Trickling Back, RV Country and a Crocheting Afternoon

Park Place RV Park

On Monday, Jan. 15^th, I was pumped and ready for our Ladies Poker Pool. I always am, it’s a great way to spend the morning. A shower for both Bill and I came first, a walk with Gibbs and Bill left for the flying field. It was a cool morning, because maybe my hair wasn’t completely dry, I felt it more than usual and put my hood up. Wimp!

Good morning!

Today, two ladies who have been absent for…..3 weeks……….slowly began trickling back in to play pool. Nice to see them again bringing today’s players up to 7. Adele didn’t stay for the whole time but the rest of us played until noon. It was another fun time. I didn’t come near winning but that no longer matters. 😊 We parted ways at noon. Bill and I had lunch together and then drove to town.

The packaging looked pretty banged up
but inside contents were fine.

Moon Mountain Mail depot was first where I picked up a package that I’ve been waiting for. One of 3, I might add. My brother recommended this magnifying headset, giving it rave reviews for crafting, so I ordered Bill and I each a pair. 

I hope they work for us
but at $15/pair, I'm not out much.
My brother really likes them for his
model car hobby.

I think they will take a while to get used to but for my cross-stitching especially, I think I will love them! The price was right from Amazon so no complaints there. 

This cute little book will get me going, I'm pretty sure

I also received a crocheting book with 26 patterns for animal Amigurumis. I already love it just by flipping through the pages.

We parked in the temporary 'free' log
and walked across to the Class A's and 5th wheels.

Before returning home, we stopped at the ‘sign’ kiosk at the corner of Main and 95 to chat with the owner/operator of the business. We have questions about a new sign. Then we parked and took a walk through some of the new and used rv’s sitting along 95, in front of the big tent. No reason other than to ‘pick’ a favourite and chat with some of the eager beaver salesmen. They are bored right now and once they know we’re not interested in buying, they turn on the jokes. 😊

Today's favourite for me.
A 2015 Tiffin with not a bad price tag.

Fun to look at, not to own.

We settled in for the afternoon. The clubhouse was reserved for a family gathering so I got out the crochet kit for the dog. I’m not giving up and slowly but surely it is coming together No sneak peaks until I have something to show and something to be proud of. 😊 For supper, I used Madame IP to heat up yesterday’s hamburger soup and we each had some of the homemade bread/buns along with. It was good and filling.

I actually caught the sunset over by the clubhouse!

It's worth turning around to see
what the west sky is doing to the east mountains. ♥

This looked like a sundog but
the camera on my phone from such a distance
didn't do it justice.

Whatever these clouds are from,
they are photo worthy.

Today, is my firstborn grandson’s 29^th birthday. Wow! How did he get so grown up? I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. ♥ I cut the umbilical cord like a pro. (Not!) 😂 He was born on my parent’s anniversary so that is special. Taylor’s cell phone doesn’t have many minutes so we don’t chat other than on Messenger but as long as we keep in touch, that’s what is important. Happy Birthday, Tj!

Rather than a recent photo,
this is one of my favourites his aunt took
of him at a young age. 💖💖

This has been a pretty nice day. The weather is definitely turning around. It was a lovely 66F/18C today with clouds only moving in later this afternoon.

Bill isn't as big on soup as I am, so 
he used the slotted spoon and got a lot of the
veggies where I like the soup base too. Yummy!
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.

Mixed Bag of Weather, Soup Fairies, Visitors from a Distance

The Ridge - Home

On Sunday, Mar. 29^th we were both up around 7. The winds had been howling most of the night, pretty strong. Bill was still up at 11:30 when they blew our satellite dish over. How dare they upset his evening programming! He stood it up again and got better reception after doing so. Maybe it straightened something that had been bent all winter!

About half way through the day,
while sitting inside, I saw blue sky appear
out the window behind me

I didn’t know any of this was going on but did notice lights on downstairs after midnight. It was a warm night, not getting colder than 5C/40F so that was a bonus. We are expecting (and getting) a warm day today, with highs in the mid-teens Celsius. That means almost 60F and that is wonderful here in Ontario for March.

We had our coffee and tea together and after reading some blogs, I sat and worked on my sweater. The rain and winds kept the morning interesting as far as weather is concerned, even a thunder dunder breaking the otherwise silence up here. My crocheting is coming along, front and back are now stitched together and I’m working on sleeves. I’ve not done sleeves for a very long time and never with crochet. It’s quite easy, actually. Even for me!

