Over the past few weeks we’ve made a few little trips, just here and there. Our first stop was GreenBluff, WA where you’re able to pick whatever fruit is ripe and pay by the pound.
Gorgeous homes intermingled with nature on the Bluff
There wasn’t anything ripe for the picking when we went, but we did at least get out of the house and papa made a new friend.
Rise and shine
The one store that was open was the High Country Orchard and we enjoyed having it to ourselves as we looked around at the cutest home decor.
We couldn’t resist getting a couple coffee cups
It’s a great place to stop in for a delicious pastry and enjoy the relaxing ambiance before the summer crowds.
In the past we’ve picked cherries, raspberries, strawberries and pumpkins, Yum. We’re looking forward to returning when things are back in season.
Running through orchards sounds dreamy… can I come?
Charlie got a long awaited washing at the Yuppy Puppy and loved getting all the attention, without Milo squeezing his way in.
Don’t forget to massage the foot while you’re at it buddy
We were very happy with the products they provide for a self serve dog wash place; the girl was super informative and very welcoming.
Yuppy Puppy just past the “Y”
We’ve had a few really good rainstorms, hail and the ever-dreaded thunder.
With a break in the storm we hurry to take the dogs for a walk
The dogs, no matter the scenario, are shaking up a storm if they hear thunder, no pun intended and no fun for any of us.
Yikes, was that another rumble!?
Yesterday we ventured out of the state, heading next door to Idaho for a family outing. Post Falls, Idaho has some of the best thrift stores I’ve ever seen, not only in appearance, but also with what they have for sale. The facilities are clean and organized, the people were friendly and the clothing is in order of size, color and style.
Good stuff at the Goodwill
Of course I can’t forget to mention the awesome prices they have on items. We didn’t go to all stores, but we did visit the Goodwill, Idaho Youth Ranch and Hospice Thriftique, all three are well worth the visit! Click here for the list of all thrift stores and addresses in Post Falls. We were in awe of the quality of items available for the sale, especially at the Hospice Thriftique. I would like to mention that it’s run entirely by volunteers and the proceeds go to Hospice. When my mom was near the end of her days on earth, Hospice in Oklahoma was there for us in every way until the end. It’s such a wonderful organization; I hope that you’d consider shopping there before you take yourself to a superstore.
Go show the love if you heart hospice too!
To all you moms, we wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day and may all those in your life cherish you and remember to show it today and every day.
Something to brag about. I’ve (Mitch) been smoking for over 25 years and I really enjoy a good smoke, but for years I have struggled with the thought of quitting and how difficult it would be. I always made excuses as to when and how I was going to quit and I had it in my head for a long time. I have tried Chantix a couple years ago and that medication combined with my miserable job at the prison, made it a very difficult time to attempt to quit, and so it was another failed attempt. But I must say that this entire traveling adventure has been a life change for me and now that this dream was near its end, it was time that I did it for me and not for anyone else.
I had always thought that I am an “all or none” kind of person, meaning that I could not just cut down on smoking or have just one beer or one glass of wine. If I was going to smoke then I was going to smoke as much as I wanted and when I wanted, and the same concept applied to my drinking much of the time. I had a tough time stopping at one, and coming from an alcoholic family, that has been a struggle all its own.
Its one thing to wine about it, but its another to be a wine’o
When we got back to Spokane I thought that this might be my opportunity to try and quit smoking once again for the simple fact that it would be easier for me to quit in an environment that was unfamiliar with me. So I rationalized each thing that would be unfamiliar such as a possible new job, a new location, a gym membership, and a diet plan, all those reasons combined made it the perfect opportunity for me to make another attempt. Not to mention multiple obvious other reasons such as the health risk, my Daughter now smokes, my Son at 17 has started to experience it on occasion, the cost, the smell, the yellow teeth, having to wash my hands after every smoke, my wife not wanting to kiss me after I’ve smoked or even hold my hand because they stunk, and most significantly that my Dad passed away not more than 2 years ago from Lung cancer.
Ali and Eli in front of their “rides”My Daddy looking towards his maker
The list could go on, but I will keep to those I’ve mentioned. So the odds were in my favor. Those are all of the mental, emotional and spiritual reasons I needed to quit. What I needed for me was a physical ailment that made me not want to have a cigarette, because that is the hardest part, getting through the want and desire of having a smoke. So about a year ago, I began to pray and ask God to take away my desire to smoke. It was a simple prayer and it was to the point, and it was the same simple prayer I used to take away my desire to drink beer. I can honestly say that I rarely ever drink beer. I just have no desire. (I should have been more specific with that though, because I still love the wine.) Anyhow, on the evening of March 26, I had more than my share of wine, I had Shawna’s share as well, and probably about 3 or 4 other shares too, it was much to much to share with anyone else apparently.
“I wish you would have shared some of that with me”
The next morning I was so congested that I felt like I could have choked on the phlegm. I felt horrible. So I put two and two together and knew that this was my answer to prayer. The good Lord took my body and made me feel like crap and I embraced it because I knew that it was just what I needed to allow me to quit smoking and at that time I had no desire. I was sick, I had too much to drink the night before, I was going on a diet, and I was getting the gym membership 3 days later, so the positive the reasons combined with the negative, gave me hope and my time had finally come.
