Merry Christmas

Police Blotter

I sometimes read the police blotter from my hometown and now and then I see something that gives me a chuckle. Here is today's chuckle.

(At 12:58 pm a complainant reported her vehicle was stolen from the downtown square. The officer located her vehicle on a different side of the square. She was mistaken on where she had parked.)

I wonder if it was one of my friends?

A personal slant

Trying to keep both blogs current has always been a challenge but as the years creep up that pressure increases. For the most part, it is a happy stress meaning I am busy and there is much to write about. Finding time to do justice to both blogs is the root of the conflict.

If you are longtime readers you are familiar with the term Ropa Usada. In Spanish, it means used clothing. And there are warehouses down here where bales of used and donated clothing from all parts of the US end up. And there are people here who enjoy sorting through these unleashed bales for all kinds of bargains. It is sold by the pound and that price has increased in the 17 years we have been coming down here. It used to be 25 cents a pound or even less. I do not know what it is now but under 50 cents somewhere is my guess.
A few years back I asked these bargain hunters to look for dress up clothes for Elise and they obliged in a big way. So before we came down Jason asked about hooded sweatshirts. Being a welder they do not last long and can be expensive when you need to replace them frequently. So I put the bargain hunters to the challenge. We are up to 22 at a cost of about a dollar apiece!  Last night Irma was asking me how many more were needed and Jason has not yet said stop because the guys at work want in on the deal.
 It is funny how your mind hones in on something. Perhaps an hour after my conversation with Irma a woman walked by with a hooded sweatshirt on and Irma said, "You don't suppose she would want to give it up, do you?" It took me a few seconds to get it but then I laughed. She is seeing sweatshirts wherever she goes. Here are 8 of them.

Mexico Monday

Butch and I went to see Hector in Mexico on Monday. I was out of one of my meds, actually the only prescription med I take now. Hector is our pharmacist in Mexico and he always gives us the best prices. The status of the peso affects drug prices and the peso is apparently in better condition than in the past. Prices are up.
Our over-the-counter Charlote is up to $12 now. Hector says that one is a mystery to him because it should not be affected by the peso so it must be supply and demand. It is also harder to find. Hector has it.
Butch and I always walk across the border leaving our car in a supervised parking lot on the US side. The walk down to Hector's we estimate to be about a mile. On our way back we stopped at Jessica's for Panchos and they were very good. More than very good, they were excellent! They always give you chips and salsa and 1 free margarita apiece. We each ordered a coke and the bill was $10. Jessica's also have entertainment with a singer and sometimes dancers. On Monday we had both.

Huddled up and hunkered down

I am still in my pajama's and in no hurry to get dressed. Who knew that when we were still in Iowa we were being prepared for this weather in South Texas. This is the second time in our personal history that we have experienced snow here. The first time was Christmas Eve of 2004 and it was far more spectacular than this time. I located a few pictures from 2004.
From 2004:

From 2017:

My Christmas cactus and geranium are coming inside. After all the care I have done to get them here I do not want to lose them now.

Steam rising from the pool. I think it is safe to say water aerobics are canceled today.

I keep taking pictures as the snow accumulates. It is beginning to look like it might match the one of 2004

Lovely Afternoon ---NOT!!

