TOW-Wanda! on Marshmallow Ranch

Spring is Springing Today!

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 01:30:00 -0600

This time ten years ago, I was trying to figure out how on earth I was going to survive Mr. Virgo’s death when I stumbled upon a large group of women who pulled little campers by themselves and had fun with their soul sisters. Since that’s what we were doing when he died, I went out on spring break with Daughter #1 and the two grands and bought this little gal. The Original TOW-Wanda! And look where I am today!!! Isn’t God so wonderful to bless us and carry us through the worst of times?

It’s supposed to get up to the low to mid seventies today! Wahooooo! This is more like it. I’m sure our flowering trees got bit by Ol’ Jack Frost this last week with all the hard freezes. There are still plenty of bud on them so maybe they’ll do something yet. As far as me doing anything, I was fairly unmotivated but still manage to accomplish a few things.

I was up long before Mr. FixIt and put the kettle on for tea. I worked on the project. I packed up the old refrigerator door for the Big Birdhouse. Mr. FixIt left for town after breakfast. He asked which vehicle I wanted to use to take the box to the UPS Drop Site and I mistakenly chose the Louisa the Lincoln. He was long gone to town when I tried to load the box in the car. No go. It was too big for the trunk and too big to put in the back seat. So, I’ll have to do it today.

Mr. FixIt’s trip to town entailed a stop at Lowe’s to buy all the goodies for getting the mowers up and running for the season. It doesn’t matter what he goes to town for, its going to take him forever because he runs into a hundred people he knows and they are obligate to talk for an hour or so. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest unless I’m actually waiting for him in the car. Once I’ve been sitting out there for twenty minutes, I know he’s hooked into a conversation. Sometimes I go looking for him and light a fire under him. But most of the time, I’ll keep myself busy reading or writing.

It sprinkled off and on yesterday. It was plenty warm and was supposed to gradually get warmer overnight. So I decided to stay in the camper since my camping trip was cut short. Oh who am I kidding? I’ll camp any time I possible can! For some reason, the electric isn’t coming on in the new camper and I think I’ve narrowed it down to the GFI outlet. I couldn’t get it to reset and everything else was as it should be. Now we’ll have to make another trip to town to find a replacement. Mr. FixIt seems to think he has one somewhere in the house or the “warehouse” building that is supposed to be a two car garage.

I decided to stay out in the camper anyway. I had plenty of blankets and was sure to stay warm. If not, I was only fifty feet from the door. That’s one of the upsides of “yard camping.”

We can fix this camper any time. I just need to get motivated to do some spring cleaning. Maybe I’ll get started on that today!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 ESV

She’s BAAAA-AAAAAK!!!

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 01:30:00 -0600

What a long, long day! We left home around 10-10:30 yesterday and didn’t pull back in till 8:00 last night. We drove down to Huntington to Setzer’s Camping World owned by my good friend, Lynn Butler. Setzer’s is one of only a handful of RV dealers owned by a woman. And the cool thing is...it used to belong to her mother! And, that was back in the day when women rarely ventured into a traditional “man’s job”, let alone owning her own business.

Like most RV dealers right now, inventory of new RV’s is low. Last year, when everyone was pretty much locked out of public transportation, travel trailer sales skyrocketed as families sought alternative vacations. Add to that the supply chain shortages cause by the pandemic and other unforeseen circumstances, and campers are at a premium.

Just like our decision to stay put on our acreage for now, so to we’ve decided to stick with TOW-Wanda for the time being. We had the roof resealed and a couple of little maintenance things done. We’re putting in the “campground” here at the house where my friends can come and camp with me on our property. And, in a year or two, once things go back to normal, many of those people who rushed out to get new campers will be selling them and we can pick up a nice used one for a reasonable price.

I got some sad news yesterday about one of our dear camping buddies. She was just getting ready to leave today to camp for a few days. She took her camper out of the barn to clean it up and stock it for her trip and, even though she used a hitch lock...her precious camper was stolen just before dawn. She was heartbroken, as anyone who owns and loves a camper can understand. They thought they’d found it in a nearby town, but it was a false alarm. I do hope she gets it back. To add insult to injury, her latest knitting project was inside.

We parked TOW-Wanda beside the building and hooked her up to shore power. We’ll have the girls here in three weeks and, until we can get the power out to the “campground”, we’ll need to use the camper as our bedroom. That way the girls all have comfy beds inside with all the amenities. I haven’t slept in my camper in ages. At least a year ago, I noticed she had a leak and with covid, I couldn’t get her in to get fixed. Now that she’s ship-shape, I couldn’t wait to get out there and “camp”....whether she’s in the field or by the building or wherever. I needed to sleep in my happy place.

It may have been a really long day, but the silver lining is...I’m camping again!!!

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 NIV

Mowing and Weed Identification

Sat, 05 Jun 2021 01:30:00 -0600

We missed the dark pink blossom, but this one is a beauty!

It didn’t rain yesterday so I finished the rest of the mowing. I much prefer getting it all down at once since staggering it can lead to long weeks of multiple mowing days. I don’t mind mowing, but I have to many other things to do to tie up too much time. The road in front of our house was moved several years ago in order to cut down on some of the really bad accidents in the sharp turns. Since that time, no one enters or leaves that side of the house. All the action is on the other side where the pool is. There is a sidewalk leading from the door to the driveway and big metal building. Consequently, we refer to that as the “front” of the house.

The only time I really see the other side of the house is when I mow. The other night at my bonus granddaughter’s softball game, the former Mrs. FixIt and I were handing our phones back and forth sharing photos of our flowers. She asked if the dark pink peonies had bloomed yet. I din’t even know we HAD dark pink peonies. When I was out there mowing yesterday I looked and sure enough, there had been blossoms...but I missed them. I did catch some pretty medium pink blooms though.

I have NO idea what this plant is but I’m sure it’s a weed!

While I was wandering around, I noticed the plants at the corner of the house had grown like crazy! I’ve been posting the photos trying to identify what it is and haven’t come up with anything yet. I’m sure it’s invasive because it just took over. Mr. FixIt had that stuff cut clear down to the ground last fall and here it is 10’ tall already! I’ll have to get after that pretty quick.

Mr. FixIt stretched a line out last evening to show where the trench is going for the power line to the “campground.” I’m really excited. It would have been in already if it wasn’t for the rain this week. We’re going down today to pick up TOW-Wanda. We’ll set her up temporarily by the building so we can plug her in out there. That way, we can sleep out there and give up our bed for company when the kids come in three weeks!!! I talked with Big on video chat yesterday for nearly an hour. She is pretty much vegan so we discussed menu options that she will enjoy. Little isn’t a very picky eater so there’s no real worries there.

Mr. FixIt laid the line for the trench for the electric to the “campground.”

We’re heading into a hot stretch now after having some very pleasant weather the last couple of weeks. I’m pretty much taking the weekend off to play in TOW-Wanda and get her all cleaned and set up. We haven’t “camped” at all since about this time last year...so I’m pretty excited! There’s something special about spending time close to nature. I’ll get back to the inside work at the first of the week.

““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”
Job 12:7-12 NIV

An Abundance of Green

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 01:30:00 -0600

I wish I could bottle the first week of June and keep it for January. This is the time of year when the green that hits you as you walk out your door almost hurts your eyes. The vegetation makes me think of the tropical forestation in Hawaii or Mexico. So lush and thick and so, so green. The air even looks green.

Tuesday evening, I drove to town to try to catch my bonus granddaughter’s softball game. Although I thought I had plenty of time to spare, they weren’t doing well and they called the game early due to the “Ten Run Rule”. I got there just after it ended, but I still got to see the kids and visit for a little bit. As I drove home, I had the windows down. The wind blowing in carried the redolent scent of honeysuckle and multiflora rose...so sweet and hypnotic. I caught myself wanted to close my eyes and breathe that heady aroma in...committing it to memory.

We have honeysuckle growing on the fence surrounding our backyard. Every time I walk out to the truck or to do some chore outside, I’m met with that familiar sweetness. I think the first time I recognized it was out at the farm. One of my mom’s cousins lives a couple miles down the road and we often took walks out there. I remember going for a run in the ‘70s and that scent stopped my in my tracks till I found its source. If you pull a blossom of honeysuckle off the vine and suck the end, you can taste that sweet nectar that attracts every bee from five counties.

We headed out to mow our five acres yesterday around noon. I should have gotten an earlier start because by 3:00 it was drizzling pretty steady and the grass became too wet to mow without clumping. I got the two big fields done and Mr. FixIt finished mowing the edges and the bank by the road. He also had the weed eater out. It doesn’t look like we’ll have another shot at it till Saturday or so because of rain.

Setzer’s called yesterday to say TOW-Wanda is ready to pick up. They sealed the roof, replaced the 7-pin power cord on the front, and replaced the plug on the main power cord. When I was a newbie, I pulled away from my neighbor’s house and forgot to unplug the cord from the outlet on their front porch. I dragged the cord for a few hundred yards before someone flagged me down. By then, much of the rubber was ground away and seemed to be getting worse as the material hardened with age.

Campers are fun, but they are a lot of work. You have to keep up with regular maintenance and watch them like a hawk to catch things before they become major problems. I’m still thinking of downsizing and have my eye on a couple of camper models I might be interested in. Like cars, campers are in short supply this year. We will be feeling the effects of the pandemic for some time to come. For cars, it is a shortage of computer chips. For campers, it’s the foam core insulation and the glue that fastens down the laminate sheets. There were a couple of fires that damaged the plants that produce this products. All that trickles down to the consumer in higher prices and/or shorter supply.

Mowing put cleaning on the back burner yesterday. Now we’ll have to decide if we want to go pick up the camper or stay home and get things done around here. It depends on the weather, I think. If it’s raining, I’ll wait a couple of days to bring TOW-Wanda home. We haven’t slept in the camper once this year because of her leak, so I’m really anxious to get her back here and camp!

“The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:12 NIV

Pumpkin’s Magnificent Adventure

Wed, 26 May 2021 01:30:00 -0600

Pumpkin

For those of you who’ve followed a while, you’ll know I lived in my camper for a few years and vowed never to have pets again. Mr. Virgo’s little dog died just three months before he did and it was all just too much. I didn’t want to lose any more beloveds. Then, when I came off the road, I inherited a farm cat I dubbed “Boy Cat”. When I was gone on a trip over Thanksgiving, I came home to a tiny little kitten with exactly the same markings as the long-haired big boy except he had a short, sleek coat. I named him “Kitty Boy”.

While Boy Cat eventually warmed up to me and marked me as his by rubbing his face on my legs, Kitty Boy was as wild as wild could be and took off like a shot if he saw you. No rubs and chirps, but he came back every day to be fed and slept soundly through the winter in his bed box complete with an electric warming pad. While not a terribly enthusiastic cat person, I came to love them and watching their antics around the farm.

Boy Cat and Kitty Boy

When the time came to move to join Mr. FixIt at the Ponderosa, the farm kitties moved quite happily to my cousin’s barn down the road and adjusted well. Fast forward to Halloween 2019. Mr. FixIt and I had been married a year and I took off for several weeks camping all around the state of West Virginia in the Girl Camper Raffle Trailer. When I returned, here was this little black kitten someone had dumped and Mr. FixIt had been feeding him. I wasn’t thrilled to be tied down with another pet, but when this little thing shot straight to me like she’d been waiting forever to see me...well, let’s just say...she’s home.

We woke up yesterday morning and decided it was THE day to take TOW-Wanda down to Setzer’s World of Camping to get some leaks fixed. We haven’t moved that camper for at least two years...maybe three. As a matter of fact, we weren’t really sure when we camped in her last...save for sleeping out there in the field at the Ponderosa. All four tires and the spare were low on air so I got them pumped up. Mr. FixIt struggled and finally got the big tarp off of her. The battery was dead so we had to plug her into shore power to raise her up with the electric tongue jack.

Towing TOW-Wanda to Setzer’s

It was already near noon by the time we got her completely hooked up and ready to go. I went and closed the doors to the car. Mr. FixIt went to close the doors to the bay. We were sweating buckets. We grabbed a couple of electrolyte drinks and hopped in the truck for the three hour drive to Huntington.

When we got there, we went inside to register with Matt in the service department and told him all the things we wanted fixed. We visited a little while, then went back out to unhook the camper so the tractor could pull it into the shop. I needed a tool to unhook the weight distribution hitch so I went over to the storage compartment in the belly of the camper. When I opened the hatch door, I stood there so confused for a few seconds. There was Pumpkin! She cautiously peeked her head out and looked around...sniffing the air.

Now, Pumpkin is like most cats I’ve ever known. She’ll let you pet her for a few seconds then when she’s had enough, she’ll turn around and bite you a good one! Not this time. I picked her up and she literally climbed me and planted her head under my chin. Bless her heart! It never occurred to us that she would have jumped into the belly of the camper. And she’s black as night so you would never see her in there with all the gear and cargo we carry.

Pumpkin Peeks Out From Her New Roomy Carrier

Fortunately, she was no worse for the wear. We gave her a drink and sat with her for a while in the truck, running the air conditioning so she’d cool off. We stopped at the first Walmart we came to and bought a collapsible pop-up pet carrier and got her settled in on a nice clean blanket and hit the road home. She does really well in the car on the interstate. And she does fine for the short ride to town, which she often makes with Mr. FixIt. But you put this poor kitty in the car and go very far on these twisty turny West Virginia roads and she lets loose from every orifice. I don’t know what to do about that. The only time we ever go far is when we have to take her to the vet...or, when she’s a stowaway on an illicit adventure, apparently.

From now on, we’ll double and triple check compartments on the camper when we leave for a trip. This could have had disastrous results, and should serve as a warning to others, but fortunately...all it left us with was a very snuggly kitty...and some blog fodder!

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”
Psalm 145:9 ESV

The Best Gift EVER!

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 01:30:00 -0600

We had a lot to do yesterday and in order to get it all done, we had to split up and share the chores. I ran to our little burg and bought gas for the mowers and picked up the mail that was held. Mr. FixIt headed to town to pick up the cat.

The grass was really thick, and still a little damp with dew in the shady spots, but I got right to work. I filled the gas tank and topped off the oil and started the mowing. Things were moving right along...I had about 15-20 feet all around the edges of both fields and the yards done when...the blades stopped turning on the mower. No sound, no sudden problems...they just stopped turning. Although it’s never happened to me, I knew the belt had either broken or popped off the pulleys. Well, that was not what I expected.

I drove back to the big building and pulled the old tractor out to finish mowing. Mr. FixIt changed the oil this spring so both tractors would be operational. I hopped on, turned the key, and...nothing. The battery was dead! Hmmmmm...I sat there cogitating. Now, taking a mower deck off and changing out a belt is not part of my skill set so the next best thing was to jump the old tractor with my truck.

I pulled my truck up close and hooked up the jumper cables, started up the truck, and hopped on the tractor. It started right up! I felt so empowered! I sat there for a little while to let the battery start to charge up a bit. I thought, “I’ll just leave it running and unhook the jumper cables and turn off my truck, then I can get back to work. I started to get off the tractor and the engine promptly threatened to die. Of course! There is a safety switch under the seat. The engine will stop when you lift weight off it.

Ok...Plan B. I tugged on the jumper cables to disconnect them, but I parked a little too far away to get leverage. By this time, the tractor had been running for a good five minutes. I was sure it would start again. I turned it off, disconnected the jumper cables, turned off the truck, and hopped back on the tractor. I turned the key and....nothing. Grrrrrrr. I pulled the truck up closer, repeated the steps above, got the tractor started, disconnected the jumper cables and thought, “How am I going to turn off the truck?”

Well...the answer was...I wasn’t. I had a full tank of gas and Mr. FixIt would be home any minute, so I just headed out and mowed. When he got home, I drove up to my sweetheart and yelled, “Turn off the truck!” He shook his head indicating he couldn’t hear me and motioned for me to turn off the tractor. I shook my head and said, “I can’t...the battery’s dead!” He shook his head and yelled, “Turn off the tractor!” I yelled back, “Turn off the truck!!!” lolol We both ended up laughing when he finally figured out what I was asking him to do. I’m sure the neighbors thought we were a sight!

Taking the mower deck off and cleaning it then running to town for a new belt and blades (one was cracked in two places) was not on Mr. FixIt’s agenda today. The old tractor really beats me up so I felt like I’d gone ten rounds in the WWE by the time I was done. I told my sweetheart, if he’d let me stretch out for 10 minutes, I’d go to town with him and buy him dinner. It was a fair trade, but the icing on the cake came as we drove home and the Pink Moon rose over the hills of West Virginia and took our breath away!

We are so incredibly blessed to live the life we have in the most beautiful place in the world. (OK, I’m biased.) I thought as I mowed...how this ground, this West Virginia red clay...has formed me as much as God forming Adam. My blood runs blue and gold and my heart will always be a Mountaineer.

Montani Semper Liberi...Mountaineers are Always Free!

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”
1 Peter 2:16 ESV

Day 188: Decision Time

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 01:30:00 -0600

I have vacillated back and forth whether to sell Big TOW-Wanda or not and finally decided to go for it. It’s time. She’s just too big to tow with this truck and we are far less likely to up and take off camping with this big trailer. I’ve had her for six years. She has been with me almost since the beginning of this journey. She sheltered me from the winter winds when I lived on that bluff overlooking the Ohio River. She’s been all over the country. But it’s time to let her go to someone who can use her more and a joy the heck out of her. I had to wait till I was ready to let her go...and the time has come. Time to move on.

I spent a good part of the day emptying her out. It is absolutely unbelievable how much junk you cram into a camper and pay for the gas to haul it around. I don’t need and didn’t use half of what was in there. I am trying to be ruthless in purging the contents. Some will go to the camping kids. Some I’ll keep. And some was just plain trash. It feels really good to be leaning out a space in my life. Now there’s room for something else...a smaller camper that’s easier to pull so we can have grand adventures.

I think the tipping point came when I started making plans for our second anniversary trip. We go every spring to our time share on the Outer Banks, but Covid knocked that out. We were fortunate they offered us a substitute week anytime in October, because our anniversary is October 13th. I like to take our time driving down, stay overnight, then arrive at checkout refreshed and ready to spend the afternoon and evening on the beach.

We aren’t excited about staying in a hotel this year so we’ll be driving straight through. If we had a smaller camper, we could find a campground between here and there...or even a good Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot and sleep in our own bed and have our own kitchen and bathroom. That right there told me it was time to let TOW-Wanda go. I’m praying the perfect person comes to buy it and pays a good price so we can go out and buy what I hope will be our last camper.

By 3:00 in the afternoon, I was ready to run to town for errands. When we were done, we picked up carry out and sat along the river to eat. As I watched the sun setting over the water between Blennerhassett and Belpre, I mused how fitting it was that I’d be there the day I decided to let the camper go. This is the river I watched cover over with ice in February of 2015. This is the river that comforted me as I mourned the loss of Mr. Virgo. I was not lost on me the incredible blessings I had sitting beside me in that pickup truck as we quietly munched our sandwiches and contemplated the stark beauty of the Ohio River at sunset.

My sweetheart mentioned he would like to have some salsa from our tomatoes to take to the beach with us. He and I have VERY different tastes in salsa. He likes his with pineapple and no heat. I like mine hot enough to make your nose run but not so hot that your eyes water and you can’t taste anything for a couple of hours. I tease him and say his isn’t salsa...it’s tomato-pineapple jam. He teases and says he can clean the corrosion off the battery posts with mine. We aren’t far off either way. So, pineapple for his...jalapeños for mine. I also bought a poblano pepper because they were beautiful. I won’t have enough tomatoes...I’ll have to go buy some.

I slept in the camper last night...getting in my last days of camping for the year and preparing to say goodbye to my faithful companion. Girl campers get pretty serious about their relationships with their campers! I am so blessed to have such an understanding hubby that supports me in whatever I want to do. Such a good guy!

❤️

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
James 1:5-8 NIV

Day 158: Burning Down My Memories

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 01:30:00 -0600

I was a new widow when I bought my first camper. A little 16’ job with everything I needed. I miss that little camper...the original TOW-Wanda. I still regret trading her in for the big behemoth I own now, but...water under the bridge, you know.

I always wanted a camper although I had never pulled one. I camped in a tent a couple of times and once drove cross country in an old VW Poptop Van, but actually having my own camper eluded me.

I tried to get Hubby #2 to buy one and he refused. It never occurred to me to go out and buy one myself. I wasn’t brave enough to do such a thing back then. But Mr. Virgo understood my wanderlust and, while not an avid camper himself, was anxious to see that I got to do all the fun things I wanted.

When he died suddenly while we were looking at the camper for our retirement, I thought my dreams would end there. But, something stirred within me almost from the beginning of widowhood. I was determined to have that camper and found a way to make it work.

Little TOW-Wanda came into my life just a few weeks after the funeral. I carefully stocked her and as soon as the spring snows melted, I was off on The Grand Adventure through the wilderness and backroads of Colorado by myself.

I am so glad there were no forest fires to speak of that summer, or I might have lost the heart for this fun way of life. I traveled a circle clear around the state at least twice in those three months. One particularly beautiful stretch was heading west on Colorado Route 14 through Poudre Canyon. I hadn’t been through there since the High Park Fire of 2012 the year before. It was devastating to see the blackened vegetation...the trees standing like gnarled fingers pointing to the sky.

I drove to the far west end where the fire had spared the canyon. I found an empty campsite right on the edge of the Cache la Poudre River and backed in. It was early in the camping season. The kids were still in school, and I had just about every campground I went to all to myself.

I had camped in Rocky Mountain National Park for a few days prior to my arrival in Poudre Canyon. I saw wildlife galore on that trip...elk, deer, turkey, mink, ermine, marmot, Bald Eagles, Great Horned Owls, moose, coyotes. Everything except a bear. The last morning at this campsite, I talked with Mr. Virgo...as I did most mornings. I thanked him for bringing all the beautiful animals to enjoy...I really appreciated them. But, could he please just bring me at least one bear???

I packed up and headed west on Colorado 14 and began the long, steady climb up to Cameron Pass. By the time I got to Joe Wright Reservoir, my engine was getting a little hot. I decided to pull in the parking area and gaze at the still frozen water. Signs of spring were coming to the high country as the fresh green leaves were popping out on the aspen trees and the undergrowth was beginning to show signs of life. Finally, when the engine and transmission were cooled, I took off to the tip top of the pass.

I had just crested the pass at 10, 249’ and began the slow descent down when I noticed the most odd thing. Someone had placed a huge statue of a bear, right along the highway where it makes a sharp bend to the right. I slowed down to look at it, then realized...to my sheer delight...it was a real, live bear! Standing on the edge of the road, the sheer drop off behind him. I stopped the truck and stared. Thank God there wasn’t someone coming along behind me! I tried to snap a photo of the bear, but the memory was full on my phone and by the time I reached for my digital camera, it had disappeared over the edge. I realized that memory was for me alone.

I don’t believe I have seen another bear in the wilds of Colorado since that one magical morning on Cameron Pass. And now...Cameron Pass is burning, as is much of Colorado and points west. Climate change has brought increasing drought and prevailing winds so the fires continue to become worse and worse.

I don’t know when, or if, I will ever have the opportunity to go on an adventure like that again. But I must say...the memories of those three months pulling my camper through the majestic Rocky Mountains have never faded and remind me of God’s reckless love for me...to grace me with these memories that still fill my heart.

❤️

“God is the one who rules the whole earth, and we that live here are merely insects. He spread out the heavens like a curtain or an open tent.”
Isaiah 40:22 CEV

Day 117: Hallelujah...A Cool Night!

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 01:30:00 -0600

I have really missed getting out and camping this summer. We did get some good camping in during the cool nights of spring, but once the summer heat index started creeping up, and night time temps didn’t go down enough for sleeping in the camper without air conditioning, we were kind of stuck sleeping inside. We could take the camper to a campground nearby, but there are a few reasons why that’s not optimal. Mr. FixIt is still having physical therapy and medical appointments. We have the cat...and the garden needs watering daily. And, why should we pay to camp in a noisy campground with potential Covid exposure when we have five free acres and our own electric?

It rained off and on all day yesterday. It did get up to the low eighties, but the low was predicted to be 61℉! That’s all I needed to hear. Once I was finished with the bread dough and had it in the fridge to rise overnight, I gathered my writing gear and headed out to the camper. I haven’t been in it for a few weeks so I needed to open it up, air it out, and cool it off. But within a very short time, it was quite comfortable in there and I quickly set up my little writing nook...happy as a clam!

I had a long video chat with Daughter #1 for her birthday on Saturday. It’s not the same as being there with her and it has been many years since I’ve missed a birthday in person. It breaks my heart that I can’t be there this summer. I have never gone this long without seeing my kids and I don’t like it one bit. I think, if I had a smaller camper and if Mr. FixIt hadn’t had the two strokes this spring and if we didn’t have the cat or the garden...I’d pack us up and head west. The good thing about traveling with the camper is being self enclosed with your own kitchen, bathroom, and bed. You can pretty much self-isolate as you travel as long as you are extra careful at the gas pump.

I’m watching the zucchini getting bigger and bigger. I’m really looking forward to making pickles this week and showing you how it’s done. It is a great way to use up those huge zucchini that get away from you in the garden and they are SO delicious! I could eat a whole jar with a fork. The tomatoes are looking great and the peppers are getting bigger. I am not sure if the banana peppers are ready yet. I don’t know what they are supposed to look like. I thought they were supposed to turn yellow, but they are still green. I’ll take pictures tomorrow so maybe some of you with experience can tell me.

I’ll bake bread early this morning to keep the house from getting too hot. As soon as the loaves are cool, I’ll wrap them and ship them to my girls as a treat from mom. If I can’t be there to hug them, at least I can send them bread baked with Mom-love. I remember one time going over two years without seeing my mom. I remember being so incredibly shocked by how she had aged in such a relatively short time and vowed I would never do that again. And I didn’t. I took my kids to West Virginia every summer of their lives while my mom was still living.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom and my grandparents this weekend. I’ve been thinking how terribly worried I would have been about them...living so far away in Colorado. And now, it’s me that’s here and my own kids and brother are the ones out west. I would have never predicted this scenario in my wildest dreams. But you know what they say...if wishes were horses, and all that. This is the hand we have been dealt. This is the hand we will play.

I caught a picture of Pumpkin sleeping beside me on the deck yesterday afternoon. I seldom see her sleeping as there is SO much to do and see on HER five acres!

❤️

“The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you. A picture of your city is drawn on my hand. You are always in my thoughts!”
Isaiah 49:15-16 CEV

Day 42: Developing Faith in a Camper

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 01:30:00 -0600

I went into x-ray training straight out of high school. Our first year was spent almost entirely in the classroom with gradual transition to working in the x-ray department. Our second year was almost all hands-on experience. We each had to take turns working in surgery, mostly in orthopedics taking films to see if bones were set and pins were placed correctly. It was fascinating and held my interest far more than high school ever did.

There was a particular orthopedic surgeon everyone was nervous around. He was big and gruff and his voice boomed around the whole floor. When he told you to jump, you asked him how high on your way up. He had a habit of coming to the little closet where we hand developed his films. If he felt you were taking too long, he kicked hard on the door and scared you half to death.

One particularly busy day, he came kicking on my door for the last time. I covered the developing tanks and opened the door and said, “What?!” He just stood there staring at me for a second.

“Where are my films!” His voice bellowed.

I really was shaking in my boots, but I’d had it up to here with being afraid every day so I put my hand on my hip and said, “Well, come in here and I’ll show you!”

He walked in, still in his surgical garb and I shut the door behind him.

As I opened the tanks back up, I explained to him that I could give him fast films or I could give him good films. It all depended on the temperature of the chemicals. Crank up the heat and you could develop those films lickety-split, but they were grainy and had very little definition.

When I was finished, I opened the door and handed him the films. I was absolutely sure I would get my can thrown out of school over that one, but from then on, there was a certain respect between us.

Developing faith is a lot like that. It takes time in a dark room to develop. It’s not like the digital images we great in nanoseconds. It takes work and time. And just like learning to take x-rays, we are tested when we learn to have faith. Those tests aren’t easy. We have to work through them feeling alone and wondering where the teacher is.

You see, the teacher is silent during the test. It’s meant to be that way so that we can focus. Just because we can’t see the teacher doesn’t mean he isn’t there. He’s always there.

These are trying times we are in right now. Hopefully, we are developing in our faith as we spend time in this dark room. Hopefully we are taking advantage of the quiet time during this time of testing. When we develop and grow in our faith, we are given the gift of tools to use when we move on to the next lesson. Faith gets built upon, day by day, year by year. We never stop growing older, so we should never stop growing in our faith, either.

I spent the majority of the day yesterday out in the camper. We watched online church. Then CBS Sunday Morning. Then I packed up my books and headed out to TOW-Wanda. It rained all day and it was so wonderful to cuddle up on the daybed under a blanket. I have to admit, I mostly stared out the windows as the rain dripped down the glass and tapped on the roof. The creek roared outside the window. I let myself feel soothed by the smells and sounds and comfort I find in my little sanctuary.

By the end of the afternoon, I was ready to head back inside. Mr. FixIt had fixed a wonderful meal of baked chicken, potatoes, and asparagus. I felt like I’d had a vacation after spending the night and most of the day in the camper. Those quiet times of reflection, prayer, and meditation develop my faith, too.....slowly, quietly, peacefully.

❤️

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
1 John 5:14-15 ESV

Saying Goodbye to TOW-Wanda!

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 01:30:35 -0600

“TOW-Wanda…being towed away to her new life with a boy.”

Night before last, I put the camper on Facebook Marketplace at 10:00. It sold in thirty minutes! And, there were thirty people right behind the guy I sold it to, ready to step up and pay cash. I was shocked. I was forthright in explaining the camper needed work or would be perfect for a backyard she shed, writer’s nook, guest quarters, or kids playhouse. Still, the price and “camper” were enough to bring everyone out of the woodwork seeking a deal.

The first person who said he wanted it was a guy who just got married on the 8th. He was so excited to get the camper, he was knowledgeable and fully understood what it was going to take to get her fixed. He wanted to fix up TOW-Wanda so he could take his son camping. He took a picture and sent it to his dad. Then he FaceTimed with his son and I could hear their excitement.

This guy knew campers. He knew what it would take to really fix her right. I am so glad about that because I was worried someone who didn’t really know about them might get it and not heed my warnings and try to tow it to the mountains. We had a long talk. We negotiated a price that was fair and acceptable to us both. I told him, I could see God’s hand all over this. For me…to learn a valuable lesson about inspecting campers well before you buy them. And for him…to affordably get into a camper that he has the skills to fix so that he can be a good dad to his son.

Yes…I lost money on the deal. But, no one got hurt…just my pride. And there’s a little boy out there who is going to be one happy camper when he gets to go out in the mountains with his dad. There is no price tag on the making of a man.

❤️

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Blog Inspiration

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 01:30:12 -0600

“Enjoying a midsummer’s eve in Colorado.”

I was talking about my blog the other day with the owner of a lovely antique store in Minturn, Colorado. Just a stone’s throw from the glitz and glamour of Vail, Minturn still holds that little mining town feel it’s had for decades. It is kind of land bound…there can’t be a ton of new expansion and building outrageous mansions for the rich and famous. The town center is located just two miles off I-70, but it seems like a step back in time.

I told the owner of the shop that my life experiences are “blog fodder”. Just about everything I do, I look for the gold in the moment. I ask myself, “How can I weave this into an interesting story without sounding like Aunt Bertha describing her breakfast for the umpteenth time?” I always look for ways my posts can be positive, uplifting, encouraging, and even empowering. I want you to come away with something good for your day…even if it’s just a smile or a giggle.

Yesterday was bittersweet as I began emptying the camper and packing the items away in plastic bins. I need to be able to fit everything in my truck, including what Mr. FixIt brings with him from West Virginia. I’ll list it tomorrow so people can shop over the weekend and hopefully she will find a new home and someone will love her as much as I have. We girl campers have a strong attachment to our little homes on wheels.

I bought some of those big ziplock bags that you vacuum the air out of and the compress the contents for easy storage. I’d never used them before but they were amazing. Ben and Sue have a huge dining room table to accommodate our large family at dinners. I had the top of that table piled two feet deep with pillows, blankets, towels, and my fur throw. By the time I got the items packed and the air vacuumed out, I couldn’t believe how compact it was. There is room in the back under the tonneau cover for one more large bin with some extra space around them. These bags will easily slip between and on top of the plastic bins, keeping the contents from getting wet.

When I was finished with my chores for the day, I went out on the back porch to write. Sue has the most beautiful flowers this summer. It has been rainy and cool up to this week so they are thriving. It’s unusual to keep pots this pretty by the middle of July here in the semi-arid climate of Colorado. The air cooled to a reasonable 81 degrees by 8:30 so I sat there for a long time…admiring the beauty of a midsummer’s eve.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I was telling Sue at supper list night…I think I’ve only been home a week or so since the last week of May. It’s ok…I’m having a wonderful time and it will only be made better by Mr. FixIt’s arrival on Saturday. Two more sleeps!!!

❤️

“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
Ephesians 5:28 NIV

Quality Time

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 01:30:19 -0600

“Little snoozing in the morning sunshine.”

Yesterday was so much fun. Little absolutely loved sleeping in the camper. She went to sleep much earlier than usual and I had to wake her up in time to have some breakfast before we left for church. She was very excited to go to “Nana’s Church.” The contemporary mega church model suits Little’s personality to a T. She sat with me and was focused on the sermon throughout. She loved the praise and worship music. She was so animated when we came out of church and declared she wants to go every week. I am highly encouraging that because she had a definite light about her when we came out.

After church, I took Little home and traded….Big came shopping with me all afternoon. We walked all over Flatirons Crossing Mall, had a delicious lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, enjoyed ice cream on our rest break between stores. She is a frugal shopper and had a wonderful time picking out just what she wanted. As I expected, they were things like athletic wear from Dick’s Sporting Goods…with a definite fashionista flair.

The weather here in Colorado has been quite lovely. We have had rain just about every day and it cools things off nicely. The nights have been wonderful for sleeping in the camper with just the windows open and maybe a small fan. Daughter #2 is in the process of changing jobs and found out today her new job doesn’t start till after the wedding. That means we get some more time together this week. I’m so happy for her. This new job pays more, utilizes her degree, and sends her in a direction that offers advancement.

Mr. FixIt is tying up loose ends at home…preparing to fly to Colorado this weekend. I can’t wait to see him! We really miss each other when we’re apart. He has mowing to do and business to attend to. I’ve been looking up things to do to replace the camping portion of our trip. I’d love to show him the Four Corners area and Mesa Verde. We’ll see what all we have time for.

I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July weekend and have a wonderful Monday!

❤️

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV

Making “Little” Memories!

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 01:30:08 -0600

“Little’s nest in TOW-Wanda!”

Little is here! She has been at camp all week and we only saw each other for an hour after I arrived last Sunday. I spent a good deal of time with Big this week, so I could hardly wait till Little got back and came over to “camp” with me.

She is my camper. No one else in my Colorado family is even remotely interested in camping. We had big plans to take the camper up in the mountains and stay a couple of days, but with the unfortunate demise of TOW-Wanda…we had to change plans.

I have the camper pulled around behind Ben & Sue’s house, underneath a locust tree. It doesn’t offer anything but a feeling of protection from the frequent hail storms we’ve had this week. I’m plugged into electric and water so I have all the comforts of home in my own little suite.

This incarnation of TOW-Wanda has a queen sized bed with a memory foam mattress that is swoon worthy. It had a bunk bed over the queen bed that also had a memory foam mattress on it. I removed that because I couldn’t sit up without hitting my head. The little dinette collapses down to make a separate twin sized bed that uses the seat cushions for a mattress. Not comfortable for an adult, but just fine for a kid.

Since I’ll be selling this camper here, I went to Walmart yesterday and bought some plastic tubs with tight fitting lids. I spent a couple of hours yesterday taking things out of the camper and fitting them neatly into the storage bins and put them in the back of my truck underneath the tonneau cover. See? There’s a reason I got that before this trip!

With all the extras removed, Little has plenty of room to stretch out and be comfortable while she camps with me. We went out for ribs last night. (Big is a vegetarian so Little and I have to get our carnivore cravings satisfied while her sister isn’t with us.) We had “Mamma Mia: The Movie” downloaded on the iPad to watch after dark.

I don’t get to see my Colorado grands very often…so when I do, I need to make deep and lasting memories with them. Camping with Little last night. Shopping with Big this afternoon. Life is so good!

❤️

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”
Proverbs 17:6 NIV

Here Comes the Rain Again!

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 01:30:31 -0600

“Looking east as the sun set over Arvada.

I think I brought the rain with me from West Virginia. We got about an inch of rain in two days in the northwest suburbs of Denver. It dropped from the mid 80’s to 75…then in thirty minutes it dropped down to 60 degrees. Lots of small, pea sized hail but no damage that I can see.

Along with Colorado’s severe thunderstorms, California had a 7.1 earthquake aftershock last night, Europe is having an unprecedented heat wave, and West Virginia just sits and soaks in sweat. It’s crazy weather. I hope things settle down soon. It’s downright chilly here right now.

I’ve been “camping” at Ben & Sue’s house. We pulled the camper back under a locust tree for some little bit of protection from the elements. When you are in the camper, even pea and marble-sized hail sounds like a gunshot. Little is going to come join me and “camp” tonight. I had to tell her the camper is broken so we can’t go to the mountains like we wanted to. She is so easy going. She said she didn’t care where we camped, as long as we were together!

I’m sad I’ll be saying goodbye to this camper sometime this month. It has such a beautiful layout and is pristine inside. I know the right person will come along and be so happy to get her to place on a piece of property or in the back yard. I’ll just keep praying about it. Mr. FixIt put the title in the mail to me today so I should receive it Monday or Tuesday.

My sweet man arrives in Colorado a week from today! I can hardly wait to see him!!! He’ll be at the baby shower today for our little great grandson due this month. We got him a crib. I’m so sorry I’ll be missing that but I’m busy making memories here!

❤️

“He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.”
Job 37:11-13 NIV

Independence Day!!!

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 01:30:37 -0600

“Colorado’s sky is always amazing!”

It seems like I’m in Denver just about every Independence Day. Since I don’t travel here in the winters anymore, I make my trips extra long in the summer and they just about always hit during this fun, but noisy, holiday. As I am writing this, neighborhood fireworks are going off all around me and it sounds like a war zone.

Yesterday, I helped Daughter #1 upholster a padded cover for a chest she uses as a coffee table. Their new couch doesn’t have the recliners like her old one and they needed something comfortable to prop up their feet when they watch TV. It turned out beautiful and we were very proud when it was finished.

Big has her learner’s permit and I rode with them to lunch yesterday. It brought back memories of when I taught her mommy how to drive. I was very pregnant at the time and it was quite an adventure. My granddaughter is a very conservative driver and she did a great job. I cannot imagine learning to drive in Denver traffic! It’s crazy busy here all the time now…not just rush hour.

I forget how amazingly beautiful Colorado’s sky is! We came out of the grocery store at sunset yesterday and the clouds and light were stunning in every single direction. I stood there like a tourist seeing it for the first time…turning round and round taking pictures in the parking lot.

Today is full of family, food, and fun! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday!!!

❤️

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

Trailer Trouble...With a Capital T

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 01:30:49 -0600

“Damage to the camper indicating it is no longer towable.”

