Catch up

On July 29th, I worked at the USO helping put together 650 deployment packs, and 600 rack packs.  It was the first day I got to wear my official volunteer name tag.  (You have to put in 24 hours of volunteering to earn a name tag! I have a total of 34 hours now) These are the nice kind that attach to your clothes with a magnet.  Nice.  No pin needed.

We had a thunderstorm Saturday afternoon and then we drove to Beaufort (Beaufort on-the-Sea, their full name I guess).  We bought a few things at the Farmers Market like peaches and a gluten-free lemon bar that you would never know was gluten-free.  I also found some sourdough bread there. It is really, really sourdough.  The crust is so tough I can hardly cut it, but that makes it really crunchy and chewy for toast!  Spread with some blackberry jam...yum. It came from a bakery in another town:  

http://wildflourbakerync.com/Breads.php

They also have a cafe, so maybe we'll get to try it sometime.

I have to tell you, I have never felt humidity like I have here. When we are in the car, the a/c is on of course, but the minute I step outside, my glasses fog up and I can't see for a few seconds!  I feel like I have to cut through the air before it's breatheable!  The temperature at the market yesterday (about 7 p.m.) was 88 degrees and the humidity about 70%.   Never felt it like that before.

We have a storm on the way again today.  Thunder and lightening happening as I write, but no rain yet.  I'm glad we are getting some rain again; earlier this week I was having to water the impatiens 2-3 times a day because of the heat. (We don't have any covering on the patio and no shade).  The temps may only be in the 90's, but the "heat index" is considered the low 100's.  The weathermen have the "feels like" phrase that they use all the time.  Like today's:

(Although our thunder started around noon here!  Sometimes the thunder makes me jump right out of my seat! Like just now!)

I need to get some more items listed on my Etsy shop:

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/PicketfencesVintage

So I will close for now.  Thanks for reading my dribble.

Well people, we did it.  We moved over the weekend.  We are still settling in of course, but at least the heavy work is done.

We had a local moving company come and pack up a 26 foot UHaul truck that Elaina drove "like a boss" putting it in her words.  There were 3 strapping young men from the moving company that worked and sweated in high 90's temp. with about the same in humidity. Elaina has used this company before, so she knew they were good, but I was impressed.  They introduced themselves, shook our hands coming and going and were pleasant and polite all day.

So, we no longer live off of Burgaw Highway and Haws Run. Now we live off of Piney Green and "Old Thirty."  I love the street names around here.  So North Carolina. Have I mentioned there's a lot of trees here?  From this picture you can see what is behind our backyard.  Nothing but trees.  Some pines and some hardwoods.  There's probably deer and other creatures "out there."  I don't expect to find them inside the house like at the old house!  We do have a swallows' nest just inside the front porch area.  I think there are babies in there.

(Our house is where the pin is.)

Elaina did a herculean job of cleaning at the old house on Sunday and emptying boxes at the new house to try and get the kitchen set up.  She had to go to work this morning and I'm sure she had some sore muscles to take with her.

I'm getting settled in my new bedroom and bathroom and happy to have a home.  The owners had some wild choices in paint colors but I'm learning to like them! My room is half hot pink and half lemon yellow!  My bathroom is kind of an electric green.  I had to go to Walmart today and buy different towels and a bath mat.  In white!  I decided that was the best way to go.

Bad pic. but it IS hot pink

Elaina is letting me have another smaller room to use for my Etsy stuff and I can set up my sewing machine in there.   Because we now have a garage, I was able to empty my unit at Autrey Self Storage.  (Remember, Mr. Autry delivered a chair to me from my storage unit?)  All my stuff from California is now in our garage. That's saving me a little bit of money!

If you could pray that I will be able to have a home of my own sometime soon, that would be great.  I'm happy and grateful to have a place to live, but I have lived in other people's homes since about 2005.  I think it's time!  Thanks for reading!

USO Story Time

I'm just getting around to posting this from July 12th.  It was "Super Hero" story time at the USO.  Fifty military families were expected today, and I know that at least two extra tables were set up after it started, so I think more came than were expected.

They had construction paper masks to color, temporary "tattoos" to wear and a photo booth (kind of) to take their picture flying over Gotham City.  Many kids were wearing super hero costumes.

I helped tape the words "BAM" and "POW" and "WHAM" onto the walls.  Cupcakes with Batman on them, and red velvet cake pops with Spiderman on them were among the treats on the dessert table today along with boxes of pizza donated by Hungry Howie's Pizza.
"Howie" thanked the director for the opportunity to supply lunch for this event.  So great.

(I served lots and lots of pizza to moms and kids)

"Spiderman" read the story to the kids while they sat on kid-size chairs and small blankets spread out on the floor.  Every child got a Little Golden book story of the "Super Friends."

Terrible picture, sorry.

Not sure who it was, but a reporter seemed to be taking pictures and interviewing "Wonder Woman" and "Clark Kent" (USO staff).  I didn't see anything about it on news, but may have missed it.

I think it was a very successful event judging by the amount of people and the amount of food that disappeared! 

Nothing Permanent Except Change

After living here at "Little House in the Big Woods" since November 11, 2015 (me that is), we are moving.  Elaina is ready to begin the process of becoming a Foster parent. This is the beginning of realizing a dream she has had for many years.  She has known since she was a child that she "would love other people's children."  This is an exciting time, but it means a move to a much larger house.

I think we both have "love/hate" feelings for this Little House.  It is an adorable house on the outside and has a beautiful backyard. It has the feel of a cabin and basically sits in a forest. (All of Eastern North Carolina is a forest!)

Backyard last Fall

Backyard. Creek runs
behind the fence.Every time I try to count the trees back there,
 I lose count.

However, and that is a big however, it is very small on the inside and not conducive to fostering children and housing a senior citizen like me.  Elaina is a great cook and the kitchen just doesn't work for anyone who does anything more than warming food in a microwave.

This is the new backyard.
It's huge and has forest behind the fence.
(Everybody here has riding lawn mowers.
Can you guess why?) The lot is 1.09 acres.

Will have to learn to use an electric stove again!

This is the house we are moving to later this month.  Much bigger and newer!

I'm sure this the beginning of a new life for Elaina and some kids looking for somewhere to belong.  Happy to go along for the ride.