Judy's Corner - 2008 Archives

Judy's Corner -
2008 Archieves

This corner will be about many things including crafts, recipes, great places to visit, fun things I have done, and many more subjects.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Here are a couple recipes for when the temperature outside drops, the leaves start to fall and then the snow begins to arrive.

Judy's Favorite Chili

1/2 pound ground beef
diced onions
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can light or dark kidney beans (drained)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
chili powder to taste

Saute onions and cook the beef and sausage. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for at least twenty minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings such as scallions, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.

Yummy Chicken Soup (This recipe is from my friend Sue Brown)

Chicken (about two cups cooked and diced)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chilies
1 can Mexican corn
Shredded cheese

Combine all ingredients except cheese and heat. Add shredded cheese and serve. This is a quick, easy and simply delicious recipe.

Soon it will be time to do lots of quilting. There will be a quilting class at Rainbow Plantation to attend and I am going to try to help a friend begin her first quilt. I am looking forward to that as Linda has spent lots of hours teaching me how to do beading and I really enjoy working on crafts with her. I am currently working on a quilting project but it is to be a gift for someone who just might read this so I can't say anymore about that project! :-) Each of our grandchildren receive a quilt made by Grandma and I am behind on making those. Kalina was born in July and she doesn't have a quilt yet. So, she will get the next quilt and then we have grand baby number five due in May. So, guess I won't run out of quilting projects for awhile.

There is also beaded jewelry to make. Right now I am working on a red, white and blue square stitch bracelet. There is a beading group at the Plantation and am sure I will be attending that at least once a week. This is a great group of ladies that meets twice a week to work on beading projects although I think we may socialize more than we work on our beading projects.

Grandchildren are such a joy but I now realize why you have children when you are young! We had Catia and Kalina overnight on Friday and for most of the day on Saturday. They are both really very good girls but Catia is almost four and has lots of energy and Kalina is four months old. You do remember that children get all of their energy from adults don't you?

I remember being a child and visiting my grandparents. They took a nap everyday after lunch and I never understood why they needed that much rest. After all, all my grandmother did was bake (she baked the best fresh yeast rolls and peanut butter cookies) and then knitted the rest of the day. My grandfather would read the newspaper and watch TV. How in the world could that make a person tired? Now that Catia and Kalina have gone home, having drained all the energy right out of me, I am beginning to understand. I think I'm gonna go take a nap now!!

Friday, September 19, 2008

This past week we attended our first RV rally. We arrived at the Celina, OH Fairgrounds around noon time on Sunday, September 14th. Thankfully we managed to get set up before the very windy weather began. The rally did not officially begin until Monday afternoon. On Sunday we registered for the rally, then we checked out where all the buildings were located where the seminars were to be held. We also met some of the other people that would be attending the rally as well.

At the opening meeting on Monday afternoon there were introductions of all the instructors and vendors. There were about twelve different classes to choose from for each day, however, because more than one class was offered at the same time you could really only choose about four different classes to attend for that day. Monday evening we went out to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant with our friends Randy and Terry. The food was good but really nothing to write home about. After dinner was door prize time. We won a gift certificate for $10 off at East Chicago Pizza. That would have been great but we had to use it at the local East Chicago Pizza restaurant but since we were having pizza on Wednesday evening and we didn't really want to go out to eat again this week so we gave the certificate away.

On Tuesday I began my rally day with coffee and donuts at the community center building. Next I attended the class on "Highway History and Back Road Mystery".  Then after lunch I attended the fire safety class. This was an excellent class with very good information. Tuesday evening after the door prizes were given out we visited with Jon and Kathleen.

Wednesday morning began with coffee and donuts. This is not a good habit but the donuts sure were delicious! I definitely need to begin a long walking program! Then it was off to the class on "Hosting in State Parks". I can't say that I really learned a lot but did come away thinking this might be something we would enjoy doing. In the afternoon the class I attended was "Refurbish, Don't Replace". This class was interesting and provided some good ideas for "remodeling" our RV. I think the most unique thing I learned was about Bella and Birch which is a paint that is applied like wall paper. You put the strip of paper on your wall, wet it down and then remove it and, zip, there is a painted wall (yes, it is paint not just wallpaper).

Oh yes, I also made a purchase today! I bought Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus, Memory Manager, and Photos and Fonts. So, now I can do my scrapbooking digitally on my computer. My first big project will be to make a storybook about our four granddaughters. I received a coupon that will cover most if not all the cost of the book. I know, I'm sure I didn't need a new toy but I am sure I will enjoy it.
Wednesday evening there was a pizza party with 250 people and 112 pizzas. After dinner there was entertainment by the group "One More Time." This is a husband and wife team and they were very good. They performed a variety of music along with some comedy and audience participation.

