Whirlwind Visit From the Folks and Sky Diving Great Auntie!

Well, my folks made it safe and sound to Chilton.... I was in the grocery store and got a phone call saying they were sitting on my front porch!  So I drove home as soon as I could, and yup, there they were--- two little homeless waifs sitting on my front stoop... looking for a person with a key to get in the house!   There weren't any cars behind me, so I pulled up in front of the house, rolled down the passenger window and took this pic of them.

I pulled in the driveway and snapped another shot of them sitting there.  

They looked so gosh durned cute! 

We made up some lunch and caught up on all the newest, latest and greatest.  Then my dad wanted to go down to New Holstein to TSC store check out some farm equipment, and it just so happens that next door is a thrift shop... so Mom and I went in there!

We hit one more thift shop in Kiel and then headed on back to our house... soon Steveio would be home from work.  Relaxing out on the front porch is a good way to wind down his busy day... and enjoying some time with the folks too!

 (the Pillsbury Dough Boy Cookie Jar in the lower right corner

was her mother's day present I didn't mail because they were moving) 

Mom hauled out the photo albums she brought along and was showing Steveio all about their newest home in Georgia.  These folks change their homes as often as they change their underwear (almost) ....  Well, I can count six different places they have moved to in the last 10 years or so.  So she had to show us all about the newest place.

I made up a couple pans of lasagna, using the roll-up method.  One was chicken alfredo lasagna and the other was the tomato meat sauce type.  Both came out great!

Here is the Chicken Alfredo recipe... click to enlarge it in another window to read the words if it's too small on your browser.

Here is the way I make it, I added some Italian bread crumbs on top too.

We sat around the for the evening, catching up and enjoying the time with my folks.  My dad has a very sassy habit of sharing his Cheetos Cheese Puffs with Finney. (who is a very willing participant, I might add)   There... caught in the act!

And Mom is not much better!   Here she is this morning sharing a cinnamon roll with the pup!  ARRRGGHHH!   She also keeps a handful of doggie treats in her pocket, and both dogs follow her all around the house to see how many they can beg off of her.

After coffee this morning, they loaded up and headed further north to the U.P. of Michigan.  It was not a sad "goodbye" ...rather it was a "see you soon" in two days!   They will visit some of the other people we know up there, and then head over with the family to Escanaba, MI for the weekend. We are happy to have a family gathering coming up for my nephew Darren's wedding!   It should be a great time, and we have the motorhome loaded up and ready to roll.  Steve has to work till noon tomorrow and then we will head out.  So we will be seeing the folks, and siblings, some of our kids and grandkids, and friends at the wedding ...  Will take a LOT of pics! 

Speaking of family... 

my great auntie Bernice
(technically my second cousin) 
sure made a big headline 

in the local paper in Port Washington, WI!   

Check this out! 

Cross This One Off Her Bucket List --- At age 90, Bernice Miser of Port fulfills her longtime dream of skydiving

Yes... she sure did!!!!   

You go, girl!  

Soooo proud of you, Bernie...

you have a LOT more guts than I do~! 

Ooooh My Parents are Almost Here - and Replacing Sash Cord in Our Old House Windows

My parents are heading up north for a family wedding this weekend.  We are waiting for them to come to our home and ride up with us on Friday in the motorhome.

They took off from down south in Georgia on Aug. 5th...  they showed up in Ohio at my step sis Tonya's house and posted us a pic on Facebook. So we knew they made it that far by Aug 7th.  LOL

Then this morning they posted from my cousin John's computer in Cedarburg, Wi... so we know they made it to Wisconsin!   We chatted for a while, which was a good thing.  My sister Linda and I have been going through "Mom-Withdrawals"!!!  Since they moved from Florida to Georgia this past spring, they do not yet have Mom's computer hooked up at the new house.  So we have not been able to chat, send pics and share blog posts.  Oh my!

They will be visiting with relatives and friends in Cedarburg for a day or two, and then be up here to our home in Chilton by Thursday.  It's only 60 miles from there to here. Easy Peasy.  Then they can help me load up the motorhome for our weekend up in Escanaba, Michigan.  My brother Butch's youngest son Darren is marrying Chelsea and we are going to have a great time!  The motorhome is our travelling hotel room, and the dogs can go along and enjoy the weekend too.



Today was a rainy day which was just fine by me. We really needed it and got about 2 inches.  My rainbarrels had been empty for three days now and we needed some fresh rain for the lawns and my tomatoes!   I hate to use city water on them, and having the rain barrels provide good water is an added plus.  I have been picking 5-6 tomatoes a day now and enjoying them in our evening meals--- plus a few sliced up on a plate as a treat.   Soon there will be enough to can a few jars every other day of stewed tomatoes to restock my shelves in the root cellar.

