July 29th thru August 5th 2012

This is another week and in a few days it will be August..
I really didn't have much planned and then we got a telephone call and things changed..  That is how it is around here, wait 5 minutes and things change.. 

July 29th    Monday

It rained really hard Sunday night and this morning the skies were grey and it looked like rain.  It was one of these days, that you couldn't plan to much outside due to the weather.  Dan said that he was going to go in his shop and putz around and I said "Have Fun"..  later I went out and checked on him and here Dan was working on the boat.   We had bought a boat motor (kicker) to mount on the swim platform so when Dan goes out in the big lakes, if something happened at least he would have something to get him back from shore.   There was something wrong with the motor and he had taken it apart near the shaft and found the problem and then came on and went online and found the part and ordered it and now it works. 

Dan's Boat

Looks like I might get some salmon .    All day long I have had terrible headache.  Must be the change in the weather, so I took 2 Aleve and took a nap..  My brother David called, told me that he was headed for Cookeville and that he was going to stop and see our mother..  He had gotten his teeth fixed and I wanted a picture so I could see "The New Dave".

It rained really hard in the late afternoon into the evening.. thunder and all..  That is a good thing as the ground is dry and that meant I did not have to water my plants.

July 30th     Tuesday

It rained all during the night. The sun was trying to come out this morning and that was a good thing.    I decided that I had to get a hair cut...  I was going  to Marquette to show some red hats how to make flower pins, so I stopped before I went to my friends home.  Boy what a difference a hair cut makes,  It makes one feel good.

Dan decided that he was going to work on gutters and he also washed back of house.

Concert in park tonight and it was not a bad band.  On way home bellows of smoke was seen in the sky near our home, and the first thing I thought of was our house was on fire..  My heart sank and the anticipation was getting to me.  AH-h-h... The church up the road from us, had a pile of brush and someone was burning it.  Oh my did I feel better. With all the rain we had he probably got a permit to burn it..

July 31st      Wednesday

Up early this morning and Dan and I decided that we had to go to Marquette and run some errands and then do some grocery shopping. Of course we had to eat out and Chinese was the restaurant of choice today.  Oh Boy it was really good.. I only had 1 plate full and I was happy... We got home and put away our groceries and then we sat on porch, solved a few problems and enjoyed the evening. We got a call from friends from Wisconsin that they are coming in our area and wondered if they could stop and visit.  We said no problem and we gave them our address and said see ya tomorrow.

August 1st    Thursday

AH-h-h-h  up early again and decided that I needed to do some dusting and cleaning...

I don't like to share my dust bunnies with anyone.   Planned what I was going to have for dinner and then showered and relaxed on the porch..  Our friends Reggie and Nancy Hromek arrived from Wisconsin.. They had their 5th wheel and Dan helped them get parked and set-up.

Their dog Mutzie and Herbie had a great time running around.  I think that it was more Herbie wondering if she was going to get any of his bones.  LOL.

I made and Italian Casserole and Salad.. It was really good.. I am not a great recipe follower, but I did follow this one somewhat, I added more sauce and cheese.  

Afterwards Dan built a nice campfire and we sat around it until about 10 PM.. What a nice evening. 

August 2nd    Friday

Up early again as we had an appointment in Marquette that I could not miss. 

The plan was after my appointment we were going to go to Perkins in  Marquette for breakfast.  Well the appointment took longer than anticipated and we ended up going out for Chinese food instead. 

Afterwards went to the Upper Harbor of Marquette and seen a ore ship being loaded. 

Loading- see the shoot down

Ore Ship Loading - Upper Harbor

 Took a ride around Presque Isle Park,

Nancy and Reggie Presque Isle Park - Lake Superior

Dan and Reggie , Lake Superior

Then on the way home we went to LakenLand Junk Art Park.. Came back and rested and then went out to Jacks restaurant for a Great Fish Fry...

Reggie says this is the Best

Reggie says Oh I love FISH

I am tired and full.

August 3rd    Saturday

Up early and it was a nice morning out, I had my coffee on the porch.. Breakfast was at 9:30 AM, and I made blueberry pancakes and sausage and watermelon.. 

Breakfast Blueberry Pancakes and Sausages

 Yummy.. After breakfast , Nancy helped me cleanup and get dishes in dishwasher and she went with with me to get the mail and then we stopped by Our friends Ron and Eileen to check on her garden. Well what a surprise, nothing was ripened since Weds when I checked on it.. I got 2 cucumbers and 2 tomatoes.  Oh well, Eileen always shares her excess.

