Getting better

Butch has been moved to rehab on the 6th floor of the McAllen Medical Center. A private room, number 608 and he will be there for 7 to 14 days. They have new rules from the floor he was on before. No urinals. So he has to go to the bathroom in the bathroom. It is a very nice facility so there is plenty of room. Also, they do not bring your meals to you. There is a community dining area where everyone eats. Most of the people in the region are bilingual but Spanish is their first language so naturally, that is what they fall back on.  That and many of his hallmates have had strokes as well so there isn't much conversation happening. If they would only encourage him a little he would take up the slack.

He is feeling quite well for all he has been through. The only stumbling block thus far is that when he is lying down he cannot lift his right leg. He can wiggle his foot and bend his knee but he cannot do much when the leg is flat and full length. I am sure that is what they will be working on in the coming weeks.
He has not had any pain meds since the day of surgery. He says the only time it hurts is when he moves it and he doesn't think that is a good enough reason to take any as the pain is not okay, but it is bearable. I am very sure he will be a star patient. He always is.

I have had to put on my big girl panties and drive in city traffic. I have found a route where I can avoid the expressway and get there without incident or fear. I have two solo trips under my belt so far. It is a 9-mile trip and I try to time it to avoid busy times.

So far he is getting a good amount of company to break up his day. He is sleeping quite a bit too. Dave and Liz brought him a cribbage board and he and I have played.
It is looking like we may have to stay another month, maybe longer. The good news is we can do that. They said after his hospital therapy he will be having a month of outpatient therapy. We will do what we have to do to make it right

I am still having moments where I can't believe it actually happened.

It's the Little Things

I found this in drafts! I thought I sent it a long time ago! So here it is and better late than never.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 77 years of living. I was checking out the weather for tomorrow and this is what I found!  The temperature tomorrow will also be 77. Yes, it is always the little things that bring a smile to my face.

Butch and I went to Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas Mexico today. It is right on the border and the one we have been going to for all the years we have been coming here. It is much the same. The inspections when coming back take much longer and the inspectors are more thorough but nothing too much to deal with. I was scrutinized too much for my comfort because of the number of meds I had with me so next year we will make more trips and spread it out over more visits. No Problemo!

The only problem will be remembering to do it!

We have our itinerary scoped out for our return North. We will be leaving here on Sunday, April 5th and after a few stops along the way, we will be arriving back in Iowa by the 15th. We have some Canadian friends who have said they are going to try and coordinate a stop at our place around that time and we would hate to miss them. 

77- It does not seem possible or even likely. There is a much younger person inside this body that struggles each day to keep the old girl in good shape. I feel so much younger than I did even a year ago.

I am well aware that I am rambling on and skipping around and I want to apologize for the gaps in my blog entries. It does seem that the days fly by and the time either runs out or what I have done of interest doesn't seem important or I cannot remember what it is! Thanks to all who hang in there with me and still read the blog.

Progress

Butch has been moved to room 435. He was supposed to go to the 6th floor for rehab but they do not have a room for him. They want him to go to their rehab facility in Edinburg which is fewer miles for me and he may do that. He was walking in the hall this morning and he went to the first pole and back which he says was not very far but any is good. He also said he feels 100% better than yesterday. He hasn't needed any pain meds since the day of surgery. He said it doesn't hurt until he moves it and even then it is bearable.
We have never received any info about what the surgeon actually did. The nurses showed me his chart and it basically said it was broken and I fixed it. He has no restrictions as far as mobility. He is supposed to let the pain level tell him when it is too much and I am sure he will. I plan to use the blog for updates and texting on the phone if I have to. I like to assume I reach more of our friends and family by the blog however I also know that is not always true.
Till next time...

Life Changing Moment

Saturday night about eight we decided to get our showers out of the way because of a couple of upcoming shows we wanted to watch. I went first without incident and then Butch. He dropped the soap and when he dropped the soap, bending over to pick it up, bumping his head on the built-in shelf, flinched, feet slipped and he fell out of the shower with a hard hit on the metal piece on the bottom ledge breaking his right femur just below his hip. It made a very loud sound. So loud the neighbors heard it and thought it was "The Knocker". Another story, for another time. I did get rattled but finally calmed myself enough to get the first responders called.
The first responders in our park are a group of qualified medical people who come to the aid of anyone who needs it. The number to reach the first responders is on the back of our badges and they are incredibly useful. When we check-in, we are asked to fill out a sheet of medical questions on a form, place it in a red envelope and leave it in an easy to spot location. Our's were on the visors in the front of the motorhome.  The first responders have had over 30 calls in the park this season so far. They determine if an ambulance is needed and in Butch's case there was no doubt so Marcia had me call 911 before she got here. 911 keeps you on the line but Marcia took over when she got here. Her husband meets the ambulance at the gate and leads them to the place. It was quite the event getting Butch strapped to a board and moved out of the motorhome and into the ambulance but everyone involved did an excellent job. I rode in front with the driver. He was very careful trying to make the trip as smooth as possible. We went to McAllen Medical Center ER and they were very busy! Saturday night in the city! They x-rayed him using a portable machine. In fairly short order they had him moved to the 4th floor in room 429. I stayed the night trying to sleep in a very uncomfortable recliner. Neither of us got any sleep. Keny and Mikie Patrick, our next-door neighbors to the north, told me to call them when I needed to come home as I got into the ambulance and so I did. The people in this park are super. I have not found a bad apple in the bunch.
 I planned to spread the help around so I didn't put too much pressure on one friendship. Dave and Liz took me back to the hospital after I got some sleep.  I missed talking to Butch before he went into surgery and I hated that but such as it was, it ended up making the wait time more productive. Butch went to the surgical area at 12:45 pm, into surgery at 2:00 or so, into recovery at 4:30 and into his room about 5:45. Surgery went well. Dr. Lago told Butch he had to fight for a surgery time slot because the hospital doesn't place a broken leg as an emergency.
Butch just called me (9:45 am, Monday) and they have him up in a chair!! He said it went fairly well and yes, it hurt but it was bearable. He was sitting in the chair all the time we talked and it helped both of us feel very hopeful!! They told him to go ahead and use the leg as normal, walk, put pressure on it etc. AMAZING. When it comes down to it Butch has always been a trooper! And healthy as a horse! More later...

