Sweet Home AlaBAMa

After two days of driving, we are set up in our second home - Summerdale, Alabama! It felt so good to pull in to "our" site and get set up.

Yesterday, we left NC about 8:45am and headed southwest. We'd had a fantastic visit with Dan & Deb and it was time to move on. About 6:30pm we pulled into Cracker Barrel in Conyers, GA to spend the night. Unfortunately, we couldn't add this CB to Randy's list 'cause we'd been there before. :)

One thing about spending the night in a parking lot - we go to sleep earlier than any other time! By 10pm we were both sound asleep. About 7am we were up and getting ready to go. I can't tell you the last time I slept nine hours!

Since it was too early to eat a big breakfast, we waved good-bye to Cracker Barrel and headed down the road. About 9am we stopped for breakfast at . . . wait for it . . . Cracker Barrel! Aren't you surprised?!?!! :) This one was a new one, so it got put on the list. This was our 75th CB since we've been full-timing. Gosh, just a little more than 500 to go! :) HA!

While having breakfast, our son, Kevin, called. He is now in Iraq awaiting further orders. It was great to hear his voice and know he is safe. He tries to call about once a week which is wonderful.

We continued down the road and pulled into our site about 3:30 this afternoon. Of course, it felt like 4:30 since we're used to Eastern time. But, Central is nice, we go to bed earlier and our TV shows are on earlier, too!

Tomorrow is bank and grocery day since it's the first of the month. Then, we'll be getting in to the routine of our life here in LA (Lower Alabama).

If you find yourself in the area, please stop by. We love company!

Until the next time . . .

Recipe

Due to popular demand, here is the recipe for the Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti I mentioned in yesterday's post. It really is delicious and one of our favorites.

And yes, Debbie K., Randy did eat chicken!! :) He's gotten very good about that!

Ingredients

• 1 package spaghetti, broken in half (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

• 1 cup milk

• Mixed veggies - thawed
  

• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, mixed veggies, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti, add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!!

Sunday & Monday

It's been a lazy couple of days.

Yesterday we attended church with Dan & Deb. It felt SO good to worship with great music and hear a good message. I needed that.

After church we hit Golden Corral for their breakfast buffet. We did a good job of stuffing ourselves and then went on home. The afternoon was spent napping, chatting, and watching TV. Dan & Debbie's grandkids came over for a couple of hours while their parents ran errands. The evening was spent doing more chatting and watching more TV.

Unfortunately, this morning Debbie had to go to work. She left us to our own devices. Dan mowed his lawn and piddled around the house; Randy watched TV and sat out on their gorgeous sun/screen porch cross stitching, reading and just enjoying the beautiful weather.

I made dinner tonight - the no-fail Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti. It was a hit, as usual. Now it's time to spend the evening getting as much time together as we can. Tomorrow we're leaving for the 14 hour trip to Alabama. Randy hopes to get past Atlanta; that's a looonngg drive for us, but we'll see!

Until the next time . . .

Pennsylvania to North Carolina

On Friday, after lots of hugs from our neighbors and paying that last electric bill, we pulled out of Cedar Lakes Campground at 9:04 am and headed to US Route 15. We were on our way south for the winter.

Leaving Pennsylvania

It was to be a long driving day for us - 7 hours drive time. But, we wanted to get to our first destination as soon as possible so that we could have all weekend with Dan & Debbie. Even with the rain we encountered, it was an uneventful trip and we arrived at the Domer abode about 4:45pm. Not bad - just under 8 hours; and that was with a couple of stops, too.

Entering North Carolina - in the rain

Dan & Debbie greeted us with big hugs. It was so good to be back in their home. They are such generous hosts and it's always a joy to be with them. It has been a full year since we've last visited. Debbie prepared a scrumptious dinner for us - hunter's breakfast. It is full of everything bad for your cholesterol: eggs, SPAM, potatoes, & cheese. But, oh boy, is it deeeelicious!

