Willie is in!

Tree and all! Pirate brought the tree out bright and early this morning...along with making coffee in the condo while he let me sleep in...what a great guy! Willie is getting bolder and a little too curious when the door opens.

The carpets look great...I'm sure Tony and Pirate will feel it for a day or two...that's hard work.

Fine tuning things out here...I had a question for y'all today but it's slipped my mind already. Darn! I'll remember it later, I'm sure! for now...Willie and Kitty out

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Miss Scooter

She Seems very content...willie is doing great, too. Time for bed

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Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men...

Wow...we're so not where we thought we'd be by now.  But, at least we don't have to find a park for Labor Day!  That's finding a positive, lol!  There are just too few hours in the day and we only have so many kids...we're so thankful to Miss Tracie for spending yet another weekend helping us.  Pirate hates to paint, so that was HUGE!!  Yesterday the dining room table went to Tony's, as did the safe and any remaining boxes.  Thanks to Tony's pal Greg for helping...that gun safe was over 750 lbs and had to come down an L-shaped flight of stairs.  Today Tony and Pirate are steam cleaning the carpets. So...Willard and I are officially out here for good.

Thanking God for the cool down in temps today and for the next few days.  The condo will have to have all the windows open for a while to dry out the carpets.  I just hope the stains come up.  We had a very, very terminally ill diabetic, remember?  Poor Boone Dogger couldn't help it and we did our best to take him out, but he was also blind.  Sigh!  I miss my Little Man!!

So, I'll be out here fine-tuning things while the guys do the heavy stuff.  Sure wishing I wasn't disabled right about now! It kills my Type-A personality to sit.  I woke up with the shakes this morning and I didn't think I had overdone things yesterday.  Pirate sat me down and told me that the best thing I can do to help him is take care of myself and not overdo, cuz he ain't gonna have the time to nurse me.  I hear you, Honey!!  I'll sit on my hands if I have to.  As long as I confine my 'work' to out here in the RV, I'm 'pretty sure' I can't hurt myself.

Miss Tracie noticed while she was here that the cupboard above the microwave is usable space.  I hadn't even looked up there, as I just thought it was open with no shelf.  WRONGO!  I now have a whole drawer free for other things, as the dishtowels and pot holders fit ever so nicely there--and if they fall during flight, they just fall! Once I get everything in it's place, I promise to do pictures.  The kind of pictures I scoured the internet looking for.  WHAT goes in WHICH drawer? HOW did you arrange your closet?  WHERE did you put your food stuffs, etc.  The storage spaces in RVs are so strange...you might have a three-shelf closet, but those shelves might be 7" x 10" or some other oddball size.  Not too many of the space-savers out on the market actually fit where you want them too.  And these cupboards are NOT anywhere near as deep as your spaces at home.

Thankfully, there were tons of articles and pictures depicting what the typical RV kitchen is like, thank you kindly.  I'd have never known where to start, otherwise.  Meanwhile, it looks like we only have another week until the paperwork and cleaning is done and we're on our own.  This last few weeks has really been a push because of such ungodly hot weather here in the desert of WA State.  The kind of hot that makes you just crumple into a ball and wish for death kinda hot.

School is in session or starts soon around our beautiful America...keep watch for our little ones and SLOW DOWN!!  They are always a bit too excited that first few weeks to watch for you!  Once again, thank you for the prayers...it's what has been keeping us going and we appreciate it more than we can say.  We're getting closer and closer to our 'good-byes' and we're putting off even thinking about it.  Once this work is all done, we're just gonna relax for about ten years or so, lol!  See you all soon!

Painting Day

Our Miss Tracie drove over from Seattle last night and we're putting her to work. She's out with her Dad helping get the paint. Thankfully, Tracie is a pro at painting and filing in holes. Property management has taught her many tricks of the trade...and we're glad!

Willie is so happy to lend a paw, too! He's inspecting the drop cloth now! I hope he doesn't put a paw in the paint or else he's going in the fifth wheel. Kitty jail, lol!

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers, extended family!

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Messing with Blogger...

Just taking a break and wanted to see what all new features and goodies Blogger has put at my fingertips.  LOL!  Really, I was just catching up on some of my blogs...yes, even though YOU write them, I call them MY blogs...much better than a newspaper in my book.  Please know that we feel you all praying for us and sending us those good vibrations...keep them coming, please!

We've made huge progress, fine tuning our storage issues...and we found we can put more under Willie's couch than we ever thought possible.  We have almost everything we're storing in the loft up there and have areas for Willard to hide and play.  We're going to put his 'girlfriend Pinky' up there, too.  It's a nice fluffy pink chenille robe that he, um...well, er...it's his girlfriend, just don't ask more about that, you really don't want to know, lol!  He'll be a happy kitty, that's all that counts! snicker snort guffaw

Hopefully we'll have everything 'camera ready' here in a few more days and I can show off all of this hard work! =)

Thank you to Number One Son yet again!  We could NOT do this without Tony's help.  He's really a treasure!  We love all three of you!!!

Who messed with Blogger while I wasn't looking?!

Wuddn't mee, Mommy...I'z been busy ridin!!

