March 26, 2010

Friday 26~~~~We are leaving to head back to Yuma in the morning, so today is laundry and housecleaning day for the Mosher's. The weather is so warm here, I enjoyed my coffee and some reading outside in the sunshine before I started my house cleaning. Pepsi sat in the doorway watching me, scratching on the screen to annoy me. Kent is going to hang the sheets on the line to dry again. We love the fresh smell of air dried clothes on the line. After lunch my cousin Linda came over to watch the movie "The Passion of Christ" with me. She had never seen it before and I try and watch it every Easter as I enjoy the message it sends very much. After the movie, I gave Mel a haircut while Kent finished up getting our trailer ready to hit the road in the morning for Yuma. Kent and I went out for dinner at "Sweet Tomato" again. Kent loves this restaurant and I like the salad bar beings it is a fish day for me. We have had a very busy week and we are both tired and ready to call it a day early.

March 25, 2010

Thursday 25~~~~~The four of us drove to Queen Valley today where we visited a campground that had a lapidary shop with all the tools and equipment to make beautiful gem stones. There were 4 or 5 people working on their stones in different stages. We met a man from Salem Oregon who showed us all the various steps to finding, cutting and all the steps required to the final finishing of a stone. It almost made me want to join the class and start doing that along with my writing, jewelry making, photography, and trying to keep up with Kent!!!!! The stones and gems they made from them was unbelievable and worth a lot of money. I think from now on when we go places We'll look for different rocks. From there we drove to an old mining town with all old buildings (pictures) with shops in them and mine tours and the works. It was called "Goldfield Mining town". Kent liked the horse that pulled a buggy that took tourists around town. (picture) We headed home from here, as Mel and Linda had a dinner engagement to go to and I had my Thursday night Whist game at the club house. Kent came over and watched us play one hand while he ate a brownie that one of the ladies brought. He said he wasn't interested in learning another card game. LOL Kent has really been a trouper about playing cards, he never played any cards when we met and married and he plays them all the time now, even when it is just the two of us (Poker??????).

March 21 through the 24, 2010

Sunday 21~~~~~Another busy day sight seeing and having fun with my cousin and her husband. We decided to take a picnic lunch and eat where ever we happened to be. We were all out of fresh bread, so we stopped at Safeway Grocery store and we let Kent order our sandwiches at the deli because he always knows the best and watches over the person making the sandwiches like a mother hen( talking to them and getting them to add extra ingredients. Their sandwiches were fantastic (Kent did a great job) and we enjoyed our lunch we packed immensely. We drove to Savory Lake Housing complex where we toured through the houses there starting at $100, 000 up to $550,000. They were completely staged with furniture, dishes and everything, so you got the full picture going through them. We started with the best, working our way down to the $100,000 homes, that was really a disappointment and we agreed we should have worked our way up in price, not down. LOL There was an ice cream social at the camp ground that evening, we finished up our day watching TV. Monday 22~~~~ Today we drove to the Ikea Store, Linda wanted to go shopping there, I wandered around and looked at things with her. We really don't have much room for anything more in either of our rigs. Mel and Linda cooked dinner for us at their place tonight, Mel fried bass and Linda fixed some Swedish meat balls she had bought at Ikea. I baked an apple pie and made coleslaw, Kent bought some yummy soft ice cream to go with the pie. It was another wonderful meal we shared together. We watched "Dancing with the Stars" before heading home. Tuesday 23~~~~We woke up to rain this morning, I heard the wind and the rain all night and I got up at 3 AM to bring in my patio pillows and tablecloth so they didn't blow away or get soaked. I had a Jewelry Class this morning at 9 AM which was a lot of fun learning to make earrings. The teacher had boxes with many compartments full of every shape and size bead you could want. You could make as many pair as you wanted to for only $2 total. I used my inhaler this morning for my cough and asthma before I left and that was a dumb thing to do, I shook so bad, I could hardly string the beads. Everyone was on their second and third pair of earrings and I was still trying to make my first pair. I thought of quitting, but as most of you who know me, know I am not a quitter. I wound up making 3 pair and several of the ladies saw what I made and they copied my design. I hope to make more when I get home, I am so busy on the road you know!!! Ha Wednesday 24~~~~Kent took me to the "Hobby Lobby " store this morning to buy some beads, yes I still want to make some more earrings and maybe a necklace! I even bought a box to put my beads in!! LOL This afternoon we took Mel and Linda to the "Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting" in Phoenix where they have about 70 pieces of Fire apparatus on exhibit, dating from 1725 t0 1969. They had some beautiful fire trucks used only for parades and a lot of other retired restored fire trucks, including the ones they pulled with horses before there were engine trucks. They have the fire hall of fame, where they have pictures and stories of fire fighters who have died in the line of duty from all the states in the United States. I looked up all the fire fighters who died from Oregon and South Dakota. I knew one of the fireman from S.D. We forgot our camera, so we are posting some pictures from our brochure.

