We’re baaaaaaaack!

We’re baaaaaaaack! Back in Oshkosh, that is, on the grounds of EAA (Audry’s Park), and we’ve been here for about a month now. I had really good intentions of writing sooner (and I did, as the first five words of this blog were written in early June), but the days have a way of getting away from a person who wants to see so many friends and family members plus working and volunteering. 

Another important item we needed to take care of now that we were back in Oshkosh was getting our rig in for some much needed repair and annual maintenance. I don’t think I talked about it much before this but we had a serious leak in our windshield that we noticed sometime in April and knew we had to get that taken care of sooner rather than later. (Good thing as the rains have seemed to follow us wherever we go.) I must interject here how VERY grateful we are for God’s protection and safety as we now realize that we were driving all over the country with a bad windshield. Apparently, it wasn’t fitted properly in an earlier repair prior to our buying it. And it’s ONLY by the grace of God that we didn’t lose our windshield and, God only knows, what else. Thank you, Lord!

Bill wanted to wait until we were in Oshkosh, so a week after we arrived we took our rig in for repair. Long story short we had to wait another week for the windshield repair (as it was much more serious than we thought) and then ended up spending the night in Quent’s (RV repair place) parking lot because of some additional problems. It’s a most interesting life when you have to take your entire home in for repair. Just glad we are able to still sleep in it no matter where it is parked.  We aren’t done with the repairs yet. They still have to finish up one more thing; so we have to pack it up our home for the third time this month (ain’t we got fun) and drive it back (grateful the repair place isn’t even a mile away) for, hopefully, the last time this summer.

The other “fun” thing we got to do when we arrived was attempt to level out our parking spot. We were both extremely happy to have the same spot as last year. But I forgot about Bill having to make “riser ramps” out of scrap wood because the leveling jacks didn’t have enough extension and our back tires were six inches off the ground. Well, this year they would have been more like twelve inches off the ground. We were very grateful and blessed with a fairly simple and quick solution. There was both “fill” and gravel available to us to raise the back end of our lot so that no risers were needed. Bill got to play with big boy toys (front end loader), so he was happy. The shoveling all the dirt and gravel in place wasn’t quite as much fun, but we got the job done and it worked great. Okay, I admit I was a bit nervous about it not all washing away with the first rain…but after the deluge of rains we’ve had, I’ve been proven, once again, to not fret about stuff like that. I just can’t seem to help myself. Lord, help me!

Bill has been volunteering in the fab shop again at EAA as well as helping out a day or so a week for a former employer who just can’t seem to let him go. I’ve actually been going in to the physical His House Christian Fellowship admin office (boy that feels good) two mornings a week and then volunteering, at least, two afternoons a week in the EAA Print & Mail Room and/or Warehouse. We love it here on the EAA grounds, catching up with friends we made last year, meeting new ones, and having the flexibility to volunteer in a way that works for us and our crazy schedule.

Before the RVs & Campers arrive

Before the all the set up takes place.

Before the Fly Market vendors arrive

One more thing I really love about being in Audrey’s Park on the EAA grounds (1400 acres) during June, July, and August is watching the transformation from open fields and empty buildings to the thousands of campers, vendors of all kinds, airplanes galore, and people, people, and more people for the annual AirVenture Fly-In. However, I do love the peace, quiet, and beauty of this place for the better part of eleven weeks and am more than happy for the week and a few days of great excitement and aviation activity that I often watch from the comfort of my home. It’s a good life!!! Praise the Lord!

Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing!

A day in the life

Our time at Little Galilee Christian Camp in Clinton IL has proved to be a good example of what project life is like. This is our sixth project and if I’ve learned anything, each project has similarities and differences. I guess that makes sense. Our organization (Volunteer Mobile Missionaries) has a definite mission with policies and procedures to assist in carrying out that mission. Overall the projects are run the same, however, the project leader and those that volunteer change each month. The camps we go to can also be very different. With so many personalities, skills, and locations, you can probably imagine how unique each project can be. I said all that to say that after six projects, this particular one feels the most like what I thought a project would be like.

Against my better judgment, I have my alarm set for 6:15 a.m. I promised myself that when I retired, I’d smash my alarm clock. Well, I’m only semi-retired and as a volunteer who volunteers scheduled hours, I have to set the alarm so I can get to the group devotion by 7:30. There is usually one place or building designated for our devotion and break times which is true on this project.  I try to walk or ride my bike as much as possible. So, I leave the rig by 7:20 to walk to devotions (Bill sometimes takes the car or his bike depending on what job he’s doing that day.). On this particular day, I and the other ladies walk back to our rig after devotions to change into appropriate work clothes. Our assignment for the day got changed from painting to cleaning showers and you surely can’t wear your paint clothes to clean showers, right? In addition to that I forgot to pack Bill’s snack for our morning break. So, clothes are changed, I walk to one of the cabins where we get to wash down the showers. I’m working with two other ladies, so we have some good conversation to keep us distracted from the shower cleaning chore. It goes much faster that way. Fortunately, this is a very well run camp and the showers aren’t too dirty. We take our 10:00 break with our husbands and then return to a second cabin to do more showers. The fumes are bit overwhelming at times, so these breaks are very helpful. We finish up on the second cabin a little before lunch time so I have time to walk back to the rig, grab my laundry, hop in the car, drive to an onsite washer and dryer, throw in a load of wash, and walk back to the rig before Bill gets home for lunch.  Notice, I left the car where the washer/dryer was so I could get my exercise walking back and forth between loads. I’ll bring the car back when all the loads are done.

