Sunday, September 29, 2019 - Caught Up and Moving Forward

Sunday, September 29, 2019 - Caught Up and Moving Forward

I have finally got the blog caught up and I am thankful.  I can relax a bit.  Once I'm behind it's difficult to get catch up when so much is going on.

I slept in this morning - it was nearly 6:30 when I rolled out of bed.  Dean was already up and the coffee was done when I came downstairs.  It was a treat to pick up my first cup once I came down the stairs.

Since today is the 5th Friday of the month, my sisters and I do not get together, but since I'll be gone most of October, I called them to see if they might be interested in taking a drive together, and making a stop for ice cream, my treat.  Jody and Mark had a big day yesterday with their son and his family so she declined since they had some things to do today.  Crystal was willing and I'm waiting to hear back from Cindy since her and Elmer had something they might do today unless it rains.  She'll let me know when I see her at church  this morning.

When I arrived at church I had to make the rounds to visit since I haven't been there in two months.  I do miss seeing everyone.  We have many family and friends who attend.  Cindy let me know that she would be joining Crystal and I for our drive after lunch.

After church I headed home.  Dean was already there (he spent part of the morning at the garage), and of course he was ready to eat.  We had sandwiches and an apple - our typical lunch.  Then I set down and enjoyed playing a couple of games on my phone until it was time to pick Crystal and Cindy up.  Since I told them I would treat them to ice cream we headed to Parsons on Montana Road (a county road we often take to Parsons, KS).  Just a few miles from Highway 400 Cindy mentioned she'd like to stop at Circle C Pecans. It's funny I was thinking the exact same thing.  I bought 2 - two pound bags of pecan pieces.  I am almost out of pecans, so these should keep me in good shape for several months.... at least I hope they do!

We are headed to a couple of rallies - one in Oklahoma this week and another one in two weeks at Carthage, MO.  We always have a pot luck dinner.  Many of the desserts I've made call for pecans!  I like to make desserts so I can have a piece without having any leftovers to tempt me.

Crystal and Cindy had never been to Circle C before.  They each bought something, and all three of us picked up one of their lunch menus.  Their sandwiches sound very good, so Dean and I may have to give them a try one day.

We drove on into Parsons to Braum's.  Crystal had a twist and I chose a vanilla bean ice cream cone.  Cindy declined.  She's been trying to lose some weight.  I applaud her ability to say no.  She's done very well already.

We took a drive through Parsons afterwards and then headed back to Oswego on South 32nd Street taking the county road into Altamont before we drove back to Oswego on Highway 59.  It started to rain a little as we approached what is known as Bartlett Road.  To my left was a rainbow that started at ground level with a second one in the sky above it.  I've never seen anything like it.  I asked Crystal to take a picture since I couldn't.  The picture sure doesn't give the full impact.  The green in the rainbow appeared to be in front of the trees, giving them a very bright greenish color - it was amazing.  

Back in Oswego I took my sisters home, before returning to the RV Park.  When I walked in Dean had just finished watching the Chiefs game - they won, but it was a tough game for our team today.  

For dinner, I had a recipe for chili I wanted to make in the Instapot.  I'd laid my hamburger out before I left, so I put it on to saute.  I added the seasonings and stirred them in, and before I caught myself I poured the tomato sauce in.  The directions said to make sure you poured the tomato sauce into a well within the hamburger and not let it touch the sides.  So, I poured it all into a pan and cooked it on the stove instead.  It was still very good, although Dean said it was a little "hot" for his taste.  I'll probably finish it off.  I like hot but I didn't realize it would be.  If I make it again I'll be sure to cut back on the chili powder and cayenne pepper - maybe even letting Dean check it as I go.  

When I walked out of the rig at 10:10 this morning it was steamy and warm.  As I left to pick up my sisters I noticed it had cooled down and I hope this is the start of the cooler weather they keep talking about - that's supposed to be on the way!  I'm ready for it!  In checking the weather forecast it still looks like it might be in the high 80's for the next few days so I guess it is just a teaser.  By the end of the week we should see some relief though.

I stepped outside to take a few pictures of the sunset this evening and of Bentley at our site.

Such a pretty sunset

Our site 

A few of the RV's that have been here for several months, part of a work crew in the area, pulled out of the park this morning.  I guess they have finished their job in the area.  It seems pretty empty right now, but it always seems to fill up again.

September 23-28, 2019 - Catching Up, Doctor's Visit-NOT, Grandson - Logan's Graduation, Transporting an RV, Sister Time

September 23-28, 2019 - Catching Up, Doctor's Visit-NOT, Grandson - Logan's Graduation, Transporting an RV, Sister Time

Monday, September 23, 2019

After all of the running we have done for the past few weeks this girl was happy to stay in and get some things done.  Between five loads of laundry, I did some cleaning, paperwork and resting.  Dean spent most of the day at the garage.  He's still trying to sort things and determine where to put things.  We enjoyed watching one of my favorite shows "Dancing with the Stars" this evening.  That was pretty much the extent of our day.  


Tuesday, September 24, 2019 

Dean and I were both up early this morning.  I have an appointment at the Cherokee Health Clinic in Vinita at 7:30 for lab work, with an appointment to see the doctor at 8:00 a.m.  We left Oswego at 6:30.  After checking in I only had to wait about five minutes before I headed in to the lab for them to stick me.  

They have been tracking my thyroid levels which have dropped quite a bit since I quit taking prednisone in June.  My medication is not quite cut in half from what it was in January, but is getting real close.  It will be interesting to see how this test comes out, but I am happy with the outcome so far.  I feel great!  They also scheduled a bone density test when I come back in December for a follow-up (that visit will also include more lab for the full panel check they do twice a year).  

