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Weekend

The weekend is approaching and for me it is a quieter time. Oddly enough the flurry of park activity is mostly through the week. The weekend gets here and many people take off for other parts of the valley to do other activities- like South Padre Island where we have not been as yet. It does not look like it will happen this weekend however as we are forecasted rain. Rain has not happened here for quite some time so we cannot fault them for being glad and grateful for the rain despite the fact it is landing here on a weekend.
As Butch and I have traveled around the valley we have noticed the fruit on the trees is very small. At first I thought I was seeing oranges but as it turned out we were seeing grapefruit. Grapefruit needs rain at the right times like any other crop but it also needs a cold snap. It makes the fruit sweeter. I believe they harvest 3 crops from the trees in one year. I do not think the current crop will be one they brag about.

The latest member of the family. A gift from Donn and Peggy. 

Interesting Day

Actually it started during the night...Butch started kicking me vigorously. I said, "WHAT are you doing?!!!" He said,"Sorry, I was dreaming I was in India in the bush and a wild pig had me down and I was kicking it to get it away from me."  That was a bit scary...
Today we went to Mexico to pick up some meds for us and Marlene. Short, quick trip in and back out again. The military presence is now in the southern part of town and no tourists see them at all. It used to be they were right on the bridge entrance/exit . There has been a bunch of cleaning up. The town looks pretty good really.
After that we stopped at H. E. B. to pick up a few groceries. It was lunch time by then so we went to Whataburger for lunch. Butch and I were in a booth with me facing the interior of the building. I saw a fellow digging around in the pepper condiments container. It looked strange and that is what caught my attention. People do not paw around in the pepper packets. They pick up a couple of packets and move on. Less than a minute later another young fellow comes along and digs around in the pepper packets, picks out something and carefully wraps it in a napkin and puts it in his pocket. He looked over his shoulder once when he did this. I was looking right at him but he did not make eye contact with me. The first fellow comes back again and "gets more pepper". It is the first time I have ever witnessed a drug deal but it was very obvious to me that is what was happening. I was giving Butch the play by play as it happened.
It all made for an interesting day.

Memories

Memories came flooding back. I was 13. We lived at 503 W. Head St. in Jefferson IA and it was Christmas night 1957. A fire started and I woke up and screamed at my mother. She ran down the stairs. I dropped out of a second story window. We awakened my grandmother and two sisters who were in the other side of the duplex house not knowing that my 10 year old brother had returned to his bed on our side. He perished in the fire.
I read this news headline and story and remembered all the above as if it happened yesterday.
 http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20111206/NEWS/111206001/1001/?source=nletter-news

Thought for today

I was thinking this morning that it is coming up on 10 years of keeping this blog! Can you believe it? I hardly can. I remember how excited I was to start it and thought what a fun way to journal our life. At first there wasn't a way to add pictures but that came along. And it made it much easier for me. If I were too busy to write much then I could slap on a couple of pictures in a hurry. Then people started telling me they really liked the pictures. They are worth a thousand words. Lately I have written more than posting pictures. We have been in sunny South Texas for so many years now that I most likely have taken pictures of many of the local attractions. And we have become so enmeshed in the park and it's activities that we rarely leave it. It might sound a bit like I plan to end it and that is not it at all. The fun stuff and interesting posts may not be as plentiful as in years past but I plan to continue as long as my chubby little hands can hit a keyboard.
December is a busy month in the park and my duties as president of the association sometimes leaves me little time and if you feel the need to give me a nudge or if there is something you would like to know more about do not hesitate to let me know.
I will just keep blogging along!

Elise's videos

Found time to upload.

On Halloween riding our new car

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9vwk7RQKqg

 

Elise Loves Wiley:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7oMcjDmVZM

Elise being a cleaning brat:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP6CvepHowE

Elise stares at herself:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSLH8faFRrw

Elise in her Rocking Chair:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3JxEr94gK8

Friends

Friends Donn and Peggy have arrived from Nevada. Donn being an Iowa boy gets very hungry for a pork tenderloin and living in Nevada they are not plentiful. He knows and likes the ones they prepare at Riverside. So a group of us made our way over for a tenderloin.

Many of us had enough for supper too. Pictured are Donn and Peggy, Bill and Kay Dean and Rozetta and Butch.

