EL TAPATIO; Rainier-OR

Since the house went on the market, we have spent every day dreaming and planning the life we want to live.

The thought of leaving the Past behind and delving headfirst into a New Life makes our hearts sing.

This morning, the Plan was to scope out a P.O. that would forward our mail to us while we are road gypsies. Then, we would shop around for a reasonably priced Storage Unit to store our stuff in while we hunted down a motorhome and vehicle that would fit our life as road gypsies.

We were hoping for a speedy house sale so we could high-tail it to Fargo to see his brother before he dies; Holland only found out about his brother's condition this past Saturday. If the house sells quickly, we plan on driving to Fargo, then down through South Dakota and down to Moab in Utah, before chasing the sun across the southwest.

We drank our coffee and discussed several ways to purchase the vehicle - and none of them were feasible until the house actually sells and we have $$$$ in hand to work with. Trade-ins on Holland's Ford 4x, and my Highlander SUV would still leave us about $10,000 short needed for a new vehicle: we need the house to sell before seriously looking around a truck lots. We don't want to be hemmed into a loan contract. We want to work a cash deal, which would garner a better buying deal. We could buy a second-hand vehicle; but we really prefer something reliable. Especially since we plan on boondocking most of our time on the road.

The Coach will definitely be a second-hand purchase, but we feel it would be wise to have a new vehicle to get out-and-about with. Plus - if the Coach get's stuck in a bad weather situation (God forbid), a newer vehicle (with a tow winch) will be able to pull it free. A new vehicle is really a necessity for the life we are planning.

So, tired of spinning my wheels with dead-end scenario's and feeling the need to be productive in any way possible … I sent a text to Shay asking for Flyers (this is something that would be simple to accomplish) … and received a text back that perhaps we wouldn't need the Flyers :-)

Good News this morning!

Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney - 'Good Morning' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCbnJeMSGZ4)

That happy news kicked us into high gear and ramped up the seriousness of securing a P.O. Box and a Storage Unit.

We got the P.O. Box with no hassle; but the storage unit became a problem as there are none to be had either side of the River :-( So, we'll have to rent a U-Haul trailer for a bit to store our few boxes, clothing, and useful tools we are taking with us.

Feeling positive about the potential buyers interest, we celebrated by eating at a restaurant neither of us had ever eaten at :-)

El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant; 117 W A St, Rainier-OR

Beautifully carved wooden doors.

Everywhere your eyes look, is an artistic delight.

Painted skylight.

Really pretty.

There is also patio dining when the weather is good.

Appetizer; corn chips, bean dip & salsa.

We both ordered this dish; it sounded interesting, and I've been craving shrimp.

SO GOOD! The 'shrimp' were actually good sized prawns; yummy!

And of course, we had fried ice cream for dessert - I'm hooked now. LOL

Even the bathroom was beautifully laid out. I loved the sunflower basin.

Restroom foyer was also a visual delight.

The backroom banquet room was painted in homage to Aztlan.

Beautifully carved porch columns.

The whole place was beautiful … and the food was delicious.

I was so captivated by the artistic wall murals, that I walked out of the restaurant without my boxed leftovers I had intended to enjoy later on (and didn't realize it until an hour later)  :-(

I'm saving the bathroom basin picture … and painted adobe wall colors - and I'm going to pester Holland with them until we can somehow incorporate them into our on-the-road-home. I love Southwestern décor. I'm sure my cowboy can manage a workable deal to keep his dreamer cowgirl happy :-)

Kacey Musgraves - 'Dime Store Cowgirl' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp7i5YwkzFs)

He can't wait to show me Arizona and Texas.

And I can't wait to be shown.

Holland's southwestern love vibes surrounds my life; I'd like to wrap our home with southwestern colors, too.

NEW MARRIED LIFE UNDERWAY~Banana Bread Recipe

Well.

A lot has been happening.

I got married on January 7th ... and my laptop immediately took a nosedive, and was out of commission; so, Holland bought me a new laptop last week: and I've been trying to figure the format out, ever since.

I haven't been able to post anything until tonight.

