PROGRESS AT A SNAIL'S PACE ...

Phil is nearly over his cold and (knock wood) to date, I have no symptoms. YAHOO!!! If mind over matter in fact works, my proclamation that I refuse to get sick must be working. All righty then … so far, so good!

This past week has given us near daily contact with granddaughter, Sara. That has been wonderful having a chance to visit with her regularly. Getting her either to or back home from her job at McDonalds has been keeping us busy. We are not the only family and friends providing transportation and she has been using public transit as well when her shifts coincide with the bus runs. When her new job starts at Little Creek Casino, we will all have to regroup once her hours are determined until she has saved enough to buy a car. We will miss seeing her so often once she has her own ride.

Megan, another one of our lovely granddaughters, who lives in Longview, went with her husband, Joshua to Maui on vacation for a week. One of her clients (she has a house cleaning business) owns a condo there and gave her the keys. A very nice tip wouldn’t you say? We received a promised post card a couple days ago. They were having so much fun snorkeling and soaking up the sun.

The Cadillac is still in the shop and her problem remains a mystery. Our mechanic is using a very slow process of elimination and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it is not something really expensive. The Ranger has been repaired and we picked it up from the garage after we recovered from the shock of the total bill. Heater cores are not cheap folks but it sure is nice to have heat in the cab and the ability to defrost the windows once again.

Progress on the house is moving along, however not as quickly as we would like. While we wait for the cabinets to be finished and installed, Phil has started working on the living room preparing the ceiling and paneling for painting. We have decided to go all white for now and if we hate it, we will change the wall color at a later date. I just want to get this project finished so we can move in before the really cold weather gets here. We cleaned the big window in the kitchen, insulated and installed the storm windows and hung the new mini blinds. It looks really nice (sorry, I forgot to take a picture-next week for sure). I will worry about window treatments later.

Thank you for stopping by!

Until next time …

Phil preparing the paneling for painting in the living room while we wait for the kitchen cabinets to be finished and installed.

He will sand it and prime it before he paints.

One of our rare sunny days, grandson, Joe came over. He pruned the lower branches of the Camelia and Rhododendron then weeded and raked the bed underneath.

We planted several ornamental Kale and 30 crocus and hyacinth bulbs.

Phil hard at work, laying the new vinyl in our kitchen. It was the first time he had ever put down a floor and we were very pleased with the end result.

The south wall of the kitchen/dining area.

Nice job Phil! Isn't our new floor pretty?

Megan said this postcard does not do the place justice.

Hard to imagine it any prettier!

A WEEK FULL OF UPS AND DOWNS

Phil is sick. His first cold in six years!!! We had to come back to Washington for him to catch it and I am probably next. Around here we call it the Washington “Crud” and everyone catches it sooner or later. No work today … just sleeping and resting.

I had my echocardiogram on Monday. Nothing more was learned about my so-called blockage in the new valve. My cardiologist suggested we wait and test again in six months to see if there is any change. I’m considering another opinion because I do not like playing the game … “stump the cardiologist.” I’ll let you know what I decide after I consult my PCP.

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Phil had a follow up visit at the sleep center on Tuesday and the prognosis is he will most likely need this machine the rest of his life to thwart the sleep apnea. He was not thrilled about that but if it continues to give him the rest he needs (and me too) and even possibly (as the experts predict) extends his life … oh well, it is a good thing over all! After his appointment, we went to brunch at a nice little restaurant by Wright Park in the historic Stadium district then drove over to the W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory located in the park. It was all decorated for Halloween and the floral displays were gorgeous. More than 500 species of exotic plants (including more than 200 orchids) are housed in this spectacular greenhouse constructed in 1908. This elegant Victorian conservatory is one of only three of this type on the West Coast and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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A second echocardiogram in my family was taken on Thursday. They continue to look for a cause of the many PVCs in Phil’s heartbeat without success. We may learn more after he consults with his cardiologist in the next week or so. Until then, it remains a mystery. That same afternoon, my wonderful new (to me) Cadillac decided to begin making a very loud noise that did not sound good at all. We drove it to the mechanic’s shop and left it for the owner to assess on Monday. He has been on vacation and will be back tomorrow. Phil has many ideas about what could be wrong but until an expert mechanic takes a look, we are only guessing. At that point we became car-less because the Ranger has lost its heater and has an appointment on Wednesday for a new heater core. With the rainy and cold weather we are having we do not want to drive it because it fogs up and it is impossible to see out the windows. So. our friend Les to the rescue as usual. What would we do without him? We are driving his Ford Ranger pickup until our wheels are repaired and rolling again.

