There are some changes ahead for us Peaceful Highway travelers. We've decided to buy a house, just a small one with a normal yard. I think the main reason we have made this decision is because we moved into this lifestyle too early. I have health issues that make it impossible for me to work outside the home so I'm here all day by myself.
The by myself is not a problem, but there is only so much time I can spend writing, taking pictures and cleaning. I am a busy person. My illness is such that I have to do many things for short periods of time. I cannot do anything repetitively. My brain works about the same way, so it isn't as bad as it might sound. I get bored with anything very quickly.
I like to tinker in the garden, tinker in the kitchen, take care of plants, pets, and my dh, of course. I can't find enough tinkering things in this small space and neither can my dh when he is home from work. If we were already retired and traveling this wouldn't be such an issue.
The other problem is that we are not wealthy so sinking major bucks into a larger rig seems foolish. We have to plan for the day when we will no longer be able to travel and neither one of us want to be a burden on our children.
So the highway will still be peaceful and we will still be traveling. I'll be sharing some tips for plant care, baking, etc. I hope you keep on following along...
Till next time,
Peace to you,
Tammie
"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting for in movement there is life, and in change there is power!" --Alan Cohen
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Has to be said
Have you ever been with your dear husband with your children in tow behind you in a grocery store or a department store and you hear this sweet, feminine voice call out, "Well, hello (put your DH's name here)"? The voice belongs to an old schoolmate or co-worker.
I have and it happened to be the grocery store we always shopped in so it happened nearly every shopping day. Well, it made me angry because to this obnoxious woman, my children and I were invisible. Of course, as most DHs, mine was oblivious. After incident two I told him next time she does it, you are introducing your wife and your two children.
Well, come shopping day, I again hear that sickening, overly sweet voice holler out across the deli section. My blood starts to boil and I start counting. I look at Allen, his face has gone a shade of gray that isn't healthy. Nevertheless, he looks at the woman and smiles, dragging me and the kids along behind him and saying under his breath, "Be nice, she's just being friendly." Of course, all of us wives know she isn't!
I am seething, oh, did I mention that I tend to be a little jealous, I don't like women flirting with my husband. Anyway, here we are standing in front of this woman who I don't fail to notice is older than I am (so is my husband), this woman is an ex-classmate. I smile and try to be friendly. As we walk away, while I'm wondering if this woman is as ugly as I think she is, my youngest daughter pipes up and says, "Momma, that lady looks like Miss Piggy."
I squeeze her hand in appreciation, but tell her we really shouldn't say things like that about other people, but I just can't erase the smile on my face.
This happened years ago, but I never quite convinced my husband that this woman has a crush on him that won't stop. He tells me I'm crazy and I find another store to shop in.
Well, today, I get a call from my dear husband and he tells me that he's been in class all day. I ask him how it went and he tells me about it and then casually asks if I remember dear Debby. I say, you mean Miss Piggy? And he kind of laughs, but he sounds a little nervous. I ask him what's wrong and he says she is now working where he does and she was in the class with him today.
All I say is, "Oh?" The blood is starting to simmer here, but I'm cautious, I want to hear the rest of the story. He starts in, yes she sat one person away from me. Again, I say, "Oh?", then I slip in, "Who sat down first?"
He answers that her stuff was on the table, but no one was sitting there when he sat down. So far he's safe!
He continues by telling me that she kept talking to him and then asked if he remembered the candle he made for her in the eleventh grade to which he answers, "No". She tells him that she kept it until just a few years ago when she finally let her granddaughter burn it.
"She freaks me out," he says. "I don't remember any stupid candle and I now realize you were right, this woman likes me or something because she won't leave me alone through the entire class and she's mooned over that stupid candle that I think someone else must have given her. I'm just praying I don't ever see her at work again. I don't want to talk to her."
The blood is cooling off and I tell him it will be okay. I know that now he will never speak to her again if at all possible and I know she better not speak to him with me around or I know where she'll find that candle the next time she's looking for it!
I have and it happened to be the grocery store we always shopped in so it happened nearly every shopping day. Well, it made me angry because to this obnoxious woman, my children and I were invisible. Of course, as most DHs, mine was oblivious. After incident two I told him next time she does it, you are introducing your wife and your two children.
Well, come shopping day, I again hear that sickening, overly sweet voice holler out across the deli section. My blood starts to boil and I start counting. I look at Allen, his face has gone a shade of gray that isn't healthy. Nevertheless, he looks at the woman and smiles, dragging me and the kids along behind him and saying under his breath, "Be nice, she's just being friendly." Of course, all of us wives know she isn't!
I am seething, oh, did I mention that I tend to be a little jealous, I don't like women flirting with my husband. Anyway, here we are standing in front of this woman who I don't fail to notice is older than I am (so is my husband), this woman is an ex-classmate. I smile and try to be friendly. As we walk away, while I'm wondering if this woman is as ugly as I think she is, my youngest daughter pipes up and says, "Momma, that lady looks like Miss Piggy."
I squeeze her hand in appreciation, but tell her we really shouldn't say things like that about other people, but I just can't erase the smile on my face.
This happened years ago, but I never quite convinced my husband that this woman has a crush on him that won't stop. He tells me I'm crazy and I find another store to shop in.
Well, today, I get a call from my dear husband and he tells me that he's been in class all day. I ask him how it went and he tells me about it and then casually asks if I remember dear Debby. I say, you mean Miss Piggy? And he kind of laughs, but he sounds a little nervous. I ask him what's wrong and he says she is now working where he does and she was in the class with him today.
All I say is, "Oh?" The blood is starting to simmer here, but I'm cautious, I want to hear the rest of the story. He starts in, yes she sat one person away from me. Again, I say, "Oh?", then I slip in, "Who sat down first?"
He answers that her stuff was on the table, but no one was sitting there when he sat down. So far he's safe!
He continues by telling me that she kept talking to him and then asked if he remembered the candle he made for her in the eleventh grade to which he answers, "No". She tells him that she kept it until just a few years ago when she finally let her granddaughter burn it.
