Home IS where the heart is.

After another week of activities, I am home. 

Sunday we went down and spent the night in Erin’s trailer…with the kids.  My conclusion?  I am not meant to camp any longer.  Roughing it is a night at a Holiday Inn.  I want the room service!  I want the big beds and the clean sheets.  I want the little soaps and the lotions waiting for me.  I want to leave the room and have someone come make my bed while I am gone.  I think of it as a Bed Fairy..and I believe in her! 

Monday, we bought our new car from Pallas and John.  We thought we had all the papers, but we were wrong.  Some cute little thing, hardly older than my granddaughter was behind the counter at the title place.  I gave her the papers I had and said, “I would like to change the ownership over.”  She gave me that look like, “are you nuts”. 

We were missing three pages more of red tape.  One of which John had to have notorized.  Ugh.  I hate red tape.  So, with tail between our legs, we ran John down at his work, before the close of his day and handed off the ream of papers to him.  He got it all nototized and delivered them to Erin’s house. 

Tuesday…Off to the title company again and all went well.  Packed up the kids and went to Northwest Trek.  I can’t say enough good about that place.  Clean, relatively inexpensive and the children had a blast.  I love it!  It was cool, in the shade for the most part and the animals had so much space to roam around.

Wednesday. ..we hung around Erin’s house with the kids.  Then the painter they hired said we had to stay IN the house for hours or leave for hours.  Hm.  I thought being sealed in masking tape and no air with two active kids was more than I could stand.  We were leaving and ran into Pallas.  She took pity on us and invited us out to her house.  The kids love her and we were happy to have some time to visit.

Thursday, we loaded the kids and drove to Lynnwood to see my mom and Sallie.  Sallie was so sweet and thanks us for bringing the kids to her for a visit.  She can’t find time to run down to Aberdeen often and it was a treat for her to play the auntie role to the kids.  They eat her up….Peyton followed her around like a puppy.

Friday morning, we packed the kids, said goodbye to mom and drove home.  The week had ended by 3p for us.  I was “played out” as my grandmother Nellie would say.  Even though we had driven three hours back from Lynnwood, we got our sorry behinds back in the rigs and drove home to Port Angeles…another three hours.

Saturday, I awoke in my own bed.  Felt like heaven.  No stress…no little ones wanting my attention.  It was quiet and restful.  We went to a baseball game of kids playing and this morning (Sunday)  saw another game. They won both of them.  Another this afternoon and then they move on to Idaho…I will pass on that one.

I did some knitting last night.  The house is clean.  Today, I love my life.  It is peaceful and quiet.  I wonder how it will last?  Color me giddy!!

I cough, therefore, I am…

This is one miserable virus I have decided to host.  It started (again) in Disneyland.  The last day there, I looked at Mike and said, “take me back to the hotel room.”  My throat felt like razors and I was sweating like there was no tomorrow.  I felt horrible.  I kept looking at those “Little Rascal” scooters around the park and felt like hijacking one.  I didn’t think I could walk the mile back to catch the buses.  But, walk I did!  If my cell phone had a better battery, I would have called 911 and let them find me and carry me out.  Totally, I was reduced to a whimp.

We got back to the room and I looked in my arsenol of medicines.  I brought everything for someone having stomach problems, indigestion…bandaids, disinfectants…tweezers…but nothing for a fever other than a few Tylenol.  So, I took them and went to bed. (I even had a button, thread and needle.)

The next morning, 5:30am. we all got up and started the trip back on the train.  I felt mildly horrible, but hey, no one cared!  We had to go and go we did.

That night, I started to hack.  It isn’t a cough, it is a wheezing, screaming hack followed by a gagging reaction.  It sounds like something like a gaggle of geese fighting over a rotten clam on the beach.  In order to keep the train people from hearing, I buried my face in a towel…it was miserable.  A 30+ hour train ride with this un ending cough.

I had little to no voice.  It was from screaming and messing up my vocal chords.  We had to eat with other people on the train and we made quite the sight.  Mike was a close second in hoarseness and coughing.   I felt like typhoid Mary and Harry. 

We limped home and by Sunday, I was a mess.  Fever, cough..you name it.  I told Mike, “take me to the hospital.”  I never go to a Dr. unless it is a yearly thing.  I think most of the time, you just let the body heal itself, but I was begging for anything. 

