Lots of Food and Fellowship

Christmas dinner was wonderful...used my new electric roaster and the turkey turned out really good. Boxing day I packed up a care package and took it to our daughter and son-in-law. Her back was so sore yesterday they didn't get to go for their Christmas dinner. There was quite the traffic jam getting out of here. Everyone was at Wal-Mart and Best Buy...traffic was backed up onto the highway...sure glad we weren't going shopping!!!

From there we went to an open house at M&S's ...people we met camping at Cultus Lake. Some of our other Cultus Lake friends were there as well so we had a great visit and she put out a huge dinner for all of us...tastes even better when you don't have to cook it.

Then it was off to a friend's birthday party. She had to work (she's a nurse) so her husband made cream puffs, stuck them to a cone shaped base, drizzled chocolate on it and put a big candle in the top...looked like a volcano! Looked neat and tasted even better!

Today was church then out to a lady's for another dinner with several people from our church. Had lots to eat again and then she gave us a paper with a bunch of drawings on it and we had to guess which Christmas song the drawings represented. B and I got 24 out of 24, another couple got 23 but we all got a prize, and it was so much fun! As a little hostess gift, I gave her a gift pack of several of the cards I've been making...she was really impressed!!!!

Tomorrow we're off to visit another couple from our church and have dinner with them. Sure glad it isn't snowing like last year...makes it a lot easier to do all this running around!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Hope Santa was good to you! We had our family over for candlelight dinner last night and gift opening. Mom got home from Portland a couple days early so it was nice that she could join us as well. She was very impressed with the snugglie we got her!

This morning the ground was all white...but it was a heavy frost...not snow. Not like last year when B had to shovel a path to the blueberry bushes to knock the snow off them.

The turkey is stuffed and in my new electric roaster so I hope it turns out good. Looking forward to having friends and Mom in for dinner tonight.

Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, but it sure can get busy. Wednesday we had to go to Langley for 3 of the grandkid's Christmas Concerts then it was off to Delta for our granddaughter's concert. Thursday was Dr. appointments to get our H1N1 and seasonal flu shots and shopping. Friday was two sets of blood tests, more shopping and then a pot luck dinner at our church. It always mazes me the variety of food people bring to a pot luck...and it all tasted soooo good.

Saturday evening we babysat our youngest grandkids. First time they've left the baby with anyone. He's at the age when he's not too sure if Mom and Dad get out of his sight, but we'd seen him a couple of times in the past 2 weeks so he was fine with us.

Sunday was church. The choir did their contata and it was excellent!! Talked to some friends and decided to invite them to our place for turkey dinner on Christmas Day.

Monday we had all the kids and grandkids over for dinner and gift exchange because our son and daughter-in-law and kids are going to be at her Mom and Dad's for Christmas. We're still getting together for our candelight Christmas Eve dinner with the other kids though.

In between all this I did manage to get pizzelles made, gifts wrapped and even downloaded a bunch of pictures onto a memory stick to show them in my digital photo frame. It's amazing what we can do when we get motivated, isn't it????

Happy Birthday Casino

Woke up this morning and the snow and freezing rain that had been predicted hadn't happened...yahoo!!!! We went to the local casino because it's their second anniversary and they're offering a plate of 5 delicious things for only $2 at certain times today and Thursday. That's all their ad said so we thought we'd go check it out. We got a plate with popcorn shrimp, halibut fingers, cole slaw, a bun and 2 pieces of cake. It was tasty and we enjoyed it.

When we first got to the casino we were a bit early for the $2 special so decided to play the machines for awhile. I was down then got the bonus and got back up to my original bet plus a bit so decided to cash out. B was playing behind me so I was chatting with him when the attendant came and asked if I'd been playing that machine. Apparently I won the "hot seat" draw. It was a bit different this time, I had to enter a 5 digit # onto a keypad and press enter to see if I won the $250,000. Of course I didn't win, but not to worry because I was was told to pick a box then pick an envelope out of that box. I won $50 so was quite happy about that!! We then proceeded to do a Costco run and all the time we were there I kept thinking of what I could have bought with $250,000.

It's Snowing!!

Saturday #1 daughter phoned. She'd been shopping and the smells of the food court made her feel hungry, but nothing appealed to her so she went home and nothing in her fridge appealed to her either, so she phoned me. I told her I had a pot of pea soup made. She very quickly said, "That sounds good!", so I told her to come down and have some. After we had our soup and grilled cheese sandwiches her and I went to the local mall to pick up a few things. It's fun going shopping with her!

Saturday night we went to the church our friend pastors and had a wonderful turkey dinner. For a small church they sure do a great job! We helped with the cleanup then headed home very thankful that the snow that was forcast for that night didn't come to pass.

Sunday we went to our church and the preschoolers put on their Christmas pagent...they are soooo cute, doing actions to the songs and singing at the top of their voices and not caring if they're off key or not! When we came out it was snowing on top of the frozen ground so it was slippery and cold. After lunch I sat on the recliner down by the wood heater and it was so cozy, I fell asleep.

We cancelled going out to Langley for a Christmas concert put on by our daughter's church...didn't feel like braving the ice and snow. Instead I made a batch of shortbread, so now it's feeling a lot more like Christmas! After I finished the cookies I started loading pictures on a memory stick to use in the digital picture frame I bought on Black Friday. The frame said "no computer required" but when I opened it, it had the smallest set of instructions...I've had more detailed instructions on how to use a curling iron!!!! Anyway, I've muddled my way through it by trial and error...sometimes more error than I would have liked...but last night I got my pictures loaded and working!!!

Blog Anniversary

I was looking back on some of the blogs I wrote and realized that 2 days ago was the anniversary of my first blog! Tomorrow it will be one year since we had the first snowfall of the 2008/2009 season and we had so much snow after that!!!! We got a little tiny bit of snow yesterday morning, but just enough to colour the driveway and roads. Forcast is for snow tonight. The weather experts say that this year won't be as snowy as last year...let's hope so...I didn't like all that white stuff last year!!

Casino Fun

B got the outside Christmas lights up today. I was busy making more Christmas presents but I can't say what they are because the people they're for read my blog...you'll all just have to wait until Christmas to find out what's been keeping me so busy!!

The local casino is having another promotion on so B suggested we go down there tonight. We were playing the penny slots and 'Miss Lucky Penny' came along and gave B an entry form and a case with a penny in it. They're having a draw tonight for one prize of $500 and another for $1000...it would be nice to win that. As I was playing and enjoying my hot chocolate one of the attendants came up and asked if she could check my casino card, she did, spoke into her little radio then said, "Congratulations...you've just won $100 in our 'hot seat' draw. Someone will be here shortly to give you your money." Another gal arrived and asked me to sign for the money and handed me a $100 bill...yahoo!!!!! I won!!!! B was also up $13 from playing the machines so when we left so we didn't feel too too bad that we didn't win the $500 or $1000...although that would have been nice!

Birthday greetings

A belated Happy Birthday to #1 granddaughter...one more year to go until you're officially a bratty teenager...you might be a teenager but you're not going to be bratty, are you???

Happy Birthday to #2 daughter...Hope you have a wonderful day! I was
thinking last night of the night I went to the hospital. Your auntie C was here and told me a story of how our cousins C&J had gone Christmas shopping at the new Guildford mall which had just opened and C ended up driving down a set of stairs because they hadn't got the railings up yet. I laughed so hard my water broke and within a couple of hours you came into this world. Have a great day!

Winter Camping at It's Best

I haven't been blogging because we've been down at Beachwood Camping Resort for the past several nights and the internet connection was so slow there I couldn't post.


The full moon looked so neat...the rain had stopped and it had cleared up, but the clear skies means it'll get colder tonight.

My cousin J had given me some material so I made some curtains for the window in the door of our bedroom. Quite pleased with how they turned out. They make the room look more "homey", keep the morning light out and keep the heat in at night.

Before we left Home Outfitters had "bed in a bag" on sale so I got this quilt...it sure kept us cozy and warm and the colours look so good in there...even bunny rabbit likes to snuggle between the pillows!

