Just Checking In ... Winterizing the RV

....... so I know I will be here in KY till late February at least. I called our local RV place and they could not get my RV in to winterize it soon enough as they are backed up.

Soooo.... I made a call to another RV owner and got out my care manual, and started to dig through the info. Then a call to the previous owner, and they were as helpful as they could be, but had fogotten how they did some of the maintenance. I had to go over one small section at a time and then go out to the RV (it was cold and a light rain falling which made it not very pleasant outside) to see what it was talking about. Some of the diagrams were like puzzles, and I had to really study to see what it was talking about. To make a long story short I did finally get everything drained and the recommended RV antifreeze put in.

Next is getting it for an oil change and lube job, which I will not be doing myself. But I did do what I could and feel pretty good about that.

Now I am trying to finish up my ridding out project in the house, take some time to paint, and get my Christmas tree up before the ominous 13th! However, having these things out of the way, I will be free to put my concentration into working through KRS and the following therapy, which I have been told is a bear. I am determined I can do it! After all ...... I have a goal ahead of me . Getting back out in my RV with Izzy and back to painting form the scenes I see along the way!

Happy Thanksgiving, Ya'll!

"Now , children....."

8" x 10"

Oil on canvas board

Have a wonderful day, and be thankful for all your blessings.

We have sooo many!

New painting posted, and other stuff.

I finally finished my 2nd painting from Energy Lake at Land Between the Lake, Golden Pond, KY. You can see it here, or just click on my painter girl on my sidebar.

I am supposed to be getting ready to go there for the Thankgiving pot-luck they put on at the campground, and its only 60 miles away, but the weather is not so nice. Wondering if I should just stay home and paint ......

The count-down is on..... that is, the days I have left till my knee surgery. It is scheduled for Dec 13th, and I got my surgical clearances yesterday. See, thats the thing; if I go to the Thanksgiving doings, I might just keep going after and not return for my surgery..... just because I can .... if I want to. Oh yes, I want to run from it!! I have times where I start to get panic-y. So if I stay here and paint it will relax me as well as keep me where I belong til the big 12-13!!

I know the Lord is my strength , and thats why I am still here and not on my way to Arizona!

Meanwhile .... back at the Ranch

Ever since the rain came through the other day, my knees have felt better. I am still waiting to hear from the doctor's office on the exact scheduled date. I have been able to do some more ridding out upstairs in the old office. Makes me feel good to be able to get something accomplished.

I usually put off shopping as long as I can, as it doesn't seem enjoyable to me. But I did have a great day shopping today! What made it all the nicer was I had gotten a sizable refund check in the mail from a hospital bill on which I had overpaid.

I got a new filter for my humidifier that I run in the winter, because the woodstove does make the air dry. Beings I will have to be home pretty much through Jan and part of Feb after knee surgery, it seemed pretty important to me.

I found a a baby gate on sale at wally*world, to use when I want to block Izzy in the rear of the RV.


Much to my surprise they also had a replacement shower hose/head combo I needed for in the RV, so I picked that up as well,

....... and a new set of knitting needles I needed to make this sweater for my dog, Izzy.

As I was about to leave WW, I came across this diplay of electric room heaters. The ancient one I had been using in my painting room was, shall we say, iffy as to the safety of it. I decided, no time like the present to replace it. Isn't it just TOO CUTE??? And, for my blogging friend Jo, out in Washington, I could even bring it along in the RV if needed, and was missing my home wood stove, lol.





But .... my main reason for shopping was to go to HobbyLobby, where I got 3 HUGE canvases and a couple large tubes of paint I needed for a large commission painting I am starting on. The customer will be here tomorrow to discuss particulars of it with me and pick out the size canvas they want it.

(this painting is crrently in process ....)

After coming home I made a large pot of tea and put my feet up to relax. I was pretty pleased with my profitable shopping day, and very thankful to the Lord. I believe He was mindful of my knees and directed my path to enable me to accomplish this much in one day!

Hope you all enjoyed the sunshine today!

Time to Fess Up

Since I hit the Kentucky homestead and the damp cooler weather, my knees have been talking back to me. Not just the bad left one, either.... the right one is now loudly complaining that it is doing all the work. (sounds just like a couple o' kids, right???)

So I called my doctor office today, and am waiting for a call back as to when they can schedule me for the long, put-off knee replacement surgery. I am finding it hard to even walk since returning home, and my knees have been constantly painful.

There is so much I want to do, places I want to go, and scenes to capture on canvas, and I am to the point that if it is going to become a reality I need to get this done. I have finally conjured up the courage (read ...... the Lord has given me confidence and a willingness to go through with it) that I can get through this and there are better things on the other side. I know, that I know, that I know, when He leads me to something, He will be there to see me through.

I told my eldest daughter my decision yesterday, and she and her hubby volunteered her to take off work to come down for the first couple weeks till I get through the rough part. (I did not ask, because she has back disc problems .... I just figured Iwould get through it somehow.) There is a PACS van that will be able to transport me to therapy after she leaves.

So in the mean time, I have one more short trip to make back to Energy Lake over Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and then the RV will be put up till I re-coop enough to go to Tuscon, Arizona, to my brother and sil's, towards the end of Jan/Feb(??) I have lots of reference photos to paint from, my knitting stash will be close at hand, and my sewing machine will brought downstairs so it will be available to me.

I also hope to make one of these for on the walker, before surgery.

Oh yes, and if I get time and inspiration I might get in a few groceries and clean the house :)

You all enjoy yourselves and be safe out there!!

Going home ....Stop off at Lake Catherine, AR

After an exciting week with DD before her wedding, and the big day, i found myself a little less than exhausted. I barely got to Texarkana from Denton on Sunday afternoon. The next day I decided I wanted to take an extra day to just camp out and re-coop. I had been running to see family in PA and then to TX for the wedding and could use some relaxation.

I checked out the map and decided on Lake Cathrine State Park near Hot Springs, AR, just south of Little Rock. I was assigned a space right down by the water. There were only 2 other campers nearby. It was very beautiful and peaceful.

These Canadian Geese were not 20 feet from my door, and didn't budge when I stepped out of my RV.

They eventually started toward the water and began to slowly swim away.

Then they took off from the surface of the water and flew toward the opposite shore.

We were later visited by some Mallard ducks, who wandered along looking for tidbits to eat,

They too eventually meandered off into the water.

I saw some unusual tree trunks.....

.... and beautiful bark patterns on the pine trees.

and the rough bark against the smooth back-drop of the water intrigued me.

The snake-like curving pattern of a shoreline is something that always seems to catch my eye.

I enjoyed viewing reflections in the water, which grew bolder as the day wore on.

This reflection mirrors the old steam-generated electric power plant on the opposite shore.

I also got a couple night shots;

The power plant lit up at night....

..... and the moon shining through the trees.

I am so blessed to be able to enjoy God's creation out here......not everyone has this priviledge.

Today I am so thankful for eye-sight.
 

Hope you enjoyed my stop-over .... I know I did.

The Wedding

The setting, with the harpist.....

The Ceremony ....

The kiss .....

The Celebration ......

A picture of a happy bride ......

A very happy couple .......

Tired, but happy!

The best wedding present? Rick got news the day before the wedding that he passed the bar exam and is now a lawyer!