Frustrating Month

Today is the first of November and Dave has caught us dinner. He caught a halibut from shore. We made sure the seagulls didn’t get any part of this one. Hahahaha! We didn’t eat it tonight as I had already planned on making BLT’s but we will have some of it tomorrow night.

It is full moon time in Bahia and I couldn’t resist taking pictures.


Well it looks like the full moon brings out all kinds of critters. Dave was in the garage and walked out to see a large spider on the driveway. He called me, as he knows how interested I am in looking at them and finding out what they are, so I came and took a look and took pictures. Then I searched the web to see what it was. Dave thought it was a Tarantula but it wasn’t really hairy like one. Well it turned out it was a Tarantula but a baby. Dave took him out a ways from the house so he could venture on. Here are a couple pictures.


Remember me talking about my friend Creela and her husband Phil who had a stroke last month? Well he has improved drastically and has been moved out of the place he was in and put in one of the best places for rehab. The Sharp facility in San Deigo. The day he arrived they assessed him A.S.A.P. to see what he could do on his own and what he needed help with. They had him walking up small portions of steps and now he can get out of bed, get into his wheel chair and walk with assistance. He has trouble still with bathroom business but they are allowing him to stay until the 13th so they can have him be able to take care of himself for the most part. I am sure they will have someone come to the house to help so Creela won’t have to worry about that but she is thrilled Phil is progressing like he is. He is talking better but will still need some speech therapy but we are thrilled he is doing so well. They are planning on coming to Bahia next year in the spring.

We are leaving for La Paz on Thursday the 5th. We need to get the boat back in the water. If all goes well we should be back to the house on Wednesday the 11th. I have a Craft and Art show coming up on the 22nd so I need to be back to make the announcements over the VHF radio to entice people to come and look and hopefully buy Christmas gifts.

We left this morning early for Loreto but made a stop in Guerrero Negro to get some money. We arrived in Loreto around 3:00pm and got checked in. I was so tired I had a hard time staying awake. I think my allergies are acting up again and that makes me sleepy. After getting settled in our room and checking emails, it was time for dinner so we walked up the street to our favorite place and had a Super Burro. It was delicious. Then we headed back to the hotel; stopping in a small store to check prices of rum and other things. We didn’t buy anything as we were just comparing prices. We left there and went back to our room to watch TV then went to bed. The next morning we had breakfast then headed for La Paz. The weather is in the 80’s so it isn’t too hot. We checked in at our favorite B&B in La Paz, named Casa Buena, to stay there until the boat gets in the water. Once we were assigned our room and settled in, we took off for Fonatur Marina where our boat is on the hard. When we got there we parked and walked to the boat and found the bottom had been pressure washed but not sanded and painted. Hmmmm!!!! The bottom was supposed to be already painted so we could splash the boat soon after we got to La Paz. Well guess again. So now we have to talk to the people in the office and in the yard to find out just what happened. We found out that Kenny, the guy who took the little boat we had that came with the house, had been fired from the boat yard at Fonatur. He paid us 3,000 pesos and took the boat back with him to La Paz and then he was going to sand and paint the bottom of the boat and wash it to work off the rest of what he owed us. Well he pressure washed the bottom; however, he and his boss had an argument and Kenny got fired. So now we have a problem. Then there was another snafu and that was when Kenny was still working at Fonatur, he had bought the bottom paint to paint the bottom of our boat and the broker from La Paz yachts showed our boat to a couple and they seemed to really like it so the broker thought it was going to sell. So the broker spoke with Kenny and made it sound like the boat was sold so Kenny stopped work and sold the paint. Then the boat didn’t sell as the people changed their minds and then Kenny was fired and our boat sat through the summer with no bottom paint. So we arrive and find no paint on the bottom and the boat is filthy dirty. We were very unhappy. So now we have to talk to the marina personnel to see what we can do about the situation and have to find Kenny to find out what he is going to do to rectify the situation for payment for the little boat we were selling him. We found Kenny and Dave and he talked and Kenny said he would try to get the paint and would try to get Fonatur to allow him to do the work on the boat. Well neither happened. Comex, the paint store here in La Paz, doesn’t carry bottom paint anymore and the only color they had left was red. Ugh!!!! Then the owner of the Comex store, whom is friends with Kenny, said he couldn’t get the paint without Kenny paying up front, which he couldn’t do. So that plan went out the window. So there was no negotiating with the Marina for him to work. So now what????? We went back to the marina and talked with Carlos, the head guy that owns the work spot in the yard who fired Kenny. He and one of his workers, Hugo(oogo), hunted for paint and got us the best price they could. So what is happening now is the boat has been moved to the work area, they will sand the bottom and apply the epoxy and when that dries put a coat of paint and let it dry for 8 hours. They were able to find blue bottom paint which I am happy about because the red would not have looked good. Anyway---so we had to pay for the paint and the work out of our pocket and now have to figure out a way for Kenny to save face but pay us for the work. Kenny is now having some healthy issues due to his liver which is causing swelling in his joints and he can barely walk and certainly can’t do boat work right now. So Dave spoke to Kenny just this morning, the 12th to try and have him figure out a way to pay us back for our costs. We said we will be back down here on the boat in February and we can see how he is doing and if he has a job to where he can pay us. If worse comes to worse, he will have to sell the boat in order for him to pay us for our boat expenses. So we will see what happens in February. We still hold the title on the little boat so it isn’t Kenny’s yet and won’t be if he can’t pay us. So things haven’t work out so smoothly this trip. We are working with the Marina to get a boat out of the slip we were promised which was the one we were in before we got hauled out in May. The guy who has his sailboat in that slip knew we were coming back and said he would move. But then he up and left to go to the states. Now the marina has a problem with moving the boat as he agreed to be out of that slip by now. We have tried to get another slip but they are telling us the slips are too big, 60 feet, for our boat and Dave brought to their attention that there are boats shorter than 60 feet in those slips. Mexico has some strange ideas on things. So we talked with one of the Mexican workers and explained our dilemma and he said he would talk to the head lady in the office and see what could be done. Soooooo!!! We wait. The boat is to be finished this afternoon and we should be back in the water tomorrow morning, the 13th. Then we can get the headsail up and wash the boat so it will be presentable to show. So that is my story and I am sticking with it!!!! So now instead of being back in Bahia on Wednesday it will be Monday the 16th. It has been very frustrating and depressing as we were not anticipating spending a bunch of money. Well hopefully in the end we will be reimbursed and things will be good. So we still remain strapped for money, but we have made it work before we will again. God is with us and I know things will work out. I will never give up thinking positive thoughts. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. We will see that light soon!!!!

We splashed the boat this morning and all went well. She started right up without a hitch and ran smoothly to our new slip.

We ended up staying in the B&B for 7 days which also cost us a bunch, but that is the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. We were able to move our boat to the other end of the marina where we had been originally and I think I like that spot better. It is behind the marina building, which is tall and it blocks a lot of the north wind. So we won’t get too much bouncing around there as it is away from the entrance to the marina. So we are happy about that. The man who had his boat in the slip, we were promised, couldn’t be contacted and in the end it worked out better for us. After we were in our new slip, the next day that man and his wife came in. He didn’t even have a marina key to get into the gate so he surely didn’t make any arrangements with the marina before leaving. Sometimes I get so upset with gringos as sometimes they can be selfish and rude when they cruise to Mexico. They think everything should be done their way and don’t remember, or want to, they are in another country and things are handled differently and on a different time line. This isn’t the first time I have been upset with cruising gringos, but I have to say there are just a few of those kind of cruisers where most cruisers are respectful of the people here in Mexico and remember gringo rules don’t apply. I wanted so much to say something to that man, but I didn’t as it wouldn’t have done any good. It was obvious he didn’t care about anyone else.
We spent the rest of the time on the boat cleaning her and getting the head sail up. It had been windy so we didn’t think we would be able to get it up but one morning it was very calm so we did it and all is well again. The boat is back to her beautiful self. Just before we started to wash the deck and cockpit, we were up having breakfast at the marina café when our yacht broker showed up with a couple people from the B&B. We had been talking to them about the boat so they came down to look. It is just the man who is interested with living aboard a boat here but he can’t make up his mind whether he wants a sailboat or power boat. But at least he looked. When we finished breakfast we went right to work. What a job cleaning her up. After sitting in the yard all summer and 3 months in the fall, she was really dirty. We cleaned her up as best we could and at least made her look show able again. We made a contract with Hugo to wash our boat 2 times a month and we would pay him in February. We also contacted a diver clean the bottom once a month. So more money is being handed out to the broker, to have on hand, so when the diver does the cleaning for Dec, January, he comes to the broker’s office to get paid.

Now we can go home. We decided to leave on Monday as we have to pay our bill at the marina and the office isn’t open on Sunday. We don’t have to leave real early as it is only 4 hours to Loreto from La Paz.

