MORE FOOD, FRIENDS AND CRIBBAGE

Dinner was great. It’s just always amazing to me that it takes four hours to fix this turkey dinner, but in 15 minutes it’s eaten and time to do dishes. Still worth it though. And there is just nothing like those turkey sandwiches.

Jim watched a lot of football over the week-end. I read. We went to Church and then got to watch some more football.

Monday was Jeri’s birthday. According to her it was her 41st birthday. Works for me. We met up with her and Terry at Joe’s BBQ in Gilbert to celebrate her day. They are going to be leaving on Thursday to move to Q so we won’t see them again until January.

I need to apologize for the reflection in her glasses. She was helping me with my computer when I took the picture. Sorry about that Jeri. (She knows I’m not much of a photographer.)

Monday night I decided to take the plunge. They have cribbage night at the clubhouse here in the park. I have not played cribbage in about 30 years and Jim has never played so we were just going to go watch and learn. When we got there we found out they were one player short so I was drafted. Needless to say I slowed things down a bit and didn’t come close to winning. But I did win three hands which made me feel good. Jim and I are going to practice this week for next Monday. It really was fun. And yes we do have a cribbage board. Guess I may need to buy Jim one of these boards though.

THANKSGIVING

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my Aunt Happy. She continues to amaze me. We went to Black Angus which is her favorite restaurant (or used to be). She wanted a steak because they were serving a turkey dinner at her senior living residence that evening. I had rosemary chicken and Jim had a steak sandwich. The company was wonderful, but the food was lousy. Have to find another place to go the next time we go out.

After dinner we went back to Happy’s apartment where she had some old newspaper clippings about my Dad and also some of her adventures. Happy was a world traveler in her day. She went on a 33 day around the world trip on the Concorde back in the 80’s. It’s fascinating to listen to her talk about China, Red Square in Moscow, the Nile in Egypt, the animals in Africa, the theater in London.  She has cruised to Alaska, up the Mississippi and down the Amazon. So many wonderful stories.

And look what Jim brought home.

\

Fish in my freezer is a good thing.

I had thought we would fix our turkey dinner on Friday but the park was having turkey and bean soups with leftovers Friday evening so we joined in. Today I am fixing our Thanksgiving dinner.

BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH

Because I Have Been Given Much was written by Grace Noll Crowell and is my husband’s favorite hymn.

Because I have been given much, I too must give.

Because of thy great bounty, Lord each day I live.

I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see,

who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care…

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share-

my glowing fire, my loaf of bread-my roof’s safe shelter over head,

that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord,

I’ll share thy love again according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need. I’ll show that love by word and deed,

thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

When we count our blessings and see all that God has given us, we feel the need to share it with others. Whether it be money, food, shelter, or love, everything we have is a blessing from God. When we see others lacking we want to share the gifts that God has given us. When we feel of God’s Love, we want to share that love with others and show it in our actions. As you go throughout your day today, think of all the things that God has given you, and think about how you can share those blessings with others. That is truly The Golden Rule.

Have a truly beautiful Thanksgiving Day. And save some of that turkey for sandwiches.

FISHING, FRIENDS, FOOD, AND AN EXPLANATION

Jim went fishing today. Still isn’t completely cured of his fishing pox because he didn’t bring any fish home with him.

We met Jeri and Terry for dinner tonight at the #1 Eastern Super Buffet that we just love. For $12.50 you get all you can eat Chinese food, seafood, sushi, Mongolian grill, fruit, American food, and of course so many different kinds of dessert. Jim and Jeri head for the oysters, shrimp and crab legs. Terry goes straight to the Mongolian Grill and I wander over to the Chinese food. Definitely a recommendation from us.

Now for the explanation. I mentioned in the previous post about selling our motorhome. Several people didn’t realize that we are the owners of two RV’s. When we started out full timing we had a fifth wheel. We then decided that a motorhome would be better to have because it would be easier on Jim to set up. You know – that push a button to level, you don’t have to go outside to start the generator, and you don’t have to get outside when you stop for lunch somewhere. Well, except to take the girls out, of course.

So we traded our truck and fifth wheel in on a motorhome. We truly love the motorhome but Jim found that he was frustrated with not being able to take the boat along unless I drove the truck and towed the boat. However, we didn’t start living this lifestyle so we would travel separately. I know a lot of couples who do that but we didn’t like it. This summer we decided that we were going to go back to living in a fifth wheel and we could tow the boat behind the trailer. Currently, we are living in our fifth wheel and the motorhome is on consignment in Montana.

