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!

White Towels and Junk Stores

We moved the 5er Wednesday to the Hitching Post RV Park in Sinton, Texas. Everything went real smooth and Susan (the owner of the park) was awesome at helping us to get settled into a nice, shady spot. Can hardly believe we actually have trees and shade here. We are right off the highway here, and there is some road noise, but not much when we are inside. With temps in the hundreds we don't spend a whole lotta time outside anyway...sigh. We did do a little driving around today to see the lay of the land. The only grocery store here is Tiny, but we have to go into Corpus Christi a couple times a week anyway for my physical therapy. Next grocery trip needs to be to Sprouts (health food store) for some needed supplements and great produce department.

My final thoughts on Seabreeze RV Park in Portland, Texas: After having stayed there for one month we got a pretty good feel for what it was like.

We didn't have any rain while we were there so the calache (sp) roads and spots were Very dusty. With the constant wind it was in the air most the time. Can't imagine what it would be like when it does rain. Read one review of the park that said it turned into a slimy, slippery mess. I can believe it.

The view down in the bay section was awesome. Wonderful walking areas and great for puppy walking. We had NO interest in moving to the "Hill" or "Valley" areas where they had some meter/monthly rate sites. Those areas are Not for larger rigs (although they do squeeze them in there). We liked the convenience of being closer to the bay, fishing, pool, laundry, and office that being in the bay area gave us.

Just like most any park there were the rule breakers. People have restricted breed dogs, some off leashes, lack of poop picker-uppers (you Know who you are...grrrrr), people drive faster than the limit... you know: the usual. All in all though it was a great experience and we'll probably stay here again in the future. Only real possible negative is the constant wind. I'll  bet it's really something in the winter months. With the high temps we've had, it was kinda nice most the time.

So the place we are at now is a no frills kinda place, but rich in history and right where we need to be. Sinton is about halfway between Corpus and family in Sandia. We are going to be checking out some of the local towns history in the next few weeks and I'll be posting some pictures and hopefully interesting stories.

Something I figured out quite by accident is that if you put a white towel under your feet the freakin' little crazy ants won't bother you when you are sitting on the patio surrounded by the buggers. At least so far it's working...

Now for the Junk Stores here in Sinton: it's the weirdest thing ever. Here it is Saturday and over half of the wonderful looking shops downtown are closed! That's right, best day of the week to go junk store shopping and the darn things are shut up tight... go figure!

What I Just Finished Reading:

I must confess: I read the entire Hunger Games Trilogy... Still processing my thoughts/feeling on this one. Dark, very Dark. Can't get past the idea that I've read so much of it before. I guess a lot of the post-apocalyptic reads follow similar themes is all.

"Crazy Days in Big Lake" by Nick Russell (Nick's done another great job with his third book in his Big Lake series. Small town with lots of drama and laughs.)

What I'm Reading Now:

"Fasting and Eating for Health-A medical Doctor's program for conquering disease" (Makes a good argument for a more healthful program based on a vegan type (with variations on a Mediterranean diet theme) in order to turn our health issues around.)

Slow Recovery

     Sorry I haven't been posting on here lately. Seems like we are both having a rough time recovering from all the stress and exertion that moving out of the house entailed. Doesn't help that we were dealing with heat indexes in the 105+ range daily. Gettin' too old for this nonsense! Like my daughter Lenae so aptly put it: "Now you don't have to worry about moving anymore, just take your house with you!"

     We have a few more odds and ends to finish up here, then we'll me heading out the 15th. Planning on going to a little hole in the wall place called the Hitching Post in Sinton, Tx for a couple weeks until we can get past my Dr's appt on the 22nd and Labor Day Weekend. By then all the kiddos should be back in school and family vacationers should be back in their sticks and bricks homes.

     We went up to Seguin to visit with Marissa, Adam and Ashlyn for a few days. Found a couple of nice campgrounds in that area on the Guadalupe River near their place. I'll be checking these out further to see if they have any openings for September. It would make a good home base for checking out that area. Central to so many of the places we'd like to explore further, and sounds like good fishing too.

Guadalupe River

     HoneyMan gave me an Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot for my birthday next week. Didn't have any problem setting it up for the Kindle Fire, but the laptop was more of a challenge. Now that I've got them both hooked up online I'll be able to blog easier and surfing the net is a breeze! Running at 54 Mbps vs the 1Mbps that the rv park here provides with their antiquated wifi system. All this technology makes my brain hurt!

     I'm feeling pretty good today, so better get busy. We have a lot to do to get ready to pull out of here next week. Still refining and rearranging to make sure we only have what we absolutely need, love, and use with us.