March 15, 16 & 17, 2010

Monday 15~~~~Beautiful day in sunny Arizona, Mel, Linda, Kent and I went to Costco today. We ate lunch there before we did our shopping. We bought some beautiful steaks there for a cookout one night this week. Tuesday 16~~~~ This morning was coffee and donut day at the club house and of course Kent and I had to par take with that. I never seen such big apple fritters as the ones they served this morning. Mel and Linda passed on the donuts, but we of course couldn't resist them. The people in this park are sure friendly and make you feel so welcome. Wednesday 17~~~ We packed a picnic lunch today and drove to Tempe to the Spring Training game between the Anaheim Angels and the Arizona Razorbacks. We didn't realize how many people went to these games and the only seats that were available were the Scalper ones. They wanted $140 for 4 tickets that were $24.00 seats. Then another $10 t0 $20 for parking way out in the boondocks! People were walking for blocks from where they parked. We decided we didn't want to go to one of those games that bad with the weather so hot and the long walk to get there and then when the game was over, the long walk back to the truck with all those people. One of the parking attendants told Kent we could drive up the hill to the Marriott Hotel and we could park up there and get some good pictures, so that is where we headed. The sign on the road up there said "Hotel Guests Only"; there were several other younger people there with the same idea that we had. Kent backed the truck in backwards to the wall and we climbed in the back of the truck and spread a blanket over the tool box bench and ate our picnic lunch and watched 3 innings of the game. (pictures) Our spot was right behind the outfield between 2nd and 3rd base. It had a better view than the stadium seats that looked directly into the sun. It was a real boring game with no score at the 4th inning and we hadn't even seen a fly ball in the out field caught or anything exciting happen, with the hot sun and no action we were ready to leave. Kent went inside to use the bathroom when a security guard showed up and she quickly chased the young families away and she just smiled at us and left. We thought she might have seen our Oregon License plate and assumed we were guests of the hotel or maybe she felt sorry for us old people sitting in the back of a truck watching the game. LOL We headed for home all hot and tired and ready for the air conditioning and a Frapacino from McDonalds. Every time Kent drives by a Starbucks he wonders how long they'll be able to stay in business without him buying one of their Frapacino's that cost $2.25 more than McDonalds and they are a whole lot better in taste. Sharon is even liking them now, so good bye to her diet again, another excuse to be fat. LOL After dinner, I went over to the club house and played "Whist" with the people there, I have been wanting to play "Whist" at every camping place we stay at and they don't play it. They play it here every Wednesday night, the losers of the game have to bring dessert the next week. I plan to play again this Wednesday, it was so much fun and I haven't played the game for over 25 years. Kent stayed home and watched his favorite TV show.

March 18 through 20, 2010

Thursday 18~~~~Today was laundry and house cleaning day. Kent did the laundry as usual and he even hung them out on the clothes line to dry. I cleaned our Casa real good, dusting all the wood and cleaning the glass good, finishing up in time to fix lunch and help Kent fold the clothes. Mel and Linda came over at 5 PM for dinner to eat those steaks we bought at Costco on Sunday. Kent did a great job of grilling the steaks as usual and I made a macaroni salad, steamed asparagus and some french bread to go with the steak. We all agreed it was the best meal we have ate in a long time, counting all our meals we ate out. (pictures of Kent and Mel and Linda and I) Friday 19~~~~we drove to Scottsdale to take my Grandson Joel out for dinner tonight. He is about 2o miles from where we are taking classes for his insurance job in Salem, Oregon. We met him after his class at a pub where the people from his class were relaxing from their last class today and they filled us in on all that they had learned and did this week. We had a nice dinner with Joel at a Pizza parlor where it was quiet to visit; (picture) then we dropped him off at his room and headed home to Apache Junction. It was sure nice to see one of the grand kids, it seems like we have been gone from home for several months now and it has only been less than 2 months. Saturday 20~~~~This morning the park put on a big breakfast for $3 a person, serving bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs and biscuits and gravy. We went to the breakfast and we sat at a fun table meeting new people. After breakfast we drove to the Holly Lobby store where I bought some beads for making some jewelry I saw at the flea market we went to, then we drove around the desert again with Mel and Linda.

