Polish Noodles Recipe

Polish Noodles (Cottage Cheese and Noodles)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles

• 1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Prep 10 m, Cook 20 m, Ready In 30 m

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in melted butter until softened, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

3. Stir butter and onion mixture, cottage cheese, sour cream, sea salt, and black pepper into the noodles. Place the pot over medium heat; cook and stir until heated through and warm, 5 to 8 minutes.

Bean Bags Now?

Just what the old boy needs is another addictive hobby!

😁

And now end of season

 Many people have headed north and even more will be in this coming month. Easter seems to be a pivotal point for many. We will be leaving here on April 16th and arriving back in Jefferson on the 23rd. Our meandering ways persist despite no longer traveling with the motorhome.

Last night was the final trivia session for the season. I was far too easy on them and will be tightening up those questions for the fall. It was fun as it always is.

We have been taking on chores and detailing our Texas home in preparation for our return. This year held a lot of things to juggle when we first arrived. We hope next fall can have us a little freer to do the fun stuff.

One of the truly fun highlights of our stay this season has been the "Happy Hour" that our neighbors to the north host every day at 4:00 PM. Everyone brings their own drink of choice. There is a clock on the wall so we don't overstay our welcome. Different people can be there on any given day. The conversation is often interesting, educational, funny, inspiring, and just plain fun! Gossip and controversial subjects are avoided and discouraged. It is one of the finest "Happy Hour" experiences I have ever enjoyed. I will miss it and have thoughts of trying to duplicate the experience in our up north home.

Candy sent me a couple of photos I liked.

The photo below referenced one of the trivia questions. Who was the songwriter and singer of this song?

Cute huh?

In A-1 shape.

 I am in pretty good shape for the shape I am in!

 There is quite a bit of Covid in the park. We aren't one of them. Our neighbor across the street is and she has COPD, COVID, and PNEUMONIA. She is in ICU and they put her on a ventilator but she signed a paper to be taken off of it. Her children have been called and told to get here because her chances of making it are slim. They are here now.

We are in Spring Cleaning mode. Or at least I am. Butch said we should wait till fall on some of this stuff and I set my feet because you get busy right away with getting reacquainted with friends and activities and it continues to get put off. So I am nearly finished with my list.

Here is a pic of one of my projects. Unfortunately, I did not get a before picture of this wind chime made from a teapot and silverware that was no longer silver. I am happy with the result!

Trivia Night 3/21

 Friend Candy does me a huge favor by taking and posting pictures. I am ever so grateful for her help. I gleaned these photos from her facebook entry. Thanks, Candy!

Renie took the night off to go to Progreso's Appreciation Day. Butch filled in for her. We have a very dedicated group of players. I asked who would be here next week and nearly all the hands went up. 

 Team I Don't Know

Team Brainiacs

Team Part Timers

Team Smartypants

Team Bottomless Pit

Feeling Much Better

I need a gremlin to come into my house and clean it stem to stern and then I can say I would be most happy. I am sure the gremlin will have to be me. 

We had a good time at Trivia last night despite the fact I made a few mistakes. I put the questions together when I was not feeling my best and there you have my excuse. I will fill in the players on my mistake next Tuesday(March 28th) when we will be doing our final trivia session of the season My mistake has something to do with a wig. 😕 Even so, a wig is not a hat!!

Urgent Care

 Update on findings. ER's are like ER's at hospitals. They are costly. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Urgent Cares are like mini doctors' offices. Limited hours, limited days. If you can make the Urgent Care facilities work for your ailment, it is the best choice. It will take research to know all the particulars. I have put this info into my phone. DHR Urgent Care 1421 N Col Rowe Blvd, McAllen, TX 78501  Hours are 7:00 AM 10 PM  Phone: (956) 362-5030

The one above happens to be the nearest Urgent Care to us.

Health Update

 Update on findings. ER's are like ER's at hospitals. They are costly. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Urgent Cares are like mini doctors' offices. Limited hours, limited days. If you can make the Urgent Care facilities work for your ailment, it is the best choice. It will take research to know all the particulars. I have put this info into my phone. DHR Urgent Care 1421 N Col Rowe Blvd, McAllen, TX 78501 

Closes 10 PM  Phone: (956) 362-5030

The one above happens to be the nearest one to us.

I thought I had this healthcare system in the RGV figured out. I did not. My plan from a few years ago was to establish a relationship with a clinic and a doctor and it seemed to work for a while. I kept getting letters from the clinic that my "doctor" had left but I would be assigned a new one. This happened several times. The last one "Dr. Arvan" left without my knowledge I found out yesterday. He wasn't worth much anyway.

