New Year's Eve - Looking Back

 On the last day of the year, I like to take time to look back over the months of the previous year. 

This year I am also taking time to step back and notice that this is the 10th anniversary of another rather spectacular NYE.  That evening found us in BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, enjoying catfish & ribs and some great music.

On that NYE in 2014 we were just striking out on our second winter in the RV - this time in the southern states - where we would live on for one month each on three different islands.

That first year of RV life had been an amazing adventure.  We lived in that second-hand fifth-wheel for more than 7 months that year -  working in Southern California from January through May and traveling to Alaska in June and July before landing back in Michigan until selling the Christmas tree farm later in the year.  What a phenomenal year it had been.  So that NYE dinner on Beale Street and camping on the other side of the Mississippi River became a significant transition moment in our lives.

And now here we are this NYE - living a smaller and less dramatic adventure - on one side of the street watching the snowflakes fluttering down and waiting for the moment when we will be able to move to the newly rescued and refurbished house across the street.

Fridge, bed and shower: the measure of a home

Gotta’ love a fridge that has enough space to freeze ice cubes.

And is big enough to fit a pizza box!

...
Trade-offs. 

There will always be trade-offs.
...

Ever since we moved out of the big house, we’ve been dealing with trade-offs. First there was the little tiny bunkhouse where we were able to have our big fridge, but had to step outside to the camper for showers or to the Porta-John for other business. Yah, that would only work in warm weather.

Then there was the log house - with a real bathroom but a tiny shower. 

Interestingly enough, in both of those places we were able to have the luxury of a king-size bed.

Next came the RV with the inevitable cramped quarters. That bed is NOT king-sized and has barely enough room to walk around it to change the sheets. The fridge is not bad for a camper, but not big enough to fit in a pizza box. I don’t even bother trying to make ice cubes there. But the shower is good. Nice-sized and actually pretty convenient. What a blessing! In fact, I realize that all other showers may now be compared to that one.

Now for the next couple months we are in a  two-bedroom furnished apartment. That’s right; TWO bedrooms! That means that we get to host overnight guests - if they like twin beds.  

There’s enough room for Bob to have his piano set up without us tripping over it. I am so happy to be able to spread out a bit and have some space for this next phase of sorting and pitching and packing. 




Plus I get to have my own writing spot. A real desk even.

But what really amazes me is the HUGE fridge. Yes, it’s big enough for an entire pizza box - or even a couple of them.  And yes, I can make ice cubes now - FOUR trays at once. That’s fun. 

We are very thankful for this place and this time. 

...

Then again, it does have the smallest bed we've ever shared. 
And I do miss my shower…

Moving Time

So I have to say that I was feeling a teensy bit sad about leaving. This had been a good place to live. Nice campground. Beautiful lake. Good people. Great area.

And being close to our daughter and grand-babies has been awesome. How fun to live near enough to be in their lives pretty much every week - from camping and making jewelry to broken bones.

It was the longest we've lived in one spot since moving out of the big house three and a half years ago.  This place felt like home - enough so that we had talked of coming back next summer. But now things are up in the air. Kids' plans and our plans. The ones that were close are probably moving farther away. And now there will be a grand-kid on the other side of the state, too - so who knows?

There were other things I was noticing. The last shower in this rig for awhile - because we'll be boon-docking for the next couple months and will have to pack a shower bag to go to an "external shower." And we'll be at the lighthouse for a couple weeks - so we have to pack more than a shower bag for that. Then a trip east next month sleeping in a different bed every night - and using a different shower. And then several months in a furnished apartment somewhere. Maybe. Living out of suitcases. Sleeping in different beds and using different showers.

I really like this shower. One of the best I've ever had. I appreciate my shower.

And I like the rest of this small cozy place. We often hear each other say, "I love my house." There is no doubt we're going to miss the comfort and convenience of living here in our tiny house.

But there are trade-offs. There are new adventures ahead. There is a new grand-daughter being born any hour now. There are new roads to travel and new people to meet. There might even be some other nice showers.

So yes, I was feeling a little sad. It felt like the end of an era. But before we pulled out from the campground, I noticed that the sadness had given way to excitement for what lies ahead.

Five years!

