The Sky After The Storm

 

 

It rained all night and most of the day. We had to drive over to Calera to pick up a part. While we were driving home, the sun started coming out just as it started to set. The sky was magnificent!

Oh, Just ZIP It!

I really really hate it when I can't find something I want or need, and when it is something as simple as a zipper, then what in the heck is up with that?  

While I found that lovely quilt shop in Tuscaloosa, they do not sell zippers because, well, quilts don't need zippers.  And I have a project in my little brain that requires a zipper to complete, and it was driving me crazy. So, I began looking for zippers. 

The Wal-Mart in town does not have a fabric section. There is not another store that has fabric unless I go to Tuscaloosa again, to Hobby Lobby, but I did not want to drive all the way up there just for a zipper. So, I thought to myself, that I would go online to Joann Fabrics website and order some. 

I typed in the url, and guess what? it wouldn't load on my screen. I thought it was my crappy internetz service, because it was raining, pouring, outside, and it is satellite internetz. I felt like banging my head on the table. 

    

The next morning, I got an email from Joann that said: "We apologize!-Thanksgiving Promotions Now Extended + Free Shipping.  We're aware it was a challenge to shop Joann.com this weekend...."  So it wasn't just me. That made me feel a little bit better. So, I went on over to the website to shop for zippers.  And guess what? it is STILL a challenge to shop for zippers on their website. Just go look!  I'll wait. When you get to the page, scroll down to choose a color. Can YOU tell what the colors are on those zippers? You can't actually see what the color is until you get to the cart to check out. THAT is where they have conveniently typed in the name of the colors. 

So, OK, I got my zippers ordered and on the way. And THEN FabGrandpa decided to drive over to Calera, Alabama to the Jayco dealer to get a new gasket for the toilet. And guess what was right next door to the dealership? A different Wal-Mart. One that sells zippers!

I Got My Fabric Fix

I have not been to a real quilt fabric shop in almost two years. When we are at the North Rim, there is not a fabric store for at least 200 miles, and that is a Joann Fabrics. I thought I had found a fabric store in Kanab, Utah one time, but it turned out to be 2 aisles in an Ace Hardware Store. I was sooooooo disappointed. 

Last week I went to Hobby Lobby in Tuscaloosa, and they had some fabric but not much to choose from. I got a few fat quarters, but I was still starving for a fabric binge. 

Today, I found Carolina Lily Quilt Shop. As soon as I stepped in the door, it was like I was a kid in a candy store!  Not only did they have top quality fabrics, and plenty of it, the nice lady behind the counter knew who and what I was talking about when I asked if she had any of the Fairy Tip Toes line by Tina Givens. She didn't, but it is so nice to have this store within reach, and to be able to just go and touch and feel and adore fabric. 

I guess I went a little bit crazy. I made up for not being in a real fabric store in so long! Ooooooo, I can already feel another shopping trip coming on....

FabGrandpa Installs A Shelf

My "place" in our trailer is at the dinette. And the seat has become my office desk. It is where I have had a stack of "stuff" for about six years. You know, the stuff that would normally be on your desk if you had a house:  bills and other important papers that need attending to; notebooks; maps; pens and markers; books and magazines I'm reading at the moment. I get so annoyed by having that stack of stuff there that I went out and bought myself an organizer shelf. 

 

This morning, FabGrandpa (who is feeling much better, thank you to all those who have asked) installed it on the wall. It was a perfect fit for the space I had.  There are three shelves and a small drawer. 

 

I couldn't put it as high up on the wall as I would have liked because the window trim wouldn't allow for the drawer to be opened, otherwise, I am really happy with this small modification to my space!

 

Just look how much better it looks!  There is room for my camera and the USB cable for it in the drawer. I bought a little photo album for 97 cents to keep my ever growing collection of business cards in, too! 

 

So this:

 

Now looks like this:

 

Getting organized is so much fun!

Scenic Sunday

This "road less traveled" is in the east side campground at Payne Lake Campground in Greensboro, Alabama. 

For more Scenic Sunday photos:

It's Been A Mail-a-palooza!

When I lived in my house in Georgia, my daughter had painted on the inside of the mailbox "I love gettin' mail!" along with a smiley face. My mail carrier told me she never failed to smile when she opened my mailbox.  But I do, I do love getting mail! And I got a lot of it this week!  

My daughter, Becca, sent me a package from Colorado. She had been on a trip to New Mexico a couple weeks ago, and bought that purty chili ristra for me.  She also sent the fabric for me to finish her quilt:

 

and a loaf of gluten free bread from Udi's Bakery in Parker, Colorado:

 

And when I opened the box, I also found her green ink pen she hasn't been able to find. thanks Becca!

