Kibbe Nayeh - A Treat for Ed

Kibbe nayeh (kib'-bee nigh'-yay) is a Mediterranean food like steak tartare - it is seasoned ground raw beef mixed with cracked wheat. Their mother used to make it and Ed looked forward to going to his sister's all week for this treat.

Sisterly love!

Edmond and Lorraine

Lorraine made a salad for Mary.

Loraine and Ray Barkett

Ed likes to pour a bit of olive oil over it and eat it with crisp onions and pita bread. Here's Ed in 7th heaven!

Christmas Computer Fun Part 2 for 2009

Click on the title of each video and wait a bit for it to load.....speakers on.

Ed, his Son, Daughter-in-law, and Grandson
Ed, Steve, Lorraine, & Sean Angelil

Elfin' First Grade Friends

Bunny Spangler Turner, Lois Brown Horne, MaryMay Angelil, Sarah Swank Kastendick Mt. Clinton Elementary School, Virginia

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(This one isn't a video, just a message to you!)

Christmas Computer Fun 2009 - Part 1

Last year they talked about Elf Yourself on Good Morning, America and I made a few of their videos. This year I also used My Face LOL. I know they're silly, but I hope they bring good cheer to the victims/recipients.

Watch soon as they're only on for a week or so. I can download them to keep if I pay, but I haven't been willing to spend $5.00 each. After they expire, you will just get to see the screen shots below.

Click on the title of each video and wait a bit for it to load.....speakers on.

The Mays' Christmas Dance 2009
Fran May (Mother), Phil May, Anita May Krull, MaryMay Angelil

My Sister and Her Family especially enjoyed theirs.
Anita, Paul, Ellen, & April Krull

My Great Nephew in Ohio Duane Krull

My Brother, Sister-in-Law, and Nephew
Phil, Maribeth, & Levi May

Computer Spam

I took a computer class this week where someone asked why they were getting so much spam. The reason is that forwarded messages are full of email addresses which are harvested by spammers!

I received this email this morning and it explains what happens.

Tracking Email (not to insult you, but just in case you didn't know...)

1) Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks and harvests the E-Mail addresses of those folks you forward to.

2) Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus ....that's E-mail tracking and they're playing on our conscience. These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them. Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease - "how would you feel if that was your child".....E-mail Tracking!!!

Ignore them and don't participate!

3) Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are only another way to get names - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.

4) E-Mail petitions are NOT acceptable to White House, Congress or any other organization - i.e. social security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you're just helping the Email trackers.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,…….delete other people's e-mail addresses on the e-mails you send out.

When forwarding or sending, type the email addresses into the BCC (blind carbon copy) line.

When you get an email from me, you'll notice that the only name up top is mine. If you forward it, please delete my name and all the other email addresses.

Let’s put the SPAMMERS out of business!!

If you’re not sure how to forward email safely, all you have to do is ask and I’ll send you directions.

Blogging Blahs

It was bound to happen......after 105 days of travel with one adventure after another, life is becoming "normal", sort of. That means that this blog will not be taking you to the far reaches of the West any more.

I still plan to post several times a week but I don't want to have you keep checking to find nothing. If you would like, I can send you an email when I post something. If you want an email, you can comment at the bottom of this post.

 Click here for refresher directions: How to Comment)

p.s. I'm sure these blogging blahs also have to do with that fact that we're going to be selling the RV.

CHANGING GEARS FROM RVing TO...

Ed's decided he's had enough RVing. I make no bones about the fact that I'm not ready to sell but I can't drive it nor can I do all the sewer and electric set-up and maintenance involved or hook up the tow car.

We made this big trip out West, knowing that Ed does have lung cancer and we made the most of each day. Things appear to have stabilized with his cancer so we're not feeling quite so frantic. That gives us time to take things a bit more slowly.

He reminds me that he's 12 years older than me and he's tired of all the driving and the work the RV requires. He doesn't want to have to go empty the "black tank" (from the bathroom) any more.

