For these things I give thanks to Thee….

My salvation, the greatest gift that could possibly be given. My Father in Heaven sacrificed His son for my sins. I cannot fathom doing that.

My husband, Ken- My best friend for over 40 years. The person I know I can lean on, depend on, and who I know always has my back. His sense of responsibility is great as is his honesty. His morals are above reproach. He is an answer to my long ago prayers.

My children, Karin and Kenny- who are responsible, self-reliant adults who have sensitivity to others with a caring nature. Both know right from wrong. Their spouses are a welcome addition to our family. Seeing my children happy makes me happy.

My grandchildren, the A-Team: 

Aaron with his crooked little smile when you compliment him, his artistic talents and great writing ability.

Andrew whose sweetness and smoothness rolls like warm caramel over ice cream.

Austin with his great wisdom and curiosity, so concerned with others’ feelings, yet so hard on himself to be perfect. 

Old friends – in the past year several old friends have come back into my life unexpectedly bringing great joy. Friends of a life time, some you see often, some you seldom see or talk to. But a friend is someone you can pick up with immediately when you see them or talk to them. It is like you never lost contact.

New friends - made this past year, mostly at the campground. There are so many types of people in this world and each one of us has something interesting about us. I’m thankful for the opportunities I have to make new friends.

Davis Center Writing group – Our co-ordinator, Karen Shubert, has the ability to bring out our good points and to gently nudge us in the areas where we need more work. The group is friendly, fun and most of all talented. I marvel at what each person puts down in words and how those words affect me.

My job – It helps to provide for my existence. It is not who I am but where I work. I enjoy what I do, my co-workers, and my boss. Not a career, a job.

Acceptance – something I have been working on in my personal life. To be able to accept each person, no matter what they look like, how they act, where they live, work, or socialize. Each person is different and each person has unique qualities. Acceptance of oneself is probably the hardest.

Home –

My summer home in the camper where I am most content, at peace and enjoying God’s creations around me.

My permanent home built nearly 100 years ago, still standing strong, where memories were made not only by my family but those who lived here before me. Its walls have provided me a safe haven, a warm shelter, and a place to call home.

Answered prayers – In the last several months many of my prayers have been answered. I am seeing results that I know I did not produce.

My list could go on and on but I will stop. It feels good to take the time to list some of the things that are good in my life. Oftentimes I pay more attention to negative things and don’t see all the good that is really happening.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

May you have many things for which to give thanks.

Cooking

Now that we are home I have been doing more cooking. When we are camping many of our dinners are prepared over the fire or on the grill. I do not touch a grill ever! Never! It was really ugly the one time I tried.

When camping, Ken gets the privilege of cooking as often as he likes. I say that truthfully. When Ken cooks, he enjoys it and puts his heart into it.

When I cook, I expect applause-which doesn't come often!! I can't figure out why. Hmmmm.

Here is a picture of a burger that Ken made for me on Sunday when I gave him the opportunity to cook. It was one of the best I have ever eaten. Restaurant quality for sure.

Son's cruise to Bermuda

I’m not enjoying your cruise

Not at all

I’m ready to hit the booze

Hoping that you’ll call.

My stomach is in knots

My mind isn’t clear

I see the storm brewing

And I live in fear.

Where are you?

Your ship I can’t track.

The storm is getting bolder

I can’t wait until your back.

Are you on the island in the sun

Enjoying the sites and having fun?

While I sit here in terror

Wondering where oh where?

You’re home, sweet home.

My held breath I let go

You had a great time

Even with the ebb and flow.

Old Friends, New Campground

We got a call from friends of ours from Mosquito Lake Campgrounds. Stella and Bob met us at Lesiure Lake Campgrounds Sunday afternoon and we gave them the grand tour. We couldn't do the proper tour in the golf cart where you can get up close and personal but we did show them around in our car. I think they were impressed at all the facilites available to us.

It was so nice to spend the afternoon with them reminiscing. We are looking forward to them visiting us next summer when the campground is in full swing and more than likely we will visit them at Mosquito Lake Campgrounds and enjoy some good times around a campfire. I'll have to bring Clayton so he can see his girlfriend, Roxie.

Pond or Swimming Pool?

We now have a swimming hole behind our camper. The pond that was created when the water line broke has been improved. We now have a deep pool.

The water line that was leaking has been fixed. The water was turned off and the man who dug the trench for our sewer line (you remember, the one who broke the water line and cut an electric line while digging because no one knew they were there) came back and fixed the water line again. I can't believe it but he dug it up with just a shovel. That trench is deep where he laid that pipe. The ground was so wet from the water leak and the dirt had to be heavy. But it was done when we went back on Sunday afternoon.

