Living an involuntary hermit's life. Working towards living a healthier, gluten-free, hopefully cancer free life with my 2 dogs, 3 chickens and loving family.



Living with intention

When stumbling through life isn't good enough anymore..... decide to be yourself and enjoy life, and pay attention to Gods gifts all around.
Showing posts with label Vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacations. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Pool Boy and the Jet Set Girl

Tinkering......That is the man's word for puttering, or flitting around doing work.  I am not a putterer or a flutter.  I am a woman who can ignore a job, and then get around to undertake it from start to finish.   My dear LL is a tinkerer.  Later in the summer, we will take a proper vacation and go somewhere.  But this week's vacation.  Besides celebrating our nations birth, LL wants to just tinker.  I must admit, he gets more done with his tinkering than I do with my all or nothing approach.

I got up as usual this morning, folded a couple loads of laundry, blogged, picked up, did dishes, and felt very smug in my accomplishments before LL got up and we had our coffee time.  I then put a load on the line.


Well then I felt done.  So that is when LL just gets started tinkering.  My pool boy worked on the cement around the pool.


What was I doing at the time????  Well this Jet Set girl or I should say Hot tub jet's soaking girl, sat and watched him at work.


  He then proceeded to work, and then work and pace himself, and a little more work, until the driveway is blown off, along with around the pool, debris gone and everything watered.  So here I am blogging at 11:00 and the whole day ahead for us to do what ever we want.......Lovely!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

MINERAL

Well, while trying to finish my Animal, Vegetable, Mineral theme, I started wondering if I took any pictures that would qualify as mineral.  So I hope snaps of rocks, stumps in the process of being petrified and a mountain range will do.






VEGETABLE

Central Oregon has a distinct beauty.  I have spent many summer camping trips there.  But rarely have I been to Central Oregon in June when things are still so green, the water high and rushing, and the juniper lovely.

Juniper




Juniper Juniper




Juniper Juniper Juniper




Smells like a petunia.............




Lush green all around the rivers

ANIMAL


Haven't been able to blog and post pictures for a few days.  Luckily, Bailey's boyfriend Rett could fix the problem for me:)

Friday, I took Beau for his grooming.  Vicky groomed him shorter at my request and put a cute bandanna on him.
Mid afternoon, my sis Kris invited LL and I to spend the weekend in Central Oregon.  So after making sure Kane and Bailey would be around for Max, LL and I threw clothes in a bag and away we went.  What a blessing.  We had such a lovely time and I took lots of pictures.  I decided to post just living breathing beings in this post.  Hopefully other pictures to follow.

Beau spiffied up

Deer on the golf course

Two swans, one sitting in the nest, the other very protective

Bird on a cat tail

My new friend Bandy who entertained me by herding his owners  Caterpillar

This snake made me a little nervous, but at least it's tail had no rattle on it:)

While heading home we saw many deer all around.

Strangest animals of all LL, Steve and Kris

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Anticipation

Anticipation.  I tend to lose sleep from pain or worry.  More worry lately than pain.  But I must say, I am very awake and unlikely will be going back to sleep because of something rare.  I am too excited to sleep.


I know, who loses sleep from being excited?.......Well, kids do, and I guess I am a big kid.  Why am I excited.  Well I don't want to get into too many  boring details on this post, but it has to do with Marlin, the RV and a camping spot.  We have been on a long list for a year round camping spot and our name came up.  Today, LL and I go and pick out our spot.  We should have a few choices.  Once you have a spot, you can get on another list to upgrade to a better spot.  I am just counting our blessing that we are getting any spot.


We will still be taking Marlin other places, but this will be his home away from home.  Only 40 minutes away, so lots of weekends camping in the RV this year.  And you know how I love camping:)

So I have been awake since before 2:00 and now I am trying to decided whether to make coffee and just stay up.  It is much more fun losing sleep for a good thing, so I might as well enjoy the excitement, drink my coffee, and wait the remaining 8 hours until we pick out our spot.  Now you know why LL looks at me and just shakes his head most the time.  I really am a big kid:)

My new french press I received as a gift

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bento Time-No Excuses

I need to do a better job writing on my other blog about my foods and "issues".  Over the last few weeks, I have found I can eat most all fruits and vegetables,(haven't tried broccoli or cauliflower yet) and fish.  In small doses I can eat lettuce, chicken, and shrimp.  The thing I can not seem to tolerated even a little is gluten.  Bad things happen to my body. 