I bought 3 simple items from Amazon late last week. I keep getting notices that my orders are undeliverable. I chatted with them after the first notice and thought it was resolved. I have received 2 more notices after that. I have received one of the 3 items. So we chat again and this is my exchange with them.
Chat:
Me: I have never had as much trouble before in receiving an order. I keep getting notices that parts of my order are undeliverable. This address has not changed in several years. I am losing my patience. What has happened to reliable Amazon??? The order numbers are Order# 114-7278543-xxxxxxx and Order# 114-1662188-xxxxxxx
Barbara Brooker 3707 E BUSINESS HIGHWAY 83 TRLR # 57
DONNA, TX 78537-3616
You are now connected to Sharayu from Amazon.com
Sharayu: Hello, my name is Sharayu. I'm here to help you today.
Me: Okay
Sharayu: I can assure you that I'm here to help and will do my best to resolve this.
May I place you on hold for 2 minutes while I look in to this?
Me: Yes
Sharayu: As the item are already being shipped out from us, and with the carrier you need to contact the carrier.
Me: I am sorry but that is your problem not mine. I have not received items you have shipped to me.
Sharayu: As an online retailer we rely heavily on the carrier to deliver our order, but there can be really unforeseen incidents which are beyond our control.
Me: So what if I never do receive them?
I want to return them then
Sharayu: Don't worry
I'll contact the carrier on your behalf.
Me: That is what I intended you to do in the first place
Sharayu: And they will delivered it to you within 48 hours.
Me: Okay.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At the same time, I received our new social security amounts in the mail and mine is incorrect it shows me not getting my measly 2% increase. Butch got his correct amount but I did not. So what to do but call them. I have been on hold now for 30 minutes. I am trying to find alternatives. Perhaps I should call the Carroll office in Iowa.
PS. I decided to do that...3rd mistake.   Up to 15 minutes on hold with the Carroll office. Finally got someone. Medicare went up and knocked out my 2%. Butch's is okay. I do not get it but perhaps I am not supposed to.
So much for my nap!!!

Doctor in Texas

No, there is nothing wrong with me. In fact, I am probably healthier and feel better than I have in a long time.
On my last visit for a check-up of the surgery on my face, Dr. Poag spotted a place he thought should be biopsied. "Suspect" he called it. It has improved greatly since we have been here. In fact, it is kind of hard to find. I am following doctors orders however and made an appointment with a doctor we have gone to in the past. And he is referring me to a dermatologist in McAllen.
I have become diligent with sunscreen and wearing a visor so I am thinking it is okay.
We had planned a Mexico trip to see our friendly pharmacist, Hector. It was cold, (40's) and misting so we decided to wait for a more weather friendly day. After all the todo of my summer with doctors, I am down to one prescription medication. I am very happy about that.
Before the doctor appointment, we decided to check out a restaurant a block from the clinic. It was a place we had frequented in the past but then it closed. It reopened but we just never stopped there. I had noticed lots of vehicles around it. It is called Diana's and it is on Bridge Street. The back room was loaded with Winter Texans and the front room was full of locals, all men. One whole table was law enforcement. We were in the front and I was the lone female. The food was good and we will go back if we are in the vicinity.
So we came back home and essentially hunkered down and kept warm. Ham and Beans for supper.

New Computer Adventures

Okay, it has been 8 years since I have dealt with setting up a new computer and I am pleasantly surprised to find that I have done a thing or two in the past 8 years to make the transition easy.
First thing I did several years ago was started using a password saving program. There are a few of them out there and my choice is Lastpass. I pay for the premium edition but I did use it for years with the free version. Once you download and install the program you set up a master password. Lastpass does not know your master password so you must be sure to keep it so that you do know it. You can change it yourself but they cannot do it for you or even help you with it. When you are on a new website and make a password for it, Lastpass will ask you if you want to save it. You are putting the info into your Lastpass vault. You have full use of your vault by signing in with your master password and then you can find all of your websites and passwords.
 So since I have and use Lastpass all I had to do when I set up my new computer was to download and install Lastpass, sign in with my master, and visit any of the many websites I need to access and Lastpass would, at my request, fill it in for me.
The second thing I did was download and install Chrome, sign into Google and all of my stuff was at my fingertips. I download and install Mozilla Firefox as a backup browser.
Within 30 minutes I had my new computer up and running looking much like my old one.

As far as pictures, files and folders are concerned I have them backed up in Google Drive (cloud) and on 2 different external hard drives so I do not plan to transfer them to the new computer until wanted or needed.

Over the years I have developed a system that works for me on saving pictures. I can usually remember the approximate year, month or place a particular picture was taken. So now I keep them organized by years such as simply 2017 in my Pictures place. Then I make subfolders for each month (January 2017) of the year and yes I put the year behind the month as well. The way this works when looking for a particular photo is if I have it narrowed down in my mind to a particular year and I am looking at the month of January I know it is most likely a Magnolia Park picture I am looking for. If it is a biketrail picture I know it is April through September etc. It has taken me years to get this perfected. Because each of us has a mind of our own, it stands to reason each person would have to devise their own system. It greatly simplifies your life when you make order out of chaos. It can be fun to wade through an avalanche of unlabeled pictures but it can also be frustrating.

