- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

The Semi-Annual Toss Out and Straighten Up

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Every six months or so, when we move from one place to another, I do the Toss Out. You know, where you go through every closet, cabinet, drawer, and bin in the place and get rid of things you don’t really need, things you haven’t used in a year, stained and torn clothing, etc.

Just how much can two people accumulate in just six months? Um, about 12 bags full. See:

And then there was a pesky mouse in the pantry, too. So, I had to pull everything out of the cabinet under the sink, and get everything out of the pantry that a mouse could chew into. What a pain in the arse!!

This whole cleaning out of stuff has taken me a whole week to do, and I am not finished yet. I still have one drawer under my seat at the dinette, that has to be sorted through. I have saved that one for last, though, because I know it will be an even bigger pain in the arse–it is my “office” drawer, where I keep all my papers, office supplies, things to be filed, things I need to keep track of.

Like, a big wad of business cards, little pieces of paper with people’s phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses that I have intended to put in a little photo album to be able to keep up with them,…….

Thought I was just kidding, didn’t you?

In the middle of all this, it started to snow, so I had to go out and drive around a bit to take some pictures:

I did get back to the job at hand, and have finished most of it, except of course for that drawer. I will have to wait until I get to a town to be able to buy a little album for those business cards, but it is at the TOP of my list of things to do in the future. Right up there with buying some extra mouse traps to keep on hand.

So, now, the trailer is looking good! See:

A nice clean, neat kitchen counter. I’m gonna bake that pumpkin and make a souffle!

My closet hasn’t been so neat in years!

In two days, we’ll head out to Alabama. The trip is about 1800 miles, and will take us about a week. The trailer is about 200 pounds lighter. Maybe we won’t buy a bunch of stuff over the winter to fill it up again.

Our Newest Assignment

Karen · 11 Comments

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Everyone has been asking me where we are going for the next season. Today, I am happy to announce that we are to Payne Lake Campground in the Talledega National Forest, about 35 miles south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is about 185 miles from our hometown in Georgia, so that we will be able to visit our family and friends there over the winter. We will arrive around November 1, and will be there until about April 15, 2010. We are really looking forward to being there. See that lake? We haven’t seen that much water in over a year! I can not wait to go fishing. Their website says there are Crappie, Bream, Shell Cracker and Channel catfish in that lake. I am ready to get out my fishing pole!

(photo sent to me by the forest service ranger)

The job we will be doing is volunteer camp hosts. We will live onsite, make sure the campground is neat and clean, and check people in and sell sites to people who want to camp there. We have been volunteers before, at Unicoi State Park, and at Tanner State Park, both in Georgia. We have found that each park has differerent duties expected of volunteers, but they are usually about the same at each place. We pick up litter, clean fire pits, give out information about the area, advise people of the rules of the facility, and call for a ranger if someone gets out of hand.

In exchange for our duties there, we will receive a full hook up campsite, free propane, a telephone line, and free satellite internet service at our site. We will be provided our uniforms and a truck to drive while we perform our duties. It is a win win situation for both sides.

(photo sent to me by the forest service ranger)

We’ll be leaving the North Rim on Sunday. It will be about 1800 miles to reach our destination, but I am sure we will find lots of neat things to see on our way. Can’t wait to be on the road again! Oh, and if you are in the area over the winter, come on by and visit for a spell!

You Know You’re Really Lazy When…

Karen · Leave a Comment

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…you get up to move your chair closer to the table because you don’t feel like holding your drink in your hand between sips.

Mother Of The Bride

Karen · 14 Comments

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When Becky was here a while back, she gave us the news that she is going to be getting married. We are very excited and happy for her. We have not met her young man yet, but will when we go to Georgia this winter. She is very nervous about her Dad meeting The Guy. Dad is just not good at meeting The Guy. Lord knows, he tries, but somehow it usually doesn’t go well on that first meeting.

Becky and The Guy have set their wedding date for February 20, 2011 and they have reserved a very nice venue for the wedding. She is sending me links for florists and musicians.

I have started looking at mother of the bride dresses online. I know it is kind of early for that, but I remember when my youngest daughter, Emily, got married, we looked for weeks and weeks for a dress. It’s not that I am that picky, it’s just that I don’t think the people who make mother of the bride dresses are very realistic about what a 57 year old woman looks like in a dress.

(Here I am as mother of the groom in 1995. The red dress worked fine back then. It was a less formal wedding at a church in Smyna, Ga.)