I take a week off from blogging and someone moved my cheese!!  Remember that book from the late 90s?  Great book...makes you look at things differently and whether you're a Hem or Haw 'er.  When someone 'moves your cheese' you choose how to react, you really do!  I'll choose these changes are for the better for now...we'll see!  I've heard a lot of others are having trouble with it.

Luckily for Willie, his, and I do mean HIS, couch is next to the bird-feeder of the house behind us.  Kind of a built in babysitter for him...I know where he's going to be!  Now I just have to wipe the drool marks from the window and it's all good!  What a ham he is!

Scooter is going with the flow.  She doesn't like either of us out of her sight, so it's been interesting.  She and I are out here without Daddy!!! Oh, the horrors!!  But she'd be barking her fool head off if she were in the condo without ME!  

Ok, so far, we're still smiling and still like each other...just a minor melt down, but it IS so overwhelming.  I've had two years of  plotting, planning, research and scheming under my belt, so it's a natural continuation for the Kitty.  Mister Pirate has had so many 'sudden changes' happen to him, I don't blame him one bit.  Retirement.  Selling your home.  Large purchases like the truck and the Gypsy Rose.  Pick ONE!  Let alone all of it all at once.  

It astounded him that I had so few boxes to go in the loft and into storage...my biggest item is the dresser my Daddy built for Mom as a wedding present.  It's made of cedar and too large for Miss Tracie at this point.  It's also very heavy, so it will wait for her to find a permanent home...I'd hate to see her stuck with such a heavy item and moving from apartment to apartment over the next few years.  I've also been weeding out my clothes, rethinking what I really need to hang on to.  

Speaking of which...Pirate just showed up with the boxes for the loft...see y'all later and know we're A-OK!  Thanks for the prayers...we can feel you! 

We're still alive and well...

Just busy busy busy. Wanted to let y'all know we're ok, still kicking, still smiling, too!

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Cool Breezes ~* ~*

The Condo's old 1974 model AC was only a half ton model and was so loud...jet engine comes to mind, seriously.  The boys revved it up to one and a half ton and it's so quiet I thought something was wrong...it's really, really quiet compared to the lumbering cacophony we were used to.  It's also much quieter in the condo without the fans and the portable going.  Another biggie off the check list. Pirate also spoke with our attorney today to make sure we're on track with everything and about the Ford F 350 mis-adventures.

It's very early Wednesday morning, and today is the day I get to move into my new home in earnest.  We WILL be sleeping out there tonight.  As soon as Pirate gets the portable unit out there and all set up, I'll move the computer stuff and do my blogging from the Gypsy Rose!!  I am going to leave Willie's treefort in the condo until we get back from the Class Reunion since he will be staying with Trace.  After we return, Willie's going in!  We need to 'pre view' these two after many  hours of being in the RV...not just a day here, over-night there.  Let's see if they start chipping on each other after three straight days.  I want to know how to make it easier on them now while their vets and groomers are all still here to help me.  If I need to make more secure 'hidey' spots, Willie will let me know after about three days of exploring!

Pull Out Time is a mere three days now.  We won't even been in town for to much longer, although it seems so far away. . . but September 21st we head south and that's little more than a month away.  Saturday, though...that's DAY ONE of full-timing for us and we're so excited!!  It has been a long, wonderful, trying, crazy, frustrating, learning and growing experience these last two years:

I remember reading the Groene's book on my Kindle about RVing after we decided we'd look that direction rather than leave the country for a permanent Tropical Latitude. I was in after the second or third chapter.  Pirate took a little longer before he was 100% on board with it.  I was the one who got to dream, decide, research, run the numbers...so of course I was excited!  I knew we could do it, and actually, live more affordably on the road than staying put.  Pirate was the one who had to figure out how to make it all work, how he was going to care for his Bride...   Now, here we are!!  We are standing right before that moment and it feels so good.  Seeing the Gypsy Rose for the first time was also one of those moments.  I love our Gypsy Rose and look forward to creating memories and meeting friends for many years to come.

Hold on...it's sure gonna be a fun ride!!

Tonight is AC night!

Wow, we sure are blessed...we are having a friend of our son fix our ancient 1974 model air conditioner and  we are also getting quite a steep discount on the labor...BEER! We're finding this 'barter system' to be very fun and interesting!  Pirate traded an enchilada dinner for taking our single-mother-neighbor's yard trash to the dump, among other trades.  THAT was a good one, as not only did I get to eat a delicious dinner, too...but I didn't have to cook that day!

Miss Tracie will be coming to stay with Willie and do some work around the condo for us this weekend while we're out on our first adventure.  We were planning to take Willie and just hope for the best, but this will work out so much better.  We can get the kinks out without worrying about him!  I did want my new-to-me friend, Berta, to meet him this Saturday, but Tracie's idea will be much easier. Thanks, Kiddo!!

Having Tracer here is like having my hands and arms back.  I have very limited fine motor skills, especially in my left hand, so Pirate ends up carrying most of the load around here.  Tracie knows how I like things done and can make decisions about things knowing I'm ok with whatever she chooses.  I love that we've been able to hang out all of her life...she's such a great person and so funny and sweet...I sure got blessed in the Ditter department!  When you hurt and have limitations, it's so comforting to have someone who just knows you and you don't have to explain anything or pretend you can do more than you're really able to...what a freedom!