What I'm Reading Now:

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins Book 2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy (couldn't help following up after finishing the Hunger Games. Now I'm wondering why...hmmm)

What I Just Read:

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (mixed feelings about this book. Feels a lot like the Lois Lowry books (The Giver Trilogy, Number the Stars). Dark tales of a post apocalyptic world showing humanity at it's best vs it's worst. Scary to say the least. Several aspects of this book show shadows of history repeating itself. Well written, but very negative. Key word: Dark) 

Quote For The Day:

"A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner." English Proverb

Chapter's End

     It's been a very busy month for us as we prepare to bring this chapter of our lives to a close. We have found that endings can be very difficult, to say the least. Yesterday was a prime example of this. We had to say goodbye to our beloved family pets Boots and Mister Cat. It was a hard decision, but I let Joey make the call as they were his pets when I met him. We had other alternatives available, but he made the choice to have them both "put to sleep" as they both had numerous serious health issues and were just plain old and miserable. Boots had gotten to the point that his arthritis was causing his hips to fuse, leaving him with limited mobility and he fell over frequently while trying to navigate the porch steps. Cataracts clouded his eyes and he was getting to the point where he didn't recognize some family members anymore. Children weren't his friends like before. This wasn't good. His sweet smile was still there sometimes, but there was also a lot of pain. He was also battling heart worms. When the Vet examined him before he put him under he informed us that he could feel a large tumor in his abdomen that we weren't even aware of, and that he wouldn't have had much time left. We were truly doing him a favor by making the decision we had. We had shared 15 years of joy having this Friend in our lives. He will be missed.

     Mister Cat was not a real cat. Not by any measure that I had ever had of the feline persuasion anyway. He did not want to cuddle, he didn't like being petted (unless he was forced into it in order to be fed), and he was definitely Not interested in playing stupid mouse games. Once I was made aware of the fact that he was at Least 25 (yes, it's true!) years old I figure that he was allowed to act any way he wanted. A cranky, cantankerous old codger was his nature, but we loved him just the same. He had started to lose weight this last year and was in a lot of pain from some serious old injuries that he had sustained many years ago. Couldn't even touch his lower back without him howling and biting at you. But still...It hurt to let him go...

     Now I know that Non pet people will just shrug and say "So what's the big deal?". Ha, obviously they have no idea how attached we get to our fur-family. They are a daily part of our lives and routines, giving far more then what they receive. Their unconditional love is our comfort and joy. They lift us up when we need them most and ask for nothing in return (well maybe the occasional hot dog or piece of turkey).

     What it came down to was that we needed to do something to put an end to their misery, and it was our responsibility. We didn't want to leave this for one of the kids to deal with, although they did offer to take them in. It wouldn't have been fair to any of them. They were our pets and it was getting to the point where they were both miserable and in pain the majority of the time. I've been put in this position twice before in my life. Doesn't get any easier as time goes by. We are struggling with the loss, but we do still have our Sadie and she will be traveling those open highways along with us. She is our comfort and joy. Another chapter comes to a close.

     Today is the last day at the house. We will finish clearing and cleaning, then hand over the keys. With all of the physical limitations that Joey and I both have this has been a real trial. Thank God that Joey's migraines have been few lately and that my body has held up as well as it has while we have been making this huge transition. The trailer is pretty much loaded, some things left in a storage unit (to be downsized in the near future) and huge amounts of our worldly goods have found their way into other people's homes.

     Don't know how much longer we will stay here at Seabreeze RV in Portland. The constant wind (no such thing as "breeze" here) is wearing on me. It's frustrating that Joey can't even go fishing with the water so close because of the wind. The horrible wifi service here (1 Mbps... really?) will soon be a non-issue as I'm going to invest in our own mifi this week. Don't like being dependent on rv parks for our internet access. We still need to stay in the area for a couple more weeks, but the world is our oyster, right? Who knows where the wind will blow us next...haha

Be Blessed and Thank You for sharing our lives...

From Treasures to Trash

     We managed to live through the final yard sale, but not without the help of our wonderful kids. Marissa and Adam really jumped in and made it happen. Lenae came over and helped during her break at work for a few hours. Katie helped keep the grand kids out of our hair so it was truly a family affair. I was certainly not at my best as Saturday is my "shot" day. I always feel off my mark on those days as the medicine makes it's way through my body. My recliner and knitting inside the air conditioned trailer were calling my name...Loud! Not going to happen though. My mantra went something like: Just a few more hours, just a few more hours, just a few more hours...