Now if you indeed have read all that you are a dedicated fan! So Congratulations and Thank You

Deep South Texas

This is where we are. And for your information, the weather forecast given for us up north is often way off base.
Nice map though.
My mother used to call and say, "I see it is raining down there." "No Mom, it might be raining in San Antonio but not down here."

A trip to Boston

One of many of Colleen's columns:

Touring with a friend in the know
November 22, 2017Greene County News Online
~a column by Colleen O’Brien

I spent two days in Boston with my own tour guide, a friend who had lived thereabouts for 40 years. It was a privilege following her around. Being led by someone I know who knows everything about the streets we traveled is the best way to learn a new city. She was good at pointing out the obvious – the obvious being what tourists never see even though it’s right in front of us.

The first phase of my Boston tour was catching a city bus a block from where we were staying (a close suburb). I grew up in a little farm town in the Midwest and lived in cities in the West where public trans is a rarity, so I am ill at ease figuring out buses. Traveling with a habitual bus user who made me pay attention to what bus to catch if I lost her was a lesson in urban living, survival maybe.

The bus let us off near what I was calling the “metro.” I was corrected: in Boston, the underground is called the “T” for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. It took us to Harvard Square, famous gathering place of students since 1636, when Harvard University opened its first classroom. Like most famous places, this triangular hotspot looked entirely different from what I’d imagined. But it was full of people, as I had pictured it, and they were of all complexions and demeanors, lots of tourists and plenty of students (who were the skinny ones). We peeked into the campus itself, walked past the Coop (famous co-operative bookstore for students and now for the public), tried to get a beer in a bar where we were invisible to the bartender.

We went elsewhere, to a self-serve coffee bar where I poured myself half a cup of coffee, went to the counter to pay for it as my friend came up with her half cup, and the fellow at the register told us he wasn’t going to charge us at all. I figured that in Harvard Square two women of a certain age with half cups of coffee amused him. He got a good tip.

Along the Freedom Trail (all American Revolution sites), we strolled Boston Commons; went through Faneuil Hall – the cradle of liberty where revolutionaries like Samuel Adams gave public speeches lambasting Britain; and saw many churches. (Unitarians won); and they all seemed to be historic sites.

From there we walked and walked uphill, to cobblestone streets past 18th century mansions surrounding the thick towering oaks of what I thought was a public garden. The park was fenced with sturdy and beautifully-wrought iron, the gate locked; so much for public – it was a park for those who live in that particular ‘hood. We were, after all, strolling Beacon Hill, famous address of Historic Register houses, lovely everything from the well-cared-for brick facades to the painted front doors, the window boxes of flowers with absolutely no dead heads, the graceful curtains on the very long windows hiding the front rooms.

We were in the most exclusive part of Boston – or one could say of the United States. The houses are so close to the street that after a while I felt I was snooping rather than simply admiring handsome doorways and tiny perfectly arranged two-foot-square gardens.

Caretakers were busy, delivery trucks were stopping traffic on the narrow streets, a well-turned-out older woman using a cane stepped gingerly down her front steps to walk her rather old toy poodle. Both purebreds ignored us, the obvious tourists.

On lower Beacon Street, we wandered into a place my friend had always intended to explore and never had: a private library called Boston Athenaeum. It was started in 1807, and since 1849 it has been located at 10½ Beacon Street. It has more than 600,000 volumes, which means they don’t toss books no matter how few people check them out.

At some point, we headed for the North End, one of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods. It grew from an outlying area that was home to early Puritans and then American Revolutionaries. It eventually became a wealthy enclave, then home to a red-light district, then ghetto of the immigrants – Irish, Eastern European Jews, Italians, which is its population today. There are so many good-smelling restaurants in this less than one-square-mile neighborhood of narrow streets and very old buildings that we turned a corner and walked right into Pushcart Pizzeria, windows open to the street. We watched locals and tourists pass by as we were served one piece of pizza apiece, each as big as a dinner plate.