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Our sweet Carly (great granddaughter) came to spend the weekend with us on Friday afternoon. We took her with us to my sister’s “Happy Halloween” dinner party that night. As usual, there was enough food to feed an Army and dozens of family and friends and I believe all had a good time. I know I did!
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The next day, my niece, Tammy and her husband, Steve hosted a pumpkin carving dinner and dessert party at her house and so we spent another wonderful evening with family and met many of Tammy’s co-workers and friends with small children. Carly had a great time and her Papa, who was already starting to feel sick stayed with her and helped with the hard parts until she was finished. What a trooper he is when it comes to all our grands!

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I am back from taking Sara to her job interview. Hooray, she was hired!!! She is so excited because it is a great job. One of the best paying jobs in the county plus many benefits. She worked there several years ago and being just a kid, she made some foolish mistakes and lost the job. She learned her lesson well and was thrilled when they called her back. Sara has assured us she will not make those same mistakes again.
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Thanks for stopping back by and your patience with me today!
Until next time

You'all come back now, you hear?

Ran out of time. Must go pick up my granddaughter and take her to a very important job interview at our local casino.

I'll finish the text of the blog when I get back.

Until then, enjoy the pictures!

Ewwwww! Icky!

Carly's very traditionally carved pumpkin.

Carved pumpkins lined up for voting.

They were all winners!

This photo is completely out of context but I wanted to introduce my goofy bil to you.

This is his "hippy" phase ... NOT!

Our Paul is a conservative's conservative and that long yellow hair is attached to the hat.

Small but lovely stop on a sunny afternoon in Tacoma.

Such a beautiful structure.

Koi pond. They are such interesting and trainable fish. They swarm towards anyone standing at the edge of the pool. Obviously looking for food.

Hibiscus blooming in profusion!

Orchids everywhere.

New vinyl flooring for kitchen, entry and breakfast bar.

We enlarged the kitchen by about four feet into the living room.

South end of the newly painted kitchen and the hallway. Old walls will be covered with backsplash and cupboards.

Broom closet at right of doorway will be remodeled into a nice size pantry.

West wall of kitchen. New plumbing and wiring for microwave and dishwasher ready to go. Subfloor is prepped for vinyl.

East wall of the kitchen. Painted and red/white gingham contact paper applied to wainscoting. It is a very busy pattern but the table and chairs will go against this wall and cover most of it ... and I wanted red!

I would like to introduce our newest great grandchild. He/She is about 8 weeks and doing fine according to the mom, our granddaughter, Sara.

The due date is approximately April 14, 2011. This will be # 3 "great" for Phil and I and we are so happy to be here and be able to be part of this new life coming into the world.

Please check back later ...

Two late nights of fun with family and friends has wiped me out. I will write my blog later today after I have rested my weary bones.
Please check back later for the latest news ... : )

NOT MUCH NEWS THIS WEEK

More bad news from the fulltime Rving community today. I’ve just learned about the tragic deaths of Margie and Bruce, in Pismo Beach, CA. Fulltimers for about two years, they originated in Tumwater, WA and were in CA for the winter. Avid daily walkers, a speeding car driven by a suicidal driver trying to kill himself ran them down on their morning walk. No word about whether he accomplished that goal or not. Their daughter wrote a small note on her mother’s blog to explain what had happened. We had never met them but I read Margie’s blog and she read mine once in a while. Another senseless tragedy and they will be missed by all of us.

Phil has been working all week and has finally gotten 99% of the painting done in the kitchen. I really fell down on the job and only took “before” pictures then neglected to take “after” pictures. So, I guess you will just have to come back next week for those. Sorry about that!

Last Wednesday, Phil began taking the prep for his colonoscopy scheduled for Friday. We arrived on time and they took Phil in right away. An hour later, the doctor called me in to tell me they had aborted the procedure because Phil’s heart rate was jumping all over the place for no apparent reason. They sent us to Group Health Urgent Care where we spent the next four hours while they did EKGs, Pacemaker assessments and blood tests. Everything checked out perfectly normal except for some troubling PVCs (preventrical contractions) but his heart rate remained steady so he was finally released. They will schedule an echocardiogram for sometime in the near future to find out what is going on in there. It was certainly not how we expected to spend the day and Phil is not pleased that he has to go through all that prep again someday but he will do it. Will keep you informed as more tests are done.

Thank you for stopping by.
Until next time …

Dining table area on the east side before painting.

Before cleaning and painting. New cabinets will be "L" shaped with a corner sink. The fridge will be on the left and the stove on the far right and all lights will be replaced.

More of the old floor on the east side of the kitchen.

Some new subfloor around the old floor. We have enlarged the kitchen by four feet.

Can you believe all this fluid in 24 hours ... for naught?

AND THE BEAT GOES ON ... again

First of all, I want to offer our condolences to Tioga George. His son, David has been found dead after going missing for nearly three weeks. No details are available but our heart goes out to George. We consider him our mentor and had he not been traveling fulltime in his RV and writing a blog via satellite Internet, we would not have considered this lifestyle. We met up with him a couple times around the country and he came to Shelton to visit us once while we were here for the summer. Speaking from experience (I too have lost a son) the pain will lessen with time George, but you will never forget your child. He will continue to live on in your heart as always.

