About US

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This the story of our journey, Into Something Good, going Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and trying to Hold Onto Our Dreams. How we got on the way to becoming HALF time RVers! Our Ford 350 super duty diesel truck is our horses, we call it the Beast . Our 2008 34'7" 3 slide Cedar Creek Silverback fifth wheel is our Prairie Schooner Wagon,we call it the Bear. Just like the first RVers, the Pioneers of Yesteryear traveling around the country searching for a rich full filling life! Come along with us for the ride and read about our triumphs and mishaps along the way! About to be Part time RVers in a Cedar Creek Silverback 2008, 34'7", 3 slide 5th wheel, which is our Prairie Schooner Wagon, and a 2006 Ford 350 super duty 1 ton diesel truck is our horses, or oxen, only we have to feed it diesel instead of grass, and oats, which costs a lot more! Retired Air Force empty nesters off to see the good ole USA! Favorite Quote: "Life is a Blank Canvas, Made For Me to Add the Colors" Goal: I am trying to add as many colors as I can to my life!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

This Saturday the Diva got New Shoes / Quotes!

Diva:
   The Diva got new shoes! No, not me, the Beast (our truck) I am not a Diva! Mike and Jamie (son) got the new brake  shoes, (pads) on the truck today. Turns out she really did need them, one was metal on metal! That's not a good thing, and that was where the squealing noise was coming from! So we can check new brake pads, or shoes off the list of things for the Beast. Her list is getting longer, mine keeps getting shorter because of her!  I think I may be getting jealous of her. Haha! Let's hope she will be happy for a while now before she wants something else new! 

Another Good Quote:
   "You are never  too old to set another Goal, or Dream a new Dream" by C S Lewis.  That is another good quote that  reminds me that no matter how old we get it is not too late to set, and reach new goals. I like that! I like the fact that we can always have hope, if we want it.
   Do you know someone who is always down, and acts like they have lost their last friend, all  the time? Nothing good ever happens to them, and they never have a good day? Constantly being around people like that will pull you down, and steal your  joy. I found that out the hard way.
   I am a firm believer in karma. I believe what goes around, comes around, and that you reap what you sow. I also believe your mindset has a lot to do with your health and your life. You have to want something bad enough to attain it. If you give up on yourself first, then how are other people supposed to help, and be there for you? I think you have to be willing to help yourself, and find yourself worthy enough for respect before others will give it back to you. This is just my opinion, and I know, everyone has one, and we all know, they usually stink lol! I feel like if we project a positive outlook, we will attain a positive outlook, and get that same outlook back. So that is where all these quotes come in for me. I am trying to improve my attitude. The more you get to know me, the more you will see that is how I am. There are times, like yesterday that I have a minor meltdown,I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I guess that is why robots don't have emotions! Most of the time I try to do that privately though, so I am not responsible for bringing others down. Hope you're not getting tired of the quotes, cos when I see something that speaks to me I like to share it.

Fiver:
   Today Mike plugged the fiver in! He didn't open the slides, but that will come soon. I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow so we'll wait to open the slides, plus it is my job to make sure everything is out of the way for the slides to open, and I can't do that right now. So maybe I will be able to check things out Tuesday. If I can use my crutches to walk, then I will be able to get up the steps into the fiver. I was able to get in the fiver after my knee replacement, so I should be able to do now with no problem. I just need the doctor's okay before I can use my crutches, and put a little bit of weight on my foot. Just think, with all the new items the Diva has gotten, and the weather stays nice, we should be ready to roll! Well, I have to be able to walk too, lol! So just a few minor hang ups to get through, then we'll be on the move again! Yippee, I can't wait.

Time:
   Do you have a problem with time slipping through your fingers? I think I do, because it it time to get this posted, and it feels like I just started writing it. I will have to save the rest of my thoughts for the next post, if I can find them rattling around in my head.  So see ya's next time...









Friday, April 26, 2013

Today is the Last Friday in April !

