Thanksgiving – The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

Home at Last and Travel Plans

Current Location: Grants Pass, Oregon 30 degrees with icy fog

We are home. We have been living in our new home for just over a month now. Time has a funny way of shifting about, and it feels like we have been here forever, and yet it also feels like only a moment. I still find myself reaching on the wrong side for the toilet paper, or sliding my hand up the wrong wall to find the light switch. A few days ago I stomped near the base of the toilet to flush it. Yes, RVr’s will recognize that one.

We spent much time in the Moho parked here on the property from March through September, but we lived pretty much full time there from mid September until November 7th, the date that our furniture arrived from Klamath Falls. We still have the apartments in Klamath Falls, but wanted to be here for the ending details of the build. Finally, after two and a half years of moving around, fixing up places, selling places, moving stuff from one home to another as we made the shifts, all of everything we have is here, in one place. It feels a bit strange.

I somehow completely lost time and inclination to blog the building process. I photographed extensively, and my calendar is jammed with deadlines, appointments, contractor schedules and such. I will always have the opportunity to go back and look at the progress and the completion, but no way could I even begin to keep up with writing about it as it was happening.

The last six weeks was much different than the first few months. Instead of big exciting progress, the work moved forward in what often seemed like tiny increments. All I can say is, if you ever build a home, it is most important to be right there. I can’t count how many times a knock on the door of the MoHo meant one sub or another needed a small question answered, questions that Gary might not have really known how to answer without speaking with us. Being 2.5 hours and 130 miles away at the apartment wasn’t really an option.

While some of the details were a bit tedious, there were also big moments that were absolutely thrilling. The day the granite was delivered and installed was one I won’t forget. Our choice turned out to be perfect, even more beautiful than we imagined once it was installed. The perfection of craftsmanship and fit was amazing to us. I don’t know how they do that!

Seeing the paint colors for the interior and exterior materialize into reality after studying and choosing colors for a year was nerve-wracking. What if we had picked colors that didn’t work? We agonized for a few days over the accent color on the upper exterior walls before finally deciding.

Later, a neighbor asked how I managed to match the bark of the madrone trees with that color. Huh? A complete accident, but a lucky one. We really love our colors. I thought I was matching the red clay dirt all around the house. The red was also a nod to the sweet little cottage that stood where this beautiful home is placed. Once of the best decisions we made was to bring in several loads of decomposed granite to cover the sticky red clay that is on this property. That clay stained everything in its path, including the sidewalk, and the workers always had special shoes around for working here. Everyone is very happy that we no longer have to worry about the clay. We will landscape more next year and add some soil and shrubs, but for now at least it is all nice and clean.

The interior color is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. The color is all over Pinterest and HGTV. I succumbed to current style and was really worried that after all our warm earth tones of years past it might be really hard to get used to “gray”.

It turned out to be our perfect choice, and all the reviews that say the color goes well with warm and cool, and enhances furniture and floors to perfection isn’t an overstatement. It never looks the same, and each wall and room somehow glows differently.

Another exciting and surprisingly stressful time was when the hardwood was installed. Jared, the incredible artist that does this work is also a guitarist, and we went to see his show last week. His craftsmanship was amazing to watch, but when I first saw all the dark knots in the wood I was appalled.

The sample was different, with very few knots. We basically freaked out, called Gary and the flooring people, and for a few days all was a bit of a kerfuffle. In the end, we were able to hand pick the best boards and set the rest aside. Thanks to Lipperts for great customer service. I am used to the knots now, and feel much like others have said, it gives the floor character.

Vinyl went in with more incredible craftsmanship by Ted, who also installed our carpets. I am so very grateful for the soft touch of vinyl flooring in the bathrooms and glad we didn’t succumb to the trend to tile everything. After three months of ceramic tile floors at the Running Y I knew I didn’t want that in my own home. Too dang hard and cold!

Painters came and went several times to touch up and repair tiny flaws until I can honestly say that the paint inside and out is very nearly perfect. Joel, the detail oriented, meticulous wood worker, spent many days perfecting the trims both inside and out. The best moment came when the three of us, Joel, Mo, and I, figured out how to design the arch across the front porch. It was our idea, but Joel completed it to perfection.

We had great fun with the cement contractor, who took time to install some of our antique Batchelder tiles in the sidewalk, and even showed us how to press some of our Oregon coast stones into the back step.

