Years to Your Health!

That's the name of an herbal shop here in Irving. 

We shopped there this morning and I loaded up with remedies.

I need to be totally well - and SOON!

This afternoon I have sipped more than ONE cup of tea made with my purchases!

We were happy to get our early voting done today and miss the crowds and lines on election day!

I've done everything on my to do list for the day!

Herbal shop.

Vote.

Hair cut.

Popcorn Crunch.

My sister in law, Lynda Kay, and I used to make this ALL.THE.TIME.

It is delicious and much like Kettle Corn.

I popped up a BIG Tupperware bowl of popcorn and I popped it the old fashioned way -

in a skillet on top of the stove.

Then I pulled out my very old but faithful copper saucepan and melted 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 2 Tablespoons of white syrup, 2 Tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and cook - stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Pour this over your popcorn lifting and mixing it to coat the corn.

Dump out on waxed paper and cool.

I store mine in tins!

This BIG tin is to take back to Houston with me.

A smaller tin to take to Fort Worth on Friday.

THEN I made another big batch and bagged up for some special Trick or Treat visitors tonight!

It's just about that witching hour when I need to find my costume, fluff my hair and add a bit of lipstick.

Louis Dean is already out in the front yard picking up pecans!

We will be lighting some candles and leaving the foyer door open so everyone who comes up can see all the fall decorations. We will drink a special wine LD bought at Trader Joe's last week from our Goblin Goblets!

Trick or TREAT????

Be it ever so humble.......

there's no place like HOME!!!

We are HOME!

Lucy and Maggie are HOME!!

It feels good to be back....this time for a whole week!

I have missed all my water fountains.......

and twinkling lights!

And I have missed my bedroom and my bed!

In the RV getting OUT of bed is a strenuous exercise!

Getting out of the Girl Bunk is an acrobatic trick!

Here I can simply throw back the cover and swing my legs to the floor.

The car is unloaded, laundry done, critters situated.......

we are BACK!!

AND we have two complete extra days!!

We are happy we will be here to welcome the Trick or Treaters tomorrow night!

I am going to be busy making Popcorn Crunch tomorrow afternoon!

THAT will be the special treat for the Special Trick or Treaters in our life!

We are spending this first evening at home sitting in the gazebo.

Louis Dean has already had a nice long soak in the tub while I rested.

Listening to the familiar sounds of our neighborhood at night will be our entertainment.

No TV since we cancelled cable.

An old fashioned evening entertaining ourselves through conversation, reading and music.

It doesn't get any better than this, folks!

Everyone Has a Story.....

There are 159 spaces here in our RV Resort. It is unusual to see an EMPTY space! Each one has a 'story' and we have heard a few of them.......

The sites here are occupied by families mostly.

The lane ends so the only cars going there belong to the RV's.....so to speak.

These campers are 'lake side' and the rent is a good bit higher.

In my opinion it's not worth the extra cost but there is only one vacancy among the sites tonight.

This is a luxury RV parked right next to a more humble one.

A retired couple travel in this home.

A young man working here in the same field as my son in law lives in this camper.

He's not home much.

The people in this rig are very much into physical fitness!

You can tell this couple have been here awhile and are not going anywhere any time soon!

I think this is their only 'home.'

This rig is for sale and as far as I can tell no one is even staying in it.

The asking price is $38,000!

I'm a little envious of the awnings.

We can't use ours because Louis Dean needs to repair something or other.

That's why we bought the canopy to use as our make shift gazebo.

I am amazed at how fancy some of these RV's are!

They sit outside in the evenings watching a HUGE flat screen TV built into the side of the RV.

Another fancy one.....

owned by a traveling nurse and her retired disabled husband.

Last month a band of gypsies lived back here.

That was pretty interesting.

Proved to be challenging for the RV Park managers!

The children terrorized a good many of the residents.

One rode their bike right into Louis Dean as he was coming out of the men's room -

and just glanced back as he careened off!

They have since moved out with other people on the waiting list taking their place -

to the vast relief of their neighbors!

A single dad sharing joint custody is a common resident.

The fathers care enough to be close to their children so they buy an RV and live close enough for the shared custody to work.

I think this is one of the most 'vintage' campers here.

It has no A/C and the windows are always open.

This camper is our neighbor.

His name is Shawn and he has visited with Louis Dean a few times.

He travels in his work and is a divorced dad of two small children.

We like him a lot and always smile when he has his kids with him because we know that's why he is here!

So he can be close to his kids!

There are rentals at the very back of the RV Park.

One lady has all her possessions in storage (located next door) and is taking a break to decide what she wants to do next in her life.

There are also a handful of RV's available to rent - completely stocked!

We pass this trailer as we come in every day.

I imagine a man - perhaps very much like Louis Dean - lives here.

He has tools and tool boxes, firewood, and pots of ivy!

Very eclectic!

All in all this is a very interesting place to live.

I just today realized that we actually 'live' here!

I am still not fully recovered from being sick with a cold and/or allergy attack so we will be going 'home' tomorrow.  If I'm going to be sick I would rather be sick THERE! I can WALK around my bed there - not have to crawl up over the end!

