Monday, July 28, 2014

For Today ... Jul 28, 2014

For Today ... Jul 28, 2014
 
Howdy.... I'm taking a breather from camper cleaning to write this part (10 am)
We had a great Sunday and got a lot done in such a short time.  We started a habit in Danville, of eating Breakfast at a Buffet on Sunday mornings. The closest Golden Corral is way to far away for us to just hop over and eat breakfast. But Nyland Cafe, has a good breakfast that is reasonably priced. I had the Scrambled eggs, A spoon of the breakfast casserole (no potatoes in this one) a couple of slices of bacon and one sausage link and two pieces of Waffle.  My second plate was a small slice of Lemon Poppy seed cake, two slices of watermelon and three large strawberries.  I had two cups of coffee, as well.
    From there, we headed to Marshaltown (sp) and Menards to check it out. We were looking for a couple of chairs that would fit where our Love-seat/couch is, in the camper.  Jerry seems to have mis-understood  what I meant by Office Chairs. I meant the type of chairs in the waiting area of the local Ford dealership. Deep seat, thin but nicely padded arms and  comfortable. He thought  Desk chairs.  We didn't find what we were looking for at Menards. I did see Cricut Cartridges but I didn't find one I wanted. I did find glass Votive candle holders for Fifty cents a pair and picked up two pairs.  (Christmas gift in the making)  From there we headed back to Wal-mart in Ames because I had a script to pick up.  Found that the "Back to College" stuff is out.  I picked up a tail gateing Table for $25 and into my cart it went without me asking Jerry about it.  My table I have been using is rather large, missing a bolt and now outside with my plants on it. This one is much smaller and I don't know how tall yet. but I am hoping it's just the right size for me to sew on.  Then be able to put away when I have to, or leave out for a day or two and not be tripping over it or have it filled up with "Other" stuff when my back is turned.  Jerry went looking for chairs. I thought he had stopped at a small pull out bed. Not bad in price but a bit too small for the two of us to sit on, but plenty large enough for one to sit on. Nope, he found the office chairs (remember he didn't know just what I had thought to get) and was trying to put them on his cart. He called me to bring him my cart so he could put the pet food he picked up into my cart. I was looking at Plush throws at the time and ended up putting one in my cart. I didn't buy it , but left it at the register and told Jerry that's what happens when he doesn't let me finish doing my looking. I am thinking of picking up a few of them for Christmas gifts this year, They are so soft. The two chairs cost us a bit over $200 but are well worth it.  When we got home. Jerry mowed the grass and I cleaned up the yard, and held things up off the ground so he could mow around things that don't move ( Wires) The dogs spent most of the time he was mowing outside, out of the way. I put Rocky and Macon inside when they wouldn't shut up but tied Barney to a tree on a short line because he's had a lot of time in the kennel and I figured he needed a break from that. He had a blast while I sat in the chair and read to Jerry the directions on how to put these chairs together.  Once they were done, we had to move things around in the camper so we could get the love seat out.  That was a job. I ended up having to turn it around inside the living room space and then tilting it forward to get the first arm out, smashing Jerry's hand by accident while doing that. Then work the back out. The back cushions are attached and were in the way and had to be pushed out of the way. Jerry was able to put the base in the truck before I even got out the door. Tossed in the legs we had removed, and the seat cushions and a very short drive to the burn pit and a quick dump. we were done with that. Of course we cleaned out around the edges before taking it out of the camper. Jerry found a dollar and a few coins. 
Jerry cooked Hamburgers for our dinner. I Sliced up a large tomato and we had a few potato chips, as well. Yes, I ate a few chips. Not a lot of them.  We had watermelon for dessert and later we had some cookies for a snack.
Rocky got in trouble for jumping into my new chair.  I turned the chairs toward the window before going to bed.  I found kitty tracks in the seats when I got up this morning. I now have both chairs covered in matching blankets
One of the cats is on my "Short List"  I was sound asleep and it attacked my feet with it's claws out. OUCH!  Not sure just which cat it was but all three got booted off my bed and they all know they are in trouble with me, now. That is not a nice way to wake up.
It is soo nice outside that I hate to have to be inside doing all this housework and I plan on spending a bit of time outside in just a little bit with the dogs and a ball or two. Our high today is suppose to be in the low 70'2.  Tomorrow in the mid 70's and Wed. still in the 70's.. the rest of the week in the low 80's.  I  am loving this weather. I want it to last a really long time.  Oh, I do miss the heat a little bit. Not much though. I just hope that this mild summer does not mean a really cold winter.
Tonight I'm going to "bake" a few potatoes in the crock pot once I get the dishes done (just did about half of them) And we will have salad with radishes, tomatoes, Green peppers and Cucumbers added to it.  I plan on making a Jell-o dessert.  I'm going Umber with it.  Staring out with a dark red (Raspberry flavor) then a layer of Orange, and last a layer of Lemon.  I like Jell-O and what I don't use in the cups, I'll chill in a pan and then cut into cubes and make a different dessert for later this week from the rest.
I am hearing... Y&R right now.  had "The View" on a bit ago.  Watching for the Hummingbirds around the feeder than I cleaned and refilled this morning. I know of three that are now visiting it each day.  I hear a car door from time to time as someone here goes out or comes back in. A few birds chirping in the trees, the wind in the trees. There is wind here, all the time. Even a tree windbreak does not stop the wind much.  We have a nice cloud cover right now and we might have  a shower later today or over night.  I'll have to check my plants I have outside to see if I need to water them when I take the dogs out next time.
I am wearing... Cut off  brown sweat pant shorts and a purple top with short sleeves. I have my hair in a pony tail.  I found out I have 3 pairs of tennis shoes, plus three other pairs of shoes and I'm switching them out on a daily basis. Today's shoes are the ones I'm using buttons to keep closed. I do need to replace my slip on, low heeled shoes soon. They are breaking down and I need something easy to get into in a hurry in the dark shoes.
I am reading... Face book and E-mails. 
I am creating... A sewing center in my living room.  I have some material set out for a skirt for Heather and some set out for a dress for Bailey as well as a dress I need to finish for her that I started last Spring. 
One of my favorite things...  working with Jerry outside when it's not too hot. He can sure mow faster than I can, and he's good about putting things together for me.  I wish we knew just how long we are going to be here. I would pick up a few pallets to make a deck outside the door If we are going to be here until December. That is when this job is suppose to be finished.  But we are still waiting for a call from a job in Tennessee that should be starting in late August. But then the worst of the heat of summer will be over with "down South".
A few plans for today...Finish cleaning the kitchen.
sweep the floors and maybe even vacuum the whole camper. 
Sort the laundry and then straighten up the bathroom.
 Set up the tailgating table and see how high it will go. 
iron some material to get it ready to cut.
 