After lunch, which most likely was grilled ham & cheese sandwiches or maybe it was the day we had homemade chicken soup (which I haven’t done in years) Bill lays down to catch a quick nap (he

worked really hard tearing siding off one of the cabins) and I clean up the kitchen and possibly sit down for a few minutes to read. Actually, I think on this particular day, I packed up my laptop and keyboard (I’m so much more efficient and accurate on a standard keyboard) and my His House (Christian Fellowship ministry) files as I needed to go to the main camp office so that I could use their internet and get some of my financial administrating done. After Bill heads back to his job site around one o’clock, I strapped my computer stuff onto my back, hopped on my back and (first) rode over to the laundry area to switch out my loads. From there I rode to the camp office and got to work on bookkeeping for the ministry. (I had lots of work to do over the internet and there isn’t a Guest WiFi at this camp. Our JetPak has limited data and works pretty slow here, so going to the office was a great option.) Around 2:30, I left my computer stuff at the office, hopped on my bike, and met Bill and the other volunteers for the afternoon break. Stopped and switched out my laundry again on my way back to the office to finish things up there before biking back to the rig with my computer, once again, strapped to my back.

I stopped in to return something to one of my fellow volunteers and, of course, she invited me to stay and chat awhile which I just couldn’t turn down (dah, why would I want to do that). Totally forgot about the laundry by now. By the time I got back to the rig, Bill was home, cleaned up, and relaxing in front of the television watching Ellen. (Stumbled upon her show flipping channels and found her to be quite funny and fun to watch especially as a wind down from a hard working day). It was then I remembered the laundry. This time I walked to the laundry, loaded up the car with my clean and wrinkled clothes, and drove back to the rig.

Bill and I were both pretty tired and neither of us felt like doing much of anything so we continued to sit in front of the television watching the news and then an hour and a half of the Big Bang Theory (two old episodes, one new) while we had cheese, sausage, and crackers for dinner. One of our favorite “cheater” dinners. We were suppose to go to “game night” with our group but had scheduled (yes, scheduled) a telephone call with our daughter. Sometimes schedules just don’t match at all and we had to do something so we could catch up with her and the grandkids. We got to “game night” about the time one couple was ready to call it quits, so we watched them finish the card game they were playing and all headed back home.

I had another telephone appointment (this one with a friend) to happen before 10 p.m. Bill was fast asleep before that call finished up, so I read for awhile in bed to get sleepy. As is often the case, I was very tired earlier in the evening but after some relaxation and then stimulation, I’m wide awake for awhile. Before I shut off the light around 11 p.m. I got up, shut down, and unplugged all the computers as another thunderstorm was getting closer. There continues to be lots of rain wherever we go but I’m getting used to it PTL!

So, there you have it. A day in the life. We really have had a great time here at Little Galilee. Lots and lots of hard work, lots of good exercise, lots of good food (several potlucks), and lots of great fellowship (lots of card playing) .

Here’s always a fun time -- Ladies Day Out. We lunched at LaTeaDa Tea Room where I also purchased some funky leggings. Speaking of funky…have you ever heard of the Funk family? Well, we sure did. We visited the Funk Prairie Home. A tour guide spent an hour and a half giving us a history of the Funk family (actually VERY interesting) throughout the 13 room home. He did an excellent and enthusiastic job; it was clear that he has great respect for this family and the generations that have kept the legacy going. Next we went next door to the largest one-man gem and mineral collection in the world. Fascinating. By this time, I would have preferred to just look around but he talked another hour about various pieces in the collection.  One theme throughout the mineral tour that I found very refreshing was his openness and passion for creation philosophy. (I wish I would have taken some notes; he had some great insights on why things aren’t millions of years old…but don’t ask me what they were as my mind was on information overload and a lot of the information leaked out.)

Outside of project activities, Bill and I (and sometimes one other couple) had some other great site-seeing trips. Went to the Scovill Zoo in Decatur IL. (Oh, how I love zoos. Here’s a pic of my favorite new lion.) Friday night all you can eat Shrimp & Walleye for $10.95 at Ted’s Garage. C.H. Moore Homestead, a beautifully restored Victorian Mansion, Clinton IL. One of the best and most beautiful I’ve seen. Drove and hiked all around Weldon Springs State Park (fairly large) including Veterans Point. In addition to zoos, we always try to see any and all veteran memorials. Didn’t get enough Funk on Ladies Day (and Bill missed it entirely) so we went to Funks Grove/Pure Maple Sirup (yum, bought some); Funks Grove Cemetery (found several familiar Funk names); and Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove, IL. Loved it!!! As if we hadn’t seen enough historic homes, because of a rainy day, we went to Bloomington and visited another amazing house. David Davis, a Supreme Court Justice who was a friend of Abe Lincoln and Isaac Funk. (Yes, the patriarch of the aforementioned Funks.) I’m guessing I don’t have to tell you I love historic homes and these were some of the best I’ve ever seen (and these last two were free).  

