Summertime on the patio

Our patio area in evening

It’s back to work today after a pleasant “weekend,” our two days coming during midweek.  Can’t say we did anything exciting, but we do enjoy our days off just “be-ing.”

We’ve started playing chess again, usually at least one of the nights we’re off.  See the table in between the chairs in the photo above?  Turns out it’s just the right height for a chess table.  As we progress through the summer months, you may just find us set up on the patio for a match or two in the evening.  Right now it’s still a wee bit on the chilly side for that, so we’ve brought the table indoors and have the chess set on it.

Residents in our community are not allowed to plant in the flowerbeds, but we can place pots around.  Flamingo now has a bit of company and color to the front of our townhome.   Folks have all sorts of decorations, potted plants and bird feeders in their flowerbeds and on their patios.  It’s fun to walk around and see what everyone has.  I’m pleased with ours this year.  Last year being our first summer her, we really didn’t do much with our area.  This year, however, it’s cozy, cheery and pleasant.

I’m grateful that we do have a patio area where we can just step outdoors instead of a typical apartment with no immediate access to the outside!  We feel we have the best location in the community located on the far side.  Our entrance and patio area are both very private.

One needs to remember that whatever one puts out on the patio, one will need to bring in once Winter starts to appear.  The plants will succumb to Mother Nature’s chill and the decorations will be stored in our garage.  Put the Summer things in and bring the snow shovel out!

At our site in New Jersey, I had a lovely clematis.  Have been wanting another and found this cutie the other day.  Repotted it and am hoping the blooms will indeed be the dark violet/purple color.  Should find out pretty soon, as there are a couple of blooms waiting to open! 

The newest – and probably final – plant addition this year is a Roma tomato!  We’ll see how that does.  If it and the cherry tomato plant produce, we’ll have tomatoes galore!

It’s June, but feels more like April with the exception of about 2-3 days of temps in the high 80s.  No complaints about that, but thinking it’s going to be a short summer!  Realistically, we have about 2.5 more months of “summer.”  With the arrival of September, it’s anybody’s guess.  We could ease into a nice autumn phase or … it might just start snowing with Winter fully upon us! 

For now, it’s enjoyment of the sunshine and warmth!

Hope your days are sunny and pleasant!

Ya’ll stay safe out there, okay?  Thanks for stopping by!

We Survived Winter!

Yes, it was a long winter this year, having snow on the ground 7 calendar months.

Plane on Lake Bemidji – February 2018

We didn’t have any real issues with the extreme cold temperatures and snow.  Having lived in Hibbing years ago, we knew what to expect, so we were prepared both mentally and physically.  Well, okay, there were a few times in April when we wondered if we would ever see bare ground again.  Living with a white world for 7 months is … really different.  Still, it is a relief that Spring/Summer is finally here!  Things are greening up outside and our town’s inhabitants are once again enjoying outdoor seating at local restaurants, walking dogs, riding bikes, and the like.  Convertibles are seen around town with tops down.  I’ve even seen an RV or two already and a couple of boats being towed through town.  During the height of Summer, there will be RVs all over the place, including clusters in the Walmart parking lot.  Bemidji at times takes on the feeling and appearance of a cozy touristy lakefront community.  Love it!

Our indoor plants provided us with greenery during the winter months.  This aloe was one of the first plants I purchased when we arrived last April.  It’s been doing some pretty cool things lately.

This stalk is close to 2 feet in length now and continues to produce new blooms.

Yesterday I noticed a new stalk!

We zoomed up to a high of 83F yesterday, but today we have a steady, light rain falling and we’ll be lucky to kiss 60 outside the next few days.  That’s okay, because we do need the rain.

A couple of weeks ago, I satisfied my need for windshield time and went up the road about 25 miles to the town of Blackduck. 

Minnesota bucket list item – see the Blackduck statue!  Check!

There’s a few parks, access points to Blackduck Lake, a few shops, surrounding resorts, and a café I’d like to try at some point in the future.  The weather was absolutely stunning!  Turned my tunes up to “blow out the windshield” volume and cruised through the countryside.  Perfect.

One has to make the most of the good-weather months up here, hence the road trip.  I have a few more of those in mind for the coming months.  Speaking of making the most, I added a few things to our patio area this year.  Last year I had a couple of hanging baskets, and not much else.  Knowing that Nature’s Edge Garden Center had tomato hanging baskets, I headed out there last week to get one before they’re sold out.  Apparently they go quite quickly!

If all goes well, we’ll have cherry tomatoes!

Oh, I tell ya.  I could have done some extreme damage to my bank account out there at Nature’s Edge.  So many lovely plants, containers, outdoor décor … oh my!

See what I mean??

Menard’s is one of my fave places in town.  They have a wee bit of everything.  The rest of the patio decorations came from there.