March 12, 13,14, 2010

Friday 12~~~~~ We are headed to Apache Junction to camp with my cousin from South Dakota for a couple of week We called our friends John and Linda (picture) who are spending the winter in Casa Grande to see if they want to meet us at a casino just outside of Casa Grande for dinner on our way through. They have a Navian RV, ( the same RV our friends Don and Velda have) it is small and easy to get around in, so they met us there and we had dinner together and we played cards (hand and foot) until quite late. They decided to boon dock with us at the casino and head back to their campground when we leave for Apache Junction in the morning. (picture)
Saturday morning 13~~~ ~We went to one of our favorite restaurants , "The Golden Corral" for breakfast, we sat and visited for about 45 minutes before heading down the road to our next stop. We plan to see them again before we head home to Salem. We arrived in Apache Junction about 2:15 and we set up camp just in time for my cousin Linda Kessler and I to leave for 3:30 Mass. Kent stayed home to finish setting up the TV and other things. We got a pizza to go for dinner, I fixed a big salad and the four of us ate dinner at our place. After dinner we taught Mel and Linda how to play the Golf card game. That was a lot of fun.
Sunday 14~~~~~The Kessler's and us drove all over sight seeing, stopping a some casino for a short visit. The Casino gives everyone $10 free slot money there, we played on their money for quite awhile. Linda went out to the Keno room where she won $350 but hitting 6 out of 7 numbers. She was the big winner and the rest of us were happy for her. She treated all of us to Kent's favorite treat, FRAPPACHINO'S on the way home!!!

March 10 and 11, 2010

Wednesday 10~~~~~The "Gypsy Journal" Rally was held in Yuma this year at the fair grounds, Kent and I went for one day, meeting our friends Cyndi & Howie there. They had several vendors that Kent learned a lot from at their classes and he bought some of their merchandise. I went to the Blogger class and it wasn't very informative. Too many jokes and stories and not enough information. Last year it was held in Casa Grande and our friends John & Linda, Cyndi & Howie, Kent and I all went with our rigs. We had a lot of fun at it together during the day and playing cards together in our trailer at night. We went out for dinner with Cyndi and Howie tonight and we played cards at our trailer until rather late. We sure have fun together.
Thursday 11~~~~~This morning Kent and I got up early and we drove to the orange and lemon Groves where they are pruning the trees after the pickers finish picking. They prune them almost square looking and Kent has been driving these country roads for several days trying to find them working to see what kind of a machine they use to do it. We finally found a machine in one of the orchards and the operator told us all about the machine and he let us take pictures of it working. He also told us we could pick some oranges the pickers left on the trees. They pick Oranges and Lemons by hand, they will pick a orchard 3 or 4 times according to the size of Lemons the buyers want. We picked a nice bag full and we headed back to the park to pick up Cyndi and Howie to ride to Mexico with us for lunch and to pick up their medicine. We had a wonderful lunch of shrimp and fish tacos again and we picked up the medicine and each of a bottle of booze. The line crossing the border was a little long, but the people around us were nice and the time went fast. The border officers made Kent and I take our booze back because we had taken a bottle over this month. Kent took our bottles back and I waited for him in the border office. They usually don't ask you when was the last time you carried some over, when they do, people just say a date 30 days prior to the current date. I was so scared, I couldn't lie, I just told him the truth and he took mine away and Kent gave his up too. You can dump it down the drain or take it back, so Kent took it back. You don't have to get in the long line, they take you right through, so it was OK except we didn't get our Booze. The Customs Officer said if we drove over, you can take 6 bottles each back every 30 days. Figure that one out. What a day this turned out to be!!!!

