This and That, cards

We've had some awesome mornings here the past few days.  Overnight we dropped into the 50's and there was no humidity.  We both were able to work outside doing little chores and it was wonderful.  Jim washed the truck and I pottered around my plants.  Bought a cilantro and flat leaf parsley at Home Depot and potted them up.  The seeds I planted in two pots didn't germinate so I tossed the soil.

We have been out and about!  Sure has been nice.  But we've been eating out a lot and we need to stop that.  Yesterday we needed to get a few items at the grocery store.  First we went to Richter's for the Friday special, even with beer we only spent 20 bucks.  

While there Jim asked if I wanted to drive to San Marcos and go to the outlet mall.  He needs shoes and of course I said yes!  About an hour and a half round trip.  New Balance has the shoes we prefer.  Besides the normal markdown at an outlet store they were having a 40% off sale.  So Jim was able to get two pair for $100.  Then for kicks we went to William Sonoma.  It was located inside Pottery Barn.  Huge space and I'm happy to say we didn't buy anything.  Though I could have gotten a cookwear set for a very good price!  No space to store it :(

One more stop at Starbucks (it was right next door to William Sonoma!) where Jim got a Java chip frap and I tried their guava Passionfruit drink.  Though it was tasty there isn't much in the way of guava or passionfruit

We never made it to the grocery store!

My goal again this year is to make 500 cards.  

13 June 2020...147 cards

Handmade Cards Because:

No one displays an email on the mantle

Or shows off a tweet on the fridge

Or saves a Facebook post in a box of treasure

Using some old cardstock from Club Scrap and a OSW from Jessica Taylor I made these.  The punched daisy is Stampin' Up! as are a few of the stamps

All is right in our world

Savannas Recreation Area

Thursday started real early for us....like 0600 early!  While I get up at this hour on occasion Jim rarely does.  But we had an 0800 appointment to get the shocks repaired and Jim wanted to eat before we left (I packed cornbread for myself).  We had gotten all packed up the night before so after dressing and doing last minute chores we were on our way.  And we arrived a few minutes before eight.

They had said they'd get us in and out same day and we left around noon.  But let me tell you....I don't think I've ever had to sit in such a filthy waiting room!  You could visibly see the dirt and smell it.

On the way to Savannas we decided to just drop the rig, slides out, air running and then head out for a bite to eat.  That didn't happen.  Once we got here I was so hungry I just made Jim a peanut butter sandwich and I heated up some soup for me.  After Jim got most everything done he had a beer and then took a nap.

I got about 90% of my set up done and then just quit.  It was late afternoon and I was pooped.  When Jim got up we grabbed Boo and took a walk around this peaceful, serene campground.

I think this is a Pied billed Grebe, correct me if I'm wrong

This is our view out the back.  If I had a motor home I'd pull in to see this out the windshield.  The sun comes up just over the horizon

to the right, looking roughly south

to the left, roughly looking north

I think these are Mottled Ducks, correct me if I'm wrong

Family of white ibis, young and old!

After our walk we decided to go out to dinner.  Driving out we saw Sandhill Cranes, but no pictures, maybe next time.  We drove south on highway 1 and found a shopping center with several choices of eateries and picked Italian.  We ordered a huge pizza and a couple of beers...even splurged and shared a tira misu for dessert.  We brought half of the pizza home.

We were in bed by 2130 and I slept until after seven.  Jim got up about an hour later.  After a slow morning we got busy, me inside with laundry and Jim outside getting the satellite dish up for TV viewing.  

For lunch we polished off that pizza and enjoyed a cold beer while sitting outside enjoying the view and the grackles.  

We decided to buy an outdoor mat.  This site has a gravel pad but recent rains have made a mess of the surrounding grass and past mats leaving a lot of dirt being tracked inside..So after lunch we headed out for some shopping.

Picked up the mat at Walmart, then we popped into Tractor Supply and left empty handed.  Next stop was Home Depot where Jim got some clamps, then we headed home, making one stop at Publix for a bag of goodies.