We have packed enough food for the 7 days we will be back where we USED to live!

Always before we packed up things from the pantry and freezer to bring down HERE!!

Now our pantry/fridge/freezer there is EMPTY!

Lucy and Maggie (our dog and cat) are going with us.

They haven't been 'home' since we left there in August.

We'll miss being here but I am looking forward to being home again - this time for an entire week!

That will make it 12 days that I will not have seen the quads by the time we get back.

I asked Amber to post on Facebook and blog so I can keep up with them.

By the time we get back they will be eating baby food and moving on in their development.

On the other hand, I will get to spend some time with my other four grandchildren, see my mother, participate in a wedding planning session for a beloved niece, VOTE, and have an appointment with my doctor! She has four children and I can't wait to show her pics of the quads!

Now, the sweet potatoes I baked for supper are done and Louis Dean has poured our wine.

We are staying close to the TV watching and praying for those affected by this Sandy 'Frankenstorm!'

I hope YOU are safe and sound this Monday night!

A Quiet Weekend

Louis Dean and I have enjoyed a quiet weekend. I have been resting to get over whatever it was I caught! Could have been allergies - they are terrible here in Texas this time of year.

 Vick's Vapor Rub - I LOVE that stuff!

It works especially well in a steamy tub!

Just in case you didn't spy Louis Dean in the first picture......

He was huddled under a warm blanket while I soaked in hot water!

Can you believe I was the ONLY one in the pool??

It was nippy only when you weren't IN the water!

A soak in the hot tub followed by a hot shower - PERFECT!

I see Louis DEAN!!!

We spent the evening watching some TV programs.

They were all reruns but it was a nice way to pass the time.

My throat was hurting so we didn't do our out loud reading.

Besides, when you're sick you need to sleep a lot so your body can mend -

 it was early to bed and LATE to rise!

Saturday I felt better and although I rested most of the day we did need to get out for a few groceries.

Louis Dean was out of Cookie Butter so we found the Trader Joe's that opened up in an old movie theater in Houston. It was close to the hospital where Amber was for so long before the quads were born. I have been in Houston long enough to know my way around - a tiny bit, anyway!!

I am feeling much better today but we have stayed put here in the RV park.

Sunday has consisted of eating, naps, eating, football games, reading and painting on my Santas. Now we are closing out the weekend with a fire place and a warm blanket outside. The cold snap seems to have warmed up now so it's just a little chilly!

I will close with a pic Amber posted on Facebook.......

It totally makes me SMILE from ear to ear every time I look at it!

BOO!!! It's Halloween Week!!!

My First Sick Day and Other 'Firsts

I knew it would happen sooner or later. I called in 'sick' today! My throat is burning and I just don't feel good! Last night Louis Dean and I were BOTH in bed and ASLEEP by 8 pm! We didn't get up this morning til 8:20. I should have been all rested but I was STILL tired! Amber had her nanny today so I was relieved about that - I hate to let her down. I am still in my night clothes as I write late this Friday afternoon. This late CHILLY fall afternoon. I have sox on my feet and a denim shirt over my 'night clothes.' I no longer wear nightgowns since we shower and use the facilities across the drive. I sleep in what a generation or two ago would have called a 'house dress!' I have not left the camper all day and I don't intend on doing so. Sick days are for sipping a hot drink, sucking on a cough drop and smelling all mentholated from Vick's Vapor Rub. Check on all three.

I have a few other 'Firsts' for today.......

I used the stove here in the camper for the FIRST time!

I cooked up some sausage, fried an egg, and slapped it on a 100 calorie sandwich bun topped with sliced onion and a piece of cheese. Baked it in the oven for 10 minutes and it was delicious!!

Louis Dean waiting for the meal to finish cooking. He is wearing the same look Harrison has when waiting for his bottle to heat!

I've done the odd and end thing around here that I have been wanting to get done.

This curtain was a Goodwill find and I thought I would get a head start on Christmas by hanging it in the bathroom.

We don't actually use the shower OR tub for anything but storage.

 This curtain hides a lot of STUFF!!

I love the Morenci Candles and I love this candle holder from Bath and Body which Amber gave me. It is fall by design but I use it year round.

After I clean a room the next ritual is to light a candle.

Some more 'FIRSTS' from yesterday......

This was my first time to spoon feed the quads!

Or at least TWO of them!

Can you guess WHICH two these are?

This wasn't their 'First Feed' but it was the FIRST one I did!!

Rice cereal - doesn't every baby love this stuff?

I guess fruits will be coming next!

Goodness! They are growing!

Louis Dean is right there in the thick of it spooning that stuff in the little mouth!!

Another First?

The quad's first October!

They make such cute little pumpkins!!!

I got a really good one of Kailey!

Harrison looked like he was trying to get up and leave!

Logan is a tough one to get to smile but she WAS smiling!

Right BEFORE and AFTER I took this pic!

Trystan is serious about her pumpkin sitting!

Amber was doing a 'Pumpkin Shoot' today with the babies posing in their various

October themed clothes.

I am watching Facebook and her blog in order to be among the FIRST to see them!!