I am getting ready to leave and pick Mom up to take her over night to a casino.  Over the last year, every time I go, I have major "issues" with my digestion.  Almost takes all the fun out of it.  But now that I know what some of my food triggers are, I am hoping to have a better time.  One problem though, is that the choices of restaurants is a sports bar, which mostly has sandwiches, creamy soups and fries.  And buffet.  The buffet might have some gluten free choices, but with the mass amount of food they make, contamination might be likely.  I might be able to order a baked potato or small salad at the sports bar.  I am sure I will not go hungry, but I know myself.  If my choices are slim, I might just say what the heck and hear myself saying to the waitress, "I'll take a Reuben sandwich with fries".  That does sound good doesn't it? 

So what's the plan Stan?  I decided if I feel hungry after making and eating a good safe choice, I need something back in the room that is yummy and safe.  So I made myself a bento.
Rice balls with tofu,onion, and mushroom stir fry with homemade sauce and tomatoes.  And carrots, grapes and hard boiled eggs. 

Hopefully, this will prevent me from doing something stupid.  I may still make a mistake and eat something wrong, but now I have No Excuse making a bad choice on purpose.  Looking forward to an overnight trip without too bad of "issues".
 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

I Feel Pretty, Oh so Pretty

Got my hair done.  Kris did end up weaving and making me blond.  If there was a scale between Sharon Stone and Phyllis Diller, I fall somewhere in-between.  Probably closer to the pre-plastic surgery of Phyllis Diller, but Kris isn't a miracle worker.  But I feel so much better.

The snow is all gone, but Oregon in now as cold as an ice cube.  A few days ago, it was an easy call for LL and I to decide this weekend would not be a good time to take Marlin out for the first time for the year.  No plans for the weekend. 

Good news for Henrietta, I was about ready to call my enabler, Aunt Leone, and switch a couple chickens but yesterday, Henrietta gave me an egg so I am going to give her more time to see if she will produce regularly.  This makes me happy because Henrietta is my favorite.  Hannah, you better start doing something because you have been a thorn in my side ever since I got you.  Hannah is the chicken who has yet to learn to behave.  Must say I admire her spunk but have never warmed up to her spunkyness like I have Harriet.  Harriet is on top of the pecking order, and Henrietta is at the bottom.  I am sure Hannah just fuels the discord between the other two.  Darn Her!!

I am doing really well on the elimination diet.  So far all the foods I have reintroduced are digesting well.  I have no pain and have more energy.  I even went to the grocery store yesterday around 2:30 in the afternoon.  Afternoons are usually the trickiest time of the day so I rarely go out at that time.  And I might add I have not wore a diaper for three days.  I'm a "Big Girl Now"!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

I'm Already Gone

I know.......I never have looked better:(.  Well, while Beau was being groomed, and LL was doing taxes, I worked on getting Marlin ready for what I hope to be a busy RVing season.
I must say, it is kind of fun putting the new stuff my Aunt Linda gave me into Marlin.  We haven't taken it anywhere since November, so I need to make sure everything is restocked.  Now it is just the waiting.  Waiting for leaving my hermitage for somewhere different.  If I had my way, I would already be gone.

For anyone that might want to know on any given day how I am doing with my elimination diet, I will not be talking much on this blog about it.  But I will be journaling at least once a day about it on KJ's Kitchen Counter that you can find on the side bar under my other blogs.  This way, if you don't want information about my misery, bowels and what I am eating, you don't have to read it here.  If you do, well know that it might get graphic:)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Lucy and Ethel are back....along with Mrs. McGillicuty

Ok, I have to admit, for a year, I have been looking for an excuse to put the song Funeral For A Friend by Elton John on my blog.  But when talking about a real funeral, it just seems inappropriate.  But because of the wind at the beginning of the song, I felt, for this post, the time was right to play it.  It is a long one so it will be on for a couple days.  But since it it a great song, I hope no one minds.  And now, the first post about my fun but as usual, not normal weekend....

