We have fire

When we were choosing a 'home' to live in, there were many, many things on our have to have list. Bunk room, slides on two sides, outdoor kitchen, and wall space! to hang pictures, to put bookshelves, to make it feel like a home. 

The one thing I had to give up in the end, was a fireplace. 

I found the exact one they put in our trailer online. Putting the information up on my pinterest blog for future reference, I accepted my trailer fireplaceless.

My daughter ordered me the exact fireplace off of my pinterest information, and gave it to me for Christmas this year. 

Furrion RV Electric Fireplace with Logs - 30" Wide - Recessed Mount - Black

We put this fireplace in, all by ourselves, the day after Christmas. Because we placed it where a fireplace was intended to go, there was already electric accessible inside the cabinet. We only hooked it up for electricity. It does have battery hook up, as well. We will have to look into that when we become more mobile in our RV life.

Husband has done a lot of electric wiring through the years, so this was an easy project for him to splice and dice it into place.

 

There is a remote control to turn this on and off and control the heat settings. You can also control the brightness of the flames. The glass front of the fireplace always stays cool.  Heat comes out from the top left side of the unit. Everything else stays cool to the touch.

We had been using a small space heater to warm our living space during the cooler northern California days. This fireplace is much more efficient in warming the entire living room space. With the electricity included in the price of RV space rental. running the fireplace saves us money over using up our propane to heat this big beast both day and night.

With temperatures dropping down to freezing on many nights, you can definitely tell we are not is SoCal anymore. So, yes, this fireplace sill save us a lot of money through these winter months. Still, I really wanted the fireplace for the homeyness and ambiance. It definitely provides the peaceful calm I was hoping for.

Severus checking out the box

   Day and night.

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Holiday Season 2019

Our first Christmas as fulltime RVers. 

😊😊😊😊

The trailer all decked out for the Holidays.

Rainbow on Christmas Eve - Eve right outside our trailer park.

Looking at lights at Widmer World in Pleasanton, CA

 Meet Luci, the newest member of our family. A Christmas present for Natalie, he fits right in. 

The ride home from the adoption center. #adoptdontshop

Severus is unsure about this turn of events. Skittish for the first few days, Luci is finally coming out of hiding to visit. Severus basking in the glow of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

 

 Natalie still baking for Christmas. One day to Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning.

An afternoon of games and companionship.

Christmas night was spent with friends at a winery in the countryside of northern California. A room sized fireplace, wine flowing freely and laughter with friends.

#homesweetrollinghome

Happy Christmas one and all.

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snow globe

I live in a snow globe.

The past decade has been a constant series of shaking that globe into a fury of life altering events.

Shaking and shaking and shaking.

And, in the process, I have discovered life. We live on the edge, and it is not always good. But it is not always bad. In fact, most of the time is better.

I have stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon surrounded by family. Hiked the trails of Yosemite alone. (Really short trails, not scary at all. I mean seriously, this is me, after all. The solitude was amazing, though.) Walked in forests and deserts and oceans.

And yes, even watched the snow fall and felt the earthquake, literally, beneath my feet.

I’ve waited a thousand yards outside an office building to find out if my husband survived a shooting inside, and two thousand miles away from the birth of all three of my beautiful grandbabies. All have both happiness with four joyful outcomes.

Sadness with being separated from those we love most.

I live in the smallest space. We move every few days. In this crazy mobile world, we have neighbors. People know our names. I have talked to more people in the past three months than in the past nine years.

We have no place in the world. Yet, we found a home, at last. We chose a tiny life and found a giant world.

I know that if I had really had choices to make, this is not what I would have chosen.

I am not a brave person.

And it would have been the wrong choice. Other than days and nights and every other minute of missing the special moments of family, I found myself.

Maybe someday, you will meet me, too.

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A month of Christmas movies

Christmas is always my favorite season, so I thought I would post up a list of my go to Christmas movies. Most of these are movies I have watched year to year to year. Some are brand new to the list and a few are very definitely NOT kid friendly. To make the 'Christmas ' list, there just has to some Holiday element, though most are, in fact, made for the Season movies.

1. A Christmas Carol IMDb There are many, many versions of Charles Dickens's classic story. The one that currently sits on my shelf is the animated Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.

2. Arthur's Christmas (animated) IMDb

This movie currently ranks as one of my very favorite Christmas movies. It was released in 2011, but really holds up to the classic animated Christmas tales.

3. The Christmas  Chronicles IMDb A newer Christmas movie from NETFLIX with Kurt Russell as the joy old man himself. A bit of Elvis style rock and rollin' in the middle adds to the fun.

4. Batman Returns IMDb Michael Keaton as the Batman and Danny DeVito as the Penguin. Good time bat fun for when you want a Holiday movie that doesn't drip in candy cane sweetness. 

5. Annabelle's Wish (animated)  IMDb  & The Tangerine Bear
(animated) IMDb

6. The Original Christmas Classics IMDb This animated boxed set includes Rudolph & Frosty. Do I really need to say any thing else?

7. Sleepless in Seattle IMDb This was my sister's favorite movie. How sadly ironic that it ended up mirroring her life. I watch it all year long.

8. A Christmas Story  IMDb Captures the spirit of childhood longing of Christmas past.

9. Iron Man 3 IMDb

10. Elf  IMDb

11. The Ref IMDb The perfect dysfunctional family Christmas. (If you are avoiding Kevin Spacey movies for obvious reasons see below).