This bulkiness is my sweater, coming together

We had some visitors drop in, we want to call them Soup Fairies because they left us a nice container of cabbage soup that they both made. How nice of them to share. Virtual hugs were shared from a distance and we all look forward to the time we can make them real ones. The prayer on everyone’s lips is ‘let this not last too long’.

Homemade cabbage soup
compliments of the Soup Fairies

The last of a Red Lobster biscuit mix

 After bacon and eggs for lunch and dishes were done, just as I noticed the sun popping out, another vehicle came up the drive. It was a surprise and nice to see my sister, Donna, and Gerry drive up. Again, from a 10’ ladder length apart, we shared that same kind of hug. They brought the last two pieces of our mail that got caught in the transfer. We chatted about a few things and before they left it was agreed that a new water filter be ordered for their pump.

Because I only took one walk with my sweetie
and didn't have my camera, today's pictures mostly
feature food

As soon as they get that, we will be able to get water from their well again for our fresh water supply. This one is 2 years old and the price is right for it lasting that long. After they left, we debated staying out and about for a bit but after walking down the lane and back, the cool air returned and more rain spatters. We weren’t done with it yet so returned inside. At 3, I made a cup of tea and sat with my project.

 Bill was thirsty so I poured him a Zero Coke and we shared a few crackers with cheese.

Thanks buddies
I wish I could hug you for providing us with a nourishing supper tonight
Good night y'all!

Around 5:30, I mixed up a batch of biscuits for supper as the convection oven preheated. On the stove, I warmed up the soup that our friends left for us. We were eating by 6:30 and it was a delicious meal! I had to text Pat to let her know how much we enjoyed it. After dishes, I sat to work on my blog. We were watching a movie before, during and after supper it finished. There were a few programs that we like to watch on Sunday so our evening was planned.

Have a great evening! Thank you for checking in on us.

Sunday Comin’ Down, Shopping and Relaxing, One More Upset

Pilot Knob RV Resort, Winterhaven, CA

It was closer to 7 when we got up on Sunday, Feb. 16^th. Half way through the month already, wow, that is just crazy how time flies 'when you’re having fun'. That sounds better than saying ‘when you’re older’. We didn’t have a lot on the agenda today but we did decide to go into Yuma for groceries and a couple of other things this morning. I might nip into Hobby Lobby for 3 more balls of wool at their 30% off sale.

A different assortment of pictures today
Look at the blossoms on this tree
This would indicate spring, if we saw this back home

We had our showers first thing instead of walking, then our drinks and a bite to eat. I had some of my homemade apple sauce with yogourt. Good for me but it is an acquired taste and I’m not sure if I’m getting there with it. It put something in my tummy and then I set out an antibiotic pill before we left. It wasn’t time to take one yet. My mouth/gum was great last night and I didn’t need to take a pain pill. Yay! I wonder how long that will last.

It wasn't too busy this morning at 10:30

So, we left around 9 and picked Keith up so he could stock up too. First, we went to Walmart and Bill got 2 jugs of DEF fluid. The price is amazingly cheap when you buy the Walmart brand and it works just as well, leaving $ in your pocket. I wandered around and picked up some Vitamin C pills, something I like to have on hand. Then we drove to Fry’s for groceries. We all stocked up and came out with savings. Our fuel points are adding up again.

For some reason this little lunch tasted too bland
although it filled me until supper

Keith needed gas for his quad so did that while we were in the parking lot. One quick stop at Harbor Freight (and they were quick!) to get a small furniture blanket for $3.99. We use our plug-in cooler sometimes and set it on the back seat of Black Beauty. Bill is concerned about that ripping or marking the leather so the blanket is a great idea. Keith and I were all excited about going to Hobby Lobby but we’d forgotten it was Sunday and that HL is closed. Darn! Another day.

Keith drove by on his quad with Oreo
When Oreo saw Bill, she jumped off and ran over and up onto his lap
(wish I'd got that picture)
When he drove away, Oreo jumped off Bill and hopped up on the quad again
So cute!!

We drove home. We unloaded and unpacked, filling the fridge up again. Famous last words ‘we don’t need much’ always turn into a full fridge and cupboards. We don’t buy what we don’t need but today I picked up some Tillamook Vanilla Bean ice cream, for one. After all the recommendations and commendations, we HAVE to try it! I took an antibiotic pill when we got in and then after putting groceries away, made a coffee and took a pain pill. There was a slight bit of discomfort. Then I sat quietly.