"She freaks me out," he says. "I don't remember any stupid candle and I now realize you were right, this woman likes me or something because she won't leave me alone through the entire class and she's mooned over that stupid candle that I think someone else must have given her. I'm just praying I don't ever see her at work again. I don't want to talk to her."
The blood is cooling off and I tell him it will be okay. I know that now he will never speak to her again if at all possible and I know she better not speak to him with me around or I know where she'll find that candle the next time she's looking for it!
AC
The air conditioning is still not right. Allen has cleaned the coil, which seemed to help, but the breaker is still tripping infrequently. This means that I am still stuck here unless I take the cats with me, which isn't always possible. The next step is to change the capacitors in the AC since we've changed the breaker and cleaned the AC. If that doesn't help, we don't know what to do. The technician at the Airstream dealership has been very helpful and says he could do no more than we have done with the exception that he would charge us $90.00 per hour!
I'm at a crossroads in this lifestyle. Our coach is small, but we were willing to work with it until we decided definitely what type of RV we wanted when Allen retires or if we even wanted to continue this lifestyle at all. It does have its drawbacks, so far the benefits have far outweighed the minor drawbacks we've encountered.
Friends in the park tell us to go ahead and buy a fifth wheel, there is more room, that will make all the difference. We don't see it that way. We don't have the resources to make big purchase mistakes, if we did, we wouldn't still be in our small motorhome!
We now have to make some hard decisions. Do we repair this RV? Buy another RV while still this far out from Allen retiring? or Do we give up and go buy a house? I don't want to put a huge amount of money into repairing an RV that I know I don't want to keep for an extended period of time but on the other hand, I don't want to purchase a fifth wheel and then decide I'd rather have a motorhome or vice versa. When it comes time to sell or trade in a RV it is just the same as a car, it is never worth what you paid for it no matter how "good" the deal was!
Well, we can procrastinate a little while longer. We're changing both capacitors in the AC tonight. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will solve our problem and postpone major decisions for a little further down the road!
Until next time...here's wishing ya'll a peaceful journey down your highway!
I'm at a crossroads in this lifestyle. Our coach is small, but we were willing to work with it until we decided definitely what type of RV we wanted when Allen retires or if we even wanted to continue this lifestyle at all. It does have its drawbacks, so far the benefits have far outweighed the minor drawbacks we've encountered.
Friends in the park tell us to go ahead and buy a fifth wheel, there is more room, that will make all the difference. We don't see it that way. We don't have the resources to make big purchase mistakes, if we did, we wouldn't still be in our small motorhome!
We now have to make some hard decisions. Do we repair this RV? Buy another RV while still this far out from Allen retiring? or Do we give up and go buy a house? I don't want to put a huge amount of money into repairing an RV that I know I don't want to keep for an extended period of time but on the other hand, I don't want to purchase a fifth wheel and then decide I'd rather have a motorhome or vice versa. When it comes time to sell or trade in a RV it is just the same as a car, it is never worth what you paid for it no matter how "good" the deal was!
Well, we can procrastinate a little while longer. We're changing both capacitors in the AC tonight. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will solve our problem and postpone major decisions for a little further down the road!
Until next time...here's wishing ya'll a peaceful journey down your highway!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Issues
I have been away from Peaceful Highways for far too long. A lot has happened. I started making my hats for kids. I have a small bag full of hats and toys in several different sizes and styles. I try to make them interesting and fun for kids to wear. I sure wish there was no need for hats like these and children everywhere could be healthy, happy and taken care of. In a perfect world...
We went to St. Augustine for the July 4th weekend and had a wonderful time. We spent all of it with our older daughter and her husband. We went out to dinner, kayaked and swam in the ocean. My younger daughter also got to come for one night, which made it even more special. I sure didn't want to come home, I wanted the fun to continue and the wheels to keep on turning!
For the past week my parents have been sick. It started with my mom being hospitalized for stomach pains, which turned out to be diverticulitis. While my dad was visiting her, he went to grab lunch in the hospital cafeteria and within 20 minutes of finishing his lunch; he was vomiting, having uncontrollable diarrhea, and profuse sweating.
The nursing staff rushed him downstairs to the ER where his condition continued to worsen until his blood pressure completely bottomed out and the doctors thought they were going to lose him. Finally, he was stabilized and testing to find out just what was wrong was totally inconclusive. Doctors thought he had a ruptured aortic aneurism, but finally the cardiologist said it was just a very bad case of food poisoning. If that's how bad food poisoning can get, it doesn't inspire one to eat out very often. If a hospital cafeteria isn't safe, where is safe?
It's starting to slow down finally and my parents are on the mend. Thank you Lord! But we are having trouble with the RV, the AC keeps turning off due to popping the breaker and it has been a real chore trying to track down the cause-no definite answers yet. It means I am stuck here pretty much 24/7 unless I want to take the cats with me because the heat is unbearable in here when the AC is off for more than 20 minutes.
Here's to hoping the highway gets peaceful again very soon! Until next time....
Tammie
We went to St. Augustine for the July 4th weekend and had a wonderful time. We spent all of it with our older daughter and her husband. We went out to dinner, kayaked and swam in the ocean. My younger daughter also got to come for one night, which made it even more special. I sure didn't want to come home, I wanted the fun to continue and the wheels to keep on turning!
For the past week my parents have been sick. It started with my mom being hospitalized for stomach pains, which turned out to be diverticulitis. While my dad was visiting her, he went to grab lunch in the hospital cafeteria and within 20 minutes of finishing his lunch; he was vomiting, having uncontrollable diarrhea, and profuse sweating.
The nursing staff rushed him downstairs to the ER where his condition continued to worsen until his blood pressure completely bottomed out and the doctors thought they were going to lose him. Finally, he was stabilized and testing to find out just what was wrong was totally inconclusive. Doctors thought he had a ruptured aortic aneurism, but finally the cardiologist said it was just a very bad case of food poisoning. If that's how bad food poisoning can get, it doesn't inspire one to eat out very often. If a hospital cafeteria isn't safe, where is safe?
