Welcome December

I slept pretty good last night thanks to a sleeping pill.  We got up around 8 AM and started getting around as we wanted to be on the road by 10 AM.  NOOO .. not on the road again as in moving but as in sight seeing and exploring Alexandria, Louisiana.  We were out the door a little after 10 and had to come back after a few miles down the road.  I forgot my camera!  Can’t go explore without that can I ?

(I forgot to add this picture to my Christmas decoration page the other day .. can’t forget my scentsy candle)

First on the list was to stop by the Mall to see about getting a monthly event schedule, no luck the office where they have them was closed.  So we decided since the mall wasn’t crowded what better time then to explore and look around.  It was a hit for both of us as I found my perfume (that I'm almost out of) I wear Escape by Calvin Klein, I’ve worn it for years and refuse to wear anything else.    Ekkk .. that was a big chunk since i bought a big bottle.  In my defense it’s hard to find places that carry it, it was cheaper to buy the bigger bottle and it will last a long time :)  Hubby wanted to stop by Sears.  YESSS .. we went to a toy store.  He found a socket set that had a certain size socket he has been looking for and the best part was it was on sell and he got the entire set for half the price the one socket would have been :)  I love good deals. 

Next was the Silver Dollar Pawn and Jewelry Shop .. can you guess who owns this Pawn Shop?

If you guessed Cajun Pawn Stars whom i had my picture taken with a few weeks ago .. you are correct!  Jimmie “Big Daddy” DeRamus! 

We visited several other places today but I'm going to save them for another day to post about.  Sometimes i think a little suspense is a good thing.  Plus, this way you will have to tune back in to see what i have to share with you. 

(another one of my Christmas decorations i created with some material and a basket .. it stores the dogs toys)

Before heading home hubby wanted to see if he could find his Fur Fish & Game, he is having withdrawals, so we stopped by the music/book store called Hastings and he was in luck they had one left.  Ughh .. I will have to fight to get into his thrown room the next few days :)  I needed a few items at the grocery store so we stopped by Kroger's and Mac’s .. Lettuce, Milk, Bread, Oranges and hubby also needed Ice Cream.  We also stopped by Petco to get the doggies a treat.  They love to look into their basket and find new goody's.

It’s hard to see as it’s a bit blurred but this is Lexi getting her new goody.  The bottom picture is Lexi enjoying her goody

We arrived home a little after 6 PM and my goal was to be home in time to watch my favorite TV Channel .. YESSS .. Hallmark released a new movie tonight .. A Bride for Christmas .. it was a great movie and i look forward to watching it again soon :)

Roo finding her goodie and the bottom picture is Roo going back and looking for another one :)

  

I’m exhausted and after hubby gave me a great foot and neck rub it’s time for me to call it a night and snuggle up for the night.  But before I do that since it’s the 1st day of December I’m going to leave you all this …

The month of December was always my favorite month of the year.  Christmas was my favorite time of the year.  It wasn’t about what I received but about what i could give and do for others.   For me Christmas was not about all the gifts you received but about the gifts you give from the heart.  It was about giving grace and spreading goodwill to others.  It was about making someone who had a hard day or who was having a hard time in their life to experience a better moment if only for a few minutes.  Putting a smile on someone’s face, showing them love, compassion, peace, joy or just knowing that there is hope for them.  Christ suffered so that we may have grace through him.  There is absolutely nothing that we can ever do to deserve this grace, but through Jesus Christ it’s given freely.  I felt that because of that gift that Jesus gave to me, I wanted to just give a bit of that back to others.  I would decorate every room in our home and the outside.  I loved hosting Christmas parties and Christmas dinner.  Giving out gifts of home made Christmas candy and cookies that i would make throughout the month.  It gave me such joy to do all of this and then all it took was one day to change all of that …

After my accident on Dec 27,1996, Christmas was no longer my favorite time of the year, December was no longer my favorite month of the year.  In fact i dreaded seeing the month and season come around.  I would get so depressed and all I wanted to do was just pass the month and season away by being alone to sulk in my bed.  Being condemned to a life of living with severe pain everyday, confined to a bed and four walls for over 10 years  was such a wonderful way to spend the month of December and Christmas (NOT).  Why should i want to make it better for anyone else?  It wasn’t better for me .. YES .. it was our family tradition to help needy families and regardless of how bad i was feeling, my family still found a family or families in need and would helped them out, but for me the joy wasn’t there.  It was for my husband and children and so i went through the ritual every year. 