Today’s thought

Today’s thought

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ― Margaret Mead

Updating

We are nearing the end of February and that alone seems preposterous but here we are, like it or not. We have started looking at a northward trip with an inkling of interest. When the weather seems summerlike here it gets the brain cells moving even knowing it is colder than the dickens up there and no place for us and our delicate condition. What is our "delicate condition" you ask? Extreme aversion to cold weather is the answer. After spending so many winters in the south the cold seems more than twice as bad when we have to deal with it.

Today we are having one of those cold snaps that remind us to stay put. The high of 61 has already been here at 7:20 am and they are promising a low of 39 tonight. Fortunately, these cold snaps are shortlived and by the weekend we will be enjoying summerlike weather once again.

Butch and Deon played in a mixed doubles pool tournament in the Golden Olympics held each season. They got past the first team but lost to the next two. I thought they played well having a chance in each game. I enjoyed watching it.
My game is improving but still has a ways to go to be much of a challenge to anyone. I am continuing to work on it and still enjoy it.

Till next time!!

Sleep Gaps?

For years I have had gaps in my sleep. I would wake up about 2:00 or so and lay awake for sometimes as long as two hours. I learned to live with it. It irritated me when it happened but if I took a twenty-minute nap during the next day it didn't disrupt my day too much. Little did I know there was a solution. I was having trouble with cramps, especially at night. In searching for solutions I came across an article that gave a list of possible deficiencies that could be the root of the problem and Magnesium was one of them so I bought some, not knowing there are different forms of Magnesium.  Since taking Magnesium glycinate for about a month now I have not had even one night of sleep gap or cramps.
Here is some info: let's just say you do not want "Disaster Pants".

Which form of magnesium is best for sleep?

Magnesium glycinate for sleep

Magnesium glycinate is one of the most absorbable forms of magnesium capsules you can take. It's a good choice if you want to raise your levels quickly, and it's especially a good choice if you get disaster pants with other forms.

 https://www.healthline.com/health/magnesium-glycinate Here is a more complete article of good info about Magnesium for sleep.

Fine Art Revisited

Roy Burgess posted this on Facebook so I snipped it to share because I love it! 

Waiting for Mona

From the Royal Queensland Gallery

Doings

Butch is still playing pool quite a bit and I do too as often as I can work it in. Butch played the last two days in the park championship. 23 guys signed up to play and each of them had to play against everyone one time. That is a bunch of games! Butch says 6 losses was third and he had 7 so he came in fourth or tied for fourth. There are a large number of very skilled pool players in this park so his finish was respectable. We both play in mixed doubles on Sundays. It is fun and a way to interact with people you might not in ordinary times. I also play with the ladies on Monday and Tuesday afternoons when nothing conflicts in my schedule.

Last Monday I missed ladies pool because of a dermatology appointment. We both had a clean report on our biopsies. Good to go for another 6 months. We usually follow up trips out of the park with a trip to Costco or a stop in Magnolia depending on the day and the needs. We have not eaten out very much. It is very difficult to eat healthy in a restaurant. We know people who eat out nearly every meal. 
Trivia is still happening with pretty much the same people from week to week. They have a good time and so do I. Butch does too now that he has played enough pool to keep him satisfied.

It won't be long before we make a trip to Mexico. Yes, we still go down. No, we are not afraid. The whole situation is much different than portrayed on media.

I haven't mentioned Keto or diet for quite a while but I am still eating that way. I am happy with what the scales might say. I really do not know but my clothes fit the same so I assume the numbers are okay.

Listen to the Mockingbirds!

Spring?

When we arrived in late October the leaves were already off the trees. That is not usually the case. The grass was sparse too so I assumed it was due to lack of rain. We have still had a lack of rain. I can only think of a few times it has rained all winter and only one was a gullywasher. Mid-February is when the leaves return and I am happy to report they are here! It is the South Texas version of the arrival of Spring.
This is also the time of year when activities and events are a bit frantic and you can attend some sort of happening every day if you choose to do so. I passed on that several years ago. Old age perhaps? I remember pulling out the gate in years past and feeling as though I were on vacation! Free at last! I made a promise to myself when we changed parks that I was not going to overschedule myself and I have pretty much stuck to it. One of the perks of being a SENIOR is being able to do and say what you choose. It is a happy time of life. One small warning to the younger generations- you do have to safeguard your health if you plan to enjoy your senior years and it is never too late or too early to start.

