Happy, Happy New year and beyond.

 Candy takes pictures every Trivia night. She likes it when I post them on the blog. I do it because my friends and family can verify that I am not wasting away! I like some better than others, and only the likes get posted.

I started this post a few days ago. I am heavily scheduled.  Next week is full! As I age, I get slower than I ever believed possible.

Golden Age Valley Olympics begin Tuesday. Add that to my usual schedule, and you get the picture.

In my free time... that's a joke, I am making earrings and doing diamond art. 

My latest endeavors.

 

The wheels keep turning...

 I am having one of those periods that creep up now and then of needing to take care of tiny, irritating details, and it seems to never end. A new tiny detail takes its place when others have been dealt with. 

For example, I noticed on the new arrival of the annual insurance bill for our park model that the amount has gone up again. We thought about doing something about that last year because the amount goes up every year. And then I noticed that Butch's name was the only one on the policy, so that made it necessary to call them. I also told them the fees were too high and something needed to change. And my name is now on the policy. They will do research and get back to me. 

On my last visit to the pharmacy, they told me that one of my meds, the most expensive one, was in stock but could not be processed for 14 more days. They said they would hold it for me if I liked. I liked. I have received notices to come pick it up or lose it for 10 days now, with the last one notifying me that it was no longer being held after today. This necessitated a phone call. Trying to get through to a person is near impossible. I finally did after much faniggling. They said all was fine, and I would continue to get notices because they couldn't control that part of it.

I like my mind to be free and clear of these things; however, keeping the slate clean is a feat in itself. These things can quickly go into the forgotten pile and turn up as a big old mistake later.

On the brighter side, I am happy and busy doing things I love, pool, beading, diamond art, trivia, therapeutic Happy Hour visits, etc. I am signed up for singles and doubles pool in the Valley Golden Olympics. I have mixed feelings about that, and I am doing my best to keep a positive attitude.

More later as always...

Back in 2018

We look like we are drunk! We weren't!

 We were on our way to South Texas and stopped at our friends, the Linders at Canyon Lake, and played some fun games of cribbage.

Merry and Happy

Renie and I just discussed it and decided that dense fog was too damp to walk in this morning. Our weather here has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride, ranging from 70's to 90's in daytime and throwing in anywhere from 40's to 60's for nighttime. Whenever we think of "up north," it becomes just fine!

I continue to be busy, and that too is fine. Last night was trivia, and I pulled a surprise on them. When I made the questions, I purposely looked for difficult trivia questions. They often underrate themselves in their abilities. All five teams were in the same range for correct answers.

I drove to my haircut appointment yesterday, about a 20-minute drive...in traffic. Do I like it? No. It has been years since I have taken driving for granted, where I would just hop in the car and go. I am not sure I will ever get there again, but I will get by.

Candy takes my picture every week, and this was last night's photo.

Everyone helps me do whatever needs to be done, and I am very grateful for that. My life would be very different had I stayed in Iowa. Don't get me wrong, I still look forward to being in Iowa among my lifelong friends there. My life is very different but still full and satisfying.

I am signed up for the Golden Age Olympics in the Rio Grande Valley, playing pool. Last year, I was knocked out of the running very fast. I hope to give them a harder time this year. I will play in singles, and Renie and I will play in doubles. This takes place the first week in January.

Yesterday I moved my wall clock from one wall to another. Take my word for it, never do that to yourself!!

Slightly overbooked...

 Mondays: Walk at 7:00 am, 2 miles, home by 8:00. Pool hall at 1:00, Happy Hour every day from 4:00- 5:00

Tuesday -repeat, except at 6:15, I am going to the main hall to run trivia. We had 5 teams this week. What is the official animal of Scotland? Answer at the bottom of this post

Wednesday: Walk at 7:00 am, 2 miles, Women's Pool League 9:30 -12:00-This takes place in other parks.

Thursdays, I sub in a mixed league, and I have subbed the last two Thursdays! This is when we go play teams in other parks

Friday is usually a day off, except for the morning walk. However, this past Friday, I went to Mexico with friends and enjoyed a fantastic pedicure for $15 and a pastry at the bakery.

Saturday is a day off, but for several Saturdays, I have been going to breakfast at the Alamo Cafe with Bill and Sandi.   

Sundays are my shopping day in the morning, and mixed doubles pool in the afternoon.

The latest photos:

Another foggy morning... The rising sun

  A Diamond Art project

At the entrance to Trophy Gardens is a beautiful spot. The monarch butterflies and others migrate to Mexico every year, and Trophy is directly in the path.

Scotland's official animal is the unicorn!

    

Yesterday

7:00 AM walk with Renie. The sky was spectacular!

This happens to be Dot's house.

Later that morning, the elementary school across the street from us came to entertain us. Their teacher said they have a curiosity about us. It's mutual, we have a curiosity about them!