I spent most of Thursday morning trying to learn the new Creative Memories software programs that I bought. The software is good and there is so much that you can do from designing your pages to making cards, post cards, bookmarks and much more. I think you are only limited by your creativity and yes, by first learning how to use the software! Then in the afternoon I attended the class on digital scrap booking.

We left early this morning for Nashville, TN, where we will begin workamping tomorrow. It has been wonderful to have a full week off to meet new friends, learn a few things from the classes here at the rally and just have time to sit and relax.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Back in June I wrote about four days off and what to do. Well since the end of June we have only had two days off each week and have had more to do than there is time to do it in.

A typical work day for me consist of either working in the Honey Bear (children's) store or in games, crafts and events. When working in the Honey Bear store I am a cashier, rent boats, pedal carts, loan out sporting equipment and stock shelves. A typical day in GCE (games, crafts and events) is much different. There I help children "build a buddy". That is where they make their very own stuffed rabbit, bear, moose, turtle, frog or duck. They get to stuff the animal, choose a bandanna and then receive a birth certificate with the name, weight and length of their new friend. During the day we also make many different types of craft items, finger paint with shaving cream and have even made butter from heavy whipping cream.

Each Saturday we have a theme party for all children in the park ages 12 and under. One Saturday there was a birthday party for Honey Bear (the campground mascot). At the party we had a craft for the children to make, face painting, tattoos, games and four very large sheet cakes along with punch and cookies for everyone. Two of us served the cookies and cut and served the cake and we could hardly keep up to the line of people waiting for something to eat.

One Saturday our theme was winter wonderland and so there was a party complete with cookie decorating and a visit from Santa Claus.

The theme for last week and this week is Halloween. There will be a party for the children which consist of face painting, tattoos, crafts, mummy wrapping contest and a costume contest along with other activities.

Then on Saturday evening there will be haunted hay rides for everyone in the park. This event begins at 9pm and ends by 11pm. It is a bit past my bedtime but Darrell and I have volunteered to be part of this fun event. Tickets go on sale at 5pm. The cost is only $1 but that does help with crowd control. We had approximately 300 people go on the hay rides and all seemed to enjoy them.

So, all of these events make up my typical work day this summer. Our two days off are spent resting, getting chores done and trying to do something fun like sight seeing or kayaking. Unfortunately working on my crafts have been put on hold for the summer. I am looking forward to having time to bead, quilt and work on other crafts that I enjoy.

We have a little less than three weeks left of our working season. So, the plans are beginning for our September travels. We will be traveling to New Hampshire and Cape Cod to rest, relax and visit family. Then we will be heading west to the Gypsy Journal Rally in Celina, OH. Between Cape Cod and Celina, OH we plan on stopping to smell the roses and enjoy some of the sights along the way. Hopefully we will meet some of you along the way as we are Wandering America.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Four days off and what to do. We are being spoiled with having four days off and only working three days. Beginning June 27th we will begin our regular schedule of working five days and having two days off for the remainder of the summer. I will be working forty hours a week. I have a fun job so it really is okay to be working that many hours. Now lets see if come the end of July I feel the same way.

Well, back to our four days off. There always seems to be plenty to do. Sometimes the days just fly by. I enjoy reading which I haven't done much of lately. Then there is beading, quilting and other crafts that I enjoy doing. Oh, did I mention there is still laundry, paperwork and house cleaning to do? How did I ever have time to work a "real" job?

In the past couple of weeks I have been to the dentist three times.  I have been having bridge work done which is now finished. I had a root canal that had gone bad and there was no other option than to have the tooth extracted. So, then it was just leave that gap or have bridge work done and I chose the bridge work to the tune of $2,000.

Last week we spent an afternoon canoeing. For those who know me you know this is not my favorite activity since I do not swim a stroke, but it was nice and quiet on the river. Then on another day we did some bike riding around the campground and spent some time in the heated pool which was almost too warm considering it was in the 90's and very humid outside. The outside loop of the campground is just over two miles so it makes a great walking or biking trail. Later in the week our friends Peggy and Mike from Maine stopped by to visit us. It is always great to see them and spend some time with them.

Besides the quilting and beading projects I am working on there is also some reading to catch up on. A while back I began reading the book "Jesus, the one and only" by Beth Moore. Since it had been so long since I had started reading it I decided I should start at the beginning again. It is a very good book and worth rereading the first few chapters that I had previously read.

