On the 9th day

 of Covid, I can tell you that I have worn nothing but pajamas, not the same ones, for all those days. Have not been outdoors even! Yes, I am ready for the big reveal but I have not suffered any from the time spent in isolation. It gives a person time to get things done, catch up, and simply reflect on the simple things in life.

The basic update is that we are both doing fine. An occasional cough and or sneeze, nothing big or alarming although Butch has always scared small children when he blows his nose. In fact, even I will jump if caught off guard.

I defrosted the fridge yesterday. Caught up on laundry today. Just took hamburger out of the fridge for Runza Casserole for supper.

And a nap is starting to sound like a good idea!

Freedom Day

 Monday will be our freedom day. The recommendation is 5 to 10 days of quarantine and Monday will be day 11. We are both feeling fine and ready to resume life as we know it in Sunny South Texas.

Lack of snacks! Butch and I have eaten everything even resembling a snack. The downside is we have no snacks, the upside is we will probably be a few pounds lighter on the scale. We are both looking forward to our next restock at Costco and H.E.B. I waved my grocery lists in his face yesterday. The lists are long!

Don't get me wrong! We have plenty of food. I have discovered in the past few years that I can go a strong two weeks and even longer without going to the grocery store. I still have brat burgers, hamburger, pulled pork, bacon, eggs, cheese, Beef broth, Chicken broth, onions, green and red peppers, celery, white radishes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and a good imagination. Snacks? 

No, don't have snacks.

So what is on the snack list? Ice Cream, popcorn, nuts (all kinds), chocolate, dried cherries, etc.

On the scale of...

 1 to 10, I am an 8. There are still a few remnants of a cold hanging around but if it were an ordinary time I would consider myself well enough to mingle. But with that 'C' word on everyone's radar I do not feel that is something I should do, thus the 8 rating. Butch is right behind me. He is still in bed, what else is there to do, or I would ask him to rate himself. I am sure he will be having a much better day than yesterday. It just seems logical. He slept well last night. We both did.

It is Thursday. I keep having to remind myself. Thursday is one of our rare free days where we decide to do something different and most likely outside of the park. Not today, however, and my biggest decision will be what to conjure up for supper. It is looking like it might be a "Barb's Concoction" day. I would rather it be an "El Dorado" day, or even an IHOP day. Not yet...BUT SOON!

I'm Okay, You Okay?

 Yes, I am fine. Well on the way to being healed. Butch has it now and that should not be a surprise to anyone. We are steering clear of any contact with people. Watching Netflix. Snacking some, food doesn't taste all that good right now. I feel like I am hungry but 3 bites later I am full. This too shall pass I am certain.

Our friends that are here from Iowa, Darrel and Linda, have been on their own since we have been quarantined. They tell us that Trophy has a very nice library and they have been reading a lot of books. They were kind and made a grocery run for us so we are well set until we can get out on our own once again.

Every situation has its good points and one that is obvious to me in the current situation is texting and the ability to add pictures to texts. I sent a picture of my grocery list to Darrel and Linda and they were able to see it without any contact from us. The beauty of technology.

We will be back in the swing of things very soon now.

Thanks for all of your Well wishes!

Fessing Up

 A doctor lady on TV said, "Being vaccinated and boosted does not mean you will not get Covid. It means that you will not be hospitalized in ICU or die from it." Those are comforting words after you are looking at two consecutive positive covid tests. My thoughts were, "damn, I have done everything I am supposed to do to prevent covid, and yet here I am with covid!"

Last Friday I thought I had a cold, sniffles, runny nose, minor achiness etc. An angel in the park has home tests she is sharing with those who need one. So I tested. And if wishing could make it so it would have been negative. The line was there, it was pink but light pink, not definitive in my mind at all...but yet there it was... The angel said I should test again the next day to make sure and so I did and that pesky pale pink line was still there. The clincher was when gas was passed and I could not smell it but Butch could.

So I am one of those "Breakthrough" cases. Fortunately, I have not been around any people but Butch since the day before I got the COLD. By the way, Butch tested negative. I have notified those I needed to and fortunately, my hermit tendencies have been a plus. So I am on the mend and feeling no different than I would with just a cold.

On the mend!!

Catch up

 Butch had a pool event today and another this afternoon so it is one of those rare days that I have mostly free and it happens to be my friend Kay Stilsons birthday. She must winter in Iowa now so her winters are very different than they were in the Magnolia days. We reminisced and got caught up on the latest. The best fun I have had today.

In a few minutes, I plan to go talk to a new arrival who brought a large number of men's ties with her. I have the small purse pattern that came from Magnolia and if I am lucky I may get a new purse! I use the one Mary Bruun made for me quite a bit and it always draws compliments.

Mask?

 

The New Year

                  May the new year be equally kind and gentle.

I am busier than I want to be but that is not a high bar. It is very easy for me to say that as I get lazier it seems as the years add up. 

Renie and I walk almost every morning but the last two I have decided, you see she is younger than me, that I am too old and cold to walk when it is in the 30's. It is extremely difficult to remain acclimated when it is 90 one day and 35 the next. 

