Things I’ve Learned

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

 

You’ve heard the saying above before.   Well, I’ve come to find out that’s not necessarily true.  I didn’t learn everything in kindergarten.  I’ve certainly learned a lot recently.

I mentioned a few days ago that it was raining cats and dogs.  Well, the rain has been intermittent but when it rains, it’s been really pouring hard.  There were many gorgeous days in April and the first part of May but the last couple of weeks we’ve had the rain just dump on us. The only alternative has been to stay in and find something else to do.  Other than the quick walks with Duchess, we’ve not done a lot of outside activities.  However, the weather is due to change.  This should be the last rainy day.  We have warm sunny skies ahead of us.  At least that’s what the weatherman is saying.

I have been getting educated though.  The DNA I had done on Terry is finally finished processing. He definitely has some inherited health traits he can blame on his mom and dad.  Even some of our weight gain is their fault and probably the fault of our grandparents.  Terry can attribute 7.9 pounds of his weight to his inherited genes.  I sure wish I could blame my parents for nearly 8 pounds of mine.  However, every pound I’m packing around is my fault except for 1.98 of those.  Those belong to what I inherited.

As we age (and the alternative is worse) our body is more likely to start having issues that it didn’t have when we were young things.  Older folks tend to be more concerned about heart attacks, strokes and even arthritis.  Alzheimer's or Parkinson's strike more often than we like too.  Even though genetics isn’t entirely to blame, it certainly plays a role.

My risk of a heart attack over the next ten years is 4%.  However, Terry’s risk is higher.  His risk of a heart attack over the next ten years is almost 12%.  Now that’s not a good thing.  I’m thinking he should call his mom and complain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is another thing none of us want to experience.  It would certainly mean that our activities would be cut back. The RV may need to be sold and we might be grounded.  The inheritability of rheumatoid arthritis is estimated to be 53-65%. Genetic factors contribute more to this than even environmental factors do.   Terry’s risk factor of obtaining this is 6.6 out of 100 and mine is 3.3 out of 100.. We may inherit the tendency for many things but what we do and the environment after that also can make a huge difference whether or not we will contract a disease.

A couple of good things were that neither one of us have the genes that most folks with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's have.  Now that doesn’t mean we won’t get dementia.  It just means we probably won’t have the excuse for it as folks with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's have.

 

I mentioned before that some foods are bitter to one person but not so to another. Sensitivity to bitter tastes is highly inheritable.   It was interesting to me to discover that Terry can taste certain bitter flavors and I have about an 80% chance of not being able to taste certain bitter flavors. The gene responsible for the ability to taste bitter flavors is dominant so both our kids probably inherited this from their father but certainly not from me.

ICK!! That tastes awful!   

Okay … one more thing on this bandwagon and I’ll get off of it.  Have you ever known folks who flush after drinking alcohol?  They can turn beat red, get a red itchy rash, become dizzy or even become nauseous.  This is an inheritable trait.  Even a single drink goes right to work on them.  Sensitivity to alcohol — the alcohol flush reaction — depends almost entirely on a person's genes and according to our DNA neither one of us has this…..  Wait a minute.  I’m thinking this is wrong!

Terry definitely has it.  If he drinks anything with alcohol he looks like a tomato and both our kids have exactly this same thing. Alcohol causes them to turn beat red and an itchy rash isn't far behind.  Don’t know what to say about this one but I do know that's definitely one reason not to drink.

Some can drink it and some can’t!  It's genetic!

Okay … I’ll get off this bandwagon for now.  We’ve signed up for a Kayak tour on Saturday so with sunny skies and warm weather, we are definitely looking forward to that.  Who knows … if we like it enough, we may just change our winter adventures to places where we can kayak.  If we don’t like it, at least we will be able to say that we tried.

‘Tis life on the road.

Fancy Recreational Home Bases

 

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.

Saturday started raining cats and dogs.  It rained hard.  Then, the sun came out a little bit and the rain went away for most of the day.  That was great news as far as we were considered.

