What? No blog?

Oy vey!!!!

I've not blogged since Friday..... time to CATCH UP.

Saturday 
Michael has some days where he is simply stubborn. He refuses to give in to Arthritis or Parkinson's and does what he wants to do - and those are usually very fun days or very productive days.  Our new awning arm came in and we are happily enjoying an awning! Just in time for the heat of Texas.

We stopped by for a quick visit with my parents before we headed to Winco for groceries. They were doing laundry. This reminded Michael that I'd said it takes FOREVER to draw a big load in their dryer. Cleaning out the vent grew and grew - a project that ended up taking 5 hours, 2 trips to the store and lots of laughter as we found 23 or 25 safety pins in the dryer hose....and other repairs to tend to.

Alex went under the house

Michael went under the house

Sunday 
We have enough Sundays in Eugene to visit all the kids' churches. Today we went to Westside Foursquare. The pastor wasn't there, but the sermon was good and seeing Arielle and Cory was a bonus. We all headed over to Krista's church, Lively Stone,  next. She and Kent had been up late making enchiladas.....it was a Mexico Mission Trip fundraiser. It was fun to jump in and help. We enjoy fellowship with this branch of the body.

Michael was in a lot of pain and so we ducked out and spent the rest of the day cozy in the Caboose.

Monday
We are blessed to be able to go with the day - flex as needed. Monday was another not so wonderful day for Michael. The fatigue and shakes which sometimes hit regardless of meds and patches - hit. We went with it. Nolan had Japanese lesson - so it WAS a productive day. ::Snort::

I finally made it to Winco.

Tuesday 
The highlight of Tuesday was lunch with Mom, Dad and Aunt Marge!  Aunt Marge and Aunt Celia were single missionaries who first came into my life in Liberia, West Africa. They taught me K - 2. I used to ride between Marge and Ceila on their motor scooter around the mission compound.  Years later, when I was a high school student in the Philippines, they were reassigned to the Philippines! How cool is that? Marge lives in the Philippines now, but was stateside for 3 weeks. I would love to make a trip to visit.

Me and Auntie Marge - 4+ decades later

Tuesday Bella turned two weeks old. I love this photo! She is growing in all the ways she should be and coming into a sweet personality. 

Wednesday 
Michael attended a Men's prayer group this a.m. I attended a Ladies brunch. We made an unexpected trip to the local VA clinic. We filed a piece of paper the VA system had sent to the wrong address. Michael had a session with JaRissa - and we all enjoyed seeing photos of their Alaskan apartment.

That's all folks! 

#WYFF - Family Game Night & Trailer Day

Yikes- I didn't take one FOOT picture for #WYFF - but here's where our feet were anyway! ::wink::

Every 3rd or 4th day we need what we call a "trailer" or "down" day.....I think the term "down day" is misleading. We need to take care of the things of life: laundry, baking bread, any minor repairs....because when you have few clothes and live in a teeny tiny house - you don't want a lot of laundry piling up.

This was a WILD weather day in our part of OR. It  rained - hard off and on - in between the sun was bright....and then we had thunder too, somewhere in the mix....It was a good day for a "trailer" day.

We headed to "The Girls'" while they were at work and school.....and did 5 loads of laundry...and I baked 8 loaves of bread.  Why would we haul everything there? We'd rather pay them the exorbitant laundry rates than a park, ::snort:: AND we know their machines well  -we  gave them to them when we moved from our SB (Stick and Bricks) home.  AND.....they have THIS....a double oven!

 This is about triple the oven space we have in the Caboose. I gave mom and Krista a loaf, put three loaves in Krista's freezer and brought three home. Evidently, I hit the broil instead of bake in the top oven and the tops of 3 loaves were a bit brown before I caught the mistake.

