Moderate would be a good word for it. We have had lots of sunshine. A cool day now and then but not lasting long enough to be bothersome. It has been as perfect this year as it was bad the past two winters.
So with not being in top form I have neglected both blogs probably as bad as I ever have. I may have lost some of my readers this past year. It would not surprise me.

I drove the car today! Butch having the flu prompted it. I hardly ever drive anymore but it is reassuring to know I still know how. I went to WalMart to refill a prescription and then to H.E.B. With coupons they give to seniors I saved $18.94. These coupons are unbelievable. We love our H.E.B.

I still  have several as you can see. Today I picked up two dozen eggs, 1/2 gal. milk and bananas for free among other things.

Took this photo today.

People see me taking pictures and they often do not see what I see. I have become used to that reaction

Below is a hornets nest that people drive by every day and do not even know it is there. It is in the top of a tree not far from the office. We all pass by it frequently. Don Louks pointed it out to Butch who pointed it out to me.

 This leaf was on our motorhome windshield. We have a screen on it that transforms the leaf to a pixelated wonder.

 This was a sunset taken from our front door one evening last week.

How and why do they caucus in Iowa

This website is interesting and informative.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/19/iowa-caucuses-explained-2016-election-democrats-republicans

My life these days

My life these days revolves around pretty ordinary stuff...like cooking. This is the reason I am posting this recipe today because I loved it and it was quick and easy. If you added some cooked chicken bits to it, it would pass for Chicken Alfredo (low cal). It is one I will make again even if I am the only one enjoying it.
One Pot Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsps. unsalted butter
• 8 oz. uncooked fettucine
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a shallow saucepan, sautée minced garlic until lightly brown.
2. Add chicken broth, milk, and butter to the pan. Stir until butter melts and ingredients mix.
3. Add uncooked pasta to pot, and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle liquid over pasta until covered.
5. Simmer mixture until pasta is cooked and liquid evaporates into a creamy sauce.
6. Mix in Parmesan cheese.
7. Plate and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!

This simple meal tastes decadent without being too heavy, and is the perfect speedy meal for the middle of the week! Plus, you’ll cut your cleanup in half by sticking to just one pot.

Busier than usual day

Computer class this morning where we worked on cut, copy, and paste.

And then Butch and I went to Walmart to discuss drug prices. I was very lucky in that there were no lines so I had the full attention of a druggist. I like the store-on Salinas in Donna- and I like the pharmacy personnel. They are patient and helpful. I asked this fellow many questions about prices of various meds and then I said, "Thank you very much and now I am going to Mexico to buy them." I said this with a smile and then, "I suppose you hear this all the time." He said, "Yes, but when I buy my own I go to Mexico too." Also said with a smile. Nice guy.

So then we go to Mexico. LOTS OF PEOPLE! I have not seen it that crowded for two years. Both parking lots were full. There were also many Federales. Camo guys with lots of guns patrolling the streets of Nuevo Progresso. We ran into Jim and Janet Rader and joined them for lunch at Arturos. The Pancho's were good. Not as good as Garcia's but better than Elsa's. We are sure missing Garcia's for Panchos. My own version is getting better as I practice.
Got home about 3:00. We feel like that is a busy day for us.

Old Lady

There is an old lady in our park who is 98 or 99 years of age. I really did not expect to see her this year. She used to drive herself down but after several scrapes on the side of her car, someone in her northern life decided she should no longer drive herself to Texas from Minnesota. So the past few years her grandson has driven her down, stuck around for about a week and left her here. She no longer has a drivers license. In fact, she cannot see very well having one very bad cataract and another almost as bad. In the past, she has had kind-hearted people in the park to take care of her. That is not easy to do as she has a habit of being demanding, unfair and disagreeable. This year she does not happen to have 'good help'. So she hired a local handyman to fix her car, put a new battery in it so she can drive to the mailbox and the garbage. Yesterday was her first excursion and she made it without getting or giving any injuries to any thing or any body. It was the talk of the park and many people were watching her every move and trying to stay out of her path. There have been complaints filed with management and I am anxious to see if anything gets done and if so what.
Update: I only have observation to tell me the results. Her car has been moved and where it is parked would have taken skills she does not possess. She is sporting a new hairdo and was seen as a passenger in a car. So my guess is she has been grounded by management but has found someone to take her where she wants to go...for a fee...for now. Only one of many soap operas in a park for the retired.

