Down, Down, Downsizing .....

Sunday AM:

My granddaughter, Quinn, and her guy, Landon, are coming to visit today and take advantage of the offer to inherit some of "Mimi's Marvels."  I have STUFF I've hauled around from houses to apartments to storage units to houses that I've always thought they might like when they grow up.  Well, Quinn's climbing the corporate ladder in her first job post university graduation three years ago.  She's recently moved from a one-bedroom apartment to a two and probably has some empty spaces and cupboards just waiting to be populated with some of Mimi's STUFF.

This is Landon, taken Christmas morning 2012 - opening gifts at about 6AM!   

And, this is Quinn when she discovered she'd received an iPad for Christmas.

I've been setting things aside to offer her as I shuffle through and weed out my belongings for the great downsizing!  Some will go to the likes of Quinn, some will go into storage, some will go to Goodwill and some will go in Miss Flair.  The sorting and decision making is a little tough after all these years, but as soon as the decision is made and the item placed in the correct pile, I feel freer and freer!

Believe it or not, the most difficult decisions, for me, have to do with books, in general, and cookbooks especially.  I've collected cookbooks for &%*#@^! years and have, in the past 4 or 5 years, given up almost half of them - that's down to about 400 from about 750!  Now, I'm in process of getting that number down to about 100 - I'll never have a coffee table big enough for all those beautiful books (nor do I want one!).

I'm also stressing over all my extraneous knitting / crocheting yarns and equipment.  My knitting friend, Kerry, has a goal this year to use her entire "stash" of yarn.  Even if I were to have that goal I think it'd take about 20 years to get down to the bottom of my stash!!!  But, I'm working on reducing it to a manageable level.

More incidental photos .....

 During my wonderful time in Guatemala I began and continued teaching knitting and crocheting to about 15 ladies who started as rank beginners and advanced to the point where they can sell their wares.  I taught at a school run by a foundation out of Bismarck, North Dakota, Nuestros Ahijados, The God Child Project.  Later, I invited a smaller group, who were particularly interested, to come to my home one extra knitting day a week for more advanced lessons.  In the photo above, this 7 year old "special" boy accompanied his mom, sitting next to him, every week to class.  Since the buildings in Guatemala very rarely have any accommodation for wheelchairs, Mom's cousin, next to her, carried the wheelchair up the stairway to the third floor classroom and Mom carried her son on her back!  I fell in love with these ladies and their families.  Hence, part of the name of my blog .... "heart songs" ...... they make my heart sing!

 Lacy was happy to help the ladies out by modeling their creations.  This lady, when this photo was taken, had only had two classes in crochet; but showed up this Tuesday morning with two scarves she'd crocheted at home between classes.  Such dedication.

The students spoke not word one of English; so, I had to learn a whole new vocabulary.  It's one thing to speak Spanish, but another to speak 'knitting and crocheting' Spanish.  Believe it or not, these are not terrifically well-known crafts in Guatemala.  However, weaving and embroidery are and it's amazing how dextrous everybody is.  I also taught boys and girls as young as 5; they're eager to learn and have incredible skills when given the opportunity.

And, here's Lincoln, my knitting helper, on the road in Mexico this year.  Several times, when I'd neglected to stow my yarn before turning in the night before, I was greeted with an interesting RV decor scheme!

Pass It On .....

Saturday July 6th - already!  How time flies!

This AM I drove Miss Flair [no permanent name yet] to Camping World to have a back-up camera installed, generator oil and filter change, 6-volt batteries and tires checked and a personal orientation to make sure I'm clear on how all systems work.  So, now it's down to getting the rest of my responsibilities - like the house - ready so I can be off!

I ran in to a lady outside Camping World who was loading some things into their brand spanking new 30-foot RV.  We started chatting and I asked if they're full-timers.  "No, not yet," she responded; "Two more years 'til retirement."  She then asked me if I'm a full-timer and I said I'm almost considering myself one since I'm planning such a long sojourn in my new rig.  She asked if I have a blog and when I said that I do, she asked if she could follow my adventures.  I wrote my blog address for her and requested that she leave a comment and mention that we'd spoken today.  What a fun way to make new friends, hear more human-interest stories and make a rich and fulfilling life.  I am so happy to have come upon this rich and rewarding lifestyle.