Speaking of homes…we’ll be “home” very soon! Our project winds up tomorrow and we’ll be heading back to Oshkosh on Friday. So very excited!!! Love this life but can’t wait to see our Wisconsin family and friends!

Arriving Little Galilee

Oh my yes, the rains did stop as we had hoped (for one day, anyway) and we were able to pull out of Camp David on Tuesday (5/2) as planned. But (a big but), it took us four hours to go what should have taken us two (and then we were still less than half way to our destination). Our first route on I44 to St Louis was closed due to flooding for a 23 mile stretch; our second choice, going north on Hwy 63 out of Rolla was flooded and closed. So we took, what turned out to be a lovely scenic, yet curvy and hilly, Hwy 8 eventually getting to I55. We did see a lot of water standing in fields; and water levels were higher than normal as we crossed over rivers and creeks, but we were good, and for that we are very grateful. I am also very grateful as you all must have been praying for me…no sweaty palms on this trip and my nervous stomach wasn’t so nervous. HalleluJAH!!! Praise the Lord!

I truly love this life. I find it comical and comforting as we move from place to place. On one hand, I so love the beauty of the Ozark foothills but, on the other hand, I was so happy to see the straight and flat roadways as we travelled north. No matter where God takes us, I’m happy to be there. That is so very coooooool! And that is just one example of finding joy in the present. It is such a great place to be!!! Thank you, Lord!

So, we arrived at Little Galilee Christian Camp safely, however, we initially parked in a temporary spot. New RV spots were being installed with more AMPs and sewer hookups. However, the new area wasn’t quite ready when we arrived so we parked alongside the pool area where we were able to hookup to electric and water. I meant to take a picture of our poolside view, but forgot; oh well. We were hoping to move from our temporary location on (Fri. 5/5) but heavy no-let-up rains continued Wed and Thurs. with more flash flood warnings in our area. We, however, continue to be in a safe spot. Once again, HalleluJAH & PTL! So we stayed put. Two other couples have arrived and are on the new sites but they have 5^th-wheels and are much lighter. Besides, after looking at how they tore up and sunk in the grassy area after they maneuvered their rigs in place, we definitely want to let the area settle and dry up a bit. No worries. We’re good where we are, for now. 

After double checking for safe driving conditions, and what appeared to be a break in the pouring rain, we had to get out of our rig, so we took the car to The Bullet Trap (an indoor gun range with gun rental) about 40 miles away. So excited, as I actually got to shoot a Ruger SR22PB; that’s the gun we found in Missouri that fit my hand so well. It was meant to be. Great place! We had to watch a seven minute safety video before going onto the range which was really good for me. I’m still learning and need to hear this stuff over and over again. I’m grateful to say that I am getting more comfortable holding and shooting a gun, but that’s not to say, I’m looking forward to using it.  Bill said I did real well once I relaxed a bit and adjusted to the Ruger. It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Good idea Bill! Thanks for calling around and actually finding an indoor place that had the very gun I wanted to try. PTL again. (Seems there’s a theme going on here.) God is faithful, even in the little things. J

So the rains have stopped, but the wind has picked up quite a bit. Bill even chose to pull in the bedroom slide so we wouldn’t be kept awake by the flapping awning. When the wind hits it just right it’s pretty noisy. For those of you who read my first blogs, you’ll remember that the winds and the noise really freaked me out, at first; kept me awake at night and nervous during the day. But not anymore; Hallelujah & PTL, He is delivering me from these fears.

Friday morning the sun was shining brightly and the roads completely dry. We haven’t seen that for quite awhile.  It was a perfect day for checking out the local area which we did in spite of the fact that Bill felt miserable. He had such a bad cold with horrible pressure behind the eyes. He’s a trouper though and we still managed to enjoy the day. Saturday we travelled to Springfield IL (about an hour’s drive) to meet some of Bill’s cousins that he hadn’t seen in twenty years. Had a great reunion in a private room at Pizza Ranch for about three and half hours. Thanks Wayne & Donna for getting everyone together! We took a little side trip home; past Bill’s grandfather’s old house. He says it looks pretty much the same.

So Sunday dawned with me feeling miserable. Thanks for sharing your cold, honey! Now it was my turn to want to lay low. We attended services with our fellow project volunteers at First Christian Church in Clinton IL. Very welcoming and great worship in singing and teaching. Thank you Lord! We’ll be back.  As is generally the case, following church the whole group went out to lunch together. This time we went to Ted’s Garage. Good food, great theme. Love themed restaurants that hold true in the menu as well.  I had a Classic Thunderbird for lunch. Very tasty (chicken with sautéed onions, peppers & mushrooms). Prior to eating lunch (and I’m hoping that was the contributing factor), I had a strange experience. Sitting at the table listening to the various conversations, I felt the entire room start to tip over; I grabbed the table as I thought I was going to fall off my chair. Of course, the room wasn’t tipping over and I didn’t fall off my chair, but it sure scared me and my new friends. My hands weren’t clamming, my pulse was normal (we had a nurse at the table), and I eventually felt normal again. (Normal, for me that is; cut the wisecracksJ.) As I said, I hope it was a hunger thing although it may have had something to do with the horrible cold that was overtaking me. Anyway, the day continued without further incident of this  kind.