Tammi decided to get involved with the tree committee in our little recreational community.  Trees can’t be removed without being approved by the two members of this committee and then they have to be replaced by other trees. Saturday she had about eight requests to check out so I went with her.  Of course, I didn’t do much of the checking or any of the work … of course.  I went along for the ride and to see other lots.

It’s amazing the creativity that some people have.  It’s also amazing at the size of some of them. Everything has to be built around a recreational vehicle because it’s recreational property.  The county is pretty strict on that and on the building permits issued.  As always the county has to be involved because they want to be sure we pay our tax bill to them and that want the bill to be as high as possible.  We know as we recently just paid our property taxes.   In our ride on Saturday I took a few pictures of some of the lots.  That’s what you see here.

Some of the places are pretty massive and gorgeous considering it’s “recreational”.  Of course, there are also some that are pretty junky.  I don’t think you can do away with those in any neighborhood.  The “recreational” portion of the attached RV cannot be over 40’.  There are several snowbirds who summer here.  Some of the motorhomes have attached rooms that can be easily opened and closed. Others have 5th wheels and trailers with attached buildings.  It’s fun to check out all the creativity that folks have come up with while staying within the guidelines and requirements of the county with their strict building permits.   I’ll get some pictures of those over the next few days.

There are some with big boat storage units and others who have used exterior siding on the travel trailer itself.  Obviously, the owners have no plans that these RVs will ever hit the road again.

Last but not least are the nice lots you can buy which sit right over the lake.  The views can be incredible because they not only have a view of the huge lake but also include a view of Mt. St. Helen's sitting on the other side. We looked at a couple.  However, for me the ones we looked at were quickly ruled out.  Some of the decks are built over the side of the hill.  I could hardly walk on the deck without a fear of falling.  There was no way I wanted to sleep there.  However, if you’re thinking these lake view lots are cheap, you’re wrong.  Some of the bare lots  push $100K.  However, there aren’t many (if any) bare lots left with lake views.

 

After our official ride approving and disapproving trees that could be chopped down, Sandi and I decided to make our own little adventure.  We went out and took pictures.  The subject of the pictures was Sandi.  We took a ride to the waterfalls.  It’s just down the hill from us and we were lucky that the rain had passed for the day. 

Sandi cleans up pretty good too.  Her goal is to follow her cousin, Justin.  She's signing up for the Navy in their early entrance DEP program as soon as she turns 17 .. which is in February.  For the last couple years she has been reading everything Navy and studying everything Navy.  She is also excited about the opportunities it will give her.  Go Girl Go!

 

I also saw something on TV the other day.  It made me think how those with PDD could be slowed down so I snapped a picture of the screen.  There is certainly no speeding through the backlog at the VA for veterans.  (Sorry, Paul.)

This place has been packed over the holiday weekend.  People are everywhere.  Today is Sunday and tomorrow Memorial Day.  We’re taking off early this morning to get flowers and place them on the graves of a couple aunts and uncles.  In addition we’re also going to Portland this morning to put flowers on the graves of my parents.  This is something I do every Memorial Day.

‘Tis life on the road.

Rain, Rain Go Away

You can’t leave footprints in the sands of time if you’re sitting on your butt.  And, who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time? 

Until a few days ago this area had some gorgeous May weather.  We’ve seen lots of sunshine and been able to enjoy being out of doors.  However, all of that has changed and we don’t like it one little bit.  We’ve had a little bit of rain, then we had more rain and now we’re having barrels full of rain.  The worst part about that is there is no end in sight. 

When will it ever quit?   Duchess even makes her outside trips pretty fast.  She’s not going to hang around and get soaked.  We really can’t blame her because we want them fast too.  Obviously, we’ve had to come up with a few inside things to do.

Our motorhome has just had a thorough going over.  Terry was originally going to rewire the motorhome himself.  Remember when he drove away and forgot to unplug the electrical cord?  However, with all the rain, he decided to let the mechanic put it back together since he had an awning to pull it under.  We have the best mechanic in this area and he has quite a following for a reason.  He fixes just about everything, knows a lot and charges about half what the other places do.  His bill isn't by any book but by his actual time.  Then, if it took him too long, he won't charge you for that part. Best of all, he’s downright honest.  Our bill for the 2 1/2 hours he spent working on the motorhome was $150!!

