Friday, October 4
FYI
At the bottom of this page is a slot for you to add your eamil address and then click on submit and when you do this any new blog entries will come into your email. This way you will never miss a new entry.
Free Books
A friend requested the Kindle free book info I placed on the Magnolia website a ways back so I am reposting it on both blogs. Enjoy!
Free or Almost Free kindle book sites
On some of these you will want to sign up for a newsletter so they come in your email.
For those that do not know, you do not need a Kindle to read these books. You can have Kindle for PC on your computer and read them on your computer. An Amazon.com account is required with a registered credit card. It does not cost you anything to do this.
And if you are Canadian use your Magnolia Park address as your main address for all the benefits. This works since all "deliveries" are digital not physical.
http://www.bookbub.com/home/
http://www.ereaderiq.com/
For those that do not know, you do not need a Kindle to read these books. You can have Kindle for PC on your computer and read them on your computer. An Amazon.com account is required with a registered credit card. It does not cost you anything to do this.
And if you are Canadian use your Magnolia Park address as your main address for all the benefits. This works since all "deliveries" are digital not physical.
http://www.bookbub.com/home/
http://www.ereaderiq.com/
Thursday, October 3
Change is everywhere
We received word today that Bob Toomire was killed in a car accident yesterday. We have many memories of Bob and his wife Kitti as they were in the group we hung out with when we were first going to Magnolia Park. Bob was in Butch and Bill Brooker's golf group and they all went as often as they could get it arranged. We went out to eat with Bob and Kitti often and we had a tradition of going to the El Dorado when they first arrived. We were usually first getting there in the fall but Bob and Kitti were not usually too far behind us. Bob could be irascible at times and perhaps I could say more than most. He reveled in it. I told him once that he was the nicest a--h-le we had in the park and he agreed that I could be right. You never knew what Bob might do or say but you could be assured it would not be ordinary. Bob was slipping the past couple of years with memory problems and heart issues but he was ever hopeful that things would get better. Kitti would not let him take his truck to Texas last year but Bob told the guys he wasn't going to put up with not having his pickup this year. We wondered how that battle would come out but we do not have to wonder anymore.
Bob and Kitti were on their way to Iowa City with Kitti driving and someone did not stop at a stop sign. Kitti is in the hospital with 2 broken vertabrae and a broken ankle and Bob did not survive. He will be missed by many in oh so many ways.
Bob and Kitti were on their way to Iowa City with Kitti driving and someone did not stop at a stop sign. Kitti is in the hospital with 2 broken vertabrae and a broken ankle and Bob did not survive. He will be missed by many in oh so many ways.
Wednesday, October 2
Super Clean RV windsheild
Here is a youtube video for a super clean RV windsheild. Of course, it would also work on your car. Get rid of those pesky bug guts!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXS4pegAnN4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXS4pegAnN4
Tuesday, October 1
So Today I...
Went for a minimal ride (bridge and back) and as I am tooling along I am thinking this sure is getting easier. The answer,my friend, was blowing in the wind because as I turned around it suddenly occurred to me why it was so easy. The wind was out of the north!! So it was a different kind of easy on the way back. Really it was not too bad.
I repotted the cactus yesterday. It is now getting too big to take with us! Maybe not so big but definitely too heavy. I am thinking I will leave it here, either in the garage or perhaps in the breezeway unless I can find someone to board it with...hmmm. Might have to think on that for a bit.
Today's camera shots:
I repotted the cactus yesterday. It is now getting too big to take with us! Maybe not so big but definitely too heavy. I am thinking I will leave it here, either in the garage or perhaps in the breezeway unless I can find someone to board it with...hmmm. Might have to think on that for a bit.
Today's camera shots:
These butterflies would not let me get close for photos so these are with a zoom
Monday, September 30
Rode the trail
I rode the trail the past two days doing a minimum ride to the bridge and back (5 miles + total). There has been a pretty good headwind both days meaning a tougher ride out but easier back. When the trail is canopied as it is for much of it the wind is somewhat insignificant. I did not notice much of note. The walnuts are starting to fall and the leaves too but not abundantly yet. As I came back to town I noticed a woman with a ladder in one hand and a towel in the other. She was looking at the bushes and debating on the best way to tackle them to get at the windows. I was past her before she made a decision.
I saw one rider on the trail and he was a man of more age than I headed back to town as I was headed out.
I have a pork loin roast in the crockpot for supper...slow news day.
I saw one rider on the trail and he was a man of more age than I headed back to town as I was headed out.
