Since it is almost the end of the year... and it has been a year that we have spent here on the boat, I figured I had better up-date the Blue Oasis Blog. So in review...
We were able to go home back in September for Mom's Surprise 75th Birthday party. We had SO MUCH FUN! Mom was so surprised! Karey rented the Grange hall in Rathdrum and all the kids, Karey, Ben, Marla, Barb and Dee went in early and decorated the hall. Karey made the cake (It was so beautiful!). Karey had told Mon that they were going to the Grange to listen to a folk singer that Karey thought Mon would like... When she walked through the door we all started signing happy birthday to her, it was awesome. There were friends and relatives from near and far, folks she had not seen for awhile. It was a wonderful day, and I think she was truly surprised! After the party in Post Falls Ben and I drove to Kamiah to see my brother and his family. It had been almost a year since I had seem them, I miss them so much.
We spent the weekend at the cabin, there were fires all around us and it was so smokey! We went on a jeep run up to Waldy Lookout with a group of friends, it was an awesome trip, but once we got up to the top of the mountain you couldn't see a THING! It was so great to see the kids, they grow up so fast. It's hard to believe that Bradley will be in High School next year.... Where has the time gone. ** sigh***
I also got to visit with my Aunt Donna Knight whom I had not seen in years!. It was nice to talk to someone who actually remembered my mom, and reminisce about 'the good ol' days'. As I get older there are so few people left , besides my brothers, who remember her! It was so wonderful to be home again, and it was awful to leave knowing it would be a long time before I could return! My birthday came and went in October, Ben took me out to dinner with Nikki and her family to Red Lobster, (We had a couple gift certificates from Carson...Thanks Dude), and Lani sent me a Birthday bouquet! She had it delivered which was tricky
as we live in a 'gated' marina... She called me and told me to go to the gate when the delivery truck arrived. How she coordinated it, I will never know... Thanks Lani! I Love ya Gal! By the end of October we had finally moved out to the 'common cover', no more living in a garage, aka Boat House! I am finally outta the cave of Darkness. LOL. I like it so much better out here, I can actually SEE out the windows, AND we don't have to pay the extra $250 a month in boat house rent. We get the storms now, the boat really gets to
rockin and a rollin! But I can see the traffic across the inlet, and we are right across from the Navel Base and the BIG ships and it is cool to see them come and go. The common cover houses about20 boats, there are 2 other boats with 'live-aboards', and BOY is it a LONG walk to the club house and the shower and toilet. (Ya REALLY have to plan ahead if you know what I mean!) But If I want to take Chloe out for a little walk we can walk around under the common cover and NOT get wet. That's nice for a change. Thanksgiving I went to Lani's and Ben went to Dave and Donna Pritz's, some friends we meet here at the Yacht Club. The day after Thanksgiving we Both had leftovers at Dave and Donna's, then the following Sunday we drove to Nicole's for a wonderful ham dinner. Now Christmas is approaching and it looks like we will not be able to afford to go home for the holiday. I'm not sure this is quite what I signed up for. Now that we live under common cover we only have so much power coming into the boat, so we keep the hot water heater turned off... except when we turn it on once a day to do dishes, we have to turn off all the heaters and the freezer to use the water heater or we blow the breakers. I miss having hot water, being able to just wash my hands or rinse out a wash cloth. I miss having a toilet. I miss having a shower and a washer and dryer. I don't like going to a laundry mat, I hate being so broke all the time, but I guess that's just little things. I suppose it is the holidays that have me so down, being so far from family and friends. I see the kids and Grandkids posts on facebook and it makes me cry, I talk to friends on the phone and it makes me cry, I guess I just need to put on my big girl panties and 'buck up'. I have been trying to keep busy, I am now the Port Orchard Yacht Club House Chairman, that means I am in charge of ALL the events and rentals of the clubhouse. It keeps me busy. I just finished decorating the clubhouse for Christmas, and Ben and I are going to decorate our boat for the lighted boat parade on the 15th. This will be the 2nd. time since we moved our boat
to Port Orchard that we have ACTUALLY been out on our boat! (price of fuel) So I am looking forward to that, Ben has been working on getting the boat decorated. Ben has been having quite a time this fall. His shoulder he fell on may need surgery and he has been going to physical therapy 3 times a week for his knees. He is in alot of pain, but I can only nag him so much to CALL his DR.'s. His Dr's are all through the VA and they WILL NOT do anything unless you hound them. Ben keeps waiting for them to call him, I tell him that isn't going to happen that HE needs to get on them.... But ya-know, Men.... what ya gonna do! Don't know what we are doing for Christmas but I will be sending all my love to those back home. I love and miss you all.