When we picked up the motorhome we dropped off the Jeep Wrangler.  We wanted him to go through it and make sure it was also in tip top shape.  That’s where it’s at now.  After he’s through with that one in goes the Jeep Liberty since it's due for an annual check-up too. 

I'm still trying my hand at wood burning.  Terry's trying his at wood burning and a little leathercraft.  These are definitely things we can do out of the rain.  They say practice makes perfect.  Actually, I’m not so sure about that.

Another thing I've been spending some inside time on is analyzing all these DNA matches I have made.  It’s amazing how many people I have connected with that I’m related to someplace and at sometime through shared segments on our DNA.  I love a good mystery and right now I have several hundred of them. I’ve tracked down some very close relatives using DNA matching on specific chromosomes.  To me that is exciting and very time consuming.   It'll even get more exciting when Terry's DNA gets finished as well as my brother, Marv's.  Who would have thought we would be using this method to to work on genealogy so many years ago?  Glad it’s raining outside so I’m not torn to go outside and play. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I'm related to myself.

Having our DNA done isn't all about ancestry.  Well, the original reason was about that.  There are three main sites for having it done.  They are Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), Ancestry and 23andme.  There are a lot of differences between the three.  I know because I've had mine done on two and my brother's, Bob, done on the other.  I believe the best by far is the 23andme.  In addition to the ancestry and ehtnicity, your DNA is also analyzed for health and inherited conditions plus traits.  Once the DNA is done, there is still another site that all three sites can use for comparison. 

I received a couple boxes today of supplies I had ordered for our western themed family reunion.  No matter what you order, it’s always fun to get the package and see what it really looks like.  Sometimes I’m pleased and sometimes not so much.  This time I was very pleased.

Check out these packages of signs.  They're really pretty good quality for the price!

Then, we have another box of bags, kiddie stickers, plastic barbed wire, pony express bags, confetti, badges and even a cowgirl vest to wear.

Yes, it's definitely fun getting packages in the mail.  It’s not so fun discovering you ordered something else online only to find the same thing at your local Albertson’s for less than you paid to get it shipped to you. From Walden Farms I ordered a couple salad dressings, ketchup and barbecue sauce.  The reason I ordered them is because I had looked at other stores for similar items with next to nothing calories and hadn’t been able to find any.  These have no calories and no carbs.  Better than that I even liked the taste!!

Have you ever noticed that less is more?  If you don’t want sugar added, they charge you.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  The less that goes in, the more the cost.  That certainly sounds backwards to me.  

‘Tis life on the road.

Those Wheels Seem To Be Stuck

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you  have their shoes.

It’s not that we’re traveling down the road right now.  We’ve been catching up from the traveling we did this winter.  Sometimes it feels so good to go and other times it feels so good not to go.  What really suits me is a little bit of both.  I love being in our motorhome and going places.  I also love being at our “cabin” and not going places.  Terry, on the other hand, would probably hang around the “cabin” for a much longer time than I would.  I don’t think his feet “itch” as often as mine.  I’m still taking lots of pictures of our critters around here.

Remember this shot from a couple years back at our other little homebase on the other hill?

Deer are going after the bird seed on the top of our outdoor fireplace.

In April we flew to Arizona and drove our car to Washington via Utah.  We both enjoyed the quick trip.  Terry much prefers quick trips to long trips.  We had actually figured we’d take one quick trip a month during the summer.  After all, we have dog-sitters here for Duchess.  What good does it do us to plan these things if they always get changed?

May was the month we were going to head to Hannibal.  The time is almost on us and Terry is already balking.  He’s not sure he really wants to pick up and go.  Forbid!  If we don’t go to Hannibal, we must go someplace.  We must!!  Oh sure we took a weekend jaunt and headed 200 miles north but that doesn’t count.  After all, it was for a funeral.  Perhaps, he would prefer to do that trip later in the summer.  We certainly don’t want to head that way during tornado season and there have been a lot of tornados recently.

