In Your 80's...

 It does something to you being in your 80-decade. My friend Mickey went through all of her pictures distributing some and disposing of the rest and after mulling it over she is on the right track. I have 3 tubs of photos and other memorabilia. And that would take someone many hours to go through and the many decisions connected with that could be overwhelming. So I decided to tackle the process.  I have been saying that for many years but today I took action. I am one tub down and being ruthless.

I found some things I cannot yet part with. 1. Christmas letters from 1985 to 1999 when I started doing them on the computer. 2. My baby shoes. 3. 40th Anniversary scrap books(2) I made at that time.

Jason brought me a Mother's Day gift that knocked my socks off! It is something I have looked at, liked, and longed for but too tight to buy.

Now Jason has the ability to make one of these himself and he did add some features. He bought it from a friend and got the friend discount. And it has lit a fire under him to do some of this art that will be "all Jason". I have been waiting for him to do this!

While Jason was here he looked at the scrapbooks I had made around the time of our 40th anniversary and he said they needed to be kept. And they will. 

Starting the process of deciding what is left after I/we are gone has become a new project and I am excited about it. I am looking forward to the extra space it will provide. I like to be a minimalist and when the clutter bit starts to take hold, it lights a fire under me!

On my walk today I took some trail and tree pics but they can wait till the next post.

My baby shoes...

50 degrees

 It was 50 degrees this morning and I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and get out on the trail. I am listening to an audiobook and the weather is beautiful. Walking in the morning for an hour gets my day off to a good start. I cannot begin to tell you how many years I have been doing it. Thinking back on it I was not walking when we lived in Nebraska. So it must have started when we moved to Lake Panorama in 1979. Wow! That is over half my life. 

This morning as usual I was seeing photos everywhere I looked. Tomorrow I plan to take my camera and do a photo walk. It is different.

Rhubarb patch. A story is behind it. Isn't that always true? When we moved on the property there was a rhubarb patch in existence but it was in a place we had in mind for the RV parking. So we moved it. Of course, we had differing ideas on where it should be located so we each chose a spot. Butch won. Mine didn't make it. Anyone who wants to harvest from it is more than welcome.

H.E.B in Texas carries rhubarb. They sell it for $12 a pound last I looked. 

Iowa countryside

 We drove to Massena IA yesterday for a visitation and we visited with people we had not seen for 20 years. Then we enjoyed a tenderloin and fries in the local bar and stopped at an ice cream place in Guthrie Center which is a hidden jewel.

M & L Ice Cream 106 State St, Guthrie Center, IA 50115-1348 

Local people are very fond of an ice cream place in Glidden IA and the one in Guthrie is as good or better. Butch had his favorite marshmallow malt and I had a small lemon cone. We were both happy.

Another part of the trip was the Iowa countryside. We seem to forget how green it is. We both grew up here so maybe it is just us but the green is so green it kind of hits you in the face when you haven't seen it for a while.

And then...A classmate of mine,Toni Roberts, posted on Facebook and I just had to save it. For me, today, it is the perfect reminder of the "luxurious" life we live.

Have a good and luxurious day! 

One of those days...

On the same day, we found out about two deaths of people we were close to in our past.

Butch worked with Marty Mills for nearly 19 years. They kept the lights on in a big part of southwest Iowa during that time and they enjoyed playing golf. Marty had a very distinctive, big, and booming laugh. When something tickled his funny bone it was not a secret. A friend I worked with for many years, Connie Jones, told us about Marty's passing. 

And then shortly thereafter she told us about another friend who passed, Bev Gunderson. Bill and Bev Gunderson were a big part of our social life in the years we lived in Cumberland IA. I met Bev on ladies' day at the golf course and we played together regularly including in tournaments on other courses. They joined us for square dance lessons and then regular dances. On top of that, we played in a bridge group with them. 

Both of these people were such a part of our life that the memories came flooding back two-fold.

We will be attending services for both, Marty's is tomorrow and Bev's is on Saturday.

Spring Pics

 Grosbeek.

Cardinals are ground feeders so this is typical.

Iowa Drought Conditions?

I came across this map of Iowa drought conditions. They are greatly improved by the way! But when I looked at the map I saw something different. It looks to me like Lady Iowa has extreme pain in her chest and abdomen. Is it just me again? Pareidolia? 

A look backward and forward.

