Wednesday, May 23
The boys go naked in their fenced yard.
Whenever we travel . . .
Reggie and Roger wear their harnesses. This morning I’m all set to go to town. I step outside with harnesses in hand.
“Come here, Roger. Let me suit you up. We’re going bye-bye, honey.”
Roger takes one look and darts around the corner of the house.
Darn that dog!
“Reggie, be a good boy and . . . . ”
Reggie takes one look and darts after Roger.
“Oh, that’s how you wanna’ play it? Fine with me. I’m leaving!”
I take the harnesses into the house.
Soon Reggie and Roger come through the open back door and I quickly shut it behind them.
I pick up the harnesses. They turn and run to the bedroom.
Enough of this!
I grab my keys and head out to the Perfect Tow Vehicle, shutting the back door behind me.
This is good.
As the PTV carries me down the road, I consider the benefit of leaving the boys at the house. Days are heating up quickly in southern Arizona. In order to get errands done before it’s too hot for Reg and Rog to wait in the PTV, I have to get to town very early and then . . .
Rush, rush, rush.
Soon it will be almost impossible to beat the heat for their comfort and safety.
The independence gained by leaving the boys in the cool house means I can go to town later in the day. Morning is my time to get things done around the house, like writing this blog. Now errands can be done in the afternoon.
Upon my return . . .
Alerted by the sound of the PTV’s tires on driveway gravel, expectant faces appear in the front window. I hurry up the porch steps to the door.
“I’M HOME!!!”
Oh, how happy are we three!
An impromptu dance party breaks out in our empty dining room. This morphs into races around the outside of the house and play fights.
(No, I don’t race and play fight. I’m the one who brings in the groceries.)
~ ~ ~
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~ ~ ~
Thursday, May 24
“The truck is here!”
In a flash I pop Reggie and Roger into the bedroom, close the door — “It won’t be long, guys” — and trot outside to open the gate.
The refrigerator that Nancy ordered from Home Depot arrives!
Home Depot contracts with a delivery company to bring appliances to the customer’s door. These two guys, like the two who delivered the washer and dryer, are very professional and efficient.
Not a moment is wasted.
It’s a pleasure to watch people work who know how to do their jobs and don’t lolligag.
The refrigerator is unpacked, rolled into place, leveled, stripped of protective plastic, plugged in, and turned on. I receive instructions to remove all the shelves and bins and wash them, as well as the interior walls, with soapy water (to remove plastic smell).
After a brief explanation of the digital display and answers to my questions, delivery guy hands me the manual and other paperwork, plus the delivery form to sign.
The ice maker is not hooked up because the house doesn’t have a water line to the refrigerator’s spot. That’s okay. My cup runneth over already.
Before the men close up the back of the truck, I ask, “May I have the box? It will make a great floor covering while I paint.”
“Sure! Then we don’t have to break it down.”
Later . . .
Oh, this is sweet. I think the refrigerator from the Best Little Trailer would fit in the freezer drawer!
A rotisserie chicken is set in a place of honor.
The only thing missing is Handel’s “Messiah” upon opening the doors!
In the early evening . . .
I walk to the mailboxes with the crew. Home again, I clip some spearmint from the bunch that grows by the back door. I want to make tea to take out to the porch. While steeping, a wonderful aroma wafts through the kitchen.
I pour the tea into my favorite mug and add a tablespoon of mesquite honey.
Mmm . . . pretty good!
rvsue
NOTE: Here’s an interesting article from organicfacts.net: “10 Amazing Benefits of Spearmint Tea.”
“Unlike many other forms of tea, which use dry leaves and are steeped in a bag or a special tool, spearmint tea is best when the leaves come fresh from the garden and are brewed directly in the boiled water.”
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First?
CONGRATULATIONS, ROBIN! FIRST PLACE!
Hi Sue…
Hi Nancy
Hi Pauline
Have a great day
HI, KEN CANADA! YOU TIED FIRST PLACE!
Ken Canada says….
I am second….haft to be quicker
According to the official rulebook of RVSue and her canine crew, you tied first place because of the recorded time of 12:51 p.m.
You’re legit, Ken. Bask in the glory.
Hi Ken. Hope you have a great day and weekend also.
I wouldn’t mind just sniffing that tea!
Hi, Pat,
It’s so nice I might make tea even when I don’t want to drink it. 🙂
Congratulations. Now you have to fill the fridge. Don’t forget the ice cream.
Thanks, David. Are you psychic or something? You caught me with a tub of Tillmook ice cream on my lap. Reg, Rog and I are treating ourselves to Marionberry Pie. 🙂
It’s great that you’re evolving a routine to meet the heat of the Arizona summer. It certainly looks as if the boys enjoy it!
I think I need a cup of mint tea. I’ll come back here later.
Hi, Calvin,
Every day I’m leaving them as I go into town. I want it to become an accepted part of our routine, no big deal.
Enjoy your tea!
I’m loving how the boys are loving their new “playground.” So much fun to watch them romp and play.
Hi, Suzette,
I like to see how proprietary they are about their fenced world. They go out every morning to patrol. I detect a bit of pride, I think. 🙂
I am sure they do.Eddie sits at the top steps of our deck and surveys his fenced in yard.Stares at it for hours.