And the slippers are started

Bill went back with Ken to Doug’s to offer some advice and assistance with the White Lion. I moved outside with my crochet bag and began working on my slippers to replace the ones with the hole. Luckily, I had some of the same wool left as I really liked the colours. Following my short cut of instructions in the little note pad, it went really well. After sitting for a while, I decided I’d better get out for a walk since I missed one this morning. Walking at Fry’s didn’t add much to my step count. I saw that the boys were saying goodbye to Doug and I carried on for a bit longer.

Bill, Kim and Ken relaxing at Happy Hour

 Before Bill left earlier, he came outside with the announcement that the handle/foot pedal on our toilet just broke. What doe we do? Laugh or cry? Well, we basically just shrugged our shoulders and said ‘guess we need a new johnny’. LOL I’m not going to ask what’s next because we may find out sooner than later. At 3, we took our cooler with drinks (water for me) and our chairs to the Wilson’s. Keith joined us when he returned from the dunes and Doug arrived soon after.

Keith and Doug involved in conversation

We shot the bull until 5 and then everyone went off towards their respective homes. Time for supper! Bill grilled a pork chop and inside I put salad out on our plates and warmed up the leftover cheeseburger soup from last night. It tasted good and I was surprised that I ate it all. We weren’t done yet; we had some apple crisp with the vanilla bean ice cream. I concur with what we were told. It is delicious! Kim, you’ll have to come and taste it. 😊

My 'soft' supper

We did dishes and watched the first episode of American Idol. We both enjoy the tom foolery between Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. We also agree with each other that it is nice to have all music entertainers in deference to America’s Got Talent, where it is all over the board. I sat at my laptop and wrote on my post for today. After pictures were downloaded, I  decide to finish and publish it tonight. I was feeling tired but it was early.

Bill's pork chop supper

Today was a nice day. We managed to get our groceries bought and had a quiet rest of the day. Unfortunately, we had another upset with the toilet but we’ll figure it out.

Dessert
Good night y'all!

Thank you for taking the time to see what we’re up to.

Vertigo, Goodbye for Now, Laundry, Crochet Creations

Arrowhead Lakes RV Resort, Wapakoneta, Ohio

Well, Wednesday, Apr. 3^rd was indeed a different start to my day than normal. I woke up at 6:30 and Bill was still sleeping. By the time I decided to make the move to get up, it was 7:05. We rose together. He made it, I didn’t. By the time he’d come out of the bathroom, I was laying back down, half undressed, on top of the covers. I have been so blessed and careful not to have had this vertigo experience befall me all winter. (thanks, Kim for naming it – dizzy spells = blonde in some eyes)

                               

Bill covered me with my housecoat while I decided how bad it was and what I was going to do. I tried again after a few minutes but the room continued to spin so I crept back under the covers. Literally crept. Nothing pretty about that maneuver. I tried a few times after that during the next 30 minutes and Bill brought me water and a makeshift ‘tossup’ pail. He offered to assist IF I wanted to try and get dressed and come downstairs. Nope. This was the first time I’ve felt nauseous.

I was well enough at 10:15 to take a picture of Ken and Kim pulling out

I didn’t drink as much water yesterday and over the last couple of days, simply because it has been cold. Bad Patsy. Yesterday, I had a couple of vodka/orange juice drinks so I’m sure that added to this unfortunate upset. I was concerned that I was missing my morning walk on such a beautiful sunny day AND I was concerned that I would miss saying goodbye to Ken and Kim. On the other hand, I WAS grateful that it happened today, rather than tomorrow on a moving day.

See ya!

By 9:45 I was waking up so had dropped off for 30 minutes. Bonus! When I sat up, the room was still, my tummy was settled and I was able to rise and dress as if nothing happened. Almost. Bill made my tea and toasted a piece of rye bread for me and I sat in the chair feeling thankful. When I saw our friends coming to say goodbye around 10:15, it felt good to get up and go out for hugs. Kim suggested having some Gravol in the Suite to try next time.

It doesn't look like much from the outside
and this was taken from Murphy's USA fuel station

We said our goodbyes and off they went, headed for home. It would be about a 5-hour drive for them to home and also a while before we see them again. We wished them a safe journey. Bill and I wanted to do one more trip to the laundromat before crossing into Ontario, knowing where we’d be. Once I felt better, we had a lovely long hot shower each and drove into Wapakoneta. It is a mere 10 minutes away.