Wednesday last

We had a fun day giving new arrivals Rozetta and Dean Fiscus an overview of the park and surrounding area. Ate at Fat Daddy's. It is not usually one of our first stops but was this year. More by chance than anything else.
The weather has been gorgeous! Perfect temps-low humidity and very little wind. As with weather everywhere we have no idea how long it will last but we are all enjoying it while it is here. Every now and then when showing someone new around they will make a comment about something that sparks something to remind you that you might be taking things for granted. Rozetta was basking in the sunshine and reminding me that the Midwest in winter can be without sunshine for long periods of time. Oh yes, I remember those times now. I remember thinking, "If only the sun would shine. Just for a day or two!" There could be weeks of no sunshine. One thing about it when Spring arrives for those Midwesterners they are oh so grateful for the warm temps and sparkling sunshine. Just like the song- "You don't know what you've got till its gone".
Friends Donn and Peggy should be on the road and arriving on the weekend. The Cleaveland's, Dick and Leslie will be here middle of next week. Oh Yes, we have been busy but it is about to pick up speed.

I have run across a couple of quotes this week that have stuck with me. One is "Holding a grudge is like letting someone live in your head rent free." and the other is "Happiness is the bit of time between having too little and too much."

So much happening

My sister Theresa called me from the Creston Hospital yesterday telling me that she had a heart episode in the middle of the night and woke her daughter to take her to the hospital. She had back pain with pain down her arms to her elbows. She said on a  pain scale of 1- 10 it was about a 3 but she did think it had to be heart related. They transferred her to Methodist in Des Moines and she underwent a angiogram  this morning. She has a couple of partial blocks and they put a stint in for one and will treat the other with meds. Bottom line she is a lucky woman and plans to make some lifestyle changes. She gave her daughter Tara quite a scare. Needless to say she has been much on my mind and I am so glad the outcome is such that it is. Stay healthy ya'all!!!
My Lexmark printer-new in April- gave me trouble and after much tech support hoopla they sent me a new one. Got it today but no time to get it hooked up. Trouble with the USPS and not getting our mail. Trouble with getting mail in a timely manner to insurance people and getting return forms needed. I do not even like typing about it. We have had a whole bunch of tiny details that needed attention on many things but first something else had to happen first. On a frustration level of 1-10 it is about a 9. I want very much for these little sniggling things to get resolved so I can get on with my happy little life. Maybe tomorrow...

Lexi misses Butch

Doesn't she look sad?

Elise with bells a ringing

Grandpa Gary  says:

I am obviously biased but I think this video is THE BEST for getting ready for the holiday season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD9VLSEzKRI&feature=youtu.be

Ooops!

I hit the publish button too fast! For those of you who receive email updates you will not see the pictures until you go to the blog. www.brooker3.blogspot.com
Sorry about that!

El Dorado

Last night Toomire's and Brooker's went to the El Dorado for supper. It was good but perhaps not quite as good as I remembered it to be. I ordered a taco salad with fajita chicken. What that means is a regular taco salad but the chicken in it is prepared in the same manner as their fajitas. They are usually quite good but this time I am not sure the cook understood what I wanted. Butch had chicken quesadillas as did Bob. Kitti had sour cream enchiladas. She said they went a little overboard on the sour cream. There is a new El Dorado in Weslaco across the street south from the H.E.B. It is affiliated with the Alamo restaurant we were in last night and they have been open about a month. We plan to give it a try. It is much closer for us.

Yesterday we set up a fantastic light. They were popular in the seventies. My mother purchased one and enjoyed it for awhile and the gave it to Scott and Myrla. I told Myrla I would like to borrow it sometime and she agreed so this year it will be our Christmas tree. I plan to keep it going past Christmas too as I really like it. It is a fibre optic light but a special one as they do not make them like this one anymore. I know because I have looked for years. You can sometimes find them on ebay but they want a bundle for them.
I took several pictures of the light as it changed colors.

Miss Elise from her Grandma Susan

We ate at Dairy Queen for supper last week, and of course had to have ice cream for dessert.  I think she liked it.  :) She is such a hoot!!  I’m amazed that Amanda got any good pictures – because we were laughing so hard!  Thought you guys would all enjoy these pics.  I think we can all safely say she gets her eating from her papa!!  HA!

Thanksgiving Day

Butch and I went up to Allen Hall and enjoyed the fantastic meal put together by many capable hands.  We came home and took the usual heavy meal nap after which we waded through this big pile of Black Friday ads.

We did not find one item worth the effort of going out into the masses to purchase. Someone else will have to buy enough to make up for our lack of patriotic duty. Wink, wink.

‎"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It

 turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie

I do not know who she is but I like what she says.