I was weaving most of the day, and took a break to run some errands.  Then I had to stock up on goodies for the grandtots in case they come out into the motorhome to rest before during or after the wedding and reception.  Granmuddahs gotta do that, ya know.  I am thinking my folks are sleeping in our rig with us, but tossing in a few grandkids for morning cuddles will be fun too

Now for some repairs to Our Old House!  

I figured I would post these pics of a project we did over the weekend.  Of course, you know we own a very old home, 100 years old.  The windows are old fashioned wooden sash type with raising panes that have window weights in the casings.  From time to time the old woven cords will break on either side and the weights fall down inside the casing.  Some of our windows have just one cord intact, which lets the window operate, but a little harder to raise and lower.

Finally one window in the dining room broke it's second cord.  Time to replace it....  so I bought a new hank of  "sash cord" at the hardware store. Do NOT use clothesline, it's not made the same and will stretch after a while.  Sash cord is braided differently and made to not stretch out.

Okay.. now it's time to fix the broken window cords....

First step... get a tall man to fix it for you.  

Then you don't have to stand on a ladder!!!!

He removes the two strips of wood along each side of the casing 

which are attached with screws

Now we can remove the window pane and remove the broken rope. 

The rope is only held onto the pane by a double knot in the end of the rope, 

to make a lump that fits in the circle part 

and the rest of the rope just lays along in this groove....  that is all. 

No other means of attaching it.

Next we unscrewed the bottom portion of the casing on each side to remove the weights and the bottom sections of broken rope down inside the casing.

These are the two window weights that came out of the bottom 

of the casing openings. 

Yup, they are very heavy. 

Bright idea from Steveio:

Save the two pieces of the old rope and place them end to end 

to measure when cutting the new rope!  

NO guessing for how long it is needed.  

We cut both ropes exactly right for each side of the window. 

Now it's time for MY bright idea! 

Drop a fishing line with a sinker weight attached down from the top roller 

through the little hole at the top pulley wheel, 

and let it drop to the bottom opening to serve as a guide string.

Now tie it onto the new rope and pull it through the casing into place!

We then strung the new ropes and brought them down to the bottom and 

tied them securely to the weights. We set the weights back in the bottom openings. 

(there are also another set of weights inside the casing... 

 for the top pane of glass to be able to open it from the top down,

 but we didn't fiddle with those, they were still intact) 

We pulled the knots at each of the tops down along the casings on each side.

Best if you have two people to do this part.  

One to lift the window pane into place 

and one to guide the cords on each side into the slots 

and line up the knots in the circular holes along the window frame.

I could not take a picture while we were both having our hands full. 

Onec we had the knots and cords lined up on each side, we 

slid it into the window frame and pushed it into place.

Last step, putting the wooden pieces back into place on each side, 

and securing them back on with the screws... 

---15 minutes---

DONE! 

Now, I might explain why I posted this.  I like posting the repairs and modifications we do to Our Old House.  But also I posted this because it was a VERY easy job.  And because my husband has been complaining that he wants to have NEW windows installed.  I counter with the fact that I love these 100 year old windows and they are charming and quaint and lovely.... and VERY EASY to fix when a cord breaks!  I don't want new windows on Our Old House. 

You see my point? 

heh heh

Smokey Bear's 70th Birthday Party and High Cliff State Park's 50th Anniversary

Steve has been a proud employee for the State of Wisconsin for 36 years. He has been with the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources at High Cliff State Park for the past 2 years now. Can you believe it's been 2 years already?

Did you know that it's also the 50th Anniversary for High Cliff State Park???... and it's Smokey Bear's 70th birthday!

They had a special "task" to ask of Steve for Saturday.  It seems Steve is the only employee in the park that can fit a certain costume... hmmmmmmmm

(I am not allowed to post pics of him getting assembled into this costume, 

but rest assured, it was a funny event----) 

Meet------- SMOKEY BEAR!   

The official name is "Smokey Bear"  .....   only later when composing a song was the word "the" added in between to make the words in the song easier to sing.

I was dubbed "Smokey Bear's Friend" to help guide him around and hand out treats.  Those big heads don't allow you to see downwards towards his feet too well, and we can't have Smokey tripping over some little tot wanting a hug now, do we?

