Trick or Treat and Meeting Blogger Friends

In case you haven’t noticed, today is Halloween.  I love to see all the little Gremlins running  around in their imaginative costumes having fun.  I can still remember how much fun it was to get all dressed up and get candy for FREE!!  We don’t get many trick or treaters here so those that come go away with a good load of sugar.  Let their parents handle the rationing!!

We had a chance to meet with Blogger Rick and his lovely wife Paulette today.  Rick and Paulette, along with Molly and Riley, are on their way south for the winter.  Since they were heading down I-5, Eugene was right on the way.  We met at Roaring Rapids Pizza for a nice lunch and chat.



It was a bit too chilly to sit outside but we did go out long enough to look around and take a few snapshots.  That’s the Willamette River in the background. 



Outside, Russ had a parting gift for Rick as they were preparing to hit the road.   Click picture to enlarge if you can’t read the sign. 



I tried to get some shots of Molly and Riley but this was as good as it got.  They were way too excited to see Mom and Dad to sit still for photos.  It’s always fun to meet the folks whose journeys you follow on an almost daily basis.  Rick and Paulette did not seem like strangers at all and we sure enjoyed meeting them.  Soon Rick will be posting pictures of sunshine, warm swimming pools, and lots of sights in the area around Palm Springs.  Travel safe guys. 

BTW, if anyone is traveling the I-5 corridor on your way south, give us a holler, we'd love to meet you.

We picked up Grand daughter Emmie from school today and I fixed her some apples for a snack.  Unfortunately, all I had were some very old apples that had somehow become wormy.  She was a good sport and ate them anyway.




Later, our DIL Arwen, brought the older grand daughter by and picked up Emmie so they could all go fill their trick or treat bags.  I’m not sure who the Freddy Krueger guy is – just a friend of the girls.



Our youngest grandson stopped by to say hi and grab a few pieces of candy.  This is Brendan and he was a “Snow Ninja”!  Brendan will be nine in just a few  months.











We have one other grandson in Eugene, Corbin, age almost 12.  His dad decided Corbin is too old to trick or treat this year so he stayed home and handed out candy.   Guess all good things must come to an end but I’ll save some candy for him just the same.

So that’s all for tonight – we’re just answering the door and handing out candy.  Hopefully most of it will be gone before too long.  Happy Halloween Everyone.

FREE Library Card!!!

Why am I excited about this???  Because, I am currently reading my first FREE library book since 1976!  That is when we moved to this house and out of the Eugene City limits.

Since we are outside of the city, we have to pay for a library card.  We have done that from time to time but it has become so expensive that we just felt it wasn’t that great a deal.  The non-resident card is now $65 for 6 months.  If we’re traveling much of that time, it just makes no sense to pay that for a library card.

We recently got our property tax statements in the mail.  Along with the house, we own a vacant lot in the city of Veneta, about 15 miles from Eugene.  I looked at the tax statement and noticed a line item for the Veneta library!  Hmmmm, library tax should equal free library card, right?  Russ called and sure enough we qualify for a free library card.

We got our cards on Friday.  Now driving 15 miles to go to the library might seem a bit extreme but what I REALLY wanted was access to eBooks. Library books in the Kindle format recently became available and I have been anxious to try out this service.   This is invaluable when we are on the road.

I got home and downloaded my first eBook from the Veneta library.  It worked so easy – no hassle at all.  I am SOOO excited!  Of course, most of the books have a wait time but so what.  I’ll get on the list and read them as they become available.  The eBook data base, Library2Go, is the same as for the larger Eugene library so I haven’t lost anything by going with the smaller library.


I love to read (when I have a chance!) and I have been disappointed in the cost of Kindle books from Amazon.  So tonight, I’m a happy camper…I just wish I was out camping somewhere other than the driveway!!

**************************************************************
Russ has had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed Russ to hear 100%. He  went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect.. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.'

Russ replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'

How Many Things Can Be Crammed Into ONE Day?

Quite a few if you work it right.  We had some chores and repairs scheduled for this week but somehow they all seemed to happen on the same day. 

I started the day early by baking pumpkin bread.  The electrician was scheduled to come and put in a plug for Therapy and plenty of hot pumpkin bread had somehow entered into the negotiations on the final price.  I’m not a great cook but I do make really yummy pumpkin bread.  The loaves are NOT flat as they appear in this picture!



