Best day ever

Met up with brand new friends.

Already learned several new things from them on Day One

What a delight!

Also hung out with dear friends of 30 years.

Have been learning from them for all that time.

Still learning on Day 10,950.

What joy!

Old friends, new friends, learning together.

Dang; I love my life!!!

My big brother

Remembering my big brother...

Dave D'Arcy, 1942-2018

My earliest memories include my big brothers...

…Coming home from the barn together on the garden path as they held my hands until they were running too fast for me so I just picked up my feet and let them carry me.

…Getting to stay at school all afternoon to walk home with them rather than leaving at the early dismissal time for younger students.

…These big boys teaching their little sister how to play ball and taking time to play catch with me and eventually admitting that I was pretty good. For a girl!

I remember when Dave headed off to college. It felt like a big change to have him gone. But I also remember it as sort of my first chance to become acquainted with little bits of the outside world - because I was so enamored by what all he was doing.

I remember when he brought Becky home to meet the family and when I found out that I was finally going to have a sister!

I also remember when he brought the quartet home and I suddenly had three MORE big brothers!

I remember when he brought me a cuckoo-clock from Switzerland!

I remember being in Shupe Hall when I got his phone call congratulating me on becoming an aunt - when Carmen was born...

I remember standing by him in his grief when Becky died and wishing I knew how to help.

And I remember when he brought Joyce home to meet the family and I learned that I was going to have another sister!

More recently I remember how Dave encouraged me to follow my calling and to use my voice and my words to influence people. He treated me with respect and valued my thoughts while some men seemed to ignore my contribution because I am a woman.

I’m thankful that I had Dave as my biggest big brother.

Colored leaves and cold weather

Cold-weather camping is a thing - for some people.

Maybe you are the hardy type who can handle discomfort.

Or maybe you have a heater in your tent or camper.

I know that I would NOT enjoy the tent version, but we have done a bit of cold-weather camping in our RV.  Two memories come to mind...

January 2015

We were living on Dauphin Island when the polar vortex dipped all the way south to the mouth of Mobile Bay causing great concern to the campground staff. They were unaccustomed to dealing with freezing temps and weren’t sure how to advise the campers - except to try to protect the shallow plumbing infrastructure through the campground.  Different ones of us tried different methods - some disconnecting and draining and some running water throughout the night - and most of us survived without damage.  Well, except one neighbor who was away for a few days… The next morning there were icicles hanging from the bottom of that trailer pretty much all the way around.  Yikes!

March 2016

Our second ice-camping adventure did damage our rig.  We had just arrived back in Michigan from 10 weeks in the Dominican Republic and were camping in our daughter’s yard when an ice storm hit.  We heard the ice hitting the roof but it was cozy inside and we did not think to retract our slider.  Daylight illuminated dozens of small tears in the awning over the slider.  Phooey!  Wish we had thought of that!

Fast forward to October 2018

Not necessarily seeking a cold-weather camping opportunity, but hoping we were prepared for whatever - we set out for a color tour to north Michigan.  The weather forecast motivated us to take warm blankets and quilts as well as extra layers of clothes.

By the way, this trip was not with the fifth-wheel trailer, but with the little old pickup camper, the mobile man cave - which the man had generously (if dubiously) invited me to share for a few days. Dubious because he wasn't quite sure there was room for two.  No electricity or running water, but it does have a nice little furnace.  With the area around Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes as our destination, off we went on our adventure.

In our travels we watch for things like hiking, history, scenery, and local culture. This trip did not disappoint. We enjoyed some of our favorite scenery and did find lots of beautiful colors,  And yes, we had a fun time despite a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow along with heavy winds and very cold temps.

Most of the rain was during the night so we were able to do some hiking during the daytimes. We hiked to the beach near our campsite at D.H. Day campground and we stepped into the historic log cabin there. Adventure Bob showed me where he and his brothers had climbed up into the tower when they were little guys.  You can't do that anymore!

Speaking of the historical...  Glen Haven has always been a favorite spot - but is even better now with its restored historic buildings - the cannery, the general store, the blacksmith shop and the Sleeping Bear Inn. 

The old Coast Guard station nearby has been transformed into a maritime history museum.  Several of the buildings were open under the supervision of volunteers - yet another form of work-camping.   

And local culture...?

When in the area one simply must return to Art's Tavern in downtown Glen Arbor for a famous burger and some mac and cheese.

On the way north we had stopped at Cops and Doughnuts in Clare.  Oh, my; their doughnuts are amazing!


The return trip brought us right past the 13th Street Market which is now a full-service restaurant near Cadillac.  We were three for three on the local culture stops.

It was a good camping trip despite the weather.  It did get cold inside our little camper.  We were very glad for that little furnace AND for the extra layers.  We shivered and giggled and made the most of it…  until the fan started slowing down because the “house battery” was running out of power.  Oh, no!!!  Never fear; Adventure Bob figured out a way to re-charge the “house battery” from the truck engine via jumper cables.  And it worked!  We were able to find a place to buy another propane tank because we were using it faster than expected because of the frigid temps.  But we survived - with more fun camping memories in our pockets.

Crazy characters

We encountered some interesting characters around town tonight.
There were the cute...

...and the crazy

...and the creepy...

... and a whole lot more

Reading again!

I used to be an avid reader. 
I wrote here of my old reading habits that had slowly disappeared.

Don't get me wrong; I still loved books and bookstores.

I still enjoyed hanging out in libraries.

I still wished for more bookshelves to hold all the books I have.

I was still buying more books, but I wasn’t reading them.

Oh, I would start a new book, but then struggle to finish it.

This made me sad.

Gradually I’ve been finding my way back.

I have chosen to make space to honor reading.

I even spent big bucks on my very own reading chair - because I had discovered that I did not have a comfortable reading spot and I realized how important it was.

Awhile ago I heard someone describe how library books were helping her to read more.  About how the deadline helped to motivate her to actually read them.  Made sense to me so I did the same.  

I've been compiling a list of books I might want to read.

I spent a couple hours in the library and carefully selected four books to check out.

Sure enough I started reading those books.  I finished one in a few days.  Then I started another.  Actually I started two of the others, but life got busy and I didn’t get very far very fast.  I ended up renewing them by phone - and then again... EXCEPT that you can’t renew them a second time.

So…  I looked through them - and took notes of which ones I may want to check out again.  Interestingly enough, I realized that those two I was in the middle of…  I realized that I don’t need to finish them.  

That’s pretty cool.

Somewhere along my journey I had learned this astonishing lesson - that I don’t have to finish every book that I start. *gasp*  I can pause and realize “Nope, this is not necessarily the best use of my time.”  There are other books I’d rather read.  Other ways to invest my time.

...

So is the library method helping me?

I think so.

Yes, the due date is a good motivator to keep turning those pages.

But the deadline also forces me to stop and evaluate whether I want to continue.

It helps me to be more decisive - something I can always use help with!

And then of course, there is the added benefit that I did not waste money on a book that I don’t need or really want.

…

Sure enough; I think I’m getting it back - that old love for reading.

For reading real books. 

I find myself curled up with a good book in my giant comfy cozy reading chair.

Or I notice that I grab my book to read a page or two while waiting for somebody or something.

Yay!!!

I think it’s working.

I’m finding her again.  

That old avid reader that I used to be.

Yippee!