We had a wonderful time down there reading, going for walks, visiting with friends, and I even got to go "Black Friday Shopping" with my friend J....Girls day out...it was fun! On the way home yesterday we stopped at the casino for the $2 buffet. Met our friends R&C and M&S there and had a lovely visit with them. Today we got the trailer all drained and put in the shop for the next two months...hated to put it away, but we'll be out again before you know it! No one can say we don't use our trailer!!!

From Jack-o-lantern to Pickles

Our son and daughter-in-law carved these 4 jack-o-lanterns. They gave them to me the day after Hallowe'en so I cut them all up and cooked and mashed some, pureed some for baby food for our littlest grandson who will soon be eating solid food, made some pumpkin loaves. Used some, froze some and then looked up a recipe on the internet and made some pickled pumpkin. Everything turned out really yummy but it's kept me too busy to do my blogging so now it's catch up time.

Squirrel

Here's the picture of the squirrel that put on such a great show for us.

Warning.....

Don't leave alcohol too close to your pumpkins.

My friend D sent this picture to me on an email and I just had to share it.

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone...Stay safe!!!

Challenging Get-Away...but Nice too!!

We went out with the trailer for a few days. We had several sessions of pouring rain but lots of sunshine as well. The site we were in had terrible power so we ended up using our propane for most things. The park had wonderful Halloween activities planned. We went to see the "haunted house" they had set up in the adult lodge...they did such a great job of it. It was fun going through it, but when we got to the "spider's den" I was glad #1 daughter wasn't with us...she HATE'S spiders! The witch and mummy in the coffin were quite neat. Afterwards we ate popcorn, talked to a couple and listened to the DJ...it was cute to see all the little kids in their costumes dancing and having a good time with their parents and grand-parents!!

I was doing dishes in the trailer. Looked down and saw water droplets on the floor at the edge of the cupboards. Wiped it up, thinking I'd spilled, but they re-appeared...repeat...reappeard....OH OH!!!! Think we might have a leak OR the water pump is caput!!! We had to get out the screwdrivers, take one cupboard door off then try and figure out how to get the drawer off it's tracks and take it out...several trys later we got it out. Wiped up the water and B tightened one of the connections on the water pump....you have to be quite the contortionist to be able to get into those tight places!!! Put a wad of paper towel under the pump and left it for the night. Next day it was still a bit wet so he felt around and tried to tighten any more connections.

Went to the casino...they were giving away free money...give them $20 and they give you $25 on Mondays and on Friday and Tuesday they give you $30 for $20...works for me. Also on Monday we had a wonderful buffet at a reduced price....then I played the penny machines and ended up leaving with $55 more than I went in with. B was also up...so that was a bonus! Went back to the trailer and decided to go for a walk around the campsites. Just got back and there was a bright flash of lightening followed by a VERY LOUD BOOM. Several more flashes and booms and it started to hail...the ground was totally covered...looked like it had snowed! Is hail ever loud when you're inside a trailer!!!

When it was sunny it was beautiful being parked in the forest with the leaves and maple "helicopters" spinning to the ground, the birds flying in and out of the bushes, chipmunks scurrying about....but the squirrels put on the best show as they scrambled out onto the thinnest of branches to fill their cheeks with the little seed pods and take them back to their dens. I took some pictures so if they come out okay, I'll post them.

Nice and sunny today and we hated to come home, but we'd promised P we'd be at the bible study tonight. We checked the water pump before putting the trailer away and it's still dry...let's pray we got it fixed!!

Fish Spawning

It's so amazing to watch these fish fighting the current and swimming upstream to spawn. They fight so hard to jump over the rapids, only to get washed back down again. They rest for awhile then tackle it again and again. My son-in-law took these pictures for me but at that time no fish were jumping the rapids...that would have made for an awsome picture!!

Perfect Timing

We watched the news last night. All sorts of cold temperature records were set over the weekend...no wonder I kept thinking it was cold!!! Since we bought the new trailer we haven't had an outside thermometer. I keep trying to get one but they always seem to be out of stock...I miss not having one. This morning when we woke up it was nice and sunny. I hated the idea of hooking up and heading home but we did. Got home, unpacked the trailer and had some lunch. When we went out to put the trailer into the shop it started to rain...perfect timing!!!!

My Aunt and Uncle from out of town are over at Mom's so we went over for a quick visit. Showed Uncle F the pictures of the fish spawning in Frostt Creek then came home and got ready to go to our bible study. I'll post the fish pictures first chance I get.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

There's so much in life to be thankful for...especially quality time spent with family and sunny days! We had our Thanksgiving dinner last night and it was wonderful...bar-b-qued ham slices, mashed potatoes, yams, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert. All eight of us managed to sit in our trailer to eat....it's so nice to be together...the only thing that would be nicer if our whole family could get together...but we'd need a MUCH bigger trailer for that to happen!!!! Oh well...Christmas is coming!!!

Glorious Weather

The weather Mt. Vernon Thousand Trails was lovely. Our good friends from Everett came and had dinner with us. We always enjoy their company! Did lots of shopping and got our "free" money from the local casino before we left.

Headed up to Cultus Lake Thousand Trails. Friday we went to see my cousin and her husband. It was her birthday yesterday so I gave her some of the cards I've been making as a birthday gift...she was sure happy with them. We just got back to the campsite and #2 daughter, son-in-law and grandkids came it with their trailer. We'll be together for Thanksgiving, so that'll be nice. Cold at nights here but nice and sunny during the day.

Are we Going to Get Away????

We prepared the elements for communion Saturday evening then Sunday after the service we cleaned up the communion stuff. It's so nice to be able to serve our church in some small way!

Our good friends D&M had phoned and asked us to come for lunch after church so we accepted. Had a wonderful baked ham dinner with lots and lots of trimmings and homemade pumpkin pie for dessert...it all tasted wonderful...so glad we accepted the invite!!! Got home and went to hook up the trailer and low and behold...no power...apparently the power went out at 4...just before we got home and wasn't expected to be re-connected until 6 or 7pm. At this point we were REALLY glad we had a great dinner. We did manage to hook up and load what we could, but have you ever tried to get something out of a freezer which is in a windowless room with absolutely no light? Not fun...even with a flashlight! Power came on about 7 so we finished loading and took off. Pulled into Silver Reef Casino and were surprised to see a dozen or so other rigs in the parking lot. Such a pretty night tonight with the clear skies and full moon.

Making Cards

#1 daughter brought me down some of her punches to try so I've been having great fun making cards. Here are a few of them.

RV Show Time Again

Who was I to think that once we bought a new trailer B would no longer want to go to the RV show???? Went to the Tradex today and looked at all the new RV's...didn't find any we would rather have. After we finished at the show we went and found the Chances casino out that way...we've each got a $5 ticket to cash in. I like it when they send me tickets for free money!!! I put the money into a slot machine and soon had it up to $10...should have cashed out but kept playing and having fun...next thing I know I'm down to $.03. But you know, I had fun and I still came out of there $.03 richer than I went in!!! Small casino but we found it really easily. Phoned my cousin who lives in the area and her and her husband came and met us at the casino so we had a snack and a really nice visit. We've got another $5.00 ticket to cash in next week...mmmm wonder which of the BC casinos we should go to????

Delightful Saturday

Some of the cards we made.

Yesterday was such a delightful day. Our eldest daughter came down with her niece (our youngest granddaughter) and the three of us went to Michael's armed with some coupons for 40% &50% off non-sale items and 10% off your whole order. My daughter NEVER buys anything from Michael's for full price so she educatuated me!!! I got a couple of punches so I can make more cards. "A" had great fun shopping with Grandma and Auntie and when we got home we had lunch and tried out our new punches.

I finally got the pictures downloaded....realized I hadn't taken very many, but here's a nice "stitch" picture of the beach at Seaside. I took 3 pics and "stitched" them together.

We're Back

After we left Seaside we drove down the Oregon Coast...the breakers are so beautiful as they crash onto the shore. Stopped at Tillamook Cheese Factory to watch them make cheese and get an ice cream cone. Got to Lincoln city and went to the Elks campground to meet up with our friends. We'd met these folks about 16 years ago as we toured the factory where our Prowler trailer was built and we've kept in touch ever since. They are delightful people.

