Outrageous!

It is outrageous that I have not blogged for over 2 months. What am I thinking? So much has happened. The children and grandchildren came home for Thanksgiving, we all went to Cabo San Lucas and Ken and I are presently in England! Whew...we have been really busy.
School finished on a good note. We start again in January. We've just spent a week with my family in England and had the most wonderful time. Arrived in London this morning and will be here for 48 hours.
Must go - really will report more later.

The Seasons are Rotating...Fall is here!

    Its been all fun and games at the Gipson house!  Rain, then more rain and finally it rained even harder!  Then when the rain stopped, the cold weather moved in.  It was wonderful to move out the heat and humidity for some cool dry air.  That lasted a few days and then the rain came back!  Lets start building that ark - I am afraid the hill is going to dissolve and the house will slide down and over!

     The house is getting into order for the up coming holidays.  I think my children are coming and bringing their children with them!  It will be wonderful.  The bedrooms are 95% in order and moving along daily.  I had hoped to get to Ikea and purchase some organizational furniture but I just couldn't do the drive this past week.  I had already driven to Birmingham for the hair/skin show and then the next day I drove to Tuscaloosa to the VA and then a couple days later I drove first to Columbus and then backtracked to Tupelo to go to the Celebration Village.  I was just tired of driving...

    School is coming along for both of us.  I really admire Ken for taking all those online classes - it causes him stress at times.  I have really enjoyed taking just one class but just signed up to take 4 classes next semester and a Saturday class - I must be crazy!

     That is all the news from the hill for now.  Later.

Fall Has Arrived in Mississippi!

    Things are plodding along at the Gipson household!  We are busy as usual doing nothing of any interest to anyone but ourselves!  Work and school are good.  Some work is being done on our house - the floors are being replaced on the second floor.  Half has been completed and they are returning tomorrow to finish - hopefully.  2 bedrooms are an absolute mess and one is empty of anything.  Its like moving house all over again but sorely needed after being in the house for 5 years.

     I moved the sewing/art room to the back bedroom and it is smaller than the front bedroom so my artistic talents will take place in a very small and possibly cramped room... Definitely time to get rid of stuff... Yea, like that is going to happen soon!

     Then there is the case of the closet.  We both need to get rid of clothing.  Right now it is all piled on our bed and we definitely have too many clothes.  Again, move it!

     It is raining and raining and raining.  We had a couple of dry days and now it has rained all day today.  Hope it stops by tomorrow... Cross your fingers.

    Thats it for now.  Later.

Family Wedding Upcoming and Other Things!

Well, another month since my last posting!  My goodness how the time it does fly!  So much stuff has happened.  The most recent is that tomorrow I am driving to Iowa with my sisters Brenda and Barbara.  My sister Belinda is getting married to her sweetheart who, just 2 months ago, had a massive heart attack and wasn't thought to survive!  Wow - Bill has come a long way.  Now he is marrying Belinda, the third of the five sisters.  The trip will be a lot of fun and I look forward to it.

     In the past two weeks we got carried away with house renovations.  Two bedrooms have been painted, flooring is being installed and new window treatments and baseboards.  The upstairs is in disarray but it will be straightened out as soon as there is a floor!  We keep running into things in our bedroom since that is where most of the stuff was relocated.

     The shed looks good now that it is completely painted.  Next we have to think about the outside of the house.

     School is going great for both of us.  Ken is working on three on line classes so he has got lots going on.  My one class is working great for me along with the couple days work.  

     Mulligan is doing great - she works constantly to make us feel guilty about leaving her at home!  What a cutie...

      Later!

Summer Fading, Fall Looming...

Wow!  The summer has been fabulous and fast.  So many projects and trips.  We are home now and both starting school.  It will be good to get back into a school routine.  For me that means just a single class because I needed to take a break.  I will, however, be working a few days a week but will also have a couple of days home to take care of family things.

The weather has turned very cool for this time of the year and it is awesome.  We took the dog on a great walk this morning and then Ken and I did a 3 hour scooter ride on the back woods roads to Caledonia.  We had lunch at Mi Toro - WOW.  The Mexican food was wonderful, the restaurant was clean and the wait staff were very attentive...other food establishments could take lessons.  Definitely going back - one of the best eating establishments we've discovered in a long time!  You go Mi Toro - good luck.  

