Hidden Valley Ranch, Deming, NM
Mon. 11/25/13 Fri. 11/22/13 - Wed. 1/1/14 (5 weeks)
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"Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably." C.S. Lewis
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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A cute take on vampires, witches, and demons. Some are not as bad as we formerly thought.
Some unusual romance and family dynamics. (Can't we all just get along?)
The narrator, Jennifer Ikeda, does an excellent job of male and female voices, as well as accents. She makes it very easy to distinguish characters, just by her tones.
Be forewarned, this is a series and the end does leave you hanging and needing to listen to the next book to continue the story.
The Honeymoon Cottage by Barbara Cool Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Easy reading romance with a bit of mystery involved. This takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business, but mostly in a caring way. This place seems too good to be true, and I'd love to live there.
The description of characters are right on and you understand them quickly. I felt like I was a part of this community.
The sheriff is 28 yrs old. His "damsel in distress" is 24. But they are both very mature and responsible. I think 30 somethings would be a more appropriate age for the way these two characters think. They seem to have too much life experience for their ages.
I got weary of hearing Camilla & Ryan play the martyr over and over again ruining their chances for a better life. I felt like slapping some sense into them. I suppose it was obvious to me, but to the characters, they had to work through their issues to see the light.
This story could be a help to someone with feelings of guilt for something they have no control over.
I didn't want to put the book down and plan to read more from this author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
CRAFTS:
Yep, lots of crafting and relaxing.
Ladies, remember when we were young and our arms were toned? I remember working the front window at the Post Office and rolling up my short sleeves of my uniform to make my arms look more flattering. Jump ahead 20 years to present day and I'm now lengthening short sleeves to cover my arms to make them look more flattering.
I have these cute summer tops that I love so much, I bought 3 of them. What was I thinking? I haven't been wearing them because they have capped sleeves and too much old lady arms show for my taste. If only those sleeves were a little longer. Hmmm. Let me think of something. I enjoy knitting and crocheting. Maybe I could just add some length by knitting a wide border on the sleeves? Hmmmm. Maybe knit a lacy extension with a little border. Hmmmm. What kind of yarn would I use? Not heavy worsted acrylic. Maybe a light cotton yarn? Oooh, ooh, I know. That one skein of expensive novelty yarn I bought in Jasper! Perfect!
1 shirt done, 2 more to go. Hmmmm, what kind of yarn to use.....
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"Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably." C.S. Lewis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BROWSING THE WWW:
I subscribe to RoadTreking RV newsletter. Mike is an Emmy winning journalist, now retired. He and his wife travel (not full time) in their Road Trek, which is a Class B motorhome, sort of like an RV van. Even though we have totally different rigs, Mike still has a newsletter full of ideas that I have found interesting and useful. He writes about places they've been, safety tips, recipes, other RV'rs, etc. This past newsletter was talking about having a safety kit (not just a first aid kit) in your vehicle. It was suggested to have handy, a reflective vest, auto glass breaker, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and flares.
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RV LIFE:
We keep a fire extinguisher in our truck and in the 2.5 years of full time travel, we've been thankful to have it handy. We've only had to use it twice but only once is enough reason to keep an extinguisher handy. Our first use was to help a stranger who's engine area was aflame. We got the situation under control for him. The second time was when our ball bearings overheated and caught on fire. A passing car honked and pointed to our rig. We pulled over, hubby saw the flames and grabbed the extinguisher. Finally got the fire out. If we had not had the extinguisher, we most likely would have lost our RV to fire.
Life has definitely slowed down. I'm really loving it. I have not left the campground in the 2 weeks we've been here. Scott has gone into town to food shop twice. I've been reading and crafting. I also got hooked on Words of Wonder puzzle game on facebook. At least it's working my brain and I do see improvement from 3 letter words to now many 5 letter words.
We have reunited with friends we made last time we were here in February 2013. This is such a nice little community.