We walked through a financial district (“Wall Streets” look the same in all cities – canyons of severe buildings with imposing entranceways), crossed the Charles on the Charlestown Bridge, site of a ferry in 1630 and its first bridge in 1786, we read. And on to a once seafaring, then industrial, then abandoned and now touristy area of Boston Harbor with a big hand-lettered sign on a building in progress, reading “Have you found your Inner Harbor?”

We slurped noodles at a sidewalk restaurant and then sat on the steps of the ICA, the Institute of Contemporary Art. We watched construction workers climb down off their steel beams to eat burritos and Big Macs; the incongruity being that the burly, well-muscled daredevils were sitting under umbrellas at dainty tables along the quayside in front of the modern-art museum. A gaggle of school kids barely controlled by tired-looking volunteer mothers gobbled their sandwiches so they could run up and down the bleacher-like steps.

A double-decker tourist boat in the Harbor glided by a ferry on its way to the other side. Planes flew in and out of Logan Airport across the water, and we remained there for an hour, happy to be observers of it all – men and women on lunch break, moms enculturating their kids, eight-story cranes abandoned for the noon hour on construction sites next door . . . people people people coming and going, working and relaxing in the city that my friend had in a very short time taught me how to love.

From this website:
http://greenecountynewsonline.com/2017/11/22/touring-with-a-friend-in-the-know/#more-41097

New Computer

I will be getting a new computer in the next few days. This time I am going with an HP just because the price was right and Costco stands behind all things they sell. My Toshiba is 8 years old so it does not owe me a thing as it has far exceeded the life of most laptops. I have hopes the HP will serve me as well as the Toshiba has.
Butch golfed today for the first time this season. He had a good time and they had 10 golfers show up to play. We are still light on people here but that is often the case till Christmas is past.
I have Netflix and Hulu working and it is a good thing. Regular TV is dismal in the Rio Grande Valley and my favorite PBS stations(plural) are only 1 here whereas there are at least 3 PBS stations in Iowa.
I am having a bit of trouble getting things done. Things like making posts for the blog, laundry, meal prep and housecleaning. One thing I have done plenty of is visiting! And it seems after I visit I get too tired for the rest of it. I think I might have gotten a bit spoiled when I could order around my manservant. Miss those days...

An Afghan from Peggy

Last Spring I asked Peggy if she would make me an afghan. Peggy has made a gazillion of these for many people in many sizes. The pattern for this is very popular. I sure wish we had had it on hand when we were still in Iowa this fall. We have had a few cool nights since we have arrived here and it has been a blessing. It is heavier than most and reminded me of those therapeutic blankets they now recommend for people who suffer from anxiety. I love our new comfort cover!

Devon on net neutrality

Devon is my Grandnephew and the son of Karla. He has made a video about net neutrality and why it is important to all of us. I am so proud of him for getting behind this cause. We need more awareness of the issues and the willingness to stand up and be heard.
https://youtu.be/YquXYYTnN00

The Play-Elf Junior

There are also some great video's but I have to get them in email before I can share them. I could not decide on just a few of the still photo's so you are getting them all.

More ...

Karla's Christmas Cactus

Before we left I asked around about someone adopting a Christmas Cactus for at least the winter. No takers. So I decided to divide and re-pot it and maybe if they were smaller someone would like to have one.
Karla said she would take one but knew nothing about the caring for it. So I sent her some directions. She sent me a picture of it and apparently the plant is very happy at Karla's place.

My visit with Leo

The cheddar bite mentioned in the video was in the small space beside where one attaches the seatbelt and had been there for several days.
https://youtu.be/cWkysKFBJKM

If you need further translation let me know. This young man likes to talk.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is so hard to believe we are already at Thanksgiving. Maybe that is true for me because I can think of a thousand things a day that I am thankful for.
My top 6 today:
1. My 58-year marriage and talented big rig driver.
2. Healthy and happy family all-around.
3. Friends old, new and in between.
4. Two tiny abodes both of which offer us a great deal of comfort.
5. Enough-food, warmth, coolness, love.
6. Thursday night trivia in Jefferson!