The 13th was Creela’s birthday and one of our grandsons, David. David is 5 now. How he is growing. Creela got a great birthday gift and that was to have Phil come home from the care center. She was ecstatic!!! He still has a long road of therapy ahead but they both will be a lot happier and Phil will be more willing to get better since being home. So we are thrilled for them.

We got home on the 16th and the next day our grandson E.J. left for Air Force boot camp. We are so proud of him.

Saturday, the 21st was set up day for the Arts and Craft Show opening tomorrow and running through the 30th. I make the announcements on the VHF radio to hopefully gain attention to the show and have people come out and buy Christmas, or any occasion gifts. Opening day was good, however we didn’t have as many show up this year as there was last year. It happens like that though. The rest of the week was slow and people trickled in now and then. We had closed the show for Thanksgiving so I didn’t work on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, so I could make my apple and pumpkin pies and get the bird prepared and the giblets cooked. Dave and I had a quiet Thanksgiving and it was nice. The turkey was a gift from a friend who had come down from San Diego. That was so sweet of him. His mother was a good friend of ours before she died of cancer.

All of the artists didn’t do too badly. I made about $50.00 after paying an entry fee and giving 10% of my earnings to the Museo, as it was their facility we used. It wasn’t bad. $10.00 went toward the luncheon at the end. Sunday, the 30th came and the show was only open for ½ day and we only had one person come in so we decided to start tearing down. We got done early as lunch wasn’t scheduled until 1:00 o’clock. So we hung around for a while and talked, had a meeting then I left to get a few things at the grocery store and met everyone at the restaurant for a margarita. Then after visiting, we had lunch. After lunch we left and went our separate ways. The Mexican ladies (3) had lunch with us too. They usually have a couple tables with handmade jewelry and other things for sale. It is nice to have them there. Here is a picture of all of us artists outside the Museo with our gift to Carolina, the director of the Museo. A new garbage can!!!!

Now I can get back to my regular routine!!!! Ha!!!! I don’t even know what that is!!!! Each day I get up I decide what needs to be done. I always have cleaning to do but I only do that once a week. I’ve been doing a lot of reading which I really like, and also taking walks on the beach and sometimes finding treasures I can use for crafts. There isn’t going to be a Spring show, which I am glad about because it will give me more time to create new things for the November show next year. I have to change it up a bit.

The grandson that is in the Air Force boot camp posted a picture on Facebook and that made my day.



He looks so grown up!!!! It was funny because in the picture he is smiling and Dave said he wasn’t supposed to be. Ha! It is boot camp after all!!!! Well a lot has changed in the world of the military and it was nice to see his smile. His graduation is the 8th of January and we don’t know if we will be able to go. With what happened with the boat and having to pay for the paint and all, it depleted our bank account drastically, so even though we really want to be there at the graduation, I don’t know if we can afford to do it. That makes me really sad!!!! But things like that happen. I am praying there will be a way, so I don’t have to disappoint him, but that is life. We still have a while before we have to make a final decision and then I will write him and let him know. Bummer.

We got some very sad news from our friend Creela. Her youngest daughter, who had just turned 50 and had been battling with alcohol for years, died a few days before Thanksgiving. She was living with her sister in Oregon, and Creela thought she was doing alright, but knew the drinking was still going on when she got a call from the hospital saying Tina had died. They tried saving her but there was too much damage to the pancreas. Wow!!!! Creela has had a really rough time of it lately and now this. So arrangements had to be made to bring the body back to San Diego for services and burial. It makes me realize that the problems I am having with the boat and money is hardly anything compared to a mother losing her daughter so young. Life is so short and a lot of times we don’t embrace it. I hope and pray that all who read this will thank the Lord for everyday they have on this earth and rejoice in our life, families and friends as it could come to an end abruptly. I am very, very thankful for my husband, family and friends who have enriched my life and also for being healthy. When I am sad, discouraged and depressed, I have to stop and think that it isn’t all about me!!!! There are plenty of people hurting one way or another and a lot of their problems are far worse than mine. It brings things into perspective! Enjoy every day as if it were your last and rid yourself of anger, fear, resentfulness, jealousy, envy, and hate. Smile a lot as a smile can change not only your attitude, but someone else. Try it-----it works!!!!

Home Again In Bahia de Los Angeles

It is October 1st and we said goodbye to Creela as she was on her way to see Phil and we were on our way to the border. We crossed the border early in the morning and didn’t have to stop at all at the border which was strange. We thought because we had a truck we would have to go into secondary and be searched but they just waved us through. That was a relief because we had batteries and internet equipment which they usually want to see receipts for the purchases. The only problem we had after crossing the border was trying to get to the main highway as a lot of the side streets were blocked due to construction. We managed to get onto the main road and traveled to Ensenada. We stopped at Costco, had lunch and bought a couple things then left and headed further south to San Quintin to see my friend Penny. It has been 6 months since her husband died and she is still having a hard time. It was good to see her and she seems to be doing better but still struggling. The landlord told her he is going to advertise the house again to try and get it sold so Penny will need to live somewhere else. She has been thinking about moving back to the states, preferably Oregon. Her family is there and that is where she met Murray. She has a lot of friends up there too that can help her so that is a good thing. I figure about January she will be back in the States. It was good to see her and visit. We talked a lot about Murray and his dreams, which was the house, but it isn’t her dream and we told her that was o.k. not to make it her dream. They enjoyed the house together and now she needs to move on if she wants. She has given away most of Murray’s tools and she still is holding on to his clothes. She said she is getting closer to getting rid of them but it isn’t time yet. When she can finally get rid of his clothes, then she will be ready to move on. She is still helping with the grandpa’s and keeping busy that way, but it is hard for her in that big house by herself and her two cats. We just stayed overnight and the next morning gave huge hugs and kisses and told her to come see us now she has a car. As we were driving home, I remembered the tools Dave had picked out from Murray’s things were left behind. We had traveled too far to turn around and go back so we called Penny and told her she will have to take a road trip and come see us and bring the tools. Ha!!!! She said she would load them in the car and when she got back from Oregon she would come see us. So there ya go.

We got home on the 2nd and surprisingly there were only about 3 dead cockroaches in the house and the place was as how we left it. No leaks or anything. It is good to be home and away from riding in the car for hours. By the way----the cortisone shot has worked wonders. I am in no pain and just feel stiff from all the sitting. Now and then I do still have some tingling and a little numbness in my right leg but it is subsiding. When I called the pain center to report on how I was doing the nurse said the pain goes away first then the tingling then numbness. So that is good news. Thank goodness.

Since we had to wait for the refrigerator and freezer to get cold, Dave and I had sandwiches for dinner last night then this morning I drove into town and got gas in the truck and bought groceries. The weather hasn’t cooled down at all yet. It is hot and humid. Usually about mid October the light switch (as we call it down here) flips and it gets cooler. After I got back from town I put the groceries away and vacuum sealed the meat and then I had no more energy. The road is still bumpy with a lot of washboards so I can’t drive too fast in the old rust bucket truck or my head will hit the ceiling!!!! It could just fall apart on me too!!!! Ha! Plus it doesn’t do my back any good either.

We have taken our Vermox Plus medicine to help the good bacteria stay in our intestines. Since a cruiser friend told us about it we have been taking it every six months and it works like a charm.

We couldn’t believe that the propane truck was in our area because they aren’t on a regular schedule to come here. We got a tank filled so that was good.

When our friends, Libby and Pete got back down here she called me on the radio to see if we still wanted her washing machine. We said yes and wanted to know how much she wanted for it. They told us a 6 pack of beer. SOLD!!!! The next time I went to town I got the beer and then we went over to their house to pick up the washer. Now it is ours and we have to clean out the sand from inside and see if it still runs. She couldn’t use it because it took too much water as they only have a small storage water tank. We have a bigger tank and we usually get water about every 9 days. We cleaned up the washer and ran it and it did great. We only put it through the rinse and spin cycle. Dave was checking out what we had to do to get it into the art room and he found out Larry took the faucet that went on the pipe where the washer hooks up to. So we searched for one and couldn’t find one in town so we said we would pick one up when we went to La Paz next month. Dave went over to see our neighbor, Joanne for something and came back with a faucet. So we will replace it for her after getting back from La Paz. We got the washing machine into the art room and got it in place. Then the day for using it came. I had a small load so I put the laundry detergent in and then the clothes, went and turned the generator on, came back and opened the water faucet and it was leaking. So Dave had to do some work on it to get it not to leak. Then we turned on the washing machine and it worked. For now the rinse water comes out through the back wall of the art room and drains into a bucket. Both of us have to be there when the machine goes into the rinse cycle as the buckets fill up with the soapy water pretty quick. We dump the water on plants and it takes about 3 bucket loads of water for a small load. When we go to La Paz we are going to look for some kind of a hose to hook up to the drain pipe so we don’t have to dump the buckets of water each time I do laundry. It will just drain into the arroyo and the plants. The hose will be one we can roll up when we are finished with it so we don’t have to dig a trench and put it in it. We may have to order one online and have it delivered to the address we have our mail delivered to in the States. It was so nice to have really clean clothes. They smell fresh! I won’t have to soak my clothes overnight; rinse them the next morning and wring the water out of them by hand. So much nicer and easier and the clothes dry so much faster too!!!

