A NEW GREAT YEAR....A NEW GREAT GRAND

Meet Emerson Rose Howe!  

THEY KEEP COMING, AND COMING

Red Bay, Alabama

Tiffin Motorhomes Service

Temperature 40 degrees & sunny

Before Tiffin closed for Christmas, we had our check list completed.  The last thing Tiffin service center needed to complete was the replacement of a Jack.  

Four green hydraulic lifts raised all 29,410 plus all our "stuff" into the air in order to replace one of our leveling jacks.  Brett completed the job in just over an hour. Another job well done by Tiffin.  

Brett did come to the comfortable waiting lounge to give us the report that one of the jacks was sluggish.  He wanted to know if we wanted to replace it.  We chose to wait.  It may have been a mistake.  Now when we retract the jacks, the alarm continues to ring alerting us that the jack is not up all the way.  That jack is only four inches from where it should be!  We may have to replace that jack when the Tiffin employees return from their week of vacation.  

Before the plant closed own for Christmas, the insurance estimate was completed.  This has been a frustrating experience.  After being told that McKinney RV, an ex-employee of Tiffin, could complete our repair work faster, we chose to allow McKinney to do the repairs.  

All well and good. But....McKinney has been dragging their feet, not returning telephone calls and not submitting the estimate they completed to our insurance provider in a timely manner.  This is not our idea of a dependable company.

Our adjuster called and I explained our situation.  We agreed that no matter how much time it will take, that Tiffin service will do the repairs.  Of course, this called for yet another estimate, this one from Tiffin.  

Within ten....have you got that....ten minutes of the decision to let Tiffin repair the motorhome, a Tiffin employee was at our motorhome, taking photographs and composing an estimate for Nationwide Insurance.  Now, that is service.  

There are many employees and past employees that have opened their specialty shops.  One is TJ Allison.  He works in the cabinetry department of Tiffin service and after hours does the same work.  

We contacted TJ and asked him to install the new television that we purchased from Best Buy in Indianapolis. TJ's price was reasonable and he changed the front in of our coach from ugly to neat and tidy.  At least for a while.  

We now have another storage place located behind the television set.  The wood frame that was made to hold the television is hinged.  

It, after releasing two safety screws, swings open to the

cavity where the old TV was located.  A very nice place for storing some of my fiber.  

While everyone was gone....this campground looked like a ghost town with only four rigs hanging tough here.  

With the service technicians on Christmas vacation, it was a great opportunity to service the employee parking lot along with the campgrounds.  most of the"streets" in the campgrounds are blacktop, but the spots for the coaches are a fine gravel along with portions of the "streets."  

Friday, Saturday, the Pheytons, Allegros and Buses, in the rain, file into the campgrounds, taking numbers that will place them into the que for service and receiving their lot number.

  

We are number three in the que.  But there are seven ahead of us who's work on their coaches was not completed before Christmas and they left for the holiday and have returned. That officially makes us number 10.  

Today brought blue skies with fluffy clouds and more Tiffin motorhomes.  

Thanks so much for joining us today.  Be safe as you travel.  

God bless each and every one of you.  

   

A GREAT CHRISTMAS EVE

I love Christmas Eve!  It is my birthday and my parents were intent on making it a special day rather than coupling it with the Christmas celebrations.  

I always felt that Jesus and I had a connection that only people with birthdays on Christmas day or eve could enjoy.  I know, it was child's play, but thanks to my mom and dad, my birthday was special.


Candlelight services at our church on Christmas eve was beautiful.  Candles were placed all around the railing of the balcony in the sanctuary as well as on the ends of the pews, across the podium, in windowsills and every flat surface that would be safe with a burning candle on it.  

The lights were dimmed, the pipe organ along with the lit candles greeted us as we entered to the hymn "Oh Come All  Ye Faithful,"  The service was short, telling the story of Joseph, Mary and the birth of the Son of God who willingly left God's side to come to earth and be killed thirty three years later. 

God loved the world (us) so much that he gave his only son (Christ) to die a horribly painful death on the cross and then to defeat death through the resurrection and live again. Whoever believes in Him has everlasting life.  That, my friends is why Christ is the first part of the name Christmas.  