The roofers were supposed to come on Tuesday for a minor repair on the carport roof but they got delayed and showed up about the same time as the electrician.  There goes another loaf of pumpkin bread! 

We had also scheduled Therapy to have her windshield replaced on Wednesday so we took her in and dropped her off.  Then we went for a drive while all the hubbub was happening around the old homestead.  We found a few things to take photos of out in the country.

First stop – no surprise – the lake to let the dogs walk and enjoy a bit of freedom.



From bright pumpkins to colorful old wrecks, there is always something to see in the country.



We enjoyed the look of this old barn…



… and the sentiment expressed on this entry gate.




We got back home to find the roof repair completed and the electrical plug in place.



So now Russ gets the bright idea to have some gravel delivered.  He calls the place and they say they can deliver it yet this afternoon so Russ completes the order.  Right about then the call comes from the glass place that Therapy is finished and we need to come pick her up.  So we left a sign for the gravel guys (dump gravel here), went by the yard and paid for the gravel and went to get our Therapy.




So Therapy is no longer cracked and the gravel is in the driveway.  Three yards sounded like a lot more than it turned out to be!!



We’ll se how far it goes once we start to spread it in the RV shed.

Got a lot accomplished on Wednesday…oh and it was also garbage day, the pool cleaner came, and the lawn guy showed up as well.  Busy day?  Yeah I guess you could say that.  Now it’s time to get the gravel spread, get Therapy cleaned up and loaded up and go on a trip…somewhere…anywhere…I don’t care…. I need Therapy!

Donations update

Hijacked by Russ...again

We had a very good response to our post the other day. One reader was willing to join the movement, and would accept a donated motor home! Hobo Joe is presently in Hawaii, but I’ve been unable to find anyone there willing to donate a tag axle diesel pusher like the one he wanted. I’m looking at some other options.

We’re very fortunate to have a couple great motorhome manufacturers near Eugene, so that will make my task much easier. The town of Coburg has Marathon Coach, which is one of the premier coach builders in the country. We wanted to get this one donated, but that was not to be, unfortunately.

There are a couple other leads that I can follow up on.
The cost of renovations were not mentioned on this one. It doesn't look like a diesel pusher, either.

 But this one does, and they may be in the mood to get rid of it, for sure!

Don’t know how much shipping one to Hawaii might cost, but I read one estimate of around $4.00 per cubic foot. That probably doesn’t apply to motorhomes, however. There are some specialty transport companies that could ship a motorhome to Hawaii, but somebody told me you could not register a motorhome on some of the islands. Guess HoboJoe will have to find out about all of that.

I’ll keep trying to find a suitable motor home donation for you, Joe!

As for other donations...some readers requested that we take the donation from their taxes. That would work like this. Calculate your taxes, send me a check for that amount, and I will take the donation from there.

We had several readers who responded and said they were willing to occupy their RV's as soon as possible. That's good news coming from:   Al & Kelly   Rick & Paulette  Me and My Dog  Carol K & Dave 
Now, don't forget to make your cardboard sign. Stay safe, and enjoy the journey.

The Whole Enchilada

Okay, it’s me, Donna.  I see Russ hijacked the blog last night.  Sue said he was  going to give me a run for my money.  Sue, I offered him all the money I had and he STILL wouldn’t run!  It would have been worth it!

Okay, first things first.  About those enchiladas…  To answer a question from Judy, an enchilada is basically any meat or cheese filling rolled up in a corn tortilla, covered with enchilada sauce and usually cheese and baked in the oven.  The most common fillings are shredded beef, pork, or chicken, or just plain cheese.  I have made them just about any way, but the old family recipe departs from this formula somewhat.

I really don’t have a recipe so all amounts are approximate and can certainly be changed.  Most recipes I see as a suggestion anyway – a starting point if you please.  I seldom stick with written instructions.

So here are the ingredients:

6” Corn tortillas – I will give the amounts I would use for a package of 10 tortillas – nothing seems to come in an even dozen anymore!
About 1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground beef
1 29oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 bunch green onions
1 can black olives
About 1 lb. of shredded mild or medium cheddar cheese – sometimes I like to use part jack cheese….but I only use Tillamook!

Empty the tomatoes in a saucepan and add about 1/2 can of water.  Season with a little garlic powder…a couple of good shakes ought to do it.