Michael worked on editing a college paper for Arielle, the kids played and read. We were finishing about the time Krista came home from work. She did a very little bit of homework, Michael ran for Papa Murphy's, Mom and Lorri arrived, I baked pizzas and  we ate and played games. Dad ran to a meeting at New Hope and then joined us.  Our first game was Farkle. This is new to us and Alex and Stacia learned today. I think it will be a fun one we can play in the trailer.

Nolan went with Krista to game night with her friends last Friday. They do this most Fridays.  He was introduced to a new game - Dominion. We tried to find it at Target as Nolan had a gift card for Target  (hadn't heard about the big Target flap - no need to inform me now, I've been on FB since then LOL). Now FOLKS if we don't SPEND the Target gift cards we have the company makes MORE money - so show some grace.  In any event - none of the Targets had it in stock. Terrah, a friend of Krista's, loaned it to us so Nolan could show us how fun the game would be.

Nolan LOVES strategy games! Most of us like games which are shorter than 10 hours at a whack....and long, long games are hard to maintain in the Caboose. I wonder if he and Krista conspired to teach us this one? In any event, I'm told you can play it in 30 min. (when everyone knows what they are doing - which wasn't us).

Nolan and Krista had their hands full teaching us - but by the end of the night we were catching on and seeing the potential in the game. We'll have to keep looking for it.

We got - Me and Lorri

Alex

Pretty hand - what do you do with it? LOL 

Stacia

Krista ended up not playing - she bounced back and forth between us. Thanks, Krista! We'll remember you and Terrah and Hudson each time we play! 

Nolan and Krista were great teachers

Grandpa (my Dad)

After a couple of days of sight-seeing, Michael found himself nearly incapacitated for the day. Not only were his joints ready for a break, he had a hard time staying awake and so sat in the recliner and dozed in and out. BUT he was there. Chronic Fatigue is a symptom of Parkinsons that seems to be fairly consistent and brutal. We're learning to work with it.

Michael

Krista and Grandma (my mom)

I didn't really figure out the purpose in the game, or how to win, until the very end.  It was a fun family Friday night.

#WYFF (Where's Your Feet Friday) is sponsored by Fulltime Families. View more of our Friday exploits by clicking the #WYFF tab above. 

Bella's 9 Days Old

BreZaak invited us over for a quick visit. Look at this little girl! It's incredibly fun to watch a person's personality blossom. The poor little darling really wanted to sleep - and Grandpa and Granna had the job of keeping her awake. She's not very happy looking in most of the zillion photos we took.

9 days old

 Grandpa's in trouble! 

Ah, he still has a few tricks! 

Daddy and Bella 

We tore ourselves away from BreZaak Bella, and stopped in at Arielle's and Krista's. They invited us for dinner, the kids gave Arielle an hour of study diversion, and Michael earned our dinner by editing various college and graduate level writings.  Another full day - the weeks are packed.

Skinner's Butte ~ Eugene, OR

We were so close to Skinner's Butte, and finished the tour earlier than expected, so we drove up the butte. I love this picture of Mom and Dad. 

A big attraction for the kids is sliding down the "O". 

 This plague is in a seating area. The view is beautiful from up here. 

My grandmother, Katherine, was a Skinner. Reading the plaque on the terrace, I wanted to try to locate the site of the cabin built on the western slope of the butte.  Michael suspected he knew where it was - and he was right. This is the location of the first cabin built in the area in 1849,  by Eugene and Mary Skinner. I wonder if they had rock climbers out their window in 1849. LOL

This was another fun outing with my parents and Lorri. I'm thankful they're willing to be drug along on some of these outings.  Nolan was introduced to Dominion at a Game party last Friday night. He has a gift certificate to Target and asked if we could stop and buy the game. 

Alas, there are no copies of the games at any of the "nearby" Targets. 

However, to put the cherry on the top of a great day, we were invited over to visit with our favorite one week old, and headed from Target for a visit. 

Castle on the Hill ~ Eugene, OR

Completed in 1888, the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, or the "Castle on the Hill" has watched over the city of Eugene, OR for over a century. We noted the house on our train rides in and out of Eugene and have tried twice before to visit.

