Christmas 2020

 As with many families our Christmas was different. We had our Christmas service online, but even that didn't help the feel of being Christmas Eve. We like to go "IN" for the service. But we don't feel comfortable being around people, especially when we don't know how well they follow the safety guidelines.  Not enough people take it seriously enough. To us, even small groups are not safe. Anyone outside our home, puts us at risk....where have they been, were they exposed and don't know it or have the virus and don't know it, do they mask all the time, wash hands and surfaces?  That being said left us to have our Christmas Eve church service online and no one invited in for Christmas goodies on Christmas Day. We opened our gifts which were all purchased online. No fun time shopping in stores and actually getting some ideas. But what we did have was another Christmas together that we weren't sure we would have this year. God is good, all the time, God is good.

Almost all the Christmas cookies were gone the day after Christmas. This is why I do not bake just half batches of any kind. We love cookies and Christmas cookies are a once a year treat! After the few that are left get eaten it will be back to baking every day cookies such as chocolate chip, peanut butter, molasses cookies and the like. The candy, which isn't much, is about gone too. No more candy will be made this year.

Our days and weeks are blending into one another. Some days we aren't sure what day it is unless we happen to look at the tv schedule. hehehe And I have to mark off each day on the calendar at bedtime too. Retirement is great, but with limited things to do now, because of the trump virus, it's boring at times too. But we are thankful that our needs are met and we don't have to work outside the home for an income anymore. Our prayers go out to all of the people that work tirelessly to keep us in food, safety, provide all with healthcare services. God bless the frontline angels. 

Soon we will be into a new year. Our prayers for a healthier year for all, a much better government than the last 4 years,  and God's blessings for all who receive Him.

Too darn close

 The other day we got a notice in our mailbox that someone in the park has COVID. So i am back to bringing a sanitizer to wipe off all the machines that I needed to use and more thoroughly. I was planning on it anyway with all the idiots here now. We are not leaving the house to go anywhere in the park anymore except to get the mail. And as always we wear our masks when we leave the house.

 All these damn snowbirds that don’t social distance or wear masks have really pissed me off, again.  I will no longer hold my tongue at all. The managers have signs all over but the birds don’t give a damn. All they want to do is have fun, well there is none of that here anymore either. That is making them all angry. LOL. I hope they all leave early and leave us to heal. Stupid republicans.

The last of the Christmas treats were made today. The last of the cereal crunch is done, popcorn balls and candy all done. Now I can just sit back. LOL Like that will happen. There are still all the daily and weekly chores to do. They don't wait for Christmas to pass.

 No Christmas eve service to go to this year. Online is still available but it's just not the same. Our church doesn't do the best at social distancing or enforcing mask wearing. So we don't go in house at all anymore. The message will still be the same at least. And we still plan on driving around to see Christmas decorations. That is a tradition we have had for many years.

Not much else new around here when we really can't go and do anything. Picking up our groceries or a lunch, is about it for "going out".  Better to be safe than sorry.

Batteries for the Solar

 So our solar batteries finally reached the end of their life cycle. Not bad when you consider all they have done during out quest. This is the same solar system I had built for the 5er so we got somewhere between 4 and 5 years out of the batteries. Not bad in my opinion.

I admit to nursing them along over the last year or so, but then they didn't have a hard job since they were only running the electrical in the shed. So now I have limited the solar system down to 3 batteries from 4, mainly because of the cost factor as each battery cost is between $100 to $140 dollars.

Keep in mind Yuma is billed as the Sunniest City in the United States so charging "Usually" is no problem..... Notice "Usually" is being hi-lighted. As after the install I started working in the new carport running the skill saw, drill and air compress. Not noticing what the charge level was on the batteries till my new air compressor, Thank You Honey, stopped running while making an unusual noise.

Oops the charge of the batteries had dropped below 1/2 capacity, a no, no, in solar systems. Ok so here comes again my being a little too tight. I had wired one of the old batteries, again a no, no, to the 2 new batteries, first in series then in parallel turning 6 volts into 12. The voltage of the old battery showed it was still with in specs but as I had no way of load testing it, its true condition was really unknown.

So as the charging portion of my solar system check out fine it turned out the old battery was eating up the majority of the charge going to the batteries so the new once were being starved. Something I and most people know might or in my case will happen. But you have to try right.... In battery clusters like my battery array is, if you need to replace one or more older batteries you need to replace them all. END of STORY.

So I removed the old battery and now have the two new ones working just fine. Same amount of power as with 4 batteries but with a shorter mount of supply. But again I have less need for the electricity at this time.

I also, after putting everything back that was stored in the old canvas carport into the new one, have salvaged an old extension cord and voltmeter and installed them in the new carport so I know what the charge level is on my batteries. Reside in the other what we call wood shed. And no I do not cut wood it is in reference to the material the shed is built of.......

It is Always an Adventure!

What a busy week.

 So the CarPort got to a slow start yesterday as my morning included softening the water, Manually, and refilling our propane cylinders.

We still use the same small softener we had when we were traveling in the 5'er (5th wheel camper). I have built a three valve manifold attached to the outside of the house that controls water direction, incoming, house and drain. All of which, at the right time, must be switched by hand. No big deal if you have done it as many times as I have. But to someone new to attempting it, it can be quite daunting. All went well but it is just time consuming.

The propane cylinders were a different story. I spent hours diagnosing and then correcting the reason the cylinders would not refill past 3.4 oz.. These cylinders are the fuel for our supplemental Big Buddy propane heater, again a tool we still use from the 5'er days. I have refilled hundreds of these tanks over the course of the last several years. As the cost of buying new vs refilling is substancial.

