I've got to say that we've wanted a little all-in-one camper

[as we call them] for quite a while now and I never thought it would fit into our budget – but y’all know I’m married to Mr. Shopper Extraordinaire – and, I really should know by now that anything is possible once he’s taken on the challenge… 

So I’m pleased to share Wendell 

[yes, we've named it - look it up *] 

with you - I get a little happy feeling every time I drive up to the house and see him. 

[photo taken at the end of October, can you tell -?

Look at EmmaLou in her little bumble bee costume -]

Let’s be clear – he’s not new – and he’s had some repairs – but he looks great, and more importantly – EVERYTHING WORKS. So while Craig has been busy with important things like installing the telly and cable lines 

[YES – most campgrounds have cable now – lol – talk about ‘roughing it’ – ha,] 

and putting up the fun vintage-look clock he found,  I’ve been taking small steps to, 

dare I say it, glamp him up a bit.

 [I’ll share a complete post on that a bit later -]

Glamping is possible for two reasons – 1] We no longer have messy [but-oh-so-fun] boys running in / out of the camper and 2] There’s just a bit more space to nest in it [and I’m such a nester – am sure I’ve shared that if I’m away from home more than a day or two I have to have family photos in my hotel, and many times my own quilts, etc.]

 After seeing Rhonna’s fun vintage re-do – I knew I wanted a little chandelier in our dining area [ha – a table that pulls up beside the window -] 

I spent a few days searching on-line and on pinterest [of course] 

and finally decided that I could make my own – I started with something similar to this:

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/crystal-gem-votive-candle-holder-with-stem-629410/

[Bought it at HL while it was 50% off – 

but I’m sure there are similar ones available at Thrift Stores] 

The top easily comes off and already has a large hole in it - I added some garland and dangles from the Christmas section [also 50% off the week I shopped,] as well as battery operated lights [pushed through the hole with the box on top - covered in foil with more ‘jewels’ glued around it.] I thought of tying it all together with clear fishing string [we’ve got plenty of that around] – but I’m NOT a good fishing string-tyer – so instead, I pulled out the hot glue and had it completed in about an hour. It hangs on a clear commando hook and can be taken off easily for travel. [LOVE. IT.]

 

And on to other news - SO HAPPY I took the time to [FINALLY!] get the winter garden in – just in time for some cool rain. I [trans-] planted cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and onion sets. I also planted spinach, arugula, and something else – ha, turnips, maybe?. And yes, I still have jalapeños! [Did I ever share that I mistakenly bought a tray of six [9-?!?] plants thinking they were bell peppers? And we don’t even eat them. We also still have eggplant blooms, as well as BASIL, and a random tomato here and there. [One year I picked my last tomato on Thanksgiving Day – am not sure that’ll be happening this year!] – Love living in the South.

So the building tear-down continues – and I just can’t walk past this:

Without thinking of Mike Mullican and Mary Anne

and yes, I realize they're not using a STEAM shovel to tear down the building -

Anyone else have fond memories of Captain Kangaroo 
reading this great book to you? 

[Or was it Mr. Green Jeans?] 

-- Story and Pictures by: Virginia Lee Burton.

And, today marks EIGHT WEEKS of our new lifestyle – and I can’t say enough how very {{VERY}} proud I am of Craig for sticking with it – his numbers are where they need to be [yay!], I’m off the blood pressure meds I started taking last December, and we’ve both lost a little weight - won't say how much yet, but we need tighter belts to keep our britches up.

Hey, it’s really true – eating well and moving more – 

CAN make a HUGE difference in our health. 

But we all KNOW that, don’t we? 

Much thanks to a couple of doctors who helped us see the light -

Well, that’s all for now – we had a wonderful time camping with the boys and their gals over the weekend, but I'll share more of that in a few days... 

so, as we dive into the busy holiday season, let me encourage you to 

remember The Reason for our thankfulness and celebrations –

And I’ll be back soon to share more about Wendell’s make-over 

[I really didn’t do much -] 

* Wanderer, Seeker; to travel, to proceed on one’s way 

- perfect name for a camper, dontcha think?