Backroad Chronicles

JAYLA HAS ARRIVED!

2011-04-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce the birth of my third great grandchild, a girl—Miss Jayla Ada Joy! She was born Tuesday, April 12th at 7:37 PM and weighed 9 lbs 7 oz’s and was 22 inches long. She has a full head of dark (nearly black) hair and great big dark eyes. Her fingers are long and slender and her feet are already 3 inches long. Healthy and robust—she is holding her head up from birth and looking around like she is a lot older. Needless to say, her mom and dad and all the rest of the family proclaim she is absolutely gorgeous. You may have noticed that her parents gave her my middle name and Ada is her dad’s grandmother’s name so there are some historical significance in her full name as well as Jayla, a modern name her folk liked and we all are learning to love because it belongs to her.

Her grandmother, my daughter, Bobbie took the rest of the week off and has been spending some deliciously wonderful bonding time with her new grandbaby. Bobbie’s oldest granddaughter, Carly, spent the night last night and got to see and hold her little first cousin for the first time. Her “welcome to the world” gift from Bobbie, her Great Aunt Violet, Papa and me was coming home to a shiny bright house—cleaned from top to bottom for her arrival. Sara and Jason were very grateful and amazed after seeing what four senior citizens accomplished. We were all pooped afterward but felt the work was well worth the effort. Jason had bombed the house to rid it of the spring influx of carpenter ants so that initiated the cleaning. We had to do the same at our place a couple weeks ago. The clerk at the hardware store where the bombs were purchased said, “It is that time of year!”

We went to a few garage sales on Friday but skipped the auction. Just too much going on and we really do not need the merchandise. We have plenty for our next sale, which will be at the little Shelton Suburb called Matlock. Just a wide spot in the road really but they have “The Old Timer’s Fair” every year and it attracts thousands of visitors. My sister, Dixie has been setting up her antiques and collectables booth for many years and managed to procure a space for us. It should be a lot of fun.

Haven’t accomplished much around here what with another new dog along with all the other excitement this past week. Our new puppy is being a puppy … but we are working with him every chance we get hoping he will grow out of the chewing and barking stage soon. Our little Sophie is confused by all the attention he gives her and spends the day trying to stay out of his way. We hope they will become fast friends when he calms down a little.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Until next time …

2011-04-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

And, here she is ...

2011-04-17T14:56:00.001-07:00

Great Grandma, Joy and Grandma, Bobbie admiring our new little descendant.

2011-04-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jayla and me discussing the state of the world. She's thinking ....

2011-04-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Carly holding her first cousin, Jayla at Grandma Bobbie's house.

2011-04-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Uncle Joe holding Jayla as new mom, Sara smiles with pride.

2011-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last night we were invited to niece, Tammy and her husband, Steve's home for dinner and an egg decorating party. Dinner was wonderful and Carly had a great time.

2011-04-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

A rare occurrence, Sophie and Chewie sharing Phil's lap.

TIRED BUT HAPPY NANA

2011-04-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Spring break is over today for great granddaughter, Carly and we must take her home. Forgive me for bragging but I must tell you this little girl (she will be 12 in August) is so smart, she scares me sometimes. She also has a dry sense of humor that throws me off guard more often than my tired old brain cares to admit. Once (or if) I get the joke, she cracks me up! Phil will be at a complete loss without her, she is his right hand “man” in all of his projects. I, on the other hand will welcome some quiet time as that is few and far between with an inquisitive and intelligent pre-teen on the premises 24/7. Phil has no need for solitude or quiet so he thrives on the “What are you doing?” or “What does that mean?” or “How does this work?” While she has been with us, we have been busy and she was a great help to my sister, Dixie and me.

I told you last week about the Community Garage Sale at the Fairgrounds in Chehalis last Saturday. I think I am still recovering from that but managed to generate enough staying power this past Friday morning to find and peruse all the garage/estate sales. We found some great bargains specifically for the upcoming sale in Matlock that is well known for its diversity of vendors. We lucked out and got a single space (10X10) and are hoping for a good show. This one runs two days. Set up is Friday and if possible we will have Carly with us on Saturday and Sunday to help. Our merchandise will tend to be more antiques and primitives as well as Phil’s fishing “stuff” which we are sure will be a big seller. Dixie has done this show for years and doesn’t remember any vendor that sells fishing gear.

Then, Friday afternoon, we headed to Belfair to preview the antique and collectable auction. We usually do not go to these but has promised Carly we would take her to an auction some day and this seemed like it was “the day”. She was antsy until the bidding started and after that, she was mesmerized by the singsong cadence of the auctioneer. She cheered us on when we won the bid on something and I think she really enjoyed herself. It was a lot of fun having her along and we bought hotdogs and chili for dinner from the Boy Scout concessionaire on site at every auction. Then I think Phil spent another $20 or more keeping her in snacks and sodas the rest of the evening. Phil bought some exceptional fishing lures that we hope to make a ton of money on at Matlock. If that doesn’t happen, he can always sell them on e-Bay.