It is okay

I have reached an age where I have fallen into a rut. The odd thing is I am okay with it. If you had told my 35-year-old self that I would ever be okay with being in a rut well let us just say I wouldn't have agreed with you.
Many words I said in my youth have had to be eaten. One was that I would always keep up with the latest music trends. That one fell by the wayside so long ago I cannot even remember it. I do remember having said it.
 I remember trying to teach my mother some of the dances of the 60's and she was stiff as a board. Another thing I did not plan to let happen to me. Well, some days I am stiff as a board. In fact, most days I am stiff as a board.
I am happy sitting here in my quiet house entrenched in my rut stiff as a board.

Today is Costco Thursday. Peggy will be picking me and two others up in a bit to go to Costco. I do not really need anything today.  I will have more time to just browse and nibble all the samples and have some time outside my rut.

Dear Readers

You have indeed been preying on my mind.
Butch came home from the pool hall a week from last Tuesday and said, " I hate to tell you this but I have a cold." He knew this news would not make me happy. I told him he needed to neti. He would not. Insisting it does not do any good. He was wrong then and he is still wrong. Combine a cold with allergies and it takes having a cold to a whole other level. So Butch suffered mightily for a few days...I would say 5 or 6 days. On Sunday, we took him to what I thought was a 24-hour clinic but was indeed an ER. Won't make that mistake again. After the clinic/ER debacle, we hit upon the fact that he was taking an allergy pill but not the Allegra-D he should have been taking so we stopped at Walgreens and got him on track with that and his condition has improved but not 100% yet. So then the next Tuesday rolls around and I notice the ugly symptoms of a cold. I neti right away and start the Zicam and I keep it up. Here we are at Friday and I too am not yet at 100% but I can tell I am on the way to recovered good health or as good as it can get. So what does this all mean? I have not felt well enough to do much of anything the past two days including a blog entry is what it means but now I will try catching up.
And my advice if you know you are coming down with a cold is at the very first inkling or tiny tickle in the throat use a neti pot and Zicam. A 3 day cold is much easier to bear than a 7 day cold.

Liz the Great by Janet Rader

Janet enjoys working with rocks and today she presented me with a special gift she created. Excellent work, Janet. I will enjoy it very much. Meet Liz the Great.

Leo and Keri's- Westergaard Grands

Beck and Brady

A winters day.

I woke this morning at 6:45 AM and the temp was 44 degrees outside and 61 degrees inside and it was raining with a north wind. I hiked the thermostat up 5 clicks. You see, I cannot see the thermostat as it is too high to see the button that says "up". I know where it is and I know it is set on 65. It takes one click to wake it up and then one click for each degree. I then put on a sweatshirt to keep the cold at bay. At this time I made the decision to not go anywhere today. No walks, no shopping nothing, nada all day long. I have stuck by my conviction and it has been easy.

We had chili for lunch and panchos for supper and watched two movies. One was Silver Linings Playbook and Tracks on Netflix.
Butch is now at the pool hall.
I looked at the temps a few minutes ago and it is still 44 degrees outside and now 69 degrees inside.