Whenever I travel with one of my campers, I always circle around and do a visual safety check. I check before I head out. I check when I park for the night. And I check when I get to my destination. Saturday night I stayed at a hotel in Russell, KS. I did my walkabout when I locked her up to go inside and there was nothing wrong. Same thing the next morning before I headed out on the road for the final leg into Denver.

When I arrived at Ben & Sue’s house and I was unhooking, I noticed the front curbside corner of the camper had separated a little. It looked like a couple of screws had popped and all I would need to do is screw them back in. I was hot and tired and not planning to tow anytime soon so I decided to wait till I was better rested. The first chance I had was yesterday morning.

I went out and looked at the corner again. I tried to push back on the panel but it would not move. This indicated to me there was weight behind it and my original idea was not going to work. I got down on my knees and looked back at the base of the trailer where it meets the frame and this is what I was faced with. The other side looks almost as bad.

That silver metal cover is the rock guard. It’s called diamond plate. It is heavy gauge and does NOT tear easily. I knew as soon as I saw it what had happened. When I first bought the camper, I notice there was about a two to three inch water stain on the mattress below one corner of that front window.

These windows notoriously leak. That’s why most camper companies don’t build a camper with them anymore. I asked the previous owner when I was inspecting the camper if it leaked and she said she had never noticed it before. Maybe it happened over the winter and was new. There was another red flag…the front surface had become delaminated. There is a fiberglass material fused over the wood walls in this camper. If there is a leak, over time…the surface will come away from the wood and have a rippled appearance.

It was a red flag that I didn’t understand was HUGE. I was thinking “little r”. Nope….big mama-honkin’ R! The more I camped in this new-to-me camper, the bigger that little leak got. I figured as soon as I had time, I would pop that front window out and re-caulk it. Done. Easy peasy. But it kept raining and I kept busy and then…boom!

What happened was, driving across the washboard that was once I-70 caused the board across the bottom front of the camper (that had obviously softened or rotted) to buckle from the weight of the camper body being repeatedly slammed down on it. This brought the body down over half an inch, dropping it onto the frame that comes out to create the tongue and hitch.

Layman’s terms? The camper is not towable in this condition. There are several scenarios that can happen here.

I could fix it myself. But this is a long, big, BIG job that could entail tearing the camper down to the frame and reconstructing it. I don’t have a place to work undercover. I’m not here long enough to do it...even if I were so inclined. Which I am not.
I could have someone fix it for me. This could cost two to three thousand dollars and the camper itself isn’t worth much more than that. (Come to find out, I paid too much for it, but we live and learn, right?) I’m not willing to put the money into it.
I can sell the camper “as is” with the firm stipulation that it is not roadworthy. This is a viable option. A lot of people are putting little campers in their back yards to use as she-sheds, guest houses, Air B&B accommodations, or playhouses for the kids and grandkids.
I can just leave it here and worry about it next summer, but that isn’t very reasonable. It would take up room at Ben & Sue’s and it would be out in a potentially bad Colorado winter. It’s just putting off the inevitable.

So, plans change. We won’t be camping on this trip except in the driveway of Ben & Sue’s house until I can manage to sell the camper. Mr. FixIt couldn’t find the title at home so he needs to get a new one. In order to do that, he needs the registration. That was in my truck so I sent it to him priority mail and he’ll get it Friday. Then he will send me the new title. And, he will be here a week from Saturday.

I don’t want to say I feel stupid. But I didn’t do what anyone who buys a used camper should do. I didn’t have it inspected by an RV professional. The inside showed no damage…it was pristine. All but that tiny leak. The only thing that made me feel better was this: The only way I could have known that board inside was rotten was to tear the front off the camper and you can’t do that. I had no way of knowing. It was just one of those unfortunate issues that sometimes comes with used campers.

I have backup campers at home. Everything will work out. I am VERY grateful nothing terrible happened on the road like the frame breaking in the middle of Kansas. This is workable…it’s not the end of the world. I will inevitably lose money on this deal, but that’s a lesson learned and an excellent teaching moment when I mentor women campers.

I tell my husband this over and over and over. “You get what you pay for.” I had the money to get a new(er) camper, but I went for the deal. Sometimes that “good deal” just doesn’t work out. And then again….sometimes rainbows come after the worst of storms! I wonder how God is going to use this for good? There is a reason this has happened here and now. I just don’t know what it is yet!

❤️

“It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:6 NIV

America’s Bread Basket is Baking!

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 01:30:10 -0600

“Clockwise from top left: My rig in the summer sun in Kansas, the long straight stretch that is Kansas…look how green!, my digital laser thermometer that I use to check my hub temperatures at every stop, me looking decidedly fresher in the AM than I was by evening!”

You know you are getting into farm and ranch land when you start seeing billboards advertising bovine genetics and DEKALB seed corn. I left the Lazy Day Campground in Danville, Missouri yesterday morning about 8:00. It was a very long, very HOT day. A section of I-70 was closed at Kansas City so I took the recommended detour. I recognized it as the route I usually take anyway to avoid downtown. There is one interchange on the interstate near the city where you have to get from the right hand side onramp to a left hand side exit in less than 1/4 mile. Pulling a camper makes that a real challenge, let me tell you!!! At least it wasn’t with big TOW-Wanda on a Friday night at rush hour. We have to look for the little things!

When I was emptying the tanks on the camper before I left yesterday, it wasn’t 8:00 yet and the sun would take the hide right off of you. The temperature quickly soared to the high 90’s and by the time I was halfway through Kansas, it was 100. The low was only expected to go down to 80 so I stopped and got a hotel room. When I first got in the room, I cranked up the air conditioner and stretched out on the bed. I texted Mr. FixIt and said, “I am NEVER doing this again!!!” He texted back that I don’t have to. I’m holding him to it!

Ok, it was the third day. It was hard. It was hot. I was tired and probably a little hungry and dehydrated. And knowing I have over 350 more miles to go had me feeling really sorry for myself there for a few minutes. But, once I rested for a while and got something to eat and drink, I felt a ton better. When I stop tonight, it’s going to be at my son-in-law’s parents’ house so I’ll be with family. It’s going to take me a week to rest up and acclimate to the altitude. Mr. FixIt will join me on the 13th so that time will pass quickly.

I had a lot of time to think about this as I was driving yesterday. I don’t like being this far away from Mr. FixIt. I thought about that from every angle. I asked myself if it was co-dependency. I don’t think it’s that at all. I do all kinds of things without him and I don’t need to be attached at the hip. I talked with my dear friend Deneene about this last night. She lost her husband unexpectedly about a year after Mr. Virgo died. She is also recently remarried. We decided it’s not co-dependency at all. It’s the fact that we KNOW what can happen and how quickly it can come. I don’t think it’s that I’m doing something without him. It’s that I’m doing something so far away from him and I can’t get to him quickly. THAT I don’t like at all.

Still, it is fun in many ways. I’ve seen some beautiful countryside. The sky was blue and wide open. I’ve forgotten what that looks like living in West Virginia. (I took the picture while driving but my phone was in a cradle and all I did was touch the screen. No eyes off the road for me!) I don’t have anything pressing to do once I get to Denver so I can relax and catch up on my rest, keep myself really hydrated to counteract the altitude, knit, write, and visit with my Colorado peeps. I could not believe how green Kansas is. They had the same long, drawn out, wet spring everyone else had. It is so hard to believe the temperature is in the high 90’s in Colorado and one week ago they had two feet of snow. Crazy weather!

Oh, see that picture bottom right? That’s my digital laser thermometer. After burning up an axle in Indiana two summer ago, I check my hubs religiously…every time I stop and get out of the truck. I know you can just put your hand down there and feel if it’s hot, but how hot is too hot and if it IS that hot, you’ll burn the heck out of your hand. I keep watch on it and it’s always between 100-110. That’s perfect. If it goes up, it means the bearings need grease.

Well, I’m on the last leg of this Grand Adventure. The last leg of the first part of it, anyway! It’s just me and Jesus…making our way west!

❤️

“….“The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.”

Genesis 31:49 ESV

#Separation, #Marriage, #Adventure

Travel: Lotsa Learnin’ Goin’ On Here!

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 01:30:17 -0600

“I use a French press a lot when I camp. I have a manual grinder, too.”

So, yesterday morning I took my time waking up. I do that when I travel. My Bible app has a year long study where you read the whole bible in a year. With the trip to Florida, being sick, and getting ready for this trip, I was thirteen days behind. I don’t like to get behind on that one because there’s a good deal to read every day. I spent a little extra time reading while I enjoyed a tasty cup of coffee. I chatted with Mr. FixIt for a while. I finally got on the road about 10:00.

The drive was uneventful. I usually drive in silence because I do my best thinking when I drive. But I wanted to listen to music so I pulled into a rest area and tried to figure out how to connect my phone to the sound system on the truck. It took me a few tries but soon I was bebopping down the highway listening to some praise music.

Around 3:00, I pulled into another rest area and stretched out in front of my hillbilly air conditioner again. When I was almost to St. Louis, Mr. FixIt called. We were chatting as the GPS took me around the city. Still…it was 5:00…on a Friday…in June! Heck of a time to go through there. I wasn’t on the phone long because I needed to concentrate.

Suddenly, two things happened. I noticed the sky got really dark all of a sudden. And, Mavis…my GPS persona…announce I-70 was closed. Closed? Are you kidding me? How do you close a whole interstate. I had to make some quick decisions but the weather did it for me. The sky opened and I was suddenly driving through what looked like a car wash.

I quickly pulled off the highway and into a Denny’s parking lot. I ran through the rain and jumped in the camper. I pulled my vegetable lasagna out of my 12v slow cooker and ate dinner while I watched both an amazing lightning show as well as a band of bright red storms march toward me on the Weather Channel radar.

I looked through the Good Sam Camping Guide and found a campground on the other side of St. Louis. I called and they had one site left. I should have called yesterday morning but I honestly forgot it was Friday. I seldom make reservations when I travel and so far I have never lacked a place to stay.

Before long, the storm was past me and I got back behind the wheel. The detour took about an hour because it was bumper to bumper stop and go traffic for 19 miles. I arrived at the campground and registered. They showed me to my site and it’s perfectly lovely. When I was at Walmart yesterday, I bought a replacement shower head for my camper. I installed it after I arrived last night. Easy peasy. And, the hot water heater worked! Imagine that! We hadn’t even tried it out yet.

As soon as I could, I jumped in that teeny tiny little shower. It was easier to FIX the shower than it was to TAKE one! Once I was all done, I felt like a million bucks. If you look at the map, I am almost exactly at the halfway point. That’s great…but I still have a long way to go! I’m not going to try to make it to Colorado tomorrow. I’ll take it easy and stop in western Kansas or eastern Colorado.

Learned a lot of things today. 1) Make reservations if your camping on a Friday. 2) Pay closer attention to the calendar. 3) Check further ahead for weather and road conditions. 4) Changing a shower head is easy. 5) Listening to praise music is a great prep tool for stressful circumstances!

Enjoy your Saturday!

❤️

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 ESV

Road Trip: Can’t Keep a Good Gal Down!

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 01:30:19 -0600

“A Shady Spot”

If you would have asked me at 10:00 Wednesday night, I would have told you (as I told you this morning) there was NO WAY I was going to leave for Colorado yesterday morning. Ahhhh…but, once I got past the icky stomach, took my tummy medicine, and slept a solid eight hours, it was a whole different ballgame.

Because I was getting up and down, I slept in the guest room so I wouldn’t wake up Mr. FixIt. I awoke before dawn…around 5:00…and felt great. I read my devotionals and caught up on some correspondence then my sweetheart came to check on me around 7:00. I met him with a big smile and said I was good to go! He smiled back with relief. He doesn’t like it when I’m sick anymore that the other way around.

It took a couple of hours to finish packing the truck and camper and I was on the road by 9:00. My first stop was Walmart to pick up a few things. I had some things to return. I got back to the camper and put away my purchases and got in the truck. There were my return items sitting on the front seat. Oy! I really didn’t want to cart them to Colorado so I went back in and stood in a long, slow line. But, it’s done and I was out before too long.

The next and final stop was gas and a great big drink to stay hydrated on my trip. The young gal behind the counter was very excited because she is leaving on vacation today. Her very first camping trip! Well, I turned right back around and talked with her for awhile! I sure hope she has a grand time and decides to keep right on camping! Those first few camping trips are critical. You’ll either love it or hate it.

It was really hot yesterday and about midway through my drive, I pulled over into a rest area to stretch out on my bed. Well, it was over 90 degrees! Of course, when you pull into a rest area, there’s no electricity, so no AC. You need to improvise. The last time I drove cross country alone, I stopped in Kansas for a rest and needed to do something to cool off. I had a tiny little battery fan and a cold pack from the freezer. It worked ever so slightly, but it wasn’t long before the cold pack was melted and that was the end of that.

When I was at Walmart yesterday, I bought two 10” fans that are powered by fan and batteries. I’ve also taken to carrying a very large bottle of water that I keep in the freezer of the camper. Went I stretched out on my bed yesterday, I sat the large frozen container in a basin and put the fan behind it. I also had three water bottles I had frozen. I set them up in front of the other fan. I positioned myself in front of the cool air and had a lovely mini siesta. Perfect! I popped all the bottles back in the freezer before I pulled back on the highway.

“Hillbilly Air Conditioner!”

That right there is a little hillbilly ingenuity. Appalachians are a resourceful lot. I arrived at my favorite little campground in Richmond, Indiana at around 5:30…had supper from my slow cooker and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings as the sun went down. I tried to keep from turning on the AC, but it was still 85 degrees at 8:00 and I was done with the heat by that time. I’ve never slept all night with the AC on in this little camper. It’s pretty noisy in this tiny little space.

I wrote early last night so I could have a good solid night’s sleep. Yesterday was a long day, but I didn’t get very far. That’s usually how it works on the first day out. For me, anyway. I monitored all the systems on the camper and the truck and everything worked just as it should so I don’t foresee any difficulties. As always, I say my prayers for travel mercies. I appreciate when you do, as well.

Have a beautiful Friday!!!

❤️

“Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet.”
Psalms 140:4 ESV

A Tidy Purchase

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 01:30:58 -0600

“A tonneau cover turned out to be an extraordinary pargain!”

I told you all yesterday about our great find…a tonneau cover for my truck. We installed it yesterday and it was SO easy. It only took about fifteen minutes to do. We had to trim a couple small places in order for the tailgate to close, but that was super easy to do. We didn’t realize exactly how good this deal was till Mr. FixIt looked up this particular model of cover. New, they sell for nearly $800! And the carpeted bed liner sells for almost $500! We got them both for $75!!! Ok, I’m a little excited! Such a good bargain hunter I have for a husband.

We went to the farm yesterday. It appears the young man we had arranged to mow the yard…didn’t. But that’s ok. It is still mow-able without having to bale it. It is awfully wet out there. In the two weeks we were gone, the farm got over four inches of rain. We only got two at the Ponderosa. The ground is soggy when you walk out there. The house at the farm sits back in a holler and doesn’t get much sunlight. It’s nice for keeping cool, but causes a lot of problems with mold and mildew.

We noticed some evidence of termites this time. The first time I’ve seen that so we need to jump on that right away. I did a deep cleaning out there because my uncle is coming for a visit while I’m in Colorado and I wanted fresh bed linens for him. I mopped the floors and dusted. Mr. FixIt cleared off the back porch and scrubbed it down. Everything looked wonderful when we were finished.

I had every intention of leaving for Colorado today, but have decided to wait till tomorrow. This way I don’t have to run at breakneck speed getting everything done and I can take my time. The linens have all been washed and put back on the bed. I have some items to take out of the camper…things I took camping at Blackwater Falls and won’t need on this trip. This will cut down on the weight I pull which will improve my fuel consumption.

Oh, another thing Mr. FixIt did for me. Something was wrong with the water pump in the little camper. A water pump is supposed to turn on, build up pressure, then shut off. It only comes back on when the water pressure drops as you’re using water in the sink or toilet. Mine wouldn’t shut off. It ran on and on and was dreadfully loud. While we were in Florida, we discussed it and I ordered a new pump. It was here when we returned. Mr. FixIt installed it yesterday and it works perfectly! Now the only things I have to do is replace the shower nozzle and test out the hot water heater and we’re in business. Having your own shower when you camp is such a luxury.

I’m really getting excited now about the trip. I can’t wait to see my Colorado family…I’ve missed them so much! Today will be fun packing and preparing for a much needed road trip. Many of you asked yesterday. Mr. FixIt will fly out in a few weeks to join me before the wedding. Then, we will camp around Colorado and all the way back across the country. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a whole year…I can hardly wait to get started and savor every single moment!!!

❤️

“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” Deuteronomy 28:6 ESV

Road Trip: Falling Into Place

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 01:30:20 -0600

“Tonneau Cover for a Pickup”

My old truck had a fiberglass topper on it. It was really nice. I had the top lined with a carpet liner as well as a carpet bed liner. I had a couple of garment rods, a light, and two 12v outlets installed as well. It had a rack on the roof for my kayak. It was a sweet setup. Then, when my truck was totaled, the topper and all it’s accouterments went with it.

My new-to-me truck just has a plastic bed liner. There have been many times I have wished I had some way to tote things on my trips without necessarily having them visible to anyone who parks right beside us. I happened to mention this to Mr. FixIt the other day. He doesn’t forget things like this. We’ll get back to that in a minute.

A lot of things fell into place yesterday. First, we thought we might need new tires before I head to Denver. Mr. FixIt called all around and finally found a suitable pair for a reasonable price at Sam’s, but still…mounted and balanced…four tires were going to cost nearly $800! A chunk of change, to be sure. That’s the price of owning a truck.

We signed in at the tire desk, ordered the four tires, and paid for them. It was going to take about two hours so we started wandering around the store. About ten minutes later, they paged me overhead and we went back to the auto department. It turns out, I had a little over half the tread left on the tires and he didn’t want me to buy something I didn’t need.

How refreshing! Thank you, Brandon!

I did ask them, since they already had the truck back there, to please rotate the tires so they did that. As we were looking around the store, Mr. FixIt got a text. He said he had found a used tonneau cover for my truck for $150. I texted the woman selling it. She asked if I could also use a carpet bed liner! Well, yes…as a matter of fact. She then went on to tell me she was sick and tired of advertising stuff and if I wanted them both, she would sell them together for $75. Score! Now I can have a cover over my stuff during the Colorado trip.

We went to pick up our mail at the post office and there was my new water pump for the camper. Mr. FixIt can get that put in for me today, I can clean out my camper and restock it, run to town, change the oil on the truck, and leave for my trip west…maybe on Wednesday! I am really looking forward to seeing my kids and grandkids so if everything lines up like this, I’ll be on my way sooner rather than later.

Another road trip, Ranchers! Head ‘em up…move ‘em out!

❤️

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 ESV

Van Life

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 01:30:34 -0600

“One of our Girl Campers brought her conversion van to camp in. We were sold!”

My dear friend Gail has a conversion van that is tricked out like a camper. It’s currently in the camper hospital so she camped in a tent this time. But one of the other gals brought her conversion van and was kind enough to give me a peek inside.

I can see now why van girls love these so much! There is a lot you can pack into a small space. Christy has hers in soft pastels and cream, making the space seem much larger. She uses her Yeti cooler as extra seating. She has a whole kitchen crammed in this little cabinet.

This really got my creative juices flowing and I was thinking of all the things I can do to the minivan when I get ready to convert it. The only downside I could see is no air conditioner. She does have a 12v fan she can use, but I’m thinking I would be limited to spring and fall excursions.

Christy spend five weeks at Quartzite, Arizona in the winter and never felt claustrophobic in this setup. She is thinking she would like to take it on the road full-time. I belong to a few Facebook groups that focus on the van life. It’s intriguing…but a little too confining for two.

Anyway, someone asked to see the van…so here she is! Enjoy!

❤️

“It’s better to live in a hut in the wilderness than with a crabby, scolding spouse!” Proverbs 21:19 TPT

Another Quilt Top

Sun, 19 May 2019 01:30:27 -0600

“Cute camper material for a raffle quilt”

My dear friend Gail and I will be co-hosting a Girl Camper Gathering at Blackwater Falls next month. Gail is so talented and we have so much in common…it’s always fun to camp with her. We have some great ideas for fun things to do while we are camping. This is our Kick Off to Summer Camping Event so I wanted to do something special so I’m making a lap quilt to raffle off. There will be more details as we get things finalized. If any of you are interested in camping with me, this would be an excellent opportunity! Blackwater Falls has cabins and a Lodge so there are alternatives to traditional camping if that’s not your thing. It is a beautiful park with lots to see and do.

I went to Schoolhouse Quilts again yesterday and sewed for a few hours. I almost have the top for the little camper quilt finished. I’ll have to go in next week to finish it up. I just LOVE this material and the colors are SO Girl Camperish. Carolyn who owns the shop had some really cute ideas for the border so I can’t wait to share it with you when it’s done.

Mr. FixIt and I went to the cemetery yesterday to decorate the graves of my family. We will do his family’s after church today. I wanted to avoid the rush of next weekend, especially at the little country cemetery where my family members are. There’s one little lane that goes in…the same lane comes out. And it’s on a hillside so there’s no wiggle room to pass each other.

After the cemetery, we went to North Bend State Park and checked out the campgrounds. The main campground was jam packed with kids, which I think is wonderful. They were riding bikes and playing games and enjoying themselves immensely. I am so glad their parents are getting them out and teaching them the love of camping. That being said, I am past the age of wanting to camp in a crowded campground full of screaming children. Fortunately, there is a new campground for the older, more sedate crowd. It was far more to my liking.

We ran to the farm and had dinner out so it was date night for us. It was a welcome respite to mowing, mowing, mowing!

We didn’t get to go camping this weekend so we camped last night at home in my new-to-me camper. This was our first attempt sleeping in this camper together so we will see how the climb-over-you bed arrangement works.

❤️

“However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 11:8 NIV

Rainy Days and Mondays

Tue, 14 May 2019 01:30:55 -0600

“Watching the softball game in the rain and cold.”

I opened my eyes and looked around the camper. Something woke me up but not sure exactly what. I picked up my phone and there was a text from Gail. She had to head home from the campground early and asked me to let her know when I got home safely. We do that, us Girl Campers. Nothing says I love you quite like “Let us know when you get home.”

I thought I might go ahead and get up. I put away just about everything the night before. Instead, I rolled over and pulled the covers up under my chin and dozed off for another three hours. I heated up my coffee and hopped back under the covers to sip and watch the birds around the campground. I recognized a mockingbird and a downy woodpecker. I heard a pileated woodpecker up in the canopy of leaves over my head. I saw some buzzards circling over the nearby field and caught sight of a blue heron with his head tucked back, long legs following along behind him as he flapped slowly on his way to the water.

After my second cup, I decided it was time. I hooked up the camper and took off for home around 11:30. It wasn’t too long till the heavy clouds overhead took on a dark and menacing greenish grey and the sky opened up. I drove through some very heavy rain. I dropped my speed and didn’t use cruise control…two things that increase the risk of hydroplaning.

I stopped at a rest area just inside the West Virginia border and emptied the black tank. I had no grey water this time. I got home and parked the little camper alongside the building out behind the house so I can plug it in and use it for writing and naps. There is something so special about spending time in my camper…whether I’m actually camping or not.

As soon as I got home, I needed to clean up so we could go to our granddaughter’s softball game. We stopped for some supper on the way and it was so cold at the game, we actually parked beyond the outfield and sat in the truck. It rained a few times but not enough to delay the game. Our team lost, but they sure worked hard. They have a rematch tomorrow at an away game.

When I got home, I turned on the electric blanket on the bed in the camper and climbed in. As I did, I noticed the coverlet on the bed is damp. Apparently the camper leaked somewhere as I was driving through that heavy rain so I’m going to need to get to the bottom of that. It doesn’t leak sitting in the rain so it must have come from the water splashing up from the road. Ahhhh, campers…there is always some thing that needs fixed or replaced.

Home, Sweet Home…it was so good to see Mr. FixIt and give him a big hug!

Thank you, God…for travel mercies, for such good friends, and for a precious homecoming.

❤️

“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” Psalms 121:7-8 ESV

Camp Hair...Don’t Care!

Mon, 13 May 2019 01:30:38 -0600

“Images from camp…The Three Amigas (Gail, Janine, & Ginny), fishing, TOW-Wanda III, and ramp casserole in an iron skillet.”

OMGosh! Other than not having subzero temperatures, this week has been quite reminiscent of my first winter in TOW-Wanda Grande. I was parked up on the banks of the Ohio River with no running water. This state park has a few electric sites and I was lucky enough to get one. But, there’s no water at the sites. I had to rely on the freshwater tank for flushing the toilet and bottled water for drinking. Since I don’t have the propane system or the water heater checked out yet, I had to heat up water in the microwave or running it through the coffee pot for washing dishes or taking sponge baths. I am really looking forward to a proper shower when I get home today. I definitely have camp hair. And I definitely don’t care!

Everyone left yesterday and headed home. All except for me, that is. I already had last night reserved thinking at least someone would stay over. That’s ok, though. I used the day to do some writing I have a deadline for. Then I did a little knitting and watched old Andy Griffith reruns. All the kids either texted or called me for Mother’s Day which was so nice. Gail came back to the campground after dinner and brought me some homemade cream of broccoli soup. It was a really good day.

Gail and I are cohosting a Girl Camper event next month at Blackwater Falls so now I can turn my attention to that. I ordered a floral canopy with matching chairs to set up at that outing to give people a place to sit when they come to visit. When you have a campout with a group of Girl Campers, everyone wants to see inside each other’s trailers so we usually have a little snack out or a cocktail to share with guests.

The gal who camped right across from me this time had her little camper all decked out on the inside like a vintage one, but it was brand new. She used her grandmother’s quilt to cover the seat cushions and had her mother’s 25th anniversary silver tea set on display. She made banners for each window from embroidered linens. It was absolutely darling. When her husband peeked in to see what she had done to the inside he said, “Really? Really??? You had to do all PINK?” She created a grey interior for him and switches it out. That seems like a lot of work to me, but as long as the hubs is happy.

So, today I pack it up and head home. I can’t wait to see my Mr. FixIt and give him a squeeze. He sent me a picture of the garden and the beans are all up. He’s been spreading the rabbit repellent and so far, so good! They haven’t eaten any of the young plants.

Hope you have a Happy Monday!

❤️

““All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded:” Exodus 35:10 NIV

What a Hoot!!!

Sun, 12 May 2019 01:30:56 -0600

“Coffee in the camper…my favorite thing about camping!”

The Girl Campers have been meeting at Beaver Creek State Park for the last three years or so. Some come for a day or two. Some come for a full week of fun. Gail is our Hostess Extraordinaire. Janine, our fearless leader and “Camper in Chief” is here with her Mister and anytime the three of us get together…it’s the Three Amigas. A good time is always to be had when we gather around the campfire.

“Janine loved her socks!”

We have a Spring and a Fall “What a Hoot” event. Where did we get that name, you ask? We get to listen to the owls! We cannot call them in the spring because they are on the nest. But in the fall, we can play their calls over a speaker and call them in close so we can hear them. It’s beautiful.

“The blossom of the pawpaw tree. Isn’t it beautiful?”

The park naturalist came again yesterday. He took some of the campers on a guided nature walk and identified several varieties of wildflowers. Then later in the afternoon, we went fishing. One of our gals caught a good sized catfish on her second cast. I casted fifty times and didn’t catch a thing but I had fun!

“Sherri caught a catfish on her second cast!”

I finished knitting the socks I was working on. Janine has been marveling over them for a year. That’s how long it took me to knit them! So, I gifted them to her and she was so tickled.

“Some of the girls made camping journals to keep as a memento from their trip.”

Dinner last night was a smorgasbord of soups and fresh fruit. Bourbon Brownie S’mores for dessert! I didn’t have the ones with bourbon…I had mine plain. But they were gooey and decadent. Today, I get back on my diet!

I hope you enjoy the photos! I’ll be heading back to the Ponderosa tomorrow!

Oh, and…it’s Mother’s Day. Moms come in all shapes and sizes and descriptions. Some of us are moms. Some of us chose not to be. Some wanted to be and couldn’t. Some were…and lost their babies in one way or another. Some lost their relationships in some way. A lot of us have lost our moms by the time we get to be my age. And, some are fortunate to yet have theirs. The bottom line is…no matter what state you are in….it’s Mother’s Day. I hope it is a good day for you and yours…even if there are tears.

I miss my mom…my grandma…and my “other mother”, Louisa. I’ll see you all some fine day.

And, I miss my girls. I’ll see them soon!

❤️

“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dreams & Camping

Sat, 11 May 2019 01:30:44 -0600

“Bathing al Fresco…imagine a long soak and watching the stars!”

When I was on my three month journey through the wilderness and backroads of Colorado after Mr. Virgo died, I camped on ten acres owned by my dear friend Susan. The property overlooked Mesa Verde. The house was situated in such a way as to give a glorious view of the mesa from the master bedroom. There was an outdoor shower just out the patio doors. It was surrounded by a rock wall with strategic dips so you could actually shower overlooking the grand view without being seen from the neighboring property or the one road that went by out front. I loved showering out there in broad daylight. It was liberating, exhilarating, refreshing while maintaining some semblance of modesty.

The only thing I thought would improve the experience would be having an oversized claw foot tub in which to lay back and relax at night watching the stars. Scented bubbles would definitely be in order. I could imagine having a small fireplace nearby to ward off the chill when getting out and stacks of fluffy white Turkish towels at the ready. There would be a platform of slatted wood over pea gravel for a floor. Soft music playing low in the background and maybe a hundred candles. Or, just one.

This would be my idea of heaven. My little oasis on those hot, sticky West Virginia nights. We have the pool, but the water is so hot in the summer, it isn’t refreshing. This al fresco bath would have hot and cold running water so I could have hot baths in the winter even. It sounds lovely.

I don’t want to build this at the Ponderosa because we want to fix it up and move. The farm would be the perfect place because of the privacy, but I don’t own it, so I don’t want to build anything there. The only other alternative is to wait till we build our place in town which could be a couple of years. I don’t know how practical it would be, but I can dream. I just look at pictures on Pinterest and swoon.

In the meantime, the Girl Campers had a grand time yesterday. I’m almost finished with my socks I started on our honeymoon last October! More girls arrived today and it’s fun getting to know them. The park naturalist came to our campfire last night and gave a talk about wild ramps. They are kind of like a cross between a wild onion and garlic. When they are raw, they have quite a bite to them, but Mike’s wife made a casserole from eggs, potatoes, ramps and cheese and it was delicious. He also spoke about hummingbirds and we made a hummingbird feeder out of a plastic water bottle.

This kind of trip gives me the camping experience I wish I could have had as a kid. It’s like something you see in the movies but we aren’t going snipe hunting or short-sheeting the counselor’s bed. It is so much fun to be a girl again and forget the mowing and cooking and responsibilities of adulthood. If you ever have the opportunity, you should do this. There are a couple of gals here staying in one of the cabins. You don’t have to have a camper…you just have to want to go out and play.

My dear friend Gail and I are co-hosting a Girl Camper event at Blackwater Falls in June. If you are interested, check out Janine’s Girl Camper page here on Facebook. It’s free to join the group and the camping trip is $20 plus your campsite fee. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1943334755897759/?ref=share

❤️

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” Proverbs 27:9 NIV

My View

Fri, 10 May 2019 01:30:03 -0600

“Oh, how I have missed the big picture window over the bed!”

The thing I have missed the most since I bought TOW-Wanda Grande was the window over the bed. Propping up on pillows with a cup of coffee in the morning and looking out on the sunrise is priceless. And now, I have that back. The other things are the windows at the head and foot of my bed. The windows in TOW-Wanda Grande don’t open very wide and you really don’t get a good breeze. I love having that window open over my head and feeling the cool evening breeze wash over me. It’s also nice to hear the night sounds of frogs and crickets and whatever fauna is lurking around in the dark.

The more I stay in this little camper, the more I absolutely love it. I did have a little problem. I noticed a trail of little black ants making their way up to the cabinet over the refrigerator on Wednesday night. By yesterday morning, there was an army. I opened the cabinet and took all the food out and discovered they had found an open packet of Club Crackers in a box. How can they find this stuff?

I pulled everything out and sprayed with a botanical ant killer and they were soon gone. It seems ants have been terrible this year everywhere. We are having a huge problem with them at the Ponderosa.

Other than that, and the bed being a tad bit firm for my liking, my heart just sings in this little tiny, tiny home on wheels.

More girls are arriving daily and I believe all should be here by this evening. We have been knitting and talking and eating and napping. Oh, and having campfires. Gail has this new thing she bought called the SoloStove. It looked similar to the tub out of a washing machine and when you burn wood, it doesn’t smoke. You can still smell a wood fire, but just enough that it’s pleasant and it doesn’t choke the life out of you. Life doesn’t get much better than that!

❤️

“A friend loves at all times...” Proverbs 17:17 NIV

Camping With the Girls

Thu, 09 May 2019 01:30:29 -0600

“The sun sets on another fun day camping with the Girl Campers.”

There is something special about camping with a bunch of gals. In ancient times, women gathered at the well when they went to fetch water. Farm women gathered at the Grange or at barn raisings, or when babies were born. Quilting Bees and Afternoon Teas. Women have always wanted/needed the company of other women.

When I was much younger, I got along with men better than women. I found women to be gossipy or competitive…neither of which were appealing. However, since Mr. Virgo died, I have learned to appreciate my fellow females. Especially when we are sitting around a campfire or under a pavilion on a rainy afternoon.

My favorite campouts always include an afternoon siesta. Lots of talk time and knitting. Catching up with people to find out what’s been going on in their lives. When you come to a camping event that occurs once to twice a year, that may be the only time to get to see these women and they become good friends. Lifelong friends.

I came back over to the camper after supper last night and caught the sun just before it dipped below the horizon. I thought it was lovely how the light changed to a golden green glow. These are the moments that make me remember why I bought my first camper. I want to do this as long as I am able.

Oh, yes…I love camping with Mr. FixIt. But, there’s just something special about camping with a bunch of gals.

❤️

“O God, to the farthest corners of the planet people will stand in awe, startled and stunned by your signs and wonders. Sunrise brilliance and sunset beauty both take turns singing their songs of joy to you.”
Psalms 65:8 TPT

The Third Generation

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 01:30:09 -0600

“Introducing TOW-Wanda III”

I’ve spent a lot of time in my big camper so far this year. She has been my office and sanctuary where I sequester myself and write. And lately, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how she came into my life. It was the year after Mr. Virgo died. I sold my house and traded in Little TOW-Wanda for TOW-Wanda Grande. She was fancy-schmancy, let me tell you. When things didn’t work out on the farm like I thought they would, I lit out with this behemoth and hauled her all over the country…writing about it all the way. I lived for months at a time on a hill overlooking the beautiful Ohio River. I camped in my son-in-law’s parents’ driveway in Denver and on my friend Sue’s property overlooking Mesa Verde. I towed her from South Dakota to South Carolina and all points in between. But to just hop in and take her camping spontaneously became a chore. A major chore. It was literally like pulling a house and I didn’t go camping nearly as often as I would have liked.

I was visiting with my very wise and experienced friend, Janine Pettit of Girl Camper fame over the weekend in Huntington. I told her I was thinking of going out to get a bigger truck because my camper was just too beefy for her in the mountains. I loved her response. Simple, direct, and too the point.

“Ginny, you don’t need a bigger truck. You need a smaller camper.”

Stopped me cold. It had never seriously occurred to me to downsize the camper until that moment. Suddenly, it made perfect sense. As with all things, I talked to God about it. I told him I would be able to get out and reach more people if I wasn’t so bogged down with the big camper. I told him what I needed in a camper….a bathroom with a toilet and shower, a kitchen with a good sized fridge, a dinette, plenty of storage, and a comfy bed with windows like my first camper. I’ve always been so sorry I traded her in. If I would have known the thing with my aunt at the farm wasn’t going to work out, I never would have gotten such a big camper. That being said, I still wanted a camper with more than one bed. I also wanted a camper with fiberglass sides instead of that rippled aluminum. Those can get dented up so easily with hail and errant branches. Then, I just left it with God. If He wanted me to have a little camper again, He would bring her to me. I knew this…I felt it.

Yesterday morning, I picked up my phone and I “accidentally” hit the FB Marketplace button and up popped the cutest little camper. I almost couldn’t believe it. I haven’t measured her yet but I think she is about 18’ long…exactly the size of Little TOW-Wanda. It has the fiberglass sides like I wanted. It has a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower. It has a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator/freezer, a double sink, a two-burner stove, and a microwave. It has a dinette that will turn down into a single bed. It has a double bed and a bunk bed over it…both with a memory foam mattresses. And, get this…it has the very same window configuration Little TOW-Wanda had. It is absolutely perfect and it cost 1/3 the price of a new one of comparable size with a better floor plan than any I’ve seen.

I showed the picture of the camper to Mr. FixIt and told him I was going to text the owner. It had been on FB an hour. I was the first to contact the gal and I went to see the camper last night. I couldn’t believe it. It was exactly….EXACTLY…what I asked for! God is SO good! After carefully inspecting the camper, I told her I’d take it and gave her a little earnest money to hold it till she gets the title for me.

I have been trying to think of a name. I was thinking I should call her Pollyanna. But that just doesn’t fit right. Here’s the thing. My main camper will always and forever be “TOW-Wanda”, no matter what she looks like. It’s how I take my mama with me. She would have loved traveling and having her little house with her. Therefore…meet “TOW-Wanda III”.

❤️

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3 NIV

A Night Out

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 01:30:21 -0600

“I love vintage embroidered linens.”

When we finally got home from town after church yesterday, I went out to TOW-Wanda and started getting her ready for the camping season. And, by getting her ready I mean I made the bed. And got in it. There’s nothing better than a good book in your camper on a Sunday afternoon. That, and a little snooze.

As I was getting the linens out to dress the bed, I came across these pillow cases. The blue and white one was purchased as part of a set made from antique German linens I purchased in Colorado in the ‘80s. The antique dealer had them embroidered…the pillow cases with the scroll embroidery and the shams with “Good Morning” and “Good Night”. I love this set and had forgotten the pillowcase had made it’s way into my camper at some point.

The other pillowcase is from a set I had my mom embroider when she came to Colorado one time. She used to embroider all the time and I loved the idea of having something she made to carry with me forever. It makes me smile and think of her.

I sent my manuscript to the proofreader last week. There were a few typos she highlighted for me. And, there were a couple of notes to areas that needed fleshing out in my book. She mentioned she wanted to know more about my mom and our relationship. When I curled up under the covers in TOW-Wanda yesterday, I thought of my mom…Wanda. I picked up my iPad and wrote more about this kind and loving soul who was my mother. She was one of a kind and I loved listening to the rain on the roof as I walked down memory lane with my mom.

Mother-daughter relationships can be tricky. My mom and I butted heads a lot. In all honesty, I was always a little too big for my britches, as my grandma would have put it. I was married to a doctor. I had a career in medicine. I had traveled a lot more and had lived in big cities. I fancied myself ever so much more sophisticated than my mom. It wasn’t until after the overdose that I realized what a horse’s patoot I had been to my poor mother. The only defense I have is the fact I was on Prozac for so many years and it changed my personality so that I really didn’t care much about others.

Fortunately, I got off all the meds and alcohol and grew up quite a bit so that my mom and I had a much better relationship the last few years of her life. It would have been so terribly sad if she would have died before we got to that point. She has been gone for 15 years now…so hard to believe. I am so happy I have tangible reminders of her and that I chose to keep them when I downsized. There are some things you just can’t get rid of and this pillowcase is one of them.

