April 27, 2012

Friday April 27~~~~~Lisa came over last night for a short visit and to welcome us home,  she said she had today off because she was working at Blanchet's Catholic School (Rays school) handing out the name tags for the annual grandparents lunch they have every year. Usually we are on the road and can't go, so we didn't get an invitation and I was feeling sort of sad. This morning the phone rang and it was Lisa calling to tell us there were name tags there for Kent and I and would we come.. Of course I was still in my bathrobe enjoying several cups of coffee, so we really had to hustle to get ready and be there by 11:00AM. Ray didn't even know we had gotten home yesterday, so the look on his face was priceless when they called him to usher us in. Ray had three sets of grandparents there and I think he had the most. He said the only thing that could have made it better was if his Grandma Jean Marie was there.The lunch was very good and the program was nice and after the program, the kids took us grandparents who wanted to go for a tour of the school. Kent, Shirley and I went with Ray for the tour. This evening we all met out at the Round Table for pizza. We usually meet on the night we get home, but Kent was just too tired last night. Today was a busy day and tomorrow will be busy also. Kent will go to Portland to watch Nate his grandson play ball and I will be busy getting the house freshened up.

April 20 through 26, 2012

April 20, 2012 Friday~~~~Tonight we went out partying with our friends Cyndi and Howie from the park, We went to the American Legion that Cyndi just joined. Tonight was Karaoke night and there were a lot of people there. They bring the microphone to your table or to the bar where ever you are sitting and you sing from there. After a couple of beers Howie and myself sang a few songs and the four of us had a lot of fun.From here we went to the "Mine Shaft" that is a large tavern with lots of pool tables and games, live music and dancing; three different bars, even one outside, a swimming pool with bar stools in the pool. The pool is real popular with all the hot weather they have there, I am not sure I would use it, as I wonder about how many people tinkle in the water after too many drinks!!!! We didn't stay there very long, we just stopped to see what it was like and to check out the pool, from there we went out for Mexican food and home. Kent was the designated driver as usual. and Howie fell asleep on the way home. LOL Saturday 21~~~~We slept in this morning until 9AM as it is about the end of of being able to do that with our long drive home and our job at the park we are doing again this year. We did laundry and cleaned house and got things ready for heading home tomorrow. We went to evening Mass and got take out pizza for dinner at home. Our friends came over and we played the board game fast track again tonight, we will sure miss playing games with them when we get home. Sunday 22~~~~We got up early this morning, it is getting very warm here already so early. While Kent got the trailer ready to travel, I gave Howie a hair cut, we said our good byes to them and we were on the road about 9:30. We are driving as far as Vegas today and will stay there for 2 nights before the long drive to Reno. It was 106 degrees when we drove through the town of Needles, Kent stopped there for a frapacino and when we walked through the parking lot to Star Bucks, the parking lot had been freshly black topped and with the heat, it felt like we were Hansel and Gretel heading into the witches oven. We are staying at Sam's Town where we usually stay in Vegas.It was a 5 hour drive here. The weather is pretty warm her, (102 and we only have 30 amp for electricity, so we went over to the pool right away and stayed there until dinner time. We felt real good after playing in the water so long. After dinner we watched TV until bed time. No Casino tonight. ~~~~Tuesday April 24~~~We drove 10 hours today to Reno where we parked in the Casino parking lot, Kent talked to the security guard on duty and he told us where we could park, so we parked and went inside for dinner and a little time on the slot machines. Kent was very tired from driving so long, so we didn't stay there long, we went to the trailer and right to bed. About 6 AM we work up to someone pounding on our door. It was a different security guard who said we couldn't sleep with our slides out, we needed to pull them in. We decided beings we were awake, we would take off for Seven Feathers our next stop on the way home. It is a 10 hour drive there also, so we got an early start for the day!! Wednesday April 25~~~~ We arrived at Canyon ville, Oregon late afternoon, very tired from another long days drive. We love this campground with all the beauty of the trees, mountains and the land scape they have here. After we set up the trailer with the cable, electric and water, I fixed us dinner and we relaxed watching television all evening. We didn't even go over to the Casino after dinner. That is a first for us at this place, Kent said he thought we would stay 2 nights here and rest up before heading into Salem. Thursday 26~~~~~I woke up early, got up and made coffee and got on the computer, trying to be real quiet so Kent could sleep in, he was so tired from the long drive. Gary called and I think the phone woke him up, after talking to Gary, he started getting ready to take off and there was no talking him into staying another day here..We took off about 9:30 and we arrived in Eugene at 1:30 PM I called my daughter Kim to see if she had time from work to go out for lunch. she said she did, so we pulled the long trailer into the Albertson's parking lot and had lunch with her. We were going to spend the night with them, but she had to work another 4 or 5 hours and she thought we should head on to Salem and get unpacked and call the kids there that we were home. By the time we got to Salem, it was 3:30. Tress and the kids were so excited we were home, they drove out to the Elks Club where we leave the trailer and visited with us for about 15 minutes on their way to the baby sitter and Tress's cooking class. We went to our house and called it a day, we were too tired to cook or go out and eat, we ate popcorn for dinner!!! (we did have a big lunch though).