The hole is petty deep. Deep enough that I think I am going to have a diving board installed next year. And the hole (pool) is going to be there until next year when they turn the water on because they want to make sure the water line is really fixed this time before covering it up. So for now, we have a swimming hole with no water. But if that water line still leaks, we will have a real pool.

Check out our solar cover!

Work Weekend, More Sleep? and TV's

 We went back to the campground Saturday to help with Work Weekend. The water was being shut off and several people pitched in to help, turning on and off the faucets at every campsite and letting the water drain. Then a compressor was used to blow out the water to be ready for winter. Ken helped close up one of the comfort stations and the two hamlets.

I helped in the clubhouse taking down the Halloween decorations. Lunch was served to those who worked. We enjoyed some really good sloppy joes, chips and fruit. Thanks to all those who prepared the meal. (I stayed away from the kitchen!)

After we finished helping we went back to our camp to re-pile the wood (see the previous post).

It was such a beautiful and warm day that I wished we could spend the rest of the weekend there. I would have enjoyed an evening fire, some visits with neighbors (who probably are still laughing after watching us move that wood pile again), and a hot dog over the fire. But we had no food there and we also had the Dish satelite man coming to our house Sunday morning to set up our t.v.

Ken and I were exhausted Saturday night (can't imagine why?) and we were glad this was the weekend we got an extra hour of sleep because we turned our clocks back. We went to bed early Saturday night, both needing a full night's sleep after some restless ones during the work week.

Much to my dismay, Ken awoke me around 1 a.m. to tell me, "We have to go back to the campground. We should go right now. We left the t.v. there and the Dish man is coming early tomorrow morning."

I told him that we needed and could get some more sleep before having to go out and get the t.v. He said he probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep because he was so upset we forgot to bring the t.v. home. He said he would be thinking about it all night. I told him we were not going out at this time of night and we would get up early and be back in plenty of time before the Dish man got here. He fell back asleep within minutes but guess who was awake for a long time afterward? No, not Clayton. ME!!

The satellite is up, and I hear the t.v. working. All is well with the world.

The Woodpile Jinx

We've done it again! Moved another woodpile! Can you believe it? Me neither. But it's true.

In my post about locking up and leaving, I posted a picture of our new nice neat, out of the way woodpile to be used to store the new wood we have recently split. It looked so nice, really it did.

That is until....
    Friday night when Ken came out to the campground after work. He was going to attend the Board Meeting later that evening. I had an appointment after work so I didn't go. My phone beeped because Ken had texted me. When I opened my phone, I couldn't make out what he was trying to say to me...all I could read was "The woodpile go...." then a picture came up. I don't have a fancy phone, just a phone with no frills or thrills. Pictures in texts are very small and hard to make out and there is no way to enlarge them. I thought he was telling me the woodpile was gone. I couldn't believe someone would have taken all that wood but you never know. So I had no idea what Ken was trying to tell me until after my appointment when I called him back.

With despair in his voice he said, "The woodpile go boom". 

"What? Is it gone?" I asked.-

"Didnt' you look at the picture I sent you?" he asked.

"Yes, but I couldn't make it out. The pictures are too small on my phone."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"So what happened to our woodpile? Did someone take it?"

"No, it fell over."

So guess what we were doing Saturday afternoon? How did you know? We were moving the woodpile again. Ken figures that the woodpile was at a slant next to the shed because of the hill. The whole thing fell over. It was eight feet high and eight feet wide. We decided that we would move the woodpile to the other side of the camper where the slide out is.  I wonder how long it will stay there? I foresee woodpiles being moved again in the spring. What do you think?

Stored away, time to go

We spent last weekend, Oct. 29 and 30th winterizing the camper and taking food and clothes, etc., home for the winter. We found a place to store our golf cart-in our new shed. It fit in there nicely and we still have room to store the chairs, coolers, refrigerator and rakes.

Ken made a new wood rack for the wood we got from Barb's tree. We got most of it split and Ken brought a truckload out to season over the winter. The wood rack looks so neat next to the shed and it is out of the way.

It felt good to have the inside of camper all scrubbed and clean and everything stored.  Ken locked up and we were ready to go home.

I don't think Clayton was overjoyed that we had to leave but he will adjust.

It was a beautiful day when we closed up camp and it was hard to leave knowing that winter will be here soon.

Our summer of camping for this year is done. Now we look forward to some weekends at the camp in the winter. We will go out on the 19th for the campground Thanksgiving dinner and hopefully spend the night.