RV Cooking

RV Cooking

I have been a fan of Allrecipes for many years. 

The recipes, coming from actual cooks, have been tried and tested. 

This particular link is focusing on RV or "small space" cooking. 

Since many of us fit in that category I thought you might enjoy this website.

https://www.allrecipes.com/article/the-galley-kitchen-rv/

Knee Deep

We are knee-deep in the busiest part of the season with the days flying by at lightning speed. It will soon start heading the other way where things will start winding down and the RVs will be leaving the park. The managers told us last Tuesday that there are 644 people in the park currently. No wonder I do not know them all! That is twice the number of the town of Cumberland IA where I was mayor for a term or two. Also twice the number of our former park at its peak.

So far the season has been quite pleasant in almost every way. The weather has been moderate most of the time with 2 day cold snaps on occasion. We have a warm week coming up with temps in the 80's.
Butch and I have always seemed to thrive on change so when it is time to head north we will embrace it just as we do when it is time to head south in the fall.

Here are some pictures that were taken lately.  Listen to the Mockingbird.

Bougainvilla down by the office

Taken on a cloudy day. Notice my bike parked under the slideout. We use it as our temporary garage.

Butt Wipes

The truth about Butt Wipes and RV holding tanks

February 13, 2020

By Emily Woodbury
It was a Tuesday and I got a knock on my door from my trusty (and well-loved) Amazon delivery man. I didn’t think I had ordered anything but, then again, sometimes I forget. I opened the box and saw an army-green box inside. What the…? A 42-pack of Bob’s Butt Wipes. Wow! Just what I’ve always wanted! As much as I can appreciate the importance of butt wipes, I was sure I had not ordered these (I didn’t have that much wine…).

Later that day, my phone rang. “Hi! Did you get the butt wipes?!” It was my dad, your favorite RV editor, Chuck Woodbury. “Ah, yes, I did. Care to explain?” Ultimately, am I surprised my father sent me a container of butt wipes with a funny logo? No. I often open my front door to find strange things he’s sent to me (like a 5-foot tall alien blow-up toy from Roswell, or T-shirts that say things like, “I fed Prairie Dogs in South Dakota”). He explained, “They’re selling these butt wipes at Camping World. The box says they’re flushable, but I don’t think they’ll dissolve as toilet paper does. Will you put a few in a jar on your counter in some water, shake it up a couple of times a day, and see if it dissolves?” “Sure, Dad,” I said.

It’s been ten days since I put the butt wipes in a jar of water on my kitchen counter (even the dog gives me weird looks when I go to shake it up). But guess what? They haven’t dissolved, not even a tiny bit. The butt wipe is just as much of a butt wipe as it was when I first put it in there. (I apologize for the poor-quality photo. It was hard to see the wipe against any light surfaces, so my gray couch had to do the trick. At least you get the point.)

Let’s do a little research here, shall we? Camping World’s website, where you can buy 42 of these wipes for $7.31, writes, “Flushable wipes are biodegradable and disperse in under 3 minutes, so your sewer and septic systems will remain clog-free.” Well, we know from my science experiment above that this is not true. One disappointed Amazon reviewer writes, “This product is advertised as biodegradable and RV/septic tank safe. They are not! They do not break down and biodegrade as stated. These lodged in my RV and clogged the black tank drain. They are effective for their intended use but(t) they should not be used with a septic system or a RV.”

Now, this kind of thing isn’t new to the “advertising-lied-to-me” world. Back in April, many news stories came out saying that flushable wipes (from baby wipes to makeup removing wipes) aren’t actually flushable, and plumbers are getting tired of fishing out huge clogs. Here’s one of those stories. See the photo below from the Twitter account of the Sanitation Districts of LA County. They write, “The wipe is still whole after a year!” Yikes, we don’t even want to think about how bad these are for the environment, much less our septic tanks.

Moral of the story? Don’t flush anything down your poor RV toilet other than toilet paper, and preferably white, single-ply toilet paper at that. The system is just as sensitive as your stomach is after a night of spicy Mexican food, and nobody deserves the task of unclogging that meal from your RV’s toilet … nobody.

Use butt wipes, sure, if you must, but put them in the garbage and walk them out to the dumpster later that night. You’ll get a few extra steps in for your day, and you’ll keep your partner, your toilet, and your plumber happy.

Oh, also, I should share something funny. A few days after I received these in the mail, I got an email from our wonderful RVTravel.com accountant. She wrote, “Emily … Sorry but I have to ask … please see attached Amazon order … butt wipes??? Please share with me what business expense category this is for.” Because they were shipped to me, it looked like I had purchased them. I told her I’d send her this article, once I had written it, to explain the business butt-wipe expense. So here we are.