A few plans for the rest of the week... Keep the camper nice.
spend some time outside with the dogs,
cut out a skirt pattern for Heather. a dress for Bailey
sew
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Billie C.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

July 8, 2014

For Today ... July 8, 2014
 
Howdy....  And good Morning. (It's early, 5:30) The daylight hours are getting shorter and I can already see a difference. It's light out, but not as light as it use to be. Harder to tell the colors of things outside just yet. But the great thing is I can open the windows and door and vents for a while each morning to let in the fresh cool air. If we were still "south" I doubt I would still be able to do that. Our high today is in the low 80's.  I'm loving this.... but I know that Winter in Iowa can be way more cold that this or any camper is able to handle and keep comfortable in. We will want to leave here before wintertime gets here.  The weather man just said that our high today is going to be around 82, I may not even have to turn on the air at all today.
The dogs are loving this weather most of the time. I have them tied to one of the Apple trees here and they get to run out into the sun or lay in the shade when they are out. I do have to "clean up" after them at least once a day, but that's okay, I want to keep this lot looking as nice as I can.  I have some things I need to move around a few things and straighten up around the camper a bit,  maybe I can do that this morning, while the dogs are out for their second break. I'm going to let Barney take a ball out then and that will keep him busy for a bit and Rocky will get to lay in the sun. Macon will find a few places to roll.
 I had all three cats sleeping on my bed with me this morning.  They all went into the kennel without any trouble today. Yesterday I had to chase the cats down to put them in the kennel before Jerry left for work. Today they were more than willing to go in on their own. I was able to let them out sooner, as well. They are not allowed "out" while they are protesting being in the kennel. Once they shut up for a few minutes, I'll open the door.
I just cooked up some Onion and Mushrooms in butter. I didn't want to lose my Mushrooms and they were starting to weep a little. I also cooked up some bulk Sausage I had on hand. Jerry didn't like it so we will not be getting more of it.  Now that its cooked, I'll divid it up into serving portions and freeze for my own use later. 
I am hearing... I've got morning news on, but the birds are singing in the morning sun and it can get very noisy at times as there seems to be plenty of birds in this area. We have some Cardnals in the apple trees and I saw a Blue Jay in the tree next door. I've seen a few hawks and finches and swallow's flying around from time to time. I have not seen many wild geese or turkeys or buzzards here.
The other day, while talking to the neighbor, Brian, we saw a deer come out of the trees bewteen two campers across the street and come over to the road before she noticed us watching her and she took off back into the woods. That's the third deer I've  seen since we got here.
I am wearing... Brown cut off sweat pants (shorts) and a stained up white t-shirt. I'm not going any where so I can wear stuff like this that don't look the greatest. I have a pair of pink earrings in my ears.
I am hoping... That Jerry is feeling better when he gets home today than what he felt yesterday when he got home. He hardly said anything to me last night. We both went to bed early. He said he got too hot yesterday. I believe that because it was so humid out and I didnt take the dogs out much yesterday and they were more than willing to run back into the house as soon as they finished what they were outside for.
A few plans for today...  Once I clean up the dishes and fold some laundry and make the beds, I want to clean up outside and tranplant some plants into some fresh soil and find a safe place for them outside for the rest of summer.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Keep up with the housework,  and take care of the pets. I would like to work on some craft before the week is done.
 
