It's a good DAY when Lost Keys are Found!

I lost my keys in late March earlier this year. This was our only set -- big mistake. The clicker was on the key ring as well. We have had this suburban for 3 years and thought the key had a chip for a security system. There is a light on the dash, and if you lock the car with the clicker and try to open the door the alarm goes off. We had an extra key made a couple of years ago, and the technician that made the key also thought there was a security chip in the key. He said it would open the door, but if we started the car with it, the car would only run for about 10 seconds.

Well back to lost keys--in March when I lost the keys, I was planting rose bushes. I had a load of potting soil, fertilizer and such. I remembered having the keys in my hand, then several hours later I could not find them! The same day, I planted a pair of scissors I was using to cut off tags and found them in a pile of peat moss!!!! So I thought my keys were in the same place. I was so hoping little clickers would grow beside my roses!!! We waited a week before going to the dealership and getting a new key! After paying the $50 to get the key from the VIN number, they told me it did not have a chip - the extra key at home would have worked!

So today my husband finds the lost key - sitting in the seat of his old dump truck! I am sooooo glad to have my clicker back!

Why am I so Busy?

I have been retired for 8 months and I don't know how I ever found time to work outside my home! I never seem to have enough time! I started out the day with a 2 mile neighborhood walk - since I got started late - I didn't even take time for devotion time - big mistake. I really need to have some quite prayer time every morning for the rest of my day to be good.

I had some phone calls to make, emails to answer, then card to send to sweet daughter-in-law who just had carpel tunnel surgery. It seems that I talk to youngest son each morning when I am exercising! I never thought I would have need to multi-task after I retired! I never got around to breakfast, so lunch was a banana, peanut butter and honey sandwich. I spent the afternoon with my 80 year old mother running errands. We both got haircuts, did banking for both of us - two different banks - needed to get some documents notarized. We then went to the farmer's market for fresh veggies and fruit - yum, yum!! Picked up mail at the Annex, quick stop at Walgreen's for stuff - then took mother to her favorite restaurant for dinner - Lobster was wonderful. We try to get to this little out of the way restaurant about 2 or 3 times a year.

Our next stop was the library - both mother and I can never keep enough reading material! I bought several books from the .$25 paperback rack, then checked out 6 or 8 more books - reminder to self books are due back on 8/12. The library will be closed from 8/11 till 9/22 for remodeling and repairs. Then on to the grocery store and pharmacy.

I picked up some fresh basil to make tomato basil soup. Hope it turns out good. I quickly unloaded car of all market items, dividing up our purchases and taking mother her share. I then cranked up the lawnmower and mowed at mothers, the block house and our front! Even at 8:00 it was still hot - I think the high today was 103!!! I watered mothers front yard. About 3 weeks ago I planted 30 rectangles of St Augustine grass - so I have to be sure it is watered or it will die! I also watered my potted plants. Mercy - it makes me tired just thinking about 6 hours of errands. Guess I am going to call it a day and post today's entry.

So why am I so busy? I keep trying to slow down but it is not happening.

Old Cars, Family and Fredericksburg

Sailing - we started out a long weekend on Thursday with an evening sail with husband's sister and brother-in-law. No problems or mishaps this time. Brother-in-law helped with ropes and sails and it was a wonderful outing and then we just sat at the dock and enjoyed the summer breeze and the sounds of the sailboat rigging!
Life is good! What more could one ask for in one long weekend! Add some sailing and a little music and time alone to communicate with nature and thank God for our many blessings and you have perfection.

Friday - On to Fredericksburg for the weekend -- We started out by meeting my sister her husband and my niece at a little local winery for a tasting. We met with the vintner after closing for a private tasting and sampled new appetizers. My favorite wine was Three Day Weekend. Then on to the Hanger Hotel to the Officer's Club and piano bar. We had a great time!

We stayed in a great little cabin with a small little peach orchard and a little creek out back. There were two little fawns at the front when we got there. On our last morning, I had my coffee and devotion on the porch with the doe grazing on the grass in the orchard.

Old Car Swap meet on Saturday - we had a great time. There were lots of cool old cars - husband found several items on his must have list - welder, winch, folding bicycle.... Sister-in-law and I just bought a few baubles and I got a cast iron corn bread stick pan. We got lost going to Lukenbauck it was about an 8 mile trip, but it took us 57 miles! We had our pictures taken with Billy Joe Shafer. We spent the evening at the Fredericksburg Roots concert - Blue Grass - New Grass featuring the Austin Jug Band. The music was incredible!