When Mr. FixIt came home, he came out and joined me in TOW-Wanda and we spent the night in the camper…our first night out for 2019. Maybe it’s not quite camping weather because they were predicting a bit of snow overnight, but we had plenty of cozy comforters and a furnace to keep us warm. Bring on the camping season!!!

❤️

““Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.””
Ephesians 6:2-3 NLT

Heaven Sent

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 01:30:41 -0600

“I know it isn’t officially spring, but….this is good enough for me!”

Beware the Ides of March, they say. March 15th hasn’t always been my favorite day. For instance, this was the day Hubby #2 told me he wanted a divorce. Not one of my better days. This was also the day of Mr. Virgo’s viewing and Rosary which knocked all previous bad days out of the bad day competition up to that point. I think the 16th nudged ahead of that one.

Now though…now is different. Even though it’s not officially spring in West Virginia, you can’t tell Mother Nature that. Yesterday was stellar with a temp of 79 degrees at 4:00pm. After watching videos of the bomb cyclone that tore through Colorado on Wednesday, I was ever so grateful to sit in TOW-Wanda and write. The sounds of the peepers serenaded me as the stiff breezes rocked the camper gently. I even rubbed it in by video chatting with my favorite peeps in Denver and showed them the sunshine and open windows in my camper. Yeah…they don’t like me much right now….can’t understand why. insert eye-roll here

We all have good times and bad times in life that cycle up and down. I don’t forget the bad times. In the throes of acute grief, you honestly don’t believe you will ever feel joy again so it comes as a surprise when you first feel it. You even feel guilty because, after all, how can you possibly laugh when your person died? Eventually, one smile brings two. Laughter slowly replaces tears. Warm memories eventually move the pain of loss a little further back in your mind till eventually, even one day after the angelversary, you can feel the sun on your face and appreciate a warm spring day with undeniable joy in your heart.

Life is good. God is great. Spring is here. Joy abounds. Breathe. If these things aren’t here for you yet…hang on. They’re coming. ❤️

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Frieda’s New Shoes

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 01:30:56 -0600

“Frieda got a new pair of shoes!”

West Virginia requires a yearly vehicle inspection. That’s a good thing. Without that, I can just imagine the kind of cars and trucks that would be out on these country roads. It’s a pretty rigorous inspection, too. You can fail if the tint on your windows is just a little too dark. Or if you have a hole in your muffler. Or, as was my case yesterday…Frieda needed a new pair of shoes.

First off, I wouldn’t have gone to the garage I went to if it wasn’t for Mr. FixIt. He’s lived in this house since 1979. He knows ev-er-y-bo-dy. I have learned to take his word for it. He’s always gone to this place…so that’s where I went. I’m glad I did. The mechanic was great. He hoisted Frieda up on his lift and checked everything out. When he was done, he called me into the garage and showed me the front tires.

I have been watching these tires pretty carefully. I knew I was going to need to replace them soon. But, I’m getting ready to trade her in and buy one that’s more powerful to pull TOW-Wanda up the mountains of Colorado. I hate to put money into a truck I’m going to trade. The thing is, the inspection came due before the check came in for the purchase. So I kept hoping I could slip by.

Mr. Mechanic pointed out something I didn’t even look at. I’ve been paying attention to the outside edges of the tires. With the truck on the lift, I could clearly see when the inside edges were so worn, you could see the wire mesh…the tread was worn away completely. And that is not safe. The cards were on the table. New shoes or no sticker.

When I was a kid, my parent used to go to this shop down by the river where they could buy good used tires…cheap. We called Walmart first and two suitable tires were around $250 total…mounted and balanced. We went to the shop that sells used tires and I got two perfectly fine tires, plenty of tread, same brand as what was on the truck, mounted and balanced for $83 and change. You bet I went with the used tires….especially since I had Mr. FixIt with me to make sure they were good.

Sometimes people buy a car or truck and they don’t like the tires that are on it, so they go to a tire store and buy four new tires. I know they do this because I’ve done it myself…you know, back when money wasn’t as big an issue as it is now. I’m not destitute by any stretch of the imagination, but I want to keep what I can and make it work for me as much as possible. Mr. FixIt is teaching me many things. Being frugal is one of them. Now it’s like a game to see how good I can get for the least amount of money.

When tires have been traded in and they are still perfectly good, they get sold to a shop like the one I went to yesterday. The savings gets passed to the consumer…me! Now, Frieda has a new pair of shoes and a brand new sticker till next year. And I’m not out a gazillion dollars.

Oh, and I needed to refill the propane tanks for TOW-Wanda. When I lived up by the river, I was charged $58 to refill two 30# tanks. Mr. FixIt took me to his guy. You guessed it…$32 for the same thing. Makes me mad I got ripped off four years ago…but so grateful to have the input now. I guess I just never asked enough questions before. We are all a work in progress and it’s never too late to learn.

❤️

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” Proverbs 24:16 NLT

Another Peaceful Day

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 02:30:01 -0600

“Deer grazing outside my window in TOW-Wanda.”

I have now spent eight out of the last ten days in TOW-Wanda and I have to tell you…I feel like a million bucks! Usually by this time of year, I’m ready to pull my hair out with boredom. I usually become less content with each passing day, even though the daylight is becoming longer…the long, dark nights shorter. The only two things I have done differently this year is leave the tree up and spend long hours in my camper.

There is a reason girl campers like their little houses on wheels. They offer us a safe sanctuary in which to create. Some of us haul our sewing machines out to the camper in the fall and sit out there happily sewing quilts, clothes for the grandkids, linens for the home, gifts for family and friends. Some knit and crochet, weaving prayers and stories into their creations. Some cross-stitch or needlepoint, creating marvelous pictures from colorful threads.

Some gather friends to join us for tea or drinks, showing off our fancy little playhouses. Some have sleepovers with the grandchildren, bringing up the next generation to adore our little campers in the same way we have. There are as many different varieties of girl campers as there are travel trailers and we celebrate each and every one of them every time we tow.

Me? Well, as you well know…and I’ve told you repeatedly this week…I write in TOW-Wanda every chance I get. I turn on Pandora, find the Nature Sounds channel, and listen to raucous rainstorms, salient sea breezes, flighty feathered friends chirping in the forests. I’m instantly transported from the chill of wintery West Virginia into another place, another time. My little twinkle lights glow above me…the view out the windows revealing a stoic blue heron near the creek or a browsing herd of deer making their way across the lawn. Yesterday, I watched the moonrise over the hills to the east of the Ponderosa and I counted my blessings in that very moment.

I’ve written 30,560 words on my book as of last evening. Words that take me to corners of my mind I sometimes wish were never there. And to places and times that I cherish dearly. These words stir something in me…always. But they are just feelings now. They aren’t happening in this moment. That’s how I keep them from poking me now with little barbs…trolls with sharp sticks…fairies with tiny wands…giants with hammers. They aren’t happening now and God is bigger than any poking thing in our lives.

30,560….encouraging words, painful words, funny words, sad words, terrifying words, loving words. This thing is happening! ❤️

“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
Proverbs 15:4 ESV

Verbosity

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 02:30:18 -0600

“I’ve typed over 25,000 in seven days, not including my blog posts. Crazy!”

My mother said I had the “gift of gab”. Daughter #2 swears I can “talk to a tree”. They are both correct. I am, as my longtime sister/friend puts it...wordy. I try to trim my words down, but If I don’t tell you the back story, how are you going to get the significance, right?

I fixed my coffee and stepped into TOW-Wanda at around 10:00 yesterday morning. By 4:30, with only one short break, I had over 25,000 words written over the course of seven writing days. I think that’s got to be some sort of record! For me, anyway.

It made me curious…what is the average word count for authors? Turns out, Google knows everything. Ernest Hemingway churned out 500 to 1000 words per day. Stephen King claims he types upwards of 2000 words per day. One thousand words per day is the average for bloggers. Twenty-five thousand words in a week isn’t counting the blog. Holy cats!

A memoir, or autobiography, is in the same category as a novel and should be between 80,000 and 89,000 words. It’s important to keep track of your word counts. Too few words and you aren’t giving your readers enough. Two many, and you’re trying to emulate War & Peace and it’s snoozeville. Anything over 100,000 is more expensive for a publisher to produce so it’s important to try to land somewhere in these guidelines.

So, I’m at 25,000 words. If I can continue at the current rate, I could have the rough draft done in less than a month. That would be awesome. Thanks for hanging in there with me! I’ll be back out there today. My plan is to just take Sundays off. ❤️

“"Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."”
Matthew 13:51-52 ESV

The Hazards of Writing

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 02:30:42 -0600

“When I write a ton, I have a tendency to forget who I told what to. It’s an occupational hazard.”

I’m knee deep in writing this book now. All week, I have gathered my coffee and my writing gear and headed out to “the office”…my wonderful little home on wheels…TOW-Wanda. I turn on the furnace and curl up on the day bed, cover up, and sip coffee till it warms up enough to concentrate. When I shut it down at 3:00 yesterday afternoon, I had 20, 534 words written. It’s amazing!

This is in addition to writing my blog post every day and normal communications with people via text, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and e-mail. Whew! There are a ton of words flowing out of these fingers and I’m literally typing as fast as I can. The downside of all that is…I cant remember who I’ve told what to. Did I type that in a tweet yesterday or text it to my friends Janine and Gayle this morning? Was that story in my blog last week or was I telling someone about that when I saw them yesterday? It’s partially age. It’s partially multiple head injuries and the subdural hematoma I received when my truck was totaled two years ago. It’s partially the brain fog of grief still affecting me. And, it has a lot to do with the sheer volume of words that I write.

I know I’ve told you this week that writing the book this time is totally different, but I’m going to tell you again…because it amazes me. When the words flow like this, it’s magic. Time and space disappear. It’s a cross between watching a movie and writing what I see, and typing out dictation. I know it sounds trite to tell you the words don’t even seem to come from me. I know sheer repetition over the years has honed my writing skills, but still…I’ll read something I write and think, “Wow, that’s pretty good. I wish I could write that well!” It’s both intriguing and disconcerting to feel so disconnected from the process and still have it turn out ok.

I know I told you it’s easier emotionally this time, but I’ll elaborate on that. Yes, it’s easier in that it doesn’t feel like I’m ripping my heart out of my chest to write this time. However, I’m finding my level of discomfort varies with the topic of the day. I wrote something about anxiety the other day, and that night I felt anxiety rise up in me about something. I haven’t felt true anxiety for quite some time so I can only attribute it to the writing because nothing else has changed. Yesterday I wrote about an episode of childhood sexual abuse and I could feel the prickles of adrenaline running up the back of my arms. I was writing about hard stuff and my body was feeling it.

It’s ok to feel these things. If I am so disconnected from the emotions of the experience, my writing would be flat. It’s a thin line between feeling the feels and having my heart ripped out of my chest. I’ve been praying that God will help me say what he wants me to say, and to give me just enough juice to feel it. He is a good and compassionate Father and he is walking me through this every day. I feel his presence when I work. I am grateful for that.

We had bible study last night. We are still working our way through Goliath Must Fall by Louie Giglio and last night we covered the chapter on Comfort. The Giant of Comfort isn’t those times we take a break and go on vacation or when we have really great furniture that cradles our bodies. The kind of comfort Louie is talking about is complacency. When we do just enough to get by. He said we are closer to God when we are are experiencing discomfort. In other words, when we are out of our comfort zones. When we expand and reach and push ourselves to do something we really feel God is telling us to do, but it’s not something we are necessarily excited about doing. But we do it anyway. that’s letting the Giant of Comfort fall. I feel like that’s what I’m doing with my writing. Sometimes I write things that literally make me squirm. They aren’t always comfortable to talk about. I just truly feel like I’m doing what God has called me to do and he tells me to be honest. There’s very little I hold back here, much to the dismay of some of my friends.

Anyway, I just wanted to say, if I start repeating myself too much, someone give me a holler, will ya? Cause there’s only so much I can keep in this little brain when I’m writing this much. ❤️

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 ESV

13,318 Words!!!

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 02:30:53 -0600

“Making progress, writing in TOW-Wanda.”

I have a perfectly good laptop I can use for writing. As a matter of fact, all of the writing I have ever done for this book has been on the laptop as Word documents. Over the years, I have become accustomed to using my iPad for all of my posts for my blog. I’ve also used my phone, much to my son-in-law’s surprise. He can’t imagine typing out an e-mail on an iPhone, let along an entire essay! I say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

This is my third generation iPad. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy another one. I suppose, if this one becomes obsolete, I’ll have to, but this one works just fine. When I bought it, I found a wonderful case that has a built in keyboard, It folds up exactly like a laptop so it’s perfect for me. It’s light and portable. All my photo editing apps are on it. It’s really all I use anymore.

After taking Sunday off for Church and yesterday off to catch up with errands, I was looking forward to getting out there in TOW-Wanda and writing. I have Pandora radio on my iPad and I love to listen to Nature Sounds Radio. It runs through different scenarios, most often rain and thunderstorms, ocean sounds, and occasionally a campfire or crickets. In the evenings, if I write in the living room while Mr. FixIt watches TV, I wear my Bose sound cancelling headphones with the nature sounds and I can write uninterrupted. The same in the camper, unless it’s actually raining. Then I’ll just listen to the rain on the roof.

It was in the mid-‘50s yesterday here at the Ponderosa. What a treat that was! This really hasn’t been a bad winter at all. An added benefit of listening to these summery nature sounds is how easy it is to fool my brain into thinking it’s not wintertime! Usually January literally c-r-a-w-l by in the slowest way, but this year that was not the case. I can’t believe tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, my sweetie brought me a dozen creamy white roses Monday evening. They are in my Mikasa vase on the living room table where I can see them as I write. What a sweet man! I bought him a watch for his birthday and told him it had to count for Valentine’s Day too since both occur in February.

It feels good to be moving along on my book again. I’m doing something different this time…besides writing it on my iPad where I’m more comfortable. This time I’m taking the advice of some seasoned writers and just writing the whole story straight through without worrying about editing along the way. I am so accustomed to writing these essays every day and keeping a close eye on the editing. It is a bit of a challenge to just…write. It goes a lot faster, though. I’ll have to say that.

I like the app I write with. It’s called Pages and keeps track of your word count. This is something that’s useful in knowing when a chapter is long enough. It’s also helpful to know your total word count for publishing reasons. The average novel is 60-80,000 words. If that’s the case, I’m really making good progress. The person I am working with on this says to just get it written, then we’ll worry about who’s going to publish it.

And here it is…hump day already. Hope you all have a really great day. I’ll be writing some more! ❤️

“The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.”
Proverbs 18:4 ESV

I’m Writing Again

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 02:30:45 -0600

“Writing again…this time I mean it.”

About a year ago, I set my book on the back burner at the urging of my agent. She wanted me to focus on increasing my social media presence. And, while taking a break from working on the book was welcome, that time hasn’t made a huge difference in how many people follow my blog or Twitter or Instagram accounts. People come, people go. Maybe you need this for a season. Maybe for a reason. But things just stay the same overall.

I’m not complaining…not by a long shot. I love sharing my thoughts and stories here on the daily. But I found myself spending entirely too much time knitting and my book still sits. Sigh. It’s not going to write itself. If it were, it would be a best seller by now.

My accountability team contacted me yesterday and gave me the kick in the butt I needed…with an order. Five hundred words by 5:00 Wednesday afternoon! I got up earlier than usual yesterday. I made sure Mr. FixIt had everything he needed. I packed up my bag with my iPad, headphones, iPhone, and reference materials, grabbed a drink and my umbrella, and headed out to TOW-Wanda.

I extended the slide-out which normally holds the dinette. I have the table lowered and a twin mattress on top. I grabbed the pillows off the bed and propped them up at one end. I turned the furnace on to ward off the chill. I jumped in, covered up with the softest minky throw, propped my portable desk on my lap, and dove into my Pages app and started writing. I designed my book cover. I finally took a leap and typed in the title…something that has been eluding me for years. (Shhhh…it’s a secret. I can’t tell you what it is.)

Six hundred ninety words later, I turn off the iPad and looked off into the gloomy afternoon. The rain pounded on the roof, pelting the windows with a sound much like bacon frying. A sudden flash of lightning and a quick clap of thunder told me the storm was getting closer and intensifying. In the early days of trailer camping, a thunderstorm caused me to worry I might get electrocuted. I’m sure you aren’t as protected in a camper as you are in a house, but I’ve long since let go of the fear of storms. I leaned back and smiled. I pulled the soft minky material up under my chin and allowed my mind to drift along till I heard a tapping at my door. Mr. FixIt was leaving to go bowl and wanted to give me a hug. He’s feeling better, thank goodness.

Soon after he was gone, I gathered up my things and headed back inside. The sky was clouding up again and I knew I was going to need to be inside to keep an eye on that leaky drain downstairs that overflows when it rains. It was a good day. A productive day. Six hundred ninety words down. Who knows how many to go. ❤️

“"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.”
Jeremiah 30:2 ESV

Time to Visit my Friend

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 02:30:30 -0600

“TOW-Wanda in the fog at the Ponderosa.”

I have a tendency to get antsy. I get bored pretty easily and being cooped up in the house drives me batty after a while. Poor Mr. FixIt was down for the third day in a row with a virus. I fixed him tea. I made him a pot of homemade potato soup. I gave him cold meds. I tucked him in his recliner with a heating pad. I even watched a movie with him. But, as much as I dearly love the man, I had to do something else for a little bit.

I’ve been wanting to spend the night out in TOW-Wanda for some time now. Even though I camped with her up on the Ohio River this time of the year in 2015, doesn’t mean I am necessarily anxious to repeat the experience when the temperature hovers below freezing. This week is different. The temp today is supposed to get up to 70 degrees! Yesterday was a different story. Even though it was around 62 degrees out there, it was grey and foggy after a day of rain. When the rain cleared up a bit, I packed up my bag with knitting, books, my iPad, and my phone and headed out for a break in my little home on wheels.

I really miss her in the winter. I took the covers off the bedroom windows, slipped out of my shoes, and snuggled in under a pile of blankets. Once the initial chill of the cold bed began to subside, I sighed and pulled the blankets up under my chin and rolled on my side. I could hear the creek out by the road…roaring and swollen from the rain. A lone crow cawed from the tree line out at the far end of the big field. As much as I would have loved to pull out my book, or pick up my knitting…I just sank down into the memory foam mattress and let TOW-Wanda cradle me with the safe, warm feelings I always get when I spend time with her.

I thought about the cold, October rains that I drove through when I brought her to West Virginia for the first time. I remembered the sounds of the riverboats breaking through the crust of ice on the Ohio River as they carried theirs loads of coal and assorted cargo. I thought about the many times my fear and anxiety were eased when I escaped with her to the woods. She was my sanctuary. My safe haven. My diversion. My home when I really had no one in my self-appointed exile. She is where I did my best healing. Sometimes I just need to go spend some time with her.

I drifted off for just a bit and roused when it was getting dusky out. I could see the fog settling in the back field as it rose from the roadway. I smiled and thanked her for being here where I can visit anytime. It’s much better than when I had to store her away from me for the winter. I’m at a place where I am ready to work on my book again. I have accountability partners in my friends Janine and Gail. Janine reminded me yesterday it was time to get to work. My goal is 500 words a day. That ought to be a piece of cake considering I already write to you lovely people that much quite easily. TOW-Wanda is my studio, my office, my writing space. Today, I will go out and prop all my pillows around the twin bed in my slide-out, which I call my “sunroom”, and write with the windows flung open to catch the warm air. Air with the promise of spring. It’s going to be a good day. ❤️

“And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah”
Psalms 55:6-7 ESV

Buckwheat Flapjacks & Bacon

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 02:30:30 -0600

“Buckwheat Flapjacks & Bacon”

Twice a year, Spring and Fall, I go camping with the girls at Beaver Creek State Park near Liverpool, Ohio. It’s a Mister/Sister trip so we can bring our beaus if we’ve got ‘em. I usually go for a couple days alone so I can gab with the girls and drink coffee all day in my jammies. Then Mr. FixIt comes up and joins us. Much of the time, it’s him and about 15-20 women. He is in his element, let me tell you! He can gab with the best of them.

“The old mill at Beaver Creek State Park near Liverpool, Ohio”

One of my favorite parts of Beaver Creek is the Pioneer Village. We’ve been there twice now for the Civil War Re-enactment and we walk around the village and look at the old buildings. There is a large grist mill that has been renovated. Several times a year, The mill trace is filled with water and the wheel at Gaston’s Mill turns and grinds corn meal as well as whole wheat and buckwheat flour.

“The refurbished Gaston’s Mill”

When I was a little girl, my dad would make buckwheat flapjacks. In our house, if you made them out of flour, they were pancakes. If you made them out of corn meal they were corn cakes or hoe cakes. You’ll normally see them just called Buckwheat Pancakes. I didn’t really like my dad’s flapjacks. They tasted bitter to me, so all my life I’ve said I didn’t like them. When Gaston’s Mill runs, the flour and meal sell out quickly. I was thrilled the last time we were there to find the refrigerator full of one and three pound bags. I stocked up and at the last minute, decided to try the buckwheat flour.

“Gaston’s Mill at Christmas”

My friend Gail is the camphost at Beaver Creek. I texted her Tuesday and asked her what recipe she uses for her buckwheat. She sent me the link and I made a batch Tuesday morning. Oh…Em…Geeeee! They were SO good. Not bitter at all. My new favorites, even though it’s a pretty complex recipe compared to box mix.

“Camping with TOW-Wanda and the Girl Campers at Beaver Creek State Park”

Since this is cozy, comfort food season…get out your fleecy jammies and whip up a batch of these. They are rich and hearty so you don’t need anything else but a couple slices of crispy bacon and plenty of hot coffee! Enjoy! ❤️

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/buckwheat_pancakes/

“He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:25 NIV

The Side Effects of Obedience

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 01:30:03 -0600

“Sunset over the Ponderosa.”

“And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.” 2 John 1:6 NCV

I went to small group from church last night. We have a fall series and a spring series of meetings. There are different groups to fill different needs and we are all encouraged to join a small group. In a huge church, it’s difficult to feel a bond with individual members of the church family. Small group gives us the chance to make friends, learn from God’s Word, and experience fellowship. I love the gals in my small group. We always have great discussions and we always share praises and prayers at the end.

It’s been four weeks since Mr. FixIt and I decided to get married and set the date. Four weeks since I made the decision to live separately from him till the wedding. Even though I came back to the Ponderosa last week, I’ve been staying in TOW-Wanda. I was chatting with the gals at small group about it and got to thinking on the drive home about how this exercise has changed me.

First…I just FEEL different. It’s hard to describe. I feel honorable. Obedient. Peaceful. Good…in that good way you feel when you have done the right thing. It wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t necessarily comfortable. Some didn’t understand why I was doing this. That offered me the opportunity to share. I’ve had the opportunity to pray with others over this. I have even been an example to one woman who had a thought then heard my testimony and realized God was answering her question.

Sometimes the decision to be obedient to God has as much to do with the people in your path as it does to you yourself. God orchestrates our lives and places us where He needs us. We miss the opportunity to experience the blessings from that if we choose to ignore the prodding, the poking, the whispering of the Holy Spirit. I’m really glad I’ve done this. It has given our wedding a new depth and meaning.

The whole time I lived here before this, Mr. FixIt always talked about this being “our house”. And, while we did make some changes and redecorated, try as I might…I couldn’t get past considering it HIS house. Now, one of the side effects of my obedience is seeing this place as our home. Not HIS house…our HOME. Big difference.

Yesterday was rainy and we just did some things around the house. I picked up my wedding band from the jeweler. It is purposefully different. When I tried it on, my mind flashed back to my last wedding band. I smiled.

Mr. FixIt shampooed carpets. I took the pulled pork out of the freezer and put it into the fridge in the garage to thaw. We sat down and made some lists. We have friends coming today to help decorate the tent and whatever else we need to do. Mr. FixIt will go to town and pick up some food items we need for the reception. I have to run to the farm because we left his white dinner jacket out there.

We are organized. We are (fairly) rested and relaxed. And, we are SO excited!

OMGosh! You guys….TOMORROW!!!!! ❤️

Country Living Fair - That’s a Wrap!

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 01:30:14 -0600

“The Little Guy Mini Max by Liberty Outdoors.”

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10 NIV

OMGosh! You all...this was SUCH a fun weekend but incredibly hot and I’m fried in more ways than one. I didn’t go out in the sun at all without an umbrella. I forgot sunscreen, and even with the umbrella, I got a sunburn on my arms. You’d think I’d learn by now, wouldn’t you?

The hardest thing about the last day of the fair is…you can’t even begin to start breaking anything down until 5:00. Then, you have to get a pass to bring your vehicle into the area to load up. If you didn’t have some organization, with all these vendors…it would be total chaos. I have to tell you, they do have this thing down to a science and it all runs very smoothly. Gail got her van packed up first, and since it was its OWN vehicle, she got out first. Then came getting Janine’s truck in, packed up, and hook up her trailer. Last, I dragged my little wagon out to the parking lot where my truck was parked, unloaded everything into the back, and headed to the campground. The girls decided to head on home and not camp…which I totally understand. I had already paid for my campsite, and I was exhausted. So, this morning when you read this…I’m sleeping in!

Here’s a picture of Janine’s little camper by Liberty Outdoors. It’s a Little Guy Mini Max. It weighs only 2000 pounds and has absolutely everything in it you could want…potty, shower, two-burner propane cooktop, microwave, a big refrigerator/freezer with a refrigerated wine drawer, a deep sink, hot and cold running water, AC, furnace, plenty of storage, TV, and 200 watt solar panels on the roof. Janine has it configured with a twin bed, but you can pull it out into a queen. In the low $20,000’s.Not bad for a new 2019. Very well built with quality materials.

“Will Moses…great-grandson of Grandma Moses.”

The second picture is Will Moses. He is the great-grandson of Grandma Moses. He was there with his art…done in the style of his famous great-grandmother. He says he remembers her…he was five years old when she died.

And with that…I’m heading to bed. I had WAY too much fun in the sun the last three days. But I’ll drift off with a smile remembering all the really nice people I met and talked with.

Have a great Monday! ❤️

Country Living Fair - Day 2 (Fun, Friends, and Fair Food!)

Sun, 16 Sep 2018 01:30:23 -0600

“Fellow Rancher, Ruth Ann, came by to see me today at Country Living Fair! What a treat!”

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 NIV

You know what? One of the sweetest things that ever happens to me at one of these events is when one of my readers steps up to me and says...”I love your blog! I’ve been reading it for a long time.” My heart melts and I just want to give them a great big hug! It happened twice yesterday! First, Ruth Ann came all the way from Cincinnati. She was so gracious and I was so happy to meet her. Then, Beth stopped by to say hello. She follows Janine’s podcast and learned about Marshmallow Ranch from my interview on Episode #5. What a sweetie. She’s young and looking forward to camping in her own trailer someday.

“Fellow Rancher, Beth, came to see me at Country Living Fair. It’s such an honor to meet my readers!”

It was another scorcher yesterday. The truck said 93 degrees at 5:00 when I got in to head back to the campground. I got a little sunburned this time. Janine and I were sitting outside her little camper when Mary and her friend Amy stopped to visit. Over an hour later, we were exchanging e-mail addresses with promises to keep in touch. You know…sometimes you just meet someone and you know there’s a reason you’re supposed to keep in touch. That was the case with these two.

“Mary and Amy listening to Janine talk about the joys of Girl Camping.”

We had an extra person with us yesterday so we got to take little breaks and walk around more. I explored the near side of the fair. I bought this cute little striped dress I’m wearing in the pictures. It was pretty comfy. Then I headed to the food court to get my supper. I had an organic, grass fed beef cheeseburger, an ear of roasted corn, and a small scoop of Buckeye Bash iced cream. Lunch was a corn cake with pulled pork, slaw, and roasted corn relish with a drizzle of BBQ sauce. OMGosh…what a treat!

“Fair Food…Roasted Corn!”

Fun, friends and fair food. Lots of sunshine. Awesome art, antiques, clothing, and crafts. And visits with Ranchers! What a great day!!!

Don’t forget to go to my webpage and register your name and e-mail address in the “Become a Rancher” box for a chance to win that WAY cool yurt tent!!! The drawing is Tuesday!!! (If you have already registered your name and e-mail before, you’re automatically entered!) ❤️

Country Living Fair

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 01:30:21 -0600

“You don’t have to have an expensive camper and tow vehicle to go camping! Come see us at the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH this weekend…we’ll show you how to camp like a girl!”

“The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.” Genesis 25:27 NIV

It’s here! My favorite event of the year. I’m here to lend a hand to Janine Pettit...Girl Camper Podcaster and Blogger and all around great camper gal and Gail Bable, my dear friend who is the camp host at Beaver Creek State Park. We headed to the fairgrounds bright and early yesterday morning. Well, ok...not TOO bright and early. We had to sit in TOW-Wanda and gather our wits about us while we had our morning hot beverages and cinnamon rolls! The camp host here at the fairgrounds woke me up WAY too early to register and pay so if you’re up anyway...it’s time for coffee!

You can see in this photo of TOW-Wanda…I got a primo campsite under the only tree in the place! You can’t see beyond us, but there’s another huge campground and beyond that are the railroad tracks. Between the trains and the flight path out of the Columbus airport and all the sirens…it’s a pretty noisy place. But I just popped in my earplugs and slept like a baby!

“My friend Gail brought her vintage 1990 Ford Econoline 250 camper van to show at Country Living Fair this weekend. There’s TOW-Wanda…stocked and ready to give us a cool respite in the heat of the day.”

Gail brought her vintage 1990 Ford Econoline 259 camper van to dress up and show at the fair this year. Janine has her Little Guy Mini Max with her. (Photos tomorrow!) TOW-Wanda is staying here at the campground as a staging area for cooling off and napping.

Center stage at this year’s Girl Camper display is “Champ”…Janine’s WAY cool new tent made by Stout Tents. A lot of gals follow the Girl Campers, Sisters on the Fly, and other women’s camping pages and they want to join in the fun but don’t have a camper. We wanted to demonstrate this year that you don’t have to have a huge investment in something as expensive as a camper to go out and have fun with the gals. This tent can not only serve as your single source of camp lodging…but, it can also become your “guest bedroom”. Janine loves camping in her little camper, but sometimes she wants to take some friends along and there’s just not enough room in her trailer. Voila! Champ becomes that second bedroom big enough to put at least three cots in. At 13’ across, you could sleep 5-6 in sleeping bags. That would make for a fun slumber party, wouldn’t it?

“Setting up the new Stout Tent at Country Living Fair. Janine pounds in the ground stakes while I pull the guy wires taut.”

We spent the day in wilting heat, decorating this little tent with some wonderful old wool blankets and afghans, pillows, and vintage camping gear from Janine’s vast personal collection. She has her own She-Shed devoted entirely to the vintage finds she has gathered over the years. It was fun watching the grounds fill up with some of the COOLEST stuff around. I can’t wait till we get to take our little breaks and walk around to see all the booths. It’s literally like walking into the pages of a Country Living Magazine. If you ever get the opportunity, you really should go. And, if you happen to be in the Columbus area this weekend, come and see us!!! ❤️

Road Trip #2 - Fall 2018

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 01:30:23 -0600

“I’m on a road trip…but nothing like this!!!”

“Get ready; be prepared! ...” Ezekiel 38:7 NLT

This is a picture of a “traffic jam”. It was billed as the hurricane evacuation for Florence, but I’ve since learned it’s “fake news”. I don’t know if it’s LA at rush hour or a real hurricane evacuation or totally made up in photo shop, but I imagine they all look the same.

People are fleeing Hurricane Florence by the droves and the looks of this mess horrifies me. There has to be a better way to mass evacuate people other than sitting in parking lots on the freeway. This is dangerous on so many levels. My prayers are with all those who are in the line of the storm.

My road trip yesterday was nothing like this! I started my day off with a followup appointment with one of the specialists I was referred to and I am so pleased to say the biopsies were benign. I am blessed again! Of all the tests and procedures I’ve had done since June, there were only a couple of things found and they can be treated with medication, diet, exercise, and a little weight loss. So, my road trip started out on the right foot!

I haven’t pulled TOW-Wanda since April when I went to Beaver Creek State Park for Spring What a Hoot. When I got her home, one of the hubs was hotter than the others and I was worried there might be something wrong with the bearings on that wheel. With all the medical issues I’ve had this summer, I never got around to hoisting her up on a jack and having a look at that bearing. I knew I couldn’t take her last weekend to Beaver Creek because there is a really steep hill up to the campground and my truck just doesn’t have the power to pull her up there. Mr. FixIt’s truck has a recall on the frame so it couldn’t be trusted. That’s why I borrowed my friend’s Avion.

You know how sometimes you have a problem and you have to puzzle over it for a while before you see the solution? Well, on each wheel, there is a hub cover that protects the grease fitting for the hub. A few years ago, I had a blowout and when AAA changed the tire, they didn’t put the hub cover back. That was a blessing in disguise because when Mr. FixIt and I were driving through Indiana last summer, that is the hub that blew. If that cap would have been on there, we wouldn’t have seen it and there could have been a terrible accident if the wheel froze or worse yet…flew off while driving on the highway. We tried to jack up the camper Tuesday night but the jack wasn’t strong enough. I decided to stop at Walmart and have them take those covers off so I could get in there and grease the bearings. While we were standing there telling the guy what we needed, Mr. FixIt and I looked at each other and had an A-HA moment. Turns out, the end of those little hub covers pop right off with a screw driver so you can easily grease your hubs. A little pump of grease before you head out on a trip will really protect your hubs from overheating. Unfortunately, these are not things they teach you when you go over your camper at the dealer. They don’t necessarily want you doing maintenance…they want you to bring the camper to them. That doesn’t always work out when you travel as much as I have in this camper in the last four years.

Once we added the grease to the hub, I was off on my next adventure. I stopped twice and checked the temperature of the hubs with a digital infrared thermometer with a laser target. Three hubs were 95 degrees and the worrisome hub was only 105. Not enough to worry about, but I’ll keep an eye on it. While I was down under the camper, I did notice a wired bundle that somehow dropped down and was mangled by the wheel. After carefully tracing it, it turned out to be the cable/antenna and I don’t use that, so it’s tucked up away until I can get it fixed some time in the future.

So, my friends and I are here at the campground. I spend a few hours cleaning and organizing the camper and now it is fresh and tidy. I am leaving it in the campground during the duration of the fair because it’s a nice oasis for breaks and lunch. I have the ice machine hooked up that I bought on sale at the end of the season last year. There’s a flat of water bottles in the fridge and freezer. And the AC is working well. There’s a nice shower waiting for anyone who might need it. Today we will set up the Girl Camper display. This is the most fun part! Decorating and letting other women see what fun camping can be. This will be my sixth Country Living Fair. I can’t wait to share all the photos with you! ❤️

Here I Go Again...

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 01:30:38 -0600

“All that’s left of forty year’s accumulation.”

“a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,” Ecclesiastes 3:6 NIV

This stuff was out of sight, out of mind for much of the last three years. My very sweet friend, Steve, let me store this in his basement. He seldom went down there, it was clean and dry, and it was safe and secure. On occasion, I would go over and gather a few boxes and bring them to the farm. Winter clothes, camping gear, important papers, pictures...little by little, things were sorted and either saved or sent on to live with someone else via a charitable organization.

Steve was never in a hurry to reclaim the space I was using because, as a widower, he didn’t have any more enthusiasm for going through things than I did. Over the years, his kids have brought things to store and the basement became more and more crowded and cluttered. Last Christmas was the straw that broke the camel’s back when he had to crawl over things to get to his outdoor decorations. We agreed I would have everything out this summer. As you know, summers are so hot and sticky in West Virginia. And I traveled a lot. And I had surgery. And Steve works weird hours. One thing led to another and I didn’t get it done. I promised everything would be out by the end of August.

So, there it is. Other than a few things at the Ponderosa, my two campers, and my pickup…everything I own is sitting right here. This is all that’s left after the purging of forty years of accumulation and selling my house. It’s been a full four years since I downsized and I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I need to be happy. I thought I’d share a few observations here today.

I’ve learned downsizing is not for everyone. That’s ok. People love their stuff. They worked hard for it. They find comfort in it. I get that. I was really on a bandwagon when I faced downsizing, not only as a lifestyle choice, but as a necessity. I preached “Live with less!” Vehemently. My fervor hasn’t died for me personally, but I now realize I came across as perhaps a little insensitive to those who cherish their personal belongings. If that is you, I apologize.
I have a few…but very few…regrets. First, if I had known my stint at the farm helping out my elderly aunt was only going to last 10 weeks, I very likely wouldn’t have purchased such a big travel trailer. I really miss Little TOW-Wanda. At 16’, she was easy to pick up and go with at a moment’s notice. Not so much with the big behemoth that is TOW-Wanda Grande. Second, there are a few pieces of furniture I parted with that I would love to have now. But, I never would have dreamed I would fall in love again and live the life I am living now. Besides, I really do have everything I need.
And, speaking of falling in love again, I have a significant other who hasn’t fallen in love with the idea of simplifying…yet. We are in the early stages of discussing the merits of downsizing, and he is beginning to understand that means you don’t get to keep everything. I totally understand where he is with that. I held onto my stuff for a long, long time…even when my spouse(s) hated the clutter. Mr. FixIt is coming around. It has to be at his pace, at his comfort level, or I’ll come across as trying to make him get rid of everything. I remember what that feels like and it’s isn’t nice.
When you have less stuff to take care of, you have more money and time to get out and enjoy the fun things in life. That is the best lesson I’ve learned from my own experience downsizing.
Remembering to be grateful for what I DO have keeps me from missing what I don’t. It keeps me thinking in terms of abundance rather than deprivation.

Now I face these boxes. Part of me says if I haven’t opened them in four years, what possible use do I have for their contents? I could just take them to a shelter…or to the dump. But, of course, I cannot do that. I have to go through them. I can, and will, be ruthless as I pick and choose what must be kept, what can be given to family members who would appreciate the memories, and what can go to someone else who will love them as much as I did. This is now my cold weather project. I’ll have it done as soon as possible because, I had the farmhouse clean and neat and tidy. I want it back that way quickly.

I find an uncluttered environment equates to an uncluttered life for me. It eases my mind and will certainly make things easier for whoever will be in charge of going through my stuff when I’m dead and gone. I promised myself, and my kids, that I would never leave them with a mess like I was left with when my mom died. As wonderful as she was, she was a pack rat of the highest order and it was such a chore to clean out her house AND deal with the grief of losing her. I don’t want to do that to anyone. So, here I go again! ❤️

The Ponderosa

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 01:30:40 -0600

“The Ponderosa in the afternoon.”

This little slice of heaven right here is The Ponderosa…that beautiful home place that came with Mr. FixIt. When I tell you I’ve been out mowing, it’s here. A flat four acres, this job takes about two to three hours to complete. I put on a radio headset and ride around and around. It’s not even like work. And this week has been perfect for mowing. With highs in the 60’s and low 70’s, even I can mow with the push mower out at my family’s farm without stopping more than two or three times. It’s been lovely.

“My new ride!”

Mr. FixIt’s riding mower has seen it’s better days so we picked up one at a real bargain yesterday and I got to mow with it. It was the difference between night and day. It cuts a wider swath and doesn’t hit every bump with a teeth-jarring rattle. I love that I can help him out around the yard. He does SO much for me, it is my pleasure to help him whenever I can.