The past few years I have found that Christmas is once again my favorite time of the year.  December is my favorite month.  In fact, I now believe that deep down in my soul I have always had that desire to help those in need (i just didn’t realize it).  God knew the desires of my heart even though i didn’t.  I enjoy decorating for Christmas, i enjoy listening and singing the Christmas music, I even enjoy shopping and seeing all the Christmas decorations and esp the Christmas lights.  I’m am so thrilled that I once again love the feel of the Christmas magic. 

So with all of that i would like to express from my heart to yours … Wishing you warm loving thoughts & wishes …

May the spirit of Advent bear you gifts of love, faith, hope, peace, joy & comfort filling your heart with abundant Blessings to embrace & share!

Have a blessed advent, faithful, joyful & filling December as we celebrate all of things and most importantly the birth of Jesus Christ!

Last day of November

I had a ruff night last night and i didn’t get to sleep until almost 6.30 AM!  I was a bit slow and lazy getting around this morning.  I did make it up and dressed by break time.  The sun came out and it warmed up very nicely.  I was even able to take off my long sleeves and put on a t-shirt.  Not quiet shorts weather, but a beautiful day.  It’s hard to believe this is the last day of November.  One more month and we will be in a New Year!  WOW .. where has the time gone?

Yesterday i worked a bit on making a Christmas tree.  I took this plant and decorated around the flowers with red, white and silver poinsettia's, put some clear lights and wrapped some material around the pot for a tree skirt and put a big bow on and now we have a Christmas tree.

 

After break time I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon at Diane’s home helping her build a blog.  We are still in the early stages but I look forward to following her on their RVing journey when our time comes for us to leave.  That is one of the sad part of RVing lifestyle there is always that dreaded time of having to head off in separate directions.   Snuffy and Jean left around noon today to head back home as they have a Christmas party this weekend with their camping club, Tommy and Diane left later in the afternoon to head home for their new grandson’s adoption party tomorrow.  We were invited to join them at their home but we decided to pass this time around.  I have a horrible time sleeping and i just can not sleep when I'm away from my own bed, plus i have so much to pack just for myself, not including hubby and 3 dogs.  I do not like hotels or staying with anyone else.  I think that is why i love our lifestyle so much.  I always have my bed and all the things i need to make life comfortable for me with me where ever i am. 

We enjoyed a nice quiet evening just relaxing and i enjoyed watching the new Hallmark show and another tomorrow night.  Both couples will be back on Sunday or Monday.  So it will be another quiet relaxing weekend for us.  Time for me to catch up on some much needed rest.  I seem to be very busy during the week with the ladies.  Of course i’m having a blast and love it!  We have lots of plans for next week, but i will keep them quiet for now and surprise you.

It’s going to be bed time in a few for me as my lack of sleeping is starting to catch up.  Have a great night!

Destruction or building?

We’ve been having some chilly morning temps but once the sun comes out, it warms up.  Not to my preferred temperature but bearable.  Around 10 AM the volunteers take a coffee break and we all get together. 

This is Snuffy, is he working or is the wall holding him up for a mid morning nap?  Hmmm i will let you decide that :)

The past few weeks have been destruction or demolition.  The ceiling and walls are almost torn out.

 

metal pilings are being installed in place of wood due to termites.

In the mornings it is a bit on the chilly side as you can see here lays the insulation.  It’s doing a good job keeping things warm?

 

I guess nap time is over? Or do you think he is just a busy man?

Of course you always have those that just simply do nothing but goof off …

and they would be Don and Tommy .. hmm looks like the dukes are being drawn ….

   

just kidding they are both hard workers.   YESSS .. it always seems to be break time, lunch time or dinner time for RVolunteers :)

While the men are breaking the gals are cooking ..