On Sunday morning, we walked down to the little stream, and stopped and picked up some river rocks as we were heading home. We took a photo stop at Enchanted Rock State Park. I wanted some of the granet rocks and picked up a little hand full on one of the pathways - I had not read the park literature warning about such -- the forest ranger, aka rock police were right behind me! I guess I was not too much of an offender and the ranger ignored me!!! Our next stop was Llano where we had lunch at the Acme Cafe on the Square -- some of the best crab cakes I have ever eaten! This was a really memorable weekend! Hope to make this an annual trip. There are lots of things to see and do in the Fredericksburg area.

First Day Sail and First Night Sail

Well the first day sail was uneventful - I handled the tiller, loosened & tightened the Genoa sail to tack(not with expertise, but that will come with time!!!) Don was not happy with how the motor sat in the water when pulled up. He said it was dragging all the time! Don heeled the boat a little farther than I preferred. (Heel - To lean over or list!) But we can tack (turn the sailboat through the eye of the wind, i.e. to go from port tack to starboard tack and vice versa) right along with the best! We were gaining on a Catalina 27 and going at little over 2 knots. Please note, I still have to use a glossary for terms - but writing about it helps me remember the terms. Not sure how I will ever get Port (Left) and Starboard (Right) correct, since I get left and right wrong all the time! Well - I had to go back and edit this one because I got it backwards and Don had to tell me which was which! There is surely no hope for me!!!

Last week we celebrated our birthday's and anniversary with #2 son - Jake and his sweet wife Kelly and her mom Ruth. We had a wonderful dinner at Texas Land and Cattle. After dinner we all went to the marina to see the boat. Liv and Luke loved it - Luke doesn't like spiders, but Liv has no fear, she was all over the boat from bow to stern! She loved the V-berth and wanted to play sleep - take off shoes! I can't wait till we can take them out for a sail!

First night sail was a little more eventful! We motored out just fine - Don is always worried about this - navigating in the marina is tricky and it was a little windy! He figured out about the motor problem - there was a cable to lock the motor that was restricting the lift mechanism of the motor - problem solved! The wind was a little tricky! We had a little trouble with both the Genoa and mail sail, but finally got them up. Again Don heeled the boat a little farther than I prefer. I hope I get used to that! The wind was a little high and coming in we had to drop the Genoa sail. The starboard rope ended up out of the pulley and on the port side and stalled the motor just as we were coming in. If that was not bad enough - the gas line got disconnected and the motor would not restart! So we are washing into BIG Rocks and then into mud - deep mud!!
We were stuck for about 45 minutes - not fun, but a learning experience! Once the gas line was reconnected the motor started right up. We did not get out of the mud for a while, motor ran good, just not quite as strong as Don would like. I suspect we will be replacing the old motor in the near future!!! We finally got headed in with a pretty good wind and just as we are headed to our slip the motor failed - we bumped the empty slip up from us before Don got the motor re cranked, but didn't do any damage to pier or boat! Lots of good learning experiences!

Next adventure - we are headed to Fredericksburg for the weekend with Don's sister and her husband - they have an annual Car Swap Meet. We are also meeting family there as well. This is one of our favorites - we should have lots of fun. I should have new posts next week!

Sailing

Day 2 - Well we took the pressure washer to clean the dock, the roof both storage units and the boat. Hard days work, but everything looks sooooo much better! Now we need to polish the boat to bring out the shine! Everything looks good - hard work - tired!!!

Day 3 - Best Friend Paula and sister Anna come out to the Cove to check out the pool and the boat! Jackie was fishing - Don was itching to go out - so off he went. Only a couple of problems -rigged the Genoa sail wrong and had to climb up to the stern to fix it! Anna, Paula, and I were eating, drinking.... and then went to the pool! Ask Anna about the wonderful dressing room????
We had a great swim - we were the only ones at the pool!!! The restaurant and club closed a couple of years ago - they are looking for someone to rent and bring it back - that would be nice!

We sat around talked and drank for hours - had a great time. Don took out the boat before we could cristen it, so we will have to do that another time!

Coming adventures of First sail with Ginger & Don and First Night Sale!

Sailing, Sailing, over the Ocean Blue

Well we have had the boat 1 week and 1day (purchase day).