##RVT935

I Opened a Book

79 degrees here today

We are rebounding from a cold spell whereby the temperature in the daytime was 55 degrees. That was on Wednesday. Those kinds of temperatures while in the motorhome are not pleasant, combined with wind and dampness it makes for a very unpleasant atmosphere. You may not think so but you must remember we are acclimated to warm weather.  55 degrees with clouds and dampness in Iowa about mid-July will give you the same kind of unpleasantness. No, you perhaps are not in danger of freezing to death but still it is less than pleasant. It is all 70's and 80's in the foreseeable future so back to normal, Yeah!
Butch is playing in the Friday Pool League this afternoon so we will assume he is having fun. I have just returned from a bike ride around the golf course and the park. Fun going North, not so fun going South. It was a workout though.
When I sat down to the computer I tried to remember what I should be doing and then decided to just chat with you all for a bit. But now I have remembered that next week's trivia questions are not completed so better get to that...soon. Last Tuesday one of the women who play cards but not trivia was telling me how much she enjoyed the questions while playing cards but wished she could see the answers..."Is there any way you could put the questions and answers on the blog? You aren't going to use them again, are you?" The answer is: "Yes, I could put them on the blog." "Do I want to? "No." I always like to have a sound reason when I say "No" to anything. That was one of my rules when raising the boys- Is there a good reason to say "No"?  I found it to be a reliable yardstick. So this time I am hedging. I may break down and post them but so far I am mulling it over.

On to trivia questions!

Inflammation?

Foods to avoid if you are suffering from inflammation. I wish I had known these years earlier!!

https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/foods-cause-inflammation/?_cmp=TheHealthy&_ebid=TheHealthy262020&_mid=327198&ehid=DFCB285FB10C1684E2551C941D1B0CD3D95CA5D3

Ann, Our Granddaughter

Mama of 3 beautiful Great-Grands-Nina Grace, Scarlett and Skylar

Old Pics of Jason

One of the reasons I hang in there with Facebook even though so much of what gets posted is pure rubbish is the occasional surprise. Like today when I am slowly making my way through the rubbish, which I hide by the way when I spot a picture of our youngest son Jason. At that point in his life, he had graduated from college and was living on his own in Boone. Jason went on a trip to California with a friend named Theron. I remember him going on the trip but little else about it. I remember him telling us about Theron's Grandpa Cyrus McQuillen in California. Butch and I both remember Cyrus as the father of a classmate of Butch's and a workmate of my father. Of course, we know now that The McQuillen family in California was making the acquaintance of our youngest son, Jason. Little did we know that many years later we would become much better acquainted with Dugan, Sharon, and Kevin McQuillen and value their friendship so very much.
What a special treat to see these pictures of Jason on his California trip. Jason is the one with the mustache. My guess on the year would be 1983 or 1984

craft project at Home Depot.

They are doing a craft project at Home Depot.

Little Leo and Gary

Miss Elise...with a hammer!

Advice to Kids

I wish my younger self had embraced all of this advice. A father wrote this for his children. His children are very lucky to have him for a father. Enjoy.
Barb Brooker

Advice to my Kids

I have six lovely children — one of them now an adult, and a couple more almost there — and I give a lot of thought to what I think they should know as they grow up and go out into the world.

What could I best teach them to equip them for life?

This is what I’d like them to know:

You are good enough. Most people are afraid to do things because they are afraid they’re not good enough, afraid they’ll fail. But you are good enough — learn that and you won’t be afraid of new things, won’t be afraid to fail, won’t need the approval of others. You’ll be pre-approved — by yourself.

All you need to be happy is within you. Many people seek happiness in food, drugs, alcohol, shopping, partying, sex … because they’re seeking external happiness. They don’t realize the tools for happiness aren’t outside them. They’re right inside you: mindfulness, gratitude, compassion, thoughtfulness, the ability to create and do something meaningful, even in a small way.

You can start your own business. As a young man, I thought I needed to go to college and then be employed, and that owning a business is for rich people. That was all wrong. It’s possible for almost anyone to start their own business, and while you’ll probably do badly at first, you’ll learn quickly. It’s a much better education than college.

Everything useful I’ve learned I didn’t learn from college … I learned from doing.

That said, I’ve had some amazing teachers. They’re not always in school, though: they’re everywhere. A friend I met at work. My peers online. My mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. My wife. My kids. Failure. Teachers are everywhere if you’re willing to learn.

Spend less than you earn. Thirty percent less if you can manage. Most people get a job and immediately spend their income on a car loan, high rent or a large mortgage, buying possessions and eating out using credit cards. None of that is necessary. Don’t spend it if you don’t have it. Learn to go without, and be happy with less.

Put away some of your income to grow with the power of compound earnings. Your future self will thank you.

Learn to love healthy food. It’s all a matter of adjusting your tastebuds, slowly and gradually. Learn to cook for yourself. Try some healthy, delicious recipes.

Learn compassion. We start life with a very selfish outlook — we want what we want. But compassion is about realizing we are no more important than everyone else, and we aren’t at the center of the universe. Someone annoys you? Get outside of your little shell, and try to see how their day is going. How can you help them be less angry, less in pain?

Never stop learning. If you just learn something a little a day, it will add up over time immensely.

Have fun being active. Sure, there’s lots of fun to be had online, and in eating sweets and fried food, and in watching TV and movies and playing video games. But going outside and playing with friends, tossing a ball around, swimming, climbing something, challenging each other … that’s even more fun. And it leads to a healthy life, a healthy heart, a more focused and energetic mind.

Get good at discomfort. Avoiding discomfort is very common, but a big mistake. Learning to be OK with some discomfort will change your life.

The things that stress you out don’t matter. Take a larger perspective: will this matter in five years? Most likely the answer is no. If the answer is yes, attend to it.

Savor life. Not just the usual pleasures, but everything and everyone. The stranger you meet on the bus. The sunshine that hits your face as you walk. The quiet of the morning. Time with a loved one. Time alone. Your breath as you meditate.

