Yesterday morning we traveled from our campsite in Davenport to Melbourne, Florida, to have Thanksgiving dinner with Brandon and his family, Megan, Brynlee, Lily, and Megan's Mom, Diane. We had a feast too. Turkey, a chargoal grilled beef tenderloin on the Green Egg, cranberry salad, orzo salad, Bok Choy salad, sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. Appetizers were cheese ball olives. Whoo hoo. Boy are we stuffed! I really didn't overeat, but I tried to taste everything and nothing disappointed. It's the first time in about 15 years we have had Thanksgiving dinner with one of our kids. While in Texas, we always had dinner with Mom and Dad, but since Daddy's gone now and Mom doesn't go down anymore, there was no family for us to commune with.
We started back about 5:15 because we realized it would soon be dark. LOL The drive over was great, very little traffic and it's the "longer" way around to Brandon's house, but it was about 1:45 hours. Going back we took the toll road (we now have a Sun Pass) and we have to jump on I-4 for the last 8 miles. As soon as we get on I-4, we are in a traffic jam. Happened the last time we drove over to Brandon's for the day. It is apparently all the Disney traffic. . . no other reason and we are right there at Disney, so I suppose that's true. I was looking at the map today and I believe I see an alternate route if we have to go again.
We've been busy exploring the area and looking at places. Will keep you updated on our search, but nothing's going on this weekend.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Friday, November 29, 2019
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Cruising along. . .
We spent the next few days cleaning up our place in Mission. I cleaned Mom's trailer inside and out and then I tackled the Texas Room. Terry got the golf cart running and then powerwashed both the Texas Room and Mom's trailer.
On Tuesday we went to the airport to meet my sister Nita and Mom. They arrived on time and had good flights all the way from Indianapolis. I had made homemade vegetable beef soup, so that was waiting for us when we got back to the park. It worked out well and Nita helped me clean up from supper. They then went back to Mom's and rested before bedtime.
There wasn't much for them to do since we had gotten everything cleaned so we visited mostly during the time Nita was here. She walked with us every morning and I took her to garage sales in Hidden, one of our neighboring parks. We didn't find anything. . . there was very little even out.
We did a little grocery shopping and made sure we had all our ingredients for our park dinner on Thanksgiving. We chose to do that instead of have to cook all day for ourselves. LOL I actually do have a turkey, though. H.E.B. had them on sale for 98 cents a pound for a Butterball, so I bought a smaller one and put it in the freezer for some later time.
We have had a couple cool days and today turned cool and windy again after having an 84* day yesterday.
Nita left early Monday morning. Terry and I took her to the airport and before we left the drive, she had already checked her bag, so we left. McAllen is a very nice, small airport which is easy to get to and easy to negotiate. It was nice to finally settle in with just Terry, Mom and I, but I do miss Nita. It's fun to have "sister" time occasionally.
Sunday Terry started getting sick with what is known down here as the "Texas Crud." He is still coughing, sneezing and gagging and not eating much. We have both been down this road before and he should be starting to feel better soon. I think he surely has had his worst day already. He probably won't be able to go to the dinner tomorrow though. I may bring him something back.
I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may God bless you and your family.
Till next time. . .
Dale
On Tuesday we went to the airport to meet my sister Nita and Mom. They arrived on time and had good flights all the way from Indianapolis. I had made homemade vegetable beef soup, so that was waiting for us when we got back to the park. It worked out well and Nita helped me clean up from supper. They then went back to Mom's and rested before bedtime.
There wasn't much for them to do since we had gotten everything cleaned so we visited mostly during the time Nita was here. She walked with us every morning and I took her to garage sales in Hidden, one of our neighboring parks. We didn't find anything. . . there was very little even out.
We did a little grocery shopping and made sure we had all our ingredients for our park dinner on Thanksgiving. We chose to do that instead of have to cook all day for ourselves. LOL I actually do have a turkey, though. H.E.B. had them on sale for 98 cents a pound for a Butterball, so I bought a smaller one and put it in the freezer for some later time.
We have had a couple cool days and today turned cool and windy again after having an 84* day yesterday.
Nita left early Monday morning. Terry and I took her to the airport and before we left the drive, she had already checked her bag, so we left. McAllen is a very nice, small airport which is easy to get to and easy to negotiate. It was nice to finally settle in with just Terry, Mom and I, but I do miss Nita. It's fun to have "sister" time occasionally.
Sunday Terry started getting sick with what is known down here as the "Texas Crud." He is still coughing, sneezing and gagging and not eating much. We have both been down this road before and he should be starting to feel better soon. I think he surely has had his worst day already. He probably won't be able to go to the dinner tomorrow though. I may bring him something back.
I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may God bless you and your family.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Been A'While. . .