Jared, the wood guy, was also the tile master who installed the Batchelder’s to perfection in the foyer. Mo and I installed the tiles in front of the fireplace, a reasonably simple job, but we hope to have Jared return next year when we are ready to complete the backsplash in the kitchen with more tiles. It will be a big project that we decided to put on the back burner rather than have it hold up completion of the house.

Cupboards were the biggest hassle, with several frustrating moments. Paying as much as we did for custom cabinetry meant we expected things to be perfect. They are now perfect, but it wasn’t without repeated visits by the cupboard guys and lots of intervention by Gary.

What stands out most during the last few weeks of the build was the dedicated work by the builder, and most of all his foreman, Gary. We were incredibly lucky to have chosen the builder we did. Everywhere we look is evidence of the commitment to high quality and paying attention to what we needed and wanted. Gary was always there to intercede with subcontractors on our behalf to be sure that everything was attended to properly. Dave and Gary have an employee, Levi, and we aren’t exactly sure of his official title, but Levi was a constant presence. He handled so many miscellaneous jobs, doing all the little things that needed attention, from digging holes for drains to cleanups day after day, to installing the door knobs and so many other details.

Gary and Dave Adams went through the house with us on the last day, checking off every single detail, making sure all was perfect. When Gary handed Mo the keys officially, it was an exciting moment. On time exactly, November 1, as promised way back in March before the cottage was demolished. And on budget as well, with no surprises with the final invoice. I am curious how often people have such a great experience with a contractor. Ours was superb, thanks to Mo’s great choice of a builder.

After our furniture was delivered, we emptied the motorhome and I spent some time getting her all spiffed up in the inside while Mo spiffed up the outside. In early November the world was still sunny and warm in the afternoons. We had stored much of our furniture in the RV shed, and decided to move all our packed boxes from the move into the garage, so we had a full garage, a full RV shed, and a very nice, clean, spare new home to work with. The beds were set up, the furniture in place, everything we needed was here, so it was not too difficult to work a box at a time, deciding exactly where the contents should be placed and which contents were ready for the Goodwill bin.

The packed shed and garage seemed like an impossible project. There was so much STUFF. We had the older furniture from the little cabin at Mo’s home in Rocky Point, the older furniture that we had used in the Cottage, many things that we had stored from my house on Painter Street and moved to Rocky Point and then moved here to the RV shed two years ago.

It was just a matter of doing it, of starting what seemed like an impossible project. We decided to cram everything we could on one side of the garage, and keep only one car inside. With that, we hoped that there would be enough room to get the MoHo safely parked inside the RV shed. It was amazing to watch, to realize that things weren’t as bad as we thought, and last week not only did we get the MoHo back in her big safe building, but we got BOTH cars inside the garage! I took many boxes to various donation sites, and this week have learned that with a bit of effort and work, many items can be sold through the Facebook Marketplace.

With our beautiful new home, and all its great angles and windows, there is less room for furniture, and we both have had to let go of a few loved old pieces because there just isn’t room for them. Both of us want to keep the new house looking like everything in it is put there on purpose. No jamming stuff somewhere just because we can’t let go of it. I put things on Craigslist and Facebook, and Facebook by far has been the most successful. The nice thing about Facebook is that I can look at a buyer’s profile before I let them come anywhere near the house. It has worked incredibly well and we are paring down.

I had no idea I would have time to actually decorate for Christmas, thinking that it would be impossible to get everything moved, settled, unpacked and still decorate. It hasn’t been a problem at all. Especially with the help of my grandson Matthew, who lives across the street, helping to get lights on the high gables of the house. The ladders weren’t tall enough so he climbed up to the roof and did it all from there.

He has also been a big help preparing things to put on Craigslist, and even blew all the leaves off the roof and out of the gutters for us.

Even after only 2 weeks in the house we had Thanksgiving for the family here. Daughter Melody has moved to Eugene with her family, and they came south for the day, just a 2 hour drive. Daughter Deborah lives just an hour away and with Matthew across the street, they joined us as well. It was a lovely Thanksgiving with only 9 people. Perfect for the table of six and three on the new counter. The “kids” all love the swivel stools so didn’t mind at all being relegated to what amounted to the kid table, even though they aren’t really kids any more ranging from 18 to 34 years old. LOL

I managed to finish a gift quilt that will go out in the mail this week, dove into my card making supplies to begin making some Christmas cards, and look, I am actually writing a blog!

