Owatonna MN

We drove to Owatonna Minnesota to visit the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children Museum, an orphanage.

It was a sad visit that made you appreciate what you did have as a child.

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Hope

I just loved this little RV park in Hope Minnesota, Oak Knoll Campground.  Nestled in the words bordering a farmer's field.  It was very pretty.

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SPAM

Jackson had its acorns, Grant his precious rye,
Terry had his poison beef, worse you couldn't buy;
The doughboy had his hardtack without this army's jam.
All armies on their stomachs move, and this one moves on SPAM.

For breakfast they will fry it, for supper it is baked,
For dinner what a delicacy, they have it pat-a-caked;
Next morning its with flapjacks or maybe powdered eggs.

Where the hell they get it all? They must order it by kegs.
Surely for the evening meal they'll cook up something new,
But these cooks are surry uncanny, now it's in the stew.

And thus this tireless cycle goes, it never seems to cease;
SPAM in stew, SPAM in pie, SPAM in boiling grease
We've had it tucked in cabbage for corned beef,
We've had it with spaghetti with cmie and rice.
I remember such a happy day, we only had it twice.

Back home I have an angel whose name I'm going to change.
I'll buy her a fancy home with a new fandangled range;
But marital bliss is sure to cease if I ever ask of ham
And find my eggs are looking up from a slice of cursed SPAM.


Click here for pictures!

Fairmont Minnesota

We drove through Fairmont Minnesota stopping long enough to take a stroll through a park.  

To see more pictures of Fairmont MN click here.

Through Hail And Back

Yesterday was a mess with a mixture of hail, tornadoes, wind, and storms. I drove to Mankato Minnesota to have some work done at Best Buy and the wind was horrible. Mom and I discussed staying in Mankato but a little voice in my head was saying “keep on going.” I don’t like to drive in heavy winds and I am not from Minnesota so I am not use to it but I kept on going. An hour later we pulled into New Ulm (we drove the back roads). The wind by now was getting worse and there were ominous sounds of thunder. I decided to stay in the State Park because it was safer weather-wise than the fairgrounds All we got was brief storms with burst of rain but the area we came from, Mankato, and the surrounding towns were not so lucky. My neighbor was on the phone most of the evening and she came from one of the towns that were hit by a mile wide tornado. We have been so lucky in avoiding these storms. I just hope our luck stays with us.

We are in Redwood Falls Minnesota in a RV park that has a storm shelter, Internet, and cable. We are planning to go back to New Ulm and Sleepy Eye to do a little sight-seeing. I did stop to see Herman the German while I was in New Ulm. Herman the German is a 102 foot statue and I was determined to climb to the top. The first part is wide stairs and the last part is a spiral staircase, which I had a problem with. I made it to the first step of the spiral staircase. I stopped to take a few pictures and then I took a deep breath and started trotting up the stairs.

I am afraid of heights. I do very well if I don’t look up, look down, or look around. I focus on the steps and I focus on not thinking. When I get to the top I will look around and most times I am fine. It is just the process of going up and down that scares the weebies out of me. Halfway up the stairs I stopped and I looked down. There are times when I am not my own cheerleader and so as fast as I ran up I ran back down. . I don’t know why but I know if there was someone behind me encouraging me I would have made it. Since we are going back, I am going to give it another try.

We are alive and well and still in Minnesota!

Dandelion

Dandelion

Julie Lechevsky

My science teacher said

there are no monographs
on the dandelion.

Unlike the Venus fly-trap
or Calopogon pulchellus,
it is not a plant worthy of scrutiny.

It goes on television

between the poison squirt bottles,

during commercial breakaways from Ricki Lake.

But that's how life

parachutes

to my home.

Home,

where they make you do

what you don't want to do.

Moms with Uzis of reproach,

dads with their silencers.

(My parents watch me closely because I am their jewel.)

So no one knows how strong
a dandelion is inside,
how its parts stick together,
bract, involucre, pappus,

how it clings to its fragile self.

There are 188 florets in a bloom,

which might seem a peculiar number,

but there are 188,000 square feet

in the perfectly proportioned Wal-Mart,
which allows for circulation
without getting lost.

I wish I could grow like a dandelion,
from gold to thin white hair,
and be carried on a breeze
to the next yard.

