Zinnia - A to Z blog challenge

A garden full of flowers with names from A to Z. 

I have always wanted a small farm. Not to raise animals - they need daily care.

My farm would be full of bright colors. 

Flowers, vegetables, fruit trees and berries are seasonal

so I could enjoy a large garden and still travel. 

Your Life - A to Z blog challenge

Their are two ways

to live YOUR LIFE,

One is as though

 nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though

everything is a miracle.

-Albert Einstein

Make YOUR LIFE

the masterpiece you want to paint,

the novel you want to read,

the day you want to wake to........

-Toni Sorenson

Xebec - A to Z blog challenge

Xebec - pronounced (zee-bek)

A small three-masted sailing vessel, of the Mediterranean, with long overhanging bow and stern. 

One of my dreams is to live on a ship and being that I work seasonal summer jobs, there is a good chance to get a job on a sailing ship someday. 

Wow - A to Z blog challenge

WOW

WOO-HOO

WONDERFUL

How do you describe your travels? Vacation time? A visit to a natural wonder or National Park? 

Video - A to Z blog challenge

Sophia and the iPhone

Unique - A to Z blog challenge

Always remember that you are unique,

Just like everyone else. 

Thinking - A to Z blog challenge

Very little is needed to make a happy life, it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.......Marcus Aurelius

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will......Zig Ziglar 

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking... George S. Patton

Sink - A to Z blog challenge

Almost caught up



It's the little things

that make me happy.

A new sink for the RV.

Like most manufacturers, the original sink and faucet in the RV

was the cheapest they could get away with.

I already had the faucet in the shower replaced

1 1/2 years ago when it would not shut off.

I purchased a new sink and faucet from Amazon 

and finally got around to calling someone to install it.

Seems like water was always dripping from my hands down the back

of the old faucet and the space between the sink and faucet was a pain to clean.
 It was difficult to control the flow of water and the temperature.

The old sink had a stain from a label or sealant 

or something that I could not get rid of.

While looking at pictures of other Winnebago motor homes on the internet,

I noticed a sink with a large rim with the faucet on top of the sink.

That is what I wanted and I searched until I found the correct size.

I am now a Happy Camper.

OLD SINK

RV Service - A to Z blog challenge

RV's of Texas, LLC

www.RVsofTexasService.com

The link above will take you to the site of a great mobile RV service in the San Antonio area. Great service, many years of experience and reasonable prices. 

They did some work for me this week. I know that some of you will say, "I could do that myself".

I am fine with a hammer and saw, I can dismantle the RV furniture and build something new, but I do not want to mess with mechanical, plumbing or electrical issues.

When I purchased my RV there wasn't a ladder attached to the back - I took this as a sign that I do not belong on the roof.

So, I called for help.......

They sealed a crack in the skylight over my shower, cleaned the rooftop A/C unit, installed 2 new house batteries and installed a new sink and faucet in the bathroom.

Quilt - A to Z blog challenge

Road Trip Quilts

click on the link to see my other blog

I have always been drawn to the patterns of old quilts.  In my mind, hand quilting is preferable to machine quilting, although machine quilting can be beautiful, too.

So far, I have only made a few small quilts (not including some quick baby quilts) and I hope to have the time to finish one or more quilts each year.

I have a small collection of quilts and quilt tops.

I plan to hand quilt some of the old/antique quilt tops.

My first real quilt, quilt as you go, hand quilted

9 - 18" blocks

Irish Chain
The instructor said to bring in 5 colors of fabric.
I have always wanted to make a red and white quilt.
I don't think she was real happy with me.
Everyone else in the class had 5 fabrics.

Flannel, twin size

no batting, no quilting, flannel backing

made at a workshop

Used daily, includes some flannel shirt pieces

The following pictures are of quilts or

quilt tops purchased at

flea markets, garage sales

or antique stores

I do not like cutting and piecing quilts,

I prefer to do handwork.

There are a few more purchased quilts,

 they are at my daughters house.

this is large, queen size, hand-pieced

this is the back stitched by hand

I really like this last quilt top, some of the fabrics look like old men's shirts or pajamas. It is stained but in excellent condition.

It is very large, probably king size, I would like to handquilt it,

but can't decide on what design to use.

Do you like quilts, old or new?

What pattern do you like, what is your favorite color?

Power - A to Z blog challenge

electrical Power for the RV

New "house"batteries

My house batteries are located in the floor behind the driver's seat,

I had suspected that they were not keeping a charge.