While the tomatoes are heating, shred the cheese if you didn’t buy it already shredded, cut the olives in half or slice them, and clean and chop the green onions.

Fry the ground beef, chopping it up into crumbles, until  cooked through.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder to taste.

Fry the tortillas in hot oil one at a time and drain on paper towels.  Don’t make them crispy (a little crispy around the edges is okay!)

By now your tomatoes will be hot, thicken them with a little corn starch dissolved in water.  They should be a little thinner than your best gravy!  Put a little bit of the thickened tomatoes in the bottom of a 9X12 pan and spread them around.  This just keeps the stuff from sticking to the bottom.  I spray my pan with Pam before I put the tomatoes in.

Okay, here’s where the lazy part comes in.  I used to stand for HOURS (well, a long time anyway), rolling each tortilla with just the right amount of filling and making sure they were all about uniform.  Finally got smart and now I just spread half the tortillas in a 9X12 pan (deeper is better).  Let the tortillas come up on the sides a little.  Overlap the tortillas as needed – it all works out. 

Toss the hamburger evenly over the tortillas, pour about half of the tomatoes on top, then spread on half the cheese, onions and olives.  Put another layer of the remaining tortillas.  Top the tortillas with the rest of the tomatoes and cheese, and sprinkle the rest of the onions and olives on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees or until cheese and tomatoes are bubbly.
Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans.  Guacamole and chips are optional!

 Oh... about that frozen guacamole…it tasted fine but the texture was a little changed.  When I buy, rather than make, guacamole, I get it from Costco and it comes in four plastic bags.  I’ve frozen those many times with no loss of quality.  I’m not so sure I would freeze the homemade variety again.

Well, that’s enough for now.  We had a VERY BUSY day today, but we can visit about that tomorrow.  Glad to see that Rick and Paulette are just about ready to hit the road.  Elaine reports that the other Rick’s surgery was a success so they may still get to head south sometime this winter.  Here’s hoping.  If you need smile, hop on over to the Dixon’s, and read about Sandie’s 98 year old Aunt Happy!  What a great story.  Merikay had a succinct comment on comments last night.  It won’t take you long to read her post!!  I really liked Donna Cave’s thoughts on old photos, and Al had some great tips on taking backlit photos.  Just one more that really made me laugh…Hobo Joe posted a You Tube video about living at Walmart in your RV.  It’s worth the watch.

So many fun things to read about in Blogland and so many bloggers getting ready to fly south for the winter.  Fun times.

Occupy RV’s

by Russ (Donna is off today)

In light of all the recent “occupy” groups, we might as well add one more. All RV’ers should unite in support of this movement. In my estimate 99% of RV owners would rather occupy their RV than be stuck at home. I know I’m part of that 99% and you probably are too. Our RV’s are environmentally advanced with filtered water systems, self contained sanitation systems, solar powered batteries, etc. No other vehicle today offers such eco-friendly options.

As long as we get organized into a protest group, we can probably get a lot of free media coverage, which will serve to get the word out to other RV’ers who haven’t yet heard. Maybe we can get on TV, or maybe we can get our picture on the internet. We can make a cardboard sign, and a list of demands, too. Did you see Alaska… Occupy The Tundra…even had a list of demands.

I believe that we can all agree that one of our demands should be for equal treatment in public camping locations. In most places the “occupiers” are being allowed to camp in public locations while law enforcement and city leaders “negotiate” peacefully with them. We should be allowed to park our RV’s on the public streets, in public parks, and in all other public owned properties (State and National Parks?) without charge and without enforcement of any ordinances to the contrary. In order to justify this, all we should have to do is show our “Occupy RV’s” cardboard signs, and present our list of demands.

In most cases, there is some monetary support being provided for these groups, and we should demand the same thing. They are requesting donations of food and meals and even laundry services, and we sure could use all of that. Volunteers to provide computer support and internet access is certainly something we could all use.

In San Diego, they are seeking volunteers to donate RV’s that could be used for certain uses. If you don’t have an RV at the moment, you can join our movement and we’ll request that an RV be donated for your use.  (see Occupy San Diego )

It appears that the timing of this movement is just right, too. Many RV’ers are getting ready to move from the cold northern regions to the warmer southern regions. That means we have some great locations to gather groups of “Occupy RV’s” supporters together. Imagine places like Quartzite, Yuma, Palm Springs, other sites in Southern California, many areas in Florida and Texas and other warm sunny places just covered with large groups of RV’ers!! It would be perfect!!