I'll Show You My Plug If You Show Me Yours

I leave my hose and cable on the lot when I am out exploring. I just put up the electric cord and surge protector. I had mentioned in an earlier blog about coming home to find "home" rented to someone else.    My cable and my water regulator were gone.  I did received the water regulator but not my cable.  They said it wasn't there when they pulled in.  99% of the time we don't have a problem and never came home to find everything missing.  I have a spare on most everything.

While staying the Pipestone Campground I had to move two times.  The second time was when a motorhome pulled in beside us and wanted to plug in.  He said he was 50 amps and showed me his plug.  I explained to him he was 30 amps.   He told me I was wrong but why was my van 50 amps when normally they are 30 amps.  I unplugged and showed him my plug and told him he was definitely 30 amps.  I was unhooking to go exploring and told him that I would move.  When I was unhooked, he hooked up, and I thought that was that.  Until he came back out and stopped me because his electric didn't work.  I always make sure the electric is turned off before I plug in or unplug.  He said it was unnecessary of course he thinks he is 50 amps plugged into a 30 amp receptacle.

It was  a neat park, reasonably priced, and we really enjoyed our stay there.


To see pictures of "Three Maidens" in Pipestone MN Click here.

Eating Right

The comments and conversation flowing between my daughter, Hannah Jane relate to "Eat Right For Your Blood Type."  She won't tell me what her blood type is but I know I have her blood type. I have the Vegetarian Blood Type (A+).  I am to avoid red meat, if I eat meat it needs to be Turkey or Chicken.  Don't laugh but that is what I gravitate towards.  The bread of my choice is ezekiel bread and I am happy to see that is in the list of foods I can eat.  It also list peanuts as a food to eat and I will admit I thoroughly enjoy my peanuts....but peanuts..  they don't like me.

Another list of avoidances which isn't food related is as follows:

Crowds of people
Loud noise
Negative emotions
Smoking
Strong smells or perfumes
Too much sugar and starch
Overwork
Violent TV and movies
Lack of sleep
Extreme weather conditions (hot or cold)
 
I just purchased two Stephen King movies, which I will probably watch with the pillow over my face and the only extreme temp I don't like is cold.  I have always had sleep problems.  I have been known to jump out of bed and run around my room.  I don't do that now and maybe that is why I can't sleep.   The worst place for me to be is in WalMarts on a Saturday afternoon.  Anybody that knows me knows this.  My poor mother will look at me with fear and whisper "I know it is Saturday but we need to go to Walmarts."  I am happy to say I have not throttle anyone but I can only last 15 minutes before I am a total raving b***h.   
 
I am going to look this list over and I am going to add some new foods as well as take some away.  It can't hurt me.   If you want to read more click here.

To take a trip to Pipestone National Monument, click here for pictures!

Questions

I am starting to like this - ask me any question (within reason) and I will answer.  It makes blogging a lot easier . 

Belle is my best friend's daughter - I have adopted her.  Awesome person.  Anyway - Belle - I didn' get my computer back because they gave me a new one.   I took a Dell this time and I am hoping it will last longer than the others.  Best Buy also backed up my computer for me for the cost of an external drive.  They were pretty horsy about communicating with me and when I pitched a fit they dropped the price.  I have my pictures and I have my music... I am a happy camper.

Mom and I are spending the night in Welcome, I love that name -Welcome to Welcome MN.  Tomorrow we are going to drive through the town and visit the cemetery.  Then we are heading east to see the Jolly Green Giant and the Spam museum. 

My ex husband loved fried spam and ate it constantly.  I remember being pregnant with Scott and everytime he would put that nasty pink meat in a skillet I would run to the bathroom.   Spam and kippers with a little peanut butter was my ex husband's diet.  Memories they are coming back sometimes in the form of nightmares.

I found a free place to camp and not at a casino.  That is where we will be for a couple of nights.  No internet, and spotty phone reception for two nights.   I will post some inanities and scheduled them so there will be something on my blog every day for a few days. 

Click here for pictures of Pipestone MN.

My Grandkids!

Malachi and Isabel

Hayden

Jaeda

Another Day In Paradise

Tomorrow we leave Pipestone for Sioux City SD. If the Geek Squad has finished backing up my computer then we will continue north. If not we are going to have to stay close.

I just love the plains because you can see for miles and miles. It does get a little boring I will admit. It grows dark about 9:30 and the weather is cooler than it would be in the south. Our goal is North Dakota and drive east. Gas is so much cheaper on the back roads and that is where you will find us. I am also discovering a lot more van dwellers on the back roads and  I am also finding van dwellers to be very friendly folks.

