We Had a Great Day

We had such a good day yesterday.  Friday night we got a call from Allen and Lolita.  They recently sold their home in Corona, CA are on their way to make a new home in Canada. They would be passing through Eugene on Saturday.   We have met Allen and Lolita a couple of times before and had a great time with them.  When they asked if we wanted to get together we were ready!

A couple of weeks ago we missed a chance to meet up with some other bloggers.  We were still reeling from recent losses and could hardly complete a coherent sentence without becoming emotional.  I was so sorry to disappoint but I think they understood.  I am happy to report that we are both doing so much better.  We brought Rusty’s remains home on Thursday, and although that was difficult, we feel better knowing he is at home.  Someday we will scatter his ashes beneath his favorite tree in the backyard but I don’t know when that will be.  And though my life is changed forever with the loss of my sister and my best dog ever, I know that life goes on and we must go on with it.  To do otherwise would be like trying to walk through quicksand.  The loss will always be there but so will the good memories. 

My 12 year old granddaughter, Bekah, posted something on her FB page a couple of days ago..  She said “Sometimes I ask myself: why me? But I realized that if we never went through pain, we would never know the happy feeling of knowing the pain was over... And that you got through it in one piece.”   So wise for one so young.  I think maybe she is going to be a philosopher like her Daddy (John) ha-ha.

So yesterday we decided was a good day to start the rest of this journey called life on a positive note.  We met Allen and Lolita out at the RV park they were staying in so we could see their new home.  They have a new Bighorn  fiver and it is beautiful. Only a very poor photographer would get the kitchen faucet in front of the subject – mea culpa!!



Their sweet dog Lilly is still getting used to this life on the road and she was a little nervous with our presence.  I couldn’t get a good shot of her but she seemed to be asking her Dad, “What are these people doing here?”


This is Russ and Allen outside the rig.


Since it was a very warm day, we decided to adjourn to our shady backyard and allow Lilly a chance to be off leash and get a little exercise.  I think she enjoyed the backyard and she even did a little running.  Poppy spent the afternoon napping in the bathtub so Lilly had the yard all to herself.

I had been to the farm that morning so I had some fresh green beans and baby Yukon gold potatoes that I cooked up with bacon and onion.  We also had some farm fresh corn on the cob to go with our Costco steaks.  Pretty tasty for a quickly thrown together meal, if I do say so myself!!  Allen and Lolita brought a lovely veggie tray and some Napoleons for dessert.  We all had to save our desserts for later as we were stuffed plumb full from the meal.


Thank you Allen and Lolita for the lovely anniversary card and gift card.  We will put it to good use!


It was just perfect in the backyard, well maybe just a little too warm for me but then I think 70F is warm enough!!  Remember those impatiens I planted around the tree back in May?



They have done real well and now look like this (weeds and all!!).


The snails and slugs are taking their toll on the hostas and petunias but I am fighting the good fight against them.  I think I’m going to pull up all the hostas and just plant impatiens next year.  The snails don’t seem to like them.


The next two weeks here are grandkids weeks, then a slight rest before our family picnic on the 25th of August.  After that we are planning a trip to…still thinking… but we plan on being gone for awhile!  And that’s all the news from Eugene, OR.  Hope you are all having a wonderful day.