So, here’s what you need to do now. First, make a cardboard sign with OCCUPY RV’S written in large letters. Second, make up a list of demands. You can use the ones above, and add more as you wish. Then, get as many fellow RV’ers together in one place and make a big press release to the media, so we can get as much coverage as possible.

After that, we can get more volunteers for everything, get more organized, form committees, have meetings, you name it. This should make a huge impact!! Now, we need volunteers to start  building a website.

Oh, by the way, any donations of money that might come in…make sure it gets sent to me.

Stay Tuned for Enchilada Recipe!

…but not tonight!  I have been fighting a migraine for several days and tonight the migraine is winning.  I am going to bed and hopefully I can kick it without taking any more medication. Just didn't want you who asked to think I was ignoring you.

have a good evening all and see ya later.

Holy Guacamole–it’s stuck in the freezer!

First thank you all SO very much for your care and comments on my post yesterday.  Yeah, it’s the pits when something like that happens, but you all know that pithy old saying, “*hit happens.”  We will talk to the insurance tomorrow and I’m sure it will all work out.  Hope I didn’t sound like a whiner.

If you want a great synopsis on what’s happening in Blogland, hop on over to Donna’s (not me!) Cave Dwellings page.  She worked her fingers to the bone bringing the latest happening onto one page. 

Well, if there is one thing that can take your mind off a problem, it’s another problem.  A few weeks ago, I made some REALLY good guacamole.  We didn’t eat it all so I put the leftovers in a bag and put the bag in the freezer.  Didn’t think anymore about it until I tried to remove the bag from the freezer about a week ago. 

What I failed to consider was that the bag was filled with a semi-liquid substance and I sat that bag on a wire shelf.  Well, DUH, gravity and liquid combined to find the lowest possible point and the corner of the bag settled down between two wires on the shelf…and then FROZE that way.  The result was that the glop of guacamole that settled under the wire was wider than the space between the wires making it impossible to extract the bag from the freezer. 

I pondered this for several days and pushed and pulled and tried to spread the wires without breaking them.  All to no avail.  That guacamole was not coming out of the freezer.  Guess I would have to defrost the whole freezer.  But wait, said my brain finally kicking into gear, why not just take the other stuff off the shelf, take the self out and defrost just the guacamole???  Now why did it take me more than a week to think of that?

I took it out on the deck to get a picture.  That is the bottom of the shelf.



See how it has frozen around the wires?  It would NOT turn loose.  Then I took the whole thing inside and hit it with the hair dryer for a couple of minutes.

Voilà… the guacamole was freed and Russ was a happy camper.


Now here’s the reason I wanted the guacamole so badly.  I was REALLY hungry for some home-made enchiladas…the old family recipe.  This is not fancy but it sure is good…made just like mother used to make them.  Well, almost…years ago I gave up rolling individual enchiladas, I just layer everything in the pan.  Tastes exactly the same with a lot less work.  So we had us a Mexican feast today, Enchiladas, bean, rice, and yes, chips and guacamole!

Heart Attack On a Plate

Not so good for you but good all the same.

Just goes to show…nothing like a little stress eating of high fat, high carb food to make you forget your troubles!!

P.S.  I also made a pumpkin pie but that’s for later tonight after the enchiladas have settled!

Vandalized?!?!

I am heartsick!  We were going to wash Therapy this afternoon and get her ready to go on a short trip.  I went out to pull her out of her little house and saw what I thought was a spider web across her windshield.  As I got closer I could see it was a big crack going right across the drivers side of the windshield.



It appears that a rock or a BB hit the outside rim of the windshield and resulted in the large crack.



You would think that sitting back from the road and under cover Therapy would be relatively safe, but I guess not.  She has been sitting there for about 2 weeks without moving and neither  the chip nor the crack were there when we put her away.  She was getting dusty and that is why we were going to give her a bath.



This is not the first time something like this has happened.  About a month ago, our often beaten mailbox was finally totally removed from its post and disappeared.  It was three days before a neighbor several streets over figured out where it belonged and returned it to us.  It had been dumped on his front lawn.

These types of incidents are so totally senseless.  There is nothing to be gained by the perpetrator but they know nothing will happen to them so why not?  The police likely will not even take a report.  We didn’t even call in about the mailbox but if kids are allowed to get away with random vandalism, they only become emboldened to try for even bigger crimes in the future.

