life in general

What Have I Been Doing

by Karen on October 22, 2011

in Baking/cooking, life in general, quilts

Since I got home I have been busy -

Getting laundry caught up – this stack is small compared to what it had been!  I think I have done 8 loads of laundry since we got home – this is including the bedding & towels from the camper-quilt, blanket, sheets, towels – ect. all get put back in the camper for next time.  The sheets of course had been done off and on the whole time we had been traveling but I hadn’t done laundry the last week of the trip so it all came home with us.

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Restocking the freezer.

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Six weeks of no baking meant a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies were in order Smile

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The refrigerator is getting back to normal full.

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Now it is time to look through the two new quilting books that I bought.  I looked at them while I was gone but then they got put away and I barely even remembered what I had picked up!

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The other one.

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Do any of you have these books?  How did you like them?

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Dead Horse Point State Park

by Karen on October 1, 2011

in life in general, Travel

On our way back to the northern section of Canyonlands we decided to stop at this state park.  They had a nice visitor center/museum and we took several short walks around the park.

One of the main points of this park – the view!

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Another view

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An “arch” at the state park – I think we are seeing arches in everything now

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Another view

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Someone was having fun making some “cairn markers”

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Someone made a vase for the flower

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Someone asked how I am keeping an even skin tone – no burn – sunscreen – when we are hiking I put sunscreen on every hour, and I wear a hat.  I am careful about not burning I have been in remission from Lupus for 20 years and too much sun can cause a flare up.

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Our time here in the Moab, Utah area is finished.  We leave in the morning 9/29/11 and we are moving closer to the Grand Canyon.  Doubtful I will have internet for the next two days at least so I have been scheduling posts once again.  I will be posting as I can.  This post gets me up to date on all my photos for this area of the trip!

We have actually had tv the last couple days and I was able to watch NCIS yesterday and Criminal Minds and CSI tonight!!  I miss not watching my regular shows every week with the new shows starting.  I like Ted Danson on CSI – so much better than Lawrence Fishburn – he might be a good actor in movies – but I did not like him in CSI and barely watched the show for the period of time he was in it.

Anyone know of a quilt shop in the Grand Canyon area :) I have yet to find something for my birthday!  We will be going through New Mexico after we get done with the Grand Canyon so maybe I can find something while we are going through that state if I don’t find something sooner!

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Mountains Too

by Karen on September 26, 2011

in life in general, Travel

First a question – when you are traveling how do you decide where to get your hair cut!!  I was going to grow my hair out – I really thought I wanted to do this.  I have been letting it grow for the past six months and getting it trimmed now and then to get rid of dry edges and trying to grow it the same length all over – but I am not happy with it.  My hair is very fine and I don’t care for it long.  I go through this each time in the past 10 years that I thought I wanted it long again.   It has finally been long enough the past 3 weeks to twist it up slightly and put a clasp in it to hold it off my neck but I have been having problems with hair breaking off and it just doesn’t look really healthy if you know what I mean.  It is time for a cut – it always looks much healthier when it is short.  So the dilemma – how to choose some one to cut my hair in a town I am not familiar with.  Do I just bite the bullet and randomly choose or do any of you have a good way you do it?

Yes we are still seeing some mountains too.  So much desert and red rock.  The other day though we took a drive that started out going through more desert but ended up in the La Sal Mountain Range that is east of Moab.  Very pretty!

An indication of what part of the road is like – coming from one direction the arrow is one way the other is the opposite – hairpin curve

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Trees!! I mean ones that aren’t 4 feet tall and twisted from the wind and short because of little rain.  They looked so pretty!!

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Pine trees of regular height

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Fall color

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Looking at the color and the mountains

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Then it was back to the desert.

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Continuing to Get Ready

by Karen on September 4, 2011

in Baking/cooking, life in general

What a morning – the weather is great!  The wind is breezy, the air is lower humidity than it has been for awhile, and it is only 79 degrees right now!!  It is actually only supposed to get to the mid 80’s today I think.

That makes it a great day to finish getting the motorhome ready.  I have already been out there numerous times today.  I decided to freshen up the bath towels that have been sitting out there for the past year even though I made sure they were washed when we got home.  I just want that fresh washed smell to them I guess.  I should have done it yesterday as I have at least 2 or 3 other loads of laundry to get done with today also.

With the laundry going I decided it was time to start sorting through more clothing Sad smile the part I hate to do!!  Sitting on the bed all lined up in categories – short sleeve shirts, 3/4 length, long sleeve, jeans & light weight pants, p.j’s, undies, I need to through some sleeveless and summer weight in here too just in case of some hot days – I will leave all this sitting on the bed for a little bit and then decide for sure if I am bringing all of it Smile or if more needs to be added!  I will decide that for sure when I start putting it in the camper in my clothing areas and see how much (or how little) room I have.