“Antheraea Polyphemus…one of the Giant Silk Moths, male.”

I was working around the building out back and saw this beautiful moth. It’s wingspan was about 3.5-4”. This is a male Antheraea Polyphemus…one of the Giant Silk Moths. His antennae are large and feathery…all the better for sniffing out pheromones for a little “moth l’amore”. He took off after I shot this photo and flew up over TOW-Wanda. What a lovely thing to see!

“TOW-Wanda…waiting patiently to GO somewhere!”

Speaking of the big girl…here she is, parked out by the big building. She will get moved in a couple of days so we can mow there and not kill the grass. But I have truly enjoyed having her closer to the house and have spent a few afternoons writing and snoozing out there in the last couple of weeks. I’m a little less inclined when she’s out in the field and not hooked up to electric. I like my fans. I need to get Joy moved over here so I can start working on her. I also need to jack up TOW-Wanda and check out one of her wheel bearings. It was too hot when I brought her home from the last camping trip. I’ll do that when I get her out on the flat driveway where there is a more stable surface.

It seems there is a never ending list of things to do, isn’t there? Keeping busy keeps you fit, keeps your mind flexible, and helps stabilize your mood. That’s a win-win-win for me! And, it’s so much easier to accomplish more in this cooler weather. It motivates me to get more done. ❤

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Visiting TOW-Wanda

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 01:30:17 -0600

“Visiting TOW-Wanda!”

I don’t get to spend as much time camping as I used to and I don’t like it. But, there are things that need to be done…mowing, keeping house, cooking, cleaning. Such is the life of “sticks & bricks.” I am very fortunate that Mr. FixIt lives on five acres and I can keep TOW-Wanda here with me. When we came back from camping last time, we parked beside the building/shop/garage and plugged in. I wanted to be able to clean and run the sweeper so I needed electric.

Unfortunately, the electric in the building is not enough to power both the AC in TOW-Wanda and the pump for the pool, so the pool wins. That means I can’t go out and just hang out there in the camper unless it’s cool enough. Even the nights can be terrible hot and stuffy. The last couple of nights have been really cool. Last night was predicted to get down to fifty-six. So, I took my iPad and my phone and my little lap desk and went out for some me time to write my post.

I’ve been looking back at my adventures in this camper. It’s hard to believe I bought TOW-Wanda almost four years ago! I had Little TOW-Wanda for a year-and-a-half before that. When I think of what I did so soon after losing Mr. Virgo…buying a camper and taking off for three months in the wilderness and backroads of Colorado…I sometimes wonder how on earth I did that. And, would I…could I…do that again. I don’t know. I suppose the answer is yes, but I was in the throes of grief when I did that. I wonder if that might have clouded my judgement a little. It didn’t seem so at the time but hindsight says it was a very brave thing to do.

I’m certainly not sorry I went on such a quest. I learned a lot about myself during that trip, and the subsequent two years spent largely in this travel trailer going everywhere from South Dakota to South Carolina and all points in between. It was healing and liberating. I met so many wonderful people. I saw so many beautiful places. It was quite the adventure and gave me a lot of space to heal on this grief path.

I was thinking of pulling the camper with me to Colorado this summer, but with the price of gas so high and my MPG so low when I’m towing, it isn’t cost effective. Besides, it takes me three days each way when I tow the camper there and that’s six days I don’t have this time. I’ll just get a cheap flight and rent a car when I get there this year. It seems to be working out that I take the camper every other year to Colorado. That might work out for the best.

In the meantime, I will get out here as often as I can to spend some time “faux camping” at the Ponderosa. I hope we can get out a few times this summer and enjoy the great outdoors. There are a lot of wonderful state parks in West Virginia. You can rest assured, where I go…you “go”. Virtual travel can still be fun!

❤️

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Home Again

Thu, 24 May 2018 01:30:52 -0600

“Beaver Creek State Park, East Liverpool, Ohio”

I’ve always promised my family and friends that I wouldn’t reveal where I am while I am actually there, especially if I am traveling alone. Even though Mr. FixIt joined me for part of this trip, I still adhere to that basic rule of safety. Beaver Creek State Park is one of my all time favorite camping destinations. Part of that is the surroundings. Part is the relatively close proximity to my home. I love the drive up Ohio Route 7 as it meanders along the beautiful Ohio River. And…if you’re on the Ohio side, you are looking at the rolling hills and dense woodlands of West Virginia beyond the smooth water.

The best part of a Girl Camping trip is, of course, the friends you know and meet when you get there. These are friends for life and there’s a lot of love and laughter and encouragement that grows from those interactions. As I drove home yesterday, my heart was full.

Mavis, my GPS, tells me it takes two hours and fifty-seven minutes to drive to Beaver Creek State Park. I left there at 11:00 and got home at 5:00. Granted, there was one rest area stop. But there were several places where the road was down to one lane due to land slides and we had to take turns. Then there was my LEAST favorite part of camping…dumping the black and grey water tanks. There is a really good dump station at the West Virginia Welcome Center in Williamstown that I always stop at. It takes me a good forty-five minutes to clean my tanks, but it’s necessary to do a good job.

I had a few things going on with the camper this trip. One is, a leak has developed. Mr. FixIt got the ladder out for me and I think I found where the problem is. A seal on the top front edge of the camper is aging and cracked. The seals are only good for a few years and they need to be replaced so I guess it’s that time. When I was pumping up my tires before I left yesterday morning, I noticed the outside edge of one of them is shredding slightly. I need to check into that. Also, when I got home, I placed my hand on each hub and one was too hot to comfortably rest my hand on it. I need to tear into that and probably repack the bearings. There is a kind of hub you can get that has a valve on it and you can top off the grease before you travel just to make sure it is well lubricated. The downside of trailer ownership…constant maintenance.

So, I’m home. The baby birds in the cypress tree out front are feathering out and they had their little beaks aimed high waiting for mama. The rabbits have eaten all but four bean plants in the garden, but the tomatoes are looking great. My pink dogwood is thriving. The irises and peonies are in full bloom. There is standing water around the yard from all the heavy rains in the last week. And, as I write this, I can hear the whip-poor-will in the hedgerow along the creek on the far side of the field. I’m sore all over from lugging and toting and hooking up and driving the camper so I’m calling it a night. When you read this, we’ll be mowing out at the farm and doing laundry. What a wonderful trip it has been. ❤️

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭90:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Winding Down

Wed, 23 May 2018 01:30:28 -0600

“Knitting projects”

I always hate the end of a trip. The goodbyes. The packing up and cleaning and laundry. The pulling away from a really great camping spot. No more owls overhead. No more gals sitting around a table full of food. No more all day knitting sessions. No more leisurely naps in the afternoon. sigh

Mr. FixIt left yesterday morning. We’ve had boatloads of rain so he needed to get back and check the basement. Also, I’m sure sitting around all day while the girls knit wasn’t high on his to do list. He was a great sport though. He went fishing one night, hiking one day, and exploring the area another day.

Today, I head home. Another Girl Camper trip is in the books. I wonder where I’ll head next on this Grand Adventure? ❤️

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Feeling Totally Relaxed

Tue, 22 May 2018 01:30:16 -0600

“A big bullfrog serenaded me from a pond.”

Three more of our Girl Campers left yesterday morning. It’s always sad to see the week end. So much fun and wonderful memories are made during this gathering. I’m blessed this year with two extra days spent with Gail, my fellow Girl Camper and camphost extraordinaire. Plus, there is the added bonus of Mr. FixIt being here!

“Alpaca roving for spinning.”

After coffee yesterday, we sat around for an hour or so and chatted before the gals said goodbye and headed on their way. One was headed straight home but two were going to Lehman’s, a wonderful hardware store in Kidron, Ohio that specializes in non-electric appliances and tools. I really want to make a trip up there. I’ve received their catalog for years.

“Gail spins the alpaca roving into a fine yarn…her fingers skillfully knowing how hard to hold and draw the fibers onto the spindle.”

After everyone was gone, Gail and I headed to check out a new shop that advertises fibers, wool, and rugs. It’s a darling little “she shed” shop on this gal’s farm that had belonged to her grandparents. She raises sheep for her wool. She has two looms set up in her shop. She had several handmade items for sale. But I was disappointed there was no yarn and Gail was disappointed there was no wool available for sale as yet. I did get to look around a bit and caught this big bullfrog that was in the pond by the shop. And the little lambs were darling frolicking in the pasture. There were lovely flower and herb gardens all around. I just don’t think the gal was quite ready to be open for business yet. Maybe in the fall she’ll have more items available.

“The camp kitty snoozes in the chair beside me as I knit. I wasn’t patient enough for the spinning.”

When we got back to the campground, Gail got out the spinning wheel she learned on. She picked up a basket of alpaca roving and set to teaching me to spin. I found it incredibly frustrating because I am an instant gratification kind of a gal. Gail says if I just keep trying, I’ll get the hang of it. I might try again, but for now, I’ll just buy beautiful yarns that I can work with right away. I started a new pair of socks with a beautiful fingering yarn. It’s 100% wool though so I’ll have to take extra special care of them. They are for me. Gail also gave me a beautiful skein of German wool/polyester blend to knit Mr. FixIt a pair of socks. It is a grey, heathery blend.

Today is our last day of just sitting around and enjoying Gail’s company, knitting and talking and laughing. This is such good therapy. The camp kitty is content to lay in the chair beside me and snooze. This is about as peaceful as it gets…the smell of pine and rain, woodsmoke and spring flowers…the sound of crows and pileated woodpeckers and songbirds and owls…and the laughter of friends. sigh Tomorrow it’s back to the real world till our next adventure. ❤

“Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35:25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Campfire and Conversation

Mon, 21 May 2018 01:30:18 -0600

“A pileated woodpecker has decimated this tall pine tree at the edge of the campground.”

This trip has been such a blessing to me. Laughter is the best medicine and there has been so much joy shared between us as we sit and work with our hands. We have shared stories and learned more about each other. We have loved on our furry friends, including a little stray black cat who showed up Friday night. We think someone must have dumped him along the road because he is so friendly. He’s the camp cat for now and will more than likely go home with the camphost as her husband has taken a shine to him.

“The hat I knitted from the yarn Gail spun from Alpaca and wool.”

I’ve become very close friends with our camphost, Gail. She is a woman of strong faith. She reminds me of the woman in Proverbs 31. She’s the kind of woman you want to learn from and emulate. She is kind, courageous, fair, fun, and family oriented. And talented? OMGosh! She can do anything. I just love her to the moon and back. Her husband took Mr. FixIt fishing last night and he had a blast. They only caught one fish between them, but they had good fellowship and got to know each other better.

“Mr. FixIt enjoys his morning coffee in one of the Girl Camper mugs.”

This is one of the things I love about Mr. FixIt. He has friends outside of our relationship. I loved Mr. Virgo…you know that. And, he had no real friendships other than me. He had friends he worked with, but he never did anything without me. I was telling the girls around the campfire the other night…I never would have been a Girl Camper or a Sister on the Fly if Mr. Virgo were still living. It’s just not something I would have done…even though it was something I would have enjoyed. This is the difference in the woman I have become since losing him. I am far more independent. And, I am more assertive…something Mr. FixIt deeply appreciates in me.

“Campfire and Corgis”

Loss changed me. It was terribly difficult. It tore me apart and dropped me in pieces on the ground. When it came time to rebuild, I put myself back together in a way that suited this new life…this new me. I love this me that I am today. While I hate what happened to get me here, I am grateful for this new life and all the new people that have been brought into it.

Yes, this trip is just what the doctor ordered. Food, fun, and frolic…Girl Camper style! ❤️

“A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!” Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of- GOD. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31:10-31‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Just Like Summer Camp

Sun, 20 May 2018 01:30:49 -0600

“I finished knitting socks for Daughter #1’s birthday! Shhhhh….don’t tell. It’s a surprise!”

I only went to summer camp once. It was a church camp that I attended with my good friend, Sharon. There were about eight to ten girls per cabin. Sharon and I were instigators and we often got in trouble. “We are the the Night Owls. The mighty, mighty Night Owls. Everywhere we go, people wanna know…who we are, so we tell ‘em….” It was tons of fun. I’m not sure we were welcome back the next year because I never went again.

“Starting a hat with the yarn Gail spun from alpaca and wool.”

Camping with the Girl Campers is the grownup version. We are welcomed back every time because the most trouble we get into is laughing too loud. I was thrilled that I finished my socks yesterday. My good friend, Gail, spun some yarn for me from alpaca and wool for a hat. I got a good start on that. Mr. FixIt arrived in the afternoon and he helped the Park Naturalist with a birdhouse clinic. So now we have a new birdhouse to take home.

“Laura, one of the Girl Campers shows off the birdhouse she made.

I haven’t even started the truck since I got here Tuesday. I’ve laughed and talked and knitted and cooked and ate and slept. Oh, it’s just like Summer Camp, only better…we can’t get in trouble! ❤️

“Mike, one of the Ohio State Parks Naturalists, teaches the Girl Campers how to build a birdhouse.

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

S-s-s-s-snake!

Sat, 19 May 2018 01:30:19 -0600

“Baby Water Snake”

The first time I remember holding a snake was back-to-school night in seventh grade. Mom walked into the science lab and I went straight for the aquarium that held a tiny blue racer. Much to my mother’s horror, I picked up the wiggly little critter and let it slither around my fingers and hands. I laughed at my mom’s squeals of horror as I held the snake closer so she could see. Poor mom. I deviled the heck out of her at every opportunity, I’m afraid.

Snakes have never bothered me, really. I don’t particularly like being startled by them, but if I know they’re there, and I’m assured they are not poisonous, I have no real problem with them. I remember going to my cousin’s girls’ band concert once. As I drove into the parking lot there were several women standing around, bouncing from leg to leg and screaming. I parked and came over to see what was going on. There was a huge black snake between them and the school. I reached down, picked it up by the tail and carried it over to the edge of the woods. The screamers looked at me sideways as though I were some sort of witch to be steered clear of.

Grandma always taught me to carry a hoe with me to kill snakes in the garden or when wandering around the farm. When Hubby #2 and I went on a twenty mile backpack trip up Spruce Knob back in the late ‘70s, she loaned us two hoes to carry with us as we hiked so we would not only have something to kill any errant timber rattler, but also have a hiking stick. I’d love to know what the other hikers on the trail thought of these two greenhorns with the hoes and the WAY overpacked backpacks. I think Grandma laughed for a month at our expense.

It’s always fun when the naturalist shows up at the campground to give a little nature lesson to the Girl Campers. Yesterday, Mike showed up with a baby water snake he had found during the stream stomp earlier in the day. He also was helpful in identifying a particular beetle that is detrimental to the trees in the area. It needs to be reported so the woods can be monitored. A tree fell across the road during the night and had to be removed early yesterday morning. Later in the day, the maintenance crew came in and cleared the ditches along the road and removed another dead tree that was in danger of falling across the road.

Mr. FixIt arrives today…can’t wait to see him! The girls are all looking forward to his arrival, as well. He’s a favorite around here. ❤

“On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Knitting at the Old Campground

Fri, 18 May 2018 01:30:45 -0600

“Knitting at the campground.”

What a wonderful day. Several of us got out a “work in progress” and did some hand work yesterday. One gal was working on a woodcarving. One was crocheting. Two of us were knitting. It was peaceful. These are women of faith so as we worked, we shared stories of our faith walk. We spoke of the many ways God has blessed us, the lessons we have learned along the way. It reminded me of the early farm communities when the women would gather at someone’s home, or the local Grange, and spend the day quilting, cooking, sharing. We don’t get much of that this day and age and I feel the younger generations are sorely missing something. Their lives are so busy…athletic teams, music lessons, social events…young mothers today spend all their free time in cars shuttling the kids to event after event. I wish they had the peace just spending a few hours knitting and chatting with like-minded women could afford them. I hope they don’t wait too long to figure out how important these relationships are. And, these skills.

I was talking with a friend the other day. If the internet crashed tomorrow, if there was a sudden catastrophe and there was no power grid, the highest prized people would be the ones who know how to hunt, grow, prepare, and preserve food…ie farmers. Simple country folk. We’ve become so dependent on electronics for everything, it’s scary. I’m the first to admit, I am a tech head, but I know how to do the things that need to be done to survive. I worry for our future generations. I want to make sure my girls know how to do the things they need to do to survive beyond the grocery store.

I don’t live a stressful life, by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve got to tell you…I’m feeling pretty mellow after three nights in TOW-Wanda and hanging with the Girl Campers. ❤️

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Campfire...Nature’s Therapist

Thu, 17 May 2018 01:30:14 -0600

“A campfire is cheaper than therapy.”

There is something incredibly special about girl camping…be it with an organization like Girl Campers or Sisters on the Fly, or just a group of like-minded gal pals who like to get out in the great outdoors. Sometimes conversations go deep. Sometimes you open up about things you never dreamed you’d talk about. You meet strangers and they become Sisters. You laugh. You cry. You learn. There is always common ground with someone.

Camping can be as simple as a pup tent or a minivan or as complex as a big travel trailer or motor home. Meals can be simple throw together salads to an elaborate spread of grand proportions. It can be a fee free gathering of two or three to an epic multi day extravaganza with a hundred or more gathered for “Cowgirl College”. The bottom line is always the same…get away from everyday life and become a girl again.

I never camped with my family when I was growing up. The closest was a week in a cabin along the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River in the mountains of West Virginia. I went to church camp in 7th grade. And I camped a handful of times as an adult. But I never learned the joys of girl camping till after Mr. Virgo died. Girl camping saved me. They taught be that he died…I did not. They set examples of how to be self reliant. They taught me new skills. They taught me that, even in my grief, it was ok to laugh.

Miss Maizie, the original Sister on the Fly, was still camping in her nineties…a martini in one hand and a cigar in the other. And, while I don’t drink or smoke, I can surely identify with that independent, carefree spirit.

I know camping is not for everyone…I certainly don’t rough it. I camp like a girl and sleep on 800 count sheets on a memory foam mattress. I have a bathroom and a shower and a full kitchen. I have a house on wheels. Some would not even call that camping. For me, if there’s the sound of nature at night, if there’s a campfire, and I can sit beneath the stars and laugh with good friends…that’s camping for me. If you’ve never had the opportunity to do this I hope you try it at some point in your life. My heart is happy in my camper. ❤

“The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I’m Walkin’ on Sunshine

Wed, 16 May 2018 06:39:50 -0600

“Sitting in the morning sun, coffee in hand, Country Living Magazine…birds and roosters entertaining me. It’s a beautiful life!”

One of summer’s delights in the east…a warm morning spent outside reading and sipping my morning coffee. We’ve hit the summer thunderboomer circuit early this year here in West Virginia. The skies are brilliantly clear in the morning. The humidity is high from the rain the afternoon before. The temperature soars by noon and the thunderclouds begin to build till they boil over. Thunder, lightning, hail, high winds all can play havoc with your plans.

Mowing seems to be the big thing around here in the summer. I have to say, I did not miss lawn care and home maintenance in the years I traveled and lived in TOW-Wanda. It was a welcome break. But now that I have the chance to dive into the great outdoors and get dirty and sweaty, I have to admit, it beats going to a gym any day of the week.

I mowed with the self-propelled push mower at the farm yesterday. What a workout! The yard is well over an acre, the temperature in the high eighties, the humidity sticky and thick. With my propensity towards heat exhaustion, I only mowed 15-20 minutes at a time, then took a break to rehydrate and lay in front of the fan. At that rate, it took me five hours to complete. It’s so beautiful when it’s finished. I took a few moments to just wander around and enjoy the surroundings. The rhododendron is just about to burst into bloom, as are the irises and peonies. The farm cats lazed around beneath the Rose of Sharon and the huge hydrangea bush along the creek. While the flowering quince is fading, the spice bush is in full bloom. I love this time of year.

We are getting things geared up here at the Ponderosa to prepare for a summer of entertaining. Mr. FixIt has been working in the pool to get it open. We still need to pressure wash the deck but will wait for a dry spell. I’m heading out today for another road trip. This time I’ll be camping with the Girl Campers at a State Park in Ohio for a week. It’s a Mister Sister event so my mister will be joining me this weekend. I love camping with the girls! This year, our hostess…my dear friend Gail…is going to teach me to spin wool for sock yarn. I’ll have time to sit and knit on my socks and finally read my friend Michelle Cummins’ new book, The Reel Sisters. Peace and quiet in the beautiful woods surrounding one of my favorite campgrounds.

As I sit here on the deck in the warm sunshine, a nice breeze blowing, listening to the rooster down the road, reading Country Living Magazine…my heart is overflowing with the blessings of my life. I’m such a far cry from the early days of my grief. The contrast is startling. The heart can mend itself…scarred, certainly. But infinitely full of hope. ❤️

“So I rejoice, and I am glad. Even my body has hope.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭INternational Children’s Bible

Surprises

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 02:30:34 -0600

“Old friends”

I love the way my life has begun to set into a rhythm. Not predictable, exactly. But life…you know, cooking, cleaning, caring, sharing. It’s a sweet life. Mr. FixIt has been going to Physical Therapy three times a week since the beginning of the year and I don’t usually tag along. I stay at home and snuggle up on the couch with my lap desk and my iPad and I write. I try to imagine a life without writing every day and I simply can’t. What did I DO with all that time before I started writing? Besides working. And making jewelry in my art studio. And being a wife to Mr. Virgo. When he died, I filled in the void with words. I polished and tweaked my craft till it became an integral part of my DNA. It’s like breathing and eating. It’s something I do.

“Spring Snow”

Mr. FixIt was well aware of my fixation with the written word when we started dating. He is supportive and empathetic and helps keep me centered. It wasn’t long after he left yesterday that the skies opened and a beautiful snowfall began. When I took the Christmas tree down the last day of February, I situated a sofa in front of the big picture windows in the family room so I can look out at the hillside across the road as I write. I watch the birds flit in and out of the forsythia bush at the corner of the house. I see the neighbors coming and going. The snowfall was beautiful and even though I am WAY over winter…I’m learning to stay present and enjoy the moments.

Along in the afternoon, I received a message from a friend from Glenwood Springs. Linda and Al were driving from Pennsylvania to Kentucky yesterday and She wanted to “wave” at me as they passed through West Virginia. I pinpointed their route and we met in Parkersburg for a quick visit. Our daughters went to school together. Her daughters and my daughters are both about 16 years apart so we had much in common. It was such a treat to see them!

“Whiteout”

About a week ago, I received a request to write a guest post for the manufacturers of some RV supplies. They sent me some of their products and asked for pictures of me using them. I didn’t receive the items until last evening and it snowed all day. She wanted the pictures by the end of the day so she could post on their blog for International Women’s Day. Finally, at 4:00 in the afternoon, the sun broke through. Even though it was really cold, I was able to get those pictures with the help of Mr. FixIt. I hit send at 5:01! I’ll post a link when the blog goes live.

“TOW-Wanda and Me”

A day full of surprises. A surprise snowfall. A surprise that I didn’t mind it. A surprise visit from old friends. And a surprise splash of sun in the late afternoon. It was a really good day! ❤

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Craving the Sun

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 02:30:56 -0600

“Late Winter Sun”

We are having a warming trend here in West Virginia. The monsoonal rains are beginning and we will have long stretches of grey, rainy days in the next few weeks. Still, the night time temperatures drop and we awoke to a skiff of snow and icy roads yesterday. After totaling my truck this time last year, I am really skittish about driving on dicey roads so I’ve been hanging out at Mr. FixIt’s place while he goes to town for physical therapy on his hand.

Yesterday was really sunny but with a high of only 41 degrees. The back door faces west and the sun was streaming in so I pulled my recliner over and soaked up some rays. OMGosh! It felt divine. An hour sitting in the warm sunshine did wonders to boost my mood and got me thinking about getting outside camping, hiking, fishing. This is the week of the Sisters on the Fly Great Winter Camp In. We are supposed to capture pictures of ourselves doing anything camping related. I’m going to get out in the camper this week…even if it’s just for a few hours to write. I really miss TOW-Wanda by this time of the year.

It’s almost time to start working on fixing up my 1967 Franklin Camper. I would love to have it ready this year to camp in. As I sit here writing this, a pair of cardinals are at the feeder in the back yard. I’m hearing more birds in the mornings. The pile of firewood is stacked by the fire ring ready for coming evening gatherings. The pool is still iced over. But the days are getting longer and with warmer weather and rain comes the promise of spring. I can hardly wait! ❤️

“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A Bird's Eye View

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:30:29 -0600

Have you ever gone on Google Earth and looked at the places you know? I remember one winter day before Mr. Virgo died. I was missing home…the dense, green woods and dusky purple mountains of West Virginia. Google Earth was still relatively new and they had just added the “street view” feature. I plugged in the address for Grandma’s farm, clicked on the little man icon, and…viola! I was “standing” in front of the farmhouse! I was SO excited! I quickly moved the map so I could “drive” down the two-lane blacktop the three miles, taking in every turn, house, and tree. It was mesmerizing. I could “go home” anytime I wanted to! I have “traveled” to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, London to ogle Big Ben, Rome to see the ancient ruins…all from the comfort of the easy chair in my living room.

The other night, Mr. FixIt was doing a little virtual traveling and he stumbled upon this. TOW-Wanda! MY camper…sitting right where I park her in the summer! I know approximately when this was. This is mostly uber cool…and, a little bit spooky in a Big-Brother-is-watching-you sort of way. It’s a good thing there was no nude sunbathing going on…for a vast number of reasons! ?

This satellite photo was taken about fifteen months after Mr. Virgo died. I had been full-timing in my camper for about seven months at this point. I was interviewed yesterday for another episode of Janine Pettit’s Girl Camper podcast. This time we talked about full-timing…dream vs. reality. I’ll post a link when it goes live.

Living on the farm has been such a treat that I’ve hardly thought about whether I miss all that time I spent on the road. The answer is yes…and no. Could I do that again? Yes! Would I? Maybe. I’m a lot more awake and aware now than I was back then. Grief brain may have clouded my judgement sometimes. But I’ve never regretted having that time alone out in the wilderness and backroads. I was so free and life was pared down to the bare essentials. There’s something to be said for simplicity. Janine asked me if I ever found myself lonely and I’m not sure I properly answered. I’m a people person. I’m gregarious and thrive in a place where I can have regular contact with people I know and love…friends and family that love me for who I am and I can let my hair down. I think that was the driving force behind allowing the Siren Song of the farm to lure me into planting some roots…at least for a while. And now…I have Mr. FixIt. We both love to travel and we never stay put for too long. But I’m looking forward to some nesting this winter. That’s the goodness of fall…it invites us to put another log on the fire, brew a nice cup of tea, and read a good book. The campers are put away for the season and I’m ready to be a homebody for a while. ❤️

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Getting Bolder: Stories, Not Stuff

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 01:30:09 -0600

Today’s post is a link to my most recent installment of “Getting Bolder” on the Sisters on the Fly blog. ❤️

www.sistersonthefly.com/getting-b…

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My Love-Hate Relationship

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 01:30:45 -0600

“It’s part of the camping experience!” This is the justifying battle cry of the die hard camper when it comes to the subject of campfires. But I have a distinct love-hate relationship with them. I love the crackling of the wood and the shower of sparks you get when you throw another log on. I love the welcome blast of heat when the night air has chilled me to the bone. I love splitting wood and the satisfaction of seeing a plentiful stack ready for a long winter. I burned wood as my primary source of heat for four long, cold Colorado winters and I cut, hauled, split, and stacked wood for four long, hot summers. I love a wood fire. I love a wood burning stove with a pot of stew bubbling on top in a cast iron Dutch oven.

Those things I love…AND hate. I hate wasting natural resources and polluting the atmosphere. I hate the dirt and bugs you drag into your house when you burn wood. I hate spending all that time cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking only to watch all that hard work go up in smoke. And speaking of smoke….that is the number one thing I hate about a campfire. Seriously, it doesn’t matter WHERE I sit in the Sister circle around the campfire, the smoke ALWAYS comes straight at me. I get up and move…here it comes. Move back…it’ll find me. And I can’t breathe. It chokes me, hurts my lungs, burns my eyes, and I guarantee you everything I own will smell like I’ve been fighting a forest fire for a month. The worst thing is when the campfire dies down, you go to bed, and you lie there in your camper, windows open, hoping to catch a cool breeze or hear the owls, but noooooooo….in wafts this dank smell of wet ash and smoke mixed with fog and dew…creeping over the campground, up the outside wall, through the window and fills my camper. I’m forced to either close the windows and roast or leave them open and cough.

This makes me sound like a boat load of fun to go camping with, doesn’t it? I try really hard to rein it in while I’m camping with others because I truly understand the campfire is a huge part of the camping experience for most people. So I play musical chairs a lot and try not to look too ticked off when the smoke inevitably finds me. But when I’m camping alone, I pull out my propane fire ring (this is the one I use but there are others Camp Chef Compact and Portable Outdoor Camping Gas Fire Ring with Lava Rock https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSGSRFO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vAn1zbZZ9SE81 ). I set up my chair, turn that bad boy on, roast a marshmallow or two, enjoy the heat, relish in the clear air, and turn it off at the end of the evening. No smoldering ashes to worry about setting the woods on fire. No smoke laying low over the campground and sneaking into my camper. No smelly hair, clothes, bedding, etc. I swear…when Mr. FixIt kissed me goodnight…he tasted like smoke. I kissed him anyway…I’m such a martyr.

I love to camp and I love the looks and sounds of the campfire and the time shared with friends sitting around it. But if I had my druthers, I’d light up the gas fire and call it good. ❤️

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:28-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Hickory Tussock Caterpillar

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 01:30:25 -0600

When my youngest was little, there were certain words she had trouble pronouncing. Me being a wordy, I had to correct her. We once were in the sewing center. She was crawling around and pulled herself up on the chair and babbled something. I asked her to slow down and enunciate so I could understand her. And she did. We never spoke baby talk to her. She would have called this a “capetiller”. There were mazagines" and “hopistol”. “Ambliance” and “swanich”. These are wonderful memories.

This particular “capetiller” was rummaging around in the leaves by the campfire at Beaver Creek State Park yesterday morning. It’s one of those that can leave you with an itchy rash much like poison ivy so it’s best to leave them alone. There are several caterpillars that sting and irritate the skin so you should wear gardening gloves when picking up leaves this time of year.

The drive home from camping was uneventful. It was getting dark by the time we hit Parkersburg so we took the camper over to Mr. FixIt’s house and we’ll clean it out today. I emptied the tanks and the clean water reservoir. Now we can winterize it.

I’m truly looking forward to some down time. It will give me time to reflect on the wonderful people I’ve met, the beautiful sites I have seen, and the wonderful times I have shared with family and friends and especially with Mr. FixIt. I am so blessed. ❤️

“and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭33:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Last Hurrah

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 01:30:52 -0600

Hanging up the camper for the season is always so sad but TOW-Wanda will stay at the farm with me for a little while longer. I’ll need to clean her out really well and winterize her. We’re still up in the air about travel plans for February and March so I need to have her ready to face freezing weather.

Yesterday was glorious. The Girl Campers gathered midweek at Beaver Creek State Park in Lisbon, Ohio and stayed through the weekend. A lot of time was spent around the campfire talking, laughing, and bonding. Hugs were plentiful as many broke camp yesterday and headed home. We had more gals in tents this year. We had a couple of gals who had minivans set up with beds in them which I found intriguing. It got really cold the last couple of nights (down into the 30’s!) so these gals are hardy souls! As Janine Pettit says… Girl Campers…we go places and we do things!"

Some of the gals painted tennis shoes. One gal made kettle corn over the fire in a cast iron Dutch oven. She used a handmade wooden paddle that I coveted. I used a sandwich iron for the first time and grilled a sandwich of cream cheese with cinnamon butter on the outside. We visited the Pioneer Village where they use an old grist mill. I purchased some freshly ground corn meal and buckwheat flour. Then last evening, a 1937 International towed a little camper into the campground and I was smitten! I love old cars and this one was pretty funky.

We didn’t hear any owls last night. They seem to move around from place to place within the park. Beaver Creek is such a gorgeous place. This is my fourth time camping here. It’s only about four hours from home so it’s pretty easy to get here and I love the camphost. She’s a dear friend of mine. We are going to an apple orchard today before we head back to the farm. There’s lots to do at home to prepare for winter and it’s coming on fast. ❤️

“So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Camping

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 01:30:13 -0600

I went to church camp when I was thirteen. I remember having a wonderful time but I don’t quite remember what we did. My camping excursion this week has seriously felt like BEING at camp. This State Park (which I will name Monday) has the best naturalist. He organized a fly fishing class yesterday afternoon. Five of us went and had a grand time. One gal caught a little fish and was so excited. We were excited FOR her. We didn’t have waders. I had rubber rain boots and I promptly filled them by stepping in too deep. So I just kept on going and waded in up to my hips. I didn’t catch anything but it didn’t matter.

Our next activity was the “stream stomp”. We held a net across and below rocks in a riffle and someone would pick up the rock. The net would catch any little critters that had been hiding under the rock. Some children who were camping nearby joined in and it was so much fun watching them giggle and squeal over the crawfish and hellgrammites (dragonfly nymphs) that landed in our nets.

I spent much of the afternoon with the publisher/editor of Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine for an article they are doing about the Girl Campers. I was thrilled to represent this great group of gals and talk about Janine Pettit and all of her hard work with her podcasts. Gail Bable, the camphost of this park, joined me for some photos. I’ll let you know when the article comes out.

The next thing on the agenda was an archery lesson. I can’t remember when I last shot a bow but I remember I loved it. I originally learned archery in high school. It turns out, I’m a pretty good shot.

The day ended with 27 people around a campfire listening to the park naturalist give a talk on honeybees. The entire day was fun and fascinating and one I will long remember. ❤️

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fall Camping

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 01:30:34 -0600

I don’t think there’s anything that beats camping in the fall. I do more camping in September than I do the rest of the year, total. The nights are crisp which makes for great sleeping. The days aren’t unbearably hot but still plenty warm to go out and do fun things. The mosquito population is much less intrusive by this time of the year making things more pleasant. I hate using insect repellents so this is a distinct advantage.

I’m with the Girl Campers in one of my favorite state parks in Ohio. (I’ll tell you which one once I leave…I never divulge where I’m camping in real time.) Our numbers grew yesterday so there were more chairs around the campfire last night. One of the Misters of the Mister-Sisters showed up and he thoroughly enjoyed himself sitting around the campfire with all these women.

I spent the day visiting with the girls and getting my camper set up. We didn’t get a chance to clean and organize after the last camping trip. The weather really cooled off yesterday and into the night. I put the electric blanket back on the bed. That comes in handy at about 4:00am.

Besides seeing old friends and meeting new ones, the best part of last night’s campfire was the barred owls. They were talking all around us and it was SO cool. At one point, one was in the tree right above TOW-Wanda and was really loud. I love hearing them. I took my spot light out but couldn’t see any.

This is probably the last big camping trip of my season so I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. And, since this is a Mister-Sister trip, my Mr. FixIt is joining me later on today! It’ll be the first time I get the chance to introduce him to my camping friends and I’m really looking forward to it! More gals arrive today…the more, the merrier! ❤️

“That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When the Party's Over

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 01:55:09 -0600

Girl time is important to me. Yesterday it was coffee with a few of my home girls…the ‘71 Divas Do Coffee. We figure Starbucks is cheaper than therapy. I popped into the Women’s Center at 7:00am to get the tatas smushed (Save the Tatas, ladies. Get your mammograms!) then ran over to the hotel to wait for my tribe. They never disappoint. Once we were properly caffeinated and had solved the world’s problems, we went our separate ways till next month.

Two weeks ago it was twenty-four Sisters and last weekend it was four Girl Campers. On Wednesday, I meet up with thirty-five or so Girl Campers (and some Mister Sisters) for five nights of fun and frolic in eastern Ohio. Given the week I just had, I promise you there will be napping involved!

The anticipation of a trip is delightful. We “meet” ahead of time on the Meetup app page or a Facebook page to get to know one another and get directives. We send messages back and forth. We share recipe ideas and weather forecasts. We count down how many sleeps till we get there. It can be a little stressful…especially when you are new at it. But overall, you should just go with the flow and have fun.

The day you arrive at the event, you get unhooked and do any decorating you might like in and around your camper. I had two huge tubs of decorations I used to use but have pared way back since my camper is for living in, not necessarily for showing off. Once you’re settled, you go around and greet old friends and make new ones with the common bond of loving outdoors adventure. The fun commences in earnest!

The first night is usually a meet-and-greet potluck. The second might have a low scale event and the third night is usually an all out blowout. You fall in bed, tired and happy. But then comes the inevitable and you have to say goodbye. It’s like summer camp when we were kids and we cried when we had to say goodbye. There’s definitely a certain melancholy that comes over you when you hook up and head home. But you promise to do it again. And you exchange recipes and contact info and ride off into the sunset.

I love this picture that was posted on the Sisters on the Fly page yesterday. I asked the photographer for permission to use it, which she graciously gave. It really summed up that melancholic feeling you get when the party’s over. Thank you, Rebecca, for such a great shot! ❤️

“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Time Out!

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 01:55:48 -0600

Last weekend was four days of fun (and hard work) hostessing the Sisters on the Fly. This weekend was four days of meet and greet at Country Living Fair with the Girl Campers. When I came back to town late yesterday afternoon, really…the only thing I wanted to do was go home, take a hot bath, and go to bed. Instead, I went to the 7:00 service at my church. I missed last week. I couldn’t miss again.

I stopped at Starbucks yesterday morning for a GOOD cup of coffee. Hotel coffee is marginal. As I left, a young man was sitting on a bench outside the door. He said, “Excuse me. Can I ask you something?” I stopped, knowing what was coming. “I just got out of prison and I want to go to church today. Can you give me something?” He was clean. He didn’t look strung out. He looked like the son of any of my friends. I walked up to him, placed my hand on his shoulder and said, “Son, I can give you two things. I can give you one dollar. And I can pray with you.” He looked like he was about to cry and knelt his head. I prayed for him right there on the streets of downtown Columbus in front of Starbucks. Afterwards, he smiled and thanked me and I went on my way.

I can’t give much but I can give my time, my prayers, my heart. So what if I got to the fairgrounds ten minutes late? Sharing that moment with that young man might have made a huge difference in his life. Surprisingly, it made a huge difference in mine. It made me bolder in my faith. It made me more compassionate of others. It made me love on a fellow human being for a few moments. It set the tone for the rest of the day at the fair. When I received praise for my accomplishments, I put praise where the praise was due and told them it wasn’t me…it was God that brings me words.

With that, I will be honest and tell you I am truly tired. I’m totally talked out after four days of nonstop talking. Mr. FixIt has been so wonderful and picked up the slack for me the last couple of weeks. He’s worked hard and helped me load and haul and unload stuff for my events only to turn around and help me take it all back home and put it away. We are packing up this morning and going camping for three days. It’s his turn to get my attention. It’s my turn to take a time out. I’ll be back soon! ❤️

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sisters on the Fly

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 01:55:09 -0600

What is Sisters on the Fly?

It’s the world’s largest outdoor adventure group for women. We have affected the lives of over 9,000 women from around the world. Our motto is “We have more fun than anyone!” And it’s true! Sister gatherings are jam packed with fun and we turn women into girls.

What do the Sisters do at their gatherings?

