Happy New Year

2010 is about to come to a close.  Like all years, we have wrung every minute out of her and left her limp.  Every moment that has passed is gone forever and can never been recaptured.  Time is funny that way.  A couple of lines from a poem I once wrote go like this:

...you cannot go back to a happier moment
You cannot recapture a day
For time passes by us and then it is over
Relentlessly going its way.

I am too old for resolutions...I know they are but an exercise in futility.  But I am not too old for hope.  My hope for the coming year is that I not squander one moment.  That when 2011 ticks its last moment away, I will have spent each one wisely.  I hope that rather than just wring empty moments from this year, that I explode with moments of joy and love and laughter.  I hope that I realize and accept that I CANNOT fix everything for everybody - some things are just not fixable.  I hope I realize there is a time for me and my husband and that it is okay for that time to take precedence over other concerns.  I hope that life is gentle with my children and grandchildren and that they will accept me with all my foibles, as I accept them.

AND I HOPE THAT OUR MOTOR HOME GETS FINISHED SOON 'CUZ WE ARE READY TO HIT THE ROAD!  I can only imagine the adventure that awaits two old geezers who have the desire and the will to not let 2011 pass them by.  We will not grow old gracefully - we will grow old squeezing all the life and joy we can from each and every moment.

I suppose I am thinking about time not only because we are about to embark upon a new year, but also because in four days, I will be another year older.  My husband ordered a book for my birthday and it was delivered today.  He wanted me to open it RIGHT NOW (he can never keep a secret) and so I did.  Since I opened the book, he also wanted me to open the card.  It was a singing card and really pretty funny.  But there was no writing from him anywhere on the card or envelope.  I asked him why and he explained:  "It's such a funny card, I thought you might want to re-use it."  That's my Russ - but he is awfully sweet.

On a different note...we had a simple New year's supper.  Not only was it filling and warming on a cold winter's day, it also used up most of the left-over Christmas ham.  YUMM!

Good ole navy beans and ham.  Since I was too lazy to make
bread, we had warm flour tortillas with this.  Very tasty.

Looking Good!

Still more progress on Therapy.  It seems like it has been a long time since we ordered her back in September.  But the time is passing quickly.  We have accomplished quite a bit while we have been waiting and there is still more to do.  We have a pile of provisions ready to load in as soon as we get her home.  We have blankets and dishes and pans and glasses and knives, and even an itty bitty toaster oven.  We don't have everything together yet but we have made a good start.

One thing I have been working on is an emergency handbook.  I will make three copies of this book; one will go in the motor home with us, one in our toad, and one will stay at home with a relative, to be opened only in case of emergency.  In this notebook I will list all of our bills which must be paid monthly, our bank accounts and passwords, our online sites and passwords, our medical information, insurance information, list of who to notify in case of emergency, a copy of our will, and our medical directives.  If the worst should happen and we are both incapacitated in an accident, it will be so much easier on the family if this information is at their fingertips.  Of course, you want to make sure you leave this information with a trustworthy individual!!  Just think what would happen if your were in the hospital for an extended period and you had bills that were due every month.  How would your family know what was due and to whom and how would they pay these items?  Something to think about.

Now, back to Therapy.  More pictures arrived by email and we can see that it is coming together nicely.  We were promised delivery by mid-February but this looks like it could be sooner.  One can only hope.

The windows are in - YIPPEE

Beginning to look like a Lazy Daze!

Thank God for Building Permits

Oh my goodness, where would we be without the city government to protect us (which is what they assert is the purpose of building permits)?  The ongoing saga of our RV shelter has yet another chapter.  First they charge us a substantial permit fee to put up a pre-fab metal shelter that will house nothing but an RV.  They base that fee on what they perceive the value of the shelter to be and charge us accordingly.  The permitting office valued our shelter at more than twice what we actually paid for it.

Now comes the REAL reason for issuing permits...the county tax assessor paid us a visit today.  Seems the value of our property is greatly enhanced by having a large metal shed in the middle of our driveway.  Guess it doesn't matter that the shed actually decreases the use of the formerly large and open driveway.  Yeah, it bugs me but I have a feeling we will be contesting our tax bill next November.  In Oregon, property taxes are supposedly limited to a certain percentage of the tax assessed value and that percentage cannot be increased.  That is all well and good except the taxes just keep going up because the value of the property keeps going up - even in a VERY DOWN market.  If I could get someone to pay me what is listed as the value of my home on my tax bill, I would sell this place today.

Okay, enough of the rant.  What I really need is to get out of here and see some new sights and quit fretting about taxes!  Someday soon, Therapy will be finished and we will hit the road.  I can hardly wait.


Before



After

Making Progress

Waiting is never easy and patience has never been one of my strengths.  But, I am actually glad that it takes some time to manufacture the motor home.  I watched a special on the travel channel the other night.  They visited the Winnebago factory and we watched as the chassis went down the assembly line.  The motor home was completely assembled in five days!  FIVE DAYS - can you imagine that?  Of course, the pieces were pre-fabbed and ready to install but still...how much care can you take when the line is moving and you only have a certain allotted time to get your portion completed.  No offense Winnebago owners - I know they make a fine product, I just worry about the pressure to get them out so fast. 

I am so pleased with the care the Lazy Daze factory takes when completing their product.  They take the time they need to fit each component into its place and make certain that it all goes together as planned.  Each piece of insulation is hand cut and fitted into place.  The cabinets are affixed to the frame with steel brackets.  Those babies are NOT coming loose anytime soon! 

So a Lazy Daze takes a little longer but I am full of hope and anticipation.  We got some interim photos and it still looks a little rough.  My sister quipped on seeing these pictures, "I thought you were getting a new one.  This one looks like it's all torn up."  Just you wait sister...just you wait!

From the back looking forward. 
That is the foundation for one of the twin beds,
with the wardrobe at the end.

Driver side, siding going on.

Driver's side, back to front. 
Siding going on over the insulation. 
LOVE those big windows.

Interior looking front to back.  The bedroom is at the very back,
then the bathroom (shower on one side, toilet and sink on the other), then the kitchen. 
Sofa, table and two easy chairs at the front (not shown).