Yesterday I drove to the Chevy dealership to schedule an oil change. I would have called but I have no phone service. When I pulled up, everyone in the dealership came to the windows and just stared. It was a little unnerving to say the least. I was a little uncomfortable getting out of my van, especially when a gentleman came out and said "are you here for a trade in?" About 2 hours before we pulled in, someone came in wanting a RoadTrek and thought they might have one. We kind of, sort of freaked them out. The salesman was disappointed when I told him no to the trade in.

This has been a frustating day. The oil was changed and I had to search the lot for my van. I found it parked out back and I don't understand why I wasn't told where it was. Maybe they were hoping I would give up and do a trade in. Then I got into an arguement with the Geek Squad. Then we went to Pipestone Monument. I was told the trails were closed and I then I was told only parts of it was closed. I went hiking along with a few others. I had a grand time until I was ordered by a Park Ranger to go back to the Visitor Center. It was a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. I am a firm believer in "threes." Everything happens in threes and I figured it will be smooth sailing for the rest of the day. When I drove into the park I found a travel trailer in my spot. They rented my lot. The owners were more than helpful but I still don't have my cable and my pressure regulator. I was told they would get it as soon as the people return. I was just put in another spot.

I will be creating blogs to post automatically while I am without service. Just stories of our past adventures we had during the last couple of weeks.

Clicking here will take you to Walnut Grove Minnesota. Laura Ingalls Wilder spent her childhood there.  It was a fun day. 

 

Now For The Rest Of The Story

This morning I turned on my computer and it started that horrible noise.  Everyone who has a computer knows this noise, it is the cha ching noise in computereze.  I am so thankful I purchased the service plan.  Anyway while the computer was on, grinding away, a new noise happened.  A loud chirping noise and (excuse the language) I thought "Oh shit what does this noise mean?"  I shut down the computer and the loud chirping noise continued.  I will admit that I honestly sat there for a good two minutes trying to figure out the new noise since it was obviously not coming from the computer as I had thought.  It was my carbon monoxide detector going off.  I ran around (not easy to do in a van) trying to figure out why that was chirping.  Sometimes it pays to read the directions because it just needed to be replaced.  My morning has been filled with sounds, aggravating expensive sounds. 

I have been trying to do more.  I started walking (nonstop) for 30+ minutes.  I stopped smoking, I gave up a medication I did not need (or so my insurance thinks I don't need) and today marks the 10th day without caffeine.  I am a thumb sucking, depressed, over tired, nervous wreck..... I am just joking.  I do feel a lot better.  There is just one problem.... I can't sleep. I finally broke over and bought OTC sleeping pills and knocked myself out last night.  God could have came down and whispered in my ear and I would not known it.  It was the first good night sleep I have had in days.  I just wonder if it is my body rebelling because it is not getting it's caffeine fix?  No I haven't cut out sweets yet.  That is on my list. 

While I am complaining and whining......  I tried making a phone call and I got the "emergency call only" message.  I checked to make sure the phone bill was paid (it was), and I couldn't call Customer Care.  I finally found an ATT coverage map and I am on the edge of  of "no service" and "partner" service.  What is partner service?  According to ATT the areas shown as an orange stripped pattern represent the coverage of unaffiliated carriers and should have sufficient signal strength for on-street or in-the-open coverage, but may not have it for in-vehicle coverage or in-building coverage. Excessive use of Partner coverage may subject your service to early termination, in accordance with your service terms.

Kids I am not ignoring you.  I just don't have service and I am not to sure if I want to make a phone call after reading that. Grandma and I are doing fine and someday we will move to where there is service. 

I was given a program so I could continue posting pictures to my website but I can't get the program to work.  So I decided to stop overloading my blog with to many pictures and create an account with Smug Mug.  I took some pictures when I was in Le Mars Iowa, Ice Cream Capitol of the World.  To view the pictures click here.

How To Get A New Computer Every Year

Actually I am on my third computer in less than a year.  I took my computer in this morning and it cannot be fixed.  Fortunately I bought the extended warrenty and they replaced it with another computer of the same value.  This time I got a different brand, Dell.  I am hoping this will last longer than a year.

All of my pictures are still on the broke down computer.  They are going to retrieve them and back it up.  That is the only cost I incurred.  I will post more later.  I am back up and running.