November 15 - 30, 2021 Getting Ready for Thanksgiving! And A Little Christmas Preparation

 Monday (15th) After having our breakfast and putzing around a bit, we got with it. I mowed the grass in the back yard. Can you believe we still have to mow grass in November? We also picked up our mail and completed the bank statements. Later we walked to the park with the dogs. Tonight I fixed Cajun Potato Skins along with salad and berries. 

Tuesday (16th) today we watched some TV after our morning routine. Later Steve was back to work on the RV TV.  Some part he needed broke - so I ordered another one  from Amazon. It was a slow day.

Look at that moon! Looking back toward town (east) from La Macarena

Wednesday (17th). I didn't track much of the goings on here this day - so I guess it was a blah day or more of the same. 

Full Moon Pics 10:00 PM!

Thursday (18th) After our morning routine was completed we drove to Stillwater. We needed to go to Lowes for bolts for the front leveling jack on the RV. Next we went to Walmart for Thanksgiving food items. When we got back home Steve got out our collapsible wagon and we used it to unload the groceries. That worked great! I'm glad my husband thinks of these things. We got the wagon at Cabela's last summer because I thought we might have to take Zoe for walks in it. But she improved and didn't need to ride in the wagon. The wagon is a great addition to our RVing/Camping stuff.

Friday ( 19th) We were up and around earlier today. We left home about 9:00 AM to go to OKC. Our first stop was REI for shoes. Next we went to Penney's and bought a couple of Christmas presents. We didn't find anything to buy at Target today, so we moved on to Camping World and got lucky. The last two stops were at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Kohl's where we were looking for some new kitchen curtains. But we didn't find any that we liked. We  went home and had lunch. We were a little tired so most of the remainder of the day was spent resting and relaxing.  

Saturday (20th) Steve was back working on the RV TV. I worked on the blog. Then we had lunch and a walk. We had to go to Braum's to get baked Tostitos and while we were out we picked up the mail. Supper was Taco Salad and Berries!

Sunday (21st) Today we watched Football with a few other activities thrown in. Dallas lost to Kansas City and the Vikings beat Green Bay. Also the Steelers got beat. So our teams didn't fare too well. I fixed Penne Pasta Bake for supper and it was very tasty!

It's Monday again! I don't mind Mondays since I'm retired. They seem to be like most other days! We  did laundry and Steve finished working on the RV TV. He also found my Benchmark atlases that I had been hunting. I looked for them last summer and could not find them. But they were in the proper spot - I just hadn't looked hard enough. I spent my morning shredding lots of papers that had accumulated. A benign job - but it needed finished. We did take the dogs on a walk and they were so happy.

Tuesday we started preparations for company. We made up the bed in the RV. Later we went to Walmart for the final groceries. We also had to stop at Homeland here in town because Walmart was missing some items. Later we had supper at La Macarena! Kristi & Logan arrived and they had eaten fast food on their way here.

On Wednesday, Austyn called me bright and early (7;15), which is not really my jam anymore. I am not a morning person. Although 7:15 isn't that early.  Since Kristi and Logan were here, we had lunch at Braum's. We also picked up a few more items to eat there. We returned home and made desserts for Thanksgiving while visiting and watching TV. By 6:30, John, Austyn and Sky arrived. We all went back to La Macarena and had supper.  It was decided that we would all sit outside and enjoy a campfire and make s'mores. That was relaxing. Everybody seemed a little tired  so we went to bed about the usual time. 

Thursday - Thanksgiving! (25th) I was up at 7:30 and had the turkey in the oven by 8 AM. We watched the Macy's Parade on TV until 10:30. Sometime in the morning we played a game of Skipbow. Then we finished making our Turkey dinner: Mashed potatoes, The Bird, Green Bean Casserole, Ham, Crescent Rolls, Stuffing and the desserts from yesterday. Steve & Kristi put the leaf in the table and fixed that. We all stuffed ourselves and then hung out watching Dallas get beat by the Raiders. Everyone had to go home and return to work, so we finished the evening by ourselves. 

Our Thanksgiving food!  We are not fancy!

Friday After the morning routine, we looked up stuff online. We are trying to figure out what presents to buy for Christmas. I also tutored Steve on how to pay the bills online. We had a nice walk and finished our day watching Bosch on Amazon Prime Video. 

