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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Check January Off!

Yep, January 2010 is just about history. I remember when I was about 10 years old, laying on my bed in my room thinking about how old I'd be in the year 2000 - 42!! Gosh, I was gonna be OLD when the new millenium came! HA! Here I am 10 years even further down the road and I still haven't grown up OR gotten old! How little I knew back then. :)

We've had a fairly quiet weekend. Friday was so ugly, weather-wise that we hadn't planned to do much. I did get to Curves in the morning as the rain didn't come in until about 4pm, just in time for Randy to walk over to the clubhouse for his psaltry group! :) But, when the rains started, boy did it rain!!!! Oh, my. Wind, rain, thunder, lightning; we had it all. And it continued throughout the evening and into the night.

Saturday dawned with no rain, but it was chilly. I hit the laundry room first thing and got that out of the way. That evening we went to dinner at Big Daddy's with two other couples. It was a good evening out. And while the food was good as always, as usual, the company was even better. That's how it is with us RVers. :)

This morning it was downright cold when we got up - 34 degrees! Now, I know my friends and family back on the East Coast would laugh at me because they got hit with another snowstorm and bitter cold. But, in my defense, we ARE in the south!! C'mon, what's up with these temps???? Okay, enough whining.

We got ourselves out the door for church. Mike & Gerri followed us to church as we were going to stay for a potluck & business meeting afterward. It was nice having them in church with us. Randy & I believe we may have found a church home in Silverhill Covenant. The preaching is excellent and the members are so friendly. It's funny, after being in nondenominational, contemporary churches for the past 12 years, we find ourselves in a very traditional church. And I like it. This church is traditional without being stuffy and uptight. Not an easy balance, but they have achieved it, I think. I'm looking forward to getting to know these folks better over the next couple of months.

This afternoon Darrell & Judy stopped by to catch up with us. They've been away from the park since before Christmas, too. We had a great visit with them.

We ended our day over at the clubhouse for the ice cream social. It was very well attended tonight, probably close to 100 folks. Always a good time.

Now Randy's up in the bedroom watching TV while I'm in the living room watching the Grammys. Yes, the Grammys. I can't believe it, either, actually. :) I haven't watched this awards show in ages!! But, it's always interesting to see the performances, seems they get more outrageous each year. I'm sure tonight will be no different.

Oh, and thanks to all of you who continue to read my ramblings. The blog has gone over 15,000 visitors in less than a year!

Have a great week! Until the next time . . .

Thursday, January 28, 2010

It's Thursday, So That Means Music

Thursday is a music day in our house. Both Randy & I play with Jubilee Pickers, which is primarily a dulcimer group, but folks play many other instruments as well. We've got fiddles, psaltrys, guitars, a harp, autoharps, and harmonicas. If it's an acoustic instrument, it's welcome. :)

We play from 9am to 12noon with a 30 minute break about halfway through. I enjoy the breaktime because it gives us a chance to mingle with the other folks in the group. That's the only way you get to know people!

And the people in this group are good people. Randy & I really enjoy the friends we've made in the Pickers. So much so, that each week after the jam session many of us go out to lunch together. So, the funtime is extended another hour or so. :)

After lunch, we hit WalMart to pick up some bread and milk to get us through to the first of the month. Then, it was home for the rest of the day.

Hope your week is going well! Until the next time . . .

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Just Another Wednesday

Got myself up and was ready to get out the door to go to Curves at 7:00 this morning, when I asked Randy if he thought we needed to get a propane tank filled. He wasn't sure, but he checked and sure enough, one was empty. We were going to get it filled at a place near my Curves, so we left a bit later than usual 'cause the store wasn't open until after 7:30.

We got back home and I pulled out a new cross stitch project. It's a kit so it comes with everything you need, or it's supposed to! I began separating the floss colors and found several of the colors didn't have the correct number of floss and actually was missing two colors altogether! I was not pleased as you can imagine. So, I've emailed the company requesting the missing floss. We'll see how long it takes them to get back to me.