The sunny skies also continued and for this we were very thankful as both the winds and the sun had dried the ground enough that Bill felt comfortable moving our rig to the new RV parking area. He does such a wonderful job. We still had to pack, probably 75% of our stuff for the short trip through the camp, but I don’t mind it at all as it keeps things neat and tidy. As I said, Bill is pretty amazing when it comes to driving our home. There were two ways to get to the new RV park and both had very tight turns, neither one Bill felt he could make without incident. So we pulled out the camp at the far (RV) entrance, pulled back into camp at the main entrance, did a 360 in the main parking lot, and went in the far (RV) entrance at a much better angle. Whew…that wasn’t so bad, was it? Didn’t take long to get re-setup and with that…I’m down for a much needed nap. I have found that the more you rest at the onset of a head cold, the quicker it leaves you. (I’m writing this on Wednesday afternoon and I’m almost 100% better. I took more naps and went to bed earlier than I normally do these past four days and I’m so glad I had that option as I’m feeling almost like new again.) One other thing that helped was satisfying a craving I’d been having for the past week. Obviously, I didn’t feel much like cooking and we had no leftovers in the house; so what to do? Grateful we’re not out in the boonies for once and could make a quick ten minute drive to MacDonald’s. I got my annual Big Mac and it was gooooood! Thanks, honey for suggesting it!!!

Monday morning our work project officially got underway. The women have some very timely work that needs to be done. Two of our guys (one being, Bill), are tearing off rotting cedar siding on one of the cabins in preparation for the new siding that the women were asked to stain (two coats). [two pictures] We’re actually making really good time and having a blast doing it. Staining and talking are two things that can easily be done simultaneously. We’ve got a real good group here, the camp is beautiful, we’re thoroughly enjoying the work, I’m getting to ride my bike, and life is so very good.

Hope this finds you well! Be blessed & be a blessing!

Rain, Rain, & More Rain

Seriously, I mean REaaally? I can’t imagine how Mrs. Noah must have felt. It is definitely the rainy season in Missouri (and apparently throughout the Midwest). We had a bit of a break on Thursday (4/26) after very heavy rains last Wednesday when flash flood warnings begin to appear throughout the state. After all we’re in the foothills of the Ozarks with lots of hills and valleys. Praise the Lord, we’re on a hill and up until yesterday (Sat 4/29) the rain didn’t stop us from our comings and goings.

I have to admit my sleeping hasn’t been good. Heavy rains, and I’m talking heavy rains, and loud, sometimes constant claps of thunder, just put me on edge. Not sure when I became so leery of storms; but I’m sure it has to do with our first days and months of motor homing when we had lots of storms and tornado warnings, and for the first time, I had no basement to hide in. To be honest, I felt guilty about that…trusting my basement more than my Savior. Anyway, as a good friend of mine once told me that she loves thunderstorms because it shows God’s amazing power. I wish I could say the same. I’m sad to say, that doesn’t help me. (You can pray for me, please and thank you.)

Yesterday morning, we actually watched a movie (on DVD, the TV reception is terrible here, even in good weather). Can’t remember the last time I watched a movie during the day and I wasn’t even sick. Later in the day, I needed to do something productive so I made some cards (got four done…the most I’ve done in one day since we started this new season of life) and Bill & I played some gin rummy. I don’t think Bill ever left the rig. I did for maybe 15 minutes. It was still heavy misty raining but I just had to get some fresh air. It was more heavy than fresh, but I still embraced it. I took a short walk out the drive of the camp just to see if any water was coming over the drive at the bottom of a slight hill. There was, but just a little bit coming over the road…I wonder what it looks like now? (I’ll be checking it out as soon as we get a break in the rain; that is, if we get a break in the rain.)

Speaking of bad television reception, that doesn’t help my weak knees during these storms. I like watching the weather reports that refer to the particular counties. Yes, I can check on my phone but it’s not as helpful or specific. I feel a bit isolated as both our neighbors (co-workers) pulled out early Friday morning and we haven’t seen much of the camp staff. Everyone is staying indoors.

Until NOW! (Mid-Sunday afternoon.) HalleluJAH! The rain has finally stopped and the sky is starting to brighten, so Bill and I took a walk down the drive which wasn’t as flooded as I anticipated. More water is covering the road than yesterday but nothing like other places we have heard about. Note, at the end of the video, what you see is not a river but a horse pasture. Hopefully, you can hear the movement of the water as it is a bit hard to see in the video. After our walk, and a bit of lunch, we finally had the opportunity to hang outside for a bit of talking to the camp staff that lives on the property. So fun watching a half dozen little kids playing in the huge puddles (large enough for a plethora of frog eggs) and mud. I can’t say I remember those days, as most of you know, I don’t like to get dirty. Still don’t! But it was fun watching them and finally spending some time outside and talking to someone other than each other. And so the adventure continues. Hopefully, the waters will recede and the rains will cease for a while so that we can pull out of here (Camp David) on Tuesday as planned. We will keep you posted.

Until next time...be blessed & be a blessing!