     Lessons were learned though. I learned that Stuff is just that: Stuff. I watched as my "treasures" were sold off at paltry sums while people were willing to pay top dollar for my trash...literally. I even had one Lady ask to buy our stained up, nasty rubbermaid trash can (it even had trash in it! although I did take that out before she hauled her new treasure away..lol). It was difficult to release so many things, but I kept focused on our Dream. We are starting a new life of Simplicity and Essential living. We had separated out what would fit in our plan, and had to let  go of the rest of the non-essential. By the end of the day we just wanted everything Gone! Hauled off what didn't sell to the secondhand donation site and Let It Go. Then came home and collapsed. Certainly didn't help that the temps were well into the 90's, but we met our financial goal and our "just get it outta here" goal.

     Now We/I just have to finish up the odds and ends that are left over, do the final cleaning and we are out of there. 10 days left to close that chapter of our book of life, and we can move forward with a Much lighter load.

     Our campground neighbors Norm and Sonja are going to be heading back home today, and they are going to be sorely missed. It's been great having such friendly, experienced rv'ers next door to bounce ideas off and learn from. We've decided to go ahead and check for vacancies here (Seabreeze RV Park, Portland, Tx) for the winter months, at least December and January so we can be closer to the kids for the holidays. I know that reservations at these places are made (sometimes) years in advance so we need to get our name on the list. Coastal Bend fills up with snowbirds come winter time and honestly I don't blame them. Winters here are wonderful. It's the summers I have major issues with. The only problem we've had here is the poor wifi signal strength, but we will have our own connection after the first of next month so that will be a non-issue.

Our Recent Mission Statement:

Our goal is to achieve a functional atmosphere of comfort,

cleanliness and simplicity that can operate with a minimum amount of stress.

So Much To Do

     Yesterday was my last physical therapy session (at least on this prescription). I have an appointment with my rheumatologist this afternoon and see what she has to say. All I know for sure is that my pain level is through the roof right now, but I don't dare take anything or I'll just park myself in my chair with my knitting and say "s@#$w it"! Not an option at this time. Way to much to do!

Last night Joey did get away for a little bit to try out that fishing dock here at the rv park.

"I can't believe that you went fishing and left me behind!"

So much to do, but what a beautiful way to start the day...

They have had some bad grass fires down on the Padre Island National Seashore not far from here. This is the same area where they are having such great results with the re-population of the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles. We could smell a bit of the smoke in the air yesterday. I wonder how much the smoke is contributing to the lovely sunsets and sunrises we've been experiencing lately....hmmm

Thanks for stopping by!

And Away We Go...

     Sunday was a full day. We started off by having Marissa, Adam and Ashlyn over for brunch, then it was off to Sidney and Darlyne's to pick up the 5th wheel and take it to the RV park in Portland. The weather was cloudy, but we weren't too concerned until the claps of thunder started sounding off in the distance.... oh Dear! Really didn't want our maiden voyage (albeit a short one) to be on wet highways and high winds. So much for good intentions. We did get some rain once we were on the road, but it was short lived and we had dry skies for setting up at the park.

loading up and away we go

This is the view from our living room window

     We spent the rest of the evening and Monday morning settling in and getting ready to bring our essentials over from the house. Only made one trip today, but there will be plenty more this week and lots to do to get ready for the next/last yard sale. so much to do, so much to do......
     A little more about the Seabreeze Rv Park where we are staying in Portand, Tx. The office folks are really wonderful and bent over backwards to accommodate our arrival even though their office closes at 12 noon on Sundays. Everything has been nice and quiet and neighbors are all friendly. The fishing dock is calling Joey's name pretty loudly. Don't know how long I'll be able to hold him back...lol. The only issues I've really had so far is the wifi sucks. We will definitely be shopping for a hotspot or mifi unit in the near future. The other problem I've seen, but it hasn't really had too much affect on me "yet" is that there are many large breed dogs here and I have yet to see any of the owners clean up after them...if ya get my drift. I am surprised by the fact they don't seem to have any breed restrictions here. So many of the campgrounds do nowadays.
     Once again I feel a need to mention the horrible job that Camper Clinic did in "cleaning" our second-hand 5er. We know that it was used, but honestly, couldn't these folks (that stated that it had had a thorough detailing inside and out...HA, yeah right) have at least wiped out a drawer or cupboard? The sales and financial departments there were so awesome. We will never go to that service department! They didn't even vacuum properly or even bother to move the furniture (hence the used tissues we found under the mattress eeeewwwww), let alone clean the carpet like they were instructed to do. There were huge delays, and I guess that after days of waiting we just said "forget" it... Ok... I'll get off the soapbox now. Just set us back some time and a little elbow grease, but knowing me I probably would have cleaned it all over again anyway before we put any of our belongings away.
     Don't know how blogging or even emails are going to go out on this internet service, but will give it my best shot.
Be Blessed. I sure know we are!

