Labor Day Blues, Down in the back & our refrigerator has died!!

It has rained on and off all weekend long!  Thanks Isaac we needed the rain for the drought but my back sure doesn’t like it!!  I’ve spent most of the day Saturday, Sunday and Monday on heating pads trying to relieve the pain. I’ve barely slept as getting a comfy place to rest is almost impossible.  The grandkids came over Saturday afternoon and since it wasn’t a good weekend to play outside and Grandma wasn’t feeling too go it worked out great that they brought their WII and we played their new Super Mario game .. Yes i love to play games with them.  Grandma laid on the couch on her heating pad while we played games :) 

Sunday night around 9 PM i went to get some ice out of the freezer and noticed it was melting.  Hubby went out to check it out and the dreaded yellow stain and smell of ammonia has appeared and that means ….. Ughhh our refrigerator has decided to die!  I took the items that had to be kept cold across the street to our friend Wanda (thanks girl .. don’t know what i’d do without you lately .. love you) then i took the rest of the ice and put it in the chest and put things that would keep in the cooler there. 

Now we have some decisions to make as to what we are going to do.  We got online and have looked at prices of new RV frigs .. Yikes!  We did some searching and have found a couple electric frigs that will fit into our spot and hubby has looked into repairing ours.   We barely use the propane part of our frig as I'm panic about the thought of it catching fire so i will not let hubby turn the LP part of frig on when were going down the road.  So we basically use it on electric only.  We are planning to add more house batteries and an inventor for when were traveling and dry camping over night we can use TV and few things without using the generator so we could just install an inventor and use that when were in travel mode.  Regardless of what we do it will take 3-4 weeks before we can install or fix the one we have. 

Plans are since we are staying in one spot for who knows when we are going to bring an older frig that is in our son’s shop and set it up outside our camper and use it until we can decide and get ours fixed.  I guess it’s a good thing we are home bound after all.  Although i have to admit i’m a grumpy camper when things don’t work right.  The freezer part is keeping temp at around 36 degrees so until it goes out completely i can keep a few items in it and not have to cross the street to get them.  I put a bit of milk into a small container so i have milk here but the entire gallon will not go bad if it decides not to work.  The refrigerator part is keeping temps around 46 degrees so i am keeping tea and soda in there for now until i get a frig to use.

I hope you’ve had a better Labor Day weekend then I’ve had!

Effects from Isaac have arrived!

I didn’t get my back to stop hurting and to sleep until around 5.30 AM!  I slept until 9.30 AM and then it was time to get some errands done before Isaac showed itself here in our neck of the woods.

around 4 PM the wind started a bit and then before long the rain arrived.  We got like an inch in 15 minutes!

 

We went to dinner and just got home and friends Wanda and Jim took Lexi and Roo on a walk for us .. boom the rain returned in another down pour.  It didn’t last long and it cleared up again .. well for the time being.

   

I was looking at the difference in how much our little spot has changed from when we arrived in April until now .. what do you think?

This picture was taken 4-8-12

This picture was taken 6-22-12

 

Here’s what our yard looks like now on 8-31-12 .. As you can see our garden has grown. 

Around 8 PM the rain returned and from looking at the weather map it appears to be here for some time.  Looks to be a night to curl up and read a book as the satellite doesn’t work in the heavy rain.  The red dot is where we are .. looks like it may be a booming night as well as a wet one.

Another month has gone by

Wow it’s hard to believe it’s the early hours of the last day of August.  Winter will be here before we know it.  We’ve been doing the same ole, same ole.  Not really much going on in our lives except health issues for me and enjoying family and friends.  I’m going on my 3rd week of medication and i still really can not tell any difference.  I still get tired very easily and to top it off, I've been sick with allergies and asthma.  The neighbors that live in behind the campground seem to enjoy burning leaves and what ever else they can.  Hence it causes my asthma to act up and so I've guess I'm not feeling good and grouchy.  My back has been bothering me and hence less sleep. It’s almost 3 am and I'm up with back pain :(((

Papa and Toby enjoying each other

 

On the plus side we enjoyed having our grand kids this past weekend.  We only see them on the weekends now that school has started.  Toby loves his picture taken.

 

Papa with Hailey and Toby

 

Roo the dog we are dog sitting is settling in pretty good .. well other then she gets out of anything you put her in except for a choke collar.  She likes to run and run and then we have to track her down.  She escaped again on Monday night after i bought her a new collar.

Our son Tyson is still living with us and next month his divorce should be final.  We still have no clue what we will be doing this winter.  Weather we will be able to escape to warmer climate or if we will be have to survive the winter here in the cold Midwest.  It’s looking like our weekend is going to be filled with rain from the aftermath of hurricane Isaac.  We are praying for all those who were affected by the storm and so thankful we were not in Mississippi and having to evacuate.  We still remember doing that in 2008.

I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend.  We plan to spend it with family and friends.

Enjoying Family and Friends

Last week was the last time i will be getting the grands during the week as they started school on Monday.  So now i look forward to the weekends to seeing them.  It’s been amazing and i have so enjoyed all time we’ve gotten to spend with them this summer.