Camp David of the Ozarks

Located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, you can see God’s handiwork all around you. It is absolutely beautiful here. Good thing it is so beautiful, it helps me keep my focus and mind off the steep and narrow roads. Most of you know how much I dislike roller coasters and heights. Well, we’re in the midst of what feels like both of those and we’ve taken several road trips to explore some well known and not so well known caves.

We spent one afternoon on a tour of Meramec Caverns which was pretty incredible but not too frightening (for me). After all, there was a guide leading the way down a well maintained walkway. Then there was the opposite experience but, honestly, just as incredible (even more so), only different (and frightening).  Miller Cave is located on the base at Fort Leonard Wood and is open to the public as long as you have your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of vehicle insurance so you can obtain a pass to go on base. Oh, and leave your weapons at home

Here’s a condensed description from the website about the cave. The cave can be accessed by way of a narrow, but well maintained (that’s very debatable) trail that winds down the steep slope and into the cave. It has a total of four entrances. The primary entrance is located in a bluff approximately 150 feet above the Big Piney River. Two more openings face the river and provide a spectacular view of the Big Piney River Valley. The bluff below these openings is nearly vertical, making it a deadly drop-off.   (Oh yeah!).

Getting to and from the different cave openings was waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone but Bill was right there with me to give a hand and an encouraging word. Going inside the cave was incredible. So very beautiful. The pictures don’t give the depth and detail we saw, but I’ve included them anyway for you to imagine what it was like. If I hadn’t been there with Bill, I know he would have crawled through many of the smaller openings further into the cave. I begged him not to; and, thankfully, he obliged.

We continued our explorations in the foothills of the Ozarks each weekend where we also found a few good wineries, a brew house, and a place called “Just a Taste.” First time I’ve been to a place where you could taste just about everything on the shelf (for a fee, of course) and there was plenty to choose from. So much so, I didn’t choose anything.  Bill tried a few of the spirits. We enjoyed lunch at one of the wineries where I experienced the best quiche ever. (Meremac Winery - Bistro d’Vine in St. James along I44.) So good, I can’t begin to describe it.  We’ve also discovered a new favorite restaurant…we love the Colton’s House & Grill (Southwest Chipotle Tips & Chipotle Chicken Nachos). We checked it out, honestly, just because of its name (in honor of our dear friends, Jason & Jessica Colton). We’ve been back there three times.

Another one of our explorations was in search of a handgun for me. (Obviously, we did this before we went to any wineries.) Now that I have my conceal carry, Bill thought it would be a good idea for me to actually have and practice shooting a weapon. Initially, I was not at all comfortable with the idea, but we found an excellent gun shop and range in a nearby town where you can rent a gun and use their range. I was doubly blessed with a few lessons from a very knowledgeable and understanding female. (No offense to the men who have tried to teach me about gun handling, but working with this woman helped me tremendously not only get over some of my nervousness but better equipped me to handle one.)

The project is going very well. I’m loving the ladies’ first work assignment. Organizing the Princess Room. Let me tell you a little bit about the mission of Camp David, so you understand the purpose of the Princess Room. The
camp is specially designed to bring hope and healing to children and youth who have a parent that is incarcerated as well as equipping them to succeed. Week long summer camps are offered to these children and one of the activities is a Princess Party for the girls. The room is filled with gently used formals, shoes, jewelry, make up, and tiaras for the girl’s to dress and primp for the Princess Party. It’s quite a formal affair! We’re having lots of fun going through all the dresses (yes, I admit, I tried one of them on; would have tried more but there were just too many to choose from), seeing if they need to be mended or cleaned, putting them in size order, and; well, you get the picture.

Our next ladies assignment was preparing (making beds and cleaning) some of the cabins for a special weekend retreat. The camp is branching out and doing retreats for the women of those in prison. The kids bring sleeping bags but the women get nicely made beds and, as an extra treat, breakfast in bed. We were praying for a mighty move of God for these ladies and after talking to the camp directors we can Praise the Lord for answering our prayers.

Really, Bill? sitting down on the job!

Our men have been working diligently on a new shower house. The walls and roof were done before we arrived but the men have been working hard on the interior. They built some false front walls, did a ton of staining and sealing tongue and groove boards for the ceiling and walls. And, Bill gets his kicks being the guy on the scaffolding installing the ceiling boards. There has also been a few odds and ends, like laying an electric line from the emergency generator to the water pump.

We had a wonderful Easter celebration. First we watched the sun rise as we drove through the foothills to attend a service at a local church and then shared in the yummy breakfast that followed. Our group was invited to Easter dinner at the camp directors’ home where we enjoyed pork, turkey, and ham plus lots and lots of trimmings. We were all asked to share our favorite part of the Easter story. Mine was “He is not here.” After cleaning up the dishes (and there were plenty of helpers), in the tradition of our host’s growing up years, we sang Easter hymns. Ya gotta know, I loved that!!! What a blessing to spend Easter in a family setting. 

Although the project officially ends on Friday of this week, we'll be staying through until Tuesday. Our next project is only about four hours away at Little Galilee Christian Camp in Clinton IL. So, we're staying here a few extra days (maybe we'll get to go to Colton's again) and arriving at our new project a few days early. What a blessing that everyone is so accommodating. 

So grateful for this journey. Glad you're along for the "ride." Be blessed & be a blessing!