Last week, our friends, Gloria and Lester shared a wonderful dinner with us of ham and lima beans with cornbread this past Thursday. It was delicious and even Carly ate almost two bowls full. We had a great visit with them and they both seemed to have adjusted well to closing their store.

As always, I thank you for stopping by!

Until next time …

2011-04-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Chewie doing what he does best, "chewing" on his chew stick and bottom, being taken "outside" for potty training. He had just come home from his first grooming session and he looked marvelous! We are failing miserably at potty training him it seems so Phil and I are signing up for Pet Smart's "Puppy house breaking" seminar. Our sweet Sophie is 99% housebroken and we were so proud of ourselves but this little guy is a challenge. Puppies have to go more often and have little control so we feel like bouncing rubber balls going outside, coming back in, 30 minutes later, going outside, walking around the block trying to will him to do his business, coming inside (and then he does his business on the puppy pad) then repeating the process all over again an hour later! We hope we can learn how to be successful in our training method at this class. In spite of his resistance to training -- he has learned the word "no" and he has also learned to "fetch" already. He is so adorable and so cute, we can't stay mad at him for more than a minute.

2011-04-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Two peas in a pod. Phil on the left and Carly on the right, both in recliners and with laptops playing Majong while cartoons play on our new 48" flat screen TV.

A WILD AND WOOLY WEEKEND!

2011-04-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! Back when we were on the road, I tried to write my blog Saturday night and schedule it to publish in the wee hours of Sunday morning. That was after I tired of getting up at the crack of dawn to write the blog on Sunday. Finally, after coming off the road for a while, it dawned on me that I didn’t have to write so doggone early just because it was how I’d “always done it!” So this new post time will probably be the format for now anyway and I will get the blog done sometime on Sunday. I apologize to my east coast readers and all you early risers out there but much of the time, after working a sale on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday I am lucky to have the energy to write at all and as you have noticed I will miss one now and then. In fact, just talking about it makes me want to go take a nap!

Our experiment at the Lewis County Fairgrounds was interesting to say the least. The four spaces we rented were in a big building with huge roll up doors at each end with sawdust floors. The weather was horrific and the wind blew through there at gale forces every so often. My sister, Dixie and I ended up with wind-burned cheeks from it and the cold. We each had a little heater but they didn’t come close to keeping us warm and then ours died so I went around the room and found one for sale for $5. It was a little better after that. Our sales were less than spectacular but we both made expenses plus a little extra. There were thousands of people but when they came through our building, they were all in a hurry to move on and get to another, warmer building to shop so very few lingered. Dixie and I have decided we may do it again this fall (they have two a year) but only if we can have our spaces in another building that has concrete floors and lots of plug ins for heaters.

All in all it was quite an experience and Carly and I even found time to buzz around and do a little shopping of my own while Phil held down the fort. Then, he went around with her while I stayed in the space and they did some more shopping. So many interesting vendors it would have taken all day to really see them all. Phil, Carly and I along with Dixie and Paul joined niece, Tammy and her husband, Steve, nephew Shane and his significant other, Megan, great niece, Jessie at Olive Garden for a celebration dinner. It was Tammy’s birthday. Seems like yesterday when she was born and I spent the first two weeks, all day-everyday with her while her mother healed a bit from her c-section. Our mother, Violet was working so she took the night shift. Tammy was the sweetest and easiest baby to care for so it was a labor of love for us.

As always, I thank you all for stopping by!

Until next time …

2011-04-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Carly helping us in anyway she can. Not only is she our "runner" but she helps with the puppies and even rings up the cash register, takes cash and makes change (with supervision). Her mom let her skip the last day of school before Spring Break so she could come to Chehalis with us on Friday and help us set up. She earns extra money doing this for us and my sister, Dixie. Since Carly is an honor student and it was the last day of school we both felt there was no harm done.

2011-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

We purchased these Camel cigarette posters at a garage sale a couple weeks ago. Two for $5. They sold for $10 each. Now that is some serious interest on our money!

2011-04-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is my glass, collectable and otherwise display. These shelves were given to us by our dear friends, Gloria and Les after they stopped selling at shows. I love them because they break down and store flat but hold a whole bunch of merchandise. We saw some very clever display ideas in the other vendors spaces (there was about 400 of us in five or six buildings) when we went exploring on sale day.

2011-04-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is the space directly across from ours. Yes, you are seeing correctly ... SAWDUST floors!! This is the "4-H Barn" and I guess we should have expected it but we didn't so we were very upset by this surprise turn of events so what could we do? The spaces were paid for and we were committed to the sale the next day. I will tell you it was horrible and dirty. Everything was covered with sawdust "dust" and anything on the ground was filthy. We all hated it but decided to grin and bear it.

2011-04-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

My sister, Dixie and her husband, Paul setting up their two spaces next to ours on Friday, the day before the sale.

2011-04-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Carly, Papa and Sophie setting up our space. Sophie and our new puppy were absolute angels during both set up day and the day of the sale. Slept in their carriers, went outside with Carly and Phil regularly and did their business, no noise, no fussing and they attracted a lot of attention because they are both so darn cute!

2011-04-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Uncle Paul and Carly horsing around in the trash can while we finished cleaning up after the sale. These two never stop poking fun at each other and sometimes we wonder which one is the oldest?