This afternoon I went over to the clubhouse to the weekly music jam. It was so good to see everyone. And it seems they were happy to see me, too. That was nice. And if they weren't, they put on a good show! :) We played for two hours, as usual, and I am beat. My arms and back hurt. It's amazing how quickly you get unused to doing something. I'm sure I'll get back in the swing soon enough.

Well, I've got dinner in the oven (meat loaf) and a salad to make. Just another evening at home.

Until the next time . . .

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

New Friends

I just love waking up to sunshine!! Even though the mornings have been cool, the sun is just beautiful and the day warms up nicely. Just love it.

After cleaning the bathroom, I decided to take bike ride through the park. I made the mistake of stopping at the clubhouse to check out the calendar of events for the next week because we have no clue what's happening. I walked into a meeting on the park's Mardi Gras events. Needless to say, I joined the meeting and am now involved in some planning for those events. That's okay - we really enjoy Mardi Gras at the park.

I continued my bike ride after the meeting was over but didn't get far before I stopped at Mike & Gerri's place. We have been following each other's blogs for awhile, but haven't had the chance to meet until today. What a joy this visit was!!! The only bad thing about it was that Randy wasn't with me. I'm not sure how long we sat in their motorhome and chatted, but it just wasn't long enough. :) That's how comfortable we were from the first hug Gerri & I shared. I am so looking forward to getting to know them better over the next month. Unfortunately, they will be leaving at the end of February, but until then, we'll have some good times together, I'm sure.

I finally finished my ride around the park and got back to the rig over two hours after I'd left! I tried to convince Randy that I had been riding the bike all the time, but he didn't buy it. Can't imagine why??!?!?? Hmmmmmmmm . . . think he knows me?

A nice surprise this afternoon was a visit from Bob, one of our neighbors. Bob & Pam have an ERPU site in the park and are one of our music-playing couples. We play in a couple of different groups together. They are good folks. Bob was just coming by to welcome us home. It was so nice of him! Thanks, Bob. You made us feel very special.

We finished our day by going out to dinner with Dick & Pat. This was the first time since we've been back that we've sat across the table from them - just the four of us. We went to a Mexican restaurant, Vallarta's, and it was pretty good. The best part of was being able to spend time with them.

Tonight, Randy has Pops rehearsal. First time since we got back. And I'm watching American Idol. See, we are getting back into our routine. :)

Until the next time . . .

Monday, January 25, 2010

Back in the Swing

Today was a good day. :) We woke up to sunshine, which is always a good thing. And I got myself out the door and to Curves. Man, why does being away from exercise for just a week feel more like a year!?!?!???

Randy & I ran some errands later in the morning: picked up prescriptions at WalMart, got a late breakfast at CB, did some shopping at Michael's and bought me a couple pairs of sneakers.

The afternoon was relaxing, watching TV and catnapping (Randy). This evening I went to Bible study. I came home to a dinner that was almost ready. Very nice.

It feels good to be back in the swing of our routine.

Until the next time . . .

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Lazy Weekend

We just don't seem to have the oomph to do much. Gotta get out of this slump!

Yesterday I did get up and out by 6:45am to do the laundry. Was back home a little past 8am and then it was time to get ready to go to the dulcimer gig.

The gig was with Jubilee Pickers and was held at First Presbyterian Church of Gulf Shores. Each year this church has a BBQ fundraiser for the Sheriff's Boys Ranch located right here in Summerdale. As stated on their website
"The mission of the Alabama Sheriffs' Youth Ranches is to provide Christian, family-style residential homes for Alabama's needy, neglected, or abused, school-age children in an atmosphere where they may grow spiritually and physically into productive, responsible, and happy adults." The Pickers were proud to help this very worthy cause by providing background music as folks came through. We even got lunch!

I got home about 2pm and the rest of the afternoon, well, really the weekend, was spent vegging out in our recliners. We played on the computers, read a bit (me), and watched a LOT of TV. We're still working on watching all the shows we'd DVR'd while we were gone.

The weather turned really ugly late yesterday and continued through today. It was raining so hard we didn't even go to church - I know, heathens! There were times the wind was blowing so hard the RV literally shook. So, we just continued our inertia (is that the proper use of that word??) and stayed glued to the DVR and the computers.

This is what it's looked out the windows like all day!