Friday:
   Today is the last Friday in April, and it sure has been been a long month, at least to me! Probably because I haven't been able to do anything since March 27th. I also imagine the way the weather has been bouncin' all over the place in the temperature range hasn't helped. Warm one day and cold for the next 3, sorry but that just sucks big time to me! You  expect some lows in the 30's the beginning of April not near the end. It is just frustrating with the weather all over the place, and no wonder so many people are getting sick. The only good thing I can say for the weather being like this is that my allergies haven't been bothering me as much. I hope that Spring finally arrives to stay in May, but I bet Summer will arrive instead! Spring will have missed it's chance to make an appearance, and lose all it's usual glory!  What will happen is, we'll go from April's temps, to blazin' hot  temps in May! So from having the heat on, to having the air conditioning on, with no break in between! Won't that be fun!? Haha! I can't think of anything else weather wise to complain about right now, so I'll leave it at that. Haha!  At least the sun has been shining all day, it is just not very warm outside today. ;l  I hope it will be warmer tomorrow.

Whine:
   I think I am on a whine kick today, and I can't think of anything good to say today! Do you ever get that way? How do you get out of it? I think I have just been sidelined for too long! I hope when I go to my doctor appointment that I will at least be able to walk, and put a little bit of weight on my foot using crutches. I am just grumpy from being inactive for almost 5 weeks! I need something to do! I have read I don't know how many books, spent too many hours to count on this laptop, knitted,(boring & I'm not very good at it) and made a couple of corsages and, a keepsake bouquet. Of all of those things, I most enjoyed working with the silk flowers for the shower. I still have one keepsake bouquet to do, but I haven't had the chance to go get the flowers. Maybe I can sometime this weekend. I have an Avon order coming in this weekend,or on Monday, so I will have to get that sorted out, but I doubt that will take very long. So then what will I do? I'm lookin' for suggestions here, trying to keep my cool until Tuesday when I go see the Doc. I'll probably have a huge pity party if I still can't walk! I'd stomp my foot too, but that would probably hurt if I did the left one, and I can't stand on the left one so I could stomp my right one! Lol!  You can see my dilemma  here can't you? Haha! So there is your warning, if I don't get good news on Tuesday. Okay, that is enough of a rant, sorry I just had to blow off some steam! Haha!

Uplifting Note:
   On an uplifting note, (since I just had a little meltdown) I read a quote today on Facebook. I hope I wrote it down right. Here it is:

   " Keep Working, Keep Striving, Keep Believing !"
   "Things may look the same, but you are getting closer, 
   and closer to your Dreams, as long as you keep on going!"
The name on the quote was Doe Zartamata,
   I hope I spelled that right. I don't know if this is a real person or not, but I liked the sentiment of the quote. Life to me is all about the Dreams, cos if you don't have dreams to look forward to, and to work, or strive for it is pretty boring. Ya might as well be running on one of those little wheels that you buy for hamsters, cos you're never gonna get anywhere.  I know, I have to have goals, that I can work for and achieve so I know I'm getting somewhere, don't you? I don't always succeed the first time on a goal, but I eventually do get there. Sometimes I'm not as patient as I need to be, as seen by the above rant.  I will always be a work in progress, so I am always learning new things, and new ways to be. Live and learn is a good motto to have. There how'd ya like the way I turned my negative rant into something positive? Haha!  I hate being a wet blanket about things. I try to keep this blog for the most part positive,cos that's the kind of person I am, and the kind I want to be. I never miss the opportunity to complain just a little though, it keeps me normal, and not too goody goody. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Lol!

   Time for me to head to the bed. I hope where ever you are in your life, you have mostly sunny skies, with just enough rain to make you appreciate what ya have!  Safe travels to all our Rv friends, and everyone else too. Until next time...












Thursday, April 25, 2013

Thursday Nonsense!

Thursday:
   Well another work week is almost over for those of you who work. You only have one more day after today, unless you work on the weekends. I hope all of you who are working can find some time to relax! It's good for you to unwind and just be. Me on the other hand, I have had too much time to relax the last few weeks! I am going to attempt  to sit on one of the bar stools from the island, and make spaghetti for dinner. We'll see how that works out. Ya never think you will get tired of take out, but believe me you really do. Also, it gets very expensive, and it isn't very healthy eating that stuff all the time! Unfortunately, Mike isn't very skilled at cooking, he doesn't even grill unless it is just hot dogs! It is also, very hard to instruct someone how to cook a meal when they have no knowledge of cooking terms and such. We found that out pretty quickly, and I will tell you that the only thing that got heated was our tempers! Lol! Enough said! Haha!  After that, Mike decided he would get take out while I was off my feet, but 6 weeks is a long time to eat takeout! Like I said the other day, I am getting very antsy to be able to do some things. So when I complain about having to do stuff, (and I'm sure I will) after I'm allowed to go back to doing my normal things, I will deny  I said anything about wanting to be able to do something! Haha! Anyway, I am going to see what I can do sitting on one of the bar stools from the island. I figured spaghetti with meat sauce wouldn't be that difficult to do, even if it isn't too healthy for us! At least, it won't have all the preservatives in it, that the take out stuff does. So, that is my plan for dinner tonight, wish me luck. ;) 

