Saturday, February 26, 2011

Another Week Gone By...

Gosh, it is hard to believe that another week has come and gone and that it is almost March.

With all of our projects completed, I thought we might be looking for something to do.  Quite the contrary...we seem to find something to keep us busy everyday.

On Tuesday, our Weight Watchers group got together for our weekly meeting.  And, lunch at Jason's Deli is always a treat.

The weather is cooperating beautifully, so pool time is a must on most days.

Our weekly craft group made

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recipe binders this week.

And, then there was our trip

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to Port Isabel to Pirates Landing.  We were treated to a

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bus ride,

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lunch out on the deck, with a

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few overhead guests.

After being entertained by

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a fire eating pirate, it was time to

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board ship for our trip around the Laguna Madre.

We passed under the

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Queen Isabella Causeway and were on our way.

We were named official pirates after getting our

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mustaches and a

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hand painted tattoo.

While out on the high seas, we enjoyed watching some of the

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local residents playing around in the water.

A trip around

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Long Island, through the

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swing bridge, gave us a great view

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of South Padre Island.

Soon, we were rounding

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bend at Port Isabel and made ready to dock just beyond

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the lighthouse.

After our trip to sea and before boarding our bus, we had time to enjoy another group of

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locals.

A great day.

The rest of our days are filled with...

Mark continuing to putter around finding projects to keep him busy.  I am still loving line dancing and have learned so many new dances.

Kathy has been busily working on my stained glass window, and it is

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taking shape quite nicely.

To finish off the week,  today, we participated with 12 others in a

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chili cook off.  While we were getting our chili tables set up, others

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were getting the cornbread and desserts ready.

After all the

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tasting and voting, the favorite was

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Dave and Bob's goat chili.

My chicken chili came in 4th.  What a fun day and a great way to finish off another great week.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A Crafty Kind of Day...

Before I get to today, here is an answer to a comment from yesterday's blog...

Sandra...thanks for your comments...we always enjoy hearing from you.

I just wish Tim Horton's was local...I had to order the coffee from Indiana.  I should have purchased a case or two when we where in Canada and the Northeast.  But, at least I know I can get it shipped right to my door.

Now, to answer your comment about our winter travel...I guess it could always change, but for now we are here.  We enjoy traveling all year, but the winter choices and destinations for us and our likes are few. And, especially when we end our fall travels, start and end our winter travels in Fort Worth.  We decided that the RGV for now was going to be our winter home.  And, I have to say...I was the one not totally in favor of here, but...we reasoned out our situation and agreed that this, was a good choice.

Now, I have to say, I love it here.  We have a fun piece of property, a great community, and have made some lasting friendships...just to add to the already large number of RVing friends we have across the country (and Canada)!

So for now and until we decide differently, we will come to our little part of the RGV.  And, if, along the way, we decide it isn't what we want to do, I will just place the property into the seasonal rental pool.

Again, thanks for your comments...wish you were here to enjoy it with us.

Now...on to today...

We woke to a windy, but beautiful day.  After breakfast Mark decided the new tile had dried enough for the sealer, so he gathered his supplies and headed to the coach house to take care of that project.  I headed off to the clubhouse craft room to check in on today's group.

Last week, we learned to appliqué the tea towels.  Today, Pat brought

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lots of samples for us to see and

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patterns for us to share and

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copy.  Thanks Pat for sharing your talents and the patterns.

I mentioned a while back that Kathy, our next door neighbor makes stained glass windows, and that I had ask if she would be interested in doing on for me.  She agreed and said when ever you are ready.  So, last week she came and did some measuring and we

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settled on a pattern.

Yesterday, she and I made a trip to the McAllen Stained Glass Studio to shop for glass.  I wish I had taken my camera.  I have never seen so much beautiful glass.  I also didn't realize how hard it was to pick out the right colors.  Much harder than painting a picture...no mixing and shading these colors.