It was about two years ago when my daughter was here visiting.  She was getting loaded up to go home and had placed her camera in her car on the seat.  She locked the car and came back in the house.  When she went back out a few minutes later, her camera was gone and this is what she found:




Now in this case they got something good…a brand new DSLR camera worth about $1800.  Her insurance bought her a new camera and the police eventually recovered her old one.  It was a burglary ring operating in the area and they are now in jail.

We live right next door to a primary school.  One of the reasons we cut down the arborvitae along the driveway was to eliminate the hiding places and short cut kids would take through our property.  For all we know, kids might have been walking through the carport throwing rocks at each other.  Or someone could have been driving by and shooting a BB gun.  No way to tell.

So Monday we call the insurance and perhaps the police and see where we go from here.  I am angry and disgusted but I will not let this get me down (except for today!).  We will carry on, do what needs to be done to fix the problem and go on from there.  It’s really a small problem in the big scheme of things – it’s the senselessness that bothers me.

It just goes to show…no matter how hard you try, you cannot protect yourself from every eventuality.  So do the best you can and don’t worry about the rest and above all…HAVE FUN!

Good Medical News

As we age it seems we don’t often get good news from the doctor…especially with chronic illnesses like diabetes.

Just had to share that Russ got some really good news today.  His last two eye exams showed the beginnings of diabetic retinopathy.  That is where tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye begin to leak.  This is what causes blindness in diabetics.  Laser surgery can be utilized to slow the process but eventually, vision is lost.

Today the eye doctor said Russ’s eyes looked just fine.  He said the vessels have healed without any intervention.  He doesn’t need to go back for six months.  This was great news.  I thought I was fairly well-versed in the problems associated with diabetes but I did not know that the blood vessels could heal once the problem had started.  YIPPEE!!

Not everyone hates the snow!  (January 2008)

I have been promising to bake Russ a pumpkin pie for some time and just never seem to get around to it.  Yesterday we were shopping and he saw a pumpkin pie in the bakery that looked good – AND it was sugar free!  I checked the carb count and it was 55g per serving!  YIKES!  Just for fun I checked the regular pumpkin pie…it was only 42 grams of carbs per serving!  Go figure.  It’s kinda too bad because if diabetics, or other dieters, do not understand the implications of the high carbohydrate count, they may be fooled into thinking “sugar free” means it’s fine to eat the product.  Buyer beware!

Just a Short Post

Spent yesterday and today on chores.  Yesterday we took all the rugs, blankets, comforters, etc. to the Laundromat.  All that stuff that’s too big to go in the washer at home.  I HATE Laundromats but it’s a chore that must be done once in a while.  Some of the smaller blankets and rugs I could wash at home but I figured since I had to take the quilts, I may as well get all the big stuff done at once.  Glad it’s over.

Today was another “chore” day, and we were out and about running errands – like stocking up on peanut butter.  The main street in our neighborhood is called River Road.  It runs from near downtown Eugene clear out to Junction City to the north.  When we moved out here, it was just a small two lane country road, lined on both sides with huge cedar and fir trees.  It was so beautiful and peaceful. 

The population on the north side has grown like crazy in the last 15 or so years.  River Road eventually had to be widened to accommodate the traffic and those beautiful trees were cut down.  In their place, small saplings were planted – some deciduous tree that I don’t know the name of.  Anyway, I was not happy about that.

Now those trees have grown up and one of my favorite sights in the fall is all the bright yellow trees along River Road.  For about a mile or more, these trees line both sides of the street.  They provide a canopy of green in the summer and in the fall, it looks like a burst of sunlight.  The leaves fall and make a big mess, but it is a beautiful mess.   Just had to share a photo of some of these trees.  This picture does not have the same effect as seeing it in person as this is only a short portion of the street.  It’s much more dramatic to the entire section of roadway with the bright yellow trees on either side. 



Just goes to show…we may not like change when it happens, but sometimes it turns out okay anyway!

♫Blue Skies…♫…Nothing But Blue Skies ♫ ♪

It’s been wonderful weather here in Eugene for the last couple of days…and it’s supposed to stay that way all week…Yippee!