Down To The Wire

We are moving into the 5th wheel tomorrow! Only 17 days until we have to be completely out of the house, but who's counting, right? There is just so much to do between now and then! So many little (and big) details and odds and ends to attend to. (and the list continues to grow ie "Oh, by the way, did you happen to notice that Sadie's tags have expired? Hmmm, guess we should probably take her in for her shots." or one of my favorites: "Hey Honey, did you notice that there's still a lot to do to get ready?" Yeah, well duh....lol.

I have found that it's next to impossible to determine what exactly we might need "just in case" in the trailer. I only want to keep what we absolutely need, us, love with us, but not having lived full-time on the road before, I'm finding that that is not an easy thing to figure out. That's one of the reasons I wanted to get the trailer down here closer so that we could get stuff moved in and see just how much room we have/don't have. It sounds so much easier than it is. What exactly does a family of 2 plus dog need to live? Have been paying close attention to what we are actually using as the past few weeks have gone by. Honestly it's a very small percentage of what we own. Guess that means we have a lot of extra crap ahhh stuff. Lots of goodies for the upcoming/final yard sale. Everything that doesn't fit nicely in the 5th wheel, or the precious few treasures we will be storing, is going to be up for sale before we leave here. Have sold a lot through Craigslist, but there is so much more!

Joey is really getting into the planning/research aspect of our new life. He has been pouring over the websites and RV directories to find the perfect place to park. Our current plan is that we will stay in Portland, Texas until the middle of August, then we are going to move north to the Seguin area. We have found several up there that are looking great (good fishing, pet friendly, trees, reasonably priced) so we've decided to take a drive up that direction after we get out of the house completely and see where we want to go next. (As with all good RV travel plans: these are set in Jello, leaving us with plenty of wiggle room.) There are lots of local historical areas that have my vote and good fishing which interests both of us. Sounds like so much fun! Our adventure is taking off. Stay tuned for more news as we make our transition.

Thanks for stopping by.

Treasures

     Found a great organizer for my jewelry for the trailer. It had a double bonus in that it houses most (not my post earrings...sigh, but that's going to be another project) of my jewelry And it will display some of my other treasures ie family pictures. Marissa was going to sell this at her yard sale yesterday, but I grabbed it up before someone else did. She insisted that I pay almost the entire amount that she was asking for it... It was only today that Joey and I remembered that she still owes that exact amount. Hmmm gonna have to have a talk with that girl!
     Anyway this is the project of the day:

This is with the pictures added. I think it will hang nicely on the bedroom wall in the trailer. Will probably use command hooks and velcro fasteners to keep it from moving around on the wall and hold secure while we are traveling.

This is the inside. Such a cool idea, huh?

This is the pile of stuff that needs a home. The ice trays have worked pretty well to keep the earrings separate, but take up a lot of room that we just won't have in the trailer.  

This is the finished product. I'm very happy with the result.

Just need to get creative with the post earrings now. 

I'm off to find another project to do. The day is still young. I have a pile of broken dishes waiting for me. You won't believe what I'm going to do with them...lol

Quote For The Day:

"My mind is my garden, 

My thoughts are the seeds,

I can harvest flowers

             or

I can harvest weeds." Elaine M. Smith

Bedframes and Fishies

     Time is passing quickly now. Craigslist is an amazing thing. Our 4th was very profitable. A nice lady bought our bed frame at almost our asking price and a young couple with an adorable little boy purchased our aquarium with fish last night. I loved both these items dearly, but it's a great feeling to know that we are helping others achieve the desires of their hearts while liquidating our cash for the fulfillment of Our dreams. It still "gets" me that a person will never come close to getting back what they pay for an item. Ouch! Just have to look at the depreciation as our having paid for the use of the items for X amount of time. There is pleasure in watching these people that have come into our lives as their eyes light up, and the excitement fills them. The little boy (3ish) was an excellent example of this. He caught sight of the "fishies" and couldn't break away from them. Brought back such awesome memories of when the grand kids were little and their little faces (and hands) would be glued to the side of the fish tank. And to think I used to complain about washing all those kid slobbers off the glass... HA.

