80 Days and Counting

Just got back from my last big company meeting.  It was good seeing  co-workers but I paid no attention to any of the  topics in the  meeting once we  were told that our jobs would not change in 2013.

I also went to my favorite Disney park, Epcot.  It was the Flower and Garden festival which is one of my favorite times to go, my favorite being Christmas season.  In the UK section they had these large cups with tea plants in them.  They have this every year and I think they are neat.  also, my favorite snack place is in France.   They have expanded it and now there is indoor seating.   Had to stop and get a Napoleon which goes by different names depending on which country you are in, no matter to me, they taste good.

A little about what is going on with the RV. I received an email that the flooring came in and it was not up to standard and they sent pictures of an alternative.   To reorder it would put the RV off schedule.   I was not sure from the pictures and told my saleslady to have the other ladies look at the flooring up to the cherry cabinets and if they would put it in their home then she was to go for it.   I was told that all the ladies loved it so I will see my flooring when I pick it up.

I also received the renderings for my workstation/dinette area for approval. I had some concerns that will get worked out then I will approve everything. I won't have much space to get from the driving area to the back when the slide is in but that was a trade off that I was willing to have to get my work space.  What you do not see from the rendering is that a leg drops down when table is fully extended, full storage underneath, all functioning drawers, desktop and table will be laminate, heavy duty drawer glides.
This is desk fully extended 39".  the table will stick out enough for me to eat dinner or use my laptop when it is pushed in.

This is when slide is in.

Otherwise, downsizing is going slowly.   I have been deployed (working)  for 10 days so that will slow things down.   When I get back, I will rent a truck and take the things to my son that he wants.

This is a funny story, One of the ladies in my women artist group, takes care of her aunt that has alzheimers, had to get rid of her aunts cat.   In order to not upset the aunt, she told her that the cat was ill and they had to put him to sleep, the aunt wanted to see the cat so Elaine told her that they had to cremate it.   The aunt wanted the ashes so Elaine had to get ashes from the fireplace of a friend and ordered this urn.The urn filled with fireplace ashes now sits on the aunts bedside table.

My partner in crime and my dearest friends, Collin,  while we were in Florida.  Check out the matching tee shirts and me in my McGoo glasses.  
 I thought they looked cute until I saw me in that picture.

First Campground Found

Yes, my first campground has been found.   I need a place to stay for one month after I pick up the RV.  It had to be convenient to my family so they could outfit it, etc. if  I was on assignment.    It is the Mountain Creek Campground and the price is right for a month.

As far as what projects I am working on for the RV, I am working on the floorcloth for the living room area. So far, I have painted the background and my daughter is suppose to carve some stamps for me. This is what I have so far, look in the background at the hand felted pillows that will be on the  sofa.

I made my reservation for a campsite for Fiber College at Searsport Ocean Campground for Sept 3 to Sept 10.  afterwards I will start heading south.   Fiber College is from the 5th to the 8th.   I have several people that I want to see along the way so it will be sometime in October before I get to the campground in Florida.

Today my rolling tote for my new serger arrived.  I was not getting a case at first but I know that I am going to want to take classes.  This case folds flat which was a plus.  But it fits the serger and supplies nicely.


Flooring samples finally arrived  for the RV.  My daughter and I took the samples to Home Depot and layed them by cherry cabinets.  We agreed on the Pearwood . Now they just have to order it,  get it installed and then they can lay the walls and get the build underway.   I also received a  call  from Karen at NexusRV and found out I will have to get a bigger generator since I have asked for 50 amp service.  This is $1400 more.   There goes me upgrading my sewing/embroidery machine.

We went to the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore at the Convention Center on Friday.  The goal was to look for inspiration on things I could make for the RV or even buy if the price was right.   Just think, no purses, jewelry, or clothes..........this would be a first.  Well,  I almost got out of there without buying clothing.  I have been admiring these collars made from ties for a few shows.  I broke down and brought me and my daughter one.  These are not  ours because I was too lazy to take a picture, but you should get the idea.  Then I brought a  mobile to use over my  bed instead  of a chandelier.   This one is a large wire flower and hummingbird.  I also  brought  a cutting board  in the shape of a painters palette and a wall sconce that has a little shelf that I plan to  have hanging by the door for my keys.  This gentlemen is going to send  me  pictures of the last  thing I wanted  so I can decide.  He  takes  books  and  turns  them  into  shelves or  clocks.  He is going to send me pictures of some weaving books he has that he can make into a clock for me with a hidden compartment.