I was diagnosed with Bronchitis a week ago at the Alamo ER and was on a regimen to rid me of the nasty stuff. Yesterday I decided I should be better than I was. I was getting frequent coughing fits that were unproductive. So I decided to see if I could get into the clinic. It seemed like the simplest way to go. I was told I was no longer affiliated with that clinic and my "doctor" was no longer there. I was caught way off guard by this. The cold, grumpy receptionist told me to go to an ER. They were full up with appointments, all the doctors were at lunch and I had no chance of being seen.

So we went to DHR Emergency room. It happened to be the closest. I was treated well. We were there for 3-4 hours but the system was well run. The bottom line is that I am dealing with a virus and there is naught to do but get through it. I have no infection. They tested me for over 40 viruses and I have Human metapneumovirus. It means I will have a cough of various degrees until I don't. The doctor said another week or more.

So it seems that if you are in the RGV and need to see a doctor go to one of the freestanding ER's. They are all over the place. Some are called Urgent Care but they are essentially all the same and all connected in one way or another. The day of having your own personal doctor is pretty much behind us. Sad but true.

Sunday Pool

From Bits and Pieces:

There was a full rack of players signed up for Sundays Scotch Mixed Doubles 3/19/23. With 12 teams playing it means everyone played 11 games.

4 Teams tied for first with each winning 8 games:

Barb Brooker and Paul Kelleher -8 wins, Claudette Hogenson and Marcel Tessier-8 wins, Linda Gabel and Lonnie Hull -8 wins, Janet Brown and Greg Dowhaniuk-8 wins.

1 team won 7 games: Beverly McEnany and Kinley Poulson 

1 team won 6 games: Terry Thompson and Barb Utech

Next week's games (Sunday, 3/26/23) will be the last one of the season. The sign-up sheet is on the east wall. Join the fun!

Barb Brooker

Binge watched

 Butch and I binge-watched 1923. It is part of the Yellowstone series. For the uninitiated, there is lots of violence, but the storyline is riveting.

Better? ...yes

I have one more day of antibiotics. This bronchitis episode has not been an easy journey. I did have one middle-of-the-night epiphany that has helped improve everything. I was having these extended dry cough episodes that were scaring everyone in the room including me. I also was unable to sleep, literally, unable to sleep. 15 minutes max and the next coughing fit would commence. The cough syrup I was taking (Robitussin) was red. Very bright cherry red. I have a great-granddaughter who is unable to tolerate any red dye. I think I know where she got it. I stopped taking it and everything has improved. At least I can sleep. So yes, I am better. Not completely over it but greatly improved.

80's Party?

Pictures?

I haven't done much with pictures/photos and that has always been a big part of my posts and my life actually. So this morning I was looking at some I have taken of late and will get some on here this morning.

You can most likely tell this is my medicine counter where I keep track of the meds I am taking, times, amounts etc. Hopefully I can wipe this clean come Monday.

 

This was taken March 12th when it was 100 degrees. Old news now as it is in the 70's.

My friend Susan Van Howeling sent me this picture of her snowman. Later her dog, Indy ate the eyes and the buttons (raisins and almonds). 

My friend Sherri Clark sent me flowers for my birthday! A very special surprise!

My friend Liz and her fellow, Chico were in the Alamo Tx parade. Liz is also my hairdresser.

Elvis was the theme this year.

Bob Wollin rode his bike in the parade.

Trophy Gardens is a consistent winner in this annual parade.

This is a special picture of mine. I took it in Cumberland Iowa backyard sometime in the '90s. It was such a serendipity moment!

Suggestion

 Do your best to never get 3 days behind on the daily details of life! Catching up can be a whole new area of stress!

Cough, Cough Update 2

 The difference, for those of you who have wondered, between Acute Bronchitis and any other kind is that the other kind is Chronic Bronchitis. You get the Acute status if it is the first time you have had it. Otherwise, you are Chronic. You can only be Acute once.😳

Another first time for me is taking liquid antibiotics. At the drug store, the clerk said, "I will be right back." as he took off for parts unknown. So when he returned I asked what he was doing and he said, "Mixing your antibiotic powder with water." I did not know this was something they did. It makes perfect sense though because when you swallow it coats your bronchia on the way down. The feeling is pleasant, the flavor is gawd awful! They flavor it with cherry but it doesn't taste like any cherry I have ever tasted.