I have a pork loin roast in the crockpot for supper...slow news day.
Metabolism booster
Boost your metabolism naturally with this ZERO CALORIE Detox Drink. Put down the diet sodas and crystal light and try this out for a week. You will drop weight and have
TONS OF ENERGY! Sound yummy? It is!!
1 Apple thinly sliced
1 Cinnamon Stick
TONS OF ENERGY! Sound yummy? It is!!
1 Apple thinly sliced
1 Cinnamon Stick
Drop apple slices in the bottom of the pitcher and then the cinnamon sticks, cover with ice about 1/2 way up then add water.
Drink one pitcher (2 qt.) per day. Apple and cinnamon stick good for 3 days use.
Saturday, September 28
Kitten has gone home and other stuff.
The kitten's human daddy came last night and took the kitty home. I now know where she lives so if she comes to visit the trail again I will leave her be.
We are beginning to get our heads set for taking off in the Motorhome. It is approaching that time of year. I kept a haircut appointment this morning and afterwards we were discussing my next one when it occurred to both of us that it would be way too soon to get another before we take off.
It is a rainy morning so it will most likely be an inside day. That will turn thoughts in a southerly direction faster than any other thing as well.
Butch and I have been listening to "The Potato Factory" by Bryce Courtney on audio in the car. We finished it on a ride home from 209 Main, the new restaurant in Paton Iowa. So our next book will be the sequel, "Tommo and Hawk". We are anxious to get to it because we enjoyed the first one very much. There is nothing like a good listening book to inspire you to get on the road.
Here is what 'The Potato Factory ' is about:
"Always leave a little salt on the bread...
We are beginning to get our heads set for taking off in the Motorhome. It is approaching that time of year. I kept a haircut appointment this morning and afterwards we were discussing my next one when it occurred to both of us that it would be way too soon to get another before we take off.
It is a rainy morning so it will most likely be an inside day. That will turn thoughts in a southerly direction faster than any other thing as well.
Butch and I have been listening to "The Potato Factory" by Bryce Courtney on audio in the car. We finished it on a ride home from 209 Main, the new restaurant in Paton Iowa. So our next book will be the sequel, "Tommo and Hawk". We are anxious to get to it because we enjoyed the first one very much. There is nothing like a good listening book to inspire you to get on the road.
Here is what 'The Potato Factory ' is about:
"Always leave a little salt on the bread...
Ikey Solomon's favorite saying is also his way of doing business, and in the business of thieving he's very successful indeed. Ikey's partner in crime is his mistress, the forthright Mary Abacus, until misfortune befalls them. They are parted and each must make the harsh journey from thriving nineteenth century London to the convict settlement of Van Diemen's Land.
In the backstreets and dives of Hobart Town, Mary learns the art of brewing and builds The Potato Factory, where she plans a new future. But her ambitions are threatened by Ikey's wife, Hannah, her old enemy. The two women raise their separate families, one legitimate and the other bastard. As each woman sets out to destroy the other, the families are brought to the edge of disaster."
And our next adventure is the sequel " Tommo and Hawk":
"Brutally kidnapped and separated in childhood, Tommo and Hawk are reunited at the age of 15 in Hobart Town. Together, they escape their troubled pasts and set off on a journey into manhood. From whale hunting in the Pacific to the Maori wars of New Zealand, from the Rocks in Sydney to the miners' riots at the goldfields, Tommo and Hawk must learn each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to survive.
Along the way, Hawk meets the outrageous Maggie Pye, who brings love and laughter into his life. But the demons of Tommo's past return to haunt the brothers. With Tommo at his side, Hawk takes on a fight against all odds to save what they cherish most. In the final confrontation between good and evil, three magpie feathers become the symbol of Tommo and Hawk's rite of passage."
I am an www.audible.com member and it is one of our entertainment indulgences. I like it because you can be a member for only a month if you so desire. So I usually rack up a few books I wish to listen to and then suspend our membership until we get low on books again. If you start listening to a book you do not like, you can return it with no questions asked. You never lose your books once you purchase them. They are always available to you. I am sure I have more than 60 in our audio library.
Puffballs
Puffballs
You’ve never made so many cookies so good so easy. If your RV oven has only a single rack, this big batch will take several trips to the oven. That's part of the fun when you make these cookies on a rainy day and invite the campground neighbors in for cards.
1 egg
1 box cake mix, any flavor
1-quart carton of whipped topping, thawed
Powdered sugar or coarse sugar
In a mixing bowl whisk the egg until it’s light. Stir in the cake mix with a fork , then use a spatula to fold in the whipped topping until the mixture is evenly moistened. Form the dough into walnut-size balls and roll in sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet(s) and bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are firm, puffy and crinkly. Makes 3-4 dozen Puffballs.