1997 06 27 emily wedding jim emily tommy karen — At my daughter's wedding in 1997. Pink--not such a good choice.

Have you ever seen some of the stuff they have to offer these days? Well, let me show you.

That dress was actually listed as a mother of the bride dress. I don’t know anyone who has a daughter old enough to get married who looks like that, or who could actually wear that dress. I can’t even imagine it in a size 24.

This one is a little better, at least I can picture it in a plus size, but does it really have to be that shiney? Do they really think a large woman wants to draw that much attention to herself? I don’t know how formal the wedding is going to be, but if the occasion calls for it, this dress may be ok. Just wish it didn’t glow.

And yes, this one was in the category of mother of the bride, too. It shows a bit more of the gozongas than I would like.

Who are these people who would wear something like that to their daughter’s wedding?

I think this one would make me frumpy. What do you think? Or am I really too picky?

I DID find a couple of dresses I like. This one, if it is a more formal event, I think would look real nice on a “big boned” lady like me. I like the mint green, but I wear a lot of pink, too.

And for less formal, I might just pick this:

formal wedding mother of the bride — I like this one

It would depend on how it looks in person when I tried it on. At least the people who own that website are using a plus size model so you can get a somewhat realistic idea of how that dress would look on a larger woman.

And though I don’t think this one would be right for a wedding,

I do like the looks of it–except that I know something that clingy wouldn’t look good on me. And there is that cleavage thing again, too.

So, there you have it. All of these dresses were found in the “mother of the bride” category online. I think I need help.

The Sun Sets On Another Season..

Karen · 10 Comments

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Today was my last full day to work at the North Rim this season. It was a beautiful day, with a cloudless sky and tempertures around 56 degrees.

As the shadows got longer, I felt a little bit sad that it is over, but happy thinking about my memories of the summer here.

It was a wonderful, almost perfect sunset, with the only clouds I saw all day turning pink, red and purple over the meadow beyond the entrance station.

What a great way to end my season!

I won’t be wearing the uniform again until next year. And so, we will be moving again soon. In about a week from now, we’ll be on way down the road.

Remember Whensday

Karen · 7 Comments

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(Michael and FabGrandma: love at first sight: 1996)

Thirteen years ago, on October 13, my first grandchild was born. I drove a thousand miles from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Antonio, Texas to hold him in my arms for the first time. He was so tiny, so perfect, so beautiful. He was the one who made me the FabGrandma.

Yesterday was his thirteenth birthday. He is now living in Maryland with his Air Force Dad, my son. But I have to tell ya, that little guy has been to more places than I have, and I go a lot! Besides San Antonio, he has lived in Guam, and England. He has been to Stone Henge, Loch Ness, the Leaning Tower of Piza, the Eiffel Tower. He has camped on the shore of Wales, and near the beach in Tusany. He has caught grunion on the beach at Imperial Beach, California, and crappie in a lake in north Georgia.

(Michael fishing in north Georgia with his Dad and FabGrandpa: 2003)

That boy really gets around. Here is another photo of him that I love:

(Michael on the pier at Imperial Beach, California, with the catch of the day: 2004)

Hope you had a very happy birthday, Fab Grandson Michael!

For more Remember Whensday posts, click here.

Scenic Sunday

Karen · 9 Comments

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I came upon this family of deer on the road to the Widforss Trailhead this week. The deer up here are wild, but they don’t seem to be as skittish as other deer as they didn’t run off as soon as they saw me. Instead, they seemed to pose for me.

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.

First Snow Day Of The Season

Karen · 14 Comments

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When the alarm clock went off at 4:30 a.m., I thought I heard the soft pattering of snow on the roof of the trailer. I jumped up (OK, I slowly got up and grumped about it some) and looked out the front door to verify that it was, in fact, snow. Yep, snow. On October 7.

My duty station this morning was the entrance station. I was surprised to see the buffalo out in the meadow in the snow, because they haven’t been around in more than a month. They are usually gone back down to House Rock Valley by this time.

Sunrise over the meadow on the Kaibab Plateau. How beautiful is that?

The snow came in showers, and snowed like crazy for about a half an hour at a time. A couple of times it was coming down so hard and fast that it covered the road.

But, then, a half hour later, it was all gone again, and the sun was peeking out. The forecast high was 52, but I don’t think it got there today. That wood stove really came in handy today.

This is looking across the road from the entrance station, to the parking lot.

And here I am playing in the snow, um, er, I mean working. Isn’t that a cute outfit? I was glad when my shift was over, so I could go home, get a blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a gluten free cookie!