Well this time the first tank filled like clockwork as normal, but the other 7 refused to cooperate, filling only to the for mentioned 3.4 oz.. A key here is the constant, 3.4 oz.. So after swiping tanks, draining tanks using the pop off valve, swapping out the refill tool, key here is you know you have done this job often when you keep a spare refill tool on hand. And every other scenario I could think of, including getting our other and much larger propane tank refilled and attempting to refill the tanks from that to no avail.

Well I finally found the problem, the pop off valve was not reseating fully, which was closing the fill valve prematurely, hence the exact 3.4 oz fill. So after hours of wrestling with the tanks I finally got them all refilled to their 1 pound capacity.

But by now it was lunch time so I really didn't get started on the CarPort until later in the day. But there was progress on the task after lunch, as I got the used pegboard spacers made, drilled and installed both on top and bottom of the pegboard. Giving me a organized space for the stuff that had accumulated on top of the bench.

Moved my tool box which requires removing each drawer and in some cases emptying tools out of said drawer because of weight. Carrying each draw to the CarPort from the wood shed I had been storing the toolbox in. And then reinstalling them after setting the box in the space I had provided. Now for a "Normal Person" this would have gone like clockwork, again notice the inclosure of "Normal Person", well as my loving bride often says, "There is nothing normal about you", I once again got the opportunity to prove her right.

Things were going so smoothly at the time that I let my mind wander onto the next task as I install the first several drawers back into the toolbox, paying absolutely NO Attention to what I was doing. That is until I attempted to slide one of the larger drawers in and was met with quite some resistance...... Yep I had put the very first drawer, a small drawer into one of the slot for the big drawer. In short I had to remove all the drawers and start all over. Did I mention I also, to accomplish this task, had to pull the toolbox out of it's said location to gain access to the slide lock on the right side of each and every drawer......

Moving on so I emptied and moved several shelves into the CarPort and put about a 5th of "Our Stuff" on the shelves. If you noticed I enclosed "Our Stuff" as (Ok and this is important) if you read my previous post my loving bride had claimed it was all my stuff....... We Surprise, Surprise, that is not quite the case as she has several shelves worth of boxes, not to mention all the totes she has full of Christmas decorations. And lets not forget her 4 coolers! So it was a busy day. Hey, they are not MY coolers! It seems Christmas is for us, not just me. Santa will get you for that. And I only have one tote with stuff in it. (edited by Cindy)

As you can see the door is not yet made, but with help from a sunscreen from the 5er, this works for now.

Oops I left out she changed our satellite tv provider so now I get to listen to her verbally discuss the issues she will have learning a new system and controller..... This will be fun, Trust Me.......Lol

Unfortunately today the morning is already scheduled as I have a appointment that I am hoping among other things restores my driving privileges to full capacity. Cindy will be happy to not have to drive so much, but with Marks distracted driving I'll tighten my seat belt once again. So the moving stuff into the CarPort will not start again at best until this afternoon. Once the porch is cleared it will need some hefty cleaning. It will be nice to have use of the porch again and get into the cabinets on the porch.

As mentioned before.

It's Always an Adventure!

Just about done.....

 Just about done...... with the New CarPort. Have the canvas sides on all but the front, most of the kick boards installed and the solar power is in and wired.

My loving Bride gave me a compressor for my birthday and I found my old hose and blow gun which happened to have the right air fitting to work with the compressor.

The bench which is made from a discarded piece of warped plywood got twisted back together with by using a steel back splash and some clamps. The legs of which came from an old table we had.

I have put 6' fence pickets run at an angle to help protect the canvas sides from things being pushed against it from the inside. And some R1 OSB laid on the ground as a floor, so things are looking ready to start moving in all the stuff that we stored on the porch while the shed was being replaced.

And before anyone gets upset about my using OSB directly on the floor, keep in mind on a normal year we only get 3.3 inches of rain. And this being far from a normal year we have not had any measurable rainfall since February.

As some may remember our last carport was all canvas and during a wind storm at a very inopportune time, the roof blew off. Thanks to Barb and David our new CarPort has a steel roof.

Hopefully I get it finished today so we can put the shelves back in and make some fine tune adjustment...... In other words I have to empty some of the junk I have been storing in it..... Or so my wife says.....

It's Always an Adventure!

Slowly but surely

 When did we get so old so fast? Everything we do takes twice as long and is twice as hard to get done. Yes, everything from making the bed to washing the car takes longer and is harder work to get done. But we get it done.

The carport is coming along nicely. Mark has all the walls up except the front. He has his work bench in place and some of the sheets of wood on the floor, lighting is hung and it's really looking nice. In a few days we should be able to start putting the stuff that is on the porch  into the new carport. The door/entrance will have a large white canvas but how it will be mounted and made functional is still in the planning stage. So for now a sheet of sunscreen from the 5th wheel is being used to cover the entrance. We need to keep it looking as a carport since we are only allowed one small shed. Mark's motorcycle makes a bikeport. 😆😆Maybe someday if we get rid of some more of the stuff in all the totes from MN, we could have room for my Helix. But I highly doubt that.

The Christmas baking is coming along slowly but surely. It's harder for my hands and arms than last year, but easier than next year. So far I have two kinds of cookies made and three candies and a third batch of cereal crunch. Monday I hope to get started on the roll out cookies and if at all possible maybe Mark can help put on the sprinkles. I do frost some but more without because Mark isn't big on the frosted ones. Last night we looked at the calendar and realized that Christmas is close at hand as is the end of another year. Wow times sure goes fast as you get older.