So the story begins Day 1 - The Purchase: We met the couple to see the boat at 10:00AM Tuesday Morning. If this one did not work, we had already lined up another appointment in Rock port, TX - very close to Port Aransas.We were packed and ready to go. We knew by 10:15 that this boat was the one. So the overnight trip to Rock port was off. I felt bad when I called him -he was very disappointed we were not coming. We would still like to have that boat as well --it has a really neat history and the size we would like to have!! We went home with Don and Diane - of course The Captain and First Mate! Signed papers and were back at the marina within the hour. We wanted to open up everything since they had not used things for over a year. The Captain's health has taken a bad turn and he probably can't sail again for a while. We opened open the hatch and everything so there would be clean fresh air in the cabin! We came home to get drinks, a little food and Jackie! She was ready to go. After we got back home we had a torrential down pore and all our sails were all exposed. We tried to wait it out but finally headed over about 6:00PM Don was in his truck ahead of us we thought he left, but I guess we left first. Jackie and I went in her little car, it is hard for her to get up into Don's Dully Diesel. Just past Town east about 4 miles from the house the Rain had stopped. We got 2 inches that evening in the Grove!!! Well I got to The Cove and Jake was going to met us there, and there was no Don and we did not have a key card for the gate!!! But the good news is there was also no rain at the marina either. There has been a guy working on #3blue - I think he lives there too!! There is a penisula path you can walk down beside the slips - - so I went up to him and asked if he could open the gate for us. His come back was "if you don't mind I am in my under wear" My reply was if you don't mind, I don't mind - I thought Jake was going to have a stoke! I had told Jake the first boat open was it. He thought our boat was a clunker, that has long, long ago seen is last days on the open water! We all got a laugh out of that one! About 10 minutes later Don got there - I gues he got lost in the Black Hole - it has gotten bigger since we moved from Kirby Street! Jake even liked the boat enought to talk pictures with his phone!!! He was going to pick up sweet Liv at her cousions and did not stay long. We were trying to get the storage unit and foot locker cleared to water blast everything the next day. I think it was about midnight when we left. Jackie caught a couple of crappie, one bass and a cat fish.

The year of my Retirement

July 23, 2008--This past year has been a very busy one for me! I have celebrated my 60th birthday, my 41st wedding anniversary and begun an incredible journey! Let me begin at the beginning. Last November, I was retired by my employer of 28 years! At first I was very worried, but I have long since decided that this was the best thing that has ever happened to me!!!! I LOVE BEING HOME AND NOT WORKING AWAY FROM HOME!!!!! I have been so busy, I can imagine having to go back to work again. I certainly would have waited another couple of years to retire, but I think God's plan was certainly better than mine!!! Last fall was a blur of activity, and I haven't slowed down this year!

In June, I went to Padre Island with my sister, mother and best friend. My oldest son and his wife, my other sister and her husband were all there as well. We went to the beach everyday, ended each day at the pool and a big dinner with everyone! We had 20+ at dinner each night--my sweet daughter-in-law coordinated our evening meals together and we had a blast!!! As soon as we got back from Padre, my husband and I left Dallas for a week long adventure. Don had bought an old sailboat on E-bay and we had to go to Orlando, FL to get it! Well it wasn't quite as good looking as the pictures, and a big big project! We did tow it home after a 3 day stay in Pensacola! We bicycled all over the Pensacola and will go back again in a heart beat! In less than a week, I was on the Texas Coast, then Mobile, Alabama; Orlando, and Pensacola, Florida--and have shells and beautiful white sand to prove it!!!! I think I was at home 8 days in June!!!

July started with our 41st anniversary, then our birthdays - mine and Dons are 1 week apart! We spent July 4th with #2 son and his sweet wife! They had a big pool party at their house!!! Lots of good food, friends and family!!!

Ever since getting back from Orlando with the project boat, sweet husband had been on a quest to find another sailboat that did not need work and we could get in the water NOW!!! After looking at about 7 or 8 boats, we finally found the boat! We bought our boat from an older couple (I know we are old, but older than us!) who had had her at Lake Ray Hubbard for the past 12 years. The previous captain was really and "Old Salty Sailor" and Don really liked him. The marina is only 12 miles from our house and the slip has lots of extras! It is covered with lots of deck space. It is the perfect place for us. My 80 year old mother can fish till the cows come home! She has been fishing 3 times in the past week and caught something every time!

This is only the beginning of my adventures- more to come!!! Oh I might mention, that we also bought a row-boat/sail boat in April - had to go to Kansas for this one--another day another story!