(there are ice packs inside the suit that slide into pockets to help cool him, 

and a fan inside the top of the hat)

HERE ARE SOME VIDEO CLIPS OF THE DAY

Smokey walked through the woods on the way to his birthday party..... 

And once there, he was introduced as the guest of honor! 

Some of the older folks even remember ALL of the words to the song:

The birthday cakes were served, with ice cream and drinks... and all the children and adults took part in wishing this very hot bear a Happy Birthday!    

Many folks posed for pictures, and Smokey got a LOT of birthday hugs! 

 With the acting Park Superintendant Linda Guelig and Park Naturalist Cindy Mueller

Now.. I know there are a LOT of pictures here, but I could NOT resist... and had to post many of the good ones. Most of these photos were taken by our friend Craig as I was a bit busy to be snapping shots of the event. I was handing out pencils, coloring books, tattoos, posters and bookmarks.  I was helping to coax the shy ones, and helping the gregarious huggers to take it a bit easier on Smokey. It was SO much fun!

Seeing all those smiling faces, and hugs from young and old alike.  It really warmed my heart.  I was so proud to be a part of such a great day!

  

Meeting and greeting all the guests at his birthday party

Group shots of families will make great additions to their family albums

So much fun, from the youngest to the oldest folks...

I am thinking that Smokey made a few new friends

 Just look at those smiles!  and oooh the High Fives for the ones who didn't want to hug

When these kids go back to school, do you think they will say they met Smokey?

Yes, Smokey Bear even assisted this gal in a wheelchair with pushing her over the uneven ground 

and back to the parking area.  What a thoughtful bear! 

 This passing car-full of kids saw him trekking across the parking lot on his way back to the office.. and they all piled out to eagerly pose with him for a photo opportunity! 

And the last pic... as a very very hot Smokey Bear went back into the forest.... 

REMEMBER--- 

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES! 

Meeting RV Friends for the First Time and some Motorhome Jobs

Well, it's back to blogging again. I FINALLY have some RV stuff to blog about.  First off, Steveio decided that he needed to replace the back shocks from Bilsteins to Konis , then he lubed all the grease zerks, (even the elusive one on our fan shaft) and also changed out all of the brake fluid with new fresh fluid.

Note- he worked soooo fast on all of these things, I didn't even know he started on them until he was all done! That means I didn't get any pics either. arrggghhh! 

On Thursday we had the opportunity to meet up with fellow RV bloggers Merikay and Craig of the blog  http://merika-merika.blogspot.com   This link will lead you to her post about our visit, so you can read each of our accounts of the last five days.

We have read each other's blogs for many years now, and encouraged each other through the process of  downsizing, packing, selling and moving out of our large homes and into an RV to live full time.  They are now travelling full time in their Alfa See Ya Diesel motorhome and tow a Jeep around America.  (we took a slight detour after living in our rig for 5 months when Steve took another state position with the DNR to work at High Cliff State Park)

After all these years of comments, support, and emails of the journey each of us has taken, we finally got to meet IN PERSON~!   They were coming into the area after visiting relatives in Milwaukee. We guided them to a local campground about 15 miles from our home.  We offered our driveway but with only 20amp service, it might not be enough to run the air conditioners if the weather gets hot and humid.  So they pulled in to the campgrounds and got settled on Thursday.  They called us just in time to meet us in town for the free City Concert at the Fairgrounds in Chilton.  Featured was the Chilton City Band for the evening, complete with brass, woodwinds, tubas and percussion.

Last year, both Merikay and I had our eyes on a sweatshirt available from the https://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com  so we both ordered it. We knew we each had our matching sweatshirts, so it was decided, like a "blind date", that we would both wear our sweatshirts to the concert to easily identify each other!   LOL

We settled in our lawn chairs to enjoy the music, the companionship, and enjoy watching the little children dancing and prancing around to the tunes.  In between every few songs, they had door prize drawings for locally sponsored prizes.  Craig won a certificate from the local bank to come in and redeem for $5.00!   He passed it on to me later to donate to a charity, which I chose the Wisconsin Shetland Sheepdog Rescue (without them I would never have gotten Finney!)   

We stayed late past the end of the concert and headed home after dark.  They had a short drive back to the campground and we headed on home in Chilton.  I suppose we could have tried to get reservations to the same campground for the weekend, but we had some other special plans for Saturday that needed us elsewhere---- more about that later! 

On Friday, they came over to our house for our "grand tour" of the home to see it all in person.  They had followed along on our blog each step by step of the things we had done, but now they got to come and see for themselves.  haha.  We shared a glass of wine and waited for Steveio to get home from work.  Friday nights are famous for Fish Fry's in Wisconsin... and we had a treat in store for our guests.  