We do a number of things! Some of us fly fish. Some ride horses or mountain bikes. We love to go junkin’ and eat great food. Some hike. Some play and listen to music. Whatever floats your boat. And speaking of floating your boat, we are going to ride the sternwheeler on the Ohio River over to visit the Blennerhassett Mansion this week. We love to eat so we’re going to have an old fashioned weenie roast. My Pop-Pop whittled the end of sharp sticks for roasting weenies and marshmallows. We’ll serve them the WV way with sauce and slaw. We are playing music and listening to music and maybe even clog dance. Sisters will try just about anything!

How can I be a Sister?

You can have more fun that anyone by heading over to www.sistersonthfly.com and signing up. Dues are $70 a year and there are gatherings of every interest all around the globe.

What kind of women become Sisters on the Fly?

Bold women. Shy women. Women with campers. Women with tents. Women who prefer the lodge or a fine hotel or a cabin. Single women. Taken women. Married women. Widowed women. Young women. Old women. Key word is Women. No men. (Sorry, guys!) No kids. (Sorry, kids!) and, no pets.

These gals love to eat! I shopped yesterday. Such a wise shopper I have become. This big grocery cart ended up costing $150! I was impressed. We will see how the menu and activities go over. I’ve done the planning, the shopping and the prep. As my friend V says…it’s time for the fun! ❤️

“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

(Photos from older Sisters on the Fly gatherings.)

Back on the Farm

Sat, 26 Aug 2017 01:55:41 -0600

It’s been a year since I put down roots here on the family farm. Well, as deep a root as I can put and not own property. What a remarkable year! I battled fleas, painted walls, mowed, trimmed, pruned, cleaned, sorted, dehumidifier, and about scared myself to death that I had ruined the well or burned up the pump. I’ve learned to stop letting grief steal my joy. I’ve learned to let go of the fear of loss and clear out enough room in my life to accommodate the love of a sweet man. I’ve spoken in front of crowds, large and small. I started blogging for Sisters on the Fly as well as here on Marshmallow Ranch. I bought a vintage camper to fix up. I’ve been to Colorado twice, Florida twice, the Outer Banks, Tennessee, Savannah, Amish Country, and a fun trip to a WVU basketball game. I’ve been to concerts galore…Garth Brooks, SHEL, Brandy Carlisle to name a few. I’ve camped at some pretty cool places. I’ve been interviewed for podcasts and articles. I’ve lost some people in one way or another and I’ve gained more. I spent some wonderful time with my family. I’ve grown stronger in my faith. And I fell in love. All in one year! Whew!

We got home from the trip to Indiana and It was almost dark. I had to back this camper up into the driveway and it was more challenging as the light faded. I got it in ok and Mr. FixIt was a real trooper coaching me along. He filmed it. It might be funny…I don’t know. I haven’t taken the time to look at it yet.

We are going to a class picnic today so as soon as I walked in last night, I mixed up a yellow cake to bake. I’ll make Penuche Frosting this morning so it’s nice and fresh. I looked through Grandma’s notebook hoping to find her recipe but it wasn’t there. Her Brown Sugar Pie recipe was though. I’ll have to make that soon…it’s wonderful!

As I sat and wrote this, Mr. FixIt asked if I could hear the owl. I couldn’t until I went to the front door. I recorded it for you and posted it last night so be sure you catch it. It’s the Eastern Screech Owl we heard the other evening on our walk. Oh…we visited with the neighbor down the road he other evening. He had a health scare while we were in Colorado and I was so happy to see him out working in his garden! It’s just another reminder how uncertain life is.

If you are in Texas, or have loved ones there, you are in my prayers. Please check in and let us know how you’re doing.

Yes…it’s been an amazing year on the farm, hasn’t it? Big things, little things, fun things, scary things. But we made it through. We’ll keep on keeping on and I’ll keep telling you these stories about this crazy, beautiful life I am privileged to lead. Thank you all for being here! ❤️

“and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.” ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Playing Tourist

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 01:55:26 -0600

We drove into Richmond yesterday and looked around the Depot District. We went around the block and found this really cool alley with paintings on all the windows and old doorways. I love little surprising art finds around cities and towns. We wandered through Two Sisters Used Books where I found The Prayer of Jabez a couple years ago. We browsed through a huge furniture store and stopped at a coffee shop. Then headed for Oxford, Ohio.

We ate dinner at the Steinkeller Restaurant and we’re very disappointed that Dave…the lederhosen wearing, accordion playing, Uptown Funk singing entertainer wasn’t there. Apparently he doesn’t perform in the summer when the students are gone they were hoping he would show up again since classes start at Miami university on Monday. We asked our waitperson about him. I told her I was so glad the students didn’t make fun of him. She said the students love him and sometimes they would hang around in the restaurant till 2:00AM…long after closing time…singing along with Dave I hope he comes back this year. The world needs more Daves.

I love the Insomnia Cookie Shop. They’ll deliver warm cookies till three in the morning. Hey, it’s a college town…kids are up late studying. I’m sure it’s nothing else…you know, like the munchies or anything. Just late night study sessions and the need for a warm cookie at 3:00AM, right?

I’m trying to figure out what this tree is beside the camper. Last night whatever is growing on it was falling on the roof with a clatter. The leaves look like hickory but smaller and the pods look different than the hickory on the farm. I’ll let you know when I find out what it is. I asked Fred, my tree guy but haven’t heard back yet.

As you can see, TOW-Wanda is still looking good. When she was in the shop at Camping World, they were detailing the camper next to her and splashed suds all over her. So, she got a free bath.

We head home today! ❤️

“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Ahhhh...Indiana!

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 01:55:30 -0600

I’m beginning to really like this state. I have been to Bloomington in the south. I’ve been back and forth along the I-70 corridor countless times. I spent a weekend here in Richmond in December 2015 when my daughter graduated from Miami University. And now I’m on my third camping excursion here. We picked TOW-Wanda up yesterday and she’s pretty as can be. They detailed her after putting on the new axle. I checked the hub temperature with my new infrared digital thermometer after driving a few miles and it was right around 97-98°. It may give me a false sense of security since the service guy told me “if it’s too hot, it’s too late.”

Just after we turned onto I-70 from I-77, we came to a standstill. As far as we could see, cars and trucks filled the highway like a parking lot in all three lanes. I was just telling Mr. FixIt I wished I had the extension app on my Garmin GPS to tell me about traffic when I remembered Waze. Some of my Sisters on the Fly friends were just discussing the merits of this free GPS app that is populated by user input. I had tried it a couple of years ago and didn’t like it so I took it off. I figured I couldn’t lose anything and I was sitting in a giant parking lot on the interstate so I downloaded the app and turned it on. Sure enough, it showed my location and several people up ahead posted what was going on…a car fire. When we finally started moving, there was not one, but two burned out shells of cars alongside the highway. I’ll have to see if I can find a news story about it because it was pretty impressive. I have unlimited data on my cell phone so I kept Waze running. Whenever there was a hazard, a policeman, or even a pothole in the roadway, the app let me know with an electronic voice. I’ll be using it whenever I drive.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about was this really cool tool I bought at Costco. I’ve been wanting a windshield mount for my cell phone and found a package of two at Costco when we were in Colorado. I gave one to Mr. FixIt for his truck and I put the other in mine. Now I can run Waze AND my GPS as I drive and have an unobstructed view of the road. I can answer calls hands free. I can even ask Siri to read my text messages and answer them by dictating and never take my eyes off the road.

If you find yourself in Richmond, Indiana in need of RV services…see Matt Green at Camping World. If you need a great campsite that’s easily accessible, check out Grandpa’s Farm Campground. And if you want a really great meal, go to O’Charley’s. Excellent! There are my PSA’s of the day. Helpful hints for your traveling pleasure…and, I get to sleep in TOW-Wanda again!!! ❤️

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Sky Really IS Falling...Sorta!

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 01:55:11 -0600

The other evening, I was sitting out on the front porch and hear something fall in the woods on the other side of the driveway. I looked up in time to see a green ball come shooting out of the woods onto the lawn. Curious. I sat, scanning the trees, and pretty soon another came down. I noticed a quick movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a squirrel darting from branch to branch. Now, I’m pretty good with identifying the fauna on the farm, but I’m not as astute with the flora. I watched to see what tree the squirrel settled in then got up to inspect the green ball. As it turns out, there’s a hickory tree on the bank, and a nice sized one at that. I gathered up a bucket full before I mowed the lawn yesterday and I’ll set them out to dry then take the husks off when they’re dry.

Hickory nuts are really good in cookies. My grandma used to make raisin-filled cookies. I’m not home as I write this but I’ll try to remember to post the recipe one of these days. She would use hickory nuts sometimes. Or black walnuts. We would sit around the table and crack nuts and pick the nut meats out of the shells. You’d have to be pretty careful when you ate those cookies because sometimes you’d bite down on a piece of the shell. Grandma broke her dentures like that once. Scared the bejeebers out of me because I didn’t know about false teeth at the time!

As more and more of the hickory nuts are maturing, the squirrels have gathered in the hickory tree and it actually sounds like rain with all the little bits of hull they are dropping as they denude the nut. Fortunately for me, these little critters lose their grip fairly easily and they drop the whole shebang. I need to get my coveralls and boots on and wade up that hill in the woods and see if I can gather more. Hickory nuts are a precious commodity in these parts. There’s a hickory tree back on the hill near the old Mount Zion Church. It’s alongside the cemetery so I don’t know that the tree actually belongs to someone. But I have seen a sign on it warning folks from picking up those hickory nuts. Testy. This brought me to do a little research. Will there be animals in Heaven? The Bible says there are horses in Heaven to equip the armies so if there are horses, then surely there are others. Dogs MUST got to Heaven…there are humans in those eyes. But what about the squirrel and the possum and the raccoon? I think if horses are in Heaven, and surely dogs are, then others must be as well. I think God made animals for our use and enjoyment. And Heaven is a place for joy!

I saw another oddity yesterday. I came in from mowing and went to the kitchen to get a cold drink. I heard something really loud buzzing on the back porch. It turned out to be a locust that was getting attacked and stung by what looked to be a sand hornet. They were rolling over and over all over the back porch and every time they landed up against my metal cabinet, the sound was amplified tenfold. It was pretty impressive.

We’re off on a road trip again today! TOW-Wanda is fixed so we’re running over to pick her up and camp for a couple of nights. Someone told Mr. FixIt the repair could cost $4,000 but it’s about a fourth of that. I have to tell you, Camping World in Richmond, Indiana is AWESOME! I would highly recommend their service department. Tell Matt Green I sent you! See you on the road! ❤️

“For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:19-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Road Trip: Day Thirty-Something..."Home! Kinda."

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 01:55:03 -0600

Yesterday was lovely. We went out for breakfast then headed to Camping World to check on the trailer. They were still working on locating an axle. We elected to take the wheel with the nearly shredded tire to Walmart and get a new one. Easy peasy. Then, to kill some time, we went to New Paris and browsed the antique stores. By 4:00 we decided it was best to go check in on the trailer again. Bad news. The replacement axle isn’t sitting on a shelf someplace. They don’t make them until they’re ordered. And, they take ten days to make. So the camper won’t be ready for at least two weeks!

Ok. Change of plans. It was already 4:30. We swung around back and emptied everything we would need out of the camper. We threw away any food that wouldn’t stay fresh in the fridge, even though they assured us they would keep the trailer plugged in. We stuffed as much as we could in the truck and headed to dinner at a dive along the highway. Then we left Richmond, Indiana and headed for Cleveland to pick up Mr. FixIt’s truck. He left it parked there when he flew to Colorado. We picked it up, filled both trucks with gas, stopped at McDonald’s for coffee and headed for home. It was 1:15 by the time we got to Parkersburg and it would have been another hour to the farm. I called Mr. FixIt behind me and said I’d had enough…so we stopped at his place and I’ll head on in the morning.

We’ll go on another road trip in a couple of weeks and pick up TOW-Wanda. We’ll talk more tomorrow about how this fiasco happened and what to do to avoid it in the future. In the meantime, I’m done. Thank you, God…for protecting us and keeping us safe during our travels. ❤️

“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Thirty-Two..."Crap!"

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 01:55:16 -0600

One of the most important things I’ve learned about camping is this…check, check, and double-check everything. When I had that blowout a couple years ago, I learned to check the air pressure every single time I tow…whether it’s to the end of the driveway or across the state. I learned this from Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi of RV Family Travel Atlas and Janine Pettit of Girl Camper Podcast. Now I check my tires religiously.

Day before yesterday, we stopped in a rest area and when I got back in the truck, I walked around…checking to make sure everything looked good. We were fifty miles from the campground. That stretch of I-70 was particularly rough…to the point we had to slow way down. We got to the campground and did a lot of routine maintenance things. I dumped the tanks and cleaned them out. I picked up inside the camper and got set up for the evening, and cooked supper. After the dishes were done and put away, we got those showers we were so anxiously awaiting and crashed. We were both exhausted and slept like logs.

Yesterday morning, I was unhooking things and Mr. FixIt was checking the air pressure in the tires. When he got to the driver’s side rear tire he said, “Whoa, babe…come look at this. This isn’t good.” The rubber cover was missing off the hub and you could see down into the bearing housing. I knew when I got close and looked at the grease that we did indeed have a problem. The grease was packed with flecks of shiny metal…the bearings had been disintegrated. Luckily there was a Camping World four miles back so we very slowly, very carefully took the camper over.

After tearing it apart and checking into the other wheels, they believe the last person who repacked my bearings (which I just had done this spring) had tightened the nut down too hard which doesn’t allow for the expansion of the bearings when they get hot. The end cap made of rubber blew off with the resulting pressure and shot all the hot grease out, leaving nothing to lubricate the bearings. Consequently, the casing got so hot it literally melted the bearing housing. The only thing that kept the wheel from flying off was a $2.00 cotter pin. Thank God it wasn’t worse…no one was injured. But the bad news is, it didn’t make any noise and we didn’t detect anything in the operation of the trailer in any way, so we drove on it at 60mph for 50 miles or so. That was hot enough to etch the spindle and the whole axle needs replaced. They are working hard to find me one…even if they have to send someone up to the Starcraft factory up in Elkhart.

But, here’s the thing…when I had the blowout two years ago, the repairman forgot to put the dust cover back over the hub. When I had the hubs repacked last time, the shop didn’t have one. I’ve thought of it off and on but never got around to it. And, since I wasn’t actually checking the temperature of the hubs, if that dust cover WOULD have been in place, I never would have seen there was a problem. This was, quite literally, a disaster waiting to happen and it’s a miracle no one was injured.

So, we have an unexpected adventure…exploring Richmond, Indiana and the Old National Road…home of some pretty great antique stores. We found a room for $60 and had dinner at Cracker Barrel. Yes, this is inconvenient. Yes, the repair is going to be expensive. But, we are safe…we are together…and God has us in the palms of his hands. Life is good! ❤️

“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:19-20‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Road Trip: Day Thirty-One..."Camping in Comfort!"

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 01:55:34 -0600

OMGosh! After camping two nights in parking lots, Grandpa’s Farm Campground is just what the doctor ordered. Mr. FixIt and I were up at the crack of dawn and dragged our sorry butts into the IHOP for breakfast. Coffee, coffee, coffee. I slept maybe three pharmaceutically induced hours to the refrains of a hundred diesel engines idling all night. Ok, there were…like, twenty-five, ok? All I’m sayin’ is…it sounded like the 10th Armored Division were on maneuvers in my living room. Have I ever mentioned I’m grumpy in the mornings if I don’t sleep well and coffee is delayed by the briefest of moments? I thought not…I hate to tarnish my pristine reputation. Oy.

After breakfast, we sat down with the Atlas and the RV Campground Directory and figured out how long we wanted to drive today. It put us right in the vicinity of Richmond, IN…a very cute little burg. I was in Richmond when Daughter #1 graduated from college a few miles away in Oxford, Ohio at the Miami University. I stopped at this campground on my way out to Colorado this summer. It’s the one I found on a Saturday night when I was contemplating how sorry I was that I’d miss church the next morning, only to find out they have Campground Church every Sunday. It’s run by a lovely family. There is some road noise in the early evening, but it soon dies down after folks get home from work. There’s also a rushing stream along the edge of the campground that you can hear at night. AAA got me a discount and a full hookup site was $32.50. As soon as I got everything hooked up, I turned on the hot water heater so we could enjoy hot showers for the first time in three days! Heavenly!

But, here’s the very coolest thing….Mr. FixIt DROVE for me all but the first hour. We were tooling along and I just hadn’t had enough sleep or enough coffee. We pulled into a service station, got my pillows and blankets out of the trailer, and I crawled into the passenger side and slept for two hours. When I woke up, I marveled at the decadence of having someone drive me around…pulling my camper with confidence, being just as careful of her as I am. It felt amazing…this giving over some control after having to do everything by myself for so long. The thing is, I kept hanging onto that control…long after I had a capable partner to help me. It was liberating in the totally opposite way of women’s liberation. It felt inclusive, a communal effort. And I was in hog heaven!

We got to the campground by 3:00 which allows for so much more of an evening than midnight does. Mr. FixIt went for a walk while I wrote this post so we could just enjoy the evening without interruptions. We cooked a nice dinner and sat outside listening to the many sounds of the campground. What a precious treat this man is. Thank you God for safe travels. And thank You for bringing me such a wonderful man to enjoy! ❤️

“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:23-24‬ ‭NIV

Road Trip: Day Thirty..."Camping at Walmart"

Sun, 06 Aug 2017 01:55:49 -0600

Mr. FixIt was in an automotive store picking up a part for my truck when I was preparing to leave on this trip. He was telling the sales guy about all the trouble I was having getting out of town with the camper. They guy handed him the part and said, “Well, it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out.” Mr. FixIt laughed and said, “I don’t know…everything is an adventure with Ginny McKinney!” He gets me! Yesterday was no exception.

It took us thirteen hours to get from Denver t this Walmart. The drive on the two-lane was amazingly beautiful. The terrain is sand hills giving way to intermittent flat and rolling fields of corn, soybeans, and what not. There is supposed to be a bad storm this morning in western Kansas and Nebraska so we wanted to put plenty of distance between us and the weather so we kept driving. We stopped in McCook, NE so I could stretch out and take a nap. That gave me my second wind.

We stopped to eat at a historical marker for the Texas-Ogallala Trail where cattle drives crossed the plains. It was so much more fun having a traveling companion. He could Google in real time things I asked about.

While the views were wonderful and the roads so much easier to travel without all the truckers, finding a campsite was nearly impossible. There just isn’t the traffic on these back roads to warrant a campground and the couple we saw signs for were impossible to find in the dark. Hence the decision to find a Walmart. I searched in my Garmin and found one about thirty miles away. After eleven miles into it, we made a turn and there was a small sign that said “Bridge Out, 21 miles”. I looked at the GPS and it said to turn in 21 miles. I called the Walmart and they said the bridge was out right where you turn to come into town so we had to take a detour. It added 27 miles to our trip but we were committed at that point. We pressed on and arrived at the store 2 minutes before they closed. We immediately went inside and spoke to the person in charge, asked where we should park, and thanked them profusely. We fell into bed with great relief.

Yes…everything is an adventure with Ginny McKinney! ❤️

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Nine..."On the Road Again!"

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 01:55:47 -0600

This is the hard part…saying goodbye. I don’t like goodbyes. I miss my kids and my grands when I’m in West Virginia. I wish we lived closer. At one point I was ready to move back to Colorado. But man…the cost of living is nearing the breaking posing for most people and it has gotten so incredibly crowded. As much as I will miss my girls, I am longing for home…for the peacefulness of the country…for smaller towns and fewer crowds.

We had a great day yesterday. We fussed around getting the camper cleaned and ready for travel. We did laundry and visited with my son-in-law’s parents, then went to Little’s Art Camp program. She displayed several art pieces and played the violin. Afterwards, we had 14 for a family dinner and that will have to do till next time. We’ve decided to drive the back roads and see what a cross road trip was like in the days of the two-lane blacktop. We’ll follow a river into the sand hills of the western prairie. Our progress will be slow, but I’ll check in and share with you. This is an entirely new experience for me and I’m looking forward to it! ❤️

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ”

For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:4, 10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Eight..."Dancing"

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 01:55:04 -0600

I love listening to live music. We met Daughter #1 and the grands for dinner then attended the outdoor concert at Flatirons Crossing…a large mall in Louisville, CO. They left at intermission so when the band started up again, I led Mr. FixIt out on the dance floor for the second half. I love to dance, but my 64-year-old knees were screaming in protest before long. I’ll pay for it today, I’m afraid.

Yesterday was spent running errands like getting the oil changed on the truck for the trip back. Today is cleaning, doing laundry, packing. We all get to attend Little’s presentation at the end of art camp this afternoon then one last family gathering before we head out in the morning. It’s been a fast month and I’ll miss my babies. I’m already planning our return trip around Christmas! I know this isn’t much of a post…just touching base as we tie up loose ends before we leave. ❤️

“Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭127:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Six..."On Sharing"

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 01:55:19 -0600

There has been a major shift within me this trip. I wasn’t sure going into this vacation how I would react sharing the space that is mine in Colorado with both Mr. Virgo’s memory and Mr. FixIt’s presence. How would everything fit? At home on the farm in West Virginia, Mr. Virgo only occupies space in my mind and heart as well as what few tangible things I have kept that were his. Here, he lives in the mountains, he sits in the sunsets, he whispers in the wind that blows through the trees. He’s everywhere. Would he distract me too much? How would I feel entertaining two men…one very much here, the other very much real but not here?

I took this wonderful man to “meet” Mr. Virgo and I needn’t have worried. He respected my space. He listened intently. He waited patiently. And at the perfect moment, he walked up behind me, wrapped me in his arms and said, “I’m so sorry, Ginny. I know this was so hard for you. You’ve been through so much and you are very brave.” His arms were a comfort. My fingers intertwined with his as I leaned back against him. I felt his warm breath in my hair. For a moment, I remembered what this same position felt like with Mr. Virgo. Then I let it go…like a feather on a breeze…dancing and floating away from me.

Time has allowed me perspective and healing. Choice has brought me ever onward and upward. Prayer has given me strength where there was none. Mr. FixIt has given me…Love. Hope. Trust. Joy. Peace. Companionship. Friendship. Laughter. Stability. Comfort. Contact. Connection. I am grateful. This shift has a lot to do with all of the above. Sharing this space with my new love is helping me to, yet again, redefine its meaning. Redefine who I am…redefine my “status”. I know it’s different for everyone. For me, at four and a half years…it’s a choice. I choose love. It is my purpose in life. It is the one thing I am to practice, to hone my skill at. To emulate in a Christ-like way. Not just my love for Mr. FixIt or Mr. Virgo…but for everyone.

I’ve been asked when I will share a picture of Mr. FixIt with you. And the answer is…not in his lifetime. Not a definable picture, anyway. Distance, maybe. From the back, sure. His hands, definitely. He has the hands of a hard-working man and I love them. But I won’t be sharing his name or his face because those are mine. I share everything else with you…my pain, my fears, my hopes, my joys, my struggles, and my triumphs. I do so without reservation as this is my platform…my purpose. I share to spread love and promote healing. This one great thing…this glimpse into who he really is in real life…is the one tangible thing I will fervently protect.

Yesterday was a day shared with loved ones. My heart is full. ❤️

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:2-7 NIV

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Five..."Life is Better at the Ranch"

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 01:55:23 -0600

The trip out west is winding down. The kids are busy with camps and getting ready for school so there isn’t as much time for visiting. I could spend another month showing Mr. FixIt around Colorado, but there are things that need tending to back home. I was going to stay till the end of August so I could attend a Sisters on the Fly event. However, I am hosting a Sisters event in WV the first week of September and there are still so many details to take care of and I want it to be memorable for the gals. So, I’m heading back east this weekend. I’m not going to put Mr. FixIt on the plane…he’s going to drive back with me. We have found an alternate route that will take us along the America River on a two lane and off the wicked roar of the interstate. I’m looking forward to an easier ride home with good company.

Our last days here will consist of family time and perhaps a drive to Colorado Springs to the Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak. Yesterday was laundry day (I ironed a shirt! gasp!), lunch out with my son-in-law’s parents, a little nap in the afternoon, dinner with the family, and a trip to my favorite antique store. The Brass Armadillo is huge and would take a full day to browse. We only had a couple of hours but we did our best to see as much as possible. It floors me to go into an “antique” store and see the things we grew up using and playing with. I mean, really…antiques? How is that possible when we keep getting younger?

I loved the Ranch sign. And the angel wings were awesome. The trailer with wings was adorable. I didn’t buy a thing, although there were so many things I could see owning. I can’t shop anymore without envisioning the work involved with downsizing when I sold my house and got rid of 95% of my personal belongings. It was so incredibly difficult and I don’t ever want to do that again. I already own too much stuff! I want to keep my life light and not be burdened by the weight of possessions. I love stuff. I love that my friends dig their stuff and want to keep it around them. I totally get that. It’s going to be interesting to see how things unfold as my relationship with Mr. FixIt moves forward. Ohhhh, he’s as big a pack rat as I am!

Today’s a day of helping my daughter while Mr. FixIt entertains himself. He can find his way around Denver with the GPS. I hope you all have an incredible day! ❤️

“He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Three..."Back Across the Divide"

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 01:55:15 -0600

I don’t think the trip back to Denver was quite as difficult as going over. Yesterday was overcast, rainy, and much cooler and that helped keep the transmission temperature down. That and the fact that the eastbound approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel is a much more gradual slope. But Vail Pass? Brutal! It is so steep I drove much of it at less than twenty-five miles per hour and the transmission temp still shot up to 232 degrees! I had to pull off the road three times to let the truck cool down. I tried the trick of staying in third gear and that didn’t help. I have vowed never to pull this camper with this truck over these mountains…ever again. It was too stressful and I was exhausted when I was done. But, we arrived safely and got parked back under the tree at my son-in-law’s parents’ house so all is right with the world.

We camped the last three nights at Redstone Campground in Redstone, Colorado. What a beautiful place. The campsites are broad and private. We couldn’t even see the next site and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. The camp host told us there had only been one bear sighting in camp this summer and that was back in May. I was kind of surprised because the campsite was literally surrounded with shrubs that were loaded with all kinds of berries. We paid for a double site in order to maintain privacy. If someone took the other side, our door would literally open up on the neighbor’s camper, so it was worth the extra expense.

When we returned to Denver, we took our son-in-law’s parents out for dinner at Culver’s. It’s a hamburger place but we had salads that were quite good. After dinner, we went for a drive and went to see the new Light Rail Station in Westminster. Denver is developing a wonderful train system that will soon be completed. You can now catch the train into downtown Denver and be at Union Station in eleven minutes. Senior Citizen rate is $2.60 round trip. You can’t park downtown for that! We’ll take the train down just for the experience while we’re here. Maybe we’ll go to the Art Museum.

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. And, I don’t think it is my imagination when I say there are more people here than there was when I left three years ago. Granted, I’ve been living a fairly solitary existence, but this is crazy! It felt like being in a bee hive. There are people everywhere. I especially noticed when we went to Maroon Bells near Aspen. Here we were, in one of the most picturesque settings in the stat…bus after bus emptying tourists from all over the globe out onto a parking lot. Paths spread out in every direction like tentacles and there were people wherever you looked…scrambling in every direction…grasping for their moment in the sun. It made me cringe. It made me sad. I think maybe the economy is allowing people to vacation again and there does seem to be an awful lot of people camping these days. Colorado is a desirable destination and it IS high summer tourist season so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised…but it was surprising nonetheless.

Regardless of how busy everyplace was, Mr. Fix and I had a fabulous time and we made wonderful memories. After all, that was the goal. Mission accomplished! ❤️

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-Two..."A Night on the Town"

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 01:55:31 -0600

After a busy day sightseeing, we visited with my “surrogate parents” and my sweet brother. We walked around town and looked at the darling shops of downtown Glenwood Springs and chose one of my favorite restaurants for dinner…The Riviera Supper Club. So, I’m out on the town with my man as I jot this note to you…and this is “all she wrote” for today. We will head back to the campground (NO cell service or WiFi…yay!!!) We’ll head back to Denver tomorrow! ❤️

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭20:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-One..."Exploring!"

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 01:55:09 -0600

Seriously…have you seen anything more beautiful than this??? Maroon Bells…the most photographed scene in Colorado. Mr. FixIt has never been to Colorado and I’m trying to jam in as many amazing sights I can in the short time we are up here in the mountains. We got our exercise yesterday! We started with The Ritz Carlton Club in Aspen Highlands to see Mr. Virgo’s Memorial. They planted a tree and laid a plaque in his honor off the patio of his restaurant in the hotel. It has grown about three feet since they planted it. I felt him all around me there. He loved that restaurant and the view. After paying our respects and talking to some of the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz Carlton, we took the shuttle up to Maroon Bells Wilderness Area and hiked around the lake and through meadows of mountain wildflowers in their prime. The Colorado sky did not disappoint, and even though we didn’t see the bear Mr. FixIt wanted to see, he had a grand time. By the time we finished our hike we were famished. We took the shuttle bus back into Aspen Highlands and drove into Aspen for a late lunch. We walked the streets, people watching and browsing through the shops till it was time to head back to the camper. There was live music in the park last night and we didn’t want to miss that. We have no cell or phone service in the campground so I have to post when I have service somewhere. If I miss a day, don’t worry…it just means I didn’t come to town.

It was another beautiful day in the Rockies. The night sky is so incredibly black you can’t see your hand in front of your face but the stars??? OMGosh! You can see the entire Milky Way! They’re so close it feels like you can touch them. Amazing! ❤️

““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭12:7-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty-one..."Old Home Week"

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 01:55:31 -0600

There are moments in life that you would like to freeze and keep forever, aren’t there? Yesterday was just such a day. The part came in for the camper and Mr. FixIt went to pick it up while I packed up and got the camper ready to haul it to our next site. It was a really easy, short trip without any hills to speak of and we were there in no time. There was only one little glitch. The campsite I had reserved was a group site and there was someone coming to stay right beside us…which kind of defeated the point. Fortunately, there was another site nearby that was even better and we got set up quickly and headed to Marble for lunch at Slow Groovin’ BBQ. It was there I met Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI. Kevin is doing what many young college grads do…he’s finding his groove and he couldn’t have picked a better place than here! As many of these stories, it all started with a blown engine and this person knew that person and off he is on an adventure. (Note to Kevin’s mom…you raised a fine young man. He’s polite and friendly and has great dreams. I know you must be very proud of him. He says you worry. I understand but…he’ll be careful. He misses you and all his nieces and nephews.) Anyway, Kevin was a bright spot in our day and it was a delight to meet him.

After lunch, we headed to Glenwood Springs to listen to live music in the park. The Black Lillies from Nashville were the highlight of the night and they were awesome! This is my old stomping grounds. I moved here as a young doctor’s wife in 1986. I ran into people who have known me, supported me, and cheered me on through every incarnation I went through since then. It was such a treat to introduce Mr. FixIt to so many of my longtime friends. He had a blast!

Today we are off to explore Aspen! Stay tuned!!! ❤️

“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭104:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Twenty..."Another Day in Paradise"

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:55:09 -0600

Last week I reported to you that Mr. Virgo was in my dreams two nights running saying he was leaving me. He appeared again Sunday night. In this dream I found out that he had some sort of neurological problem and that’s why he decided to go on and not try to come back. He was brought to me in a black limousine. They told me he was coming and that I could see him the way he would have looked had he survived the heart attack. When the car pulled up, he rolled down the window and he had obvious neurological damage, yet in the dream, he could still stand. He got out of the limo and looked at me so sad. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He said it was HE who was sorry he had to leave me like that. I pulled away from him and said, “You know how much I love you, right?” He said of course he did. I said, “Well, I’ve met someone wonderful and I love him, too. I can’t leave him now.” His eyes softened and he wrapped me in his arms and whispered into my hair, “It’s ok. It’s ok. It’s ok.” And…I woke up. Three times in a week he’s been in my dreams and he hasn’t been here that much in the last four and a half years. I think it’s because I’ve brought Mr. FixIt here to Colorado…turf that, up until now, belonged to Mr. Virgo and me.

It was still dark…the first hint of daylight tinting the eastern sky. I lay there quietly, listening to the soft breathing of this wonderful man I have come to love. “It’s ok. It’s ok. It’s ok.” I smiled in the darkness, snuggled closer, and went back to sleep.

We were up bright and early yesterday. Lots to do…doctor’s appointment and pick up the replacement thermostat (it’s still not in after two more stops in the RV dealer). We went out for breakfast then stopped to visit Mr. Virgo’s grave. I left one of the painted rocks that I’ve found recently that said “I love your smile!” It made ME smile. Then I took Mr. FixIt up to Rifle Falls State Park. In all the years I lived here, I had never been there. We hiked up to the top, took lots of pictures, and headed back to town to take my brother out to dinner again. Afterwards, we stopped at the grocery store and ran into Rob and Jordan, two young men from Virginia who had built this funky trailer from scratch and are on a five month trek across the country. They have a YouTube channel called Fantasy Jive ( www.youtube.com/channel/U… ) What an adventure!

A trip to Lowe’s rounded out the day. We needed some wire connectors and wire stripper for the thermostat project. With the groceries put away, we finally had time to sit in our new chairs and listen to the river rushing through the canyon as the sun set. We stayed the last two nights at Glenwood Canyon Resort…one of the most beautiful places to camp in Colorado, in my opinion. While the sites are rather close together, there’s nothing like sitting and staring up at the steep canyon walls directly across the river from your campsite. Trains run through the canyon at all hours, but if you’re like me, they make you smile.

Today we break camp and head on to our next stop on this adventure. Stay tuned to see what we are up to next!❤️

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14:16-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Nineteen..."The Long Slog"

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 01:55:06 -0600

“Eula Faye” is my F-150…a beauty for sure, but she lacks guts. As I figured, climbing these mountains pulling TOW-Wanda was brutal and pushed her to her limits. I watched fearfully as the transmission temperature steadily climbed, maxing out at 232 degree. I immediately moved off the side of the highway and let her cool back down to her baseline of 194 before starting again. Consequently, it was a very long drive to our campsite on the Western Slope. It was 94 degrees when we unhooked at 3:00. I went in to start the air conditioner to start cooling off the camper when It wouldn’t work…again. It just so happens, we are camping 27 miles from the RV dealer where I bought this camper so I immediately called to see if they were open. We drove straight over and arrived 15 minutes before closing time. We took the old thermostat with us and they ordered us the replacement part. It will arrive by noon today.

I don’t like to say bad things about a business because they could just be having an off day or maybe here was a miscommunication. As we left town yesterday, we stopped at Camper World to get a replacement thermostat as they are a Starcraft Dealer. There were three men behind the parts counter and I got three different answers. The general consensus was the part is obsolete. I couldn’t imagine that to be true as this is a 2015 camper. The young guy went back in the back and brought a thermostat us and said, “This will work.” I looked at the thermostat and back at him. My thermostat has a six wire harness. The one he brought up was nine. When I pointed this out he said, “Just don’t hook up three of them.” Right. I ignored him and turned to the one closest to me who was at least tying to help me by looking up the actual part number. Then he told me it wasn’t in his computer so it must be obsolete. I asked him if the company who manufactured the thermostat had a replacement part number. He had no idea how to contact them. Finally, I excused myself, spent fifteen minutes researching on Google and found the approved replacement thermostat from RVUpgrades.com. I did buy two padded club chairs that are much more comfortable than the ones I bought last winter. Then I left.

Hopefully the new part from the dealer on the Western Slope will work and we’ll have the AC back. Fortunately, the temperature cooled off enough to made sleeping more comfortable, and it is supposed to cool off later in the week.

We took my brother to dinner last night. It was so, so good to see him! We’ll visit again today. I know this isn’t a profound and insightful post. My trip posts are just there to let you know what I’m up to, places I think you might be interested in, and the wonderful people I meet along the way. Like Rick…the helpful hardware man at Ace. Rick has been following Marshmallow Ranch for at least two years. When I pulled into the neighborhood Ace store yesterday to top off my propane tanks, Rick came out to help me and greet me with a great big hug! He was so excited to meet Mr. FixIt. We stood and visited for quite some time. When I came back out from paying for the propane, he asked if he could pray with us for safety for our trip and blessings for our relationship. I went to the truck and got Mr. Fixit and we stood right there in the parking lot of the Ace Hardware and prayed together. It was very touching. So, even though the truck struggled, even though the AC wouldn’t work, even though it was hot and sticky trying to sleep…I let it all roll off me like water off a duck’s back. Blessings abound! ❤️

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Eleven..."You Are Worthy"

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:55:28 -0600

Ok, we’re going to church here in a little bit…fair warning. But first, I want to share something cool that happened. As I settled in TOW-Wanda last night after a fun-filled day with the family, I heard the soft hoot of an owl. A Great Horned Owl, to be precise. I jumped up and quietly opened the camper door only to see a pair of huge owls sitting in the tree about 50-60 feet away from where I stood…in awe, I might add. This is not something one sees ordinarily. Not in the daylight and not in a large urban area. I wish Little could have been here…she is really into Harry Potter right now. She would have loved to see the owls.

Little went to church with me and really had a wonderful time. She enjoyed the worship team. She brought up points from the sermon during the day and told me I need to take her whenever I go there. We went to a friend’s house in the afternoon to help her paint her kitchen then, after a little quiet time in the afternoon, we attended a graduation party. It was a beautiful day.

Yesterday’s sermon was about the Samaritan woman at the well. The story goes, Jesus is waiting by a well while his disciples went for food. It was noon when a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus asked her to draw a drink for him and she objected. Jews and Samaritans did not mix company. The pastor has, of course, read this passage countless times, but recent events altered his interpretation. Last week, he and his family went on a trip to Africa to check on Missionaries they are working with. One morning, they went to the well at the base of a mountain and it was crowded with women and children from the villages above…filling their water containers to haul back up the mountain to their homes. Just to survive. And the next day and the next would find them doing the same thing. One would think the drudgery of hauling heavy loads of water back up the mountainside would create a dismal mood at the well. But, that wasn’t the case. There was much laughter, hugging, the sharing of news and stories among this community of women. This was their only social outlet…their only time to get the love and support we all so desperately need in our lives. Then they headed home, their containers full, till they descended the next morning.

As the pastor watched this activity, he thought of the Samaritan woman and a line from the scripture struck him in a way it never had before. It said the woman came to the well at about noon. Now, noon is the hottest time of the day. No one would come to the well at such a time and try to haul heavy containers of water. Why would she have chosen to come when the others were not there? What was going on in her life that would cause her to forego a sense of community. His answer lay in the rest of the scripture. The Samaritan woman had been married and divorced five times. She was living with a man who was not her husband. She was well aware of what the others thought of her and she just couldn’t face the scrutiny, the judgement, the name-calling and whispers. She was ashamed. She felt unworthy. Till she had a chance encounter with Jesus and He taught her that her worth comes from God…not from the opinions of others. That she was just as worthy in His eyes as any other.

How many times have you felt unworthy? How many times have you avoided interactions with others out of fear of condemnation? How many times have you shut down simply because it was easier than facing what others throw at you? I know I spent far too many years feeling unworthy of love, of respect, of kindness. The child of an alcoholic, the victim of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of two different men…these things set me up for low self-esteem and all the resultant destructive behaviors one does to cope. It wasn’t until I felt the unconditional love of a Father I had never known that I began to recognize my worth. I believe God sent Mr. Virgo to talk some sense into me and love some of that pain away.