Tues and Thursday last week, we played games with the other RVer’s.  Tomorrow night is game night and I am looking forward to that.  We have really enjoyed spending time with friends here and we spend lots of time playing games :))

We enjoyed a potluck dinner last night with friends here at the campground.  About 25 people or so.  We had lots of good food, a nice bon fire and lots of good conversations.  I made a macaroni salad for my dish.  The fire ban has finally been lifted and it’s been cool enough in the evenings to enjoy a camp fire.  (I forgot to take my camera)

I really haven’t been doing much of anything except enjoying spending time with family and friends, enjoying relaxing in my lounger and reading good books.  I’m still on restrictions and so far i have not noticed any difference.  Although i know it’s only been a week and have been told it could take 3 – 4 weeks to really notice a difference if the medication is going to work.  I’m still so tired all the time and it doesn’t take anything to exhaust me of my energy. So life has consisted of sleeping, reading and spending time with family and friends.

update on me

The doctor’s office called yesterday and the test results are back.  I have an irregular heart beat and leaky valve .. for now treatment will be prescribed medication and if that doesn’t work then surgery will be required. 

I’m still on a limited activity until the medication has a chance to work.  I’m still tired with easy fatigue and now that the temps have really dropped to the mid 70’s and in the low 60’s at night i have been having back pain as well.  So I've been spending my time since the grandkids left just taking it easy and reading.

Hubby is enjoying this fall like weather and i like it but my back does not.  We still do not know what we will be doing for the winter and are still taking life day by day.  We have many irons in the fire and so living today for today is all that we can do for now.

Enjoying Family

My hummingbirds have been hungry this year.  I have to fill my feeders everyday .. sometimes i have around 10 or more enjoying the sweet nectar in them.

We had the kids all this week as their mother had to have surgery .. she had her appendix removed .. Toby enjoying his DS game

 

What a way to sleep .. brotherly and sisterly love

 

Toby decided he wanted to lay like the dogs do on the couch

 

Hailey watching tv .. ignore the mess behind her

  

Tyson, Toby and the dogs having fun

 

I went for my echogram and induced stress test on Thursday and will get the results some time next week. 

Another week with family

It’s been another week spent with family.  I finally got my pictures uploaded off my camera .. although i have to admit i haven’t been taking as many as i should be.  We’ve just been having too much fun with the grands!

 

We spent one night being up with a sick kid .. hailey was running 104 temp with a virus bug her brother had earlier in the week.

 

Hubby and the grands picking goodies from the garden

 

I think this is going to be the last sunflower i have for the year.  I have enjoyed watching the bees pollinate them and then watching the birds come and eat the seeds.  They sure have saved on bird feed! 

Tyson enjoying spending time with his kids .. they are making the separate family thing work pretty good.

the grand kids enjoying a cook out after a day of 4 wheel riding and swimming.  Hailey like pork steak and Toby likes hot dogs.

 

Lexi enjoying some down time from the grands

 

Here is Roo the new addition temporally .. we are dog sitting for her until her owner can get a place pets are allowed .. she’s fitting in pretty good and the other dogs have accepted her very well.

Me and the grands enjoying a 4 wheeler ride

Hailey and I off to enjoy the pool on a very hot summer day

The pool has been feeling pretty nice with the hot dry temps.  On Thursday early evening we finally got some rain .. we got a nice little storm with over 2 inches of much needed rain.  Then we got another nice little shower last last night. 

I know we have several months to go before we can head out but i sure have been having an hitch itch lately.  I’m divided between mother and grandmother duties and my desire to hit the road.  I know that my family needs me right now and i have enjoyed being here with them.  The gypsy in me just doesn’t like being stuck in one place for very long.  Our son has made the first steps in getting his life back in order.  Divorce papers were signed this week.  It shouldn’t be long before that part of his life is behind him and he can begin to move forward and begin a new life with his children.  It’s been a horrible ordeal for him and making him realize that no matter how bad he wants to, he can not change another person.  I’ve been encouraging him to get out and enjoy life when he doesn’t have his kids.  He is still young and needs to have some enjoyment in his life.  Sitting around and thinking what if or what could i have done to change things  isn’t going to change what has been done. We have let him know that we are proud of the man he has become and we stand behind him during this ordeal.  He did his best and unfortunately sometimes in life no matter how much you want something if both people do not want the same thing it just doesn’t work.

It seems that God brought us home for the summer for several reasons.  When we got home we knew that our son was having marital problems as this has been going on for several years now.  My dad dying with terminal cancer, my step passing away and hubby and i both having health issues.  It’s been one trying summer but as always we have our faith and God is always with us no matter what life throws at us.  We are slowly getting through these road blocks.  We made it through our losses although i do miss my dad everyday.  I’m just so thankful he isn’t suffering anymore and as i look back at the past year photo’s i see how he was suffering with his health.  Our son seems to be able to finally start putting his life back together.  He is finally eating and starting to sleep again.  When we returned home he is so thin and wasn’t sleeping 2 hours a night.  We seem to be getting him back on the right track of being happy that he hasn’t been in the past 4 years.  Now if we can just our health issues straightened out and get our son back on his own life will be good again.  I go Thursday for some testing and hopefully that will give us some results of what is going on with me.

Please continue to pray for our family that God continues to work things out.