Gleaned from the RV Newsletter
And the joke of the day is:
You’ve never made so many cookies so good so easy. If your RV oven has only a single rack, this big batch will take several trips to the oven. That's part of the fun when you make these cookies on a rainy day and invite the campground neighbors in for cards.
1 egg
1 box cake mix, any flavor
1-quart carton of whipped topping, thawed
Powdered sugar or coarse sugar
In a mixing bowl whisk the egg until it’s light. Stir in the cake mix with a fork , then use a spatula to fold in the whipped topping until the mixture is evenly moistened. Form the dough into walnut-size balls and roll in sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet(s) and bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are firm, puffy and crinkly. Makes 3-4 dozen Puffballs.
Gleaned from the RV Newsletter
And the joke of the day is:
A chicken walks up to a duck standing at the side of the road and says, "Don't do it, mate. You'll never hear the end of it!"
Friday, September 27
Kitten Story
Found her daddy! She will be going home tonight at 6:00 PM and we are ready! Having a kitten around is as challenging as a small child at times. Also can be quite fun but I am ready for the fun to be over. I have let her in the house today...because I KNOW she is going home tonight so the pictures you might see on here are all ones taken after I got confirmation she was going to her forever home.
She has been a good girl as kittens go. She does not bite and stops whatever she is doing when she hears "No". But she has taken out both my earrings and I have a toe injury because she is so fast making it through an open door. She would also love to surf the Internet but I have put my foot down on that.
She thought she was the only animal in the house until she spotted this intruder. She stared her down for a long time.
She has been a good girl as kittens go. She does not bite and stops whatever she is doing when she hears "No". But she has taken out both my earrings and I have a toe injury because she is so fast making it through an open door. She would also love to surf the Internet but I have put my foot down on that.
She thought she was the only animal in the house until she spotted this intruder. She stared her down for a long time.
Wednesday, September 25
Today's ride
On the ride out a kitten was on the trail and quickly scurried into the brush. I assumed it was a feral cat.
I was wrong. More on that later.
Graffiti Bridge
Graffiti below the bridge...years of graffiti.
A jaw bone of ??
Bullhead Farm. Why Bullhead Farm? Used to be Bullhead Lake many, many years ago.
Soybeans are almost ready
Hanging in there...
Thistle
Kitten running after me for the 2nd time!
I know...I should not have stopped...but I did.
Very friendly little thing...so I put her in my bike bag and she rode quietly home with me. I called PAWS. They returned my call and said it may be a couple of days before they can take her off my hands. She is in the garage-sleeping on the mower seat. Very happy to be there even. Will not let her in the house. Sure wish Chet and Irma lived next door so she could make their acquaintance. They are even softer-hearted than I am. And this little sweetie deserves good people.Tuesday, September 24
Bike ride this morning
Google maps have upgraded and new things are possible. I snipped this to show you my ride this morning. 9 miles total- some of it with light rain. The walnuts are dropping so care is needed in some locations. I thought about clearing the trail in a few spots but then it started to rain. That is my story and I am sticking to it. The blue line is the actual bike trail. Cool,huh?
Butch is golfing and Jason called while I was on the trail saying he planned to join his dad golfing so I suspect to see them soon now.
Monday, September 23
Busy days
Butch has been industrious the last week or so. He has worked on the dirt pile in the back yard, putting some water to it so it could settle. Washed and waxed the Moho with some help from me but not a great deal. Helped our friend Russ install some tube lights out to Leo and Keri's. I think he plans to go golfing today.
I have cleaned house. Big deal, it takes me an hour and half-TOPS! I have rode my bike a time or two and plan to do so as soon as I finish this. I invited my sisters, cousins and nieces for a visit yesterday afternoon and we had a great time. Loved every minute of it but once again had so much fun I forgot to get pictures. Darn!!
I have played around with my new Samsung Google Chromebook. So far the only snafu has been getting pictures off my camera. It is because my camera is old that I cannot do it directly. My XD card from my camera will not fit into the SD card slot on the new computer. My work around so far is to put them on my Toshiba, login to Picasa and upload them to Google plus. Then when I go to the Chromebook they are automatically there. I understand that there will soon be an app for direct picture transfer from a camera but not yet. So it is really not a big deal. It could be if the Chromebook was my only computer. But you know me well. I will find a way around this. One of my options will be to put them on a USB drive but as you might guess I need the Toshiba to do that. And another way is to email them to myself. My goal will be to make the Chromebook as stand alone as possible. I am up to the challenge.