Saturday & Sunday- We pretty much just relaxed and putzed around. I ordered some presents online and we walked both days. I am having rouble with a Pampered Chef order - so I have been messaging the Pampered Chef consultant to straighten that out. Green Bay Packers won their football game and Dallas rested (since they got beat on Thanksgiving). I made us Chicken soup Saturday and that was good!

On Saturday my team, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) beat Oklahoma University (Norman) in Bedlam! It was great! My alma mater doesn't win this match very often!

This is how we watch football!

Monday (29th). Last night was not a great night for sleep for me. But we got up and around because Steve was supposed to have an Orthotics Appointment. They called and cancelled it and rescheduled it until Friday. So we just did laundry and hung out. Later we went to Stillwater Christmas Shopping. We started at Academy Outdoors - no purchases, then Belk - where we did pretty good. Later we also went to Bath n Body, Big Lots and Walmart. We did have lunch at ChicFilA.  Our supper was leftover soup. 

Tuesday After we got going our main project today was to start on the outside lights and decorations. We took a break for lunch and then did some more work on the light in the afternoon. That about finishes out November. 

November 1 - 14, 2021 Routines and A Few Other Items

 Monday (1) Today Steve finalized the doors of the hutch. He had to put the glass back in them. That was a little tedious. I worked on making some follow-up phone calls and assisting Steve where needed. 

Tuesday (2) Today there was more work finishing the glass in the cabinet (hutch) doors. I paid some bills. We were just trying to wrap things up with the hutch. We had supper with Linda and Hazel at la Macarena and then finished our day with TV. 

Wednesday (3) I got up late and poor Steve had been awake since 4:30 AM. I wish he could sleep. Today we did our Walmart run at Stillwater. The price of gas in Stillwater was $2.89. We got home and unloaded all our goodies and had lunch. Later I talked to Pam. Steve & I caught up on our bookkeeping and he also worked on the RV TV for awhile. After he gets frustrated, he comes inside and we relax. 

Thursday (4) We were up and around early today. Steve has his back ablation today. We got on the road as 8:15 and arrived around 9:15. He had to arrive early to get a rapid COVID test - which he passed (negative test). Then we waited a bit and they took him back to the OR about 10;15. I waited and about 11:00 AM he was finished. He said they burned one nerve to the bone (which was very painful)! He said his head came up off the table and a few cuss words. Hopefully this will help his back in the long run. The rest of his day was spent taking it easy. 

Poopsie & Buster all tucked in!

Friday (5) Today we did a few errands around town but not much else. Just routine things. I did fix Chicken Parmesan, Couscous, Salad and Berries for supper. It was yummy!

Saturday (6) I was on the computer this morning sending secure messages to Steve's VA provider. He needs new orthotics. So I requested a referral for those. There are many things to keep up with as a caregiver. We watched OSU (OK State) beat West Virginia! Yea!  Then we took a walk around the neighborhood. 

Sunday (7) After the morning routine was complete we worked in the front yard. I mowed the grass and Steve did some raking. It was looking a little shabby and neglected, so I was glad to get that done. Then it was on to football. Dallas got beat by the Broncos! Darn. 

A beautiful fall tree in our neighborhood

Buster's nose peeking out of OSU Blanket

Monday (8) This morning I was due back at Ponca City for a Follow-up lab draw. So we went there. While we were in town we went to Brace Books to look around. I didn't find anything I wanted to buy for anyone or myself. So we made another stop at Ollie's and picked up some Christmas wrapping paper, which was a pretty good buy. We had lunch back at home and Steve worked out in the RV again. 

Tuesday (9) I spent most of the morning in the RV on standby while Steve worked on the TV connections. I also worked on some laundry. I was smart enough to take my kindle to the RV and I read while Steve worked. Sometimes he doesn't really need help, but maybe just hand him a tool or something. I can do that.

Wednesday (10) I was up a little earlier today so we arrived at Walmart at 8:45. The pharmacy wasn't open yet, so we had to shop awhile before I could pick up my medications. We gathered up the rest of the items on our list and headed home. We were home by 10:15 AM. We did some work around the house and then relaxed. I made it a point to cancel the Dish satellite payment til we hit the road again. Since Steve is having so much trouble with the RV TV setup, who knows if we will even have TV when we go.  

A tangled web is woven!