2011-04-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

The close of a long day with a beautiful sun setting behind a silver cloud. Carly took this picture as we were driving home.

2011-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sophie is having a hard time putting up with our new but adorable young puppy. Her sense of humor is failing her to put it mildly. However, he absolutely adores her and she is more tolerant every day but still puts him in his place when she tires of his shenanigans. Chewie, (his full name is Chewbacca, "Chewie" for short. We decided he is a member of the Wookie species :) from the Star Wars series ... get it?) anyway, he doesn't know she has only a few teeth so when she snaps at him, he pays attention.

EXCITING NEWS!

2011-03-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Okay … I’m back … for today at least and hopefully, I can stay on weekly again for awhile. All I’ve got to say is now I REALLY know why we sold out and moved into 200 square feet and hit the road. I had forgotten how much work it is to stay in one place but it has all come back to me in a rush! If you are like we are, your mind is never idle. I know how boring it must be to listen to my whine about how busy we are (since 90% is self-induced) but dag-nab bit … it is a fact. We just can’t help ourselves. Part of it is because we want to reimburse our “cushion” and fatten the kitty (to finance future projects around the trailer) but most of it is because we LOVE doing what we are doing in spite of all the work. For a lot of people, getting a root canal is more desirable than the idea of mucking around in other peoples castaways at garage sales or sitting in a noisy auction house for hours bidding on undetermined boxes of miscellaneous but for us it is wonderful entertainment! Not cheap entertainment but more like playing the stock market. You win some and you lose some but the stakes are high and when you win, it is a rush like nothing else we have ever done. Where else can you buy something for a quarter and end up selling it a week later for several hundred dollars; buy a small wooden box for 25cents and open it later to find Black Hills Gold earrings and a Sterling Silver pair as well OR empty a cardboard box and notice a sparkle in the corner and pull out a 8.3 ct diamond solitaire stone? These things have happened to us in the past few months and we are having a ball.

Newest news: Our oldest granddaughter, Megan and her husband, Joshua are pregnant again … THIS TIME WITH TWINS!!!! (See sonogram below;) They are due in October but will most like arrive a bit early thanks to modern medicine before they get too big. We are excited but me personally, I am over the moon! All I can say is what a miracle to have survived open–heart surgery in 2010 and still be alive and kicking for this historic event. Three new great grandchildren in one year!!! That will make a total of five I have lived to welcome into the world –to cherish, cuddle and get to watch grow. What did I ever do to deserve this blessing? I guess I will never know but I am so thankful my joyfulness is hard to contain. Speaking as a genealogist, I want to give a big hug and a thank you to my granddaughters, Sara and Megan for giving me this chance to know my descendants.

Daughter, Bobbie is having a giant fir tree taken down in her back yard this morning and called to invite me to come take pictures. I will pause for now and run over there (she just lives a mile away) for a few minutes. Will return with photos and finish this later.

So now, it is lunch break for the tree man. Almost all the limbs are gone but he hit a “snag” (LOL, get it? Oh well I guess you had to be there). He will come back this afternoon and finish up. Sorry Charlie, I can’t wait … need to finish the blog!

As they say in North Dakota … okee, dokee … more new news. We have acquired another fur baby. He is only 11 weeks old and weighs 3.4 lbs. A tiny “party Poodle”, he is champagne and white but of course, we know his adult coat could come in another color. We haven’t come up with a name yet but any and all suggestions will be welcome! Forgot to ask what color the parents are. We got him from one of my grown up kids I took under my wing back a hundred years (well, actually about 45 years ago—she was 12) and he is just adorable. So far, our little Sophie is tolerating him but he is persistent and is insisting she play with him. She is not amused and is trying to avoid him at all cost (which isn’t working btw) but so far, they haven’t come to blows yet (Or should that say bites?) Yes, we have gone a bit nuts up here in the cold and rain but with luck, we’ll get back to normal when the sun starts shining again.

Thanks for stopping by and being patient with me!

Until next time …

2011-03-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

My two newest great grandbabies ... Baby A and Baby B. Beautiful, don't you think?

2011-03-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is the south facing window in the living room with the same window treatment and more of my eclectic chotskys (sp?) on the second shelf. Phil built the shelves for me and the swag valances were a gift from our friends, Sandy and Ray who did not have a use for them. Thanks guys! Notice more greenery in the corner under our clock. The plants should do well since our living room is bright and light without direct sunlight.

2011-03-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

This window treatment on the north facing window in the living room took a long time coming. I like to cogitate my decorating decisions as long as it takes until the light bulb clicks on above my head. Fortunately, Phil is very patient with me. The shelf has a few of my favorite things sitting on it ... you know, things that make me smile :)!

2011-03-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the quality of this photo??? This is the east window in the trailer (no big screen TV yet but it is coming soon) and I wanted to show you my greenery. Our friends, Gloria and Lester have closed their store ... and gave me all the live plants. I have missed having houseplants so they knew I would take good care of them.