From Vinita we headed to Joplin.  I want to stop to visit my step-dad Larry and his wife Verna.  We haven't seen them since before we left on our trip the 3rd of August.  We had a great visit with them before we headed to Golden Corral for a quick lunch.  Dean has been weedeating the lot when we are in Oswego but our old weedeater has decided it's time to replace him with a newer model.  We have been shopping around and after visiting a few stores we bought a new Craftsman model at Lowe's today.  Dean can hardly wait to get home and start using it - and that's the truth!  

We made one last quick stop at Walmart to pick up just a few things; then we were back on the road to Oswego.

It was a busy day, although not quite as quick paced as it's been recently.  We were glad to be enjoying our evening in Bentley.  


Wednesday, September 25, 2019

I had a hair appointment at 8:15 this morning with Marla (Cook's New Looks).  It was good to see her and Cindy to catch up.  I even remembered to take my check book with me!  I think I've had to go back home and get it at least twice.

After I got home, I made an appointment with our chiropractor, Dr. Frisbee.  While I do feel better after the adjustment last week, my neck and back still doesn't feel quite right and he took care of that.   

I made a trip to the bank to deposit a couple of checks, then stopped at the courthouse to get our truck and RV "stickers" to add to our license plates for 2020.  I also needed to stop at Labette Hardware to get a battery for our scales.  I tried to weigh this morning and it was "dead".  The scales are now back in business.  From there I ran into Healthmart, our local drug store, to get a birthday card for my sister, whose birthday is today.  While there I visited with friends Barbara and Valerie.  It's always great seeing folks when we are back.

I took time to fill out the birthday card before I stopped to see Jody and wish her a very Happy birthday.  She's my baby sister.  We are just shy from being six years a part in age.  I am very blessed to have the three wonderful sisters I have and while we probably drove our mother a little crazy at times when we were small, it sure is nice we are so close to each other now.

Then it was home to do some laundry and a little tidying around Bentley.  We had leftovers from the past two evenings so I didn't even have to do anything except heat them up for supper.  Tomorrow is another drive, so we just enjoyed relaxing this evening.


Thursday, September 26, 2019

Dean has a lab appointment this morning in Springfield at 10:10a, with a follow-up appointment with his doctor at 10:40a - or at least that's what our calendar said.  We left Oswego at 7:30a for the two hour drive to the clinic.  Dean wanted to arrive a little early since we were going to need to get fuel for the truck before his appointments.  The price was right at $2.49/gallon, the best we've seen for awhile.

A short time later we pulled into the Ferrell Duncan Clinic.  When we registered Dean the receptionist sent him to lab with instructions to go to the 5th floor afterwards to see the doctor.  I went to the restroom.  When I came back he was standing between the receptionist's desk and the lab.  I thought he was already done.  Then he told me they did not have him scheduled for today.  Dean told the guy in the lab, that the receptionist seemed to find him in the computer.   He was told she looks at the same thing as me and it's not here.  Hmmmm!  So we went upstairs to see if we could find out what happened.  

After Dean's last procedure in June they told us he needed to follow-up with his urologist in 3-6 months.  The nurse had indicated someone would call us.  After 10 days or so, I decided to call to find out when it would be.  I wanted to make sure we had it scheduled before we leave for Texas at the end of the year.  They wanted to schedule the follow-up for December but my understanding was we were to keep the current schedule for his lab work for an entirely different issue in September.  Evidently that was not the case - as they had moved that lab appointment to the December appointment as well.  However, all was not loss as we did have something else to do while we were here.

Because we planned to be in Springfield today, we had another errand.  My Uncle and his wife had their fifth wheel at Treasure Lake in storage.  It was great for them as they could call the park and have them get the RV set up before they arrived.  We actually pulled the fifth wheel to Branson for them a couple of years ago.  This spring when they went to use it, they found there had been a leak over the winter that caused some damage to one of their slides.  They needed to have it brought home so he could work on it.  He's pretty handy, but he doesn't have the tools to do the necessary work there nor does he want to haul them down there and stay in a cabin when he has everything he needs at home.  So we told him we'd pick it up and bring it back with us.  He's my favorite uncle----even if he is my only uncle....lol!!!  He really is a great guy and we love him and Joyce, so we were happy to do this for them.

We stopped at Cracker Barrel just a short distance from Treasure Lake to have lunch.  I had their grilled chicken Caesar salad, while Dean chose the hot roast beef sandwich.  Both meals were quite good.  When we arrived at the park we checked in at the office to let them know we were there to get the RV.  My uncle had called earlier this morning to let them know we would be picking it up.  Unfortunately the note didn't reach the front desk and we had to wait while the receptionist found the person who took the note - with several people standing behind us waiting to check in.  We got that settled and headed to the storage lot.  Dean brought our generator and air compressor with us in case he needed to air up the tires....good idea Dean.  They all needed a little air after setting over the winter.  We got it hooked up and before long we were headed to the front gate.  It so happened as we came down the hill to the main road, a security guard passed us.  Once we reached the front gate, he stopped, turned on his lights, and came back to talk to us.  

Is this your trailer?  No, Dean says, it's her uncle's.
Do you have permission to take it?  Yes
Who is your uncle?  I told him his name.
Do you have the permission in writing?  No, but he called the office to let them know we would be here.
He called the office and found someone to verify that he had indeed called, and that we had stopped in this morning.  Not long afterwards we were finally on our way.

Dean is putting the new tag on it so we'd be "legal".

We scared these turkeys - they were running from us as we pulled out of the lot.

