Random Post Today

December was full this year and included a camping trip.  Hubby and I went to Trailer Trash Christmas in Anacortes.  It was fun to see our camping peeps in the winter. I had fun dressing up Annie and Hubby for the holidays.

 I loved seeing everyone celebrate Christmas.

 We enjoyed being home and cozy too.

 I celebrated another birthday.

The Pie Pals came for lunch and a craft.

Girls night! Always fun and a long standing tradition! 2023 will be our 40th anniversary and I think we should start planning.

Sam and Katie made their exciting baby news public. Thank goodness because this grandma was about to burst!

Camping Mimi has been buying a few things. We get to find out if it's a boy or a girl this month.

Boy or girl, every newborn needs a camping outfit. Sam weighed over ten pounds so if baby is like Daddy they will wear newborn sizes for a hot minute. Breaking that info to Katie carefully.

 I put up three trees this year, and used a lot of neutrals. Our living room tree didn't have the shiny brites year. it was easier and calming.

Hubby rocked my Dad's Santa suit and we crashed Bill and Jodi's family party. Alex and Serena, I am sorry but therapy for Rory is your own expense.

 Sam and Katie and Max and Kassie came home for Christmas. We celebrated with Danny and Jess in MI over Thanksgiving and with face time.

 Why is there always one boy that has to wind up the chandelier and his mama like a top?

 Sam is pretty exited about he hatchet, not sure if we should be worried.

 We had a nice Christmas and I have the photos to prove it but i am still having photo/blog woes.

In January one of my walking buddy's son got married and we helped her. A beautiful and fun wedding for a special couple.

Hubby and I went to Ikea to get some things to organize our home.  I added some blush to our bedroom. Hubby is liking it too.

And then the weather... I love the snow as much as I despise the wind.  So far, we have had power and that is huge.  The last two years we lost power for 4+ days and I got cranky.

I am incredibly lazy during blizzards.  School snow days and it feels like the world stops so I do too.

Let's chat about Netflix. I finished Mrs. Maisel, and season 3 didn't feel as good as seasons 1 and 2 but still good. I binge watched the new season of Good Girls.  I am muddling through season 3 of The Crown.  Is anyone else struggling with the older actors?

What are you watching? I need something new. I'm thinking about Ozarks but it may be too scary for me.

I read The Mother in-Law and really enjoyed it.

I'm not on a diet but I should be. Wish I cared.

The blogging/photo issues are makin' me craycray!

What I am looking forward to:

Rio and Bee's wedding this weekend and seeing Rene' and Jeremy. 

A Sisters on the Fly event next weekend. Hubby gets to go too. Shelly!

My brother and Caroline are getting married February first!

New devotions for 2020.  First 5.  It's an app.

Holding a newborn baby and smelling its head. Not weird

2020 is a Hawaii year and we are going to the big island.  I haven't been there since I was a nanny. Ten glorious night, eek! Toes in the sand.

My sisters/cousins have a Palm Spring trip planned and I am giddy!

Finding out if our grand baby is a boy or a girl. I think Sam wants a girl.  He always wanted a baby sister and when we got Hawley (our dog) he had a flash of disappointment because he thought we'd adopted a baby girl. I still laugh about that. Sam will be happy with a healthy boy or a girl, so settle down.

I have a lot of camping reservations and have over 50 nights away from home reserved for 2020. I know. I know. That's a lot but it's all great trips!

Have a good weekend my friends!

Sunshine and the Super Bloom

Hubby and I went to the desert for spring break this year. Mark and Karen came with us and Kassie's parents and friends were there too. Hubby's Mom shares her timeshare with us and one of our favorites is Wyndam in Indio.  Thanks Es!

 Karen and I love coconut cake and Tommy Bahama has one of the best coconut cakes. It ties for first place with House Without a Key on Oahu.

 When our guys were still traveling with us, we tried to have an educational day on our trips.  Once they were gone that fell by the wayside.  You may remember the Palace on Oahu or Pearl Harbor with the guys in earlier posts.

This year we brought back the field trip and went to Joshua Tree National Park.  It was in full bloom and we had a good time hiking so we actually went back for a second day. 

The field trip days are back!

 It was fun to climb on the rocks or walk on the trails. We packed a lunch and entered the park at the north entrance and exited via the west entrance on the first day.  The second day we used the south entrance and after some time in the park we left the way we had come in that morning.