The days have been substantially cooler now and the nights are down right cold for us. Days run from 68º to 74º and the nights from 37º to 45º. To us that is cold. Especially since we come out of summer heat of 112º and higher. It's our fifth winter in Yuma and our 4th summer so we really feel the temperature difference when it starts to fall from the summer heat. However we look at fall and winter as our spring and summer because it's when we can be outside and get things done and just enjoy the outside. We get confused when this time of year is called winter. LOL

Busy busy

 Mark has been busy working on putting the canvas walls on the carport. Two walls are up and the turned out very nice. The back wall is almost completed and really took a toll on Mark. He had to take it slower than he liked and do things differently because he still can't reach and exert much pressure in that position without causing extreme pain. Going through thick steel, then wood and canvas, takes a lot of work. He took many breaks so as not to over work his new heart parts and chest plate. There were time he didn't listen to his brain, but he caught on quickly enough. Getting him to stop and slow down is a huge challenge. His brain is still telling him that he is 45 while his body is reminding him otherwise. 

 We both are so anxious to get all the stuff off of the porches and back in the carport. Mark will have a small work bench on the back wall and his motorcycle will fit in the center with the selves on the outside walls. He still has quite a few totes to go through and toss yet. But it will get done. God willing that we have no more health issues getting in the way.

The Christmas baking and such is under way. Today I'll be making peanut brittle and coconut brittle. Each year I make the first batch of peanut brittle for Marks birthday and this year is no exception. It will be one of about 4 batches. These two candies are the only candies that will be made. We don't care for the fudges and such. Once the candy is done I'll be starting on the many varieties of Christmas cookies. I don't make everyday drop cookies, we eat them all year. Christmas cookies are special and time consuming. Which is why they are only made at Christmas time. That makes them special and highly anticipated as well.  Since we are true cookie lovers and really love these holiday cookies my batches of each variety are quite large. As long as I'm able I will continue the tradition. And when I can't do it anymore, it will break my heart to give it up. Store bought cookies for Christmas doesn't float for us. But time changes everything.

I've taken stock of all the pounds of butter that I have in the freezer and I should have enough to get through my baking. But I may need more since we use butter for every day use as well. Margarine should be illegal in cookies, yuck. And in Christmas cookies, it should be jail time at best. hehehe Butter is better for you anyway. Anywho, I hope there will be butter on sale this month should I need more. Laughing to myself: there is seldom less than 9 pounds of butter in my freezer. I'm a sale shopper and hate to pay full price on anything. Which is why we had to buy a freezer when we decided to call AZ home.

Time's a wastin', I better get to the candy making. The busy days of December have begun! 

Good food and lots of dishes!

 As with any big meal there is always a mountain of dishes left behind. Mark said that next year we need to use tableware and pots and pans that can be thrown away. Washing, drying and putting away took a very long time. But the meal turned out good so the work was worth the smile on Mark's face when his stomach was full. We have enough leftovers for a nice Sunday meal and for two more meals that will go in the freezer for another time. I sure hope that I can make room in our little freezer for all the leftovers. A twenty two pound turkey for two people makes for many more meals than just one, even for us. 😄

After all the work of cooking and clean up, I had very little energy left to do Christmas decorating. The tradition of putting the Christmas tree up and putting out some Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving eve, just wasn't in the cards this year. Age and energy won out or should I say old age and lack of energy won out. How did I get so old so fast? Where did the time go?

This year I'm thinking that it will take quite a bit longer to get the cookie and candy making done too. We do love cookies, so the amount of cookies I make hasn't changed much over the years, except maybe grow! The cookies I make are not made any other time of year, they are special holiday cookies, not your everyday chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie, I make roll out cookies that get decorated with frosting and or sprinkles, spritz cookies, Christmas tea cakes, thumb print, and pecan roll ups to name a few. Yes, we love our cookies!!!! As I make each kind they need to be hidden or they will never make it to the week before Christmas, when I put them all out on a pretty plate for display and enjoyment. That's when all the fruits of my labor disappear in no time at all. LOL We aren't big on come of the candies like fudge but peanut brittle is a big must have for Mark. This year I finally found raw coconut so I can make my favorite Christmas candy too. Thank you Amazon!!! It's been years!!!!

 All that being said, I still have more common chores to attend to as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. 

The week of Thanksgiving.

 It's that time of year when baking is becoming a stressful necessity. My small, hardly there counters are so full right now that I'm not sure how I will ever get the Thanksgiving dinner completed. Last year is a blurr or I just blocked it out because it was so trying. Right now the counter has bread waiting to set on cookie sheets to dry,  (where it goes to dry is another dilemma), a large bowl of cereal crunch, and a half bag of grapefruit what won't fit in the fridge. Cooking apparatus on the counter is at a minimal; a counter top air fryer oven, spice rack, a small crock of need to find quickly cooking utensils, and at the far end, on the other side of the oven a small coffee maker on a very small piece of counter. There is only a two square foot area that I can actually use to prepare food, and then I have to move some things. The largest area is a v shape counter next to the sink and fridge, making it not a workable space.

