Weekend Happenings!

Greetings on this cool Sunday evening.  We have had off the last three days.  Friday morning was spent getting some much needed lab work done (Alice) and then off to see Dr. Emily.  Had to have a medication review and discuss an ongoing tummy problem that I have had for the last several months.  The outcome...time for another colonoscopy ~ oh joy!!!  We have decided to put that off till after our vacation the end of March.  For a couple of reasons: needing to save up the money to pay for it as the cost is about $1100 :( and time wise it will be better to take the two days off after we get back from our vacation.

After spending the morning at appointments we decided to take a drive on Friday afternoon.  Drove to Uvalde then over to Eagle Pass where we had lunch at the Kickapoo Casino and then drove toward Del Rio and Bracketville and then back to D'Hanis...a large circle.  It was a beautiful sunny day and a nice day for a ride.  We got home just in time to play bingo in the clubhouse...a good night for me as I won two games ~ won $14!!!

Then Saturday I did 4 loads of laundry and Ron cleaned up some in the motor home.  In the afternoon we decided to watch a few movies that we had recorded over the Christmas season.  All three were Hallmark movies - so fun. 

Sunday we slept in and then headed out to go down Texas 211 - found out it is a dead end road - no sign when you turn off Highway 90 to Texas 211...oh well, now we know there is nothing down that road :)  And then we made another large circle, this time going to Poteet, TX - which has a big strawberry festival each spring.  And this is what welcomes you into town:

Poteet's water tower painted like a giant strawberry!

And then we were off on more adventures.  And to the town of Lytle.  We saw a beautiful County Courthouse and the jail, both built in the early 1900's.

The Courthouse is the same on all four sides.  The jail is kinda obscured by the trees but beautiful none the less, the two signs talk about the history of the jail.  Both buildings were built and designed by the same man.

While in Lytle we had lunch at the Railroad Cafe...lots of pictures of railcars throughout the restaurant.  Ron had a jalapeno burger and I had a mushroom/Swiss burger with some delicious onion rings.  After our lunch break we made our way around many back roads to Sabinal and then back to the park.

All in all we went through two full tanks of gas, laughed a lot, sang some old hymns along with some crazy songs, saw lots of neat scenery, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and most of all enjoyed each others company.

And often we shared about how blessed we are.  We are so thankful for our family and friends, near and far, and then we ended our day Skyping with Brandon, Danalyn, Max, Christopher and Treyson - can't wait to see them along with Jamie, Suzanne and Opal in just under two months!!!

Hope each of you have had a great weekend!!!

The ABC's of Me!

Got this from another blog I follow so thought I would do it ~ hope you enjoy reading about me!

The ABC’s about ME!

 

Age: – 54! 

Bed size: Queen!

Chore you dislike: Cleaning the bathroom ~ ugh!

Dogs: Not any more ~ much easier to travel without any pets.

Essential start to your day: Reading my Bible, writing a daily journal entry

Favorite color: Purple

Gold or silver: Either

Height: 5 foot 7 inches

Instruments you play(ed): Clarinet.  I played my Grandpa's clarinet and still have it to pass on to one of the grandchildren.

Job title: Friend Maker ~ love to be around people and make new friends!

Kids: 2 Wonderful sons here on earth and 2 little boys in heaven and 2 delightful daughters-in-love and 4 special grandchildren!!

Live: Wherever the motor home is parked!

Mom’s name: Mom, Peggy but we called her Yeggp!  Miss her so much some days!

Nicknames: Ali, Ali Cat

Overnight hospital stays: Too many to count!!

Pet Peeves: Rude people, people who talk with food in their mouths

Quote from a movie: none but really enjoyed seeing We Bought a Zoo!  with my hubby and friends last week.

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Siblings:  1 sister older and 1 sister younger ~ Yep I am a Middle-Child.

Time you wake up: During the week between 6:15 and 7:00 a.m.  On the weekends as late as I can sleep in.

Underwear: Yep, every day!!!

Vegetables you don’t like: Can't think of any.

What makes you run late: hate  to run late.

X-Rays you’ve had: Again, too many to count.

Yummy food you make: Chicken gumbo - recipe I got from my mom!

Zoo animal favorite: monkeys!

If you decide to do this let me know so I can come check it out!