Mo and I are excited about getting on the road again, and have plans to leave for our desert sojourn sometime in late winter. Just yesterday we decided to take the very long way south, following our old route west to Brookings and traveling south along the coast to Southern California. We will then hang for a time at Catalina Spa to check out the new remodels and hope that our pools are as wonderful as ever. I am hoping for some time in Anza Borrego before we go for some white hot nothing on Ogilby Road near Yuma and on to Tucson to visit friends and do some hiking in the Catalina’s.

We also have plans for a week in Cancun, thanks to daughter Deanna’s offer of a week at their timeshare condo on the beach there. Air miles are a great thing, so it will be a nice vacation for us. Other plans are in the works, and I think we will return to our old schedule of heading out somewhere in the MoHo at least once a month. It has been two years since we have been able to do that.

One more very exciting bit of travel won’t include Mo. I am taking my daughter Deanna to Italy for the one mother child trip that I am trying to do for each kid in my old age. I took Melody to Eastern Europe, Deborah chose the famous Blues Cruise to the Caribbean, and now Deanna and I have chosen Italy. It is the first trip I will do on my own, doing the planning without a tour group. We will be spending three weeks, mostly in Florence and on the Amalfi coast beginning late September. I have to thank Erin for all her inspiration on that level since she is probably the most accomplished traveler that I know.

Life is good. The house is warm and comfy, everything is clean and organized in ways that haven’t been possible for a long time. Those close to me will know how much I love that part. Life is beginning to settle down and the routines of everyday living are filling the space with love and beauty. I am so so so lucky.

October and November

Current Location: Old Fort Road, Klamath Falls, Oregon, at 9 degrees F and cloudy.

Our new digs: closeup on the upper right is a view of the apartments from the tower trail.

I am sitting at the same desk as usual, but the view outside my window has changed. Instead of the dark forest I am looking at open sky and the back side of Plum Hill in Klamath Falls. Life has finally shifted a bit, and Mo and I are now spending most of our time at our cozy apartment only 3 miles from town. Yes, we still have the house at Rocky Point, decorated for Christmas, on the outside at least, and still comfortable for Rocky Point stays now and then.

We also have our little cottage in Grants Pass, where we also spend time, working on the property, enjoying the little cottage and the green grass that pops up when the first fall rains come to the Rogue Valley.

It is all part of the transition from living in the woods, plowing snow, driving 45 minutes each way to the grocery store, and our plans for the future, living in mostly snow free Grants Pass. We chose Grants Pass because of the lack of snow plowing and shoveling days, the proximity to the ocean, and the ability to travel north or south on I-5 when we want to soothe the hitch-itch that strikes often. We are gypsies. That travel bug is ingrained, and not likely to dissipate any time soon.

View of Klamath Falls from the tower trail near the apartment

The apartment in Klamath Falls is an interim stop, at least that was the original plan. At the moment, I feel so comfortable and cozy here, enjoying it so much that I don’t think I will ever want to leave it. I love the Klamath Basin. Here on Old Fort Road, we are at the edge of the high desert, with tall ponderosas and a few Doug firs around, but the hills are also covered with sage. Love that smell, love that air, you all know I love the desert.

Each of our places has its own special feeling. Rocky Point for the huge cool forest in the summer, the beautiful refuge just a short walk from the house, the birds, the deer. It is a wonderful place to live in many ways. Grants Pass is wonderful in spring and fall, ten to twenty degrees warmer than either Rocky Point or Klamath Falls, with good shopping just minutes away, and yet a lovely rural feeling on our little piece of land that was once part of a walnut grove more than 100 years old.

Old Fort Road is part of the magical basin, with views of Mt Shasta, the Klamath River, the dry winter air, and as stated before 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Grants Pass in the summer. I am glad that at the moment I don’t have to choose any one of these places over the other. Of course, the MoHo always waits as well, with the road to the desert, to the ocean, to other mountains always waiting for us. It may be a bit complex at the moment, but it is so good and I feel incredibly lucky. And thankful.

I keep waiting for life to settle in a bit, for things to slow down. I have waited since mid October when we returned from Ireland, all through the month of November, and here, finally, on the last day of November, I have some time that isn’t allocated to anything else. I can write.