Meditate.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They are some of the best teachers. Instead, learn to be OK with mistakes, and learn to learn from them, and learn to shrug them off so they don’t affect your profound confidence in who you are.

You need no one else to make you happy or validate you. You don’t need a boss to tell you that you’re great at what you do. You don’t need a boyfriend/girlfriend to tell you that you’re lovable. You don’t need your friends’ approval. Having loved ones and friends in your life is amazing, but know who you are first.

Learn to be good at change. Change is the one constant in life. You will suffer by trying to hold onto things. Learn to let go (meditation helps with this skill), and learn to have a flexible mind. Don’t get stuck in what you’re comfortable with, don’t shut out what’s new and uncomfortable.

Open your heart. Life is amazing if you don’t shut it out. Other people are amazing. Open your heart, be willing to take the wounds that come with an open heart, and you will experience the best of life.

Let love be your rule. Success, selfishness, righteousness … these are not good rules to live by. Love family, friends, coworkers, strangers, your brothers and sisters in humanity. Love even those who think they’re your enemy. Love the animals we treat as food and objects. Most of all, love yourself.

And always know, no matter what: I love you with every particle of my being.

What we do- POOL

Both of us are playing a good deal of pool and I am enjoying it very much. I am sure it will always be a challenge for me because I do not go at it as scientifically as Butch does. That and he has years of practice starting in his youth. Fun, none the less.

I also enjoy Trivia but I miss not being a participant. The people playing trivia are coming back regularly so I know they too enjoy it.

We are going to Padre tomorrow with hopes of seeing the Kite festival at least a little bit. It will be in full force this weekend but our weekend is full of other stuff.

So keep looking and if you are wondering check-in on www.trophygardens.blogspot.com

Nearly forgot! Pool- My partner, Greg and I last Sunday were tied for first place with two other couples. I haven't seen any posting of the results so far.😢

Dermatologist

Our Up-North Derm guy, Dr Poag, suggested we see a dermatologist after we arrived in the Rio Grande Valley. So we did and the appointment was Monday. We each had a biopsy and I must say it did not hurt at all! I have had mosquito bites that hurt worse. Now the freezing process was different. That hurts like holy heck! And we both had several spots done. We have a follow up in 3 weeks to get biopsy results but I do not expect any bad news for either of us.

RRVT News!

This bit of news really brightened my day. I am so happy my favorite bike trail will be resurrected soon. Not soon enough but...SOON!

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2020/01/21/raccoon-river-valley-trail-bridge-in-greene-county-receives-fema-assistance/

Head cold

Came down with a head cold last Wednesday. As head colds go it wasn't a bad one, just pesty and a nuisance. I was sure I had inadvertently passed it on and indeed I have as Butch is now in the throws. We are going to have to scratch our names off for the mixed doubles tournament on Sunday. I haven't been able to practice anyway so perhaps it is best.

I know I am slack in keeping current with this blog and others too. Perhaps twenty years is my limit. There have been times in the past where I felt I was burned out and used up but I seem to get past it in time. It may be too early to declare me finished yet...or not!

We are both pretty happy with our lives now.
We are happy doing pretty much nothing. Last night we watched the movie "7 Days in Utopia" It was about golf and Utopia, Texas. It was a good movie, I suppose. A bit too "Feel Goody" for me but okay for a change of pace.
We have also been watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Netflix. It takes place in the fifties and sixties and the attention to detail during the time frame is phenomenal! The cars, the music, the furniture, the whole feeling and look of the time. It is worth watching for that alone. Midge Maisel's comedy is fun too. It is very quick-paced and at times difficult to keep up with.

When nothing else works, talk about the weather. It has been fantastic this year. Yes, the Rio Grande Valley needs rain, desperately needs rain! The temperatures have most often been 70's and 80's in the daytime and 50's and 60's at night. I cannot ask for better! When they say 40% chance of rain you know it isn't likely to happen.

We are into the busiest part of the season. The park is not crammed full but it is nicely filled up and will be until mid-March when it will reverse itself.
Time to eat and I am hungry so bye for now.

Eating in Italy

I enjoy reading first hand and personal views of a friend in another country. I hope you do too.
Barb B

Dining in Italy…

January 15, 2020Greene County News Online

~a column by Colleen O’Brien

We drive half an hour of so to a town called Castiglione, on the Thyrrenean Sea, to eat out. The area is like Sarasota in Florida, San Diego Harbor in California, probably like bays and beaches in South Africa, the Cote d’Azur, Vladivostock in Russia? Fancy restaurants and chi chi clothing shops stand next to T-shirt shops and souvenir stores, pizzerias and ice cream parlors.

Stretched across the wide piazza between the shops are sparkling blue neon Italian words that mean gratitude (gratitudine), friendship (amicizia), happiness (felicita’), laughter (risata), joy (gioia). I think it is a lovely idea to display across a shopping center.

As we sit in a restaurant built and styled like a cruise ship, the Castiglione marina is quiet. It’s wintertime, and no boaters are sailing out to watch the sun sink into the sea. Older men fish from the quay in the dying light; like them we watch the little lamp glowing on their bobbers.