HAVE A LOVELY DAY MY FRIENDS!

Nice & Relaxing Weekend

Have had a pretty laid back weekend. 

I had planned to sleep in on Saturday but no, the body was wide awake at 6:45 a.m!  So don't understand why on days I can sleep in I wake up early and wide awake yet come Monday morning I will be dragging my butt out of bed and just wishing for another hour or two of sleep...just don't understand that one.

But alas, since I was awake I got up and headed over to the laundry room.  Did two loads of clothes and then cut out some pictures from last year's calendar to add to a photo album.  Just love the calendar's that Danalyn has made the last two years.  So fun to see how the boys have grown over the last year.  Also decided it was time to get the cross-stitch out and do some of the many projects I have on hand.  I will show pictures after the  first five get sent off to their recipients - want them to be surprised.   Making five things that are the same but different.  Can you guess what they are????

And then we were off to the clubhouse for some good ole' fiddler music.  Twice a year the Fiddler's come to town for an all day jam session.  And of course there was  a potluck with lots of great dishes.  I took a salad and a bag of multi-grain crackers.  Was able to visit with one of my Women RV Forum friends, Sharon, who's folk have a lot here in the park. 

And then we were home for the evening.  We watched the movie About Schmidt...loaned to us by one of the members here in the park.  It was about a man who goes on a cross country trip in his motor home and living life at the same time.  It had some good scenes but not really a movie I would watch again or recommend. 

Woke this morning with another dang headache.  Took some of my migraine medicine and rested for about another hour then got up.  Laid around on the couch and Ron made bagels for breakfast.  It's funny I am not a raisin person but sure do like cinnamon raisin bagels ~ go figure.  Then decided to tackle the two long cupboards in the living room.  Got them cleaned out and organized.  Now I have another big project to do - take all my paper address books and get them into one Excel workbook.  Once that is done I will have about 4" more space in the cupboard above the couch.

Then it was time for lunch ~ made some chicken & shrimp pasta.  Pretty tasty if I say so myself.  And then it was time for some football ~~~ my Ravens lost :( and now the 49'rs are in overtime...hope they win!!  While watching football I finished my first cross-stitch project that I started yesterday and then graphed out the second one.  Will start stitching it tomorrow night.


For dinner we had cabbage rolls.  When I made my one and only batch in December I had enough for two pans so I froze one for a later time and that time was today.  The only thing I did to it today was added some more seasoning over the cabbage rolls and then another can of tomato sauce...they were much better the second time around.

So that's about it for our weekend.  Relaxing and productive ~ can't ask for much better.  Hope you all had a good weekend and have a terrific week.

Puzzling - what do you think?

OK..I sent the following email out to the Lone Star Corral yahoo group - and then I have gotten comments that say this doesn't make sense.  Does it make sense to you??

Dear Lone Star Corral Members

I sent out an email today to ALL current LSC Members and received 15 back due to wrong or invalid email addresses. 

IF you are a CURRENT LSC member and did not receive an email from info@lonestarcorral.com today, January 16th please send me an email at info@lonestarcorral.com so that I can have your correct email address.

IF you are not sure that the LSC office has your current email address send an email so I can verify.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, IT IS MY PRIVATE EMAIL.  PLEASE USE THE info@lonestarcorral.com address.
Thank you, Ali

So what do you think?  Does it make sense?

Let me say it this way...I sent out an email to the individual members of the Lone Star Corral from the LSC Office email account and then got 15 emails saying they were not deliverable - meaning for one reason or another the email did not go through.  So  then I went to my private email and sent an email to the Yahoo group for the LSC members (that email does not go to individuals but to the Yahoo group).  My question was if the LSC member did not get an email from me via the office email address to please let me know...is this so hard to understand?


I am puzzled.  I thought my email was pretty clear - maybe not.  Thanks for any feedback - Ali
 

Nothin' Much Happening Here

Thought I would just write  a bit to let y'all know we are alive and well, just working and hanging out and just kind being.