Tomorrow I'm going to Curves - no matter what! I have GOT to get back to a routine, even if it kills me! :)

Until the next time . . .

Friday, January 22, 2010

Getting Back into a Routine . . . or Not

We're still trying to get back to some sort of routine. Yesterday we had to go to the grocery because the cupboards were bare. Of course, since the cupboards were bare, we just had to go to breakfast first! :)

Errands finished: grocery, propane tank filled, fuel tank filled and back home. The weather was overcast and perfect for catching up on some of the shows we'd DVR'd while we were gone. Well, I caught up on some shows, Randy helped our landlord, Ron, move furniture out of his house into a storage container on their lot. (They are having a house built and have to empty their mobile home as it has been sold.)

Pat & Dick invited over to their rig for dinner. Ron & Ruth were there, too. Dinner was yummy, but catching up with friends was better. :) We couldn't believe it when we realized it was 9:30! The time flew by as it often does when you're with friends.

Today was even more laid back - if you can believe that! In the morning, I sat outside in the sunny, 70 degree weather and worked on my Bible study lesson. Randy was busy putting out the awning and hooking up the outside lights.

This afternoon Pat and I went for pedicures and a manicure for me. Once home, I found Randy napping so I watched a few more recorded shows. Later we went to Walmart and dropped off prescriptions that needed refilling.

This evening was dinner and more TV. See how exciting we are?!?!? :) Tomorrow is laundry and then a dulcimer gig for me.

Until the next time . . .

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

There's No Place Like Home

As much I absolutely LOVED being with Jason, Lindsay and Reagan; and as much as I was so grateful to be able to be with my folks during my dad's surgery and homecoming; I AM THRILLED TO BE SITTING IN MY OWN RECLINER IN MY OWN HOME!!!!! :)

We left the Pilot Truck Stop about 7:30 this morning after a wonderful (NOT) night's sleep and a couple of breakfast sandwiches from Mickey D's. I can say, without equivocation, I do not want to sleep in the front seat of the truck ever again!

About 30 miles from home, we hit a downpour of a rainstorm. It was raining so hard, it was hard to see out the windshield at times. But, we persevered and arrived home after 3:30 this afternoon. And the rain stopped as we got close to home and the skies held back while we unpacked the truck! So grateful for that. :)

It's now 8pm, Central time, and Randy & I are both sitting in our recliners, watching TV and catching up on computer time. So nice to be home!

Until the next time . . .

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Spending the Night on the Road

We left my folks' house about 9:15 this morning. Last night we had decided it was time to go. My dad is doing very well and we were just in the way. So, off we went.

It is a little more than 1000 miles from my parents' home to the Plantation in Alabama. So, we figured we'd drive (read: Randy would drive) about halfway and spend the night in a truck stop. We've done that before and it's worked out fine. Not the most comfortable night's sleep, but enough to get us through.

We stopped a couple of hours down the road for breakfast at a diner we'd heard about. It's owned by the same folks who own a diner near the hospital my dad was in and my folks go there a lot. Our breakfast was very good and reasonably priced. We were now set for the drive.

Other than a couple of potty breaks, we didn't stop until we got to Charlotte, NC where we met our friend, Cheri, for dinner at Cracker Barrel. We hadn't seen Cheri since last summer, so it was wonderful to touch base with her. And this was Randy's 76th CB!! :) Another great meal and we were back on the road at about 8:30pm.

Randy said he was good for another couple of hours, so down the road we went. We are now stopped in South Carolina at a Pilot Truck Stop. Tomorrow we'll have about 7.5 hours of driving time which will translate to about 9 hours of real time when you factor in breaks. But, we do gain an hour as we go back to Central time!

Really looking forward to being in our own home and our own BED! I have missed our bed! :)

Until the next time . . . (from Alabama!!)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Settling In

Daddy came home from the hospital early yesterday afternoon. He is doing amazingly well; moving around the house with his walker with no help from any of us. After all, he's 81 years old! The toughest thing for him and Mommy is going to be not getting on each other's nerves. Daddy can be quite stubborn and Mommy tends to push, so it will be interesting.