We order drinks. The waiter brings chips and olives, he points at the bar. It is lined with food – a phenom in Italy in the late afternoon. It is actually a buffet—small sandwiches, slices of various pizzas, dishes of fried potatoes, bowls of potato chips, plates of cheeses. It seems, however, that if we want the sweets from the glass case, we have to pay for the mango, chocolate, pistachio cheesecakes, the peach and lemon fruit tarts, the tiramisu.
The most expensive glass of wine or beer I’ve ordered anywhere is $3 in euros—about $5 US. There is no tipping, so I ask if that is because bartenders and waiters make a living wage. No one knows.

Italians eat late—after 7 pm. The 5 o’clock “tea time” of drinks and bar food carries them over until the restaurant opens for real food. Even at home with my hosts, there is a snack of some sort around 5, with tea or caffe or wine. Dinner comes late.

The biggest noodle I’ve seen served so far is the pappardelle. It is at least an inch wide, about twice the width of the egg noodle I use for a stroganoff, and it is 18 inches long! It tastes homemade, as most pasta I’ve eaten in Italy does; maybe the restaurants all make their own noodles.

My host finishes his meal and wipes his plate with bread. The waiter grins at him and says, “Scarpetta.” It means that the diner is grateful. When a dish returns to the kitchen scraped clean, the chef is pleased—this is the high compliment—a scarpetta.
~~~~
It is now the next day, and it’s lunchtime here. We eat banana frittata. No flour, no sugar; just very ripe bananas and whipped eggs sautéed. Delicioso.
~~~~
Italians use lots of words for food: nutrimento (nourishment), mangiare (something to do with one’s mandible/chewing/jawbone!), vitto (life itself), pane (bread [of life]), alimento (a part of the canal between the lips and the stomach!).

Marlene and Bernard Kelley Celebrate 69th Anniversary

I snipped this from Facebook. We miss them being in Texas in the winter. We would play cribbage, bridge and eat!

&#^! Tree Pollen

Runza Casserole(NOT KETO)

This recipe pops up every now and then because it has been a family favorite for many, many years. Easy too. It is not keto however so it has been on the back burner. I guess I could make it substituting cheese for the crescent rolls. Hmmm may have to do that! It is also easy to adjust this to half for smaller families.
     
Runza Casserole       

      2 lb Hamburger

      2    Onion, Finely Chopped

      4 C.Cabbage, Shredded

            Salt & Pepper, To Taste

      2    Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

      1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

[Note: One of my standby recipes. One that Butch is always happy to

see on the table. ]

Brown hamburger and onion, drain. Put cabbage on top of meat and let

steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using one tube, spread

the crescent roll pieces over bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread

hamburger/cabbage mixture on top. Add a layer of cheese. Using the second

tube of crescents, place on top of the cheese. Bake in 350 F. degree

oven for 35 to 40 minutes, covering with foil the last 10 minutes to

soften the crust

Documentaries

I enjoy watching documentaries, depending on the subject of course, and I discovered this website for documentaries and have several now added to a watch list that I would like to watch sometime. They are free. Many times the choices on TV are dismal enough to want to venture into new territory. This could be a place to start.

https://www.documentarystorm.com/

Todays challenges

The wind is very strong today out of the South. We have the moho facing west so our south side is a big area to bear the brunt of the wind gusts, some nearing the 60 mph mark. It is also the side our slideouts are on and Butch was concerned about the covers making it through the battering so we brought in the biggest slide out. That makes our living space quite small. It is supposed to be lighter tomorrow and end by evening and we will be very ready for that.

I went to a meeting today to see what can be done to create a bird blind and a couple of feeding areas. It looks like it will be happening and quite soon. That should be giving us some good bird pictures.

Since my kitchen is in a squeeze we went out for supper. Every 3 years or so we go to Luby's, a cafeteria type where you go through the line and choose your items. Any more it is to see if it has changed since the last time. Nope, hasn't changed. The food has been out too long. Too expensive- our meal for the two of us was over $25. It did taste good. Silverware was crusty looking so I washed mine myself before using it. I really think it is the solution they use in their dishwasher but it leaves a very unappetizing coating on the silverware. You gather your own food and take it to a table of your choice, paying for it before you are seated and still they have a person to bring you butter or any other condiments you might want and a tip to them is expected. It has been at least 3 years since we have been there and it will most likely be 3 more before we give them another try. It was okay. Is okay good enough? Good question.

A column from Colleen

Living in the Italian countryside

January 8, 2020Greene County News Online

Editor’s note – When O’Brien started writing columns for GreeneCountyNewsOnline when it launched in 2013, she declined to offer a photo to use at the top of her columns. She has finally sent along a photo of herself in Italy, where she is enjoying a few weeks of respite from issues that worry conscientious liberals.

~a column by Colleen O’Brien

I have named it The Great Rocky Road. It is the means by which we get to the casita on the hill overlooking the meadow where my hosts live. Calling the pathway a “road” is hyperbole; it is a trail about 10 feet wide the length of about five or six blocks of winding, twisting inclines, declines, up-and-down little hills covered with pebbles, rocks and small boulders. The ruts from running water are like ravines looking to swallow small cars.

There are two gates to open, one manually, and then the final luge-like run to the parking area in front of the casita—a gravitational pull a little like the feeling you get on a roller coaster.

Just walking the road, which I do every morning for exercise, is difficult because of the rocks and small boulders. If I want to look at the view, I have to stop; if I don’t keep on eye on where my feet are landing, I’ll be a goner, bouncing down The Great Rocky-like one more loose boulder.