I began this post as usual, with a visual cruise through my photos. I have to admit I was a bit shocked to realize that I haven’t written a thing since we got back from Ireland, six weeks ago! Geez. I do have some good reasons. Just a couple of days after our return from Ireland, best friends Maryruth and Gerald drove up from California to spend a long weekend with us at Rocky Point. Daughter Melody was starring in the musical Chicago, playing Velma Kelly, and they wanted to see the show.

The final performance of the show was amazing, and the reviews reflected what a wonderful job the Linkville Theater did with the staging, the casting, the dancing, and of course the music. It was wonderful. I was amazed at how a small community theater could put on a production as lavish and complex as Chicago. Fabulous. And not just because my daughter had a major role. We had a fabulous weekend, visiting the Lower Klamath Refuge where Judy volunteered this summer, enjoying the gorgeous skies and the birds. We shared good meals and lots of talking and laughing and fun. It is so wonderful when friends can visit. Next month we will go south to visit them and share in Maryruth’s mother’s 90th birthday celebration. Elsie has been in my life since I was 18, and is like family to me. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the big gathering.

A few days later, Mo and I managed to get out on Pelican Bay for another gorgeous paddle. With the fall migration in full force, there were so many birds out there. Gorgeous skies and perfect weather are part of the Klamath Basin wonder in October. Late September and October are the very best months to be here, in my opinion. Nearly perfect, and no mosquitoes.

We spent a few days in Grants Pass, for an exciting project on the property. With a low GPM well, Mo decided that our solution would be to add a cistern, rather than taking the chance on a new well. The cistern holds 1750 gallons, is filled automatically by the well pump, then the water is pumped from the cistern through the pressure tank to the cottage. Now we can water the trees and small lawn during the summer without fear of drawing down the well too much.

There are 27 trees on the .89 acre, several of them are gorgeous old oaks and a couple of pines and firs that are more than 100 years old. Tree work was in order, and it turns out that the guy who ran the backhoe for the cistern installation was also an excellent arborist. He did a great job on our trees, removing dead branches and making it much safer. He also removed 5 huge stumps that were still in place from tree removals prior to our purchase of the property.

Then it was time for the “big move”. Late in the month, Mo’s brothers drove down to Rocky Point to help us with the heavy lifting. Dan and Chere came from Beavercreek near Portland, and Don came all the way from Spokane. I have no idea how we would have managed without them, short of hiring some expensive movers, which we promised both brothers that we would do when it comes time for the next move.

We had fun in the midst of the moving stuff, and I did my best to cook good meals and make sure that both homes had food and beds for everyone, even though said beds were in transit. Dan and Chere’s two dogs were especially helpful, making sure that everything done just right. They also provided a bit of entertainment and company for Mattie, who has developed a great love for big dogs. Most of the time, they know how to play with her and like Judy’s Emma, will lower themselves down to her level for playtime. It is fun to watch.

By November 1, our target date, almost everything we needed to be comfortable in the apartment was moved and we settled in. We spent five beautiful days doing the “nesting” thing, enjoying the sunshine, the smaller space, all the little things that can make moving to a new place fun and exciting.

As the main cook, I was a bit concerned about my new kitchen. Compared to Rocky Point, my current apartment kitchen is about the size of my big counter in RP! I discovered that a small kitchen has some advantages: I can reach all the drawers from one standing position, the floor is a quick wipe up rather than a major mopping event, and without a dishwasher, running a sink of soapy water as I cook keeps things in line. I am actually enjoying it, although I still sometimes open four cupboards before I remember exactly where I have stored a particular item.

Another fun thing about the apartment is that we actually have two. One for living, and the one next door for an extra guest bedroom, storage of “stuff” and best of all, an entire dining room and living room for my sewing, craft, and quilt room! I can make a mess and don’t have to keep cleaning it all up mid project. I do love that part. In RP I did my sewing on the dining table which required lots of bringing out and putting away of stuff when meal times approached.

With the early November sunny weather, I took some time to explore places to walk nearby. Daughter Melody and grandson Xavier live in another apartment in the complex and it is fun to walk down the path to her door and go for a spontaneous walk together.

Granddaughter Axel and her room mates also have an apartment here, and just last night Mo and I were invited to dinner at her place. This family compound thing can be pretty nice at times.