All that being said a large white folding table will be coming in from the storage area on the porch to use as counter space. The bad part is it is not very high. I have an extra cutting board that I put on the sink to make more work room. And I pray that it doesn't slide and everything lands in the sink! 😫 The stove is a glass top so if a burner isn't needed I can use that as some kind of countertop as well. But if the oven is on, I need to be aware that what sets on it could melt. My imagination has been tested and I've learned some tricks to living with a very small kitchen.  I had more kitchen work space in our fifth wheel that I really wish I had in our home now.

When we left MN, we tried to sell as much as we could so we didn't need to store so much. LOL That didn't work out so well. But I'm happy that I never sold my roaster oven. This year I'm making a 22 pound turkey and my largest roaster won't accommodate it and extra stuffing. Not sure where to set the electric roaster either. I had planned on setting it on the porch table. Our porch is now full of the items that were in our canvas shed. The new carport isn't enclosed yet so the porch is too full to use. Looks to me like I need to expand my imagination a bit more. 😅

Two people really don't need a 22 pound turkey for Thanksgiving. But we like at least one meal to eat a couple days later, and have enough meat, gravy, and stuffing to freeze for a meal in the summer when it's too hot to use the oven but want a good turkey meal. Mark likes the white meat and I the dark and with a bigger turkey I just might get two or three meals of dark meat for a change.😀

Each year we have so much to be thankful for and this year is no exception. So in this week of Thanksgiving extra praises will be given to God for our many many blessings. And yes, I'm even thankful for my small kitchen. At least I have a kitchen. This year even more people will not be this lucky.

Praise God for his many blessings and grace.

Carport

 This morning our carport was set up. They got here before our first cup of coffee was finished, or in my case, poured. hehe One young man pounded the three foot stakes into the rock hard ground of the desert by hand. First I had thought he was just going to start them by hand. But he took that big sledgehammer and pounded all  10 of them in by hand!!!!! Geesh. When they were leaving I just had to check out his guns as he called them. LOL Not as big as I expected but he wasn't a very big guy either. Anyway the carport is up and wow, is it well built and sturdy. It will take one hell of a Yuma wind to move this one. Next is to put some sides and a type of door on it.

AFter the carport was up we discussed getting sunscreen to wrap around it for privacy. So armed with our masks and hand sanitizer off we went to look for what we may need, to get prices. In one store we ran into the only idiot not wearing a mask. When Mark asked him where his mask was he actually said the Virus is Fake...........I was so pi$$ed I implied that he was stupid and was ready to do battle. No more am I taking the stupidity from those refusing to mask up. He never did come back towards me. I'm sure that even behind my mask is was obvious I was not to be crossed further. The influx of SnowBirds is on the rise and some of those coming in make you understand why the states they are coming from are having such large spikes in Virus Cases. Well they can all go back home or follow the rules. And stay out of my way. Maybe their state doesn't want them either. Then they can all go to he!! Yes, that is how I feel. And I don't care who I make angry or upset. Don't like it? Don't come back here.

Good and not so good, but always blessed

 Last week my friend Bettie took me to the eye institute for my consultation with the eye doctor/surgeon. As was told to me they had to dilate my eyes again which is why I needed a ride. After the examination I was told that I did not need the cataract surgery at this time. They are there but very small. However he did find that I have the very early stages of macular degeneration. He gave me a name of special vitamins for eyes that I need to take. I was told never to go without sunglasses as that is very bad for the disease. And because I was not very good at wearing sunglasses for a long time prior to moving to AZ, was a bad thing. My sister insisted that in AZ I needed to wear sunglasses all the time and I did as she suggested, for the most part. Now I don't leave the house without my mask or sunglasses. I look like I am going to rob a bank. hehehe So anyway, That is the story of my eyes. The doctor is seeing me again this week to give me a prescription for new glasses. We will then go elsewhere to get the script filled. Where I went was an eye institute not anything like Midwest vision or the like. Good news and not so great news, but am blessed none the less.

After several days of hard work the canvas shed is down. Today Mark got all the spikes pulled out of the ground too. As with any job Mark does now, he pays for it dearly later. He tends to forget that he just had major heart surgery and it wasn't one that any person can just jump back into what they used to do. But I think most men are like that. They need constant reminders and then get upset when reminded. I think the follow up pain should be reminder enough, but how soon they forget. 😟

The new shed won't be a shed per say. But a carport. Gradually sides will be put on it and all the stuff that was in the old canvas shed will go there and off of our front porch. Security camera's are sure nice to have. And we are happy that we have many throughout our home inside and out. There will still be room in front of the "shed/carport" for our little car to park.  We will never be able to own a larger car though. But I am so happy with our little SmartCar, that I can't imagine anything else. It will be nice to have the new carport up and our porch back to being a porch. Winter is here and the weather is too nice to be inside. 

Sleep

 With the final presidential results coming in and Biden's win, we both let out a big sigh of relief. With trump taking away the payroll tax I was worried we would have no income in three years and living in the ghetto among other worries of his winning. But good won over evil! We slept like logs last night. For the first time in 4 years we felt some relief and safety  on the horizon. Until January 20 at noon, trump can still cause a lot of damage and spread a lot more hatred. Much of which Biden can reverse. Hatred will take more time to eradicate. trump is good at spreading hatred and many of his followers love the acts of violence and evil. Praise the Lord for saving America from more destruction.

Sick

 All the votes are not counted as of this post, and the presidential choice can go either way. And no matter the outcome of who gets the presidency it is still sickening to think that so many Americans are uncivilized.  It saddens me to say that I am ashamed to be an American. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe there were so many heartless people in this country. I am ashamed and embarrassed by the uncaring attitudes of so many of the American people.  This just makes me literally sick to my stomach.  