Thursday (11) 

Happy Veteran's Day! We thank all the Veterans. All Gave Some, Some Gave All!

Steve - husband

JC - Brother-in-Law

My Dad (Hugh)

I found out the other day that a dear co-worker had died. Her name was Jody McGlaslin and I worked with her at the Otoe Tribe. She was a very fun lady to work with. I will miss her. Today was a visitation for her at Pawnee. So Steve & I went and stayed about 30 minutes. Then we drove on over to Dewey, OK and visited my sister, Pam & her husband, JC. We had lunch at a Mexican food place in Bartlesville then it was back to their place to visit. I took a selfie of us, but it didn't turn out great. We left about 3:45 and got home about 5:45. We were pooped, so we hit the relaxation chairs!

Another Beautiful Fall Leaf

JC, Pam, Me, Steve

Friday (12) Today Steve installed the curtains we ordered online from JC Penney's. We don't like them because they are too yellow/gold. The color didn't match what we saw online. Oh well. We will keep them for now, but will also keep looking for different ones. We bought a new small desk for the computer room and we put it together today. I had a four foot long narrow table in there, but it made it hard to get to the filing cabinet. So we traded that out for this smaller desk. After lunch we went to the event center here in town and got our COVID Booster shots. 

Saturday (13) We are carrying on with our routine chores and watching football! I did work on the blog and am now near to getting caught up. OSU won their game but OU got beat by Baylor.

Sunday (14) Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. Dallas beat Atlanta!

Between Ponca City and Bartlesville (near Pawhuska) Are these really nice signs about Osage County. I had Steve stop to take pictures so I could read them later. The Osage Tribe has a designated Osage Trail and there are a few more signs on Highway 60. I am glad we stopped to check them out. 

 

Oct 25 - Oct 31, 2021 Painting, Oh What A Joy!

 Monday (25) Today we put on our painting clothes. We started the morning with sandind the paneling and taping around stuff before we painted them with  primer.  Up next was to paint on the primer. We painted primer on the hutch and on the paneling. This took us a while. Then we picked up our lunch at Braums'. My doctor's office called and wanted me to return for another lab draw in two weeks. OK, my white count was high (a teeny bit) and they wanted to re-check it. Steve made another run at the RV TV. That thing is just giving us all kinds of trouble since the original equipment (VCR) died. 

Hutch - Before

Paneling & Wall - Before

 

Primer on Paneling

Primer on Hutch

Tuesday (26) After we dressed up in our painting clothes we painted the paneling and more coats of white paint on the Hutch.  Paint, Paint, Paint! Tonight we got cleaned up and went to La Macarena to celebrate Maxine's 90th birthday. She is the mother of my stepdaughters, Linda & Hazel. Also know as my wife-in-law. The ex wife of my first husband. We have been friends for quite awhile. At first it was a little weird, but then it got pretty easy. My first husband died in 1999, but she and I were friendly even before he died. 

After more paint

Maxine - 90th Birthday

Wednesday (27) It's rainy outside today. Today we had to go to Stillwater for more paint and brushes and rollers. Then it was on to Walmart for supplies. We had a late lunch after arriving back home. We painted  another coat on (3rd) on the hutch and doors. By the way, Steve had to remove the glass from the doors so we could paint them. Re-painting a hutch isn't too easy. 

Thursday (28) Again, we are back at it. Today we are painting the inside of the hutch. We are also painting the wall. Steve did most of the wall painting. I did like painting the paneling. That part was easy. In addition, Steve had to move the refrigerator out of it's cubbyhole to paint it. Fun, Fun, Fun! I am so glad that I don't have to flip houses or be a painter for a living!

Hutch - Almost finished

Wall & Paneling - After

Friday (29) We forgot a little spot around the kitchen window, so Steve had to tape and paint that. We are also putting more coats of paint on the doors and the inside of the hutch. The cabinets we purchased had a little bit of gray accent color in the door grooves. We thought we could paint the grooves in the doors of the hutch to match. So I tried that today. Well it didn't look good. So I re-painted them back to white. We will let Steve try after they are dry. We bought new black hardware for the handles, but we didn't have new black hinges. So Steve spray painted the hinges black. They look great!

Hutch - After

Zoey is tired from playing football!

