Sweet Texas "Tea"

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Wow, we have now been in Texas for a whole month. We have been unemployed, employed, unemployed and employed again in that time frame. And that is all with one employer, the same one we came down here to work for. They are really struggling as to what and how they want to run a business in Texas, while micromanaging it from Colorado! We are currently just working two days a week, but I anticipate that will increase in the next couple of weeks.

In reality, the two days per week is actually perfect for me. I love having the rest of the week off to explore the countryside. This is an area of small towns and communities with lots of activities going on weekly. We have been to fairs, carnivals, street dances, chili feeds and auctions. We have seen the traveling Viet Nam Memorial Wall, tried several different restaurants, seen armadillos, wild hogs, deer, and oil rigs set up in peoples back yards! The lakes and back roads remind me of being in northern Minnesota, only in the summer time, year round.

At work I am developing recipes and menus. The owners want everything from scratch, (my kind of cooking!) This has actually been a lot of fun, as they let me experiment with their ingredients and equipment as well as order in any product that I want. I have increased their food sales by 75% just with my soups, salads and deli sandwiches, and am now working on fried chicken and biscuit recipes. I have a huge pressure fryer to work with. There is also the grill, a regular fryer, ovens, broiler, a holding oven and a commercial wok! I have ordered in hamburgers from several different sources to find the best. I have a great source for pork and bacon products. I am sure my kids are all very relieved that they no longer have to be my guinea pigs! Gene is working with me, mostly running the store and taking care of the bait, but will also come in and do dishes for me on occasion, as well as sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor as well as the store's. I will be teaching him how to scrub a grill next. He takes care of the tough stuff! Sweet tea is very big down here, so I am also experimenting with different versions of that as well.

This will do nicely for now! Life is good. Until next time......

Anticipating Another New Adventure

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Well, as Autumn is now here, it is once again time to change the view outside my window. I am definately done with the freezing winds and piles of snow up here in the northern plains. Time to head south. Our original plan to head back to the friends we left behind in Georgia has fizzled, as Stone Mountain Park is struggling to get approval for any new workampers for this winter, and my anxiety was starting to take hold. I started investigating other opportunities through Workamper News, and actually found a great one for next summer, only a couple miles from our kids in Minnesota, but this winter still was looking bleek.

Then, out of the blue, I received the call from Texas. My Uncle Buzzy had called me last winter about a small fishing resort that he liked to frequent who was looking for help to run a small store/bait shop/cafe. He knew that I had previous experience working in both food service a and retail and had told the shop owner of us. I had spoken briefly to the sister of the owner who was currently running the shop, and she had told me of the cafe that they were adding, stating that they would probably need someone late in the summer or early fall. I had told her that we might be interested, but quite frankly, forgot all about it.

What a Godsend, (and yes, we had said our prayers). I thank my Mother for teaching me that prayers are answered. She has proved this over and over again in her life and testimony, passing it on to her children and grandchildren. Love you Mom!

Now, jobs were covered for the next year, all we needed was a truck large enough to pull our 5th wheel. This was a challenge. Not to find a new truck, but to sell our current one. It was only a 6 cylinder 1/2 ton, and without 4 wheel drive, it was just not in demand here in Iowa with winter coming on. Although the retail value was over $7,000, we ended getting less then half of that, but found another truck for only slightly more that was totally set up to haul a 5th wheel trailer. It was older, a 1994 F-250, but only had 120,000 highway miles on it and had been garaged for the last two years, as the previous owner was 80 and no longer snowbirding in the winter. He had added custom diamond plate trim to the box and two boxes for the bed. It is an unusually bright blue and I decided to name it "Beasty Boy Blue". I think the name fits well.

We are listing our freezer on Craigslist to sell, as we will need the additional funds for new back tires, (one sidewall blew out on the way home with it). This is our last big hurl, then it's on the road again, on a wing and a prayer. Gene has experience driving tractor trailer from the military, so I'm hoping that it is transferable to Beasty taking the 5th. Heading out next Tuesday, so we will find out!

Until next time......

Actively Seeking Gratitude

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Ok, so we made a start. No more extra added salt and a daily mini-hike. So far, so good. This week I am going to take my baby steps concentrated on mental health. I just made a deal with my husband this morning to look for at least 5 situations or events during the day for which we can feel grateful, and to share them with each other each evening. This should be easy for Eugene, as he loves going to work each day, playing with his water balloons, hosting his waterwars! He always has great stories of the new and returning people that he meets and entertains there. I will have to be more conscience in my daily activities, maybe even inventing activities that will provide satisfaction and/or eventful activity. Trying out a new recipe, applying for new positions for the next season of our travels, finding a new book, looking for activities to meet new people, etc.

The second will be to attempt to take every negative situation or activity I experience and flip the glass to be half full. Like in the photo, 'better then sleeping on a sidewalk!' What lesson can I learn? Have I walked a mile in the other guys shoes? What can I do to either correct the situation, or putting in enough thought to actually determine how I will handle the situation differently next time. These are goals that cannot do anything but improve my life. Wish me luck, while I work on creating my own!

