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November, 2010
November 29 - 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 30. Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yes, I decorated the house today. It was a good thing to do on a cold and windy 60 degree day when I really didn't feel much like being outdoors. I was kind of surprised to see what I had actually kept - you know, those 3 plastic bins that I had stored in Florida for the last 5 years. It was fun and brought back lots of memories. I won't be putting up a tree, but have plenty of sparkly stuff to make it look festive. Check out the photo.


November 22 - 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 23. Yesterday was errand running day. I thought I would get the groceries out of the way today, thinking that the stores wouldn't be too busy. Yeah, right. I think today was a true indication that the snowbirds are back - traffic was heavy and the stores were crazy. When I finished with the groceries, Mike and I went together to the music store, library, Home Depot, and CVS. What fun.

Yesterday was a day of rest for Frisco - he had to catch up on his sleep after being ever vigilant that Princess Caroline wouldn't get his stuff or get more attention from us than he did. They really are good together but he is a little possessive.

We invited Chris and Norm for dinner tonight, so I got a pot roast going and it is filling the house with yummy smells. It is a cool cloudy, day - perfect for that kind of meal.

I dragged the sewing machine out of the closet and hemmed the 3 new pairs of jeans that I got from Amber while in KC - thanks kiddo! I also managed to hang some things on the wall that have been on my "to do" list for a long time.

Thursday, November 25. Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Birthday, Tracey! I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, Mike, all of my loving family, Frisco, having lots and lots of good friends, good health, and a happy and content life.

Brrrr! A cold spell has come to south central Arizona and there are even freeze warnings out for tonight. I don't have any plants that have to be protected, so am lucky there! I have had to stay on the sunny side of the street during my walks the last few mornings. I'm not complaining - could be up in the 20 degree north country with snow.

We're off to Nan and Dale's for Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon and my pumpkin pie is in the oven - sure does make the house smell yummy. Later on, I will put the sweet potato casserole together. The pumpkin pie burned during the 1st 15 minutes in the convection oven (I followed the baking directions on the recipe and not on the oven) and I had to make another. I was on my way to the grocery store for more pumpkin when I stopped to chat with the next door neighbor - she offered me an extra can that she had - thanks so much, Kathy! I did much better on the 2nd pie.

It was a very nice day - had phone conversations with Pat & Ben, Mom, and some of my siblings. Got lots of greetings on Facebook and e-mail. The afternoon with Nan, Dale, Monica, and Dylan was very enjoyable. I taught Monica how to etch glass and she really enjoyed it and did a great job on her first attempt. Dinner was excellent - a wonderful variety of dishes and nobody walked away unstuffed. We played some Farkel after the dinner mess was cleaned up. It was a very nice day and the only thing that could have made it better would be to have more family around us.

Friday, November 26. Happy Birthday, Rene! Rene, my younger sister is traveling to Stoughton today to attend the memorial service for her foster sister, Laura, who was tragically hit by a car and killed last Thursday. Rest in Peace, Laura.

It was only 40 degrees outside this morning, so the furnace was turned on to warm it up a bit. The sun is shining, so it is supposed to get up to a comfortable 65 degrees.

The day after Thanksgiving is now known as Black Friday - a crazy Christmas shopping day when stores open at 3am and people actually scramble to get the best deals. We've been hearing about people camping out in the parking lots of stores so they can be the 1st to enter when the doors open. Now, I've never been much of a shopper and have always tried to avoid the crowded stores so that doesn't appeal to me at all. What a crazy mixed up world we live in - it's all about getting stuff - the more stuff the merrier. Ever since we have downsized from 2 homes and have lived in the motor home, we are more able to keep it simple and not accumulate useless stuff.