     We went to check out Seabreeze RV Park in Portland, Texas this morning for our holding place while we make the transfer from the sticks and bricks to the rv. The owners are friends of the in-laws, so of course we had to check it out. We're thinking this will do the trick just fine. It's on the bay, fishing pier, dog friendly, nice pool, laundry, everything looks clean and a generous pull through space with grassy area and picnic table. 50 amp full hook-ups, wifi and all for $200 per week. It wasn't one of those slab of concrete boring parks that so many flock to. Finding that's probably not really our style. For a quick over-nighter, maybe, but this place was more comfortable and friendly feeling. Not bad and still close enough to Corpus to be near the family and place we are moving out of. The other place we were looking at is right in town and doesn't have near as much to offer (except of course the lovely view of a cemetery next door....lol), and charges more for the convenience of being in town. Might be important for some, but we like being in nature. Seems like that's one of the main reasons for this change... getting back to nature.

     The next big project I have to focus on (besides putting more items on Craigslist and getting ready for another yard sale) is all my paperwork. Have several boxes of paperwork/stuff/to shred items that I've been putting off. Getting my files down to a manageable size is not something I want to face, but I must. Now! Times a tickin'.

Books I Just Read:

"Floodgates: A Faye Longchamp Mystery" by Mary Anna Evans (ok, I know I said I wasn't going to read anymore books right now, but darn it....I'm weak. Wasn't as impressed with this one of hers though. Murder mystery/adventure set in aftermath Katrina New Orleans. Maybe I'm just getting burned out on her series, but I felt this one just didn't have the depth in her characters or story line that she had in her previous books.)

Quotes For The Day:

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:20 (I Know where my true treasures are!)

Video For The Day:
George Carlin talks about "Stuff" (Brilliant mind...considered offensive by some, but darn funny!)

Daddy's Home!

     Daddy Smith got home from the hospital today. He will need lots of help, but at least he's home now.

     Having an allover rough day today. A lot of pain and no energy at all. The fatigue aspect of my disease rears it's ugly head at the most inopportune times... well that would pretty much be anytime at all now wouldn't it? Frustrating knowing that there is so much to do here and honestly I'm not up to it... today anyway. I'm thinking tomorrow is another day though, and I will push through. I know in my heart that God will lead me through this, and I will be a stronger person on the other side of this. While life is driving me to my knees I might as well say some more prayers while I'm down there, right?

     Thank You for stopping by and sharing in our story. Friends and Family are a huge Blessing and strength.

Quotes Of The Day:


Seek the Lord and His strength; seek his presence continually!  1 Chronicles 16:11

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Digging Up Bones

     Genealogy is way too much fun! (for me anyway) I find myself following up on leads and going off on tangents that eat up all my time. I have been working on a friend's family tree, and before I know it the hours have flown by. It would help if she didn't have such interesting characters in her family. You know you've hit gold when the people are listed on Wikipedia. I find that while zoning out with "dead people" I'm not as aware of my physical "stuff". That's a good thing, but it doesn't get anything done around here to prepare for the big move. Guess I just need to bite the bullet and do it anyway.

     Need to get out to the trailer and retrieve my notebook and samples. Hobby Lobby has some fabric that I think would work perfect for the headboard and curtains in the bedroom. Just need my samples to make sure of the color match. Have a 40% off coupon that is begging to be used.

     Daddy Smith is scheduled to come home from the hospital tomorrow. He still has a lot of issues that need to be resolved, but if they can get a provider to come into the home that should be enough...I guess. Like Mae West used to say "Gettin' old ain't for sissies!" She knew what she was talking about.

Not Reading Any Books Right Now

Quotes For The Day:


"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."   Benjamin Franklin

"When you are through changing, you are through."   Bruce Barton

On a More Positive Note

     That last post was quite a downer, so I'm re-focusing on the positive. Sometimes it takes a bit of an adjustment when life has been handing me so much to deal with all at once. Like they say "When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in the enemies eyes and run like Hell"....lol.

     Got our mailbox today at the Mail Center USA here in Corpus Christi. They are able to give me a local address and forward our mail to us when we are traveling. At $6.00 a month plus postage for forwards I'm thinking this is a reasonable way to go and the Ladies that work there are amazing. We've been mailing packages there for years so it's nice to be able to continue working with the same people. We will have our voting and driver license address at the brother-in-law's in Sandia. One more thing to check off the list!

     Picked up a box of old issues of Texas Highways and Arizona Highways magazine yesterday at a thrift store for $3. Going thru them and snagging ideas for our "Bucket Book". I'm putting together a 3 ring binder with ideas for the places and things that Joey and I would like to see. Major focus right now is the Texas area (Lord knows that could take years just by itself..ha), then branching out from there. 

     Need to stop reading books and sort more paperwork "stuff". Have to have all my little ducks in a row come moving day, but the allure of those hours of escape call their siren song...sigh. Kindle Fire is currently my enemy, well except for my word with friends, and reading a few special blogs, and checking facebook, and, and, and....hehe

Books I'm Reading:
 None Right Now....!

