The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Wneighbor]

Hey, everybody. I just made it home.

I have some great news and some other good news that was preceeded by trauma.

First of all, my son-in-law got his first package that contained Hobbit Hole items last Monday. This was not the package with the books. It had all the military stuff that 300winmag sent, Little Debbie cakes, dry lemonade mix, packages of salty snacks, and I can't think what all else. But, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS!!! He said that was the absolute BEST package he's ever gotten from home on any deployment in his 17 years in the army!!! YEA!!!

One of the funniest parts is, since everything doesn't pack down perfectly in the box, I used a little ingenuity on a different packing peanut idea. Everything in the package was throroughly wrapped so I emptied this cannister in my kitchen of all my accumulated Arby's Sauce packets filling in all the space. Tom says the guys all loved that!!! He had been bartering with Arby's sauce for 2 days because everybody wanted some!! So, my dad has already gone to the Arby's in the town where he lives and the manager there donated another large sack full of Arby's sauce to be sent. Cool huh?

The other thing that was traumatic and got better is that when I was about 3/4 of the way to see my Grama on Wednesday my mom called my cell phone to see where I was. The hospital staff had told her Grama wasn't going to live through the night and mama needed to get anyone there that would want to see her or be there. So, I exceeded the speed limit for the last 70 miles to make it.

Mom and I stayed the night and Grama made it. She made it through the next day. And once again (about the 6th time) she amazed hospital personnel and has pulled through. She was quite a bit better when I had to leave today. It was really hard to leave though. She is still bedridden and has a feeding tube although the doctor said the feeding tube may be removed in 1 or 2 days. So, she's my miracle Grama again and if I can get things sufficiently taken care of here I will be going back as soon as class is over on Wednesday. So, won't be around very much.

Still I only have cold water here because of the pipe that burst under the house the night before I left to go down there. Right now, I'm thinking that in June in Texas I may live with only cold water just so I can spend this time with Grama. Bear had some special advice a couple of weeks ago - spend all the time with her I can while I can. Dealing with cold water for a bit will be okay if I can see her.

[Overtaxed]

Welcome back. Good and better-than-expected news then!

[Corin Stormhands]

Welcome back. Glad your trip went well and that your Gramma is stronger.

[Corin Stormhands]

Hullo all. Just checking in briefly. Pretty tired here and have some stuff I need to get done.

Went to first service at church, then spent the afternoon at King's Dominion. Weather was overcast and we had a few showers, but it was pretty good day. I think the weather helped it not to be too crowded.

[300winmag]

Heartening news about your grandmother, WN. Prayers from me for her continued improvement.

I assume that little pocketknife for Tom made it through, too? It's a damn shame that the military trusts you with automatic weapons, nukes, or Patriot missiles, but you can't receive a pocket knife through the mail.

The "Ranger Rick's Digests" should also raise some eyebrows if he's seen reading them. But they're a hoot to read, and have some great ideas in them. I'm still debating whether to try the MRE-heater field expedient grenade simulator.

[osagebowman]

WN: glad you made the trip safe & sound. Sounds like your Grandmother made quite a rally. It's neat when the doctors are wrong about that, it's the other stuff I want them to get right. Will pray for Grandmother's full recovery.

Tejas in June, sounds like a perfect time to start brewing up a big ol' batch of sun tea.

[Wneighbor]

Thanks everybody for the welcome home and the prayers for Grama. For me it is especially heartening in that despite Grama's physical difficulties her mind is still sharp as a tack and twice as strong. After the first two days she and I had some rousing good conversations between her long long sleep spells. (she is very obstinate at times.)

Corin, know what you mean about tired. I slept in the recliner in the hospital room the last 4 nights. I will greatly enjoy my bed VERY soon.

300winmag - The knife did indeed make it. Tom made mention of loving the binoculars and the gadget to attach things to belt very much. Those items were immediately put to use. He bragged about each of your items to Jill. The Ranger Rick books will arrive in the next package. If I counted my mail times correctly that should arrive Friday or so.

Everybody. Thanks. It was nice having such a nice bit of feedback from my s-i-l.

[Wneighbor]

Hey all you guys, I know not all of you are fathers but most are. Happy Father's Day!!!

Even ya'll that aren't fathers are fine upstanding men. And I hope all ya'll have had an honorable day.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Thank you! For Father's Day, I visited my mom and she took my wife and myself to lunch. Not bad, eh?

[Wneighbor]

Excellent!!!

And believe it or not, my mom bought my breakfast this morning too! (we don't get along too good - she hasn't bought a meal for me in years)

Both of us did pretty good didn't we?

[2Jedismom]

I'm so glad to hear that your grandma is doing better! And I'm thrilled to hear about your s-i-l! I think that is so hysterical about the Arby's sauce! I'm filing that in my brain for future use!

"No thanks...I don't want to order anything...I just want to grab a grocery sack of Arby's sauce..."

ROFLOL!

[Wneighbor]

Catching up on posts from while I was gone Suzi. About the cholesterol - I was able to check with my mom, dad and 1 brother this weekend. I knew they had all been told to lower theirs - AND theirs were all over 300! So, now, I really think that doc is losing it.

[2Jedismom]

Get a load of THIS!

I was just now sitting out by the coop putting the finishing touches on the sunflower when Jar Jar walked up to me...hopped onto my leg. I put my arm down and she hopped up my arm and settled on my shoulder. Steve and I were both so astonished that he took this picture! Look at her...she's roosting on my shoulder. She'd peer up at me!

Roy didn't like it at all...she is by my knee...she would chirp at me, but wouldn't get that close.

[Wneighbor]

Yep! When you came around I was going to point out the deal about the Arby's sauce. After all - that's one item that we only have to pay postage for - especially if the employees donate!!!

I was thinking that it might be just because it's from home - and it's something a little different to put on their MRE's. I also have a cannister of Taco Bell sauce and one of ketchup. I am going to be sending those now too.

The reason we had so much Arby's Sauce is that Myranda's long-term boyfriend's brother works at Arbys. He knows I like a sauce but can never remember which. He's always sending me handfuls of both Arby's sauce and Horsey sauce. It's the horsey sauce I like so I'd just been stuffing that Arby's sauce in the cannister. I figure if I let Ralph know about this we'll have lots of Arby's sauce.

[Wneighbor]

4chickensmom

That! is cute.

It's a good thing the Jedis are secure. They could feel left out.

[2Jedismom]

Ha! Joshua told me I had SIX kids today!

[Wneighbor]

Yes! You do. And they are all obviously very attached to you!

Myranda called me on her birthday. I was staying at the hospital so I couldn't call Germany from there. But, she called and reported that she had a wonderful 18th birthday. They were going out to dinner at a nice German restaurant for the evening.

[2Jedismom]

Ugh...I LOVE real german food...Jager Schnitzel...

Mmmmm....

[HairOfTheDog]

Hullo! I am back from day at beach house! Worn out.

Chicken coop looks great! Now if I can catch up on the rest of the posts!

Wneighbor, I see that you are back and that the trip went pretty well for you and Grama.

[2Jedismom]

Well...we were off line there for a while...