I was well enough to get trivia done with the help of Renie. It went well. We had our usual 5 teams interspersed with some new faces. I heard lots of talk about who is going home and when so I know it is winding down and the teams will be much smaller for the next two trivia nights. I have wracked up several questions for our Iowa trivia players. If I have plenty of sessions in my bag of tricks it takes the pressure off.

Ragbrai Route 2023

It will be going through Jefferson but not an overnight stop. We live 2 1/2 blocks from the route so if you would like a nearly front-row seat stop on by. That will also be our 64th wedding anniversary, and "No" we have no special plans other than watching Ragbrai go through periodically.

Day 3: Tuesday, July 25 Carroll to Ames

Cough,cough update

 We have both recovered somewhat. Butch is fine. We spent 6 hours in a free-standing ER yesterday with my ailment. Acute Bronchitis. Didn't get home till after 10:00 so will get my meds this morning. The good news is I was tested for covid twice in two days -both negative. We felt the 6-hour stay was excessive but they are understaffed and there was a shift change in there, which adds to the confusion. Other than that the care was excellent and they were very thorough. I enjoyed the nebulizer very much. It gave me instant relief. So back to normal!

Grocery store trips are taking on a different perspective since we are heading north in about a month. No large jars of anything. Nothing in excess that requires freezing. It is probably the biggest and most challenging part of the 6-month/6-month procedure.

The weather has taken a turn. It went from 100 degrees one day to 70 the next. Predicting the weather has always been iffy but it seems nearly impossible now. It seems that every prediction can turn into a major event of gargantuan proportions. I always check the weather on the entire route before we head out. We have only been caught off guard one time that I remember and that was in San Antonio; an 8-inch deluge on the interstate, in the motorhome lasting about 30 minutes. Expect the unexpected!

Tuesday Trivia tonight in the main hall at 6:30 PM. Two after this one then no more till fall. 

And then...a head cold!

 Butch brought me a cold from the pool hall. Yes, we tested and yes we were negative. This brings back the days of old when every season I would get blessed with a head cold brought home from the pool hall.

There is nothing to do but medicate for it the best you can, stay away from people, sleep and wait. I am doing my best to achieve those goals. Every time I take a nap, and that is often, I hope to wake up and have it magically gone. So far that hasn't worked.

We had our place power washed by Steves Wash and Wax and they did an excellent job. The difference was amazing. I said it was my Birthday present because in the past Butch would insist he could do it and better than they could. And there may have been a time when that was true but looking up and working above his head brings about a great deal of pain and so it is time to take advantage of all that money you worked so hard to obtain. "Who are you saving it for?" is a common saying around our house these days.

The wind doth blow but we will have no snow and if we stay put we can continue to believe that to be true. It seems the first of March starts the exodus back north and we can never quite understand it because in the last 5 years or so there has been at least one snowstorm after we went back to Iowa in middle to late April.

We currently have no appointments anywhere and that is fine by me. I am ready to have the pace slow down a bit and we don't even participate in all the things we could.

Yes, I did it again

I was sitting at the kitchen table doing Diamond art when I happen to think about how long has it been since I posted. so I came over to the computer and found out it has been several days. and quite a lot has happened in several days, nothing really significant. 

This is going to be a rant. A while back I purchased a new computer. It was a Microsoft product. I had a few issues with it but figured it was because of all the new-fangled stuff and that I would soon get used to it. The very first thing I noticed was that it was very slow about half the speed of my Chromebook. The second thing was the files to apps and it seemed they had wiped out many of the things I counted on using, mostly related to pictures. I was still willing to stumble through and find solutions but then I didn’t shut down my computer one night and noticed at about 3:00 AM that it was running so I closed the lid. At about 5:30 AM, I noticed it was still running! So I figured it must have been a large update and went back to bed. When I next noticed my computer at about 8:00AM it was still running so I gave it my attention and noticed it was VERY hot. And it would not let me shut it down in a preferred manner so I shut it down in an unpreferred manner and let it cool off. After it cooled off I restarted it and much to my surprise I lost the Network/Internet driver. By this time I am as hot as the computer! So I put it all aside until I cooled off. After much thought, research and experimentation I decided to return the blasted thing to Costco and so I did.

I knew I was going back to multiple updates, purchasing malware and virus protection,and a generally slower machine but it was one of those deals where you don’t realize how irritating it is until you are once again dealing with it. Me and my Chromebook will remain besties!

