Monday, March 30, 2020

The Biggest Find EV_AH

I'm from Boston and still have the accent. LOL

So, my day!  Took my ride around the park and gas station and planned a list for Roger to go to the grocery store. Our friend Lois called and said she over heard someone say that Family Dollar was getting a shipment and would be open around 1 P.M.  So, Roger said...that was the plan.

As you know people started hoarding paper goods and wait..everything they could grab. Living in an RV fulltime, we can't store alot and frankly, we would not hoard.  We are down to one roll of toilet paper then , YES, Roger sent me this picture!!



I've been giddy all afternoon. And they are perfect for our system. BONUS!!

The next big thing was Amazon delivering a couple of things I ordered.

I wanted to try the copper knee sleeve. Right now, even though I measured it as it said, it's a bit tight but feels good.  I'll see how it goes and let you know in a few days.  My knee has been doing ok but I notice sometimes at night its a bit swollen.  I feel like it has a bit more protection with it on.

Oh, and the Benefiber? Somehow the M&M's just don't give me enough and with the stress right now I figured it wouldn't hurt.



It was a challenge painting a digitized photo as a painting. But..it's done and my client is happy. Getting Fed EX to come get it so I can ship it off.  Now on to the next couple. Thankful and Grateful.


So that's it for today. Waiting for Roger to come home so I can start the wiping down of everything that comes in including him.  As all of you, that's our new normal.

Just finished wiping groceries and sadly, people grabbed more than one package of toilet paper. 

But on a positive note before I post this, I started baking again after 5-6 years of our full timing. My daughter sends me her recipes she gets on Skinny Taste.  I've made muffins and doing that today, just waited on the eggs and tomorrow I'm going to make simple bagels without yeast.  (you so know what I'll be blogging about tomorrow and if they are fantastic I'll post the recipe)

So, have a great rest of the day and please stay safe.

Warmly,
Sheila


Sunday, March 29, 2020

The Quiet...

When we are in New Hampshire for the summer we are in the woods and it's so so quiet. It's peaceful and I'm at home.

Today, here at our park in Florida, I went out for my daily bike ride around the park and up around the gas station.


We are about an hours drive to Orlando International Airport so we are in the flight path from the planes coming off the ocean and could track others going over us heading North or South with Flight Tracker.  The sky was just one contrail after another and when they'd come in over the ocean, just about over us, they would slow as they headed for the airport. You actually heard the engines lower and it almost sounds like they stalled then powered up again.  The quiet. No planes have come in over the Atlantic in the last couple of weeks and the one or two contrails that we did see went to four or five as people flew from New York to south of us.  It's now back to maybe two, but to Orlando. 

No one is out here. It has been crazy hot, close to 94, 95, which is early and people do stay in.  But there's a quiet I can't explain.  The noise from I 95 has lowered, less cars. It's Sunday so not so many truckers but we will probably hear them more this evening and through the night. I sleep with my window open so I can hear the sound. (City girl and it puts me to sleep. Except when one blows a tire. lol)

Not sure when we are leaving so thankful we're here and safe.  We workcamp in N.H. so praying all will be well and Roger says we can make it in 5 days rather than our usual 2 days here and maybe 3 there way of travel.  As Roger says a lot these days, "were living the dream"..but, as I say back to him smiling..."We are". 

Sitting outside last night with a lovely breeze we actually had company!




Roger throws corn onto the round for the birds and this guy came over but didn't see us sitting there. Then he did! 


I've been working of this painting for a couple of weeks now. The reference photo is digitized to look like a painting. The client asked for the portrait to be similar.  It has been a challenge but the client is pleased. A bit more to do on it then off it goes.


The Original Reference Photo Below



Well that's it for today. 

Stay safe and know I'm thinking of all of you.

Warmly,
Sheila





Saturday, March 28, 2020

How Life Has Changed...For All Of Us

When we packed up to leave our campground in New Hampshire this past October, as I was locking my cute little studio, I got a premonition that something was going to happen that may stop us from coming back next season.  I've got them throughout my life so I'm not surprised and I tend to rationalize them. I put it in the back of my mind as I just didn't want to leave my little studio. (and that may very well be the case).  Now, enter Covid-19. The feeling is still with me but it just may be I'm picking up the universal anxiety. (and missing my cute little studio, my family there and the park)

Our son has type 1 Diabetes so he is off limits, our daughter in NH along with our Granddaughters and a Grandson in the Navy. A lot of texting. I noticed the other day my hand was hurting, lol, but it could also be my playing mindless games on my phone.  On Thursday mornings, myself and two other women meet , 6' apart and have coffee together, just to feel "normal".  Roger has been working at Jackson Hewitt doing taxes. He's loving it but as you know the tax date has been extended so his hours are getting less and even though in Brevard County here in Florida, the numbers are still relatively low, we are considered....seniors.(73) (we are but I refuse "elderly".LOL ) Soon he' ll be home 24/7 and maybe then the "feeling" will stop.