Since I last wrote we have been working - and it has been busy here at The Lone Star Corral.  Over Christmas and New Year's holidays the park has been full.  We have the First In/First Out rule...when the park gets full (all rental lots are full) we then have to bump the guest that has been here the longest.  We came close...the park was full and we had a guest come in and no sites open.  So off to boondock they went and we went and told the couple who has been here since the early part of October that they would have to move.  I thought it was 48 hours they had to move but really it is 24 - need to read up on those darn rules again :)  

Anyway, the day came for them to move and just before they were going to move a guest left opening up a site..yeah the first people in didn't have to move and the last person in got a site.  Hopefully we won't get that close to moving guests around again - it is such an uncomfortable position to be in to tell some one they have to leave because someone else wants to come in...but that is the rules and we are here to enforce the rules.

It has been pretty busy in the office for the past couple of weeks and it doesn't look like it is going to let up any time soon and that is fine with me.  I like busy days.  And no two days here are ever the same.  I have been working on all the end of year reports and finding out interesting things like Ron and I average doing three loads of laundry a week.  Some weeks we do two loads, some three and like this week we did six loads!!  Guess that's what happens when you don't do laundry for three weeks.  That and finding little mouse droppings...in a few places :(  so lots of cleaning went on today and decon got put out and the little emitters were plugged in in a couple of places instead of just one.

And we are dealing with cold weather in the late nights/early mornings.  It has been so cold that this morning our water hose was frozen this morning.  And it was cold in this rig we call home.  Down to 52...so guess who jumped out of bed, scurried to the living room and turned on the furnace and back into the bedroom and turned on the back furnace and then crawled back into bed for about an hour to let the motor home warm up - got it up to 71' in just over an hour.  And I spent that hour reading and relaxing - just what you are supposed to do on a day off - right?

We have been playing bingo on Friday nights here at the clubhouse.  And this week was a good week for me.  It cost either $3 or $4 for your cards, depending on how many you play.  I won two games at $8 each game so we came out ahead - now that makes for a fun night.  There is always lots of chatter and laughter going on during those bingo games. 

As I mentioned earlier I did laundry today and Ron worked on the water pump in the motor home.  It quit working so after some detective work he found out a wire and come undone some how...not sure what he had to do but whatever he did we now have water without having to use city water if necessary...like when it is supposed to get down to below freezing and the water hose freezes.    We also did some major cleaning  in the rig, cleaned out one cupboard, two drawers and worked on our plans to do some remodeling in the dining area.  And also just some regular cleaning.    One of those things that needs to happen whether you live in a sticks & bricks house or a house on wheels..regular cleaning needs to happen.

We also have been working on some vacation plans.  We are going to be flying to Seattle on March 23rd and heading to Blaine on Saturday, March 24 - hoping for lots of time with Jamie, Suzanne and Opal...Ron is worried she won't remember us, then to Northwood Alliance Church on Sunday where we will get in lots of visiting and sharing  a potluck meal.  Also planning a family gathering, just not sure when that will happen, a coffee date with my bestie, Dee and then later with others.  And more visiting on Sunday evening and Monday.  Tuesday, 3/27 we will make our way to Oregon with a stop at Northwest Labs to see Christie & Todd my ocularists - the ole eye needs a polishing job and I a check-up.  Then off to Oregon to spend some days with Brandon and Danalyn and the boys before driving back to Seattle on Sunday, April 1st (am trying to come up with an April Fool's joke - don't know if I can top last years:) to catch a flight back to San Antonio to start our second year here at the Lone Star Corral.  If you are reading this and want to see us while we are back in the Blaine area give me a shout out so we can see if we can make it happen.

So in a nutshell that's about all that is going on with us.  Hope you are all having a good weekend.

Morning Thoughts

I woke up this morning thinking about work: internet use, letting others "issues" becoming my own and that I need to stop taking things personally.  And that instead of letting things or people get to me I need to send up "arrow" prayers for God to help me through a situation or interaction with people who seem to get under my skin.     

We have made the decision to extend our contract here at the Lone Star Corral and I don't want nor can it be a year filled with irritation.  I need to not let things get to me because then I take those irritants home and treat Ron in a not so nice way like snapping at him when he has done nothing wrong.  That is why I need to take things to God in prayer.

And then I turned to my Bible reading for this morning and it was Proverbs 3:5-6...in my words:

Trust in the Lord with all my heart

Lean not on my own understanding

In all my ways acknowledge the Lord God as my Everlasting Father

And then He will direct my paths.