Another thing that happened is that I became an 80-year-old woman on March 6th. This one stung a bit. It seems to be a number that I find bothersome. I will get used to it because they will not be able to change it at Costco.

Where to start?

 Last night 6 of us went to Dirty Al's in McAllen. Dirty Al's has been a favorite restaurant of mine for many years. The best shrimp ever! And it spoils you for any other. It used to be a trip to Padre Island was where you had to go to get it but they now have a place in McAllen too. It has become a tradition for Butch to take me to Dirty Al's to celebrate my birthday. The last couple of years my birthday has also marked Butch having an "incident". One year it was his fall in the shower resulting in a leg break; the next year it was an intestinal blockage at about the same time. So we have discussed putting him in isolation, wrapping him in bubble wrap, and various other scenarios. We are super cognizant of being careful.

So we went to Dirty Al's on March 2nd. My birthday is March 6th and Linda Millards is March 8th and Darrel and Linda will soon be headed north so all things considered prompted the event. Alex and Renie were with us too and afterward, we came back to our place and played "Dirty Board". A fun evening all around.

Darrel and Linda have been coming to Trophy Gardens for the past two seasons and this time they have purchased a place so when they return next season it will be to a place of their own.  We are all excited about that as they have become a part of the Trophy family.

I am now going to eat my breakfast and then go have Liz cut my hair...so later...

Trivia?

 The country of Finland banned Donald Duck because_________?

He wasn't wearing pants!!! Thanks, Theresa! 

Yesterday Morning

 Renie and I walk most days at 7:00 AM. This was yesterday's treasure.

One Day at a Time

 As the years add up it becomes more certain that I can only think about 'One Day at a Time' and that, for sure, is a good thing.

Yesterday was a full and eventful day. It began on the night before. We both showered and after we went to bed a loud and I mean LOUD noise happened in the bathroom. It sounded like fireworks and then the water started. Butch ended up having to shut off the water outside. As it turned out the shower control blew a gasket. It was most likely something I did without realizing it but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It appears to be fixed now.

But that was then and now we move on. We both had appointments for a massage at the Massage College. That went well and we left there in a relaxed state of mind and body.

Next came Mexico-We needed to get stocked up on meds and to play it safe it is not wise to do it all in one trip so this was trip one of two. This also went smoothly, after our visit with Hector we ate lunch at Jessica's, which is usually part of our routine. They have a lunch special and we enjoyed our usual Chicken Fajita for $5.95. They have raised the price a dollar and it is still a delicious bargain.

We stopped at Trails End on our way home but failed to hook up with any of our former Magnolia neighbors. We will try again, perhaps on our next trip to Mexico.

When we returned home Butch checked his phone and had missed a call from Discover. My red alert did not go off immediately but it did not take long. Everything looked and sounded authentic. He did hit return call but that is when I woke up and said HANG UP. I remembered that you should never click on a return anything. If you want to talk to any of your credit card people, make sure you initiate the call by using the phone number on the back of your card. So I called Discover using my phone and the number on the back of the card. Everything was all right with our cards and he asked me what the number was on the message Butch had received. He said they have a list of legitimate Discover numbers and that was not on his list. It was not a bonified Discover number. Whew!! I can see how easy it would have been to get caught up in that scam.

So that was the end of our busy day.

Moving on...our weather is currently very summerlike with highs in the 90s and lows the last couple of nights have been 70, for gawds sake. Our friends Darrel and Linda have purchased a park model here in Trophy so will be able to stay longer next season without having to deal with a "landlord". We are happy about that so we can keep the Friday night card games going longer. We and they have been so busy we haven't even seen them to congratulate them yet!

For my birdwatching friends

Here it is again!

A giggle for cat owners

 

Pool and other stuff

 Sally and I organize the Sunday Mixed Doubles event every other Sunday, alternating with Bev who has done it for years. It is quite easy to get overloaded with activities and Bev appreciates getting help with it. Even events that are greatly enjoyed can get to be too much of a good thing. Trophy Gardens has a plethora of activities to choose from and some very talented people to teach nearly anything you can think of to do.

Sunday Mixed Doubles 2/19/2023

The top winners of the day were:

Barb Utech and Jeff Golly with 10 wins out of 10 games.

Bev McEnaney and Butch Brooker with 8 wins out of 10 games.

Teri Thibodeau and Paul Kelleher with 7 wins out of 10 games.

Barb Brooker and Darrel Millard with 6 wins out of 10 games.

We commend the 7 teams who assisted the winners in having the success they did.