Love the pic of the frig with the doors opened and your minimalist provisions. Frig is very nice. Love the style.
Hi, Stephanie,
Now that I’ve written a blog post I can go out to the BLT and transfer the rest of the groceries. I’ll turn off the little fridge and leave the door open.
Yeah, I like the style of this refrigerator, too.
I absolutely love the french door refrigerators! And the bottom freezer works great too.
Hi Sue,
Oh those boys! Now you have a great solution to not have to deal with their silliness! Love that you have your new refrigerator! It looks really nice!
Spearmint tea, I may have to grow some of that. I like mint tea and I like the fact that I could pick it and just steep it and drink it! Always learning from this blog!
Hi, Jolene,
I’m always learning by writing and researching for this blog. And from what blogorinos tell me, of course.
I learned from blogorinos that spearmint spreads like crazy. I was advised to pot it up (the spearmint, not me). I haven’t done that yet.
I used to grow spearmint and chocolate mint. I have finally reduced it to just chocolate mint. I just like the flavor better. I have a nice big pot I can reach my hand in to remove the once fresh steeped stemmed leaves. It’s wonderful. I haven’t found it to spread too much in the ground in Az. but I move mine every two or three years. No water, no growing.
Your fridge looks like a dandy!
Love seeing the naked pups running free!
That chocolate mint sounds good. The spearmint hasn’t gone wild and crazy yet. Maybe the lack of water is keeping it in check.
I’m going to make myself some spearmint tea right now. I like tea late in the day.
Love the picture of the inside of your fridge…Rotisserie place of honor!! If only I could see the back wall of my fridge!! Enjoy her, she’s a beauty!
Hi, millie,
I agree. This refrigerator is a beauty. Nancy made a great choice! It’s way more than I need by myself, but it will be better utilized when Nancy joins me and then her family comes to visit . . . .
Yippee!!! Rotisserie Chicken and Tillamook ice cream to celebrate!!! Those rascals running from you when you want to put their harnesses on! The new frig looks beautiful! What does the Marionberry taste like? I’ve never had a Marionberry. I’m really wishing that I could get Tillamook ice cream in this part of the country as well!
Hi, Dawn,
Well, that’s a challenge — how to describe the taste of Marionberry .. . . .
Maybe some Oregonians will help me out out. Kinda’ like raspberries and boysenberries?
YaY!💗 You have ice cream! Why good looking fridge it is too! Good idea to leave doggies home in the hot days of summer!😊
Hi, Geri,
You can see I’m still using (and loving) the mug you gave me. 🙂
Darn! I was hoping to see photos of you racing and play fighting!
Well, that’s okay, as long as you weren’t hoping to see me naked in the fenced yard. 🙂
The boys like most men, don’t like to shop, who knew.
Fridge looks great, I have a French door, bottom freezer, and I love it. Everything is within easy reach.
Keep having fun.
“Keep having fun.” I like that. 🙂
Hi, Donna! You’re right about everything within easy reach. And the lighting is fabulous. In houses I’ve owned, I always had an old fridge with an ugly dim bulb. This light is pretty.
Great fun and change of pace for both you and the crew but I burst out laughing at “The only thing missing is Handel’s “Messiah” upon opening the doors!”
Sharon
Hi, Sharon,
Well, doesn’t it look like that would be appropriate? If not “Messiah,” maybe the theme from “2001 Space Odyssey.”
Watcha’ wanna’ bet that someday refrigerators will be equipped with music? You saw the idea here first!
Well, it looks like they have made it possible.
he idea behind this unusual melding of fridge and radio is founded on the idea that, when it comes to kitchens, consumers want to make the most of the space they have available without turning a heavily trafficked room into a monkish cell. Normally, if you want to listen to music while cooking, you would need a radio or iPod dock, which takes up precious counter space. The CoolVox eliminates the need for such a device by providing wireless Bluetooth connectivity: simply sync your smart phone with your fridge, and voila! You’ve got music at your fingertips, allowing you to set funky playlists for when you have friends over, listen to podcasts while preparing a pot roast, or rock out to Madonna while mopping.
Oh, crimony. 🙁
I think in honor of this weekend, the song should be the theme music to ‘Star Wars’.
And inquiring minds want to know the item to the left of the Greek yogurt….
Okay, Ladybug….. Egg salad croissant sandwich from Safeway deli. 🙂
Oh, yum!
I’ve noticed since it’s turned hot here in the south, I want everything to be cold….salads, fruits, smoothies.
I like to take some of the mint leaves and freeze with water in ice cube trays, then slip them into ziplock bags to have on hand to add to beverages, including water. Refreshing.
Enjoy the spacious fridge.
What a great idea, Marsha! And thanks for reminding me to pick up a few ice cube trays when I go to the Dollar Store.
Nice refer but can’t believe your sister didn’t order one where you can see what’s inside via your smartphone. Huh. This is coming from one who has the simplest refrigerator on the market and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh, good heavens, a refrigerator app! How creepy. There’s such a thing as Too Much Information.
I don’t want to call my refrigerator. Heck, I don’t even call my friends.