The rest of Friday evening was spent catching up, chatting about each other's families and making a plan for Saturday. Dan & Debbie wanted to take us to Wilmington, which they love to walk around and enjoy the shops and the history of the area. It sits on the Cape Fear River. Remember that movie?

Cape Fear River

This morning dawned quite overcast, but we figured the weather may be better closer to the coast. After filling up on pancakes and sausage, we headed out. Dan & Debbie's son, Tony & his family, were joining us on this trip. Tony and his wife, Tiffinie, have two little ones. Their daughter, Skylar, is 3 years old and their son, Sylas, is just 9 months.

Wilmington is about 2 hours east of Winterville, where Dan & Debbie live. Of course, that didn't matter to us because we can always find something to talk about. The conversation never lags when the four of us are together.

Unfortunately, the rain began soon after we started out. Dan, our resident optimist, was sure it was just a shower and the skies would clear by the time we got to Wilmington. But, even Dan's optimism couldn't keep the rain away. It continued to rain the entire way.

One way to see Wilmington

USS North Carolina

US Courthouse as it looks out at the river

However, we didn't let a little thing like rain stop us. (It would have stopped me, but I was outnumbered!) Luckily, Dan had several umbrellas in his vehicle, so we grabbed them and kept going. Skylar and Sylas were real troopers, too. We didn't do a lot of walking around because it was just too wet. We went into the Cotton Exchange which was a building filled with little shops and we looked around a bit. But, the rain just kept coming and it just wasn't much fun to try to figure what to do next. Even Dan was ready to call it a day.

Dan with his g'daughter, Skylar and son, Tony

Debbie and Tiffinie with Skylar and Sylas

We decided to get some lunch before heading back to the parking garage to get the cards. We ate in a little diner called The Dixie Grille. Food was pretty good. Randy really enjoyed his Rueben sandwich. After filling our bellies, Dan ran across the street to the parking garage to get the vehicle so all of us wouldn't have to get wet again. Wasn't that nice of him? We said good-bye to Tony & Tiffinie and kids and headed home.

We're sorry we didn't get to see more of Wilmington, but it will be there when we visit Dan & Deb again. We'll just make sure we listen to the forecast next time!!

Tomorrow we'll go to church with Dan & Debbie and then see what else we can get into. Until the next time . . .

Last Day in PA

Didn't make it to Curves this morning - after a really rough night with sleep not coming until close to 3am, I just decided to turn off the alarm and sleep until I woke up on my own. Not sure if that was the best idea as I woke with a headache. Ugh. Can't win these last few days. I'm sure the return of humid weather has been a contributing factor to the headaches.

Anyway, I spent the morning drinking coffee, computer reading, and continuing the getting-ready-to-travel chores. Randy was outside putting the hitch in the bed of the truck and doing the various other things he does to the truck to get it ready. He's also stored everything away that has been sitting out while we've been here.

This afternoon we gathered our laundry together and headed over to Jason & Lindsay's to spend the rest of the day. Randy took a nap there and I played with Reagan. In between the laundry got finished, we had a delicious dinner Lindsay prepared and we went out for ice cream. Not a bad way to spend our last day together for 3 months.

Eight o'clock came and it was time for Reagan to go to bed. That seemed to be a good time for us to say our good-byes. As usual, I didn't want to stop hugging the kids. It is so hard to drive away, but we did with the usual tears in my eyes. Three months seems like a long time right now.

Until the next time . . .

Two More Sleeps . . .

. . . that's how long, in Reagan-speak, we have until we pull out. I don't think it's sunk in yet. But, I'm sure it will Friday morning.

