Thank goodness it's a New Year!

Can I say how thankful I am that 2008 is over? It isn't that there hasn't been good points because there has been but unfortunately the bad has over shadowed them. Mark lost his Dad in May, I lost my Dad in October and my son washed his hands of me in December. Gosh, did I mess up there. Having too high of expectations for the holidays led to disaster. For the time being it's best that we stay away from each other. There is just too many hurts and errors on both sides right now. We need the space and time to ease our wounds before we attempt a reconciliation.

On the bright side I've found a new path that I will be following. Ironically it started with my Shasta. I was searching the net looking for quilt patterns for a new quilt that I wanted to make for the trailer. While searching I came across a rag quilt pattern which I thought was really cute. Well, after 7 quilts and 11 handbags I think I have found a new homebased business opportunity. Since giving the quilts and bags as Christmas gifts I have had all kinds of feedback from people that I gave them too. My daughter had 6 people stop her at Walmart and ask her where she got the quilt I made for my grandbaby. I made the bags for my nieces and now all their friends want one. Soooo, I'm going to work on my inventory, try ebay, a booth at one of the local antique stores and maybe a few festivals and see what happens. Won't know unless I try and goodness knows I need something to keep me busy.

Here's to hoping that 2009 is a healthy, happy and successful New Year!

1972 Shasta 1400 Update

The news is wonderful! My cabinets are complete. In fact there are just a few finishing touches and my 1400 will be done. Some may say I'm crazy when I consider building a new table and counter tops as "a few finishing touches" but when you start with nothing but rot and filth then what's left to do is nothing.

This adventure started 13 months ago. The trailer had been gutted and used as a cook house. Grease oozed from the floor and the only redeeming qualities was that the windows and skin were in decent shape. Now I have bench seats that make into a king size bed, a closet that houses my clothes closet, porta potti, fridge and microwave (Shasta multi-tasking). Did I mention that I have cabinets? After spending 3 weeks camping in the 1400 during two trips this summer I learned to appreciate the simplicity of a cabinet. At that point all we had completed in the interior was the bench seats. I now have 6 wall cabinets, 8 drawers and 2 base cabinets not to mention the bench seat storage. The shellac is dry, hinges installed and doors hung, it's a very happy time for us right now.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Indiana for awhile and should be sending the laminate back home with my husband. Once he gets the table and counter top built I'll come home for a day to help him install the laminate. We'll be using it on the table, counter top, the fridge and microwave shelves, the floor of the clothes closet (which is actually above a set of 5, 3 real + 2 fake drawers) and the porta potti slide (which is housed underneath the 3 real drawers and behind the 2 fake drawer fronts). At that time I'll get the measurements to sew my closet/potti room curtains that will hide the potti and fridge from view. I'm still undecided if I'll curtain off the microwave from view, will probably wait to see what it looks like first.

There will still be a few things to finish up like setting the sink and faucet, touching up the paint inside the back wall cabinet and base cabinets. We decided today that we'll trim the seams/joints of the birch paneling with birch strips but we already have those cut. Just have to shellac them in the morning and cut to fit. After all of that is complete I'll clean and polish the floor, then bring the curtains and cushions back in.

Oh my goodness, I have forgotten one very important detail! I'm still undecided about my back splash. At first I decided to use the plastic panels that replicate the tin ceiling look. Then I saw where several others took my idea and I don't want my trailer to look 'common'. So I then decided to use a aluminum 4" tile I found on the net. Luckily I ran across a pic of a trailer where this same tile was used and I didn't like it. So then I thought...what about diamond plate? After giving this some thought I don't want anyone to think it has 'hot rod' theme so now I'm back to the tin ceiling idea. I already have 1 panel that I bought a year ago and I also have a different design that we installed in my Dad's kitchen. So far the one I bought a year ago has been eliminated. It's a copper color and is too close a match to the shellac on my cabinets. I'm going to pick up one other color and compare it to the choice that's left and then I have to make a decision. As this project can be done at anytime I'll probably wait till the counter top, sink and curtains are brought back in to make a final choice. That way the only thing I'll have to blame if I'm not happy is my own judgement.

Catching Up and Running Behind....