We had 2 “pink chickens” aka flamingoes at the New Jersey site, and I saw these at Menard’s a few weeks ago and kept thinking about them.  Finally asked Dave what he thought, and he voiced his approval, saying that they would remind him of our good times in NJ.  So!  Back I went to Menard’s, and these 2 cuties came home with me. 

If you look at the large boulder above from a certain angle, it really does look like a toad.  In fact, we named it “Toad” pretty much on our first day here last year.  We also did have a real-life toad visitor last Summer, so … Toad House seemed appropriate!

You may notice no hanging decorations, no pots or patio table set, or anything really tall.  That is because of the wind.  Our townhome is on the back side of the community, and the wind on our patio/porch is incredible at times.  We seem to get whirlwinds on windy days, including accumulations of leaves and what resembles tumbleweeds.  It is quite often windy, so I really don’t want to risk hanging whirly-gigs and the like.  We can place decorations in the flowerbeds, but planting is not allowed.  I satisfy my “digging in the dirt” needs with a variety of indoor and outdoor potted plants.  I’d love to have a large container with daylilies, but I just know they would be battered by the winds.  Oh well!

One has to also keep in mind that whatever goes out on the patio has to come indoors during Winter due to the extreme cold temperatures.  The shepherd hooks stayed out and fared well, but everything else will need to be stowed indoors once cold weather begins.  Spending a lot of money and acquiring large items just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

We finally got a garage a couple of months ago!

There isn’t much room on either side; in fact, one can’t open the doors all the way.  There is some room at the front for storage, but all that’s inside other than the car are a few things hanging on the wall – snow shovel, snowshoes, etc.  It’s such a relief to have the car under shelter, not only during the Winter but in the event of severe storms during the summer months.  We did have some hail last year, but no damage to the car.  Yay for a garage!

After the weekly housecleaning on Sunday, I drove down to the south shore of Lake Bemidji for a wee stroll. 

Quite the difference from February, eh?

We have been back up here for a bit over a year now, and still say it has been a good decision.  Our townhome is comfortable and nice, and we’re all settled in.  I confess I’d still like a proper dining table and chairs, but there’s really no room with the bikes.  Believe me, I’ve measured all different ways!  Ha!  Perhaps we’ll find a set that will suit us and the space at some point.  I’ve met a few neighbors and, while we don’t have what I’d call an active social life, it is nice to talk to neighbors now and then.  I’ve been invited to a few group gatherings, but I’ve never really been a “joiner” and prefer to nurture relationships on an individual level.

Our jobs are percolating along nicely.  Dave is well liked and respected at his, and he is finding it to be a much better situation overall than in Texas.  My telecommuting work as an administrative assistant is still enjoyable, and my responsibilities continue to expand. 

Days are full and have fallen into a comfortable routine.  We have a mini vacation of 4 days scheduled for later this month, with plans for some day trips both together and my solo windshield time, cycling for Dave, walks for me, and just “be-ing.”

Sunset from our patio – May 4, 2018

Yes, I have to say … Life is Guid!

Thanks for stopping by!

In A Groove

We seem to have a nice groove going on here.  Our work week is Thursday through Monday.  Although we miss most of the festivities around town and the area on Saturdays and Sundays (and believe me, there are a lot of festivities!), we do enjoy the uniqueness of being off on weekdays.  I suppose quite a few people would consider our life uneventful but, ya know what?  We’ve experienced eventful during our years as full-time RVers.  Besides that, neither of us has to be entertained by external stimulus.  Age creeping in?  No, don’t think so.  I’ve always found enjoyment in simply “be-ing.” 

Now that’s not to say we don’t get out and about or are just cocoons in our comfy recliners.

We found exercise equipment at a local park on one of our walks together recently.

I thought this was pretty neat.  It’s a rope climbing … cube?

My work is keeping me busy, which is almost an understatement these days.  My job is morphing and expanding yet once again, but I’m absolutely okay with that.  My boss scheduled a virtual happy hour recently, and we four gals had a good video visit via Skype.  Much needed for all of us after a crazy week, and it was nice to put faces and voices with the other two gals I work with.  We communicate and collaborate during working hours via Skype messaging and email, which is wonderful and productive, but it was fun to hang out “in person” with video chat.

Virtual happy hour … what a great idea!  I’m looking forward to more of those.  I think we’re gonna need ‘em.  Ha!  I’m so grateful for my telecommuting job and my colleagues.  We rock!

We get morning sun through our front living room window, so the plants catch some rays.

Speaking of plants, I got a couple of shepherd’s hooks and hanging baskets

You see quite a few shepherd’s hooks with hanging baskets in our community, since actually planting something in the flowerbeds is taboo.  You can place things in the flowerbeds, just can’t dig in ‘em. Quite a few cottages have really nice and cute patios set up.  We haven’t done much because we don’t have a garage yet and, therefore, no place to store things when Mr. Winter arrives. 