Donna Hanke and Kinley Poulson

Diane Golly and Don Riley

Sally Kelleher and Elmer Hanke

Betsie Brown and Don Wulf

Claudette Hogenson and Marcel Tessier

Janet Brown and Jerry Thibodeau

Lola Wulf and Bob Nance

Playing in this social event is a great way to widen your circle of friends and meet new people. The new sign-up sheet is up on the east wall of the pool hall. So think about sharpening up those pool-playing skills and joining in the fun on Sunday afternoons.

See you in the pool hall!!

Barb Brooker

The "Other Stuff" will have to wait till later as I have cleaning and laundry on my agenda as well.😇

Directional

 Most of the time I am aware of my directions wherever I might be. It always jogs me a little when I start giving directions to someone and they give me that blank look. So I guess me and Aunty Acid would have issues! 😊

This is Friday?

 It feels like Saturday. It is easy to lose track of the days because they are going by at lightning speed!

Butch has pool today with our neighbor park, Winter Ranch, and Butch says it will be an amiable day. Sometimes his skills are tested and other times he can play nice. And he will tell me he always plays nice.😊

I think I forgot to mention that I had a biopsy done at the dermatology place a few weeks ago and it came back positive so on the 9th of this month I had the little booger removed and when I get the stitches out (March 2nd) I will be good as new!

Our neighbors across the street are hosting a neighborhood party tomorrow. Good thing I just now remembered that. I better be getting my offering prepared. Since it is so close to home perhaps I can get some pictures taken. That is one hobby I have been short-changing lately and I do need to get back to it.

SOooo bye for now...later!

My Goodness!

 I have been so busy living my life, I have totally forgotten to write about it! So what are you actually doing with your time, you might ask? You could be bored by it but I think I will actually try to tell you how the ordinary parts of my day usually go. 

I wake up at 6:00 a.m. and sometimes I wish I could roll over and go back to sleep! However, Renie and I have an agreement that we walk a couple of miles every morning starting at 7:00. We also agree that the days that we walk seem to go much easier than the days we don't walk. We do have a few rules; no walking if the temperature is less than 50 degrees and no walking in the rain. We have a route walking in the "North 40" then going to Winter Ranch, our sister park, then returning to the southern or front portion of Trophy Gardens. We return home at about 8:00.

Before I head out, I get the coffee going, get on my computer, and glance at a few things that are part of my daily computer things. It does wait till I get back before I get down and serious about, reading emails, working the puzzles, putting together trivia questions, researching things that come up in casual conversation, making appointments etc.

I play pool on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday Butch plays pool so I do things like cleaning, laundry, cooking, and menu planning. Thursday and Saturday are our only "free" days for massage, dermatologist, doctor, appointment and other odds and ends. Butch plays pool again on Fridays and at other times he can work it in. 

Everyday "Happy Hour" is scheduled at our next-door neighbors Sandi and Bill Danielson from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. We hate to miss it! We meet so many new people in the park. There is a rotation of people and the conversation is often lively and informative. It is not a gossip session. I wouldn't be there if it were. We seem to get onto a subject and it just takes off. The other day we started talking about the oddball stuff we have done in our lives. For example, Carol shared with us that she was a farmer and once had to do an emergency caesarian section on a cow. When the vet got there he stitched her up...the cow that is!

I forgot! Trivia is every Tuesday night in the main hall at 6:30 PM. We have 3 to 5 teams. More than one person has told me how much they enjoy it and vow to never miss it. I still enjoy it very much.

I try to work in some hobby stuff but it does get crowded on my todo list. January and February here can actually get hectic. I work very hard at not getting into that trap. March is when people start heading North and things start slowing down.

I am sure I left things out. The devil is in the details they say...usually in a different context but Hey!

Thermostat Wars

 He has thyroid issues so I tell him his thermostat is broken. It seems it doesn't matter where we are; Iowa home, Texas home, or in the car one of us isn't comfortable. I exaggerate. It really isn't that bad. It just seems that way sometimes. 

We knew a couple a few years ago, Bonnie and Fred, who had extreme thermostat issues. I think Fred set it on his age. He was in his 90's. He was never warm enough. They were a late-in-life couple and Bonnie was from a way-up-north state. The situation got to the point that Fred would not go with her in the Spring because he had a hard enough time staying warm in South Texas and way-up-north was out of the question. They are both gone now so their thermostat war is over. I trust they are both comfortable.