The ride back went just fine and we met my uncle at the RV park where he wanted to park it.  My uncle sold this RV Park to my cousin (where we stay while in Oswego) about two years ago.  It's convenient for him to work on it here.

We were glad to be back home.  Thank goodness we had a good meal for lunch and I didn't have to cook.  We ate light.  We planned to pretty much take it easy this evening until we realized the waste tank needed to be dumped.  Dean went out to take care of it.  He pulled his chair around to keep an eye on it, and my cousin pulled up to visit.

I heard someone talking.  I opened the window and here is what I found.

I finally walked out to join them and we had quite the conversation, covering a plethora of topics!  We headed in when the mosquitoes found us. 

I set down to check out Facebook.  I haven't been on it much lately.  I knew my grandson was graduating from Field Battalion training but I didn't realize Misti had posted the ceremony online.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch it.  We are so proud of Logan.  

Our oldest grandson - Logan

He joined the Navy last fall.  Following his basic training in Chicago, he went to San Antonio for his first round of medical training.  He stopped here in Oswego after he picked up his car from his dad/grandparents (not sure who had it while he was in basics) to pick up more of his personal items.  It was great seeing him then.  From here, he drove to California.  I sure enjoyed his posts as he made the drive letting us know where he was along the way and when he arrived.  His time at Camp Pendleton was for Field Medical Training Battalion.  He graduated today.  We are so proud of him.  He will now be moving to his new assignment for the next two years.



Friday, September 27, 2019

I was up early this morning - waking up around 4:30.  Once I wake up it's usually difficult for me to go back to sleep so I'd rather just get up.  Once the coffee was on I set down to work on the blog.  I am determined to get it caught up and hopefully back to posting daily.  I know I don't include everything when long periods of time pass.  I have often gone back to the blog to check on when I did something and I miss the ability to do that - as it's easy to forget those details when so much time passes.

Dean and I are switching our breakfast routine to Slimfast shakes.  We've been having them occasionally for over a month.  I have found it really takes the hunger away and in comparing the price to what we have for breakfast it's also cheaper.  It also means keeping less groceries on hand.  

After getting my morning chores done, I rode to Joplin with my sister to Walmart.  She had some things she needed, but I went along for the ride and to visit.  While she was shopping I just walked around and looked - which I rarely do.  I'm glad I did because I found this small baking pan.  

I've been looking for something that size I can put in the convection oven and this is the first time I've seen one anywhere.  I also browsed through the clothes and even though I found a couple of items, I didn't buy anything.   

We stopped at Sonic in Galena for a quick bite to eat.  We are going out to dinner later, so I just had a corn dog and unsweet tea.  

While I was gone Dean had been working on the steps of the RV.  They tilt down a enough the bottom stop almost touches the ground in many of the sites we park.  I find myself being very careful going up and down them and he felt the same way.  When I got home, I noticed a difference in the steps.  There was no longer the feeling that I was tipping forward as I go down the steps like before.  Good job dear!  I sure wish I had thought to take before and after pictures.

A short time later he headed to the garage to "piddle".  He's been working on organizing everything and he's making progress.  He also took time to get the weedeater out, put it together, and give it a trial run this afternoon.  He was impressed with it.

Todd sent me a text last night that we had a letter at the office.  I told him I'd pick it up this morning so before I left for Joplin I walked down to get it.  We ended up on a toll road in Colorado going to Estes Park, and took it again on our return trip.  We knew it might be expensive but we were expecting less than half of what it was!   We will NEVER be on that road again - we could have gone quite a way around it and used much less fuel than it cost.  $81.  We've been on toll roads all around the east that were actually some of the best ways to travel pulling the rig and I don't think we even came close to that amount using several different roads for hundreds of miles.  This was a pretty short distance in comparison.  It is what it is, but a lesson learned.  Usually we look at toll roads before we head out, but in our anxiousness to get on the road we failed to do that and we paid for it.  

I worked on the blog a good part of the afternoon, getting pictures downloaded, etc., and updated our expense sheet for the month.  We are going to dinner with my sister Cindy and her husband Elmer to eat Chinese in Baxter Springs, KS.  While at work the other day someone told her about it and how much they liked it, so we wanted to check it out.  We drove to their house, transferred to Elmer's new truck for him to chauffeur us.  It's really nice, having all the bells and whistles.  

The food selection was great at Oriental Garden.  I tried small amounts of things I typically like and they were all wonderful.  We will definitely keep this on our list of places to visit when we are in the Oswego area.  We try not to eat Chinese much, salt is not my friend, and it's a lot of fried food, but it's nice to have once in awhile.  I think everyone agreed it was definitely worth the drive and we would come back.  Dean had a little excitement in the restaurant as he was filling his plate.  As he started around the far buffet line, someone came out of the kitchen and the door hit him.  Fortunately, he was not hurt and his food was not spilled, but it sure startled him and the guy coming out.

We headed back to Cindy and Elmer's where we spent the next few hours playing Pitch.  The first two games the cards fell in favor of the guys, but the third game we really poured it on them.  It just seemed like every hand was great.  I wish that happened more!  Lol!  Cindy made a peach cobbler and we enjoyed that with a scoop of ice cream on the side.  Yum.

We headed home at 9:30, where we rested in front of the TV until we turned in at 10:00.  I think we were both asleep within minutes.


Saturday, September 28, 2019 

As usual I was up early, shortly before 5, and immediately started a load of laundry.  I wasn't able to get everything done a couple of days ago and I wanted to get it finished today - which didn't quite happen, but it will still be there tomorrow.

