The Bowen Knot ⌘: 2017

Friday, December 22, 2017

Happy 12th Birthday, My Sweet Daughter Danielle Maria Bowen!!!

Happy 12th Birthday...Our Sweet Beautiful Daughter Danielle Maria Bowen!!! We Love You!!!

Love & Hugs,

Your Dad and Step-Mom Heather

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Our Little House on the Prairie in Eastern Washington State

We are home...

The day we relocated from the beach a severe winter storm came upon us. We managed to get through the Snoqualmie mountain pass on I-90. The trip was further enjoyable for me as I drove the travel trailer. The Plug to the truck for lights and brakes kept coming loose and disconnecting. So I had to pull over get out and reconnect it. The next turn would unplug it. At one point during the pass it unplugged and there was nowhere to pull over. I managed to do the pass with just the trucks brakes. Thankful that I had experience driving overweight trucks It was a bit hairy but I did it safely.

We pulled into our Little Town on the Prairie, Washington and set up the trailer while very large snowflakes fell upon me. We had been in winter while in North Carolina but this was the real deal. Heat soon became our best friend.

Without knowing it, This also turned out to be the last time I drove the R/V. But I didn't know that at this time.

The same night Heather and Candy drove past the house we had seen online to get a better idea of it. Pictures online we had learned a long time ago were normally misleading at best. The girls came back with a positive review having walked the outside.

The next day we did a daylight recon of the house this time with me in tow. The main house had two bedrooms and a large living room and a dining room with huge windows. Better yet, there was a Mother in law house behind the main home. It was slightly smaller but had two bedrooms and two baths. Candy could finally get some privacy and so could Heather and I. Believe me, Living in such confines requires everyone to work very hard on getting along and learning about shortcomings. We all had worked very hard to manage but this home offered us everything we wanted at a price that meant we could afford to travel and not live the rest of our lives tied to home payments and bills.

A few days later we walked the home with Shara and we bought the home. With another storm coming, December 10th, a day that will live not just in infamy but also with mostly joy for us. Heather drove the truck and R/V for the first time. She had no issues driving the 6 blocks and stopped in front of the house. It was my job to reverse and park the trailer into its final resting place for us. It was time to unload a few things while again, more snow fell upon us. We were overjoyed to become residents of this small 800 population town.

We had found a Little Town on the Prairie that we hope we will never move from. We are making permanent roots here.

What was funny was to unload the R/V. The girls got to see just how much stuff we had crammed into a small living space. I think the R/V sighed a serious sigh of relief and we unloaded it. Such a seriously overweight Trailer was a concern for me driving it across the country. It was nice to live in a house after so much time in such a small space. Even a normal bathroom seemed like a mansion!

Friday, July 14, 2017

Review: Fat Buddies Ribs and BBQ in Franklin, North Carolina, USA

Review: Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro, North Carolina, USA

Facebook Link:

https://www.facebook.com/Fat-Buddies-Ribs-And-BBQ-Franklin-Waynesville-NC-138179526194882/

Address:

311 Westgate Plaza

Franklin, NC

Phone:

(828) 349-4743

Hours:

Friday	11AM–9PM
Saturday	11AM–9PM
Sunday	Closed
Monday	11AM–9PM
Tuesday	11AM–9PM
Wednesday	11AM–9PM
Thursday	11AM–9PM

Website: http://fatbuddiesribsandbbq.com/

Fat Buddies Ribs and BBQ get affordable over tasty every day in an effort to streach their money. We understand that but, good food should not be pricey either.

Lets discuss something else while we review Fat Buddies. Service or the complete lack of it. We waited over fifteen minutes to get service after we were seated. The waitstaff and management walked by plenty of times but we were ignored completely each and every time. I finally got upset enough to enter the nearby kitchen and asked the manager why we were being completely ignored. (I would like to note that the kitchen was clean.) We then got reluctantly served and it set our mood for the entire meal. It is hard to get over that and I am sure it influenced our review. But hey, that's part of what we do. We are honest and tell it like it happens. We awarded only two shamrocks due to poor service and poor meat. Both are what makes the difference between okay and great. Both are easy to change if people desire to make changes.

Review: Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro, North Carolina, USA

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/haywoodsmokehousedillsboro/

Address:

403 Haywood Rd, Dillsboro NC 28725
Phone: (828) 631-9797

Hours
Monday - Closed
Tuesday – Thursday 11am – 8pm
Friday & Saturday 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11-3

Website: https://haywoodsmokehouse.com/

What can we say? More food reviews! Despite North Carolina being green and lush, there are only so many drives in the green tunnel you can do before you have to stop and eat something. Given how much we enjoy barbecue, we eat it a Lot when we go out.

We enjoyed Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro, NC a lot. The cheesy taters were excellent, the meat was smoked and very tasty. Lots of yummy sauces for all taste buds. The service was excellent and the sweet tea was horrible, we had to switch to Coke. The Texas garlic toast looked great but it lacked flavor. Overall, we are awarding Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro, NC 4 shamrocks with a big thumbs up on the meat! Yummy!

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Getting to Know Heather : #BlogFest

I'm working on getting our family blog flowing, again. I came across this fun #blogfest on a blog that I recently started follow and I thought it might help me get started writing, again.

It's open all summer, so feel free to jump in and join the fun with your blog!