Did I mention that sometimes it is just nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and relax?

Before I know it, it will be Friday again and time to go back to work for the week-end.

Monday, May 26, 2008

We have now been working at Lake George Escape for almost two weeks. This year I am working in the Honey Bear store which is the kids store and on the other days I get to play. So, if you are looking for fun and easy things to do with your children or young grandchildren here are a few ideas.

Today we had color time where the kids and adults colored t-shirts, backpack bags or bandannas. All you need is fabric markers, a piece of cardboard to put either inside the shirt or under the backpack bag or bandanna to keep the marker from bleeding onto the back of an item or onto the table. You can purchase the markers at most any department store. You could use any plain t-shirt or find one that is meant for coloring and already has a design printed on it so you just need to color in the design. It is kind of like coloring in a coloring book only you color on fabric.

Making marshmallow people is another activity that we do. The marshmallow people are two marshmallows with toothpicks for arms and a piece of art foam for the hat. For Memorial Day week-end we added a flag to the marshmallow people. For rock n' roll week we will add a pink poodle.

Before the day ended we had "slime time" and finger painted in shaving cream. The slime is made out of cornstarch, warm water and food coloring. We used frisbees for trays. Each child is given a frisbee with a scoop of slime to play with. The slime begins as a liquid but the more it is handled the more it becomes like play dough. The shaving cream was pretty easy. You give each child a pile of shaving cream to "finger paint" in. Each child was given a pile of shaving cream and we added food coloring to it and let them "finger paint". The shaving cream is messy but the kids love it and they smell good once they are done painting.

Yesterday we also held a lollipop licking contest. This is a great idea for all you moms who want a few quiet moments. The rules are you must lick the lollipop until it is gone and no biting it at all. It actually takes a few minutes to lick away a lollipop and during this few minutes there is silence!

Another activity was to make a beaded flag. We had almost 60 children to make a beaded flag. My least favorite job is the frog hunt. The campground has a pond and the kids love to catch the frogs. There are lots and lots of frogs in frog pond. We measure each frog (we had one that was over 11" long) and each child receives a small prize even if they do not catch any frogs. They receive a prize for trying. The frogs are cute but I am still not going to handle them. When I do the frog hunt the kids will have to measure their own frogs. I don't like spiders and snakes or handling frogs!

These are all easy activities that are fun to do outdoors with your children or grandchildren and this is what my job consist of for the summer. A few more activities will be added along the way.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

We have been full time Rvers for about twenty months now although we lived in our RV for awhile once our house sold and we were still working. So, we have actually been living in our RV for almost two years now.
We are often asked, do you like full timing? Now that fuel prices have really escalated we hear the question how can you afford the fuel? Then there are always questions from wanna be full timers that ask about how do you decide what kitchen items to take or I don't want to full time because there won't be room for my sewing machine or I won't be able to paint, use my bread machine or other similar type things.

Yes, we do like full timing. If we didn't we would stop and find a place to settle into. Yes, there are days that I would rather be in a stick and brick house but that generally doesn't last too long. And, yes we will, at some point, come off the road and then will still travel but just not full time. If you have been following our web site then you know that we have a leased site in Alabama. This gives us a place to come back to in the winter or whenever we want to. Going back to Alabama is like going home because there are a lot of RVer's who come back to the park each winter. This next winter the same staff will even be there so it will really seem like going home to old friends.

We have four children and soon to be four grand-children. They reside in three different states. Then we have siblings and other family members that live in different places. So, we have a total of six states that our family members reside in. So, for us we have been able to see our children, grand children and many of our family members much more than we would have had we stayed working and living in a stick and brick house. The other advantages we have had by full timing is that we have been able to visit lots of interesting places and meet many wonderful people that have become our very good friends.

Fuel prices are high and I am sure they will go higher. So, we will travel less and find ways to either cut other expenses or find ways to bring in a little more income. This summer we will be workamping at Lake George Escape in the Adirondacks of NY. If we were living in a stick and brick house we would still have fuel prices to pay along with the cost of heating a home.

As for those of you who say I don't want to full time because I wouldn't have room for my supplies for quilting, painting or any other hobby I would say there is room for your hobby supplies, sewing machine, bread machine or whatever it is that you like to do. No, you won't have as much room as you do in your stick and brick home but there is room for some of the extras. Remember you are not going camping, this will be your home and you need to be able to do the things you enjoy or else you will not be a "happy camper."