I think the back-up camera is a good addition for me; I don't have a lot of self-confidence when it comes to judging distances, etc.  I decided to practice a little in the Camping World parking lot, which I did and kind of got the hang of it.  Then I left the camera operating as I drove the 6 or 7 miles home and I liked being able to see directly behind my rear bumper.  With that vantage point, along with the great side mirror system, my self-confidence has improved nicely.  I always appreciate it when offered help in tight-squeeze parking spots, but, as a single lady traveling solo, I want to be able to handle parking situations on my own too.

Thought I'd toss in a couple of photos as I'm not taking too many right now while I'm just working on the house, etc.

This photo of an indigenous grandmother, mother and baby girl was taken on La Calle del Arco, Antigua, Guatemala just about a year ago.  Grandma and Mom are street vendors who come into Antigua to sell their wares.  The ladies are wearing the traditional huipile (pronounced WE PEEL), the blouse, and corti (pronounced KOR TE), the wrap around skirt that's tied at the waist with a hand-woven narrow sash.  notice that the six-month old baby is also wearing a corti and there is a huipile under that little white sweater.  I told the mother that I'd print a photo and take it to her the next weekend.  I made a copy of this shot and framed it in an ornate little frame.  When I took it to her, she said it's the only picture she has of the three of them.  It felt so wonderful.

And, here are Lincoln (left) and Eleanor just practicing for all the relaxing they'll do when we get our new adventure on the road.  Lincoln is an adventurer and likes it when we camp someplace for more than a day or two, 'cause his mom lets him out to explore.  He always comes back and sits outside the door in an hour or so.  Eleanor, who is a rescued feral cat, wants nothing more than to stay inside and view the great outdoors - through glass.  She has no desire to go outside at all.

Really Getting on with Preparations

Just returned from R.C.Willey where I purchased a nice new range, oven and hood for my kitchen mini remodel.  Also met this AM with the couple who will be moving into my house while I'm out galavanting around North America.  I think I'll take some before and after pix of my little kitchen's 'update.'

I've lived in so many houses and so many varieties of kitchen set-ups; actually I'm amazed at how satisfying it has been to me to function in my little Daphne Dolphin galley.  I baked bread, cakes, cookies, pies and you name it in that teeny space - and pretty much loved every minute of it.  And, when I bought this cute little house in Roseville late in 2009, I thought to myself that I was kind of regressing in the matters of up-to-the-minute kitchen innovations, etc.  But I've thoroughly enjoyed my little kitchen work space and wouldn't have given a thought to changing anything; however a while ago one of my granddaughters was holding on the the edge of the tile counter - and it fell off in her hands!

So, in order to rent the house I thought I'd better put a little money into repairing the broken tile pieces.  Well, along came Jennifer and Jason, newly engaged, wanting to rent my home.  Jason is in the granite countertop construction remodeling business.  When I'd decided to rent the house I budgeted for repairs needed; so Jason, Jennifer and I have now worked out a process that looks to be very beneficial for all concerned.  The kitchen will be getting a nice 'face lift' with granite counter tops, a new stove, hood and sink.  They'll have a nice house to live in and I'll have a nice house to rent ..... Photos to come as we go along ....

I'm planning to be completely out and living in my RV by the 26th of July; not sure now exactly where my yard will be at that time, but I'll be on my adventure as soon as I sleep in the Flair!

Here's Miss Flair just waiting patiently outside my front door.  First thing tomorrow morning we're heading to Camping World to have the rear view camera installed and a few other little things.  They told me to expect it to take about 4 hours total, so I just decided to take my computer and stay there while they get her 'done up.'

Happy Day After the 4th!

I never did get around to posting yesterday.  It was a July 4th to remember ..... the festivities were mild but the thermometer was almost out of this world!

I started the day prepping for the barbecue dinner I offered to prepare at ranch of my friends, Bob and Judy.  I wanted to get as much done as possible, in terms of using the stove and oven, because this heatwave that's hit us on the west coast had been reported to be leaving on Tuesday - NOT!  Yesterday turned out to be the hottest of the whole spell; I'll get to that later.

After spending most of the early morning in my kitchen I met the other 'girls' at Becky and Ken's house.  We had drinks, chips and snacks by the pool  - the pool was a godsend even though the water was 90 degrees because of the heat.  We four ladies set ourselves up IN the pool with an umbrella for a little shade and talked nonstop for about 4 hours!  I know men often wonder what women can talk about for 4 hours - just about anything!