We have enjoyed very good weather since we arrived here in the Valley. We have been in shorts most days except for like . . . today. We had a cold front come through last night and things really cooled down.
Mom and Dad are not here. Dad does not want to spend three days riding in the car to get here. I can't blame him. Mom doesn't want to fly, but they have considered it. Time will tell. It is much colder up there already, but I don't think it's a bad place for them. Their grandkids visit occasionally and they are just a few steps from Nita's place. They spent Thanksgiving there and they had a lot more people around them there than they do here. Daddy even says that he knows so few people here anymore and that's probably true because as people get older, they either don't come down anymore or they die. Unfortunately the average age of the residents in this park is "old," and that is happening more and more. We plan to spend our winters here with them, so if they do decide to come down we will be here.
They were able to attend a Veteran's Day program at one of their great grandson's school in Lafayette, Indiana. Dad got to stand and be recognized and he really enjoyed accepting the accolades from the crowd. He is very proud of his service in the South Pacific during World War II and we are very proud of him. There aren't that many WWII vets left anymore and Daddy is 91.
We have been working on getting things cleaned up and I must say, we haven't taxed ourselves doing that. We walk every morning and ride bikes every afternoon, so we have been getting some exercise. We already visited with friends that we somehow missed all last year, so that is good. We went out to eat with them at the Riverside, for tenderloins of course, and it was very good.
The park is not very full. We probably only have enough people on our street to fill up one side. More will come in after Thanksgiving and then more even after Christmas.
Thanksgiving was good. We had a great meal down at the hall. This year I helped get the turkeys in the roasters and then went back a few hours later to carve them and get that mess cleaned up. It's not a bad job and both times, it was just about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of work. A lot of workers makes for a short session.
This week will be busy. We have been unloading the motorhome as it is going into the shop on Monday. We are having an engine problem and we need to get it fixed. In fact, we can't leave until we do. We talked with the CAT service center and they seem very knowledgeable about what was happening and the potential cause, so that was encouraging. And they will work with our extended warranty company, so that's a plus. They think they will just have it a week tops, so we are hoping that is the case. In the meantime, we will be living in the Texas Room. It will be cramped but comfortable with all the necessities. We have been hauling stuff out of the closet as they may have to get into the hatches to access the engine. That is a real job and the reason they charge motorhomes $140/hour labor. But it has to be fixed. We cannot run far until it is done.
While the motorhome is out from under the canopy, we are having it birdproofed. There was so much bird crap on the pad and around the Texas room that is is actually a health hazard, so we are having the purlins wrapped. It is expensive because they are using steel to do it and it's rather labor intensive, setting up scaffolding, etc. But when it's done the pigeons will have to find someplace else to roost. We are also adding some spikey strips on the shed and the Texas room. We are hoping that takes care of the problem.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Mom and Dad are not here. Dad does not want to spend three days riding in the car to get here. I can't blame him. Mom doesn't want to fly, but they have considered it. Time will tell. It is much colder up there already, but I don't think it's a bad place for them. Their grandkids visit occasionally and they are just a few steps from Nita's place. They spent Thanksgiving there and they had a lot more people around them there than they do here. Daddy even says that he knows so few people here anymore and that's probably true because as people get older, they either don't come down anymore or they die. Unfortunately the average age of the residents in this park is "old," and that is happening more and more. We plan to spend our winters here with them, so if they do decide to come down we will be here.
They were able to attend a Veteran's Day program at one of their great grandson's school in Lafayette, Indiana. Dad got to stand and be recognized and he really enjoyed accepting the accolades from the crowd. He is very proud of his service in the South Pacific during World War II and we are very proud of him. There aren't that many WWII vets left anymore and Daddy is 91.
We have been working on getting things cleaned up and I must say, we haven't taxed ourselves doing that. We walk every morning and ride bikes every afternoon, so we have been getting some exercise. We already visited with friends that we somehow missed all last year, so that is good. We went out to eat with them at the Riverside, for tenderloins of course, and it was very good.
The park is not very full. We probably only have enough people on our street to fill up one side. More will come in after Thanksgiving and then more even after Christmas.
Thanksgiving was good. We had a great meal down at the hall. This year I helped get the turkeys in the roasters and then went back a few hours later to carve them and get that mess cleaned up. It's not a bad job and both times, it was just about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of work. A lot of workers makes for a short session.
This week will be busy. We have been unloading the motorhome as it is going into the shop on Monday. We are having an engine problem and we need to get it fixed. In fact, we can't leave until we do. We talked with the CAT service center and they seem very knowledgeable about what was happening and the potential cause, so that was encouraging. And they will work with our extended warranty company, so that's a plus. They think they will just have it a week tops, so we are hoping that is the case. In the meantime, we will be living in the Texas Room. It will be cramped but comfortable with all the necessities. We have been hauling stuff out of the closet as they may have to get into the hatches to access the engine. That is a real job and the reason they charge motorhomes $140/hour labor. But it has to be fixed. We cannot run far until it is done.