They have a group that meet at the Elks campground 4 times a year and do crafts. This is the first time we've been able to get down, and I wasn't really sure what I was getting into...the only instructions I had was to bring some scissors. There's a closed in gazebo where they had tables set up, coffee pot on, goodies on one table and a couple tables for crafts...we were making cards. Had great fun with the cards, potluck dinner, games and going to the local casino for a wonderful breakfast buffet. When I get a chance to download the pictures I'll post some.

Left Sunday morning, drove through Portland and pulled into a rest area in Washington. B said he'd like to get through Seattle so we slept for a couple of hours, got up and drove through Seattle at 11pm...great way to beat the traffic!!! Pulled into the Wal-Mart in Marysville about 1:30 am and went to bed...lots of other RV's in the parking lot and the store is open 24 hours so we felt quite safe. That's the nice thing about towing your home behind the truck!!! Spent 3 nights at Mt. Vernon Thousand Trails and took advantage of the promotions at the casino nearby...I like it when they give me free money to gamble with!! Got home yesterday rejuvenated but tired.

Today was laundry, unpacking, paying bills and B washed and waxed the trailer. Now we're tired and can't wait to get away again!!!

Calm after the Storm

Today has been so sunny and beautiful...far cry from yesterday with 40 mph winds blowing the rain directly into our windshield...hard to see where you're driving. Got to Seaside safe and sound...this is such a beautiful park with the most wonderful indoor pool complex. Went swimming this morning then went shopping. Took some pictures but the internet connection in this park is really slow so didn't download the pics. Planning on more shopping and sightseeing tomorrow.

Wonderful Day

Yesterday we went to Bellingham Fred Meyers and in the parking lot we saw a Tango trailer so we went to have a peek at it. The owners came by so we told them we also have a Tango. Had a lovely chat with them and also found out they have memberships at Thousand Trails and Beachwood...what a small world!!!! From there we went to Beachwood and visited with a D&G...they just got married last week...congratulations! As we leaving we spotted another couple, so visited with them. By the time we finally got out of there we'd visited with a total of 5 different couples, but had such a wonderful time!!

Our 45th Anniversary Today

Finally got the trailer cleaned out and put away on Wednesday afternoon. Our daughter and grandkids were here and picked blueberries, blackberries, apples and also got some beans and zuchinni..."grocery shopping at Grandma's and Papa's"!!! We all went over to my Mom's because my sister and her daughter were there. Mom and my sister made dinner for us to celebrate our 45th anniversary...a bit early but at least we were all together!

Thursday morning our friends R&C called so I invited them down to pick some blueberries. They also got some beans, zuchinni and apples then we went to the local casino and they bought us lunch. It's been such a fluke because 2 years ago they bought their motorhome on our anniversary then last year we bought our new trailer on their anniversary...neither of us knew the other's anniversary at the time...but we do now!!! The casino had a special on pasta with your choice of pasta, sauce and meat or seafood. It was really yummy.

Friday we took Mom to the lab for some blood work and when we got home B cut the grass and I canned 9 quarts of beans and made some applesauce. G&D phoned and asked us to go to their place for a visit and see a DVD of the Baltic cruise they had been on. Really enjoyed the evening. We thought we'd meet for breakfast this morning but unfortunately it didn't work out, but tonight we're going to #1 daughter's and son-in-law's for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Can't believe we've been married for 45 years! My Dad always told me you only get 25 years for murder!!!

Are We Backwards???

We finally managed to get out in the trailer. Left late Sunday night to avoid the long border lineups...it worked...only 8 or 10 cars ahead of us. Unfortunately I thought we were leaving Monday so when B suggested we leave Sunday night it was quite a rush to pack...not to mention I'd been canning beans, freezing applesauce and blueberries and blanching eat-all peas to freeze...it's no woner I ended up forgetting more than I remembered to pack!!

We spent the first night in the casino parking lot...drove in there at midnight so was really thankfull that we weren't trying to back into a campsite...just pulled into the lot beside a motorhome. Next morning we went to get some groceries...trailer in tow...thankfully Fred Meyers has a nice big parking lot! Came back to the casino to partake of the senior's buffet...mmmm...it was soooo good. Even had these little oysters cooked in the half shell with a creamy tarragon sauce....I don't even like oysters, but these were delicious!!!

Went and checked into the Naco park...part of our Thousand Trails membership. Nice park and very nicely maintained with really nice clean showers and rest rooms. Only problem is...it's raining! Not to fret we've camped in the rain before. By the end of the week it was sunny and hot...just in time for us to come home....Think something is backwards here...shouldn't we be home in the rain and camping in the sun???? Oh well, we had a very relaxing getaway and looking forward to our next outing!

Boo Hoo Didn't make it out in the Trailer

We were supposed to be out with the trailer this past week but Mom wasn't well so we took her to the Dr., and I just didn't feel comfortable leaving when she wasn't up to par (especially in this heat) so we decided to stay at home. I think there was a master plan in there somewhere because after we cancelled we got a couple of days of record breaking heat and a bunch of days of just plain HOT so it was probably better that we were at home...and Mom's doing much better!

On the positive side of things we did get to go swimming in #1 daughter's pool a couple of times, had friends over one day and our son and his family and #1 daughter over on Monday to pick blueberries and have lunch. I even got to play with my grand daughter and hold (not spoil) my new grandson! Our new neighbour asked if we could spare a bag of apples to make an apple pie. She came over and I loaded her up with 3 bags of apples from our trees. The next day she brought us an apple crumble...yum...Picked and canned 18 pints of beans and made some apple-pudding cakes and tons of applesauce. Got my rose bushes trimmed and B got the garage doors painted. Whew!!! no wonder I'm tired!!! .... and to think we could have been out camping, sitting back and reading a book!

You know your getting old when...

This is quite the heat wave we're having. We broke the record for the highest temp set at Vancouver Airport on Wed then broke that record again yesterday. The previous record was set in August 1960...it's scary, but I remember that day vividly! I went upstairs, laid on my bed and thought it was sure hot. The radio was on THE "in station" C-FUN and the anouncer said it was 91 degrees...of course we were in faranheit at that time! All the teens listened to C-FUN and especially to the DJ Red Robinson.

Wednesday night we were invited to #1 daughter's for a swim in their pool...Heavenly!!! Cooled us down nicely. Last night we couldn't go for another swim so I had a long COLD bath. This morning we have the nice cool breeze that we almost always have here so it is rather pleasant. I've got the windows open and the fans on to get the house cooled down because it's supposed to get hot again this afternoon. Better get off the computer so I can go out and pick some blueberries to have on our ice cream tonight.

Quite a Day!

B took the car in for servicing today...he even got the air conditioner fixed!!! While he was gone I had the house to myself so I got busy, put the big floor fan in the kitchen so it was nice and cool. and I made a double batch of Pineapple-zuchinni cake and a double batch of chocolate-chocolate chip zuchinni cakes. After I cleaned up the mess (I always make such a mess when I'm baking!) and got all the cakes out of the oven I decided to try something different.

My friend W gave me this cooker which is really interesting...only problem is the instructions are in German and I don't know any German...oh well...nothing ventured, nothing gained. The cooker consists of a shallow bottom pan, which you fill with water. The second part has a hose coming out of the bottom and it goes over the first pan. Inside the second part is a perforated liner into which you put fruit. Put it on the stove and as it cooks juice comes out the hose and runs into the bottle you have ready for it. I cut up a bunch of apples that had fallen off our transparent apple tree and put them in the cooker....what do you know??? It worked great! I got 1 3/4 quarts of juice then I let the apples cool a bit and put them through the colander and made a big bowl of applesauce.

Beside the cooker you can see one of the chocolate zuchinni cakes, which we just had to try to see if it turned out good...the rest all got wrapped up and put into the freezer before we started testing them as well!!