The house on the hill beside us is coming along very fast.  They started in May and the brick is going on now and the sheetrock was done last week.  It is a lovely house and the Faulkners are going to enjoy all the great windows they have to look at the views all around them.  

This is the first time since December I haven't seen my CA family and Owen at least every 2 months.  Seems strange...they should be here in November...very exciting.

Mulligan is enjoying the cooler air and continues to follow Ken around and pretends I don't exist - how can this be, I rescued the dog!  Doesn't she remember???  It is all that bonding time they had together in Maine this summer.  I think I will get a cat...

Later.

Across America!

The trip has started - Maine to Mississippi!  We have a day and a half on the road and so far everything is going great - just a few quirky things happening here and there!  It rained some today in CT and NY but then cleared up.  Maine is as beautiful as ever but we are ready to return home to MS, enjoy the rest of the summer and enjoy the fall.  

No blueberries this year!  First, not enough sun and then, too much rain.  There were quite a few berries, but they dried up on the bushes.  I can't believe I won't have my frozen Maine wild blueberries over the winter.

I flew back to Maine the end of July and had a great week and then we started shutting it down.  Nicole and Joshua drove up from Boston to visit with us.  We had a great time and it was wonderful seeing both of them.  Josh was a real help with some heavy lifting - way to go!

Thats about it for now - happy trails.  Later.

Moving Around the Country!

Flew to Maine yesterday after a wonderful evening and morning with my friend Tootsie in Birmingham AL.  Flights went to Philly and then change of plane to Bangor - that is a city in the United States!:)    The airport in Philly is like DFW - a mall and food court that happens to have airplanes landing around it!  Wonderful place to stop over for a couple of hours.

Arrived late in the night and my sleep pattern is a bit messed up.  It is good to be back in Maine - I really missed my summer here.  However, I had a lovely trip to CA to see the new grandbaby and I really enjoyed working - can't have everything!

Will spend the week enjoying myself and then will start heading south to get ready for school and back to work.  Later.

Summer in Mississippi!

Wow, its been a month since my last post.  So much has been going on.  After arriving back home I started working four days a week and that really kept me busy and tired.  On the weekends I have been doing some work on the house and waiting for our contractor to start but, it seems, that has been delayed for a period of time.  So, I have been painting inside and I did a fabulous job on the front door along with pulling the railing away from the front porch.  Next is painting the front porch and cleaning up the posts the railing were attached to.

This week I have had three days off - unexpected but a great bonus of time.  Unfortunately I haven't really done anything too constructive.  I had errands to run yesterday and today I had a dental appointment.  Anytime you leave the house the day is lost!

   I miss Maine but apparently the weather isn't too warm from what I hear.  But then again, I much prefer cool weather to the 103 degree heat index thats been going on here.  Cooling down tomorrow according to weatherman.  

The CA clan got moved into their house and now have so much more room for all and a yard for the dog - finally!  It is a lovely house and happiness will abound!

Thats it for my update.  Life is not too exciting...  Later.

New Month, New Place, New Baby!

We have a new and exciting grandson - Declan Porter Schaadt was born earlier than anticipated and Nanny wasn't available for the birth but arrived a few days later.  

     After spending a short, short time in Maine, I went home for a week and then flew out to CA to be with Gillian for baby #2.  However, things moved along quicker than we thought and Declan arrived a couple of weeks earlier than expected.

     The baby is adorable, of course, and Owen is the perfect big brother.  He likes the baby and seems to be concerned about him - thats a good thing.  Zamboni feels as though he has been pushed to 3rd place - oh well!

      Ronda was here when I arrived and we had a few hours and an overnight of overlap.  It was great of her to fly out and help them out - especially since the baby was born on a Friday and the weekend was looming.  I think it all worked out nicely.

     I am helping Gillian pack boxes for their pending move into a house.  So far, so good.  More news later.

Mississippi in June!

