Sunday, November 26, 2017

Another Great Day

My boots at the Thanksgiving feast brought on some hilarious comments and questions. I guess everyone knows by now that even at 68F degrees,  I dislike cold feet and will go to extremes to make sure my feet are toasty warm.

Life is short. Why have cold feet?


As a bonus, these boots are waterproof snow boots. I don't expect to be in snow this year, but sometimes walking the dog through dew laden grass can make shoes and boots wet, cold and uncomfortable. During hurricane Irma when I had to walk the dog in my old boots which are really bedroom booties similar to these pictured above, I discovered they could quickly become water logged and freezing cold.

Searching around Amazon for an hour, I found these boots at a bargain price with a free return if they didn't fit.

Saturday my neighbor asked me if I wanted to go to the Hope shop. It's a local charity shop that sells used bargains.  The main reason I went to Hope was to look for a used cheap office chair. However the ones I found were in very sad shape and uncomfortable.  I went for the ride thinking there was nothing else I needed. But oh dear me, they had hats and I am a hat-oholic.

When I lived on my sailboat in the Caribbean I built a special hat rack from teak to hold my collection of hats. I wore a hat from sun up to sundown to give my face some protection. Moving to America it was so hard to leave my hat collection behind but I managed to bring my biggest hat, a purple one that is so big it's like wearing a personal umbrella. I found out with a bit of starch and ironing, it can look nearly new again. My RV came with a travel iron.

At Hope they had a beautiful rolled up brim bowler straw hat that was plum colored. It looked new and unworn. It fit my big head beautifully and well at 50 cents, I decided to give it a forever home. Last summer I was dismayed when a friend gave me a beautiful hat very similar that was just too tight on my skull. I had to regift it even after trying numerous ways to stretch it.

Hat shopping I have always had this problem. Big head! Some hats will stretch others will not.

My other favorite color besides purple is red. Low and behold there was a gorgeous casual red very warm corduroy jackets that fit me perfectly for $1.50 I don't know who buys a new jacket then donates it, but I couldn't resist the bargain. Red bicycle, red jacket. Is there a theme here?

There were plenty of stuffed toys that Harley dog would have loved to have but he has a playpen full of toys. The playpen being my bed. When I came home Thanksgiving after dinner, he had filled my bed with all his stuffed toys as if he had his own party in progress. However, he fights me for my afghan when I am napping. I found a cute baby blanket handmade afghan. It was so stunningly beautiful and appeared unused. So I bought the little fellow his own afghan blankie. 

I feel so spoiled.

I told my friend don't ever bring me here again!  Ha ha ha. There must be some well off folks in the area if they can afford to donate new items some of which found their way home with me.

Today is birthday cake day. We meet in the rec hall to share birthday cake and sing to those that had birthdays in November.

Life is goof.






Thursday, November 23, 2017

I survived Thanksgiving. The park hosted a pot luck. People brought a ton of food for the 1pm meal. On a funny note, they break up afterwards then reconvene at 4pm for desserts.

After eating, I jumped up to start on dish washing. I can make fast work washing dishes and I don't mind a bit. But this woman I had never met before was suddenly hovering all over me complaining and fussing. She didn't like my speedy method of washing and piling things up to air dry. She kept telling me I was doing it all wrong, stacking the dishes wrong, my method of washing right to left was backwards and she didn't like me using the sprayer so she kept turning it off. She began dictating her method to me "the right way to wash dishes" and kept turning the water off. It was truly VERY strange! I've washed dishes at every pot luck I've been to all summer long and never had anyone complain about that. Even had a few say thank you. So why  was my volunteer dish washing so upsetting to this woman?  I am still very puzzled about that.

I noticed she began inspecting my washed dishes with a close eye before drying them off with a dirty towel. I wanted to speak up that a clean towel should be used for drying, but I kept my mouth shut. I typically get along easily with just about everybody but I've never had someone give me such grief for trying to do a nice gesture. But I plowed ahead and washed all the dishes anyhow while listening to her constant complaints. I really didn't know what else to do. I prayed to keep my big mouth shut and that worked.

I left my sad doggy at home with the stereo playing while I was at pot luck. When I got home, it was off. Took me an hour to get it going again. I have no idea what was wrong with it. Very strange.

Doggy was ecstatic that I remembered to bring him a little turkey. Tee hee hee.