Cool or cold

 Tuesday morning we woke up to 52º and strong winds. It was only 61º in the house when we got up and I quickly turned on the furnace/heatpump. Murphy was a puffed up ball of feathers when I uncovered his cage and Miss Lola was shaking like a leaf. Lola had just been to the groomers the day before so she had on a whole lot less fur then needed in the cold.

The wind had left sand drifts on the porch and everything outside was covered in desert dirt. Here in the desert the sand isn't anything like the "sand" in the northern states. Here is more like powdered sugar and flies like flour in a mixer on high speed. With the winds at 30 mph and gusts at 42 mph, my mountains disappeared from sight. Needless to say we stayed indoors. 

Wednesday was a chilly start but the winds weren't as bad. So I washed clothes and hung some on the lines to dry. We went out for lunch with our Utah family but had to cut the chat short. The wind had kicked in and I had to get home to get clothes off of the lines. The clothes were so twisted that I had a heck of a time getting them untangled from the clothespins. But at least they were still on the lines and not somewhere in Mexico.  By mid afternoon the wind died down again and Mark took the leaf blower to clear the dirt off of the porch, table and chairs. What a mess.

Today, Thursday, was another visit to the cardiologist. Mark and I were hoping that he would be getting his drivers license back. Doc said, no, that most patients don't get their license back for 6 months. 😩 This is not what either of us wanted to hear. The doc set up another appointment in 6 weeks and will see how Mark is doing and go from there. We were told that the memory loss takes about 6 months or longer for it to come back, same goes for the shaking and dizziness. So in that respect I'm happy that the doctor said he can't drive yet. His thought process just isn't up to par to be behind the wheel. But the doctor did give Mark the ok to go back in the pool. Too cold for me now, but Mark is so very happy to be able to get some kind of exercise even though it will just be walking in the pool and not exerting too much effort to start with. One med has been dropped but they found fluid around the lung again so the Lasix is back up to twice a day. If that doesn't help and the fluid continues to grow, he will have to have it removed again. I wish I could get him to do better with his cheating on salt intake. To me it seems like if he doesn't get salt at the table he thinks he can have it in his snacks. 😡 If he would only measure out a serving, that would help some. No, I don't much of any muchies in the house, but what little we do have, he sneaks the whole package. Not funny when you think of the consequences. 

With Mark not being able to drive until mid December, I may have to find a ride to and from my cataract surgery. No surgery date yet, I meet with the surgeon November 11 and we will set the date then. I know I'll need a ride home but I'm hoping Aunt Bettie can drive me to and from. Oh well, not to worry about that now, we have bigger fish to fry so to speak.

Another nice day today so we are enjoying having the doors and windows open. No strong winds to contend with, just low 80's and sunshine. The weekend and next week will be much warmer so the a/c will be back on for another week or two.

Early birthday gifts for me and a fun day

 Yesterday, what started out as a little ride, after stopping for a slush at Burger King, turned into an all afternoon outing. First we drove by to see if our little green produce shack was open yet. Nope, but the fields are really green and looking good. I can hardly wait for the fresh produce. It won't be long. It was so windy that I couldn’t see my mountains in any direction. We stopped at PetSmart and got a couple toys for Murphy, a Betta (fish) for me, and some treats for Lola. 

Of course we never can go into Yuma without Mark wanting to stop in at Bed Bath and Beyond. He calls it his toy store. LOL He loves to look at all the kitchen gadgets and try to find things that I need. Well, he bought me a bigger and better air fryer oven, and a dual coffee maker, a carafe and Keurig in one. The oven actually goes all the way up to 480º, unlike the others that only go to 400º.  Let the baking begin. 😃Now I can have my K-cup and he can have his pot of coffee. He drinks anywhere from 2 to 3 cups and the Keurig gets expensive when we both drink 4 cups a morning. And in the winter we drink more coffee than in the summer.  Mark said happy birthday and thanks for everything I do for him and us. 💞 Yes, he spoils me rotten.

By the time I got the coffee machine cleaned, air oven set up, put the bedding back on the bed, and made supper, I was shot.

Holy macaroni is it ever windy and chilly this morning. Wind gusts are at 32 mph and the temp is only 57º. Not going to do laundry today, in this wind my clothes on the lines would end up back in MN. And trying to carry the basket to and from the car would be way too much for me or Mark today. So I'll be making cookies and setting up my little aquarium for my new Betta, Walter.

Drat

 Overnight our next door neighbors arrived. And he brought his wicked wife along😁 But I can easily avoid them or her. I'm not outside on that side of the house much, so not having to see her isn't all that hard to do. And after their arrival last year, I doubt she will want to cross me again. 😎 I'm hoping that Murphy's singing drives her nuts. Gosh I can be so mean when someone ticks me off.

The mornings are so nice that we have had the doors and windows open for a long time each day. The afternoons are so hot anymore either. Of course 90º doesn't seem hot to us like it did in MN. A person really does acclimate to their surroundings.  Now at 70º, it feels chilly. 😆

Last night we gave listening to the debates another chance. We really didn't need to listen, we voted last week. We just had to see if the trumpster would act like an adult this time. Well he did a touch better,  but still lied through his teeth and still never answered a question with any real plans. Why would anyone with any brains still support such an evil, ignorant, hard to call him a human, but here goes, person? It sickens me that he still could not acknowledge the fact that he tore children away from their parents and treats them like scum. He has killed America in so many ways, it makes me cringe just thinking of all the evil he has encouraged. Needless to say we couldn't watch the whole debate. I took a shower and Mark walked the dog to calm down. No trump supporter deserves any respect for their choice either. They are part of the problem. God help us world wide and rid us all of trump and his evil doings.