It's starting to slow down finally and my parents are on the mend. Thank you Lord! But we are having trouble with the RV, the AC keeps turning off due to popping the breaker and it has been a real chore trying to track down the cause-no definite answers yet. It means I am stuck here pretty much 24/7 unless I want to take the cats with me because the heat is unbearable in here when the AC is off for more than 20 minutes.
Here's to hoping the highway gets peaceful again very soon! Until next time....
Tammie
Friday, June 25, 2010
Troubles
Living this lifestyle isn't always easy when not on the road. It is frustrating to have wheels, but they don't go anywhere! I begin to feel sorry for myself and there is nothing worse than self-pity! I stewed in it for a few days. It's not the reason there hasn't been a post since 6/17! I didn't stew that long.
Then I sat myself down and figured I had better straighten up. I started counting all the things I have to be thankful for. I have a roof over my head. I am warm and dry (sometimes a little too warm). I get to see a beautiful sky and trees and listen to the birds singing everyday. I have a wonderful husband that comes home every night and I know he loves me. I have two wonderful daughters that call me nearly everyday and I am very fortunate to still have my mom and dad.
Life isn't so bad here. So I get a little bored sometimes and the money is tight since I had to leave work, but that is little stuff. My mom always told me that when you start wollering in self-pity, it is time to do something for someone else. And as usual, mom was right!
I pulled out my crochet bag, found my little hat patterns that I was making for children with cancer, chemo-caps and I got busy making more. If these little hats can help brighten a sick child's day, it is a terrific thing.
I wish I could do more for them. Bless their hearts. I look at pictures and read the stories about these awesome children and it tears my heart out. All they go through and yet they keep a smile on their little faces.
Children are so resilient, so innocent and so forgiving. No wonder in Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (New International Version)
God bless all the little children for the times this world is heading for are not for the weak, nor the Godless.
Peace until next time...
Then I sat myself down and figured I had better straighten up. I started counting all the things I have to be thankful for. I have a roof over my head. I am warm and dry (sometimes a little too warm). I get to see a beautiful sky and trees and listen to the birds singing everyday. I have a wonderful husband that comes home every night and I know he loves me. I have two wonderful daughters that call me nearly everyday and I am very fortunate to still have my mom and dad.
Life isn't so bad here. So I get a little bored sometimes and the money is tight since I had to leave work, but that is little stuff. My mom always told me that when you start wollering in self-pity, it is time to do something for someone else. And as usual, mom was right!
I pulled out my crochet bag, found my little hat patterns that I was making for children with cancer, chemo-caps and I got busy making more. If these little hats can help brighten a sick child's day, it is a terrific thing.
I wish I could do more for them. Bless their hearts. I look at pictures and read the stories about these awesome children and it tears my heart out. All they go through and yet they keep a smile on their little faces.
Children are so resilient, so innocent and so forgiving. No wonder in Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (New International Version)
God bless all the little children for the times this world is heading for are not for the weak, nor the Godless.
Peace until next time...
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Storm
I took some pictures of yesterday's storm. It was a gusher, rained for hours, but we needed it so badly. The grass was turning brown and the heat is extraordinary for this time of year. We were blessed with a cool, beautiful morning today. I actually took a walk.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Time On My Hands
One thing my new lifestyle (I've got to stop calling it new, we've been here six months already!), is giving me is an abundance of time. I've always wanted time to do the things that I want to do. Well, now that I have that ever elusive time, I don't know what I wanted to do with it!
I took a look around at the few books that I brought with me in our tight space. Most of them have to do with Biblical studies and lost scrolls of the Bible. Some deal with writing, always a favorite past time and the rest are fiction favorites.
It wasn't a long stretch to figure out what I wanted to do. Writing + Biblical Studies=A new blog! I just launched God-My Perspective yesterday, http://god-myperspective.blogspot.com/. I hope you like it. As always I welcome your comments and questions.
Well, I just heard a loud roar of thunder. Our summer afternoon storms are back, I hope to stay. It got fierce here yesterday. I've learned my lesson, the awning stays rolled up most of the time. We have some ferocious winds off the lake here and add a storm it is a recipe for disaster.
The last day that I left the awning up, an unexpected, fast-moving storm turned it into a sail. I don't know how it stayed attached to the coach, but thankfully it did. It's a little stretched, but still works and looks fine. That's one expense I didn't want to cover right now.
The sky is black and lightening is zig-zagging across the sky. I stuck my head out to check on the sky and the air is sharp with the smell of ozone and the wind is whipping. It won't be long before the real booming and blustering gets here so I'll sign off. Koali and Scooter like some extra attention to help them through the weather.
I took a look around at the few books that I brought with me in our tight space. Most of them have to do with Biblical studies and lost scrolls of the Bible. Some deal with writing, always a favorite past time and the rest are fiction favorites.
It wasn't a long stretch to figure out what I wanted to do. Writing + Biblical Studies=A new blog! I just launched God-My Perspective yesterday, http://god-myperspective.blogspot.com/. I hope you like it. As always I welcome your comments and questions.
Well, I just heard a loud roar of thunder. Our summer afternoon storms are back, I hope to stay. It got fierce here yesterday. I've learned my lesson, the awning stays rolled up most of the time. We have some ferocious winds off the lake here and add a storm it is a recipe for disaster.
The last day that I left the awning up, an unexpected, fast-moving storm turned it into a sail. I don't know how it stayed attached to the coach, but thankfully it did. It's a little stretched, but still works and looks fine. That's one expense I didn't want to cover right now.
The sky is black and lightening is zig-zagging across the sky. I stuck my head out to check on the sky and the air is sharp with the smell of ozone and the wind is whipping. It won't be long before the real booming and blustering gets here so I'll sign off. Koali and Scooter like some extra attention to help them through the weather.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Heat
It is so hot. I am a native Floridian, but this has got to be the worst heat we've had this early in the year. It's not even officially summer yet. This past winter was extremely cold. We had an extended spring, but one day it was spring and the next day it was hell.