Here’s Mr. Squirrel

In the meantime, I’m back looking at the map and trying to figure out someplace easy to get to where I want to go that he would want to go too.  It’s still too cool to head someplaces and too hot to head others.  It’s a big country but he seems to be quite relaxed right now just where he is.  What am I going to do?  It’s such a dilemma for me!

Not that I don’t already have a lot of things going on with reading, sewing, genealogy, DNA, blogging, planning a reunion and photography but Tammi showed up with wood burning equipment.  So, Sunday I spent playing with new toys,  wood burning toys.  Now that was fun too.

And, another hummingbird --

Monday we pulled the motorhome out of the temporary storage lot and moved it down to a mechanic to go through.  You can tell we’re getting ready to go someplace with that too …. again, we have no clue where.

 'Tis life on the road ...........

Smoking Brisket and Camera Research

Friendship is always a sweet responsibility never an opportunity.

Tuesday started out being an absolutely gorgeous day.  As the day wore on a few clouds started coming into the area.  However, that didn’t stop the photography session Jordan and I had planned.  She wanted additional senior pictures to go out with her graduation announcements.  It was off to Lake Sacajawea in Longview and 196 pictures later, we were done.  She stood, leaned or sat on nearly every place we thought might be a good background.  With a little cropping, Photoshop for loose hairs and tone mapping, this is what she liked best.

Now aren’t you glad I didn’t post 196 of them???

Have you ever received messed up insurance papers?  You know the kind.  They are the ones that you can’t tell where the figures are coming from and it looks like you owe a lot of money.  That’s what’s been going on with my brother and he certainly doesn’t understand why he owes so much. Actually he doesn’t but we spent a good deal of Wednesday trying to get this figured out for him.  He was so upset he had decided he didn’t need his medicine and he wasn’t going to keep all those doctor appointments.  We made a trip into Vancouver.  After going through all his paperwork we also made a trip to the VA.  That's who was billing him.  At least now he has peace of mind.  By the time we were through he was even comfortable picking up his prescriptions from the pharmacy and rescheduling the doctor appointments.  Whee …. another future catastrophe averted!

Another test for our smoker was in the works on Thursday.  This time it was brisket … the true test of a good smoker. At least that’s what I read.  Brisket is the leveling ground.  If you can do a good brisket, you’re just downright GOOD!  We knew it would probably be a full day’s project and it was.  The night before a rub was applied to the brisket.  It was then wrapped in foil and refrigerated.  In the morning the smoker was readied with mesquite wood chips that had been soaked, steaming water in the pan and a temperature of 200F.   The final pre-task was applying a mop of Sweet Rays Barbecue Sauce to the brisket and inserting the wireless thermometer in the meat.   About every 45 minutes we applied another coat of mop, continually trying to maintain a good temperature in the smoker.  

 

We hadn't tasted brisket until we moved to Texas.  During the family reunions we had in Kerrville, we always had goat.  Brisket can be tough.  It can be very tough but it also can be so  tender it’ll almost fall apart in your hands.  Obviously, we didn’t want tough.  We wanted tender  .  Several hours later …. that’s just what we had.  Wow … we are good!  We have lots of leftovers too.  Of course, they'll be passed around to the kids so they can brag about us too.  Isn't that how it works?

We have so many hummingbirds around here.  I’m sure it also helps to have three hummingbird feeders out too.  Hummingbirds certainly move fast and the males are all dive bombing each other.  It's quite interesting to watch.  I wish they’d just stop long enough for me to get super pictures but they don’t. Getting a good picture has been my challenge.  There is a red one that is very evasive.  I need a tripod, a remote and a faster shutter speed to get him.  Then, I also need to hide.

I love taking pictures of birds and I love looking at the pictures of them that other bloggers post.  It’s not only the birds.  I also love taking pictures of wildlife … well, and landscapes and grandkids.  I guess you could say I just like taking pictures.  