Many small towns dotting along the lakeshore of Lake Winnebago have residents who form "fishing clubs" which do various fundraising events throughout the year.  The proceeds are used for many things which you can read about on this link http://www.quinneyfishingclub.com/   Fishing Clubs usually have a building and grounds to hold events, fishing tournaments and places to store some boats and gear.  We drove on over to Quinney, a small burg not much more than a crossroads on Hwy 55 west of here.   

We had little coupons that were handed out in the parade in June to give us $1 off our perch frys which were $12.  Our neighbor even gave us her coupon too.  We stood in a line for a short time, then zoomed through the food process as each of our containers was filled with our choices.  Oh my.... besides the four generous pieces of big perch, coleslaw, and rye bread --- the german potato salad I chose was wonderful!   Steve chose baby red potatoes, while Merikay and Craig had french fries.

The beers were a DOLLAR a cup, and the desserts were a DOLLAR each... homemade by the best of the best wives in the fishing club, each one outdoing the next on how much goodness they could cram into each of the little boxes.  We sat down to enjoy our Wisconsin Perch Fish Fry!

With full bellies, we wandered on back to our house for a glass of wine and relax a bit on the front porch.  Soon it was dark and time for Merikay and Craig to head back to the campground. We had a BIG DAY planned for Saturday-----

I AM GOING TO DO A SEPARATE BLOG POST ABOUT SATURDAY

AND IT WILL FOLLOW THIS ONE.... 

THERE ARE JUST WAYYYYY TOO MANY PHOTOS TO PUT IN ONE BLOG 

PLUS I WANT TO GIVE THIS SPECIAL EVENT IT'S OWN BLOG PAGE.

Saturday night we were treated with a fantastic sunset over Lake Winnebago, and I was able to capture it by making Steve stop in the middle of the road to take the shot!  LOL

Let's pretend now Saturday is over....  and now it's the final day of Merikay and Craig's visit.  In the morning, Steveio decided to finish up the motorhome roof with a good scrubbing... he uses the pressure washer, but with a special wand that is a swirling scrubbing spray, NOT the pressure spray nozzle.  He hooks up the hose to the outside faucet on our house and turns a valve in the basement over to HOT instead of COLD  (we plumbed our last house this way and really appreciated the surprise of seeing this house was also plumbed with hot water accessibility to the outdoor faucet too)

Sunday afternoon, we headed on over to Columbia park to site number 9 where Merikay and Craig had their Alfa SeeYa motorhome situated.  

They gave us the grand tour and we picked out the five best things we liked that they had in their rig....

• two BIG windows almost floor to ceiling in the bedroom that really let in the outdoors.
• a cool hole in the countertop to toss things in the trash, and empty it from outside of the rig
• a clothes changing area by the closets that opens up with their full wall slide on the drivers side
• a well thought out bathroom with good storage, fixtures and space 
• adapted some deep shelving areas with pull out bins on drawer glides for easier access

Many of the other things we like are also on our rig too... but it was fun to compare and explore and see what other motorhomes have to make living comfortable.

One item I noticed Merikay using in her kitchen was a roll of plastic saran type wrap.... and it had the great plastic sliding cutting device that Glad Wrap had on their packages for a few short years.  Glad Wrap is no longer making those, and Steveio happened to accidentally throw out my last box, so I could not reuse the slider cutting device on newer rolls that didn't have one.  Well, well, well, Merikay said she got her Kirkland brand plastic wrap with cutting device at Costco!  We don't have a Costco close by, but my mind was planning on joining one or ordering on line just to get that cutter!  Ahhhhhh sweet Merikay had an EXTRA ONE saved off one of her previous boxes tucked away.   And she GAVE IT TO ME!  Oooooh I hugged her and giggled like she gave me a million dollars.  Tee heeeee

(when I got home, I wrote a warning in permanent marker on it....

and slid it onto my current box of plastic wrap

think he will heed my warning????)

Merikay served up a lovely meal on the picnic table for us while Craig manned the grill with our steaks.  After a wonderful meal, we sat around the campfire until late.  

It was so good to talk about places we have been, places we want to go, and laughing all the while.  So totally at ease with people we knew but we had never met yet. With big hugs and "see ya laters" instead of "goodbyes" we headed on home in the dark. 

As they drove past my house this morning, I heard the HONK HONK and saw them both waving as they drove on north, on to another adventure on the road.  

If you want, you can follow their blog:

http://merika-merika.blogspot.com