Saturday on my bike ride I took some shots of the pampas grass alongside the trail. I think it is beautiful stuff. My problem is that I do not know which of the five pictures is the best. I like them all. So I will put all five of them on here. Will you please email me on which of the five you consider the best shot? I would greatly appreciate it.
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I have cleaned house. Big deal, it takes me an hour and half-TOPS! I have rode my bike a time or two and plan to do so as soon as I finish this. I invited my sisters, cousins and nieces for a visit yesterday afternoon and we had a great time. Loved every minute of it but once again had so much fun I forgot to get pictures. Darn!!
I have played around with my new Samsung Google Chromebook. So far the only snafu has been getting pictures off my camera. It is because my camera is old that I cannot do it directly. My XD card from my camera will not fit into the SD card slot on the new computer. My work around so far is to put them on my Toshiba, login to Picasa and upload them to Google plus. Then when I go to the Chromebook they are automatically there. I understand that there will soon be an app for direct picture transfer from a camera but not yet. So it is really not a big deal. It could be if the Chromebook was my only computer. But you know me well. I will find a way around this. One of my options will be to put them on a USB drive but as you might guess I need the Toshiba to do that. And another way is to email them to myself. My goal will be to make the Chromebook as stand alone as possible. I am up to the challenge.
Saturday on my bike ride I took some shots of the pampas grass alongside the trail. I think it is beautiful stuff. My problem is that I do not know which of the five pictures is the best. I like them all. So I will put all five of them on here. Will you please email me on which of the five you consider the best shot? I would greatly appreciate it.
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We drove out to Leo and Keri's so I could see the new tube lights. And this is what Keri had been up to.
This morning I awoke to this beautiful sky!
THAT'S ALL FOLKS!
Saturday, September 21
Hungry for mac and cheese?
I accidentally stumbled onto a mac and cheese taste-alike and thought I would share it with you for those who are cutting carbs.
1 or 2 microwaved scrambled eggs
1 or 2 T. of cottage cheese
1 T. of salsa con queso dip. (I use the Mission brand)
This combo tastes remarkably like Mac and Cheese and it has been my breakfast of choice lately
1 or 2 microwaved scrambled eggs
1 or 2 T. of cottage cheese
1 T. of salsa con queso dip. (I use the Mission brand)
This combo tastes remarkably like Mac and Cheese and it has been my breakfast of choice lately
Pumpkin Pudding Cake
Yesterday I declined on making a recipe due to the price of an ingredient. It was not the recipe featured below but it was also a pumpkin recipe- and it called for a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. At the grocery store a very small container of pumpkin pie spice was $4.79!!! That recipe was not that important!! I am aware that I could purchase the separate spices contained in pumpkin pie spice and make my own mix but I was so gobsmacked I did not even see if that was feasible or if it would have saved me a nickle. Anytime a teaspoon of something will cost me $4.79 cents I will pass on the recipe. Are you with me ladies?
I am thinking of making this recipe however...unless I run into another snafu.
Pumpkin Pudding Cake
This cake serves 15 or more. It’s rich, so cut it in small portions for a party or potluck. Leftovers should be refrigerated.
1 box spice cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
15-ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 cup reserved cake mix
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
½ stick butter, softened
Whipped topping
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat an egg in a mixing bowl and add the dry cake mix, reserving one cupful. Stir in the melted butter and press the crumbly mixture in a sprayed 9 X 13-inch baking pan.
Using the same bowl whisk the pumpkin, 4 eggs, sugar and milk. Pour over the spice cake crust. Mix the second ½ cup sugar with the pecans and softened butter into the reserved cup of cake mix. Sprinkle over the pumpkin filling and bake 50-60 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely. Serve with whipped topping.
I am thinking of making this recipe however...unless I run into another snafu.
Pumpkin Pudding Cake
This cake serves 15 or more. It’s rich, so cut it in small portions for a party or potluck. Leftovers should be refrigerated.
1 box spice cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
15-ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
4 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 cup reserved cake mix
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
½ stick butter, softened
Whipped topping
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat an egg in a mixing bowl and add the dry cake mix, reserving one cupful. Stir in the melted butter and press the crumbly mixture in a sprayed 9 X 13-inch baking pan.