I’ve had great cameras when we did so much traveling.    I used to be a camera addict. That's past tense.  I’ve had the SLRs and DSLRs with all the lenses. It’s just too much to carry … been there, done that and don’t want to do that again.    So, I’ve been researching …. again.   There are just some functions I must have.  Most good point and shoot cameras come with some necessary functions but in addition to fairly common ones, I also would like the following:

Canon, Nikon or Sony only	Ability to bracket
Shutter Speed 1/4000	High ISO
30X + optical zoom with wide angle	Small and Lightweight
RAW Mode  (?)	Canon, Nikon or Sony
Remote  (?)	12 MP +

Even though I would like to have a RAW mode option, I guess I can live without it and the same for the remote.  However, the other items listed above I’m not willing to budge on.  Top choice at the moment is the Sony HX50V which is due to be released the end of May.  So now I just have to decide if I really need another camera or not.  Hmmm…

I’ve mentioned before how our grocery bill has jumped.  Here are a couple other critters we’ve been feeding besides the birds.

Even though we have a deer feeder out front, this deer is after bird seed.

This is our kind of friendly feral cat.  He's smarter than the others.  He comes and waits for a handout.  Then, he relaxes until there's more.

That's it!!


‘Tis life on the road.

RV Folks Are To Blame

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.

 

 

Any idea what those weights symbolize? 

It’s eleven pounds of weights.

It represents the weight I have lost since April 23rd when I started this stupid diet.  Well, it’s not quite accurate since I don’t have a weight that’s .4 pound.  And, when you’re on a diet …. every little ounce counts!

 

If you have recently found those pounds … the answer is No. No .. I do not want it returned.  I keep being told it’s a lifestyle change to lose the weight.  Heck with the lifestyle change!!!  I just want to lose the weight first.

We all know the RV crowd is a rough one.  Hanging around with them usually costs extra pounds.  We all need someone to blame and that’s who I’m blaming … each and every one of you who forced me to stuff my face at every meal we shared.

When you are on a diet you think of it often. Matter of fact, you dwell on it and look forward to the day when someone says to you, “Wow .. you’ve lost weight.”  That normally doesn’t happen much with 11.4 pounds.  What does happen is that all those clothes that you know shrunk in those commercial dryers all of a sudden fit.  You know the ones.  The dryers are located in the local laundromats and RV parks.  The pants that were getting tighter are no longer tight.  The ones that fit are starting to sag.  The ones that were tight .. now fit perfectly.  Anyone know what I’m talking about?  It's the dryer's fault!  Actually ... it can be.

The next eleven pounds should be more obvious. It’ll probably be harder than the first eleven pounds too … been there, done this.  The problem is it’s harder to lose weight the older you get.  The stupid metabolism is a little more sluggish.  Thus, I’m not shooting for my former size 4.  I’m willing to compromise some.

 

I’ll check back in towards the end of June.  In the meantime I’ll continue to look forward to weighing in each morning … just for kicks, jotting the loss (or daily gain) on my little spreadsheet and planning the next meal … that I can’t eat.  What a summer this will be ! 

However, I’m certainly looking forward to shopping day. I’ll have a reason to dump the old clothes and fill it with new. (I have two closets!!)  What a fun day that will be !! Lunch out anyone?

‘Tis a hungry life on the road.

Family Fun Out of The Sun

The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you’ve got it made.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. Our sun had gone away but it was still a nice day even though we did have a few raindrops.  We used it as another excuse for the family to get together.  This time the meeting place was at Tammi’s.  She had prepared a yummy stew, Lee  barbecued some beef  and we provided smoked salmon.  That’s the kind of potluck events we enjoy.  

 

Matter of fact, that’s the kind of days we enjoy too especially when we can all get together.  Not only was just getting together wonderful, it was also a time for a couple of unique gifts for the Mothers in the crowd.

Sandi surprised her mother with her own handmade creation.  Michael made his own certificate entitling us to a trip to the local nursery and our choice of a plant!!

Jordie also surprised her mother with several Ball jars.  Each jar held a clue to the big surprise …. a day at the zoo (i.e, sunglasses, sunscreen, tissue).  Sabrina had been wanting someone to take her for the last two years. Now she finally gets her wish.