I am back playing Mexican train with the ladies. It was nice to see everyone after being away for the summer. Most of these people will be going back to the States for the holidays so they won’t be here that long.

Had to go into town today for groceries. I use to go in every Saturday but since the vegetable truck is in town on Fridays I changed my day. They have some really nice produce and it is cheap so I like to get it from them and then do the rest of my shopping after that. Well there was a glitch in my morning routine this morning going to town. I was going to stop and see a friend before I went shopping but I ran out of gas on the way to town. Dave had to bring the 3 gals of gasoline we had at the house and put it in the trucks gas tank. Then we couldn’t get it started so we were thinking it was something else like the carburetor. Well eventually it started and Dave followed me to the gas station and I filled up almost all the way. I was 6 gals short. Our pesos are getting low so I didn’t want to put more than 500 pesos in the truck. Once Dave knew I had gas he left me and went back home and I went on my merry way. We are going to La Paz on the 5th or 6th of November and wanted to make our money stretch. As it turns out we will have to go to the nearest town which is 2-1/2 hours one way to get pesos from the ATM. We almost made it.

Today is the 27th and it is my youngest sons wedding anniversary. It’s been 3 years. Time does fly and they have 2 beautiful boys.

We have good friends across the bay from us who spend the winter in Rome and summer here. They are leaving soon so they wanted to have a dinner party and they invited us to come. They always cook a 3 course meal and we have such a good time. We will miss them but they will return in April. We got home from the party around 11:30pm.

The next morning I had a hangover and I had to attend a meeting in town about the Crafts and Art show coming up soon. Needless to say I wasn’t feeling all that great. Thank goodness I don’t do that a lot. The Crafts and Art show will be held from the 22nd to the 30th and closed on Thanksgiving. I still have things left over from previous shows that I want to sell. Hope they will. The only thing new I am making are angels and ornaments for the Christmas tree.

This morning after I had my coffee and something to eat, I took a short walk on the beach and came back to do laundry. It wasn’t supposed to be windy until tomorrow but it came early. I had planned to burn this morning but that didn’t happen. I got the washer ready and Dave turned on our big generator and the water started flowing into the machine------then it stopped. We had to turn off the water pump and the faucet to the machine and look at the filter in the hose. It was clogged so once that was cleaned out the washer worked again. Everything was going well but the biggest problem was the wind. It was blowing so hard from all directions I had to chase the buckets and then had to have Dave come help so he could dump the bucket when it filled with water while I put the other bucket underneath the drain hose. I made a note to self------don’t do laundry when it is really windy. It didn’t take long for the clothes to dry that is for sure but as windy as it was the sand was blowing everywhere. We had gusts up to 35 miles an hour and ended up having to close most of our windows due to the flying sand. I was able to get the wash dried in record time and saved it from the sand storm. It is still hot here and the north winds are supposed to be coming so it should cool us down a bit. The wind blew off and on all night and we had to get up and close some windows due to the gusts. At least it didn’t blow as hard last night as it did this morning and early afternoon!!!! Now the wind is quiet with a few bursts of wind now and again but much nicer. I am afraid to open all our windows as it could start up again. We are supposed to get more winds tomorrow like we had today and I get to go into town to do shopping!!! Oh well.

Tomorrow is the 30th and I have to bake Daves’ birthday cake as we are going to a Halloween party on Saturday evening but are driving to Guerro Negro to get money that morning so the cake has to be done a day early.

Saturday morning came and Dave and I got up at 6:00am to get ready for our drive to Guerro Negro as it is an hour ahead time wise so have to plan it just right to be home by 2:00pm so we can get ready for the party. As Dave and I were sitting drinking coffee, Dave said------“I don’t want to go today.” I asked him if we really had to go as I wasn’t going to be buying any more groceries until we get back from La Paz and we didn’t have to worry about gas in the truck or propane until we got back so why go????? Well he thought about it and decided we didn’t have to so problem solved!!!!! I got some more coffee and we had a relaxing day!! After all it was his Birthday and should have an easy day of it. I fixed him some pancakes with bacon for breakfast and he went down to the bamboo room to continue putting together a jigsaw puzzle together and I did some crafts. The party was at 4:30pm and Dave didn’t know what he was going to be but I dressed in our old tie die Burke Bay Sailing Association t-shirts with ragged shorts and a band around my head to be a hippie. Dave decided he would also wear his shirt the same as mine and he would go as a beach bum. All he did was put a straw hat on his head and whala!!!

I cut up some jamacia, which is a very refreshing vegetable, and sprinkled lime juice and Mexican seasoning and that was it. The cake I made for Dave and the party was a Chocolate cake with strawberry jam in it. When it baked most of the jam went to the top of the cake (bundt) and so when I got it out of the pan it looked like blood and guts. Haaa! So that is what I told the people at the party. I cut about 4 pieces of the cake to save for Dave and myself later and arranged the rest of the slices in a circle. There was plenty to go around. The party was fun and there was so much food, I couldn’t even try a lot of the dishes. We came home around 9:00pm and watched a little TV then went to bed. So Davey had a good day and birthday!!!

Heading for Home----Mexico

Summer vacation is almost over for us. We haven’t decided yet when we are leaving but it looks like toward mid September. It hasn’t been a busy summer for us this year, but a great one as we have gotten to spend time with our family. It will be interesting to see where we will be staying next year. Life is an adventure and it just keeps getting better. Ron and Noreen have gone beyond friends. They are family and they have always been there for us when we have needed them. We are very thankful and words can’t convey how we feel about having them in our lives. We have been blessed in so many ways with friends and family.

Since our time here in the NW is getting shorter we have to face the fact of how to get the stuff we bought home in the jeep. Our back seat comes out and we usually leave it here in storage as we really don’t need it where we live, but there still isn’t a whole lot of space when you have 2 computers, 2 large suitcases, two overnight bags, and a medium ice chest. I will go through all the stuff I have in storage left over from last year, like fabric and yarn, and see what I want to take with me and then I have to take the craft things I bought with me. That is a must. We are having our annual Arts and Craft show in November so when I get home I need to get busy making things.

The doctor wanted me to get an MRI to make sure nothing else was going on with my back before I scheduled an appointment for a cortisone shot. I had that done and the doctor called and said that everything was looking alright. I do have signs of stenosis which is the closing of the area inside the vertebrae around the nerve in L4 in my lower back and degeneration going on but as far as he saw I should be able to get some relief from the sciatica pain. Yay!!!! When I received that shot 9 years ago I felt immediate relief so I am looking forward to that again. I know one of these years the cortisone won’t work and back surgery will be the only thing that will make me better, but I am praying it will be a few years before I have to go through that. I am not as adamant about not having back surgery as I was years ago, as things have improved tremendously and healing time is quicker. So when it is time to have that done I will look forward to getting back on my feet and enjoying life.

My eldest sister had back surgery a few months back and she may not be totally as good as new but she can move and I am thinking she isn’t in as much pain as she was. So it is all good!!! It is all about quality of life.

Just when you think things aren’t going to change-------they do. Dave and I had discussed wanting a truck but with our finances until the boat sells just didn’t look too promising. But one day we were out and decided to go to the Toyota car dealer ship just to look to see what kind of truck we wanted to get. We were not looking to buy, just window shopping. We drove up and parked and there was a gentleman standing outside that approached us very friendly, and asked how we were and all that kind of stuff and asked what we were looking for so we said a truck. He took us to a used Toyota truck that didn’t have a lot of miles on it with a 6 foot bed. We took it for a drive just for grins and giggles and it was nice. It had a few bells and whistles on it like back up camera and blue tooth. Well we really don’t need all that stuff in Mexico but now a day that is what is included in the package. After the test drive we got out and JT (the salesman) was there and we were talking and he mentioned about maybe writing some figures down just to see if it was doable to trade the jeep for a truck. We figured it wouldn’t hurt. We told JT that we didn’t think we could afford it and explained about the boat, but we would never know unless we tried. As we were walking toward the front door to go to JT’s desk we stopped and looked at a brand new Toyota, Tacoma truck. It had a shorter bed and we liked it so JT told us to take it for a spin, so we did. It was quieter than the other truck and it had more bells and whistles on it like XM radio, navigation, Bluetooth, GPS and weather. Well we weren’t getting excited we just figured that is what we will look at when we can afford to get one. We came back and parked and then followed JT into the show room to his desk. He asked us questions and filled out some paperwork and started to run some numbers. Well I will wrap this up. Everyone was really nice and they came up with a number we thought we could manage. But we had to go home and look at the finances to make sure we could start a deal. Chuck, the guy who crunches the numbers ask Dave what price would we be comfortable with walking out the door today. They had given us a price already and Dave said it was doable but he wanted to make sure. Chuck didn’t want us to leave because he didn’t think we would be back. We had to convince him we would call to let him know. So we came back to the Condo and Dave did some number crunching. It was doable!!! However, there was a lower number they had mentioned earlier which was less than when we left so Dave called them back and said the price they came up with was doable but it would be better if we could get it for the lower price. So we went back and they had crunched more numbers and came up with the number we felt comfortable with!!!! We couldn’t believe they were that willing to work with us on that. So we made a deal and now the new truck, Toyota, Tacoma 4x4 with 6 miles on it is ours. No one can tell me God didn’t have a hand in this transaction!!!! It went all too smoothly!!! So we traded in the jeep and now have a wonderful truck to haul stuff in and it is quieter than the jeep and smoother riding. Yahoo!!!! So now I don’t have to pick and choose what to bring home!!!! That is a wonderful thing!!!! We have been praying for a truck for a long time and now the Lord has blessed us with one. We are pleased and excited to see what the next few months will bring with the boat. Miracles do happen!!!