Back in Town

We got back from camping at Cultus Lake Thousand Trails with our daughter and grandkids. Had a great time. Sunday night there was a thunder and lightening storm. I'm used to living in a flat area where these storms blow over rather quickly...not so up in the mountains. It started late in the evening and flashed, rumbled and echoed all night long. I felt sorry for the the families whose kids were sleeping in tents...it was noisy enough in the trailer! Kinda neat though! We've been through lightening and thunder storms, hail storms, snow storms and even an earthquake with our old trailer. With this trailer we've been in snow and now thunder and lightening.

Yesterday we spent the day taking Mom over the new Golden Ears Bridge and headed out to Webster's Corners where Mom had lived on an 80 acre farm. Saw her old school and even drove up to the farm which is now subdivided into several farms. We went up what would have been the original driveway and saw the hazlenut trees and the old pond but it felt strange not see Grandpa's old dog come running down to meet us! Funny the little things that stick in your memory! Visited with my Uncle who still lives in the area and we also drove up to Rolley Lake Campground. We used to go camping there in our tent trailer when our kids were little...hard to believe that was 40 odd years ago!! Talk about a trip down memory lane!!!!

Cherries, cherries and more cherries!

My sister was in town for a couple of days. She came over with her daughter and our Mom and picked a couple buckets of cherries off our tree and we had a good visit. We also picked a couple of buckets. Friday we went to visit R&A. We met these people about 19 years ago when we were camping...of course I brought them a bag of cherries. Saturday we went to a bar-b-que and I was asked to bring dessert for 16 people, so I brought a cake and a big bowl of cherries. Someone else had also brought dessert so I got some bags and sent cherries home with everyone. Went to church today and gave some friends a bag of cherries. D phoned tonight and said how wonderful they tasted! Tonight our friends G&D came and they picked two buckets of cherries. They are so ripe and sweet right now, but we can't reach any more so the rest will be left for the birds...hope they enjoy them as much as we did!!

This tree hasn't produced much fruit for years and usually the birds get all the cherries. This year it's gone crazy!!! We must have picked at least 25 or 30 ice cream buckets of cherries off that tree!! I looked at the blueberry bushes and they are just beginning to ripen and it looks like there'll be a bumper crop of them as well...but those two bushes always do produce a lot of berries!!

Bridges

Here's a couple of pictures of bridges. The one was built of concrete in the early 1900's. The other is the new Golden Ears Bridge which just opened in June.

Home again

We managed to get away for a few days with the trailer. While we were gone it was the one year anniversary date of us getting the new trailer...can't believe it's already been a year and I'm still re-arranging things to try and find the "perfect spot" for stuff. It was also B's birthday. We were at one of our Thousand Trails parks. We were there for the first time just over a year ago and it poured rain. The day we got there this time it was also raining...was this going to be a repeat??? Fortunately it quit raining and we had a great time exploring the small towns nearby, swimming, reading, doing puzzles and visiting new friends. They have a big "bouncing pillow" there and the kids were having a blast walking, running and jumping on it...it looked like such great fun...too bad adults aren't allowed on it!!! They should make one for us too!!!

On the way home we overnighted in a casino parking lot. Went into the casino and had our birthday dinners. There were about 15 - 20 rigs in the parking lot and across the street there were about two dozen or more fireworks kiosks set up. They sell lots and lots of fireworks down there for the fourth of July! All night they were letting them off so I turned out the lights in the trailer and had a ring side seat to watch them!! They were beautiful albiet noisy!! I couldn't help but wonder how big a bang it would be if some of the fireworks hit one or more of the kiosks????

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there, hope you had a wonderful day. After church today we went to our youngest granddaughter's dance recital then hurried home because #2 daughter and her family were coming to pick cherries from our tree and have dinner with us. Mom and #1 daughter also were here for dinner. I'd put some meat in the crock pot this morning and had a salad all made up, so all I had to do was cook some pasta and veggies when we got home. It's so great to get together with family!!

Not My Day

Yesterday just wasn't my day. I tried twice to post and both times something messed up...me or the computer??? Who knows, try again.

I just wanted to say that on Saturday we went to our granddaughter's dance recital then stopped at our oldest daughter and son-in-law's. Our son and his family were there so I managed to see all my grandkids and kids in one day!!! As we were driving there we saw the new Golden Ears bridge...sure looks impressive, can't wait to drive on it. It'll be a toll bridge but it'll be free for the first month.

Birthday Dinner

Last night we went to Boston Pizza for my "free" birthday dinner. I had shrimp and scallop pasta and B had lasagna. They asked if I had room for a "birthday brownie" and brought a triangle plate on which they wrote "Happy Birthday" in chocolate sauce, decorated the plate with more sauce and put a bowl on it with a brownie and a scoop of ice cream...it looked so pretty. Oh how I wish I had taken my camera!!! I don't carry my camera because with my wallet, glass case and camera my purse gets too heavy...maybe I should break down and get a new cell phone with a camera built in????

My Rose Bush

I've got this rose bush that's at least 25 years old and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last fall I thought I'd fix it!! I chopped it back pretty heavily but it got even with me and grew even BIGGER this spring. The other day as I was clipping the dead flowers off it and it was pricking me it reminded me of "The Little Shop of Horrors"!!!

Ahhh...This is the Life!!

Today we picked up my Mom then picked up our friend A and headed down to the States for the day. Stopped at the mailbox then Safeway. Got a couple of things but there were no great sales on. Went to Northwood for the $2 buffet where we met our friends R&C. They showed me the machine on which they'd won over $100 but when A tried it all it did was take her money!! Went to check out the exchange rate but we didn't think it was that good...87 cents on the dollar...we thought it should be closer to 89. On the positive side we had a lovely lunch, fun and laughter with friends and a lovely day out!!!!

It's Been How Long Since I've Blogged????

I can't believe this! All I've been doing is making curtains, hanging them, washing curtains and rehanging them, washing floors, going out for dinners, cooking dinners, working in the garden, doing laundry and other odd jobs....haven't even been away in our trailer since the long weekend of May....where does the time go???

Our friends from Salem, Oregon came up and overnighted in our driveway. They're on their way to Alaska for a trip so we looked at the albums from our trip there in 2001, studied the maps and tour books and told them what we enjoyed. Sure made us feel like hitting the road with them!!

I cooked dinner for them, and of course I cooked too much so the next day I phoned our son and daughter-in-law and asked if they'd like to come for dinner. There was a method in my madness though, because that way I'd get a chance to hold and cuddle my new grandson and play with my granddaughter. I gave my grandson a wooden truck, a little blue sweater and a little jacket and matching hat that his Daddy had when he was little. I also gave granddaughter a blue sweater that her Daddy had worn and told her she could put it on one of her dolls and her doll would have a blue sweater just like her brother. My daughter-in-law couldn't believe that I'd kept these things for over 35 years!!!

Life is wonderful but time goes by way too fast. Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

Matched Set

We went to visit some friends tonight and as soon as we got home about 10 to 11, the phone rang. It was our son. He asked me if I wanted a matched set?????? What???? We have 3 granddaughters and 2 grandsons but tonight we got a new grandson...hence 3 and 3...a matched set!!!

Marcus Liam was born at 9:53 pm and weighed 7 lb 2 oz and is 20" long. Mom, baby and Dad are all doing fine...so are Grandma and Papa, albiet a bit teary eyed!!!

Tid-bits of Info

I've had a couple of interesting e-mails lately. One of them said that if you get stung by a bee or hornet you should tape a penny over the sting and it'll take the pain away...something to do with the copper in the penny. Don't think I'll throw out the After-bite just yet, but it might be worth a try!

The other e-mail said that at 5 minutes and 6 seconds after 4am on July 8 this year the date will read 04:05:06/07:08:09 This will happen again in 3009. This of course got me to thinking and at 9 minutes and 9 seconds after 9am on September 9 it'll be 09:09:09/09:09:09 ....it can go on and on....

Have a great day and enjoy life to the fullest!!!!

Everything's Wonderful!!!

Friday #1 granddaughter had her cardioligist appointment...she doesn't have to go back for 2 years!!! "Papa, I'll be 13 then!", she said to my husband. Saturday was her violin recital. It's the first time we heard her play her new violin in a large hall and not only did she do very well but the tone of her violin was supurb. She's so proud of it because it's about 50 years old and an "antique". After the recital we stopped at their house so we could give #2 granddaughter her birthday present...these kids are just growing up way toooo fast!!!

