Sunrise

I saw the sunrise yesterday. I rarely see one at our house because I'm seldom up early enough, and because we live on a west-facing slope.


The sunrise looked very much like the sunsets here. Very pink. I wonder if it is because there's a lot of dust in the air.


We've been up early every morning on this trip. Perhaps this is because at the house our bedroom is very dark and quiet, whereas in the Alfa the bedroom is quite light, and we are more aware of the noises around us. Our bed is very comfortable, and I have been sleeping soundly. At the house we tend to stay up much later, reading in front of the fire. On this trip, the new TV Craig put in the bedroom has been a draw, and we've been watching movies in bed. Actually we have been getting so sleepy after a movie is halfway thru that we have made each of the last two movies last two nights! Craig bought several BlueRay DVDs for me for Christmas.


At the house we do not have a TV in the bedroom.


Another morning difference is that at the house, Craig goes to the mailbox in the morning and brings in the newspaper while I make coffee. We read the paper in bed, and then Craig will usually stay in bed for a while. In the Alfa, there is no newspaper. Craig has been getting up long before I wake up, going up front to read the news on the computer. When I wake up, I've been ready to find out what's happening outside, so I get up and dress.


I do hope this early rising will continue after we get back to the house. It would promote getting things done!


I discovered a good thing about the iPad today. I can compose a blog on it. The other day it said it didn't support "compose", but now it does. I will still take a look at this on my laptop before I publish so that I can check spelling, but now I can blog when Craig is on the laptop. (I did that and now I will post it from the laptop.)

Speaking of Food and Stuff

Jessica wrote about planning on eating more healthy meals in the future today.


For us, food has been a really interesting hodgepodge this month. At the house, we have two refrigerators, with two good size freezers.  I only use the garage refrigerator for holidays,  but the freezer is usually pretty full.  Same for the freezer in the kitchen.  


Craig does most of our food shopping on the way home from work.  Most of the time he shops every day.  Whenever he stops at Trader Joe's he comes home with numerous frozen items.  Same for when he visits the interesting Asian grocery, Berkeley Bowl, or Costco. I too have a liking for Costco size bags of chicken tenders and such.


I do try to keep things turning over, but sometimes that's hard.


Just before Thanksgiving I declared a moratorium on buying new things for the freezers. On the first of December I declared we were going to try to use up as much as possible before we leave for Christmas.  And we have.  


Tomorrow I will be moving the few things left into the garage freezer, plus moving anything from the kitchen refrigerator that I want to keep, and turning off the kitchen fridge.


We will not be taking any refrigerated foods along on our trip because we will not be turning on the fridge in the Alfa for a week. We will be parking it at our daughters home, and I really can't see running the fridge on propane or batteries all of that time if it isn't necessary.  We plan on shopping in San Diego, on the morning of the 30th., before we drive  to L.A. with our grandsons.


Today I packed more things into the Alfa.  I'm looking at this trip as more of a trial for what we might need when we are full timers that our weekend trips have been.  As I evaluate things in my kitchen, I find that there is so much I will not need.  


I'm trying to create a "master list"on my laptop. EVERYTHING I could possibly pack is going on it.  As I load for a trip, more and more is added.  
Many are things I might not want to take on a short trip, but if they are on the list I can check them off after I have decided I don't need them. 
As things are finding permanent places in the Alfa, I am putting that next to the item on the list, so I can put them there again in the future. 
Eventually the list will be an "index" of where everything might be located.  I say "might", because I'm a realist and know that just because something has a place it doesn't mean it will be in that place when I'm looking for it.  It seems I am always the one who has to find things. One thing I have noticed about myself recently is that my memory for where I have put things is getting much worse.  I hope it's just stress, and not age! I put a couple of things away today that I know if I don't note their locations I might never find them again! 


We have so many places and so many tools around our house that neither Craig nor I have been good at putting things away.  In fact most tools don't really have a specific place.  Craig is constantly asking "where is my xxx?" and I am constantly either going to get it, or saying I don't know, or asking him where was the last place he used it."  
Recently I have been jokingly saying "You must have left it in Topeka."  Reminding us both that when we are on the road we will have to pick up our tools and put them away or they will be left behind! I actually think Craig is starting to put more things away than in the past.


Do you have a system?

Black Friday Purchase

I can't help but thinking that this is one of the "time wasting" blogs Sue was referring to in her bog post today. 


On Wednesday Morning, for no apparent reason (no rain storm or high wind) we lost all power here at the house.  That in itself is not all that unusual.  But it also seemed we had a power "surge" as well.  Our electronics are pretty well protected by individual power strips that include surge protectors, but not all of the appliances.

We think it was this that took out our somewhat old washing machine.  


The repairman came today, and determined that the board on the control panel was fried, and possibly a secondary one as well.  The cost of replacing them was way more than a replacement machine, so I didn't get it fixed.


Craig shooed me out the door this afternoon to go by another washer.  I was determined to just get a very basic one, without all the belles and whistles.  It only needs to last for a year or so! I don't do delicate or heavy loads. 