Although the weather has turned cold again, it is bright and sunny out. A few days back when the weather was nicer, I was sitting outside knitting with the 3 dogs lazing around near me..ahhhhh. From the corner of my eye I see a woman coming over to me from 2 sites down. She asks if I remember her from Port Townsend. Hmmmm, not really. First, I've got to remember Port Townsend and where we stayed, and picture it in my mind. Then she said she was right next to us (sites were close). Ding, ding, ding! I DO remember! Her husband kept feeding us!!! We had spoken about books and RV'ing etc. We somehow mentioned how wonderful Hidden Valley Ranch was for the Winter. Well, they took our advice and are Wintering here until March! Maryann already said her husband, Mike will share some of his BBQ expertise with us! Cool!
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RV MOD:
Spray attachment for toilet (Approx. $20.)
This took Scott about 20 minutes tops to do this. When he first installed it, I thought it was a waste of time & money. Luckily, it was little time and not too much money. I was thinking as a sticks & bricks person with a regular toilet. Now, I've come to find this sprayer very useful. Sometimes in an RV toilet, the bowl is not filled very high with water and the toilet paper can get stuck on the sides of the bowl above the water line, or an unpleasant gastronomical experience may make a mess. The pressure and amount of water that slides down the sides of the bowl is just not the same as in a house toilet. I have found that this sprayer has been very helpful in cleaning up the bowl and pushing down the toilet paper.
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PETS:
Frieda's owner, Cathy, is suffering from unexpected medical issues and needs to place her beloved Frieda as she is no longer able to care for her. Cathy is heartbroken and hopes to find a local forever home for Frieda. Frieda was born in 2006 but is still an active, friendly and happy girl. She's very playful and loves to hike, and needs to have room to run around. She weighs between 75 and 80 lbs. We're guessing at her breed. If you are interested in Frieda, please contact Cathy on her cell 908-415-2236 or at home 908-832-7503.
BOOK REVIEWS:
I subscribe to RoadTreking RV newsletter. Mike is an Emmy winning journalist, now retired. He and his wife travel (not full time) in their Road Trek, which is a Class B motorhome, sort of like an RV van. Even though we have totally different rigs, Mike still has a newsletter full of ideas that I have found interesting and useful. He writes about places they've been, safety tips, recipes, other RV'rs, etc. This past newsletter was talking about having a safety kit (not just a first aid kit) in your vehicle. It was suggested to have handy, a reflective vest, auto glass breaker, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and flares.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RV LIFE:
We keep a fire extinguisher in our truck and in the 2.5 years of full time travel, we've been thankful to have it handy. We've only had to use it twice but only once is enough reason to keep an extinguisher handy. Our first use was to help a stranger who's engine area was aflame. We got the situation under control for him. The second time was when our ball bearings overheated and caught on fire. A passing car honked and pointed to our rig. We pulled over, hubby saw the flames and grabbed the extinguisher. Finally got the fire out. If we had not had the extinguisher, we most likely would have lost our RV to fire.
Life has definitely slowed down. I'm really loving it. I have not left the campground in the 2 weeks we've been here. Scott has gone into town to food shop twice. I've been reading and crafting. I also got hooked on Words of Wonder puzzle game on facebook. At least it's working my brain and I do see improvement from 3 letter words to now many 5 letter words.
We have reunited with friends we made last time we were here in February 2013. This is such a nice little community.
Although the weather has turned cold again, it is bright and sunny out. A few days back when the weather was nicer, I was sitting outside knitting with the 3 dogs lazing around near me..ahhhhh. From the corner of my eye I see a woman coming over to me from 2 sites down. She asks if I remember her from Port Townsend. Hmmmm, not really. First, I've got to remember Port Townsend and where we stayed, and picture it in my mind. Then she said she was right next to us (sites were close). Ding, ding, ding! I DO remember! Her husband kept feeding us!!! We had spoken about books and RV'ing etc. We somehow mentioned how wonderful Hidden Valley Ranch was for the Winter. Well, they took our advice and are Wintering here until March! Maryann already said her husband, Mike will share some of his BBQ expertise with us! Cool!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RV MOD:
Spray attachment for toilet (Approx. $20.)