Hot, hot and hotter!  Things are steaming up in Mississippi - hot weather is here to stay!  But, that isn't the news - the news is the birth of my new grandson, Declan Porter Schaadt, today at 1153hrs.  Gillian went into labor early this morning and had a relatively short labor (compared to Owen).  The only problem is that I was supposed to be there!  My flight is scheduled for Wednesday - what happened to our perfect planning? 

    I am very excited about the trip especially since the hard work is over - so to speak!  Now I have two lovely grandsons - how lucky am I!  Gillian is feeling well and resting.  They don't call it labor for nothing!

BTW - I love the name - Declan (deck-lan).  I looked it up and it is Irish.  Back in the 15th century there was an Irish Saint Declan.  A good omen maybe?  

Must go and contemplate...  Later.

Day 3,4, and 5 of trip!

Day 3 started out good and went downhill from there and then back up hill again.  A tire on the utility trailer blew and we got the waving hands and gestures from a car going past up.  At first there was a possibility we would have to stay in Hagerstown MD for 2 days but a very nice man with a tow truck and a nice tire store manager and worker were able to get us back on the road in several hours.

      That put us behind by about 6 hours which meant another day on the road.  But, we drove on and got to Winthrop Monday evening.  We spent the night at Judy and Eugene's house as they were kind enough to let up pull into their driveway - which is now my favorite place to pull into in that area!  

     The next day we went to see Iris and Desmond and spent a few hours going over the past year. We headed for Bangor where we picked up a car - Ken decided on a PT Cruiser - cute...

     The camp is fine - tree limbs down all around.  There must have been some good winds or heavy snow or both.  We got backed in fine and realized the weather was incredibly cold!  So much for my not having any closed toe shoes!  

Later.

The Trip - Day 2

The day started with a pancake breakfast at the park we stayed in last night.  We hit the road running and hoped to put many miles between south and north.  This is a big, big country.  We got as far as Virginia and set up camp at an RV park.  We were lucky to get in as this was the 3rd one in the area we called and they were all full.  In fact, this one called up back as they just had a cancellation.  

     It is a bit cooler here this evening.  Ken and the dog are both sleeping.  There is no television here in the mountains.  Speaking of mountains, they are beautiful.  I always had a dream of living in Tennessee or Virginia.  I have no idea why - I really don't want to be a mountain girl...

     Till the next update, have a great Memorial Day and heres to all those wonderful people who have worn the uniform of freedom.

Later.

Mississippi to Maine!

The trip has started....the things going wrong have started...we forgot our shoes, the hot water heater has no water in it, the dog tried to eat the damp remover, we forgot it was memorial day weekend and there might not be any camp spots available,,,so far the trip has been great!  We are spending the night in Cleveland, TN at a very nice KOA.  Up bright and early tomorrow to hit the road again.

I got in from Chicago on Wednesday, we packed and cleaned the RV on Thursday and this morning we realized we had more to pack and so we got a late start.  We drove the RV and the Prius to Birmingham and dropped the car off at Tootsie's house who is letting us leave it there for a while.

The weather is hotter than our normal trip up north so we are staying in parks so we have hook ups.  Mulligan thinks it is all a great adventure and wants to kick any big dog's rear end if she can just get close enough...

Later from the roads of America!

May is a beautiful month!

Well, I've been lazy again as far as this blog goes.  I think it must be normal to get away from updating as often as in the beginning.  We've had a wild and exciting month since my last update.

I made an emergency trip out to California to help Gillian - she had some medical issues and is very pregnant.  It all worked out great and she is fine.  It was an unexpected trip but I really enjoyed spending the time with all of them but of course, especially with Owen!  He's a heartbreaker!  So cute!

Ken and I finished our school semesters and then walked around the house not knowing what to do with ourselves.  We are so pleased to be out of school for a while.  It gives me a chance to clean the house and introduce myself to the dog...and Ken!

The weather has been wild.  This is storm and tornado time and we had a tree go down at the bottom of the driveway between the time I left for school and Ken left.  The electricity went out and he thought it was the storm.  Several hours later when he drove down the driveway, he realized he drove under this large tree leaning over.  He went to the Power Co. and by the time they and Ken got back the tree was down across the driveway and had taken out another tree with it.  Afterward I told Ken that every time the electricity goes out, I call one of the neighbors to make sure its out for everyone!