My poor kitties sit in front of the fan even in the air conditioning. It hasn't cooled enough in the evenings for the past few days to even take them outside to play in their Kittywalk. I've tried, but they just sit there and pant. It's pitiful.
Even in the shade, the heat is so humid that it feels like I'm wrapped in a wet blanket that has been set on fire. I don't remember ever being this miserable in June. August, yes, but not June. I don't look forward to what August has in store for us. The heat index has already topped 100 degrees.
We watched Knowing, the other night. This heat makes one wonder if the sun really is heating up and getting ready to scorch us right out of existence!
Until next time, stay cool...
My poor kitties sit in front of the fan even in the air conditioning. It hasn't cooled enough in the evenings for the past few days to even take them outside to play in their Kittywalk. I've tried, but they just sit there and pant. It's pitiful.
Even in the shade, the heat is so humid that it feels like I'm wrapped in a wet blanket that has been set on fire. I don't remember ever being this miserable in June. August, yes, but not June. I don't look forward to what August has in store for us. The heat index has already topped 100 degrees.
We watched Knowing, the other night. This heat makes one wonder if the sun really is heating up and getting ready to scorch us right out of existence!
Until next time, stay cool...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Side Note
It's Koali again. I was sitting here beside her as she was writing that last entry and now I understand. Just because she's on a diet, she's put me on one too. I wondered what was up with this half dish of food thing. She even takes it away from me in the middle of a snack.
Now I'm thinking that stupid, glorified cage outside with the cutesy little hammock things is not really for fun. She must be exercising us too! Some nerve. I won't go in it willingly again and if I do I'm just going to lay there and pout, unless that flag thing starts blowing again. I just can't resist that, I have to climb up and get it. It isn't fair. Again, I'm being manipulated against my will. HELP!
Look again at this fine physique, do I appear portly to you? I can't help Scooter is scrawny.
I think I'm pretty close to perfect just the way I am. You're welcome to make a comment here...
If this wasn't a G-rated blog, I'd call her a nasty name. The thing is she encourages stupid Scooter to eat. What's up with that? It isn't fair and I just want it noted that I am protesting this treatment. If anyone wants to give a guy a warm cot and some food to eat; you've got my address. Okay, it's her address, but maybe your emails will wake her up to the fact that my bags are packed. I can find someone else that will appreciate me and my husky build. It's muscle, really!
Now I'm thinking that stupid, glorified cage outside with the cutesy little hammock things is not really for fun. She must be exercising us too! Some nerve. I won't go in it willingly again and if I do I'm just going to lay there and pout, unless that flag thing starts blowing again. I just can't resist that, I have to climb up and get it. It isn't fair. Again, I'm being manipulated against my will. HELP!
Look again at this fine physique, do I appear portly to you? I can't help Scooter is scrawny.
Setting a Few Goals
I've been putting it off for years, but I've got to get serious about losing weight. I do lose, but then I gain it back plus a few extra pounds. I'm sure that sounds familiar!
My cholesterol is up, my blood pressure is border line. I'm disappointed in myself because I said I'd never be overweight. Well, here I am, a fatty. I'm not counting calories this time, I'm just trying to make better choices. I know what I should and shouldn't eat and I've counted calories, fat grams, etc., etc., for so long I have those pretty well memorized too.
This time I'm adding more and consistent exercise. We have a gym and a pool in our park so there are no excuses. I have to be careful what type of exercises because I have fibromyalgia and if that gets started, I won't be exercising at all.
I've been walking on the treadmill, doing some stair stepping and a lot of stationary bicycle. I'm doing a little weight just for the triceps and biceps and some ab lounger for the baby tummy that just never got back to normal after baby number two.
I see women that have had four and five babies that look like they've never had any. All I can say is it must be in the genes because the women I know personally don't exercise at all. It's disgusting, really!
I've got three months before I have to back to the doctor so that will be my motivator. My special treat is swimming in the evening after my morning workout. I love swimming and it's just a bonus that it is good for me.
My cholesterol is up, my blood pressure is border line. I'm disappointed in myself because I said I'd never be overweight. Well, here I am, a fatty. I'm not counting calories this time, I'm just trying to make better choices. I know what I should and shouldn't eat and I've counted calories, fat grams, etc., etc., for so long I have those pretty well memorized too.
This time I'm adding more and consistent exercise. We have a gym and a pool in our park so there are no excuses. I have to be careful what type of exercises because I have fibromyalgia and if that gets started, I won't be exercising at all.
I've been walking on the treadmill, doing some stair stepping and a lot of stationary bicycle. I'm doing a little weight just for the triceps and biceps and some ab lounger for the baby tummy that just never got back to normal after baby number two.
I see women that have had four and five babies that look like they've never had any. All I can say is it must be in the genes because the women I know personally don't exercise at all. It's disgusting, really!
I've got three months before I have to back to the doctor so that will be my motivator. My special treat is swimming in the evening after my morning workout. I love swimming and it's just a bonus that it is good for me.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Interesting Sounds
I was just sitting here waiting for time to go by. I found this interesting singer, Theresa Andersson. I like her music, at least what I've listened to ths afternoon. See what you think. Here is the link: http://www.theresaandersson.com/
Hope you enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Kittywalk and Other Stuff
The cats new toy got here on Saturday. It is very nice. The only thing I'd say that is misrepresented is how long it takes to set up. The directions said ten minutes for each section. We had three sections, it did not take us 30 minutes. It might take us 30 minutes the second time, but it definitely took significantly longer the first time!
I explained to both of the kitties, that this was for their fun and they did enjoy their first session. They ran around and climbed into the hammocks and chased dragonflies and birds. Well, as far as they could anyway. What they don't know is that now when they go crazy chasing each other, I have somewhere to put them so they don't drive me nuts!
½ cup peanut butter
1/3 – ½ cup cocoa or 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter
3 cups regular oatmeal
Mix milk, sugar, cocoa and butter; bring to a rolling boil. Add oatmeal while boiling, stirring constantly. When oats are just stirred in, remove from heat (Do not cook the oats too long). Add peanut butter; stir well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Yield: 48 cookies.
