Archives for January 2012

Congratulations Are In Order!

ob appointment, ultrasound, pregnancy confirmed — That's Emily in the exam room

This was a very special day for me. Yes, I know I just had a special day last month when we closed on our house, but this is even more special-er than that! Today I was invited to go to my daughter, Emily’s, OB appointment with her. Today was the day that she got to see, via ultrasound, that there is indeed a little Fab-grandchild a baking away! While this will be grandchild number six, I have never been in the right place at the right time to get to be there when the ultrasound was done. We both cried. Yeah, we are silly like that.

ob appointment, exam room — Waiting for the doctor to come in

She was a very good sport and allowed me to take pictures of her in the exam room. Can you tell how happy she is?

The doctor was a very nice and pleasant guy. He answered all of Emily’s questions to her satisfaction. He explained to her that whenever someone over 35 years old is pregnant, they call her an “elderly mother”. We got a huge laugh out of that, because if SHE is elderly, what does that make ME??? OH, and baby is due August 26th.

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Update On The Hitch

Karen · 2 Comments

This morning I had a response to the tweet I sent to Progress Manufacturing, the company who manufactures the Equal-i-zer hitch, with a phone number and name for us to call. Fabgrandpa called and talked to Daniel, who was very nice and said that they are sending a brand new hitch along with all the brackets and sway bars and other stuff that goes with it. They are also sending a prepaid shipping label to return the one that broke. They have been so nice and easy to work with. Just wanted everyone to know this because people rarely broadcast good customer service interactions. It is also good to know that if this had happened while we were traveling instead of when we are just parked in our yard, that this company would have us back on the road in no time! Thank you, Daniel and Progress Manufacturing!

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There’s A Reason Why That Hitch Has Chains

Karen · 34 Comments

This morning when we got up, I told Fabgrandpa I wanted to go over to the house to pretend we lived there for the day. No, the driveway is not fixed yet, and it was not in the works to get fixed today, but I was getting anxious to actually live in my house (or in the back yard). We took the laundry and drove on over. While the clothes were washing, Fabgrandpa scouted out the yard.

He came back in the house and told me he thought he could bypass the unusable driveway and pull the trailer through the yard. I agreed with him that he probably could, but I wanted him to drive the truck over that route first just to make sure there were no mushy spots. He got in the truck and went from the upper driveway, down the road, and turned in the lower driveway, and got the truck stuck in the mud immediately.

rv hitch broken — It was a clean break off the truck hitch

While he was sitting there putting the truck into 4 wheel drive mode, a neighbor stopped to see if we needed any help. It turns out that he is related to the guy who owns the grader. He said he would come tomorrow to spread out that pile of slate in the driveway for us, and gave Fabgrandpa his card with his phone number on it, and went on his way. Fabgrandpa then drove the truck up through the yard, and decided that yes, we could pull the trailer in that way.

On the way back to the campground, Fabgrandpa said “I don’t think I’m going to bother with the sway bars and chains for such a short trip.” and I said, “Yes, we will hook up just like we do for a 2,000 mile trip. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” So we did.

rv travel, broken hitch, sway control hitch — We only had to go right over there!

We got all the way to the house, and three fourths of the way up the yard to the back of the house, and heard a weird noise, and felt a weird motion. Fabgrandpa stopped the truck, and we got out to investigate. The hitch had broken! We couldn’t believe our eyes! We only bought that Equal-i-zer hitch about two years ago, and paid quite a bit of money for it. There we sat, with a broken hitch, just about 120 feet from our newly installed hookups.

rv travel, rv hookups, ez sway hitch — Finally got moved over there.

Fabgrandpa decided to call the guy we met this morning, and see if he had a hitch that would work, and he did. Jonathan came right over, and not only loaned us a hitch but helped us get the trailer hooked up again and parked in the spot intended for it. And you better believe I am going to be writing to that hitch company! We have driven thousands of miles between Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona in the not quite two years since we bought that hitch. I am just so so thankful that we were not on an interstate highway going 65 miles an hour when it happened. I am also so thankful that we attached the chains and sway bars today.

broken ez sway hitch, rv travel, — The RV plowed up the yard after the hitch broke.

Always always always use those chains! Even if you are only going a couple of miles. You never know when something may happen!