Now, back to my book and blanket. Louis Dean just came back from paying the rent here and he heard it was going to be 40 tonight! That's COLD for this part of Texas!

Tips For Northerners Moving South

This came from my sweet neighbor and friend and I found it hilarious!!! AND painfully TRUE!!!
So all my northerner friends - have a good laugh on us!!

* Came from 'The Funny Pages'

1.Save all manner of bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it.

2.If you forget a Southerner's name, refer to him (or her) as "Bubba". You have a 75% chance of being right.

3.Just because you can drive on snow and ice does not mean we can. Stay home the two days of the year it snows.

4.If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.

5.Don't be surprised to find movie rentals and bait in the same store.

6.Do not buy food at the movie store.

7.If it can't be fried in bacon grease, it ain't worth cooking, let alone eating.

8.Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive.

9.There is nothing sillier than a Northerner imitating a southern accent, unless it is a southerner imitating a Boston accent.

10.Get used to hearing, "You ain't from around here, are you?"

11.People walk slower here.

12.Don't be worried that you don't understand anyone. They don't understand you either.

13.The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "Big ol'," as in "big ol' truck" or "big ol' boy".. Eighty-five percent begin their new southern influenced dialect with this expression. One hundred percent are in denial about it.

14.The proper pronunciation you learned in school is no longer proper.

15.Be advised: The "He needed killin'" defense is valid here.

16.If attending a funeral in the South, remember, we stay until the last shovel of dirt is thrown on and the tent is torn down.

17.If you hear a Southerner exclaim, "Hey, y'all, watch this!" stay out of his way. These are likely the last words he will ever say.

18.Most Southerners do not use turn signals, and they ignore those who do. In fact, if you see a signal blinking on a car with southern license plate, you may rest assured that it was on when the car was purchased.

19.Northerners can be identified by the spit on the inside of their car's windshield that comes from yelling at other drivers.

20.The winter wardrobe you always brought out in September can wait until November.

21.If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the most minuscule accumulation of snow, your presence is required at the local grocery store. It does not matter if you need anything from the store, it is just something you're supposed to do.

22.Satellite dishes are very popular in the South. When you purchase one it is to be positioned directly in front of your trailer. This is logical bearing in mind that the dish cost considerabley more than the trailer and should, therefore, be displayed.

23.In southern churches you will hear the hymn, "All Glory, Laud and Honor". You will also hear expressions such as, "Laud, have mercy," "Good Laud," and "Laudy, Laudy, Laudy."

24.As you are cursing the person driving 15 mph in a 55 mph zone, directly in the middle of the road, remember, many folks learned to drive on a model of vehicle known as John Deere, and this is the proper speed and lane position for the vehicle.

25.You can ask a Southerner for directions, but unless you already know the positions of key hills, trees and rocks, you're better off trying to find it yourself.

Sweet Tuesday!

Today was SUCH a good day! I love it when we have a leisurely morning here in the camper! We slept late, had coffee with Sabrina's homemade biscotti, read the Bible and our current book - Kate Remembered. We only read several pages a day so it takes a good while to get through a thick book like this one!

 I even had time to exercise before we headed over to Quadville!

Amber and her nanny were taking Logan and Trystan in for a doctor appointment so that left Louis Dean and I to take care of Harrison and Kailey! TWINS!!

Piece of CAKE!

It was fun to be able to spend some extra time with Harrison.

He is so easy going that I probably hold him LESS than the girls.

Today Granddad and I BOTH paid him a lot of attention!

I can't keep from smiling every time I look at him - in real life or in a photo as I am doing now. SMILE!!! I am reminded of that scary day on June 10th when we nearly lost him. I say a prayer of gratitude for Harrison every single day.

We paid special attention to Kailey, too! I just didn't remember to snap pics!

That child has such charm and personality!

She can turn those eyes on you and light up like a light bulb!

Still and all......I missed the other two!

As soon as they returned I whisked them away for a bath to wash the 'world' off of them! Thankfully Amber is doing much better. I believe it was mostly allergies that caused her to feel so sick. You see, SHE lives mostly in a sterile environment just like the quads do - so an outing in the 'real world' just did her in!

While she was away the FEDEX man delivered a pretty big box!

Snowball had the best time exploring it after Amber got home and opened it up!

The box was actually FOR Snowball and it was ACTUALLY a BOX!!

A LITTER box!!

This elderly cat has given Amber fits with her kitty box.

She goes IN - but her hiney sticks OUT and she pees on the floor.

I saw her do this the other day!

Not just a little pee, either! Like CUPS and CUPS!!

Snowball is diabetic so she pees a LOT!!

Hopefully this will help the problem. The new box is bigger and better and features kitty litter that has an 'attractant' in it!

The things we do for our critters!

We're home now and the camper is smelling all warm and cozy from the dinner in the oven. Under that pile of veggies is a big fat gourmet burger from HEB!

I have been writing this journal post while listening to my very own private serenade from Louis Dean!

I think I'll pour our evening glass of wine and join him out there by the fire while our dinner finishes cooking!!

A perfect ending to this SWEET Tuesday!!!