Happy birthday to my lovely niece Sheila and our grandson Dominick.

The weather has turned cold. We have had a few cloudy rainy days and the temperatures got down to the 40’s at night and only mid 50’s to low 60’s during the day. For us that is cold. It looks as though warmer weather is coming back so summer isn’t over yet.

Labor Day came and we got to watch our two grandsons, Cameron and Jonathan Jr. for the day while mom and dad did what they wanted. Jonathan Jr. is a kick and so fun and of course Cameron is still a baby but it is fun to hold him and rock him. Just think-----next year when we see him he will be walking and talking. Time really flies. The boys were good and both of them took naps so it was pretty quiet in the afternoon. It is nice to have them around but so nice to give them back too!!!! Ha!!!

Dave left and did some errand running and when he got home he walked past me and I looked at him and he had a smile on his face and then I realized he had gotten his hair cut!!!! He said he wasn’t going to do that until the boat sold, but he figured he would get a jump on it and by cutting it might spark a sale!!!! I like the way he thinks. It is strange to see him without the pony tail but I like it.




I warned you pictures of our 10th grandson were coming so here they are!!! Enjoy!!




Friday the 11th Dave drove me to Tacoma to the Pain center to get my cortisone shot. He also wanted to stop and get one of his stamp books that he had as a kid, appraised. I didn’t have to wait long before they called me to see the doctor. The nurse asked me questions and took my blood pressure but it was really high so she had to leave so I could relax and get it down more. If it stayed high I would have to leave and my doctor would be contacted to prevent any problems. But that wasn’t the case as it did lower and the doctor came in and was very thorough explaining what was going to happen and had me look at my MRI, which was pretty cool as my back didn’t look as bad as I thought it would. Just the low back in the L4, L5 area was affected. I was happy to know that. Then he asked me questions and we talked for quite a while then he asked if I was ready and I said yes. All in all the time I spent with the doctor and nurse was about an hour and a half. Dave was beginning to worry what was going on. This time getting the cortisone shot was way different and safer than in 2006. I still was hurting pretty bad when I left the pain center but knew it would take some time for the cortisone to work. Plus they gave me an anesthesia before the cortisone. I had a hard time getting into the truck as it was high for my leg to stretch, but I made it. We then drove a few blocks away to the stamp place and found out that his stamp collection was only worth $10.00. Oh well. It was nice to know though. Then we drove back to the condo in Bremerton. By the time we were home my pain was subsiding but the tingling and numbness was still there. It was good to feel relief. I didn’t realize how much I hurt until it went away. I figured my back would be sore where they injected the anesthesia and cortisone but it wasn’t. Not like last time. I didn’t do any exercises or major walking for awhile, just to let things settle down a bit. I have started a counted cross stitch birth announcement for Jon’s little one, Cameron so I have been working on that to hopefully finish it before we go home. It will be close.

I took Judy to the new Tommy Cash’s restaurant and bar for lunch to celebrate our birthdays. He is located in old town Silverdale now instead of Port Orchard and we have heard he is packed almost every night. He has made a name for himself in this town and that makes me happy. He and his wife Ester run the restaurant and are doing a great job. They will be brewing their own beer by next year so when we come back we will have to try some. Tommy was in my Cub Scout den when he was in grade school. I also had his brother Chris a couple years later. They come from a neat family and I am really good friends with their mom!!!! I didn’t get a chance to see her before we left as she had been taking care of her husband, Charlie, after hip surgery and then were going on a road trip. So we will have to wait until next year. Timing just wasn’t right this time.

We are starting the process of going through things in storage and figuring out how we were going to pack everything and load it in the truck.

We were able to see our friends Bob and Diane and visit with them and she even bought some of my jewelry for Christmas gifts!!! That was really great. They are really great people. They are laid back like we are and enjoy similar things we do. I hope they can come and visit us one day in Mexico. They would like it. Bob
Is retiring in December so they plan on doing a lot of traveling with their travel trailer next year. Diane has been retired for awhile now. We keep telling her that since she is retired all she should do is one project a day!!!! Bob wasn’t too happy with us about that since she would remind him of what we said. Ha!!!! He laughed! His time is coming!!!!

We had one last visit with Brooke, Ernie, E.J., Eian, Brody and Conor on the 14th as Eian was playing on his school football team that evening. We took separate cars as we have to leave right after the game. Eian played well and he is now the kicker for the team. He really likes doing that. Here are some pictures.




After the game we said our farewells and gave everyone hugs and kisses. Next year when we go up E.J. will be in the Air Force and Eian will be getting ready for his Senior year of High School, Brody would have grown by leaps and bounds and Conor will be talking and maybe even walking. Time doesn’t wait for anyone that is for sure. We got to see Michael and David one more time and then it was off to Susannah and Jon’s for an afternoon with them. Jon had a salmon so Dave doctored it and cooked it on the grill and we had that and some vegetables. It was very good and we enjoyed the time we had with them. Jonathan was really tired and wanted to take a nap and his parents tried to make him wait but we told him it was alright. We gave Jonathan hugs and kisses and told him we would see him next year. We left around 2:00pm as Jon and Susannah wanted to take the kids to the Pullaup fair when Jonathan woke up. We hugged and kissed everyone and I gave Cameron an extra kiss. Until next summer!!

We have the truck packed to its fullest capacity. We got a tan lope cover for the bed which is nice and will keep rain and dirt out. We wanted to get a hard cover for it but couldn’t wait 4 weeks. So hopefully next year we can get it. It will give us more stacking room. I did have to leave a few things behind, but for the most part I got to take what I needed from storage for home.

We invited Ron and Noreen over for dinner to thank them for letting us stay in the condo. Then we saw them again on Sunday to say goodbye. We had a nice visit and they were off to watch the Seahawks play at a friend’s house. We went back to the condo to watch it. We are leaving on Tuesday the 22nd so tomorrow, Monday I will do final cleaning and laundry and last minute packing.

We are on the road again and the weather is good. First stop is to my nieces’ house in McMinville, Oregon. We will spend the night then leave the next morning to travel to my sisters’ house in Ukiah, California. We thought about staying a second night but decided it would be better to keep heading south. Sandi and us had a nice visit and caught up on what was going on in our lives. She made an adorable super hero shirt for one of the young grandsons and is in the process of making another. She does good work. We had a great dinner after Andy got home from work and after dinner we sat and watched T.V. for a little while before retiring for the night. Sandi is having problems with her computer so Dave said he would take a look at it tomorrow.

The next morning Sandi and I made breakfast while Dave was looking at her computer and then explaining to her what he had done and what she needs to do the next time. Her computer was really slow as she had over 700 pictures on her hard drive. We told her to get a thumb drive and that way she will have her pictures and not slow her computer down and also won’t lose them if something happens to her computer. After breakfast Dave finished up on the computer and Sandi and I looked at the books she has and she was telling me how good this series was and let me borrow them until next year. She also let us borrow a Clive Cussler book we hadn’t read yet. Awesome. We really didn’t have room for them but we made room. Ha!!! We said so long to Sandi as Andy had already left for work. Maybe next time we can stay an extra day.

There were some fires burning in northern California so we had to drive I-5 which we don’t like but a few of the back roads were blocked due to the smoke and fire. We ended up working our way to Eureka on the coast of California and stopping for the night. We called my sister to let her know we would be at her house tomorrow afternoon. We had a quiet and restful evening with me watching TV and working on the birth announcement for Cameron.

The next morning we started out about 7:30am and were at my sisters’ early afternoon. We actually made good time and got there earlier than we thought we would. We had a nice 2 day visit and I got to see my niece, Sheila the night before we were to leave. Even though it was a Friday night and Sheila had put in some long hours at work, she stayed and visited until about 11:00pm then went home. Larry, her husband, was volunteering to help the people who had lost their homes in the northern part of California.

