Ok, true confession time. I'm having a love affair with Frank…my FitBit. I don't know if there's some way I was supposed to calibrate this thing to my actual activity level or not but I'm telling you what…it is amazing how many calories this thing credits you for doing things like brushing your teeth. Heck…I can burn calories while I eat! lol

Yesterday was laundry day. Now that I have running water in my camper, I can hand wash delicates and hang them out to dry. But that doesn't work for everything so a trip to the laundromat was in order. Doing laundry at home is one of the luxuries of my "former lifestyle" that I have to admit, I miss. But really, the biggest hassle is where to put the laundry basket while I accumulate enough dirty clothes to make a trip worthwhile. On the upside, I can do multiple loads at the same time and a chore that used to take all day is easily completed in a couple of hours. Also, I've had lovely conversations with people while I'm waiting for the machines to do their thing. I invariably learn something…about them, about the world, about myself. Hardworking people who may be struggling in today's economy. The middle aged mom who is remodeling her laundry room. The 61 year old writer who gave up the house with the washer and dryer in order to have a simpler life. Yes…it is my choice to live this simpler version of me.

Spring has come to West Virginia. The flowers are blooming and the thunder is booming. It's been a long time since I've heard this kind of storm.

Yesterday was the perfect spring day! After sleeping eight hours, I met a friend of mine and went for a 3 mile walk. Afterwards, we went to the local bike shop to check out their spring sale. I bought my last major purchase for getting set up in this new life. I bought a hybrid bike…a cross between a street bike and a mountain bike. We went for a 5 mile ride to try it out and it's perfect! Now I can exercise and get around town without using a lot of gas.

I have running water!!! Hallelujah! Honestly…I am one tough chick, but living without running water was beginning to wear on my sensibilities. I relied on the kindness of my friends to let me use their showers. I was a member of a gym for awhile in order to shower as long and as often as I wanted for $10 a month. AND…I could work out. Bonus! Some have wondered what I did about…ahem…a potty. I learned on a "girl camping" website to line the toilet with a heavy duty black plastic trash bag, open up an adult diaper and lay it in the bowl, and sprinkle with some of the blue tank deodorizer. You can go two or three days for liquids before gathering up the neck of the bag, giving it a good twist, and tying a knot. Solids must be disposed of right away. I know…gross. But, it's no different than disposable baby diapers. I used cloth diapers for both of my girls so three or four diapers in the landfill a week for 12-14 weeks is not unconscionable. Ok, I feel guilty about it but don't judge. I'm sacrificing here in other ways. I'm REALLY conserving water!

I'm making progress on several fronts, not the least of which is the personal growth I have been forced to make when my life changed so drastically. I was talking with a friend yesterday and told her I never, ever would have dreamed this is what my life would look like. I never could have imagined surviving the loss of half my heart when Mr. Virgo died. I'm still plowing through the stuff that I brought with me from Colorado that's been stored out at the farm. I'm picking out the things that are most often used, not easily replaced, or have the dearest sentimental value. The rest has to go.

My friend and I finished her bathroom! Women With Power Tools!!! This represents several weeks of work and a lot of planning, but two gals with gumption got it done!

Children chasing ducks in the cool breeze. A hippie man with his Husky flashing a peace sign as I cruise by, the brilliant white flash of a smile. Joe Robinson's beat spilling out of the speakers of my pickup. A day spent with some of the coolest women on the planet. A workout at the gym. Lunch and great conversation with a friend. A long walk. A trio of trombones performing an impromptu concert in a small gazebo tucked away in a quiet corner of the park. Tiny black squirrels scampering just out of reach. New lovers, new babies, new life. Breathe.

I was in the presence of greatness last night. This young man is Joe Robinson. He grew up in the outback of Australia where the nearest street light is 40 miles away. The only thing to do when he was growing up was practice guitar. And practice, he did. He won Australia's Got Talent when he was 16. He'll be 24 in May. He was named one of the Top 50 guitarists by Australia's Guitar Magazine. I've heard great guitarists. This young man is a guitar god! I've never seen anything like it. I found myself holding my breath and leaning forward to catch every note. I got teary eyed. Afterwards, I did what I always do…bought his music and got my picture taken with a young man who will someday command $100 a ticket. I smiled as he was signing my CD and told him I couldn't wait to see him in 20 years. I'll only be 82…I can go to concerts!

I am so happy my second daughter was still living at home when Mr. Virgo and I got married. She got to witness firsthand the way a woman should be treated in a relationship. I remember one morning, she came in to wake me up and crawled in bed beside me. Mr. Virgo came in right behind her with a cup of coffee for me and a kiss good morning. I thanked him and turned to my daughter and said "Don't ever settle for less than this kind of treatment, baby girl."

Twenty-five years! A quarter of a century! How could this time have passed so quickly? My baby…my youngest…my last little one.

My children are nearly 16 years apart. That wasn't how I planned it. We were putting her daddy through medical school, then residency, then setting up a practice so there just wasn't any time. Finally we decided, it was now or never…and we set about bringing this beautiful soul into the world.