I know I tell you every day that THIS was the perfect day. That’s because it is. We have a tendency to rush through life. We forget to “stop and smell the roses”. We seek to get more when we don’t appreciate what we already have. It takes stopping…..just, s-t-o-p-p-i-n-g…to catch your breath, count your blessings, and SEE how glorious life is.

I have been away from television news for a week now and I’m telling you, I can feel the decompression happening in my brain…in my body…in the muscles in my neck. My time on my cell phone is drastically decreased. My thoughts are less frenetic. I’m sure my blood pressure is lower. I’m sleeping better. Everything feels better. This is a lesson to me. “We are what we eat.” Not just food, but whatever we put in our bodies comes out in other ways. When I am careful about what I consume, I am happier. And when I am happier, believe me…everyone in my orbit is happier.

We discovered a small problem with the new camper yesterday. Setting up the camper is a feat of large scale origami. And, if it isn’t perfectly level in every direction, the seam at the top may not meet correctly. We could see a little daylight in the corner. Seeing how there is rain in the forecast today, we felt it was imperative to reset the camper and make it perfectly level or we could get water inside. Water is death for a camper.

We had to run to Walmart to get a small level since I seem to have left the one I usually use at home. We stopped and grabbed coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way. When we got back. I moved things out of the way so we could close the camper, then we carefully leveled it and set it back up. This time it went up much easier but there was still a very small bit of light showing in the corner. I believe that is a problem with the seal so we’ll stop on the way home Friday and have the guys look at it at the dealership. 

I finally made it over to the bath house and took a long, hot shower after I got the camper set back up. I always wear my hair up, but yesterday I used the blow dryer on it and I was shocked at how long it’s grown. I haven’t had my hair this long since I was expecting Daughter #1. I love my hair long and I really love my grey hair. It has dark streaks in it…like lowlights. I’ll never color my hair again. And, I may just keep letting it grow.

Once we had everything set back up and organized, we sat out on the patio area of the campsite. I knitted and chatted with Mr. FixIt. Eventually, he asked if I’d like a sandwich and we had a late lunch. Then…it was time for a hike. We went out around the bass pond. We saw a small snake, a brown wooly worm, hickory nuts, walnuts, and buckeyes as well as lots of pretty colored leaves. We hiked on out by the lake and looped back around to the campground.

After our siesta time, Mr. FixIt asked if I’d like to go get ice cream. They sell it in the park office, but at this time of year, there’s only one employee in the office. There has to be two to serve Ice cream, so…I asked Mavis, my trusty GPS, to take me to the nearest ice cream store. We were SO excited to fine a Bruster’s Ice Cream Shop near the Polaris Mall about three miles away. Oh, my gosh! They have the BEST ice cream! The first time we had it was near Beaver Creek State Park a couple of years ago. I was thrilled to find it again. Butter Pecan…*swoon*!

As we were driving home, the full Hunter’s Moon was rising…big, fat, and orange in the deepening indigo sky to the east. And I without my camera! When we got back to the camper, I retrieved my cell phone and we went for a little walk to try to capture an image. As we came around a turn, there it was…straight down the road toward our campsite, rising directly between the rows or trees on either side. It couldn’t have been more perfect, unless I would have had a 35mm camera with a long lens, of course.

My bonus daughter called as we were getting back to the camper and we had a long chat, then Mr. FixIt set up his movie and I set to writing. We have one more night camping and we are supposed to get rain today and tonight. I don’t mind rain in a camper. It’s cozy and the sound is so soothing on the metal roof. Soon, we will be packed up and heading home…back to reality.

We need to get both campers winterized and cleaned out. We need to get the brakes finished on Mr. FixIt’s truck so we can clear out a section of the building to park the camper in. His truck is parked in front of the garage door we need access to. We need to pick up the cat from the Kitty Hilton and then we have to mow. I’m hoping it’s the last time of the season so we can focus on other jobs around the place.

In the meantime, we’re going to enjoy the time we have left here. We have vowed to return to this park again to camp because it’s truly been wonderful.

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“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:11-13 ESV