But this laundromat is spotless

This is our favourite laundromat EVER! It may be a bit on the pricey side and you do have to use their laundry card or your credit/debit cards BUT we love it. There is always someone on staff, constantly cleaning, sweeping and available to assist with the card system, which is unfamiliar to many. Not one machine was marked ‘out of service’ and all of the plentiful rolly carts are clean and in good condition.

Woops, someone got in the way!
I figured I'd at least make it interesting

After loading the two machines, Bill drove back home to do a couple of pack up things. I walked across the parking lot to Walmart. I was looking for one thing and found 3. I found a pkg of large buttons to finish off my 2 new scarves, the hair colour I use at an irresistible price of $2.97 and something for Cancun fell into my cart off a clearance rack for a skimpy $7. I was a happy camper once again and walked back to switch the loads out.

The two loads easily went into one super large dryer and we paid .25 for 30 minutes because you get a credit for using a washer. Because they are gas dryers, the 30 minutes was plenty, even for jeans. We drove to Murphy’s USA right there as well for diesel. Another bonus at $2.74/gal. Back home, Clemson was vying for attention so at 3:30 Pat and I took him around the back side of the park. Or rather, he took us.

So, forgive the goofy pictures of me
but I wanted to show you my scarves that I made
This one is versatile and can be worn as a muff for my neck

When I got back, Bill and I were both feeling hungry so we had a snack bar and I had a tea. It was mid afternoon so just a wee munchie was all that was necessary. Clemson informed Bill at 4:15 that he wanted his supper. Alrighty then! No way will we get him back on home schedule to eat. What a character we have! For our supper, I suggested making a hamburger stew and that would give us leftovers for another night or two.

Or it can be worn as a headband to cover my ears

At 5, I began getting things put together in my head, as I knew in Madame I.P. that it wouldn’t take long at all. Prep was the biggest thing, for a newbie. Once I started the sautéing process at 5:30 things went smoothly. I followed 2 recipes, one for the stew, improvising where I didn’t have certain spices or ingredients and one for the rice. I’d found a nifty metal pot that is perfect for Mdme I.P. (yes, I’ve named her).

And the big one as a shawl/neck scarf

You'll need blinders for this one
Bill took it for me, showing the neck scarf and the slippers
The hard part is that my patterns couldn't be worse!!!
Between the blanket, the sweater and the creations - oh my!

After the base was ready, ground beef browned, onions translucent, I placed cut potatoes in the mix. Her trivet went on top, then the pot with rice, water and oil. She cooked on Manual for 25 minutes after building up steam for about 10. I told Bill – This could be a disaster or this could be a treat, I’m hoping for the latter. Well, let me tell you. It was another I.P. success. The stew was awesome and the rice cooked better in there than in the rice cooker that I gave away to Goodwill. There is enough for at least one night of leftovers, perhaps two.

With all ingredients in the bottom of the pot

We cleaned up dishes and bundled up to go next door for a campfire. Bill had chatted with the neighbours to the south of us a couple of times since we’ve been here and today, they invited us and Rob and Pat. It was a nice evening after a nice day. The sun was bold all day long with a few later clouds and the temperature reached 58F. Tonight, it was 55F when we took our chairs over and met Deb and Steve. These folks live in Harrow, Ontario, near Windsor.

The pot with rice sits on top of the trivet

Steve didn’t have a lot of luck with his fire tonight but through no fault of his own. The wood that he got from the park was too green and wouldn’t catch, no matter what they did. We did enjoy their company though for an hour or so before it got too chilly to sit outside. Talk about a small world. Steve and Deb met acquaintances of ours from our home park back in Arkona, but they met them in Ocala and Lakeland, Florida.

And lifted out easily by the handle

The invite was appreciated and it was nice to have change in the evening but we were also very happy to get back inside our warm home. We had some Creamy Lime Jell-o (Lime Fluff?) and it was smooth and yummy too. I made sure today to drink water and avoid the alcohol so there should be no problem walking straight tomorrow. LOL

Two pots but a one dish meal

We sat and read our books tonight instead of turning the television on. I’m reading The Overlook by Michael Connelly (an earlier with Harry Bosch) and Bill has started End Game by David Baldacci. Both good reads. As a side note, I chatted with Kim (of Ken and Kim) around supper time and am pleased to report that they made it home safely late afternoon. I hope they don’t mind me passing that along to fellow bloggers.