Unfortunately, it was pouring down a monsoon at 4pm and I decided not to go for the desserts. I love a nice dessert but the cold rain and long walk just seemed daunting.

It was a HAPPY THANKSIVING!

I am oh so grateful.



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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Very Thankful!

It's almost Thanksgiving and I have so much to be very thankful for!

First off I am glad I am not a turkey. (Although I've been called a fruit loop!)





I am grateful I woke up alive. It's a miracle I have lived this long with a rare disease. Amazing! I am blessed and very thankful.

Having my wheel estate as my forever home is a major grateful highlight of my life. It's much nicer than a cardboard box, it's dry and comfortable. I am a lucky ducky for sure!



I should give thanks for having this wonderful canine critter to disrupt my life on an ongoing basis. He has been my good little buddy for walking and especially for riding my bicycle and for tons of foolishness. We all need laughter and he provides plenty of comedy.

I owe MAJOR thanks to all my gentle readers, supporters, subscribers, benefactors, angels and friends. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!


Because of you my life is truly blessed and happy.

Speaking of fun and foolishness...

How to Recipe for a Bikini Tanned Turkey 
by
Dear Miss Mermaid

I have tons to be thankful for each and every day. Today I only touched the tip of the iceberg.

Life is goof. Real goof!

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Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Squeeze For Service

I frequent the Dollar General store because I like to use their $5 coupon that pops up once or twice a month. Spend $25 and get $5 off. I can get the digital coupon on their website transferred to my phone number. At checkout, I just enter my phone number and the $5 is taken off my bill.

Dollar General sells food and household items, so it's a great way to enjoy savings on everyday provisions.

Most Dollar General's I've been to keep their staff super busy stocking shelves and running back and forth to the checkout.

Recently I gave a friend my paper $5 coupon and downloaded a digital one for myself. She gave me a ride to the store and we both enjoyed a $5 discount on our purchases. Usually I ride my bicycle to the store, so it was fun to have a ride in a car for a change.

I sped through and checked out before my friend. I hate to make people wait when I am a guest in their car. I was hanging around the front of the store with my bagged up goodies waiting on her to show up. When she did arrive, she was dismayed there was no cashier around.

But I had already seen the squeaky dog toy that had a sign taped to it "Squeeze for cashier". So I grabbed the squeaky toy and while we were both laughing, the clerk came running to check her out .

More stores should use this squeak for service method!






Monday, November 20, 2017

Two Wheel Errands

My bicycle has become a real workhorse.

This morning I loaded up doggy and a package to go mail. Then we came back home, strapped a vertical laundry basket on the back of the bicycle then rode to the laundry-mat. There we started two loads of laundry.

Pedaled back home to pick up garbage to take to the dump. Unloaded doggy at the dump to walk around so he could stretch his legs.

Pumped our way up to the office where Amazon packages were waiting for us. Took those home then pedaled back to the laundry to transfer washer loads to the dryer. Pedaled back home.

Unpacked the amazon boxes,  flattened those to ride to the recycle area and drop them off. Rode to the rec hall to sign up for Thanksgiving pot luck meal. Checked the mail box. Pedaled over to the laundry to empty the dryer then load it on the back of the bicycle in its tall basket.

Started to ride home when cargo shifted.

Ut oh!

Luckily no laundry spilled out. Reshifted and retied the laundry. Rode home to finish fancy folding it on the picnic table.

I don't know how I would have managed to get all that done so quickly without my trusty dusty cherry red bicycle.

Life is goof. 