I read the website wrong and we showed up just as they were closing a bit after 1:00 p.m. The curator was gracious and allowed us in and told us to take our time. She answered our questions, gave us self-guided tour notebooks and made herself available for more questions at the end of the tour. Wonderful customer service. 

Can you see the "1888" on the side of the home? 

Alex, Dad, Stacia, Lorri, Nolan, Me, Mom 

Dr. Thomas Shelton, and his wife Adah, originally bought over 300 acres from Mary Skinner. They owned the entire Skinner's Butte.  Early pictures show a grassy knoll with grazing sheep. They (and the McMurphey family) planted the many trees and bushes which currently thrive on the butte. The property now consists of 1 acre.  The house has survived two fires. The first was started by a disgruntled workman before the home was completed. The house had to be reconstructed. Total cost came in at $8,000. The second fire occurred during a remodel. 

Dr. Shelton established a lucrative medical practice.  He was also a druggist and part owner of the first water utility company in Eugene. The Sheltons lived in the Castle on the Hill until 1893, when Dr. Shelton died of Leukemia at the age of 49. Adah sold the house to her daughter, Alberta. 

Site of 4 McMurphey weddings

Alberta married Robert McMurphey in an alcove in the parlor. The couple had four daughters and two sons. Three of their daughters were married in the same alcove. The house is currently hosting an exhibit called the Traditional Bride. Informative reading on various wedding customs, along with antique wedding attire are sprinkled throughout the home. 

Alberta was one of the first graduates of the UofO's school of music in 1886. She taught music in the high-school until her marriage, and then offered lessons in her parlor. Robert McMurphey was involved in real estate, insurance and became manager of the Eugene Water company - founded by his father in law. He also owned a woolen company. 

Eva Frazer Johnson returned to Eugene with her mother, after the death of her father while she was an infant. She lived around the corner from the McMurphey family and was good friends with the McMurphey children. She grew up loving and dreaming of living in the Castle on the Hill. She married Curtis Johnson and both became doctors. Curtis specialized in Pediatrics, while she specialized in General Medicine. Eva became a pioneer in Psychiatry and specialized in personal and divorce counseling.  When the home came on the market after Alberta's death in 1949, Eva purchased the home for $30,000. 

The Johnsons had the turret restored and Curtis created the ultimate man cave on the 3rd floor. He once locked himself inside and so cut a small hole through the wall to reach out and open the door. I'm not sure why they didn't install a knob that would open from the inside. LOL

In her later years, Eva rented the upstairs rooms to university students and single parent families. She offered the home to her children in 1975, but none of them were able to take it. She gave the house to the Lane County Historical Society with the stipulation that she be allowed to live in the home until her death. Eva died in 1986 at the age of 97, the home was transferred from the county to the City of Eugene. 

Mustache cup - love it! 

My dream kitchen window

Several public teas are offered throughout the year at the house, the house is also available to rent for weddings, private teas and meetings.

This was a fun tour and provided insight into local history. The cost was only $5 per adult with a Triple A discount. 

Science Comes to Life

We have been studying the ocean and animals of the ocean.  One thing we learned about was rivers, streams, creeks start on mountains as streams, growing and rushing downwards - always flowing towards the ocean. We discussed how all rivers flow into the ocean at some point....and that the water is a mix of salt and fresh at the estuary/mouth of the river.

This caught Stacia's imagination and she spent time during the rain at Beale Fam Camp looking at streams of water running from our site (on a rise), down the road and to a field that became a pond in heavy rain. She noted the same principle.

I was thrilled today when I noted we were at the mouth of Cape Creek.....This is when science comes to life.

Pointing out the tidal mouth - with Cape Creek behind us

The water clearly flowed towards the ocean, while the waves flowed into the river....

Stacia crossed the "river" so that she could taste undiluted salt water. LOL