Necessary / Unnecessary Items for the Beast:
   The Beast (our truck) has decided she needs some new brake shoes! The trouble is, she isn't above squealing, and grinding to get her way either! Haha! All kidding aside, the brakes are making noise, so the brake pads will have to be replaced. You'd think though after getting 2 new batteries, and a new alternator, she could have been happy for a few months before she wanted something new! She is such a Diva! I guess the brakes would come under the necessary heading, since they have to stop a 13,000 pound  Rv trailer!  
   I'll tell ya about another necessary item Mike bought, (that I thought was totally unnecessary) that saved us a bundle of money on both the truck, and the trailer. When Mike had the hitch for the fiver installed, he bought a safety catch for the hitch, and then he installed it with the help our son. This saves the sides, and bed of the truck, should your fiver come unhitched, or for some stupid reason, you forget to put down the landing gear (holds the trailer up) on the trailer, and go ahead, and unhook it. This happened to us, I speak from experience! This is one of those incidences that wasn't funny at the time, but we can laugh about it now,  (only a little bit) it is still scary! The safety catch has saved us twice, so it was indeed worth the extra money Mike paid for it!  You heard it here first folks, I admit I was wrong, Mike was right! Haha! This was money that was well spent!  Sometimes, when ya go to set up everything, your mind isn't fully on what you are doing, as demonstrated by this incident! So this is why I mentioned the campground comedy shows, and why others like to watch. I'm sure some people had a good laugh over this! Not so funny to us though, when we could have lost thousands of dollars over it. This is why it's so important to have check lists, and for heaven sake put the landing gear (the foot pads that hold the front of the fiver up, when you unhitch) down first ! A lesson well learned by us! At least this incident I'm talking about happened  when we were in Iowa, so nobody around here would have known if I hadn't told you guys! LOL! The reason I mention this, (not to show you our stupidity, by the way, which is legendary,lol) is so that it might save some one out there the heartache that it could have caused us if Mike wasn't such a safety freak! Thank goodness he is, and is always trying to make things safer for us, and others we might come in contact with! Right now the only unnecessary thing, (I can think of) that we have bought for the Beast, was satellite radio. It wasn't as necessary for the Beast as it was for us. We got tired of trying to find a new radio station every time we went out of range of the radio station we were listening to. It can become quite tiresome, when you are traveling through other states, and don't know where the radio stations are, and you have to go through the whole dial to find one. I know, poor us, you are thinking, right? Lol!  So this item hasn't saved us any money, (in fact ya either pay by the month, or for the whole year at once, so it has cost us money) but it has saved us a lot of irritation, and frustration. I guess that counts for something! So we play nice, and share, one day I get to listen to my 60's and the next day Mike gets to listen to his 80's! Hey, it keeps us happy haha!

Done Deal:
   I consider this post a done deal, and I'm going to publish it. Lucky you, you don't have to read a foot blurb today, there is nothing new to report. Hehe!
   If you have been bitten by the Rv bug, I hope you can take our mistakes, that I talk about here, and keep from making them yourself, and maybe have a chuckle at our expense! Haha! Just say to yourself, gee, I would never do something like that! But, I bet ya will, just hope it it nothing too bad that will come back to bite ya on the butt, or haunt you! Haha! I hope to see ya's right here the next time I post! Until next time...

Here is the link to my Avon site for any of you who wish to order. It will be shipped directly to you and you may pay at the time of purchase with your credit card. Thank You! www.youravon.com/krisw32154

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Chilly and Rainy Wednesday!