I explained to both of the kitties, that this was for their fun and they did enjoy their first session. They ran around and climbed into the hammocks and chased dragonflies and birds. Well, as far as they could anyway. What they don't know is that now when they go crazy chasing each other, I have somewhere to put them so they don't drive me nuts!
Here is what we got for them: Kittywalk Grand Prix-
We have the nicest family across the street from us. They have four adorable children. They took them blueberry picking last weekend and they brought us over some berries when they got home. Of course all of them were so excited about it and told they all told us all about it all at the same time! I've been thinking about making some cookies to take over to them. Baking cookies in my small oven is not an easy feat, but then I remembered no bake cookies, my kids loved them when they were growing up at home. That solves the problem of a little oven and they are good.
Here is the recipe in case you'd like to make them too.
No Bake Cookies
½ cup milk½ cup peanut butter
1/3 – ½ cup cocoa or 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter
3 cups regular oatmeal
Mix milk, sugar, cocoa and butter; bring to a rolling boil. Add oatmeal while boiling, stirring constantly. When oats are just stirred in, remove from heat (Do not cook the oats too long). Add peanut butter; stir well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Yield: 48 cookies.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Blog Take Over
Shhh, this is Koali. Tammie is not looking, don't tell her I'm taking over the blog this afternoon.
To introduce myself, I'm a pretty cool cat. I'm outgoing, handsome, got blue eyes some say you could get lost in. Sorry ladies, if you're looking to hook-up, I'm just not interested, I've been neutered. Besides, I'm too busy keeping the people entertained.
Today started off like most others. I yawned, stretched, filled up the clean litter box just to give my human, aka, Tammie, something to do. My brother Scooter and I have it all worked out. I go, the human cleans up the box and then Scooter goes. It is pretty funny, she cleans up on command. One time she tried waiting us out, but we just acted like we didn't notice and wham soon as she gave in and cleaned the box, Scooter did his thing. She missed the high five we gave each other (she misses a lot).
Ahh, we don't do it to be mean, she's a pretty good human as humans go. She does get a little upset when we climb on the valences, but we can outrun her and we're just so darn cute, she always ends up laughing at us. All we have to do is hide under something and peek at her and she's over the upset, it works every time!
We had a visitor today, new lady, I haven't seen her before so I had to give my best performance. I walked in front of her with my back arched and tail straight up in the air, giving her my blue-eyed sideways glance with each pass. She ignored me!
Can you believe that? So then I poked her in the leg, nothing. I jumped up next to her on the couch, poked her in the arm, nothing again. What is this dame's problem? Is she blind or just plain stupid? Hey lady, this is me doing my best cuteness, here.
Finally, I can't take it anymore. I lean way over her lap and cock my head so I'm kind of looking her in the eye. Yep, she has eyes, they are open and I finally got a glance, but that's it. Not a scratch, not a pet, nothing.
Well, if that's how she wants to play it. I notice she has a pony tail and I can reach it from the back of the couch. Hmm, no one is looking at me. They are talking away. As stealthy as can be, I slink up onto the back of the couch just behind her head. I lean forward to judge the distance just right, pick up my paw (the right one, I'm a right-handed guy) and just as I'm about to thwack the tail out of the ball park, Tammie sees me. "Don't you dare," she says. That tone of voice means business so I put the paw back on the couch. I sit here for a few more minutes, but I hear Tammie again, "KOALI!" she says a little more sternly.
Guess I'm done. I climb into the chair opposite Tammie and pretend to take a nap. I'm really listening to see if another opportunity will come up for me to be cute. A few minutes later, the talking is done and the lady is saying goodbye. She reaches over to pet my head. Yeah right lady, I think. I tried to get your attention, so don't come petting me now. I back up as far as I can and avoid her touch successfully. I get down from the chair and give her my best go-to-the-devil walk and saunter back to my bed for some peace. You had your chance human, now you can talk to my behind is what I'm saying, but all she hears is purr, purr, grumble, grumble. Humans, we can understand them and they can't speak our language. Who's the superior species? Cats for sure, but stupid humans haven't figured that out yet.
I'm pretty thankful that I have a well-behaved human afterall, I think I'll sleep the afternoon away just to give her some rest!
To introduce myself, I'm a pretty cool cat. I'm outgoing, handsome, got blue eyes some say you could get lost in. Sorry ladies, if you're looking to hook-up, I'm just not interested, I've been neutered. Besides, I'm too busy keeping the people entertained.
Today started off like most others. I yawned, stretched, filled up the clean litter box just to give my human, aka, Tammie, something to do. My brother Scooter and I have it all worked out. I go, the human cleans up the box and then Scooter goes. It is pretty funny, she cleans up on command. One time she tried waiting us out, but we just acted like we didn't notice and wham soon as she gave in and cleaned the box, Scooter did his thing. She missed the high five we gave each other (she misses a lot).
Ahh, we don't do it to be mean, she's a pretty good human as humans go. She does get a little upset when we climb on the valences, but we can outrun her and we're just so darn cute, she always ends up laughing at us. All we have to do is hide under something and peek at her and she's over the upset, it works every time!
We had a visitor today, new lady, I haven't seen her before so I had to give my best performance. I walked in front of her with my back arched and tail straight up in the air, giving her my blue-eyed sideways glance with each pass. She ignored me!
Can you believe that? So then I poked her in the leg, nothing. I jumped up next to her on the couch, poked her in the arm, nothing again. What is this dame's problem? Is she blind or just plain stupid? Hey lady, this is me doing my best cuteness, here.
Finally, I can't take it anymore. I lean way over her lap and cock my head so I'm kind of looking her in the eye. Yep, she has eyes, they are open and I finally got a glance, but that's it. Not a scratch, not a pet, nothing.