No post yesterday due to the nasty headache I woke up with and fought all day long. Ugh! We did manage to go to the eye doctor and pick up my new glasses - they are SO cool. I love them. Very different from anything I've ever worn before. Guess I should have taken a picture to share with you. We also dropped in on Lins for just a few minutes as we had to pick up our mail. Of course, it didn't hurt that I got to spend some time with my girls, either. :)

This morning I got myself up and out the door to Curves early. I had to go first thing as Randy was taking the truck to the shop to get the fluids checked out before we left. After I got home, I caught up on my blog reading as I didn't even pick up the computer yesterday until late in the evening.

Once I got my reading done and had something to eat, I cleaned the bathroom, put away some laundry from last week (!), and did some cross stitching. I've started on Christmas projects now!

Randy got home from the dealer and worked outside, doing more getting-ready-to-travel chores. He also dumped the tanks.

In between all of this excitement, (hahaha) Lins called and we decided to meet for dinner. I'm up for whatever gets us the most time together. We went to Applebee's; I'm sure that was Reagan's pick 'cause that's her favorite restaurant. :)

The best part of the evening was when Reagan climbed into my lap and laid her head on my chest, looked up at me and said, "I love you, Nana." There's nothing like that in the whole world.

Until the next time . . .

Four to Go

Yes. Just four more days and we are headed south. So, it's that time when we start putting the rig in order to travel.

After my workout at Curves this morning, I came home had my coffee and read my Scripture for the day, then caught up on the blogs. After grabbing some breakfast, I started working on some financial paperwork I needed to do. Randy was outside mowing the site, putting away our banners and generally cleaning up the site.

Spent a couple of hours catching up on just some of the programs we'd DVR'd while we were away. Still have more to watch.

This evening we met Lee for dinner. Wanted to spend an evening with him before we took off.

That's it for now. Not very exciting, huh? I hoping to see Lins & Reagan tomorrow - they've been away since the middle of last week and I gotta get as much time with them as possible before leaving. :)

Until the next time . . .

Back Home

After a good visit with my folks, Randy & I left their home about 10am and headed west to my sister's house. It was little harder to leave my folks this time around. Not quite sure why . . . it just was.

I told you about the restaurant we went to on Friday. Here are the pictures I took.


Yesterday was spent shopping - again! Can you believe it? Those who know me well, know that it is hard enough to get me into a store once in awhile, much less than two days in a row! But, it turned out to be a good trip. I found a few blouses and another purse. I'm gonna be so snazzy! :)

We got to my sister's today about 1:30. Our niece, Megan and her husband, Matt, were there, too! I was hoping they'd come, but didn't know. I was so glad to be able to see Meg before leaving as we'd not had anytime together this summer. My sister, Paula and her husband, Lou, had lunch for us. I thought we were going to grab some subs because they are in the middle of a major kitchen renovation, but that was not to be. Lou cooked some crabs for us and Paula had gotten some wings, too. It was quite a feast for folks who didn't have a kitchen!

I was glad to have been able to spend time with Paula and Lou, too. We hadn't seen them all summer, either. Well, except for their annual 4th of July party, but they were so busy hosting, Paula and I didn't get a chance to catch up. I am grateful that sister is my friend, too!

Well, that's it for this weekend. Tomorrow starts the getting-ready-to-travel chores. We leave Friday for our trip south. Hard to believe it's time to do that already. But, we'll be back home for Christmas.

Hope you all have a great week! Until the next time . . .

Time With My Folks

Yesterday, I had to go to the eye doctor's to have two eye tests. The doctor is trying to determine whether I have the beginnings of glaucoma. Yay. Anyway, I got those tests done and then Randy & I headed east to Ocean City, MD to spend a couple of days with my folks.

We arrived without mishap a little before 9pm last night. We visited with Daddy & Mommy for awhile and then we all hit the bed. Um, Mommy & Daddy went to their bed and we went to ours. Just want to clarify that. :)

We had a lazy start to the day today. It was nice to move slowly. Just before noon, Mommy started getting antsy and wanted to get out and about. It was decided we'd do a little shopping since Mommy had to return some shirts she'd bought. Randy & Daddy went with us, too.