Not much else happening. Randy & I are talking about when we should leave. My folks really don't need us here since Daddy's doing so well. But, we also don't want to leave too soon, either. I'm thinking we'll probably go Wednesday. Guess we'll just see how the next couple of days go.

Again, thank you to everyone who has prayed for my family during the last few days. Prayer is the power behind all we do and I take so much comfort in know people love us enough to remember us in prayer.

Until the next time . . .

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Hospital Days

Not much to share here. I'm spending the days at the hospital with Mommy. Randy's hanging out at home. I did get myself to Curves this morning, so that was a good thing.

Daddy wasn't as perky today as he was yesterday. I'm praying it was just a bad day and he'll be feeling better tomorrow. He's off the morphine drip and not taking any meds now, which is pretty darn amazing. Doctor said he may be able to come home tomorrow, guess we'll see.

Thanks again for all the prayers. I know they are the power behind the healing. :)

Until the next time . . .

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Day at the Hospital

We were up at 5:15 this morning to get ready to spend the day at the hospital. My dad was having back surgery to repair a couple of lumber vertebrae this morning. It was to be quite an extensive surgery as there was much disk degeneration with some spinal stenosis thrown in for good measure. Since my dad is 81 years old and has had heart bypass surgery, there was some concern.

We got to the hospital about 6:30 and Daddy was to be admitted around 7am for surgery at 8:30. My sister, Paula, met us at the hospital. Thankfully, the docs were on time and our wait began. It was estimated that surgery would take about four hours.

During our waiting, some volunteers came through the waiting room. They were dressed as clown doctors! They were great, very funny. It was a nice break in the tedium that waiting can bring. :)

With my mom
About 1pm, the doctor came out and said all had gone according to plan. He was able to do all the work necessary and Daddy was already waking up. Needless to say, my mom was greatly relieved. Randy left at the point to go home and tend to Blackie. A couple of hours later, Daddy had been taken to his room and we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening with him.

I gotta say, Daddy is amazing. Like I said, he is 81 years old and could play that old man card if he wanted. But, he was wide awake and talking to us just a couple of hours after surgery. He was drinking on his own and moving really well. He even asked if he could turn over on his side. The nurses hurried to help him, but he'd already done it himself! He also sat up and ate most of his dinner. He was taking very little pain medication, too. Of course, he probably still had much of the anesthesia in him, but still.

After eating, Daddy was getting sleepy, so about 6pm Paula, Mommy and I left. We grabbed some dinner at a local Italian place and came on home.

I am so grateful for the many friends who have prayed for Daddy. It is so heartwarming to know that kind of love. Knowing the Great Physician is an awesome thing.

Until the next time . . .

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Breakfast and Errands

The last couple of days have been about breakfast and errands. Hence, the title. Aren't I creative?? :) Anyway, I started the morning at Curves, even did three extra machines. I'm gonna try to work up to going around the circuit three times instead of two.

Once home, I got my shower and proceeded to sit down to the computer with my first cup of coffee. Daddy & Mommy were going to a doctor's appointment for Daddy so Randy and I were going to just run up to Michael's and WalMart and then hang at home. All of a sudden there was talk about going to breakfast. Well, you know that Randy & I don't pass that up very often. I got myself dressed and we headed out the door.

Daddy's appointment was at 10am; of course, he wasn't seen right away and we didn't get out of there until after 11am! My tummy was beginning to speak to me. Well, Daddy had eaten breakfast so he wasn't hungry. So, we went to WalMart before going to IHOP. By the time we got to IHOP, it was after 12:30!!! I was starving. And you know how frail I am - I was just wasting away. :)

After being revived by pancakes, eggs and scrapple, we continued with our errands: the bank and post office for Mommy; Michael's for me. I was disappointed in the Michael's I went to. They didn't have any cross stitch kits! It's a smaller store so they have opted not to carry them. Ugh! If I'd known that, I would have gone to one that was near the IHOP. Oh, well. Just means I get to go to another one. Michael's is one store I don't mind shopping in.

The rest of the day was spent as usual: on the computer, reading, and watching TV.