May God bless you abundantly today, tomorrow and forever.

TWO NEAT BLOGS AND SOME HELPFUL ITEMS FOR R V PEOPLE

I subscribe to many blogs.  Some pluck at my heartstrings and others make me chuckle.  In the midst of living the life of a Montana timberman, our timbercruiser talks about her life's experiences, good and bad with humor and sensitivity that astounds me.  Go to the link below and read about her aged cat and the love and tenderness she gifts to this animal.  

http://www.gowestferalwoman.com

While cruising Amazon.com, I came across an items that I am going to order, things I want and something we have that I want some of you to know about.  

First, is your computer keyboard dirty?  Are the vents in your rig full of dust, especially in the corners that you just cannot get clean....not even with a Q-tip?  Well, here is what is going into my order.  I am impressed with this.  

There are so many little spaces that I cannot seem to get as clean as I would like.  And this is going to do the trick at a very reasonable price.  
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJ7GL04/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DJ7GL04&linkCode=as2&tag=parm
argrollc-20


I am not happy with the plastic hangers we have in our closet.  Items slip off the hangers when I pull from the hanger the item next to the shirt / blouse I want. So, voila, I found these hangers!  No more slip and slide.  


http://www.amazon.com/Closet-Complete-Ultra-Velvet-Hangers/dp/B0037KMST6/ref=lp_8159537011_1_23?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387812500&sr=1-23

Another way I thought I could conserve a bit of space is to hang a top with the pants I, most likely, wear together.  These fill the bill to a tee. 

http://www.amazon.com/Woodlore-84025-Basic-Cedar-Hangers/dp/B000R9ZRKC/ref=sr_1_198?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387813855&sr=1-198

I cannot tell you the number of scissors we have ruined by cutting inappropriate items.  Some blades are so dull, they will not cut butter!  These scissors are also on my next order.  





http://www.amazon.com/Titan-Elite-Industrial-Grade-Scissor/dp/B0046EBW1C/ref=sr_1_84?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387813139&sr=1-84












This next item is on my wish list.  When we moved from our sticks and bricks to fulltime in our Tiffin Allegro Bus, we gave away our king size Sleep Number, king size bed and my beloved king size down comforter.  Now we have a yuck, mattress and no down comforter.  Is it okay to whine now? 

While I yearn for a sleep number bed, I know that a down comforter is awaiting my welcoming arms in the distant future. It is a shame I won't just go out and purchase whatever I want, but the Scott in me keeps me frugal. 
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Comfort-Classic-Feather-Comforter/dp/B003TV4PKS/ref=sr_1_90?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387813285&sr=1-90

We have this item.  We have had it four years and used it many times on our first trip west in our older Winnebago Adventurer motorhome. We have used it only once during a power emergency since we purchased our Tiffin, but we are keeping it just in case.  


http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232000-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=sr_1_25?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387814563&sr=1-
25&keywords=rv+supplies

This last item is also on my wish list of future purchases.  

Even with our built in Splendide washing machine and dryer, there are times I prefer to hang items to dry.  We also have the problem of where to dry wet cloths and towels to dry before adding to the dirty clothes.  This baby is going to be awesome. It comes in two sizes in order to fit into any space.  
http://www.amazon.com/Telescoping-Drying-Telefix-Mount-Clothes/dp/B003XRMH4E/ref=sr_1_262?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1387815681&sr=1-262&keywords=rv+accessories

A big thanks goes out to you that have ordered from Amazon through this blog.  You are so appreciated.  

The title of my blog today was about two neat blogs, but I have mentioned only one.  I have saved the best for last.  What a good example we find in Arkansas Patty's blog, The New Sixty. Read and enjoy.
http://thenewsixty.blogspot.com/2013/12/take-my-shirtthe-joy-of-giving.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMdXhyi+%28The+New+Sixty%29

Only one more day until the madness is over!  In the meantime, thanks so much for taking time in your busy schedule to read this blog.   And most of all........

God Bess! 

SAD PEOPLE

Red Bay, Alabama

We are in midst of the season that touts many celebrations of cheer with family and friends.  