April 7 & 8, 2012

Saturday 7~~~~Today we didn't do much, we stayed home and watched TV and read. I got quite a bit of embroidery done on the pillow slip. I called some of the kids today as they might be busy tomorrow, I sure do miss them, especially on the holidays. We went into town and ate an early dinner before going to Church. Mass started at 7 PM and it lasted until after 9 PM. We are having a pot luck dinner at the club house tomorrow at noon. I am baking my sweet potato dish in the morning. Sunday 8~~~~~Today is Easter Sunday and it feels like just another Sunday with no family to come over or no Easter egg hunt to go to. I think Grandma has more fun with the egg hunt than the little ones do. We only have Bodie and Blaize who hunt the eggs now, and only Blaize who believes in the bunny, it is still a lot of fun. I bought 8 pounds of sweet potatoes to fix for our pot luck, I peeled and steamed them, cut them up and made a topping of butter, brown sugar, orange juice and marshmallows. Then I baked them in the oven until the topping carmeled over the potatoes, I made a 9 x 13 casserole filled to the top and there was only a small dish full left over. There were several hams, mashed potatoes a lot of salads and desserts and about 70 people there to eat all the food, we had a very nice time because we sat with our friends Cyndi and Howie and we played our board game (fast track) that evening. It was just different not having our families with us.

April 6, 2012

Friday 6~~~Today is Good Friday, Kent dropped me off at the church about 11:45 PM, last year on this day I packed a lunch and I spent the day at the church and it was a wonderful day. I decided to do the same thing again this year, so I packed my lunch and I took some of my books about the Saints and things pertaining to Holy Week to read. Last year someone led the rosary every hour, before the stations of the cross and the day was very enjoyable. This year I found the door to the church was locked and the stations of the cross were being held in the school. I was feeling disappointed until I found out what they were doing. The school kids acted out the stations of the cross and the young man who played the part of Jesus did an incredible job of carrying the cross, falling and dying. All the students were dressed in costumes of the period, some were Jesus followers and many were the soldiers. The congregation followed the students to all the stations they had set up on the soccer field and other areas of the school yard. The 6Th station, where Veronica wiped the face of Jesus, they had a cloth with his face on it that she held up. As we were approaching the 10Th station, I could see there were two crosses with bodies hanging on them, I thought "how cool" they have a couple of stuffed bodies hanging there, it looked so real. After they stripped Jesus of his clothes, they nailed him to the cross by having him hold on to handles and the pounding of nails made it seem so real, I then noticed that the two thieves hanging on the crosses were students, what a great job they did. Of course there was no tomb to put Jesus in, so they had a gray dome tent they carried him to for the final ending. It was a very warm day, the prayers and singing we did all the way around was enjoyed by all. Everyone left and I found myself a bench in the sun where I ate my lunch, while reading my literature and reflecting. At 4 o'clock the church was opened up for the Liturgy, communion and veneration of the cross. When this was over, it was getting close to dinner time, I called Kent to come and pick me up, we ate dinner out.

March 29 through April 4, 2012

Thursday 29~~~~It is nice to be parked here in Yuma for a few weeks to enjoy a slower pace of life without things to have to go to and getting up early. The part of retirement I like the most is I can read and drink my morning coffee as long as I want to without having anyone knock on my door or a job to do. Today I spent the day doing deep house cleaning, I clean everyday, but today was the day I washed the walls, floors, vacuumed the carpet, cleaned spots on the carpet, cleaned the ceiling fan, re-arranged the cupboards and threw away junk!!! Things sure look good, and now I can sit and read and embroidery without feeling guilty!!!! YEA Friday 30~~~We drove over to Algodonas, Mexico to the dentist this morning and I had a root canal on a tooth that has been bothering me for some time back home. I have never had such a painless root canal done as this one was. I told Kent it was so painless, I could have fallen asleep in the chair. My next appointment is on April twelve. Saturday 31~~~~The Mass tonight was very long and we went out for dinner afterwards. April 2~~~~We drove into town this afternoon to get Kent a frapaccino and for me to buy some embroidery thread; Kent sat in the truck and I was hurrying to the store to get done quickly when "BAM", I tripped and landed smack on my face. I knew it was going to be a bad fall and I didn't want to try and catch myself and wind up breaking a arm, so I just fell flat on my face. I guess I didn't think of breaking my nose, glasses or all of my front teeth. There were 3 people who saw me fall and were right there to help me, I asked them to go to the silver GMC truck in the lot and ask my husband to come. They stayed with me until Kent got me a big bag of ice to hold on my face and to fill my mouth with ice chips. My lip was immediately huge and blackish-red. I think my Guardian Angel was right there with me, because I had no complications from it except a very black lip that I will have for some time. I guess I will have to learn to pick up my feet a whole lot more from now on. Kent went with me into the store and we picked out the embroidery thread I needed and some chicken from Albertson's for dinner, before heading home. I felt very shook up and tired from the stress of the fall when we got home, but very thankful I wasn't hurt badly. Tuesday April 3~~~Today was a pretty quiet day for me. I spent the day sitting in my chair embroidering on the pillow that Grandma Minny started for me in 1960 at my bridal showers. Everyone there signed their name on this sofa pillow and over the years everyone has signed it for me. It is so full of names, a lot of them deceased, married and grown up. I haven't touched it for years, one day Lisa seen it in my house and said she would someday love to have it. I told her to take it and she told me she didn't know how to embroidery, and if I would finish it, she would be delighted. I am really enjoying finishing the pillow and as I do each name, I remember a story about that person. I was telling Kent some of the stories about the people and he told me I had to sit down with Lisa and tell her who all these people were. Lisa wants to add more names of people she knows and the additions to our family over the years before I finish it. I am delighted to have it to work on. It sure has brought back a lot of fond memories of all these people as I sit doing my sewing. I really need another project to work on don't all of you agree??