While the washer was going I continued to work on the blog.  Once Dean was up, we enjoyed our coffee before breakfast.  I let the blog go for awhile while I took care of my morning chores and then I was back at it.  

Dean went to the garage for the morning - which is what he typically does if he is not playing golf.  He's not had the time to play since we've been back but at least now he has something else to do if he wants.  We are hoping the weather will improve a little and he'll be able to play most days during November and even some in December.

One of my best friends from High School was Susie Nodine.  Her mom and dad have had a weiner roast at their place for years.  Dean and I went several times before Susie passed away six years ago.  It's hard to believe it's been that long.  I miss her and think of her often.  Susie's sister Paula is my sister Cindy's best friend.  Paula invited us and we were glad to have the opportunity to go.  It was good to see Kay, and Susie's siblings Paula and Larry again.  Dean spent a lot of time around them many years ago and knows the family, so he enjoys seeing them as well.  Of course there was an abundance of food.  You just can't beat a hot dog roasted over a fire -- a little over roasted for me!  There was potato salad, baked beans, cheese dip/chips, mac n cheese, and all of the condiments you could think of.  After the main meal, we celebrated Kay's birthday with cake and ice cream.  Kay made homemade chocolate syrup for the ice cream and it was amazing!  It was just a great evening spending time with Susie's family again.  Susie and I had some great times together as well as with our sisters Cindy and Paula, and a few times with their daughters Nikki and Angie.  Susie's birthday was just a couple of weeks ago (11th), and the anniversary of her passing was earlier this week (23rd).  She has been on my mind quite a bit.  It was just good to spend time with everyone and remembering her together.

September 16-22, 2019 - Eagle's Landing, Grove, OK and Spending Time with Family (Oswego, Joplin, Lamar)

September 16-20, 2019 - Eagle's Landing, Grove, OK and Spending Time With Family (Oswego, Joplin, Lamar)

Monday - We were packed up and pulled out of Sand Hills RV Park north of Hutchinson at 8:49am.  It seemed like a long drive today although we only traveled 261 miles.  We did find out as we neared Altamont, KS that if we arrived at the park early we would have to pay extra, so we stopped at a great little cafe in Altamont, MJ's Burgers.  We've eaten here several times but I had never ordered a burger before.  Wow - it was delicious!  Soon we were back in the truck and headed on to Grove.  It was 3:07 when we pulled in and 91 horribly humid afternoon.  We set, put the slides out, turned on the air and left.  Our friends Pam and Dennis Horstman have been here for several weeks.  They are leaving early tomorrow morning so we wanted to visit with them before they left.  

We arrived at Cedar Oaks Campground around 4:15 and we headed to Rib Crib where we enjoyed a good hour or more visiting over a light dinner (for me at least).  We will see them when we get to Texas sometime in January.  They have become great friends and we look forward to seeing them there.

Back at the RV, we took time to do a little more setup before going out to sit with the other Escapees that had arrived throughout the day.  Escapees from day to day life - just enjoying each other's company.  What a wonderful group of people we have met.  This was one of the biggest groups we've had for awhile and it was so good to see friends that we last saw in 2018.  

Tuesday Dean and I walked over to visit with our neighbors Alvin and Linda for an hour or so, before heading home to get ready for our dinner night out with the group at Cherokee Casino.  They gave us a nice big room.  Dennis had given us a heads up the food wasn't quite as good as it has been in the past.  I don't know about anyone else but the salad I had last time was wonderful and this time the same salad was just par!  I was very disappointed, especially since I told Linda how good it was and she also ordered it.

Bob and Patty Nance (Bob at table waving and wife partly hidden to the left) hosted this campout.  It was great!

Another evening sitting out visiting was a great way to end another day.

Wednesday Dean and I got up and left early to head back to Oswego and then on to Service Valley Charter Academy for Grandparents day with grandson Jaxson.  He was surprised to see us.  He showed us his room, where his desk was and a few things they were doing in class before we had to leave.  

Jaxson and one of his classmates.  He was showing me how to add letters to make a word that matched the picture on the screen of this pad.  It was pretty cool and he did well.

Our next stop was Pittsburg to pick up our mail.  We finally received our refund check from Dexter for the installation of the actuator that was done back in July.  In fact we had not picked up our mail in about seven weeks so there was quite a few things waiting for us.  

When we returned we walked down and visited with Stan and Linda for awhile - soon there was a group gathered around.  That's how it works!

Tonight is our potluck meal at the campground so later I made a peach crisp.  Pete and Fran rode with us to the resort's community room.  It was so nice to have an air conditioned room as it was still pretty hot out when we ate at 5.  There isn't anything much better than a potluck dinner for a good meal.  No matter how hard I try to convince myself I'm not going to eat much since I only take a spoonful to try things - I always eat too much.  At least we don't have these meals often!   

Nice big room for our potluck tonight.

We had another great evening out enjoying each others company under the stars.  So many great conversations with these people.

It almost looks like a tornado, don't you think?  Just blue sky between the clouds!

Thursday we headed to Walmart to get a couple of things for our meal tonight.  It's mostly leftovers but my peach crisp was gone.  I made brownies and stopped at Harp's on the way back to pick up some of the wonderful cowboy caviar they make fresh daily.  Those will be my contribution to the meal this evening.  We walked down to visit with Drena and Keith (in their rig) as it was another warm afternoon.  We always enjoy visiting with them.

Tonight we were at an open pavilion.  Other than the flies that wanted to join us at our meal - it was another wonderful meal.  Fortunately we had a bit of a breeze which helped keep us a little cooler.  

