Greenleaf 2016

I tried to post this pic at the end, but blogger won't let me, and it won't let me drag and drop. Anyway, this is where my dad was in boot camp during WW2. That insignia in the middle at the bottom of the sign was his division.  Camp Gruber created Greenleaf Lake for amphibious assault training.  You know....for things like landing on the beaches of Normandy.

Soft fall colors

Cabin 11 at last!

Playing dominoes

Dave playing a game before the fire.

The Feast... bacon wrapped roasted turkey breast, cranberry orange compote, and green bean casserole made with gouda and sour cream, topped with crispy onions out of a box.  Oh, and a lovely un-oaked sauvignon blanc.

The blazing fire on our last night in the cabin.

Trying to capture the sparkling water, but it was too bright.

We love that the cabins are built of native stone.

The 11.

I was mistaken about the counter space....There is even LESS than in tiny cabin 6!

From the sleeping area into the living area.

Sleeping area.

Our annual trip to our little cabin in the woods was as perfect as ever this year.

We finally got the cabin we've wanted, and it was just what we needed it to be.

There are some things about the cabin itself that we do not particularly like, but its location in the park, and its size, were perfect.

We don't like that the wood ceiling has been covered by what appears to be painted plywood.  We suspect that there were roof issues recently, and rather than going to the expense of replacing the beautiful wood, they just covered it up.  There isn't much money in the state, and far too little for the state parks.

I also don't particularly like fire place inserts (cabin 13 has an open heath), because you have to close the doors to get the fire really going and to keep the place from filling with smoke.  Cabin 6 has an insert that is all metal.  Cabin 11 at least still has one glass door (the other side has been replaced with metal).

Oh, and the counter space in 11 is EVEN SMALLER than in 6. There is about 18 square inches of counter.  Thankfully, the table is big enough to use, and the cutting board placed over the sink helped, too.

We got to go star gazing, and hiking, and we enjoyed many wonderful meals, and wine, and I got to make beautiful fires that heated the cabin all night long.

We read books, and read out loud to each other at times.

We enjoyed the silence, which is amazing, and we loved not being able to surf the internet or get text messages!!

Squirrels running across the roof, and gentle rain drops on Saturday morning, were wonderful to hear.

Our one foray into the world was on Friday, when we went to the Five Civilized Tribes museum in Muskogee again.  They always have a fine art show going this time of year.

Because it's Black Friday, there was no one there but us. Just like the last time we went.

Some years, we venture out. Some years, we don't.

Last year, it rained almost the whole time, so we just stayed in our snug little cabin and nursed the firewood supply carefully so that we had a small blaze going the whole time.  We hiked when the rain let up, but did not get much trail time last year, and no star gazing.

This year the weather was clear, and cool, and bright.  The sky was so clear at night that we could see the milky way.

The one hitch in the stay was that the water went out on Thursday some time over night.  When we got up Friday morning, there was no water, so Dave drove up to the office and they let him know that they were already working on it.

They had it back on within a few hours, so we were able to wash dishes and shower before going up to Muskogee around noon.

One thing we noticed was that not all of the cabins were full.  The big one we used to get, 13, was vacant until Friday.  So were cabins 1, 4, 8, 9, 14, and 20.  No, really..... there were VERY few people there for Thanksgiving.

NO ONE was in the camp ground down by the big building, and the usual crowd that rents the big building was not there. We think they're the ones who usually rent cabins 13 and 14.

Oh well, it made it quieter.

We made our reservation for cabin 11 for next year, we hope.

The girl who was working the office when I went in to do that had already rented it to someone else by mistake.  She SAID she fixed it, but her confirmation email was blank, so Dave is going to call tomorrow to be sure.

She must have made several mistakes, because she said that she gave our cabin to someone else because that other person's cabin was already taken.

The only way it could have already been taken would have been if she gave it to someone else the way she gave OURS to someone else by mistake.

The one who holds the cabin at check out takes priority!!

We miss the lady who used to work there who retired...her name was Gail Slease, and she knew it all.

The trip home was easy, and the unpacking and laundry are done.  Off now to make breakfast.

Dave will go to his dad's and I will stay home and do some cooking.

It's not a nice day today, so we won't be going to the nature preserve for our walk.

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and are having a good weekend!

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Yesterday, Dave's brother Larry and sister in law Denise came down from Kansas.  They provided food from Cracker Barrell for us to have a Thanksgiving feast with Pop and Denise's brother, Lendell.  I brought an apple pie and whipped cream, but they provided everything else.