Books I Just Read:
"Effigies: A Faye Longchamp Mystery" by Mary Anna Evans (Another interesting murder mystery with colorful characters and all the twists and turns I love)

Quotes For The Day:
"I am driven by two main philosophies. Know more today than I knew yesterday, and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you." Nell deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium (something to strive for!)

"When you're down to nothing, God is up to something." unknown

Thanks for stopping by. Be Blessed, but more importantly Be a Blessing!

Couch Looks Inviting

     Mom and Dad Smith's apartment complex had a fire. The building right next to them is destroyed, but their's was safe. Thank You God! Got me thinking though... How horrible for all those Seniors and handicapped folks that only have social security or disability for income, with probably no renter's insurance of any kind. No way to replace their belongings or get another place to live. Many with no where to go. Several lost pets in the fire (possibly their only companion in their old age). Paints a desperate and oh so sad picture. On the plus side: there were no casualties and only a few minor injuries. A miracle in itself considering that it happened at 11:30 pm. Sooo keeping these Dear People in my prayers. Sending lots of positive thoughts and energy that direction.
     Dad Smith is recovering well from his knee replacement surgery. The physical stuff is going well, but we are concerned re his mental health. He's just not himself anymore and is confused a lot. His sense of humor and quick wit is sorely missing. Joey is at the hospital several hours each day. Sometimes they play checkers, but most times it's just to sit and watch tv together while Daddy snoozes between therapy sessions. I would love to spend more time with Daddy too, but I'm thinking that with my immune system dealing with the chemo-therapy right now it probably wouldn't be too smart to be hanging out at a hospital. Even though it is in the re-hab unit; the germs are there. Why push it?
     Experienced a minimum amount of side-effects this week when I started the shots. Just seem to be tired all the time. We'll see how it goes and I'll keep ya'll posted.
     Think we have buyers for some more of our bigger items. YES!! Don't know what we would have done without Craigslist.... it's amazing! Need to use what energy I can find to get the rest of our stuff gone through to get ready for the next yard sale. We made about $300 at the last one (not counting our big ticket items). Not bad for "stuff". Kept what was left to throw in with the next sale. So much to do and all I want to do is curl up on the couch (which is for sale too if anyone is interested...lol) and read a book. I'm really looking forward to getting things moved into the 5er I'll know just what I have left over to get rid of. Planning on moving it into town by mid July to start loading it up. Fun, Fun, Fun....!

What I'm Reading:
"Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (ok, so I still haven't really gotten a serious start on this one cuz I got sidetracked by a "new to me" murder mystery series, but I'll try to get back to this soon. ok so it just might sit on my kindle awhile longer while I explore my new fav author: Ms Evans)

What I Just Read:
"Artifacts - A Faye Longchamp Mystery" by Mary Anna Evans (#1 of 7 archaeology student sleuth series set in Florida. Good murder mystery with lots of colorful characters and twists along the way. good read. will defiantly read more from this series.)
"Relics - A Faye Longchamp Mystery" by Mary Anna Evans (#2 of 7 Ms Evans has me hooked! I love the way she paints pictures with words, develops great characters and spins a yarn well. I"ll be moving onto the next book in the series soon. These books do tend to build on each other, but I think they could be read out of sequence without much problem.)

What's On My Needles:
Just finished another hat for the Baptist Seaman's Mission. Think I'll do some pretty chemo hats next for the ladies. The colors and patterns I've been using for the men's hats are Sooooo boring! At this rate I shouldn't have any problem reaching my hat a week or 52 hats for charity in 2012 goal.

Quote For The Day:
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." Marcel Proust

"The Mad Hatter:  Have I gone mad?
Alice: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are!"