Then we drove from Becky and Ken's house in Carmichael (suburb of Sacramento) to Judy (Becky's sister) and Bob's ranch in Loomis for a real American Fourth of July barbecue.  Loomis, because of its rural Sierra foothills setting, doesn't allow fireworks of any kind due to the fire hazard.  That suits me just fine, as Lacy is petrified at the sound of fireworks; she actually becomes almost catatonic!

Dinner for 6:
*Barbecued chateaubriand with wine- sauteed mushrooms and Béarnaise sauce
*Giant green salad with all kinds of fresh vegetables, avocados, almonds and tortilla chips with balsamic vinagrette
*'Smashed' red potatoes with lots of butter and seasonings
*San Francisco sour dough French bread
and
*Strawberry shortcake - freshly picked strawberries over home made pound cake with whipped cream

This group:  Judy and Bob, Becky and Ken, Jackie and I are great friends and get together fairly regularly for dinners, game nights, etc.  I've been the odd man out due to all the traveling I've been doing; I'm so glad we had this opportunity to get together before I haul out of here in a few weeks.

Here are my dear friends, Bob and Judy, who have a beautiful ranch in Loomis with 2 magnificent horses, 5 llamas, 2 bunnies and 4 Chihuahuas.  Unfortunately none of us took the best photos - we've all been suffering with the heat!  Bob and Judy were married during the time I was in Guatemala.  Now they're old married folks after having celebrated their first anniversary in May.

 This is lovely Becky, Judy's younger sister, who I've become very friendly with since being introduced by Judy a few years ago.  Becky and Ken have been wonderful assets to my life.  Unfortunately, as the youngest one in the group, Becky is still slaving away in her career - Ken retired earlier this year.

Here're Becky and Ken together - Ken in his patriotic shirt.  He's been tearing up all the golf courses in the Sacramento area - his new favorite thing!

 These are Judy's 4 Chihuahuas - Marty, Max, Lily and Dusty - not necessarily in that order!

And, here is where Lacy spent the entire visit.  Bob and Judy have been having to bring their two pet bunnies, Sable and Oreo, into the house each day between about 9AM and 9PM, in order that they, too, might live through the heatwave.  Lacy is enthralled; she doesn't try to get to them, bark or hurt them in any way; she's just totally fascinated.

So, a final note ....  we're pretty tough people when it comes to heat.  We are quite accustomed >90-95 degrees almost every day from May well into October.  When I say heat, we're talking days and days of over 105 - and not much  cooling down at night.  Yesterday, the mercury soared to 115!  When I left Bob and Judy's at about 9:30 to drive the 14 miles to my house it was 108 on my dashboard thermometer - in the dark!  When I arrived home, my thermometer outside on the patio table read 110.

This morning I awakened at 6:30 and checked outside - the thermometer read 74!!!!!  Now it's about 83 and that's cool for us!  Hopefully I won't need a sweater to run to the store!

New Fangled "Paperwork"

Looks like today is going to be a whole day dedicated to getting taxes and other documentation in order for the re-financing.  I remember when that meant that I'd be tearing file cabinets apart and driving all over to h**l and gone to get copies (remember the $.05/page coping in the library?) to provide the mortgage broker / bank for refinancing.

Now, I fiddling with my computer (not so bad) and my scanner (a nightmare machine) to get the whole list of requirements in to the mortgage bank.  So, I'll say "Too-da-loo" for now.  Hmm, maybe I'll throw in  photos......

Antigua, Guatemala sunset - taken from my bedroom window - 2012:

My dear little Bella (pronounced BA-YA - that's español) taking a water break early 2012:

Some of the wild turkeys that live in a group of trees on my street in Roseville.  They live here year round and walk through the neighborhood daily.  There are about 30-40 of them and this photo was taken in November 2012 - a couple of days after my return from Guatemala.  Had this photo been taken in Guatemala, you could have seen men, women and children chasing them - with machetes! 

70th birthday dinner - Mazatlan, Mexico February, 2013

Sweltering in Roseville

First of all my prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives yesterday in Congress, Arizona.  Having been a healthcare worker - emergency, labor and delivery and surgical services - for eons, I understand the mentality and dedication of those who choose, as a career, to be of service to others in times of great stress.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/video-of-arizona-wildfire-that-killed-19-firefighters/?ref=us

It is really hot!  Even for those of us who have air-conditioned homes and cars, it's TOO D*MN HOT! We expect it to be a high of 110F. today and a low tonight / tomorrow morning of 79F.  I have a little outdoor atrium between my living room and dining room - it was 119F. out there yesterday - in the shade!  I stayed indoors!