Mo has had these apartments for years, and decided last year that property management companies and weird renters were no fun at all. Now it is an inside deal, everyone pays their rent on time and pitches in to keep the place looking nice. It is a good place for us to be while we transition, and I get the benefit of being closer to my daughter and grandkids. Mattie LOVES the beach!

At last, with the major chores of moving behind us, it was time for a quick trip to Brookings. The MoHo was waiting patiently in Grants Pass and we needed a break. Seems as though the only way to get a break from chores is to leave home where there are no chores!

We had a great three days, enjoying the clearest skies I have seen in a long time at the ocean. Judy had mentioned that Harris Beach SP would be closed to camping this season, so we didn’t even bother checking. We decided to stay at Beachfront RV Park, on the Harbor. sunset and sunrise at Beachcomber campground (11 of 12)

It was so much fun to listen to the surf all night, and to watch the waves right outside our front window. One morning we drove up to check out Harris Beach, and were surprised to discover that the campground is still partially open, albeit without reservations. As usual, the front view row was full. We were glad that we did something different this time.

I loved taking Mattie for walks right out the door to the beach. It did rain on one day, but that was the day that we had scheduled some maintenance for the MoHo generator. Seems as though the fuel pump gave out. Brookings Harbor RV Repair had good reviews, and Mo decided that a trip to Brookings was worth it to get someone we could trust for the repair. They did a great job and I would highly recommend them for this kind of work.

With a few days of gorgeous beach time and quiet afternoons in the MoHo reading and napping, we were rejuvenated and ready to return to Grants Pass. We hauled the tractor from Rocky Point to the cottage on our way to the beach, and Mo was ready to make an attempt to level the huge pile of dirt left behind from the cistern installation.

She made quick work of that pile and got most of it leveled and moved in just one day! We raked and moved a LOT of rocks, and then seeded the sticky red soil with a good fall mix, hoping that it will take before spring.

Back to the apartments with a load of firewood from our stash in Rocky Point, and we settled in for the rest of the month. I enjoyed cooking and sewing a bit, going for walks with Mattie, visiting with kids, and doing a little bit of shopping in town (takes 8 minutes to get to the main intersection of Klamath Falls!).

The day before Thanksgiving, we got hit with the first snow and some really cold temperatures. It is still white out here, and Mo was really smart to haul the tractor back from Grants Pass so that she could plow the apartment parking lot. With just a tiny walk to shovel, we got the snow removal job done in record time. One BIG benefit of not living in Rocky Point.

By Thanksgiving day, the skies were clear, and the temperatures were in the single digits. It was a great day to travel over High Lakes Pass on Highway 140 to Shady Cove, where daughter Deborah and her sweetie Bob hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner for us, and for Melody’s family, and Bob’s parents, who live in Rocky Point.

All I had to do was bring the candied yams! Such fun having daughters who take on the big family celebrations sometimes and being only a guest. We had a lovely day, with sunny skies and a warm cozy home to enjoy.

Instead of driving all the way back to Klamath Falls, Mo and I opted to take the short drive to the cottage and spent the night there before returning home to the apartment the next afternoon. With a shortage of groceries in the Grants Pass fridge, we decided to go out for breakfast. Sitting at the warm and cozy dining room at Elmer’s, with the sun pouring in through the windows, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and a fabulous breakfast, I felt that crazy happy feeling that comes without warning. I do love that feeling so much, can’t make it happen, can’t really explain it, and it comes quite often ever since I first noticed it while hiking in Joshua Tree last winter. Later we actually managed a little bit of shopping on Black Friday, something I usually avoid like the plague. However, most of the stores we visited mid morning in Grants Pass were not busy at all.

Home now, settled in and cozy with a nice fire going, office space all set up and comfortable, quilting and card making projects waiting in the apartment next door. Life really IS good.

Raining in Brookings Oregon

Of course it is, it is doing something dramatic just about everywhere in the country right now and the southern Oregon coast is no exception, in spite of that “Banana Belt” description for our current location. The National Weather Service is actually predicting the possibility of scattered snow showers down to sea level, and temperatures well below freezing tonight and tomorrow night “on the beaches”. Whew! Makes me happy for tank heaters and a nice little electric heater to keep things cozy inside.

After a couple of months hanging around home and Grants Pass, the second home, we decided to come to our third home, Harris Beach State Park. We needed a change of scenery. I suppose Mo needed a change of scenery, especially that daily view of fabric and sewing machine on the dining table.