Once home Jim got the 9 x 12 mat laid out and I'm a happy camper!

Last Wednesday Boo got his teeth cleaned and they also removed 4 of his itty, bitty teeth.  He's been eating wet food and taking an antibiotic.  He's doing fine.  Tonight he got his normal ration of dry and wet food and I think he wants to go for a walk so I better close this for now.

All is right in our world!

Critters under the bed!

Friday was a busy day for us.  We had breakfast, Jim did the dishes and I made the bed.  That's when I discovered mice had a party, overnight, under the bed.  I keep my pillow under the bed and when I got it out the night before I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  

A quick look and I could see droppings everywhere!  But I couldn't find the source of their food.  We had already made plans to go back to Home Depot to return a toilet seat so we added traps and storage bins to our list.

At Home Depot I also picked up a bag of potting soil so I could plant up a couple pots.  But I needed plants so after we left Home Depot we headed to a nursery we've passed many times on our drive into Stuart.  I was in heaven! Pinder's is jam packed with everything you can imagine in the plant world. I really want to go back and look around.  Anyway I found a mint and parsley to put in the pots.  Now I just need to take the time to pot them up.

Back home it was time for lunch and a clean up.  I quickly turned on the oven and we had spring rolls for lunch along with some leftover slaw and some raw veggies.  

I started pulling out items from under the bed while the oven heated up.  That's when I discovered the food source!  I had a big bag of dog treats and the mice had chewed a hole right through the tough plastic bag.  What surprises me is that with the evidence of activity there had to be several mice and not one of us heard it.  Not even Boo!

Oh well, I needed to tidy up under the bed and with the new bins it's more organized under there.  All food items are stored safely.  And traps were set.

For our dinner I made a Tuscan Kale Stew that was delicious!  The recipe says it serves four and there's enough left that we can have it for dinner tonight

Saturday we both got up around 0730.  I spent the night before listening for mice and didn't sleep well.  Made some grits for breakfast.  There was evidence of a mouse but nothing in the trap.  Once again I cleaned up the droppings.

On Saturday's Jim and I weigh in.  I lost half a pound, he did not.

Jim was busy doing the black tank and other outside chores.  Sonsearae was off from work and she and I went shopping. We ladies headed to BJ's and had a good time looking at a lot of items.  Sonsearae needed to pick up a couple toys and I found the selection interesting.  It's been a long time since I've looked at toys!

We left that store and headed to Target and found more things to buy!  LOL  

By this time we were both hungry and we went to Flanigan's for a quick snack.  I ordered some onion rings and a cold beer while Sonsearae had the fish dip and water (she was driving).  Her dip came with tortilla chips, crackers, celery and carrot sticks and a little container of jalapeno slices.  Enough food for a meal.  My basket of onion rings was enormous also.

Back home Jim helped with unloading our purchases and putting some away.

Later, while relaxing in front of the TV Boo decided to go nuts.  Barking and carrying on enough that I got up to see what was the matter.  Upstairs he was sniffing along the bottom edges of the doors and dresser and foot of the bed.  So I had an AH HA moment and we checked under the bed.  Found two traps had been sprung....no party for those two mice!

Fixed some popcorn for us to enjoy and we spent a quiet evening on our computers while watching Alaskan shows.  Those folks are welcome to Alaska.  Might be nice to visit but I don't want to live there.

Jim is still in bed so I don't know if we had overnight visitors...

all is right in our world

Dare I say it?  I'll probably jinx us....but I must say it was very nice to be out and about yesterday and it didn't rain on us!  We did drive one area where the road was still wet from a shower but we, personally, didn't see any rain.  It may have sprinkled over night because the picnic table is wet.  As I type this I can see some clear skies but to the east there are banks of clouds obscuring the rising sun.  

It doesn't make much sense to wash the windows when you have to do it daily.  But they are so water spotted it's depressing to look through them.  Last Sunday Jim raised the front jacks to get the water off the slides and it needs it again.