Full Days

     Lot's of medical stuff going on. Joey's Daddy had knee replacement surgery Tuesday. Pretty big deal with him being 89 years old, but he came through it like a real trooper. That man's strength is amazing. It sure made for a long day for Joey. He was up by 3:30am  to pick Mom and Daddy Smith up by 5:30 to take them to the hospital for his scheduled surgery of 8:30. As it turned out, they weren't able to do the surgery until about 2pm ish. Then Joey stayed there with his Daddy through the night to make sure everything went ok. He's been at the hospital with him the greatest part of every day since. The way he honors his parents is just one of the many reasons I love that man. Daddy Smith is recovering well and is being moved to skilled nursing area of the hospital later today. God is Good!
     I had another appointment with my Rheumatoligist Tuesday. She gave me another steroid shot in my left hip bursa. Feels so much better now, but man o man those needles hurt like the devil going in! The last time I was in to see her she had given me a pile of information to read about some of the more aggressive treatments that are available for Rheumatoid Arthritis. The one that we decided on is called Methotrexate. It is actually a drug that is used for chemo-therapy, but has shown itself to be very effective for RA. I start giving myself the injections Saturday. We'll see how that all goes and I'll keep everyone posted. We were scared that it would be horribly expensive, but with insurance (thank you God) my co-pay was only $2.92. Two Dollars and Ninety Two Cents.... !!! Now That I can deal with, huh? Amazing!
     She ordered an ultra sound of my hands and wrists for Wednesday and I'll get the results on my next follow-up appointment. They managed to pull 6 vials of blood out of my cruddy veins. They need to do some more protein splitting and develop a base line for my liver function. The chemo type meds they are giving me can have an adverse affect on my liver so need to keep a close eye on it. They'll do a retake on my next visit. She also renewed my script for more physical therapy...yippy, skippy...
     Planning Lasagna feed for Father's Day. All the kids will be home with us. Not an easy feat with the weird work schedules they all have.

What I'm Reading:
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (gotta see what all the buzz is about...lol)

What I Just Read:
"This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes" by Marilyn Berger (The story of one person making a HUGE difference in Africa esp Mother Teresa's clinic in Ethiopia. This man is truly an inspiration. We, as Americans are SO blessed. There is a place at the back of the book that tells where people can send donations where the entire amount of gift goes to help his work unlike so many "nonprofit" charities.)

"Messages" by John Michael Hileman (Christian fiction, good read, page turner, adventure story)

"To Love Anew" (Sydney Cove Series #1) by Bonnie Leon (Interesting historical Christian fiction set in early 1800's London and then Australia with focus on the prison system. Good read. More focus on story instead of romance. My interest in history is higher than vicarious romance :-) )

What's On My Needles:
Still knitting hats for the Baptist Seaman's Charity. Using up yarn AND doing some good.

Quotes of The Day:
"Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul." Democritus

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Mother Teresa

Thanks for stopping by
Be Blessed!

It's Really Real

Sold my Pfaff Serger yesterday, so now I know it's really real!

Funny how a person holds onto things. I just had to have ___ (fill in the blank) years ago for ___ (whatever reasons, again fill in the blank), but now I've found it just doesn't fit into my life/space/dream. Many of the items that are finding their way onto Craigslist were "have to have" items at one time. Used for the intended purpose then just left to sit and collect dust. Going through my cupboards for the upcoming yard sale is showing me just how many things fit that description. When I look at them with my "get real" glasses on I can see that they are of little or no purpose any longer. If I don't need it, love it, use it, then I have to lose it. We don't have room in our new home for anything that doesn't fit that criteria. Yet I find myself clinging to some things that have fulfilled or outlived their purpose many years ago. Am I hanging onto unrealized potential or dreams of what could have beens? No matter. There's always a shop somewhere that will have a replacement "whatever", if I should find I need one down the road. For now though; the cash in our pockets means a whole lot more than paying storage for useless stuff.

What I'm Reading Now:

"This Is a Soul - The Mission of Rick Hodes" by Marilyn Berger

The story of Dr. Rick Hodes and the wonderful work he's done at Mother Teresa's clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but more importantly his living example of altruism. Another inspiring instance of how one person can make a difference.

What I Just Finished Reading:

"Wild Goose Chase" by Terri Thayer

Simplistic murder mystery. (Nancy Drew grows up to be a quilter). I won't bother with this author again. Too bad, because the premise sounded great. Just not enough meat on the bones for me though.

"Letters of a Woman Homesteader" by Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Pioneer diary format through old letters. Interesting insight into the difficulties of such a life. 

Quote(s) for the Day:

"A useless life is an early death."

"All things are only transitory."

"knowing is not enough, we must apply

willing is not enough, we must do.."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It Pays to Shop Around

     As "D-Day" (as in Departure from this lifestyle) fast approaches, I find that there is a ton of stuff to do to get ready for this new life we are moving towards. One of the biggies for us was to obtain some quality, comprehensive insurance for the RV before we hit the road full-time with it. I got on the internet and started scouting the market. I read blogs of other rv'ers and lots of reviews and comparison articles. What I found was that there are a multitude of companies out there offering a huge range of prices for basically the same amount of coverage. Then I kept reading about one that seemed to stand out for the full-time lifestyle. The Good Sam Club offers an insurance coverage thru GMAC Insurance that seems to be everything we need. In fact they proceeded to amaze me with WAY more coverage on the 5-th wheel AND truck then what we currently have with Progressive with a savings of $640.00 per year. I can think of a lot of things I'd rather spend that much money on then stinky ole insurance that hopefully we will never need.