While the motorhome is out from under the canopy, we are having it birdproofed. There was so much bird crap on the pad and around the Texas room that is is actually a health hazard, so we are having the purlins wrapped. It is expensive because they are using steel to do it and it's rather labor intensive, setting up scaffolding, etc. But when it's done the pigeons will have to find someplace else to roost. We are also adding some spikey strips on the shed and the Texas room. We are hoping that takes care of the problem.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Friday, November 28, 2014
Getting ready to roll again. . .
We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad yesterday. I had fixed all my side dishes in disposable pans, so clean up would be quicker. We had turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green bean casserole, dressing and rolls. Then Mom brought cranberry salad, a 
relish tray and deviled eggs. We didn't make big portions of anything, so we wouldn't have so many leftovers to eat, but it was still a lot of food. It was all good, except the dressing was a flop. I pretty much know why. Next time I'll try my regular recipe. After dinner, we watched TV for awhile and just visited. It was a great meal and a great time with my parents. I really cherish these times with them.Today I decided to get the Christmas tree put up. I was worried about whether or not I had enough time to decorate since it was already 1:30. By the time I finished the tree I looked at the clock and it was 2:30. Hahahaha. So I got more decorating done inside the Texas Room, but didn't put anything outside yet.
On Saturday we are heading back to Houston because Terry has to have his incision checked for his ICD and at the followup they we check to make sure the device is continuing to deliver the proper treatment for him. We are taking Phaeton Place and stopping in Victoria on the way up for a night and then will drive on in to Houston on Sunday. We will be staying at Lakeview this time. We will head back down to Victoria on Tuesday and will stay the night there. We will be meeting up with some friends who have to be in Victoria for a doctor's appointment, so we invited them to lunch at Mumphord's BBQ. Can't wait!
Once we get back down here, things will pretty much be back to normal which means relaxing for the next couple of months. We didn't get our "bling" out yet because we knew we would be leaving to go back to Houston. So we will be doing that when we return. The weather has been pretty good since we arrived. We have some cool nights, but it is warm during the day and coats have not been required.
Till next time. . .
Dale
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Settling Down for the Winter!
We did finally leave Houston. We had an appointment on Monday, the 17th, with the doctor. We found him on Medtronic's website. They have a site called "Traveling with Medtronic" for people who have Medtronic devices. Everyone we talked with had nothing but good things to say about him. He is a younger doctor, so hopefully he won't retire on us. We met with him and he went over everything in his charts and then said he would be happy to make the changeout of Terry's ICD. So the nurse came in and scheduled it for the following day! Whoo hoo! I will say that normally these changeouts happen quickly because one's life is in the balance. But it is nice to be treated so very well by the doctor and his staff.
As luck would have it, on Monday night with cold temperatures in Houston, our rear furnace went out. Grrrrr. It wasn't critical in that we didn't have to worry about the holding tanks freezing, but we weren't able to easily heat the bedroom. So I dug out our little electric space heaters for the last night we were there. Terry did some troubleshooting and determined that the thermostat was bad, so he called PPL Motorhomes a few miles away and they had one in stock. So we hopped in the car and drove to PPL to get it. Terry was able to install it and now we have the heat pump, but still no gas furnace. So at least we have heat and once we are completely settled in at our place, he will tear the furnace apart. He's determined that it's the control board in the furnace, so he will be able to do that.
Tuesday afternoon we headed over to the hostpial at 1:00 for his arrival at 1:30. He got checked into his room and then it was a constant parade of nurses and technicians doing what they do. While we were waiting my cousins Jim and Pat arrived. They visited with us before Terry went to surgery and Pat brought some knitting so I could learn how to knit! She has really been special for teaching me. I have been trying to learn crocheting and knitting and she's the only one who has offered to spend time teaching me this craft. She and I had made some scarves using "arm knitting." I had learned how to do it at an FMCA rally and I had already made one, but I had forgotten how to do it from start to finish. I had bought yarn for two more scarves, so we each made one. It was a fun project for two cousins!
Terry left about 3:45, so we three went to the cafeteria so I could get something to eat. We had a nice visit and then headed back up to the room to find out that Terry was done and would be coming back to the room soon. The doctor came in and talked with me and told me everything went well. Then the Medtronic tech came in and said all was well and they set up this device exactly like the old one was set up. I was glad for that, as I don't like them messing with stuff that works the way we want it to. LOL Many thanks to Dr. Doyle and his staff for a great experience. We have to go back next week for a followup and we decided to take Phaeton Place. We will take a few days for the trip
The following day, Wednesday, we left and headed to the valley. Terry was feeling well, took a total of two pain pills (1/2 at a time) and was able to navigate for me. We stopped for the night in Edinburg. We were only about 40 miles away from Mission, but we didn't want to drive in after dark and we wanted to be rested up. So we stopped at Valley Gateway RV park. The hosts were very friendly and the park was not very full, so we got a pull through and didn't have to unhook. We could have, but I didn't want Terry causing any discomfort in his chest.