Well, if that's how she wants to play it. I notice she has a pony tail and I can reach it from the back of the couch. Hmm, no one is looking at me. They are talking away. As stealthy as can be, I slink up onto the back of the couch just behind her head. I lean forward to judge the distance just right, pick up my paw (the right one, I'm a right-handed guy) and just as I'm about to thwack the tail out of the ball park, Tammie sees me. "Don't you dare," she says. That tone of voice means business so I put the paw back on the couch. I sit here for a few more minutes, but I hear Tammie again, "KOALI!" she says a little more sternly.
Guess I'm done. I climb into the chair opposite Tammie and pretend to take a nap. I'm really listening to see if another opportunity will come up for me to be cute. A few minutes later, the talking is done and the lady is saying goodbye. She reaches over to pet my head. Yeah right lady, I think. I tried to get your attention, so don't come petting me now. I back up as far as I can and avoid her touch successfully. I get down from the chair and give her my best go-to-the-devil walk and saunter back to my bed for some peace. You had your chance human, now you can talk to my behind is what I'm saying, but all she hears is purr, purr, grumble, grumble. Humans, we can understand them and they can't speak our language. Who's the superior species? Cats for sure, but stupid humans haven't figured that out yet.
I'm pretty thankful that I have a well-behaved human afterall, I think I'll sleep the afternoon away just to give her some rest!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
Remembering all our men and women that have given their lives for this country so that all of us may enjoy freedom and all of those that are still serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places on this Memorial Day.
My thoughts are also with the families that have lost loved ones in service and those that may be spending today alone because their loved ones are serving away from home.
Thank you to all of you for your everyday sacrifice.
I love and respect each and every one of you. I only pray that the officials of this country remember our debt to you when it is time for you to be taken care of.
My thoughts are also with the families that have lost loved ones in service and those that may be spending today alone because their loved ones are serving away from home.
Thank you to all of you for your everyday sacrifice.
I love and respect each and every one of you. I only pray that the officials of this country remember our debt to you when it is time for you to be taken care of.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
. It takes awesome pictures, unfortunately, I'm not an awesome photographer, but I'm learning. Here are some pics of last night's full moon. I thought these were some of the better ones, I hope you enjoy them too.
Some Favorite Recipes
Here are a couple of recipe favorites:Campfire Cornish Hens
Oil the Dutch oven
with a couple tablespoons Olive oil. Place 3-4 potatoes, 3-6 carrots (or a small bag of baby carrots), 2-3 cut-up stalks celery and 1 large onion in bottom of Dutch oven. Wash 2 cornish hens and pat dry, season with salt, pepper and garlic, inside and out. Put some onion slices and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity and place hens on top of vegetables. Place 18 coals on top of oven and 8 coals underneath. If more coals are needed, start them in a chimney starter
.Cook for about an hour to an hour and a half. Serves four. If you're just serving two, this recipe is great the first day with a half hen per person and vegetables on the side. For the next day, cut the remaining hen into chunks and stir into the vegetables for a delicious stew. Great with a crusty piece of French bread and butter!
Molten Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. butter
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli
-it's the best!)1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
A little butter to grease custard cups
about 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
to dust custard cupsButter two 6-oz. custard cups
generously, then dust with unsweetened cocoa. Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave on high for about 1 minute, be careful not to burn, stir to complete melting.
Whisk together egg, egg yolk, and sugar. Continue whisking until pale yellow. Pour a little bit of warm chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk in to temper the egg mixture. Continue pouring the chocolate into the egg and whisking until well combined. Gently fold in half the flour that has been sifted over the batter.
Divide the batter between the two custard cups. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Tip cake onto a serving plate or serve from the custard cup immediately. Can be served with or without ice cream.
*Can be made ahead of time, just cover custard cups with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and let the custard cups set out of the refrigerator while oven is preheating. Cook for about 15-16 minutes.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Bad Boys!
I've talked about their antics and I'm sure they will make their entrance into a later blog as well, so it's time I introduced the hooligans we share our space with (it's not much space, to make it very clear how much we like these guys!)
Without further ado (drumroll please)...here is Koali:
And his cohort in crime...Scooter:
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Early Morning
Some pictures from an early morning walk. I hope you enjoy them!
Cypress Knee
Someone else is on the prowl!
The sun is finally up and breaks through the trees.
Choices
Every moment of life is a choice. We choose to be happy or sad. We choose to be nice or not so nice (I hate to say nasty, because there are shades of every thing).
I tend to be a loner, but I know that I also enjoy friends. It's nice to see a friendly face following a knock on the door or to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the phone line. I enjoy chatting online with people that I've never met and I still consider them my friends.
I don't tend to keep friends for long periods of time. Maybe it's me. I'd rather move around the next bend in the road than stay still so that may reflect in my relationships too.
My husband and I have been together 28 years so thankfully this isn't true about all of my relationships. I feel that every life that has touched mine has enriched my life in some way. Even the negative experiences have taught me something.
I try to let the negative things in life go and to find the positive aspect of even the most terrible parts of life. I've had my share of negative life experiences and I've spent my time at the bottom of the emotional garbage pile. However, it is our choice whether to stay there or to climb back to the top.
In all of the worst parts of life, my belief in God has been the ultimate thing that has helped me to make better choices. When I put my faith in Him and not in others or material possessions, I am a stronger person and better able to make good choices.
It is a mistake to blame sadness, hatred, and bitterness on someone else. The choice to keep the negativity or to let it go isn't easy, but try to replace it with something positive, which does becomes easier the more it is practiced.
Until next time, enjoy life one day, one moment at a time and smile!
I tend to be a loner, but I know that I also enjoy friends. It's nice to see a friendly face following a knock on the door or to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the phone line. I enjoy chatting online with people that I've never met and I still consider them my friends.
I don't tend to keep friends for long periods of time. Maybe it's me. I'd rather move around the next bend in the road than stay still so that may reflect in my relationships too.
My husband and I have been together 28 years so thankfully this isn't true about all of my relationships. I feel that every life that has touched mine has enriched my life in some way. Even the negative experiences have taught me something.