Which begs the question: If one has that app, can the refrigerator “friend” you?
I’m afraid that every time I took a remote peek, I’d feel guilty for not cleaning it more often. It’s bad enough when I open the door to get out the milk!
🙂
This fridge is like a brand new car that eventually gets its first scratch.. I’m going to hate giving Refrigerator The Magnificent its first spill.
So happy for u. Not having to take the boys with u wow that is so freeing. Enjoy your cold fridge and freedom.
Thanks, Sharon,
Yes, being able to leave Reggie and Roger where they are comfortable and secure enables me to do more things and go more places. When Nancy is here we will probably want to go where dogs aren’t allowed. When her Westie is adjusted to the boys, we will be able to leave them at the house together.
“Hallelujah!” Sue, you are positively gifted with the ability to create pictures with your words! Thank you for your delightful blog.
You’re welcome, Pat. Thanks for the sweet message.
Isn’t it funny how quickly the boys have learned that the house and its yard belong to them? They are the men of the house who are going to make sure it is protected! I can’t wait until Marg arrives – to see if they share “patrol” responsibilities with her or try to assert their masculine perogative – boys will be boys!! How fun to fill up the new fridge and freezer with all sorts of goodies, and how nice to be able to more slowly peruse the shopping aisles while the boys are cool and safe at home. Life is good 🙂
Hi, Cynthia,
I’ll keep an eye on the boys to make sure they aren’t “overly enthusiastic” toward Marg. After all, she is a mature lady of high breeding, and not accustomed to the presence of ruffians. 🙂
I predict Marg will handle the boys.
🙂
Things are coming along with the new house I see. How nice to have a home sized fridge!
You are so right about Arizona heat and dogs in vehicles! Best to leave them home.
Also, check with the local vet in case of a snake bite with the fur kids. Snakes can get through that chain-link fence, they are hard to see until it is too late!
Enjoy your new house!
Thanks, Kay.
Okay,I’ll see what I can find out about the vaccine. It’s my present understanding that it doesn’t protect entirely, but gives more time to get to vet. Given the size of Reggie and Roger, plus the distance to a vet from our house, I doubt it would make a difference. I may be wrong.
No more snake comments, everybody, or you’ll have Nancy afraid to come out here.
I’ve ran across many rattlers in California and I’ve been on Arizona desert for about 12 years and not seen a single one myself. Come on Nancy, it’s no less safe here than where you are now.
I love how everything is coming together! Fridge looks great! I am looking forward to your sister and her little dog joining the Arizona Crew!
Bit by bit, the house becomes a home. Wait until you see how Nancy furnishes this place!
Lolligag! Another of my Mom’s favorite words, so I must have been a very slow child at getting things done. I’m going to look this up in the online dictionary as I think it must have an interesting lineage.
Hmm…. a lolligagging scalawag!
Yep, guess that was me! LOL
I love your cup! That is ‘location’ for sure!
Looks like Utah. 🙂
LOL….I will probably start singing Hallelujah when I open the refrigerator door!!!! Glad you and Nancy have a new, very nice looking refrig! Very smart to keep the box !
I know life will be a tad easier now that you can shoot out to the store without worrying about the crew left in the van. Every time either one of us comes home we get a big welcome home…even if we have only been gone 5 minutes. It is something I always look forward to and never tire of.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, Blogerinos
A Big Hug and Lots of Love to you, Susan and the crew.
Hi, Pauline,
Next time the dogs greet you like that, hopping and jumping around with excitement, turn to Jerold and say, “How come you never greet me like this?” 🙂
Wishing everyone in your clan a great weekend. Hugs and love to you, too!
Where the heck did you get that mug? OMG!! Will it to me, will ya? Cutest dang thing I’ve seen with “trailer-trash” on it. I’m not one for all that “trailer-trash” decor, but THIS! This mug is great!! (insert heart emoji here!)
Cheers to your tea!
That mug was a gift from Chuck and Geri. I love it, too. Maybe Geri will tell you, unless she re-gifted it to me. Uh-oh, if she did, I hope that person doesn’t read my blog.
HaHa! 😉
sounds like life is good….so happy for you. Love the mug and the pics of the boys.
Thank you, Alice. Reg, Rog and I are very fortunate.
Agree, leaving the kids at home is just fine in the summer. New fridge=awesome. Will be giving that spearmint tea a try soon. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Kelly. Always happy to share what I learn. 🙂
Hi, Sue!