Hope that makes a little more sense.

YIPPEE

 

Jim’s second boat is sold!! He’s celebrating by fishing today. Now if only our motorhome would sell.

HOT AIR

Sunday, we went to my friend Dianna’s for lunch. She has been my friend since we were in grade school together. She also worked for the IRS and retired this year and lives in Phoenix.


Jim and Nickie












We also had tickets for the Arizona Balloon Classic. After a great lunch we headed over to the event area at Wild Horse Pass. When we got there, the gate people told us nothing was going on that afternoon and we should probably go home and come back about 5:30. We went back to Dianna’s and Jim got to watch the Nationwide NASCAR race. He was happy. At 5:30 we headed back to the event and this is where we ended up.

They must have told everyone to come back at 5:30. Took us awhile to get to the parking lot and by that time they were making us park clear up by the casino. I explained Jim’s bad back and the fact that he has so much trouble walking, so they allowed us to park in handicapped. Worked out just perfectly.
This was the first year of this event and they definitely need to make a lot of changes before next years. They were not prepared for the number of people who showed up. There were not enough food vendors and those that were there ran out of food with people still standing in line. It took over an hour of standing in line to get anything to eat. They had very few balloons there that night because they hadn’t made plans for getting the balloons back through all the traffic. They set the fireworks off 20 minutes early and deflated the balloons that were there. Lots and lots of problems.
One thing that did turn out really good was the Arizona Sky Hawks Precision Parachute Jump.
We had a good time. Not sure we’ll go again for a couple of years until they have a chance to work through the kinks.
Beautiful sunset though.

FISHIN’ AND OPRY

It’s not because we haven’t been doing anything, it’s not because we haven’t been having fun, it’s not because we’re too busy, it’s simply because I haven’t felt like blogging. Some days I just cannot seem to find it within me to sit down and type up a blog. I feel like I’ve used up all the words that I have at my disposal and there’s just nothing there. I’ve been reading your blogs but not necessarily commenting on each one. However, I think those days have passed once again.

We’ve had a great week. Jim’s been fishing and so his fishing pox is almost cured. The final cure would be to actually catch some fish that are big enough to bring home.

We were supposed to meet Jeri & Terry and Diane & Phil at Superstition Skies on Wednesday night, but Jim was late getting back from fishing and Jeri & Terry were exhausted from their long day. So we cancelled those plans and went to Filly’s on Thursday night to listen to Brant and Kerry. Sure do like those guys.

Friday, Jim worked on getting the surround sound working but without success. He’ll try again later.

 

 

 

Friday night we met up with Jeri & Terry again, this time at the Arizona Opry. What a fantastic show they put on. The food was really good considering they were feeding 200 or 300 people. And talented – the lead guy (George) could play almost every instrument you see on that stage. He was the lead singer for the Tokens. Remember the song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight?

It’s a family show that was started by the twin sister’s Father. They also hire musicians to work in the kitchen, usually college kids, who perform a number also. George’s grandson is 6 years old and he came out and performed a dance routine with his Dad that was really fun.

During the summer months they perform at the Rocky Mountain Opry in Estes Park, CO.

A wonderful evening with great friends.

GRANDDAUGHTERS

Madison and Juliet  - Jim’s granddaughters who live in Virginia. Aren’t they just gorgeous? I am so glad their Mom posts these pictures to FB and that she lets me take as many as I want.

As for us – no news from the doctor yet. Jim is fishing, hasn’t caught anything big enough to keep, but is having a great time. I finished my book and started another one. Just gets harder and harder to live this life. LOL

MRI

Jim had his MRI this morning. His appointment yesterday was 44 miles away, the MRI appointment was 45 miles. That’s one way. I have no idea what he was thinking when he made the doctor appt yesterday because it was 8:30 in the morning. I think he forgot we are in a city and there are still a million people who commute to work every morning around that time. It will all be worth it if they can help him out.

Butterbean – I don’t think you could handle the MRI. Jim said you have to lay completely still for 20 minutes and it gets really hot inside the tube. Anybody with claustrophobia would really have a tough time with it. Unless maybe a valium would help.

Now we have to wait until we hear from the doctor about the results of the MRI. Hopefully it won’t be long.

He’s gone fishing this afternoon to recover from the trauma of the MRI this morning. Me? = well I’m going to sit out in the sunshine and recover from the trauma of absolutely nothing.

Welcome Dayton C. as a new follower. I so appreciate all of you that follow along with us on our journey.