Getting back to normal-Fall 2017 Trip

I have been a long time without Internet or at least it feels like that to me. We left Iowa one week ago this morning. I did try to write posts even though I could not get them posted. You will find my efforts here.
Thursday,

Blog-Fall2017

11/18/2017

Butch and I spent the day with Susan and Leo and it was a very fun day. I have some video of Leo talking to me in the car on the way to his school. I currently do not have an internet connection and will not have one until we get into our spot in Magnolia Park on Tuesday so I am trying to get this written in chronological order and some other jewels of the last 2 days will have to wait. He proudly and properly introduced us to his teacher and her assistants. I will write down the pearls of wisdom from little Leo as I recall them. When we headed to the play Leo needed to hold someone's hand while crossing the street and that hand was mine. Leo has had a runny and congested nose ever since we arrived but as we were crossing the street, holding hands, he says,"Don't worry Nana, It isn't a cold. It's just allergies." The way that little 4-year-old mind works is a continual wonder. 

The play was fantastic. This group of children from 8 to 13 and one 7-year-old (Elise) did a really fine job of presenting the play Elf Jr.

Elise was on cloud nine throughout the entire time we were there. Her mother and her grandmother both noticed that many little things that would usually be a big irritation to her didn't have any effect on her at all. She was so excited and exclaimed over and over how happy she was. She didn't need to tell us as it was all over her face. Absolutely beaming. And we are so happy for her. A star is born!

Saturday:

We woke to misty rain and 30 mph winds. The good news was that it was a north wind and we were headed south. It would rain much harder and sometimes gust to 45 and when we turned west headed for Joplin it jerked us around pretty good. It was a short day for us and Thank God for that. We arrived at the Downstream Casino at Quapaw OK a little bit before noon. We indulged in the buffet and played in the casino for a few hours. We like this casino because you can often play for a couple of hours and be lead along enough to keep you going. I won $8.00 and Butch won $1 or $2. We left happy. So now we have been resting, napping and enjoying some downtime. The forecast for the next 3 travel days looks good. So in this week of being grateful, we truly are as happy as clams and exceedingly pleased for all we have been blessed with.

Sunday:

We woke to the sunshine, cool but the sun was shining and minimal wind. So we expected a good travel day. And it was...mostly! I asked Butch about the GPS and he didn't think we would need it until we were closer to Oklahoma City. Wrong! There have been some changes to the Tulsa area since the last time we came this route. So there were a few fast and scary decisions on turns. And then there is a 20 mile stretch of road construction that will not be completed anytime soon between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In hindsight, Butch said it wasn't all that bad you just had to be careful to not run into the cement barricades. The barricades were on my side. I didn't like it.

We arrived at the Winstar Casino, Exit 1 at Thackerville OK. We decided to eat at the casino and gamble a little. I put in $6 and came home with $20. Must be on a roll. And Butch put in $4 and came home with $5. Talk about big winners! I do believe we qualify.

Rested well.

Monday:

Left the casino park earlier than usual and for my own info we went to Gainesville TX, 6 miles and exited to Hwy 51 headed for Decatur Tx. The reason for this is to avoid Interstate 35 between Gainesville and just north of San Antonio. We pick up 380 west at Decatur( had a bit of trouble finding 380 west) toward Jacksboro where we find HWY 281 South.

In the morning we plan to go down to 1604 on 281 and go east to pick up I-35, followed by I- 410 and then I-37. I-37 becomes 281 once again and we follow it all the way to the Rio Grande Valley. The last part we have done many times over so it is more for others info than ours on that bit.

This park, Roadrunner RV park at Johnson City is more than we like to pay. $40 per night. And as I type this I remember why we accepted this last Spring (April 2017). We had just come through an 8 inch rain with high stress driving . The water on the interstate was halfway up our Motorhome tires and you could not see!

I usually brag on Texas roads but I have a few complaints. It most likely would not be noticed all that much in a car but the motorhome was bouncing pretty good. It straightens up at Hico TX and we had a nice parking lot there too for a lunch break. It is located on 281 about a block before/after turning depending on direction.