You are worthy. You are loved. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you are “less than” or “unloveable”. It simply is not true. God doesn’t want you to wait till you have your act together to come talk with Him. He loves you exactly where you are, exactly how you are, in spite of what is going on in your life. That is the message from the sermon yesterday and I just felt I needed to share that with you today. It’s Motivation Monday…time to straighten up your crown and own your worth today, dear ones. ❤️

“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Ten..."She Is My Crown"

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 01:55:59 -0600

Dear God in Heaven…thank you for bringing this small human into my life! She and her sister are the delights of my life. Yesterday was our semi-annual “Nana and Little’s Day of Fun!” Each grandchild gets to pick and choose what they want to do with Nana, where and what they want to eat, and how the day and night will play out. Big is thirteen now so we pretty much go shopping and have lunch although last summer she did want to go to the Denver Aquarium with me. Little is only ten and she is still all about the fun we can have. Her day is always centered around shopping, doing a craft or baking, and a sleepover in TOW-Wanda. She told everyone at the mall what the significance of the day was and what we’ve done and what we’re going to do. She’s like me…gregarious, funny, creative. Her sister is the thinker, brilliant, caring…strong and tender.

Little always comes up with the funniest things. She is deep and profound and hilariously, seriously funny. Our first stop was 2nd & Charles…a bookstore where you can sell or trade your old books, movies, CD’s…even vinyl. There are three bins out front filled with free stuff. Yesterday, I picked up a book by Michael Moore, a cookbook with gluten free recipes, a Dr. Who Christmas Ornament still in the box, and Audubon’s Field Guide on Insects and Spiders of North America. Not a bad haul. As little and I rummaged through what was left in the bins, she came across a coloring activity sheet from either a Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. Jesus was standing with several children and someone had placed a sticker over his mouth. Little turned to me and said…“Nana…I can’t tell if this is Jesus or a Jedi.” For some reason that just totally cracked us both up and the more we laughed, the funnier it got. Joy…sheer joy. This is my reward for being puked on at 3:00am…for putting up with a sassy pants teenaged girl…for the pain of letting her grow and get married and move to the opposite end of the country. This. This sweet child and her sister.

Last night was dinner out with the other grandparents and a viewing of the first Harry Potter movie with popcorn. We “camped” in the driveway in TOW-Wanda. This morning is church with my girl. My heart is so full. ❤️

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Six..."I Made It!"

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 01:55:03 -0600

OMGosh! I thought it was going to take forever to get here. With the long drive day on Monday, I was sure hoping today would go better. My good friend Diane called me Monday night and said, “I’m waiting to read about the fun part in this. Why on earth are you doing this if it’s so miserable?” And, my answer depends on when you ask. If you would have asked me Monday evening, I’d be hard pressed to come up with a good reason. But, if you asked me Thursday and Friday when I was camping with my gal pals, I’d tell you that’s the best. And if you ask me right this minute while TOW-Wanda is tucked in the shade at Ben and Sue’s house and my grandkids are here, I’d tell you this is the best. And, on the 24th, when Mr. FixIt and I head to the high country to camp for a week, I’ll tell you that’s the best. I will tell you this…the very worst day pulling a camper cross-country through Kansas in July at 103 degrees with no air conditioning STILL beats the very best day at work…hands down!

Yesterday wasn’t as windy so the trailer wasn’t getting buffeted around so it was a much easier drive. It wasn’t quite so hot. It was a relatively short drive day. And, I slept eleven hours Monday night so I was rearing to go! I love a road trip…even when things don’t always go smoothly. It presents me with opportunities to work out problems on my own. And, even though I have this wonderful man in my life now, I’ll still be traveling on my own sometimes. It’s what I do. I’m not giving that part of my new life away. I’m accommodating Mr. FixIt INTO my new life, just as he is accommodating me into his.

As I was driving along yesterday morning, I finally came across a Starbucks that was easily accessible. Yay! But what I found in the truck stop store was a bigger WOW! I love those big truck stop stores. They always have hard-to-find accessories. When I was in the wreck in February, everything made it out of my truck except the piece that attaches my Garmin GPS to the windshield. I had jury rigged something that sort of worked until the afternoon sun melted the adhesive. I found the replacement piece in that truck stop store yesterday and I was ecstatic! Problem solved. And, this mount is even better than the original! Score!

I’m really looking forward to some lay-low days with family this week. I want to thank God first and foremost for travel mercies and thank all of you for your prayers and love and light sent out for my protection. I didn’t even see a single fender bender. God is the best and you all are, too! ❤️

“Here’s what will happen. While you’re out among the nations where GOD has dispersed you and the blessings and curses come in just the way I have set them before you, and you and your children take them seriously and come back to GOD, your God, and obey him with your whole heart and soul according to everything that I command you today, GOD, your God, will restore everything you lost; he’ll have compassion on you; he’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered. No matter how far away you end up, GOD, your God, will get you out of there and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a good life and make you more numerous than your ancestors.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:1-5‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Road Trip: Day Five..."So Near, Yet So Far"

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 01:55:56 -0600

When I hooked up my camper Sunday night at the Kan-Do Kampground in Montgomery City, Missouri, the temp was in the 90’s and I was hot and tired. However, no matter what I tried, the air conditioning in TOW-Wanda would not come on. Therefore, the only things I had to cool me off were two fans and the exhaust fan in the bathroom. That drew the heat out somewhat, but still, I didn’t get to sleep till around midnight. I woke up at 2:30 yesterday morning and try as I might, further sleep eluded me. I laid there till the sky started to lighten around 5:00 then I got up and started putting stuff away, got dressed, closed the windows, and unhooked the camper from the water and electric. I pulled out at 6:15 and headed east in the cool of the day…73 degrees. It was rather windy on the plains so my top speed was 55 most of the day. Gas/pit stops were brief and I finally pulled into a rest area around 12:30 to stretch out for a 30 minute power nap. Only problem was…it was 92 degrees by then and the camper was stifling. All of a sudden, I had a brilliant idea. Gail, one of the Girl Campers had a little fan she let me borrow the second night at Beaver Creek State Park when I didn’t have electricity. The fan had a small drawer that you put ice in and the air cooled as it blew over it. I went to my freezer in my camper, took out two frozen bottles of water and a frozen cooler insert and sat them in front of my battery powered fan. It worked like a charm and offered me about 30 minutes of cool air which was delightful. Once I started losing the chill, I popped everything back in the freezer, put the fan away, and got back on the road. I drove till 4:30pm and just didn’t have it in me to go another five hours from Hays, Kansas to the Denver suburbs. I pulled into a name-brand hotel, negotiated my best deal, parked the camper, and was safely ensconced in my room by 5:00…a bubble bath drawn. The temperature was a staggering 100 degrees and I refused to take the chance of finding a campsite and not having AC. The campsites aren’t great out here anyway. I brought some food in from the kitchen in the camper and wrote this early so I could roost with the chickens. Today is another day. I’ll get there rested instead of having to sleep all day. Today is Daughter #1’s birthday!!! The truck and camper did fine yesterday, but I had forgotten how much work this big camper is to pull. I’m looking forward to having the little vintage camper refurbished and I can take it instead of this big one. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow! Thank you, Lord…for the travel mercies thus far. ❤️

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NIV‬

Road Trip: Day 4

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 01:55:17 -0600

This is the part of the trip where I’m always ready to be there yet I have a long way to go. It would be one thing if I were just meandering along without an agenda, but I’ve got grandbabies to see and I’m ready to be there NOW! Between not being able to drive over 60 (you shouldn’t drive over 65 while towing anyway!) and all the construction zones at 45-55mph, this trip feels like it takes forever. I always stop every four hours, stretch, get a bite to eat, use the facilities, and stretch out on the bed for a power nap of 30 minutes or so. When I stopped at 5:30 yesterday, I walked around to the passenger side of the camper and about a third of the trim over the wheel well was flapping in the breeze. I took it off then went to Walmart for a package of nuts and bolts to screw it back on securely. By the time I was done with all that, it was after 8:00. I started watching for signs for campgrounds and before long I had a site secured in Kan-Do Kampground. I really enjoyed speaking with the owner at checkin…she was a hoot!

It was pretty hot and stuffy when I pulled in so as soon as I got the electric hooked up, I flipped on the AC and…nothing. The switch “hesitated” a couple of times last year so I imagine it needs fixed. It seems like an awful lot of “bugs” are showing up this year. I don’t know if that’s normal or not, but I don’t like it.

Church yesterday morning was very nice. A lot of people attended. I’m going to try to get an early start this morning but don’t know if I’ll make it all the way to Denver today. Safety first! ❤️

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”” ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Road Trip: Day Three

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 01:55:13 -0600

I had to say goodbye for now to my Girl Camper friends yesterday morning. I hit the road about 8:30 after enjoying coffee and breakfast burritos with the early birds. Hookup was easy and after doing my safety check and checking the air in my tires (thank you Jeremy and Stephany of RV Family Travel Atlas!) I was on the road in no time. I did find this new truck can’t tow nearly as fast or stable as the ole one. It must have something to do with that rear axle ration. It was still a little windy yesterday so that might have been a contributing factor. I can’t drive much over 60mph with this truck but then again, you shouldn’t tow over 65 anyway so it’s probably just as well. Maybe I’ll look at trucks in Colorado. The 373 rear axle ratio is much more available out there.

I really took it easy yesterday. At lunch time, I pulled into a rest area and had lunch and a little power nap. I stopped at Camping World and bought extension mirrors so I can see around the back of my camper. I also bought some covers for the bedroom windows. The first thing I did when I bought this camper is take out the valances and shades. I hated them. But, when I travel alone and nap in the rest areas by the truckers, I’d just as soon not be so visible from the outside. I bought some Command Hooks and two cat litter mats that were the perfect size. I stuck the hooks on the outside of the camper and hung the mats over the windows on the outside. That way I still get air circulation when I open the windows. Brilliant!

I pulled into another rest area at supper time and ate and stretched out again. I guess I needed to catch up with a little sleep. One thing I do when I drive is think about stuff. And I talk things over with God. It’s our special alone time. I was telling him how much I hated missing church this weekend. Especially since our pastor is coming back from vacation today. My plan for driving this trip was drive, stop, eat, nap, repeat. I really had no intention of camping in RV parks. When I was in Camping World, I saw the new RV Campground directory…their three inch thick book listing all the campgrounds that give a Good Sam discount as well as many other. I’ve always found it very helpful. When I woke up from my nap, Spirit told me to look in the book for the closest RV park. I know better than to question so I did and there was one three or four exits away called…get this…Grandpa’s Farm Campground. There were others, but that’s the one that jumped out at me. I called. They had one site left. I took it and was there in ten minutes. There was a group of about thirty people out on the front lawn playing bingo as I pulled in. Located right on the bank of a rushing stream, the sites were nicely spaced down at the end where I was parked. Full hookup with Wifi was $34.50 with the Good Sam discount, tax included. As I was signing in, I noticed on the map “This campground is run by a Christian family.” Camp Church is at 8:30 in the morning…free coffee and donuts at 8:15! Isn’t God good to provide a safe, clean place with church in the great outdoors?

I took advantage of the full hookups to do some housekeeping last night. The tanks needed emptying and I hooked up to city water, turned on the hot water heater, and took probably the best shower of my life. And that did me in for the night. I always write my posts at night before I go to bed. I have to get into the Word when I write and search for the perfect scripture to go with it so this becomes my evening meditation. Another day safe, and closer to my babies. Mr. FixIt arrived safely in Florida last evening so I am very grateful for that as well. Have a happy Sunday! ❤️

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fun Around a Campfire

Sat, 08 Jul 2017 01:55:46 -0600

Traveling on a cross-country road trip, you must be flexible whenever possible. Yesterday’s forecast had severe thunderstorm warnings off and on all day with winds predicted to top 50mph. I don’t know if you have ever driven in winds like that or not, but it is ill-advised to do so while towing a camper. I figured if I was going to be overtaken by severe storms, I would just as soon be in a campground with a bunch of girls I know so I stayed put another night. Today is another day. As it turns out, I would have driven right through those bad storms as they were right along the way I would have been traveling so it’s a good thing I stayed where I was.

Yesterday was a lovely, lazy day filled with naps and reading, conversation and laughter, and plenty of good food. Too much good food. I did have to move my camper…twice. I had only reserved a site for one night and it was booked for last night. I moved and set up at another site but didn’t think to go online and reserve it. I just filled out the reservation form. After I got everything set up, I took a nap then got a call from the park employees telling me the site I was in had just gotten booked. So, off I went again. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t long enough to stay hooked up so I had to disconnect. That’s ok…I’m a pro at hooking up and unhooking this trailer now. It’s no big deal.

The purpose of stopping here to camp just a few hours from the farm was to surprise the head Girl Camper, Janine Pettit, and her good friend, Mary Brennan Morey, as they begin a four week tour of several national parks, including Yellowstone and Glacier. If you haven’t checked out the Girl Camper Facebook page or the Girl Camper podcast series, you really should. Not only are they informative, but they are just plain fun! I filmed Janine yesterday doing her F-150 Fitness Routine that she learned from MizzFitness herself, Bianca Jade. Janine is going to stay fit on the road by doing this routine every day as she explores the highways and byways of America.

There’s nothing like spending time with other women who are camping enthusiasts. Sharing knowledge, stories, and camaraderie is such a bonding experience and we forge life-long friendships over the campfire. I never would have dreamed how important my girlfriends would turn out to be at this stage of my life. ❤️

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-14‬ ‭NIV

On the Road Again!

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 01:55:40 -0600

Oh, I love a good surprise! Some of the local Girl Campers gathered to surprise our fearless leader, Head Girl Camper Janine Pettit yesterday. She and fellow Girl Camper Mari pulled into the campground to find half our crew sitting around the picnic table. The other half arrive tomorrow. Janine was so excited…she jumped out of her truck and squealed and did the happy dance right there. She called me to catch up Wednesday and I never let on I’d be waiting for her yesterday when she pulled in. I told her I was leaving for Colorado instead. What a fun surprise!

Camping in the rain. It’s sloppy and chilly and such a respite from the intense heat and humidity we’ve had this past week. I really don’t mind it. I didn’t unhook the camper as I am more than likely heading west this morning…depending on the weather. If it looks like severe storms in the Midwest, I may stay here one more day. I love sleeping to the sound of rain on a camper roof! I hardly slept Wednesday night in anticipation of leaving.

Mr. FixIt is heading to Florida today. While we miss each other when we’re apart, I love how supportive he is of my writing and travel. I explained when we first started dating that he would have to share me with the world. I told him about my travels and speaking engagements. He did two things. First, he told me if I ever need someone to carry my bags, he’s my man. And second…he went out and got an iPhone so we can FaceTime while we’re apart. I like seeing him every day. Ahhh…new love. It is a beautiful thing!

I’ll keep you apprised of my travels as I move along. Oh, I love a road trip! ❤️

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A Room With A View

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 01:55:46 -0600

The last few nights have been insufferably hot and muggy in the farmhouse. There is a room air conditioner in the living room, but unless you’re sleeping on the couch, it doesn’t effectively cool down the house and ends up running up the electric bill to no avail. The best alternative is TOW-Wanda. Equipped with fans and open windows, it’s been pretty darned comfortable out there. I will miss this view of the bank along the driveway here at the farm. The lush green of West Virginia summers may bring bugs and humidity, but the foliage is a sight to see any given day of the week. Colorado is semi-arid so it is a sharp contrast from here. At least it’s a dry heat, right?

I emptied out the belly of the camper yesterday and cleaned the floors. I reorganized the contents of the big tub of odds and ends I keep down there. After repacking, I cleaned out the fridge, scrubbed the floors and vacuumed the carpets. The pantry needs vacuumed and wiped out then restocked. The bathroom needs a good scrubbing and I need to organize the storage under the bed and in various cabinets. Since this new truck doesn’t have the torque the old one had, I need to be more conscious about my weight.

I’ve made a list of last minute items for the trip. I’ll go into town for those today. Tomorrow I head out on another segment of The Grand Adventure. The longest Mr. FixIt and I have been separated was when I went to Colorado for a month at Christmas. We didn’t like it one bit. I so wanted to tell you about that homecoming back then but it was not the right time. I can tell you now. I flew in and out of Dayton because it is SO much cheaper and my dear friend Cindy lets me park at her house so I don’t have to pay for parking. That drive to the farm from Dayton felt like it took forever. I knew Mr. FixIt was at the farm waiting for me and I could hardly contain myself. It was after dark when I pulled into the driveway and I stopped dead in my tracks. For the first time since I was a child, the house was decorated. There were trees lit on the front porch and a large lit-up star on the second floor above the porch between the two windows! It made me cry. I jumped out of my truck and ran into the house squealing like a little girl. Mr. FixIt walked out from the living room and I stopped, mouth agape. He was wearing charcoal dress pants, a crisp white shirt, and a red sweater vest. He took my breath away and I knew…anyone who would do this for me was a keeper. He knew how much Christmas means to me and how much I love this house. He knew I missed having a country Christmas at the farm, so he made sure I had one on my return. What a wonderful guy!

My babies live in Colorado. I have to see them as often as I can. In the meantime, Mr. FixIt has obligations he must attend to here. We couldn’t stand the thought of being apart two whole months so he’s flying out to join me for three weeks in the middle of my trip so he can meet the family. We’ll go camping and sightseeing as he has never spent time in Colorado. The kitties are covered, the farm is being watched, my sweetheart is coming to see me, and I get to spend quality time with my girls! What’s not to love about that? Sweetness. Sheer sweetness! ❤️

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-12‬ ‭NIV

TOW-Wanda is Home!

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 01:55:39 -0600

First of all…OMGosh! Your response to my post yesterday was more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you all so much for the lovely comments, likes, and shares. You warmed my heart! I was so worried that introducing a new party to this adventure would change the dynamic and people would drop away. It turns out, more people tuned in so we’re off to a good start in this new chapter of Mr. FixIt and me! Of course, grief is a lifelong process so I will still touch base on how that affects me as we go along. Ever the teacher.

There’s an interesting timbre to this new man. None of the men I have been with in my sixty-four years were mechanically inclined. Mr. FixIt, however, is a mechanical engineer and a lifelong camper. Imagine how difficult it was for him to sit back and watch as I hooked up and unhooked my camper. Oh…this is entirely new territory for this guy! He wanted to do the heavy stuff for me, and while I certainly could have sandbagged and let him, I still will be traveling alone some of the time so I need to keep up my skills and know for certain how things have been hooked up. I know, I know…control issues. I asked him sweetly to wait till I got what I needed to do done, then I would share some of the other duties. I also told him when we camp in his campers (he has two!) I will sit in a chair and watch him till he has a job for me to do. I made it up to him by doing all the cooking and fixed some pretty fabulous meals! He did a wonderful job changing out the gas lines for me and helped me troubleshoot the electrical bug we had. He doesn’t get the name Mr. FixIt for nothing!

When we arrived home I told him I needed to back the camper into the driveway rather than pull it in like I usually do. With the vintage camper up at the end of the drive, there was no room to get the truck out and around the camper. Our road is a narrow country lane and the driveway is tight. I have to say, I totally impressed Mr. FixIt with my mad backing skills! He was bragging about me at dinner Friday night when we met 20 of our classmates at a local Italian restaurant. I don’t think this guy has ever run across a woman like me. He just looks at me in amazement. It makes me smile.

I washed the exterior of the camper yesterday. It hadn’t been cleaned since I was in Myrtle Beach in September of 2015. It looks so much nicer now. I need to do a deep cleaning inside in the next few days, reorganize, and pack her up for the trip cross country. I leave Thursday. I am traveling alone so I won’t be divulging my exact location when I’m there, but I’ll be checking in daily to give you progress reports and tips for traveling solo in a camper. Mr. FixIt gets to come join me in a couple of weeks and meet the family. That’s exciting!!! In the meantime, he’ll be holding down the fort for me and keep the farm going.

Back off girls…I saw him first! ❤️

“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Rest & Relaxation

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 01:55:18 -0600

We all need a little R&R from time to time, don’t we? My little two days away were peaceful, yet productive. I really wanted to see how the new truck performed pulling TOW-Wanda. My other truck had a rear axle ratio of 373. That thing would pull TOW-Wanda up Vail Pass at 65MPH in cruise control…piece of cake. Trucks with that rear axle ratio are scarce as hen’s teeth in these parts but a dime a dozen in Colorado. That’s because Coloradans have some pretty steep passes to go over and a large proportion are towing big stuff like campers and horse trailers. Around here, that ratio is overkill. Let me tell you, there is a huge difference between a 373 and a 331 like my new truck. I was so worried it wouldn’t be able to tow the big camper but she worked like a charm. Very smooth. I watched my transmission temperature on the hills and she did fine. A little hot on the very steepest hill, but I took it slow. I’m sure the Rockies will give her a run for her money but I think she can handle it. I feel much more secure now than I did before I went.

I knew there would be some maintenance issues to address before the trip. When I went to pick her up, the first thing I noticed at the storage lot was the nose of the camper tilted down. She wasn’t like that the last time I went. Turned out, the ground under the front jack softened after the last really big rain and the wood block it sat on shifted. The jack dug down into the ground and held solid but it could just as easily have bent the jack. Thankfully, it did not. I pressed the buttons to raise the jack. Nothing. I called over to the workman and he came out with the tractor. He lifted the nose and sat the jack back down on solid wood. I told him the electric jack wasn’t working. He said the battery was dead. I said the only time this had happened before was when there was a problem with the fuse that is on the pigtail line running from the battery. No, he said…your batteries are dead…even though I assured him I had just gotten them last spring. I wish I would have opened the little fuse covering but didn’t. I took his word. I went to Walmart and bought a battery charger then went back to the lot. With the electric line hooked to the back of my truck, I was able to raise and lower the jack and finally got hitched up and left. What should have taken four hours took seven.

I arrived at the Beaver Creek State Park (Lisbon, OH) campground and discovered the refrigerator was warm. This was a mystery but I decided to worry about that later. I finally got unhooked at the campground and hooked up to electric, I opened that fuse cover and there was my answer. The fuse was badly corroded. Some battery post cleaner and a new fuse fixed the problem. Next to address was why the refrigerator didn’t run on gas. I took the cover off the gas tanks, moved one slightly, and it started to hiss. The hose had sprung a leak, but only just then…not on the drive up. I puzzled over the problem and figured the igniter didn’t go off because of the fuse thing. But now I had to address the gas hose. If one goes out, you should replace both. It doesn’t cost that much and better to be safe than sorry.

The nearest RV dealer was twenty miles away and fortunately they had the hoses. I asked if these were what I needed and the guy said yes so off I went back to the campground only to discover the fittings on the hose was too small! Back to the RV dealer for two adapters, which he just so happened to have, and back to the campground. Lesson learned…always double check your fittings when you buy replacement hoses. Everything fit back together perfectly. I checked for leaks with dish soap…nothing. Good. Turned on the gas, switched the refrigerator to gas, and voila…it turned right on!

I took my hose out from the underbelly of the camper only to come to the sad realization that my site was electric only and I had neglected to fill the water tank before I left! No hot showers or doing dishes for me because I was NOT hooking that camper back up for anything! I ran into town and bought water and heated it in my electric teakettle for dishes. I kept some water bottles in the bathroom for rinsing the toilet and used the camp bathroom for solid waste.

BLT with fresh leaf lettuce and Tennessee tomatoes, fresh corn on the cob, Amish potato salad and fried green tomatoes…a perfect camp dinner. I was so excited to have friends at the campground. We sat around the campfire and caught up. Other than the maintenance items, which I fully expected to deal with, it was a wonderfully relaxing couple of days away. I hope you all have been enjoying your last few days of June. It’s hard to believe that the 4th of July is upon us! I’m in the final countdown before I head out on my next big road trip! I need to deep clean TOW-Wanda and get her packed. I backed her up into the driveway at the farm so she’s here where I can work on her. Stay tuned! ❤️

“let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered."” ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭12:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Hindsight is 20/20

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 01:55:38 -0600

I received a private message yesterday from a reader asking what tow vehicle I use and what model of camper I tow. She has followed my blog for quite some time and is thinking of downsizing and taking off in a camper. While that is exactly what I did, hindsight is 20/20 and there are things I would have done differently had I known then what I know now. No huge regrets, but some remorse.

First, if I would have known I was not going to actually be living in my camper for the rest of my life, I don’t think I would have bought such a big travel trailer. Mine is 29.5’ long, so with my truck, I’m at 40’. Not an insignificant length when running around in traffic. Plus, I really miss the original 16’ TOW-Wanda. I was far more inclined to pack up and go somewhere with the little camper than I am with the big one. It’s a much bigger ordeal towing this behemoth. That being said, I have two months booked in state parks in Florida in February and March next year so the extra room will feel welcome on a long term trip.

Now, my tow vehicle. My old truck had a 373 rear axle ratio which provided a lot of torque when towing. Torque equals power and ease in towing and it’s better for the transmission. I let the guy at the Ford dealer convince me the 331 that I bought would be fine. It’s on the lower end of adequate and I wish I would have held out for a 352 rear axle ratio at the least. But, I wouldn’t trade a Ford F-150 for anything. I love that make and model and it’s so comfortable. I got up to 19.4mpg coming down here and I consider that great for a truck of this size.

Stuff. I do NOT miss my stuff. I kept what was truly important to me, and even that is too much. I got rid of 95% of my personal belongings and I can guarantee you I never would have gotten rid of a thing had I stayed where I was. I would have just continued to accumulate more and more till I was buried in it. I’m so much lighter and freer now. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to live on the family farm right now but I have to remain ever watchful that I don’t continue to accumulate stuff. I don’t ever want to be in the position again where my stuff becomes overwhelming and unmanageable.

My house. Ahhhh….here’s where I have remorse. If I could have done anything differently, it would probably be renting my house out instead of selling it. While it DID have a mortgage that wouldn’t be paid off till I was 90, the mortgage payment was right around $800 a month and I could have easily rented it for twice that much. That being said, if I hadn’t have sold the house, I couldn’t have gotten the bigger camper. Without the bigger camper, I wouldn’t have moved home to West Virginia. And if I hadn’t have moved home, I wouldn’t have reconnected with my amazing circle of friends and family that I enjoy so much. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to spend two winters on the banks of the Ohio River. I wouldn’t have gone to so many wonderful concerts, kayaked, biked, and really discovered a West Virginia I didn’t know. THe trade off has been large stretches away from my daughters and grandchildren which is difficult but I try to make up for it when I go to Colorado to visit.

All things considered, while hindsight is 20/20, I am still quite satisfied with this life I’ve chosen to live. It has turned out differently than I imagined it three years ago, but it’s a beautiful life, nonetheless. My advice to you, if you are considering doing what I did and chucking it all for a life on the road, is this…carefully consider all your options. Really work on a two-, five-, and ten-year plan. If you can swing it at all without losing your biggest asset, then keep the house and rent it out for supplemental income. If not, always have a viable Plan B (and C, D, and E) in place. We cannot take our health, the state of the world, and our own personal economy for granted. That being said, if you can work out all the details, absolutely go for it!!! I’ve actually LIVED more in the last three years than I have my entire life! ❤️

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lord, Take Me Home in the Springtime

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 01:55:43 -0600

I hated burying my mom on the coldest day of the year. It was late January and while the sky was blue, there was a bitter wind blowing on that hilltop. My Aunt Rosie and I were the only ones at the cemetery. It was just too cold for any kind of formal gathering. I could not let them put her in the ground alone though. So, I stood with a borrowed coat wrapped tight beneath my chin, shivering in the thin, January light.

In contrast, Mr. Virgo died in the middle of March, which is a lot different in Colorado than it is here in West Virginia. Still, the day we laid him to rest, the sun was shining and it was warm enough for a light jacket. It’s funny the way your brain works when your beloved dies. I distinctly remember thinking if he had to die, at least he died in the spring when the earth was coming back to life. I didn’t have to lay him in the frozen ground. And I didn’t have to go into my grief and compound it with seasonal affective disorder. These are the things I think about while I’m driving.

A couple of nights ago, I slept out back in TOW-Wanda. While it was wonderful to be in the camper, it stormed all night long and the only thing I could think of was that huge, old cherry tree just outside the camper. Just like the message about the rockslide a couple weeks ago, I kept getting this feeling like I had to get TOW-Wanda out of there. I need to get this tree taken out before it falls on anything…or anyone…and they can’t get any equipment back up in there with my camper parked in the driveway. I have friends who have offered to let me park TOW-Wanda at their place, but I don’t want to impose, or ruin their grass, or disturb them with coming and going as I want to camp this spring and early summer. I found a place where I can store her securely and anytime I want to take her out to camp, they’ll pull her out for me and all I have to do is hook her up and go. Then, I drop her off, and they take her around back to park her. All for $35 a month. Perfect!

I decided I needed to get this done yesterday as we are supposed to get severe storms the next few days and I’m running out of time before I leave for the beach. Getting this huge trailer in and out of this long, narrow driveway is tricky. One of the biggest obstacles is the electric lines going up to the top of the cellar house. They hang low over the driveway. In the past, I’ve had someone hold them up with a broom while I backed under them. I didn’t have any helper yesterday and being the EVER resourceful woman that I am, I had to figure out how to do it myself. I took a long 1x2 that I found in the cellar, taped a walking stick to it, then taped the broom handle to that and…voila! It worked like a charm! The electric line nestled in the bristles of the broom and stayed right where I put it.

Now, backing up out of the driveway was interesting. I got down to the road but I was worried about hitting the pole on the other side of the driveway. It’s a pretty busy road for being so far out in the country and the only thing I could do was slowly back out onto the blacktop. I was almost all the way out when a guy in a pickup stopped and guided me those last few feet. Easy peasy! The new truck towed fine…just doesn’t have the torque like the old one had, which I expected.

I needed to get back to mow. As I drove through the hills, I rolled down the windows and the smell of the honeysuckle, lilac, dogwood, redbud, apple, peach, apricot, pear, and crabapple trees was so incredibly sweet. It was then that I sent up my plea to God. “When it is my time to go, please take me in the springtime so my last day will be filled with beauty such as this perfect West Virginia day.” That is all I ask. ❤️

“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:14-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Rain on a Camper Roof...aaaaah!!!

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 01:55:12 -0600

I had company for supper yesterday which was lovely! A simple Easter meal of roasted chicken, fresh green beans cooked with bacon, mashed potatoes and gravy. It was delightful. After my company left, I looked up at the darkening sky threatening rain. My dishes were done, my leftovers put away, and nothing left to do but write. Now, I could write like I have for the last six months…OR, I could go camp out in TOW-Wanda! Guess which one I chose?

I haven’t slept in the camper since October. It has the BEST bed…a six inch memory foam mattress I bought when I decided to get serious and camp full time. I really miss this bed! I grabbed my NA beer, a small bag of chocolate covered peanuts (hey, it was Easter!) and my phone, iPad, and a flashlight. TOW-Wanda had just had a good cleaning last week for company so she was all set! Fresh sheets, warm blankets, windows flung open for the breeze…just waiting for the rain.

I’m heading into travel season and can’t wait! I leave next weekend for the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I’ve never been there so I’m really looking forward to it. I really lucked out and got a time share from a friend that wasn’t using it. I’ll let you know about the place after I check out. My favorite thing I’ve read about it so far is it has a Jaccuzi tub AND is just steps from the beach! Works for me!

I’ll spend the last half of May and early June in Daytona Beach. I no sooner get home till I head to Colorado for the summer. I’ll be back in West Virginia in early September. I’m hostessing a Sisters on the Fly trip the weekend after Labor Day. I can hardly wait to show off my home state to the Sisters!!! It’s going to feel good to have some quiet down time this week as I prepare for the upcoming travel. I hope you all had a blessed Easter! ❤️

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

COMFORT COMES FROM UNLIKELY SOURCES

Sat, 21 Jan 2017 02:55:05 -0600

I have never been a good sleeper. It only got worse after Mr. Virgo died. I stayed up till all hours, avoiding going to bed because I had to go to bed alone. I’d play computer games all night and fall…exhausted…into bed near dawn only to awaken a couple of hours later. Good sleep hygiene didn’t come for quite some time. But, even when the acute stages of grief had passed, I just couldn’t sleep very well.

I had taken a prescription for years for a mild, non-addictive medication that aided sleep but not long after Mr. Virgo died, the medicine started making me jittery. I tried melatonin and it worked a little then it also began to have an empirical effect and kept me awake. I did sleep better once I got my little camper, TOW-Wanda. That worked great till I had to put her away for the winter and I was back to square one. It wasn’t till I sold the house, traded in little TOW-Wanda for TOW-Wanda Grande, that I accidently stumbled upon the solution to my sleep woes.

When I was outfitting my new camper to live in fulltime, I went into Bed, Bath, and Beyond looking for a comfortable throw for the sofa. This was right when those really, really soft throws were coming out. You know the ones…they kind of look like nubby shearling on one side and the other side feels…heavenly. Like velvet, only softer. I loved it. One night it was pretty cold and I threw the throw on top of the bed. As I snuggled down under the covers, the soft side of that blanket brushed against my cheek and something strange happened. It was almost primal…something deep within me felt such an incredible sense of comfort. I must have had a soft blanket as a child…most babies do. The feeling of that blanket put me to sleep in like…five minutes. I have never, ever in my entire life fallen asleep in five minutes. It always took hours…literally hours to fall asleep. I was in heaven! I could hardly wait to go to bed at night because I knew I’d get to sleep. It was crazy…but it worked.

I am faced with a bit of a problem when I travel. It’s a little difficult to take my “blanky” with me in a suitcase and it’s a bit bulky for the plane. The other day I was in Walmart and decided to check the baby section to see if they had small softies that would be more convenient to travel with and of course…they had a variety. I felt one after the other till I found the perfect one…a pink number that is 30"x40". Do I feel silly? Heck no! There are lots of things I’ve used for comfort since Mr. Virgo died. I had the fur coat he gave me turned into a throw for my bed. I think it’s fine to use items that belonged to your loved one for comfort, too. A reader told me the other day she had a pillow made from one of her husband’s shirts and sprays it with his cologne. I wore Mr. Virgo’s leather bomber jacket for a couple of years. I use to sleep in one of his shirts. I don’t need those things anymore but I still have them in case I want them in the future. This little soft blanket (and a drop of an essential oil blend for sleep on the bottom of each foot and my earlobes) is just the ticket for comfort and helps me drift off to sleep in minutes most nights.

What are your comforters? Do you have a bedtime ritual that helps you get to sleep? Do you wake up a lot and can’t get back to sleep? Let us know what works for you. We all can use a good night’s sleep!

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

#comfort, #sleep, #sleephygiene, #grief

Heading Home

Sun, 23 Oct 2016 01:30:43 -0600

Wow...a few days in TOW-Wanda made me a happy camper! What a beautiful campground. In keeping with my safety plan, I don't divulge where I stay till I'm gone. This trip was to Little Beaver State Park in Shady Spring, West Virginia. I think it's in my top five all round favorite campgrounds! Most of the campsites are nestled among mature oak and pine trees. Being a senior and having a West Virginia ID gave me the delightful rate of $14 per night for a pull through site with water and electric. You can't beat that!

There are deer meandering through every evening. At this time of year, there are very few campers and I have the place virtually to myself. It is peaceful and quiet. And there is a beautiful lake perfect for kayaking and canoeing. As I sat writing this, several owls started hooting in the trees around my campsite. What a perfect way to end the last campout of the season!

It's definitely time to winterize my girl, though. It was 36 at 11:00 last night when I started writing this. Maybe one of these days I'll take her south for the winter. In the meantime, I'll hook up and head home....just as soon as I have my coffee.

My life is blessed. I have everything I possibly could want. I have love, safety, security, health, a place to call home...a loving God who provides everything for me. Yes...my life is blessed indeed. I look back at where I am vs. where I could be. We all deal with grief in our own ways. I make a choice...every single day...to live a happy life. Live a good life. I don't have time to stay stuck in one spot for long. So I get up, straighten my crown and remember whose daughter I am!

❤️

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”‭‭
Philippians‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

My Safe Place

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 01:30:12 -0600

Awwww....the only bad thing about living out on the farm is not traveling and camping with TOW-Wanda. She's parked on the long drive up past the farmhouse and I've decided I'm going to keep her set up and visit her often during the winter.

When I had little TOW-Wanda, I had to store her at a site over by the county airport. I did not like that one bit. I would go out every Sunday after church to read and take a nap. There were some Sundays in the dead of winter that I trudged through knee deep snow to get to her, but I went without fail. My campers have always been my sanctuary. For a long time, the camper was my safe place where I could get away from the pain of living in my house without Mr. Virgo. Then it became my quiet place to read and meditate. Now it has become my peaceful place to write. My "study", of sorts. I have a twin bed in the slide out filled with pillows. I can curl up with my fur throw and write while I listen to the songbirds in the dogwood out my window. I play soft music in the background. I make a pot of tea. It's positively civilized.

But this weekend....we're headed into the woods again for one last long camping weekend before the frosts come, this big gal and me. TOW-Wanda will get a bath and get all cleaned up and winterized before I take her back to the farm and park her for the winter. As I pulled her down the highway today I thought back over how different my life is now as opposed to when I started out on my long three month journey into the wilderness and backroads of Colorado not two months after Mr. Virgo died. I'm a totally different woman now. I have different dreams. Different goals. I don't look the same. I don't act the same. Even some of my beliefs have changed. God knew what he was doing when he whispered, "Look for joy!" Joy is exactly what TOW-Wanda has brought me.

As wonderful as TOW-Wanda is...God is my safe place. He will give me all I need.

❤

God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble.
Psalms 46:1 NLV

It's Always Something

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 01:30:36 -0600

Just like Gramma Rosannadanna said..."It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another." This week's something is frustrating. When I went over to the wedding on October 1st, I remember walking into a store and looking down I noticed I was carrying the wrong set of keys. I had picked up my camper keys by mistake. The trouble is, I haven't seen them since and I can't for the life of me remember where I was when I last had them. I've replaced the keys to get in the camper. And, I have an extra truck topper key as well as the second PO Box key. What I am missing, and cannot seem to find the spare for, is the hitch lock for the camper. Those things are designed to keep people from stealing your camper and by golly this one is doing it's job! I have tried to retrace my steps. I know I had the camper keys the day I left for the wedding because I had to get my cowboy boots out of the trailer to take with me. Don't you just hate it when these memory glitches start showing up? I really need to get TOW-Wanda hooked up so I can take her to get the tanks dumped and clean before I winterize her. I would love to go camping again before winter sets in. Which brings up a new topic.

Life changes on a dime sometimes and you have to create Plan B (and C, D, E, etc.) Since my aunt is unable to live at the farm on her own anymore, she has moved in with my Aunt and Uncle...her brother. My uncle has asked me to live on the farm and take care of it because he lives three hours away. Someone needs to be here to keep squatters out. While I love my gypsy lifestyle, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to live on this farm. It lives in my heart, this land. But that means I'm putting down roots, for a while anyway. I'm going to nest a bit. Jason Isbell sings a song with the line "I'm tired of traveling alone...won't you ride with me?" I'm weary. I've driven 45,000 miles the last two years and I need a break. I've seen a lot of places, met a lot of people, and done a lot of things. And I've kept myself busy and occupied. Putting down roots will give me the time I need to seriously write this book so I can move on to more projects.

Life is all about moving forward, but sometimes you have to sit still to do that. Don't worry...there will be a boatload of stories to tell. I'm not going anywhere.

