It's been a long time . . .

I last posted after we arrived back in Wisconsin last May! Now it's December and we're back in Texas for the winter! Where did the months go? Chuck and I both drove airport shuttle this summer for Chippewa Valley Airport Service - as I always say, "it's my fun, summer, part-time job." Chuck did a few projects for friends, family, & some of his old customers. We enjoyed a visit from brother Jon - he and Chuck got in a little fishing, played in the dirt down at our land by Neillsville, and made our annual cheese run. We enjoyed a visit Up North to see friends George & Georgia while their daughter Brenda and her twin were visiting from California. It's always fun to see how the kids have grown over the past year. We made a second brief trip up there to take in a concert by our favorite Native American band, Brule.

We also attended a concert of the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra with guest artist Geoff Keezer (jazz piano). Geoff's proud father is my cousin (Ron and Mary Keezer) and we always try to catch his concert when he's in the area. Just learned that his latest album has been nominated for a Grammy. Wow, I know (and am related to) a Grammy nominee!! We also made a trip to the Minnesota State Fair and had the opportunity to see and hear the daughter of another cousin - Allison Hall (daughter of Tom and Sue Hall) is a founding member of and plays trumpet with the "Copper Street Brass Quintet." They were one of the featured groups on the stage at the Minnesota Public Radio building - promoting their new demo album. So many talented young people for relatives!!

My annual trip with friends Loris and Georgia took us to Chicago where we took in a taping of the Oprah Show (Loris won the lottery!), enjoyed the first half of the Broadway play "Jersey Boys," survived a bomb scare which emptied the theatre and our hotel (both in the same building!), enjoyed an architectural history boat trip on the Chicago River, visited the Shedd Aquarium and the Field (natural history) Museum. The bomb scare moved us to the Chicago Hilton for the rest of our stay including the first night in a two-bedroom, FOUR-bath suite on the 22nd floor overlooking Lake Michigan!! Sweet Home Chicago!

We finally got our butts in gear and got moving on our forty acres near Neilsville. We got our driveway put in (all 1200 feet of it . . . NO, it's not blacktop!), got electricity run back to our building site, and got a garage/pole building built. Decided to bite the bullet and just do it! The building center in Neillsville has our plans and will turn them into blueprints and we will get a bid from the builder who did the garage. If all goes well, it's full steam ahead next spring. Our house in EC will go on the market as soon as we get home from Texas. Exciting, but a little scary. Mostly exciting!

Now we're back at Woody Acres in Fulton TX. Cribbage, bridge, Texas Hold'em, bingo, needlework, fishing for Chuck (when it quits raining!), wine parties, etc. It's a tough life, but someone has to do it. Plans include a trip to San Antonio to enjoy the Christmas lights on the Riverwalk with friends Becky and Roger. Merry Christmas to all our friends and families.

We arrived back in Wisconsin just in time for the spring turkey season. Chuck went out on the opening day of his week before the sun was up and was home by about 10AM with a 24 lb bird. I haven't figured out if he's that good or if he is just very lucky. The average percentage kill is around 25% - he's right about 80% so I guess he know's what he's doing!!

We are both back at work driving airport shuttle for Chippewa Valley Airport Service. We drive from the Ramada Inn in Eau Claire to the Minneapolis Airport.

The weather hasn't been too bad - a little on the cool side for my taste but I'm still in sandals so it's not too bad! The rhubarb is growing by leaps and bounds and is ready to start picking, the crabapple trees are in bloom, and the dandalions are blooming (those little devils bloom when nothing else does!). The moving van is coming tomorrow to pack up our neighbors (across the street). They have retired and are moving to Racine to be closer to most of their family. We hate to see them leave but are happy for them that they were able to sell their home and can live where they choose. I think we will be contacting realtors next week and possible listing our house - if we can get our price it will give us the push we need to get off the dime and start building on our land near Neillsville. Neither of us really like living in town but we, too, will miss our neighbors and I, especially, will miss living close to my friends in Eau Claire. Hopefully they will come to visit and will let me come back to EC to visit them!

Texas Update

It has been too long since I have updated my blog. Don't quite know where the time goes . . . just too busy playing cards, reading, relaxing, etc. I guess!

Sort of house bound today as it is finally raining here in Texas. It is so desperately dry here that it is a very welcome occurrence. Other than a few (truly a very few) sprinkles, it has not rained since we got here in November and it was already very dry when we arrived. More rain is predicted tomorrow - all is welcome. It will not solve the drought but every quarter of an inch helps. It is also COLD - yes, cold. It is actually 48 degrees here right now - the very same temp as in Eau Claire!! Of course it will be back in the high 70s by Monday. We were in the Valley (Rio Grand Valley - Weslaco, Donna, Harlingen, Brownsville, etc.) on Tuesday and Wednesday and it was in the 90s then.

When we arrived back from Florida in January, we drove down to Nuevo Progresso MX since we were already down in McAllen. Picked up a couple of things (like Bailey's Irish Cream) and headed out. You are allowed two bottles each without paying federal tax and prices are really good. This time we went down with Roger and Becky & Bryan and Kathy. We stayed overnight and did Mexico on Tuesday and the Donna flea market and fruit market on Wednesday. Motel had a pool and that was enjoyed by all after a hot day in Mexico.