Many, many years ago I helped my nearly blind grandmother walk home from church. I know it was during lent because there would be no other reason for walking home after dark with her. I must have been 8 or 9 years old. I wore a light and airy dress that was new and I had not worn a sweater or a jacket. We stopped in the "Little Store" so I could warm up. It was in the days of Neighborhood Grocery Stores. A young boy of 10 or 11 happened to be in there. His name was Butch Brooker but I didn't know that then. When we stepped in Grandma Brock said, "If you would wear some clothes you wouldn't be cold!" Butch has never forgotten that.

So here is hoping your thermostat wars are amicable.

Ageless

Activity Overload

 It boils down to decisions that I understand get more difficult with age. Butch and I were quick deciders all our lives with mostly good results. We can still make quick ones today, they just take longer. (That's a joke.)

The number of activities taking place in Trophy Gardens this month could boggle the soundest of minds. If you cannot find your niche, you aren't trying. Trivia is still taking place on Tuesday nights in the main hall. And we have dedicated groups that are hanging in there but we had two teams who decided to do something different last night and that is A-OK. My guess is they were resting. 

Oh,yes! Team Part Timers won with a score of 128. It was noticed that they spun a pencil in the middle of the table to decide the answer to some of the questions. Hey, whatever works, right? Congratulations!

There are over 600 people in the park, way up from the covid years, and I think everyone is trying to make up for the lost time. We must admit it was an event that touched everyone's life in one way or another, still is, and probably always will!

So choose your activities wisely and keep some quiet time for yourself to recoup.

Best wishes always!!

Iowa Potluck

 Yesterday afternoon we attended the Iowa Potluck supper in Trophy Gardens Main hall. There was a guestimate of 70 people in attendance. The twins, Mary and Marge host it each season and they do an excellent job. These things do not happen by themselves and it gets a bit more of a challenge when we hit the 'birthday button' each year. An abundance of volunteers magically appears and that helps too. 

After the meal, we played trivia. We were divided into teams by the tables we were seated. There were 20 questions all about Iowa. Our table won an ice cream treat from DQ by answering 17 questions correctly.

I am sure they thought it might have been a bit slanted in our direction with me heading up trivia every week. But the truth be known, putting the questions together isn't that much help. Butch, Darrel, and Linda were much quicker and more correct with the answers. Also, there is a guy back in Iowa that helped a great deal and he wasn't even here. Denny Lautner is an expert on Iowa trivia and he came to the trivia sessions we had each Thursday in our pool hall. And every now and then he would give us a few Iowa questions so I guess you could say we practiced.

Gotta Few...

 Gotta few... minutes before going to the pool hall to line up the mixed doubles event this afternoon at 1:00. I am committed to two of the events taking place in the park. This and trivia. There shall be no more on my todo list. I do enjoy both of them.

Yesterday Darrel and Linda Millard came by for happy hour. Darrel and I were classmates from kindergarten and grew up in the same neighborhood. We started reminiscing and discovering all kinds of connections through various people. He casually mentioned one of his best friends Donald Zimmerle. Donnie is a cousin of mine. And it went on from there. Butch and Darrel both set pins at the bowling alley but having 2 years difference in age they didn't work at the same time. It was a fun and happy hour. A happy surprise!

My few minutes are up for now...

Park Newsletter

 Betsie Brown has put together Bits and Pieces for a good many years and it remains a source for all the happenings within the park, past, present, and future. I am going to copy and paste one of the most recent ones because it struck me as remarkable. Food, food everywhere!

This is just a sample. Most people have no idea of the time and energy it takes to put these newsletters together. Having put together blog entries as I have for over 20 years I am sympathetic to her efforts. Thanks, Betsie!

Bits & Pieces / 1-30-2023

 ***I'm gone for a week carving and missed the Park Meeting on Tuesday and the food choices broke out!!  Lots of eating in February.   I can't hardly buy the ingredients for all those foods and save money. I don't have to plan the meals, I don't have to fix them and I don't have to clean up afterward.  WOW, you can't beat that!!!

***Starting out with: 

Feb.1st is the NEBRASKA Potluck at 4:30

Feb. 2nd- Veterans Appreciation lunch at 11:30

Feb.3rd is Ann's 6 Pack Party and I bet there is food there too!! Don't forget your favorite 6 pack. 

Feb. 5th is the Luau Party by the pool at 3:00 pm.

Feb. 6th is the IOWA Potluck at 4:00 pm 

Feb. 7th is the "Blessings to You" Potato Bake delivered to where you want them to go.

Feb. 9th is the "Build Your Own Burger" at noon.

Feb. 10th Is the Peter Piper Party at 4:00 pm.