Had a great few days at Seaside.  LL and I met Mom, Kris and Steve around 12:00 on Sunday, and we caravaned to Seaside.  The accommodations were excellent as usual.  While there, the weather was pretty stormy.  LL and Steve left around noon the next day.  So then it became three women who might have one brain between them.  Let me give you an example.

Monday, around 5:00, we decided to go for a nice Valentine dinner.  We had coupons to two different restaurants and thought we would decide which restaurant we would eat at depending on the weather, since we were walking.  Kris and I had ate at one of the restaurants before and knew it was good, but the other one that was a little farther sounded excellent and was recommended to us.  Since we had a 20% off coupon, we thought it would be nice to try something new.  So we walked a block and thought, "the weather is not so bad", so we turned the corner and continued to the new restaurant.  Keep in mind my mother is 80 yrs old and does not do well in the cold.  Well, we turned another corner and the wind hit.  It was cold.  "Do you want to keep going Mom?"  Of course, anyone that knows my mom knows she will push herself.  So we continue.  So we go a couple more blocks and I see the restaurant sign ahead.  I wish I had the writing capability to describe the whole walk.  It couldn't have been more than a half a mile or so but we were walking against a wind in a storm that I can not describe.  So we go up the stairs and into the restaurant......

The cute little restaurant waitress looked at us with a cute little smile and asked in a cute little way...."Do you have reservations?"  What!  I tell her I looked at their advertisements and no where did it say reservations required.  Not even recommended.  Well, Something about it being stupid valentines day.!!  I guess we should have called ahead.  Kris said, "do you have a bar we could have a drink and rest?"  Well, cutie putudie said "yes around the corner".  Well I knew mom could not make it to the next restaurant.  So being the upstanding wonderful person I am, I said, "I'll walk back,(In the hurricane!!) and get the car and pick you guys back up.  Kris give me mom's car keys".  She gave me the keys and I start my way back.  Do dodo do do.  *I am such a good person doing this for my mom and sis*.  I must admit here, if you didn't do all the backtracking we did to get to the restaurant, our hotel was not very far, but still, I treaded through the storm of the century to get back to the hotel.  I go up to the 5th floor where I was sure the car was parked. Walked around and thought ummmm not here.  So I go to the 3rd floor parking and low and behold, Mom's car waiting there for me to rescue Mom and Kris's butts.  So I take the keys out.  Must say, they looked a little strange, hit the unlock, hit it again.  Damn Damn Damn.  These are NOT my mom's keys.  What to do?  Well I thought I could call them on my cell phone and scream at them, but being the high minded person I am, I decided to try to find my mom's spare keys.  Knowing she is always prepared, (unlike two of her dim witted daughters).  So I go down to the room, (wasn't I smart to have the room key with me?) and I go into the room.  As I walk in, a phone is ringing, where is this phone and what stupid person did not take it with them?  I ask, feeling a bit superior at this time.  I look at who's calling and it says "Konnie's calling"......  I am?  How can that be?  I am here and I am not calling.  I answer "Hello".  I hear wheezing on the other end.  you know the sound, like somebody laughing so hard they can't get a word out.  I knew then it was Kris.  "What are you doing with my phone?"  She says "I don't know, I think mom picked it up, but it started ringing and after mom and I found it we started laughing because we thought somebody else was sooo rude having their cell ringing so long."  Oh isn't Kris cute.  Like the wretched waitress!  She says "we just wanted you to know they had a cancellation of a reservation,  so we can have dinner here at 6:00."  At this point I did not give a damn.  But I said "Oh good"  because I am a team player.  I then say "well I am in the room trying to find keys for the car".  Well the high and mighty Kris starts to say in her most supreme voice "I gave you the keys".  Well I let loose then.  "For A SUBARU!!".  Which is her car which is about 115 miles away.  Instantly she knows what she did and giggles like she is so cute.  That damn waitress's influence again.  "Oh, I guess I gave you the wrong keys".  Yes I guess you did.  So I find Mom's keys and drive to the restaurant.  Go to the bar.  Mom and Kris are still doubled over from laughing.  The bartender asked me what I wanted, I said,"Gin and Tonic, make it a good one, I deserve it!!"  He looked at me with pity.  After all, he had been dealing with Mom and Kris for the past half hour or so.  So we eventually have a lovely but expensive dinner.  They charged me for four Gin and tonics.  Although I admit I would have liked four of them, I had two, so we corrected that.