But, after a couple of hours, and some help from the owner of the studio, we found

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just the right combinations.  I am not sure who is more excited, Kathy or me.

This morning early, she was out in her workshop...her coach house...and was busily making a pattern...which she promptly

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cut into a zillion little pieces.  Each piece was then assigned a number that matched a number and a color on her main pattern board.

Soon she was cutting and

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grinding glass.  By late this afternoon Kathy

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was placing the glass pieces onto the pattern.

This afternoon, Sue, another friend and neighbor, had time to come a help me with my newest endeavor...

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learning to knit.  I am not sure that I will conquer this one, but I am not going to give up quite yet.  Sue assures me it just takes a lot of practice.  We will see.

Even with all the crafting that went on today, Mark and I still found time to join several others to enjoy a dip in the pool and some hot tub time.  This evening, Mark grilled some yummy steaks and turkey mignons that we purchased from Schwan's.

What a great day.  Life is Good in the RGV!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Valentine Surprises and More...

Sunshine and Valentine's Day...what a great way to start the week.

Monday we enjoyed a beautiful warm morning and an even warmer afternoon.  This made a really nice setting for our

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Valentine Affair at the clubhouse.  Everyone enjoyed

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dipping fruits, pretzels, and marshmallows in the chocolate fountain.

Then there was time to have your picture taken with your sweetheart...

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Mark and Dale Bruss

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Daryl and Mary Kabriel to name a few.

As for my Valentine...I arranged for a mobile cleaning service to come

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and wash and wax the motor home and car.  And, I had a special delivery

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of his favorite coffee.

Hope you all made time to share the day with your valentine or recall a special moment you shared in the past.

The warm weather has allowed us to return to

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water aerobics and

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block parties.

And, with warmer days ahead and our

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shower project complete...we are looking forward to spending more time out and about riding bikes, time at the pool, and maybe even a day trip or two.

For now and until later...hugs to you all!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

That's More Like It...

I am happy to report that we have made it through the cold and colder days that plagued South Texas.  Our days are warming into the 70's and should reach into the 80's this week.

With the warm days, the

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Killdeers are enjoying the pool, and the

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Egrets have once again taken flight.

However, it makes me sad to report that so many of our flower and shrubs did not fair too well in the cold and

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we have had to cut them way back.  In addition, I am having to replace

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the flowering plants that I had planted a few weeks ago.  I am pretty sure the little shrub is going to have to be replaced as well.  I am just not sure, what I am going to replace it with.

Mark also has been waiting for the weather to warm, so he could take on the project of cleaning up our palm tree.  Palms are bad about getting ants and bugs, so in order to prevent the little critters

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from making their home up and down the trunks, they should be cleaned.

After working for several hours,

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he had it looking really good.  In fact, I think he has been commissioned to take on several more up and down the street.

The temperatures warmed enough for Ramon to come and start work

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on our new shower.  Tomorrow he will be back to start the

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tile work.

Kathy, my newest friend from Minnesota and our next door neighbor, does stain glass for a hobby.  I ask if she would consider making a piece for my bathroom window.  She agreed, and today she came and took measurements and

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started on the pattern.  In the next day or so, we will go on a shopping trip to pick out the colors and glass.

This afternoon was so beautiful and warm, we decided to take

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Kathy and Bob down to the Rio Grande River.  This is on the property that is owned by Rhodes Enterprises and as Retama owners, we have access to it.

We were thinking it would be a great place to bring the rest of the gang for

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for a cookout and picnic.

Bentley and Winsor, who belong to Kathy and Bob,

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agreed with us that a picnic beside the river would be a great plan.

While we were there,

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the Border Patrol boats were busily cruising up and down the river.

We continued our drive down the 1016 road where we noticed

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that the cabbage and the

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oranges seemed to have faired pretty good through the cold weather.

We are thankful that the warm days have returned to the RGV.  And, this was

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the finish to our beautifully warm weekend...and that is more like it should be in Texas!