I was not able to use the house batteries to help start my engine battery

after sitting for too long in one place.

And when there was a power outage during the summer,

my lights didn't stay on very long.

My RV was built in 2008 

and still had the original batteries.

I do not usually camp without an electric hookup

but it is nice to know that I have the power if I need it.

<     <     <     <     <     >     >     >     >     >

Have you seen the Roadtrek E-trek class B motorhome?

It is totally electric, no propane

Here is info from their website:

• Engine Mounted Generator: The 3.0 litre Mercedes diesel engine is used as the power plant to feed the electrical system, running everything when driving or parked. At idle it feeds 3.5 KW of power. When driving, it is even more powerful and charges at 5.5 KW. The Mercedes engine will run reliably to operate the vehicle, and your generator when needed.
• Solar Panel: The package boasts a large 245 watt solar panel on the roof that charges the batteries in daylight (not just sunlight) and is an excellent battery maintenance tool.
• Inversion and Charging: The package has a large 5000 watt inverter that has battery protection and a power save mode that when activated will help protect the batteries from running down too far. All appliances and all outlets will all run off the batteries. No hassles.
• Eight Auxiliary AGM Batteries: These are designed to give you "off the grid" power for hours, depending on what you run and environmental factors. They will charge quickly and easily from solar and the engine generator due to a comprehensive charging and electrical control system.

-          -          -          -          -

Wonder where they put the 8 batteries in a class B

and what it costs to replace them every few years.

I don't plan to spend $125,000 on an RV (the cost of the E-trek)

but wonder if I could use this technology to upgrade my RV.

I am planning to add solar at some point down the road.

Out - A to Z blog challenge

Out of the office - I will be away from my computer for a few days. A good excuse not to work on the challenge. 

Out of ideas - I thought I would prepare a few posts and schedule them to post on the correct days, but I am not good at blogging on demand. 

Out On the road - My planned departure date is May 5th - then I hope to have something to blog about. 

Name - A to Z blog challenge

Here is a link to a post about how I named my blog.

I started spelling my name - Teri, when I was in 7th or 8th grade,  just to be different.

When I owned a business, I was Theresa.

I have always had a slight speech problem. I remember going to speech classes in grammar school.

When I would answer my business phone most people thought I said Kerry, and thought I was a guy. So after a few days of this, I went back to my formal name - Theresa. 

So now I use Teri again except for legal documents. Of course, I still have problems with people not understanding me. Guess I need to practice some of those speech exercises again. 

Teri, Terry, Tery, Terri, Teresa, Terese, Tereza, Theresa, Therese, Theresia, Terez,. Tere, Terezia

From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of SaintPaulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θερος (theros) "summer", from Greek θεριζω(therizo) "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).

The name was mainly confined to Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. After the 16th century it was spread to other parts of the Christian world, due to the fame of the Spanish nun and reformer Saint Teresa of Ávila. Another famous bearer was the Austrian Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), who inherited the domains of her father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, beginning the War of the Austrian Succession.  (behindthename.com)

Missions - A to Z blog challenge

San Antonio Missions

National Historical Park

There are 5 Missions in San Antonio, 4 are part of the National Park Service.

Mission San Antonio de Valero is commonly called the Alamo. Founded in 1718, it was the first mission on the San Antonio River. Since 1905, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have cared for this state historic site. 

Most people only visit the Alamo, near downtown San Antonio.  

Mission San Jose

If you follow the river south you will find Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.

Mission San Jose

Mission San Jose

The Mission Reach Trail connects all of them. There is a driving tour or you can use the walking/bike path along the river. There are over 15 miles of trails, 9 water edge landings,  6 foot bridges and 4 pavilions. 334 acres of riparian woodland habitat were restored along the trail.

One of the access points is near the entrance of the Travelers World RV Resort. This is a very nice trail for a daily walk or bike ride.

Leisure - A to Z blog challenge

Here it is April 15th, Tax Day and I am not sitting behind a desk worrying about deadlines, extensions or what time the post office closes.

Although we preferred to e-file extensions, sometimes the IRS rejected them and then we had to make a mad scramble to the post office with a "proof of mailing" form to make sure our clients were not penalized.

The clients were the ones to always wait until the last minute to get the information to me, but I was the one worrying and feeling responsible to get it done on time.

www.canstockphoto.com

So thankful I don't have to work like that anymore. I am semi-retired, I still work, but not 12 months out of the year. Working seasonal jobs and traveling is so much better and less stressful.