 Before Trophy, we were in another park for 18 years. I kept up with numerous blogs in those years. It wasn't easy and I have only the original that I have been consistent with.

A friend, Deon Spangler, has kept up with the one we had in the former park, Magnolia Park. ( https://magnolianews.blogspot.com/) The only thing that has remained the same in that park is the location and the blog. I checked in with it this morning and then added a post to the blog.

The story of Magnolia is a sad one for all concerned. It has become a family "village" and doesn't even remotely resemble what it used to be. The people who loved it have moved on to other parks and made a new spot for themselves.

And our life is different now. We sold the motorhome in 2022 and yes, we miss it at times; like the trips down to SouthTexas and back. Time marches on and it is impossible to ignore it. It seems the right time to make the necessary changes happen in such a way that you were guided to it and know the time and place were meant to be.

 Now we are mostly settled into our summer home. We removed last Fall's leaf drop yesterday, filled the bird feeders, paid all of the April bills and even played some pool. Butch was a bit distracted allowing me to beat him one game. I think the times I have legitimately won games from him are now at 2!!

Waiting for it to warm up a bit and get these tornado-laden storm events to slow up so Keri and I can get back to walking the trail!

Happy hour in 2023! Butch and Paul Kelleher had just returned from the Senior Valley Olympics with their first-place medals for the doubles Pool.

Safely in Iowa

 We arrived home last Thursday and have been peddling hard ever since. This morning as I write this I feel we are about three-quarters settled. Since this is the weekend the last quarter will have to wait till Monday as they involve the courthouse, insurance payment, tax info etc.

It feels good to be back even though I wish for slightly warmer temps so a morning walk is not a decision. The leaves on the trees seem to be a bit ahead compared to other Iowa Springs.

Geez!!! I just noticed I did not get this finished and published in a timely manner!

Sorry about that! Will publish this one and start a new one.

Tomorrow

 We will be leaving tomorrow morning sometime heading to our humble abode in Jefferson Iowa. Keri has done whatever is needed to get the water hooked up and the refrigerator plugged in. It is so nice to have those things done so we can get on with the task of getting settled in.

We have had a nice visit with our Missouri family. Last night we all ate at the local Mexican restaurant. The food was great and the prices were typically low. After all, it was Taco Tuesday!

Leo played cribbage with both Gary and Butch. He recently turned 11 and he learned how to play cribbage last summer sometime. It had been a long time since he had played but those who know him will not be surprised that he picked it up quickly. His name has gone from Little Leo to Lucky Leo as he counted out some high-quality hands.

Elise works as director behind the scenes in theater productions. Being a stand-in is but one of her many talents. She remembers all of the dialog from all of the parts. This too might seem quite remarkable to some who don't know her but to those who do know she has been doing this most of her life. Even as a toddler she would lip sync with the kid movies she watched. Elise will be turning 14 next month.

It is always fun to watch them grow.

1000+ Behind us

 We left the RGV early on Sunday morning and 500-plus miles later we stayed overnight in Mineral Falls TX. Up again bright and early we had another 500-plus miles to Peculiar MO. Both days were smooth sailing and without incident. We are at the Gary and Susan residence and we will be until Thursday morning. We will then be on our last leg to Jefferson.

If you have the opportunity to enjoy one-on-one time with your grown children and their spouses you will know how much we are enjoying our couple of days here. As I write this I am listening to Butch and Gary playing cribbage and grousing with each other. It is a tradition.

It is also remarkable how different topics of conversation seem to come from nowhere; some about the good old days and some current happenings you do not think to share while on the phone.

So we will soon be back in our summer home doing what we enjoy in the summertime. Till next time...

Desert Rose!

 On my morning walk.

A  photo of a Spectacular Desert Rose.

This bird did not make it.

Almost?

We can almost hear our neighbors breathing, it is that quiet here. We are doing a little each day to get ready for take-off. This morning we went to a restaurant named Biscuits and Gravy. Butch was certain it was his kind of restaurant. He liked it. I am partial to my own, thankyouverymuch. Although it has been getting to the point where I do not have to cook it, it is a very good restaurant.

After breakfast,we went to the pharmacy to pick up some eyedrops for Butch. We were too early so we went to the DonWes flea market to kill some time and time was already dead! Most of the vendors were gone so we stopped at Walmart and looked around a bit.

When we got home Butch had a sudden streak hit him and we made a dent in getting our outdoor chores done.