Dave commented a few times about how nice other residents’ hanging baskets were, so … I scored these on sale at Home Depot!  Hopefully we’ll have a garage by next Summer and can spruce up our patio a bit more.  At least we have some color out there now, and flowering plants are always nifty.

Last week a Healing Powwow was held at the hospital, which is right down the street.  I could see the marquee tent set up and, when I saw the colors being taken in and started hearing drums, I bugged out of work and walked down.

I hadn’t been to a powwow in around 10 years.  This was a small one, but oh so very awesome.  The “real deal,” not something contrived for tourists.  After the Grand Entrance, dance was opened to anyone/everyone there, not just the registered dancers.  Well …

I could hear my mentor Lyn whispering in my ear about embracing Life, joy, the moment and who I am spiritually.  I think I also felt her give me solid yet loving nudge.  The spiritual 2x4, if you will.  So …

I danced. 

Just a few minutes.  But in those few minutes, my heart was full and I experienced such joy.  Amazing.  It was one of “those” moments.  I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

I was away from my office for less than an hour.  How terrific is that?

You can see a short video of the Grand Entrance and read about the powwow here.

We have seen several rainbows, including doubles like this one, during our time here so far.  We could actually see both ends of this one …

I need to learn how to take a panoramic photo with my phone.  Here’s the other end.

Sunset from our patio.

So today is Sunday and my day for housecleaning.  That’s working out to be a good schedule.  Once a week means no chore is really difficult because I’m doing it weekly, and it doesn’t take that long.  That also sets us up for a nice, fresh home on our days off and I have those days relatively chore-free.  Even though I get groceries and do laundry over those 2 days, it still leaves plenty of time to chill out and enjoy quality time together.

Running errands is pleasant and stress-free here.  Doesn’t take much time, either, in a small town.  I’m also giddy at the fact that I don’t have to perform Twister moves to clean the bathroom like I did in the RV!

This “weekend” we’re planning another trip to the secondhand bookstore downtown to restock Dave and perhaps a wee road trip to the town of Blackduck.  There’s a scenic drive on that route and our Wee Beastie (the car) could use a good outing. 

Yes, Life is Guid!

Thanks for stopping by!

Coming Up on Night #2 . . .

. . . and I feel jet-lagged.  Being still a bit wired even after a shower when Dave came on duty this morning around 2 AM, I didn’t really fall asleep until 3:30 or so, awoke when Dave came in about 7 AM to snooze and then was up for good around 9 AM.

We spent the day settling in a bit more and becoming more oriented with our responsibilities here.  I did manage to cook some chicken this afternoon and then kick back and snooze a bit in my recliner afterwards.  The fact that it was in the upper 80s outside today also caused me to feel a bit draggy.  We’re expecting a cool front with rain tomorrow night with temperatures in a much nicer range starting Saturday.

There is still much to do with our site . . . tidying it up a bit and making it “ours,” but all things in due time.  I’m focusing on the essentials right now . . . working, settin up the basics (our office and restroom/shower area), unpacking things in the RV (where am I going to set up our printers), resting and eating.

The suite and restroom/shower area we are using has not been utilized in a while, so there is a bit of cleaning to be done.  Not having had to deal with insects per se in NJ, we are now back in the land of ants and cockroaches (have only seen both those pests outside).  Since we are really only using our kitchen tank in the RV, we are experimenting with running off the fresh tank with our water pump and not leaving a water hose hooked up.  You know how ants love hoses; we saw some exploring the water hose already this morning.

Our washer is ready to be used and the dryer should be early next week.  We have a list of items for a Walmart run.  I want the bath area set up so we don’t have to cart toiletries back and forth every time we use the shower.  I am so not gonna do that.

We have our outdoor recliner chairs set up behind the rig.  They are under the portico of the building and it’s almost like a breezeway – very pleasant in the shade.  My office plants are undergoing some recuperative therapy there in the shade near the chairs.  They’ll need some “surgery” in the coming days, but I’m hopeful they will ultimately survive. 

Well, I’ve had a cup of java, made my first evening patrol and think it’s time to change shorts for jeans.

Life is guid!

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Another Day . . .

 

Our alarm clocks (Dave has an actual clock and my alarm is my phone) are set for 6:30 AM on weekdays, and today was no exception.  He’s usually out the door before me, opening the office and the gate.  Maggie and I in the office about 30 minutes later after her first walk.  She gets her breakfast and we check the Internet for mail and to see what’s happening in the world.  Dave makes his first patrol run and I continue to wake up.  Ha!  Awakening with an alarm has never been kind to me throughout the years, and that continues even today.

While Dave was mowing Saturday, he noticed the grate over a large storm drain out by the driveway had come off.  Dave put an orange cone by it to warn folks. 

I contacted the police department and an officer came out to inspect it.  Later that day two large orange detour barrels had appeared along with an orange flag on a tall pole.  A road crew was out there early this morning repairing this.  I was impressed by the prompt response. 