We survived our trip to Portland and our stay in a (gasp!!) hotel, all without incident and without bedbugs!  We had a wonderful suite at the Marriott Residence Inn.  It had a main room with sofa and chair, computer desk, dining table and chairs and a full kitchen…including frig with ice maker, dishwasher, and full sized electric range.  Off this room was a vanity area/dressing room and from there, a bathroom and a separate bedroom.   It was really very spacious and comfortable. 

Before we brought the luggage in, we inspected the room thoroughly using flashlights and picking up couch pillows, bed linens and even the mattress!  I have to admit that one of the reasons we got back into RVing is my pathological fear of bedbugs.  Here’s a few photos of the room.  You’ll notice the bed is a little messy from us pulling it apart for inspection!  Still a very nice place and if you find yourself in need of a room for a night or two, I highly recommend the Marriott Residence Inn, Cascade Station.  Great breakfast too.



We had a great visit with family and even watched part of the Duck football game with (son) John and Joni.  We got tired and went back to the hotel and watched the rest and the Ducks won again – even with a substitute freshman quarterback.  GO DUCKS!!  All the family in Portland is doing fine and we enjoyed our visits.

Back in Eugene we are taking advantage of the wonderful fall weather to visit our favorite local areas.  We love to go out to the lake, even though it is drawn down quite a bit already for flood control.  It’s still a beautiful place to walk and the dogs love it there.  We saw several people with metal detectors walking around in the mud where the water had receded.  Apparently they find some “treasure” here every fall. 



We need a couple of frosty nights in order to get some really good color on the trees, but everything is starting to turn.  I just love the fall colors.

Today we went to Alton Baker Park, on the Willamette River.  This is another great park for walking, bike riding, duck viewing, and just enjoying the great outdoors.  It was nice to have the paved walkways.  Russ was having some trouble with his ankles today so he took his walker along to lean on.  It really helps when you’re in pain, and with diabetes, neuropathy pain can present a problem from time to time.  Anyway, we don’t let that stop us and here are some shots from Alton Baker Park.  In one of the pictures you will see a large white globe.  That represents the sun.  Scattered throughout the park and along the bike paths several miles from this park, are representations of all the planets.  They are spaced and sized proportional to the sun and it is fun to put these sizes and distances in perspective.  We aren’t very big out there in this great universe!



We also took a long drive around some of the back roads of Eugene.  We were looking for some more fall color.  We didn’t find anything any better than what we had already found, but it was a nice drive anyway.  I finally figured out I was probably dawdling along and enjoying the scenery a little too much, when I had to pull over to let a bike pass me – as in BICYCLE, not motorcycle!  In my defense, it was downhill and very narrow and curvy!  I was SIGHTSEEING!!

Still trying to figure out a fall trip while the weather is still nice.  I think we have some ideas!!

Going to Portland

We are going to Portland tomorrow to visit kids and grandkids and celebrate our DIL’s 39th birthday.  Since it will only be a one night stay we decided to use some of our Marriott points and stay at the Residence Inn, rather than load up Therapy. 

This afternoon I watched a show Russ had taped for me.  It was from Animal Planet and the title of the show was “The Bed Bug Apocalypse.”   Sorry, I couldn’t find a link to it…I know how disappointed you are.    Don’t EVER watch a show like this the night before you are going to stay at a hotel.



If you don’t hear from me for a few days, it may mean I was eaten by the bedbugs in Portland…or it may just mean I left my computer at home this time.

What Size Are My Pants?

Okay, this is a true story – I am NOT making this up!

I love to shop at Fred Meyer.  It is a one-stop shopping kind of place, everything from groceries to automotive.  They have the BEST clearance sales ever. 

This week they had a special of 70% off all clearance clothing.  This is a great buy.  I got a warm, hooded vest for my grand daughter. Regular price $52.   With the markdown and the additional 70% off, I paid $11 for it.  Found a couple of other items too.

Russ was off looking at electronics while I pawed through all the clothing bargains.  I heard a voice saying, “Excuse me” and I looked up to see a middle age man right in front of me.  He turned around, pulled up his shirt and asked, “Can you tell me what size my pants are?”

Okay, that’s a little strange but I can understand why he might need that information.

“30 32,”  I said.

“And are they 505s?” he asked.



I was forced to take another look at his skinny hiney and confirm that were indeed style 505.

“Just one more thing,” he said….and he rolled down his waistband and asked, “Are they relaxed fit?”

