Thanksgiving

Yesterday Butch and I had a work day. He was doing electrical work for Max who is refurbishing an old mobile home for resale. It is mostly finished. I got the grand tour yesterday for a quarter which I haven't paid as yet. It will make a very nice winter home for some as yet unknown buyer.
I cleaned house and it was long over due. I washed bedding and hung it out to dry. Later then I had to rush out to rescue it when I noticed black Texas snow. A sugar cane field was being burned off and when they do that we get drifting black ash. It stains everything it touches. The good news about it is that it smells like cotton candy you get at the fair. There is an upside to everything which brings us around to Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is a habit for me. Cannot say that has always been true but certainly for the last few years. Every day brings so much to be thankful for it cannot even be counted. So take time today to give thanks for all the great food on the table but also for the thousands of other things too. Some of which may not even cross your mind.
Thanks to all who read this. It warms my heart to know you are out there and think enough of us to care what we are doing. I care about you too and if you email me or start your own blog I promise to read it and be thankful for it.

How to Brine a Turkey: 5 steps (with video) - wikiHow

Interesting...and I may have tried this when I was younger and more adventurous but I think I will do my crockpot turkey again this season instead.
How to Brine a Turkey: 5 steps (with video) - wikiHow

Hard to believe

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is nearly here. It is my favorite holiday. I love the food. You can tell that by looking at me but that really isn't why it is my favorite holiday. I love it because of the meaning behind it. Being grateful and thankful for all that we are blessed with in our lives. Taking time to express that gratitude and all that it means. For me every day is Thanksgiving. My gratitude list is exceedingly long.

For SMR People...

And those who live in Colorado.

Snow Mountain Ranch Volunteers: You're from Colorado if...

Sweet!!

Ethan's First Birthday!


He loves birthday cake!!!

Humdrum

No AC this morning! It is a nippy 45. But it is supposed to warm up to the high 70's today. Tuesdays are a busy day for us. We have coffee hour at 9:30 and being an officer of the park association my attendance is required. Golf starts at 11:00 and it is a few miles away so Butch wants to head out at 10:30. We are usually through golfing about 1:30. That includes some social time at the clubhouse. It can be even later when we have more golfers participating. That puts us back in the park by mid afternoon but also puts me in the mood to put my feet up and forget it...bear in mind a morning and afternoon walk in addition to the walking on the golf course. We always try to make the two walks mandatory regardless of how much other walking has taken place. When it comes to walking more is better!
Today Butch plans to get some electrical work done for a couple of folks. I plan to get a haircut. I will have Yolanda do it this time. Kate is my favorite but she is in Atlantic IA. Butch does an okay job in a pinch.
I also have a couple of computer assistance calls to make. One will not take long. The other could be lengthy since she has a new computer.
So now you know what we are up to...not much!!

AC

We have had the air conditioner running the past two days but it looks like we can shut it off today with highs in 70's. The weather has been superb since we arrived. The only negative is the bugs. They thrive in this warm, moist environment and the chiggers are the worst! I spray OFF! on my feet and legs every morning before I head out the door.
The only thing that will take care of them is bug spray or a cold spell. We usually get at least one cold spell during the "season" and it usually happens in December or January sometimes but rarely in February. After the cold spell we have Spring!

Picked it up

We picked up Butch's computer this morning and I spent a fair amount of time getting it set up for him. So he is back to having his own to play games and check his email. He does check it more often when it is on his own computer. That doesn't mean he will answer anything just so you know.
It is a cute little thing and hasn't given us any challenges yet. Seems to be zippy enough and Windows 7 doesn't appear to be that much different. I found my way around without a hitch. It doesn't have a ton of hard drive so I do not plan to use it as back up for this one. I have an external hard drive for that tucked safely away. Oops...it does need to be updated. How easy it is to forget that!!
I do not have any idea what I did to this one to make it straighten up and behave itself but it is working fine. I have no plans to make a change until I am forced to. Setting one up for Butch is a whole different ball of wax than setting one up for me.

Butch has a new one

I finally purchased a new computer for Butch. He will have a Samsung Netbook once we go pick it up from Best Buy. He would get enmeshed in Freecell and Spider Solitaire and I would have to scoot him off to get my stuff done. He also missed his settings on his computer-the ones to get him to his financial sites and jigzone and his gmail which he probably hasn't looked at for a month or more.
So after I get it set up for him he will be back in business. Should be most interesting...it has Windows 7!