MONDAY WANDERINGS

We had planned on going to Filly’s on Sunday afternoon after Church because they have two bands playing. Well, that’s what we thought. Jeri checked it out for us and found out the entertainment doesn’t start until Thanksgiving week-end. We ended up going to a late lunch with Jeri and Terry at Cobb’s. Nothing special, just close by.

This morning Jim had an appointment with the Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) this morning. Faye told us about them and the relief she has received. At Escapade she was so miserable she could hardly walk. So we’re going to see if they can do anything to help Jim so he can walk again. Tomorrow morning he has an MRI. Our fingers are crossed that something good will come of this.

This afternoon was spent running errands from Verizon, to the Animal Hospital to get some skin cream for Scootz, to the bank, to Walmart, and a few other stops along the way.

Pork chops for dinner tonight. Have a good evening.

ROUNDUP

On Wednesday we headed up to Mesa to visit with my Aunt Happy. This time I did call ahead of time to make sure she was home. We had a wonderful visit. When she and my Uncle Don moved down here from Montana, they moved into Leisure World (an exclusive retirement development).

She told us at that time the entire complex was surrounded by desert and farmland. She can remember watching them pick sweet potatoes and the big frame that was used to load them into the truck. She also talked about trying to convince the men on the hospital board that they needed to build their hospital across the road from Leisure World. They thought she was crazy to want to build it out in the middle of nowhere. That hospital is now at the corner of Power and Broadway in Mesa, right in the middle of the city. She was one of the original owners of the hospital.

Not only does she remember her more distant past, but she remembers her yesterday and her morning. (Which is more than I can say for myself some days.)

Wednesday night we headed out to Superstition Skies to listen to Brant and Kerry (B & K) perform. I wrote about them when we discovered them last spring.

Met up with Jeri and Terry and Diana and Phil along with their friends, Bobbie and Bo. These guys are so good and we had a great time.

Thursday was give Scooter a bath day. Thank goodness, Jeri figured out that B & K were performing Thursday night at Filly’s. So guess where the four of us went Thursday night. One of the waitresses was having a birthday so we all got to share her birthday cake. I think she was too busy to even get a sample.

Saw this jacket on a gal at Filly’s and thought about the Good Luck Duck.

Friday was spent running errands and Jim worked on building a cabinet over the microwave. Saturday the girl’s got their nails trimmed and anal glands cleaned out. Now, how exciting is that!

That’s my roundup for now.

VETERANS DAY

To commemorate the ending of the "Great War" (World War I), an "unknown soldier" was buried in highest place of honor in both England and France ( (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th, celebrating the ending of World War I hostilities at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). This day became known internationally as "Armistice Day".

In 1921, the United States of America followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier -- his name "known but to God" -- on a Virginia hillside overlooking the city of Washington DC and the Potomac River. This site became known as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," and today is called the "Tomb of the Unknowns." Located in Arlington National Cemetery, the tomb symbolizes dignity and reverence for the American veteran.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

               THANK YOU VETERANS

SHOTS

I have pernicious anemia. I’ve had it since 1980 and I have to have B-12 shots every month. The first of every month I’d head for the doctor’s office, get my shot and go back to work.

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder in which parietal cells of the stomach responsible for secreting intrinsic factor are destroyed. Intrinsic factor is crucial for the normal absorption of B-12, so a lack of intrinsic factor causes a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood.

Simply – my stomach does not produce the intrinsic factor so my body cannot absorb B-12 from food or vitamins taken orally.

When we decided to full time, I was in a panic about how I was going to get these stupid shots taken care of. (Remember, B-12 is necessary for the brain and nervous system and I need all the help I can get in those areas.) Lori, our nurse in Billings, MT, told me I could give them to myself and tried to teach me how to do it. That was a total disaster.

My wonderful husband stepped up to the plate and said he would give me my shots. So Lori worked with him and for the last three years he’s done a great job and will continue to give me these shots for many years to come.

Now why did this subject come up today? Because I had to get my B-12 serum refilled today. I still have a bunch of needles because they give you a year’s supply of them but only three months worth of the serum. We got it filled at WalMart. And the cost of this prescription made me decide to make this post.

When the nurse was giving me the shot they were $35 every month. Thank goodness my health insurance covered the entire cost. My prescription today cost me 84 cents. That’s for three months worth. The 12 needles cost from $1.39 to $1.89. So around $6 a year keeps me healthy. One of the best deals I’ve ever run across.

Oh – and for those of you have read that B-12 shots can help you lose weight, not true. They do give you more energy. If I miss a month I really notice how tired I feel. But weight loss? Take a look at me. Not happening.