Date: August 15 - a significant date. It was just five years ago today that we had our epiphany. Our moment of coming awake to the possibilities of freedom. How well we remember that conversation that started this whole process. How unbelievable it was that one of us dared to mention the idea of selling the farm - and even more astounding that the response was favorable!!! It was the beginning. The turning point. The decision to start letting go of things.

Location: at home - which is Lot #143, Clearwater Campground, Ortonville, MI at the moment. We are very much enjoying this campground. We love the area and being so close to some of our kids. After being away for a long weekend we moved to a different campsite. We were hoping for more shade which we now have with an added bonus of lots more space as well as a bit of privacy. How lovely.

Outside: Hot and sunny, blue sky, heading to 90 degrees

Miles traveled: Just a few planned for today - to the store and perhaps our daughter's place - AND out to eat because it is a special day. One worth celebrating.

Walked: 1.7 miles around the lake and through the campground. I just passed 450 miles for the year!

Hubby is: heading out for a bike ride

Recent happenings: Bob's big birthday blast concert and the subsequent recovery time

Discoveries: After living in this little rig from January to August last year and again this year, we are happy to discover how much we love it. It has exceeded our expectations and we are thankful. We really like our home!!!

Made me sad: That time when I got so busy with STUFF that I forgot to ask really mattered - so then I missed it. *sniff*

Made me thankful: That those branches that came down during the crazy wind last evening all missed our home and our vehicle.

Made me drool: the yummy chicken salad I made yesterday - chock full of grapes and pecans with a dash of curry. AND thinking about the crepes I want to order tonight at the Royal Diner.

Blessings:

• This place - comfortable, convenient, rather lovely and in a great location
• Good friends
• Repeated confirmations that we are on the right path
• My guy
• Good health

Reading: some of my old writings - getting ready to start editing

Watching tonight: Probably some NCIS episodes from the Netflix disc that has been waiting

Considering: menu options for tomorrow's cookout

Working on: Deleting stuff - whether online or in the magazine basket or the boxes in storage

Accomplishments: Cleaned out the office cabinet and pitched a pile of stuff

Lessons:

• Delete, delete, delete.
• Keep current.
• One thing at a time
• Don't forget to take care of me.

Looking forward to: having friends here tomorrow! Life on the road gets lonely sometimes so we are grateful whenever we can spend time with dear friends.

Trade-offs

This life on the road involves some trade-offs for sure. We often talk about them and about how one of us should write about them. As often happens, hubby is the one that got it done.

"The worst inconvenience of all would be getting to the end of your health or your life without the satisfaction of having pursued your irresponsible dream of the traveling life, the way of the vagabond, the beach bum."

Read the rest of his post here.

Looking back: One year ago

Chapter One: Southern California

It was just one year ago today that we turned the page ending Chapter One of our life in this rig. This cozy little spot. Our new place of abode. This little space where we've lived for over twelve months now.

Bob had come to the end of his first work-camping commitment. Life in the Santa Clarita Valley was good. The little town of Fillmore, California, was a fun place to land for five months. The lovely fertile valley is such a contrast to the surrounding drought-stricken area. What fun to live and work and walk among the groves of oranges and avocados. We were intrigued by the history and culture of our quaint little town, but also thrilled to be near the ocean and near some of our family as well. We wished to be even closer - both to the shore and to the kids, but what a blessing to at least be involved in their lives a bit. 

Our new life on the road was off to a good start. Chapter One had been good. We were grateful for the opportunities of the previous months and excited for the journey ahead. As we turned the page from our time in southern California we also turned the corner to head north up the West Coast for Chapter Two: the highway to Alaska.
...
And now a year later, I notice a bit of irony.  Something different between last year and this year. Last year on this date, we were glad to be done with the five-month stint that had kept us tied down in one spot. We were getting antsy. Ready to be on the move. When campers pulled out from Kenney Grove after camping for a few days, we began to wish that we could hitch up and join them.

This year is almost the opposite. Since we seem to be still recovering from the winter and spring in the South and up the East Coast we are pretty content to stay put for the next few months. When the Memorial Weekend crowd started to thin out earlier this week and the campground emptied out, we grinned at each other as we noticed how quiet it was. This time we are feeling glad that we get to stay put.

The perfect spot

A place doesn't have to be perfect to be just right.

Hubby wrote a blog post about that...

