Jam Photos

This photo tells a story. There are several instrument cases and a wheeled walker. Christmas tree in the back. With this info you can draw many conclusions and I will leave it up to you.

This is the Jam kitchen crew for today. Dorral, Peggy, Larry and Geneva. This is a great team that enjoys working together.

Need a "hot" date this weekend?

There's a lady waiting for you to pick her up at the home of Jim and Kay Voss.

Are you entertaining the idea???

Of coming south for the winter? Don Harper, current vice president of our park association has found that he has two rentals available as his renters developed health issues and are not able to come this season. If this is something you would like to look into, email me at keep.movin.on@gmail.com with "rental" in the subject line and I will do my best to get you info or put you in touch with Don. Don and his wife Marty are super landlords and I would recommend them highly. Our weather has been good so far with highs generally in the 70's and lows in the 50's. As I write this at 6:12 pm I have the window open and can hear crickets chirping. Come on down!

Park Garage Sale Weekend

The first Saturday of every month of the season is garage sale weekend. Friday is set up day and Saturday from 8 to 12 is the main sale, open to the public.
Below are a few photos from today's activities.

Kay helps Pecan Bill with his sale table and Linda stopped by to chat.

Doris is chatting with Myron, Duane and Regina.

Larry and Don

Tuffy and Butch discuss pool cues.

HELP.....I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!

OR:

1.  I can't walk in these shoes

2. The sweet potato vines attacked me!

RIBBIT......clay pot frog!

Grapefruit Pie (Janet Rader)

I happened to be in the right place at the right time to get this photo of Janet's grapefruit pie. She is happy to share the recipe with all of us.

Grapefruit Pie (Janet Rader)

2 C. or 2 cans Grapefruit slices (drained and cut in half)

1 C. sugar

1 ⅓ C. water and/or grapefruit juice

3 T.cornstarch

pinch of salt

3 oz box of strawberry jello

9 “ graham cracker crust

Boil sugar, water/juice, cornstarch and salt until thick and clear. Stirring often.

Stir in jello packet until dissolved . Pour into large bowl and refrigerate until partially cooled.

Fold in grapefruit sections until mixed. Return to refrigerator to cool. Pour into pie shell. Keep refrigerated until served.

Bill's Squirrel update

Bill has had an issue with the squirrels for some time now. They sit and watch as he cracks the nuts and sometimes they are way too friendly and up close. Bill told me he drove several blocks away to a wooded area and let the squirrel loose. I knew you would want to know the rest of the story.
He may give more of the squirrel family the opportunity to join their brother if they infringe too close to Bill's territory.

Bill's squirrel......

Don't get caught stealing Bill's nuts......................

Thanksgiving in Allen Hall

Yesterday we celebrated Thanks Giving in Allen hall with over 90 members of the magnolia family in attendance. The food is always abundant and 2015 was no exception.
One of the more eye-popping side dishes was Mary Knorr's turkey pictured below. It looks to me like she worked on it longer than if it had been the kind roasted in the oven. Spectacular!

Our weather has been excessively humid. Much more than I remember but maybe that is just me. The Rio Grande Valley has had an abundance of rain all of 2015. In reality, the native plants here are not used to all that moisture so some of them look bedraggled while others look very lush. I am sure our northern readers are not concerned about their plants this time of year!
So on this day of Thanks Giving we had our air conditioning on and were thankful for it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Busyness

Joe was preparing for the jam lunch and Phyllis was finishing up with donuts last Tuesday morning as I left Allen Hall.

Last Saturday Butch and I went to Fiesta for breakfast tacos and we have decided it is our favorite place for them. They are filled to the max with the goodies of eggs and sausage, a few refried beans on the side and it will hold you till lunch.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It always sneaks up on me. I could give you a short list of what I am thankful for however the main list is never ending.

Below is a turkey recipe from the 1800's. I am thankful for modern innovations in cooking.

Fall

test

Here is a test pic.

Link to online Winter Texan News

Click on:
Winter Texan News

Lots of info on this site for Winter Texans.