We spent some time shopping and then it was off to an early dinner. We went to a local restaurant my folks enjoy, Barbely's. It is a family owned place that's been in business since 1950. I got a couple of pictures, but don't have my USB cable with me so I can't upload them. I'll share them with you when I get home.

Each of us enjoyed our meals; I got fried chicken, Randy & Daddy had hamburger steak, and Mommy had fried catfish. The portions are more than enough and very tasty. Of course, I teased Daddy that food always tastes better to me when HE pays for it! ;)

That's it for the last couple of days. We'll be here until Sunday morning when we'll head back to PA with a stop at my sister's on the way.

Hope you have a good weekend! Until the next time . . .

PA RV Show

Every September we can count on attending the PA RV Show - advertised as the largest RV show in the country. I don't know about that, but it is pretty darn big. It's held at the Giant Center at Hershey Park. Now, we don't go through each manufacturer's exhibit, but it still took us almost 3 hours to walk around the outside set up. That gives you an idea of how big the show is.

The last couple of years on the first day of the show, which was today, the senior admission price has been buy one, get one free. Pretty sweet deal. Glad I'm married to a senior! :)

We arrived at the show around 10:30 after stopping one of our favorite local diners, White Horse Diner. That was the last time we'll get to eat there this year, I'm sure. It was good as usual!

The weather was just perfect for walking around outside. The forecast called for showers and overcast skies, but fortunately, that was SO wrong! The skies were blue with some white, floaty clouds and the sun was shining. There was a great breeze, too.

We are not in the market for a new RV, by any means. However, we are trying to get ideas for what we want when we stop traveling in a few years and starting doing the 6/6 thing. Plus, we've talked about buying something small for an Alaska trip. So, we were mostly looking at travel trailers. Found a couple of possibilities for the 6/6 set-up. Plus we found one small trailer that is a good candidate for the Alaska trip.

Of course, neither of those scenarios will be happening for a few years yet. We've got some traveling to do first. But, we figure the summer before we're ready to settle into the 6/6 set up, we'll spend the summer in Alaska. Then, we'll spend 6 months in the north and 6 in the south. I don't want to winter in the north ever again, if I don't have to! ;)

It's always fun to see what new products are out there. But, it's great to be content with what you have. And we are very contented. Such a nice feeling.

Until the next time . . .

Fun Day for Me; Randy, Not So Much

Made it to Curves for a second day in row - YAY me! :) And I am feelin' it, too. My body is screaming at me for not going for 10 days!!

Back home, I finished reading my blogs for the morning and hit the shower. I had a lunch date with my girls; I was meeting Lindsay and Reagan after Reagan's four-year-old doctor's appointment. Then I planned to get a mani/pedi. A very good day for me!

Randy had work ahead of him. He is such a great guy. Today was taking-down-the-screen-room day. He hates this day. :) The screen room is my "baby." I love having the screen room up for a couple of reasons. One, it gives us an extra room of sorts. And, two, I can be outside without dealing with the lovely bugs of summer! Randy, while enjoying the bennies of a screen room, could do without it easily. And the putting up and taking down of it can be a pain. But, he does it for me.

So while I was off lunching and getting pampered, Randy was working hard. Am I one lucky woman or what? And I do appreciate him and I do tell him that.

Not much else to share for the rest of our day. We had a new bean dip recipe for dinner. Lins had made this for us this summer and it's really tasty. Now, it's kicking back and watching some TV.

Until the next time . . .

Doctor's Appointments

Yep, today was a doctor's appointments day. First, though, I did get to Curves and workout. I am determined to get back into that routine this week.

First doctor's office on the agenda was the eye doctor. I had to go back to have my eye pressure checked since it was high last week at my annual check up. I was hoping to also pick up my new cool glasses, but they were ready yet. *sigh*

Anyway, unfortunately, the pressure is still up and the doctor is a bit concerned. So, I have an appointment on Thursday to have a couple of eye tests done. After the results of those tests are received, the doc will decide whether or not I need to start using eyedrops to forego glaucoma. Ah, one more thing to take! :) We'll see what happens.