 I want to give a shout out to one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Sheaffer. I wanted comfy walking shoes that were more like a sneaker and she found them for me.  They were great in the park and for morning walks, and just to wear with shorts or jeans. I'm wearing them with my favorite skort from Macys. These skorts are comfy for walking and great for camping and can be dressed up and worn out for a casual dinner. I have black too. And I think I may have to order the orchid print for Hawaii.

 The west park entrance has a cute little street of artists' shops and galleries.  All are closed midweek.

 I had a fun trip with Hubby.  I make the trip arrangements and get us there and set up and he then takes over and does the driving, mixes the cocktails and grills. #teamwork

 I wanted to pay tribute to U2 and their album Joshua Tree and my peeps are willing to play along with me.

Our travel day to get to PSP was a little crazy.  Our flight got changed due to the 737's falling out of the sky. We decided to only use carry on luggage. Seven nights, eight days and one carry one.  Stay calm.  It was a challenge for me and my shoes! Another blogger I follow is Shay and she has posted about packing cubes several times.  Her and her husband travel with their four kiddos and she loves the cubes.  And now so do I.  I drank the packing cube kool aid and loved using them. In one small/medium cube I packed 3 swim suits, 3 cover ups, 2 skorts, 2 tees for walking, yoga pants, sports bra, 1 tank and socks.

 Besides the packing cubes and an educational field trip, I have one more trip tip.  Instacart! I created a group cart for Karen and I, we filled it with breakfast items, we each did a dinner, a picnic lunch, snacks, liquor and sunscreen and lotion.  It was so great to have our groceries delivered within an hour of our arrival. Especially since our travel day was hectic.  Our stop in Seattle involved a bus, two trams and very brisk walking on the people movers to make our flight.

It was a wonderful trip with a lot of relaxing by the pool.  #poolside

Next spring, the Big Island of Hawaii for ten nights.  Aloha!

In the meantime we are getting excited for camping season,  Hubby is practicing his Dutch oven game plan.  One night we did rustic bread, baked spaghetti and a chocolate caramel cake. Delish!

Okay friends, I think we are all caught up and I need to clear the dining table today...

Yep, it's going to take all day.

January Random

Oh January, you aren't easy. The pressure to eat less, move more, the wind, the lack of light, back to school, the pressure to clean and organize. Ugh.  #thestruggleisreal

The first week of school isn't busy for subs so I had coffee with Leslie and Marjean one afternoon and I visited with the Pie Pals one afternoon. Having a bit of  friend time helps with the winter blues.

*It was last minute but I texted the Pie Pals and asked them if they could come over one afternoon for pie. They fell over themselves getting back to me. Yes, they would love to come over for pie! Since it's January I suspected diets and resolutions were the norm.  If I baked a pie I thought some wouldn't eat any or ask for a tiny sliver. 

So, I made sugar-free Jello in a pie plate. I had Cool Whip in the freezer left from Snow Salad Season aka Christmas and I had berries I had froze this summer. 

Imagine their shock, no coconut cream pie today, ladies! Oh my, did we laugh! I told them if they were having a cheat day I had Cool Whip.  The Jello with Cool Whip and Berries was a BiG 25 calories.

It turns out everyone loves Jello and it's the new January Pie Pals tradition.

Hubby and I have enjoyed the leftovers for dessert in the evening. 

*Besides the usual January eat less, move more, I have set another same goal. Hhhhmmm, as I'm writing I am realizing that if I have to keep setting the same goals or making the same resolutions every January, I am obviously not successful in the prior year. Anyhoo, back to goals, I have again set the goal to watch more TV.  I am generally not a fan of the television.  I have nothing against it, I just don't have the patience to sit there look at it. 

For Christmas I received a Roku and a Firestick, I kept both.  I am serious about it this year.

Party conversations turn to television shows and movies and I've been lacking. So, here I go again.

I've been watching the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I love the apartment, her wardrobe, the cars and the fast pace.  Midge is predicted to be the 2019 girl name of the year. #partyconversation

*I have watched a half an episode of Marie Kondo. I jumped up to clean out out junk drawer in the kitchen, got intimidated, sat back down and watched one episode of Schitt Creek.

Watching Marie Kondo is a two-fer resolution/goal.

I am watching TV and organizing and cleaning. Wait!  It's a threefer because I am moving more while organizing. 