Today was bright and sunny. Good day for a drive and it's a good thing because we got up early and drove out to Maple Ridge to the church our friend G pastors. They were having a special service today beginning with a pancake breakfast...yummy...then we watched a video about trusting in the Lord, which was really good. G and another member of their congreation have recently bought new cars so they dedicated the cars to the Lord... a lovely way to say "Thank you" and also ask for His blessings.

Hi...I'm back....

We were away for a short 5-day trip. Our neighbours came with us and we boon-docked at Silver Reef casino...wanted to avoid the big border lineups. From what we heard the next day it was a good idea to leave a day early. Next day our neighbours, M&D went on their way and we went to La Conner Thousand Trails. Our daughter, son-in-law and 4 grandkids met us there and we had great fun with them, roasting weiners and marshmallows and all the other fun things we do when we're camping.

For us it seemed like we just got there and it was time to go home...not used to these short trips!!! We did get to stop at Northwood for the infamous $2 buffet and while standing in line we met a really nice couple so we decided to share a table with them and get to know them better. Really enjoyed that!! I was sad coming home because we don't know when our next trip out will be...too many things up next month...especially the arrivial of our new grandbaby!!!

Election Day

Yesterday we did our duty and went and voted in our Provincial election. Four years ago we also had a Provincial election. My Dad was in hospital so I took my Power of Attorney papers and went to the polling station to cast his ballot. We, including Mom and Dad, have lived in the same area for over 50 years so we know almost everyone at the polling station. The Returning Officer asked me if I knew how Dad wanted me to vote, another officer replied that everyone in the room knew how Dad would vote!!!! Mom and Dad always stressed that no matter what, you got out to vote, so I was glad I could do that for my Dad. Dad's no longer with us, but I thought of him when I cast my ballot.

After voting we went and bought some more raspberry plants and planted them along with the ones I got for Mother's Day, so by next year I'm hoping for a nice crop of raspberries...yum, yum.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! Hope your day was as special as mine. #1 daughter and son-in-law gave me a card she made with a cross-stitched hummingbird on it...beautiful!! I'm going to frame it. #2 daughter and son-in-law gave me a mug with "Love" on it and 4 coasters to use in the trailer. While we were at church our son and daughter-in-law had stopped by and left 2 raspberry bushes by the door...our raspberry bushes died a couple years ago and we've always wanted to replace them but never got around to it. When he saw the raspberry canes at a nursery he thought of me...how neat is that???? Tonight my husband suggested we take my Mom and go for dinner. Overall it was a truly wonderful day. Thanks kids!!! I am so blessed!!!

Saturday Sunshine

Today we drove out to #2 daughter's to deliver some stuff I had for them and to get hugs and kisses from the grandkids!!! It was W's birthday while we were away so I gave him his birthday present. A friend of ours has invented a card/spelling game and I've been helping him with it. Took one out to W for his birthday present. He thought it was neat to get a game that isn't being sold in stores yet!! I told him we'd play it next time we go camping together.

It was such a beautiful sunny day for a drive today, but we had to get home so we can watch the hockey game. Our son-in-law has to entertain a client tonight. We felt sorry for him until he told us he was entertaining the client by taking him to the hockey game...some people have real hard jobs!!!!

Full Day

We were up early yesterday because B had to go to the skin specialist and have his stitches removed. Lab tests are back and everything is clear. From there he went to the eye specialist and all is well there. While he was there I did some errands and shopping. I ended up driving home because his eyes were dialated from the drops.

We were home for a couple of hours then B dropped me off at my friends' house. Her and I went to her church in Maple Ridge. They're having their Spring Tea. I helped cut up fancy sandwiches, set the tables, make tea, wash dishes, etc. It sure looked pretty and they had a great turnout for such a small church. Got home after midnight, so I'm tired today!!...but it was all worth it!!!

Withdrawal

I feel like I'm in withdrawal...we went to Cultus Lake with the trailer. Usually I can access the internet with no problem but they were having problems with the new system they've installed so that we can get the internet from anywhere in the park...not just at the clubhouse. I had pulled a muscle in my back so had trouble taking my computer to the clubhouse. From Cultus we went to Beachwood...stopped at Northwood Casino for our $2 buffet on the way. BW hasn't joined the 21st century and doesn't have internet access. Thought we would go to the NACO park to access the internet there but there were too many people at BW whom we haven't seen for quite some time so I'm afraid we did too much socializing!!!! Sure a lot more people in the parks this time of year. For most of our friends this was their first time out camping this year...it's about our 4th or 5th time out since January! It's either they don't know how to enjoy winter camping or they're saner than we are...not sure which????

We were anxious to see how our awning works in the rain, but we were gone 11 nights and only had rain one night...and we didn't have our awning out...go figure!! Usually we're not hoping for rain. We did get a chance to put the awning out and wash it off with a hose...that worked good and it drains well, so it should work in the rain as well ...what a relief!!!

Interesting Tid-bit of Info

We took the trailer in and they installed a new section on the awning arm so that now we can lower one end of it for the rain water to run off...hence "self dump". We could do this with our old awning but not with the new power awnings--but now we can. We'll be so happy to be able to have our awning out when it's raining!!!

We waited at the dealership rather than go back for the trailer. Had a chance to look at the new trailers. Happily, we didn't find a floor plan that we like better than ours...also we didn't find any listed for less money than what we paid, which is another bonus! Also got a chance to talk to the salesman who sold us the Tango. Our old Prowler, which we traded in on the Tango is apparently now down in Costa Rica. Some guy came in and wanted an older trailer to drive down there. I'm not sure if he plans to work there and live in the trailer or what, but it would be great for that. Imagine a self-contained little "house" with full kitchen and bathroom facilities and the added bonus of an air conditioner...also an awning that can be used for shade or shelter from the rain!!!!

I Wanna go Camping!!!!

Our church has a group of "Church Healers" coming in to try and find out what the problems are in our church, why our pastor resigned and how we can get back on the right track. It's quite an interesting procedure. Yesterday B & I went to our "discussion group" and today we went for our "interview". It's interesting the questions they ask. There'll be more interviews and discussion groups so that everyone who has a mind to can participate and have their voices heard. They've scheduled Sunday evening for a full report...quite amazing!!

Tonight we hooked up the trailer because we have to take it back to the dealership tomorrow for some adjustments...namely getting the self-dumps installed on the awning. How silly of them to manufacture an awning that can't be extended when it's raining!!! Do they really think people only go camping in the sunshine??? They sure don't know us...camping in the rain, snow, wind, you name it, and having fun to boot!!!! Having the trailer hooked up in the driveway sure makes me feel like taking off...but alas that won't be for awhile yet..... :(

A couple of weeks ago B had a "punch biopsy" done on a mole. Today they phoned and said he has to go for another appointment so they could remove some more tissue...of course he's all worried about it, even though they're saying it's not cancerous. Please pray for him.

In between all this I've been on a campaign to clean out my freezers so I made two batches of apple/blackberry jam the other day and today I made 2 batches of apple/peach jam. It looks like one of the batches of blackberry didn't set very well so we'll use that for pancake syrup...never waste anything, my Mom always told me!!!!

Easter Week

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've blogged!!! Thursday our church had a Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service..."The Service of Shadows". It is the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem in glory, his arrest, trial and crucifixation. There are 11 red candles and one large white candle (the Christ candle). The candles are the majority of light in the santuary. As each scene is finished one candle is extinguished. When Jesus dies the Christ candle is the last to be extinguished. During the service the choir sings and this year there were men playing the parts of Jesus, the deciples and some Roman guards...mostly non-speaking parts. Part of the service is the serving of communion. This year it was my husband and my duty to prepare the communion and clean up afterwards. The men playing the deciples served communion. What a wonderful service it was!!! Afterwards we had 2 couples come to our house for coffee/tea and cookies.

