Happy Thanksgiving

We just got home from spending the day with family, friends, food and football. Good combination. I hope that everyone had a safe and happy day today. Our lives overflow with Blessings.
Joey and I moved from our little piece of paradise in Seguin (river, green, trees, nature... need I say more?) and moved down here to Aransas Pass and we are staying at the Red Fish Bay RV Park . The owners are really nice and helpful and the park is clean, roomy and very reasonably priced. Not their fault that it is missing trees, shade, anything pretty to look at, etc. Ok, so I've gotten spoiled. It was just so nice to be able to look out our window at the river flowing by and all the prettys that the hill country of Texas has to offer.
Have pictures from our stay there to share:

This was our front yard view in Seguin at the River Shade RV Park

Potter's Creek @ Canyon Lake I went tent camping with Marissa, Adam and Ashlyn

(Joey and Sadie stayed home where it was warm and cozy...HA)

Had to make a trip to the pumpkin patch with Ashlyn

The Holidays can be tough sometimes as we are reminded of all our loved ones that have gone on before us. One of the things that became clear to me is that our family traditions can help to keep the memories alive. They are missed, but certainly not forgotten.

Be Blessed!

Been Busy

     Have had a lot of health issues that I've been trying to shake lately. This past week has seemed to be an improvement though. Here's hoping this is a new trend...
     We haven't been able to get out near as much as we would like to since we've been here in Seguin. There are several areas we would like to see more of so we are planning on coming back. River-shade is a great park and is certainly on our return list.
     We did take a little drive over to the Canyon Lake area last week. We wanted to see what kind of camping they had available. We wandered around the west side of the lake on many winding roads. There were deer in almost every yard! How cool!

     On Friday we started the day with the local Guadalupe County Fair parade downtown Seguin. Kiddos didn't have school that day so we got to have Ashlyn and Marissa with us.

Joey and I with Ashlyn and one of her friends

     After we watched the parade we went over to explore the Heritage Museum. It was an interesting place, but as we have seen so many times, museums just don't get the funding or help that they need to provide the ultimate experience. There is a lot of great history in this area to explore. Then we were off to lunch and home for a little rest before we went out to the Guadalupe County Fair and Rodeo that night.

This was a great little petting zoo. Lots of variety.

I'll try to get back on here soon to share the plans we have for when we leave this area.

Be Blessed and Thanks for stopping by!

     

On The Mend, Or Am I?

     I've pretty much gotten over the bronchitis, but I'm still having issues with a sore throat. Heading back to the Dr on Tuesday, which means a road trip back to Corpus Christi. Having health issues while on the road isn't fun, although my pcp has a wonderful internet site where I can contact them with questions or concerns and they get right back to me. It also lists all my meds, vitals, visits, appts, etc. Cool Beans!
     We got all moved up to Sequin, Texas on the 8th, and we're staying at River Shade RV Park. We are renting by the month here, so that helps the budget considerably. We are loving all the green, trees and water. Makes our walks with Sadie such a pleasure We are usually begging Her to go out...lol.

The view from our front yard of the Guadalupe River.

     Honeyman has cast a few lines, but there seem to be a lot of snags close to shore/dock here. Think we'll try a little further down the bank. The river runs about 30 ft in the center, and several folks have stated they've caught some pretty decent catfish. We'll see... Have seen a lot of inflatable kayaks and canoes on the river. It seems this part of the river is some sort of river trail? (Now where could we stash an inflatable and life vests...hmmmm)

     This campground is everything we had hoped for. Close to the kids, yet it's like real camping. So many of the rv parks we have checked out are just a place to park the rig. This place is actually somewhere that I would consider staying at long term. Many of the folks we've talked to here do just that, but there are a lot of oil rig workers and weekenders too. I would seriously recommend checking out the sites in person Before choosing one. We are in site #39 (awesome!!!), but there are many that don't have any view and could be a real pain for larger rigs. People in the office have been great and the rates are amazing considering what we have here. Lots of critters to watch. I've spotted several different bird species that I'll go into later, and the lightening bug show in the grassy areas that you can see in the above picture are covered with twinkling lights in the evenings. As a NorthWestern girl it still fascinates me to watch those little glow bugs glow.

     Granddaughter Ashlyn came and spent the night last night with us. It is wonderful to be staying so close to them. Marissa comes over for coffee some mornings after she gets Ash off to school and they were able to come over and grill some hotdogs Friday night. It's wonderful to have the ability to travel to be near family for extended visits without having to be "guests".