Thanks Giving

Tomorrow is the big day. We will be having our thanks giving meal with 150 of our South Texas friends. I plan to tell them and you my thoughts of thanks giving as it is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving day and Christmas both suffer a similar malady in that they are too often thought of as just another holiday. The family gathers together and eats an enormous amount of food, maybe plays some games, maybe have a few disagreements and then return to their homes and jobs. For a very long time this day has been my favorite holiday because some people do take time to truly reflect on the meaning of the day. Giving thanks from the heart for all we have. Dwelling on what we are blessed with and forgetting what we lack. Some people seem to have difficulty thinking of what they are thankful for. I have difficulty thinking of something I lack! How many times do we say things like, Thank God I was there at just the right time? Isn't it lucky how that turned out?  If we acknowledge those moments for the miracles they are and take just a moment to be sincerely thankful from the bottom of our hearts it is amazing how they multiply and suddenly our days are filled with miracles from morning to night.
So I thank each of you for being our friend and adding so much to our lives and this day of Thanksgiving.

Tuesday is a golf day

Butch had surgery on his back 6 weeks ago today. He has done well, behaved himself and done his exercises. He is very happy to be here and healthy and able to do all the things he has done in years past.
I still feel like I am playing catch up but it is getting better. I am weighing between going to play golf or staying home and washing bedding...still haven't decided. It is amazing how quickly the time fills up!
There is still a bit of a gap between what I want to do (Make bracelets and visit with friends) and what I need to do (wash bedding and clean house) but it will resolve itself shortly. Have a good one!!

It takes awhile

It always takes awhile to settle in...a little bit like moving to a new town. A getting reacquainted process needs to take place and we are still a bit in that period. It is one of the reasons I like to get here earlier. It gives me a head start so I am not adjusting at the same time everyone else is.
I bought a new printer last spring and then about 6 weeks ago it quit working for me. My computer did not recognize it. I know, I know...we have all been there. So I didn't want to deal with it then so I waited till we got here. Today I called  Lexmark and after lots of doing this and that including turning the printer upside down and shaking it at least 5 times they are sending me a new one. My patience is tested to the max when things do not work as they should. Fortunately I am much more patient with people.
It is hot here now and we are running the AC. It is also a routine we are very familiar with. It gets hot for a few days and then a cold front breezes through and we have a few cool days and then it heats up again. What fluctuates is the time periods of each cycle. Fortunately the warm ones outnumber the cold ones or at least we hope so.

Arrived in Sunny Cool South Texas!

The trip down from San Antonio was cool,calm and collected. It was a great trip but we do forget that it is a long way down here. I vow to have a audio book ready for the return trip. One we can get excited about. I had one ready for this trip but it was one we had for awhile and neither of us were anxious to get to it. The miles do fly by when you are listening to a good book.
Now is when I become a bit schizophrenic with the blog as I keep this one going, my first love, and the one for Magnolia Park as well. So you will want to check on both I hope. A link to the Magnolia Blog is on the left. You can also scroll to the bottom of that one and sign up for email updates just as you can with this one.

There are so many things to do when we get here. My favorite grocery store, H.E.B. is one of our first stops, and then we must resume our walks and note all the changes in the park and visit with everyone we meet. We have already done quite a bit of greeting but they are all giving us time to settle in before we have extended conversations.
A cool front has reached the valley. A bit unusual for this time of year. We were obviously acclimated to the north because it did not feel all that cool, that is until the sun went down.
Till next time!

Wednesdays Travel

We left the Leisure Time RV Park located on highway 82 in northern Texas shortly before 8:00 AM heading south to Sattler TX which is located near Canyon Lake north of San Antonio. It was more like our travels of the past as Butch did not take as many breaks as he did the first of the week but he assured me he was feeling fine. His stamina for driving long periods without stopping has always amazed me.
We had a problem with our kitchen faucet when we arrived in north Texas. We could not get any water out of it! The bathroom worked fine, it was just the kitchen. We figured the Oklahoma roads had something to do with it. So after our arrival at Rio Raft Park Butch tore into it and found a calcium buildup that had come loose ( Oklahoma roads) and blocked the water line. It was quite a chore to get it freed up but he did and we were back in business with water in the kitchen.
Later on our friends Terry and Lisa Linder stopped by and we had a nice long visit and before we knew it it was way past our bedtime.
 Butch is sleeping in this morning. Our first part of the next leg will be going through San Antonio so we want him rested and alert. We should arrive in the Rio Grande Valley this afternoon.
Later...