What is happening round here

Jim and Kay have a new cowpoke at their place. He keeps Jim company while Kay is on the computer.

Chet and Irma have a new friend hanging out on their porch. They are calling her a "porch kitty" so Peg and I have named her Portia Katherine. Portia is a sweetie.

Mural in Chillicothe MO

My friend Mickey went on a road trip recently and came across this wonderful mural. I thought it worthy of sharing with you. Perhaps you will want to go through Chillicothe on your way home next Spring.
http://chillicothecity.org/press_mural-library.html

Odds and Ends

This is cattywampus more commonly known as Wampus. George and Phyllis have quite a time corraling him as he is somewhat of an escape artist

And this is a tiny little rose belonging to Bill and Kay Stilson

After Coffee hour a couple of Tuesdays ago

Barb Howard and Dorral

Linda, Edna, Carmen, DeWayne and Joe stick around to visit after coffee.

This from Marty Harper

will you please pass it along that I am doing much better and hope to leave here the 1st of Dec.
I sure hope the weather clears. 6-9 inches of snow coming tonight.
also thank you to everyone who has called and sent cards. it means so much when you are down and out.

Hogs Head anyone?

H.E.B. sells hog heads for 57 cents a pound and Kay and I were wondering what one does with a hogs head. Well here is your answer! http://paleoleap.com/cooking-with-the-whole-pigs-head/ and here is a picture from the H.E.B. ad this week.

Joke of the week

 
A pirate walked into a bar, and the bartender noticed that he had a peg leg, a hook and an eye patch. "How did you end up with the peg leg?" asked the bartender. The pirate said, "We were in a fearful storm at sea and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, this huge shark bit off my leg." "Wow!" said the bartender. "What about your hook? How did you get that?" The pirate replied, "We were boarding an enemy ship and fighting with swords. One of the enemy cut off my hand." "Amazing!" said the bartender. "So how did you get the eye patch?" The pirate said, "A seagull dropping fell into my eye." "You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" asked the bartender incredulously. "Well," said the pirate, "it was my first day with the hook."

Papaya or palms?

Chet decided to "sculpt" his papaya trees to resemble palms. Good job, Chet! 

This is an untouched photo. No cropping, no enhancing of any kind. This flower is growing about 40 feet from the papaya trees in the photo above.

Official start of 2015/16 season

I originally wrote this entry but probably due to a weak Internet connection did not get it posted so better late than never as the saying goes.

The season begins on November 1st. Some people are here year round and some saunter in during October but for the most part, it is considered that the season starts on 11/1.
I am so used to blogging year round (since 2002) and I keep the emphasis on the one that is the most active. And sometimes I forget to make the switch. www.brooker3.blogspot.com is our personal blog and it will and does contain mostly items pertaining to our lives. I like to think it can be interesting. If I didn't think that I would have stopped years ago. But I digress.
So now it is time for my split personality to take over and if you wish to get the full story you may want to check both blogs. Near the bottom of both blogs is a place to enter your email address. This enables you to get the blog entries in your email. It is a two, maybe three step process. You need to look at your email after the first step or two and verify that you indeed want to receive it by clicking on a link in the email. This enables you to read the blog entry without having to go to the website once it is set up and verified.

We have settled in and are enjoying the slower pace that happens in the early part of the season. December, January, and February can be downright frantic around here. It tapers off the last half of March and then we start all over again.
There have been so many changes throughout the park I cannot possibly begin to tell you. I cannot even remember them much less relate them with any accuracy.

Let the season begin!

I think every season has its own life and this is another one that so far defies description. The moving and shifting of houses and people is only one aspect of the changes. We have one person who isn't coming this season due to surgery, another delayed by a surgery, one by a son with a serious illness. I think we do have the usual amount for the time of year. That seems to only vary a little from year to year.

The jam sessions start next week, bingo is on hold till we find someone to fill in. The pool hall has a few players every night at 6. Only 3 golfers so far. I think we will all adjust and that is what we are best at.
There is plenty of walking and talking going on . We must stay in motion or we will freeze in one spot.