Reseeded

They reseeded the greens at the golf course Butch likes to play best so he hasn't been able to golf much.
Also there aren't that many people here yet. Much lighter in numbers than in years past at this time. Not sure that will hold true all season.
I know of an RV for rent if someone wants to come down. Email me and we can see about details.

Fun in the sun

We tend to get in somewhat of a rut while here...Tuesdays is golf...Fridays is computer class etc. But what that means really is that life is rolling along smoothly. We both feel well and are doing what we enjoy doing. What more could anyone ask for.

Butch has been doing some electrical work. I have had a few computer calls. We get our two plus miles of walking in every day. Life is good!!

Misting

We are getting a mist of rain today. So we are listening to an audio book. Angels and Demons. More Butch's cup of tea than mine.
This was taken this morning on Cherry street.

Sugar, Sugar

This is a sugar cane field. Not ready for burning just yet.

This truck was on the expressway loaded with cane. I assume it is headed for the factory where it is extracted.

Solar Oven

So how neat is this!!! I am thinking I would like to have one but I am also thinking I will be told there is no room. Neat though and very interesting.

http://www.solarovens.org/

Chicago Hot??

Note* I obtained this recipe from an August 1955 Workbasket Magazine. it
interested me because of a similar one I put together last winter. The salt content
worries me a bit but I plan to cut the recipe in half and try it.

Recipe: Chicago Hot
Category: Relish
Author: Mrs. Theodore Edner-Minnesota

8 C Tomatoes, cut fine
1 C Salt
2 C Onion, cut fine
3 C Celery, cut fine
2 Red and
2 Green Peppers, cut fine
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Mustard Seed
1 qt Cider Vinegar

Let tomatoes and salt stand, covered overnight. In the morning, drain well and add
onions, celery, peppers, sugar, mustard seed and vinegar. Mix, heat to boiling and
can in sterilized jars.

Snippets and a ladybug

You know how you accumulate little scraps of this and that- a meter reading- a recommended book title-tax info that needs filed-recipes- a recommended website ,etc. Well today I started sorting through this scrap pile and ran across a receipt for a package I had mailed on 8/31. It had included a check so went to check out if it had been cashed and it had not so followed up on that and asked for a picture of precious little Nina Grace Cortes while I was at it and got very lucky. This is Nina Grace with her Grandma Donna. You just never know where things may lead you on any given day.

Tuesdays in Texas

Golf is so much a part of Butch's conversation that sometimes someone will ask me if I play. I usually respond with "On Tuesdays in Texas". So I played yesterday and shot a 41. The first 3 holes I didn't do so well but it improved after that. There were 4 of us from the park who played. That number will expand as the season progresses. I think we had as many as 28 last year.

Warm and Wonderful

The weather has been wonderful and the ten day forecast promises more of the same. This picture that I took was through our south window of a mesquite tree with a reflection of a palm tree from the north window. Interesting concept, don't you think? Click on it to make it bigger to get the full effect.

It seems

It seems many of my friends have gone to Facebook. I do have a Facebook page but I have no plans to abandon this blog for it and it remains sparse. Our news and updates will remain here. I find Facebook chaotic and confusing and I am way too busy to "farm" or even help others out with their "farming". Scrolling down to find messages I want to know about is like sorting through spam. The only time I check facebook is if I get a reminder in my email and I may respond at that time. It is easy for me to see who reads the blog and who doesn't...maybe I should just go back to email only.
Hmmm perhaps I awoke on the wrong side of the bed this AM.

Butch went to the flea market. Looking for new golf clubs. Like that is going to help.
Geez...I am grumpy!
This too shall pass....

Plunked

When we arrived on Wednesday we felt as though we had been plunked into a hot humid day in the middle of August in Iowa! I haven't sweat that much for a long, long time! And the wind doth blow!! But now a cold front has made its way down and we are considerably cooler. Not supposed to exceed the low seventies today.
Yesterday we went to Mexico for meds. Progresso hasn't changed although they are digging up the street in the first block and replacing sewer pipes. Are they doing it safely? Well no, Mexico hasn't changed that much! We didn't stick around long just grabbed our meds and scooted back to USA. They were being very thorough on the check of the guys ahead of us but we sailed right through the border check. On our return we decided to go to Gonzales Burgers before the crowds get here. We were too late!! The place was packed and we waited just as long as we always do. Butch and I shared a burger and it was plenty for both of us. The prices have gone up though. A humongous cheeseburger is now $4.10.
It takes us a bit to settle in for 5 months and we are not fully settled but we are making progress.