This says it all.....

I saw this on Pinterest and could not resist reposing it. I think it says it all.

VACATION!

We are going to take a couple of weeks and go up to Michigan, hoping it will be a little cooler.
I know it sounds silly to say we are going on vacation when every day is vacation for us.  But when we are out in the motor coach life is just easier. When we are at the stick house we hardly ever go out to eat, I cook every day.  But when we are in the coach we go out almost every day for either a late lunch or early dinner.  I think that's when you really know you are old, when you only eat one meal a day ( and usually save half of it for the next day).  
When we are out in the RV  I spend a lot more time listening to music, reading and just enjoying the outside scenery.  We are staying a Bella Terra and our spot looks out on the lake. 

this was our spot last year, so pretty

I have something I have been trying to figure out for the longest time, so I plan on doing a lot of reading of  the Bible and listening to sermons about prayer.  I have been very confused about prayer the last few years.  I am a born again Christian and I have faith in what the Bible says, I take most of my beliefs by faith, but prayer I  have really been struggling with.
I want to Thank everyone who wished me well on my birthday. It was hard without Judy, but my sisters and J made it a lovely day.

Judy's birthday is August 2 and I am gong to try to make it a celebration of her life.  I am going to think of all the wonderful times we shared, all the laughing, shopping, eating, crying, every minute of our long friendship.

I don't know if I will be able to post while we are gone, reception is somewhat spotty.
Hope you are enjoying your summer

Happy Birthday to me...

Today is my birthday, I am sixty three years old.  I have everything most people would want at this age,   reasonably good health, reasonable financial  security, a loving husband of 41 years and a loving extended family. 
 I know today I should be happy, but I just can't pull it off.
For the first time in over ten plus years I won't be with my best friend celebrating our birthday's. Judy's birthday was August second and we always, no matter what obstacles we had to overcome got together for our birthdays. It always seem to work out that we spent our time together on my birthday 
This year Judy is spending our birthdays in heaven.  For so long after she died I was angry, angry at God, angry at her ( she knew how sick she was out last time together, but didn't tell me). But now I am just sad, so incredibly sad. 
I miss her so, we were each others "go to girls" if anything made us mad we called the other one, if anything made us happy we called the other one, if anything made us sad we called the other one.  Now I don't have her to call, when I am oh so sad.

I remember that last time we hugged each other good bye, she hugged me so tight and whispered in my ear, "I love you girlfriend" and I whispered back " I love you to girlfriend". I still remember the tightness of that hug and all that it conveyed.  I never dreamed it would be out last.
If you still have your best friend, give them a call, give them a hug, tell them you love them, it can all be over so fast, in a blink of an eye.
I love you dear girlfriend and miss you oh so much.

went home to Jesus 9-9-11

It's the HEAT

I am having the hardest time doing anything because of this horrible heat.  It is sucking the life right out of me. I have nothing to blog about because I have not left the house in days.  We spend all day looking at weather forecasts on our IPhones  or watching the news for the weather forecasts, hoping we will see relief, hoping it will rain.
I stick my head out for 15 minutes to water the new plants I put in and thats it. For two days I have not even gotten dressed.
I have got to snap out of it.  
Tomorrow I am going to meet my sister and one of her grandchildren to do some shopping and lunch. I don't care how hot it is.
Her oldest daughter's daughter is spending some days with her and I don't want to miss the opportunity to spend a little time with her and get to know her a little better.
Being gone as much as we are really keeps me from spending a lot of time with my nieces and nephews and their kids, so I take advantage when ever I can to see them.
I can't believe it is the middle of July, the weeks just fly by.  I am reading 

The Age of Miracles by Marianne Williamson and I laughed when I read," time goes so slow when your are young and oh so fast as you get older". It is so, so very true.  We will be leaving for Traverse Bay in less than two weeks.  When we get home it will be time to head out for the winter before I know it.

I know we are so lucky and blessed to be able to travel like we do, but it becomes harder and harder to leave my family each year.