    Time seems to be rushing forward at a remarkable rate. I'm still busy with Physical Therapy 3 days a week and the recovery from it. We have Granddaughters over as much as we can, and we try to do as much as we can for Joey's parents. Time is slipping away from us though. When all this started the big day seemed to be so far out in the future, but now we realize that it's coming up fast. Only 2 months until we will need to be completely out of this house and into our trailer with a few precious treasures stowed away in a Small storage unit here in Corpus.

     My current mission is to find an rv park nearby that we can move the trailer to so that we can start getting it ready that has 50 amp hook-ups at a reasonable rate. A/C has become a necessity as we are dealing with 90+ temps daily now. It's nice to have the free parking out at the in-laws in the country, but their power outlet that we use there doesn't let us use the A/C and fans just aren't cutting it anymore. Heat is one of the things that affects Joey's migraines so we have to always take that into consideration.We'd like to be into the trailer a bit before we have to be out of the house so we have time to finish selling off the "left-overs" and clean.

     This is all SO huge! No regrets, but this is kind of scary, esp with all the health issues we both deal with. Joey's headaches have been much more frequent lately, leaving him completely incapacitated at times. The disease is progressing, and is showing us that time is steadily marching on. If we want to do these things, time is of the essence.

     Still weeding through all the belongings/trash/treasures that all seemed to be so important to me at one time. Amazing how our priorities can change in such a short period of time. While dealing with such profound health problems, we have seen that the quality of this limited time we are allotted on this earth is our true priority. Carpe Diem!

What I'm Reading:

• "The Search Committee" by Tim Owens (Christian fiction book about a church that has formed a committee to find a new Pastor. The story leads the reader through the lives of the people that appear to be searching for more than just a leader for their church. So far, so good. free on kindle)

Just Finished Reading:

• "Wrecked" by Elle Casey (a huge disappointment, but of course I had to finish reading it...lol. Blue Lagoon just about sums it up. Hormonal teenagers shipwrecked on an island... need I say more? free on kindle)
• "Montana Morning" by Sharon Flesch (Middle aged widow in Montana that finds her true calling. Some romance, but the true essence was the realization that time is too short to be living your life according to what you believe others want you to be/do. Pretty good read. free on kindle)
• "Ruby" by Lauraine Snelling (Story of overcoming obstacles, I'm seeing a theme here, set in South Dakota Pioneer times. Think I'll follow this Christian writer further. Nice story telling. free on kindle)

Quotes of the Day:

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." J.R.R. Tolkien, the Lord of the Rings

"A day dawns, quite like other days; in it, a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us." Maltbie Babcock

About the Same

     It's been forever PLUS several days since I've blogged. Seems like I don't write because I don't feel that I have anything profound to say. After having read several other blogs on a regular basis I'm starting to realize there are a whole lot of other folks out there that don't have much to say, but darn if it isn't interesting to see how other people live their lives. Social Networks have become the new soap operas of yesteryear (with maybe a little bit more reality...lol). Guess I'll just write what comes to mind and try to keep ya'll fairly current with our goings on.
     We haven't been out to the trailer near as much as we'd like to, but seems like every weekend something comes up. I have one more month of Physical Therapy, then we won't have to just plan on weekends. Have a lot of stuff to do there (and esp here) to get ready for the "big move". Would like to get all the drawers and cupboards at the trailer wiped out and put the non slip shelf liner in there before we get too carried away with stowing our gear. Need to cover the shelf for the coat closet (used to be the laundry room until we removed the W/D) with contact paper and re-install it along with the clothes rod. Probably will add some hooks and such, but will wait until I see just what is going to go in that closet. Still deciding about window coverings. The shades are really stiff and hard to use. Had a thought about using beeswax on the cords to see if that helps. Even with the night shades pulled there is still a lot of light that gets in during sunny days. Need to find a way of totally blacking out at least the bedroom for Joey when he has his headache days. Will post pictures of how this all works out.
     As for what's going on here at the house: Still trying to figure out how 2 people can accumulate so much "stuff" in only 7 years...HA. Amazing how it piles up. I need to figure out what causes this so I can stop it from taking over our trailer. It seems to be some type of insidious disease, a virus perhaps? All I know is I need to find a vaccination for the future, cuz once these boxes of items are gone I don't want the vacuum to be filled with more of the same. Have several items on Craigslist (there will be many more) and planning on at least 2 yard sales before this is over. Final "out" date is planned for the end of July when our lease is up here. By then we should have a good idea of where Mom and Dad Smith's health and living issues are at.
     That's about all I've got for now, but I'll try to keep things posted more frequently.
Thanks for stopping by... Be Blessed!