Thursday morning we drove into our park and got settled. Since we plan to leave Saturday to go back for Terry's checkup, we aren't getting all our "bling" out on our lot. But once we get back and Terry get released, we will be able to get some things done.
One thing I am planning is having Mom and Dad over for Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow! I had
invited them a couple weeks ago. It's hard for Daddy to go over to the hall for dinner and I thought this way he would be in more comfortable surroundings. We are having it in the Texas Room and I have everything ready, I think. I got the turkey and ham ready to roast tomorrow. I made my side dishes and they are in the refrigerator ready to go. I made a Pecan Bar dessert that is done. Tomorrow morning I just have to bake and do the mashed potatoes, which Terry has volunteered to do. So we're good! It's going to be a good day tomorrow!
A few weeks ago when we left Zachary, Louisiana, we crossed the new bridge over the Mississippi at St. Francisville. We had been up there when the ferry was running, but had never seen the new bridge. So I've included a picture of that new bridge!
Till next time. . .
Dale
As luck would have it, on Monday night with cold temperatures in Houston, our rear furnace went out. Grrrrr. It wasn't critical in that we didn't have to worry about the holding tanks freezing, but we weren't able to easily heat the bedroom. So I dug out our little electric space heaters for the last night we were there. Terry did some troubleshooting and determined that the thermostat was bad, so he called PPL Motorhomes a few miles away and they had one in stock. So we hopped in the car and drove to PPL to get it. Terry was able to install it and now we have the heat pump, but still no gas furnace. So at least we have heat and once we are completely settled in at our place, he will tear the furnace apart. He's determined that it's the control board in the furnace, so he will be able to do that.
Tuesday afternoon we headed over to the hostpial at 1:00 for his arrival at 1:30. He got checked into his room and then it was a constant parade of nurses and technicians doing what they do. While we were waiting my cousins Jim and Pat arrived. They visited with us before Terry went to surgery and Pat brought some knitting so I could learn how to knit! She has really been special for teaching me. I have been trying to learn crocheting and knitting and she's the only one who has offered to spend time teaching me this craft. She and I had made some scarves using "arm knitting." I had learned how to do it at an FMCA rally and I had already made one, but I had forgotten how to do it from start to finish. I had bought yarn for two more scarves, so we each made one. It was a fun project for two cousins!
Terry left about 3:45, so we three went to the cafeteria so I could get something to eat. We had a nice visit and then headed back up to the room to find out that Terry was done and would be coming back to the room soon. The doctor came in and talked with me and told me everything went well. Then the Medtronic tech came in and said all was well and they set up this device exactly like the old one was set up. I was glad for that, as I don't like them messing with stuff that works the way we want it to. LOL Many thanks to Dr. Doyle and his staff for a great experience. We have to go back next week for a followup and we decided to take Phaeton Place. We will take a few days for the trip
The following day, Wednesday, we left and headed to the valley. Terry was feeling well, took a total of two pain pills (1/2 at a time) and was able to navigate for me. We stopped for the night in Edinburg. We were only about 40 miles away from Mission, but we didn't want to drive in after dark and we wanted to be rested up. So we stopped at Valley Gateway RV park. The hosts were very friendly and the park was not very full, so we got a pull through and didn't have to unhook. We could have, but I didn't want Terry causing any discomfort in his chest.Thursday morning we drove into our park and got settled. Since we plan to leave Saturday to go back for Terry's checkup, we aren't getting all our "bling" out on our lot. But once we get back and Terry get released, we will be able to get some things done.
One thing I am planning is having Mom and Dad over for Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow! I had
invited them a couple weeks ago. It's hard for Daddy to go over to the hall for dinner and I thought this way he would be in more comfortable surroundings. We are having it in the Texas Room and I have everything ready, I think. I got the turkey and ham ready to roast tomorrow. I made my side dishes and they are in the refrigerator ready to go. I made a Pecan Bar dessert that is done. Tomorrow morning I just have to bake and do the mashed potatoes, which Terry has volunteered to do. So we're good! It's going to be a good day tomorrow!A few weeks ago when we left Zachary, Louisiana, we crossed the new bridge over the Mississippi at St. Francisville. We had been up there when the ferry was running, but had never seen the new bridge. So I've included a picture of that new bridge!Till next time. . .
Dale
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