Now Butch would tell you that our biggest news is that we have bought a golf cart. The owner of the Park Model we bought had one but she said it was spoken for so we thought we would wait till fall to buy one. Well, her deal and commitment fell through so she asked us if we wanted to purchase it too and we said yes. Our new home is in the area they call the "North 40". It is the newer part of the park and further away from where all the activities take place. And if you forgot your pool cue or something as equally important it is much quicker to hop on a golf cart than to walk a half-mile home and back. A half-mile might be an exaggeration but not by much.

Darrel M. is a classmate of mine from kindergarten on. Darrel and his wife Linda wanted a break from the cold of Iowa so rented a place here for the month of January. They did bring the cold with them but it will be gone in a day or two. I am sure the month will fly by for them. After all, the entire Winter flies by for us!

My day includes a haircut and Butch will be going to Fast Eddies to watch his pool partner Paul K. play in the Golden Olympics singles.

Till next time! Still being kind and gentle.

Happy New Year!!! 2022

 

It hardly seems possible but here we are again.
Wishing all of you the best of whatever 2022 holds for us.

Butch and I spent the evening at home ...in the MoHo. I went to bed at my usual time-10:00 pm and Butch joined me soon after. One of the joys of old age is a big heavy sigh of satisfaction as we settle in for a long winter's nap. Wishing all of you a healthy and happy new year.

Time Slips Away

 We were given a bit of good news yesterday. Our new South Texas Home will be available to us around the 7th of March. We did not expect that and it will give us more time to get acquainted with our new digs before heading north in mid-April. We were surprised and pleased.

One of the things we do look forward to is having friends over to visit and being able to invite more than two at a time.

Uses for nail polish

 

Here’s my list of some uses for nail polish

• Keep an eyeglass screw in place. We were traveling once when Hubby noticed that the tiny screw holding the left temple of his eyeglasses was loose. We dabbed a bit of clear nail polish over the screw to hold it (and Hubby’s glasses) in place until we could get a permanent fix.
• Protect yourself from allergic reactions. The souvenir ring I purchased was making my finger itch, so I brushed a coat of clear nail polish over the interior of the ring. The polish keeps my finger from making direct contact with the ring and I can wear it without itching. (Bonus: A clear coat of polish can also keep metal costume jewelry from tarnishing.)
• Repair a vehicle scratch. We hadn’t owned our car for very long when we noticed a small scratch on the paint. I looked through my stash of nail polish and applied a color so similar to the vehicle’s paint that the scratch is virtually invisible.
• Identify keys. When we purchased our RV, we kept confusing the door’s entry key with the storage bay keys. So, I applied red nail polish to the top of each storage bay key, and blue to the RV’s door key. Now they are easily identified.
• Repair minor leather scratches. A friend of mine used nail polish to repair a few small scratches her cat made in her RV’s leather sofa. Using a nail polish in a color similar to the sofa’s leather, she was able to camouflage the damage.
• Temporarily fix a windshield nick. A rock from a gravel truck put a nick in our pickup’s windshield. A bit of clear nail polish brushed over the nick prevented a crack and we kept on traveling until we could get it fixed.
• Prevent rust. Hubby’s can of shaving cream tends to leave a rust mark on our RV’s bathroom sink. The humidity from the room along with water that splashes when he shaves causes brown rust rings on the sink top. So, I applied a bit of clear polish to the bottom of the can that contacts the sink surface. Now no more unsightly rings.
• Repair a tear in the RV screen door. No one wants bugs inside their RV! If you have a tear in a door or window screen you can fix it with clear nail polish. Press the torn edges together as much as possible and then coat the edges with polish. Let it dry and recoat a second or even a third time.
• Identify reading glasses. Many “readers” look very similar. To distinguish mine from Hubby’s I put a bit of red nail polish on my glasses’ earpiece. Now we can tell at a glance whose is whose. (Bonus: I purchased several identical sunglasses for the grandkids. I used the same nail polish technique to label each pair. Now kids easily tell which pair belongs to them.)
• Secure a button. Ever notice how the thread holding a button can begin to fray? If left untended, the thread will continue to loosen, and the button will eventually fall off. Before that happens, I apply a bit of clear nail polish to the top of the button, covering the fraying thread. The polish will help keep the button in place until I can sew the button on. (Bonus: This tip also works for fabric. One of our RV sofa pillows had begun to fray, but a quick application of nail polish fixed it. Same goes for fraying curtains or other fabric.)
• Mark shower temperature settings. Use a bright tone of nail polish to mark your preferred temperature settings on your RV’s shower. Make a small mark on both the stationary lip and each faucet handle and take the guesswork out of shower settings.
• Ensure a tight hold. When repairing the wooden cornice around one of our RV’s windows, Hubby discovered that the screw just wasn’t holding. We applied a bit of nail polish to the screw threads and then when Hubby fastened the screw, the polish acted like an adhesive, and the problem was solved.
• Prevent rope from fraying. Dip the end of the rope into clear nail polish and the rope will not fray and fall apart. (Bonus: This applies to shoelaces, too!)
• Make a liquid bandage. For small cuts, I usually use a plastic band-aid. But clear nail polish can also seal the cut in a pinch.
• Mark remote buttons. Use glow-in-the-dark nail polish to mark channel and volume buttons on your RV’s television remote. You’ll be able to easily distinguish the buttons, even in a dimly lit room.
• Mark your gear. Dab a small dot of brightly-hued polish to your pickleball equipment, tools, s’mores grilling forks, etc. This works especially well on items that are too small for your initials or entire name.