ADDICTIONS

Yesterday my fears were realized.

Jeri and Terry invited us out to their place for dinner and a chance to ride their quads. Definitely couldn’t pass that up even if the weather just was not cooperating. Rainy and cold.

We got to their place about 3:00 p.m. They are at the Arizonian Travel Trailer Resort east of Apache Junction about 10 miles. Nice park out in the desert which is perfect for quad riders. You just need to ride out through their back gate and you are on state land.

After some instructions we were ready to ride. Thanks goodness they let me have the automatic. I’ve never been really good with clutches and gears.

Now if you read Jeri’s blog you will notice the competitive spirit of those “other” three riders. Each trying to go faster than the others. Whatever happened to just enjoying the ride, guys?

Being the only sane one in the group, I took a leisurely ride through the beautiful desert. I discovered that 8 mph was a wonderful speed to travel and enjoy the beauty of the land. Jim started out riding with me but I knew I was holding him back so I told him to go ahead and meet me back at the gate.  Didn’t think he was ever going to show up. Jeri went looking for him a couple of times but I think that was just an excuse to ride.

I didn’t ride very long because it was cold out there. But as soon as the weather warms up we will be back out there riding.

Now for my fear coming true. Jim had way too much fun. It look a lot of fast talking on my part to convince him we weren’t going shopping for a new toy. That’s the thing about addictions – they can be soooo much fun.  

For those of you who went to Sassy’s blog, Sassy is in Canada and can’t come south until after the first of January. She doesn’t like the cold any better than I do and this was her attempt to stay warm.

IT’S NOT COLD HERE - HONEST

Okay I can’t whine anymore. Take a look at the drastic measures Sassy has had to take over at her place.

PURE LAZINESS

A cold front came through the area on Friday night with 60 mph wind gusts which made for a very “moving” night. Then the temperature dropped.

I have not been outside since Friday night when we went to dinner. Does that give you some idea of how much I dislike the cold weather? And I realize “cold” is relative. Highs in the 60’s in AZ are not cold compared to the 60’s in Montana. But I thought it was cold. And it was raining.

We also had dust flying everywhere with all the wind and I ended up with a sore throat and the sniffles. Had to have been allergies because I never really felt like it was a cold. So I just whined and made Jim wait on me.

Jim handles the cold much better than I do so he took the girls out for their walks. They didn’t stay out very long because they don’t like the cold any better than I do. We will all be glad to see the sun again when it shows up later this week.

Jim also got our second boat ready to be put on a lot with a for sale sign on it. Sure hope somebody wants it.

And that’s it. Absolutely nothing to blog about. But that’s going to change today.

Dinner tonight at Jeri and Terry’s and if the weather cooperates, my first ever time on a four-wheeler. And the sun just came out. Yea!!!

HITCH UP/DUST STORMS/CHINESE FOOD

Thursday morning we had another wonderful breakfast of pancakes, sausage and fruit. It’s really going to be hard to go back to cereal every morning. Except when Jim is cooking that is.

 

After breakfast it was time to get hitched up and head back down into the valley. There was a weather advisory for Friday (wind, dust, snow in the higher elevations like we were at) so Thursday was definitely a travel day.

 

Made it back to Apache Junction almost without any problems. As we came off the Interstate in AJ, Jim stepped on the brakes and discovered our trailer brakes were not doing their job. Jim thinks the drums are out of round but he hasn’t had a chance to take them apart yet. Thank goodness we have a couple of months before we’ll be going anywhere again.

Today I got laundry done and we hunkered down for the dust that’s headed our way. Well, we hunkered down for a little while.

We had important things to do – like meet up with  Jeri and Terry  for dinner at the #1 Eastern Super Buffet. One of the best Chinese buffets we’ve found in the area.

Jeri and Terry are staying at an RV park east of us in Gold Canyon so we’ll get to see them often if we can drag them off their new four wheelers.

SEEING THE USA IN OUR CHEVROLET

Isn’t that a great title for a blog? And it belongs to Gordon and Juanita Pierce.

 

I don’t remember how I found their blog but I just had to follow along with that title. Then I found out they had this wonderful Beagle puppy and that just sealed the deal.

Finally got to meet them. They were camped at Distant Drums RV Park in Camp Verde on their way to Mesa, AZ for a few months. So on Saturday afternoon (while Jim was working on trailer jacks with Bill) I went knocking on their door.

Even though they weren’t expecting me until Sunday, they invited me in and we had such a great visit. And, of course, I fell in love with Abbey.