Holland & Me; 3 weeks married.

You (Wedding Song) song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZgr5pj-MIs&t=12s)

Last weekend, we drove across the bridge and into Oregon to find the Beaver Falls: neither of us had been to the Falls in decades ... by the time we found them, it was dusk, so we will have to go back in the near future ;-)

But while we were driving around, we saw an old church building at the Shepherd and Rutter roads junction; it looked kinda run-down, so I researched it when we got home - it didn't look like it was used much anymore.

Shepard Road; Quincy, OR - looking for Beaver Falls.

Stewart's Point Church (Old Finnish Church) at 19902 Shepard Road; Quincy, OR

Tuesday, I was in the mood to highlight my housewifey side ... so, I used the overripe bananas to make banana bread. I used a recipe I have never used before, and it's a winner.

It is definitely a repeat :-)

GOOD Banana Bread Recipe - not gooey.

Banana Bread dough in a loaf cake pan; bought at a garage sale last summer.

Banana Bread; perfectly browned & good form.

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, we spent time at Willow Grove, enjoying some fresh air before the rains started on Friday. We are still newlyweds - we talked, getting to know each other on a deeper level/we touched across the pickup console/we joked and laughingly teased each other/we shared dreams and goals/we watched wildlife escapades.

Wednesday: Sea lions at Willow Grove County Park.

Wednesday: Big pod of sea lions.

Wednesday: They are FAST swimmers!

Thursday: They were everywhere, up and down the river.

Thursday: Ducks! I've never seen ducks here ...

Thursday: Cormorant.

In between the restful daytrips, Haus frau pride days, and the 'getting some fresh air' down times ... Holland has been taking care of the man-stuff in-house things that Bob didn't get around to before he took up his Heavenly residence - and things I let go because 'what's the point' when there was only me infrequently kicking around the empty house? After Bob's spirit stepped off this Earth 4 years ago, I spent 95% of my solo lobo days elsewhere: leaving the house as soon as I could every morning and coming home again basically to just fall into bed and get a few quick zzz's before repeating the daily routine of being gone as long as I possibly could before returning to park the Highlander and letting the tires cool down.

But now, I am sharing my life (and living space) with a new husband.

While neither of us needed to be "taken care of" in our solo lobo years, human beings are designed to share their lives - our spirits require a witness to our lives. You may ask, 'with a billion people claiming a spot on the Earth's crust, what does anyone's life really mean?' That a legit query. But in a marital situation, you are promising to care about everything in the relationship: the good things, the bad things - the terrible things, the mundane things ... all of it, all of the time, every day. With that promise, as you enter into that relationship, you are saying to your best friend/your spouse/your lover, "Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed, because I will be your witness."

My house is shaping up into a home as Holland and I begin to shape it into "our place". Bob only spent 18 months in this house after we bought it in June of 2017 - and though the house has been my sole domain legally, it is only now that I am actually beginning to live in it full time. I finally unpacked the last moving box from 2017, last year.

Basically, this house is still as "new" to me as it is to my new husband. Holland has added a water filter to the shower, so the city water won't burn my skin with all the {additive} crap that is supposed to {purify} it; a new bathmat was added to the shower upgrade, too. He also placed an air purification thingee in the bedroom, to filter out all the dust in the air that irritates lungs and eyes - the house has a heat pump that helps with that, but the filter is an added bonus. He loves me :-)

So, tonight while downtown shopping groceries, I suggested he treat himself with a little pampering, and buy a small grill for an early Valentine's Day gift: he loves the beaches and riverbanks ... and the grill, small enough to be hauled in the Highlander or pickup, will for sure be used.

Air Purifier & Shower Mats.

An outdoor grill for fishing & beachcombing days.

He spoils me - and he deserves a little spoiling too ;-)

While I am getting this post Blog-ready, my wonderful man is watching a man-film that was filmed across the Columbia River, on the Rainier beach: Longview Shipping Port Docks, and Longview's "mill city" Mills are highlighted in the background of this film clip:

Movie Holland is watching; filmed across the River, in Rainier, OR.