Rain in earnest has arrived in Shelton. The skies opened up for 24 hours yesterday and poured buckets. There was a flood warning for the Skokomish River north of Shelton and more of the same is forecast for today. Our carport is getting wet but we put everything up on wooden pallets and all the things that can be damaged by the water are out of harms way. We have an idea that might solve our problem and when Phil gets it engineered, we’ll let you know how it works.

Peach report: The cobbler was indeed delicious! See pictures below.

Phil needs to put the Ranger back into the shop. He says the heater core is leaking. I guess, it was just a matter of time until the little guy started needed some TLC. It has been a faithful little truck and followed our motorhome diligently for six years. That is a lot of miles on top of all the thousands of mile he drove us across the country by himself when we went sightseeing. Other than regular maintenance, our truck repair expenses have been minimal. Sooooo, we will have the work done and consider ourselves lucky.

Next time I will bring you up to date on the kitchen remodel. Right now, it is an empty room and Phil is in the middle of replacing nearly half the sub-floor. Much of it had severe water damage and was covered with black mold. Good riddance! We had considered not replacing the floor but I’m sure glad we changed our minds. It is a small cost to protect ourselves from that nasty stuff.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time …

A nice serving of peach cobbler that we took to our neighbor at Hidden Haven Mobile Home Park. Jim is always bringing goodies over to us so it was time to reciprocate.

Two servings of my peach cobbler. All that was left from an 8 X 8 baking dish after Phil and I along with Les and Gloria had a nice size portion and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum, yum!

A basket full ($4.00 at a garage sale) of silk tulips. Actually, the wrong time of year for them but I think they are so pretty, I put them out anyway.

My new birdbath. Left over from an estate sale that my sister, Dixie had for a widowed client. It was free and I love it!

See the pallets? That brown stack on top of our big freezer ($20 at a garage sale :) is moving boxes we collected free from Craig's List. There is probably about 75 in that stack.

Most of the boxes are empty but a few have leftovers from our last garage sale. We will fill up those boxes and many more before our next sale. We had nearly 90 boxes full last time.

See the pallets? The metal garbage can is full of bird seed. We have lots of hungry finch and sparrow types eating from five feeders. There is a bunch of bluejays around too but I've never see them at the feeders.

BACK TO THE REMODELING PROJECT

We continue to work towards getting our “messes” cleaned up and organized. Phil and I did not do much else in the week before as we worked toward and counted down to the big garage sale last weekend. Ever since it has been time to dig out and get back to the project at hand, i.e. renovating our new home base. Our sales for the weekend reimbursed us for all the secondary expenses (furniture, household incidentals, etc.) of buying our mobile home so the next sale (sometime before the end of the year) will hopefully payback a good chunk of the savings account that covered the actual purchase.

I must admit, we haven’t been moving very fast as resting up from long days on our feet has been high on our priority list. After four days, I was beginning to feel normal again and each day, my energy level has increased. I forgot how much getting these sales ready takes out of us. They are hard, hard work! But we (yes, both of us equally) do love doing it, which so many people find hard to understand.

Yesterday, after two and a half months of not wetting a line, Lester and Phil finally took a day off and went fishing. Gloria worked in the store (Rocks ‘n Rhinestones) and I spent the day working at the mobile. You will see the results of that fishing trip in the picture section of my blog this week. Les said it took over 30 minutes for Phil to get the smile off his face after this big-guy came into the boat. They brought this huge catch home to present to Gloria’s cousin as she had requested a trout from the next trip. Well, those two fishermen aim to please and Phil says this is the biggest trout he has ever caught in his entire life. Since he has been fishing all his life that is really saying a lot.

Phil had a routine doctor’s appointment on Friday and afterward, we stopped at the Olympia Farmer’s Market and Trader Joe’s on the way home. At the market, we bought two chocolate dipped macaroons that were to die for! We at them so fast, I forgot to take a picture … but they were shaped like donuts. Definitely, the best we have ever had and I would wager we go back for more one of these days. We also purchased some marvelous jam … one sugar free and one regular

Beautiful peaches at Trader Joe’s are ripening on the counter for a wonderful peach cobbler using Paula Deen’s delicious recipe. I’ve been using this recipe for a long time and it is a hit with the people we’ve shared my cobbler with over the years. The advertising over the stack of boxes said these are the best tasting peaches, Trader Joe’s has sold all year. Will let you know if we agree.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time …

Jams and pepperoni. Love it~

This is what I love about Farmer's Market's ... local vendors making the best and freshest product.

Here he is with the biggest trout he has ever caught.

He is a happy fisherman!

After cleaning, this trout weighed four pounds and so he was at least six pounds when Phil caught him. He is 22 inches long!

What a beauty!