Dave is in training for the Pennsylvania State Time Trial next Saturday, so he was out for a wee spin this morning after we both had breakfast.  He’s done the major training and is now in what can be called maintenance mode in the week prior to the event. 

While he was gone, I repotted one of my office plants that had outgrown its original pot and added soil to two others.

The Purple Waffle is happy again!

Glad I did that reasonably early, as the day became increasingly humid although not excessively warm.  Still, it was fairly miserable out by noon.  After Dave returned, I headed off to the market for some groceries and the bank to make a deposit.

The afternoon ended uneventfully but with a few work-related phone calls and emails, and we have both had dinner.  Maggie has had various walks during the day for necessities, looking for rabbits and chipmunks and inspecting (from a safe distance due to possibility of copperheads) the stacked pipes for groundhogs.  She’s watching TV next door with Dave.  I’m sipping my first and only cup of java while I visit with you.  We’re winding down our day and will call it a night around 10 PM.

Yes, we get paid for this!  Right now we’re experiencing a quiet period with spurts of activity here and there.  Sounds like we’ll have a crew here one day this week.  That being said, the weekend was busy with our mowing and weed whacking, and someone here doing some clearing of the massive vegetation in some areas with a brush hog.  Yesterday Dave had to escort some folks through the mill and then drove them up to the dam.  Yes, on a Sunday.

When it’s quiet here, it’s quiet.  When it’s busy, it’s busy – sometimes crazy busy.  Today was a quiet day.  I dig the busy days, too.  Hope you’ve had a great Monday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend’s Almost Over

 

I mowed our “front yard” this morning

With the Fourth being on Friday, we have had a quiet three-day weekend.  Well, mostly quiet.  The police chief and his family put kayaks in the river from the property yesterday.  Dave and I had actually gone to Applebee’s for a mid afternoon meal.  The Chief called while we were there and then came to the property when we returned about an hour later.  They still had plenty of daylight, so all was good. 

Another pot of daylilies has bloomed

We typically don’t attend any festivities on the Fourth, and this year was the same.  There are various fireworks displays in the area and individuals shoot fireworks, so we heard quite a few booms right from here.  Maggie is so cool; the noise doesn’t bother her in the least.

What does freak her out is if you get the flyswatter to dispatch a bug.  She runs into another room and cowers.  Same goes for, say, if you drop something in the kitchen and utter an exclamation.  Must be some negative experiences in her past before us that causes this.  Can’t imagine taking a flyswatter or fussing like that at our sweet Maggs.  Of course, when this happens, we go out of our way to reassure her that we were only after a fly, that she is a good dog and we weren’t upset with her.

I am toying with the idea of a long weekend wee writer’s retreat, a solo girl’s getaway or whatever you want to call it sometime in the Fall.  Just contemplating, with no definite plans.  Might happen, might not.  Many campgrounds have rental cabins, and I found a couple that look promising.  I like Lake In Wood Resort for their offering of unique accommodations, including a double-decker bus, caboose and yurt.  This cabin at Blue Rocks Family Campground appeals to me for its porch.  Then there is this one at Drummer Boy Camping Resort.   None of these are far away and have reduced rates and/or specials after the peak summer season.

We’ll see.

There’s really not much else to report.  Dave is in training for his next race, which is two weeks from yesterday.  He did a recon ride on the course yesterday and will do another next weekend. 

That’s it for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

Serene Sunday

 

Shasta Daisies and Marigolds this morning

Today was indeed serene and quiet, a welcome change after the tech and electrical issues of the past week.  Dave had a nice bike ride while I did laundry and watched some Mad Men episodes.  Dinner at home and the three of us (me, Dave and Maggie) just had an evening stroll.  Evenings are the tolerable part of the day here right now, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and high humidity.

We are treated to a splendid lightning bug display every evening lately.  The usual parking lot lights are still not working as a result from the electrical issues earlier this week, so it’s really dark out except for the lights on our rig.  It will be good to have those lights working again but, in the meantime, the lightning bug show is even better with less light on the property.

Yesterday while cleaning, I made a couple of adjustments in furniture placement.  I’ve cleared out a few things lately – some clothes, etc. – and have been looking at making things more streamlined in our rig for ease of cleaning and, well, one just has to do this occasionally living in a 40’ RV.

 

I remember when I purchased this wicker box about 30 years ago.  It’s about 2’ long and 1’ wide and tall.  It was during a Saturday outing with a girlfriend in Old Town Spring, Texas in an import shop.  It has had several purposes over the years; however, since we began full-timing, it has been sort of at a loss for a sense of purpose.  Being in the mood I was in yesterday, I had decided that it was time to bid it farewell and brought it over to my office with its next stop the dumpster.  “It’s just one more thing to dust,” I thought, “and what is it really doing these days?”  Obviously since it went to my office and not the dumpster, I must not have had it in my heart to part with it. 