It was stamped on the inside of the waistband and I confirmed they were relaxed fit. Good thing I can read upside down.  I was relieved that he hadn’t asked for the size on his boxers!  I wondered who dressed him this morning.

With that he went his way and we saw him later at the check out purchasing two pair of Levis so I guess he found what he wanted.   He wasn’t obnoxious but it certainly was something I had never encountered before.

Just goes to show, it doesn’t take much to entertain a senior citizen.

Just Joking…

Not much going on today so thought I would share another story sent to me by my friend in California.

A burglar broke into a house late at night.  As he carefully moved his flashlight across the room, deciding on his booty, he heard a voice..

“Jesus is watching you.”

The burglar looked around and didn’t see anyone.  Thinking he was just nervous and imaging things he went back to the task at hand.  Pretty soon he heard it again…

“Jesus can see you.”

Again he saw no one and assumed maybe he still had some conscience left after all.  But he ignored the voice and continued his nefarious scheme.  Then he heard the voice yet a third time…

“Jesus doesn’t like what you’re doing.”

This time when the burglar inspected the room with his flashlight, he noticed a parrot watching intently from his perch. 

“Jesus is watching you,” repeated the parrot.

“What are you talking about? Just who do you think you are?” asked the frustrated burglar.

“My name is Moses,” replied the parrot.

“Are you kidding me?” asked the burglar.  “What kind of people would name a parrot Moses?”

The parrot looked at the burglar and replied. “The same kind of people who would name their Doberman Jesus.”

Thanks All…

Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions yesterday.  I did take it all to heart and am pulling a few things out everyday and finding new homes for them.  My daughter is trying to downsize too so she didn’t want much but she did offer a home to some unused picture frames!  So far I haven’t found anyone who wants the cassette tape storage cases, can you imagine??

I am glad no one suggested a garage sale.  I just can’t do those anymore.  So much work and then you make $200 and spend half of it on pizza and Coke for your helpers!  But the worst part is having complete strangers pawing through your stuff and offering you a nickel for something that in your mind is worth at least fifty bucks…and that’s not counting sentimental value.  Much easier to give it away and be done with it.  In my next life, I swear I am going to move every five years whether I need to or not!  Staying in the same house for 35+ years just makes it too easy to accumulate “stuff.” 

So not much else to report.  Russ had a doctor’s appointment today and the nurse was nice enough to include me in the flu shot dispensing, even though I didn’t have an appointment.  Glad to get that out of the way.

And now for some gratuitous dog pictures!  Ya’ll know how much I love my dogs.  I admit Rusty is getting a little clumsy and senile but he is still my boy.  He loves nothing better than to sit and watch the pool and the yard.  Most of the time he wants the sliding door open and he’ll lay on the carpet with just his paws in the doorway so I can’t shut the door.  Yes, I indulge him!  But yesterday the weather was not too hot and not too cold and he enjoyed just laying on the deck.  I had to get some pictures as I still think he’s a handsome older fella…








It seems so many bloggers have lost their pets recently and my heart breaks for each one of them.  I am so grateful for each day I have with Rusty and Poppy.  They truly are my fur kids.

What Goes…What Stays????

What can I say…we have been working this weekend.  B.O.R.I.N.G!! Got the solar panels on the swimming pool drained.  But before we could do that we had to cut some branches out of the way…and as long as we had the trimmer out, we had some more branches over the back gate that needed trimmed…you all know how that goes.  One thing leads to another!

So we ended up trimming branches from several droopy cedar trees.  Those trees sure do make a mess but I just love them all the same.  Maybe if I put up a sign for free cedar boughs around Christmas time, I could get them trimmed for free! 

And that’s just part of the mess!

I went out to pick tomatoes for lunch today, but before I could get to the tomatoes, I had to pull up the 4 foot tall lettuce that had gone to seed.  Then I found nothing but GREEN tomatoes.  The weather has definitely turned here and I fear those tomatoes will not be ripening this season.

We started cleaning the garage this morning…part of our plan to make ourselves less tied to “stuff” and more mobile.  There were a few things that were definitely easy to toss out or put in the donation pile.   The bread-maker was a definite giveaway, as were the storage bins for cassette tapes!  Why would anyone keep these empty in the garage for umpteen years?  I don’t know!!