One day I need to get another complete set of clothing to keep in the camper – wouldn’t that be nice to have everything already there (and expensive!) I need a nice simple set of jeans/plain color tee’s and I would be set.  Too bad I always want a variety.

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I decided to make tomorrow’s meal in advance.  After a first day of travel I am always kind of tired and also I don’t want to have to start cooking after we get set up – I’m more accustomed to the small kitchen area after a day or two.  I know we will be at a campground that has electric hook ups tomorrow night so I am making a pot of chili today and will pack it in plastic bowls to store in the refrigerator.  That way we can just heat it up in the microwave when we get there.

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I am by no means a chili expert.  I do mine just an easy simply recipe – we like it and that is what counts.  I use Williams season mix.  You can buy it hot and spicy or mild which is what I prefer – I do not like to burn my mouth with spices so hot I can’t stand it! (I’m not good with extra spicy)

I use 1 can of chili beans, 1 can of black beans (rinsed) a pound of hamburger meat (or left over roast cuts if I have them) a chopped onion, sometimes a chopped green pepper which in this case I needed to get rid of so it is in there too.  I add a can of diced tomatoes and a 1/3 cup of season mix.  I also add a tablespoon of Hershey’s chocolate or if I have it I toss in one or two small pieces of dark chocolate. I stir it all up in the crock pot and let it cook all day.  This is just an easy easy recipe, nothing fancy and nothing for competitions for all of those chili cook off events.  When we travel I make the chili outside on the camper stove as I don’t like the smell of chili to linger inside for days on end.  I tend to cook outside most things that tend to leave an odor in the air.

Now I guess I have taken a long enough break and I need to get back to work.

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What is supposed to be a time of last of the summer picnics and family gatherings for us this weekend is getting ready for a long trip with the motorhome to a variety of climates .  It is no picnic Smile — unless you take trips like this you might not have any idea what goes into it.  Instead of packing a suitcase or two you are packing kitchen items, bathroom items, laundry, cold weather clothes, warm weather clothes.  Tools to fix things along the way if needed – something seems to be needing fixing almost every trip – most times not major but little things here and there — don’t forget the duct tape Smile never know when that might be needed.  Outside cooking tools, inside cooking tools – food, entertainment items – the scrabble game is packed, dvd’s to watch the occasional movie, sewing items for me – need I go on?  Some things stay in the camper all the time but other things need to be brought back into the house when we get home from a trip and then brought back into the camper before you leave.

I have 3 different list’s going – I start them about a week or two before hand then type them on the computer and print them out – things get crossed off as they are done and sometimes more written in as I remember them!  How many chargers does one need! Why can’t you charge everything on a universal charger – chargers for each camera, ipods, computers,kindles, phones!!

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I don’t like to leave the bathroom/kitchen stuff in the camper all year when we are not using it – all those things in your medicine cabinet need to be kept at certain temperatures you know and the camper is sitting out in that hot sun part of the year and then in freezing temperatures part of the year too.  All of that kind of stuff needs to be brought back out.

On the home front the list is growing for what is done and what needs to be done – grass is cut! thank goodness that is out of the way – unless we get a lot of rain we won’t need to cut it again until next spring at the rate it has been this year – I think we cut the grass a total of 4 times with as little rain as we have gotten since May.

This morning I decided to start on the cold weather clothes for me  (Mike packs his own clothes)  – sweatshirts/sweatpants/sweaters – I hate to the wear the same clothes over and over again – what to pack?  Can’t bring a lot, I ended up with 3 sweatpants (I love to wear these in the evening to relax) 3 sweatshirts and I will bring 2 sweaters to layer with t-shirts and long sleeve tees.

I use a laundry basket – put it on the table and keep filling it up and bringing it out and finding places to put things – how I remember where most things are is beyond me but I do – as you can see I am taking a break and need to get this filled back up again!

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I still need to get all my sewing supplies ready and figure out where to put them!

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And I know me — as I pack I will end up bringing some things back in the house as I will have too much and keep reminding myself that it is ok to wear the same thing over and over again as I normally do laundry often.  There is not a lot of space to keep dirty clothes for long – no one will know me and not know I wore the same clothes over and over again.  We have rarely ever run into someone we know – I think the last time was about 20 years ago in Oklahoma on the way home from a trip we stopped at a rest area and actually ran into a couple we knew – weird!

And I do believe my break time is over and it is time to get back to work – I still need to run to the grocery store today to get some last minute things—next break time and this evening I will finish up the last section of the diagonal strip for Joseph’s Coat that I am working on.   In between things I will try to get this long strip sewed on – but you know somehow I am doubtful I will get that done!  Maybe tomorrow evening after everything is done I will have time?