We had a great day afterwards but this morning, while getting ready to leave; and Mom, since you payed for our dinner, you might not find this funny...... but while emptying out her pockets, Kris found the coupon which was the reason we went to this expensive restaurant in the first place.  I can not believe we forgot to use the coupon, darn it!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Boring Happenings

Getting started a little late this morning.  It's 8:30 and I am still in my jammies.  I am sure my girls are outside squawking and wondering when they will get their morning scratch or scraps.  I'll get to them.........soon.  I need to get some things done here in the house and pack for going out of town overnight.  My mom asked LL and I to go with her to a casino about an hour away.  I am not much of a gambler but look forward to a change of scenery.  When LL or my siblings go there with mom for a few hours, I stay at home.  It is too far away if I start having "issues" and don't want to be responsible for everyone having to cut their trip short.  So having a room there will be nice.

Kane will be here with Max and Bailey, so I don't mind being away overnight and writing about it.  Aunt Leone (my enabler) and my brother David are also coming. 

Yesterday, I was able to go with Kris and Mom to Salem and later Kris came to my house and colored my hair.  Just boring happenings.  My digestion has been OK for the last day or so and I hope I have no problems while gone.  If I post tomorrow, it wont be till the evening.  Have a great day.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween

We're taking it slow this morning.  Probably leave the RV park around 11:00.  Stop at a few antique shops.  Get home just in time to hand out candy.  Need to still buy candy.  Not really into halloween this year.  Didn't even carve a pumpkin. 

Have a safe and fun evening to all.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Marlins A Shaking

We know the weather was going to change, so all morning, LL, Max and I have been out enjoying the beach while we still can.
No rain, just getting cloudier

LL spotted this house to buy when he wins the lottery.  He has always loved A-Frames.

Darn this camera.  LL is holding up a rock with lots of sea critters on it.  can't tell can you?  LL thought I was just getting a picture of the rock, because when he knows he is in a picture.............

He does something ridiculous like this.  Kris and LL can not be serious when a camera is around. 

Here is my house to buy when I win the lottery.  Maybe LL and I will buy both houses and "visit" each other occasionally.  Problem is, we hardly ever buy a lottery ticket:(

Max decided to play on the beach before the storm hits.

Really?  did you have to put that picture in?  That's what LL will ask me when he reads this. 

The storm has been shaking Marlin for a while now.  So we came in and watched the movie Killers which I will review for you soon.

Look at the beautiful picture our new TV gets.  Good thing.  I have steak marinating, and LL is looking forward to watching the Ducks game in about an hour.  Max has been great, just relaxing.  But I did promise him, we would stop at a couple antique shops tomorrow:)  yes I am resorting to bribing.

So the rest of the evening will be watching the fabulous waves the storm brings in.  Watching the Oregon Ducks game and eating steak, baked potato and green salad.  Yes, I am getting addicted to weekend Rving:)

SUNSET

We made it and I am on-line.  This is how low tech I am.  I am still amazed how you can access the Internet in our RV just a few feet from the Ocean.  But I did!

Hard to see in this picture.  But we decided to take Rufus with us.  He is a contortionist and is curled up between the two front seats.

Beau is in his regular spot.  Underneath the table.  I guess he feels safe there when we are traveling.