I also got to visit with my Aunt Donna Knight whom I had not seen in years!. It was nice to talk to someone who actually remembered my mom, and reminisce about 'the good ol' days'. As I get older there are so few people left , besides my brothers, who remember her! It was so wonderful to be home again, and it was awful to leave knowing it would be a long time before I could return! My birthday came and went in October, Ben took me out to dinner with Nikki and her family to Red Lobster, (We had a couple gift certificates from Carson...Thanks Dude), and Lani sent me a Birthday bouquet! She had it delivered which was tricky 
as we live in a 'gated' marina... She called me and told me to go to the gate when the delivery truck arrived. How she coordinated it, I will never know... Thanks Lani! I Love ya Gal! By the end of October we had finally moved out to the 'common cover', no more living in a garage, aka Boat House! I am finally outta the cave of Darkness. LOL. I like it so much better out here, I can actually SEE out the windows, AND we don't have to pay the extra $250 a month in boat house rent. We get the storms now, the boat really gets to 
rockin and a rollin! But I can see the traffic across the inlet, and we are right across from the Navel Base and the BIG ships and it is cool to see them come and go. The common cover houses about20 boats, there are 2 other boats with 'live-aboards', and BOY is it a LONG walk to the club house and the shower and toilet. (Ya REALLY have to plan ahead if you know what I mean!) But If I want to take Chloe out for a little walk we can walk around under the common cover and NOT get wet. That's nice for a change. Thanksgiving I went to Lani's and Ben went to Dave and Donna Pritz's, some friends we meet here at the Yacht Club. The day after Thanksgiving we Both had leftovers at Dave and Donna's, then the following Sunday we drove to Nicole's for a wonderful ham dinner. Now Christmas is approaching and it looks like we will not be able to afford to go home for the holiday. I'm not sure this is quite what I signed up for. Now that we live under common cover we only have so much power coming into the boat, so we keep the hot water heater turned off... except when we turn it on once a day to do dishes, we have to turn off all the heaters and the freezer to use the water heater or we blow the breakers. I miss having hot water, being able to just wash my hands or rinse out a wash cloth. I miss having a toilet. I miss having a shower and a washer and dryer. I don't like going to a laundry mat, I hate being so broke all the time, but I guess that's just little things. I suppose it is the holidays that have me so down, being so far from family and friends. I see the kids and Grandkids posts on facebook and it makes me cry, I talk to friends on the phone and it makes me cry, I guess I just need to put on my big girl panties and 'buck up'. I have been trying to keep busy, I am now the Port Orchard Yacht Club House Chairman, that means I am in charge of ALL the events and rentals of the clubhouse. It keeps me busy. I just finished decorating the clubhouse for Christmas, and Ben and I are going to decorate our boat for the lighted boat parade on the 15th. This will be the 2nd. time since we moved our boat 
to Port Orchard that we have ACTUALLY been out on our boat! (price of fuel) So I am looking forward to that, Ben has been working on getting the boat decorated. Ben has been having quite a time this fall. His shoulder he fell on may need surgery and he has been going to physical therapy 3 times a week for his knees. He is in alot of pain, but I can only nag him so much to CALL his DR.'s. His Dr's are all through the VA and they WILL NOT do anything unless you hound them. Ben keeps waiting for them to call him, I tell him that isn't going to happen that HE needs to get on them.... But ya-know, Men.... what ya gonna do! Don't know what we are doing for Christmas but I will be sending all my love to those back home. I love and miss you all.