This morning, bright and early, the carpet installer arrived to re-carpet the second bedroom in my little house.  There wasn't a thing wrong with the previous one until I rented that room to the young couple who were here during my Mexican adventure.  They had rented the house next door to mine all the time I've been in this neighborhood and they told me they were 'saving' to buy a house and would love to rent the second bedroom in my house for the months I was to be away.  As I had 'known' them, I just invited them in and felt quite comfortable leaving them with the use of the whole house.  I asked that they monitor my mail, keep the house clean, notify me of any 'issues,' and deposit rent and utility payment into my bank account.  For all intents and purposes, none of this really happened.  There were sporadic deposits made a few times, always with the promise that they'd get caught up.  I was very disappointed but thought they were, at least, in the house and maintaining things for me with respect to the property - NOT!

This has been a really expensive learning experience for me ... rent and utilities in great arrears, ruined bedroom carpeting, broken vacuum cleaner,  mold growing in kitchen and one bathroom .... and a few more things, including leaving lots of old clothing, sports equipment, tools, housewares, etc. - most with really no value - in the garage.  This is why I've so carefully put together the Rental Agreement with the soon-to-be tenants.  As I was developing the components of this Rental Agreement, I kind of felt like the Wicked Witch of the West; but, hey, I don't want a repeat of the previous experience!

As I haven't been taking many photos lately ....

Thought I'd insert this pic of a Blue Morphus butterfly taken at a Butterfly Zoo in Costa Rica 

in July 2012.  This magnificent species only lives in all its glorious color for 18 days!

I'm heading out now to pick up more boxes for packing - boy am I down-sizing - only that which I know I'll want/need if/when I decide to put down roots in a house again.  I have access to the climate-controlled storage unit as of today; so I'm going to start moving stuff in there on a gradual basis - leaving the heavy moving truck items until I have lots of male family members' help.  Even my granddaughter's boyfriend has offered.  Yippee!

California Central Valley - Sunday - a "Black Hole of Calcutta"

Yes, for those of you who aren't familiar with the climate zones of this large, long and varied state of California, we are suffering with a lack of cooling breezes from the Pacific ocean and are sweltering.  Now, we're used to heat, believe me;  Central California is one of the most fertile growing spots in the world.  But, that's because we have irrigation.  Today I'd be willing to bet that the water-carrying canals might be very hot to the touch!

I'm writing this at 10:45AM and it's currently 88 F. (31.1C.) and expected to get up to 110F. (43.33C.) this afternoon.  My new Flair is parked out in front and is already unbearable to be inside of - now that I've learned I can't use the 15AMP electrical hook-up!  I went out at 6:30 to start to move things in like bed linen and bath towels, etc.  At about 7:30 I couldn't take it any more and had to return to the air-conditioned house.  I'm going to try to keep it at about 82 inside, which should seem like Heaven compared to the yard.

I called my son, Jeff, this morning to warn him to be mindful of the heat in Cottonwood (near Redding, CA - one of the real hotspots in our state).  Although he's a 'weather proof' postman in Redding, even he has to put off the Sunday weed-wacking on his property.

During our conversation, he mentioned that he'd seen the photo I posted yesterday of myself in front of my new baby; he hadn't noticed the keys in my hand, so here's a close-up ....

Yup, I'm ready to go!

There's still lots to do before I head out; but it all seems like part of the adventure and therefore FUN.  Yesterday afternoon, when I'd finally retrieved my laptop, I put together a legal Rental Agreement document and pre- and post-rental "Property Checklist" to use with the prospective tenants.

I don't think I'd mentioned that I'd rented a bedroom and bathroom during my trip to Mexico; the couple actually had use of the whole house for the price of one room rental.  Well, they were very remiss in making rent and utility payments and when I got back in town, they disappeared!  I learned my lesson on that one too.  So, now everything will be done in a business-like fashion; I don't want to repeat that debacle to my savings account!

So, today looks like a day to be INDOORS in air-conditioned comfort; maybe I'll rouse myself to do some packing in preparation for 'furnishing' the climate-controlled storage unit I've rented, beginning tomorrow.  For now, I wish all a happy Sunday.  Enjoy.  Stay cool.