The second doctor's visit was to our primary care doc. Or I call her, our GP. Remember that term? GP - general practitioner. Don't hear that much anymore. Showing my age, huh? :)

This appointment was just to get our blood pressure checked. Since we take BP meds, when we are here, we have to have our BP checked every 3 months. It's kind of a pain 'cause we walk in, get the pressure checked and out the door in about 10 minutes and $50 later. But, I guess it's better than not having it checked and something go wrong. I also got a skin tag removed.

Done with the doctors we headed home for the day. After grabbing something to eat, I promptly fell sound asleep for the next couple of hours!! I couldn't believe it - when I woke up it was 6:10! I don't usually sleep like that; guess I was tired. Probably won't sleep tonight, now!

That was our exciting day. :) Not much on the calendar for tomorrow. Randy is going to start the "getting-ready-to-travel" chores; the first being taking down the screen room. That's always sad for me. I love the screen room! But, it's a necessary chore to move on.

Hope your week is looking good! Until the next time . . .

Visit with Friends & a Birthday Celebration

Randy & I spent last night with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Tricia and her boyfriend, Tom. Tricia and I met almost 20 years ago when I went to work for our school system. We have remained close friends ever since. Whenever we get back "home," we always make sure we get some time together. Unfortunately, this year we were only able to schedule one date and that was last night. Since she lives an hour and a half away from our campground, we spent the night at her house.

We had a great time. Tricia and Tom have been together for a bit more than a year and we've only had the pleasure of meeting him once before - at our son's wedding last year! So, this was our first time to get to spend time with both of them. Tricia cooked a scrumptious dinner for us and the evening flew by as we chatted and share life stories. I am so thrilled Tricia has found such a great guy 'cause she is a wonderful person and I love seeing her so happy!

Tricia & Tom

Good friends

Thanks Tricia & Tom for a great visit!!

Now, today was a very a special day - our granddaughter, Reagan, turned 4 today! Of course, there had to be a party and we were there. It is so much fun to see Reagan completely enjoying herself and "holding court" as every princess should do. ;)

Opening presents

Blowing out the candles - it's official, she's FOUR!!

Happy Birthday, Reagan! Pop and Nana love you SOOOO much!

Oh, and I can finally show you the cross stitch project I've talked about the last few months. It was a present for Reagan, so I couldn't show it to you until now. It turned out pretty good, huh?


Hope wherever you are, it's been a good weekend for you, too! Until the next time . . .

Two More Days Down . . . and Remembering

Yesterday was an errand day; Lins, Reagan and I got haircuts and then did some shopping. Lindsay had gotten money and gift cards for her birthday and she really wanted to spend them! But, as happens all too often when one actually HAS money, she couldn't find a thing that appealed to her! Why, oh why, does that happen?!?!?!!

However, I did pick up a few more Christmas gifts. I don't usually do any Christmas shopping early. I prefer to do one huge shopping spree a few days before Christmas 'cause I spend less money that way. But, when you find a bargain, it's kinda hard to pass it up.

Last evening we went with Barry & Penny to the Dover Carnival. It is a very small carnival (like the town) and we didn't stay. Instead we got dinner at a local restaurant called Moonlight Cafe. Randy & I have talked about going there for the three years we've been coming here, but just never got there. So, last night was the night. It is a very small, like 10 or 12 tables small, place, but with great food. We all got something different and all of us were pleased with our meals. We'll go back, I'm sure.

Since I couldn't get the laundry done yesterday, today was the day. A little before 9am, off to Lindsay's I went. It was pretty quiet, 'cause Reagan was in school. Got the laundry done and was back home before 1pm. I couldn't lollygag at Lins' because I had to get home so I could get ready to go back out to dinner this afternoon.