Slow

 Either I've gotten lazy or just slow in my old age. But getting things put down on here or on paper is getting less and less. It could be that since the trump virus we don't do much of anything to write about. We'd much rather stay healthy then go out and about.

Mark has found and is working on a new hobby. He ordered a handheld ham radio. And is currently working/studying for his license. I'm so happy that he found something of interest for him to do while he recuperates from his surgery and when the weather isn't nice enough to be outside. His mom was a ham radio operator and really enjoyed meeting the people and listening to various stations. She had quite the set up in a small bedroom, she called it her radio shack. 

Our Utah friends got here to their new winter home last weekend. We helped with some things, well Mark was the most help. They needed help getting their satellite to work so they could watch tv when they were setting up house. It's so nice having them here. Last year they didn't come and even sold their fifth wheel. Now they have a park model. It's in a different park then us, but just down the road. We think of them more as family then friends. I love them so much I call them Uncle James and Aunt Bettie. Yep, they are family.

In another few weeks I'll be getting ready for Thanksgiving. Even though we are on a healthier diet, salt free, we will still have the usual meal. I'll just be more careful to not be so heavy handed on the salt. But will still use some. Then before we know it it will be time to start on the Christmas baking. OH joy, nope, not a joy in the small kitchen that I have now. But I did it last year and I can do it again, just not without a lot of swearing. 😯 I hope my arms and hands will hold up one more year.

We have noticed that more snowbirds have arrived. The stores are busier and the traffic is getting heavier. Soon it will be a zoo. I'm still hoping that the *itch next door stays in Washington this year. But I doubt we will be that lucky. At least her husband is a nice guy. Not many in the park like her, so it's not just me.😝

Mornings are nice enough now that we can sit out on the porch with our morning coffee. The days are more comfortable too, but there is still a need for the a/c. Windows and doors get opened up when we get up and closed just before or slightly after lunch.  

When it rains it pours.

 Well I'm not talking about the rain 💦 that gets you wet and replenishes the field but the troublesome rain that affects your life in a not so positive way.

Thursday I was so looking forward to going to get my eyes checked and a prescription for new glasses. The glasses I've been wearing are about 15 years old and so scratched that it would seem impossible to see through them. Somewhere between MN and Yuma I had lost my newer glasses. I'd been procrastinating about getting new glasses, I hated spending the money I guess. So Thursday was a day when I would finally get new glasses and see much better.

As luck would have it I won't need new glasses. What I need is cataract surgery in both eyes!! 👀😟 One eye has three cataracts and the other eye has two. So I am now scheduled to meet with the eye specialist and surgeon, on get this, my birthday. Happy birthday to me. 😝 We have not gotten a bill on what we owe on Marks open heart surgery so I'm hoping I can wait a bit before I have to have my eye surgery. Before leaving the eye doctors office I asked about having a corrective lens put in as long as they were replacing the old lens anyway. And I was assured that could be done. It would be nice to not have to wear glasses all the time.  So I guess there could be an advantage to a not so great situation. It's all in how I l👀k at it.  😎

 

One day at a time.

 The title of this entry reminds me of a song,  "One day at a time sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking from you.Give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do." That is how we are living our life right now. Some days are good days for Mark and some days not so good. But each and every day is a gift, a blessing that we don't deserve. But by the grace of God, we have another day.

The cardiologist didn't spend much time with Mark but said he still couldn't drive for another 4 weeks. So I'm still the chauffeur. I'm sure Mark doesn't like it anymore than I do. But we do what we have to do. And that includes still trying to stay out of the way of the trump virus. trump may not care about anyone else but we do. So we wear our masks every time we leave the house and our home is off limits to anyone wanting to enter. Visits only on our porch and social distancing is a must even on the porch!!!! Right now especially with Mark being even more susceptible to everything right now. He can't afford to catch a cold. Just a sneeze or a cough has him in serious pain. I do what I can to keep the house disinfected and clean and everything that comes into our home gets disinfected as well. It's extra work for me, but that is the way it has to be.  We want to stay healthy. 

From the sounds of it quite a few snowbirds won't be coming to the park this year. I say yippee, but the new park owners are the ones that are losing. I keep hoping that the next door neighbors stay in Washington this year. We won't miss that bitch at all. 💀 Canadians won't be able to come if they are driving and if they get sick they won't have insurance knowing they are coming into a covid country. Canada has very strict rules. That's why they don't have many dying or sick from the trump virus. The president of the US doesn't give a damn. So it will be another year that we won't be able to see our friends from Canada. But our friends from Utah will be here. I hope they understand our rules of no enter and masks.

Tomorrow I am finally going in for an eye exam and get much needed glasses. The ones I'm using now are many years old and there isn't a spot without scratches. I can hardly wait to be able to see well again. They called today to make sure I understood the rules of masks etc. That made me feel much safer. A prayer will help too. 🙏😊

Can't blame me.

 

Another blessing by the grace of God. (open heart surgery)

 Thursday, Aug 27, Mark had a special doctors appointment to go over findings from the heart monitor that Mark wore for 24 hours a couple weeks before. Dr Kaynak found that Marks heart stopped beating quite often for 3 to 4 seconds at a time. This was cause for concern, which is why Dr Kaynak called Mark in earlier than originally planned. Mark was then told to go into the hospital Friday afternoon.