At one booth, the vendor had beaded his motorcycle..I wonder if they still ride it.

Today, I went to the R V Women winter luncheon in Thurmont,  MD., at the Cozy.    The food was plentiful but average, Lots of laughing and talking about their RV's.   Had a great time and looking forward to the May rally.

Next week I go to the yearly Section Meeting with the company I work for.  I had to postpone Jury Duty because I would be in Florida.  Stay tuned for a report.

Working On It

On Friday, I donated my Jeep Cherokee.   This is another piece that is closed and gets me closer to my goal.  I will use my Honda Pilot as the trade in on my tow car.

That evening, I checked into the Holiday Inn Express for one night using some of my reward points because I was going to a concert for the first time in years.  I went to see a southern rock band that my friend Collin really loves and insisted that I see.   I even brought a teeshirt that I will wear when Collin and I go to Disney World next month after a meeting we have to go to.  The group is very good, their name is Blackberry Smoke.   The group sings one of the songs that is part of my new attitude, 'I might not change the world but I am going to leave a scar.'. The band that I enjoyed better was the first band,  Drake White.  He and his band was fantastic.  I would have purchased a CD but it was so crowded.  I will go see them in the future.  I did feel a little strange being the only black person and with dread locs in the crowd.

The next day I met an old girlfriend of my son's for lunch.  She is a terrific lady and I so wish they had worked out.   We laughed for about two hours, the food was good, and I will go back to that restaurant again, however the company was better.

Before I met up with JoAnne, I brought my dream serger.  the Baby Lock Evolution,  it does everything but slice bread.  Realllllllly it does.  I know....I am getting rid of toys and not suppose to add to them.   At this rate, I will have no clothes or food in the RV because they weight too much with my toys.   This was a NEED purchase.   I will have to have something to do when it rains and I can't get outside.   I am convinced, are you?  At the moment, since I have decided to get rid  of clothing and food, I want to take my Brother sewing/embroidery machine, Baby Lock Embellisher, Baby lock serger, spinning wheel, and  travel loom.  That will keep me happy.  I am leaving behind my other sewing machines, large looms, band saw and tons of yarn, books and fabric.  I think that is enough of a sacrifice.

Today, I am making a pair of chef pants for my daughter and then will get ready for the women artist group I go to once a month when I am home.  I wanted to go to the spinning wheel group meet up but lazy kicked in.  Just think, lazy can take over anytime it wants to after June 1.

I am dieting and exercising so I can get in better health for my new life.  I have been doing Zumba and walking on my treadmill daily.  Somewhere in my travels  I picked up a CD with healthy quick recipes that I am enjoying,  the title is Cooking Thin and Loving Food with chef Kathleen.   I made the broiled fish with lemony cucumber yogurt sauce.  You cook the fish in the microwave.  Now that is my kind of cooking.  It was very, very good.   I also made the bacon and white bean soup, yummy.  Tonight is the Sesame-ginger shrimp & spicy black bean salad.   I am trying to decided between the Pork tenderloin with White wine sauce or the Seared Pork Tenderloin with Quick Fruit Chutney for tomorrow night.  There are even more recipes on her website,  you should check it out.  Quick, easy and Delicious.

If I have not been sent out on assignment, I will keep chugging along on this downsizing.  My daughter will come on Friday to help me go though this mountain of clothes and shoes I have.   The idea is to keep two weeks of summer clothes, two weeks of fall clothes that should also work for Florida, couple of dressy things that squash well and still look good, one coat that I hope I never have to use, and rain wear.    Everything must mix and match with scarves, shawls and jewelry.   We will think of everything that I might need, make a pile of those and then  narrow down.  Some clothes will go to the Dress For Success organization and some will go to the Rescue Mission.