2011-03-27T13:02:00.002-07:00

This is our carport, literally stacked to the ceiling with merchandise waiting to be loaded into the Red Ranger and the Windstar for our next sale in Chehalis this coming weekend. It should be a lot of fun!

2011-03-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is my side of Rignall Hall at our last garage sale. We shared the grange space with my sister, Dixie and we were both happy with our sales. For three days we were never without a customer.

2011-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

And here he is ... Mr. Gorgeous on his blog debut. We love him already and little Sophie after only a couple days is beginning to tolerate his antics. He is relentless and wants her to play with him. She is not amused but warming up to him a bit more each day.

2011-03-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Tony the tree man busy cutting limbs off this giant fir tree in daughter, Bobbie's back yard.

2011-03-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

See the fork at the top? This is where he stopped for lunch and to get more equipment designed to take out the two forks safely. We figure sometime in the distant past, this tree lost its top, probably in a wind or ice storm then forked. Bobbie is happy to finally have it removed before it comes down on top of her house.

2011-03-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

Our grandson, Joe helping the tree man by untying the limbs and releasing the rope as Tony lets them down to the ground after cutting them off. Tony has agreed to haul off the limbs but will bring down the main trunk is sections the right size for daughter, Bobbie's wood stove in the family room. Next winter she will have plenty of wood to keep her whole house warm.

ANOTHER UNEVENTFUL WEEK!

2011-03-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

Just a couple things of note. Phil and I are gearing up for the garage sale season and have attended one auction and several garage sales last weekend and this weekend. We found some great bargains for ourselves and for resale. Our first sale will be this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the grange hall (can't remember the name) located seven miles out Steamboat Island Road. We will be sharing the space (and the cost) with my sister, Dixie and hopefully we will both move a lot of merchandise and we can clean out our carport, daughter, Bobbie's garage and clear out the house a bit.

I went to my cardiologist this past Wedmesday and he has scheduled another echo cardiogram. He says it is routine and he doesn't expect any changes but wants it done every six months. Also, Phil has been working on several "honeydos" for me and when he is finished I will try and remember to take some pictures.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time ...

Phil helped Bobbie and Joe recover her new dining room chairs and this is two of the finished project. She bought this yardage years ago and it is just beautiful. The picture doesn't do it justice. There were only four chairs with the set so we will be on the lookout for two chairs with arms that have the same or similar style.

LATEST NEWS ...

2011-03-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

More family stuff so if you are not interested, try again next week.

Update on Sara ...

She is fighting prenatal diabetes. Watching her diet closely and testing her blood sugar four times a day. To me (a long time type 2 diabetic) her sugar seems just fine but they want it no higher than 99 before eating and no higher than 120 after eating. They are keeping an eye on it because the baby is growing very fast and they estimate he/she is two weeks ahead in size. If he/she gets too big is could force a C-section. Last ultrasound was still not difinitive. Baby was not in a good position to determine sex... darn!

Went to basketball game to watch Carly on Thursday and then the Belfair auction on Friday. We are gearing up for another garage sale and will share the space with sister, Dixie. This breaks my usual precedent (we usually do our sales alone) but we are needing to sell a bunch of inventory and she found a grange hall between Shelton and Olympia that rents for a reasonable fee so we decided to go for it.

Update on Megan: Babies are doing fine but mother is suffering from morning sickness big time. She sailed through pregnancy with Sean-Michael three years ago but this time it appears to be a whole new ballgame.

Bobbie went garage saling with me this past Saturday. Found a dining room table, chairs and china cabinet for $275 which she haggled down to $225. She's learning! Phil and Sara's Jason moved it home for her. It looks nice ... forgot to take picture ... what else is new lately, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time ...

2011-03-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Carly is focused! She barely took time to give us a tiny little smile ... she LOVES basketball!

2011-03-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

On the run to defend the apposing teams basket. Their defense is excellent. Great job coach!

2011-03-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Carly's team has learned to scramble for the ball. The ball went in BTW :)

2011-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

The final score!! Yahoo Pioneer!

I'M BACK ...!

2011-02-27T02:50:00.000-08:00

Sitting at my computer is very uncomfortable but just for my loyal readers; I will “suffer” through this writing with a smile on my face. In our comfy Penny the Pace, I had a wonderful recliner and an excellent position to kick back and babble on to my hearts content. So far we have not had time to set up our spare room as an office so I’m perched on a hard backed chair with my keyboard on a rickety folding table that we’ve carted around for six years as a place to put the grill on when we bbq’d outside. So … just for you’ all ... here goes!

BTW, thanks for you patience while my wonderful grandson Joe extracted the virus from my computer. He saved the day for his grandma that’s for sure. Thanks again Joe!!!

We’ve had a busy two weeks since moving in. As you know, we helped granddaughter, Sara and her partner, Jason get moved into their new little home. Then we helped my sister, Dixie celebrate her birthday at her daughter, Tammy’s house. The following Thursday we drove to Puyallup and helped Dixie and her husband, Paul (they are long-time antique dealers) set up their booth at the annual car/antique show at the fairgrounds (sorry, didn’t take pictures!!!!) then went back on Sunday and helped them pack up. While we were there, we bought out one vendor’s leftovers when the show was over so we had to pack that up and load it in our van as well. These will be items we will reprice and display at our next garage sale. They told us they “didn’t do this for a living” (as story we took with a grain of salt) and sold us almost everything they had left (filled our van) for $150. The full set of Noritake china (which we will keep) is worth $200 on eBay alone and there were two more partial sets of dishes of high value as well.

