Northgate RV Park, Athens, Alabama
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him. ~ Proverbs 16:7
For the next three days, there’s precious little I can write about, and even fewer pictures, so I’m combining days. Good for you, good for me. 😊
So, you wonder, just what exactly have they been doing for three days? Well, I’ll tell you. Blaine’s been spending an enormous amount of time taking care of the coach and Jeep after our mishaps, and making heroic efforts to keep us warm. I’ve been taking care of making us feel better by cooking/baking comfort food, and working on the blog, and we’ve been hunkered in staying warm. I say that to say that while we’ve not been galivanting hither and yon, we’ve still been very busy.
Blaine’s taken every step he can to ensure our home stays warm and functioning – – he pulled in the full-wall slide, insulated our three skylights, turned off the water and pulled in the hoses, installed a large three-way lightbulb in one of the basement compartments near the water/sewer system . . . things like that. I’m soooo blessed to have him!
But despite his best efforts, on Wednesday the 13th, we still awoke to a frozen water line somewhere between the bathroom and kitchen. We had hot water for hand washing available, but not for dish washing.
So we had to camp. Heating water with a microwave instead of the water tank, so that’s good we at least have that. But since the spigot for the campground’s water is also frozen, again, we’re making do with the 20-some gallons we have in our storage tank. That means little or no dish-washing for a while because 20 gallons goes fast, and no drinking the water from our spigot because it’s not filtered water. It went down to 16 degrees Wednesday night!
On Wednesday, I had an appointment. A very, very important appointment that I’ve been anticipating for about a year! We’re in Athens, Alabama where it all began. My first Helix haircut! And after two years, I found myself back in Salon le Jules!
I feel soooo much better now! It’s amazing what a perfect haircut can do for you! But as always, when I left the salon, my hair wasn’t quite the way I like it. Why do they always want to do something different with your hair – – things you would never be able (or take the time) to do by yourself? Anyway, Narrah (pronounced like the leg hair removal product, Nair – uh) first straightened, then added waves with a flat-iron. It looked nice, but it will never look like that again. 😊
Then, the next day, I had to return so she could add some more layers. She didn’t ask. I didn’t tell her. No harm, no fowl. She had me fixed up absolutely perfect after only about 30 minutes.
Next to her in the green top, is her daughter Narrah, following in her mother’s footsteps.
I don’t know the other two.
On Thursday, I determined to bake my favorite cake – Boston Crème Pie! It’s soooo good! And I hardly ever get any – especially since we don’t celebrate my birthday in a family gathering anymore, but as Blaine so humorously pointed out, Thursday the 14th IS in fact, a birthday for me! It’s the day our oldest son Chris, was born, so it’s a Birth-day! Get it? Birth . . . . day? Hahaha!! 😊
To make this, I use a Duncan Hines yellow cake baked according to directions. The filling is a 3 oz. box of instant yellow pudding made according to directions with 1 t. of vanilla added. The icing is a homemade chocolate ganache. That recipe is:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, 1 C. heavy cream, 1 T. butter, room temperature
Bring the cream to simmer orver medium heat, but be sure not to let it boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate has softened. add the butter and stir until smooth. Cool before using.
And we continued to have ‘mechanical’ issues. When I woke up cold one night it was because my electric blanket wasn’t working. And then, it worked the next night right before bed, and then it stopped again about an hour later. Blaine pronounced it well and truly dead that morning, and we had to find a store to go purchase another. Thankfully, Kohl’s was not too far away! But just as I feared, it’s doesn’t work like my really old one that died. It’s one of those stupid new ones that only heats up where it touches you. That means, whenever you move, there’s cold space around you. Stupid design, and I don’t understand how it knows, but all electric blankets are like that now, so I’ll have to learn to live with it. ☹ Still, it’s infinitely better than nothing at all, so I’m grateful.
Maybe THAT’s what’s wrong!
Certainly not our problem. : )
There’s cotton in fields all over the place around here! Not sure why, you’d think they would’ve harvested before the cold weather came along. Guess it doesn’t matter? Anyway, one afternoon, we bundled up and walked over to the edge of the campground to check it out up-close and personal. We also wanted to get a glimpse of the roosters that crow constantly day and night. Except during the Arctic Blast. They either had frozen throats, or the owners took them in, because we didn’t hear a peep. 😊
Oh. And I can’t remember if I mentioned that the gps in the coach is no longer working – except intermittently. I think I mentioned it, but not sure. Anyway, that’s another issue Blaine’s been working on.
And we received some new baby pictures. 😊
Hey, Cooper! You sure are getting big! 
Kade’s gonna be a great big brother! 
Forming a wonderful relationship with Tickle Me Elmo. This one’s my favorite. : ) 
Look at that red hair peeking over the top!
It’s so perfect that God led Blaine to reserve ten nights in this place where there’s not much to do. It’s giving us the time we need to take care of all the issues we’re having, without having to give up exploring. Once again, our Father has us in His Hands! How we love Him! This is the God we love and serve – – the One Who cares, even about the “small stuff”!