This day was a laundry day.  I stripped the bed and got busy right after breakfast.  I could just remake the bed with clean sheets but then I'd have to launder the soiled ones and fold them.  I find it more convenient to just wash and put them back on the bed.

We had an appointment to get Boo groomed yesterday so we dropped him off at PetsMart just before lunch.  Speaking of lunch that's what we did next, went to lunch at Sake Too.  It's one of our favorite places, they serve Japanese and Thai foods. Jim ordered a Bento Box with tempura and I tried something new, a Thai veggie dish with tofu.  We both had hot green tea and the meal came with miso soup.  We brought food home.

Our next stop was Home Depot.  Jim had been looking for a hose splitter connection for about a month and he needed some clear silicone to redo the Kitchen sink.  I wanted some plants.  Sonsearae has two hanging pots that have hung out front since they arrived.  There was spindly pathos in them that died from lack of attention.  I was tired of looking at them so I replaced them with New Guinea Impatiens.  The purple flowers and dark green leaves look pretty.  I wanted to get some herbs for the empty pots but didn't like the selection.  I'll have to look elsewhere.

Our next stop was Sams Club to fuel up.  What are diesel prices where you live?  We paid $2.24 per gallon.  That's wonderful for this area and Florida in general.  Since we were here we went inside to see if we could find dessert.  And we did!  Coconut cake was being passed out and I must say the sample we got was mighty tasty.  Perfect size and we didn't have to buy it.  Made a couple purchases from my list, then we left.

Headed to Publix next for the remainder of my list and soon we were killing time over at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  We strolled around the store looking for something to buy (Jim's Words).  I get mobile coupons and it was about to expire so I picked up a box of Tazo tea because I was out of it.  Then the call came to pick up Boo!

All of our shopping was done so we headed home.  Took us a bit to get our purchases unloaded and the plants hung.  By then it was time to feed Boo and have afternoon coffee.  Jim did while I abstained.  I rarely have coffee in the afternoon these days.  Sometimes I don't even finish my morning cup of coffee.  I continued with the laundry and eventually made the made.

When we walked Boo and checked the mail I retrieved my camera from the truck.  I try to take it every time we head out because you never know when an opportunity for photos will present itself.  Any way I was wandering around with it in my pocket when I spotted the Painted Bunting on the ground searching for food.  So I filled the tube feeder and he must have been watching because as I put the container away he settled in for dinner.

Not the best photo but you can see the vivid colors this little bird wears.  He definitely is a bright spot in any day

All is right in our world

Look what I found!

Last night it got really chilly!  There was frost on the truck when I could finally see it.   But the day warmed up and Jim worked outside most of the day...except when we were shopping.

Jim and I were both busy today getting all set up and making things neat and tidy.  We needed supplies from Home Depot, Walmart, Ace hardware store and Camping World.

I found these Mini Mingos at Camping World...They're munching on my lettuce.

What did you discover today?  Anything different in your world?

Just catching up

Sunday turned out to be an overcast, rainy day.  Couldn't think of anything better to do while Jim was at work so I defrosted the freezer.  Not the most exciting thing to do but necessary.  Jim was cleaning today so he was home for lunch and then a nap.

About this time the clouds were clearing and it was a sultry 83 degrees by 1400.

Of course we watched the New Orleans Saints squeeze in a win, 23-20 over the 49er's...that was a nail biter!

Monday Jim worked and I did laundry...and what's up with me and Facebook?  I can't get my laptop or iPad to load the page.  Jim can't either and another two folks here can't either.  It has to be their problem as we can get other websites to open and display properly.

I finished my crochet scarf...I really like the colors on this.  The pattern is a simple shell stitch

There are details on the Crochet page if you're interested in the size and price.

Tuesday started out cool but it wasn't to cold to sit out at Corky Bell's and enjoy a seafood lunch with ice cold beer!   Jim had fried shrimp with cheese grits and a baked potato while I had grilled flounder and shrimp with green beans and slaw.  If you recall, they serve two for one beer and we did...On the way home we stopped at Dollar General and Family Dollar and bought something in each store.  Once we got home Jim needed a nap and I actually snoozed for a bit on the recliner.