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Where Did The Summer Go?

by Karen on September 1, 2011

in life in general, quilts

It is hard to believe this is September 1st already.  The summer flew by and I haven’t a clue why?  I think I spent the majority of the summer in the house due to the extremely hot weather we had.  When it is 100+ degrees for days on end it tends to be too hot to even sit on the porch and enjoy the weather.

One would think because of that inactivity that the summer would have dragged by instead here it is September and we all know that fall is actually just around the corner.  I think as we get a little older times goes by faster!

Last night I worked on two boxes of scraps – I filled up this small plastic zipper bag that I got a set of sheets (folded up so tight and small I am amazed).  This little bag is about 7x7x7 inches and I have it packed with scraps that I will take along on the trip and go through as I feel like it and cut into useable scraps.  Some of the shapes will be diamonds and some will be squares and rectangles depending on the size.

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As I cut them I will store them in this box.  I took some of the overflow from the photo shown in yesterdays post and also took two boxes down from the shelf and went through them.  I repacked one box and put it back on the shelf and will bring this one with me to use for storage.  If I decide I have enough room I might dump one of the boxes of scraps in a plastic bag and stuff them in the cabinet to take along – I don’t want to take too much along with me though as I hardly ever work on as much as I think I will.

I’m still trying to decide if I should bring a bag of yarn along to crochet while we drive.  I tend to like to have something to do while Mike drives but I have found that I no longer sew very well when in motion.  Last year I started an afghan but here I am part way done with it and haven’t touched it since the last trip and no longer really like the color! and I ran out of yarn anyhow and would need to match it up.  Maybe I will bring the crochet hook with me and if I feel like it stop somewhere and pick up some yarn – a crochet hook sure doesn’t take up room – I can stick it in the silverware drawer Smile

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On to the living area – it is small but keep in mind we also have the bed to stretch out on and recline and read if we don’t want to use our chairs.  We do have a tv – someone asked that Smile it is a small tv and it is in the kitchen area – you pull it out from the wall and it turns to the living area or to the bed.

Here is the tv pulled out from the wall facing the living area – there is a stereo in the cabinet above the tv area.

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Facing the bed – yes that is my reflection in the tv – there are two layers of blinds on all the windows in the bedroom area so the reflection is not on the screen if we wish to watch tv from here.  Truthfully though we rarely watch tv while we travel. Sometimes it is just because we are busy doing other things and also because we do spend the majority of the time outside not inside watching tv.  When we are inside we tend to read a lot and work on our computers – or in my case get some sewing done.  We always seem to have music playing.

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The living area as it is when we are driving – all the seats forward, tables put away nothing laying around where it can fly out and hit you in sudden stops.

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The living area when the chairs are turned inside when we are set up.  There is a curtain that shuts off the windshield area for privacy.  Tables I pulled out so you can see them.  Plenty of room to eat at and to use the computers or for my sewing.  The chairs recline all the way back just like “lazy boy chairs” do at home – no foot rest though.  The chairs  can be pulled forward more or go back more so there is plenty of leg room.

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The closet and dresser

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Mike remodeled the closet and we have the top half for hanging and the bottom half with plastic bins to hold t-shirts and other articles of clothing – a strap hooks to the floor in front of the boxes to keep them in place when traveling.

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A skylight over head with a blind pull down, we also have a windshield reflector placed up there for the very sunny days to keep the heat out.  There are a couple storage areas up here as you can see and we keep soft things up there – the bath towels so if they would happen to fall it doesn’t do us any damage Smile

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More storage:

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And all the way around the bed on the upper area is more storage area

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This wraps around the ceiling by the bed in a U shape, the corner areas go back a good distance.

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So that is it – this is what we live in when we travel.  This is a 2008 Navion IQ – diesel engine and this model floor plan was only sold for one or two years and they do not sell this model any more!  They are selling a different floor plan which we really did not like so we are glad we go this one when we did.  It is just under 25 feet in length and we pull our car behind us.  We love going to small campgrounds in the woods or on the prairies and desert area.  We do not like the “resort” type of campgrounds nor the “parking lot” type of campgrounds.   They tend to pack you in really close and you barely have any privacy at all in those type of places.  We like a more of a rustic type of atmosphere and a lot less people!!

Back to quilting tomorrow!

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I Found My Dishes

by Karen on August 25, 2011

in life in general, quilts

Smile Seeing as I had to go to Little Rock today for my bi-annual check up for my auto immune disease I thought it would be a good time to look for the rest of my dishes!  I had went back to the local Wal-Mart several times and all I found were broken dishes!! What a way to run a store – putting crumpled up boxes on the shelves with dishes rattling around doesn’t make good business sense to me.