After cleaning up, everyone took their food back to their rigs.  Once we had put our leftovers in the fridge, we headed to the same spot as last night for our evening visit.  Just as Dean and I arrived and started to set our chairs up someone said oh no - look at the rain - it was at the far side of the park and moving fast.  We were soaked by the time we made it back to Bentley. OOOOH that rain was so COLD!  I wish someone would have taken a video of us.  I bet it would have been hilarious!

Actually today was quite a day so thought I'd share a few highlights with you.  It started out this morning.  The soap pump that is built into the kitchen counter area quit working - you remember I found LOTS of soap that had been dispensed onto the cabinets below a few weeks ago?  We got the replacement part in the mail yesterday so Dean changed it out this morning.  I was busy making the brownies at the time.  Once they were in the convection oven, I asked Dean if everything was done and working now.  He said yes, so I started to do the dishes.  I pumped the soap dispenser and no soap... I figured it would take a few times to get it primed enough for soap to come out so I pumped it SEVERAL times - nothing happened.  I thought oh no, this one doesn't work either.  I bent down to look under the sink and what did I find - the soap container sitting on the shelf.  Yes, the pump was just shooting soap all over the inside of the cabinets again.  There's one thing about it - you cannot say my cabinets aren't clean inside!!!

Tomorrow night we are going to my sister Cindy's to play cards with her and her husband Elmer.  I told her I would make the dessert.  My choice was a cheesecake which I needed to make today in my Instapot so it could chill overnight.  I made the crust and stuck it in the freezer.  I waited an hour or so before I started the cake itself to give time for the crust to set up.  In the meantime I gathered everything before starting to make the cheese part of the recipe, until I realized I could not find my trivet that is needed in order to set the springform pan on so it will not set in the water.  I tore Bentley apart looking for it and never did find it.  So I started calling my Escapee friends hoping someone had theirs with them.  Drena, no; Linda, no; then Drena showed up at my door with a boiled egg stand.  It sets a little higher but it's all I have so I used it.  I had everything mixed up and poured it into the springform pan, set it in the instapot and turned it on.  When I turned around---what did I find but the eggs still sitting on the stove cover.  Oh my goodness - now what do I do?
What else could I do, but turn the instapot off and carefully scrape the cheesecake mixture out of the pan and off the crust, put it back into a mixing bowl, add the eggs, remix it all, then add the revised cheese mixture back in the pan.  I prayed it would be worth eating.  When it was done I let it cool during our potluck meal, and later put it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.  

What a day!


Friday - We wanted to get an early start this morning.  We were ready to go by 8:30.  However, you can't leave without saying goodbyes.  It was 9:18 when we pulled out and 10:35 when we arrived at Hillside RV Park in Oswego.  I needed to do a few things in town, we had lunch, and then we loaded up and headed to Joplin to watch Tucker play soccer.  I never once thought about the weather but when we arrived the temperature had dropped - quite a bit, and there was a pretty strong breeze.  Fortunately I had a blanket in the back of the car.  Halfway through the game the sun came out and we were shedding raincoats and the blanket pretty quick.  Tucker plays for Columbus High School.  They had a successful win 3-0.  We enjoyed watching him.  It was quite different from when the kids played soccer during grade school.  This was one of three games they will play in a two day, four team tournament.  

#15 - Tucker

Papa Dean, Tucker and Nana Cheri

Before the game we made a quick stop at Sam's so Dean could have his hearing aids checked.  They were able to make some changes that really helped.  SO thankful for that!
After the game we stopped at Walmart to get a birthday present for our newest granddaughter, Brett's stepdaughter, Logen.  Her birthday party is tomorrow afternoon.  Which reminds me I'm not sure I included the news that Brett and Emilee got married on August 17 while we were Yellowstone.

Back in Oswego, I ran in to quickly mix up the topping for the cheesecake.  I told Cindy we'd be there as close to 6 as possible, and we were only a few minutes late.  The topping was a brown sugar, cinnamon, cream mixture with lots of pecans.  It was really good.  If I had not told them about my crazy experience they would not have known I almost messed it up, as everyone thought it was really good.

Earlier, granddaughter Haleigh sent me a text to see if I wanted to go shopping with her tomorrow.  Of course I said YES.  We are leaving at 8 since I need to be back by 12:15 in time to do a few things before we drive to Lamar for Logen's party.  


Saturday - Haleigh and I had a great day starting with mocha frappe's at McDonald's in Webb City.  Our first stop was a Kohl's where we both found a pair of jeans, next was Target - since the mall stores weren't open yet.  Our last stop, at the mall, Haleigh found more clothes at a couple of places.  I enjoyed watching her picking things out and trying them on.  It was a fun day.  We decided to order something from Chick-fil-A at the mall before we left.  We both ordered chicken bites, something to drink and Haleigh also ordered waffle fries.  It was packed so we had to wait.  They finally called our name, we grabbed the bag and headed to the car.  Opened it up and found two bags of waffle fries, and only one order of chicken bites.  Since it had started to rain and I still needed to buy wrapping paper at Dollar Tree, I just ate one piece of Haleigh's chicken bites and a pack of the fries.  I still had a lot to do once we returned.  I knew we'd have something later anyway, so it wasn't worth going back in to fight the crowd.  We should have checked our order before we left.

On the way home it rained and hard.  In the truck it doesn't bother me, but in my little Prius I slowed down quite a bit.  After dropping Haleigh off, I headed to the RV.

I freshened up, got Logen's present wrapped and we were on our way to Lamar.  The rain started as we headed to the car and it stayed with us almost to the point we pulled in Brett's driveway - just as the windshield wiper on the passenger side flew off!  All I can say, is Thank You God that it was now - and not while we were out on the highway when it was POURING!!!  