The junk drawer is a fail.

The dishtowel drawer has been reorganized.  Isn't it pretty?

And that will last 3, 2, 1...

I have filled a few shopping bags to bring to the thrift store. But the reality is that I haven't actually brought them there yet.

*I have deactivated my Facebook account for a bit.  The political hate is too hard for me right now. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and to free speech, but the pasting and sharing of unverified information was bringing me down and making me think less of some friends.

 Essential personnel is still going to work, yes, they will eventually be paid, no they cannot go on vacation. Furlough isn't a paid vacation if you still are going to work every day.  Many officers are GS5 or GS7, they live paycheck to paycheck and though they aren't getting paid, their daycare provider still needs to be paid.  Single parents, single income families are hurt by the government shut down.  Please don't sugar coat it with the trite, oh well, they'll eventually get paid, to me.

It's too close to home and if you can put names and faces with it, it would be for you too.

*The best thing about January is thinking about sunny vacations, camping trips and all of the planning. #overplanner  Sometimes my sunny fantasy doesn't match reality. But a girl can dream.

Isn't her suit darling?

Best Wishes friends, may all of your goals be reached and attainable this year!

Carry on.

And Then...

I didn't finish my Palm Springs trip in the previous post. Today I'll wrap up the PSP trip and then what followed here at  home.  Let's get caught up.
#poolside

We visited John and Kristen at their place.  Hubby and I got to pick lemons with Kristen.  We love fresh lemons!  These guys...

We bowled.  Well, Hubby, Jeremy and Rene' bowled.  I am not sure what game I was playing.
It had been a long time and real life bowling is different than Wii bowling. 

Jeremy and Rene' started their drive home, Hubby and I had one more night and then he flew home after dropping me off at a Starbucks.  I did some bill paying, correspondence and checked Sub Online while sitting in the sunshine with my coffee.  Sheryl pick me up and vacay part two began.

We did some shopping at the Marriott and then went to her place to prep for some pool time.

We juiced grapefruits for cocktails and they were not only beautiful but juicy, sweet and delicious.

#grapefruitdiet

Brad was playing in a golf tournament.  We went in Sheryl's cart and watched him play.

It was really fun and just like TV, it's quiet, they golf, there's applause and then everyone moves on to the next hole.  Except Sheryl and I were afraid we'd go the wrong way, be too loud or something so we went back to wait at the clubhouse.  Brad was in the top four, so that was exciting.

The next morning we met Sheryl's friend, Kathy and went to the La Quinta Art Show.

No stuffy gallery, just sunshine and pretty everywhere I looked.

 

This painting reminds me of a guy I know and his bike.

Sheryl and I always have fun, talk constantly, and do a lot of shopping.  We love to hang out by the pool and in the evening we are pretty happy staying in for the night.  Thank you Brad and Sheryl, it was another good time in Indian Ridge!

Meanwhile, Hubby came home to a fridge that had died. He did a lot of researching and leg work before I came home.  Of course, our fridge isn't a standard size.  Welcome to the Stone House.

He picked Sheryl and I up at the airport, we ran Sheryl (she came home for an appt,) home, went to see my Mom (she had pneumonia while we were gone) and then returned to Bellingham to buy a fridge.  We ended up buying all new appliances.  Our stove and dishwasher were in the house when we bought it, over 16 years ago. A travel day and a major purchase in one day, a bit out of my comfort zone but Hubby had done the hard part.

By the time everything could be delivered we had been without a fridge for ten days.

I am loving my new kitchen.  I had been thinking about painting the cabinets but it turns out they weren't the problem.  They look better next to new appliances.  I'm even motivated to sew curtains, after 16 years without window coverings.  {Sigh}

By then the lemons Hubby had taken home from the desert were ripe and ready to be squeezed. We freeze the juice in big ice cube trays and then store the cubes in Ziploc bags.  Lemon drops, Bee's knees and lemon bars are so much better with lemons you've picked yourself.

I am subbing a lot and Hubby is on swing shift.  We haven't seen much of each other.  We are both pushing to get a lot done in the house and on the yard.  Felling trees, trimming, fertilizing the lawn, washing windows, pressure washing the patio and furniture, and Spring cleaning inside, it's keeping us busy and sore.

 Once in awhile we sit down and spin a record or two.  We are planning our summer camping schedule and that is always a good thing.

Isn't Spring wonderful?