Travel days mess with the travel writing

This life on the road has been an adventure. A good adventure mostly. We often speak about how grateful we are for how well it is going. Before we started, we really had no clue if we would even like the vagabond life - which is why we chose to think about this as a time of exploration. It is also why we searched for an older relatively inexpensive RV. It seemed wise to try out the life before investing lots of money in travel equipment.

...

Of course, there were lots of factors to consider...


The small space
Would we be able to survive living in such small quarters? We seem to have adjusted quite well. Probably the most difficult thing is changing the sheets in such cramped quarters


A new place each month
What would it be like having a different address every month or so? Many aspects of that are rather enjoyable. We have discovered that a month is long enough to get a feel for a place and a sense of whether it could ever seem like home. But it is also short enough to not feel like a prison sentence if we really don't connect with the place. It has worked well to try out different areas. That experience can now inform our brainstorming and decision-making about future plans.


Our day-to-day schedule
There was some question about what hubby would do all day long - without a house to maintain, a farm to run or wood-working tools to build things. But his camera and his "photo lab" have facilitated many hours of photographic work. By the way, some of his photos have been published by BBC Travel in an article about the Dominican Republic. He also brought his piano and "recording studio" on this trip, so music has occupied many of his days. (His lab and studio are both contained within his computer.)

Finding something for me to do was of little concern because that never seems to be a problem. More often I have the opposite dilemma - not being able to keep up with all of the projects I want to do. As long as I have a writing notebook, a few books to read, my computer and decent internet access, I can carry on with most of my normal work. My relationship connections around the world and my writing all work fairly well from the road - as long as the internet can keep me connected. What we suspected has turned out to be true; I have no problem finding things to do. And sure enough, I am usually working on more projects that I can possibly keep up with.


Writing projects
For example, I have grand ideas of writing awesome riveting stories about the people and places and cultures we encounter in our travels that will grab an audience of people who can't wait to read the next piece. Of course I planned to post them with consistent regularity. Yah, right. Instead I seem to write mildly interesting posts with sporadic frequency. I'm pleased with much of what I write, but I get discouraged about all that I don't get written. I often feel like these places are slipping by my window and I just can't capture them all. Certainly the best time to write about a place is while I'm living there, but I just can't seem to get 'er done. So then I fear that I will lose it. Lose the memory, lose the moment, lose the beauty of the setting or the fun of the story. And then I feel sad.

At those moments of sadness or discouragement, I sometimes remind myself that John Steinbeck didn't write a single word of his classic Travels with Charley while on the road. Nope. He traveled the country on that epic journey without even beginning to write the story. It was all written after the fact. After the trip had ended. Well, that's a relief! If Steinbeck can do it, maybe I can do it. Of course, I am now already a couple epic journeys behind.


Travel days set me back
I feel pretty good about my writing schedule - WHEN we are in camp. But on travel days... Oh, those travel days and travel weeks - like this past week. They really sabotage my schedule. Funny how travel days mess with the travel writing.


Another journey behind us
And so here we are. Back in Michigan after another epic journey through eighteen states. Places that I want to write about, but have only begun. It seems that I am destined to be behind schedule. All the time. Nothing new about that.

Sure enough; life on the road is pretty much like life anywhere I've ever lived - in that I always bite off more than I can chew. And I am always trying to keep up.

So I keep writing. I keep trying to recall and capture at least some of those moments and some of those glorious scenes. Like scary mountain roads. Like wandering through the stacks at Bart's Books, the world-famous outdoor bookstore in Ojai, California. Like breath-taking moments along the Alaska Highway. Like the interesting people we meet along the way. Like the beach that hosted both sunrise and sunset. Oh, so much to write about. I have barely scratched the surface.

And, on those travel days... Well, I just shouldn't expect to do much writing on travel days. That's just the way it goes. And I guess that's okay.

Night sounds

So this place has been okay. I was pretty iffy about it at first. That is not terribly unusual; I am often iffy about a new place. But I think I was even iffy-er than usual this time. Nothing cool about it really. But it's okay. It has become familiar.

Those strange really loud thumping and banging noises that freaked me out a little the first night have either lessened or faded into the normal. We assume they are coming from big garbage trucks at the Savannah Sanitation land fill on the other side of the highway.

And the really, really loud roaring sounds last weekend sounded like a race track. I suppose they could have been coming from the Savannah Speedway a bit east of here.