We went in and got a nice nurse and she ordered chest xrays and basically, told me to go home, drink cough syrup (with codeine) and it too shall pass.  I should have gotten her to tell me when it was going to pass!  It has been another 2 weeks and finally, last night, I slept 2 hours in one spell!  I haven’t slept 2 hours all night, so it is getting better. 

In Goggling my diagnosis, it says Bronchial Spasms…you cough, wheeze and gag.  Well, they are right.

Today, it is better.  My voice is lousy, but better. 

Advice…avoid getting this.  It sucks. 

Pictures to Share

 

Going to the Zoo!

 

 

Truly, the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

 

He liked his ears.

 

 

 

I missed my calling.  If I could swim, I would do this for a living!  This was great fun to watch.

Disneyland and children!

Well, we are back.  The trip was planned, in part, by a travel agency.  I couldn’t figure out everything with children involved, rental cars, several different cities and not knowing how are things were from each other.  We threw caution to the wind and went to an agency and thought, well, how back could anyone botch it up?  It was nearly flawless!

We got on the train with our 12 bags (between the two families) and checked in the luggage.  The train pulled up and we got on.  The crew was very nice and really catered to the sleeping car people.  They have these really nice cars called “parlour cars” and they have swivel chairs for relaxing in.  Then the other half of the car is set up for a quieter dinner place…people that didn’t travel with children and didn’t want to wear their meals, sat there.  Most were ever so refined…we ate in the dining car! 

The food was good from start to end!  The meals are included in the price of the ticket, so we dined in style.  Some times we staggered our eating times, so we could take Peyton for a break for Erin.  He eats well, then blows bubbles in his milk.  He is nearly one and does what active little one year olds do.  He would come visit us and we managed to all get fed until we were full.

We arrive in LA and was met by a Red Cap.  Wow…great group of men.  They loaded all our bags and carried us to a lounge.  He came back an hour later, reloaded us all up and drove us up the ramps to our other train that goes to Anaheim.  Couldn’t have done without him! 

Arrived at our suite…Mike and I had a huge room with a King size bed and a door!  Erin and Victor’s room had two beds and their own bathroom.  Perfect set up.  The breakfast was a buffet and they had a huge dining room.  They understand tourists and catering to the Disneyland visitors.  Nice job.  At the hotel was tickets to ART..Anaheim Rapdt Transit.  It is a wonderful bus service.  You ride for three days for $8.  They picked us up in front of the hotel and made a route every 30 minutes, dropping us off in Disneyland.  We were about 2 miles from the Park. 

Next we took on a car rental.  It was all set up.  We got a nice van, car seat for the baby and we were off to San Diego.  It was wonderful…hotel, weather, everything.  We got lost…but hey, Mike was driving!  Erin was in the front and I was waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy in the back with the kids.  I voted to stop and get a map.  This brought on laughter that I thought would never end!  Well, we shot past the exits and was headed for Mexico!  Finally, the light dawned on everyone.  Maybe we could use that map!  Oh no…not now.  Bull headedness runs deep in this family…..not ME of course, but like father like daughter!  We got there and it was lovely.  I bawled when I saw the whales.  I don’t know what it is about them, but they emotionally move me until I cry.  They are graceful, beautiful and remind me of how insignificant we humans are in this world.

We had a nice room in San Diego and then on to the ZOO.  Loved the zoo.

We came back to Anaheim and one more day in Disneyland.  They kids closed the park down that night, but I started running a fever and I felt my world shutting down.  My throat got sore, my voice was nearly gone and my infamous cough was much much worse.  Mike was a close second.  Nothing is taking this cough away. 

The next day, we got up early and returned to the train station for our journey home.  It was good, but…we were tired.  When we got to the station the nasty lady behind the window says…”we cannot check your bags into Centralia.  They close their station at 4:30p!”  she had an edge to her tone.  Victor said she was a reject from Happy Days!  He was right.  Had a hair do from the late 60’s…hair sprayed three inches high and a scarf tied around her neck.  I named her Joanie…looking for Cha Chee!  She had no sense of humor and totally ticked us all off!  We kept saying…how come they didn’t tell us?  Do you mean to tell us we have to lug 12 bags and two babies  on a city train…then lug them into the LA station and stow them…and then lug them off the train in Centralia with NO help?  Yep.