This morning Daddy, Randy & I were sent out to breakfast to get out of the way of the cleaning lady. We had another hardy breakfast, then set out on more errands. I needed to go back to WalMart (is there any RVer out there who DOESN'T go to WalMart at least once a week???) to return a couple of shirts I'd gotten yesterday. We got that done, then went to the post office to mail a package to Kevin. Our final errand was at the hospital for Daddy to pick up some test results for Thursday's surgery.

We got back home just as the cleaning lady was finishing up - good timing. Mommy got herself out the door to her Ladies Club card/pizza party she hosts once a month. The three of us were in charge of the house - waiting for the computer guy to come to get Daddy's router hooked up.

John, the computer guy, was very pleasant. And Randy & I felt redeemed that it wasn't our ineptitude that was the problem. :) There was some additional computerese that needed to be done to connect the router to the existing modem that we would never have known how to do.

Daddy is now up and running and playing with his notebook as we speak!

Just finished a good dinner of roast, mashed potatoes, and salad. Now it's time to continue with our exciting day - computer, reading and TV! American Idol starts tonight!!

Until the next time . . .

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Weekend Recap

I don't have much exciting to share with you. With the terribly cold weather, we've been staying inside and keeping warm.

Yesterday we endeavored to get my dad online with his new netbook computer. What a bust that was! We couldn't get him connected to our router (and I'm very disappointed in Cradlepoint - I sent them an email and am STILL waiting for a response!). So, Daddy & Randy went to Walmart and bought a Linksys router. We followed directions but still couldn't get him connected. There's something hinky about their internet connection. They already have a modem through which they get DSL and there weren't enough places to put the wires supposedly needed. Anyway, it was efforts in futility all day. So, we've got a call into a computer tech my folks have used before; hopefully he/she will be able to figure out the problem. I feel bad for Daddy, though. He's got this neat new toy and can't do much with it.

I did make a big breakfast for us and then our favorite Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti for dinner. I had one busy day! But, managed to never get out of my jammies. :)

This morning we went to church with my mom. Football was the order for the rest of the day. YAY Baltimore Ravens!! WooHOOOOOOOO!! Just now we're watching the GB/Cardinals game as it goes into overtime. What a game that's been!

That's it from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Exciting, huh? Who knows what us wild and crazy guys will do tomorrow?!?! Until the next time . . .

Friday, January 08, 2010

Just Hanging . . .

It's been a lazy couple of days with more laziness forecasted. :) Yesterday I did get myself out of the house and to Curves, so that was a plus for me. The rest of the day was spent in front of either the TV or the computer; oh, there was some reading in there as well.

Mommy & Daddy took us out to dinner to Five Guys. This is their favorite hamburger joint. It's Jason & Lindsay's, too. The first time we went to one was in York with Jason & Lins and neither Randy nor I were too impressed. But, I gotta admit - this time the burgers were very good. Checkers is still our favorite, but Five Guys is a close second. I told Randy that the seasoned fries at Checkers edges it into the front!

This morning we woke up to 2 inches of snow with it still falling for the first couple of hours or so after we'd gotten up. Randy was a good son-in-law and cleared the walks, porch, and cars. He also went across the street to my folks' friends and cleared their car and driveway for them.

We ended up going to BJ's (like a Sam's Club) this afternoon. Daddy has talked about getting a laptop the last couple of times we've been here. There was much discussion this afternoon so Mommy said let's just go up to BJ's and look. We did and Daddy is now the new owner of a Samsung netbook! :) As I write this, he is reading the manual so he can figure out what to do with it. :) Looks like Randy & I have our work cut out for us this weekend.

That's it. I think we're hunkering down for the next couple of days 'cause it's supposed to get even colder tomorrow! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, well. It is what it is.

Hope y'all are staying warm wherever you are! Until the next time . . .

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Leaving . . .and Arriving

The last two days were spent getting as much family time in as possible. It's hard to believe we've been at Lindsay's house for almost 2 weeks. But, it was time to go.

Amid big hugs and lots of kisses (from Reagan), we said good-bye until summer. It's only four months, right? It'll go fast, right? Just tell me YES! :)

After a stop for breakfast at Cracker Barrel (where else?), we headed down the road to my parents' home in Ocean City, MD. We'll be here for the next couple of weeks 'cause my daddy is having surgery on the 14th. Our departure will depend upon his coming home and recovery.