What I Just Read:

"Buyer's Remorse-A Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery" by Traci Tyne Hilton (it was ok... not great. obviously a series, but enough background given to explain the inner-workings. wouldn't bother with any more of her writings though. came off as quite amateurish)

"From A Distance" by Tamera Alexander (Holy Cow! where has this lady been hiding??? Loved it! Tight, well written, full characters, action packed, historical Christian fiction with a bit of romance (not overdone like too many) set in post Civil War era Colorado. Highly recommend this one. I'll be combing the second-hand bookstores for her stuff for sure.this one was a freebie on kindle.) 

What I'm Reading Now:

nothing at the moment... will keep you posted. I better be good and get some other stuff done...hehe

What's On My Needles:

Just finished another charity hat, and have one sock left to go of the pair that I was working on last posting. Hard not to start another project though because I don't like the yarn, but need to just finish it and be done with it.

Quote Of The Day:

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

And we never even know we have the key"

Lyrics from Already Gone performed by the Eagles

Be Blessed and Thanks for stopping by

Being Sick Sucks

     Have been having a lot of chest congestion and overall feeling yucky so went off to Dr Tuesday. Bronchitis in a big way, but no pneumonia (yes more x-rays. Daughter Lenae made a comment that I'm probably going to start glowing in the dark soon :). He reminded me that I need to stay on top of these things, and not let it get this far before coming by to see him. My immune system is certainly not what it used to be since I started on this chemotherapy for the RA. It's funny though how I don't realize just how sick I've been until I start to feel better. Such is the case this time. I'm only 3 days into the antibiotics and feeling oh, so much better.

     On a brighter note though, I'm having a lot less inflammation in my hips and hands. I have no idea why for sure. I know that the rheumatologist started me on a low dose of prednisone on my last visit. But I've also made several other changes in my eating habits like little-to-no processed foods, less sodium, very little sugar, only healthy fats. I've also increased my flaxseed oil and D3. All the things we know to be good for us, but too often don't bother to change until we are faced with dis-ease. Whatever it is, is working. Less inflammation = less pain, and I'm all for that.

     We will be pulling out of The Hitching Post RV Park tomorrow morning. This is certainly a no frills place, but it has served our purpose and the owner Susan is a Sweetheart. We have reservations for River Shade RV Park in Sequin, Texas. Quite a few more amenities, but best of all it's just down the road from our youngest daughter Marissa, her Honeyman Adam and our granddaughter Ashlyn. I"ll probably be posting lots of pictures of the Guadalupe River, Green Grass and Real Trees...lol. If you've ever spent any time here in South Texas you know what I'm talking about. The hill country is so much prettier and I'm ready for some eye candy. I've gone through some major scenery withdrawals by coming down here from Northwest Washington. This severe drought hasn't helped either.

What I Just Finished Reading:

"Thicker Than Water-A Leo Waterman Mystery" by G.M. Ford ( had a few issues with his bouncing around at the beginning, but quickly settled into a tight, fast-paced, page turner with sprinkles of clever phrases and wit.)

"Elisha's Bones" by Don Hoesel (another fast paced mystery. reminded me a lot of Dan Brown's books, esp the DaVinci Code, but a good read nonetheless.)

"Findings" by Mary Anna Evans (another Faye Longchamp Archaeologist mystery in her series. I read this one out of sequence, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Always a good read. This was Book #4 of 7)

What I'm Reading Now:

"In The Blood" by Steve Robinson (another mystery, but this one is about genealogy. so far so good. I'll let you know)

What's On My Needles:

Another pair of socks. I've been horribly spoiled with that good yarn I just used on the last couple pairs. Had some other yarn that needed to get used up though so I"m just getting it behind me. I hate feeling that way about my knitting. I think I'll do a few more charity hats when I'm finished with this pair. I've gotten behind a bit on my 52 hats in a year goal. Hard to think of warm hats for the homeless when it's in the 100's here, but I'll just turn up the AC, pour myself some hot tea and "get-er-dun".

Quote For The Day:

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi

Be Blessed and Thank You for stopping by!

Keeping Busy

     Lot's of changes in my dealing with my medical condition. I am working on being more proactive. Not an easy thing to do. I have been doing some serious reading regarding a more natural approach to dealing with rheumatoid arthritis. There is a lot of information out there, and everyone seems to have "the answer". Finding that, as with most things, there seems to be a bit of truth in everything. Some of the concepts keep coming up repeatedly though: Cutting out (or greatly reducing) sugar, caffeine, nicotine, salt, processed foods, food additives, red meats, and fat. Wow!