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Out And About: Hillcrest Farms Store

Karen · 4 Comments

hillcrest farms store tallapoosa ga — Hillcrest Farms Store in Tallapoosa

One of the first things Fabgrandpa and I do when we arrive in a new area is search the internet for places that sell fresh, locally grown foods. I noticed Hillcrest Farms Store in Tallapoosa a couple of weeks ago when we were on our way to the house, but we didn’t have time to stop in until today. The store, located at 2160 US Hwy 78 in Tallapoosa, Georgia, has been open for only two and a half months, but the farm has been in business for more than three years.

hormone free, grass fed beef — Gayle, the owner of Hillcrest Farms Store

Gayle Smith, the owner and manager of the store, was happy to talk to me about all the products available in the store. They sell beef, pork, chicken, and goat meat raised on their farm in Buchanan, Georgia. As a family-owned and operated farm specializing in grass-fed, antibiotic-free livestock and exceptional meats, Hillcrest Farms caters to a rapidly growing segment of consumers that recognize the tremendous value that high quality, grass-fed meats present, especially when you consider family health, overall nutrition and taste preferences.

grass fed orgainc beef — New York strip steaks from Hillcrest Farms

The store sells meats that are supplied bytheir farm or other local farmers, locally made goats milk cheeses produced in Carrollton, jams,jellies, and cow’s milk cheeses from Roopville, pickles, honey from Newnan, and fresh local eggs. There was also some hand made soap available for sale.

jam made in roopville georgia — Blackberry Jam

We bought two New York strip steaks, a whole chicken, some honey, blackberry jam, and some goat cheese. The cheese was much like a spreadable cream cheese with blueberries and peaches in it. It was delicious on gluten free raisin toast!

locally produced goat cheese — Goat cheese with blueberries.

hillcrest farms store tallapoosa georgia — Fabgrandpa shopping at Hillcrest Farms Store

To find out more about Hillcrest Farms Store, you can check out their website here, or give Gayle a call at 770-574-7400. I definitely recommend shopping there if you are in Tallapoosa. If you are in the Altanta area it is well worth the drive.

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Thrifty Thursday

Karen · 2 Comments

Today we went to a thrift store on Main Street in Cedartown, Georgia. It was a small store, cram packed with stuff. We found a few interesting things but the only thing we bought were some DVD movies.

This ironing board hangs over a closet door, and folds up out of the way when not in use. I need a new ironing board, but I’m not sure I want this kind. He had several more of the regular kind, for $8 each but I don’t know what ironing boards cost new so I don’t know if that was a good deal or not.

I liked this little shelf unit. It would be nice to put in the bathroom, but I didn’t buy it. I need to measure the place where I want it go to see if it will fit.

coffee table, thrift store find — This coffee table was sitting outside in the rain

This could have been a nice coffee table, but it was sitting outside in the rain. There also wasn’t a price on it.

That was it for this week–I may go back another time to check out those ironing boards.

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Lots Accomplished Today

Karen · 11 Comments

thrift store find, antique dining furniture — Finally delivered and set up at home!

We got a call early this morning from the man at the thrift store where we bought the dining room furniture. He wanted to deliver it today, so we quickly got dressed and drover over to the house. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor so that it would be ready to put the furniture in. This furniture looks so good in our house!

thrift shop finds, antigue dining room furniture — I love it!

I really wanted to eat lunch there but there is no food over there yet. Dang it! But I do look good sitting there, don’t ya think?

Oh, and those dishes the guy threw in for free? Noritake Adagio China! There is service for eight, plus sugar bowl, creamer, oval platter, and vegetable bowl. There is one saucer and one cup missing. This has got to be my BEST thrift shop find, ever! FREE!

We have been wanting to fire Bank of America for quite some time, and when I found out there was a credit union nearby I was ready to do it. We drover over to Coosa Valley Credit Union in Cedartown to open an account. Rick, the branch manager helped us get our account open in no time. Because it is a credit union, you have to open a savings account and keep a small balance in it, but then your checking account is free if you have good credit. They have online bill pay at no charge, too, so it will just be a matter of changing everything over from BOA. Thank goodness we are getting away from them.

makeing a deposit at the credit union — making our first deposit

After Rick finished setting up the account, he had me sit at his desk and create my online account too! That to me was very good customer service. I was ready to do my banking online as soon as I walked out the door! The last thing to do was to see Teresa, who handled our first deposit. She was so nice and friendly too! I think we are going to like our new credit union.

haralson county georgia government complex — Haralson County Government Complex

The next stop was at the Haralson County Government Complex to file for homestead exemption on the house. We also talked to the tax assessor’s office about reassessing our house. The house was assessed at $97.000 last year, but we only paid $45,000. The closing attorney told us they can’t assess the house for more than we paid for it the first year. We got that handled today too.