Allan and Sharon came by and it had been a while since they had been to our house, so they checked out the back yard plantings and the new floor. They brought along one of Allan's paintings that we had picked out at their show last week - we love it and have already picked a spot on the wall for it. After a short visit we headed to Cave Creek to the Hidden in the Hills Art Show. We attended this event with them last year, it is when several artists show their work at various private galleries (at an artist's home) throughout Cave Creek. We each decided on a few galleries to visit and it ended up that we chose most of the same ones that we visited last year. We saw a lot of beautiful art works and enjoyed seeing the beautiful homes and landscaping that surrounds them.

Since they had never been and always willing to try a new restaurant, we took them to Greasewood Flats for a burger before heading home. I think it was a big hit as the burgers were yummy and the environment is a rustic, cowboy, and fun place to hang out and listen to some music, rooster's crowing, and donkey's braying. We were all tired out by the time we got back home at around 4:00 - way past our usual nap times. It was a fun afternoon with good friends.

Sunday, November 28. I was surprised to get a response from an inquiry on Craig's List regarding some patio furniture for sale. I went to look at it, paid the asking price of $125 for 2 very nice wicker and metal chairs, a small table/magazine rack, and a 3-panel divider - all in excellent shape. I even managed to pack both chairs in the Jeep and the seller loaded the table and divider in his car and delivered them for me. Check out the photo in the gallery.

We shopped this afternoon for bedroom slippers (tis the season), as our oldies were worn out. Also bought a replacement for our old fry pan. When we got back home, I checked over the budget for this month and are under-spent - yeah! So far, the cash only (I should say mostly) basis is working and there is very little on the credit card.

It is a cold, gray morning today and after my walk, a shower, and breakfast, I decided it was a good day for indoor stuff. Mike watched the Packers while I worked on a sewing project. Years ago, Jonnie gave me a large Christmas tablecloth that was always too big for me to use. I cut it down and made a round tablecloth that fits my table and a runner for the coffee table. It was an enjoyable project that kept me busy this afternoon.

Now I'm off to the kitchen to make a pot of chili - like I said, tis the season.
November 15 - 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17. We did a totally stupid thing Monday - after running some errands we actually went car shopping. Now, we have had some discussions and thought we would check out a few models that would give us a little more comfort, better gas mileage, easier to get in and out of, could be towed behind the RV, and maybe even 4-wheel drive so we could still go for off highway rides.

The 1st stop was to look at the Jeep Patriot but then we ended up test driving a 2010 4-door Wrangler - they gave us a crazy offer and we moved on to the Honda dealer. There, we wanted to see the FIT - reviews have it getting incredible mileage and many interesting features - but the salesman (devil) got us looking at the CR-V. Wouldn't you know it would be the priciest model that we test drove and then we ended up in his office. You know that goes - they are so persistent - drawing up numbers, twitching them, then calling in the finance manager. It wasn't long and I was starting to get antsy and grouchy and just wanted to get out of there, but they don't quit. Finally, we convinced them that we were not going to buy a car today and we left, after about 3 hours.

What a total waste of a day - and stressful to boot. For now, the Jeep stays.

Yesterday we finished cutting and placing all of the quarter round. Spike is going to join us Thursday morning and will help us get the thresholds cut and placed. It sure looks nice!

Today started out with appointments with a hygienist to get our teeth cleaned and then I had my temporary crowns replaced with permanent ones. They feel nice and I'm glad that's over. Now, within the next year, I need to get 4 more crowns and 2 tiny fillings replaced and I will be done.

Princess Caroline is joining us this afternoon for another 3-day stay while her lucky parents head off to Playa del Carmen. They sure get around.

Thursday, November 18. Spike came over this morning and helped us with the thresholds. Mike finished putting the molding down and I worked on patching up a few boo boos (we are novices, you know). The only job remaining is to touch up some of the paint that was damaged with the project. YAY!!!! It looks so nice and it sounds so much different in our house now - you can really hear the pitter patter of little Frisco feet.