Thank you for sharing such a happy, upbeat blog! It did not take the boys long to get used to their new home and forget old habits like putting on their harnesses. Just as they start to get comfortable with their “new” good life, Nancy and Marg will arrive and those new habits will be tested. If Marg is like most Westies, she will give the boys a run for their money! I am sure she will put them in their place. There can only be one queen of the house, and she will be it! 🙂 All joking aside, I am sure that they will get along fine and be happy playmates. 🙂
I love your new fridge! I like the clean lines of it, and the abundant lighting. I am glad it got christened with a rotisserie chicken and Tilamook ice cream! 🙂 So appropriate! Thank you for sharing the link about spearmint tea. I will need to try the fresh leaf brew method. It will smell lovely while it steeps. 🙂
Stopped at Kroger on the way home from work tonight. They had a fresh shipment of perennial lavender plants that looked so healthy and full. All the plants were loaded with buds. I was tempted to pick one up, but my inner voice said it was not in the budget. I heeded the reminder. 🙂
I was reminded of the discussion regarding hands on your last post. I have small hands that used to be very strong. Over time, I have lost most of the strength in them, and arthritis started to set in during my late 30’s. As they have become more painful and twisted, sometimes they just don’t work right. Back to Kroger….I was in the express line to pay for my order. I was emptying my cart and lost my grip on a jar of duck sauce. Crash! What a gooey, glass shard-filled mess! Just my hands acting up! One of my sisters suffers the same fate. She says that we have “Grandma’s hands.” Gram had severe arthritis. It was not until her last 10 years or so that she had to make major adjustments. When she could no longer wrap packages, so she would use the sewing machine to sew the gift wrap into bags. It was an ingenious workaround. Anyhoo…..my sister and I adjust what we need to and keep on doing all that we can while we can! 🙂
Enjoy the weekend, Sue! Gracie and I will be chilling….enjoying the long holiday weekend! Sending you, Reggie, and Roger lots of love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! 🙂
Hi, Denise and Gracie pup,
Thanks for the love and hugs. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Reading about your mishap at Kroger check-out line, I felt sad for you. I’m sorry you and your sister have Grandma’s hands, but I’m glad you had her for a grandmother. She sounds resourceful and loving. Your post is a good reminder for those of us with pain-free hands to be thankful. Little things like being able to grasp a jar firmly aren’t little at all.
Gracie pup is going to love having you home for three days!
🙂
Oh, the joys of being a “townie”! I do wonder if the boys have micro chips (you have probably mentioned it, and I just don’t remember). Also, as we have a “bolter” if the door is unexpectedly opened, we keep a collar with the various tags on our dog. I know you have not put collars on the boys, so hope it isn’t something you ever have to deal with. So fun to see the joy of their playing! Hope you are enjoying life in a house, especially knowing you can always hit the road when you want.
Hi, Liz,
Reggie was microchipped by the rescue organization from which I adopted him. Roger was microchipped at the time of his neutering shortly after he joined Reggie and me.
They both have tags which I put on their harnesses.
I was quite sure you would have taken care of those things, Sue. It is a different life for them right now, but I am always told dogs live in the moment, so what a wonderful life you have given them!
It’s good to mention those things now and then, maybe someone reading needs a reminder? 🙂
Love your mug😊 Very interesting about the spearmint tea. I will try it.
I was just thinking of you while making numerous trips to the trailer packing to leave. My thought was at least full timers like RV Sue already have everything in the RV. It is great to see the boys so happy. My daughter has quite a system for her dog. He is going blind and prefers travelling in his dog crate as he feels more secure. He has the vari kennel with hard sides and wire door. If she has to run into the store for a couple minutes, she has a lock on the kennel, leaves all the windows down, & one of those huge round thermometers showing the temperature of the inside of the car. She then has a note, and her cell number. She never leaves him more than ten minutes though.
We leave Sunday morning with trailer in tow for East Coast. First trip in five years. Mom in long term care makes it possible now.
Hi, Val,
Your daughter preempts anyone interfering with her dogs and also alerts people if the temperature rises before she can return (stuff happens). Clever!
Have a wonderful trip to the coast! I’m sure you’ll be thrilled with that special feeling of being on the road with your home and heading for the horizon. 🙂
Denver has some law now that you can break people’s car windows to rescue dogs/pets. Last fall I ran into IKEA, was parked in the underground parking and I knew exactly what I was there for and figured 15 minutes. I left a note on my window that said “the temperature in the UG parking is 64°, I’ve left all 5 windows down 3″, the sun roof is fully open, I will be back by 10:20 am. Call me at this number and I will run back to my truck immediately if you think my dog is in distress”.
Love the boys antics. You are the best RV Sue…you’ve inspired me to plant spearmint in a container…the tea look so delish.
The refrig reminds me of a story…my sister & I were on the rez when her refrigerator went out (this before smart phones). I called my son in Phoenix to get on the computer and search for a refrigerator for us in nearby towns. He called back and gave two places both located in Gallup, NM. One at Sears and the other at Home Depot. So we drive 50 miles into Gallup and take a look at both and selected the one at Home Depot. It wasn’t a fancy refrig with filtered water or ice maker…just a plain jane refrig but nice.
We didn’t want to pay for delivery (50 miles one way) so they loaded the refrig in truck bed. Refrig had to stand upright and it was fine while on the interstate but once we pulled off the highway, I had to ride in the bed with the refrig to make sure it didn’t tip over. We crawled to the homestead nearly losing the refrig a couple of times due to bumps in the road. Two neighbors guys came over to unload and place the refrig in the kitchen. What a relief. Some things we can’t do without and a necessity.
Hi, Rita,
I’ve been on some of those roads on the rez and can see why you’d have to hang on to the refrigerator. What a long trip that must’ve been!
A fridge is worth it though. Thanks for an entertaining comment!
