Three dry weeks then 3 posts in one day!

Just wanted to show you my summer projects. In between the dozens of things that have kept us on the go since spring, I've been stocking my bins of completed crochet projects. I used to be the hat lady but have found that, since I've finally found the patience to read patterns, I can make doilies and garments. ITS SO COOL! hee hee hee

Me thinks thou dost protest too much ......

For the last three months I've been heard expressing my disdain for gardening. Its too hot, there are too many bugs, I hate to bend over ...... yadda, yadda, yadda ...... canning is hot, messy work ...... on and on.

So, this week I've been witnessed, on several occasions, harvesting said vegetables from Dad's garden. I've brought up cherry tomatoes, scalloped squash, zucchini and onions. I've experimented with several different combinations of ingredients and served several pans full of fresh veggie stir fry. I do my best not to overcook it but don't always succeed. I'm of the opinion that nearly everyone overcooks veggies. They lose color, texture and taste the longer you cook them. When it comes to the little cherry tomatoes I don't even cook them at all. I wait till I've shut off the gas burner and stir them in right before I serve the dish. Its amazing how far they go, some shedding their skin even, without spending any time over a burner.

I deduce I was inspired to try dishes with scalloped squash after Dad served us a "comfort food" that he made for us as kids. Dad fried bacon ends, added chopped onions and scalloped squash, cooked it till the squash became opaque and then poured beaten eggs over the mixture and made a big scramble. The taste is unique and AWESOME!

I've attempted my own lazy style of food preservation. We'll see how well it works. I don't foresee having the ambition or necessary commitment to learn the fine art of canning but I have been known to buy freezer bags in bulk. I've frozen chopped carrots with great success, rhubarb with limited success and have now attempted onions and cherry tomatoes. Later today I might throw some scalloped squash in the freezer for future experimentation. ;-)

This week Bubba and I experienced estate auctions for the first time, with Mom & Dad. We watched and learned and came home with several little treasures for VERY little money. We've decided this will be the method of furnishing our next home and we are really looking forward to it. It looks to be the perfect place to find some items to resell too and I look forward to doing that after we settle.

Today Dad & Bubba are headed off to an antique tractor event. I'm planning to help Mom with her latest Nestle sewing order this afternoon and finish digging through our little treasures from the auctions.

To illustrate how well the last auction went for us; Dad bought a big entertainment center with a 27 inch Sylvania TV and VCR for $20 ...... total. The TV & VCR are like new. I ended up with three big baskets full of yarn for under $10 and a pile of towels, place mats and three down filled pillows for a buck. I sort through the piles of bedding and such and will be taking a load to Good Will before we leave. We have to practice living with just what we need and use to retain that good feeling even after we move out of the RV.

I better get busy. I still need to run through the shower and get next door to cut with Mom. Deb is coming down this weekend and I look forward to spending a little time with her again too. She's bringing Jon with her; he flew home for a quick visit and will be driving his car back to Ft. Bragg. Before she heads home to Minnesota we plan to sit down with Mom and go through her cedar chest. It should be fun! One of the legs on the chest needs fixed and we need to move it so we plan to empty it first.

There I go again...........

More later

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Can you believe how long its been since I've posted again?? Good grief Charlie Brown; how could this be? I've noticed that when we're in Iowa I seldom blog because I'm buried in other projects and when we're away I blog consistently because it becomes part of my routine.

Anywho ............ since I last posted we thoroughly enjoyed the Galen & Erma Smith family reunion in Clarksville. At one point, outside the clubhouse at the park, there were more adults in the frisbee circle than kids.

We spent 5 days in Amana, cutting our commute to the VA from 2 1/2 hours one way to 30 minutes. We shopped the awesome shops and meat market and laughed through CLUE, the musical at the Old Creamery Theater. Dad cooked some awesome brats over a real wood fire while Bubba and I enjoyed the first full hook up RV Park with amenities this summer.

This week it prep time for my sister & brother in law's move to Minnesota. Mom & I spent the last two days with Deb, cleaning out the attic and hauling things to storage. We'll be back later and picking up the U-Haul Monday. We'll all be heading North either Tuesday or Wednesday to Emily.
Bubba's all excited today. We're picking up his truck at the shop. He's felt so lost without it the past couple days. Among other maintenance and prep work he had an air ride system installed. We put an air ride type hitch pin on the trailer too so our voyage down the interstates and back roads of America ought to be very comfortable now. We discovered as we toured the highways of Iowa this summer that our heavy duty, no frills truck pulling the 5th wheel offered a very choppy and jerky ride.

We think we're still on target to pull out of Iowa by the first or second week of September. We will make a trip to Vegas first, in the car, to reunite with Bubba's brother and walk down memory lane with some of the pieces their father passed on to the boys. I'm a bit anxious and very excited about meeting a member of his family for the very first time. It should be absolutely grand!

When we head out we will be heading South first. We want to spend a month or so in Arkansas at Rene and Cecilia's park; the same place we spent last winter. We plan to go East to visit Sheila & Ed in North Carolina, then make our way back West, pausing occasionally along the way, and stopping in Central Texas. We're interested in Central Texas as a home and want to spend enough time there to really check it out. By then we'll know if we're ready to continue on to the West coast or if we're ready to put down roots and get busy with our hobby goods business. I look forward to telling you all about what the Bubba's Girl Born Again Boutique will offer. ;-) (You have to have a goal)

Now I feel as if I've vented pretty well and need to move on to the projects of the day. Not sure what all it will entail but believe it will again be busy. Mom's room rearranging projects haven't been completed yet and a couple loads of Goodwill stuff is still hanging out in the garage so I'm sure I'll be busy.