TV wise, Tuesday is NCIS night so that's how we ended the day.

Wednesday Jim emptied the black tank and I did laundry.  I think I stripped the bed.....so hard to remember all this exciting stuff!  Mid morning it started to rain and continued for the rest of the day.  We started watching the Count of Monte Cristo with Gerard Depardieu on Netflix.  It's a mini series and it was in French...We watched two episodes and then we watched Inspector Morse.

Just before we went to bed we discovered the upstairs air conditioner doesn't work.  Geeze, another repair to take care of.  It's the same problem we had last September and we're pretty sure we're going to have to replace the compressor

Thursday it rained all day....just a steady, gentle rain mixed with misty rain.  We've been having trouble with our kitchen faucet, it won't stop the water flow without a lot of hassle.  So after lunch we headed to Home Depot because I had a $5 off $50 coupon.  Found a faucet we both liked and bought it along with an Amaryllis bulb and a couple clamps. Didn't use the coupon but did get a 10 percent Military discount.

We finished watching the Count of Monte Cristo and we both agreed it was excellent!  We then had dinner and showered in time to watch the Saints!  Another Squeaker!!!!  17-13 was the final score.  We stayed up past our bedtime just to make sure they won against the Atlanta Falcons.  This is a division rivalry and always makes for an intense game.

Jim is working this rainy Friday.  We got some news we've been expecting.  Kathy and John should be here in two weeks.  John is Jim's younger brother.  This will be their first 'snowbird' season.  Hopefully they'll enjoy  visiting with us and perhaps we can teach them something about our way of life.  First lesson!  Live by the number 2....stop driving by 2 pm or 200 hundred miles whichever comes first!   Remember, it's the journey not the destination...

113 days

• 9,779,565 seconds
• 162,992 minutes (rounded down)
• 2716 hours (rounded down)
• 113 days (rounded down)
• 16 weeks (rounded down)

Not much has changed

This past week has been pretty much the same as the week before!  Jim worked a few days, we ate out a couple times and worked a bit inside and out.

A couple days ago Jim pressure washed the roof.  We're under a oak tree, pin oak I believe, which means it's constantly dropping leaves.  Even with the awning out we sweep the patio a couple times a day.

Yesterday I had a doctors appointment (VA) at 0730 and we got up at 10 minutes to 0700!  Snatched some coffee and granola bars before we left and made it barely in time.  This was my first time meeting with the nurse and doctor so it was a long visit.  Jim waited patiently. 

Afterwards we made a run to Home Depot to pick up some PVC pipe and fittings.  I bought another window box and some seeds.  Then on to Walmart for household items.

Finally, time for lunch!  We stopped at Popeye's for some comfort food....LOL  Jim had some chicken, biscuit, red beans and rice while I had red beans and rice and slaw.  We shared a lemonade.

Back home we put items away and changed clothes, Jim took a nap.  He was up to early!

Afternoon found us working outside.  Jim took his PVC pipe and started making tiny work horses....for the slide toppers.  It will hold them up and keep rain from pooling.  We sure don't want to raise mosquitoes while we're here!  And it should help with leaves piling up.  I watered all my plants and potted up the window box with radish and scallions.  I'll have to take pictures so you can see how the garden is growing!


In gardens, beauty is a by-product.  The main business is sex and death.  ~Sam Llewelyn

Day Trip to St Augustine

Plop me down somewhere for any length of time and my thoughts turn to gardening.  We we're shopping for a step ladder at Lowe's and Home Depot....I say we, but naturally I mean Jim...while we were at these fine establishments I was wandering around the garden centers.  Found some leaf lettuce to transplant into a window box so I bought another planter, some soil and viola!  My own salad greens.  Jim doesn't care for leaf lettuce so I rarely buy it.