 
 
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07 03 14
 We went to De Moines just to see how far away it is... it's a good sized city. Should be, because it's the capital of the state. We did a bit of shopping. Bought two new computers, Jerry has his set up. I'll keep mine in the box until I really need it as it's larger than this laptop is that I'm using now. It will be my back up for when this one acts up again. Picked up a carpet to go outside the door so the dirt will hopefully stay outside now and not on my brown carpet inside. I got a humming bird feeder, still need to fill it and hang it up. A "Y" for the water hose outside. I picked up a couple of plants. I need to take my table outside, but first I need to clean up and move a few things. We stopped at the food store on the way home. Good thing we did as its going to be closed tomorrow. We Needed to pick up a meat for tomorrow, the rest was just stuff I knew we were out of. I needed oil as I used the last of it cooking Jerry's breakfast two mornings ago but the rest was just extra's. I found a good sized bag of ripe bananas for 99 cents. A quart box of strawberries for $1.69. We picked up Charcoal for when we want to cook our hamburgers. Every else where we were today was selling either two bags of Charcoal or large bags and we only need a small bag because we may only cook outside two or three times and just don't need that much of the stuff. Jerry also picked up some Hickory Charcoal briquettes to put with the charcoal to help flavor our burgers with. We got the pet food first thing this morning and I already have everything else we need for a while in the fridge.
I've met a few of the neighbors. A couple of girls who help with cleaning up. across the road and behind the trailer behind our camper. It's nice and usually quiet around here. Every now and then I hear a radio or someone talking loud. I think the older neighbor across the street is a bit deaf and so every one talks really loud around him. Most are long stays here as it's a trailer park and not a campground. There is about 10 campers here, plus those owned by those living in the trailers. There is about 15 trailers that I can think of. 5 or 6 of those are torn up and empty. Most of those, are in the process of being cleaned up or moved off.
 
07 04 14
Yesterday,We went to Walmart to cash Jerry's check and he picked up two computer I spotted on sale. Then, we ate breakfast at Perkins. Then we headed to De Moines just because we could. We drove around on the interstate twice I think, before we headed back home. We did stop at a home depot where I picked up a couple of plants and a piece of carpet I could lay outside our doorway.  Back home and Jerry put the carpet down for me and we let the dogs outside for a while. I also picked up a 6 pack of Tiki lamps, and while at Walmart, I got a hanging basket so I can move some of my plants outside and hang them off of one of the trees here.
 
today (4th) We went to a little mom and pop's cafe and found a treasure. It's not only a cafe but a museum (of sorts) all sorts of information on the Lincoln Highway and how it came about.  We loved it. Then a short drive to a local Dollar General, looking for a grill, No grill but we did pick up a few items. I got another wind chime, and found some candy we wanted (don't "Need" it but wanted it)  From there it was head to Walmart to find a grill. Jerry found one. priced a canopy (didn't pick one up) then home again. Jerry put the grill together and I got to talk to the little boy next door for a bit while his father was working under the trailer that is parked next to our camper. He put the wheels on the axles so it can be moved (soon, I hope)  I hung up a few things in the trees and Jerry is taking a nap while I'm on my computer
 

Billie C.