 

I loved that bread so much, I ordered a case of it for myself, and it arrived only two days later! all the way from Parker to Greensboro, Alabama:

 

  

I saw this fabric online a month or so ago on Etsy in one yard lengths, and had been trying to find  a seller with three yards in one piece. I was so happy to find it! It's called Fairy Tip Toes, and it is soooo cute.  It was also delivered to me this week. I have to make a baby quilt for my new FabGrandchild that is due in May. In case I haven't mentioned it yet, my son's wife, Sarah is having a baby! We'll find out in two weeks whether it is a boy or a girl. I am so hoping it is a girl so I can use this fabric. But, it it's not, I'll just make something for FabGrandaughter, Sarah, with it. 

And. the last thing I got in the mail was a new copy of "The Essential Gluten Free Grocery Guide".I love this book! I can find out really quick if something I want to buy is on "the list" or not.

Ooooooo, I can hardy wait for next week to see if I get anything good in the mail!

Remember Whensday

When my daughter, Becca, was in kindergarten, she refused to wear a dress unless she could wear that pin. It was a simple gold leaf, I think I got it from Avon. Even though it was way too "grown up" for a five year old, it was a necessary addition to her wardrobe whenever she was required to wear a dress. I still have that pin, and every time I see it, I think about this picture.  Happy Birthday, Becca! 

For more Remember Whensday posts, click here.

Try This Out At Snack Time!

I got some Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks in the mail to try out. I was surprised that an old lady like me would like them. See my review here.

Scenic Sunday

 

The Black Warrior River at the Moundville Archaeological Park in Moundville Alabama, November 2009.

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click on the icon below:

Checking Out The VA in Tuscaloosa

Since FabGrandpa is a veteran from the Viet Nam era, he is elegible for health care through the VA.  It can be a little bit of a hassle, because every time we move to a new location, he has to be "enrolled" at the facility in the new area before he can be see by a doctor. He needs to have surgery for a cataract this winter so, at the very first opportunity I had after we got here, I called the VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. The person I talked to told me that someone would come out to our house and help us fill out the paperwork involved in the enrollment. 

I was very surprised by this, as we have dealt with the VA on several occasions, in Maryland, Georgia, and Arizona, and this was the first time anyone offered such personalized service. The day the nice young man was supposed to come, Tropical Storm Ida was pouring buckets of rain on us. He called to reschedule, and showed up at the appointed time, here in the middle of no-where, as promised.

The guy told us that it would take a few days to get the enrollment done after he took the paperwork in, but we would hear from them to set up the initial appointment for a physical and lab work.  FabGrandpa has been sick with what he thought was a cold since we got to Alabama on November 1.  Thursday, he got up and told me he felt like he needed to go to a doctor. Since he NEVER says that, I thought it would be prudent to find one. 

We drove up to Tuscaloosa to the VA Medical Center. We walked in and requested that he be seen by a doctor. He was taken right up to the first floor. The nurse on duty up there sent him for lab work and a chest X-ray, and told us to be back as soon as possible. She said they had made him an appointment for 3:45, but if we got back sooner, they might be able to see him sooner than that. 

So, off we went for the lab--it took all of 5 mintues. Then, we went to X-ray, another 5 minutes. Since it was 12:30, we went down to the cafeteria to eat some lunch. We got back up to the first floor at 1:45. As soon as we walked up to the check in desk, the guy told us they were ready to see FabGrandpa! 

Turns out, he has pneumonia and bronchitis. They gave him a prescription for Ciprofloxasin and one for a strong cough medicine. We'll go back in week for them to check him again.  In the meantime, he is a cranky patient. I threatened to get a stick last night if he didn't straighten up, but I filled him up with fried chicken and ice cream. And it wasn't gluten free.

Butterball Turkey Goes Gluten Free!

I received an email from Megan at Triumph Dining, the folks who publish "The Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide", that I just had to share:

"...We don’t normally reach out to our fellow bloggers with news (we don’t want to clog your inbox)… But this was really exciting, and I thought you might be interested to know! Butterball turkey now offers gluten-free gravy mixes with a bunch of their turkeys.  I think this is super-cool because 1) Butterball is synonymous with turkey, and it’s exciting to see someone so mainstream do gluten-free, 2) as you know, gravy is almost never gluten-free, and 3) the GF gravy isn’t a specialty version, but it’s the default option for some turkeys.