I am comfortably settled into the super comfy, super convenient new dinette with a view out the windows, watching the surf breaking over the black shadows of marine rock sea stacks below us on the beach. It has rained all night, but the thick spruce above us makes the rain fall in spurts and fits as it sifts through the trees to the roof, random and not at the steady rhythm of raindrops in more open areas.

We have been entertaining ourselves with radio, tv, reading, computing, and for me, some knitting. Resting, napping, and a few damp walks here and there have rounded out the schedule, or non schedule you might say. Mo took Abby for a walk this morning but so far I am still in jammies…oops…it is no longer morning!

We arrived early on Saturday, a bit before the official 2pm check in time, and even a bit before the 1pm check out time. As expected, the front row was full, the view row, all with cable hookups. When we came over, we didn’t expect to get front row, but we were hoping for cable so Mo could at least watch her 49’rs game on Sunday. Mo stopped at the dump to do a little pre-dump before we settled in and I drove the park looking for a spot. Sure enough, a nice guy was hooking up his fiver in the front row and I asked if he was leaving

Yup, he was, and he said that by the time we got back with the MoHo three more folks had asked about the spot. Lucky us! A23 is probably our favorite site in this park, with ocean views, a bit of tree cover for protection, nice shrubs around to block public view of our table and firepit, and of course cable, water, and electric. No sewer, but we can handle that for the four nights we plan to stay here.

That first day was gorgeous, and Mo unloaded the firewood for our planned campfire, but instead of cooking outdoors we wandered off to Harbor to the Chetco Café for our traditional fish and chips supper. Love that place, so much that we didn’t even mind waiting another day to polish off the Thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving was as delightful as expected, with family gathered at Melody’s house to partake of the fabulous cooking of both daughters and a couple of Melody’s friends as well. It was a good day and it was nice to go back home with a pack of leftover containers and no mess to clean up.

Things around Melody’s house are up for some changes with Kevin heading south to Mountain View for his Google job this week and Melody in full Christmas mode at the jewelry store in the midst of rehearsals for her play. Seems as though grandson Xavier is also trying out for “Grease” so things should just be hopping around there in the next couple of months.

Mo and I drove to Grants Pass and visited with Deb at the cottage overnight before pulling the MoHo out to enjoy the biggest reason for the Grants Pass property…just two hours to the beach. The drive was beautiful and the change of scenery was divine. Yes, we knew rain was coming, but that didn’t matter in the least. Love coming to the ocean any time of year.

On Sunday, even though it was cloudy, the rain held off long enough for us to get some good beach walking time and ball time with Abby. Balls and beaches are her favorite thing, but it was a bit bittersweet as she seemed to be somewhat less energetic than before. She loves it so much, but the years are catching up and she tires more easily. Hard to watch our animals age. I suppose it is hard for our kids to watch us age. Better than the alternative, at least we are all still here.

On a last note….I have changed some plans for our three month travels. Jeremy will be coming along after all. My heart just can’t deal with abandoning my sweet cat after 17 years of loyalty, even if it is at my daughter’s home. He is so needy and attached to us, and to Abby, and to our life together. We decided we will just deal with whatever his age requires for the trip. Jeremy is heading for Florida! I know one person down there who will probably enjoy meeting him. Karen and Al are serious cat people who have been through the “old cat thing”, and I hope that I can introduce them to Jeremy.

Later: The rain stopped, and cold notwithstanding, Mo got a great fire going tonight.

Sick of that photo!

In Rocky Point, OR: 26 degrees F and the high predicted today is sunny and 57 degrees?!

I have nothing exciting to write about, but I am sick and tired of looking at that last post with that face! Needless to say, I am better, with just a few yellow and green patches here and there and a bit of a weird nose. November is my least favorite month for outdoor photos, though, and I don’t have many that are worth putting up. I suppose I could get out there and try for something, but all the leaves are gone, there isn’t any snow on the ground, and nothing seems to inspire me much. Instead I’ll just pop in a shot of last November on our cruise for bit of text relief.

It is almost the end of November and just a few days ago, Mo motored around the yard with the mower. She said technically she wasn’t “mowing” although that is what it looked like. Instead, she was mulching up the bazillions of pine needles that come down every year and make spring raking a back breaking chore. With no snow yet to speak of, that chore should be a bit easier this year when we return in April to the Rocky Point homestead.

