What a Haul!

Do you know what this is in the back of our car? Notice how it's folded up and fits so well in our tiny space.

Did you guess right? 

It's a jin-u-wine Radio Flyer All Terrain Wagon (ATW).  

 Look at those wheels. You can just tell this wagon really will go on any terrain, right?

 

 The wooden base is in excellent shape.

When my husband and I saw it at a yard sale, we ran walked very quickly so I could grab the handle and stake my claim.

There was another woman standing near it so I was a little worried. I exclaimed, "Wow! Look at this wagon." I couldn't help myself. I felt like I had to give her a chance to say she had seen it first.


The following dialog from her had my husband and me laughing so hard. She said, "I had a wagon like that when I was a little girl. (Uh, oh. She has a sentimental attachment to it.)  I hate that wagon. (WHAT?) There were 3 of us girls and my mom would load us up in it and pull us to the A&P. "

 

She pulled off the front of it. She said she had to sit in front with her legs hanging over. She felt every bump. Then she and her sisters had to hold all the grocery bags on the trip back. I wish I had a tape recorder because there is no way I can tell you how funny she was. She kept repeating how much she hated that wagon. We were just rolling. (No pun intended.)

I texted my daughter to see if she wanted the wagon and she said--------no. Well, we weren't leaving without that wagon. We had to scrounge and pool our money (I'm setting the scene here for another post.) to pay the $20, which we thought was a very fair price.

I thought you might like to see how all the sides come off for easy loading in the car or for another use. We decided if she didn't need it to haul our grandkids to the grocery store around their neighborhood, then we could find other uses for it. If the kids aren't visiting us, then I can use it to haul those big bags of potting soil, or plants, or watering cans, or anything else I can think of.

We thought it was a great deal and a great start to our day of yard saling. Little did we know what else was in store. (Setting the scene again ~ foreshadowing.)

What was in your big yard sale haul?

Wisconsin Sunset

“A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going. And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the east.”
― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

Breakfast at The Curve

Would you eat at a restaurant named The Curve?

What if I told you it was beside a tattoo parlor?

Someone at our hotel in Madison recommended it to us. I just wish I had taken more pictures to share.

There was a counter with stools, a few tables by the window, and a few more tables in the back.
It was definitely a local place.

I didn't even think about taking pictures until after I had started eating. This is half of an order. I split my veggie omelet with Mom.

We talked to the cook who had played football for Wisconsin in the 80's. We told him we'd be back in 2014 or 2015 when Va Tech plays them. He laughed.

Our waitress was so much fun. We told her we would be back, but she was off when we returned on Thursday. And I still didn't think to take any pictures.

However, I do have one more picture to show you.

We all thought this was an interesting sign. However, when I told my almost daughter-in-law (who lives in Madison) about it, she thought it was a commonly used term. I don't think I've even seen a wash room sign before.

So, what does it say on the wall where you go to breakfast?

Frosty Drinks

Has this ever happened to you? Does it remind you of a science experiment gone bad?
That top has come completely off the can. I couldn't have done it that well if I had tried.

Can you see the frozen soda in the can?

I bet you know what happened.

Yep, there was an explosion in the hotel refrigerator. Look at that mess.

And a close-up of the door, too.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I did the same thing in my parent's room refrigerator.
I had to clean up two messes.

Has that ever happened to you?

Five Ingredient Dip

I just saw this recipe fixed on a local tv show. It caught my attention because it used sweet potatoes.

 

Then I discovered what a chipotle pepper is.

 

Do you know?*

TRACY NOERPER / SOUTHEAST DAIRY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

1 medium sweet potato

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 T salsa

1/4 c (2 oz) shredded Pepper Jack or Reduced Fat Pepper Jack cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake sweet potato at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly and peel.
Place baked sweet potato in small food processor or blender; add remaining ingredients. Pulse until well combined.
Serve warm with fresh veggies, crackers or tortilla chips.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 110, Fat: 5.5g, Saturated Fat: 3.6g, Sodium: 257mg., Carbohydrate: 10g, Fiber: 1.6g, Protein: 6g, Calcium: 158mg.

I'm going to buy these ingredients and let you know how it turns out. I don't have a food processor, so mine will be VERY chunky.

 

* It's a smoked jalapeno pepper.

Pretty as a Peacock

Isn't this bedspread gorgeous?
I bought it years ago at an auction to dispose of the belongings of a dear church lady.
Now I no longer have a use for it. (I sold the bed last summer.)


I donate things to Goodwill, but I thought I'd share it with all of you before I do.
Or I might try Craigslist. It is so pretty that I might be able to make some money on it.
What do you think?

On Vacation

 

They're on vacation ~ not me.
Remember? We just got back from Wisconsin.

The day we returned, my daughter and her family left for a week in Isle of Palms, SC.

I am suffering from grandchildren withdrawal.
Anyone know a cure?

Happy Father's Day

This is my dad. 

I've always been "daddy's girl".
From the earliest I could remember, I always knew how much my dad wanted a daughter. (My two brothers came first.)
He picked out my name ~ Patricia.
He picked out my first formal dress.
He told me I could be anything I wanted to be.