It's been almost a month since my last post. I've finished my canning and it all turned out fine. The gardening season is almost over and my husband has been concentrating on the 1400. As I have been away from home for almost 2 weeks it has also enabled him to spend more time on it.

First of all, we almost lost my Dad. He became very ill and started to give up but rallied and is now on a upward trend. We transferred him to Evansville, Indiana. This is where his lung doctor is located and it seems to have renewed his spirit. He talks about what he's going to do once he gets better and returns home. I'm praying that he's able to do all these things. The biggest lesson I have learned through this is that I need to take things day by day as they change about that often.

As I said earlier, my husband has been able to concentrate on the Shasta as I've been staying in Indiana. The cabinetry is almost finished and I can't wait to see it. When I left home the last time all the framing was finished and one set of drawers were built but the faces weren't on them. Now both sets are finished and the cabinet doors are built. If all is well at the hospital this morning I should be returning home for a couple of days and will be able to see what he has finished.

As much as I appreciate the opportunity to be able to spend time with my Dad and help my step mom, I miss my husband. I miss him, my home and my dogs. Even though I know that he is taking good care of them it just isn't the same. I'm their leader and I know it distresses them when I leave. Of course I've humanized them, they are my babies and I miss their affection.

Hanging in there and hopefully going home for a day or two.

OMG, It's true...I have turned into my mother!

Really, it's true. Do you have any idea how many years I've tried not to be like her? My mother and I were not close until a couple of years before her death in my mid twenties. I hadn't been around her much between my junior high years and early twenties. It was the typical middle daughter syndrome. My older sister was the beauty queen, my youngest sister was the smartest student in her class and was advanced two years in school so that she graduated when 16 and got a free ride to college due to her SAT score. It was hard to be average.

So...it's ironic that I've turned out to have the most in common with her. The older sister owns her own salon in Dallas and the younger one is an HS advanced math teacher. Neither one of them have grown or harvested a thing in their lives. They certainly haven't canned anything which leads me to toady's entry.

I'm canning, freezing, pickling..maybe I've pickled my brain???? Six years ago you couldn't have drug me into a vegetable garden and now I'm giving advice to my friends. Have I grown old and not realized it? If only my grandmother and mom could see me now!

Actually I know that it's my husbands influence and the fact that I'm not working full time. Let me tell you, if I were still working 12 hr shifts I'd be buying my veggies and fruits off the grocery shelf. Since I'm not I've been spending this last week putting up fried apples, green beans, and corn. I'll be doing cream style corn tomorrow and start on my peppers and okra. We've been growing jalapenos and okra for several years but this will be the first year that I pickle any. It's also the first year we have grown banana peppers and I'll give those a try also.

Highs and Lows

Well, I guessed right. This past month has been hectic, not much work has been done on the campers. The month has been filled with highs and lows. The high is that my son's wedding went off without any problems. It was a beautiful event and the reception was very nice and a lot of fun.

The low side is that my father is back in the hospital and has now been there for 15 days. It was very difficult and stressful at first because he wasn't doing well at all and I didn't know if I would be able to make the trip to Chicago for the wedding. After being in there for 3 days he started showing improvement and we decided to go ahead and make the trip. He had a relapse over this past weekend but is now eating again and seems to be improving. Unfortunately during a conversation with one of his therapist this morning it led him to believe that he would be released tomorrow. After conferring with his doctor we found out that this information was incorrect and he would be in there for at least a couple more days if not another week. Dad is not going to take this well and tomorrow will not be a good day for any of us.

On the up side, Mark has been able to put in a few hours work on our 1400. We were not able to locate the correct window to replace where the previous owner had cut the window frame to install a window unit so we located two windows to replace the large one that was damaged. Come to find out we had a leak in the area between the two replacement windows and damaged some of the new birch we had installed. The leak was found, repaired and new birch installed. The best part is that I now have three new cabinets. One large one in the back of the trailer and two smaller ones on the side. As I spent three weeks inside this trailer earlier in the summer without any storage this improvement is huge. He doesn't have the doors built yet and I think he is going to start on the bathroom wall first. This is fine with me as I just want it finished. We have a huge camping weekend planned for Columbus Day with all the kids, their families and my sister and her family planning on joining us. As long as my Dad continues to improve and I can keep Mark out of the garden then I should have a completed trailer for this trip.