This took Scott about 20 minutes tops to do this. When he first installed it, I thought it was a waste of time & money. Luckily, it was little time and not too much money. I was thinking as a sticks & bricks person with a regular toilet. Now, I've come to find this sprayer very useful. Sometimes in an RV toilet, the bowl is not filled very high with water and the toilet paper can get stuck on the sides of the bowl above the water line, or an unpleasant gastronomical experience may make a mess. The pressure and amount of water that slides down the sides of the bowl is just not the same as in a house toilet. I have found that this sprayer has been very helpful in cleaning up the bowl and pushing down the toilet paper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PETS:
 |
| Frieda in NJ needs a home |
Frieda's owner, Cathy, is suffering from unexpected medical issues and needs to place her beloved Frieda as she is no longer able to care for her. Cathy is heartbroken and hopes to find a local forever home for Frieda. Frieda was born in 2006 but is still an active, friendly and happy girl. She's very playful and loves to hike, and needs to have room to run around. She weighs between 75 and 80 lbs. We're guessing at her breed. If you are interested in Frieda, please contact Cathy on her cell 908-415-2236 or at home 908-832-7503.
And of course, our Dina is still available for adoption.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BOOK REVIEWS:
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Couldn't finish. I didn't have children for a reason and reading this book just emphasized that reason. I didn't really want to read about the every day goings on of a Mom.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you're looking for a typical murder mystery, don't expect that from this book. Yes, there is a murder or two trying to be solved, but the book is really about the struggle of a dying man coming to terms with his life, failures, friendships etc.
This book was not at all what I expected, but held my interest throughout.
This book was not at all what I expected, but held my interest throughout.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah HarknessMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A cute take on vampires, witches, and demons. Some are not as bad as we formerly thought.
Some unusual romance and family dynamics. (Can't we all just get along?)
The narrator, Jennifer Ikeda, does an excellent job of male and female voices, as well as accents. She makes it very easy to distinguish characters, just by her tones.
Be forewarned, this is a series and the end does leave you hanging and needing to listen to the next book to continue the story.
The Honeymoon Cottage by Barbara Cool LeeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Easy reading romance with a bit of mystery involved. This takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business, but mostly in a caring way. This place seems too good to be true, and I'd love to live there.
The description of characters are right on and you understand them quickly. I felt like I was a part of this community.
The sheriff is 28 yrs old. His "damsel in distress" is 24. But they are both very mature and responsible. I think 30 somethings would be a more appropriate age for the way these two characters think. They seem to have too much life experience for their ages.
I got weary of hearing Camilla & Ryan play the martyr over and over again ruining their chances for a better life. I felt like slapping some sense into them. I suppose it was obvious to me, but to the characters, they had to work through their issues to see the light.
This story could be a help to someone with feelings of guilt for something they have no control over.
I didn't want to put the book down and plan to read more from this author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
CRAFTS:
Yep, lots of crafting and relaxing.
Ladies, remember when we were young and our arms were toned? I remember working the front window at the Post Office and rolling up my short sleeves of my uniform to make my arms look more flattering. Jump ahead 20 years to present day and I'm now lengthening short sleeves to cover my arms to make them look more flattering.
I have these cute summer tops that I love so much, I bought 3 of them. What was I thinking? I haven't been wearing them because they have capped sleeves and too much old lady arms show for my taste. If only those sleeves were a little longer. Hmmm. Let me think of something. I enjoy knitting and crocheting. Maybe I could just add some length by knitting a wide border on the sleeves? Hmmmm. Maybe knit a lacy extension with a little border. Hmmmm. What kind of yarn would I use? Not heavy worsted acrylic. Maybe a light cotton yarn? Oooh, ooh, I know. That one skein of expensive novelty yarn I bought in Jasper! Perfect!
 |
| SILK, with oooh, shiny stuff!! $44.00 for one skein |
 |
| Perfect match! |
1 shirt done, 2 more to go. Hmmmm, what kind of yarn to use.....
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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
Thursday, 1/2/13 - 1/8/13 (1 week) Oliver Lee State Park, Alamogordo, NM (White Sands)
New rig? I'm so excited!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the addition of the crochet edge on your tops. I do not like my old lady arms either, and have rejected many neat tops for that reason. I will keep this in mind!
ReplyDeleteIf you add water to the toilet before you use it, then the tp doesn't stick to the sides...
ReplyDelete