Catch Up

• Well it happened again. I get on the computer with every intention of blogging and I don't get to it because I am doing other things. I think it will only take a minute to look something up and the next thing you know an hour has passed and it is time to put it away. Now, before I do any more on this computer I am going to do a posting. There is really a lot I could and should be writing about. Before I give this too much thought I am just going to go for it.






• Health--We have both had some issues since we have been here. Mine has been the darn eye infection that was nasty and ugly. It was the herpes virus which I have had 2 other times since 1997. I kept hoping it was that I had gotten some lotion in my eye and I kept ignoring it. Wrong thing to do because it is dangerous and the sooner it gets medical attention the better it is. I asked if I could have just let it run it's course and the answer was an emphatic "NO." Anyway after 3 dr. appts., a hunt for some very expensive medicine, hitting it hard with drops 7 x's a day and applying ointment at night to soothe the eye-I have now turned the corner and it is better. Pudge has had a hard time with not being able to catch his breath at times. It was getting in the way of his golfing so he went to Dr. Crever (the son of a friend) He was given some kind of a treatment in the office and medication. It worked for awhile but then reared up again so he went back to dr. and given more medication. They also called him back for a chest xray. He now has an appt. in MN with a pulmonary specialist. I am suspecting COPD but that has not been determined yet.






• We are starting to gear up for coming home. Every day we see neighbors and friends closing their condos and pulling out to return to their homes. Gloria & Jim are leaving in a few days. We are leaving next week. We both have mixed emotions about it. The weather has been so awesome. Our back yard is always well mowed and very well manicured and we do not have to do any of it. I have a nice clean patio because they just came and blew all the debris. When we get back home we will have to get out the rakes, lawn mower, & blower (now that is something to look forward to--NOT) and work to get the yard in somewhat decent shape. It will never look like this.






• Tap Dancing-Today will be my last time until we get back next fall and I am going to miss it. Never did I think at my age I would be tapping. It is so much fun and the ladies and 1 man are so great. By the way-I graduated from a beginner to experienced so I will have to be going at a different time. Next year we have a big review that we will be gearing up for. The main dance for the beginner group is done to "A Bushel and a Peck" and it is really cute if I do say so myself.






• Project- We decided to move the big huge air conditioner that was housed on our outside patio and took up lots of room. We didn't quite understand why Hazel (former owner) would have had it put there because this is a end unit and there is all kinds of room on the side of the house which is never used. From what I understand she never used the patio and it was probably cheaper to have it there. We bit the bullet and had the heating company move it and it has made a big difference. We love the patio and use it all the time and getting that big awkward, ugly thing out of there really made a difference.






• The village is really great to walk around this time of year. Many of the places have dessert landscaping and the cactus and other things are all in bloom. I want to take some pictures before we leave because it is spectacular. The orange trees are in blossom and the smell is incredible. I don't know if I ever have mentioned that about a mile away there is a great big dairy farm with 6000 cows and often we can smell it. Most times I do not mind it. I think it smells earthy. Some times it gets strong and that can bother me. Pudge -- on the other hand hates it even when it is faint. Have not smelled it for about a week now.






• Kari and Charlie's visit was wonderful. We did so many fun things.






• I could go on and on about the experiences and happening that goes on but I need to get ready to go to tap dancing (last time this year)

Community Garage Sale

Both of us up at 6 am. Shannon is picking us up in her golf cart at 6:45 for the big Sunland Village East Garage Sale. There are only 2 days out of the year when the complex will allow people to have a garage sale and today was one of those days. They start at 7 until 1:00. Surprisingly, Pudge is all revved up about going. He will drive the golf cart but he also has things he will be looking for. We pick up Gloria and off we go. Oh my!! Every where you look there is a garage door open with lots of treasures spewing out onto the driveways. Some better than others. Clear sailing until about 9:00 then it starts to get somewhat crowded and congested. But not enough to deter me, Pudge or Gloria. Shannon has had enough. We drop her off at home. The golf cart makes it very easy. Not hard to park and very easy to jump in and out. Filled up the cart with treasures but we were not done so we had to make a run home to drop off and then off again we went. It is so much fun. People are great. Greeted many neighbors and friends that were also doing the garage sales. It is cold the first few hours but then the sun comes out and it is very pleasant. I failed to mention that Jim & John opted out of going which was just fine with all of us. Pudge is enjoying chauffeuring and hunting out golf treasures. Had to make a call to Jim one time when we came across a table of golf balls that we thought he might be interested in. He was so we had to go get him so he could look them over. After making his purchase we bought him back to his project he was doing in the garage. The three of us still had about an hour and a half of garage sales to go. I think we hit about 90% of them. About 11:00 things were starting to wind down. Some garage doors were being closed. We did find quite a few more and called it quits about noon.
So what treasures did I get--you ask. Beautiful canvas paintings of 2 Indian children by a famous artist. They are about 8 x 10 and very colorful. A very pretty small piece of art that is sand painted. Love it. A small metal bird with a nest next to it. 6 tiny pewter figures, a southwestern tablecloth, measuring cup, cheese slicer, a big wooden lazy susan, a nice stool, 3 large cups for serving soup. There were a few more small, insignificant items also purchased. Pudge got golf clubs which he is thrilled about, a small zip bag, a push broom, and old sheets that will be used to cover things when we leave over the summer. It was a very successful, very fun day.
I do need to mention this one fact. My tastes have changed down here. The country, cottagy look back in MN does not go down here. The southwestern decor is somewhat appealing to me. Not the pastelly pinks and blues--nope--can't get comfortable with that. But I can see where those colors are coming from. The sunsets and the earth have the same pinks and blues in them. I am starting to like cactus (some-not all), Indian children and the pretty ladies. Some of the southwestern and Indian designs found in rugs and pictures, the pottery, Kokopelli (I had issues with him but now I have to say I have grown fond of him.) For those of you who do not know who he is he is a spiritual figure- rather cute- and very popular here. He is all over the place. He is supposed to depict the god of happiness and fertility. Most of the time he is blowing on a flute and dancing. I found one where he is shooting a golf club and hung him on the patio. He looks really cute there. Now I would not be able to have all southwestern decor but I do want sprinkles of some of the pretty things I am fond of throughout the condo. They seem so fit and appropriate down here.

2nd load of treasures

Gloria and Shannon looking at a bamboo rug. This sale happened to be across the street from our condo. They did not purchase this rug

Gloria got a really nice set of dishes. Picture does not do it justice. They are Noritake pottery type, blue with a small southwestern design around the edge. She was thrilled

Pudge, Shannon, and Gloria when we first started at 6:45 am on John & Shannon's golf cart..