More Holiday Pics

Susan with her grandson Leo. 

4th of July feast at Brad and Amanda Teeters

Gary and Susan Brooker residence

Elise Sparkles

http://youtu.be/-uMawrOvRDg

Baby Leo Coos youtube

 http://youtu.be/hId5xs_WssI

No sound on the one I uploaded so I youtubed it.

Great time in Missouri

We had a great time helping the kids move. Yes, we really did! Of course they had done much of the preliminary work but a bunch was accomplished in 3 days and we still had plenty of time with grands and great grands.

This is a video of Leo the giant baby. He was born April 11th but has advanced beyond what he he should be doing for the short amount of time he has been here. Very sweet disposition on this little guy and the only time he raises a fuss is when his food is late. I spent much of my time holding him while we were in Missouri and enjoyed every bit of it.
And his sister Elise was busy enjoying the festivities of the holiday.

She apparently enjoys her bike helmet. More later...

Missouri here we come

Our Missouri kids are moving! And low and behold they are moving to Peculiar! This is where we always stay in the motorhome when we are in the area because it was closest to them. Now we will be even closer and we are loving this idea. The move will put them both closer to their jobs.
The big move day is today and we are going down to help.
I am also looking forward to seeing the giant baby Leo and his big sister Elise. Never a dull moment with her around and I am sure her brother will follow suit as soon as he is mobile.
If I do not post for awhile you will now know why but bear with me as I will be back...with pictures!

Busy Weekend

My lifelong friend Mickey came for the weekend and we had a great time visiting way past our bedtimes! She wanted to see our house and how it has come out. She approved of all we have done. On Saturday we had a J.I.G.s gathering at the Mexican restaurant here in Jefferson. Very, very good by the way. It is the best "up north" Mexican restaurant I have ever been in and it is right here in our own hometown. We had 13 attendees at J.I.G.s. Next month I am hosting it here and Keri, bless her heart sincerely, is catering it for me.
Best of both worlds! July 27th in case you are a J.I.G.s.

We have a new mattress for the motorhome now and Jason and Laura have agreed to take our old mattress for their guest room. So as I write we are waiting for Leo's truck so we can load it up and take it to them. The new mattress is in place and taking on air. I really like these mattresses!

So it has been a busy, productive and very fun weekend so far with more to come! 

Smooth as silk

AC guy (Greg) came yesterday and hooked up our tiny little AC unit and it is working like a charm. I am hoping they do not charge extra for homeowner hovering because Butch never left his side. Greg did not appear to care. We did take him out for lunch.

You may notice the name on the van is familiar. Butch's brother Bill had/has this business in Newton Iowa so we enjoyed some inside connection with the whole process. Thanks a bunch Bill Brooker for all your help with our tiny little house. You played a big part in getting it put together smoothly and we will always be grateful.

This tiny little AC unit is doing a  great job cooling our tiny little house. On this one we have to thank our friend, fellow square dancer and cribbage playing buddy Marv Smith. Marv bought this unit at an auction for one of his farm houses but found out it was too small so he stored it until we came along and needed it. Thank You, Marv Smith.

Isn't it funny how things work out? You can see how much smaller this unit is by the marks on the cement pad from the old unit. But it is the perfect size for us.

Today we have www.screenbuilders.com coming to talk to us about a screen room. Most likely not going to  happen this year. In the plan for next year...sure hope it is a drier season than this one has been. I am ready for some dry weather.

May be a perfect world!

The AC guy called and is coming today! Too soon to say it IS perfect but we are closer.
 I need some art work on the walls and a roman shade in the bedroom but we are so close to done we can nearly taste it. As many have said..."You will never be completely done." And that is very true. The projects I have in mind from here on are small by comparison. We do have a guy coming tomorrow for a quote on the screen room but we are thinking next summer for that project unless of course he comes up with the perfect plan and the perfect dollar amount. Hey, Miracles happen!

Neighbor kids project. My best guess is that it is a table.

Our new ANTENNA.

Kitchen

Dining/living room

Bed

Bath

and Beyond

Pieces are falling into place

Russ stopped by tonight and finished up the cabinet installation. After he left, Butch was in the bathroom and I noticed the one above the refrigerator was upside down. I am thinking,"Oh, Crap!" I want that fixed. I expected a big reaction from Butch but he said pretty much what I did. Well, we fixed it.
Yesterday Butch hooked up the main TV in the living room to Directv and bought an Antenna to hook up the one in the bedroom. I put a big A on Antenna...on purpose...It is a Big Antenna. I protested the size but it is now on the roof and we are pulling in 16 digital channels. More than enough. So I am not sweating the small stuff even if it is the biggest Antenna I have ever seen.
Now if we lived in a perfect world the AC guy would come tomorrow. May get some pictures tomorrow.