While I was gone, Dan and Reggie got the smoker ready to put the ribs in for dinner.. Nancy and I were on the porch visiting and plying Sudoku and computers.. Gal after my own heart. 

Dan and Reggie got another fire going and they were sitting out by the fire solving all the RV problems and enjoying a few cocktails..

Reggie and Mutzie

Getting fire started

Dan and Herbie

Herbie and Mutzie had a great time running around outside and watching each other, to see if one of them was getting more treats than the other one.

Come 4 PM the ribs were done and time to get the table set.  Dan brought in the ribs and let them sit about 10 minutes covered in foil.   Then he cut the ribs and off to the table.. 

 Dan says Temp is right

 Reggie say they're done... Lets eat

 Slicing the meat

 Smoked ribs

Good Food, Good Friends and Good Time

They were really good again as usual..  Ribs, homemade potato salad and cucumber salad.. Everyone punched up on them and there was still a pile left.

After we cleaned up, we put a couple in a bag for Reggie to take back with him, in case he got the munchies at midnight. LOL   Went and sat by the fire again and it started to rain and we came back on the porch and had ice cream.. Reggie and Nancy's Mutzie does not like it when they hug and she has to be between them..  what a hoot!

 Reggie, Mutzie and Nancy

Reggie, Mutzie and Nancy

We have a rock in the back of the house .. Can you see the face in it?

See the face?

What a nice end to a great day.

August 4th     Sunday

I have been so use to waking up early now that I am on the c-pap, that now automatically I am awake by 5:30 or 6 :00 AM..

I got showered and dressed and was having coffee watching the Green Bay morning news.  Dan was on the porch having his coffee, and shortly I joined him.

Reggie and Nancy made it over about 9 AM and had a coffee cake and coffee and we talked about the Cruise that we are taking again this year in January.. They sounded very interested.  They said that it was time for them to get going.  They thanked us for our hospitality and we told them that we enjoyed having them...  We will see them in a 9 days when we go to the HOC Rally in Lake Delton.

Nascar race today and of course it was delayed because of rain again.   Tonight we are going to have salmon and potato salad.  Something healthy.  Well almost healthy.. 

We have another week to look forward to.  Getting things ready for our trip to Kewaunee Wisc and then on to Lake Delton..

The following is from a e-mail that my brother sent to me...  I thought that it was worth sharing.

********************************************************

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play, on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50, 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But, broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).
MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

  

July 23rd to July 29th 2012

This has been a slow and not so busy week for us..  It was nice for a change 

Monday  July 23rd

It is getting light out a bit later now and I still wake up most of the time around 5:30 AM.   I am up, and let Herbie out and of course then he wants his morning treat and then he goes and grabs one of his many babies and makes a b-line for the bed and has some more down time..

I made myself some tea and then turned on the TV early early morning news and checked my e-mail..     Later, when Dan got up I made some breakfast and then I started my laundry.. Dan went to get the mail, and he came home with this BIG BOX..

What a surprise it was.  Our friends from Indiana, Ralph and Barb, had sent a Thank You gift for staying with us over the 4th..   It was a piece of yard art for our new garden.. A Peacock, made of copper with different color stones on the head and feather.  Oh it was so pretty and thoughtful. 

Boy do I enjoy having my washer and dryer in my house.  I do not look forward to having to go to laundromat when we are in Texas.  Did a few other things around the house and the rest of the day was puttsing around.

Tuesday  July 24th

Today was a busy day.. It was Herbie's Grooming day.. We take him into Escanaba which is quite a distance, but the groomer does a great job, and she has an awesome shop.. So that is about a 2 hours that he is with her.  In the meantime we went tot the bread store and stocked up on bread and then we were to meet some friends from Wisconsin who have been up in the Upper Peninsula, and were heading back home.  Bill and Kelly we met maybe 10-12 years ago and they are friends of our friends in The Wisconsin Dells area..  We had not seen them for about 5 years and we had lunch with them and had a wonderful visit and talked about the good ole days of camping and Chili Dumps, that Jerry and Shirley had every year.. The timing was just right, after we finished our lunch I got a call that Herbie was done.  We said our Good Byes and gave hugs we picked up Herbie and headed home..  Just had time to take a rest and then we had to go and pick up Ron and Eileen and head to Munising for Concert in the park.  We stopped at Subway and picked up a sandwich and headed down to the park.