More later .......

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

What have I been doing?

Its another Sunday morning in Iowa and on this Sunday morning we're again prepping for a family reunion. Mom & Dad volunteered to host two reunions this year and since we're here, we're helping. At this moment I'm sitting in front of my computer in my jammies and I'm pretty sure Mom is next door spinning like a top. She and Dad have prepared a meal for a passle of people and we're taking it to the South side of Heery Woods State Park in Clarksville.

I imagine sitting at a table in the clubhouse and being asked, at least once, what I've been doing these past few months in Iowa. I've been pondering that this morning trying to figure out what I have been doing ......... feeling so busy.

I've been crocheting quite a bit. After finishing my first thread doily I've been driven to make baby things; dresses, sweaters, capes and such. Seems a good way to use up small batches of yarn and still stay within my criteria of nearly immediate gratification.

I've been making and keeping appointments ....... fixing vehicles, getting new glasses, annual doctor appointments at the VA, etc ...

I made a trip to Georgia with my sister and brother in law and we're planning a trip to Vegas next month to Bubba's brother's. Really looking forward to that one.

We've been thinking about our trip around the country, deciding which places are high on the priority list and which we may pass on to conserve cash.

We've accomplished becoming debt free and have invested our nest egg which will open the doors to our dream home project in the future. And we've been constantly scanning the internet for interesting properties we want to visit and think about making home.

Each Wednesday and Sunday, when there isn't a family reunion or get together, we're at church. Once a month on Saturday we're up at 4:30 and helping with Angel Food Ministries distribution. The church continues to be an amazing source of love and sharing for the two of us.

I've ranted long enough. Its time for me to run through the shower and get ready for this gorgeous day. It may rain but we're gonna enjoy our time with the Smith clan none the less.

Thanks to all who meander through my rantings every now and then, especially you Sheila girl, and may God continue to bless us all.

More later ...........

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

Something new again

This is my first experience accessing the internet on a mobile device. I'm sitting on the apron at RV Revive while they install a new electrical connection to our air conditioning unit.

Last week we signed up for Verizon mobile internet. I had attempted to access it at home but the service in the trailer and in that spot wasn't good. I tried it at Beed's Lake State Park while we were camping but the coverage wasn't good there in the woods either. Right here we're about 3/4 a mile West of the Waterloo airport and the service is grand. Woo Hoo!

Yesterday we went to Clarksville for the annual Hunter family reunion. Hunter is my maternal grandmother's family. Grandma was there too and very proud that she was able to drive to the reunion at age 92. Of course, this was with special permission from Mom because they have an agreement limiting Grandma's driving. ;-) Grandma Kingery is the matriarch of the family and the only living member of her generation on that side of my family. She is a force to reckon with and always has been. (grinning)

Next weekend is the Smith family reunion, also in Clarksville, and I'm pretty excited about that one too. It is a recently established reunion; only the families of my paternal grandparents. I have a feeling, as long as they keep these to reunions this close together, we will be spending a couple weeks each summer in Iowa. We will likely be spending at week or more for Christmas too, depending on the weather.

Well, I better sign off for now. They're finishing up on the 5th wheel and its back to the folks to set up and get back to other projects. On the 28th we're headed to the Amana Colonies for 5 days. Bubba has an appointment at the Iowa City VA on the 29th and it will be quick and easy to run over from the Amana's rather than from home. On August 8th we're helping Mom babysit my niece's three kids and likely going to city wide garage sales on the 9th.

We still have a few things on our 'to do list' to accomplish before we get ready to roll again. Planning on hitting the road just after Labor Day.

More later ............

PRAY OFTEN
LIVE WELL
LAUGH OFTEN
LOVE MUCH

For the love of Mijo

This morning, when I got up, I became Mommy again. Mijo didn't follow me down the little steps and off the bed. He laid there and stared at me. I scratched his ears and encouraged him and he made it to the top step. He attempted the second step but couldn't do it. I could hear the labored sigh that tells me he hurts and he started to shake. I lifted him to the floor where he sat down, continued to quiver and stare at me. I ran my hands over his body searching for evidence of what was bothering him. His back felt fine and he didn't wince as I massaged him. He didn't have any new bumps or marks but his abdomen was hard as a rock. When I pushed on it the loud sigh told me it hurt. I carried him down to my chair and sat him next to Bubba while I ran to get dressed. Bubba got the phone number for our vet and I called them as we loaded Mijo in the truck.

Thank God the vet was right there and could bring us in immediately. He checked him over thoroughly and asked us lots of questions. He told us that, just as we know, animals are like people. Sometimes they strain themselves and it doesn't become evident till the next day. Sometimes they just experience pain for no reason and need a little help to feel better. He expressed his glands and confirmed that his bowels were very full. He confirmed that his abdomen was rigid, especially the muscles. Because his vital signs and other physical signs were good he gave us a pain med for 5 days and asked us to keep a close eye on him. If his symptoms change or return we should call and bring him right back in. He didn't feel we needed to continue on with costly tests unless this didn't work and I appreciate that.

We've deduced that Mijo & Corky's game of 'I'm gonna empty your dish' got a little out of hand last night. Mom put a double helping of cereal in Corky's dish last night because we were over watching a movie and we assumed they would share it. Mijo took it upon himself to single handedly empty the dish. We thought nothing of it till we were on our way to the vet this morning. I guess we need to keep a closer eye on his chow.

It may seem a bit overboard to run to the vet for a bad tummy ache, but you don't always know for sure and its better to be safe than sorry. Our little man means the world to us and will always be treated with the love of a child.

More later ...

An Angel Says:
... the best form of spiritual exercise is to touch the floor regularly with your knees.