Since they had paid for all of the food, Dave and I did the clean up.

It was very nice, and there was so much left over food, AFTER we put away TEN meal portions for Pop's freezer, that we dropped it off at the City Rescue Mission on the way home.

The coming week brings our annual escape for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our house sitters are ready, and I am starting to throw stuff in boxes for the cabin.

We have a cabin that we have never had before this year.  This will be our 6th year doing this trip.

The very first year, we had cabin 6, which is the smallest, and it sits RIGHT on the road into the cabin area. 

It's basically a bedroom with a kitchen area, and a bathroom the size of a closet. 

The fireplace and a small table with 2 wood and wrought iron chairs are in the bedroom.  It's very close quarters, but cozy.  Our butts get sore from only having the hard chairs to sit on all weekend, though!

You step off of the front porch, onto the road.  It's the only one like that, so you see people walking by, and driving by, the whole time.  The headlights at night are actually pretty annoying.

It also has just 2 square feet of counter space.

Then, we somehow lucked into cabin 13-- which is much bigger, with a screened front porch, and faces the lake.  

It has two separate rooms, a decent sized bathroom, a couch and easy chair in the living room, a table, and a breakfast bar counter with lots of space, and four wood and wrought iron chairs.  

The couch and easy chair fold out to beds.  The front porch also has a table and 4 cushioned chairs. 

13 faces away from the road, so you don't see the traffic, you see the lake.

We held that one for a couple of years, until Dave's mom asked us to stay home one year, so the family could gather. 

We canceled our reservation that year, and lost our hold on 13. That turned out to be a huge blessing, though, because mom was gone by the next Thanksgiving.

Then, when we called for a cabin for the next year, all that was left was cabin 6 again (no one wants it for Thanksgiving because it has 2 square feet of counter space). 

We were also stuck with cabin 6 again last year, as taking a cabin camping trip to Greenleaf seems to have become more popular. 

Whole families rent multiple cabins and feast together in the biggest one. 

They're the ones walking back and forth with platters of food all day. It's really not fair of us to take one of the bigger cabins for just 2 of us.  

There's another family who comes every year and rents a bunch of the cabins, and they also rent the big building at the other end of the park for their big feast. 

They're the ones who drive in and out in the dark.  They had 6 people in cabin 13 last year, so it was much better suited for that number of guests.

As we were leaving the year before last, the staff was cleaning cabin 11, which we had actually wanted to try to get for several years, and I asked if I could go look inside.  

They let me, and it looked perfect.  

Fireplace, small table and chairs, and futon in the living room area, big kitchen breakfast bar counter (like 13), and separate bedroom/ bath area.  Kind of like 13 on the inside, but without the big porch, and with more comfortable seating than 6.

It has so much going for it that should be perfect for us:   It's the one all the way at the end, which was why we wanted it before. It sits up high on the hill, has a big, sloping space between it and the road, and because it's at the end,  there will be no traffic with people walking by-- or driving by in the dark with their head lights shining in. Not that their lights could shine in unless they pull up into our area to turn around, and there should be no reason for anyone to do that!

The rule is, you either reserve the cabin you are checking OUT of for the next year if you want it again, OR, you take your chances, and wait until Monday afternoon, when everyone is gone, to call to see what's available for the next year.

Dave called on Monday after Thanksgiving last year and was successful at getting 11! 

11 is also  priced less than 13, due to the smaller capacity, and only a little more than 6--but still VERY reasonable.  

I hope we get to keep it for a few years! We will reserve it again for next year as we check out.

It's supposed to be pretty good weather, too.  Cold at night, chilly but sunny during the day. It might rain on Saturday as we are packing out.

It will be SOOO nice to be off work,and to be internet and phone free, for a few days!

In other news, I had my last 2 week injections on Thursday, and started my next cycle of chemo pills.

The injections REALLY hurt this time.  Since they had not hurt at all the last time, this was somewhat distressing, but oh well. Nothing to be done for it.

My hair is not falling out yet (gentle reader, please knock on wood for me!).  I am glad that I won't be bald for another winter.  Two was enough.  Ugh.

Now that I have gotten through the first cycle of 2 week injections, I will only have to go once a month from now on.

We still don't know how long this process is going to be.  

Side effects so far are lowered blood platelets (which is new, and means no more liquor for me, just wine once in a while), the mouth being slightly off, as I mentioned before, and loose stools/diarrhea.  Yay.