I briefly wondered why he was in a toot until it dawned on me; this is Masters weekend. Now it is most likely not much will move until Monday. In the past, I have made the mistake of booking our stops going north on this most famous of weekends. I won't do that again!

Till next time...

My friend Sherri!

 I met Sherri on the golf course and we quickly became friends. Our husbands were also friends and a big part of our lives in our Cumberland/Atlantic Iowa years.

Sherri's occupation was offering the very best daycare for working parents. She was and is top-notch. When I shopped in Atlantic I would stop by her place and hold a baby for a while if I was lucky.

Today I saw her Facebook entry and asked if I could share it with you.

 The policeman did an excellent job and let them explore!

Sherri's current crew.

Time creeps...

 Time is creeping up on us. We have 1 1/2 weeks before takeoff. Today is Dermatology day. When you reach a certain age, it seems that you and a dermatologist are going to become well acquainted. And the more time you spent in the sun the more true that will be. Butch's line of work as a lineman and his offtime as a golfer sealed the deal for him. Being fair-skinned, all it took for me was the golfing years.

Tomorrow we will be going to Mexico to see our longtime friend Hector, get a pedicure, lunch at Jessica's, and load up on vanilla! We do enjoy these trips.

As we get closer to departure we will be concentrating on the many steps it takes to  be ready. We have done it enough times now that it isn't scary but you cannot get too comfortable. Make lists and don't lose them!

See you soon our northern friends and family!

Info About Jicama

 Happy Hour can be interesting. Today we were talking about jicama and none of us knew what it looked like above ground knowing that the part we eat is the root of it. This photo is the above-ground look of Jicama.

Jicama growing plants have green lima bean-shaped pods and bear clusters of white flowers 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm.) in length. Only the tap root is edible; the leaves, stems, pods, and seeds are toxic and should be discarded

Here is how we buy it at the grocery store.

And this can be what it looks like before we eat it.

We are fond of Jicama at our house.

How Long?

 Even though Butch and I no longer have an RV life we still look in on the RV Newsletter. We have enjoyed it for so many years. It has lots of RV info of course but also many other articles of interest.

This one may not interest everyone, in fact, Butch said he didn't want to know. 

The number is not the focus. 

https://www.rvtravel.com/169-years-resolutions-1090/

The writer of the article says she has 16.9 years to live according to a chart. My number is not that high but I will be okay living one day at a time!

There is a list of things all of us "older folks" ought to be fixin' to do.

Iowa police report

 I was reading the police report for our hometown and these 3 entries made me think "Only in Iowa". Living in a small town can be such an adventure!

1.  "Mrs unnamed" of Jefferson reported a loose cow in the 1200 block of South Mulberry Road. The cow’s owner was contacted and removed the animal.

2. An Officer was dispatched to the 100 block of East BLANK Street for a squirrel having bit a person. The Officer caught the squirrel and it will be sent in for rabies testing.

3. Mr. Unanmed of Jefferson reported a person walking in the 300 block of North Elm Street not wearing shoes. The Officer checked the area and found no one in need of assistance

Oddity?

 Trophy Garden and our neighbor park, Winter Ranch are looking like ghost towns. Usually, when Renie and I go for our early morning walk we see plenty of people doing the same...but not now. Easter happened. I know from years of experience that many people use Easter as the compass that heads them north. This was an early Easter this year with it falling on March 31st. So I looked up when it will be next year and it falls on April 20th in 2025. So we will have the company of our peers for a little longer next Spring.

Birders 2019

 The kids will be arriving back home in Missouri today. They had fun in south Texas. Speaking of fun; last night Butch and I watched a Netflix Documentary called 'Birders'. It was about birding in the South Texas/Mexico area. We recognized most of the places they were featuring. It was filmed in 2019 but that was not a factor that took away from the enjoyment.

You can find it by going to this link (https://www.netflix.com/watch/80244682)

We are birders but on a casual basis. We give this a high rating.

PS: The Alamo Inn featured in the Documentary is across the street west from the El Dorado!

USB Wifi Adapter

Even though I have been a follower of Thundercloud for more than 2 decades I sometimes pass over their newsletter. I didn't do that today and I might want to put my hands on this one. Butch's computer is sometimes erratic with the internet. https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/a-usb-wifi-adapter-may-be-a-quick-and-easy-fix-for-your-internet-woes/#google_vignette