Later in the day, I washed the sheets... 

And then I cleaned the golf cart. They really needed it!

It happens to be parked outside the Pool Hall. Imagine that!

Candy always takes my picture at trivia. You might like to see what I look like these days.

Happy Hour topics of interest

 Yesterday, we started talking about favorite recipes from years past. It is rare to go home without some tidbit of interesting information.  Butch and I lived in Nebraska for a few years and became acquainted with Runzas.  I was told and believed that Mrs B of Nebraska Furniture Mart fame was the origin of that dish. Well, I decided to check my facts, something we all need to do these days, and I was wrong!

Here is the straight story followed by the recipe. Enjoy!

No, Runza was not started by "Mrs. B" (Rose Blumkin of Nebraska Furniture Mart fame); Runza was founded by Sally Everett (née Brening) in 1949, adapting her German-Russian family's bierock recipe, while Rose Blumkin founded the Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1937. While both are iconic Nebraska figures, they are separate founders of different iconic businesses.  

And here is the recipe: 

    Runza Casserole        

      2 lb Hamburger

      2 onions, Finely Chopped

      4 C. Cabbage, Shredded

            Salt & Pepper, To Taste

      2    Refrigerated Crescent Rolls or

           Crescent Dough Sheets.

      1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

[Note: One of my standby recipes. One that Butch was always happy to see on the table. ]

Brown hamburger and onion, drain. Put cabbage on top of the meat and let it steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using one tube, spread the crescent roll pieces over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread the hamburger/cabbage mixture on top. Add a layer of cheese. Using the second tube of crescents, place it on top of the cheese. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes to soften the crust

Here is the original Runza recipe. Years ago in Nebraska, there were Runza stores. I hated to see them go.

https://myfarmhousetable.com/nebraskas-homemade-runza/

Living alone.

The latest AARP Bulletin and Magazine are filled with good articles. I loved the article about living alone. It resonated with me. I am surprised to find out that I am liking it. And before you get shocked by that, I am 100 percent certain that Butch would have felt the same had it been him here instead of me. It is something we talked about on more than one occasion. We both agreed that life was easier when we both took charge of our best assets, well aware that we would miss each other beyond words. Many times, I have tossed the ARRP bulletin aside, not giving it another thought. Not this month!

 

Warning signs of a Cult

Six years ago...

 I love it when I run across one of these photos that were posted in the past on facebook. We both liked to play shuffleboard, but we just did not have time for everything.

When you turn 80

 I often said that when I turned 80, it was a change unlike any other. Turning 70 wasn't a big deal. I barely gave a minute's thought to it. 80 was different. So when I stumbled upon this YouTube video, it opened a door I had not opened before. I think those who are already there will recognize it, and those who have yet to be there will enjoy the look of what is to come.

https://youtu.be/ipUNDBSI9Jw?si=oxGej_fYOTAbugjP

After the Storm

 Iowa was hit pretty hard with a snowstorm this Thanksgiving weekend. Keri sent me some photos taken at their home in Jefferson.

I take pics now and then while on our morning walks, and then I forget to post them.

Here are some of them...

There are crops growing beside the park, and this is on our walking route. These are workers taking care of the crop (kale?). I noticed, while taking this by, I am guessing the foreman. It was not a pleasant look, so I only took this one shot.

Meeting up with Renie.

This was a foggy morning, and that is a photo of the sun.

By the way, it's after 3:00 AM, and I was having trouble sleeping, so I decided to make better use of my time than staring at the ceiling thinking of oddball stuff. If something doesn't make much sense, chalk it up to that.

I think I will go back to bed now and try to get some more sleep.

Greatgrands

 Granddaughter Amanda takes pictures of her two children every fall. These are my favorites of the 57 taken.

Elise in 2025

Leo in 2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

My Checklist

 If you ask me how to do it and what makes me strong, this is it.

Bernie's Famous Fruit Cake

 My son reminded me today of Bernie's Fruitcake. We lived on Lake Panorama for a few years, and Bernie was our neighbor. He made this very delicious fruitcake every year, and it was something to look forward to. Turkey day is nearly here, and Fruitcake day is not far behind. I could write a whole blog entry about Bernie because he was a very special guy to us and all who knew him. I would ask Bernie for his recipe every season, and he would always say he would make it for me instead. Finally, he did give it to me. Bernie passed on quite some time ago, but his fruitcake will live forever.

Recipe:   Bernie's Fruitcake    12/16/2007

Category: Holiday

Author:   Bernie Craig

2 C Flour

1 1/2 C Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

4 eggs

3 T butter-room temp.

4 -8 oz. Jars Whole Maraschino Cherries (Drain 3 jars)

2 C Pecan halves or pieces

2 C Walnut halves or pieces

1 LB. Raisins

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Stir in eggs, one at a time. Add remaining ingredients one at a time in the order listed, mixing gently.