But most things I touched stayed for another day.  It’s not the “stuff”, it’s the memories attached to that stuff that makes it so difficult to throw anything away.  How do you throw away mugs that say “#1 Dad” or “Somebody in Hawaii Loves Me”?  And so we didn’t…

One thing I kept was a little plastic dish set that I bought for my first grandchild.  That young man is now 22 years old and he and all seven of the grandchildren that followed him, ate from those same dishes when they were at Grandma’s house.  How do you do it?  How do you throw away the dish that sixteen precious little hands have held? 


Silly, I know, but how do you get past that?   Some things I  threw out this time that I couldn’t throw away last time I tried this, so perhaps, in due time, more will go.  Once it sits unused in the garage for 10 years or so, maybe I’ll lose my connection to it.

We did make progress and have quite a few things to take to the Goodwill.  And my sister said she needs some mugs and glasses, things I have more of  than I could use in two life times.  It makes me happy when I can give things to someone who needs them, especially if they are going to be kept in the family.

So, little by little, piece by piece, we will work on getting this clutter more manageable.  And while we do, we will remember to keep our eye on the goal and that is to get “Off our Rockers and into Therapy” – the sooner the better.

We are probably down to short trips now until the spring but you can bet we will be in that motorhome whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Fall Frolics and Silly Squirrels

Before I talk about the last couple of days, I just want to take a minute and thank all the wonderful folks out there who read my blog and comment once in a while (or more often!).  Like many other bloggers, I started this as a way to keep in touch with friends and family when we travel and also as a diary to help me remember the where we had been!!

When other folks started following my blog, I was astounded.  I had no idea there was an entire community of like minded people out there in the blogosphere.  Some of you I have been privileged to meet and others I certainly hope to meet someday.  These friendships and sense of community have become very meaningful to me.  And if we disagree from time to time, or tease, or laugh or cry together, well…that’s what friends are for!  Thank you all for being my friends.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blog, already in progress!

What a great two days we have had here in Eugene.  A bit on the damp side, but the temperatures are still mild, with just a bit of a nip in the air.

We have been making regular trips to the lake to exercise the dogs (and ourselves!)  The lake has already begun to shrink as the water is drawn down in anticipation of the rains to come.  The boats are being removed from their summer moorage.


It always looks kinda lonely when the slips are empty and the water starts to recede.


This fella is getting a head start on his treasure hunting this year!

Don’t think I would be that dedicated.

We went to Detering Orchard to pick up some apples and just enjoy the nice day.  We found an interesting bin of onions that Russ said had Jerry’s name written all over it.


I think they have a Peanut Butter Bush growing out back. The jars were in all sizes – just like the onions.

Here are some more pictures of Detering Orchard and their wonderful fall colors.



We are so fortunate to have farms and orchards within minutes of our house.  Today we visited our favorite farm, Lone Pine.  I have to admit to thinking Lone Pine is getting a little too big for its britches!!  They have become so commercial that it really isn’t a family farm anymore.  But on the plus side, it’s a great attraction for kids and at least gets them out on the farm. 

Some of the produce is still raised right here on the farm but in the fall, the hayrides and attractions seems to be the big drawing card.  I noticed something new inside the store.  They had little bags of what looked like sand but it promised an artifact of some type inside each bag.  These little bags sold for almost $5.  Seemed silly…until I went outside and saw they had installed sluice!  Buy your bag of sand then run it through the sluice and discover “Treasure”!!


Well, I suppose the kids get a kick out of it.  Click on the slide show below for more pictures from the farm.



Back at home Russ saw this little critter scampering around the yard.  He was digging holes all over the lawn…big holes…holes his whole upper body could disappear into.  When Russ went out to have a heart-to-heart with him, he was all sweetness and innocence.


And that of course is…  THE END!

Quick Post–Cute Picture

Had a fun day today but will write about it tomorrow.  Great college football on tonight so I’m all engrossed in watching the Oregon Ducks fighting off the Cal Bears.  We had season tickets for several years but finally decided we would rather spend all that money on travel.  Besides, it’s raining here – and we are watching the game dry and cozy in our own living room.

But I had to show this photo I got from my daughter today.  My 14 year old granddaughter, Anna, is in  her first year of high school this year.  She has joined the Junior ROTC at Oregon City High School and we are so proud of her.  Doesn’t she look grown-up in her uniform?  Seems like only yesterday she was just a little girl in pigtails and ruffles.  Anna, I love you.



Remembering…