We met Keith & Donna for dinner at Good 'n Plenty restaurant in Lancaster.

The symbol of Amish Country

We had first met them while attending the Escapade in Sedalia, MO back in May. They have been traveling up the East Coast and landed in Lancaster for a few days, so we made plans to meet. They also invited Chuck & Kathy who they had met in Kerrville last March. It was fun getting to know them, too.

Front to back: Kathy, me, Donna; Keith, Randy, Chuck

We had a wonderful meal, family style: roast beef, fish, fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes w/gravy, and more. Plus dessert!! And while eating, we shared stories as RVers do. We even had a young couple at the table with us who were quite fascinated with our lifestyle. Of course, we totally enjoyed telling them all about it!

A couple of hours, armed with some of Donna's famous brownies, we said our "see ya down the roads" and headed for home. Just another great encounter with fantastic folks we have met while traveling. Gotta say, it's the best thing about this life!

Of course, I cannot allow this posting to end without acknowledging the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. All of us remember where we were when we first found out about the plane crashes. All of remember how we felt. And all of us remember not knowing what would happen next. But, most of all, all of us remember the UNITY we felt as a nation - in our fear, in our outrage, and in our love for each other. That needs to be the legacy of this tragedy: we are ONE nation, bound together, under God, with one purpose - to be the best we can be. Can all of us remember that?

Until the next time . . .

A Wedding!!

Our eldest daughter, Ginny, got married today. She did not want a big to-do since this is her second marriage, so we all met at the county courthouse for the ceremony. There were a few friends, our grandson, Tommy, and the happy couple. After the ceremony we went to Bob Evans to celebrate. :)

Chuck & Ginny, taking their vows

The happy couple

A new family - Ginny, Chuck & Tommy

Welcome to the family! Chuck, Ginny & Randy

A celebration breakfast

We wish Chuck and Ginny every happiness for a long life together.

Until the next time . . .

Birthday Girlie

Today is our daughter, Lindsay's, 30th birthday. Obviously, she was born when I was very, very young. :) It truly was a pleasure raising her and she is a lovely young woman today. I like to think we were great parents, but Lindsay is just a fantastic person. I am privileged to be her mom.

This evening we went to a Japanese steak house for her birthday dinner. Those restaurants are such fun. Lindsay thought that Reagan would find it fascinating, but unfortunately, the first blaze of fire kind of freaked Reagan out, so she was a bit reluctant the rest of the evening. She did like the volcano made from a stack of onions, though!




We adults enjoyed the "show," and Lindsay was the only one who caught the tossed broccoli in her mouth! Everyone's meal was delicious and it was fun celebrating Lindsay.

Happy birthday, girlie! You truly are loved.

Until the next time . . .

Another Relaxing Sunday

Woke up to another beautiful day. This weather pattern has just been too good to be true. We are enjoying it while it lasts - looks like some rain is coming our way later this week. Can't be too upset about that 'cause the rain is necessary, too.

We went to church this morning at the campground again. It's nice to be able to walk to and from church! We like the services. There aren't many people who attend, which is a shame since it's a good service. Our campground owner, Greg, gave the message this morning.

The rest of the afternoon was spent, once again, in our mutual "corners." :) Randy inside watching TV and napping and me outside reading and napping. I just can't justify being inside when the weather is so pretty. Plus, it was cooler in the screen room than it was inside!

We ended our day sitting at the fire over at Barry & Penny's site. Dick & Darlene, some more neighbors, were there as well. You just can't beat sitting by the fire and chatting. It was a nice way to end the day.

Until the next time . . .

What a Great Day

Okay, this weather is just phenomenal. Now, it did get a little warm today so that we had to turn on the A/C, but still . . . just gorgeous.

Now, I told you about Long's Park the other day; you know, the park that Randy, Lins, Reagan & I went to that I thought was just great. Well, this weekend there is an Arts & Crafts Festival being held there. I figured it would be fun to go to it today. So, off we went with Barry & Penny.