We will definitely be spending some time with these folks during the warm winter months in Arizona.

RALLY – WEDNESDAY

Not sure how our hosts are going to top yesterday but I know they’ll give it a great try. As far as the wagon backing – the motorhome couple had her in the wagon and him backing it up. Took them over seven minutes to get parked. The fifth wheelers (who were our king and queen and not a couple) were able to accomplish the deed in about 3 minutes.

You can draw your own conclusions – were men giving better directions or did women follow directions better than the men?

Breakfast on Wednesday was scrambled eggs, ham, hash browns, fruit, applesauce and muffins. We definitely aren’t going hungry at this rally.

Had our Chapter Meeting after breakfast with more prizes and the drawing for the WalMart gift certificates. They sold tickets for three gift certificates with the proceeds going to Escapees CARE.

For those of you who are not familiar with CARE, it is an assisted living organization for Escapees at Livingston, TX. You stay in your own RV and are provided three meals a day, laundry service, and a nurse is on call. They provide a lot more including day care for Alzheimer’s cases and help for care givers. It’s a wonderful service and can be used for short teerm care – if you have a hip replacement and need a place to stay to recuperate – or if you need long term care. Most of the work is done by other Escapee members who volunteer a month of their time.

The 46 people who attended this Rally raised $771 for CARE. Pretty impressive, I’d say.

Tonight we went to the Blazin’ M Ranch for a chuck wagon dinner and show.

 

 

 

 

Had a blast at the Ranch. Food was great and so was the entertainment. We took a tractor ride around the farm, wandered in and out of the shops, went to their museum which is full of wonderful “wood in motion”, had a great dinner and then topped it all off with some fabulous country music and comedy.

They performed Ghost Riders In The Sky and had some great special effects with the ghost and the horse riding around the building outside.

Another great day. Hard to believe the Rally is going to end tomorrow. That means I have to go back to figuring out what’s for dinner and cooking. Horrors!!

RALLY – TUESDAY

Had biscuits and sausage gravy, fruit and muffins for breakfast this morning. Great way to start the day.

Jim and I then took off for the Jeopardy Road Tour. Our Rally hosts, Jan and Bill and Dave and Sherry came up with a really neat driving tour of the Verde Valley using road signs and businesses along the 34 mile route. They gave us the answer and we had to come up with the question. For example: The answer was: Help. The question is: What is the sign with Smokey the Bear saying help prevent wildfires.

Lots of fun even when one of the answers drove away and left us all missing one question.

Tuesday night was spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. For dessert we had cake celebrating Jan and Bill’s wedding anniversary.

After dinner were prizes and the parking contest. One of the couple had to sit in a little red wagon, the other half was blind folded and had to back the wagon into a site by listening to their partner in the wagon. It was hysterical. And no Jim and I did not try it. They only used two couples, one from a motorhome and one from a fifth wheel. We did not volunteer.

BACK UP A LITTLE BIT

I skipped a couple of days so I could post the Halloween Party on the right day. The internet here is extremely slow and frustrating so uploading pictures takes a while.

This was our sunrise when we got up Saturday morning to head out of AJ. The trip was uneventful which is exactly how I like them. We planned on boondocking at the Cliff Castle Casino for two nights until we moved into the RV park on Monday for the Rally.

Got to the Casino and they are having an RV show and a Classic Car show in the parking lot where we are going to park. Oh well, we moved on to the parking lot of the restaurant that belongs to the Casino and settled in. Eventually we were joined by four other rigs for the evening.

After lunch we headed over Distant Drums RV Park to meet up with members of the group who came in early. (We didn’t want to pay the $33/night. That’s why we opted for the Casino parking lot.)

 

Bill and Jan are having problems with their front landing jack so Bill and Jim had to see if they could fix it.

 

 

 

A bunch of us went out to dinner Saturday night at Babe’s BBQ.

Sunday morning Jim and I went to Sedona for breakfast. Thanks to Yelp we found the Mesa Grill. It’s located at the Sedona airport. Never thought of a good restaurant at the airport but this place sure changed my mind for me. Our breakfast was excellent. Our waiter had a senior moment and forgot our order, but the owner took care of us and we got our food very quickly. I would definitely make a trip back there to try out their lunch or dinner. It was a lot of fun to see the small planes taking off and landing.

 

Jim checked out the place right next door which offers helicopter tours and bi-plane tours of the red rock area. Jim really wants to do a bi-plane tour so we’ll have to see when and if we can work that into our budget.