The first and only Wal-Mart we went in today had 3 or 4 boxes on the shelf and they all looked to be in good shape and no rattling noise when you lift the boxes ( the tell tale noise letting you know not to buy).    These all look blue but they are actually more of a hint of green in them – they also sell individual pieces on the shelf but they are all very much blue.  I will get these all in the dish washer tomorrow after I get back from my quilting morning and then get the old dishes packed away for goodwill.  I will keep a few pieces here and there for extra – like little dessert plates are still in very good shape.

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Yesterday – mainly last night while watching tv I finished quilting the first pillow for the camper.  I still need to make a backing  for it – but that is just one layer of cloth and will not be quilted as the front of it is.  I should be able to finish that tomorrow.

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One down, one to go.  I think I will bring it with me to quilting in the morning – maybe I can make a good start on it.

We didn’t stop to visit with our daughter as she was working but also because she is spending the weekend and Monday here.  She and I are driving to NW Arkansas on Monday for a surprise visit with my mom – Mel hasn’t seen her grandma in almost a year.

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Frustrated! Dish Shopping

by Karen on August 18, 2011

in life in general, quilts

Sometimes I hate shopping!! Talk about a run around.  I told you all last week or two that I wanted to find some new dishes – I don’t want expensive dishes – I know me I will get a chip or a crack quickly.

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All I wanted was something new and pretty.  I found some new plates etc.. at Wal-Mart, I bought two boxes to give me 8 settings so that when the girls and family are here I have enough plates without going to paper.   Aren’t these pretty – well of course I am unboxing when I get home and find one plate in one of the boxes is broken into about 5 pieces.  I go back to Wal-Mart with the box to make an exchange – no problem there.  I go back to get another box leaving the box with the broken dish at the Customer Service area with a very helpful young man (really he was the best).  I get back to the dishes – and all I find is one box of my set ( I really thought there were more from the way the box was on the shelf when I was there the first time) and the bottom of the box is crushed and when I pick it up I can hear broken dishes!

I go back to the service area and tell the young man – only one box and broken dishes in it.  He says well go back and get the box and maybe one plate is ok in that box that we can change out to my box – ok that would work – not!  I bring the box back and he checks – all the plates are broke!  Ok they are selling the same dishes individually also – he checks with his manager yes we can take one plate and change out – I go back once again to the dish area and grab a plate – bring it back up to the service area and we are ready to do the exchange – get the plate box out of the big box, open it up to get the broken plate out and low and behold they are different colors!  Mine has a hint of green in them which I don’t think shows up in this photo – the individual plates are more of a turquoise – an obvious difference when they are next to each other.  By this point I’m ready to scream!

The young man sends someone to the back of the store to check and see if there are any in the stock room as his computer tells him there are – he gets on the phone to check with the stores in the next towns over both east and west (I forgot the one to the south which is much closer and so did he) to see if they have a set (how helpful he was being.  They have him on hold forever!  The person comes back from the stockroom to tell him they have 4 more boxes of those dishes coming in on the next truck which was coming in last night but there were none in the stock room at that moment (sounds like they were missing some boxes that mysterious disappeared from the shelf).  They assure me they will be on the shelf today – not!!  I went back over to the store today to see if they had them stocked on the shelf – not a box!  I will go back tomorrow when I am done at the fitness center and see if they have them then.

I can order them on Wal-Mart.com but I would rather be able to pick up the box and shake it gently and listen to hear if I think there are any broken dishes in it until I get the right box – I just have a feeling that if I order on line that by time it gets to me it will contain some broken dishes.  But if they do not have the boxes on the shelf by the end of the weekend I guess I will order a box or at least drive over to the next towns and see if they have the box that matches my color.

Now I guess I will get back to quilting!

 

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Computer Problems

by Karen on August 17, 2011

in life in general

EDITED: at 8:55 pm – outlook e mail is now working again – it had been out all day! glad it seems to be fixed now.

I am having trouble with my e mail program so I have not been able to answer anyone today!  Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow.  Thanks all for the compliments on how the yellow to orange colors are looking.  This is just a small portion of the quilt.  It will be finished size around 110 x 110 inches – yes all hand pieced.  I intend to try to use as many colors of the rainbow as I can :)   I was able to order more reds and purples and I hope they are not out of stock – without having my e mail today I don’t know if they sent me a message! ugh I hate it when I have problems like that – the mail won’t even forward to my cell phone like it usually does.  I know I could go to my old yahoo address or g mail but then I have to cut and paste addresses to send to individuals that are not on my normal mailing list and I’m too lazy :)   Hopefully it will be up and running tomorrow -

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