I have been busy quilting, and sent sister Sal’s quilt off to her daughter in Corvallis. She was supposed to make it home for Thanksgiving, but instead is holed up in a motel on the Iowa/Minnesota border, waiting once again for a truck repair. Cold and no income while she is sitting. Bummer. The life of a trucker can be so frustrating when the truck doesn’t run. Although with the weather back in that part of the country, I guess I am glad she isn’t on the road. She has her gorgeous big German shepherd with her for company, and I am glad for that as well.

Daughter Deanna is safely home in Washington State for the holiday, something that doesn’t happen all that often. Thanksgiving for her will include most of Keith’s family and at least one of their sons. Makes me happy for her. They will be back on the road again before Christmas, and I am dreaming of the chance for a visit with them here sometime around Christmas. Then again, who knows, I may not see her again until we are both somewhere in Florida. They deliver a lot of jet engines to Miami.

Tomorrow Mo and I will amble into Klamath Falls for Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter, Melody’s home. Yippee! I am often the Thanksgiving hostess, although last year I was cruising around Hawaii for the day. This year Melody decided she was up for doing the holiday and since Daughter Deborah lives close enough now to share, she is heading to Melody’s tonight after work. I hear rumors of lots of sister cooking with some drinking involved. Ha! They should have a lot of fun together. Makes me happy.

I have just two jobs. Dressing and Gravy. Melody and Kevin are making the turkey on his Big Green Egg. Makes for a great turkey, but then there isn’t any gravy. So I bought a turkey, will cook it today, keep the meat for sandwiches for Mo and I, and have lots of gravy to take to Melody’s tomorrow. The girls have big lists of goodies, including a lot of our traditional favorites and some new things Deb is trying. I am stress-free. All I have to do is show up. Wow, that is just soooo different, but kinda nice.

I even managed to finish Deanna and Keith’s quilt and get it down to Merrill to the machine quilter. It is promised before Christmas and I can get the binding on in time to deliver it to Deanna before we head off to the southland.

In exactly one month we will be heading out on our three month sojourn, and I will find out just how well all the planning worked. Being on the road that time of year is a crap shoot, and the possibilities run the gamut. Smooth sailing or crazy weather, either way it keeps us young and if we stay loose, it will be great.

In the midst of all the homey things I have been doing that involve a sewing machine, I neglected to wander around the internet enough to keep track of the comet Ison. This morning I heard that it may just get blown up by the sun, but if it doesn’t then we should get a great comet show in December.

On another very exciting note, my theater geek daughter, Melody, who acted with Albany Civic Theater, Corvallis Civic Theater, and the Linkville here in Klamath Falls, was just cast in the Sally Field role for Steel Magnolias. Acting is Melody’s first love, but it sometimes is hard to do with a family, a full time job, and all the other requirements of daily living. She thought long and hard about auditioning, especially since she works in a jewelry store and it is the Christmas season. I pushed kinda hard, knowing how much acting means to her and she went for it. Of course she was cast, my daughter is one amazing actress, something that was born in her, and something I knew by the time she was two.

Worst part about this whole thing is that the play is opening on January 15! Yes…right in the middle of the part where we are somewhere in Texas. For the first time, I will miss one of my daughter’s plays. Filming or photographing a play is just a no-no, but rumor has it that someone is going to film it, with permission from the director, just for Melody’s mommy! Is that great, or what!

On a final note, my son-in-law Kevin, Melody’s husband, who has worked in our small town of Klamath Falls for insignificant salaries, just landed a job with the big guy! Kevin is now a Google contractor, and will be heading south to the Mountain View Google Campus for a year long stint with hopes for more permanent employment in the future. Sad to say, the Klamath Basin just doesn’t offer much for computer geeks, so Kevin and Melody will be managing a long distance marriage for a time, at least until the grandson exits high school in three years or so. Working at Google is pretty amazing, and Kevin’s brother has been there for some time now. Melody is in super freak-out mode, knowing it is a good thing and still not excited about being a long distance wife. Of course. Those two communicate on Facebook when they are sitting in their own living room, so I would imagine they are better equipped than most to handle the apart time.

Time to get busy with the turkey (source for the gravy) and finishing up the complicated quilt blocks that are making me crazy. Wishing all the US folks a great Thanksgiving celebration.