The next morning when bags were stowed in the truck and we said goodbye to my sis and Hig, we headed south. We had tried calling our friends in Santa Cruz to see if they were going to be home but they had already left for Ensenada to get their visas and then on to Bahia. We stayed in Kettleman City, California, overnight and called Creela, as her husband had had a stroke and was in the hospital. We usually stop and visit with them but we wanted to know how things were going and if she was up to company. She wasn’t much up to company but she told us to come ahead anyway. They live in El Cajon, California. When we arrived she wasn’t home as she was visiting Phil, but she told us the door would be open. So we were greeted by Chiquita and Taco and we waited for her to come home. Roger, a friend of ours came to see Creela and was staying the night. When Creela got home she said we could have the spare bedroom, as her grandson was gone for the weekend. Roger slept in the trailer. Creela was drained and very depressed as she couldn’t understand anything Phil was trying to tell her. He lost his speech and the use of his right hand and leg. He could however, raise his right leg off the bed a few inches and wiggle his toes which was a great sign. We ended up staying about 3 days with her as we didn’t want to cross the border until the 1st of October as that was when we got paid and we could take money out of the bank. We helped sweep out the garage and larger garage they had just built and I pulled weeks and we both helped where we could. We had a nice visit and while we were there we went and saw Phil about 3 times. He is trying to talk and he has made it known he doesn’t like the speech therapist. He doesn’t want to do the juvenile stuff like feelings and saying what, when, where, he wants to talk. We let him know he may not have a choice in the matter and in order to get out of the care facility he will have to meet their requirements. He is a very stubborn Italian and if anyone can get back to normal------he will. He is a fighter and won’t take no for an answer. We caught him one day trying to get out of bed to close the drawer in the table that was near his bed. Ha!!! It was so good to see and talk to him and try to understand what he was trying to say. Dave figured it out and it was about the speech therapist. Ha! He looks really good and he still has his sense of humor. We tried to give Creela as much support as possible while we were there. She is really depressed and I hope and pray she seeks out a support group and see her doctor to let him/her know what is going on in her life right now. She is a strong Italian lady so I know she will get through this. We are headed for the border in the morning.

Summer Is Winding Down

June was the month for doctor appointments. I made it through with flying colors and had a plug of skin taken from my left shoulder near the bra strap area. It had been bothering me and had scabbed over but wouldn’t heal. So the doc took the whole area (small) around the mole and stitched me up. They would let me know the results later.

This month is also for appointments like a mammogram, eye exam and hearing test. Dave had a doctor appointment on the 1st so he started the month with a healthy report!!!! Yahoo!!!! Actually we are both in good health.

The weekend of the 3rd we were on Ron and Noreen’s boat. They invited us to go with them to see the fireworks in Poulsbo. We dropped anchor and another couple rafted off us and before we knew it we had about 4 boats all rafted off one another. We had to put down extra anchors due to the weight but it was a beautiful spot. The weather was hot so guess what we did? Yep!!!! We got in the water. Noreen bought a couple floaties just for the weekend. It took me a while to actually get in the water as it was really cold!!!! I’m a scarety cat when it comes to getting in water period, so with it so cold I really had to debate whether it was worth the shock to my body!!!! I finally just told myself to ‘just do it’ as the other gals were already in and coaxing me to get in. Once I got in it felt wonderful!!! It was fun to float around and enjoy the coolness of the water on a hot NW afternoon. After that refreshing plunge I rinsed off with fresh water and changed into dry clothes. Everyone had a fun time and the fireworks were really good. The next morning Noreen fixed a wonderful crab omelet and after that we just took our time getting things organized as we were going to a party at a friend’s house in Keyport that afternoon. About noon we pulled anchors and headed for Keyport which was just a hop, skip, and jump from where we anchored. Our friends have a house above an inlet so we anchored not far from them and then guess what we did?????? You got it--------in the water we went. It was a blast but everyone said the water was colder. I stayed in longer than I thought I would but it did feel good. It felt even better out of the water in the warmth drip drying!! Around 4:00pm we took our dishes that we made to share to shore and enjoyed the party. They always have a tremendous set up and since they have a small dock on their property, their daughter loves to blow up fireworks. After eating and drinking all we could, we started watching the fireworks show. Meaning that Ashly (the pyroteck) wheeled about 4 or 5 wheel borrow full of fireworks down the dock. In addition to that she had quite a few people carrying more down the dock. It took about 4 people to set up the fireworks display on the end of the dock and when they were done, after about an hour or so, it was around 10-10:30pm. Everyone had picked the spot they were going to watch the fireworks from and then the fun began. It was a fantastic show for a private party and it lasted at least an hour. When it was over Ron, Noreen and we went back to the boat. What a fun day!!!

After breakfast we pulled anchor and headed back to Ron and Noreen’s boat slip in Brownsville Marina. After getting into the slip; tied and hooked up, Dave and I gathered our things; said thank you and returned to the condo. There was another party to happen that afternoon, but we were partied out so we didn’t go.

Today is the day I get my stitches out. Oh yeah!!!! I hadn’t seen a report from the doctor on the lab results so I will just check online when I return home. The nurse took the stitches out and I can continue to heal. When I got home I went online to the Group Health site and saw the results. They must have just posted them that afternoon. That plug of skin they took out turned out to be skin cancer. They reassured me they got it all so now I really have to keep an eye on my skin. I wear sun screen and a big hat when in the sun and even on cloudy days, but I have to confess I don’t always cover up when I go on walks. Sometimes I do but now I will have to. Well other than that I am healthy so I thank the Lord for that!!!!

We were invited to a Brownsville Yacht Club Junior Officers picnic on the 11th. We use to belong and had to drop out due to us moving to Mexico, but they still like to have us at their outings which are nice. The weather has cooled down and is threatening to do some sprinkling. It is still in the 70’s so it isn’t cold and they really need the rain. It was good to see some of the people we haven’t seen in a while and get to visit with them.

This Saturday, the 18th, I get to babysit our new grandson, Cameron, and his brother Jonathan Jr. I am so excited!!!! It is hard to see them as both parents work during the week and the boys are in daycare. So we try to see them when we can. Beware------there will be pictures!!!!!

I am still stitching away on the cross stitch soccer player for Eian. I am progressing quite nicely and by next month it will be done. Yay!!!! I ordered and received the instructions for 2 cross stitch birth announcements to do when I get home. Yes! They are for our new grandsons!!!! Unfortunately they won’t get them until next summer but it will be a keepsake.

Monday the 20th we are going to Ernie and Brooke’s house to help with the boys. Brody usually spends this time with his Dad but for whatever reason he wasn’t and Brooke is at Cheer camp all week. They asked if we could come and watch and take care of the boys while Ernie was at work and she at camp. Of course we said yes. It is good to get to know Brody some more and help him with soccer skills as he is in a select group for his age. He is 7. I have been to a couple of his practices and am helping him with some of the skills he needs to work on. It brought back memories when my boys were learning soccer. I cooked dinner for them every night so Ernie wouldn’t have to worry about having to feed the kids. I enjoy doing that and the boys really liked what I fixed.

Now with all the kids having X-box games and tablets and all, it is hard to get them interested in outdoor activities. I have always been an advocate for outdoor time for kids. So when Brody wanted to watch cartoons and play games on the tablet there was some real limited times for both. He still didn’t play outside much but did engage his mind in using his imagination to play with his awesome toys. Eian was busy with football practice and activities and E.J. was working and spending time with his girlfriend and us when he was home. It was nice just to be part of their lives. Friday, when Brooke was to return home, I told Eian I was making spaghetti sauce in the crockpot and all they would have to do is cook the noodles when they were ready to eat. He helped with the prep work and then mixing it all together. He loves to help and does some cooking himself. That was fun and we had a good time. He is such a goof and he makes us laugh!!!! With everything the boys went through with their mother, they have turned out good. They will struggle with some things but they are so much better off with their dad now!!!! I am so relieved and pleased at how the boys have grown and have turned out. We are very proud of them!!!! Ernie and Brooke have done a great job. There are still issues that need working out in their lives but at least they are growing into fine young men. E.J. has decided to go into the Air Force and has signed up and he should be going off to boot camp sometime around late September or early October. He wanted to be around to see his half brother born in August. E.J. had been accepted to 3 colleges and he decided he wanted to go to Eastern, but he couldn’t get a full scholarship and Brooke and Ernie didn’t have the money the school wanted up front, so E.J. decided to join the Air Force. I think that was a very adult decision on his part and he made that on his own without his Dad having any input.

