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.
"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
Monday, May 31, 2010
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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