People feel that everyone should be cheerful, happy and in a celebratory mood.  But the stress of the holidays can stimulate feelings of sadness and depression.  

There is a host of situations that add to stress and difficult emotions during the holidays.  Many people compare their moods to others' and if they do not feel that they are as happy as others, then the feelings of sadness is magnified. As a result they feel like an outsider.  


Unrealistic gift giving creates financial woes.  But not having money for gifts also creates stress and depression.  When a person cannot afford to buy gifts for their family, it can be quite upsetting, even devastating. 


Working yourself into a frenzy, becoming overworked and fatigued can plunge some into depression.  


Some do not have a caring family or a family at all. Approximately twenty four percent of Americans live alone and many of those not by choice.  

Others have memories of dysfunctional families and holidays filled with arguments and stress and unrealistic expectations. Trying to please others, to meet their demands and expectations brings causes sadness and feeling a lack of self worth.


Estrangement, divorce and grief can create feelings of depression that can last long after the holidays.  






Then there is SAD, seasonal affective disorder.  Sad may be quite prevalent this year due to the weather we have been experiencing. 

Now there is lighting available that can be added to the home's lighting system that will help combat the symptoms of SAD.  

In addition to changing the lighting at home, getting out of the house, taking time for ourselves, exercising, eating healthful meals can help one to feel better. 

How can we help?  We can be aware of others feelings.  We can pay it forward, thinking of other's needs rather than ourselves.  

Reach out to others, volunteer for a period of time. There are many things that we can do.  Not only do we help others feel better, we feel better ourselves.  




Thanks for stopping by and reading our blog.  Remember the reason for the season.  What a birthday celebration!   

God bless each of you.  



 







   

TAKE A HIKE!

We have been at the Tiffin Allegro Campground for ten days. 

Cabin fever has set in, but thankfully, the sun shines today and the temperature is fifty five degrees.  Oliver, Olivia and I took a bit of a hike today.  

First, we went to the Tiffin service department to see where in the Que we are.  I am told they will probably get to us Wednesday or Thursday, but to come back to the office to get a better guesstimate. 

That gives them three days to accomplish the work that needs to be done, with the exception of the body work. They suggested, to speed work along, that we contract the work out to an ex-employee who has a stellar work record.  And since we pay the ex, the cost would be less.  

Can't beat that. Faster and lest cost! The work is still going to cost twelve thousand, seven hundred some dollars.

Camping World's estimate is right in line with Tiffin's price. Thank goodness for good Insurance.   

Continuing our walk,Oliver and Olivia stop to greet a gentleman leaving his 2014 Allegro Open Road.  The gentleman turns out to be some of you might have met, Lou Finkle. 

Lou is an interesting guy: He lived with several different families until he was sixteen years old when he ran away from "home." He hiked along the East coast at sixteen, served in the Navy four years, backpacked the Sahara Desert, the Appalachian Trail and toured several states by bicycle.  To top it off, Lou has a PHD in clinical Psychology, is now retired, a widower, and loves to attend RV rallies.  

Lou even teaches seminars on a wide variety of subjects at some of the rallies.  Some of the seminars focus on the ageing RV er, dementia, Alzheimer's and planning for the future.  

The sun is shining brightly, there is little wind and the temperature is great.  I think I will go for another hike.  Who knows who I will meet or what I will see this time!  

Thanks for stopping by to read our blog.  

And a huge thank you to those that shop at the Amazon link at the top right of this blog.  This small amount that we earn from your shopping trips helps reduce the huge amount of out-of-pocket expenses we pay for John's prescriptions.  You are a blessing to us.

God bless

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

My dad grew up in southern Alabama.  It was his first love and mainly where he took us on vacations.  As a result, I grew up to love the state.  

We thought John and I would retire to the Gulf Shores or Orange Beach area.  I just new I did not want to put up with neither Indiana's cold, snow and ice during the winters nor their heat and humidity in the summer.  I know, the Gulf breezes counteract the humidity when one is living of the Gulf.  

Then....we purchased our first motorhome, a Winnebago Adventurer.  Our home on wheels was first intended to provide a place for us to stay as we traveled to my fiber art shows.  Who knew, at that time, that full time travel was in our future.