The following Monday, on Dixie’s actual birthday, we joined her and Paul, our friends, Gloria and Les, daughter, Bobbie and Sara (she was on shift that night but sat with us on her lunch break) for another wonderful meal and get together at the Casino buffet. As usual, it was a night of laughter and lots of good humored kibitzing between loved ones … something Phil and I never get too much of!

We have been working at our trailer every day, rearranging, rethinking where things should go and packing and pricing for our next garage sale as we go along. Phil built a wonderful spice rack for over the kitchen stove and then also built a four-foot long coat rack with shelf above in the hallway to eliminate the coat tree that just took up too much room inside the front door. It is working great!

This past Friday, we helped our friends, Sandy and Ray set up their latest garage sale in the Memorial Hall and will return today to help them break down and pack up. These sales are a lot of work and the more hands available, the faster and easier it goes. Sandy and Ray loan us their folding tables when we have our garage sales. A favor we really appreciate!

Saturday, I attended the baby shower for Sara given by her “sister” April Lamont at Bobbie’s house. Over thirty women attended and the presents were piled high for our newest Great Grandbaby due in April. This new little one will want for nothing once she enters the world … that’s for sure. Our granddaughter, Megan, her husband Joshua and son, Sean-Michael drove up from Longview for the shower and made the announcement that she is pregnant with twins, due in October. I already knew about them since she had called me after her first sonogram when two babies were obvious in the pictures. It was a thrill for me knowing that there will be three new greats coming into the world this year. With my recent heart surgery and brush with death, I feel like the luckiest person of all time to be here, alive and well for the arrival of these babies!

Thank you again for your patience and for stopping by!

Until next time …

2011-02-27T02:40:00.000-08:00

Our group at the Casino ...

L-R: Paul, Les, Phil, Bobbie, Sara, Joy, Gloria and the birthday girl, Dixie.

2011-02-27T02:35:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous snow covered trees along highway 101 on the way to Olympia last Thursday.

2011-02-27T02:30:00.000-08:00

Just had to show you the beautiful bassinet I found at the local thrift store for $9.00!! I cleaned and disinfected it from top to bottom, washed the skirt and canopy and Sara loved it.

2011-02-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

Cousin, Joe teaching Sean-Michael how to play the guitar! He was loving it!

2011-02-27T02:20:00.001-08:00

Sara and the diaper wreath her "Aunt" Terri made for her.

2011-02-27T02:20:00.000-08:00

Mother and daughter. Notice any resemblance?

It even got my attention this time!

2011-02-27T02:15:00.000-08:00

Sara working her way through a huge pile of presents showing an "I love Mommy" pair of pajamas!

2011-02-27T02:10:00.001-08:00

Four generations!

L-R: Megan, Sean-Michael, Joy and Violet.

2011-02-27T02:05:00.000-08:00

Our darling granddaughter, Sara and her beautiful cake.

2011-02-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

Joy with her FIVE GREAT GRANDBABIES!

L-R: Carly #1; Sara with #3; Joy; Megan with #4-5 and Sean-Michael #2.

Do I look happy or what?????

IS IT JUST ME?

2011-02-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

The blog is on hold until? I have picked up a virus and grandson, Joe is working to get rid of it for me. He has seen this one before and knows what has to be done.

Using Phil's laptop to make this post. Thank goodness for two computers!

Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully, I'll be back soon .......

Julie Joy

THE REST OF THE STORY ...

2011-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL!

We crawled out of bed on Thursday (I think it was Thursday) and it wasn’t long before the power went out in Penny the Pace. Of course, she immediately switched to battery power but we had no heat (we use an electric heater to save propane) and I had no computer (I have a desktop). In a few minutes it came back on so we continued our morning routine and then it went out again. This time, Phil went into the house and checked and they were having similar problems. Part of the house was on, part was off and neither Phil nor Les could figure out what was going on. Les called the electric company and they sent a crew up to see if it was their problem or our problem (inside or outside the house). Well…

Come to find out, when Les hired the backhoe to dig out the parking space for parking our RV in Lester’s back yard this guy clipped the power line that is buried underground. Over the past year it has deteriorated to the point that it would lose connection but then for some unknown reason it would make the connection again. You see, we have had similar incidents over the past 10 months that somehow were resolved with Phil and Les changing plugs, etc., etc. Their house was originally built in the early 1900s and had been remodeled and renovated many times over the years so we never suspected the main line coming into the house.

With their sophisticated equipment, the power company found the problem … right under Penny the Pace. We had to move so they could dig down and repair the line the next day. We hurriedly packed all of our daily essentials, the rest of the food in the frig and freezer and Little Sophie’s bed and food and filled up the van and the pickup. Penny was readied for travel, slide came in, jacks came up (without a hitch after sitting idle for 10 months) and Phil drove her over to a large vacant parking lot nearby to wait out the repair job. We took our booty up to Hidden Haven Mobile Home Park and officially moved in! We will continue to live in chaos for awhile as I try and find places for everything to “have its place” but we are in no hurry. So far so good!