Feb. 12th is the Super Bowl Party in the hall.  Sounds like fun!!

Feb. 13th is the Pet Parade at the Dog Walk Park at 10:00 am.  I bet they will have a Hot Dog for a donation to a Dog Charity!!  The pet parade is fun to watch and see who wins.  Maybe some of your favorite friends will be all dressed up.

Feb. 14th is the Valentine's Meal at 5:00 pm.

Feb  16th is the Oriental Chicken Lunch at noon.

Feb. 21st is Mari Gras and I'm sure there will be some Gumbo to go along with that!!

Feb  24th is the "Cropp and Moore" Pizza Party at Peter Piper Pizza in                           Alamo at 4:00.

Feb. 25th is the Craft Sale and Karan always has great food at lunchtime.

Like I said there is something there for everyone.  Enjoy!!

Betsie Brown

A Pajama Day

 Most of the Winter Texans will know what I mean by a "Pajama Day". For me, it is defined as a day when the weather is such that you do not want to venture forth. And since you are not planning to go anywhere you can stay in your pajamas.

The current outdoor temperature is 38 degrees at 8:05 AM. It all started late Monday afternoon as we had happy hour on the deck. Suddenly, the wind was from the North and it had a bite to it. They forecasted that it would drop into the 40s and stay that way until Friday. Those who are staying up North say, "Big Whoop!" and I do understand. We remember what it can be like up there and that is why we are here! To perhaps put a different perspective on it, for a few minutes imagine it is July and the daily temps have been running in the 80s. And then the weatherman says a cold front is coming through and the temps will stay in the 40s for 3 days and nights! That is a bit of a shock to the system. We are acclimated to a balmy 80 degrees. I am not asking for your sympathy because quite frankly I know I don't have a leg to stand on. 

Pajama Days are virtually unheard of and most of the people I know here will not be able to have one anyway because they are committed to being somewhere for an activity sometime today. 

I will thoroughly enjoy my pajama day because it will most likely be the only one this season.

Follow up on Running

 I can't run very fast. I never could. I had 3 close friends most of my school years and they could all run faster than I and sometimes I wondered why. I didn't ponder it too much and now that I look back I marked it up to a simple "They are better runners." As simple as that. Jean and Valeta are no longer with us but Mickey and I keep plugging along doing the best we can and accepting the rest. Neither of us can run now but last I knew I might be able to outwalk Mickey. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up!

Running as fast as I can

 I had a hard time keeping up when we were in Iowa, mainly because there was nothing new to report and now we are in Texas, and I still need to catch up because there is so much going on! 

Jason and Laura were here for a fast and furious 3 days. One of the unforeseen benefits is now when we talk on the phone they have a firmer grasp of everything we are involved in and the people we spend the most time with. We like that.

Our shower is done and we love it. 

We were told the other day that we had the best park model in the park because it has the very best kitchen. She wanted to buy it but missed out due to a miscommunication. Lucky us. Alice J. had her eye on our place for a long time. We are aware that if and when we put our place on the market it will not be there long.

A few of us are going to eat at the KBN Seafood Restaurant today. Butch cannot go because he is committed to pool. They have "American food" too so if you are tempted to try it don't hold back. It is located at the corner of Trenton and Sugar Road.

My surgery to have a spot removed from my cheek because of a positive biopsy happens on February 9th. I can't remember if I had previously mentioned that. I have had other spots removed in the past so it is not concerning me, at least not yet. When I mentioned it to one of the happy hour people she said if I counted all my friends who have told me that in the last week or so it would be close to 10.

Our Happy Hour hosts are headed for a cruise this next week so we might have to fill in the gap on our deck. In fact, we plan on it. All you need to bring is your happy! It is daily from 4:00 to 5:00. Sure hope it warms up. We are once again going through a cold spell. Current outdoor temp is 53.4 at 11:15 AM.

Maybe I can close the gap between entries next time but I am not making any promises!

Hectic

 We are partway through the two most hectic months of the season, January and February. When we left Magnolia park I promised myself I would not get my time filled up to where I could barely breathe. And I have done that. One of the reasons I chose to do that is because when our RV went out the gate in the Spring I felt relieved and had a sense of freedom like being on vacation. So slow down you move too fast would dance through my head and still does now and then. The downside of this plan is that I do not always come across as accessible. I am involved to a limited degree in two areas, the pool hall and trivia. I enjoy both of these activities. There are many other areas that hold an interest for me but choices must be made so that I do not go out the gate in the Spring in a state of relief but rather a choice of a different cycle. So rest assured I am not giving any of you the snub and someday I might make a switch. I try to stay flexible. Don't feel bad or sad if I say "No". It isn't personal. I am just as busy as I want to be which isn't very!