Florida to Missouri: What a Hoot!

Since leaving our February project in Texas we have traveled through nine states and have parked our rig overnight in eleven different locations ranging from one night to one week.  A former client of mine referred to us as choosing a gypsy lifestyle. After these past six weeks, I’d have to agree with him if it weren’t for the fact that we do get to sleep in our own bed each night. For this I am so very grateful!

Our granddaughter loves animals,
including her pet pig.

We had a simply delightful second week with our granddaughter. After leaving Wickham Park (park #6) in Melbourne FL near our son’s place on March 19th with our granddaughter along, we returned her to the Belleview area where her mom lives and we settled in at Southern Oaks RV Resort (park #7). We stayed at this park last year and we’re happy to return. It’s close enough to our granddaughter’s school and activities that we were able to take her to and from school each day, no problem. While she was at school, we had a wonderful tour and visit with a junior/high school friend of mine that spends three months in The Villages. Quite the community but a bit too overwhelming for me (she said I’d get used to it but I rather like our current lifestyle). Another day while our granddaughter was in school we took a drive to Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards in Clermont FL at the recommendation of some very good friends who know about these things. Beautiful setting. We were not disappointed. In the evenings, we just enjoyed our granddaughter…riding bikes, playing shuffle board (yes, you read that right; she loves it), playing bags (a/k/a cornhole), swimming, and we taught her one of our favorite card games “Five Crowns.” She asked to play several times. Love it when we hit on something we all can enjoy together. 

Watching grandson's basketball tournament.

One interesting side note during this time is that our oldest grandson was playing in a National (Middle School) Basketball Championship in Indiana and we were able to watch it online. They lost their second game and went in to the consolation division and took that trophy home. Way to go guys! The crazy thing about that final game is that Bill and I were already on the road heading out of Florida and we stopped at a rest area to watch that game. Sure glad we did!

On our final night with our granddaughter we did something that Bill and I hadn’t done since before we met. The three of us went to a drive in theatre. Of course, we had to go buy some movie candy. Bottle Cap candies for our gjrl, Whoppers for me, and ordinary popcorn for Bill. So fun to watch the new release of Beauty and the Beast in the comfort of our car. It was nice enough to sit outside but I could hear better in the car as we tuned our radio to the appropriate number. That was different from the way it used…oh no, I never wanted to be one to use that phrase (“the way it used to be”). Yikes!

Sad to say goodbye to our granddaughter, but excited to be heading towards our next project (Camp David of the Ozarks near Rolla MO). We had two weeks to get there and couldn’t resist the opportunity to swing by Nashville (as Bill would say) to visit a dear friend. The normal route would be going through Atlanta but both Bill and I agree to avoid Atlanta at all costs. Wasn’t a high cost at all. We took a great route through the panhandle of Florida into Alabama where we boondocked at another Wal-Mart (“park” #8) in Troy AL. It almost didn’t happen! I always call ahead to the chosen Wal-Mart to confirm that they allow overnight parking. When I called this place, I got an immediate “no.” When I told her that my on-line information said that they did alow it, she told me I would have to speak to a manager. I waited on hold for quite awhile. Thinking she forgot about me or was trying to get rid of me, I hung up and called back. J Unfortunately, the same thing happened. At that point, we decided to find a truck stop for our overnight. Until, that is, we came upon that very Wal-Mart and we could see various semi-trucks parked along the side of the parking lot. I yelled (sorry Bill) pull in, they must allow parking. As we pulled in to the lot there were signs all over saying “no overnight parking.” Whaaaaat’s with all the trucks. Because we were both pretty tired and had nothing to lose, I went in to the customer service desk. There were three women, one of which had a manager’s tag, so I immediately went up to her (looking as pitiful as I could) and told her that we saw the trucks in the lot and assumed they allowed overnight parking but then saw the signs. She was so sweet! She says they are trying to look out for the safety of their customers but that they don’t enforce “no overnight” and no one would bother us if we wanted to stay. Praise the Lord!!! So glad I’m not one to give up to easily. Bill was pleased as well.

So glad we came through Alabama. It is a beautiful state. Lots of rolling hills and valleys with colorful trees. I almost thought it was the beginning of fall not spring. There was a lot of bad weather forecast, but Praise the Lord (again!) we only got rain. We picked a campground (park #9) about 30 minutes from Huntsville AL for four nights so we could spend some time at the U.S. Space and Rocket Museum. As if we haven’t had enough of space and rockets. What can I say? We’re big fans! Each one is different in some ways. Besides, the one in Houston, we had limited time; the one at Kennedy we enjoyed with our 11 year old granddaughter; and the one in Huntsville we could take all the time we needed which was such a delight. The other cool thing about this museum is that we got in FREE because of our EAA membership. Had we known, we could have stayed right on the grounds of the Museum as they have an RV Park available to the public. Oh well, we enjoyed a different experience of being at a campground that doubled as an RV storage place. It was nice enough and the people there were great, but the place didn’t have much of a park feel.

We also managed to find two nice microbreweries in the area. I even liked a few of the beers. With names like Raspberry Blonde, Pumpkin Madness, and Vanilla Porter what’s not to like. I know Bill and most true beer drinkers wouldn’t like these, but that’s why I did. Tastings are perfect for me as that’s about all the beer I want. Bill, now that’s another matter. He likes a nice dark beer once and awhile.