It is sort of a part of me, of that time in my life when I was an independent free spirit embarking on an amazing journey of finding my spirituality and self.  Crazy as it sounds, I felt like I would be parting with an integral piece of me.

At the suggestion of another dear girlfriend, my wicker box friend has a new purpose.  It will be my Treasure Chest, the keeper of mementoes of the places we stay.   I already have in mind one item that will be placed in it when we eventually leave here.

When I’m old(er) and gray(er) and perhaps not living this lifestyle any longer, my wicker friend will contain special items to help me recall here, there or wherever we may roam.

I think that’s pretty cool.

It’s back in our home again.  All’s right with the world.

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrate the Small Things - A Blog Hop Post - No. 4

 

 

It’s Friday and time once again to Celebrate the Small Things!

Not only does Friday herald the end of the week, but also celebration!  I’m a bit late getting this post done, Wednesday and Thursday being focused on upgrading our network router and the resultant cascade effect.  Oh the joys of technology!

 

Meet “Hal,” new addition to the office

 

• I am most definitely celebrating having set up the new router  and getting all our devices online.  Our wireless printer was a few generations old, so new router ended up meaning new printer.  That ended up with a all-day event of wearing my geek IT “hat” getting all our devices online.  Dave’s laptop refused to communicate with the new printer, etc.  I am celebrating having accomplished all this without consulting outside technical support!

 

 

• I am celebrating the fact that these lilies finally bloomed!  They had been on the verge of opening for several days and have arrived at last!  This is their third year of coming back annually and I’m proud of them for doing so.

 

• Once again I’m doing the Happy Dance because of the weather here in NW New Jersey.  Today’s high is to be around 76F and was in the mid 50s last night.  That’s grand sleeping weather, especially in an RV with a window open. 

 

Our home, to the right of the office trailer

 

What are you celebrating today?

Thanks for stopping by!

Week Is Almost Gone

 

 

Two years ago I planted daylilies in two big plastic pots that were here on the property.  One pot is in front of each office porch.  This is the second year these lovelies have returned.  With all the rain and cooler temperatures we have had over the past week, both plants have sprouted buds.  This one is in front of the main entry and seems to be the most prolific at this point.  This evening after dinner I noticed the bloom starting to open.  I may just have a lily tomorrow if it isn’t beaten down by the heavy rains that are forecast.  Nice!

It has been a productive week thus far, although I really don’t know how that happened.  Perhaps it’s just been quiet around here and that’s given me a bit more time to turn my attention to other things. 

I renewed our Geek Squad support and internet security coverage for another year.  Perhaps a bit pricey last year for the initial coverage, I got a substantial discount on the renewal.  We each have a laptop and had an issue or two during the coverage year with one or the other, and I used the Geek Squad support.  It definitely paid for itself, and I was quite satisfied with the customer service over the phone.  I like what we’re using for internet security, and it seems to be doing the job.  I use my laptop in our work here and it really has our entire life on it.  Our laptops are our connection to the outside world, too, so it’s worth having some protection and support. 

My oDesk assignment is still percolating along and I’ve already put in a lot of hours this week.  If I take the rest of the week off, I’m comfortable with that.  Today marks my one-year anniversary on this assignment.  I’m still enjoying it and glad to have landed a gig that suits my temperament and schedule.  The folks I work with are pretty laid back and pleasant.  It’s not technically challenging, but that’s fine.  At this stage of my life, I’m not attempting to climb a corporate ladder by “proving” myself to anyone.  It’s enough to keep my brain ticking over a bit, stay abreast of technology and bring in some “mad money” or funds to squirrel away for that beach holiday next year.

Did I mention I upgraded my laptop to Windows 8.1?  All my programs work fine, but I’m not impressed with the changes made.  I actually liked Win8 and Metro mode.  (My laptop kept booting in desktop after installing Win8.1, so I had to figure out how to change it back to booting up in Metro.)  I have a touchscreen but typically use a mouse.  Seems to me 8.1 is more awkward, not as streamlined in functionality and pretty much a step backwards.  Like they are trying to blend Win8 and the desktop look/mode.  Ugh.  Might be great for those who don’t like Metro, but I think it’s rather gangly and awkward.

Just checked the Wundermap.  Looks like we have more rain/thunderstorms heading our way this evening.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the stormiest of this week, with a nice weekend on tap. 

Dave is racing Saturday, which is looking good with sunshine and a high in the lower 80s.  The local farmers market opens Saturday,and I plan on checking it out.  I’m hoping the grass will have dried out enough to be mowed Sunday.

It’s almost the weekend!  What are your plans?

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Sunny Sunday - National Cancer Survivors Day

 

We have been enjoying a quiet weekend.  Dave is in training for his first race of the season, a time trial in the local area.  He cycled the course yesterday on a recon mission and just now left for an easy recovery ride this morning.

Gorgeous weather!  Flower beds are planted!