The vendors at this festival were very high-end - read, out of our price range! ;) There were photographers, painters, clothiers, goldsmiths, jewelers, sculptors, and one fellow who made psaltrys and dulcimers. They were just beautiful instruments. It was fun walking around the many booths. There were a couple hundred of them! Plus there was a food court set up in one of the fields. And there was live music as well.

Interesting, and huge, metal sculpture

Doesn't everyone need a penguin table?

Lots of places to sit and eat and listen to the music

After we'd walked around and looked at all the vendors had to offer, Penny & I smelled hot dogs! It was time to get something to eat. We found a shaded table and enjoyed our hot dogs and the Celtic music. We all agreed it had been a nice morning.

On the way home we saw a fox in a field. It's so unusual to see one out in midday and he seemed to be on the hunt. We sat on the side of the road and watched him for a few minutes.


Once we got home, I got out my dulcimer and played a bit. Barry & Penny had been bugging me for a "concert." I assured them it wouldn't be much, but they wanted to hear me play. So, I indulged them. HA! :)

This evening Randy and I met good friends David & Beth at Carraba's. We spent a couple of hours catching up with each other's lives and just enjoying being together. David & Beth are some of those folks we always make sure we touch base with when we are home. They are good people and we love them. We always know that we're in for a pleasant evening when we're with them.

Wow, what a great day we had today. Time spent with friends and gorgeous weather. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Until the next time . . .

Two Days

A two-fer! :) Since I was a slacker yesterday and didn't post, you get two days in one!

Yesterday started with my workout at Curves and then it was on to Lindsay's to do the laundry. I was also on Reagan duty 'cause Lins was out for the day. Of course, being with Reagan is NEVER a chore, so that was fun.

Reagan is a kid on the go - she never stops, always ready to find something new to do. And she doesn't always look to an adult to figure out what to do next. Her imagination amazes me. One of the games we played yesterday was "Scooby Doo." And ALL of the members of Mystery, Inc. were there - Reagan was Velma, and I was Daphne; but Scooby, Shaggy & Fred were there, too. They had to have been because "Velma" kept talking to them and giving them direction on how to solve the mystery! :) It was great.

Then, last night I had the privilege of going out to dinner with five fabulous women. Amy, Erin, Jen, Mary & Meghan are young women with whom I served in Youth Ministry at Grace Community Church. Four of them were high school students at the time and Amy was a leader. In the last year or so I've reconnected with them via Facebook and our friendships took off again.

It was wonderful to sit across the table from them and catch up with them face-to-face. Their lives have changed so much in the last five years - Mary & Jen got married and also have babies; Amy has babies and Erin & Meghan are working full-time in their chosen fields. All five of them have "grown up" into women I am thrilled ot call my friends.

L to R: Erin (holding Jen's son), Mary (with Rex in carrier), me, Meghan, Jen & Amy


Thanks, girls, for a GREAT night!

This morning was very busy and started very early. Randy had to have some fasting lab work done, so we wanted to get there when the lab opened. So, we were out of the house by 6:40 this morning! It always amazes me how you can be #8 in line at a lab when you are there five minutes before it opens! Oh, well. The wait wasn't bad and we were out of there before 7:30.

Of course, the next stop was breakfast. :) We went to Shiloh Restaurant which is just down the street from our eye doctor. Convenient since we also had appointments with him this morning! Had a great breakfast, very relaxing because we had more than an hour before we needed to be at the doctor's office.