Wall - After

Saturday (30) More painting in the grooves of the doors. Steve tried doing the gray in the grooves and didn't like it either - so they will be white. We also watched football today. OU Beat Texas tech and OSU beat Kansas. There was also some laundry completed somewhere.

Sunday (31) Today we took it easy and mainly watched football. We also did all the routine things and walked the dogs!

Oct 18 - 24, 2021 Home Improvements and More Doctor Appointments

Monday (18) Today we did all the routine thing to get going. Next we got started on the laundry. After lunch we took the dogs on a walk. Then Steve brought up the subject of getting the Hutch painted to match the new cabinets. So we figured out what we need in the way of paint color and about how much. We put away all the knick knacks in the hutch to get it ready to paint.  We finished the day with TV.

Tuesday (19) We got up and around, then we drove to Stillwater. Our first stop was Lowe's to get the paint and supplies we need. Next was a stop at Walmart. After arriving home and unloading our supplies we had lunch and rested a bit. Our evening entertainment was supper at La Macarena and back home to watch some TV. 

Wednesday (20) After breakfast we took a walk before we started the real work. First off I washed the paneling and Steve filled holes in the wall. Next we washed the hutch. I had a strip of wallpaper border as trim (like a chair rail), so that had to be removed. We have a steamer so that made the job much easier.  By then we were somewhat tired - so we relaxed. 

Before

Thursday (21) Today I had a doctor's appointment at Ponca City today. So we headed up there about 9 AM.  I went fasting  so I could have my lab work done. Our lunch was at Enrique's. It's a Mexican restaurant at the airport in Ponca City. I love to eat there. There food is great and you get the added benefit of watching the small airplanes come and go. We checked out a new store  in Ponca City, Ollies. Of course we didn't buy anything. I had a mammogram next and then we went home. Later we watched the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns play football.

Full Moon

Friday (22) We returned to Oklahoma City to the VA for another appointment for Steve. Man we should be really health soon! They completed a new parking garage last year or the year before and yet today we had trouble finding a place to park. They had one level of the parking garage closed off. Who knows why? We were back home by noon, in time to have lunch. After lunch we started working on the hutch. We have to strip the old finish off and sand before we can start painting. 

Saturday (23) This morning we started working on the hutch right after breakfast. We did check in on the OU Football game some also. Then it was time for lunch and a few errands. OSU played this afternoon so we had to stop and watch the game. OSU got beat 24 - 21 by Iowa State. Darn!

Sunday (24) Today we kept using the stripper and sanding the hutch. We did watch the Green Bay Packers. The dogs talked us into taking them for a drive to CCC Lake for a walk. It is taking a lot of prep work to get the hutch ready to paint. It's a job and not one I would want to repeat. 

Oct 11 - 17, 2021 Taking Care of Business

 Monday (11th) started with Laundry. Later we  had to go out and buy a new test light and get the mail. I worked on a menu and grocery list. After lunch we relaxed awhile. Then we drove to Stillwater because I had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor to get a shot in my left shoulder. It is a steroid shot of some sort and helps reduce the pain I've been having. I waited over and hour for the doctor to give me a shot that took him less than 3 minutes. After we were  done, we headed to Walgreen's and Walmart to buy groceries and supplies. It was after 6 PM when we got home so we heated up a ready made pizza from Walmart and called that supper. 

Tuesday started with me making phone calls to arrange appointments for a mammogram and flu shot. I also checked on the Cpap for Steve. His machine said that the motor had exceeded it's life. So he needed a new one. Steve worked on the TV in the RV about three hours. We ate supper at La Macarena with Hazel and Linda. We always have a laugh when we are together.

Wednesday (13) We left the house at about 9:00 AM and drove to Oklahoma City in the car. We went to the CPap office to get a new machine for Steve. Then we went  to the eye doctor there and Steve got new glasses. He has cataracts but they are not bad. They checked the nerve in his eye at the back and if it is not OK they will contact us. When we arrive back at Perry I was able to get a flu shot at the event center. We had a late lunch at home. Supper was peanut butter on toast and Berries. 

Thursday (14) Steve checked the TV in the RV and then we worked on our bank statements and record keeping in Quicken. We had an appointment at our financial advisor and had lunch at home. Out supper was Baked Penne Pasta Bake, Salad and Berries.