He's ready to find a place where he can come for the winters here in Florida. When you RV, you meet friends but you move on and they move on. He's ready to come to a place where you meet up with the same people every winter and establish some friendships.

I suggested we could keep the RV, store it in the RV shelter he built in Virginia during the summer, and come to the same RV park each winter. He explained that it would be foolish to try to maintain a diesel engine and all the other components of an RV. Those things need to be run and used to keep them in good shape. Driving from Virginia in the fall and back in the spring would not be enough to keep it working properly.

Most of all, he's tired of living in 400 square feet. To me, it's still a convenient playhouse!

So, it is with sadness that I let you know that the plan is to sell the RV and buy a small manufactured home here in Florida.

I am pleasantly surprised that there are very nice places ranging from 1200-1600 square feet, some fully furnished, for reasonable prices. We've looked at some places in Stuart, Hobe Sound, and Port St. Lucie on the east coast (that's north of the congestion of Ft. Lauderdale, yet there are still palm trees.) We saw some places on the west coast in Ft. Myers last winter and plan to go explore there, too.

So, it looks like we will be saying, "A revoir, RV and bonjour, abode in Florida."

Kitty Litter in the RV

I wasn't sure about taking Pepper in the RV but it has worked out very well. She has brought us some good laughs and keeps us entertained.

This new litter system is THE way to go with cat litter.
You can read more about this system at http://www.felinepine.com/
Another plus is that it's all natural.
We started this at home to be sure Pepper would use it. Ed mixed the former litter with Feline Pine but that was probably not necessary. The switch happened in one day with no effort.

Pepper is smart and, as we know, cats don't like dirty litter boxes. She waits until we're here before she goes. She gives us the signal that she wants her box cleaned NOW by her jubilation dance where she runs from one end of the coach to the other like a wild cat!

"No odor" is a good thing in such a small space. It still amazes me how well this works.

People at the cat show told us that if you go to Tractor Supply or any farm store, you can buy White Pine stove pellets for a really cheap price and they are exactly the same product.

New Program for Pepper

I recently wrote about Pepper the Pest and how she disrupts our sleep. We're trying a new approach and it appears she might be changing her behavior.

When she jumped on us during the night, we sensed she wanted attention so we've been petting her or that she was cold so we let her under the covers. We've bought her a new heating pad for her bed, so being cold is not an excuse.

The new policy is this: When she jumps on the bed, we quickly and gently pick her up and set her on the floor. She then sits at the foot of the bed on the floor and gives these pitiful little meows -- it's all I can do not to laugh out loud.

After 4 nights, she's doing better. Last night she jumped on Ed once and on me three times. After that, she meowed several more times, then went into her bed. We're also trying to give her more attention during the day. Time will tell!

Someone pointed out that this is like teaching babies to go to sleep -- you have to let them cry until they get the hint. (Why didn't we think of this sooner?)


She does sleep in some funny positions. Here she is in her favorite blanket on the sofa.

Storing Stuff - Bath & Bedroom

Here is Part 2 of RV storage tips. This shows bathroom and bedroom storage areas.

This extra rack hangs over the edge of the shower. We probably bought it at Camping World.

This soap holder is from Camping World but I've seen them other places, too.

Storing Stuff - Front of RV

A few friends have been curious about what goes on inside an RV and how we manage to live and keep up with things. I'm certainly no expert but you can take a tour of the front part here:

Keeping one's "stuff" is a challenge in an RV. You have to find a place for it that is convenient AND you have to remember where it is!

I'm the one who usually forgets.

Outside the RV

We are still at Paradise Island RV Resort in Ft. Lauderdale and will be here until the middle of January (or longer).
The two slide-outs give a lot more space inside and take away that tunnel/trailer feeling.
It's nice to have awnings and a ladder. We think we're going to sit out but somehow it's always too rainy, too hot, to cool, or too windy.

Sitting outside is also affected by my internet addiction, Ed's TV football addiction, and reading lots of books.