March 6, 2012 ~ Tuesday

Yesterday, Sunday, it rained most of the day so we just had a "lazy" day....in our pjs......watching TV and playing on our computers.  Wait....we do that every day until we venture outside.......

Today, Monday, decided to walk around  the "Old Town" part of Florence.  It was fun to check out the shops and to read the plaques about what was there, back in the day. "Back in the day" would have been in the late 50's.

Judy has decided this is her favorite place in town.  There is a second BJs going north, out of town, toward the RV park we are staying in and YES, she has checked it out too.  You know, just to be sure it's as good as the other one!

This cute coffee shop used to be a garage when I was growing up here.  The owner, Bill Karnowsky owned a small airplane and I had my first airplane ride in that plane.

The old theater would print up a flyer each month to show what they were showing each weekend.  My folks would drop my brother and I off to see a movie and then pick us up again when it was over.

One weekend, they mis-read the movie line-up and my brother and I found ourselves sitting through PSYCHO!!  I can't even tell you HOW OLD I WAS before I would shower if I was in the house alone.  Talk about traumatizing!  (Remember, back in the day, you didn't see violence like you do now.  It was cutting edge for Hollywood to make a movie with this kind of violence in it!)

Of course, we didn't call our folks to come get us when we realized it WASN'T Walt Disney.  We got to see The Incredible Shrinking Man the same way!

The second way that theater impacted my life was when my brother got his glasses.  We went to the theater that night and I asked him to let me look at the screen through his glasses, thinking the screen would look really funny!  Imagine MY SURPRISE when everything was sharp and clear!  I was telling my Dad on the way home and that landed me in the eye doctor's office where we found out my vision was worse than my brothers.  I was one of those kids who didn't ever take her glasses off unless I was in the shower, swimming or in bed.  It was amazing how well I could see with them....who knew!

I used to ride my bike into town to visit with a friend.  I would come flying down the hill (praying the German Shepard that lived in a house on my route wouldn't come out and chase me) and then when I got on the bridge, the part that raised up for ships was scary to cross because it shook and made noise when cars drove over it.

March 5, 2012 ~ Monday

We woke up this morning to rain pounding on the roof.  When I was younger, I found that sound VERY romantic....now that I'm old bat, I find it comforting! It rains a lot in this area in the winter and spring.


I took the propane tanks to be filled...they supply the majority of our heat and cooking fuel......and I went to the grocery store and wandered around for awhile, picking up a few things we NEEDED and a few we didn't!  Just a normal day at the grocery store.


I made hot turkey sandwiches for dinner....and in the rainy weather, they really hit the spot.   We have seen several robins but they are took quick for me and I haven't been able to capture any of them in a picture.


I lived a couple miles from here when I was in grade school.  The house is still standing but is off the road so I didn't stop and take a picture.  It was a rental and we didn't live there very long anyway.  We lived in three rentals in this area while I was in school for the last half of the 3rd grade thru the 7th grade.


Except for Bailey who will go for a walk in ANY weather, the girls have been content to just sleep the day away.  US too!


I just saw this on Pinterest

Recipe share......EASY Butterflake Orange Rolls (found on Pinterest)

I made these rolls a couple weeks ago when Dustin and Karina brought the kids down for a visit and to see the new RV.  I wasn't sure the kids would like the orange flavor so I made half of them according to this recipe and the other half just regular cinnamon rolls.  They were SO GOOD~


EASY BUTTERFLAKE ORANGE ROLLS
12 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed but still cold
zest from 1 large orange
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Directions:Cut each Texas roll into 5 equal pieces. Flatten each piece slightly. In a small bowl, combine orange zest and sugar. Dip both sides of each roll piece into butter and then orange sugar mixture. Stack five pieces together and place, on their sides, in a well sprayed muffin cup. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and place on cooling rack. Combine icing ingredients and mix well. Brush over rolls while still warm.
Notes: *Zest: The thin outer peel of an Orange

March 4, 2012 ~ Saturday

We woke to another beautiful day today. We took the dogs for a walk around the RV park and instead of leaving them home, we decided at the last minute to take them to the beach with us.  We are seeing signs of spring here on the coast.

 It was windy on the beach but not off the beach.  Wearing coats on the beach made it a perfect day to get out in the fresh air...AND....no fog today!

We took the girls (dogs) to the beach with us today but even with their coats on, it was too cold for Ruby and Lucy so they stayed in their crates in the truck while we walked on the beach.  Even if it wasn't cold, Lucy does everything in her power to avoid getting her feet wet!