Other news: 

I heard that Elise fell asleep backstage during intermission on her Saturday night performance. She was very tired. She did her performance without mistakes but her family could tell she was tired throughout. 

Her Sunday performance was back up to her usual sparkling self. She is a trooper!

So to continue...

Tuesday November 21st.

We did not take 1604 In San Antonio. From Johnson City, we followed 281 south to 311and then hwy 46 over to I-35 south.

We will not take 311 again, at least not in the motorhome. 8 miles and it was very narrow and curvy. Butch found driving in San Antonio traffic challenging and then we remembered we usually try to go through cities on Sundays. And we were doing San Antonio on a Tuesday. We will try to remember our (cities=Sundays) rule from now on.

After leaving San Antonio things smoothed out nicely. We have never minded the trip after getting on I-37. We listen to audiobooks and the time flies. It is, however, a long way. 5 hours at least for us in the motorhome.

As we neared the valley we decided to have our motorhome washed in a truck wash. We had never done that before but last season Wayne Bruun who we know from the park recommended it so we decided to check it out. It is I-69 Truck Wash near Edinburg. They washed the car at the same time. And they wiped it down, all for $45. We filled up with fuel afterward and arrived at Magnolia about 4:30.

If you have read this far I admire your dedication!! 

Take off

Yesterday the sun was shining and we were up bright and early to begin the trip south. Despite the attempt of our neighbor(owner) to the south to impede our departure at the last minute, we were able to exit with the motorhome and be on our way. It felt good to be on the road again and headed in the right direction.
Traffic was relatively light even in the Kansas City area. So we arrived at the Peculiar Park Place RV Park in the early afternoon.

The Gary and Susan Brooker household is active and hectic. I remember those days myself with activities of all kinds keeping the schedule full and constantly on the move. Looking back it seems to have passed quickly. So our goal now is to work in and around their busy lives for a couple of days before continuing our southward movement.

To back up a bit, I was mistaken about Elise's play. It is not in conjunction with the Harrisonville High school although she has performed with them on more than one occasion. This time she has joined a children's theatre group and it is an ongoing thing with one play being closely followed by another with only a week break. She is thrilled to be living her life's dream at 7! Her parents and grandparents may wear down long before she will especially as it nears opening night.
There are two age brackets for this and even though she is only 7 she is in the older group. It might be less polished than the high school group, I am still sure it will be highly entertaining.
Elise was at dress rehearsal last night so we didn't see her but we did have the pleasure of little Leo's company and that can be an adventure in itself. He talks nonstop and that is not an exaggeration as all family members can attest to. If he is not talking to a person he is talking to himself or a toy or perhaps just the air!
As it nears bedtime his mother limits his liquid intake. He said he was thirsty and was trying to get Papa Gary to give him water. Papa Gary said he could have a little bit indicating about an inch in a glass. That was not what Leo had in mind so he continued to negotiate. And then he said very dramatically, "All of this just because I MIGHT pee the bed." Oh and this talking thing? He inherited that from his Greatgrandpa Butch. Gary Brant, one of Butch's best friends and the best man at our wedding nicknamed Butch "Windy" for that reason.There are many other instances we could cite to support the claim.

Last Dr. Appointment and other stuff

Today was the last Dr. appointment and it was with the plastic surgeon, following up on the surgery I had before the other surgery. It has been very busy this fall! He said all was well but I do have a spot needing a biopsy so will be seeing somebody in South Texas to get that done as soon as I find someone I take a liking to.
So now we are getting the last bits done before take off in the morning. We are more than ready as it keeps getting colder each and every day. Oh and then there are the promises made by the weatherman. I know they are trying to put a positive spin on the forecast but all it does is tick me off when it is so far off the mark.
The overpass at Grand Junction( next town to the east) that began last winter was to be completed and opened for travel today at noon. We hoped it would be open by the time we returned from the doctor appointment in Ames. My appointment did not take very long so we were too early for the opening. Not even sure it is open yet. It really does not affect us however as we are heading south out of Jefferson and not east. Next Spring will be soon enough for our inspection.