Brooke was suppose to be home from Cheer camp around 3:00pm and Ernie shortly after that, but Ernie called and said that Brooke was delayed for an hour so if we wanted to leave we could because both boys were there with Brody and he didn’t think much would happen. The boys were watching a movie so we said our goodbyes and gave hugs and kisses. We had to catch the Edmonds ferry and on a Friday afternoon especially during commute time we would run into traffic. We lucked out though when we got to the ferry as we only had to wait an hour before loading. That wasn’t bad. After crossing the Puget Sound and landed in Kingston, we decided to eat out. We ended up in Silverdale at the Red Robin for dinner. That had been on our list to do while we were here and there were people waiting to be seated but we just walked into the bar and found a table open and sat down. The waitress had to clear the plates but at least we didn’t have to wait to be seated. We had a great dinner and beer, watched the Mariners play baseball and after dinner left and went home to relax. It was nice to be able to come back to a place where it was just us and no one else. We are very grateful to Ron and Noreen for letting us stay in their Condo. We truly have some remarkable friends. It works out for them as well because we keep an eye on things here and keep it clean.

Today, the 22nd is my Nieces birthday. Happy Birthday Kathy!!!!!

I had a mammogram appointment this afternoon. It was quick and easy. After that I did a little shopping for craft items then went home.

Today I get my eyes checked. Thank goodness. I had to wait a month to get in to see the doctor as it was too early for insurance to pay for it. I have been having such trouble seeing. I have stigmatism in both eyes and I haven’t been able to read signs on the freeway or anywhere in the distance and when I am doing my cross stitch I have had a devil of a time seeing as I am always adjusting the position to see it clearer. So it was good to know that I did need a new prescription but also found out I have the start of cataracts. Well I knew I would get them sooner or later, but was surprised that I was getting them sooner than I thought I would. Oh well. So I will need to have my eyes checked every year for the progression of the cataracts then when they can’t correct them any longer with glasses, I will get the surgery. So I am looking at least at a couple more years. Dave had his eyes done so I know it is a simple, painless and worthwhile surgery. So the aging process continues. Well it does beat the alternative-----death, so I will take what comes along and hope and pray my quality of life continues for a long time.

The weather has been warm and beautiful. We are so enjoying it. The temperature is just right for us as everyone else is saying it is too hot. Back home in Mexico it is hot, very humid with lots of rain. So we are having a great summer.

We got a little excited that we might have sold the boat, but it didn’t last long. There was a couple looking at 3 different boats and one of them was ours. They both liked the boat but the wife was very nervous about being on the boat with it on braces since it is out of the water for the summer. Come to find out, she is, like most women, are very nervous and anxious about a boat heeling over. So needless to say they ended up buying a catamaran which is what happens most of the time when women are nervous about monohaul sailboats. So we were slightly disappointed but not surprised. Our turn is coming!!!!! We were really surprised that anyone was looking at boats this time of the year, being that it is hurricane season down there now. September things will start to pick up again and we will have a better chance at someone buying it. IT WILL HAPPEN!!!! I am keeping the faith!!! It would be nice if the boat sold before we had to go back home to Mexico because we could take care of the paperwork for the boat here and the loan. But we aren’t going to worry about it. It is what it is and when it happens we will be ecstatic!!!! Then we will be able to see what God has in store for our future. It is exciting and frustrating at the same time. But everything works out the way it is suppose to so NO WORRIES!!!!!

I received the 2 counted cross stitch birth announcement patterns in the mail and to my surprise that was all that was there, the pattern. I have to buy the aida cloth and embroidery thread. Had I been more attentive I would have realized it wasn’t a kit. But I couldn’t find anything like these in a kit so it is what it is. Now I need to go shopping!!! Ha!!! I am hoping to start on the smaller one which is for Conor as the finished size will be 5x7. It would be nice if I could get that finished and give it to Conor before we leave. Here are some pictures of our grandson Brody at soccer practice. He has a good stride and is learning to control the ball. We are very proud of him!!

Better Late Than Ever Post

Yes! I am really late on this post, but at least I got it done. Ha!!!! Enjoy.

June was the month for doctor appointments. I made it through with flying colors and had a plug of skin taken from my left shoulder near the bra strap area. It had been bothering me and had scabbed over but wouldn’t heal. So the doc took the whole area (small) around the mole and stitched me up. They would let me know the results later.

This month is also for appointments like a mammogram, eye exam and hearing test. Dave had a doctor appointment on the 1st so he started the month with a healthy report!!!! Yahoo!!!! Actually we are both in good health.

The weekend of the 3rd we were on Ron and Noreen’s boat. They invited us to go with them to see the fireworks in Poulsbo. We dropped anchor and another couple rafted off us and before we knew it we had about 4 boats all rafted off one another. We had to put down extra anchors due to the weight but it was a beautiful spot. The weather was hot so guess what we did? Yep!!!! We got in the water. Noreen bought a couple floaties just for the weekend. It took me a while to actually get in the water as it was really cold!!!! I’m a scarety cat when it comes to getting in water period, so with it so cold I really had to debate whether it was worth the shock to my body!!!! I finally just told myself to just do it as the other gals were already in and coaxing me to get in. Once I got in it felt wonderful!!! It was fun to float around and enjoy the coolness of the water on a hot NW afternoon. After that refreshing plunge I rinsed off with fresh water and changed into dry clothes. Everyone had a fun time and the fireworks were really good. The next morning Noreen fixed a wonderful crab omelet and after that we just took our time getting things organized as we were going to a party at a friend’s house in Keyport. About noon we pulled anchors and headed for Keyport which was just a hop, skip, and jump from where we anchored. Our friends have a house above an inlet so we anchored not far from them and then guess what we did?????? You got it--------in the water we went. It was a blast but everyone said the water was colder. I stayed in longer than I thought I would but it did feel good. It felt even better out of the water in the warmth drip drying!! Around 4:00pm we took our dishes that we were sharing to shore and enjoyed the party. They always have a tremendous set up and since they have a small dock on their property, their daughter loves to blow up fireworks. After eating and drinking all we could, we started watching the fireworks show. Meaning that Ashly (the pyroteck) wheeled about 4 or 5 wheel borrow full of fireworks down the dock. In addition to that she had quite a few people carrying more down the dock. It took about 4 people to set up the firework display on the end of the dock and when they were done, after about an hour or so, it was around 10-10:30pm. Everyone had picked the spot they were going to watch the fireworks from and then the fun began. It was a fantastic show for a private party and it lasted at least an hour. When it was over Ron, Noreen and we went back to the boat. What a fun day!!!

After breakfast we pulled anchor and headed back to Ron and Noreen’s boat slip in Brownsville Marina. After getting into the slip and tied and hooked up, Dave and I gathered our things; said thank you and see ya later and returned to the condo. There was another party to happen that afternoon, but we were partied out so we didn’t go.

Today is the day I get my stitches out. Oh yeah!!!! I hadn’t seen a report from the doctor on the lab results so I will just check online when I return home. The nurse took the stitches out and I can continue to heal. When I got home I went online to the Group Health site and saw the results. They must have just posted them. That piece of skin they took out turned out to be skin cancer. They reassured me they got it all so now I really have to keep an eye on my skin. I wear sun screen and a big hat when in the sun and even on cloudy days, but I have to confess I don’t always cover up when I go on walks. Sometimes I do but now I will have to. Well other than that I am healthy so I thank the Lord for that!!!!

We were invited to a Brownsville Yacht Club Junior Officers picnic on the 11th. We use to belong and had to drop out due to us moving to Mexico, but they still like to have us at their outings which are nice. The weather has cooled down and is threatening to do some sprinkling. It is still in the 70’s so it isn’t cold and they really need the rain. It was good to see some of the people we haven’t seen in a while and get to visit with them.

This Saturday, the 18th, I get to babysit my new grandson, Cameron, and his brother Jonathan Jr. I am so excited!!!! It is hard to see them as both parents work during the week and the boys are in daycare. So we try to see them when we can. Beware------there will be pictures!!!!!

I am still stitching away on the cross stitch soccer player for Eian. I am progressing quite nicely and by next month i'st will be done. Yay!!!! I ordered and received the instructions for 2 cross stitch birth announcements to do when I get home. Yes! They are for our new grandsons!!!! Unfortunately they won’t get them until next summer but it will be a keepsake.

Today I spent some time with Jon and Susannah's 2 boys. Cameron and Jonathan Jr. I had a great time and got to watch Jonathan in the pool in the front yard and feed Cameron and get to hold and caress him and play with Jonathan while mom and dad went to a Seattle Sounders soccer game. Here are some pictures. Remember I warned you!!!!! Ha!!


They are cute huh?!!!! When dad and mom got home the boys were asleep and they couldn't believe it!!!! Grandma always has the touch!!!! I was able to visit with Jon and Susannah a little before leaving but am looking forward to the next time when I could stay a little longer and enjoy talking with them. It was 10:00pm and I didn't want to get home too late, plus my sight at night isn't the best right now.