Thank you Lord for these verses this morning as a reminder that I need to continually put my trust in You, seeking You in all areas of my life, not just with the big stuff but with the day to day things.  Knowing You are always present in my life and You will guide me in all my activities and interactions with others.  Help me to remember to keep my focus on You.  Your daughter, Ali. 

Ramblin' Thoughts

What a day today has been ~~~

~ don't understand why some people think lying is okay.  That it justifies their behavior to get what they want.  And then when they are challenged about lying they say you don't understand, you don't know the "crap" I have had to deal with in my life ~ you are right but I have had to deal with a ton of crap in my life too but that does not make lying okay, for any reason.

Now I am not talking about lying in the sense of pulling off a surprise party or pulling a prank for fun with someone.   I am talking about lying about your behavior or what you are doing.  I can't think of any reason why lying is okay...can any of you?

~ then being yelled at by someone because they are upset because they are being told they have to follow the rules.  Rules they agreed to follow and now because the rules are trying to be enforced "people are picking on them."  Once again, if you don't like the rules no one is making you stay ~ it is your choice.  But whether you stay or go STOP yelling at me!  I am trying to do my job.  The job I was hired to do.  Enforce the rules that you have put into place.

~ if you ask my opinion or what would I do don't say that won't work, or I've tried that a hundred times, or tell me that is a stupid idea...you are the one who asked my opinion.  If you don't want to hear that opinion then don't ask me for it.

~ can you tell I am frustrated?  I am.  And I am taking a moment to catch my breath, clear my head and start over fresh.  Please don't tell me not to pull back or don't leave...taking a break is not quitting.  It is just that  a break.  Life a coffee break, stepping back and checking things out.  It's okay to do that.

OK, I feel a little better.  Hope you are not offended by by Ramblin' Thoughts - they are just my thoughts and I needed them out ~ you know what they say better out than kept in to explode.  I don't explode any more.  I stop and breathe, reflect and make healthy choices.  Much better way to do things.  Don't you agree?

Welcome to 2012

Happy New Year to our family and friends.

We ended 2011 with a drive to Carrizo Springs, TX.  It was a great day with the sun shining and clear blue skies.  We met up with Rex K. at HEB and then followed him out to where their gate guard duties has taken them for the next four months or so.  It was fun to visit with Rex and Shirley and see where they will be working for the next little while.  One of the reasons we went out there was to hear about "gate guarding" as we are thinking that is something we may like to do in a couple of years.  In the three hours we were there they probably had 8 - 10 people in/out of the gate.

We left there about 4:30 and went the round about way to get back to D'Hanis...traveling through Big Well and then stopping for dinner at Brush Country Steakhouse.  It was a very relaxing time of thinking about the past year.  We cannot say often enough how blessed we have been and the many ways God has provided for us.  We are so thankful for our many friends who have encouraged us along this journey.  Yes we have had some deep valley's to climb out of this year but also some super duper mountain top experiences.  And we talked about 2012 and what it holds for us: a trip home to Blaine & Molalla the end of March, some more exploring of the Texas countryside, some remodeling to the motor home and of course spending time  with friends and sharing God's love with others.  After dinner we made our way back to D'Hanis through Yancey and Hondo.  Admiring the Christmas lights that were still shining in the different towns.

We arrived back to the motor home around 8 p.m. and had a quiet rest of the evening.  A fun and relaxing day to usher out 2011 and welcome 2011.  Not sure what today will hold for us.  We are thinking of maybe going up to Medina Lake but with the blustery winds that we are experiencing right now we may just hunker down in the motor home and spend the day just reading, watching movies and relaxing.

So with that we want to wish you a Happy New Year! and may this year may you see God's blessing's in your life!

A New Year

Happy New Year!

It is a very windy and blustery day here in D'Hanis, TX.  I couldn't sleep so thought I would get up for a little while and then take a nap in a little bit.

 

I was looking for a Happy New Year picture and found this one ~ it reflects what I am thinking about for this New Year ~

~ an empty road ~~  we are on a journey, traveling down a new path each and every day, with new opportunities around every corner.


~ fire works ~~ excitement to see what the new year will bring to our lives ~ new friends, new opportunities to share God's love with others, new adventures such as a trip back to Blaine & Molalla to see our sons, sweet daughters-in-love and our wonderful grandchildren, and seeing new places here in Texas.

May y'all have a wonderful year in 2012!