And now you know how my day is shaking out.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated in the pool hall where there was an official New Years eve party complete with food, fun and friends. Traditionally Butch and I have walked at midnight to note the explosion of fireworks that takes place in deep south Texas and the celebration did indeed happen despite the cold, damp and dreary weather. Yes, folks we are experiencing weather much like the last two winters, however it is too soon to say if it will hang on and irritate us beyond reason. For the record, we are on day three with promises of more to come. That is the bad part. The good part is that we can still do all the activities we normally do with more preparation. We did get our two walks in yesterday but we wore coats. Today and tomorrow we may have to add umbrellas. The wind is out of the north. For our friends up north think of those days in September when the weather has been very summer like when out of the blue a cold front comes through dropping temps from the 70's to the 50's in a matter of minutes and then add drizzly skies to the mix. It can feel very unpleasant and that is what we have here and now.
We experienced too much of this kind of weather the past two winters. Last year I wished for a craft project to help keep me warm (Swedish weaving) and all my supplies were in Jefferson. This year I have started a project. 
Computer class commences in an hour so breakfast awaits....till next time!

A walking adventure

Butch, Peggy and I are the regular walkers. We walk every day, once in mid to late morning and again at 4:00 PM. This works out for me as once I get back home, I can then prepare supper and we can eat so Butch can make it to the pool hall by 6:00. Every day? Yes, every day.

I have continued to cook about 90% more than I ever have. I am liking it and my internal system is very grateful. That is one of the reasons so many recipes have popped up on the blog. But I digress.

Recently when we were walking on Willow street a puppy came flying at us from a block away. I am not at all sure I have ever seen a dog run as fast as that little Yorkie did. If it had been a bigger dog it would have scared the crap out of me. The Yorkie had escaped its human parents as they were in hot pursuit. Believe me, they had not a chance of catching that little bullet of a dog. It was headed for some petting and attention as fast as it could go.

Walking with Butch and Peggy is a stop and go proposition as they stop and pet every visible animal on the entire 1.2 mile walk. They make lots of feline and canine friends along the way. I like dogs but from afar as their sniffing and licking habits annoy me. Make of that what you will. It is what it is and I know not being a dog lover irritates the crap out of some folk. I could say,"Sorry" but I'd be lying.

I purchased a GoPro this morning. After I learn the ropes I may post some videos. Those of you with slow Internet connections will then be irritated with me. On the bike trail near Jefferson is my favorite stretch on a bike. It is beside Roger Conant's place going north. It is downhill to the river and it is beautiful! Every time I ride it I wish I could share the exhilaration and the beauty of it. So with a GoPro maybe I can just a little bit.

Sunshine

I loved the way the sunshine was highlighting the palm tree. This was taken from my favorite sitting spot in the motorhome.
It seems the next 4 days will be devoid of sunlight accompanied by periods of light rain and drizzle. Life is always changing...

A Hearty Breakfast

Fortified Oatmeal
Combine the hearty fiber of oatmeal with the meaty protein of ham and eggs, and you have a ski breakfast that lasts until noon. All it takes is one burner on your stove and less than 20 minutes of your morning.
4 cups water
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup egg substitute such as Egg Beaters
1 cup finely diced cooked ham
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese (optional)
Bring water to a boil, stir in oats and cook over low heat, stirring often, until it’s thick. Quickly stir in egg substitute, turn off heat and cover. After one minute stir in ham and cheese to heat through. Serves 2. Serve as is or with milk, cream or almond milk.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

I made this dish for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas. Not a drop came home with me. I followed the recipe precisely and it is soooo good. I nibbled on it several times this morning as I was cooking it. I cooked it early and then put it in a crockpot set on 'keep warm'. This recipe can be found in the recipe page on this blog. And on www.magnolianews.blogspot.com

Roasted Vegetable Medley

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min.

MAKES: 7 servings

Ingredients

• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into small wedges
• 2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 T. of Morton Season-All salt.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, red peppers, squash, sweet potato and onion. In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar and seasonings. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat.
2. Transfer to two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 7 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 cup equals 152 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 347 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

I prepared this in my NuWave oven. Oven set on 350 for 20 minutes-used extension and 3 “ rack- stirred once during cooking. Loved it!