Today, Monday, we are in Alabama.  I might mention that the temperatures here in northern Alabama are nicer than parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California.  

We have been visited by the service coordinator and been given two estimates of time to complete the work on our Tiffin Bus.  We may be out of here in approximately two weeks if they can get their fabricator to make the wheel well right away.  If not, then we will be here until after the first of 2014.  

Wednesday brought good news.  The wheel well will be ready by the end of the week.  Repairs will start as soon as the insurance company give a thumbs up.  Hopeful, we will be out of here in two weeks.  I am ready to move on and we have not been here a week.


We have been into the Christmas decorating attitude. Hopefully, we will be finished today.  Just trying to find a way to hang garland in the "living room."  Last night, I tried to tuck it above the slide, almost finished and woosh, down it fell!  It is hard when you don't want to deal nails, tacks etc in the wood.  

The weather warmed to a pleasant, outdoor walking and sitting temperature.  What was a ghost village now had clusters of people and talking and walking until today.

Today, it is still warm, but we have had a few showers.  John has busied himself with more Christmas decorating.  

Now he is watching the Army / Navy football game as I bake a pumpkin pie and roast the pumpkin seeds.  

Since it is the weekend, the campground is quiet.  Some of those awaiting service have left for the week end and a few had had their work completed, moving us up in the cue. 

We are considering attending a living nativity in a small town in Mississippi tomorrow evening.

Monday, Tiffin will install our new television.  It will be nice to have it off the dash board.  In addition to the TV, they will install a sliding shelf, and construct a new cabinet where the bedroom TV was.  

A huge thanks goes out to the shopper that ordered through our Amazon link here on the blog.  


Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One

Thanks to all of you for stopping in.  Enjoy the weekend.  

God bless

WE HAVE ARRIVED

In the north west corner of Alabama sits a little town of around three thousand residents.  The two largest employers are Sunshine Mills, a pet food manufacturer and Tiffin Motor Homes, the manufacturer of our motorhome.  



Red Bay is the name of this town that got its name from the red clay soil that it stands on and Bay came from the Bay tree which grows in town.  



We are in Red Bay for three reasons:  
1.  John and a boulder had a battle and the rock won, damaging John's psyche and the motorhome.
2.  We have a few repairs to challenge the service people's talents. 
3.  There are a couple of upgrades that we would like to make in our full time home on wheels.  

Hopefully, the repairs and upgrades will not take long as there are many empty sites in the Allegro Campground.  

We needed a few groceries, so we went into town.  Our first stop was the Dollar Food Store.  We did find a couple of good deals, but there were also prices higher than one would imagine.  

Next stop, Piggly Wiggly.  Piggly Wiggly is not your neighborhood Kroger!  They had very limited brands and selections.  Lesson learned....shop at a larger store before arriving in Red Bay.  

What do we like about Red Bay?  After being here for twenty four hours, we have had more people smile and greet us than we can count.  Everyone here is extremely kind and courteous. I believe that is called southern hospitality.  

Our quick escape from Indiana left us with a few unaccomplished errands. Tomorrow, we are going to venture further than Red Bay. We need to find a store similar to Pet Smart to buy the special dog food that we purchase for Oliver and Olivia.  

A special thanks goes out to those who use our Amazon.com link to do your shopping.  Yesterday's reported purchases are:

 Holmes Personal Size Box Fan

NOOK 7" 8GB WiFi Tablet


Thanks for visiting with us. I hope that all of you are warm and comfy tonight.

May God bless you today and always.

TRADING SNOW FOR RAIN

Here we are near Huntsville, Alabama.  It is raining, but there is no snow to be seen.  Yet, back at Camping World, Indianapolis, there are, depending on location, six to eight inches of snow blanketing frozen rain.  

Note in this photo taken from the Internet show pedestrians gingerly crossing Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis. Can you imagine eight inches of snow over this ice?  Yuck.  

I am sure the ski resorts in southern and northern Indiana are thrilled.  I am also sure they are about the only ones that are happy.  

