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?
I had to look up the origins of that phrase. Turns out, it was started by the writers of the Yogi Bear Show in 1961. It’s what the character “Snagglepuss” used to exclaim. His other memorable line was “Exit…stage left!” It’s the little things that keep me entertained!
Mother Earth is waking up. The grass is getting green. A few more warm days, a few more good rains, and mowing season will be upon us in a hurry. This means I’ve got to “make hay while the sun shines”…so to speak. I fixed breakfast and took my bagel and egg sandwich to the Big Red Chair and set to work.
Did you miss me? Wow…what a whirlwind trip with its ups and downs. First of all, it was SO good to see my camping gals! Some I hadn’t seen in ages and a new gal I’d never met. Now that we aren’t there, I can reveal we stayed at Pymatuning State Park in Andover, Ohio. My campsite was probably the best in the whole park…right on the shore of Pymatuning Lake. The views were gorgeous. It actually wasn’t terribly cold the first couple of days. It rained most of the day Friday. The nights were pretty darned chilly but I stayed plenty warm under the electric blanket (with four more assorted blankets on top) and a small electric space heater running.
Gail’s New Spinning Wheel…all Tucked in Safe and Sound
Mr. FixIt woke me with a start yesterday morning at 8:05. We were due at a local garage at 8:30 to drop off the truck to get new brakes. I gently reminded him we weren’t heading out to catch a flight so if we were a few minutes late, we’d be ok. We got the name of this mechanic from Mr. FixIt Jr. This fella did some work for him a few times and he was pleased. Since our usual mechanic couldn’t get us in for a week or so, we decided to give this guy a try. Not only did he get us right in, but his price was far less than the other place and we didn’t have to drive all the way into town. Win-Win!
It’s been quite a while since I went on a girl’s trip. Covid changed a lot of things and the way we socialize was at the top of the list. It wasn’t the only thing that got in the way, however. There were illnesses and surgery…deaths in the family and the price of gas. Things have changed in the Covid arena. It’s still out there, but there have been enough people vaccinated and enough people exposed to rein the beast in. It’s not like it was the first year…a near certain death sentence.
I ran across this picture yesterday. It was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park one sunny fall afternoon. Mr. Virgo had his cameras and long lens and was shooting photos of the surrounding mountains. The meadows were full of elk, coyotes, rabbits and who knows what. The sky was perfect and there was a gentle breeze blowing. It rustled the dried grasses in waves of gold.
You know there’s a reason the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror, right? It’s because we don’t drive backwards long distances. The rear view mirror lets us back up a little ways as needed. The windshield lets us see clearly the direction we are heading…forward. I won’t lie…the 10th Angelversary was monumental and gave me pause. But I am so blessed to be surrounded with lots of love and support from family and friends…including you all. Thank you so much for always being here for me. It helps more than you know.
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”
I awoke at the first blush of dawn. The sky was gray and gloomy and a misty rain fell as the morning light slowly brought the hedgerow into focus. As has happened often the last couple week, my mind went into comparison mode. It seems my life has clearly delineated blocks of time as though I’ve actually lived several different lives. I suppose that is true to come extent for all of us. My major divisions, looking through the wide-angle lens that is 20/20, seem to be “before Mr. Virgo died”, “after Mr.Virgo died”, and…”now.”