Friday afternoon I took Mark to the hospital for an angiogram and an angioplasty. After dropping him  off at the door I headed home hoping I remembered the route. I went by landmarks. If Rally’s diner ever moved I would not find the hospital again. In case the procedure took longer than planned I talked to a neighbor lady about taking me to the hospital to pick up Mark. I don’t do well driving in the dark.

 Early that evening Mark called to tell me that his heart was 90% plugged and they were unable to penetrate the plugged areas in 3 of his main arteries. He wouldn’t be coming home that evening as planned.  After calling Barb, Lincoln, and Patty, I prayed hard. This was just the beginning of many many phone calls, texts, and prayers. Mark was put on many prayer chains and we know that prayer works!!!

Saturday, after consulting with a highly respected heart surgeon they scheduled Mark for open heart surgery early Sunday morning. The surgical nurse kept me informed with phone calls as to what was happening. As it turned out what was to be a triple bypass with a pacemaker ended up being a quadruple bypass. 

It took until Tuesday afternoon for Mark to come out of the anesthesia. He was coming out totally confused and thrashing around so he needed to stay under until he was more calm and less confused. As he came out of the anesthesia he was asked questions. The ones Mark recalls is when they asked him if he knew his birthday. No he didn't quite have that one. Then they asked him if he knew who the president was, and his answer was,and I quote "that fucking trump". That's my Mark. The nurse got the biggest kick out of that and proceeded to tell everyone she met. Everyone who came into Marks room had to comment on his answer.  He called me that evening asking what all had been done. Which he was having a hard time remembering. But after all he had gone through it would take some time before the confusion would lessen. He had an external pacemaker on until he was stronger to have a permanent one put in, which was only a couple days.

His breathing was difficult which was not uncommon for Mark or for the type of surgery. While in ICU we were told I could come and visit for one hour each day. But Mark was so weak and still struggled with his breathing that I didn’t get to see him until Thursday.  When I walked into his room our tears flowed down our smiling faces. Holding on to each others hand the whole hour was priceless. Mark was lucky to be alive. And I was ever so happy and thankful he was.

On September 4th Mark was released from ICU and put into a private room in the cardiac care unit of the hospital. Still having a hard time with breathing though. He had wonderful nurses and great care all the while which made all this  difficult situation easier to handle.  God sure did a great job giving the doctors, surgeon, nurses, and staff the knowledge of what to do to keep Mark alive. I’ll forever be thankful. Mark called every day so we at least got to hear each other's voices. 

A happy day came when Mark was released from the hospital to come home. I had cleaned my butt off disinfecting every inch of our home to keep him safe and well. September 7th Mark came home and was greeted by a very happy Lola. She sure missed her daddy. It was difficult keeping her from jumping up but she minded pretty well for a change.

Marks breathing continued to bother him and continuously got worse. On Sept. 9th I called his cardiologist and we were sent to ER where Mark was once again admitted to the hospital. It was a very long drive home for me since I don’t see well at night and it was way dark by the time I left ER. But by the grace of God, I made it home safely.

As the days passed Marks breathing became worse and worse. To the point that he couldn’t take one step or move without being extremely short of breath. Every x-ray they took showed no reason for the shortness of breath or why it was worsening. Finally one x-ray caught a glimmer of some fluid. So on the 14th they proceeded to pull liquid from around Marks left lung. Thinking it would only be a little, they ended up taking almost 2 full liters of fluid from around that lung. His lung had collapsed due to the fluid. Very scary to not be able to breath.

After a bit, Mark started to shake and get very cold, then out like a light, he went into shock. The nurses covered him in a heated weighted blanket until he was awake and comfortable again. His being able to breath again and oxygen level in his blood was a shock to his body and to himself. He was thrilled to be able to breath again. There were times he thought he was dying or would have to live in a wheelchair with oxygen for the rest of his life. But the diligence of the hospital staff by God’s grace once again saved Marks life. He called me in the afternoon so excited to be able to breathe more freely again that he sounded like his ole self again. He was told he could be in the hospital yet for another hand full of days. And Mark said he wanted to make sure he was well enough to come home this time.  

Well, God had other plans. Mark called me at 3 in the afternoon the following day saying, “if you can come and get me, I’m out of here”. I grabbed my purse, keys, put on my shoes and was out the door before you could say “yipppeee”. About 40 minutes after I arrived at the hospital Mark was wheeled out to the car, smiling from ear to ear.  We were going home!!! One of his doctors saw how well Mark was doing walking in the hall in the hospital that he called for a consolation with all of Marks doctors. They then decided to send him home.

His first few nights at home Mark had night terrors, dreaming he was suffocating. All due to the breathing struggles that he had endured for days on end. He thought he was dying slowly from not being able to breath. It will take a bit of time for his subconscious to heal.  Each night it is getting better.

Each day is a learning experience for each of us. Not quite knowing how to or exactly what we are doing. But we are managing to get through each day learning as we go and taking one hour, one day at a time. 

Gradually Marks lungs are getting stronger but as with the heart, it will take some time to heal and get to 100%. Mark is anxious to be able to walk further than a few houses down from our home, to drive and to get into the pool once again. We really miss our daily activities in the pool. Our eating habits have had to change as well as our activities. 

