A Different Life II

[Hittenstiehl]

Nice photo. The Beach is very relaxing and you both look quite happy.

[duncans]

Nice picture, Maggie!

Susan

[Paddledipper]

That is a great photo. Enjoy!

[Fly at Night]

You look just the way I imagined you, Maggie.

Nice.

Love the look of Lily too.

[Lily&Me]

Some of us went to Tillamook today, met Gail there, sampled cheese and ate ice cream.

It was delicious.

Made a side trip to Gail's adorable cottage to see her BVan, visited Rockaway beach, had a bowl of chowder at the restaurant overlooking, and headed on back.

In between, long pauses of girls gabbing about anything and everything.

Now, a campfire...Bill & Susan brought some gourmet foods and a bottle of wine to share.

A good day.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Gail, Evelyn and I put two batches of this together the other morning, and it is delicious.

Going to make a large pan bread later today, to help us use up Mimi's jar of jam before she has to get on her plane tomorrow.

Gingered Pear Freezer Jam

1-1/2 cups sugar
5 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Instant Pectin
3-1/2 cups pear puree (fresh pears, peeled, cored, cut up & processed in blender or food processor)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice, strained
1 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp ginger
Dash of salt
5 glass or plastic (8 oz) Freezer Jars

Directions

Stir sugar and instant pectin in a large bowl until well blended.

Add pear puree, orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, lemon zest, ginger and salt.

Stir constantly for 3 minutes.

Ladle jam into clean jars to fill line.

Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Some of us went to the Astoria Market yesterday, others to nearby excursions, meeting back here to watch the Shirley Valentine movie...excellent!...a campfire, and pan bread with Ginger Pear Jam.

Yum.

Going our separate ways this morning, some of us up the coast, some down.

I have a couple of chore days lined up...starting with serious laundry and cleaning the Interstate this morning, labs tomorrow and engine service in Eugene Wednesday morning.

Going to find a tire change somewhere, too.

And, some sister time this week with sweet Gail... my friend for years who I have just met a few days ago...before meeting up with Bob & Page as they leave their Yellowstone summer gig and head to Oregon.

All is well.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Arrived at Gail's mid afternoon, tanks emptied, laundry done, etc.

It smells so nice in here.

No eau de Lily for at least a little while.

Have my labs scheduled and a tire rotation tomorrow in Eugene, then the engine service early Wednesday morning....all necessary tasks will then be completed so that when I return to Gail's we will be at leisure activities only.


Maggie

[Photobum]

Nice image of you and Lily.

[Lily&Me]

Hi Vince!

Thank you, and hope you are doing well.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Breakfast and conversation with Gail, then a Lily walk before heading out.

A long and winding road to Eugene today, this days chores completed and now ensconced in the MB parking lot for the night.

The service guy here gave me a frightening $$$ quote for a Class A or Class B service, when I was looking at an oil and filter change....which does not include air filter and fuel filter here.

Eyes are starting to cross...I know nothing of what he is talking about.

Going to pm a few trusted folks here and see what they have to say, and no decisions til the morning.

We have had a busy couple of weeks, lots of places and people seen.

I found one last Sofia Coppola blanc de blanc in my frig, and am indulging in it before Lily's last walk of the day.

Because, I deserve it.


Maggie

[mimiandrews]

The airline finally got me home this morning. A mechanical delay made my flight from Portland to Phoenix so late I could not make the connection. They re-booked me on an early morning flight, so I flew to Phoenix, found a hotel, and caught a few hours sleep. Home and my own bed look so good!

And I have my own dog back. I enjoyed visiting with Lily and the other dogs, but missed my own.

The gathering was well worth the trip. Lots of fun. We need to do it again some time, but I'm bringing my own rig. Everything about that SOB Class C I rented made me miss my Airstream.

[DIR1]

Yes, that was a fun gathering.. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I too hope we can do something similar again... great bunch of people... I've been enjoying one on one time with Maggie.... My hearing is so bad it's hard for me to converse in groups, so this is a special treat, having her company for these few days... ok, everyone, Keep having fun!!!! hugs and love to all.. gail

[Lily&Me]

Glad you are home safe and sound, Mimi.

I understand missing ones dog.

Evelyn is still gallivanting about the coast, listening to waves crash as she sleeps and fulfilling other dreams.

We were a small group of strong and independent women, with a few men thrown in for good measure...a good thing.


Maggie

[Rocinante]

We sure had fun visiting with everybody, thanks!

[Lily&Me]

We enjoyed meeting and visiting with you and your wife, Bill.

My tire is still flat as a pancake...I must have ridden over something sharp.

Am hoping to find a bicycle shop while I am in Eugene.


Maggie

[Rocinante]

Here's hoping for that bike shop! Any REI would also likely take care of it for you, as they usually have a bike shop inside.

[Lily&Me]

Looking at big bucks here at the MB dealership in Eugene.

The "glow plugs and board" need replaced, they're going to flush and replace the brake fluid...not done when the brakes were replaced a few weeks back, and not on my watch these past 2 1/2 years...also a transmission service, not done on my watch, either.

30,000 miles of solo travel, and I have left it to the service guys to notice and do whatever needs to be done...a substitute husband, has been my likely mindset and approach, when there is no comprehensive, all inclusive substitute ...I am overdue for a good look at the engine by a MB service person, as they tend to things Peterbilt doesn't.

It simply never occurred to me.

Doug always had Peterbilt do the engine service, but also paid attention to all those things I know nothing about. He may have had it in to MB at home, but I don't remember when or if.

I had developed some weeks ago a leak at my sewer connection, which I was going to deal with when I got home as it was only when unscrewing the cap that it was an issue...small something underneath can catch the spillage...but that became a steady drip overnight.

Tillamook RV is going to look at it in the morning.

Mimi has been telling me I need to learn what needs to be done, and when, to my rig...lost a wheel last year, then the brakes just recently, now overdue things that could have been another small disaster...I have been relying on strangers to do what Doug did, not wanting to know about it and do it myself.

I am going to be more pro-active, starting today, going to pull out my service manual and just do it.

Sigh.


Maggie

[Hittenstiehl]

Maggie, it seems to me that you have been doing a fine job of handling all the chores decisions and the tasks, that two people would have shared, in the last couple of years.

While it is good to know when these services need to be done it is certainly not necessary for you to have to perform them yourself.

Paying service hours at a professional garage such as Mercedes-Benz is certainly quite expensive. Maybe an option for when you get home is to find a local service center that can do many of the same tasks for a lower service hour rate.

You are only one person and even people with the skill sets need to pay to hire the professionals some time.

Don't be to hard on yourself.

Sending best wishes.🌹

[Lily&Me]

Thanks for the good wishes, but I am acknowledging reality, here.

I don't need to know how to do everything, I do need to know what needs to be done....and get it taken care of.

I've been in denial, thinking some things I am just unfamiliar with will take care of themselves.

Not so much beating myself up, but I am lucky the vehicle issues have not been worse.

I need to get a handle on them, and be proactive, if I'm going to keep doing this by myself.


Maggie