A “colleen” on a trail near the Casale Rosa in the Maremma district of Tuscany

The sheep came through one day last week and knocked over a big colleen, which I put back together this morning. The stack of rocks sits behind an abandoned stone house with a rusted bathtub exposed where the wall has fallen down the hill. People lived there for 200 years, I hear, but I don’t know when they quit living there. Could have been an earthquake. Maybe it was WWII. Perhaps it was just the end of the family. It is, however, a kind of heaven for a rock stacker, which I am. I’ve been here a week, so the road is now dotted with my cairns, known by my grandchildren as colleens. The largest one is seven rocks high. The one by the last gate stays at about four high, even though each morning I add one or two more. It doesn’t want to be that high.

Sometimes, I leave the road and take a less-used trail up the hill into the woods. I find more falling-down buildings once housing pigs (I’m told). I walk beside miles of rock walls holding back the mountain from the olive groves. And I plan a patio in an area along a stacked-rock embankment that has flat slabs of rock in front; it might once have been the floor of a pig house. A gnarly live oak droops alongside. It would be such a perfect place to put a table, a chair, a bottle of wine and a book. I could sit there on hot, sunny days in the summer and gaze out over the valley below.

I would see beyond my hosts’ house to the neighbor’s 1,000 new olive trees planted in a field below them. I would watch the tiny cars on the autostrada—the commercial road from Rome to Grosetto, Siena and on to Florence. More olive trees cover the mountainside on the far slope of the valley as if in formation for a drill. They trade off with fields of grapes. Far-off tiny crumbling buildings, old stone houses, elegant, slim cypress trees marching up lanes to where no one lives anymore….

All the photos and all the art one sees of rural Tuscany are this—soft mountains, rolling meadows, olive trees and wine vines, double lines of cypress defining roads, outlining hills, drawing the eye up. Planted art.

There’s a bit of all of that here, in the Maremma, the coastal southwest area of Tuscany. My hosts have contributed, their thrill of a driveway lined to the north with brand new baby cypress, just beginning to show visitors the way along the Great Rocky Road.

The seldom-photographed columnist Colleen O’Brien points down the valley to the autostrada and beyond.

In case you missed it

The winners on Wednesday, January 8th in-park pool tournament (with about 30 entries) are 1st Butch Brooker & Don Wulf, 2nd Ron Beeksma & Pierre Jubinville, 3rd Jerry Johnson & Alex Stinson.

Elise Cooks

Elise cooks supper. She is 9 now and very capable in all she does.

Our neighbor Candy took this photo of us when we were hosting trivia in the main hall at Trophy Gardens.

LOW-CARB SOUTHWEST EGG CASSEROLE

A recipe? Really? Yes really. I know many people are trying to eat a low carb diet, especially this time of year. I have been a fan of Kalyns Kitchen for many years. She has many good recipes for a variety of healthy choices. https://kalynskitchen.com/southwestern-egg-casserole/#more-21662
Barb B.

LOW-CARB SOUTHWEST EGG CASSEROLE


yield 8 SERVINGS prep time 10 MINUTES cook time 30 MINUTES total time 40 MINUTES
This delicious Low-Carb Southwest Egg Casserole uses ingredients you probably have on hand.

INGREDIENTS
  1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, very well-drained
 14 eggs
 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
 salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
INSTRUCTIONS
Dump the tomatoes into a colander placed in the sink and let them drain well.
Slice the green onions (and I do recommend using the full amount because they add a lot of flavors.)
Put the drained tomatoes, sliced green onions, and diced green chiles into the casserole dish and stir to combine. (Save a few green onions for garnish if you like.)
Beat the eggs until they're well-combined and add salt and pepper, and Spike Seasoning.
Sprinkle 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese and 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese over the veggies.
Then pour over the egg mixture, and stir with a fork to combine.
Sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of each kind of cheese over the top.
Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven about 30 minutes, or until eggs are completely set and the casserole is lightly browned on top.
Serve hot, with sour cream and salsa if desired.
NOTES
Diced green chiles are Anaheim chiles, not spicy Jalapenos. If you don’t have Spike Seasoning, use any all-purpose seasoning blend that’s good with eggs.

Egg casseroles can be kept in the fridge for at least a week and reheated in the microwave or in a hot toaster oven.

Recipe created by Kalyn. (Low-Carb Southwest Egg Casserole was first posted in 2006 and last updated January 2020.)

Updating a bit

Butch is playing lots of pool. No surprise there! I have been playing some too.

Been layed up with a UTI the past week thus not much of anything happening including this blog. The good news of this is that I now have a primary care doctor in the Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Elizabeth Pollack. She is young and pretty but that is beside the point. I like her and she comes to me medically in the way I like. Options and possibilities followed by a sensible plan of action. We came to her by way of a referral from our new neighbors Candy and Rick Dewey.

Today we plan to go to Magnolia for their monthly garage sale. No, it isn't the same park that we knew and loved but the ones remaining are doing the best they can and I must say doing a pretty good job of it. Our new friends Dave and Liz went with us last season and really enjoyed the lunch served on the garage sale day and would like to go again. So that is the plan.

Butch has to get out of bed first!