Bailey is our trooper and she LOVED walking along on the beach, barking at the seagulls and the other dogs.

I love to pick up shells but there are never good shells on the beaches here.  We found a few partial shells we liked the texture of so I collected them.  Makes me really anxious to get to Sanibel Island in Florida to pick up shells there!  THAT had been on my bucket list for some time now.

We came back from beach and I made a new Zucchini recipe I found on Pinterest, did the dishes and now the rest of evening is mine to just play on the computer....like EVERY day~

Bailey LOVES to lay on top of this crate, between the two chairs and look out the window.   Ruby was laying in bed with me this am and I got a quick photo of her.

March 3, 2012 ~ Saturday part 2

We drove from Eugene to a Thousand Trails just south of Florence, OR on the coast to spend the next 12 days.  It is free since we are part of TT.  Well, we got to the park and it's a mess....so old, wet, muddy......50 amp. sites don't have sewer...you have to pay an extra 5 dollars a day to use them and then 25 dollars if  you have their "honey bucket" dump your sewer for you.....ahhhhh...NO THANKS.


They ONLY had wifi in the clubhouse which I would have had to drive too.....plus only get sat. TV in certain BACK IN sites........we drove around and then got on the internet to find a better place to stay.


We found a nice park about 1/2 or so from the beach........we have to pay BUT it's clean, no mud, sun can get into sites......but they are still private...AND it had wonderful WIFI which is great as my Sprint Phone doesn't work in Florence at all.  I think it's the first place I've ever been where the phone won't work at all.

It rained  a bit this morning and then the sun came out.  The afternoon was awesome, so sunny and NO WIND at all.  I did three loads of laundry (only two washers and two dryers so THAT took awhile) and then we decided to go to the beach.  In just a few minutes the fog had rolled in and you couldn't even see the water........I took the photo off to the side as  you couldn't see the surf in front of us.

We went to Mo's which is a popular seafood restaurant that has several locations along the OR coast.
I had a yummy crab louie and Judy had her favorite fried clams.  I wish I'd taken a photo of our view; we had a window seat, over-looking the bay.

March 3, 2012 ~ Saturday upate from Nov 5 ~ March 2

WELL....it's been a LONG time but we are OFFICALLY back on the road again.


Sadly enough, Judy's Dad passed on November 12, 2011 related to complications from multiple meyloma.  (My Dad died from the same thing and both our Mom's died of lung cancer...what are the odds of that?)


We stayed in Tucson through the end of December as Judy's sister from PA came back for a week at Christmas.  She had already booked the tickets before their dad passed and his house hadn't sold so she went ahead and came back for Christmas.  She and her bf, Eric went to a movie on Christmas day and I cooked a big turkey with all the trimmings at Judy's Dad's house.  It was a sad Christmas but dinner was good!


Judy had tripped over some broken cement at the RV park we were staying in and fell with Ruby in her arms.  Ruby ended up with a broken foot and had to be in a cast or splint for the next three months.......how on earth can it take three months for a three pound dog's foot to heal.  We are SO GLAD she is out of the casts and back on her feet again...SHE seems so much happier again too!


I PRAY I never have to be in AZ in the summer ever again.....weather wise, it was totally MISERABLE!  The only good thing about the heat was hanging our laundry out on the line to dry....I LOVED that.....


We decided to get a bigger 5th wheel as we decided the 30 foot one was just too small and crowded.  I had gotten fairly comfortable driving it so I was ready for a bigger one.  We found one on line at the same dealer in OR that we bought the first one from and made a deal for it over the phone.  We left the end of December for OR to pick it up.


We got just over the AZ/CA border and the next morning we heard the Santa Anna winds were blowing really hard (50-80mph) and part of the road was closed to high profile vehicles (that would be US) so we went  up through Las Vegas.  We spent New Years Eve there and because we AREN'T crazy, we didn't go onto the stip that night but we did watch the fireworks from our RV site.  I saw a couple of my scrapbook friends and an old friend from HS while we were there so that was extra, unexpected fun!


We made it to OR without any trouble at all.  The ONLY snow we saw was far away on Mt. Shasta as we passed it.  We were sending up prayers of gratitude for the clear roads as we drove over them.