I know there are a few people who think we are crazy for living in our RV and traveling and don't have a home to keep coming back to but then there are those who wish they could do what we are doing. Everyone has to make their own decision as to their lifestyle. For now we enjoy what we are doing and look forward to seeing new places and making new friends as we continue to wander America.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Over the past several months there have been many potlucks that we have enjoyed. With potlucks there are always new recipes to try. A couple of my favorite recipes are a strawberry shortcake made by Linda Smith and a green bean veggie dish that Larry made. Larry was the cook at Rainbow Plantation for the winter season. Both the cake and the veggie recipe are very tasty and easy to make. The strawberry shortcake is make with a cake mix, strawberries and a few other ingredients. It was very yummy! The green bean/veggie recipe was made with oil, sugar and another secret ingredient. We also enjoyed many other great dishes at these potlucks and clubhouse meals. As with most potlucks and social gatherings there is always plenty of good food and great fellowship.

I learned a few new crafts this winter. Darrell calls all my crafts "basket weaving" but actually that is one craft that I did not do. Maybe next year I will learn how to make pine needle baskets. This year one of my new crafts included making little boxes from greeting cards. This is a fun thing to do and is it free since you can use greeting cards that you have received for any occasion. These little boxes are just the right size to put jewelry in. When finished they are so pretty that you do not need to use wrapping paper.

Paper embroidery cards is another fun craft. For me this was a rather inexpensive craft since I already scrap book and many of the supplies can be used for both crafts however I did purchase a book with patterns to make the paper embroidery cards. I have been making cards for our granddaughters and plan on making some Christmas cards. You can read more about the paper embroidery cards in my last entry.

Linda Payne gave a lot of her time and patience to teach me how to do beading. In a little less than a month I learned five different stitches. Linda Smith and Ruth Phinney also taught me how to make the spiral stitch which makes a very pretty necklace or bracelet. So, now I am addicted to beading. There is also a beading group that meets twice a week at the clubhouse. These ladies were also helpful when I had questions and were an encouragement to me. Beading is fun and the jewelry will make great gifts.

Carol taught a quilting class at the clubhouse. I attended the class but did not make anything. Each week I received several new quilting tips and ideas. I acquired more quilting knowledge and plans for a few quilting projects. Next winter Carol will again be giving of her time to share more quilting knowledge.

Now the question is, when am I going to have time to quilt, scrapbook, make cards, bead and make the little boxes for the beaded jewelry I plan to make?? How in the world did I ever have time to work?

Thursday, February 21, 2008

As many of you may know I was given an assignment to write about paper embroidery. That maybe because that is my newest craft I am learning or it could be because I am always saying "I don't know what to write about". Therefore I end up not writing at all. You may ask what is paper embroidery? It is the art of embroidering on paper. First you need to find a pattern. You can find patterns on the web, a paper embroidery book or a friend that also does this craft. Next you use a copy machine to copy the pattern onto lightweight paper. Then you lay this paper on top of your card stock which has been placed on a styrofoam pad. Now you pierce the pattern into the card stock using either a piercing tool or a push pin will also work. Next you are ready to use your embroidery thread to embroider your design. You may add different embellishments to your cards such as ribbon, buttons, beads, or sequins. Fabric, origami or wrapping paper, and pastel pencils for coloring in added accents are other items you may use to decorate your cards. The possibilities are only limited by your own creativity. At this point in time, I have only used embroidery thread to stitch my designs and am now ready to start adding some of the other items.

Letter writing and card sending is becoming a lost art with the advent of email and it is getting harder to find cards that I like so this will enable me to create my own cards to send to our children, grandchildren, family and friends. You can see some samples of the cards on our January 2008 travelogues. Some of these cards are still not finished.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Yesterday we went geocaching with our friends Pat and Ray. This was our first experience geocaching. I had heard of geocaching and know people who have gone geocaching but really didn't know much about it other than you go in search of little treasures.

Ray and Pat had downloaded four geocaching locations for us to search for. We found all four caches without too much difficulty. All the caches were at totally different types of locations and different types of caches. Sometimes the treasure at a geocache find may just be a log that you sign. Other times there are little trinkets in a container. You can chose to leave a trinket in exchange for one that is already there or you can just sign the log and go onto the next cache. A cache can be at a historic place, a local place of interest, or a scenic view just to name a few possibilities.

Our most interesting cache yesterday was at a round house in Fairhope, Alabama. Henry James Stuart was the builder of this round house which was built in the early 1900's. The book "Poet of Tolstoy Park" by Sonny Brewer is a fictional novel about Henry James Stuart and how he came to build this round house. If we had not been geocaching we never would have found this place due to its location. It was the best cache of the day!