March 7, 8 & 9, 2010

Sunday 7~~~~Gary left this morning after breakfast heading for California and then Oregon. I baked and frosted the carrot cake I promised to bake for the ice cream social tonight, our friend Cyndi stopped and visited us, we met them several years ago and we try and spend time together every trip. At 5:30 I went over to the hall to help cut the 5 cakes we all baked and got things ready for the ice cream social. We cut the cakes and dished them up on paper plates, I thought we had way too much cake to eat, but it was all gone but 4 pieces when it was over. While the people were in the ice cream line, I noticed a lot of people going over and getting their cake before they got their ice cream. I told Kent I was going to get us a piece of my cake as I could see everyone was taking it. I was glad I did, as there were only 4 pieces left when I got there. I think everyone remembered me telling them I was going to make a home made carrot cake the week before and they cleaned it out immediately. Ha It was very good and I was proud they all liked it so much. After the dessert, we played cards again and Kent went on home to watch his favorite TV show. I played two games of cards, and I went home to watch TV with Kent. Monday 8~~~~ We worked on taxes all afternoon today, we didn't have some papers we needed, so we quit and we will finish tomorrow when we get our mail. Tuesday 9~~~~ We drove into Yuma this morning to get our mail from Cindy and in our mail was a box of Valentine sugar cookies and lots of candy from Tress, Bodie and Blaize. She sent it to Cindy's house and Cindy sent it with our mail. Our surprise was late getting here, but those cookies were so good, I had Kent stop at McDonald's to buy a cup of coffee to have with my cookies. Kent bought himself a sandwich and Frapacino, I ate sugar cookies for my lunch, they were soooooooo good. Tress and I always have baked these frosted cookies every year together, and it was sure special she and Bodie baked them this year and sent me some. Bodie did all the rolling and cutting of them and that is quite a job when you make 4 batches like we usually do. Getting them the right thickness is the trick to making a good sugar cookie and Of course good frosting is a must. No canned frosting for us!!!!!!

March 5 & 6, 2010

Friday 5~~~~~Our friend Gary from Mesquite, Nevada arrived this morning and the three of us drove to Mexico for lunch and for Gary to get his teeth cleaned, I had my teeth checked also to see how my new crowns were doing. Of course we had to eat at our favorite shrimp taco place and Kent had his shoes shined again. Another stop at the liquor store, then we stood in line for 40 minutes to get across the border, the people in line with us were a lot of fun and the time went fast. Saturday 6~~~~ We drove to the Yuma Arizona Market after a breakfast of waffles, bacon and eggs made by Chef Sherrie this morning. Kent wanted Gary to see how big this market is and we always find something to buy. We went to Mass on the way home and after Mass, we went to the Casino for dinner and some fun. Kent and I lost our small limit almost right away and we were ready to leave as soon as Gary was ready. While we were waiting. I saw a Indiana Jones machine and I told Kent we should each put in $5.00. We did and did we have fun, we won back what we lost and left with some extra. We were tired and ready to go home by then. Gary is leaving in the morning and I have a carrot cake to bake and frost for the ice cream social at the club house on Sunday.

March 3, 4, 2010

Wednesday 3~~~~~Kent and I drove to Algodonas, Mexico today for lunch again. Those shrimp tacos are so good and the drive is only about 20 miles. Kent always makes a stop at the liquor store for a bottle of Tequila and a bottle of Kahlua. It makes good presents at Christmas time or birthdays. We will go again when our friend Gary gets here, as he wants to go to the dentist there. The line to get through Customs was about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Thursday 4~~~~~Tonight was the night that the RV Park put on a thank you dinner for all of us lot renters. I think there was 168 people at the dinner, there are 3 host couples (lot owners) and 3 renting couples at each table and the host couples fix all the food for their table. Each table has whatever food the host couples decide to make, so there is a lot of different food and after everyone had had their fill from their table, the food is carried to the stage area and anyone is free to go try the other foods that are set there. They do this because like all pot lucks, some people don't fix enough food and this way everyone can still get enough to eat from the tables who cook a lot of extra food. We were invited to sit at the best table there I was told the next day by 3 different lot owners. Our table had 2 host couples and they invited 4 rent couples, they had the best BBQ ribs I have ever ate, pork chops, macaroni salad, baked beans, Caesars salad and a wonderful fruit salad. Monica and Brenda our hosts really out did themselves with so much food for four couples. They always do a great job we were told and I think they do a great job on everything they do. There was cake for everyone after dinner, we sure had a great time there. I play cards with these same ladies every night at 7 PM. There are usually about 5 tables of cards going and two tables of pool.

March 2, 2010

Tuesday 2~~~~Our friends from Alcestor, South Dakota, Don and Velda Zingler(picture) invited us to their campsite in the desert at Quartzite for lunch and a "Jam Session". They are boon docking right out in the middle of the dessert with a whole bunch of other people and it was so quiet and peaceful there. Not the noise you have in the parks closer to town. Dons brother Jim, his wife Sue are camping there also, Jim plays the guitar and banjo with this group of musicians in their camp. There were 12 guitar players, 2 fiddle players, one banjo and one keyboard with people singing a song of their choice. They said to come early so we would have enough time to catch up on our visiting. What a surprise I had when we drove up to find Velda's sister Betty and Jerry Hoing(picture) were there also. I haven't seen them for many years with me living in Oregon and them living at Royal City, Washington. I went to country school with Velda and Betty and Bill and Dale Luke plus a few more kids. I was in the second grade then, we had a great visit talking over old times and how we traded our lunches and the games we played. We all went on to high school in town at Kimball, so we all knew the same people, we caught up on everyone we knew and where they lived and who married who. They also invited Dale and Jan Luke(picture) who are camping in the area at Parker, Arizona, so we really had a bunch of ex-Kimball people all together for the day. The lunch they fixed us was so good, after we ate, we took our lawn chairs over to the jam session where we enjoyed the musicians playing and singing, it made me want to get my guitar out and start playing again. Dale and Jan left early, but we stayed and went back to their camp where we visited for another hour before heading back to Yuma. What a fun day we had connecting with such good friends after so many years apart.