❤️

“He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.”‭‭
Psalms‬ ‭104:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The End is Just a Beginning

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 01:30:40 -0600

I pulled TOW-Wanda away from the river yesterday. I had her all hooked up and I stood across the road in the field, debating. Should I walk over and stand on the deck one last time and soak up this view I have come to love or just move on? I chose to move on. I've known all along my time at the river was a gift with a shelf life. I got selfish...I wanted more. More time. More days languishing on the deck. More sights, sounds, and smells of life on the river. The bottom line is, the place was not mine. It was a privilege to live there as long as I did and I appreciate my friends letting me stay there all this time.

TOW-Wanda is getting some warranty work done and then we'll find some other place to stay. I'll still be at the farm for a little while getting the fleas under control. One thing I have learned is to be flexible. That's how you land on your feet.

Life is an adventure!

❤️

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NIV

TOW-Wanda Blues

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 01:30:46 -0600

I miss my girl! I didn't think I would, but I do. I miss my own bed. My little house on wheels. I never dreamed a camper would turn into such a sanctuary. I have been looking at a lot of pictures of my journeys over the last three years. I'm working on my book proposal and the pictures help me keep things in chronological order and remind me of the different legs of the three month trip I took in Little TOW-Wanda. For those of you who are new, I bought my first camper two weeks after Mr. Virgo died. A little 16' camper with bunk beds for my grandkids. She was truly my sanctuary. I felt safe, like a little cocoon. After I sold my house and decided to live full time in my camper, I traded up for the 30' TOW-Wanda Grande. This picture shows the new backsplash I put in her...the first step to glamping her up. I have the paint and I'm going to paint the inside when I get back.

I also miss the river. There is something special about the flow of energy where I am parked. It's so peaceful there. It's funny...I feel anchored when I'm with TOW-Wanda at the river. Well, with TOW-Wanda anywhere, really. She represents stability to me.

Right now though, my focus is spending time with my family. The grandkids are growing so fast! We haven't had much of an agenda this week. Just hanging out, visiting, cooking, writing, helping out where I can. It's been very nice to just slow down and BE. This time will pass too quickly and I'll be heading back to WV before I know it.

❤️

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.””
John 3:8 NIV

Humbled

Fri, 13 May 2016 01:30:26 -0600

I'm camping this weekend with about fifty wonderful, brave, funny, interesting, beautiful women. We are with Janine Pettit who does the Girl Camper podcast series. I'm the Girl Camper Correspondent so these women have heard me interviewed before. Do you know how humbling it is to be greeted with "Oh, my gosh! YOU'RE Ginny McKinney!!!"? These are brave women, many of whom have lost their loved ones, too. Many have never towed a camper. Never have been camping. And they did it! They drove through the mountains and the twisty turny roads. They backed in and unhooked. There were lots of high fives and hugs around here yesterday. More are arriving today.

I love having the opportunity to mentor, and to share my story and experiences. I love having opportunities to minister to others and to share my love...of God, of camping, of life. I want to embrace all of these terrific women and thank them for the opportunity to experience and feel what I feel when I see them succeed.

The smell of the pine was redolent in my camper yesterday afternoon. I covered up with my throw and read, soft music in the background, the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Then we gathered together and shared a meal and visited and laughed and told stories. What a beautiful day!

❤️

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Girl Camping

Thu, 12 May 2016 01:30:00 -0600

When I was 17, my boyfriend's parents invited me to go on a family camping trip. We went to the local state park not 50 miles away, but I felt like I was on a grand adventure. We camped in a huge canvas wall tent...the kind you see at hunter's camps. It was damp and musty. My boyfriend's mother and I slept on cots and the boys slept on the ground. She carefully positioned her cot between me and her son for the sake of propriety. His dad had a huge folding cabinet that held a cooking kitchen. It was really cool. I think we only camped three or four nights and I didn't go camping again for at least 10 years.

Girl camping, or glamping, is a far cry from that canvas wall tent and army cots. There are certain amenities most girl campers like to have depending on personal tastes. There are tent campers in the girl camping movement, too. But most have little campers. Some stay in cabins. There were 7 of us who arrived early so we gathered last night for dinner in the lodge. We are all Sisters on the Fly but this isn't a Sisters trip. We range in Sister numbers from somewhere in the 500's to nearly 7000. I'm right in the middle at 3537. When I visited with Sisters #1 & #2 at the Denver Fly Fishing Show in January, we remarked that the 3000's are beginning to feel like old timers.

Janine Pettit does a lot of public speaking and camper colleges for different RV manufacturers and dealers as well as goRVing.com. Her goal is to bring women into the camping world and showing them how to do everything from hooking and unhooking to backing into tight spots and everything in between. Janine also does a podcast every week covering all manner of issues surrounding camping as well as featuring really cool people who embrace the camping experience. I am the Girl Camper Correspondent and will be recording a segment this weekend on Camping in Colorado.

One thing most of us agreed on last night. You know you've seen pictures of those cute campers staged with all the little cute doodads arranged so artistically. We agreed that was great fun the first year or two. And then it just became such a huge deal we gave it up. My biggest obstacle is not having a garage or basement to store that stuff. Since I live in my camper full time, I want it decorated according to my own personal tastes and that is pretty minimalistic. I don't like a lot of clutter around because it makes an already small space seems claustrophobic. Don't get me wrong...I love the look of the cute little campers when they're all decorated and if I had a hobby camper, that's more than likely what I would do. As you can see in this photo, I've strung little tiny white lights and decorated simply in canvas and white with a little gold for glitter. When I get done with the inside, it won't even look like an RV because the brown is going away!

❤️

“Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.”
Proverbs 3:17 NIV

Road Trip!

Wed, 11 May 2016 01:30:16 -0600

Annnnnnd....I'm off! Leaving a day early. Let the games begin, girls!!!!

Road Trip!

Tue, 10 May 2016 01:30:05 -0600

TOW-Wanda needed a checkup. Her hot water heater went out again. ? Getting her all fixed up. A couple spots on the roof needed a little sealant. Mr. Fixit Dude says I've scraped the roof with a couple tree branches so I need to be more mindful of that in the future. One puncture in that rubber roof can mean disaster for the whole trailer! At least the work is under warranty.

Winding Down

Sun, 11 Oct 2015 01:30:49 -0600

All good things must come to an end, so they say. Today is the last day at the beach. I have to say, this is the perfect length of time to be on vacation. Twelve days is just about right. There's been plenty of down time to rest as well as days packed with fun activities.

My sweet niece came from Savannah yesterday to visit me. She's 35 and still calls me Aunt Ginny.

Today will be filled with errands and preparations for leaving tomorrow. It has been a wonderful vacation so far. My friend and I are considering going over to TN and up through the Smokies. Does anyone have any recommendations as to campgrounds, routes for the best colors where I can safely tow TOW-Wanda? Thanks in advance!

❤️

“Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.”
Jeremiah 5:22

Ocean

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 01:30:46 -0600

We arrived in Myrtle Beach around noon yesterday. The rain was threatening to hit and any of you who have a travel trailer understand all that is involved in setting up. First off is getting into your site and situating the trailer in the perfect spot. You need to check the level of your trailer and drive one side or the other up on a levelling block under one of the wheels. You put blocks called chocks in front of and behind the tires to keep the trailer stationary then it is safe to unhook the hitch. You unhook your safety chains, emergency brake release cord, and the power cord from the vehicle. (This was used for brakes and brake lights on the trailer as you travel.) You also have to remove the weight stabilization bars and the sway bar. Once that is all done, you finish levelling the trailer with the tongue jack. Then there are the utility hookups...water, electric, cable, sewer. Because I live in my camper, my tanks need emptied more frequently so that's always the first thing I do when I get set up. Rugs, chairs, table, grill, gas fireplace, propane, coolers, the dog run, canopy...all things that need to get set up when you arrive. All needing to be done pretty quickly before the rain settled in. My travel companion needed to walk her little dog because he spent much of the last two days in his crate as we traveled. She walked down to the beach and snapped this picture for me. I'll get down there soon. We are camped about nine trailers back from the water!

I only slept two hours Tuesday night in the truck stop so with the long drive and messing with the camper, I was exhausted last night. Today will be a lay low, kick back day. Unfortunately we are having to keep a weather eye out on the skies. Hurricane Juaquin is going to affect us rain wise in the coming days. We'll know more by Sunday about when, where, and IF he makes landfall. This could be interesting....another adventure. One I don't care to experience if I can help it, thank you.

❤️

“Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;”
Psalm 98:7-8

Badlands

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 06:30:56 -0600

Yesterday was a LONG day. It took longer to get going in the morning because we were hooked up to sewer and water. Then we went to Wall Drug and dinked around in there for awhile. Had breakfast then headed for the Badlands. It was beautiful but looked very much like the western slope of Colorado where I've lived since 1986. My traveling companion was mesmerized, however. This is her first trip out west and she is really getting to see some beautiful country!

After the quickie tour of the Badlands, we hit the road, stopping in Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace. I had no idea what to expect except that the exterior changes from year to year. We were very disappointed because we thought we'd get some corn-on-the-cob or something! lol I had no idea it was a venue for concerts and basketball games.

We drove through rain in eastern South Dakota and finally stopped for the night in Sioux Falls at a convenient, clean campground (Tower Campground) but it backed right onto the interstate so there was quite a lot of traffic noise. We are 15.5 driving hours from home. It's going to be a long couple of days.

❤️

"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
Proverbs 3:24

Memories

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 01:30:33 -0600

Making memories...it's what we do every day, whether we mean to or not. Sometimes we have choices and we can make beautiful memories intentionally. Yesterday was one of those days. As a matter of fact, this whole week will hopefully be filled with wonderful memories that my grandchildren will tell their kids about. We're off to a pretty good start.

After a very long five hour drive, we got our campsite set up. We had a little quiet time then headed to Carbondale for dinner at a traditional '50s style diner. The kids really enjoyed that. After dinner, we went to Redstone and met two of their seven grandparents for live music and dancing. I love blended families when they work together with love for the kids and grandkids...and for each other. We all sat together and loved on the kids and visited. What a wonderful example for the children. I'm very proud of us.

While we sat and listened to music, my older grand daughter and I made lanyards. Who remembers camp and all the great arts and crafts you did? Well, this is Camp TOW-Wanda! We have coloring books and colored pencils, pipe cleaners, friendship bracelets, Minions Monopoly, fishing, boating, hiking, campfires, s'mores, weenie roasts, swimming, adventure park rides, horseback riding, and a rodeo to do by the time we head home on Thursday. Then....shhhhhh, don't tell the kids, but we're all going to see Kelly Clarkson and Pentatonix in concert Thursday night!

Does Nana know how to plan a camping trip or what????

❤️

"So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives."
Genesis 13:8

TOW-Wanda Grande

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 01:30:00 -0600

I've had the big trailer for 9 months now. She's 29'5" from the hitch to the spare tire on the back. That's long when you're used to 16'. Add the truck and I'm a good 42' long with a topper and a kayak. I'm definitely haulin'!

This life isn't for everybody. I've had women drop their jaw when they learn I live full time in this thing. Most men want to give me a high five. I tried explaining to someone how I don't like sleeping inside houses now because they make me feel claustrophobic. It's not the SIZE…it's the idea of being cooped up in one spot. I feel sorry for people whose views never change. They don't know the joy of taking off on vacation and packing everything you own. You literally have everything you need right behind you. I love traveling and pulling over at lunch time to fix something to eat, stretching out for a little siesta, then heading back out on the open road.

I am a vagabond. A meanderer. I live a bohemian life. But I am a realist. There are a few drawbacks to living like this. Gas isn't cheap so if you can spend long stretches of time in one spot it sure helps the budget. This reduces the wear and tear on both your vehicle and your camper. There's not a ton of storage so I have a rule…if something comes in, something else has to go out. The sinks and countertops and stovetop are lower than those in a conventional sticks and bricks home and believe it or not, that discourages me from cooking sometimes. It's just awkward. The wastewater tanks have to be emptied when you're dry docked, as I am a good portion of the time. That means hooking this monstrosity up and hauling it across town to the nearest RV dump. And, because it's so big and hooking up is such a chore, I am far less likely to take off and go on a spontaneous adventure.

That being said…it's mine. I own it, lock stock and memory foam mattress and the security of that alone makes everything else worthwhile. Yes, I love my life…my little house on wheels.

God Bless this Trailer Home!

❤

"By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."
Hebrews 11:9-10

Exhausted

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

It took me 12 hours but I finally got here! What a day!

I need to give this a lot of thought. I'm beginning to wonder if this trailer is just way too big. It's not that I can't handle a rig this size. Pulling and parking aren't a problem. But I can't be ruining a vehicle by towing this behemoth. I've missed little TOW-Wanda almost from the get go. I bought the big one with the idea it would be parked on the farm and remain fairly stationary. The little trailer was so easy to just up and go somewhere. I am finding myself far less inclined to take off and camp for a weekend when it means hauling this 'house' around. I could sell it and buy two smaller trailers. One for CO and one for WV. That way I wouldn't have to drag it across the country. Or just one that better fits my needs. I don't know…it's just something I'm giving thought to. I swear, at this rate I'm going to own my bike, my kayak, and a duffle bag!

❤

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Proverbs 13:12

Getting Ready to Roll!

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

After a quick trip to the mountains this past weekend for Strawberry Days, I am preparing to hit the road for my mid-summer break. I got the cover on my kayak to protect it from the sun. It will be stored on my truck most of the time anyway so I needed to protect it since UV light kills kayaks. Next, I need to get a bunch of the stuff out of the back of the truck and reduce my load. I'll be heading out Thursday. I'll be going back through Glenwood to Ridgeway then over the Dallas Divide to Durango for a few days. I'll be camping there with one of my dearest friends with a dual goal in mind…catching up and discussing my book. It's time to get it published and move on to the next thing. Now that I have the majority of my downsizing out of the way, I have more free time to devote to writing and redeveloping my web presence. But first….some much needed R&R. Just peace, and quiet, and water, and a good book. Maybe a little fishing. Sigh.

I did something SO fun yesterday! I got a private message from one of our fellow "Ranchers" last week asking me if I would be interested in meeting her for coffee. Since she lives near IKEA, and I needed to return something there, we met in the cafeteria and visited for two hours. It was not only fun, it was touching and oh so humbling to know this gal has been reading my blog for TWO YEARS! Thank you for the invite, Konnie…I had a blast!

❤

"Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town."
1 Samuel 20:42

Wanderlust

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

I've got it again. There's a festival in the mountains this weekend. I think I might run up there and catch some live music and a funnel cake! I'm making plans for my next big trip. I'm leaving 6/26 for a circuit of Colorado. I'm visiting family and friends, hitting a music festival in Snowmass, then heading to my friend's place overlooking Mesa Verde. We're going to discuss my book and push to get it published this year. I need to be back in Denver by the 3rd for a concert I bought tickets for two months ago. I'll be free till the kids return on the 8th from their vacation then I will have my babies for a week. The next month will fly by!

I bought a pickleball paddle today! I'm looking for a place where I can learn this fun game. People everywhere are playing it. It's a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping-pong played with a paddle and a wiffleball. It's played on a court half the size of a regular tennis court. Boomers are doing it because it's easier on the knees. It's something I can learn to play and take anywhere. Low investment. High yield of fun!

I love living in this camper. It's as close to living outside as I can get and still have walls and a roof around me. I am living on two acres, parked between the shed and the garden. I can lay in bed at night and hear the trains passing through. You would hardly know I'm really only about a half mile from a very busy intersection in a major suburb of Denver. I'm very comfortable here. I am most appreciative of my son-in law's parents for allowing me to stay here for the summer.

❤

"Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home."
Proverbs 27:8

New Shabby Chic

Sun, 14 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

I've finally chosen my fabric for curtains for my little house on wheels. I want a Shabby Chic look but without all the pastels and ruffles and little birds and cutsie stuff. I want soft yet sophisticated...sort of organic to reflect my writing style.

I had an issue with one of the two small shirt closets. I hung shirts in one and hung a sweater organizer from the rod in the other to use as storage for my dainties. After a year, the organizer began to sag and every time I opened the door after driving, my dainties ended up on the floor. I needed shelves in there. Daughter #1 and I went to IKEA the other night and found these great wire baskets that connect and hang down as many as you need. My closet fit five of them and now my lingerie is neatly folded and placed inside.

While at IKEA, I found this charcoal and white fabric with big cabbage roses on it. I bought enough to make curtains and may have enough to make some throw pillows. It's sophisticated and simple. I found the wallpaper online last week and I think it will offer the perfect contrast to the florals. I have two accent walls that are very dark. The grey and white trees should brighten things up in here and offer some texture.
I'm getting excited about fixing the house up now!

❤

Stormy Weather

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Wouldn't you know it? I drove through the worst rain of my life when I moved to West Virginia in October. Up till yesterday, the roads were dry. I left Columbia around 10:00am and I didn't go five miles before the skies opened up and it was shades of October all over again. It rained hard till I got to the west of Kansas City. Then I started getting notices on my cell phone of severe storms hitting Denver and heading east. When I got to Hays, Kansas they were under a tornado watch till 2:00 this morning. There were no campsites till Goodland, KS (which is closer to the storms) so I decided to stay last night in a motel. Better to be safe than sorry. As it turned out, the storms turned north.

I should be cruising into Denver by mid afternoon. I can't wait to see my kids and grandkids!!! And, at the same time, I'm missing my West Virginia friends and family already. I'm missing the river. My heart is in two places.

❤

"Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
Genesis 48:11

Moonrise

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Too bad this photo doesn't do last night's moonrise justice but I had to take it with my cell phone. My good camera is under the couch in the back of the camper and just wasn't accessible. It was a beauty!

I stayed the night near Columbia, Missouri last night. I'll probably shoot for western Kansas tomorrow night to avoid severe storms predicted for tomorrow evening then slide on into Denver Thursday. I've been amazed how light the truck traffic has been but wait till tomorrow. It's always bad in Kansas. Things are going smoothly. I took a break midway to see the Lincoln family cabin. Tourist services told me how to get there. It was about 20 miles off the highway. When I got there it was closed which was disappointing. I got back on the highway and just kept on going.

Feeling good, the truck and trailer are operating well, gas is a full dollar cheaper than when I came out in October and I'm getting one whole mile per gallon more than the last trip across country. My iTunes is keeping me occupied and the occasional phone call. Life is sweet!

❤

"Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips."
Proverbs 22:17-18

Good Morning from Indiana!

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

I didn't sleep well Sunday night. Most people left the campground right after the music was over, but several stayed and some people took advantage of the empty field and drove ATVs around all night. So, needless to say, I slept sporadically.

I was going to stay overnight last night with my friend in Troy, Ohio but she has been blessed with a ton of real estate business so I'll visit with her on my way back. I drove till 2:00 in the afternoon then pulled into a rest area for a 2 hour nap. I drove for another couple of hours before stopping for the night. As I have done in the past, I won't be revealing exactly where I am each day. This is to appease my safety conscious family and friends. But it's a very nice, clean, quiet, safe RV Resort just off the interstate. My adventure of the day was a yucky one. My black water tank was full and unfortunately was clogged so emptying it was a yucky chore. But I got it done. Thank God for the shower in this camper!

I love to drive. I do some of my best thinking while I'm driving. One of my dearest friends asked me last night how it feels to be traveling alone again. I had so much company in the last few months that I was seldom really off by myself. And it's interesting. It's different this time. Not boring. Not really lonely. But I feel room in my life and in my heart. Not an emptiness like I felt before. Not an urgency to replace something I've lost to fill up that void either. No, this is different. I feel a space opening up in me. A place of peace…of ease…of calm. Like the soothing flow of a river after making it through rough water. I'm not sure what this is yet or what it means, but it feels good.

❤

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:26

Peace. Love. Rock & Roll!

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Ok…that was just about the most fun weekend I've ever had. I know, I say that a lot but this was quite the experience. I took this panorama of the campground to give you some idea how huge this place was. Yesterday's music was awesome! Merle Haggard was the headliner and wrapped up the weekend. He did a great job. But, for me, the highlight was Brandi Carlile! OMGosh, she put on an absolutely amazing performance. And I came away with a new group that I'm looking forward to following…Elephant Revival. They are a Colorado based band and the lead vocalist is fabulous. Unfortunately, the two days they perform in Colorado this year are days I'm already booked.

I feel so energized by this experience. There was such a good energy here. Everyone got along. Friendships were formed. I made new friends. I learned new music. It was peaceful. It was full of love and cooperation. I didn't see a single negative thing. The place was kept clean. A full 95% of the trash generated is being recycled! 95%! That is absolutely amazing!

Everywhere I go I meet the most interesting and beautiful people. Tonga was a joy and she's connecting me with this really cool earth mother in Colorado. The guy in the coffee shop has read Marshmallow Ranch! I let the girls camping next to us use my power strip to charge their phones. They left us a gift of bread from the Farmer's Market.

I'm so happy I don't watch TV or the news because my world is a beautiful place!

❤

"“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Mark 9:50

Tent City

Sat, 30 May 2015 01:30:00 -0600

This is amazing. Every day more people come and squeeze into any available space in the campground. I've never seen anything like it! I hope to get a panoramic view of the field tomorrow. Thank GOD it hasn't rained. This field isn't referred to as "Mudville" for nothing! We were brilliant…we selected the family camping area so it is really quiet. At least it is right now because the late show is still going on.

I'm sitting outside my "home" as I write this. I'm trying to imagine. What if this was how we all HAD to live? Crammed together in a field. People living in makeshift tents, screen rooms, old buses and vans. Large, energy guzzling RVs and travel trailers like mine. What if this was our real home? Water and food would soon become an issue. As would sanitation. Rains would turn this lovely new-mown hay field into a boggy quagmire. Tempers would soon flair. The sense of peace and love and community created by the joint intention of the gathering would soon be lost…given away to fear and greed and envy. Fight or flight. You see it in third world countries every day. I experienced it in the jungles of Mexico many years ago.

As I'm sitting here, I look at my "home" and I'm filled with humble gratitude. I am positively affluent! I have a clean, safe place to live. I am free to live wherever I choose. I am so very grateful for everything God has blessed me with. Truly.

❤

"Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy."
Psalm 47:1

Live the Life

Thu, 28 May 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Well, the sun has set on this chapter of my Grand Adventure. For those of you who are relatively new, here's a recap. Husband died, sold the house, bought a trailer, gave everything away, moved to West Virginia to take care of Aunt, didn't work out, house sat for six weeks, lived in my camper on the banks of the Ohio River during the worst winter WV has seen in many years (without running water!), listened to tons of live music, renewed friendships and made lots of new ones, bought a bike and a kayak, downsized even more, and now I'm heading for the Nelsonville Music Festival then back to Colorado for the summer. Whew…I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

This was an expensive lesson I learned here. I paid to move things here. If I would have known the time with my aunt was going to be so short, I would have done things differently. I think the biggest take away is to never make assumptions. Always communicate your needs and desires clearly and listen to the spoken and unspoken words of others. Don't put all your eggs in one basket…have a contingency plan. Forgive. Nurture relationships. Appreciate your surroundings. Pray…a lot! And remember Who guides you through this wilderness.

I ran errands all day yesterday, but the most satisfying thing happened at dusk. I fit the last thing into the back of the pickup truck like the last piece of a puzzle. There's no more room…but I own nothing else so it really doesn't matter. To stand back and look at my handiwork was gratifying. To stand back and marvel that every single thing I own is resting on eight wheels was pretty humbling. Well, minus the items stored in my friend's basement but I'll be going through those in the fall and getting rid of more.

I did it! I simplified my life. Now, the only thing left is to LIVE it. Wanna come along???

❤

"My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content."
Psalm 131:1-2

Cedars of Lebanon State Park

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

TOW-Wanda Grande and Free-da!

Ginny!

Last night's campfire.

Ernest Tubbs Recording Studio and Record Shop

Great neon sign in Nashville!

Cute little trailer converted into a food cart.

Savannah Candy Company

Sisters #1 and #2

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Well, this was a really fun week and hard to believe we're heading out on the road already. We'll stay in Kentucky tonight then on home tomorrow.

We got to spend time with Maurrie and Becky…the original Sisters, of Sisters on the Fly. They are the greatest girls and I'm proud to be their Sister.

I was interviewed yesterday for a story about brave girl campers. What an honor! I'll share it with you when it's been published. There may be an opportunity coming up that I'll let you in on once the details are worked out. Not to be cryptic, but I don't want to jinx anything. ;-)

A good time was had by all! I'll post more photos of the fair when I get home!

❤ y'all!

"We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority."
1 Thessalonians 2:6

My Travel Buddy's Trailer

Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

Wow, what a day! Slow start then headed to the Country Living Fair. I didn't find anything for decorating my camper. I did, however, find a cute little summer dress. :-)

We've walked a hundred miles today! Ok, maybe not a hundred, but a lot! We're heading back to the park to prepare for the party tonight. BBQ and live music! Yeehaw!!!

Road Trip

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

My travel friend picked this place to camp the first night. She did good…it's beautiful! A little over halfway to Nashville!!!

"TOW-Wanda Grande" and "Crackin' Rosie"! Travel buddies!

Mmmmm…sautéed garlic mushrooms on veggie burgers with melted Brie. Divine!

They are preparing for the Rolex Race this weekend.

My travel buddy this trip.

We rode our bikes around the complex a little to stretch our legs.

The Grand Adventure

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

The summer after Mr. Virgo died, I began what I referred to as "The Grand Adventure". Not only was I going out in the world to do and see things I had never experienced before, I was also doing it all alone…for the first time in my life. I had taken respite weekends before, but nothing like I was about to face. It was daunting and exhilarating, melancholic and joyful. It was a time of many violent shifts in my psyche, my mood, my thinking. I wasn't at all sure I could DO it…period. Let alone, do it alone. But I knew I needed to. I needed to take the first step down the path or I would never make it through the valley of death that is grief.

After buying Little TOW-Wanda and getting some obligations taken care of, I took off for the hills. I circled Colorado twice in three months and then took my oldest daughter and her family to see Mt. Rushmore. Those months alone on the road were exactly what I needed. I connected with my broken heart. I allowed myself the gut-wrenching sobs that come with that kind of pain. I explored places inside me that had never seen the light of day. It was cathartic and exhausting and allowed me to crawl out of the wreckage…at least the initial crash.

Grief is a crazy thing. It transforms you in ways you never, ever considered. And, as uncomfortable and painful as it is, it's an easy place to stay. It's much easier to pull the covers over your head and to be excused by society with "Oh, poor dear…she lost her husband, don't you know." Complicated grief is an actual diagnosis. Every grief is different. Each person walks his/her own path. As incredible as it may seem, you can get too comfortable in your pain when moving through it seems insurmountable. After all, who looks at a fire and says "Oh, yeah! I can walk through that!" Especially when you can't see the other side. The thing is, there are pockets of sweetness along the path that you'll never know are there until you stumble upon them in the flames. And these sweet spots are SO worth the journey.

The Grand Adventure, Part 2 saw me selling my house, drastically downsizing, and reincarnating my little 16' camper into TOW-Wanda Grande, the behemoth "Porta Party" that I call home. My first stop has been WV, beloved home of my youth. And, if you've been following along this whole time, you'll know the initial intent was to care for an elderly aunt on the family farm but that ended at Christmas. It's very sad that the relationship has been permanently damaged, I'm afraid. But the sweet spots inside that painful scenario brought me to the river, and to further opportunities for healing and growth. I will be forever grateful to my friends for allowing me to live on their property. It's been a scene of transformation and I am peaceful.

This week will see the beginning of Part 3 as The Grand Adventure continues. A friend and I head out Tuesday for parts south. I am thrilled to see what is around the next bend and will bring you along with pictures and commentary. I wonder what delicious, juicy, excitement life will bring me next?

❤

"Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days' journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp."
Numbers 10:33-34

It's Tutu Time!

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 01:30:00 -0600

I'm so excited! My taxes are done. Yesterday I went for a 10 mile bike ride on the Rails to Trails system. Riding dirt, grass, and mud is a lot more work than a paved trail so I was pleased with 10 miles. Today I'm getting the summer tires put on my truck. (Yesssss!) I have a boatload of work to do in the next week to prepare TOW-Wanda for her maiden voyage of the 2015 camping season. Yes, that's right…next week I'm going on a women's camping adventure to Nashville for the annual Country Living Fair! I can't wait!!!

I'm really excited that I talked one of my friends into joining this camping group. Ok, there was no "talking into" to it. I said, "Hey, you wanna go camping with a bunch of fun, adventurous, crazy gals and earn badges for smoking cigars and fixing the perfect martini?" She said, "Sure…where do I sign up?" Done…a new fellow woman camper was born! I have friends in Nashville that I will get to see as well so that is a bonus!

There is something to be said for the divine sisterhood. It's more than meeting new friends. We're creating a network…a fabric woven with threads harkened from generations of brave, brilliant, badass women who have gone before us. We may not exemplify that free spirit in our daily lives, but when we get together, we recognize each other from afar as members of the same tribe. We bond, and mentor, and learn, and trust, and grow. We are unstoppable…us worthy women. We may have scars, but our hearts are strong!

I have one question, though. If you camp every day, if every day is Friday, is the thrill gone from camping altogether? I guess we'll find out next week!

❤

"the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful…"
Genesis 6:2

TOW-Wanda: Before & After

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 02:30:00 -0600

Before...dark & uninviting
After...bright & cheerful
The backsplash is embossed plastic
The dark brown sofa looks better with a canvas drop cloth throw
Closeup of backsplash...it looks like pressed tin

Brrrrr!

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 02:30:00 -0600

Would someone please tell me why I'm not in Florida right now??? This temperature was recorded at 8:30 last night. It's supposed to be 5℉ at 6:00 this morning. But here I am, toasty warm. I have an awesome furnace in this camper. Also, I have a fleecy, long sleeved jammie shirt on and my trusty electric blanket so I'm good. It's not nearly as cold as it was out at the farm. I was parked in a shady glen so there was no solar gain.

Yesterday was a busy day. I took everything out of the cabinets in the living room and started getting rid of extra stuff I haven't used. Then things were carefully packed to maximize space. I also put away the clothes I brought back with me from the apartment. I pulled out two empty plastic tubs to use as a "chest of drawers". They fit perfectly on the unused nightstand on the unused side of the bed. I gathered a load of laundry to go do. I packed my summer clothes in my empty suitcase to conserve space. I put out my electric wax warmer on the counter in the bathroom and now it smells like cinnamon apples in here.

I had an appointment in town this afternoon and afterward I went to pick up a needlepoint I had reframed. I picked up a silk ivy in a basket to make the camper feel more homey. When I returned home, I worked more on organizing. I can't stress how important it is to keep only the essentials and to make sure they are stored in a logical way in order to put your hands on what you need when you need it. I'm feeling good about the way it's shaping up.

One of my new friends is on her way to FL for a week of cycling. She's in a tent in 30℉ in Georgia. Oh no…no, no, no. If I'm "camping", there had better be somewhere to plug in my electric blanket! Just look up at the top of this picture…see? The Weather Channel even knows me!

❤

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;"
Proverbs 3:5 NIV

God Bless This Trailer Home

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:30:05 -0600

Look what came in the mail! Oh, my gosh…is this the cutest thing or what? Thank you, thank you, thank you Miss Vicky. You are the awesomest. Yesterday was the “Remembrance Day” for Vicky’s husband. He died 11/11 at 11am. She is a dear friend and my heart was so sad for her. RIP Rob… <3

I’m another step closer to making my jewelry again. Some of you may not know my storage unit in Colorado was robbed before I moved here and my entire art studio and two footlockers full of power tools were stolen. I still have to settle with the insurance company but I needed to replace the main items so I could get some jewelry made. So, I went to Lowe’s to get what I need. I taught myself to make jewelry out of old silverware by trial and error. I came to find out there were easier ways of doing some things, but I couldn’t justify buying different tools. Since this is “starting out fresh”, I bought the perfect tools that will make my life easier. Can’t wait to get a studio set up and get to work!

I stayed with a friend in town last night because we are going out to lunch today. As I write this at midnight, it has just begun to rain. Yesterday was glorious in the 70’s. The weather will start changing now and we could see snow by the weekend. Ick!

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!!!

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 01:30:27 -0600

“Welcome to Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!”

I crossed the Ohio River before dark singing “Almost Heaven….”!!! I went to a rest area and cleaned out the tanks. Headed straight to Outback to have a great big, juicy burger and fries, called my cousin and my aunt to let them know I’m here, texted the kids, and called a friend where I was invited to stay the night. I’ll head out to the farm today so I don’t have to drive in the dark on twisty, curvy roads!

Now, here’s the deal…there’s no WiFi at the farm yet. Also, no cell service…so I’m going to be unplugged for awhile. There’s much to be done to settle in. My belongings will be delivered on Wednesday so I need to prepare a space to store it all. I need to figure out the best place for the trailer to be parked and get power to it. Much work to be done and I need to decompress. While I certainly didn’t push myself, the last few months have been fairly stressful. I’m going to enjoy some downtime with family and friends and I’ll catch up with you as I can!

Thanks for traveling along with me. You all really kept me company during this amazing journey! I love you all!!! <3

One State Away!!!

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 01:30:33 -0600

“One State Away!!!”

It’s hard to see on that sign, but it says OHIO. And what’s after Ohio???? Why, WV, of course!!!

I was so proud of myself yesterday morning. I got the truck backed up and it didn’t take more than 2 or 3 tries to get it lined up with the hitch. I had the trailer hooked up in no time!!!

I arrived at my friend’s house at noon, just north of Dayton. Cindy and I met in 1974. We were Air Force wives, young and newly married. I was pregnant with my first and Cindy organized a baby shower for me. She contacted my family back home and had them send me presents. When we sat down to open gifts, she made sure I opened my family’s gifts first and when I saw the tags, I just cried. It was so touching and indicative of the kind, caring friend she has turned out to be over the last 40 years. We were remarking last evening how military friendships are deeper than most. When you are stationed so far away from home, you make your friends your family. What a treat it is to see her. I’m amazed…neither one of us have changed a bit!

Today I head to an RV dealer to get the trailer checked for that leak and have it winterized. Then I’ll have one more camp out night before I head to WV. I don’t want to be driving out in the country after dark in this rig. OMGosh! I’m almost there!!! <3

Hey, That Turtle is Beating Me!

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 01:30:43 -0600

“OLD RV!”

Ok, I’ve been taking my sweet time crawling across America. I’d love to say I’ve meandered down cute little two lane highways, stopping in interesting little villages along the way to sample the local color. I’d love to say I stopped in quaint little orchards to sample cider, bob for apples, and take my chances with the ring toss and try to win one of Fannie Arbuckle’s world famous Apple Pies. I wish I had arm loads of darling antiques and bolts of fabulous cloth for the precious little curtains I’m sure to make for the trailer. Maybe even a jar of homemade apple butter from the Farmer’s Market where Art Froderburg whittles the Statue of Liberty on the head of matchsticks. But, alas….this is not the trip I had. I have seen I-70. Since I picked up my trailer eight days ago. I-70, I-270, I-470….are you getting where I’m coming from here? I’ve seen trucks. The backs of truck, the fronts of trucks, the sides of trucks. I’ve seen the blur of cars as they pass me like I’m in a funeral procession. My only score on this trip was a Chapstick in a truck stop. I know the price of gas all the way across the country. I got to visit some dear friends because they had the foresight to live near I-70. I’ve seen some really nice RV Parks. I got to stay in a hotel one night to avoid my own personal re telling of the Wizard of Oz.

Ok, it hasn’t been the magical, mystery tour I had hoped it would be. But I actually unhooked my trailer all by myself. I figured out where rain was coming in and fixed it, albeit temporarily with camo duct tape! I met some fellow road warriors who were very nice. I met my FB friend and some new Sisters on the Fly. I played in my playhouse. I started reading a great book that was a gift from a friend. I Facetimed with my grandchildren. I stopped and took naps when I wanted. I cooked what I wanted. I had great coffee every morning that didn’t cost $5 a cup. I’ve enjoyed the changes in the weather and the colors. I’ve told a lot of people about Mr. Virgo and my book and Marshmallow Ranch. I’ve shared my love of God by example. I am rested, relaxed, full, happy. I am free. <3

We're off to see the Wizard!

Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:30:19 -0600

“Tornado!”

There’s not much that scares me, but a tornado in the dark is one of them. I know it’s probably overkill, but I decided rather than sit up all night peering out the windows of a rocking tin can, I would get a nice cushy hotel room and take a bubble bath. Much better plan!

The Other Half

Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:30:12 -0600

“Map of Missouri”

I stayed in Columbia, MO Saturday night at Cottonwood Landing RV Park. It was clean and the people were friendly but the trailers were pretty much crammed together like sardines in a can. I love trailer people though. They are always so nice and watch out for each other. The couple next to me that night were from New Mexico. They had been summering in the Adirondacks and were on their way home. As soon as people find out I’m traveling alone, their parental instincts come out and they always tell me to let them know if I need anything. I have never once felt threatened or uneasy when I’m parked next to one of the big rigs….motor homes that cost ten times the value of a house. You can just about bet there’s a woman and a gun in one of them.

The days are running together. I certainly haven’t been pushing myself at all to get across the country but I’m well into the other half of my trip now. Lots of rain and I’ve been warned severe weather is ahead so I’m keeping an eye out. I did take on some water again last night but not as bad as the first time. I’m glad I made the appointment to get it checked at a dealer this week. Crossing the Mississippi River yesterday was pretty cool! <3

Sisters in Kansas

Sun, 12 Oct 2014 01:30:44 -0600

“Sisters on the Fly in Kansas”

Sisters on the Fly

My dear friend Carol (second from left) and me (far right) met up with two more Sisters for coffee at Panera this morning in Topeka. Anywhere you go, you can just about guarantee you're going to have a Sister, in the truest sense of the word, within a short drive of you. I cannot tell you how much this organization has been a gift to me in the last year and a half. If you have the opportunity, I really would encourage you to join. It's so empowering!

I settled in my next camp before the sun set. Had a nice dinner, met the “next door neighbors”, and enjoyed catching up with friends and family with the events of the day. I’m telling you, this is a special life I’m living here!

Git yer motor runnin'..

Sat, 11 Oct 2014 01:30:28 -0600

“Travel. As much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life’s not meant to be lived in one place.”

Head out on the highway! Met my Marshmallow Ranch buddy and fellow Sister on the Fly, Carol! What an awesome lady!!! We talked for 10 hours straight yesterday and were both exhausted last night when we finally gave up and went to bed. We are supposed to meet some other Sisters for coffee this morning then I head out on the road again! Are we there yet?

Dancing in the Rain

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 01:30:11 -0600

“Dancing in the Rain!”

Well, ok…not literally. But I dance in my head. My brain is set to “Be Happy!” just about all the time. Until about 6:30 last night. I was preparing to take a shower when I noticed water standing on the floor in the bathroom. I followed it and found I have a big leak somewhere in the front driver’s side of the trailer. It rained SO hard here yesterday afternoon. It was really impressive. I think it’s either the seal around the door to the pass through under my bed or where the trim meets the body. I really don’t think it’s coming from the roof. I never had one bit of trouble with little TOW-Wanda. This is frustrating but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with seals or caulk. I’m seriously considering making a stop at the Starcraft factory in Elkhart, Indiana on my way cross country!

I am so excited for today! In the early days of Marshmallow Ranch, one of my readers and I struck up a conversation about loss and living a juicy life. She really wanted to do what I was doing in TOW-Wanda but lacked the confidence to do so. After awhile she decided if I could do it, so could she so she bought a trailer and joined Sisters on the Fly. I’m SO proud of her! I get to meet her today and tomorrow there is a meet and greet with some fellow Sisters on the Fly! I can’t wait! <3

Kansas!