 I don't have any pretty pictures of my flowers to show you, because they are not looking very pretty at the moment, but I do have some new pictures of Izzie.
I know, I know, but it's my blog and I can post my sweeties pictures if I want.

after her bath, she is so curly

 a fluff and dry and we are set

Stay Cool

Sunday Praise

I am Grateful for

1. I am Grateful for small towns like Wilmington that still have Ben Franklin stores.

2. I am Grateful for temperatures  that are back in the normal range. 
3. Izzie, always Izzie.
4. I am Grateful for my Bible, I don't always understand it, but still parts of it are so comforting to me.
5.  I am Grateful for the shoe guy who can modify my shoes just right.
6. I am Grateful I found a new pair of sandals ( someday I will tell you how difficult it is to buy shoes when you need a size 5 and a size 8 and a million other modifications)
7.  I am Grateful for the time I get to spend with all my great nieces and nephews while I am home in the summer.
8.  I am Grateful for books, I don't know what life would be like without books.
9.  I am Grateful that my friends in Arizona taught me how to knit so I could make a ruffle scarf for all the girls in the family.
10. I am Grateful for blogger, it has allowed me to make so many new friends.

Payback

That's what I get for complaining about the heat.  Lost our power for two 12 hour periods in the last few days.  That is definitely not fun people.  Jay ran the generator to keep the sumps going and the frig, but because we have a well, no power means no water. 
We turned on the generator in the coach for a couple of hours to run the air and watch part of the race.  That was the worse thing, missing the race, I am not sure Jay could do that. 
In about three weeks my sister will be through with her radiation treatments and J and I are going to take off for Michigan for a few weeks.  I am hoping it will be cooler there.  I have to tell you being in the coach for those few hours the other night felt so good.  I am anxious to hit the road a bit.
I am ashamed to admit it but I am a little bored.  When it is this hot, with nothing but sun, I have to stay inside to protect my skin and you can only clean house for so long. 
I have done a lot of reading, way to much, in fact all the stories are running together.  If I didn't  go over and spend a couple of hours with my sister every few days I would go nuts.

And for some strange reason I have been eating non stop, my appetite is out of control.  This has never happened to me before, especially when it is so hot.  I normally stop eating when it is hot, only want fruit and fresh vegetables.  But the last two weeks I have found myself buying and eating things I have not had in years, Frito's , Ice Cream, it's crazy. 
I told J that's it, nothing white is going on our plates, no bread, no potatoes , nothing with sugar. 
Pray for me, if I don't get this under control I am going to be in big trouble.
I rained today for 15 minutes, YEA!!!
Stay Cool 

HIbernating

That's what we are doing around here, hibernating!   It is so darn hot, think it reached a 102 today, but that's not with humidity figured in, the heat index was 111.  I know I shouldn't complain, because we have power and air, which I know a lot of people in other areas of the country don't, but it is still HOT.
We have been doing absolutely nothing, just the barest minimum.  I haven't even left the house in the last 48 hours. 
Every day they push back the day on the forecast, that we are supposed to get some relief.  Supposedly tomorrow will only be 100 and then Sunday 90. 
Can you imagine hoping for 90? 
I can't wait till the end on the month, we are going to go to Traverse City, MI, where it will be around 10 degrees less than home. 
Today our temperatures were higher than Apache Junction, now that is just not right.
Can't really cook, cause it is to hot to turn on the oven, been using the grill or getting carry out every night.  
Guess that's enough complaining for one day. 
Stay cool my friends, stay cool.

My Sister's Garden

I promised when when my sister got her plate borders in I would show you some pictures, so here you go.  I think it turned out so pretty.  She collected most of her plates from Goodwill.  You see this down south a lot, but not so much around here.
Her yard is so pretty, she has a lot of old farm implements sitting around.  We were working on her fence in the back yard today. We were hanging birdhouses that her three year old granddaughter painted on the fence among old watering pitchers.  I will take a picture of it when it is done. 
My sister is so creative, I think I have told you before she got all the creativity genes in our family.
I wish we would get a break from the heat, but I feel bad complaining because at least we have electricity, so many people are still without. 

 Stay cool and have a happy Fourth of July

Happy 4th

It is so hot and dry around here most of the municipalities have canceled their fireworks displays.

Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating our country.  Please remember all those who are suffering with out electricity.

Keep Cool

I am grateful for...

1. Family, always first and foremost family.
2. Fresh sweet corn ( we had our first of the season today)
3. Super Soul Sunday ( Oprah's new Sunday morning show)
4. Rain ( we finally got some)
5. Air conditioning ( it has been so, so hot and humid)
6. Books, Books, Books
7. Izzabelle Angelita ( my Izzie Poo)
8. Painting birdhouses with 4 year olds.
9. Reading books with a 1 year old.
10. Goodwill and the good work they do.