The frequent sirens now have an explanation - or really two explanations: the fire station right out front across the road and the police station next door. When I'm out walking by the fire station and a fire truck suddenly lets that siren loose, I nearly jump out of my hiking sandals!

And the planes... Oh the planes... Little planes, military planes, jet planes, helicopters... All kinds of planes rumbling or whirring or whining or whistling overhead much of the time. Well, it turns out that we are smack dab between Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah Hilton Head International Airport - just a few miles away.

Oh, and don't forget the trains. Yep, there's a railroad track over there somewhere near the Army Airfield and the Savannah Speedway.

I guess I feel more comfortable here now that I know the sources of most of these noises. I'm funny that way. Sounds can play a big part in my disorientation or in my sense of well-being.

...

And now tonight we have the windows open and I can hear all kinds of "chirping" outside - spring peepers, Bob says. So that's a familiar sound. We always loved to fall asleep to the sound of spring peepers at Hidden Hollows.

And with that, good night.
 

home - where is it?

Ooh, I just saw this today and I love it. There will most definitely be places where I must use it because it will be perfect, but I can't wait. It is so fun that I just have to post it. Now.

Yep, it's cheesy, but it says it so well. That's where we are right now.

The campsite with the leaning tower

This place. Nice place. The campground, the campsite.
The campground seems like a good place. Relatively quiet and peaceful, but with friendly activity and nice people - lots of them from Michigan but also from a wide variety of states - as well as Ontario, Canada - many of whom have been coming here for 20 years or more.

The campsite itself is interesting - small and constricted. It is nearly impossible to park a rig on it - what with the ground being all uneven and filled with huge tree roots - not to mention the cement slab right in the middle of the site. Talk about an obstacle course - without any good place to go. One of those obstacles is the greatly leaning utility pole complete with square canopy-type roof extending on all sides. Our immediate interest in that pole was to keep an appropriate distance between it and the upper corners of the RV and to calculate the space needed to extend the slider. A more subtle concern involved wondering if that leaning pole was in fact safe or if it would keep leaning farther and land somewhere on top of our abode. I was assured that this is not hurricane season and it seems solid so it should be safe. These calculations and wonderings and decisions were all negotiated in the dark, by the way.

We quickly realized the campsite is unique in another way - besides being the teeniest site in the whole place. It also is on the main corner of the campground just inside the entrance and nearest to the office. Basically all roads lead through this corner and past this site - from every possible direction in the campground - probably a mixed blessing.

I like the site okay, but it is fun to wonder if we might want to try a different site on any subsequent return visits. It could be nice to be back in the woods with more space and privacy and closer to the path to the beach. On the other hand, it also could be fun to be out front right along the road with an even better view of the boat traffic across the street. From our little site we can see some of the marine activity, but also have a bit of wind protection from that front row of campers.

For this year, for this month, this teeny little lot serves our purpose quite nicely. I can see enough of the boat traffic to be fascinated by it all. I love being able to see and hear the car ferry, the Marissa Mae Nicole, as she comes and goes across the mouth of Mobile Bay every ninety minutes. Then there are the tenders, Ms. Joy and Gulf Glory, that service the dozens of drilling platforms out there in the Gulf. These powerful boats come and go at all hours of the day and night to the Exxon-Mobil supply depot right there beyond the fence. Crew members load and unload supplies as well as duffel bags to and from their vehicles parked out front.

'Tis a good spot to live and write and to explore walking lanes in all directions - whether to the aquarium or the fort or the beach. It's not hard to be content in such a fascinating place.

...

And then came the scary night. The forecast called for a hard freeze and the wind became ferocious. RVers compared notes and did everything we knew to do to protect our plumbing and our rigs from damage. At our little lot we were grateful for the almost unbroken line of rigs out there along the fence offering a bit of protection from the mighty winds sweeping down the bay and raging ashore. Still our little abode shook violently in the gale - until we chose to retract the slider which seemed to help considerably.

But what about that leaning tower? That utility pole that was already leaning toward our rig? Would this violent wind bring it crashing down on us? Further inspection was done and I was once again assured that it looked stable.

Sure enough, our leaning tower withstood the gale and the electricity kept working. AND the trickle of water kept flowing through the freezing night. All is well at this little campsite and we are grateful.

Too much stuff - for a small space

"Oh, dear; I brought too much stuff."

Now there is nothing new about that statement; pretty much every time I go somewhere I do take too much stuff.