A short hop down the street took us to the Farm Bureau Insurance office. They are the ones who provided the homeowners insurance policy that we needed at closing, but we hadn’t yet received our policy in the mail. I wanted to check on that and talk about having them insure our truck and trailer as well. It was a good thing we stopped there, because the policy had been returned to them because there was no mailbox installed yet when the post office tried to deliver it. We got all that stuff handled, then finally got on our way home. It was a long, busy day, but we accomplished quite a lot that was on the “to do” list. Only problem is, I am making a fresh new “to do” list tonight.

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Driveway Repairs, Continued

Karen · 10 Comments

dump truck delivery — A 20 ton load of gravel for the driveway

The dump truck driver called about 9:00 a.m. to tell us he was on the way to the quarry to pick up a 20 ton load of gravel for the driveway. We ate breakfast, and drove over to the house to wait for him. He arrived in good time, but he couldn’t get the dump truck up the drive way. It was too soft and muddy, and his rear tires started spinning. He had to back the truck out of the driveway, while we tried to decide what to do. You can’t hardly return a 40,000 pound load of gravel. It was ours whether we could put it where we wanted it or not!

We decided to have him back the truck up the driveway until he reached the mudhole, then start dumping the gravel out as he pulled back out. It created a beautiful gravel drive on the “good” part of the driveway, but this still left us with a rutted mudhole halfway to the back yard.

rutted mudhole — The mudhole. This is driveway hell

It was just about this point that I wanted to cry. My stomach turned to knots and I had to run to the bathroom really quickly. Fabgrandpa and I had to decide what to do about this. So far, we had spent a $650 and still couldn’t get up the driveway with our trailer. And we’re still paying rent at the campground. I was beginning to feel like I was in that movie, “The Money Pit“, only it wasn’t a comedy.

After discussing the options with the dump truck driver, we decided to buy a load of slate. The driver, Mark, told us that slate is what loggers use to create a road in the forest when they are cutting trees and need to haul heavy equipment and log trailers out. It can be spread out and then you can drive on the same day, and the more you drive on it, the harder it gets. That sounded good to us, so he left to go get the load, another $150 added to the total.

dumptruck load of slate for the driveway — A pile of slate in the driveway

Mark had to back up the driveway again to the mudhole to dump this load of slate. He also told us the name of a a guy who is our new neighbor, who has a bobcat who can spread it and get it right. The guy we had hired on Saturday has a fulltime job during the week, so he was not available to do it until the weekend. So, we called the new guy, and he invited us over to his shop to look at his driveway that he had put slate on so we could see what it would look like when it was done.

We drove over there, and I was still feeling a little sick to my stomach at how this job was adding up to more and more expense. We met Toby, and talked with him for quite a while. He is so friendly and nice! When we asked him how much he would charge to do the grading on our driveway, he just looked at us like we were crazy, and said, “I can’t charge my neighbor for that!”

I feel like this new home purchase is in the exact right place. We have come into a really nice, friendly, caring neighborhood, where people look out for each other. I thought such a place no longer existed. When we got back in the truck to leave, I started crying, because I just couldn’t believe how nice this young man could be to us. He said he can get the slate spread out on Thursday, so now we are hoping we can get moved in by Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for us that this will do the trick.

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Bi-Focals For Amelia

Karen · 6 Comments

amelia aug 2011 — Amelia in August of last year

Miss Amelia, my youngest granddaughter, started wearing glasses before she was a year old. She has lazy eye, or Amblyopia. I was surprised that she would keep the glasses on, but her Mummy, Sarah, says that it only took about two days for her to get used to wearing them, and now asks for them when she wakes up in the morning.

Amelia had an eye appointment yesterday, and was prescribed bi-focals! I had never heard of children wearing bi-focals, but apparently it is quite common. She will get her new glasses, and if they don’t help her amblyopia in two months, she will have to have eye surgery. I hope they help.

amelia running — Running in Jan 2012, but without her glasses.

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