Wednesday:
   Wow, 46 degrees this a.m. and rain! Are you getting as tired of these up / down temps as I am? Surely we will be back to normal temps by the end of April, lets hope so! I don't mind rain as long as it is a warm sweet smelling rain. Unfortunately, this rain is cold and there isn't a sweet thing about it!

Fiver:
   I want to open up the slides on the fiver! I hope by Saturday it will be nice and warm! I say open the slides like it is so hard, lol, all we have to do is plug the fiver in, make sure there is nothing in the way of the slides, and push a button! Presto! The bedroom slide comes out, then the living room slide is next, and finally the slide on the door side glides out!  Talk about easy, quite a step above the earlier slides several years ago, they had to be cranked out by hand. No wonder they were only big enough for a love seat, can you imagine how long it would take to hand crank a big slide out? Rv's have come a long ways in the years we have been camping. We never had a tent, cos this girl does not rough it! Haha! I love the outdoors, and nature, but frankly I don't want to be that intimate with it! Lol! I like having my own bathroom and shower, and my own bed with sheets. No sleeping bag on the ground for me, if I slept on the hard ground I probably wouldn't be able to move in the morning! Lol!  I want  all the comforts of home right along with me, I just don't want to stay home all the time! It's nice having everything in it's place in the trailer, and all ya have to do is put your clothes, and food in it, and you're ready to hook up and go! Then when ya get there just set it up and enjoy, sit back and relax! That is what I call enjoying nature and relaxing! Hehe!

Bella and Lilly:
   I think we will need to spend a few days, and nights in the fiver with to the dogs to get them used to being in there. That will give us some idea of what to expect before we venture out to a state park for a few days. We need to be able to see how they will react to everything. No sense in giving all the other Rvers a comedy show, and us some unpleasant surprises before a trial run!  After all, our neighbors already know we're crazy, so we might as well do a trial run with them, rather than giving strangers a laugh or two! Haha! I am sure once we get to a campground we'll keep them in stitches anyway! Even the best prepared Rvers, give the neighbors in the campground a show, sometimes without even realizing they are doing it! Believe me when I tell you the other campers love to watch everyone else set up, and break camp, just to see how, and what they do. Sometimes it is quite funny, and we have put on quite a show ourselves at times! We also enjoy watching fellow campers set up too, we get new ideas, and learn new ways of doing things that we hadn't thought of trying. Also, as I'm sure you can imagine, we also get a few laughs too! Things happen when you least expect it, and even seasoned Rvers have told us stories  of their mistakes. We've had some doozies  ourselves, that weren't funny at the time, but we can laugh about them now! I think our first order of business will be to take the dogs for a walk around the campground before  we set up. Then I hope they will be ready for a rest, and we can get set up with no surprises. Wish us luck with that! Haha! I'm afraid no matter how much we prepare the dogs, we're gonna have some funny consequences, that will eventually become funny memories, I hope!

Foot Blurb:
   There isn't much new to report on my foot. The bruising on the bottom is almost gone, and the swelling is going down a bit every day. I even have some feeling back in the big toe. I hope by next Tuesday, when I see the doctor that I will be allowed to walk on it! End of the foot blurb.

Yesterday:
   I got the island in the kitchen all cleaned up from doing flowers, and Mike put the containers back in the sewing room for me. Just until I get the flowers for the other keepsake bouquet, then I will get started on that one. I was able to do some dusting, and clean the windows in the door, inside and out, by using the wheelchair. I couldn't reach the 3rd row of little windows (it's a 9 light door) in the door, but at least I got the first  2 rows. The top row can wait, it is covered up by the valance, so ya can't see out of it anyway. I got them washed just in time to be able to see the rain! Haha! It was a good feeling to be able to accomplish something. I didn't feel quite so helpless, so I was in a better mood. 

   That is all I can find rattling around in my head to write about today so this sounds like a good place to stop. So make sure ya be kind to each other, and add some colors (memories) to your canvas (life)! See ya's...

Monday, April 22, 2013

It's Monday Again !!!!