Finally, we’re on our way to Nashville. Well actually, we’re staying in Kentucky. Really hard to find a nice reasonably priced campground near Nashville (heading towards MO). I really didn’t want to travel through Nashville but for a big city the traffic wasn’t too bad. PTL! I hardly freaked out at all. We ended up in Franklin KY (Dad’s Bluegrass Campground park #10) about a half hour from Nashville. Had a wonderful time visiting our dear friend, Courtney, who left Wisconsin only last August to fulfill a dream of living in Nashville. (No she’s not a country singer wanna be, but she does like country music and Nashville, in general.)  She took us to a few local spots including lunch at Wildhorses Saloon.  Too fun! It was just a blast hanging out with Courtney and having her as our first adult overnight guest. We found a great church In Bowling Green with a lot of similarities to our home church in Oshkosh: Community/New City. So wonderful to praise loudly and worship and receive a powerful message.  Once again, that’s the one thing I miss most about being on the road and that is worshiping powerfully and Spirit led with “family.” On our way back to our rig, we stopped at a winery right off the highway close to where we were parked. So glad we did. Very homey atmosphere, extremely friendly people, and a delightful (& huge) gift shop. Made several new friends; oh, yes and tasted some delicious wine.

As many of you know, there has been some interesting weather where we’ve been. Thankfully, the good Lord has kept us out of most of it. Our last night in the Nashville area, Bill woke me up at 2 a.m.so he could move the bedroom slide in. He knew I’d freak out if I awoke while he was doing that. The winds were pretty strong and we have a tear in the bedroom slide awning. To keep it from getting worse, Bill decided to wake me. I’m glad he did, even though I had trouble getting back to sleep. I’m such a big baby when it comes to wind and rain.

You would think by now, after all it’s been over a year, I’d be a bit more relaxed about the weather and going from place to place but such is not the case. I had a month or two when I was doing so much better but I still get such a nervous stomach as we prepare to leave one RV park for another. I actually enjoy the packing up part (a place for everything and everything in its place) but I still struggle with other drivers, depth perception, and the whole no control passenger seat. Trust me, I sure don’t want to drive the big rig but I sure would like to enjoy the journey more. My prayer has been and will continue to be to trust God & trust Bill. Please Lord, take away my nervous stomach and sweaty palms!

Look closely...
Bill is hugging a tree.

Park #11, Redman Creek in Wappapello MO, our final stop before heading off to our April project.  What an awesome place. It is a campground maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers and is part of a huge recreational area that surrounds Wappapello Lake. Beautiful. Quiet. Relaxing. Wondeful. Just what I needed after our long vacation and prior to jumping back in to a project site. Our first day here, we hiked the trail near our campsite. A mile or so of beauty. Yesterday, Bill decided to go to one of the other trails about 20 miles away…this one was five miles long and the literature said “primitive trail open to foot traffic only and offers outdoor enthusiasts a unique view of the Missouri Ozarks.” It was wonderful but a bit strenuous at times. We postponed our hike for about an hour as rain was passing through. Guess what, it decided to pass through again when we were on the trail. Fortunately it was just rain and we could see it through the trees coming over the valley. So we each hugged a big tree for about a half hour until it passed. Hardly got wet. We were both pretty tired and decided to treat ourselves to a wonderful dinner at a local café and ice cream shop afterwards. Bill had the Double Chili Burger with extra jalapanos and a cherry butterscotch malt. I had the shrimp and catfish dinner with dessert first:  a scoop each of chocolate fudge & chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. What a treat. I’m full and I’m beat! Time to hit the sack!

Okay, so I didn’t quite get this posted last night, but I was too tired to insert pictures and format. So I can now say we have safely made it to our April project at Camp David of the Ozarks near Rolla MO. The drive was absolutely beautifully but very challenging for Bill. It was very windy today and you sure could feel it as we traveled along. Once again, Bill did a great job. Thanks, Hon!

Until next time: Be blessed & be a blessing!

Escapades with Granddaughter

I couldn’t resist writing about our wonderful week with our granddaughter; my memory ain’t what it used to be and I want to remember all the fun we had. Writing it down definitely helps with that and I need all the help I can get. Before I go any further, I just want to thank our good Lord for the gift of grandchildren and having this focused time with our granddaughter.

As you can imagine, after not seeing her for a year, she looked so much older and so beautiful. How can this be, she’s only eleven? We had a wonderful first night together at her dad’s place. I love hanging out with an eleven year old. I got to ride bikes, go for ice cream, color, play Legos, and laugh a lot over some silly electronic game called Flash Pad. We let the adults sit out on the patio and catch up.

Monday we spent at the beach. We wanted to be sure to get that in as the forecast was looking pretty cool later in the week. Once again, I had a blast playing catch, building sand castles, and digging a water pit for our granddaughter to sit in and let the waves wash up over her. That was an ongoing project and we had so much fun doing it. Poopa as he is affectionately called by her got in a quick nap in his chair while we played. There was quite a breeze so the waves were strong enough to knock you (me) over, so I let Poopa go out and jump waves with her while I just relaxed and watched them have a good time. That evening we taught her a new card game (to her): Five Crowns & she loved it. I also got to color some more with her.