I got a text message from Monica today, the message included a photo, the photo was me driving her car, making a left turn, just as the light changed from yellow to red - a ticket was included with the letter. She told me that she plans to send a copy of her driver's license and will tell them that she was not driving her car, and hopes that they will forgive the fine. I hope it works but if not, I will gladly pay it. The picture kind of looks like I am saying "Oh, Sh*t" - and that is probably what I said when I saw the flash of the camera go off.

Friday, November 19. My phone rang pretty early this morning, and it was my sister Rene calling to let me know the tragic news that her foster sister, Laura Borman, was hit by a car while crossing the the street in Madison. She was pronounced dead shortly after. Rene lived with the Borman's through her teenage years. I'm so sorry for your loss, little sis.

I headed out this morning, hoping to spot a few garage sales before I went to my haircut appointment. I missed a couple of signs on the opposite side of the road, but never did find one that looked inviting. Instead, I ended up shopping at the garden center and a Home Goods store - got some supplies for Christmas gifts and my Christmas cards.

Saturday, November 20. Allan and Sharon's community was having an Art and Crafts sale this morning, so we headed there after breakfast. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good day for selling paintings although they had a great spot and had them displayed nicely. I bought a couple of greeting cards and a German silver ring made from a spoon handle.

Back home, I finished touching up the spots on the walls that were damaged when we pulled up the carpet. The project is declared FINISHED!

It was a nice afternoon, Mike read and took a nap and I scratched away on some glass. We watched a couple of movies and had leftover enchiladas for dinner. Pretty laid back day.
November 8 - 14, 2010
Monday, November 8. Happy Birthday, Dan!

Wednesday, November 10. Brrrr! The temps around here took a dive the last 2 days with lows around 54 and highs around 70. I'm not used to that and much prefer to have it warmer. Last night, the sweats and socks came out. And its dark by 6:00 - must be getting on to winter.

We got the rest of the trim painted and got our directions from Spike on Monday, then worked on it for a while yesterday. Its a much harder job that laying the floor was - all of these 45 degree angles and gluing it up against walls that aren't straight. The house has a new name for us - unlike the Biltmore, this is the Built-less - and that fits the quality of the place. Oh well, its our little house and we're going to make the best of it.

Allan and Sharon invited us to their house for bratwurst today. Its been quite a while since we've gotten together and we had a lot of catching up to do. We enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine in their backyard that is becoming a very nice and colorful retreat, as they are filling it with a variety of plants from ground covers to fruit trees, herbs and veggies. They are also increasing their collection of cactus.

After chatting for quite a while, we got going on simmering the brats in beer, baking some beans, toasting the buns, and then grilling the brats. They turned out to be quite tasty and definitely enjoyable. There's nothing quite like eating good food and having great conversation. After lunch, we headed back home so we could all have our customary afternoon naps. Thanks for the great time, friends!

Sunday, November 14. Happy Birthday, Patty! Whatever happened to the rest of this week? On Thursday evening, we joined Nan & Dale's family at the Shalimar Golf Course restaurant for a Wisconsin Fish Fry - kind of wish we would have walked out without paying - the fish was so terrible. It was fried cod that was so undercooked that I think it must have been put in the fryer while still frozen. Now, the chicken and the sides were good, but YUCK on the fish. I do believe that Wisconsin does it best.

On Friday morning, I met up with Nan, Karen (her mother), and Monica and we headed for Sun Lakes (a huge development in south Chandler) for estate sales. A couple of them had very nice things but nothing that any of us had to have. And then one had such junk and the house was in such bad shape that you wonder how anyone could even want it to be seen - I would be so embarrassed.

Saturday started with the pancake breakfast at our park where we signed up to join the homeowner association. After that, it was another day of garage sales for me, as Chris and I decided to go to Red Mountain Ranch for their community sales. Her van was pretty loaded with stuff that she bought but I ended up bringing home a few plant pots and a decorative plate.