The gal that was entertaining was not our type of music to listen to. We stayed about 1 hour and then picked up our chairs and headed for Dairy Queen.. Then took a nice ride home.

We sat on the porch and waited to see if our animals would come in... Oh well...Not tonight.

Wednesday   July 25th

Woke up this morning to thunder and lighting... It was just starting to get light out and I jumped up and got Herbie out before the rains started.   After I got him in I said bring on the rain.. It rained most of the day. That was good though as we really needed it.  Some times it was really a down pour and then there was just a soft steady rain.

Dan was getting antsy by just sitting around a so he went out in the barn and shop to see what kind of mischief he could find.  Ah-ha Dan was working  on a boat motor that he bought used a few years ago..  Good thing he didn't put in on our boat, the pump was bad.  So he got the part to work temporally and then checked to see if the water was coming out and it was.  Then he came in and was looking on the web and found the same motor and found the part numbers and then spent the evening looking for suppliers that were the best price. I had taught him to use the computer and then we bought him his own Dell and now he is on his own...  I do not use his computer and he does not use mine, and it works out well..

It's time to let Herbie out for his last call and I am going to bed..  Good Night~~

Thursday   July 26th

Woke up early this morning again, and it looks like rain this morning. Oh Oh.. it was just another soft rain and grey skies morning and day.. The rain is needed though.. I did not do to much today, just tidy up and read my book and watched it rain..  Lazy Days are fun.....

Friday   July 27th

Nice sunny morning, I was up early and got ready for Eileen to pick me up to go to Escanaba with her. Molly has an appointment with the Groomer.  We went to Joanne Fabrics, and then to Wal-mart and had lunch and by that time Molly was done we were ready to pick her up..  On the way home we stopped at the Indian Bead store in Gladstone.  I had not been there for some time, but I did find a few thing that I wanted..  I have to make a point of stopping back again, before we head to Texas..  Their prices are pretty good and they have alot of different types of beads...  We did not go out to dinner with Ron and Eileen tonight, they had company and we were invited to go with them, but there would of been 8 of us and that is alot for the small restaurant especially on a Friday night..  I made a nice breakfast for dinner....

Saturday  July  28th

Another  sunny morning, this morning Molly coming for the day...Ron and Eileen are going on their annual VVA pontoon cruise on Lake Superior.  They cruise around Grand Island and spend time in the bays, having a picnic and of course fun..  Herbie and I will have fun with Molly..  Herbie enjoys seeing her, but when she get in his face they go their separate ways.  She goes and trashes his toy box and finds something to chew on.. I just have to remember that Herbie has to be the dominate on when we are here at home..  Dan, was mowing the lawn and he was going to do me a favor and mow the path that goes into the woods and he hit a rock and broke the spindle on his mower deck.    Well some not so nice words came out and I decided to leave...  He spent the rest of the afternoon taking it apart and he found some parts that would work and repaired it..  It is really nice having a Mr. Fix-it on board..

After he was done, we had a snack and then later it was time for me to take Molly home...  We then went out for dinner.. To the casino for a wet burrito.. It is really good.  Depends who is cooking, it is really really good...  When we got back home after not winning anything on the penny slots, we sat on the porch for a while, waiting to see if any animals would come out...  It was a fulfilled day......

Sunday   July 29th

Good morning, it was a bit chilly this morning, but now the sun is shining brightly and the dew is drying off the grass..    Got a message this morning that HOC friends of ours are coming to the Upper Peninsula and want to stop over..  Great, I said, hopefully they will stay in our yard with their RV..   I am making a list of things that I want to get done this coming week, Dan is going to put a coat of wax on the front of the RV, and I want to get some baking done and put it in the freezer for when we head out for 12 days..

Dan built his stairway to heaven, when we got our boat so we could get in and out of it. Also he found he can use it to wax the trailer... the front is so nice and shiny....

Can you believe that the grocery stores want almost $3.00 for a dozen of cookie?? Cup cakes are IN Again... and the price of them are outrageous...  Oh well, I don't even want to think what the price of food will be this winter.. 
I picked 3 tomatoes off the vine this morning and they look so so good.. Nice and firm--Yummy

2 more days and July 2012 will be gone and never to return.. In another 6-7 weeks the leaves will be changing.  In 3 months we will be heading back to Texas.   In 4 months I will be another year older..      ~~YIKES ~~   

I am not going to go to much today, AH ha.. Nascar is on.. 

Hope ya all had a nice week and catch ya again next week....