Good Morning!

They promised 50 degrees yesterday. Didn't happen. They are promising the same today despite the clouds. It is starting out warmer this morning. OMG! It is 44 at 7:31 AM.
Yesterday we went to the telephone office and stopped the Internet on Thursday. Checked in at the post office to make sure my online address change had actually gone through. It had. Then to the grocery store for a few items.

I have several audiobooks on an MP3 player for us to listen to on our trip and we have started on one.


Listening to audibooks makes the miles go faster as well as being entertainment if your overnights happen to be in a dead TV zone.
Also for Netflix fans:
We recently watched Alias Grace. It is on the dark side but kept our interest through 6 episodes.
In addition to that, I am once again making bracelets. Hey, I have all these beads, you know! I have made 3 and working on a 4th.

Still Hunkered

Written yesterday:
Still cold. They say it should reach 50 degrees today but without a shred of sunshine, I do not expect it.
We are ready to go. Should not take long to get the final pieces in place on Thursday. Looked at the 10-day forecasts for the places we plan to be and I hope it holds true because it looks very promising. Experience tells me that when we arrive at our destination we will be acclimating for a few days. When a person goes from winter to summer in the course of a few days it shocks the body. Cold to Hot= severe sweat. Hot to Cold= severe shivering.  I prefer the first to the second and it all settles out in time no matter which way it goes.
The pictures from my perch in the motorhome.

 I wish I had caught this shot just a few minutes earlier when Piggy,(that is what Butch calls him) had his front paw(?)on top of the feeder while looking this way as if to tell Butch, "Hey, it's empty!"

Northern Flicker

Sharing?

Turkey for Two-reposted

Reposted but perhaps something you may want to make note of...

Turkey for Two
Did you have a meal with friends and family on the holiday and miss all the turkey and dressing leftovers at your house? Or there are just the two of you and you do not want to cook a big ol' turkey for two people. I discovered an easy way to have it all. Grease the sides of your crockpot or use one of those nifty slow cooker liners ( I swear by the liners). Place a small package of dry stuffing mix in the bottom. Sprinkle with a 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Slice an onion and dice a celery stalk and layer on top of stuffing. Place a thawed Butterball 3 pound turkey roast (found in your grocer's freezer) on top of celery and onion. Cook on low all day or high for 4-5 hours and you have the best of both worlds. A scrumptious turkey dinner for two with some for leftovers if you are moderate eaters.

Veterans Day

Oftentimes we get caught up in our own daily life and I must say that has been very true for me this past summer and fall. But on this veterans day I am brought up short and reminded of who is responsible for this cushy life I am living. So this is a time to be reminded of all we are grateful for and that includes our veterans.

Crack of Dawn

Butch and I arose at 6:00 AM to be sure to make the 8:00 AM appt in Ankeny with my surgeon. She gave me the ol' AOK and said she will see me next Spring for a final assessment.
The drive into Ankeny was beautiful despite the 19 degree temperature. We kept the car nice and toasty warm.
We are back home now and waiting for it to warm up as the weatherman has promised. Butch managed to make himself a bit of work that he is waiting for warmer weather to tackle. At the Elks Club on Wednesday, he ran into a tree trimmer and since we have waited for another guy all summer that hasn't shown up Butch asked him to take care of a tree that has worried Butch for as long as we have lived here. He came yesterday! So now Butch has lots of branches to get piled up in an orderly fashion to wait for Spring and be out of our way.

Last nights trivia session was a disappointment. Some nights we know little to nothing. We did great the first half but the second half tripped us up. It is fun despite the outcome. We enjoy the visiting with friends as much as anything. And very much look forward to next Spring and more trivia.

SLOW COOKER MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE

This one is a proven winner. I put this recipe on Facebook and Marie Kelley (Marlene's Granddaughter-in-law) told me that it was a huge hit with her son Nolan. I asked Devon and Karla if they wanted to take home the leftovers and Devon enthusiastically nodded "Yes".  Butch and I thought it was mighty tasty. So it has the stamp of approval from several different directions.