Well, we all took a shot at her…we questioned her and asked if they could make an exception or something…NO NO NO.  Joanie said NO!  They did let us borrow two carts, and we heard…”could you bring them back when you are done?”  We all laughed…after walking to the train platform…dragging everything and everyone, the last thing we were going to do was bring them back…I became an angry tourist. The least they could have done was say…”hey, we will get someone to help you.  we are sorry.”  But no, Joanie could care less.

When the train doors opened, the worker there was fried!  He had to get out and help.  He was very nice and asked what the deal was and told us…you write and complain.  This isn’t fair.

We got into LA and Norman (his real name) was there from the Red Cap service.  He was a sweet heart.  He loaded everything and dropped us off at a super nice lounge…free coffee, juices, tea and great chairs.  He came back and loaded us all up and took us to a new train.

As we got there, Ron, (also his real name) snapped at us for taking up too much room in his luggage area!!!  Oh yeah, like we wanted to hear that!!  We snapped back saying…well, IF Amtrak had checked our luggage in, we wouldn’t have this trouble! 

We got into Centralia.  Ron had smoothed his attitude out a bit, but he isn’t a people person!  He help toss our stuff.  The train pulls away and here are 12 bags, a baby, an 8 year old and two sicko grandparents and Erin and Victor!  We had no carts….and we were inbetween tracks!  We had to cross over to the station, making several trips.  Then the guys had to get the cars and we lugged all the luggage to the front of the station and load up. 

That was the ONLY fly in the ointment!  The kids were wonderful.  Victor and Erin were absolutely awesome to travel with and no one had a bad thing to say about the trip,  It was a memory making trip and how lucky I am to have had the children and the little ones to drag me along!

Last, but not least…..

81.   I never get tired of the color green.

82.  I think mashed potatoes are soothing.  (Gravy…the next best thing to Heaven)

83.  Bread.  I can’t say enough about bread…any brand, any kind, any flavor…plain, warm or toasted, I love bread.

84.  I love to touch fiber and fabrics. 

85.  I think Martha Stewart is a genius…she might be a lot of other things, but I appreciate all her successes.

86.  I wouldn’t mind another dog, but hate the idea of burying another critter.  It rips me up.

87.  I like to remodel.

88.  I don’t like all those fancy coffee drinks. 

89.  I think answering machines are horrible.  If I am not home, people can call back, but I hate walking in the door and watching MIke run over to the phone to see who called, knowing it is too late to do anything about it anyhow!!

90.  I get super stressed when my grandbabies are sick….worse than being a mother!

91.  I want to live to dance at Kaylie’s wedding.

92.  I love a sunset.

93.  I waste too much time. 

94.  I am so insecure, but I don’t think people know it.  I have been faking it for years.

95.  Sometime, I would like to snatch a cell phone off of someone’s ear, slam in on the cement and scream…”hang up the damn phone.  It is rude to chat in public!”  ( Arrest and trial to follow)

96.  I KNOW I have been blessed throughout my life.  Even when I didn’t think so, I was. 

97.  Most of the time, I am happy. 

98.  I love to blow bubbles….did I mention that one before?

99.  I would love to fly like a bird, but not the eating of bugs. 

100.  (drum roll please!!!!!!)  Everything DOES take better with a Ritz.

Now, this is a Sad little boy

My poor little boy.  Erin sent these pictures and it breaks my heart.  Look at the rash on his arms.  Isn’t this the poster child for the word “miserable?” 

From reports more current, he is doing a lot better.  These were a couple days old. 

I have a cold..I believe it was a gift from Peyton or Michael.  Both had it at the same time.  Peyton did drool on me more than Mike, so it is a toss up.  I am hacking like crazy…sound similar to the fog horn in the bay. 

I just wanted to post a few pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

Another installment of my 100

61.  I stole this one from Sherri………….I too, love dark Chocolate. 

62,  I really feel insecure, but everyone thinks I am out going.

63.  I sit farthest away from everything and then watch people. 

64.  The ocean humbles me. 

65.  I love paper products, staples and anything gizmo-ish. 

66.  I wish I knew how a computer really worked…inside

67.  pasta!

68. I detest rude people….any age group.

69.  I hate to dust. 

70.  I hate it when Mike has his hat, jacket and gloves and is waiting for me to get in the car.  I have more hair to wash than he does! 

71.  Pictures make me happy.  Pictures of my loved ones happier.

72.  I drove across the country with a great friend and it was one of the highlights of my life.  Saw a cross section of the whole country and it is beautiful.  The best part was coming home and my friend and I were even better friends than when we left…we beat all the odds.  With similar personalities, our husbands thought only one would return in the car and one by airlines, IF at all.  Thanks Nancy Woods for a great trip!