Monday the 20th we are going to Ernie and Brooke’s house to help with the boys. Brody usually spends this time with his Dad but for whatever reason he wasn’t and Brooke is at Cheer camp all week. They asked if we could come and watch and take care of the boys while Ernie was at work and she at camp. Of course we said yes. It is good to get to know Brody some more and help him with soccer skills as he is in a select group for his age. He is 7. I have been to a couple of his practices and am helping him with some of the skills he needs to work on.



It brought back memories when my boys were learning soccer. I cooked dinner for them every night so Ernie wouldn’t have to worry about having to feed the kids. I enjoy doing that and the boys really liked what I fixed.

Now with all the kids having X-box games and tablets and all, it is hard to get them interested in outdoor activities. I have always been an advocate for outdoor time for kids. So when Brody wanted to watch cartoons and play games on the tablet there was some real limited times for both. He still didn’t play outside much but did engage his mind in using his imagination to play with his awesome toys. Eian was busy with football practice and activities and E.J. was working and spending time with his girlfriend and us when he was home. It was nice just to be part of their lives. Friday, when Brooke was to return home, I told Eian I was making spaghetti sauce in the crockpot and all they would have to do is cook the noodles when they were ready to eat. He helped with the prep work and then mixing it all together. He loves to help and does some cooking himself. That was fun and we had a good time. He is such a goof and he makes us laugh!!!! With everything the boys went through with their mother, they have turned out good. They will struggle with some things but they are so much better off with their dad now!!!! I am so relieved and pleased at how the boys have grown and have turned out. We are very proud of them!!!! Ernie and Brooke have done a great job. There are still issues that need working out in their lives but at least they are growing into fine young men. E.J. has decided to go into the Air Force and has signed up and he should be going off to boot camp sometime around late September or early October. He wanted to be around to see his half brother born in August. E.J. had been accepted to 3 colleges and he decided he wanted to go to Eastern, but he couldn’t get a full scholarship and Brooke and Ernie didn’t have the money the school wanted up front, so E.J. decided to join the Air Force. I think that was a very adult decision on his part and he made that on his own without his Dad having anything input.

Brooke was suppose to be home from Cheer camp around 3:00pm and Ernie shortly after that, but Ernie called and said that Brooke was delayed for an hour so if we wanted to leave we could because both boys were there with Brody and he didn’t think much would happen. They boys were watching a movie so we said our goodbyes and gave hugs and kisses. We had to catch the Edmonds ferry and on a Friday afternoon especially during commute time we would run into traffic. We lucked out though when we got to the ferry as we only had to wait an hour before boarding. That wasn’t bad. After crossing the Puget Sound to the other side of the sound, we stopped at Red Robin for dinner. That had been on our list to do while we were here and there were people waiting to be seated but we just walked into the bar and found a table open and sat down. The waitress had to clear the plates but at least we didn’t have to wait to be seated. We had a great dinner and some beer, watched the Mariners play baseball and after dinner left and went home to relax. It was nice to be able to come back to a place where it was just us and no one else. We are very grateful to Ron and Noreen for letting us stay in their Condo. We truly have some remarkable friends. It works out for them as well because we keep an eye on things here and keep it clean.

Today, the 22nd is my Nieces birthday. Happy Birthday Kathy!!!!!

I had a mammogram appointment this afternoon. It was quick and easy. After that I did a little shopping for craft items then went home.

Today I get my eyes checked. Thank goodness. I had to wait a month to get in to see the doctor as it was too early for insurance to pay for it. I have been having such trouble seeing. I have stigmatism in both eyes and I haven’t been able to read signs on the freeway or anywhere in the distance and when I am doing my cross stitch I have had a devil of a time seeing as I am always adjusting the position to see it clearer. So it was good to know that I did need a new prescription but also found out I have the starting of cataracts. Well I knew I would get them sooner or later, but was surprised that I was getting them sooner than I thought I would. Oh well. So I will need to have my eyes checked every year for the progression of the cataracts then when they can’t correct them any longer with glasses, I will get the surgery. So I am looking at least at a couple more years. Dave had his eyes done so I know it is a simple, painless and worthwhile surgery. So the aging process continues. Well it does beat the alternative-----death, so I will take what comes along and hope and pray my quality of life continues for a long time.

The weather has been warm and beautiful. We are so enjoying it. The temperature is just right for us as everyone else is saying it is too hot. Back home in Mexico it is hot, very humid with lots of rain. So we are having a great summer.

We got a little excited that we might have sold the boat, but it didn’t last long. There was a couple looking at 3 different boat and one of them was ours. They both liked the boat but the wife was very nervous about being on the boat with it on braces since it is out of the water for the summer. Come to find out she is, like most women are about a boat heeling over, very nervous and anxious. They ended up buying a catamaran which is what happens most of the time when women are nervous about sailboats. So we were slightly disappointed but not surprised. Our turn is coming!!!!! We were really surprised that anyone was looking at boats this time of the year, being that it is hurricane season down there now. September things will start to pick up again and we will have a better chance at someone buying it. IT WILL HAPPEN!!!! I am keeping the faith!!! It would be nice if the boat sold before we had to go back home to Mexico because we could take care of the paperwork for the boat here and the loan. But we aren’t going to worry about it. It is what it is and when it happens we will be ecstatic!!!! Then we will be able to see what God had in store for our future. It is exciting and frustrating at the same time. But everything works out the way it is suppose to so NO WORRIES!!!!!

I got to spend the day with my best girlfriend here in Bremerton and her great granddaughter. We went to Port Orchard to an antique store and found a vase filled with sea glass for 50% off. What a find. I need to make more necklaces before a friend of mine has a girl's night out on her boat at the Brownsville Marina where I will be showing and hopefully selling my jewelry. After leaving the antique store we went to lunch at Debbie McCombers, the author of several books, tea house. After lunch we went to the Salvation Army thrift store and I found a pair of shoes I can wear on the beach at home. Zoey, Judy's great granddaughter was getting timed so we called it a day. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Next time it will be just Judy and I. We are suppose to be going to Ocean Shores for 4 days soon but Judy needs to hear from her girlfriend to find out if there is room at her house as her daughter is moving out. The plan is to go from the 11th of August to the 14th. Something to look forward to and some time to ourselves.

The Summer Starts With Grandson's High School Graduation

On the road again------and the weather is really nice. Not too hot. We had a little trouble with the jeep driving on the grapevine highway---but nothing serious. It does not like that road for some reason. While on cruise control it starts to surge like it is trying to keep an even speed. On that stretch of the freeway it can get really windy, but there wasn’t too much wind that day. Anyway-----after awhile a bell dings to let us know we have to stop and turn the engine off. So we pulled over and let the engine sit for a few minutes and then turned it back on and off we went with no further problems. About three years ago when we took the grapevine north it did the exact same thing. We had it checked and nothing was wrong. Hmmmm!!! Oh well. I guess we don’t go that way anymore.

We made it to Redding and then cut over toward the coast and ended up staying at Arcata for the night as it was too far to drive to Brookings that day. We relaxed and will head out in the morning and be at Robert and Kristis’ house in Brookings, Oregon in the afternoon.

After breakfast we headed toward the Oregon state line but before crossing the border we stopped at the ‘save money’ liquor store. We called Ron and asked him what he wanted, as we always fill his order and get reimbursed later. We shopped for ourselves and Ron and Noreen then were over the border shortly thereafter. We arrived at Robert and Kristi’s house late morning and Kristi was at Yoga and Robert was busy doing something downstairs. We visited with Robert then he went back to work and Kristi came home and I talked with her for awhile. It was just a relaxing day. It had been raining and continued all afternoon then let up that evening. We were thinking we might stay with them for a couple days, but that plan got changed as they are heading out in the morning for Medford to get doctor appointments and other business taken care of. We enjoyed the time we had with them and we went to the restaurant and martini bar named ‘Super Fly’ for dinner. For desert I ordered a chocolate martini and shared it with all of us. Yummmm!!!! We headed back to the house and relaxed for the rest of the night. We all went to bed early as we needed to get up early (all of us) and head out.

The next morning we headed back to I-5 going north (which is the quickest way to get to Washington) and Kristi and Robert were not far behind us but would turn south to go to Medford. It is always fun and a good time when we stop and see them. They are great people.

It wasn’t raining when we headed out but as we traveled north the rain clouds were building and then it really rained. Neither one of us likes to drive in the rain, especially when it is hard to see what is in front of you, so we decided not to push it all the way to Bremerton and stopped mid afternoon just south of the border between Oregon and Washington. My back was hurting, not only from sitting all that time in the car but from walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes, at the hotel we stayed in last night. Since this hotel had a hot tub and no little kids jumping around in it, matter of fact I had the whole pool area to myself!!!!!! WHAT?????? I put my swimsuit on and went down and sat in the hot tub for at least 30 minutes letting the jets relieve the stress in my back. Dave stayed in the room as he wanted to get on the internet and do a couple other things. When I got out I was relaxed and even though my back was still sore, it felt so much better. When I got back to the room I changed into dry clothes, did my stretching then took a shower!!!! We went to dinner around 6:00pm and came back to the room and chilled for the night, watching T.V.