SLOW COOKER MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 cup 2% milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add butter. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups cheese, evaporated milk, condensed soup, 2% milk and eggs. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to combine. Cook, covered, on low 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a thermometer reads at least 160°.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook, covered, on low 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with paprika. Yield: 10 servings.
Originally published as Slow-Cooked Mac 'n' Cheese in Taste of Home February/March 2002, p13

Details of Life

It is a little bit fun to have plenty of time to take care of the details of life. The weather plays its part being too dog-gone cold to do much outside. That takes care of about half our daily chores like walks, golf, and yard work.

The house is all set and we are living in the motorhome. As cold as it is, it would be more pleasant to be in the house but staying in the motorhome serves several purposes. There is a danger to the motorhome when temperatures are lower than freezing and by living in it, it is easier to monitor all of its systems and be sure they are up to snuff. Yesterday we were getting low on propane, our major source of heat. In Texas, the propane guy makes his rounds in the park and he fills us up and we pay him. Easy, peasy. In Iowa, it involves taking the motorhome to the RV dealer. The routine for moving the motorhome is the same regardless if it is moved one mile or 500 miles. It was good to go through our routine of getting ready to move. It is easy to forget details if you haven't done them in a while. We didn't forget anything and we are back in our spot waiting for the day to move south.
We are not forgetting any items this year. At least I believe that to be true. We have it all, right down to the clothespins. Neither of us can think of one more thing to take and we have had plenty of time to think about it.

Today it is supposed to be colder than anything we have experienced for several years. A high today of 35 and a low tonight of 18. We can endure in the motorhome but to say it is pleasant would be an exaggeration. We close off all the windows giving us one more layer of insulation, run an electric heater in addition to the propane furnace and wear several layers of our warmest clothing. Needless to say, it is similar to living in a cave and if you know me at all that is not on my want-to-do list. I can do it for a short period of time without complaint. The limits on it can get pushed easily and that is why I say I am a hot- house flower and we head south every fall.
 I did take a few pictures this morning through my tiny window. I haven't pulled the shade down yet. It was a beautiful sunrise this morning.

My surgeon changed my appointment from today to tomorrow. So tomorrow morning with the temperatures predicted to be 18 degrees we will be headed to the city for an 8:00 AM appointment. You can only imagine how thrilled Butch is about this development. That's the bad news-the good news is that it is our last appointment with her. And all is well.

Cheesy Bacon and Potato Soup-Slow Cooker

Cheesy Bacon and Potato Soup-Slow Cooker
“ I saw this recipe on Facebook and it looked simple and yummy so I tried to copy and paste it. It was a video so I tried to go to the website from which it originated and it was just another video! This irks me and most often I would give up, thinking it was not worth it. However having a bit of extra time I followed through, watched the video (grr) and wrote down the recipe by pausing after each ingredient and each direction. Rarely is this much effort worth it to me.” -Barb

Ingredients:
1 32 oz pkg Chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 bouillon cube
1 32 oz pkg frozen diced potatoes (hashbrowns)
3 C grated cheddar cheese
½ C real bacon bits

Directions:
Pour broth into slow cooker, add creamed soup and whisk to mix. Cube cream cheese and add to pot continuing to whisk it in. I found this step easier by letting this mixture heat up in pot first. Mix in frozen potatoes, and then the cheese, keeping some cheese for garnish. Cook on high heat 3 ½ hours or until potatoes are tender. Add bacon bits for last 15 minutes of cooking holding back some for garnish.

Rarely does Butch rave about a recipe but he did this one and I had to agree. Easy to put together and mighty tasty.
PS. I am not a fan of bacon bits, real or otherwise, so I cooked real bacon to extra crispy.
Enjoy!

Hunkered Down

 When it is cold I do not want to move. Yes, I know moving would get blood to flowing and muscles warming but my instinct is to snuggle under a warm blanket and go into hibernation mode. I like windows open. Warm southern breezes. Heading out the door without a second thought of putting on a coat.
10 more days and we will be on the road and after a pleasant stop in Peculiar we will be headed south taking as few days as possible to head for the border!

The winter forecast for South Texas is above normal temperatures this winter. Yea!!!