Jean is working hard baking ..

WAIT …. I like my lovely face just the way it is!  Okay, Okay .. I'm gone ..

  

Diane using the food processor to chop the pecans or is she eating them?  Hmmm

  Jean’s making pie crust .. mmmm i have a feeling Pecan pie is for dinner tonight!!

 

Yes .. it seems it’s all we do as RVolunteers is eat .. but it’s such good food .. I even found some grass that i actually like .. they call them collards? I do not like the green mustard or turnip grass .. it’s nasty .. i also had broccoli cornbread and it’s amazingly good and you will not believe what it has in it.  broccoli, cottage cheese and I'm not sure what else.  When i first heard what was in it my nose crinkled but once i tasted it .. it’s good.

This is an amazing life, serving the Lord, making new friends and enjoying seeing old friends, eating too much and having wayyy too much fun.

  

We are really enjoying our wonderful friends here Louisiana .. it’s hard to believe how fast time is flying bye.

Twin Lakes Campground

It was a ruff night for me .. back spasm and pain.  I slept in this morning.  It’s been a pretty chilly day.  YES .. you guessed it most of my day was spent on my friendly heating pad. 

 

I took these pictures the other day and forgot to post them so i thought i would today.  This is the lake across the road from the Campground. 

 

This is the other side of the lake it has like 2 fingers to it and this little guy lives here on the lake.  There is an old man next door who they call Mr. Camp and comes twice a day to feed the fellow. 

this is the road coming from the campground going up to the Tabernacle and Dining hall.  This is the Assembly of God District campground for this part of Louisiana. 

Ashbrook Hall is one of the dorm area’s where guest stay. 

 

they have these nice covered walk ways between the dorms.  Nice when it’s raining.

Here is the Tabernacle, very nice place for the kids to have worship services. 

 

The dining hall where the kids enjoy lots of good food and fun.

 

As you can see below the dinning hall is a pretty good size building.

 

They have a divider wall where they can shut part of the dinning hall off

Basket ball court

 

the outdoor pool

 

it has a slide!  Pretty neat, such a shame it’s too cold to use it .. i could have some fun in this!

  

The Girls Dorm is in front of the Campground

 

The Boys dorm is on the other side of the dinning hall, so they are seperated

 

 

baseball field

 

the shop

 

Volly Ball Courts behind the dining hall

 

another baseball field

  

Pavilion hooked onto the dinning hall where the kids pull out games and spend hours having fun

 

the road heading from the dinning hall toward the campground

 

above the campground is a road and up there is trailers where guest can stay

 

behind the campground is a motel, very nice and it has a washer/dryer for it’s guest

this trailer is hidden in the trees, very secluded and right now Pastor Kevin and his wife live in and they pastor an AG church in Alexandria. 

 

There is a side walk that starts at the Tabernacle and goes up past the dining hall, past the boys dorm, across the road past the basketball court, up around the pool, back down to the girls dorm and back to the Tabernacle.  The dogs and I have been enjoying walking around each day.  I also hook their leash to the golf cart and take them for a run around this side walk and they love that until they get tired and then they enjoy riding on the golf cart.  As you can see we are in a beautiful area, we are secluded yet within 2 miles we have access to a gas station, small grocery store, Dollar General and a Pharmacy and if you go 7 miles or so we have access to a nice size city that has anything you might need.  Like Best Buy, Big Lots, 2 Wal-marts, Bed, Bath & Beyond and many more stores, several nice grocery stores. 

This afternoon friends Tommy and Diane came back from their holiday and it is great to have them back.  Welcome back friends.  I went to visit Diane and ended up staying longer then i thought and so dinner tonight was left over’s for hubby and a salad for me.  Later we went and played Chicken foot with Snuffy, Jean, Tommy and Diane and of course the women won!  Before we knew it was time to come home and relax a bit before calling it a night.  Hopefully tomorrow the sun will return and the temps will warm up as tonight again i’m having back spasm and pain and it’s going to be a night of sleeping on my friendly heating pads.