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:30:35 -0600

“The Flatlands…Kansas”

“Kansas” is the Sioux word for “flat”! Flat, flat, flat! Kansas excels at flatness. It gets an A+ in flat! But, dang….you sure can see a long ways off. It has it’s own beauty. I saw gorgeous fields of wheat and sunflowers yesterday. Large feedlots full of fat cattle. Grain silos, farmers harvesting crops. Winter wheat a new green against the brown harvest. Thank you, Kansas…for working hard to fill our bellies!

Tata, TOW-Wanda...Hello _____!

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 01:30:43 -0600

The Big Trailer!

A NAME THE NEW TRAILER CONTEST!!!!

I have outgrown my baby. TOW-Wanda was perfect this last year and a half. She was my haven, my place to run and hide. Lightweight, fun, sporty…but pretty darned tiny. I’ve been essentially living in her since the middle of June and that bathroom is REALLY tiny and the only place to sit is on the bed.

I’ve been whittling down my belongings. I mean, really…I’ve been ruthless. But there are still things that must come with me. And try as I might, my stuff is still occupying half a garage. I’ve sold just about all my furniture. What hasn’t sold is going to a consignment shop. So that leaves me with a couple boxes of books, a few boxes of kitchen stuff, clothes, electronics, and misc. it’s the misc. that’s killing me! Anyway, I got down under TOW-Wanda yesterday and looked at that spindly little axle and tiny little trailer tires and shuddered at the thought of what would happen if the axle or leaf spring breaks or a tire blows with all that extra weight in there. That could be the end of me and definitely the end of my little home on wheels. Safety comes first. That means…leave a ton more stuff or get a bigger trailer with a double axle or pay to ship my stuff. The cost to ship is crazy. But for a bit more, I could have a home that is much more comfortable and carry my stuff with me.

I have become so accustomed to living as close to the outdoors as I can get so, even at the farm, I will be much more comfortable with my own space. And when my kids and grandkids come to visit next summer, we’ll have a place big enough that we can camp together. I’m really excited and this solves a lot of problems …win-win.

My friend, Patti, says I can’t call this trailer TOW-Wanda so we need to come up with a great NEW NAME! I’ve been calling her a “Porta-Party” because she’s a big gray box, but that’s WHAT she is…not WHO she is.

SO…LET’S HAVE A CONTEST!!!!!

I close on the house next Wednesday. I’ll take name suggestions through the weekend then make a decision, and announce the winner Wednesday morning. I will buy the winner a dozen of Patti’s AWESOME COWBOY COOKIES from Buffalo Baking Co.!!! 50% of her sales go to Suicide Prevention this month so it’s just a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN…all the way around!!!

Get your thinking caps on, think about who I am and what I do, and let’s name this gal!

The Unbroken Circle

Sun, 14 Sep 2014 01:30:06 -0600

“Mr. Virgo’s Grave”

Two weeks after Mr. Virgo died, I bought TOW-Wanda…my little travel trailer. For those of you who are relatively new here, you may not know, my husband, aka Mr. Virgo, and I were standing in a travel trailer picking one out when he had a heart attack and died in March 2013. I needed to put something joyful in front of me or I wasn’t going to make it. TOW-Wanda to the rescue! Once the weather warmed up, I took off for three months and traveled alone to start walking through my grief journey. Everywhere I went, I picked up a rock to bring home to place around Mr. Virgo’s grave. When I got home, I took them up to the cemetery and told him about the places I had seen and what I had done and placed each rock next to the one before.

Somewhere in the summer of 2013, a thought began to formulate. I had a feeling that things would be a lot better by the time the circle was complete. Sometimes I forgot to bring back a rock so I would pick up one from a pile nearby. But, one by one, bit by bit, the rocks made their way around the grave and…on his birthday, just two days shy of 18 months…the circle was complete. It was whole. Just as I am whole. Different, yes. Still wounded? Of course. But I’m good. I’m strong. I feel joy. I live life. I miss him like crazy and I’m ok alone. Dichotomy.

I have a dear friend named Vicky. Vicky is a grief counselor and a widow of seven years. She is a wise woman and very skilled at what she does. She has this amazing way about her that provokes you to look at the tough stuff without holding your feet to the fire. She can ask one question and eliminate a couple of hours of tap dancing around. I love her for that. Last night she pointed out that we categorize and organize our pain in order to make sense of the senseless. She is so on point there. It’s like running your emotions through the Dewey Decimal System and assigning a number for this and filing it there. It’s crazy but it keeps us sane. And now I’ve reached a benchmark…a milestone…a point of reference to be looked back upon as a turning point. I can move forward a little easier now. When the house is closed, the papers are signed, and I have the check in my hand…I will be free. I will owe no one a single thing. Then, I will be a true bohemian!

Sisters on the Fly at Thresher Days

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 01:30:00 -0600

Being with a group of like-minded gals for a weekend of trailers and food and fun activities like iron skillet tossing does wonders for me. I always come back feeling rested and empowered…ready to face anything. These women are loving and supportive yet they challenge me to be my best. Maurrie Sussman and her sister, Becky, have done women a great service in creating Sisters on the Fly. I have met lifelong friends and I’m looking forward to hooking up with more Sisters when I get moved and settled.

I stopped in Denver on my way home for a power nap and quick visit with most of my family. On my way through the mountains, I got a call from a friend of mine who is photographing the Colorado Grand, a rally for luxury car owners. He asked if I wanted to stop in Vail to see the cars. Well, heck yeah…I love cars! And oh my gosh…there were some amazing cars in this garage. There were maybe 35 cars when I got there. I asked how much just those cars alone were worth. I was told just ONE CAR can be worth 30 million dollars!!! Holy cats! I was drunk on Lamborghini when we went to dinner and watched part of the Broncos game.

All in all…e-x-a-c-t-l-y what I needed, when I needed it. Self care is extremely important. The buyers had a home inspector over on Saturday and the appraiser comes today. And the beat goes on… <3

New Stuff!

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 01:30:04 -0600

“Tractor Pull at Thresher Days”

Ok, I’m at my first tractor pull! Who knew how fun this could be???

Missing Post

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 01:30:36 -0600

I was awake till the wee hours writing this morning’s post. I kept drifting off then wake and read what I’d written. Ha! One should not sleep and post at the same time. I would swear I posted it to appear at 4am like always but it is nowhere to be found. I was writing about The Work by Byron Katie. If you are unfamiliar with her, Google her. She has a pragmatic system of self-discovery that I have found useful in my journey. Check her out!

In the meantime, please send up a little prayer for my dear friend who took a nasty fall last night. Nothing broken, thank God, but she is going to be pretty sore for a few days.

A man drove up beside me in traffic last evening and told me my right wheel on the trailer is wobbling. My son-in-law’s dad followed me around the block and didn’t see anything but I’m going to the tire shop first thing before I head out to the boonies. I’m scheduled for a fun weekend with the Sisters on the Fly! <3

Joy of TOW-Wanda #33

Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:30:42 -0600

“View of Georgetown Lake, Colorado"Traffic on I-70? Jet lag? See a lake? Hey, stop awhile…kick back, take a nap, read the copy of This Old House you picked up at the airport yesterday, watch the trout rise and the chipmunks scamper. Life is too sweet to sit in traffic!

Building a Life...One Word at a Time

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 01:30:19 -0600

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I have been on retreat for the last few days with my dear sister/friend, Sue. I have also been struggling a little lately. Nothing major, just par for the course on the long road of life. A particularly bumpy spot but not totally unexpected given the stressors I’m working with.

The day I arrived, I walked through the midden pile and spotted a couple particularly beautiful painted potsherds on the ground. Even though I know better than to disturb them, I picked them up…marveling at the fact they were over 800 years old, hand built by the “Ancient Ones”. I slipped them in my pocket without thinking and at the end of the day, I found them resting on the counter of TOW-Wanda’s little kitchen.

I didn’t sleep well that night. The next day we hiked and had a grand day, but at nightfall, I found myself ill. All day Monday I was disturbed by something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was wrong. Tuesday morning, while feeling a bit better physically, I just didn’t feel right. Agitated, antsy, anxious…all I wanted to do was hook up TOW-Wanda and get out of town. I texted Sue and told her my plans had changed, I couldn’t settle my mind and write so I was moving on. Sue, in her Earth-Mother wisdom said, “Soon, you must lite somewhere and write this book. I will love you and support any decision you make, but I’m going to start kicking you in the butt a little bit. But first, go walk the labyrinth.”

I packed up, hooked up TOW-Wanda, and even though it was already in the 90’s, I headed for the back pasture to walk the labyrinth. For those who are unfamiliar, a labyrinth is a walking meditation. A path is walked slowly with intention as you wend your way toward the “center of the universe”. You can present a thought, a question, a problem to the universe and walk to the center where you may be presented with an answer. By the time you wend your way out, if the answer still feels good, you can go with that. My question was “What is wrong with me? What is bothering me and making me feel so unsettled?” Then I began to walk. After 30 seconds or so, you begin to relax, your focus becomes centered on the rhythmic crunch of your shoes on the ground, and by the time you reach the center, you are really open and paying attention. As I stood still in the “center of the universe” I was given a very clear message. “You must put them back.” I knew immediately what this was about. I was NOT supposed to take the potsherds away. The spirits here want what is theirs. When I emerged from the other side of the labyrinth, the message was even clearer. I went back to the trailer and rummaged around to find the beautiful potsherds and carried them back to the midden pile. I ceremoniously deposited them beneath a sage bush and immediately felt fine. No anxiety, no agitation…only peaceful stillness. It was amazing!

I thought back over Sue’s words. “Soon you must lite and write this book.” For the most part, it is written…it’s just making myself sit down and put it together. Over lunch yesterday, I told Sue that I knew she was right. I also knew I was putting it off because it’s not pretty diving back into the pain of the last year. I’ll be at the family farm in West Virginia soon. It’s the home of my heart. I made a commitment to Sue, and myself, to spend that time writing…pulling things together while the emotion is still fresh…while the words are richer and closer to the source.

I can dream of a house I will build. I can walk through it in my mind and see, feel, smell each room. But, until I pick up the hammer, it’s all just a dream. The time has come to pick up my hammer and get this done. I will be out of cell range for three weeks from July 13th to August 4th. You and I will be disconnected for the first time in a year and a half. But I need to do this. Thank you in advance for your support and love while I journey a little while on my own. I love you all.

Road Trip Into the Wild

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 01:30:04 -0600

I saw lots of beautiful, wild places on this last road trip! Here are a couple of photos.

“Wild Hot Springs - Reno, Colorado

It was nearly 100 degrees the day Sue and I stopped here. The water was almost too hot to get into. The spring has been dug out and lined with rocks and cement with a sandy bottom. It is deep enough to get down in up to your neck. It was SO hot, we couldn’t stay in long, but every time we got out, the horseflies came and bit us. It was awful! We didn’t stay there too long. I think it would be wonderful in the winter.

“Climbing into the wilds of Colorado.”

My friend Sue and I went over Red Mountain Pass and caught this long view of the far mountain above tree line. So many vistas look like paintings out west. There is a rare and wild beauty in the wilderness of Colorado.

On The Road Again

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 01:30:13 -0600

“On the road again!”

I found out Wednesday that I have the next two weeks off. It has been really hot and dry so I’m heading for the hills! While contemplating where to go, I made a rather rash decision thinking I might head for California. That would be epic! Alas, it was dusk before I made it 100 miles. It was still 90 degrees and I hadn’t even hit the desert yet. I filled up with gas and thought I should calculate mileage/price per gallon. When I discovered the trip would cost a month’s mortgage in gas alone, I quite quickly changed my mind and decided to stay in state. (So sorry, Patti!)

I pulled into an RV park that is close enough to the train tracks to enjoy the sound but far enough away to not be disturbing. I awoke to a beautiful day and took my sweet time getting ready to see the sights. Heading into the high country! (picture: TOW-Wanda stops at Starbucks. She can’t help herself!)

Dressing Up TOW-Wanda

Fri, 02 May 2014 01:30:05 -0600

I’ve been considering putting a wrap on TOW-Wanda. All these cute little vintage campers the Sisters on the Fly have make me want to dress her up to look older. What do you think of these?

'Til Next Time

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 01:30:32 -0600

“Cowgirl Caravan”

Ok, remember your very favorite slumber party when you were a girl. Now, picture that very same slumber party but this time there’s fifty girls, you can do whatever you want for four days, and you’re not going to get in trouble. (Well, ok….at least no one is going to TELL on you!)

That’s what a Sisters on the Fly event is like. I feel like I got to sit at the cool kids table because we’re ALL cool kids! I remember when I was in my thirties and it occurred to me I had forgotten how to play. We get so caught up in our families and work and responsibilities that we push that playful girl into the background. SOTF makes girls out of women. It’s a safe place to let off steam and act silly and laugh till…well, you know. We can dress up in silly outfits and wear tiaras and tutus with our cowgirl boots. We can smoke a cigar or streak through the campground nekkid and earn a merit badge for it! (That actually happened on this trip. If there was a CPR badge, I might have streaked because anyone who witnessed it would be at grave risk!) Fun….just plain fun! Can’t wait for the next gathering. I have found my tribe.

Happy Trails!

Orvis Hot Springs - Ridgway, CO

Sun, 06 Apr 2014 01:30:59 -0600

“Orvis Hot Springs - Ridgeway, Colorado”

What a delightful way to end my two week sabbatical. My friend, Sue, joined me yesterday. We soaked at Orvis Hot Springs. Interestingly, it is clothing optional (gasp!) and while I have no problem going topless, I could not go the full Monty. Which was a darned good thing because I ran into a little gal that I work with. While she is young and fit, I am….ummmm, NOT and I would have hated to be responsible for her having to seek therapy over the trauma of my nakedness! lol

After our soak, we headed into Ouray for a lovely Mexican food extravaganza. We hit some of the shops and what trip to Ouray would be complete without a stop at Mouse’s Chocolates? We went back to the room. I napped off my lunch while Sue read. Then we began the 100 Miles in 100 Days challenge. We walked 1.18 miles in the snow. She had me download an app by Nike called Nike+ Running which mapped out my walk, distance, and time. It even talks to you as you walk telling you when you reached a mile and what your time was. I think you can program it to cheer. I wonder if you can program it to go out for pizza or bring you some ice cream? No, wait…that would be counterproductive, yet an intriguing idea.

After our walk, we headed back to Orvis for a nice soak in the lithium waters. It was actively snowing by then and it was truly divine. We closed down the pool and headed back to the motel. We stayed at Riverside Inn and Cabins which is right on the river and is perfectly fine and affordable.

I am rested, refreshed, mellow and ready for my next move. I ordered a piece of equipment that will help me make my jewelry faster and it should be delivered at the first of the week. I have some orders to make and now I should be able to build up some inventory for art shows/sales.

I am stopping in Grand Junction today to talk to a woman about ways to make TOW-Wanda look like a vintage trailer. That should be interesting.

I am ready to go home. I am ready for spring. I am so grateful and I offer that as my prayer for today. Thanks for traveling with me…I enjoyed your company. We’ll be heading back out, you and I, on April 18th so stay tuned and be ready for more adventures!

Mr. Virgo's Photography

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 01:30:23 -0600

“Mr. Virgo’s Photography”

Today is my beautiful #2 daughter’s 24th birthday! Happy birthday, sweetheart…I love you so much!!!

I spent a pretty mellow day yesterday sitting in TOW-Wanda listening to music, writing, gazing out at the view watching the prairie dogs chasing each other around the field. It was windy again and pretty chilly. I went in to Dolores to pick up some supplies. They have the cutest little market there with homemade pies and lots of natural foods. Farm fresh eggs!

I know I waited till the last minute, but I tried late Sunday night to sign up for insurance. I have COBRA through Mr. Virgo’s employer but man…it is SO expensive. With the deadline looming, I thought I should check it out to see if I could get something more affordable. I have heard such horror stories about the system and how confusing and difficult it is to navigate. My friend Sue encouraged me to try so I went on the website and called at the same time. I figured that would cover my bases. I must admit, the website for Colorado is a bit confusing. I was on hold for an hour when they came on and took my name and number because there was currently a five hour wait. They asked for a time they could call me on Tuesday and told me that because I had made the attempt before the cutoff time, I would still be able to apply. They called exactly when they told me they would and they took my information. The whole process was extremely easy and I was covered within 20 minutes. MUCH cheaper than the COBRA coverage which will be greatly appreciated. And, I can keep my regular doctor. I am so grateful!

I worked on my book for most of the day. That always leaves me feeling a bit melancholy thinking about my man. For the most part, I do really well these days. But when you are immersed in it for a period of time, you can’t help but stir up deep seated feelings. I went through my collection of photos Mr. Virgo took through the years. This one is one of my favorites. It’s like a painting. He took this when we lived in Denver. The light was perfect and made the reds in our sofa as well as his holster really glow. When I got rid of his guns, these were two that I kept. They were his favorites and remind me of him. A mountain man in a suit. A cowboy in a 5 Star hotel. He was so rich and deep. My love for him is a bottomless well…a source of great comfort in his absence. I miss him so.

The Traveler

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:30:50 -0600

“The Traveler”

I arrived in Durango Friday afternoon and took my friend Sue’s yoga class. Man, I am so out of shape but it was fun. We visited and I met one of her friends when we stopped for tea afterwards. By the time we were done, it was getting late so we stayed at a place she is house sitting for. I slept in TOW-Wanda at the curb. I’ve become accustomed to my own bed and every time I sleep in her, the price per night goes down! ;-)

Sue and I had tea yesterday morning and did a yoga practice before heading out to her house. I got the trailer all set up then four of us headed to Hovenweep National Monument. We did a beautiful hike around the cliffs and Ancient Puebloan (formerly referred to as Anasazi) ruins. A little picnic out on a rock at the edge of the canyon was delightful. We came home and Sue fixed a wonderful vegetarian dinner and I excused myself early to go out to the trailer and make a few phone calls, read, and hit the hay. Exercise, sunshine, and fresh air leading to a great night’s sleep in the desert. What a fun, fun day!

(Photo taken at Hovenweep.)

Springtime in the Desert!

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:30:43 -0600

“Waiting for Summer!”

I didn’t realize how close Albuquerque is to Santa Fe. It wasn’t long at all till I was here. There is an RV park I’m going to check out before I leave and I’ll post pictures.

I visited with my friend and had dinner. I met his lady friend and she’s very nice. We talked from 3-9 and I’m exhausted! I’m heading up to Durango tomorrow morning. I’m really looking forward to friend time and staying in one place for a week. I’m taking a yoga class tomorrow evening that she teaches.

I had a little scare this afternoon. When I unhitched the trailer, it shifted and dragged the hitch 4" to the left. Fortunately it stopped without bending the tongue jack. I hooked it back up to the car and repositioned it and it worked fine. I’m going to the RV place tomorrow and get better chocks.

Happy Friday!!!

Go. Do. It's Travel Tuesday!

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:30:20 -0600

“Go do those things!”

I’m planning my next trip. I have at least two weeks, maybe three, with a free schedule. I’ve been invited to participate in a couple of art shows and need to get some things made. I can just as easily pack up my portable studio and make art on the road so I’m heading south. I want to hit NM then back up through the Four Corners and visit the sights in SE Utah.

I love my little trailer. It offers me a sense of security. It’s cozy. It’s the playhouse I never had as a child. My fort. My treehouse. My princess castle. If you have the means to have a trailer of your own but fear is stopping you, find someone local who can show you the ropes. Sisters on the Fly has chapters everywhere. With your membership, you can do a search for Sisters in your area. We are always ready to help a newbie learn to spread her wings and fly! Honestly, it isn’t that difficult to learn and you’d be surprised how easy it is to handle a small trailer.

If trailering isn’t your thing, I still encourage you to find your way out for adventures. There’s a big, beautiful world out there just waiting to be explored. You can do this. I got your back, girlfriend!

Springtime in the Rockies

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 01:30:18 -0600

“Springtime in the Rockies”

I headed to the lake Sunday afternoon. I needed to be alone with my thoughts and memories. The anniversary of Mr. Virgo’s death has come and gone. I loved being in the trailer alone. I talked to him. I cried for him. I wrote…and read…and prayed…and napped. I stared at the water and the birds. I listened to the wind and the geese. And I let it go. This year. This awful, heart-breaking, life-changing yet beautiful, blessed year. This change came from a 12 month gestation to birth a different version of me. Older, wiser, deeper. Grief knocked off some of those sharp edges and has humbled me in ways I never knew. And now? Now I’m ready to face whatever comes my way! I’m ready to tackle new projects. Travel to new places. Finish writing my book. Keep writing here. Take more pictures. Make more jewelry. Enter speaker training (not all who train are chosen, but it is a skill I can use anyway!). Paint. Learn. Grow. Teach. Fish. Hike. Camp.

Life is a precious gift. I don’t want to miss one single moment of it. So, I’m heading off to watch my grandchildren sing in the chorus of their first stage production!!!

I’ll get back to you from the road!

<3 Ginny

Travel Tuesday

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 02:30:23 -0600

“Sisters on the Fly”

If you are looking for something really, REALLY fun to do, you simply MUST join Sisters on the Fly! They are an outdoor adventure club with a goal of empowering women. Picture Girl Scouts with martinis! Do I have your attention yet?

As many of you know, Mr. Virgo and I were standing in a travel trailer deciding which one to buy when he had his heart attack. We were preparing for his retirement and had plans to travel the country, one little town at a time. When I was left a widow unexpectedly, I decided to fulfil that dream. I went out two weeks after he died and bought TOW-Wanda and took off for three months alone to work my way through my grief in my own way. In 2004, my mother had died and I rented a 17’ U-Haul with a car hauler behind for my Toyota, so I knew I could handle a little ol’ 16 foot travel trailer on my own.

I had seen a news item about Sisters on the Fly and it struck me as great fun. With Mr. Virgo gone, I needed to find something joyful to put in front of me. I ordered their book and read it the week after the funeral. These women are amazing! The organization was founded by two real life sisters as a way to have some fun with their friends in their vintage travel trailers. You don’t have to have a vintage trailer to join. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to HAVE a trailer. There are now nearly 5,000 members all over the world. And once you are a Sister, you have 4,999 real life sisters of your own that have your back!

You can earn badges for such wonderful skills as mixing the best martini, smoking a cigar, backing up a trailer. There are organized activities at the gatherings of the Sisters and you may find yourself fly fishing for the first time. Or hiking, horseback riding, Dutch oven cooking. Or just sitting around the fire telling stories. I would highly recommend joining this wonderful, supportive, loving group of women whose motto is “We have more fun than anyone!!!” Check them out here…

www.sistersonthefly.com

See you on the trail!

Cabin Fever

Sat, 15 Feb 2014 02:30:37 -0600

“I’ve got a little gypsy in me!”

Oh, I’ve got it bad. You know what I’m talking about. That itch to get out and do something…anything…outside. In the warm sunshine. To feel my toes in the grass. To hear the birds sing. To feel the tug of a good sized trout that will soon be sizzling over a campfire.

That’s what I want…right now. I want to hook TOW-Wanda up and feel the miles roll under us. I want to get lost in the woods. I want to go someplace I’ve never been.

Is it spring yet?

Sisters on the Fly #3537

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 01:30:36 -0600

“Ginny in Sisters Regalia”

Oh, this is just too much fun! Sisters on the Fly makes girls out of women. What are you doing in your life that let’s your “little girl” come out to play?

Sisters on the Fly do Estes Park!

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 01:30:39 -0600

“TOW-Wanda!”

One of the first things I did when Mr. Virgo died was join the Sisters on the Fly. The largest women’s outdoor adventure club in America, SOTF offers women the opportunity to gather and travel together in the safety of groups.

“A favorite jacket…it came from a Nashville entertainer.”

Women helping women. Learning to be girls again. Offering a hand up to the newbies.

“Ginny getting her cowgirl on!”

You can learn to fly fish or cook in a Dutch oven…start a campfire or ride a horse. You can earn badges for lots of fun categories. It is truly the most fun ever and is helping sooth my painful heart.

“Cute Camper”

I took off on August 14th and stayed till the 17th in beautiful Estes Park. Camping with a hundred other like-minded women goes a long way toward making you feel empowered. Grief often makes you feel powerless.

“Artist painting off Old Fall River Road”

Snow!

Sun, 04 Aug 2013 01:30:58 -0600

Snow on Pike’s Peak

I know you probably cannot see this, but there was fresh SNOW on the top of Pike’s Peak this evening on my way home from Colorado Springs! The clouds rode low in the sky, heavy storms pounded the front range. It was SO beautiful. Ever have one of those perfect moments when you see something exquisite, feel the love of an old friend, and every song on the radio speaks your name? THAT was my day!

Crazy Horse Memorial

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 01:30:30 -0600

While this was certainly a beautiful memorial, I wonder if it will ever be completed in even my grandchildren’s lifetime. They wanted to stay for the laser light show on the rocks after dark, I got us there WAY too early (4 hours!), and by the time the show started, it was cold and drizzling. The show consisted of the story of the sculptor being asked by a Native American elder to create a memorial to show Americans they had heroes, too. It went on to talk about the lands being taken away from the tribes. And ended with Lee Greenwood’s song, God Bless the USA, which was rather an odd way to sum everything up. Anyway, I wanted to post this because it really will be a beautiful monument some day.

Dinosaur Park

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 01:30:29 -0600

“Dinosaur Park”

Dinosaur Park.

The girls loved this!

TOW-Wanda at Spokane Creek Campground

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 01:30:17 -0600

“TOW-Wanda at Spokane Creek”

TOW-Wanda! Spokane Creek Campground, Iron Mountain Road, Keystone, SD.

I would definitely recommend this campground to anyone visiting Mt. Rushmore. Very clean, quiet right at 10:30PM, cafe/store, pool, showers, friendly and fun!

Wild Donkey

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 01:30:15 -0600

“Wild Donkey”

Wild Donkey. Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, SD.

We arrived back in Denver at about 9:15PM, safe and sound. Everyone is tired but we still had to spend an hour or so telling the other grandparents about all our adventures! This was our last wild animal encounter as we left the park, although I wouldn’t exactly call these guys “wild”. They were perfectly happy sticking their head in car windows in search of a handout or a scratch on the head!

Road Trip - South Dakota

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 01:30:56 -0600

“Tatanka!”

Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, SD

Tatanka! On our way home…what a fun trip!

TRAILER ORNAMENT

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 02:00:46 -0600

After a very long day at work, I headed for Denver. In order to cut an hour off my day, I drove down last night and slept in the trailer in the parking lot behind the office. It was a pretty easy commute this morning!

Arrived in Denver at 10 and we’re getting up early to head for Mt. Rushmore! I’ll post when I see something interesting.

UPPER FRYING PAN RIVER ABOVE BASALT, COLORADO

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 02:00:03 -0600

Here fishy, fishy, fishy!

PIEDRA RIVER RANCH - WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, NEAR PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLORADO

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 02:00:23 -0600

I think this would be one of the most beautiful places to live. Mr. Virgo and I lived not too far from here in 2008 for about a year. I was a little disturbed that the trees didn’t fully leaf out till June, but what little time we had off together was absolutely beautiful. We often drove up Pagosa Boulevard out and back down Plumtaw Road to Piedra Road. We made a day of it and hiked and had picnics. This ranch was pretty much the end of the road in this one section and it really is stunning. It was a beautiful summer, except for the part where Mr. Virgo wrecked the ATV and was in the hospital for a week, but that’s a story for another day.

It was all good till the leaves started falling off in August. Then I realized just how high we were, and it wasn’t from something we were smoking! Winter came with a vengeance. It started snowing on the first of December. We probably had a foot of snow on the ground. One night when we went to bed, it was snowing but didn’t think anything of it. When I got up the next morning and went in to make coffee, I noticed I couldn’t see out of the kitchen window. But sometimes the snow blows sideways and sticks to windows so again, I didn’t think anything of it. We got ready for work and decided to drive in together. We raised the garage door and there, as far as you could see, in a very nice level plane, was 5 feet of snow! I know this because I am 5'5" and this snow came to my nose! Have I mentioned that I really HATE snow? I know, I’ve lived in Colorado since 1975 and I really HATE snow. And the older I get, the more I hate it. That year, it snowed 7 feet of snow in less than 2 weeks. It snowed so much that they ran out of places to put it. Thank goodness that job only lasted till January and we were out of there. So yes, in this picture, it is a beautiful, peaceful place to live.

I have decided this winter is going to be different. I am going to go somewhere where the sun shines and the sea whispers my name. Where I can bury my toes in the sand and my nose in a book. Where I can have little drinks with exotic ingredients and paper umbrellas brought to me in my chaise lounge. Someplace warm and wonderful. I have a friend who lives in Belize who has been after me for the last 13 years to come visit her. I think I just might do that come January or February. Yep, gonna hit the cheapo airfare sites and give myself something wonderful to look forward to! But first, I am heading home to the beautiful hills of West Virginia. My home of origin. I’m heading out of here tomorrow and will visit with my daughters. Hubby #1 and his family are in town visiting so I get to see them. Then my brother and I will fly to WV on Thursday. Lots of fun things are planned there so I will take lots of pictures and post as I can. Cell and Internet are spotty in the Mountain State.

Talk to you soon!

Hugs,

Ginny

RED MOUNTAIN PASS ON THE MILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAY

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:00:00 -0600

Another shot from The Grand Adventure, Part 2. My friend, Sue, and I had just watched the Iron Horse Classic where crazy people race the train from Durango to Silverton. For those of you who have driven that, you know what a major deal that would be. For those who have done it, I’m sorry I called you crazy. :-)

GREAT HORNED OWL: ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:00:53 -0600

When Mr. Virgo and I traveled, we were always on the lookout for wildlife…which we seldom saw. This trip is amazing…wildlife around every corner…literally!!! Thank you, sweetheart!

SISTERS ON THE FLY AND MY TOW-WANDA SAVED ME

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:00:51 -0600

And there she is….TOW-Wanda! Dressed in all her finery at the “Home on the Grange” event for Sisters on the Fly! I knew that coat was going to come in handy some day!

THE GRAND ADVENTURE CONTINUES

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:00:34 -0600

Wow, the last couple of weeks flew by. I stayed off the grid for most of it. I didn’t have electricity, cell service or Internet and I’m telling you, there’s something to be said for getting away from everything. I went first to the Front Range to stay the night then off to my first Sisters on the Fly Event, which was a complete blast! I met some great gals. We had an event at the Altona Grange and gave tours of our trailers and raised money for both the Grange and for Casting for Recovery, a charity that provides fly fishing expeditions for breast cancer patients and survivors. On Sunday, 6/2, I drove on up to Rocky Mountain National Park and stayed two nights, then back to Denver to watch the grandchildren. We “practice camped” in their other grandma’s driveway. What a hoot! Then on Thursday night, I drove up into the Poudre Canyon. I guess I really didn’t know how bad the fire was up there last year. It was pretty devastated. I stayed one night in Dutch George Campground near the west end of the canyon where the fire damage wasn’t so bad. I love sleeping next to a river…very soothing.

While I’ve been on this trip, I have seen more wildlife than all of our travels combined with the exception of the trip to Yellowstone last year. Dan was the on that always saw bears when we lived in Pagosa Springs and I never saw one in Colorado, and I’ve lived here since 1975. So, I was talking to Mr. Virgo and thanked him for bringing all the animals to me to see on this trip. Then I chided him for not bringing me a bear. Last Friday morning I left early to head west toward Steamboat Springs. I was on CO 14 heading west and if you have never been over that way, you MUST put it on your bucket list. You climb and climb till to reach the top of Cameron Pass which is over 10,000 feet. There’s a reservoir at the top that was still half frozen so I parked in the lot to give the engine a chance to cool down. After awhile I took off down the other side. Just a little ways down, there is a pull off where you can get an amazing view and then the road has a sharp turn to the right. Just as I cam around that turn, there was the most beautiful, BIG bear standing alongside the road, not 15 feet from me. I reached for my camera and the disk was full! Argh! By the time I got my cell cameral open and ready, he just went right over the side of the bank and out of view. Mr. Virgo brought me my bear and I suppose it was just for him and me to have. Pretty neat!

When I got to Steamboat, I decided to keep going up to Steamboat Lake State Park and camped there for two days. I left there yesterday morning and decided to squeeze one more day into the trip and stayed at Sylvan Lake State Park south of Eagle. I have driven by that sign a zillion times and never went there. WOW! If you haven’t been there, that is another thing to put on your bucket list. The most amazing thing about it was the lack of pine beetle damage. So many places are just devastated with the majority of the pine trees dead and it’s been long enough now that they are falling and being removed. The valley up by Sylvan Lake honestly looks like Colorado did before the pine beetle infestation. The only bad part was, even on a Sunday, it was pretty packed, pretty noisy, and very smoky.

I got up early today and headed home. It’s so hot here compared to the alpine campgrounds I’ve been staying in. I emptied out the car and the trailer and everything is where I left it in the living room. Tomorrow I’ll start putting it away and doing laundry. Part 2 of the Grand adventure is over. I have met many wonderful people. I have made some great connections for my jewelry. But one of the best things that happened was connecting with women, telling them of my loss, and demonstrating to them that just because our spouses die, doesn’t mean we do and there is no reason why we can’t move forward, with whatever means we have available, and still have a life and create more joyful memories. I have tons of pictures and I found that I can’t put too many out at a time or it floods your page. So, while I am fussing around the house over the next couple of weeks, preparing for Part 3 of the Grand Adventure, I will post some of the better shots of Parts 1 and 2.

In the meantime, the Ritz Carlton where Mr. Virgo worked, is having a memorial service for him tomorrow and will plant a tree and place a plaque in his memory. This of course brings up lots of feelings, but now I can think of the happy things we did together and when I talk to people about him, I glow and tell people how wonderful he was and how grateful I am that I had him in my life. I am looking forward to the conversations I will have with his coworkers tomorrow.

TIME FLIES

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:00:13 -0600

You know you are having a grand vacation when you have no idea what day it is! Well, either that or I’m getting that “Old Timer’s Disease”! I’ve taken some great pictures but have not been anywhere near wi-fi to post them. I arrived in Durango yesterday, did a little retail therapy, met up with my good friend, Sue Hakanson and went out for dinner. Stayed up late catching up. I browsed more stores today and went to the park and made some more jewelry and garden markers. I love my portable studio! Meeting Sue again tonight and taking the trailer to Dolores. The 4 day weekend is jam packed with fun events…pedicures, dining, Ouray, Orvis Hot Springs, Silverton for the Iron Horse bike race…..just fun, fun, fun! Will be heading home for a couple of days on either Monday or Tuesday then off to the Front Range for a Rockies game and my first Sisters on the Fly event! I’ll post pics later!

DAYS 6 & 7 OF THE GRAND ADVENTURE

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:00:04 -0600

Days 6 & 7 of the Grand Adventure, Part One:

I got a good early start yesterday and drove to Salida. Stopped at Mr. Virgo’s and my favorite breakfast place on that stretch of road. We used to stop there all the time when we lived in Pagosa Springs. What a gorgeous, sunny, blue-blaster day! I stopped and took this photo of TOW-Wanda parked at the scenic overlook near Buena Vista. Those are the Collegiate Peaks behind her.

Got to the RV park and backed my trailer into her spot, slick as a whistle! I am right by the Arkansas River and fortunately it’s early in the season so there are no bugs. Unfortunately, I caught my OWN kind of bug. I stayed with family in Denver and they had been passing something around and of course, by the time I got here, I was sick. :-( I haven’t done much more than sleep and read, but you know, there is not much prettier a place to be if you aren’t feeling well. I’m loaded up on Zyrtec and Aleve and made myself a big, spicy bowl of soup and I’m feeling much better.

I went into town to visit my friend, Emile. She is doing so well and her consignment shop, Free the Monkey, is going gangbusters. If you ever find yourself in Salida, look her up. (I bought a beautiful black sweater from Jones New York for 7.95!) Had a little emotional moment today. Whenever Dan and I traveled, we always bought a Christmas ornament to remind us of where we had been. There is a little Christmas store here and I went in to browse, and carry on the tradition. I looked around and went back in the back to have a tearful moment, then came back out and chose a beautiful metallic-embossed aspen leaf. Mr. Virgo loved aspen trees. As I was leaving the shop, there was a Western themed tree and there, hanging just for me to see was…an armadillo. Now, you wouldn’t think that was funny, but I burst out laughing. Mr. Virgo used to tell me a story about the armadillos in Texas. His golden retriever would chase them. Then he would mimic the sound the armadillo made as it ran and I’d lose it laughing at him…this big, mountain man going “nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn”. So, I bought that one too and will laugh every time I see it!

Tomorrow, I’m up early and heading to Pagosa Springs. I am really looking forward to hanging out at the hot springs and soaking! Maybe a massage? Once I get settled there I can work on some jewelry and herb garden markers. Talk to you soon!

THE GRAND ADVENTURE

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:00:24 -0600

The snow is melting in the high country and I am off on an adventure…The Grand Adventure, to be exact. I tried reading self-help grief books and they just did not speak to me so I am going to go out and grieve in my own way…one campfire at a time! My first stop has been in Denver to visit with my family and get my camper stocked up for my trip. My mail is being held. My neighbor’s are keeping an eye out on the house. My only responsibility it to me…to listen to my heart and follow where it leads. TOW-Wanda!

TOW-WANDA'S MAIDEN VOYAGE: 4/22/13

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:00:54 -0600

Here she is… “TOW-Wanda!” on her maiden voyage! I got home from church yesterday and was faced with a ton of paperwork and sunny skies. So? What’s a girl to do? Why…go camping, of course! This is at Rifle Gap Reservoir State Park, about 20 miles from home. I figured my first trip or two should be local till I get the hang of things. What a hoot! It was pretty nippy so the furnace kicked on several times during the night. I had the fridge turned down too low and woke up to frozen OJ this morning. Also, I want to add some padding to the lower bunk bed because it was a bit too firm for my taste. Other than that, a perfect first-time experience!

JUST A LITTLE CROOKED

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:05:17 -0600

OK, just a little bit crooked, but that’s me…a little cockeyed! grin emoticon:-D I have to order “Sister #3537” now and I’m good to go!

A NEW TRAILER...A NEW LIFE

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:00:43 -0600

So, I got home from Denver yesterday with the new trailer! Yay! Spent the afternoon putting things in it and started decorating. I’m going with a turquoise and red theme from the 40’s/50’s. I had a mailbox full of cards which was very nice. I had several packages of supplies that were delivered. And one box from a friend back home in WV. I opened it and there was a beautiful quilt she had made for me. It has the Lord’s Prayer on it. What a sweet gift! Thanks Ginny! Check out her page at Log Cabin Country Quilts in Marietta, OH

MY NEW TRAILER

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:01:16 -0600

Well, girls…after much deliberation and discussion with my family, I decided to go with a new trailer, but with a Retro feel to it. In reviewing the spec on the ‘69 Cardinal refurbished trailer, there was no bathroom, only an icebox, and the only bed was the convertible dinette. My daughter and I went shopping today and found this baby. She has that Retro feel, sort of like the old Tag-a-Long. But, she’s 16’ long, has a bathroom with toilet and shower, two burner cooktop, microwave, 3-way refrigerator, AC/furnace, sink, convertible dinette, bunk beds, and an awning. All for the same price as the rebuilt one! I can still decorate her and she’ll become a faux vintage trailer. Now…I need to come up with a name for her! Any ideas?