Weekend

Yesterday we putzed a bit. Butch played golf with Jason and then we drove to Boone and had lunch and a visit with Laura and Jason. Colleen had a lamp that she really liked and it fell over and broke. I told her it looked like a job for Jason so we picked up the lady lamp and entered her in the Jason's Handy Hospital for some intensive care. Jason called a bit ago and said the lady is fixed!
While we were in Boone we also bought our new TV's. You knew it had to happen. So Butch spent the better part of today working on getting the TV's set up and operational. I had obligated myself to hostess one of the garden's featured on the Jefferson Garden Club's annual Garden Walk. My time slot was 3:15 to 5:15. It went quickly as we had over 40 people take the tour.
Russ stopped by this morning and said he would be here tomorrow night to finish up our cupboards. Sure hope nothing puts a crimp in that plan.
As it happens I have about 10 pans in the fire. I sure hope I can get them all cooked up real soon.

Calm, quiet and HOT

We have to be in the motorhome if we want cool. The AC in the house is not working. We have a guy coming next week to fix it for us we hope. You will get the full story when we know the full story. It isn't unbearable in the house but it sure makes a difference when you can get the humidity out of the air.
We are in the phase where I set a chair somewhere, leave it there for a bit and see if it works for me. The one room I have never had clear in my mind planning is the living room so lots of experimenting is taking place.
Colleen gave me the perfect recliner yesterday.  It is perfectly per-portioned and has a small footprint. She also gave me a couple of  area rugs. Things are coming together nicely. We are still checking out auction dates and content but our needs are diminishing rapidly. Pictures will be coming soon.

RVing Tip of the Day

Use bicycle water bottle racks for rattle-free holders
by Greg Illes

I've been using bike bottle racks for a variety of purposes for several years now. They're cheap, solid, rattle-free, easy to install, and they fit a surprising number of different objects that you typically find in and around an RV. Also, once installed, they look tidy and neat whether empty or full.

Currently, I have a wasp spray can, a fire extinguisher, some bear spray, and yes, even a few water bottles, happily parked in these handy little racks.

For stuff that's taller than a standard water bottle, like the big wasp spray products and the small-size fire extinguishers, you'll need to cut off the top strut of the bottle rack. Since this projection is just to keep the bottle from bouncing out while riding the bike, it can usually be dispensed with.

Find a handy place to mount the rack, make sure you have room to insert and extract its contents, and then just use two short screws to fasten it to the wall or cabinet. (If you change your mind later on, those two small screw holes are easy to fill and make disappear.)

Once you start using this trick, you'll probably think of a surprising number of ideas. Why have a nighttime glass of water to knock over in the dark when you can have a secure bedside water bottle instead? Run out of cup holders up front? A couple of bottle racks will extend your ability to "stock" a variety of drinks while underway. Do you like to use solvent in your windshield washer, but hate carrying a giant bottle of the stuff? Put a bottle of concentrate in a behind-the-hood bottle rack, and it will always be there when you top off your reservoir.

Barb says: I do not have a usable cup holder on my side of the car or the Motorhome. I think I have found a solution. Now to get Butch to go along with the idea. Always the toughest part.

More Elise and Leo

Their Mama writes: Leo was fussing so Elise got a book and decided to read to him since I was cooking. He hushed down right away and started listening to her. I love the love between them, hope it will last!!

Low-Sugar and Whole Wheat Brownies with Walnuts

Low-Sugar and Whole Wheat Brownies with Walnuts (Grandma Willey's Brownie Recipe)

(Makes 12 large brownies; recipe adapted from Dot's Brownies, the favorite brownie recipe of Grandma Willey.)

Ingredients:
1 cup melted margarine (or use half margarine and half coconut oil; do not use margarine that has water as the first ingredient)
7 T cocoa powder
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups of sugar, Splenda, or Stevia in the Raw (use Splenda or Stevia for South Beach Diet)
1/2 cup brown sugar (optional, but recommended if you're using Splenda or Stevia, or use another 1/2 cup sweetener)
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup walnuts (hand broken)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Use a microwave to melt the margarine or margarine/coconut oil combination in a large bowl (big enough to hold all the ingredients.) Stir the cocoa powder into the melted margarine.