Randy came out of the eye doctor's no worse for wear - eyes hadn't changed, so no new glasses needed. I did okay, my eyes hadn't changed, but the pressure in them was up. I've had issues with that for years. I gotta go back in 10 days for another pressure check to determine whether more testing is needed to rule out glaucoma. Always something! And even though my eyes hadn't changed, I did order new glasses; my current ones had broken and Randy had fixed them enough to get by. I also just wanted some new ones; I haven't had new glasses in at least four years! I really like the new ones. Very cool. :)

After the doctor's visit, we stopped by Lindsay's to pick up our mail. Then it was on to the local RV parts store to pick up a seal for the toilet that Randy had ordered. From there, we finally got to come home! Felt like we'd been gone forEVER.

Once home, I parked myself outside in the screen room with the computer and just enjoyed the weather while I did my computer reading that I usually do in the mornings. Randy was in his usual position in front of the TV. :) We are such creatures of habit! I also visited with our neighbor, Penny. She and Barry are up for the next week. We're looking forward to playing with them.

Tomorrow we're going back to Long's Park to an arts & crafts festive being held this weekend. Barry & Penny are going with us. Tomorrow night, we're meeting David & Beth for dinner. We haven't seen them all summer! Really looking forward to catching up with them. It's always a good time.

Enjoy your holiday weekend. Until the next time . . .

Grocery Day & Pictures

Since we played yesterday, Randy and I had to go to the grocery today to do our big, first-of-the-month grocery run. So, after fortifying ourselves with a good breakfast at Mary Jane's Restaurant, off we went. (We HAD to go to breakfast, 'cause you know you're not supposed to go to the grocery on an empty stomach!!) :)

A couple of hours later, we were back home and had to go through the ugly job of unloading and putting the groceries away. We had also stopped at the campground office to pay our deposit for next year. Yep, we'll be back in PA May 1st, staying for six months. But, we're going to have a different site next year; same row, just down three spaces. The new space has 50 amp electric!! Yippee!

I updated the finances and then just caught up on my computer reading, played my dulcimer for awhile and before I knew it, it was 5pm! The day went by quickly. An easy dinner of hot dogs and now it's just watching TV and settling in for the night.

Wanted to share some pictures with you. Penny from RV Dreams gave us a great suggestion for fixing our USB camera cord problem and it worked!! Thanks again, Penny!

Outing to Long's Park

Reagan can't wait to get to the playground!

Pop and the little girl

Just a bunch of swingers :)

Found out AFTER we fed the ducks, that we weren't supposed to! OOPS!

A beautiful setting

Reagan's first day of school

Is she cute or what?

Hard at work

With her teacher

I think she's pretty proud of herself - and why not?

That's it from the Guiler RV. Hope you're having a good week. Until the next time . . .

Beautiful Start to September

Another beautiful day in Central PA! :) When I left for Curves this morning, it was 50 degrees outside! (And only 55 inside!)

Back from Curves, I had my morning coffee and sat down to read my Scripture selection for the morning. Nope, didn't work. Couldn't log on to the WiFi for some reason so I plugged in the aircard, but the connection was very slow this morning. So, that didn't happen. Figured I might as well get my shower and get ready for the day.

Randy, Lindsay, Reagan and I went to Long's Park today. This is a beautiful city park in Lancaster that has many playground areas, a couple of pavilions, an amphitheater, a petting zoo, a lake with a walking path around it, and probably more that we didn't see. Lots of events are held here, with the most recent being a car show that Jason, Lins & Reagan attended. Coming up this weekend is an arts & crafts festival that looks pretty good.

We took a picnic lunch and totally enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Reagan had a blast on a big playground that was constructed of wood and looked like a castle to me. It had a maze running through it and lots of cool climbing stuff and swings and anything a kid could ask for.

I took lots of pictures, but unfortunately, I can't get them off my camera right now because it seems the USB cord has gone bad. I'm hoping to remedy that tomorrow.

After the park we stopped at Target and Michael's. I was able to pick up a few Christmas gifts which is nice. I don't usually do that this early, but these were just screaming at me. :)

The rest of the day was spent back at the rig, me sitting outside reading & resting and Randy inside watching TV and on the computer. Another great day in the life!

Until the next time . . .