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Initially I wanted to be a nurse, like my mother. By my teens, I wanted to be an Air Force Pilot.
Which “Friends” character do you relate to the most? Why? I love to bake and cook...So I guess Monica. Plus, she has to have order and her home is always organized, again that would link me closer to Monica.
Do you like your name? Why? I love my name and always have. It sounds beautiful when my loving husband says my name. Plus, my mom fell in love with the name Heather after watching the movie "Brigadoon" when the main characters sang the song "Heather on the Hills."
Are you messy or neat? Way too neat, at times. But, when I can cook or bake I sure can make a lot of dishes.
How tall are you? 5' 9"
How tall were you when you were 10? Not much shorter than I am now.
What is your guilty pleasure? Romance movies, Steamy Romance Novels, and Jif "Creamy" Peanut Better.
What are you saving money for right now? Moving from North Carolina to Washington state. Plus, we want to buy a home in Washington in a few months.
How many Pringles can you eat at once? On a good day, half a can. On a bad day, the whole can.
Tea or coffee? 2 cups of Coffee with cream and sugar every day. And either Iced or Hot Tea a few times a day.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I've always said that I'm an introvert. But, as I've gotten older I think that I'm more of an ambivert. I can socialize, if needed . However, I'm most comfortable being a hermit, if allowed.
What will be your Halloween costume this year? No costume...The introvert in me avoids party's.
Sweet or salty? Yes to both and best if mixed. Salted Carmel Milk Chocolate!
Favorite social media? Facebook, mainly because most of my extended family and many, many friends are on there. I'm also on Twitter, LinkedIn. Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram (I pretty much ignore them other than to share our blog posts.)
Who is the last person you kissed? My husband! He is a great kisser!
What is your favorite breakfast? Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (think "Cracker Barrel")
When is your birthday? September ~ I'm a Virgo (Sun) and Pisces (Moon)...The characteristics are SOOOOO me!
When did you start your blog? Our family blog, was started in December 2014. Went created it to be a living online scrapbook to share with family and friends. Also, I way that Dan's daughters Danielle Maria Bowen and Emma Erin Bowen can find there father since their mother continues to block them from contacting him. Our blog allows them an easy way to find him anytime they have access to the internet.
What is your opinion on the Kardashians? Narcissistic nobodies!
How would you describe your style? Fashion? T-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops. I dress for comfort, not style. Decor? Shabby Chic, Southwestern, Beach Cottage...I loved lots of deco! But, it definitely has to be comfortable.
What color is your hair? Brown with Red Highlights...As long as it's Colored. Otherwise, I have a good number of grays.
What color socks are you wearing? None - it's a barefoot and flip-flop kind of day!
What is your dream job? I would love to have my own bakery!
Dogs or cats? Yes!
What makes you weird? I think you'd need to ask my husband and mom that question. LOL!
Celebrity crush? Crush? NO! But, I do think Matt Damon, Ian Somerhalter, Alexander Skarsgård, and Brad Pitt carry themselves nicely and they are all good actors in my opinion.
Opinion on cigarettes? Never smoked, gross smelly habit, and as a family we avoid being around it as much as possible.
Do you want/have children? How many? I have two step-daughters (Danielle Maria Bowen and Emma Erin Bowen). I personally have never had a baby. This is a heartbreaking part of my life that I struggle to deal with everyday. At 45 years old, I'm not sure how to let that dream go.
Three favorite boy names? Liam, Nicholas, and Christian
Three favorite girl names? Kaitlyn, Megan, Shannon, and Fiona (I Love 4 names!)

Monday, May 29, 2017

Hunting in the Woods for Tupperware is Our New Hobby

Is it under a log? Hidden in a tree? Is that panel a hidden cache?

A new hobby for our family. Geocaching. The GPS coordinates are online. We joined: Geocaching Once you approach the hidden cache a hint is available on our Samsung S7 via the Geocaching App. The coordinates and if needed hint helps you to discover a new hidden cache. Some are the size of a pencil eraser "Nano" others are a huge ammo can, mailbox, or camouflage tape covered Tupperware container.

All caches have a paper log or log book. You sign in to claim the discovery. If big enough, there are trade "Swag" items. If you take swag, you must leave swag for the next cache hunter. Sometimes a Geocaching TravelBug or GeoCoin are inside. Those are used to track movement online. You check them out of the cache and log them out online. Then you find another cache and log them in on the log and on the website. They show their movement. Some come from different countries.

It's not the items hidden inside that are important. It's the discovery of the hidden site. The difficulty of where and what it is.

We even found our 1st Geocaching TravelBug. He will be heading out to the Pacific Northwest with us in a few weeks.

About Our Blog

Our blog is about a lot of things. Our daily lives, our move to Ecuador, and the vacations we plan to have. Please read and follow our travels through life. We welcome comments! Making friends along the way would also be great. People have described us as being colorful and animated. Our family looks at a glass and always considers it to be half full. We have an easy going attitude. We think things should get accomplished and that in the process you can still have fun. Feel free to come along on our families journey.

The Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating System

One Shamrock: This indicates the worst service possible. If awarded, it means we would never EVER use the service again. If it was a food establishment the food was barely editable. This means a complete fail with little to no redeeming features. We will never go there ever again.

Two Shamrocks: This is a service that we might consider using again to give it a second chance. But, the experience that we had would normally cause us to award one shamrock if not for some key redeeming features. If it was a food establishment the food was okay, but still sub-par. We didn't like the food. Serious room for improvement exists.

Three Shamrocks: Normal middle of the road service. We might have had some bad or some good but they were offset somewhat. This is service we would use again but we will look for a better provider. If it was a food establishment the food was good. We like it and will return. There might be room for things to get better but it is still a decent meal.

Four Shamrocks: Great service. This is a definitive repeat for us. We like a lot about the service and recommend it. If it was a food establishment the food was excellent. We liked it a lot. We like the place enough to return frequently. There are very few detractors.

Five Shamrocks: Outstanding service. This is service that treats us above and beyond what we think we deserve. We consider this what we would want to find all the time and what we hope all service providers would want to obtain. If it was a food establishment the food was perfect. No issues whatsoever. We loved it and would eat there everyday.