We traded in our 5th wheel and are IN LOVE with our new home on wheels.  It's a little over 37 feet long.
http://www.tacomarv.com/rv/keystone/fifthwheel/915/Keystone_Montana_3580RL


Ours has a black and tan interior....we took out the sofa and put in Judy's recliner....there is a dog crate on each side of it for her to put her stuff on and the third crate is between the two recliner chairs on the very end.  We still walk around it, telling each other how much we LOVE our new home.


It's a little nerve wracking to tow it yet but that will pass with time....I'm still figuring out where the end of the trailer will be when I turn, etc.


We had to spend 3 nights at the RV lot while everything was done and we got moved in.  My daughter, Tammy and her bf, Brandon and a HS friend of mine and her husband, Cheryl and Jeff all helped us with the move.  We just stored everything inside the new unit that we could and then towed it to the RV park we were going to spend the next month in so we could put things away at our leisure.


The first night, Judy got her bed ready in her recliner, I got my bed ready and we called it a day.  We spent the next day or so getting everything organized.  I had lined all the shelves with that rubbery shelf liner, putting sticky stuff under it to hold it in place, which is a royal pain to do but it  makes it so nice when you use the RV. 


One of the things I love the MOST in this new unit is the closet by the front door.  You CAN  put a stackable washer and dryer in there but we are  using it for storage, coat and shoe closet.  That keeps all the junk away from the front door which I LOVE.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the island and the kitchen area is like a small apt. kitchen and SO EASY to use.


I didn't think we'd need the fireplace BUT soon discovered it's wonderful for Judy to use in the living room area which doubles as her bedroom since she HAS to sleep in her recliner because of her back.  She likes it a little warmer than I do so I can stay cooler up here without freezing her out.


We were in Eugene about a week when I got a horrible sinus infection.  I NEVER go to the doctor for antibx with those but this time, I was flat on my back in bed and totally miserable.  After coaxing (a nice way to say nagging) from Judy and my friend Cheryl, I finally gave in and drove myself to Urgent Care.  I got scripts for meds and took them to the pharmacy we normally use.  I got them filled and headed home.  I was on a four lane highway (two lanes in each direction...55 mph speed limit) headed for the exit I needed to get on I-5 and go the few miles to the RV park we were staying in.


I was talking to my friend Cheryl on the phone...I have bluetooth hands free......when all of a sudden I felt like I was going to  pass out........I said "Something is wrong with me" twice to Cheryl and then told her call 911.  By that time, I could n't see....my vision was black but I hadn't totally passed out as I KNEW I couldn't see.......when I COULD see again my truck was off the road and in park.....I give my guardian angels full credit for THAT!


I realized Cheryl didn't know where I was on the road so I called 911 myself and then I couldn't think for the life of me the name of the highway I was on......I've only drove over that road for a MILLION years and so I had to tell her where I WAS and where I was going for her to find me.......I kept nearly passing out and coming back......when I saw the firetruck and the ambulance pull in behind me, I thought to myself "When is the next time you see flashing lights pull in behind you and be GLAD to see them!"   They got me in the ambulance and my heart rate was 200.....the old SVT but I'd never had it come on like THAT before.......they took me to the hospital, Cheryl picked up Judy and brought her over and they were both scared to death, not knowing what was wrong with me.  I had NO CLUE it was SVT so I thought I must be dying................I was so scared I cried about it for three days......I saw a cardio doctor and had a cardiac ablation on Feb. 10th.   There is a 95% chance it "cured" me and I won't ever have that problem again.  I was scared before I had the procedure as I couldn't drive until I DID have it and since Judy can't drive, we spent nearly a month having to rely on family and friends to taxi us here and there.


SO, there was a lot riding on that procedure but it was a PIECE OF CAKE.  I felt fine afterwards and no pain at all....even on my leg where they went in the vein.  There was a bruise and even THAT wasn't sore.  I give prayer on my behalf the credit for all that.


In our spare time, Judy saw her doctors, had infusions, med adjusted, etc. 


Yesterday, we were finally able to start our REAL travels again and since you are caught up, I will start "regular" size posts.

November 5, 2011 ~ Saturday

This has to be the saddest birthday Judy has ever had. 

Her Dad was moved from the ICU wing of the hospital to Hospice last night.  Her sister that lives here was with her today (along with her neice, Katie, from NC and me).  Her two sisters from back east are flying in tomorrow.  Everyone is praying HARD they make it in time to say a final good-bye.

It's never easy to say "good-bye" to someone you love.