However...

There is nothing quite like living in a small space to make it obvious that you have too much stuff. Most of my life there has been lots of "bonus" space to stash extra stuff. Probably most Americans have that privilege; we can haul Christmas decor to the attic, stash seasonal clothing in a guest room closet, maybe store picnic and camping supplies in the basement or the garage and cram the excess food into the pantry.

In my former life, closets were relatively big and drawers were numerous. I even had a whole room designated for storage!!!

But it's different in an RV. Space is limited - with barely enough room for the essentials, let alone anything extra. There are few drawers and the closets are teeny tiny. There is no such thing as a coat closet in the entry or an unused closet in a guest room - because there is no guest room!

We do have a pantry in our rig (at least we call it that) but it's considerably smaller than the walk-in one we had under the stairs at the big house. There is no desk and there is no office - so our table doubles as our desk and my briefcase is our portable office.

...

Because there is such limited space, it becomes super-important to keep our possessions pared down to a bare minimum. Whenever we consider bringing something with us - or buying something new, we have to find a place for it. We might even measure to make sure it fits and we know that certainly it will displace something else that was already assigned to that spot. Therefore whenever we consider anything bigger than a loaf of bread, we have to weigh all the pros and cons (and ounces and pounds!) to decide if it is worth the space it will require. But somehow it's the little things (the ones smaller than a bread box) that sneak into the bags and boxes to be loaded into the rig - without having gone through that rigorous auditioning process.

Amazingly we did pretty well last year - for being our first time. Maybe beginner's luck. Maybe the hand of providence. Unfortunately I'm afraid I didn't do as well this year. I ask myself how this happened and why I brought too much stuff. Here's what I think contributed to the problem. First of all, we ran out of time because we were moving out of the cabin and getting all of our stuff from the extra sheds into our storage unit - and then we lost a week to sickness. Not taking the time to make deliberate decisions leads to sloppy packing. In the early days of the fall when I had the luxury of time, I had started the loading process and making sure the rig was stocked - with dishes and pans and utensils and all of that good stuff. But then as we were pushing to empty out the basement and the sheds, then more stuff got loaded into the righ - including "another one" of this - without us realizing that it wasn't needed - or remembering that we already had one.

Oh, well, an extra towel can't hurt, right? You can't have too many wooden spoons, right? Wrong. Only a certain number of bath towels fit on that small shelf in the closet - like two or three. Only a couple wooden spoons fit in the silverware drawer alongside those other necessary utensils.

Now don't get me wrong. This rolling home of our is amazing with all of its little nooks and crannies hidden away in every conceivable spot. The lay-out is awesome and I have to say that the designers of these rigs are to be commended. The medicine cabinet is the best one I've ever seen and yes, we take full advantage of every inch. That shelf behind the couch is a life-saver as is that one above the kitchen cabinets. And the vertical shelving by the fridge... Well, I wouldn't want to do without that. And the silverware drawer that wraps around the kitchen sink... Well, that funky drawer just makes me giggle.

So this rig is well-designed and perfectly suited for our needs, but not for many extras. Actually on this trip, there is even less storage space because I gave hubby the rights to pretty much the entire cargo hold - for his piano - because this is an important season in his musical life - so that means I don't have places to put bins of extra stuff into storage. *gulp* Consequently I need to run a tight ship which probably means that I should find a thrift store where I can donate some of this extra stuff.

But, in the meantime, I still have a laundry basket full of clothes to put away, but no place to put them. Yet.

...

As I already mentioned, this is not a new dilemma for me. Instead it is an old familiar pattern that tends to reveal itself in new exotic places. In other words it shows up pretty much wherever I live. I am so very glad that I have finally been learning to live with less.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

"A place for everything

and everything in its place."
~  ~  ~  ~  ~

I remember that saying from when I was a kid and am more recently learning how important that is to my sanity and peace of mind - ESPECIALLY when living in a tiny place like this. Neatness and simplicity have such a calming and healing effect on me; therefore it is worth the cost of paring down my stuff still more.

...

Oh, and I just discovered that there will be a garage sale right here on the campground in a couple weeks - so maybe I can make some money on my "extra" stuff!!!

New Year's Eve on Beale Street

What an amazing New Year's Eve.