Celebrated my little sister, Dixie’s 61st birthday last night (a week early ‘cause her daughter, Tammy (the official family party giver) will be on a cruise in Mexico celebrating her 5th wedding anniversary on the actual day). It was a wonderful party as usual with family and many friends attending. The food was wonderful and the company was great! I’m sure all had a wonderful time!

PS: As you can see … my HERO got my computer working and I’m back in business!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time ...

2011-02-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

Little Sophie is in her favorite spot in the middle of chaos and this picture was taken BEFORE we moved in! It looks worse now.

Someday soon this too will pass .... HA!

2011-02-14T02:40:00.000-08:00

The power company arrives along with an electrician Les hired.

2011-02-14T02:35:00.000-08:00

The meter was checked out and passed inspection.

2011-02-14T02:30:00.000-08:00

The men were holding down the sectional.

L-R: Danny (daughter, Bobbie's special friend), Lester (Gloria was home sick), Andy (good friend of the family) and of course, my hero, Phil. Dixie's husband, Paul had just vacated the spot between Danny and Les (he HATES having his picture taken and I'll never figure that out because he's so darn cute ~~~ :)

2011-02-14T02:25:00.000-08:00

My handsome grandson, Joe helping his cousin Tammy with the kitchen clean up.

They have a special bond since Joe was born on Tammy's 10th birthday back in 1980. She was so excited, she made herself sick and didn't get to see him until he was three days old.

2011-02-14T02:20:00.000-08:00

Dixie's granddaughter, 16-year-old Jessica preparing her mammoth baked potato for the one and only item she ate for dinner!

That little girl ate it all too!!!

2011-02-14T02:15:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous cake ... delicious too I might add :)!!

Oooops! Blew the diet ...

2011-02-14T02:10:00.000-08:00

Just one counter full of the feast prepared by my niece for her mother's birthday dinner.

You name it ... we had it!

2011-02-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

My sister, Dixie blowing out her birthday candles.

2011-02-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

She hated birthdays and didn't want gifts or cards for years but now Dixie says that after spending six months in a nursing home and having five or more hip surgeries she is now thrilled to celebrate her birthdays and treasures every one.

All I can say is ... it's about time!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

2011-02-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

We had to move, tell you more about it when I post. For now, another postponement. I am on Phil's laptop. My computer was just hooked up and is making things difficult for me. Phil will work on it and I'll try again later................................

THE COUNT DOWN BEGINS ...

2011-02-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

After many months of preparation, we have at last gotten a new home for granddaughter, Sara and her partner, Jason. They have rented a two-bedroom mobile home in one of the two mobile home parks in Shelton. It isn’t fancy, is well used and not too well taken care of but with some ambitious scrubbing and a little help from us, it will work just fine for now. The best part is that she is now only five minutes from work. Her baby is due in April and they had been literally camping out in a small travel trailer about ten miles from town for the last few months. Before that, they were literally homeless when the car they had been living in died. Sara was at her wits end and desperate for some help. Her mom had been doing as much as she could and was literally tapped out financially and emotionally. She needed help!

Since arriving back in Shelton, we have been unable to ignore their predicament and made it our business to insure things turned around for these kids and with perseverance, transportation and a little bit of money (loans they will pay back) Phil and I have assisted them both in getting steady employment, a bigger place to live and a decent car to drive. Sara is cashiering at Little Creek Casino and will qualify for many benefits after her trial period and Jason (who has little experience and no primary skills) is washing dishes at one of the busiest restaurants in town called Blondie’s that is owned by a friend of ours. He is doing well and likes the job. The head cook has told him he is willing to train him to do some cooking eventually and Jason is looking forward to learning some new work skills.

The last three days have been spent getting them moved into the new place and their old residence cleaned up so they will get their deposit back. Sara says it is not perfect for sure but certainly cleaner than when they moved in. However, at the time, they were frantic for a roof over their heads so they were willing to overlook a lot of things.

Phil got the satellite dish online up at the trailer (there was already one on the roof) so we have TV using one of the TVs from Penny the Pace for now. We plan on buying a bigger flat screen after we move in. He also called Comcast for a high-speed Internet connection that will be hooked up on Friday. Also, this week we will move the couch and loveseat up to the trailer (Gloria and Lester gave us their old set and have been storing them for us) and start finishing up the office and the hallway. I think we will probably move in before they are completely renovated so I’m estimating our move in date to be in about a week.

We went to great granddaughter, Carly’s first basketball game last Wednesday. It was so much fun to cheer her on and watch how intense she is about the game. The apposing team was from Shelton Middle School’s 7th grade and most of their team was a head taller than Carly. Her speed and agility is her greatest asset under these conditions … we really enjoyed watching her play. She loves the game!

Thanks for stopping by and again, I apologize for being so late this week but I have been just a wee bit busy!
Until next time …

2011-02-08T02:25:00.000-08:00

Sara and Jason's new home.