I was delighted to find the shopping center was not still crowded.  I did have to look for a parking place, but not for long.  I checked out Sears and although they had one that was on "Black Friday" sale, I didn't like the $80 delivery and disposal fee.

Lowe's also had a sale, as did Home Depot.  Neither of them have delivery charges.  I ended up buying at Home Depot. 


 Best price.  A simple machine with a one year warranty. 


 It won't be delivered until December 6th., so I will have to go to a Laundromat at least once, possibly twice. I really don't mind.


So I've done my bit for the economy and to boost the sales numbers for this weekend.  


 I just hope the dryer will hold up for another year.  It's just as old as the washer was!

Busy days ahead

The rest of the year is going to be very busy for me.  


Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means I had better get busy getting the house cleaned up a bit.


We have an RV adventure of sorts planned for the first weekend of December. I'll write more about it when things have been finalized.


Then it will be time for the dreaded Christmas shopping.  I want to find gifts for people that they will love and appreciate.  To me there is nothing worse than just buying something because you feel you have to.


But what to get?  I have no idea.


I  got a sculpture order today.  For a Mandrill , one of my favorite creatures to make. It is from a repeat customer, and she wants it as soon as possible.  That means I start it tomorrow.


I really don't know how people have time to have real jobs!  

Tea Time in Merikay’s Woods

Craig and I have an evening tradition.  At 8:30 PM he makes us each a cup of tea.  He gets Sleepy Time and I get Sleepy Time Extra. Sometimes we will have cookies too.

I have been an evening tea drinker fro a long time.  It has only been recently (about the last year or so) that he has joined me and has taken over the task of preparing it for us both.

Since I do 99% of the cooking and dish washing, I rather enjoy this small bit of pampering I get each night.

Last night we had our tea up in The Big White Thing.

 We went up right after the Stanford game finished, (no good radio, TV  or WIFI up there.) So it was a little late.

It’s so cozy up there.  We slept there last night too. 

Haven’t done that for a couple of weeks.

The weather has been quite mild all week and we didn’t need to run the furnace at all. I kept thinking about all of you who have had an early season snow storm.

Gotta love California!

Dancing Lights

I have been trying to enjoy my life as it is, where it is, and see the beauty around me now, rather than just "dream" and work towards travel in the future.  I say it to myself every day.  I live in a beautiful place.

I love the sky.

 I love light.
 I love weather and wind.

At this time of year the angle of the sunlight is lower.  The leaves are gone from many of the deciduous trees, and many are still sporting a golden cape, allowing the light to filter thru in a different way than in  summer.

Late yesterday afternoon we had a short period of the most remarkable light.

 The shadows and evergreens were dark, and where the light came thru it was glowing.

The shadows of the wind tossed branches were projected onto the side of the house in animated splendor.

 The air itself seemed to shimmer.

As the light came thru the large windows of the dining room, the shadows danced with the wind.

(Because I only hand my little point and shoot camera I was unable to capture the more subtle displays.)


So, this is the beauty I found in my own world yesterday.

 It was brief and changing, much like a sunset, but it was thrilling to behold!

What magic will I see today?


(Persimmon and artichoke recipes still to come!)

All Caught up, and a gout attack!

For most of 2009 and spring of 2010 I was pretty sure I was on the edge of having gout.  My mother had it, and Craig was told he has had at least one attack. When he was in pain I did a lot of research about it.  Then  I tried to be fairly careful about what we ate and avoided many of the foods that are said to be  bad.  I was taking care of myself and being a "good wife."

Last spring I asked my Doctor about it and he assured me that I "did not have gout."

So I started eating things that I had been avoiding like red meat and beans and lots of mushrooms and asparagus!  I also started enjoying red wine again, but then I had some painful joints and the Doctor prescribed  Mobic.  (At that time I again stopped all alcohol.)

Months go by.  I felt great.  The Mobic was working.

Until the World Series!  During the playoffs we had lots of "baseball food."  Hot dogs, Bratworst, beans.  Ice cream became an evening ritual after the games. I even had some forbidden beer!  On the last night of the series, we had a steak dinner with red wine, and a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

36 hours later, while grocery shopping, my ankle seemed to disintegrate into 1000 shards of broken glass.  I could barley walk and hung onto the cart to get myself into the van and home.  I called the doctor and described what had happen

and he said, "Sounds like a gout attack."

 No kidding.  I knew that, and now he finally gave me some medication for it.  He also suggested a vegetarian diet for at least a week to ten days.  I'm doing that, and I do know what foods to avoid in the future.  It's not hard, but when he told me in spring that I didn't have it I saw no reason to give up red meat and all the other things I liked.

So for now I'm not eating any meat and my ankle is ok again.  Tomorrow I want to resume walking.  Next week I'll try some chicken.

On another note, I finished all of the sculptures that had been ordered and shipped the last of them this morning.

The next two weeks will be devoted to a much needed house cleaning effort.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we will be having family visit.