We made a recent purchase of a Kubota utility vehicle.  See it at:

 http://www.kubota.com/f/products/rtv500/index.cfm

This makes it so much easier to go around the hill and pick up the debris that we had been trying to do by hand with a wheelbarrow... Besides it is great fun to run around on down the driveway and out the Faulkner road.  And, Owen will love it!

I am presently at the National Restaurant Association Conference in Chicago and when I get home on Wednesday, we will be leaving for Maine the next day.  It is going to be a wild and crazy summer with the new baby expected and other things going on.

I'll try to be more efficient with my updating.  

Later.

From Mississippi to California!

Well, the "Mom, I need you, can you come" call came last week and here I am in California.  Gillian has been having a few pregnancy problems and no one was quite sure what it was.  I flew out last Saturday and will leave this Saturday morning.  It's been a grand week with Gillian and Owen (Brian is out of town).  First there was the 2 1/2 days of heatwave.  Then, it got chilly.  Strange weather.  Owen is a charmer.  OM, he is such a cutie!  He is talking a little and adding new words all the time.  He misses, misses, misses his daddy.  

Gillian is doing much better for the time being.  She just passed the 32 week mark and that makes her feel much better.  She hopefully will go to full term.  No pain this week but she returned to the chiropractor and I think (hope) he is helping with a (he thinks) pinched nerve and dislocated pelvis.  Anyway, she has been doing well this week and I just hope it continues.

I have to go and wash my clothes to be packed for the early morning departure.  

Later.

Happy Easter!

Hello everyone!  Easter is a day away and we just had what I think was the last cold spell and now spring is really here to stay - I think!  The family is doing well - the children are fine.  Ken and I are on Easter break - for all of one day!  Monday we go back to school and work - that was a long holiday!  

     We took the Winnebago in today for a check up to get it ready for the summer season.  It should be ready in a few days.  The biggest thing wrong is that the step wiring has gone haywire and it keeps moving in and out while we are driving and it squeaks as it goes in and out.  Strange.  The rains have kept us from doing much yard work.  The rain keeps coming every day or two along with some really strong winds.  A few branches have come down and there was a tree that went down on the road.  We were lucky considering the amount of damage done in the surrounding areas.  Roofs came off, trees went down and things were turned over.  I understand in Tennessee a tornado went through today and a couple of people were killed.  I suppose it is that time of the year.

      We hope this finds all of you doing well and enjoying spring.  

     Later.

March - in like a Lamb, out like a Lion!

It is so cold today - and here it is the end of March!  What's up with that anyway...  Things are singing along in the Eicher/Gipson household.  School in in full force for both of us, Mulligan is the same little darling she always is (hum...) and we are looking forward to the coming spring and summer.  

Last week Ken and I went with the East MS Community College (the class that I teach twice a week) to Greenwood, MS, home of Viking (you know, the stoves, fridges, dishwashers, etc).  We had a plant tour, a Lunch and Learn cooking demo and lunch, a tour of the Aluveian Hotel and Restaurant and of course, the Viking retail store.  Fun was had by all.  It was interesting seeing the appliances being made in the plant.  No appliance is made until it has been ordered and purchased so every item had a name and place of delivery.  Lucky, lucky people.  Maybe one day...maybe not!  Interestingly, they have a fun fact that only 50% of their kitchen appliances are actually used - people purchase them just to look at!  Not me, I'd be using mine in full force.]!

    The day before that I had a doctor's appointment and some funny medicine so Ken drove us over to Greenwood the night before the tour so we could both get some sleep.  It is a 3 hour drive from our house.

  After 15 years we have gotten rid of the Jeep Cherokee - a sad day in the Gipson household.  It was a good jeep and traveled all over the world (it went to Guam).  We are now a 66% green family with hybrids - we really like that 48 - 55 miles per gallon.  Gas has been going up here and there is no telling when it will stop again.  Very unpredictable.

Take care until next time.  Later.

Weddings, Births, and More

 Well, it has been forever since I wrote anything.  The wedding was wonderful, Owen is divine (my adorable, cute and altogether loving grandson!), and all is well in the world.