We got to our campsite overlooking the Mississippi River in time to get set up before dark. After unhitching the rig we headed across the river into Memphis for dinner. Oh, my; the bridge is under construction and the lanes are very, very tight. So glad we didn't try that bridge with the big rig. Beale Street and Main Street were both blocked off in preparation for the guitar drop at midnight. How fun to be able to get a table at B.B. King's Blues Club right near the stage where we could enjoy the show.

And now, back at camp, we sit here getting warmed up while listening to trains going by along one side of the campground and tug boats pushing barges up and down the river on the other side.

What a night! I'm tired and probably won't wait up for the fireworks over the river.

But first I must get a few things unpacked and put away before we can really relax for our first night in the RV; at least get things off the bed so there is room to sleep.

Happy New Year!!!





 

Goodbye and hello

Once upon a time, when I was settled down in my comfortable life and couldn't imagine ever leaving, I remember feeling sorry for friends who moved away. I couldn't understand why they would choose to pull up roots or how they could be okay with it. Somehow it seemed to me that leaving would be more painful than good.

Today we are the ones who have pulled up roots and are heading out. Some of our friends look at us and just sort of shake their heads. I can imagine some of the things they might be thinking... and some of them actually tell us. There seems to be a bit of astonishment at least and probably wonder - wondering how or why we would do such a thing. Most often there is an acknowledgment that it must be really hard. And yes, there are hard parts to it. The good-byes and the letting go, but there is also excitement. Things we look forward to. Things we choose to be our new life.

Hubby says it well: You say good-bye and I say hello.

When is church?

 

 

"A joyful noise we will make."

Kids rocking out to that sentiment as they sing it.

Those kids have some moves!

...

Sitting around the campfire enjoying a yummy multi-course Sunday morning brunch. Sipping a second (or maybe third) cup of cappuccino to ward off the chilly wind moving through the trees. Good conversation. Fun music. And yes, kids dancing and making joyful sounds. A duet of strong beautiful voices blending on an old hymn. Lyrics prompted on iPhones via Google - rather than hymnals or PowerPoint. Stimulating discussion about faith and orthodoxy. Freedom to ask questions as well as freedom to not have to have all the answers. Freedom to get up and find another cup of coffee. Love shared and love received.

Now THAT is church.

It was not lost on me that this was indeed Sunday morning. In fact, it was even somewhere around 11 a.m. on Sunday morning - the magical hour for "real" church according to some Christians. The time to be in church if one is to be certain and secure about one's spiritual condition.

I sat there remembering friends who have made it known to me that they were concerned about us because our house church met on Tuesday night instead of Sunday morning. There was a certainty implied that Sunday morning is THE time to be in church or else. I'm not exactly sure what the "or-else" is but certainly the idea that something is lacking in my spiritual growth and maybe something to be feared for my eternal salvation.

If those friends could see me now... You know? I sort of wish they could - so they wouldn't have to worry about my spiritual condition. See. I got the time right this week. Church on Sunday morning rather than Tuesday night. Maybe they wouldn't worry about me now. At least maybe not this week.

Well, except for the location...

Can it be "real" church if it happens out in the great outdoors? Under towering trees and ever-changing clouds...

 

...

 

A joyful noise we will make.

On Sunday morning.

On Tuesday evening.

Whenever.

Wherever.

 

 

Beach-walking - Thankful Thursday

Even while living in southern California for 5 months, it seemed that I didn't get to do enough of my favorite pastime: walking on the beach. I found a few good beaches and a couple great ones, but none of them perfect for barefoot walking - and all too far away to access each morning for my daily walk.

So yesterday was to be a beach day. It ended up being off again and on again but here we are. We made it - and with our little house on wheels - only to discover that the beach is gone because of high water levels. Where there used to be miles and miles and miles of beach that I could walk each morning, there are only tiny sections here and there - nearly impossible to access. Well, drats! That constitutes a great disappointment.

So am I feeling thankful? Actually, yes, I am. We are still having a good time and there is so much that is good in life. For example, at least I can see the water from my window. And I can still walk through the lovely woods. And we have this great little place to live in. Being in here feels like coming home.

What fun it was to make such an impulsive decision to go camping. How cool that we were able to be on the road within a couple hours. That was a major accomplishment - both in terms of getting a decision made and in pulling the plan together rather quickly.

Life is good.

I am thankful.

And now I'm going for a walk.