I took advantage of the lovely days we’ve had lately and got the plants in the ground.

In front of our rig, just about right outside the door.  Doesn’t look like much now, but give it a few weeks.  Should be some nice splashes of color.

Dianthus which returned from last year

New Shasta Daisy and Marigolds

Now and then we hear, either directly or indirectly, compliments on the grounds from folks in the area – people who live nearby and/or drive past the property; my flower beds, the fact that we keep the grounds neat.  This is so nice to hear, both from a personal standpoint and the fact that it reflects well on the company for keeping the grounds maintained and not becoming an eyesore.  Being a good neighbor and all that.  Yeah, I get a kick out of hearing how people enjoy the flowers, flamingos and our cycling frog lawn decoration.

We were told there is an opening at the Massachusetts location; however, we opted to stay here.  We appreciate the opportunity, but going someplace with colder Winters and more snow . . . just can’t get enthused about that.  Besides, we’re comfortably set up here and are looking forward to some of the happenings that may be taking place at this location.

Clean the bathroom and vacuum or mow?  Clean the bathroom and vacuum or mow?  Decisions, decisions . . . sure is a nice day.  Perhaps I can have the best of both worlds and do both.  Don’t see why not.  Perhaps I’ll go do the cleaning while Dave is away and then mow later while he is doing some weedeating out front.

Do any of you other gals out there find it’s easier to clean house when the man is away?  That was a recent topic of conversation with a couple of my girlfriends.  Our answer, definitely yes!

Today is National Cancer Survivors Day.  Go hug a survivor! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrate the Small Things

 

It’s Friday and time once again to Celebrate the Small Things! 

Today is my second Friday as a participant in this blog hop.  What a fun way to stop for a moment or two and be mindful, and to nudge me back into the writing habit.  Here we go!

• Today I am deliriously celebrating the weather of this week.  After a warm, icky and rainy start to the week, we experienced two days with highs in the mid 50s and a gloriously sunny day today with an expected high of lower to mid 70s.  Although you would think I’d be acclimatized to heat and humidity as a native Texan, I really suffer on those days and tend to stay indoors.  Days like this week are indeed a relief.

• Keeping in mind the above, today I am celebrating we are in a setting where I can do some “digging in the dirt,” with flower beds. 

Plants for 2014, going into flower beds today or this weekend

• Today I am giddy with celebratory technological happiness that I found an iPhone calendar app that meets my needs!  The calendar app that is native on the iPhone was driving me bonkers.  Found Pocket Informant, which I do believe is what I was using on my Blackberry before I switched to the iPhone a couple of years ago.  Finally!  An app that works well and has the features I need.  Not that my personal life is all that busy (far from it), but I do need a calendar with task, event, reminder and note features for work.  Yay!  Love it, love it, love it!

•  Today I am celebrating (and grateful) that it is a day I feel pretty darn good.  Can’t say that every day, but today I can!

 

What are you celebrating today?

Springtime!

 

Yes, I think it is finally Spring.  Yay!  Saturday was my first mow of 2014, and I really enjoyed it.  The temperature was just right – not too cold and not too hot.  Sort of felt like Goldilocks.

 

Yesterday I had my first digging in the dirt for 2014.  Remember the tulips Dave surprised me with recently?  They had grown so much I had no choice but to plant them outside in a big pot.  Also repotted one of my indoor plants; it had outgrown its original home over Winter and needed more room.

Purple Waffle

We recently got a Roku stick, and yesterday I finally had time to set up and organize channels.  We have a Netflix subscription and can get that on the Roku.  From what I’ve seen, there are three levels of channels:  no-cost/ad-free (public domain channels fall in this category), no-cost channels with ads (like broadcast TV) and then subscription/ad-free channels such as Netflix.  I love Turner Classic Movies, so public domain channels are a good fit for me.  I also added some news channels, PBS, the History Channel and the Smithsonian Channel.  All in all, we have just under 30 channels in our list, so that should keep us content for a while.

Prior to Sandy in 2012, we could get good reception on a few broadcast channels here such as PBS, MeTV, Accuweather and RetroTV.  Well . . . ever since Sandy, reception has been quite poor.  There’s nothing wrong with our batwing on the roof; we think the towers took a hit or their alignment went a bit wacky during Sandy.  Add to that the fact that it is windy here a lot and MeTV (which we did watch quite a bit) is no longer carried by the station . . . we simply don’t raise our antenna any longer.  The company tech guru told us about the Roku a while back.  I waited until the stick came out in April (much less expensive than a Roku box and takes up no space whatsoever) and got one.  So far I’m pretty pleased with it. 

Hard to believe April is just about out the door and May will be upon us soon.  May is shaping up to be pretty busy with work, vet appointment for Maggie (vaccinations), my mammogram and then our holiday.  Whew!  I really am looking forward to our week at the beach.  It is so relaxing and will be our only getaway this year.  Can’t wait to see the horizon again!  Less than a month and I’ll be blogging from our “home away from home.”  Whoohoo!

Hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Moving Along

 

Today has been an absolutely gorgeous day out.  This morning I cleaned up the flowerbeds a bit.  It’s still a bit dicey to chance planting stuff, but at least I can get things ready.  The lilies are progressing nicely and I do believe I saw tulips peeking out from the soil.  This will be their third year.  Cool.

Working in the yard and digging in the dirt is always therapeutic for me, and it helped pass the time until my surgeon appointment this afternoon.

I saw a rabbit this morning!  Yay!  We have bunnies on the property again this year!

Arriving at the surgeon’s office this afternoon, they didn’t even give me time to sit down in the waiting room before calling me back.  Heading to the exam room, one passes the doc’s private office.  He was in there with someone (turns out it was a medical student), but looks up and gives me a smiling “thumbs up” sign.  Whoohoo!  Okay, I could breathe again!  We talked a bit when he came the exam room, but all’s good.  Did I happen to mention I really like, trust and respect Dr. K?  He literally saved my life twice in 2012 and is a caring healthcare provider. 

“No evidence of metastatic disease.”

That’s what we want to hear! 

I was in and out of there swiftly today.  Didn’t even get the chance to sit down in the waiting room, had a brief (but not rushed by any means, he always makes sure we cover everything I want/need) visit with Dr. K and bingo!  I was out the door again! 

I’ve felt like I’ve been “on hold” the past couple of weeks.  Last year was one year out from diagnosis and I wasn’t this nervous.  The overall 5-year survival rate kinda sucks for this type of cancer; this was year two, so I experienced a bit more of the “what if’s.”  He said that’s to be expected.  For now, however, Life is Guid indeed! 

I phoned Dave from the parking lot to give him the good news.  He declared it a “party night” to celebrate, so after work we picked up pizzas and some beer for him.  He is so patient, strong, loving and supportive . . . such a man in every sense of the word.  I appreciate him even more after having just the opposite in a partner when I was going through breast cancer back in 2001.

With that behind us, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming. 

There are a couple of time trials Dave would like to do this Summer, so this will probably be our last “party weekend” until after the racing season is finished.  Dave will start training soon for those events. 

Activity is already picking up here with regard to work now that Winter is finally over.  A natural gas pipeline is being replaced in the area, and some of this runs on the property.  The dam upriver is being taken out; access to it is from the property, so there will be lots going on with that once it starts.  Things are greening up and growing, and we’ll be mowing this month – probably next weekend, if not sooner.  I have some things I would like to do with the interior of our rig – remove headboard and replace with something more to our liking, remove the cornices over the windows and replace with curtains, etc.  Well, I guess there may not be an “etc.,” to that.  If I accomplish both those projects before Winter comes ‘round again, I’ll be happy.  I’ve mentioned to Dave what I have in mind and have been told decorating our home is my department, and I’m to go for it.  Sweet.  Well, I guess he’s lived with me long enough to know what’s in store.  Ha!

We have a few minor repairs to the rig; for instance, our porch light needs replacing, as does the external flap on the oven exhaust fan.  It’s time to remove the skirting from around the base of the rig; that may be happening tomorrow.  Our door side scare light needs a new bulb; even something as simple as that is impossible with two feet of snow and ice on the ground.  I’m even looking forward to giving our home a good bath.  We’ll pick a nice warm (but not hot) day and exercise the rig.  That consists of hitching up, rolling down the street a ways and then putting it back in place here. 

 

Rig therapy – June 2013

We have the military simulation event scheduled here in June, and this year’s CERT class will have their graduation drill here again that month.  I went through CERT training last year and participated in the drill here back in May 2013.  This year I can watch.  Should be fun!

CERT drill at mill – May 2013

We’re hoping to get back down to the Jersey Shore at Cape May for a week in September or October and stay at the beach house (Dolphin Watch) where we went last year. 

Dolphin Watch in Cape May – September 2013

Gee, by that time, Winter will just about be rolling in again!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recapping 2013 and Welcoming 2014

You know, I think that may be the first time I’ve typed “2014.”  At least I remembered to use the correct numbers!

Our New Year’s Eve was quiet this year.  In years past, we have gone to a bar in the late afternoon/early evening for an hour or two.  Dave really enjoys the atmosphere on Hogmanay (Scottish term for New Year’s Eve), as that is just what one does in Scotland on that day/evening.  We talked about doing so this year, but it snowed during the day off and on and was darn cold, so we opted to keep our party selves at home.  It was fun and companionable.  We were awake at midnight but not upright, having tucked under the covers a bit before the new year crept in.

2013 Recap

2013 was a blessedly quiet year on the health and natural disaster fronts.  I am so very grateful for that.  My annual follow-up CT scan in March was clear for any recurrence of 2012’s cancer.  Yay!  For the first time in a few years, neither of us even had a cold in the past 12 months!  No hurricanes or nasty Winter storms threatened us.  We certainly enjoyed a reprieve in 2013. 