Saturday I cooked a turkey. My friend B suggested I try using a turkey bag to roast the turkey. I did and it not only cooked faster, was nice and brown but it was so moist. Because the juices didn't evaporate I had lots of nice brown juice for gravy. Only 7 1/2 of us for dinner though. #2 daughter and her family were off camping and Mom is away, so it was only our #1 daughter and son-in-law and our son, daughter-in-law (who is expecting in 8 weeks...hence the 1/2) and our granddaughter. My husband and I made 7 1/2!!!

Easter Sunday service today. Too bad it's raining so hard. Feel sorry for the kids who are doing Easter Egg hunts. Our Pastor did another of his monologues today...it was great!!! After church we asked a couple to come for lunch to help us eat some of the leftovers from last night. It was so nice to share a meal and learn more about each other!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE !!!!!

Busy Weekend

Saturday was nice and sunny so we went to our friends C&J and got a bunch of woood that they had there...we'll use it in our wood heater. After we loaded the truck we sat on their patio in the sunshine and had a cup of tea/coffee with them and had a wonderful visit. Next stop was our daughter's. The grandaughters were trying on clothes and re-arranging their closets. The youngest grandson was out with some friends. When the oldest grandson found out we were coming he came in from helping his dad in the yard and spiked his hair. When his Mom asked him why, he said, "because Grandma and Papa are coming!!!"...ahhhh...he's such a sweetie! Got home, got the truck unloaded and got supper made. Just finished eating when our friends G&D came in for a visit and we played a card game with them. It was D's birthday yesterday so G brought a little cake with him and we had a small Birthday Party. Great fun!!!!

Today we went to church and our pastor did a monologue about Barabbas. He acted out what Barabbas might have been thinking the day of Christ's cruifixion....he does such a marvalous job, you feel like you're actually there!!! I'm going to miss his sermons and monologues so much when he leaves!!!...I keep praying that the Lord will find a way for him to stay.

Our Trailer

We got our Trailblazer magazine (the magazine from Thousand Trails) today and it had a feature article on the Tango trailers. We had heard about the aritcle but were delighted to discover that the author thought the Tango was such a good trailer and really well built. We thought that when we bought it but it's always nice to hear it from someone who works on trailers and isn't a part of Pacific Coach Works or the dealers who sell them. Now I'm really getting antsy to get out in it again!!! I finally got all the laundry done so the bedding, towels and floor mats are all clean and ready to go!

I've also been busy trying to clean up my sewing room. Had a bunch of old sheets and some flannelette so I cut some in 4" squares and some into 3" strips and made a bunch of bandages. Our church sends these over to the missions in Africa to use in the hospitals there, so it's nice to be able to help them out...it also helps our enviroment here, so its a win win situation.

Home, but not home much!

Finally getting caught up on things around here! Got home Friday. Saturday morning we went to a seminar at our church, in the afternoon we went to Wal-Mart and got a replacement filter for our furnace...the house was soooo dusty when we got home from Cultus....Sat. evening we went and had a lovely visit with J&H...friends from church. Sunday, of course was church. From there we were invited to a luncheon at F&E's home. She always does a fantastic lunch! In between I've been busy cleaning, doing laundry and I also made a big pot of vegetable barley soup. Saturday evening B asked me how long we've been home. I answered, "about 34 hours, why??". He replied, "seems longer than that. When are we off again???" Unfortunately, it won't be for quite awhile...too many other commitments and appointments. Life is great! It's been really windy today, but then the sun came out and it was absolutely gorgeous. Quite cold though. When we came home from our bible study tonight the stars were all out...and the big dipper was right side up! (when we were south of the equator on a cruise one time we saw the big dipper, but it was upside down and touching the horizon)

Home Again

Got home this afternoon after a 45 minute wait at the border...you'd think it was summer with line ups like that!!!

We left Cultus Lake on Tuesday morning, crossed the border at Abbotsford and went to Northwood casino for the $2 buffet. It's still really hard to believe they can do a buffet for only $2 ... even if it is in US funds!! Exchange rate wasn't bad though...$80 US for $100 CAN...works out to 1.25. So lunch was $2.50 CAN each...hard to get a cup of coffee for that!

At Beachwood we got the same site as we had the beginning of the month...when it snowed. I didn't get a chance to take a picture but trust me it was all green and lush (not a hint of snow) with tons of robins and other birds pecking at the ground and singing their little hearts out. There were also several squirrels running up and down the trees and jumping from tree to tree. They put on quite a show! The new trailer has really great windows for watching the show the critters put on...and I can stay inside where it's nice and warm, although sitting outside in the sun was rather pleasant.

Got the trailer all unpacked and cleaned up. B got the trailer washed when we got home...boy was it dirty!!! He still has to wash the truck but it got to be too late today. Got the trailer and truck put in the shop until our next adventure! I just figured it out and we've been home 38.7 percent of the month!

Cultus Lake

It's been a busy week with the grandkids! Weather has been varied...sun, rain, hail, snow and wind...sometimes all in one day...luckily we've had enough sunny and cloudy breaks to get out for our walks and the kids get to ride their bikes. When it's sunny, it is really beautiful and peaceful here. When we can't get outside we've been busy in the clubhouse doing crafts, making Barbie clothes and doing plastic canvas. I am so thankful that I learned how to make the memory booklets at our Women's ministry meeting the end of Feb. We did that today and the kids had great fun with them.

The Difference a couple of hours make!!!

We've been down at Birch Bay with our trailer for the past few days. We were due to head home on Monday but when we woke up there was 2" of snow and it was still falling. We headed into Bellingham to check out the road conditions and fuel up. Roads were compact snow and it was really really windy! Decided to stop at the casino for seniors lunch buffet since we didn't know if we'd be heading home or not. After lunch the sun was out and it was beautiful so we headed back to the campsite. A little sun and the roads were all clear, so we hooked up and headed home.

I can't get over the price of diesel now. Last summer we paid as high as $4.599 a gallon and today it was $1.939...sure makes driving a lot less expensive! We have great fun in our trailer!!

Got my Camera Back

Today we both had chiropractor appointments...I feel so good after a treatment...like I've been untied! The place we took my camera was close by so we stopped and picked it up. They had it ready on Tuesday...the day after I took it in, but I wasn't able to pick it up till today...talk about fast service though!! True to their word warranty covered it. It's so nice to have it back! Made a couple more stops on the way home. After lunch I started feeling really yucky so decided to go lay down for awhile. Haven't got time to get sick. Slept for a couple of hours...sooo glad I did, feeling much, much better now!

Tonight I went to our Women's Minstery craft night. We made these little scrapbooks out of lunch bags. They are so neat and I had great fun making it...didn't get time to finish it though, but I've got the stuff to finish it with. One of the ladies from our church is a fantastic singer and since we were making scrapbooks to hold our memories, she sang a couple of songs about memories then made up some songs and sang them to "Memories" (the song from CATS). It was a fun filled night. My #1 daughter usually comes with me to the craft nights but she had a late doctors appointment so couldn't come tonight...too bad...she would have really enjoyed it!

Sunny Saturday

Woke up this morning and it was sunny, or least not pouring rain as was forcast, so we decided to go visit our good friends C&J. We've been trying to get out to see them since Christmas and just couldn't seem to connect. Had a wonderful visit and even managed to exchange our Christmas gifts! Better late than never! At the rate we were going I thought we'd be exchanging these gifts Christmas 2009! J went out in the garden and pulled some carrots for me...she'd left them in the ground and they were a bit muddy and wet when she pulled them but I took them home, cleaned and cooked them for supper...were they ever sweet and tasty!!!!

On the way home we stopped to see #2 daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. The grandkids were playing a really neat video game that was very educational...I even learned some stuff about archer fish!! Picked up our wet/dry vac, hose etc that we'd left there last week. It was nice to take a day and enjoy our friends and family.

Busy Week

Sorry I haven't had a chance to post for several days. We took my camera to the repair place on Monday and said I'd pick it up next Monday. Just got home and #2 daughter phoned and said her hot water tank was leaking and everything was all wet so we loaded up the wet-dry vac, a hose and some absorbant clothes and went out to help her. Her husband is out of town and it was quite a challenge to find everything and help her clean up so they can come and install a new tank tomorrow.

