December 24th to December 31st 2012

December 24th    Monday     ~~  CHRISTMAS  EVE ~~

This morning, I got my stuff together to finish making my Yulekage, (Norwegian Christmas Bread).  I gave select friends a loaf for Christmas.  

We were asked to join our friends Bruce and Joanne, Ralph and Barb, for a Christmas Eve Service at 6 PM.  It was a candlelight service and what was so unique was that someone was reading the verses from the bible and after each verse we sang Christmas Carols.  Just before the end of the service we all lite candles and then sang the last carol.. Afterwards we all went to Bruce and Joanne's 5th wheel and we had refreshments and camaraderie.

 Bruce and Joanne and Tex

December 25th    Tuesday     ~~ CHRISTMAS DAY ~~

It was 74 degrees this morning at 7 AM and toward the late morning the wind started to pick up.  I got the oven lite and baked a apple pie for dinner this afternoon. While the pie was baking I peeled potatoes for cheesy potatoes.  I took Herbie out for a walk.  Dinner is at 2 PM.  I went over earlier and put wine glasses at our table to reserve it.

 Christmas Buffet

 Christmas Buffet

 Christmas Buffet

 Christmas Buffet

Dan and Karen

After dinner we took a ride to the post office and mailed our reservations for our week at The Soo Locks Campground in Sept. Then we took a ride to the Gulf and the waves were really crashing  in.
It is very windy outside.  We are sitting in our 5th wheel, and the wind is really blowing and the rig is a rocking.

December 26th    Wednesday

This morning it was 32 degrees outside, burr..  I got up put on my sweats and went down in my chair.  Turned on the morning news and that is where I stayed most of the morning. Dan went and met the boys for coffee. It was a lazy day for me. I was reading my book in between morning programs. Called my sister-in-law and mother in Florida and chatted with them.  I called my brother who moved to Wisconsin and talked to the Grandchildren who came for their Christmas.

I took Herbie for his afternoon walk and he knows just where to stop for a treat.

We went to Ralph and Barb's coach for dinner tonight. Had a nice ham dinner with the trimmings.  We had a great time visiting..  When we got back I settled in and read the rest of my book. 

December 27th    Thursday

It was 48 degrees this morning with no sun.  I woke up and looked at the clock and I was so surprised that it was 8 AM.  Dan was up and had coffee made.. It is cold outside and Mr. Herbie did not want to stay out to long this morning. After I got dressed I decided to go to Wal-mart for a binder.  There is a light mist in the air, and when I got out the roads were wet and I had to use the wipers.

Later we met at Port A Pizza with some HOC friends.  We had the pizza buffet and it was good.

 Port A Pizza Buffet

 HOC  Port A Pizza

 HOC  Port A Pizza

December  28th     Friday

The mornings have been cooler. This morning we met Jim and Pat Doggett for breakfast. We made plans for tomorrow to take a ride to Port Lavaca to meet Jim and Bette McGee from George West, Texas, who are camping at a brand new campground.  After breakfast Dan and I took Herbie for a ride when we took the stained glass piece that we bought this summer for our friends, that had cracked in transit, to get repaired.

On the way back from Rockport, Dan stopped and washed the truck, ya know it has to shine all the time.  Then we stopped at the Ford dealership to get an estimate on having a scratch fixed on the fender that he got right after we got the truck.  We will have that taken care of in January sometime. When we got back Dan seasoned the charcoal smoker that he bought when we got down here.  He wants to smoke some ribs for New Years.  We decided that we wanted some Popeye's chicken for dinner. so that was an easy meal day.  Today was The Full Moon party on the beach, that we planned on going to with our friends, but we totally forgot.  Our friends called and was wondering where we were.   Sorry, next month.

Mr. Herbie is just happy that he can rest !!

December 29th   Saturday
40 degrees this morning.. Burr!! Got up and got ready for the day... We were meeting Pat and Jim and taking a ride to Port Lavaca to meet our friends Jim and Bette McGee who are camping at a new park.  We had a nice visit.  Port Lavaca is about an hour drive from Aransas Pass.

 Jim McGee - Dan - Jim Doggett

 Clubhouse at Texas Lakeside Resort - Port Lavaca

 The huge fan in the Clubhouse

Jim - Wayne - Bette 

Then on the way home we stopped at China A for an early dinner.  We still think that the China Garden is the best place.  Our friends (HOC) from Indiana who are OTR truckers took a detour and are coming to Aransas Pass for a few days.  They want to look at the areas RV Resorts for next winter and make a decision on where they want to stay.  We will be taking them to rent a car and they are staying at a hotel close by.

We came home and I walked Herbie and then we took him for a ride in the truck seeing that he has been home alot.  We stopped at Wal-mart and got a slab of ribs and Dan seasoned them and have them in the frig until we are ready to smoke them.


December 30th    Sunday
Another cold day in the Coastal Bend... 44 degrees when we got up.  Well this is starting their winter down here and it is only for a couple of months. Then it warms up.  Once the sun goes down that is when it cools down.  We are waiting for our friends to call, and then we will meet them where they are going to park their rig.

December 31st    Monday    NEW YEARS  EVE
Today is the end of an year and as we reflect back on the year, we have done alot, we had traveled alot, made some new friends, and I had made a life style change.   We are so fortunate to be able to do what we do.

To end the year we went out to breakfast with a few of our friends, Hoyt and Mary were on their own driving around checking out RV parks and Dan and I came back to the RV and picked up Herbie and went for a ride to see if our mail came in  The we stopped at the store to pick up a few last things.

We got back home and then just chilled out for the rest of the day.  Later Hoyt and Mary came back and we went out for dinner at A1 Texas Steakhouse..  It was really great..  When we got back after dinner we got our yard set up with the portable fire pit and chairs. The weather was nice and a few couples came over and sat out and we laughed and had a great time bringing in the New Year.. I put out some smoked spareribs, shrimp and crackers and etc,

We ended 2012 with hugs and well wishes for 2013