Miracle Drug and back to the treadmill

For those of you who joined me in the last couple of months, Last spring I  set a goal of walking 1000 miles on my treadmill to get into better shape for walking in our National Parks someday.  Everything was clicking along, a few miles a day, until I began to have a really achy knee. Doctor said "arthritis" and prescribed Naproxen.  It tore up my stomach!

 I limped along into summer and by July the knee discomfort was overshadowed by grinding ankle pain and swelling.  In August I quit drinking all alcohol, so that I could try some extra strength Tylenol.  It didn't help at all.

In September a Druggist suggested I ask my Doctor about a drug called Mobic.  He gave me a prescription for the generic version and in  a few hours after the first dose my pain was almost gone!

My sister-in-law has been taking it for over nine years and says it still works for her with no side effects! The only negative is that you should not drink wine or any alcoholic beverages.  But that was OK since I had quit a month earlier.

 I have been taking one pill a day for about a month and find that not only am I pain free in my knee and ankle, I have renewed flexibility in joints that I had given up on.

 I can bend!  I can smoothly get up from a chair!  I can sit on the floor and actually stand up on my own without first crawling over to the sofa!  Getting out of bed in the morning is no longer an "iffy" proposition.  Painting some of those hard to reach places on the roof overhangs would have been impossible last July.

Now I'm able to walk on my treadmill again!

 

 I have it downstairs in the home theatre room. (Thats a large screen with an overhead projection screen system.)

I usually watch NetFlix DVDs or TV while I walk.

I restarted walking last week with just one easy mile on Friday.  No problem.  So I did two miles yesterday and two today.


Bringing back the mile count:

Exercise Goal:
1000 miles on the treadmill, 

1 mile Friday, 2 miles Monday, 2 miles Tuesday

Total walked = 190 miles

Someday I will be hiking 1000 miles in National Parks!

Daily countdown:

392 days, or 1 year, 27 days. 

Good three days

As I expected the last three days have been very busy.

My volunteering at the International Science Faire was exhilarating, interesting, and exhausting!

I am less worried about the future of our world than I have been in many years.  The young people I talked to there were remarkable, smart, personable and the hope all of us "older" people need some days.

I even made one "RV" relevant contact.  We have some prototype computer equipment that Craig wants to donate.  I spoke to someone from the Computer History Museum, and will be encouraging him to write a description and take some pictures of it.  He said he knew that was the place to take it, and said he would work on donating it a few months ago.  Now I can nudge him a bit.

On Friday I went to the Fair Grounds to make my first stop at a large, 10 day,  RV show.  I had discovered that Paul and Mary were staying at the camp ground there, and was able to stop by and visit them.  They are a great pair, and I enjoyed our conversation a great deal.  It is so nice to put "real" people together with Blogs.

The RV show was interesting.  I'm quite sure we are thinking about getting a good Class A motor home, and went into and looked over every A that was there.  I had a note pad along, and made brief comments about what my first reactions were to each rig.  Since we are not settled on size, gas vs diesel,  or floor plan it was quite a task.   I also "sat" on every potty to judge the "elbow room.  (This was in view to a blogger who mentioned her mother was dismayed about the tight fit on her rig.  Something she had not considered in advance.)

One of the things I kept looking for was where I thought my husband might sit to work on his computer.  I assume we will have laptops, but I also think he might want to have a larger monitor to use on occasion.  My daughter does that when editing photos with her laptop.

I realize that many people modify their rigs, and with that in mind I was looking at what could not be changed in any particular model.

Od course I looked at the top of the line DPs.  Anyone could love something that cost $300 K+.
We all have to dream!

But I was  surprised at how many really expensive rigs did not feel like "home,"  and I wouldn't want them anyway.

Craig is going with me next weekend.  It should be interesting to see what his reactions to the ones I like will be.

I figure that what is New now, will be close to what is available pre-owned in two years.

One of the things that did distress me was the overwhelming smell of plastic and glue.  Craig says that is a good reason to be thinking about a pre-owned.  If the glue smell isn't gone by then, it never will be.


I added 3  miles to my walking goal just because I sure I walked at least that many above my normal daily life.

Daily countdown:

538 days, or 1 year, 5 months, 19 days to go.

Exercise Goal:

1000 miles on the treadmill,  3 miles to convention center and RV show.

Total walked = 121.5 miles

Someday I will be hiking in National Parks!

Busy week in the offing

I can't believe it's Tuesday already.   I will be busy the rest of this week.  I will be volunteering at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. One of my good friends is a coordinator and sent out requests last week for helpers.  It should be fun.


I will probably not walk on the treadmill, but will be giving myself credit for a mile or two since the parking for volunteers is at least a mile from the convention center!  What me do REAL walking?

Daily countdown:

541  days, or 1 year, 5 months, 22 days to go.  

Exercise Goal:        

1000 miles on the treadmill     2 miles  today. 

Total walked = 121.5 miles   

         Someday I will be hiking in National Parks!