ENJOYING OUR WINTER RETREAT

Enjoying Ourselves at Our Winter Retreat

We really enjoy it here in Tierra Del Sol RV Resort,our winter retreat.  Everyone is friendly and willing to help in any way they can when someone is working on a project.

My husband put down patio blocks to expand the size of the patio that was on the lot when we purchased it earlier this year.  I feel bad that I am unable to help but I just can’t do that kind of thing anymore.  He wants to enlarge it to make it easier for me to get on my bike and ride around the resort for exercise.  The rest of the lot is covered with pebbles so have to push the bike through them to get to the street.  One neighbor lent him a rubber mallet to tap them down.  Another neighbor lent him his flat shovel and knee pads (boy what a knee saver).  Another neighbor came by and brought a trowel to make it easier to level the ground so the patio tile will lay level.  We have been here for only about a week and a half and have experienced nothing but generosity and the friendliest people.  They know what it was like when they first moved here.  We don’t have a storage shed yet so we’re limited as to the amount of tools etc. that we could bring with us from home.  After all the block had been put down I swept sand into the spaces between them.  I had the easiest job of all.

There are so many activities that a person can be as busy as you want to be or just relax on your patio and do absolutely nothing.  We went to the weekly coffee social hour the first week we were here and everyone came over to introduce themselves.  Now to remember everyone's name.  They only have two names to remember and we have so many more to remember.  They said "don't worry about names give it time.  Everyone wears name badges at the clubhouse so that helps remember names.   The same thing at the pot luck that is held the first Sunday each month.

A neighbor has a really neat golf cart.  It is bright red and I mean a real true red.  It is really nice.  Janice, what do you think?  Can you see yourself driving around in one like this in your community?

The pool has been drained, cleaned and refilled.  Now if the weather would just warm up just a little so I could try out that pool.  There is a group that goes to the pool for exercise at 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, but I just can't talk myself into that just yet since the a.m. temps have been in the 30s and lower 40s.  It may be heated but I am a fair weather fisherman, golfer and swimmer.  There is always better weather days ahead for outdoor activities such as these.

Enjoying ourselves immensely and having a good time this winter. The wind is getting stronger this evening and looks like a cool night.  Now we wait for the weather to improve.  At least the sun has shone just about every day so far this month.

As always comments are welcome and followers appreciated.

Until next time.......

In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb

Good Morning,

Well, it isn't morning anymore here in TN  (12:07 p.m.)  but I guess it is morning somewhere.

We spent 6 weeks in a warmer climate last winter.  Spent the time traveling around the Mesa, Apache Junction, and Phoenix, Arizona area.  Just loved the desert.  It was dry and sunny most of the time.  No heavy dew every morning.  We plan to go back to AZ again next winter.  I will post some pictures about our winter experience at a later date

Did you notice I said last winter?  I will not allow cold weather anywhere near me.  Spring has officially arrived at my home.  The robins as well as other birds have been busy gathering material to build their nests.  Spring bulbs have bloomed in the front of the house.  I need to start a list of new plantings for my rock garden by the front porch. Some of the plants had been there for a long time and weren’t very nice anymore.  They are now gone thanks to my husband who did all the hard work digging and removing the dead foliage.  I have been thinking about using some small bushes with the bird feeder and clematis as the focal point.  I was hoping to get into the city and take a look at what Lowe’s, Home Depot and Ace Hardware have for sale.  Weather man is talking about some heavy rain and thunderstorms later this afternoon.  I will put that on my list of things to do tomorrow.  We have a new deck in the back of our house right off our kitchen-can’t wait to sit out there with a good book and a cold drink.  The old saying for March “In like a lion, out like a lamb”.  Mother Nature got the lion part right, let’s hope she gets the lamb part right. 

We went to the Court House Annex a couple of weeks ago and did the early voting thing.  Glad that TN has early voting-we take advantage of it every time.  No waiting in line to vote.  I hope everyone gets out and votes in all the primaries and general elections.  It is important and your vote does count.  Sure getting tired of the political ads but I guess that is part of the process.

Last week I finally said to myself.  “Self, you need a haircut-a short haircut.”  O M G!  I told the hairdresser I wanted it short and she really took me seriously.  I packed away the hats I wore during my chemotherapy treatments in the summer of 2009 but I think I will dig them out again.  I keep thinking it will grow, it will grow.  (deep breath)  Let’s see-hair is suppose to grow approximately ½ inch a month.  Looks like it will be a very long month.  All it needs is one month and then it will be OK.  It has been a week now since I had it cut and it is really beginning to grow on me. Ugh, I didn't really say that did I?  Seriously, I do like it now that I have had time to get used to this length.

I am busy working on our income taxes and really want to get them finished by next Wednesday.  We file electronically so if you file by Wednesday (your return has to process through two Thursdays) usually can expect your refund deposited into your account on the Friday after the second Thursday after you file.  Of course that is, if the government hasn’t gotten overwhelmed with the volume of returns filed that week, changed things or decided to take a closer look at your return.  Bite your tongue.

I have been working on getting my work room a little more organized so I can find things easier.  We were in Habitat for Humanity this week and I found some clear plastic containers that will work great for my finished inventory for my websites and eBay.They are about the size of a shoebox and have a lid that snaps on to keep things from falling out.  At 50 cents apiece just couldn’t pass them up.  They look like new.  Glad I haven’t taken time to buy new ones.  I always seem to find something I can’t live without when I go into that place.   No more scrambling to find that item that just sold.    Daryl just rolls his eyes and says "Can I help you find something?" or "Did you lose something?"   All I can say is, "I know it is in here I just seen it last week".  All I can say is sometimes it makes life real interesting.  Why would I want to be all organized?  That would make life boring.  It is my afternoon project.  I probably won't get it completely finished today but it will be nice to get a good chunk of it done today.  Will be listing some items on eBay this weekend and will make it much easier and faster.

Has anyone started going through your closet to see what your clothes inventory looks like?  I did and decided to donate some things to Goodwill.  I no longer wear a large percentage of the pieces so thought someone else could use them.  With all the destroyed homes in our county last week l am sure they will go to some needy people.

Thanks for visiting my blog, sincerely hope you enjoyed it and will stop back again.  All comments and criticisms are welcome.   Well, hopefully light on the criticisms and heavy on the comments. 

Have a great day, LinRae

www.linrae.etsy.com

www.linraevintage.com 

www.ebay.com/claire402            

It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

It feels like fall is slowing arriving here in TN. It has been so hot and humid this summer. Has been quite dry so we are grateful for any rain we get. This time of year we get in the mood to start cleaning out the items we no longer need or want. We have been busy posting and selling on ebay for the last month or so. Good way to help declutter the house. Hope the sales continue. Have also listed items on Craig's List and the local TN trader (local shopper that has free ad listings for non business people) that are too large and heavy to ship. I'm sure it will get to the point when we will donate items to Salvation Army and/or Goodwill. Maybe, just maybe, we will actually be able to get the Chevy Blazer in the single car garage.
It has been a good morning so far. The internet did not crashed this a.m. like it usually does at 8:08 EDT. Cable company says it is our eguipment. Funny it is at the same time of day. "You can almost set your watch by it" as the old saying goes. Very frustrating sometimes.
Mornings are cool now (yea) with the day heating up to lower 90s later in the afternoon. I have a large potroast that I browned and put in the crockpot along with potatoes and veggies. Yummm!
Soooo, to end on a good note, "It is a wonderful day in the neighborhood".
Hope you enjoy my posts and please feel free to comment. Have a great day and stop back again.