Our 9th grandson was born this morning at 7:30am. They named him Cameron Graham Adcock. He weighed 7lbs 6 oz and was 21 inches long. I can’t wait to see him.

We will be in Bremerton late this morning. The rain has stopped thank goodness and the weather seems to be clearing up. When we got to the Brownsville Marina, we walked down to Ron and Noreen’s boat. Noreen was at work but Ron was there with the pugs. When we arrived at the boat I called to Ron asking permission to come aboard and he didn’t hear me at first so I hollered again and he shows up at the steps and said come aboard with a pained look on his face. I asked him if he was alright and he said yes he had been working on the toilet all morning replacing parts and that isn’t a nice job. So we visited for a while then he went back to work and later the guys ended up going to the marine store to buy another part and when they returned the job was completed and it works great. We still don’t know where we are going to stay this summer. We will discuss it with Ron and Noreen in a day or two. They are ripping the carpet out of the boat then replacing it with cork flooring. Well that kind of job is not conducive to having guests on the boat. We had already told Ron and Noreen that we were looking at maybe house sitting somewhere in the area or looking at other options. The other options are staying in a motor home at the marina, or staying at our friend’s house from the 19th to the 29th of June, or we could stay on their 38 foot sailboat at the Brownsville Marina. Life is such an adventure!! I found out that if we house sat for our friends I would be living with 2 cats and that is not a good thing as I am highly allergic to their dander. A day or two I could handle but not for that long. Then we talked to the harbor master of Brownsville and asked about having a motor home there and he said there is no long term camping there yet. After a couple of days we would have to move somewhere else. So that kind of blew that plan out of the water. We thought that would be fun to do. Well we could park the motor home at Illahee State Park, but we would have to find out how much that would cost for the summer. The other option would be if Ron and Noreen allowed us to stay in their condo as they spend the summer at the marina on their boat. We don’t have to make any decisions right now as we are heading to Marysville for our grandsons high school graduation party on the 7th and then graduation on the 10th. We were invited to stay at my son’s house for that length of time or longer if we wanted to. That was awesome. On the 11th we were going up to visit friends in Anacortes so that worked out really well. We got to spend some quality time with the grandsons, Eian, E.J., and Brody which was fun. Got to see mama Brooke (daughter-in-law) carrying our grandson to be born in August so it was a fun time. The graduation party was fun and Brooke and Ernie had E.J.’s accomplishment and award certificates out on display, plus a couple write ups in the paper of his accomplishments in high school soccer and track.



We are so very proud of him and all the boys. They are doing well. Eian will be starting practice soon for football this fall and Brody will be starting practice for select soccer. He is 7 years old. Wow!!!!! Shades of when my boys were that age. The graduation was awesome and it was really cool to see after the graduates were seated that all those grads that were in white robes outlined a 1 and 5 for 2015. I tried to get a picture of it when it came up on the big screen at the Xfinity Area, but when I got focused the camera switched to another scene. Oh well. Ernie got a picture of it and posted it on Facebook. It was really cool but the kids didn’t even know why they were wearing 2 different colors; white and red. E.J. wore red and of course was in the front row. Here are some pictures.




My son Jon and Jonathan Jr. made it to the graduation which was held in Everette at the Xfinity area.


E.J.’s graduating class had 300 students so this was the best and biggest place to have it.


After the graduation ceremony and pictures, all but Jon and Jonathan Jr. went to the Olive Garden restaurant for dinner. It was Eian, E.J., E.J.’s girlfriend Roslyn, Brooke’s mom, Brooke, Ernie and us. Jon needed to get Jonathan Jr. home as he was really tired and getting fussy. Because his wife, Susannah, had to have an unscheduled cesarean, due to the fact that the doctor had tried to induce her but the baby was refusing to come out so they had no choice but to do C-section. She wasn’t happy she had to have one, but it is a good thing as the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. So all turned out well but Susannah can’t do much for about 2 to 3 weeks and Jon didn’t want to leave her home too long by herself. He is such a family man!!!!! Jon wasn’t sure what they were going to name him as there were 2 names Susannah liked. One was Cameron and the other Wyatt. Jon got to pick the name for the first boy so now it was her turn. She liked both but favored Wyatt. So after the baby was born and Susannah was holding him she asked him if he wanted to be called Cameron or Wyatt and he cried when she said Wyatt so Cameron it is. Cameron Graham Adcock!!!! Awesome!! They are done having kids now and are happy to have 2 healthy boys. Susannah didn’t get to bring Cameron home with her because he was jaundiced so he had to stay another day under the lights, but soon the whole family was reunited and all is well. I told Jon I almost didn’t get to bring him home from the hospital due to the same problem. I got lucky though. It would be hard to leave your newborn behind at the hospital while you got to go home. Well all that matters now is he is healthy. Susannah wants to wait a couple weeks before anyone sees Cameron, just to give him a little longer before entering him into the world of germs!!!! No worries as we are busy doing stuff so it works out just fine.

We had a nice visit with Ernie and family and now we are in Anacortes with our friends Brent and Bre. We got to see Bre after getting home from work and she made salmon cakes with salad and other good stuff. We stopped to see Brent at his work (Skagit shooting range), visited and went to lunch with him before going to the house. Jessie (their daughter) and her boyfriend Kyle came over for dinner and Bre and Jessie prepared dinner, and then waited until Brent got home before cooking the salmon patties. It was delicious!!! Bre and Brent have to work tomorrow, Friday, and then after work Bre is taking off for Eastern Washington with her sister-in-law to do some river kayaking and fly fishing. Bre has not done that so it is an adventure for her. She will return on Sunday late afternoon. So in the meantime, we get to watch the house, sit in the hot tub, go for walks and do whatever we want. I did some cross stitching----yes I am making a soccer player for Eian as he lost his when his mom and he had to move out of her boyfriends’ house. Everything got left behind and it was all thrown out with no thought of maybe Eian liking to keep his stuff. Anyway----I will make the soccer player and he asked that the colors of the uniform be of Marysville, Tomahawk colors of bright red and white. So that is what I am doing now. I hope I can finish it before we head back home, but we shall see. He also wants his football number 39 on the front of the jersey. I have to order 2 birth announcements cross stitch kits to do for the new grandboys. Those won’t get done until I get back home to Mexico.

While Brent was at work on Saturday, Dave and I drove into Anacortes to check out a couple thrift stores and get a couple items of groceries. The first thrift store we went to was closed on the weekend and the 2nd one didn’t open until 10:30am and it was 9:30am. So not wanting to wait around we ended up at a flea market on the way back to Brent’s house. It was pretty cool as it had upstairs and 2 large areas downstairs to look through. We went back to the house and a little after we were there we called Brent to see what his plans were for lunch. We met Brent at the Shrimp Shack and had some great food and beer. Then Brent was off work for the rest of the afternoon. We were so full from lunch we didn’t eat again until 10:00pm when Brent made some quesadillas. Since they have Net flicks we watched a movie Friday and Saturday night. Brent went to work after breakfast Sunday, and Dave and I got things packed up as we will be leaving in the morning. I enjoyed a soak in the hot tub that afternoon, then took a shower, washed clothes and finished packing. Dave and Brent are making Carbonara tonight for dinner and Jessie and Kyle are coming over. Bre got home and said she had a great time, took a shower then came out and visited with everyone. Jessie and Kyle were already there when Bre returned home. We had a wonderful dinner and I had made a key lime pie earlier that day so we had that for dessert. We watched some T.V. then we all went to bed.

The weather has been so beautiful and nice. There was a little wind the other day and it was cool, but still sunny. No June gloom!!! Here are a couple pictures of the view from Brent and Bres’ living room.

My back is getting better. I still can’t walk a long distance yet but do what I can. I did try to get to the beach which is down the road from Brent and Bre’s but there was no good or safe access so I had to give up that idea. Still trying to collect sea glass where I can. So far on this trip we haven’t been anywhere where I can look for it.

We were able to say goodbye to Bre before she left for work and then said goodbye to Brent as he was leaving for work. He left just a few minutes before we did so we ended up making sure the house was locked and secured then headed for the Edmond/Kingston ferry back to Bremerton.

Once back in Bremerton and on Ron and Noreen’s boat, we had to figure out where we were going to stay. We found out that while we were gone, Ron and Noreen cleaned up the spare bedroom at the condo and got it ready for us to move in. They told us after Noreen got home that night. She had worked out how much it would cost for utilities so we will be paying $125 a month to stay at the condo. We are relieved we finally have somewhere to lay our hat. Now we can have family come visit and maybe have the grandboys come and stay a weekend.