March 1, 2010

Monday 1st~~~~~Another beautiful sunny day in Arizona. Kent is hungry for those shrimp taco's they have in Mexico, so we took off about 9:30, we had to stop for gas and at Verizon, so it was about 11:00 when we got there. I shopped a couple of booths and I took my necklace I bought there last year that broke when I couldn't get it unhooked back to have them restring it for me. A sweet young Hispanic girl restrung it so fast for me for $5.00 . I was so happy to get it fixed as I wear it quite often. Then we headed for the outdoor Mexican Restaurant for our Shrimp tacos. I think they were the best we have ever eaten today. The shrimp was so fresh and nice sized, I ate two of them and Kent ate three. (picture) I could have ate three, but I finally lost one pound and I don't want it back. LOL There was the cutest little girl who kept coming to our table and asking me if I wanted to buy one of her colored string bracelets for $1.00. I told her no 3 times, but she kept coming back again and again with a big smile on her face. I think those kids see right through me and know how much I love them and can't say no and mean it. I bought one from her but I told her she had to let Kent take our picture together. (picture) After He took our picture, I gave her another dollar for letting him take her picture. She smiled so big and that was the last I saw of her. Those children are so beautiful and I say a prayer everyday to "Our Lady Of Guadalupe" to take care of them. I took some pictures of the parking lot full of the vehicles of Americans shopping in Mexico, the line of people waiting to get back across the border to the USA and the terrain the Mexicans have to cross to escape into the USA. The lines were quite short today and it didn't take us long to eat lunch and come back home. While we were in line, I was taking some pictures and Kent said go take a picture of the Mexican Police searching one of the cars in line. One guard had a big rifle standing guard and two guards were really searching everything in the car. I put my camera on telephoto and as I was about ready to snap the picture, I heard them yelling, I looked up and they were yelling at me, so I decided I didn't need a picture of what they were doing. That darn Kent almost got me in trouble and he wasn't even watching me take the picture, he was talking. They could have hauled me away and he would have been standing in line talking and wouldn't even have noticed it. It is only about 20 miles to drive there, so I am sure we will go back at least one more time for lunch. Tonight after dinner, I went over to the club house and played the new card game of golf again. We played two games and I won the second one, so I guess I got lucky! Kent stayed home with Pepsi and watched television.

February 27 and 28, 2010

Saturday 27~~~~Today was overcast and cool. We slept in until 9:am. We missed the RV breakfast at the club house, so I made Kent waffles on the new waffle maker the Benson's gave him for Christmas. It is a small round one that stores easy and it makes just the right size waffles for the two of us. We watched a couple of movies on TV as it was wet outside and it was a good day to do that. We drove into Yuma for the 5:30 Mass, we thought we were there early and because of all the cars in the parking lot, Kent dropped me off at the door and went to try and find a parking space. As it turned out, there was a 4 o'clock Mass that wasn't over yet, so we stayed for the end of it and waited for the 5:30 Mass to start. Kent went back to the truck and called Cindy to see how she is doing from the surgery and I stayed and prayed for a lot of people while I waited for the 5:30 service. LOL We went out for Kent's favorite meal of Pizza after church at a Pizza parlor we really like here. I think we should write a book on the Best Pizza in the United States, as we have certainly tried out a lot of them. We can't write about the worst, as Kent polls half the church people after Mass for the best place in town to go to. We seldom are disappointed in where we go for our Pizza. Sunday 28~~~~It was a beautiful sunny day here today, We went for a walk around the park, stopping and talking to some friends of friends of ours. We ate an early dinner of pork chops, gravy and stuffing so we would be done in time to go to the ice cream social at 6:00 at the club house. After the ice cream and the meeting, they started playing cards; I joined a table of 7 people and I learned how to play a card game called GOLF. You play nine hands of it just like 9 holes of golf. It was a lot of fun and I can hardly wait to show everyone at home how to play this game. Tomorrow we are going to Algodones, Mexico for our favorite Mexican meal of Shrimp Tacos!!!