It was a great day and we left with our own little to-go boxes.  I had lots of little gifts and the leftover stew.  What more would one want in a day?  Not much … that’s for sure.  The biggest surprise of all was a phone call from Justin.  Of course, he can’t tell us where he is.  We’re guessing it was about 3 AM where he was but really had no clue.  So, he did make a big effort to get us together so we could chat with him. 

These are the beautiful flowers Sabrina received from Justin.

Last year we had planted quite a few arborvitaes along the top of our property which borders the pool area for this little community.  We discovered the problem with that was snow.  During the winter snow is plowed on the sides.  We also discovered our deer netting didn’t stay where it was supposed to.  

We did come up with an alternative.  The alternative just happened to be a split rail fence.  It certainly didn’t take long to put it in.  Now we just want to get a few other deer resistant plants in front of the fence.  We know what we want but I have a brain freeze on the name right now.

Monday we were off to town.  One stop was at Costco where we picked up a nice big brisket.  That’s our next test project for the smoker.  We love brisket but you really don’t find much of that around the Pacific Northwest.  We had previously looked in several different grocery stores with no luck.  Now the real test begins on Thursday when in it goes.  I sure hope we do a good job because we all love brisket!!

Another stop was a visit with my brother.  He’s having a few issues with his medical insurance.  So, one more hurdle to help him climb over.  Today we're heading to Longview for Jordie’s senior pictures.  Our calendar is full but what else would we do?  Well, I’m thinking it’s just about time for another road trip ……………………….

‘Tis life on the road.

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Motherhood:  All Love Begins and Ends There.

There is nothing better than being around family .. absolutely nothing.  That’s where we’ve been pretty much for the last month or so.  If we’re not piddling around on the homebase, we’ve been piddling around with them.  The last few days were no exception.

Another beautiful lake and Mt. St. Helens photo taken on our morning walk with Duchess.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous so we’ve been able to spend a good deal of time out of doors enjoying it.  However, those outdoor outings are expected to stop real soon as rain is predicted over the next few days.

Our smoker patio

More food being smoked

We’ve done some more experimenting with our new smoker.  We’re getting better too especially when we “listen” to our talking thermometer.  When it says the food is ready, it’s ready.  Previously we were paying more attention to the recipe book.  Believe me, the thermometer knows what it's talking about.

See how Sandi helps me.

Sandi and Michael have been hanging  around.  I put Sandi to work feeding the deer and enjoying the sunshine with me.  

See how Michael helps Papa.

 Papa put Michael to work helping him and also painting some of the trim.  I really can't say Papa put Michael to work.  Michael volunteered!!  Aren't grandsons great?

Even the deer came around to watch and eat.

Then, I got the call.  This was prom night for Jordie.  Off Sandi and I went into town to take pictures of the big event.  What does a girl go through for something like this ….. plenty!

First comes the hair, then the makeup and then the hair again.  Next comes the mirror and the mirror again.  Finally, the father is called in with the trusty drill to help a little on the construction work.  That’s when the boy comes in and wonders what’s going on that the father needs a drill to help get the girl ready for a date with him …. hmmm.

Makeup

Hair

Then, the first glance of each other as the couple checks the other out all dressed up in their finery.  Next, of course, are the obligatory pictures ….. yes, hundreds of them.

Getting close

Even Dad is needed here

Finally, the work was done and she was finished.  Then, the first glance as the couple checks the other out all dressed up in their finery.

First glance

Next, of course, were the obligatory pictures ….. yes, hundreds of them.  Finally, it was off and out the door they went.  

Picture 1 of 100

 Notice the gorgeous wrist corsage.  It lights up!

     

Beautiful couple

They clean up pretty good.  Don't they?

Sandi and I were out of there too.    We had plans too.  It’s not that we needed to dress  up for those.  We were off to B I N GO!  Sandi was the big winner of the night!  I walked into the clubhouse with more money than I walked out with. 

 Sandi, on the other hand, left with plenty of cash in her pocket!

The winner !

Today’s another day and more family activity is planned.  After all, it’s Mother’s Day!!  Sabrina received flowers from Justin yesterday.  She was almost in tears at the unexpected delivery. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mother’s out there.  And, of course, Happy Mother’s Day most to Sabrina and Tammi.

‘Tis life on the road.