Pour into an ungreased tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Increase the heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool in the pan, then remove. Wrap in foil or plastic and store in the refrigerator.

Allow 1 to 2 days for flavors to mingle before serving.

I never liked fruitcake until I tasted Bernie's. :-)

If you live close and decide to make it, I would love to have a slice and

think of our good friend Bernie Craig

Monarchs

 Monarchs migrate South to Mexico every year. Their route covers a large part of the migration through the Midwest, into South Texas, and on to Mexico. It is a magnificent thing and has been covered by many nature shows.

My son and his wife, Jason and Laura, are lucky to have a large number of Monarchs stop for a breather in their yard, and they enjoy the company as long as it lasts. 

Here we have had more fans with Dot and Wink. Wink recently passed, but Dot has carried on by paying attention and keeping them cared for as much as possible on their trip. Last season, Wink brought over a jar with a cocoon in it to happy hour, and we were able to watch the process firsthand. Wink built an "incubator" for them that made it more comfy for the Monarchs and easier for us to see what was taking place.

A few days ago, Dot brought over the incubator because a cocoon had opened and the Monarch was getting ready to use his new wings to head South, and we were lucky enough to be able to see it! 

Right before takeoff!

Childrens home

On Wednesday, six of us made our way to Reynosa, Mexico, to visit the Christian children's home. It was a wonderful day! So much happened and so much was learned!  I will do my best to convey it all to you. 

One of my first thoughts on reflection was that my boys and their wives would have enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Betsy was our tour guide. She runs the Thrift Shop in Pharr, Texas, that goes a long way toward supporting the home. She is also on the administrative team running the home. Betsy gives about 3 tours during the season, and we were lucky to be part of the first one this season. She did say she would be glad to do more if the interest was there. Six of us Trophy people met in the main hall and waited for Betsy to take us across the border in the Children's Home van. 

The trip across the border is a trip in itself. It is very different from going to Progreso

Betsy gave a whole different slant on it. She makes frequent crossings and has all the paperwork to speed it up. Reynoso is a city of over a million and continuing to grow. 

All of the houses have a reservoir on the roof. The reason for that is that citizens only have access to water 3 days a week, so they have to store it in order to have it on the other days of the week. When new houses are built, they do not include all of the plumbing and water connections that we take for granted. And yet they continue to build! This trip is filled with facts. 

The Children's Home is very secure, and without Betsy, we would not have been able to enter. It used to be a rural place, but Reynosa has grown so much that they are now on the edge of the city.

Bill D. is 6ft. 5 in. and the children looked him over thoroughly wherever we went. This photo was taken in the Art Classroom.

This is a small part of the family I enjoyed lunch with.

This is the whole group that lives together, plus the 3 of us visitors

The Dad of the group asked me if I wanted to play Bingo, and I said "yes". An aside to the question is that I always say 'yes' unless I have a very good reason for saying 'no'. So I read the numbers in English, and the Dad repeated them in Spanish. We played till all the numbers were covered.

There are local children who also go to school here, and the parents or guardians must pick them up after school. This is our group watching that happen.

On the ride home, we learned so much more! The traffic out of Mexico and back to the USA is an obstacle in itself. We waited over an hour to get back, and that is not a bad time.  The company was good, and the conversation was lively, which helped pass the time.

I will most likely remember things a bit at a time and will relate them as I remember them. Oh, yes! A boy about 10 years of age came up to me and patted my hair. I was sitting down. He then said "beautiful". I said "Thank you!" 

 

I did not have the Google Translate App on my phone. I do now, and when I do the trip again, I will make good use of it. I highly recommend getting it.

This might help guide you to the one that was recommended to me.

Google Translate - Apps on Google Play

Google Play

https://play.google.com › store › apps › details › id=com...

Translate between 108 languages by typing. Tap to Translate: Copy text in any app and tap the Google Translate icon to translate (all languages).

4.3(9,073,557) · Free · ‎Android · ‎Utilities/Tools

Turkey for 2

Turkey for Two
Did you have a meal with friends and family on the holiday and miss all the turkey and dressing leftovers at your house? Or there are just the two of you, and you do not want to cook a big ol' turkey for two people. I discovered an easy way to have it all. 

Grease the sides of your crockpot or use one of those nifty slow cooker liners. Place a small package of dry stuffing mix (StoveTop) in the bottom. Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Slice an onion and dice a celery stalk, and layer them on top of the stuffing. Place a thawed Butterball 3-pound turkey roast (found in your grocer's freezer) on top of celery and onion. Cook on low all day or high for 5 or more hours, and you have the best of both worlds. A scrumptious turkey dinner for two with some leftovers if you are moderate eaters.

Elise

This lovely young woman is my great-granddaughter, Elise. ❤