The left planter has seeds of lettuce, some flowers and a couple herbs.  The next pot has parsley and oregano that I picked up at Country Feed Store and Garden Center in Tallahassee.  The white pot contains a Christmas? cactus that Anne Scott gave me, that is just now budding out.  Then we have my pony tail palm and the newly planted lettuce

A few days ago we drove to St Augustine to revisit that beautiful, historic city.  Our last visit was last June (and that visit was the first in over 30 years!).  We had lunch at Cafe del Hidalgo where we both enjoyed a panini, Jim's was chicken and I had a veggie one with cheese..we left stuffed!

Cafe del Hidalgo


After lunch we wandered around the city taking in the marina this time.  It's always fun watching the boats in the harbour and wandering the docks checking out everyone's pleasure crafts.

Have you ever seen a banana in bloom and bearing fingers of baby bananas?  It's a beautiful plant and this one is outside another eating establishment

There are many churches and cathedrals and if I posted all the pictures I took you'd soon get bored.  Also, I'd have to write down all the names!  This one is near the college and I cannot tell you how gorgeous it is

 

This one is near the parking lot we used for the truck

It was a lovely afternoon spent with the love of my life!

We've mostly been enjoying our stay here and everyday life finds us doing chores of cleaning and laundry.  Jim bought a pressure washer and a couple days ago he cleaned the roof.  It really needed it as we've been parking under sappy trees!  We've taken to walking Boo a couple times a day down to the dock.  Boo loves all the new smells and lingers and sniffs every post and chair!

Our weather has finally gotten nicer and we've been wearing shorts!  The Thursday night potluck was fun, no jackets required!

If you're in the path of the rain, snow and cold...stay warm and safe!

Dos Flamingos!

I slept late this morning! I didn't get up until 0700 and Jim was up about 15 minutes later....

We had a slow start to our day. We just sat with our coffee, computers and GMA. Jim needed to return something to Home Depot and I decided to go with him. I'm so glad I did!

Felicia and Frederico arrived a day or so ago....they had stayed behind in Lake Mead to enjoy the water. Anne and I are glad they showed up, we were beginning to worry!

Jim and I headed out around 1030 or maybe it was 0930, I don't remember. You see we don't look at clocks very often and we don't wear watches. First stop was the post office to pick up our mail. I love getting mail! Then Home Depot where Jim made his return but couldn't find what he needed. Then we stopped for fuel, $2.99 for diesel. I also dashed into Walgreen's where I picked up some lotion and a ceramic coffee mug. Then we headed to Ace Hardware for the needed connections.

As we were heading home Jim asked if I wanted to check out the winery. I said sure! We love wineries...Pahrump Valley Winery is the first in the State of Nevada and has been operating for only 20 years.http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/index.htm

While waiting for the tour to start we sampled a few of their wines. We found a couple that were tasty. Then it was off for the tour. If you check out the link above you'll see some pictures because we forgot to take any. The grounds are lovely and it truly is an oasis in the desert. After the tour we decided to have lunch in their restaurant, Symphony's. Good decision!
http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/symphony_restaruant/restaurant_1.htm

We enjoyed their last bottle of Pinot Gris and we almost finished it!

for starters we had baked Brie for two and I could have made a meal with this dish.

Jim had the Winemaker's Club
Smoked turkey, avocado, applewood bacon,
tomato, provolone & red onion on grilled ciabatta bread

I had the Chicken Tuscany
Chicken scaloppini, marsala & sherry mushroom wine sauce, garlic potato mashers, sautéed vegetables

For dessert (yes we had dessert too) we chose bread pudding for Jim and Creme Brule for me. Our meal was delicious and we each brought some home. When we left the restaurant we went back so I could taste their sherry. Light and smooth so we got a bottle along with two other bottles of wine.

Back home we just relaxed in the cool comfort of our home. I think we both snoozed for a bit. All that wine and good food was conducive to napping.

No dinner for us, just popcorn.

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity ~ Voltaire"

Shopping with my Honey

I didn't get up until 0800 this morning! One good thing about this cold weather we're having....it makes for good sleeping. After I made my coffee I woke Jim.