Until next time.....

Shaking Out a New Spice of Life!

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Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
What you do is what you get.
Wish in one hand and s___ in the other and find out which fills up the quickest.

We have all heard them. We amusingly grin, then move on to repeat the same old routine of our daily activities. When was the last time you thought twice about them, maybe even considering these simple little window openings, a call to action!

Nothing happens by accident. There is a higher purpose to everything that happens in this lifetime. Sometimes we don't understand it at the time, but somewhere down the road, it comes back to provide an insight, a lesson. If we can keep this in mind, it can take a little of the sting out of the hurt, or the false pride from the lucky, yet unearned prize.

Anything worth having is worth working for. Although I totally believe this, I have been a poor performer in putting this to work in some portions of my life. I believe love, health and happiness are worth having. Although I have worked on love and happiness, I really have avoided my own health. I
do not take care of my physical body the way I should, and it is beginning to show.

Now I am not good at making major changes all at once, at least while being able to maintain those changes long term, baby steps are more my style. So..........today I resolve...........

I will attempt to implement two small changes per week. That adds up to 104 of them per year. As water retention has been more and more bothersome lately, today I resolve to take my salt shaker off the table. (I love my salt.....), but I will pick up some Mrs. Dash seasonings when I go to the store this afternoon. I will also walk my block once a day (small circle really, but more then what I am currently walking), regardless of the weather or any other excuse I can find myself making.

That's it for now. I will decide next weeks actions, next week. I will just allow myself to feel accomplished if I stick to these two things this week. I am on a roll!!!

Until next time......

Government Health Care-VA As A Rolemodel?

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I accompanied my husband to the VA hospital in Des Moines today where he had an optometry appointment. He had also been able to schedule consecutive appointments to have a pair of diabetic shoes fit in physical therapy, and a new c-pap unit programmed specifically for him by the sleep clinic. I was incredibly impressed, as he was treated with such professionalism, by caring individuals who were empathetic, thorough and extremely knowledgable within their fields. He arrived exactly on time for each appointment and was seen immediately. Each practicianer took the time to review his records online and confer with him regarding the history that applied to the area he was being treated for. He was given detailed explanations on what procedures were being implemented and why, as well as how to utilize the various supplies and equipment that he was being issued.

I was equally impressed by a partial conversation I overheard by an orderly with the supply clerk, and although I did not catch the details, I heard the orderly question the clerk on whether something or the other was not a waste of resources. The clerk replied that it was something that should be brought up in their next staff meeting.

I wondered if this same careful evaluation of resourse management was taken by other medical facilities, somehow doubting it. Maybe, just maybe...our government knows enough about finding the right people to run an efficient and effective health care system after all!

Until next time......

My List

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Three beautiful children, and their families
Three great step children, and their families
A husband of 21 years who's young at heart
My Mother, Father and Sisters
My Grandmother who's over 100 years old
My large pool of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins
My Nieces and Nephews
My friends in Minnesota
My friends in Georgia
My friends in Iowa
My friends on Facebook
An exciting lifestyle of travel and workamping
Sunrises and sunsets
My new home on wheels
An absolutely beautiful sunny day
The gift of laughter
A full refrigerator
A full gas tank
A smile on the face of a child
My sight
My hearing
My smell
My feeling
My taste
My intuition
My unique ability to adapt
My intellect
Hot and Cold running water
A private shower
Ice Cubes
...............never mind me, I'm just counting my blessings for the next time I'm feeling sorry for myself.............
A comfortable bed
A community of like-minded neighbors
My spirituality
Having enough to share
Potlucks
Green grass and blue skies
Animals
Trees for shade
Real mayonnaise
Strawberries
Cream Cheese
My garden
My firepit
My computer
Books
etc....
etc...
etc..
etc.


Until next time.....

Therapeutic Relaxation

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This blogging has actually become quite fun! It is kind of like thinking out loud. I feel like I have found a great outlet for all of my passions, frustrations and ideas alike, only wish I could have found it long ago.

I am somewhat of a soloist with my thoughts, sometimes feeling like I have come up with a really original idea, or a very unique way of looking at a situation in my life, but not really sure with whom I should share it. Now I just share it with my blog. How therapeutically relaxing it has become. All I need to do is to write it out, and whether someone else agrees or not is no longer an important part of sharing it to me. If someone else can align themselves or something in their lives with my thought process, I am glad that they got something out of it, but it is basically for clearing my own mind.

I find myself stockpiling different ideas that I come across in everyday life to share with my blog. I feel like I have found a new best friend! It listens intensely, remembers from post to post and never judges. It only shares my secrets with those I choose to share them with and never talks behind my back. The best part is that it doesn't even charge me for clinic visits!

Until next time......