I see the boys love their new home so much they don’t want to leave it. Homedoggies. Lol. I’m sure they approve of the chilled rotisserie chicken. 🙂. They say, life is good!
Not so slowly and surely, you are nesting.
And this is a very nice nest. I feel like I’m in a mansion after years in the Best Little Trailer.
I was wondering how you felt being in a house again
I’m reminded often how possessions require our attention and time. It takes a lot longer to mop this house than it does the BLT.
So lovely you have such a nice place, Sue…and a real fridge!! Thanks for the information on the spearmint tea!! I was getting a couple plants today and looked at some…now I will return to buy it!!
Hi, Elizabeth,
I hope you like the tea. Next time I’m going to make it stronger. I don’t know if all those benefits listed at the website are true. If so, spearmint is more than just a flavor for gum, toothpaste, and Lifesavers!
I have heard some of those claims before myself…and it is worth a try I think. At least shouldn’t hurt a person, unless they are allergic to mint. Thanks for the idea!!
It does taste best when made strong. I haven’t tried it “straight” because it’s nice with a tablespoon of honey added.
Thanks Sue…will try it!!
You talked about gloves and now spearmint. You are really getting into chemistry now. The smell of spearmint is mostly due to carvone. Like most compounds made by living things, carvone can come in two forms, mirror images of one another, like left and right hand gloves. The mirror image of spearmint carvone smells like caraway seeds. This implies the human nose has left and right hand receptors that fit carvone, when the right hand one gets filled you smell spearmint and when the left hand one gets filled with the differently shaped mirror image carvone you smell caraway. Most compounds with left and right handed forms smell about the same, which implies most smell receptors are more like paper bags than gloves. And your picture of the chicken (I am trying to avoid spelling rotisserie) is an inspired work of art!
Interesting, Rhodium! And then there’s the connection between what we smell and how we taste what we smell.
Thank you for the compliment on my refrigerator “art.” 🙂
We had, as Lowes calls it, an appliance emergency today so I spent the afternoon ordering a new fridge too! Ours gets installed Sunday. We are not to open doors on the existing, to keep the freezer stuff frozen until late tomorrow. Fridge part will go in our big cooler with clock ice in the morning. Nancy I see ordered my fantasy fridge – the French Door Samsung. I ended up with a Frigidaire Gallery side-by-side because it was in stock.
I bet the boys were thrilled to be alone in the new house for all of 3 minutes until wait a dog-on-minute – where’s Mom?!?!?!?
Hi, Susan,
I hope you end up liking your refrigerator very much. You will be glad to have it by the time it is installed on Sunday.
I hate fooling with a cooler. When the BLT’s refrigerator quit, I gave up on storing perishables to avoid having a cooler and buying ice.
Did no one notice that Roger has a hunk of Reggie’s back in his mouth?
I did…but did not say…hahaha
That looks like it had to leave a mark!
Our two poms play together. But the 2 year old (Rudy) has a thing for hanging onto the six year old (Toby) ears and running. It looks as if Rudy is guiding Toby. All is good until Toby wants to go his way and Rudy pulls him the other way. Toby turns into a squeaky toy.
That’s one fancy fridge. How awesome that your rotisserie chicken has a mansion all it’s own. I’m really enjoying reading about your new digs, and how Reggie and Roger are loving it.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone. Thank you to all who have served and sacrificed. God Bless America!
Hi, Applegirl,
I appreciate you telling me you are enjoying my recent posts about our time off the road in our new house. A few followers have abandoned us and I notice others go away and then drop in weeks later to “catch up.” Oh well, I try not to let that bother me. I live the days of my life and then blog about them and this is what my life is these days.
I hope your weekend is what you want it to be. Yes, we owe our deepest gratitude to those who gave their lives. May God continue to bless America.
I’ll be reading as long as you write.
Donna . . .Your sweet, short statement gave me a catch in the throat.
🙂
I, too, had to blow up the pic of Roger chewing on Reggie just to make sure! Ouch! But, Reg didn’t seem to mind. All in a days play!
Nice lookin fridge. I have had my Maytag about 15 years now. When I bought it at Sears it took em 6 weeks to deliver it, but it was the biggest fridge I could find at the time. It still is, which is why I haven’t bought a new one. I love it and I will keep it til one of us goes…😀
I actually wondered if you had made a touristy purchase and bought that mug for yourself! I drink my coffee out of a Seminole Canyon state park mug every morning!
I almost never buy touristy things. The last I can remember is a ball cap from the wild horse sanctuary in South Dakota in 2012.
Roger and Reggie have pretty intense play fights yet they rarely hurt each other. If they do, it’s accidental and play quickly stops. Roger grabbed Reggie by the “scruff” that mother dogs (and cats) use to move their babies. Didn’t bother Reggie at all.
The boys resisting your wanting them to “get dressed” certainly turned out well. I had wondered when you begin leaving them at home while you went to other places. It’s going to be so nice for you to be able to flow through a day with your natural rhythms. Whenever it’s possible I try to schedule any trips away from home after my chosen morning routine, too. Doing that was one reason I began being awake early enough to see sunrise every day. Though I could have slept until later and still arrived at my job on time, instead I’d give myself at least an hour to read, write, and spend time in peaceful thoughts before entering the world away from home.