2011-02-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

Our Carly, number five in the blue and white uniform guarding her "man".

2011-02-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

On the bench waiting for the coach (on right) to let her go back in.

2011-02-08T02:10:00.001-08:00

On the run with her eye on the ball ...

2011-02-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

At last, a guard who is no taller than she is ...

2011-02-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Two number fives ... on apposing teams battle for possession of the ball ... !

ONE MORE DAY ... SORRY!

2011-02-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

I just need one more day ...

DELAY OF POST ... again :(

2011-02-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

Just too darn tired to work on the blog today. Been helping granddaughter, Sara move. I'll tell you all about that and our moving in progress tomorrow.

Please come back then ...

MOVING DAY IS DRAWING NEAR

2011-01-31T03:00:00.001-08:00

This is a one-subject version of my usual long-winded blog. I just had to tell you the bed saga …

I wanted a king-size bed but the trailer bedroom is obviously too small for that to be possible so I settled for a queen size (the same size as the bed in Penny the Pace. We bought the bedstead early last summer for $20. It was an old, miniature version of a maple four-poster. I knew I was going to paint it from the start and we stored it in the bedroom at the trailer until that time arrived.

A few weeks later we were at another garage sale and talking to the folks having the sale about our plans. They asked us if we had found everything we needed and we responded, “Yes, except for a queen-size mattress and box spring.” One couple at the sale offered their queen set to us for free if we could wait for it for a few weeks or a month until they bought their new king-size bed. We were tickled and exchanged phone #’s.

Well as you know, this renovation has taken months longer than we were estimating. When we took possession of the mattress and box spring we put it into storage in Gloria and Les’s basement and just last week, Phil finally moved this huge set to the trailer.

Guess what? It didn’t fit. The bedstead was 76 inches long and the box spring is 79 inches! So, my ingenious hero sawed the rails in half and lengthened the whole thing with 2 X 4’s replacing the 2 X 2’s that were there. He filled in the space created in the rails with 1 X 4 pieces, caulked the seams and repainted the rails. Voila! It worked and my new bed was ready for bedding. I wanted my bed high enough to save my back when changing the bedding or folding clothes so Phil had added 6 inches to the legs with blocks of wood. Well by the time all was said and done, I have a VERY high bed. So high, I need a high stool and even Phil’s feet are a foot from the floor when he sits on the side. It is hysterical but boy is it comfortable. Great granddaughter, Carly calls it the princess bed and I’m trying to decide if I should put a pea under the mattress to see if I can feel it … LOL!

Haven’t decided what kind of closet doors to install and there are still a few things I want to do in the decorating department but we are close … very close to being able to move in. Yahoo!!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time ...

Julie Joy (can't get my signature to print for some reason???)

2011-01-31T02:15:00.000-08:00

The windows are clean, the screens are repaired and the storm windows are on waiting for blinds.

2011-01-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

Phil painted my $2.50 mirror's frame a flat black (over an ugly brown) and hung it above the newly painted dresser. We didn't realize it had this interesting shape until we masked it off before painting.

2011-01-31T02:05:00.000-08:00

A corbel is an architectural bracket or block projecting from a wall and supporting (or appearing to support) a ceiling, beam, or shelf. I found these two at a garage sale ($10/pair) and loved them on sight. I also had the perfect location for them.

Phil will shorten and paint the cords white on the little lamps.

2011-01-31T02:00:00.000-08:00

And here it is! Not completely finished but close. I'm thinking about putting tiny lights around the wooden dowel behind the bed. Then I'm thinking maybe greenery ... what do you think?

Also, the bedding is an auction bargain and the color isn't doing anything for me. However, it will do until something better jumps out and grabs. Maybe something with some red in it .... :)!!

PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW :)

2011-01-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

Please pardon the postponement of my blog today. Backroad Chronicles will be published as usual on Monday this week. Please return at your convenience.

New pictures of the mobile home coming up ~~~~

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time ...

ALMOST THERE ...

2011-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Well … another week has slipped away but rather than complaining about how slow every thing is moving … I must say now that we are coming down to the wire at the speed of paint drying! Phil has finished painting the bedroom and the "new to us", bedroom furniture has various coats of primer and paint. After the painting is done, all that is left for us to do is clean the windows and put up the storm windows and blinds; clean up the mess and vacuum the carpet; assemble the bedstead and bring in the mattress and box springs then make the bed and we can move in!!! Hurray!

I have been unpacking kitchen boxes and putting things away. Our new cupboards are spacious and I love the brand new smell. Believe it or not, the new pantry is not as big as the one in our "Penny the Pace" but with a little maneuvering around, I found space for everything. We have enjoyed a couple meals at the breakfast bar, nothing fancy but home cooking nonetheless and a pleasant relief from restaurant fare.

After weeks of searching on Craig’s list, we finally found a car for granddaughter, Sara in Centralia; about an hour drive south on I-5. The owner was a mechanic who had taken very good care of it and along with a complete service record; he gave us total disclosure about all the pros and cons of the car. It runs great and is in good condition for a 25-year-old car with 130,000 miles on it (about 5000 miles a year), which is actually half the national average per year. She is a happy young lady and we have now been relieved of the duty of taking and picking her up after work nearly every day, which makes us very happy as well.