If you have a spare 15 minutes, the wedding video can be seen at:

http://www.lunamagikproductions.com/

There are some pictures at:

http://nicjosh.com/ - password:  sunset

Ken, Mulligan and I are all doing fine.  I've had a respiratory issue for the past couple of months.  I got rid of it and then it came back.  Anyway, it has to leave at some point.  Spring is about to blossom here in Mississippi.  We've had some great cold days and nights and a wonderful morning of snow on the ground!  Wow...

The downstairs half bath has been completely renovated.  Amazing how a 5x7 foot room can cause so many issues - great learning opportunities.  It looks quite fabulous thanks to our contractor.  

Enjoy the video and pictures.  Later

Los Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico

Yes, I am in Mexico for Joshua and Nicole's wedding.  I arrived on Saturday after leaving a chilly Birmingham, AL at 6 AM.  Again, I am flying in planes that have to be de-iced!  Anyway, after a short layover in Houston, I arrived in Cabo around noon.  The weather, of course, is a balmy 75 degrees.  Oh, what a life!  I am staying with Gillian, Brian and Owen at the Villa La Estancia - in a completely separate studio apartment right beside their one bedroom apartment.  The view is sensational.  

So far Joshua has ended up in the hospital with a bad bug but was able to attend the brunch that was held at a different hotel.  Everyone is having a good time and Owen keeps everyone on there toes.

Tomorrow is the actual wedding on the beach at sunset.  Then there is a reception at another hotel so it will be fun seeing all different resorts in the area.

I will post more after the big event.  Later.

School, Teaching and Skin Care!

Busy, busy, busy. School started and we are hopping. I am taking 2 classes and an internship which involves the community college culinary class so things are moving right along. I am always amazed at the students I meet at colleges, simply amazed...
Ken started school about the same time. He is taking 2 online classes and 2 in the classroom. In between he gets in a lot of golf and gym time at the state of the art gym at my school.
Work is also going well - not too busy and not too slow - just a good pace. I am leaving tomorrow evening and trotting over to Birmingham (I have to hit Ikea again on Saturday in Atlanta) to visit a friend. I'll be back on Sunday. It is easy to mess around since there is no school on Monday and that is the only day my classes meet.
Mulligan is trying to keep warm since the weather has turned very, very cold. Her coat growth cycle is backward - she currently has her summer coat and during the summer she had her winter coat... confusing, but she is still the cutest dog!

I must go and finish my internship work. Later.

Bonny

The Big Blue Box!

Hello all and a Happy, Happy New Year! Regardless of what the media reports, this is going to be a great year - I feel it in my bones and in my soul!
Have you ever been to an Ikea store - the big blue box... Well, get on line and check out where your closest store is located, load up the car, make a hotel reservation if you need to and go and enjoy yourself! I drove to Atlanta to visit a very dear friend on New Years Day. The second motivation was I needed (wanted, whatever) to go to the Ikea store. On the way home the next day, I visited the big blue box. Once again, I was not disappointed. I think the economic gurus should go visit Ikea before determining the economy is in the big black hole.
Ikea was packed to the rafters. I could hardly walk around - but I did. Since I took my little car, I was only able to purchase a few furniture pieces that would actually fit in the car. But, that worked for us. Ken now has a little desk outfit for his laptop and he's happy. I also found a great, small shelf unit for work that will be useful. Of course I outfitted the entire house in my mind but luckily none of it would fit in the car!
Those Swedes are quite incredible - I just would like them to open a store in Memphis. Atlanta is a little too far. For those who have never been to an Ikea store, don't look on line and be discouraged. Only about 10 percent of what they have is on line - it is an adventure and they even have a restaurant!
I think I may have to go again soon - I am working out the details. I have another dear friend in Birmingham and I think the smart thing to do is spend a couple of nights there and fit the trip in, in between..... sounds good to me.
Well, as you can see, my life is still quite boring. I have been trying to take the Christmas decorations down but I think it is too soon as I just got them up!
I am making some artisian bread for tomorrow - I have to keep practicing so I can get it right. Other than that, nothing is happening here. Ken is in the process of watching his 30th football game of the week, or it could be more than that! Mulligan, his faithful sidekick, is sound asleep beside Ken. And, I am off to bed! Later.