Today, I had a leisurely morning reading after breakfast and then I received my new Wi-fi hotspot which took all of 2 minutes to get up and running.

In the afternoon, I took a leisurely walk to check with a mechanic about an oil change for the RV and then I had a salad and iced coffee at McD's (watched the news on their TV and used their wi-fi) and then strolled around Walmart looking for a few items for the RV. No rush, I could take as much time as I wanted, no schedule today, and it was still several hours before sunset (I don't like walking home from the store after sunset). 

A few times today I felt like I needed to check my phone to see what time it was, like I had to be somewhere. I had no where to go so I resisted the urge to keep checking the time.

It takes time to convince yourself that you can do things at a leisurely pace. Too many years always running around taking care of others. I sat in McD's longer than I needed to but it was quiet and there were only a few customers. Even though I have a list of things to do before I leave San Antonio for my summer job, I felt like I could take my time and take it easy today.

It was a bright sunny day in the 60's - perfect walking weather. Arrived home and sat outside for awhile until it became too chilly, Texas had a cold front come through yesterday.

Kiboshed - A to Z blog challenge

No wi-fi today put the kibosh on a longer blog post. 

Waiting for a new mobile hotspot to be delivered and, of course, the delivery is delayed. 

At least I can get a message out on my phone. 

Joy - A to Z blog challenge

There are things in life beyond our control and then there are the mistakes we make.

Instead of dwelling on sadness, fear, anger and regret,

we have to go beyond these things and find the JOY in everyday.

There has to be at least one thing each day, however small, that brings you JOY. 

Income Tax - A to Z blog challenge

It seems like, I just had to pick this subject. For over 25 years that was my life. Preparing tax returns for others.  I sold my business in 2008, took a few months off and then worked at another tax office for 2 1/2 years and then I hit the road as a full-time RV'er.

I enjoyed doing taxes, its like puzzle solving. I preferred taxes over accounting.  

The stories I could tell.  Most of my clients had basic tax returns, but of course there were those that had small businesses or always wanted to get away with some strange deductions. 

Everyone wanted that same tax refund as their friend or neighbor, most people did not understand that it was your money that the IRS was holding to send back to you. Do you have the same amount withheld as your neighbor? What if you only pay $3000 a year in mortgage interest but your neighbor pays $9000 a year in mortgage interest?  And you only have 2 kids and they have 6.  

And then there were always the ones that said,
"My buddy says that I can deduct .............! Well then, have your buddy do your taxes, lol.

All in all, it was a great business.  I am grateful for the clients and the growth of my business, but it got to be too much.  There are a lot more rules and regulations placed on preparers now. The IRS wants us to police our clients. 

Someday, I may decide to prepare tax returns for others again.  But for now, I am enjoying the freedom I have from working for 12-18 hours a day for 4 months out of the year. 

Hiking - A to Z blog challenge

North Rim Grand Canyon

The 10 Essentials

Do you know what they are?

Are you prepared on all hikes?

Navigation

Sun Protection

Insulation

Illumination

First Aid Supplies

Fire

Repair Kit and Tools

Nutrition

Hydration

Emergency Shelter

It's time to set some new goals. In order to spend more time hiking, I will need to find a hiking group.  When I worked in Colorado I hiked alone. This is not really a good idea.  I picked well traveled routes and sometimes hiked on 4-WD roads instead of trails in the middle of the woods.

This summer I will be in Cody, WY.  All of the brochures for Yellowstone suggest that it is best to hike in groups of 4 or more.  Guided hikes seem to be my best option for Yellowstone and I am hoping that my job will give me the opportunity to meet some tour guides and maybe obtain some discounts.

If anyone reading this plans to be near Yellowstone this summer, please leave a comment or send an email.

North Rim Grand Canyon

Another goal for this year is to hike at the Grand Canyon, I am not planning a rim to river hike for this year. A day hike going part way down and back up is all I want to do for now. I wasn't able to get a job at the Grand Canyon this year, so I will probably be there in late September or early October. 