Friday (15) We enjoyed a nice walk after we got around today. Then we were out in the RV still trying to get the TV hookup right. We worked on it most of the morning. Our lunch was leftovers from last night and then we did research on the TV connection.

Saturday (16) This morning we just putzed around until the football games came on. OK State beat Texas! Yea! Go Pokes! We also watched OU beat TCU. That took up most of our day.

Sunday (17) We got up and around and then drove to Enid to see the Dog Show. The dog show was held at the Fairgrounds Event Center. It would have been  nice to bring the RV because we could have hung out in between shows. But now we will know for next time. I have a good friend who was showing her French Bulldogs. I had been wanting to get together to visit and we got the added bonus of seeing her win! We ate Lunch at Colton's Landing (in Enid). We got back home in time to watch the Dallas Cowboys win their football game. 

October 4 - 10, 2021 Getting Settled at Home and Getting Things Done!

 Monday (4th) After we did our morning routine we took a walk. Then it was laundry. I also worked on the computer and had to call Apple about malware on my machine. They helped me solve the problem. Next we made a list of all the projects we need to do. I made an appointment to get another steroid sot in my shoulder - I am so tired of it hurting. We picked up a pizza at The Hut - but it was not too great. It may be awhile before we do that again. 

Tuesday - 5th. Today after we got around we drove to OKC about 8:00 AM. Steve had an appointment with the SCI clinic to fill out papers for his drivers license. He also got a flu shot! We were back home by 11;30 AM. After lunch we hauled off two loads of branches to the dump. They looked terrible in the front of the house. We talked to Ben Passow about cutting down our trees in the front yard. They make Steve have an allergic reaction - so we are getting rid of them. Plus they also shed branches and leaves like crazy. No more Sycamore trees. Today we also celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary!

Wednesday. We were up early again this morning. We returned to the VA to see the Pain management doctor. He gave Steve an appointment for November to do the back ablation. We returned home and had lunch followed by a nap. I talked to the tree guy (Ben) and he will be here tomorrow to cut down the trees. I paid some bill. My car has tire pressure monitoring and they all read about26-27 psi - so we checked them with a real tire pressure gauge and they were all at 32 psi - so what about that? Steve worked on the RV TV problem. We cut some weeds back behind the fence because they were pretty tall. No one takes care of the alley and then the water doesn't run through properly when it rains. So we do it. 

With Trees

Thursday (7th) Today Ben Passow was here at 8:00 Am to start cutting don the trees in the front yard. He finished about 10:00 AM and then returned later to grind down our stumps. After lunch we went to Linda's and I got a perm. That usually takes about 2 hours. Then we returned home. After supper we watched TV and relaxed. 

Nifty Equipment

One down, One to go

Bucket Truck hooked on the second tree

Without Trees

Friday (8th) Today we worked out front to clean off our front porch. Steve worked to straighten his small shed. While he did that I worked on the leaves in the back yard. Steve also worked on the RV TV He dismantled the whole thing up front and in the back. Supper was Turkey burgers, oven french fries and berries. 

Saturday I tried to help Steve install the thermostat in the RV. The gas heat still doesn't kick on. We also worked on the TV some more. Later we watched OU beat Texas. Then we cleaned up and took showers. We went to Oklahoma City to meet Kristi and John at Mama Rojas. It is a Mexican restaurant on the shore of Lake Hefner. The food was pretty good and the service was good. It did take quite a while to get the food so we ate a lot of chips! Then we walked around the lake a bit and visited. It was a nice night but pretty windy. John was askingSteve about marrying Kristi - he wanted to discuss it with him before he asks her. 

Yes, it was 94 degrees on Oct 9!

Sailboats at Lake Hefner

Geese

Lighthouse Replica

Sunset

Sailboats

Plaque about the Lighthouse replica

Sunday (10th) Today we watched football. Green bay Packers won and Dallas won. We did walk around the neighborhood. Supper was Hamburgers, beans, and berries. We also got about 3 inches of rain. 

 

Rental Scooter

When we took our walk we saw this scooter  just laying out in the street. The City of Perry has some kind of contract to have these scooters. We are a small town and have a larger older population. Can't you just imagine us older folks riding these scooters? (Sarcasm) I think it's crazy that we have these, but nobody asked for my opinion. Anyway, you won't see me riding one!  And they look unattractive laying in the street!