It's odd, but the pill chemo is actually being harder on me, in that my blood counts remained perfect during 15 months of IV chemo, and I never really had digestive issues.

Being bald and having more severe mouth issues and numbness was rough, too!!!  I guess it's about the same, if you equal it out.

I am grateful that I had 6 months of chemo free living this year!

The hormone blocking process (was pills, now injections), continues to cause orthopedic issues with my right thumb and left wrist.  I have a referral to a hand/wrist surgeon from my oncologist.  I will call after our trip and try to get in before my new deductible year starts.

Today will be about continuing to pack stuff for the trip, and cleaning the house.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!  I will have pictures next week.

Break time!

Dave and I have taken a little break from work.

My office had Friday off as a holiday, and I took a vacation day for Monday.  Dave took vacation Friday and Monday, too.

We went to a John Hiatt concert on Thursday night, and enjoyed it completely, as expected.  He's one of my musical heroes.

It was just him and his guitar on the stage, in a small room that was not filled to capacity.  It was held at a "casino resort" about 45 minutes away from home.

We got a room and stayed the night, using money we had saved up for the occasion.

Came home before noon on Friday, and got all of the errands done.  We were thinking that the stores would not be crowded, but BOY were we wrong.  Apparently, MANY MANY people had Friday off.

Yesterday, we attended a peaceful rally at the park, showing our support for people who feel threatened by the outcome of the election.

Then, Dave did his dad's shopping while I did stuff that I needed to do at home.

Last night, dinner at Rebecca and Allen's.

Today, we will take our walk at the one nature park in town, and stop quickly at the workplace of my young friend Abby to drop something off for her.

Then home for the rest of the day and evening, with hopes of getting our guitars dusted off, having been inspired by Mr. Hiatt.

There will be cooking projects today and tomorrow.

This is also the full moon that marks the occasion of "Summer's End" in the lunar pagan tradition.  We will honor that phase of the year somehow as well.

I took my last chemo pill on Wednesday, and am off of it for a week.  The next round starts next Thursday.

I am still only experiencing mouth issues so far, for the most part.

Next Thursday is also my injection day and doctor visit.

Starting to gather my thoughts for our Thanksgiving celebration as well.  One of my very favorite things of the year!!

What I posted on FaceBook when someone got cheesed at me for being excited....

The well-documented, longest-EVER championship drought in professional sports history has finally been broken by the Chicago Cubs. 

If anything I have posted about it has been insulting or offensive, I CERTAINLY did NOT mean it that way! 

If we are friends, you should KNOW THIS about me!!

108 years, and generations of families never seeing this, is a monumental thing.

It's the biggest deal there is in sports, and my family and I are a bit excited about it. 

My dad was born, grew old, and died before he had the chance to live through this triumph of his favorite team (at least they won the pennant the fall after he came home from World War 2).

It's huge. It's nothing that can be explained adequately. It's actually a bit difficult to deal with.

It's a paradigm shift. Bear with me.

Okay, so the back story of this post is that I had been out getting something at the grocery store, and a total stranger spoke to me about my Cubs shirt.

Him: "I like the shirt!"

Me: "Thanks!"

Him: "Being a Red Sox fan, I can relate."

Me: smiled and walked away

I had posted this on FaceBook and added to the conversation portion of the post that no, he didn't quite understand....

A championship drought is a big thing for any fan, I do NOT discount that!!  

But this was THE LONGEST IN HISTORY, and it IS DIFFERENT.  Were the Red Sox ever called "Lovable Losers?"  Were they called that for 50 or more YEARS?

Anyway, someone got pissed at me for saying that Red Sox fans don't understand.

86 years vs 108 years.  

 Don't get pissed at me, just let me have my freaking moment -- and stop being Debbie Downer.

SO... other than the biggest news in sports history this past week, I got my second set of injections and saw the doc.

Blood counts look good, and the injections went much better this time. No residual pain at all.

The chemo mouth has begun, but rinsing with baking soda is taking care of it, for the most part.

I slept for 10 hours last night/this morning, and look forward to the coming week just being a normal week, with no intense excitement, nothing out of the ordinary, and no doctor appointments.  

Next week will end with us going to a concert to see my favorite singer/song writer, so I am looking forward to that, and a holiday for my office on Friday. YAY!

If you haven't changed your clocks back, DO IT NOW!

Oh, and THE CUBS ARE THE 2016 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!