She was having a good time opening all of her presents.

A crowd of family to watch, too!

Logen had a great party and like most kids her age (5) she was ready to get her party started!   Emilee's family was already there.  It was nice to meet them all.  After the presents were opened, we had cake, cookies and ice cream.  

Blowing out her #5 candle!

Logen told me later while I was watching her play with her doll and try on the new clothes we bought for it, that she didn't think we would ever get there.  After everyone left, Emilee's parents, Brett, Emilee, Logen and us drove into Lamar to eat dinner at Cap's.  It's a wonderful restaurant.  They serve fish, shrimp, burgers, etc.  We've ate there several times now and love it.  After dinner, we stopped at Walmart and bought some new windshield wipers.  Fortunately, we didn't need them on the way home.  

Can you believe, we have another big day tomorrow?

Sunday - We haven't had a chance to see grandkids Kamron and Jaxson yet, so they are coming to visit today.  Well, I did see Jaxson for a short while on Wednesday morning but we didn't get to visit or play very long. I picked them up a little before 10 and we headed back to Oswego.  Before we left I had Dean help me do some rearranging in the rig.  We've had our table turned to allow me "desk space" but I wanted it turned back in order for us to play a board game.  It allows us to play across the table from each other, which works better with a game, rather than side by side.

Playing with the blocks from the Jenga game.  He loves to build things.

Kamron and I getting ready to play Pugopoly.

I ordered pizza from our local Pizza Hut for our lunch and we made some cookies in the convection oven.  We visited and played until about 1.  Kamron brought her Pugopoly game (Pugs Monopoly--she loves Pugs - they have two).  While we played, Kamron let Jaxson use her IPad to watch a show since Papa was watching the Chiefs game.  She beat me - fair and square!  She's a pretty sharp girl.  Jaxson and I went over his spelling words several times before Dean and I took them back to Parsons.  We've now seen all of the grandkids since we returned except grandson Logan in California, and Matt/Megan's (grandkids Josh, Sarah and Sam) in New York.  We sure miss seeing those four on a regular basis.

We returned home, ate leftover pizza and crashed.  We were TIRED!  But we wouldn't have changed a thing.  

September 11 - 15, 2019 - Hutchinson, Kansas

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - Remembering 18 Years Ago; Meeting Friends and Enjoying Band Day at KS State Fair

As I was having my first cup of coffee I was taking a look at Facebook and the memories of eighteen years ago on the day that became known as 9-11 bombarded me with post after post.  I was at work.  Our Police Chief came in and asked if we were listening to a radio, then told us what was happening.  I ran home to get our small portable TV so we could follow the news.  We were all astounded and appalled at what had happened in our country.  We felt such compassion for the people of New York and families that were affected all throughout our country by the horrible attack made that day to the United States.   

We watched the History Channel off and on all day as they replayed much of what occurred throughout that day.  I was glad they did this.  While it's not something I enjoyed watching, I think it's important for us to remember it and not forget the many families and communities that were impacted.

Brett indicated the kids would be at the fairgrounds this morning for the band event somewhere around 9-10.  We also have friends, Raymond and Carolyn, who are working at the RV Park during the State Fair and we wanted to stop to visit with them as well.

After parking just outside the RV Park, we walked in to the gate, where we saw Raymond right away.  We visited with him for a few minutes before he walked to their motorhome to let Carolyn know we were here.  We visited for awhile before we needed to head into the park and find out what we could about the band competition.  I checked the State Fair app and found the location, and we could hear the bands playing before we could see it.  There was plenty of seating so we moved into the bleachers. 

While waiting, we started visiting with the couple next to us.  We learned they RV'd for years.  Judy told me they go to to Donna, TX for the winter.  They recently sold their motorhome and bought a park model at Bit o Heaven.  I enjoyed visiting with Judy.  After awhile we noticed that some of the bands were not stopping at the arena to play, but were marching on.  I went down and asked the gentlemen that was announcing when Columbus was supposed to arrive.  He gave me a time, but he told me they were not performing in the arena, they were only going to march in the fairgrounds.  (NOTE:  Tucker told us later they were one of 3 bands that received a 1 rating at the band competition).  We found them around 10 not too far from the Expo Center where Dacy will participate in the 4H Horse Show starting tomorrow.  

Tucker

Dacy

Dean nor I even thought about putting our stadium seats in Bentley before we left, even though we knew we would be here for the horse shoe.  It's a long three days sitting on hard metal seats, so we ended up going to Durham Sports and buying two cheaper seats that were on sale.  Since we'll also be going to watch the grandkids' football games before we leave the area, we think it was worth the purchase.  

It started warming up again this afternoon and it got even hotter inside Bentley.  Dean pulled the covers off the air conditioner inside and discovered the filters needed to be cleaned.  Unfortunately the filters really need to be replaced, so we just left the cover and filter off for the next few days, which did help a little.  On the up side, the weather is supposed to change tomorrow with temperatures in the low 80's.  


Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 4H Horse Show - First Day 

We walked this morning.  We made one loop around the park and as we started the second it started to rain, so we came back.  At least it's a start!

Sunrise

That's our Bentley in the middle from the other side of the park.

I spent a while making more address changes.  I only have a couple I will need to do when we return to Oswego.   I have a mystery here in the RV.  I bought a spray spot remover to use on the laundry and I can't find it.  I was afraid it might have worked it's way to the back and fell behind the washing machine.  It's bolted down so getting back there is not an easy thing to do.  It dawned on me, why couldn't I take a picture with my camera and maybe that will solve the mystery.  

Taken at the back, looking straight down.