I ordered the floor cloth canvas that I will be painting for the Living room area and bedroom of the RV.  I know the design that I want to paint for the Living Room one but am not sure about the other.  I also want to weave a throw rug for the bathroom before I sale my big loom.  I have a buyer for the rug loom, she just has to come pick it up.  I can use the travel loom to weave dish towels.  This is the floor cloth that I painted to go in front of my refrigerator.  I believe it is too large to go in front of the refrigerator in the RV and will have to cut it down once I move in because I would like to use it.

That Dream with my Name on it is Coming True

The songstress, Jennifer Holiday was talking about me when she sung, "Follow your heart, go where it leads you, it's telling you there's a dream out there with your name  on it, there's a wish somewhere that is  just waiting for you, there is a star in the night whose light will be shining brighter  when that dream with your name on it comes true."   Well, the sky is brilliantly lit because my dream has come true.


On my birthday, my daughter and son-in-law went with me to Nexus RV in Elkhart, Indiana.  I met with Claude, one of the owners, and his wife to tour the plant and sit down to make all the final adjustments to my dream.  (I need a name don't I??? )  We talked about the area under the bed for my loom, and the best part which is my workarea/dinette.   Claude got so excited and came up with some marvelous suggestions to give me more space.  The work area will take the place of the dinette but I can still use the table for dinner.  I will post a picture of the drawing when it is sent to me.  I am getting a tankless water heater for instant hot water, and they will install an electrical management system with remote display for the surge protector.. I decided on 50 amps since this is my home and not a weekend affair.   Once I get my home back to MD, my son-in-law plans to install some security devices and my son is going to do some internet stuff.  My daughter is helping me outfit it and I am making a floorcloth runner, pillows, weaving some towels and a few other things.  The projected completion date of the RV is April 15 which also my daughter's birthday.

I got a call from the owners wife wanting more measurements of my loom that will go under the bed since they are building a box under the bed to house the spinning wheel and loom.  I still have to send a sample of the color I want for the flooring.  What they have at the plant is too busy to show off the pretty cherry cabinets.See what I mean.

The plant tour was fascinating, we started from where they received the cutaway truck body and have extended the frame with a truss system. Then they put on the bed which is a sandwich construction .  We watched the workers in every section of the build.  This is the inside of an RV that they were installing the cabinets.   The frame is all steel and the water tank is enclosed an heated.

The plant is very clean and the workers seemed happy.

I have been obtaining insurance quotes and the best so far is from GMAC.

I also did a little knitting.  A friend of mine had asked me to make him a hat as a pay back for something he had done for me.  I decided to make fingerless mitts to match while I was at it.    The pattern for the hat is Men's Ski Hat by Irina Dmitrieva and the mittens are Simply Ribbed Fingerless Mitts by Robbin Abernathy.  Collin's hands are thin for a man so I used my hands to judge size.  He  has texted me quite a lot as to how much he loves them and said they fit perfectly.

Back to throwing away, taking to the Rescue Mission and Goodwill, and selling.  Time is running out now.  Hooray!!!!!

Me and My Rv

Me and My Rv,
originally uploaded by roadweaver.

It's Christmas Time In The City

Going to New York City with friends, seeing the store window decorations and fighting a mob of people, will get you in the holiday spirit and drive any negative thoughts out of your head.

Yesterday, a group of us from work braved the rain and went to Manhattan.  Of course we got separated but the best portion of the group stayed with me LOL.  After breakfast, we piled in cars and headed to the train that would take us to Penn Station.   The guys gave me 5 minutes to get ready.  Of course, I could not find my gloves, had to get money from the ATM,.......

I know we are adults but one guy had an app called IBeer that makes you look like you are drinking a glass of beer with your IPhone and he was passing it around for all of us to take a drink to brace us for the city.

I had told everyone that my main goal was to see the tree in Rockefeller Center and go to FAO Schwartz which some had not heard of.  When we got to the store, I felt like a kid again.   I could not walk on the $250,000 piano because the line was too long.  We did not get to see Santa at Macy's for the same reason.

The store window decorations were as amazing as what I remembered which helped me forget I was wet and cold.  I dressed in layers so I was better off than most of the group.

NYC Store windows


sights on the street