This was delicious! And it will be made again.
Sorry for the lack of interesting pictures tonight
It was a slow day
Good night from Wapakoneta!

We’ve enjoyed the day (once I got going) and have very few things to pack up in the morning for an easy no-rush departure. I hope you’ve had a good one and the weather is being kind to you too.

Thank you for your visit!

Walking with my Sweetie, Relaxing Day with Puzzles, Crochet and more Instant Pot fun!

Bill and I were both up before 6:45 on Monday, Feb. 11^th. It was still dark and early enough for me to have a tea before I went for my walk. Clemson also got up for his first doggie business and promptly went back to bed with my hoodie. What a little character. When our hot drinks were finished, Bill surprised me by slipping on his runners and joining me on my walk. Yay!

The sky did not disappoint this morning

It was a nice leisurely walk around the park and I was able to show Bill the sports courts. We walked up and down most of the park streets where I walk daily and it was nice to share some things that I’ve seen. He agreed that there are tons of seasonal residents in permanent homes from Canada. I think we saw at least 3 others from Ontario. I’d never heard of Lanark so had to look it up on the map. They are a long way from home so it is no wonder they come and stay put.

Back home, we stopped in at Rob and Pat’s to respond to their enquiry about us joining them on the drive into Yuma this morning. They have some running around to do but we discussed it and declined the invitation. There is nothing we need at this time and I’d like to tidy up the Suite, I’ve been either busy (!) or lazy and it has been let go. Bill did a nice wash on the shaded windows yesterday so we can see out a whole lot better. I guess, it also shows up more dust now too!

Around 9, I made our omelette sandwiches for breakfast and Bill went online and booked some of the campsites for our trip home. We aren’t rushing anything but we are planners, where some people aren’t. Traveling together with our buddies, we are all of like minds and like to have a general idea of where we’re going and where we’ll be at certain times. We have some ‘definite’ places to stop and ‘definite’ things to do on the way home so it works for us.

Egg/bacon quesadilla for breakfast

After breakfast and dishes were cleaned up, I began cleaning house. It is going to be a warm day again but there is a cool wind right now. 55F/13C which is pretty nice for February at 10 am no matter how you look at it. I rode my bike back to the Clubhouse to see if there was room at the puzzle for me to work. Two people whom I’ve seen before were working on one and Irene welcomed me and moved to make room.

Instant pot on Saute to brown the hamburger 

It was started this morning and now it is almost done except for the sky. No, it isn’t an easy one but not the hardest either. I enjoyed it for the next couple of hours before returning to the Suite. Rob and Pat had returned an hour earlier and she and I chatted about tonight’s plans. Rob and Bill were driving to Pilot Knob RV Resort to join in the game of Texas Hold’em with Ken.. They will have fun. Pat and I decided to stay home and do our own thing.

Ground beef on saute, then scrape any hard stuff

At shortly after 4, I prepped some carrots, onions and potatoes and sautéed ground beef in the Instant Pot. Meal #2! Yay! I added the spices, broth, tomatoes and leftover corn. The recipe called for pearl barley but I didn’t have any. Setting it for 10 minutes on pressure cook, I began smelling the stew within 5 minutes. Yum, I was really getting into this!

Good thing I don't do tutorials, I forgot to get a picture
of my veggies in the pot

Some pressure released during the cook process and when the 10 minutes were up, I waited a 10-minute Natural Release. The thing-a-ma-jig was still up so I did a Quick Release by pushing the nozzle to Venting. I know you don’t need to know all this but I want it recorded for my own learning lesson. I turned it back on to Sauté and added some beef oxo flavoring and corn starch to thicken it a bit. We were eating by 5 and it was a great meal!

Yummy!

After dishes, Bill and Rob left at 6 for Pilot Knob and I sat with Clemson in my chair and crocheted. We never moved for the whole 3 ½ hours. I didn’t need to get up or to disturb the little sleeping guy. I had to stretch my legs a couple of times but we sat and watched a couple of movies together. Bill returned home at 9:30, not a winner, yet he enjoyed the evening with the guys. We sat and watched the last half hour of Jerry Maguire and then an hour of old Mash reruns.

I'm not so nervous about the steam release now already
This was a great purchase!

We were in bed by 11 which is past my bedtime by a long shot but no worries, I dropped right off once snuggled under the covers. This was a nice restful day. I had a walk with my best guy, some puzzle time, a bike ride and lots of time with my hobby watching tv with my next best guy. I hope you enjoyed your day.

Thanks for visiting today!