...

Late news flash.
Good news!

After I typed this, my husband came back from his bike ride to inform me that he had discovered a beach that had not disappeared and was still walkable. So that's where I went to walk on the beach today. Yippee!!!

...
Thankful indeed.

Less than stellar mental state - Thankful Thursday, a few days late

On Thursday, I tried to come up with something I was thankful for. Thankfulness would not have accurately described my frame of mind. To the contrary, I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. I had heard myself complaining and griping and had been through a couple meltdowns. Not exactly an example of positive mental attitude. Certainly not anything to brag about. Nope, not something I would want my public to know about me.

In the light of all the discussion about Robin Williams' suicide, it occurred to me to be thankful that my mental state does not get broadcast for the whole world to see. This is not the first time that I have recognized the benefit of living in relative obscurity.

But there I was, not feeling very positive - and then beating myself up for the bad attitude. I knew that I had lots to be thankful for, so I wondered why I was so whiny. You'd think I'd be overjoyed at being home again; right?

We had just come down from an epic journey and were in the midst of what could be dubbed re-entry stress. We pulled in behind our log cabin Monday p.m. - not knowing what we would find inside - and not really knowing how to prepare ourselves for this transition. It reminded me a bit of having diligently and thoroughly prepared ourselves to live and work overseas for a year, but not having a clue that we should maybe prepare for coming home. Coming back home from an extended and/or intense time away carries its own unique stressors - particularly if things have changed much at home. And this time they had.

Before we left Michigan in December, we had virtually moved out of the cabin - and other people had lived here - so now we would have to move in again. Besides that, during our absence a load of stored possessions had been transferred from our storage barn into the cabin. Therefore we had to find new places for those items and move them out before we could begin moving in. That's what we did our first day at home. We commented more than once about how thankful we were that our friends had gone the second mile and hauled most of the stuff into the basement - so we did not have to immediately deal with all of that.

The next day's goal was to be able to sleep in our king-sized bed that night which meant searching for bedding, hauling it in from storage and getting it washed. I remember feeling thankful that I didn't need quarters for the washer and dryer. And I remember how happy my man was to be able to stretch out in that big bed.

But maybe I should admit that I also found myself feeling a little grumpy about the flight of steep stairs between my bed and the bathroom in the middle of the night. And I may or may not have been heard griping about the teeny tiny shower in here and mourning the loss of the roomy one in the RV.

Yes, there was a bit of grieving over moving out of our little house on wheels. Even though it is compact, it is comfortable and convenient. This log cabin is lovely in its rustic nostalgia, but is not as safe or modern or practical or efficient.

We also realized that our exhaustion level was at epic proportions. Bob particularly was experiencing muscle fatigue from driving the rig through the mountains and across the prairie for days on end. We had been pushing ourselves pretty hard for nearly a month. No wonder the fatigue settled in once we parked the rig and slowed down our pace.

When I tried to post something for Thankful Thursday, I was feeling overwhelmed about where to start to make sense of my life and frustrated that I am such a slow worker. I tried to be patient with myself - letting myself be okay to accomplish just one thing each day.

I did start to write something to post that day, but was too tired to finish it. I tried again on Friday and Saturday between other projects. On Sunday I had the good sense to give up and take the day off from everything.

And now it has been a week since we arrived back home. When asked if we're feeling settled, I have to admit that I have chosen to be okay with "functional" so far. Feeling settled will have to wait another week or two. Yes, it feels like we should have made more progress, but it's okay. Perhaps the best part is that I once again feel sane - not so stressed out. Back to my normal healthy happy self. And I'm thankful for that.

...

Also I have chosen to notice things that I'm happy to have now. Things like:

• Fridge shelves big enough for a pizza box
• A washer and dryer on site; no quarters or tokens needed
• Space to spread out a bit
• Lots of hooks for hanging stuff near the back door & in the closet
• Empty space in drawers and on shelves - Wahoo!
• A lovely grassy back yard and the lawn chairs that I've missed
• A gas grill... Yay, pork chops!!!
• "His and her" desks - something besides the kitchen table

...
 Yep, I'm feeling thankful again. What a relief!

Fill (Five-Minute Friday)

Fill (Five-Minute Friday)

I guess I used to think it was important to fill things up.

I had a big house and it was full.

I had the biggest kitchen in the county with huge cabinets and I tended to fill them up.