Reaching back on the left side and pointed to the right. 
It's not here ..... so where did it go?

Dacy did not have a good day in her events.  She was disappointed and we were disappointed for her.  It was a long drive before they got here with little time to exercise her horse before the first event.  We hope a good night's sleep for her and Margo will bring a better day tomorrow.

One of Dacy's horses. 

We went back to the campground so Brett could check on their dogs, then we went to eat at Playa Azul.  Look what we returned to here in the campground:

Our rig

Brett's rental.

Friday, September 13, 2019 - 2nd Day 4H Horse Show

Based on the past few years we expected to spend most of the day and evening at the Horse Show, but as it turned out Dacy was done before noon.  She placed in Level II Horsemanship, and then she won Grand Champion in Junior Horse Western Pleasure (Horse 5 years and under).  

Dacy with her Grand Champion ribbon, Mom Renae, Grandma Sue and Grandpa Terry.

That was her last event of the day.  Before we left, we told her we might not make it back in time to see her last event since we were going to watch Roman play football.  

We were hungry when we left and we knew where we wanted to have lunch..... at The Kansas Pride Building in the fairgrounds.  Brett was ready to go back, especially for their apple dumplings and ice cream.  Dean had a bierock (something he has wanted to try for a long time) and I chose the hot roast beef sandwich.  Dean was disappointed with his choice.  He said there was too much bread and not enough filling.  However, we shared an apple dumpling and ice cream and we both gave it a thumbs up!  


Jarred texted he and Emerson were on their way to the fair.  After lunch the five of us walked through several of the exhibit buildings until they arrived.  Emerson wanted to go on the Sky Ride that takes you from one end of the fairgrounds to the other, so Papa said he would ride with her.  Tucker and I followed them.  Emerson turned around a few times to make sure we were still there.  It was nice to see things from above.  Not long after that Brett and family left and we enjoyed watching Emerson have a good time with rides and a treat.

Papa and Emerson - she's looking back at us.

Seeing the fairgrounds from above

How can you say know to that cute little face?

Resting in the shade.

 Emerson wanted some ice cream.  After we got it we stopped at a nearby building, where there was a shady spot and a bench so we could sit while she ate it.  A nice woman offered to take a picture of the four of us.

Emerson bouncing away.

 We continued on down the way where Emerson had her face painted like Minnie Mouse, and then rode this ride - not sure what it is called, but she had a good time jumping on a trampoline with these bungee cords attached to her. 

Emerson - becoming Minnie Mouse!

Ta-da!!!!!

By 3:30 or so, you could tell her long day was starting to wear on her.  She goes to pre-school until noon, so she'd already had a busy day before they arrived.  As we walked along we came to a pond with little pedal boats, so Daddy and her rode in one while Papa and I watched from the bank.  

Daddy and Emmy!  

Soon after this Jarred told us they were going to head home.  Emerson was so tired...you could see it in her eyes.  I texted him later to see how long she lasted - he said maybe 7 minutes after they left she was out.  I think everyone really enjoyed the day!

Dean and I stopped to pick up our free ice cream from Dillon's as we left the park, then headed back to the campground.  Brett was sitting outside, and Dean soon joined him.  My back was really hurting from all of the sitting and walking.  I just wanted to sit down for awhile.  I can walk fast and my back doesn't hurt, but walking slow, then stopping and standing really takes a toll after awhile. 

Dean came inside an hour or so later to see if I was ready to eat.  Brett suggested Carriage Crossing in Yoder for dinner.  They offer a family meal for $14.95 per person.  It includes your drink, two meats (Fried chicken and roast beef) mashed potatoes and gravy (we had both white and brown), corn, green beans, bread and a piece of pie.  Well, yes, we do!  Where else can you eat for this price and get your drink and dessert included?   It was all you could eat, but you could not take any leftovers home.  I hated that we left one piece of chicken but we were all too full to even try to eat it.  The corn tasted like it came right off the cob.  We all had different kinds of pie - Dean had coconut cream, Brett had blueberry, Emilee had snickers, Tucker had Toll House and I had blackberry.  Only Dean was disappointed with his choice of pie.  

Dean got out his flame genie and we enjoyed sitting by the fire, visiting with each other for another hour or so.  It started getting cold and I had to go in. 

It wasn't long before Dean came in too.  We set and watched TV for a short while before going to bed.  He pulled his phone out to double check the time for Roman's football game tomorrow and found instead of at 9:30 it was at 12:30.  Wow, that was great news!  I was tired and needed to shower before we left.  The thought of getting up and around so early after the past few days was not exactly something I was looking forward to it - but I would have done it if necessary.  I asked Brett if he had a coffeemaker with him.  Since they didn't, I invited them to come over in the morning for coffee.



Saturday, September 14, 2019 - Roman's Football Game, Abram's 12th birthday and Football Game - Our Neighbors Left While We Were Gone

I slept great last night.  Dean said some neighbors around us were up late banging doors and talking.  They woke him up a few times.  I am so thankful I learned how well ear plugs work.  I wear them every night now and I sleep even better than I did before I tried them.  I've always been a light sleeper.  Once Dean takes out his hearing aids, what he hears is usually limited, so they must have really been loud to wake him up.

After we had our coffee, I made a second pot.  It was awhile before Brett and Tucker showed up - with the two cinnamon rolls they bought as we left Carriage Crossing last night.  They shared the roll with Dean but I chose to have a meal replacement shake this morning.  Emilee came over and we all visited for awhile.  Brett and Emilee left and Tucker stayed and visited with Papa while I showered.  We left for Wichita soon after, and arrived in plenty of time to eat a quick lunch at Freddie's.  Then we stopped to get Abram a birthday card, before we headed to the football field to watch Roman's game.