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Saturday, November 18, 2017

Zero Tolerance

I am trying to be on a zero tolerance spending budget.
Yeah we can get a big laugh out of that one!  OK, I had to cave in recently and stock up on toilet paper. Some things are urgent.
Hurricane Irma turned out to be kind of pricey for me gobbling up funds set aside for future living. But what the heck, we survived! So it's all good. I guess.
December is when all the annual things come due, RV taxes, RV insurance and annual park dues on the rig and lot. Christmas turns out to be rather skimpy each year.
But... they (the park people)  were having a semi annual rummage sale here. Friday it was open to residents only, Saturday at 7am, it opens to the public.
I went to help my friend set up her stuff because she sprained her ankle. She had a gorgeous tiled outdoor wrought iron end table that she was parting with but she was attached to it. When I said WOW that would look perfect with my dumper diving green swivel rocking padded arm chairs, she gave me a huge bargain because then she could "visit" her beloved table and it would have a good home on my patio. 
She also had these two tall planters with live plants about 4 feet tall, and um well they were only $5 each and a lady with a golf cart offered to deliver them for free since they wouldn't fit on my bicycle. So um, out comes the wallet again.
I went for a look see around the shopping area, because I didn't enter this year. I wasn't sure if my type of junk would sell. Maybe I will try my luck in spring. They had lunch for $3 and my tummy reminded me it was hungry. Funds go to support the rec hall. Buying lunch goes for a good cause. Then they had big homemade cookies 4 for a $1 and well my oven is broken and they sure looked tasty...
Strolling around there was this new cute red hand made crochet hat with purple fluff. I tried it on and everyone said "Oh that is YOU" and well my head gets cold riding my bicycle and the hat is goofy looking like me. Then I found a stuffed duck that quacks for Harley and well it was only 25 cents... Poor little fellow was stuck home alone and the duck was as big as him and he loves big stuffed qwacking toys... so out comes the change purse.
Next I found the park was selling these jumbo storage containers, clear with lids and I happened to have my tape measure with me. Well two of those would fit on the floor under my shelves in the shed and the contents inside would be visible yet dry and dust-free. They were huge! They only wanted $2 and these are $35 new, and well, such a bargain, nothing wrong with them at all and I could use them, so um... out comes the wallet again.
I had to drag those home huffing and puffing cause they were BIG. Then go back and fetch my bicycle which meant I had to walk past more stuff for sale. 
There was a cute shopping bag made of woven straw for a quarter to hold my crochet hat, the cookies, the qwacking duck, a bread basket (ten cents!) and a gorgeous bauble pin with exotic crystals I found that would look exquisite on my plain jane white straw hat (another 25 cents).
Another guy had heavy duty electric cords. One was a slinky type cord that would be perfect for charging up my electric bicycle. I could run it to where I have a little homemade bike garage I made from dumpster diving a tent canopy. It would look so neat on the wall and reach my charger perfectly. So out comes the wallet for that.  

Someone had peppermint tea, a big $5 box for just $1. Gee wiz, I like peppermint tea...
Amazing how much money I accidentally spent when all I planned to do was go help out my friend with the sprained ankle. Which I did loan her all my ankle braces and my 4 legged cane. Hmm... maybe I should have sold that to her to recoup some of my costs. 

As I type this one enthusiastic pup is qwacking up a storm with his new duck and begging me to share my cookie. (I did!)

Life is goof...

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Friday, November 17, 2017

Bitten In My Own Bed by a Monster

Harley was sound asleep in his little corner of our bed. The only safe place where he won't get accidentally kicked by my thrashing about. I was laying down watching the idiot box which was set to turn itself off soon. Just a quiet night in my tiny wheel estate.

I wiggled around to get more comfy. That's when SOMETHING with big sharp teeth bit me under the covers.

I screamed and flew out of the bed. I was wide awake now!

Harley woke up and he too ran out of the bed like he was terrified.

We stood in the hallway staring back at the bed. WHAT was in our bed?

When my heart slowed down and I regained normal breathing, I decided the best course of action was to snatch the comforter off the bed and see WHAT was in it.

I figured worse case scenario I could call the fire department to dispatch some of those burly guys to deal with the monster.

So I timidly stepped forward grabbing the comforter with two hands, then I yanked it off the bed. 

That's when I found the offending creature.

The one that snapped open it's jaws and bit me!

YIKES!



Yepper. Hiding under the covers for some strange reason was my hair grabber.  When I rolled over and wiggled around I must have unintentionally squeezed open the jaws, which then clamped down on my backside giving me a mighty bite!

I am just so glad it wasn't a monster.

Another disaster averted!

Life is goof.



Gobble and Wobble!
No kidding!

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Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Red Polka Dots

Sorry I haven't been here lately.

I was pretty weak but steadily improving. My neighbors have needed a lot of help too, so I am stretched all over the place.

The winter folks are moving in so my neighborhood has become a bit busier as I meet the various owners and renters.  Many are adventurous souls with traveling in their blood, that's how they ended up here, so we do seem to have a few basic yet oddball things in common.