I used to fill my calendar - partly because I seemed to judge my importance by my busyness.

...

I don't think I do that so much anymore. Since beginning the downsizing process, I have learned much about the value of less. The value of empty space - whether on my calendar or in my pantry.

Because we have been living in a tiny house on wheels we have had to live with less. Fewer pans, fewer dishes, fewer and smaller utensils. Fewer clothes. Fewer books.

When we get back home next week where there is more room to spread out, I wonder if I will be tempted to fill things up again. Will I want to fill the shelves? Will I tend to fill my calendar again?

I hope not. I think I've had my fill of living with excess. I really really hope that I will be able to continue pitching so that we can live with less and less.

...



To participate in Five Minute Friday write for five minutes on the topic of the week and post it on your own blog or post your five minutes of writing in the comments here each week, or on the Five Minute Friday Facebook page.

This is meant to be a free write, which means: no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation.

Just write.

Heading home

Well, we have turned another corner and once again headed east.

Heading home.

I remember many journeys and many times of heading home.

I remember giddy excitement of looking forward to being home.

...

It's different this time and I find myself pondering why.

What was it about home that called out to us after a journey? Were there things that we had missed?

If we had been camping, we were probably looking forward to a hot shower - or other comforts of home. Or maybe modern conveniences.

Depending who we had been with, we might be missing people - friends or family - and be anxious to see them.

If we had been gone a long time, maybe we were looking forward to just getting back to a normal schedule. Or maybe we needed to get back to our own doctor or dentist and other services available in our home community.

...

But this time, things are different.

As for the comforts of home...

Well, THIS is home. It has been our home for over seven months now and it really does feel like home. This rig. This tiny house on wheels. It is fairly comfortable - and in some ways more modern than the old log cabin that is waiting for us. In fact, we have a bigger shower in here than in the cabin - so I'm not too excited about that down-grade.

As for family and friends...

Yes, I am terribly excited to see the littles (AND their mommy) and to bask in hugs and songs and laughing all around for days and days. And yes, we are looking forward to seeing our extended families and our good friends and enjoying more hugs and great conversation. But here's the deal. We have been wonderfully blessed to have time with dear ones while out here on the road, too. Time that we wouldn't have had at home. There were great times with two of our daughters and other loved ones. Plus we met new friends along the way as well.

Then there's the matter of our weird schedule upon arrival back in Michigan. We will arrive "back home" in progressive steps - stopping here and there along the way to visit kids and grandkids and siblings and to celebrate a momentous birthday - probably all before we even get "home." I'm actually kind of wondering when I'll feel like we're home. Will it be when we hit the Michigan state line? Or will it be when we get to our daughter's house where the little sweeties live? That's where my aching arms get to finally embrace the little ones that I've been so homesick for and where I can get down on the floor and laugh and sing and play and be silly. In a very real sense, I'm guessing that I will feel like I made it back home at that point.

It's certainly not that I don't want to go home to the log cabin. I bet I'll be pretty excited to get there. It will be fun to have more space and to find stuff that has been packed away in storage. It will be fun for both of us to have our own desk again. And I know that I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my comfy old beat-up couch.

But maybe it's that I don't have to be there in that particular location in order to feel at home any more. I have now felt at home in other places as well as we have been practicing the art of building a life on the road - and a home on wheels.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty thankful. It has been an amazing journey. And yes, there will be wonderful things about getting home - wherever that turns out to be. And then I need to make those phone calls to set up those appointment for dental and medical check-ups! Oh, yes, we also need to pick up our box of mail from the post office and sort through it all.

I guess we'll know that we are home once we begin jumping into all of that "normal" work.

Oh, and when I can get back to my own hair stylist... Oh, yes, THEN I'll feel at home.

Campsites I have known

The campgrounds are different. One night we will be lined up with other campers in a grassy field. The next night we might have a lovely spacious wooded campsite with pine-needle-covered trails leading here and there. And then we may revert back to the truck stop style line-up on stony gravel without enough room to even open our slider.

These were in fact our first three nights of this leg of the journey.

But there is one really good thing about these different campsites: the fact that it we only have to step inside to be at home. What a blessing! Especially on nights like this when my body is so exhausted and restless and desperately needs to crawl into my own bed.

So here I go...

At home in the Yukon Territory...

Good night.