11. Klaus IMDb Brand new from NETFLIX this is a super sweet movie about how a simple act of kindness always sparks another.

12. Scrooged  IMDb Bill Murray's wonderful life includes Ninja knives, Max the dog and Chinese food. It's a wonderful ride.

13. It's A Wonderful Life IMDb The classic Jimmy Stewart movie. No Holiday season is complete without it.

14. Love Actually IMDb
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around." Prime Minister (Hugh Grant)
15. Die Hard IMDb

16. The Grinch IMDb A grumpy Benedict Cumberbatch plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.What's not to like. Plus, there is a reindeer named Fred. 
17. A Charlie Brown Christmas  IMDb &  How the Grinch Stole Christmas IMDb

18. Home Alone IMDb  My then six year old son rode a sled down our stairs because of this movie. We, however, had a wall at the bottom of the staircase. The head indentation was there until we moved out. Fun movie.

19. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation IMDb

20. White Christmas IMDb
 
21. A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas IMDb Another movie NOT for the children. REALLY~~send them to bed before the put in this bad boy! 

22. Meet Me in Saint Louis IMDb

23. Grumpy Old Men IMDb Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthews being grumpy during a cold Minnesota winter. Watch this for the outtakes, if nothing else. I love it!

24. Muppet's Christmas Carol  IMDb I first saw this movie with a couple of hundred girl scouts on movie day at the local cinema. Musical Muppets work their way through Dickens' classic tale.

25. While You Were Sleeping IMDb Yes, this ranks right up there at the top Yes, this ranks right up there at the top of my favorites. Sandra Bullock & Bill Pullman. Lucy: The truth was that I fell in love with you.

Ox Callahan: You fell in love with me?Lucy: No, N-o, yes.

 

Lucy: All of you. I went from being all alone to being a fiancee, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, and a friend.

Honorable Mention: 
Christmas with the Kranks IMDb Yes, I like this, too. Jamie Lee Curtis and TIm Allen and Christmas craziness.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas IMDb
The story of the Gift of the Magi, Muppet style. Only, instead of selling their own most valuable possession, they sell the other persons (or destroy it). Still, it has Muppets and music and it is a Christmas story, so everything works out in the end.

The Holiday IMDb Nice romance, watch with some wine and cheese and your sweetheart.
Jurassic World  It begins with Christmas music, so it works for a night when you just want to relax with a good NEW movie, but don't want to give up your Christmas movie marathon.

Lethal Weapon IMDb For when you want something that isn't dripping Christmas, but still keeps you in the Holiday spirit.

Miracle on 34th Street IMDb Both are good, in my opinion.

Nightmare Before Christmas  IMDb Great movie, but by Christmas I have watched it many times, because I bring this out at Halloween.
Rise of the Guardians IMDb Chris Pine, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman saving children's fantasies. 

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hell week

Just a couple days shy of our two month anniversary, we hit a week from hell. 

Now, I guess it shouldn't be surprising. Things have been sailing along pretty smoothly. Much better than I anticipated. So, everything bubbling up at the same time should be expected...occasionally.

This is Halloween! Today! So tomorrow things will all be holly jolly, right?!?

Much of the trouble started with the fact that all of the rest of the the things we have been storing in the locker have to be out before the first of November. AND today is Halloween!

Rain and leaks, vinyl mucked up, mud and muck and misery. Welcome to trailer life.

Trick or Treat, ya all!

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Dings and nicks and scratches

It has been seven weeks of full time RV life. SEVEN WEEKS! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. How little we have learned and how much we know, at the same time.

The beast already has her dings and nicks and scratches. I mean, we have already put between two and three years worth of 'campin' time onto her little frame. 

We managed to melt, literally melt, the tiny propane grill that came with the RV. Along with a bit of the heavy plastic rear lining of ol' Reba-- Our trusty 2015 Chevy Colorado.

A twelve inch sharp metal lion, very pointy mane, crashed through the front of our television while moving to a new camp site. Well, really the moving part was fine. It was the husband forgetting to remove the bungee cords off of the bookshelf before attempting to push out the side that caused the real problem. 

Everything on the bookshelf crashed forward, including said lion. Right into the TV that was holding all of the contents secure. The lion's mane roared right through the TV screen. Sadness all around.

We have also managed to do a lot of touristing. Sightseeing all the things we are usually to busy being busy to 'see'.

We have made it into Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf. Sea lions, salt water taffy and fish & chips. I love finding the great little hidden local ships no one else knows about. I also love the shoulder to shoulder crowds of tourists in places like the Wharf. 

Spent lots and lots and lots of time just enjoying the camping life.

But we have also had adventures beyond the big city and small trailer.

We hiked through the redwoods up in Purisima Preserve

Picked pumpkins, puddled in the waves at Half Moon Bay and just had a grand autumn weekend.
Perhaps some delicious seafood was had, as well. Nom, nom, nom.

  

Then, we got truly adventurous. We took a five day tour down to the 'Happiest place on earth!'

We drove back up through the Saddleridge wildfire at the closed down the 5 and 210 freeways for a few hours. Once back we were welcomed by two 4.5+ earthquakes. And, of course, all the aftershocks.

Ah California living.

I don't know why I thought I would magically have more time to write once we moved into this thing. I have many, many pictures and videos. If things ever, ever slow down, I will post them all up. The good, the bad and the melty.

In the mean time, we will just keep rolling along in our home sweet rolling home.

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