Here's a few shots of the wedding, the garden (my husbands second love) and my new cabinets.

Not a blogger nerd!

Well, I found out today that I do not belong in the blogger nerd club. Since I have to work till 1 pm today and I'm bored (at work) I thought I'd check out the blog (hoping that I would remember the user name and password). When I logged on it took me to an area that said I had four comments waiting to be approved (they were from weeks ago), sorry girls...I didn't know.

Obviously, I need to pay more attention while I'm on my laptop. Gosh, I just really don't want to have to go through the log-in process each time so that pc's set to remember me.

Anyway, thanks for the comments on Dad and the girls. We are cautiously optimistic about Dad right now. He didn't use the wheelchair at all yesterday but he is still so very frail. He has now made the comment "This isn't anyway to live" several times. It's in God's hands as to how long he'll be with us. If his time is up I just wish God would go ahead and take him and not make him go through this. I lost my father-in-law in May from cancer but thankfully it was fast, to look at him you'd have never known he was sick. Unfortunately that's not the case with my Dad and it just breaks my heart.

Worried

It's been a hectic week. We wound up not coming home from the lake till the 5th. Once getting home it was a lot of working unpacking and getting things back to normal. We had camped in the trailer 17 days out of 3 weeks and it was a mess.

While still at the lake my son and I had a huge argument and wasn't speaking till a day ago. That was difficult for me as we are very close but we are also hard headed, stubborn, etc. Things are better now but it will take awhile for the hurt on both sides to go away.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came for a visit two days after we got home. It's only been about 6 weeks since my father-in-law passed away and I feel so terrible for her. She lost him just a few days short of their 50th wedding anniversary. Kathy, my SIL said that all she does is sit on the couch. She's been able to get her out of the house twice and that was to come see us. We don't live in the same town, about an hour and half away so it isn't like we can visit everyday. She isn't alone and I'm thankful for that. Two of her adult sons live with her so I know they are taking care of her but they are a bit odd. Guess that's obvious because we are talking about two men in their 40's that still live at home.

I'm very worried about my father. He is 82 and his health is failing. Last night he went to the ER and they admitted him with a bowel obstruction. Found out this morning that he isn't urinating either. He is a 3 time cancer survivor, had his back broke in 4 places, lost a lung and is just a very strong individual. He has fought and worked so hard his entire life and I think he's tired. Last night at the hospital my step mom tells me that he's been have trouble with his bowels for the last 8 months. Now during this time he has also lost his appetite and has lost close to 50 lbs. I hadn't heard about the bowel problems till last night and she tells me he has been eating prunes and taking laxatives almost daily. I wanted to smack both of them. This morning I asked her if this had been discussed with his doctors, her reply..I think so! I'm waiting till after the doctor sees him this morning before I go up. Sandy (Dad's wife) and my sister are there. I'll stay with him this afternoon and let them get some rest. We'll give this hospital 24 hours then we'll take him to Evansville, IN or St. Louis if we don't see improvement. To say that I have little faith in our local hospital is a massive understatement. If he hadn't been in so much pain last night we would have went to Evansville to begin with. If you've stuck with me this far send up a little prayer.

Why a blog?

Honestly, I don't really know. This seems to be a good place to put thoughts, share ideas and talk to myself. My life's not all that interesting, I'm a wife, a mother, and a grandmother (still trying to get use to that one). We live outside a small rural town in Southern Illinois and not much happens around here. There are a few things that keeps my interest though and I'm sure these subjects are what this blog will consist of.

Right now our "project" is a rebuilding a 1972 Shasta 1400 travel trailer. There will be many posts on this subject as it is what is consuming most of our time. I have five Mini Schnauzers and they take up most of what's left of my time. Most people think I'm crazy for having five dogs and I don't disagree with them.

We also enjoy gardening and landscaping. Right now both the garden and the flower beds are in sorry shape. We spent so much time getting the Shasta ready to take on vacation that we let the weeds get away from us. Since weeding isn't my favorite thing to do please excuse any gripping I may do on the subject. June is almost over and Mark just finished the remaining vegetables and the first planting of corn yesterday. So much outside work to catch up on and Mark wants to leave Thursday for four days. We'll see.