Today, we drive a short distance to Red Bay, Alabama to Tiffin Motorhomes to check in and begin our upgrades and repairs.  

John and I want to thank those who have placed Amazon orders through our blog.  Each order reduces our large out of pocket expenses for Johns huge list of medications.  

Who ever decided to give the name "doughnut hole" to the costs that Medicare drug coverage will not cover until we hit a greater dollar amount? 

It has been reported in a Harvard University Medical School study that 57% of seniors that reach the doughnut hole stop taking their medications. They just cannot afford to pay for full price for their medicine. 

For John, we choose to pay the huge monthly amount. It really cuts into our fulltime budget and has been since August, when John fell into that nasty hole.   

Doughnuts are good, pastry doughnut holes are good, Medicare's doughnut holes are not so good! Very few extras, such as doughnuts have been purchased since August since John is on fourteen prescribed medications each day.  

Thank you for stopping by to share your time with us.  

God bless!


Listed below are purchases made through our Amazon link near the top of the blog.  Thanks again!  

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker with Tote Bag

Belkin EaseFit Convertible Armband for Apple iPhone 4/4S (Black / Limelight)

Doctor Who Police Box Tardis Double-Sided Cigarette Case, ID Holder, Wallet with RFID Theft Protection

Doctor Who Generations 1.5 Inch Fridge Magnets Value Pack

ROCCAT Apuri Active USB Hub with Mouse Bungee (ROC-15-315-AM)

Audio-Technica ATH-M50S Professional Studio Monitor Headphones

J-E-L-L-O

It is said that a RVer's play book is written in Jello.  

Today, we found that all of our magnificent plans are a colorful melted mess.




Today, we were watching our local noon news and weather and what they had to say made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  That terrible snow storm in Minnesota is heading our way.  There is a good possibility of freezing rain and up to eight inches of snow.  Temperatures are predicted to plummet to the single digits.  Cold weather and humidity are two enemies of John's health. 

John had to start taking antibiotics and a steroid eleven days ago and is still struggling to beat the bug that has attacked his respiratory system. 

We were to have our Christmas with Holly, Lucy and Ross tomorrow, Thursday, night just when the weather system is   to arrive.

Granddaughter, Megan, is to have a birthday on Friday and we wanted to share that day with her. 

We have been waiting for the part for our refrigerator that Norcold had published a recall.  It still is not in after weeks of waiting.  We arrived at Camping World in Indianapolis October 16th.  Yikes!  

Needless to say, we had a hard decision to make as we sat and looked at the weather map and listened to the weather man.  

Finally and reluctantly, we made the decision to leave all of our plans melting in the Jello dish, and do what we knew was right for John's health and our safety. Right now, we are on Interstate 65 heading south.




I am thankful that we do not just have to "wobble on."  We have a loving God that directs our paths and helps make decisions clear as to what we should do.

Not all decisions are as clear as today's, but I love the fact that we are not alone in our daily walk.   


Our departure this afternoon was delayed for an hour by a dead battery.  It seems that just sitting for a long time does not make our battery happy. We are trying to figure out if something is drawing power from the battery as we sit in Camping World's lot. 

Camping world to the rescue.  They charged the battery and we are on our way.   We are thankful for our Camping World family.  The recall part did not arrive today as they had hoped.  As I said, we have been in their lot since mid October. Of course we shopped there to say thank you for their hospitality.  

Our destination is Red Bay, Alabama.
Red Bay is the Home of Tiffin Motorhomes.

There are repairs to be made to the motorhome where in Yuma, Arizona, John had a fight with a boulder and the boulder won.  In addition to repairing the damage and having the leveling jacks repaired, we will let them fix the wiring to the the microwave-convection oven.

Thanks for stopping in to read today's blog. AND thank you to those that clicked on the Amazon link at the top right side of the blog and shopped through our blog.  

Our reason for teaming up with Amazon is that John's out of pocket expenses for all his drugs is mounting and making a huge dent in our monthly budget.  The small percentage that Amazon pays from each order you place is greatly appreciated.  

I wonder where we will be tomorrow at this time.  Come back tomorrow and see.  For now.....God bless each of you.