Our old habits of running down to Nuevo Progreso for margaritas and nachos has been affected by the drug cartels. The absence of people is obvious. Garcias was one of the more upscale places to eat and it is closed with no plans to reopen with the reason being not enough customers. I am sure there have been other businesses closing or reducing hours and employees.  January and February are the busiest months so we will see if things pick up then but right now it is pretty darn quiet on the streets of Progreso.

Magnolia Flood pics

These are pictures that Dorral took when they had the big rain a week or so ago. They say we are to get rain again toward the end of the week. We just hope it isn't classified as big rain.
The mosquitoes are big enough to carry off small children. The city is spraying for them but success in doing so has yet to be noticed.

Ankle deep

The majority of the flooding was in the southeast section of the park.

Memorial Service for Red Bratsven

Rhubarb Anyone?

A member of our Magnolia family has a hankering for some rhubarb. Many people do not know that rhubarb is a strictly northern fruit. Not sure it qualifies as a fruit but at any rate it does not grow in the south. Cindy Peterson is a former resident of Iowa and now lives in south Texas year around. She would very much appreciate it if someone could bring her some rhubarb so she could make a rhubarb cobbler. Maybe if you bring her enough she will make enough to share with you. Any questions about this request you can call Cindy at 515-571-2189



Rhubarb is a vegetable, but it is often cooked, sweetened and combined with other fruits as a dessert. Rhubarb is an ancient plant traced back to China in 2700 BC. It was used for medical purposes as a laxative, to reduce fever and cleanse the body. Rhubarb is a perennial plant that has stalks similar to celery.

Raymond "Red" Bratsven -Death Notice

Raymond "Red" Bratsven  81,  of Osseo, Wi. died Thursday at HSHS Sacred Heart

in Eau Claire.  A memorial gathering will be at a later date.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona, is handling arrangements.

Jim and his Bees

When in Magnolia Park Jim likes to shoot pool. When back home in Wisconsin he plays with his bees. This is the end of the bee season for this year and the bees are being transferred from his hives into the ones that will take them to California where they will pollinate the almonds.

One for the road

I thought since we are all beginning to think of getting to Magnolia Park in sunny south Texas that you might want to consider this recipe for a travel snack. I have not tried it yet, but it is on my todo list.

Cheese Wedges

   In South America cheese pastries are sold on the street. They're also a favorite with travelers who make them the night before to grab and go in the morning. They make an ideal, sugar-free getaway breakfast when you’re headed early to a first-come, first-served campground.

4 cups biscuit mix

½ stick butter

4 eggs

About 1 cup milk

12 to 16 ounces grated Cheddar cheese

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Let butter come to “room” temperature and cut it into the biscuit mix. Separate eggs and mix yolks into the dough with enough milk to make a thick dough. Spread dough in two greased pie pans and smooth flat with the back of a set spoon.

In a bowl whisk egg whites until foamy and fold in cheese. Spread atop dough. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut in wedges. Makes 8 meal-size servings or 18 snacks.

Hitch Itch

We are getting a case of the "Hitch Itch" meaning it is nearly time to hitch up the car to the Moho and head for parts south. We have been working on the motor home lately and that intensifies the itchy part.

In fact, Butch was washing the windshield when the ladder tipped over and he grabbed the windshield wiper to catch himself, breaking the wiper, cutting his finger and other assorted bruises. 7 stitches later and a few days healing and we are back at the process. However, this time I am there holding the ladder. Would have been the first time had I known he was doing it.

So the outside is nearly ready and I am ready to tackle the inside. This is one of those chores you always promise yourself you will do when we are down south and then again we promise when we are up north creating a teeter-totter effect. I have about 3 weeks to get my act together.

Raspberries

From Kay V.

We pick 4 pints every other day!  If this warm weather continues--no end in sight!

Car Keys-Tip from Kay V.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.


Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him..... He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.