Using the same bowl whisk the pumpkin, 4 eggs, sugar and milk. Pour over the spice cake crust. Mix the second ½ cup sugar with the pecans and softened butter into the reserved cup of cake mix. Sprinkle over the pumpkin filling and bake 50-60 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely. Serve with whipped topping.
Friday, September 20
Purchases and reports of same
I wanted some new glasses after my eye exam late in August. I was having a bit of a problem with the middle distances and I became very tired of the constant search for a pair of glasses. I asked at the optical place where I had my eye exam about cost of lenses only and put into some frames I already owned. They were very discouraging and would not give me any assurances about my frames holding up etc. and the cost would be $250 for basic lenses without extras of any kind. I had made up my mind to get them in Mexico. But then I saw an ad for an online optical business. So I started reading reviews and it seemed people were very happy with their purchases. http://www.zennioptical.com/ is the place I chose. Picked out the frames I wanted, entered my prescription info and ordered my new glasses. I ordered all the bells and whistles. Progressive no line bifocals- uv protection- top of the line protective coating and a pair of clip-on sunglasses for $111 with a case. They arrived yesterday and I love them. They are everything I wanted and they fit in every way, I would not hesitate to order through them again. When you get your eye exam be sure they include the pd info along with the rest of your prescription. The pd info is the distance from the bridge of your nose to the pupil of your eye as you look straight ahead. If you have ever had a fitting for glasses before they would have that measurement and it is one of those things that does not change with age. And they should give you that info if you call them. They did for me. I have known people who have paid $800 for a new pair of glasses and as with many things the cost has become way out of line.
And Then...
I ordered a new Samsung Chromebook. It arrived this afternoon and I am loving it too!! I was an avid Chrome user having the browser on my main computer. I used Chrome almost exclusively so the transition to this Chromebook (a computer with the new Chrome operating system) is almost seamless. As soon as I signed into my google account all my info from my other computer was at my finger tips. Someone had suggested that printing would be a problem but nay it is not. It was a simple process getting my current printer able to work through this computer. Worked on the first try. If you are blessed with a high speed Internet connection as I am, you too might be happy with a Chromebook for $249.
PS: I used my cash back bonus award from Discover card to purchase it so it truly is "almost free".
And Then...
I ordered a new Samsung Chromebook. It arrived this afternoon and I am loving it too!! I was an avid Chrome user having the browser on my main computer. I used Chrome almost exclusively so the transition to this Chromebook (a computer with the new Chrome operating system) is almost seamless. As soon as I signed into my google account all my info from my other computer was at my finger tips. Someone had suggested that printing would be a problem but nay it is not. It was a simple process getting my current printer able to work through this computer. Worked on the first try. If you are blessed with a high speed Internet connection as I am, you too might be happy with a Chromebook for $249.
PS: I used my cash back bonus award from Discover card to purchase it so it truly is "almost free".
My walking Buddy has walked on...for now.
Colleen has left good old Jefferson to go to her daughters before then going south to Florida for the winter. Nearly every morning all summer long she and I have walked the bike trail-one mile out and one mile back. I miss her already!! It makes for a big change in my morning routine that I have yet to adjust to. This morning I forgot to turn on the phone. It seems the only reason I ever turned it on was in case she called. Every little thing will need a habit adjustment in my old and dusty brain from the hours of 6:00 AM through perhaps 9:00 AM. After that we were on our own for the day unless other arrangements had been made. Oh well...big, heavy sigh....I will survive and so will she.
Wednesday, September 18
More Rain
It rained again during the night. I do not know how much last night but the previous night it was .77 of an inch. We need that much per week for a good long time to return our moisture levels to normal.
Colleen and I did walk this morning and tomorrow will be our last walk of the season as she heads out on Friday morning very early. I will miss her and our walks but as with all my friends I will look forward to the next time we meet. When I think of all the friends we have in so many different places it brings to mind how our lives are so abundantly full wherever we may be.
Colleen and I did walk this morning and tomorrow will be our last walk of the season as she heads out on Friday morning very early. I will miss her and our walks but as with all my friends I will look forward to the next time we meet. When I think of all the friends we have in so many different places it brings to mind how our lives are so abundantly full wherever we may be.
Website of the day...
Everything you did not know you wanted! What a hoot!
WEBSITE OF THE DAY
Items to make your life easier. From First World Living, lots of interesting and/or amusing items, some of which you'll think, "I want one of those!" and some of which will make you scratch your head and wonder.
WEBSITE OF THE DAY
Items to make your life easier. From First World Living, lots of interesting and/or amusing items, some of which you'll think, "I want one of those!" and some of which will make you scratch your head and wonder.
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