I try to let the negative things in life go and to find the positive aspect of even the most terrible parts of life. I've had my share of negative life experiences and I've spent my time at the bottom of the emotional garbage pile. However, it is our choice whether to stay there or to climb back to the top.
In all of the worst parts of life, my belief in God has been the ultimate thing that has helped me to make better choices. When I put my faith in Him and not in others or material possessions, I am a stronger person and better able to make good choices.
It is a mistake to blame sadness, hatred, and bitterness on someone else. The choice to keep the negativity or to let it go isn't easy, but try to replace it with something positive, which does becomes easier the more it is practiced.
Until next time, enjoy life one day, one moment at a time and smile!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Got the Vacuum!
We decided on a SterilAire canister vac. It is compact and powerful, includes a HEPA filter, filter bag, and a 5 year guarantee. It seems perfect for our circumstances and the price was reasonable.
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Perfect Evening
This life it grows on you. It takes practice learning to relax and enjoy life and the world we live in. It brings back childhood in so many ways!
Last evening started out like most others, I greeted my man at the door and offered him a beverage. We sat for awhile in the silence listening to the AC hum and the cats breathe.
As the sun sank lower in the sky the view from our living room window was so spectacular that we decided to venture outside. The heat had broken and a gentle breeze swept the stray hair from my pony tail off my face.
In the east, the far away sky was darkening with threatening clouds and a faint scent of rain wafted in with the breeze blowing from that direction. In the west, the azure sky and billowy clouds were lit on fire by the golden and pink rays of the setting sun.
Ducks flew by with their endless wing beat, squawking in their eagerness to find their home nest before darkness settled in. We could hear a small engine plane in the not too far distance but the clouds obscured its view.
We sat in our lawn recliners
enjoying the delicious breeze and listening to the pleasant sounds of children playing. Watching them run through the dampening grass, stirring up the scent of broken grass blades and damp earth brought back memories of our own childhoods.
I remembered evenings spent with my childhood companions including my little brother. We were conquering enemy castles, riding our bikes
as if they were magic flying steeds. The feeling of grass blades and soil squishing between our bare toes and the smell of the crushed blades and damp earth when we laid down our heads for a quick rest before another adventure.
I glanced over at my man in the other chair and the faraway look in his eyes made me think his thoughts were probably similar to mine. I watched him watch the little boys riding their bikes at breakneck speed and then throw them to the ground to run through the field. The smile on his face became wistful and he turned to me and told me that he used to like running barefoot through the grass as much as these children do.
We stayed out until the last rays of the sun were gone and the mosquitos moved in to dine. Then it was off to bed and to sweet dreams. Good Night!
Last evening started out like most others, I greeted my man at the door and offered him a beverage. We sat for awhile in the silence listening to the AC hum and the cats breathe.
As the sun sank lower in the sky the view from our living room window was so spectacular that we decided to venture outside. The heat had broken and a gentle breeze swept the stray hair from my pony tail off my face.
In the east, the far away sky was darkening with threatening clouds and a faint scent of rain wafted in with the breeze blowing from that direction. In the west, the azure sky and billowy clouds were lit on fire by the golden and pink rays of the setting sun.
Ducks flew by with their endless wing beat, squawking in their eagerness to find their home nest before darkness settled in. We could hear a small engine plane in the not too far distance but the clouds obscured its view.
We sat in our lawn recliners
enjoying the delicious breeze and listening to the pleasant sounds of children playing. Watching them run through the dampening grass, stirring up the scent of broken grass blades and damp earth brought back memories of our own childhoods. I remembered evenings spent with my childhood companions including my little brother. We were conquering enemy castles, riding our bikes
as if they were magic flying steeds. The feeling of grass blades and soil squishing between our bare toes and the smell of the crushed blades and damp earth when we laid down our heads for a quick rest before another adventure.I glanced over at my man in the other chair and the faraway look in his eyes made me think his thoughts were probably similar to mine. I watched him watch the little boys riding their bikes at breakneck speed and then throw them to the ground to run through the field. The smile on his face became wistful and he turned to me and told me that he used to like running barefoot through the grass as much as these children do.
We stayed out until the last rays of the sun were gone and the mosquitos moved in to dine. Then it was off to bed and to sweet dreams. Good Night!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Still No Vacuum Cleaner
I'm still confused about which vacuum to buy. Two days without vacuuming, hair is everywhere. I have to be careful that I'm really sitting on the couch and not on a cat. Seriously, the hair isn't that deep, but I have to make a decision today or it will be.
Another thing I learned this morning, don't drop jars of honey
out of the overhead cabinet. They go behind the couch, which doesn't move. I tried taking out the storage 
drawer underneath, still couldn't reach the honey jar. I tried reaching over the couch, of course my arms aren't that long and they don't bend in the necessary direction to get them where they needed to be. It was painful finding that out, once I got it almost there I had to turn around and take it out. Now my right arm is a little larger than my left due to the swelling!
I found that the metal leg support for the table was long enough to reach but I couldn't see what I was doing. The space between the wall and the couch is large enough to either see the honey jar or to stick in the leg support and try to move the honey jar.
After ten minutes of scooting it around blindly, it finally lodged in a place that I could reach if I could endure the pain of bending my arm in the wrong direction again! While I was removing the leg support it slipped out of my hand and also ended up behind the couch, but thankfully it landed where I could reach it just on top of the honey jar.
With both items now safely out from behind the couch I realize how thankful I should be that the snap lid on the honey jar that allows for easy pouring didn't pop up and allow easy pouring all over the carpet behind the couch! I don't even want to think about what I would have had to do to clean that up.
Another thing I learned this morning, don't drop jars of honey
out of the overhead cabinet. They go behind the couch, which doesn't move. I tried taking out the storage drawer underneath, still couldn't reach the honey jar. I tried reaching over the couch, of course my arms aren't that long and they don't bend in the necessary direction to get them where they needed to be. It was painful finding that out, once I got it almost there I had to turn around and take it out. Now my right arm is a little larger than my left due to the swelling!I found that the metal leg support for the table was long enough to reach but I couldn't see what I was doing. The space between the wall and the couch is large enough to either see the honey jar or to stick in the leg support and try to move the honey jar.