No salt is a tough diet to follow and live with, but it’s what we must continue to do and it can be done. Not like last time,  give up and go back to unhealthy eating that contributed to the heart and lung issues. We don’t want to go through that ever again. There is sodium in everything including milk and bread. If you keep track of all your food consumption you would be amazed at just how much sodium you take in, even without adding any salt to the food. And eating out? OMG, that is the worst of all. So eating out will have to be a special occasion thing and then eat responsibly. Not something we are used to doing. God help us to succeed. 

The first and hopefully final visit with the heart surgeon went well. Everything on the EKG and the x-rays looked good. He told us to set up an appointment with the cardiologist, which is already done.  And the cardiologist will set up physical therapy for Mark as well.  

Today, Sept. 29th Mark and I got all the way around the block with only one small rest. He was so happy to get that far and not need any help along the way. This was quite a milestone. Each day we will go further as the weather permits. Summer isn’t quite ready to let go, but at least the mornings and nights have cooled down to comfortable temps.

Thank God from whom all blessings flow. We are indeed blessed and truly thankful.

Give me strength

Lord, I’m weary. My energy is sagging, and my motivation is lagging. And I am so in need of you. I need your strength and your fresh touch to get back on track again. Your Word says the joy of the Lord is my strength.

The pressures of life sometimes push me into a corner, rendering me helpless to move forward. A hundred voices call my name, and I feel paralyzed at times to answer, not knowing where to turn. Lord, help me not to quit, to keep running the race faithfully, and to find strength in that safe, secret place of yours, under the shadow of the Almighty.

You are my rock, and I run to you today, believing that you will lift up my heavy arms, that you will fuel me for the tasks you've given me, and that your joy will completely consume the weakness of my life and make me strong again. I don't want to stay grounded, crippled by limitations and failed attempts. I'm tired of feeble efforts. Lord, I want to mount up with wings like an eagle and not just fly. I want to soar.

Renew my strength, Lord. Fill me with your supernatural power to overcome each obstacle in my path. With my eyes on you, Lord, with you walking beside me, working through me, I can make it. Thank you, Lord!

In Jesus's name, Amen

Blurrrrr

 Due to the trump virus the days go by in a blurrr of inactivity. One day just melts into another. The only day that sticks in our head is Sunday, all the rest just blend into one.  No place to go and feel safe, and so many places are customer restricted as far as capacity and options. Even the stores are carrying less of a variety of items

The heat has been more intense than it has been in years. So anything outside is time restricted as well. The best thing is going to the pool, in the morning. We are so thankful that the pool in our rv park is not closed. The pool, library and laundry rooms are the only things unlocked in the park. 

The trump virus has many snowbirds calling to cancel their reservations. We won't mind less, but feel so sorry for the businesses and parks that rely on the visitors. They make their money in the winter, not the summer. Just on our block alone there are 4 that will not be coming. I hope our next door neighbor will decide not to come too. She is a bitch. But time will tell. Canada is quite reluctant on opening the border anytime soon. Making flying the only option. And most of the birds drive and  pull their RV's. Those coming from the states are canceling as well because most activities will be canceled. If and when they do come, I hope a quarantine is put on all the visitors so the trump virus doesn't grow in our park or state. The activities director who plans all the fun stuff for the birds is one that is not coming down. If we are still under social distancing orders, all the buildings will remain locked so no activities will have a place. And so far no one has stepped up take her position. It's about too late to set up anything. All the dances are already cancelled. We don't participate in any of them so it doesn't affect us one way or the other. 

Mark is still tinkering away on his motorcycle, making some updates work. As with anything that is added, it involves quite a bit of thinking and readjusting. But it gives him something to do even if he can only be outside for a couple hours in the morning. I don't have a hard time finding things to do. There is always, cleaning, cooking and laundry to do. So I stay busy when I need to be. I've just gotten better at closing my eyes so I don't see what needs to be done. LOL 😎 Sadly it just piles up for me and I have twice the work. Darn maid never shows up. 😩 I guess she expected to get paid. LOL

Record setting high heat in the dessert

 Surprise we live in the desert.......

We are in an almost month long High Heat Spell and have been running over 100+ deg, yesterday and today 115 deg. in Yuma was/is predicted.

Calli has seen it's first Rolling Blackout, where the power exceeds reserve capacity and hence portions of of the state alternate on have power shutdowns.

Along with all the wide fires that have become major burns it is best described as Sever Heat. Imagine attempting to fight a wildfire in 118º ambient temperatures, OMG!

I am installing a new power feed from the battery to the front of my bike for accessories like radio, cell charger and lighting. But it has just been to hot to work on it and probably will be till late next week according to weather forecasting.

When I woke at 6am it was already 90 and headed to 115 for a high. With that hot sun glaring down on my canvas shed you have temps of over 120º. Even with a big fan on you that is too darn hot to think much less work.

And the desert itself is building up like a heat sink holding onto the heat so it intensifies instead of offering more cooling during night fall.

It is almost impossible to keep anything vinyl or plastic out in the sun as it just breaks down and crystalizes. It really is almost unbelievable. Leave your phone in the car and it shuts down from overheating in no time. Touch the trim I painted on the house several months ago and it is sticky almost leaving fingerprints.

This summer so far has tied and in several cases broken several records and we have about 45 day to go before any real relief will be felt. For the first time last night I noticed the outside light dim when the A/C kicked in.

With most of the park empty you know the whole area of the FootHills is drawing lots of power. I am glad even though it adds to the temp in the shed that I have both on solar power so as to help ease the load.

Keep drinking lots and lots of water, stay inside and remember it's called Air Conditioning NOT Refrigeration.