Monday Again:
   Do you dread Monday coming each week?  It is a beautiful day today with sunshine and nice temps. If it was just a tad warmer I could wear shorts comfortably. Although a lot of people were wearing shorts on Saturday with sweatshirts or Jackets, I'm like why bother. Why bother wearing shorts if ya have to wear a jacket or long sleeves, looks strange to me.  It just stands to reason, at least to me, that if your arms are gonna be cold, wouldn't your legs be cold too? If it is 70 degrees I will wear shorts, but not in the 50's.
To answer my question, no I don't dread Monday coming anymore, like I did when I worked. So for all you out there who are working, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Once you retire you will see that Monday is just like any other day. Everyday is like a weekend. You still have to find things to do to break up the monotony so you don't get bored when you retire. I had an appointment to get some tests done on my eyes this afternoon, so that is what we did today, then back home.

Foot Blurb:
   I think I overdid having my foot down yesterday at the shower. When I got home it was thumping pretty good, and even though I kept it up until bedtime it just wouldn't stop hurting. I put ice on it when I got in bed last night and that didn't even help. Even though I was tired I could not go to sleep because it hurt so bad. Finally out of desperation I wrapped it in an ace bandage and it calmed down enough for me to go to sleep. This morning it didn't hurt at all so that must of helped it. The swelling is starting to finally go down, and where my foot was so swelled after surgery, the skin is starting to peel. Now that is really gross, so enough said about that.

Mess:
   I still have flower stuff all over the island in the kitchen from doing the bouquet, and the corsages. I have another bouquet to do for another wedding that I need to get done soon. I don't have the flowers for the next one yet, so I will put everything away, but the tools, floral pins, and floral tape, etc... I have a plastic container that I use for that. When I do flowers I have stuff scattered from one end of the island to the other, kinda of ordered chaos, is there such a thing? Lol!  Then when I get the flowers for the other one I will get to play again. I consider it playing anyway, it is fun and relaxing for me. Here are the pics of the corsages and the keepsake bouquet.
                                                     





The first picture to the left is the corsage I made for Katie's Mom,and my good  friend Trish.








The second pic is of Katie and me at the shower! Katie is holding her bouquet, and wearing her corsage. As you can see, she liked them!




               
                 The third picture is of the keepsake bouquet that I made for Katie. I can't believe that she is getting married in less than a month! Seems like only yesterday she was 13, the same age  one my Grand Daughters is now!

Earth Day:
   By the way today is Earth Day! So everyone please be kind to our Earth, no littering. We need to keep it clean for us and every other living thing that lives here. Okay, maybe not for : mosquito's, flies, spiders, fleas, and roaches etc...! I don't like any of them, they're nothing but pests to me! LOL! Unfortunately, they will probably still be here when we're all gone! Happy Earth Day!

Traveling Rvers:
   To all of you snow birds migrating North, be careful, and travel safe! To the rest of ya who are stuck  for the time being, like us, enjoy what life has to offer! Take a walk or just enjoy being outside if it is nice where you are! Never sit on the sidelines, and let life pass you by. One of the things I have learned is not to take things for granted that you can do now. Keep doing them while you can, that is one thing this foot surgery has taught me! I can't wait to be able to get up, and use my two feet again, and let them carry me across the floor. I hate the feeling  of being helpless! Even if I can't walk very far at first, just being able to just walk, and do things around the house will be nice. I have also learned I am not a good patient, just ask Mike! Haha! On that note, I am signing off for today! So until we meet again, see ya's...







                                                               

  

                                             

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Help I'm Behind! I'm Hurrying as Fast as I Can!

Friday Doc Appointment:
   I finally got that pin out of my foot! It feels much better without it! It didn't hurt a bit when the doctor took it out, in fact I didn't realize it was out until he said "okay I'm done!" That might have something to do with the fact that he had me lay back and I couldn't see  what he was doing! I really didn't feel  anything though. I still can't put weight on the foot until after April 30th, but this is an improvement. He said the xrays showed that the bone was healed so that is why he took the pin out. He was surprised, and said I was a fast healer. So a good report for the foot blurb!

Katie's Wedding Shower:
   I  got the keepsake bouquet and 2 corsages made, One for the Bride, (Katie) and one for the Mother of the Bride (Trish). The shower was today so I will post pics soon. They turned out great and they loved them! The shower was really nice, and they had lots of yummy food. Katie and Ryan got a lot of nice stuff.

Short and Sweet:
   Well that is all I can write tonight. I am very tired and I promise I will write more tomorrow. So Until we meet again...