My new table cloth is polka dots. What fun! I have all three of my outdoor tables covered in this oil cloth now. Already a bird pooped all over it. Sheesh. But it wiped up good as new again.

Harley is settling into his new fenced yard.

My neighbor was looking pretty weak and I learned he had come home from an unfortunate hospital stay. I took him a bowl of homemade split pea soup. We visited while he ate then I came home. I was outside with the RV door open as well as the shed door open. I was just puttering around organziing my shed which has become my walkin closet.

When I moved here I bought Harley several dog pens that are 30 inches tall by 16 feet long. .I connected several together to encompass the patio area, the entry to the RV and the entrance to the shed.  This gives him a big play area that covers pavement and dirt. No more tether for him, he has freedom to mess about outdoors without getting loose.

A few minutes later I heard my dog barking on the other side of the RV park!

It was dark thirty. I frantically looked around the patio and yard area inside our dog pen fencing. Then I saw one of the gates was open and doggy was gone.

I called him and yelled "COME!" which means you better get here quick if you know what's good for you.

Amazingly he did come home rather sheepish. I snatched him up and firmly locked the gate. I was mad at him and mad at myself.

A few minutes later here came a huge fire truck followed by an ambulance and they both slammed on brakes in front of my driveway.

I seriously panicked! Did my soup cause a problem for my neighbor?

But it was a different neighbor having a problem that required a trip to the hospital. The fire truck just happened to park at my driveway.

All is well but life is goof.


Thanks!


Saturday, November 11, 2017

Thursday, November 09, 2017

Disgusted

Usually I am quite grateful to wake up alive, but today I am in such pain and discomfort, I am struggling to smile, rejoice and be grateful. 

Life is goof. 


 Every day I try to find a thing of beauty for a photo to remind me that each and every day life is a precious gift.

Thank you for stopping by.

Bless you. 
 



Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Snow or Stuffing

Poor Bo Bo.

Harley  likes to exercise his toys. He is fond of stuffed toys and rubbery toys that bounce funny or squeak or both. Notice all the toys he dragged outside to entertain himself. He would play with one for awhile, then go back to the toy box to select a new one to bring out.

I wonder if he was yanked from his mother too soon. Sometimes when he is through playing with his toys, he will cuddle up to a stuffed one and nurse it. He will typically choose a tail or ear to nurse on the toy. He will often go to sleep afterwards.  Sometimes repeated nursing of a stuffed appendage results in fabric wear. Suddenly the toy is exploding in stuffing with help from an enthusiastic doggy.

Usually I try to engage him in something different. I don't fuss at him because we have a solid deal.

He agrees to never ever mess up my stuff, or chew on the upholstery or pillows in our teeny tiny home. I agree *ahem* to keep his toy box stocked with interesting stuff. I don't fuss at him when he unstuffs one, but I do try to focus him on something different.

Well here is a funny video.

I went inside to use the restroom, I came back out to snow!

Harley had already settled down for a nap with another toy, but I guess he heard me looking for him when I picked up the camera to make this snow video.



YouTube link if you can't see the movie insert above.


Thank you for stopping by today.

Monday, November 06, 2017

Hope

Another beautiful day in paradise.

Woke up alive.

Smiled.

A great start already! 







I found struggling spider plants outlined with  a border of bricks buried under leaves on my RV lot last July

I began coaxing them back to life with some Miracle Grow Plant Food.

Then Hurricane Irma came and went. She left a mess of debris on top of the plants. I was gone for almost a month evacuating early and coming back late.

The plants suffered a set back.

I've tried to clean them up and make them happy again.

Growing something.

It gives hope.



Saturday, November 04, 2017

A New Place

I have more or less settled down for a spell in my little old wheel estate.

The new neighborhood seems nice enough.

Shady oaks.



A place for friends to rent when they visit.


 Reminders to watch your speed.

Convenient parking for my  vehicle.

Secure neighborhood watch system in place.

Good signage for the exit.

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Plant For The Future

Another gorgeous day to wake up alive.

I snapped a pic of my happy little starter garden a few days before I fled Irma.

Putting the plant stand away, I had to leave the pots outside to fend for themselves. I tucked them close to the aluminum shed and said a little prayer.

Amazingly a few survived  but were sporting severe battle wounds.

I am trying to coax them back to life now. It gives me hope.