We arrived at the beach around 3:30 but did some stuff around the town of Lincoln City before we went to the RV park.  This park is Sea and Sand.  We stayed here a few years ago, and if you have the right site, it is the best view of the beach you will find anywhere.  We GOT the right site.

This is Max and Rufus, right outside our RV.

And Beau and I.  The weather was actually sunny when we arrived.

We decided to set our chairs right by the ocean to catch the sunset.

Max even enjoyed the spectacle.  The most Beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life.

I think LL would agree with me.  We were both in awe.  Even my crummy camera could catch the beauty of it.  So here is last nights sunset.  I hope you enjoy it.

Just the start

Look at the colors.

No photo shop used here.  The sky kept getting oranger and oranger.

And then in a moment.  It was gone.  But the sky stayed orange long after.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Something My Mom Said

Yesterday, while baking with my mom, she said that the Baker City trip and the Coast trip with her kids was the best time she has had in years.  I posted about both of these trips.  But this got me thinking.............

My mom is not elderly, Oh she might be of that age, but anyone that knows her, knows she can keep up with the best of us.  Bailey and Kara can attest to this.  She still gets more done in her day than I do.  She knows more about pop culture, than I do, and although she is slowing down (for her) I just don't think of her as elderly.  I still have so much to learn from her.

So often, I hear of older people being lonely and forgotten.  I am sure not all of them are like my mom, but I would bet they are still worthy of a visit, a card, a phone call.  It is amazing how the depression era people have so much to teach us baby boomers.  Especially in this economy where being frugal is a forgotten art.

I thank God every day that I still have my mom.  I hope she lives as long as her grandma, who lived to be 100.  I don't tell her enough how much she means to me, but now she reads my blog.  So Mom, I love you and we'll be going to the casino in the RV real soon:)

Dough Girl

Still have no clue what I am doing wrong.  But what a difference.  Mom made and rolled out the dough while I filled the tarts.  Because I had her there and the mess was already made.  We ended up making 4 batches.

I guess I just need to keep practicing making her pie dough.  Mom's dough was so much easier to work with so I know I am doing something wrong in the mixing.


We made Marion berry without seeds and raspberry jam tarts.

Gave some away, and taking the rest to the beach this weekend.

I am hoping Max does well this weekend.  Things have been a little hairy with him lately.  LL wants a really relaxing weekend.  Relaxing, and Max in an RV does not compute.  But we'll see.  Hopefully I can post again soon from the RV park.  We leave around 2:00 this afternoon.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Gift For Marlin

I know, today is Thursday,  It is the day I am suppose to post about a Silverton Mural.  When researching about Homer Davenport, or our local Astronaut, well for some reason right now, my brain is not processing well enough to put things in my own words.  So instead, and a little late this morning I might add, I want to tell you about what LL and I gave each other for our anniversary.  We went to an RV show a few weeks back.  Sure was hard to come home and look at Marlin after that.  But the one idea we came away with, was to buy a small flat screen t.v. to mount on the wall of Marlin.

We found this on sale at Best Buy and because the box was damaged. Got even a better deal.  So for $114 we put a t.v. in Marlin

LL strung the cable so that the hook up will be convenient when we park.

So I am working at getting Marlin ready to take off as early as LL can get home tomorrow afternoon.

We are taking Max.  And not planning on Antiquing or going out to eat (which is what Max likes to do)  So the t.v. will come in handy if the weather doesn't allow Max to be on the beach as much as he would like to.  It also means that the t.v. will most likely be playing cartoons AND horror movies.  Max has a lot of contradictions.  And for anyone that knows him, you know he is high maintenance so the t.v. will be a blessing.

Later this afternoon, my mom is coming over to make her pie dough so I can make Jam Tarts that wont break.  Definitely going to take more notes.  When I make her crust, it tastes the same, but I am not able to roll it out nice like her.  She is also staying for dinner because her house will be getting cleaned about that time.

I don't have posts ready for the weekend because we will be staying at a park that has wi-fi and I am hoping to figure out how to post remotely.  Probably will still post one from home tomorrow though.  So if the weather is bad, I might be posting on line more than you ever wanted to see:)  Have a blessed day.