Well, we did have about a week of single-digit temperatures in January.  We are parked across a parking lot from the Musconetcong River, and it froze as did our propane tanks, fridge and waste tank valves.  These were inconveniences compared to the hurricanes and Superstorm Sandy in previous years.

We had two divine holidays to Cape May on the New Jersey shore – a week during May and a week in October -  renting the same beach house each time.  Weighing the expense of new tires for the 5th wheel, fuel, campground fees, etc., it was more economical to just rent the beach house I found listed online.  It is a private beach and dogs are allowed, so Maggie had her first experience of frolicking on a beach!  Like folks who live in a sticks-n-bricks home, it was nice to get away to a different environment.  These getaways truly recharged our batteries.

Dolphin Watch in Cape May.  Behind me is the beach and bay.

Earlier in the year, I became a volunteer member of the local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and underwent several weeks of training.  The class search-and-rescue drill was held here at the mill and it was quite an experience.  No one “died” or had any issues for real, and our instructors were quite pleased with our performance as a team.  I received invaluable training in search-and-rescue techniques, fire suppression, disaster preparedness, incident command structure, stress management, etc.  I am honored to be part of such a wonderful team.  Good folks around here.

Crazy.  Last year I was knocked flat with cancer and this year I was putting out fires (in training) and crawling around blind in smoky areas looking for “victims.”

I am so blessed!

 

Suited up and ready to enter mill

Searching (crawling) for “victims” with my buddy, me in the lead.  The instructors had a smoke machine going to give us a more realistic experience.

After a few short-term assignments on oDesk, I landed a long-term part-time data-entry position in June which continues today.  It brings in a few bucks for “mad money,” rig repairs/maintenance and helping the savings account feel better.  I enjoy my co-workers, communicating via Skype, teleconferences and email.  The work itself is enough to keep my brain ticking over a bit but not stressful.  I’ve had offers of more demanding administrative work, but for now am keeping the stress level at bay by declining those. 

Keeping with that trend of minimizing stress and simplifying my life, I decided not to renew my AHA CPR instructor certification.  While I enjoy the actual teaching, the hassle of traveling (in New Jersey) just was too much.  I’m much more relaxed focusing on my life with Dave and Maggie, our work here, my oDesk assignments and things like gardening that enhance my contentment. 

I planted flowers and a few veggies again this year, including corn for the first time.  The flowers did great, but the veggies were a bust for the most part. 

It looked good, but that was about it.  Never really matured.

The company brought us a new-to-us company truck in August!

The office trailer got a makeover this year with new carpet throughout, new flooring in the restroom and new toilet!  Whoohoo!  It really spiffed up our workplace.  We continue to enjoy our work here and, even with the harsh conditions in Winter, we are grateful for our situation.  We did get a couple of offers in campground management back in Texas in 2013 but, after serious consideration, turned ‘em down.  We’re staying put.  We’ve got a good deal here.

Like millions of other Americans, we struggled with health insurance issues related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.  We are fortunate to have so far avoided participation in government-sponsored health insurance, being able to remain insured in the private sector.  We’ll see what happens later this year. 

Seems like the Fall and holidays rolled around so quickly.  We were treated again to lovely autumn colors, albeit not quite as vibrant as last year due to less rain than in 2012.

Not bad, though, eh?

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve were spent quietly at home.  I prepared holiday dinners for us; I love my spacious kitchen! 

Our annual social outing was attending the company holiday luncheon in December. 

 

We got dressed up and spent a delightful afternoon filled with yummy food, laughter and fellowship. 

We started playing chess again during our October beach holiday and that has become a weekend evening “thing” with us again.  Chess is such a fascinating game!  Dave taught me in Scotland back in 2005; he’s really quite good.  I do manage to win a game now and then.  He’s absolutely killer with his knights.

I closed down my prior blog, which had been ongoing since 2010, due to personal reasons.  After a brief hiatus, I found myself drawn back to blogging and here we are!

Right now it’s snowing (again) with a current accumulation of just over 3” and we’re nowhere close to being done for the night.  I follow Severe NJ Weather on Facebook.  JC is bang on with his forecasts and typically straightforward and not silly.  Tonight, however, he was playful in saying this storm has a potential of 30% “holy crap” and 5% of “dude, where’s my car??” snowfall.  Hahaha!  New Jersey went under a state of emergency this evening.  Oops . . . there goes another plow/salt truck by on the county road in front of the mill.  Earlier an 18-wheeler made the turn to go up the mountain on the county road but decided against it and was reversing back.  Good move, dude. 

Thanks for visiting and taking a look back at my 2013.  A very Happy New Year to you and yours!  Ready for 2014?  I am!  Bring it on!

Thanks for stopping by!