White Christmas

Jefferson Iowa  had a white Christmas, one of the few in the country it seems. My niece Karla sent me this photo to show me how she and her son Devon took  a fishtailing adventure on a gravel road just outside Jefferson.

And Leo sent me one to show the driving conditions yesterday. It looks like it would have been a good Christmas to stay home and hunker down. We did have a few of those in years past. If I remember right one was somewhere in the early '80's. We always spent Christmas day at my mom's house and that year the temps were like 30 below actual, roads were ice and snow covered, and travel was not recommended. 

Yuck!!

Merry Christmas One and All

It is very hard to believe it is Christmas when the temps are near 80 degrees. Even the locals say it is hard to get in the mood with warm weather and they want a cold snap to make it more Christmasy. It is their equivalent of a "white Christmas". Even though we are not ready for it, it will be here none the less. I truly wish more people had a laid back attitude and did not get wrapped up in presents but wrapped up in presence instead. Enjoying each moment as it presents itself and making memories with the people in your life. So enjoy the process and the moment and have the merriest of Christmas's.  

Change Facebook Password

A friend asked me for directions on how to change her Facebook password. So I have the directions written down. They are written in plain English. 

If you would like to have them, email me and I will send them to you.

Follow up note- I looked at my directions on Butch's computer and they were very different from the ones I sent to my friend. I think they are out to get me! So I guess I am saying they might work for you?

Leo and Santa 2015

Miss Elise Christmas Party

With her Mom, Amanda

Little Leo's Christmas program

 These pictures pretty much sum up this two-going-on- three boy

 Leo and his Mom-Amanda

Her mama says...

"What a weekend full of busy performances!! I love watching her do what she loves!!"

Elise and her cousin Chloe.

Elise with other cast members. She was a munchkin!

Tonight's supper

Tonight we had the last of our steak-sirloin-and roasted peppers, green peppers and carrots. Butch also had potato salad. He will eat veggies if they are raw however many people would not believe how colorful his supper was tonight.

And in case you cannot believe this is Butch, here is proof!

Mexican Quickie

Mexican Quickie (Pancho's)



Two cans each of following:
Rotel (hot or mild), chicken and rice soup, cream style sweet corn, ranch style beans (regular or jalapeño), can chicken breast shredded.


Mix heat pour over tortilla chips and top with shredded Mexican cheese enjoy.


Note:I tried this recipe and it is good BUT if I had made the full recipe I could have fed half of Texas. I cut it in half and Butch and I will get two meals out of it with leftovers. I would say half the recipe could be a meal for 6. There was so much liquid when I started cooking it, I was having doubts so I let it reduce quite a while. When I make it again and I will, I will drain off some of the liquids in the cans. Taste was great! Very good


Final prep was in NuWave oven-3"rack at 350 for 3 minutes. I like my cheese all bubbly and browned in spots.

Best Corn Casserole

I noticed I had this post in my drafts and that I had not posted it. Flukes happen. Enjoy it now.

"The only thing better than corn is more corn!"

-Virgil Buchmiller

Virgil was an Iowa farmer and Marion Brookers last husband. They married when they were in their 80's and were married for 5 happy years. I love Virgil's quote.

Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs beaten
1 stick butter, melted
4 heaping T. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1/4 C. diced green pepper (you can use red, I only had green)
1 C. whole milk
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 20 min.

Quiet on this end

We have not done much on this end of the country, but we are busy enjoying friends and activities as usual. Still walking twice daily, a mile each time, and some in between. I have been doing more cooking than perhaps ever in my life and still enjoying the NuWave oven and induction plate. I have not turned on the RV oven even once so far and the microwave only on rare occasions, like heating up the water for my Neti pot. The mold is horrendous here and, of course, we are both most allergic to it. I have noticed that since the rains have backed off the allergies too are getting better.

Butch is golfing on Tuesdays, pool every night from 6 to 8, cribbage on Thursday afternoons and walking with Peg and me when it isn't interfering with any of the other stuff.

Till next time I think of something...