The inside of your refrigerator looks cavernous in comparison to that of the one in the BLT ! Even when Nancy and guests are there you’ll have plenty of space to keep a lot of your favorite food choices in it. I’m remembering all the times you were eating some fairly unappealing things you had left in your larder … The limited room in your small refrigerator meant you could only buy a small amount of fresh or frozen products. It’s feels good to see you beginning to enjoy the little luxuries in life so many take for granted everyday. I hope you enjoy your mansion and have a lovely day.
P.S. luv the header photo you have now! It’s familiar, yet I can’t recall when I first saw it. Where were you staying when you took it? Do you happen to know the title of the post it was in?
Hi, weather,
I don’t remember the post but I remember the location: Palm Canyon Road, BLM land off Route 95, near Kofa Wildlife Refuge, between Quartzsite and Yuma, AZ. The photo was taken a couple years ago, not during our most recent camp there.
Simple pleasures are the best :-)))
Agree!
It’s a great sign that the boys ran away from you and the harnesses! It means they love their new home and would rather not leave…
Beautiful new fridge. Enjoy!
Thanks, Becky. I am enjoying it. You’re right about Reg and Rog not wanting to leave their new home. 🙂
I totally missed this post yesterday. I guess my enlarging your photos to fit my tv screen makes the side bar too far over. I was “talking” to you on the last post and never noticed. Geez.
Having a tea break after the farmer’s market. After reading all the benefits of the spearmint tea, I just might go buy a plant so I can brew it fresh. It’s always been my favorite mint tea but always bought bags. Great for a stomach ache.
Sold another camper print blanket – small dog-sized. I think they will use it for a table cloth. It’s flannel so would be good for playing cards on. I had quite a conversation about RVSue and gave them your address to get here. Hi Richard & Wife. They just bought a used Casita with the twin beds. I only had one blanket and they need two. Might still be able to help as I have more fabric. I bought extra because I knew it would be sold-out. It has gray trailers that look like Casitas with stations wagons, canoes, teepees and pine trees. Too cute. I knew I should’ve bought the whole bolt.
Gotta go eat something. Love & hugs everybody!
P.S. When you go to polish your pretty fridge, the stainless steel cleaner/polish should be applied to a rag and NOT sprayed on the fridge. I learned after cleaning a house that the floor was made very slippery by the over-spray and someone almost fell. Also, you did not disappoint. My hunch was Tillamook ice cream and a chicken would be enshrined first.
Thanks for the tip about polishing.
Blogarinos, what is best to use when polishing stainless steel?
I have found the micro fiber cloths do a nice job of wiping off the metal after applying the polish.
I like to clean the appliance with a dishcloth and dry with a towel first to remove fingerprints, drips or food residue. Then apply the polish/cleaner with a clean soft cloth. I don’t use the microfiber for the polish. It tends to drag and you use too much. Something like an old cotton dishcloth, something that won’t leave lint behind. The spray I have used says it is lemon oil. If there is a choice, I would suggest a non-spray SS polish. Has anyone used straight lemon oil? Do the appliances before washing the floor just in case the floor gets slippery. It can take extra effort to get them un-slippery.
Congratulations, Barb, on the sale of the camper blanket. Thank you for referring my blog to Richard and wife. I hope you like the spearmint tea!
Sue I just want to say Thank You for continuing the blog! We all enjoy reading about your everyday life! Keep writing we will be here commenting! Have a wonderful weekend with the Crew!
You’re welcome, Karen. I appreciate your message.
Thanks. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too. 🙂
Hi, Sue,
Glad you are enjoying your new fridge. Love the rotisserie chicken front and center! Thanks to you we have become traveling roast chicken aficionados also. Yum…
We are on the search for a new fridge too. We’d really like to find one without an ice maker, but the pickings are slim. I found 3 Whirlpool side by sides on the net so far, but need to travel a bit to “kick the tires”.
Enjoy your new casa.
Kitt
Thanks, Kitt,
We don’t need the icemaker. This Samsung seemed like the best fridge within our budget and it has the icemaker. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll hook it up.
Good luck finding the one you want.
WOW Sue I bet it’s real nice having a house Refrigerator, and I wonder if the boys did a spite trip on you for leaving them home,, Piper ate my hose to many peace’s and a 25 ft extension cord, I through the hose out and the extension cord is a little smaller, so now I put up the stuff I don’t want her to chew up, now the day I went and found out how my Thyroid levels was, she knocked over a ladder and went between the lands and got all tangled up and then howled till Jerry undid her and Tuesday she got loose somehow and was in Jerries house waiting at the glass door when we pulled up the drive way, she just doesn’t like being left behind at all, but she’ll have to till the truck get fixed,,,,, have a great weekend and give the Boys a huge hug from us,,,,,,,,,, 🐾👣👣
Ooh, it sounds like Piper loves her daddy! Poor girl knows the sorrow of being left behind earlier in her life and she doesn’t want it to happen again. Well, you have to do things without her. That’s just the way it is.
Enjoy your weekend, Rusty.