It turns “gluten-free going mainstream” on its head! Instead of having specialty gluten-free options (like Betty Crocker mixes) alongside “regular” gluten-full options, this is a company that’s making the gluten-free option THE default option.  Our wonderful blogger, Tiffany, uncovered this story. And we are super-excited about it, and thought you might be too. The full story is here (just in time for Thanksgiving!):

http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/gluten-free/2009/11/butterball-now-offers-gluten-free-gravy/

..... here’s Butterball’s number if you want to do some investigating on your own, 1-800-BUTTERBALL.."

Now that is news that the Gluten Free world can really be thankful for!

We Went To See Alabama

We set out the other day to go see Alabama, to find our way around our new neighborhood. They had recently scraped the sides of the road, and that orange dirt was showing on the shoulders. For some reason, I found this to be quite lovely.

 

We drove through the Talledega National Forest along County Road 50, and came out in the little town of Moundville. This tiny restaurant was on the corner of County Road 50 and Hwy 69. They are open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and have what else? Catfish, on the menu. They also have shrimp, oysters, and other seafood. They were closed the day we were there, but we put them on our list to try before we leave the area. 

 

 

Just off Hwy 69 is Moundville Archaeologic Park. This area was inhabited by Mississippian Indians 800 years ago. They built the mounds here along the Black Warrior River. Archaeologists studying the area don't know why the Indians built the mounds, or why they left. These early inhabitants left behind lots of pieces of pottery and other of their handicrafts, but, alas, the museum was closed for renovations so we did not get to see them. We are planning to go back in a couple months when it opens up.

 

 There are about 15 mounds there in all. Two of them are larger than the others, and were probably where the chief or religous leaders lived. 

The holes where the dirt was dug out to build the mounds became man-made lakes, and the Indians probably used them as fish farms, growing fish to feed the village. They were farmers, too, growing squash, corn, and beans among other things.

 

We drove down to the Black Warrior River, where there is a picnic pavillion, a conference center, and restrooms.  A small outdoor Indian village replica was there but it wasn't open, either. 

 

The park charges $5.00 per person admission, and was an interesting stop for the day, but it would have been better if the museum had been open. There is a small RV park, with full hook ups on the property. Sites cost $12 per night, but it was not clear where you go to register and pay. Call ahead to get more info before you go. I wish we had.

I've Been Cooking Up A Storm!

Ok, not a storm, but some really good soup, 

and some brownies today. 

Both of these were made from mixes sent to me by Mixes From The Heartland so I could write reviews of their products. See what I think of them at FabGrandma Reviews.

Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings

Have you been dreaming of gluten free chicken and dumplings? I have ever since I started eating gluten free. Click here to see how I made my dream come true!

I Could Be A Private Eye...

I have been having a lot of fun playing with my new camera. I have taken so many pictures it is re-diculous!  I delete a lot of them, but by taking so many I am learning what the camera can do. 

This one was taken when I was standing on the side of the road, and FabGrandpa was over there fishing on the bank of the lake. Can you see him waaayyy over there?:

but with just a touch of a button, here he is:

 

If he was pickin' his nose he wouldn't be able to hide it, hahahaha!

I took this photo from the same place, looking over by the swimming area:

And again, with the zoom feature:

 

This is looking up towards our campsite: 

 

And with the zoom, I would be able to see all those ladybugs almost:

 

And this one, just because I like this photo:

 

So who needs some private detective work? Or a spy?

Scenic Sunday

Payne Lake at sunset on November 14, 2009. This is in the Oakmulgee Wildlife Management Area of the Talledega National Forest south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.

A Work Day At Payne Lake

This post is an experiment to see if I am going to get bumped off by Hughesnet when I upload my normal amount of photos for a post. Keep yer fingers crossed that I don't.

When we arrived here at Payne Lake last week, we discovered that the entrance office was a mess. There was a lot of trash and stuff that looked like it hadn't been cleaned up in years. Our first task was to get that cleaned up and ready for us to work in. This is what it looked like before we started:

 

(The work counter. What the heck???)

 

(a storage shelf)

 

(the floor)

 

It took us both working about four hours to get it in order, but look at it now:

 

  

  

Today, while we were working at the entrance station again, we decided to do some clean-up of the grounds. FabGrandpa used the backpack blower:

 

And I used the rake:

 

You'll just have to trust me on that. Someone had to take the pictures!  And even though I still have that palpable mass, that still flares up and makes my arm hurt if I do too much, I also still have my friends the Lortab and Naprosyn, so I did push that rake around quite a bit.

 

By the end of our shift, we had the place looking very nice! We'll be doing this same thing in the campground in the coming weeks, to get it cleaned up, too. I love it when a plan comes together.