Another one bites the dust!!

My gosh, another month gone before you know it we will be shoveling snow again, yikes!!

So, what has been happening , lots. The biggest was my son's wedding in Madison , WI. We were for the first time able to use the motor home for some fun. In the past it has been a rolling apartment for Jim and myself, we lived in it for different jobs.

In lieu of a wedding cake the bride Mary wanted a cupcake tower so that is what I did for her. The cupcakes were lemon poppy seed and chocolate with a butter cream frosting. Jim helped cover the tower with white fanci foil and trimmed with red ribbon. I baked the cupcakes here at home and then frosted them the day of the wedding. With my back acting up it was a real challenge. Sure wish there were a cure for these muscle spasms as they really interfere with my life. Without Jim's help I would never have been able to accomplish all this. I did find that those stick on heat packs help some. After the ceremony we rushed over to the hotel and set everything up and were able to have it finished before the majority of the guests arrive.

I was a wreck with all the rushing around, in looking at the wedding pictures I look like a bag lady, yucky!! I forgot my scarf and did not have time to do anything with my hair, wrong hairband etc. All my carefully planned outfit down the drain, even did not have time to put on my new shoes. The ideal thing would have been to bring my clothes and get dressed at the church, oh well so it goes!! Of course the getting old and saggy part did not help much either. How come when we look in the mirror we don't look toooo bad and then the pictures come out,lol, not a pretty sight.

The wedding was very nice, loved the ceremony and the priest was excellent. The reception and dinner went very well also. I really think everyone had a great time, we left fairly early as we were pooped. Granddaughter Freyja came with us which was great. It was so super seeing everyone and meeting Mary's family who are a wonderful group of people. Erick and Mary came to the campground the next afternoon to pick up Freyja. Erick and Jim ended up going swimming with her and had a very nice time.

While we were in Madison we were able to go to the SWAPP for U of W where they sell surplus equipment. This has been our source for computer equipment for the last few years, wonderful bargins. We almost did not make it, on the way there we took a wrong turn and as we are going down the highway Jim looks out the window and says "Oh, No". He spotted a couple of husky dogs running up the on ramp, they were going full out trailing leashes. I pull over and he gets out and heads back in their direction and calls them. Miricles do happen, they came to him and he grabbed their leashes and broght them to the car. Once we loaded them in it was "now what do we do??" Shortly a car pulls up and a young lady says she knows where they came from and tries to give us directions, which are useless as we have no idea where we are,lol. So, long story short she goes collects the man and the dogs are reunited. Beautiful dogs, black and white with pale blue eyes.


All of this excitement of course throws off my carefully planned schedule as there are usually long lines to get into SWAPP. When we finally arrive at our destination there are about 30 people in line already so I am worried there will be nothing left. I needed a new computer in order to do my work from home business. I was also trying to find a laptop for a friend for her business. Lo and behold once the doors open we are in luck, they are having a sale and have a mulititude of computers. We were able to get a nice HP computer and a flat screen for $175.00 and got my friend a HP laptop for $80.00. The laptop needed a battery but had xp loaded and she got a battery for around $100.00 so she was very happy. For another $5.00 I got a keyboard and now am ready to set it all up in the attic. Now I have most everything I need to get going.

I have passed all the basic tests and now keep checking the opportunities to find which company I want to work for. So far the choices have been a cruise line which talk says the system is very difficult and the travel agents are rude and a major phone company doing sales. The sales job has requirements of so many sales per hour which I do not feel comfortable with. I am much better with the helping end of things so am keeping my eyes open for the auto club or bookstore, even the drugstore or home improvement place would be good. The phone company also often has jobs that are more customer service so will also look for that one. If anyone is looking for a work from home job check out Arise.com, they act as agents for many large companies. You do not work for them but set up your own business and contract through them. Tory Johnson who often appears on Good Morning America has a company called Women for Hire and she lists many reputable work from home jobs if you are interested.

Jim is still out of work and looking but so far the pickings are slim. If we wanted to move again he could probably be back to work next week. We are just trying so hard to stay here and never move again. He is currently taking a small engine repair course online, with his mechanical background we think this is a good fit. He knows quite a bit of what he is studying but is also learning quite a few new things which is great. He was saying today that some of the current lessons are fixing compressors and outboard motors so he will be able to work on a wide variety of machines. So please keep your fingers crossed that something shows up soon. When he can get this small business going he will be able to work for a bit less, while we like where we are the pay scale is the pits.

We continue to work on the yard and gardens. The giant pumpkins are making huge vines but I do not see many pumpkins so not sure how many we will have this year. The tornado damaged many that I had planted and blew away flats that I had out to plant so anything will be good. Lots and lots of jalapenos, Hungarian hot wax, banana and Anaheim peppers. Spices are so so but tomatoes are taking off like crazy, will be able to make lots of spaghetti sauce and salsa. While we did not get the new area plowed this year we are going to try to plow in the fall so that it will be ready for spring. I will move the strawberries out there and then make the current area all herbs. The new area will be much larger and I can do more rows further apart which will make working out there easier. The plans are to do lots more herbs with the thought in mind to sell them either fresh or online dried. We will see how well that works. I am getting a nice clientele for our fresh eggs as all 30 chickens are now laying. The new guys eggs are smaller but over time that will change. They are now completely self supporting with some extra.

So my friends hope life if treating you well, the Clark Homestead is still chugging away and hoping for the best. Love to all