Tuesday we went to the lab for some blood work. We both had to fast so after the lab we came home and had brunch. We had thought of going out for brunch but decided against it because we're eating out tonight at our church's Alpha group. There was a message on our phone saying they needed help to set up and cook for the Alpha class tonight. Could we help? Called her back and said "yes, of course but our bible study was meeting tonight as well so we couldn't help with the cleanup". Four new people joined our group...an answer to our prayers. Our study is so good. We're doing a Max Lucado study of Luke. Our leader is so organized and knowledgeable it's a real treat...especially when you add the laughter and fellowship of the group!!!

Sensational Saturday

What's not to love about today??? It's nice and sunny out, #1 daughter and son-in-law dropped in for a visit. We always enjoy the laughter and conversation with them. They no sooner left when our son, his wife and daughter stopped in so we had a great time, and I got to see #5 grandchild....she's soooo cute, of course I'm not prejudiced in the least about that!!!

Lord, Please Grant me Patience

It's been eleven days since we got home from La Conner...seems like a month or more!!! The weather has been so nice both my husband and I are getting itchy feet and wanting to get our trailer out of the garage and on the road but there's been too many appointments, meetings, bible studies, dinners and lunches with friends and other fun things. I was looking at the calendar and and it looks like we'll be in the clear to take off to Beachwood for 4 nights, home for 3 nights then off to Cultus Lake to spend Spring Break with 4 of our grandkids. Sure looking forward to that...only problem is, it won't be able to happen for two more weeks. At least I'll have time to take my camera in to get fixed. I phoned Canon the other day and got the address of the repair place and they also told me that even though my camera is 5 years old, they're covering it under warrenty...yeah...now to stay patient until we can go!

What day is this???

I can't believe it's Monday already! Friday we were at a funeral for one of the ladies from our church, Saturday we finally got to town and bought a new microwave...we had bought a new one in October but it started making weird noises and just before we went to La Conner it quit. Took it back and they gave me my money back (we'd had it just over 90 days and their return policy is 90 days), but I didn't have time to get a new one before going to La Conner. Sunday we went to church then some dear friends invited us to their place after church for lunch which was a real spread...roast beef, potatoes, veggies ...all sorts of good stuff. Got home early enough that we decided to run out to see the grandkids and take some stuff out to them that I'd picked up when we were at La Conner. "R" got her report card. She got all 4's (the highest mark) except for one 3. She is having a great year! "Ch" and his dad were working on an Eskimo project, "Ca" read her reading homework to Papa and "W" was curled up on the chair reading...poor boy wasn't feeling up to par. Add the dog and 2 cats to the mix and it's a busy, busy household!!

Now the Unpacking

I got a bit of a reprieve from unpacking this morning because I went to my Wednesday morning bible study. We meet in the board room of the church and the group of ladies are really neat...we chat lots and have fun but most importantly, we get to discuss the bible. For a new Christian like myself it's wonderful to be in a group of ladies who have been Christians for a long time and have studied the bible at length. I learn so much!!

Got home, made lunch then I tackled unpacking all the bins we took to La Conner, did a load of wash, went through the mail, dusted...all that sort of stuff. It always amazes me how the house can get so dusty and the toilets so dirty when no one is at home!!!!

Is That Snow????

Got up early to pack up and vacate the cabin...can't believe the week is gone already and it's time to go home. I was told to guess what it was doing outside and the first two guesses didn't count...it's snowing!!! Tiny little white flakes that, thankfully aren't sticking!!! Checked out of the park at 10am and headed north. Stopped at the Post Office, Safeway and Northwood casino for our $2 buffet. We're getting good at eating out for very little money. Yesterday we really splurged and went to Skagit Casino for Senior's Day and the buffet cost us $6 plus tax...it was lovely though. It has to be one of the very best buffets around! We also got a free $5 ticket for the slots, but unfortunately the machines took it pretty fast! Today's buffet was good, food was tasty but not as much selection as yesterday...but it was 1/3 the cost, so you can't have everything. Today I actually played a nickel machine instead of my usual penny machines and what do you know??? I came out of there with a profit of $15!!! I feel like a winner when I have fun playing and break even so today I'm a BIG winner!!! Got Mom home and then we came home and started to unpack. Next trip out will be in our trailer...yeaaaa, can't wait...now I've got to figure out when we can go.

Sunshine and Good Friends

It was nice and sunny today and the park is so lovely, especially when you're looking out over the water. Quiet and peaceful this time of year. Our friends D&M came and spent the day with us today. She made me a lovely Valentine bracelet and matching earings. I tried to take a picture of them to post here but alas, my camera isn't working properly...think I'll have to send it in for repairs or break down and buy a new one...anyway, take my word for it, the bracelet and earings are lovely!!

What a Life!!

We're down at La Conner. Going through the border we got called in for agriculture, but were okay. Made a couple of stops then headed over for our $2 buffet at Northwood. Got to La Conner about 4:45 and got cabin #2...the same one as last year.

Yesterday we took Mom into Burlington then down to Angel of the Winds. They've opened their new expansion...the casino is really big now and decorated really nicely. Found it confusing with all the new machines. Mom played on her favourite cow machines but they weren't paying off this time. Had our 99 cent salmon and chips but we were too full to eat the shrimp cocktails so we took them home and later we cut up an avacado and put our shrimp cocktail over it...yummy!!! Mom walked so much at the casino her legs were sure tired last night.

Thought we'd go for a hot tub today, but it's closed for repairs so we went and had showers instead then came to the clubhouse so I could check e-mails, write in my blog and Mom and Bill are working on a puzzle.

The Last Squash

Went to church this morning in the rain and snow...at least it's not sticking and we aren't having to shovel it. Our Pastor (the one who is resigning) gave the sermon...definately not the one he'd planned on, because he preached on love and forgivness. It was such a good sermon and he handled it very well. He's going to be us until the end of April, God willing, and maybe if I pray hard enough, maybe longer!! I realized today, just how much I'm going to miss his preaching!!

After lunch I made a pot of soup. Went downstairs and got the last of the zuchinni I'd grown during the summer. I can't believe they kept until now! Watched parts of the superbowl as I was making the soup and then eating dinner. It was an exciting game, especially the last quarter.

RV Show Marathon

Every year my husband wants to go to the RV shows and we have to go into every unit from tent trailers to the big fancy motorhomes. We bought a new trailer last year, so I thought I'd be off the hook this year....not so!!! I'm not sure there's a recession...the parking lot was almost full and there was a 15 minute line up to get into the Tradex Center. As we were leaving a few hours later there were 5 or 6 cars waiting for us to pull out so they could have our parking space!! As we looked around there were a lot of units that had sold signs on them. We talked to the factory rep for the Tango trailers and voiced a couple of concerns we've got with our new trailer and he was very helpful, so actually I'm really glad we went.

My cousin lives near there so I called her and we went and had a wonderful visit with J&A....we don't get to see each other often enough! My cousins had a wasp nest (no wasps in it, thankfully) so they gave it to me to take to the grandkids to take to "show and tell" so we stopped there on our way home and they were thrilled to have it. Our daughter was a bit skeptical though!

It's a Fantastic Friday

Our oldest grand daughter's school is taking her class to camp but it still costs the families a couple of hundred dollars. Our daughter and son-in-law told her she'd have to do something to raise at least some of the money. She phoned us, her great-grandmother, aunt and uncle and asked if we had some work she could do to earn money. She had a day off school today for a professionl day so her dad dropped her off here on his way to work and she and I emptied and washed all the stuff in my china cabinet, we had lunch and I drove her to her great-grandmother's and she vacuumed for her. She'd also collected a bunch of pennies so we helped her to roll them. It's so good to see that she's not just asking for money, but willing to work for it!! Way to go sweetie!!!

Yuk...It's Snowing

It's snowing again, but it's supposed to turn to rain this afternoon. One thing, I'm glad if it had to snow it's doing it today and not yesterday. Yesterday was a busy day. First the chiropractor, home for lunch then I met M. at the church and we set up for our Women's Ministry meeting tonight, home for dinner then back to the church for the meeting. Had a wonderful speaker on fraud prevention, a testimony from a gal in our choir and our Secret Pal drawing and refreshments. M & I were in charge of set up and clean up so we had to make sure everything was cleaned up and put away but everyone pitched in and we got it done. I got to run the big dishwasher again...good thing I had all that practice last week! It sure is nice to get together with the ladies. Thanks to H. we have a very strong Women's Ministry.