I tried to not think about smoking come day 3 and then 4 and then while I was on the treadmill, I had even more enthusiasm to go harder because I had to get rid of the toxins in my body, so I pushed myself and I felt great… until oweeee!! A couple weeks later after doing cardio six days a week, my ankle was aching and telling me to stop. So I finally listened but by then it was to late. I felt defeated. I thought to myself, well if I cant go to the gym, I may as well eat a bunch of crap and forget the diet, and if I’m not going to do the diet then I may as well have a smoke and if I was going to smoke I may as well drink too because now I’m depressed and need to drown my sorrows. That is pretty much how I felt; yet I knew that if I allowed one hiccup defeat multiple positives that I was enduring, then I knew that I would have had multiple failed attempts. I realized that before any of it those defeats had happened that I was being tested and if I let one unfortunate circumstance affect so many positive changes then I would have truly felt beaten. That is when I realized that I don’t have to be an “all or none” kind of person and that things are going to happen that are out of my control and if I cant change it then I can embrace it and do the best I can to stay on track with what works for me.
Hey Honey check out this coupon, good for $1.00 off Ice Cream
I just needed to make a few adjustments and to scale back a little bit until my ankle could heal and stick to my diet and continue to go to the gym, just not as often. Throughout this month long process I recognized that this is what I have wanted for years, to quit smoking and to get in shape and both of those accomplishments make me content with me.
More yummy breakfast’s
Today marks the 39th day that I am smoke and alcohol free, yes alcohol too. I quit drinking as well, and not for any particular reason, but for multiple ones. Shawna and I have also been incorporating some more balanced nutrition in our diet such as yummy Breyer’s Indulgences Gelato Ice cream. Now that’s a reward in itself!
This is the best Ice Cream ever!!!
I hope that sharing my story gives you the inspiration to tackle those vices, additions or bad habits that you’ve wanted to overcome, and I encourage you to not give up and to focus on what it may be that will work best for you.
If you’ve ever wondered where the worst allergies are, I would have to say here in Spokane, WA.
Papa’s never had allergies, until he came to live with us here in Medical Lake. I never had allergies until I was stationed up here years ago, and for the last week we have both been struggling with all the allergens flying around. Yuck, especially since it feels like we have colds.
Mitch’s been running at the gym like someone in training for a marathon, and was up to running 3 miles in a day. A week and a half ago a sharp debilitating pain stopped my sweetie in his tracks. The pain in his ankle got so bad he could barely walk, let alone run, and with a swollen ankle the size of an orange, moving around the RV with crutches has been challenging. Thankfully it’s getting better with rest, ice, and elevation.
Papa’s been walking the dogs with me more often since Mitch’s foot got hurt.
We’re still eating well (ok, somewhat well) and going to the gym, it’s just been scaled down since we’ve had some hiccups in the road. That’s life. Smooth sailing isn’t our way of life… it’s too overrated, we wouldn’t want a boat and I get seasick on a cruise ship! I’ve found it’s better to take the bad and find the good in it, have a mopey moment and then accept whatever challenge it is.
home made vegetable soup! I used the Allrecipes app. it rocks
Through out our lives, we are all WIP’s (works in progress) and if we were to get “it” (whatever it may be) right the first time, there wouldn’t be much personal growth or wisdom achieved. Where’s the bragging rights in that?! Speaking of such, Mitch has quite smoking cold turkey one month ago yesterday! Now that’s some bragging rights there.
Way to go Mitch! Now you’ll be able to take me on longer walks with healthier lungs…after that foot gets better
I don’t know if it seems silly that I’m posting about how I make my iced coffee, but it took me years to figure out how to really master the concoction.If someone can use this information and I can save them some confusion about what works best for creating an iced coffee I’m happy to help.
It all begins with the coffee. For the longest time I would just used our brewed coffee.. blah ,then I tried the Keurig…nope, still wasn’t right. I didn’t want to buy an actual espresso machine as it seemed too elaborate. When I began to research traveling I came across a post about a stovetop espresso maker.
Who knew there was even such a thing? We got ours from Kohl’s, it’s a 3 cup Mika Express Stovetop Espresso Maker. It’s awesome. The next challenge is to figure out what coffee to use. There are so many options out there and to find the right grind was confusing. We just squeeze the bags and try to guess what’s a fine ground coffee. Our favorite is Gevalia Traditional Roast.
We get our blended iced coffee mix, cups, lids and straws from URM Cash and Carry here in Spokane. I put a scoop of the blended ice coffee mix in the magic bullet container, then pour in the espresso coffee while it’s hot and it’ll blend really well with just the stir of a spoon. Pour that onto the ice in the cup and then fill it up with unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your choice of milk).
We also add some Hershey’s syrup to flavor them up.
I love the Carmel Latte and Mitch is the Mocha man. I sometimes go a little nuts and make it blended with our magic bullet. Don’t forget the Reddi Wip.
Goin' Road Trippin' 