Since I last updated my blog, we've been to the 2009 Clay Expo and Bountiful Bowl Pottery Show. This brings potters from all over Texas to Rockport. In addition to the show and sale, they do a silent auction of pottery items to support the Aransas Co. food pantry and meals on wheels programs. Chuck and I & Kathy and Bryan went up to Lamar to their LaMardigras. We played in their "casino" for fun and tickets to use to enter raffles. Chuck won a 1/2 day whooping crane boat trip which we plan to take next Tuesday. Kathy won this last year so it will be the same group of six - Chuck & I, Becky & Roger, and Kathy & Bryan. Supposed to be a nice day so should be fun. We went with several couples from the park on a bus trip to the San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show. After the evening rodeo session which included bull riding, roping, the kids' mutton busting, barrel racing, etc., the entertainment was Billy Ray Cyrus. He put on a good show. Becky, Betty, and I went to Robstown to the Gem and Mineral Show and Becky, Kathy and I went to Robstown to the Peddler Gift Show. Last weekend was Oysterfest here in Fulton. We worked with Becky and Roger on Thursday evening in the t-shirt booth - they solicit volunteers to help sell t-shirts, beer, pop, and oysters. The whole thing is put on by the volunteer fire department and money made supports their needs for equipment, etc. We went back on Friday night to hear a local band called Riptide. They play mostly 50s and 60s music - the good stuff!! Every other Saturday they hold Belt Sander Races at the a local bar called the Pickeled Pelican. Roger raced one for the first time last Saturday . . . has a little work to do on it but hey, gotta start somewhere (see pictures above).

Chuck has had his boat out a couple of times - I threatened that he couldn't bring it next year unless it got wet this year. He's also been out with his metal detector a couple of times . . . no big finds, just a few pennies and quarters, a cheap ring, washers, etc. I keep busy playing cribbage, bunco, bingo, bridge, euchre, and spades. We both play Texas Hold'em on Saturday night here in the park and occasionally on Tuesday nights at a local bar called the Sugar Shack. On Sunday nights we play Pegs and Jockers with a group of friends. Two weeks ago I won the first blackout game of bingo at the Texas GI Forum for a nice size pot.

Our plan is to leave Fulton on Thursday, March 26. We will head up to the Roundtop area and have a reservation at the Dixieland RV Park in Carmine. On the 30th we will help George and Mary set up their booth at the Carmine Dance Hall. This will be their last show as the spirit is willing but the body is telling them to hang it up. We enjoy helping them . . . for those of you who don't know, George and Dad were Marine Corps buddies. We will help them tear down and then the next day head out for Branson. Will be there at least two weeks . . . will see what the weather is doing back in Eau Claire.

Greetings from Sunny Florida!

On January 8th we hit the road very early for McAllen TX. We made good time, had good directions to the airport, and arrived with time to spare. Our flight was a little late departing but we made up some time in flight. It was a smooth flight and Jon and Phyllis were waiting for us when we arrived at the Sanford-Orlando Airport. We jumped in the rental car and made our way to the condo on International Way. Even though I had printed out a mapquest, we evidently came out of the airport on a different road (even though there seemed to be only one road out) and we had a few false starts, u-turns, etc. before we got our bearings and got headed in the right direction.

We got checked in to the Hilton Grand Vacations condo with no problems. The resort is very nice - it is in a Tuscan theme. The main pool area is spectacular and there is a second pool area at the far end - slightly smaller and less spectacular but perfectly nice. There are six buildings spaced around a lake with a bridge across in the middle. We are in building 3 Villa Franconi. The condos are very nice - king beds with down comforters, screened balconies/patios (we have a patio since we are on the first floor), granite countertops, jacuzzi tub, etc. We had dinner on Thursday at a seafood restaurant.

We've done some sightseeing but mainly have been relaxing, enjoying the condo and our time together. We have gone to a couple of the flea markets in the area, the outlet mall adjacent to the condo. Last night Jon, Chuck and I played Texas Hold'em here at the resort (the activities department has different things going every day). There was no cost and the prizes were: 3rd place, $10 Hilton money to be spent in bar/snack bar/marketplace on the property; 2nd place, $20 Hilton money, and 1st place, $50 Hilton money. There were 7 players and I was the only woman. Jon took 2nd and I took 1st!!!! Chuck took a couple of bad beats and had to sit and watch us finish. This afternoon the four of us played bingo by the pool (activities department again). They played five games - Jon won one, I won one, and Phyllis won two!! Prizes included t-shirts, mugs, wine, sunglass cases, Hilton money. Phyllis won a bottle of wine, $10 in Hilton money, a mug, sunglass case, two ice cream sundaes. Jon a bottle of wine, $5 in Hilton money, and a t-shirt. I won a t-shirt, $5 in Hilton money, and a sunglass case. Poor Chuck was skunked again.

We have plans to go to Tampa to an RV show on Friday, go up to Leesburg to visit neighbors of Jon and Phyllis on Sunday, and to Epcot on Monday. They are having some cool weather this week - but of course that is cool by their point of view . . . . not by the standards of our family and friends up north. Sixty some degreees is cool for Florida but if the sun is out it's darn nice. Jon and Phyllis are enjoying their respite from Ohio weather. They have been buried in snow and experiencing bitter cold . . . based on reports from Phyllis' daughter, sister, and mother. Hope they can find their car when they get back to Ohio on the 22nd!