So what do I do to stop the crazy from getting in my head?


"Never Gets Old"
Cold wax and oil

I was doing this one for a show here in April but of course that has been canceled. The positive is I can see a few places I may want to darken areas so nit a bad thing to hold off til the Fall.


No name for this one but I splurged and bought a great set of watercolors, Schmincke.  this is on a 12' x 12"  140lb watercolor paper from my rodeo references. I'm loving how the watercolors just flow..positive?...I ordered more watercolor paper to paint more.


This is in progress. I was doing this for the show also . Cold wax and oil. Positive on this is I really get to look at it, relax and have fun.  This is a friends Croft in the Highlands that I absolutely fell n love with. Talk about DNA memory.  This is one of her photos and thankfully has let me use it. 


Then I celebrated a birthday. Roger had to work so the dogs and me went crazy!! Yes, they slept!!



Strawberry airborne. Hey...I know how to party!!!


My daughter sent me a recipe on blueberry ricotta muffins. Actually they were chocolate chip
but I added in blueberries with them. Positive? I haven't baked in years. lol Healthy and fun.


Commissions still need to be done. Working now on two more.

The campground we stay in is behind this BP station. It's also a Stuckeys and were right off of I 95. It's usually packed with cars coming off for fuel along with truckers. This was taken in the middle of the week right around noon. The positive? People are really staying home and I get to ride my bike around without worrying about getting hit by someone not looking. 


And....the huge positive...we get to sit outside our rig, by a small lake, watch the gator and watch a launch from Cape Kennedy.  This is the AtlasV.


I pray you are all safe and your families as well. That's what's important. We are happy right now staying in place with people we have known since we started this journey. We feel safe. We are looking forward to heading North as long as it's safe to do so but for now it's day to day and praying we really don't run out of toilet paper. LOL LOL . Roger was able to buy kleenex. LOL  We couldn't have even if we wanted too, no extra room. Positive? we know how to do this..after living behind a locked fence for weeks in Orlando trying to get our coach fixed and having no sewer....ya, you get the picture.  and yeah....Roger's making breakfast! 

love you all and pray you all stay healthy and well. oh, and find laughter in the insanity. 

Warmly,
Sheila









Friday, March 20, 2020

How Life Has Changed

Well, it's almost been a year since I last checked in with you all and I bet now you think I'm going to chat about the virus crossing the world.  Not today because that's not what changed our world this past year. As you may have remembered our Sammy got us across country and back then this past summer we could see it would be his last.


Near the end of our season in New Hampshire he stopped jumping up on our bed and stayed on his bed at the foot of ours. He was still able to climb in and out of the rig but when we got to Florida mid October we had to do a boost so he would get up the stairs.  His amazing zest for life was such a life lesson for me with my wonky hip and in November, a torn meniscus in my good knee. (That's a story in itself. lol )  He wanted to go out so we hobbled together and enjoyed our time. On one of our walks I heard his rear legs toenails scrapping on the road, he was starting to knuckle. Our Chocolate Lab ,Fergus, knuckled when he had brain cancer so we knew like was changing for Sam. He kept on going even on the days we thought, oh this is it. He'd rally, wag his tail and want to go out for that walk. On some days it was 4 or 5, but he was our boy and we knew we'd miss him.


I told our go to Vet Mike that I'd pray at night that he'd go quickly so I wouldn't have to make that call but every morning he was up wagging his tail, wolfing down his food and wanting to explore. And I was thankful.


Our daughter and oldest granddaughter came to Florida, January 22 and Roger and I went to see them at our sons house. Returning home I found Sammy laying on the floor and only able to lift one side.  A small stroke? I don't know but I knew the next day it would be the end. So many nights I slept on the couch beside him because being in a tight area scared him so that last night that's where I was, stroking his back to let him know I was with him.

14 years and 4 months shy of being 15.

Sammy lived his life vigorously. Swimming in our pool non stop even when we weren't in it.  Fast doing agility but unable to be away from me in a crate so we stopped. A catcher of birds, a lover of life and truly loved to travel with us in the coach. 

We have heard his toe nails on the floor and his actual bark . The puppy he loved and raised, Ozzie, is lost without him so he has taken over his spot in the living area. He's finally stopped moaning, yes, dogs mourn. Lola, who Sammy lost patience with because her playing was body slamming and poor Sam would be in pain.  She learned quickly Sammy was off limits.


So on May 10 we will lift a glass to his memory. 
A great life lived!!!






And, omg, I miss him terribly.

Warmly,
Sheila