While we were doing this, Mike and Norm went to the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Falcon Field for the Gathering of Legends. It was an event held to honor aviators who have participated in U.S. military conflicts during the past 69 years and was the museum's Veterans Day celebration. They both really enjoyed it.

On Sunday morning, I came up with a long list of possible things to do for the day and ended up not doing any of them. I had a nice walk with Frisco, repotted some plants, got a pot of spaghetti and meatballs going, had a nice long conversation with Rita, did some etching, enjoyed the sunshine and just had a nice, relaxing day.


November 1 - 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 2. I got good news at the dentist this morning, the broken tooth can have a crown. The molar right next to it is in the same condition - 62 years old with a 40 year old filling - so I had them both taken care of. Now that's over and I no longer have to cringe with worry over having a tooth pulled. Novacaine makes me feel bad, so not much got done today.

More progress was made on the floor today, although we didn't get far. There was a major cut to be made where the living room wall (angled) meets up with the kitchen cabinets (also angled). We both sat and pondered different ways to measure and mark it on the flooring - we finally succeeded. Whew! There is a lot of cutting to be done from here on - butting up to 3 doorways and the tile floor in the kitchen. Wish us luck!

Wednesday, November 3. We had the best of intentions to get an early start on the floor this morning, but it didn't work out. Mike had to run to Home Depot for some saw blades, Norm stopped by to see how we were doing, and I made several trips to check on the neighbor, Nita. Those poor folks are going through some rough times with their health, as she is recovering from surgery and he learned that he has to have open heart surgery to clear a blocked valve. We've been trying to help them out, as Spike has sure helped us a lot on our project.

It was close to noon before we got started with our project and then, it was almost 90 degrees by 2:00 so we didn't get a whole lot done either. Tomorrow we will try for an earlier start and complete the laying of the floor. All that will be left is painting and putting on the trim.

Thursday, November 4. All of the flooring is down. The last 2 boards required the help of Spike, as Mike and I kept measuring, then cutting, and just not getting it. It had to be cut around 3 doorways and it wasn't fun - guess we saved the worst for last, but thanks to Spike, it is finished. I went to pick up the pieces of moulding that goes from tile to wood and carpet to wood (missed with the original order) and the guy didn't have them - they were at the warehouse. Tomorrow. We still need to paint the trim that goes up against the wall - but no problem, we've got plenty of time.

It felt kind of good to pack up and return all of Spikes tools and return them, we sure are thankful for the loan.

Saturday, November 6. Congratulations to my niece, Monica, for graduating with an MBA from University of Phoenix today. We're so proud of her for sticking with the program! We joined her to celebrate with family and friends afterward and had a great time.

Yesterday morning I went to garage sales for a while and also ran some other errands. I might have to find a new Friday morning activity, as the garage sales are getting a little boring.

Back home, I painted some of the trim pieces for the floor but since we haven't picked up the moulding for the doorways, we can't put it down quite yet. Not only that, Spike told me that I bought the wrong adhesive so that needs to be returned and we have to get the right thing. Like I said, no rush.

I made a batch of cream of potato soup and shared it with our neighbors, Spike and Nita and it was greatly appreciated.

Sunday, November 7. I got all ambitious this morning and cleaned the entire house. Mike was a sweetheart this morning and fixed a yummy bacon and egg breakfast for us. Just after I rinsed out the mop and emptied the bucket, I turned on the water and nothing came out. Some of the neighbors were out talking and I learned that a water main in the park had broken and they were working on getting it fixed. We finally had water again around 4:00 this afternoon.

We put up a chicken wire fence around some of the plants I recently put in - the bunnies had chewed on them so much that only sticks were left. I'll show them. I might just have to put in a tomato plant or two inside the fence now.

The rest of the day was nice; reading, napping, playing Sudoku and Word Warp, walking and playing with Frisco, and having a nice chat with Ben on the phone.

Created on 11/01/2010 09:36 AM by bridge
Updated on 12/01/2010 09:27 PM by bridge
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