Five years ago, at the end May 2009, my late husband and I had a fabulous vacation at the North Rim and several parks in Utah.  He had 3 surgeries in less than a year and was facing another one.  He questioned why I brought him to this place, where there were all of these healthy people hiking (we had talked with a couple older than us, telling us of all of their adventures).  I was at my heaviest weight ever.  I told him that we would both get healthy and come back in 5 years to hike below the rim.  He died 4 months later. So, I feel that I still need to go back, it won't be in May, but it will be "5 years later". I have not decided if I will go back to the North Rim or go to the South Rim. 

Zion National Park

We were never really "hikers", we would go to parks and nature centers to walk, he enjoyed photography. We visited a few other National Parks, but never walked more than the short trails.

Arches National Park

All of the photos in this post are from 2009.

   

Gadgets - A to Z blog challenge

It would be cool to invent a best selling gadget. What do you think would be the next great thing that everyone needs?

We all have houses and/or RV's full of gadgets? Gadgets are supposed to make life simpler, but sometimes they seem to take up too much time or space. 

Computers, smart phones, GPS

e-Readers and tablets

Small single function kitchen appliances

"As seen on TV"

Hobby supplies - rotary cutters, bobbin winders, etc.

Tools of every shape and size

How many of these gadgets do you have?

What gadgets could you get rid of?

I sometimes want to get rid of the electronic gadgets. I feel that I use my iPhone and computer too much.

I would never get rid of them because they are the lifeline of contact with my family while I am traveling, they provide a measure of security when in isolated places (if I can get a signal).

Maybe we need a gadget to tell us to:

"put it down and step away".
A timer where it shuts off and we would have to reboot.

(Isn't that what most "mobile" internet connections do anyway?)

Flowers - A to Z blog challenge

Springtime flowers

from the garden of the house 

I had in Illinois

Sometimes I miss the garden

but not all of the weeding and work involved.

The front gardens were all native-prairie plants

low-maintenance and much easier to care for

Early - A to Z blog challenge

Early to bed

Early to rise

Makes a man

Healthy, wealthy and wise

-Ben Franklin

When I had a business, I was a morning person, up early and at the office by 8:00 most days and sometimes earlier during the busy tax season. I have had a few workamping jobs, but the start times were a little later. 

I have not worked since September and I have been staying up late and then sleeping in.  I need to get back to a regular morning schedule.

What do you think of the theory that reading a laptop or smartphone late at night/in bed can cause insomnia or affect your eyesight? The bright lights on these devices make it easier to just keep reading and stay awake later and later. I found that I was staying up very, very late and did not feel tired and did not realize how late it was.

Last week I started to use tinted reading glasses and I again feel sleepy while reading the computer late at night, similar to reading a real book before bed.

My next workamping job is coming up in about 5 weeks,

and I am scheduled to work from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Time to get back to early to sleep and early to rise.  

Different - A to Z blog challenge

Some will say -  "Just DO it"

If you are different, you will say:

IT'S YOUR
LIFE. DON'T 
LET ANYONE
MAKE
YOU FEEL
GUILTY
FOR LIVING IT
YOUR WAY.

*    *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Not much traveling stuff on this traveling blog

I will be "on the road again"

the first week of May

heading North.

Chicago - A to Z blog challenge

Although I do not live there now

when asked where I am from

 I always say Chicago.

Although the lake is beautiful

I do not like big cities and crowds.

I prefer small towns

and big open spaces. 

Baby - A to Z blog challenge

Everyone likes to see BABY pictures

My Granddaughter, Sophia

3-28-2014

3-29-2014
Waking up from a nap in her stroller.
She now has 8 teeth,
she will be 8 months old next week.
It has been a rough couple of weeks
with all of those teeth coming in at the same time.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Another "B" subject - BLOG

I am having a hard time writing for this blog.

So what do I do.  Start another blog. 

I have always loved quilts, I have only made a few.

Mostly baby quilts and lap quilts.

I prefer hand quilting to machine quilting.

I do have a small collection of

quilts and quilt tops that I have purchased.

Follow my new blog

http://RoadTripQuilts.blogspot.com

Thanks

Attitude - A to Z blog challenge

I have signed up for the 2014 A-Z blog challenge.

Haven't felt like writing a blog post for awhile now, so I thought maybe this challenge would help.

Last week at the Dollar Store, I picked up a book "A Simple Act of Gratitude" by John Kralik.

The title reminded me of a quote

Even with major life changes over the past 5 years, I still have a lot to be thankful for.

We all face challenges that are beyond our control. Our attitude can go a long way towards making things better if we are positive or we can make it worse with a negative attitude.

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www.a-to-zchallenge.com