In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs well, then stir in 2 cups sugar, Splenda or Stevia in the Raw. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar (if using) and stir again.

Stir the egg mixture into the cocoa mixture. Then add the flour, salt, and vanilla and stir to combine. Use your fingers to break enough walnuts to make 1 cup, and then gently stir them into the batter.

Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray and then add the batter, pressing down so it's evenly flat. (I used a dish that was about 8" x 11".) Bake 30 minutes, then let the brownies cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before cutting.


www.KalynsKitchen.com.

These are on my want list.

Like Running a Race

This house and it's construction has been like running a race...always one more task or obstacle. But now as we near the end there is a winding down both physically and mentally. I am hoping for renewed vigor. Maybe today.
I have been fairly faithful about my morning walks with Colleen. We have had a few misses due to weather and we thought the mosquitoes might drive us off but we spray ourselves down with anti bug spray and so far it is working. There is lots of standing water for mosquito breeding grounds. So far it has not been the best weather for outdoor activities of any kind. All you can do is say "Maybe next Spring will be better." Summer is soon to start and it sure would be nice to see a change in this wet weather pattern.
Till next time ...and a more cheerful mood...

Snipped Elise and Leo

I just had to snip these pics of Elise and her baby brother Leo from Facebook. I love these pics! Elise is 3 and Leo a bit over 2 months old.

Taking it easy...

Taking it easy this weekend. My stiff neck is better. The answer was to keep it warm. I have had a problem for quite some time of being unable to have a cool breeze blowing directly on me and I think that was a large part of the problem. Probably an old lady thing. Getting more of those little irritations all the time.

We sure had a wonderful summer of weather last year but we are paying for it this year. Cool and wet with lots of bugs and mosquitoes. Of course many didn't like the drought last year. It's always something as Rosanne Roseannadanna used to say and if you know who that is you are showing your age.

Butch is in the motorhome watching the US Open golf tournament and as many movies as he can handle switching back and forth. Now you know why I am in the house fussing around on the computer.

Our next project is the garage. It caught all the stuff we did not know what to do with so it is now time to sort and create order from the chaos. But today is not the day. That is a chore you have to work up your nerve to tear into. Maybe tomorrow...

More Auctioning

Last night we went to an auction again. This one was a few miles out of Jefferson. I really felt bad for the owner. It had rained much of the day and the wind was blowing like crazy so combine that with plenty of mud and threat of more rain and it was not conducive to a good auction for them. The crowd was sparse. On the other end of  things everything went very cheap, dirt cheap, below pennies on the dollar. For $2 we bought a toaster,iron, citrus press,wastebasket, casserole dish,portable fan,4 cup coffee maker. Of course we really did not want most of it but that is how it goes. For our other $13 that we spent we bought 2  side tables. There were a few other items that we were considering but the lightning started and we left. There were many genuine antiques there that went for a little bit of nothing. It was sad.

Before we went to the auction Colleen went with us to a new restaurant in Paton (pronounced PAY-ton) Iowa. Sounds odd doesn't it. It sure does if you are from this area because Paton is a tiny dot on the map of Greene County Iowa and they have a brand new semi-fancy sit-down restaurant. The name of it is 209 Main. It is not hard to find! The food was excellent and the place was full of people with others waiting. If you cook it well they will come.

I have been struggling with a stiff neck the last couple of days. A heating pad is the answer for relief if you find yourself suffering with a stiff neck too. I am not completely free of pain but it is getting better.

Note to self: There is a very neat old barn at the auction site and I would like to get a picture of it.

Colleen's Colorful Touch

My request of my friend Colleen was that she do what she does, which is to colorfully enhance things. I did not have any specific instructions. Subject matter, colors, technique etc. was all up to her. Here are the wonderful results! Two mismatched file cabinets are now colorfully coordinated and the inside of our bench is holding a surprise for anyone who pops the lid. I love it.

BLT Roll-Ups

BLT Roll-Ups

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
8-10 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 eight-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

Mix cream cheese and mayo in a bowl. Add crumbled bacon and diced tomatoes. Spread mixture on tortillas and top with lettuce. Roll up tightly and refrigerate for an hour. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.