Tuesday was an exceptionally wonderful day. We had promised to take her shopping  for her Christmas gift (It’s a lot more fun for all of us that way. Instead of trying to guess what she’d like, mailing it to her, and then never really knowing if she’s enjoying whatever it is we sent, she agreed last December that this was a good idea.) So she was pretty excited to go shopping and, bless her, all she wanted was more Legos. Makes this Nana happy! More fun times with her. Wal-Mart here we come. She picked out: Minecraft – Nether Railway (and had it all put together within 24 hours).

You’d think after she found what she wanted, we’d be on our way out the door. But no-o-o-o, we decided to quick look at some different handlebars for my bike. The bike I had was an after show EAA find but the bike didn’t “fit” me after adjusting everything we could adjust. So Bill was trying to adapt it to make it a better ride for me. As a side note, we had stopped at some bike shops over the weekend and found the accessories and bikes were way more money than we wanted to spend, even for used. So-o-o-o back to looking for different handlebars at Wal-Mart. Across the aisle from the handlebars was a bright & beautiful magenta colored bike that actually benefits breast cancer. It was the exact style I was looking for but without any of the bells and whistles that a similar bike at one of the bike shops had for over $300 less!!! After riding it around the store for about ten minutes, we were all convinced that I had to get this bike. To our granddaughter’s delight this meant she could have my old bike. With that in mind, we decided to give her an early birthday present and bought a bell, a basket, a gel seat cover, and some blue spray paint to make her “new” bike more her style. Everybody’s happy!!!  Needless to say, we’ve done a lot of bike riding all over Wickham Park. FYI: This park is almost 400 acres and has lots of trails and roads for riding and walking.

On Wednesday the big deal was going to Andretti Thrill Park, one of our granddaughter’s favorite places to go. Me not so much. My stomach and head can’t take most of the rides there, but she loves it. Popop (his official grandpa name) went go-karting several times with her and I loved watching. We all played lazer tag and I did manage to go on the Family Coaster. It spins but isn’t very high, so I managed it a few times (she likes to hear me scream); I didn’t feel all that great when it was over but she was happy. The things we do for our grandchildren. J

Thursday was a VERY full day. Up early so we could arrive at the Kennedy Space Center by 9 a.m. opening. Our granddaughter was very excited about going and, if you’ve read past blogs, you know that we loved going to the Johnson Space Museum in Houston; this was bigger and better for the simple reason is this is where the launches actually happen. Once again, hard to put into (a few) words. Experiencing it with an eleven year old is different but still very wonderful. We stayed until closing which was 6 p.m. so we were all pretty tired and hungry on the drive home. I haven’t mentioned many of the places that we‘ve eaten and we’ve had a lot of good experiences. But this one is noteworthy. We stopped at a place called Gator’s Dockside. At first, I wasn’t happy as I could tell it was a very loud sports bar, but the menu was most enticing and we could sit on the patio. Bill had a Five Alarm Burger, our granddaughter had a Mac&Cheese Burger, and I had a Shrimp PoBoy (lightly breaded in a Cajun sauce). There was so much scrumptious shrimp that I ate it all with a fork and left the bun. Our granddaughter was still pretty wound up when we got home (she got a brief nap in the car on the way home) and begged to play another round of Five Crowns. That was one way of keeping Nana and Popop awake. The things you do for your grandchildren! J

 

On Friday we officially celebrated our granddaughter’s birthday (which isn’t until June but we don’t get to see her in June and we all know how well the delayed Christmas present worked out so why not do an early birthday too). She loved it especially when I picked up a Cookie Cake. There’s a huge ongoing joke between my granddaughter and me and it has to do with cooooooooookies. It’s one of those times where you’d have to be present to appreciate it. Just know that the Cookie Cake was an even bigger hit because of our ongoing joke. We took a birthday bike ride as well and our granddaughter came upon a rather large unspooked turtle eating grass very near our motorhome. We watched him for several minutes; something I can honestly say I have never done before. Seems a simple thing but it was real exciting for me. Doesn’t take much, does it? For those of you who don’t know, I lived a very indoor life before meeting Bill, so experiencing things like this is oftentimes a new experience for me. Praise the Lord!

Our granddaughter spent Friday evening and all day Saturday with her dad and we were thrilled for them to have some one-on-one time together. We had a wonderful relaxing day. Took a really long bike ride and saw areas of the park we had never seen before. So many trails and lots of vegetation, one could easily get lost if they had my sense of direction. You’d never know that you were in the middle of a city. We rode almost five miles. So grateful for my new bike as this ride never would have happened otherwise. Early in our ride we stopped by the equestrian facility where it appeared they were having horse and buggy training. Another first see for me.

We had one more main event before pulling out tomorrow (Sunday 3/19) morning. We met up with our son and granddaughter to watch the Atlas V rocket and missile warning satellite launch off Cape Canaveral, literally on Cocoa Beach which is about five miles from the launch site. What a great spot. Lots of people scattered along the beach but not at all crowded. Such an awesome sight to see and hear (not real loud but very bright) and to think we were just there two days ago. Love this life! Thank you Jesus! Until next time, be blessed & be a blessing!