“I hear that train a’comin, a’comin ’round the bend . . . ” 🙂
Hi Missy, I am happy for you three in your new home. I have been and am tied to my oxygen equipment, and not doing much otherwise. Detta and I are following along and send our best wishes for your happiness in the new hacienda…
Thank you, Jim. I know you share our happiness because that’s the kind of people you and Detta are.
I hate that you’re tied to the tank, so to speak, yet I’m glad you have it to keep you well. You write that you’re “not doing much otherwise” — Could it be time for you to use your talent for writing?
I know you have many recollections of places and times that others would benefit from learning. Just a thought. No pressure from Missy who loves you. 🙂
Hey Sue!
I know Reggie and Roger are having a great time in their back yard!
When we are traveling and camping our little dog Lucy wears a harness most of the time. At home, she goes naked so when we get home and when we take off the harness she runs so fast in her back yard! She also watches out the back door to see what is in her back yard. When we built the house we put a single French door as the back door so that she could watch her back yard!
I love seeing pictures of the boys and reading about their antics!
Lucy the Sentinel! How sweet. 🙂
Good morning, Sue!
I hope your day is off to a great start! I was up extra early to watch a live online program (6:30 AM) which demonstrated a new product to make cutting fabric for quilt making easy. It was broadcast from the UK…they are 5 hours ahead of EST. The program was very informative. 🙂
Today will be dedicated to catching up on chores. We are expecting a rainy day, so it is the perfect time to take care of indoor “stuff.”
Have your mornings been nice and cool before the sun heats everything up? Yesterday morning was wonderful! By 10 AM, it was hot and muggy. Stand outside for 5 minutes and begin to melt. I ran a few errands and felt like I needed a shower by the time I got home. I am sure your front and back porches provide some shade and a nice spot to sit to enjoy watching the world go by. Have you moved your recliner to a favorite spot yet?
As long as you want to share you life with us, Gracie pup and I are along for the ride. We will also continue to use Amazon through your links. Hmm….that did not sound quite right. If Amazon packages started showing up with dog toys and a posh doggie bed, I would know that Gracie was surfing the web and shopping while I was at work! 🙂
Sending you, Reggie, and Roger lots of love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! 🙂
Good morning, Denise and Gracie pup,
Yes, my day is off to a great start. I hope yours is, too, whether sunny or rainy and somewhere in between. Another sunny day in Arizona after the first cool hours of morning. You’re right about porches. That’s where I take my breaks from painting, cleaning and yard work, sitting in my camp chair. The lounger is still under the mesquite tree on the blue mat, another favorite “rest area” for me and the boys.
How wonderful that you have something you enjoy enough to get up at 6:30 to learn more about it!
Thank you for your intention to shop Amazon from here and for telling me so. Very encouraging during a time of increased expenses. 🙂
Love and hugs to you, too!
🙂
If this is one I posted earlier, I apologize…
An old guy remembers Mission Beach Amusement Center in San Diego.
I first set eyes on the park in 1946. It was an Amusement Center that provided many years of fun for families and military personnel. It covered several blocks and was on the Pacific Ocean. My Dad had a background from years ago of his life as a concessionaire in the Carnivals so he was once again romanced into the idea by an ad about a concession for sale in the Amusement Center. He took me with him when he went to see it. It turned out to be a game called “knock Mabel out of bed” in which a young lady was perched on a bed behind a chain link cage and if the player threw a baseball and hit a target, she tumbled out of bed.
Dad was still working at Convair (later General Dynamics/Convair) days but he bought the concession called a “joint” in Carny talk. He worked at Convair till 3:30, came home, ate and headed out to Mission Beach where he ran his joint until 10 or 11. I can hear him now, “hey mate step right up and knock Mabel out of bed, three balls for a dime, and nine for a quarter”.
To a kid the park was magic, smells, sights, sounds all unheard previously by this 10 year old boy. Time went by, Dad bought another joint, then another and soon he became one of three partners in the ownership of “The Mission Beach Company”. That lasted a few years and Dad bought out his two partners and became sole owner operator of the Park.
I ran a couple of concessions that Dad let me run for myself over the years and bought my first car (41 Chevy) by working all summer of my 17th year on the maintenance crew..
We had a huge Ballroom, the biggest in San Diego and probably all of California, an Olympic pool, a long midway with concessions and a large Skating Rink. There was an underpass from the midway to the bay that went under both sides of Mission Blvd. and down there were huge steel doors that led into big concrete rooms in which all kinds of goodies were stored, most from the Twenties. Old canoes, hand crank girly picture shows, all kinds of props and things. I was allowed to go there when I wanted and explore. It was wonderful for a curious boy.
The Roller Coaster, most probably don’t know there was a tunnel build into the structure and around 1953 the guy who leased it from Dad was trying to destroy some paperwork so the IRS couldn’t get it and he tried to burn them in that tunnel, the fire got out of control and he was trapped, burned to death or overcome by smoke I’m not sure.
There was a huge Penny Arcade which Dad kept as his own concession and ran. Between 1951-2 we lived in a two level apartment in the back of the Arcade. It was so much fun.