Winter Texan Expo

We went to the expo today with Darrel and Linda Millard. Butch and I have been coming to the RGV for 25 years and yet we have never gone to the expo. Darrel and Linda went last year when they were here and enjoyed it. It is a hoot in more ways than one and in case you haven't found out, when you get a bunch of seniors together for any event it might become much more than you expect. There are a bunch of vendors and they are hoping to become your friend and share your pocketbook but by the time you are our age you do not share unless you really, really want to. We came home with lots of little gifts and teasers and didn't buy a thing. HEB was there handing out trail mix and giving $5 gift cards. We can make good use of that! Butch and I were separated for a while and I found him at a booth getting collagen applied to the bags under his eyes. The pretty young thing applying it had nails so long I thought he might lose an eye! It did work magic but when he heard the price ($199) she lost a customer. She was gracious about it though.

Before: Actually, they were even puffier than this. This is an old pic.

After:

Remarkable!

Comparison

 Our "kids" Jason and Laura were here last week and they bought pecans while they were here. Yesterday Jason sent me this... He said, One of these things is not like the other. You ever play that game?.
The pecans we have access to are the very best.

January/February

We are into the two busiest months of the year. You can find yourself so busy you are not sure if you are coming or going. These are the prime two months that everyone wants to be here. Being the introvert that I am my favorites are the other four of the winter season. The older I get the more difficult dealing with busy seems to be. This year will mark a new decade for me so I do not look for that to improve.

It was as much fun as I anticipated when Jason and Laura surprised us. We enjoyed every minute of their being with us and look forward to a repeat of that. It would be different if they were here for a longer period of time so the pressure of cramming in as much as possible would be lifted.

I must mention the weather. We have been coming to the RGV for 25 years. We got used to the weather being what everyone expects when it is labeled tropical. It has been a few years since we have enjoyed the usual thing for the weather. Mother nature is making up for it this year. This has been the best January we have had in memory and we are enjoying it and being grateful. If the weather turns sour we all know how to handle it! We have practiced for the past 3 years!

We are scheduled for a massage on Thursday. Yippee!

Snippets

New shower-We are loving it!

 Old Shower-12 inch step.  The step on the new one is about 3 inches.

Jason and Laura in Mexico

Taken in the hallway next to the restroom in the Red Snapper

The Rio Grande River in the background

I am Back!

A trophy for the representative Trophy Gardens First Place Winners in the 2023 RGV Senior Olympics- Doubles Pool Butch Brooker and Paul Kelleher. They look exhausted but they were a happy pair to be Gold Medal Winners!!

Visitors

 Jason called on Monday ( I think. It might have been Tuesday) and said they planned to come to the RGV for 3 days and would arrive on Thursday. I was able to reserve them a room in the apartments. I found out there is a 3 day minimum for rentals of the apartments. It was the first time I had been inside one of them and I do have to say they are small. $ 65 a night and that is not bad these days. Any more than a month in one would be too much I think. They are fine for  3 days as you would most likely be too busy to care. It was good to have them nearby and it made planning for events and the coming and going much easier. 

Butch was in a tournament on Tuesday and he came in 3rd in the RGV Senior Olympics. They were pleased. Wednesday we wrapped up as many details as we could getting ready for the "kids" to come on Thursday. Butch played with his partner, Paul Kelleher in the doubles and they won the gold medal on Thursday! What a day it turned out to be! Jason and Laura arrived about 12:30. and I showed them around the park then at 4:00 we joined in the daily Happy Hour at our neighbors Bill and Sandi. They provide the place and you bring your own "happy" and it breaks up promptly at 5 so everyone can get their supper before joining in whatever evening activities they have planned. It works beautifully. A fun time was had by all. Butch and Paul were a bit late having won their gold medal and were still enjoying the win when they arrived. They represented Trophy in a mighty fine way.

When Jason and Laura arrived I showed them around the park, and we returned to our park model, going over for happy hour at 4:00. We had a very good time introducing our family to our southern friends.

Not the best of pictures but you get the idea!

Have I lost you?

 I have to get ready for trivia night by lining up the 20 questions and when I finish with that I will catch up. Butch won a pool tournament. Jason and Laura came to South Texas FINALLY! So see you in a bit. You can time me if you like...