Sad Day Today

Got up to glorious sunshine this morning. Went to church and as usual the service was wonderful. Our pastor certainly knows how to make the bible stories come alive, but alas there are some in our church who are not getting the message to love one another as Jesus commanded and have been giving our Pastor a lot of flack. Today our pastor announced that he is resigning. There are many in the church who will miss him ... I know we certainly will. If you're so inclined please pray for our congreation. Thank you.

Good to See the Sunshine

Yesterday (Friday) was nice and sunny so we went down to Point Roberts and met our friends M&D from our church. It was such a beautiful day and it made it even more special when we spotted a couple pair of bald eagles perched on the trees and looking so majestic. Also saw herons and hawks. Left there later than we should have and got tied up in a horrific traffic jam. Decided to stop at Burger King for supper and let the traffic disperse a bit. When we left it looked like the traffic had cleared until we got around the corner...and we were at a standstill again. Decided to go visit #1 daughter and son-in-law. Had a lovely visit and as we were leaving my daughter said, "Mom, it's after 9:30 pm...there won't be any traffic now!" How wrong she was...in the middle of the bridge there was an accident involving 7 or 8 cars so we were at a standstill again...but only for about 15 minutes!! It wasn't on the news so hopefully no one was too seriously injured. Another lovely day today, but it's turned cold again and the forcasters are even saying the "s" word...I DON'T WANT ANY MORE SNOW!!!

Incredible Day

Like so many other people, American, Canadian or whoever, we were up early this morning to watch the inaugeration. It seems impossible that we can still remember Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speach and all the racial unrest in the southern states, in so many ways it feels like just yesterday, yet today Barack Obama is the leader of the country!!!

Lending a Helping Hand

The leader of our Women's ministry at church asked if I would be available to help clean up after a funeral that was held at our church today. I got to run the commercial dishwasher...first time I've done it. I tell you every house with a big family should have one of these things!!! You load a tray and set it in place, it goes through and in less than 5 minutes the dishes are washed, sanitized and dried...all you have to do is put them away...and it takes everything...big or small! It was fun working with the ladies and I was glad to do my part. God Bless.

Where Does The Time Go????

Can't believe it's already Thursday evening. Wednesday my husband had a craving for bacon for breakfast and since I don't usually buy or cook bacon we decided to go to the local casino for their $2.22 breakfast buffet...can't go to the golden M's for that price and he got to eat all the bacon his heart desired along with eggs, ham, sausage, hash browns and pancakes. Afterwards we went to Ikea and walked and walked and walked. I swear that place is a maze and you have to walk for miles to get anything there, but at least it wore off some of our breakfast! I also managed to find some curtains for the rec room...the old ones are hanging together with a hope and a prayer...time to replace them. Biggest problem is trying to find curtains for a window 10' wide and 3' high! Ended up getting 2 sets of 2 panels, so I'll have to shorten them and stitch 2 panels together for each side. Finding time for that might be as big a challange as finding the curtains...but find time I will and at least my life isn't dull and boring...haven't got time to be bored!!!

Impromptu Life We Lead

After lunch on Sunday, we were going to go see our son but he was busy. I went and checked e-mails and wanted to check out a casino website to see if they still had their $2 Tuesday buffet special. They do but they also had a promotion on for $100CAN = $100US and that one ended on Sunday. Told my husband then checked to see if I had enough money, phoned Mom to see if she wanted to go with us...then we headed across the line to the casino. On the way we stopped and cleared out the mailbox then stopped at Safeway and got a fantastic deal on some meats and yogurt then went to the casino. Mom decided she was hungry so we went to the cafe in the casino and had wonderful fish and chips. Got our money, played a bit and had a great time. Between the 3 of us we broke even but did get a great exchange rate and we had a wonderful time to boot...this morning we had no idea that we'd be gambling tonight. Life is wonderful!!

What's this....More snow???

I had a busy day yesterday taking down Christmas decorations, making cabbage rolls and a big pot of soup. Mom came over yesterday...first time she's had her car out since before the snow. She loves her car again...my husband took her and her car down for air care and not only did it pass but the guy told her she had an excellent car!
Today #1 daughter and son-in-law were down for a visit then I cleaned up the living room after getting all the decorations out of there. When I looked outside it was supposed to be raining but the raindrops were pretty big and all white ... looked like mixed rain and snow to me!!!! At least it didn't turn the driveway all white again!

Rain and Cards

I took some pictures today of the back yard. We can actually see the garage roof and some green grass. It looks like the blueberry bushes survived. Also took a picture of a couple of the cards I've been making.

Rain at Last

Living where we do, I never thought I'd be happy to see it rain. It was supposed to rain on Sunday, but instead we got another hit of wet snow...was really heavy to shovel! Yesterday morning we woke up to rain and lots of it. Now there's backed up drains and some structures have collapsed from the weight of the snow and rain. Luckily, my husband had shovelled off our carport a couple of times and made little ditches to the drains so we've been okay. Went to Safeway's Customer Appreciation Day yesterday. Think everyone had the same idea. It's like the familiar rain came so everyone came out of their hibernation. While we were at the mall, I went to the Dollar Store and picked up some stickers. Now I'm punching, adding stickers and cutting to make 3D cards...having great fun, and they're turning out pretty cute, even if I do say so myself. Sorry I haven't had a chance to take any pictures of the cards yet.

Coconut milk update

I found a bunch of recipes for coconut milk...the wonder of computers!!! In typical fashion I read over several recipes then decided to concoct my own version, so I pan fried some pork, added a bit of soy sauce then some coconut milk and garnished it with chopped green onion...turned out good...kinda like a conconut falvoured sweet and sour sauce. There was a recipe on the can for pina coloda, but I din't have any pineapple juice so I used pinapple-mango juice, water, ice, vodka and blended it up...tasted so good I made another!!! This morning I blended up a banana, pineapple-mango juice, water and a spoon of coconut milk for my breakfast...no vodka this time...too early in the morning and anyway we were heading to church!
Went to church, the parking lot was still pretty icy, but the service was good and it was so nice seeing all our friends again. Ended up asking two couples to come here for lunch. I had enough of the soup I made the other day so warmed that up and put out stuff to make your own sandwiches, some chips and goodies and we were set to go. Had a good lunch and a wonderful visit!

Lovely start to the New Year

Yesterday afternoon our friends G & D called and asked if it was okay for them to stop by. Of course it's okay!! My husband and G watched a movie so D & I had a great time to chat. While we were chatting I put together a big pot of soup and asked them to stay for dinner. Cooked some fish and pasta and veggies to go with the soup so everyone enjoyed dinner. Today it was sunny so before we get another dump we decided to go to town and do some banking and get a few groceries...also picked up some stuff for my Mom, since she hasn't been able to go out shopping. So many of the parking lots are just a solid sheet of ice!!! Now I'm on the computer looking up some recipes for coconut milk...I got a screaming deal on a case of it last month and of course I couldn't pass it up....so now I've got to figure out how to use it!!! Sometimes wonder how I get myself into these things...but at least my life isn't dull and boring!! I also spent a bunch of time last night making cards...thanks W for the neat punch!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Happy New Year everyone...hope you all have a very healthy and productive 2009. We'll be looking forward to the arrivial of our new grandbaby in early June and we can't wait to get out camping...as soon as this weather clears!!! In 2008 we were away about 115 nights...maybe we'll beat that this year!! Last night we went to the local casino for dinner. We were going to stay until midnight but it was getting far too crowded so came home about 11:30 and welcomed in the New Year here. When we came home it was raining, so we thought of some places we wanted to go today...unfortunately about 1:00 am it started to snow again. This morning there's about 2 inches of slushy white snow covering the ice that's still on the road. Think we'll stay home...that way I can play with the new punch #1 daughter got me for Christmas. I did up a couple of cards yesterday...it works neat!!!!