In the Ballroom where I met and watched from our private box on the balcony every big name band of the era had some secrets too. Built into the Balcony were three apartments that were for VIP parties during dances, thought we never used them they were used in the twenties and thirties. But in each room were boxes of publicity pics, newspaper mats used to advertise our dances, etc. We had one dance a week in summer, less frequent during winter. All the big names played there in our Ballroom.
I was by this time in High school so I could go anywhere, do anything I wanted by just going and doing, all free of course. I would take dates through the park, the rides, and even an occasional dance.
In 1956 the city would not renew the lease on the property and instead demolished the ballroom, most of the midway, most of the Oceanside concessions, and the mini golf course, and rides. What little was left was called Belmont Park. Not even a ghost of what had been there before. A note of interest, Dad, as I said worked at Convair a couple of years at the tail end of the war as an hourly in the wood mockup shop. He died the year before I went to work there and worked my way up from an hourly raw stock handler to a supervisor of all material procured for all programs with 25 analysts working directly for me spend millions of dollars. I’ve often thought he would have been proud of his son, who spent 30 years working at his old work place. I retired in 1991.
There’s a million memories and as many stories but another time perhaps.
The “new” stuff follows….
Well, here I am again with another memory of my young life at Mission Beach Amusement Center. Our midway was loaded with characters. People migrated from the dying or dead carnivals that once roamed America.
Two of them were a married couple, Moxie and Babe Miller. Dad leased them a concession on the midway near the Penny Arcade. They had been on the road with a carnival and had settled in San Diego. They had a German Shephard named “King”. On night in the past Moxie had fallen asleep with a lighted cigarette and escaped the fire only because King had made so much noise it awakened them. Moxie taught King to stamp out a burning cigarette. It was a lesson the dog never forgot so when they were running their concession and anyone nearby threw down a cigarette, king immediately rushed to the downed butt and proceeded to rake his big paws across it to ensure it was out. I used to worry about it but it apparently didn’t bother King.
Another character that stood out was “Bobbie”. She was an old woman (I have no idea of her actual age but she was old). Bobbie ran a booth that featured a basket hoop and she sold tosses for dimes with the reward being small prizes after so many successful throws. She worshipped my Mother and on all Saturdays she would stop in a bakery in downtown San Diego and buy her a small cupcake sized cake and bring it to Mom. Bobbie rode the Bus to the beach so it had to be problematic to lug that little cake on a bus, but she never failed in her mission.
If I have bored you with my remembrances I apologize but the older I get, the more precious these memories become…..
Dear Jim,
The wonderful memories you shared were not at all boring to me. Thank you. Our family has some Altzheimer’s and it is quickly robbing us of our parents memories. I saw someone mention here they were writing down their memories to share with their grandchildren, I think Elizabeth. Such a good idea. Love to you and Detta.
Thanks Barb…
Sounds like you have a great memory still Barb!!
🙂
Thank you Jim for the memories, not boring at all. Nice to know a little history of the mission beach area.
My pleasure Ruthie…
Thank you so much for those stories, Jim! I thoroughly enjoyed them.You are right to think your Dad would have been proud of you. I’m so proud of you that when a friend asked me why you meant so much to me I went on and on about what a great guy you are. I’m sorry your activities are limited since you are using oxygen, yet really glad it helps you feel well enough to visit us on here. Sending hugs and blessings to you and Detta, weather
Weather we’ve been friends for a long time. I appreciate that….
Jim, wishing you well with your oxygen and all…not fun I know…my mom lived on one for many years…just to encourage you that you might live a long time as she did.
And I do hope you have others in your kin to share all your stories with. I think that is so important!! How else would offspring know, etc?
Part of what I am writing down is how my grandparents grew up with horse and wagons, and by the time I was 18 man walked on the moon…and how many changes have come in those few years. What happened to my grandparents and others during the Great Depression and how I could see the effect that had particularly on my dad who often went hungry during that time. I have a long ways to go yet to finishing mine…but this weekend already have written quite a bit.
I like to tear photos out of magazines before throwing them away…to illustrate something I am writing about. If I was artistic I would paint or draw them…but I am good with glue and scissors at least. Kind of like scrapbooking…and when such is on sale at Joanns, or Hobby Lobby, some of those decorated papers, plus some of that lovely washi tape is great for decorating, as well as some of the fancy stickers used in that hobby. (You might find some on Amazon too…which no doubt Sue would like us to buy if we find them).
Online sometimes there are so many wonderful sayings that people post…and often that jogs my memories so I can write more too. Over mom’s day I found one I really liked: “There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back. Elizabeth David”. So when I emailed that t0 my daughters with gratitude for their support, they wrote back the sweetest remarks…so I included all that in my writing of that page in my book.
Maybe others of the readers here will have some other ideas to share for those of us working on such things…
Sweet! Thank you…
Az Jim, It is wonderful to read your precious memories. It gives some of us a look into your life growing up and a time we would not have known back then. I have a feeling your father was smiling down on your time at Convair and was indeed proud of his boy and how he came up in the company.
It can be frustrating being “tied to your oxygen equipment”, but it enables you to spend time with your sweet Detta and that makes all the difference. Always look forward to your memories, they are so interesting. Thank You for sharing.