We went to the wrong field - after we walked half way there we realized the kids were playing soccer not football, so we moved to the next school where the game was getting ready to start, but there was no parking left.  We had to park a distance away and then walk back to the field.  We definitely got our exercise this morning!  Lol!

When Roman realized we were there during a break, he was surprised to see us.  We sure enjoyed watching him play.  He did a good job.  One thing I enjoy most about his game is we are right at the edge of the field.  I can take some really great pictures of him and see what is going on.  

Roman is in the neon yellow socks

I'm thirsty!

Our handsome grandson.  Happy 12th birthday Abram!

Last play of the game and he caught the ball right in the chin/neck.  He's tough!

When we are at Abram's we are up in the grandstand, quite a ways from the field and it's difficult for me to see where he is during a play.  I do take pictures, so later when I enlarge them on the computer, I occasionally find a good picture of him.

Heath and Abram had to leave a little early to take Abram home to get ready for his game at 3:00.  He has to be at the field an hour prior to the start of the game.  

After Roman's game we decided to stop at Quik Trip and get some ice tea.  Not thinking we got the extra large cups for our tea and after we left I realized that was not a smart move on our part.  It was so hot, the ice was already melting.  The extra large cups are plastic instead of styrofoam.    Dean wanted to stop at Walmart's in Goddard to get fuel for the truck.  He asked me to see if they had any of the metal cups that are supposed to keep your drinks really cold.  They did have some - Murphy USA - metal cups.  I bought them and the clerk let me wash them there before I left.  We poured our drinks in them.  We drank all of the tea but we still had most of our ice left at the end of the game.  Dean set his cup in the sink when we returned to Bentley.  He wanted to let it set all night to see if the ice melted or not.

We made one last stop at Walmart to use their facilities and then we headed to the football field.  We set in the car until Heath arrived and then we walked into the stands with him.  Fortunately the game was at home, and we got to sit in the shade today versus in the direct sun like last week.  With a nice wind, it wasn't bad today.

Abram played a good game and while his team did not win, they did score toward the end of the game.  

Abram is on the left - the tallest on his team.

Abram is the player in the blue above #44 below that is standing up, with black knee socks and Nike shoes.  That's how we keep track of him.  Their mom makes it easy with their socks!

We said our goodbyes to everyone at the game, and gave Abram his birthday card.  

Getting ready to leave.  Twelve and look how tall he is already!

Heath is taking him and some other boys to play paintball later this evening.  They have a lot going on, so we headed back to the RV park.  On the way back I asked Dean to stop at the fair one last time.  I really wanted to buy a t-shirt while we were here.  Since it was so late, I suggested we just have something to eat too.  I've been wanting a Pronto Pup ever since I seen it advertised - a corn dog!  It was really good and made me realize how much I miss having a Sonic corn dog once in awhile.  Dean ordered some deep fried cheese curds.  They were good, but just too much fried food for us.  I only ate 2 or 3 and that was plenty for me.

Brett sent Dean a text during the game to let us know they were going to take the trailer back to Wichita and go on home.  Before he left Lamar he found a water leak and someone was coming today to fix it.  The guy called him and while he had fixed the leak, he said he had a pretty muddy mess.  He wanted to get home to check on it.

Wow - what a beautiful evening it was and this is what we saw when we returned.  The moon was amazing.  I took a few pictures but it does not compare to the actual thing.

Moon on one side

Sunset on the other

Closeup of the moon

We were both so tired from the past few weeks, we just set in our chairs until it was bedtime.  Tomorrow we need to get some things done before we move to our next location on Monday.


Sunday, September 15, 2019 - Getting Things Done

As soon as I woke up I started the first load of clothes this morning - sheets, which was followed by towels and then white clothes.  Dean left his cup out, so I opened it to see if the ice had melted overnight.  There was still ice in it.  I felt better about buying the cups after that.  After breakfast I did the dishes, made the bed and then dusted the living room.  It really needed it after all of the dust from the past two RV parks.  Then I set down to work on the blog.  At this point I am writing about our time in Wichita the 5th-8th of September.  

Dean went out to use the air compressor to clean the air conditioners and see if that might be creating part of our cool air problem.  After cleaning both units, and putting new filters back in the vents inside, we noticed a nice change in the temperature.  We have stayed comfortable all day long and it was in the 90's this afternoon.  

At 11:30, Dean asked me if I was getting hungry.  Once in awhile he can make it to noon - but not often!  Lol!!

After lunch, I dusted the bedroom, bathroom and the hallway going up the stairs.  Then I was back to the blog.  I think I might get it updated before we leave.  I hope so!

Dean cleaned the vacuum out for me, including the filters, so I vacuumed this afternoon.  Tomorrow when I shower I will clean the bathroom after I'm done.  It has been a good productive day.  Dean wanted to get another small fan to put in the RV.  Today I really needed to use the one we had in the bathroom to help dry the clothes.  It's too dusty here to hang clothes outside on my clothesline pole.  It's too hot to keep the dryer going.  Once we move the fan in the bathroom we miss the fan moving the air around in the living room, which keeps the room cooler.  We found one the size we wanted at Lowe's, and it works very well.  It has a little more power than the one we've had for several years.

After dinner and doing the dishes, I was back at the blog again.  It's now 9:30 and I'm ready to quit for the night.  I still need to add pictures, but I hope to do that while we are traveling to Grove, OK tomorrow.  We will be camping with our Escapees group at Eagle's Landing for the week.  

(Today is Sept 26 and I just got the pictures added this evening)!  Bear with me!