73. I learn from the people around me.  I learn to take from them the good things they do and learn to ignore the bad things people do.

74.  I should be doing housework instead of this.

75.  I don’t like my belly button.  (does anyone?)

76.  I drink Diet Cola, but love ice tea in the summer.

77.  I mix peaches with pudding and Mike hates to see me eat it, but he slurps tapioca and that is just vile stuff.  Mom eats rice pudding…how?

78.  Men shouldn’t wear caps made of beer cans crocheted together.  It would be illegal in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. 

79.  I got my picture in the Seattle Times when I was a senior for baking cookies for the troops in Viet Nam.

80.  I sang in a school choir for 6 years and the church choir for many years.  I loved it.

 

Another 20 tidbits of my life

41.  I took tap dancing lessons for about a week as a child.  Then I heard of a recital.  Not sure what it was, but I did know that I wasn’t going to go on no stage and dance in front of people.  I retired after a few lessons.  I used the excuse that mom was going to have little brother Terry and I should help.  Made me sound ever so generous, but it was just stage fright.

42.  My favorite doll was Susie Walker.  Recently, I learned that she was really named Saucy Walker.  Hm.  I was shattered.

43.  I love Virginia in the spring and fall.  I always want to be there during these seasons.  It will never be the same without my two aunties.

44,  Scotland is wonderful.  I hope to go back.

45.  I stare at clouds.

46.  I watch too much television.

47.  I enjoy finding shells.  It is always amazing to me to see how they are formed and all the colors in them.  East Coast has some pretty ones. 

48.  I won’t move if I can’t relocate my grape arbor.

49. The best nap I had was on a picnic table at the ocean.  I laid on my stomach and just fell into a deep sleep.  That was 30 years ago and I remember how good it felt.  The sun was beating down on my back and it was total peace.  

50.  I hate to buy shoes and clothes.

51.  I want to go to the glass museum in Tacoma, but haven’t made it yet.

52.   Rocking  in a porch swing with my grandbabies is the best thing on any day!

53.  I play word games.  I find them interesting. 

54.   I have never had a speeding ticket, but the girls and Mike are waiting for the day. 

55.  Tennessee has a special place in my heart.

56.  Camping used to be fun.  Now I prefer a casino with room service.

57.  Buttons are beautiful. 

58.  I hand sew…it relaxes me.

59.  I am very organized when I have to be.

60. I delight in making little goals and fulfilling them.  If you set the “bar” low, it is pretty rewarding when the little goals have been accomplished.  It leads to bigger ones.

20 more fascinating facts of Nancy……

21.  Secretly, I would love to have been a dancer!  (or an actress…I picture myself like some Kathy Bates in Misery.  Evil….(insert maniacle laugh!)

22.  I iron clothes.  I like to iron.

23.  If I could bake and eat more, I would bake Angel Biscuits.  (Thank you Aunt Sallie)

24.  I can smell the sea.

25.  I don’t like cold feet.

26.  I don’t like to mess with my hair. 

27.  I like soup.

28.  I eat palines and cream ice cream from Baskin Robbins.

29.  I used to sit on a board for the community for our nuclear energy in our county. 

30.  I was a volunteer for 7 years tutoring junior high school boys and girls.  Loved it!  They were just kids that needed someone to encourage them and tell them that they were important.  We all need that. It was a great deal of work and fun.  I was chosen for Citizen of the Month in Aberdeen. 

31.  I can play the accordian. I can play the piano….both miserably.

32.  My girls like my home cooking and I love to bring them dinner when I visit, thought I grumble about being put out.  hee hee. 

33.  I floss more than I did a year ago.

34.  I make homemade noodles from time to time. 

35.  I have been watching One Life to Live for 37 years.  I feel like my name should be on the credits.

36.  I love to sing…I sing as well as I play the accordian.

37.  I spin, knit, weave, crochet and quilt. 

38.  I love birds.

39.  I take naps when I can find the time. 

40.  I love antiques and think there is a soul old things.

It makes me smile!

I just love this picture.  Erin sent it to us last night.  He loves the bathroom, but as soon as there is a desire to potty train, it will be the last place we find him!  He will hide, run, ignore,and blame the dog.  This picture made me smile and I hope it will do the same for you.