We are loving our “Little Sophie” more each day and although she continues to be very jumpy (loud noises still scare her) she is learning to trust us more every day. The housebreaking training is going very well. She is now lasting all night without an incident (on the potty pad) and most of the day she takes care of her business on the many walks when we take her outside. She “tells” us she needs to go out by pacing in front of the door (since she can’t bark or make any noise) and we are learning how really smart she is as time goes on. What a great little dog!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Until next time …

2011-01-23T02:40:00.000-08:00

A beautiful rainbow over the top of a totem pole at Little Creek Casino.

2011-01-23T02:35:00.000-08:00

The built in dresser "before" picture.

2011-01-23T02:30:00.001-08:00

The built in dresser after renovation and a fresh coat of paint. I love it!

2011-01-23T02:20:00.001-08:00

The headboard waiting for the first coat of paint.

2011-01-23T02:20:00.000-08:00

Our footboard waiting for the finishing touches.

2011-01-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

Granddaughter, Sara and her "New to her" car. She is a very happy girl. It is a 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier. We got it for $650 plus tax and transfer fees. It is a sweet little car.

2011-01-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

This is the only "before" picture I have of the perfectly adequate refrigerator we decided to keep rather than buy one to match our new black appliances.

We painted it black with appliance epoxy enamel. It was not easy in the freezing weather, outside in the carport.

2011-01-23T02:05:00.000-08:00

This is the after photo. We think it turned out pretty good for our first try at it. Thanks Carol for the idea!

2011-01-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Our little Sophie is out like a light in her Daddy's recliner. She loves her new sleeping pad--a gift from our friends, Ray and Sandy!

AT LAST!!!

2011-01-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally happened! The kitchen cabinets are finished and the fun has begun … HOORAY!!. Can you imagine my relief? My momentum had been brought to a screeching halt for the past couple weeks as I waited for the construction to come to an end. I was beginning to come unraveled and Phil kept saying, “just relax … he will finish when he is ready.” So, the cabinetmaker worked through the night Friday and by Saturday morning he was finished. I think he knew I was at my wits end.

The dishwasher has been working overtime-scrubbing dishes, small appliance parts and pieces as well as pots and pans that have been packed away for months. Deciding what will go where is challenging and unpacking things I haven’t seen for months is like Christmas. When we finish the bedroom we are moving in … finished or not!

It has been a whirlwind week. Last Friday we took granddaughter, Sara on a flying trip down to Centralia to look at a 1986 Chevy Cavalier I found on Craig’s List. For a 25-year old car, it has low mileage (only 130,000 miles) and has had excellent care. After a test drive she put a deposit down on it and we will take her back today to pay the balance and pick it up. The owner wants $750 but he was at work and his wife lowered the price $50 already because Phil had to jump it to start it. The battery had not held the last charge and Sara will have to buy a new one. We will also ask for an additional $50 off because the headliner needs to be reglued and there is a leak above the windshield.

Great Granddaughter, Carly was a participant in the Elk’s Hoop Shoot last weekend. She had a pretty good size rooting section and tried her best but had some bad luck in spite of her greatest effort. We all went out to brunch at Denney’s afterward and we gave her lots of atta-boys for doing her best. She is playing basketball in school this year and loving it.

Our cold weather has warmed up but along with rising temperatures, came the rains. It is supposed to come down like gangbusters for a week or longer. The drive down I-5 to Centralia will no doubt be miserable today. Our “Little Sophie” is getting more comfortable with us every day and she is so good about going potty outside we are very pleased with her progress.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Until next time …

2011-01-16T02:55:00.000-08:00

New sink, faucet and soap dispenser after Phil installed the light under the cabinet. I love this sink and the faucet!

2011-01-16T02:50:00.000-08:00

Stove, microwave and new finished cabinets.

2011-01-16T02:45:00.000-08:00

North side and breakfast bar of the kitchen with finished cabinets.

2011-01-16T02:40:00.000-08:00

West side of the finished kitchen cupboards. Waiting for some additional muscle and the appliance hand truck in order to bring the refrigerator back into the kitchen.

2011-01-16T02:35:00.000-08:00

The built in dressing table in our bedroom getting a primer coat of paint. Phil will be painting the drawer fronts red and the top black. Then, we will install new drawer pulls ... haven't purchased them yet.

2011-01-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

Great Granddaughter, Carly getting ready to participate in the Elk's Hoop Shoot tournament. She didn't win a trophy but she tried very hard and we all had fun watching her participate.

2011-01-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

Practice, practice, practice before the tournament begins.

2011-01-16T02:20:00.000-08:00

Check out that form!

2011-01-16T02:15:00.000-08:00

This is serious business!

2011-01-16T02:10:00.000-08:00

Granddaughter, Sara at about five months along. Isn't she adorable?

2011-01-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

Little Sophie getting her tummy rubbed and cuddling in Mama's arms.

2011-01-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Daughter, Bobbie's new flat screen, 42 " TV. She loves it!