I've always got my Tracie on my Right Arm!

So, Pirate and I are sitting here watching the markets fall....we're so blessed to have pulled out of the market months ago! WOW are we glad he listened to that 'little inner voice' and we're protected.  If worst comes to worst, this country will be ok--we've been through worse before and as long as we remember to take care of those less fortunate, give when we can, smile when that's all we have, and keep in touch with the Man Upstairs we'll all see the other side of this.  Necessity IS the Mother of Invention, and I know my Country...we're not a nation of celebrities and politicians, as the media would have folks believe.  Nope, we're a nation of small town folks, farmers, laborers, worker bees, parents, grand parents, survivors, inventors, and adventurers.  If Washington DC would get out of our way, we can fix this for our children and grandchildren...but it's gonna get messy first. 

When you have the choice to be right or to be kind....always choose kindness.  No one is going to care who was right weeks or months or years from now, but they will remember kindness forever.

Going through the "Lasts"

Scooter on one of her "Last" ventures by the tennis court

We're almost there!  Next Saturday we will be pulling out for our first scheduled trip.  We're going to Cashmere, WA for the 45th reunion of Wenatchee High's class of 1966.  It will be held at the Chelan County Fairgrounds, with hook ups!  And we've heard from our buyers...they are wanting to move in at the end of the month! YIKES!!  They are so excited, they aren't going to want a whole bunch done, thank you, Jesus!  So...push is coming to shove-off!  

We're trying to remember these are our last days here, and to really enjoy them.  Less than a month from now, we will no longer be tied to a stix and brix and all that comes with that.  Happy to trade in a house payment, garbage, sewer, water, 'lectricity, taxes...for FREEDOM, sweet freedom.  I've begun calling to cancel services here and found to my delight that our contract with our internet service is only 5 days away from being done!  Wahoo! (I've heard that folks have had a hard time getting them to stop billing their credit card, so we shall see!)

We're looking at storage units today...found a 10 X 10 for under $80/month.  It's more room than we'll need, but the smallest unit they have.  This place has been in business for quite some time, so we feel good about them.  Now to figure out when we'll make Idaho Falls and Seattle again for Miss Tracie's bed.  Poor Girls are having to double up in Lindsay's bed for now.  There's plenty of room, but with 2 cats and 1 dog, it's a bit crowded.

One thing I'll be glad for is fewer low pressure systems...hard to believe we've got one over the top of us when it's in the 90s out there, but we do!  I can feel it, :(  I used my pain cream today and has a great hour of relief...sure wish it could last longer.  It's hurting to type, so I'll go for now.  We're really excited around here, when we're not feeling overwhelmed, that is!  I'll take overwhelmed any day over being stuck in the stix!

Home again, while it's still home....

First, you must watch this!!!The Ultimate Dog Tease         

From our daughter Amy's deck in Bellingham, WA

We had so much fun with our daughters this weekend!  They are both so happy and doing so well in the lives they've made for themselves.  We are truly blessed parents!  For those of you that still own teenagers or young twenty-somethings...trust us, this too shall pass and they will come out as human on the other side.  The ages of 25 through 27 seem to be when they 'flip' and remember you're pretty cool for someone with gray hair....and pretty smart, too!

We were blessed with an angel on our shoulders through the Seattle traffic.  Despite road and bridge closures, a Mariner's game and the Torch Light Parade, we didn't have a lick of trouble getting to Northgate and our Tracie.  We had no issues any place we went and had such a great time spoiling Miss Tracie.  The only thing she really needs is her bed from Idaho Falls, and we'll try to get that to her this month.  We loved spending time with her and her kitties and her roomie's pup Fella.  (Fella...you're famous now, Dude!)  We didn't even cry when we had to separate! YAY! We're getting better about this, Trace!

Up to Bellingham and to Amy...we got to meet her young man, Russ.  He is everything we want in a guy for our Amy.  Very caring, thoughtful, doesn't take her guff, loves her unconditionally...yep, we're really happy to have Russ on this journey called life with us!  Welcome to the Nuthouse!  Russ has a Pirate for a Dad, too, so he's all broken in already.  Sweet!

Amy also finally decided to speak up for something she wanted!!!  We'd had several pen and ink drawings of motorcycles, nicely framed.  We took them all up so Amy could pick which ones she wanted, and she wanted ALL  of them!  YAY!!  About time our girls spoke up!  I think when they both realized we actually were going to throw or give away things, they started deciding!

Not sure when the AC in the condo will get worked on.  Some time this week, we think.  As soon as that happens, we can take the portable unit out to the Gypsy Rose and move in.  It's too hot out there now, and we've only got 30 AMP service in the gravel apron.  (Just happy to have service at all)

To my Prayer Warrior Group...please send up some prayers for my dear friend Michael.  He's at the same spot we are and doing this by himself (Texas).  Thanks, PWs!  

Wow...ten more days!  Wahoooooo!!!!