New and Different

 This is a new and different Christmas for us. We have no plans. I am preparing our Christmas dinner right here at home in our MoHo. We are having Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Jicama, and HEB Creamy Creations Butter Pecan Ice cream for dessert.

Most likely we will scan NetFlix for a movie or two,  go for a walk, meander to the pool hall for a couple of games and be ever so grateful that we are healthy and happy enough to be able to do all we want to do on this most different Christmas. 

The year ahead holds many changes for us; buying a park model, selling our motorhome, buying a new car, and getting used to all the changes. Butch was visiting with our backdoor neighbor who is a full-timer and he too is thinking of selling and settling. They agreed that it is not the driving of it, as they are both very capable, but it is the maintenance. Climbing on the roof, washing, and waxing, and keeping track of it all becomes more of a chore as the years stack up. So we nostalgically look back while optimistically looking forward.

Now back to the merry part...

Merry Christmas to all

                                                                           ( Click here)

Butch and I want to wish all of our friends near and far the merriest of Christmas's and the happiest of New Years.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKisoPSiHC0&t=39s

Iowa Weather

 Our hometown of Jefferson had a close encounter with tornadoes in the latest weather phenomenon in the upper Midwest. Our house and pool hall were untouched. Butch's brother Leo and his wife Keri had a couple of trees uprooted. All in all our family came through this one much better than the Derecho of August 2020.

Our son Jason and his wife who live in Boone IA went to Jefferson to check out our place. He said it was eerie driving through the streets with no lights. The power is back on now. Many of our friends had damage of one kind or another.

Greene County is included in the disaster taking place in Iowa. 43 counties are in the disaster area. Iowa has 99 counties in all.

After our walk

 We noticed that the cabbage was being harvested on the east side of the golf course. I heard by the grapevine if you happen to be by there when they are close to the fence they might offer you a free cabbage. We walked around the course but they were too far away and it takes them quite a while to do one run of the field.

So I went back after we finished our walk and took a few photos.

Guy on bike

Harvest supervisor

Winter Gardens Golf Course

Cabbage headed to the market

Winter Gardens Golf Course

The rowdy crew in the pool

Sunny South Texas

 The weather is staying pretty consistent so far. We have had a couple days of cool (60's) weather but it is mostly daytime 80's and nighttime 60's. Last year it turned cool about this time and remained cool till mid-March. It was basically a cool winter. I am hoping for better this season.

We have friends coming down for the first time from Iowa and I hope they have a full month of good weather. Darrel and Linda M. have rented a park model for January. We are very much looking forward to sharing with them all the things we like about South Texas. The list is long and we already know we cannot hit all of them. I am hoping we can tick off the ones they would most like.

Renie and I walk every morning for an hour. We have both purchased park models lately and we cannot get possession until April. So I jokingly told her our walk has now become our daily inspection tour because we walk right by both of them on our usual route. 

Butch is headed to the Massage College for his weekly massage. I plan to stay home this time. I am giving him a list of things to pick up at H.E.B. Butch is the opposite of most guys who are sent to the grocery store. He will come home with EXACTLY what is on the list. 

We walked around the golf course this morning and there is a cabbage field on the east side of the course. They happen to be harvesting them. If you are near enough while they harvest they will throw you a cabbage. I plan to walk down and see about getting some photo's. 

Later...

Weird Winter Storm

 I am putting this link on here for the many people I know who would like to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfVshxzq5LE

Outdoor photo's

 I stopped by our new place to take some outdoor pictures that I had not done yet. Oddly enough I had not even looked at the outside. If we tick off all the things one would want in a park model in South Texas this place has them all. Metal roof, hardly any grass, shade shutters, large protected deck, storage room, washer and dryer, propane furnace, central AC, covered carport, and golf cart parking. We did not have to cave on even one of our wants for this one.

It's Official

 We have purchased a park model in Trophy Gardens. Lot #670. We will not have possession until April 1st but that is okay. We have our home called a MoHo. We are entertaining the idea of selling it. The logistics of all this are a bit mindboggling at times. I know it will all shake out as it should. It always does. I have a few pictures of our new place. We are excited and pleased with our choice. There will be more pictures in the days to come. We do not want to be a pest to the current resident.

Turning on that Brooker charm...😀This is the deck.

The kitchen

Living room

Bedroom 

Bedroom too

Utility room

Description: Park model with large deck, washer, dryer, 1 bedroom, step-in shower, carport, metal roof, room for golf cart parking.

And now for a laugh...