I had breakfast then started on my chores. Today was bed day and I started by stripping the bed and getting the sheets washed. I also did the dishes.

Yesterday when we returned from our outing Jim had mentioned he forgot to shop for a long sleeved shirt. So today I suggested we head out to the Outlet Mall. I figured we might be able to find something out there and it would get us out of the house. This nasty, cold weather is driving us all nuts!

We headed out around 1030. Wandering around the mall wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. But we took advantage of the heated stores and kept warm enough. We found a salt mill for me at a kitchen store. Jim found a shirt but didn't find a hat like he wanted.

You know what happens when you walk around in the cold air? You get hungry!! So we popped into Chili's for the two for one dinner. Jim had ribs and I chose shrimp taco's. Our appetiser was onion strings and for dessert we (Jim chose it!) had cheesecake and I must say I made a pig of myself!!! I can't remember the last time I had that much cheesecake...

On the way back to the resort we stopped at Starbuck's on 10th Street and I bought a ceramic travel mug. Then we wandered into Chico's to see what I couldn't live without....but alas, they didn't have anything I wanted...

Next stop was Home Depot to pick up some potting soil. I have a couple pepper plants that need some space to grow in. Since another freeze is predicted I don't wont to put them in the ground. Our next stop was an RV place whose name escapes me, but Jim needed some light bulbs for out interior lights. Then home!

As we were getting close Jim got a call from Ed Dray...I only heard half the conversation but I gather Ed ordered a new bed cover for his truck and it's like the one we have. :) I also heard South Padre mentioned, it needs to warm up for that!

Once home we changed into our comfortable clothes and had some coffee, played some games and watched TV. I finished up washing the bedding and with Jim's help we have clean sheets to sleep on tonight.

No dinner for us! Jim had some toast and I had some broth with veggies and mushrooms. We watched NCIS and the NCIS show that followed and now I'm watching Chopped on the Food Network.

How Lucky Am I?

Ask anyone who has known me and they will tell you I don't make friends easily. Matter of fact I don't like most women. But in the past two years I've come to know two wonderful ladies. Marilyn Dray and Anne Scott. These ladies are dear friends of mine and if we weren't full time RV'ers I would never have met them. How lucky am I? These ladies make me laugh, listen to what I have to say and actually like to spend time with me! I feel blessed.....

This morning I was up just after 7 and started my day the way I usually do with a cup of coffee and my computer. At 8 I woke Jim and made some blueberry muffins for our breakfast. I had a couple loads of laundry to do so I started that, made the bed and dressed for the day.

Jim and I went schlepping this morning. First the post office to mail a book. Then we stopped at Target so I could get some Steaz Tea, thanks Sonsearae for telling me they sell it there. I would never have even looked. Then Home Depot so Jim could pick up some supplies for a project he's working on. I managed to find some plants that wanted to come home with me. :) Then HEB for a few groceries.

Back home we put our purchases away and fixed some lunch. I was getting cranky from lack of food! I turned on my soaps and did some email reading. Jim needed a piano hinge for this project so he and Scotty went to Tractor Supply. Anne popped over and asked if I'd like to have coffee with her and I said sure! We sat on her patio talking and enjoying coffee until the buys returned. It was a lot of fun just chatting with a good friend.

Anne took these two pictures of a Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly. I found him across the street but didn't have a camera with me. This lovely creature was new to both of us!

If you're interested, read about it here: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/purple_hairstreak.htm

When the guys came home Jim declared he wanted a Kulatta, a Kahlua and coffee cold drink. So Anne made some coffee and Jim retrieved our Kahlua and Vanilla cream. Amy and Dan brought some veggies to Anne because they're leaving tomorrow for Belize. They declined drinks but we all had a good time chatting and sharing stories.

For dinner we had a baked potato...

We're settled in watching TV. The weather has warmed up again and hopefully we'll get some rain tonight. We've turned on the AC because of the humidity.