Check out the Trophy Gardens blog to see what is up with us somewhat. There are so many activities in this park I do not ever plan to do it all. I am making additions to their already established blog as well as our own and I still throw one at Magnolia's blog too now and then.
www.trophygardens.blogspot.com

www.magnolianews.blogspot.com

It has been a blessing to have Deon and Jim in Trophy with us. We share many of the same interests, pool, birding, photography, Magnolia and exercise. They have blended in seamlessly and no one would ever know they are new to this park. Trophy has over 30 new people here this year so that might be part of it!

Our friend Dugan

Our friend Dugan has passed away after a year-long battle with lung cancer. His son Kevin had come to Iowa and taken Dugan and Sharon back to Florida with him making it easier for Kevin to take care of both of them.
Dugan and Sharon grew up in Jefferson too. Being slightly older than us, we traveled in different circles. We did know who they were and had connections of one kind or another. We became better connected after returning to Jefferson and making it home for at least half the year.  And then came trivia.
Dugan was the core of our trivia group, in fact, we were Team Dugan. The man was a walking encyclopedia and read history books for fun. His sense of humor was priceless as well. He was a fun guy to be in the company of on any occasion. We will miss him no end.

Quote of the day

" Kittens are wide-eyed soft and sweet. With needles in their jaws and feet. "

-Pam Brown

If you have ever petted a kitten you know the truth of this quote. And I would add "Even innocence has sharp pain."

For all my Non-sportsy friends

This is what every sports interview I ever sat through sounds to me.

Happy New Year!

Grumbling

I do not grumble a lot. Really I do not. One exception is a poor Internet connection. I pay for a good one and I expect it to deliver. Trophy Gardens has provided park-wide Internet for the past 4 1/2 years. For some people that is a big plus. After full-timing for ten years and have a fair amount of experience dealing with different connections in different locations I can tell you that 90% of park-wide internet systems are not at all adequate. Most people have succumbed and found their own system to work for them. The system here in Trophy has been in existence because the company that provides it promised something they cannot truthfully deliver, particularly in January and February and the mangers are very tired of handling resident complaints.  The 5-year contract will be up in June of 2020. We have all been warned.
I knew I would need to find a solution for us. Google Fi is okay for the internet but it is pricier than I like and just okay for speed. As a phone, it is great and dirt cheap so it will stay our phone choice.  A phone bill of $25 a month is fine. and we will leave all that alone.

 I have always liked Spectrum in South Texas but this park will not allow any new lines to be buried other than what they already have and new poles with connections are not allowed either.

Trophy Gardens has embraced a system called www.cobainternet.com so knowing we would want something with enough oomph to stream movies and not frustrate the H out of me we decided to try Coba. There is a sizeable hookup fee ($150) because you are buying equipment and installation. It is a one time fee. There are no contracts and you can stop and start any time you please. You keep the equipment that you paid for and take it with you and bring it back each season. There are three levels of service and we chose the middle one. We are not gamers and they require lots of oomph. We require medium oomph. If all you do is Facebook and check your email the lowest oomph would be good enough for you. We decided it was better to try it this year instead of next when fewer options would be available.

When the guys installed it they needed an electrical outlet. It depends on line-of-sight for a signal and after trying to mount it on the ladder at the back of the motorhome and deciding it did not work we have it on a tripod beside the front of the motorhome with a cable to electricity. We had it plugged into an outdoor electric box in one of the basement bins near the rear of the motorhome. After a week of frustration with dropped service and intermittent signal, we decided to bring it inside through one of the slide-outs and that changed everything! It has been dependable and speedy ever since. The installers had told us it would not make a difference but it very much did. 

Not much

Not much that is new and different is going on right now. This afternoon Butch and I are playing in a mixed doubles pool tournament. I think I enjoy it more than he does. We are not partners because when you sign up you do not play with whoever you sign up with. It is a good way to get acquainted and interact with new people that you might never have the opportunity to do so otherwise.

Butch has signed up for several pool events in the Senior Olympics of the Rio Grande Valley. He skipped the last couple of years but feels he is ready to take it on again this year.
The park sponsors various trips and I plan to sign up for a Mystery Trip on January 21st. That is one of the days Butch will be in a 10-ball tournament with Senior Olympics. He will be happy he doesn't have to go with me because the bus leaves the park at 6:15 AM and we all know how much he would like that!
The weather has been picture-perfect so far this season, perhaps making up for the past few years that were awful. Highs have been mostly in the 70's with some '80s during the day and '60s and '70s at night. I do hate to even mention it because it can change in a heartbeat.

I received word yesterday that our friend Kay Stilson had a stroke. Bill is usually the one giving us pause for thought but this time it is Kay. I am hoping it was a light one and that she will be back to her old self very soon. I am giving her some healing time before I call her and get the whole story. This is the first season that Bill and Kay have not been down here within a short distance for all the years we have been coming to Texas. It used to be we could open the door and holler at each other. Last season we had to drive a few miles to see them but we did so fairly often.

I have been rather slack with picture taking. I do not have as much opportunity either.
I think I forgot to post the ones below.

Christmas Day at Dave and Liz's:

 Butch and Bruce and some guy who hangs around on Dave's patio vitually ALL the time!

 L to R Karen, Gary, Cindy, Fred, Alex and Dave.

 Back to us and left-Sally and Paul. Then Mikie, Keny and Renie

Bob is trying to get our attention to begin the prayer before the Christmas feast.