We were talking on our recent trip about why he still says certain things to me, even though I am now an adult. His answer was a classic one: To me, you're still a child.

Here he is with Cate, my granddaughter. He has started to call her "little bit", just like he called her mom.

Here he is with my grandson, William ~ his namesake. (Don't you just love that smile?)

This is my husband, my children's step-father. I don't have any recent pictures of them together.
When we married, they were 10 and 13. He told them they already had a father, and he would just be their friend. I think he's done a good job.

I know I just showed you this one yesterday, but it's the only digital picture I have of Bruce with his two sons and granddaughter. (I still can't believe my camera broke before I could take any pictures of them together.)
I have to brag on Tim. He and his ex-wife divorced shortly after Alexandra was born. He has shared joint custody of her since she was a tiny baby. He has always been a major presence in her life, not just a "weekend father".

Doesn't the look on his face show how much he loves this little girl?

She loves him just as much. She calls him "P". (Sometime I'll write that story.)

Whenever I picked her up from preschool, her first question was always, "Will P be there when we get to your house?"
No matter how tired he was when he came home from work, he said that feeling disappeared when he saw her.

This is my son-in-law.
He is a wonderful daddy.
I love watching him with the kids. Cate has already told me she is going to marry her daddy. He lets her "do" his hair and pretty much plays whatever she wants with her.
I'm sure he'll do the same with William.

These are my brothers.
They, too, are good fathers who love being granddads!
Between them, they have 5 children and 9 grandchildren.

Happy Father's Day!

Wisconsin Family Time

My hubby has two sons, and they both live in Wisconsin. Do you remember that we live in Virginia?
Yeah, not exactly neighbors, are we?
I know he misses them, but we just aren't able to see each other very often.
Fortunately, he got to spend some quality time with them this week.

Can you see any family resemblance? Can you figure out which son is the father of the lovely young granddaughter? How about can you figure out which son is about to become engaged to that stunning young lady? (Or at least I think they are.)

I'll wait while you look at the picture again.
(My stepson took it with his phone, emailed it to me, I emailed it to another account, then I downloaded it to my picture file, where I could then upload it to my blog! Now if you knew me very well, you'd be very impressed that I figured out how to do all that.)

Okay, Brian is the blonde-haired younger brother on the left.

Funny story about Brian. He lived with us for a year and was around my son for a few years. My dad couldn't get over how much the two of them are alike. They have the same mannerisms, etc. Brian said he was around during Jason's formative years. (One day I might do a post about the high school parties they had - when we weren't home.)


Tim is the dark-haired son standing beside his dad. I always thought he resembled his dad until I met their mom. Nope, he looks exactly like his mom.
He is also the one who is about to become engaged, I think.

Alexandra belongs to the darkhaired son. She starts middle school in the fall. Sigh.

Were you fooled? Or did you match them up correctly?

Oh, you want to know more about the soon-to-become engaged (I think) young woman?
Her name is Sheri. This was our first meeting, unless you count skyping 2 years ago when Tim and Alexandra were visiting us.
She was so kind to my mom and patient with my dad. I really liked her.


It was wonderful to be around them. I just wish they didn't live so far away.

(I will try to catch up on reading your blogs and replying to your comments while I'm doing laundry. hahahahahahaha)

49, 50!

Good news:

We crossed the Mississippi River yesterday into Minnesota.

Mom and Dad have now officially been to all 50 states.

Bad news:

I don't have any pictures to prove it because my camera broke.

I took it to a camera store this morning, and I already forgot what he told me. 

Basically a sensor is gone, and I need a new camera.

Good news:

We found a huge grocery store (Woodman's) to buy our "souvenir" cheese.

Wish I could have looked around more.

Bad news:

Cash or debit card only.

That certainly cut down on our purchases.

Good news:

We've had a wonderful time.

Bad news:

This is our last day.

From here to there....

I live in VA. I wish I knew how to mark Roanoke with a great big X.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we are going to Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

810 miles

14 hours

 

 

My husband's two sons and his granddaughter live near Madison.

We don't get to see them very often.

 

I surprised him for his 60th birthday 6 years ago.

 I cleared it with his work, packed his suitcase, 

met him at work, and drove him to the airport.

He enjoyed a long weekend with his kids.

(I also asked friends to send him birthday cards that I kept from him.

When he came home, I displayed them in a huge 60.)

  

We are taking my parents with us. 

 

 

 

 

They have visited 48 states. 

(Yep, they've been to Alaska and Hawaii, but I haven't.)

Wisconsin and Minnesota are the only 2 they haven't seen. 

(And I've been to both of those before.)

Dad is having trouble with his hip.

The doctor told him he should stop every hour for at least 10 minutes.

 

Mom is on oxygen at night, so we will be hauling her oxygen concentrator.

 

In addition, we have her wheelchair and commode.

Since this is a thrifty blog, you should know that we bought 

the wheelchair at an auction for $15.

(She has a smaller one, but we call this her all-terrain vehicle.)

 

 

 

 

The commode came from Goodwill for $5.

Mom's seat is special. I added a Virginia Tech toilet seat to it.

 

 

I limited us to one suitcase apiece.

Thankfully, we're taking my parents' van.

 

See you in a week.