That's about it from the Guilers. Other than the cold, which everyone (except our buddies in the Valley) seems to be experiencing, there's not much to talk about.

Maybe we'll do something wild and crazy with my folks. Hey! It could happen, you never know!

Until the next time . . .

Monday, January 04, 2010

Weekend Recap

Whoa! I just realized I hadn't posted since Friday. Sorry 'bout that, guess I was too busy being lazy. And while that may seem to be an oxymoron, for those of you who are retired, you know what I mean. And for those of you who are still working, well, you'll know what I mean some day. :)

I really don't have much to share with you. Both Saturday and Sunday were spent hanging around the house. Jason & Lins went out on a date Saturday night, so we kept Reagan. (A real hardship, you know!) Sunday we should have gotten ourselves out to church, but again, the lazy bug struck and we didn't go. Sunday evening we did meet some friends for dinner at Chili's and that was nice.

Today was errand day; it was easier than our usual first-of-the-month errands because all we had to do was go to the bank - no grocery run! :) Before we went to the bank, we went to Bob Evans for breakfast. Lindsay & Reagan came along with us.

We also did a bit of shopping. There is a store called Christmas Tree Shop that Lins loves, but it's not just Christmas stuff - it has lots of housewares, toys, etc., for great discount prices. And that's why my girl loves the store. She never pays full price for anything, she is a great shopper. Anyway, Randy likes those kind of stores, too, so he wanted to go. We found a few things we couldn't live without, but nothing of major importance.

WalMart was calling our names, so we went there, too. Actually, Lins had to return a couple of Christmas presents Reagan had gotten. Then, it was time to go home.

Waiting for Lins at WalMart
Randy had a dentist appointment this afternoon to have a tooth pulled. I had a doctor's appointment to get another antibiotic because my UTI came back. And now Randy's back at WalMart to pick up my prescription.

So, that was our day today. Lots of running around; in and out of the car. Whew.

Glad to be home and out of the cold. Hope your week is off to a good start! Until the next time . . .

Friday, January 01, 2010

And So It Begins . . .

We have begun a new year. Do you wonder what the next months will bring? Do you even think about it? Or are you one who enjoys life as it comes and rolls with it? Whatever "type" you are, I hope that 2010 will bring you joy and contentment.

Our new year began with a get-together with the Mackin family; James, Amita, Kelly & Kate. We "adopted" Kelly & Kate as granddaughters when Kelly was born in 1998. Their mom, Amita, and I worked together and just clicked. Since Randy & I retired, we've made a point to be in each other's lives and to continue to care for Kelly & Kate as our own. The last few years we've had our Christmas with them on New Year's Day. It allows us to enjoy a leisurely day of catching up with one another. And today was no exception.

We arrived about 11am for brunch. Amita always feeds us soooo well! :) She makes this french toast casserole that is scrumptious.

Joining us were Amita's mom, Virginia, and Amita's sister, Sheila and her family. Amita and I have the ability to just pick up where we left off and can talk for hours. We were on our way to doing that when Kate asked if they could open their presents. Poor girls - we'd been talking and talking and didn't think about them wanting to open gifts! Bad Nana! :)

We immediately moved to the family room so the girls could open their gifts. Well, 30 seconds later, it was over. :) I had time to snap just a picture of each of them and that was it! But, they were happy with the gifts and that's what matters. Soon they were settled in front of a video and the adults went back to chatting.

Kate
Kelly
About 3pm it was time to say our good-byes, at least until the summer. Kelly & Kate are on the local swim team and we'll be sure to get down to see a couple of meets.

Now we're back home at Lindsay's and settled in the night. It's pretty quiet 'cause Jason, Lindsay & Reagan are celebrating Christmas with Lindsay's dad and family. They'll probably be home late.

I hope that you take a moment each day of this new year to be grateful for something. Gratitude for the blessings we have been given provides a means to contentment. And contentment is way underrated in my book - I'd rather be content than anything else. Contentment to me means that I want for nothing and have found peace. I hope that you can find that, too.

Until the next time . . .