After ten minutes of scooting it around blindly, it finally lodged in a place that I could reach if I could endure the pain of bending my arm in the wrong direction again! While I was removing the leg support it slipped out of my hand and also ended up behind the couch, but thankfully it landed where I could reach it just on top of the honey jar.
With both items now safely out from behind the couch I realize how thankful I should be that the snap lid on the honey jar that allows for easy pouring didn't pop up and allow easy pouring all over the carpet behind the couch! I don't even want to think about what I would have had to do to clean that up.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Vacuum Cleaner
Today I was going to post about some of the adjustment we've had to make. This morning I was presented with another one. I left my Dyson 
with my parents since there isn't room in our RV to store it. Did I mention that we are full-timing in a 26' Airstream MH with no slides? Well, even if I tried to find room for it, my parents have been using it themselves and love it. It doesn't seem right to ask for it back.
I found this awesome little hand vac by Shark
right after we moved in December. It was honestly as powerful as my Dyson and had a washable filter. The only drawback was crawling on my hands and knees to do the main living areas and standing on my head to vacuum in front of the cabin chairs.
We have two Persian cats
and the hair that comes off these two would make one wonder why they aren't bald. When I brush them (outside of course), there is enough hair on the ground to leave one wondering who killed the cat. Needless to say, I vacuum every day.
Yesterday, the Shark wasn't picking up well and seemed a whole lot louder than usual. I took out the filter and cleaned it again, letting it dry outside in the sun. I was hoping this would solve the issues.
This morning, the little blue Shark died. It was a sad moment. The beater brush quit turning, there was no suction, just a very noisy motor.
I'm left with a dilemma. Do I buy another Shark? This one only lasted about 5 months, but to be fair it did receive a lot of use. Or do I buy a different brand? The Dyson hand held is pricey and the charge only lasts about 10 minutes. The Shark has a wonderfully long cord and never lost power. The Shark was under $50.00, the Dyson approaches $300.00. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
I've read review after review of other makes and models, which has only heightened my confusion. If anyone has had this decision to make, I'd love to hear from you. I'll think on it a little longer but I'm already tired of using a whisk broom!
with my parents since there isn't room in our RV to store it. Did I mention that we are full-timing in a 26' Airstream MH with no slides? Well, even if I tried to find room for it, my parents have been using it themselves and love it. It doesn't seem right to ask for it back.I found this awesome little hand vac by Shark
right after we moved in December. It was honestly as powerful as my Dyson and had a washable filter. The only drawback was crawling on my hands and knees to do the main living areas and standing on my head to vacuum in front of the cabin chairs. We have two Persian cats
and the hair that comes off these two would make one wonder why they aren't bald. When I brush them (outside of course), there is enough hair on the ground to leave one wondering who killed the cat. Needless to say, I vacuum every day. Yesterday, the Shark wasn't picking up well and seemed a whole lot louder than usual. I took out the filter and cleaned it again, letting it dry outside in the sun. I was hoping this would solve the issues.
This morning, the little blue Shark died. It was a sad moment. The beater brush quit turning, there was no suction, just a very noisy motor.
I'm left with a dilemma. Do I buy another Shark? This one only lasted about 5 months, but to be fair it did receive a lot of use. Or do I buy a different brand? The Dyson hand held is pricey and the charge only lasts about 10 minutes. The Shark has a wonderfully long cord and never lost power. The Shark was under $50.00, the Dyson approaches $300.00. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
I've read review after review of other makes and models, which has only heightened my confusion. If anyone has had this decision to make, I'd love to hear from you. I'll think on it a little longer but I'm already tired of using a whisk broom!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Full-time RVing-The Beginning
We began full-timing in December 2009. It was the coldest winter we've had in Florida for quite a number of years. We found out that being warm in an RV comes with consequences: the windows and walls sweat causing mildew to build up and spices to harden. Next winter we will have a dehumidifier
.
My husband still works full-time. We are using the time until he retires to iron out the kinks in this life style and to decide if we want to keep a motorhome or buy a truck and trailer or fifth wheel.
We've met some nice people since December, but nothing is permanent. Our new friends have now gone back on the road or back home for the summer. Still new people arrive every day and most are friendly. It is a relaxing life style if you don't get caught up in the little sacrifices one must make to fit into a home of this size!
I still gripe when my convection oven doesn't broil like a regular oven. I don't get to have the African violets that I'd raised for over twenty years and our two Persian cats seem to have ten times as much hair to shed since the size of my home has decreased. These things are small compared to the things we enjoy.
We can pick up and go anytime we want. Housecleaning is done in an hour at the most and that includes cleaning out the closet and the bill drawer! No lawn to mow or lawn equipment to buy. However, this life isn't for everyone, I don't mean to imply that it is. There are some hard adjustments even for those of us who wanted this life style. I'll share more of these in my next post.
Until then...Happy Trails!
.My husband still works full-time. We are using the time until he retires to iron out the kinks in this life style and to decide if we want to keep a motorhome or buy a truck and trailer or fifth wheel.
We've met some nice people since December, but nothing is permanent. Our new friends have now gone back on the road or back home for the summer. Still new people arrive every day and most are friendly. It is a relaxing life style if you don't get caught up in the little sacrifices one must make to fit into a home of this size!
I still gripe when my convection oven doesn't broil like a regular oven. I don't get to have the African violets that I'd raised for over twenty years and our two Persian cats seem to have ten times as much hair to shed since the size of my home has decreased. These things are small compared to the things we enjoy.
We can pick up and go anytime we want. Housecleaning is done in an hour at the most and that includes cleaning out the closet and the bill drawer! No lawn to mow or lawn equipment to buy. However, this life isn't for everyone, I don't mean to imply that it is. There are some hard adjustments even for those of us who wanted this life style. I'll share more of these in my next post.
Until then...Happy Trails!
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