     Most of the success stories I've read are coming from people that have adopted a mostly Vegan type eating program with a regular exercise routine. Makes sense, but change never comes easily. All I know is that I have come to the point where I don't want to live my life dependent on a bunch of medicine (that may or may not be that great for me) and seeing no relief from the chronic pain I deal with daily while watching my body fall apart. I have too much to do and way too much to live for. We have been making changes slowly, but I'm at the point now where I need to really step things up and see if any of this stuff will help. I'm doubting that Honeyman will ever give up his Dr Pepper or white sugar, but I can do what I need to do for me, and maybe he'll follow along kicking and screaming...lol

      A funny on him that I just have to share: We had just finished our breakfast of a multi-grain hot cereal with flax. Mine had some blueberries while his had a generous sprinkle of white sugar (hey, it's a process). He made a comment about that not being our usual oatmeal which he prefers... then took a big swig of Dr Pepper to clear the taste from his mouth! I love this guy!!!

     So I'm trying to get things set up here in the 5er to make it more comfy and organized for full-time living, and to get ready for our move to Seguin next week. When I'm not moving too well I'm sitting and knitting or reading.

This picture does not do this pair justice! They are made with a wonderful 100% Merino wool with just a little stretch. Feel awesome, and the best part was the yarn was a gift!

Certainly not my usual color choice, but this was some amazing yarn that was also a gift. I had never used any knitpicks yarn before, but I certainly will in the future! Another 100% Merino wool so am adding some reinforcement yarn for the heels and toes for added strength and wear. I can't believe how reasonable their prices are for such a great quality yarn. I highly recommend it for anyone out there that likes fiber. They have online shopping and a paper catalog you can order at their website.

What I Just Finished Reading:

"Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (wonderful insight into healthy eating and all the whys along with his book "Fasting and Eating for Health - A Medical Doctor's Program For conquering Disease". Good Stuff!)

"The Ghosts of Varner Creek" by Michael Weems (Good mystery/ghost story, well written, fast read)

What I'm Reading Now:

"Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles" by Kathleen Turner (Interesting autobiography showing a strong survivor, and how she has dealt with living with rheumatoid arthritis. I'm looking for inspiration and she gives it in spades with some colorful language)

What's on My Needles:

Socks, Socks, Socks.... but I'm thinking a lacy shawl or a new sweater are in my future now that I've been drooling over the yarns at knitpicks

Quote For The Day:

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." Helen Keller

The Search is On

     The search is on for a winter home. We have heard so much about all the places around here in South Texas near the coast being all booked for the winter months, so we are being pro-active and looking for something sweet now (and it still might be too late for some spots...sigh). We really like the Rockport, Texas area. Has a nice hippy/artsy feel and is located on the water (fishing-Yes!). They have lots of activities there that I'm interested in and if Honeyman has his fishing and tv he's all good...lol. So we spent the day today hunting. A few absolute "NO"s, but several maybes. Found one we both agreed would meet our needs and it's only $305 for winter monthly rate plus electric. I'll call them tomorrow when the office is open to see what kind of openings they have for November-Februaryish.

Took a few pictures of the Rockport area while we were there today.

The brown pelicans on this dock blend right in

A lot of jellyfish and crab in this breakwater area

A few of the delightful statues they have near the waterfront

(Sorry Judy, but I just had to borrow your clever idea when I saw this picture...lol)

The End

Breathe In, Breathe Out

     Technology can be our friend or our worst enemy. We recently purchased our Broadband2Go so that we can have our own wireless service wherever we go (pretty much) at 3-4G. First it worked on the netbook, but not on the laptop. Now it's working on the laptop, but not the netbook! Has worked fine on the kindle the whole time. I'm thinking that it's a Windows 7 issue because when I allowed the upgrades that's when it stopped working. Tech support sucks no matter where I get it from (and that's IF I can understand them). I'm just not very techno-savvy. I use the analogy that technology for me is like driving a car. I have no understanding of how it works or why, but I am a great driver. I know the basic maintenance procedures and how to navigate my way around, but just don't ask me to fix anything unless you want to lead me through each little step. I thought the whole idea of technology was to make our lives easier...sigh.

So when I need to get back to simple I pull out the knitting.

Simple Socks on the needles... ahhhh

Feeling better already!

Be Blessed!